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For their next act, the Trail Blazers will spin straw into gold. After that, they'll walk across the surface of the Willamette River. After that, they're liable to make the Eastern Conference disappear.
But before all that, let's get to the act that has me appreciating everything that has come with this magical Portland season.
It's this: Wood knocking.
The Blazers beat New Orleans 110-107 on Saturday. The Blazers --- now an absurd 23-5 --- got a deep three-point basket from Damian Lillard and a couple of clutch free throws from Nic Batum to send everyone home merry. Everyone, that is, except guard Mo Williams, who hobbled up the tunnel after the game toward the locker room, wincing with his steps.
MO!" coach Terry Stotts called after him with the celebration going on behind him on the court.
The back-up point guard slowed to a crawl in the dim light. The coach put his arm around the guard, and leaned in, pointing toward the player's right hip. The Blazers aren't sure if Williams hurt the hip falling, or with contact, but they'll evaluate the injury and hope it's minor.
What the hobble really is though, is a reminder of how delicate even a special season like this one can
be. Not sometimes. But all the time.
The Blazers are not a nice little surprise. They're not just a good story. They're a shockingly good story that just doesn't stop, and what they most give fans right now is a reason to believe on every night. They win playing from behind. They win on the road. The team chemistry and good results are so sweet around here, that when Lillard pulled up for what looked to be a 30-foot three-point shot with the Blazers down by two points in the final 90 seconds, I doubt there was a soul in building that believed his shot wouldn't go in.
It went: Swish.
Before the game, Batum sat not far from where Lillard shot the ball, on the visiting bench watching Wes Matthews get loose and shoot deep ones himself. Batum made a confession: Three nights earlier, down 32 points in the first half on the road against Minnesota the Blazers broke the huddle after a timeout and Batum said, "I really thought we were going to come back and win. No, I knew it. I had no doubt we would come back."
What the Blazers were fighting to preserve on Saturday wasn't just the home court, or a wonderful season. They knew they were coming off that 11-point Minnesota loss. They knew that no team in NBA history has ever survived an 82-game regular season without losing back to back games.
Even the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan, a team that went 72-10, loss back to back games (at Denver and at Phoenix) during their blitzkrieg season.
"When you have the best record in the NBA there's some pressure on us to play well every night," Batum said.
This brings us to the grimacing Williams, who has been a terrific addition on the court and in the locker room. He spells Lillard. Stotts plays them together some, too. Across the way in the locker room, there's center Robin Lopez, who might be the key component to this entire Portland uprising. He watched this week as his twin brother, Brook, suffered a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, ending his season with the Nets.
Stotts dismissed all the fretting about possible injuries before the game, as he should, saying, "You can't prepare for injuries. You can't worry about them." Of course, you adjust when they happen. But maybe what a sobering moment like Williams hobbling amid the dancing inside the arena does is make us slow and appreciate the good fortune of this Portland team.
You lose Batum or Matthews, or even Williams for a long spell, and suddenly, this all feels dicey. You lose LaMarcus Aldridge or Lillard and the season is done. You lose Lopez, who played in 82 games last season and suddenly this amazing high-wire act feels like its being conducted in high winds.
So here's a symbolic knock on wood, today.
Knock. With. Me.
For what fans in Portland have been through in the last decade in injuries, it's been a relatively clean run. This is probably the one fan base in America that doesn't need a lecture on how delicate an NBA season can be, because there were seasons in which the Blazers were so banged up it hardly felt like there was a season going on at all.
Injuries will happen. Stotts will adjust. Back-ups will be given opportunities to demonstrate that the depth of this roster is its true best ally. What's clear on a night like Saturday is that Stotts wouldn't trade any of his healthy players for a single victory.
In the meantime, here's wishing Williams good health. Here's hoping the Blazers continue to answer the bell and make you believe.
But above all, here's a sprinkle of appreciation for the gauntlet this group has just run, mostly unscathed.
That should never go unnoticed around here.
--- @JohnCanzanoBFT


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Westfield Shoppingtown Trumbull Mall
Address: 5065 Main Street, Trumbull CT 06611
Main Phone: (203) 372-4500
Fax Number: (203) 372-0197
Trumbull Mall Retailers
The Westfield Shoppingtown Trumbull Mall located in Trumbull, Connecticut and is proud to feature major retailers including Lord & Taylor, JC Penney, Filene's, and Macys. In addition, a free-standing Circuit City located on the grounds. With more than 150 individual retailers, as well as a variety of seasonal merchants, the Trumbull Mall is sure to have something for everyone! In addition to shopping, this location has a food court and several restaurants, including Bennigans and Ruby Tuesdays.
Most merchants are open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., but you are encouraged to contact an individual retailer if you have more specific questions about their hours of operation.
Area residents are awaiting news to learn if the Trumbull Mall will add Target and Nordstrom's to their already fine group of retail merchants. View listing of all Trumbull Mall Stores.
Getting to the Trumbull Mall
Traveling South (from New Haven, etc.)
Take Route 15 SOUTH to Exit 48
Turn LEFT off the Exit onto Route 111 (Main Street, Trumbull)
South about 0.2 miles
Turn RIGHT into the main parking entrance
Traveling North (from New York, Stamford, Norwalk)
Take Route 15 (Merrit Parkway) NORTH to Exit 48
Take a RIGHT off the Exit
Straight about 0.2 miles
Turn RIGHT into the main parking entrance

subset: commoncrawl


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A grass-roots committee is seeking to place the proposed 50-year lease before voters in the May primary election. They need to gather 2,000 signatures for the referendum, but are trying to get 3,000.
They circulated petitions at polling places in the city Tuesday, but referendum opponents say Mayor Ed Pawlowski supporters came out to those locations and tried to dissuade voters from signing.
"Mayor Pawlowski has demonstrated a sad disdain for the democratic process, not to mention a clear fear of the will of the people he serves," said Sam Bernhardt, an organizer with Food & Water Watch, a Philadelphia-based environmental group opposed to the lease.
"If the mayor were confident in the virtue of the plan he espouses, he would be eager to put it up for a vote," Bernhardt said. "Clearly he isn't, or he wouldn't be so desperate to avoid a public referendum on the matter."
Pawlowski denied organizing any opposition to the referendum petition, but said four people were observing various polling places to ensure the petition process was done in the proper manner.
The mayor said he has received reports that circulators are telling people the city is seeking to sell the water and sewer plants, which is not the case.
"We have spent nearly four months educating people about a proposed lease/concession," Pawlowski said in an e-mail. "We can't allow a distortion of the facts. We are seeking to make sure that individuals are getting the correct information."
Bernhardt said the referendum supporters collected about 1,600 signatures Tuesday alone, but could not say how many have been collected to date in total.
Pawlowski has proposed the lease to address the city's rising police and fire pension costs. An analysis says the city's minimal pension obligation payment could exceed $27.6 million by 2015.
City council last week authorized Pawlowski to seek requests for proposals from qualified companies interested in leasing the systems. Council will also eventually have to approve any finalized lease deal.
Contact Allentown reporter Colin McEvoy at 484-894-2549 or email@example.com @AllentownLVL
Like Allentown on lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook


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A different kind of "second stimulus"
Larry Kudlow speaks or, rather, writes:
As for the second stimulus package, here's my plan: Go for growth. Reduce tax rates to provide growth incentives, something Team Obama has avoided like the plague. Cut the top corporate tax rate from 35 to 25 percent, and accompany that with a small-business tax cut from 35 to 25 percent. And leave the Bush tax cuts alone. Don't let them expire in 2011. That's cap-gains, dividends, and the top personal rate.
Yes, this is a supply-side solution. Reducing tax rates will spur growth incentives. Forget about Keynesian spending multipliers, which Harvard's Robert Barrow writes are less than one. Instead, borrow from George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, and John F. Kennedy. (And Calvin Coolidge and Andrew Mellon, too.) Forget about Keynesian spending. Forget about class warfare. Forget about income redistribution. Go for growth.
Me: Of course, what Team Obama is actually considering is more social spending and then a VAT to close the budget gap. Nor, apparently, does it seem to much care about the dollar, despite the ghostly presence of Paul Volcker. Weak dollar, high taxes, big budget deficits — an interesting mix.
We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/


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Chasing ghosts: Museum explores vanished town of Snoqualmie Falls
The forested pathways surrounding the site of Weyerhaeuser's deserted Snoqualmie Falls lumber mill hide secrets. But some people know how to uncover them.
Dave Battey, a retired telephone company employee and history sleuth for the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum, is one such man. On a cold March morning, Battey hopped a guard rail not far from his home and hiked down an elk trail just off 396th Drive. His destination: the ghostly remains of the Snoqualmie Valley's original YMCA.
The elk trail is more than it seems. Under layers of leaf litter, Battey's boots find the old loop road, once a main thoroughfare in the now-vanished community of Snoqualmie Falls.
"It's all asphalt," said Battey. Steps away, seemingly lost in the forest, is a paved school yard, hidden under the moss.
Here, the forest is reclaiming its own. Weyerhaeuser moved houses, bulldozed pavement and replanted the town with firs 40 years ago. English ivy, escaped from some mill worker's garden, entwines the trunks near the vanished community center.
In its heydey, the Snoqualmie Falls community hall drew children and adults from as far as Carnation.
"It was quite spectacular, probably the biggest Y this side of Seattle," Battey said.
Today, just finding where it stood is a challenge. Battey's only clue to the Y's whereabouts is a steel pipe among the trunks. Holding up an old photo, Battey zeroes in on a tiny signpost in the photo that directed firefighters to a water source.
"The community hall was really right here," he said. The pipe is the only visible vestige to a building that nurtured thousands of lives.
Quick growth
The company town of Snoqualmie Falls sprang up fast — and vanished almost as quickly. Snoqualmie Falls had its genesis in the creation of the Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Company in 1914 by Weyerhaeuser and the Grandin-Coast Lumber Company. Homes and services were needed for the mill workers, and the town coalesced as the lumber company began operations in 1917. Bunkhouses and a boarding house providing initial homes for the loggers and mill workers. Over a period of about three years, true neighborhoods developed: places called The Flats, The Gulch, Riverside and the Dirty Dozen, so-called for its downwind proximity to the smokestacks.
The Orchard neighborhood, built in 1919, was a social experiment to attract stable families, breaking the old stereotype of loggers as rough, hard-carousing men. The last house was constructed in 1924.
At its peak, the self-contained community had its own water and electricity system, company store, hotel, barber shop, hospital and YMCA, serving the mill's 1,200 workers.
To Battey, the mill town was clearly an urban environment.
"This was a town," he said. "The houses were reasonably close together. Everyone felt like they were part of their individual neighborhoods."
The mill employed small but growing numbers of women, and a small Japanese community lived at bunkhouses close to the mill pond.
"They started having families in the bunkhouses," Battey said. "They figured out how to break up the rooms inside."
Japanese children attended the mill school, and also took extra private lessons emphasizing Japanese culture.
The Japanese families were interned and removed from the Valley in 1942 by the federal government.
"As soon as they left, the company tore it down," Battey said. At that time, the wartime threat posed by Japan was very real to residents in the Pacific Northwest.
"The biggest threat the timber industry had was incendiaries from Japan," Battey said.
Vanishing town
By 1930, homes were being removed at Snoqualmie Falls. Gradually, employees and services in Snoqualmie Falls moved into the greater Valley. The Nelems Memorial Hospital, now being converted to senior housing by the Snoqualmie Tribe, replaced the Snoqualmie Falls Hospital in 1948. The bulk of the homes that could be moved were rolled across a timber bridge into Snoqualmie in the 1950s. The site of the Orchard is now a Glacier Northwest gravel pit; trees are reclaiming the other neighborhoods.
Some buildings, such as the grand manager's home, were torn down.
"There was no way to move them, and no place to move them to," Battey said.
Among the last mill town agencies to close was the YMCA.
"They tried to get the rest of the Valley to keep the YMCA going," Battey said. "It was too far out of the way. But people came to this thing from Carnation in its heyday. It was a regional draw."
Even after Snoqualmie Falls residents moved away, the Y remained a gathering place until it closed its doors in 1971. On June 30 of that year, the last piece of mail received its Snoqualmie Falls date stamp in the mill town's post office.
Searching for clues
Not much is left of Snoqualmie Falls Grade School. The foundation of the asphalt playground remains, as does a few parking berms and two gnarled, ancient cherry trees, planting long ago by a Japanese girl whose family worked at the mill.
It takes an educated eye to spot the remaining concrete, or a well-shod foot to dig out the pavement under a layer of dirt, leaf litter and moss. But once revealed, the footprint of the building is generous.
"This is not a small school," Battey said. "This is huge."
The cherries were planted in 1936 by a girl, graduating from the eighth grade, who may well have been part of the handful of Japanese families who were interned in World War II and never returned.
"They'e almost totally devastated," Battey said of the trees. But the ancient trunks still bloom. Battey notices the flowers every spring.
Across the street lie paved steps leading the onetime site of Snoqualmie Falls Hospital, once the largest facility this side of Seattle. The Valley Historical Museum recently recovered a brass plaque honoring a noted doctor there.
But the building itself has vanished, a grove of trees in its place.
The last generation born at the hospital is now in their mid-50s. Occasionally, a bewildered child of the mill town revisits Snoqualmie Falls, struggling to find their lost home.
Battey's family farm sits just over the hill from the mill. When a visitor pulls into his driveway, he can tell at a glance whether they are searching for the lost town.
"Our house is the only thing they can recognize," Battey said. "Sometimes they have tears in their eyes. They can't grasp the fact that this is all gone."
New role
After years of stagnation, the mill site's future now appears to be entering high gear. Entrepreneurs Greg Lund and Bob Morris are currently negotiating with Weyerhaeuser for purchase of the mill property, with an eye to open Ultimate Rally Experience, a driving course, corporate training center and film location.
Their purchase does not include the entire former mill town. Weyerhaeuser retains some of the former town sites, while others are privately held.
While little discussion of the old town has been taken place, Ultimate Rally Experience is aware of the site's past.
"History is a big deal and it's very important to me," Morris said. "We have plans to preserve anything and everything historic on the site as time goes on."
Museum exhibit
The story of the Snoqualmie Falls mill and community is the primary exhibit for 2010. As the museum opens this month, it will feature the history, images and story of the mill town and its impact on the Valley.
As part of that focus, the museum is reprinting "Memories of a Mill Town - Snoqualmie Falls, Washington 1917 to 1932," by author Edna Hebner Crews.
• More next week: "Ghosts of the mill town" is the first in a two-part series on the lost community of Snoqualmie Falls.
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Giving Day at Green Meadow Elementary
Tuesday, November 27, 2012 4:36 PM
Inappropriate photo? Alert us.
Destiny Warren, a third-grader at Comstock's Green Meadow Elementary, smiles as she holds up and show her new shoes from the First Day Shoe Fund on Tuesday afternoon - Giving Tuesday.
Related articles
- In the spirit of 'Giving Tuesday', Green Meadow Elementary students in Comstock get new shoes November 27, 2012, 5:00 PM


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Donate to Women Helping Women and help transform our community.
With an operating budget of nearly $1 million, agency services are underwritten in part by the City of Cincinnati, the United Way of Greater Cincinnati and other local, state and federal funders. In addition to these generous funders, a vital part of our work continues only because of the generous voluntary contributions of our friends. Your generous gift will help Women Helping Women provide:
- 24-hour Crisis Line
- hospital accompaniment for sexual assault victims
- court and law enforcement advocacy
- individual crisis intervention
- support groups for adult victims of sexual assault and domestic violence and children who have witnessed domestic violence
- date rape/dating violence prevention programs in schools for adolescents
- education and training for first responders like law enforcement, medical personnel, the judiciary and clergy
- education and prevention programs – speeches to civic organizations, community groups
Cash Donations/Donor Form
Women Helping Women has numerous opportunities for you to help transform our community with your contribution. You may Donate Online or you may use our Donor Form. Contact our Development Department at 513.977.5552 or email email@example.com. Complete the form and mail it to:
Women Helping Women
Community Law Center Building
215 E. Ninth Street, 7th Floor
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Please make checks payable to Women Helping Women.
Goods and Services
If you would like to donate goods or services, please contact the agency at (513) 977-5541 for further information regarding current program needs.
To access the agency's IRS Form 990 click www.guidestar.org. Follow the directions at the site if you need to register.
To view an Annual Report, select one of the following:
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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- East Carolina ended the half on a 9-0 run to take the double-digit lead at halftime. The Pirates shot 63.6 percent overall from the field and 57.1 percent on 3-point shots.
Darrius Morrow led UAB with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field.
UAB played the final 11 minutes without point guard Quincy Taylor, who committed his second foul with just over 11 minutes remaining. Ovie Soko led UAB with six points. Cameron Moore had eight rebounds but had just four points on 2-of-3 shooting.


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Wildstar, up to this point, has interested me purely because it has a very fun sense of humor that MMORPGs tend to avoid. It's like Ratchet and Clank... only MMO. Carbine Studios' latest trailer scratches one of my itches in an entirely different way -- by listing features. PvP, raiding, dungeons, episodic story campaign and oh dear oh my is that housing? They've got player and guild housing, everyone. Beta now, please.
I can't state clearly enough how big of a deal player and guild housing is to me as an MMO player. Guild housing in Age of Conan kept my friends and I playing that game months after its lifespan should have ended and I had a similar experience in Lord of the Rings: Online as well. Having a place of my own to fill with my stupid crud is... important.
As far as I can tell Carbine Studios sat down and said, "What are features MMO players want at launch? Let's put that in our game and make a trailer about it." Of course, the trailer is still full of that awesome Wildstar humor and sweet looking art style and animation. With beta apparently starting soon, hopefully Wildstar really delivers and we can get a Neoseeker guild going.


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Vt. Health Department honors two local schoolsApril 04,2013
ST. JOHNSBURY The efforts of Twinfield Union School and St. Johnsbury School to promote and expand physical activity programs have been recognized by the Vermont Health Department.
St. Johnsbury School received the Most Improved Vermont Department of Health School Wellness Award. The school has an after-school swim and gym program for first- through eighth-graders, and up to 300 participants are expected to have taken part by the end of the year. The school also implemented a Fitness Gram that assesses students health.
Twinfield Union School in Marshfield won a Gold wellness award, which will fund equipment such as skates and ski boots, and help move forward plans for a hiking and fitness trail bordering the woods nearby the school.
The awards are given by the Health Department in partnership with the Agency of Education, the New England Dairy and Food Council, and the Vermont Health Education Initiative.MORE IN This Just InDUXBURY Harwood Union High School is preparing a life celebration for five students who were... Full StoryThe Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife says the presence of a Canada lynx has been confirmed... Full StoryWARDSBORO Vermont State Police said Friday that Kirby Staib of Wardsboro, who was allegedly... Full Story
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Editor's note: The original intent of author Kim Fundingsland in the following column was to detail his fishing experience during a single trip to Lake Sakakawea. However, the weather proved to be more difficult than anticipated, limiting fishing time and requiring a second trip. What follows is a firsthand account of five hours of fishing during two separate days on the water.
GARRISON - I pulled the boat out of the driveway a few minutes after 6 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 5. By 6:32 a.m. I was setting the cruise control and on my way to Lake Sakakawea. My purpose was pursuit of northern pike and, if cooperative, smallmouth bass.
I knew the walleye guys had been doing very well, but also knew the cold front that rolled in during the previous day and night usually causes the walleye bite to shut down. More than once, I've seen walleyes on the sonar scattered during the morning, but then clustered tightly on the bottom later the same day. Walleyes often forecast a cold front.
Article Photos
Kim Fundingsland/MDN
Smallmouth bass fishermen enjoy pursuing their chosen quarry on Lake Sakakawea. Large smallmouth have been common on Lake Sakakawea this summer, many of them above the catch-and-release club qualifying standard of 16 inches.
Kim Fundingsland/MDN
Submerged timber, particularly the outside edges adjacent to deep water, have proven too attractive to resist for Lake Sakakawea northern pike.
Kim Fundingsland/MDN
This Lake Sakakawea northern pike measured 31 inches. Note the size of the girth, proof of ample forage for a rapidly growing population of pike.
Kim Fundingsland/MDN
At the center is a standard fishing leader which was straightened out by a large northern pike. To the left is a 50-pound fluorocarbon leader with a much more substantial snap. At right-center a slice of plastic tubing is shown placed over the bend of a spinnerbait. The tubing keeps snaps in place.
The temperature on my rear view mirror read 54 degrees. The overnight forecast for Garrison was 45 degrees, easily the coldest temperatures in many weeks. How would the fish react? The most logical answer is that they'd shut down. It was much too early for the fall bite to begin. I reasoned that those days are still ahead.
As soon as I made the Garrison turn off U.S. Highway 83 to the west, several bicycles came into view. It was the start of the annual CANDISC bicycle run. I counted six recumbent bikes, one complete with a high windshield; three tandem bikes and numerous other assorted road bikes. I was surprised to see several people riding the basic bicycles of the past. No gears or handlebar brakes. Maybe they were just there for the start. Maybe not. I knew they all had quite a week in front of them.
I backed the boat down the ramp at DeTrobriand Marina at Fort Stevenson State Park at 8 a.m. After sitting in the marina for a few minutes to arrange the boat, get the rod holders in place and four rods rigged I was ready to go.
My lure choices were buzzbait, spinnerbait and swimbait on what I consider my northern pike rods. Smallmouth often chase those lures too, making them good choices for search baits. On my fourth fishing rod, a much lighter rod, I had a wacky-rigged worm ready for smallmouth action if necessary.
As I eased my boat out of DeTrobriand Marina and turned to the right, I saw a large smallmouth leap out of the water. What a lake! One boat at the dock was heading out for walleyes and another for salmon. I was searching for northern pike and smallmouth.
I stopped the boat in the vicinity where the smallmouth had leaped high. It was 8:09 a.m. The buzzbait was my choice. I'd hooked some good smallies there previously on buzzbaits and figured a surface lure would grab some attention. The water was a little choppy, but not enough to discount the appeal of a buzzbait. I made three long casts, one in front of the boat and one to each side. Nothing. Fine. Time to move.
The run out of DeTrobriand Bay to the lake proper was easy, almost at full throttle. No sense to opening it up all the way and watching the gasoline gauge dip. I can stretch a tank of gas pretty well by saving a few RPMs.
When I got to the lake the waves were rough enough to cause me to ease back on the throttle. Why bounce the heck out of the boat and stress equipment? I was only going about a half-mile anyway. It was darn cool on the water too. I put on my rain gear for the first time since early spring. It cuts the wind and keeps the spray away.
My first stop on the lake side of DeTrobriand Island was a spot where I'd caught several very good northern pike on previous trips. That included three in excess of the catch-and-release length of 32 inches just two days earlier. I made five casts with a spinnerbait outfitted with a big willow leaf blade and a smaller Colorado blade. Nothing.
I moved the boat about 40 yards farther to the east and much closer to a row of submerged trees. My sea legs weren't very good and the boat was rocking in the waves. I decided to keep a life vest on over my rain gear while standing up and casting. I made six casts with a spinnerbait and two more with a black buzzbait with no fish, not even a follow.
The water temperature was 69.3 degrees, down from the mid- to upper-70s the previous Friday. It seemed to me that the pike were reacting to the cold front too, but it was too early to form a solid opinion after only 13 casts. Still, I was already beginning to have my doubts.
I moved the boat out to 14 feet of water. With the wind and waves the drift toward shore would be fairly swift. No way was I going to put out a drift sock with submerged trees in the area. The drift would allow for several casts as long as I stayed organized.
Five casts with a buzzbait did nothing. I started the motor and moved in closer to shore. There I made 10 more casts, in all directions, with the buzzbait. Nothing. A guy fishing walleyes in an Alumacraft was about 50 yards farther out. It appeared he was snagged on something because he was turning his boat in the direction of the bend in his fishing rod. I was rapidly washing into shore so had to turn away and get my own boat moving.
I moved farther east, not very far though. Still searching for fish. This stop was in 12 feet of water over submerged trees. Three casts with the buzzbait proved fruitless. I moved 10 yards and made another three casts. Still nothing, but it was getting a little warmer. It was 8:36 a.m.
Continuing along the shoreline to the east, I made seven more tosses - two with a buzzbait and five with a spinnerbait, without success. Then I grabbed the rod with a five-inch firetiger swimbait and a 1/2 ounce nose weight. I made seven casts in 5 1/2 feet of water. Nothing. Time to move. This time, maybe a mile down the shoreline to the east.
As I pushed the motor to about half speed, I could see three boats on the water in the direction I was headed. As I got closer I could see they appeared to be fishing walleyes outside a submerged island covered with trees, many of which were protruding from the water. I could not resist stopping and checking it out. I stopped well inside the boats, nearly over the island and within a short cast of the trees.
On my fifth cast with a spinnerbait I felt a hit. I suspected smallmouth but couldn't be sure. I grabbed the swimbait rod and flipped that lure about 15 feet from the boat where that hit occurred. Hit! Now gone. Hit again! I could see a small smallmouth holding onto the tail of that swimbait. A quick jerk pulled the swimbait out of his mouth, a lesson I hope he forgets when he gets bigger. Time to move again.
I reminded myself that I was fishing on the back end of a nasty cold front and that any fish would be a bonus. With that thought in my head, I eased the boat next to some submerged trees near the lakeside entrance to Steinke Bay. That spot had produced some very nice pike on earlier trips.
I pitched a half-ounce spinnerbait into 4 feet of water. Four casts and no fish. I moved the boat farther outside the trees and made 10 casts with a swimbait in 10 1/2 feet of water. Nothing. The water temperature was 69.6, certainly colder that what it had been, but give me a break! It's not all that bad. I guess the fish thought so.
There were several boats inside Steinke Bay, out of the wind and fishing walleyes. I drew that conclusion because the boats were almost stationary. That meant they must be live-baiting as slow as possible due to the cold front conditions. It was 9:20 a.m. The moon was still visible. Moonset wasn't due until 10:43 a.m. If the pike were going to turn on, I reasoned, that would be the time.
It was a good time to take a break and consider what to do next. A sandwich in the cooler had been talking to me anyway. I let the boat drift into Steinke Bay while finishing off a bottle of water. I made 10 casts to the shoreline with a swimbait and came up empty. Then I saw a fish jump about 40 yards away, right near where a branch was coming out of the water.
What kind of fish? I couldn't tell, but snapped on a five-inch Zara Spook to attempt to find out. Six casts of "walking the dog" and nothing. Surprisingly, the lake was suddenly calm. A boat trolled past and I asked if they'd caught any fish. The reply was "just a couple of little ones."
I moved out onto the lake and approached another boat which I recognized as a regular on the lake. He said he had one smallmouth and that the walleyes weren't being very cooperative. While visiting with him I saw a pike jump out of the water about 75 yards farther out on the lake. Off I went!
Where I stopped the sonar read 52 feet. I could also see a couple of balls of baitfish on the screen. A few minnows were jumping out of the water too. That big pike had them all stirred up. On my fourth cast with a swimbait that pike came out of the water again. However, it was about 10 yards from where I had tossed my lure. It was encouraging, but after 10 casts I still had no fish!
As I turned around in the boat I could see whitecaps rolling across the lake and could feel the wind getting stronger. Within
minutes the calm water turned to big rollers. The wind was out of the southwest.
It wasn't supposed to amount to much. So much for that. Yuk!
I decided to go back to my first spot and fish that during moonset. Surely that move would produce some nice fish. When I got there conditions had worsened to the point that standing up in the boat was risky business. The waves were pushing the boat towards shore much too quickly to allow any decent fishing anyway. Stay or go?
My decision was to go, not back to the ramp but into the wind and across the lake where conditions would be much better. I changed my mind after maybe a half-mile. It was very rough! The heck with it!
I turned the boat back towards DeTrobriand Bay. There were no other boats visible on the lake. I was the last to get the message, I guess. When I got to DeTrobriand there were several other boats tucked into the bay, trying to get out of the wind and waves and salvage some fishing time. It was reasonably calm.
I made 10 casts on the edge of submerged trees with a Zara Spook. No results. Then a very large boat, cabin cruiser-type, rolled out of the bay at very high speed and threw a monster wake for me and the other fishing boats to deal with. Why? We had come into the bay to get away from the rocking and rolling. Not very courteous, even on a big lake.
After sitting down and waiting for those manmade rollers to pass, I made 10 more casts with a swimbait. No fish. No follows. Done. It was only 10:55 a.m.
That morning, short as it was, was my first fishing trip of the year to Lake Sakakawea without any success. One hundred nineteen casts, one fish on, none caught in two hours and 46 minutes. My time on the water was brief but I blamed the cold front for poor fishing. Every fisherman needs a reason for such things. Later I learned that the walleye bite came on as the weather warmed in the afternoon.
Day two
It is Monday, Aug. 6, and here I am again - DeTrobriand Bay. Just like the day previous, I was greeted by a smallmouth jumping about 100 yards outside the entrance to the marina. I fell for the fishy ruse and stopped the boat. Five casts later, with a surface buzz, I had no results. It was time to make a decision. Should I stay here and try to figure out what these smallmouth want or move on now? I decided to move rather than spend time being outmaneuvered by smallmouth. It was 8:16 a.m.
I made a left coming out of DeTrobriand Bay, aiming the bow of the boat towards a spot that I knew - with a reasonable degree of certainty - should be holding northern pike. It was an edge of submerged trees starting in about 14 feet of water and continuing all the way to the shoreline. There was very little wind, almost calm.
I chose one of my favorite search lures, a black buzzbait, for the first cast. Fish! Wow! I had been looking down at the bail on my spinning rod when I heard a splash. When I looked up a pike rose from the water and took the buzzbait down with him. He put up a very respectable but losing battle.
That fish measured 31 inches. He was fat, but I did not measure the girth or put him on a scale. Good fish but not great, and there would be others. Also, it was warm enough that a quick release was a pretty good idea.
When I put that pike back in the water it rolled onto its side. I grabbed him by the tail and turned him upright in the water. About 45 seconds later that fish whipped his tail hard and splashed water all over me. Good for him! It was a successful release.
I made two more casts at that location without any visible reaction from the fish. Of course, I had stirred the area up a bit with that first pike and, while I was playing him and unhooking him and releasing him, the boat had drifted directly over where I wanted to fish. Sometimes, not always, a boat will bump fish. Time to move.
A note on the conditions, which were much better than the previous day. Knowing that the cold front had passed, I reasoned that it was a pretty good day to find some big fish. I set that as a goal. On a rod I use for muskie fishing I tied on a 50-pound fluorocarbon leader and snapped on a big Top Raider, a jointed lure with a prop tail that sputters loudly on the surface.
My next location was only a long cast from where I'd caught my first fish of the day. I positioned the boat farther away from a treeline than I would have liked, but I could still reach it with long bomb casts with the heavy muskie lure. Anyone watching may have thought I was crazy, but I had to give it a try. Big pike won't back down from anything.
Cast No. 1 was on the outside edge of the trees, almost parallel with the shoreline over about 15 feet of water. Casts Nos. 2-5 were fanned out around the boat with no takers. My sixth cast was a long bomb right down the edge of the trees and directly towards the shore. As I brought that sputtering lure about halfway back, keeping it very close to trees that I could see, a pike came up at knocked it into the air. Fun!
From what I could see, it wasn't a very big pike. However, you never can be too certain about the size or whether or not a fish has got a couple of bigger buddies with him. I set the Top Raider down and flipped a buzzbait to the spot where I'd last seen that pike. Hooked! That pike was still there, ready to bite and fight!
It was a testy battle at first but then quickly subsided. It was a small pike, guessing 4 to 5 pounds. It certainly wasn't anywhere near what the average had been on earlier trips. Nevertheless, it was great fun as any hooked fish always is. Better yet, he tossed the hook at the boat while I was trying to grab hold of him. It was 8:38 a.m. Time to move once more.
Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits
For those wondering why I make liberal use of spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, the reasons are simple. Both baits are very effective and have only a single hook. I've had enough treble hooks in my hands to have great respect for them. I've found single hooks are much easier to deal with than double or triple trebles when unhooking a fish or removing them from the net. There is no comparison.
True, the hooking ratio on buzzbaits is somewhat lower than many fishermen would like, but that can be improved with the use of a simple trailer hook. I've found trailers to be particularly effective when used with a flat-bodied buzzbait that planes on the surface easily. Either way, buzzbaits give you a fun look at the fish.
Spinnerbaits might just be the most versatile fishing bait ever produced. They come in a variety of weights, colors and blade patterns. You can fish them shallow, deep, through weedy cover or trees and very seldom get hung up. Fish will often hit them on the fall. They can be retrieved fast or slow, whatever works. I've caught pike, walleyes, bass, perch and crappies on them too.
Most spinnerbaits have a wide enough gap that successful hookups are not a problem. Sometimes I'll add a trailer, particularly if the fish are in a short-striking mode. If you want a bigger profile, use a spinnerbait with big blades or add a bigger skirt. You can add a swirl tail for an effective enticer.
Bass fishermen tie their line directly to the open bend at the front of a spinnerbait. You can't do that for northern pike. They'll bite the line and cut it off. You'll need a leader.
Here's a tip I've found very useful to keep spinnerbaits from sliding through snaps and getting fouled up. Cut a small piece of tubing and slip it over the front notch in the spinnerbait, then snap on your leader. The tubing, such as the size commonly used in home aquariums, keeps the snap in its proper position at the front of the spinnerbait and makes it very easy to switch spinnerbaits without retying. You can use the small piece of tubing with every spinnerbait or cut a new slice for each one.
Back on the water
For this move, which was only about 50 yards, I tossed a buzzbait behind the boat. I've caught numerous fish using this method. The muskie guys do it a lot - keep a lure in the prop wash. It works for pike too, more often than you'd think. If you forget to do that, or prefer not to do, it is a pretty good idea after repositioning to make the first cast directly behind the boat. That's worked for me a few times this year. I caught on after three different pike swirled behind the boat just after I shut the motor off.
This time I had no luck with that "on the move" tactic. When I shut the motor off I pulled the buzzbait right through the boat trail. Still nothing. Oh well. I made three more casts over eight feet of 70.7-degree water. Nothing. Time for the Top Raider. Five long casts and no fish. No swirl. No follows. Nothing on the sonar to show a fish passed under the boat. Time to move.
A short distance away I found myself directly over submerged trees. A few were poking through the water. I didn't like the spot. Edges had proven better, but I made three casts anyway. The result, I felt, was predictable. No fish.
I moved the boat to the outside edge. First cast with a buzz bait - fish! Not big but more fun on the water. It was a 27-inch pike. After a quick release I made one more cast. Nothing. Time to move again, this time about 50 yards farther down the shoreline.
Although I hadn't fished it before, the location looked good to me. There's is only one way to find out. I was in action on my first cast with a black buzzbait. Nice! This pike struck hard and with a big splash that put a big bend in my fishing rod. Awesome display! Good battle too!
It took a couple of minutes to get that fish to cooperate next to the boat so I could grab him. His width was such that I could barely get my hand over the back of his head. Solid fish! It measured 35 inches. It was 8:52 a.m.
As I reached for the scale the pike flopped off the measuring board and onto the floor of the boat. Enough was enough. He needed to get back into the water. I never did get a weight, but was happy to see him swim away. If pike like that continue to grow, Lake Sakakawea will be a terrific destination for trophy pike in just a few short years.
I moved the boat out to 11 feet of water, approximately 30 yards from where I'd hooked my last fish. Five casts with a buzzbait and three more with the Top Raider yielded nothing. Time to move once more. This time I stopped at the same submerged and treed island that I fished briefly the day previous. Bad choice but I guess I thought I had something to prove. Five casts later I wished I hadn't stopped. Nothing.
I stayed in place while a boat was slowly approaching. Two people were in it and I could see they were using typical bass rods. When they were close enough to talk to, I inquired if that had any success. The reply was that they had a nice walleye but were fishing for smallmouth bass.
What a remarkable lake! Take your pick, one or all - northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass or salmon. Those are the most targeted species but there are other fish in the lake too. Lake Sakakawea is big and can be intimidating at times, but right now it is fun and exciting and improving.
At 9:17 a.m. I stopped at a new spot, one where my daughter caught two catch-and-release size pike a few days earlier. I chose a spinnerbait. On my fourth cast I hooked a fish. It came off after just a few seconds. Smallmouth? Maybe. Three more casts were fish-free. Then a smallie jumped behind the boat about one long cast distant. I grabbed a buzzbait and threw it to the spot, twice. Nothing. Really?
I moved the boat closer and made three more casts with the buzzbait. Still nothing. Back to the spinnerbait for four more tries. Nothing. Move.
Now the big lake was calm, very calm. It was 9:29 a.m. and I was stopped over eight feet of 71.5-degree water. It was so clear that I could see the bottom perfectly. Ten casts with a buzzbait and nothing. I moved 20 yards and could feel the heat of the bright sun. Three spinnerbait casts and no fish. Time to move again.
This time my boat was just outside Steinke Bay. I could also see the Centennial boat ramp to the east. It was eight feet of clear water under perfectly calm conditions. I made four casts with a buzzbait and four long bombs with the Top Raider with no results. Move again.
It was 9:59 a.m. and I stopped the boat at the edge of submerged trees, easily visible in the calm water. I liked the spot, just not the conditions. I made four casts with a buzzbait. Nothing. Things had changed. I moved a short distance to 12 feet of 71.4-degree water. I had high hopes for this spot but had no action at all on seven casts with a spinnerbait and six more with a buzzbait. Yuk! Definitely a change in the fish's attitude.
I decided to work back towards the boat ramp. Stopping at one of my favorite spots, I snapped on a five-inch Zara Spook to "walk the dog." I'm not particularly good at that method, but enjoy it. On my fourth cast, with the Spook zigzagging across the water, I saw the outline of a pike behind it. Despite my vocal encouragement for him to take it, he disappeared from view.
Then, a few brief zigzags later, I saw his profile go nearly vertical underneath the Spook. He exploded from that attack pose and came out of the water with the Spook in his mouth. Wow! Very impressive show! That, because of being able to see the whole attack, was probably my most memorable pike of the year. I didn't land him. He shook the hooks a few feet away from the boat. Close enough. Nice fish. Maybe 34-35 inches.
I made 12 more casts with a buzzbait. Nothing. 10:17 a.m. I moved a few yards and made some more casts - six with a Spook and 10 with a frog-colored propeller Spook. Nothing. Time to call it a day. It was 10:27 a.m.
It was another short morning on the water but, unlike the previous day, provided some excitement. The summary was 130 casts, four fish caught and released, three others hooked or splashed in two hours and 11 minutes. Not a bad few hours despite considerable time used for notes and picture taking.
As I pulled out of the marina I saw three boats at the fish-cleaning station. They had some decent walleyes.
I'll definitely return. There's just too many fish that need to be taught a few lessons about fishing.


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On the eve of Ramadan, fighting breaks out in a mosque in Greece. Apparently there are conflicting reports. The Wahhabis weren't welcome according to one version; another said it was Sunni vs Shia.
"After the end of Ramadan, I hope that tensions will ease," said Nicosia Mayor Eleni Mavrou. No comment from Obama during his Ramadan celebration.
A CLASH involving at least 100 people – some reports say 500 – using stones, sticks and pipes took place on Monday night at Omeriye Mosque in Nicosia, following the ejection of one group of worshippers who followed a different interpretation of Islam to the majority of those present.
Five of those involved in the clash were injured severely enough to be taken to Nicosia General Hospital, and they were released after receiving first aid. A car was also damaged.
There are differing and often contradictory accounts of what exactly happened and why. According to one version, the ejected group were Pakistani Shia Muslims, while another account says they were Wahhabis either from or influenced by Saudi Arabia.
CyBC reported that the clash was between "around 500 Sunni and Shia Muslims".
Read the rest.
Another incident involving worshippers at the Omeriye Mosque had occurred on Sunday night, during a pop concert by Greek artist Pantelis Thalassinos at the Erodos Café and Restaurant next the mosque, while evening prayers were taking place.
Worshippers became angry when their prayers were interrupted at 9.30pm by the start of the concert, and one or two people expressed their anger by starting to throw stones at the assembled crowd. Police intervened quickly, and calm was restored by mosque officials.
UPDATE: The constant agitators are causing trouble in Greece too, incidentally.


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Robert Kraft Speaks Out On Aaron Hernandez
Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, has spoken publicly for the first time since Aaron Hernandez was arrested on a first-degree murder charge involving Odin Lloyd. He immediately expressed his disappointment and disbelief at the entire situation.
"No one in our organization was aware of any of these kind[s] of connections. If it's true, I'm just shocked," Kraft said. "Our whole organization has been duped."
The Patriots have attempted to distance themselves as far as possible from Hernandez. They immediately released him, despite the financial implications of such a hasty move, when they learned of his impending arrest. The team is faced with salary cap hits of $2.5 million this upcoming season and $7.5 million for the next.
"If any member of the New England Patriots organization is close enough to a murder investigation to actually get arrested — whether it be for obstruction of justice or the crime itself — it is too close to an unthinkable act for that person to be part of this organization going forward," Kraft said. "It was principle, over money or cap or anything else."
The Patriots went as far as to offer a Hernandez jersey trade-in program over the weekend, allowing fans to exchange their Hernandez jerseys for a new Patriots jersey of equal value. They reportedly lost upwards of $250,000 in the process, and plan on destroying all the jerseys and donating the material to be recycled.
In an attempt to defend the team's decision to draft him, Kraft even produced a letter written by Hernandez to the organization prior to the draft, in which he owned up to his past and pledged to willfully submit to drug tests in order to prove that he was committed to staying clean. As far as Kraft was concerned, Hernandez was a model player that never showed any hints of his dark side while in New England.
"I only know what goes on inside this building. We don't put private eyes on people," Kraft said. "When he was in this building, I was never exposed to anything where he was not positive. He was always polite, respectful."
While limited due to the ongoing investigation and any potential civil proceedings, Kraft expressed empathy and sorrow for the victim and his loved ones. "The most sad thing is the Lloyd family lost a son, a brother," Kraft said. "I'm really sorry, and my heart goes out to the Lloyd family."


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SPRINGFIELD - The City Council approved funds Monday night needed to resurrect a five-member, in-house forestry crew and to take back city management of the Romeo Cyr Skating Arena at Forest Park.
In addition, the council voted unanimously to spend $575,588 to purchase 15 police cruisers to replace the most worn cruisers in the fleet.
The forestry crew was laid off by the former Springfield Finance Control Board in early 2009, and was replaced by three private companies to handle both emergency and non-emergency city tree removal and maintenance duties aimed at reducing costs.
Under a new "hybrid" system, the city will resurrect the in-house crew, while also using the outside firms as needed, said Patrick J. Sullivan, director of parks, buildings and recreation management. Sullivan said he expects improved service to the public, noting there were some delays in response to past storms as companies were tied up in other communities responding to downed trees and limbs.
Sullivan said he "will sleep a lot easier at night knowing we have a workforce available" to handle emergencies and respond to city forestry needs under the direction of City Forester Edward Casey.
The new system will be cost-neutral, afforded within the current $764,000 forestry budget, Sullivan said.
The council, as requested by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, voted unanimously to transfer $358,483 from within the Parks and Human Services budgets to cover the cost of the new employees and their fringe benefits to the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2011. Sullivan said he hopes the employees can be hired back in three or four weeks, with the laid-off personnel having rights to be rehired first.
Councilor Timothy J. Rooke said that he was among councilors who opposed the layoff of the forestry crew in early 2009. The projected cost savings through privatization never occurred, he said.
On Monday, the council also voted unanimously to approve $317,000 to resume city operation and management of city-owned Cry Arena, previously managed by FMC Ice Sports of Pembroke on behalf of the city.
Sullivan and Sarno said the city was not satisfied with the conditions of the arena under private management, and believe the city can do a better job. The rink is anticipated to reopen for hockey team use by Sept. 15, approximately a week later than usual, Sullivan said.
Councilor Michael A. Fenton was among councilors praising the move back to city management, saying it will help reverse deteriorated conditions. The city will use a mix of full-time and part-time employees to operate the arena, with the cost covered by estimated rink revenues.
The purchase of the cruisers is part of an annual replacement program. The city has approximately 270 marked and unmarked cruisers, and tries to replace approximately 15 per year.
The council transferred the $575,588 cost from the city's approximate $25 million stabilization reserve fund.
Springfield City Council restores in-house forestry crew, takes back Cyr Arena management, OKs 15 new police cruisers
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on August 23, 2010 at 10:32 PM, updated August 24, 2010 at 7:58 AM
SPRINGFIELD - The City Council approved funds Monday night needed to resurrect a five-member, in-house forestry crew and to take back city management of the Romeo Cyr Skating Arena at Forest Park.


text:
This deal has ended.
These Boys' Fleece Pullovers drop from $19.50 to $12 at Disney Store online. Plus, shipping is free with code FREESHIP. This saves you over $7 off the regular price, plus another $4.95 in shipping fees. Choose from the Buzz Lightyear, Cars (pictured), Spiderman, or Mickey Mouse versions. It can also be personalized for an extra $3.95. Sales tax is charged in most states.No longer available


text:
Events around Warren County on Monday:
Warren County Historical Society, 210 Fourth Ave., 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Warren Rotary Club, second floor, Conewango Men's Club, Market St., Warren, 12:10 p.m.
Warren Barbershoppers rehearsal, Grace United Methodist Church, 7:29 p.m.
Girl Scout Office, Curwen Building, 589 Hospital Dr., Suite C, North Warren, confirm staff availability, 723-4990.
Warren Area Student Union, Hickory St., open, 3 to 6 p.m.
Chautauqua Shores Chorus, First Baptist Church, Fifth St., Jamestown, N.Y., 7 p.m.
DivorceCare and DivorceCare4Kids, First United Methodist Church, 200 Market St., Warren, 6 to 8 p.m.
Warren Public Library, Market St., Warren, open, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Bridge, Warren CountyYMCA, 6:30 p.m.
Community lunch, free to the public, The Salvation Army, 311 Beech St., noon.
Open trap practice, Pine Grove Sportsmen's Club, Russell, 6:15-8:15 p.m.
Scriptural Study, Inter-Faith Chapel, North Warren, 7 to 9 p.m.
Toddler Time, ages 0-4, 10:30 a.m., Warren Public Library Children's Department. Theme-based stories, songs, craft. Children engage in creative play at the end of each program. No preregistration necessary.


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AUBURN, Alabama -- Auburn's return to action on Saturday against Ole Miss will also represent the Tigers' now-annual day celebrating the military.
Auburn has scheduled Military Appreciation Day for Saturday, scheduling a flyover with the Black Diamond jet team flying Aero L-39 Albatross Jets.
But the flyover will be only the most visible of several measures taken to honor the military.
Auburn's coaching staff will wear a military appreciation patch on the sleeve of their shirts Saturday, and the Tigers will wear a special Auburn military appreciation shirt during a Tiger Walk led by Auburn's ROTC members.
Before the game, the team captains will be joined by four Wounded Warriors, the band will play a military-themed halftime show and Auburn plans to recognize several veterans at various points during the game.
In addition, several displays of military vehicles and shelters will be present on campus, and Auburn has partnered with Gameday for Heroes, an organization that helps veterans and their families attend games, to distribute tickets to active military and veterans. Fans can purchase tickets for veterans or donate unused tickets to GameDay for Heroes.


text:
Our hearts go out to the victims in Tucson, Arizona. This was a tragedy that could have been avoided. From the statements he made in his past and the disruption of classes at the community college he attended, it was obvious now that the culprit was schizophrenic. How could his family not see this? He was obviously making these nonsensical statements at home. Why wasn't he committed?
I think it should be made easier to commit people who have problems like this in the country. Obviously this was a man who needed help. He should not have been loose on the streets where he could buy a gun. He had no history of mental illness because no one ever sent him to a mental hospital.
I know there's a stigma on mental illness and maybe that's why his family didn't try to get him help. But that stigma has to be overcome in this society. People like him need to be helped.


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Friday, September 16th, 2005
Child Immobilizer Showcase
I was googling around when a text ad for the Pigg-O-Stat Pediatric Immobilizer and Positioner caught my eye. Oh look, a baby in a big plastic tube. It's Gluttonous Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It's… It's the thing that should not be. It can't be real, can it?
The Pigg-O-Stat is actually for immobilizing infants for radiographic and other medical examinations. It makes your kid sit still for X-ray photos. The device looks bizarre, but keeping kids still during exams is serious business.
Pedia Graph Immobilizer is a similar child-in-a-tube restraint device. The tube sits on a table so the child can be wheeled into different positions for the X-ray photos.
Kids are no doubt traumatized by
the hospital experience and the prospect of being stuffed into a tube by a
stranger. Couldn't the manufacturer mask this contraption to look like one of Winnie the Pooh's honey pots? Or do something else, anything else, to make the device appear less scary? Well, as it turns out, I was informed (after writing this article), that a better X-ray is obtained if the child is screaming.
So, to recap, your child is screaming in confusion, you are crying at the sight of your child's torment, and the X-ray technician is thinking, "Got it! That one's a keeper!"
Here are a few other immobilizers…
Papoose Boards — a patient restraint system that must feel like having giant Velcro wraps strapped around your body. Don't miss the sizing diagram.
Circumstraint Board — This looks like the device Captain Kirk gets tied to when the androids clone him. It's actually an immobilizing board for little boys who are about to have their manhood mutilated. If that little quip bothers you, please check out the other circumcision devices on this page because, you know, circumcision isn't a trifle decision. [/end rant]
Hug 'n' Hold — Finally an immobilization product that won't ruin your appetite. (You eat at your computer, right?) This is a hook and loop Velcro vest that acts like a 4-point harness. You secure the vest with straps around your changing table to make utterly sure the baby isn't going anywhere.
Update: Also see Thingamababy's Revisited: Child Immobilization Devices.
Update #2: Comments on this article are closed. If company representatives are going to argue over their products, posting comments under varying names, be smart enough to not submit your comments from the same IP address. The pertinent user comments have been removed.
Thingamababy is a parent blog! If you want to discuss the benefits of your product, send me a sample of your product for review (if you think me publishing a photo of my screaming daughter being strapped into a restraint device in my living room will help market your product). If you feel you must say something, send me an e-mail using the link at upper right.


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realmagick.com The shrine of knowledge.
A selection of articles related to liberality.
Original articles from our library related to the Liberality. See Table of Contents for further available material (downloadable resources) on Liberality.
- King James Bible: I Corinthians, Chapter 16
- Chapter 16 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings...
New Testament >> I Corinthians
- King James Bible: II Corinthians, Chapter 8
- Chapter 8 8:1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 8:2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 8:3 For...
New Testament >> II Corinthians
Liberality is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Liberality books and related discussion.
Suggested News Resources
- County leaders unanimously vote to buy out former Talon building's lone tenant
- The Meadville Theological School was founded in Meadville in 1844 by Harm Jan Huidekoper, who had discovered Unitarianism and wanted to help spread its message of liberality and hope in the "West," according to the website of the Meadville Lombard ...
- Unraveling what Ghana is celebrating after 59 years of independence
- After 59 years of supposed independence, we have only seen a few personalities who have the liberality and independence of the nation at heart like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the likes.
- Intolerant Labor lost a good man
- In his maiden speech, Bullock defended the right of free speech, liberality and an open mind. To be tolerant, he said, "was to accept that you have a perfect right to hold a view I believe to be wrong, even if I find your view offensive".
- Why MI5 heads LGBT Top Employers list
- It also turns out that things are improving in the workplace for members of the LGBT communities in Yorkshire, a region not usually regarded as a bastion of metropolitan liberality.
Great care has been taken to prepare the information on this page. Elements of the content come from factual and lexical knowledge databases, realmagick.com library and third-party sources. We appreciate your suggestions and comments on further improvements of the site.
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text: CDNN's current catalog has used S&W 645's for $299 in "Very Good to Excellent" condition. Is that a decent price? Or am I getting all worked up and about to buy a gun over nothing? Also since I can't seem to find any info on it being discontinued and all, how does the size of this gun compare to a full size 1911? Thanks.


text:
Students who are enrolled and classified as a non-degree seeking students (only taking one or two classes, audit or for-credit) are not eligible for financial assistance.
To apply as non-degree student, please submit the following:
- Forms & Information for Non-Degree Students
- Completed Application for Admission. Apply online by creating your personalized Future Scot account. In doing so, you will be able to apply for admission, sign up for a campus tour, register for campus events, and check your application status. You may also download and mail your application.
- Official college transcripts or other documentation may be requested.


text:
A letter from David Pasinski, a reader. Pasinski sent it along, as a kind of a supporting document. It accompaned a brief note from Pasinski triggered by a column in ehich Congressman Jim Walsh explained both his continuing support for the American war effort in Iraq, and his support for a measure that bans torture of any detainees in American hands:
November 18, 2005
Congressman Walsh is to be applauded as a "moderate Republican" for fighting successfully to restore proposed budget cuts to the food stamp program so that some 80,000 people will continue to receive food stamps?
But the "rest of the story" is that he supported the bill that simply lessened the cuts from $796 million to $675 million (over five years) that now "only" cut 220,000 people from the program! Has he visited our local food pantries lately let alone seen the forecast for what might be demanded of local charities in response to hunger?
This devastating budget bill squeezes programs for the poor, for college students and for farmers. And ONE vote could have made the difference! It only passed after reported arm-twisting. And Congressman Walsh's arm was probably twisted. Yet he was one who could have prevented it. Now that's certainly true for anyone of the exclusively one party support that passed this "penny-wise, pound-foolish" budget, but should we praise him for throwing a life-preserver to a few while he participated in turning over the boat?
Politics is surely the "art of the possible" and who knows what he'll bring back to this district as a reward for his cooperation with Republican leadership? He has been such a strong and helpful voice for veterans' issues and that should always be lauded. But why would he vote for such a devastating bill that places the cost of $6 billion- dollar- a- month war that is piled on the backs – and stomachs – of the most needy?
What happened with this two-vote margin of 217-215is extremely rare. One vote could have meant more debate in a tie that would have forced a rewriting of this bill. One vote could have made such a difference in assisting millions of Americans instead of hurting them to subsidize this tragic war and continued tax cuts to the super-rich. This was not an exercise in fiscal responsibility, but a betrayal of our most needy! As food pantries expereince more patrons, as our schools, churches, and civic organizations increase their food drives, and as we ask, "why is this so?" may we remember when ONE vote could have made a big difference.
David E. Pasinski
Fayetteville, NY


text:
The sun is shining and hopefully you have read my Kids in the City column this week and have already begin your Spring kid's clothes shopping spree. Here are my kids in the Children's Place Best! And now that you've got some new duds here's what's on tap this weekend- so get out there and enjoy!
Saturday events
Free Children's Museum of Manhattan's day of free events, sponsored by Ser Padres magazine.
What kids will go gaga for: Yoga classes (10am-5pm, 5 and older), a bilingual sing-along with Louie Miranda (10:30-11am), dancing with Baby Loves Salsa (1-2pm), stethoscope making (2-5pm, 5 and older), birthday hat making (10-11:15am & 1:30-3pm) plus a meet-and-greet (2-2:40pm) and dance jam session (3:30-3:40pm & 3:50-4pm) with the eco-friendly Big Green Rabbit.
When: Sat. 3/20, 10am-5pm. Free. Check event times above. (All ages)
Address: Children's Museum of Manhattan, The Tisch Bldg., 212 W. 83rd St.,
Information: 212-721-1223.
Junior Science Club: Wind Power- Learn about wind power then design and build your own wind driven device.
When: Saturday, March 20, 2010; 10am
Where: 75 Stuyvesant Pl.
$8./$5. Members, for children ages 8-13, parents may observe for free.
For more information call Seth Wollney at (718) 483-7105.
Staten Island Children's Museum
The Zoo Too- Welcome some friends from the Staten Island Zoo!
Where: 1000 Richmond Terrace
When: Saturday, March 20, 2010; 2pm
Call 718-273-2060
Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Forest Restoration Workshop at LaTourette Red Trail- Meet in the parking lot opposite the LaTourette Golf Club house at the top of the hill off Richmond Hill Road. We will remove invasive vines from trees on the steep portion of the co-joined Red and Blue Trails leading down to Historic Richmondtown. If you don't have your own, protectors will provide gloves and pruners and refreshments.
When: March 20, 2010; 10am-2pm
Information: Don Recklies 718.768.9036
Sunday events:
Blue Heron Park
Looking for Signs of Life- With spring just around the corner,
participants will search for the first signs that warmer weather will
soon return. Ages 6-12
When: Sunday, March 21, 2010; 2-3:30pm
Address: 222 Poillon AvenueSunday,
Atka Returns to the Greenbelt!- Join the Greenbelt Nature Center staff as we welcome Atka, and the New York Wolf Conservation staff back for an encore presentation of "Wolfology". Meet Atka, the arctic gray wolf and learn about the important role wolves play in nature
When: March 21, 2010; 1pm.
Fee: Greenbelt Conservancy members $10 per person, $38 for a family of four; non-members $12 person, $44 for a family of four.
Information: Registration and pre-payment required. Call (718) 351-3450.
And don't forget to register for Next Saturday's Workshop:
WHAT: Whoever said "It's not easy being green" hasn't heard about the seminar being held at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden this month. The free presentation entitled "Green from the Inside Out" will give participants the knowledge and resources they need to make their homes more environmentally friendly by saving energy (and money!), reducing waste, and recycling correctly.
Attendees can test their recycling knowledge, learn what tax incentives are available for home improvements, find out more about composting, solar power and green roofing, and even talk to vendors of green products and services. The event will feature informative presentations by Solar One, the NYC Compost Project on Staten Island, the NYC Department of Sanitation, and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Energy $mart Communities.
WHEN: Saturday, March 27th from 12 PM to 3 PM
WHERE: Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden – Building P
1000 Richmond Terrace (Cross St: Snug Harbor Rd.)
REGISTRATION & FEES: While there is no cost, advance registration is suggested; please RSVP to Celia Salgado at 212.505.6050 or e-mail her at email@example.com.


text:
LANSING, MI -- Grab a margarita and toast to yourself because, it's not only Friday, it's Cinco de Mayo weekend!
Along with treating yourself to cool cocktails this weekend, there is plenty to do in the greater Lansing area. Here's just a peek.
First up, tonight, Friday, May 3 scope out the fun happening in downtown Lansing and East Lansing in honor of First Friday. Among the good times is live music on the Entertainment Express by East Lansing-based duo Woodmere Estate, which is composed of singer Brynne Curtis and singer/guitarist Austin Brown. The cover duo began performing pop and soft rock hits together about a year ago.
More live music can be found at the Green Door on Michigan Avenue where Soulstice performs tonight, Friday, May 3 and Jessie and the Downbeat Groove perform tomorrow, Saturday, May 4.
Mac's Bar hosts an album release party tonight, Friday, May 4 for Mr. Fox and the Hounds.
At The Loft audiences will find a performance by Framing Hanley tonight, Friday, May 3 and Brody and the Busch Road Trio tomorrow, Saturday, May 4.
Rock out to your favorite tunes of the 80s as Starfarm performs at Dublin Square Irish Pub tonight, Friday, May 3.
In the mood for a laugh? Head to Connxtions Comedy Club where Mike Armstrong of Bob & Tom radio fame performs this weekend.
Grab the family and get in a little fun in the sun during Mason's Spring Fling. The event features food, vendors and more.
More family fun can be found in Grand Ledge as the annual Victorian Days festival gets underway. Take a step back in time and enjoy historical demonstrations, activities and more.
Those with kids may also want to check out the Children Ballet Theatre's performance of "Sleeping Beauty" performed at the Holt High School.
Wrap up your weekend with a visit to local galleries during the First Sunday fun around Lansing's Old Town, downtown Lansing and East Lansing.
So, #lovelansing, what are you up to this weekend?
-- Emily Caswell is the managing editor of Capital Area Women's LifeStyle Magazine and the publications director at M3 Group. Contact her at firstname.lastname@example.com or follow her on Twitter @emilycas.


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text: has come true. My one moth old is sick....really sick. My 15 month old got her first cold and shared it with all of us. I had it for 10 day as did my mom. the baby started coughing yesterday..my day 9. I thought she would have my antibodies by then. Maybe my milk is weak this time around. She is hacking and I have spent the better part of the night in the bathroom in a steam bath. PLEASE HELP if you have any suggestions. She went to the dr they said there is nothing I can do. I have been crying as she coughs so hard a little tear came out of her eye. This is sooo bad


text:
Los Angeles Lakers power forward Pau Gasol, who has yet to play this season while recovering from a hamstring injury, is scheduled to make his 2009-10 debut tonight.
Coach Phil Jackson had said last week Gasol might be back around Christmas.
Is "The Answer" heading to the Big Apple? It seems the sagging New York Knicks are increasing their interest in perhaps signing free agent Allen Iverson.
Charlotte Bobcats Coach Larry Brown hopes Iverson's career isn't over.
Apparently, the Orlando Magic, while they have no interest in Iverson, are now looking at former New Orleans Hornets point guard Antonio Daniels to shore up that position with Jameer Nelson out because of injury.
It's back to the bench in Utah for Andrei Kirilenko.


text:
prinny Interviewed Me prinny Interviewed Me prinny Interviewed Me prinny Interviewed Me prinny Interviewed Me prinny Interviewed Me prinny Interviewed Me
Good Idea!
Bad Idea!
Its a chance to get a better understanding of some of the forum members that frequent this site daily. As I mentioned before anyone who begins to brag about his or her interview will either have the interview cancelled and or thread deleted.Its like "interviewing your friends" - for your other friends to read...?!
What can we possibly gain from these interviews except for inflating the ego's of those being interviewed?
We're not interviewing for any kid of assessment - its not a job interview...
We're not interviewing for information - no-one here is famous - no-one here has any groundbreaking news that the world needs to know?
To let you guys know when I did these interviews on the other forum not one person complained about the interviews.
prinny Interviewed Me prinny Interviewed Me prinny Interviewed Me prinny Interviewed Me prinny Interviewed Me prinny Interviewed Me prinny Interviewed Me
Me, Myself... Good Idea.
Some quotes from various people in regards to my interviews...
Nice interviews, you need to interview yo'self though! =]nice interviews, i learned a lot about some of coolest members.Good interviews. A little bit long but still interestingthose were some nice interviews this helps alot i feel like i now them alot better now. infact ive bearly(to tired to spell just woke up) seen helljumper post.Those were a good read. GJ to all involved.Good stuff man, fun to read.
ill be the guniea pig if you want. it sounds promising but it will be flawed.
just don't feed the animals. i know some good members that i can recommend for interviewing too
eta i am not getting in a swim suit!
and why not!!!?Originally Posted by The_Loose_Cannon
but anyway, seems like a good idea, until the whiny ones moan
help me im dying help
Spoiler Alert!@TNightsOfGaming - My inane prattle
Example of an interview: Please note Syntax is borring.. Also the real interviews will probably be much longer and have better questions.
Interviewer: What brought you to Wiichat?
Syntax: Before purchasing my Wii I was looking for a new forum to call home if you will. I went to google and typed in Wii forum. The first hit I came up with was Wiichat and voila here I am.
Interviewer: What made you choose the name Syntax?
Syntax: No idea really. I mainly chose it because it sounded nice.
Interviewer: How long have you been a member here at Wiichat?
Syntax: For about eight months I believe.
Interviewer: Almost one year. How does that feel?
Syntax: Suprising really. Time really flies around here.
Interviewer: What would you say is your favourite section on Wiichat?
Syntax: There are about three sections I frequent daily so its really hard to say.. These sections being the Lounge, The Design Lounge and the Entertainment Lounge.
Interviewer: Now I didn't say list your three favourite sections... I said list one.. Be honest now..
Syntax: If I had to choose I would probably go with the Lounge because there is always something going on in there.
Interviewer: If you could change one thing about WiiChat what would that be?
Syntax: If I were to change one thing about WiiChat I would probably create a new sub section for spam. Basically in that section users would be able to post funny videos, jokes, pictures etc. Of course the post count would probably be removed.
Haven't decided who I'm interviewing yet..
Also usually when I interview people I tend to make up questions as I go. Another point is the questions for the example above aren't all the questions I'll be asking. Finally.. interviews are usually done over msn however if it's easier I could just send you a set of questions.


text:
MIAMI — Pat Riley expects better days are ahead for the Miami Heat.
Speaking Tuesday, more than a week after the Heat season ended with a loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA finals, Miami's team president said that not winning the title was a disappointment — but insisted the season still had plenty of successes.
"I'll say it. I'm not afraid to say it," Riley said at his annual end-of-season availability. "We are going to be multiple contenders, OK? I have no problem saying that. We will contend. That's all it's about. When you have a team that can contend for a championship, that's what you want, because then you have a shot at winning.
"I know what everybody expected here, but it didn't happen," Riley added. "But we had a great season."
Riley said the team would add more pieces to complement LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh next season, plus was looking forward to seeing what can happen with a healthy Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, both of whom had their 2010-11 campaign marred by injuries.
He also said Erik Spoelstra would coach, shooting down any notion that the Hall of Famer was considering a return to the bench.
» Syracuse basketball links: Would Jonny Flynn be a good fit for the New York Knicks?
» Latest NBA news
"No, I'm not going to," Riley said.
Riley ended his Hall of Fame coaching career in 2008, before tapping Spoelstra as his replacement. Spoelstra has a 148-98 record in three regular seasons, along with a 18-15 mark in postseason play.
"It doesn't mean that I don't have the fire," Riley said. "But we have a great young coach here and I want to support him and hope that he can grow like I did. This is just his third year."
Riley said he expects Miami's so-called "Big 3" to get better during the offseason as well, noting that Bosh will likely add some bulk in the weight room and that James wants to do more to round out his game, which has already earned him two MVP awards.
"He's the most unique player in the NBA and we're blessed to have him," Riley said of James, adding that too much of the criticism for the team's loss to Dallas in the NBA finals went his way.
Riley called the way last summer went, when he helped convince the three All-Stars to team up in Miami, one of the highlights of the season for both Miami and the NBA.
"The greatest thing in the history of South Florida sports was those guys coming together," Riley said. "With the exception of the (undefeated 1972) Dolphins. Maybe."
And he does expect that Miami, which has the first pick in the second round, No. 31 overall, can get better in Thursday night's draft.
"My take on it is that we're going to pick 31," Riley said. "I'm not so sure we're going to spend $3 million to move up."


text:
Update: Eight helicopters carrying dozens of New York National Guard soldiers are en route to areas affected by Hurricane Gustav. Gov. David A. Paterson directed the New York National Guard, with soldiers and airmen from Long Island and Rochester, to aid the Hurricane Gustave relief effort Sunday evening.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A weakened Hurricane Gustav slammed into the heart of Louisiana's fishing and oil industry with 110 mph winds Monday, delivering only a glancing blow to New Orleans that raised hopes the city would escape the kind of catastrophic flooding brought by Katrina three years ago.
Wind-driven water sloshed over the top of the Industrial Canal's floodwall, but city officials and the Army Corps of Engineers said they expected the levees, still only partially rebuilt after Katrina, would hold. The canal broke with disastrous effect during Katrina, submerging St. Bernard Parish and the Lower Ninth Ward.
"We are seeing some overtopping waves," said Col. Jeff Bedey, commander of the Corps' hurricane protection office. "We are cautiously optimistic and confident that we won't see catastrophic wall failure."
For updates, check our sister Web site, NOLA.com.


text:
US equities fluctuated between gains and losses but managed to finish the session in positive territory, as the S&P 500 finished at an a closing record high. The index finished up for the sixth consecutive month, the longest streak since September 2009. A slew of economic data saw equities earlier in the session come under pressure as Chicago PMI missed expectations coming in under 50, the lowest reading since 2009. A better than expected US Consumer Confidence reading which was at a 5 month high saw a muted reaction as the conference board clarified that it was too soon to say if confidence was on the mend. Equities rebounded to trade around their session highs attributed to reports that Apple's bond book tops USD 50bln, the biggest corporate issuance of all time; Apple shares rallied over 3%. Best Buy the world's largest consumer- electronics retailer finished the session's as the best performing stock rallying over 10% to year highs after the Co. said it is to sell its 50% stake in Europe. Finally, the DJIA finished up 0.11% at 14834.73, the S&P 500 finished up 0.13% at a record intra-day level at 1595.61 and the NASDAQ 100 finished up 0.12% at 14836.342
30 Apr 2013 - 21:35 - Equities Data - Source: RANsquawk
RANsquawk provides audio news and commentary for over 15,000 professional traders and brokers worldwide. Services include:


text:
The deadline to register for the upcoming Republican congressional primary election is June 1.
The federal primary will be held on June 26 in New York state. It is a Republican primary.
In New York's new 21st Congressional District, voters will decide between Matt Doheny of Watertown and Kellie Greene of Sackets Harbor. The winner of that primary will appear on the Republican line and challenge U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, in the Nov. 6 general election.
Voters have three choices in the U.S. Senate primary: Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, U.S. Rep. Bob Turner and New York City lawyer Wendy Long. The winner of that primary will challenge U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., in November.
The deadline to request absentee ballots is June 19. They must be postmarked by June 25 and be received by July 3 to be counted.


text:
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text:
The first time I stood in line at Jefferson Variety waiting for fabrics to be cut, the man in front of me was buying buckram, a stiffener for the new suits his Mardi Gras Indian group was making. The woman behind me lived on the north shore, and she was buying brocade to sew a new horse blanket for her ride with the Lady Godivas during the Krewe of Muses parade.
Jefferson Variety's old-fashioned cutting tables remind me of the small-town store where my great-grandmother used to work, selling notions and fabrics. But with the huge selection of blinged-out fabrics, glitter sold by the pound, hat forms of every description, endless spools of sequins in every color – Jefferson Variety could only exist in a place where people of all kinds love to dress up in costume.
Like Broadway Bound on Canal Street, the glitter-and-feather emporium in Orleans Parish, it exists because the creative population of southern Louisiana and beyond all support it.
A few weeks ago, Sue Capitelli was shopping for the Prima Donnas*, a north shore marching club of 80 women. "I do all the work, so I'm the fricking queen," Capitelli said, laughing. "I'm also a milliner and I make hats and headpieces. This store is the only place you can find all this stuff in one place."
Two members of the Krewe of Iris, Helene Morse and Mary Beth Coxe, were picking up a few extra things for their ride.
"My nephew is going to a conference in San Antonio, so I got him a some Western beads," Coxe said. She was also buying appliques to sew on a jacket which will have LED lighting.
"It's for watching parades," Coxe said. She is from Baton Rouge and will stay in a hotel in downtown New Orleans for the parades, she said.
Also shopping was Michael Jordan, chief of the Ninth Ward Warriors, buying lime green plumes.
"All the people here are really nice," Jordan said. "They get aggravated at me, because I wanted them to be open for Christmas and New Year."
"He's a mess," Lisa Tracy bantered back. She and husband Rusty own the family business at 239 Iris Ave. in a semi-industrial area near River Road. Rusty Tracy grew up in the variety store his father, uncle and grandfather owned on the big curve in Harahan.
"We sold everything, toys, ready-made clothes, pots and pans. I used to sit under the counter and put models (of cars) together."
The business has been in several locations, and came to specialize in fabrics and Mardi Gras merchandise. The main building where they are now located was purchased by Rusty's dad from Ricca's when the demolition and resale company outgrew it.
Today, the main building has a front room where all sorts of throws, plush and Mardi Grass-related merchandise is sold, and in the second part of the building is everything related to costumes. The building is surrounded by seven or eight big warehouses containing massive amounts of throws and other mechandise, including one full of layaways and one devoted to "nothing but soft footballs," Rusty Tracy says.
Out back in a big patio area are bikes and scooters that the grandkids play on, plus a huge cardboard recycling station for all the cartons and boxes involved here. The company has several long-time employees who aren't family, but most are relatives.
During Carnival season, the Tracy's daughter and her husband come over to help out in the evening after their day jobs. I've seen babies in strollers behind the counter while their mothers wait on customers in the long lines.
"Every fifth person in the line is buying umbrellas," Rusty Tracy said. "Everyone in New Orleans must have an umbrella."
Not for rain – for second lines. They sell several sizes, plus miles of maribou and sequin appliques to trim them.
The umbrellas and fabric are year-round, for weddings, dance recitals, second line groups, and Indians who work on their costumes full-time. But the most hectic time is January to Mardi Gras.
"We're waiting on a big order of feathers," Lisa Tracy said. "We get them from bird farms in Africa" through a distributor.
Dyed every color imaginable, the feathers are in every shape that ever grew on a bird: Plumes, hackles, ostrich boas, coque feathers, Indian quills, fluffs, drabs, peacock eyes and trains, pheasant feathers and nondus, a shaved-down feather. You will never look at an Indian suit the same way after seeing all the feather shapes.
"We carry most everything we could possibly sell" in feathers, Lisa Tracy said. "We've got to be the biggest retailer of feathers in the South. I'm on the phone with the feather and sequin people every day.
"It's since Katrina that we carry most everything," Lisa Tracy said. And in 40 years in the business, she's seen trends come and go. Years ago, she used to order "krewe satin" in all colors for costumes, but now the biggest demand is for sequined and other elaborately patterned fabrics.
"Nowadays, people will buy ready-made (costumes) and decorate them," Lisa Tracy said.
"Years ago, the maids and dukes used to be (dressed in) velvet and appliques. Now, the gowns are (made of) embroidered fabrics and sequins." Years ago, they sold many more brocades and velvets. Dressmakers come from Biloxi and "the clubs from Mobile buy all their krewe and court stuff" here.
She's seen other changes as well, such as fewer horse groups, which used to purchase lots of velvets, feathers and appliques. More brides buy ready-made gowns as well. Float truck riders used to all costume identically, as pirates or mermaids or whatever, but now organizers are lucky to get them into matching T-shirts. (Tracy wishes that truck float riders would get back into matching costumes.)
Nowadays, sales of spandex have (forgive me) expanded. The wall of sheers is huge: Tulles, nets, chiffons, organzas, crystal lames and stretch illusion, to name just some.
Tons of glitter by the pound goes out the door with members of Muses, Nyx and truck float riders.
Although demand for costume hats in general has fallen off, "The miniature hats are big this year," Lisa Tracy says. "We can't keep them in here."
One thing the staff appreciates: Photos. There are photos on the walls of Tootie Montana and other Indians.
"We do like to see what people do, when people bring us pictures," Tracy said. "We sell it all day long, but we don't get to see the finished product."
Isn't it a blast to work around all these creative people all the time?
Lisa smiles. "Yes," she said. "I do like it." And she cooks dinner at home after 12-hour days and babysits the grandkids whenever needed. Sometimes she brings them to work.
"It's always been family," Lisa Tracy said of the store, "which I think plenty of people like."
After their 70-hour weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, there is a parade. Rusty gets everybody on a truck float as a reward for all their hard work – for the Metairie St. Patrick's Day parade.
*The Prima Donnas, Guardians of Haute Couture, wearing hand-beaded bustiers, will parade Friday, Feb. 8 with their Sugar Daddies, starting around 10 a.m. at Saks Fifth Avenue in Canal Place and parading through the French Quarter to The Court of Two Sisters.