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While the amount of rainfall has been highly variable across the ginseng growing area, all areas have received periodic showers this week that has resulted in long periods of leaf wetness. Foliar Phytophthora is still active in several farms and this wet weather will continue to allow for spread of the disease. Downpours will then result in new areas of root infection.
There are subtle difference in the foliar symptoms of a root infection and the symptoms of foliar Phytophthora. Root infection can lead to the top wilting straight down from the top of the stem, but the top will simply dry out with no darkening of the tissues. Foliar infection will lead to tops also collapsing straight down from the top of the stem, but with a blackened, water-soaked appearance. Microscopic examination of the tissues would reveal the sporangia of the pathogen (Figure 1.). When this infection is no longer active, it would retain the darkened appearance, but would be completely dried out.
Figure 1. Two sporangia of Phytophthora cactorum under the microscope. Each sporangium contains several dozen zoospores with the ability to swim through standing water and saturated soils.
If you have foliar Phytophthora in a garden, it is likely that you are not getting sufficient protection from fungicides, or you are not getting sufficient coverage with your sprays.
With the periodic rains, drip-line chlorosis is very obvious in many fields (Figure 2). Drip-line chlorosis is the yellowing of the ginseng leaves in strips through ginseng gardens where rainfall drips from the shade cloth. The larger the slope of the field, the more pronounced these lines are, since the water runs down the shade until it hits a wire. The chlorosis (yellowing) develops as a result of leaching of nutrients from the soils in these areas and perhaps other changes to soil nutrient and pH balance. These strips are often where diseases first develop not only because they are wetter but also because lower nutrition reduces the disease resistance of the plants. Supplemental fertilization can reduce the problem but it is important not to over fertilize and cause the unaffected plants to have excessive fertilization that can lead to higher root disease and poor seed development.
Figure 2. Drip-line chlorosis in a ginseng field. Note the uneven yellowing in rough strips through the field.
It has come to my attention that some growers are not aware of all of the resources OMAFRA provides to ginseng growers and all farmers. First there are the two ginseng-specific publications:
Publication 848 Guide to Ginseng Production. This guide provides an overview of ginseng production from start to finish including detailed information on pests. It is not updated regularly and costs $20 plus tax at the Simcoe Research Station or through Service Ontario.
Publication 847 Crop Protection Guide for Ginseng. This guide provides a listing of the pest control products currently registered on ginseng and their proper use and describes ginseng integrated pest management practices in detail. It is updated every year. Each member of the OGGA should have received a copy in the mail. Additional copies can be purchased for $5 plus tax at the same locations noted above.
OMAFRA also has a number of resources for both new and experienced farmer that help explain financial support programs, funding sources and general agricultural resources. A few of these are listed below:
Factsheet: Programs and Services for Ontario Farmers
Factsheet: Starting a Farm in Ontario – Business Information Bundle
Publication Series: Best Management Practices (Soil, Water, Pesticides etc.)
Website: OMAFRA Irrigation Information
Website: OMAFRA Soils Information
Website: OMAFRA Nutrient Management Information
Factsheets and Resources: Farm Succession Planning


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Chicken pox is, traditionally, temporarily uncomfortable for kids and troublesome for parents. But in some rare cases, it's much more: Varicella (chicken pox's scientific name) can lead to infections and pneumonia in otherwise healthy children and adults, and a small but significant number of people die each year.
Luckily, vaccination - this fairy tale's hero - has just about vanquished varicella's villainous virus, according to a CDC study published today in Pediatrics.
For the study, the researchers tracked deaths by varicella since the introduction of the vaccine in 1995. In 2007, there were 14 directly varicella-related deaths in the United States, as opposed to an annual average of 105 in the four years leading up to the vaccine's introduction. In 2006, the CDC suggested that a second dose of the vaccine could completely eliminate varicella deaths in the country.
Previously: The cost of forgoing routine vaccinations
Via Health Blog

subset: commoncrawl


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happy earth day all!sorry for the lack of posts lately. i've been super busy getting ready for my upcoming spring shows. i just wanted to pop in to wish you a happy earth day! be sure to check out my latest post over on the zupas blog.i listed some great tips on how to be a more earth friendly "foodie."check it out here.
happy earth day …
April 22, 2010
labeled : Armelle | 3 COMMENTS


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The government has banned cash transactions of Rs 2 lakh or more from April 1, 2017, through the Finance Act 2017.The newly inserted section 269ST in the Income Tax Act bans such cash dealings on a single day, in respect of a single transaction or transactions relating to one event or occasion from an individual. The restriction is not applicable to any receipt by government, banking company, post office savings bank or co-operative bank, the tax department said.
The receiver of the amount will have to cough up an equal amount as penalty.


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Few of us know about this animal called the pangolin, or scaly anteater, found in the tropical forests of Africa and Asia, including India. It's an odd creature, donning an armour – not unlike a knight of the medieval ages. It has a very narrow, long tongue that extends over 15 inches, coated with a gluey substance to enable it to probe nests, mounds and suchlike for ants, termites, etc. that make for its unique insectivorous diet. The pangolin has impressive digging powers, can live deep underground, is a capable swimmer, yet may be found up a tree, as it's an agile climber as well. In fact, India's pioneering naturalist and officer of the Imperial Forestry Service FW Champion said of the pangolin, "this astonishing survivor of the past ages may well be the most remarkable animal found in the Indian jungles." Pangolins are nocturnal, shy, and when threatened they curl up into a tight ball—which offers excellent protection, even from predators like lions and tigers.
But not from man.
An ugly truth about the pangolin is that currently it is the 'hottest' item in the illegal wildlife market, so much so that it is now considered the 'new rhino' – a species traditionally in demand and slaughtered ruthlessly for its horns, pushing one species of rhino (the Javan) in Asia to virtual extinction with less than 50 remaining in the wild. The Vietnamese subspecies of the Javan rhino has been pronounced extinct after the last rhino was found dead with its horn removed. In Africa too, the Western black rhinoceros is now extinct, while other rhino species are being massacred at unprecedented scales. The slaughter of the pangolin is on similar scale, only its plight has failed to grab headlines or attention. All eight sub-species of the pangolin, across their range in Asia and Africa are in trade, and in dramatic decline, including the Indian pangolin.
The pangolin's scaly armour, given by nature as a protective cover, has become its curse. The scales are made of keratin, the same substance as a rhino horn or human nails, and are ground into traditional medicine—believed to 'cure' various diseases, including headaches, asthma, certain cancers– and boost the virility of impotent souls. The meat of the pangolin is a delicacy too and commands a lucrative price, primarily in southeast Asia, and is served on the plates of the rich as a status symbol, particularly in China.
Investigators and wildlife crime experts say that this rarely seen creature is surprisingly easy prey for the poacher. Pangolin burrows are easy to locate from their tracks and poachers use dogs or lay traps around them. When approached, pangolins simply curl into a tight ball, which poachers pick up and dump into sacks. They are usually caught and transported alive, as scales from freshly killed pangolins command a higher price. In many restaurants the animal is served live to the diner — then killed and eaten. Stewed pangolin fetus is another pricey delicacy.
A recent meeting of global pangolin experts noted that at least 2,18,000 pangolins had been seized from trade between 2000 and 2012. Given that most of the trade goes unrecorded, this figure is likely to represent only a fraction of the actual numbers smuggled. Ninety per cent of the seizures were from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. If anything, the trade seems to have peaked this year. For example, in August, customs officers in northern Hai Phong in Vietnam seized 6.2 tons of live pangolins, hidden in a container shipped from Indonesia—followed by another haul of 49 live pangolins making their way to a restaurant in the boot of a car.
According to the wildlife trade monitoring network, TRAFFIC pangolins are the most "frequently encountered mammals seized from illegal traders in Asia." Its 2009 report on the pangolin trade documents seizures of 24 tons of frozen pangolins from Sumatra, Indonesia, seized in Vietnam in March, followed by a haul of 14 tonnes of frozen animals seized in Sumatra the next month.
India is believed to be a major 'supply' country, and seizures of pangolin scales have been reported from across the country including in Mizoram, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Orissa, Assam, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh. If you take just the month of August this year, 70 kilograms pangolin scales were seized from Debidanga, Jaipalguri in north Bengal, the Mizoram forest department recovered 80 kg of pangolin scales from Aizawl, while in Karnataka the police intercepted a haul of 25 kg of pangolin scales. The accused was taking them in a Scorpio to Chennai, one of the main hubs of the trade along with Mumbai, their ports providing an easy route out.
The volumes are unprecedented, and the crime is an organised one, on the lines of the illegal trade in tiger derivatives, rhino horns and ivory. Traders advance money to their local contacts who hire poachers. Scales are then transported usually in lorries and trucks, or even public transport, as 'goods' to the exit points – some known routes include the Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Nepal border.
The trade in pangolins is illegal and it is banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In India, the pangolin is listed as a Schedule I species, giving it the protective cover of a tiger, or a rhino. Yet, woefully under equipped enforcement agencies and officials on the ground are grappling to deal with this threat. Enforcement is negligible, and most of the trade goes unchecked, with awareness of such 'lesser' fauna – even within enforcement agencies is minimal. It may be pointed out here that the illegal trade in pangolins is a part—if a very significant part – of the booming illegal wildlife trade. While we are aware of the trade in tiger parts or rhino horns, virtually the entire gamut of wildlife—otters, owls, butterflies, beetles, tortoises, sharks, munias, parakeets, primates, musk deer, sea horses, turtles –are in this illegal trade, severely depleting our wildlife and biodiversity. Globally, the illegal wildlife trade is second only to arms and narcotics-is an organised crime, and very lucrative. Its links to terrorism are well-established, yet we have failed to take its gravity on board.
Pangolins occupy a very unique niche in the ecosystems they live in, and provide a vital service as natural pest controllers. They are a rare insectivorous mammal and an ancient species that has bypassed the evolutionary advancements attained by most other mammals––they are little studied, little understood. Yet, our forests are being emptied of the pangolin…as we remain a silent witness, watching, as they are massacred, toward extinction.
Click here to see other CI posts tagged pangolin.


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text: So I'm playing FFX and I got to the part where u in the middle of the battle between the guado and the al bead and u are looking for yuna and i got to the part where u save and then u go into this stair well and then u see a cut scene then u have a battle then another cut scene then u go into the summoners scantuary. Ok my issue is sometimes the game freezes on the cut scene after the battle near the end when kimari turns around, or if i make it through that it freezes when dona starts to talk after u make it in to the summoners scantuary. When i say freezing i mean the visuals flutter and then they start to flash different solid colors and u cant see what is happening but u can still hear it and then it goes black and the game not responding sign comes up so what can i do to get past this because i've reloaded the game like a dozen times and i can seem to get through it. Thx


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Apparently, every offseason, there are starting pitchers who aren't technically affiliated with a professional baseball team. They are free to join whichever team they want. "Free agents," if you will. This happens every year!
Which is to say, I don't remember the last time the Giants were actually in the market for a real starting pitcher. They signed Todd Wellemeyer to be the fifth starter before 2010, but that was a low-priority move. It wasn't like they were kicking the tires on every starting pitcher that walked past. Really, the last time the Giants wanted a name-brand starting pitcher for name-brand money, they got one.
US Presswire
GAHH. Don't do that when I'm holding hot coffee, you fool. But, yes, the last time the Giants were actively thought to be on the market for a starting pitcher, they came away with Randy Johnson.
And that move is an interesting one to bring up today for a few reasons. Johnson didn't do very well in his final season, throwing 96 innings with a 4.88 ERA (87 ERA+), so it's easy to consider the move a mistake. But I loved the move at the time. And in retrospect, I still like the idea behind the move. Pitching is absurdly expensive on the open market, and teams end up giving third, fourth, and fifth years to pitchers who probably won't be effective at the end of the deal. Matt Garza is going to get at least five years, even though he's spectacularly a'ight. That's the price of pitching in the wild.
Johnson, though, was a risk because he was 45 (!), so he wasn't going to get three years. He wasn't going to get two years. He got one year at a salary that was more than fair ($8 million). If the Giants wasted extra years on a pitcher who was just a little less risky, they wouldn't have had money to sign players like Mark DeRosa, Miguel Tejada, and Ryan Theriot in subsequent years. The results weren't so hot with the Big Unit; the process was sound.
This isn't just an old man regaling you with old-man tales about other old men. The Giants have a chance to do something similar this offseason. They have a lot of chances to do something similar. There are two slots open in the rotation. If the Giants want to give a lot of money away and/or give up a draft pick, they can pick from these guys:
$$$ and/or first-round pick
Masahiro Tanaka
Ervin Santana
Matt Garza
Ubaldo Jimenez
I fashioned my own Tanaka bobblehead out of Now and Laters and old erasers. It sits on my desk, and I pour it a glass of wine every night out of respect. However, the Giants aren't likely to get him. And if not Tanaka, are any of those other guys good enough to give up a pick and/or multiple years for? Santana and Jimenez don't interest me at all, not when they're tied to draft-pick compensation. Garza kind of does, but in the same way a six-pound hamburger might interest me when I'm famished. Will probably go down easy, but I know there will be pain and suffering at the back end of the deal.
Now check out the list of pitchers who might -- might -- go for a one- or two-year deal:
One or two years?
Bronson Arroyo
A.J. Burnett
Bartolo Colon
Scott Feldman
Roy Halladay
Jason Hammel
Dan Haren
Tim Hudson
Phil Hughes
Josh Johnson
Scott Kazmir
Johan Santana
I'm not sure where Ricky Nolasco fits, but you can throw him on the pile if you want. Now, some of those pitchers might gross you out. Some of them might be too risky, some might be too injury-prone, and others might not be good enough for your tastes. The point is, though, there's a lot of them. And that's not including pitchers like Ryan Vogelsong, Shaun Marcum, Colby Lewis, Tsuyoshi Wada, and Scott Baker, pitchers who will be looking for cheap one-year deals to prove their effectiveness for next offseason.
This is an offseason with a lot of interchangeable parts, in other words. Of the players listed up there, you probably have a keen interest in two of them. The most effective of the bunch -- Arroyo, Burnett, Colon, and Hudson -- are so danged old, they likely aren't expecting three-year deals. What a coup! This old-player strategy just might work. I wonder if there's a way to alert Brian Sabean …
I'm not sure if Johan Santana can lift an umbrella with his left arm, but I want him. I could make arguments for everyone on that list, really.
We'll profile as many of these guys over the next month as possible. But if you're going to pick an offseason to have multiple spots in the rotation open, this isn't a bad one to do it. Not at all.
Stop staring at us, Clayton Richard. Stop staring and grinning. Please, stop that.


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On Friday there was supposed to be a crazy storm. However, somehow our little town usually averts the majority of these types of storms. Weird, but true. We were left with some sweet storm clouds though. Kerry captured a handful of images.
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Published :
Updated :
Japan's exports were expected to record an eighth straight month of growth in July, a Reuters poll found, suggesting robust offshore demand could underpin moderate economic recovery.
Exports are expected to have risen 13.6 per cent in July from a year ago, accelerating from a 9.7 per cent increase in June, the poll of 15 economists found.
Imports were seen likely to have grown 17.0 per cent from a year earlier, up for a seventh straight month.
"The global economy is gradually gaining momentum, so exports could pick up the pace of growth," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute.
"Imports likely remained solid supported by domestic demand."
Shipments of auto parts and electronic components appear to be contributing to export growth, while liquefied natural gas, coal and oil have likely boosted imports, analysts say.
The poll showed a trade surplus of 392.0 billion yen ($3.56 billion) was expected in July, after 439.9 billion yen in June, the poll showed.
The finance ministry will announce the trade data at 8:50 am Tokyo time on Thursday (2350 GMT Wednesday.)
A separate Reuters' poll showed Japan's gross domestic product (GDP), due on Monday, is expected to have grown for a sixth straight quarter in April-June, buoyed by private consumption and capital investment.


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If you are a Netflix lover like myself, you have probably seen promotions for the new show, Tidying Up, with Marie Kondo. The show demonstrates principles from Marie's best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing . Just like her book, the show is quickly gaining traction and has everyone looking to purge their unused and unwanted items from their home, and leave it tidy and organized. Being an organizer and lover of clean homes myself, I thought I would give you my honest reviews of the show…
My Thoughts…
Of course, I always love to see people getting organized in their homes. It honestly makes me breathe easier when I see them let go of all their excess things throughout the course of the show. If you are newer to The Mom By Design, you may not know that I created my own organizing course last fall, right before our second daughter was born. Yes, a lot of my ambition for this course came from my crazy amounts of nesting energy. But, it was literally the cleanest our house had ever been and that purge set us up so nicely for those infant months of not being able to do much other than survive and sleep.
I remember Marie's book being pretty popular around the time I was making my course. I never read the book because I always loved to organize and never really had an issue with getting rid of things I no longer used. I certainly appreciated that someone wrote a book about tidying up and understood why so many people were intrigued by it, but because I didn't need to learn about it myself, it wasn't on my must-read list.
Now having watched a few episodes of her show, I can't help but see a bit of myself in Marie and a bit of Marie in my course. We have a lot of similar principles, though we articulate them a bit differently. I do not take the time to "greet the house" before I organize it, or tell my clothes "thank you" before I put them in a bag to donate or throw away. Times like this usually spark an eye-roll or a chuckle from me while watching. However, there's a part of me that is touched by this action, of acknowledging what we have and how it has helped us in our daily lives. Our home does so much for us that we take for granted, and I appreciate that Marie makes us stop to give thanks to our home for all it has done for us in protecting us and our families.
Comparing "Tidying Up" to "Organize It"
Marie divides up her organizing process into 5 sections: clothing, books, paper, Kimono (which is your kitchen, bathroom, garage, and miscellaneous), and finally, sentimental items. I divided up my course, Organize It by rooms- but they were similar to Marie's categories: closets, kitchen, office, playroom, garage, and laundry room.
I went through the course last night to see the similarities and I thought this one section from the "Closets" module sounded very "Marie-like." You guys, I was 9 MONTHS PREGNANT when I filmed this course! Was I nuts??? I can't help but chuckle when I look at that belly and how winded I am in some of the clips. But I'm also totally proud of all the work and nesting energy I was able to put into this course this far along in my pregnancy.
Closet Organization: Organize It
Keeping a Tidy House with Kids
A lot of people ask Marie about how she manages a tidy house with two young children. She admits that it is difficult, but she tries to include them in tidying up as much as she can. The main reason my house gets messy in the first place is BECAUSE of my kids. I literally can't believe how much of my day is spent picking up and putting away. It's basically a never-ending process. But like Marie, I do try to involve them as much as possible when I can, and when they are able. Last night as I was putting Logan down, I asked Riley to clean up her room a bit (it was a disaster). After rocking Logan to sleep for about 10 minutes or so, I went into Riley's room fully expecting to help her clean the rest of the way. It was SPOTLESS. I'm not kidding. I almost cried. And she was soooo proud of herself when I made the fuss that I did. The Playroom Organization module reminds me a lot of Marie in encouraging your kids to be a part of the organization and tidying up process.
Playroom Organization: Organize It
So basically, I'm a fan of the show. Admittedly, it gives me a bit of a boost with how well I did in my Organize It Course. And I'm grateful I don't have the heaps of belongings her clients have in the show. Feeling like you need your "stuff" can be a pretty intense feeling sometimes. But once you start letting go, it all becomes a lot easier.


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Thursday, March 3, 2011
Soundtrack for Living
22 comments:
- AnonymousMarch 3, 2011 at 6:25 AM
lmao so true :)ReplyDelete
What about Hip Hop? To wear baggy clothes and more gold than the Queen.ReplyDelete
I love the rhyming scheme.ReplyDelete
Love it! :)ReplyDelete
Your work is a lot of fun and has insight as well. I hope that you had fun on your trip.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 3, 2011 at 9:14 AM
lol, loved the boy bands one, we've all been there :/ReplyDelete
every comic that you write amuses me to no end and I find myself sending the link to a friend so they can appreciate it as well.ReplyDelete
You are fantastic for making Wu Tang Clan its own genre!ReplyDelete
Hey! I love your work, it reminds me a lot of Roz Chast. Keep it up. I'm also a cartoonist - http://sketchfervor.comReplyDelete
Amazing work! :DReplyDelete
you draw one of the best cartoons ever. I mean it! I enjoy seeing every drawing you post. Keep up the great work. You should publish a book or something.ReplyDelete
You forgot classical! To look elitist...ReplyDelete
Or am I the only classical fan here????
Hahaha you are my hero: Of course Beatles is its own genre! Four and a half gold stars for you. <3ReplyDelete
If Wu-Tang actually taught people Kung-Fu, I'd start listening to it.ReplyDelete
What about ROCK!?!?!ReplyDelete
It makes senseReplyDelete
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your a beastReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 10, 2011 at 3:29 AM
ahahah I love your stuff so muuuchReplyDelete


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Many people still remember the city of Kinshasa as the place where George Foreman came up against Muhammad Ali in the legendary 1974 boxing match in the former Zaïre (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Nearly 40 years later, BRUGG pipes from Switzerland were able to be delivered to the DRC in central Africa for the first time in the fight against the tropical climate. As daytime temperatures nearly always exceed 30°C and the relative humidity is usually around 80%, corrosion was a constant problem in the past on the steel pipes insulated by hand that were used for the cooling pipes. We were finally able to convince the 5-star Hotel Memling to use our COOLFLEX pipes, which were ideal for the situation. Importantly, we were able to provide a full range of services, such as planning, tendering, transport organisation, installation training and supervision on-site.
As the hotel was kept open during the entire renovation phase and new challenges kept cropping up constantly, we very much needed the exceptional improvisational skills associated with Africa. Despite the numerous challenges, we were able to keep to the schedule without any problems and the system was successfully handed over to the customer.
On Wednesday, 13 October 2018, the district heating (CAD) and cooling (FAD) line in Sion (Switzerland) got the official green light.
The sun shone over the official celebrations, which were held together with the authorities, energy service providers, legal representatives and installers. The location of the festivities was symbolic – in front of the new buildings of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale university (often abbreviated as EPFL), which were under construction. Rather appropriately, EPFL is committed to the energy industry and the environment.
This ambitious project will be supplied by the future Sion waste incinerator, where waste will be used to produce 100 million kWh/year of thermal energy. This is the equivalent of 10 million litres of heating oil. This energy will mean a CO2 reduction of approx. 20,000 tons per year. After completion, the network is estimated to have 500 building connections, supplying around 10,000 households within a 20 km radius with energy.


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Byron Harrell Named Dallas-Fort Worth Dir./Music Programming For CBS Radio
September 6, 2012 at 8:40 AM (PT)
BYRON "RON" HARRELL has been named Dir./Music Programming for CBS RADIO/DALLAS-FORT WORTH's stations, effective SEPTEMBER 17th. HARRELL will serve as PD for AC KVIL (LITE 103.7), Classic Hits KLUV and will also provide strategic guidance for all CBS RADIO/DALLAS music brands. Most recently, he was PD for CUMULUS Hot AC WDVD, Adult Hits WDRQ and Talk WJR-A/DETROIT, and Regional OM for CUMULUS BROADCASTING's 47 stations in the MICHIGAN/NORTHWEST OHIO region.
"RON is uniquely qualified to lead the very talented teams at our music stations," said Market Mgr. BRIAN PURDY. "He brings a wealth of creative ideas and a lot of energy to this position."
"I'm honored to be a member of this team," HARRELL said, "and this will be fun. We're going to roll up our sleeves, play the hits and create great ear candy for our listeners."


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I was also struck by images of the physical condition of a DTES lane shown at minute 6:42 of The National broadcast.
I suspect it was quite horrifying to many Canadians, but probably not to most Vancouverites. Sadly, we seem to have become unfathomably complacent about the state of DTES streets and lanes.
As I watched, I wondered if our mayor and members of Council were watching; and if so, were they as ashamed and disgusted as I was at how our city appeared on the newscast.
I have complained in the past about the appearance of DTES streets in the Huffington Post, The National Post and Vancouver Courier
- http://news.nationalpost.com/news/vancouvers-gulag-canadas-poorest-neighbourhood-refuses-to-get-better-despite-1m-a-day-in-social-spending
I care about the lives of the people on the streets, and while I spent a year volunteering as a founding director of the Building Community Society, regrettably I do not feel I can do much about this, other than pay taxes to support health care and other needed services.
However, as an architect and planner, I would like to think that I can help improve the physical appearance of the lanes and streets. We need to do this because I believe that in some small way, the deplorable condition of the streets contributes somewhat to the deplorable lives of the people who roam them. I also think it is essential that we 'normalize' to the extent possible, this outlier part of the city.
So please, Mayor Robertson and Council, City Manager Sadhu Johnston and Director of Planning Gil Kelley, I call upon you to lead a concerted effort involving all city departments and the general public, to improve the streets and lanes of the DTES.
Let's bring out the street cleaners, artists, painters, and landscapers and do whatever it takes to regain control of this now derelict part of our city.
For those readers who may not understand what I am writing about, below are just a few of the images off the internet offering a glimpse of the neighbourhood.


text:
No need to send out a search and rescue party, I have not gone missing! (Neither has my blog if you've tried to access it in the past day.) I've just been away from my blog and instead, with my boyfriend… you probably could've guessed that by now, since it has happened more than once (or twice). It just means I have my priorities straight, that's all! You'll be hearing enough from me soon when he moves back to Indiana to begin the Fall Semester (this is the LAST time I have to say that, Hallelujah!)
So back the blog thing for a second… no need to adjust your screens either, you are really seeing a new version of M Squared (yes, again!) Twice in one summer… and it gets better each time! Do I or do I not have the best blog designer… and boyfriend… ever?! They happen to be one in the same if you aren't catching on… More about that boy named Ryan Ray and this new blog design SOON. Oh but in the meantime, let me know how you like it! I'm lovin' the new look (and feeling really spoiled)!!! :)
Ever since I picked Ryan up from Indiana last weekend, we've been trying to make the very best of the last days of summer break (it KILLS me to say that).
There's been bike riding… with a stop for Ruby's Ice Cream.
Ice cream of choice? Mint Chip and Lemon Custard.
We've also been breaking in my new camera and I've been learning how to edit using Aperture! It's a Canon Rebel t2i and I think it's already one of my best purchases ever!
Ryan took me out on a surprise date the other night– to a new place called Benton Square (an old school building renovated and turned into a Big Deal) and a confusing night at the movies (INCEPTION!) Of course, Ryan understood it perfectly. I didn't pretend to.
This is such a great picture of Ryan! It shows off his good looks and his fine features.
You could say the whole evening was a make-up birthday celebration [since Ryan missed mine, and no, I'm not rubbing it in.] ;o) My Mom made another cake and I found a candle (in the form of a question mark) and made Ryan sing Happy Birthday to me. It was very forced, but that's okay.
We also had a movie date at home last night, which is even better because it's comfy and you can cuddle. "The Men Who Stare at Goats" was the movie of choice. It was … interesting. Had a lot of potential, but didn't quite make it.
I have not become addicted to coffee! Okay, maybe. Starbucks' Summer Blend made in a French Press is just so good… and made my week-long class more bearable. Oh yes, I started class a week early. I now have 1 hour of credit in "Chemistry Lab Safety." But I have no labs left. Backwards, much? That was fun!
The official Fall Semester starts Monday. So long sweet Summer. *tear*
After that small update, I'm off to soak up the last few moments…


text:
Back to the Odell Home Page
March 2014
Water logged seat in the park. Photo courtesy of Jo Martin .
Senior Citizensĺ
Fish and Chip Lunch
Wednesday 12th March
12.30 for 1 oĺclock
Village Hall
Let Jill (720261) know by 2nd March
Due to lack of funds there will be a charge of ú4 for the fish and chip meal.
Odell Fete 2014: Saturday 14th June
Do keep the date free for this wonderful chance to celebrate our community.
This year we are going to remember the Odell of 1914, to
commemorate the men who left for war and not just those who gave the ultimate
sacrifice, but also those that returned changed for life by the horrendous
experiences that they had been through.
If you have any historical details, pictures, photos or paper cuttings of the men who went to war, or anything to do with the village at that time, would you share them with us? The fete committee would like to have a display at this yearĺs fete to show what Odell was like as a village and as a community. We want to tell the story of people living in the village as well as trying to tell the story of the men who left for war.
If you do have anything that you would like included please contact The Rev'd Christine Clark, The Rectory, Church Lane, Odell, 01234 720234 email@example.com or Mandy Hinds, 7 Horsefair lane, Odell, 01234 720414 email@example.com
We want to give a view of the village in 1914 using research and village histories as well as personal stories, and to remember the men who left for war and experiences so far from what they had known. We would like to take this opportunity to " Rememberö them.
ODELL FETE AND DOG SHOW: getting involved
It is hard to imagine a summer without the annual Fete and Family Dog Show, but if it is to continue we do need HELP with getting it ready.
The first date to put in your diary is Fete Preparation
Morning at 10.00am on Monday, 5th May, hosted by Jill and Doreen at Linden House, when we clean and repaint the signs for the stalls and side shows and prepare the roadside boards. Then we reward ourselves with a tasty BBQ. Please bring your own meat and nearer the time we shall be asking for contributions of puddings, wine etc.
The big preparation will be in the afternoon of Friday, 13th June, when we need muscles, good senses of humour, wheels, trailers and anyone willing to collect tents, tables, chairs and stall signs, and set these all up in the Scout Field down Horsefair Lane ready for the big day.
(Tea and Cake supplied to keep you going!)
SATURDAY 14 th JUNE 2014, 2 PM
Remembering the Odell of 1914
(In the Scout field, Horsefair Lane, Odell)
ENTRY Adults ú1.50, Children Free
2.00 PM Grand Opening
2.00-4.00PM Dog Show
4.00 pm Raffle Draw and Prize Giving
(entry fee - ú1 50 per dog per class)Classes:
Car park attendants are on duty at the field opposite The Bell public house. Disabled parking next to Scout Field
Round and About
Whereĺs Alfred?
Last year I wrote a couple of articles about the discovery of the last remains of Richard 111 under a Leicester car park. At the same time I remarked on the fact that another group of archaeologists were trying to locate the last resting place of Alfred the Great. Due to the fact that Alfred had been dug up and re-buried on a number of occasions and nobody really knew where his final resting place was, I remember being rather sceptical about any progress to this story ... I was wrong ... here goes!
It is a known fact that Alfred died in 899 and was buried at Winchester at the Anglo Saxon Old Minster Church (Winchester Cathedral had yet to be built). Alfred had started to build a new, magnificent, church nearby and had expressed a wish to be buried at this new church. His son, Edward the Elder, was now King and he completed the building of this church and it became known as New Minster, and he re-interred the bodies of Alfred and his Queen Aelswith, amidst much pomp and ceremony, at New Minster. In due course Edward was laid to rest alongside his parents and there they remained until the Norman invasion in 1066.
William, in his eagerness to suppress the Saxon population, carried out many savage acts. Amongst these was the destruction of many of the fine buildings and monuments that the Saxons had any affection for. Amongst those destroyed was New Minster ľ it was razed to the ground. Many of the graves and tombs were, however, left untouched. In 1110 the monks were granted permission by the Crown to remove the remains of Alfred and his family and re-inter them at Hyde Abbey and there they remained until the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry V111. Hyde Abbey was demolished along with many other religious houses. However, it was hoped that Alfredĺs family tomb had been buried so deep that it had remained safely below ground, undisturbed.
In 1788 a prison was planned to be built on the site of the Abbey and convicts were brought in to clear the ground and to help with the building of the new prison. It is recorded that as they dug over the ground a number of graves were disturbed, including an impressive stone tomb containing lead-lined coffins which contained jewels and precious objects. At that time nobody seems to have thought much about it and it was only later that the tomb was thought to have been that of Alfred and his family. By the time the authorities realised the importance of what was going on the graves had been looted and the skeletons widely dispersed across the site. When historians finally descended on the scene there was nothing left.
Rumour had it, however, that the local vicar of nearby St. Bartholomewĺs Church, horrified at the disrespect being shown to the various human remains, hurried to the site, collected up as much as he could and carried the bones back to his own church. Here, he is reputed to have placed the bones into a large chest and buried them in the churchyard at St. Bartholomewĺs Church. The vicar claimed that amongst the bones he had rescued were the last remains of Alfred and his family and he erected a stone to this effect over the chest he had so recently buried in his churchyard. Nobody really knew for certain whether or not they actually were the remains of Alfred and his family.
Alfred the Great is something of a legendary figure in English history. He is the only English king to be given the epithet ôThe Greatö. He was born into a land locked in conflict with the Viking onslaught. The Danes were bent on taking over Britain and the small English kingdoms were being steadily overwhelmed as the Vikings pushed further and further across England. He was born at Wantage, probably about 850 and was the youngest son of Aethelwulf, King of Wessex. Aethelwulf had six children at least four of whom were boys. The eldest son died in his fatherĺs lifetime and the remaining three all ruled over Wessex in their turn. At the time of Alfredĺs accession there were nephews with a stronger claim to the throne but they were all children and with popular acclaim Alfred took the crown. A proven statesman, an excellent leader of men and a wily strategist, he was considered the right man for the job.
Alfred spent the first years of his reign fighting off the Vikings. It was at a low point in these battles that the legend of the burnt cakes is reputed to have taken place. However, he managed to rally his forces, gaining the support of neighbouring kingdoms and together they drove the Vikings back towards the East Coast. Finally he agreed with Guthrum, the Viking leader, to accept a division in the land. This was the start of the Danelaw and it brought a certain amount of peace to the land. This allowed Alfred to concentrate on the wellbeing of his people. He was an ardent Christian and had visited Rome at least twice. He believed in education and set about an impressive building programme, both restoring existing towns and creating new ones. Above all he wanted to unite the people both in language and religion. He had a dream ľ ôThe Kingdom of all Englandö and began working to this end. (It was not, however, until the reign of his grandson, Athalstan, that these plans really began to take shape.) Alfred also started to lay the basis for laws to govern the land and many of his early ideas can be recognised in the country today.
Historians have been pressing for years for permission to open the grave at St. Bartholomewĺs Church and finally, in 2013, this permission was granted. A group of historians led by Dr. Katie Tucker, gathered at the site and anxiously raised the stones protecting the chest containing the ancient bones. The coffer was found to contain the jumbled remains of six nearly complete skeletons, at least one of which was a woman. Bone samples were taken and sent off to be carbon dated. With great disappointment our group of historians learned that the tests proved that although one skull dated back to the 1100ĺs, others were as recent as 1500, all far too recent to be that of Alfred or his family.
In desperation Dr. Tucker returned to Winchester Museum to seek out the earliest bones she could find. Here she stumbled across references to an excavation that had taken place at the site of Hyde Abbey in 1997, when a few isolated bones had been recovered....mainly animal bones. Dr. Tucker anxiously scoured the remains in this latest box and found a few human bones. She took samples from these bones and sent them off to be carbon dated. The wait seemed interminable but finally she received a reply. Three samples of human bone dated to the 1300s - but one ... a piece of male pelvic bone, was much older and dated to around 800/900.
Could this bone belong to Alfred or his son Edward? The team is now waiting for permission to return to Hyde Abbey, to the site of the excavations in 1997 where the last mentioned bones had been located. Potentially, there could be more bones to be uncovered at this location ... and they do know exactly where to dig ...the hunt is definitely on. Barbara Corley
W.I. News
Our speaker in February was Wally Thrale who has a life-long passion of Bee Keeping and is currently Secretary of the Bedfordshire Bee Keeping Association. He showed an excellent power point presentation and explained bee keeping is very demanding and a very steep learning curve for the first ten years. Hives and protective clothing are expensive. He encouraged us to plant bee friendly plants. Pollen from aconites is collected by bees at this time of year when the weather is good. He bought along honey collected by the bees from Borage and a variety of flowers. Hives, at this time of year, need checking for food reserves and damage by wasps, mice and woodpeckers. One way to find out about Bee Keeping is to join Bedfordshire Beekeepers and go along for training.
The next meeting will be held in the Village Hall on Tuesday, 11th March at 7.30pm when Maggie Goodchild will talk about Bedford Guild House.
Hostesses are Rachel Halton and Jill Cheadle.
All members are welcome to put forward ideas for Next Yearĺs Programme at a meeting on Tuesday, 4th March, at 3.00pm at the home of Jim and Doreen Wheeler. Please do come along.
New members are always welcome and if you need any more information please ring Karen Boyes, 720952. Ladies, just come along to the Village Hall on the second Tuesday at 7.30pm of each month and see what we do and how we enjoy ourselves. To find out more about the WI go to www.theWI.org.uk or the local Bedfordshire Federation website www.thewi.org,uk/bedfordshire Jane Eshelby
Odell Parish Council (OPC) ľ Spring Update
HOCP Odell Play Area
Despite recent flooding there appears to be no damage as such with little, if any, loss of bark to the area. The bark will be topped up in the spring, prior to the Easter holidays. The soil erosion on top of the tube is being monitored and awaiting recommendations of RoSPA at the annual inspection due in May.
The overgrown area on Bridleway 37 (Granary Farm/Airfield/40 Acre Wood) has now been cleared. Some clearance of Yelnow Lane has taken place however conditions remain very poor underfoot resulting from the recent rain.
Any concerns regarding footpaths should be reported to BBC (Bedford Borough Council ľ link below). You will be given a report number to help you track progress of your complaint.
Despite some investigations by BBC into drainage outside The Folly at Little Odell, water continues to run off the ditches across the road and down into Harrold. This will again be raised with BBC.
Hi Speed Broadband
It appears that Odell is not in line for upgrade at present. Rural businesses within Odell Parish who have concerns about the impact on their businesses are invited to share their concerns with Borough Councillor Alison Field-Foster.
The park has suffered flooding over recent weeks arising from heavy rainfall. There is a new fishing bailiff ľ Paul Oliver ľ who is considering introducing new features such as a fishing school. There are ongoing concerns over anglers who park at the bottom of Horsefair Lane. As a condition of obtaining a licence to fish they are not supposed to do this and this will again be raised with HOCP by the Chairman.
Parish Fields:
The field shelter on the Parish Fields has been repaired. Debris to be removed when the land dries out.
Village Farm track ľ access to rear of Village Hall.
The owner of the track has been asked to improve the state of the path in order that wheelchairs can reasonably access the VH.
Neighbourhood Plan:
Although there has been some debate in previous meetings on the subject, OPC has taken the opportunity to debate at length the need for such a plan. The pros and cons were considered with the conclusion that although OPC recognizes the benefit of such an approach it currently does not have the very considerable resources (manpower, funds) to take this lengthy and time consuming process on. However, OPC are prepared to review as necessary in the future. Ideally this initiative would require someone to project manage this on a voluntary basis with input from OPC. It is understood that there are some opportunities to apply for funding to support such a development. If anyone has any questions or particular interest in the Neighbourhood Planning initiative they should contact the Chairman, Rachel Halton.
BBC Local Plan 2032 ľ Invitation to submit development sites.
Details of the planning initiative BBC Local Plan 2032 are published on the Parish noticeboard and on BBC website.
Christmas Tree ľ OPC would like, on behalf of the whole community, to convey its thanks to the Swifts for providing the decorated Christmas Tree on the village green. Once again a lovely display which withstood days of heavy winds shortly after being put in place!
Next meeting of OPC will take place on Monday 17th March 2014, 7.30 pm. All are welcome to attend.
Useful Information:
OPC Councillors:
Chairman: Rachel Halton email@example.com
Vice-Chairman: Mandy Hinds
Brian Cheadle Nick Goodman Steve Robinson Tim Freeman Gillian Clark
Bedford Borough Councillor: Alison Field-Foster email@example.com
Bedford Borough Council: www.bedford.gov.uk
Floodline ľ 0345 988 1188
Flooding ľ To dredge or not to dredge?
The recent floods have raised the thorny issue of maintenance of our waterways again. The Environment Agency and other authorities have come in for a lot of criticism and local people in areas that have been flooded have been very quick to point the finger at the apparent lack of waterway maintenance as a major contributory factor. ôWe told you that the river needs regular dredgingö, is one of the calls.
Whatever the cause of the recent unprecedented spell of almost continuous wind and rain this winter, the result has been catastrophic for many people. Climate change, building on flood plains, covering swathes of land with concrete and tarmac, lack of waterway maintenance, sheep grazing on uplands, protection of rare river species, lack of funds and joined up thinking by the government and the authorities responsible are undoubtedly all contributory factors. One thing is for sure the increased rainfall, whether it is part of a natural cycle or not, is not going to stop overnight and plans have to be made to protect us all from flooding in the future.
I am a resident of Odell and my property and land is along the banks of the Upper Great Ouse. I am also an angler who runs the local fishing syndicate and an enthusiastic amateur wildlife lover. I see the river rise and fall much quicker than it used to even in the relatively short period of eighteen years that I have lived here. As a member of the Angling Trust I have been forwarded this reference to a very recent report (February 14) from The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) that draws some very interesting conclusions.
ĹWe Need a Reality Check on Dredgingĺ says New National Report.
Widespread dredging could make flooding in some communities worse in future - not better - according to a new report published by The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) and endorsed by the Blueprint for Water coalition of environmental NGOs which includes the Angling Trust.
Far from advocating dredging the report suggests that solely relying on dredging can make some downstream communities more vulnerable to flooding by moving water more quickly down the river catchments.
There is a also a BBC News article that refers to the report - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26175210 It all makes very interesting reading and shows how complex the situation is. Dredging any river is part of a very complex balancing act to ensure that downstream communities are not made more vulnerable and although it makes for good sound bites for politicians it should not be seen as a simple solution. Del Romang
News from Harrold Odell Country Park
Like many other parts of the country, the weather has been a hot topic here this winter. It is hard to remember a period that has seen quite so many intense storms. The park has been seriously affected as saturated soils and severe gales have picked out the slightest weakness in our trees. I described a bit about this this in my previous article but since then we have lost even more. The Valentine's Day storm brought down a Poplar in the shelterbelt, another willow alongside the small lake adjacent to the main car park and another 40yr old specimen alongside the bridleway leading to the bird hide.
We have spent many days on the chainsaw making these safe and tidying up. Alongside all this there have been the floods. Much of the river meadow, Otter Holt Wood near to the Odell Playground and parts of the footpath around the large lake have all been under water recently. Please, whenever you see the warning notices we've put up around the park, take heed because they are there for your safety.
We have to rake out the culvert at the back of the large lake daily due to the huge volume of debris, including tree trunks, that has been swept into it. Debris has been left strewn on the paths as the water has receded making it hazardous in places. It is going to take weeks to clean up. Rubbish is also festooning fence and hedge lines alongside the river. Let's hope that there is an end to all this soon.
We have been laying the hedges around parts of the park especially around the bird hide. These will re-grow and will be a haven for birds and small mammals as the tight re-growth will prevent magpies and squirrels raiding their nests quite so readily. The stakes and binders used are all harvested from the willow coppices within the nature reserve. Willow is such a brilliant resource as it re-grows very quickly. Ideally we would use hazel or ash for this but we have very little compared to willow.
Another job we're close to completing is regenerating the small copse at the back of Kingfisher Lake. The Friends Group has bought 250 native saplings to fill gaps and generate a woodland edge. This copse is going to be dedicated to Trevor Smith, a long standing friend of the park and wider community who passed away last August. His family are coming here in April to plant an oak tree in his memory and we have commissioned a bespoke oak bench for him to be installed in front of
Tea-Zels cafe next to his work area. The customers of The Muntjac and Oakley Arms pubs in Harrold and various individuals have given donations towards the cost of this. He has been greatly missed.
This coming Easter Monday, we hope to be arranging another Easter Egg Hunt. Publicity for this will be forthcoming nearer the time but there will be 25 places in the morning and 25 in the afternoon. Participants will be paying ú1.00 each. Booking is essential as this is being sponsored by the Friends of Harrold Odell and we will only have 50 eggs available. Please keep an eye out for posters plus information on our website www.hocp.co.uk
In addition, we are hoping to arrange a Mini Woodworks event on May 25th focussing on how we use our woodlands as a source of raw materials. Peter Hall is bringing his mobile sawmill and firewood processing machine; there will be chainsaw demonstrations, wood turning and basket making exhibitions. Make sure you bring your wallets and purses as there will be the opportunity to buy some of their products.
You'll be pleased to learn that the Friends Group have been spending some of your car park donations on training for our key volunteers who undertake a variety of conservation tasks throughout the year. We've been able to train some on basic chainsaw use and soon some will be trained on the proper use of strimmers and brushcutters. Car park money has also paid for re-vamping the workshop facilities, new signage and shortly, a new trailer and log loc - a device to enable us to cut up tree trunks safely. We'd like to thank everyone who puts their pound in the box. You make a huge difference.
We're looking forward to welcoming the spring migrants very soon. The winter thrushes are now thinking of departing for Scandinavia. The snowdrops and aconites are flowering and there's even some blossom appearing on some of the bushes, mostly cherry plum and blackthorn. It doesn't seem possible that the clocks are about to go forward once again. The cycle of life moves on.
Tree felling: Janet with Simon and Yianni
Photo courtesy of Trevor Sudds.
Dates for your diary
Health Walks
We walk every other Thursday at 10.30am. Meet outside the cafe entrance for registration. Please wear suitable clothing and shoes for the weather. Improve your fitness and wellbeing and make new friends with an option for coffee and a natter in the cafe afterwards. Leader Janet Munro tel. 01234 720016 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
Thursday March 13th
Thursday March 27th
Thursday April 10th
Thursday April 24th
Friends Conservation Tasks
On the last Monday of the month (a week earlier if a Bank Holiday) there is a conservation task for those that are interested in getting involved. Meet at the Ranger's office at 10am and wear sturdy clothing and footwear and bring a packed lunch. We provide tools, gloves and refreshments.
Leader Richard Dowsett tel. 01234 720016 or e-mail email@example.com for more information.
Monday March 31st
Monday April 28th
Janet Munro, Ranger
Alison Foster, Borough Councillor for Odell
Update for February
Contact Alison by telephone on 07773371190 or email at firstname.lastname@example.com
In December the Council and BT Openreach announced the areas which would benefit from superfast broadband in the Local Broadband Plan. The Plan aims to provide superfast broadband (24 Megabits per second or above) to 90% of properties and the basic provision (2 Megabits per second or above) to 100% of properties in the Borough.
It would appear from the current plan that Odell will not benefit until Phase 8 which will provide a basic infrastructure in 2016 to deliver minimum of 2Mbps with a possible superfast extension project area 2017-2018. Many residents in rural areas have complained as they have been told that they already have the basic provision. In reality this tends not to be the case as the broadband speed often halves once it is fed in and out of a householdĺs wireless router.
It is disappointing that for each property receiving internet speeds of less than 2 Megabits per second, the other councils involved in the scheme, namely Milton Keynes and Central Bedfordshire, spent ú120 and ú102 respectively per property of their own money to improve access to faster speeds. This can be contrasted with the meagre contribution from Bedford Borough Council of just ú32 per property. Alistair Burt has been in discussion with the Borough and BT about this and will push for further investment from the Government and I shall continue to pursue this with Borough.
In the Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced that a further ú250m would be available to extend the scheme to a minimum of 95% of premises nationwide. The Borough should be eligible to bid for funding as superfast coverage does not and will not be at 95% or above following completion of the existing scheme. An announcement should be made by the end of February on how much the Borough would receive of the ú250m pot. The Council will have to match fund any monies received.
I have now arranged for a representative from AgeUK to visit Odell village hall on Monday 10th March, from 3.30pm. Also attending will be a representative from the Retirement Education Centre in Bedford which provides excellent courses for residents over 50 from its HQ at Rothsay Gardens in Bedford, and a representative from the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity which provides trained Village Agents who are able to visit residents at home or give advice over the phone. The Village Agents will give free information, help to make informed choices about issues such as feeling safer at home; becoming healthier, pensions and benefits, support for carers, or anything else that may be bothering residents.
Bedford Borough Council Budget 2014/2015
The Councilĺs budget for 2014/2015 was set at its meeting on the 5th February. The budget includes savings of ú10.586m in the coming year. It is also proposed that Council Tax should be frozen following the receipt of a ú758k government grant.
Bedford Hospital Paediatric Services
Other than patient stays beyond 24 hours, Bedford Hospital has now brought back all its paediatric services. This means that ambulances can bring children to the Hospital, although if they need to stay beyond 24 hours, doctors will consider moving them to a nearby paediatric unit.
The NHS Direct service has been replaced by the 111 phone line. Residents should call this number if they require any medical advice that is not urgent.
Bedford Western Bypass
The Council has reiterated its commitment to the second phase of the Bedford Western Bypass which will connect the Deep Spinney / Bromham Road roundabout at Biddenham with the A6 Paula Radcliffe Way / Clapham Road roundabout.
The scheme has been delayed as an agreement has not been reached with developers on funding while objections were raised by several parties to the Councilĺs Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and Side Roads Order (SRO) which were withdrawn. The Council believes that progress can now be made on the submission of the Orders while it has also committed to funding the scheme itself following the receipt of funding from the Department of Transport (DfT). However, it may still be the case that contributions are made by the developers. The estimated cost of the bypass is ú15m.
Aspects Leisure Park
The Councilĺs Planning Committee has approved an application to refurbish the cinema at the Aspects Leisure Park and for three new screens. There will also be new restaurants on the site.
The works will start in June and will be completed in 2015.
Town Centre Development
On Monday 27th January work began on two town centre development schemes. Firstly, demolition work began at the Town Hall ahead of the Riverside North development. The site will contain a new cinema, restaurants and residential and retail units.
Furthermore, work started on the demolition of the bus station in the town centre. This is the beginning of works to redevelop the bus station area, with a new bus station building, the refurbishment of the Allhallows multi-storey park and improvements to shop fronts. Works have finished on the new Greyfriars surface car park and the refurbishment of the public conveniences beneath the Allhallows car park.
Leisure Facilities
On Saturday 1st February the management of the Councilĺs leisure facilities transferred to the leisure management group, Fusion Lifestyle. The 8 sites included in the agreement are as follows: Oasis Pool; Robinson Pool; Kempston Pool; the Bunyan Centre; Blue Peris Outdoor Centre (in North Wales); Kempston Outdoor Centre; Bedford International Athletics Stadium, and, Mowsbury Golf and Squash Club.
More information on the leisure facilities and their timetables and bookings can be found at http://www.bedfordleisure.com/.
Magistrates Court
The Justicesĺ Issues Group (JIG) has agreed to move the vast majority of cases currently heard at Bedford Magistratesĺ Court to Luton Magistratesĺ Court. This is despite concerns raised on access to justice grounds by Richard Fuller and Alistair Burt.
Black Cat Roundabout
Works to introduce traffic lights and extra lanes are due to begin in April as part of a ú6.5m scheme to alleviate traffic. It will take around 7 months to complete.
Gypsy and Traveller Sites
The temporary pitches have been closed at Meadow Lane as work has begun on developing a permanent site.
The Bletsoe inquiry is due to conclude in March.
The Planning Inspector has decided that there will be a full hearing to decide whether the site at Bromham Nurseries will be granted permission. A date for the hearing is expected soon.
The Roxton High Court hearing is now set for March 25th.
Village Hall
Village Quiz ľ Saturday March 15th, 7.30pm
The ever popular Village Hall Quiz returns on Saturday 15th March. Be sure to book your place ľ tables of 6, doors open 7.30pm for a punctual start at 8pm. Licensed bar.
Ring Rob 720730 to book your table.
St Georgeĺs theme Night ľ April 26th
April 26th promises to be a really good night of fun - come and enjoy a healthy dollop of nostalgia and step back in time. Tickets are ú10 each which includes a good old English supper of boiled beef, carrots and mash with something traditional for ôaftersö. There will be a bar serving traditional English ale. We hope to decorate the hall with items celebrating Englishness over the past 100 years of so ľ ideas welcome! We also encourage everyone to come wearing the colours of the English flag (red and white ľ OK and blue if you like!) We are just finalising the choice of the great British movie which we plan to show ľ it is one which has been chosen to be fun and as English as they come!
Tickets from Nikki 720893 and Rob 720730.
The Mill Theatre, Sharnbrook
Marching into Spring at The Millů. www.sharnbrookmilltheatre.co.uk
1st March ľ Antiques Appraisal Evening with Jonathan Reynolds - cancelled, with regret.
However tickets are now on sale for:
On Golden Pond - Monday 17th - Saturday 22nd March 7.30 pm
The heart-warming love story of Ethel and Norman, returning for the 48th time to their summer home on a lake called Golden Pond.
They are visited by their daughter, Chelsea, her fiancÚ and his young son. The play explores the sometimes tempestuous relationship between father and daughter as she was growing up, and the later relationships and difficulties faced by a spirited and loveable, aging couple, in the twilight years of a long marriage.
Touching, funny; warmly perceptive.
Tickets ú9 - ú11. On-line: www.sharnbrookmilltheatre.co.uk, (booking fee), or at Sharnbrook Post Office (in person); Bedford Central Box Office - 718112 (booking fee). A ĹWarm upĺ Appeal Event.
Act 1: Drop of a hat. Act 2: Bouncers -
27th ľ 29th March, 7.30 pm
Improvisation by John Godber
A Clubroom performance by Sharnbrook Mill Youth. A light hearted and insightful evening! Tickets: Adult ú8 Student: ú6
Please note change of programme: Drop of a Hat replaces Shakers, which will not now be performed.
ON-LINE: www.sharnbrookmilltheatre.co.uk, or at SHARNBROOK POST OFFICE (in person)
Also: BEDFORD CENTRAL BOX OFFICE* ľ 7 1 8 1 1 2 (Tourist Information Centre in St Paulĺs Sq.)
Movies at the Mill
8th March - ľ Argo, 7.30 pm, Bar. Tickets ú5 from Sharnbrook Post Office. A ôWarm upö Appeal Event.
5th April ľ Boobs & Brass ľall-female band. Concert proceeds to Mill ĹWarm Upĺ Appeal & Breast Cancer Campaign. Tickets ú10: Pat Abbott 01933 358319 / firstname.lastname@example.com. (#)
27th April ***An Evening with Joanna David***,
actress in Film, Theatre and TV; wife of Edward Fox, mother to Emilia Fox and Freddie Fox; in conversation with David Saint.
Also: The Milton Music Trio; Sparkling Wine Reception with canapÚs.
Ticket ú20 from Brian Woodrow - 824323 / email@example.com. Early booking advised!
A ôWarm Upö Appeal Event.
Camelot - 19th ľ 24th May, 7.30 pm and Saturday matinee 24th May 2.30 pm
The musically rich, legendary tale of Arthur, ĹThe Once and Future Kingĺ by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe - will be available during ĹOn Golden Pondĺ, but only at The Mill Theatre.
5th 10.30am Meeting Point at Catherineĺs, Manor Cottage, High St., Harrold
7th 10.30am Womenĺs World Day of Prayer Service, All Saintsĺ Church
11th 7.30pm W.I. Village Hall
12th 12.30 Senior Citizensĺ Fish and Chip lunch, Village Hall
13th 10.30am HOCP Health Walk
15th 9.45am All Saintsĺ Amblers meet at The Bell
15th 7.30pm Village Quiz, Village Hall
17th 3.30pm Fusion Harrold URC
17th 7.30pm Odell Parish Council Meeting Village Hall
27th 10.30am HOCP Health Walk
29th 10am Churchyard Tidy-up All Saintsĺ Church
30th 10.30am Mothersĺ Day Service All Saintsĺ Church
31st 10am HOCP Friendsĺ Tasks Day
Magazine Deadline
Please send all entries for the April 2014 magazine to Tricia Hudson (ed at odellbeds.net) or Catherine Corkery by March 12th at the latest. May we remind you that the editorial team exercises the right to edit, shorten or alter any items that are submitted. Also, the opinions expressed in the articles are those of the contributors and are not the responsibility of the editorial team.
Odell Cheese
Wodehill Cheese Ś hand-made in Carlton
Wodehill Blue is a semi-soft creamy blue cheese
made with milk from Jersey cows in Carlton
Nearest stockists: Hurleys in Sharnbrook and Carlton Village Shop
Alex Stubbs Flooring
Carpets, Vinyls, Laminates, Safety Flooring, Adaptions, Refits, Repairs
Supplied and Fitted
07976 260572
01234 240954
Great local pubs
The Bell in Odell
As Featured in the 2010 Good Beer Guide
With the relaxed charm of a village local and a varied menu of
quality, home-cooked food you wonĺt find any gimmicks here
just a Great British Pub!
Abbot Ale, IPA & Changing Seasonal & Guest Ales
Telephone 01234 720254
Back to the Odell Home Page


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Kent County Raynet
Kent County Raynet
Voluntary Control Room & Communication Support
Voluntary Control Room & Communication Support
We are ready to use our skills and equipment to assist in the response to local emergencies.
Voice radio links can be set up quickly to provide timely information from remote locations.
We can swiftly deploy access to the internet and phone networks over resilient infrastructure.
Kent County Raynet helps people raise money by providing support to community events.
Located inside a sports hall Kent County Raynet supplied and installed all of the phones, radios, IT and networking as well as providing internet and Wi-Fi access to a temporary control room.
Can you help us?
Can you help us?
We're always looking for people who have an interest in radios, phones, IT, the internet and other technologies who want to help their community.
We'd love for you to join us.


text: Yvonne Vaz Ezdani grew up in Burma, married and had two daughters there. The family repatriated to Goa in the early 1980s and she now lives in her paternal family home in Saligao, Goa. She was a teacher in a Higher Secondary School, with a master's degree in English literature from Rangoon University and an education degree from Annamalai University. She is now a school counsellor. Yvonne enjoys reading, writing and travelling to visit her daughters and their families.


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Comment Period
Important Information Links
Open Date:
5 December 2011
Close Date:
18 March 2012
Time (UTC):
Originating Organization:
WHOIS Policy Review Team
The WHOIS Policy Review Team, constituted under ICANN's Affirmation of Commitments with the U.S. Department of Commerce, publishes its Draft Report and Recommendations [PDF, 1.04 KB] for public comment.
Current Status:
Draft report for public comment
Next Steps:
Final Report and Recommendations to be published by 30 April 2012.
Staff Contact:
Olof Nordling
This Draft of the ALAC Statement on the WHOIS RT Report was prepared by Carlton Samuels.
Please add your comments/contributions to the Workspace to direct the final Statement.
Please click here to download a copy of this draft Statement in PDF format.
The ALAC concurs unanimously with the Review Team's judgment that the WHOIS construct is broken and we support the tone and tenor of almost all of the twenty (20) recommendations made by Team for relief and/or remedy of existing disabilities. Going into this review process, the ALAC outlined our anticipations in our Statement of March 2011. We are pleased to see that for the most part, our concerns were considered. However, details of the recommendations grouped under "Data Access" invite some residual concerns and for these reasons, we reserve judgment and offer our own perspectives.
The ALAC is pleased with the Review Team's acknowledgement that this WHOIS policy framework is properly within the purview of the Affirmation of Commitments. In this context, they affirmed our principled position: regardless of the vehicles or conduits used for policy implementation and enforcement, we endorse the equal representation of all ICANN community interests in the development of a WHOIS policy framework and their settled consensus should be reflected in all aspects of WHOIS implementation and enforcement. We therefore welcome the Review Team's recommendation in favour of 'a clear, concise and well-communicated' WHOIS policy that drives its development, thru implementation and enforcement. In this context, we see an expansion in the role that Cross Community Working Groups should play in further WHOIS policy development as a fit and proper response.
We do not anticipate a retreat from these positions: The ALAC believes that the public interest rationale for a WHOIS service and its contextual implementation remains and retains our support; it is absolutely required as a starting point for redress of grievance. We insist there should be no hindrance placed on the ordinary Internet user with regard to access of WHOIS data. In this context, we summarily reject the concept of differentiated access – via so-called white-listed IP addresses – some jurisdictions seem to be proposing as exception to otherwise embargoed WHOIS data under the guise of the 'privacy' retention of personal data. The ALAC also reiterates our fulsome support for enforcement of a purposeful WHOIS data accuracy regime without delay.
With respect to privacy and WHOIS, we acknowledge competing views in our community. The arguments intersect at the nexus of several fundamental principles; information rights vs. privacy vs. necessity vs. transparency vs. predictability. In context, this ALAC seeks to espouse a general principle that prioritize and accepts some measure of convergence between competing principles.
We plainly accept the Internet as transnational and a perfect embodiment of the common; meaning a global collection of shared resources to the use and benefit of all of the world's peoples. The crucial distinction we recognize is that while data or content use is global, regulatory practice and/or enforcement tends to the local. As such, we have long recognized that the cross-border nature of Internet resources makes for persistent jurisdictional problems, especially those that tend to be narrowly nationalistic in outlook. Increasingly, we are witness to the development of regimes for collaboration and concurrent jurisdiction between and among metropolitan countries, especially with matters pertaining to law enforcement. We note the dissonance occasioned by class distinctions between 'natural' and 'legal' persons in the several jurisdictions…..and all that this implies for the virtual world. It is within reason to accept that even in this context, deception or unfair practices can be accommodated.
We accept that for the virtual world, the Domain Name System allows the connection of each of us to all of us; North and South, East to West. And in context of generic Top Level Domain structures, define a set of common pool resources, inclusive of WHOIS data. In furtherance of the global public interest, the ALAC has a duty of care to speak out and ensure that management or control initiatives for such resources are not determined by the whims of hegemony or the cynical calculations of exceptionalism. We must look beyond the rhetoric.
It cannot be right for a national law or set of national laws to be deemed as superseding all other considerations. And while there is a time-honoured tradition that parties to a contract may choose the legal jurisdiction to which they will submit for binding claims and judgments, we hardly think it useful in this 'one-to-many' relationship of common-pool resources for a claim of suzerainty of any particular national law or, set of laws. It is not unknown for members of a community to cede certain rights to be a part of a community. The Internet remaining as a global commons is worthy. And so we believe in extant case that it is not only politic but right for members of this global community to devise binding WHOIS rules and expect due respect for them from external parties, including governments.
The At-Large is properly mindful of claims to privacy for one or other purpose and willingly accede accommodation for such claims, so long as these do not degrade the ability of any user to effectively seek redress of grievance. Truth be known, what we have are persons, both natural and legal and for whatever reason, wishing to be on the commons but not of the commons. First, we cannot concede that commercial entities should prevail on any claim of a right to privacy. But we would wish to err on the side of caution and acknowledge that for perfectly reasonable political purposes, anonymity is sometimes good and necessary; we concede common cause and vouchsafe the anonymity of the [political] pamphleteer. This aside, we hold that redress begins with knowing who is liable and, where to find them, all relevant protocols observed.
In this context, we should care less whether privacy rights or claims are connected to a natural person or a corporation. In our view, the defining matter/ issue inre the proxy relationship is an acceptance and adoption of certain rules. The ALAC accepts the RAA as fit and proper for enshrining WHOIS requirements. The ALAC further recommends that WHOIS proxies be regularized and privacy registrations accommodated so long as: a) the proxy provider acts on the expressed actual authority of the registrant b) the proxy provider accepts strict liability for the registrant on whose behalf it acts.
The ALAC extends it congratulations to the Review Team for what it considers one of the most exhaustive processes ever enabled to meet inclusion and transparency goals as it sought to explore the views of the entire ICANN community in this very important piece of work.


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In June the company launched a special community program to encourage residents of the community to invest in renewable energy by offering deep discounts on solar electric systems. In fact, demand for the REC Solar program has been so strong, with over 160 kW already sold, that REC Solar has decided to extend the program until September 15 in order to assist Livermore and Pleasanton homeowners who wish to take advantage of the soon-to-expire Federal Tax Credit.
According to Livermore residents Gloria and Bob Taylor, who will be installing a 22 kilowatt REC Solar electric system on their home and business, Retzlaff Winery, "Going solar just makes sense for our business and it feels good to do something positive for the environment."
"This program has been a tremendous partnership for REC Solar, Inc. and the communities of Pleasanton and Livermore," said Chris Masys, REC Solar's Bay Area Sales Manager. "This unique opportunity provided strong financial incentives to residents making the choice to own their household energy from a top-quality, money-saving, environmentally-friendly solar installation. REC Solar is proud to continue our commitment to the area with many new additions to our already-large customer base in the two cities."
REC Solar is offering a discount of $600 per kilowatt to residents in Livermore and Pleasanton with the following zip codes – 94550, 94568, 94588, 94551, and 94556. Certain restrictions apply to the discount. The community solar program now runs through September 15.