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Technical Problem With This Chapter?
Author: St Margarets
Story: Skipping to the End
Part: Part 1
Rating: Teens
Setting: Post-DH
Status: Completed
Reviews: 18
Words: 6,033
Updated: February 27, 2008, 1:57pm
Part 1
A/N: This story was written back in October (hence no Weasley family tree with a single Charlie) for Charlie Weasley's fangirl, Girlyswot. Kathleen Pen is an OC I created for Charlie Weasley's other fangirl, Kellypen. Thanks to Sherry and TDU for the betas. Part II coming soon!
Troubadour Press
144 Diagon Alley
14 October 1997
Kathleen Pen
Dear Ms. Pen,
Troubadour Press is pleased to include your novel, Keeper of My Heart, in our Romance Catalogue for the 1997 Christmas season. The marriage of convenience between the romance novelist and the Dragon Keeper whilst on the run in the mythical land of Terra Incognita was realistically and touchingly conveyed. We are sure our loyal readers across the globe will find this latest offering from Kathleen Pen a welcome diversion in these trying times.
Enclosed you will find a standard contract for publication, (which you will need to sign ASAP), a mock-up of the cover art and the dust jacket copy (which you will need to initial ASAP). If there are any dedications or acknowledgements, please let us know ASAP. The galley proofs will be ready within the week for your approval and return (ASAP).
Basil Naughthem
14 October 1997
Dear Charlie,
I wanted to let you know (ASAP) that my latest novel was just accepted for publication – and they're rushing it through (ASAP) to be included in their Christmas offerings!
I've never written a novel that quickly and I wasn't sure if it was any good at all when I sent it off, but it looks like someone else liked it! I can't thank you enough for all of your help with the dragon keeping details. When I met you on the Abraxan Stage, I never dreamed our little encounter would lead to a whole book.
While I'm very glad that we landed by a pond in Germany and not in Terra Incognita, I do wish we had somehow found the key to defeating What's-His-Name like Christy and Kean did whilst we were hiking through the Black Forest. Still, it was an incredible experience and one I'll never forget. I don't think Russia or even a real life Count Leo would have provided as much inspiration.
Right now I'm glad I returned to England to write the book, instead of continuing on to Russia. My friend from Hogwarts, Tonks – you must remember her, she was in Hufflepuff, too – is going through a rough patch. She's pregnant and her husband has left her because of his involvement in the war. I've been visiting her as much as possible, trying to keep her spirits up. If I was to write their story, I would have had him return after one night away, realising that their love is stronger than his self-loathing – but alas, that's one story I can't write.
I will send you the advance copy of the story I did write. You don't have to read it (but I wish you would).
PS. Sorry about the ASAPs but that is my editor's favourite acronym.
30 October 1997
Dear Kathleen,
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply. (ASAP isn't always possible) I've been busy with things, but today is my mum's birthday and I've taken the day off to visit her and to write to you – finally.
I'm glad your novel is going to be published and that it stars a Dragon Keeper. If you had called your main character Charlie then I could brag to my twin brothers that I've been immortalized in fiction. Of course I want to read it.
Yes, I do know Tonks and her husband. Don't tell her this, but we're working on him.
7 November 1997
Dear Charlie,
Here is the advance copy. I want you to know that I had nothing to do with the cover art – although if I had a figure like that witch, I'd be showing cleavage down to my navel, too. You might want to Charm it if you're going to be reading around your brothers.
Tonks told me a little bit about what you're doing. Since I'm not a Gryffindor, I'm going to tell you to be careful, okay? Those are magic words that will keep you from harm.
10 November 1997
Dear Kathleen,
I've only read the first three chapters, but already I think Kean is an idiot. Christy is fun and resourceful and very sweet – a much nicer girl than the bird he was shagging in the first chapter. She kind of reminds me of you except she doesn't talk as much. Why didn't he see that right away? But then he went ahead and married her! If he did have doubts, he never should have married her in the first place.
As for the cover art – well, maybe all the blood in his head is going to his arm muscles. That would explain his thickness when it comes to the right girl. Not-So-Keen would be a better name. Ha, ha. And where are his burn scars? He doesn't look like any Dragon Keeper I know.
Tonks shouldn't tell you anything about what I'm doing. So don't ask her.
And thanks for the magic words. Gryffindors like to hear them, too.
10 November 1997
Dear Charlie,
Now I feel bad about Kean. The reader is supposed to love him! He's a free-spirit who has generously tied himself to the mousey writer in order to protect her. I hope no other readers are annoyed with him, although if he fell in love with the leading lady on sight, then there wouldn't be much point in telling their story. A little inner conflict makes a hero interesting and three-dimensional.
Do I really talk that much?
I haven't asked Tonks anything about what you're doing, but I'm very good at reading between the lines. We lived in the same dormitory at Hogwarts for seven years, so I know her well. Speaking of which, we're living together again. I've moved in with Tonks for the time being. Neither one of us likes living alone and she could use help with the rent. If Remus returns (I hope he does), I can always find another place. Her dad stopped by the other day. Poor man is on the run and he's worried about his pregnant daughter – but he was as cheerful and sweet as ever. He and Andromeda used to visit me every month and bring me magical newspapers when I was nursing my uncle at St. Margaret's. Uncle Chester was fascinated with witches and wizards and was always happy to talk to them.
I don't remember talking that much during their visits.
I'll finish this by writing the words you did like. Be careful and stay safe.
11 November 1997
Dear Kathleen,
I didn't mean to make you angry. I do like the book – a lot. The action scenes are very exciting and I like Christy so much that I'm angry she has to feel like an ugly duckling next to "Mr. Dream" – who isn't so great if he doesn't even know his own mind. It's not romantic, it's annoying.
But then I don't know anything about writing, so you shouldn't take my word for it. This is the first book I've read since I've been out of Hogwarts – and it's ten times better than the stuff we had to read for school.
Sorry if I hurt your feelings.
I'm glad you're with Tonks – she needs someone to talk to and lift her spirits. You might talk a lot but you always have something to say.
11 November 1997
Dear Charlie,
Okay, maybe I am a little sensitive when it comes to my writing, but it's really devastating to know your characterisation hasn't worked. Why would Kean, who is not a traditionalist (he chose Dragon Keeping over being a Quidditch star), ever want to get married? He can have any woman he wants and can do just what he wants – unencumbered.
I know you don't have to answer this, but I'd really like to know. Maybe I have wizards all wrong.
13 November 1997
Dear Kathleen,
Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you – we were busy. Tell Tonks the password is "Harry James." She'll know what I mean.
I chose Dragon Keeping over Quidditch playing and I would certainly get married. A player like Mr. Dreamy is sure to get lonely in his old age. Believe me, dragons don't talk – at all.
I just got to the part where they're mending the dragon's wing. That really got to me – poor beast. At least Kean knew what he was doing. Can you sing like Christy?
16 November 1997
Dear Charlie,
I heard your voice on the wireless! That's so funny that you chose "Kean" as your name. You must like him better after healing that dragon in chapter twenty. Now that I know what you're doing, it doesn't lessen my worry. Your poor mum must be on tenterhooks. Still, it's good you can spend so much time with your brothers. I could tell from the way you talked about your family that you were very close.
Thank you for explaining what you didn't like about Kean. I'm glad he is somewhat redeemed in your eyes by taking such good care of the Hungarian Horntail. The only reason Kean knew what he was doing is because of your expert advice! I have to warn you that the next chapter is a little racy. Those sorts of scenes are staples of the romance novel, so don't give me a lecture on morality.
No, I can't sing like Christy. All that talking must have injured my vocal chords.
18 November 1997
Dear Kathleen,
I was going to give this book to my sister for Christmas! I was going to suggest it to my mum!
20 November 1997
Dear Charlie,
I don't know what to make of your last letter. There weren't enough lines to read between. Sex is a normal, beautiful part of human existence. Did I get something wrong? Christy and Kean are married – I don't think they did anything bad or immoral, even if they weren't married.
Basil, my editor, thought it was a well-written scene.
Your mother had seven children. I don't think my little sex scene would bother her.
21 November 1997
Dear Kathleen,
I hurt your feelings again. I'm sorry. Of course, it's a well-written scene. I'm just a bit shocked. Reading about a super man like Kean who can last for what seemed to be hours and make the first time that good for his partner makes the regular blokes out there feel a little – inadequate.
I agree with you about the beautiful and normal part of human existence – I just don't think most men are that imaginative. Although, if they read romance novels rather than Playwizard…
My mum always warned us about scarlet women, so I wouldn't give her a book with a sex scene in it. And I'm immature enough to not want to know how we came into existence.
PS – I might give it to Mum, but Ginny – never.
PPS – You have a nice voice when you talk, I can't believe you don't sing.
21 November- 1997
Dear Charlie,
It's not the mechanics or the techniques involved in that scene that are important – it's the feeling! Since it's from Christy's point of view, she's not noticing the – er – strain he's under. What she does notice is that he knows what he's doing and she's very, very happy that he does. Thank you for being so honest about male performance anxiety, it's something I've never considered before, since most of my knowledge comes from books and I've never seen a romance novel address it. And believe me, I've read a lot of romance novels.
Isn't Ginny in her sixth year? Tonks and I were reading some fairly steamy novels at that age. I remember Tonks' favourite was May Loves December about a Potions Master who had a torrid affair with his student. Since Snape was our Potions Master, I couldn't get past the mental image of that nose and that sneer. Tonks told me at the time that I was being too literal. Ironic that she did ended up marrying an older man and a teacher to boot. The May/December story turned out tragically, I just hope theirs doesn't. Although they are going to have a baby, and there's nothing tragic about that.
Tonks and I are trying to learn to knit. Usually I can learn just about anything from a book, but in this case, I think I need first-hand instruction. The baby blanket I've been trying to knit looks more like a macramé hanging plant holder. Tonks thinks her scarf would be perfect for garrotting an intruder.
I just sold a Christmas story to Witch Weekly and have started writing about Katarina and Count Leo. Even though I haven't been to Russia, I'll be able to write it since Basil (my editor) agreed to send my queries to one of his counterparts there. Who knows? I might get a new pen friend out of it.
PS – I don't know if it's the quality of my voice, I simply can't carry a tune in a bucket. The choirmaster at St. Margaret's said I lacked the ability to listen. Must be because I talk so much.
1 December 1997
Dear Kathleen,
I didn't realise I was talking about male performance anxiety. And if I was, I meant it in general terms.
I can see why a story about a Potions Master and a student wouldn't be to your liking. What was your favourite story when you were that age?
I still can't believe Ginny is old enough to be reading things like that, but maybe she is. I'm sure she would like your book since it has a lot of action in it and it ends happily. I finished it last night, but I knew the ending already because I had skipped ahead after chapter one just to make sure Christy was going to be all right.
Now I wish I had something else to read since I don't have an excuse to bow out of Fred and George and Lee's stupid Exploding Snap games. Or even better, I wish you were here to talk to. There's nothing new to talk about amongst us – and whenever there is something new to talk about, it's usually bad news.
5 December 1997
Dear Charlie,
You skipped ahead? I'm surprised that someone with your sense of adventure wouldn't like suspense. Well, you can't skip ahead with this first part of Katarina and Count Leo's romance that I'm sending to you (since the ending is not written), but I will reassure you that all of my stories have happy endings. Maybe you can give me some ideas about Leo's character, since he is an outdoors sort of man and doesn't talk very much.
You never said if you liked Keeper of My Heart. Did you like it? Or did Kean bother you too much?
I met your mum yesterday! She dropped in to give Tonks and me a knitting lesson. Did you tell her we were looking for lessons? I don't care if you did, since now I finally understand how to end a row and start a new one! I've knitted a foot of… something. It started out as a blanket, but it's getting narrower. I think it might make a passable scarf.
Anyway, I loved your mum. She was very sweet to Tonks and said all kinds of bracing things about husbands and babies and wartime. I could tell that she knows them both very well and isn't taking sides. She's a very warm and nurturing person, isn't she? You have her brown eyes.
She was very interested in how we met on the Abraxan coach and then told me to tell you that she hopes to see you on your birthday next week. Charlie, you should write to her – and so should Fred and George.
PS: My favourite romance when I was at Hogwarts was called Brother in my Arms. It was about this heiress named Merry Sue who was stunningly beautiful and kind and intelligent. I don't remember the particulars, but I think she had to marry one of the brothers for some reason. She was wooed by every brother in the Williams family except for the middle brother who was too shy since he wasn't particularly athletic or smart or rich. But she ended up picking him because he was the kindest and loved her the best.
12 December 1997
Dear Kathleen,
I didn't write to Mum, but I did visit and now I have birthday cake to look forward to. Thank you for the scarf. I can't believe that was your first attempt at knitting. Mum says she will make my Christmas jumper in the same shade of blue. I know Fred and George and Lee will appreciate that style detail.
Yes, I liked the book. I wouldn't have read the whole thing if I didn't like it. I haven't read very much of Katarina and Count Leo's story – but I will. We've been busy lately.
My mum loved you, too. She thought you were good for Tonks and that you had a beautiful complexion and pretty hair. I agreed with her, of course. She understood about my lack of letters when I told her I was writing to you. So now I'm off the hook, but Fred and George have no excuse.
I think your favourite book sounds less demented than Tonks' but not by much. I don't know of any brothers who would all fall for the same girl.
24 December 1997
Dear Charlie,
Happy Christmas! It's almost midnight as I'm writing this – and it's snowing ever so lightly on the moor. I can't help but sing carols with weather like this. Tonks doesn't mind my poor singing because – you'll never believe it – Remus came back.
Yes! It was terribly romantic and touching because – Gah! That look in his eyes when Tonks opened the door. He was so sorry and hopeful and she was so happy and tearful. I tried to make myself scarce, but even in my bedroom, I feel like the extra twig on the broomstick.
I suppose I'll rent a room over the Three Broomsticks after New Year (ASAP as Basil would say). I've never wanted to live in a big city like London – although I want to visit all the big cities of the world, of course. The drawback to Hogsmeade is putting up with all of those Dementors – but if I don't have anyone to talk to and I have to stay indoors, I'll get a lot of writing done. Basil is after me to have Russian Rendezvous finished in time for the beach readers – although I don't know who is going to feel safe enough to loll on a beach with the way things are going now.
I do hope you're all right. I haven't heard from you in two weeks.
31 December 1997
Dear Kathleen,
I can't believe I missed you! I thought you were moving to Hogsmeade after New Year.
I hope you can produce a Patronus with all of those Dementors around. Tonks said you could. If I have to stop sending you letters we can communicate that way – but just short messages.
I found this book in a second-hand bookshop in Ottery St. Catchpole. I hope it's the right one. Sorry it's late for Christmas.
Happy New Year!
3 January 1998
Dear Charlie,
I can't believe you found Brother in my Arms! Yes, it is the same book. I've spent the last day reading it, and it's just as good as I remembered. Thank you, thank you. It really lifted my spirits and relieved me of having to listen to my own thoughts – something I really needed. No wonder I liked the middle brother, Harley. He reminds me of you because he speaks gruffly but is really rather sweet deep down.
I'm sorry I missed you, too. More than I can say.
I don't know if I've made the right decision moving to "Occupied Hogsmeade" as I'm coming to think of it. It's a dreary place indeed. No one goes out unless it's daylight, which seems to last about two hours this far north. Were the days always this short when we were at Hogwarts? I don't remember.
Anyway, there is a Caterwauling Charm up, so that once it's dark, you can't venture outside your door. Poor Madam Rosmerta's business is hurting, since she has to close by late afternoon. Still, it's nice and quiet here… for hours on end.
The Death Eaters were curious about me at first – wondering why I would move on Boxing Day, why a young witch was on her own – that sort of thing. When I told them I was a writer and showed them my Katarina and Count Leo story, they backed right off. One of the wizards told me his wife has all of my books and would be glad to know I was working on another! I don't know if I like remembering that these horrible men have families and might have a few redeeming qualities. Or am I so thrilled to have readers that I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt? One good thing is that they won't be suspicious of all the mail I send and receive.
Don't worry; I can do the Patronus Charm. I practiced tonight after I finished reading the declaration scene between Harley and Merry Sue. No matter how depressed I am, a good declaration scene always cheers me up – especially the ones I write. Unfortunately, Katarina and Count Leo are still far from that part in the story.
Can you guess what my Patronus is? I have several thoughts about what yours could be.
It's so cold tonight! The windows of my room are frosted over and I can feel a draft even though there is a roaring fire in the grate. I hope you're safe and warm somewhere.
9 February 1998
Dear Kathleen,
Your little bird Patronus chirps as fast as you talk. I've never seen a Patronus message deliver so much information in such a short amount of time. Luckily, I can send you a letter today instead of relying on my Patronus. Your editor, Basil (who is a lot younger than I pictured him), has agreed to mix this letter in with the first part of your manuscript. (He's going to post it ASAP.) He also suggested that in the future I should send you charmed fan letters with messages encoded. Luckily Bill knows how to do that kind of magic.
So if you receive a gushing letter from Edith Underwood, you'll know that it's from me. I'll send the decryption incantation separately with my Patronus.
We have to be careful with the post because we were raided at Potterwatch the other day. I won't go into details, but it was scary to say the least.
Your bird Patronus seems happy enough, but your last letter didn't. If writing declaration scenes cheers you up, why don't you skip ahead and write one for your characters?
I am usually warm enough – and safe, too. Don't worry about me.
10 February 1998
Dear Charlie,
It was wonderful to finally have a letter from you again. As much as I love your shaggy lion with the crinkles around his eyes, it's good to have more than one sentence at a time from you. Your last letter had fourteen sentences! What abundance.
Can you tell I have a lot of time on my hands? I'm actually counting sentences. Your last letter made me think about security, so I have charmed the eleven letters you have written to me to look like astrology charts for my characters. Your last letter is an Aquarius – "friendly, inventive, and original." However, Aquarians are also detached from emotions sometimes. Charlie, are you really all right? I wish you'd tell me more about how you're doing – maybe your next letter will be an emotional Pisces – although I don't want to wait until 21 February to hear from you.
I'm neither happy nor unhappy. I'm writing with enthusiasm, which is always a good thing. I wrote the funniest scene between Nigel, the courtier and rival for Katarina's hand, and Count Leo. I'm sending it along in hopes it will make you smile. I would never skip ahead to the declaration – even to cheer myself up. The denouement – the moment when Katarina and Count Leo get together – will be my reward for my hard work and patience. Besides, the end of the story always turns out slightly different from my original thought, anyway. For instance, Count Leo now has crinkles around his eyes. I blame your lion Patronus.
Speaking of Patronuses, I wish I knew what kind of bird my Patronus is. Do you know? When it encounters your lion, it looks like one of those birds that sit on hippopotamuses. I don't think Patronuses have nits, so I can't imagine why it's sitting on your lion's mane.
I had a note from Tonks. She's feeling well and eating everything in sight. I'm glad Remus wasn't there for the raid. I don't think she could handle it if anything happened to him. She's worried enough about her dad.
2 March 1998
Dear Kathleen,
I'm sorry I had to break the news to you about Ted Tonks with a Patronus message. And then your reply… I don't think I've ever seen a little bird cry, and I don't think I ever want to again. I couldn't put all of this in the Patronus message, but when we found Ted Tonks, we could see right away that he hadn't suffered. At least he wasn't tortured before they killed him. I know that's cold comfort, but it's all I have right now.
I wish I had your ability with words.
Your Patronus is a Talk-To-Me bird. It has the ability to lift the spirits of those around it. Obviously it's taken a shine to my lion and is keeping his spirits up. In care of Magical Creatures, Professor Kettleburn taught us that birds and animals can develop symbiotic relationships in the wild. I can't imagine what my lion is doing for your bird, but your bird is definitely benefiting my lion.
I read the scene where Count Leo takes Nigel out into the forest to hunt for nonexistent Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. It was really funny – especially the part when Nigel is supposedly tracking the creature by following the "signs" in the dung. You used my welcome-to-Romania story! I should sue for royalties. (Just kidding!) I can see why Count Leo would play such a dirty trick on Nigel since Nigel made fun of him for not being able to fly on a broomstick. But I do think Count Leo should get over himself and learn to fly and not have such a chip on his shoulder. It's really not that hard.
There are nineteen sentences in this letter including this one.
3 March 1998
Dear Charlie,
Thank you for your nineteen-sentence letter. I've been feeling so badly for Tonks, wondering where I'm going next in this story, and generally feeling useless – then I received your letter today.
I know that Tonks will be comforted by that fact that her father didn't suffer. She's an Auror and knows what Death Eaters can do to a person. But it's still wrong, wrong, wrong that Ted Tonks had to die for who he is. I know you know that – you're risking your life (I can read between lines, you know) so that it will all stop soon.
Your suggestion that Count Leo learn to fly is just the scene I was looking for. And you're right. He has been letting that wound bother him for too long. And guess who's going to teach him? Nigel. Yes, some reluctant male bonding would be fun to write and it will make Katarina's choice between Nigel (who is really a nice man behind the foppishness) and Count Leo all the more difficult. I have to laugh that you think flying is easy. A lot of people don't.
I'm so glad the mystery of my Patronus bird is solved. You ask what the lion does for the bird? Why, that shaggy mane warms her cold feet and having such an attentive listener makes her want to sing all the more. Symbiosis is a rather romantic concept when you think about it.
That was the funniest, nicest fan letter I've ever received. "Edith Underwood" really knows how to turn a novelist's head. Not only am I "cute," I look really "hot" when I write. Charlie, did you copy a note someone sent to you when you were at Hogwarts?
I'm still smiling and I'm warmed to my toes.
15 March 1998
Dear Kathleen,
You are good at reading between the lines! I did copy a note I remembered from my sixth year. I just replaced flying with writing. I hope it didn't embarrass you as much as that original note embarrassed me! I wanted to write a convincing fan letter – but maybe it should have been from Elmer Underwood and not Edith.
Did you like the fan letter I wrote this time? That should warm your toes.
16 March 1998
Dear Charlie,
I loved the fan letter. So Kean grew on you, did he? Thank you for saying my writing was "hot."
I have to keep this short because Basil wants Katarina and Count Leo ASAP.
18 March 1998
Dear Kathleen,
I wrote a longer letter than you!
18 April 1998
Dear Charlie,
You've been so sweet to put up with my short Patronus messages these past few weeks. I read your last fan letter often as I frantically tried to finish Russian Rendezvous. Either you have a career in fiction waiting for you after the war, or you must really like me/my writing. I hope it's the latter.
Oh, dear, I'm fresh from writing declarations, so I might sound a like a romance heroine in this letter. Sorry about that. I'm just so grateful you haven't forgotten me or given up on me whilst I've been toiling. I know it's futile to ask what you're doing these days, but I still want to know.
Tonks, who is my usual source for between-the-lines information, has been so busy with little Teddy that I haven't heard much beyond the birth announcement. I'm jealous that you got to see him before me. However, there is no way I could possibly leave "Occupied Hogsmeade" and not leave a trail for the Death Eaters to follow to their cottage. So even though I'm dying to coo at Teddy and see his hair turn different colours, I'm content with imagining the three of them happy and snug together.
The days are getting longer here and suddenly, I don't have anything to write. That's the worst part of finishing a novel – there's no purpose in my life until I come up with a new idea.
20 April 1998
Dear Kathleen,
You still have a purpose in life and that is keeping my spirits up. You never sent me the ending of Katarina and Count Leo's story.
21 April 1998
Dear Charlie,
Here's the ending of Katarina's and Count Leo's story. My favourite part is when he interrupted her dance with Nigel and told her they were getting married. I don't know if that would work in real life, but it seemed to fit all the characters. Thank goodness Count Leo had a younger sister for Nigel to fall in love with. I hate to leave nice characters hanging.
30 April 1998
Dear Kathleen,
The ending was perfect. I'd write more, but there have been some developments we have to look into.
9 May 1998
Dear Charlie,
I want you to know how sorry I am about Fred. I also want you to know how very relieved I am that the war is over and we made it through. Beyond that, I want you to know that I still can't believe my best friend from Hogwarts won't live to see her son go to school there. I want you to know all of this, but words are failing me at this point.
Maybe I should back up. I saw you on the day of the battle, but I don't think you saw me. It was only later – after reading the Daily Prophet about the dragon that escaped from Gringotts – that I understood why you had scorch marks on your robes. But I did see you in the middle of High Street with your scorch marks and your jaw jutting out like it does when you're especially determined –
And I was so worried and scared and proud of you.
Even when things were looking grim and we all thought Harry Potter was dead and Voldemort had won, you organised everyone for the attack. I truly thought you lot were going to fight to the death and that I would never see you again. Thank goodness I had something to do. I stayed with Madam Rosmerta and the children who had fled Hogwarts. Trying to keep the children's spirits up was easier said than done. I kept thinking that no matter what happened, I had to be the witness for history, no matter how horrible it was…
I only thought it happened in novels, but when you sent your lion to me that morning, my knees buckled. It was just too much to know that you were alive. But when your lion told me in that anguished voice about Fred and Tonks and Remus, I just couldn't take it in.
I still can't believe it – not even after attending the funerals. I wish I had thought of this to tell you yesterday at Fred's funeral since it's the only comforting thought I've been able to come up with. And here it is: At least I got to spend time with Tonks and you got to spend time with Fred this past year. There was a reason why our trip on the Abraxan Stage was interrupted, and I guess that was it.
Is it callous to begin a new paragraph talking about the future so close to talking about the past and the ones we love? I hope not. Because if I think about them too much, I'd be lost. Anyway, I have to move away from the Three Broomsticks very soon. Business is booming because people are either celebrating or drowning their sorrows or both. I can't hear myself think and I need to be able to do that if I want to keep writing. Although, if I'm honest, I don't know how well acquainted I want to be with my thoughts right now.
Beyond finding a new place to live, I don't know what I'll do. What are you going to do?
21 May 1998
Dear Kathleen,
I'm coming to see you tomorrow morning – that's what I'm going to do.
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text:
PENINSULA, OH (WOIO) - Not everyone was happy to see inches and inches of snow. But those who were, their economy depends on it.
Perhaps none were happier than the local ski resorts.
Thursday night 19 Action News was we're given a firsthand look at the brand new facilities at Brandywine Ski Resort. A $5 million expansion which is a commitment to Northeast Ohio after last year's horrible ski season.
"It's umm, yeah it's hard to put into words," said Steve Mackle, Brandywine and Boston Mills.
It's amazing and it's ready to go. 48,000 square feet ski lodge complete with all brand new equipment.
Including rows and rows of boot driers, skis and boots that have yet to see the snow, a new ski shop, a beautiful bar, cafeteria and yes there's a fire place. All of this is just feet from the skiing.
There have also been improvement to the skiing at Boston Mills, the sister ski resort to Brandywine but the crown jewel is now Brandywine.
"Again it's Ohio. We know that we're going to get the weather eventually and if we have to struggle through a winter or two we know we're going to get it," says Mackle.
Skiing starts Friday at Boston Mills 3pm-10pm.
At Brandywine they need one more day and it will open Saturday from 3pm - 2am.
Copyright 2012 WOIO. All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


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School's out for the summer. For young people in New York City, if last summer was any guide, that may mean they're less likely to be arrested.
The connection between young people, especially poor boys of color, getting into trouble in school and getting into trouble with the law is known as the "school-to-prison pipeline."
For example, recently our public media colleagues at WNYC obtained records showing that New York City's criminal justice system processed 50 percent more juveniles in May 2013, when school was in session, than in August that same year. Two-thirds of all students arrested over the past three years were black. So were more than half of students suspended since 2001 — even though black students represent only 30 percent of the total student population in New York.
Some relate the seasonal difference in arrests to the increased stationing over the past two decades of police officers within schools, also known as school resource officers. As of 2010, about half of all public schools had an assigned officer. WNYC quoted former Department of Probation Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi as saying students "aren't better behaved during the summer than the winter; they're just less surveilled."
Others have linked the school-to-prison pipeline with "zero-tolerance policies" that mandate long suspensions for minor infractions. In December, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder condemned "unnecessarily harsh discipline policies and practices" in schools. "During critical years that are proven to impact a student's later chances for success," he said, "alarming numbers of young people are suspended, expelled, or even arrested for relatively minor transgressions like school uniform violations, schoolyard fights, or showing 'disrespect' by laughing in class."
Some schools around the country are trying new approaches to discipline designed to keep students within a school community rather than push them out.
Teen Court
As Jennifer Guerra reports for Michigan Radio, one such approach is teen court. First-time juvenile offenders with low-level crimes have the opportunity to admit guilt and appear before a "jury" — made up of high school students — to decide their punishment.
"[The defendant] was with her friend at J.C. Penney. Her friend stole a bunch of stuff while they were there; [she] stole a $30 bracelet. They both got caught before they could run out of the store.
"Since shoplifting is a misdemeanor and because this is [her] first ever run-in with the law, she's decided to take her case to Teen Court. This particular teen court is affiliated with the Detroit Public School district. But there are dozens of teen courts around the state and more than 1,000 across the country.
"In order for teen court to work, the defendant has to admit up front that she broke the law. Then it's up to a group of high school students — a literal jury of her peers — to come up with an appropriate sentence.
" 'Hopefully they teach me something, and hopefully they learn from my mistakes and stuff,' says [the teen defendant]. 'And I hope I leave there feeling relieved that I finally got to talk about it.' "
Guerra reports that the most common penalties levied by the high school students, with the help of a supervising adult attorney, involve letters of apology and community service. Research shows that young offenders who appear in teen court have lower levels of reoffending.
Restorative Justice
Another way of rethinking discipline, before any law is broken, is called "restorative justice." This is the name given to a range of approaches that seek to keep students within the school community while righting wrongs. Schools may have community-building "circles," "justice panels" or "fairness committees" where students and teachers together decide what to do when a rule is broken.
Sean Abbott-Klafter teaches at Bronx Compass High School, where he handles mediation and peer mediation. "The purpose is obviously to solve disputes, but also to keep kids in school rather than kick them out to resolve issues," he says.
In a typical case, Facebook scuttlebutt has it that one teen is going to "jump" another outside school. Abbott-Klafter will call the students in to talk it out, face to face. "I've seen a lot of different conflicts be resolved in a more healthy, positive way," he says. "School can repair relationships damaged through fighting and gossiping."
He says besides the process making school safer, the students learn valuable skills. "For many students involved in conflict, they've never been in a situation where a dispute is resolved by talking it out. So there's a learning curve there too." And, he says, it makes the whole culture of the school more respectful. Students have even called their teachers in for mediation to talk about interpersonal problems they're having in front of a neutral third party.
New York City's Department of Education is currently working with advocacy groups to create a plan to expand these programs. Fifty-five middle and high schools in New York City have had staff members trained in some aspect of restorative justice, and another 45 are going through training this summer.
Teenagers who commit crimes are subject to all kinds of disadvantages down the road. Their criminal behavior ends up on their permanent record, and so when they apply for jobs, for example, they'll have to admit they broke the law. But what have if there were a way for these teens to admit their guilt and maintain a clean record at the same time? Michigan Radio's Jennifer Guerra has the details.
JENNIFER GUERRA, BYLINE: This is a story about second chances. Let's meet the defendant. How are you feeling?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I'm kind of nervous, but I think I'm kind of getting over it a little bit.
GUERRA: What are you most nervous about?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I don't know. Standing in front of a whole bunch of people, talking about what I did.
GUERRA: The defendant is a 10th-grader at a Detroit area high school. Back in March, she was with a friend at JCPenney. Her friend stole a bunch of stuff while they were there. The defendant stole a $30 bracelet. They both got caught before they could run out of the store. Now, because shoplifting is a misdemeanor and because this is the defendant's first ever run-in with the law, she decided to take her case to teen court.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: All rise, for the teen court of Wayne County is now back in session.
GUERRA: Since the defendant is a juvenile offender, we are not allowed to use her name. This particular teen court is affiliated with the Detroit Public School District, but there are more than 1,500 teen or youth courts across the country. The first ones date back to the 1970s. Local police agents are usually the ones who decide which cases qualify for teen court. Now there are several different types of these division programs. This one in Detroit is just one example, but generally speaking, there are three rules to teen court. One - the crime has to be relatively minor. We're talking shoplifting or vandalism - not murder. Two - the defendant has to admit she broke the law, upfront. And three - it's up to a group of students - a literal jury of her peers to come up with an appropriate sentence.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I mean hopefully they teach me something. And hopefully I - they learn from my mistakes. And I hope I leave there feeling relieved that I finally got to talk about it.
DANTON WILSON: I'm not a real judge, but you can almost say I play a judge in the teen court model that we use.
GUERRA: That's Danton Wilson. He's a prosecuting attorney for Wayne County, which includes Detroit. He's got on his son's black graduation robe, to make himself look more judge-like.
WILSON: Do you solemnly swear or affirm under penalties of perjury that the testimony you are about to give in this case is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
GUERRA: The courtroom, in this case, is really just a high school classroom, but it still feels pretty legit. Wilson, the judge, sits at the front by the chalkboard. To his right is the defendant and her grandma, and facing them, sitting in desks, are about a dozen freshmen, also known as the jury.
WILSON: Well, I'm going to turn the questions over to the jurors. Would you please raise your hand, as you always do, and stand up and ask the question in a loud voice?
GUERRA: And they have a lot of questions.
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT 1: How much was the item?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT 2: Why did you do it?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT 3: Did your friend, like, have a car or did somebody drop you off?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT 4: Did you have peer pressure from your friend to steal it?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT 5: Did you think about the consequences before you did it?
GUERRA: They don't just ask about the shoplifting. They get really personal. They learn she doesn't have a great relationship with her mom, so she lives with her grandma. She likes school, but struggles with geometry. She wants to be a child psychologist, and yes, she's tried alcohol before but never drugs. After about 20 minutes of questioning and five minutes of deliberation, the jury forewoman, a ninth-grader named Catherine Vasquez, reads the sentence.
CATHERINE VASQUEZ: You're not going to have contact with your friend for a month. I mean, like, I guess you can do that, right? And you're going to have to apologize to your grandmother orally in front of us and write a letter to JCPenney apologizing.
GUERRA: The jury also sentences her to do 10 hours of community service, and she needs to get a math tutor to help her with geometry. Community service and letters of apology - those are the two most common sanctions in teen courts, and it seems to work. The nonprofit Urban Institute did one of the largest studies on teen courts back in 2002. The study found that those who went through teen court were significantly less likely to break the law again compared to those who went the juvenile court route. Social studies teacher Mike Cruz leads this particular teen court class at Western High School. It's in a pretty tough part of Detroit. He says it's not just the defendant who gets something out of the experience. The students on the jury do, too.
MIKE CRUZ: As far as - I could be a judge. I could be a lawyer. 'Cause if you've never met a lawyer, you grow up thinking - you know, I group like that - you grow up thinking, that's for other people. So you meet a prosecuting attorney. You see him on a regular basis. Just him being here and talking to them kind of breaks that wall down.
GUERRA: And all the kids involved get a lesson in consequences and second chances before they make the kind of mistake that could put them on the wrong path into adulthood. For NPR News, I'm Jennifer Guerra.
CORNISH: This is NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - On Wednesday, January 11, MIT Crew departed Cocoa Beach, Fla. after an intensive, ten-day training trip. All four MIT Crew squads: open and lightweight women and heavyweight and lightweight men, met in Florida just after the New Year to row on the Banana River and Sykes Creek, gaining considerable improvements in technique and fitness. Practicing twice daily on the water, all four MIT Crew squads logged valuable miles with an eye on successful spring racing.
MIT is among many crew squads that travel to warmer climates in the winter in order to row on the water for team improvement, a more productive ground for refining rowing technique than indoor ergometer training. Because the spring racing season begins at the end of March, the Florida training trip is an imperative part of spring racing success when getting back on the water in New England is uncertain, and dependent on the weather.
MIT Crew's spring racing season begins with the Openweight women competing in the Beanpot Regatta on Saturday, March 24 at home on the Charles River Basin.


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CHICAGO – A newly-acquired secret agreement obtained in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) confirms that Chicago Public Schools (CPS) diverted about $70 million, largely from teacher salaries and unemployment benefits, to avoid paying teachers a promised 4 percent contractual raise last school year. The money was instead given to the Chicago Police Department (CPD), mostly as payment for services previously rendered under prior agreements. CPS then falsely told the media that these payments were "owed" to CPD, and that CPS "had no choice" but to make these payments.
Records obtained from the FOIA lawsuit show that CPS has been paying about $8 million per year to CPD since 2002 for two police officers to be stationed at approximately 100 high schools to process arrests of juvenile offenders. The officers are supervised exclusively by CPD personnel. CPS provides, at its own expense, computer terminals connected to CPD for the officers' use. CPS approved this continuing arrangement on February 24, 2010 (10-0224-PR16), authorizing the $8 million annual payments from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2012, for a total cost of $32.8 million.
In 2011, CPS claimed to be broke. On June 15, 2011, in their first meeting, the newly-installed Emanuel appointed School Board voted to cancel a promised 4 percent raise for teachers in the 2011-12 school year on the grounds that there wasn't enough money in the budget and the district faced an alleged $712 million deficit (11-0615-RS2). This also negatively impacted the pensions of any teachers who retired at the end of the 2011/12 school year. In 2007, under Mayor Richard M. Daley and then-CPS chief officer Arne Duncan, teachers signed a five-year contract ending with the 2011/2012 school year that granted them the raises.
But a month after CPS cancelled last school years 4 percent raises to CPS teachers, which would have cost an estimated $80 million, CPS then authorized a renegotiation of its CPD deal to pay the Police about $25 million per year, more than three times the agreed amount, for the same time period 2009-2012, for a total increase of $70 million for these same services. It also approved a retroactive payment of $47 million for services already rendered. (11-0727-PR18)
Hidden among other records, the Board simultaneously directed that nearly all this money be diverted from teacher salaries and unemployment benefits for the 2011-12 school year. The CPS Transfer of Funds report (11-0727-EX1) explains the draining of teacher salary and unemployment benefits accounts "to pay for the Chicago Police Department."
Meanwhile, CPS Chief Administrative Officer Tim Cawley, tried to sell this public schools rip-off to the media. He told the Chicago Sun-Times that CPS "had no choice" but to make these retroactive payments (Chicago Sun-Times, July 4, 2011.) He told the Chicago Tribune that the money was "owed from previous years." (Chicago Tribune, July 1, 2011.)
Despite numerous FOIA requests, both CPS and CPD refused to release the Intergovernmental Agreement formalizing this arrangement, executed on December 23, 2011, until the Union sued. In response to a CTU inquiry, CPS admits that there had never been any formal intergovernmental agreements in place for this arrangement before.
"This new information will only infuriate our members who feel extremely disrespected by this current administration," said CTU President Karen GJ Lewis. "This shows us the Board lied about not being able to afford our raises—they just put the money elsewhere. Instead of giving our hard working educators the money they deserve, they diverted it to the police department and then lied to the public about it.
"It appears this new Board and the new administration already had a plan in place to do this," Lewis continued. "Every act they've done has been hostile toward our educators and our students. This city did not get into this financial mess by paying teachers and paraprofessionals."
CPS has offered no explanation why it "must" pay the Police Department three times the agreed amount, including "for services already rendered."
"The officers assigned to the high schools are processing arrests, just as they do at any other public facility. The officers do not report to CPS officials, and CPS provided them computers at no charge to process arrests," said CTU Attorney Robert Bloch. "The Chicago Police Department accepted $8 million a year for over a decade for these services. There is no valid basis to now pay $25 million a year, most of it for services already performed, except when politics interferes with education."
It should be noted, CPS recently admitted to having over $400 million in reserves. This money could have been used to extend additional payments to the police and pay teacher raises for 2011/12 school year. A hearing before a neutral arbitrator concerning CPS cancelling the 4 percent raises is scheduled for July 26.
The Chicago Teachers Union represents 30,000 teachers and educational support personnel working in the Chicago Public Schools, and by extension, the more than 400,000 students and families they serve. The CTU is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Federation of Teachers and is the third largest teachers local in the United States and the largest local union in Illinois. For more information please visit CTU's website at www.ctunet.com


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Actress Kristen Stewart's new view home is not far from "Twilight" costar and on-again boyfriend Robert Pattinson's place in Los Feliz.
Set in gated Laughlin Park, the 3,361-square-foot house Stewart bought for $2.195 million features a carved wood front door, an open floor plan, a veranda, a den, an office, two fireplaces, four bedrooms and 41/2 bathrooms. The quarter-acre of tropically landscaped grounds includes a blue-tiled swimming pool with spa, a fire pit and terraced gardens. There are downtown L.A. and ocean views.
Described in the listing as contemporary, the house's exposed beams, wood paneled walls and terra cotta floors give it a rustic ambience. The property, on and off the market for several years, has been a rental.
Stewart, 22, has starred in the "Twilight Saga" series of films since the original "Twilight" vampire romance movie in 2008. Last year she starred in "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1." "Part 2" is set for release this month, and a second "Snow White" has been announced.
Brett Lawyer of Hilton & Hyland was the listing agent. Linda St. George of Leslie Randall & Associates represented Stewart.
No droids, but there's a 'vator
"Star Wars" actor Hayden Christensen has his house in Studio City for sale at $2.65 million.
Built in 1990, the modern-style house features a step-down living room, high ceilings, three fireplaces, five bedrooms and five bathrooms in its 6,302 square feet of living space. An elevator leads to the third-floor master suite, which has a fireplace and dual walk-in closets. The three-quarter-acre lot includes a saltwater swimming pool with spa, flat yard space, mature trees and a three-car garage.
Christensen, 31, gained widespread recognition in the role of Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) in "Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones" (2002) and "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" (2005). Another "Star Wars" film is expected in 2015, according to Walt Disney Co., which just agreed to buy Lucasfilm, the company that controls the "Star Wars" franchise.
More recently, the actor starred in "Jumper" (2008), "Takers" (2010) and "Vanishing on 7th Street" (2010). Christensen and Nicolas Cage will star in "Outcast," expected next year.
Public records show the house last changed hands in 2003 for $1.425 million.
Brett Lawyer of Hilton & Hyland is the listing agent.
She makes out well on Bel-Air sale
Actress Pamela Bowen, who stars in the 2012 Web series "Broken at Love," has parted with her Bel-Air house for $4.86 million. The gated house, which Bowen rebuilt in 2007, was purchased in 2003 for $2.435 million.
The traditional-style main house, a guesthouse and a swimming pool sit on a knoll with unobstructed 180-degree views extending from downtown to the Pacific. The main house features a media room, a study and a gym. There are five bedrooms, six bathrooms and about 4,300 square feet of living space.
Bowen is the former wife of Kiss frontman Paul Stanley. She has appeared in dozens of TV shows including "Six Feet Under" (2003), "Everybody Loves Raymond" (1997) and "Days of Our Lives" (1986-87). This year she stars in the short films "Shoot the Moon" and "For the Lovers Only."
Francis Gargani of the John Aaroe Group was the listing agent. Anne Russell of AR Realty represented the buyer.
Publicist's place makes a statement
Spokesman to the stars Howard Bragman has his gated house in Hollywood Hills West on the market at $2.795 million.
The contemporary compound features vaulted ceilings, an open dining room and kitchen, a screening room, two fireplaces, four bedrooms and four bathrooms in 4,000 square feet of living space. A library ladder accesses the top shelves of the floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcases that line the walls. Artwork lines the hallways.
A heated swimming pool is surrounded by a deck that adds more space for outdoor dining and entertaining.
Bragman, 56, founded the public relations firm Fifteen Minutes in 2005 and is vice chairman of Reputation.com. The veteran Hollywood publicist has worked with celebrities such as Stevie Wonder, Ed McMahon and Barry Manilow. He also is a crisis counselor and an activist for those with HIV/AIDS.
Bragman bought the property for $1.148 million in 2003, public records show.
Richard Klug of Sotheby's International Realty in Beverly Hills is the listing agent.
Veteran performer changes scene
Actor Harris Yulin has sold a cottage in Venice for $2.7 million.
The one-story house, built in 1922, has one bedroom and one bathroom in 784 square feet of living space. Surrounded by mature trees, it sits on a 7,191-square-foot double lot on a walk street.
Yulin, 74, has appeared in scores of television shows and movies. His film work includes "Scarface" (1983), "Ghostbusters II" (1989) and "Training Day" (2001). He has appeared on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1999-2002), "24" (2002-3) and "Nikita" (2011-12).
The prolific actor moved back East and had been leasing the place out. He decided to sell rather than update the house. Yulin paid $82,500 for the property in 1977, public records show.
Jennifer Hughes of Bulldog Realtors was the listing agent. Donna Bohana of Solstice International Realty represented the buyer.
He's casting for a model buyer
Ken Mok, co-creator of "America's Next Top Model," and his wife, Helie Lee, listed their home in Cheviot Hills last month at $2.895 million and already have a buyer on the runway.
The nearly 5,000-square-foot modern-style house features a screening room that seats 20, an elevator, an office, five bedrooms, 51/2 bathrooms and a sauna. There is an outdoor dining area, a swimming pool and lawn.
Mok, 52, has been executive producer of the series since 2003. He also is the founder and president of the production company 10x10 Entertainment.
The property was purchased in 2004 for $1.067 million, public records show.
Melinda and Scott Tamkin of Nest Real Estate Group at Keller Williams Brentwood are the listing agents.
On Twitter @LATHotProperty
Actress Kristen Stewart's new view home is not far from "Twilight" costar and on-again boyfriend Robert Pattinson's place in Los Feliz.


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This document grew out of the #scioSafe session at ScienceOnline Together 2014. It is an attempt to reflect the sentiments of a substantial portion of the ScienceOnline community, though we recognize and appreciate that this community is large and holds a diversity of viewpoints. We offer this document in the sincere belief that we share with the leadership of ScienceOnline a desire to make this organization and its endeavors going forward shining examples of the good that can come from powerful collaborations between motivated people.
What we are asking for:
1. More frequent and clearer communication from the ScienceOnline Board to the community.
Members of the community feel out of the loop on changes that the Board has planned but not fully implemented, on actions that the Board may be considering (or may have considered but rejected) and on the reasons that the Board has chosen to follow a particular course of action rather than the alternatives. Whenever possible, we would appreciate that communications from the Board include:
- what was done
- why it was done
- alternatives that were considered and why they were rejected
- explicit identification of instances where deliberative details cannot be shared due to legal, financial, or other considerations.
2. More transparent mechanisms for engaging with and responding to communication from the community to the Science Online Board.
Members of the ScienceOnline community who have made suggestions, shared concerns, or asked questions of leadership are frequently unsure whether what they have communicated has been heard and shared with the Board. We would appreciate, wherever possible, public acknowledgement of the feedback communicated to the Board, as well an indication of how (if at all) the Board plans to act on it.
3. An expanded ScienceOnline Board of Directors, including members from more diverse background.
We recognize that there are current plans to expand membership of the existing ScienceOnline Board of Directors. We encourage the organization to move efficiently on this expansion. We ask that the expertise of members of the Board and their responsibilities to the organization be clearly and publicly communicated. In addition, we ask that the selection criteria for Board members and timeline for member searches be made transparent. We suggest that one or more of these appointments be directed at the goal of improving representation of and communication with the larger ScienceOnline community.
4. A strengthened response team and more clarity on available official responses to reporting to support meaningful implementation of ScienceOnline conference Code of Conduct and Harassment Policy.
We applaud the Board of ScienceOnline for adopting a strong Harassment Policy and conference Code of Conduct. We urge the Board to take the necessary steps to ensure that these policies can be enforced to achieve welcoming, inclusive conferences. These steps might include hiring external professionals to serve as the response team or providing direct training of a community volunteer response team by external professionals. In addition, we ask the Board to seek guidance from external professionals to create a mechanism for anonymous reporting of incidents. As well, in light of the large barrier that exists to people speaking up about conduct that makes them uncomfortable, we request that the Board clarify the likely range of responses to conference-goer reports. We recognize that some of these steps will have costs associated with them, but we are willing to help the Board meet those costs.
5. A clarification of Bora Zivkovic's relationship to the ScienceOnline organization and its conferences, events, and initiatives going forward.
We appreciate the swiftness with which Bora Zivkovic was removed from leadership of the ScienceOnline organization in the wake of revelations that he harassed multiple women, including women within the ScienceOnline community. However, the last official statement from the ScienceOnline organization specified that he would not be attending any ScienceOnline events in 2014. Members of the community would like to know what happens after 2014. We ask the Board to seriously consider making the separation between Zivkovic and the ScienceOnline organization, its conferences, events, and initiatives permanent.
6. Serious exploration of transition to a membership organization.
We recognize that ScienceOnline is currently incorporated as an educational non-profit rather than a membership organization. This means that at present, individual participants in ScienceOnline events are essentially customers. Active segments of the community banding together to provide suggestions or feedback, to volunteer their efforts or raise money for the organization, function more or less as lobbying groups, whose only recourse if their feedback is not welcome or seriously engaged is to vote with their wallets and their feet. While this relationship flows logically from the current organizational structure of ScienceOnline, it leaves members of the community in a suboptimal relationship with the organization and its leadership. Recognizing that reorganizing ScienceOnline would require time and resources to navigate bureaucratic hurdles, we nonetheless urge the Board to consider the benefits to both members and the organization that may flow from actively engaging the community in the ongoing business, large and small, of ScienceOnline.
7. An entirely elected leadership for the ScienceOnline organization.
In the event of a successful transition from its current organizational structure to a membership organization, we hope that the Board of Directors will become a democratically elected body, representative of and accountable to the interests and needs of a diverse and vibrant ScienceOnline community.
Background for the #scioSafe session:
A significant number of attendees of ScienceOnline Together 2014 came to the #scioSafe session at 12:00 noon on Saturday March 1, 2014, in the lobby of the McKimmon Center. (Those who were taking a headcount put the attendance at something above 65.)
This was not a session in the official conference program, and so was announced in a tweet just two hours before the session was to start. Because the word was spread primarily through Twitter, a number of people didn't know the session was happening until it was underway or until after it had wrapped up. Also, there were six other officially scheduled sessions going on concurrently (at least two of which I had wanted to attend). So, since humans can only be in one place at a time and are always making the best choices they can with the information they have, we heard the voices of the people who came.
It's worth noting that a number of us who felt the need for a session like this -- the session some of us thought "Boundaries, Behavior, and Being an Ally" was going to be -- had been asking Anton Zuiker and Karyn Traphagen to put something official on the schedule before the end of the conference. Since an official session was not scheduled, we put one together in the spirit of ScienceOnline's unconference style.
Indeed, once this session was organized, ScienceOnline leadership made themselves available to engage with those convened and their concerns. Executive Director Karyn Traphagen spoke to us right before session began, indicating that she was busy attending to logistical details but would be available to speak to anyone who wanted to during the lunch session. Board members Scott Rosenberg and Anton Zuiker asked if they could join us in the session but were asked if they could let us convene without them, the better to be candid about our experiences and hopes going forward.
There was agreement within the session that participants would respect requests not to transmit particular contributions to the session via social media or other means.
Summary of what was expressed in the #scioSafe session:
Many people expressed their hurt with how the leadership of the ScienceOnline organization had dealt with their needs and concerns, especially around issues of harassment and pressures not to discuss it, to get over it, to forgive on someone else's timeline.
Some expressed concern that there was never a clear official acknowledgment at the conference from the leadership of the harm done to members of the community by harassment from one of the founders of ScienceOnline, and moreover there was never a clear official acknowledgment at the conference from the leadership of the harm done to members of the community by the minimization of that harassment, casting those upset by it as "bitter," by another founder of ScienceOnline still in a leadership position. The impact of Anton Zuiker's post of January 2014 was deep, with many in attendance expressing that they were not sure if they would ever be able to trust his judgment again.
The lack of official acknowledgment of particular events, more than one person shared, conveyed a message that we should not use the ScienceOnline conference spaces to name and discuss problems like harassment, nor to process our responses together as a community. Some pointed to the "Boundaries, Behavior, and Being an Ally" session as one where they hoped to find such a space but were thwarted by the way the session was moderated. Others mentioned clear (and unfriendly) signals from members of ScienceOnline leadership that continuing to discuss these issues, whether face to face or via social media, was inappropriate, a refusal to let go of things.
In short, people perceived a lack of official transparency from the board of ScienceOnline, both about specific events and general stance towards harassment and responses to it, that meant many of us had to keep having a conversation about the conversation we were not having (or were getting the message that we were not supposed to be having). Multiple people in attendance expressed that they want to be able to move on from this conversation to focus on the other topics on the program but that they felt they could not until this issue of climate had been addressed. The official silence from leadership paired with the unofficial pressure from certain members of ScienceOnline leadership to keep quiet or get over it made the ScienceOnline Together 2014 conference feel unsafe.
It's worth noting that new attendees at the session also identified the official silence on specific events as alienating, describing their feelings of being out of the loop and wondering if they were really a part of the community.
A number of the conference volunteers on the response team, tasked with helping conference-goers with incidents of harassment or violations of the conference Code of Conduct, shared their concerns that they may not have been given the training, tools, and especially support they needed to fulfill their roles. In particular, they felt concerned about their ability to effectively respond to harassment when, ultimately, response to their reports would be left to management. The lack of clear (and enforceable) consequences for violations of these policies, coupled with tenuous trust for ScienceOnline leadership, meant many in attendance had little confidence that the harassment policy or Code of Conduct would do much.
A question was raised about what mechanisms, if any, were in place in the event that those in leadership positions violated either of these policies. Given the current reporting structure, those present wondered how members of the ScienceOnline board, for example, would (or could) be held accountable for engaging in a harassing or disrespectful manner with a conference-goer. People expressed that it was hard, in the current climate, to have faith that the proper channels would work.
The conversation shifted to the broader question of the relationship between the community and the ScienceOnline organization and its leadership. Some present wanted more clarity about what the leadership's goals are for the organization, and about where the community fit into those goals. There was a recognition within the assembled group that Science Online's status as an educational non-profit puts constraints on its activities and its priorities, but there was also a desire for a clearer explanation of what that meant as far as the involvement of members of the community and accountability to their interests and needs.
Some suggested that a significantly bigger board (of 10-15 members) could help ensure better representation of the diverse interests of the community. Others suggested that there should be at least one community-appointed member of the board (although the group recognized that the logistics of this could be complicated). Still others voiced the opinion that reincorporating as a membership organization would be a better way to ensure that the organization and the community were accountable to each other.
Despite these differing views, there was wide agreement that the community would benefit from a clear statement of how the leadership of ScienceOnline sees the community in the mission of the organization, and a clear statement of how, if at all, leadership of ScienceOnline sees itself and the organization as accountable to the community and its needs.
Signed by:
Alberto Roca, Executive Director, DiverseScholar
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5:00 pm
Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman "Ruff's Yard Sale Makes A Racket" Ruff realizes that he's a horrible shopper. (He just bought a sock at a yard sale for sixteen dollars, after talking the price UP from a quarter!) He also bought a broken tennis racquet at the same sale, which he plans on using in an upcoming match against his nemesis Spot Spotnick! Ruff sends Liza and Talia to the headquarters of Wilson Sporting Goods to design a new tennis racquet for him; and he gets some shopping tips from Bethany and Brian, as they head out to Brimfield Fair, the biggest flea market in the world!. D
5:30 pm
Nightly Business Report Tonight on Nightly Business Report, investors get the jitters after learning that Fed officials have been talking about scaling back its massive stimulus program in the coming months. And, JC Penney says sales trends are improving into the critical holiday shopping season. Has the retailer turned a corner?. D
5:56 pm
NewsHour Promo NULL
6:00 pm
PBS NewsHour NULL
7:00 pm
NOVA "At The Edge of Space" NOVA takes viewers on an exploration of the Earth-space boundary zone that's home to some of nature's most puzzling and alluring phenomena: the shimmering aurora, streaking meteors and fleeting flashes that shoot upward from thunderclouds, known as sprites. Only discovered in 1989, sprites have eluded capture because they flicker into existence for a mere split-second - 40 times faster than an eye blink.G
8:00 pm
NOVA "Asteroid: Doomsday Or Payday?" From the width of a football field to the size of a small city, the space rocks called asteroids have the potential to be killers: in a collision with Earth, they could set off deadly blast waves, raging fires and colossal tidal waves. But some audacious entrepreneurs look up at asteroids and see payday, not doomsday.G
9:00 pm
Comet Encounter They have fascinated, even terrified humans for thousands of years. Traditionally seen as harbingers of doom, comets can influence some people even to this day. For scientists, though, comets are a great opportunity for space exploration.G
10:00 pm
Inventions That Shook The World "The 1970's" This decade is best remembered for disco and Watergate. But with inventions like the cell phone and the digital camera, the 1970s mark the beginning of the digital age to come. Other featured inventions in this episode include the bomb disposal robot, the sticky note, and the hybrid automobile. Part 8 of 10G
11:00 pm
Charlie Rose NULL


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Many of us know the importance of scripting out our users on a regular bases in order to be able to before DR restores more efficiently. If you are responsible for performing backup and restores or disaster recovery solutions and you do not have a routine to regularly script out your users and permissions, then you should implement one soon.
A common problem when DBA's have to restore production user databases to another server is that none of their users exist on the new server. Depending on the level of disaster, you may not have access to a working master database on the primary server. You would then find yourself having to manually create the users or add AD users to the new server, or have to restore the master database from the old server and script the users out.
You don't want to be in that type of situation. Microsoft provides us a nice sp_help_revlogin script that will easily script out your users. The issue with this script is that it does not include the users permissions. Luckily this is not a brand new issue and my friend Kendal Van Dyke (blog)has published a great article with the scripts on how to get your users permissions and roles. Check that out here.
A common problem that you may face if you are testing out the user create scripts is that if you try to run the script to create users on a server that does not support the complexity requirements or has a more strict password requirement, the script may fail. You may get an error message similar to "Invalid value given for parameter PASSWORD".
A good practice would be to implement a process to run both of the scripts above to output the values to a file that you backup each night with your databases. There are plenty of documentation available on the web to help you get the output into text files. I use sqlcmd and bcp to get the output into the format that I need. I have seen others that just create a two step job and use the "Output file:" option to save the results to a file. I got more complex so that the files I create are ready to execute as part of my DR policy without requiring any modification to the results.
I hope you found this helpful and that you have a solid recovery plan that you rehearse on a regular basis. Something you should try is to get someone completely unfamiliar with SQL Server and have them execute your recovery plan. If they can not follow it completely and recover your system, update your recovery plan. Who is to say that when disaster strikes, that you are available with your institutional knowledge to bring the system up. Who is to say that your priority will be your company if disaster strikes. With the recent events in New York and New Jersey with hurricane Sandy, where would your priority reside? Trying to fail over your company to another datacenter or finding food and shelter for your wife/husband and kids? If you spent the time and have a fool proof recovery plan that has been executed and tested multiple times, you could be rest assured that the support staff in that remote datacenter could execute your recovery plan to bring your company back online. Do yourself the favor, plan for the failure and test the plan.


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Juri Han (Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition) – Cosplay of the Day
Juri Han is one crazy fighter who we've deemed one of the 11 Video Game Characters We'd Hate to Date -- or would we? Regardless, this Korean hellcat is one of the hottest additions to the Street Fighter series, which means you'll always see some great cosplays inspired by her.
Juri's a cold, calculating fighter who revels in inflicting as much pain on her opponents as possible. She's as crazy as her hairstyle and as deadly as the spider design on her back, making her a force to be reckoned with in a fight. She's also somewhat of a femme fatale with a hidden agenda, giving her an enigmatic air that we find very appealing.
Here's Taorich, a Russian cosplayer who's got a talent for cosplaying sexy characters. She looks absolutely stunning as Juri Han. Her facial expressions and poses accentuate both the character's craziness and her sensuality. We don't know whether to be scared or smitten. Maybe a little of both.
Check out more of her work, a lot of which is inspired by anime, on her deviantART. Then come find her in our 100 Hottest Cosplay Girls list.
Want your Cosplay to be seen? Send your info to email@example.com and we may feature you in our Cosplay of the Day!


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Investment Advisers Act of 1940
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
File No. 8-7221
We would not recommend enforcement action to the Commission under Section 206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act") and Rule 206(4)-3 thereunder if any investment adviser that is required to be registered pursuant to Section 203 of the Advisers Act pays to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated ("Merrill Lynch"), a registered broker-dealer and investment adviser, or any of Merrill Lynch's associated persons, as defined in Section 202(a)(17) of the Advisers Act, a cash fee, directly or indirectly, for the solicitation of advisory clients in accordance with Rule 206(4)-3,1 notwithstanding a judgment of injunction from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (the "Final Judgment") that otherwise would preclude such an investment adviser from paying Merrill Lynch a solicitation fee.2
Our position is based on the facts and representations in your incoming letter dated October 14, 2003, particularly Merrill Lynch's representations that:
This position applies only to the Final Judgment and not to any other basis for disqualification under Rule 206(4)-3 that may exist or arise with respect to Merrill Lynch or any of its associated persons.
Sara P. Crovitz
Senior Counsel
October 14, 2003
Douglas J. Scheidt, Esq.
Associate Director and Chief Counsel
Division of Investment Management
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W., Mail Stop 0506
Washington, D.C. 20549
Re: Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
Dear Mr. Scheidt:
We submit this letter on behalf of our client, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated ("Merrill Lynch"), in connection with a settlement agreement (the "Settlement") arising out of a joint investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the "NYSE"), and the NASD Regulation, Inc. (the "NASDR") into research analyst conflicts of interest at Merrill Lynch and several other large investment banking firms.
Merrill Lynch, a broker-dealer registered under Section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") and an investment adviser registered under Section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"), seeks the assurance of the staff of the Division of Investment Management ("Staff") that it would not recommend any enforcement action to the Commission under Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act, or Rule 206(4)-3 thereunder (the "Rule"), if an investment adviser pays Merrill Lynch, or any of its associated persons, a cash payment for the solicitation of advisory clients, notwithstanding the existence of the Final Judgment (as defined below) of a court of competent jurisdiction as described below. While the Final Judgment in question does not operate to prohibit or suspend Merrill Lynch or any of its associated persons from acting as or being associated with an investment adviser and does not relate to solicitation activities on behalf of investment advisers, it may affect the ability of Merrill Lynch and its associated persons to receive such payments. The Staff in many other instances has granted no-action relief under the Rule in similar circumstances.
The Commission, the NYSE, the NASD and Merrill Lynch agreed in April 2003 to a settlement in connection with a joint investigation into research analyst conflicts of interest at Merrill Lynch and several other large investment banking firms. The Commission filed a complaint (the "Complaint") against Merrill Lynch in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (the "District Court") in a civil action captioned Securities and Exchange Commission v. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. Merrill Lynch executed a consent and undertaking (the "Consent") in which Merrill Lynch neither admitted nor denied any of the allegations in the Complaint, except as to jurisdiction, but consented to the entry of a final judgment against Merrill Lynch by the District Court (the "Final Judgment"). The Final Judgment will, among other things, enjoin Merrill Lynch, directly or through its officers, directors, agents and employees, from violating Section 15(c) of the Exchange Act and Rule 15c1-2 thereunder, NASD Rules 2110, 2210, and 3010, and NYSE Rules 342, 401, 472, and 476. Additionally, the Final Judgment will order Merrill Lynch to make payments aggregating $200 million in settlement of the matters addressed in the Final Judgment, and to comply with the undertakings set forth in the Final Judgment.
The Rule prohibits an investment adviser from paying a cash fee to any solicitor that has been temporarily or permanently enjoined by an order, judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction from engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with the purchase or sale of any security. Entry of the Final Judgment could cause Merrill Lynch to be disqualified under the Rule, and accordingly, absent no-action relief, Merrill Lynch may be unable to receive cash payments for the solicitation of advisory clients.1
In the release adopting the Rule, the Commission stated that it "would entertain, and be prepared to grant in appropriate circumstances, requests for permission to engage as a solicitor a person subject to a statutory bar."2 We respectfully submit that the circumstances present in this case are precisely the sort that warrant a grant of no-action relief.
The Rule's proposing and adopting releases explain the Commission's purpose in including the disqualification provisions in the Rule. The purpose was to prevent an investment adviser from hiring as a solicitor a person whom the adviser was not permitted to hire as an employee, thus doing indirectly what the adviser could not do directly. In the proposing release, the Commission stated that:
[b]ecause it would be inappropriate for an investment adviser to be permitted to employ indirectly, as a solicitor, someone whom it might not be able to hire as an employee, the Rule prohibits payment of a referral fee to someone who . . . has engaged in any of the conduct set forth in Section 203(e) of the [Advisers] Act . . . and therefore could be the subject of a Commission order barring or suspending the right of such person to be associated with an investment adviser.3
The Final Judgment does not bar, suspend, or limit Merrill Lynch or any person currently associated with Merrill Lynch from acting in any capacity under the federal securities laws. Merrill Lynch has not been sanctioned for activities as an investment adviser or its solicitation of advisory clients.4 Accordingly, consistent with the Commission's reasoning, there does not appear to be any reason to prohibit an adviser from paying Merrill Lynch or its associated persons for engaging in solicitation activities under the Rule.
The Staff previously has granted numerous requests for no-action relief from the disqualification provisions of the Rule to individuals and entities found by the Commission to have violated a wide range of federal securities laws and rules thereunder or permanently enjoined by courts of competent jurisdiction from engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with the purchase or sale of any security.5
In connection with this request, Merrill Lynch undertakes:
1. to conduct any cash solicitation arrangement entered into with any investment adviser required to be registered under Section 203 of the Advisers Act in compliance with the terms of Rule 206(4)-3 except for the investment adviser's payment of cash solicitation fees to Merrill Lynch who is subject to the Final Judgment;
2. to comply with the terms of the Final Judgment, including, but not limited to, the payment of disgorgement, pre-judgment interest, civil or administrative penalties and fines; and
3. that for ten years from the date of the entry of the Final Judgment, Merrill Lynch or any investment adviser with which it has a solicitation arrangement subject to Rule 206(4)-3 will disclose the Final Judgment in a written document that is delivered to each person whom Merrill Lynch solicits (a) not less than 48 hours before the person enters into a written or oral investment advisory contract with the investment adviser or (b) at the time the person enters into such a contract, if the person has the right to terminate such contract without penalty within 5 business days after entering into the contract.
We respectfully request the Staff to advise us that it will not recommend enforcement action to the Commission if an investment adviser that is required to be registered with the Commission pays Merrill Lynch, or any of its associated persons, a cash payment for the solicitation of advisory clients, notwithstanding the Final Judgment.
Please do not hesitate to call the undersigned at (212) 859-8558 regarding this request.
Jessica Forbes
cc: Paul Gottlieb
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Modified: 11/25/2002


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It's only fitting that Kerry Washington reacted to her lead actress Emmy nomination for her role in the buzzed-about drama "Scandal" on Twitter. The show, after all, became a sensation because of social media.
Washington's nomination took on historic proportions as well. She's the first African American to earn one in this category since Cicely Tyson in 1995. And if she wins, she'll be the first African American to do so.
"Just landed. WOW! Im so grateful &humbled. THX 4 all your CONGRATS! YAY ..." the 36-year-old actress tweeted Thursday to her more than 971,000 Twitter followers.
An early morning flight from Northern California to Los Angeles had left the actress a bit disconnected, but clearly delighted at being one of seven nominees in the suddenly robust lead actress category for her portrayal as passionate crisis fixer Olivia Pope in the ABC drama.
Only four other African American actresses have been nominated in this category — Debbie Allen ("Fame"), Alfre Woodard ("St. Elsewhere"), Regina Taylor ("I'll Fly Away"), and Tyson ("Sweet Justice").
"It is a small group of very accomplished women who I admire very deeply that I share this honor with," Washington said in a phone interview. "It's surreal to be in their company, historically."
"Scandal" creator Shonda Rhimes, who's made a career of color-blind casting with shows such as "Grey's Anatomy," said she couldn't help but view the significance as an unfortunate reality.
"When you tell me it's historic I just go, 'It's really a shame that it's historic because it should not be a thing.' It's 2013," Rhimes said. "Kerry is an incredible actress, and the character of Olivia Pope appeals to everyone. If it means we're going to see more actresses of color being nominated in the future, that is wonderful. It will speak to something greater."
After premiering to lukewarm reviews and soft ratings as a mid-season replacement in 2012, the fast-paced drama became a hit after it generated strong word of mouth via social media, particularly Twitter — attracting celebrity admirers as wide-ranging as Oprah Winfrey and Lena Dunham and inside-the-Beltway admirers like former President Bill Clinton. The series also received a nomination for guest actor Dan Bucatinsky.
The series, loosely based on the life of Washington, D.C., crisis consultant Judy Smith, closed out its second season in May as one of the network's most watched and talked about shows, attracting about 8 million viewers for new episodes and inspiring as many as 2,000 tweets per minute. Clearly social media had become the new water cooler.
Washington was active in forging a digital relationship with the show's legion of fans — who dub themselves "gladiators" in tribute to Olivia's nickname for her posse of employees.
"This role has been quite good to me," Washington said in something of an understatement. In recent months the actress has been on the cover of Vanity Fair, Elle and been the subject of countless TV and Web interviews.
"There is something new and exciting happening in the landscape right now," Washington said. "There are so many ways to watch television now. Like, 'Game of Thrones,' for me, is real appointment television. But then there's "Super Soul Sunday" on the OWN network — with that, sometimes I'm streaming it, sometimes I'm DVRing it. It's always different."
The New York City native has made a career of being the woman on the side — whether as a teen mother in "Save the Last Dance" or Ray Charles' wife in "Ray" or a slave in "Django Unchained." Her portrayal of the sharp-dressed, fast-talking Olivia had fans arguing about her on-again, off-again extramarital lover (and former employer) — the president of the United States (Tony Goldwyn) — or feeling inspired by her intense pep talks to her employee.
"Kerry is a really collaborative actor," Rhimes said. "She's very smart about even figuring out what I mean, because sometimes I feel I'm not the best communicator. Kerry is really smart about asking, 'What were you going for?' We've sort of found our own language together."
Rhimes drew special attention to the season's roller-coaster episode, "Happy Birthday, Mr. President," in which the president is shot and Olivia must pick out clothes for the first lady to wear as days in the hospital drag on.
"There was a moment where she just cried. But only for a brief moment. Then she pulled herself together and leaves," Rhimes said. "She's just very raw and honest. And she's versatile. She can be funny, and smart, and sexy and strong — yet, you can see hints of the cracks underneath without it seeming obvious."
"Kerry is just brilliant. She flawlessly brings the words of Shonda Rhimes to life in Olivia Pope every Thursday night on 'Scandal,' " Paul Lee, ABC's president of entertainment, said in a statement. "This show is on fire, we are so proud of it, and this is a historic and well-deserved recognition for both Kerry and Shonda."
And others want those flames to keep blazing. Under an unusual syndication deal, BET recently announced it will televise episodes of the drama eight days after they premiere this fall, when the show enters its third season.


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RAMONA, Calif., April 11 (UPI) -- A 16-year-old boy died at a California high school after being hit in the chest by a softball during gym class, school officials said.
Taylor Dorman was playing "Over the Line," an improvised softball game, during gym class Wednesday when he was struck in the chest with a ball, Ramona High School Principal Tony Newman said.
"After being hit Taylor complained of his chest hurting then he collapsed," he said.
Fellow students told KFMB-TV, San Diego, that Dorman continued playing the game and seemed fine for about 20 minutes, even joking with the student who had hit the ball at him before collapsing.
A helicopter transferred Dorman to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido where he died a few hours later, KFMB reported.
The cause of Dorman's death was not reported.
Friends of the student, who played football, said his father died of a heart attack when he was young, KSWB-TV, San Diego, reported.
Students and faculty gathered at the school Wednesday evening to mourn Dorman's death and also celebrate his birthday, which was Wednesday, KSWB said.


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Mr. Steve Halverson (Chair), Mr. T. O'Neal Douglas, Mr. Wilfredo J. Gonzalez
Ms. Donna Harper Gibbs, Ms. Joan Wellhouse Newton, Mr. James Stalling
Chair Halverson convened the meeting at 12:14 p.m.
The June 19, 2002, minutes were approved with the following exceptions:
The parking system must generate a debt service coverage ratio of 1.25:1 on the outstanding bonds, meaning that revenues generated must cover operating expenditures and provide 1.25 times the debt service.
Trustee Douglas made a motion to approve the June 19, 2002, minutes with the above amendments. The motion was seconded by Trustee Gonzalez and passed unanimously.
Mr. Phil Turner, Director of Facilities Planning, addressed the proposed changes to the PECO List.
Chair Halverson invited the FAC to tour all campus buildings to see their condition. Dr. Serwatka will schedule the tour and notify participants of the tour's date and time.
Trustee Douglas inquired as to why we do not use developable space (the western ridge) adjacent to the parking lot by the University Police Department and the Child Development Resource Center. Mr. Turner noted that the previous Campus Master Plan had shown development in that area, but there was strong opposition not to develop the western ridge because of environmental issues. Faculty members have done ecological research on the western ridge and have found rare flora and fauna such as pitcher plants and gopher tortoises in this area. Presentation and further investigation/discussion of this item will be held in the future.
Trustee Gonzalez made a motion to approve the proposed PECO priority revision summary. The motion was seconded by Trustee Douglas and passed unanimously. This recommendation will be addressed by the full Board of Trustees' conference call on September 30, 2002. Trustee Douglas is unable to participate in the conference call and requested that the minutes reflect that Trustee Halverson has proxy rights to vote in Trustee Douglas' absence.
Mr. Paul Riel, Director of Housing, requested approval of new housing rental rates for 2003-2004 allowing the University to use accurate rates in recruitment documents for students who will be entering that year. The suggestion to move up the date of approval of the rental rates was made by the FAC last year. The rental rates proposal reflects a 4.5% increase based on double occupancy. A gradual increase in rental rates each year is necessary to ensure we have sufficient funds to cover the debt service ratio.
Ms. Linda Anderson, Associate Vice President for Administration & Finance, explained the financing structure underlying the University's housing operations. The former Board of Regents did not, except on rare occasions, allow the use of PECO funds for construction of auxiliary buildings. Therefore, the UNF Foundation leased the land from the State of Florida, issued bonds and constructed the housing facilities. The Foundation also executed leases with the University to operate and maintain the facilities. The operating lease requires the University to set housing fees at a level sufficient to cover the cost of housing operations and 1.20 times the cost of debt service. The housing revenue bonds are parity issues secured by the total revenue stream from the operation of housing. The bonds are variable rate and are credit enhanced by a non-recourse letter of credit rather than being fixed rate, insured bonds.
Chair Halverson thanked Ms. Anderson for her summary of UNF's revenue bonds in relation to the University's housing operations.
Mr. Riel then addressed revenue and expenditure projections for housing operations for 2003-2004, the proposed rental rates, and supplemental charges (see attached schedules). He noted that UNF's housing rental rates are comparable to its sister institutions' rates.
UNF's Executive Board and Area Resident Student Association (RSA) is in agreement with the proposed rental rate changes based on their letter of September 27, 2002. The letter also states they are very appreciative that Mr. Riel has continued to include residents in the planning of campus housing.
Trustee Douglas made a motion to approve the new housing rental rates increase for 2003-2004. The motion was seconded by Trustee Gonzalez and passed unanimously.
Ms. Judy Clausen, Associate General Counsel, addressed the proposed revised purchasing rule. The new purchasing rule is necessitated by devolution of powers and was vetted by legal counsel and by the UNF's Purchasing Department and will replace the rule in the current Florida Administrative Code. In drafting the new rule, UNF collaborated with sister institutions and found we are all operating in a similar manner. The number of exemptions was questioned and Ms. Janet Owen explained that our bid exemptions were consistent with prior Chapter 287, BOR 6C-18 and/or community college rules. A rule development workshop will be held to seek the University community's input. Approval of the new purchasing rule is not being sought at today's FAC meeting; however, we are seeking the FAC's recommendation to the BOT to adopt any changes with any further recommendations from the workshops subject to final approval.
Trustee Douglas made a motion to approve the recommendation and it was seconded by Trustee Gonzalez. The motion carried unanimously.
The revised traffic and parking regulations rules were necessitated by the Board's
July 18, 2002 approval of a new schedule for fees and fines for the 2002-2003 fiscal year. The proposed rules have been reviewed and approved by the UNF Parking Committee, which consists of representatives from each area on campus. The proposed permanent rules will be reviewed further by the campus community and will be scheduled for final approval at the Board's October 17 meeting.
The tuition and fees rules have been revised to incorporate the approved tuition and fees schedule for the 2002-03 fiscal year, and updates language to include UNF's current procedures for establishing and collecting fees. At the Board's June 20th meeting, the University brought forward a proposal for the Board to approve an emergency rule to allow and post the State and UNF-approved student tuition increases. The proposal passed unanimously at that meeting. The proposed permanent rules will be reviewed further by the campus community and will be scheduled for final approval at the Board's October 17 meeting.
Trustee Douglas made a motion to approve the Traffic and Parking Regulations and the Tuition and Fees Rules, subject to further revisions which may be recommended as a result of the internal campus rule development workshop process, and to be considered at the Board's October 17th meeting. The motion was seconded by Trustee Gonzalez and passed unanimously.
Chair Halverson requested that an internal group at UNF review the discussion paper and address it at the next FAC meeting.
Trustee Douglas commended Mr. Dan Dundon, Director of News & Publication, for the BOT Updates.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 1:50 p.m.
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