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Fast forward to the 21st Century...Since the beginnings of amateur radio experimentation of spread spectrum communications by AMRAD in the 1980's, and my article below in 1995, spread spectrum is now a commodity product at your local electronics store in the form of wireless IEEE 802.11 variants. Amateurs can continue to experiment with spread spectrum from the availability of integrated circuits or go straight to communications by purchasing a 802.11 devices. The article below is still relevant and is still a good starting point for learning the basics of spread spectrum.
73, Steve, N7HPR
Spread Spectrum - It's not just for breakfast anymore!
By: Steve Bible, N7HPR [www](Reprinted from Digital Communications, column by Harold E. Price, NK6K, from QEX, 1995)
The column title says it all. What was once a communications mode shrouded in secrecy has entered the consumer market in the form of wireless ethernet links, cordless telephones, global position service (GPS), Personal Communications System (PCS), and digital cellular telephony (CDMA). And what are radio amateurs doing with spread spectrum today? Perhaps very little since AMRAD performed early experiments in amateur spread spectrum in the 1980's and formed the early regulatory rules that govern amateur radio today. In this column I would like to reintroduce the topic of amateur spread spectrum communications, discuss what it is and how we can experiment with spread spectrum today. Hopefully this column will prod you into thinking again about spread spectrum communications and see that there are several low cost building blocks available on the market today. Interspersed throughout the column I'll throw in the Part 97 rules and regulations that deal directly with amateur spread spectrum.
- Introduction
- Historical Background
- What is Spread Spectrum?
- Why Spread Spectrum?
- Other Properties
- Building Blocks
- Where does Part 15 fit into all this?
- Further Part 97 Rules and Regulations
- Rules Reform
- Getting Around the Rules - Legally
- Areas to expand and research
- This isn't new
- PANSAT - A Spread Spectrum Satellite
- Future and Summary
- WEB Crawling
- Selected Bibliography
Historical BackgroundIn 1980, the FCC expressed a desire to extend spread spectrum communications outside of the military-only realm and allow radio amateurs to experiment with spread spectrum communications. The FCC in following Title 47, Section 303 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) shall ...
- (g) Study new rules for radio, provide for experimental uses of frequencies, and generally encourage the larger and more effective use of radio in the public interest...
What this meant was that a new mode of communications was opening up for experimentation and exploration by radio amateurs.
In 1980 AMRAD took the lead and forged the beginnings of amateur spread spectrum experimentation. The results of their experimentation were documented in the AMRAD Newsletter, QEX, QST, and compiled into a single book entitled "The ARRL Spread Spectrum Sourcebook." This is a good book and recommended for anyone learning about spread spectrum communications. Though it is becoming a bit dated by today's standards and advances in technology since the late 1980's, it is nonetheless a good guide and provides a historical perspective into the merging of SS into amateur radio. At the end of the column I will include a selected bibliography so that you can find other sources of information ranging from the practical to theoretical.
What is Spread Spectrum?A spread spectrum system is one in which the transmitted signal is spread over a wide frequency band, much wider, in fact, than the minimum bandwidth required to transmit the information being sent (ref. 1). Spread spectrum communications cannot be said to be an efficient means of utilizing bandwidth. However, it does come into its own when combined with existing systems occupying the frequency. The spread spectrum signal being "spread" over a large bandwidth can coexist with narrowband signals only adding a slight increase in the noise floor that the narrowband receivers see. As for the spread spectrum receiver, it does not see the narrowband signals since it is listening to a much wider bandwidth at a prescribed code sequence which I'll explain later.
First, let's introduce five types of spread spectrum techniques:
Direct Sequence Systems - Direct sequence is perhaps one of the most widely known and utilized spread spectrum systems and it is relatively simple to implement. A narrow band carrier is modulated by a code sequence. The carrier phase of the transmitted signal is abruptly changed in accordance with this code sequence. The code sequence is generated by a pseudorandom generator that has a fixed length. After a given number of bits the code repeats itself exactly. The speed of the code sequence is called the chipping rate, measured in chips per second (cps). For direct sequence, the amount of spreading is dependent upon the ratio of chips per bit of information. At the receiver, the information is recovered by multiplying the signal with a locally generated replica of the code sequence. See figure 1.
Figure 1. Comparison of a narrowband signal with a Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum signal. The narrowband signal is suppressed when transmitting spread spectrum.
Frequency Hopping Systems - In frequency hopping systems, the carrier frequency of the transmitter abruptly changes (or hops) in accordance with a pseudo random code sequence. The order of frequencies selected by the transmitter is dictated by the code sequence. The receiver tracks these changes and produces a constant IF signal. See figure 2.
Figure 2. An example of Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum signal.
Time Hopping Systems - A time hopping system is a spread spectrum system in which the period and duty cycle of a pulsed RF carrier are varied in a pseudorandom manner under the control of a coded sequence. See figure 3. Time hopping is often used effectively with frequency hopping to form a hybrid time-division, multiple-access (TDMA) spread spectrum system.
Figure 3. Time Hopping Spread Spectrum. Each burst consists of k bits of data and the exact time each burst is transmitted is determined by a PN sequence.
Pulsed FM (Chirp) Systems - A pulsed FM system is a spread spectrum system in which a RF carrier is modulated with a fixed period and fixed duty cycle sequence. At the beginning of each transmitted pulse, the carrier frequency is frequency modulated causing an additional spreading of the carrier. The pattern of the frequency modulation will depend upon the spreading function which is chosen. In some systems the spreading function is a linear FM chirp sweep, sweeping either up or down in frequency.
Hybrid Systems - Hybrid systems use a combination of spread spectrum methods in order to use the beneficial properties of the systems utilized. Two common combinations are direct sequence and frequency hopping. The advantage of combining the two methods is to capitalize on characteristics that are not available from a single method.
Why Spread Spectrum?To answer the question "why should I use spread spectrum" could easily degenerate into a simple listing of advantages and disadvantages. However, spread spectrum has many different unique properties that cannot be found in any other modulation technique. As radio amateurs, we should exploit these properties and search for useful applications. Think of spread spectrum as another useful tool in our repertoire of modulation methods toolbox. For completeness, I will list some advantages and disadvantages that you will see for typical spread spectrum systems. Bare in mind that these come about because of the nature of spread spectrum, not because they are direct attributes.
- Resists intentional and non-intentional interference
- Has the ability to eliminate or alleviate the effect of multipath interference
- Can share the same frequency band (overlay) with other users
- Privacy due to the pseudo random code sequence (code division multiplexing)
- Bandwidth inefficient
- Implementation is somewhat more complex.
Other PropertiesThere are several unique properties that arise as a result of the pseudo random code sequence and the wide signal bandwidth that results from spreading. Two of these are selective addressing and code division multiplexing. By assigning a given code to a single receiver or a group of receivers, they may be addressed individually or by group away from other receivers assigned a different code. Codes can also be chosen to minimize interference between groups of receivers by choosing ones that have low cross correlation properties. In this manner more than one signal can be transmitted at the same time on the same frequency. Selective addressing and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) are implemented via these codings. A second set of properties is low probability of intercept (LPI) and anti-jamming. When the intelligence of the signal is spread out over several megahertz of spectrum, the resulting power spectrum is also spread out. This results in the transmitted power spread out over a wide frequency bandwidth and makes detection in the normal sense (without the code), very difficult. Though LPI is not a typical application for radio amateurs, it would best to rename this property as "reduction of interference." Thus spread spectrum can survive in an adverse environment and coexists with other services in the band. The anti-jamming property results from the wide bandwidth used to transmit the signal. Recall Shannon's Information-rate theorem
C = W log (1 + S/N)
C = capacity in bits per second
W = bandwidth
S = signal power
N = noise power
where the capacity of a channel is proportional to its bandwidth and the signal-to-noise ratio on the channel. By expanding the bandwidth to several megahertz and even several hundred megahertz, there is more than enough bandwidth to carry the required data rate and have even more to spare to counter the effects of noise. This anti jamming quality is usually expressed as "processing gain."
So for the radio amateur, the properties of code division multiplexing, coexistence in an adverse environment, and processing gain, are all excellent reasons to experiment with and find useful applications for spread spectrum in the amateur radio service. Coupled with these reasons, amateurs can also enjoy increased data rates in digital data (packet radio) that cannot be done with conventional amateur or commercial radios due to physical (i.e. bandpass filters) and rules restrictions. For example, narrowband systems in the 70 cm band are limited to a maximum data rate of 56 kbps and a bandwidth of 100 kHz, there are no such restrictions in the 33 cm band and up.
Perhaps one of the most important reasons to use spread spectrum is its ability discriminate against multipath interference. A RAKE receiver implementation for direct sequence allows individual signal paths to be separately detected and the coherently combined with other paths. This not only tends to prevent fading but also provides a path diversity effect resulting in very rugged links in terrestrial mobile communications (ref. 2).
Building BlocksSpread spectrum signals are demodulated in two steps: 1) the spectrum spreading (direct sequence, frequency hopping) modulation is removed, and 2) the signal is demodulated. The process of despreading a signal is called correlation. The spread spectrum signal is despread when the proper synchronization of the spreading code between the transmitter and receiver is achieved. Synchronization is the most difficult aspect of the receiver. More time, research, effort, and money has gone into the development and improving of synchronization techniques than in any other area of spread spectrum. The problem of synchronization is further broken down into two parts: initial acquisition and tracking.
There are several methods to solve the synchronization problem. Many of these methods require a great deal of discrete components to implement. But perhaps the biggest break-through has been from Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC). DSP has provided high speed mathematical functions that can slice up in many small parts and analyze the spread spectrum signal to synchronize and decorrelate it. ASIC chips drive down the cost by using VLSI technology and creating generic building blocks that can be used in any type of application the designer wishes. With the fast growing Part 15 and Personal Communications System (PCS) spread spectrum market, many ASIC manufactures have been designing and selling ASIC chips that take care of the most difficult problem in spread spectrum -- despreading and synchronization. With a few extra components, the amateur can have a fully functioning spread spectrum receiver.
One manufacture of a spread spectrum demodulator ASIC is Loral Communications Systems (recently Unisys Communications Systems Division) DSP Components, Dept. 9065, M/S F1F12, 640 North 2200 West, Salt Lake City, Utah 84116-2988; Phone: (801) 594-2440. Their PA-100 performs the functions of despreading and demodulation, carrier recovery loop (frequency or phase), Pseudo Noise (PN) code detection, PN code tracking loop, data synchronization, and automatic gain control. It is programmable and offers a wide range of choices in data rates, modulation types, processing gains, PN codes, loop bandwidths, and tracking and acquisition procedures. It is capable of chipping rates up to 32 Mcps and data rates up to 64 Mbps. The PA-100 is controlled via a simple 8-bit interface. The chip is a 208-pin plastic Metrix Quad Flat Package (MQFP). The cost of the chip is $167.00 in single qty and $67.00 in lots of 1000.
Where does Part 15 fit into all this?Many of the spread spectrum devices on the market today are listed as Part 15 devices. This refers to the device operating under the provisions of Title 47 Section 15.247 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). There are three frequency bands allocated to this service:
902 - 928 MHz (26 MHz bandwidth)
2400 - 2483.5 MHz (83.5 MHz bandwidth)
5725 - 5850 MHz (125 MHz bandwidth)
Operation under this provision of this section is limited to frequency hopping and direct sequence spread spectrum. No other spreading techniques are permitted. Section 15.247 defines the technical standards that these systems must operate under. For example, the maximum peak output power of the transmitter shall not exceed 1 watt. If transmitting antennas of directional gain greater than 6 dBi are used, the power shall be reduced by the amount in dB that the directional gain of the antenna exceeds 6 dBi. This equates to a maximum transmitter EIRP of +6dBW (1 watt into a 6 dBi gain antenna) Part 15 equipment operates on a secondary basis. Users must accept interference from other transmitters operating in the same band and may not cause interference to the primary users in the band. Primary users are government systems such as airborne radiolocation systems that emit a high EIRP; and Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) users. Thus the Part 15 device manufacturer must design a system that will not cause interference with and be able to tolerate the noisy primary users of the band. And this is where spread spectrum systems excel because of their low noise transmissions and ability to operate in an adverse environment.
Amateurs should realize that under the present Part 97 rules and regulations governing amateur spread spectrum today, taking a Part 15 spread spectrum device and adding an amplifier to it would break the rules. Even though it would be transmitting within the amateur spectrum, it more than likely would not be using one of the specified spreading codes assigned to amateur operation (refer to Sec. 97.311 Section (d) - SS emission types). However, this should not deter the radio amateur from using Part 15 devices in their experimentation or use in the amateur service. The device should be monitored to ensure that it remains under the Part 15 regulations and as such, no Part 97 regulations apply. Amateur traffic can flow though Part 15 devices, and they do not require a callsign since they do not require a license. However, the radio amateur should realize that when the traffic enters the amateur bands, for example, through a gateway, then Part 97 rules begin to apply.
Further Part 97 Rules and RegulationsAny radio amateur contemplating experimentation of spread spectrum in the amateur bands (excluding Part 15 devices) should become familiar with the present Part 97 rules and regulations governing it. Here are some excerpts that bare emphasizing:
Sec. 97.119 Station identification
(a)(5) By a CW or phone emission during SS emission transmission on a narrow bandwidth frequency segment. Alternatively, by the changing of one or more parameters of the emission so that a conventional CW or phone emission receiver can be used to determine the station call sign.
Spread Spectrum is permitted on the following bands (over the entire band unless otherwise indicated):
UHF: 70 cm (420-450 MHz), 33 cm (902-928 MHz), 23 cm (1240-1300 MHz), 13 cm (2300-2310 and 2390-2450 MHz*)
SHF: 9 cm (3.3-3.5 GHz), 5 cm (5.650-5.925 GHz), 3 cm (10.00-10.50 GHz), 1.2 cm (24.00-24.25 GHz)
EHF: 6 mm (47.0-47.2 GHz), 4 mm (75.5-81.0 GHz), 2.5 mm (119.98-120.02 GHz), 2 mm (142-149 GHz), 1mm (241-250 GHz), Above 300 GHz
Operation on all of the above bands are on a secondary basis. No amateur station transmitting in these bands shall cause harmful interference to, nor is protected from interference due to the operation of the primary service. (*Note: Recent rule making has allocated 2390-2400 MHz and 2402-2400 MHz to the Amateur community on a primary basis.)
Sec. 97.311 SS emission types
[Note: Sections (a) through (d) set the technical standards for spread spectrum emissions.]
(e) The station records must document all SS emission transmissions and must be retained for a period of 1 year following the last entry. The station records must include sufficient information to enable the FCC, using the information contained therein, to demodulate all transmissions. The station records must contain at least the following:
(1) A technical description of the transmitted signal;
(2) Pertinent parameters describing the transmitted signal including the frequency or frequencies of operation and, where applicable, the chip rate, the code rate, the spreading function, the transmission protocol(s) including the method of achieving synchronization, and the modulation type;
(3) A general description of the type of information being conveyed, (voice, text, memory dump, facsimile, television, etc.);
(4) The method and, if applicable, the frequency or frequencies used for station identification; and
(5) The date of beginning and the date of ending use of each type of transmitted signal.
(1) Cease SS emission transmissions;
(2) Restrict SS emission transmissions to the extent instructed;
(3) Maintain a record, convertible to the original information (voice, text, image, etc.) of all spread spectrum communications transmitted.
Rules ReformNeedless to say, by today's standards, practices, and improvements in technology, the above Part 97 rules and regulations on amateur spread spectrum are extremely restrictive especially in the case of the few fixed spreading codes dictated by section 97.311 (d)(1). The ARRL is reviewing the suggestions from the ARRL Futures Committee for changes to these rules and regulations to allow less restriction and freer experimentation.
Getting Around the Rules - LegallyIn the mean time there is a Special Temporary Authority (STA) to allow amateur spread spectrum experimentation. Under this STA Section 97.305(c) is waived to the extent that particular amateur stations are authorized to transmit spread spectrum emissions on frequencies in the 6 meter (50 - 54 MHz), 2 meter (144 - 148 MHz), and 1.25 meter (222 - 225 MHz) bands. Section 97.311(c) is waived for these stations to the extent that the prohibition against hybrid spread spectrum emissions is lifted; and Section 97.311(d) is waived for these stations to use other spreading codes.
Areas to expand and researchTypical SS applications such as wireless ethernet use point-to-point communications. They link two subnets over distances of several miles with external Yagi antennas and less than one watt of power. Amateurs would rather use the traditional CSMA/CA technique they are familiar with in today's packet radio. However, with the requirement of correlating the spreading code it would require a network node to have multiple receivers to listen in on the channel and detect when an outlying node is trying to communicate with it. Here's where amateur radio experimentation can advance the art of spread spectrum, by creating a CDMA spread spectrum packet radio network. By using the techniques employed by GPS, relatively short codes can be used to minimize receiver acquisition time. These codes would also need to have good cross-correlation properties to minimize multiple access interference between nodes.
Power control is required to control the reuse of the frequency beyond code division multiplexing. It also behooves us to explore good power control to limit interference and to reduce the power consumption and drain on batteries. Routing of packets through a network is typically a software issue, but with the ability to do code division multiplexing, how do we route packets from one subnet to another when they do not use the same code sequence?
Driving cost down has always been a top goal of any designer, and even more so since the Amateur is experimenting with their own money. Amateurs tend to be a frugal lot and will find any means available to build a system that costs as little as possible. This spawns innovative and creative methods to achieve this means. Then these means tend to be passed back to the commercial sector and benefit everybody.
CDMA is not the exclusive province of direct sequence systems; CDMA can also be used with frequency hopping. TDMA is not the exclusive province of narrowband systems; TDMA can also be used with direct sequence or frequency hopping.
This isn't newIn the 1982 AMRAD letter (reprinted on page 4-11 of the ARRL SS Handbook), Hal Feinstein, WB3KDU, wrote,
- Spread spectrum has found its way into packet radio. Spread spectrum allows each node to have a unique code which acts as a hard address. Another node in the system can send data to that node by encoding that data with the spread spectrum address for the receiving node. Traffic for other nodes does not interfere because it would have a different code. Among the reasons cited for employing spread spectrum for packet switching are privacy, selected addressing, multipath protection and band sharing. But it is interesting to note that a load is taken off the contention collision approach because now a single frequency is not in contention among the nodes wishing to transmit. The load is divided among the nodes addresses, and each that is interested in sending data to a target node competes for that node only.
PANSAT - A Spread Spectrum SatelliteThe Space Systems Academic Group (SSAG) at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California is actively designing and building an amateur satellite named PANSAT (see figure 4). PANSAT is the acronym for Petite Amateur Navy Satellite. PANSAT is to become a packet digital store-and-forward satellite vary similar in capabilities as the existing PACSATs in orbit today. The tentative launch date of PANSAT is late 1996, early 1997 as a Get Away Special (GAS) payload from the Space Shuttle.
One big difference between today's PACSATs and PANSAT is that PANSAT will use direct sequence spread spectrum as the communications up and downlink.
PANSAT is being designed from the ground up as an amateur satellite. The only military mission of PANSAT is as a training vehicle for the education of military officers in the Space Systems Curricula by the design, fabrication, testing and operation of a low-cost, low earth orbit (LEO), digital communications satellite. One of the engineering objectives of PANSAT includes the evaluation and performance of spread spectrum packet radio communications using the Amateur community as the user base.
In order to facilitate the evaluation of spread spectrum performance the SSAG is designing a low cost spread spectrum modem and RF package to be presented to the amateur community in a kit form. The goal is to have the design of the spread spectrum radio/modem available before the launch of PANSAT to allow Amateurs to build and become operational via terrestrial means. This presents an exciting exchange of technology and the ability for the Amateur to build a low cost unit to experiment with. As the design and development progresses they will be presented in the Amateur press.
Future and SummaryNow is the time to begin experimenting with spread spectrum communications on a wider scale. Technology has advanced to the point where Amateurs can afford to build systems. The building blocks are available now in the form of Application Specific Integrated Circuits. The recent flood of consumer devices that employ spread spectrum has also driven the price down. In many cases the Amateur can either use these devices under their present type acceptance or modify them for Amateur operations. However, the Amateur should remain aware of the rules and regulations governing the particular device whether it falls under Part 15 or Part 97 of the FCC Rules and Regulations and remain within their guidelines. If the Amateur wishes to expand beyond the present Part 97 rules in bonafide experimentation, they are encouraged to join in the Special Temporary Authority.
Spread spectrum systems exhibit unique qualities that cannot be obtained from conventional narrowband systems. There are many research avenues exploring these unique qualities. Amateurs in their inherent pioneering nature can and will find new and novel applications for spread spectrum communications that the commercial sector may not even think of. And due to the frugal propensity of the Radio Amateur, they will certainly find the least expensive way to implement it, thus driving down the cost.
Amateurs should realize that there is plenty of room to explore spread spectrum techniques. All that remains now is to pick up a few good books on the subject and warm up the soldering iron. And as you progress upon this road less traveled, make sure you take notes along the way. Then share your discoveries with your fellow Amateur to help all of us expand the horizon with this exciting mode of communications call spread spectrum. It is no longer shrouded in secrecy and it's not just for breakfast anymore!
WEB CrawlingHere are two WEB pages of interest.
See also the PANSAT page at http://www.sp.nps.navy.mil/pansat/pansat.html.
Selected BibliographyBooks - Extensive research oriented analysis -
M.K. Simon, J. Omura, R. Scholtz, and K. Levitt, Spread Spectrum Communications Vol. I, II, III. Rockville, MD. Computer Science Press, 1985.
J.K. Holmes, Coherent Spread Spectrum Systems, New York, NY. Wiley Interscience, 1982.
D.J. Torrieri, Principles of Secure Communication Systems. Boston. Artech house, 1982.
G.R. Cooper and C.D. McGillem, Modern Communications and Spread Spectrum, New York, McGraw-Hill, 1986.
R.E. Ziemer and R.L. Peterson, Digital Communications and Spread Spectrum Systems, New York, Macmillan, 1985.
R.E. Ziemer and R.L. Peterson, Introduction to Digital Communications, New York, Macmillan, 1985.
R.C. Dixon, Spread Spectrum Systems, John-Wiley & Sons, 1984.
(1) R.C. Dixon, Spread Spectrum Systems, John-Wiley & Sons, 1984, page 7.
(2) K. Gilhousen, Qualcomm Inc., USENET newsgroup discussion.
Printable Version (pdf, 68K)
(Reprinted from Digital Communications, column by Harold E. Price, NK6K, from QEX, 1995)
Don't blame me, the title is the work of this month's guest columnist, Steve Bible, N7HPR [www]). While cruising the net recently, I noticed a sudden bump in the number of times Spread Spectrum (SS) techniques were mentioned in the amateur digital areas. While QEX has discussed SS in the past, we haven't touched on it in this forum. Steve was a frequent cogent contributor, so I asked him to give us some background. Steve enlisted in the Navy in 1977 and became a Data Systems Technician, a repairman of shipboard computer systems. In 1985 he was accepted into the Navy's Enlisted Commissioning Program and attended the University of Utah where he studied computer science. Upon graduation in 1988 he was commissioned an Ensign and entered Nuclear Power School. His subsequent assignment was onboard the USS Georgia, a trident submarine stationed in Bangor, Washington. Today Steve is a Lieutenant and he is completing a master's degree in computer science at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. His areas of interest are digital communications, amateur satellites, VHF/UHF contesting, and QRP. His research area closely follows his interest in amateur radio. His thesis topic is Multihop Packet Radio Routing Protocol Using Dynamic Power Control. Steve is also the AMSAT Area Coordinator for the Monterey Bay area.
Harold E. Price, NK6K


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Boogz Boogetz Freestyle On POW Radio! (He Goes In)
Far Rockaway's Young Rockstar Boogz Boogetz going in heavy @ POW ! Radio. America this dude gonna be a problem.&IP=184.108.40.206
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Air NZ's top 10 picks for the Kapiti Nature Coast
Dramatic beginnings for Kapiti nature coast
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According to Maori legend, it was the explorer Kupe who 1,000 years ago raised his club and with one mighty blow cut off the land which forms the island that marks the popular Kapiti Coast in the lower north island.
Geologists tell us that Kapiti Island was in fact formed two hundred million years ago by gigantic earthquakes which split a 10 kilometre long piece of rock from the Tararua Ranges depositing it five kilometres away in the Tasman Sea.
Whatever its origins, Kapiti Island forms a natural barrier from the prevailing winds for Paraparumu and the other settlements along this 'nature coast'. It is an increasingly popular place to live and offers visitors a wide range of activities.
Our top 10 picks include:
Kapiti Island – experience the magic of seeing birds that are either very rare or absent from the mainland on this island bird sanctuary. You need to get a permit from the Department of Conservation to visit and access is only via tour operators or boat charter
Manawatu Estuary, Foxton Beach – see more birdlife in this Wetland of International Importance estuary which is home to an amazing 93 species including godwits and knots who journey here every year from Alaska and Siberia
Tararua Ranges – take a day walk or a longer hike into the Tararua Ranges, the massive mountains which shelter the coast on the land side
Beaches – make the most of the wide open stretches of beach as you swim, fish or just walk. Look out for the Queen Elizabeth Park beach reserve which includes pa sites and reminders of the 20,000 US marines who camped here in WW2
Gliding – experience the thrill of gliding by taking a trial flight with one of the instructors at the Wellington Gliding Club which bases itself at Paraparumu Airport
Southward Car Museum – see over 350 vehicles up close in this extraordinary collection which has been the lifetime hobby of Sir Len and Lady Vera Southward
Paekakariki Rail & Heritage Museum – get a feel for the historic importance of the railway system to Paekakariki in this trust administered museum. Steam Incorporated which restores New Zealand Railways locomotives to meet the standards of mainline operation and runs excursions is also part of the complex
Food – taste the Kapiti Coast in the produce which comes from the market gardening, horticulture and farming endeavours in the northern areas. The coast inspired the highly successful Kapiti range of cheeses and ice cream and is home to award winning olive oil and one of the country's most popular cooking schools (Ruth Pretty's). It also has a series of farmers markets which are a great place to meet the producers and taste their wares
Art – visit artists in their studios (an Arts Guide is available from the visitor information centres)
Golf – play on what is regarded as one of the greatest links courses in the Southern Hemisphere at the Paraparaumu Beach Golf Course. The course was designed by former Australian Open champion Alex Russell
Air New Zealand flies between Paraparaumu and Auckland connecting it with 25 other destinations on the domestic network. For information and to book flights to the Kapiti Coast visit www.airnewzealand.com


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Boom Chicka Boom
The styles for this song can be changed or expanded on. You can easily let the girls come up with their own versions and let their creativity take over. Basically, the main part is just re-sung with the different vocal styles. This is a repeat back style song, where the song leader sings the line and the girls sing it back.
I said a boom chick-a boom
I said a boom chick-a boom
I said a boom chick-a rock-a chick-a rock-a chick-a boom
Oh yeah
One more time…
Change style each time
Italiano style (boomba, rrrock-a)
Valley girl style (like, I said, like, a boom chicka boom)
Astronaut style (zoom chick-a zoom, take a rocket to the moon)
Opera Style
Janitor Style (broom sweep a broom, sweep-a mop-a)
Underwater style (using your finger to make underwater noises on your lips)
Southern Belle style (heavy Southern accent)
Broadway Musical Style (sing to the back of the room)
2 Comments
Nascar style: Vroom chicka Vroom.
I totally forgot about that one. You rock 🙂


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Cousin Island Special Reserve in Seychelles is becoming a success story on increasing the role of women in conservation, with support from Nature Seychelles - an IUCN member. Arriving at Cousin, visitors will not fail to notice the enthusiastic group of female wardens who will welcome them to the island. It might be the driver of the boat, one of the people pushing the boat, or the person leading a tour of the island.
Their presence on Cousin is a result of Nature Seychelles actively promoting equal opportunity for both men and women. This is not only reflected in the desk jobs perceived to be easier on women but in field jobs which require both physical and mental competency. Many of the volunteers who a visitor would meet on the island are also female.
"We have a well developed Gender Policy in our Administrative and Staff Handbook. This and other related policies aimed at empowering both men and women have ensured that women receive the same attention, salaries and opportunities as do their male counterparts." Says Kerstin Henri, Nature Seychelles' Director for Strategic Operations.
"Women now make up 60 percent of our staff including being in senior positions - a fact that we are very proud of." She says.
Among Nature Seychelles women staff are an economist, a science officer based on Cousin, a communications officer, four wardens, a horticulturalist based at the Heritage Garden at Roche Caiman and management staff at the Mahe and Praslin offices.
"Opportunities for growth such as training are offered to both men and women. Talents and skills are actively cultivated. A woman who wants to work in areas where men are traditionally preferred such as boat operation is encouraged to utilise and develop their skills. In fact I have always felt that there are certain conservation jobs that women are better at than men." Says Nirmal Shah Nature Seychelles' Chief Executive.
And for the women, their greatest reward comes from the contribution they make to nature conservation.
Women have long played a key role in environmental conservation. Winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, Wangari Maathai, is a well know environmental advocate who founded the Green Belt Movement in Kenya in the 1970s. Her movement brought positive change to women in rural areas through tree planting and inspired countless other women across the globe.
The first Seychellois Minister of the Environment was Danielle de Saint Jorre. She is recognised for the significant contributions she made in environment protection programmes in Seychelles.
In her memory, since the year 2000 the International Ocean Institute presents a Scholarship every year for one woman from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) involved in marine related research activities to improve their knowledge. Her portrait is among those of other leading environmental figures gracing the walls of the conference room at Nature Seychelles headquarters.
Following in the footsteps of these women and knowing that they are making a contribution to environmental conservation in the Seychelles is a huge inspiration for the women at Nature Seychelles.
For more information, please contact: Liz Mwambui, Communications Manager, Nature Seychelles, on [email protected] Tel:+ 248 601100/601126


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Author: Susan Linton
Mandriva 2008.0, released this week, is the best version of Mandriva since 7.2.
Mandriva Linux 2008.0 comes in three editions. Mandriva One is a free single-CD live version that contains a choice of KDE or GNOME. It allows users to test their hardware and see how it looks before making any permanent changes to their hard drives. It includes an easy graphical installer. You can add software repositories to the software manager and customize it to your liking. This is a good choice for anyone who needs a live CD or those who aren't sure if they'd like to install Mandriva yet.
Mandriva Free is a full-sized traditionally installed system. It's called Free because it contains only free and open source software, and it can be freely downloaded and used at no charge. It includes a mountain of software, and is a wonderful choice for those who wish to use just open source software or have no problem installing codecs, proprietary drivers, and plugins themselves.
Mandriva Power Pack, the version I tested, is a complete system, including proprietary graphic, wireless, and other drivers, multimedia codecs, Flash and other plugins, and some commercial software. This €39 download is probably the best choice for most users, especially Linux first-timers and those who might need support.
All three versions are gorgeous, with new and hip artwork. All are built using the latest stable software versions, such as kernel 2.6.22, KDE 3.5.7, GNOME 2.20, Xorg 7.2, and GCC 4.2.2.
Mandriva's graphical installer's appearance has remained largely unchanged (other than new graphics) for as long as I've been using Mandriva, but its underlying code has improved, especially in the area of hardware detection. The installer walks users through the steps needed to install and configure the system. Mandriva has always had the most user-friendly partitioner available. Package selection can be as simple or detailed as you like — you can just choose your preferred desktop environment and let the installer do the rest, or choose package categories such as Multimedia, Games, or KDE from the Custom install, or even choose individual packages.
The install onto my HP Pavilion dv6105 laptop took about 20 minutes. Afterwards, I could configure such things as hardware, system settings, startup services, and the Internet connection. A popup appeared asking if I'd like to use proprietary graphic drivers, and I affirmed. At the summary screen I saw that my sound, mouse, and graphics were automatically configured. I set my timezone, and attempted to configure my wireless Ethernet connection, unsuccessfully. I was slightly disappointed but not overly concerned, and finished the install. GRUB found most of my other systems, added them to the configuration, and was installed onto the master boot record.
At first boot a lovely silent splash screen took me a matching login screen. At the login screen I first chose Drak3D to enable the Compiz Fusion 3-D desktop, and found it worked in both KDE and GNOME. Both desktops used the multicolored double-helix community theme, as I've come to think of it. The theme was further enhanced by 3-D menu highlights, as well as the matching Ia Ora window decoration and style used throughout, and the menus are easier to navigate because there are more headings (resembling the default KDE menu), making the application placement more logical. All these features give the system a polished and professional appearance.
I was impressed with the installer, boot process, and resulting desktop, but I needed to do a bit more configuration. My wireless connection was my first priority. I tried the graphical network configuration in the Mandriva Control Center (MCC) first. It has a wizard that includes a choice of wireless, with the further option of using Ndiswrapper to use a Windows driver. I imagine it would work for most Ethernet cards, but it failed on mine.
Next, I opened the Konsole terminal emulator and ran through my usual command line routine as well as a few tricks I've picked up after many years of testing new distros, but those failed too. I had almost given up when I examined the loaded modules more closely and noticed PCMCIA drivers in use. Since I didn't need them, I unloaded them and tried reloading Ndiswrapper, and this time it worked. So I put ssb, pcmcia, and pcmcia-core modules into the /etc/modules.d/blacklist-mdv file and rebooted. Since I had previously set up the connection in MCC (though it didn't work at the time), I found myself with a working wireless connection, including Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).
The list of software Mandriva installs depends on your edition and on your style of install. I had chosen all the categories except server and LBS from the Custom path, which gave me a system with 3.9GB worth of applications, including all the K apps that come with KDE and lots of favorites from GNOME, as well as must-haves such as Firefox 188.8.131.52, GIMP 2.4.0 rc2, and OpenOffice.org 2.2.1.
In addition, I found some other less common applications in the menu. For instance, entries to install Google Earth and Picasa each open a terminal, then download and install the software. Both worked well, as did the resulting apps. The only negative issue is that the installer links aren't removed from the menu after the applications are in place.
Mandriva provides a wide assortment of useful applications in many areas. You can use Ekiga Softphone or Skype 1.4 to talk with friends and family over the Internet, exchange instant message with Pidgin, and download files with FileZilla.
Some multimedia applications include Mixxx and Linux Multimedia Studio, used to create and edit sound files. You can edit video with Kino and watch DVDs with the commercial LinDVD player. You can view Flash files with Adobe Flash Player and video files with Xine, Totem, or Kaffeine. Amarok, Sound Juicer, and Rhythmbox Music Player soothe the soul and rock the house.
Relax with great games such as Second Life, Planet Penguin Racer, Crack Attack, and Frozen Bubble. Cedega is also included in the Power Pack so you can enjoy some popular Windows games in Mandriva.
Plan your schedule with Planner, spread some sheets with Gnumeric, and manage expenses in GnuCash.
Compiz Fusion has an extensive control panel for setting up the effects, controls, and behaviors. I've only found a couple of other distros that allow me to enjoy these advanced options, but they work well in Mandriva, even with my meager 512MB of shared RAM. I've been using the 3-D software for about week, and I haven't experienced any crashes, black or white windows or cubes, missing title bars, or artifacting. The effects are immediate and deliberate. Mandriva's is one of best implementations of the software I've experienced.
Mandriva also ships with Metisse, another 3-D window manager that allows users to rotate, bend, zoom, flip, warp, topple, and arrange their windows in different configurations. The goal is to help users become more efficient, but to me it seems more like a fun toy.
One of the most annoying new additions is a Firefox extension for BlogRovr, a service that delivers blog posts based on your browsing. Every time I opened Firefox, a tab opened to the BlogRovr homepage, a configuration wizard opened, and a little login window appeared. It didn't take long before I uninstalled it through the software manager.
Tools and utilities
In addition to application software, Mandriva provides a useful collection of management tools. The Mandriva Control Center was one of the first centralized system configuration utility, and has been improved and expanded over the years. I found only a few additions in this release, but I understand some of the underlying subsystems have been improved, such as the hardware detection and database.
One of the new items is a Package Stats tool. It shows the last time a file was accessed, which could come in handy for determining if a corresponding application could be removed or skipped during the next install. On my system, the tool wasn't accurate, as Mandriva mounts the filesystem with noatime by default, which can improve system performance. One might need to remove that mount parameter and use the system for a while before attempting to get an accurate assessment of the files. I'd be a bit cautious when applying the results as well.
New in this release is the Network Center, a streamlined configuration tool for your network and devices. From it you can configure the IP settings, hostname, passwords, connection preferences, and boot instructions. You can also make or monitor a connection from within the Network Center. The "Set up a new interface" tool is still present for those devices that aren't auto-detected.
Also new this release is an "Import Windows documents and settings." This utility does as the name implies and works fairly well. For me it imported some installers and image files from the Windows partition on my hard drive and put them in a Documents folder. It put a Word document in ~/tmp, and the current wallpaper was placed in my home directory. I don't know where it put the bookmarks — not in the browsers. Also, it didn't import another Word document from the Windows desktop, and it didn't try to import email.
The software manager and online update tools have been improved somewhat in this release. The interfaces seem a little tidier and easier to use. The package layout is cleaner. Adding repositories works better now as well.
Also new in this release is the Mandriva Linux Starter Guide, an impressive help document written primarily for new users. It covers many scenarios, from installing the system to using the command line, and includes helpful images. This is a thoughtful addition to help new users master Mandriva Linux.
Hardware support is another area in which Mandriva has always excelled. In many releases it has been the first distro to support the newest hardware on the market.
When you insert removable media in KDE, a dialog box opens so you can decide what to do. In GNOME, a window opens to the directory, or a corresponding application is launched, such as with music CDs.
Advanced powersaving features were already enabled upon first boot as well. The CPU idles at 800MHz and increases upon demand. The LCD screen blanks after 15 minutes of idle time and dims when the power cord is removed. Hibernation options work well. Both suspend to RAM and suspend to disk are smooth and responsive going to sleep and waking up. The only tweaking I did was to the lid closing, which is set to suspend by default. It's wonderful to have all this working out of the box.
Mandriva 2008.0 seems to be a splendid release. Since setup I've not experienced any problems. My system is fast, responsive, and stable. The new artwork is gorgeous, and the fonts look great as well. I was pleased with the hardware support, especially the powersaving features. I can play any multimedia file format I have, and watch Flash videos on the Web.
Mandriva was once known as the best distro for new users, while accommodating those more experienced. In its current incarnation, this is still so. 2008.0 is an exceptionally impressive release.
- Mandriva
- Reviews
- Distributions


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religious art
So here we are in Antwerp, where it seems that the friendly face of the diamond trade is now a Russian with watermelon forearms and eyes like a three-day-dead fish. Passed on the diamond-rimed .357 pendant and hit the Koninklijk Museum for a bit of high-culture in low-land light.
An hour of perusing paintings of martyrdom and judgment and I'd had my fill of the burning, hacking, drowning, beating and skewering (the kind of stuff New York Times pieces on Iraq report generically as "signs of torture�) that were, until relatively recently, the centerpiece of public diplomacy here.
Back on the street, there was a heavily made-up lady busking in the shadow of the Gothic cathedral. She was pretending—quite credibly—to be a statue of the Virgin Mary (she even had a little Baby Jesus on her lap), except, when you tossed a coin in her plate, she came alive and blew you a kiss.
This in the heartland of a vicious, protracted, sectarian conflict that took as a centerpiece Rome's idolatry and venality. That smashed statues and people with equal abandon.
Nice to see they've learned to crack a smile, toss a coin, and move on. And it only took five-hundred years, a few dozen major wars and a mountain range of corpses.
There are a few more pics of my current European tour here.


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No Grexit (part 2)
Date created : Latest update :
As Greece's political impasse pushes Athens closer to the brink of a euro exit, François Picard's makes the distinction between tough talk on the part of Europe's leaders and the shared fear of a domino effect.
- Yanis VAROUFAKIS. Professor of Economics, Athens University (from Seattle);
- Sony KAPOOR. Managing Director, Re-Define.org (from Brussels);
- Ali FATEMI. Professor, American Graduate School of Economics in Paris;
- Philippe HERZOG. President, Confrontations Europe.
Produced by François Picard, Anelise Borges, Mary Colombel, Wassim Nasr, Elom Marcel Toble.


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Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you first of all for the invitation to speak to you today. I will be talking about hate crime, a topic that has been climbing steadily up the EU agenda. A little later, we will also introduce FRA's new toolkit, which is aimed at helping local, regional and national public officials to improve fundamental rights implementation throughout the EU.
Hate crime includes violence and harassment motivated by racism, xenophobia, or religious intolerance, or by bias against a person's disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. And as we emphasise in the background note you have in front of you, this phenomenon is a daily reality in the European Union. The topic is currently of particular importance because the EU is in the course of reviewing its legislation on combating racism and xenophobia and at the same time, progress is being made in implementing new EU legislation on victims' rights in the Member States.
Research by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights has repeatedly demonstrated how pervasive hate crime is in Europe. Here are just a few examples:
- In a survey of ethnic minority and immigrant groups throughout the EU, up to 32% of Roma were victims of assault, threat or serious harassment with a perceived racist motive in the 12 months prior to the survey.
- 26% of the LGBT people FRA surveyed throughout the EU had experienced violence in the five years preceding the survey, with the figure rising to 35% for transgender people.
- 26% of the Jewish people FRA surveyed last year in eight Member States had experienced some form of harassment in the 12 months preceding the survey.
In addition,
it must be remembered that hate crime transcends the experiences of the individuals directly involved. Homophobic, racist and other crimes motivated by prejudice create an 'us' and 'them' mentality that does great damage on a far larger scale. For hate crimes harm not only the victim, but also other people (perceived as) belonging to the same group and, more broadly, society as a whole.
What steps need to be taken to tackle crimes motivated by prejudice and bias? And what contribution can you make, as regional and local authorities, to fighting hate crime?
To begin with: in order to combat hate crime, it must become more visible. One of the biggest challenges we currently face in the EU on this issue are the enormous gaps in data collection. Firstly because there remains a lack of confidence among victims that the authorities are able – or willing – to afford them the protection they need, making them reluctant to report hate crimes to the police or any other authority. And secondly because at present, only four EU Member States (Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK) collect comprehensive data on bias-motivated offences. This prevents us from establishing the true extent of hate crime.
So in order to combat hate crime and its associated fundamental rights violations, it is crucial for action to be taken by governments and policymakers from the local to the national at three levels: legislation, policy and practice.
- At the level of legislation, this means acknowledging the very fact of hate crime, the bias motivations underlying it, and the effect it has on victims and the groups to which they belong.
- At the policy level, it means taking action to collect detailed and reliable data on hate crime and ensuring effective prosecution.
- But for our discussions here today, it is perhaps the practical level that is most important. This entails reaching out to local communities to build trust in the police and other law enforcement agencies; training police officers to be sensitive to victims of bias-motivated crimes; and making sure the public is aware that the authorities take hate crime and its consequences seriously.
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is from local authorities first and foremost that citizens expect immediate and effective action when social tensions rise or they become victims of violence. Because local and regional authorities act to a great extent as intermediaries between citizens and the government, they are in a good position to enter into dialogue with the national authorities. Together with the police, therefore, they can help to develop effective and sustainable ways of preventing bias-motivated crime.
Local authorities also have a vital role to play in victim support, helping to ensure victims are aware of their rights and know where to turn for advice and support, as well as funding support services of various kinds.
Moreover, local authorities' leadership is also needed to develop dialogue in regions that have high ethnic or religious minority populations between the general population and groups that often find themselves the target of hate crime.
In this respect, there are already a number of projects around the EU that have worked or are continuing to work extremely well. One example are the police services in Stockholm and other towns, which set up specialised hate crime units that help to train police officers who work directly with the public. Another example is in the Netherlands, where central government is working together with local authorities to prevent violence against LGBT people:
- by providing information and training youth workers
- creating safe meeting places for young LGBT people
- and encouraging victims to report homophobic crimes.
Before I end my remarks, I would like briefly to mention the 'Joined up Governance' toolkit, which my colleague Andreas Accardo will talk about in more detail a little later. Suffice it to say here that the aim of the toolkit is to improve cooperation between local authorities, institutions and policymakers at national and international level, helping you in your efforts to safeguard fundamental rights for everybody in our society.
To conclude,
There are many fundamental rights issues on which we at FRA are convinced that we can achieve more in partnership with LRAs, which often hold the key to effecting real, tangible improvements for Europe's citizens. Hate crime is one of these issues.
In this spirit, therefore, I would like to wish you all a constructive discussion, remembering that the subject of hate crime is not just important for its victims but for European society as a whole, and thus for all of us here today.


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Hi, I'm Kris Krueger, the Test Lead for the developer platform in Internet Explorer.
When we announced the IE8 Release Candidate, the call to action for site owners, software developers, designers, and administrators was to test with the Release Candidate build and make any changes necessary to create the best possible customer experience with IE8. We stated that we would continue listening to feedback from the community, but would be very selective about the changes to the platform made from there on out. This is an important point – we wanted to be mindful of the work we'd asked you to do. We didn't want to "pull the carpet out from under you" by changing fundamental ways the IE platform behaved. We did, though, commit to acting on the most critical issues, particularly reports concerning security, backwards compatibility, and completeness with respect to planned standards work. I'd like to communicate the critical platform changes we've made in these areas.
For IE8 Beta-1, we closed off the information-disclosure problem whereby JavaScript can read the .value attribute of a file upload control and determine the full local pathname, which might include information like the user's name, profile directory, etc. Specifically, we changed from ALLOW to DENY for the Internet Zone "Include local directory path when uploading files" security setting. So, rather than sending the filename "C:\users\bill\desktop\temp\upload.txt", we instead send just "upload.txt".
Over the last few months, we've run into a significant number of sites (e.g. education products, several movie sharing sites, etc) and devices (e.g. popular home routers) that this security improvement breaks, because the sites use JavaScript to attempt to parse the filename (e.g. to determine its extension). In many cases, the script will attempt to get the indexOf() the last REVERSE_SOLIDUS (\) character in the string, and since we now return only the leaf filename, those scripts will fail to parse the string and complain to the user.
For instance, here's a screenshot of the dialog you get from the router's firmware update UI after you click the "Start to Upgrade" button:
Clearly, the user can't easily understand what caused this problem. While we'd obviously prefer that developers fix broken scripts, in some cases this would be really tricky. In the router's case, for instance, the user would need to update the firmware to get the fix, and it is the firmware upgrade code itself that's broken!
In light of this, we started looking into compatibility mitigations for this problem. One proposal was that we could prepend a bogus path to the leaf filename so that such scripts will continue to work. We wanted to use a prefix which is descriptive (e.g. so it can be searched for by any confused web developers looking into problems) and which is simple (contains no special characters) because the parsing code we're trying to help out is likely not very robust.
Upon investigation, we found that Opera 10 alpha is already doing this compatibility mitigation, although their prefix ("C:\fake_path\") includes an underscore that we'd like to avoid because we don't want to use special characters and would like to ensure that file path segments are <8 characters.
We elected to prepend "C:\fakepath\" in order to mitigate the compatibility problem. We only provide this compatibility mitigation in the value attribute's accessor; we do not send the fake path to the server.
Backwards Compatibility
During the Beta / RC cycle, we asked for your input via the http://connect.microsoft.com feedback channel. In the released version of IE8, we've fixed many of the top platform issues identified using the Release Candidate build. These issues were prioritized based on votes by the community.
Feedback ID
Issue Title
If <a> is not followed by a text node, link is extended infinitely
TextArea width:100% on page refresh renders
IE hard assert possiby related to <col></col> giving blank page.
*Very* slow reaction in sites built with JS framework
IE8 RC1 javascript engine bug
overflow:auto generates scrollbars even if overflowing element is within overflow:hidden
background image not or not correctly rendered
[RC1 build 18372] [abs. pos.] Image shrinks unexpectedly after hovering a link
IE8 RC1 (Stds Mode) SCRIPT tag causes Major REGRESSION rendering alignment bug
body backgroud-image is not displayed unless body.style.height='100%' set explicitly
We also received strong customer feedback asking that we version a set of DOM features we had previously added to IE8's Quirks and IE7 standards mode.
Below is the list of features that have been hidden from IE7 Standards mode to improve compatibility with IE7.
- The JSON object is now hidden
- [DOM object].toString() enhancements reverted so that only "[object]" is returned, just like IE7
- object.defineProperty/object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor APIs are now hidden
As part of our commitment to standards we have fixed a small number of tests listed on the official W3C CSS 2.1 test suite.
Before you run these tests make sure that you follow the prerequisites listed at the Windows Internet Explorer Testing Center.
After shipping the RC build we listened to feedback on our HTML 5 DOM storage implementation. We acted on this feedback by making two changes to IE8's DOM storage implementation so that we match the HTML 5 spec. The first change is that we now return null and not undefined for keys that don't exist in DOM storage. The second change is that we removed the length and remainingSpace properties when iterating DOM storage using a for..in statement. We also removed the binary IDOMStorage and IEnumDOMStorage interfaces from IE8.
Thanks for all the feedback, your feedback has helped us make a better browser!
-Kris Krueger
Test Lead


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text:
Dr Vek Lewis
BA Hons (Monash), PhD (Monash)
Senior Lecturer
A18 - Brennan MacCallum Building
The University of Sydney
|+61 9351 4524
Biographical details
Part of my research focuses on representations of sexual minorities, marginalized groups and urban life in contemporary Latin American cultural production. I'm mainly a scholar located in Mexican Studies, although I have interests related to Cuba, the Caribbean, Chile and Latinos in the USA. My current work is related to cultural and moral spatialities, migration realities, politics and control, and the work of institutions in regulating peoples' lives.
Although I started as a cultural studies scholar looking at literary and non-literary texts, I am more and more moving into social research and methods, to try and connect my political interests with a scholarship that might work for social change. In this respect, I am inspired by Participant Action Research and Institutional Ethnography in particular. My teaching interests lie in Latin American popular cultural forms, critical race, gender and sexual diversity studies.
Research interests
- Contemporary Latin American literature
- 20th and 21st Century Latin American cinema
- Gender, Sexuality and the Law
- Mass media representations
- Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Studies
- Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
- Social movements and change
- Migration Studies
- Comparative Indigenous Knowledges and Critical Decolonial Theory
Teaching and supervision
- Latin American Popular Culture
- Latin American Film and Literature
- Critical Theory and Methodologies (Honours, 2010)
- Latino/a Studies (Masters)
- Sexual Diversity Politics and History
- Latin American literature and film
- Queer, gender and trans studies
- Post-revolutionary, modern and contemporary Mexico and Cuba
- Debates in Latin American cultural studies
- Comparative Colonialities and Decolonial Thought
- Sociology of Violence
- Political Cultures in Mexico
- Masculinities
- Migration Studies
Supervision - Current PhD & MPhil Candidates
- Intercultural Health at the Frontier of Expanding Nation-States: The Contested Amazonian Border Region of Ecuador and Peru. This project examines the hybridisation between indigenous and western medical practice in communities experiencing the expansion of modernity from the nation-state centres of Ecuador and Peru into the remote, jungle regions of these nations' territories. (Candidate: Christian Tym; Assoc. Supervisor: Dr Luis Fernando Angosto Ferrández)
- Colombian Migrant Communities in Australia: Their Represented Identities in Print Media and in Encounters among their Members. This study investigates the representations made of Colombia by Australian print media and the way Colombians living in Australia construct their identity as immigrants at the same time they react and respond to those media representations. (Candidate: Liana Mercedes Torres Casierra; Assoc Supervisor: Dr Fernanda Peñaloza)
- Locas e internacionales: Subjectivity and Social Relatedness among the Sexually Diverse in Ciudad de México (Candidate: Kylie Tobler; joint with Anthropology, Dr Jadran Mimica)
- Mobilization as a means of constructing autonomy. This project examines the new norms of behaviour in the relationship that indigenous communities have with the State by providing a critical account of the fight that the Cocas, inhabitants of Mezcala (a community on the shores of Lake Chapala, Mexico), are undertaking in their confrontation with the Mexican State and urban-industrial society. (Candidate: Inés Durán Matute, Assoc. Supervisor: Dr Fernanda Peñaloza)
- The Meaning of Modernity. This is a comparative study of "Latin American" self-representation and the Franco-Belgian gaze on "Latin America" in a selection of "Latin American" and Franco-Belgian comics. (Candidate: Annick Pellegrin; joint with French, A/Prof Bronwyn Winter)
- Discursive Constructions of Bilateral Relations: Chile and Australia in the Context of the 2008 Free Trade Agreement. This thesis comparatively examines from a socio-historical and geopolitical context the path that Chile and Australia as settler societies have followed in signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2008, the first that Australia signed with a Latin American country. Combining theoretical tools in the field of Critical Discourse Analysis, this research will firstly deconstruct the central features of Chilean and Australian dominant discourses between the return of democracy in Chile in 1990 and the year of the Chilean bicentenary in 2010. Secondly, this project will explore and compare the mutual visibility and invisibility between Australia and Chile in terms of imaginaries and the construction of notions of identity through a selection of articles in the written press. (Candidate: Irene Strodthoff; Associate Supervisor with Dr Fernanda Peñaloza, Principal Supervisor)
- Invisible in the City?: Humanitarian Outreach for the Urban Displaced in Bogotá. (Candidate: Steven Bunce; joint with Anthropology)
- Making a Life out of the Worship of Death: A psycho-dynamic examination of the phenomenology of the mestizo's experience of La Santa Muerte in Mexico City. (Candidate: Wendy Risteska; joint with Anthropology)
- Sexuality and Homophobia in Collective Violence and Political Transitions. This project provides an analysis of how conflicts have a different impact among men and among women because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It will investigate the similarities and difference between gender and sexual violence against women and violence against homosexuals and transgender people in contexts of armed conflicts and peace processes. (Candidate: Fernando Serrano; Primary Supervisor: Prof. Raewyn Connell)
Honours (2008 - 2011)
- Tintin and the Secret of Satire, 2008 (Annick Pellegrin; joint with French)
- Virtual Powerlessness: Mexico's Kidnapping Crisis, 2009 (Steven Bunce)
- Ind'genas del Sur: Un estudio comparativo sobre las pol'ticas ind'genas en Australia y Chile, 2009 (Jeremy Dornan)
- Mobilisation, Repression and Reaction: Social Movements in Authoritarian Political Contexts, 2010. (Katrina Hayes; joint with Arabic and Islamic Studies)
- E a favela criou o jovem. Una perspectiva sobre la juventud marginada en la favelas de Rio de Janeiro, 2010 (Nicole Fidalgo)
- "If you got that hot blood…" Hip Hop and Rethinking Borders in the Caribbean Hemisphere, 2010 (Tara Morrissey; joint with English)
- The Political Economy Of Pension Reform In Contemporary Chile, 2010 (Tui Swinnen; joint with Political Economy)
- Cactus, a Prickly Subject: the Cultural Significance of Nopal throughout Mexican History, 2011 (Alice Brennan).
- El amor en los tiempos del cólera: The Translation, and the Translation of the Translation, 2011 (Amy Carruthers)
- ¿El Hombre Mexicano o los hombres mexicanos?: La Diversidad de la Masculinidad en un Pa's de los Estereotipos, 2011 (Nathan Guenette)
Current projects
- 'Latin American Migration to Sydney: The Chilean Case'. Co-directed project (with Fernanda Peñaloza) currently underway that examines Chilean migrants' perceptions of identity in Sydney.
- 'Nuevos ambientes, ¿historias compartidas?' Latino/a sexualities and identities in the context of migration to Sydney. A study on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) migrants from Latin America who reside in Sydney, and how the migrational process is informed by, but also re-forms, sexuality and sexual identity.
- 'Understanding S/exile from Within: Internal Migrations, Municipal Space and Vulnerable Sexual Minorities in Mexico'. This project examines internal displacements of transgender people in Mexico forced to flee their cities due to violence. Although recent research sheds light on why such people to cross national borders, little is known about local conditions that provoke internal migrations. Such data is crucial in offering responses to stem the tide of violence. It combines a political economy analysis with an examination of local political cultures and elite masculinities, as well as mapping the labor-driven and social motives of displacement via an intersectional lens.
- Secretary and Member of the Association of Iberian and Latin American Studies of Australasia (AILASA)
- Co-editor, Journal of Iberian and Latin American Research ~ JILAR
- Member of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA)
- Member of Sydney University Research Community for Latin America (SURCLA)
Selected grants
- Integrating Language and Culture in Spanish units: Levels 1 to 8; Penaloza F, Walsh A, Lewis P, Angosto Ferrandez L, Ortiz Jimenez M, Castrillon N, Salio De La Puenta M, Saez-Nieto E, Gordillo De Paz M; DVC Education/Small Educational Innovation Grant.
Selected publications
Crossing sex and gender in Latin America (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010)


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If you submit your return with incorrect banking information, you can only correct the error if the return is rejected. If the return is accepted, the IRS will mail you a printed check once they discover that the account number is not in your name. See Fixing Incorrect Routing Number After E-file for more information.
To fix the banking information in a rejected return, click the Filing tab and repeat the filing steps. On the screen titled E-Filing - Federal Refund Options click Direct Deposit. Fix the error and complete the remaining steps. You must click Submit at the end for your return to be re-transmitted.


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Natural Gas Falls 11% At Close
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It's a cold day in New York City. So what gives with natural gas futures?
The harsh winter and artic cold in the Midwest and Northeast have fueled a steep price climb over the last few months. Monday morning, futures contracts for delivery in March hit a new high of $6.49 per million British thermal units, a price not seen since 2008.
But, prices have since fallen sharply after some experts forecast a return to more normal temperatures following the current cold snap and ahead of this week's options and futures expirations for the March contract.
March natural gas fell 11% to settle at $5.445 per million British thermal units, surrendering nearly all trheprice gains of the past month.
Last week, prices rallied 18% as forecasts for more cold weather in the U.S. fueled expectations of a supply drawdown.
Options on the March natural-gas contract will expire at the Nymex close on Tuesday, and the March futures contracts expire at the close on Wednesday, both of which tend to contribute to market volatility.
Leveraged ETFs VelocityShares 3X Long Natural Gas ETN (UGAZ) fell 19% to $28.82, marking it by far the market's weakest performing ETF. ProShares Ultra DJ-UBS Natural Gas ETF (BOIL) fell 7.9% to $49.53.
VelocityShares 3X Inverse Natural Gas ETN (DGAZ), meanwhile, soared 17%, making it one of the best performing ETFs in the market. ProShares UltraShort DJ-UBS Natural Gas ETF (KOLD) rose 6% to $41.35.


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That's right, it's that time again!
Buckle up, buttercup, we're going for a ride!
For those of you new to this game, Storytime is where I relate something true that happened in my life that popped to mind recently, because I'm an old fart living in the past. And since this is my blog, and I'm waxing nostalgic, I'm taking you all with me!
Oh, and I'm a huge Jethro Tull fan. I can't use the phrase 'living in the past' in a sentence without hearing Ian Anderson actually proclaim in my head, "Living… in… The Past!" Just an FYI.
So, back in the glorious heyday of my youth, we return once more to Beaufort, South Carolina, scene of many of my previous escapades. Ah, the trouble you get into when you are young, single, Enlisted without being an NCO just yet, and have no bills and lots of disposable income.
Ah, youth. How the hell do we live through those years? Seriously?
At any rate…
I was stationed there in lovely Beaufort, SC, but my parent's home was in far away Boca Raton, Florida.
I had some income, certainly… but not the kind of cash to dump on a plane ticket to go home to visit the folks and my old school friends whenever I got a three or four day pass.
So what I did, was I bought a motorcycle from a fellow Jarhead taht was having divorce issues and needed the money.
It was a Yamaha Maxim 550, used of course, with a whole heck of a lot of miles on it. It may have looked a little rough, but I loved that bike.
Here's a photo so you can see the body style, this ain't the actual bike, just the closest thing I could find to a pic of what my bike looked like.
Even the tank color is right.
So, I had never ridden a motorcycle before, and now I owned one. And anyone that lives on base can tell you, getting a bike registered, licensed, insured and getting your own MC DL are all required before you get to actually ride the damn thing around.
So for a month or so, I left it out at my friends' place, and he would drive me out there weeknights or weekends, where I would hop on, crank it up, and go driving around the backroads of Beaufort, teaching myself to ride.
You gotta love the South. I mean, really.
The gas stations I would stop at had the usual pumps… but they also had one pump that would be listed as "Racing Fuel – 99 octane".
Racing Fuel, of course, is designed to burn faster, so more of it's energy is released before going further than about 20° past Top Dead Center… and I just realized I have no intention of explaining that.
Ummm… Racing Fuel packs more of a kick. Corrodes normal engines, though. At least the old stuff used to.
Anyway, yeah, the regular Unleaded was pretty expensive back then going for around .88¢ a gallon… but I always splurged and went with the Racing Fuel at $1.02, and to heck with the expense! Go crazy with that money! Get the GOOD stuff!
Ah, the joys of tearing around on your own motorcycle… I loved it. I truly did.
So, after a month or two, I went and took my test and got my license, yadda yadda, and started tooling around town. All the joys life off-base had for a single Marine were now open to me. Meaning, mostly, the movie theater, McDonalds, and video rentals.
A few months later, we had a 4 day weekend coming up. I called home and proudly let my mom and dad know that I was coming home to visit.
This being South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, the route wasn't the most difficult in the world. You get on I-95 Southbound, and you stay there. When you need gas, you pull over. Repeat as needed.
On the day of the trip, I stuffed a seabag full of clothes, bungie-corded it onto the back of the bike (where it actually provided a comfy back rest to lean against) and headed on out.
I always wore a helmet, and on the ride down I had on jeans, combat boots and my field jacket.
Because it was a kind of rainy day. And rain or no rain, I said I was coming, so I was coming.
I had never before ridden farther than Savannah, Georgia on the bike, and then it had been the summer. I had attended St Patricks' Day at River Street (awesome, bigtime), and done a lot of tooling up and down the roads, but never before had I gone for a long, long run.
Looking at Mapquest, it's about 480 miles, and they say it should take about 7 hours. I have no idea what speeds they are talking about, though.
What I do know is, I was excited. I was stoked. (Remember when it was okay to say stoked? Yeah, those were a happy 5 minutes.)
Screw the rain, I was going to know the freedom of the open road, the wind roaring around me, the pedal to the metal, blue sky and hard asphalt and the dreams of a free country everywhere around me.
Okay, no blue sky. But it can't rain all the time!
Damn, was I excited.
Visions of Vanishing Point stuffed in my head, I WAS Kowalski, one man and the loneliness of the open road.
Yes, I know. You're shocked. What can I say, I wasn't BORN bitter, after all. 🙂
So I hit the road. Hard. I nailed 80 mph out the gate, and stuck it there as much as possible. I only left the road when gas got very, very low, and some of the stretches of Interstate highway left me feeling it might be a while until I saw another offramp.
And yes, it can in fact rain all the time. You'd think, after three states, at some point you would get out from under it.
Along the way, I learned many valuable lessons about riding a motorcycle on long journeys.
Some lessons I learned fast, and others took a while to sink in.
First and foremost, I learned that a lot of people in cars and trucks will actually swerve towards you, trying to force you off the road and off the shoulder, in the hopes of seeing you lose control, and die.
Yes, I'm serious. If you're young and thinking about getting a bike, keep that in mind. Watch your ass, all the time. Check your mirrors, and maintain your spatial awareness. Do not give them a chance to block you, and keep an eye for escape routes, such as simply being ready to take the grassy median, or being prepared to accelerate or brake if you see an attempted swerve.
I don't think it has to do with people in cars hating motorcyclists, either.
I think it has more to do with some people seeing someone else in a potentially dangerous, vulnerable situation, traveling at high speeds without a steel cocoon to protect them, and either they are on an open stretch of road, or in a heavy rain where visibility and identification are hindered, and they get the sudden urge to inflict hate and suffering on someone else just because they can. And I truly think they feel that they'll easily get away with it, free and clear.
Kind of the road version of John Gabriels' Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory.
I also learned that, to a motorcyclist, a large 18-wheeled tractor-trailer combo barrelling along at 75mph – 80mph sucks a massive windstorm in it's wake and all around it, and it WILL cause you to concentrate all your energies just on control as it passes you, or you pass it, because you get the feeling your tires may very well lose traction on the slick roads, and you wonder if you'll get sucked under the semi's wheels if you're not careful.
I learned that when they cordoroy, or roughen, the road with those lengthwise grooves when preparing for road work, it channels narrow bike tires and makes it difficult to safely control your bike during lane changes.
I learned that steel grate bridges like the ones in Jacksonville at the time are horrible.
I learned that a LOT of cars leak a LOT of oil, right down the middle of the road, which turns nice and slick in the rain. How slick? Why, much like an oil slick, I would say. And if you are on a motorcycle, the temptation is to ride down the center of the road where the bulk of the oil is.
And finally, I learned that bugs suck.
Especially clouds of those tiny little f'ing gnats. But I learned that lesson later.
For the moment, however, the sky was full of rain, the wind was a steady blur of icy needles in my exposed flesh, chilling and stinging me hour after hour, but the the roar of the road was in my veins, and I was free to ride.
I blasted on through, on the solo road trip of a lifetime.
It was awesome.
When I finally pulled on into the parent's place in Boca Raton, I was bone tired.
But I was also exhilirated, and felt like I was riding a massive endorphin rush. NO energy, but no pain at all, and no stiffness either.
I was chilled bone deep, and soaking wet, but I was way past caring at this point. I was just exhilirated that the ride down was done, and in a thunderstorm from hell at the end of it.
I stumbled on in, dumped my wet seabag on the floor, yelled "High Ma" as nonchalantly as I possibly could, as though I take three-state road trips all the time, no big deal, and then went back out to the bike.
You see, I had ridden that sucker hard for hours.
And when you run an engine that hard, you can't just dump it on a driveway in the icy rain to sit, and instantly cool, and expect it to be fine.
You kind of need to ease it down gentle. Let the temperature cool gradually, let the oil circulate a little as it runs easy. Idle it a bit. A block or two is fine, maybe a mile if that, just puttering along. Don't let a super hot, expanded-metal engine get chilled, it will only cause problems down the road.
So I went on out into the rain, hopped right back on the bike, backed it out and started her up again.
I puttered gently down the half a block to the corner, and eased into the left hand turn.
And as I turned left, the engine roared instantly into life, accelerating to the max the gear ratio could handle, and slamming me full tilt into the stop sign on the corner.
I was pinned under the bike, and I could tell my ankle was not doing very well. I shifted a bit, got under and hefted the bike up off me, and using it to lift myself off the grass, I gently propped it on it's kickstand. I say gently, when what I really wanted to do was kick the hell out of it.
I had jumped the curb before I nailed the stop sign, and came to rest on the grass, so I didn't have any road rash. The bike frame still looked straight, and the only visible damage was the right front turn signal was dangling by the wiring.
And yes, my right ankle was at least sprained.
Son of a…
Well, first thing I did was ruefully acknowledge that God has a fine sense of humor.
On the one hand, if you're going to have an accident, it sure is nice to be able to walk away from it in one piece, and be able to hop a half a block home.
On the other hand, I was 480 miles from my duty station, my only mode of transport just tried to kill me out of the blue, and my right foot, my braking foot, was all messed up. If my foot didn't get better fast, I was going to be relying strictly on the front wheel hand brake, which is a terribly unsafe, stupid thing to attempt.
And I had three days to fix it all before I had to make the journey home. During a holiday weekend.
I pushed the bike the half block back to the house in the rain, limped on inside, and acknowledged that yes, it was mildly amusing that I drove 480 miles just to have an accident a half a block from the house. Thank you very much. Yes, I thought so too.
Now, I could say that the rest of the weekend was spent staying off my foot in the hopes it would heal, packing it with ice.
And I could relate the fun of finding a mechanic willing to do a rush repair on a motorcycle over a holiday weekend so I could ride back on Sunday. Eventually my dad found a Porsche mechanic friend willing to do a personal favor for me.
I could tell you of my annoyance at finding out the reason I crashed was not my own stupidity, but was instead that the accelerator cable got pinched in the sleeve, and as I turned the corner, it pulled the cable hard and fast, just as though I had redlined the engine intentionally. A simple problem that probably would have happened anyway, from prior abuse of the bike, but might have been prevented had I used a graphite lubricant in the sleeves of the cables as some preventive maintenance.
I could tell you how, nursing a tightly wrapped and unusable right foot, I made the return trip on my repaired bike, and this time the sun was high in the sky, the birds were singing, the wind was warm and delightful, and I had a picture-perfect, gorgeous ride back, wearing helmet, jeans and a tank top on the entire run, basking in the sun and the wind. And how the experience was severely lessened by my stress at not being able to use the foot brake.
Seriously, only having the front wheel hand brake is a horribly dangerous way to ride.
I could tell you of the triumph of making it back to base just in time late on a Sunday night, using only the hand brake, fighting a fogged-over faceshield in the delightful late evening fog and humidity of South Carolina for the last hour in the dark along the coastal roads.
I could even tell you of my joy at discovering, the very next day, that when you ride with a tank top in the sun in 80mph winds for 6 to 7 hours straight, the combination of sunburn and windburn feel simply delightful. I highly recommend it.
Oh yeah, and pure Aloe gel is awesome.
But I think I'll simply end with this thought, for all my friends;
Clouds of small bugs really suck. I am totally not kidding.


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Beautiful results again and again
Molecular Probes® products represent the broadest range of fluorescent reagents available for imaging, flow cytometry, and microplate applications. We are committed to expanding that product range through our in-house development and our collaborations, to help keep you at the forefront of life science research. Listed below are just some of the products that we introduced during the last six months.
Checkout the newest innovations launched from Molecular Probes®
|Imaging reagents
|Flow cytometry reagents
|Microplate reagents
|Western detection reagents
The Attune® NxT Acoustic Focusing Cytometer is the next generation in flow cytometry. Retaining all of the benefits of its predecessor (compact size, rapid processing of dilute samples, and the largest range of sample input flow rates), the Attune® NxT cytometer now offers more lasers (up to 4) and more detection channels (up to 16) to increase flexibility in reagent selection and reduce compensation scenarios without sacrificing the superior performance, reliability, and robustness of the instrument. The Attune® NxT cytometer is designed to accommodate most experimental analyzer applications conducted in the core lab, with a price point to fit individual lab budgets.
The new Countess® II FL Automated Cell Counter is a benchtop assay platform equipped with state-of-the-art optics and image analysis software for rapid assessment of cells in suspension. With 3-channel flexibility—brightfield and two optional fluorescence channels—researchers can count cells, monitor fluorescent protein expression, and measure cell viability.
This system offers:
See the new Countess® II FL Automated Cell Counter in action
The Qubit® 3.0 Fluorometer is a benchtop fluorometer that can be used to quantify DNA, RNA, microRNA, and protein using the highly sensitive and accurate fluorescence-based Qubit® quantitation assays. Key features of this third-generation fluorometer include:
Find out more about the Qubit® 3.0 Fluorometer
Imaging reagents
Image-iT® Hypoxia Reagent is a live-cell permeable compound, which increases fluorescence in environments with low oxygen concentrations. The reagent is fluorogenic when atmospheric oxygen levels are less than 5%, and shows real-time response to oxygen levels in live cells by increasing the signal with reduced oxygen. These properties make this reagent an ideal tool for detecting hypoxic conditions around tumor cells, 3D cultures, spheroids, neurons, and other live samples.
ProLong® Diamond and SlowFade® Diamond antifade reagents deliver all the performance of ProLong® and SlowFade® Gold reagents with Alexa Fluor® dyes. In addition, they provide protection for traditional dyes and fluorescent proteins. ProLong® and SlowFade® Diamond reagents are superior antifade mountants, offering protection across the visible and IR spectrum.
Flow cytometry reagents
The AbC™ Total Antibody Compensation Bead Kit is designed to provide a consistent, accurate, and simple-to-use technique for the setting of flow cytometry compensation when using fluorophore-conjugated mouse, rat, hamster, or rabbit antibodies with any laser in flow cytometry.
The mouse anti-human CD8a (clone OKT8) antibody is reactive to the human CD8a, known as CD8a or CD8 alpha. When expressed as a heterodimer with a second chain known as CD8b or CD8 beta, the resulting CD8 acts as a coreceptor for antigen recognition and subsequent T cell activation, which is initiated upon the binding of the T cell receptor (TCR) to antigen-bearing MHC Class I molecules. We have expanded the number of fluorescent conjugates of this antibody to allow you more flexibility in your experiment design.
Microplate reagents
|Designed specifically for microplate assays, BackDrop® Background Suppressor is a novel reagent designed to effectively suppress background fluorescence in live-cell assays. When this reagent is used with green-fluorescent dyes or proteins, the signal-to-noise ratio improves greatly.
|Microplate Lysis Reagent is a buffered nonionic detergent solution for the lysis of adherent or nonadherent cultured cells under nondenaturing conditions. Simply remove the cell culture medium, add Microplate Lysis Reagent, and incubate. The resulting cell lysates are suitable for many assays types, including the Amplex® and EnzChek® microplate assays.
Western detection reagents
WesternDot® antibodies deliver superior signal to-noise ratios and exhibit comparable sensitivity to ECL-based chemiluminescent methods in western blot applications. No stripping and reprobing, or multiple blots, are required for multiple protein detection as commonly practiced with ECL or colorimetric detection. Different colors of WesternDot® antibodies can be applied to a single blot and multiple proteins detected simultaneously using standard gel or blot imaging platforms. Features include:
Learn more about the advantages of multiplexed Western detection


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Mission and Responsibilities
About the District Liaison Program
The Bureau has assigned a city planner to one of six areas of the city, called districts. These planners serve as liaisons between the Bureau and community partners to help neighborhoods and commercial areas flourish as great places to live, work, shop, learn, gather and play.
The District Liaisons' responsibilities are to:
- Understand each district's issues, needs and opportunities
- Build relationships with community members
- Gather and share information
- Infuse City projects, policies and investments with community priorities
- Serve as technical advisors and resources for neighbors, organizations, businesses and institutions
- Tackle planning, design and development challenges through collaborative quick-response projects
District Liaisons are key participants in the City's Comprehensive Plan Update.
Contact the District Liaisons
East Portland – Leslie Lum, 503-823-7896
North / Northeast Portland – Nan Stark, 503-823-3986
Southeast Portland – Marty Stockton, 503-823-2041
West Portland – Joan Frederiksen, 503-823-3111
Central City – Troy Doss and Rachael Hoy, 503-823-6042