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Curry for District 61
Dear Editor:
I write in support of Kathleen Curry's Independent candidacy for state representative in House District 61.
Kathleen is a veteran legislator with a proven record of accomplishment. During her previous six years in the Colorado legislature, she established a reputation as a nonpartisan problem-solver. Unafraid of the political consequences of straying from party-line politics, Kathleen always voted for the interests, concerns and citizens of her district.
Her knowledge on agriculture, natural resources, small business and environmental issues are important to all in House District 61. Kathleen is recognized by political friends and foes as a legislative expert on Colorado water issues. The current drought surely will bring new water legislation from Front Range water users. Attempts will be made to export more water from rural Colorado for use in the large urban areas.
Rest assured that Kathleen has the skills and experience to protect and preserve rural Colorado's water. That attribute alone is reason to vote for Curry. In addition, her knowledge, legislative experience and dedication to her district and constituents qualify her as the best candidate to represent the citizens as well as the public and private interests in House District 61. In the up coming election, please vote for Independent candidate Kathleen Curry.
Carl Miller
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If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


text: Promote Creative Discovery Cu r r i c u l u m / A c t i v i t i e s - P l a y & A r t GROWING THROUGH PLAY Cognitive and Social Development See how children learn important cognitive and social skills through their play. With real footage of children in a diverse classroom, this guided tour shows Mildred Parten's stages of play and connects each to the learning styles of children at different ages. DVD, 30 min., and 20-pg. guide. #134901-N $49.95 MAGIC CAPES, AMAZING POWERS Transforming Superhero Play in the Classroom Eric Hoffman Alleviate adults' worries about superhero and weapons play and allow children to do what they do best—play! This unique resource emphasizes redirection, storytelling, dramatic-play materials, antibias curriculum, and setting clear limits. Softbound, 224 pgs. #409501-N $31.95 MAKE YOUR OWN PLAYDOUGH, PAINT, AND OTHER CRAFT MATERIALS Easy Recipes to Use with Young Children Patricia Caskey Save money and have fun making your own craft supplies and art materials. This book contains more than 100 recipes—all tested for safety—for making dough, clay, paint, and much more, using ingredients from your kitchen. Softbound, 176 pgs. #416201-N $14.95 SENSORY AND ART Infant and Toddler Care Enhance children's developing senses by giving them time to explore how something feels, looks, tastes, smells, and sounds. Watch as caregivers plan various art and sensory exploration experiences and provide a sense of safety and security so that very young children can use the "messy" activities with freedom. DVD, 24 min. Closed-Captioned. #403339-N $118.95 BEAUTIFUL STUFF! Learning with Found Materials Cathy Weisman Topal & Lella Gandini Encourage children to express their creativity as they discover and handle found and recyclable "stuff." Hundreds of full-color photographs illustrate inspiring experiences with everyday objects. Age focus: 4 and up. Hardcover, 124 pgs. #408901-N $26.95 MAIL U 10 Yorkton Court • St. Paul, MN • 55117-1065FAXT TOLL-FREE: 800-641-0115 OUTSIDE THE U.S.: 651-641-0115 #540382-N $59.95 VISIONS OF CREATIVITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD Connecting Theory, Practice, and Refl ection Joy Lubawy Develop a curriculum that supports children's creativity as they explore, discover, and experience their world. Filled with full- color photographs and classroom stories and refl ections, this resource brings together a variety of theories and infl uences— including Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, Reggio Emilia, and emergent curriculum—and practical applications to inspire meaningful learning. Each chapter explores a dimension of early learning—visual and aesthetic, musical and rhythmic, kinesthetic, mathematical and logical, naturalist, linguistic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Age focus: 3–5. Softbound, 264 pgs. PUB LISHEDBY R E DLEAF P R E SS CD- ROMCD - ROM CD - ROMCD - ROM and experience their world. Filled with full- and refl ections, this resource brings together and refl ections, this resource brings together children's creativity as they explore, discover, 51 PUB LISHEDBY R E DLEAF P R E SS PUB LISHEDBY R E DLEAF P R E SS

subset: commoncrawl


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When you browse any Butler Broadcasting Co., LLC. radio station Web site, you do so anonymously. Personal information-including your e-mail address-is not collected. Some of our Web sites, however, may request that you voluntarily supply us with personal information, including your e-mail address for purposes such as correspondence, site registration, membership, making a purchase, contests or participating in online surveys. We may ask for your name, e-mail address, telephone number, mailing address and birthdate. Other optional information may be asked (listener/customer preference information, social security numbers, lifestyle interests, and other demographic information) that is needed to register or subscribe you to services or offers. Like many other commercial Web sites, Butler Broadcasting Co., LLC. may use a standard technology called a "cookie" to collect information about how our site is used. We collect only information that is needed, and we tell listeners/customers how we use it.
We limit the collection of information about our listeners/customers to what we need to know to manage their membership, to provide customer service, to offer new products and services, and to fulfill any legal and regulatory requirements. We tell our listeners/customers about the general uses of information we collect about them, and we will provide additional explanation if requested. We give listeners/customers choices about how their data will be used. On a regular basis, we provide our listeners/customers the ability to decline any or all future email communications. Listeners/customers may also decide if and how they wish to be contacted via other communication media. We give listeners/customers access to their data online. A listener/customer may change, update or add additional information about themselves at any time through our radio stations' web sites, which offer this feature. If a station does not currently provide this ability, listeners/customers can still change their data profile by contacting the local station. All Butler Broadcasting Co., LLC.. radio stations will provide this feature in the near future. We ensure information quality. We use advanced technology and well-defined employee practices to help ensure that listener/customer data is processed promptly, accurately and completely. We use information security safeguards. Access to listener/customer data is limited to those who specifically need it to conduct their business responsibilities. We use security techniques designed to protect our listener/customer data-especially that data which is used by employees and business partners to fulfill listener/customer services. We limit the release of listener/customer information. In addition to providing listeners/customers with the opportunity to refuse marketing offers, we release information only at the listeners'/customers' requests, or when required to do so by law or other regulatory authority. When a court order or subpoena requires us to release information, we notify the listener/customer directly so that his/her legal rights can be exercised, if appropriate. The only exceptions to this policy are when we are prohibited by court order or law from notifying the listener/customer, or cases in which fraud and/or criminal activity is suspected.
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Activity Tracking
We do monitor URL click-throughs found in our email messages. The click-through rate is reviewed in order to: track participation in contests in order to judge effectiveness and to award prizes; track listener interests; track response rates for station marketing purposes or to report to a client in aggregate form only, the response of listeners. Individual activity is never shared with employees or third parties. Children Butler Broadcasting Co., LLC. does not knowingly solicit data from children, and we will not knowingly market to children. Butler Broadcasting Co., LLC. defines children as anyone under 13 years of age. What else should I know about my privacy? Third party Internet sites and services accessible through Butler Broadcasting Co., LLC. radio stations have separate privacy and data collection practices, independent of us. Butler Broadcasting Co., LLC.. has no responsibility or liability for these independent policies or actions. You are solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your passwords, membership ID, or any account information. Please be careful and responsible whenever you are online. If you post personal information online that is accessible to the public, you may receive unsolicited messages from other parties in return. While we aim to protect your personal information, Butler Broadcasting Co., LLC. cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk. While each Butler Broadcasting Co., LLC. station puts forth its best efforts in adhering to these minimum privacy standards, additional restrictions may be imposed to comply with state and local laws, and/or station specific programs, products and services. Butler Broadcasting Co., LLC., 300 N. College Ave., Suite 301 Fayetteville, AR 72701.


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Craftster Challenge: Random Acts of Crafty Kindness
My fellow Mod sister, Aislynn, and I were so touched by this act of kindness that we decided to organize a Random Acts of Crafty Kindness challenge around it! I encourage you to drop by, check out the challenge and maybe even consider joining in! It's a great excuse to use your crafty skills to bring some extra smiles to the world. We're also offering a brand new copy of the book Craft Hope: Handmade Crafts for a Cause to the challenge winner!
In other Craftster news, the Best of Craftster 2011 was announced today and I am totally floored to report that 4 of my projects and 2 of the swaps I organized were selected as 'bests'!! I am honored to be included in this group of amazing crafts and crafters!
7 comments
- CraftyLikeLindy said...
Wanted to stop by and say CONGRATS!!! on your Best of Craftster awards! You totally deserve them all! The OWS ladies did a heart bombing for two Craftsters who needed some love, totally going to check out the Random Acts board.
- January 24, 2012 at 8:13 AM
- Roudi said...
How do I join, how do I join? :D
- January 24, 2012 at 8:25 AM
- Brenda said...
- January 24, 2012 at 9:46 AM
- titaniumgrrl said...
I was looking over the BEST of today and saw that you CLEANED UP!
So glad I participated in one of the "Best Swaps" (and secretly happy that they used my hoop as the picture..heheheheh)
- January 24, 2012 at 11:10 AM
congrats on the Best of Awards! You deserve it! You are so talented!!!!
- January 24, 2012 at 7:08 PM
- Kira - oopsicraftmypants.com said...
Congrats on your BESTS :) I love each and every little thing you create and you 100% deserve to be recognized for the awesome.
- January 25, 2012 at 10:32 AM
- Leslie Andersen said...
Congrats on your well-deserved awards! And thanks for organizing this new challenge; I'm working on my crafts for the random acts of kindness right now!
- January 27, 2012 at 6:43 PM


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The Hope College Phelps Scholars Program has been recognized by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as an exemplary diversity program in higher education.
Hope College is one of 32 institutions featured in the AAC&U publication "More Reasons for Hope: Diversity Matters in Higher Education." Others among the featured honorees include the University of Michigan; Duke University in Durham, N.C.; Emory University in Atlanta, Ga.; and Wheaton College in Norton, Mass.
The Phelps Scholars Program -- an academic/residential program for students interested in race and culture -- is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Started in the fall of 1999, the program is coordinated through the college's Provost's Office in collaboration with the Office of Student Development and the Admissions Office. The program's director is Dr. Charles Green, who is a professor of psychology at Hope.
A one-year commitment, the Phelps Scholars Program is available to all incoming students. It was created on the premise that learning is enriched when students of all backgrounds and nationalities have an opportunity to live and learn together in the classroom, the residence hall, and through free activities ranging from concerts and speakers to day-long bus trips. To date, 563 first-year students have taken advantage of this opportunity, creating a large network of Phelps Scholars on campus and around the globe.
Some recent alumni include: Fatu Kamara '04, currently employed at the U.S. State Department, Office of Fraud Preventions Program, where she works with embassies around the world on visa issues; Ben Sanders III '05, a Ph.D. candidate in religious and theological studies at Iliff School of Theology, University of Denver; and Elise Edwards '07, an office manager in the U.S. Embassy Security Office, in Jakarta, Indonesia. Her next appointment will be in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In "More Reasons for Hope," the Phelps Scholars Program is featured for its ability to create a holistic educational experience for students through a collaboration between student affairs and academic affairs. It was one of five initiatives recognized in the category, and the only program in the category that involved a residential component.
Phelps Scholars are required to live together in the same residence hall, take two courses on understanding race and culture, and participate in bi-monthly meetings or activities. There is no financial incentive for students to participate, yet the rewards reported by students are great.
"I love getting to know other people and their cultures by simply living with each other, having fun with each other, and learning with each other," said freshman Diane Hawke of Warrenville, Ill.
"Living in Philadelphia, and the east coast in general, provides constant opportunities to interact with different people and cultures - just like Scott Hall but on a much larger scale," wrote Jacob Kain '05.
Compared to other first-year Hope students, Phelps Scholars report an easier transition to college; a larger number of meaningful relationships with students, faculty, and staff; and greater involvement in co-curricular activities. The four-year graduation rate of Phelps Scholars exceeds the campus average, and graduation rates for students of color equal or surpass those for white students in the program. Half of the students who become Phelps Scholars are White American. The other half of program participants is comprised of American students of color and international students from around the world.
Honoring the late Edgar Beckham and his profound influence on higher education, "More Reasons for Hope" examines the trends in diversity education since an earlier AAC&U monograph published a decade ago called "Reasons for Hope." The monograph features a major address by Edgar Beckham that identifies intellectual, structural, and political challenges that need to be addressed in the next generation of diversity work.
Founded in 1915, the AAC&U is comprised of institutions of higher education dedicated to ensuring that the advantages of a liberal education are available to all students. Membership, which stands at more than 1,200, includes representatives from all sectors of higher education.
More information about the Phelps Scholars Program is available online at www.hope.edu/phelps. More information about the Association of American Colleges and Universities is available at www.aacu.org.


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Safeguards failed, so evil got another chance
There were many chances to stop John Burbine, accused of abusing 13 children — decades after he devastated a couple and their 3 little boys
Even after a quarter-century, it does not take much for Kevin to summon the rage that consumed him in April 1989 after learning his 5-year-old son had been molested by a baby sitter.
Kevin's first impulse that day was to track down and kill the man who cared for the Woburn family's three boys, the oldest of whom was 7 years old. But before he could get out the door, his wife, Gail, persuaded him to instead call the police. Within hours, John Burbine was taken into custody.
Gail and Kevin — who asked that their last name be withheld to protect the family's privacy — said their middle son described to them how Burbine had repeatedly fondled him. Investigators came to believe all three boys were similarly violated. Burbine, then 25, was eventually convicted of three counts of indecent assault and battery.
The boys' parents desperately wanted Burbine to serve jail time, but the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office told them that was unlikely to happen. They said prosecutors cited Burbine's lack of a prior criminal record and the problems associated with putting young children on the witness stand. Burbine received a six-month suspended sentence, plus two years probation.
The punishment was a letdown for Gail and Kevin, but they say the disappointment was tempered by assurances from Middlesex prosecutors that he no longer posed a threat. The couple was told he had to undergo counseling and avoid being around children, or risk landing in a prison cell. In retrospect, it appears they misunderstood the terms of Burbine's sentence — those restrictions applied only until the probation period expired.
After the case was resolved, Gail and Kevin went about trying to reconstruct a normal family life. It wasn't easy. They often worried about how the attacks might affect their boys' development, and there were soon signs they had reason to be concerned. But over time, the parents managed to distance themselves from the darkest memories.
That changed in shocking fashion late last year when the couple, now separated, found out that their now 49-year-old former baby sitter stood accused of new — and more horrible — crimes. Prosecutors said the Wakefield man videotaped himself raping and sexually abusing 13 children in his wife Marian's unlicensed day-care business between 2010 and 2012. The youngest victim was 8 days old.
Marian Burbine was charged with recklessly endangering children by recommending her husband to parents seeking child care, and with operating an unlicensed child-care business.
Both have pleaded not guilty.
"I can't believe he got away with this. He did it again,'' said Kevin, 57, who now lives in Florida. "I'm heartbroken."
At her home in North Easton, Gail, 56, finds it hard to comprehend how a convicted pedophile was allowed unfettered access to children for so long.
"They promised me this would never happen again," she said. "How did this happen?"
A lot of people are asking similar questions as John Burbine sits in isolation at Middlesex Jail in Cambridge awaiting trial and Marian remains under house arrest in Wakefield.
Over the years, various agencies received information about Burbine — including separate reports in 2005 and 2009 that he had again abused boys. The system's failure involved many agencies, among them the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Early Education and Care, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, and the Sex Offender Registry Board. Despite the warnings, none intervened.
Laurie Myers, founder of Community Voices, a Chelmsford-based advocacy group for child victims, said Burbine's case represents a "perfect storm" of government errors and inaction.
Since Burbine's arrest last year, lawmakers and child advocates have started to pick apart the missteps made in his case, searching for ways to keep better tabs on known sex offenders and pedophiles. Some laws have already been changed.
"It showed us we need to close the loopholes and do better when it comes to protecting kids,'' Myers said. "Everybody did their little thing, but it was never enough."
Gaining trust, and betraying it
Gail met John Burbine in the late 1980s when he was an early-education student at a local community college. She was a young mother working in financial services, seeking full-time child care for her boys. Burbine answered a newspaper advertisement Gail posted, and he made a good impression in an interview. But Kevin was wary of hiring a male caretaker. To ease her husband's concerns, Gail vigorously scrubbed Burbine's history, contacting references, local police, and even a contact she had at the FBI to make sure he didn't have a criminal record. After her investigation, she reported to Kevin that Burbine came well-recommended. And his father was a Wakefield police officer. With that kind of a family foundation, she argued, surely he could be trusted.
Kevin, who worked as a plumber, finally agreed to give Burbine a chance, and the young man quickly became an integral part of the family's daily routines. He was a dependable caretaker who arrived promptly in the morning and stayed through the afternoon on most weekdays. He regularly took the boys to a nearby park and library, read to them, and played children's games such as hide-and-seek. The children grew attached to their energetic and attentive baby sitter. Or so it seemed.
Looking back, Gail said, there were signals of trouble she didn't fully recognize. For instance, one day her oldest son abruptly decided he no longer wanted to spend time with his baby sitter, but wouldn't give a reason. Whatever issue the boy had, it seemed to quickly fade. Gail decided the matter could not have been serious and let it drop.
Not long after that unsettling episode, Gail and Kevin's middle son told them about being groped by Burbine. The frantic parents tried in vain to pry more information from their children. They also took them to a pediatrician, who confirmed their fears — the three of them had been sexually violated.
Detective Michael Pandolph, a Woburn police officer who investigated the case, said Burbine used cunning to gain the family's trust, "like any good pedophile." The abuse, it was determined, took place at nap time.
As part of the 1989 investigation, Pandolph visited Burbine's home in Wakefield. During a search of the house — the same three-bedroom Cape on a dead-end street where the Burbines lived together until their arrests last year — police found a collection of homemade videos showing children in public places. The material wasn't criminal, Pandolph said, just odd.
Pandolph said Burbine was emotionless and displayed no remorse during the police interview.
"He didn't think it was bad what he did," he said. "I remember he had that blank stare."
The Middlesex County District Attorney's Office, which prosecuted the 1989 case and filed the most recent charges, declined to answer questions for this story. But in a prepared statement last week, District Attorney Marian Ryan, who was named by Governor Deval Patrick to replace Gerald T. Leone Jr. in April, said she is "committed to doing all that I can to protect children, engage in prevention efforts, and punish those who abuse or exploit children."
The Burbines also refused repeated requests for an interview. John Burbine's attorney, William Barabino, said his client is struggling to cope.
"John is reflecting on what took place and what also is going to happen to him, which is potentially a life sentence," he said.
Gail said prosecutors told them in 1989 that under terms of the suspended sentence, Burbine would receive psychological counseling and be sent to jail if he harmed another child. Court records also show he was forbidden from going near children until his suspended prison term and probation lapsed. But three years after the arrest, the case was closed and he, like any offender reaching the end of his sentence, was relieved of his court-mandated obligations.
Today, Gail says she and Kevin were naive about would happen after Burbine's conviction.
"I trusted the judicial system," she said.
Those who study pedophiles like Burbine say it is essential for them to steer clear of children, no matter how far in the past a prior crime may be. Otherwise, the chances of reoffending are high. Michael Bourke, chief psychologist for the US Marshals Service in Arlington, Va., said sex offenders are like drug addicts or alcoholics: At best, their disorders can be kept in check.
"This is a sexual drive. It's like the rapids of a stream, you just don't change it or convert it or stop it,'' said Bourke, who heads the Behavioral Analysis Unit at the service's National Sex Offender Targeting Center, which tracks down fugitive sex offenders. "For many of these men, one of the ways we help them manage their deviance is make sure they don't have situations to offend against a child."
That didn't happen with Burbine, who was apparently not deterred by his earlier conviction or by the court order.
This March, prosecutors filed new charges against him in Essex Superior Court. They said he molested and raped a boy in Saugus between 1990 and 1994. Some of the alleged crimes took place while he was still facing charges in the case involving Gail and Kevin's children. The Saugus case is also pending.
Settling down in Wakefield
On a warm May day 20 years ago, John Burbine and Wakefield native Marian Jean Dangora married in the town's First Parish Congregational Church. Burbine had completed his probation in the Woburn case a year earlier and was now free from scrutiny. Pastor Rick Weisenbach said the couple appeared to be like most of the newlyweds he saw — "starry-eyed kids."
According to court records, Marian would later tell Department of Children and Families officials — investigating whether she was neglectful in referring her husband as a baby sitter — that she only found about her husband's sex offender status and criminal history in 2009. That was more than 15 years after they exchanged vows.
After their wedding, the couple paid $120,000 to buy the home on Second Street in Wakefield from John Burbine's parents, public records show. The house is at the end of short street in a residential neighborhood. Then, like today, the area is full of families with children.
John and Marian were well-educated. He earned a master's of science in management from Lesley University in 2007. She holds a master's in business administration from Bentley University, according to Burbine's attorney.
John worked for about 10 years as an IT specialist at TMP Worldwide Advertising and Communications — a recruitment advertising company based in New York with a branch office in Maynard — before he was laid off about 10 years ago, his attorney said.
Some of his TMP colleagues considered him off-putting, maybe a bit strange. Several remember him bringing a live rat to work and carrying it on his shoulder. That, combined with a prickly demeanor, made Burbine appear slightly sinister to some.
Among other jobs, he was hired in 1998 as an adjunct professor teaching a weekend computer class at North Shore Community College in Danvers. He was also baby-sitting young children again.
Assessing risk
When Burbine was convicted of molesting the three Woburn brothers, sex offenders were not tracked by the state. It wasn't until 1996 that the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board was created to keep tabs on residents — mostly men — convicted of rape, possession of child pornography, sex trafficking, and other sex-related offenses.
With legal challenges, another five years passed before a seven-member panel began sifting through details of thousands of cases to determine the probability of each sex offender breaking the law again. Today, about 11,000 are registered statewide.
Sex criminals are divided into three categories based on the chances of them reoffending, not necessarily the severity of the crimes already committed. Details about Level 1 offenders, those deemed least dangerous, are not made available to the public.
Until recently, information about Level 2 offenders — considered a moderate risk to reoffend — could only be obtained in person at local police stations.
Following a change in state law — prompted by the 2012 Burbine case — names, addresses, and other personal data about Level 2 offenders classified after July will now be posted by the registry at http://sorb.chs.state.ma.us.
Data about Level 3 convicts — considered most likely to reoffend — have always been publicly accessible.
Because Burbine was classified Level 1, the registry cannot discuss his status, or even say whether he is on the list. The registry itself does not impose restrictions on sex offenders, but schools, child-care facilities, camps, and other institutions use a database operated by the state's Criminal Offender Record Information Support Services Unit to check prospective employees' backgrounds.
After Burbine's arrest last year, many critics of the state's classification system said his case showed how ineffective the classification system can be. If Burbine had been listed as a higher-level offender, parents of children in his wife's care could have found out about his past and police might have paid more attention to him, said Laurie Guidry, a clinical and forensic psychologist.
Many observers now wonder why a man convicted of molesting three boys could ever be considered a low risk to reoffend.
Legislation signed into law by Patrick during the summer calls for the classification system to be reexamined.
"In hindsight, we can say that clearly something went wrong,'' said Guidry, who is also president of the nonprofit Massachusetts Association for Treatment of Sexual Abusers. "This awful incident gives us an opportunity to examine if we are doing the very best we can to protect the Commonwealth and its children from sexual offender recidivists. I believe the answer is: no, we are not."
Currently, a single board member reviews individual cases and determines which risk level to assign. The decision only goes to a hearing if the offender questions the designation.
In Burbine's case, a board member would have reviewed his 1989 offenses and weighed them against a list of 24 risk factors used to determine whether he might commit more sex crimes. Those factors include the number of victims and their ages, and the frequency of the predatory behavior.
An offender's likelihood of remaining out of trouble also matters. Studies show the risk of re-offending drops off five to 10 years following incarceration.
Saundra Edwards, chair of the registry board, said she could not talk about Burbine specifically, but that classification is partly based on "current information" about an offender, including where and how they are living. "Historical information is never enough,'' she said.
Burbine's case has prompted several state lawmakers to file legislation aimed at increasing public access to information about sex offenders and reexamining the evaluation process.
Some lawmakers argue that anyone convicted of molesting children should automatically be considered at a higher risk to commit another sex crime. About 65 percent, or 1,750, of Level 1 sex offenders in Massachusetts committed some kind of crime against children, according to the registry.
But some civil rights advocates argue that posting information about abusers who have already served their sentences would unfairly penalize them while giving the public a false sense of security. Because most abuse goes unreported and criminals generally victimize people they know, families are better off, the advocates say, being wary of people who are frequently in their children's company rather than relying on a sex offender list.
State representative Shaunna O'Connell, a Taunton Republican, said Burbine's case illustrates why more information needs to be made public. O'Connell supports legislation requiring the state to publish information online about all sex offenders, but the more broad-based approach has not gained traction in the Legislature.
"Massachusetts does not do a good enough job at protecting our children and has weak laws," she said. "These awful crimes could be prevented."
Allegations, but no arrests
The cases filed last year in Middlesex Superior Court against the Burbines revealed not only disturbing details of recent alleged child abuse, but also that the state had long been aware of earlier alleged offenses.
In 2005 — 16 years after the Woburn family first made allegations against John Burbine — the Department of Children and Families received a complaint that the Wakefield sex offender may have struck again.
This time, the state agency learned that a 7-year-old boy said Burbine — still working as a baby sitter — had "rubbed the child's genitals over his clothes while masturbating, and ejaculated," according to a brief description of the complaint filed in court last year.
In 2009, the same agency was told a 5-year-old boy claimed Burbine, also his baby sitter, "fondled his genitals on more than one occasion while being cared for at his home," court records state.
The agency substantiated both allegations and reported them to the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office, as well as state and local police. Because they were allegations, not convictions, the complaints were not referred to the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board.
The district attorney's office declined to file charges in either case, first under the leadership of Martha Coakley and later with Leone in charge.
Officials now say they didn't have enough evidence to move forward with criminal prosecution. In the 2005 case, the family of the child proved a major obstacle, according to a government official familiar with the investigation who did not want to be named. The official said the family refused to let police interview their son.
Geline Williams, a former executive director of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association, said prosecuting pedophiles is practically impossible if children do not testify or their parents won't cooperate.
"You either have the evidence or you don't," said Williams. "It is demoralizing and heartbreaking for seasoned professionals to know what the truth is, but they simply don't have the evidence to prove it."
That explanation doesn't sit well with Wendy Murphy, a professor of sexual violence law at New England Law, Boston. She believes prosecutors should pressure families to have their children testify, even if that requires a subpoena.
"Prosecutors are quick to rely on a mom's or a dad's jitters to give them reason why a case can't proceed," she said. "This was the government's job to stop crime."
Coakley referred questions about Burbine to the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office. Leone declined to comment for this story.
Cayenne Isaksen, a spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Families, said the agency did not have "statutory authority" to refer the 2005 and 2009 complaints to the registry board.
Prompted by the more recent allegations against Burbine, the governor signed legislation designed to improve the sharing of information between law enforcement agencies, the Sex Offender Registry Board, and the Department of Children and Families. The new law also clarifies the registry's ability to reclassify an offender based on new information, even without a conviction.
State Senator Katherine Clark, a Democrat from Melrose, pushed for the changes, which she believes will help prevent similar tragedies.
Burbine's case, she said, "was so disturbing on so many levels. Clearly we need to do better."
But notification alone does not guarantee action. For instance, even agencies that were informed of the newer complaints against Burbine did not stand in his way.
In 2009, when the state Department of Children and Families followed up on the allegations that Burbine had abused a 5-year-old boy, questions were raised about whether his wife's day-care business was properly licensed, court records show.
The Department of Early Education and Care, the agency responsible for licensing and regulating child-care facilities in Massachusetts, was called in to investigate. But in the course of that inquiry, nobody from the agency ever entered the Burbines' home. Instead, a staffer spoke by phone with Marian, who said she had recently baby-sat for one child but no longer did so. Based on that brief explanation — and information that Marian had taken another job outside of the home — the state dropped its inquiry.
But her statements turned out to be false. Marian wasn't finished working with children. In 2009, she filed paperwork with the secretary of state's Corporations Division to open Waterfall Education Center LLC on Lincoln Street in Wakefield. The business, she said, would offer tutoring and other educational services to school-age children. Currently, the secretary of state's office is not required to notify the Department of Early Education and Care when someone applies to run such an operation.
Myers, of the Community Voices group, said the opening of Waterfall Education Center could have raised suspicions that John Burbine was, once again, in the company of children.
"If the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, we end up in situations where kids fall through the cracks," she said.
In harm's way
Even as she went about building her new business, Marian appeared to be bothered by her knowledge of John's past.
Months after the Department of Children and Families wrapped up its 2009 investigation, she went to the agency's Malden office and asked to speak with investigators, court records show. Marian told them she had only recently found out about her husband's prior convictions in the case involving Gail and Kevin's boys, as well as the 2005 and 2009 complaints.
"She desperately wanted to have children with her husband, but had reservations in light of the most recent allegations,'' court records state.
Around that time, Marian filed for divorce in Middlesex Probate and Family Court, citing the marriage's "irretrievable breakdown." Her resolve to end the relationship did not last long. Two months later, in February 2010, she filed a court motion to dismiss the request.
By that summer, the Burbines' child-care operation was expanding and John was actively involved in it. Marian created a website to promote Waterfall Education Center's services including "in-home" child care, "overnight newborn care," and a "summer camp alternative," court records show. She did not have a license to provide such services, as required by law.
Marian made arrangements to watch two siblings, ages 3 and 5, but then referred the parents to her husband because she was busy, according to court documents.
When another family called seeking overnight care for their newborn twin girls, Marian also recommended John for the job. She told the parents her husband "was an experienced child-care provider,'' according to prosecutors. John was often alone with the children at that family's home, taking them on outings and sometimes staying overnight. Generally, such extended care is intended to allow exhausted parents a stretch of uninterrupted sleep.
In all, Marian referred the parents of at least a dozen children — mostly infants too young to talk — to John for care, prosecutors say. But inexplicably, she also warned some neighbors about him, according to an investigation by the state Department of Early Education and Care. "Don't let my husband watch kids," Marian is said to have told one. "If John asks [to take care of your child], say, 'No, thank you,' '' she said to another.
Horrific evidence
In July 2012, the Department of Children and Families learned of yet another instance of a child who showed signs of abuse at the hands of John Burbine. This time, the agency was notified that a 2-year-old girl began to exhibit "sexualized behavior" within weeks of receiving care from the Burbines, according to court records.
Anne Conners, a Department of Early Education and Care investigator, was deployed to the Wakefield house and visited several times before Marian finally invited her in. She reported the interior was cluttered with boxes, bags, clothing, and trash, according to a state report. In some places, the piles were more than 3 feet high. Dirty dishes filled a kitchen sink and spilled onto the counter, Conners said, and only a narrow path remained to navigate between rooms.
Conners wrote that the house was so crowded she and Marian had to retreat to the front stoop to talk. During the conversation, Marian told her, "John does baby-sitting."
Apparently realizing those three words could spell trouble for her fledgling business, she quickly tried to retract the statement. "I didn't say that," Marian told Conners.
In September 2012, State Police searched the Burbine home, concerned the couple had provided child care without a license. What they found was far worse. Cameras and computers contained evidence of horrific sex crimes: Videos and pictures allegedly depicted naked children — newborns to 44 months old — being sexually abused by Burbine. In some scenes, he calls them by name and makes explicit sexual comments while facing the camera, records show.
One video apparently shows him assaulting a child in a health club changing room. When someone knocks on the door, Burbine says, "Wait a minute," and then continues with the molestation.
In another, two girls seated in high chairs are allegedly made to watch adult pornography on a laptop.
Burbine was arrested by State Police and later charged with 100 counts related to sex abuse of children. Prosecutors claim he created the images between 2010 and 2012 in Boston-area communities, including Lexington, Newton, Medford, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham, and Woburn.
In detailing the charges last year, Leone, the former district attorney, called it one of the "most troubling and disturbing cases of child abuse ever prosecuted in Middlesex County."
'It didn't have to happen'
Other than Gail and Kevin, the families of Burbine's alleged victims declined to comment for this story. But abuse specialists say coping with what happened to their children and to them may be an endless challenge. It has been that way for Gail and her family. In 1989, she said, a pediatrician told the couple the best option was to downplay what their three children endured and hope time would lessen their suffering. They followed that advice, telling their boys the baby sitter who did bad things had gone away forever. They did not seek counseling for themselves or their children. But Gail was wracked with guilt and began drinking heavily in an effort to cope. She was finally able to wean herself off alcohol seven years ago.
The couple's two oldest — ages 29 and 31 — struggle with substance abuse, their mother said, and have been in and out of treatment programs.
Today, Gail is attempting to steel herself for the gut-churning revelations that will be part of Burbine's upcoming trial, tentatively scheduled for December. She often dwells on the government's failure to intervene over so many years, and she can't stop thinking about what the family's life might have been like if John Burbine had not eviscerated it.
Gail says she is speaking out now partly because it might bring the bright light of scrutiny to an issue often relegated to the shadows. She hopes her words can spare others from the agony she, Kevin, and — especially — their boys have endured all this time.
"It didn't have to happen to the other children,'' she said. "I just want healing for the victims and their families."
Jenifer B. McKim can be reached at email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @jbmckim. Yvonne Abraham and Sarah Schweitzer of the Globe staff contributed to this report.


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Developer - Google Inc.
Allo on Wikipedia
Developer - Google Inc.
Allo on Wikipedia
Say "Hello" to Allo, Google's New AI-Powered Messaging App
Published on May 18, 2016
"Google's new Allo messaging app gets its edge from AI"Google's new Ai-powered messaging app, Allo, lets you chat with Google while you chat with your friends. It's the first step toward making Google truly conversational.
by Cade Metz
May 18, 2016
Google's new Allo and Duo chat apps: first look
Published on May 18, 2016
Article "Allo is a messaging app with Google built right in"Google just announced that it will be releasing two new apps this summer. Allo is a messaging app that lets you do Google searches in your chats. Duo is a fast video chat app.
Google sliding into your DMs
by Dieter Bohn
May 18, 2016
Say hello to Allo, Google's answer to Facebook Messenger
Published on May 18, 2016
Google's new Allo app goes beyond simple messaging by using machine learning to suggest responses, recognize pictures, surface search results and book restaurant reservations.
How to use Google Allo
Published on Sep 20, 2016
"Google Allo review: This is fine"Google's new messaging app, Allo, is a perfectly fine texting app. It also has the Google Assistant, which can join your conversations.
Say hello to the new Google Assistant in this new chat app
by Dieter Bohn
September 21, 2016
Google Allo Hands-On Preview: Yes, it's a preview
Published on Sep 21, 2016
Google's new Allo messaing app centers around its new "Assistant" bot that can cater to every one of your searching needs... except that in its preview mode, it just can't yet.


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State moves ag department to Manhattan
Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Dale Rodman recently announced that the Kansas Department of Agriculture would move the majority of its offices to Manhattan in summer 2014.
Rodman said the move will allow the agency to capitalize on synergies with Kansas State University as well as other agricultural and bio-science entities located in Manhattan.
The department's new building, which will be built by the KSU Foundation, would allow the department to work closely with many nationally and globally recognized and trusted experts on scientific and economic research.
"Moving KDA to Manhattan sends a clear message that Kansas is committed to working with all of our partners to be a leader in not only the production of food, fiber, and energy but also in the security and defense of these critical components of our state, nation, and world," Rodman said.
Last modified April 11, 2013


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September 02, 2014
Hugo Chavez gets his own prayer
In some quarters, Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez is treated like a saint.
Shortly after his death in March 2013, an informal shrine to him popped up by his hilltop grave. Now he's got his own prayer.
Ultimas Noticias reports that at the close of a socialist workshop on Monday attended by President Nicolas Maduro the delegates were led in the "Prayer of the Delegate," which is being referred to as the Chavista "Our Father."
Here's the opening line: "Our Chavez who art in heaven, the earth, the sea and in us, the delegates, hallowed be thy name."
Maduro could use some divine intervention. With plummeting approval ratings and a tanking economy he's announced a shakeup is in the works.
- Posted by Jim Wyss at 09:24 AM in Andes, Venezuela
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February 06, 2014
Ecuador cartoonist cartoonist tries to turn government sanction into laughing matter
Last week, Ecuador's newly formed media watchdog ordered El Universo newspaper to print a "correction" of an editorial cartoon.
The drawing, which provoked tirades from President Rafael Correa, depicted the moment that government security raided the house of Fernando Villavicencio, a journalist and opposition adviser, and confiscated hard drives and laptops.
El Universo cartoonist Xavier "Bonil" Bonilla put a caption on the bottom of the drawing saying officials were carting away proof of administration corruption.
On Wednesday, the newspaper ran the "correction." This time, Bonilla's cartoon shows Villavicencio inviting authorities into his home, inviting them to take everything they want, and blaming them for being too courteous.
"Call your lawyer," one of the policemen tells him in a frame, to which Villavicencio responds: "Don't worry, I trust all of you."
Correa has said the raid was sparked after Villavicencio was suspected of hacking into the presidential email account. During his weekly broadcasts, Correa has also unloaded against Bonilla, most recently calling him a "shameless, ignorant, hating coward disguised as a cartoonist."
The Superintendent of Communication, the government watchdog, said Bonilla and the paper broke the law for taking "an institutional position on the innocence or guilt" of a person who is being investigated. But the watchdog also said that Bonilla should have put quotes around the caption on his original cartoon and indicated its source.
El Universo Director Carlos Perez said the sanction was so ambiguous that it has created confusion at the paper.
"Before, we were keeping an eye on [Bonilla's] work to make sure it didn't make the people 'up there' [the government] too uncomfortable," Perez said. "But it's difficult."
He said the paper might have to quit writing editorials about ongoing cases.
The newspaper, which has faced multi-million-dollar defamation suits from Correa in the past, is also required to pay a fine for the cartoon of 2 percent of its quarterly revenues. Perez said the fine is equivalent to more than $93,000. The sanction has been paid, but the newspaper is appealing, Perez said.
Correa, whose socialist reforms and public works have made him one of Latin America's most popular leaders, has long accused the media of playing politics shielded behind the banner of free speech.
Ecuador passed a sweeping communications law last year that advocates say makes the Andean nation among the most repressive media environments in the region.
"It has been apparent for some time that Ecuador's new communications law was designed to muzzle journalists critical of the administration. That this has been extended to cartoonists is ridiculous," Carlos Lauría, the senior program coordinator for the Americas for the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement.
"Ecuadoran authorities should reverse this decision and allow the press to function freely without fear of official reprisal. Tolerance for dissent — whether written or drawn — is a touchstone of any democratic government." Read the full story here.
[Pictures courtesy of El Universo]
- Posted by Jim Wyss at 12:37 PM in Ecuador
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February 05, 2014
Colombia nabs Colombia spying on Colombia
There's something very Philip K. Dickian about this latest spying scandal in Colombia.
BOGOTA, Colombia -- In an escalating scandal that could lay bare the deep divisions in this Andean nation, President Juan Manuel Santos on Tuesday ordered a thorough investigation into allegations that factions within the army might be spying on the government's own peace negotiators in Havana.
Santos ordered his staff to find the "dark forces" that may be trying to "sabotage" the peace talks, which aim to end the 50-year civil conflict with the country's largest guerrilla group.
The announcement came after Semana.com, one of the country's most respected media outlets, reported late Monday that the army was working with civilian hackers to break into the email and text-message accounts of government peace negotiators, including chief negotiator Humberto de la Calle.
"Who could be interested in investigating, in recording, in intercepting our peace negotiators?" Santos asked during a meeting with the national police. "What dark forces are behind this?"
The secret spying office, called "'Andromeda," operated out of a commercial district in Bogotá and was disguised as a restaurant and a computer lab. The office was set up in 2012 and operated for more than a year before being shut down by judicial authorities in late January, Semana.com reported.
The article was the result of a 15-month investigation and relied heavily on anonymous sources, but no high government official has suggested that it's false.
Fernando Hernández, the director of the Corporación Nuevo Arco Iris, which studies the Colombian conflict, called the allegations "extremely serious."
- Posted by Jim Wyss at 09:40 AM in Colombia
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January 27, 2014
Paperless Venezuela - News workers raise alarm about lack of newsprint
The inability of Venezuelans to score foreign currency through legal mechanisms has caused all sorts of problems. Toilet paper, flour, chicken, car parts and scores of other items have been difficult - if not impossible - to find as importers say they don't have the foreign cash they need to pay suppliers. Now it's the turn of newspapers. The National Syndicate of Newspaper Workers said Monday that 80 broadsheets and tabloids are facing newsprint shortages. Some have already gone under and more than a dozen others have scaled back production due to the lack of newsprint. On Monday, workers began hanging signs around Caracas like this one, which reads: "Without paper there's no newspapers / jobs." The government is struggling to get its arms around the problem. Last week, they devalued the bolivar and vowed to double the amount of dollars available at weekly auctions. Far too soon to tell if that will work. Here's more on slow-mo economic crisis.
- Posted by Jim Wyss at 02:46 PM in Venezuela
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January 21, 2014
TV Violence: Venezuela wants to end it, Colombia exports it to Afghanistan
As Venezuela tries to crack down on violence by cracking down on violent TV, Colombia continues making a mint with its televised tales of crime and blood.
Still reeling from the murder of beauty queen Monica Spear early this month, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro met with broadcasters to get them to tone down the violence. It's still not clear if the government will force them to do it, but in Venezuela's restrictive media environment it wouldn't be surprising.
Meanwhile, Colombia's Caracol TV just announced that its hit series about the life of drug don Pablo Escobar will start airing in Afghanistan this month.
This from Caracol's release: "Afghan audiences will witness the terrifying moments that changed not only the history of Colombia, but of the entire world and know the details that turned a common man into the lord of the drug trafficking business and one of the richest and most cruel criminals in the entire world."
Read more about the PE series here.
- Posted by Jim Wyss at 02:50 PM in Colombia, Venezuela
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January 20, 2014
Ecuador Journalist may seek U.S. asylum amid continued media pressure
UPDATE: Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa was NOT a fan of our story about increased media pressure. According to this Prensa Latina post, he called The Miami Herald "the worst newspaper on the continent."
Fernando Villavicencio, an Ecuadorian opposition adviser and journalist, says he may seek asylum in the U.S. after the government last week ratified an 18-month jail sentence and ordered him to pay part of a $140 million fine.
The government is pursuing him on libel charges after he suggested that the National Assembly open an investigation into the 2010 police riot that led to President Rafael Correa briefly being held hostage.
Correa has always maintained it was a coup attempt - his critics say he basically fanned the flames of a police labor dispute by going to the strike and then daring the cops to shoot him.
Additionally, Villavicencio's home was raided just after Christmas on separate charges. Here's a Miami Herald story about that:
BOGOTA, Colombia -- Two days after Christmas, masked and armed police raided the home of Fernando Villavicencio in the predawn hours, hauling away a lifetime of data and documents.
Hours later, President Rafael Correa said Villavicencio — an opposition advisor who also writes about corruption and the oil industry — was suspected of hacking into the president's email.
Ten days later, Ecuador's state-run El Telégrafo newspaper wrote about a proposed online media outlet that is seeking funds in the United States, including with the National Endowment for Democracy — whose Cold War origins and "democracy building" efforts have made it a bogeyman in the Americas.
There was one problem with the El Telégrafo story: According to Martha Roldos, a former legislator and government critic who was pitching the idea, the only way the paper could have had access to the information was by hacking her email.
The twin "hacking" stories shed light on the small Andean nation that has been hounding the independent press even as it builds one of the most sophisticated state-run media apparatuses in the Americas, behind Venezuela and Cuba.
Correa, a U.S.-educated economist, has repeatedly called the media his "greatest enemy" and has leveled multimillion-dollar lawsuits against those who cross him. This week, as he celebrated his seventh year in power, there were no signs of a truce. Read the full story here.
- Posted by Jim Wyss at 10:35 AM in Ecuador, Venezuela
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October 28, 2013
Peace, Politics clash in Colombia as presidential race heats upEver since President Juan Manuel Santos announced last year his intention to pursue peace talks with the country's largest guerrilla group, he's been under attack from his predecessor and former boss Alvaro Uribe. Over the weekend, Uribe unveiled his latest weapon in the war: a candidate to face Santos in the April 25 presidential race.
Óscar Iván Zuluaga, 54, a former mayor, senator and minister of finance, beat out two rivals to clench the nomination for Uribe's Democratic Center party. He called himself Uribe's most loyal pupil and made it clear where he stands on the peace talks taking place in Cuba with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.
"Peace is not in Havana," he said in his nomination speech. "The national agenda isn't up for negotiation with the FARC."
"I have never believed in this [peace] process because it's based on a mistaken premise," he told El Tiempo newspaper. "A legitimate state cannot sit down on equal terms with an organization that commits terrorist acts and finances itself through narco-traffic."
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/28/3717257/peace-and-politics-clash-as-colombia.html#storylink=cpy
- Posted by Jim Wyss at 07:57 PM in Andes, Colombia, Politics
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October 27, 2013
Four month ordeal of US veteran held by Colombia's FARC comes to an end
A few weeks ago, we wrote this post about Kevin Scott Sutay, the former US soldier who has been in FARC custody since June 20. Today, Cuba and Norway announced that Sutay had been released in good condition.
This was a win for President Juan Manuel Santos who was trying to keep Sutay's release from becoming a high-wattage media circus, despite the FARC's insistence that they would only free the young man to former Colombian Sen. Piedad Cordoba or US Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Ultimately, just as the government had been calling for, Sutay was handed over to the International Red Cross with little fanfare. He's now in US custody. It will be interesting to see if he speaks to the press.
Finally, I have to wonder if the timing of his release has anything to do with Alvaro Uribe's new party, Uribe Centro Democratico, picking its horse yesterday to face Santos in next year's election.
Oscar Ivan Zuloaga -- Uribe's former minister of finance -- got the nod and has vowed to stay true to his former boss and oppose ongoing peace talks. That cranks up the pressure on the FARC and the government to prove their getting results in Havana.
- Posted by Jim Wyss at 07:55 PM in Colombia, Guerrillas
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October 16, 2013
Ecuador's Chevron trial goes on trial, as plaintiffs' lawyer faces RICO allegations
One of the hemisphere'smost contentious and longest-running environmental trials is going on trial. On Tuesday, a New York judge will begin hearing testimony that a $19 billion judgment against Chevron for polluting Ecuador's Amazon decades ago was the product of fraud.
The oil giant claims that Steven Donziger, a lawyer for the Ecuadorean plaintiffs, engaged in racketeering by manufacturing evidence and bribing judges in the Andean nation to win the record-setting verdict.
Donziger and his legal team say Chevron is trying to evade its responsibility. Since it couldn't win the pollution trial on its merits, they say, it's going after the lawyers.
The case has dragged on — in one form or another — for 20 years, has produced more than 200,000 pages of evidence, spawned documentaries and television programs, and dragged celebrities and politicians into its wake. Movie star Daryl Hannah has dipped her hands into oily muck for the cameras, and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa has called the case a matter of national honor and asked for a Chevron boycott.
- Posted by Jim Wyss at 04:58 PM in Amazon, Ecuador, Environment
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October 15, 2013
Leaders of Dominican Rep. and Ecuador top new ranking, US and Uruguay at bottom
Mexico's Consulta Mitofsky recently put out its annual ranking of regional leaders, which found Dominican Rep. President Danilo Medina on top and US President Barack Obama at the very bottom. The ranking is based on approval ratings in each country and they're not strictly comparable, but let's not let the small print get in the way of a good list.
Two interesting points:
1) Ecuador's Rafael Correa remains hugely popular. (Compared to last year he fell one spot in the rankings but his approval numbers are actually up.)
2) Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro debuts on the list at #8 after his late boss, Hugo Chávez, exited the rankings at #4 last year.
Check out the full report here.
Otherwise, here are the takeaway numbers:
#1 Dominican Republic - Danilo Medina 88%
#2 Ecuador - Rafael Correa 84% [He was ranked at #1 with 80% last year]
#3 Panama – Ricardo Martinelli 69%
#4 Nicaragua - Daniel Ortega 66%
#5 El Salvador – Mauricio Funes 64%
#6 Bolivia – Evo Morales 59%
#7 Mexico – Enrique Peña Nieto 56%
#8 Venezuela - Nicolás Maduro 48% [The late Hugo Chávez was #4 last year with 64% approval]
#9 Guatemala – Otto Perez 48%
#10 Uruguay – Jose Mujica 45%
#11 USA – Barack Obama 44%
- Posted by Jim Wyss at 01:59 PM in Andes, Ecuador, Uruguay, Venezuela
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Inside South America is written by Jim Wyss, the South America bureau chief for the Miami Herald and McClatchy Newspapers.
Feel free to send a story suggestion. Read Jim's stories at MiamiHerald.com.
- Hugo Chavez gets his own prayer
- Ecuador cartoonist cartoonist tries to turn government sanction into laughing matter
- Colombia nabs Colombia spying on Colombia
- Paperless Venezuela - News workers raise alarm about lack of newsprint
- TV Violence: Venezuela wants to end it, Colombia exports it to Afghanistan
- Ecuador Journalist may seek U.S. asylum amid continued media pressure
- Peace, Politics clash in Colombia as presidential race heats up
- Four month ordeal of US veteran held by Colombia's FARC comes to an end
- Ecuador's Chevron trial goes on trial, as plaintiffs' lawyer faces RICO allegations
- Leaders of Dominican Rep. and Ecuador top new ranking, US and Uruguay at bottom
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From re-blogging work by other artists to generating your own solo digital exhibition, the ability to collect and show art has never been so fast, affordable, and publicly personable, thanks to Tumblr. According to Brad Troemel, viewing art on this platform can help us "gain a greater art-informed appreciation for worthy cultural relics long deemed non-art."
Take Tim Bierbaum and John Miller. Their online "Baguette-Me-Nots" Tumblr blog series consistently pairs a vast array of comedians with baguettes in contemporary settings. While some might simply call this series a lowbrow photo fad parallel to "planking" or "breading cats," others might compare it to something like Dada meets "cyber" street art– brilliantly funny, evoking nonsensical play, and showcased in an egalitarian manner: on a digital wall outside of the gallery system. After all, the word Dada might have been born from Tristan Tzara and Marcel Janco's constant usage of "da, da" meaning "yes, yes" in Romanian– a word comedians and improvisers know and love fondly.


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The United States Court of International Trade has dismissed a claim filed in August 2003 against the Cotton Research and Promotion Act by Cricket Hosiery, Inc., The William Carter Company, Artex International, Inc., and others.
"This is a decision we obviously welcome," said William P. Crawford, president and CEO of the Memphis-based Cotton Board — the administrative and oversight arm of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. "Now we can turn our full attention toward the original intent of this program — building markets for cotton."
The plaintiffs claimed the mandatory checkoff in the Cotton Research and Promotion Act violated their constitutional free speech, free association, and due process rights. "The judge certainly considered the decision and reasoning behind the most recent Supreme Court decision rendered in May 2005," Crawford said.
In that case, members of the Livestock Marketing Association, a Nebraska-based producer group sued USDA in district court, claiming they were being forced to support a program whose message they did not agree with. The $1-per-head checkoff provides funding for several industry promotional efforts such as the "Beef: It's what's for dinner" campaign.
Six justices on the Supreme Court agreed with the majority opinion that the beef promotion program was exempt from First Amendment scrutiny because it constitutes "government speech."
"The members and alternates of the Cotton Board place great value on the past and future successes of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program, and we are eager to continue our efforts to guide this program forward," said Nancy A. Marino, senior vice president, Global Sourcing, Sara Lee Branded Apparel and current chairman of the Cotton Board.
The Cotton Research and Promotion Program is funded by U.S. cotton producers and U.S. importers of cotton and cotton textile products. It is administered and governed by the Cotton Board, the fiduciary and oversight arm of the program, while research and promotion activities are developed and implemented by Cotton Incorporated.
The program is designed and operated to improve the demand for and profitability of cotton. As a commodity market development program created by Congress, the program is subject to regulatory guidance from USDA.


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Educational Articles
Since we want the best for our pets, we should include them in the go green movement. Here are a few ways you can create a cleaner, greener home for you and your pet.
Anorexia is a decrease or loss of appetite for food. While hunger is physiologically driven, appetite is psychologically driven. There are two types of anorexia: true anorexia and pseudo-anorexia.
Approximately 20% of cats across all ages suffer from painful osteoarthritis in one or more joints. The incidence of osteoarthritis increases with age. Because cats are living longer, it is more likely than ever that every cat owner will face the issue of osteoarthritis at some point.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stand united in their position that feeding raw food to cats is potentially dangerous to both the cat and to you. In the most recent study conducted, nearly 25% of the raw food samples tested positive for harmful bacteria, including Salmonella ssp. and Listeria monocytogenes.
Pet owners may not realize that caffeine can be harmful to their pets. They also may not know that many foods and drinks in their cupboards contain caffeine. This particular chemical boost can be toxic for them.
Cat owners in the United States spend nearly $3 million per year on treats for their cats! No wonder making choices among treats can seem so overwhelming. There are some simple guidelines that can help you to make reasonable choices about treats – both quality and quantity – supporting good health and still allowing for some fun.
The general condition of your cat's skin and coat are good indicators of her health. A healthy coat should be shiny and smooth, not brittle or coarse, and healthy skin should be supple and clear, not greasy, flaky, or bumpy. Selective breeding has led to the development of cats with a myriad of different coat characteristics requiring varying grooming needs. In order to maintain the skin and hair in a healthy state, your cat also requires a properly balanced diet.
An overview of the rules regulating cat food labeling, in order to better understand and interpret the information they contain.
While feeding cats does not need to be a mysterious process, it is easy to be overwhelmed with choices. While your veterinarian is the best source for a specific recommendation for a nutrient profile that best fits your cat's needs, there are advantages and disadvantages of the various formulations that are available.
Kittens are typically weaned off of their mother's milk at about 8 weeks of age and become reliant on pet owners for their nutrition. The goal of feeding growing kittens is to lay the foundation for a healthy adulthood.


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My mom used to say that she wished the French hadn't squandered the Louisiana Purchase because then we Americans might all be eating better. Judging by culinary trends, my mom is not the only fou who wishes to dine like a European.
Dainty tarts have taken the place of pies in many a chic bakery window. Gelaterias have become à la mode, kicking ice cream to the curb. And crusty boules, batards, and baguettes seem to be beating out squishy pan breads this way and that.
But, just as our stereotypically un-hip gastronomic predecessors have been making a comeback with talented cooks like Jamie and Nigella and embracing traditional British cuisine, classic American fare seems to be on the rise as well. Pies are getting all the love at MissionPie, Chile Pies, and Three Babes Bakeshop. Ice cream shops like Bi-Rite, Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous, Smitten, andPenny in Santa Cruz can hardly keep up with the demands.
Where then have all the pan breads gone?
It seems that if one wants a soft, whole-grain loaf for slicing, toasting and sandwiching, one must either brave the mob at the Ferry building on Saturday and wait in line for half an hour at Acme, or make it oneself.
I have no qualms with crusty, European-style boules; I quite enjoy making and eating them, and appreciate the love that goes into those wild-leavened works of artistry. But there is something unequal to the smell of a butter-laced, American-style loaf pulled from the oven, sliced while still slightly warm (but fully cooked from residual heat, mind), smeared with more butter and a flutter of salt. The hunger-inducing aroma is up there with frying bacon or grinding coffee.
Pan breads also tend to be easier to make than sticky-wet boules, and are a great place to start if you've never baked bread before. Unlike rustic loaves, whose lean dough must remain very wet in order to achieve those coveted, irregular holes, a pan bread dough lets you add enough flour to keep the dough from sticking as a tighter, more regular crumb is desirable here. With a pan bread, you needn't mess around with preheating baking stones in super-hot ovens, misting, or slashing loaves. And we Americans are all about doing things the easy way, right?
I love baking bread in the fall and winter when the chilly weather inspires staying indoors with the oven on, and this oatmeal molasses bread has been about all I want to eat these days. It's packed with earthy oats softened in hot water and butter, bittersweet dark molasses, and a generous dose of toasted sunflower seeds. It is slightly crumbly, and flavorful enough to stand on its own in the form of crispy-chewy toast smeared with sweet butter and salt, dipped in a bowl of soup, or, naturally, made into a sandwich. It's full-flavored and slightly hearty, and adapted from one of my favorite books, Williams Sonoma's Essentials of Baking. I've been baking this bread for many years, and while the original recipe is fabulous as is, I've made a few tweaks in the form of more oats, molasses and salt, swapping out the all-purpose flour for a combination of white and whole wheat bread flours, and adding a generous scoop of sunflower seeds for texture and all the healthy things these seeds are full of.
It's just a matter of time before a rustic-chic bakery opens up in San Francisco, in the Mission/Dogpatch, proudly specializing in American-style pan breads softened with Strauss butter, flecked with various (organic, heirloom) grains, nuts and seeds, baked and sold by cute men and ladies sporting vintage aprons and haircuts.
At least, I hope.
Buttery breads:
Multi-Grain Sandwich Bread
Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns
Pumpkin Challah
One year ago:
Triple Chocolate Chile Cookies
Two years ago:
Winter Squash and Sage Gougeres
Arroz Con Leche with Coconut, Cardamom, and Cinnamon
Oatmeal Molasses Bread
Adapted from Williams Sonoma's Essentials of Baking
Makes one 9×5″ loaf
This bread takes about 5 hours to make, from start to finish, but most of the time is inactive, i.e., waiting patiently for the yeast to do its thing. I highly recommend using white and whole wheat bread flours here (as opposed to all-purpose) as the abundance of whole grains and seeds makes for a slightly crumbly loaf, the texture of which is aided by the extra gluten in the bread flour. For a sturdier, springier bread, reduce the amount of whole wheat flour and use more white flour in its place. You can also omit the sunflower seeds for a more traditional oatmeal molasses bread. If I wished to make this bread vegan, I would use sunflower oil in place of the butter.
Since this bread contains sweetener and plenty of whole grains, it can easily be overproofed if left to ferment too long. Overproofing happens when the dough ferments so much that the little balloons of gluten fill up with too much air and pop. If your dough has risen and then begins to deflate, it has probably been overproofed. To prevent this, mark your bowl with a piece of tape where the dough will be when it doubles in size. You can always retard your dough by placing it in the fridge if you don't want to bake it right away; let it come back to room temperature before working with it. If you do overproof your dough, it is best to press it down and let it rise again in order to re-form the glutens.
To toast the sunflower seeds, spread them on a small baking sheet and place in a 300º oven or toaster oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Cool completely before incorporating into the dough.
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3 tablespoons (2 1/4 ounces) molasses (I use dark, unsulphured)
2 ounces (4 tablespoons/half a stick) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) boiling water
1 packet (1/4 ounce/2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast (or 1 packet instant yeast, or 2 tablespoons fresh cake yeast)
1 cup whole wheat bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 – 2 cups white bread flour
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
Place the oats, molasses and butter in a large, heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over and let the mixture cool to warm (100-110ºF; you should be able to comfortably hold a finger in it for at least 10 seconds), stirring occasionally to melt the butter and combine the molasses.
Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture, and stir for about 30 seconds to incorporate it (mine never seems to dissolve here). Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes. (Mine never bubbles; I think the butter might prevent it from doing so, but it always comes out fine. Just make sure your yeast is fresh.)
Stir the whole wheat flour and salt into the yeast/oat mixture. Add 1 cup of the white flour, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring to incorporate after each addition. Continue adding more flour until a shaggy dough forms.
Scrape the dough out onto a well-floured surface (a plastic scraper works wonders here). (Optionally, cover the dough with the bowl and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. This is called autolyse, and allows the starches to absorb some of the moisture in the dough, and the glutens to begin unfurling, letting you knead the dough less and add less flour. If you are anxious for fresh-baked oatmeal molasses bread and every second counts, you can skip this step.)
In either case, knead the dough vigorously for 10 minutes by pressing it away from you with the heels of your hands, then folding the far edge over the dough (towards you), turning the dough 1/4, and repeating for 10 minutes. As you knead, dust the surface and your hands with just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking.The finished dough should have a slight sheen and be fairly smooth. It will be slightly tacky to the touch.
Now, add in the sunflower seeds: pat the dough out into a flat slab about 1 inch thick. Spread 1/3 of the sunflower seeds over the dough, and fold the dough in half, encasing the seeds in the center. Pat the dough out again into a slab, and spread another 1/3 of the seeds on top. Repeat this one more time, using the rest of the seeds. Gather up the dough, and knead it for 30 seconds or so to distribute the seeds evenly throughout the dough.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl at least twice the size of the dough (or in a large, plastic container), turn the dough to coat it lightly in oil and cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or the lid). Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Try not to overproof the dough – see headnote.) At this point, you can let the dough rise again if you wish, or stick it in the fridge for up to 24 hours; if you do, let it come up to room temperature before working with it.
When the dough has finished its first rise, gently scrape it out of the bowl and onto a lightly floured surface. Press the dough into an oval about 1 inch thick, with a skinny end facing you. Roll up the dough from this end and into a tight cylinder. Pinch the seam closed, tuck the ends under, and roll the seam-side of the loaf on the counter a few times to secure it closed.
Place the loaf seam-side down in a lightly-oiled 9×5″ loaf pan. Place the pan in a large, clean, plastic bag, inflate it with air, and clip or twist tie it closed so that the loaf has room to rise. Let the loaf rise until the tallest part sits 1 1/2 inches above the rim of the pan (it should be roughly doubled in bulk). Mist the loaf lightly with water and sprinkle with a handful of oats.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350º.
Bake the loaf until the top is deeply browned and the loaf sounds hollow when thumped, 45-55 minutes, rotating the loaf halfway through baking. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 210º.
Let the loaf cool 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a rack at room temperature, 1 – 2 hours. The bread is still baking from residual heat, so do try to resist the urge to cut into it before it has cooled completely.
Store in a plastic bag at room temperature. The bread keeps well for up to 4 or 5 days.


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The Houston Museum of Natural Science was founded in 1909 – meaning that the curators of the Houston Museum of Natural Science have been collecting and preserving natural and cultural treasures for a hundred years now. For this yearlong series, our current curators have chosen one hundred exceptional objects from the Museum's immense storehouse of specimens and artifacts—one for each year of our history. Check back here frequently to learn more about this diverse selection of behind-the-scenes curiosities—we will post the image and description of a new object every few days.
This description is from Joel, the Museum's President and Curator of Gems and Minerals. He's chosen spectacular objects from the Museum's mineralogy collection, which includes some of the most rare and fascinating mineral specimens in the world, that we'll be sharing here – and on hmns.org – throughout the year.
Tourmaline Queen Mine, San Diego County, California.
North America has produced some extraordinarily beautiful specimens of elbaite, a member of the tourmaline group, but the most admired are the bright red-pink crystals with blue caps found in 1972 at the Tourmaline Queen mine. The 24-cm example pictured here is the finest of the 33 major specimens recovered and is therefore the finest North American tourmaline. The lustrous, lusciously colored, undamaged pair of crystals at the top grow from an undamaged quartz crystal and are accompanied by smaller tourmaline crystals. It has been nicknamed "The Rabbit Ears."
Marvel at the world's most spectacular collection of natural mineral crystals in the Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
You can see larger and more detailed images of this rare specimen – as well as the others we've posted so far this year – in the photo gallery on hmns.org.


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About the CDC - A message from the CDC DirectorPage address: https://www.mnsu.edu/cdc/about/
The staff of the CDC is dedicated to providing high-quality services to all of our constituents. Whether you are a current student, new graduate, alumni, or employer—we are here to assist in your success!
The primary objective of our Center is to provide services and resources which assist students and graduates with career planning and the search for employment. This includes a comprehensive range of services from career counseling and major choice assistance; to assistance with finding part-time employment and internships; to extensive job search support and guidance.
We strongly encourage students to take a proactive role in charting the course of their career path through involvement with CDC services early in their MSU experience. Check out our Career Success Guide for more information on specific actions we suggest you take!
"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." -Anatole France
Pam Weller, Director
Mission & Purpose
The Career Development Center (CDC) equips Minnesota State University, Mankato students and graduates with the tools and resources to successfully explore, develop and manage their career paths for a lifetime. We provide essential connections between individuals, academics, employers, and the global community.
The purpose of the Career Development Center (CDC) is to provide services and resources which assist students with their career planning and search for employment. The role of the CDC is not to act as an employment agency. We strive to provide the tools and resources to best equip each individual to successfully manage his/her career and employment path for a lifetime. The CDC is a centralized operation responsible for providing career development activities for all six MSU colleges:
- College of Allied Health & Nursing
- College of Arts & Humanities
- College of Business
- College of Education
- College of Science, Engineering & Technology
- College of Social & Behavioral Sciences


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Glass bottles - whether milk bottles, wine bottles, beer bottles, either new or old - whether recycled into one of the clever ideas shown below or just simply displayed on a sunny window sill - are one item that has stood the test of time and are still very much popular in home decorating.
Take a look below at these photos of what some creative and innovative folks have done with bottles and I think you'll agree!
Glass bottle hanging planters
Wine bottle wind chimes by CD Childs
Milk bottle chandelier (above) by Bonne Plat
Wall vases made from recycled bottles - DIY instructions from Design Sponge
Beer bottle chandelier
Glass bottle lanterns
Wine bottle chandelier
How to cut a wine bottle - best method!
Beautiful old bottles
Beautiful bottle collection from Selep Imaging
I love the look of bottles on a window sill
Pin this post!


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Photos: Cars of the 2011 Chicago blizzard
One of the worst storms in Chicago history (currently the third worst) touched down Tuesday and continues today. Cars.coms editorial staff took to the street, and, in some cases, their own driveways, to find some amazing shots of cars stuck in the snow.
Copyright © 2019, Chicago Tribune


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RV Forum flags - click HERE
Im on a well also. My last place also had a well. Depending on what part of the country you are from, some areas are susceptible to iron bacteria. While not harmful, it is a pain because it will leave reds stains in your toilet bowls, etc., even though out of the tap it was crystal clear. It becomes a lot more active when exposed to oxygen (air) and grows rapidly inside the toilet tank (where the float is). You can control it with chlorine, but never get rid of it, and you cant get a small enough micron filter to filter it out. Most campground taps and others are chlorinated, most residential wells are not. There are also other bacterias that are dormant until exposed to air. For that reason, I would have no problem using my well water, but I wouldnt leave it in my fresh water tank for any length of time. But thats just me, and based on my experience with well water quality....not safety-wise, but off white colored tee shirts and stuff like that. But again, you may not have that issue, and my current well does not. The water is just very hard.
Jeff,I think you got some great answers but I can add to this by saying we go to Alpena every summer for 3 to 4 months, own property on lake Huron. I haven't put in a well yet so we've been drawing water directly from the lake with a particle filter after the pump. When we leave Alpena, I put a "couple glugs" (never really measure) into the fresh water tank and go through the process of checking each faucet much like SkyDiveMark describes then rinse. I've never had a problem with sediment and I have to believe the lake water would be worse then any well water. Obviously we don't drink the water when in Alpena and in reality we never really trust campground water except when using the Everpure water filter.
Well howdy neighbor!We are north of town on Long Lake. You know it?
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