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Unemployment up in Vermont; more entering the workforce
The Vermont Department of Labor announced Tuesday that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Vermont for October increased by a tenth of a percent from September, to 5.5 percent. Although it has increased in five straight months, officials said the state's seasonally-adjusted rate continues to remain far below the national average of 7.9 percent, which also rose by a tenth of a percent from the previous month.
The total labor force increased for the second straight month. According to the Labor Department, the seasonally adjusted data for Vermont in October showed that the total labor force increased by 900 from September to 358,200 workers. Total employment increased by 700, while total unemployment increased by 200. None of those changes were considered statistically significant, however.
The October unemployment rates in Vermont's 17 labor market areas ranged from a low of 3.3 percent in Hartford to a high of 6.2 percent in Newport and Rutland. In the Bennington market, unemployment decreased to 5.5 percent, down from 5.7 percent in September. That rate is half a percent lower than October 2011.
Bennington County Industrial Corp. Executive Director Peter Odierna said the drop in the Bennington area labor market was not due to any single company hiring a larger number of workers. He said a host of companies have added positions here and there.
The continuing improvement in the housing market should bode well for companies like Vermont Timber Frames, which is poised to hire, Odierna said. "Hopefully, that will lead to more job opportunities over there as we close out this year and into next year," he said. Mathew Barewicz, labor market information chief for the Vermont Department of Labor, said Vermont and other states are looking to decipher jobs numbers to explain where the economy is heading. "This is not been your typical recession, which is why it's got the moniker the Great Recession," he said.
The data suggests that younger people have looked to re-enter the job market over the summer, expanding the total work force. At the same time, older people are staying in the job market longer than ever before, Barewicz said. Additionally, a large number of middle-aged workers are leaving the work force. He said many of them may have taken jobs as secondary income during the recession.
The uptick in Vermont's unemployment rate over the past five months is not preferable, Barewicz said. However, it is indicative that many people are feeling optimistic about the economy, he said.
"We're excited that young people are trying to re-enter the labor force. That's a good sign. When people are hearing positive news they start entering the labor force," he said. "I don't think anyone likes to see the unemployment rate rising, and I don't think people like the idea of people not being able to find work."
The job market may also be steadying itself after a precipitous fall in the state's unemployment rate that reached a low of 4.8 percent earlier this year, according to Barewicz. "I think in some ways it could be the model just re-balancing," he said.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's boys' varsity baseball team swept three games this week to improve to 7-2 after suffering its first two defeats on back-to-back days against Bayside South rivals earlier this month.
The Seahawks started the season 4-0 before losing in back-to-back games to Parkside and Bennett on April 8 and April 9. Since then, Decatur has put together three nice wins in a row including Wicomico, 12-5, and Mardela, 4-2, last week and Chincoteague at home on Monday. The Seahawks face Crisfield at home on Monday.

subset: commoncrawl


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Results 1 to 10 of 55
Driver Training - Graceful Approach To Avoid Me Sleeping On The Couch?
Sometimes perfect pass just isn't enough.
So a little rant and request for advice here. My girl normally does "ok" driving for me and is usually willing, but for some reason this weekend went really bad...
We had decent water, a few other boats and waverunners to contend with, and some extra family in the boat. Had a nice stretch of water along one shoreline that was pretty much only being used by us and a few others for boarding so we were staying in that area.
My turn in the water so I give her the low down on where to drive, PP is set, we're all good. She pulls me out just fine and heads for the nice stretch and I kid you not the woman starts doing figure 8's. I motion like an air traffic controller to head down the shoreline and go straight. Left, right, circle, and I'm fighting my own waves. I'm back there thinking she's on crack or trying to get away from a swarm of bees and getting frustrated...
After I wipe out hitting all my own rollers she swings around and tells me the depth gauge is not working - flashing instead of reading. I guess that explains the figure 8's ?? but we had been running that same stretch of water for a few hours already. Hmmmmm, ok well just stay out in the same areas we've been running all day here and you'll be fine.
Off we go again, headed to another little cove in search of fewer boats and better water. On the way there I'm messing around, do a board slide, planted my ass on the water but popped right back up and was all proud of myself. Nope, she cuts the throttle (after I'm already back up) and I end up doing another board slide, pulling the rope up over my head as high as I can to take up the slack but dumped it again as she then punches it and rips the handle out of my hands, tearing the padding half off it.
We finally get to this little cove and I remind her again to just stay where we've been running and she'll be fine with no depth gauge. Nope, she heads WAY in towards this sediment dam where I know it's maybe 6ft deep and there are big stumps. Once again I'm back there flailing like a chicken trying to fly and pointing for her to head out of here in that direction. Nope, she actually turns the opposite way and keeps heading in even further to the shallows at which point I threw the rope.
Floating there looking at the weeds right under me, I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to say to her so we can work on her driving and navigation skills without me unloading a wrath of "WTF was that?!" She swung around and I could tell she was flustered, so I held it in and told her she did good, gritting my teeth and muttering to myself.
So - what has been the best approach/tactic for coaching your woman on driving, but in a way that is not belittling or demeaning to her? Especially when you have a group with you! We talked about it a little afterwards but I think we've got some work to do. We don't get much one-on-one driving time as we almost always have a group. So I'm all ears...
(Sorry for the page long rant - had to get it out...)The years have been kind, it's the weekends that have done the damage.
2001 MobiusV - Loaded with Ballast, Exile, Blood, Sweat & Tears
You need one on one date night on the water and show her every detail-- take some wine.
I skipped past the wife after I got frustrated and taught daughter #1 to drive starting when she was 12. She's 18 now and was just recruited by the FSU wakeboard club (they love having a girl along who can actually drive).My Mom said I'm not allowed to get wet!
2000 Outback LS (sold)
Exile Tunes
P5 Danielo Diamond 58"
I'm curious as to what kind of advice gets thrown on this one!
I let the gf drive yesterday as well and like you a few things went wrong, but I just bit my tongue, said she did good, thanked her for the pull, and blamed it on rough water and said we would try again a different day... (we had friends on the boat as well and I didn't want to make her feel any more uncomfortable as she was already biting her nails when I was getting back in the boat)2004 Outback Blue on White *Sold
2008 LSV Blue on White
EXILED with 6 SX65-M in cabin & 2 XM9s rockin the tower
2 Kicker ZX700.5 Amps powering the entire boat with 2 10" Subs under the dash
Krypt KMA4200 EQ under driver's side dash to control all the madness
Z5 Cargo Rack annnnnnnd She's NEKKKKED....
I'm no expert, I just read up on the Moomba Forum...
Holy cow. Cracked up reading this. I feel your pain brother. I was reading this and my wife asked why I was laughing and I told her about the figure eights. Luckily she understood at why you can't do that. Truth be told Heather does drive me but gets too worked up doing it. I have been teaching Fiona who is 9 for a while now and if it wasn't for the age law she would be my driver. She listens to everything I tell her with open ears and doesn't get flustered. She is by and far a better driver than her mother.
Maybe have her practice when there is no pressure. (When nobody is being towed.)
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2-Mark
Tow w/: Volkswagen Touareg V8
Mods: Stereo, Stainless Cup Holders and Thru Hulls, Chrome Steering Wheel, EZ Nets, Moomba Etched Cleats
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, bc your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
-John Wooden
Oh, I feel your pain! I have spent 10 minutes soaking in the water waiting for a pull while the wife talks to the mother in law on the phone, fought turn on a dime surf waves, slow starts, fast starts, wondering it I will go under the boat on pickups, swerves while cutting back in to jump the wake.
I have given up now and just try to enjoy what I can. The wife thinks the problem is me. At least she will go out and pull me around (unless she sees this comment).
The flipside is that she is upset if my driving is not perfect and my starts are not arrow straight (usually if she is tired in the water).2010 Moomba XLV
340hp cat
Gravity 3, wake plate
I have a love for ballast and large wakes.
1100 v-drive lockers
1180 under the playpen
+ lead and a collection of other ballast bags
Yup, when my li'l one was about 13 she started driving the boat onto the trailer as my wife could never comprehend why just turning the wheel didn't turn the boat.My Mom said I'm not allowed to get wet!
2000 Outback LS (sold)
Exile Tunes
P5 Danielo Diamond 58"
Funny, Ash and I had a chat about some driving this weekend.
I think as a driver (especially the wife being the driver) any type of feedback from the rider is automatically taken as criticism. Ash and I have had several debates with me floating in the water about something that had just happened..even if I didn't intend to start said debate. She drives great and holds her own line very well, but occasionally something just feels off.
This weekend, while riding i felt like we were in a constant gradual curve, which happens to be how the shoreline is. It never felt right, always felt like i was mid turn and couldn't get a solid cut. I dropped the rope and when she came up I started with "I'm not questioning the driving, but I feel like we are in a curve all the way down. It could be 100% me but can you make sure that you pick a focal point and drive to it, then curve for the last part and drive straight to the other point" That seemed to do the trick without her driving off mad at me. I still don't know if we were curving or what, could have been the wind as it pick up just about every time it's my turn to ride this cove. All I know, I took the blame and got to keep riding with a smile!2006 Supra 20 - Sold
2006 Supra 24 Gravity Games - Sold
2015 Supra SE450 - Sold
Oooo my favorite topic LOL. Don't, for the love of all that is holy, yell. You'll just make it worse. Congratulate her on the times she drives well, bite your tongue when she does not. Discuss in detail boat driving topics when not in the boat. Review boat driving topics while in the boat and let her practice when there are few to no other boats around, the wife and I ususally do this wicked early AM on the weekends, sometimes in the evenings depending on traffic. If she gets flustered with too much traffic call it quits, find a cove and swim, no use making things worse. Hand signals may be something you want to spend more time on. My wife has a hard time with them as well at times but my instructions to her are she needs to pay 90 percent of her attention to driving, 10 percent to me. I don't care if I fall and she is half way across the lake before she notices and comes back as I'd rather that than her running into something or something running into her and the boat. If there is something she is doing that needs immediate attention I'll wave frantically and then drop the line as well to try and get her attention, but she may not notice, it's a gamble... I had purchased some water proof walkie talkies to use thinking that may help rather than hand signals, but it didn't really work out. The less she has to tinker with or adjust the better it is she tells me, which is one reason I just upgraded to the Digital Pro so she doesn't have to do anything throttle wise but push it forward or pull it back. My wife points out that I have spent my life boating, she had not until she and I started boating, which is a good reminder to me when I expect her to do something and she doesn't.
Patience and Practice...Kraig - 2010 Outback V
Berg i feel ya man, Claudia took some time to get used to the throttle on pull ups, and to learn where to look when driving, then i stoped making her drive and let my buddies drive.
Now if she is my driver i only surf, she has forgotten most of what i taught her about throttle control, speed, going straight, when and how to turn LOL.
Best advise is to take her to the place you like to go, explain the dangers, have her drive while you sit by and coach.Malo <--- Means--Evil or Mean One. This explains a lot.
2013 Mojo 2.5 Skylon Tower. Bestia < Beast >
LOL! When my wife first started driving for me we had an 88 HP Evinrude and I only slalom skied. She'd give me about half power and start real slow and being very cautious. THen she'd speed up to almost 25 for a while. I didn't get any better at skiing but I sure got stronger.My Mom said I'm not allowed to get wet!
2000 Outback LS (sold)
Exile Tunes
P5 Danielo Diamond 58"


text:
Alliance for Climate Strategies' Kelly says Asia-Pacific program not a Kyoto competitor
As the debate over how to handle the issue of global warming on the international level continues, the United States, China, and other nations are promoting the Asia-Pacific Partnership as a viable way to develop and share technologies to curb greenhouse gas emissions. During today's OnPoint, Glenn Kelly, executive director of the Alliance for Climate Strategies, explains the current status of the Asia-Pacific Partnership. He discusses some financial challenges facing the agreement and talks about how a shift in administrations in 2009 could affect the future of this program.


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MUDs pave way for development but have consequences on cities
Residential developers flocked to Denton County between 2000 and 2010 in search of land where they could develop master-planned communities.
To finance their developments, the landowners began using municipal utility districts, or MUDs — a tool originally used to help small cities develop support services like water and sewer infrastructure.
With its own boundaries and the ability to set and collect taxes, a utility district is a government entity that works independently from a city or county, similar to the way most independent school districts work.
About 15 years ago, many regional leaders made deals with developers and consented to having districts form in their extraterritorial jurisdictions without much hesitation. Since 2000, the number of municipal utility districts in Denton County has more than doubled, jumping from 27 to 56, according to records obtained from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Now, some leaders are beginning to realize the consequences and have shown reluctance to allow the creation of more districts in the region.
Today, the boundaries of at least a dozen of these districts lie in east and northeast Denton County.
They form barriers in cities' extraterritorial jurisdictions, or ETJ, which is land located just outside a city's limits granted by the state to define areas for future economic growth and expansion.
map 123
But landowners and developers are wedging their districts in the ETJ of cities, claiming the land first and avoiding incorporation into cities and towns. The utility districts lack uniformity through the region, creating a patchwork effect much like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle. The districts leapfrog from one piece of land within one city's ETJ to another before a city can naturally grow into the area.
"Landowners have the right to build and decide what they want to do with their land," said Van Nichols, a county resident seeking to create his own district in Pilot Point's ETJ.
Though the districts are beneficial in helping small communities meet growing demands for basic support services, some local officials worry that developers' unsupervised use of utility districts will hinder the growth of local municipalities, according to Denton County Commissioner Hugh Coleman.
Lawmakers, local governments and residential developers try to create partnerships with each other to create win-win scenarios, but results vary — and history has shown that landowners tend to get their way.
"We're entering the era of the districts," said Dusty McAfee, planning manager for the town of Little Elm. "They were approved without much oversight, and we are forced to work with them."
History of utility districts
The state began using utility districts in 1905 after lawmakers realized that small cities needed help meeting the demands for water and sewer systems. According to the TCEQ, 1959 is the earliest record of a utility district created in Denton County.
Texas has a bunch of various districts, which the state collectively refers to as special districts. And each type of district has its own purpose. Like a school district, a utility district has its own board members, district boundaries and tax rate.
The board-run government entities are created by the TCEQ, the Legislature or a county at a developer's request, and they have the ability to incur debt and set and collect property taxes.
Developers use taxes collected in their districts to reimburse themselves for the cost of installing infrastructure.
The state's water code permits the creation of utility districts within a municipality's ETJ, where a city isn't allowed to collect taxes.
"When the demands of a fast-growing municipality can't be met by the expansion and provision of services by the city, then the special utility district becomes an option for which many urban areas have found some degree of success," said Richard Greene, an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Arlington and a former Arlington mayor.
Utility districts differ, but most have something to do with providing water services, and the term "water district" is used to establish a common identity.
"The original intent of these districts was to provide water and drainage service to rural residents and farmers," McAfee said.
Under state law, creating a district involves four basic steps:
* First, a landowner submits a petition to request the creation of a district.
* Next, a state agency reviews the request to see if the need is justified.
* The state's review is followed by either a county or city review for consent.
* And lastly, an election is held for residents in the district to determine whether the district may be formed.
Forming a new district
Nichols, the resident who owns an estimated 800 acres in Pilot Point's ETJ, approached the Pilot Point City Council on Jan. 28, seeking consent to create a new district, Eland Farms, in the city's ETJ.
Nichols, like most district developers, hopes to turn his land into a residential community.
Developers who use utility districts for their communities typically offer housing at cheaper prices, which forces other developers to seek out their own districts if they want to compete, Nichols said.
"It's not my fault that the city already has three districts," Nichols said. "I'm trying to do what's best for me and my development, and I can't compete any other way."
Four Seasons Ranch, Talley Ranch and Smiley Road (formerly Shiney Hiney) are the three districts now in Pilot Point's ETJ. Created between 2005 and 2007, all three sit undeveloped, in anticipation of the right economic conditions.
Developers are waiting until the expansion of the Dallas North Tollway and the commercial growth expected to follow before breaking ground, Pilot Point Mayor Greg Hollar said.
The three districts take up almost 6,000 acres, and officials are hesitant to allow another.
"We're working closely with [Eland Farms] to avoid some of the issues we've faced in the past," said Scott Ingalls, Pilot Point's development services director.
Between 2005 and 2007, the community consented to giving away large portions of its ETJ to landowners and agreed to sign away their ability to voluntarily incorporate the utility districts until 15 years after the district is completed.
Without the ability to annex, or incorporate, the land, Pilot Point will have to wait on the sidelines, blocked from collecting any taxes until the districts are incorporated. That wait, Coleman said, could take longer than 15 years — maybe decades.
Between the three districts, about $500 million in debt has accumulated, according to the TCEQ. And according to the state comptroller's office, utility districts throughout Denton County account for an additional $468 million in debt.
If a city incorporates a district, by state statute, it will also absorb any debt the district may have accumulated. Cities usually delay incorporation until debts are paid, which could take at least 30 years.
To avoid annexation, some districts opt to issue additional bonds once its initial bonds are paid, Coleman said. In other words, a district avoids annexation by continuing to issue more debt.
Landowners of utility districts usually don't want to be annexed because they don't want the city dictating what they can and cannot do, Nichols said.
"We own the land so we should be able to develop it how we want to," he said. "There are more than 3,000 MUDs in Texas. They can work. They do work. I don't think it's right to criticize all of them based on the operations of some of them."
Agreements between a city and a utility district can be arranged, but Coleman said the agreements are never guaranteed.
"You never know what the residents of a district will want or agree to," he said. "They have the power to vote and petition just like anyone else. In some cases, they probably could vote against annexation."
In rare cases, once established, residents of a district can vote to have it incorporated into a city — just as voters did in Providence Village, opting to create their own town.
"There'll be big commercial strips that Pilot Point can't collect taxes on, and do you think people will shop along the tollway or little old Pilot Point?" Coleman said. "The city will have huge developments in their ETJ and probably never see a dime."
In eastern Denton County
The impact utility districts have on a municipality is more apparent in eastern Denton County than anywhere else in county and possibly in North Texas, based on records showing how many districts were created there in the last decade.
And, Coleman said, he's afraid it will spread.
A city's consent is needed before the state Legislature will approve a developer's request for a district in the city's ETJ.
However, if the city denies consent during its review, then a landowner can petition the city to extend its infrastructure at the city's expense.
If, within 120 days, the city fails to provide the petitioned services, the applicant may petition TCEQ. If the agency agrees there's a need for services, the city's consent is presumed.
Simply put, a city can either work with a landowner and reach an agreement that benefits both parties, or the city can deny consent and allow TCEQ to grant the developer a district without any input from the city or county.
The difference between a legislative-approved district and one created by TCEQ is that the Legislature will grant a landowner authority to build roads, while TCEQ does not.
"Cities feel like developers have a gun to their heads and if they want any input, they have to enter a developer's agreement," Coleman said. "So basically, you have all these little cities that get trapped and unable to grow like they typically should because they have no choice."
More developers are still eyeballing Denton County with plans to add more districts, which could stunt a city's natural growth, and officials are, in most cases, powerless to stop them, Coleman said.
"The state approves so many districts that the only way to compete in this market is to have one yourself," said Nichols, the landowner near Pilot Point.
When it comes to a city's efforts to deny a district's creation, size matters.
Larger cities such as Dallas and Fort Worth have been successful in holding off a district's formation, unlike smaller cities, which have fewer resources. Tarrant and Dallas counties have 17 and 28 utility districts, respectively.
Land developers in Texas and some city leaders in favor of special districts argue that despite the flaws, the districts encourage population growth, stimulate local economies and meet growing demand for water utilities.
"Districts are abused by developers using loopholes to build their tract housing," said McAfee, the Little Elm planning manager. "That's fine for little rural cities in horse country, but they're hurting our growth."
Effects on city planning
As noted by local officials, the locations of these districts will continue to affect the development of cities in northeastern Denton County for years.
"Little Elm is surrounded by these things and their build-out is going to happen faster than they probably anticipate," Coleman said.
Throughout the county, districts are stacked in the largely unincorporated ETJs of local municipalities, affecting the economic future of surrounding municipalities, city and county leaders say.
"They're great for developers but a nightmare for city planners," said Sara C. Bronin, a professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law and the author of a 2007 law review paper, Wrestling With MUDs to Pin Down the Truth About Special Districts.
In her article, Bronin discusses a district's formation, power and abilities. She also analyzed how districts in Texas are granted too much power, which can work against a traditional government's economy.
"And you can't really blame the developer, but no one is looking out for the cities," she said.
Utility districts can affect a city's planning and economy in at least four ways:
* A district's debt may convince a city's leaders to delay the district's annexing and expanding to avoid absorbing the district's unpaid debts.
* A district can block a city's natural growth, thus limiting its future tax base.
* The city may reach its capacity faster than anticipated.
* And a utility district's growth can hurt central cities by luring tax revenues outside their bounds of tax collection.
In some ways, it's hard for municipalities to keep a utility district from forming in its ETJ because of laws that tend to favor the developer, Bronin said.
These for-profit forms of government are allowed to incur debt and levy taxes, charge fees and set rules for its services, enter into contracts, obtain easements and condemn and annex property, she said.
"It's dangerous because they are granted too much power. More power than what was intended," Bronin said.
Several phone calls and e-mails to district developers and their attorneys in Denton County were not returned.
Legislative action
Local officials and lawmakers appear to realize that utility districts will continue to develop no matter what. Some state officials have filed legislative bills that, if approved, would allow more oversight and control of district growth rather than halt their development.
State Rep. Bill Callegari, R-Houston, filed a bill in November that seeks to amend the power of utility districts to increase transparency in meetings, and state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Denton, filed House Bill 738 on Jan. 29 that would allow a county's commissioners to address TCEQ before approving a district in a city's ETJ.
"At least it will make developers approach us instead of bypassing us," Coleman said. "But it's never easy to get a bill passed. Passing a bill is harder than killing one."
Supporters of Crownover's bill say the bill will allow every stakeholder to address and possibly avoid any future conflicts.
Under the bill, any recommendations a county submits to TCEQ are not mandated, so they will be only suggestions for the state agency to consider, officials said.
"As Denton County grows, it is vital that we plan for that growth in an open, respectful and inclusive manner," Crownover said.
Politically, granting local authorities more power to review landowners' rights isn't a popular idea, Bronin said. Despite all the criticism surrounding utility districts, they aren't going away, she added.
"They're being created without much accountability and it could take 10 to 15 years to turn this tide," she said.
The ultimate defense for either approving or denying a district's creation is the voter, said Greene, the UT-Arlington adjunct professor.
However, in some cases, according to county tax rolls, voters are planted in a district by developers to ensure that their districts are approved. Many districts have been approved by one to three votes by voters who live in mobile homes owned by the land developers.
MUD transparency
The operations of utility districts have been questioned by several state and local agencies. Texas Comptroller Susan Combs released a report calling for special districts to do a better job of providing transparency.
And even state officials have had a hard time collecting data.
"I will say — all the information we collected wasn't easy to find," said Tom Currah, who works for the Texas comptroller as the assistant director for research and analysis.
State officials for the Senate Research Center in a 2008 report referred to the special districts as invisible layers of governments.
The report stated that special districts are the most misunderstood form of government.
But in the report, lawmakers also argue that utility districts have many advantages, which include providing services that can be tailored to the needs of each district's residents.
Consequences of growth
Officials say it's fair to compare the recent growth of utility districts to the growth of gas drilling in the North Texas, which spiked around the same time.
City and county officials approved permits for drilling sites, wooed by the possibility of larger taxable values and economic growth. It wasn't until the rigs were up and running that concerns arose.
"And that's what's happening now," Coleman said. "Special districts have been around forever, but the difference now is how they are being used."
So far, legislation set on amending a district's granted powers and abilities has yet to be filed and probably won't be any time soon. In the meantime, municipalities in Denton County will have to figure out how to manage the recent trend.
"It will take legislative action to change what's happening," Bronin said. "Right now, there's an imbalance of power in favor of the developer."
Bronin said she predicts the trend occurring in the eastern half of Denton County will spread to the western half.
During the Nov. 6 election, voters approved the creation of four districts — Belmont Fresh Water District I and II and Canyon Falls I and II, each a few miles north of Argyle.
Developers of each district plan to build billion-dollar housing projects. And more residential communities are in the works. Even the Hickory Creek area has a district pending.
But some regional planning experts agree that the housing developer doesn't have to dictate the county's growth.
A team of planning experts visited Pilot Point on Monday and told city leaders to be more aggressive when discussing agreements with a landowner seeking to create a utility district.
The eight-member team analyzed the city's current comprehensive planning efforts and told city leaders to fight for agreements with landowners so both parties can benefit.
Agreements to split sales and property taxes and establish annexation agreements should be established in every case, they said. The experts also noted that a city can use its consent as a bargaining chip because of the difference between a legislative-approved district and one approved by TCEQ.
"The problem, at least from the standpoint of Pilot Point, is that while special utility districts can fund infrastructure, they also can create uneven taxation, uneven provision of services and poorly integrated infrastructure," said Wayne Feiden, a planning consultant from Massachusetts. "As a result, if poorly planned, these districts can lead to quick but inefficient development, which in the long term costs taxpayers more and may lead the community to miss out on even higher-valued development options."
JOHN D. HARDEN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com.


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NASA this week announced its Mars Exploration Rover Spirit
discovered a patch of land on Mars that revealed the possibility of a past
environment able to sustain microbial life.
While exploring a scientifically
important area of Mars last May, Spirit, while dragging a broken wheel on
the surface, discovered a patch of "nearly pure silica" found the
Home Plate section of Mars. Scientists believe it came from a
hot-spring or fumarole -- an environment which forces acidic steam to rise
through cracks on the planet's surface, also stripping mineral components while
leaving only silica behind.
Even though the rovers were not designed to evaluate possible signs of life,
each discovery like this one provides pieces to a complicated puzzle on
Mars. Researchers hope to have the opportunity to study this specific
location on Home Plate when new missions are launched to the Red Planet.
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), scheduled to launch in September 2009, will
be NASA's first chance to head back to Home Plate.
"Whichever of those conditions produced it, this concentration of silica
is probably the most significant discovery by Spirit for revealing a habitable
niche that existed on Mars in the past," said Steve Squyres, principal
investigator for data gathered by the rovers.
Spirit now has only two weeks to safely arrive at a sun-facing slope on Home
Plate before strong dust storms paralyzes it for the winter.


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Let this serve as the absolute final warning to everybody who posts here, because things are completely out of control and we are about to start bringing the hammer down HARD on those who refuse to listen. DO NOT SAY THAT YOU WERE NOT WARNED
The last thing that any of us as Moderators want to do is suspend or ban anyone from these boards. We are all die hard fans and bleed Blue just like the rest of you. However, for reasons unknown, people continually ignore our pleas to read the board before posting and just keep right on posting new topics in the wrong forums. We're all excited that the FO finally made a move in the Free Agent market, ok? There is no reason...NO REASON to have 40 different threads regarding Reuben Droughns anywhere on any of these forums. It is completely absurd the way everybody just loses all focus and starts one thread after another about the same thing. As of right now, it stops, including any other hot topic that may come up in the future. The threads that are already active will remain, but any new threads started will be removed and the poster suspended. Too harsh? Sorry...it is seemingly the only way we can get your attention. Thusfar, we have been largely ignored by trying to be nice about it.
This is just a reminder to you all that posting false or misleading information on these forums is prohibited. You must provide a link to a reputable source(ie..ESPN, Sportsline, etc..) or the thread will be removed and you will receive a warning. For the record, a blog or a piece of informationfrom someone who claims to have "insider information" is not considered reputable.
As for those who continue to complain about negativity and insist that we do something to remove negative posters, it is not happening. The world is made up of positive and negative forces and people have just as much of a right to be negative as you do to be positive. If someone is being a bit too harsh and is clearly and distinctly trying to start an argument, report the post to us using the REPORT button, which is found in the bottomright corner of each and every post. Negativity, as bad as it sometimes is, will not get someone removed from this forum. Starting a new thread to complain about a poster is heavily looked down upon and only adds to the nonsense, not to mention that it could possibly get you suspended before the guy you are complaining about. Report the poster(s), send any of us a PM, or drop an email to firstname.lastname@example.com and one of us will do our best to take care of the problem as soon as humanly possible, but do NOT add to the nonsense by trying to take your beefs with someone else public, at least not on these forums. Not a good idea at all.
Oh, and using a Moderator avatar as your own? Thats an account and IP ban. No warnings, zero tolerance.
Want to post a picture that contains profanity in the text? 10 day vacation from the board.
If it has nothing whatsoever to do with the Giants in any way, shape, or form(including signings by other teams of players you wanted in NY), it does NOT belong in TAGF. Literally hundreds of threads have been moved/deleted in the past week for this reason and some folks have been suspended for disregarding this rule, which has been in place since day 1.
Again, if this seems a bit too harsh and you feel that you can't enjoy yourself here after reading this, accept our apologies. We certainly do not want to lose anyone and we would love to keep this board free-flowing and fun for everybody, but a line has to be drawn at some point when people start abusing any leeway we are willing to give. It has gone way past acceptable behavior lately and we have an obligation to try and keep things orderly and as 'G' rated as possible. There are plenty of other options out there for those who disagree with this statement and don't wish to remain here to discuss the Giants.
It's up to you all on how this turns out.


text:
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Valoria Rose
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Leave a comment...Wat een heerlijke lul! Zou hem graag afzuigen en tussen mijn dikke kutlippen willen voelen. Dame vind ik minder mooi, veel te schriel.
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text:
With training camps about to begin, we take a division-by-division look at where each team stands heading into the 2013 season.
Is the AFC North the best division in football? An argument certainly could be made, given that the Vince Lombardi Trophy resides in Baltimore and the North has sent at least two teams to the playoffs each of the past six seasons.
If that run ends in 2013, it only will be on account of the Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers pummeling each other in a highly competitive race. Of course, maybe those teams simply will put a hurting on the rest of an unimpressive AFC, just as they did in 2011 when Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati all locked down playoff berths.
Even the Browns appear close to rejoining the party, with a new coaching staff and upgraded roster breeding belief in the Dawg Pound. They have a long road to the top, however, with the Ravens defending their crown, and Cincinnati and Pittsburgh waiting in the wings.
What's the upcoming season hold for this knock-'em-down, drag-'em-out group? Let's take a look.
Baltimore Ravens
Key moves:
Signed OLB Elvis Dumervil, DE Chris Canty, S Michael Huff, DT Michael Spears; drafted LB Arthur Brown, S Matt Elam
LB Ray Lewis, WR Anquan Boldin, S Ed Reed, S Bernard Pollard, OLB Paul Kruger, CB Cary Williams
Where they got better: Rather amazingly, on defense. Or at least the potential is there for this defense to be better -- particularly in the front seven -- despite those massive losses laid out above. The defensive line should benefit from the steady, veteran presence of Chris Canty at DE and former Cowboy Marcus Spears. Landing Elvis Dumervil looks like one of the huge coups of the offseason, especially since Baltimore can pair him with a healthy Terrell Suggs. The big question mark here is up the middle, where Jameel McClain and rookie Arthur Brown will have to replace Dannell Ellerbe (who signed with the Dolphins) and the legendary Ray Lewis.
Where they got worse: Wide receiver. No real way around it, as the Ravens' decision to trade Anquan Boldin has left them hoping Jacoby Jones, Tandon Doss, Deonte Thompson, David Reed, Aaron Mellette and any other WR darts they decide to throw will land as a reliable No. 2 receiver. Boldin was a huge piece of the Ravens' Super Bowl run, so even if TEs Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson pick up some slack, replacing Boldin will be difficult. The mountain will be even harder to climb if Torrey Smith can't handle the No. 1 role or improve on his 49-catch total from last season.
Breakout player: Corey Graham, CB. Running back Bernard Pierce is almost too obvious an answer at this point. Graham, meanwhile, finds himself in a terrific situation as Baltimore's No. 2 corner, after successfully replacing Lardarius Webb (the team's No. 1 CB) last season. Graham more than held his own during the regular season and picked off two passes in Baltimore's playoff win at Denver.
Where they stand: The defending champs traversed a whirlwind offseason and emerged as one of the AFC favorites again. With a shiny new $120 million contract, Joe Flacco will have to prove again that he's worth those bucks, and the Ravens' lack of go-to receivers will challenge Flacco in an entirely new way. Baltimore's defense, despite having all sorts of talent, also has to prove it can thrive without Lewis and Ed Reed, its heart and soul for a decade-plus. A tough schedule and challenging division await, but Baltimore has the pieces necessary to capture a second straight title.
Cincinnati Bengals
Key moves:
Signed OLB James Harrison, QB Josh Johnson; drafted TE Tyler Eifert, RB Giovani Bernard; DE Margus Hunt, S Shawn Williams
OLB Manny Lawson, CB Nate Clements, S Chris Crocker
Where they got better: In the passing game -- and maybe in the run game, too, depending on what Giovani Bernard can bring there. There is little question, though, that the Bengals are expecting the versatile Bernard (47 catches at North Carolina last season) and multi-level threat Tyler Eifert to help Andy Dalton crank up the aerial attack. Eifert's ability to line up pretty much anywhere, despite his designation as a tight end, should come in handy for a team that's yet to find a reliable No. 2 WR to complement A.J. Green.
Where they got worse: Possibly at linebacker. Much of the verdict will come down to whether or not ex-Steeler James Harrison has anything left in the tank after a frustrating 2012 season. Harrison also has to adjust from the Steelers' 3-4 to the Bengals' 4-3 (though his main mission still will be to rush the passer). Next to him, the Bengals held on to Rey Maualuga, and coach Marvin Lewis says he'll keep Maualuga in the middle, despite his awful showing there last year. Vontaze Burfict was a revelation last season, but can he carry the load if Maualuga and a breaking-down Harrison falter?
Breakout player: Shawn Williams, S. The Bengals' third-round pick in April, Williams could end up starting next to Reggie Nelson at safety. Williams is an aggressive, hard-hitting player who can come down into the box and help Cincinnati mask Harrison's and Maualuga's shortcomings.
Where they stand: The Bengals have made the postseason each of the past two seasons (and three of the last four), and there's no reason to believe they'll fall out of the picture any time soon. There is a solid base of young talent here, led by Green and DT Geno Atkins, and Cincinnati has surrounded them with enough pieces to believe that there could be a breakthrough coming for this squad. Is this the season the Bengals get over the top, both in the division and in the playoffs? If QB Andy Dalton is up to the task, it's very possible.
Cleveland Browns
Key moves:
Signed QB Jason Campbell, QB Brian Hoyer, DT Desmond Bryant, OLB Paul Kruger, OLB Quentin Groves; traded for RB Dion Lewis, WR Davone Bess; drafted OLB Barkevious Mingo, CB Leon McFadden; hired HC Rod Chudzinski, OC Norv Turner, DC Ray Horton
WR Mohamed Massaquoi, TE Ben Watson, DE Frostee Rucker, CB Sheldon Brown, S Usama Young, K Phil Dawson, WR/KR Joshua Cribbs
Where they got better: Outside linebacker. The Browns are shifting to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Ray Horton, so they put a premium on finding pass-rushers this offseason. They did just that in spades, ripping Paul Kruger from Baltimore, signing veteran Quentin Groves (who played under Horton in Arizona last season) and drafting Barkevious Mingo. Those three, plus returning Brown Jabaal Sheard, will be expected to provide most or all of the team's pressure on opposing quarterbacks. It could be a sensational group, too -- Kruger, Sheard and Groves combined for 20 sacks last season, while Mingo had 8.5 tackles for loss at LSU.
Where they got worse: Safety. OK, maybe the Browns did not get measurably worse at that position, but they certainly do not look better than they did in 2012. Cleveland released starting free safety Usama Young in April, then did very little to replace him outside of drafting Jamoris Slaughter (who tore his Achilles last September) in Round 6. Slaughter will try to knock Tashaun Gipson from the starting spot, next to SS T.J. Ward, but neither should breed too much confidence heading into the year. This is the one position of need that the Browns really neglected in the offseason.
Breakout player: Jordan Cameron, TE. Cameron showed promise last season, his second in the league. He finished with 20 catches for 226 yards and a touchdown. Expect those numbers to skyrocket in 2013, with the athletic, 6-foot-5 Cameron thriving in Rod Chudzinski's downfield-passing scheme. QB Brandon Weeden could use a favorite target, especially with WR Josh Gordon suspended two games to start the year, and Cameron may be it.
Where they stand: After five seasons with an average of 4.6 wins, the Browns will be better. This is a more talented roster than Cleveland has had in several years, with an impressive coaching staff to lead it. What will that all mean, in a very tough division? That's the million-dollar question for the Browns and their hungry fans. During that miserable five-year stretch, Cleveland won either four or five games each season -- no more, no less. Weeden may be the key to breaking that drought, because the schedule is relatively friendly and the roster ought to be a competitive one.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Key moves:
Signed QB Bruce Gradkowski, CB William Gay; drafted OLB Jarvis Jones, S Shamarko Thomas, RB Le'Veon Bell, WR Markus Wheaton, QB Landry Jones
RB Rashard Mendenhall, WR Mike Wallace, OT Max Starks, OLB James Harrison, G Willie Colon, NT Casey Hampton, CB Keenan Lewis, S Will Allen, S Ryan Mundy
Where they got better: Safety. This is a two-fold improvement. 1. Troy Polamalu, after missing nine games last season with various ailments, reportedly is in his "best shape since his days at USC." And 2. Pittsburgh stole Shamarko Thomas in Round 4 of the draft, and the rookie provides the roster with exciting depth behind (for now) Ryan Clark at free safety. The Polamalu news should be particularly exciting for the Steelers, given how badly this defense has struggled to replace him when he's out of the lineup. At his best, Polamalu is a game-changer and a singular talent, capable of disrupting even the best offenses with his devil-may-care approach. Having him on the field completely alters the dynamic of the defensive unit.
Where they got worse: On the offensive line. Maybe Marcus Gilbert is ready to lock down Ben Roethlisberger's blindside a year after losing the majority of the season to injury. And maybe Mike Adams can make a leap forward at right tackle in his second NFL season. Barring significant improvement from pretty much everyone on this line (save center Maurkice Pouncey), though, Pittsburgh might spend the year lamenting the losses of tackle Max Starks and imposing guard Willie Colon. Those two longtime Steelers are elsewhere now -- Starks in San Diego, Colon in New York -- and they left behind a line that's a question mark at best.
Breakout player: Antonio Brown. The Central Michigan product more than adequately filled his role as the Steelers' No. 2 WR each of the past two seasons -- 69 catches for 1,100 yards in 2011; 66 for 787 last season. He figures to be the go-to guy now that Mike Wallace is in Miami, and both the talent and rapport with Roethlisberger is there. Brown is on the verge of stardom.Where they stand:


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Holy talent trees, it's September! That means we're closing in on a year since Cataclysm was released, and it's about that time when priests start feeling really insecure about their gear and stat choices. (It also time to stock up on those Midsummer Ground Flower fireworks I like so much. The Harvest Festival vendors sell them.) Who knows what causes it, but it seems like whenever six months goes by without major community discussion on stat weights, everyone starts thinking they're doing things wrong. My mailbox is testament to this strange phenomenon and admittedly, even I'm feeling susceptible to it this time around.
Therefore, I decided that I'm going to be revisiting priest stat weights today so we can take a look at how things have (or more truthfully, haven't) changed since Cataclysm was released. I'll also be examining at how those stat weights play out in a few standard healing playstyles that have developed since the expansion launch. This week, I'll be covering discipline first


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|Logisys Area 51 Black ATX Window Case CS51WBK
|Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases
|Written by Britten Wolf - Edited by Olin Coles
|Monday, 03 September 2007
Page 1 of 4
Logisys CS51WBK Computer Case Review
Logisys started something back in 2003 when they introduced the Logisys Acrylic LED PC feet for PC chassis, and began to infuse gamers hearts alike with innovations with LED's and case design. Now years later we have a something LAN gamers alike can take from LAN party to LAN party playing games they all enjoy while sporting the Logisys Area 51W computer case. New to this Area 51W case is a large side window that a previous Area 51 did not have, true to Logisys design, we can enjoy superb air flow and functionality. Benchmark Reviews gives you an up-close look at the Logisys CS51WBK Black ATX Window Case.
Features & Specifications


text:
In the wake of the Newtown school massacre, we've noted a strong uptick in our site traffic by people wanting to find out how different the U.S. might be if the nation adopted Canada's much more restrictive firearms laws. This post gathers all our analysis on that topic from 2011 in one place.
We examine the FBI's data on the race of victims and their killers. We find that the vast majority of offenders prefer to kill their own kind (that evidence is borne out elsewhere, where criminals also seem to prefer killing other criminals!)
We want to compare the U.S. and Canada's murder statistics, but find we can't do a direct comparison because Canada is significantly lacking in two things the U.S. has in much greater quantities: blacks and Hispanics!
We work out how to get around Canada's demographic deficiencies in reporting its homicides to be able to directly compare the populations of both nations.
We determine the real difference in the number of homicides per 100,000 people between Canada and the most demographically-similar-to-Canada portion of the U.S. population.
This is the one post that has drawn the most attention since the shootings in Connecticut. We break down the number of homicides per 100,000 by method for Canada and the most demographically-similar-to-Canada portion of the U.S. population, finding that Canada's much more strict laws regulating firearms "saves" about one life for every 100,000 people, although Canadian homicide offenders have adapted to the lack of firearms available to them by making murder more brutal.
We find that there's an additional price to be paid for saving that one life for every 100,000 people with strict gun control laws. It turns out that after adjusting for the major demographic differences between the two nations, Canada is a much more violent place than is the U.S. (Ed. At least Canadians are polite, eh? Just don't cross them....)
Do Canada's stricter gun-control laws reduce the number of suicides per 100,000 people compared to the U.S.? We find the answer is not at all....
Update: Doc Palmer picks up on a report that indicates the U.S. is also much less violent than the U.K., Sweden, Belgium and Holland - all places that also feature much more restrictive gun laws than does the U.S....


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Mango and Yoghurt Parfait with Pomegranate Granita
In a mixing bowl, whisk the brown sugar, flour and butter until blended evenly, then bake at 160°C for 13 minutes. Chill the pomegranate water at -18°C until it is frozen but not solid. Mix the yoghurt, honey, water and gelatin together then put in a glass. Chill for 2 hours. Place the diced mango in a glass and top, first with the baked mix and then the iced pomegranate water.
Nutrients Per Piece
|138.3 kcal
|2.7 g
|19.8 g
|Fat, Total
|5.8 g


text: Quality Inn - Deals & Coupons See more about this business Colonial-style two story motel with exterior rooms; outdoor pool; in-room coffee, hair dryer, iron, ironing board, cable satellite television; free local calls; complimentary breakfast, restaurant on-site, free high speed Internet access; most rooms have refrigerators, microwaves; guest laundry; truck parking. AAA 3 Diamond rating; small dogs and cats allowed in certain rooms Find Deals and Coupons Key: Deals Coupons Sorry! No deals found for this search. Showing 1 - 0 of 0 Page: « Previous Next View: 20 per page 50 per page 100 per page Find more deals


text:
A seaside village, an English country house, a family of wealthy eccentrics and their equally peculiar servants, a determined detective - all the ingredients are here for a cozy Agatha Christie-style whodunit.
But wait.... Edward "Mitch" Mitchell is no Hercule Poirot, and The Back Passage is no Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Mitch is a handsome, insatiable 22-year-old hunk who never lets a clue stand in the way of a steamy encounter, whether it's with the local constabulary, the house secretary, or his school chum and fellow athlete Boy Morgan, who becomes his Watson when they're not busy boffing each other.
When Reg Walworth is found dead in a cabinet, Sir James Eagle has his servant Meeks immediately arrested as the killer. But Mitch's observant eye pegs more plausible possibilities: polysexual chauffeur Hibbert, queenly pervert Leonard Eagle, missing scion Rex, sadistic copper Kennington, even Sir James Eagle himself.
Blackmail, police corruption, a dizzying network of spyholes and secret passages, watersports, and a nonstop queer orgy backstairs and everyplace else mark this hilariously hard-core mystery by a major new talent.
©2006 Cleis Press (P)2011 Cleis Press
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"This is absolutely ridiculous yet entertaining"
Wonderfully narrated by Daniel Carter this is absolutely ridiculous, amusing and entertaining.
Is this deliciously porny? Yes. Yes, it is. It is filled with sex. Everyone in the story is gay or bi and everyone is having sex with everyone else, or watching, or...It's completely ridiculous. Ask me if I care. Nope, I assuredly don't care - because it was funny and campy and fun.
There a whole murder mystery with Mitch Mitchell believing he's a younger, gayer, more dapper version of Sherlock Holmes, when the reality is he's closer to the idiotic Inspector Clouseau, bumbling his way through the mystery and managing, in between bouts of sometimes really acrobatic sex, to find a clue.
And wow. The sex - there is enough sex in this to make a porn star blush. It's awesome and tiresome at the same time!
Bottom Line: Leave your expectations at the door and just sit back and enjoy this entertaining whodunit romp.
"Strangely wonderful"
Its a light enough read that disbelief must be suspended more than once. At the same time, its a scarily accurate nod to Agatha Christie (but with more hot men). Based on this, I read the whole Mitch Mitchell series and none of them fell below this standard.
"Mitch Mitchell escapades are wonderful!"
This series from James Lear with Mitch Mitchell is wonderful..... Starting with "Back Passage".....the characters are well drawn and well executed. The story is full of interesting twists and turns and a bit of history thrown in...and let's not forget the sex...everywhere there is sex.
Mitchell is visiting a country estate with hopes of seducing Boy Morgan, who is engaged to the daughter of the estate owner. Before Mitchell can complete his sexual machinations a murder is committed and he is in the middle of the investigation.
I enjoyed it immensely!
"Don't recommend."
It was very hard to have an English accent did narrator playing an American. Especially odd was the fact that there was no change between one person to another. Also the sex was improbable and unrealistic.. Don't recommend.
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If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


text:
B&B Boutique "Rooms" in Townhouse
Size20 m²
Floor No.2
- Family/child friendly
- Internet/WiFi
- Parking available
- Breakfast
- Lockable room
- Towels
- Baby cot
Accommodation summary
|East Hermitage Place, EH68AA Edinburgh, United Kingdom
|Property type
|Private room
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
Our kitchen and other rooms in the house are not accessible to our guests.
Our two "wimdu" rooms are on the second floor of our Victorian townhouse.
The house is called "Rainbow Hermitage" and there is a name plaque on the wall next to the door to help guests find us!
The house is within walking distance to the famous "The Shore" dockland pubs & restaurants. Free all day street parking and frequent bus services to town centre.
Rooms, one with king size double bed and the other with two singles, are elegantly furnished and have coffee and tea making facilities, Freeview TV and free Internet WIFI. A bathroom with shower and bath is just outside the two rooms and shared exclusively by both.
Maximum number of guests per room is 2.
We can accommodate a maximum of 4 guests. In this case both the double and twin rooms can be booked.
Please note our offered room tariff is based on 2 guests occupying one room. If alternative occupancy is required, please contact us via Wimdu for special arrangements.
For families a small folding single bed or child travel cot can be added to the double room to increase capacity to 3 persons.
Check Out time is 11am, at the latest, unless otherwise arranged with owners.
Our home is Gay Friendly.
Our friendly family dog Asia is staying with us at the moment. She does not have the freedom of the house, so you may not even see here during your stay.
From £54 room price low season
From £74 room price for high season bookings; Edinburgh Festival(s), Christmas, New Year
House rulesOur house is an late Georgian/early Victorian Townhouse. We consider our home as a quiet one where our guests can relax during their stay in Edinburgh. For this reason we ask your guests to not make any unnecessary noise. Our floors are original English Oak. Please help us maintain this by not using high heeled shoes indoors and avoid dragging heavy suitcases across the floors.
The entire house is non-smoking. You can of course smoke outside in our front garden.
You wll have a key to your room and also a front door key for you to come and go as you please. Your hosts Eric & Alessandro live on the premises and are pleased to help you with any information they can provide to make your stay enjoyable. We also speak Italian..
|Price for > 2 guests
|$ 38 US per guest/night extra
|Maximum nights
|13 nights
|Check-in after
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out before
|Cancellation Policy
Reviews of this property
Goede B&B dichtbij het centrum van Edinburgh. Lekker rustig geslapen en een heerlijk ontbijt! Alles was schoon en fris en fijne badkamer. Vriendelijke gastheer.
We want to thank Eric and Alessandro for their hospitality . This b&b is absolutely lovely, very well located, and the breakfast is absolutely fantastic. We warmly recommend this place.
Eric and Alessandro have been really perfect. My parents were so happy with their staying. Everything was perfectly clean, the breakfast was copious, everything in the bedrooms was thought to feel very good. And Eric and Alessandro are so kind persons. Highly recomended !
We have find very kind wellcom.
The house is beautiful and the rooms are spaceful and lovely décorated.
We cannot hésited to go back to thé next trip
Best regards.
Christiane and Jean Pierre
We had a great time in Edinburgh. Eric and Alessandro have such a lovely house, where we felt welcome from the first moment. The rooms and the bathroom are very nice and clean and the breakfast every morning was so delicious.
When we'll come back to Edinburgh we definitely want to stay at their place again!
Greetings from the whole Family
(also to Soraya)
It was a wonderful time! The room and the breakfast fantastic in a very, very good atmosphere.
Es war eine wunderbare Zeit! Die Zimmer und das Frühstück phantastisch in einer sehr sehr guten Atmosphäre.
A very charming guest house with a very gracious host, all very clean, the breakfast is plentiful and prepared lovingly, to the Royal Mile there are only a few stops. There is also a Tesco in the local area and go several ways to eat, which is significantly cheaper than in the city center, 300 meters from the Indians looks schangelig, but is very tasty. A very great stay, thank you, Eric!
Ein ganz charmantes Gästehaus mit einem sehr liebenswürdigen Gastgeber, alles sehr sauber, das Frühstück ist reichlich und liebevoll zubereitet, bis zur Royal Mile sind es nur ein paar Haltestellen. Ausserdem gibt es in der näheren Umgebung einen Tesco und mehrere Möglichkeiten zum essen gehen, was deutlich günstiger ist als in der Innenstadt, der Inder 300 m entfernt sieht schangelig aus, ist aber sehr lecker. Ein ganz toller Aufenthalt, vielen Dank, Eric!
We had a absolutely perfect week at Erics and Allesandros lovely house with a nice view to Leith Links Park.
We were met with great hospitality and very helpful hosts.
It is a nice and quiet place - and very clean.
On top of that, we were spoiled with nice scottish breakfast.
We will recommend B & B Boutique Rooms all times - and will definetely choose to stay here again, should we ever return to lovely Edinburgh/Scotland.
By the way: If you have the time: take the X bus line 59 to St. Andrews. Worth a visit!
A gracious host and lovingly decorated rooms in a beautiful position on a large green space. Tips for Getting and staying there were in addition to the delicious Scottish breakfast with them. We would come back any time!
Ein liebenswürdiger Gastgeber und liebevoll gestaltete Zimmer in schöner Lage an einer großen Grünfläche. Tipps für die Anreise und den Aufenthalt gab es zusätzlich zum leckeren schottischen Frühstück auch mit dazu.
Wir würden jederzeit wiederkommen!
We really enjoyed our wonderful time inEdinburgj Their great hospitality and very useful tips for local transfer in Edinburgh made it just a perfect stay. Not only that everthing was very clean but the rooms also were furnished with taste. On top of everything: a huge breakfast table =) In this sense we are looking forward to meet Eric and Alessandro again maybe next time..
Neighborhood is close to bus lines, so you can get anywhere in Edinburgh from here.
- Quality assured accommodation
- Every host is verified by telephone
- Secure payment via SSL encryption


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IBM Hawks PCM for Storage
5 comments
PORTLAND, Ore. -- IBM recently demonstrated how to integrate phase change memory (PCM) into a solid-state memory hierarchy, and it has shown its first PCIe-based prototype board for storage systems. It's looking like speed and the ancient Greek heroes are on PCM's side.
In a presentation at the 2014 Non-Volatile Memory Workshop, IBM described its architecture, compared it to flash-based solid-state drives (SSDs), and proposed a server system that eliminated the hard-disk drive (HDD) in favor of a memory hierarchy using both flash-based arrays and PCM-based arrays. In comparisons, the PCM-based arrays handily beat flash.
"The comparison was between flash SSD and our PCM PCIe card -- it was a comparison at the system level of the two storage devices," Ioannis Koltsidas, a member of the IBM storage systems research staff, told EE Times. Working with the University of Patras in Greece, which helped name the card Theseus after a hero in Greek mythology, the researchers compared the PCM-based PCIe card with two flash SSDs -- an enterprise-grade flash SSD and a consumer-grade flash SSD. "We found the times for the two flash SSDs to be 12x and 275x longer than for the PCM PCI-e card."
Though PCM memory chips have been around since 2012, there have been very few deployments and quite a few complaints about reliability. Nevertheless, IBM appears to be gung ho about the possibilities of PCM-based memories, one would assume, after the bugs are worked out.
The biggest advantage of PCM over flash is that its performance is higher than flash, though not as high as DRAM, plus it enjoys the nonvolatility of flash. Also, PCM normalized input/output (I/O) throughput is on the rise at a time when HDD I/O operations per second are waning. Today flash is filling the gap, but PCM could take over that job. Flash is also facing scalability problems and can only be rewritten about 10,000 times at the most. PCM's scalability is on the rise, and it can be rewritten at least 10 million times -- or, with forward error correction, at least 10 trillion times.
PCM uses a chalcogenidic alloy sandwiched between two electrodes. A high current turns the chalcogenidic alloy amorphous (representing a 0), whereas a medium current turns it crystalline (representing a 1), and a low current allows its state to be read out. Programming times for 0s and 1s are 70 nanoseconds and 120 nanoseconds, respectively. IBM's tests used PCM memories fabricated at a relaxed feature size of 90 nanometers and a clock frequency of 66 megaHertz.
— R. Colin Johnson, Advanced Technology Editor, EE Times


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Peaches Geldof Is Not Engaged, She Just Likes to Wear Diamonds on Her Ring Finger
Our two favorite Hollywood attention-seekers—perpetually naked heiress Peaches Geldof and rant-prone torture porn provocateur Eli Roth—went out for dinner last night in London, and Eli posed pointing to Peaches' ring-finger diamond. Don't worry, she's "100% not engaged."
At least, so says Peaches' spokesperson. But Peaches' spokesperson also claimed she was deeply in love with the American rocker she married for a green card.
Earlier today, Geldof tweeted that her manicure is so shitty, her cuticles are now known as "Peaches' foreskins." So maybe she's torturing us by forcing us to print photos of her self-proclaimed penis hands. Peaches and Eli: Torturous. [Images via Pacific Coast News. Click to enlarge]


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Four Houston Dynamo players – Boniek Garcia, Andre Hainault, Jermaine Taylor and Je-Vaughn Watson – have been called up for international duty for a pair of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers on Oct. 12 and Oct. 16.
Following Saturday's match against the Montreal Impact, midfielder Boniek Garcia will join the Honduran national team for its penultimate group stage match against Panama. Los Catrachos will travel to Panama City on Oct. 12 before returning home for their final match on Oct. 16 against Canada. Garcia has played 90 minutes in all four of Honduras' previous Group C matches.
Hainault and the Canadian national team will host Cuba on Oct. 12 before traveling to Honduras for their final group stage match on Oct. 16. Canada and Honduras are currently tied for second place in Group C with seven points, two points behind Panama. Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the final round of qualifying. Hainault has started and played full-time in Canada's last four qualifiers.
Defender Jermaine Taylor and midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson earned call-ups by the Jamaican federation for its final two matches at Guatemala (Oct. 12) and at home to Antigua and Barbuda (Oct. 16). The Reggae Boyz are currently in a three-way tie for first place in Group A with the United States and Guatemala. Taylor started and played full time in both of Jamaica's matches with the United States last month. Watson has started all four of Jamaica's Group C matches.
All players will report to their respective teams following the Dynamo's home match against the Montreal Impact on Saturday, presented by The Methodist Cancer Center, and will return to the club ahead of Houston's MLS home finale on Oct. 20 vs. the Philadelphia Union, presented by The Home Depot. Great seats are still available for Saturday's match and can be purchased by clicking here or calling (713) 276-GOAL.


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AnandTech has posted a review of Dell's latest 30" UltraSharp, the U3011.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4070/dell ... h-flagship
Although the LCD was well-received, I was disappointed to see the following:
1. The panel does not use LEDs, and instead sticks with traditional CCFLs for back-lighting (and as such, power usage is high).
2. The panel is stuck at 60Hz, as opposed to 120Hz (at least one AnandTech editor has testified that larger panels look much, much smoother at 120Hz).
3. The integrated USB hub does not support 3.0.
Are there any technical limitations explaining why Dell shunned both LEDs and a 120Hz refresh rate? I have wondered whether LEDs harm color reproduction, and whether 120Hz @ 2560x1600 might come close to saturating a dual-link DVI connection, but I'm really not very sure. Any opinions on Dell's omissions would be appreciated.


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What a nightmareX-(
I have an Acer with Empowering Technology. The first problem comes at StartUp with message:
ZLCLIENT.exe Unable to Locate Component. This application failed to start because VSPUBAPL.dll was not found. Re-Installing may fix problem.It didn't.
I decided to throw in the towel and
Uninstall only to get a:
TrueVector was not able to stop TrueVector software service ...so now I can't even get this snakebite off my computer.
Any assistance would be appreciated. I've filled out the form but they say it might take 3-4 days to answer. That's quite a while to be hanging out there with no protection.
Operating System:Windows XP Pro
Software Version:8.0
Product Name:ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite


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iPhone 5s' 64-bit A7 processor shows possible road map for Apple's future
Date: Monday, September 23rd, 2013, 14:55
Category: Hardware, iPhone, News, Software
If nothing else, the iPhone 5s and 5c launches – and the processors within – offer a glimpse of things to come down the line.
More to the point, they show a future without Intel.
Per Jason Perlow's excellent column over on ZDNet and pointed out the us by reader Robert Snow, the piece brings up the notion that no one really expected to see a 64-bit System on a Chip this soon and that the term "Desktop Class", which was being thrown around, seems appropriate and not just hype.
The article also points out that the biometric authentication that Apple is incorporating with its new Touch ID system requires a significant amount of CPU horsepower to pull off without being sluggish, as would strong end-to-end VPN encryption, both of which are likely necessary for the iPhone to continue to attract corporate attention. This, also with increased image-processing power that can push gaming console-quality graphics similar to those found on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 show that 64-bit mobile architectures are ready for the prime time.
The piece also makes the strong argument that this is where Apple wants to be with its processors and that perhaps Intel – and its mobile offerings – may be left behind, as ARM's offerings show a more mature platform that various development environments can converge towards.
Take a gander at the article, see what you make of it and, as always, please let us know what you think in the comments.


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yesterday, Amazon announced its new cloud-based storage service
called Cloud Drive, which is quite a feat considering the online retailer
jumped ahead of huge tech companies like Apple and Google in the race for music streaming services. But now,
the music industry is stepping in, and could possibly slow Amazon's
music storage has become a popular option for those who use multiple devices.
For companies like Amazon, this method of music streaming is a great
alternative to relying on CD sales. While other companies continue working on
their versions of cloud-based services, such as Apple's
MobileMe music component called a "locker," and Google's music service that was rumored
to be released with the new Honeycomb launch (but reports are
now saying that Google execs are still in the midst of chatting with record
labels), Amazon leaped ahead of the game with Cloud Drive, which offers 5 GB of
online storage for free and saves album or MP3 purchases to the cloud
can upgrade to 20 GB of space by purchasing an MP3 album. Also, the Cloud
Player allows users to play their music through a PC, Mac or Android-based phones.
However, those with an Apple iPhone cannot partake in Amazon's new service.
But now,
Amazon may be running into some trouble
with record labels, like Sony Music, who was angered by Amazon's new
service launch "without new licenses for music streaming."
hope that they'll reach a new license deal," said Liz Young, a spokeswoman
for Sony. "But we're keeping all of our legal options open."
labels were informed of the new Amazon service last week, and Amazon had not
yet addressed license-related negotiations at that point. An executive close to
the Amazon discussions, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the
confidentiality of the discussions, noted that Amazon's new service might be
considered illegal to those in the music industry.
never seen a company of their size make an announcement, launch a service and simultaneously say
they're trying to get licenses," said the executive.
users are allowed to store music files on their own computers, it is
"unclear whether they have that right when they use remote storage
services offered by cloud computing."
A similar
situation occurred in 2007 when EMI sued MP3tunes because they offered a service
similar to Amazon's.
labels have engaged in a legal terror campaign over the last 10 years using
litigation to try and slow technology progress," said Michael Robertson,
MP3tunes founder, regarding the Amazon situation.


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Will Christian Bale Play Batman in Justice League?
- By
- 233 Comments
Zack Snyder's upcoming take on the origins of Superman, Man of Steel, is just over three months away and we've surprisingly not heard too much about it in weeks, with Warner Bros. oddly missing a chance to showcase the last son of Krypton's prowess during the Super Bowl. Reactions from recent test screenings however, are extremely positive and for fans, this will hopefully translate into a greenlight on development of not just a sequel, but of Justice League.
Not a single bit of official information regarding casting, a director, a story or even a date for Justice League has been released by Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment and instead, interested moviegoers have relied on rumors and inside scoops, slowly and inconsistently revealing bits of information, sometimes believable or downright obvious, but always completely unofficial.
After the success of The Avengers and Marvel Studios quickly confirming a lineup of six followup movies (dubbed "Phase Two"), one report had Warner Bros. attempting to directly compete in 2015 with a team-up of their own. Justice League would introduce DC's core lineup of superheroes and it would share the same summer as Disney and Marvel's The Avengers 2. Will Beall (Gangster Squad) was writing a script for said film, a script which another rumor said was so bad that no sought after director was interested in climbing aboard, resulting in studio executives tossing it away. Later we heard that very same writer signed a deal with the studio to write two screenplays for them, placing doubt on the previous other rumors. What to believe?
One "scoop" had the studio considering having Joseph Gordon-Levitt play Batman in Justice League alongside Henry Cavill's Clark Kent; another had the studio planning to do an entire Man of Steel trilogy along with a Batman reboot before launching Justice League. There's even a rumor out there stating Justice League has been delayed from a nonexistent release date to 2017.
What does this tell us? There's not a lot of real info out there and there's also not a plan in place at Warner Bros., at least not one that so many insiders claim to know about. But if there's going to be one soon, it'd be very smart to continue building from the foundations they've already set. They have a worldwide box office draw in Christian Bale's Batman, and they have a recognizable, likable leading man in Ryan Reynolds – despite the weaknesses of the shoddy film (Green Lantern) built around him – and if our anticipation pays off, they're going to have a badass new Superman as well. Justice League should be embracing these assets and building from it. It really is that $imple.
According to Latino-Review's latest Justice League report, that may be what they're doing. Their report (see below for video) claims that in response to Disney's acquisition of Star Wars and the massive success of The Avengers franchise to date, Warner Bros. is bringing Christian Bale back, for the simple reason that his films, based on a solo character and directed by Christopher Nolan, brought in over a billion dollars each on the last two installments, something Marvel was only able to achieve (so far) with a team-up.
Chris Nolan is producing (and provided the story for) Man of Steel so even though he's always said he wants his Batman universe to live on its own and that it wouldn't continue with him, he is involved in another DC property for the studio and was integral in bringing Snyder aboard. There's no way their ideas end with one Superman movie.
It's something we've talked about multiple times on the Screen Rant Underground podcast (here, here and here), jokingly stating Warner Bros. should pay whatever amount of money required to bring Bale and Nolan back. Perhaps it's already been done, and we all have to wait for Man of Steel to debut in June before foll0w up announcements are made. It'd be prime time for Warner Bros. to take advantage of Comic-Con to make an announcement of epic proportions, a la Marvel Studios' unveiling of The Avengers cast.
So the questions are, should Warner Bros. bring Christian Bale back? Do they need him to play Bruce Wayne? Let me know on Twitter @rob_keyes!
Man of Steel hits theaters June 14, 2013 and Justice League debuts sometime in the future.
Source: Latino-Review
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Almost 600 employees with the Minneapolis school district are in the process of moving into their new $41 million headquarters on the north side of Minneapolis.
Most of the workers had been in an aging building that once served as a light bulb factory in northeast Minneapolis. But Minneapolis Public Schools spokesman Stan Alleyne said the headquarters staff had been spread across four different buildings around the city.
"It's very convenient and efficient for our employees because when you're in four places and you have meetings in different buildings every week, it's a waste of resources," Alleyne said. "We feel like we're solving that problem by moving into this building."
Alleyne said district officials hope consolidating staff in the five-story, 153,000 square foot building will also bring more development to a part of Minneapolis that's economically challenged.
"We're here and we have a lots of people and people who are hardworking and a part of the community," Alleyne said. "It can only help in the development."


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>Cross Training>$63 a month gym pass to use the elliptical ?
Check out planetfitness.com - that's the gym I use and it's only $10 a month.
- Anya
A lot of workplaces offer sweet gym discounts--I know my boyfriend's does, and I've heard of others. I work at a university, so I get all kinds of amazing gym stuff for $150 / year--are there any colleges near you?
Ditto on the idea of checking with a local college/university if you have that option. I do that as I work at a state university. My cost is around $22/month and the amenities are great - nice new and technological equipment, well-maintained facilities, free classes anytime, etc. We even can use personal trainers at a cost of around $40 for 4-1 hour individual sessions or something like that. And.......there is a side benefit - if I need hit the track for a nice long run - it amazes the hell out of the college students.
Also check out public schools (some high schools, and even middle schools have open gym times for a fee - but usually much less)
military bases are also an option, some have an 'associate member' type option, or even just reasonable drop-in fees. (Local base is $5 a day)
Have you tried googling "fitness center" and your hometown to see what you find? That might yield some options as well. The rate you quoted is awfully high.
running yogi
i sacrificed the gift
Well, I have not been running in almost 2 weeks now ( ITBS) and can almost hear the fat forming on my butt.
I found a gym that offers month to month for $63. I've never done the elliptical, but I've heard that it might be something I can do to that won't hurt my IT Band.
I am going nuts right now, going through some serious life issues, and need to do something. Walking does not cut it. It's so awful, not being able to run.
Anyone do the elliptical machine? Do you keep your knees bent or straight?
Have you used an elliptical while having ITBS? I would think that the elliptical would bug it. It is low-impact but once the TFL is tight, the IT band is still going to snap across the knee or trochanter, which will prevent it from getting better.
Have you tried Trigger Point therapy by chance? I had success with ITBS by deeply massaging the tensor fasciae latae area.
Do you have the hip version of ITBS or the knee version?
Once when I was injured and wanted to XT I visited all the local membership places and ask for a free trail as "I was interested in joining." I wasn't really interested I just wanted to use their equipment for a few days. I would buy a stair stepper before an elliptical.
Stair stepper would be pure hell for someone with ITBS though.


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Thread: Should Local Host have a /
Should Local Host have a /
I am wondering if I should or should not have a trailing slash on my Virtual Host that I created to do development on my MacBook.
Here is what I currently have...
1.) My Macintosh HD: private: etc: hosts as follows..
127.0.0.1 local.one 127.0.0.1 local.debbie
2.) My Applications: MAMP: conf: apache: httpd.conf as follows...
NameVirtualHost * <VirtualHost *:80> # DocumentRoot /Applications/MAMP/htdocs DocumentRoot "/Users/user1/Documents/DEV/++htdocs" ServerName localhost </VirtualHost> <VirtualHost *:80> DocumentRoot "/Users/user1/Documents/DEV/++htdocs/00_AAA" ServerName local.one </VirtualHost> <VirtualHost *:80> DocumentRoot "/Users/user1/Documents/DEV/++htdocs/06_Debbie" ServerName local.debbie </VirtualHost>
Someone told me that Apache always appends a "/" after the Domain or Local Host, but I am thinking I should manually define it in the samples above?!
(Personally, when I go to "www.MySite.com" or "local.debbie" I do NOT want to see a "/" after the domain/host, because most people see those as "Home Pages" and not the "Root Directory" if you follow me?! However, if I had an empty directory, then "local.debbie/uploads" would seem to make more sense.)
Hope all of this makes sense?!


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by Troy Sparks
In some team sports, at all levels, doers practice to the whistle; doers practice as hard as they play. And whatever the outcome, you get out of it what you put into it.
The Wisconsin Playground Elite 13U girls AAU basketball team won a lot of games over the last two summers, losing none. What they lacked on a national level was respect.
There was only one way to get national respect: Win the AAU 13U National Tournament in Orlando, FL.
At a practice in June at Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, the young women were hard at work and preparing for the tournament.
They like playing together, and they get along on and off the court. Coach Kevin Johnson put together a collection of players who were willing to check their egos at the door and play for one common goal: To bring home the championship trophy.
"A lot of these girls are stars on their own (school) teams," he said. "So what I did was go out and recruited a lot of them who are the best players on their teams. And once I put them all together, they collaborated well. They like playing with each other. They're very unselfish, and they all are winners."
Imagine being on a team that haven't lost a game in a tournament in a long time. Winning breeds confidence, which these girls will need as they prepare to play for their high school teams in the fall.
According to Johnson, the best player on the team is Arike Ogunbowale. She will play at Divine Savior Holy Angels as a freshman. Ogunbowale is already receiving Division I interest, even before walking through the doors of DSHA.
Of the 12 girls on the team, seven live in Milwaukee and the remaining five are from Brookfield, Brown Deer, Verona, Burlington and New Berlin, respectively. They treat each other with respect, regardless of their backgrounds.
"I like Playground Elite a lot because the girls come from a lot of different places," Nicole Holstein of New Berlin said. She will play at New Berlin West next season.
Shakeela Fowler of Brown Deer loves the team chemistry. "You get to know each other. Once you get familiar with everybody, you try to stick together. We all love each other. It's like a big family."
Fowler is headed for Rufus King. Johnson said that she will start at point guard. His daughter, Alona Johnson, he said, has early interest from Marquette, North Dakota and South Dakota.
One look at the roster, and you would think that this undersized team isn't big enough to contend with bigger teams. An observer watched a game of a spring tournament and found that their quickness overcame the lack of size.
"We stay on our man," Alona Johnson said. "We call out picks. We call help side (defense). And we do what we have to do."
The Playground Elite team came out swinging in that game in St. Louis. Their pressure defense forced turnovers, which turned into points on their end of the basket. They lost the lead briefly before getting it back and barely survived, pulling out the win.
Their two-year undefeated streak was tested in one game. Playground Elite were down by 20 points at halftime to a team from Illinois, the same team they beat for the 6th grade national championship. Johnson calmed the girls down and told them to believe that they were the best team on the floor. They turned a 20-point deficit into an 18-point win.
"We all play together," Milwaukee Riverside-bound Amani Wilborn said. "And even though we were all not playing well, we still stick together."
With the upcoming trip to Orlando on his mind, the fourth year coach was looking for respect.
"We won a lot of games," Johnson said. "We won two national championships in two different national tournaments. If we can bring this (national AAU championship trophy) back, this is like bringing back a state championship."
"I'll be extremely excited," said Allazia Blockton, who's headed for Whitefish Bay Dominican. "That means we're ranked No. 1 in the nation."
At the AAU 13U National Tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, FL, July 5-7, the Playground Elite team accomplished what they set out to do by winning the national championship over a tough North Tartan (MN) team, 60-58, July 7. Blockton had 17 points and played the entire 32-minute game.
"We had some mental breakdowns, but we still finished the tournament as champions," Johnson said days after the game. "We are the only team to come to this event and win it on our first trip here, and that says a lot for this team. They have worked so hard and it paid off.
We are the No. 1 team in the country, and we're from Milwaukee, WI."
If Playground Elite win the North Tartan Meltdown Tournament in late July, they will keep their unbeaten streak intact. "We don't want to let people down," Alona Johnson said. "When we come out, we come out strong. We don't like blowing people out, but I guess that's what we have to do to win."
29th Street Alumni Basketball Camp The 29th Street alumni basketball team will hold a camp at North Division for ages 9-12, July 29-30, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call Calvin Rayford at 688-1396 or Daryl Banks at 899-9569.