text:
Following up Firestar and Rogue Star, Michael Flynn continues to deliver vivid characters, suspenseful prose, and an imaginative plot.
In the early years of the 21st century, humanity has progressed into space, having established a permanent presence with Earth-orbiting Leo Station. Science and commerce in space are booming, and humanity's future looks bright. But one man's desire for vindication and revenge could end it all.
Lodestar chronicles the complex political, personal, and scientific conflicts on Earth and in orbit—conflicts that must be resolved if humanity is to claim its destiny among the stars.
Michael Flynn lives in Easton, Pennsylvania. He is the winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award and was a Hugo nominee for Eifelheim.
©2000 Michael Flynn (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc
"Flynn's fans will enjoy this well-crafted outing and can rest assured that the story's big questions (Who is lobbing these rocks at Earth? And why?) leave plenty of room for a sequel." (Publishers Weekly)
"Flynn's multivolume saga of near-future global peril combines space adventure with dynastic and political intrigue to create a complex drama with a large cast of characters and a too-plausible premise. Along with its precursors, Rogue Star and Firestar, this volume belongs in most SF collections." (Library Journal)
"Flynn's is a good series." (Booklist)
There are no listener reviews for this title yet.
"we don't have floppies in 2016 :-P"
it's a good book, but it's really wonky in how it shows the Internet is used
"I Was Left Panting For More"
I probably would listen to it again as I was intrigued by many of the descriptions of scientific developments, which I would want to review in the light of current advances. The plot was quite intricate and I'm sure I would pick up on elements I had missed first time around.
I certainly would and I have.
My Favorite character was still Mariesa Van Huyten even though she didn't feature that strongly since the story was more about the next generation.
I enjoy lengthy books that I can spread over a number of days. However, in the case of Lodestar I found myself listening when I really should have been doing other things, so I suppose I would have listened to it all in one sitting if I could have done so.
Although Lodestar is the final book in a trilogy, I think the story line begs a fourth installment.
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


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INSTEAD of tending to the needs of young children, child care worker Dearne McKenzie is forced to spend a lot of her time doing paperwork.
And she believes the situation is getting worse.
Time spent on paperwork - which she says has tripled as a result of complying with government regulations - is a subject Ms McKenzie wants considered by the federal Coalition's planned productivity commission inquiry into childcare.
The inquiry, announced last week, aims to improve the current system and make childcare more responsive to the needs of parents.
Ms McKenzie, the operations manager at All About Kids Early Learning Centre in Eagleby, has worked in child care for 20 years.
"Twenty years ago we were doing the same things we're doing now but we were doing it with a lot less paperwork," she said,
"A lot of our staff spend time, at home, outside of work, catching up on paperwork."
Shadow Child Care Minister Sussan Ley visited Ms McKenzie's centre last week to examine the impact national child care reforms were having locally.
She was accompanied by Federal Member for Forde Bert van Manen, and said her visit confirmed that educators were indeed drowning in a sea of paperwork.
"I look at it from the perspective of the child," Ms Ley said.
"If staff members are stuck away writing things about the kids, it's time that can be better spent playing with them."
Ms McKenzie said the high cost of child care was another issue of concern.
"There are a lot of stressed parents who can't afford a lot of care," she said.
Ms McKenzie also said wages for early learning teachers were so low they struggled to attract applicants.
Instead they were forced to source people from overseas on temporary work visas.
She said she recently advertised a position in a Queensland newspaper but received responses only from overseas applicants.
"We do the same amount of study that teachers do - if not more - and have a lot more responsibilities, with nappy changing, the lifting and everything else.
"We're just not getting recognised as much as we should be."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
CUFTS [1] is an open source (GPL) OpenURL link resolver designed for use by library consortia. CUFTS services include link resolving, journal lists (including integrated print records) and storage of basic ERM data. Developed at the Simon Fraser University Library for the Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL), the main CUFTS server is currently handling fulltext link resolving for over 30 members and associates.
[1] http://cufts.lib.sfu.ca/


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Mini Fenway reopens after renovations
Red Sox legend Rice throws out first pitch prior to Little League tourney
By Steven Petrella / MLB.com
Near McGrath's Pond in Oakland, Maine, there's a field resembling Fenway Park. But it does more than just look like the home of the Red Sox -- it's a two-thirds-exact replica, with every corner of the outfield wall the same.
But in order to make sure the field, which was completed in 2007, is being put to good use, the Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF), Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and the Red Sox Foundation have donated more than $200,000 to the Waterville Area Boys & Girls Club to install an all-purpose turf field and make other renovations. With contributions from other organizations, the project totaled $501,000.
The now fully turf Harold Alfond Mini Fenway Park, the only licensed Fenway replica in Maine, was reopened following renovations on Saturday. Red Sox Hall of Famer Jim Rice threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
"For me, it's a dream come true to be able to help these kids out and get the backing from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund," said Ken Walsh, CEO of the Alfond Youth Center, the only organization in the country that merged a local YMCA and Boys & Girls Club. "It's a really high-class organization that supports the involvement of youth."
The BTF is a joint venture between the Major League Baseball Players Association and Major League Baseball designed to promote the growth of youth baseball and softball throughout the world. It awards grants to support field renovation and construction projects, equipment and uniform purchases, coaches training material and other selected program expenses. Since it began in 1999, the BTF has awarded more than 750 grants worth a total of over $26 million to nonprofit organizations around the world.
The Waterville organization, like all other groups the BTF helps support, had to go through an extensive application process to receive this grant. The BTF receives about 400 applications a year and usually fulfills 10 percent of them.
"The application process is intended to bring out the best and bring out information we need the most," said Elizabeth Maineiro, the grant coordinator for the BTF. "There were many elements of Waterville that fit the criteria."
Some of those criteria include supporting a significant amount of youths, extending the season and introducing more kids to the game. The permanent, raised mound on a grass field didn't allow softball to be played at Mini Fenway, which Walsh always wanted. With turf, the mound can be removed for a flat surface during softball games and practices.
The renovations also allow baseball and softball seasons to go a little longer in Maine, where the weather doesn't cooperate like it does elsewhere in the country. It's also aimed to accommodate the local youth leagues and increase participation -- and will be able to host Babe Ruth-level baseball.
After the ceremony with Rice officially opened the renovated field, a Little League tournament began featuring teams from the New England area.
"We wanted to actually have a tournament around the dedication of the field," Walsh said. "That's why we're all [here]."
In addition to baseball games and camps, the field will be used for several other sports -- including soccer.
For Walsh, though, the construction and renovation of Mini Fenway take him back to his days a child in upstate New York. He and his friends built a field out of a cornfield to play sandlot baseball in 1973. It's chronicled in his book, "Depot Hill Gang."
"My heart has always been in the game," Walsh said, "and for me, to see this project come to completion is extremely thrilling."
Steven Petrella is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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I wonder if LTD has thought about finding another 17-year-old kid to sing an annoyingly catchy song, this time to promote the EmX? Earworm warning, this will stick in your head.
This bus commercial is from about 2002 (correct me if I'm wrong, those of you who are avid TV watchers and local advertisement fans. The young singer. Madeline Puckette, went on to a make more music and now is the founder of Seattle-based Wine Folly.


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An interfaith community group is pressing forward with its campaign to hold big banks accountable for the aftermath of the housing crisis in Prince William County.
About 700 people are expected Monday night at a Woodbridge church for a progress report on the campaign by Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement, or VOICE. The group is pressing banks to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in Prince William County to compensate for the devastation caused by the wave of foreclosures there.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., is among the elected officials expected to attend.
VOICE has already secured promises from institutions like Bank of America to pay for housing counselors in Prince William and to identify county mortgage holders who could benefit from the $25 billion National Mortgage Settlement.


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Houston Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis was voted Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for week seven of the 2013 MLS season.
Davis played a critical role in the Houston Dynamo's historic 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire with an assist and game-winning goal. The Houston Dynamo now hold the all-time MLS record for home unbeaten streak with 35 consecutive wins.
WATCH: Davis named Man of the Match
Davis jumpstarted Houston's offense in the 26th minute as he faked out his defender to get space, and put in a perfect cross to Will Bruin who headed it into the bottom right corner.
In the 81st minute with the game tied 1-1, Davis sent in a cross from outside the 18 yard box that went untouched into the bottom left corner of the goal
The award is the second Player of the Week honor for Davis in his career (2009, Week 27). Davis also earned MLS Player of the Month honors in April 2011.
The Houston Dynamo are back in action against Toronto FC at BMO Field on Saturday, April 20 at 3 p.m. CT (KPRC Local 2).


text:
Hello. I use Borland C++ 6.0 and I have written an appliaction that gets some web pages' contents and displays some of it (Using FastNet). When I cloase the application (having threee forms) I get an EInvalidPointer exception with message : "Invalid pointer operation" and debugger stops at 397th line in Forms.hpp which stands like this :
Could you help me to solve this problem, please? Thank all of you in advance.Code:
inline __fastcall virtual ~TForm(void) { }


text:
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text: You've got the idea reversed, Jack. It is preferred to narrate without mixing the tenses. You should choose either one (present for immediacy, past for the traditional narrative). In real speech, an excited narrator will of course mix tenses, but it is not intentional, and it is not good style.


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This study is maintained and distributed by the Health and Medical Care Archive (HMCA). HMCA is the official data archive of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
National School Health Services Program Evaluation, 1981-1982 (ICPSR 8302)
Principal Investigator(s): Freeman, Howard E.; Meeker, Robert J.
The National School Health Services Program Evaluation documents the nature and scope of a wide range of health services provided to school-age children by by nurse practitioners, school health nurses, physicians, and health aides. The information provided by this collection includes: (1) records of communications between educators, health professionals, and parents, (2) the type, severity, and disposition of problems treated at schools (plus referral sources and the types of health care professionals involved), (3) nurse practitioners' findings from medical histories and physical examinations of students, and (4) data on individual health care episodes at the schools, including unresolved problems. Information supplied by a survey of parents of children in participating schools includes data on health care sources and expenses for the child, plus data on specific medical problems and treatment. Basic demographic characteristics such as the sex and race of the child, parents' educational background, and family income are also provided.
Access Notes
The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.
Study Description
Freeman, Howard E., and Robert J. Meeker. National School Health Services Program Evaluation, 1981-1982. ICPSR08302-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 1986. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08302.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08302.v1
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
This study was funded by:
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: children, health care facilities, health care services, health education, schools, students
Geographic Coverage: United States
- 1981--1982
- 1981--1982
Universe: Students participating in health programs at designated study sites.
These data are released in the same form as provided by the principal investigator. However, ICPSR staff recoded SCHOOL I.D. and DATE OF BIRTH variables as requested by the principal investigator to maintain confidentiality standards in each survey.
Sample: Data are supplied for school health programs at a total of 30 schools at six sites in the United States.
The Institute for Social Science Research at the University of California, Los Angeles developed a set of health care forms to be used at selected school health practices. Data in this collection are derived from these forms and from a questionnaire administered to parents in participating schools
Original ICPSR Release: 1986-06-06
- 2006-01-12 All files were removed from dataset 10 and flagged as study-level files, so that they will accompany all downloads.
- 2006-01-12 All files were removed from dataset 10 and flagged as study-level files, so that they will accompany all downloads.
Metadata Exports
- Citations exports are provided above.
Export Study-level metadata (does not include variable-level metadata)
If you're looking for collection-level metadata rather than an individual metadata record, please visit our Metadata Records page.


text:
The LA Galaxy's primary jersey will be unveiled on March 3 and on Wednesday, we take a second look at the club's new primary kit on LA Galaxy Insider.
Earlier in the week, we looked at the the Galaxy emblem on the back collar, now we take a look at the team's crest which is emblazoned with quasars. This effect means that the team's three jerseys will each have their own interpretation of the Galaxy crest with the second kit (and the training jersey) providing the classic blue and gold logo while the 1996-inspired third jersey depicts the logo in greyscale. The front of the jersey's collar can also be seen with the same gold and blue pattern that was seen on the back.
Remember, these jerseys can already be preordered on MLSGear.com.
Below is a video from the league that provides an initial glance at the new kits of 19 MLS teams.
Check it out.


text:
Valmont Strapless 3 Part Cup Bra with Stays 6489
This product was discontinued January, 2014 and is no longer available. Please consider one of the Customer-Recommended Replacements above, or try a new search.
This ultra-supportive full-figure bra features 3-part cups with non-stretch lace upper cup and opaque lower cups with simplex lining for extra support. Vertical stays in cups give added sturdy support. Wings are powernet to smooth your back. Boning at sides gives added anchorage. Ideal for strapless outfits, this bra gives you support and coverage without sacrificing style. (There are no loops to attach straps.)
Try these keyword searches with similar features:


text:
he says. Phosphorus will be taken out of the liquid part and given back to the cows as pure water, and the solids will be sold dry as pellets to consumers like commercial fertilizer.
Rotary parlors will allow workers to milk more cows at a time. In this setup, the cows stand on a platform that spins like a carousel while the milker stands in the center. Cows come by quickly and enter and exit at a constant rate with no break.
Jay expects to see even more technology in the cropping end of the business, allowing for more yields per acre and feed which is even more digestible for the cows because the more nutrients the animals absorb before exiting their system, the more milk they produce. Jay is excited about a new chopper that doesn't
continued from page 4
just crush corn but shreds it, making the grain much more effective.
And then there's the area of genetics. While Jay's grandfather depended on
his bull to do the work of inseminating his cows, the next step was artificial insemination. Next came sexed semen to guarantee the cows produced heifers.
Now, DNA testing (genomics) speeds up the process of genetically producing high-quality animals by gene selection. Farmers no longer have to "wait and see."
With so many changes occurring in the past generation, one can only imagine what the next one has in store.
Whatever happens, farming is certain to be quite a different experience for Jay's children than it has been for him or his father or his grandfather.


text:
Prosystems IT wins 30th new customer in 15 months from Sparkasse sector
Within the last 15 months, Prosystems IT, a subsidiary of Wincor Nixdorf, has won 30 new customers from the German savings bank (Sparkasse) sector. The most recent acquisition, in March 2011, involves the operation and service of the data backup servers at Kreissparkasse Euskirchen for an initial term of 12 months. Since 2004, Prosystems IT has been operating and servicing the decentral infrastructure and applications of the Sparkassen in the Rhineland and providing a variety of services for these banks.
The contract with Kreissparkasse Euskirchen covers the monitoring of the bank's regular remote data backups, relieving the bank of responsibility for personnel-intensive routine tasks. Monthly reporting provides information on server availability. "Prosystems IT's proactive monitoring has resulted in a significant increase in the availability of the data backup infrastructure," says Stefan Böhm, who heads up the organization department at Kreissparkasse Euskirchen.
Prosystems IT offers a variety of service packages in its outsourcing operations from which customers can select individual services. They comprise, among other things, the operation – that is, monitoring and administration – of self-service systems, applications, telecommunication systems and networks. All systems are monitored around the clock via monitoring services at Prosystems IT, where problem reports are made and remote maintenance is initiated. With this monitoring system, Prosystems IT remains within the secure savings bank network and complies with all the requirements and regulations of German savings banks.
Other outsourcing services include the operation of end user helpdesks for the savings banks. This means that both IT-related and bank-specific inquiries on applications can be accepted, processed, and forwarded as necessary to special departments at the savings banks, ensuring transparency as regards problems and inquiries and increasing accessibility in the event of problems. Maintenance quotas, system availability and processing times can all be significantly improved.
"The decisive factor in our success at Germany's savings banks is our very high level of specialized know-how and the many years of experience we've gathered in this sector," explains Stephan Winters, Managing Director of Prosystems IT.


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Anyone else experiencing a long build cycle with their Russell Day Long saddle? My build date was June 13 and as of today (July 6), I have not yet been advised of the seat's completion. I called last week and asked for the status and was told I'd hear from them this week...no call.
Anyone else having a slow build?


text:
Quintana, Heep cards in Hill's collection
New Englander treasured cards of Red Sox heroes
Rich Hill, a Boston-area native who now pitches for the Cubs, spent quality time in his childhood in the Fenway Park bleachers and collecting baseball cards of his favorite players. In fact, he still adds to his collection, which is organized by team. Hill recently recalled his card-collecting heyday of the late-1980s and 1990s.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Which were the favorite Red Sox cards you collected?
Hill: Roger Clemens and Dwight Evans. I had Clemens' rookie card. I got some Evans cards from the 1970s. Ellis Burks -- I liked him a lot. Carlos Quintana, he was one of my favorites. I'd say 1986 to 1996 were the big years. Quintana wasn't a big name, but he was a mainstay with the Red Sox for a few years. I got Danny Heep's cards -- he was a crowd favorite. Jody Reed -- I liked him -- he was a fan favorite. Of course, Wade Boggs.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Did you have a left-hander you collected?
Hill: Not really. I collected Nolan Ryan. That was the big one. I just got [Ryan's 1966 rookie card] this offseason. I got it in a kind of trade. Everyone I talked to, I told I wanted the rookie card. I also have his second-year card -- pretty much every year with every team.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Where is the collection now?
Hill: It's at my parents' house. I think I have thousands. They're all in books, sorted by teams. The offseasons now are a good time to maintain those books. Now I've gone on to autographed baseballs and get guys to sign jerseys.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Where did you first appear on a card?
Hill: Little League -- that was cool. The first pro card I was on was at [Class A] Boise. That was pretty cool, too.
MLBPLAYERS.com: What do you like about your Major League cards?
Hill: My first big-league card was really awesome. I bought a box of Upper Deck cards. My wife [Caitlin] and I were looking through them, opening up every pack. We didn't find it until we looked in the last pack.
MLBPLAYERS.com: What's your favorite big-league pose?
Hill: Probably myself and [catcher] Geovany Soto after my complete game, [the Cubs' first of the season, in September] in 2006. I like the ones of my motion.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" Live On Letterman
Adele Covers The Cure's "Lovesong" Live On Letterman
Street Date: Full Album Stream of "21" - Adele's New Hit Album!
Adele Overflows With Soul, Gives The Crowd "Chills" Live On Letterman
Watch Now: Adele's Live On Letterman Streaming Concert!
Watch Tonight: Adele's Streaming Live On Letterman Concert!
Last.fm Trends: Adele's Sound Is "Lovely," "Awesome" And Steeped In "Folk" "Jazz" And "Pop"
Adele Sings 'Natural Woman' Stripped Down
Adele Belts Out 'Someone Like You' At The BRITS
Adele's Inspiration For 21
Adele Brings Her Soulful Songs To A "Live On Letterman" Webcast On February 21


text:
Rays getting relief, but no resolution on closer
Three pitchers earn saves over past three opportunities in committee approach
By David Adler / MLB.com
ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays are trotting out the members of their closer committee one by one.
In the three ninth-inning opportunities since manager Joe Maddon announced the team would be taking a closer-by-committee approach, three different relievers have closed out the game. Juan Carlos Oviedo was the latest beneficiary, picking up the save in Tampa Bay's 5-4 win against the Orioles Monday night.
Oviedo entered the ninth with a two-run lead and gave up a home run to pinch-hitter Delmon Young before retiring the side to pick up his first save of the year.
Jake McGee, who saved Sunday's game against the Astros, might have had a chance to work the ninth inning for a second straight game. But Grant Balfour put two runners on in the eighth with the Rays ahead, 3-2, and Maddon went to McGee against the heart of the Baltimore order. McGee walked Chris Davis and gave up a game-tying infield hit to Nelson Cruz, but stranded the bases loaded with a strikeout and a groundout to short.
"If Balfour went 1-2-3, it was gonna be perfect for Jake in the ninth," Maddon said. "But it didn't work out that way and you just can't save him -- that's the classic example of, if Jake's the 'closer,' then you don't use him right there and all of a sudden that game gets away."
After Jerry Sands got the Rays back in front, 5-3, with a pinch-hit two-run homer in the bottom of the inning, Oviedo replaced McGee for the ninth. But Maddon said that if it had been in September, during the season's stretch run, he might have left McGee in.
McGee said when he started warming up at the beginning of the eighth inning, he wasn't sure if he was going to pitch the ninth or not. He said he was getting ready for specific batters, not a specific inning -- the hitters he faced have trouble with the type of high, hard fastball McGee throws.
In particular, he said, he thought Maddon wanted him for a lefty-lefty matchup with Davis, who was due up fourth in the inning.
"I wasn't sure if I was gonna go out for the ninth or not," McGee said. "I think he wanted me ready for Davis. Especially after they got the first hit -- then I was like, 'All right, I've got to face Davis with runners on.'"
Balfour and McGee were the first two relievers to pick up saves out of the committee. Balfour, despite losing the official "closer" title last Monday, got the first crack, working the final 2 1/3 innings in the Rays' 6-3 win against the Cardinals on Wednesday. McGee got the next save, pitching a scoreless ninth on Sunday to preserve a 4-3 win.
McGee has been the Rays' best reliever this season -- he has a 1.44 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in 34 appearances, 31 of which have been scoreless, and opponents are hitting just .168 against him. Maddon has called him the team's "one true All-Star." But the Tampa Bay manager is still not locking McGee, or anyone else, into the narrowly-defined "ninth-inning closer" role.
David Adler is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A Weber County Commission candidate is identified in a wrongful termination lawsuit as the plaintiff's supervisor and part of an alleged network that intimidated subordinates to support one Republican candidate for sheriff over the other GOP hopeful in 2010.
Matthew Bell, a lieutenant in the Weber County Sheriff's Office who also chairs the county's Republican Party, is vying for the county commission seat currently occupied by Craig Dearden, who is not seeking a third term.Last fall, Sgt. Teresa Perkins filed her lawsuit against Weber County in 2nd District Court, alleging that she and 18 other sheriff's employees had been threatened, intimidated and transferred to less desirable assignments because of their support of Brett Haycock, who entered the sheriff's race in January 2010.
Terry Thompson also sought the GOP nomination for sheriff that year and had the backing of retiring Sheriff Brad Slater and other higher-ups in the department, including Bell.
In February 2010, Perkins told Haycock he had her support. Later that month, her annual employee evaluation said she "exhibited a lack of tact or consideration for others." That critique came out of the blue, the complaint states, with no justification for the ratings given by Bell, her supervisor.
In a March 2010 meeting with Bell, Perkins challenged the evaluation. The complaint states that Bell wasn't interested in what she had to say, but did tell her she had "a target on her back."
In a county response to the lawsuit which was transferred to U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City last December and now awaits a 2013 jury trial attorneys confirmed that certain meetings did take place but denied all allegations. Citing 38 defenses, they've asked a judge to dismiss the case.
When asked to comment on the lawsuit this week, Bell declined. But Reed Richards, an attorney in the Weber County Attorney's Office, emphasized that none of the allegations are substantiated and that Bell is not specifically named as a defendant in the lawsuit. "Perkins has not been terminated," Reed added, noting her reassignment to another position within the sheriff's office. "She doesn't get the assignments she likes, but that's something left to the supervisor, not the employee."
In the meantime, people who now support either Bell or challenger Corey Combe a self-described independent running on the Democratic ticket differ on their opinions about the case and its bearing on this year's election.
John Miles, chairman of the Weber County Democratic Party, said that the allegations in the lawsuit are disturbing. For Combe, the lawsuit has been off-limits as a campaign issue.
"I'm trying not to be involved with it," Combe said. However, he too has heard the allegations and in the course of knocking on doors, former sheriff's employees have allowed him to post signs in their yards.
Dearden, who served as Weber County Sheriff from 1991 to 1997, said he backs Bell as his replacement on the county commission."He worked for me at the sheriff's office and I think he'll do a great job," Dearden said.
During his time in the sheriff's department, Dearden said he could not recall any political pressure on subordinates to support one candidate over another, adding that "
it's not something that should happen."
Former Weber County Commissioner Camille Cain, also a Republican, said she supports Democrat Corey Combe for reasons that have nothing to do with the lawsuit that involves Bell.
"One of his greatest gifts is his ability to sit down and reason with people and find compromise," Cain said, "and that is so much the job of a commissioner. I think he would do a very fine job."
According to the complaint, Undersheriff Kevin McLeod placed Perkins on paid administrative leave in May 2010 pending an investigation into a different matter that involved her giving information to an FBI agent about Capt. Klint Anderson. Perkins had provided information about a burglary that Anderson was involved in as part of a cabinet-making business he owned, the complaint states.
Anderson allegedly tried to force his way into a Morgan County home that was facing foreclosure, so he could retrieve cabinets he had made but had not been paid for. While trying to enter the home, he fell off the roof and injured his back, according to court documents.
The FBI contacted the sheriff's office with the information Perkins provided about Anderson. Both agencies chose not to pursue a criminal investigation into Anderson's conduct.
The same day that Perkins provided information to the FBI about Anderson in 2010, Terry Thompson was selected as the Republican nominee for sheriff at the party's county convention and went on to win the job in November.
"I've never understood what people mean by voter intimidation," McLeod said, noting that people go into the voting booth and "vote for whoever they want." As far as an atmosphere of intimidation in the sheriff's office "no, I don't believe that at all," he added.
"But again, you've got a group of 300 to 400 employees that have an interest in who their (next) boss may or may not be," McLeod said. "And its impossible to say to that group what to do in off-duty time and private conversations."One of Bell's supporters includes former Ogden Police Chief Jon Greiner, who challenged Bell for the GOP nomination for commissioner this year but was eliminated at convention.
"I'm a party supporter and will vote for Matt Bell," Greiner said.
Greiner declined to comment on whether voter intimidation occurs in his county, but acknowledged that partisan politics can lead to the granting of favors in exchange for support.
"If you're interested in getting appointed, then you involve yourself in the patronage system," Greiner said. "These things come up with every election, but when you have to prove it I'm the kind of guy who waits to see the proof."
As for Perkins, who headed up the motors program for the sheriff's office, her complaint alleges adverse impacts following her active campaigning for Haycock.
According to the complaint, Anderson told Perkins in April 2010 that she was being replaced as head of the motors program, and Bell allegedly cautioned her to be very careful about bad-mouthing him, Anderson or the administration.
Two months later, Perkins received a letter of reprimand from McLeod, the complaint states, over her conversation with the FBI agent.
McLeod allegedly viewed Perkins' talk with the FBI as "politically motivated," according to the complaint.
In September 2010, Perkins received a reprimand from Anderson. That same month, she was transferred to a position in Corrections.Her complaint alleges transfers and demotions that Haycock and 18 of his supporters experienced that year. However, Perkins stands as the lone plaintiff in the federal lawsuit, which seeks $500,000 in damages, a cleansing of her personnel file and reinstatement to a law enforcement position.
Until his death last month, David Bert Havas, an Ogden attorney who specialized in employment law, represented Perkins in the case. As of Sept. 28, the court gave Perkins 30 days to find new counsel.
The Salt Lake City-based firm of Strong and Hanni is handling the county's defense, which is covered by insurance, Richards said.
Twitter: @catmck


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Here's my first thought - the natural state of one's soul is to be whole. A broken soul, a soul split into pieces, is no longer natural, no longer whole. This strikes me as a ... bad thing, and hence why doing something bad, something evil, does such a thing to a person's soul. Killing in unnatural, and does unnatural things to the killer - rips their soul in two. This is not desirable at all.
So I think that an act of love, of creating a child - something so natural - shouldn't be something that splits the soul and creates something unnatural. It just doesn't seem right, it seems the opposite of what nature intended. Does that make sense? A Horcrux is Dark magic - birth doesn't seem the way to bring about something so terrible.
And when it comes to the original post, and the question of Harry passing on Voldemort's Horcrux to his children via his own soul: I thought that Horcrux was destroyed, gone from him forever. Now, I could see a good fic bringing it back, but I can't see it being passed down genetically, so to speak. Unless, of course, there was some other magic invovled. Like, a curse or a potion that was used to enable it to happen. Then I could see something like that working.
Hope that helps!


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10/12/13 - 12/12/2013
Main Library
Chinese Center Exhibit Space - 3rd Floor
100 Larkin St.
The exquisite modern publications and rare books (reproduced from the collection of Taiwan's National Central Library) on poet Su Dongpo (1037-1101) will be displayed, including Annotated Poetry of Su Dongpo (1213 edition), a national treasure. The books are presented in five themes: recalling Su Dongpo's life, exploring the emotive world, Dongpo's realm of literature, his artistic life, and trends in Dongpo's thoughts.
Related event: Mr. Lau Siu-Hung, Professor of Chinese Literature, National Taiwan University, will speak about the life and literary works of Su Dongpo. The event is to be conducted in Mandarin.
Saturday, October 12, 2013. 1 PM Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room


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Student Researchers Examine Twitter Use Among Health Care Professionals
For the past semester, students in Dr. Jaciel Keltgen's "Health Care Marketing" class have tracked and analyzed Twitter usage by medical professionals to better understand how social media can link the public to health care professionals. The students presented their report, "Trending: #DocsOnTwitter," today on campus.
Junior Wins Scientific Photography Contest
A photo taken by junior Kevin Dolge (Brandon, South Dakota) won the April "Chemistry in Pictures" photo contest hosted by Chemical and Engineering News, a weekly periodical published by the American Chemical Society.
Conference to Feature Nationally Known Religious Leader, Best-Selling Author Sister Joan Chittister
This summer, South Dakotans will have a chance to hear the popular religious and social leader Sister Joan Chittister speak at the third annual Aging Faithfully Conference, set for Tuesday, July 26, at the Elmen Center on the campus of Augustana University.
17 Students Join Mathematics Honor Society
This year, 17 Augustana students were inducted into the South Dakota Delta chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon, the National Mathematics Honorary Society. Pi Mu Epsilon is dedicated to the promotion of mathematics and recognition of students who successfully pursue mathematical understanding.
Augustana's CJ Ham Signs Free Agent Contract With Minnesota Vikings
Augustana University senior CJ Ham has signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings.
Women's Golf Wins Second Straight Regional Title
After winning the NCAA Super Region Three Championship, Augustana women's golf advances to the NCAA Division II Women's Golf National Championship in Aurora, Colorado, May 18-21.
Senior to Join Disney After Graduation
After graduation later this month, AU senior Brianne Bernard will join the Disney College Program.
Kocher Named Commencement Senior Speaker
Augustana senior Sarah Kocher, a native of Lincoln, Nebraska, will serve as the senior speaker for the 2016 commencement exercises, set for Saturday, May 21, at the Sioux Falls Arena. Kocher will deliver her address, "Search On," before 338 graduates who will participate in the commencement ceremony. An additional 87 students will graduate in absentia.
Faces of the Future: Meet Members of the AU Class of 2020
Ahead of their arrival this fall, Augustana University introduces you to members of the Class of 2020.
From the Newsroom: Augustana Grad Takes New Role at The Washington Post
Kaeti Hinck, a 2007 Augustana graduate who recently assumed a new role with The Washington Post. We caught up with Hinck, a journalism and religion major originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to learn more about her career and her Augustana experiences.


text: Hello I am looking to transport my bike from Perth (yes, it has to be Perth) to Asia. The bike has swiss registration and is under the carnet de passage. What is the best place in asia to ship to, regarding the least hassle by custom, local brocker etc. (3 days in ecuadore was o.k. but please not more) I am thinking of Bangkok,Kuala Lumpur,Jakarta. Since I will make a round trip in asia and I will have to ship to India eventually, maybe I could as well store the crate there. What I have read so far is that Singapure should be avoided, true? Does anyone know a good agent/brocker in Perth ? Air/Sea/Ro-Ro? thanks sushi


text: Here's the thing about Kindles... The Kindles were using Mobipocket as their main format and that format is obsolete and just plain is almost worthless. Now, Amazon decided to come out with a new format called KF8. This is similar to ePub. The eink readers that support KF8 are the Kindle with no touch and no keyboard and the Kindle Touch. But both of these have a very serious bug and the reading experience is not all that good. The bug is that the line height is too big and using line-height in the CSS to try to fix this doesn't work as they ignore line-height. The ePub have been formatted pretty well. Better then the Mobipocket editions. Now the KF8 can look similar to the ePub, but not really because of the line height bug. So reading Star Trek on a Kindle is not optimal because if you have one of the Kindles that support KF8, when you download a recent Trek eBook you will get the KF8 version and it won't look all that nice. So the solution is to get a reader that supports ePub via ADE and you will be able to get the full enjoyment out of Star trek eBooks. I have a Sony reader PRS-650 and the PRS-T1 (current model) is very nice. And with ePub, you are not limited to Amazon.


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Distribute n items over the topology under root.
Array cpuset will be filled with n cpusets distributed linearly over the topology under root .
This is typically useful when an application wants to distribute n threads over a machine, giving each of them as much private cache as possible and keeping them locally in number order.
The caller may typically want to also call hwloc_cpuset_singlify() before binding a thread so that it does not move at all.


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October 21, 2013 @ 3:00 pm
Room 132, Campus Center Auditorium
The Living Writers Series continues with playwright Tammy Ryan, author of Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods, a full-length play that won the Francesca Primus Prize in 2012, awarded by the American Theater Critics Association. Ryan's plays have been performed across the United States and internationally, with eight of her fourteen plays being produced by the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Ryan talks about the process of playwriting and the influence that having an "artistic Home" has had on her work.


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Manages upto 5000 devices.
The download file is the same for Free and Professional Editions. Free Edition allows you to configure 2 devices in your network. Professional (Evaluation) edition allows you to configure 50 devices for 30 days. You can purchase Professional Edition based on the number of devices you wish to configure.


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By Amanda Wicks
With the debuts of The Match Game and The $100,000 Pyramid, it seems like the game show revival is going strong. Ice Cube is looking to get in on the fun but with a hip-hop angle, of course. The rap legend will be executive producing a hip-hop version of the classic game show Hollywood Squares.
Related: Ice Cube will Continue to Play 'F— Tha Police'
Hip Hop Squares will air on VH1, which has already ordered 20 episodes. "Hip Hop Squares is going to be fun and spontaneous; unlike typical game shows, viewers should never know what's going to happen next," Cube told The Hollywood Reporter.
Contestants on the show will answer a range of questions asked by hip-hop, comedy and entertainment personalities.
The original Hollywood Squares, which began in 1966 and ran through 2004, was basically a cross between tic-tac-toe and a quiz show. Nine celebrities each occupied a square constructed like a tic-tac-toe board. Contestants had to strategically choose which celebrity asked them a question so they could claim that square (if they got the answer right). The winner wast he player who got three squares in a row.
No word yet on when Hip Hop Squares will debut.


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Google's Jack-O'-Lantern logo celebrating Halloween this year is particularly cool:
It combines two-dimensional logo design, sculpting, and performance art, since it is a video showing the Google team sketching their designs on the jumbo-sized pumpkins, carving them, hanging out with each other, and then the jackolanterns are lit as dusk is falling, until you ultimately see only the carved letters glowing with flickering candlelight in the dark of night.
Not only is the logo fun, but it perfectly encapsulates the experiential nature of the traditional pumpkin-carving experience, and a bit of the feel of Halloween festivals here in America. The extra-large pumpkins are set on bales of hay in the central courtyard of what appers to be the Googleplex (Google's headquarters cluster of buildings) in Mountain View, California.
I like that they designed this variation of their logo while still including the basic nature of the letters, so it's still readable as the word while also capturing the spirit of Halloween.


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Kentucky Equine Receipts Might Stabilize in 2011
- Oct 23, 2011
- Topics:
Strong cash receipts will likely propel Kentucky's agricultural sector, including equine, forward again in 2011, according to Kenny Burdine, extension specialist in the University of Kentucky's (UK) Department of Agricultural Economics. Burdine made this prediction as he analyzed 2010 cash receipt estimates for Kentucky, released recently by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Figures for 2010 showed that poultry again supplanted the Bluegrass state's trademark equine industry to notch the No. 1 spot in total farm receipts, at 21% of the $4.4 billion total. The university's Agricultural Economics extension economists, including Burdine, estimated in December that 2010 overall farm receipts would reach $4.5 billion. Their estimates for 2011, if reached, would be a milestone for Kentucky: a projected $5.1 billion.
"Equine led the state's cash receipts for five or six years, reaching a high in 2007 at just over $1.1 billion," Burdine said. "Since then, however, equine receipts have pulled back by roughly 38%."
The 2008 recession hurt the major sales and affected stud fees, both of which weighed heavily on the market and contributed to the equine industry's weakness, according to Burdine. He predicts 2011 will be a relatively strong year for Kentucky's equine sector, indicating it could reach $725 to $750 million, compared with $700 million in 2010 and $780 million in 2009, though he cautions it could fall to third or fourth in Kentucky's farm receipts by percentage.
After the 2008 recession most agricultural sectors in Kentucky recovered quickly, but strength in the equine sector was slow to return. Hay is a promising indicator of equine's recovery. Kentucky saw a 20,000-acre increase in alfalfa hay acres from 2010 to 2011, yet also saw a much larger decrease in total hay acreage.
"The trend of increasing acreage in alfalfa is most likely due to better weather and overall increases in feed costs making quality hay more attractive," Burdine explained. "The decrease in nonalfalfa hay acreage is likely caused by declining cattle numbers and increased competition for ground for row crop production."
Stud fees continue to be a crucial driver for equine receipts. Among sires standing for the highest stud fees (more than $25,000), 100% are based in Kentucky. Conversely, among sires standing for less than $5,000, only 8% stand in Kentucky, according to The Jockey Club report.
"Stud fees in 2011 were most likely steady from 2010," Burdine said. "So, steady stud fees and moderately stronger sales should mean slightly higher receipts in 2011."
The marquee Keeneland September yearling sale was an international benchmark for the entire industry, concluding with a rise in gross, average, and median, despite a decline in the number of horses sold. These are all positive signs of recovery for the Thoroughbred industry.
Karin Pekarchik is an editorial officer in UK's Agricultural Communications Services.
Want more articles like this? Sign up for the Bluegrass Equine Digest e-Newsletter.
More information on Gluck Equine Research Center and UK's Equine Initiative.
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Unwanted Thoroughbreds: A Challenge for Sellers
Piroplasmosis Update: 20 Positive, Tracing Exposed Horses
Foreign Disease Equine Piroplasmosis Found in Five Florida Horses


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Children can recreate the homey comfort of a family pancake breakfast with this delightful, 22-piece set made of wood and felt. The many pieces allow for so much fantasy play you'll feel like a genius for buying it. We like that there are enough pieces for two friends to play nicely together! Ages 3 years and up.
Components: Four pancakes, ten strawberry slices, two plates, two knives, two forks, one pancake mix box, one maple syrup bottle. Made of wood and felt; water-based non-toxic dyes.
WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD--Not suitable for children under 3 years. Hemispheric-shaped toy. Suffocation hazard. The tableware is not intended to contact real food. Please do not fill or contact with real food.
Watch the video:
Hape International makes high-quality wooden and environmentally friendly toys. Hape is guided by the philosophy that the future belongs to our children and creates toys that inspire play, learning and exploration of the world we live in. All toys are designed to enhance developmental skills and be fun. Hape stays true to their philosophy through responsible business practices—Hape is one of the world's largest producers of toys made from sustainable materials. Hape uses natural materials, water-based paints and follows strict quality and safety standards.


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I went to Parker Pennington's Skate for Life show up in Cleveland this past weekend which was a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Assocation. It was an awesome show and my friend and I had a blast. I hope you don't mind me posting a review of the show here although I'm not going to review all of the younger club skaters who performed because I don't remember all of their programs. All of them were really great and seemed to have fun too. They had to raise money in order to skate in the show and most of them did a great job raising money. One girl raised over $1900!!
Here is the link to the main website where you can find the cast list and other information about the show and you can order a DVD of the show at the website if you would like to help out but couldn't attend the show. http://www.mdaskateforlife.org/
BTW-Melissa & Denis did the choreography for the opening and closing numbers and they did a great job! You can see their You Tube video of the rehearsals at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr4n2wQZMl8
My friend and I went to the Meet and Greet prior to the show but we weren't sure what the format was for it so we were a little nervous. After seeing the set up (the skaters were all sitting behind tables set up in a long line), I REALLY wish I had printed out some of my US Nats pictures for the skaters to sign because I had some of just about everyone! We eventually decided to just go through the line, get some pictures with a few of the skaters, and chat with everyone. The first person we met was Carol Heiss Jenkins who is absolutely adorable! She was so cute talking about how she joined Facebook so she could keep up with her grandkids. Next was Parker who was really sweet too although I'm kicking myself now because I forgot to get a picture with him. Kiri Baga was next and she is also very cute. I got a picture with her and complimented her on her programs at US Nats (she was great). Alissa was very shy but still very nice and friendly. The Hubbells get a gold star from me because instead of posing across the table like just about all the other skaters had to do with the setup, Keiffer dove under the table and came out in front of it for a picture! Madison gave him this look like, WTH?! but she crawled under the table too so gold stars for both of them! Angela Maxwell got her haircut since US Nats and it's really cute on her. She seemed shy when I complimented her on it though! Chock and Zuerlein were very nice and friendly and I had a great conversation with Taylor Firth about Locks of Love (which I just did in May when I got ten inches of my hair cut off). Apparently her sister has done this like four times in the last two years! She said her hair grows really fast and is really thick too. She was also very cute although I forgot to ask her about the Ice Castles remake which I had wanted to do. Tonia K. was extremely nice and very bubbly. Sara VG and Gev M were also nice but I didn't know much about them so I didn't talk to them much. Jennifer Robinson is always very sweet and we enjoyed chatting with her. Amanda & Mark were awesome as always and we spoke to them for quite a while since I actually know them. Colin (Parker's brother) was very friendly as well and I always enjoy talking to Melissa & Denis (who I've known for several years now). They were excited to take part in the show and I'm so glad they were there since I hadn't seen them in a while! The Meet and Greet ended before the doors opened to the public so we talked to Melissa & Denis and Amanda & Mark for a while before they had to go get ready and then we walked around the silent auction area to see what all was there. I wish I'd had more money to spend because I would have made some bids but I wasn't able to at the time. There were some cool items up for auction. The show started not long after that and it was really fun although the ice was a little bit smaller than normal due to on ice seating at the one end. That made a few programs more challenging for the skaters but they covered it well. Parker did a nice job planning everything too.
Opening-Medley of several different songs and everyone got to do a little something on their own in addition to doing some group work. It was pretty cool and I loved the effects even if it did make taking pictures almost impossible, LOL
Kiri Baga-Skated to "Smooth" by Santana (she did this program at the US Nats exhibition) and she looked really strong with her jumps. She has a lot of personality too and I'm looking forward to seeing her competitive programs this year.
Hubbells-"Minnie the Moocher" (their OD from last season) and aside from the black tights which didn't work for me, I really enjoyed this program.
Taylor Firth-I cannot remember her music for anything right now (and I loved the song too so this is bugging me, LOL) but it was a great program and I really enjoyed her skating.
Tonia K-"In My Daughter's Eyes" and this program was absolutely lovely. I've always loved her skating but this is the first time I've seen her live. She was wonderful.
Evora & Ladwig-"Ordinary People" and I really enjoyed their program. They totally went for the sbs 3 sals and even though Mark fell, I give them mad props for trying them in spotlights on a shorter than normal rink. Amanda rocked out the throw and their footwork was really nice too. I'm looking forward to seeing their new programs at Indy in about a month.
Angela Maxwell-Michael Jackson medley (which she actually planned before he passed away last week) and she totally sold this program! It was a lot of fun and this girl can dance too. I hope she keeps it for a while and that I get to see it again at US Nats in January!
There was a brief intermission at this time where I was surprised by my friend Jamie who had come to the show with her sister. That was a great surprise for me since I had no clue she was coming!
Sara Von Gillern and Gev Manoukian (SYTYCD)-They were SO awesome and I was amazed at the stuff they were doing in their routine! They performed in the on ice seating area that also had a dance area set up for them.
Jennifer Robinson-"Angel" (she did this on SOI this past year) and she did a really nice job. I love this program and I'm glad she chose that one to perform in this show.
Chock & Zuerlein-"Come Together"/"Cryin" (same as US Nats) and they also did a nice job although I think they had a lift that didn't go quite the way they planned due to the smaller ice. I could be remembering that wrong though.
Molly Jespersen-One of the club skaters who raised money so she could skate in teh show and I mention her because she skated a nice program to "Man in the Mirror" which she dedicated to her dad who has MD. I thought that was really cute.
Melissa & Denis-I don't know the name of the song they skated too but it was a great program and I really enjoyed it. They had some cool lifts and some really cool highlights in this program. They're helping out with the Sun Valley ice shows this summer which will be SO great for them. I wish I could get out there to see the show!
Parker-"A New Day" by Celine Dion but it was sung by his friend Jenny Alu who did a great job. Parker apparently had ankle surgery after US Nats and isn't jumping yet but the program was still really great. He did a nice job for not being able to practice the way I'm sure he normally does for a program!
Alissa-"Bridge Over Troubled Waters" (same as US Nats) and even though she had one fall in this program on the first jump, it was absolutely beautiful. Her spirals and spins are just to die for and I really like this program for her.
Finale-"We Are the World" (which Denis swears he didn't pick just because MJ passed away last week ). There were some dancer girls who did a little routine to part of the song but the rest of the cast all came out too. I thought it was great to see all the skaters get introduced and do some sort of skating move and in some cases, a signature move for them. I liked the song choice since this was a benefit show and I'm glad Denis picked that for the finale.
After the show ended Parker thanked pretty much everyone who was involved in the show and gave out some flowers to the main people. Alissa was his flower girl which I thought was cute. We ended up going to the after party which was a lot of fun although we didn't talk to as many people as we did during the meet and greet. It was fun seeing everyone all relaxed and having fun together. Parker's dad raffled off the table decorations from the on ice tables and he was so funny. It was hard to understand him at times (sound system issues, not him) but you can tell how proud he is of his son and I don't blame him. Parker did a tremendous job with this show and I really hope he does another one next year! I'll be there for sure.
I do have some pictures from the show but they're not online yet. I'll post a link here when I do finally get them online. The lighting wasn't the best at times so I don't have a lot but I did get a few pictures that I think are passable, LOL Even better than the show being great was that the Reds beat the Indians, 8-1, on Sunday (I went to the game with two other friends of mine) so that made my weekend even better!


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There is a new selection of Chinese watercolours from the 19th-century John Reeves collection on show in the magnificent oak cabinets of the Images of Nature gallery.
Bird of paradise, 19th-century John Reeves collection. One of several zoological Illustrations on display from today in the Images of Nature gallery
The Images of Nature gallery opened earlier in January this year and features a temporary exhibition among the permanent Museum images. The temporary exhibits change annually and this year's theme is Chinese watercolours, namely from the collection of 19th-century amateur naturalist, John Reeves.
Slow loris and Sacred lotus, also new in the John Reeves collection cabinets in the Images of Nature gallery
The watercolours are too delicate for permanent display so they change every 3 months, giving visitors the chance to see about 100 paintings over the year. From today, 11 April, we have the second rotation of beautiful illustrations.
Glimpse a few of the new John Reeves zoological and botanical watercolours on display in our Images of Nature highlights slideshow and the new contemporary work (below right) by our Shanghai artist in residence, inspired by the 19-th century Chinese collection.
Left: Memorialise Memory installation. Right: Untitled. Artworks by our contemporary Shanghai artist in residence commemorate the Reeves collection
The new intriguing piece (above right) inspired by the 19th-century Chinese collection is Untitled. However, I think of it as 'Zebra shopping trolley'. The artist was inspired to create it by everyday objects found in a London supermarket. He stayed in London for 3 months researching the John Reeves collection and the Museum's scientific illustrations. Also catch the artist's video installation Memorialise Memory, commemmorating John Reeves and the original unnamed Chinese artisans who Reeves commissioned.
Enjoy the video below which describes his modern response to the 19th-century collection. You can also see it in the Images of Nature gallery.
From an introduction to the Reeves collection to dodo painting and wood-block printing, you can also browse our great collection of Images of Nature videos online.


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Water Heater in Naperville, IL
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Romney Vow to Lower Middle-Class Taxes at Odds With Cap
On taxes, Mitt Romney is long on promises and short on details.
The Republican presidential nominee pledges to "lower taxes on middle-income families," without giving high earners another tax cut or adding to the U.S. budget deficit. He can do that, he says, by capping the value of tax breaks available to any individual taxpayer.
His tax plan, however, would upend financial planning for millions of middle-class households, denying them thousands of dollars in annual deductions. Earlier this week, after months of refusing to specify which tax breaks he would curtail, Romney said taxpayers might be able to take a total of no more than $17,000 in deductions each year.
That won't bring in enough revenue to make up for almost $5 trillion the government will lose over 10 years once tax rates are reduced by 20 percent as Romney has proposed, according to economist William Gale of the Brookings Institution in Washington.
"It doesn't come close to paying for the $5 trillion," said Gale, who co-authored a study of Romney's tax plan for the non-partisan Tax Policy Center in Washington.
At least 3.7 million U.S. taxpayers last year reported deductions of $25,000 or more. About 10 million others wrote off $15,000 to $25,000. Romney says their taxes wouldn't go up, and in fact would decline, under his 20 percent across-the-board tax rate cut.
'Revenue Neutral'
The Romney campaign disputes the center's analysis and has cited competing studies by economists at Princeton University in New Jersey and Rice University in Houston that back his initial tax plan.
The former Massachusetts governor describes his proposal as "revenue neutral," meaning the federal government would raise as much money as it currently does. Asked to explain who would pay more to compensate for middle-income households paying less in taxes, a campaign spokesman didn't immediately respond.
Romney this week suggested the cap as a way to help pay for his proposed tax rate cut. The deduction cap would be one piece of a three-part concept for broadening the tax base, which the Romney campaign has said is designed to jump-start economic growth.
Some families that both Romney and President Barack Obama describe as middle-class would end up with a tax cut under Romney's plan. Homeowners living in states with high state and local taxes, however, could end up worse off, according to a preliminary analysis by Bloomberg Government.
'High-Tax States'
The $17,000 deduction cap "targets taxpayers residing in high-tax states that pay a lot of mortgage interest," says Bloomberg Government analyst Patrick Driessen, who spent 25 years as an economist for the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.
A family living in Ohio that earns $150,000, donated $4,000 to charity and paid 4.5 percent interest on a $200,000 mortgage as well as $4,000 in property taxes in 2012 would see a tax cut of more than $3,000 under Romney's plan, according to a calculation prepared for Bloomberg News by Tim Steffen, director of financial planning at Robert W. Baird & Co. in Milwaukee.
Under the current tax code, such a family would owe $21,819 in federal income tax, compared with $18,728 under Romney's plan.
A similar family living in California or New York, where state taxes are much higher, wouldn't be as fortunate. Steffen emphasized the difficulty of analyzing Romney's plan because the candidate has provided few details as to how he would treat deductions and credits.
Tax Increase
Using slightly different assumptions, Tony Nitti, a partner at WithumSmith & Brown PC in Aspen, Colorado, who prepares taxpayer returns for high earners, found that Romney's plan could increase taxes for some middle-income families.
Nitti assumed an Ohio family with income from wages of $150,000, a 30-year mortgage at 5 percent interest with a beginning balance in 2012 of $300,000, generating a mortgage interest deduction for 2012 of $13,666. Their itemized deductions included real estate taxes of $5,000, charitable donations of $4,000 and state income tax payments of $6,000.
If Romney's proposed cap applies to itemized deductions and personal exemptions, this family would pay more under Romney's plan, Nitti said. He calculated that their tax bill would rise to $20,248 from $18,783 under current law -- an increase of $1,465.
Layer of Complexity
"The reason you cut rates and broaden the tax base is to simplify the tax code," Nitti said. "If instead you just put a cap on, you've not simplified it and you've just added another layer of complexity."
Romney's interest in capping deductions differs from an earlier proposal by Martin Feldstein, an economics professor at Harvard University. Last year, Feldstein, a former adviser to President Ronald Reagan, suggested limiting deductions to 2 percent of a taxpayer's adjusted gross income. His plan would have increased overall tax revenue by $278 billion in 2011 to reduce the deficit.
"My idea was to cap the revenue loss not the deductions per se," Feldstein wrote in an e-mail. "And it extended to the health care exclusion. So it is not comparable to the Romney suggestion."
Princeton's Harvey Rosen, an economics professor, concluded that Romney's plan would be as progressive as the current system if Congress eliminated the most widely used deductions by taxpayers earning more than $100,000 annually. Rosen's analysis abolished deductions for home mortgage interest payments, employer-provided health insurance, state and local taxes, charitable contributions, and the unrealized increase in the value of life-insurance policies for households with six-figure incomes.
Rosen declined to comment yesterday on the proposed $17,000 deduction cap, saying he hadn't studied it.
'Got to Give'
Gale, who was a senior White House economist in the administration of President George H.W. Bush, says the Tax Policy Center is analyzing Romney's latest concept of capping deductions. It appears the deduction cap would raise only $1 trillion to $2 trillion of the needed $5 trillion, he said in a telephone interview.
"Something's got to give with all the things he's promised," he said. "It's not clear what."
In the Oct. 3 presidential debate, Romney rejected Obama's statement that he was proposing a "$5 trillion tax cut" tilted toward the wealthy. "I will not under any circumstances raise taxes on middle-income families. I will lower taxes on middle income families," Romney said.
In an Aug. 16 analysis, the Tax Policy Center found that cutting rates for taxpayers making more than $200,000 a year would cost the U.S. government $251 billion in revenue while curtailing tax breaks would bring in $165 billion.
Reviving Growth
Analyses that the Romney campaign has cited, including that by Princeton's Rosen, say that gap can be closed.
Romney describes his tax plan as essential to reviving the economy, especially through improved incentives for small businesses to hire. "For me, this is about jobs. This is about jobs for the American people," he said during the debate.
Obama criticized Romney for being vague about his tax plans, suggesting he was hiding details because they would hurt the middle class.
"He is saying that he is going to pay for it by closing loopholes and deductions," the president said during the debate. "The problem is that he's been asked over 100 times how you would close those deductions and loopholes, and he hasn't been able to identify them."
Romney took issue with Obama's contention. Instead, he said he is laying out general principles and leaving the details to negotiations with lawmakers after the election.
Different Caps
He also further muddied the few details that have been made public, including suggesting different potential deduction caps.
"What are the various ways we could bring down deductions, for instance?" Romney asked. "One way, for instance, would be to have a single number. Make up a number, $25,000, $50,000. Anybody can have deductions up to that amount. And then that number disappears for high-income people."
"There are alternatives to accomplish the objective I have, which is to bring down rates, broaden the base, simplify the code, and create incentives for growth," Romney said.
The Republican candidate also described his rate-lowering, base-broadening plan as having "the same idea behind Bowles- Simpson," referring to the national debt-reduction commission known for its co-chairmen, onetime White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, a Democrat, and former Republican Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming.
Their report, however, would have increased taxes on capital gains and dividends, while Romney intends to continue taxing investment gains at a preferential 15 percent rate. His plan also would eliminate taxes on capital gains, dividends and interest for individuals making less than $200,000 a year.
To contact the reporters on this story: David J. Lynch in Washington at firstname.lastname@example.com; Margaret Collins in New York at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jodi Schneider at firstname.lastname@example.com


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GSA Network launched its national program in 2005 after receiving requests for assistance from several organizations around the nation. The goals of the National Program are:
The National Association of GSA Networks is a collaborative partnership of state and regional organizations that share best practices on supporting GSA clubs. The National Association's purpose is to support the growth of the GSA movement by connecting state and regional GSA networks to each other for information-sharing, networking, and peer exchange, including the annual National Gathering.
Learn more or join the National Association of GSA Networks.
Members of the National Association of GSA Networks can receive training and technical assistance from GSA Network. Topics may include:
Don't have a GSA network in your state? Learn how you can create one based on GSA Network's model in California. Today, 37 states have a GSA network! Our goal? 50 states by 2020!
Learn how you can Start a GSA Network in Your State.
To learn more about our national program, or to request training or technical assistance, contact GSA Network's Director of National Programs, Mustafa Sullivan, at firstname.lastname@example.com or 415-552-4229.


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I develop my own string class. I have two files String.cpp and String.h. I can make static library and give others only header file and .lib file to hide my source code.
But in .h file one can see what my class is consisting of and simply change private to public access. So that private access specificator is just compiler trick. How can I expose only public methods? How this can be achived? I'm using VC++ .Net and like to see some code example or to get some usefull link to follow.
Thanks very much.


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DESIGN AND DANCE ... Designers from San Francisco City College will offer a program on floral design techniques and trends while interpreting music at The Garden Club of Los Altos meeting on Tuesday, March 22, at 1:15 p.m. The group meets at Christ Episcopal Church, 1040 Border Road, Los Altos. $10 guest fee. Information: 650-964-7614.
MANAGE YOUR REMODEL ... "How to Manage Your Kitchen or Bath Remodel" is among the new courses offered Spring Quarter through Palo Alto Adult School. Taught by Mollyanne Sherman, a certified kitchen, bath and interior designer, the class runs for five weeks on Tuesdays, March 22 through May 3, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in Palo Alto High School Room 1706, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto. Cost is $75 plus $30 materials fee payable to the instructor. Information: 650-329-3752 or www.paadultschool.org
TREASURE MART ... This year's theme for Treasure Market 2011, the biennial fundraiser for the Cantor Arts Center Art Acquisition Fund, is "Vintage in Vogue." The event kicks off with an opening night party and sale on Friday, March 25, 6:30-9:30 p.m., and continues on Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Arrillaga Center for Sports & Recreation, 341 Galvez St., Stanford University. Tickets to the Vintage-attire-optional gala are $100 for nonmembers, $75 for members; tickets to the sale are $5 at the door. Vintage in Vogue Circle ticket holders (at $1,000) are entitled to a special preview sale from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday. Information: 650-723-2997 or www.museum.stanford.edu/TM
LOCAL CONNECTIONS ... At the 2011 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, to be held March 23-27 at the San Mateo Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo, are a number of local speakers and vendors. Speakers include Rosalind Creasy of Los Altos, who will talk about "Edible Landscaping, Edible Landscapes: The New American Garden" (Thursday, March 24, 3:45 p.m.; Friday, March 25, 10:45 a.m.); Margo True, Sunset Magazine food editor, will conduct a cooking demonstration (Sunday, March 27, 11 a.m.) and speak on "One Block Gardening" (1:15 p.m.); Johanna Silver of Sunset Magazine will talk about "Growing Edibles in Containers" (Saturday, March 26, 3:45 p.m.); and Jack McKinnon will offer "Basic Pruning Tools and Techniques" (Sunday, March 27, 4:30 p.m.). Among the 20 full-sized garden installations is a joint project of Lucy Tolmach from Filoli and Rich Radford and Sandy Ayers from The Garden Route Company, South San Francisco. In addition, education booths will include Gamble Garden Center; Bistro Blends, Los Altos; Foothill College; Filoli, Woodside; and Salcedo Custom Tipi, Woodside. Tickets are $15-25. Information: www.sfgardenshow.com
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At one videographer meeting (the March gathering of Greater Philadelphia's GPVA), I watched 2005 EventDV 25 honoree Jenny Lehman talk about using numerous cameras—most of them static POVs set up ahead of time. It was a compelling demonstration of how a few extra bucks nets you some interesting views of your event and requires little extra effort.
I spoke to several local videographers during the networking part of the meeting and found that almost no one there is doing HD. The few I found were young and new entrants to the field. Their first camcorder purchases were HD because they saw no sense in purchasing a DV camcorder now. Those with no HD were mostly established freelancers or studios with a significant investment in cameras and edit systems set up for DV or DVCAM.
There are two very important aspects of DV that make it the current best choice for event video. First is that in most cases, it's paid off already. This means that all the dollars coming in are profit (unless they're paying for other equipment, subcontract shooters, etc.).
Second is interchangeability between Canon, Sony, JVC, and Panasonic. DV tapes are generally reliable and, for the most part, the tapes that work in a camera or deck from one manufacturer will work in most or all comparable devices, regardless of the manufacturer.
Every now and then there are some head-clog issues, but the DV format is well standardized over FireWire and there's less concern as to what camcorder a freelancer uses as long as it's DV.
At NAB, I saw a completely different story. It was so different and so crucial that I felt I needed to take a picture (left) to convey what's next. Panasonic has a wide range of DV camcorders, from the venerable 100 series to smaller and larger shoulder-mount camcorders. Panasonic had a wall set up with three of their best DV camcorders on one side, and their one just-announced "professional" AVCHD camcorder on the other.
This "professional" AG-HSC1U differs from the the consumer model in length of warranty and the color of the plastics, and the gamut of the recorded image was tweaked to match other pro Panasonic camcorders. Oh, and it costs $700 more than the consumer model and comes with an SDHC (SD High-Capacity) flash media storage device.
This model has even less consumer/pro differentiation than Sony's prosumer camcorders (like the virtually indistinguishable FX1 and Z1)—and that's saying something.
So, on one side we saw three of Panasonic's best-selling DV camcorders. On the other they showed a tweaked consumer camera with different color plastics. There were upwards of 20 people around the AVCHD camcorder and none checking out the DV camcorders.
I was there for about 20 minutes, and the battle to see the HSC1U never abated. Meanwhile, no one asked a single question about Panasonic's DV camcorders. It was like they didn't exist any more.
So let's put this together. Those who are established and have gear see no need to go HD. Those who are new go HDV or AVCHD. These people are your competition. NAB draws a wide range of users, but primarily they are professionals. And none of the professionals looked at DV. They only looked at the tiny new HD camcorder.
So, when it comes time to invest in the future, do not base your decision on the fact that none of your customers have asked for HD yet (if that happens to be the case), because that's not what is important. What is important is that your future customers may not pick you because your competition is offering HD and you are not. They did the upsell and took your customer from you.
In due time, Panasonic will introduce a real professional AVCHD camcorder. Then those pros will really have something to sink their teeth into, and the competitive argument to go HD will be even harder to resist.
Anthony Burokas of IEBA Communications, a self-confessed "gadget guy," has been an event videographer for more than 15 years. He has shot award-winning video internationally and is technical director for the PBS series Flavors of America.


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© 2007 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
No magic for Rangers in extras
McCarthy solid in six innings, doesn't factor into decision
By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com
LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Outfielder Brad Wilkerson is going on the disabled list with a pulled hamstring muscle. That's the way the Rangers first day at Disney World came to an end. Obviously their three-day stay can only get better -- at least they better hope so -- because their first day wasn't much fun. It's started with manager Ron Washington meeting with his players in an attempt to get their season turned around, followed by a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 10 innings at Disney's Wide World of Sports. The Rangers have lost six of their last eight and 11 of their last 16 games, and only the Kansas Royals have a worse record in the American League. Ask what the Rangers need most right now, Mark Teixeira thought for a moment, and then stated the obvious. "We need a 10-game winning streak," Teixeira said. "I'm serious. If we go into every series hoping to squeak out one or two, then we're just going to keep going the way we're going. If we can get on a roll and start believing in ourselves, then we have a chance to do good things." Washington tried to implore his team to do that when he met with him before the game. There is a lot of built-up frustration in the Rangers' clubhouse, and Washington kept the meeting positive. "I don't have negative meetings," Washington said before the game. "I was very positive. I just said, 'Let's go out here thinking that today is the first day, and play the game the way it's supposed to be played.' It's not tough to stay positive. You know they're capable of coming out of it. It may sound redundant but tonight may be the night. You don't want to miss the opportunity." Tonight was not the night. Instead it brought about another loss and another injury. Wilkerson pulled his right hamstring going into second base on a fifth-inning double, and had to come out of the game. Outfielder Marlon Byrd will be called up from Triple-A Oklahoma. "The doc says it's bad," Washington said. "I believe he pulled the hamstring bad." Wilkerson's double was big. The Rangers trailed 3-1 going into the fifth but Hank Blalock led off with a home run -- his third in three games -- and Wilkerson doubled to right off Devil Rays starter James Shields. Matt Kata replaced Wilkerson, and Nelson Cruz brought him home with a single to center. But that was the Rangers only hit in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position. They also had just two hits in the final five innings. "If we can play consistently the way we played tonight, I think we'll come out of it," Washington said. "I enjoyed the way we played tonight. I can't give our team enough credit for the way we played tonight. We just didn't get a hit when it counted." Rangers starter Brandon McCarthy pitched six innings, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out seven. Joaquin Benoit followed with two scoreless innings, and Akinori Otsuka worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the ninth without the Devil Rays scoring. Scott Feldman couldn't do the same in the 10th. Both C.J. Wilson and Frank Francisco were not options because of their workload in the Angels series, so Washington went with Feldman, who had been called up from Triple-A earlier in the day. But Feldman started the inning by walking Carlos Pena. "Obviously, that was the only thing in my control," Feldman said. "That was the negative part of it." Delmon Young then took a tough inside sinker and dropped it into right field for a single, putting runners at the corners. Washington had Dioner Navarro intentionally walked to load the bases to set up the force at the plate. But Brendan Harris, with the infield in, singled through the left side to bring home the winning run. Harris was mobbed by his Devil Rays teammates at first base while the Rangers walked quietly off the field to absorb another setback. "Tonight I thought we played good baseball, we just didn't get it done," catcher Gerald Laird said. "We need to play good baseball for awhile, just not two or three here and there. We need to play good consistent baseball for awhile." Teixeira said the Rangers haven't learned to win together as a team. He admitted they need to learn soon. "I hope so," Teixeira said. "You can't win a division in May but you can certainly lose one if you get too far down and have to battle your way the rest of the year. We're not pushing the panic button but everybody wants to win. Maybe we're trying too hard. Maybe we want to win too much but everybody in here is itching to win." They didn't win on Tuesday. Instead, they had a meeting, another roster move and a long day at Disney World.
T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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I wanted to have a discussion about the tailed beasts and why they "are who they are". We are going to assume that Madara was telling the truth and that they all came from the Juubi. The Juubi was apparently strong enough to bring destruction to the world. I wonder though, when the Juubi was split apart, why it is that Shukaku is the only intelligent one to date? Why does the Hachibi seem to be "good", why does the Kyuubi resemble the Juubi, and why is it supposedly the only tailed beast that can be controlled by the Sharingan?
I have a few theories about why these tailed beasts are. I don't make theories too often because I mainly just enjoy to read and argue about the manga. So please bear with me.
Since the Juubi was most likely unintelligent, it did things on instinct just like the other tailed beasts. However, it probably had a LITTLE bit of intelligence, and when it was split into the nine Tailed beasts, that was given to Shukaku. Then, when Shukaku was sealed (Shukaku was said to have had two hosts before Gaara), it learned to speak. Then it retained the ability afterwards. The reason I think Shukaku has intelligence is because when Gaara fell asleep during his fight with Naruto, Shukaku was able to speak. This could be argued that it is still technically sealed within Gaara, but when Naruto goes past the four-tails, he loses the ability to speak.
The Juubi had a massively overwhelming chakra that was evil. However, there may have been a large amount of "good" chakra as well. So the Hachibi may have been born from that being split.
As for the Kyuubi being connected to the Sharingan, I think it has something to do with the Juubi having the eye that had the tomoe on them. There may be a connection to that and the Kyuubi.
Now that I think about it, I hadn't really thought of how the Sage's boys, the decendants of the younger and the older, are able to control the tailed beasts. Hashirama can control them and he is the descendant of the younger. Madara can at the very least control the Kyuubi, and he's a descendant of the older.
What do you guys think of this? Feel free to add any thoughts of your own.


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"Gov. David Paterson has proposed a so-called 'iPod tax' on downloaded music and entertainment services to help his state close a $15.4 billion budget deficit.
However, Apple Inc.'s products aren't Paterson's only targets. He has proposed 88 new fees and taxes that go far beyond, including on movie tickets, taxi rides, soda, beer, wine, cigars, massages, cable and satellite TV.
That's just one aspect of Paterson's proposed $121.1 billion budget released yesterday. The budget attempts to make state government leaner while relying on a wave of new taxes and fees that will be passed down to businesses.
The proposed budget is balanced and holds state spending just under the inflation rate. The budget also erases a combined $15.4 billion in budget gaps over the next 15 months.
Paterson revealed his budget amid the unrelenting shake-up on Wall Street that has already depleted state tax revenue and triggered tens of thousands of layoffs. Before this recession, the state's financial services sector had produced 20 percent of state tax revenue through income taxes, year-end bonuses, real estate deals and initial public offerings on the stock markets."
I hope all people in the internet and music industry will speak out against unfair, unrealistic, and economically damaging taxes such as this one. While we're not located in New York, their recent taxation policies have been a source of concern for not only businesses in the music industry, but every business that has a website and sells online (see their sales tax law currently being fought by major online retailers: http://www.newrules.org/retail/efairny.html)
How Amazon and Overstock responded to New York:


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Former Nats closer Cordero eyeing comeback
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com
Cordero, who is looking to make a comeback next year, is in great shape after losing 25 pounds by being on Weight Watchers.
Cordero was arguably the first star in Nationals history, saving 47 games with a 1.82 ERA in 2005, the team's inaugural season.
He pitched for Washington until 2008, when a torn labrum in April knocked him out for the rest of the season. After being released by the Nationals at the end of that season, he signed with the Mariners, making nine appearances in 2010, his last big league action.
Cordero is expected to make an appearance at Nationals Park on July 20 and throw out the first pitch before the Nationals play the Braves.
Werth scratched late with migraine headache
LOS ANGELES -- About an hour after he arrived at Dodger Stadium, Nationals slugger Tyler Moore found himself in the starting lineup, hitting sixth and playing left field in his Major League debut.
Jayson Werth, who was scheduled to start the game in right field, was a late scratch because of a severe migraine headache, which he suffered after he arrived at the ballpark. He was better by the seventh inning and could have entered the game as a pinch-hitter, but manager Davey Johnson didn't want to take any chances.
"When I got here, I didn't feel so hot," Werth said. "I pulled it together by the seventh inning. I dressed, came out in case they needed me. I still didn't feel very good. But during an emergency, I think I could have been used."
Werth has struggled in his last nine games, going 4-for-30 (.133), while Moore, who is ranked No. 14 on MLB.com's list of Top 20 Nationals prospects, was hitting .286 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs for Triple-A Syracuse.
With Moore, who went 1-for-3, in the lineup, Bryce Harper was moved from left to center field, and Xavier Nady started in right.
Harper shows off glove in first start in center
LOS ANGELES -- Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper was impressive in his second Major League game, a 2-0 loss to the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon.
Harper went 1-for-3 with a walk, and made a great catch in the fourth inning off the bat of Juan Uribe. On the first pitch from Gio Gonzalez, Uribe swung and hit the ball to deep right-center field. Harper ran back and hit the wall hard after making the catch.
Harper then threw to first to try to double up Andre Ethier, to no avail. But after making the throw, Harper was shaken up and fell down to the ground. He was OK and remained in the game.
"At a zero-zero ballgame, in that situation you want to catch everything," Harper said. "I cramped up after I landed. That was the only thing that bothered me. It's better than running into the walls in Syracuse."
Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, All Nats All the time. He also could be found on Twitter @WashingNats. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Did you know since 2003, Russellville's asphalt overlay program has covered streets that total more miles than stretch from here to Atkins - and back?
Russellville's Department of Public Works and its efforts during the past year were focused for members of the Russellville City Council during their Thursday night meeting at City Hall.
"We've covered 26 miles of two-lane, three-lane and four-lane streets at a cost of $1.5 million," Public Works Director Morgan Barrett told aldermen. "We have another extensive overlay program in the works for 2007. We're working on bidding out projects right now. That should heat up in about a month."
Barrett also gave brief overviews of Public Works and divisions IT (Information Technology), Street Department and Code Enforcement. Before that, he updated some ongoing and future projects.
Work on East Harrell Drive (east of Cracker Barrel and mini storages) is about 50 percent complete. It is anticipated the contractor will start putting gravel down next week, according to Barrett.
After work is completed by City Corp., the city's water utility, work should begin in about a month on the West Portland Avenue project.
A pre-construction meeting took place Thursday on 16th Street (from Arkansas Avenue to 12th Street), the final phase of the 16th Street project that cost an estimated $3.1 million.
Work on Engineers Tributary Ditch 2, a drainage way that crosses Independence Avenue, extends to 16th Street and includes more than 7,000 feet of drainage improvements, should begin in May. Estimated cost is about $1 million, Barrett said.
Bids will open March 27 on Second Street improvements downtown. Once the roadway is closed, according to Barrett, the contractor will have 21 days to work before it reopens. The timeframe is compressed because of the downtown location of the project.
The city is waiting on final approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on the North Phoenix Avenue project, and waiting on Arkansas Tech University to answer some design questions.
Barrett explained the city's IT department and director Ricky Fuller are working on the city's Web page, making sure all departments have functioning Web pages, working on improving the network for the city as a whole, and security related to Internet access. In addition, a lot of printers are being eliminated throughout the city's departments in favor of multi-function printers and machines.
Public Works is down two employees, Barrett told the council. Employees of the Street Department, Traffic Department and Fleet Services are doing regular maintenance activities.
Barrett shared some figures from Planning and Community Development with aldermen. In 2006, 20 permits were obtained for commercial development in the city at a value of $721,000. Already this year, Barrett said, 27 permits have been obtained at a value of $1.35 million, an increase of 35 percent.
The director said 58 residential permits were obtained at a value of $2.9 million last year. This year's total residential permits total 45 for $1.65 million, a slight reduction in both the number and value of residential permits, but that mirrors similar activity throughout the country, Barrett added.
In other business Thursday nigh, Police Chief Tom McMillen introduced this year's Russellville Police Officer of the Year, Joe Paterak, and presented him with a plaque that congratulated Paterak "for dedication above and beyond the call of duty, for his service to his community and fellow police officers. Thanks for efforts on traffic team, and contributing to the safety and welfare for the citizens of Russellville."


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I am writing a story that involves an adopted girl named Baylee. As of now, she lives in the muggle world with her adoptive parents. Baylee gets her Hogwarts letter and confronts her parents, but they know nothing about it.
Should her parents contact the adoption agency or doing nothing at all?
How would the adoption agency react to such a request of informatioin?
Should the adoption agency give any information about Baylee at all?
Thanks so much for the help! I know it sounds confusing, so if you have any questions, I'll answer them.