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UCF Debt Management
UCF Debt Management assists with the issuance, management, and reporting of debt for the university and its related entities. The department also has administrative responsibilities associated with the university's following Direct Support Organizations (DSOs):
- UCF Stadium Corporation
- UCF Convocation Corporation
- UCF Finance Corporation
- Limbitless Solutions, Inc.
A Direct Support Organization is a subsidiary corporation of the university and is certified by the Board of Trustees to support the mission and goals of the university. See Florida Statute 1004.28 and the DSO Statements of Purpose for further information.
UCF Debt & Revenue Management
Division of Administration and Finance
University of Central Florida
PO Box 160020
Orlando, FL 32816-0020
Campus location: Millican Hall, Suite 384
John Pittman
Associate Vice President for Debt & Revenue Management
Traci Fisher
Executive Administrative Assistant
Limbitless Solutions, Inc.
Limbitless meetings are posted on their website,
About Limbitless Solutions, Inc.
Limbitless Solutions Inc. was established as a direct support organization of the university to research, design, create, and deliver mechanical and electronic advancements in disability technology; infuse engineering with artistic design, promote access and engagement in STEM/STEAM education; and to enter into arrangements with third parties to facilitate research and innovations in related areas. The governing board includes members appointed by the university president.
Board of Directors
Deborah German, Chair
Michael Georgopolis, Director|
Tracy Clark, Director
Dale Jackson, Director
Dominique Courbin, Director
Brendan Jones, Director
David Walsh, Director
Michelle Hawley, Director
Documents and Links
UCF Stadium Corporation
March 2, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Location: MH 395E
May 14, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: MH 395E
September 6, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Location: MH 395E
November 5, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m
Location: MH 395E
About The UCF Stadium Corporation
The UCF Stadium Corporation, formerly known as the Golden Knights Corporation, was created by the University Board of Trustees to provide a means for financing an on-campus football stadium and athletics building. A series of Certificates of Participation were originally issued to provide construction funds for the stadium. The debt is serviced by revenues generated by stadium events and other revenues pledged by the University of Central Florida Athletics Association. A governing board for this direct support organization was appointed by the university president.
Board of Directors
Vacant, Chair
William F. Merck II, Secretary and Treasurer
David Albertson, Director
Alex Martins, Director (BOT Designee)
UCF Convocation Corporation
March 2, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Location: MH 395E
May 18, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Location: MH 395E
September 5, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Location: OTC 12479 Research Parkway, Suite 600
October 31, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Location: MH 395E
About The Convocation Corporation
The UCF Convocation Corporation was created by the University Board of Trustees to provide a means for financing facilities to meet university needs for large meetings, or convocation space and to provide additional student housing.
The UCF Convocation Corporation also manages a 10,000 seat arena, a renovated venue, and four student housing residence halls. Additionally, the corporation manages two parking garages for the convenience of the resident students, and one parking garage to serve guests of the arena and surrounding venues, such as the baseball and football stadiums. The entity also includes approximately 80,000 square feet of retail space.
These facilities provide lodging for UCF students and retail outlets serving students, faculty, staff, and the general public. Both arenas hosts university events such as graduations, basketball games, concerts, and other forms of entertainment or public gatherings. University events take priority in booking the arena over rentals to outside entities. A facilities management company is used to book and manage events. This management company has oversight provided by employees of the university.
The corporation's revenues are used to cover debt service and the operation and maintenance of the facilities. Revenues in excess of these needs can be used for other university purposes with the approval of the Board of Trustees.
Board of Directors
Grant Heston., Chair
Dr. Maribeth Ehasz, President
William F. Merck II, Secretary and Treasurer
Manoj Chopra, Director
Tracy Clark, Director
Beverly Seay, Director (BOT Designee)
UCF Finance Corporation
February 27, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Location: MH 384
May 15, 10:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Location: MH 384
September 5, 4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Location: OTC 12479 Research Parkway, Suite 600
October 30, 3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Location: MH 384
About The Finance Corporation
The UCF Finance Corporation was created by the University Board of Trustees to provide a means for financing the Burnett Biomedical Sciences building and the Medical Education building. After its creation for the purpose of incurring debt and a conduit for servicing that debt, and with no operating revenues or expenses, the university-appointed corporate governing board decided to further use this corporation as a vehicle to facilitate select future financings where there would be no need for the corporation to be involved in the operations of whatever entity was the beneficiary of the financing. Specifically, the articles of incorporation state that "The Corporation is organized and shall be operated exclusively to receive, hold, invest, and administer property and to make expenditure to or for the benefit of the University of Central Florida."
Board of Directors
Dr. Deborah German, Chair
Vacant, President
William F. Merck II, Secretary and Treasurer
Dr. Elizabeth Dooley, Interim Director
Dr. Thomas P. O'Neal, Director
Dr. Maribeth Ehasz, Director
Danny Gaekwad, Director (BOT Designee)
Documents and Links
Finance Corp Financial Statements
SEC Municipal Advisor Rule
UCF College of Medicine
UCF Debt & Revenue Management
Millican Hall, Suite 384 | 407-823-3865
Copyright 2015 University of Central Florida, Division of Administration and Finance.

subset: commoncrawl


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Yoga, which means "union" in Sanskrit, is considered a path to union with god or our divine self. What is generally referred to as practicing "yoga" is more specifically practicing "asanas" or yoga postures. There are many different types of yoga asana and meditation practices, but they all have the same goal of helping us purify our bodies and minds.
Ashtanga Yoga is the foundation of vinyasa flow yoga. The living guru of Ashtanga Yoga is Sri Pattabhi Jois, in Mysore,India. Ashtanga Yoga asanas are practiced in a specific sequential order, without variation. The philosophy of the Ashtanga Yoga asana series is that by practicing the same asanas, over time, you will not only gain mastery of those asanas, but also the mind which will not have to think about what asana comes next. The most particular aspect of the Ashtanga Yoga asana practice is the "jump back" - that is between each asana, the practitioner jumps back into a yoga flow (vinyasa) that includes Chataranga Dhandasana (Staff Pose), Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog), and Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog), which link one asana to the next in the series. Ashtanga yoga is generally considered a very dynamic or aerobic form of yoga asana practice, but it is accessible to practitioners of all ages and experience.
Vinyasa Yoga is a yoga practice where one asana flows smoothly into the next. While Vinyasa yoga has its roots in Ashtanga yoga, in Vinyasa yoga there is no specific sequence to the series of asanas practiced. Even though Vinyasa yoga tends to be a flowing practice, generally, Vinyasa yoga does not incorporate the "jump back" sequence between each posture as Ashtanga yoga does. Each vinyasa yoga teacher tends to develop a very specific style or variation of the practice, and may even modify traditional yoga asanas or develop their own unique postures. Regardless of the style of Vinyasa yoga, like Ashtanga Yoga, the practice is meant to heat the body, thereby cleansing the body's muscles and organs. Vinyasa yoga, generally speaking, is less aerobic than Ashtanga yoga, but more dynamic than some styles of yoga, such as Hatha or Kundalini Yoga.
Mantras are Sanskrit prayers. Mantras link Sanskrit words and syllables together in an invocation that is meant to be spoken out loud. The intention of the spoken Mantra is to move and harmonize the energy of the body. Some Mantras have a theme such as praying for peace, wisdom, liberation, or reverence to gods or gurus. Other mantras are composed specifically to circulate energy through and purify our seven Chakras (energy centers). The most known mantra is OM (or AUM) which is considered the divine sound or the voice of god, which stimulates energy movement in the Anja Chakra (the Third Eye).
Mudra literally means "seal." Yoga mudras are hand gestures that invoke the flow of energy in specific areas of our bodies and in specific Chakras. The two most commonly known mudras are Anjali Mudra (palms
together in prayer position) and Chin Mudra (tips of the index finger and thumb together). Mudras are often used as a compliment to meditations and mantras. They can also help one focus on areas of the body that need healing.


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I received an email from one of my readers asking me about my thoughts on retirement planning.
"What did you do successfully in your 20s to prepare for retirement?
What you would have done differently to ensure a better financial future?
What would be your ideal retirement plan?"
My ideal retirement plan would be to retire today, but that's not realistic. I will very likely retire a millionaire at age 67. If I run into some money or develop a successful side-gig, I may retire sooner. I would also love to cut back to 3-4 days a week and semi-retire in my 50s. Since my house is almost paid off and I love living at the beach, I'll likely stay here, even though California has high taxes.
What I did Right in my 20s
- I started investing at age 21.
- I saved consistently, even with a low income.
- I did research and learned how to invest.
- I bought newsletters and found mentors.
- I wrote down goals and plans to achieve them.
- I read books and listened to motivational tapes.
- I followed a career path and chose a great profession.
- I found side-gigs and invested the extra money.
- I drove older cars and maintained them myself.
- I saved for a house and will pay it off before retirement.
What I Would Change if I Could
- I would have gotten my college degree in my 20s, instead of my 30s.
- I would have demanded higher pay that was equal to my skills.
- I carried credit card debt and took out a second to fix up my house.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that saving up for retirement isn't as daunting as some people think. As long as you start in your 20s, you will have plenty of time to save and invest. If you wait until your 30s or later, the math becomes a lot more difficult.
"A whole generation of Americans will retire in poverty instead of prosperity, because they simply are not preparing for retirement now."
– Scott Cook


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September 19, 2009 --One thousand non-violent inmates in Illinois are getting out of prison early. It's the latest budget-cutting effort by Gov. Pat Quinn.The governor says the early release of the prisoners will save the state approximately $5 million.
Those being released include drug offenders and inmates serving time for non-violent property crimes who are within a year of finishing their sentences.
Those convicted of homicide or sex offenses will not be eligible for early release.
Once set free, the inmates will have to wear electronic monitors and report monthly to parole agents. Names of those being released have not been determined.


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Conditional Betas, Higher Comoments and the Cross-Section of Expected Stock Returns
Xu, Lei
Date issued
Thesis or dissertation
University of Exeter
Reason for embargo
To allow publication of research
This thesis examines the performance of different models of conditional betas and higher comoments in the context of the cross-section of expected stock returns, both in-sample and out-of-sample. I first examine the performance of different conditional market beta models by using monthly returns of the Fama-French 25 portfolios formed by the quintiles of size and book-to-market ratio in Chapter 3. This is a cross-sectional test of the conditional CAPM. The models examined include simple OLS regressions, the macroeconomic variables model, the state-space model, the multivariate GARCH model and the realized beta model. The results show that the state-space model performs best in-sample with significant betas and insignificant intercepts. For the out-of-sample performance, however, none of the models examined can explain returns of the 25 portfolios. Next, I examine the recently proposed realized beta model, which is based on the realized volatility literature, by using individual stocks listed in the US market in Chapter 4. I extend the realized market beta model to betas of multi-factor asset pricing models. Models tested are the CAPM, the Fama-French three-factor model and a four-factor model including the three Fama-French factors and a momentum factor. Realized betas of different models are used in the cross-section regressions along with firm-level variables such as size, book-to-market ratio and past returns. The in-sample results show that market beta is significant and additional betas of multi-factor models can reduce although not eliminate the effects of firm-level variables. The out-of-sample results show that no betas are significant. The results are robust across different markets such as NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ. In Chapter 5, I test if realized coskewness and cokurtosis can help explain the cross-section of stock returns. I add coskewness and cokurtosis to the factor pricing models tested in Chapter 4. The results show that the coefficients of coskewness and cokurtosis have the correct sign as predicted by the higher-moment CAPM theory but only cokurtosis is significant. Cokurtosis is significant not only in-sample but also out-of-sample, suggesting cokurtosis is an important risk. However, the effects of firm-level variables remain significant after higher moments are included, indicating a rejection of higher-moment asset pricing models. The results are also robust across different markets such as NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ. The overall results of this thesis indicate a rejection of the conditional asset pricing models. Models of systematic risks, i.e. betas and higher comoments, cannot explain the cross-section of expected stock returns.
Harris, Richard D. F.
Tong, Zhenxu
Degree title
PhD in Finance
Qualification level
Qualification name


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-- Dedication; "The Death Of A President"
- Published by: Harper & Row
- Year Published: 1967
- 710 Pages (plus Foreword and Glossary)
- 10 Chapters (plus Epilogue)
- 6-Day "Chronology" of events (November 20-25, 1963)
- 8 Pages of Maps/Charts
- 19 Pages of Sources
- 22-Page Index
The Death Of A President (1967 First Edition)(Hardcover)
The Death Of A President (1996 Re-Issue)(Hardcover)
Anyone interested in the intricate (and factual) details surrounding the November 22, 1963, assassination of President John F. Kennedy needs to read William Manchester's 1967 book, "The Death Of A President".
This book, which caused quite a bit of controversy prior to being published, takes the reader on a painstaking (and often gut-wrenching) journey, encompassing six days in the autumn of 1963 (November 20-25), with an incredible amount of facts and rarely-revealed tidbits of information concerning the shocking murder of JFK popping up on nearly every page.
Manchester's seemingly-inexhaustible pipeline to even the tiniest particles of information connected with President Kennedy's last living days and his shocking murder is very impressive, to say the least.
In what other book could you possibly find such trivial facts as the telephone numbers for three Dallas court officials, all of whom received emergency calls from Air Force One (which was parked at Dallas' Love Field airport), in a frantic effort by the new President, Lyndon Johnson, to summon some eligible person (ANY eligible person) to the President's aircraft in order to swear him in as the 36th U.S. President?
One of those phone numbers (RIverside 8-2251) belonged to the law office of Judge Sarah T. Hughes, who ultimately was the person who swore in LBJ on Air Force One on 11/22/63, becoming the first woman in U.S. history to ever issue a Presidential oath.
The photo below is the famous picture snapped by White House photographer Cecil Stoughton as LBJ was being sworn in by Judge Hughes aboard Air Force One in Dallas. This is the uncropped version of Stoughton's photo, which is actually one of eight photographs taken by Stoughton during the swearing-in ceremony:
The hardcover First Edition of "The Death Of A President" was published in 1967 and spans 710 pages, each one filled to the brim with a portion of one of the most fascinating and sad stories of the 20th century.
On the debit side (but only slightly), the text throughout the entire book suffers from a curious lack of needed commas at the end of sentence-opening prepositional phrases.
But after becoming familiar with this somewhat annoying quirk within the book's sentence structure, I was able to sidestep the problem for the most part by mentally inserting the proper commas and literary pauses into the book's text.
But that minor complaint about the punctuation certainly doesn't detract one bit from this volume's compelling content. Mr. Manchester has succeeded in very effectively transporting the reader back in time to November 1963. The "You Are There" effect can be felt on just about every page of "The Death Of A President".
This book is very similar to Jim Bishop's 1968 book, "The Day Kennedy Was Shot". Manchester's publication, however, covers several more days surrounding JFK's death than does Bishop's.
Each one of those books paints an almost minute-by-minute word picture of Friday, November 22, 1963, the day America lost its 35th President when assassin Lee Harvey Oswald's well-aimed third bullet (fired from the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, Texas) found the back of President Kennedy's head, ending his life.
John F. Kennedy was only 46-and-a-half years old when 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald decided to murder him with a 1940 Mannlicher-Carcano rifle that Oswald purchased by mail-order for a grand total of $21.45.
I'll let Mr. Manchester's exquisite and stirring book speak for itself for the remainder of this review, via several verbatim passages culled from the gripping pages of "The Death Of A President". Page numbers refer to the "First Edition" hardcover version, published by Harper & Row in 1967. Clicking on the pictures might be a good idea too. I've buried some easter eggs in there. .....
"12:30 [November 22, 1963]. Houston and Elm. .... The motorcade now resembled the figure Z. [Dallas Police Chief Jesse] Curry, at the top, was approaching the overpass. Three drivers--Greer, Kinney, Jacks--trailed him on Elm. The Book Depository was situated at the point of the sharp angle. The second section of the procession was proceeding toward it on Houston. The third section--a station wagon, the VIP bus, and the Signals car--was still on Main. ....
"Greer, recovering from the difficult turn, started to relax. The strain was over. Then he, too, noticed the workmen [on top of the Triple Underpass bridge just ahead of the Presidential limousine which William Greer was driving]. Puzzled, he studied the unfamiliar street to see whether he could veer at the last minute if necessary and take the President beneath a deserted part of the span.
"The Lincoln was now passing the pine oak, which momentarily screened John Kennedy from the muzzle in the sixth-floor corner window. Abe Zapruder, hunched over his Zoomar lens, was photographing SS 100 X [the President's 1961 Lincoln convertible] as it approached him. ....
"There was a sudden, sharp, shattering sound. .... The President was wounded, but not fatally. A 6.5 millimeter bullet had entered the back of his neck, bruised his right lung, ripped his windpipe, and exited at his throat, nicking the knot of his tie. Continuing its flight, it had passed through Governor Connally's back, chest, right wrist, and left thigh. ....
"Nellie Connally twisted in her seat and looked sharply at Kennedy. His hands were at his throat, but he wasn't grimacing. He had slumped a little. ....
"Greer turned back to the wheel. Kellerman [seated next to Greer in the front seat], hesitant, glanced over his shoulder again. Neither had yet reacted to the crisis. And now it was too late.
"Howard Brennan, open-mouthed, saw Oswald take deliberate aim for his final shot. .... Crooking his arm, Oswald drew a fresh bead with his Italian rifle. .... His target, startlingly clear in the cross hairs of his telescopic sight, was eighty-eight yards away. He squeezed the trigger." -- Pages 153-158
"By 1 P.M. Dallas time [just 30 minutes after JFK was shot], according to a University of Chicago study conducted the following winter, 68 percent of all adults in the United States--over 75 million people--knew of the shooting. ....
"It was clear from the outset that the crime on Elm Street was the most spectacular single American disaster since Pearl Harbor. .... Before the end of the afternoon, when 99.8 percent had learned that the elected President had been murdered, the country was in the grip of an extraordinary emotional upheaval.
"Over half the population wept. Four out of five, in the words of the report, felt "the loss of someone very close and dear," and subsequently nine out of ten suffered "physical discomfort"." -- Page 189
"The words were framed. They would not be eloquent, but they would do the job. At 1:33 he [Assistant Presidential Press Secretary Malcolm Kildiff] moistened his lips. ....
"President John F. Kennedy died at approximately one o'clock Central Standard Time today here in Dallas." ....
"At 1:35 UPI bells chimed on teletype machines around the world: 'FLASH---PRESIDENT KENNEDY DEAD---JT135PCS'." -- Page 221
"Lee Oswald has been repeatedly identified here [in this book] as the President's slayer. He is never "alleged" or "suspected" or "supposed" or "surmised"; he is the culprit. Some, intimidated by the fiction that only judges may don the black cap and condemn, may disapprove. ....
"But enough is enough. The evidence pointing to his guilt is far more incriminating than that against [Abraham Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes] Booth. .... He is the right man; there is nothing provisional about it. ....
"From the instant he dropped his mail-order rifle on the top floor [actually the next-to-top floor] and fled down the enclosed stair well--leaving a tuft of fibers from his shirt wedged in the butt plate and a profusion of finger and palm prints on the weapon, on the paper bag which he had used to conceal the gun during the drive from Irving with Wesley Frazier, and on one of the cartons he had stacked as a gun rest--there could be no doubt of his ultimate conviction. ....
"Because of Oswald's epic stupidity--and his panic; it is highly likely that he lost his head when Officer Tippit beckoned to him--the assassin's movements after the murder can be reconstructed with precision." -- Pages 278-279
"Vernon B. Oneal is an interesting figure in the story of John Kennedy. .... A hustling businessman, Oneal had seven radio-equipped ambulance-hearses and his own dispatcher. .... Oneal handled tragedies east of the Trinity River, and Dudley M. Hughes, his chief competitor, worked the west bank. ....
""You're kidding!" Oneal had gasped when the dispatcher told him that 601 was reporting a Code 3. ....
""This is Clint Hill of the Secret Service. I want you to bring a casket out here to Parkland. I want you immediately." ....
"Running into his selection room, [Oneal] chose his most expensive coffin, the Elgin Casket Company's "Britannia" model, eight hundred pounds of double-walled, hermetically sealed solid bronze.
"He couldn't carry it alone. Hurrying out to his driveway, he stood vigil there until he had collected three returning employees. The four of them eased the massive coffin into the pride of his vehicular fleet--a snow-white, air-conditioned 1964 Cadillac which he had bought at the October convention of the National Funeral Directors in Dallas. It was less than a month old, had exactly nine hundred miles registered on the dashboard indicator, and was furnished with light-green window curtains." -- Pages 291-292
"Roy Kellerman had been the first agent to scent trouble. Shortly before the coffin arrived, Roy had been standing with Dr. Burkley in the nurse's station...when a pale, freckled, walleyed man in shirt sleeves entered, reached for another phone, and flipped the receiver off snappily, like a gunman in a Western. "This is Earl Rose," he said. "There has been a homicide here. They won't be able to leave until there has been an autopsy." ....
"The men around the coffin decided to adopt Kemp Clark's suggestion; if necessary, they would hold him [Medical Examiner Earl Rose] down. .... Rose was surrounded by muscle. ....
"It looked as though they might have to hold more than one man down, and if the patrolman intervened actively, he would be no pushover; he was wearing a pistol and was fingering it. ....
"[JFK aide Kenneth O'Donnell] uttered a swart oath recommending monogenesis. Thrusting his head forward until their noses nearly grazed, he said, "We're leaving. .... We're getting out of here. We don't give a damn what these laws say. We're not staying here three hours or three minutes"." -- Pages 297 and 303-304
"Jean Kennedy Smith had been looking out a window of the tower suite at Bethesda [Naval Hospital in Maryland, where President Kennedy's body was taken to be autopsied]...when a muted voice said, "She's here." She turned, and Mrs. Kennedy was standing in the center of the drawing room. "There," in Ben Bradlee's words, "was this totally doomed child, with that God-awful skirt, not saying anything, looking burned alive"." -- Page 406
"After the first arraignment [for the murder of Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit] Oswald told correspondents that he had protested to the justice of the peace..."that I was not allowed legal representation during that very short and sweet hearing. I really don't know what the situation is all about." It was a lie. Oswald certainly knew what the situation was about. Circumstantial evidence, the very best kind, convicts him ten times over. He was merely playing the scene for all it was worth." -- Page 426
"The evidence against the assassin had been accumulating through the night. At 4 A.M. CST, executives of Klein's Sporting Goods in Chicago, after poring over their microfilmed records for six hours, found the "American Rifleman" coupon with which Oswald had ordered [a Mannlicher-Carcano rifle with the serial number number] C2766 eight months before. ....
"[During his interrogation by the police, Oswald offered] a pitiful fabric of lies about his past. He insisted that he couldn't afford a rifle on the Book Depository's $1.25 an hour. .... "Of the assassination he remarked, "People will forget that within a few days" because there would be "another President." That, and a passing reference to the Chief Executive's "nice family," was about all he had to say about his victim. ....
"Even when he was allowed to see his wife, mother, and brother, he was singularly uncommunicative about the national tragedy. .... Marina [Lee Oswald's wife] did not ask him whether he had killed Kennedy. Nevertheless it was very much on her mind. Later she said, "I could see by his eyes he was guilty"." -- Pages 456-457
"In both Friday's assassination and Sunday's murder [of Lee Harvey Oswald at the hands of Jack Ruby], two vivid threads are evident: warnings of disaster had come from responsible sources, and peace officers, in weighing them, had miscalculated gravely. ....
"The difficulty was that they [the Dallas Police Department] were attempting to second-guess vigilantism. .... What was NOT contemplated was that a lone individual, with no credentials, might penetrate the security screen before the movement from the jail basement had begun. ....
"Ruby's presence in the basement is utterly confounding. To some it will remain forever mystifying, to others it will always provide positive proof of police collusion in a complex conspiracy. ....
"The basement had been completely cleared. .... Nevertheless, Ruby was there when Oswald emerged from the elevator. How did he manage it? Part of the answer lies in the fact that he was not there during the search. Indeed, as late as 11:17 A.M., three minutes before Oswald stepped down into the garage, Ruby was in the Western Union office on Main Street, 350 feet from the top of the Main Street ramp. ....
"Ruby approached [Oswald] from his left front. Shouldering forward through the straining crowd, the burly gunman passed between a reporter and a plain-clothes man, his .38 in his right hand. .... Then he fired. The bullet passed through Oswald's liver, spleen, and aorta, and in the next instant, the murderer of the murderer lay on the basement floor, being pummeled by officers. .... He wailed, "I'm Jack Ruby, you all know me!" ....
"Two days and seven minutes after the President had been pronounced dead, the sheet was drawn over his killer's face." -- Pages 520-521 and 524
"Jacqueline Kennedy had appeared on the North Portico, a child in either hand. .... The shock of that brief scene was immense. In that one instant she revealed to the great audience the full measure of its loss. ....
"Transfigured beneath the North Portico's hanging lantern, she awaited the procession, her swollen eyes fixed on the caisson and the six matched horses. Her expression of ineffable tragedy was, in that flicker of a moment, indelibly etched upon the national conscience." -- Pages 529-530
"Those who were watching her [Jacqueline Kennedy] thought [Senator Mike] Mansfield was being needlessly cruel to her, but they hadn't been in that car, they hadn't seen the blood, they hadn't known the antiseptic nightmare of Trauma Room No. 1, they were strangers to violent death.
"Only Jacqueline Kennedy could judge Mike Mansfield, and she couldn't believe what she was hearing; she didn't know a eulogy could be this magnificent. ....
"He finished, and with his vibrant voice still echoing in the dome above, he came over and handed her the manuscript. She said, "You anticipate me. How did you know I wanted it?" Mansfield bowed his head. "I didn't. I just wanted you to have it"." -- Page 541
"The fourteen-minute ceremony was over, and suddenly Mrs. Kennedy, who had felt faint and was swaying slightly, realized everyone was waiting for her to leave first. "She wasn't quite ready. Facing Robert Kennedy, she asked softly, "Can I say good-bye?" He nodded once, and she took Caroline by the hand. .... Mother and daughter moved forward, the widow gracefully, the child watching carefully to do as she did. Jacqueline Kennedy knelt. Caroline knelt. ....
"Caroline's small gloved hand crept underneath [the flag which was covering her father's casket], to be nearer, and in that single instant an entire nation was brought to its knees." -- Page 542
"The coffin would be wheeled, not borne, up the center aisle [of Washington's St. Matthew's Cathedral on Monday, November 25, 1963]. This was a concession to Lieutenant [Samuel R.] Bird's description of his body bearers' agonizing ascent into the rotunda. ....
"His team still had to bring the coffin back down the Capitol steps. The prospect had them petrified. Ordinarily, six men could lift a casket with ease. Today [November 24, 1963], Bird had added a Marine and a sailor, yet they had barely made it, and the descent was bound to be more difficult than the ascent, for they wouldn't have him [Lt. Bird] bracing them from the rear.
"One young Army specialist had worked himself into a state of semihysteria; he was convinced that they were going to drop their precious burden on the marble and split it open before the eyes of a hundred million Americans. ....
"[Lieutenant Bird] himself, he confessed later, was "near panic." Therefore, he decided upon a drastic measure: they would spend the night rehearsing.
"The ensuing scene was perhaps the most bizarre of all those played out in the small hours of November 24-25. Borrowing a regulation Army casket from Fort Myer's honor guard company, the team drove it to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at midnight, filled it with sandbags, and slowly carried it up and down, up and down the tomb's steps.
"After sundown, the Unknown Soldiers' guard doesn't have to walk back and forth, so Bird ordered him to sit atop the coffin. Up, down, up and down the team trudged with the man straddling the lid.
"Finally, the Lieutenant stopped them, told the guard to make room, and HE got on, too. Lugging a sand-filled casket and two bodies, the eight bearers made the trip again, again, again, again. It was cruel, but absolutely necessary; his men had been demoralized, and now, sweating in the dark, they felt a flicker of hope." -- Page 561
"Lieutenant Sam Bird had drawn the casket team around him in a tight circle. "Bow your heads," he said. He closed his eyes. "Dear God," he prayed, "please give us strength to do this last thing for the President." ....
"To the hymn "O God of Loveliness," casket team and casket came down the thirty-six steps. But today there was no strain. The fantastic weight of yesterday was gone. The coffin seemed incredibly light, and since it seemed that way to each of the eight bearers, who could neither speak to one another nor even exchange glances until it had been lashed to the gun carriage, the power of suggestion must be ruled out.
"Last night's lockstep torture at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers had been a success. It had broken their dreadful spell of fear, and they withdrew in wonder." -- Pages 576-577
"The casket team held the flag. .... The fifty jets shrieked above them. The fighters were a trifle early, but for [Air Force One pilot] Colonel Swindal, the timing was near perfect. The startled crowd [at Arlington Cemetery] glanced up, and in the interval after the last echo of the F-105's, the Presidential aircraft, racing ahead of its own thunder, loomed soundlessly overhead [a mere 500 feet above President Kennedy's gravesite].
"For an astonishing instant, the beautiful plane appeared to hang suspended, so low that one felt one could almost reach up and touch its blue flashes. Then Swindal rocked the swept-back wings 20 degrees to the left, came level directly above the taut flag, rocked right in another deep, three-second dip, and streaked off toward the Key Bridge.
"[Air Force General] Godfrey McHugh thought it the most exquisite maneuver he had ever seen. .... All who knew of the President's love for Air Force One were moved, and as the mighty tail with the bold blue numerals "26000" vanished over the naked trees, into the vapor trails left by the fighters, [Jacqueline Kennedy's sister] Lee Radziwill wept." -- Page 597
David Von Pein
November 2007
July 2009
February 2015


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** NOTE: This event is NOT being held at the 2018 Encampment. **
Ol' Time Grassy Green Pickin' and Fiddlin' Contest
The Grassy Green Pickin' and Fiddlin' Contest has taken place at Furnace Creek Ranch for well over 25 years and is known for its friendly competition and good old-fashioned fun.
Through this contest the Death Valley '49ers strive to preserve the historic fiddling culture and tunes, to help develop audience appreciation and understanding, and to acknowledge today's musicians who are carrying on this traditional music genre.
Bring your fiddle and your friends and join us for a day of fun and competition at the Fiddler's Stage.
The Death Valley '49ers Old Time Fiddlin' Contest
Registration (at the fidddler's stage)
8:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. ???
Contest Begins
1:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. ???
Finals, play-offs and awards:
6:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. ??? at the Fiddler's Stage
The Death Valley '49ers Grassy Green Pickin' Contest
Registration (at the fidddler's stage)
8:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. ???
Contest Begins
9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. ???
Finals, play-offs and awards:
6:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. ??? at the Fiddler's Stage
Membership is required so don't forget to wear your BUTTON
Grassy Green Fiddlin' Contest Rules
All contestants and their back-up must be members of Death Valley '49ers. Memberships are sold at the registration table. Everyone is urged to support the Encampment and the efforts of the Death Valley '49ers by joining whether they enter the contests or not.
First Time Ever, Juniors, Adults, Seniors, Senior-Seniors, and Open may enter one division plus Hot Fiddle and Twin.
Contestants will draw numbers for order of appearance and must be ready to play in the order drawn.
First and second round contestants play a hoedown, a waltz and a tune of choice in that order. Trick, fancy or exhibition fiddling is reserved for Hot and Twin Fiddle. Hot Fiddle contestants play one tune. Twin Fiddle contestants play two tunes, one fast, one slow.
No tune shall be played more than once by the same contestant during all appearances. This does not apply to Hot and Twin Fiddle.
All contestants must observe a 4 minute time limit. 10 points will be assessed for each 30 seconds overtime or portion thereof.
Contestants may play alone or with no more than two accompanists. Accompanists may not play melody or lead. Hot and Twin may have three accompanists.
No amplified instruments, sheet music or vocals may be used.
Old time contestants will be judged on difficulty, old time style, rhythm, clarity and tone. Twin Fiddle will be judged on, difficulty, rhythm, clarity and tone, and harmony. Hot Fiddle will be judged on, difficulty, rhythm, clarity and tone and hot style. 100 points maximum per round. Scores are accumulative. Judges decisions are final.
Old time ties will be broken with a hoedown. Hot & Twin ties, a tune of choice.
The top five contestants from all categories advance to playoffs Saturday evening.
Contestants (or fiddle committee on their behalf) will redraw for order of appearance.
Bad conduct, abusive language or being under the influence of any substance is cause for disqualification, forfeit of prizes and escort from the premises.
Contestants winning Open three times consecutively must sit out the next year.
All commercial recording and video rights are reserved and shall become the property of Death Valley '49ers, a non-profit entity. Signing the contest registration form waives such rights.
Grassy Green Pickin' Contest Rules
All contestants and their back-up must be members of Death Valley '49ers. This membership entitles you and your family to participate in all Encampment activities. Everyone is urged to join whether they are contestants or not.
All rules of conduct and contest management for the fiddlers apply. See posted fiddle rules. Rules for choice of tunes differ.
Divisions: Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin and Novelty. Contestants may enter two divisions plus Novelty.
Contestants play two tunes, each one a noticeably different tempo. Novelty will play one tune.
Categories will compete in the following order: mandolins, banjos, novelty, guitar.
Various traditional styles such as folk, blues, ragtime, gospel, country, old-time are appropriate. Rock styles and excessive strumming will be disqualified. Contemporary tunes from any genre or era may be played as long as they are picked.
Contestants may use thumb pick, flat pick, finger picks or no picks at all.
There will be no playoffs unless there is a tie. Playoffs require one tune of choice. No playoff tune may be a repeat of one played earlier.
First place guitar, mandolin and banjo will compete for Best Overall. This winner receives a medallion and the Pete Jones Award, guitar. This round requires one tune not a repeat of something played earlier. A tie in the finals will be settled with a playoff, one tune of choice. The Pete Jones Award cannot be won by the same person more often than every five years. Should someone who has received this award win the final round, that person will receive the Best Overall medallion, but the guitar will be awarded to the next person down the ladder.
Grassy Green Pickin' Contest: 1st-5th place
Best Overall Picker
Grassy Green Fiddlin' Contest: 1st-5th place
Juniors to 17 yrs
Adult 18-45 yrs
Senior 50-69 yrs
Senior 70+ yrs
Hot Fiddle
Twin Fiddle
First Timer


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English seaside towns in £16m regeneration
Twenty seaside towns are sharing nearly £16m of government cash to spend on job creation and environmental improvement.
Whitby Business Park in North Yorkshire is getting £2.6m for improvements and Seaburn in Sunderland is getting £2m to regenerate the historic seafront.
Hastings in East Sussex gets £1.2m for a restaurant at the pier amid plans to rebuild the fire-hit attraction.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said the funding would "probably" create about 4,000 jobs.
The Coastal Communities Fund was created in 2012 to boost coastal areas which had suffered "decades of economic decline".
The money comes from the Crown Estates which owns the rights to fish farms, wind farms, ports and marinas.
'Shot in arm'
The fund's creation followed concerns that many young people had moved away from coastal areas due to a lack of job opportunities.
Mr Pickles said: "It's a really exciting announcement. What we are talking about is putting an extra £15.5m into our coastal towns.
"We are rewarding really good schemes and it's going to create probably about 4,000 jobs
"Some of those are going to be training places as well.
"This is going to make a very big difference."
The 20 successful winners and their fund allocations are:
- £2.6m to develop Whitby Business Park, North Yorkshire
- £2m to regenerate the promenade and seafront in North Tyneside
- £2m to regenerate the historic seafront in Seaburn, Sunderland
- £1.5m to complete the reinstatement of a railway service between Wareham and Swanage in Dorset
- £1.4m for new businesses in Torbay, Devon
- £1.2m to establish a restaurant/food court at Hasting Pier
- £800,000 to develop the North York Moors heritage railway service linking Whitby to the North York Moors National Park
- £670,000 to regenerate the waterfront in Plymouth, Devon
- £600,000 to support businesses in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
- £580,000 for heritage trail and business support at Redcar and Cleveland
- £500,000 towards improvements at Clevedon Pier, Somerset
- £500,000 to redevelop the quayside at Port of Blyth, Northumberland
- £490,000 to stimulate economic growth in Morecambe Bay, Cumbria and Lancashire
- £450,000 to support the local fishing and seafood industry in South Hams, Devon
- £350,000 to allow the Marlowe Innovation Centre in Ramsgate, Kent to more than double its accommodation
- £200,000 to support modernisation of businesses in Lincolnshire coastal communities
- £150,000 to Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, Devon to buy new rolling stock
- £150,000 to develop the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum in Cornwall
- £100,000 to support the Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network, Cornwall
- £100,000 to support social enterprise, training and skills at Porthleven, Cornwall.
Swanage Railway Company has been campaigning since 1972 to reinstate the Wareham to Swanage link.
Chairman Peter Sills said he was "elated" over the £1.5m cash injection.
Tudor Evans, leader of Plymouth City Council said the £670,000 to regenerate the waterfront from the Royal William Yard to the Barbican was a "massive shot in the arm" to the area.
He said: "This will bring it back to bustling life and support the businesses down there that have been eking out a living."


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STALKER: Clear Sky - v1.5.10 Patch (Download Version)
Download STALKER: Clear Sky - v1.5.10 Patch (Download Version)
File Info: STALKER: Clear Sky - v1.5.10 Patch (Download Version)
STALKER: Clear Sky - v1.5.10 Patch (Download Version)
GSC Game World
Also known as:
STALKER: Clear Sky
Description: STALKER: Clear Sky - v1.5.10 Patch (Download Version)This version 1.5.10 patch fixes issues with Alt + Tab problem with other no Windows apps running, critical rendering issue, a bug with different CD-keys registered, and upgrades the anti-cheating system. This version works with digital downloaded versions like those from Direct2Drive.
This patch is compatible with previous versions 1.5.04 and 1.5.09 and retains ability to play all saved games with patch 1.5.10. Details of changes in this patch are available in the changelog by clicking below.
patch 1.5.09.
Improved integrated anti-cheating system to take screenshots from the player's screen.
Improved integrated anti-cheating system that allows the remote admins to track the modifications in network game parameters.
1.5.04 - 1.5.08 versions saved games will be compatible with 1.5.09.
Fixed bug with killing the player after respawn.
Improved player-checking system upon connection.
Fixed bug with RPG-7.
Fixed bug in buy menu.
Added new effect High Definition Ambient Occlusion.
Increased the game stability.
Changes of game balance in Multi-player:
Increased damage dealt by "Tunder ?14", "SA Avalanche ".
Added possibility to attach scope to "SA Avalanche".
"UDP Compact" pistol now has an increased cartridge (12 bullets).
# Added the possibility for admins to take screenshots of a player's screen (as an anti-wallhack-cheats measure) by console commands (make_screenshot, screenshot_all).
# Fixed bug with banning the players.
# Fixed bug with saving the rank and money amount of the player upon the round restart (if the player deliberately closed the game process in the task manager, and then reconnected).
# Increased the stability of the network play.
# Note: Saved games: 1.5.04 - 1.5.07 saved games will be compatible with
patch 1.5.08.
Less Information
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Status: Open
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Fifth Avenue Florist has been serving the San Diego Area for 35 years. FTD affiliated. Call our 800 number to place an order.
Be the first YellowBot user to add photos or videos of Fifth Avenue Florist
For 35 years, the downtown shop has designed floral arrangements, balloons, silk flowers, gourmet baskets and special occasion gifts.
Fifth Avenue Florist is located at 1130 6th Ave, San Diego, CA. This location is in the Core-Columbia neighborhood. This business specializes in Wedding Planners.
Here at Fifth Avenue Florist we offer beautiful and original floral and gift options. Whether you are celebrating a birthday, graduation, or anniversary, as an FTD Member Florist supported by FTD's rich, century-old heritage of quality and service, we strive to bring the best to your occasion. We make it easy for you to browse for handcrafted flower bouquets created by artisan designers,...
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Release Date: April 10th, 2009
Click here for the Observe And Report Trailer.
The first Seth Rogen film of the new year......well the first where the actor was in person(voice of Bob in Monsters vs Aliens), puts the actor in the role of Ronnie Barnhardt, the "Chief of Security" at the Forest Ridge Mall. Ronnie rules his mall with the iron fist of justice, taking out skateboarders, shoplifters, and the occasional disgruntled customer. Ronnie feels unappreciated but sees his chance at proving his worth when a flasher attacks some women in the parking lot as well as the make-up counter worker Brandi(Anna Faris), Ronnie's dream girl who won't so much as look at him. But things get hairy when the detectives of the Conway Police Department, headed up by Detective Harrison(Ray Liotta), take over the investigation and the mall is suddenly robbed. Now it is Ronnie's job to not only track down the robber, but the flasher as well, and all before Detective Harrison does it first. With his motley crew of security guards Ronnie embarks on his mission to bring the criminals to justice and to prove that he is good enpugh to be accepted into the Conway Police academy, all while trying to win the affection of Brandi.
Well, if you've seen any of Seth Rogen's other films(Knocked Up, Pineapple Express) then you know that the actor's credits don't go far past being a pot head and one wonders if he can handle being funny without being high. The easiest way to sum up this movie is Paul Blart on crack. This movie takes everything that was sweet and lovable from the Kevin James flick and turns it into a crude, foul-mouth laugh fest. Let me tell you that this movie isn't for the faint of heart. This movie is very funny. Rogen does an impressive job as the hard core mall cop. The best thing about his character are the illusions of grandeur Ronnie has. The movie transfers from the mall to Ronnie's house for the majority of the movie. The time spent at the mall is all driven towards finding the flasher and defeating Detective Harrison while the scenes at Ronnie's house focus on Ronnie and his super drunk mother.
Rogen has a nice supporting cast in this movie. Ray Liotta(The Rat Pack) stars as the hard core Detective Harrison. Harrison absolutely hates Ronnie and wants nothing more than to see him dead. Liotta adds is classic sadistic spin to his charactet taking out of the boundries of a typical police detective. Then there's Anna Faris' character Brandi. Brandi works at the make-up counter and is, in fact, the dream girl of our hapless hero Ronnie. Faris didn't have a major role in this movie. Her character was the "office slut" type character so most of her scenes involved her having sex, minus the nudity (for anybody who just wants to see that you will be sadly disappointed). But the cast was all around funny. Liotta had that crazy/scary funny he typically had, Faris had her typical humor and Rogen did his usual foul-mouth crazy character that you can't help but love.
As for the movie, it was very entertaining. The plot was something completely different from anything you've seen in a movie. Chasing down a flasher at a mall isn't something that gets pitched to directors a lot. One of the coolest parts was the fight scenes Ronnie engaged in.There is one where Ronnie bears up a couple of drug dealers with an expandable knight stick and another where he takes on 12 officers from the Conway Police Department with nothing but a flashlight. Now, while you would expect Ronnie to get his ass kicked, you are pleasantly surprised to see Ronnie doing the ass kicking. He takes put all 4 drug dealers and half of the cops before becoming overwhelmed. The man fights like Jackie Chan which is ironic considering he is a fat mall security guard. But probably my favorite, and most hated part of the movie was the end. I'm not going to ruin it for you, but it was the funniest. most disturbing, and most unexpected endings I have ever seen. It left you cheering for Ronnie on the inside while laughing hysterically on the outside all the while thinking "Why in the world am I watching this?"
Overall Observe and Report was a typical dark comedy that was surprisingly enjoyable and worth watching. And if you are a fan of Seth Rogen or dark comedies, then this movie is worth even a second watch. I give Observe and Report 8 Fat Mall Flashers out of 10
Possibly Future Hologram Smartphone Concept
1 year ago


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Recent Posts
Tag Archives: Newspapers
My Heart Went Right Down–The Devil's Half Acre and the Richmond Slave Trade
The Library of Virginia's current exhibit, "To Be Sold," open through 30 May 2015, examines the slave trade in Richmond. Viewed through the lens of primary source material–broadsides, court records, city directories, business receipts, census records, artifacts, books and paintings–the exhibit provides the visitor with vital information from which the stories of Richmond's past emerge.
Newspapers, of course, are another critical resource for historical study in this area–free, online digital resources, like Virginia Chronicle and Chronicling America, provide easy access to hundreds of thousands of newspaper issues and the history therein.
Together, the documents of the time create a more complete, deeply layered account of those directly involved in and affected by Richmond's slave trade: Like Robert Lumpkin, one of the city's most active slave dealers from the 1840s until 1865. And Anthony Burns, a slave who escaped to Boston, only to be captured and returned to Virginia under the Fugitive Slave Law.
The storied land that was home to Lumpkin's Jail, aptly called the Devil's Half Acre is, today, mostly covered by a sprawling parking lot and interstate 95. But from 1844 until the end of the Civil War, it was "a human clearinghouse and. . .purgatory for the rebellious."[i]
In 1844 Robert Lumpkin purchased three lots on Richmond's Wall Street, a commercial district and home to several of the city's profitable slave auction houses. The lots, previously owned by Lewis Collier, contained a brick dwelling house, outbuildings and a jail when Lumpkin bought them. Under his ownership, the jail became known as "Lumpkin's Jail" and established itself as Richmond's most notorious compound for runaway slaves and … read more »
In Leaps of Ten: A Six Decade Tour of Seasonal Ads from The Clarke Courier, Berryville, 1928-1988
Thanksgiving 1928
Thanksgiving 1938
Thanksgiving 1948
Thanksgiving 1958Thanksgiving. Sometimes it's work. Who needs a drink? Four of the six liquor ads from this 1958 issue.Thanksgiving 1968Thanksgiving 1978Thanksgiving 1988And the Christmas encroachment begins…
p.s. One more from 1958. Something to consider when you're deciding whether to leave your phone in your pocket or on the Thanksgiving table…
… read more »
A Newspaper Connection–"Slaves Waiting for Auction"–Thackeray & Crowe Check-In
In November of 1852, William Makepeace Thackeray, still enjoying the considerable success and fame accruing from his novel of the previous decade, Vanity Fair, arrived after a two week voyage from Liverpool (on the Royal Mail ship "Canada") in Boston harbor. Thackeray's purpose, besides adventure, was financial gain, a cushion for his daughters from a life he suspected might be foreshortened. In fact, it was–He died ten years later at only 52.
The lecture route, somewhat planned and somewhat improvised, would take a leisurely southern direction, with an appearance in Richmond scheduled for the following February. Thackeray was accompanied by Erye Crowe, who acted as personal secretary, tour manager, amanuensis and, most importantly, good company during what promised to be a stimulating, but inescapably trying and lengthy journey.
Like Thackeray, Crowe was a skilled sketch artist. Unlike Thackeray, who abandoned art studies as a young man to sketch words as a journalist, Crowe, 29 years of age and about a dozen years the author's junior, still aspired to be an artist. While Thackeray's lectures and impressions of America inscribed in his letters now interest only scholars, Crowe's oil painting, "Slaves Waiting for Auction", derived from his drawing above, can still jab the conscience.
The work acts as centerpiece for the Library of Virginia's exhibit opening later this month, "To Be Sold," a close examination of Richmond as a distribution hub for the business of selling human beings.
Yet minus the intercession of a book and a newspaper, the painting might not exist at all. "I expended 25 cents", writes Crowe in his memoir of 1893, With Thackeray in America, "in the purchase of Uncle Tom's Cabin and was properly … read more »
The Weekly Progress — The People's Progressive Paper of Powhatan
The Library of Virginia recently came into the possession of a rare Powhatan newspaper–while it's not an original copy, the photocopied edition of the Weekly Progress contains valuable local history of Powhatan county and towns nearby.
The big news in the 14 July 1899 issue, featured on its front page with large illustrations of those involved, was the murder of Senator William M. Flanagan by the young lawyer William Garland Pilkinton, both of Powhatan. On page four, the Progress informed its readers that it would provide a full account of the Pilkinton-Flanagan murder trial–"Be sure that you do not miss the chance to read all of it," it reminded.
It must be noted, considering it is such a curious feature of the paper, that whomever was writing for the Weekly Progress was an ardent fan of alliteration as evidenced by all of the column headings throughout the paper–"Belona Brevities," Tobaccoville Talk," "Othma Occurances," and "Home Happenings" are just a few among many other alliterated column headings–most of which offered tidbits on local residents like "Miss Lee Lewis visited her aunt, Miss Marian Carter, Sunday" and "Miss Addie has returned home after a pleasant stay in Richmond."
As a perk for existing subscribers, the Weekly Progress had the "Progress Premium Offer" which awarded fabulous prizes to anyone who could obtain new subscriptions for the paper. Prizes ranged from a top buggy for securing 100 subscribers to a breach-loading double-barrel shotgun for 30 subscribers.
And since the Progress was published in rural Powhatan county, it wouldn't have been complete without husbandry advice. This issue included a review of the Biggle Horse Book whose motto was, "Always speak to a horse as you would to a gentleman." Good advice, we think.… read more »
"Not A Hideous Dream" 125 Years Ago — Newspaper Coverage of the Johnstown Flood
On May 31, 1889 unusually heavy rainfall washed out the South Fork dam in western Pennsylvania and released twenty million tons of water from a reservoir known as Lake Conemaugh. A monstrous flood swept through the Little Conemaugh River Valley and made its way towards Johnstown, 14 miles downstream from the dam, destroying everything in its path.
As the water rushed through the valley, it accumulated an enormous amount of debris which caught fire once it reached Johnstown. Many drowned in the flood as it swept through town while others were killed by the resulting blaze–a staggering 2,209 men, women and children died.
"With railroad tracks washed away and telegraph lines down, contact with the city was completely cut off," explains one source, "so most early newspaper editions carried stories based on rumor, conjecture, and the accounts of a few overwrought survivors." Reports started coming on June 1 and one example of conjecture was the estimated death toll—some reports were low while others were as high as 10,000.
In the days and weeks following the Johnstown flood, newspapers covered the story obsessively. They published details of the moments before, during and after the flood, included sketches of makeshift morgues, destroyed buildings and railroad lines and maps of the water's course, and provided numerous personal stories of loss and survival. The devastating circumstances of the event made it a national news story with newspapers from as far as California providing reportage.
Because it had so much local and national coverage, Chronicling America is an excellent resource for newspaper accounts of the flood and its aftermath. The articles and images below are just fraction of what can be found on Chronicling America and they tell the story of the Great Johnstown Flood of 1889.
Coverage from nearby Pittsburgh, Lancaster and Somerset:
Reports … read more »
"Your Attention Residents, Now Arriving at Gates H and C, Dulles International Airport." The Herndon-Chantilly Times (1958-1962).
I didn't anticipate opening today's "Fit To Print" blog entry in quite this manner but I stumbled on it mainly by chance and, for someone with an already strong fondness for maps, the opportunity proved irresistible. Below, the center two pages of the November 9, 1944 issue of the Herndon News-Observer:
"Poor Fairfax County, it didn't know what was coming", remarked a colleague. I imagined Til Hazel (if unfamiliar, google away) replying, "Poor?" In 1950 the county knew a major airport in its borders was a real possibility; Congress had green lighted appropriation. By 1955, it was determined that Burke (just east of the city of Fairfax on the map) would not be the site. Organized resistance prevailed. For planners now, the priorities were less resistance, a warmer welcome, and much more space-an important consideration for an airport with jets foremost in mind. The decision was made to move west, to Loudoun County, leaving a trailing foot in Fairfax. Here's the Loudoun Times-Mirror, January 16, 1958.
Then after the jump, this map:
This was without question an economic life-changer and, for the local press, a huge story with multiple angles and it was forming directly in the front yard of the Leesburg based Times-Mirror. But for Herndon (a historic town, incorporated in 1879) and Chantilly (an intersection) it was on their front porch pressing against the door and promising a revenue wind velocity not previously reckoned. The News-Observer was long gone, having departed later in the 1940's. An opportunity beckoned to establish a presence in boomtown, west Fairfax County. The first issue of the Herndon-Chantilly Times (like the Times-Mirror, a weekly) appears on May 15 with the masthead describing it as an "edition of the Loudoun Times-Mirror". By this issue the following July it … read more »
What a Long, Oderus Trip It's Been: Four Decades of GWAR in Richmond's Weekly and Alternative Press
In Memory of Dave Brockie (1963 – 2014)
Perhaps the earliest newspaper photo of Oderus Urungus (A.K.A Dave Brockie) of GWAR? From VCU's student newspaper The Commonwealth Times, 4 November 1986.
Announcement for GWAR's "Phallus in Wonderland" a "Completely unique mini-musical movie." From Throttle, Jan/Feb 1992.
List of Richmond's best local bands chosen by The Richmond Music Journal, 1993.
Excerpt from the article "We Tried Everything There is to do in Richmond in 24 Hours" written by John Sarvay. At 4:30, a visit to the Slave Pit. From Caffeine, August 1993.
Column "Ramblings" announces GWAR's upcoming tour. From Throttle, April/May 1994.
RAWG (GWAR without costumes) playing at Twisters. From The Richmond Music Journal, February 1999.
Excerpt and photo from "Time and Money: GWAR's Biggest Enemies," RVA Magazine, vol. 4, issue 2, 2008.
Excerpt from the piece "Spawned and Spurned" by Landis Wine. From RVA Magazine vol. 5, issue 4, 2009.
GWAR's Oderus Urungus (A.K.A. Dave Brockie) on the cover of Style, 28 March 2012.
The Original Scumdogs. From Style 28 March 2012.
Snow Dazed
A perennial subject for newspapers is snow storms. In Richmond, forecasters are calling for 4 – 8 inches on Wednesday and Thursday. The debilitating effects of snow are much the same today as they were 75 years ago. Here are a couple of samples from historic snowfalls in Richmond, Virginia from January 24, 1940 and February 8, 1936.
As we all know, today's storms are nothing compared with the blizzards of yesteryear. That's as true today as it was in 1936 and here's proof.
Chronicling America: The Key to Roller Skate Research
The February 4 Out of the Box blog, Fancy Skating, focused on John J. Christian Jr., champion "fancy skater of Virginia." The first clues about Christian's life came with the discovery of a broadside (to see the broadside, visit the Out of the Box blog) found in a Rockingham County chancery case. The broadside announced that Christian would give a roller skating exhibition at Mozart Hall on 5 May 1888.
Not long after the Out of the Box blog was published, alert reader Hank Trent notified the Archives of some newspaper articles he discovered in the Library of Congress's Chronicling America database which provided additional information about the obscure – now a little less obscure – John J. Christian. One article Mr. Trent found, from the 21 April 1905 issue of the Iowa State Bystander, detailed Christian's marriage to Julia C. Wilkes of Boston, Massachusetts. "The bride wore a beautiful gown of silk voile trimmed in crepe de chiene, with hat to match," the Bystander recounted, "She carried a very pretty bouquet of Bride's roses."
The article not only gives more clues to Christian's life, but also raises some interesting questions, such as what were the circumstances that brought Christian to marry a woman from Massachusetts in Iowa, so far from their home states? Another article Mr. Trent found from the 8 March 1890 Richmond Planet revealed that Christian was from Staunton and, because he was a "Jr.," was most likely the son of John J. Christian, Staunton confectioner and bartender.
This unfolding of information once again proves the astonishing value of using digital materials for historical research, especially when those resources are cross referenced. The discovery of the broadside, a researcher's curiosity and the accessibility to digital resources shed the first rays of light on the, … read more »
An Introduction to 19th Century American Newspapers
The University of Illinois has recently posted a couple videos that discuss the history and evolution of newspapers in the US. They are well done and informative.
Leave a comment
Tagged American, early, History, industry, Newspaper, Newspapers, University of Illinois, US


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Large Size: 13 1/2 inches x 40 inches!
Panoramic photograph taken by renowned photographer James Blakeway.
Panoramic photograph taken by renowned photographer James Blakeway. Featured on the right is Bank One Ballpark, a 49,075-seat, retractable-roof stadium that serves as home to the baseball team. Left of the ballpark is American West Arena, home to the basketball team. Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, lies in the Sonora Desert surrounded by mountains. This city is the sixth largest in the U.S. and may eventually become the fifth largest as warm temperatures and low humidity spur continued record growth. The area is often referred to as the Valley of the Sun.
This fine art print is reproduced on pH neutral heavy art stock with UV resistant ink.
This item is available framed or just as the print. Please choose framed or unframed from the drop down menu. Unless an option is selected we will ship the unframed print.
Ships UPS ground the same or next business day of order.


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Clerkenwell Design Week
Turn your Office into a Village
ophelis docks "Islands in the Office" arrived in the UK.
An exciting new modular furniture system designed by Till Grosch and Bjorn Meier and manufactured in Germany, ophelis docks is an extraordinary example of seamless harmony between design and functionality, providing users with a truly agile working space.
ophelis docks – smart design
ophelis docks has been developed as a modular system, which can be specified in various configurations to create islands in the office. This intuitive furniture system can be used to create shared, multifunctional places for work as well as havens for quiet concentration and relaxation with real touch down plug and play facilities. The modules can be put together in such a way as to provide acoustic and visual privacy, open-plan meeting areas or used as connections between various zones in the office, promoting internal communications and enhancing the overall feeling of well-being in the workplace.
ophelis docks allows you to create custom solutions to any space. Modules are based on 90 cm squares, making them easy to integrate into spaces, creating islands in the office or creating usable links between working areas in L-shaped, T-shaped, interlinking or freestanding configurations.
The ophelis docks portfolio covers a variety of upholstered modules with or without partitions, storage space and lounge-, sitting- and standing-height tables.
Power and Data Accessibility
The key to making docks a real plug and play workplace solution, is the intelligent frame which acts as a cable tray, keeping power and data out of sight but within reach. Soft close components in the bricks elements keep electric modules safe and hidden when not in use. The frame system ensures cables are kept a secret whether they are being supplied from floor boxes or peripheral sources.


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ESCP Europe > Medien und News > Events & Messen > Calendar > Event
Student Recruitment Tours (SRT) is an international organization with the mission to facilitate the relations between international universities and international schools worldwide.
ESCP Europe staff is in Rome to present its programme's offer, especially dedicated to the undergraduate target of students.
Come for one-to-one meetings with our Bachelor in Management programme manager
Today at:
Liceo Classico Torquato Tasso, via Sicilia 168 - 00187 Roma, at 10:00 AM
Liceo Linguistico Vittoria Colonna, via dell'Arco del Monte 99 - 00186 Roma, at 4:00 PM


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Press Release
CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 4, 2017--
Macy's, Inc. (NYSE:M) today announced a series of actions to streamline
its store portfolio, intensify cost efficiency efforts and execute its
real estate strategy. These actions bolster the company's strategy to
further invest in omnichannel capabilities, improve customer experience
and create shareholder value. The actions include:
The actions announced today are estimated to generate annual expense
savings of approximately $550 million, beginning in 2017, enabling the
company to invest an additional $250 million in growing the digital
business, store-related growth strategies, Bluemercury, Macy's Backstage
and China. These savings, combined with savings from initiatives
implemented in early 2016, exceed the $500 million goal communicated in
fall of 2015, one year earlier than expected.
"Over the past year, we have been focused and disciplined about making
strategic decisions to position us to gain market share and return to
growth over time. While we are pleased with the strong performance of
our highly developed online business, as well as the progress we have
made on selling and visual presentation programs and expense reduction
initiatives in 2016, we continue to experience declining traffic in our
stores where the majority of our business is still transacted. Given the
overall trends challenging us and the broader retail industry, and the
time needed to execute new strategies, we expect our 2017 change in
comparable sales to be relatively consistent with our November/December
sales trend," said Terry J. Lundgren, chairman and chief executive
officer of Macy's, Inc. "Our omnichannel strategies continue to evolve
based on the changes in our customers' shopping behaviors, including a
focus on buy online, pickup in store and mobile-enabled shopping. In
addition, we have invested in and enlarged our customer data and
analytics team, which will help drive our new marketing strategies for
2017. Whether it is improving corporate agility, enhancing our customer
engagement strategies, or continuing to capitalize on the potential
value of our real estate assets, we remain focused on the actions that
will ultimately improve our financial results and provide the greatest
return for our shareholders."
In conjunction with today's announcement, approximately $250 million of
charges or 50 cents per share (of which approximately $210 million is
expected to be cash) are expected to be recorded in the fourth quarter
of 2016. These charges were not previously included in earnings guidance
provided by the company and are in addition to the $249 million recorded
in the second quarter as an estimate of asset impairment and other
charges primarily related to 2016 store closings.
(Editor's Note: Macy's, Inc. this afternoon also issued a separate
news release announcing sales results for the November/December
2016 period and updating guidance.)
Store Portfolio Restructure
The company today announced 68 Macy's store closings (out of a current
total of 730 Macy's stores). Of the 68, three closed mid-year, 63 will
be closed in early spring 2017 and two will be closed in mid-2017. Three
other locations were sold, or are to be sold, and are being leased back.
(A list of planned store closings, as well as store openings, is
included at the end of this news release.) The company intends to
opportunistically close approximately 30 additional stores over the next
few years as leases or operating covenants expire or sale transactions
are completed.
As a result of closing 63 Macy's stores in early 2017, along with the
three closed mid-year 2016, the company's 2017 sales are expected to be
negatively impacted by approximately $575 million. This reflects the
company's ability to retain sales at nearby stores and on macys.com
through targeted marketing and merchandising efforts.
Associates displaced by store closings may be offered positions in
nearby stores where possible. Eligible full-time and part-time
associates who are affected by the store closings will be offered
severance benefits. The company estimates that 3,900 associates will be
displaced as a result of these closures.
"As we've noted, it is essential that we maintain a healthy portfolio of
the right stores in the right places. Our plan to close approximately
100 stores over the next few years is an important part of our strategy
to help us right-size our physical footprint as we expand our digital
reach. We are closing locations that are unproductive or are no longer
robust shopping destinations due to changes in the local retail shopping
landscape, as well as monetizing locations with highly valued real
estate," Lundgren said. "These are never easy decisions, and we are
committed to treating associates affected by these closings with respect
and transparency."
Four new Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores are currently planned and/or
under construction, as previously announced. In addition, new Macy's and
Bloomingdale's stores are planned to open in Abu Dhabi, and one
Bloomingdale's store is planned to open in Kuwait, all under license
agreements with Al Tayer Group. The company also plans to continue its
expansion of Macy's Backstage (within Macy's stores) and Bluemercury
(freestanding and within Macy's stores).
Efficiency and Expense Reduction Initiatives
To address the need for greater efficiency and productivity, Macy's,
Inc. will implement the following changes in early 2017:
The company estimates that these actions will result in a headcount
reduction of approximately 6,200.
Real Estate
The company continues to drive shareholder value through ongoing real
estate initiatives. As previously communicated, the three prongs of the
real estate strategy are: flagship assets, closure of approximately 100
stores and creating value from the remaining real estate portfolio.
Since the end of the third quarter, Macy's, Inc. has completed the
following transactions that, in total, resulted in the receipt of
approximately $95 million of cash proceeds and gain recognition of
approximately $56 million:
In addition, the company has signed an agreement to sell the downtown
Minneapolis store to the 601W Companies, whose intention is to redevelop
the building into creative office space on the upper floors and to
pursue retail opportunities on the street and skywalk levels. This
transaction is expected to close by fiscal year end.
About Macy's, Inc.
Macy's, Inc., with corporate offices in Cincinnati and New York, is one
of the nation's premier retailers, with fiscal 2015 sales of $27.079
billion. The company operates about 880 stores in 45 states, the
District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico under the names of Macy's,
Bloomingdale's, Bloomingdale's Outlet, Macy's Backstage and Bluemercury,
as well as the macys.com, bloomingdales.com and bluemercury.com
websites. Bloomingdale's in Dubai is operated by Al Tayer Group LLC
under a license agreement.
All statements in this press release that are not statements of
historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are
based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Macy's management and
are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results could
differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the
forward-looking statements contained in this release because of a
variety of factors, including conditions to, or changes in the timing
of, proposed real estate and other transactions, prevailing interest
rates and non-recurring charges, store closings, competitive pressures
from specialty stores, general merchandise stores, off-price and
discount stores, manufacturers' outlets, the Internet, mail-order
catalogs and television shopping and general consumer spending levels,
including the impact of the availability and level of consumer debt, the
effect of weather and other factors identified in documents filed by the
company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
(NOTE: Additional information on Macy's, Inc., including past news
releases, is available at www.macysinc.com/pressroom).
Macy's Store Closings
Already Completed 2016 Closings
Already Announced Year-End 2016 Closings
Final clearance sales at the following Macy's stores closing in early
2017 will begin on Monday, January 9, and run for approximately eight to
12 weeks (with the exception of Lancaster Mall*, where final clearance
sales are already in progress):
Year-End Closings
Other 2017 Closings
Stores Sold (or to be Sold) and Leased Back
These stores have been or will be sold, and Macy's will continue to
operate them on leases from the owners:
(The number of associates given by store reflects the number of
positions eliminated. Many of these associates will be placed in other
Store Openings
Four new Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores are currently planned and/or
under construction, as previously announced.
New Macy's stores will be opening in:
New Bloomingdale's stores will be opening in:
In addition, in the next two years, the company plans to open
approximately 50 additional Macy's Backstage off-price locations (all of
which will be inside existing Macy's stores) and about 50 Bluemercury
beauty specialty stores (freestanding and shops inside existing Macy's
Internationally, under license agreements with Al Tayer Group, a new
Bloomingdale's store is planned to open in 360 Mall in Al Zahra, Kuwait
in Spring 2017 and new Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores are planned to
open in Al Maryah Central in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in 2018.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170104006347/en/
Source: Macy's, Inc.
Macy's, Inc.Media – Holly Thomas, firstname.lastname@example.com
– Matt Stautberg, 513-579-7780


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Benelux Sales Executive (Dutch + French) (Barcelona)
Being one of the world´s leading Technology and IT Company, Our client is looking for ambitious candidates who want to join their challenging and multicultural work environment.
For their team in Barcelona, they are currently recruiting French and Dutch speaking candidates with advanced English, for a Sales Executive position.
Responsibilities include:
In this role, the ideal candidate has full responsibility of his/her market, reporting to the Team Manager:
- Being able to think proactively
- Identifying and generating leads in the given market
- Managing accounts through the French and Belgian market
- Understanding of your market: qualify potential clients
- Bring new ideas to develop, enhance and grow your market
- Respond and provide information and advice on client's inquiries
- Prepare and present contract proposals
- Understand the position and needs of the clients and tailor your services accordingly
- Ensure clients' satisfaction and create long term relationships
- Accomplish your tasks in a timely manner and report results to your manager
The Profile
- Native level of French and Dutch + Advanced level of English
- Min. 2 years of experience in B2B sales
- Candidates who like to be challenged
- IT and solution oriented
- Result-driven and goal oriented
- Stress resistant and structured
- Excellent team spirit, but being able to work autonomously
- Ability to organize your own work
- Motivated and positive mindset
- Business Developer attitude
Benefits Include:
- Dynamic atmosphere
- Chance to work for an international company
- Growth opportunities
- Additional company benefits
- A multi-cultural and open minded work environment
- An attractive salary around € 35,000 yearly (TBD depending on experience)
- Flexible working hours: 9:30 am – 6:30 pm or 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
- Start Date ASAP


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The Evolution of the U.S. Ginning Industry
If Eli Whitney could walk into a modern cotton gin, he might have a hard time recognizing his contribution to the industry. But he would probably also be fascinated with its evolution, speed and efficiency.
Much like the production side of cotton, ginners throughout the U.S. have experienced their own ups and downs over the past few years, thanks to fluctuating cotton acres, safety regulations, labor issues and continuing changes in technology. Some gins were lost in the process due to closures and consolidations. But what's emerged is a stronger, more efficient – and safer – industry.
"We've had a tremendous amount of consolidation over the last 10-to-15 years," said Harrison Ashley, executive vice president of the National Cotton Ginners Association. "We created larger gins that have the ability to gin greater volumes of cotton. And a lot of that was driven by technological advances at the gin level, as they put their resources together to gain efficiencies and economies of scale."
According to the most recent National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) survey, 671 cotton gins are now operating in the U.S. That number has decreased significantly over the past two decades, but certainly reflects the trends in consolidation.
"We've had a number of gins that consolidated, plus a few new gins that have come in with the highest technology available," stated Tim Price, executive vice president of Southern Cotton Ginners Association. "Surprisingly, the decline in gins has not been directly correlated with an increase or decrease in cotton acreage. That's just not happening."
A Fresh Start
Perhaps there's no better example of Price's statement than a brand new, state of the art gin located in tiny Malden, MO. The gin opened its doors with brand new ginning equipment from Cherokee prior to the 2012 harvest – in a year in which cotton acreage in the Mid-South had dropped dramatically below historical averages.
Gin owner Bruce Dawson says he wasn't scared away by dwindling acreage in the area when he decided to open a brand new gin last year. He had ginned in previous years with partners who, over time, began planting less and less cotton on their own acreage. Eventually, he decided to begin anew with his own ginning business, which he named after a gin his father once partially owned – the Bernie Farmers Gin.
Dawson believes the biggest problem hounding cotton acreage in his corner of the Mid-South is herbicide resistant weeds.
"With corn or beans, you don't have to work so hard to deal with this resistant pigweed," says Dawson, from the office of his new gin. "We've just had a struggle. People are tired of all the extra effort you have to put into keeping a cotton field clean, when you don't have that issue with corn or soybeans.
"Weed control is by far the biggest problem we've got with trying to get people interested in planting cotton."
Located in the middle of the Missouri Bootheel, Malden and the surrounding areas are known to produce high yielding cotton fields. This is one of the reasons Dawson is confident cotton acres will remain in the area and ultimately make a larger comeback.
Other sources of optimism are the advancements in weed control which will be introduced to the cotton industry in coming years. Monsanto and Dow are both gearing up to introduce new herbicide resistant cotton traits in the next few years to help combat glyphosate resistance. This will be in addition to Bayer CropScience's Liberty technology, which is gaining popularity throughout the Cotton Belt.
"With the new weed technology coming, people are really looking forward to being able to use that," Dawson says. "The key is trying to keep too many farmers from abandoning ship in the time before those technologies get here."
Just like in the ginning industry, cotton farms have seen a good deal of consolidation recently. Subsequently, the average farm today is much larger than it was 10 years ago. An unwanted by-product of that trend, according to Dawson, is that gins take a larger hit whenever one farmer decides to pull out of cotton. Of course, gin consolidation can have the opposite effect.
As is the case with gins throughout the Cotton Belt, Bernie Farmers Gin has been the beneficiary of other gin closings in the area. Dawson says the gins that have survived acreage reductions in the Mid-South are oftentimes ginning more than they ever have, due to consolidation.
According to Ashley, when gins consolidate, many have been able to upgrade to newer technology such as monitoring systems to help reduce energy costs and automated systems for tasks like handling modules and strapping and bagging finished bales. At a minimum, gins must meet all OSHA requirements, plus additional requirements in some states that are more stringent than the federal standards. This can include air quality regulations, which may require extensive emission control equipment.
"All of our regional associations have safety specialists and programs in place," reported Ashley. "With the emphasis we place on safety and training, we have reduced the number of incidences regarding injuries in cotton gins. We want to keep our workers safe, and we're doing everything we can to adhere to all state and federal rules and regulations."
The new ginning technologies have made the process faster and simpler. But it's also true that the value of increased automation may have as much to do with labor shortages as it does with efficiency.
"Labor is one of the highest costs a gin faces, in terms of wages and things like insurance and injuries," stated Dusty Findley, chief executive officer of Southeastern Cotton Ginners. "The crackdown in immigration over the last couple of years has made labor harder to come by, both local and migrant, and most gins are trying to focus on how are they going to do the job they have to do with fewer people. By necessity, they're trying to find more efficient ways to do things."
Many eyes within the industry are currently focused on Washington, DC and the debate on immigration reform for guidance and clarification on labor issues. According to Findley, an alarming percentage of legal labor has already moved out of most Southeastern states, and ginners are scrambling to find people to work.
"What is being discussed in Washington in terms of immigration has a two-tier visa system for ag workers who remain in agriculture," explained Ashley. "This workable guest worker-type program is something that ginners and farmers have been wanting. It would replace the current H-2A program, which we have not been able to use to the extent we would like. If the immigration reform bill does pass, this will be a part of it and something that ginners will be able to utilize even more."
The immigration proposals also include a provision for a delayed E-Verify-type system for agriculture that will be put in place within several years of passage.
Yet for an industry facing labor shortages and decreased acres due to crop shifts, drought and other factors, the ability of ginners to adapt and evolve is nothing short of amazing.
"We've seen a tremendous amount of grower involvement in gin ownership," pointed out Ashley. "If you look across the Cotton Belt, more and more gins are owned by producers. If a producer is involved in a gin, they should know more about what's going on in that gin in terms of quality. And that should translate to growers picking varieties that produce better fiber qualities."
Price agrees, but also points out other emerging trends in gin operations.
"A lot of gins have vertically integrated into not only cotton production, but also into warehousing and cottonseed storage," he said. "Those have become additional areas for profitability and sustainability. And we've seen a rapid expansion of module systems, which are impacting everything from handling to transportation."
The new modules, especially the round modules, have helped solve some transportation issues and opened up gins to take cotton from greater distances.
"We've traditionally had problems with module trucks and regulations on roads," explained Findley. "With the round modules, there are ways of handling them with flatbed trailers or other trailers rather than a module truck that's oversized. We can haul them legally for greater distances."
Growing Optimism
Even with the changes and challenges within the ginning industry, optimism among ginners remains high. In the Missouri Bootheel, Dawson says there are adjustments that can be made to help his new gin navigate the lean years – if and when they come.
"There are things we can do, as far as managing staff more efficiently and things like that, to help us get through a tough year," Dawson says. "And the price of cottonseed has helped us and can continue to help us."
Ultimately, Dawson believes the success of his gin relies on increased cotton acreage – or at least in stemming the decline of cotton acreage in his area. Maybe the most important factor to help that cause, he says, is that farmers would rather grow cotton – if all other things are equal.
"If we could get our weed control issue resolved, there will be a lot more cotton grown in this area," Dawson says. "It's a good cotton growing area, and we really can yield well. As long as the price is competitive at all, there will be a lot of cotton here, because these guys would just prefer to grow cotton."
If and when the day comes that growers have a better handle on their weed problems, and acreage subsequently returns, Dawson says he'll be well-positioned to take advantage. Nationally, leaders within the ginning organizations say they have heard a similar sense of optimism from their ginner members.
"Just about everyone I've talked to in the last month or two has been positive in terms of attitude," said Findley. "That's not what we would have expected six months ago. We got some acres back that we thought we were going to lose. We also had a drop in acres last year, but the yields were so good that it gives everyone hope that they can still make a decent crop and make some money."
"While all of these changes are taking place, we still see a love for growing cotton," added Price. "Cotton can still be a long term viable part of the Mid-South crop mix.
But we have to remember that the market is king. Some years, the market says you're going to do well and some years, you're going to be challenged."


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Saturday, February 28, 2009
BC Steelhead, Provincial Fish?
January 15th, 2009
Steelhead Society of B.C.
232 W. Broadway
Vancouver, B.C.
Premier Gordon Campbell
Room 156, West Annex,
Parliament Buildings,
Victoria, B.C.
Dear Premier Campbell
re: Designation of Steelhead as an Official Emblem of British Columbia (Provincial Fish)
Further to our earlier request of February 26, 2004, the Steelhead Society of B.C. again asks the government to give serious consideration to designating the wild steelhead (Oncorhynhus mykiss) as B.C.'s provincial fish for the following reasons:
- B.C. has a provincial flower (Pacific Dogwood, designated in 1956), a provincial gemstone(jade, designated in 1968), a provincial bird (Steller's Jay, designated in 1987), a provincial tree(Western Red Cedar, designated in 1988), and most recently a provincial mammal (Spirit Bear).However, despite the cultural significance of fish to British Columbia, a provincial fish has not been designated as an official emblem of the province;
- Wild steelhead (and their land-locked equivalent, rainbow trout) are distributed throughout most of B.C. British Columbia is the only province in Canada with native, wild steelhead populations.These populations are the largest remaining in North America. The world records for the largest steelhead caught in fresh-water, and the largest steelhead caught by fly fishing, are both from British Columbia;
- B.C. is world famous for its unequalled wild steelhead sport fisheries, which are an economically and culturally priceless part of our heritage. The designation of wild steelhead as our provincial fish would add to these values.
We look forward to your response.
Yours truly,
Jason Tonelli
Steelhead Society of B.C.
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Be the first NJ.com user to add photos or videos of Blackwood Liquor Store
Great owners and helpful staff...good prices too! I purchased a lot of items for the Christmas & New Year parties I was attending as gifts. They had everything and the lottery too!
Blackwood liquor store is a small dumpy looking little liquor store. A lot of locals and hellos to everyone. Nice, friendly but little. Not ...
Blackwood Liquor Store can be found at S Black Horse Pike 75. The following is offered: Alcoholic Beverages. The entry is present with us since Sep 7, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 12, 2013. In Blackwood there are 4 other Alcoholic Beverages. An overview can be found here.
Blackwood Wine & Liquors features a wide selection of red and white wines, as well as gin, vodka, brandy, whiskey, tequila, vermouth, champagne and more. Lottery tickets are also available.


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Zooppa Weekly Wrap-Up: Surviving, Teaching, and Moving on!
Hello Zoopers! It's Friday, and you all know what that means! Weekly wrap-up time! The Survivor pool continues to be a popular talking point around the office. With another week of eliminations, and Russell's removal from the island, Adam's team… Continue Reading