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The Cortez Journal encourages people to submit announcements about upcoming events for the Community Calendar. Send announcements to email@example.com. Items submitted at least two weeks in advance will have a better chance of getting published; items submitted several days before the event might not get published. For more information, call the Journal at 565-8527.
Elks Christmas Bazaar
The Cortez Elks Lodge, 2100 N. Dolores Rd., is offering table rentals for their upcoming 17th annual Christmas Bazaar, to be held on Sunday, Dec. 9. Tables are now available for rent at $25 each; we will provide the table. The deadline to reserve a table is Nov. 20. The Bazaar begins at 10 a.m. and goes until 5 p.m. Entertainment will be at 2 p.m. with the arrival of Santa at 3 p.m. He will visit with all the children who attend. There will be door prizes at least every hour, and food will be available for purchase. For more information call Sally at 739-0616.
Annual Turkey Trot Fun Run/Walk
For Pets' Sake Humane Society will hold its ninth annual Cortez Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. Registration starts at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 22 at the Parque de Vida Pavilion near the Cortez Recreation Center, 425 Roger Smith Avenue. The 1 mile fun run/walk starts at 10 a.m., regardless of the weather. This is probably For Pets' Sake's most enjoyable event of the year! The entry fee is $20 and includes a cool serene green commemorative T-shirt. Costumes for all are encouraged! Prizes will be awarded for fastest people and pets, best and best-coordinated costumes, best pet trick, most unusual pet to cross the finish line, and lots of other categories. All proceeds benefit For Pets' Sake Humane Society and their work for the dogs and cats of Montezuma and Dolores counties. For more information call 565-PETS (565-7387).
Thanksgiving Day Boot Camp Workout
DNR Fitness will offer a Thanksgiving Day workout — Boot Camp style — at 8:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 22, outside at the Cortez Recreation Center. The $4 fee will be donated to the For Pets' Sake Turkey Trot that begins at 10 a.m. DNR Fitness will be also do a Trot warm-up animal style, including downward dogs and bunny hops for those who are serious about trotting! Come join the fun and support For Pets' Sake, and work it off before it happens! For more information, call Rayna at 560-3916.
Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Grace's Soup Kitchen, at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, will serve its annual traditional Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for anyone who is hungry or needs some company on the holiday. Deliveries will also be made for the homebound and take-out meals available after 12:30 p.m. (those interested should call ahead and give their name and phone number by Tuesday, Nov. 20). The dinner is free but a $20 gift will help feed a family of 3 or 4. Send contributions to Grace's Soup Kitchen, 110 West North St., Cortez, CO 81321. For more information, or to donate frozen turkeys or your time, please call 565-7865.
28th Annual Holiday Craft Fair
Come by the Cortez Cultural Center's annual Holiday Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24, at the Montezuma County Annex, 107 N. Chestnut St., Cortez. Enjoy handmade items, franchise products, and door prizes while supporting the Cortez Cultural Center. For more information, call the Center at 565-1151.
Surgeon presents 'Non-Operative Treatments for Arthritis'
Cortez orthopedic surgeon Doug Bagge, MD, will present "Non-Operative Treatments for Arthritis" on Tuesday, Nov. 27 from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at the Southwest Memorial Hospital Annex conference room, 20 S. Market St. This free, informative lecture will cover osteoarthritis, injectable therapy, non-traditional treatments, and the benefits of physical therapy and exercise. Light refreshments will be served. No RSVP necessary. Call Susan Thomas at 564-2156 with questions.
FCBA presentation on beam/structural calculations from contractors
Four Corners Builders Association will offer a presentation at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 27 to attend a presentation, "Beam and Structural Member Calculations: Information Needed from the Contractor and Sample Calculations." The presenter will be Jeff Greve from ProBuild-Contractors Sales of Cortez. He will provide a summary of what is needed to get the correct finished product when ordering your beams and for your building structures. The public is invited to this free presentation at First National Bank, 2258 E. Main St., Cortez. For more information, call FCBA at 565-1771.
Dolores Rotary Club Bingo Night
The Dolores Rotary Club will continue their bingo season with a Bingo Night on Tuesday, Nov. 27, with all proceeds to benefit the Cortez Cultural Center. Bingo Night will be at the Dolores Community Center, 400 Riverside Avenue. A light supper and dessert will be served starting at 6:30 p.m. for $5, with bingo following at 7 p.m. Cards are $1 per game or $10 for the evening. All proceeds will benefit the Cortez Cultural Center. For more information, call Dave Sanford at 882-7428.
'Sights and Sounds of Christmas' theme of Parade of Lights
The 23rd annual Four Corners Board of Realtors Parade of Lights will be held Saturday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. The theme for this year's Parade of Lights is "Sights and Sounds of Christmas." This year's Grand Marshal for the Parade is the Slavens family, in recognition of their longtime support and involvement in our community. There is no fee to enter a float in the parade, but an entry form must be submitted by Thursday, Nov. 29 to Terry McCabe at Century 21 West Slope Realty. Cash prizes are awarded for the best float in each of 3 categories. The Parade of Lights is held each year on the first Saturday in December, with all prizes supplied by the Four Corners Board of Realtors as their gift back to the community. For more information, call Terry McCabe at 799-4459.
Local author Nealson gives book reading
Local author Christina Nealson will read from her recently released "Drive Me Wild: A Western Odyssey" on Friday, Nov. 30 at 5 p.m., at Spruce Tree Coffeehouse, 318 E. Main St., Cortez. More information about the author and the book can be found at christinanealson.com, or call 565-6789.
Annual Dolores Community Center Christmas Bazaar
The annual Dolores Community Center Christmas Bazaar will be held this year on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the Dolores Community Center, 400 Riverside Ave. from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The bazaar already has 40 vendors signed up to display various crafts such as Christmas wreaths, scarves, candles, homemade breads, pies and pumpkin rolls. There will also be handmade aprons, ornaments, quilts, afghans, leather items, toys, artwork and jewelry of all kinds. Come and do your special Christmas shopping. Refreshments are being provided by the Dolores Booster Club and all proceeds will go to the Dolores Community Center. Contact Ruby Gonzales for more information at 882-7717.
Catholic Daughters' Christmas Bazaar
The Catholic Daughters' Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church Hall, 28 E. Montezuma Ave., Cortez. Breakfast burritos will be served on Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. and Navajo tacos will be served from noon to 3 p.m. The Junior Catholic Daughters will serve soup for lunch on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Craft items, gift baskets, baked goods, stocking stuffers, wreaths, Christmas items, and homemade gifts are some of the items that will be available for purchase. All proceeds benefit our organization, which in turn supports local, national and global charities. For more information, call Elva at 565-8741 or Lucy at 564-1468.
Science cartoon art show opening reception, dance
Sideshow Emporium & Gallery presents "Adventures in a Blue World," a science cartoon show for all ages written and illustrated by Cathrine Fox, local educator and NOAA Teacher at Sea. The opening reception is Saturday, Dec. 1, from 6 to 11 p.m., with refreshments, dance music from DJ Cannonball, NOAA give-aways, and real scientists! The show will be up through December. Sideshow is at 411 Central in Dolores, call 739-4646 for more details.
Veterans Christmas Bazaar
The American Legion, 320 N. Harrison St. in Cortez, invites all to the upcoming first Veterans Christmas Bazaar on Sunday, Dec. 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are offering $20 table rentals for crafters and vendors for the event; tables will be provided. The bazaar will also have food available for purchase. All table rental proceeds raised will go to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) van fund to help transport veterans to and from medical appointments in the Four Corners area. For more information, or if interested in renting a table, contact Dale Wilson at 882-4531.
Mancos Valley Chorus Christmas concerts
Very soon the snow will be flying, and it'll be time to celebrate the season with a Mancos Valley Chorus Christmas concert! This year, in addition to new songs, we'll bring back some of our favorite Christmas songs from the past 10 years, including "Sleigh Ride," "I'm Gonna Email Santa," and "Prayer of the Children." Please join us for a "Christmas Past" concert on one of the following dates: Sunday, Dec. 2 at 3:30 p.m. at the Mancos United Methodist Church on 470 W. Grand Ave. in Mancos; Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 515 N. Park in Cortez; Friday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.; or Saturday, Dec. 8 at 3:30 p.m., both at Mancos United Methodist Church on 470 W. Grand Ave., Mancos. Hope to see you there! For questions call Carol at 882-0120 or visit www.mancosvalleychorus.org.
Series of Christian conversations
"How You Can Be Part of a Christian Community With Integrity and Not Believe All Those Things You Thought You Had to Believe." On Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m., this series of conversations will continue at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 110 W. North Street (corner of North and Elm). The topic for the evening is "What/who is God for You?" Everyone is welcomed. These gatherings are for folks who can't reconcile what they believe the church requires with their life experience; who don't want to check their minds at a church door; or who just don't want to live in a world they think the Christian church espouses but who might value being part of a community of faith. Questions are required. No answers are promised. Call 565-7865 for information.
For Pets' Sake Holiday Bake Sale to benefit local pets
For Pets' Sake Humane Society will hold a Holiday Bake Sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 at the north entrance to City Market in Cortez. There will be lots of cookies, cakes, pies, breads, and homemade dog treats! Proceeds from the fundraiser will aid the population of Montezuma and Dolores counties. In addition to running a spay/neuter assistance programs, For Pets' Sake provides foster homes for animals awaiting adoption and helps local people pay for emergency veterinary care for their pets.
Donations of baked goods from the group's members and supporters can be dropped off at City Market starting at 9:30 a.m. the morning of the sale. Baked goods can also be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7 at Let It Grow Nursery on Mildred across from the Colorado Welcome Center. For more information, contact Janet at 533-7402.


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In recent years, it has been common for the arts, including music, to be the first things cut when school districts are hit with a budget crunch. While I understand why administrators have to do it and how much they hate doing it, study after study shows the arts help keep kids in school, give them skills to perform better in school and enrich their lives as adults.
A tightened budget had led to an instrument crunch at Durango High School, with both a shortage of quality instruments and instruments that required repair. Go-getter band and orchestra teacher Katharine Reed and the Durango Instrumental Booster Club (how cool is that?) decided to hold a fundraiser to ameliorate the situation. Fortunately, they had both a group of committed parents and Music in the Mountains in their corner to make the event a galloping success.
Mike and Nancy Hoyt welcomed the 225 people or so who came to hear (and be served by) more than 100 students showing what they're learning. It was such a popular ticket, they had to turn a few disappointed folks away.
Special guests jazz musician Jeff Solon, who is the assistant Jazz Band director, and Arkady Fomin, the artistic director of Music in the Mountains Conservatory, both taught the students (Fomin spent the day with the orchestra) and performed with them.
The evening started with Debussy's "Claire de Lune," with Heather Schardt on piano, and the allegro molto movement from Kabalevsky's Violin Concerto in C Major, Opus 48, featuring Nolan Reed on violin.
Students then served the salad, before the Jazz Band took the stage to play "Killer on the Keys" by Larry Neeck and the world premiere of "Katin' Around," which Solon composed after the Durango Friends of the Arts commissioned it.
The band ended on a Latin note with "Perdido" by Juan Tizol and "Povo" by Freddie Hubbard, arranged by Erik Morales.
Toes were still tapping as guests dived into the main course, a choice of oven-roasted chicken, smoked ribs donated by Sunnyside Farms and facilitated by Ian Chamberlain, or vegetarian lasagna, with sides of roasted potatoes and green beans almondine.
After a brief interlude of "January," by Scott D. Davis, with Hannah Robertson on piano, the grand finale arrived at the tables – gourmet cupcakes prepared by the DHS culinary arts classes.
Other folks who helped get the food together were Durango Joe's Coffee, Bread, Durango Embroidery, the school district's director of nutrition Krista Garand, kitchen manager Steven Scholz and cooks Heather McDonald, Niki WineHolt and Tabitha Smouse.
Students did most of the serving with the help of parents and co-chairwomen Christine Phillips and Martha Sandner and their committee of Mike Phillips, Daniel Sandner, Susan Kraus and Chris Wilbur.
The cafeteria didn't look so cafeteriaish after William and Jennifer Sawyer and Andy and Gracie Parker's donated decorations were assembled by chairwoman Pam Frech, co-chairpeople Jennifer Sawyer and Gracie Parker and Jim Muller, Kraus, Carrie Betts, Ivy and Jason Thornburn, Gina Petty, Virginia Hedges, Susie Robertson, Allisa Waldo, Eric and Kay Kiesel and Bitten Skartvedt and Charles Schwaebe.
The evening ended with an orchestral performance with Fomin. The young musicians performed the largo and allegro movements from Vivaldi's "L'Estro Armonico," Piazzolla's "Melodia en la menor" and "Oblivion," Shostakovich's "Organ Grinder Polka" and Johann Strauss' "Pizzicato Polka."
You're sitting at home thinking, "Boy, I'm sorry I missed that." I can't do anything about the food, but for a couple of short snippets of the concert, visit my column on our website, www.durangoherald.com, to link to Music in the Mountains videos courtesy of Gordon Thomas.
Here are some of the comments I've heard: "An amazing evening from beginning to end," "Wow, I understand why the marching band has tripled in size," and "Talk about drawing in kids who love music."
Ticket sales weren't the only income raised by the event. Cindy Bonitz-Ryan led a silent auction committee that also included the Kiesels and Nancy Shanks. As always seems to be the case, a number of businesses, organizations and individuals donated silent auction items. People ask me why I include at least some of the donors, and I'll tell you why. If you patronize a business that you has supported one of your favorite causes, I want you to go in and thank them for that support.
So at the dinner show, some of the donors included 6th Street Hair Salon and Day Spa, A Shared Blanket, Durango Sports Zone, Eagle Block, Katzin Music, Karyn Gabaldon Fine Arts, Lanka Blue, Maria's Bookshop, Mountain Bike Specialists, Music in the Mountains, Nature Revealed, Ski Barn, Stella and Dot, Sunrise Dentistry, Velvet Monkey Haute Coiffure, Aria Therapeutics, Bank of Colorado, Coco Palms Tanning Salon, Del Sol and Insight Energy.
If you want to support the Durango High School bands and orchestra, make out your check to Durango High School Instrumental Music and mail it to Durango High School, Attn: Katharine Reed, 2390 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301.
Enjoying chocolate and roses for their birthdays – no wait, that's a twofer with Valentine's Day – are Karen Keller, Suzanne Parker, Christine Phillips, Kristi Nelson Cohen, Wesley Campano, Wayne Frisbie, Cameron Kelley, Daxtin Kunch, Hunter Martin, Gary Russell, Ryan Dugan, Ryan Johnson, Rachael Bennett, Kylee Colford, Rowean Crader, Wyatt Bartel, Billye Dunkerly, Joseph Grinnan, Melinda Johnson, Gary Steinbach, Brigitte Wahl, Diane Milner, Peggy Hoffman, Kelsey Jordan and Jerry Maxey.
Feeling the love in the air for their Valentine's Day-week anniversaries are Daren and Kim Caldwell and Kurt and Lisa Raymond.
Here's how to reach me: email@example.com; phone 375-4584; mail items to the Herald; or drop them off at the front desk. Please include contact names and contact information for all items.

subset: commoncrawl


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March 10. 2013 10:12PM
Manchester police: Jerry's excitable, but still a great horse for sale
By TED SIEFER
New Hampshire Union Leader
Mounted Manchester police officer Scott Tardiff pets Jerry at the police stables in Manchester last week. (DAVID LANE/UNION LEADER)
MANCHESTER - How do you tell a horse he's not cut out for police work?
Last week, the aldermen voted to allow the Manchester Police Department to move forward with selling Jerry, the 6-year-old gelding it purchased last August.
Jerry proved to be a little too excitable.
"There was the incident when he threw a rider at Veterans Park, but he also has not been responsive in the training ring," said Capt. Richard Reilly, who heads the department's Community Policing Division, of which the Mounted Unit is a part. "We can't have a horse so youthful and energetic. The safety of the officer and the public is paramount to all else."
Jerry will remain at the stables of the city's Youth Development Center on North River Road until a new home is found.
The departure of Jerry leaves only one horse in the Mounted Unit, Valor, who is 12.
Reilly said the department will be looking for a more seasoned horse like Valor.
"He's as calm and docile as can be. That's what we want, a horse that is responsive to the rider," he said.
So who would buy a rejected police horse?
Reilly said Jerry is a great horse, that he just has too much personality for police work.
"The horse has value in other forms, perhaps more in a pulling capacity rather than riding," he said.
Reilly said there's a "whole horse network" that he'll reach out to.
It appears police will move forward with purchasing a new horse sooner rather than later. In a request to the aldermen, Reilly wrote that the department intends to "purchase a new mount in the immediate future with the donated funds that remain in the account in combination with the proceeds generated by the sale of Jerry."
The department had purchased Jerry from a couple in Maine for $4,000 last August. He had passed a 30-day trial period.
The aldermen approved the police request without discussion last Tuesday.
In the past, the Mounted Unit has been a more controversial subject amid budget woes. In 2011, Mayor Ted Gatsas suggested that police no longer use the animals because of the expense associated with their upkeep and transport.
Most of the money for the program comes from an independent foundation established in 2004.


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Membership at Hegre.com costs
less than $0.42 a day!
The caves on Portugal's Algarve are great places to explore and there is no better guide than Marketa.
As we follow her naked journey into the unknown we bring you Marketa Cave Woman, hot, oily, and every neat cleft and crease coated in sand. The caves are mysterious, the rocks are carved by the hands of nature and the landscape is totally wild. Just like Marketa.
If you've forgotten the summer already, she's the girl to put the sun back in your life.
Would you like to comment? Join us today, or sign in if you're already a member.


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Senate vote gives a reprieve to education tax credit programBy GARRY RAYNO
State House Bureau
April 18. 2013 1:04PM
CONCORD - On a party line vote, the Senate tabled House Bill 370, effectively killing the bill which would repeal a new school scholarship program funded through business tax credits.
Senate Democrats argued the program was unconstitutional and took money away from public schools, while Republicans argued it provides an alternative for poor children who do not fit into public education.
Republicans argued lawmakers should wait to see if the program is successful, but Democrats argued bad policy is bad policy.
The House passed the bill 188-151. The bill was approved last year over former Gov. John Lynch's veto.


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Portsmouth crash causes fuel spill
March 24. 2013 12:12AM
PORTSMOUTH — A section of Interstate 95's southbound lane near exit 5 was closed for several hours early Saturday after an accident involving a truck that spilled about 50 gallons of diesel fuel, state police said.
Police said Johnson Corrielus, 35, of Milton, Mass., was heading south on the interstate when he lost control of a 2008 Peterbilt truck at 2:18 a.m. Saturday. The truck went off the road, broke through a guardrail and overturned, puncturing one of its gas tanks.


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Once again, OBU will host a pastors school.
Continuing its tradition of reaching out to ministers in Oklahoma and beyond, Oklahoma Baptist University's Herschel H. Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry will host the 2013 OBU Pastors School Monday-Wednesday, July 15-17, 2013.
The theme for the 2013 school, designed to provide an opportunity of ministry development for Baptist pastors, is "Preach the Cross," based on 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Sponsored by the OBU Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry, The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma and local churches in the state, the school will feature three Baptist scholars and pastors: Nick Garland, pastor of First Baptist Church, Broken Arrow; Dr. Tony Merida, author, pastor and professor; and Dr. Robert Smith Jr., longtime professor of preaching at Beeson Divinity School.
"Years ago when I began as a bi-vocational minister, I sought out opportunities to strengthen my preaching and pastoral abilities by attending OBU's Ministry Training Institute," said OBU President David Whitlock. "I also began attending a summer pastors school in another state and was so appreciative that, upon arrival at OBU, I was anxious to have a similar program."
"The OBU Pastors School is a revival of its summer programs from the 1940s through the 1960s," Dr. Whitlock said. "We were pleased to reestablish the OBU Pastors School last year. In its second year of being revived, this year's school promises to be a time of encouragement, equipping, and challenge that will ultimately strengthen the pastor and the entire congregation."
During the 2013 Pastors School, Garland will lead the morning devotions. Merida and Smith will expound on the theme, "Preach the Cross," with practical teaching, encouragement and application for ministry of preaching at churches of any size.
Pastor, professor and father of five, Merida has become a leading evangelical voice on the importance of Christ-centered exposition, global missions and orphan care. Merida is the lead pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, N.C. He also serves as associate professor of preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He previously served as pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, Miss., as well as dean of the chapel and assistant professor of preaching at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned a doctorate in preaching. His books include "Faithful Preaching" and "Proclaiming Jesus."
Smith joined the Beeson Divinity School faculty in 1997 and teaches Christian Preaching. He earned his bachelor's degree from Cincinnati Bible College and his master's degree and doctorate from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He also received an honorary doctorate of sacred theology from Temple Community Bible College. He is the author of "Doctrine that Dances: Bringing Doctrinal Preaching and Teaching to Life" and coeditor of "Our Sufficiency is of God: Essays on Preaching in Honor of Gardner C. Taylor." He served as pastor of New Mission Missionary Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, for 20 years.
Garland is president of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. He has served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Broken Arrow, since October 1986. The son of a pastor, he has been preaching since he was 19 years old. Dearly loved by his congregation, Garland is known best for his outstanding teaching and preaching. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from Florence State University in Alabama and a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. The first 15 years of his ministry, he served as pastor of Southern Baptist churches in Alabama, Arkansas and Texas.
The event also will feature breakout sessions, including those taught by OBU professors from the Hobbs College. Dr. Alan Bandy, Dr. Bobby Kelly, Dr. Ish Mudliar and Dr. Scott Pace will bring their expertise to the fore as they explore additional insights from their fields of study for preaching the Word.
"OBU has a rich heritage in investing in the lives of pastors," said Wendell Lang, OBU's church relations director. "This summer at our Pastors School, we will provide meaningful education coupled with powerful inspiration concerning preaching the glorious message of the cross. I can't wait for our Pastors School as we sharpen our tools in the wonderful privilege of proclaiming the word of God."
Bandy joined the Hobbs College faculty as the Rowena R. Strickland Professor in New Testament / assistant professor of New Testament in the fall of 2009. He earned a bachelor's degree from Clear Creek Baptist Bible College; a master's degree from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary; and a doctorate from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He previously served as assistant director of Ph.D. studies for Southeastern and as an adjunct professor of biblical and theological studies in Liberty University's Distance Learning Program. He also served as assistant professor of Christian Studies at Louisiana College.
He has served in several ministerial positions including pastor, pastor to students and pastor to children/youth.
Kelly joined the OBU faculty in 1997. He was named the Rowena Strickland Professor of Bible in 2000 and the Ruth Dickinson Chair of Bible in 2004. He received OBU's Promising Teacher Award in 2000 and the Distinguished Teaching Award in 2011. A native of Kentucky, he earned a bachelor's degree from Clear Creek Baptist College and a master of divinity degree and doctorate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to teaching at OBU, Kelly served five years as a teaching fellow at Southwestern Seminary, leading classes in biblical language appreciation, New Testament and preaching. He has served as an interim pastor at several churches across Oklahoma.
Mudliar serves as Dickinson Chair of Religion at OBU. He joined the OBU faculty in 2012 as associate professor of religion. He earned a bachelor's degree in theology from Union Biblical Seminary; a master of arts degree from Johns Hopkins University; and a master of divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He received his doctorate in Hebrew Bible and Northwest Semitic Languages from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He most recently taught as an assistant professor of Old Testament at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to his teaching career, he served as an associate pastor, youth minister and associate pastor of family ministry and outreach.
Pace joined the Hobbs College as the Jewell and Joe L. Huitt Assistant Professor of Applied Ministry in 2009. He was named the Reverend A.E. and Dora Johnson Hughes Chair of Christian Ministry in 2011. He earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from North Carolina State University; a master of divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; and a doctorate in applied theology from Southeastern. He served for more than a decade as a student pastor, associate pastor of doctrine and as teaching pastor and administrator at First Baptist Church of Daytona Beach, Fla. He previously worked as a corporate accountant and a business manager.
"With so much talk about the Gospel these days, God's spokesmen are to be encouraged to boldly proclaim his Word no matter their context of ministry," said Dale Griffin, dean of spiritual life at OBU. "As an administrative dean in higher education, I am looking forward to the messages, training and refocus of energies anticipated through the OBU Pastors School this year."
In addition to devotions, Bible studies, breakouts and plenary sessions, the OBU Pastors School includes housing on campus for two nights, two evening meals, two breakfasts and one lunch. The cost is $99.
"Oklahoma Baptist pastors, you will have an unforgettable experience at the OBU Pastors School," said Dr. Mark McClellan, dean of the Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry. "You will be taught, enriched and inspired by nationally known preachers and scholars. What a unique opportunity you will have to get to know and share with them personally. This is not a conference. It is a uniquely designed school at one of the finest Christian universities in the country, and it is just for you. Join us."
For more information, contact OBU's Hobbs College at (405) 585-4426. To register, go online to www.okbu.edu/pastorsschool.


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Hampton police search for hit-and-run driver
June 25. 2013 11:31PM
HAMPTON — Police are trying to find the driver of a car they say hit a motorcycle, seriously injuring two people, and drove away.
Police said a motorcycle was on an onramp to merge onto Route 101 on Sunday when it was hit by a car that may have been gold or silver in color. The car should be damaged on its passenger side and be missing its passenger side rear-view mirror, police said.
Both passengers on the motorcycle, whom police did not name in a release, suffered life-threatening injuries, police said.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call police at 929-4444.


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Ayacucho: The Times of Danger
All Day
Monday Nov 19, 2012
Law Warschaw Gallery, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center & Gallery
Curated by Olga Gonzalez, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Latin American Studies.
Ayacucho, a colonial city and once center of an ancient Andean culture, was the site of a bitter war waged between the Maoist insurgency Shining Path and the Peruvian military during the 1980s and early 1990s. This exhibition represents the response of Andean popular artists to the conflict that destroyed lives and relationships, and tore apart the fabric of traditional life in the Andean region of Peru.
This event is for: Alumni, Students, Staff, Faculty, Parents and Families and Public
Sponsored By: Art and Art History
Categories: Front Page Events and Art, Music, Theater
Add Event: Macalester.edu Google Calendar | Google Calendar | iCalendar [.ICS]


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Want more of our March 2014 cover star Aubrey Plaza? Check out these exclusive quotes from Aubrey's cover shoot and don't miss the rest of her interview on newsstands February 11!
1. Funny Bone
On where her funny personality comes from:
My family is definitely funny. I have a lot of characters in my family for sure. My mom has a really weird sense of humor. She's kind of a "quiet" weird. If you met her you would think she was very shy, which she is, but she has a subtle sense of humor. And my dad is kind of the opposite -- [he's a] life of the party kind of guy, [always] in party mode. They are both kind of funny people.
2. Being Labeled Weird
On being labeled weird:
I don't really care. I'm probably a lot weirder than people think I am. The only thing that I care about is I never want to come off like I'm being disrespectful, because I don't smile that or that I have low key vibe. I don't ever want people to think that I'm purposely trying to throw someone off balance. I'm usually not. I'm usually just being me.
3. SNL and Lack of Color
On SNL's lack of diversity:
I don't know what to say about the diversity on Saturday Night Live. I'm sure they would want, in an ideal world, for it to be completely balanced. It should just be about who is funny. But I feel like it is a shame that there [isn't a lot of diversity]. I bet [it's also] they are not looking in the right places.
4. Hollywood Star Making Machine
On Hollywood's star machine and friendships:
It's really easy to get lost in Hollywood. It gets complicated when you have some success and there are people who give you attention or want something from you, filling your head up with all these crazy ideas. For me it's really important to maintain friendships that are real friendships -- people that you grew up with or people that don't deal with the machine, because I think that's what happens when you come out here.
5. The To Do List
On her film The To Do List:
I've learned going through that movie experience and a couple of others that you kind of have to live in the moment and not worry about how something is going to do. Because really my work is done when they finish shooting and after that I have no control over the marketing. I try to do as much as I can and try not to let the buzz or whatever get into my head because otherwise you're going to set yourself up for disappointment.


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It is a bizarre nightly ritual that is deeply embedded in the British way of life.
You switch off the TV, lock up the house, slip into bed, turn on your radio, and begin to listen to a mantra, delivered by a soothing, soporific voice.
"Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger ...." says the voice.
You are aware — vaguely — that these delicious words are names, and that those names refer to big blocks of sea around your island nation, stretching all the way up to Iceland and down to North Africa.
Your mind begins to swoop across the landscape, sleepily checking the shorelines, from the gray waters of the English Channel to the steely turbulence of the Atlantic.
Somewhere, deep in your memory, stir echoes of British history — of invasions from across the sea by Vikings, Romans and Normans; of battles with Napoleon's galleons and Hitler's U-boats.
Finally, as the BBC's Shipping Forecast bulletin draws to a close, you nod off, complacent in the knowledge that whatever storms are blasting away on the oceans out there, you're in your pajamas, sensibly tucked up at home.
The fact that you know nothing much about the sea, and cannot tell a freighter from a futtock (part of a wooden hull), is beside the point.
For you, listening to the BBC's Shipping Forecast every night is about something else entirely.
You're paying homage to an institution that is as much part of the jigsaw that makes up Britain's national culture as drizzle and warm beer.
Why does the Shipping Forecast mean so much to so many in the U.K.?
For one, the weather still actually matters for many coastal communities, such as the tiny island of Lundy off southwest England, home to 28 people. There's the Tyne in the northeast — one of the 31 sea areas that feature in the forecast — once a maritime hub for Britain's mighty coal and shipbuilding industries where the "Geordies" are now striving to find a new role for their community. And in the ancient southern seaside town of Hastings, the same families have been fishing for centuries.
But for many Britons, the Shipping Forecast is much more significant than a weather bulletin for the fishermen and sailors who make their living from the oceans.
A very large number of regular listeners are landlubbers. They are, however, fiercely loyal.
BBC Radio 4 broadcasts the Shipping Forecast four times a day, but the late-night bulletin — shortly before 1 a.m. — possesses a particular mystique. It's not uncommon for listeners to ask for the music that introduces it — "Sailing By" — to be played at their funerals.
A few years back, when someone suggested changing the bulletin's timing by just 12 minutes, there were angry speeches in Parliament and indignant newspaper editorials.
Listeners brandishing banners demonstrated outside the BBC's London headquarters. The idea was eventually abandoned.
A Mysterious, And Inspiring, Appeal
Exactly why the Shipping Forecast is held in such affectionate esteem by the British public is a topic of considerable discussion in the U.K.
Many people compare the forecast with listening to poetry. The BBC's Arlene Fleming is one of the presenters of the forecast: "It is poetry! ... There is a natural rhythm to it," she says, "just like the sea."
This may help explain why the Shipping Forecast has enthused so many artists over the years.
It has inspired poetry by neighboring Ireland's late, great Seamus Heaney and also Britain's Poet Laureate Carol Anne Duffy. It arises in art; it's referenced in TV shows, movies and songs — such as Blur's "This is a Low," and Thomas Dolby's "Windpower," which actually ends with a sample from a broadcast.
A snippet from the bulletin cropped up in Danny Boyle's widely acclaimed opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. Comedians aplenty have tried their hands at parodies of the forecast.
Peter Jefferson presented the Shipping Forecast on the BBC's airwaves for 40 years.
In his book And Now The Shipping Forecast, Jefferson offers this explanation: "There is something in many of us that likes the certainties of life and is averse to change.
"The Shipping Forecast is a comfort, a given, a sign that maybe, just maybe, everything is alright with the world after all — until the next day dawns, anyway — but that's a few hours of delicious sleep away! Time for the febrile mind to repair itself, rest, chill out, relax and take gentle stock of things."
It's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Audie Cornish.
And I'm Melissa Block.
Over the next few days, we're going exploring along the edge of Britain. The idea isn't to focus on seaports or fishing villages, but on the shipping areas off its coast. Britain is after all a maritime nation that once boasted the world's largest navy.
And, as NPR's Philip Reeves tells us, even the names of shipping areas in the surrounding seas are embedded in the British national psyche.
PHILIP REEVES, BYLINE: This is a story about a strange institution. The British call this institution a national treasure. It's not a painting or a palace or a prince. This treasure is made only of words.
ARLENE FLEMING: And now the shipping forecast issued by the Met Office on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
REEVES: For many Britons, the Shipping Forecast is woven into the fabric of life. The routine's the same every night. You finish your cup of tea. Put out the cat and lock up. Hop into bed. Switch on the radio and serenely drift off to this.
FLEMING: There are warnings of gales in Viking, North Uitsera, South Uitsera, Forties, Cromerty, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight...
REEVES: The British Isles are an archipelago measuring about 900 miles from top-to-toe. Plenty of people make a living from the ocean. Wild weather on the high seas matters to them. Yet many more Britons are landlubbers who know nothing of currents and tides. Plenty of them are also devoted listeners.
SALLY CROOKE: I definitely don't, you know, have any sort of natural affiliations with the seaside.
REEVES: Sally Crooke is from a farming family in the English county of Wiltshire. Wiltshire is landlocked.
Do you listen to the Shipping Forecast?
CROOKE: I do...
CROOKE: ...listen to the Shipping Forecast. Even in London, I listen to the Shipping Forecast, yes. You know, it is always the same places mentioned in the same order. It is soothing.
FLEMING: Forth, Tyne, northwest, backing west or southwest, five to seven, decreasing...
NICK HARKAWAY: We are a seafaring nation from the very beginning. We're an island country. And so it's all our gateways. It's everywhere that you can come into or leave the United Kingdom, the Shipping Forecast goes there and tells you what's happening there.
REEVES: Nick Harkaway is an author and a landlubber and a big Shipping Forecast fan.
HARKAWAY: I think maybe for the Brits it's a little like a Swiss watch. When you hear the ticking of a Swiss watch, you know that it'll continue to do that in this regular and perfect way forevermore. It's the symbolic British calm, perfectly predicting the sea moving out into the world, and so on. It's our - it's an identity.
FLEMING: Occasional rain later, good, occasionally poor: Wight, Portland, Plymouth, northwest backing southwest later, five to seven...
REEVES: That voice is BBC announcer Arlene Fleming. The BBC's Radio Four broadcasts four shipping forecasts every day. Fleming says it's the forecast in the quiet wee hours, after midnight that has an especially mystical quality.
FLEMING: There is a natural rhythm to it, almost a wave, a rhythm. You know, just like the sea, it's wonderful. It's almost like poetry to me. You know, and I have had so many people write in to me and say, you know, I like to listen to you reading it because you've got a lovely - there's a lovely rhythm to it. And I say I always think of it as a poetical work.
Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon; northwest backing west or southwest...
I have had a few cards, a few Valentine's cards, about the Shipping Forecast and things from anonymous people, which is very nice.
REEVES: Valentines to you?
FLEMING: To me...
FLEMING: ...about the Shipping Forecast.
REEVES: Saying how much they love...
FLEMING: Yes, indeed. Well, there was one just saying he'd gone to sleep listening to the Shipping Forecast and he awoke listening to it, and thought he'd died and gone to heaven.
FLEMING: And I thought, a bit over the top but how lovely.
FLEMING: Five to seven, increasing seven to severe gale 9...
REEVES: The Shipping Forecast covers 31 sea areas. That's a huge expanse of water.
ALISTER MCHARDY: They extend all the way up to - the furthest point is probably southeast Iceland, and that's the furthest northwest. And then we've got another area right down in the far south called Trafalgar, which goes all the way right down to North Africa.
REEVES: Alister McHardy of Britain's Met Office says that you can get the forecast these days on Sat Nav, mobile phone and the Internet. Yet seafarers still often tune in to the BBC.
MCHARDY: There's actually a piece of music which goes out called "Sailing By." The reason behind using music is it's an identifier for people tuning in on long wave. And if they're out in a vessel out on a wild windy night - say, in the middle of the North Sea - then they can tune in; if they hear that music, then they know they've actually got the right frequency and they can listen to the Shipping Forecast.
REEVES: Back in their beds, Britain's landlubbers slide off to sleep to that same music. So ingrained is "Sailing By" in the lives of some that they choose it in death, too, to be played at their funerals.
PETER JEFFERSON: It is not an unusual request, which again is another way of sort of strengthening this hold which apparently the forecast has on so many people, that they even want it played after they're gone. (Laughing)
REEVES: Peter Jefferson was for decades the voice of Britain's Shipping Forecast. He read the forecast on the radio for 40 years, then wrote a book about it. He remembers when the BBC decided to change the time of the nightly forecast by just 12 minutes. There were demonstrations outside the BBC's London headquarters.
JEFFERSON: There were people even marching outside Broadcasting House. I mean it was that... (Laughing) ...that intense. With banners. It was quite an amazing sight really.
REEVES: The plan eventually had to be scrapped.
The Shipping Forecast is not always taken so seriously though. The Brits also find it funny.
STEPHEN FRY: South Uitsera, North Uitsera, Sheerness, Foulness, Eliot Ness...
REEVES: The weird and exotic names of the shipping areas seems to appeal to a British sense of the absurd and therefore to humorist Stephen Fry.
FRY: If you will, Often, Eminent, 447, 22 yards, Touchdown, Stupidly.
REEVES: Nick Harkaway, the writer, recently tried his hand at a spoof and posted it on his website. It went down rather well on Twitter.
HARKAWAY: Lloyd Harriott, Papal, Embuscades, Sheepcroft, four. Overall, there will be some nostalgia, fading later into tourism before midnight. There is no prospect of rain.
REEVES: British musicians have also drawn inspiration from the Shipping Forecast, says Jefferson.
JEFFERSON: There's something here from Blur's album which is called "Park Life," and a lyric from a track entitled "This Is a Low." Referring to, you know, a low weather system.
BLUR: (Singing) And into the sea goes pretty England and me. Locked down...
JEFFERSON: And into the sea goes pretty England and me, Around the Bay of Biscay and back for tea. Hit traffic on the Dogger Bank, up the Thames to find a taxi rank. Sail on by with the tide and go to sleep when the radio says this is a low but it won't hurt you.
BLUR: (Singing) This is a low...
REEVES: No artist, though, has captured the baffling, mystical appeal of the Shipping Forecast quite like this man.
SEAMUS HEANEY: Dogger, Rockall, Malin, Irish Sea...
REEVES: The late Seamus Heaney, the poet from neighboring Ireland.
HEANEY: Green swift upsurges, North Atlantic flux, conjured by that strong gale warning voice, collapse into a sibilant penumbra, midnight and close down.
FLEMING: Moderate or good becoming moderate or poor. And that's the end of the Shipping Forecast.
REEVES: Philip Reeves, NPR News.
BLOCK: And tomorrow, Philip will take us to one of those exotic shipping areas, a place called Lundy.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC, "SAILING BY") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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It took a lot more than suspenders and taped glasses to win the Revenge of the Queens drag show Thursday night hosted at El Rancho Bar.
The winner, Philip Powell (aka Phil-eesha Phil-ya-up), was decked out in a sequined minidress, blonde wig and stiletto high heels for his drag-queen performance.
A rambunctious crowd cheered on a total of 12 contestants as they strutted, stumbled and shimmied down the runway during the drag show, which was resurrected last year after a several-years hiatus.
While co-organizer Jennifer LaCroix admitted this year's geek theme was more challenging for a drag costume than last year, contestants found a way to add their own geeky touches to almost every outfit. Sequined suspenders, a plaid miniskirt and a bright orange fanny all made an appearance on the runway.
But the theme of geek didn't mean there wasn't plenty of skin flashing across the runway.
Ethan Riser, dressed up in nothing more than a Princess Leia-style bikini gave a risque nod to Star Wars nerds, and Cody Birk put a naughty schoolgirl twist on the geek theme with a pink miniskirt and half-buttoned collared shirt.
This year's contestants had a much easier set of tasks than last year, when each of the participants had to limbo under a pole, carry a tray of shot glasses while sashaying through a line of traffic cones and hula hoop for as long as possible.
After a few contestants last year almost fell off the runway, organizers decided hula hooping was "a bit too dangerous," LaCroix said. She said she hoped the event would be more streamlined this year than last.
This year, each contestant first had to carry a tray of shot glasses and serve a few in the thirsty crowd. Craig Hozingo, wearing a black miniskirt and high-heeled pleather boots, brought two bare-chested bodyguards with him as he teetered across the runway while Tirzah Camacho broke out dance moves that drove the crowd wild. One of the bolder women near the runway tried to sneak a dollar bill into his tighty whiteys as Camacho shimmied past.
Participants' second challenge was to do their best impression of the El Rancho walk of shame. Some of the male participants interpreted the task as an invitation to take off their shirts and shed their stuffed bras, baring their chests to the crowd. Others skillfully stumbled across the stage, pretending the cheering crowd was a group of skeptical early birds on Main Avenue.
Similar to last year, the vast majority of drag-queen contestants signed up the day of the event, including Buddy Gurnari and his wife, Debbie Gurnari. The couple had attended the Shuckin' Suckin' Oyster Eating Contest at the Highway 3 Roadhouse earlier in the afternoon and, after a few drinks at the Irish Embassy, decided they should switch clothes and enter the drag-queen contest, Buddy Gurnari said. He was dressed in hiking boots, a plaid mini skirt and a cheerleader sweater that left more than a sliver of his round tummy exposed, while his wife had the air of a nerdy office worker with a button-down shirt that was caught into the zipper of her khaki pants.
Though the contest was just a hair above organized chaos, the crowd didn't seem to notice and roared with approval each time the contestants came on stage.
The drag queens, meanwhile, were happy to bask in the spotlight.


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Recognizing father: Not PC, but still OK
June 16. 2013 12:00AM
The National Archives has done the nation a tremendous public service by transcribing and posting online every document it had that was written to or from one of the nation's Founding Fathers.
In announcing the website last week, someone posting on the White House blog omitted the word "Fathers" and referred to them as the "Founding Founders." The Internet went nuts.
The posting was changed, with "Fathers" restored to its customary place. But it is easy to see why so many Americans saw something sneaky in what appears to have been an honest mistake (after all, the same post used the term "statesmen.") Political correctness has done so much to diminish the achievements of men, white men in particular. Its usual method is not only to elevate the numerous and sometimes overlooked achievements of women, but to dismiss, write off, ignore or even wipe away the contributions of men, with particular emphasis on the Founding Fathers.
Where would we be, though, without our Founding Fathers? Where would we be without the regular fathers who, before and after the Founders, brought their families to the New World, cleared the forests and settled a continent? Where would we be without the fathers who every day sacrifice their own personal pleasures to make a home for their families, to provide for their children, to raise the next generation of Americans?
It takes nothing away from mothers to recognize the importance of fathers (without whom, there would be no mothers, by the way). On Father's Day, let's honor and remember their contributions, and maybe take them out for an ice cream, too. Without them, we wouldn't just be nowhere, we wouldn't be at all.


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February 06. 2013 11:37PM
He says moped, police say motorcycle
By JAMES A. KIMBLE
Union Leader Correspondent
Prosecutors used this photo and the specs of a Tank Urban Sporty Scooter to support their argument that Rafael Tejada was driving a motorcycle when he fled from police on July 30. Police stopped him because he was not wearing protective eye wear. A defense lawyer claims the police stop violated Tejada's constitutional rights because he was riding a moped, not a motorcycle. (COURTESY)
Rafael Tejada
BRENTWOOD - A Massachusetts man accused of driving into oncoming traffic near Route 28 in Salem and setting off a police pursuit is urging a judge to throw out his case, claiming he violated no motor vehicle laws because he was on a moped - not a motorcycle.
Rafael Tejada, 27, of Lawrence, Mass. is facing two felony reckless conduct charges and eight misdemeanors for allegedly fleeing from a police officer who attempted to pull him over for not wearing protective eyewear.
The reason for the July 30 stop was not legally justified, according to Tejada's public defender, Devens Hamlen, who is arguing all evidence in the case should be thrown out of court.
"A moped is not a motorcycle," Hamlen said in court papers. "There is nothing in the driving code requiring that moped drivers wear eye glasses, safety goggles or that the moped have some sort of protective screen."
Prosecutors submitted an online advertisement of the motorized bike to a Rockingham County Superior Court judge to support their argument that Tejada was, in fact, driving a motorcycle, giving Salem police a right to pull him over.
"The motorcycle (Tejada) was operating has an internal combustion engine with a piston displacement exceeding 50 cc's," Assistant County Attorney Jerome Blanchard said in a court motion.
If a judge agrees with Tejada, it would not only throw out nearly all evidence in the case, but essentially bar prosecutors from pursuing charges against him related to the pursuit, according to the defense.
Blanchard argues that a 2008 state Supreme Court case would still allow the state to pursue charges against Tejada for his actions during the police pursuit.
Tejada was headed eastbound on Cluff Crossing Road at 11:36 a.m. when he was first spotted by Officer Brian Routhier.
When the officer activated his cruiser lights and siren, Tejada allegedly sped off and crossed over a double yellow line into oncoming traffic, according to police. He entered the Shaw's Plaza through the exit lane, police said.
Police officers dispatched to the scene caught up to Tejada's moped in the parking lot and ordered him to stop. He allegedly jumped a curb to get out of the parking lot and drove on a nearby railroad bed.
Police lost sight of Tejada but a short time later other cruisers in the area spotted him southbound on Route 28. Officers followed him onto Cluff Crossing Road and into the Brook Village West Apartments, where police say he went off the paved parking lot and darted in front of a cruiser.
One officer had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting Tejada. A second cruiser following the officer rear-ended the lead police car, prosecutors said.
Tejada then drove into some brush and crashed at low speed before being apprehended, police said.
A judge is set to hear legal arguments in the case on Feb. 22.


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NHIAA Div. II Boys' Hockey: Merrimack gets title shot at BedfordBy ROGER BROWN
New Hampshire Union Leader
March 06. 2013 11:30PM
EXETER — Bedford High School is the only Division II hockey team that Merrimack didn't beat this season. The Tomahawks will get another shot at the Bulldogs on Saturday.
Junior forward Connor Powell and senior forward Domenic Valluzzi each scored two goals to help top-seeded Merrimack knock off fourth-seeded Bow, 5-2, Wednesday night in the Division II semifinals.
Merrimack will play third-seeded Bedford for the Division II championship Saturday (2:30 p.m.) at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Bedford, last year's Division II champion, advanced with a 5-4 victory over Spaulding in Wednesday's other semifinal. Bedford handed Merrimack its only two regular-season losses.
"That's kind of who we were hoping for," Merrimack coach Kurt Mithoefer said. "That's who we wanted to see in the final. Bow is a good team and had a great season. We just showed up today and took care of business."
Valluzzi scored a power-play goal and an empty-net goal for the Tomahawks, who raised their record to 18-2-0. Merrimack received a short-handed goal from Powell, who has a team-high 34 goals and 23 assists this season. Tyler Brewster collected Merrimack's other goal.
Merrimack's only other appearance in the Division II title game came in 2011, when it dropped a 5-1 decision to Dover.
Charles Smith and Jake Rand provided the offense for fourth-seeded Bow, which completed its season with a 12-4-4 record.
"Disappointed," Bow coach Tim Walsh said. "The biggest disappointment is we didn't give ourselves a chance to win because of the way we played in the first two periods. We haven't played like that the last two months."
"It wasn't a lot of goals, but you can't spot a team like that the momentum. It's unfortunate it had to end like this because we didn't make the playoffs last year and these kids have come a long way."
Powell opened the scoring at 12:22 of the first period. After Smith tied the game at 4:54 of the second, Merrimack added goals by Powell and Valluzzi to take a 3-1 lead after 30 minutes.
Brewster increased Merrimack's lead to 4-1 at 1:36 of the third, but Bow responded with a goal from Rand with 7:51 to play. Merrimack secured its third matchup with Bedford when Valluzzi scored into an empty net with 3.5 seconds remaining.
Bedford beat Merrimack 2-1 and 3-1 earlier this season.
Walsh said Bedford's size will be tough for Merrimack to overcome.
"I think it is a bad matchup for Merrimack because Bedford plays so physical," Walsh said. "That's the style they play and that's how they beat them the first two times."
Bedford 5, Spaulding 4: Bedford made life tough on itself Wednesday night.
The third-seeded Bulldogs surrendered two goals in the game's first four minutes, but fought back to beat second-seeded Spaulding of Rochester, 5-4, in the Division II semifinals at The Rinks at Exeter.
Spaulding made it a 5-4 game on Alexander Turgeon's goal with 36.7 seconds to play, but couldn't force overtime despite a 6-on-4 advantage for the final 20 seconds.
"They came out on fire," Bedford coach Marty Myers said. "They put two on us pretty quick, but we still felt pretty good. The kids stayed focused and did what they needed to do."
Bedford took its first lead when senior forward Benjamin Philbrick scored to make it 4-3 1:16 into the final period. Senior forward Kurt Mitchell collected Bedford's final goal at 3:41 of the third.
"I've been around long enough that I don't get too worked up about a (2-0) lead," Spaulding coach Paul George said. "They're a championship club. They have some pride."
Senior forward Brian Collins scored twice for Bedford. Junior defenseman Michael Dee also scored for the Bulldogs, who raised their record to 15-3-2.
Sophomore forward Zander Allen, senior forward Zachary Poisson and sophomore forward Brent Phillips scored Spaulding's other goals. The Red Raiders ended their season at 16-3-1.
Bedford received 25 saves from junior goaltender Steven Tempesta. Spaulding's Derek Scott stopped 23 shots.
The Red Raiders led 2-0 after one period. Allen opened the scoring at 2:31, and Poisson doubled Spaulding's lead at 3:48.
Bedford made it a one-goal game when Collins collected the rebound of his own shot and scored 2:07 into the second, and then tied the game on Dee's power-play goal at 7:02 of the second.
Spaulding regained the lead when Phillips scored at 7:41 of the second, but Collins answered with his second goal at 13:47. It was 3-3 after two periods.
"When it was 2-0 that next goal was huge," Myers said. "That probably changed the tempo a little bit. It was back and forth. I'm not surprised it was a one-goal game."


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Drew Cline: Rubio backs Brown, takes on Jeb (Bush); Bragdon keeps options openBY ANDREW CLINE
Editorial Page Editor
May 07. 2014 8:55PM
After publicly supporting Scott Brown in New Hampshire's Republican U.S. Senate primary on Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he would not rule out running for President in 2016 if former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush decided to run as well. Rubio counts both Brown and Bush as personal friends.
Rubio first stated his support for Brown on Jack Heath's WGIR-AM radio show Wednesday morning. He did not call it a formal endorsement. In an interview later, he said not to read anything into the distinction.
"I don't want to leave any doubt that I think Scott Brown was a great senator," he said. "When we make endorsements, we do them through Reclaim America (Rubio's PAC) .... I believe he would be a great choice and he would be a great senator. We'll have something more formal to announce in the next few weeks."
Rubio said his backing of Brown is based on a long-standing personal relationship. He encouraged Brown to run for the Senate and would like to see him back.
"We don't generally get involved in primaries. We've gotten involved in one so far ... the reason why New Hampshire could potentially be an exception is that I've worked with Scott and know him well."
As for Rubio's own primary prospects, there has been a lot of speculation nationally that he would not run for President if Jeb Bush runs. Rubio said his decision would not be influenced by Bush's.
"If somebody aspires to the highest office in the land, I think they do that on their own decision making, not with concern to anybody else. I don't think you make a decision on an office like that based on who else is running."
Rubio is in New Hampshire on Friday to speak to the Rockingham County Republicans.
Sen. Bragdon doesn't rule out future run
Though former state Senate President Peter Bragdon, R-Milford, announced this week that he will not seek re-election after a decade in the state Senate, the once most powerful Republican in state government does not rule out returning to elective office one day.
"I'm 50, which is relatively young, so who knows down the road?" he said in a Wednesday interview.
At the end of this session, Bragdon will have served a dozen years in office, three as Senate president. He stepped down from that position last September after taking a job running HealthTrust, formerly the Local Government Center. From 2009-2011, Bragdon was Senate minority leader while Democrats held both chambers of the Legislature, the corner office, both congressional seats and one U.S. Senate seat. He was the top-elected Republican in state government and the second highest-ranking Republican elected official in New Hampshire behind U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg. He led the GOP effort, not always successful, to cut or curtail state spending, pass a constitutional amendment on education funding and block tax increases. Bragdon's leadership during that legislative session was one reason for the GOP landslide in the 2010 elections. He avoided controversial distractions and kept Republicans focused on budget and tax issues.
As Senate president, Bragdon helped keep Republicans focused on the budget fight in which they cut $1 billion, actually reducing state spending below the previous year's level, and cut taxes. He helped orchestrate the Senate's passage of a constitutional amendment on education funding that had the support of Gov. John Lynch. But when asked about his legacy, he talks about his constituent work.
Asked to name his most proud accomplishments, he replied: "My role as just a regular old state senator helping constituents apply some oil to the gears of bureaucracy from time to time, and then some of the local issues I've been able to move through, such as the preservation of Temple Mountain and some toll relief for Merrimack for the first time in 20 years. Helping out people with their interactions with state government is a big thing."
That was one reason for Bragdon's longevity. Yes, he had a favorable district. But he also did a great deal of constituent service. His pragmatic leadership will be missed by state Republicans, but by the residents of District 11 most of all.
Andrew Cline is editorial page editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader. You can follow him on Twitter @Drewhampshire.


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Eastern Mountain Sports cuts 110 Peterborough jobsBy MEGHAN PIERCE
Union Leader Correspondent
February 01. 2013 2:09PM
PETERBOROUGH – Half of Eastern Mountain Sports 220-person workforce in Peterborough have lost their jobs in a move by new parent company Versa Capital Management, LLC that shuttered the EMS distribution center this week.
"Today's developments at EMS will have no impact on the company's existing stores, which remain fully operational. EMS continues to employ approximately 130 people in its stores in New Hampshire, as well as over another 1,000 people in its stores outside of New Hampshire, and EMS will continue to employ approximately 110 people in Peterborough, primarily those who work in the retailer's customer-facing operations," Versa said in a press release Thursday.
In November, EMS was acquired by Philadelphia-based private equity investment firm Versa. Versa said at the time that no major initiatives were to be considered until the company finished the holiday season.
On Thursday, the company announced it was closing the distribution center and several other back-office support functions in Peterborough, affecting 110 employees.
The layoffs are part of the creation of Vestis Retail Group, LLC, a new retail platform that comprises two retailers owned by Versa: Bob's Stores and Eastern Mountain Sports.
"EMS is the second largest U.S. multi-channel retailer of human-powered outdoor sports apparel and equipment. Bob's sells value-oriented footwear, apparel, work wear and accessories. As part of Vestis, Bob's and EMS will share certain operational functions and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, but will remain separate and distinct retail brands in stores, merchandise and online," Versa said.
Mark Walsh, CEO of Bob's and a Versa Principal, has been named CEO of Vestis. EMS CEO Will Manzer has stepped down effective immediately, but will serve as a consultant to Walsh during a transitional period.
"The steps we have taken at EMS are difficult ones, but we believe they are in the best long-term interests of the business," Walsh said in the press release. "We thank all EMS employees for their hard work and dedication, and we are committed to supporting the affected employees in seeking new opportunities both within and outside of the company. Will's product and industry knowledge are superior, and he will be of great help to me as I work with the EMS team to ensure the strength of the EMS brand with outdoor enthusiasts.
"The Vestis platform will enable us to improve the operations of Bob's and EMS while growing each business independently with separate customer and brand strategies."
According to Versa, the capitalization and working capital requirements of Vestis will be supported by a new $95 million revolving credit facility provided by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
The Vestis platform has over 3,200 employees and nearly $500 million in revenue both online and through over 100 stores in 12 eastern states.
Business Peterborough Top Section Stories Business Headlines


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Key GOP support promised on Syria; NH congressional delegation decidingStaff and Wire Reports
September 03. 2013 10:31PM
President Barack Obama won the backing of key Congressional figures, including Republicans, in his call for limited U.S. strikes on Syria, but three members of the New Hampshire delegation remain undecided and one is opposed.
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday approved a resolution authorizing a limited U.S. military intervention in Syria, setting the stage for a debate in the full Senate next week on the use of military force.
The committee voted 10-7 in favor of a compromise resolution that sets a 60-day limit on any engagement in Syria and bars the use of U.S. troops on the ground for combat operations.
Having delayed until Congress reconvenes a punitive attack on President Bashar al-Assad for his suspected use of chemical weapons, Obama met congressional leaders at the White House Tuesday to urge a prompt decision and assure them it did not mean another long war like Iraq or Afghanistan.
After the meeting, House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor both pledged their support for military action. Votes are expected to be held in the Senate and House next week.
"I believe that my colleagues should support this call for action," Boehner told reporters.
New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte said Tuesday she hadn't decided whether to back military strikes, but said the use of chemical weapons should be met with "some kind of response."
"We need to accomplish something and degrade ... the person who used the chemical weapons," the Republican said in talking with workers at Titeflex, an aerospace company in Laconia.
"Make sure we're having an impact," said Ayotte, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee. "Otherwise, I do not think that American military action should be used just to send a shot across the bow. There has to be a purpose, an accomplishment, an objective and I want to hear what that is."
Spokesmen for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Ann Kuster said they are undecided on whether they will support Obama's proposed resolution.
"If we stand quietly aside while Assad uses chemical weapons, we will seriously hurt our own national security interests and signal to other tyrannical regimes around the world, like Iran and North Korea, that they can use weapons of mass destruction without consequence," Shaheen, a Democrat, said in a statement. "The question now, however, is how we respond. We must determine the best way to make clear that it is unacceptable to use weapons of mass destruction while also protecting our country from becoming mired in a civil war."
Democratic Congresswoman Kuster said in a statement: "I continue to have grave concerns about the proposed use of military force in Syria. While the international community must hold Assad accountable, I am concerned that U.S. military intervention could have unintended consequences in the region."
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said she opposes military action.
"I am not against all war, but in order to justify this act, there has to be a threat to national security, a strong strategy, and a good possibility of success," the Democrat said in a written statement. "At this moment, I do not believe the situation in Syria meets these criteria, and I fear that the United States could be drawn into a lengthy and deadly conflict."
Call for prayer, fasting
Bishop Peter A. Libasci is asking the people of the Diocese of Manchester to join Pope Francis Saturday in fasting and praying for peace in Syria.
In a statement on the diocese website, the Bishop noted, "we are also praying and hoping for the release of one of our own, journalist James Foley, of Rochester, N.H, who disappeared in northwest Syria on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, 2012."


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Drilling regulators directed offshore operators to halt work on some oil and gas wells in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico after discovering faulty bolts on equipment used to prevent blowouts.
Operators were told to suspend work and replace bolts used by General Electric Co. on equipment including blowout preventers, according to a Jan. 29 safety alert issued by the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The flaw was discovered after a leak of drilling mud from a Gulf well was blamed on bolts that failed due to stress corrosion.
"Everyone in the industry is aware of it," Sean Gannon, a spokesman for GE, said today in an interview. "We've contacted every customer, global regulators. There's a whole overlapping set of layers where active drilling rigs in particular have been apprised and they're on top of it."
A spokesman for the bureau, which is part of the Interior Department, wasn't available for comment on the alert or the industry's reaction.
Replacing all bolts on all blowout preventers would have a "significant impact" on the offshore drilling industry, Matt Ralls, chief executive officer at Rowan Companies Plc, told investors today at a conference in Vail, Colorado.
"Everything these days is on significant back order," Ralls said. "Deliveries have been pushed out on everything and I'm sure if they have to replace all those bolts, it will take a while to get through the whole fleet."
Pipe Corrosion
Corrosion caused by hydrogen in the liquids in the drilling pipe occurs frequently and can be prevented if operators use the right kind of steel in their equipment, according to Les Ply, a retired drilling engineer who has worked for ConocoPhillips and other operators.
Federal regulators are more diligent in enforcing safety and environmental rules since the fatal 2010 explosion at BP Plc's Macondo well in the Gulf, Ply said in an interview. Most drilling accidents are avoidable if operators are careful, he said.
The bolts targeted by regulators are used to connect blowout preventers, tubing and other equipment under water. GE-made connectors are used "in every major producing region of the world, and in every type of offshore environment," according to GE's website.
Operators Notified
On Jan. 25, regulators "received information from the connector vendor which identified rigs as having blowout preventer stack connectors that may contain bolts that may no longer be fit for purpose," according to the U.S. safety alert. Operators were notified of the findings and told to inspect their equipment.
Transocean Ltd., the world's largest offshore rig operator, fell as much as 3.3%, the biggest intraday decline since Nov. 14, and was down $1.18 to $55.60 at 2:25 p.m. in New York trading. Transocean operated the rig BP used when its Macondo well blew out.
"It's not a question of whether they're safe," Gannon said in an interview. "The ones that are actively drilling are pulling them up or might have pulled them up already and bolts are shipping out every day."
Blowout preventers, known as BOPs, are used by oil companies as insurance against explosive blowouts such as the blast that destroyed the Macondo well. Some drillers have begun doubling up on the $45 million machinery to minimize maintenance delays and shorten drilling time for the most modern rigs that can cost more than $600,000 a day.
The 400-ton fail-safe device monitors pressure levels during drilling, and is designed to pinch off the well in the case of an uncontrolled blast of oil or gas. The device used on BP's Macondo well in 2010 failed after being jammed by drill pipe in an explosion that sunk the rig.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Spa Valley Railway » Volunteering » Volunteer vacancies
There's always a need for more staff in all departments on the Railway, so whatever your interest, drop us a line at email@example.com
Specifically we're currently looking for:
As restorers and renovators of ancient and obsolete trains, there's always work for someone who can weld! Much of our stock is metal-panelled, and after half a century's exposure to the elements, quite a lot needs replacing to ensure another fifty years of use. We have a couple of welders on our team, but we could certainly manage some more!
Station Staff
We are completely reliant on volunteers to run our stations, in particular Tunbridge Wells West. This is our main terminus and where the majority of our passengers start and finish their journeys on our railway, we need ticket office staff who can man this vital aspect of our operation with the opportunity to develop into a Station Master if you wish.
There's not many people out there who can say they're in charge of a station located in the grand Victorian Engine Shed of Tunbridge Wells West!
Catering Staff
Catering is an important part of any railway. There are opportunities to work in the static buffet car "Emily" at Tunbridge Wells West. This serves tea, coffee, soft drinks and sandwiches, as well as sausage rolls and pasties. There are also opportunities to work on the award winning bar car "Kate" which travels on the train, serving similar items to Emily, but in addition has a licence to serve alcohol. For something a bit different there is a trolley service which is served from the waiting room at Eridge station. Take away hot and cold drinks plus sandwiches and other snacks. Full training will be given and you get to enjoy the sights and sounds of Steam and Heritage Diesel trains when working on our railway!
Commercial Manager
The General Manager is seeking somebody willing, keen, enthusiastic and has plenty of ideas to help develop the commercial running of the Spa Valley Railway. This post is presently voluntary however dependent on the work undertaken could lead to part time paid opportunities in the future.
We are a very young and developing railway where visitor numbers hit a record high of 43,126 in 2016.
Train Crew, Engine Cleaners, Engineering & Maintenance
As we run more trains, so it follows that we need more crews to operate them. There's a choice of either on-train (Guard/Travelling Ticket Inspector) or locomotive departments.
In either case, you should try to commit to at least two days a month, in order that your training can be structured appropriately (there's a lot lo learn, and a lot of responsibilty). A high standard of personal presentation and a genuine desire to give a great experience for our visitors are essential.
Currently in the Operations Department there are vacancies for Engine Cleaners, this is the grade you begin in before progression to Fireman and then Driver. Our standard shifts are 12 hours however it is all very enjoyable. As soon as you get onto the Operations Department Roster you are rostered turns on the Footplate so you begin you training straight away! Progression is quite quick especially if you can put the hours in!
Alternatively how about joining us in our original LBSCR Engine Shed where we are working away to restore some of our Steam Locomotives, Diesel Locomotives and Carriages. It is jolly good fun and you'll go home filthy but almost certainly be hurrying back for more!
The Railway finances its development solely through fare revenue and charitable donations. We're a non profit-making organisation, and all income is re-invested to make the Railway better for our visitors. We've a number of expensive infrastrucutre projects in the pipeline which can only be financed through additional support, and as such we need someone with the drive and contacts to help deliver this.


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DavidSeven wrote:CALIHAWK1 wrote:I won't take to this argument as we won't change each others opinions. Wallace, Lienart, Quinn and Thigpen are not Jacksons caliber but if you want to ignore the obvious that's on you.
I don't really have anything against TJack, but he and Thigpen were on the same team last year and Thigpen was higher on the depth chart. That being said, I'd also probably rather have Jackson, but I just found the notion of "Jackson caliber" kind of funny. He was a third stringer last year and will likely be third string next year.
It is what it is. I didn't say Super Bowl caliber. I said Jackson caliber. Quinn, Lienart and Wallace arent that. You point out that that Thigpen was higher on t he depth chart last year yet the coach that made that decision was fired, Jackson was resigned and Thigpen was let go, so what does that really mean?


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Women In Nature; Grand Canyon Backpacking Trip
Saturday, March 1, 2014 to Sunday, March 9, 2014
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
Current Students
Challenge yourself over break with a 29 mile loop through one of the most spectacular canyons in the world. Elevation will range from 6,400ft on top of the South Rim down to 2,200ft along the Colorado River. Participants will carry a full backpack with personal and group gear, and travel along difficult and remote terrain. We can expect cold evenings and warm days. The trip includes 5 days and 4 nights in the Canyon with a rest day at the bottom to enjoy the magnificent Colorado River.
Cost: $350.00 Cost Includes: ORC Trip Leaders, transportation, all backpacking equipment, meals on location, park fees and permits, 2 nights in hotel.
Activity Level: Intermediate-Advanced, must be able to hike independently on strenuous
terrain while carrying up to a 40lb backpack. This trip is not appropriate for anyone with a fear of heights/exposure. This trip is strenuous.
For more information or to register, visit Outdoor Resource Center, 037 Student Union, 937-775-5019.


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Transgender lawmaker plans return to public office, Nashua city clerk vows eligibility challengeBy KIMBERLY HOUGHTON
Union Leader Correspondent
June 26. 2013 2:05PM
NASHUA — Stacie Laughton, the state's first openly transgender legislator who was elected to the House of Representatives but ultimately withdrew her candidacy before being sworn into office, says she is planning to return to politics.
Her political journey, however, may be short-lived as City Clerk Paul Bergeron says he will again dispute her eligibility to run for public office.
On Tuesday, Laughton and her ex-wife, Lisa Laughton, announced that they will seek their former positions as selectmen for Ward 4 in the November election.
Their selectmen seats — roles that they won during the 2011 municipal election — were nullified in January after an opinion from the state Attorney General's Office determined that previous criminal convictions have not been finally discharged under the law because of nearly $2,000 in unpaid restitution.
That opinion, however, was never challenged by the Laughtons, who still believe they are eligible to run for public office.
"We may have to go to court to prove our eligibility," said Stacie Laughton, who regrets never seeking a hearing in front of the ballot law commission previously.
"… I don't agree with some of the opinions that had come out from the state."
Stacie Laughton, 29, says she feels called to public service, and is ready to take this next step. Despite the challenge that may lie ahead for her, she says it is worth the fight.
"I am ready for the grief and the different criticisms coming my way," said Stacie Laughton, adding her political ambitions go beyond ward selectman.
Bergeron may be her first obstacle. On Tuesday, Bergeron said nothing has changed since the attorney general's opinion several months ago.
"Their sentences have not been fully discharged. I don't believe they are eligible based upon the AG's prior decision," said Bergeron. "Under the law, they can't hold public office."
But the Laughtons are prepared to take that opinion to court, if necessary.
They have already collected their nominating petitions at Nashua City Hall. They must each gather 15 signatures from supporters in their ward in order to be placed on the November ballot as candidates. Still, Bergeron said once their nominating petitions are submitted, he will submit a letter denying their eligibility on the ballot, primarily because their restitution is still unpaid.
At that point, they could go to superior court in disagreement of his decision, he said. A future hearing in front of the Ballot Law Commission might be a possibility, but it is probably too late at this point, said Bergeron.
The Laughtons still have about $1,600 in unpaid restitution, and are continuing to make monthly payments, they said, adding they will pursue court action if their eligibility is denied.
"The last thing I want to have to do is file a petition against the city," said Stacie Laughton, adding she is cautiously optimistic that it will not come to that. "But if it does, we are ready."
Although the Laughtons are no longer a couple, they do consider themselves best friends and running mates.
Last November, Stacie Laughton was elected as one of three House members for Ward 4 in Nashua. However, after news surfaced about her previous life as a convicted felon under the name of Barry C. Laughton Jr. in Laconia, she signed her letter of resignation and a special election to fill the vacant position was scheduled. To complicate matters even further, she then filed to run for the seat she had just resigned before even taking office.
She then withdrew her candidacy again in January, the same day she was stripped of her selectman post along with Lisa Laughton.In 2008, Stacie Laughton pled guilty to charges of fraudulent use of a credit card, conspiracy to commit identity fraud and falsifying physical evidence. Lisa Laughton, 42, was involved in the same identity theft and credit card fraud incident and also convicted.
Under state statute, "A person sentenced for a felony, from the time of his sentence until his final discharge, may not … become a candidate for or hold public office."
The Laughtons maintain that state law does not mention anything about unpaid restitution prohibiting final discharge or preventing an individual from seeking office.
Human Interest Politics Nashua Photo Feature Top Section Stories


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Posted on June 11, 2012
A lot of people around here call them Walgreen's bags, but they're officially known as T-sacks, because, in their unused state, they look like sleeveless T-shirts. I frequently call them Potash bags, since Potash Bros. Supermarket has been sending them over for years our customers to use at the Book Fair. They have myriad uses, and I am glad they were invented.
However—and I think I have mentioned this before—they are NOT the ideal container for donated books if you have more than, say, fifty or sixty books. The gentleman who last week brought me 800 books in 120 T-sacks was so very proud of himself for getting these delivered to me that I did not say anything about it.
And this is very wrong, rum dumpling. There's a motivational poem about it, in fact, all about how praise should be given where it's due WHEN it's due. "Do not wait 'til life is over and he's underneath the clover," says the poet, "For he cannot read his tombstone when he's dead."
Therefore, I would like to send out words of praise to some of the people who have recently made my life so much more interesting.
This is for the nice couple who brought me all those bags of splendid books on Carl Sandburg…and one navy blue sock.
Let's put up a rah-yay for the lady who gave me the old books with the covers falling off, saying, "Just put a ridiculous price on these and some idiot will buy them. You do it with all the other books."
I would weep to forget to give a shout for the lady who brought me volume 2 of her copy of War and Peace, reminding me, "I sent in the other volume when I finished it in November: now you can put this with the other one."
"I'm afraid these are a bit dusty," said the gentleman who brought me his father's collection of old newspapers. I'm afraid not all of what was on the edges was dust, sir. And, um, I don't think it was dust that chewed the bottom margins.
Let us pay proper tribute to the lady who called me to say she had a library of nearly two thousand hardcover books in the areas of history and biography, and could I please pick them up by Sunday. (She gets a rare double cheer because, of course, she added, "And can you bring boxes? I don't have any.")
I am especially inspired by the people who said they enjoyed reading our instructions on how to bring in books, and added, in the next breath, "I brought all my old textbooks and magazines." No, chocolate chowder, they are not kidding: they always turn out to be telling the exact truth.
This is for two different—and apparently entirely unrelated—donors who seem to have stacked the books for donation in their laundry room and spilled liquid detergent on the top five. (They let them dry out first, it seems to me, but a book soaked with scented soap is never quite the same again: it doesn't TRUST you the way it used to.)
While we're at it, this is for all of you who stack up the books to be donated next to the bags of cat litter in the basement. The odor of cat litter—and it is unused car litter, for those of you shuddering—is also not a major selling point in favor of the books.
I could go on, but a Hall of Fame of this magnitude might exhaust our web capacity. Anyway, here's to you folks who keep this from being a job of mere, boring progress from bag to Book Fair. I bow in your direction, knowing myself to be of too humble a talent to salute you as fully as you deserve, and hope it will not be long before you get that long, lush eulogy you so truly deserve.
(I may send flowers…in Potash bags.)


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Ravens, Flacco survive a night of surges to win Super BowlBy IRA MILLER
The Sports Xchange
February 04. 2013 12:09AM
NEW ORLEANS - The Baltimore Ravens blew almost all of a 22-point, second-half lead Sunday night, but they stopped a last-ditch San Francisco drive at the 5-yard line and defeated the 49ers 34-31 to win the Super Bowl behind three touchdown passes from quarterback Joe Flacco.
The victory in the matchup of coaching brothers - Baltimore's John Harbaugh and San Francisco's Jim Harbaugh - was not accomplished without considerable angst by the Ravens.
Flacco, the game's MVP who completed 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards, threw all of his touchdown passes in the first half as the Ravens threatened to turn the game into a rout. He tied a single-year postseason record set by the 49ers' legend, Joe Montana, by throwing 11 touchdown passes without an interception.
Until the game was stopped for 34 minutes due to a power failure early in the third quarter, the Ravens were winning easily.
They led 28-6 thanks to Flacco's first-half work and a 108-yard return of the second-half kickoff by Jacoby Jones, the longest play in Super Bowl history.
However, the combination of a long halftime show, the power failure, Jones' kickoff return and a San Francisco offensive drive meant the Ravens' offense was off the field for 84 consecutive real-time minutes. After play resumed, Baltimore didn't look like the same team it was earlier.
Baltimore went cold while the 71,024 fans in the Superdome went warm due to the lack of air conditioning with no power available.
The stadium still had partial lighting over the field during the delay, but not enough power to play the game or cool the building.
The Ravens couldn't move the ball on their first post-delay possession, then fumbled it away on their second before finally starting a promising drive near the end of the third period.
After play resumed, the 49ers drove 80 yards in seven plays, scoring on a 31-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick to Michael Crabtree. Crabtree caught the ball at the 10-yard line, bounced off safety Bernard Pollard and ran into the end zone.
A Baltimore three-and-out followed the kickoff, the third-down play a blindside sack of Flacco by linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who came in untouched.
After a short punt was returned 32 yards by Ted Ginn, the 49ers covered 20 yards in two plays for their second touchdown in less than 2 1/2 minutes. Kaepernick threw 14 yards to tight end Vernon Davis, and then Frank Gore ran in on a misdirection play from the 6-yard line.
Later in the quarter, Ravens running back Ray Rice was stripped of the ball after a short completion by cornerback Tarell Brown, who also recovered, making it possible for Akers to kick a second try, 34-yard field goal. The Ravens were penalized for running into him after he missed a 39-yard attempt moments earlier.
That sliced San Francisco's deficit to 28-23. After Baltimore got a 19-yard Justin Tucker field goal early in the fourth quarter, the 49ers struck quickly for another touchdown. Kaepernick scored on a 15-yard scramble after a 32-yard pass to Randy Moss and a 21-yard run by Gore. However, Kaepernick's pass attempt for a two-point conversion missed, leaving the Ravens with a 31-29 lead.
Tucker added a 38-yard field goal with 4:23 to go.
The 49ers then started a drive from their own 20-yard line that eventually gave them a first down at the Baltimore 7 with just over two minutes remaining.
After Frank Gore ran for 2 yards, Kaepernick threw three straight incomplete passes - all intended for Crabtree - and Baltimore got the ball back.
The Ravens ran the clock down to 12 seconds and, on fourth down, coach John Harbaugh had punter Sam Koch run around in the end zone for eight seconds before he was forced out of bounds for a safety.
That enabled the Ravens to kick from their 20 with four seconds left, and the game ended following the ensuing free kick.