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"The underlying purpose of the (Affordable Care Act) is to make health care more accessible to more people," said Paul Cunningham, executive vice president of the Arkansas Hospital Association. "But as there is more demand for services, that will create more demand on a supply of practitioners to provide those services."
Across the country, attempts to address the provider gap have taken on increased urgency ahead of the law's full implementation Jan. 1, but many of the potential solutions face a backlash from influential groups or will take years to bear fruit.
Nearly one in five Americans already lives in a region designated as having a shortage of primary care physicians, and the number of doctors entering the field isn't expected keep pace with demand.
Here in Arkansas, where insurance companies plan to sell their policies to more than 500,000 residents through an online marketplace created under the federal health care law, there is a shortage of primary health care professionals. Demand for medical services from those providers is only expected to increase with the implementation of the federal health care law.
"Under a scenario of expanded health care coverage in 2014 through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the available workforce is projected to not meet demand," according to an April brief from the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement.
Beyond the overall primary care practitioner shortage, doctors aren't spread evenly throughout the state.
There's a concentration of primary care clinicians — primary care physicians, advanced practice nurses and physician assistants — in central Arkansas, while there's a moderate undersupply in the northwest and northeast parts of the state and a more drastic undersupply in the southeast and southwest regions, according to the April brief from the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement.
"We have a shortage statewide. We don't have a shortage everywhere," said Craig Wilson, director of the Access to Quality Care Initiative with the ACHI. "We do have a severe mal-distribution issue."
Wilson and others say that as Arkansans, particularly those in rural areas, gain insurance, doctors and other health care professionals may have an incentive to help fill the gap for often underserved rural areas.
However, the new health care law is not seen as a silver bullet to address the doctor shortage.
"I don't think that the Affordable Care Act is going to alleviate the current and looming physician shortage," said Dr. Dan Rahn, chancellor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. "It's good for patients in providing financial access, but the limitation may now be ... health professional supply."
Arkansas is one of several states using a partnership model between the state and federal government for running its health insurance exchange.
About half of the people who will buy insurance through the exchange are doing so under a plan lawmakers approved earlier this year to purchase private insurance for low-income residents using federal Medicaid funds. The "private option" was approved as an alternative to expanding Medicaid's enrollment under the health care law.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
+ Temporary repair starts on Beach Road repair
Frederick Derr & Co. began construction to temporarily repair the remains of north Beach Road, which collapsed last month after a year of accelerated deterioration.
The firm will take two weeks to complete the fix, according to the Sarasota County website.
County Administrator Randall Reid approved $250,000 of maximum funding for the temporary fix. County Commissioner Joe Barbetta objected to staff plans to tailor the short-term repair to fit a long-term solution (provided by Derr) because it would reduce competition for that contract.
County Engineer Jim Harriott estimated in a memo to Reid a long-term fix would cost $2 million and require extensive permitting.
+ BP settlement slashes local cash prospect
Estimates made by Sarasota County representatives active in the Florida Association of Counties, the organization set up to funnel BP settlement money to localities, fell after the oil company agreed to pay the U.S. $4.5 billion for its role in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
County Coastal Resources Manager Laird Wreford said, during an October meeting of the Siesta Key Association, that analysts thought the settlement would come in between $4 billion and $21 billion, with analysts forecasting the number at the high end of the spectrum.
The amount the county could receive from the settlement is roughly 10% of the total paid out by BP.
+ Siesta beach project costs came from contractor
The estimated construction costs of the Siesta Key beach public improvement project grew $4.6 million to $21.4 million between a 2011 Sarasota County Commission presentation and the most recent draft of the plans.
County Engineer Jim Harriott, in documents charting the course of the project, showed that $4.2 million of the new costs were suggestions from Kimley-Horn and Associates and Sweet Sparkman Architects (formerly ToTEMS) for options including thematic signs.
The biggest increase came from line items that included the residual parking areas not included in the east parking lot item. The west paving budget item jumped $3.3 million in the 14-month timeframe.
Meetings & Agendas
• Library Advisory Board meeting — 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, Conference Room, Fruitville Library, 100 Coburn Road, Sarasota
• Criminal Justice Commission meeting — Noon Monday, Dec. 3, Third Floor Think Tank, Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota
• Siesta Key Village Association meeting — 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar, 5250 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key
• Sarasota County Commission meeting — 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, Commission Chambers, Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota
• Siesta Key Association meeting — 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, St. Boniface Episcopal Church, 5615 Midnight Pass, Siesta Key


text: My brother was remodeling a bank and these shelves were to be trashed. He brought them home for me to use in my sewing room. My husband had to take them apart and reassemble so they would fit. In the picture it shows 2 but there are 5 total. Now I need to go shopping to fill them. I hope my picture uploaded so you can see. I am SOOOO happy to go to my sewing area!


text:
Taylor success triggers bout of below-the-belt stereotyping
WE LEARNED a lot about what the world thought of us this week.
It all began rather gorgeously. Katie Taylor, greatest living Irishwoman, and Natasha Jonas, Liverpudlian cousin of Coleen Rooney, may have hammered nine colours of manure out of one another, but Monday's bout was remarkable for the obvious warmth that existed between the two camps.
At the close, Taylor demonstrated her immaculate manners by hugging her opponent and shaking hands with Jonas's corner people. The enthusiastic response from the BBC's commentators suggested the British like us almost as much as we like ourselves.
The tone soured a little on Tuesday morning. Much has been made of an article in the Age, a Melbourne-based newspaper, that included the phrase: "For centuries, Guinness and whiskey have sent the Irish off their heads." The piece also, rather confusingly, confirmed that – a compliment, one assumes – Taylor was not "surrounded by people who'd prefer a punch to a potato". Following representations from the Irish Ambassador, the Age offered a convincingly effusive apology.
That article was, however, somewhat less offensive than a piece that appeared the same day in USA Today. Written by one Jon Saraceno, the report on Taylor's first victory was a small masterpiece of vulgar stereotyping and galloping inaccuracy. "Back home on the emerald-green isle, pints of Guinness flowed freely, perhaps enough to replenish the Irish Sea. The 'punters' inside betting parlors wagered pounds as if they were bits of candy," Saraceno raved from his seat in Paddy McHooligan's Shamrock Tavern.
After misidentifying the Irish currency, the journalist went on to speak of "Bray county" and describe the Irish nation as "prideful" and "scuffling". (I speculate here myself, but I am fairly sure he also mistook The Fields of Athenry for the national anthem.) USA Today initially acknowledged only the factual errors. But, in response to questions from this newspaper, eventually apologised for any offence given.
It's a tricky one, this. It is probably safe to assume that both the Age and USA Today felt we would be flattered by their light-hearted caricatures. After all, many Australians (not all, not most, just many; I am trying hard to mind my own language) still seem happy to be depicted as carefree, well-lubricated larrikins.
Americans of Irish descent are responsible for a great deal of the standard tropes of Paddywhackery. Domestic critics have always had a slightly uneasy relationship with John Ford's The Quiet Man. One can, without too much intellectual wriggling, argue that Ford's version of Ireland is no more romanticised than his depiction of the American west. By giving Ford a free pass – and by singing along to boozier Pogues numbers – we do, however, invite the likes of Saraceno to deduce that we enjoy being caricatured as crafty, gambling dipsomaniacs.
One imagines the poor Australian writer and the unfortunate American scribbler looking sadly back at us with sorrowful eyes. "But we're on your side!"
A day later, Telegraphgate broke. In its daily digest of Olympic highlights, the unofficial organ of the Conservative party asked: "Can anyone defeat Britain's Katie Taylor?" Twitter quaked with volcanic fury. By lunchtime, the newspaper had issued its own apology and clarified that: "She is Irish, of course."
Is it safe to assume that Daily Telegraph journalists know the Republic is a separate country and that the busy compiler was simply confused about Taylor's nationality? Probably. But the next – and surely most outrageous – controversy did cause one to question such comforting suppositions.
Stand up, Russell Barwick. You win the hotly contested award for ignoramus of the week. Hide your eyes, Australia. We're back on your patch.
Speaking on Pardon the Interruption, an ESPN television show, Barwick wondered aloud – not in his head, while drunk – why Irish sportspersons did not compete for Great Britain in the Olympics.
"It's a whole Irish joke, the whole thing. It just makes no sense," he said before going on to engage in logic so poisonously unstable it could comfortably occupy space in a creationist tract. "It's not like Tasmanians say they don't want to represent Australia. You're all part of the one mix master," he continued.
More than a few commentators expressed amusement that an Australian – subject of a country that still has Queen Elizabeth as its head of state – seemed to believe that a nation that left the Commonwealth several lifetimes ago was still part of the United Kingdom. After a digital deluge, Barwick closed his Twitter account.
The lesson of all this is a drab and sober one. The exhaustingly charming Katie Taylor may have captured the attention of the world's media, but most people beyond these shores know virtually nothing about us. It's nothing personal. The average Australian could probably tell you less about the considerably more populous Kazakhstan. Few Americans know much about Uganda.
Still, it does lodge in the craw somewhat. Oh, I think I'll let off steam with a pint and a fight.


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Homeless man sought over woman's death in Kings Domain
Detectives investigating the violent death of a woman whose body was found naked and battered in Melbourne's Kings Domain precinct, next to the Royal Botanic Gardens, are searching for a homeless man who is believed to have been sleeping in a nearby rotunda.
The woman, aged in her 30s, is believed to be from China and was in Australia working in the hospitality industry.
Homicide squad detectives are investigating whether she was sexually assaulted and killed while walking to work, Detective Sergeant Nathan Favre said.
"We can't rule out sexual assault as the motivation for this offence," he said. "Certainly the manner in which the deceased was located, in a state of undress, indicates that may have been the case."
Police believe they know who the woman is, but have not been able to contact her family.
Her body was discovered by joggers on Saturday at about 8.35am, lying on a busy stretch of the Kings Domain, tucked behind the Victoria Police Memorial, near St Kilda Road and Linlithgow Avenue, Southbank.
Detective Sergeant Favre said police were waiting on the results of an autopsy to discover whether the woman had been assaulted and if those injuries had killed her.
"We will await the report from the coroner as to whether these assaults have caused her death," Detective Sergeant Favre said.
Search crews on Saturday scoured the area, discovering several objects of interest, including a handbag and some of the woman's clothing. A pair of scissors was also found on a nearby park bench.
At least one object had turned investigators towards Scott Allen Miller, a 42-year-old homeless man from Western Australia, who has been living rough in Melbourne for at least six weeks.
Detective Sergeant Favre would not say what object had connected Mr Miller to the crime scene, but confirmed he was a suspect in the woman's death and appealed for him to come forward.
"We believe he can assist us in relation to what was found at the crime scene," he said.
Detectives have not discovered any link between Mr Miller and the victim.
Although Mr Miller is not believed to have a history of violence, he is known to WA Police, which has been assisting its Victorian counterpart with the investigation.
The Salvation Army's Major Brendan Nottle said Mr Miller was "a quiet person" who has had contact with the Salvation Army's outreach workers and cafe staff in recent weeks.
"He was just quiet, kept to himself, he'd have a meal and leave," Mr Nottle said, adding that Mr Miller had shunned accommodation assistance, choosing instead to sleep in the rotunda.
He said it was important not to make assumptions about Mr Miller or homeless people in general as a result of the investigation.
On Sunday police released an image of Mr Miller, urging anybody who sees him to contact police but not to approach.
Detectives also searched the nearby Janet Lady Clarke Rotunda, a popular location for wedding photos, where they believe Mr Miller has recently been sleeping.
Detective Sergeant Favre said police were "working tirelessly" to solve the crime and urged the public not to be alarmed, but to be vigilant with personal safety.
"It's a really public place and it's a really shocking crime," he said. "It's troubling, we're working to solve it as quickly as possible."
It is not known why or when Mr Miller travelled to Melbourne from WA, but police believe he may still be in the Melbourne CBD area.
Anyone who sees Mr Miller is urged to call triple-0 immediately and people with information about the death can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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text: 12/06/11 12/06/11 POPSUGAR Celebrity Award Season Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood Win American Country Awards Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Toby Keith, and More Country Stars Add Fender Guitars to Their Trophy Cases December 6, 2011 by katie henry 13 Shares Chat with us on Facebook Messenger. Learn what's trending across POPSUGAR. View On One Page Photo 35 of 80 ADVERTISEMENT () Start Slideshow Share This Link Copy ← Use Arrows Keys → 35 0 previous images 49 more images Previous Next Start Slideshow Join the conversation Chat with us on Facebook Messenger. Learn what's trending across POPSUGAR. American Country AwardsJason AldeanScotty McCreeryBlake SheltonMiranda LambertAward SeasonToby KeithKristin ChenowethJordin SparksCarrie Underwood


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Carole King - James Taylor Live at the Troubadour
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Price: $75.00
Concert special starring Carole King and James Taylor filmed at their 2007 performances celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Los Angeles' famed Troubadour nightclub. King and Taylor stunning performances of the pair's most beloved hits such as King's "So Far Away," and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" as well as Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind," and "Fire and Rain," to name just a few.


text: Contents[show] Broadcast Date 12 December 1992 / 24 April 1993 Cassette Brand / Description n/a Length C90 Description n/a Quality Good FM mono Tracklisting? No Ripper ML Date Sent n/a Date Returned n/a Notes Side A / B: Mint 400, Superchunk Side B: Bailterspace, Nectarine No.9 Retrieved from "http://peel.wikia.com/wiki/L277?oldid=62206" Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you've made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Categories: 1992 1993 SL Tapes


text:
Prices, promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted.
Georgia-Pacific Cedar Spectrum Vinyl Siding Panel Hand-Split Shake White 20.375-in x 57.5-in
Item # 89001 Model # 126342B
Manufacturer Color/Finish
Product Information
- Whether you're building a dream home or renovating one you've loved for years, there's one solution for your home's exterior that will make it beautiful, durable, and low-maintenance: Georgia-Pacific Vinyl Siding
- Cedar Spectrum Hand Split Siding offers a sturdy .100-IN nominal thickness, double 9 shingle molded from real cedar siding
- Whether used as an accent or for full-house coverage, the rustic craftsmanship of Cedar Spectrum Siding is a striking enhancement to any home
- Stands up to the elements
- Backed by Limited Lifetime Transferable Warranty
- Made in the USA
|Series Name
|Cedar Spectrum
|Hand-split shake
|Length (Inches)
|Width (Inches)
|Thickness (Inches)
|Coverage Area (Sq. Feet)
|Color/Finish Family
|Manufacturer Color/Finish
|Transferrable limited lifetime
|Package Quantity


text:
Watch this space in early March for my return to blogging.
I am taking suggestions here for topics you want to see me cover. I will be checking the comments section daily and take on all serious ideas.
See you all soon!
I may be paranoid, but I am no Luddite (obviously). Still, it is disconcerting to see the paradigm shifting so rapidly. I — fear is not the right word — dislike is probably better — that a couple of college geeks who were essentially just bright code-monkeys have figured out, with their Boolean strings and webcrawlers, how to ride on the backs of the thousands of database administrators who built the web — database administrators who are basically people who build electronic library shelves. That's not bad in itself, but now Gooooogle has transmogrified from this mildly annoying but harmless spinster librarian into a bald guy in an expensive but tasteless suit stroking a purring Angora cat on his lap as he plots world domination from his bunker. (Probably now they'll publish all my personal information, once their bots find this post.) (Oh wait, they already have, and I didn't get a dime for it.)
As for Apple, all I have to say is: http://www.cracked.com/article_18377_5-reasons-you-should-be-scared-apple.html
Looking forward to your thoughts on the real threats to publishing, and to news of the current state of Mexico City street tacos, and perhaps some descriptions of authentic curry from Bangalore, or figgy pudding from Warwickshire.
Also, and meaning no disrespect, but what is a 'publishing ecosystem' exactly? And where does OUP fit into that? Are you part of the canopy, perhaps?
Gooooogle: what happens when they 'own' digital copies of all non-copyrighted books? (or is it all books everywhere that they are trying to grab?) Will the world end? Or will mankind just continue to get stupider, once the original copies have been disposed of and there's no way to tell what they've altered in the digital version?
For example, will 1984's Winston Smith character one day become a kindly rescuer of lab rats liberated by animal rights activists, whose passion for maltreated rodents is assisted by a certain benevolent Internet company's search engine features, which allows him to organize the movement much more quickly than if he'd had to rely on word of mouth or even yesterday's electronic mass media?
Maybe more to your liking: what happens to your business and the business of other actual publishers with a history of making stuff out of paper, ink and leather once Goooooogle digitizes it all? I know there's not much backlist market, (but then why is Gooooogle so hot to acquire this stuff?!?), but are there implications for the publishing business?
Looking forward to your soon return! Please include some morsels of your travels to exotic and faraway places, whatever you write about. It's like adding a little garlic pepper sauce to your soup.
Comments are closed.


text:
on-line application
Presupuesto $800-1200 USD
1. need application that allows user to complete an application on-line. should also feature a printable version. prefer database to be MS Access 2. need email autoresponders to notify staff that a new application has come in 3. need report section that allows staff to see the names of all of the applicants and the date on which their application was submitted. Clicking on the name should pull up the application in a printable format.
Adjudicado a:
Hello, Your project is totally based on database Authentication programming level and user interaction. And we are expert in programming of all level. We\'re here to meet you at the highest point of your need. Th Más
21 freelancers están ofertando el promedio de $427 para este trabajo
Complete application *full asp/ mdb application allowing online registration, this information to be viewed by staff *email notification sent to staff by means of CDONTS/JMAIL/SMTP depending on what is supported by the Más
Price /hour and days are negotiable after seeing the specifications.
I will do your project at your utmost satisfaction.
This will take me three days, but I assume there will be some dead time in the middle for any mofidifcations. I will not be happy until you are. Please see my user profile for information about me.
As it is not specified, we assume that you mainly need a one off application, and that you'll be responsible for maintenance, we also assume that you already have an active URL on a server which support ASP and CDONT Más
Please see PMB for Details. Regards, Loveneesh Bansal
Email notification by means of CDONTS depending on the server. I will also provide free support for 6 mths
I can do it for you through ASP or ASP.NET and I will support you after that
will do the projects as per your requirements..have done similar porjects like this before..hope to work with you..
I Have already completed two projects same as your requirements.i am sure that i will complete your project within timelimit and with same functionality defined by you.
Dear Buyer I can deliver this project as per your requirements. Please respond to discuss in detail. Best Regards Rajesh
You have a kind of administration page for listing applies, the form to be fill by users with the validations required, and a database in Access for User Data.
I can have this project completed within 14 days and it will work just as you want it too!
Sir I can deliver it in 10 days. For further clarification and reference of our work check pmb.


text:
BERLIN — When Garry Moore lost half of his foot during a marine construction accident in 1997, he feared that he would never be able to skate again. After two years of trying to skate with a rolled up sneaker, Moore made a bold decision. He would undergo a trans-tibial (below the knee) amputation and wear a prosthetic leg for the rest of his life.
"Part of the reason for going higher with the amputation was I knew I would be able to get a prosthesis that had a functioning ankle that articulates in all directions that you need for skating and surfing," Moore said.
While it may seem drastic to some, skateboarding became a form of therapeutic recreation. Entering competitions, however, allowed Moore to reach out to other amputees and encourage them to stay active by pushing the accepted limit of what amputees could accomplish.
It was at one such competition that Moore met Rob Nelson, another amputee skateboarder from the Outer Banks who had lost the use of his right arm in a motorcycle accident. Both men felt that skateboarding played an important role in their rehabilitation and as their friendship grew, the pair envisioned creating an organization that would provide amputees with the resources and opportunities to participate in action sports.
"There were lots of organizations if I wanted to go golf or play tennis," Moore said, "but at that time there was no organization for amputee skateboarders to network and reach out to one another."
In 2004, Moore and Nelson officially created Amped Riders when they launched their first website. Almost immediately, interested callers from the United States and abroad began asking about the program and what resources they offered.
"[Originally] it was not a super structured deal it was just trying to network and reach out to people and then they began to reach out to us," Moore said.
For its first event in 2005, Amped Riders took three amputee children to Camp Woodward, a premier skateboarding camp that offers participants high quality facilities, instruction and a chance to interact with the pros. Then, at the end of the week, the group demonstrated their skills for other amputees at a nearby rehabilitation hospital.
"The kids got to go to Woodward and have a blast," Moore said, "but then also to go and do a demonstration at a hospital and kind of give back to the other amputees there."
Now, six years later, Amped Riders has grown to include Amped at the Beach, an annual weeklong retreat with a program featuring skateboarding, wakeboarding, surfing and barbecuing on the beach at Assateague. Children and adults from all over the Mid-Atlantic region come to the camp to network, make new friends and push the prescribed limit of what amputees can do.
"These kids, they get along pretty well on their own anyways," Moore said. "They are used to overcoming adversity to begin with but [being with other amputees] it still helps … and it is extremely important."
The program's philosophy is backed by a strong belief that parents and families play an important role in an amputee's life and its daily itinerary offers family members the opportunity to meet with others that have been through a similar experience.
"I do think [parents] are much more comfortable with [their child's] injuries at the end of the week because they get to hang out so intimately with other kids that are going through what they are going through. Plus, they are able to talk with other parents about what they are going through," Moore said.
While all of the participants in the program have some form of disability, their injuries run the gamut. This makes the process of learning how to skate personal and unique to each person providing for greater, personal comfort with his or her disability.
"It becomes pretty individualized because there are so many different kinds of amputations that you have got to adapt to whatever the situation is." Moore said. "You can obviously give pointers and help along the way, but the outcome is very individualized."
This year, held July 17-23, Amped at the Beach will coincide with the Dew Tour, an extreme sports event to be held in Ocean City.
"[What] I want people to take away from it is, it is all about recreational therapy not just for physical healing but also mentally and emotionally," Moore said. "But, it is also not all fun and games. At the end of the day, we are all still people dealing with a disability and this is sort of a way to give us an outlet … for the kids and the parents."
At the moment, Amped at the Beach is limited in the number of participants that can attend. Yet, the crew is always looking to improve the quality of its program.
"We want to try and maintain that informal family feel that we have," Moore said. "I have two kids and, God forbid, if anything ever happened to them I would love to be able to take them to a camp like this. So in the back of my mind I always think how can we set this up so that people are relaxed, have a good time and make the best of the situation."
For Moore and the other Amped Riders, Amped at the Beach offers a chance at fulfilling the group's motto — veho pro causa or ride for reason.
In this case, that reason is to inspire others to overcome their perceived physical limitations while continuing to keep pushing to achieve their own personal goals. Yet, as Moore said, "sometimes you just need to take it easy and take your leg off so to speak."


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For months, Ramsey County Elections Manager Joe Mansky has been predicting the costs and complications of the state voter ID amendment if it passes in November.
Mansky has made public appearances at civic events and spoken at a state House news conference, where he has cautioned voters that Ramsey County will pay a heavy price to correct a problem that he says does not exist: widespread voter fraud.
Now, some St. Paul Republicans are sending him a message of their own: Please be quiet and resign.
In a statement Thursday, Sept. 13, Greg Copeland, chairman of the St. Paul Republican City Committee, called for Mansky, a former top state elections manager, to step down from the position he's held for a decade. Copeland emailed his concerns about possible "ethics violations" to members of the Ramsey County Board and dozens of GOP activists.
"He's compromised his standing as a professional and as an elections manager with regard to taking a position on this issue of voter ID," Copeland said Friday.
He noted that the county's written Code of Ethics calls for employees to "avoid any interest or activity which is in conflict with or inconsistent with the performance of official duties."
In an email, the Rev. Christopher Jack Conner, another St. Paul Republican, said "that any elections official would use their powerful political connections and long-standing reputation to campaign for or against any issue … on a ballot is a greater threat to the integrity of our electoral process than any question that could be put to the voters."
Mansky was scheduled to talk about the voter ID proposal at an anti-amendment event Thursday at New Salem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. He chose not to after Copeland's widely circulated statement. The event was organized by His Works United, a collaboration of black churches throughout the metro, and promoted by Minnesotans for a Fair Economy.
In an email to the county board Thursday, deputy county manager Heather Worthington said Mansky had originally agreed to attend the event under the impression that it was a community meeting. It later "morphed" into a "vote no" rally, she said, and his role in it "was mischaracterized by both organizers and opponents."
"He agreed to attend the meeting to provide factual information, but not to take a position for or against the amendment, because the county board has not taken a formal position on this ballot measure," Worthington wrote.
She said that she has asked Mansky to refrain from speaking at future public events related to the amendment to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Alfred Babington-Johnson, president of the Stairstep Foundation, a leading organizer of Thursday's event in Minneapolis, called the complaints against Mansky "foolishness" and his absence a loss for voters on both sides of the issue.
"What is partisan? That's an outrageous kind of statement around this, to call someone who would share about the process partisan," Babington-Johnson said.
"This is not an election of an officeholder," he continued. "This is on the issue of voting, and whether or not the process of voting ought to be inclusive or restrictive. That's not partisan. What is the party that he's against? Who then can speak to the process, if the folks in charge of the process are denied an opportunity to speak to the community?"
Rafael Ortega, Ramsey County Board chairman, said Mansky has been a go-to resource for secretaries of state from both leading political parties.
Mansky was an elections administrator for the secretary of state from 1984 to 1999, and was redistricting manager under Gov. Jesse Ventura from 2001 to 2002.
"He is probably the expert in the state on elections," Ortega said. "That's his job, to provide public education on the matter."
The amendment, which will appear on the ballot in the November election, would require voters to show valid photo identification at the polls as of July 1, 2013. Even the phrasing and title of the amendment have been the subject of scrutiny, inspiring lawsuits that have risen to the state's highest court.
The suits have also put a tough spotlight on Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, who has shown no enthusiasm for the amendment and was unsuccessful in getting its title changed. GOP lawmakers have accused him of overstepping his bound and campaigning against it.
The city of St. Paul has come out against the amendment, and members of the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners have been equally critical, but the board has not passed a resolution taking an official position.
On Aug. 20, Mansky appeared alongside St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak at a state House news conference calling the voter ID amendment an unfunded state mandate that will be both costly and unnecessary.
"There's no question that those folks are as partisan as it gets in Minnesota. They both ran for the DFL nomination for governor," Copeland said. "Joe Mansky is not supposed to be a politician."
In June, Mansky told the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners that if voters approve the amendment, the county would have to spend up to $1.7 million to install polling place computers and educate voters about the photo ID requirements. He said cities would pay an additional $200,000 for elections judges, ballot boxes and training, and noted those costs might have to be repeated every election cycle.
Frederick Melo can be reached at 651-228-2172.
Follow him at twitter.com/FrederickMelo.


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John Glenn knew nothing would be routine when he woke up the morning of April 1, 1993. After all, he was going to be sworn in as Burlington�s new police chief at 8:30 that morning. It was something he had worked his 25-year career to accomplish.
He took the oath of office as the day started � wife Mary Leigh pinned on the new badge herself � in a celebration filled with well-wishers and congratulations. Afterward, Glenn settled in behind his new desk and more than a few people dropped by to chat and shake hands.
Then the business of being the new chief began.
Glenn remembers talking to someone in his office shortly after 3 p.m. He was going over a personnel matter with a couple of lieutenants when a call came in about a shooting at New Market Square, one of Burlington�s busiest shopping centers � the one at the corner of Shadowbrook Drive and South Church Street.
�I thought it was a joke at first, it was April Fool�s Day, remember,� says Glenn, who retired as Burlington�s police chief 13 years ago. He turned and told his officers the same thing.
It had to be a joke.
Then the dispatcher said she heard gunshots in the background of the call. It was no joke.
Still, Glenn couldn�t help but think one thing.
�That�s not supposed to happen here.�
And yet it did.
ACCORDING TOa report compiled by the State Bureau of Investigation, and reported by Chris Cary, for the Times-News in 1993, a man with a history of mental illness dating back to the age of 12 walked into the Winn-Dixie grocery store shortly before 3 p.m. on April 1, 1993. He was armed with a Dan Wesson .357-caliber magnum revolver. His primary target was a former co-worker at the store with whom he had a disagreement. The SBI report did not establish the exact nature of that relationship.
On that day it was clear to witnesses and police that Gerald Howard Snead was prepared to shoot anyone and everyone in the building if necessary. There were 33 people inside when Snead began firing.
He entered the store, then walked to the deli area where his intended victim, Pamela Pike, tried to hide in the cooler. She was with Edna Inman. Another woman, Mary Kay Rowland, hid in the freezer. He fired several shots at the doors of both, before entering the cooler and shooting Pike six times and killing her. Inman and Rowland were both wounded but would recover.
As police then began to arrive, �Snead told Mrs. Inman that he would kill any officers that came for him,� the SBI report said.
IN 1993, INSTANCESlike this one were still rare. There was a notable shooting spree at a McDonald�s playground in San Diego and another well-publicized one at a Luby�s cafeteria in Kileen, Texas. But the New Market Square shootings in Burlington were well ahead of a national trend that would one day make Columbine, Blacksburg, Milwaukee, Aurora and Newtown sites in America that people in most households associate with incidents of mass violence.
�Workplace violence was just beginning. It�s not something that happened, and we never thought it would happen in Burlington, not here,� Glenn says. �In a matter of minutes Burlington became a nationwide story, just like (Newtown,) Connecticut.
�It was five minutes of terror that went on and on and on.�
Glenn says Burlington officers had some training in how to handle situations where a shooter opens fire into large and heavily populated public areas like schools or movie theaters � but not an extensive amount. It simply didn�t happen that often anywhere. Back then, hostage situations were more common.
Randy Jones was a traffic lieutenant for the Burlington Police Department when the shootings at Winn-Dixie occurred. Now the spokesman for the Alamance County Sheriff�s Office, Jones was among the first officers to enter the store.
�It�s what they call rapid deployment today,� Jones says in reference to how Burlington police responded to the call.
�The old idea of a SWAT team or SRT arriving on the scene to contain an area was the standard at that time,� Jones says. �In a lot of the cases then, people wanted something either involving money or something political. There was some kind of demand and they had hostages.�
The Winn-Dixie incident didn�t follow the profile.
�This guy went in and started shooting, that was the thing,� Glenn says. �We�re really fortunate that more people weren�t shot.�
According to the SBI, Snead fired his weapon 23 times. Jones recalls counting at least 18 shots on a tape recording of the 911 call.
�He had a six-shot revolver and kept reloading,� Jones says.
BURLINGTON OFFICERSadvanced on the store from all corners of the city. There was no time to set up a perimeter and talk through what would be the next course of action. There would be no negotiation. In many ways, instinct took over.
The first officer on the scene was Detective Mike Fuquay, who was working security across the street at Holly Hill Mall. He entered the store and soon was joined by Patrolman H.G. Coble and Patrolman S.E. Morrison. Sgt. Tony Holland and Patrolman J.B. Taylor also entered the store. Snead was instructed over the store�s public address system to surrender. Fuquay and Morrison also ordered him to drop his weapon.
According to the SBI report, Snead emerged from the cooler, where Pike lay dead and officers again asked him to give up. Snead cursed at the police and walked back inside the cooler.
Police heard three more shots from the cooler before Snead emerged and pointed his gun at Fuquay, who shot Snead first. Snead fell to the floor, then rose and aimed his gun at Fuquay again.
�Just as I came around the register is when the two shotgun blasts came out,� Jones recalls. �It doesn�t work like you see on television. He shot him once; he fell down and got up. Then he tried to raise his gun again.�
The second shotgun blast from Fuquay ended it. Snead died at the scene.
THE RESPONSEby Burlington police officers that afternoon would be eerily similar to what would become the national standard for dealing with shooting sprees. The objective is to end the shooting as quickly as possible.
�You can�t set up a perimeter and wait for the SWAT team,� Jones says. �When someone is killing people, you have to go. When you have someone who is continuing to shoot people, we�ve got to go after him.�
Jones notes that acting too slowly cost lives in 1999 when two students killed 12 people and injured 21 at a high school shooting in Columbine, Colo. Times have changed in that regard.
Glenn says the fear for officers in those kinds of situations is that they�ll do something wrong. Training for how to handle shootings existed before Columbine � and prior to the Winn-Dixie event in Burlington. But in 1993, no one expected, or thought, it would happen.
�If you�ve got somebody already shooting you�ve got to get in. You don�t know how many they�re going to be shooting,� Glenn says. �You�ve got to go.�
Jones gives a nod to Glenn�s leadership under fire, especially for a first day on the job. Glenn rushed from his office to New Market Square to monitor events after verifying the initial call. He maintained contact with officers everywhere by walkie-talkie.
�I decided to go out myself to see what was happening,� Glenn told Times-News reporter Jim Wicker in a story published the following day.
�John took charge of the situation,� Jones says.
Glenn credits the officers who took the initiative to storm the store once they determined what was going on. Because he was new on the job, knowing what his department�s capabilities were was critical.
�I came up through the ranks and knew what to expect from everybody,� Glenn says. �A new guy wouldn�t know what to expect. I knew what they would do, how they would respond and how they would handle it.�
�Everybody did what needed to be done and it was handled exceptionally well,� Jones says.
The SBI agreed, as did then-District Attorney Steve Balog, who compiled a summary of the state police report.
�I find that Detective Fuquay not only acted appropriately, but heroically, in the use of deadly force in this incident,� Balog wrote. �Risking his life, he entered the Winn-Dixie Store before backup officers arrived because numerous shots had been fired in the store and the lives of customers and employees were in immediate jeopardy.�
THERE ISa sense of innocence lost when a gunman goes on a shooting spree in what has always seemed to be the safest of places. The truth is, most shop for groceries with just an eye on the price of bread in mind, not on who might be entering the store with a gun.
A shooting like the one on that April afternoon 20 years ago in Burlington changed things, at least for a while.
�You might think about it,� Glenn says. �It certainly impacted the thoughts of people. We had people calling the police department and asking, �what is happening to little ol� Burlington?� We had ladies who once felt safe going out shopping who were afraid.�
�It instills fear in the entire community,� he adds.
And there is another common thread between the Burlington shooting in 1993 and the rash of similar incidents nationwide over the past decade. According to the SBI, Winn-Dixie employees and Snead�s relatives told police that Snead had a history of mental illness and was on medication at the time. Snead�s medical records indicated he had been receiving psychiatric treatment since he was 12, the report said.
�That guy, again, there were warning signs with him, and people are not looking at the warning signs,� Glenn says. �Every one of these mass shootings we had, they weren�t looking at the hard things about these people. Had they been addressed, these things might not have happened.�
Ultimately, the toll from that day rose to three killed � including the shooter � and two wounded. A customer in the store, the Rev. William Graham Pulkingham of Texas, suffered a heart attack during the melee. Police officers administered CPR until he was taken to the hospital. He died April 16, 1993.
�We had a lot of unsung heroes,� Jones says, and cites the police who tried to help the stricken pastor. �The guys giving CPR never got the credit they deserved for that, it was under active gunfire.�
Jones and Glenn also credit whoever locked the front door of the store after the shooting began with saving lives. No one outside could hear the gunshots. While police had to break down the door to get inside, potential customers were taken out of the line of fire.
�He probably saved civilian lives because people were going to walk into a gunfight,� Jones says.
After the shootings, Winn-Dixie moved its store to another location in New Market Square. Life returned to normal. Thousands of people shop daily at what is now a Harris Teeter store.
But officers who were there that day think of it often.
�Well, for that time, this is something you read about happening somewhere else, but it�s not something you experience,� Jones says. �It�s one of those things, you do what you have to do and when it�s over, your hands shake a little bit.�
As police worked the crime scene on April 1, 1993, Glenn expressed mixed feelings about the entire day. Few people ever had a more intense first few hours on any job. He told the Times-News: �It was a happy day and a sad day � a dual day. A day to remember. It�s one I�ll never forget.�
With 20 years of hindsight at his disposal, he still finds it all difficult to fathom.
�It was an experience. I sit back now and look at it and say can�t believe my tenure as chief started this way,� he says. �But it ended on a better note.�


text:
Lesson in Survival
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Water is critical to bighorn survival. In early spring of years with good winter rains, they get enough water from the grass they eat to go without drinking. At other times, they must trek to a spring or water-holding depression at least every third day.
Bighorn have extremely acute eyesight, which aids in jumping and gaining footholds in the steep terrain.
Horn size is a symbol of rank in the herd. However, many rams rub off the ends of their horns (called "brooming") because they interfere with their vision.
This ram was hiding out in the Aztec sandstone cliffs
of southern Nevada's Valley of Fire State Park, just west of Fire Canyon Wash.
December 31, 2010
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text:
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. - Every seat was taken Monday night at St. Fabian Catholic Church in Farmington Hills.
The church is where the Cipriano family worships and where friends and family gathered to pray for the entire family.
Bob and Rose Cipriano were active at St. Fabian. Bob coached basketball in the Catholic Youth League.
Father Jeffrey Day was praying with the congregation.
"We ask the Lord to help the Cipriano family in this time of agony and distress," he said.
The 19-year-old, eldest son of the Ciprianos, Tucker, was sitting in jail Monday night along with a friend of his. The two are accused of breaking into Tucker's parents' home on Monday morning in Farmington Hills and violently attacking Bob, Rose and Tucker's 17-year-old brother, Sal. Bob was killed. Rose and Sal were badly beaten. Both were hospitalized Monday night.
Sal's twin brother, Tanner, and their young sister escaped the attack.
Police say Tucker and his 20-year-old friend broke into the home in search of money. Things turned violent and the family members were beaten with a baseball bat.
A friend of Tucker's said the 19-year-old planned the break-in and got extremely high before going to his parents' house.
"He wanted to run away but he didn't have any money," said Ian Zinderman.
Bob was well-known as the public services director at Dearborn Public Schools.
--Bob Cipriano
Friends and colleagues of the Ciprianos said the family's struggles with their eldest son were well-known. Tucker Cipriano's drug and behavioral problems were also well-known.
They describe his drug problems as a trial for the Ciprianos who desperately tried to help him.
"Bob and Rose never gave up on him," said one friend at St. Fabian. "They never quit trying."
-Rose Cipriano, Bay City Times
Tucker was arrested in Keego Harbor just hours after the attack and murder. His 20-year-old friend was found and arrested by officers at the Farmington Hills home.
Those who knew Tucker Cipriano at North Farmington High School said they knew about his drug use and said he was haunted by personal demons which he never could seem to shake. He never finished high school and had failing grades due to his many days of skipping school.
Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
wow wtf was that about? can u atleast try...i think they wanted 2 lose this 1...like wow yo...are they trying 2 prove something....PATHETIC....
Jamal Crawford
Isiah Thomas
James Dolan
I would F*ck the Intern
Zach Randolph
Eddy Curry
Marbury rules
The Celtics
The Patriots
Jay-Z/NJ Nets
wow wtf was that about? can u atleast try...i think they wanted 2 lose this 1...like wow yo...are they trying 2 prove something....PATHETIC....
The Knicks now have a 6 game losing streak. The whole team sucks. We continue to reach a new franchise low. Things keep gettin worse.
Let Reveal The Player Of The Game, The Leader, Isiah's Favored Son Jamal Crawford Who Went 4-15. No Need To Worry Because This Is Ur Typical Leader On The New York Knicks. Lord Have Mercy, How Can Crawford Have Such Freedom That Whenever He Is Cold, He Is Still In The Game. Am Not Stirring Up Any Marbury Debate But How Can Jamal Hand In 5 Assist If He Is Our Leader and Point Guard? Even Though He Is Cold, If He Was A True Leader, He Would Have Focused On Dishing Out To His Team Mate But Instead He Keeps Chucking It Up. If It Was Steph Or Eddy, Isiah Would Have Pulled Them Out Of The Game. This Tells U How Dysfunctional This New York Knicks Team Is. Did U Guys Realize When The Knicks Were Down By Ten In The First Quarter, Isiah Was Sitting On Bench Whiles Herb William Had To Stand Up To Signal A Play Before Isiah Decided To Call A Time Out And Act As If He Was Coach, What A Pity.
need a PG to contain the cosistancy
I know this is a little off track, but since the Knicks have an o next to their name, indicating they're elminated from Playoff contention, I'll say it. Is it just me, or does Mardy Collins look like Stephon Marbury, now that he has a shaved head? Collins needs to grow his hair back, cause it's confusing. lol
Look at the bright side, since we're 0-2 head to head against the Clippers we win the tiebreaker in lottery standings.
To say we need a point guard is stupid. We need a new team.


text:
" Manufacturer: Little Tikes / Ages: 1-6 / Type: Outdoor Play Equipment - Sandpit "
* Prices may differ from that shown
After my parents purchased one of these for my younger brother, he was so excited to get playing in it. Unfortunately, it was raining that day, so after sobbing himself to sleep, he woke up the next morning willing us to set it up for him.
After we took it out of the huge box, we saw that it was just a huge piece of plastic. It is a circular shape and has four turtle legs, a turtle's head and a domed back with a pattern like that on a turtle's shell. This makes it slightly resemble a turtle from above, but it doesn't look too much like a turtle. It didn't matter though, all my brother wanted was to play in the sand, after enjoying his last visit to the beach so much. The domed part of the turtle is the lid. It can be put on the sandbox when it is not in use to stop things getting in, however, it isn't always successful. We have still found many insects in there. Also, this lid can be easily removed with a small gust of wind and so many other things can get in there too. Fortunately, the first time this happened, there was nothing to be found in the sandpit and after this, we placed a brick on the lid when the sand pit was not in use to stop the lid from coming off.
The sandpit itself is 109cm by 119cm by 38cm and so it is pretty big. We have a relatively large garden and it doesn't take up too much room in it. There is still also room for a climbing frame and a 15ft trampoline in there too.
One downside of the sandpit is that it isn't very deep, so there is never much sand in it, although you could say that that is an upside because you don't have to buy too much sand, however I don't think this would have been much of a problem anyway as the bags of sand are relatively cheap in most places and we only needed 3. Also, with the sandpit itself being green, it looks rather camouflaged in the corner of our garden on the grass.
I separated from my son's father back in 2009 just a month before what would be my son's fourth birthday. He actually dealt with the change really well as both his Dad and I tried hard then to keep the disruption to a minimum but as it was his birthday approaching I knew I wanted to make sure he was treated to lots of lovely things so when my mum asked what he might like for his birthday I asked her to buy him the Little Tikes turtle sandbox as I knew it would last well and be well played with.
==What is it==
The Little Tikes turtle sandbox is basically a relatively large sandpit in the shape of a turtle. It is made from a tough green plastic and the base of the sandpit has four legs as well as a turtle head so it looks as though you are looking at a turtle from above I guess. It also has a domed lid which fits on the top of the sandpit meaning that when it is not in use cats and other such horrible things cannot get in there to do their business!
The sandbox measures 109cm by 119cm by 38cm and so it is pretty big. It fits well in to the corner of our back yard and whilst our yard isn't huge by any means we have the sand pit a trampoline and enough space to play as well so those with larger gardens would find it fits very well indeed.
==Our experience==
The sandpit is quite light to carry before it is filled with sand even though the plastic feels thick and of good quality. I was able to pull it outside and put it in to position on my own before filling it with sand. The sand pit is able to hold 70kg of sand but I only put in two 10kg bags each time I use this as I don't want to over fill it and to be honest 20kg of sand is plenty for my son to play with and it doesn't look like the sandpit is under filled or anything!
What I really like about this sand pit is the fact that it has a domed lid which goes on top of the pit when it is not in use. As we keep our sand pit outside there are always cats sniffing around and they like to come in to my back yard for some reason and I wouldn't like to think that my son would be left their horrible presents in his sand. The lid prevents the cats from getting in to the sand as well as other kinds of bugs. As the lid is domed it means that you can keep all your sand toys in the sandpit and you will still be able to shut the lid on top of them. The only issue we have found is that sometimes in particularly nasty weather the lid can lift up and blow off slightly and so at times like this we place something heavy such as a scooter on top of the lid which just makes sure that it is kept in place protecting the sand inside. I always replace the sand in the sand pit each year but as the weather is so unpredictable we all know it can pour down in August yet be glorious in April!
My son really enjoys playing with the sand in this sand pit and whenever we have some nice weather he is out in the back yard playing with this and his other toys and I really encourage that because when I was young I remember I was out playing all the time and I don't really want my son to be out playing on the streets as he is still young and it is not as safe as it used to be but I do still think he needs the benefit of playing out in the fresh air. This sand pit helps to provide something for him to do outside and he enjoys playing with it.
We have always used this sandpit with sand but I see no reason why you couldn't use it for water play if you had no sand or had emptied it from sand and then had some more good weather later in the year.
The sandpit has lasted really well over the two years that we have had it and although there are some patches on the lid where the green colour has faded the main part of the sand pit is in excellent condition considering it has been out in all weather conditions for that time. The sand pit cost my mum around £35.00 a couple of years ago and whilst this may seem a little on the expensive side I can assure you that it isn't for a toy which will last many years. I would say that even children aged one can play in a sand pit as long as they are supervised properly and are stopped from eating the sand so it is something which potentially could last you six or seven years or even more making it excellent value.
Thank you for reading my review!
My aunt bought this sandbox for Hollie for her first Christmas, obviously we both knew that at (then) six months old it wasn't going to be used for a while but a few months later in the summer I took it out of the huge box and set it up in readiness for any interest Hollie may display. And also for Alice, who has always loved playing with these chunky plastic toys despite being eight years older than Hollie!
As you can see from the piccie, this is a green turtle shaped sandpit (sandbox sounds *so* quasi-American) which comes complete with a lid to prevent your local cat population from deciding to use it as a toilet. It'll hold 70kg of sand, although personally I use less than this as if you fill it with the full 70kg you'll find there isn't much room for your child to sit and they'll be kinda 'perched' on the top of it rather than actually sitting in the sand. Obviously the sand isn't included, although play sand (you must never use builders sand due to the glass content) is available very cheaply from all sorts of places including Argos.
The turtle doesn't need putting together; you literally just need the arm power to extract the base and lid from the box and find somewhere to lay it down. It has quite a large footprint so be aware that you need quite a bit of room for the sandpit, also remember that wherever this is placed it will result in the grass underneath dying - not a problem if you're planning to leave it in the same position for the duration of summer, but even after a couple of days the grass turns yellow and flattens down beyond all chances of saving it. It took me less than ten minutes to get the turtle in a playable condition, including emptying several bags of sand into it, so this isn't a toy you're going to end up hating after spending hours putting the thing together before it's even been played with.
The turtle is made of very chunky plastic and has an excellent centre of gravity due to it being so low down on the floor. Once filled with sand it becomes so heavy that it would be impossible for your child to flip it over by standing on the edge, actually I doubt this would happen even when empty as the base is so wide and the sandpit is heavy and bulky in it's own right. Hollie's had a few bumps and bruises over the years which have been caused either by over-enthusiastically jumping around in the sand, or even just because she's been running around in the general area of the sandpit and has tripped and banged herself on the base - the feet of the turtle being notorious in this garden for being tripped over.
The lid fits brilliantly thanks to two chunky posts on the base which fit into corresponding holes in the lid. This makes the sandpit much more secure and protected from the elements than the more traditional clamshell sandpits where the lid simply rests on the base; no water has *ever* got inside the turtle sandpit, a couple of winters ago I forgot completely to empty the sand out and when Hollie came to use it again (five or so months later) the sand was still in perfect condition despite the fact that the turtle had been quite literally covered in snow at one point! Weathering is fine, the sandpit has lost some of it's vibrancy in the almost four years that we've owned it but to be honest you'd never notice unless you compared it to a newer toy of a similar colour. Little Tikes do produce toys with a long lifespan, and this turtle is no exception as there are no cracks or scuffs to be seen on the body of the sandpit - which is surprising considering Hollie shows little interest in actually looking after her toys.
Hollie has had so much fun with this sandpit and I think it's a lovely item to have in the garden. Unfortunately he's off to another home soon as she's now the proud owner of a sand and water table, which is more suitable for her age and height. She has played with him over three full summers though and I've lost count of the amount of sandcastles she's built in this time, my only criticism really is that the lid has too much of a rounded shape to be able to fill with water (as you can with most clamshell sandpits) as this would have given the turtle a completely new play-value aspect.
We do love this turtle though. At one point or another we've all played with it (I recall one vodka fuelled night when me and Mark spent hours creating an exact replica of Warwick Castle, or so we thought in our drink-addled minds), I'm extremely impressed that such a very basic toy has lasted for so long and has given Hollie so many hours (nay, months) of enjoyment.
We bought one of these Turtle shaped sand boxes for when the grand children come round. We wanted something they could play in that was easy to cover up when not in use and that wouldn't take up too much room. We were wondering what to get when we spotted one of these at a boot fair the other week. The lady selling it was asking for £10 for it but we managed to knock her down to a fiver which I thought was a brilliant price for it.
On getting it home I gave it a good clean out with some hot soapy water and a bit of disinfectant in it and left it to dry out completely.
We found some play sand on the Argos website which was £2.99 for a 15k bag. We bought 4 of these bags and it was just the right amount for the box.
The box is very sturdy being made by Little Tikes. Their outdoor equipment is very strong and will take a lot of battering. This sand box, being second hand, was already a bit battered but it was just a case of the outside looking a bit scratched. The whole thing itself is not broken at all and I think it would take quite a bit of battering to actually break it anyway.
The lid fits on nicely and we find that if its raining the sand does not get wet and messed up. The shape of the box is quite sweet looking and it is a nice colour for the garden, being green it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb when we have it shut up and down the end.
The children love playing in this sand pit and it keeps all the sand nicely inside, there is not really much mess to clear up and I don't think we would need another bag of sand for the remainder of this summer.
To buy one of these sand boxes brand new it would cost about £50 which is a bit expensive seeing as you would need to buy the sand as well on top of this cost so best to have a look round the boot fairs or may be in the local newspaper ads and see if you can buy a second hand one.
Copied to Ciao under username Harveydog52
Little Tikes Turtle Sandbox
I am always amazed that children's toys can go for quite an expense in some shops, and so it is not a surprise that many turn towards Ebay or Freecycle to obtain playthings for their little ones. This particular sandbox is literally two large plastic containers and still it can go for as much as £50.00! Yes, Little Tikes products are known for their durability and safety, though for two lumps of plastic I personally feel that it is way too much! Needless to say, I looked around for a cheaper version and in the end came up trumps on Freecycle (an online site where people recycle their old things for free!). I was especially pleased at the good condition it came in as well!
As already mentioned, the sandpit is made of a durable, hard plastic which comes in two halves. When put together, the two halves create a turtle shape. The sandpit has only one colour to it; green, though there are green decoration to add to the turtle appearance as well as a turtle head at one end with two large eyes which are part of the plastic and so do not rub off.
I always knew I wanted to get our little one this particular sandpit and she loves taking her shoes off and wading into sand, though there were other factors in which persuaded me on this model which includes a firmly fixed lid; easy enough for a young child to take off, though fixed tightly enough to stop rain water getting in or wind blowing it off. You would not think that the lid would sit so firmly onto the base as all that holds it there is two holes which fit over two thick plastic raised rods, but it does!
Another nice part about this sandpit is the rim around the outside of the sand bottom base. This is wide enough for children to sit on comfortably if you do not wish them to get their clothes completely covered in sand! One aspect in which we hoped this sandpit would have been space in the lid for water. Unfortunately, apart from a little puddle, the lid is not deep enough, nor is it shaped well to hold any real amount of water.
The sand pit holds a good amount of sand at approximately 60kg worth of it! We have not filled it all up, though, as even with half the pit filled up, we find sand goes everywhere!
My little one loves this sand pit and keeps her entertained for hours. She especially loves it when we have her small paddling pool next to it to give her a sea and beach scene!
£50.00 is, in my opinion, way too much for this sand pit. It is a lovely sand pit and apart from not allowing water in the lid, is a perfect buy, though I would say it is worth more in the range of £15-£20 at the most! I certainly got a bargain when I picked it up for free!
Recommended though look for cheaper places!
You've got to love this Turtle!
It's made by Little Tikes, it's very hardwearing, we've had ours for 2 years of hard play and hard winter but it's still looking good and has also become a much loved member of the family. I kid you not! During the last heavy snowfall, my son insisted that I wipe the snow off the top of the turtle, so that he could see! Well... at least I didn't have to sit it in front of the fire and feed it hot soup. Maybe this winter!
Also it has a lid, that keeps out rain, snow, leaves, flies, cats and foxes although I do put a brick on top as it's not quite as sturdy as the base and did once nearly blow away in a gale.
Now, it's quite large at 1.09m x 1.19m x 0.38m but it does mean that you have, I mean your kids have plenty of room to play. I used approximately 4 x 10kg bags of play sand in ours, but it will hold considerably more, I'm just a skinflint and I find if you fill it too high then sand just gets thrown over the sides!
It also has a nice sturdy edge for the kids to sit on and a lovely little face, although the eyes do seem follow you around the garden.
I will also let you into a little secret... it's not just a sandbox.
It has also been a paddling pool last summer, and a flying saucer when it was emptied of sand last autumn. Just add a little imagination really..
Oh, and at the moment it's a ball pit!
It says that this sandbox is suitable for ages 1 to 6 and in truth they will actually play with it when they are older and it's built to last. This is worth considering when you pay £49.99 for a sandbox. You will inevitably get your moneys worth with this and there's not many toys that you can honestly say that about.
All in all an excellent purchase!
5 Stars? No diggity, no doubt!
Thanks for reading.
Moon Out.
Little tikes has been on the go for years, i remember my little brother having little tikes toys and ride on and he is now 24. My brother even had the exact sandpit when he was pre school age so i was thrilled when i seen the same sandpit for sale in toys r us.
I bought the sandpit for my girls when they were around 14 moths old, i purchased some sand toys and a wheel too, the two of them would play for ages just plonked in the sandpit and dig around.
I paid £49.99 for the little tikes sandpit and it seems a lot of money for a plastic sandpit but i know just how good little tikes products are so was prepared to spend that amount.
The sand pit is made from hard wearing moulded plastic. Little tikes turtle sandpit base is shaped like a turtle with a head at the top, and four rounded bumps at the sides to resemble legs. The head has two big eyes these are also plastic and not stickers.
The good thing about the sand pit is it has a lit shaped like a turtle shell with grooves on it to look like the pattern of the shell.
The lid fits snugly on top of the turtle base and stays in place, even on windy days the lid has not come off. It keeps the rain out completely and little bugs. I like the lid for this reason as the sandpit and my mums house even when the lid is on their is always a puddle in the middle of the sand and maggots from the blue bottles. There would be nothing worse than filling the sandpit up with sand then having to empty it out again and buy more sand.
For the lid to stay on properly there are two plastic thin rods around two inches high on either side of the sand pit, the lid has two indents on it these parts fir into each other to keep the lid secure.
Little tikes sandpit has a thick ledge going around the edge this is nice as the girls can sit on there whilst playing or kneel outside and lean in however they prefer to sit on the ledge with their toes in the sand now.
I was surprise how much sand the sandpit took around four full bags of play sand, one bag of sand holds 15kg.
Little tikes turtle sandpit has been sitting on the grass on the same sport since the day we bought it, i haven't packed it away for winter because we had no more room in our shed. After a quick wash down last weekend and a rinse with the hose its as good as new again, the colour hasn't faded either so i'm very pleased.
The sandpit comes with an age range from one year olds to six.
My daughters love this sandpit as do their little friends that come to play. We have many sand toys that keep them busy. I feel sand is great for children to play as can be educational for instants can be creative when building or making shapes in the sand, encourages verbal skills, social skills if there is more than one child playing, and be imaginative.
This is a lovely sand pit, hard wearing, fun, bright and a little tikes classic. This is sure to keep the children entertained for hours during the summer as it has for my own kids over the last few years. I highly recommend.
We've spotted this strange yellow glowing thing in the sky of late - Spring, it appears has sprung, and we've even been brave enough to venture out into the garden where our range of garden have been lying neglected during what has been a long Winter, case in point this Sandbox, which we have owned for over 2 years, it was a second birthday purchase which has been very successful.
Our turtle is pink, rather than the green pictured (it also comes in blue), but is identical in all other aspects. We bought it from Toysrus, for a reasonable £30, it seems to cost anything from £40- £94 now, at the lower range it's a good buy I think, like all Little Tikes products I have come across the sandbox is made from a durable and sturdy plastic and has been designed with children in mind. It's 1.19 metre across and the rim is under 30cm high - though the manufacturer says the age range is from 3+, in my opinion it's a good toy for toddlers up who are likely to enjoy playing with sand. You should take into consideration the cost of sand when buying this, you will need 4 bags or so to fill it adequately for play in my experience and probably will need to replenish it fairly frequently as sand, inevitably, gets spread around the garden.
One good feature about this sandbox is the lid - this means that, when not in use, the sandbox is protected from the elements and also from any visiting animals. We find we can store most of our sand toys under the lid, as it has two studs on it, once on it doesn't get blown off in even the worst weather, and though it is light enough to be removed it's very strong - it's not particularly designed to be played with but my children have used it to mix many a "magic potion" to no ill effect.
As you can see from the picture the sandbox itself is pretty low on features; I find that about 3-4 children can play around it comfortably and the edge is big enough for little bottoms to perch on without being an obstacle for them. The plastic has faded a little over time, but not dramatically, bearing in mind ours has been outside in two severe Winters now, and it's still got plenty of life left in it and seems to still be enjoyed by my children, who are age 4 and 7. The children have enjoyed playing with it since they got it - I think there's something universal about the appeal of playing with sand. I don't think it needs to have any fancy water play feature with it, and we have a separate water play table, but I do know that Little Tikes have brought out a 30 year anniversary version of this sandpit which has a small "river" within the rim, should you wish to have this feature - I can't comment on how good it is as I haven't seen it, but the original version that I have is also still widely available. Our sandpit, the non-river type, has, at various times, been used as a pirate island, a beach, to make castles or hide dinosaurs - it really has been much played with and enjoyed in the time we have had it.
Overall the Turtle Sandpit is a simple and well made and traditional toy. It may not be as environmentally friendly as a wooden version but it's robust and really appeals to children, for those reasons I would really recommend it.
In my previous nursery the little sandbox was a firm favourite and we used to use it for to things one obviously being sand the other was plastic play balls.
This sandbox is of course in the shape of a turtle as you can see from the picture it is made from plastic making it water resistant and it was quite wearing on more than one occasion ours was trampled on by an over excited toddler and the case did not crack. It was also kept outside and in the 5 years I worked there stood strong through all weathers and also the colour stayed the same. The turtles shell swings open and as it got older swung off but to be fair it was used alot and if you had this for your home it would not get as much use as a nursery for 140 children could give it. The sand pit can hold 70 kg of sand which is a good amount for general play and the children can climb in there if they want to.
The turtle is 109cm L x 119cm W x 38cm not huge about 3 children could probably get in there at one time which for a home is enough I would say. The lid means you can cover it at night and no animals can get in and mess it up if you know what I mean lol. It also stops the rain getting in.
As I said at the beginning we also used to put balls in there to make the children a ball pool great if you want to use it indoors in winter when your less likely to be playing in sand outside.
This sandbox was donated to the nursery but looking online I have found out they can be purchased for as little as £10 used on ebay up to £60 new from online retailers. Even at £60 I would say it was worth it and will definatley last.
5 stars
When my eldest daughter was just a baby my sister in law was having a sort out and gave us a Little tikes Turtle Sandpit along with a few other garden toys as she no longer needed them.
When we got it our turtle sandpit was in a good used condition and we were very glad of it. We put down some woodchip in a corner of the garden and the sandpit took pride of place. Seven years later the sandpit is still there and still in a good used condition.
The sandpit is quite a large circular shape and has head and feet like a turtle. The shell part of the turtle is the lid that fits by just placing it over the top and lining up two notches to keep it secure.
The whole thing is quite heavy but can easily be moved about as there are only the two parts and there is no construction necessary.
Our turtle is blue but I have seen them available in green and pink and they are currently (Aug 2010) available online for £39.99 and are available from places like Toys r Us.
We find that two 15 Kilo bags of children's play sand is enough to fill the sand pit without it spilling out every time the children play. As long as you remember to cover the sandpit the sand will last you a while. Our garden is quite open and we do get a lot of wind and strong breezes and I have never known the lid to be blow away even though there are no clasps or catches.
We have been using this sand pit for almost 7 years and it has plenty of life left in it. We have cleaned it many times and even jet washed it and it is still in good condition. It has faded a little from the sun but it stays outside in all weathers so a little fading is to be expected. I have no idea how old this sandpit is but it lasting really well.
Overall I am very happy with our Little Tikes Turtle Sandpit and would happily pay £40 for it knowing that it is a good quality long lasting garden toy. I would certainly recommend it to others.
This turtle sandbox was purchased for my daughter by my Grandad and Uncle for her 1st birthday. Luckily, her birthday is in the summer so she was able to use it right away.
The sand pit is shaped like a turtle which is green in colour. It is quite large and is made from very thick and durable plastic. The turtle has big eyes and a smile on his face. The face is just a sticker though. He is completely shaped like a turtle with 4 legs for support and his head.
The inner bit of the turtle where the sand goes isn't overly deep but deep enough for it to stretch out over its 1-6 years age range. There are two little ledges in the actual pit either side for your child to sit on whilst playing which I thought was a nice touch. The inside of the sandpit is also green. The one thing I really like about this sandpit is that if you don't have any sand and it is hot enough, you can put water in it instead. This is a really good idea of doubling up and although it is not particularly deep, I do recommend adult supervision if you decide to use the pit in this manner. My daughter preferred it as a sandpit though.
To cover the sandpit when it is not in use, there is a green lid which is shaped like the turtle's shell which i thought was a nice touch and it has all the little criss cross shapes on it. The lid fits on nicely but if there are strong winds then it will come off so if you are leaving it out in the winter, make sure you put something heavy on the top to stop it coming off. We leave something on it at all times just in case of the odd fox that may get the lid off and poo in the sand.
The dimensions of the pit are 1.09m x 1.19m x 0.38m and it can hold up to 70kg of sand. This works out at roughly 10 bags but we have never filled it up that much as my daughter was quite young when she got and now she likes to occassionally chuck some over the side so it gets wasted a little bit if you put too much in.
My Grandad and Uncle paid £39.99 for the sandpit in 2007 and it is still around that price now. We have had the sandpit for 3 years and it is still in fabulous condition, despite being outside in the sun, rain, sleet, wind and snow. He hasn't faded and he has never broken plus the sticker which is his face is still there too!
My daughter has always loved her sandpit. She uses it every summer and dreads the winter when she cannot go and get in it as much as she would like. She can spend hours in the sandpit just digging and playing hidden treasure games as well as building sandcastles.
I definately recommend this item. It is well made, durable and my daughter is now 4 years old and it is still perfect for her. A great item from Little Tikes.
My daughter has never really been a fan of sand as she couldn't bear the feel of the sand on her hands, and it was even worse if it went on her feet (like mother like daughter!!!). However on a recent trip to the seaside with my friend and her little boy we went on the beach and to my absolute suprise she had a whale of a time and even went as far as going barefoot on the sand. I was so shocked as previously we would just have tears if we did this! When we arrived home she kept asking to make a sandcastle (or sand-bucket as she always calls it) and I felt dreadful as I had never bought her a sandpit due to her dislike of the feel.
Luckily, my friend had a turtle sandpit that her children had outgrown and she asked me if I would like it for my daughter so of course I just jumped at the chance! After a quick clean it came out like new, in such brilliant condition so I was over the moon with this. A quick trip to Tesco where bags of sand were on offer for 2 for £4.00 (the cheapest I have seen anywhere) and we were ready for play!
The sandpit is a large green turtle, made from extremely strong plastic which is really durable, and it has big white eyes and a little smile on his face. It comes with a large green lid which is in the shape of a shell and this offers great protection from the weather, and cats poo!! (a real problem that I have heard about with sandpits). The lid fits quite snugly so is kept in place. The dimensions of the pit are 1.09m x 1.19m x 0.38m which is a great size for a first sandpit. This sandpit can hold up to 70kg of sand, which is a large amount and I have never filled it so high, I used six bags and that was plenty for my daughter to play in.
I have seen the sandpit for sale online for £39.99 but I would probably try Ebay or Amazon for a cheaper option.
My daughter has had loads of fun playing in her sandpit, making sandcastles, digging holes, playing with a digger truck and much more - there are so many options of play with sand. It can hold her attention for a good couple of hours, and its usually me that ends play when we need to go inside much to her disappointment!! I love the design, its such a cute sand pit and is appealing to children.
A really good first sandpit, and I give it a full five out of five stars!