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AUGUSTA, Ga. – Junior Cody Maas (Alpharetta, Ga.) of the Georgia College baseball team (25-16, 15-8 PBC) was selected the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday. Maas is the first Bobcat to pick up the honor this season.
Maas was a run-producing machine in four games last week, hitting .421 with four doubles, a home run and 12 RBI. The junior had multiple hits in three of the four games, starting with a 2-for-5 outing with three RBIs against West Georgia. He then hit .429 in a three-game series at Augusta State, driving in four runs in each of the first two games.
He doubled twice in the opener, then hit a three-run home run in game two. Maas drove in another run in the series finale, giving him at least one RBI in all four games. He also scored five times and had a .789 slugging percentage. Maas is third in the PBC in home runs and RBI.
The Bobcats are back in action Wednesday, April 18 at 6 p.m., hosting Toccoa Falls College.
The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at www.twitter.com/BobcatSports and www.facebook.com/gcbobcats for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCBobcats.com for more information, and to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GC Athletics Hall of Fame.


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|Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Arts and Sciences
|Ethnic Politics
|Three semester hours.
|A study of ethnic interest groups and the varieties of American ethnic politics. Emphasis on ethnic groups in Texas. Prerequisite: Six hours of political science.
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7 Steps To Power & Mileage
Jeep Wrangler 3.8L Upgrades
If we've heard it once, we've heard it 1,000 times. The '07-'11 JK's 3.8L minivan-sourced engine is a turd. But is it really? Yes and no. Tasked with pushing such a heavy brick, its 202hp does a pretty good job once you get comfy leaning against the rev limiter. And that's the downside. These little engines are really lacking in low-end grunt. You have to make 'em scream to get anywhere. Most owners tend to lug 'em down low, which makes the JK feel slow and doesn't do any favors for the engine internals. And the high load placed on the engine every time you encounter a hill spikes exhaust gas temperatures, which heat-cycles the exhaust manifolds. Next thing you know you've got carbon buildup, oil consumption issues, and big cracks in your exhaust. So what's a minivan engine owner to do?
First, drive it like you hate it. Wind that little sumbitch up when you encounter a hill rather than letting it lug. And upping overall engine power doesn't hurt. Rather than hunt-and-peck on the Internet for parts, we did a quick-draw from the hip and tapped a couple of our old standby companies for some performance parts to (hopefully) turn our '07 Rubicon Wrangler slug into a…well, slightly faster slug. Any bump in mileage would be a welcome improvement.
For every modification, we tracked our fuel consumption for a couple thousand miles of mixed driving and published the average for each combo. Then, we made a series of 1-mile uphill power runs noting the speed midway through the course and at the finish line. We left the vehicle in Third gear for the entire run, beginning at a slow roll at 1,500 rpm. This tested not only peak horsepower, but overall engine torque through the rpm range. Improvements in low-end torque are more evident from the mid-point speed numbers, with increases in top-end horsepower more telling of the finish line speed.
In the end, we ran into some troubles caused by the header installation that plagued our end-of-test numbers. Between collector bolts that wouldn't stay tight and periodically burning through ignition wires, our mileage runs were probably slightly compromised, but we ultimately wound up with a 1.7 mpg improvement. Power-wise, we never set the aFe Scorcher to the high-octane tune. Had we done so, our speed runs could have improved a bit, but as is, we were able to pick up 7 mph at the mid-point marker and 9 mph through the traps, which is not too shabby. For us, the ideal combo would be some aftermarket heavy-duty cast iron manifolds that resist cracking better than the factory junk, yet don't have the fitment issues of tubular shorty headers. We're leaning on a few places to build 'em, and we'll be sure to let you know (and take full credit) if such a product ever makes it to market.
Step 1: Baseline
When we took the keys away from our former editor, Jp's JK had 78,000 neglectful miles under the tires. The engine air filter was clogged, the crankcase was 3 quarts low, and it was due for an oil change. There was also a major exhaust leak from the manifolds and it fell on its face above 4,000 rpm. We suspect the low oil level was due to carbon buildup on the rings and valves. We topped off the oil and resisted the urge to clean the air filter to establish our baseline mileage numbers.
Install notes: N/A
Seat-of-pants: Slight hesitation off-idle and perceived lack of power above 4,000 rpm
Acceleration (midpoint): 54 mph
Acceleration (final): 59 mph
Mileage: 16.1 mpg
Step 2: Oil Change, Fresh Air Filter, Clean Crankcase
With our baseline out of the way, we drained out the dino oil and filled the crankcase with some Kendall 5W-20 synthetic blend and a new premium oil filter. We also installed a new air filter in the factory air box and added a can of Sea Foam Motor Treatment to the fuel tank to help clean the valves. We also did a top-end cleanout using Sea Foam to remove any carbon buildup from the pistons, rings, and valves.
Install notes: For the Sea Foam top-end treatment, we got the engine up to operating temperature and with the engine running at about 2,000 rpm, we pulled the vacuum line from the power brake diaphragm and gently sucked about 1/3-can of Sea Foam into the engine. Then, we shut it down and let the engine sit for about 15 minutes before taking it for a short 2-3-mile drive. The carbon dissolves and/or flakes off, coming out the tailpipe in a plume of white smoke that lasts anywhere from a couple hundred yards to a mile or so.
Seat-of-pants: Off-idle hesitation still noticeable, but power returned above 4,000 rpm.
Acceleration (midpoint): 56 mph
Acceleration (final): 62 mph
Mileage: 17.6 mpg
Step 3: aFe Stage 2 Si Cold Air Intake
We chose aFe's Stage 2 intake for a number of reasons, primary of which was the excellent fit and the fully sealed design that should keep mud and big chunks of dirt off our filter. When we got our system (PN 54-81252) the company's Pro 5R oil-impregnated cotton gauze filter was the only option, but aFe has since added two filter options that can be ordered with the system in lieu of the standard Pro 5R filter. First, the Pro-Guard 7 is an oil-impregnated cotton gauze filter with seven layers of increasingly finer media material for higher filtration efficiency. Second, the company's Pro-Dry 5 is a washable/reusable oil-free synthetic media that never needs oiling.
Install notes: Retains factory filter mounting base and requires no cutting of factory hoses or major changes.
Seat-of-pants: The off-idle hesitation was minimized and the engine pulls more willingly to redline. Mileage probably suffered because engine is more fun to fling to redline under full throttle. Seat-of-pants power seems improved throughout rpm range. During acceleration runs, minor knocking and pinging heard with engine under full load, probably due to slightly leaner air/fuel mixture since engine is getting more air.
Acceleration (midpoint): 59 mph
Acceleration (final): 65 mph
Mileage: 17.5 mpg
Step 4: aFe 2.5-inch Hi-Tuck Exhaust
You've got to be careful when selecting an exhaust system for your four- or six-cylinder engine. First, you don't want your Jeep to sound like a Honda with a fart-pipe. The aFe after-cat system doesn't. Also, you don't want to kill the exhaust gas velocity by going too large with the tubing diameter. The mandrel bends and 2.5-inch diameter of the Hi-Tuck exhaust we selected for our two-door JK (PN 49-46208) improve flow without killing velocity like a larger 3-inch system could. If you're running additional displacement (like with a V-8 conversion) or have added a supercharger or turbo, then aFe's 3-inch exhaust will be right for you.
Install notes: The factory exhaust is an absolute bitch to get off, but with a lot of pulling, twisting, shouting, and swearing it comes out. Use plenty of lube. The new aFe exhaust has nice band clamps and excellent fit and finish. Don't tighten band clamps 'till the system is installed and aligned. The tailpipe on the Hi-Tuck version is up high and out of the way and the aFe muffler is a much smaller target for trail obstacles, but the system didn't fit with our 1-inch rear swaybar drop brackets. We had to swap to extended rear swaybar end links instead.
Seat-of-pants: There's a noticeable growl under acceleration but no increase in cruising noise and only a slight burble noticeable at idle. No real difference noticed in power, though.
Acceleration (midpoint): 60 mph
Acceleration (final): 66 mph
Mileage: 17.6 mpg
Step 5: aFe Silver Bullet Throttle Body Spacer
In theory, throttle body spacers increase the plenum volume as well as maximize intake air velocity. In practice, they usually make a lot of noise and rarely if ever any power. We decided to give aFe's Silver Bullet spacer (PN 46-35002) a shot since we had to pull off our throttle body to clean the carbon crud off the rear of the throttle blade anyway.
Install notes: Insert the spacer and make sure the throttle body is seated squarely before tightening the longer aFe-supplied bolts in an X-shaped pattern. The factory throttle body is plastic and easy to crack if you gun the bolts down too tight.
Seat-of-pants: We got a very annoying off-idle whistle and other intake noise throughout the rpm range, but no perceivable improvement in power and we saw a decrease in mileage. We removed the spacer and our numbers returned to previous levels.
Acceleration (midpoint): 57 mph
Acceleration (final): 64 mph
Mileage: 17.2 mpg
Step 6: Rusty's Headers & Performance Distributors 3.8 Firepower Ignition
When we say our stock exhaust manifolds were cracked, we mean both were nearly severed the entire circumference of the Number 1 and Number 2 runners. The best price on stainless steel headers we could find was Rusty's Off Road Flow Daddy units (PN FD370) for about $250/pair. The welds are nice, the port and downpipe fitment were good, and the passenger-side header plunked right in, but the driver-side is a nightmare to install. This is true for just about any short-tube JK header on the market. We had to do some modifications and fought loosening collector bolts for a while. While more durable than factory manifolds, the headers come with their own range of issues, so it's sort of a trade-off in one hassle for another.
Since the header installation required the removal of the ignition for access, we installed our Performance Distributors 3.8 Firepower ignition kit, including the Screamin' Demon coil and low-resistance Livewires plug wires. Fitment was perfect and the high-energy ignition allows the plug gap to be increased to 0.065-inch for a huge blast of spark energy.
Install notes: Remove the inner fender liners for installation and drop the steering shaft for more room. The bolts for the driver side are almost impossible to get started thanks to the heat shield. We wound up cutting off the heat shield and still barely managed to get the header installed. Without the shield, we burned through a couple plug wires before using an extra-long wire with a super high-temp sleeve and some creative wire routing. We'll probably have to drop the header if we ever need to change the spark plugs on the driver side.
Seat-of-pants: The crazy-annoying exhaust leak was gone, but we noted no differences in drivability even though our speed runs increased. We had to tighten the collector bolts every 150 miles or so for the first 3,000 miles.
Acceleration (midpoint): 61 mph
Acceleration (final): 68 mph
Mileage: 17.2 mpg
Step 7: aFe Scorcher Tuner
Many electronic tuners are programmed to work with factory components, but aFe's Scorcher employs programming by Superchips tailored to aFe's performance products. That means things like increased fuel delivery and injection timing, more aggressive shift timing (for autos), a bump in ignition timing, and of course, all the other things like speedometer correction, and reading and clearing check engine lights that we've come to expect from electronic tuners. There are many different tunes available, but after correcting our speedo for our 305/70R17 tires and factory 4.10 gears, we loaded the 87-octane performance tune and then the Economy tune.
Install notes: Plug it in and follow the prompts. It takes about 5-10 minutes to load a tune.
Seat-of-pants: With the 87-octane performance tune you could really notice an increase in power in the lower rpm range, especially off-idle. The old dead spot as you started from a stop was finally gone and throttle response was sharpened. However, with the Economy tune, the dead spot came back along with an overall lackluster feeling in engine performance. We really could tell a difference between the two tunes from the driver's seat.
Acceleration (midpoint): 60 (Economy tune); 61 (87-octane tune)
Acceleration (final): 65 (Economy tune); 68 (87-octane tune)
Mileage: 17.8 mpg (Economy tune); 17.6 mpg (87-octane tune)


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Staples girls lacrosse doubles up Danbury
Nicki Najarian and Jenna McNicholas each scored four times as Staples doubled up Danbury 16-8 on Tuesday's Senior Night at Danbury High School. The loss snapped the Hatters' six game winning streak in the regular season finale for both teams.
Leading 6-4 at the break, Staples (9-5) exploded for eight consecutive goals to start the second half. Meredith Hood scored 13 seconds into the half after McNicholas won the opening draw. The Wreckers poured it on with five goals in a 3:40 span to put the game away.
"We've spent a lot of time working on our shooting," Staples coach Pete Najarian said. "We've had some games this year where our shooting percentage was terrible. We were shooting better today and you can be hard to beat when you do that."
McNicholas won most of the draws during the stretch and added a pair of goals 10 seconds apart to push the lead to 11-4.
"(McNicholas) was a beast and she did very well," Danbury midfielder Lindsey Eanniello said. "I just think we need to be hungrier for it. We were getting in there; it was just tough with the ground balls."
Najarian also scored twice during the stretch and dished out two assists. The Wreckers, led primarily by juniors, have scored 55 goals in their last three games.
"I just kept my head clear and had a lot of faith in my teammates," Nicki Najarian said. "I knew whenever I passed the ball, they would be right there catching it and making smart decisions. As a team we did really well."
Danbury (9-7) controlled most of the opening half and would have entered the break in front if not for a disparity in shooting percentage. The Wreckers scored on all six of their shots in the first half while Danbury was held at bay by Staples goalie Emma Boland. Boland made nine saves in front of a defense that helped contain the Hatters' top threats.
"Emma did a fantastic job of adjusting to how their attackers were shooting the ball," Pete Najarian said. "Our defense got smarter about body position versus stick checks. The slides came early and I think that really helped."
Eanniello scored three goals for Danbury, while Najmah James added a goal and an assist. The Hatters scored four of the game's final six goals once the draws evened out.
Both teams will now turn their attention to the FCIAC playoffs, which are set to begin Friday. The seeds are voted on by the coaches after the teams with the best eight records are determined. The Wreckers drew Greenwich and Danbury will travel to Wilton.
"I think we are ready to go up against any team," Staples defender Amelia Heisler said. "Aside from Darien (a 19-7 loss), we were close with Wilton and New Canaan (10-5 and 10-9 losses), and we were really happy about the Greenwich (17-15) win. Ultimately we are ready for any challenge and we are excited for the FCIAC tournament and we hope to go far."
The Hatters won their first ever FCIAC playoff game a year ago against the Warriors.
"We've gone through adversity this whole season," James said. "This is just another hurdle that we went through and we're going to come back even stronger for FCIACs and states."
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Some people call him Dr. Hammer. Some call him Mr. Hammer. Those with a flair for the melodramatic call him "The Hammer". Others simply call him Hammer, much the way people call Madonna or Sting a single name. He is the one you contact should you have a "unique building" need.
Summer riots are a fact of life in the Cities of The Peninsula. So are wild city dogs. Yet, this one seems different.
I am always giving advice to various gamers on various game forums. I am constantly giving the same advice over and over again (cut/ paste repeat). Once a year I think about the advice and put together The List.
This just in from the BBC. It seems a number of medieval archers and swordsmen have stopped a Grinch Attack in Nottingham mall. We take you live to....
Have you noticed that The Elves all belong to the same culture, all speak the same langauge, and all seem to be equally good at everything? I have a theory about that.
To be "On the road to Shambala" is a metaphor for seeking redemption, purification of spirit, and seeking The Great Divine. It is found in teachings of several faiths of The Great Divine and in the writings of many prophets and philosophers. It is not just a metaphor. There truly is a road to Shambala.
Because a true hero does not let reality stop him.
In the World of Star Trek," authored by David Gerrold, Gene Roddenberry explains how a central character trying to solve one or more needs builds drama into any type of story.
It is pretty.
Yes it is. A man could get lost in himself there.
Is that a bad thing?
Depends on the man.
It is not an infectious disease, but it is a plague upon the world.
For it spawns villains. And not your garden variety villains, but epic villains, master villains of the most dangerous kind Evil Geniuses.
Everytime you look at something in The City, there is something going on behind it. It is a moment caught in the tangles of time of some other persons life. It is those little moments that make The City seem so alive.
The Earth-That-Was got used up.
The folk that could made for the sky, and made themselves a new home out here. They made a dozen worlds and all their moons just like Earth, but it weren't all roses and sunshine.
The government, in their vast and mighty wisdom, made the worlds of the Core great havens of culture, medicine, and trade, then dumped everyone else out on the rim with nothing but forty acres and a donkey, and expected them to be happy about it. Eventually, they decided even that was too much, and took back the one thing they'd let the Rimworlders have - their independence.
So naturally, there was a War. The people who just wanted to be left alone, versus the big bosses who wanted to control everything. The bosses won, of course; now everyone's part of the Alliance and supposed to love, honor, and obey them, 'til death do us part.
But that was six years and a few million lives ago. Purple or brown, we're all just folk now. Out here on the Rim, we just do what we have to, take what we can, and thank Whoever every time a new day sees us still flying.
Except for the few of us they took everything from, whose daily prayer is just for a chance to get some of it back.
We'll fly as long as we have to, but we're looking for a place to land.
On their beacon, such that it was, we came in from the east, low across the wet and mud. When you get close to the Pielshome Field, the beacon is pretty useless. Visibility was good and I saw the oil lamps that lit the green circle we had been assigned by the controller. As soft as a leaf, I sat us down. A perfect landing graced with a perfect sunset filling our windscreen. The sun set rose, as the sinking began. The paving bricks they use to line the landing circles they only hold so much weight. The mud is everywhere here.
As the Earth That Was was being "used up", the Dysporia began. Any Rocky World in the Lifeband were made to be habitable by people. This produced a huge number of barely habitable planets, most of which are out on the frontier.
Madeira is not one of these world. It is a rich and lush world where the fine arts of wine making have been reborn, along with a culture of civility and honor.
All through the Alliance there are those that follow the Shepherds of The Book. The Book is old and came from many Great Teachers of the Past that walked The Earth that Was. These folks have followed a Great Shepherd into the Desert that is The Rim and have been given the Promised Land.
Nob was a fairly developed colony world. It had a few cities, some manufacturing, and something that passed as a space port. Then a wonderful disaster showered riches and power upon it.
I was watching one of those famous sunsets while I was waiting for the Mule to come back. I saw the spot in the sun. I thought it was a bug. My gut knew what it was. I was running for the cockpit before it registered in my brain. It was time to get off this planet, as the soil was about to run red with blood.
Hot Dang, we are going to LaVenda!
Flying into Lewiston, once you get low enough, is difficult, captain. There is constant wind sheer through the valleys. You have to fly careful, as the wind will slam you into a mountain side faster than a card player tossing in a bad hand. Of course the town you want to get to, Porsen, is the very worse. So best we land in Ramsy territory on the Blue Diamond Lake there, and take the mule up the "road" to Porsen. I just hope the Ramsy and the Regina towns arent feuding any more. I hate dodging bullets that arent even meant for me.
The place looked like a pile of plastic containers, but it was home.
Five stone dead beholders encased in bronze are found in nets on the side of the road.


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State Senator Kevin de León introduced legislation that stalled two years ago that would have required bb and air guns to be clearly marked.
"I do believe that we should revisit this unquestionably," says De León. "The fact is that a tragedy like the one in Sonoma County is going to happen again."
De León suggests painting the replicas with bold colors or making them transparent. In a statement, a representative of the California Air Gun Shooters Association says that the plan "may backfire as criminals could paint their guns the same color to fool police."
Santa Rosa teenager Andy Lopez was carrying a mock assault rifle when he was shot.


text: New York Red Bulls sign multi-year renewal agreement with Long Island Junior Soccer League Tweet New York Red Bulls sign multi-year renewal agreement with Long Island Junior Soccer League © HARRISON, N.J. (July 1, 2015) – The New York Red Bulls announced today that a multi-year renewal agreement with Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) as their exclusive camps provider and Regional Development School (RDS) partner has been signed. "The New York Red Bulls are proud to announce our continued partnership with LIJSL, an organization dedicated to building children's character through soccer," said New York Red Bulls Head of Commercial Operations Marc de Grandpre. "LIJSL is committed to the development and growth of soccer on Long Island, and their success in advancing Regional Development School players to the Red Bulls Academy has been second to none." The Red Bulls enter their fifth year as the exclusive summer camp provider for LIJSL. Over the past four years, the relationship between LIJSL and the Red Bulls has provided a pathway for talented players to progress onto Red Bulls Academy team. During this span, the Long Island RDS has been the most successful RDS region for RDS players graduating to the Academy, with more than 20 players completing the transition. During the partnership, thousands of young players have benefited from attending LIJSL/Red Bulls summer camps. "We are extremely excited to continue our relationship with the Red Bulls," said LIJSL President Anthony Maresco. "Through our joint efforts with the Red Bulls RDS program and the summer skills camps program, we are able to provide appropriate training and positive soccer experiences for players of every ability level." As a benefit, member clubs will be able to host Red Bulls Skills camps, which will be offered at select locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. Any LIJSL member club will have the opportunity to become a host organization. The organizations will work together in a number of areas and members will receive benefits, including: Year round RDS training for elite level boys and girls ages 7 - 13, accessible by tryout only. Selected players will be offered six weeks of fall training, five weeks of indoor winter training, and an additional eight weeks of spring training. Opportunity for players to progress to the supplementary RDS winter and summer showcase teams. Truly elite players will be selected to play with Red Bulls Academy teams. Participants at camp programs will also receive a heavily discounted ticket to attend a match at Red Bull Arena, in addition to an adidas Red Bulls ball, adidas camp t-shirt and certificate signed by the entire Red Bulls team. Additional benefits such as online curriculum access, access to special events, first team player appearances and drop in visits by the Red Bulls street team will also form part of the partnership. About LIJSL: The Long Island Junior Soccer League is focused on increasing services and programs designed to benefit children, and promoting and growing the sport of soccer on Long Island. The LIJSL currently serves over 60,000 youth soccer players on 97 clubs and over 3,500 teams (including over 1600 travel teams). The league operates under the banner of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association, ENYYSA. ENYYSA is one of 15 National State Associations that are members of Region 1. There are 55 National State Associations and four regions which make up the United States Youth Soccer Association. It is the mission of the league to foster the growth and development of youth through the sport of soccer to individuals under the age of nineteen at all levels of competition. The league shall administer the orderly management of governmental affairs of the game of soccer in the Long Island area. Back to news


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CWD to renovate Trade Center Building
Although it won't seek LEED certification for the restoration, Sam Cummings said his firm's revival of the Trade Center Building will be as sustainable as it possibly can be.
In fact, the managing partner of CWD Real Estate Investment said he would look at another green guideline program for a possible certification.
"We're exploring SERF, which is a much less onerous program," said Cummings.
SERF is the acronym for the Society of Environmentally Responsible Facilities, which is based in Lansing. Joseph Maguire, a commercial real estate property owner, started SERF and serves as its president. SERF has certified dozens of properties in its fairly short existence and has done so at less expense for building owners.
"We're also seeking historic tax credits," said Cummings. "It's an extremely challenging project."
CWD plans to invest $4.1 million into the seven-story building at 50 Louis St. NW. Cummings said work will most likely begin on the exterior soon, especially the south and west facades. The lobby will also get a makeover.
The Trade Center was built in 1896 and served as a home to the Masons until the early 1950s. It housed one of the city's first Masonic Lodge Temples.
"This is exciting for us. It's a great historic building that has been underutilized for years," said Cummings, who added that his firm will move into the building once the work is completed.
The Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority awarded the project a $75,000 building-reuse grant last week that will go to the restoration of the façade and the installation of green-design features. The board also approved a tax-increment reimbursement of up to $391,000 to help defray the costs to make the building barrier free in accordance with federal law and to install an ADA-compliant elevator.
DDA planner Eric Pratt said CWD will ask the state for a Community Revitalization Program grant and the U.S. Department of Interior for federal historic tax credits to assist with the project's funding.
"They're proposing a complete renovation of the building," said Pratt. "The building is 50 percent vacant now."
Lee & Birch, a women's clothing store owned by Nikki Gillette, has been located in the Trade Center for the past two years, and Start Garden, an initiative begun by Rick DeVos to fund start-up businesses, made its public debut in the building last week.
This was the second time the DDA provided incentives for the building. About 18 months ago, the DDA gave First Ward 2 LLC a building renovation grant of $25,000 and a storefront-renovation grant of $25,000. But to collect the grants, a developer has to start work within a year of receiving them, and Pratt said First Ward decided not to go forward with either renovation.
The firm sold the Trade Center to CWD in March for an undisclosed amount. The State Equalized Value of the building is $1.6 million, the same as the structure's taxable value. Cornerstone Architects will design the renovation. Cummings said CWD hasn't selected a construction manager yet.
CWD also holds an option to purchase some city-owned property on Fulton Street at Ionia Avenue, not far from the Trade Center Building. The site, which is currently a metered parking lot, is across Fulton from Van Andel Arena and at the south end of the Ottawa Fulton parking ramp.


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We sat down with Luna Luis Ortiz, who has worked with at-risk and HIV-positive youth for 20 years, to discuss how disclosure issues affect his work.
When I was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 14, I dealt with it and had an optimistic attitude. I found strength in family support, in my photography, and later in working at the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth in New York City.
But my mom and dad were afraid and confused. They didn't understand how people got HIV. At home I had my own cup, spoon, fork, and plate. My mom would clean the toilet with bleach every time I used it. Over time, they started to understand. I know it was a difficult time for them but it wasn't easy for me, either.
How does stigma affect the ability to disclose?
HIV stigma exceeds what most of us have the capacity to understand. People are punished for simply living with HIV. It endangers your housing, your job, and your relationships. I have been blessed since I have not had to deal with much HIV stigma. I purposely strategize my life. I surround myself with people who understand. I've created an environment that reflects my way of thinking: "I have AIDS, but I am nobody's victim, and am I not going to tolerate any disrespect."
Most of my experiences with stigma came from dating. Some guys didn't want to deal with an HIV-positive boyfriend. I would always get them with my famous line, "I told you I have HIV, but you've already been with people who didn't tell you." Then I would leave them there thinking about it.
Has the issue of stigma improved since you learned you had HIV?
Well, 22 years is a long time for someone who was told he had only two years to live! Much has changed since the early days. We have laws that protect us now. We have rights. We have social services and many more agencies that support us and are able to help people with HIV. People are more educated about HIV. But I do know that HIV stigma still exists.
What has been your experience with dating?
Being HIV positive and dating is not easy. It definitely isn't easy to deal with when most of the community already knows my HIV status due to campaigns that use me as a spokesmodel. I have met some great guys who I've had great relationships with, but I've dealt with many more who simply did not want to date me because I have HIV. I always disclose up front though, so I don't have to deal with emotional attachments.
When do you tell new friends or partners?
I always tell them in the very beginning. I think I tell them early on because I got it from someone who didn't tell me, so I feel the need to tell the world. It's very natural for me to say it within minutes of meeting a person. I have never been ashamed, and I feel it is such a big part of me as a person, that it wouldn't be fair not to introduce my virus.
How does your personal experience inform your work?
I know what it is like to deal with being young and gay with HIV. You face rejection by friends and family for being gay so you leave home, but get kicked out of group homes because you're gay -- and then you test positive for HIV in a street van somewhere. It's hard enough being a teenager with, say, acne and self-image issues. But being gay, young, and HIV positive is very hard.
I keep a youthful approach to the work I do in HIV prevention. I keep up with their lingo and use it to talk to them. I'm careful to avoid unwelcoming body language, since they read discomfort very quickly. I make them feel comfortable. I become like them because I once wore their shoes. I've become a "go-to" person for young people whenever they find out their status. My work has always been focused on youth, and I do it with an open heart. And sometimes I find that young people just want to be heard.
How do you help young clients who find out they have HIV?
I've seen many young people deal with all the emotions that come with their diagnosis. The biggest challenge is trying to convince them that it's not a death sentence. Their personal challenges include learning to live with HIV; deciding when to start taking medication; finding safe, stable housing; dealing with a lack of love from family; and not getting support from friends. I have seen young people go from thinking that their dreams were over to a point where they are living their dream. I love to see young people take control of their HIV status.
What challenges does disclosure bring?
Disclosing their status can lead to rejection by family and friends, being forced out of their homes, or losing their jobs. Their families may hold them personally responsible for their situation, and they can experience isolation, violence, and loneliness. But there are also success stories. I've seen some families offer real support -- friends, too.
Does the family ever discourage disclosure?
Yes. Most parents do not want the rest of the family to know the child's HIV status. This usually happens because family members do not understand the disease, but instead believe the myths about how HIV is transmitted. There is also prejudice based on media reports on the epidemic. The fact that AIDS is incurable heightens fears about sexuality, illness, and death.
I myself dealt with these issues. My mother me told not to tell my brother or sister about my HIV because "they wouldn't understand." Six years later I told my brother that I had HIV, and he was shocked. At the time, I was writing newspaper articles and was on television talking about HIV and youth. So I simply told him as if it were no big deal, with a matter-of-fact attitude I adopted from ACT UP. He just stared at me. But when we got out of the car, he hugged me. He couldn't believe that my parents didn't want him to know. The rest of the family slowly found out from my mother's side of the family. HIV was not new to them -- my mother's youngest sister, my favorite aunt, was also living with AIDS. My dad's side of the family seemed to be a little bit more close-minded.
Can keeping their status a secret interfere with treatment?
Stigma, denial, and nondisclosure are barriers to preventing further infections. Providing adequate medical care, support, and treatment helps to lower that risk. Unfortunately, many young people do not consider HIV treatment because they keep their status a secret. They may avoid HIV clinics if they're worried about being seen there. And having to hide your HIV meds from roommates or family is a real barrier to adherence.
How do you deal with clients who have not disclosed to their partners?
Usually I have discussions about relationships, trust, and commitment with them. It's important that they understand what a relationship is and how crucial honesty is in a successful partnership. I work with young people who are afraid of rejection and refuse to tell their partners about their HIV status, but they have safe sex with them and are working toward telling them. I never pressure them into doing something they're not ready for.
I have been noticing more infections due to nondisclosure. I have also noticed a large number of young people -- in their teens and twenties -- getting infected while in a relationship. Most times I try to help young people cope with HIV stigma and help them to a place where they feel safe disclosing.
You're active in the House and Ball community. Is disclosure an issue there?
The House and Ball community is a subculture of young people who organize "balls" at which drag and other performers are judged in a number of categories. Disclosure in the House and Ball scene is rare. I have been in this scene since 1988 and I have only heard of five openly HIV-positive members, even though there have been well over 500 deaths since the 1980s. The House and Ball scene mirrors the HIV epidemic today. Young black and Latino gay men have the highest rates of HIV, and that is who primarily makes up the House and Ball community. GMHC and The House of Latex project have done great work with this population over the years, but there is still an air of silence towards HIV in this community.
Luna Luis Ortiz is a Community Health Specialist with the Institute for Gay Men's Health at GMHC.
Want to read more articles in the Winter 2008/2009 issue of Achieve? Click here.


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It seems like an unlikely place to go for a salad: a warehouse in the middle of car repair shops on a San Juan side street, where few tourists venture.
But this warehouse is the home of El Departamento de la Comida — the Department of Food — an organic produce vendor that doubles as a restaurant serving dishes such as rice pilaf with squash and tortilla española with plantains and cilantro. It fills at lunchtime with people looking for what constitutes rare food in the Puerto Rican capital.
Healthy fare is plentiful in most major U.S. cities. But it's still hard to come by in Puerto Rico, where the majority of restaurants still serve the familiar staples of rice, beans, fried plantains and some kind of meat, usually chicken or pork, often fried and sometimes on a stick. Vegetables, if they even make it to the plate, are also often fried and may come from Costco.
But things are definitely changing in the U.S. island territory. Puerto Rico has been undergoing something of a restaurant renaissance, with a handful of eateries adopting elements of the local food movement that has flourished on the mainland.
"In terms of the food scene, things have gotten much, much better. People are starting to catch on," said Tara Rodriguez, who started El Departamento de la Comida just over two years ago, initially to deliver organic produce to people's homes. "We're about 10, 15, 20 years behind everybody else in some things."
Fortunately, the best new places are not as out-of-the-way as her warehouse in Santurce. But they're not exactly easy to find, either. A popular San Juan restaurant called Jose Enrique, which specializes in big plates of fish suffused with tropical flavors, has no sign in front of the residential space it occupies a block from the Plaza Mercado farmers market; Verde Mesa, a vegetarian restaurant, is on a quiet back street of colonial Old San Juan; Abracadabra, a lively cafe, is in a neighborhood that hasn't quite lost its sketchiness despite several new apartment buildings and shops.
One thing that these and several other relatively new entrants into the market have in common is a more sophisticated approach to the island's cuisine, said Giovanna Huyke, executive chef at Mio restaurant in Washington and the author of two books on Puerto Rican food culture.
For many years, chefs on the island were either European or at least trained in that style, and their cooking reflected it, Huyke said. This started to change in the 1980s, as a younger generation emerged and incorporated flavors of home such as sofrito, a mix of onions, cubanella and sweet chile peppers, a cilantro variety known as ricao, and garlic, as well as some of the island's traditional fruits and vegetables, including yuca, malanga, yautia, apio, batatas and breadfruit.
"Puerto Rican kids started to look at cooking as a profession in the 1990s," she said. "We have more professional chefs now who embrace and are proud of our culture and our history of food."
Among those who embody this trend is Jose Enrique, whose namesake restaurant near San Juan's main farmers market is packed most nights and doesn't take reservations. The menu changes frequently, depending on what's available, but includes such dishes as carne guisada or whole snapper served with a papaya and avocado salsa.
Puerto Rico, with a population of about 4 million, has more than 7,000 restaurants, including many of the chains found on the U.S. mainland. The island has only recently emerged from a six-year recession that saw lots of eateries go under, including many in tourist zones such as Old San Juan, Condado and Isla Verde.
Tourism is important to the island economy, though it contributes much less to the GDP than manufacturing, and local officials are trying to promote Puerto Rico as a foodie destination.
For the past five years, the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association has organized an annual food festival called Saborea at Escambron, a beach between Old San Juan and Condado. The event, on April 6-7 this year, will feature the work of chefs from 60 restaurants. It drew nearly 8,000 people last year.
The dishes one finds in Saborea have evolved over time, along with the local restaurant scene, says Clarisa Jimenez, president of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association. Though there are still plenty of old standbys, including the fritters stuffed with ground meat known as alcapurrias, there are chefs displaying more sophisticated dishes. "Cuisine has more importance now, more relevance," Jimenez said.
Few local restaurants, and perhaps none, have embraced the farm-to-table ethos to the extent of Verde Mesa, which overlooks San Juan Bay and the city's cruise ship port.
Founder Loyda Rosa became a vegetarian 20 years ago and realized just how hard that was to maintain in Puerto Rico. She eventually developed enough expertise to open the restaurant just a little more than four years ago.
At first, just getting good ingredients was a challenge. Puerto Rican agriculture has been in decline for years as workers have fled the countryside for manufacturing or service jobs, and as cheaper imports have flooded the island. Rosa says that those farmers who remained were far from San Juan and reluctant to deliver the eggplant and zucchini she needed. But that has changed, thanks to demand from people like her, as well as a couple of farmers markets and vendors such as Rodriguez.
"What I have noticed is that there is a very, very strong commitment, and it's a new wave of farmers," she said in an interview at her restaurant. "It's a different farmer than in the old decades, who were just country men. Now it's a lot of young professionals, agronomists, and many of them do have some degrees, and they're growing food with a different mindset."
Her restaurant's philosophy is to offer interesting, organic and local vegetarian cuisine, but to do it in a subtle way. She describes it as being more like an invitation to try something rather than preaching to customers about what to eat. For those who want more than just vegetables, she prepares fish as well as creamy fruit shakes made with almond milk.
Experts in the island's restaurant scene have a pretty short list of favorites, with many names appearing again and again. They include Abracadabra Counter Cafe, which opened in 2010 on the long and busy Ponce de Leon Avenue and features wraps and fresh juices, along with live music at night and events for kids.
Pure and Natural has been around for several years, offering healthy Caribbean food and fruit shakes. It's on Ashford Avenue, in the heart of the touristy Condado, but it's easy to miss the storefront amid the surrounding fast-food joints.
Also among the favorites is Bodega Chic, a blend of French-Algerian and Caribbean cuisine; its dimly lit spot is just up the cobblestone street from the cathedral in Old San Juan.
Outside the old city, there is La Jaquita Baya, serving tapas such as small fish tacos and bok choy as well as more traditional Creole dishes. There is also Pikayo, which for many years was inside the Puerto Rico Museum of Art but has moved to the Conrad Condado Plaza Hotel. It's considered another of the more ambitious restaurants; chef Wilo Benet has a book on Puerto Rican cuisine and a TV show.
Outside San Juan, the choices are much narrower. On Vieques, the former U.S. Navy bombing range that now attracts thousands of visitors each year to some of the best beaches in the Caribbean, there's a restaurant called Next Course, which serves appetizers such as yellowfin tuna tartare with tempura avocado and yucca chips and, for a main course, butter-poached Caribbean lobster with white-truffle-scented crab risotto.
Over on the west coast, there's the surfer town of Rincon, where Copa Llena offers up green papaya salad and grilled octopus on a bed of white beans with incredible flavors and freshness.
Rodriguez got into the restaurant business as an afterthought. She returned to her native Puerto Rico from New York in 2008 to help her mother, who had left a San Juan retail career to become an organic farmer. Rodriguez started to help her mother promote and sell their fresh produce. At first, she was dismayed.
"How am I supposed to sell organic produce if Puerto Ricans don't know what dill is, they don't know what tarragon is," the 29-year-old said.
Later, she started El Departamento de la Comida — an ironic name meant to highlight the fact that she feels the Puerto Rican government doesn't do enough to promote healthy eating — which has no waitstaff and offers a select menu of tapas for lunch. Regulars track it on Facebook to find out what's on the menu each day.
Rodriguez says that she has started to get a few tourists, and she plans to double the size of the kitchen with some grants she has received.
"We realized that there was a huge, huge world that could get opened by just cooking this food," she said. "And the conversation is amazing, because you don't serve rice and beans anymore."
Fox is a freelance writer living in San Juan, Puerto Rico.


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Thai Chilli Paste Pla Duk Fuu flavor is served by mixing with hot steamed rice, as well as steamed or fresh vegetable. This Thai chilli paste Pla duk fuu is catfish flavor. Ingredients: Cat fish, chilli, sugar, garlic, shrimp paste, galanga, salt. Net Weight: 4.0 oz. Product of Thailand.
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Is 50 the new black?
Hollywood's favorite actor Johnny Depp turns the big 5-0 today and in honor of his milestone birthday and good looks, the man who plays Captain Jack Sparrow has got us thinking about some of Hollywood's hottest middle-aged men.
NEWS: Johnny Depp Reportedly Pulls Out of Whitey Bulger Biopic After Declining to Take a Pay Cut
U.S. & World
From Tom Cruise to George Clooney, Hollywood's high-mileage hunks are still sizzling at 50 and over--and we're not complaining.
So what's Johnny got to look forward to at 50?
If you're taking a page from Clooney, you could score a girlfriend like Stacy Keibler, and if you're Tom Cruise, you can expect to still own the box office.
But obviously Depp's got nothing to worry about. Being 2012's highest-paid actor and scoring Best Actor at the Golden Globes for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street not to mention the Screen Actors Guild award for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, it seems Johnny has made his way almost over the hill just fine.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Depp!