text:
Saito moving closer to debuting with D-backs
By Mark Clements / MLB.com
Forty-two year-old Takashi Saito has yet to make an appearance with the club, but he is well on his way after throwing one perfect inning at an Arizona League game Friday and another inning Sunday.
He has missed all of the 2012 season thus far with a right calf strain and a respiratory illness.
Saito is slated to take Monday off and throw again Tuesday, followed by another off-day and an appearance Thursday.
"We've just got to get him on a streak of good," said manager Kirk Gibson. "He threw more aggressive [Sunday], throwing more of his secondary pitches as well as his fastball."
Gibson he was pleased with Saito's progress and velocity, which sat around 90-91 mph.
"He's turning the corner," Gibson said.
D-backs will proceed cautiously with Kubel
CINCINNATI -- The D-backs are continuing to monitor the progress of left fielder Jason Kubel as he slowly works himself back to game speed.
Kubel left Friday's game against the Cubs with tightness in his hamstring. He was out of the lineup Saturday but came on to pinch-hit in the ninth, grounding into a game-ending double play.
While Kubel was left out of the lineup both Sunday and Monday, D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said the club considered pinch-hitting Kubel again Sunday.
"He was somewhat stiff [Sunday] before the game, so we'll try to avoid going backwards with this," Gibson said. "As much as you want to do things, sometimes you just couldn't do it."
Gibson called the injury "a little concerning" but added that they don't plan on putting the 30-year-old on the disabled list.
"He doesn't want to [go on the DL], we know that," Gibson said. "We don't want to put him there, but time will tell. If he doesn't get well in the next couple days, then we'll probably be more inclined to consider that."
Arizona could use Kubel's bat in the lineup after scoring just three runs in as many games in Chicago.
Kubel began the day batting .292 this season and led the team with 15 home runs and 60 RBIs.
"I'm feeling better," Kubel said. "Each day is better and I'm able to get looser easier."
With the team on a four-game visit in Cincinnati, Kubel believes his chances of making a recovery are higher than they were using the dated facilities at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
"I haven't really had many opportunities like we have [in Cincinnati]," Kubel said. "Chicago is a little different place. There's a lot more I can do here to get ready and prepare my body."
Kubel said he hopes to be back in the lineup Tuesday.
McDonald progressing toward return
CINCINNATI -- Good news may be around the corner in Arizona, as John McDonald made promising strides to a second-half return.
McDonald was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 2, retroactive to June 25, nursing a slight strain of his left oblique, which he thought was suffered in Kansas City in mid-May.
The 37-year-old shortstop took some swings in batting practice Sunday, a step D-backs manager Kirk Gibson had been keeping a close eye on.
"He's back at our spring facility, and he's getting better," Gibson said. "He's starting to kind of let it go and that's what he was waiting for."
McDonald is batting .267 this season with four home runs and 12 RBIs.
Gibson said he hopes to have McDonald back in the lineup soon after the four-game Cincinnati series.
"Hopefully, by the end of the week, he can start playing games," Gibson said.
Shortstop Stephen Drew, who recently returned to the lineup, is hitting .205 with eight hits and three RBIs in 39 at-bats this season entering Monday.
Worth noting
It was announced Monday that the D-backs will host the first doubleheader at Chase Field on August 23 against the Miami Marlins. The doubleheader will allow the club to avoid playing more than 20 consecutive days without an open day.
Mark Clements is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
The training session was about control, maneuvering the patrol cars through two obstacle courses and pushing the limits — both of the cars and the cadets.
EVOC was done at the Russellville Junior High Parking lot in the dark. It was actually dusk when EVOC began, but pitch black except for the artificial light source by the end of class.
Up first at EVOC was the backward obstacle course. Cadets watched several different RPD officers maneuver through the course quickly and smoothly.
The object: drive the patrol car backward through a meandering 7-foot-wide obstacle course without hitting any cones.
First up was Tommy Eddy, who managed to complete the course without knocking over any cones.
The class watched as one by one, each cadet took a turn driving a patrol car with an officer riding shot gun, directing as much as the cadet wanted through the course.
Everyone did surprisingly well. No records were broken and cones were knocked over and dragged along the car, but all in all, everyone performed better than anticipated.
Next was the much larger obstacle course that was meant to be taken at greater speeds, and the cars were driven forward.
The entire class was excited. It wasn't the Indy 500, but for most it was the closest they would ever come to a race of that caliber.
Again, RPD officers drove the course several times to show the class what to expect and to give more of an idea what the cars were capable of.
Again, the goal was to complete the course is a timely manner without touching the cones. The course consisted of swerves, turns, straight-a-ways, a serpentine, backing up, and two extremely sharp curves.
Once in the driver seat, the passenger who assisted with directions was once again a RPD officer. Each cadet drove the course twice. On the second run, the cadet drove with lights and sirens on to simulate what an officer feels during a chase.
It was a rush!
Those who were afraid, or more timid, drove just as fast as everyone else. Cones were knocked over and one cadet actually drug four or five cones under the vehicle until the drive had to be stopped to remove the cones before he could complete the course.
It was a highlight for all, even the driver, who was a good sport. As for myself, a self-professed timid driver, I did better than I ever imagined I would.
The most intimidating part of the evening was manipulating the smaller course while driving backward.
I was the last to go and asked Det. Stephen Barker to give me detailed instructions about when to turn, which way to turn and when to straighten up. I think I could have driven the course blindfolded and just followed his instructions, he did such a great job.
I probably hit the most cones, but didn't perform even close to as bad as I anticipated. My offical rating from Public Information Officer Drew Latch was 6 out of 10.
The "fun" obstacle course also made me nervous.
I rode in the passenger seat as Latch drove the course twice. The first time he hit quite a few cones, which he promptly blamed on me. Apparently, a screaming passenger is a distraction.
When it was my turn to drive, Latch encouraged me to not be scared, to go as fast as I felt comfortable and he, just like Barker, directed me through the course.
I loved it. I went faster and hit less cones than Latch expected. My rating was a 7 out of 10!
Near the end of the night, Lt. Keith Spears joined us at the course and several of us took turns riding with him. He's the master of the course.
It was just like a ride at the fair with him at the wheel. He did do an amazing job and then several cadets took a third pass at the course. The third time was even faster.
It was a tad difficult to follow the speed limit on the way home. There was a definite need for speed and curves.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
LBCC's Public Safety department is dedicated to assuring the safety and well-being of students and the college community.
Safety officers provide 24-hour patrols seven days a week on the Albany campus, and our center locations, allowing for prompt response to requests for assistance. Public safety staff are trained and licensed through the State of Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST).
LBCC Public Safety also has a firm working relationship with local law enforcement to ensure that all campus security needs are met. By request, we provide personal safety escort services, first aid station, victimization avoidance information, and even a jump start battery pack in case you find your car battery is dead.
For more information, visit LBCC Public Safety Department site at:


text:
Hamilton, Pujols lead homer-happy Halos in loss
By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- On a night when both starting pitchers got hit hard, Leonys Martin hit a three-run double with one out in the bottom of the ninth to give the Rangers a 10-9 victory over the Angels.
Both teams used what should be at least close to their Opening Day lineups. The Angels brought every regular except catcher Chris Iannetta, while the Rangers used their exact Opening Day lineup if Leonys Martin is the starting center fielder. Backup catcher Hank Conger drove in four runs for the Halos with a home run and a triple.
But the two starters in this game are likely to be middle relievers once the season starts, and Thursday's outing may have reinforced that status. Rangers starter Derek Lowe allowed six runs in 3 2/3 innings, and Angels pitcher Jerome Williams allowed seven runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Lowe started his night by pitching three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and throwing 31 pitches. Then the Angels jumped on him for six runs in the fourth, as Lowe gave up home runs to Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Howie Kendrick and Conger.
"I should have stopped," Lowe said. "It was unbelievable. It's hard to do, give up four home runs, even if you lob the ball up there. It just goes to show you location. ... I made too many mistakes over the plate."
Williams faced 14 batters and gave up 11 hits. He has a 10.45 ERA on the spring.
"Unacceptable. I left the ball up in the zone, and it's just unacceptable," Williams said. "I'm better than that. I need to throw the ball down in the zone, keep the guys behind me on their feet, get those ground balls. That's what I normally do, and that didn't happen today."
Nelson Cruz made his first start for the Rangers since coming back from the World Baseball Classic and went 2-for-3 with a walk. Pujols, who started at first base, was 2-for-3. This was his third straight game and only his second at first base this spring. Erick Aybar also hit a home run in the seventh off of Rangers reliever Coty Woods.
Up next: C.J. Wilson will make his second-to-last spring start on Friday, taking on James Shields and the Royals at Tempe Diablo Stadium at 1:05 p.m. PT (watch on MLB.TV). Wilson has posted a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings this spring, striking out six and walking one. The 32-year-old left-hander is expected to get to at least 80 pitches. Kevin Jepsen, out since March 9 because of tightness in his right triceps, is slated to pitch, as is non-roster reliever Fernando Cabrera, who just came back from a stint with Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Postcards from Elysian Fields, and follow him on Twitter @Sullivan_Ranger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Sheriff to Ann Arbor officials: Merger of 911 dispatch operations saving money
A new report shows Ann Arbor taxpayers are paying less than half the price per 911 call now that the city has merged police dispatch operations with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.
During a report on the first six months since the merger of the city and county dispatch centers, Sheriff Jerry Clayton told Ann Arbor City Council members Tuesday night the city's costs per 911 call have dropped from $39.63 to $15.81, while overall Metro Dispatch costs per call are $17.94.
Dispatch duties are being handled by a new and leaner staff, and city officials agreed with the sheriff it seems to be working out as they hoped.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com file photo
It's been projected the city will save at least $400,000 annually from the agreement, and Clayton indicated Tuesday night the new dispatch operation is hitting its financial targets.
Clayton said the staff includes one manager, three supervisors, 20 full-time dispatchers and eight part-time call takers.
He said there are nine more dispatcher positions to fill (five now in training) and eight part-time call taker positions to fill (two now in training).
The county has made a significant investment in hiring the right people and providing them with the best training available, Clayton said.
New hires receive 196 hours of academy classroom training and a minimum of 10 weeks of on-the-job training. The average time to fully train new employees is five to six months.
Added up, Clayton said, training-related costs over the past year total more than $280,000, while other hiring-related costs come to more than $123,000.
Clayton offered a review of the dispatch budget for calendar year 2012, showing actual costs are expected to come in under $3.2 million after more than $3.6 million was budgeted.
Dispatch employees clocked a total of 6,749 hours of overtime for 2012, which represented 11.3 percent of all hours worked.
The Sheriff's Office assumed full responsibility for Ann Arbor police dispatch services in July. Statistics for the first six months of operation show there was a total of 88,277 emergency 911 calls to Metro Dispatch, including 24,010 dispatched to the Ann Arbor Police Department.
For Ann Arbor's purposes, that's almost exactly the same number of 911 calls as the 24,251 reported for the same six-month period in 2011.
About 86 percent of emergency calls were answered by dispatchers within 10 seconds, while another 11 percent were answered within 20 seconds. The national standard is that 95 percent of all 911 calls should be answered within four rings or 20 seconds, so the standard is being met.
Reports show there were 31,598 total incidents dispatched to AAPD from July to December, including non-emergencies, and the average dispatch time was 11.17 minutes.
Ambulance requests took 3.13 minutes on average, burglary alarms took 2.87 minutes, disorderly conduct incidents took 5.16 minutes, domestic violence incidents took 4.51 minutes, fights took 2.11 minutes, robberies took 2.2 minutes and traffic accidents with injuries took 4.02 minutes.
Metro Dispatch
There were 78 reported complaints about how calls were handled during the first six months, and 47 of those were found to have merit.
The complaints had to do with everything from data entry errors to notifying the wrong wrecker company requested for a tow to not sending the closest police car to a call.
Clayton said any complaint about service is one too many, but he's pleased with where the numbers are for now and he expects them to trend downward.
"We achieved these numbers in the midst of a full integration — training, hiring folks, people coming over from Ann Arbor, staying, not staying, bringing in new people," he noted. "We have a significant number of dispatchers and call takers who have never done the job."
Clayton said nobody was capturing the kind of data about dispatch operations like the county is doing now, so there are no comparable metrics. He said the first six months worth of operational data establishes a good benchmark going forward.
Spring Tremaine, a former AAPD lieutenant who oversaw the city's dispatch center, has moved into a managerial role in the county-run dispatch center.
Council Member Stephen Kunselman, D-3rd Ward, asked what's happening from a dispatch perspective when someone calls 911 while on the University of Michigan campus.
"We're improving on this all the time," Tremaine said, noting more than half the dispatch staff is brand-new and they don't know the campus boundaries very well yet.
"We are in a constant state of trying to train them," she said. "We've had some problems where we show up at calls that are not ours and that type of thing."
Tremaine said dispatch staff has met with the information technology department to try to improve the mapping so call takers can easily determine if a call is coming from U-M property.
Metro Dispatch
"We knew this was going to be a tremendous challenge for a variety of reasons," Clayton said. "Although they were under the same roof, they were two separate operations, two separate cultures, two separate sets of policies, beliefs — a number of things that were challenges."
Council members offered thanks to Clayton for a job well done. Mayor John Hieftje recalled there was a process in the late 1990s that would have done exactly what the city and county are doing now.
"And that went on for three or four years, then the plug was pulled on that process with some hard feelings at different agencies," he said. "It's taken a while to get where we are."
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at email@example.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
Sun, Feb 17, 2013 : 7:33 a.m.
No one had better say that 911 dispatching is an easy job. But I also doubt that the times given are actual from the time of call (by a caller who may be in dire need) to the time of actual arrival of police assistance. Like others commenting here, I had one experience which highlights the problem with "county-wide dispatch." I happened to spot a young man crouching in an alley and counting out "marble size" plastic pouches which clearly held a white powder. Thinking he might be handling drugs (reasonable, I think) I also was mindful he might be armed. So I moved off half a block and dialed 911. Even though I told 911 dispatch which well-known building on Main Street where the alley was - the dispatcher still asked me for the address, including which city I was calling about. I lingered in the area 10 min.- well after the suspect had disappeared - and no police cars were visible anywhere in the area. So basically, I count that 911 call as a brush-off of a citizen-witness to suspicious activity. Frankly, I think most of us citizens don't care about saving $25 per 911 call, if that's what the sheriff is claiming. Ya know - WE WANT IT TO WORK, even if it costs taxpayers (us) $50 per call. Related: I've repeatedly recommended that people carry and use cell phones to report threatening situations which MIGHT require someone to use their sidearm in self defense. That's IN PREFERENCE TO using the gun first, IF there's time to make such a call. Implicitly - we are being told this is a futile idea. Our new "econo-dispatchers" aren't going to even come close to getting police assistance on the scene in time to help any defender AVOID having to shoot an attacker. Hoping all the prosecutors, the judges, the juries and all the LEOs out there keep in mind that such self defense shootings are forced by the degradation of 911 service. That includes: those who say only police can shoot an attacker.
Dan Cain
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 3:20 a.m.
Just want to commend both municipalities for stepping outside the box and being willing to enter into an arrangement like this. Hopefully someone will take the lead and guide the local fire service into a some kind of joint venture. It takes time to work out the kinks but in the end it offers as good or better service with the potential for saving dollars for all involved.
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 10:50 p.m.
Excuse me please.... why does it take over 4 minutes to dispatch emergency assistance to an accident with injuries? "Reports show there were 31,598 total incidents dispatched to AAPD from July to December, including non-emergencies, and the average dispatch time was 11.17 minutes. Ambulance requests took 3.13 minutes on average, burglary alarms took 2.87 minutes, disorderly conduct incidents took 5.16 minutes, domestic violence incidents took 4.51 minutes, fights took 2.11 minutes, robberies took 2.2 minutes and traffic accidents with injuries took 4.02 minutes."
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 7:26 p.m.
Probably because, if there are injuries, they put the priority on sending medical help (fire and HVA). This means they get some basic info then transfer the call to a totally different agency which dispatches fire and ambulance services. They may listen in on the call to get the info needed to send AAPD. However, high call volume (and lack of proper staffing) often requires them to move on to the next call. Then the fire/ambulance dispatch will call police dispatch back with the pertinent info. Also, there may be other calls going on, other traffic on the radio, or no police cars available to send to a crash. When you have 3 major police agencies on one channel, it is harder to get calls dispatched as fast. If you think Ann Arbor's 911 dispatch is a quiet room full of people with nothing to do waiting to take your call, you are sadly mistaken.
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 4:36 a.m.
I'm guessing what they really mean is it takes 4 minutes for a car to arrive on scene. I'm sure it does not take 4 minutes to dispatch/send a car.
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 6:17 p.m.
It is interesting that there is no word from the troopers, deputies, and officers from multiple agencies who have all been lumped onto ONE channel. I've been told that sometimes there is so much radio traffic that they can't even get on the radio to say that they are stopping a vehicle or checking on suspicious subjects. Also noticably absent is the fact that the many job openings result in dispatchers consistently being ordered to work back-to-back double shifts. This leads to burnout, more job openings, new employees being put into positions they are not trained for and ... more burnout. It is a repetitve cycle and somebody should look into why they can't keep these jobs filled. Lastly, 78 complaints may not seem like a lot, but that is only the "official" number of recorded complaints. This is significant as the officers on the road are not actually given a means to lodge complaints. Therefore, only the squeakiest of wheels is being recorded - which actually makes 78 sound like a lot. Especially when you are talking about complaints such as sending police to a wrong address.
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 6:12 p.m.
As a frequent listener on the scanner I can honestly say that everyone is professional, prompt, to the point and courteous. When the dispatchers call an officer, the officer answers almost immediately. No one ever grouses over any request for service and all calls are acted on promptly. No one gets sarcastic or sounds like they don't want to do what's asked. Some of these men and women work 12 hour shifts and still sound awake and alive at the end of them. I am in awe. Thanks to all that take calls, dispatch them and then act on them. I never worked in a situation that was that good in my 50 years of working.
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 4:25 p.m.
I understand the economics make consolidation necessary, but the one time I needed to call 911 I was not impressed. I was reporting a domestic violence/kidnapping situation maybe a hundred yards from the Ypsilanti Police Department. After giving the dispatcher the address he still didn't have a clue where I was. I probably could have run to the police station faster than the dispatcher figured things out.
Fat Bill
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 4:27 a.m.
Ron, the police are dispatched by Metro (County), AAFD is dispatched by HVA...
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 6:33 p.m.
Don't quote me on this but I think the city police and fire are dispatched either from the county dispatch center or through HVA dispatch. They no longer have their own dispatch center. SO when you made your call, the call taker you were talking to may not have known the area for one thing, and then it also has to include that where the patrol cars are at when dispatched. ou can try to explain where you are talking about but they cross check with a mapping system they have and the Dispatchers are giving that info out, not the call takers.
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 5 p.m.
Out of curiosity, did you call from a land line or a cell phone? If from a cell did you update your emergency address notification to your actual current location? That can and does cause delays on occasion and if you were to tour the dispatch center or talk to any of those officers, that would be the first recommendation they would give as soon as you walked in the door.
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 4:22 p.m.
I suspect fuzzy math. Too bad none of these people do the job
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 6:42 p.m.
Like the way that before the consolidation, Ann Arbor dispatchers were already fielding large numbers of cals for the county and Ypsilanti... Making it disingenuous to suggest cost savings when Ann Arbor taxpayers were already paying for the county's 911 service well before the merger.
Dog Guy
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 3:18 p.m.
"Ann Arbor taxpayers are paying less than half the price per 911 call now ." Sheriff Jerry Clayton doesn't seem to realize that alpha politicians hereabouts glory in wasting huge sums of our money on ugly, noxious, pointless special-interest projects. I appreciate Clayton's work, but he just doesn't fit the local political ethos.
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 6:14 p.m.
It took me a while to "get" your comment. But I finally did after the third reading. Good comment.
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 1:52 p.m.
"Ambulance requests took 3.13 minutes on average, burglary alarms took 2.87 minutes, disorderly conduct incidents took 5.16 minutes, domestic violence incidents took 4.51 minutes, fights took 2.11 minutes, robberies took 2.2 minutes and traffic accidents with injuries took 4.02 minutes." With all due respect to Sheriff Clayton and our fine LEOs, take a stop watch and see just how long those times are. Try holding your breath for that long... imagine you're fighting for your life and/or waiting for rescue for that long...There's a reason that boxing and mixed martial art rounds are only about 3 minutes. There are no teleporters that instantly send help yet, thankfully no pre-crime or thought police to prevent crimes yet either. So do you have a plan, any plan at all for that time?
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 10:53 p.m.
Ricebrnr is right on. It does NOT take over 4 minutes to push a transmit button and tell " anyone " there is an injury accident at so and so intersection. Hello !
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 3:55 p.m.
Nope you're looking at it from the wrong perspective. This is not a rant against response times or our fine safety officers doing the best they can with the resources they are given. The point is in this age of instant gratification, people take it for granted that help is moments away. Even with the best response times of which the above are not bad, YOU the person requiring assistance will need to DO YOUR PART until that aid arrives. Have you taken a first aid course? Can you stop or mitigate bleeding? Do you know CPR? can you cut your seat belt or break the glass to escape your vehicle? Have a flashlight? Have a fire extinguisher? Have a plan, any plan for the emergencies you might encounter?
Craig Lounsbury
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 3:25 p.m.
"Try holding your breath for that long... imagine you're fighting for your life and/or waiting for rescue for that long..." whats your point? That emergency response should be within the average time a citizen can hold his breath?
Basic Bob
Wed, Jan 23, 2013 : 1:45 p.m.
Now imagine if this system was countywide instead of having two dispatch operations. One for 300,000 people and one for 30,000 right in the middle.
Fat Bill
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 4:23 a.m.
Don't forget Pittsfield, Chelsea, Saline, and Milan!


text:
GIRDLETREE – Just six
miles south of Snow Hill, the tiny village of Girdletree plays host to a
handful of people and a lot of history that the village would love to show off.
The Girdletree Village
Historical Foundation has been active since the 1990s, purchasing and
renovating the Barnes Bank and the freight station and creating a driving tour
of historic buildings, from the old feed mill to the former station master's house.
Girdletree, located to
the south and east of Snow Hill, is a sleepy village with just 117 inhabitants
according to the 2000 census. Once, things were different.
"It was a really
bustling community," said Sandra Hudson, president of the Girdletree Historical
Foundation, who was born and raised in the village.
The fishing community
started on the bay, but gradually migrated west to the current site when the
rail line was built.
The railroad came in
1868 and was completed in 1876, the same year the freight station was built. A
town grew up around Girdletree Hill Farm, which gave the town its name.
The rail line carried
freight, such as oysters and clams, from local waters to Baltimore and
Philadelphia and passengers to regional destinations. The village had a hotel,
livery stable, blacksmith and several stores.
"The coming of the
railroad changed everything," said Hudson.
Eventually, the town
faded because stores were unable to compete with bigger stores in nearby towns.
Bad economic times all took a toll.
The principal historic
attraction in Girdletree, the Barnes Bank, now a museum, was founded by George
Barnes, Sr., and George Barnes, Jr. in 1902. The bank closed its doors in the
early 1930s, a victim of the Great Depression.
The neat brick building
spent the next 60 years as offices and then a residence with the former bank
vault turned into a bedroom. Then the historical foundation purchased the
building in 1994. "We gutted it and started from scratch," Hudson said.
The work included
restoring walls to their previous locations and adding a period teller station
from a bank in Cape Charles.
"All of our history is
being displayed right here. It's the history of the town," Hudson said,
pointing to displays about Girdletree founder Charles Bishop, the area's
oystering and clamming industry, and the local blacksmith and wheelwright.
The restoration of the
old rail freight station is Girdletree's newest history project. The exterior
renovation, down to period correct yellow paint with brown trim, has just been
finished. The deteriorated interior is next.
"We just got some more
money, and we'll be able to do a lot of work on the inside," said Hudson.
The Sinepuxent Questors,
an organization that has supported Worcester County museums for some time,
donated the money to the project.
The historical
foundation is looking for freight station memories, information and memorabilia
from locals to help flesh out the station's story.
The foundation would
also like to find a photograph of the old Girdletree school building, but have
so far been unsuccessful.
The freight station,
when completely restored, will display railroad history and house more of
Girdletree's abundant local history, from displays on the chicken industry to
old post office boxes. The freight station office will be show as if a train is
about to stop and pick up cargo and passengers.
Girdletree, though
small, has history even behind closed doors.
Hudson owns and
occasionally opens to visitors a general store started by her grandfather in
1937, which he operated until he retired in 1979.
The store, a work in
progress, displays period food and drink containers, medicines and the original
butcher block. One day, the store could be open to visitors to add to
Girdletree's historical attractions.
"We have lots of hopes
and dreams," Hudson said.
One way the Girdletree
Village Historical Foundation makes those dreams happen is to sell homemade
cakes, by the slice or whole.
When Hudson and others
got together to form the Girdletree Historic Foundation and save Barnes Bank,
they didn't even know what a historic foundation was, Hudson said.
Over 15 years later,
many of those original members have died, and younger people are not flocking
to take their place. Currently, the foundation relies on a handful of volunteers,
like Veronica Weiss, to keep going, even as the foundation works on big
projects like the freight station.
Barnes Bank is open two
days a week for visitors, on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1 and 4 p.m.
Admission is free. The driving tour map can be picked up at the bank.
"We can tell you
everything about the whole town if you want," said Hudson.


text:
While surfing the net today looking for some lovely DIY spring wreath inspiration, we found this amazing post from The Hometalk Blog, written by blogger Diana Mackie. In fear of looking subpar, we decided to share this wonderful post with you, instead of drafting our own.Bravo to the ladies at Hometalk.com, your work is simply stunning.
We've got a beautiful and bountiful Spring Wreath for every style!
What better way to welcome springtime than with a wreath full of flowers and greenery.
Tulip Wreath
We here at Hometalk have a special appreciation for tulips- we can't get enough of them (Editors note: Miriam was just at the Tulip Festival- check out her post!). As the most signature flower of spring, we can't think of a more fitting spring wreath.
Buy a variety of silk or synthetic tulips from a reliable source (we want them to look fabulous, right?) like Afloral.com. Choose whatever colors get you the most excited for spring! We love the color schemes of both Christina & Jacque. Christina stuck her flowers into the base of a grapevine wreath, while Jacque used a foam wreath wrapped in ribbon, and stuck the flower stems in-between the ribbon and the foam. Either way, cut the tulip bouquets up into smaller stems, and have fun planning out which color to stick where.
The thing that makes both of these wreaths look particularly stunning is that they packed in quite a few tulip buds- we recommend doing the same!
Hydrangea Wreath
We love how full and abundant hydrangeas look- especially when crafted into a beautiful spring wreath! Look at how perfectly Maryann offset the color of the hydrangeas with bright green moss and small white flowers. To make this wreath, begin with a grapevine wreath, and insert the flowers in between the vines. Top it off with some nice blue burlap- or any other color that you'd like. You can even hang this spring wreath inside, like Maryann did.
Daffodil Spring Wreath
We love Deb's flower choice, down-to-earth daffodils. Deb created this wreath by sprucing up one she already had lying around from seasons past. She simply pulled the flower tops off the old stems, and replaced them with new flower tops. We think her sprinkling of smaller purple and pink flowers just makes this spring wreath look extra cheery.
Spring Bouquet Wreath
Doesn't this wreath just look like spring is bounding off into your arms? You can easily get this lovely bouquet wreath look- just follow Melissa from Stockpiling Mom's tips. Begin with a basic grapevine wreath, and keep in mind that the key design element is a "top heavy" wreath, with the longer stems coming down.
The background layer is served well by golden rod, followed by tulips and daffodils in the middle ground, and the stand out purple iris as the foreground. For the visual center, add a burlap bow and an easter ornament using a glue gun, like this cute birds nest selected by Melissa. Because there is a fair amount of flowers coming out of one section of the wreath, you may need to secure the flowers with a hot glue gun as well.
Wildflower Wreath
We love how this spring wreath by Melissa looks like an armful of wildflowers- and it takes no time at all! She made this wreath for her mother, who taught her all she knows about wreath- making.
Start with a plain grapevine wreath (starting to notice a pattern?), and quite heartily wrap fern garland around it. Allowing for a few loose strands will help achieve the "country" look. Next add the blue bunched blossoms and accompanying leaves, adding slightly more to the bottom. Next, add in some white wispy flowers, again mostly to the bottom half of the wreath. Next, cut apart the yellow bunched flowers, and add those in, concentrated at the bottom center, but climbing up one side of the wreath to achieve the ultimate effect. We love the bright coloring and wide variety of flowers offered by Afloral.com – so you'll likely be able to find versions of your local wildflowers to make this look extra homey.
A Spring Wreath For All You Gardeners
Here is a super adorable and incredibly easy spring wreath – a garden hose! To start, coil the garden hose and secure it with a twisty-tie. Then insert the small spring bouquet of your choice into the twisty tie, layer on some colorful garden gloves, then finish with a lovely ribbon and bow. Feel free to get creative with fun extra clips like Jill did- how precious is that ladybug?
Rabbits-in-the Field Wreath
This animated spring wreath consists of two wreaths, attached at the side. Lizy's bigger one is about 28" diameter and the smaller one is close to 16"diameter. She attached the flowers and draping grass with wires, and purposely left some of the underlying grapevine wreath bare to represent the rabbit's holes and burrows. Selecting some nice dangling greenery is key to creating the "in the field" look. We think most of the fun will be finding the cutest rabbits to be the stars of your spring wreath scene!
Spring Willow Wreath
This is one of the most visually arresting wreaths on our list. This spring willow wreath is sure to make a grand statement, whether hung from your door or wall. Begin with the twig-style wreath of your choice (Barb used a will wreath as her base), and begin inserting the willow branches into the bottom of the wreath alternating between left and right. Insert the branches in a "spray" shape, with the flow coming out of the center and spreading out to the side. The willow branches at the top can be wrangled in, closer to the wreath base. This mid-way photo ought to point you in the right direction:
Delicate Vine Wreath
For those of you looking to make a more delicate wreath statement, this is the perfect DIY project for you. Abby began with an embroidery hoop, and sparing looped around some handsome ivey. We just love her finishing touches of a nice spring bow at the bottom and a few colorful butterflies.
Coffee Filter Wreath
This spring wreath idea from Angie of The Country Chic Cottage would make such a fun craft to do with the kiddos. First mix up your desired colors in small bowls with water and food coloring. Then dip the ends of the coffee filters into the food coloring, the coloring effect will travel up the filter while they set them aside to dry. You can use any wreath form as the base, just first wrap it with cotton strips. Finally, attach the dried and color coffee filters at the base, using a hot glue gun. It's easiest to begin from the outermost part of the wreath, like so:
We think it would be fun to experiment with tye-dye effects, or even aim for an ombre coloring effect!
Any craft that you can make all your own is a great DIY project in our book.
Fun Floral Hat Wreath
This wonderfully creative idea from Barb at Our Fairfield Home and Garden is a unique take on spring wreaths, and do-able in just a few minutes! Simply arrange your desired flowers and ivy around the brim of the hat, and hot glue one! Nothing quite says "springtime" like star hats to us! Like the coffee filter spring wreath, we encourage you to make this craft all your own- decorate with items and themes that reflect your unique personality.
Fore even more DIY spring wreath ideas, check out this fabulous Spring Wreath Hometalk board,curated by Katie Murphy of Upcycled Treasures!
If you're not quite up for the DIY task, we are big fans of Pier 1's wreath selection, and the work byLenore of Design a Wreath – how beautiful!
We'd love to see your completed spring wreaths, share your beautiful works of art on Hometalk!
Let us know which wreath was your favorite in the comments.


text:
For optimal server performance, use ACLs only when required.
The server is configured with an ACL file containing the default ACL allowing write access to the server only to all, and an es-internal ACL for restricting write access for anybody. The latter protects the manuals, icons, and search UI files in the server.
The default obj.conf file has NameTrans lines mapping the directories that need to be read-only to the es-internal object, which in turn has a check-acl SAF for the es-internal ACL.
The default object also contains a check-acl SAF for the default ACL.
You can improve performance by removing the check-acl SAF from the default object for URIs that are not protected by ACLs.


text:
|To mark the location of an entrance.
|Group: Man made
|Used on these elements
|Useful combination
|Search Wikidata
|Status: approved
|Tools for this tag
The entrance=* key describes the point where you can go into a building or enclosed area (such as a zoo, theme park etc). Different values are used to denote the importance or type of entrance. The entrance node should be placed on the building/area's way (i.e. its outline).
The tag building=entrance is deprecated, but still widely used. As of December 2012 entrance=* has overtaken the old tag, see taginfo comparison.
|An entrance exists at this position.
|The main entrance of a building or enclosed area, where the shoppers or clients go inside. Some building types like shopping mall have often more than one main entrance.
|A backdoor to a building or enclosed area often only for employees or for delivering.
|It is not an entrance, it is a one-way out of a building. Legacy value, consider using exit=* for these.
|An emergency exit is a one-way out of a building in case of fire. It is often combined with a fire alarm box. Legacy value, consider using exit=emergency for these.
|Door to staircase.
|Door to a private house, home or an apartment.
Please use the access=* values to describe who is allowed to enter.
- access=yes The public has an official, legally-enshrined right of access.
- access=delivery Access only for delivering goods to or from a customer.
- access=private Access only with key, keycard or similar. Look here for additional subtags.
- access=no Access is not allowed.
If you don't need a key to go out from a building or restricted area, you can mark this with exit=yes. This tagging has sense, if rules for exit are different from rules for entrance.
Accessibility combinations
- Use wheelchair=yes to describe the entrance possibilities for a wheelchair user.
- You can add width=* to indicate small doors for wheelchair routing.
- You can add automatic_door=yes to indicate automatic doors for wheelchair users and to warn visually impaired / blind users.
- MapSurfer.NET shows entrances as small dots at zoom level 18 and 19 (go to map).
- OsmAnd shows entrances in its default mappaint style.
- There is an ITO Map showing building=entrance and entrance=* in Europe (?) (go to map).
- Or use Keep Right's "deprecated tags" for the whole world (go to map).
Entrances and addresses
Main article: Addresses
If address is related not to whole building, but to individual staircases/entrances, tags entrance=main/staircase/home, addr:housenumber=* and addr:street=* should be added to main entrances to staircases (or to houses). Use ref=* for marking "inner" number of staircase (not to be confused with "outer" address, which some staircases have - for such addresses we should use addr:housenumber=*). addr:housenumber=* is put to one of entrances to staircase, ref=* can be marked to several entrances (also to service entrances to staircases).
Use addr:flats=* for marking number of flats inside staircase, for example, addr:flats=1-20. If there is only one flat behind door, the number is the value: addr:flats=14. If there are gaps in numbers, use semicolons: addr:flats=3-7;10;14;16-18.
See also
- Proposed features/entrance - proposal/voting page for this tag
- building=entrance - older tag used for the same feature
- Proposed_features/entrance/door - proposal/voting page for this tag
- door=* - kind of door (automatic, hinged, ...)
- amenity=parking_entrance
- barrier=entrance
- Relations of type=building which, for indoor mapping, should at least have one member with the role "entrance"
- exit=*
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 This value is not in original proposal, but is widely used.


text:
Cart is empty
The new one way tilt head MonoLite by NOVOFLEX is a revolution in tilt head design.
With silky smooth pan shots in 1 axis and only 375g (0.8 lbs) of weight it's the perfect tilt head for medium sized DSLR cameras, Mirrorless system cameras and small video cameras.
It's also suitable for the field of digiscoping or nature observation with spotting scopes.
Thanks to its NOVOFLEX Q-profile shaped foot it can be easily combined with a NOVOFLEX panorama panning base with profile clamping thus creating a 2 way tilt head.
The version MonoLite Q comes with an additional quick release Q=MOUNT.
Technical Specifications:
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As a useful addition to the standard version Monolite we recommend one of the following quick release units:
Order code: Q=MOUNT
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You can also purchase the MonoLite One-way tilt head with preassembled Q=MOUNT quick release unit.
Order code: MONO Q
Price: € 279,00


text:
September 16, 2013 - submitted by Carla, United States of America
Q. Dear Oracle,
The Oracle replies:
The first thing to remember is - as you said "all of those" - you're not alone. The majority of students arriving on campus will be in the same boat. They won't know anyone else and will be feeling all sorts of emotions.


text: "Sew-In" for blocks for Quilts of Valor, Portland, Oregon, will be Saturday, February 16, 2013. Come anytime between 9:00 AM and 5:00PM. Bring sewing machine, salad or snacks to share. Some red and blue fabric and some batting provided. Patterns available or design your own. West Portland United Methodist Church, 4729 SW Taylor's Ferry Road, Portland, Oregon 97219. NO CHARGE. QOV Foundation is non-profit, their mission is to cover all service members and veterans touched by (any) war with healing and comforting quilts called Quilts of Valor.


text:
|April 30, 2013, 06:06 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: April 16, 2012
Location: Idaho
Posts: 389
Encore SBS?
I have an encore that I would like to make into a SBS just for fun. Is there any place that would do a custom job and make a Shotgun barrel with a pistol front grip? I know the barrel would have to be built slightly different.
Id like them to make it 18 inches long at first until the stamp is passed then I would cut it down once the stamp is passed.
I am thinking really short like a 6-10 inch barrel.
Always looking for a good hunt!
|April 30, 2013, 06:08 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: April 16, 2012
Location: Idaho
Posts: 389
also do I need a separate stamp if I decide to make it into a SBR as well?
Always looking for a good hunt!
|May 3, 2013, 05:44 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: May 15, 2011
Posts: 1,405
The problem is once you make a weapon into a SBR or SBS, it has to be stamped with markings and kept as is, it can't be modified back to a non-ClassIII weapon.
Your best bet is to decide what you want it to be, submit the form application, and then do the modification properly and live with what you have made and sell it if you decide it's not what you want anymore.
Colt M1911, AR-15 | S&W Model 19, Model 27| SIG P238 | Berreta 85B Cheetah | Ruger Blackhawk .357MAG, Bearcat "Shopkeeper" .22LR| Remington Marine Magnum SP 12GA., Model 700 SPS .223
|May 6, 2013, 06:00 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: March 5, 2009
Location: Uh-Hi-O
Posts: 2,595
Fullautos are subject to the "once a machinegun always a machinegun" rule meaning that they can't be converted to semiauto and removed from the registry.
"9mm has a very long history of being a pointy little bullet moving quickly" --Sevens
|May 6, 2013, 06:35 PM
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: June 25, 2008
Location: Western Colorado, finally.
Posts: 19,118
It doesn't have to be "removed from the registry" either. You could register an Encore as a SBR and use it with a long barrel or (as legal in your state) as a handgun. Registering it as an SBR doesn't mean it has to stay in that configuration forever, it means it's ALLOWED to be in that configuration. If you sell it, you'd have to go by the NFA rules but you can use it yourself however you'd like.
Still happily answering to the call-sign Peetza.
The problem, as you so eloquently put it, is choice.
-The Architect
He is no fool who gives what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose.
-Jim Eliott, paraphrasing Philip Henry.
|May 6, 2013, 08:12 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: May 16, 2008
Posts: 9,669
OP touched on something I have considered myself. Is the stamp shotgun/rifle specific?
$0 of an NRA membership goes to legislative action or court battles. Not a dime. Only money contributed to the NRA-ILA or NRA-PVF. Second Amendment Foundation is a solid alternative.
First Shotgun Thread First Rifle Thread First Pistol Thread
|May 9, 2013, 01:36 PM
Join Date: February 26, 2013
Posts: 44
If you sell it, you can sell it with the long barrel as a title I, with no paperwork, or as a title II with a short barrel, and do the paperwork for a transfer.
There is a different definition for a short barrel shotgun vs. a short barrel rifle. SBR vs. SBS (shotgun). The form will specify what it is.
|May 25, 2013, 05:03 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: March 14, 2010
Location: Border of Idaho & Montana
Posts: 2,515
I think you will need to do two separate stamps.
Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull.
all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well...
|May 25, 2013, 12:45 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: March 5, 2009
Location: Uh-Hi-O
Posts: 2,595
As much as I hate it when people ask the ATF for clarification on a topic, this seems like a good one to ask them about.
"9mm has a very long history of being a pointy little bullet moving quickly" --Sevens
|July 25, 2013, 01:59 PM
Join Date: April 13, 2008
Posts: 35
A few thoughts on the matter:
*I built a Contender SBR some years ago. Add a suppressor and it makes a nice, compact package. I especially like how easy it is to switch calibers, configurations, etc.
*I'm not much of a shotgun guy, but if I were to do a cut-down single-shot SBS to use only as a shotgun, I'd use a different host firearm. There are all sorts of inexpensive single-shot shotguns out there that would work great. You could build a couple of them, including tax stamps, for what it would cost to do one Encore SBS.
So if you cut down a shotgun and install a pistol grip, you have something that resembles an AOW, but that is still a "shotgun", since it was "made from a shotgun".
Based on this, if you register and cut down a shotgun into an SBS, and you later install a rifled barrel, the firearm is still a "shotgun", since it was "made from a shotgun".
(disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. This is speculation on my part, based on past ATF rulings, the text of legal definitions, and application of logic. That last part (logic) may or may not exist on the part of ATF. YMMV)
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text:
Ambrosia of Immortality
The elixir of immortality or simple wisdom?
The story from ShadowLight Productions in San Francisco, USA.
Heaven is often viewed as a peaceful place. But this creation story reveals the struggle that afflicted the whole universe. War erupted between the gods who had all the privileges and the demons who wanted to get their status back. Tired of fighting and seeking solution they went to Vishnu, the Preserver. Vishnu told them to obtain the essence of life in the form of the elixir of immortality. To do so they needed to churn the Ocean of Milk, for which the skills of the gods and strength of the demons were required. This earth-shattering enterprise demanded uprooting a great mountain and convincing the King of Snakes to act as a rope to spin the mountain. Although the gods and demons were sceptical at first they gradually became consumed with succeeding in this momentous challenge and investment of faith.
And so the churning began. The wise ones gazed into their minds and saw universe upon universe being created, preserved and destroyed. "They called the creator Brahma; the preserver Vishnu, and destroyer Siva." They counted eons, looked through light years, examined thoughts, and finally distilled their wisdom into stories for us to cherish. Their insights brought them to an understanding of simple truths that day and night, hot and cold, soft and sharp, pleasure and pain and good and bad come together. Nothing exists without its opposite and the secret is to keep everything in balance.
The Ambrosia of Immortality was created and performed by ShadowLight Productions in the late 1990s with shadow-puppet masters I Wayan Wija and Larry Reed. http://www.shadowlight.org/slp/index.cfm?fuseaction=ThisProduction.DisplayThisProduction&production_id=11
Explanation: Ambrosia - in Greek and Roman mythology is the food of the gods, believed to confer immortality.
Dr Stan Florek , Database Manager
Last Updated:


text:
The more Adam Lind plays, the more his Toronto teammates believe the designated hitter and outfielder is All-Star Game material. Lind hit two 400-foot home runs on Monday and followed with his 12th of the season on Tuesday. He's also fifth in the AL with 45 RBIs.
"The kid had a great [Monday] night. You look at him, and he's going towards having the best season of any DH in the game. ... I'd love to see him at the All-Star Game," Jays manager Cito Gaston told the Toronto Star.
"It's great, it's fun to watch," added teammate Vernon Wells. "When he's locked in, he's as good as anyone I've ever seen in the game. He's got the ability to hit the ball pole to pole, and he's hitting his pitch."
Ortiz happy he decided to come back: Russ Ortiz has been pitching well since moving to the bullpen on May 7 and has not allowed a run in five straight appearances, including Sunday when he threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings. Last year he missed the entire season due to a torn flexor tendon.
"I was actually enjoying my time with my family and, I've never done that in my career -- spending day after day with my family," Ortiz told the Houston Chronicle. "There were a couple of days, where I was thinking like, 'Man, this is nice.' But after talking about it, seeing how well I was doing in rehab, I figured, hey, I'd give it a shot."
Fielder among top hitters in NL: Prince Fielder is second in the NL with 54 RBIs, leads the league in walks (44), and is fifth in OPS (1.014) and slugging (.587). He also has 15 home runs among his 27 extra-base hits.
"He's been phenomenal," left fielder Ryan Braun told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He's been as a good as any hitter in baseball, having good at-bats every day. Not necessarily just about the production or getting hits but just having good at-bats, going deep in the count, hitting the ball hard. He's been taking his walks. And he's driving the ball to all parts of the field. He's been incredible."
Hernandez standing tall: With the Mets trying to overcome injuries this season, Livan Hernandez has risen to the occasion. In his 11 starts, the Mets are 7-4, and, in his last four starts, Hernandez is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA. Livan is 5-1, overall.
Despite battling illness, the innings-eating veteran right-hander improved to 5-1 by throwing seven scoreless innings against the Nationals in a 7-0 win on Sunday.
"Obviously, we need good pitching, and that was outstanding pitching," manager Jerry Manuel told Newsday. "He had a shutout going and he came in and said, 'I'm done.' That's not normal for Livan. He can throw 160, 170 pitches and not flinch, so you know he's battling some different things."
Hughes ends long layoff with relief appearance: Phil Hughes, pitching for the first time as a reliever for the Yankees and for the first time in eight days, had a 1-2-3 seventh inning, which included a strikeout, in the club's 5-3 win over Tampa Bay on Monday night.
"He gave us a big inning, going through the top of the order," manager Joe Girardi told the New York Daily News. "He did a very nice job."
"I probably had a little bit extra because I hadn't pitched," said Hughes, who made his first appearance since May 31. "I may have had a little more in the tank than usual."
Peavy comes through after marathon game: With the pitching staff tired after an 18-inning game, Jake Peavy threw seven innings on Monday night to lead the Padres past Arizona.
Peavy, who left his last start after one inning due to illness, allowed three runs on seven hits.
"I knew I had to give it at least seven innings," Peavy, who is also suffering from a sore ankle, told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I was basically on the shelf for 10 days. I'm getting a little strength back. As for the ankle, running is not fun. Coming off the mound and making plays are more uncomfortable than pitch by pitch."
Surgery to sideline Hamilton: The Texas Rangers were relieved to learn Josh Hamilton will only have to miss four to six weeks after surgery to repair a partial tear in his abdominal muscle.
"It's great, because we thought it would be longer," manager Ron Washington told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "We could have been out with him until September. At least now it looks like we'll have a chance after the All-Star break to have him back."
Longoria back after battling hamstring: After being out of the starting lineup for four games with a tight left hamstring, Evan Longoria was in the No. 3 hole on Monday night for the Rays.
"It just makes a huge difference," manager Joe Maddon told the Tampa Tribune. "I know he's eager to get back out there. It's difficult for him to sit around, but it's very difficult to watch him sit around also."
Stewart earns weekly honors: Ian Stewart is bouncing back and forth between third base and second base for the Rockies, but it hasn't affected him as a hitter.
Stewart was named the National League Player of the Week for the week ending June 7 after hitting four home runs, collecting 12 RBIs and scoring nine runs. He racked up 27 total bases and posted a 1.080 slugging percentage. He also hit .480 (12-for-25) with a .500 on-base percentage.
"It seems like everybody is in a pretty good place right now," Stewart told MLB.com. "Me and [Garrett] Atkins were the two guys that had been struggling the most the last month or so, but we were always rooting for each other."
Farnsworth's latest addition is a two-seamer: Kyle Farnsworth has added a two-seam fastball to his arsenal, something that he says is a big part of the success he's having so far this year with the Royals. Farnsworth has a 3.15 ERA and has not allowed a run in his last 16 2/3 innings.
"It's something different," Farnsworth told the Kansas City Star. "It has a little more movement [than the four-seam fastball]. I'm trying to mix it in a little more. Say a certain lefty comes up who I know is going to be first-pitch swinging, I'll start him off with that and try to get a first-pitch ground out."
Inge credits new stance for success: Helped by a change in his batting stance, Brandon Inge is batting .281 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs.
"My foot is down a lot earlier," the Tigers third baseman told the Detroit Free Press, referring to what he does with his front foot as he awaits the pitch. "I see the ball better. My body is in a better position, and I see the ball a lot better."
Poreda makes fashion statement on arrival: White Sox teammates kidded Aaron Poreda about his attire when he arrived from the Minor Leagues.
"The outfit I wore [Tuesday], with a long-sleeve shirt and a vest and a Kangol hat, I got some [ribbing] for it," the pitcher told the Chicago Tribune. "But I had to pick one outfit, and I decided to go with that one."
Lohse works to lessen forearm swelling: Kyle Lohse, on the disabled list with an injured forearm, says that early reports that he could miss anywhere from four weeks until sometime after the All-Star break are not necessarily accurate.
"I think that's too long, but anything is possible," Lohse told MLB.com. "It's a strain, and there's a lot of swelling in the muscle, but we're just working every day trying to get [the swelling] out of there."
First triple memorable for Lilly: In addition to pitching 6 2/3 scoreless innings on Tuesday night in the Cubs' 7-1 over the Astros, Ted Lilly also had a triple to lead off the second inning.
"I had a lot of fun," Lilly told MLB.com. "I didn't realize how tired I'd be running from home to third. I've never experienced that. I think that's the first one I've ever had."
Jurrjens continues to progress: Jair Jurrjens has picked up where he left off in his rookie season.
"Even last year, his first full year in the big leagues, his maturity level was way ahead of the normal 21-year-old kid," Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "His work ethic is tremendous; his feel for the game is tremendous. Every day he comes to the ballpark he wants to learn. He takes things in. He listens to people. He never comes to the ballpark satisfied. He wants to get better every day."
'Little Unit' West realizes dream game against idol: Marlins rookie left-hander Sean West faced his idol, Randy Johnson, and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning on Monday night before allowing a leadoff single to Edgar Renteria. Florida won, 4-0.
"It was so surreal seeing [Johnson] out on the mound today," the 6-foot-8 West, whose agent and former Johnson teammate Bobby Witt nicknamed him the 'Little Unit', told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "It would have been even better if I got a hit off him, but just seeing him out there is a dream."
Sandoval's four-hit night gets 'em talking: Pablo Sandoval led the way with a four-hit night in the Giants' 9-4 win over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night, including a two-run homer. He's now batting .318 for the season.
"That guy is just amazing," starting pitcher Matt Cain told the San Francisco Chronicle of Sandoval. "I don't know that he gets enough credit, including his defense. But he can just flat-out hit. That's what he does."
"They compare him to guys like [Vladimir] Guerrero, other bad-ball hitters," manager Bruce Bochy said. "And it's true: up, down, off the plate, he hits everything. Seeing the long ball was really nice. Occasionally, that's just what we need."
Cunningham sees replay at hospital: Aaron Cunningham kept his sense of humor after finding out he'd suffered a concussion when he was hit in the head by a pitch on Monday night. He pointed to a replay on television when hospital staff asked him what had happened.
"As they put my IV in, they didn't know I played for the A's," Cunningham told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I was like, 'Look, that's what happened, right there.'"
Cunningham said he was expecting an off-speed pitch away.
"It never broke," he said. "It continued through my cranium."
Contreras allows one hit in eight innings: Jose Contreras, who had been sent to the Minors after a rough start to the season, returned and allowed just one hit through eight innings in the White Sox's 6-1 victory over Detroit in the second game of a doubleheader on Monday. It was his first win in nearly a year.
"I think it was exciting for everyone, especially his teammates," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen told MLB.com. "It's something we like to see, not because we won, but just because we want to see Jose back and throwing the ball the way we know he can throw the ball."
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Discussion in 'Star Trek: Enterprise' started by Michael, Nov 27, 2012.
Enough with the Q, ENOUGH ALREADY.
phew, got that off my chest.
How about Quark?
It was Lt. Barnaby from TNG: "Descent"
He really was!
It was Lore!
Sam Beckett
Luke Skywalker
Archer being Future Guy is as crap as suggesting Deckard is a replicant...
IOW, the fans don't like the creator's intent so they insist it ain't so.
The director's cut of Blade Runner makes Deckerd's replicant nature pretty explicit. There can't be any sensible argument against it.
Barclary was secretly a Tribble.
"Future Guy" wasn't Captain Archer. It was Scott Bakula trying to undue a bad career choice.
It was Spock, the Romulan traitor who sold out and destroyed his and GR's universe. The fact that he saw the Medusan and other things is more than enough proof that he's crazy, and greedy.
That's checkmate.
A Romulan Daniels was also another good choice as if he was trying to ethnically purify himself by changing his past. He had his ears bobbed is all. But an evil alternate future Spock explains it pretty well. All too well.
Someone else mentioned Ziggy. That was pretty good too.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Me being my own worst enemy.
What if Future Guy was really Future Gal? What if it was really Janeway? You know she can't resist playing with time travel at any opportunity.
hate to bring this thread back up but I always wondered if it was him because the Silik lost contact with the "future" guy when archer went to the future. I wondered it but assumed it was just a coincidence now after this I really wonder.
I think it would have been interesting if Future Guy was mirror universe Archer, but since he was poisoned, that couldn't have happened.
But should Archer Prime have turned out to be Future Guy? I don't know that could be answered. We didn't see how it would have been written, or if done in a creative and interesting way.
Maybe archer is resurrected some how in the mirror universe and finds a way to become future guy? I like that idea!
Well if future guy was to be Archer, I think Mirror Archer would have been the way to go personally, because he definitely had an inferiority complex, when he compared himself to Archer Prime's life. Something like that could help explain why Mirror Archer would want to become Future Guy and to destroy Archer Prime, prevent him from succeeding in bringing the UFP together, becoming an admiral, and later president of the UFP.
It sure would make Archer a gazillion times more interesting.
I never minded archer to me he was the "cave man" captain. and had alot of personal issues
Archer as "Future Guy" would have made no sense whatsoever, so yes I can see it fitting into the TCW.
Separate names with a comma.


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Everyone says that teaching is a challenge, and they are right. But I want to take a minute to introduce you to someone who helped make my challenge just a little bit easier.
Maybe her example will show just how much the little things mean to children these days, and encourage you to take that step to become your own kind of "Mimi".
Mary "Mimi" Gunter shared her granddaughter with me when Skye was in third grade at Dover.
Ever since that first day of third grade, Mimi became an important part of my classroom.
Mimi volunteered in my classroom every week. She would come up faithfully every Tuesday and stay all day long.
Mimi didn't abandon me after Skye moved on from third grade. In fact, Mimi kept coming for five more years — right up to when she was diagnosed with cancer. Mimi worked with my students tirelessly trying to help them understand subtraction, division, and rounding. All of those things are important, but that's not the best thing she gave to my students.
Mimi's greatest gift was that she made each and every one of my students feel like they were important and special to her. She was excited to see them every week, listened to whatever they wanted to tell her, and refused to let them give up or not try to figure something out. Mimi would chew them out if she thought they weren't trying, and was always trying to push them to give their best. She became that special grandma who wasn't a pushover, but who you always knew loved you.
Mimi will always have a special place in my heart, and I wish I had another five years with her.
Rest in Peace Mimi — you made a difference in the lives of a lot of children, and for that I can never thank you enough.
Third grade teacher
Dover Elementary School
I am amazed that a few members of the City Council feel they know more about designing a store than a company that has built over 10,000 stores, solving problems one-by-one so the next store can be better.
Russellville residents who travel Vancouver Street each day realize that it can be difficult to leave Vancouver and turn left onto West Main Street toward the nuclear plant. Now consider a truck driver in a much slower truck. If the truck driver turns right, which can be easier and quicker, the truck travels through downtown Russellville. If the truck driver turns left across several traffic lanes, the truck exits Russellville more quickly and with less confusion; however, for a truck to turn left safely across four lanes of traffic, a traffic light is needed.
I suggest the Council needs to leave the store planning to Walmart.
Dysfunctional is the only word that comes to mind when describing the City Council's role in this process. It is apparent the few who dominate the Council are simply "in over their heads" and unable to recognize it. This dominance by a few has rendered the Council dysfunctional, at best, and may very well result in the loss of the 90 jobs, and additional tax revenues to the city, county and schools.
I just read that NewYork Mayor Bloomberg and his propaganda group Mayors against Illegal Guns is planning to run TV ads here to put pressure on our senators to abandon their oaths to protect and defend the Constitution by voting for the "People Control" (Gun Control) bills.
Democrats are submitting to infringe on our right to defend ourselves from criminals and tyrants. The ads will allegedly include a typical leftist talking point that 40 percent of all gun sales are by non-dealers who don't do background checks.
This is based on an old survey of 172 people who were asked if they "thought" they bought a gun from a licensed dealer. At that time regulations were more lenient and many gun lovers got a license and sold guns to friends and family. So they were licensed and subject to following all Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regulations, even though the buyers may not have known it.
I'm sure Mayor Bloomberg and his group know this, but in their quest to deny you your right to defend yourself, they use it any way. Don't fall for their lies! Gun control is people control!
I am concerned about the 45-day notice, recently issued by the Medicare agency, regarding additional cuts to the Medicare Advantage program.
Given that healthcare reform already cut $200 billion from Advantage in 2010, if they cut $11 billion more from this program, 14 million seniors on advantage plans will likely pay more for their healthcare next year.
My household income dropped by $100 per month three years ago when my husband died, and I do not have additional money to spend on increased premiums or co-payments.
Having Medicare Advantage gives me piece of mind since I never know what medical care I will need in the future.
Recently, I had surgery for my broken arm at Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center. At age 89, this is the first surgery I have had, and I hope the insurance pays most of it. I can only pay so much before I have to choose between settling a medical bill and buying food.
More funding cuts may mean my doctor receives lower payments for his services, so he may stop accepting Medicare Advantage plans altogether. I would be forced to find a new doctor who doesn't know me as well.
As a lifelong Arkansas resident, I paid for private insurance my whole working life and paid into Social Security until I turned 70. Our Congressional delegation must work to ensure that Medicare Advantage is not faced with new cuts, so that these benefits remain for all Arkansas seniors who need them.
Although something like 90 percent of people polled favor universal background checks for gun purchases, many Republicans think that a background check can be used to create a registration database. Then this list can be used to locate and confiscate guns.
Remember the good old days when we had cars to get to work? Then they asked us to register them and we didn't complain. And then they took our cars from us.
Remember how we used to own land until we had to register our deeds? Then they knew who had land and they came and took it all away.
I hear now that if your children have registered birth certificates, they are using this list to confiscate children! When will it all end. And all because I registered my car...


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Performance-enhancing drugs can be tempting for teen athletes. Understand the warning signs and what you can do to keep your teen from using shortcuts to improve athletic performance.
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This blog entry was originally posted on August 7, 2010, five years after the Supreme Court decided a major case impacting the wine industry. The decision Granholm v. Heald remains important to the wine industry and provides great context for the types of legal issues the American wine industry faces on a day-to-day basis. Because I believe this case to have such a strong influence on the American wine industry, I think it is worth revisiting. Below please find a summary of the background pre-Granholm, a summary of the case, and the legal environment post-Granholm.
General Information on Granholm
In the 2005 opinion of Granholm v. Heald, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5–4 decision that state laws allowing in-state wineries to make direct sales to customers but effectively authorizing out-of-state wineries to make sales only through wholesalers at a greater expense are unconstitutional. The Court reasoned that these laws discriminated against interstate commerce, thus violating the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution (Art. I, § 8, cl. 3), and were not defensible under the Section 2 of the 21st Amendment. It was further acknowledged that "the constitutional authority of the state to regulate the importation of intoxicating liquors was limited by the requirement under U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 3, that such regulation could not discriminate against the out-of-state wineries in favor of in-state wineries." Granholm v. Heald, 544 U.S. 460 (2005). Granholm still serves as good law today for state regulations pertaining to wine sales amongst interstate and intrastate wineries, as well as its constitutionality discussion, and is one of the most recent cases entailing wine laws to reach the Supreme Court.
Legal Environment Pre-Granholm
The nexus of Granholm spans from two distinct and conflicting district court rulings. Two states, New York and Michigan, had laws that prohibited or effectively prevented out-of-state wineries from selling products directly to consumers. Michigan's law, which was facially discriminatory, allowed in-state wineries to ship directly to in-state consumers, subject to licensing requirements, but all out-of-state wine products were required to be sold from in-state wholesalers before said products could be sold to consumers. New York's law was more regulatory: it required (1) all wine to be sold through a licensee fully accountable to the state, (2) in-state producers, in order to ship directly to consumers, to obtain an applicable license, and (3) out-of-state producers, in order to become a licensee and gain direct shipment advantages, to establish an in-state distribution operation (consisting of a branch office and warehouse, which posed to be costly, especially for smaller wineries). Moreover, the New York law prohibited out-of-state wineries from obtaining a "farm winery" license, which provided for the most direct manner of shipment to consumers and were not permitted to distribute their wines through direct shipment of applicable in-state licensees.
During this time period, the majority of wine distributors opposed allowing direct shipment by wineries, asserting that even a small winery's direct shipment was a threat to distributors. Many distributors believed their line in the distribution process served as a barricade against even the remote possibility for criminal influences in the liquor industry and/or the illegal sales of liquor to minors over the Internet. Remember that much of the direct sales, especially from out-of-state wineries, were conducted over the Internet during a time period of global technological expansion. (In fact, from 1994 to 1999, the amount of consumer spending on direct wine sales doubles and reached about $500 million, or about 3% of all wine sales.) (Federal Trade Commission.) In addition, that time period saw a dramatic growth in the number of small wineries throughout the United States, and direct shipping via the Internet was viewed as a means for such small wineries to increase their sales and shipments.
Essentially, a group of Michigan residents brought suit against state officials in federal district court, alleging that Michigan's direct-shipment laws discriminated against interstate commerce and violated Article I, § 8, cl. 3 of the United States Constitution. The district court granted summary judgment to the defendants, but on appeal, the Sixth Circuit reversed, remanded, and concluded that the 21st Amendment was not grounds for defense of the laws and Michigan's regulations were unconstitutional because the state did not prove that it could not meet its procedural objectives through nondiscriminatory manners.
The story for New York is quite the contrary. Out-of-state wineries and several New York consumers filed suit against state officials in New York federal court, also alleging that the New York laws violated the commerce clause. The district court granted plaintiffs summary judgment, but on appeal, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed and held that New York's laws fell within legal scope of the 21st Amendment.
The United States Supreme Court, in 2005, granted certiorari to both of these cases. In its decision, it affirmed the judgment of the Sixth Circuit and reversed that of the Second Circuit.
Supreme Court's Analysis in Granholm
Justice Kennedy delivered the majority opinion of Granholm, asserting that the direct-shipment laws of both New York and Michigan violated the Commerce Clause because neither state substantiated that its objectives could not be obtained by other nondiscriminatory mechanisms and that Section 2 of the 21st Amendment was not a justifiable ground to regulate interstate commerce in a discriminatory manner, giving preferential treatment to in-state wineries.
In his analysis, Kennedy greatly relied on the history of the Commerce Clause, the text of which is cited below:
"[The Congress shall have power] To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian tribes;" U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 3.
Historically, this clause has been read to disallow states, except in the narrowest of circumstances, from discriminating against interstate commerce. In other words, a law in one state that denotes preferential treatment to the business of the state and grants subordinate power or substantial burdens to outside states, without proper justification proving that these objectives could not be achieved in another non-discriminatory fashion, would most likely be declared unconstitutional under U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 3. Kennedy justified that the systematic laws of both New York and Michigan were "obvious" in their discrimination and that the results "could effectively bar small wineries" from those markets. 544 U.S. at 474. Although New York's laws were not outright discriminatory, through its analysis of the culmination of the state's law, the Court "[had] no difficulty concluding that New York, like Michigan, discriminates against interstate commerce through its direct-shipping laws." 544 U.S. at 476.
To contend this, both states argued that their statutes were constitutional under Section 2 of the 21st Amendment, affirming that the Amendment gave the states the authority to discriminate against out-of-state goods. The text of Section 2 of the 21st Amendment reads as follows:
"The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited." U.S. Const. amend. XXI, § 2.
Through another historical analysis of the 21st Amendment, the Court visited the purposes of both the Wilson Act (1890), which granted the states the power to regulate imported liquor "to the same extent and in the same matter" as domestic liquor but did not allow states to discriminate against out-of-state liquor, and the Webb-Kenyon Act (1913), which essentially provided federal support to prohibition endeavors to curb liquor consumption and extended aims of the Wilson Act.
In rejecting the states' arguments, the Court explained that "the aim of the Twenty-First Amendment was to allow States to maintain an effective and uniform system for controlling liquor by regulating its transportation, importation, and use. The Amendment did not give States the authority to pass nonuniform laws in order to discriminate against out-of-state goods, a privilege they had not enjoyed at any earlier time." 544 U.S. at 484–485. The Court recognized that, although the states do have broad power under section 2 of the 21st Amendment, "this power, however, does not allow States to ban, or severely, limit the direct shipment of out-of-state wine while simultaneously authorizing direct shipment by in-state producer." 544 U.S. at 493.
The states also argued that, by allowing direct shipment of wine by out-of-state wineries, their 10th Amendment "policing powers" were severely limited and that minors with access to credit cards and the Internet could purchase an illegal substance through direct shipment. The Court rejected this argument, affirmed that, "the States provide little evidence that the purchase of wine over the Internet by minors is a problem. Indeed, there is some evidence to the contrary. A recent study by the staff of the FTC found that 26 States currently allowing direct shipment report no problems with minors' increased access to wine." 544 U.S. at 490. The Court also reasoned that, if credit were to be attributed to the states' argument, that the discriminatory laws against interstate commerce would still not be justifiable. "As the wineries point out, minors are just as likely to order wine from in-state producers as from out-of-state ones . . . . In addition, the States can take less restrictive steps to minimize the risk that minors will order wine by mail." 544 U.S. 490–491.
Finally, the Court rejected New York's argument that tax-collection was a justifiable ground for its direct-shipment regulations. Kennedy's opinion reasons that this is not illusory, but reiterates that such objectives can be attained through other non-discriminatory measures.
What is the Result of Granholm for the Wine Industry?
Essentially, the legal result of Granholm is this: a state's regulation that permits in-state wineries to directly ship to consumers but restricts or prohibits out-of-state wineries from direct shipments violates the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution and is not authorized by Section 2 of the 21st Amendment.
What does this mean to wineries? Manifestly, state laws must comply with the Granholm ruling. However, not all state direct-shipment regulations are identical and certainly do not procure matching ramifications. However, after Granholm, direct shipment laws must apply identically to both in-state and out-of-state producers such that if state laws allow direct shipment to one type of producer, the same remittance must be given to the other. Post-Granholm, some states allow a relatively low volume of direct shipment to consumers whereas other state laws allow direct shipment to consumers only if the wine was purchased in person at the winery. Other states have adjusted their laws to accommodate smaller wineries and allow direct shipment to wineries that produce under a certain amount of gallons of wine per year. States are also allowed to completely ban direct shipment, and essentially mandate wholesale distribution, as long as the laws apply equally to both in-state and out-of-state producers. Regardless of its effect, Granholm incorporates an important postulate: know your direct-shipment laws.
For more information, access the full opinion at Granholm v. Heald or listen to the opinion at Granholm v. Heald.
For more information on wine or alcohol law, direct shipping, or three-tier distribution, please contact Lindsey Zahn.
DISCLAIMER: This blog post is for general information purposes only, is not intended to constitute legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship results. Please consult your own attorney for legal advice.


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What do you think goes on at a Wizarding wedding? We saw a bit of the Weasleys', but it was probably a bit unconventional.
In particular, I'm writing about the wedding of Narcissa Black and Lucius Malfoy from Sirius's point of view (it happens right before his 5th year.)
Where could it have been? Who was invited? What kind of ceremony and reception? Food? Decorations? The ceremony itself? Any suggestions are strongly appreciated!
(and for a bonus--I want something big and shocking to happen at the end, maybe just something Sirius witnesses that can come back later-something probably Death Eater or early Voldemort activity related- my first idea was a bunch of future Death Eaters Imperiusing a Ministry official, but it didn't really fit the story-- any suggestions for that are also appreciated)


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The Art of Adornment: How To Wear Multiple Earrings
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text: Our two pros were "arguing" this morning. I thought I would bring it to the board and find out your thoughts/experiences... Here is the situation. We are a 4.5 ladies club team. Our pros are setting up this year's doubles combination. They were "stuck" on what to do with me and my new partner. One pro said I should be on the Ad side as they think I am the overall stronger player and solid at the net. The other pro said I should be on the Duce because I have a stronger forehand than backhand and my partner is more consistent in her returns even though she doesnt hit hard. This pro feels its more important to get the point started, but the other pro is worried my partner's softer returns will be punished and thinks its better to lose points from the Ad side than Duce. It was fun listening to their debate and in the end the pro putting me on the Duce side "won". Does it really make that much difference at this level? Curious to hear of others experiences


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Bürger was educated in theology at the University of Halle and in law at the University of Göttingen. It was in Göttingen that he first came into contact with a group of Sturm und Drang poets known as the Göttinger Hain, who drew inspiration from folk ballads.
In 1773 Bürger published the bizarre ballad "Lenore," a spectral romance in which a ghostly rider, posing as Lenore's dead lover, carries her away on a macabre night ride through an eerie landscape illuminated by flashes of lightning. It culminates in a revelation of the rider as Death himself—a skeleton with scythe and hourglass. The poem's use of refrain and its simple and naïve naive language, as well as its sensational theme, had a profound effect upon the subsequent development of Romanticism throughout Europe.
Bürger's unbalanced temperament and largely impoverished circumstances prevented him from ever achieving lasting happiness. In 1774 he married Dorette Leonhard but soon fell passionately in love with her sister, the "Molly" of his sonnets. His wife's death, in 1784, freed him to marry "Molly," but she died soon afterward, in childbirth. In 1789 he was appointed extraordinary professor at Göttingen, though without a stipend, leaving him in poverty for the remainder of his life. A third marriage, in 1790, was a disaster and was dissolved in 1792.
In addition to a number of Petrarchan sonnets, which considerably influenced later German poets, Bürger also did translations from the English, rendering an influential collection of English and Scottish traditional ballads, Thomas Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, into German.


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The Streetcar Vote Coalition said Monday, July 7, 2014 it has collected more than 25,000 signatures from city residents, according to local media. The petition seeks to change the city charter to require San Antonio votes approve any rail-related project, anti-rail partisans say.
"[VIA Metropolitan Transit] is using $92 million of money that was supposed to be spent on road expansion to build the streetcar," coalition member Jeff Judson told local media. "All of the roads that are getting congested out in the suburbs are now going to become more congested."
The coalition has the support of the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association, and of State Rep. Lyle Larson of San Antonio who, perhaps highlighting the city-versus-suburb schism overlaying rail transit in many U.S. cities, claimed "90% of people in Bexar County are opposed to it. All the polling shows that its universally disliked. They want roads built they want additional capacity. They don't want the streetcar."
Larson also has threatened to file a bill prohibiting the Texas Department of Transportation from funding any streetcar projects throughout Texas, which he claims would be retroactive and include VIA's streetcar project.
Last month San Antonio City Attorney Robbie Greenblum issued a memo noting VIA Metropolitan Transit is not required to obtain permission from the city to advance streetcar development along city rights-of-way.
Countering the wave of anti-rail sentiment, the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce on July 7 passed a resolution endorsing the current plan, citing its ability to foster economic development.
VIA Metropolitan Transit hopes to begin construction on the first portion of a two-route streetcar system in 2015, with service commencing sometime in 2017.