text:
Crystal ball: Final Draft projections
By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com
I know I say this every year, but this year truly was a puzzle the folks at Rubiks would be proud of. Starting with uncertainty at the top and several question marks throughout, getting a real strong sense of the first round has been a struggle, to say the least.
But here's my last, best effort in nailing down the top 30 picks. Soon enough, the world will find out the true identities of the first round, so be sure to print this out and play along on the home version of the game while watching the drama unfold on ESPN2.
1. Tampa Bay Rays: Tim Beckham, SS, Griffin HS, Griffin, Ga.
The Rays have been looking hard at the same five players for a long time, but when it comes down to making the ultimate decision, here's thinking they'll go with the guy generally considered to have the best overall package of tools in Beckham rather than a more advanced hitter like Buster Posey or the other previously mentioned candidates, Kyle Skipworth or Brian Matusz.
Last projection: Tim Beckham
2. Pittsburgh Pirates: Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt
No change here, with the Pirates still in line to make some waves by taking Alvarez. Posey got some serious discussion, but Pedro is their guy.
Last projection: Alvarez
3. Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer, 1B, American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.
This was still not decided, but Hosmer is still the top choice here. If the Pirates pass on Alvarez, he would be a consideration. If they decide to go pitching, Brian Matusz is still in the mix.
Last projection: Hosmer
4. Baltimore Orioles: Brian Matusz, LHP, University of San Diego
They thought about Aaron Crow for a while and Justin Smoak has long been a possibility, but in the end, they'll go with the top college arm in Matusz.
Last projection: Brian Matusz
5. San Francisco Giants: Buster Posey, C, Florida State
The Giants would love for Hosmer to drop here, but barring that, Posey does make the most sense. Word of a big bonus demand could force the Giants to look elsewhere, perhaps to Justin Smoak, but the thinking is they'll take the guy they feel is the best on their board and that will be Posey.
Last projection: Posey
6. Florida Marlins: Kyle Skipworth, C, Patriot HS, Riverside, Calif.
It sounded like it was coming down to a choice between Skipworth, the prep catcher, and Yonder Alonso, the University of Miami first baseman. In the end, the hunch is the easier sign (Skipworth) will go off the board in this spot.
Last projection: Brian Matusz
7. Cincinnati Reds: Gordon Beckham, SS, University of Georgia
They've been looking at college players, from Yonder Alonso at the plate to Aaron Crow on the mound. They may have settled on Beckham because of his middle infieldedness (yes, that's a word) and perhaps a little because of possible price tags for the other two.
Last projection: Yonder Alonso
8. Chicago White Sox: Yonder Alonso, 1B, University of Miami
It's been mostly about bats in this spot and it still is. If Alonso doesn't work out, Justin Smoak is still around in this scenario. And if the Marlins take Alonso, then Skipworth could go off the board here.
Last projection: Gordon Beckham
9. Washington Nationals: Justin Smoak, 1B, University of South Carolina
The way things are falling, it could be a choice between a college bat and a college arm in Aaron Crow, with arguments to be made for both. Here's saying the bat will win out.
Last projection: Kyle Skipworth
10. Houston Astros: Brett Lawrie, C/3B, Brookswood SS, Langley, B.C.
It's time to take a shot with a wild card. Every draft has a top 10 surprise and there was some buzz that Lawrie would be it here. Word was the Astros really wanted Skipworth, but with him gone, they went for what could be the next best impact bat, and one that could also play behind the plate. College pitching is still an option, with Andrew Cashner being the best option
Last projection: Justin Smoak
11. Texas Rangers: Aaron Crow, RHP, University of Missouri
Crow is not a name that's been mentioned here -- it's been all about Shooter Hunt, Andrew Cashner, Aaron Hicks, Gerrit Cole and Ethan Martin, mostly -- but it wasn't considered a possibility that Crow would be available. They've wanted a good arm if it was there for them and Crow certainly fits the bill while the Rangers have been a team that hasn't worried about signability in the past.
Last projection: Andrew Cashner
12. Oakland A's: Jemile Weeks, 2B, University of Miami.
Many players are in the A's mix at this point, from the college bat ranks (Brett Wallace), the college arm ranks (Christian Friedrich) and even the prep ranks (Ethan Martin, Aaron Hicks). In the end, it looked like they were going with the college second baseman with some speed, a little pop and good bloodlines (he's Rickie's brother, a former first-rounder).
Last projection: Aaron Hicks
13. St. Louis Cardinals: Christian Friedrich, LHP, Eastern Kentucky
The Cardinals have been in on much of the same names as listed above, with guys like Ryan Perry also in the mix. It was looking like they were going for the next-best lefty starter in the draft class in Friedrich when push came to shove.
Last projection: Perry
14. Minnesota Twins: Aaron Hicks, OF, Woodrow Wilson HS, Calif.
This is the scenario the Twins are hoping for as they've liked Hicks all along and aren't afraid to let him develop as an outfielder. If one of the teams interested in him above ends up taking him, the Twins would consider either Friedrich or Shooter Hunt as options.
Last projection: Christian Friedrich
15. Los Angeles Dodgers: Andrew Cashner, RHP, Texas Christian.
There are many players in the conversation here, with the most interesting one being Arizona State's Ike Davis ... as a pitcher. While that sounds like a possibility, look for the Dodgers to go with the power-armed TCU closer over Davis or players like Zach Collier and Ethan Martin.
Last projection: Collier
16. Milwaukee Brewers: Jason Castro, C, Stanford
They'd love to have someone drop, but barring that, there's an interesting mix of Brett Wallace, Anthony Hewitt, maybe even Zach Collier. With this landscape, though, the left-handed-hitting college catcher gets the nod.
Last projection: Brett Lawrie
17. Toronto Blue Jays: Brett Wallace, 1B/3B, Arizona State
A guy who can hit like this might deserve to go higher, and he just might. If that's the case, the Jays may stay within their borders and take Lawrie, who hails from British Columbia. But with Wallace on the board and Lawrie gone, his offensive skill set will be too hard to pass up.
Last projection: Wallace
18. New York Mets: Ike Davis, OF, Arizona State
It's still looking like the Mets will opt for talent that can help them sooner rather than later, at least with some early picks. Ryan Perry could be a possibility, but we'll stick with ASU's Davis, the son of former Major League reliever Ron.
Last projection: Davis
19. Chicago Cubs: Casey Kelly, SS, Sarasota HS, Fla.
It's been looking likely that the Cubs will go with a high school bat if the right one is here. Collier and Lawrie have been mentioned, but with them off the board, it could leave the Cubs looking hard at Sarasota High School shortstop Casey Kelly. He's also a talented pitcher and a University of Tennessee QB recruit, but the Cubs have the resources to get it done if they so choose.
Last projection: Casey
20. Seattle Mariners: Ryan Perry, RHP, University of Arizona
All along, the feeling was the Mariners would look for the best college pitcher with a live arm. That could be Cashner if he were here, perhaps Tulane's Shooter Hunt. If they want to go with a safer college arm, Ole Miss right-hander Lance Lynn could be discussed. Or they could go pure closer with someone like Josh Fields. But with Perry still being here, he's the one who goes off the board.
Last projection: Shooter Hunt
21. Detroit Tigers: Ethan Martin, RHP, Stephens County HS, Ga.
The Tigers have been willing/able to do just about anything with their top picks and it's automatically assumed that any "signability issue" types could slide to them. Barring that, they would have interest in high school talents like Collier or Lawrie, or strong college arms like Perry if he's still around or even Rice's Bryan Price. Instead, they'll go with a prep arm with a ton of upside in Martin.
Last projection: Martin
22. New York Mets: Reese Havens, SS, University of South Carolina
This may seem like a bit of a stretch, and there is the possibility that Havens could be around for the Mets to nab in the sandwich round. But there are teams below the Mets in this round who do like him, and if the Mets want a second college bat, they may decide to take the solid Havens rather than risk losing him.
Last projection: Jason Castro
23. San Diego Padres: Shooter Hunt, RHP, Tulane University
I've had the Padres taking Arizona's Daniel Schlereth and that's still a possibility, but at the time it didn't seem like Hunt would be around to consider. Lance Lynn gets mentioned here as well, but with Hunt still on the board, that's the choice here.
Last projection: Daniel Schlereth
24. Philadelphia Phillies: Zach Collier, OF, Chino Hills HS, Calif.
The Phillies don't shy away from the toolsy high schoolers and could very well take someone like Anthony Hewitt in this spot, with a sleeper like Destin Hood getting some consideration as well.
Last projection: Ethan Martin
25. Colorado Rockies: Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Highland HS, Ill.
Odorizzi's name moved steadily up the charts this spring as he continued to throw consistently well to the point where some thought of him as perhaps the best prep arm in the class. He might not be the first off the board, but word is the Rockies would love to have him still be around at this slot.
Last projection: Odorizzi
26. Arizona Diamondbacks: Daniel Schlereth, LHP, University of Arizona
The Diamondbacks would consider someone like Josh Fields as well, but instead when the local kid is around, the lefty reliever, who is the son of former NFL-er Mark, will get the nod.
Last projection: Fields
27. Minnesota Twins: Brad Hand, LHP, Chaska HS, Minn.
A reach? Perhaps. There are other prep arms who could go here, like the previously projected Brett DeVall. But the Twins never shy away from doing their own thing and while Hand could be around for their early sandwich pick, the Twins may want to make sure they nab the local product.
Last projection: Brett DeVall
28. New York Yankees: Brett DeVall, LHP, Niceville HS, Fla.
There's always the inclination to give the Yankees the tough sigh, like Gerrit Cole, or the injured player (Tanner Scheppers or Brett Hunter). But I'm fighting that urge. They've also been looking at lefty arms and DeVall has the best one in the high school class.
Last projection: Brett Hunter
29. Cleveland Indians: Josh Fields, RHP, University of Georgia
The Indians would really like a college bat in this spot and there could be one that made sense for them when all is said and done. In this scenario, however, there isn't one that makes sense, so they'll go with the college reliever who is a short reliever only, but could get to the big leagues in a hurry. There's a chance Fields is gone by now as well, but for now, he's here for the taking.
Last projection: Jemile Weeks
30. Boston Red Sox: Lance Lynn, RHP, University of Mississippi
The Red Sox are willing to go in any direction at any point in the draft, so this pick could be anyone's guess. There'd been a lot of talk about South Carolina's Reese Havens in this spot, and it wouldn't completely be a shock to take a shot at taking Anthony Hewitt. But Lynn's name has recently cropped up as a late-first round candidate.
Last projection: Lynn
Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
BERLIN – Local law enforcement agencies this week are looking for the suspect who robbed a man at gunpoint at a car wash on Old Ocean City Blvd. in Berlin last Sunday.
Around 3 p.m. last Sunday, Berlin Police responded to the Union Station Car Wash on Old Ocean City Blvd. for a reported armed robbery. The victim told police the suspect held a handgun under his sweatshirt and threatened to shoot the man if he didn't turn over his wallet and money. The victim complied and lost his wallet and an undisclosed amount of cash in the hold-up.
The victim described the suspect as a light-skinned black man in his mid-20s with a goatee, around 5'7" with a medium build. The suspect was wearing a white sweatshirt and a dark-colored ball cap at the time of the incident. The suspect fled the scene in a small, white SUV with unknown Delaware registration. The victim described the vehicle as being similar to a Kia Sorento. Anyone with information is asked to contact Berlin Police at 410-641-1333 or the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) at 410-352-3476.
High Speed Chase Ends In Wreck
BERLIN – A New Jersey man was hospitalized last week after crashing at the end of a high-speed chase along Route 113 that began near Newark, Md. and ended just across the Delaware line in Selbyville.
Shortly before 9 a.m. last Sunday, a Maryland State Police trooper working traffic enforcement along Route 113 near Newark Station observed a dark-colored SUV with New Jersey tags going around 65 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone. The trooper attempted to stop the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer when it abruptly turned down Gunning Club Lane, a dirt road with no outlet.
The trooper followed the vehicle, driven by Elraheem Nesmith, 26, of Hillside, N.J., down to dirt road in an effort to make a traffic stop when the vehicle made a big circle around a farmhouse in an attempt to elude the officer. Nesmith was able to get back on northbound Route 113 with the trooper in pursuit. The trooper was joined by two Worcester County Sheriff's Office units and one Berlin Police unit as the pursuit continued along Route 113 toward Berlin at speeds topping 100 mph.
Other MSP officers attempted to end the pursuit with stop sticks at two different locations along Route 113, the first near Decatur Farms and the second at Route 818, both of which were unsuccessful. The high-speed chase continued on Route 113 toward the Delaware line, at which point Delaware State Police and Selbyville Police were alerted of the situation and advised to prepare to assist.
When Nesmith crossed into Delaware, the Maryland State Police and Berlin Police called off their pursuit and Delaware law enforcement agencies picked up the chase. Shortly thereafter, Nesmith lost control of his SUV and crashed into the Holly Kia dealership in Selbyville. According to police reports, Nesmith's SUV rolled four of five times through the car dealership before coming to rest on top of several new vehicles parked at the dealership.
Nesmith was placed in custody at the scene until MSP troopers arrived and identified the suspect and the vehicle. He was later taken to Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, Del, for injuries not suspected to be life threatening.
No injuries to civilians or police personnel were incurred, nor were any civilian or police vehicles damaged during the pursuit, with the exception of the vehicles damaged at the car dealership. Delaware State Police agreed to hold Nesmith on a detainer until charges could be filed against him in Maryland. The investigation revealed Nesmith was driving with licenses suspended in both Virginia and New Jersey and the tags on his vehicle had expired in 2005.
Stiff Sentence For Copper Theft
SNOW HILL – The second of two suspects arrested in connection to a string of copper wire thefts from construction sites in the Ocean City area in December 2006 pleaded guilty this week in Circuit Court to second-degree burglary and was sentenced to eight years in jail with all but three years suspended.
Aaron Wade Meyers, now 22, of Seaford, appeared for trial in Circuit Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary. Meyers was sentenced to eight years in jail with all but three years suspended. He was also placed on probation for two years upon his release and was ordered to pay over $6,700 in restitution to Frick Electric. Meyers' accomplice, Troy Holmes, 33, of Seaford, last year pleaded guilty to theft scheme over $500 for his part in a string of copper wire thefts from construction sites in the resort area in December 2006 and was sentenced to five years in jail.
Meyers and Holmes were arrested in January 2007 after resort police were able to connect the pair to the burglary spree. The suspects specifically targeted construction sites with spools of copper wiring, which they stole and melted down to recycle the copper. The copper was taken to a private recycling center in Delaware where it was sold for about $2 per pound. The two were charged with 11 counts including burglary, theft and malicious destruction of property.
Meyers and Holmes stole from construction sites in Ocean City including locations on 2nd Street, 42nd Street and 46th Street. Loss from theft and damage from the locations totaled just under $10,000.
Teen Sentenced To Five Years
SNOW HILL – An Ocean Pines teenager arrested last November on multiple counts of burglary and theft after police were able to connect him to a string of burglaries in the community pleaded guilty last week to first-degree burglary and was sentenced to five years in jail with all but one year suspended.
Mark Scaniffe, 17, of Ocean Pines, appeared in Circuit Court last week to face several serious charges including four counts of first-degree burglary, three counts of theft over $500, one count of theft under $500, two counts of malicious destruction of property and one count of theft scheme over $500. Ocean Pines police arrested Scaniffe last November and charged him in connection to a series of unsolved burglaries and thefts in the south section of the community. Scaniffe was charged as an adult because of the severity of the charges.
Last week, he pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree burglary and was sentenced to five years in jail with four years suspended, leaving him one year to serve. He was then given credit for the 153 days he served in jail while awaiting trial. Scaniffe was also placed on probation for two years after his release and was ordered to pay over $2,000 to two victims of his crimes.
Stet For Bomb Threat
SNOW HILL – A former Atlantic General Hospital employee arrested and charged with making a bomb threat at the facility in November had the charges against her placed on the stet, or inactive, docket last week.
On Nov. 11, 2008, a Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) detective was called to investigate a bomb threat at AGH. The hospital had received a telephone call from an unknown suspect advising there was a bomb in the hospital and that it was set to explode that night.
As a result of the investigation, Jo Ann Matthias, 46, of Georgetown, Del., was identified as the suspect in the bomb threat case. Matthias had been an employee at the hospital but had recently been terminated. She was later arrested and charged with making a false statement about a destructive device. Last week in Circuit Court, Matthias had the charges against her placed on the stet, or inactive docket.
Warrant Out For Artist
OCEAN CITY – A West Virginia man arrested in January on drug charges after offering to show his drawings to an OCPD officer who had just cleared him of suspicion of driving under the influence failed to appear for trial in District Court in Ocean City and had a warrant sworn out for his arrest.
Around 2:45 a.m. on Jan. 15, an OCPD officer on unmarked vehicle patrol observed a car with its rear tag light not illuminated. The officer pulled over the vehicle, driven by Joshua Gregory Riffle, 26, of Fairmount, W.Va., and informed him of the reason for the stop. While he was asking for the driver's license and registration, the officer detected an odor of alcohol coming from Riffle and asked him to step out of the vehicle.
The officer then had Riffle perform a series of field sobriety tests, which the suspect completed to the officer's satisfaction, and he instructed Riffle to have a seat in his vehicle. While Riffle was in the vehicle, he asked the officer if he would like to see some of his drawings, to which the officer responded it didn't matter to him. Riffle then took a drawing from the passenger seat of his vehicle and began describing it to the officer.
Meanwhile, another officer had arrived to assist and was looking in the passenger window during the drawing display and noticed a bag of suspected marijuana on the floor of the vehicle in plain view from the outside of the car. The second officer informed the original officer about the pot, and Riffle was asked to step out of the vehicle and was taken into custody.
A search of the vehicle turned up another bag of marijuana in the center console of the vehicle and a glass smoking device in the ashtray. Riffle was arrested and taken to the Public Safety Building for processing, during which another bag of pot was found in the front pocket of his sweatshirt.
Around 4:37 a.m., the officer was dispatched to police headquarters for a report of a fire alarm. When the officer arrived on the scene, he was informed the sprinkler head in the man's cell had been damaged and water was coming from where the sprinkler head should have been. It was later discovered Riffle had broken the sprinkler in his cell, which had triggered the fire alarm.
The damage to the sprinkler head is estimated at around $200 and malicious destruction of property charges were tacked on to Riffle's marijuana and paraphernalia possession charges. Last week, Riffle failed to appear for trial in District Court and had a warrant sworn out for his arrest.
Suspended Sentence For Dealer
SNOW HILL – A Pittsville man arrested in December on drug charges after repeatedly selling narcotics to an undercover OCPD detective pleaded guilty last week to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to three years in jail, all of which was suspended in favor of probation and a fine.
Around 8:40 p.m. on Dec. 20, 2008, the OCPD Narcotics Unit with the assistance of the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team concluded a one-week CDS distribution investigation with the arrest of Kwamaine Dealon Fisher, 18, of Pittsville.
On two separate occasions, an OCPD undercover narcotics agent was able to purchase powder cocaine from Fisher in Ocean City. Fisher was charged with two counts of two counts of distribution of cocaine and two counts of possession of cocaine. A total of 14 grams of cocaine and $116 in U.S. currency was seized during the arrest.
Last week, Fisher pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and was sentenced to three years in jail. The sentenced was then suspended and Fisher was placed on probation for two years and fined $500.
Probation For Cop Assault
OCEAN CITY – A Baltimore woman arrested on Jan. 11 for kicking an OCPD officer who was attempting to help her after she claimed she had been raped earlier in the evening was found guilty of second-degree assault this week in District Court and was placed on probation and fined.
Around 12:40 a.m., an OCPD officer on patrol responded to assist other officers with a fight in the area of 15th Street and the Boardwalk. Upon arrival, the female officer came in contact with a female subject who identified herself verbally as Amanda Merritt, who had been reportedly crying and repeatedly shouted "help me" and told police she was having pains in her stomach as a result of the fight, but the officers on the scene had not been able to get any identification documents from her.
The officer told Merritt she was trying to help her but needed to see some identification so police would know who she was. The officer then touched the exterior of the woman's pants pockets and determined there was nothing contained in them in the way of identification. The officer then attempted to search the woman's coat pockets for a wallet or any form of identification, but found nothing.
According to police reports, while the officer was attempting to find some form of identification on Merritt, she continued to yell "help me," and when the officer went to look in her coat pocket, she screamed "don't [expletive deleted] hurt me," and sat up rapidly while swinging her arm at the officer.
The officer backed up and held up her hands with palms facing out in an effort to indicate she was not a threat and merely wanted to help the woman, later officially identified as Amanda Marie Merritt, 22, of Dundalk, but Merritt kicked the officer in the abdomen with her right foot. Merritt was taken into custody and handcuffed, and she continued to scream and cry, saying "you don't even know. You won't help me. I was raped and killed tonight and you don't care."
While the officer was obtaining Merritt's name and date of birth, she allegedly became angry again and spit a large quantity of saliva and mucus on the officer's cheek. Merritt was later provided with the necessary medical treatment and discharged from AGH before being taken to the Public Safety Building for processing. She was charged with two counts of second-degree assault on an officer. This week in District Court, Merritt pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was placed on probation for one year and fined $500.
Probation For Bar Stool Incident
OCEAN CITY – A Harwood, Md. man arrested on assault and drunk-driving charges last December after allegedly throwing a man off a bar stool in a mid-town establishment before fleeing the scene and later getting pulled over on suspicion of driving while intoxicated pleaded guilty last week in District Court to driving while impaired and was placed on probation and fined.
Around 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 15, 2008, Ocean City police responded to Mother's Cantina for a reported assault. The officers met with the victim who told police an unidentified male had grabbed him by his shoulders and threw him off his bar stool. The victim said the suspect attempted to throw a bar stool on him while he was on the ground before the victim's friend stopped the suspect.
An employee interceded and threw the suspect out of the bar, then watched as he drove away in a silver Pontiac Firebird with Maryland tags. The employee was able to get a tag number for the vehicle and told police the suspect was visibly intoxicated. Both the victim and the employee provided police with a description of the suspect including a British accent.
The responding officer was then informed by another officer he had located the suspect's car in front of a residence on Plover Driver nearby. The original officer responded to the scene and met with the suspect, later identified as Geoffrey Charles Lovell, 44, of Harwood, Md., who matched the description provided by the victim and the bar employee.
When asked about the incident at the bar, Lovell admitted he had thrown the victim off his bar stool and that he was thrown out and drove away. After the officer detected the strong odor of alcohol emanating from Lovell, he asked the suspect if had anything to drink after he left the bar and Lovell told the officer he had not.
After Lovell failed a series of field sobriety tests, he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was also charged with assault for the incident at the bar. When processed at the Public Safety Building, Lovell refused to submit to a breath test.
Last week in District Court, Lovell pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and was placed on probation and fined $500. The assault charges against him were not prosecuted as a condition of the guilty plea for DWI.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Washington Water Power Company
List of Deals
In 1885 George A. Fitch was the first person in Spokane Falls, Washington, to build an electric generator. A year later, Fitch was bought out by a group of local businessmen who, operating as the Spokane Falls Electric Light and Power Company, ordered a complete electrical lighting plant from Edison. To amass the capital necessary for the company's expansion plans, the owners began to seek out interested investors. The Edison Electric Light Company was willing to fund the plans in exchange for payment in both cash and stocks. Edison also received a 30 percent royalty from every company using his equipment. Thus, Spokane Falls Electric Light and Power Company was reorganized as Edison Electric Illuminating Company. The new plant was completed in 1888, but the need for electricity still far surpassed the capacity.
A group of local investors organized the Washington Water Power Company (WWP) in 1889 to develop the lower Spokane Falls. Within two years, WWP had built a dam and a power station at Monroe Street with more than twice the capacity being generated on the river at that time. In 1889 WWP had begun to purchase shares of the Edison Company, with which it operated closely, and by 1891 WWP had completely acquired its competitor.
WWP purchased shares in several streetcar companies through the 1890s in order to encourage residential expansion. The theory behind this strategy was that streetcars—themselves powered by electricity—would draw people into areas reached by the cars, thereby increasing demand. One of the companies in which WWP acquired a controlling interest was the Spokane Street Railway Company, which also owned Twickenham Park. To increase streetcar use, in 1895 Twickenham was incorporated as an amusement park that included a swimming pool, hence the name was changed to Natatorium Park. WWP owned and operated the park until 1929. The financial panic of 1893 stalled the company's growth and potential for profit, but it was rescued from bankruptcy by William A. White, a New York City financier. White was named to a committee that was charged with reorganizing the company's finances. Both the structural and financial reorganization proved to be successful.
By 1900 WWP was the premier owner and operator of streetcars in Spokane. In 1902, however, J. P. Graves formed the Spokane Traction Company and, although the electricity necessary to run the line would be purchased from WWP, he received permission from the city to develop a street railway to compete with the company. WWP's peak year for streetcar travel was 1910, with nearly twenty-five million passengers carried. Eventually the Spokane Traction Company was merged into WWP due to increasingly low passenger rates for both companies. In 1931 WWP began to successfully test buses run by electricity on city-maintained streets, as opposed to streetcars running on rails serviced by the company. The city's last streetcar ran in 1936, but WWP remained in the transportation business until 1945.
WWP expanded its electric service area outside of Spokane in 1901. That year, the company bought a tract of land in Post Falls, Idaho; WWP planned an ambitious 100-mile long, high-voltage transmission line to carry electric power to mines throughout northeastern Washington and northern Idaho. When it was completed in 1903, this power line was the longest high-voltage line in the world.
WWP completed a rapid expansion program during the next three decades. Added capacity enabled WWP to supply reliable and economical power to dozens of communities reached through transmission line extensions. It also spread the company's costs over a larger base, resulting in cost efficiencies and system diversity. In 1925 WWP acquired the Chelan Power Company from the Great Northern Railway Company. The following year, WWP began replacing its direct current (DC) in downtown Spokane with alternating current (AC)—although the company continued to use the DC system for its streetcar system. As the economical benefits of AC became apparent to customers, the demand for electricity grew, and the company began touting electrical appliances in addition to the stoves and water heaters already being sold. WWP's aggressive campaign allowed the company to set records in sales for some of these machines.
In 1928 WWP was acquired by American Power & Light Co. (AP&L), a utility holding subsidiary of Electric Bond and Share Company (EBASCO). With the passing of the Public Utility Holding Company Act in 1935, WWP was thrust into a period of legal battles for its control that lasted nearly two decades.
WWP received the first of its three Edison Awards in 1940. Other milestones around that time included recognition for having developed electric water heaters, increasing annual residential use of electricity to over twice the national average, and refinancing company debt. With the outbreak of World War II, WWP turned its attention from marketing to helping with war efforts. The company's sales force began to urge its customers to conserve energy and to repair, rather than replace, electrical appliances. WWP also aided the cause by selling war bonds, instituting scrap drives, and planning victory gardens, and it was a major supporter of the drive to build a bomber repair facility nearby. The end of World War II brought new surges in demand for electrical power, demand that WWP was not prepared to meet. WWP desperately needed to increase its level of generation. By the end of the 1940s, the company found itself engaged in not one, but two battles—the first to build new generating capacity, and the second to remain an investor-owned utility.
As the 1950s began, public utilities were gaining more ground, and WWP was beginning to suffer as a result. Therefore, AP&L decided that it wanted to cut its losses and divest itself of WWP, even if the company had to be sold to a public utility district (PUD). WWP's board disagreed with this decision, and even garnered the support of some Spokane businessmen who were then able to get a restraining order to temporarily prevent the sale. The case was tried in March 1951. The decision handed down made it clear that the sale of WWP could not be legal because the company had interests in several states, and PUDs were not able to own property in states other than the one in which they operated. In 1952 a new board of directors was formed consisting of members selected by both WWP and AP&L. Shares of WWP stock were distributed to AP&L stockholders, and for the first time since William A. White rescued the company from bankruptcy in 1895, WWP was on its own. During this time, the company was also aggressively moving to resolve the power supply problem. In November of 1950 the company filed with the FPC for a license to build the Cabinet Gorge Dam on the Clark Fork River in Idaho. When completed in 1953, the Cabinet Gorge Dam nearly doubled WWP's generating capacity.


text:
Quick hits from Friday night's college football conference championship games. For more on Week 14, check out our Championship Saturday Snaps, coverage of Louisville-Rutgers, Oklahoma-TCU and the epic clash between Alabama and Georgia, plus our complete Top 25 review.
• No. 19 Northern Illinois 44, No. 18 Kent State 37 (2OT). Jordan Lynch put on a show in Detroit, and NIU's defense played the part of showstoppers in the 2012 MAC championship game. The Huskies won their second consecutive conference title, in their third consecutive conference title game appearance, but this is MACtion, dahling. And MACtion would never, ever wind up without a flourish.
Down 10-0 late in the first quarter and looking slightly discombobulated, the Huskies executed a bit of gridiron theater we might have expected out of the early-season Golden Flashes, back when they were returning fumbled punts the wrong way down the field and tackling their own teammates for safeties: They attempted a fake field goal attempt that was interrupted by their own timeout call, effectively icing their own kicker, who wasn't even planning to kick. Problem? Not for a team with Lynch, who returned to the field after the break, converted fourth-and-three on his own two feet, then continued running for 14 additional yards. Viva MACtion!
NIU managed only a field goal at the end of the drive, but the spark was lit. The Huskies scored touchdowns on each of their next two possessions, tying the game on a Lynch pass to Martel Moore in the middle of the end zone, regaining the ball after intercepting Spencer Keith and pulling ahead on an Akeem Daniels dive over a goal-line pile. They did not trail again in regulation, but true to league form, things got rrreal interesting around the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter. A successful scoring drive by Kent State returned the ball to NIU, but a botched handoff between Lynch and Daniels was returned for a touchdown by Zack Hitchens to tie the game, 27-27. Undaunted, the Huskies fired right back with the game's third score in under two minutes. Undaunted by that, the Golden Flashes re-tied the game with under a minute to play, and so it was that a grateful nation was blessed with overtime in the MAC title game. Two traded field goals, a Lynch touchdown and a Keith interception in the end zone later, and Kent State's BCS bustin' dreams were no more.
If you happen to be searching for running themes for the proceedings, try low outputs from Dri Archer and Trayion Durham and the Golden Flashes' inability to consistently contain Lynch. Durham was held to his fourth-lowest rushing output in 13 games, recording 72 yards on 20 attempts and one catch for 22 yards; Archer fared better at receiving with five catches for 81 yards (mostly on one 60-yard catch that you'll want to find on replay) but managed only 15 net yards on 12 carries. Lynch passed for 212 yards, ran for 160 more and accounted for four touchdowns.
Talking Lynch means it's time to talk records: As of the third quarter, Denard Robinson's single-season quarterback rushing record of 1,702 yards belonged to the junior Huskie, who at night's end had a grand total of 1,771 rushing yards in 13 games. Lynch also set a new school record for most plays in a single season.
So now what? A BCS bowl is still a possibility for NIU, but as ever when discussing postseason gatecrashing, the odds are grim. UCLA's loss helps the Huskies, who ranked 21st in the latest BCS standings, but they'll need more help from the voters than Kent State would have, a Texas loss tomorrow and so on. Don your purple and cheer heartily for Collin Klein if you care to see the MAC in a big-money bowl. [BOX | RECAP]
• No. 8 Stanford 27, No. 17 UCLA 24. We very, very nearly got to witness two conference championship overtime games in a single evening, but a hooked field goal in the final minute of the fourth quarter prevented a late tie and sent Stanford to the Rose Bowl. It's a natural instinct, maybe, for a non-partisan observer to wish for two different outcomes in games played between the same teams less than a week apart, but the narrative chaos was as uncooperative as the weather and the Cardinal took their fifth straight win off the Bruins.
Still, the contest was much closer than last week's, and it being late November, we do get to talk more broken records. Though his team came out on the wrong end of the scoreboard, we must begin with Johnathan Franklin and his 19-carry, 194-yard, two-score rushing performance. Franklin's longest run was also his first touchdown, a spectacular 51-yard effort on UCLA's opening drive that bumped him past Maurice Jones-Drew's mark for career all-purpose yards. On the Bruins' second drive, Franklin eclipsed Karim Abdul-Jabbar's single-season rushing record and the team broke the program record for single-season offensive yardage. And by the end of the first half, Brett Hundley had passed Cade McNown to top UCLA's single-season list for total offense.
The victorious Cardinal broke records of their own: Stepfan Taylor had a quiet night on the ground by Stepfan Taylor standards -- 78 yards on 24 carries -- but added 55 receiving yards on six catches and broke Darrin Nelson's Cardinal career rushing record just before halftime. Stanford's Ed Reynolds missed tying the NCAA record for single-season return yards by a single point, with an 80-yard pick return. Championship game MVP Kevin Hogan, in just his fifth start, threw for 155 yards and a touchdown and ran for 47 yards and another score.[BOX | RECAP]


text:
Immutables allows you to embrace immutablity to tackle complexity and concurrency challenges. To get the benefits of immutability in Java, there's an annotation processor to easily create simple and consistent value objects. You can think of it as Guava's Immutable Collections but for regular objects. It includes support for JSON marshaling, MongoDB repositories, and JAX-RS.
Yap4j is the simplest library for parsing CSV files in Java. It deserializes CSV files into a list of POJOs using a set of Java annotations, while allowing you to specify Object-CSV mappings. It automatically converts to and from a wide range of data types, and includes support for types from popular libraries such as Joda Time, and support for custom record delimiters.
Contracts for Java (Cofoja) adds contract programming support to Java through simple yet powerful annotations: @Requires, @Ensures, @Invariant, and @ThrowEnsures. Contracts are inherited from interfaces and superclasses and can be enabled selectively during development then disabled for release.
metagloss is an annotation-centric Android library for reducing boilerplate code. Relying on run-time parsing and compile-time code generation, metagloss provides facilities for mapping XML and databases to data objects, dealing with preference screens and working with DB queries.
Hibersap is a small framework that offers an abstraction layer on top of the SAP Java Connector (JCo). It maps Java classes to SAP function modules using Java Annotations and reduces the technical code to call a function in a SAP back-end system. Hibersap's API is very similar to Hibernate, thus offering a familiar programming interface to developers of enterprise applications.
Jukebox is a collection of reusable components that allow you to create a flexible server-side and middleware framework. It features semaphores and services (not quite your usual set), a Finite State Machine implementation based on Generics, a Datastream framework (data producers, consumers and loggers), and a JDK 1.6 compliant JMX framework based on Annotations.
A 3D game engine for Object Pascal focused on X3D and beautiful graphic effects.
A MS Excel spreadsheet component for Android.


text:
Ganesh Ramsaran pleaded "Not Guilty" to a grand jury indictment for 2nd degree murder this morning in Chenango county court in Norwich. Bail was increased to $500,000 cash bail or $1 million bond, Ramsaran was returned to the Chenango County Jail following this morning's court action. Ramsaran is accused of killing his wife Jennifer last December, her body was found in a wooded area in February in Pharsalia.
Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies, acting on a complaint from security officers at Covidien Healthcare in Hobart, arrested a former Covidien employee for the theft and possession of Hydrocodone tablets from that manufacturer. 26-year-old Wayne Morse of Hobart was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Petty Larceny and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property. Morse was issued Appearance Tickets in the Town of Stamford Court on June 11th.
The Chenango County Sheriff's Office arrested 19-year-old Renee Towndrow for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. The Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division and City of Norwich Police arrested Towndrow following a traffic stop in the City of Norwich; she was found to be in possession of a Narcotic. Towndrow is scheduled to appear in the City of Norwich Court at a later date.
State DOT Officials report that Motorists are advised that Chenango Street between Moffatt Avenue and Sturges Street will be reduced to single lane alternating traffic controlled by flag personnel starting today, through Friday afternoon. Construction crews will be working to remove the bridge over Chenango Street; Drainage work will also be performed. Also, bridge steel will be placed on the new bridge over I-81 southbound beginning at 6:00 tonight until 6 AM, each night through Friday morning, May 31. I-81 southbound will be reduced to one travel lane.
Last week's fire at the Cooperstown All Star Village baseball camp in Oneonta is considered suspicious, fire damaged 4 separate buildings at the site early Friday morning. Employees have been cleaning up the sites in preparation for the camp opening on June 8th; about 5,000 are expected to participate in programs at the camp this summer.
The Otsego County Planning Department has teamed up several organizations to bring energy efficiency information to homeowners, small businesses, and non-profits. A workshop is scheduled for tonight from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the town of Hartwick Community Center, 450 County Road 11, Spokesperson Solvei Blue explains:
(Solvei Blue 5-28-13)
Since the workshop series began, over 20 Otsego County residents have applied for or been approved for a free home energy assessment through NYSERDA's Home Performance with Energy Star® program. The next workshop will take place in Worcester, on June 20th, at the Worcester Historical Society, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.
Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies arrested 56 year George Pliauplis of Walton on A County Court Arrest Warrant for failing to appear as scheduled on May 14th. He was arraigned before Judge Becker and remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility where he will be held until further court proceedings.
The 51st general Clinton canoe regatta was held this past weekend, with the 70-mile endurance races on Memorial Day. The high river made for faster times for all paddlers, Duke Fisher of Bainbridge, was excited to get his 20-th finish with his 15 year old son Buddy.
(Duke Fisher News 2013)
It was Buddy's first 70-mile race, and he told WCDO why he chose this year to do it:
(Buddy Fisher News 2013)
The 2nd class of the Canoe Regatta Hall Of Fame was inducted on Saturday, including Ken "Doc" Benson, who was a 40-year regatta volunteer & Coordinator. His Daughter Tracy Smith reacted to the honor:
(Tracy Smith News 2013)
Over 1200 paddlers from 22 US states & Canada participated in the 4-day regatta.
– – – – – – – – – – –
Pro canoeists Andy Triebold of Michigan and Steve Lajoie from Quebec won their 5th consecutive pro 70-mile race at the general Clinton Canoe Regatta yesterday. Lajoie said why he thinks they are so successful:
(Steve LajOIE News 2013)
Both paddlers told WCDO's Craig Stevens that they planned to race with each other in the future:
(Triebold-Lajoie News 2013)
The pair finished the race in 6:36:55, just 19 seconds slower than the all time record set by Serge Corbin & Bruce Barton in 1990.


text: A simple pendant necklace captures elegant simplicity, but simplicity alone refuses to define these pieces: our designers have handcrafted a bounty of unique pendant necklaces for this collection. Faceted gemstones and smooth cabochons, precious metals festooned with heirloom patterns, single charms, symbolic pendants, and still others may be found here. Discover a handcrafted pendant necklace that speaks to you, at Sundance.


text:
Quote:I'm expecting some criticism for this one, but expressing this simple truth seems more important than getting a bit of agro from random people from across the globe who I will never meet.
Quote: Accept that death will happen, and you create a mindset geared towards squeezing the last drop out of every minute of life.
Quote:You say you would rather have the outlook of accepting the inevibality of death so that you could develop the mindset of squeezing the most out of life. "Squeezing" the most out of life sounds like the actions of a person living in fear of death, not in acceptance. Accepting death brings peace, not the desire to squeeze more.
Artifacts from the Ryukyu Kingdom missing since WWII.
Visit www.ShisaLion.Org
to view pictures
Stun Guns
Self Defense Products-stun guns, pepper spray, tasers
and more
Complete surveillance systems for covert operations
or secure installation security
Asylum Images
Book presents photo tour of the Trans-Allegany Lunatic Asylum. A must if you're going to take a ghost tour!


text:
This is a brilliant hardcore hardtail, future-proofed with tapered headset, dropper compatible 31.6 seat tube and ISCG 05 tabs (un-used)
I've owned this frame from new and it is in good condition with no dents, some minor blemishes and a small scrape on the underside of the bottom bracket (most will probably polish out)
Comes fitted with Hope tapered headset, 2 crown races for 1.5 and 1 1/8th steerers and an on-one qr. I will also throw in a WELL used Race Face Next carbon seatpost.
Looking for £450 posted.
Pics available on request.


text:
NEW YORK -- Injured [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] forward [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] believes that if his rehab progresses without a setback, he could return in the second round of the playoffs.
Stoudemire underwent surgery March 11 to clean up debris in his right knee. He last played March 7.
At the time of his surgery, the Knicks said Stoudemire was expected to miss four to six weeks.
Stoudemire was asked Tuesday about the possibility of returning in the second round of the playoffs.
"If everything goes great [with rehabilitation], then I'm willing to play," Stoudemire said. "Sooner than later, hopefully, if everything continues to improve."
Stoudemire hopes to begin running full speed by the end of the week. If his knee responds well, he will progress with his rehab.
"Everything's on schedule for the most part. I've got to continue to get stronger, got to get back on the court, start moving around at full speed," Stoudmire said. "... And if I can handle that, then we go up a notch, that's great. Then I'm looking [forward to] hopefully playing soon. We'll see."
Of course, a second-round return for Stoudemire presumes the Knicks advance to the second round. They lead the [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] 2-0.
"If we continue to win, then that gives me more time to really heal up 100 percent," Stoudemire said. "So that's kind of the blessing that we have right now."
Mike Woodson said Sunday that if Stoudemire returns to the Knicks, he will do so as a member of the regular rotation.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
With us up 2-0 to Boston and in the best possible position to take the series I can't help but to look forward and think that we are still quite small as a team. We need another big and Stat would be the answer to the second unit alongside JR. This could be just what the doctor ordered to get us the best possible chance for a chip this year!


text:
Waco pastor makes controversial decision to ban hair weaves
Updated 6:37 pm, Tuesday, August 20, 2013
A Waco pastor has ignited a firestorm of controversy for admonishing his church's leadership staff not to wear hair weaves.
"Our black women are getting weaves trying to be something and someone they are not. Be real with yourself is all I'm saying," Pastor A.J. Aamir told America Preachers online.
Wearing hair weaves, he told his leadership at Resurrecting Faith Church, creates a "false image" that is associated with women who have low self-esteem.
Aamir, 39, leads a congregation whose average age is 22, according to America Preachers. He told the publication that he was raised in a strict household by his parents, who are members of the Islamic faith.
While he acknowledged that he cannot legally prohibit women from wearing weaves in church, "he still highly disapproves it," the publication reported.
Aamir's words of advice quickly went viral, prompting scores of comments from men and women alike on the America Preachers site.
A commenter identified as "Braun Shuga" said, "I think people are taking this out of perspective! most in his congregation are struggling financially but yet spend money on what they could use for the more important things on weaves in order to appear 'beautiful'... which is distorted since beauty is subjective and in the eye of the beholder," she stated. "People that are struggling and who SHOULD use that money for necessities of life SHOULD NOT BE WEARING HAIR THEY CAN NOT AFFORD!"
C Michelle Pickett of the University of Tennessee wrote, "If you are paying your bills and handling your business first, you should be able to do whatever you want to with your money and that is none of your pastor's business ... and he is probably one of those ministers who wants a woman to sit down somewhere and know her place ... a woman with a low self esteem wouldn't worry about how she looks."


text:
"Within a masterfully strategized plot, Wolfe works his sardonic mojo to mock both prejudice and decadence and demolish the art world, reality TV, tawdry fame, and journalism in the digital age.... This is a shrewd, riling, and exciting tale of a volatile, diverse, sun-seared city where 'everybody hates everybody'."Booklist (starred review)
"As if the 45 years from Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test to here hadn't passed, Wolfe is back to some old tricks, including an ever-shifting, sometimes untrustworthy point of view, dizzying pans from one actor to another and rat-a-tat prose.... A welcome pleasure from an old master."Kirkus Reviews (starred review)


text: I was saying the same thing earlier in a very British polite way though. Didn't work for me:-? Anyway looks like they have gone now, or at least are no longer arguing. Am still hoping ChicagoJack returns to answer my questions from post56 on page 3, he is probably very busy, I will try to be more patient.


text:
The Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree, long a staple for engineers preparing for leadership, is looking pretty enticing lately.
A few days ago, Forbes Magazine, exploring the MBA's healthy returns, declared that students are "often able to get their hefty upfront investment back in less than three years." At the same time, the Graduate Management Admissions Council announced that applications are down this year at 63 percent of full-time MBA programs and 46 percent of part-time programs.
And while that's been going on, thousands of engineers, hustling for jobs, have been eyeballing universities and wondering whether an MBA will give them a competitive edge. So with applications down and with the economy struggling, does it benefit engineers to take the plunge now?
Engineering school administrators who we talked to said that MBAs still have great value, but added that engineers should never view them as a necessity for success. "As a general rule, every graduate who leaves an engineering school shouldn't have a to-do list with a little box on it that says 'MBA,'" noted Richard Miller, president of Olin College of Engineering, a selective engineering school in the Boston area.
"Those who are headed for corporate leadership will probably be tapped on the shoulder by a supervisor at work. And they'll probably be advised that their career would be advanced if they make that commitment," he said.
Those employees can receive great educational benefits from an MBA, Miller said. Engineers, typically schooled in technical feasibility, need to understand the viability and desirability of their technologies, he said. Comprehension of those two qualities enables them to know if a technology fits in a given market, and whether it motivates people. Miller said that many traditionally-trained engineers are weak in those areas. But MBA programs -- which typically offer classes in finance, marketing, and management -- can help.
"We believe the great innovators are people who combine insights from all three independent ways of looking at the world," Miller told us.
Still, the appeal of science and technology is greater for some than the draw of leadership. And those engineers should think twice about obtaining a business degree. "Some engineers really want to focus on technical design, get immersed in narrow area, and develop a depth of expertise in that area," said Richard Stamper, head of the Department of Engineering Management at Rose-Hulman Institute, a highly-regarded Indiana school with a heavy focus on engineering. "In that case, an MBA is not going to help."
At the same time, advanced degrees in engineering don't necessarily aid the journey down the technical track, the experts said. Doctorate degrees, in particular, won't make it easier to find jobs, since many companies don't have the inclination or money to pay PhDs.
"PhDs don't make you a better engineer," Miller said. "It's a license to do research."
While all that may seem obvious, one aspect of the MBA equation isn't self-evident: entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs are a different breed who may not have a personal need to be leaders or engineers. "They're driven by passion," Miller said. "They see what other people don't see. And their passion drives them to levels of expertise and knowledge that are often extraordinary. They become world-class experts in their fields, and they often do it without any formal education at all." Miller cited Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg as examples of entrepreneurs who found their way, not only without MBAs, but without bachelor's degrees.
The bottom line is that MBA degrees provide their greatest benefits for engineers who want to lead. "The thing they do best is enable engineers to work in teams, to develop independent insights, and to be persuasive in their communications," Miller said. "There's a need for education beyond what's available in the basic sciences. The MBA is one way to get there."


text:
Busy Phillips Long Wavy Casual Hairstyle - Light Blonde Hair Color
Description(Added: 1st September 2011 )
This light golden blonde mane is left out to fall over the shoulders showing off the jagged cut ends through the sides and back that lighten the edge encouraging the movement and bounce of the soft waves. This highlighted 'do will need regular trims to maintain a healthy look and feel.
- Hair Category: Casual
- Hair Length: Long
- Hair Elasticity: Wavy
- Gender: Women
- Face Shape: Round, Oval, Heart, and Triangular
- Hair Density: Thin/Medium
- Hair Texture: Fine/Medium
- Age: Under 21, 21 - 30, 31 - 40, and 41 - 50
- Height: Any
- Weight: Thin/Average/Large
- Glasses: Suits with and without
- Styling Time: 20 minutes
- Styling Tip: Apply a small amount of smoothing shine to your top sections for shine and hold.


text:
Fred Phelps, Founder of Westboro Baptist Church, Dead at 84
Fred Phelps, who founded the Westboro Baptist Church, died late Wednesday night at a hospice in Topeka, Kansas. He was 84.
Phelps and his church were notorious for picketing outside military funerals with signs saying things like "Thank God for dead soldiers" and for their anti-gay protest signs like "God hates fags." Their actions led to near universal rejection of the church's actions, methods and, in particular, Phelps himself.
In August 2013 the church excommunicated Phelps, its founder, apparently for wanting the church's members to be nicer to each other. The church consisted largely of Phelps' own family members, many of whom continue their protests to this day, despite many states' passing laws regarding picketing outside of funerals.


text:
I was thinking it would be fun to take a poll of everyones favorite Valentines candy.
I'll start. I have two because I can't decide which if my all time favorite.
I like the conversational hearts because you can use them to create goofy sentences and they are yummy.
My other favorite is the cinnamon hearts.. they warm the spirit :D


text:
Wincor Nixdorf subsidiary Prosystems IT receives service order from Sparkasse Leverkusen
Wincor Nixdorf's subsidiary Prosystems IT recently received an order for the operation of Sparkasse Leverkusen's user help desk. The help desk services for technical and banking-related queries have been outsourced to the IT service provider for a period of seven years, starting from October 2011. In addition, the existing hardware service contract for the savings bank's 42 self-service systems has been extended by 36 months. Sparkasse Leverkusen is thus securing the availability of its self-service systems and the efficiency of its user help desk in the long term.
In detail, the outsourcing contract for the user help desk stipulates that Prosystems IT will act as a single point of contact, accepting and processing both technical and banking-related queries for all applications as well as fault reports for all devices received by phone or e-mail. This also includes queries about Finanz Informatik's core banking system OSPlus. The savings bank thus benefits from transparency regarding problems and inquiries and is able to increase its availability in the event of an incident. Similarly, system availability and processing times are significantly improved. Prosystems IT is also in charge of managing the user administration for Sparkasse Leverkusen's applications.
"The migration to Prosystems IT ran smoothly, and the feedback from our users is positive throughout," reports Ingo Prothmann, head of IT Organization at Sparkasse Leverkusen.
"We currently support more than 12,000 help desk users in the German savings bank arena. Our excellent savings bank-specific know-how enables us to provide our customers with optimal support," says Vassilios Timiliotis from Prosystems IT.
Wincor Nixdorf installed its first ATMs for the savings bank in 2003 and has been providing product-related services for the self-service systems ever since.
For the past seven years, Wincor Nixdorf's subsidiary Prosystems IT has been supporting Sparkasse Leverkusen in operating and maintaining the ABIT Recht software for the management of accounts receivable.
In 2010, Sparkasse Leverkusen commissioned Prosystems IT to take over its license management, which involves checking and monitoring the software licenses the savings bank uses.


text: I started "collecting" some classic midsize rackets just to play with for fun and see what I liked and now I'm trying to thin out what I have a little bit. Here are the rackets that I have. All ratings are based on TW rating system and explained for each racket. Rating system found here: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=217121 1. Wilson Pro Staff Tour 90 PST90 - 3/8 Grip 6.5/10 $90 OBO Racket is in great shape but has a little graphite exposed around bumper (Thin line less than 1/8 inch thick) but I do have new grommets (read below). Still has leather grip. 2. Wilson NCode Six-One Tour 90 N90 - 3/8 Grip 7/10 $90 OBO Racket also still has a small amount of graphite exposed around the bumper but it is in a little better condition than the PST90. Still has leather grip. From what I understand the PST90 grommets should fit this racket as the drill pattern did not change until the K90 came out. *NOTE* I have two sets of PST90 grommets that I will include with these rackets one for each. 3. Prince Original Graphite 90 POG 90 4 stripe - 3/8 Grip 6/10 $60 OBO Racket really only shows wear at the top of the bumper which is an odd place if using modern strokes. Racket has a regular grip underneath. 4. Prince Original Graphite Midplus 93 4 stripe - 3/8 Grip 7.5/10 $70 OBO Racket is in excellent condition there is only one spot of slight wear on paint below the bumper very minimal. 5. Head Prestige Classic 600 - 3/8 Grip 8.5/10 $140 OBO Racket looks like it has barely been used there is only tiny paint chip that is in a spot that wouldn't have happened from play/abuse. This is one of the Designed in Austria models and still plays and feels great. I added lead tape to move the sweetspot up a little higher but that can easily be removed or kept if you like it. I am always happy to combine and ship multiple rackets or send any pictures. As far as trading I would be looking for some midsize rackets or any odd/rare/unusual rackets that you may have. For offers and pictures please email. oorange 614 @ gmail .com (NOTE 2 Os to start email address)


text:
Emmett Kelly's '51 CD sedan is for sale.
Expand Messages
- The Tombstone Western Heritage Museum in Tombstone, Arizona was fortunate to have become friendly with the famous Ringling clown Emmett Kelly, Jr., who lived in Tombstone. Before Kelly passed away, he donated his 1951 Crosley to that museum with 6,952 original miles on it, and it is radio-equipped, in excellent condition and original except for the tubes and tires. Museum staff drove it into the building, drained the gas tank, and it hadn't been run since. The museum also had gotten a large collection of Emmett's personal memorabilia valued at around $8,000, including three of Kelly's circus-act props - a rope, the broom, and his umbrella.
Now the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum wants to cash out on Kelly's gifted CD, saying that it doesn't fit the concept of their mission, or something, and never mind that Kelly donated the car to them or that Kelly was a Tombstonian himself. The Tombstone Western Heritage Museum is looking to get $14,000+ for the CD and all of Kelly's memorabilia.
Your message has been successfully submitted and would be delivered to recipients shortly.


text:
It's been a lot of fun being back out on the field on an everyday basis this season, and I've really enjoyed playing with this group on the White Sox, but I think I could have done better than I have.
This has been a big change for me from a year ago. I didn't play every day with the Dodgers, and I wasn't in the American League. So I've had to make a lot of adjustments -- adjustments I could have made sooner in the season, I think.
Overall, it's been an OK season for me, but I'm not satisfied by any means. I try not to focus on what I'm doing individually. I'm just trying to finish up strong.
One big part of my game is my ability to run and to steal bases. I do have 60 steals this season, but that doesn't mean I'm satisfied in that regard either. I look more at the number of times I got thrown out trying to steal. That number is larger than I would like to see.
As part of coming to the new league you have to learn new pitchers. I saw a lot of these guys for the first time, but it's good to get out there and get running again. I just wish I hadn't gotten thrown out so often.
The American League on the whole is good. The approach of the White Sox is more like a National League team, though. Ozzie Guillen lets us run, we bunt, we hit and run. The other thing you notice about switching leagues is there's not as much strategy in the AL. There aren't as many double-switches. The pitchers don't come out as quickly. It's a hitter's league, and that extra hitter does make a huge difference.
That extra hitter helps me as well. Normally in the National League as a leadoff guy I have the pitcher hitting in front of me. To have a position player in front of me helps out a lot.
This is also my second time playing in Chicago. I played for the Cubs for one season a few years ago, and I think the biggest difference between playing for the White Sox and the Cubs is that the fans here are more intense. We have the working-man fans, so to speak. The Cubs pack the stadium all the time, but it's more social. Cubs fans are excited about their team, but it is just a different crowd, a different feel being on the South Side.
It's also been nice having some familiar faces around me. I played in the outfield with the Dodgers with Andruw Jones and Manny Ramirez and here they are again as my teammates. When we traded for Manny, I joked with him that he's following me. It feels like we've come full circle.
Veteran outfielder Juan Pierre is playing for his fifth big league team. He has more than 600 at-bats this season for the first time since 2007, and he topped 60 steals for the third time.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Two more Marion County farms were quarantined Monday after they were tied to an outbreak of equine herpes virus (EHV-1) at HITS' Post Time Farm.
CORRECTION: Chestnut Hill Farm at 750 S.W. 91st Place is not under a Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services quarantine. A Wisconsin operation by the same name, which is temporally leasing property in Marion County for the HITS Ocala Circuit, is the quarantined facility. A press release issued by the state did not differentiate between the farms.
Two more Marion County farms were quarantined Monday after they were tied to an outbreak of equine herpes virus (EHV-1) at HITS' Post Time Farm.
While no new cases were found, the farms - Hard Ford Farm in Reddick and Chestnut Hill Farm in Ocala - were quarantined because horses that later developed the illness were housed on the property.
The latest orders brings to nine the number of Marion County facilities quarantined by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The first horse that tested positive on Feb 21 was located on the HITS showgrounds. Initially, the state only quarantined the tent where the affected horse was housed, but after other horses that had been at the show started testing positive, the entire facility was quarantined Feb. 27.
Despite the quarantine on the grounds, HITS organizers have vowed to continue the competition, which runs through March 17, with the horses on site. No horses on the property when the quarantine was issued can leave the grounds. Other horses can enter, but will not be allowed to leave until the quarantine is lifted.
Several hundred horses are still on the property, but that number would be closer to 2,000 on a typical weekend.
The virus is spread between horses through the air via sneezing and coughing. It does not affect humans. Humans, however, can spread the virus from horse to horse via contaminated hands, clothing and shoes.
The state has quarantined 14 facilities linked to the HITS outbreak. The others include: Up Country Farm, Ocala; Redfield Farm, Ocala; Montera Farm, Ocala; Flutterby Farm, Ocala; Kings Ridge Farm, Reddick, Calder Farm; Brookmore Farm, Oviedo; Foxwood Farms, Pinellas Park; Black Forest Farm, St. Augustine; Littlewood Farm, Wellington; and Miles Away Farm, Loxahatchee.


text:
The draft Barbados Energy Policy - The Government of Barbados wishes to develop and implement a national energy policy to mitigate the negative impacts of the oil prices and take advantage of national renewable and non-renewable resources.
- Location: Barbados
- Sectors:
- By: Barbados
- Type: National
- Source: Country experiences presented at the ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review
- Year: 2006
- More information
The draft Barbados Energy Policy
The Government of Barbados wishes to develop and implement a national energy policy to mitigate the negative impacts of the oil prices and take advantage of national renewable and non-renewable resources.
Currently, the Government is looking to expand the number of sources of renewable energy, which will include wind energy and fuel cane. According to the Draft Barbados National Energy Policy, Government is looking to introduce gasohol based on a 10 percent ethanol to gasoline mix. Under the reform of the sugar industry it intends for approximately 14.7 million litres of ethanol to be produced annually to meet that requirement. The levels of ethanol content in the gasoline are to be progressively increased over the 20-year design period. Recognizing that ethanol can be used in the production of biodiesel, Government has pledged to encourage further investment in ethanol production. In addition, A feasibility study was carried out to build a wind farm in the north of the island. Barbados Light and Power projects that the facility could generate as much as 26 million KWh annually.
The Government is looking to increase energy-efficiency by promoting energy efficient technologies and usage. The Government has recently turned its attention to energy conservation and efficiency in sectors of the economy to promote its vision of "Green Economics". Initiatives in these sectors will include incentives to: Manage/ minimize solid waste; promote recycling and separation; Promote "Green" building techniques and standards; Use alternative fuels/ renewable energy (tax incentives); Purchase "Green" products i.e. solar pumps, solar lights, composters; water-storage/ saving devices; Energy conservation in the public sector.
The Government has also committed to: Implementing economic incentives to promote energy conservation; efficient energy use; promoting renewable energy sources; Introducing standards for efficient energy use in technologies;Encourage the large-scale generation of energy using renewable sources;
Promoting research and development into renewable energy;Implementing disaster management initiatives to mitigate against climate change.


text:
Alicia Keys is showing her admiration for Oprah by honoring her at the Keep a Child Alive Black Ball event this fall in New York.
In 2003, Keys co-founded the organization to help provide medication and support to those in Africa and India suffering from AIDS/HIV. For the last nine years, the singer has been honoring those celebrities like Bill Clinton and Bono who have done their part to support the cause. This year Keys is honoring Oprah Winfrey, who according to Forbes has given over $80 million for good causes across the globe.
Oprah has been helping the AIDS movement since 1987 when she hosted an episode of her talk show dedicated to Mike Sisco, a gay man who was infected with the disease and was later shunned by his West Virginia town for using the community pool.
Oprah has always put her celebrity status to good use from helping with the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort to funding numerous causes in South Africa including the school for girls she opened in 2007.
The ninth annual charity event will take place on November 1 at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom.
Alicia just released her latest single, "A New Day," off her upcoming album. She has not announced an official release date for her as-yet-untitled album.
– Shannon Carlin, CBS Local