text:
Your property taxes are made up of city taxes, school taxes, and county taxes – the last of which will depend on a $304 million budget that was introduced by the county freeholders last week.
This year, Weehawken, Hoboken, Secaucus, and East Newark will see an increase of as much as 10 percent in their share of the county tax burden while the remaining municipalities in Hudson County will see a slight decline. Because of a state formula, increases fall hardest on communities that have seen a significant increase in development, and thus, their base of taxpaying properties.
Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise presented the 2013 fiscal year budget at a Monday, May 6 freeholder caucus, saying that declining property values caused most of the nearly $8 million increase from the 2012 budget. The freeholders voted to introduce the budget on Tuesday.
A public hearing will be held on June 11 at 6 p.m. to allow the general public to make recommendations before a final vote is held.
At a press conference on Wednesday at Hoboken City Hall, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli, and Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer urged the Board of Chosen Freeholders to take a second look at the budget.
"We need you to work harder and tighten your belts," said Zimmer.
Gonnelli said that the tax formula works against cities and towns that manage their budgets well. Turner said that he and his fellow mayors understood that the state formula was the main cause in the tax increases and that changing the formula would take many years, but that they believed there are many unnecessary expenditures in the county budget.
"This is a classic meat and potatoes budget." -- Tom DeGise
"The formula is unfair and its antiquated," he said.
Challenges ahead
Dressed in a blue shirt and tan suit jacket, DeGise looked somber as he sat at the work table and spoke about the challenges in the 2013 budget – saying that he was not pleased to bring and increase, but that he had done all possible to keep it down.
The rare Monday caucus was called because Freeholder Jeff Dublin has become head of NJAC (the New Jersey Association of Counties) and many freeholders as well as the county executive were scheduled to attend its convention later in the week.
One more look
The introduction came later than usual because county officials wanted to give the budget another look for possible cuts before putting on the table. The freeholders will have a chance to look at and possibly find other areas to cut before the June 11 meeting.
DeGise said Weehawken, Hoboken, Jersey City and Secaucus will bear the brunt of the increase because each town saw a significant amount of new construction which bolstered the portion that they have to pay.
County taxes are configured at full assessed value rather than the adjusted rate municipalities employ. New construction usually brings up the percentage of a municipal's portion of the total value of taxable property within the county. While municipalities benefit on a local level from the increased ratable who can contribute to the tax base, this also causes the amount of their county tax share to rise.
DeGise said the freeholders will get their chance to review and hopefully find places to cut the budget to reduce the cost further.
"This is a classic meat and potatoes budget," DeGise said. "It has no artificial tax cuts, no one-time revenue items, but we see no cuts in services either."
One of the significant issues is the shrinking tax base countywide. This year, the total value of taxable property dropped as a result of tax appeals by $1.6 billion. Over the last four years, DeGise said, the county total taxable property value has dropped by $12 billion. This means the county has to raise taxes in order to maintain services.
"I'm proud of the fact that we have been able to continue to provide quality services and that there have been no layoffs," DeGise said.
Spending is up
Total spending is up by 3.2 percent from last year, and this, DeGise said, was due largely to contracted raises, increases in health care costs, and other uncontrollable impacts.
"I hope that you'll find some cuts as you have in the past," DeGise told the freeholders. "My administration will cooperate in every possible way. But we won't fudge the numbers or take on one-time revenues."
He said the budget complies with the stricter of two state imposed budget caps, although there are items that are outside the spending cap, which made the whole process complicated and challenging.
But the budget, he said, does include investments in county institutions such as the county college and the county high school.
"We are not going to build a new high school [as proposed years ago], which means we will have to do capital improvements to the existing high school campuses," DeGise said.
More for the poor
Among the other services that this budget invests in are new 24-hour sheriff's patrols throughout the county, funding for the Summer Youth Program, and continued services for the elderly, the poor, the unemployed, and the homeless.
"Those," DeGise said, "are people who depend on the county for sustenance."
He said on the positive side, the county's favorable credit rating has allowed municipalities to save as much as $7 million over the last year in interest payments.
"The financial industry is looking at us positively, and we're passing our good fortune on to our municipalities," he said.
State formula is a problem
DeGise said state legislators continue to talk about changing the state formula that would allow the county simply to divide up the total tax amount evenly among the 12 municipalities, but after decades of debate, the formula still requires those communities who have increased their tax base over the last year to bear more of the burden.
"So towns that do well end up getting hurt," he said, "while towns on the decline to better."
He called it punishment for success, but said that it is also an indication that those towns are thriving and expanding.
East Newark sees the large percent of change, followed by Weehawken, Secaucus and Hoboken. All the other municipalities actually see a decline.
Although Hoboken saw the largest increase in total value of more than $205 million in the ratable base over 2012, Weehawken's total value rose by $179 million in 2012 made up a larger percentage of its total value. Secaucus, meanwhile, saw a total increase of $103 million during 2012.
In accepting the budget, the Freeholder Board will set up a review process over the next month that will look at each department in the county for possible cuts.
Staff writer Dean DeChairo contributed to this story.
Al Sullivan may be reached at email@example.com.


text:
City council members on March 25 revisited City Manager Scott Koenig's interim proposal to increase the salaries of four members of the city staff, but ultimately decided to go along with Koenig's recommendations.
City council members on March 25 revisited City Manager Scott Koenig's interim proposal to increase the salaries of four members of the city staff, but ultimately decided to go along with Koenig's recommendations.
The discussions came during a routine vote to accept a March 11 Legislative, Finance and Administration Committee Report that recommended the full council approve the pay increases.
Responding to council members who questioned whether the raises were completely justified, City Manager Scott Koenig said he suggested the salary increases under the interim managerial plan to compensate four senior personnel for taking on additional responsibilities of people who had left city government and had not replaced.
In the case of information technology director Andy Siegel, that individual received an extra increase to compensate him for the experience he gained during two years as interim director, Koenig said.
The largest raise was for the city's planning director, Ann Marie Townshend, who took on the responsibilities of the city's parks and recreation director, allowing that position to be eliminated from the budget and realizing a savings of $81,000. Townshend was compensated $11,370, in addition to her regular salary, for taking on the parks and recreation job, which includes oversight of the new city library.
Third District Councilman Sean Lynn, who chairs the legislative committee, noted he considers the salary hikes fair compensation for those persons, particularly in that the city is saving money by not hiring replacements.
"This is not a rush to spend money," Lynn told council members, adding, "It's not fair to ask these individuals to work for free."
"We have talent here," he said. "Let's don't lose it."
In general, however, council members seemed to be looking ahead to upcoming budget talks and a chance to revisit the salary issue. Second District Councilman William F. Hare said, "come hell or high water," council will need to look at salaries for other city workers, many of who have not received raises in recent fiscal years due to budget constraints.
The eight-member council – First District Councilwoman Beverly C. Williams was not present – approved Koenig's recommendation by a 5-3 vote. Council members David Anderson, William Hare and Wallace Dixon voted in the negative.
After the meeting, Lynn said he felt the pay increases under Koenig's interim managerial plan were justified.
"We're getting more bang for our buck by having one employee do the jobs of two people and paying two people plus benefits," he said.
Under the interim plan, Townshend will receive $107,315 annually; Siegel will be paid $82,059; water/wastewater supervisor Ralph McDougall will be compensated $61,000; and Finance Reporting and Accounting Manager Tracey Lisiecki will receive $71,600.
These salaries will be subject to review again during the FY 2014 budget negotiations.
During the Legislative, Finance and Administration Committee meeting that preceded the regular council session, committee members considered a plan about how to deal with extended absences of council members, particularly due to illness, or in the case of Fourth District Councilman David Anderson, a projected military deployment.
In general, the plan defines reasons for such absences and sets up a procedure for excusing the absence.
The major objection to the plan came from Hare, who felt council persons should not receive their salaries if they do not attend scheduled meetings for extended periods.
"I don't think it's right for the citizens to pay people when they're not doing anything," he said.
Council members currently receive $7,416 per year in compensation.
Hare then amended the plan with a requirement that council members have their salaries suspended if they miss more than three meetings, even if those absences are excused.
The full committee agreed to release the plan to council, but without a recommendation for its adoption.
The legislative committee also agreed to Koenig's request for a study of space requirements for the city's administrative staff with an eye toward replacing the present City Hall. Currently, the city's administrative functions are split between the City Hall building and Weyandt Hall, located next to the old city library.
Council President Thomas Leary supported the idea.
"You owe it to your taxpayers to take care of your physical plant," he said. "Even a casual observer will tell you it's looking a bit tired. There's a multitude of reasons. Maybe we won't do it, but at least we'll know where we stand."
The cost of the study, approximately $20,000 to $30,000, will be included in the Fiscal Year 2014 budget.
The committee also approved and passed on to the full council a request to set up a system that allows city code enforcers to work at night and on weekends. Many code violations take place and thus are unreported during those hours, Townshend said. Hare moved to amend the request so the code enforcement could be done without incurring overtime costs.
In other actions, council heard the annual report of the city's Human Relations Commission, presented by Chairman Roy Sudler Jr. It also presented awards on behalf of the Downtown Dover Partnership for the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.
The next meeting of the Dover City Council will be held at 7:15 p.m. Monday, April 8.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Save This Event For Later The Wine Country Ramble Rochester, NY, Sat Sep 14 - Sun Sep 15, 2013 Who's Registered? | Contact Event | Event Website | Google Calendar Start line address: 661 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620 Presented by Full Moon Vista Productions This is a past event. If you wish to see the details for this event click, "Continue" below. If you are looking for a current event, please search the event calendar .


text:
NEW! Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties—Search & Seizure
Learn your Constitutional rights when the police want to search you. Course will cover the law regarding vehicle searches, vehicle inventory inspections, and checkpoints. Course will also cover searches of the person, e.g. Terry Stops and Wingspan rule, as well as the search of the home. A search by the police usually requires consent or probable cause. This course is designed to inform you of your Constitutional rights regarding searches by government agents. Instructor: Robert Montano, 4 hours. Room 1620.
CS 274-50 Sat Aug. 24–Sept. 21 11 a.m.–Noon Fee: $50
No class: 8/31
Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.
Southwestern College is an equal opportunity educator and employer | Non-Discrimination Policy |
Disclaimer | Directions to SWC
© 2011 Southwestern College, 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910. (619) 421-6700
The Southwestern College is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Thank you for visiting the Southwestern College website.


text:
Now that Orton can play the game without someone holding him back he is going to start in Denver.
I know it is a few weeks away but I am ready for then. I am ready to see an *** whooping. Orton should have a fire under him..being cut and replaced by that Sh!t bag tebow who is over rated peice of crap that needs to stop being a QB cause hes a dam running back.
...and denver has already started their 3 game losing streak...


text:
Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee made sure the Blue Devils got one.DURHAM, N.C. – After two wins against top-five teams in the past week, No. 2 Duke needed a breather.
Kelly scored 15 of his 18 points in the decisive first half and Plumlee added a double-double in Duke's 88-50 rout of Delaware on Saturday.
Plumlee had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Blue Devils (8-0), who never trailed, shot 52 percent and led by 46.
"If playing hard is our habit," Plumlee said, "we'll be a good team and keep getting better."
Seth Curry, the other scholarship senior on the roster, missed the first game of his career at Duke with an injured ankle. Against the struggling Blue Hens (2-6), the Blue Devils certainly didn't need him.
"When a guy like that is out ... it's everybody's responsibility to step up," redshirt freshman Alex Murphy said.
Devon Saddler had 23 points for Delaware, which was beaten soundly by the highest ranked opponent it had ever faced. Saddler was 8 of 22 and took more than one-third of his team's shots.
"We have tried to put ourselves in position to play some `up' games, to play the best competition possible," Blue Hens coach Monte Ross said. "When you do that, there is always a possibility that you are going to lose some of those games."
Rasheed Sulaimon scored 14 points, fellow freshman Amile Jefferson had 12 and Murphy finished with 10 for the Blue Devils.
They announced about an hour before the game that Curry wouldn't dress because he injured his left ankle on Wednesday night in the second half of the win over No. 4 Ohio State, ending a streak of 78 consecutive games for the senior sharpshooter.
The last time the Blue Devils played without Curry, they won a national championship - beating Butler in the 2010 title game while he sat out as a transfer from Liberty.
Wednesday's tense 73-68 win over the Buckeyes was Duke's second straight victory against a top-five opponent and its third of the season, along with wins over then-No. 3 Kentucky and then-No. 2 Louisville, making the Blue Devils the first team since 2001 Ball State to beat consecutive top-five foes.
This one was nowhere near as stressful for the Blue Devils, who extended their NCAA-best winning home streak against non-conference opponents to 98 and improved to 24-0 under Mike Krzyzewski against CAA teams.
"You know, sometimes in these situations ... there's a chance for a letdown, and we didn't have it," Krzyzewski said. "Our guys played hard and well the whole way."
Duke reeled off 15 straight points early while Delaware missed 11 consecutive shots, went up by double figures to stay before the first time out and spent the rest of the first half methodically growing its lead.
Kelly capped a 25-7 spurt with a baseline drive with 7 1/2 minutes before the break that gave Duke its first 20-point lead at 29-9, and his 3-pointer with about 40 seconds left in the half made it 42-16.
"When I get opportunities, I have to take advantage of them," Kelly said. "I think early in my career, I was a little bit one-dimensional. I was just being a shooter, and now I'm just trying to be a player - whether that (means) taking open shots or making plays for myself and others."
The Blue Hens entered this season winless against current Atlantic Coast Conference teams since 1962 before beating Virginia on Nov. 13 to reach the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off - and they haven't won a game against anyone since.
- News
- Schedule/Results
- Roster
- Coaches
- Stats
- More
- More


text:
Rooney was the first affiliated runner to cross the line in the men's 5K race, covering the cross country course at WakeMed in a time of 15:21. Senior Joseph Elsakr followed in fourth place at 15:28, while freshman William Hague came in fifth at 15:36. Fellow rookie Eddie Merenda took sixth in 15:39, while sophomore Brian Schoepfer placed seventh (15:41), sophomore Nate McClafferty 10th (16:05) and junior Spencer Pecha finished 11th (16:07).
Sophomore Henry Farley ran unattached, posting a time of 16:07. Two former Blue Devils also excelled in the men's race, as current volunteer assistant coach Andrew Brodeur led the field with a time of 14:52 and former teammate Cory Nanni clocked 15:08.
As a team, Duke totaled 23 points to come in first, while NC State took second with 34 points and East Carolina placed third with 75 points.
In the women's 5K race, Ross led the Blue Devils to a first-place finish in the team standings ahead of NC State and Elon. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Ross clocked a personal-best 18:03 to edge the field of 24 runners.
Junior Dana Morin notched a time of 18:25 to come in third, while sophomore Abby Farley placed fourth (18:28) and freshman Olivia Anderson fifth (18:37). Senior Adrianne Soo and junior Ashley Berry rounded out Duke's attached runners, finishing 10th and 11th, respectively.
Freshman Anima Banks recorded a time of 18:16 while competing unattached.
Following Saturday's action, the Blue Devil women improve to 80-15 overall and 18-1 against ACC squads, while the men moved to 56-12 on the season and 9-6 against conference opponents.
Both Duke squads will look to continue their strong seasons on Friday, Nov. 9 when they race at the NCAA Southeast Regional in Matthews, N.C. Fans interested in riding a fan bus to the race should contact assistant coach Tom Cuffe (firstname.lastname@example.com). Cost for riding the bus to and from the meet will be $20.


text:
- Lowell homeless camps
- Apr 10:
- City Council: Remove homeless camps
Sun Staff Report
The Sun's Facebook page was abuzz Tuesday night as the Lowell City Council voted to look into breaking up homeless encampments along the Merrimack River. Here's a sampling:
* Jennifer Cardoza-Franklin: I disagree with kicking them out this has been a home to many of them for quite some time rather they are there by choice because they have addiction problems or they are there because they have no other choice what I do agree with is making them clean it up!!! The area does look like it's becoming a dump as well as enforcing there should be NO burning of the trees if all else fails and they cannot abide by the rules level the land
* Alcina Buckley: I have had the privilege of speaking to a couple of them. They work, one of them is incredibly gifted. They're there because they choose to be. The may not be contributing to society but they're not leaching either. Make them clean up the mess and then leave them alone.
* Danielle Daniels LeClair: Right on Alcina Buckley
* Deb Levine: A lot of them are veterans and even though they live in deplorable conditions, they are too proud to accept help from the public ... housing, welfare, food stamps, etc. ... it is too much of a mess to just leave it alone, but I don't think they should be bulldozed either. Its very sad.
* Emily Amanda: Maybe if there was more ways to shelter people then this wouldn't be a problem. no one here can possibly understand what anyone that has to live on street feels like.
* Adam Caires: If the problem is all that trash it would be easiest to give them some garbage cans and recycling bins and have the garbage collectors add it to a route. If the problem is with them just creating shelter on some unused land and living rent free, barter the land rights for some kind of volunteer community beautification project. Let them stay in exchange for maintaining a nearby park or something.
* Bruce Baron: How about creating a campground somewhere for them, have some social services folks as rangers. I just know I pay a lot of federal taxes to help others, whether folks want to believe it or not, these folks need help.
* Dan MacNeil: People with PTSD or other mental illness often find it very difficult to be inside.
* Rosa Di Virgilio Taormina: It is a really unfortunate situation. There is one such abandoned camp off of exit 5B on the Connector. It is a disgusting mess of trash that has been left behind. Obviously people need somewhere to live. Are there not enough shelters in Lowell (I honestly have no idea)? What about at least putting trash receptacles near these areas? What can we do to help them? Removing the camps is not going to help them and that is what they need.
* Michele Mcenany: Many choose this lifestyle. Some do not. Clean it up let those that truly call it home and get the.others what they need whether detox a room mental health help. They really don't bother others. But please clean it up.
* Becky McGarry: Leave them alone! If you want to help, get them better tents, some warm bedding, and some food. Unless you know these specific people, you have no right to judge them for their situation. I'm sure none of us know what it's like to be this despondent. Stop judging people based on their current situation.
* Diane Dizacomo: they picked out the few that truly needed help for the article but the truth is, most of them dont want help.
* Gail Hovey Cassidy: Some of the folks "may choose to live there" however it's dangerous for them and others. My husband is an EMT and he and other First Responders are called to that area often. At night, especially in the winter, it's dark and slippery and difficult. We as a community must figure another way to keep them and everyone safe.
* Kevin Callery: Homelessness has many mitigating factors, that along with shelter, need to be addressed.
* Jo Jo: They haven't been homeless forever. They've done things in society.


text:
ANKARA — Turkey's Sultan Kosen, at 2.51 meters (eight foot three) the world's tallest man, has wed a Syrian woman he called the "love of my life", though he towers over his 1.75-meter bride.
"I cannot describe my feelings in words," the 31-year-old groom said during the wedding celebration in his hometown in the southeastern province of Mardin on Sunday.
"I am the happiest man in the world," he was quoted as saying on the website of the state-run Anatolia news agency.
His 20-year-old bride Mervi Dibo, who hails from the Syrian town of Hasaka, added: "I hope this happiness will be long-lasting."
The groom's black suit was custom made, requiring six meters of fabric, Anatolia reported.
Born into a farming family in southeastern Turkey, Kosen won global fame in September 2009 when Guinness World Records declared him the tallest man in the world. He was then 2.47 meters tall.
His growth has resulted from a tumor affecting his pituitary gland.
U.S. doctors treated Kosen's tumor in August 2010 in the state of Virginia with a precisely targeted shot of extremely high frequency gamma rays, using a non-invasive radio surgical device known as a Gamma Knife.
Last year, doctors said Kosen has overcome acromegaly, a rare hormonal disorder that caused him to keep growing well into adulthood.
Kosen is forced to use crutches in order to walk.


text:
HAMILTON — It was a classic Babe Ruth League 14-year old game and it took a classic performance from Cole Millinger to decide it.
Neither Millinger and his West Windsor-Plainsboro teammates or Nottingham gave an inch.
Millinger allowed just three hits and drove home the winning run as West Windsor-Plainsboro took a thrilling 2-1 win on Saturday morning in the second round of the Babe Ruth League District One 14-year old tourney played at Switlik Park.
WW-P will return to Switlik Park on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. to meet Ewing/Hopewell in the winner's bracket final. The winner of that game will lock up a berth in the state tourney to be played at Nottingham.
The Hamilton Square gang returns on Sunday at 12 p.m. to meet the winner of Hamilton and Montgomery.
The game began on Thursday and was suspended — due to weather — with Nottingham holding a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. There was one out and a runner on first.
When play resumed Millinger issued a walk to Tommy Argiriou, he got a strikeout for the second out and then the WW-P magic took over. Tristan Spadola, who had two hits, singled to right and WW-P's Brennan Froio made a perfect throw to catcher Scott Doherty for the final out of the inning.
"I felt good coming back," said Millinger, who allowed just two hits and a walk after the second inning. "I took my time a little more than on Thursday. I was able to throw all my pitches and hit my spots well."
WW-P tied the game in the fourth when Doherty singled, took third when Froio reached on an error and scored on a Paul Cooke ground out.
The winning run scored in the fifth when Blake Brown, an All-Trentonian ice hockey player at Hun, walked to start the inning. Dylan Welch reached on an error and then Ryan Strype sacrificed them up a base.
Millinger drove home Brown on an infield single for the game-winner.
"It wasn't the greatest of hits," said Millinger. "I was looking for a fastball and was able to hit it. When we got the run I knew we had a pretty good chance to win. Then when I got back on the mound I had a lot of confidence in my team and I knew we were into the game."
The performance by Nottingham's Chris Harkness was just as impressive. Harkness also allowed just three hits, he walked three and saw the deciding run be unearned.
"He had a heck of a game," said Nottingham manager Tom Argiriou, of Harkness. "He kept battling and throwing strikes. He was the best I've ever seen."
These same two teams battled a year ago for the 13-year old district title.
"It was a great game," said WW-P manager, Jason Welch. "Give credit to the pitchers. We had a key play at second and we had some clutch hits. Cole (Millinger) was unbelievable. He executed our plan."
The plan was to get good pitching, timely hitting and some slick fielding it worked to perfection.
WW-P got a great throw on a pitch out by Doherty to gun down a runner trying to steal second to start the sixth. Then in the seventh Josh Lichtenstein made a sliding catch in left for second out and then Strype got the final out on an over-the-shoulder catch in foul territory off first base.
"We didn't have any errors and I attribute that to our work ethic," said Doherty. "Our coaches make us work hard and we have a lot of talent. We are envious of that banner Nottingham got last year and that's why this game was so important."
It was even more important to win.
Nottingham 100 000 0 – 1
WW-P 000 110 x – 2
RBI: N: Nick Foster. WWP: Paul Cooke, Cole Millinger.
WP: Millinger. LP: Chris Harkness.


text:
BOULDER -- Countywide, changes were generally small in the median values of Boulder County homes between mid-2010 and mid-2012, according to County Assessor Jerry Roberts.
Roberts said his office's findings in its latest round of property reappraisals "really represents what was a flat market" for single-family homes during that two-year period.
That, however, actually marked something of an improvement from mid-2008 to mid-2010 -- the previous reappraisal period -- when the total countywide median value of such homes fell by about 2.6 percent from mid-2008.
"The market has rallied quite a bit since June 2010," Roberts said, leading to "some recovery" in median home values, but "it's been modest."
Boulder County's residential market trends varied from community to community and region to region during the June 30, 2010, to June 30, 2012, period covered in the latest appraisals.
Western Boulder County -- including the communities of Lyons, Jamestown, Ward, Nederland, Eldorado Springs, Allenspark and the county's unincorporated foothills and mountain areas -- saw an overall 4 percent drop in single-family residential property values during that time, according to figures from Roberts' office.
But the median market value of single-family homes in rural areas of eastern Boulder County increased by 3 percent between mid-2010 to mid-2012.
In Longmont, the median percentage change in residential properties' market values dropped by 1 percent during the latest two-year reappraisal period that ended last June 30.
But Roberts said Longmont is seeing fewer foreclosures and the other factors that contributed to a 5.5 median decrease in citywide residential property values between mid-2006 and mid-2008, and another 4 percent slump in the city's residential real estate market values between mid-2008 and mid-2010.
In the latest appraisal, Niwot also had a 1 percent drop in the median market value of its homes from mid-2010 to mid-2012.
In Boulder, the median market-value for single-family homes increased by 2 percent following a 1.7 drop in Boulder's total residential property values from mid-2008 to mid-2010.
Elsewhere, there was virtually a zero percentage change in the median market value of single-family homes in Lafayette, Louisville, Superior and Gunbarrel and the Boulder County portion of Erie, Roberts said.
Two years ago, the county assessor's April 2011 announcement of its previous reappraisal results showed that as of mid-2010, residential property values had fallen from mid-2008 levels in Niwot, Lyons, Lafayette, Boulder, Nederland and the Boulder County portion of Erie, but increased in Superior, Louisville and Eldorado Springs.
Roberts said there was still an overall decline in residential values in the latter half of 2010, followed by a flattening out of home values in 2011 and a market upswing that began in 2012.
Roberts said the latest reappraisal indicated that by last June 30, there's been "some modest increased value" for single-family homes in the city of Boulder, "with condominiums showing small decreases -- except there were some increases for newer high-end urban-style condos."
He said that for single-family homes in the county's unincorporated plains areas, there'd been a "mild-increase in values" from mid-2010 levels.
The Boulder County Assessor's Office's estimates of properties' worth as of mid-2012 will show up in the new "notices of value" that Roberts' staff will be mailing May 1 to owners of about 118,000 taxable properties -- real estate that includes vacant, commercial, industrial and natural-resources properties as well as residences.
Colorado law requires assessors to set new appraised values for each property in the county every other year. Those values are based on what the real estate market was as of June 30 of the previous year -- in this case, as of June 30, 2012.
The new values will be part of the basis for calculating property tax bills that come due in 2014 and 2015.
Property owners will have until June 3 to file appeals of the assessor's decisions about their real estate values. State law doesn't allow people to file protests based solely on their objections to past or projected property tax bills, although they can seek adjustments if they think the latest values assigned by the assessor's office are incorrect, or if the assessor's information about their property is inaccurate.
John Fryar can be reached at 303-684-5211 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Town Manager
John Curran
As mayor of Woburn, Curran brought changes to that city's center. The traffic pattern stayed the same but more pedestrian-friendly features like a public courtyard and increased sidewalk space were introduced. Curran first unveiled the center redesign in February, and repeatedly promoted it since. Curran has organized more than 20 informational presentations for residents, business owners and town boards and committees. The project is also a part of Curran's overall plan for the town to jump-start improvements on its infrastructure through debt stabilization.
George Simolaris
Simolaris, a Town Meeting member who lives on Andover Road, cast one of the 59 votes against the project. He spearheaded the petition drive that forced Monday's referendum. A painter by trade, he crafted nearly 100 signs opposing the project. He's received broad support from scores of town center property owners and also members of the Republican Town Committee. His presence on the Common in November, waving his signs and chatting up motorists, has been ubiquitous. If the referendum fails, Simolaris has said he'll run for selectmen in the spring.
The Board
of Selectmen
Four members support the plan: Chairman Andrew Deslauriers, and members Robert Correnti, David Gagliardi and Robert Accomando. At Town Meeting, Gagliardi recalled how over the years selectmen have been accused of not having a vision for the town.
Town Clerk
Shirley Schult
Schult, who is elected, has the job to ensure a fair and impartial election. The tight timeline of the referendum -- 14 to 21 days after signatures are certified -- meant Schult had to suggest a day for the vote. She has written several memos indicating her office's preference for a Monday vote over the traditional Saturday, yet Rosa managed to secure an internal email she sent to Curran that indicated either day would be possible. Opponents of the redesign said the Monday date will drive down turnout. Correnti responded that selectmen, who approve the referendum date, were following Schult's recommendation.
The Republican Town Committee
Chairman Tony Ventresca has said the committee has not collectively endorsed having the referendum. Any support for a vote against the project has been voiced by members acting as individuals and not as representatives of the committee. Ventresca paid for more than 200 professionally made signs asking for a "no vote" on the project. Simolaris has said he's made appearances at committee meetings and has also indicated he's disappointed that the committee has not thrown more support behind his effort.


text: Shelving is an excellent tool for organizing and storing for any room in your home, office, or school. SpaceSavers can provide the shelving and shelf organizer systems to get any room organized with the proper storage system that works for you. When selecting the right shelving system to fit your specific needs, there are a few things to consider. How much space do you have and where is the extra space? Is it along a wall, in a closet, or in a pantry? What room will the shelving be located? Is this a room where style as well as function will dictate what kind of shelving to get? What size, quantity, or type of items do you need stored? Would better organization be all you would need if you had the right shelving dividers and organizers? Before diving in, take these questions into consideration as you select the right shelving for your storage needs.How much space do you have? If you are organizing your garage, you might be able to create more space in your garage simply by getting everything organized and into a storage container. Store bikes and other sporting equipment from ceiling and wall mounted racks designed to hold those items specifically. If this is the case, you can install a large garage and utility shelving unit to house all the other smaller to medium sized items that take up so much space otherwise.On a smaller scale, you can create more pantry space in your pantry by installing some stackable shelves or wall mounted shelving. Sometimes, even on the smaller scale, you can create more storage space than you thought possible if you take into account the vertical space or the wall space that may not be in use. In existing cabinets and pantries, you can often utilize shelves that can be placed on an already existing shelf to double up, vertically, the square footage of storage. Proper cabinet and shelving organizers can help reduce the difficulties in finding what you are looking for. With organizers, sometimes, you can create more space you didn't even know you had.In rooms like a living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom, style as well as function should be considered. In a room that you have a certain expectation of the attractiveness of the room, you are going to want to consider the stylistic or decorative elements in the shelving. Utilitarian shelving, like the ones you would use in the garage or maybe in a pantry, are not necessarily what you would want in your living room or dining room. Free standing shelving units, wall mounted shelves, basket shelf units, and wood shelving can be great choices depending on your individual style and needs.In the bathroom you may not have as much floor space for a free standing shelving unit. Maybe you also need additional places to hang towels. A wall mounted shelving unit with a towel rack could be the right solution for your storage needs. A wall mounted shelving unit with two or three tiers can provide you with the smaller scale grooming and toiletry products often needed in a bathroom. The addition of the towel rack takes care of your extra towels. The wall mounted shelving unit is in proportion to the relatively small space you may have in a smaller bathroom.Finding the right shelving solutions to your organization and storage needs is not impossible. You can get any room or area organized with the proper storage solutions for that particular space and for you. Put it on a shelf with SpaceSavers – and you are on your way to getting organized.


text:
Support >
Applications >
Using_Fluorescent_Proteins >
CherryPicker systems are powerful sample preparation tools for monitoring and capturing a homogeneous population of cells that either express a specific protein or express a specific promoter activity. These systems utilize the chimeric membrane-anchored CherryPicker fluorescent protein, which can be monitored via fluorescence microscopy and captured on magnetic beads via a specific antibody.
Separate cells that have been transfected at a low level from untransfected cells
Create a homogeneous cell population based on promoter activity or protein expression
Capture and enrich your cells in <2 hr using a bench-top protocol, instead of expensive, time-consuming sorting using flow cytometry
Visit the Documents tab of the CherryPicker product page to download the User Manual and other documentation.
The CherryPicker reporter is only expressed together with your protein of interest (Video 1), or downstream of your promoter of interest (Video 2). Therefore, only the cells with your activity of interest will be enriched. Watch our videos below to see how you can use CherryPicker for both applications.
Each CherryPicker system includes, 2 vectors (including control vector), CherryPicker antibody, buffers, and magnetic beads (magnetic stand is available separately). Use the table below to choose the right kit for your application.
Cat. No. 632572
Cat. No. 632574
Cat. No. 632573
Cat. No. 632575
Cat. Nos. 632570 & 632571


text:
The New York Times recently reported that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez "are among the roughly 100 Major League Baseball players to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003." The reported sources for this statement were "lawyers with knowledge of the [test] results" who "spoke anonymously because the testing information is under seal by a court order." The Association has previously offered its views regarding this patent violation of court orders by attorneys, and The New York Times' active pursuit and publication of what it openly acknowledges to be information that may not be legally disclosed.If this is any indication of what Ortiz will say, it sounds like he'll claim (a) he doesn't know exactly what he tested positive for, (b) a less-than-optimal test was used, possibly triggering a false positive, (c) it could have been a "legally available nutritional supplement", and/or (c) he might have tested negative after stopping the legal supplement(s) for a week (but would still have a positive test on the books).
In light of the Times' report, and all the other newspaper reports it has spurred, the Association feels compelled to offer the following additional comments:
The sealing orders, which were appropriately issued by the various courts to maintain the collectively-bargained confidentiality of the testing, prevent the Association from supplying a player with specifics regarding his 2003 test results, or from discussing those specifics publicly. The practical effect of the sealing orders, if that confidentiality is to be maintained, is to further preclude the Players Association from confirming or denying whether a player's name appears on any list which purportedly discloses the 2003 test results. The result is that any union member alleged to have tested positive in 2003 because his name supposedly appears on some list -- most recently David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez -- finds himself in an extremely unfair position; his reputation has been threatened by a violation of the court's orders, but respect for those orders now leaves him without access to the information that might permit him to restore his good name.
Unlike those anonymous lawyers who have violated the court orders -- and The New York Times, which has authorized an active and willful pursuit of those violations -- the Association will respect the courts' rulings. But we can legally say the following, each of which we suggest must be considered in assessing any and all newspaper reports stating a player has "tested positive for steroids in 2003."
First, the number of players on the so-called "government list" meaningfully exceeds the number of players agreed by the bargaining parties to have tested positive in 2003. Accordingly, the presence of a player's name on any such list does not necessarily mean that the player used a prohibited substance or that the player tested positive under our collectively bargained program.
Second, substantial scientific questions exist as to the interpretation of some of the 2003 test results. The more definitive methods that are utilized by the lab that administers the current Drug Agreement were not utilized by the lab responsible for the anonymous testing program in 2003. The collective bargaining parties did not pursue definitive answers regarding these inconclusive results, since those answers were unnecessary to the administration of the 2003 program.
Third, in 2003, legally available nutritional supplements could trigger an initial "positive" test under our program. To account for this, each "test" conducted in 2003 actually consisted of a pair of collections: the first was unannounced and random, the second was approximately 7 days later, with the player advised to cease taking supplements during the interim.Under the 2003 program, a test could be initially reported as "positive", but not treated as such by the bargaining parties on account of the second test.
Many people will dismiss that as a cop-out -- many people will dismiss anything Ortiz says as a cop-out -- but it is certainly plausible. We'll have to wait and see.
NESN will carry it live. I'm not sure if it will be broadcast on MLB.com.
Every pitcher that played today during the game did really well. I didn't do it. ... When I found out [Alex Rodriguez's fly ball] was a home run, I was really disappointed. From that time, I started thinking how I could have pitched better.Theo Epstein on designating Smoltz for assignment:
It was certainly time to try something different. John understood. We asked him to go home for a few days, think about what he wants to do, think about if he can still help. The good thing about the designation is that it buys time to come up with the appropriate assignment.Epstein also addressing the team's pitching woes:
It's been surprising sort of how quickly we've gone from quote-unquote the best starting pitching depth in baseball to a challenging time for our rotation. That's happened quickly, but it's not unexpected. It's the reason we didn't trade away our stating pitching when we had a perceived surplus. ... It's important that you do find a way to stabilize the rotation and get a number of pitchers giving us a chance to win night-in and night-out.Epstein said that Paul Byrd is in Fort Myers and is "probably about three weeks away" from pitching at the major league level. ... Tim Wakefield is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Monday.


text: yOX80 (ATCC® 79542™) Organism: Homo sapiens, human / Clone Type: Clone / Depositors: DC Page General Information Documentation Print Email Share Share this product Facebook Twitter Google+ Permits and Restrictions View Permits Designations yOX80 Species Homo sapiens, human Depositors DC Page Vector Construct size (kb): 0.0DESCRIPTION OF VECTOR COMPONENT: Name of vector: pYAC4Intact vector size: 11.454 Type of vector: YAC Vector end: EcoRI Vector end: EcoRI Cloning sites: EcoRI Polylinker sites: Host range: Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Escherichia coliFeatures (with orientation and position when available): marker(s): SUP4, 386-661 marker(s): URA3, ->, 1950-2753 other: telomere, 3548-4235 marker(s): HIS3, <-, 4881-5540 other: telomere, 6012-6699 replicon: pMB1, 7186-7186 marker(s): ampR, <-, 7944-8804 marker(s): TRP1, ->, 9117-9791 replicon: ARS1, 9632-10376 centromere: CEN4, 10476-11453 Cross references: DNA Seq. Acc.: U01086 Insert DNA: genomicDESCRIPTION OF INSERT COMPONENT: Genome: Homo sapiens Gene symbol: DYS*qGenomic copy number: unique Gene name: DNA Segment, single copyContains complete coding sequence?: U Chromosome: Y; Localization: Y q Tissue: lymphoblastoid OXEN cell line, XYYYY Type of DNA: genomic Insert end: EcoRI Insert end: EcoRI Insert size (kb): Cross references:Tissue: lymphoblastoid OXEN cell line, XYYYY Gene product: DNA Segment, single copy [DYS*q] Media ATCC® Medium 1798: aAHC medium for YAC clones Related Products component of:ATCC 77393 Biosafety Level 1 Biosafety classification is based on U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines, it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that their facilities comply with biosafety regulations for their own country. Shipping Information Distributed: frozen References Foote S, et al. The human Y chromosome: overlapping DNA clones spanning the euchromatic region. Science 258: 60-66, 1992. PubMed: 1359640 Vollrath D, et al. The human Y chromosome: a 43-interval map based on naturally occurring deletions. Science 258: 52-59, 1992. PubMed: 1439769 Bascic Documentation Product Sheet Certificate of Analysis SDS


text:
The Best (and Worst!) Nail, Hair & Makeup Trends of 2010
You loved them or left them, either way you definitely noticed them -- here are the beauty and makeup trends we cherished and loathed
SEE NEXT PAGE: Best: Mega lashes
Older comments
Kinda liked some of the 80's makeup.
by Zeaundra Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 02:00PM Report as inappropriate
like this story think ill try a bun thank you agine for your site i find it so helpful
by littlesweets801 Sunday, March 17, 2013 at 04:26PM Report as inappropriate
I pretty much agree with everything in this article! I am not a huge fan of the bun or the pixie cuts though. and seriously1?! Vajazzling!?!?! WOW
by krista_dailey Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 10:39AM Report as inappropriate
by EricaC123 Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 11:51AM Report as inappropriate
An old article that the site suggested, I check out. I don't like the pixie cuts, the red lips, and a few of the other trends featured.
by robyne00 Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 04:33PM Report as inappropriate
Can't believe I missed the hair tinsel! Hilarious
by schien Sunday, September 2, 2012 at 05:54PM Report as inappropriate
I'm sorry but I really hate the ballerina buns. I don't know why they are so popular when they seem to make even stunningly beautiful women look like the cast of Star Trek. There is a reason these buns are worn ON-STAGE. This style was horrible in the 80's (for those of us who lived through them) and it is even worse now.
by Moosebaby Monday, June 11, 2012 at 01:01PM Report as inappropriate
What about the real snake skin mani/pedis...ewww...That's worse than the nail art!
by Only1KimmieD Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 12:08PM Report as inappropriate
This was so fun to read! And a few of those are still going strong in 2012 (bold lips, anybody?).
by tallredamanda Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 07:11AM Report as inappropriate
This was a great laugh and a great read! I gotta say I agree with most of it! No pixie haircut for me though!! :(
by powerwoman033 Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 07:41PM Report as inappropriate


text:
The Larimer County Department of Natural Resources will host an Open Lands Master Plan public forum at the Rio Grande Agave Room in Fort Collins from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. The meeting is an opportunity for residents to provide feedback about its Open Lands Master Plan.
The meeting will cover new recreational activities and local agriculture. The county partners with all of its cities and towns, but the focus of this study will be outside city limits. The cities of Fort Collins and Loveland are also in the process of working on their own master plans.
Zac Wiebe, Our Lands — Our Future Study project manager, said the department completed its regional study last year since the last plan, adopted in 2001, is outdated. Though the county has received a significant amount of feedback throughout the process, Wiebe said this meeting will serve to dig deeper.
"We want to get public feedback about what they like to do on our open spaces and what they would like to see more of," Wiebe said.
Officials are also aiming to find out more about the public's level of education surrounding local agriculture and residents' understanding of the differences between large production and Community-Supported Agriculture (CSAs).
"We're definitely very interested in learning people's viewpoints about local agriculture — what they know about it, what they feel is the county's role," Wiebe said.
The county currently has conservation easements on working farms and ranches and leases some of its open spaces for grazing and growing food, and officials want to initiate public discourse on these policies and find out what changes to make for the future.
And although priority areas for conservation in the county and rivers and restoration in the flooding are at the top of everyone's minds, Wiebe said the county will plan a separate assessment, specific to the Big Thompson Canyon.
"The master plan won't really examine efforts in response to the flooding," he said. "It's more of an overall countywide long-term plan."
However, part of the county's recommendations, Wiebe said, could include mitigating impacts of flooding in the future on a higher level with more of an emphasis on protecting land.
The next steps after the public forum will include hosting focus groups, creating a first draft of the plan and then giving opportunity for the general public to provide feedback.
Contact Reporter-Herald Staff Writer Saja Hindi at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Sponsored by SAC Leadership, Political Science Department & Paigaam
JD Stier is an activist and former White House staffer originally from Madison, Wisconsin. He has an amazing story of his journey from prison to the White House, and currently works as the campaign manager for Raise Hope for Congo (http://www.enoughproject.org/
Questions? Contact peterss


text:
'Priscilla' Tours - Glitter And Be (Very) Gay
"Priscilla Queen of the Desert," the joyous drag queen musical, has packed up its glitter for a nationwide tour. EDGE caught up with the man in the pit, musical director Brent Frederick, five towns out in Schenectady, New York, who said so far the Adventures of Mitzi, Bernadette and Felicia have been, what else... Fabulous!
Frederick was the rehearsal pianist for the Broadway run of "Priscilla" and said only one set piece was cut for the tour, but everything else is in place including 500 costumes!
"They are a separate character. The cupcake costumes for 'Macarthur's Park' alone are amazing, not to mention the Sydney Opera House appearing. There are nine trailers rolling -- a bear for the crew to load in and out. When we were on Broadway some of us wondered how they would do it. It had to be re-engineered in certain ways, but the producers involved kept everything largely the way it was in New York," Frederick said.
Capturing the Sidney drag scene
The show rolls into the Academy of Music in Philly this week on a tour that takes it to 13 cities between now and November. What's especially exciting for the 31-year old conductor, who grew up near Reading PA, is starting the tour in this Philly landmark. "Playing this house is certainly one of the highlights of the tour for me," he said.
Frederick is leading those disco-sonic orchestrations with just nine "killer" musicians in the pit.
"We have the same orchestration as in New York. The songs were brilliantly chosen. The characters have lip-sync scenes, but singing in the show is live. Our music supervisor, Spud, is Australian and he was the 'go to guy' in the Sydney drag scene in the 90s. So everything is done with an eye to the authenticity of the style of music on the drag scene there," Frederick explained.
Different from previous versions
The Broadway show is musically different from its previous incarnations. "The movie was heavily ABBA, but because of "'Mamma Mia,' the musical couldn't go that way. In London, they had music that is not as well known here. Here we've got the Weather Girls, Madonna, Donna Summer, Pat Benatar, something for everybody," he assures. Including the Verdi aria that pops up while Felicia is on top of the bus careening down Australia's Outback.
"And of course we have the flying Divas hitting those high Cs in fabulous gowns. If you've had a bad day, it's like getting in a musical rocket, the songs support the story and fit the characters," Frederick said.
As in the film, the story centers on Australian drag star Mitzi Mitosis - whose real name is Anthony "Tick" Belrose - who is asked by his ex-wife to come and perform at a resort she runs. Her ulterior motives is that their son, now 8, wants to meet his father. Mitzi corrals two other drag performers - Bernadette and Felicia - to join him and the three set out in a "budget Barbie campervan" (nicknamed "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert") on a road trip across the Outback.
"The movie is darker," Frederick admits, "but the musical doesn't back off the message even if there's glitter on everything. It's beautiful, reviewers have not always been kind to the show, because they just see it as a sugar high, or disco superficial. The songs support the story and fit the characters."
About acceptance
At its heart, "Priscilla" is a story of acceptance, both within a family and in the world. "They go into this backwoods bar and win over these angry lesbians. It erupts into a big party, but when they go outside, their bus has been vandalized with anti-gay epithets. At that point, they go into Cindi Lauper's anthem, "True Colors."
"It sounds like it could be corny, but it's such a beautiful moment... where the queens express their realization that they know that someone out there that want to knock them down, and then the song brings them back up to their mission."
One question that Frederick was curious about was how the show would play outside of New York. "But, this show seems to cross all orientations and boundaries, and audiences are a healthy mix of gay and straight audiences of all ages. Everyone can appreciate the show for something different and opening minds without getting preachy. On a basic level audiences are just having a great time and they react to the characters striving for love and acceptance. Being one of the few straight guys around this show, it's great to be a part of that energy."
Frederick was effusive about the touring cast, which includes Wade McCollum as Tick/Mitzi, Scott Willis as Bernadette and Bryan West as Adam/Felicia.
"You fall in love with them every night. They are so stunning, and it's a giant party atmosphere. Between the fast-forward costume changes and flying Divas, how could you not love it?"
"Priscilla Queen Of The Desert" begins its national Feb. 26 through Mar. 3, 2013 at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia. For more information go to The Kimmel Center website. Other cities on its national tour are Pittsburgh, Chicago, Miami, Tampa Bay, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Durham, NC, Austin, TX, Dallas, Los Angeles, Denver,Houston, San Diego and Seattle. For dates and more information, visit the tour's website.


text:
Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling didn't get along very well at times on the set of "The Notebook."
No no no no ... LALALALALALA -- I can't hear you.
As the film hits its 10th anniversary, director Nick Cassavetes talked to VH1 about what went on behind the scenes. Specifically, how McAdams and Gosling -- even though they went on to have a real romance for a couple years after the film -- had some tense moments during filming.
"Maybe I'm not supposed to tell this story, but they were really not getting along one day on set. Really not," the director said. "And Ryan came to me, and there's 150 people standing in this big scene, and he says, 'Nick come here.' And he's doing a scene with Rachel and he says, 'Would you take her out of here and bring in another actress to read off camera with me?' I said, 'What?' He says, 'I can't. I can't do it with her. I'm just not getting anything from this.'"
Cassavetes worked through the tension by helping the pair work out their issues.
"We went into a room with a producer; they started screaming and yelling at each other," Cassavetes said. "I walked out. At that point I was smoking cigarettes. I smoked a cigarette and everybody came out like, 'All right let's do this.' And it got better after that. They had it out ... I think Ryan respected her for standing up for her character and Rachel was happy to get that out in the open. The rest of the film wasn't smooth sailing, but it was smoother sailing."
The tension apparently wasn't such a bad thing. "The Notebook" went on to become hugely successful movie.
Why, some of us still get misty just thinking about it ... (don't cry, don't cry ... don't you cry again, Mister).
Plus, Gosling and McAdams dated from 2005 to 2007 with a brief reunion in 2008. Some of us still pray nightly that these two crazy kids will find love with one another once again.
(Don't you do it ...)
According to Us Weekly, Gosling told GQ in 2007 "God bless 'The Notebook.' It introduced me to one of the great loves of my life. But people do Rachel and me a disservice by assuming we were anything like the people in that movie. Rachel and my love story is a hell of a lot more romantic than that."
That's right (sniff).
Tony Hicks provides celebrity commentary for the Bay Area News Group. Contact him at Facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks or Twitter.com/insertfoot.


text:
Nothing found.
Be sure to check out the pet businesses near you!
Be sure to check out the dog parks near you!
These beautiful pewter leash hooks are perfectly designed for the hallway of a pet lover. You will never misplace your keys or leash again.
Pet podcast #8 is all about games that you can play with your dog. Dogs need exercise and mental stimulation and in this show we give you some tips and pointers on how to do just that. Products referenced in …
Copyright © 2000-2018 Pets.ca. All Rights Reserved. | Copyright & Legal Statement | Privacy Policy & Security


text:
Nickson W. "Nick" Oyer, 87, of 9383 Oyer Drive, Waynesboro, died at 2:11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, 2012, in the Waynesboro Hospital. He had been in failing health for the past few months.
Nickson W. "Nick" Oyer, 87, of 9383 Oyer Drive, Waynesboro, died at 2:11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, 2012, in the Waynesboro Hospital. He had been in failing health for the past few months. Born May 22, 1925, in Waynesboro, he was the son of the late Walter R. and Ruth L. (Layman) Oyer. He was a lifelong resident of the Waynesboro area. Mr. Oyer graduated from Waynesboro High School with the Class of 1943. Following graduation he served with the United States Air Corps from 1943 to 1945 and was honorably discharged as a Navigator. He and his wife of more than 63 years, Alma W. (Warwick) Oyer, were married on Sept. 17, 1949, in Hagerstown, Md. They have lived at their present residence for the past 46 years. Mr. Oyer was an entrepreneur, who in 1956 took over his father's business, W.R. Oyer Construction. Business was his life and he also owned and operated several additional side businesses that dealt in building and leasing. He was a member of Fountainhead Country Club in Hagerstown and enjoyed traveling. In addition to his wife, he is survived by one daughter, Patricia O. Eckels and her husband, Robert of Charleston, S.C.; three grandchildren, Patrick T. Zurgable of Waynesboro, Nichole E. Zurgable of Waynesboro, and Leigh A. Zurgable of Charleston, S.C.; three great-grandchildren, Nickson T. Zurgable, Brittany P. Zurgable, and Grant M. Calimer; and a number of nieces and nephews. He was the last of his immediate family. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Richard W. Oyer and his sister, Lillian O. Heisey. Services will be held at noon, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012, in Grove-Bowersox Funeral Home, 50 S. Broad St., Waynesboro, with Rev. Dr. A. Robert Cook officiating. Burial will follow in Green Hill Cemetery, Waynesboro. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the services, Wednesday morning, in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to one of the following organizations in his memory: The Antietam Humane Society, 8513 Lyons Road, Waynesboro, Pa. 17268; The Lunch Place, 100 S. Church St., Waynesboro, Pa. 17268; or The New Hope Shelter, 25 S. Potomac St, Waynesboro, Pa. 17268. Online condolences may be expressed at: www.bowersoxfuneralhomes.com


text:
Bea Wallen
From a Mothers Heart
God intended the Christian to have a heart for serving
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Lafollette Press, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
If you are new to the award winning Lafollette Press and wish to get a subscription or simply gain access to our online content then please enter your ZIP code below and continue to setup your account.
|ZIP Code:


text:
photo 1 of 46
Mark Coleman
The man who practically created the phrase "ground and pound", UFC Hall of Famer Mark "The Hammer" Coleman was one of the Octagon's pioneers from 1996 to 1999. In Spring of 1999, he traveled to Japan to compete in the PRIDE organization, where he resurrected his career, won the PRIDE Grand Prix finals in 2000, and re-established himself as one of the best heavyweights in the world. But his heart remained with the UFC, and in 2009, the former NCAA National wrestling champion from Ohio State returned to the UFC with a Fight of the Night performance against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
Getty Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or clip. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for: actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or clip, and, where appropriate, the costs of collection and/or statutory damages up to $150,000 (USD).


text:
|Send News. Want a reply? Read this. More in the FAQ. News Forum - All Forums - Mobile - PDA - RSS Headlines Twitter
There's an interesting article on Kotaku on cheating in multiplayer games, focusing on malfeasance in Battlefield 3, DICE's military shooter sequel. Well, malfeasance is our term, the article takes an almost sympathetic tone, characterizing the cheaters it specifically portrays as regular players, and relating their complex rationalizations of how they are somehow more justified than garden-variety cheaters. The article also takes a surprisingly informative approach to details on this, choosing to provide links to cheat providers, prices of various exploits, and even de facto reviews of their effectiveness.
Copyright © 1996-2018 Stephen Heaslip. All rights reserved.
All trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Privacy Policy.
News CGI copyright © 1999-2018 James "furn" Furness &
Blue's News.
All rights reserved.
Chatbear v1.4.0/blue++: Page generated 25 June 2018, 00:36.
Chatbear Announcements.


text:
Walkthroughs and Guides
Outside link to all the information you'll need on this game, and more!
Includes cheats and links to cheats and hints..
Courtesy of: Gamefaqs.com
Game Genie, Pro Action Replay cheat device codes? Check Here
Log a request for cheats and hints for this game. Click Here
Want reviews and screenshots of this and SNES games? Check Here
Find the best deal: buy, check availability of this and other games
Was this page useful to you? YES / NO


text:
photo 1 of 39
Jeremy Larsen
TRAINING: Wake up at 6, go for a run, then go to work (my job). After that I hit the gym at 4 for strength and conditioning and then at 6:30 I go do wrestling, MMA, or jiu-jitsu, depending on the day.
When and why did you start training for fighting? I started training seven years ago. It was a chance happening. I walked into the gym with a buddy to beat somebody up – I was a bad dude back then – and one of the trainers, who was a really personable guy, started talking to me after I hit the mat and got beat up and got mad. And I was so competitive I came back the next day and got beat up and I kept coming back, and before I knew it, I loved the sport.
What ranks and titles have you held? I've just been out here grinding, just trying to get to this stage and not worrying about the little titles along the way.
Do you have any heroes? My hero is my wife. I've been here for three months and she's been watching my nine month old son all by herself and working full-time.
What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It means everything to me. This is the culmination of six years of hard work and sacrifice. A lot of people said I couldn't make it this far, that I wasn't athletic enough, that I wasn't this or wasn't that, and here I am, knocking on that door, ready to kick it wide open.
Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? No
What was your job before you started fighting? I drove a semi and delivered beer for a beer distributor
Ranks in any martial arts styles: Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Gustavo Dantes
Favorite grappling technique: Rear naked choke
Favorite striking technique: Right hand
Getty Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or clip. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for: actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or clip, and, where appropriate, the costs of collection and/or statutory damages up to $150,000 (USD).


text:
South Jeffco resident Dean Hinds had a nostalgic surprise waiting for him when he sat down for breakfast on Veterans Day at MorningStar Senior Living — a wasp-waisted, dark-green Army jacket, a relic he had not seen since tucking it away in a trunk when he returned home from Germany after World War II.
His son in law, Bob Jones, had discovered the jacket in his home just days before, and was eager to reunite the garment with its owner.
"He hasn't seen it since World War II. It stinks so bad of mothballs (that I) stuffed it full of Bounce fabric-softener sheets," Jones said.
Jones, with eyes welling, held up the jacket and asked his father-in-law to try it on. The younger man embraced the 88-year-old veteran, thanking him for his service in a war that claimed between 50 million and 70 million lives.
Hinds, a former railroad worker, applied his craft overseas, moving supplies across Europe. When the war ended, he helped transport concentration-camp victims away from the horrific Holocaust sites, where at least 6 million Jews and others perished.
"I was working for Santa Fe Railroad before they came along and drafted me. … We were hauling supplies here in the U.S. to our troops," Hinds said. "We formed two railroad battalions. … We ran the railroads and all the supplies as the Army moved forward into Germany."
Though elated with the war's end, Hinds' heart sunk when he saw the faces emerging from concentration camps.
"When the war ended, we began hauling those people who were displaced … back to their homes. We had them in open gondolas," he said. "Everything that they owned was on their backs."
After being deployed for 27 months, Hinds returned home to his wife, Raynelle, and attended college. The couple raised two daughters — with Hinds supporting the family as a watchmaker, and Raynelle as a ceramics painter.
'Anything that flew, I was interested in'
For Morningstar resident and Air Force veteran Gene LaRosa, the day was an occasion to reflect on his service during the war as well. The 90-year-old Oregon native, who spent his childhood and later his career fascinated with aviation, trained fighter pilots in Amarillo, Texas.
"Anything that flew, I was interested in," he said of his childhood love of aircraft, models of which he and his friends built from any scraps of material they could find.
His eyesight kept him from being eligible for deployment, though he nonetheless applied for combat service four times. He was denied every time, he said, but he still looks back on his service with immense pride.
"I wanted to be a fighter pilot. I already had a private license," he said, noting that he entered the Air Force in 1943. "They thought I'd be more important as an instructor in the Air Corps. … Somebody had to do it."
LaRosa, who trained countless combat-bound pilots during his Air Force years, never lost his love of flying. After the war, he went to work for Canoga Park, Calif.-based Rocketdyne, a rocket-engine firm later acquired by Boeing and Pratt & Whitney. LaRosa worked his way up during a time when many young people could attain career success without formal education, as an engineer.
"I never had a college education, but I had common sense," he said. "I went in as a technician, and I came out as an engineer."
Contact Emile Hallez at email@example.com or 303-933-2233, ext. 22. For updates, check www.ColumbineCourier.com.
Add new comment
Read and share your thoughts on this story


text:
photo 1 of 47
Johnny Bedford
TRAINING: Training for this fight is the same as always; I train with great guys and have amazing coaches. I am back to my old ways of hard work every single day.
Getty Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or clip. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for: actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or clip, and, where appropriate, the costs of collection and/or statutory damages up to $150,000 (USD).


text:
Lamar Sally filed for separation May 2 in Los Angeles Superior Court. The pair married in August 2011, and Sally's filing states they are expecting a son who is due in July.
Sally is seeking custody of the child when he is born, with visitation for Shepherd.
The filing also asks a judge to invalidate the couple's prenuptial agreement based on fraud. It does not provide any further details.
An email sent to Shepherd's agents was not immediately returned. Shepherd's manager Darris Hatch also did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.


text:
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 20th Jul 2012 12:23 UTC
"Back in May of this year, Internet security firm Bitdefender launched an app and service designed to help iOS users get a grip on what the apps installed on their mobile devices may be up to. [...] The app tells owners of iOS devices which applications may be accessing more information than they need, and identifies potentially 'misbehaving' apps, giving users an inside look at all the information app developers can gather about a user. [...] Seems legit, right? Apple doesn't think so. Or at least they have an issue with something behind the app that sparked them to pull it from the App Store this week." That seems odd. Why would they do such a thing? "Interestingly, Bitdefender did share some data that they gathered based on Clueful's analysis of more than 65,000 popular iOS apps so far: 42.5 percent of apps do not encrypt users' personal data, even when accessed via public Wi-Fi; 41.4 percent of apps were shown to track a user's location unbeknownst to them; almost one in five of the apps analyzed can access a user's entire Address Book, with some even sending user information to the cloud without notification." Oh, right. Informing users their data is wholly unsafe? Not on Apple's watch!
Permalink for comment 527484
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
RE: simple solution
by RawMustard on Fri 20th Jul 2012 13:40 UTC in reply to "simple solution"


text:
Marjorie Marie Dishman entered her heavenly home to be with her Lord and Savior at age 100 on Jan. 31, 2013, at Pratt Rehabilitation and Residence Center. She was born July 21, 1912, at Lyndon to Franklin and Alice Richards. On May 13, 1930, she married Henry B. Dishman at Westmoreland. He preceded her in death on March 17, 1983.
Henry and Marjorie moved around, living in various towns across Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. They made their longtime home in Coats. She was a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Coats.
Marjorie was a cook in many restaurants, and in her later years, was a home care attendant. Marjorie had a love for flowers and birds. She maintained a beautiful flower garden until her health no longer let her. She then spent many hours watching the birds that came to dine at the variety of feeders he had for them.
Marjorie is survived by a son, Thomas and wife Georgia Dishman of Medicine Lodge; daughters, Marilyn and husband David Divine, Sawyer, and Nancy Harrell, Pratt; 16 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren and many great-great-grandchildren.
Marjorie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Henry; sons, Ray Dishman and Billy Dishman; and daughters, Lorraine Dibbens and Gloria Ailstock.
Cremation has taken place. A private family ceremony will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to the family or the donor's choice in care of the mortuary. Ayres-Calbeck Mortuary assisted the family.


text:
Novinger and Putnam County hosting basketball tournaments this week.
The high school basketball season begins in earnest this week with a pair of local tournaments calling most teams into action.
The annual Novinger Tournament tips off Monday night, featuring Scotland County, Atlanta, La Plata, Milan, Novinger, Green City, Brashear and Bevier.
In opening round action Monday in the girls bracket, No. 1 Scotland County faces No. 8 Bevier at 7 p.m., following No. 4 Atlanta and No. 5 La Plata at 4:30 p.m.
The first round continues Tuesday with No. 2 Milan playing No. 7 Novinger at 4:30 p.m., and No. 3 Green City battling No. 6 Brashear at 7 p.m.
In the boys bracket, action tips with Monday with No. 4 Atlanta playing No. 5 Bevier at 5:45 p.m. and No. 1 Novinger taking on No. 8 Brashear at 8:15 p.m.
On Tuesday, No. 2 Scotland County faces No. 7 Milan at 5:45 p.m., while No. 3 La Plata takes on No. 6 Green City at 8:15 p.m.
Semifinals and consolation games will be throughout the week, culminating with Saturday's girls third place game at 3 p.m., the boys third place game at 4:15 p.m., girls championship at 6:45 p.m. and boys championship at 8 p.m.
A three-day round-robin style Putnam County Border War Tournament will see its inaugural action Tuesday, with the Schuyler County girls and boys taking on Clark County at 4:30 and 5:45 p.m., respectively, followed by the Putnam County girls and boys facing Davis County at 7 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.
On Thursday, Clark County and Albia's girls and boys will play at 4:30 and 5:45 p.m., while Putnam County and Schuyler County will play at 7 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. in what will double as a conference game.
Friday, the Schuyler County girls will face Centerville at 4:30 p.m., the Schuyler boys will play Eddysville-Blakesburg at 5:45 p.m., and the Putnam County girls and boys will face Clark County at 7 and 8:15 p.m.


text:
You have 25 questions to find where in the world Evil Semp is. They must be yes or no questions. Good luck.
Special thanks to 72o and jpcloet for their successful run-throughs of previous "Where in the world?" games.
Questions & Answers thus far:
- 1. Is Evil Semp in North America? Yes
2. Is Evil Semp located in Pennsylvania, AND East of the Potter County line? No
3. Is Evil Semp above 45 degrees (north) latitude? Yes
4. Is Evil Semp in Alaska? Yes
5. Is Evil Semp west of 150 degrees west longitude? No
6. Is Evil Semp on an island? Yes
7. Is Evil Semp in Sitka? Yes
8. Is Evil Semp at 608 O'Cain Street, Sitka, United States? BINGO!


text:
Coming off an impressive championship in December's Rolla Tournament, Waynesville was at its winning ways again Friday in an overwhelming victory over Ozark Conference opponent Lebanon.
Coming off an impressive championship in December's Rolla Tournament, Waynesville was at its winning ways again Friday in an overwhelming victory over Ozark Conference opponent Lebanon.
The Tigers were well on their way to victory after starting the game on an 18-0 run. Lebanon finally dropped its first bucket with less than two minutes left in the first quarter, but at the end of the period, enough damage was done as WHS led 24-2.
In the ensuing three quarters Lebanon attempted to make it a game, but Waynesville's size proved too much as the home team capped Friday night with a 75-28 victory.
Senior guard Ethan Howser shot lights-out, leading all scorers with 15 points.
Waynesville coach Chris Pilz talked about his team's recent success Monday:
Q: Your team has played pretty well lately.
A: Well, we've got healthy. We went through about a two-week period where most of our guys were sick. We played a Rolla game where we had two guys out and then we had a couple other guys that played that weren't able to practice much. But we had a little break there before we went to the Rolla [Tournament] and we got our full team. When we're all healthy, we're pretty hard to beat. Hopefully we continue to get better and hopefully everybody can stay healthy and make a run at the conference title.
Q: How did the Rolla Tournament championship help the team?
A: Our guys had a good second half last year and had a good summer. [This season] we've lost some close games early in the year, so [the championship] was good for us. We had three games that were pretty close at halftime, and then in the second half we were able to pull away from all three teams. Warrensburg, the team we played in the championship, is a good team. They had one of the better players that we'll see this year. We were able to get Kellion Williams back around Christmas and [Javante] Armstrong was back – Armstrong is a vital cog to what we're doing; he just eliminates the other people on the boards most nights. I think we're going to be a tough out when we're at full force. Hopefully playing over there [in Rolla] and winning some games gave us some confidence.
Q: In Friday's win at Lebanon, is that how you expect your team to operate if it is healthy?
A: We played pretty well. Sometimes you get into games like that that get a little lopsided and guys kind of lose focus, but we were able to play everybody. Guys came off the bench that played well and our starters played limited minutes on Friday night but they played well. We're trying to coach them to understand the value of every possession. I thought they've been doing that the last four games … We had some turnovers we shouldn't have in some of those games, but we're starting to understand how to value every possession. We've got to do a much better job at that if we want to make a deep run, but we're starting to get there.
Q: So for now, are you just working to perfect the little things?
A: Oh, we have a lot of things we're trying to fix. We've only had the whole group together for four games so we're just getting them to understand that every practice is very important. We've got limited practices; we're down probably less than 30 practices left, which seems like not very many. After this week, we're only six weeks out from the district tournament. We're just trying to fine-tune things. [Coaches] have picked four or five things that we think we've got to get a lot better at if we want to win at districts or get in the playoffs. We're hammering those things so hopefully we can get good enough where we're able to advance on.
Later this week, the healthy Waynesville squad will travel to St. Louis to participate in the Lindburgh Tournament, which starts Jan. 10.


text:
Judy Norton - who portrayed Mary Ellen Walton on the Emmy award-winning TV series for nine years - will present a Hannibal Concert Association concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, at the Roland Fine Arts Center at Hannibal-LaGrange University.
Judy Norton - who portrayed Mary Ellen Walton on the Emmy award-winning TV series for nine years - will present a Hannibal Concert Association concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, at the Roland Fine Arts Center at Hannibal-LaGrange University.
During a telephone interview, Norton explained her Hannibal concert will feature songs from the Great American Songbook, including "standards from the '30s, '40s and from Broadway."
She will return to Missouri to participate in the Cherry Blossom Festival in Marshfield on May 26 and 27.
In addition to acting and singing, Norton is currently writing movie scripts and directing. "My first film script that I wrote was produced last summer," she said.
This is "Finding Harmony," starring Billy Zane and Alison Eastwood. "It will be released sometime later in 2013 in movie theaters. This is a film about three generations of a family who, through tragedy, have to face the mistakes of their past in order to find a way to move forward."
Norton is now working on a TV series in Canada, "Bluff," which she described as "a female-driven detective show that delves into the personal and working lives of the characters. Besides being a series regular on this show, I am also one of the writers and directors. It is currently mid-filming for season 1 and we will have information soon on where people can tune it to watch it. ... I'm starting to really enjoy the writing and directing. I hope some of the projects in the next few years will be things people will enjoy and remember."
A lifelong actress, Norton began doing children's theater in Los Angeles at about age 6. Some TV roles were a lot of fun, such as "Felony Squad" when she was 9, and "The Thin Man."
At age 13, began role
as Mary Ellen Walton
She became Mary Ellen Walton at age 13 when the Waltons TV show began its nine-year run from 1971 and 1981. "I'm so proud that I was able to be a part of that," she said.
The "family" continued to perform together, she added. "We had the homecoming, and after the series ended, did three TV movies, and over the next few years did more reunion movies."
The Waltons' cast members "were like my second family," Norton said. "We had wonderful times together. There were pranks and practical jokes. Ralph Waite, who played our father, would get everybody laughing. We had good times away from the work as well. We did a lot of publicity together.
"One season Erin - Mary McDonough - and I took a cruise together," Norton said. "We decided we were going to lay low and have a personal vacation." But this was not meant to be. "At some point partway through the cruise, we got recognized. We had not told them who we were - we thought people would think we were trying to be important."
Norton did not sing on the Waltons show, except with the family around the piano, but she began studying voice during those years.
Her own family includes a son who is nearly 17 years old and two adult stepchildren. "While I was raising my son, I wanted to stay home and be there as a parent, and it curtailed my travels," she said. "I spent the majority of my time being a mom. I found out being a mom on TV was a lot easier than in real life."
After she began her professional singing career, Norton starred in "Hello Dolly" in Texas, "The Sound of Music" in Palm Springs, "Annie Get Your Gun" in Texas and "Cinderella" in Pittsburgh.
She reported that "Annie Get Your Gun" was a favorite, because "I always enjoyed being a tomboy. I was in sports through the years. And 'Cinderella' was fun because I got to dress up."
In the 1990s, while living in Canada for 10 years, she worked with a theater company in Vancouver, where she became involved in writing and directing as well as acting and singing. "The producers were in need of scripts," she said. "Then I found I enjoyed it and kept getting asked to write things and it grew from there."
Her Waltons' background was helpful in writing, she added. "Starting as an actor, I was very fortunate to have great writers on the Waltons, and I knew what good writing was and understood developing a character, so it felt like a pretty natural progression."
Later she returned to Los Angeles, where she is continuing to enjoy all phases of her career. "I tend to love whatever I do at the time," she said. "That is why I do what I do, because I enjoy it so much."


text:
By Nancy Gottesman
We are a pet-loving nation: At least 39 percent of us own dogs, and 33 percent care for cats. But even though your chosen chum can provide you with much joy, did you also know that some pet diseases can be passed to human owners?
"None of these pet diseases happens very frequently, but it is still smart to be aware of them," says veterinarian Kate E. Creevy, assistant professor of small animal internal medicine at the University of Georgia. Here's a brief overview of pet diseases to ask your doctor about if you think someone you love is at risk.
Hookworms can be transmitted by both dogs and cats. Hookworm larvae penetrate the skin and develop into half-inch-long worms that crawl just beneath the skin's surface. You usually find them in the foot or leg area. Look for skin inflammation and serpentine-like lesions. Electricians, plumbers, other workers who crawl beneath buildings, sunbathers who rest on larvae-contaminated sand and kids who play in contaminated playgrounds are the most likely to get hookworms.
Roundworms in dog intestines can cause the parasitic disease toxocariasis. Most of the time, toxocariasis does not produce symptoms and doesn't even need to be treated. But in some cases, toxocariasis can damage tissues and cause vision problems or blindness. Serious cases mostly affect children who have accidentally ingested worm eggs after playing in an area with contaminated stool or soil. "Sometimes you can see a little worm in the back of your child's eye," says veterinarian Amber Andersen, animal services manager at the Annenberg Foundation Project in Torrance, Calif. This is why it's important to keep young kids away from areas where a dog may have defecated and to teach them not to put anything in their mouths while playing.
Bacterial infections from dog and cat bites are more common than you might think. Cat bites can infect you with pasteurella, a bacteria that causes swelling, fever, inflammation of the bone and sometimes even death. Dog bites can transmit staphylococcus, a group of bacteria that can cause a variety of diseases. If a dog or cat bite has broken skin, "see a doctor because you may need antibiotics," advises Andersen.
Cat scratch disease (or fever, as the lyrics go) isn't just a cliche '80s hair band song. This real pet disease is caused by the bacteria Bartonella henselae, which is transmitted by a cat's scratch or bite. You can develop an infection at the injury point as well as swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache and fatigue. Not all infected cat-scratch wounds are Bartonellosis, however, and most cases resolve without treatment -- though it's still a good idea to check with your doctor if these symptoms develop following a cat scratch.
Toxoplasmosis, also known as "litter box disease," is caused by a parasite that can be carried by cats. It is transmitted to humans through contact with eggs passed in the cat's stool (as well as by eating undercooked meat). While toxoplasmosis is rare, and most adults don't develop symptoms, this particular pet disease gets a lot of attention because if a pregnant woman is infected, it can cause blindness, deafness, seizures and mental retardation in the fetus. "If you're pregnant, you don't need to get rid of your cat," says Anderson. "Instead, simply use gloves when you clean the litter box," or have someone else do it until after the baby is born.
Copyright (c) 2010 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.
Nancy Gottesman Nancy Gottesman was a senior editor at Shape magazine for 11 years. Since going freelance, she's been writing on health and nutrition for such magazines as Ladies' Home Journal, O: The Oprah Magazine, Parents, Women's Health, Fit Pregnancy, Viv and Family Circle.


text:
photo 1 of 18
Oli Thompson
TRAINING: Training six days a week - some grappling every day, some striking every day and either MMA sparring or conditioning each day
When and why did you start training for fighting? I began training in 2009 after retiring from strongman competitions at World Strongest Man 2008
What ranks and titles have you held? ZT heavyweight MMA title and UCMMA Cage Rage MMA HW title
Do you have any heroes? None
What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It's the place anyone in this sport would want to get to.
Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? No
What was your job before you started fighting? Pro strongman
Ranks in any martial arts styles: BJJ purple belt
Getty Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or clip. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for: actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or clip, and, where appropriate, the costs of collection and/or statutory damages up to $150,000 (USD).


text:
MONTREAL — The Quebec National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion urging the Canadian government not to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority following the United Nations' upgrading of the Palestnians standing within the organization.
On Dec. 4, International Relations Minister Jean-François Lisée of the Parti Québécois and Amir Khadir, one of two MNAs for Québec solidaire, sponsored the motion that "invites the government of Canada to take note [prendre acte] of the decision of the United Nations recognizing the status of observer state for Palestine and to maintain the invaluable Canadian aid offered for the construction of a state of law on Palestinian territory."
The motion affirms Quebec's "unshakeable support" for a negotiated settlement that encompasses "the necessity for Israel to live in peace within secure and recognized borders, as well as the right of Palestinians to self-determination and the creation of a state."
On his blog, Lisée wrote that this motion should not be regarded as "banal," commenting that it's a rare occurrence when the National Assembly "ventures into thorny international subjects.
"Even more rare is that it came to a unanimous decision on a subject as difficult as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
Lisée explains: "It aims to be useful. That's why it does not dispute nor reprimand Canada for its vote at the UN. It asks that it 'prendre acte,' therefore to accept then, what is essential, to not reduce or interrupt the aid given by Canada to the Palestinian Authority."
Lisée, a former journalist, writes that he has visited Ramallah in the West Bank and seen how important Canadian funds are for the establishment of a judicial system and "for the construction of a modern Palestinian state."
He adds that Quebec, through taxation, contributes 20 per cent of Canada's $300-million in aid.
"This action… contributes to peace in a concrete way, by making the future Palestinian state stable and efficient, and giving it the means to be a credible interlocutor in the negotiations to come."
He invites non-governmental organizations to "add their voices to that of the National Assembly."
Québec solidaire, a left-wing sovereigntist party that officially supports the boycott of Israel, claimed that this was the first time in at least 25 years that the National Assembly recognized the Palestinians' right to self-determination and to form a state.
"We are proud of this initiative, which sets an honorable and just precedent, the fruit of a collaboration between all parties which has made possible the adoption of this motion," said the other Québec solidaire MNA, Françoise David, on the party's website.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) said it was "quite happy" with the motion, and believes it should not be interpreted as dissent from or criticism of Canadian foreign policy.
David Ouellette, CIJA's associate director of Quebec public affairs, said Québec solidaire is being "disingenuous" in touting it as a victory for the Palestinian cause.
He points out that a motion in 2008, on Israel's 60th anniversary, endorsed a negotiated two-state solution to the conflict, one that recognizes Israel's security needs and that a Palestinian state should be democratic.
"Québec solidaire probably wanted to push through a completely one-sided resolution and now is trying to spin it," Ouellette said.
The motion is not endorsing the UN decision, he added, and the choice of the term "prendre acte" indicates that the National Assembly is only calling on the federal government to acknowledge what has taken place.
"As Lisée has said, Quebec wants to make a useful contribution. We are very pleased that the National Assembly believes any solution has to be negotiated by the two parties. That's a key point," said Ouellette.
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, a group strongly critical of Israel, also hailed the motion, deeming it "a clear message to Ottawa" and evidence of "the ever-growing support for the Palestinians' fundamental right to live as full citizens in their own state, as do Israelis," stated president Thomas Woodley.