text:
Kent Walston files for 58th District Court bench
The scene at Nederland Municipal Court is repeated on a regular basis. Thanks to a quirk in the law, misdemeanor cases filed against youth ages 12 to 17 are heard here, not in juvenile court. Many of these arise from offenses committed in area schools – minor in possession of alcohol, fighting and other disruptions, truancy … the list goes on. For parents required to accompany their children to court, it is often their first brush with the legal system. For Judge Kent Walston, he hopes it is an opportunity to make it their last.
Walston makes it clear from the outset that he takes these offenses seriously. The young offenders pressed to explain their conduct soon realize there is no excuse, as their presence here attests. Their parents are none too happy at this turn of events, and the judge gently but firmly – and sometimes not so gently – makes the point that this is unacceptable behavior. Quite often tears are shed and genuine emotion, including resolve to take responsibility for their actions and sin no more, is the order of the day.
Dispensing justice with mercy is business as usual for the presiding judge for the Nederland Municipal Court. For Kent Walston, changing the trajectory of these young lives is part of what he has made his life's work – making a difference.
When Judge Bob Wortham of the 58th District Court announced he would run for District Attorney, it set off a courthouse shuffle that is still unfolding. The day after Wortham stood on the courthouse steps surrounded by friends and supporters to make his declaration, Walston stood in the very same spot to announce his intention to seek the 58th District Court bench surrounded by an even larger group of supporters. This was no slight to Wortham, whose distinguished career as a prosecutor and judge has won him a legion of admirers. Walston has amassed a legacy of service in his 53 years that has garnered him countless friends in all areas of Jefferson County from all walks of life, people who have been touched by the man from Mid-County.
Walston's journey began in Port Neches-Groves schools. In high school, he was judged "not college material," so he was steered to vocational classes where he earned a certificate in air-conditioning and refrigeration. After high school, he joined the United States Navy and was stationed in Beeville, Texas. While there, he earned a certificate in law enforcement and worked part-time as a deputy sheriff for Bee County. After four years in the Navy, he returned to Jefferson County, working for BF Goodrich Refinery, and was a member of OCAW. He returned to law enforcement in 1983, becoming a police officer for the city of Port Arthur.
Port Arthur Chief of Police Mark Blanton stood by his side last week as Walston announced his candidacy. During his time on the force, Blanton had been his sergeant and called him "one of the finest police officers I have ever known." The chief added, "Kent will make a fine judge."
While he served on the PAPD, Walston attended Lamar University at night and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Personnel Management. He then became assistant city manager and personnel director for the city of Nederland. At the age of 35, he enrolled in Baylor University School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree and was president of the Student Bar Association. After law school, he was an Assistant District Attorney for Jefferson County and subsequently has been in private practice.
As one examines the life of Kent Walston, certain patterns start to emerge. His experiences over the 35 years since he graduated from high school each represented a chance to serve the community. He has not been an attorney all his life, has been a blue collar worker and can relate to all the citizens of Jefferson County.
"My family has never been involved in politics," said Walston. "My dad worked and retired from Dupont in Beaumont, and my mom was a stay-at-home mom. I believe that hard work and sacrifice has allowed me to achieve the American dream."
In addition to his part-time duties as a judge in Nederland, Walston is an attorney in private practice with the law firm of Branick, Walston and Devenzio. He handles civil, criminal and family law and is a daily presence in the courthouse. The depth and breadth of his legal experience is a major credential in his bid for judge, with extensive trial work and the handling of complex litigation.
He serves on the Jefferson County Bar Association with a focus on pro bono services and fund raising for those who do not have access to legal help, and serves as an associate judge for mental competency hearings in Jefferson County,
Walston's work with CASA of Southeast Texas is close to his heart. He serves on the board of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), the nonprofit organization that recruits, trains and supervises a diverse group of community volunteers who are appointed by the court to advocate for abused and neglected children. "I work in the courts every day, and I see the numbers of abused kids that go through the system," he said. "CASA advocates for that child."
He also works with the Casas for CASA initiative that enlists volunteers who happen to be skilled carpenters to build playhouses for children that are raffled off. Proceeds from the raffle directly help the organization recruit and train CASA volunteers to give a voice to abused and neglected children in court and the foster care system. He has used his woodworking skills to build a bed and dresser for a child who receives a home from Habitat for Humanity.
The true beneficiaries of his life experiences and desire to help others are the people of Southeast Texas. With his wife Davilyn and their five daughters, Walston stays busy with a variety of public service endeavors.
Walston takes justifiable pride in his work as the current president for the Hughen Center for disabled children and has served on the board of directors for the past six years. He is the past president of the board for the Bob Hope Charter School, a nonprofit charter school that benefits the Hughen Center. With his family, he spends time with the kids at Hughen Center to ensure they are well cared for. This commitment of time and effort is substantial, but Walston describes it as a "labor of love" he finds very rewarding.
The Aurora Sertoma Club honored Kent Walston with its Service to Mankind award for 2012 at a dinner at the Pompano Club. The award is the highest honor given to a non-Sertoma member for exemplary service to the community.
On the occasion of that award, this newspaper wrote, "Kent Walston spends more time walking the walk than talking the talk, and even his many friends have little idea as to the extent of his ongoing acts of service. The folks at the Aurora Sertoma Club – itself an active service organization – found out and bestowed the Service to Mankind award upon him. He richly deserved the recognition but in reality, they could give him that prize every year."


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The other day at the park Preston was mesmerized by two young sisters playing a game with each other—it made me happy to see him so happy, but also a little sad. He sat at the top of the big double slide—he was so proud of himself for climbing his way up the chain-ladder "All by myself! I did it! I did it!"—and watched the siblings being silly with each other. The older sister sat at the top of her slide, next to him, while the younger sister kept trying to walk up the slide from the bottom to grab her sister's feet, falling down repeatedly, which Preston got a huge kick out of (he's one of those people who laughs uncontrollably when someone falls or trips, or when his mom stubs her toe!). He finds these mishaps very funny.
He was laughing with the biggest smile on his face—he wanted to be a part of their little game (a game that was going nowhere, but still). On his next time up the ladder—a shaky chain-ladder that, I'm convinced, is there to give parents a heart attack—he made his way to the top again, and looked out to see another girl playing on the monkey bars nearby. "Wanna come up here with me?" he asked in his sweet, come-hither voice. (He's a very outgoing two-and-a-half year old.)
It was the cutest thing. I think he loves the park as much for the slides as for the other kids there. Every time I see him watching siblings interact, I can't help but think how much he would love a constant play mate in his life, a buddy, someone to goof around with all the time.
On his next turn up that damn chain-ladder, he sat at the top of the slide again—it's really two slides next to each other so kids can go down in pairs. This time, there was a little baby hanging out at the bottom of one of the slides, and Preston was fixated on him. "Hi baby!" he said in his high voice. Then he attempted to go down the baby's slide. I quickly stopped him.
"Preston, be careful of the baby. Please go down the other slide."
(He pretended not to hear me.)
(He was about two seconds away from going down and crashing into the baby.)
"Preston, if you go down that slide, we're going home."
Then the other parents chimed in. "Be carrreffffuuuul. He's just a six-month-old baby, and you're a big kid…"
(What? My baby's not a big kid!)
Preston went down the other slide, and continued to go up that shaky ladder and down the big slide about 10 more times, with a wide grin on his face as he said hi to the baby each time, who was equally fixated on him.
It only took me five tries (okay and some threats) to get him to come home with me when it was time for dinner. (This is a record for us.) It's usually very hard to get him to leave the park, without a little drama. As I started to walk away toward home for him to follow me, he just stood there looking at me with his arms stretched out. My outgoing, independent "big kid" wanted me to pick him up and carry him home (we live across the street). And I was more than happy to do it.
After all, he's my baby.
Follow me @spgorenstein. Friend me on Facebook. Email me. Read my entry for the3six5 project.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Communication and Your 4- to 7-Month-Old
Please Note: By clicking a link to any resource listed on this page, you will be leaving the KidsHealth site.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
This group provides services for professionals in audiology, speech-language pathology, and speech and hearing science, and advocates for people with communication disabilities.
American Academy of Family Physicians
This site, operated by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), provides information on family physicians and health care, a directory of family physicians, and resources on health conditions.
Zero to Three
Zero to Three is a national nonprofit organization that promotes the health and development of infants and toddlers.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
The AAP is committed to the health and well-being of infants, adolescents, and young adults. The website offers news articles and tips on health for families.


text:
Cheers from across the pond. We're going to try a weekly Euro spam thread and see how that works out. Here's the rules:
The Rules:
I'll try to close the previous week's spam thread sometime each Sunday evening / early Monday morning. At that time, the previous week's spam thread will be unstuck and locked. Everyone will be able to still read it as it drops off page one, but it won't be "bump-able".
One post per person, per weekly spam thread.
If the details have changed - for example, a item or two on your list has sold, you've lowered your asking price, or you no longer are looking for a new XYZ Toobyeller cheep - EDIT your original post.
ANY and all exceptions to the one post, per person per weekly spam thread rule need to be approved by me PRIOR to the second post.
This thread is for "want to buy", "want to sell" and "want to trade" posts ONLY. If you have a question about an item that's listed, please contact the seller via PM or email - don't ask questions in the thread.
New pedal announcements from builders go in here too. The "one per week" rule applies. No discussion or questions about announcements in here. If someone unaffiliated with the builder wants to start a separate thread asking about it, that's fine, and the builder can respond - but we're getting way too many builder started "announcement" threads lately, so we're going to try this for a while instead.
If you have questions regarding a certain pedal brand / type, or its suitability for various purposes / tasks, please do a search or start a new thread for that discussion.
If a seller is asking too much (in your opinion), don't slam them for it in the thread. Yes, it might be helpful to some buyers, but OTOH, buyers should take the time to research anything they're considering buying...
HC does not have any involvement in sales between private parties, or members and builders, and this ongoing weekly thread is posted as a public service - as always, caveat emptor et venditor!
- Jul 2005
- 69610
Cheers from across the pond. We're going to try a weekly Euro spam thread and see how that works out. Here's the rules:**********
"Look at it this way: think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of 'em are stupider than that."
- George Carlin
"It shouldn't be expected that people are necessarily doing what they appear to be doing on records."
- Sir George Martin, All You Need Is Ears
"The music business will be revitalized by musicians, not the labels or Live Nation. When the musicians decide to put music first, instead of money, the public will flock to the fruits and the scene will be healthy again."
- Bob Lefsetz, The Lefsetz LetterTags: None
Hall of Fame
- Dec 2010
- 4272
First post in UK/Euro spam thread!**bleep**br>**bleep**br>**bleep**br>**bleep **br>For sale Digitech RP3Got Funk?
Good deals with: wilsoneffectsll, mr cheef, the.nameless, kpd78, Seano_Porno, jonPhillips, gjhardwick, Korgi
Selling: PRICE DROP!! NEED TO SELL ASAP
AMT Japanese Girl WH-1
Zoom Multistomp
Digitech RP3 Blue version
Wilson Effects Uber Fubar Bliss
want to buy:
EHX Ring Thing
Devi Ever Hyperion
Orange Crush The Button Wampler.
BAT Pharaoh
- Sep 2009
- 677
Guitar: - Epi LP Spc Edt w/Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday & Cat Whiskers Alnico 2Fender American Special TelecasterEffects: - CAE Wah, Klon Buffer, Diamond Compressor, Dr. Scientist The Elements, Line 6 M5, Marshall ReflectorAmp - Marshall JVM410h, Laney 4x12 w/Vintage 30's, Egnater Tweaker 40
For sale, with registered shipping with tracking number (within Europe) already included:
- Toneczar Halophaze, excellent condition, black version! Power adaptor included, no box! Withdrawn!
- Ibanez PT-9 phaser, 1980Excellent deals with: Guitar George, chrisjnyc, brandnewzo, AJ Nash, elrey72011, daniboy, TheCardiacKid (x2), Jim Hunter, RoboPimp, Coach, gae86 (x2), Kayzer, Holy Schnikes, fortytwo, matchpoint, pulse., mrsoul (x2), elfroi, Kimme, neoflox
daysofspeed commented01-21-2013, 08:58 AMEditing a commentFor sale BOSS DD7 -
Hanglow Jnr commented01-27-2013, 02:20 PMEditing a comment
On ebay, versatile fuzz face type like the DAM Meathead deluxe clone
pair of fender wide range humbuckers
I used to post as Hanglow but used a deceased email account
- May 2011
- 182
Zvex Wah Probe - 150 euros
Crowther Double Hotcake - 200 euros
Jmb Experience Nitrogen 21 (Fuzz Factory-like Fuzz) - 80 euroshttp://eduardojorgecosta.bandcamp.com/
Good deals with: percyexpat, henry_13, pedaltones, fortytwo
FOXROX ZIM -Rat/Muff/Ts-9
Basically an analog multi fx
Description here...
Stunning pedal but I'm really playing bass these days, and I just can't justify keeping this when I need a bass amp!
In great condition with two cards upgraded from the stock cards
Includes brown muff,Vintage Tube (TS9),and TAR+ (Rat/MXR dist+ ) cards
Check YouTube for reviews but its Foxrox so quality goes without saying !
Hall of Fame
- May 2008
- 4308
I'm a-looking for a Boss DD-20. Let me know if you've got one for sale - I can trade a DD-7.
Oh, and I'd also be very interested in an AMT WH-1 Japanese Girl Wah and a Cioks DC10, too. Thanks!Good deals: WAWBanks, AimmarCair, MPH, Eshu, AidyCM, Daysofspeed, Arcaneaether, ChuckNorris1982, Snufkino x2, Sikor, Jakkeh, Aksman, Messiah, Barnaby Hardly, Raelm (eBay), Ex-Cowboy, Zoidberg (eBay), MaximusBassMan, SG1, The P-ManBlogMusicFormerly known as Mike_Muse_Rage
HeartfeltDawn commented01-28-2013, 05:59 AMEditing a comment
Anyone for a Squier VM Jaguar?
Jauernig Luxury Twin-Rate Tremolo
Beautiful sounding sine-wave trem with 2 independent speeds.
JMK Lunar fuzz - killer clone of the Skreddy Lunar Module Dlx TRADED
PTP wired AC188 (red dot) Fuzz Face.
Fat Germanium fuzz tones, early Hendrix fuzz, cleans up well with guitar volume. Vol, bias and fuzz controls.
Try me for trades - fuzz (i'm a sucker for fuzz, just in the mood for something different) & OD, reverb, phaser, chorus?? stuff I don't know I want but you have to trade
Will sell all for $200
Trade interests include
Foxrox CC Hybrid/Hot Silicon,
VFE Blues King, Alpha Dog or Enterprise
Barber dirt
Monsterpiece Fuzz
non-Boss looper?
Cool dirt
Univibe / phaser / chorusGOOD DEALS: solewheelin (X2), gkelm, tattooedsailor, seblo_15, twinkletoes (x2), pedalhoundz, silver-seven (x2), claytonjohn18, adee1970, Vidarr, Josh33, kreeper_6, DRGUN
Originally Posted by ispunk
It's the Golden Age of Internet forum reflection and speculation
Boss DD7 -


text:
An inspirational and heart warming African song that is sure to bring your next ethnic project to life. The piece uses a large variety of African instruments, as well as piano and orchestra. This piece will work great for any projects relating to Africa, nature, animals, or eastern cultures.
Please rate if you enjoyed this track!
SAVE 50% on this track here: Inspirational African Pack


text:
Used Tripod. ISO = 100
Exif: F Number: 5.6, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 4/1 seconds, Flash: did not fire., ISO: 100, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 170.00 mm, Model: NIKON D80
Uploaded on 8/20/2010 6:09:46 PM
Camera: Nikon D80 Digital SLR Camera
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Lisa Gordon. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Log in to follow or message this photographer or report this photo.


text:
AUBURN � Selectmen voted, 3-1, on Monday to give Town Manager Julie A. Jacobson a new five-year contract.
Ms. Jacobson, a resident of Paxton, had been assistant city manager of Worcester before signing a three-year contract and being sworn in as Auburn's first town manager on Jan. 31, 2011.
Her new contract calls for a salary of $140,000 for the first year, starting Jan. 31, up from $129,700 for the past year, with a 4 percent increase the second year, and a 3 percent annual increase in years three, four and five, according to Edward J. Kazanovicz, assistant town manager and finance director.
The sole selectman to vote against the contract was Stephen R. Simonian, who said he had no problem with the town manager, but with the process for offering her a new contract. He said the board had not voted to contact legal counsel, which is "a violation of policy," and the charter calls for a three-year contract, not a five-year contract.
Doreen M. Goodrich, chairman of the board, said the three-year appointment is in the charter, but the contract is up to selectmen.
"We hear every day what a good job she's doing."
She read a letter from absent Selectman Denise A. Brotherton, who was ill, supporting the five-year contract.
Selectman Kenneth A. Holstrom said Ms. Jacobson had saved the town "thousands and thousands of dollars," and Selectman Robert D. Grossman said the town manager had accomplished more in three years than had been accomplished during the rest of the 18 years he has been in office.
Resident Wayne C. Page said he'd prefer a three-year contract, but James E. O'Connor Jr. said he'd prefer a seven- or 10-year contract.
Ms. Jacobson thanked all those present for the rousing round of applause and standing ovation she received, and said, "I want all employees to know how grateful I am for them. I'm so proud of our accomplishments. I love this job and I love Auburn."


text:
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text:
Chris-D needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 82 designs submitted by 17 freelance designers.
Natural Wellness Chinese Medicine
I'm a web developer helping out a new small business. This young lady has just started in Melbourne Australia.
Local people to the city of South Melbourne and surrounding suburbs/localities. The website will help target locals through web searches. Audience age ranges from 20 to 50.
Thinking of having colours like blue, green, brown. (colours representing nature) on the logo. No brown in the writing please.
+ I prefer if my logo didn't have too much green.
- Background colour, when adding background colour, just cover whole logo. No special backgrounds.
- "Contemporary" look and feel. (see logo submit #23 for good example)
- No blending of blue and green shades.
- Can have a picture of a plant or something.
- Must not look too "hippy" looking.
- Do not include the web address (the brand name has been adjusted to help with this)
Keep in mind that:
- Chinese medicine is a form of natural therapy.
- Chinese medicine uses mostly plants as herbal medicine.
Logo will be used in website and in business cards.
The files we will require are:
Print file format - eps (CMYK)
Web file format - .tiff/.png/.jpg/.psd (RGB)
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
NEW YORK, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Most staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York have been vaccinated against influenza, hospital officials say.
The results come about nine weeks into a campaign to have employees vaccinated against influenza,
Responding to new regulations from New York State's Department of Health requiring all healthcare personnel to be vaccinated against influenza or wear a mask in areas where patients may be present, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center kicked off a vigorous campaign to raise awareness of the new rules and to vaccinate employees, officials said.
"About nine weeks into the campaign, more than 70 percent of our approximately 13,500 employees had received vaccinations; we expect that figure to climb to more than 90 percent by Dec. 1," hospital officials said in a statement.
"Last season, Memorial Sloan Kettering's vaccination rate from early September 2012 through the end of March 2013 was 61.7 percent."
The hospital offered weekday vaccination sessions at five of its New York City out-patient sites, as well as at its regional clinical sites throughout the New York City metropolitan area, including Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester County.


text:
Shakira, �Shakira� (RCA Records)
Shakira�s domination in America has dwindled since she became a hip-swiveling goddess of festive pop hits like �Whenever, Wherever� and �Hips Don�t Lie.�
Already a superstar in her native Colombia, the multitalented singer-songwriter-instrumentalist took the American pop scene by storm when she made her U.S. language debut in 2001 with personal, rich songs about romance and more. But her recent albums haven�t matched the spark, edge and charisma from her work a decade ago, and her new self-titled release, while enjoyable at times, doesn�t showcase this Grammy-winning, Golden Globe-nominated superstar in the right light.
�Shakira,� her tenth album, features the 37-year-old taking a back seat as lead songwriter and producer, and that doesn�t come off as a wise move. While Shakira�s stint as a judge on �The Voice� has been pleasurable to watch, her duet with fellow mentor Blake Shelton on the country-feeling �Medicine� is a bore, though it was co-written by Academy Award nominee and hit country songwriter Hillary Lindsey.
Even the duet with Rihanna, the up-tempo lead single �Can�t Remember to Forget You,� comes off as a cry for a pop hit. The song lacks energy though two superstars are part of it, and the collaboration feels forced (Rihanna and Shakira are both signed to Roc Nation management).
The album�s lyrics also lack emotion and depth. Shakira does move the needle a bit on the reggae-laced �Cut Me Deep,� which features the band Magic! Nasir Atweh, the band�s lead singer, is part of the songwriting duo The Messengers, who have penned hits for Justin Bieber, Chris Brown and Pitbull.
�Spotlight,� co-written by Lindsey and produced by Greg Kurstin, sounds arena-ready, which is excellent for an entertaining performer like Shakira. And the album�s most honest moment is �23,� a sweet ode to her 1-year-old son�s father, soccer player Gerard Pique, who is 10 years younger than Shakira (he was 23 when they met).
Review: Shakira's new album should be much better
Shakira, �Shakira� (RCA Records)


text:
A reader asked me to comment on this video critiquing Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's challenge to Ontario consumers to spend ten more dollars a week on local, Ontario produced food. My first comment is that people who speak like affectless zombies probably should stick to the written word, rather than making videos, but that's more of an aesthetic critique. Beyond that, however, there is the tiny germ (if you can find it under the same old economist free market babble) of a real question – how much impact does switching our dollars into local foods and products actually have?
Most of the video is worthless, and an obvious kind of worthless, complete with the usual free market economist references to North Korea (I bet you didn't know that buying apples and maple syrup could turn you into North Korea!), which is the economist version of playing the Nazi card, and worthy of just as much attention.
Now I'm not going to argue the numbers with Moffat. While Ontario is roughly adjacent to NY, it isn't my particular stomping grounds and I don't actually care enough to find out if McGuinty's numbers about jobs and dollars are correct. Moreover, I would take it as a given that they aren't – politician claims about jobs created are always exaggerated. But Moffat didn't have to make a video to make that point – and pretty much everyone knows that jobs claims are overstated every single time any politician ever mentions jobs. So let's address the real issue – does buying local make an economic difference locally?
Moffat, of course, radically overstates his position too – we leap immediately to the end of all trade if buyers shift those ten bucks on over – that's it, we'll never buy anything from anywhere else again! But sorting through the empty rhetoric to that germ of content, Moffat also dismisses without any real argument any claim that spending dollars locally actually makes a difference – after all, he claims that Canadian dollars spent in foreign markets go straight back to Canada as foreign buyers purchase Canadian goods.
In some measures he has a case. The vast majority of imported food in Canada comes from the US (57%) and 55% of Canadian food exports go right back to the US. So he is right that some of those trade dollars go right back to the purchase of Canadian products for export. So if all you think about here are abstract numbers, there is little difference. What you actually take a look at what consumers buy, however, there's more difference than you might think.
You see when people think "local food" for the most part, they aren't thinking about Ontario's largest crops – raw grains and oilseeds. While some more serious local food eaters do focus on grains, most local food purchases are meat, dairy, eggs, fruits and vegetables or products like honey and maple syrup. So the focus on trade here is a little disingenuous – you aren't comparing apples to apples. With the exception of some meat, most of Ontario's agricultural exports are grains and seeds – and the average consumer isn't going to say "Oh, honey, let's pick up a few bushels of local rapeseed for the home oil press tonight" – what we are talking about is shifting dollars away from imported processed foods to locally produced less processed foods.
More importantly than the largely irrelevant trade issue, or the claims of "overpaying" (McGuire suggesting shifting 10 dollars, not adding 10 dollars in your total food budget as Moffat disingenuously implies) is the fact that the money goes from large multinational food producers to smaller farmers. 52% of Ontario farmers are smaller farmers, grossing less than 100K per year (remember, that's GROSS, net is always way, way less in agriculture). Those small farmers are disproportionately clustered in horticultural products (ie, vegetables and fruit), eggs, grassfed meat, dairy and sweeteners – ie, the things people think of when they "buy local food."
While it is true that the employees of large multinational corporations do spend some of their dollars on Canadian products, mostly energy, let's just reason this one out. Hmmm…Hormel packer in India or Tenneseee vs. small Ontario farmer…which one do we think spends more money on Canadian products…hmmm…wow, that's a tough one. Or maybe not so much. You simply up the odds that the money will reverbate through the local economy when you spend it locally.
Moreover, there are other issues to consider. Between 1997 and 2007, Ontario lost 15% of its farms, 20% of its agricultural population and saw tens of thousands of farmland lost to agriculture. Implying that residents have no interest in preserving Ontario's agriculture and small farm culture – indeed have no interest in anything except markets, is one of the reasons economics gets labelled "autistic" – that is, unable to get outside its own narrow worldview.
Outside the narrow worldview of free market essentialism, most of us want use our dollars to reinforce our basic values – the Ontario people want to live in is one that has farms and farmland. The Ontario people may inherit in an area of climate change MUST have a viable agriculture, as food insecurity takes root.
But, of course, do we really want to take the risk that buying those local apples will turn us into North Korea?


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You read that right. We are having a site contest!
As you can see our lovely main page, although very nice, is already 4 years old. "Has it been that long?" some of you ask yourselves. Yes it has, that's why we decided to have a site contest to get a new design.
Relax, you don't need to have HTML or CSS knowledge to be able to participate, nor do you have to be an artist of any kind. Any member from TDA can submit an entry.
Entries should be submitted as a flat jpg/png/gif of what your skin will look like. All you have to do is the photoshop work. If your design is chosen, I will do all of the coding - so that should open things up to a wider audience of participants.
- you must be a tda member (duh)
- your design must be submitted as a flat .jpg/.gif/.png
- you must be able to provide a .psd/.pdf version of your design
- your image must be submitted by June 26th
Fonts: (only if they are not being used in images)
- To be safe, etiher use one font that is commont to all computers (+LIST)
- Or use a font from +Google Fonts
- your skin must either scale (grow or shrink to fit the users screen resolution) or be no larger than 780x450 pixels
- somewhere on it, your skin must say "the dark arts"
- your skin must incorporate an area for rotators. Dimensions must be 335x172 pixels (the current size)
- TDA doesn't often have a lot of main page content. we really prefer to keep things to the forum where possible, but we do reserve the right to occasionally say SOMETHING, so give us somewhere to do it.
- Somewhere for the main links (Request a Banner, Visit our Galleries, Visit the Forums)
Admins reserve the right to ultimate and final say on a skin, with no explanation offered. BUT, of course we try not to be trolls, so here's some idea of what we're looking for.
First, of course we're looking for something that puts the site's best foot forward. Over time, TDA has grown to be more than just a place for HPFF banners - and that's a great thing - but it also means that slapping a picture of Harry on the main page isn't really the best plan for us, so try to avoid any obvious fandoms unless you're really knocking things out of the park. Also, rotators are very important to the TDA main page as they showcase our artists work. For that reason, making sure that your skin will be able to "work" with them is important.
Try not to keep it overly complicated. Sometimes less is more and the more it has the harder it can be to code and the longer it will take. If your design is too heavy to code or to load and if we see that it might cause some browser incompabilities, we will choose another one. I'm not being mean, just trying to advise you
Images may be submitted by posting them in this thread anytime between now and the deadline date of June 26th.
We at TDA are all very much broke, so no prizes will be awarded besides the satisfaction of having your own design on the front page of the site
If you are in need of some inspiration, this site offers a lot of amazing colour schemes (it's actually what heaven is made of) +Design Seeds
If you have any questions, please post here as well


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Protect Street Culture: Have your say on Gravesham's PSPO
We are campaigning against Gravesham Borough Council's proposal to introduce a 'Public Space Protection Order' (PSPO) which, amongst other things would make it a criminal offence punishable by a £1000 fine to play music or sing songs in the street without permission or if you stand in the wrong place, for the wrong length of time . The proposed PSPO would also make it a criminal offence to 'lie down or sleep in any public place', to feed birds and to beg using 'verbal, non-verbal or written requests' as well as riding bikes down certain streets. The proposals will have a hugely disproportionate effect upon vulnerable and dispossessed people in Gravesend, particularly the homeless and vulnerably housed as well as representing a direct assault on the spontaneity, informality and democratic access to public space for the arts and street culture that the Keep Streets Live Campaign exists to protect.
Gravesham Borough Council are currently carrying out an online consultation on the proposals which ends on November 15. It is vitally important that people participate in this consultation whether they are residents, visitors, tourists, buskers or people who care about civic freedoms, public space and social justice. The more people who take part in this survey and express their constructive opposition to these damaging proposals, the more chance we have of ensuring that they do not go through. The consultation will take between 10/20 minutes to complete depending upon the amount of detail you go into it. Your response will make a big difference to this campaign, so please find the time to do it if you can!
Link to the online consultation:
Link to the petition against the PSPO:
We strongly encourage people to take part in this online consultation and to answer the questions as they see fit. We are publishing our answers to a selection of questions on the consultation as a reference for people and to explain our reasons for opposing the PSPO clearly. Please feel free to use our answers as a framework for your own responses
Do you support the use of a Public Space Protection Order to introduce No Alcohol Zones in the areas outlined above? (This would include streets, green areas and other public areas but not public houses, licensed premises or pavement cafes)
This proposal would give public officials and police officers a summary power that would be open to potential misuse if there were not clear guidelines attached and I would be concerned that enforcement action would be targeted at vulnerable groups of people and leave them open to criminalisation/marginalisation. Would a police officer challenge a family picnic where Prosecco was being drunk or would they target a group of vulnerably-housed people who were drinking canned lager instead? Any intervention or enforcement action should always be directed only at people whose actions are causing genuine harm to others, not arbitrarily.
Do you support the use of a Public Space Protection Order to deter people using or carrying items used to administer Legal Highs in public spaces in the area marked on the map?
Don't know.
Once again, any behaviour that causes alarm and harassment or distress to others should be dealt with appropriately and proportionately whether it is influenced by legal highs, illegal drugs or alcohol. I believe the resources of the police and local authority should be directed towards individuals that cause genuine harm to other people and that persons whose behaviour is not causing harm should not be a priority for enforcement. People who are not causing harm should not face enforcement action.
I am concerned about the impact of this measure against vulnerable people leading to criminalisation and marginalisation. The police and local authority have adequate powers to use against people whose behaviour causes alarm/harassment or distress towards other people. They can also use CPNs (Community Protection Notices) to target individuals whose behaviour is having a detrimental effect upon other people. I believe that a targeted approach, based on harm reduction and providing appropriate support to persons with addiction/mental health problems, is much better than blanket ban provisions of the sort proposed.
Do you support the use of a Public Space Protection Order to deter people lying or sleeping in public spaces without prior permission in the area marked on the map?
It shouldn't be necessary to complete an online survey to explain why these proposals are not only wrong, but also highly unethical. People who sleep rough are amongst the most vulnerable members of our society and subject to violence, harassment alongside the many other difficulties they face on a daily basis. Many choose to sleep in well lit public places because they feel safer there and are amongst people they know. Criminalising rough sleeping in the defined area may well cause people to find other, less safe areas where they could be subject to assault and victimisation. Furthermore, there is no evidence that coercive measures are an effective way of getting people to engage with support services. Some people might 'choose' to sleep rough because they feel unsafe in their temporary accommodation or because they are trying to get away from people who are using drugs or alcohol. There is absolutely no justification for enacting a PSPO which incorporates rough sleeping. The local authority should concentrate on providing adequate support services for all people, but even if there were safe and available beds for all homeless people (there aren't), it would still be unethical and, unlawful, to criminalise people for sleeping rough.
Do you support the use of a Public Space Protection Order to deter the unauthorised collecting of money in public spaces and streets in the area marked on the map?
The vast majority of people who beg are vulnerable and destitute and are begging in order to survive. Whilst I don't give money to people who beg I always offer to buy them food and have positive interactions with people begging who have always been grateful for someone interacting with them in a kind and non-judgemental way. I would not support coercive action taken against vulnerable people for begging in a way that doesn't cause any harm to other people.
These measures will clearly affect the most vulnerable and should not be included in the PSPO. People asking for food or money because of desperate poverty should not face criminalisation and punitive fines that they could not reasonably be expected to pay. The proposed measure is 'catch-all' in nature by incorporating 'verbal, non-verbal or written requests'. This will affect people who cause no harm or interference to other people. Enforcement action should only ever be directed against persons who behave in a way that causes alarm, harassment and distress to other people. Adequate powers to deal with this already exist.
In addition, persons issued with fixed penalty notices who are subsequently prosecuted in a magistrate's court face a mandatory court fee of £150 which has led to the imprisonment of destitute persons in some jurisdictions. This proposal is unethical and wrong. This measure would also catch buskers who busked without 'prior authorisation'. This wrongly criminalises a cultural activity and is an infringement on Article 10 rights to freedom of expression.
Which of these options do you support to deter inconsiderate busking in public spaces in the area marked on the map?
Do you support the use of a Public Space Protection Order to restrict the riding of bicycles in the gated pedestrianised area of New Road, Gravesend, as marked on the map below?
It should not be a de facto criminal offence to ride a bicycle anywhere provided due consideration is shown to other road users at all times. "The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle on the road, sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required. cyclists must give priority to pedestrians and must take the utmost care in areas where pedestrians hold sway. According to the Department for Transport's Code of Conduct, cyclists need to weigh up whether there's a critical mass of pedestrians: "In pedestrianised areas, only ride your cycle if there aren't too many pedestrians about; otherwise dismount and push it." Existing guidance is more than adequate. The PSPO would potentially criminalise people who are causing no harm to other people.
Do you have any other comments regarding the Public Space Protection Order?
The PSPO proposal wrongly conflates busking, rough sleeping, begging, riding bikes and feeding birds with 'antisocial behaviour', a term which is expanding its meaning to incorporate ever greater spheres of human interaction. It targets the vulnerable and marginalised through its provisions on rough sleeping and begging. It targets the cultural and artistic community in its provisions on busking and creates new 'criminal offences' which send a damaging message to the UK and beyond about what Gravesend is like and what kind of place it is. The provisions on bird-feeding are silly as well as draconian and betray an over-regulatory mindset which overlooks the crucial principles of policing by consent, equality before the law and proportionality. The council and the police have the use of robust existing legislation such as the 1986 Public Order Act to deal with genuinely antisocial behaviour. It is already a criminal offence to be drunk or disorderly or to cause alarm, harassment and distress to other people. Under the Police, Crime and Antisocial Behaviour Act 2014 the police and local authority have additional powers to use Community Protection Notices (CPNs) against any person whose behaviour is unreasonable, persistent and having a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the community. Used as a last resort, the CPNs enable the police or local authority to either issue Fixed Penalty Notices or fines of up to £2500 against persons who breach them. A far better approach to dealing with antisocial behaviour in Gravesham Borough Council would be firstly to separate activities like rough sleeping, begging, bird feeding, and busking from consideration altogether. it was wrong to include these categories in the first place. Secondly, for issues around drunkenness, legal highs, and alcohol the police and local authority should identify those persons whose persistent actions have caused alarm, harassment and distress to other people and targeted enforcement action against those individuals using existing powers. This targeted approach could be achieved by drawing up clear guidance for officers and public officials on how to engage with vulnerable people what the real priorities for enforcement really were. My feeling is that the PSPO approach is about administrative convenience above all else. If an activity is named on a PSPO it becomes an offence by default, even if it is not causing harm or inconvenience to any person. Fixed penalty notices of £100 could be issued to people for sleeping on benches, feeding birds, or singing songs. The fine could rise to £1000 and a criminal record if it goes to court. This punitive and disproportionate response will do little to improve genuine community safety and will come at the expense of freedom of expression and association, freedoms that are intrinsic to life in an open and democratic country. Unlike Fixed Penalty Notices under a PSPO, prosecutions under existing legislation or through the use of Community Protection Notices require the police and the local authority to gather evidence that the person being targeted has caused a genuine issue. This is a protection against arbitrary outcomes and the potential abuse of power. The police and the local authority have an essential role in upholding pubic safety. It is vital that their scare resources are directed towards activities that are genuinely harmful and impacting upon the community, rather than in a scattergun approach against rough sleepers, buskers and bird feeders. Nonetheless the PSPO consultation provides the local authority with a value opportunity to develop a code of practise for busking that has the consent and full participation of the busking community, to examine the provision of services to homeless people, and to develop clear guidance for engagement with vulnerable groups on the part of the local authority. The consultation exercise provides Gravesham Borough Council with a valuable opportunity to reflect upon what kind of place it wishes to be; the kind of place where people are made to feel welcome and included, whether they are a wealthy tourist or an impoverished and vulnerably housed resident, or whether it wishes to be a place where people face a criminal record for singing songs in the street and where, at the time of national housing crisis and widespread cuts to hostels and benefits, it becomes a criminal offence to sleep rough. It is greatly to be hoped that the opportunity to reflect upon these issues created by the consultation results in the wholehearted rejection of any measures that would criminalise the vulnerable and damage street culture.
End of Consultation


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NEW YORK (AP) — The current production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" that's touring the United Kingdom will be able to be seen without a plane ticket.
"Jesus Christ Superstar UK Rock Spectacular" will be shown at hundreds of movie theaters across America on Oct. 29 and again on Nov. 1. The show was recorded on Oct. 4-5 in Birmingham, England.
It stars former Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm as Mary Magdalene and Ben Forster in the title role. Forster was the winner of the UK's primetime contest show "Superstar." The cast also includes comedian Tim Minchin, the co-writer of West End smash musical "Matilda."
Another revival of the 1971 Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber rock opera on Broadway closed this summer after 116 regular performances and 24 previews.


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Central Reservation Call Center
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The aRes Travel Central Reservation Call Center is staffed with agents who specialize in providing expert local knowledge of hotels, attractions, and city information. Our representatives offer personal customer service and give the traveler a traditional way to secure travel plans via a toll free phone number. This service is especially beneficial if the consumer is uncomfortable making purchases online or needs more information to make their decision.
Affiliate Branded Toll Free Phone Numbers
aRes Travel affiliates receive a dedicated toll free Call Center number with an associated unique hold message for their website or destination. Call Center representatives complete the seamless integration with your organization by answering in-bound calls with your company name and messaging.
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Who better to give our call center staff the details of your product, be it boutique hotel or world-famous attraction, than you?
When a new affiliate joins the aRes Travel Network, a detailed training is conducted by the affiliate with our call center team. Hotel and attraction affiliates are invited to present their unique product and service to our call center either in-person or via a web conference call.
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Our US based Call Center representatives are not only educated on your travel and ticketing products, they also receive detailed instruction on your destination.
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We encourage our hotel partners to offer a special rate that will not be posted on any website within our network. This rate is only available through our in-house Call Center, which handles thousands of phone calls daily.
If your hotel has additional inventory you don't want made public, our distressed rate program helps sell this additional inventory discretely, without your past customers, competitors, or other third party organizations knowing what rates you are offering through the use of our Deals Wizard.For more information and a detailed explanation about how the aRes Travel Central Reservation Call Center can promote and sell your products, please contact us today.
Contact Us


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03 8544 4666
78-80 William Angliss Dr Laverton North, VIC 3026
6:30am - 4:30pm, Mon - Fri
Some WordPress plugins also add cache functionality to your WordPress site. This helps your site load faster, because WordPress can retrieve the pages of your blog from the cache instead of generating them all over again. Any good cache plugin will clear the cache when a post, page, or comment is published. However, if you make other changes (e.g. to your theme), the cache may not be cleared and the old version will still appear. In this case, check the plugin's instructions to find out how to clear its cache. Note that WordPress does not come with a cache by default, so the above would only apply if you installed a cache plugin yourself.e for cladding, blue board, roofing, guttering, painting, rendering and edge protection.


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Customer Reviews
All reviews are from people who have redeemed deals with this merchant.
What You'll Get
After purchasing this deal, you will need to visit the website listed on your Groupon voucher to complete redemption. See voucher for more information.
The Deal
- $16.99 for 30" x 40" premium blanket ($79.95 value)
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These 100% polyester fleece blankets are machine washable and should be hung to dry. Premium blankets are plusher and warmer with a lightweight, high-pile texture.
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires 60 days after purchase. Amount paid never expires. Limit 3 per person, may buy 2 additional as gifts. Limit 1 per order. Valid only for option purchased. Online only. Shipping is not included; extra $9.95. Most orders delivered within 12 business days from redemption date. Does not ship to PO boxes. FINAL SALE; no returns unless defective. See return policy. Voucher is non-transferable. Tax not included for orders shipped to CA and NJ; taxes due upon redemption. Valid for one image only. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About Picture It On Canvas
Picture It On Canvas has been turning photos into handcrafted works of art since 2007 from their headquarters in San Diego, California. The company takes customer-uploaded photographs and prints them on archival-quality material such as canvas, metal, and hand-chiseled slate, forging a durable keepsake for customers to hang on their walls or dangle from the grills of their automobiles. Buyers can also blend several images into a collage or divide one photograph into four color schemes with a kaleidoscopic piece of pop art.


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Savings and Current Income: Paying More Up Front Means Borrowing Less
In addition to paying costs by personal check or credit card, Emmanuel offers families the option of spreading tuition payments over the course of the academic year with an interest-free 10-month payment plan through Tuition Management Systems, Inc.
Parent Loans: When Savings and Current Income are Not Enough
There are many educational loan products available, including several parent loans. We encourage our students and families to find the best loan option available to them.
Tax Credits: Receive Tax Credits or Deductions for Educational Expenses
When you pay for tuition and fees, you or your parents may be able to recover some of these expenses through federal tax credits or deductions. Tax credits and deductions have included the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit, Lifetime Learning Tax Credit, Tuition & Fees Deduction and Student Loan Interest Deduction.


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Ennovent and WWF Switzerland announced the winners of their Tropical Forest Challenge this past Monday. The winners came from two categories: company and startup. Launched in May 2012, the WWF Switzerland Tropical Forest Challenge is a global initiative managed by Ennovent on behalf of WWF Switzerland to discover the best for-profit enterprises from around the world that have a positive impact on the conservation of tropical forest biodiversity.
The winners are endorsed by WWF Switzerland as best solution providers and are awarded global visibility, networking and capacity building opportunities from the challenge partners such as, Good Company, Sustainatopia and Thomson Reuters Foundations'. These Challenge rewards are important as many early-stage entrepreneurs face resource gaps – such as networks and training – that inhibit their ability to scale high potential ventures.
Runa was selected as the winner of the company category. The other finalists within this category were EcoPlanet Bamboo, Wildlife Works, Rainforest Expeditions, and CHICZA.
Runa is an innovative Ecuador-based organization creating US markets for guayusa, a rich tasting naturally caffeinated tea sustainably grown by indigenous farmers. With decreasing amounts of land and limited access to markets, prior to Runa's intervention smallholder farmers typically had no other option than to maintain intense agricultural production – further degrading the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest. Since inception in 2009, Runa has generated over $100,000 of direct income to over 2,000 farming families – representing an impressive average farmer income increase of 30% - and has planted over 200,000 trees.
"Runa is tremendously honoured to be chosen as the Company winner of the WWF Switzerland Tropical Forest Challenge," says Co-Founder Tyler Gage. "We hope that our model can inspire other entrepreneurs to take up sustainable conservation solutions", he adds.
Planting Empowerment has been selected as the winner within the startup category. The finalists in this category were Floresta Group, EcoTech Timber, Maya Mountain Cacao and Eco-Fuel Africa.
Planting Empowerment is focused on developing mixed native species agroforestry projects that provide alternative income streams to slash and burn agriculture for smallholder farmers in Panama – encouraging tropical forest conservation. The company leases plots from small landholders to encourage long-term land tenure and stewardship of natural resources while providing hands-on forestry management skills and traditional classroom knowledge. To date Planting Empowerment has planted more than 27,500 trees and has ensured that farmers are earning 45% more than previous income levels.
Co-Founder of Planting Empowerment, Andrew Parrucci says, "We are excited to have won the startup category. We look forward to developing more sustainable agroforestry projects with small landholders and Indigenous communities in Panama and throughout Latin America as a result of the WWF Switzerland Tropical Forest Challenge."
306 solutions were nominated for the WWF Switzerland Tropical Forest Challenge with over 70 applications being received from Latin America, Africa, South East Asia and beyond. More than 2,300 votes were gathered from the public to choose the most high impact application. Each application was independently assessed by three panels supported by 31 distinguished experts on the criteria of forest biodiversity, development impact as well as on its commercial viability. The top applications in each category were then further evaluated by 11 experts on three jury panels.
To learn more about the winners click here.
About WWF Switzerland:WWF Switzerland's mission is to stop the global destruction of the environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. To achieve this mission, WWF stands up for maintaining global biodiversity. WWF is further committed to reducing the use of natural resources to a sustainable level.
About Ennovent: Ennovent accelerates innovations creating a sustainable impact on low-income people. We work with a global network of entrepreneurs, investors and experts to discover, finance and scale up the best innovations. We envision sustainable living for people at the base of the economic pyramid.
For questions, or to learn more about the challenge, contact Jayashree Rukhaiyar, Online Community Manager, Ennovent.


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Editorial: Rein in county spending, hiring to get back on a sound footing
[Editor's note: We wrote the following editorial over a year and a half ago and then decided not to run it – that it might make a bad situation worse. Now, we're not sure it could be worse: the museum has completely lost its funding, the county is threatening the town, and two longtime employees, who served the county very well as far as we can determine, have been terminated and replaced with two people who are not Tunica Countians and who know little of the history of what has occurred here in the past 20 years. One of the new guys even stumbled over the supervisors' names the night he was seated at the Board table.
So much for the "hire local" initiative the new supervisors were pushing a scant two years ago, when they were still running for their positions.
And this current Board, though they continue to blame their predecessors, has presided over a sharp decrease in the county's cash on hand – in plain language, money in the bank – at a time when the national economy still lags and when the local gaming industry continues a decline that began over five years ago.
Now, several supervisors are recommending funding cuts to other "support structure" for our casinos: the Convention & Visitors Bureau and Tunica National Golf & Tennis Center.
We could go on in this vein, but we want you to read the following and then consider that the facts presented only cover calendar year 2012 and the first few months of 2013. We're now at the end of 2013, and although the hiring and spending has slowed somewhat, mostly out of necessity, the county has just approved the purchase of two expensive pieces of equipment for the Road Department; wants to build, then operate and maintain yet another county facility that will likely be underutilized; and is teetering on the edge of overdrawing all its bank accounts.
But you may say, "What can I do?" We say: get informed, get involved, get moving. Look at what our future as a community is fast becoming. Think about the future of your business or your job. Think about the prospect of the value of your home and property declining sharply. Think about property crime escalating. Think about your peaceful neighborhoods becoming increasingly unsafe. We can't afford to sit on the sidelines and let this happen. Let us say it again: GET INFORMED, GET INVOLVED, GET MOVING OFF THE SIDELINES!]
Fact #1: In the second half of the Fiscal Year 2012, county coffers were depleted, with gaming tax revenues continuing to decline and officials looking in every corner for ways to cut expenses.
Fact #2: The FY 2013 budget adopted by the county Board of Supervisors last fall contained no provision for employee pay raises or capital projects.
Fact #3: A number of county-supported facilities and programming received cuts in appropriations in FY '13.
Fact #4: The Board justified a 30 percent plus tax increase by saying that the additional funds generated by increased taxes would pay off debt.
Yet throughout 2012 and in the first quarter of 2013, supervisors approved a whole series of additional jobs, purchases and budget increases.
For example, in February 2012, the Board granted a $6,000 pay increase for a Road Department employee who had just been hired at a certain salary set in January. In March, site prep work for a multi-purpose center at Robinsonville, estimated at $200,000, was approved for advertising; a bid of just over $135,000 was ultimately accepted.
In April, two trucks were approved for purchase in the Road Department and three additional employees hired there. The very next month, four more employees were approved for the Road Department.
In May, a bid of $44,487.62 was approved for a trailer mounted sewer cleaner for the Road Department, which also asked that month to advertise for one or more pick-up trucks and a bucket truck. Bids on two pick-ups, at almost $29,000 each, and the bucket truck for $122,750, were accepted in June.
In April, May and June, the budget for the annual Community Pride Fair went from $10,000 to $14,465.
Is it any wonder that in July 2012, county administrator Clifton Johnson reported a monthly budget deficit of $200,000?
In August 2012, Road Department manager Joe Eddie Hawkins asked the Board to replace the county shop, estimating the job at $1 million, a request not yet acted upon. The Board approved the drafting of a new redistricting plan, in the amount of $25,000, when a previous board had already spent over $34,000 in county funds for this same item.
In October, the Board hired three employees in the Road Department, including an animal control officer whose assigned duties took the place of Humane Society volunteers who were doing the same job for free. There was one hire in the Justice Court, and the new position of Director of Community Affairs was created at a salary of $65,000.
An auditor was contracted at the rate of $125-350 per hour to conduct an internal audit, when the county already pays for a state-mandated audit every year.
In November, the board approved an increase in appropriations to Aaron Henry Healthcare, from $25,000 to $75,000. After that purchase was approved, District 2 supervisor Cedric Burnett said that the county "now has a revenue problem and a spending problem."
In December, tax bills landed in citizens' mail. Taxpayers saw increases that, in many cases, doubled the cost of car tags and hit homeowners with another wallop.
In February 2013, supervisors approved advertising for two pick-ups, a garbage truck and a roller for the Road Department. Late in the month, the Board approved the purchase of two pick-ups at $26,007.68 each, and one garbage truck for $229,935. A bid in excess of $58,000 for another piece of Road Department equipment was recommended for approval but held over to a later meeting.
Supervisors also agreed to purchase a 15 passenger van for the 4-H program, quoted at just over $24,000; approved a detailed survey concerning drainage issues along Verner Road, another $5,000-8,000; employed two people for the youth offenders program; and received bids for the Robinsonville multi-purpose center that ranged from $1.5 to $1.9 million, not including seven various add-ons that could up the price of the project as much as $136,000.
In executive session, the Board created a new position at the Tunica Arena, one not requested by the facility's director and not advertised in any manner, so far as we can determine, a practice noted by the county administrator in February, when he said that the current board had hired employees without advertising the positions.
All this is occurring in a county that led the state of Mississippi in unemployment for Feb. 2013. In other words, our county leaders have gone on a spending spree – on the backs of taxpayers who are already strapped in a sour economy.
As we write this, however, we know how this critique will be received. We'll be excoriated, blamed, vilified, and called "racist" for daring to print these facts. Will our words make a difference? Probably not.
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Peoria at Salt River - 10-26-12[/FONT]
After Thursday's game at one of the older stadiums in the Arizona circuit, Friday's game took me to the newest, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Built on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community near Scottsdale, Arizona, it's a state of the art facility that opened in the spring of 2011. The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockiesshare the facility for spring training with the Rockies entrance in right field and the Diamondbacks in left. The Twinswould do well to mirror some of the features here with the Hammond remodel, especially the outfield lawn viewing. If you're ever in Arizona for spring training, I'd recommend having it on your agenda. The practice and training areas seem to be designed with fans (or scouts) in mind as there are several observation areas.
The only Minnesota Twin in the line-up on Friday was Evan Bigley playing left field batting seventh. I'd seen a few stories on how he'd been performing and seen that his stats weren't stellar, so I wasn't expecting too much, but he had a good day. He went 2-3 with a walk with one of the hits an RBI double.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial]Peoria rallied late but fell short. Final: Rafters 8, Peoria 7.[/FONT]
Peoria at Surprise 10-27-12[/FONT]
Saturday's game was in the far northwestern part of the valley at Surprise Stadium. Surprise is also a newer facility. Open since 2003, it houses spring training for the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals. The architecture reminded me more of the facilities in Florida than the usual desert designs. They have an outfield lawn area along with nice wide concourses. It's also the first minor or spring training facility I recall being in where the upper level roof/canopy didn't appear to be metal. Foul balls to the roof were not accompanied by the usual metal clang. No auto-glass sponsor needed.[/FONT]
There were two Twins players in the starting line-up, Nate Roberts in left field leading off and Evan Bigley in center field batting seventh. Caleb Thielbar would also pitch in relief. While I was happy to see Evan in the line-up again, it meant Billy Hamilton was out,so my dream of seeing him steal a base was over for this trip. Guess I'll have to wait for him to make it to the majors.
Nate Roberts (and his stellar mustache) continued with his best Joe Mauer impression with a 2-4 day to bring his AFL average to .522 (two singles). I'm not sure how his arm is supposed to rate but on the defensive side of things, he had a strong throw to the plate for a close play. Unfortunately the runner was safe, but it was closer than I thought it would be initially.
Evan Bigley was 0-2 on the day with a walk and strikeout. The bottom five hitters in the Peoria line-up went hit-less on the day, so the Surprise pitchers must have eaten their Wheaties Saturday morning.[/FONT]
Caleb Thielbar Part 1[/FONT]
Caleb Thielbar Part 2[/FONT]
Former St Paul Saint, Caleb Thielbar, replaced the Peoria starter with two outs in the 3rd inning. After a fly out to end the third he pitched a scoreless 4th inning with a fly out, two singles, then a line out double play. In 6.2 AFL innings he has a 10.80 ERA, so it was nice to see him get the double play to keep the inning scoreless.
My uncle deflected a foul ball hit by Didi Gregorius which then landed under our seats. After the game, Michael Tonkin, Caleb, Evan and Nate were kind enough to sign it. I wish I could have stayed one day longer since I'm missing Kyle Gibson by a day, but I enjoyed seeing the rest of the Twins players while I've been here. The crowds are non-existent at these games so if you like watching prospects, head to the AFL.[/FONT]
Today's final was Surprise 4, Peoria 1[/FONT]
Full picture sets are available on Flickr - Salt River and Surprise
Originally posted at Twinkietown
Edited by TCAnelle, 28 October 2012 - 10:47 AM.


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Practical Professional Development -- Online, Anytime
As a leading provider of teacher education materials, National Geographic Learning, a part of Cengage Learning, is pleased to offer ELT Advantage, online professional courses for teachers of English language learners of all ages-ESL, ESOL, ELL, EFL.
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Earn a TESOL® Certificate of Completion when you successfully pass each TESOL-approved course.
For information about obtaining college credit, click here.
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The very Chinese ingenuity with which a souvenir foodstuff has been packaged is the latest made in China product to be securing praise for its "innovative" marketing, both in China and beyond.
More examples were soon exhumed:
Online there is some awe at the dastardly cunning seemingly exhibited by even the most humble PRC product – although even in Japan everything from games nested in gigantic boxes to bento with cunningly raised bottoms exploit similar tactics to a lesser extent, as the more fair-minded are quick to point out:
"It's almost as if it were packaged by Amazon!"
"What a waste of genius!"
"Does it explode as well?"
"These guys only think of ways of cheating people, don't they?"
"For a made in China product, this is actually quite an innocent example."
"At least it isn't poisonous."
"At least the contents will not get damaged."
"At least the balls aren't hollow."
"You'd think this would be a bit insulting to the person who was given it as a souvenir."
"The seller, buyer, or recipient – who actually doesn't lose face here?"
"If you can still eat it, it is OK by Chinese standards."
"Come on, they do the same stuff in Japan. Those bento with raised bottoms you find everywhere, where about half the package is empty space."
"In Japan, all eroge are packaged that way:"
"Taiwan is not to be beaten!:"
"Japan can still top that!:
"What about this – a $15,000 high-end Goldmund DVD player which contains a standard Pioneer DVD player:"
"Made in China drives:"
"More Chinese packaging:"
"The Chinese seem to have no conception of the notion of gaining the trust of customers or actually pleasing them, do they?"
"I can't help but think they are more interested in cheating people than they are in profits."
"It seems they really do think this sort of thing is clever, and not just in an ironic way. The person being cheated is to blame for being stupid, and if you're caught you can just cut and run and do the same thing with a new company."
"The whole Chinese economy is like this. The numbers they put out bear as much relation to actuality as this box does to its contents."
"It really is a very Chinese souvenir, isn't it?"


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Wolfenstein marks the first Bethesda-published game to arrive on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and will also be available on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Developed by MachineGames, a studio comprised of a seasoned group of developers recognized for their work creating story-driven games, Wolfenstein: The New Order is a reimagining of the FPS franchise from id Software. The game offers a deep game narrative packed with action, adventure and first-person combat rendered in stunning detail with id® Software's id Tech® 5 engine. And typical of a classic Wolfenstein game, expect plenty of hidden secrets, too.
Wolfenstein: The New Order once again centers around the series' iconic war hero, B.J. Blazkowicz and this time faces alternate version of the 1960s in which the Nazis won World War II. As the only man capable of rewriting history, with the help of a small group of resistance fighters, infiltrate their most heavily guarded facilities, battle high-tech Nazi legions, and take control of super-weapons that have conquered the earth – and beyond. See the game in action on our official YouTube channel.
For community updates, visit www.wolfenstein.com and follow the game on both Facebook and Twitter. For more information on the DOOM beta access pre-order bonus, as well as applicable terms and restrictions, please visit: www.wolfenstein.com/DOOM.


text:
Hayward can give you the comfort you desire and all the control you need to create the ultimate back yard experience. For a lower operating cost and less environmental impact than you might expect.
What Hayward can do with water is amazing. Water isn't just water anymore – it's an experience. You don't need a big toe to see if its temperature is ok or if it's silky-smooth against your skin. And lighting doesn't just illuminate, it can sooth, regenerate and excite. A more comfortable pool and spa is easily achievable with Hayward Pool Products.
With Hayward Pool Products, you can create a back yard ambiance that is uniquely you. Modify your environment to suit your tastes and mood, creating a paradise that extends far beyond your pool. Tantalize your senses, sight, sound and touch.
Learn how you can achieve the comfort you desire.


text: Make an Appointment Locations Children's Health Center Anacostia Washington, District of Columbia 20020 202-476-6900 Languages Spoken English Spanish Departments General and Community Pediatrics Board Certifications American Board of PediatricsNational Provider ID: 1558334722 Disclosure This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has a working relationship (i.e. consulting, research, and/or educational services) with the companies listed below. These relations have been reported to the health system leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts. Outside Interests DC Breastfeeding Coalition. CareFirst BCBSDelaware Healthy Mother and Infant Consortium Novartis


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Welcome to the Department of Architecture!
About Our Department
The Department of Architecture has almost four decades of history. It was founded in 1975 and is located at the main West Valley College campus in Saratoga, California in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The Department is committed to the broad educational mission of the American Community College system, which is to offer lower-division academic instruction necessary for transfer students to higher education; to offer skill-related courses necessary to prepare individuals who are in need of an immediate job; and to offer courses that satisfy returning students´ demands for career preparation and lifelong learning.
We respect the past by offering traditional manual drafting, sketching, and hand-drawn design production courses. We also look ahead, by using advanced technology and digital media applications which are applicable to architectural and engineering courses and required by the industry.
The Department of Architecture & Landscape Architecture offers a choice of three distinct programs: Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Historic Preservation.
The Architecture program is unique within Silicon Valley and offers two programs: the Associate of Science Degree in Architecture and a Certificate in Architecture.
West Valley College is one of four Community Colleges in California that offers a transfer program via an Associate of Science Degree in Landscape Architecture. The Department offers also a Certificate program in Landscape Architecture.
West Valley College is one of two Community Colleges in California that offers a Certificate program in Historic Preservation.


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Salvete Textkitters!
I am back after a very long break. Life has its ups and its down, I suppose, and since I am not so happy these days, I thought I would revive a former passion of mine and take up my studies in Greek and Latin again. I have studied these eminent languages before and greatly enjoyed them.
For my present Latin studies, I am using the Collar and Daniell textbook; do others have experience with this book? I find it very easy and hope to be through it within a week or two since I have discovered that what I have already learnt years ago can be re-learnt with relative ease. All the hard work has not been in vain.
I would love to hear from others using the C&D; I wonder why there is no particular forum devoted to this learning system since there are fora for three other textbooks. In my estimate C&D's book covers the basic grammar but I do find the repetitiveness of the exercises a bit dull... I have, however, come to a point where there are little stories (#199 on Proserpina), which makes ít more fun in my opinion.
I wonder if anyone else has noted that page 83 of the PDF is missing.
Vobis omnibus diem bonum opto.


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Assault case against Danville selectman heads to superior courtBy JASON SCHREIBER
Union Leader Correspondent
February 21. 2013 4:54PM
DANVILLE - The case against a Danville selectman accused of assaulting a teenager at a town movie night last August has been moved to Rockingham County Superior Court for a possible jury trial.
Russell Harding, 35, was expected to face trial Thursday before a judge in the 10th Circuit Court, Plaistow District Division, on two counts of simple assault, but prosecutors dropped the charges last week and re-filed them at the superior court level, according to defense attorney Raymond Mello.
The charges allege Harding grabbed a 13-year-old boy by the back of the neck and forced his head into a table.
Harding has denied the allegations, claiming that he approached the boy because he thought he was going to tamper with the town equipment used for showing movies at the movie night at Day Field.
At a selectmen's meeting in September, Harding told fellow board members that he put himself in between the teenager and the movie equipment and that when he did so he "touched" the boy. However, he denied assaulting him.
Mello said Harding plans to plead not guilty to the assault charges – both class A misdemeanors.
Harding has been absent from selectmen's meetings since he was arrested in September by state police. He refused to resign from the board and asked for a leave of absence until the case is resolved.


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While we all wait for the new Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 Windows Phones to hit the store shelves, both are now popping up over on Ebay. The Lumia 920 is listed as $799 US and the Lumia 820 is coming in $699.
Both are listed as unlocked and while the listing states "Immediate Shipping" the fine print shows shipping delivery is estimated between November 15th and December 4th. While the shipping window is rather large, the seller is shipping worldwide.
You should also note the description on the Lumia 920 states,
This is a brand new Lumia 920 black pre production line model (hand made). Comes with pre release software and may have bugs but phone may be updated as soon as it is released, all hardware is working perfectly. No box, but includes charger and usb cable. It is sold as it is.
There is similar language on the Lumia 820 listing. The seller does have a 100% positive feedback from 133 responses but we still must throw out a cautionary buyer beware.
For those interested, you can find the Nokia Lumia 820 (red) listing here and the Nokia Lumia 920 (black) here at Ebay.
Thanks, Ashley, for the tip!


text: lease the next versions (1.9.X - X.X.X) for Symbian be renamed only to ScummVM and use a single application to run as in version 1.70 (0) (which is not divided into ScummVM 1 and 2 ScummVM). Please modify the icon, which have the same form as the icons of Symbian Belle. Symbian users are very grateful with your support. Thank you, thank you!


text:
Educational Articles
As cats age, we generally see changes in their behavior. The wild and crazy playful activities we associate with kittens gives way to adult cats sleeping in the sun and prowling around the house. We commonly presume senior cats will take even longer naps in the sun or on our beds. It is important, however, to differentiate normal feline behaviors from abnormal ones, as some behavior changes in aging cats arise from pain and are definitely not normal.
With mild or minor behavioral problems, clients are often able to correct the problem by means of reward-based training, as is outlined in the other handouts in this series. However, when problems are more serious, it is easy to make the problem worse rather than improving it.
Displacement behaviors are usually normal behaviors that are performed at an inappropriate time, appearing out of context for the occasion. Displacement behaviors arise from situations of either conflict or frustration. Conflict refers to the situation in which an animal is motivated to perform two or more competing behaviors (e.g., approach or withdraw, greeting but fear of being punished).
Behavior problems can be due to medical or behavioral causes, or both. A clinical history, physical examination, and diagnostic testing will help determine if there are underlying medical conditions contributing to the problem.
Behavior problems may be a result of normal behaviors that are unacceptable to the owners or may be an abnormal behavior for that species.
This is a broad topic that includes a variety of therapeutic options including herbal remedies, homeopathic remedies, nutraceuticals and supplements. There are few controlled studies to show that any of these treatments are effective in pets.
It is not unusual for behavior problems to develop in older pets, and often there may be multiple concurrent problems. Some of the changes associated with aging may not seem significant, but even a minor change in behavior might be indicative of underlying medical problems or a decline in cognitive function.
It is generally believed that a dog or cat's cognitive function tends to decline with age, much as it does in people. If your dog or cat has one or more of the signs below and all potential physical or medical causes have been ruled out, it may be due to cognitive dysfunction.
Aggression is defined as threats or harmful actions directed toward another individual and can include threat displays, lunging, growling, snarling, snapping and biting. In animals, aggressive behaviors are a means of communication.
A number of drugs are now being utilized to treat pet behavior problems. To determine if drug therapy might be a consideration, it is first essential to determine the diagnosis and cause of the problem.


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Financials: Mar. Bonds are currently 13 lower at 145'22 and the 10-year Note 5 lower at 132'04.5. The overall trend remains down. The high for the week has been 146'19, close to my recent recommendations of going short in the 146'20 area. To be honest I have missed this trade. In the event that you were a bit more aggressive than I was and went short on the recent rally, either take the short term profit or use a protective buy stop in the 146'06 area. Continued talk of the debt ceiling and budget could spark either rallies or breaks and I urge you to be nimble using close stops (about 10 points from initial position levels). For the near term support is currently 144'12 and resistance remains in the 146'20 area. Longer term resistance remains at the 200-day moving average of 148'00.
Grains: Mar. Corn is currently 1'0 lower at 730'2, Mar. Beans 2'6 lower at 1433'2 and Mar. Wheat 1'2 at 784'0. Support remains at 707'0 and resistance the 740'0 level for Mar. Corn. I am currently on the sidelines. As mentioned earlier in the week it is time to start paying attention to deferred contracts particularly Dec. Wheat.
Cattle: Feb LC is currently 10 lower at 128.42 after falling 190 points yesterday and Mar. FC 10 lower at 148.10 after dropping 215 points yesterday. Support for Feb. LC is currently 127.40 a level you might consider trading from the long side for a bounce. Hedgers (producers) who took advantage of recent rallies might consider purchasing out-of-the-money calls against their short hedges to protect themselves from unexpected price increases in March, April and May contracts.
Silver: Mar. Silver is currently $0.33 lower at $31.21 and Feb. Gold $11.00 lower at $1,672.00. We remain long Silver. I will once again be looking to the long side of Gold in the $1,657.00 area if the market allows.
S&Ps: Mar. S&Ps are currently 8.50 higher at 1474.00 after making a multi-year high of 1476.00 after a better than expected Housing Starts Report (up 12.1%) and better than expected Weekly Jobless Claims Report (-37K). We remain short this market with a protective buy stop just above the 1480.00 level. If the market trades below the 1462.00 level, lower your buy stop to the 1476.50 level.
Currencies: As of this writing the Mar. euro is currently 56 higher at 1.3352, the Swiss 22 lower at 1.0715, the yen 114 lower at 1.1190 and the pound 8 lower at 1.5992. If you remain short the euro, lower your protective buy stop to the 1.3390 level.


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Symposia / Hotel Information
F04 Medical and Surgical Materials and Devices
All meetings will be held at the JW Marriott Indianapolis, 10 S. West St., Indianapolis, IN 46204. Reservations may be made at the JW Marriott by using the online reservation system Reservation at the JW Marriott Indianapolis.
Select your dates and proceed as instructed. Reservations may also be made by telephoning the JW Marriott Hotel at 1-866-704-6162 (you must mention ASTM in order to receive the group rate).
Group rate will be honored until the ASTM block is full but no later than April 12, 2013. ASTM rates are $159 single/double plus 17% tax at the JW Marriott Indianapolis. You may be charged a higher rate if reservations are received after the cut-off date, or when the block is full.
U.S. GOVERNMENT RATES: You must contact the Marriott Courtyard Indianapolis, 601 West Washington St. for the Government per diem rate of $91 plus 17% tax. To obtain a government rate go online at Reservation at the Marriott Courtyard Indianapolis. Reservations may also be made by telephoning the hotel at 1-317-822-9029. You must present your ID at the front desk upon check-in. The hotel is directly connected to the JW Marriott.
IMPORTANT! ASTM Rates are non-commissionable. If you book your reservation through a travel agent they must ask for a non-commissioned ASTM Group Rate. ASTM cannot adjust your higher rate if commissions were paid to a travel agency.
ADVANCE DEPOSIT: JW Marriott Indianapolis and Marriott Courtyard Indianapolis require a credit card to guarantee your reservation.
CONFIRMATION NOTICES: A confirmation number is provided to you electronically once your reservation has been submitted.
CANCELLATION/CHANGE POLICY: At the JW Marriott Indianapolis, notice of cancellation must be received by 6:00pm on the day of arrival.
Check the ASTM website for updates on overflow hotel room availability.


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Kim Kenney takes readers back in time to some of Canton and Massillon's top hot spots and meeting places throughout the last century in her new book, Canton Entertainment.
"Massillon certainly has an adorable downtown and Canton hasn't really perpetuated that sort of image. We were pretty famous for knocking things down. Both communities are working on revitalizing projects, but just driving down the main drag, Massillon has a lot of advantages over Canton."
As the curator of the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum since 2001, Kim Kenney has been in a unique position to see the history of Stark County pass over her desk.
That kind of access, coupled with Kenney's keen interest in history and writing, led to her authoring three books — "Canton: A Journey Through Time," "Canton's West Lawn Cemetery" and "Canton's Pioneers in Flight."
Kenney recently added a fourth title to her résumé, as Arcadia Publishing released "Canton Entertainment" earlier this month.
The genesis for the 127-page book came to Kenney after she organized one of the many exhibits the McKinley Museum hosts every year.
"Last year I did an exhibit on the same topic here at the museum and it was very popular," Kenney said. "So I thought since it was popular as an exhibit, and I'd already written three books and was fishing around for another idea, so it just naturally evolved from there."
As the title implies, the book focuses on the history of various entertainment options throughout Stark County's history. With chapters centered on clubs, cultural organizations, hotels, restaurants, theaters, shopping and sports, the book is chock full of black-and-white images detailing places that have occupied local residents' free time through the years.
The book can serve as a nostalgic look back for older readers, or a glance into what the area was like for those of the younger generations.
"Having something to do in our leisure time is something we all have in common," Kenney said. "This book shows what we did in the past, but everyone goes shopping, everyone goes to the movies, everyone goes to a restaurant. There's something in there that everyone can relate to.
"Primarily, I wanted it to be nostalgic. I was thinking of older generations who remember some of the things that are gone, but on top of that I wanted to show younger people what Canton used to be like. It's a little bit hard for people to imagine those things. You can talk about it but when you see it, it makes a big difference. I kind of wanted to speak to both audiences."
While most of the book is Canton-centric, there are some references to people, places and things in the Massillon area scattered throughout.
The sports chapter, of course, features a handful of pictures relating to the Massillon-McKinley rivalry, as well as the early 1900s era of professional football in Stark County. There's a shot of Lakeside Country Club at Meyers Lake, one of the earliest golf courses in the area. Leafing through the chapter on theaters reveals a picture of the Stark Drive-In, which first appeared in the Massillon City Directory in 1950. There are pictures showing the Stark County Fair, which used to alternate between Massillon and Canton. And it's hard to miss the full-page visual depiction of the Club Casablanca's cocktail menu on page 96, where one can see how Mary and Tully Foster's club mixed an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan or a Sloe Gin Fizz, among other drinks.
While Canton has developed into the largest city in the county over the years, Kenney said Massillon and its surrounding areas have plenty to offer those looking for something to do in their leisure time.
"Both communities have wonderful attributes," Kenney said. "Massillon certainly has an adorable downtown and Canton hasn't really perpetuated that sort of image. We were pretty famous for knocking things down. Both communities are working on revitalizing projects, but just driving down the main drag, Massillon has a lot of advantages over Canton."
Reach David at 330-775-1129 On Twitter: @dharpsterINDE
Buy the book
Canton Entertainment ($21.99) is available at local retailers, online bookstores, or through Arcadia Publishing (www.arcadiapublishing.com) or 888-313-2665.