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Minnesota Manufacturing Company Moving to De Smet
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A manufacturing company based in Elko, Minn., has announced it will relocate to South Dakota.
South Dakota economic development officials say American Engineered Products plans to hire 15 to 20 employees when it relocates to De Smet. The company makes telescoping flag poles and slot machine bases.
Gov. Dennis Daugaard says the company's decision to move to South Dakota shows the state has a business-friendly environment. He says more businesses are realizing that South Dakota has quality workers and offers an impressive lifestyle.
Audrey Saylor, the company's vice president of operations, says American Engineered Products wanted to move to a mid-sized community in South Dakota where it could cut its production costs. She says De Smet has an available building, and the company will begin operations there by Nov. 1.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Material may not be redistributed.


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impex fitness
Impex Fitness Bench Presses, Smith Machines, Home Gyms and Cardio Equipment - Impex Fitness manufactures fitness and sports related equipment brands such as Marcy, Apex, Impex, Adidas and Hers. Originally it was a bodybuilder by the name of Walter Marcyan that developed an early multi-station gym that helped popularize working out at the gym. His company, Marcy Fitness Products, became a leading manufacturer of gym equipment in the 1970's. Today the Marcy brand is manufactured by the Impex Fitness company which has grown the brand substantially to become one of the most recognized names in home fitness products on a global level.
Strength Training Equipment - When it comes to strength training, the gold standard for packing on size and strength is a good weight bench and a barbell or set of dumbbells. Impex leads the home fitness market with its cutting edge multi-benches and weight benches. Marcy weight benches include many different attachments such as arm curl pads and leg extension/leg curls that make them very compact and budget friendly for the home consumer. Some of the larger options even double as a walk in squat rack. For the ultimate in home gyms, you may want to select a Smith machine for added safety and additional gym-style options such as butterfly machines and cable crossovers for building a massive chest.
Cardio Training Equipment - As you build size and strength on your Marcy weight bench or home gym, you'll also want to lean out for added definition. Impex meets the consumers cardio needs with their Mini-Stepper with resistance bands, Upright Magnetic Cycle and Recumbent Magnetic Cycle. All three are space efficient and affordable options.
Fitness Equipment Storage Solutions - Tired of tripping over your dumbbells, barbells and plates that are strewn all over the floor? Time to clean things up with one of many weight lifting equipment storage options. Store your hex, rubber hex and pro-style dumbbells on a two or three tier dumbbell rack. Apex plate trees can handle regular and Olympic plates.
Need a fast custom quote today? Call 1-888-758-7527 or email firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Who would have guessed--NO airport drama! You did GREAT Chateau!
And those Italian cafe patrons must be laughing their asses off at TK and Rachel for falling for the directions they gave: 'head to Roma, turn at Florence...'Loosing the clue was not the big time loss for TK & Rachel. They took so long because of the length of the drive:
I was quite surprised by the actual transportation modes, as it required teams to be driving long distances at night, never a safe practice. The Split to Ancona ferry on SNAV left Split at 1700, which gave the last two teams ample time to get there and have a leisurely lunch. That ferry arrived Ancona after a 4 hour 40 minute run at 2140. After getting cars and getting directions, it would probably be about 2230 before teams got on the road.
Apskip 16: Keep RIGHT to take A14 toward BOLOGNA CASALECCHIO / A1 / FIRENZE / E35 (Portions toll). 3.5 miles Map 17: Keep LEFT to take A1 toward FIRENZE (Portions toll). 56.6 miles Map
A team that could figure out this route and do it according to the estimated time would have arrived by about 2am, which Nathan and Jennifer may have done.
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|Hotel Location
Hotel Bretagna is located in the center of Florence, near most important attractions like Ponte Vecchio and Uffizi Gallery.
How to reach us:
By train:
Firenze Santa Maria Novella (SMN) station. Once you are out the train station, you have to go in Santa Maria Novella Square, and then follow via dei Fossi. As soon as you are in front of the Arno river go on your left in Lungarno Corsini, we are at nr. 6. It is a nice walk, for a maximum of 10 min.
By car:
In case you arrive by the highway A1, don't miss FIRENZE IMPRUNETA exit, it is the right one. Follow directions for the CENTRO CITTA', enter the city center by PORTA ROMANA, then VIA ROMANA, VIA MAGGIO, as soon as you reach the river take LUNGARNO GUICCIARDINI on your left, cross the 1st bridge on your right and turn right in LUNGARNO CORSINI we are at nr. 6.
For those arriving by car - please read carefully -
The Hotel Bretagna is located right in the historic city center, inside the limited traffic zone (ZTL).
This limited traffic zone needs a special permit to enter.
Anyhow, our guests are allowed to enter in the city but they are recommended to communicate as soon as they arrive at the front desk of the hotel reception.
Their plate number will be recorded and also the exact time when they have entered. The Hotel by computer network system will avoid a sanction which might be caused entering to the ZTL zone.
This communication has a legal validity only once. There is no need to communicate anything at the time you leave the city center.
The ZTL (traffic limited zone) is in operation every day from 7.30 am until 7.30 pm except Sunday and public holidays.
During the time of summer on Thursday through Saturday from 10 pm until 3 am the traffic limited zone is also enforced.
The Hotel Bretagna will not take any responsability in case of missing communication (for ex. the plate number and entering time) from our clients and not even for an inaccurate use of your car during your stay.
Conventional parking service:
The Hotel Bretagna is offering our clients the possibility to use a conventional garage place (Garage Peguet) to facilitate the parking of your car in the city center.
The garage provides picking up of your car in front of the Hotel and also return of your car.
The rates are: 22euro for a small car; 25euro for a medium car; 28-30euro for a big car (for ex. station wagon, off-road car, suv).
The rate is valid for 24 hours, no longer past 3 pm of the following day.
The Garage Peguet is closed on Sunday from 12 am until 4 pm.
Public parking places:
As an alternative of leaving your car in a private garage there are public parking sites of a basic fee around 18euro for 24 hours.
Most public parking places are in immediate surrounding of the city center. The closest one from the Hotel is Parcheggio della Calza in Piazza della Calza, zone of Porta Romana, around 20 minutes walking.
It is not possible to park your car free of charge anywhere in the city center because all parking spots on the streets are reserved only for the city residents with permit.
By Flight:
From the airport, the best thing to do is to take a taxi. It will charge you 15/20 Euro. Otherwise take the bus for Santa Maria Novella train station and follow our directions as above.
Live your magic dream in Florence...
Immerse yourself in the charm of the past...
Admire the breathtaking views...
Surrender to relax of our comforts...


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Whether you call Massachusetts "home" or if you're looking to plant some new roots there, plenty of Massachusetts truck driver jobs are waiting on you. Discover the unique beauty that Massachusetts has to offer from the seat of your new trucking job. Trucker drivers have the choice to roam the bigger roads and get wanderlust with an OTR driver job or keep closer to home with daily route jobs. Wherever you roam, rest easy behind the wheel of your rig knowing you've found one of the best truck driving jobs available in Massachusetts.
Find the Massachusetts trucking job that you've been looking for and then apply with our safe and secure application system. Just complete one application and it will be forwarded to all truck driving jobs and top trucking companies in Massachusetts that meets your qualifications. Get on the road today!
We want to help each truck driver get themselves on the road in a truck driving job that is good for them and their family. Many top trucking companies in Massachusetts are waiting for you to apply now!


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University of Hawaii revenue bonds upgraded by Fitch
Bond proceeds will fund $85 million in capital projects at UH campusesUniversity of Hawaiʻi
Vice President for Budget & Finance/Chief Financial Officer
Carolyn Tanaka, (808) 956-8109
External Affairs & University Relations
HONOLULU — Fitch Ratings has assigned an 'AA-' rating to approximately $100 million of Board of Regents of the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) university revenue bonds. Concurrently, Fitch upgrades the unenhanced long-term ratings on UH's outstanding bonds as follows:
- Approximately $112.5 million outstanding university revenue bonds to 'AA-' from 'A+';
- Approximately $146.2 million outstanding university bonds to 'AA-' from 'A+'.
The Rating Outlook is revised from Positive to Stable.
"I'm pleased at Fitch's recognition of our financial condition," said UH President David McClain. "This bond rating upgrade will permit us to raise funds for essential projects at a lower cost, good news in these challenging economic times."
In its announcement, Fitch cited a number of recent UH accomplishments for influencing the upgrade, including the university's "integral role in assisting the state's achievement of economic, education, research, and workforce development goals, which has lead to fairly consistent and significant levels of operating and capital support even during times of financial weakness" and "healthy enrollment trends supported by a diversity of program and degree offerings."
"We are extremely pleased that Fitch has recognized the solid financial condition of the university, and the strong support we receive from the Legislature and the Governor, and has seen fit to upgrade our rating, especially given the current state of the general economy," said UH Vice President for Budget and Finance and CFO Howard Todo.
Also cited by Fitch in making the upgrade were "a strengthened fundraising culture which has enabled UH to exceed the goals outlined in its current comprehensive capital campaign," and "sound levels of balance sheet liquidity, supported by a track record of break-even to positive operating performance and conservatively managed investments, and a very low debt burden."
Proceeds of the series 2009A university revenue bonds will fund approximately $85 million of capital projects across the UH system and refund approximately $13.3 million of outstanding series 1995 bonds (not rated by Fitch).
Fitch's rating definitions and the terms of use of such ratings are available on the agency's public website, www.fitchratings.com.
For more information, visit: http://www.fitchratings.com


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Canadian Patent Database
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Government of Canada
Before you start working on an invention, search the database containing over 2 million patents dating from 1869 to the present. Save time and money by determining whether or not your idea or invention has already been registered in Canada.
You can also use the database to:
- Explore new business opportunities through partnerships or licensing
- Gather intelligence on competitors
- Identify trends in the sector
- Find solutions to technical problems
- Date modified:


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Product Groups
Getting Started
Keep track of products you're interested in, view trading data and access all your contracts in a single location.
Intraday Data
Subscription Based Data
Learn why traders use futures, how to trade futures, and what steps you should take to get started.
This book is produced roughly two weeks before the monetary policy meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee. On each occasion, a different Fed district bank compiles anecdotal evidence on economic conditions from each of the 12 Federal Reserve districts.
This report on economic conditions is used at FOMC meetings, where the Fed sets interest rate policy. These meetings occur roughly every six weeks and are the single most influential event for the markets. Market participants speculate for weeks in advance about the possibility of an interest rate change that could be announced upon the end of these meetings. If the outcome is different from expectations, the impact on the markets can be dramatic and far-reaching.
If the Beige Book portrays an overheating economy or inflationary pressures, the Fed may be more inclined to raise interest rates in order to moderate the economic pace. Conversely, if the Beige Book portrays economic difficulties or recessionary conditions, the Fed may see the need to lower interest rates in order to stimulate activity. Since the past recession, traders worry about the impact of the Beige Book on the timing of tapering quantitative easing.
Since the Beige Book is released two weeks before each FOMC meeting, investors can see for themselves at least one of the many indicators which Fed officials will use to determine interest rate policy, and can position their portfolios accordingly.
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FIND YOUR HOME IN Olathe
Olathe Real Estate Overview
Located in the geographic center of Johnson County (20 miles southwest of downtown Kansas City), Olathe is the second largest of the county and fifth largest in the state. Incorporated in 1857, Olathe maintains a true sense of community and small town feel, while its economic growth, excellent city services and strategic planning make it a leader in the area.
Olathe is big on local charm, and values livability. The city's Parks and Recreation Department maintains year-round activities and Olathe's two public Lakes (Olathe Lake and Cedar Lake) help to make it popular for hot-air ballooning and sailboarding. The Mahaffie Stage Coach Stop and Farm Historic Site, with adjacent Heritage Center, offer an opportunity to learn hands-on about early pioneer life. The Hidden Glen Arts Festival welcomes nearly 100 local, national and international artists to Olathe, and Old Settlers Days turns downtown into a fair of rides, booths and food specialties for three days of family friendly fun.
Olathe District Schools have won eleven consecutive "What Parents Want" awards from SchoolMatch, and fifteen have been designated National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. In 2011, Olathe's 52 schools generated 12 National Merit Finalists.
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A veteran's plea to Congress
April 12, 2012 Veterans who are in need of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care and due process of disability claims, it is our Government's obligation to take responsibility and be sympathetic to those in need... more »»
Letter to the Editor
December 16, 2011 Dear Editor: Letter to the City of Traer: Why were the Traer Municipal Employees and the City Employees working on Saturday, Dec. more »»
Letter to the Editor
October 12, 2011 I need help locating a gifted Traer resident and author! For most of forty years I've enjoyed owning a small chapbook titled "In Love", published in Traer in 1972, and given to me by a... more »»
Letter to the Editor
February 24, 2011 Letter to the Editor, Food Check-out week is February 20-26. more »»
Letter to the Editor
February 15, 2011 Tama County Citizens, I would like an opportunity to respond to last week's article on the front page of all Tama County newspapers titled 'Supervisors hear pros and cons o... more »»
Knights of Columbus Free-throw contest winners
February 15, 2011 Knights of Columbus Free-throw contest winners... more »»
North Tama welcomes their first Muslim foreign exchanges student who is both learning and educating while here
February 15, 2011 By Amy Jantzen Managing Editor When asked why Asma Nsiri wanted to be a foreign exchange student she replied, "To learn and educat. more »»
North Tama 64, NU High 47
February 15, 2011 TRAER - One scoring rut was not enough to keep the 11th-ranked North Tama girls' basketball team out of the next round. more »»
North Tama's finest Redhawks reaching new heights in girls' basketball
February 15, 2011 By Mark Pawlak Central Iowa Press TRAER - North Tama has brought a little attitude and that has been a great thing in the win column. more »»
District wrestling
February 15, 2011 The GRNT and Grundy Center Wrestling Team competed in the District Competition recently which ended up with Tyler Lashbrook going onto state. more »»
News, Blogs & Events Web


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Mrs. Adams took her 4th grade class outside yesterday for their science lesson because it was such a beautiful day out. The day's assignment was to draw or sketch something in the natural world, that they had observed while outside during class. Five of her students decided to draw bees, and to her great surprise, each not only chose to draw a different species of bee, but all five of the drawings were detailed enough that at a glance, the differences between each bee were apparent. Determine the full name of each budding artist, the type of bee each student drew, and the order in which the students turned in the assignment.
1. The five students, in no particular order, were Elliot Leach, the student who drew the paper wasp, the student who turned in the second bee drawing, the boy whose last name was Turnkey, and Wendy.
2. Michael's last name wasn't Turnkey. Alexis didn't draw the paper wasp. Wendy's last name wasn't Crest.
3. The boy who drew the yellow jacket was the last to turn in his homework.
4. The student whose last name was Krank didn't draw the paper wasp, but was the third to turn in the assignment.
5. The person who drew the honey bee turned in the assignment before the person who drew the hornet but after Michael.
6. Harold didn't draw the hornet. The person whose last name was Ranch drew the bumble bee.
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July 15, 2007


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Military, Public Service
By Staff Writer | August 1, 2007
Send Feedback
Piasecki Aircraft expects additional funding from the U.S. Army for its XH-49A SpeedHawk program following the first successful flights of the compound helicopter.
The Sikorsky Aircraft/U.S. Navy SH-60F, modified with wings and a tail-mounted vectored-thrust ducted propeller, took to the air for the first time June 29 at Boeing's facility in Wilmington, Del., with Piasecki Chief Pilot Steve Schellburg at the controls and Rich Jackson in the co-pilot's seat. Schellburg assessed the SpeedHawk's control feel during the roughly 15-min flight, performing left and right pedal turns, then slow forward flight into a hover. He again did pedal turns, followed by left and right sideward flight, before returning to the takeoff point, hovering again, then landing. Top speed for the first flight was about 10 kt. "The aircraft performed as expected," said Piasecki vice president John Piasecki. "There are refinements we are making based on his input." The company plans a two-phase program for the SpeedHawk, which is being funded by the Army's Aviation Applied Technology Directorate.


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You are now leaving the Turn2us site. Turn2us is not responsible for content on third party sites.
In this section you will find information about benefits and grants relevant to your situation.
In this section, you will find the Benefits Calculator; Grants Search; details about Turn2us' direct grant-giving funds; and links to other sources of information and help.
In this section you will find information on how you can get involved with supporting Turn2us and the work we do.
In this section you will find information aimed at charity fund providers and those working with people in financial need.
Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help – online, by phone and face to face through our partner organisations.
Universal Credit is a means-tested benefit for people of working-age who are on a low income.
Universal Credit is a means-tested benefit for people of working-age who are on a low income.
It replaces six existing means-tested benefits:
The above six benefits are also known as legacy benefits.
Universal Credit is intended to be simpler than the current system of benefits and tax credits.
Universal Credit is paid on a monthly basis. Entitlement is worked out by comparing your basic financial needs that the government says you need to live on with your financial resources.
Universal Credit is being introduced gradually. Whether you can claim depends on your personal circumstances.
You don't need to do anything if you are already claiming existing legacy benefits and your situation stays the same. You will be told by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) when you have to claim Universal Credit
Applies to: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales
Type of benefit: Means tested
Taxable: No
Administered by: Department for Work and Pensions
Updated: December 2018
Anything wrong with this page?
If you would like to tell us more please visit our contact page
Find out what means-tested benefits you might be entitled to, including tax credits.
Look for funds that might be able to give you a grant and/or other types of help.


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What was the CHA Mega Show 2014 in Anaheim, California like for a guy who is not a crafter? Amazing actually. Let me tell you my story.
First, in the briefest of autobiographies, my name is Mike Nally and I've been married to Scrapbook Update's editor Nancy Nally for over 20 years. My career background is in business and technology. My creative background can most simply be described as "photographer and technology geek". The world of papers, adhesives, paints, and the like has always been a bit confusing and overwhelming for me. But, now that I'm a full time member of the Nally Studios LLC team, we realized that I needed to increase my education about the space in which we do our work. It was time for me to go to my first CHA Mega Show.
I could probably write a book trying to describe all of the fantastic moments I experienced at the 2014 CHA Mega Show. But, before someone hits me with a "TL;DR" let me try keeping this article to the point by giving you some of the highlights. Continue Reading →


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HOUSTON -- Astros pitcher Jarred Cosart has apologized after he reportedly used a gay slur to describe pop star Justin Bieber when he tweeted a message to a former teammate.
Cosart deleted the offensive tweet from his account and apologized for "a very poor choice of words." He also says in a tweet that the earlier post does not reflect who he is as a person.
The Astros also released a statement Monday night calling Cosart's tweet "unacceptable" for any member of the organization. The Astros say they talked to Cosart about the post and he is "extremely remorseful."
The 23-year-old Cosart went 1-1 with a 1.95 ERA in 10 starts last season. He is expected to contend for a spot in Houston's rotation this year.


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Michael Bay's latest blockbuster film, Transformers, is coming soon to a theater near you. I'm predicting it will make a lot of money.
For the three of you who don't remember, Transformers were toys from the 1980s. One of them was a robot that looked like a truck, which, with some clever manipulation, could be transformed into a truck that looked like a robot.
Why will a movie based on a 25 year old toy make a lot of money?
We remember Transformers the same way we all remember toys from our youth---with rose colored glasses. This movie has automatic name recognition with the Gen-X crowd. Many have children, who are the same age as they were when Transformers came out. They'll want to bring their kids and relive their own childhood.
Plus, Transformers have taken over our stores. You can't go into a supermarket, fast food chain, or watch TV without being assaulted by new Transformer toys and products.
It all fuels name recognition, which generates interest. Transformers will have a huge opening week.
But it will only be able to sustain ticket sales if the movie is good. If the movie is awful, ticket sales will plummet. Word-of-mouth has killed many big movies. I remember Battlefield Earth toys available at my local Toys R Us for fifty cents each. You can't market a turd.
Selling books (you knew we'd get around to that, right?) is also about name-recognition and branding. But word-of-mouth is essential too. A big marketing push by your publisher will fuel demand, but that demand will only be sustained if people like the book and tell other people about it.
Dirty Martini has been out officially for about a week, and began to trickle into stores two weeks ago.
From what I can interpret watching Amazon.com and calling Ingram, the book is doing better than the previous three.
Coop is part of that. Dirty Martini is on the new release table in the chains and major indies. It is in the public eye. Publicity plays a part. Dirty Martini is a Booksense Pick for August, which should help it sell in the indie stores. There have been some great reviews.
Name-recognition is also key. People who enjoyed my previous novels are buying this one. The time I've spent schmoozing booksellers and acquiring MySpace friends is helping my cause (I had three MySpace Friends show up to signings I had in Italy. MySpace works.)
I haven't begun promoting Dirty Martini yet. Very soon my newsletter will go out to 12k people, and I'll do a big Internet promotion. That should spike my numbers. Especially since I'll be "buying" advertising space with contests and freebies (you'll see what I mean when the newsletter is released.)
I'll also be doing some limited touring, which will help the cause.
But, ultimately, the fate of Dirty Martini, and of the series, comes down to word-of-mouth. If people like it, they'll tell others about it. Much of my promotion has been geared toward booksellers, because they are word-of-mouth megaphones. This time around, I'm going to see how many fans I can reach via the net to get them to spread the word.
Another thing about word-of-mouth; it builds. Now that I have four books out, I've found books are four times easier to sell. If I hook one new fan, they'll buy all four. As more books of mine are printed, they reach more people, which generates more word-of-mouth. As more books of mine are released, they take up more shelf space at libraries on at bookstores, leading to more people discovering them.
There's a snowball effect. Sales build on sales. James Rollins once told me that a hardcover is just an advertisement for the paperback. I believe a hardcover is an advertisement for the whole backlist.
But this cumulative effect only happens as long as books are still available. Which is why I spend so much time promoting, not just the new release, but the backlist as well.
The newsletter is coming soon. If you haven't signed up for it yet, visit www.jakonrath.com.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
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At ACK, we stand by our slogan, "Outfit Your Adventure". We like to supply our customers with the paddle, the life jacket and whatever else one would need for their adventure and eventually hear about their experiences. Our business is adventures and I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a man who had a very unique one, an adventure that very few would ever even consider.
The man is West Hansen and the name of his adventure was the Amazon Express. Why that name? Because West decided that he wanted to be the first person to solo paddle the entire 4,225 mile length of the Amazon River, and he wanted to do it faster than anyone ever had before. He finished in 111 days, breaking the previous record of 140.
"I was turning fifty," says West, "that was part of my motivation. Another part of it is that there are few things that we do well in this world, and I paddle long, long, long distances well." He explains that he started whitewater paddling when he was 20 through a college course and enjoyed it. Eventually though, West "got tired of rescuing tubers on the river" and transitioned to surf ski kayaks and began his career in marathon racing.
After competing in (and setting a new record for) the Great Amazon River Race in Peru, West found himself reading Running the Amazon which starred his future mentor, Piotr Chmielinski. "Chmielinski became my mentor & friend, and still is," says West, "He helped me through the logistical frustrations for the Amazon Express and is even helping me plan my next expedition."
It took West about two years of planning to get the expedition together. He gathered sponsors, talked with local organizations and anyone who might have insights for his adventure. "There was a lot of push back from my family," says West, "Mostly because of the danger. But eventually they got on board." In fact, West says that his sister, Barbara Eddington, became somewhat of a team manager, who he talked to every day of the expedition via Satellite phone. His 8th grade daughter also contributed as one of the support team members and headed up a bio-diversity project that accompanied the expedition.
The expedition itself was divided into two sections. The first section was 460 miles of whitewater through ankle deep creeks and a narrow canyon with rapids ranging from class I ripples to class VI+ rapids that required portaging. For this, he was usually accompanied by guide Juanito De Ugarte, renowned whitewater paddler Rafa Ortiz and professional kayaker/cinematographer Tino Specht. After this stretch, West changed from his whitewater kayak to his expedition 'yak and prepared for 3,800 miles of flat water.
Along the way West hit two snags. The first, which he actually encountered five times, was armed gunman. These ranged from drug traffickers to pirates. "The scariest of these encounters were just some scared kids with guns," said West, "they looked at us with their wide eyes and triggers cocked and it was not a situation we wanted to be in." Despite this, West and his support team made it through uninjured and with the only major loss being a camera for Nat Geo. The second snag was a bit more unexpected.
In the final stretch of the flat water, West hit a powerful headwind and huge 10-12 foot waves that considerably slowed progress to a grueling 3-4 mph. As a result, the team hired a river boat that would follow and allow for occasional naps in their Grand Trunk hammock. "Schedules were thrown out the window," he said, "It just wasn't something we were expecting." It was in these conditions that West finally found the end of his expedition.
West hopes his story will serve as inspiration and motivation to others. "What I want people to take away from the expedition is this," says West, "I'm a fifty year old man with no special ability. What got me through everything was simply to keep putting one foot in front of the next."
So what's next? West says we can expect findings and footage from Nat Geo, who sponsored 1/3 of the expedition. Perhaps even another expedition in the future from West. For now, though, you'll probably find him in his home, catching up on some much needed rest and re-adjusting to a normal Texas diet. Welcome back West, we can't wait to hear more about this adventure.
For those in the Austin area interested in learning more, West invites you to join him for a reception which will include a slideshow from National Geographic photographer and fellow paddler Erich Schlegel, videos from the expedition and a talk plus Q&A from West. The reception will take place Saturday, January 5th at 5 PM at New World Deli in Austin.
Joseph @ACK


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Wire Wrapped in 92.5 Argentium Sterling Silver
Size: 15/16" wide x 2 10/16" high
A customized pair of earrings I created to perfectly match your pendant are included free!
Earrings are made of 92.5 sterling silver or 14K GF, natural stones, Swavorski crystals, and fused glass and either 92.5 sterling beads or 14K GF beads.
Necklace or collar is shown only for photography purposes.


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Blake Shelton Records a Duet With Dia Frampton
The first season of 'The Voice' is long behind us, but Blake Shelton's work isn't done. The 'Honey Bee' hitmaker has apparently been hard at work in the studio with last season's runner-up, Dia Frampton, recording a duet that she spilled is called 'I Will.'
Keepin' It Country caught up with Frampton, who dished on everything from her duo with her sister to her work with Shelton, as well as which other country stars she'd like to work with. When asked whether or not she and her coach have been working on material together, Frampton answered with an enthusiastic "Yes!" before going into more detail.
"I wrote a song with some friends (who also knew Blake) in Nashville. The song is called 'I Will,' and when I sent it to Blake he said he'd love to sing on it," she revealed. "He took time out of his busy schedule to come record his part, which meant a lot to me. He's been so supportive through all of this. He's working overtime as a coach."
Overtime indeed. 'The Voice' is already filming its auditions for next season, which will kick off post Super Bowl on February 5. While Frampton is clearly enjoying her one-on-one professional time with her coach, she admitted that she's really been aching to record with his wife. "I was going to write with Miranda Lambert but she got busy with the Pistol Annies. I think it'd be really fun to write with her," she said before throwing out another potential collaboration. "I would also love to write with the Dixie Chicks! I've been a huge fan of them for a very long time."
For now, 'The Voice' winner will have to settle for Mr. Shelton. Dia Frampton will open Blake Shelton's Well Lit and Amplified Tour alongside country crooner Justin Moore beginning early next year.