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Suffolk, ss, Division of Administrative Law Appeals
Wendy Cahoon,
v. Docket No. CR-08-663
Barnstable County Retirement Board,
Appearance for Petitioner:
Pro Se
3837 Minitree Glen Drive
Providence Forge, VA 23140
Appearance for Respondent:
James H. Quirk, Jr., Esquire
P.O. Box 268
Yarmouthport, MA 02675
Administrative Magistrate:
Judithann Burke
The Petitioner, who had minimal training for the position of municipal Treasurer/Collector, and, who was under varying degrees of stress throughout her tenure in office, did not meet her burden of proving that she sustained a personal injury with the purview of G..L. c. 32, § 7(1) or G.L. c. 152.
Pursuant to G.L. c. 32 s. 16(4), the Petitioner, Wendy Cahoon, is appealing from two actions of the Respondent, Barnstable County Retirement Board, (BCRB): the September, 24, 2008 decision denying her application for accidental disability retirement benefits (Exhibits 1A and 2A); and, the November 5, 2008 decision denying her request to change the effective date of her ordinary disability retirement. (Exhibits 1B and 2B). A hearing was held on January 5, 2009 at the offices of the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA), 98 North Washington Street, Boston, MA.
At the hearing, fourteen (14) exhibits were marked. The Petitioner testified and argued in her own behalf. The Petitioner also presented the testimony of: Donna Ingrassia, former Treasurer Collector in the Town of Brewster; and, Mark Cahoon, the Petitioner's husband. The Respondent stated its argument for the record. One (1) tape was made of the proceedings.
Procedural History
On September 14, 2007, DALA issued a decision ordering that a medical panel be convened to evaluate the Petitioner. Wendy Cahoon v. Barnstable County Retirement Board,CR-07-345 (Cahoon I). The BCRB did not appeal from the DALA Decision and a medical panel was convened. The Decision in CR-07-345 is incorporated into the present case record. The Findings of Fact (FF) set forth in that Decision which have ongoing evidentiary support in the entire case record, including the evidence offered in Cahoon II, will be reiterated here. The FF from the 2007 appeal will be identified as "FF # , Cahoon I." Additional findings of fact based upon the evidence submitted in the present case (Cahoon II) will be set forth thereafter. Where an exhibit has appeared in both records, the Exhibit no. for each appeal has been noted in the corresponding FF, e.g. "Exhibit 1, Cahoon I and/or Exhibit 2, Cahoon II".
Findings of Fact-Cahoon I
1. The Petitioner, Wendy Cahoon, d.o.b. 05/01/56, first began employment in the Town of Brewster Office of the Treasurer Collector in the late 1970's. She returned on November 20, 1989 after taking several years off to raise her daughter. (Testimony, Cahoon I).
2. The Petitioner is a member of the Barnstable County Retirement System. (Stipulation, FF 2, Cahoon I).
3. The Petitioner served in the role of Assistant Collector/Office Supervisor at the time of her rehiring in 1989. In this capacity, she was involved in the computer conversion to what was called "Arlington Data Systems". She did the conversion of all of the payroll records. She taught the hearing-impaired payroll clerk how to operate the system. (FF 3, Cahoon I, Exhibits 3 and 8 and Testimony, Cahoon I).
4. Sometime in late 1991, the Petitioner served as Acting Treasurer Collector after a staff change. She was offered the position on a permanent basis, but declined. She trained Nancy Thyng, the new Treasurer Collector, in the use of the computer systems, and, she was the back-up payroll person. (FF 4, Cahoon I and Exhibit 3 and Testimony, Cahoon I).
5. The Petitioner left employment with the Town of Brewster in 1996, and then moved back to the Cape approximately a year later. She was rehired by the Town of Brewster. At this time, her position was that of Assistant Collector/Office Supervisor. Nancy Thyng informed the Petitioner that the former would teach the latter the "Treasurer's side" of the office, but the Petitioner never received any training in how to perform the duties of Town Treasurer. (FF 5, Cahoon I).
6. The position of Town Treasurer in the Town of Brewster involves approximately 99% banking. The Petitioner has never acquired any experience in this component of the Treasurer/Collector's duties. (FF 6, Cahoon I and Testimony, Cahoon I).
7. In October 2003, Nancy Thyng gave her notice. The last day of Ms. Thyng's employment was the day that the tax bills were due. Therefore, due to the large volume of tax payments coming into the Treasurer/Collector's Office, the Petitioner did not have time to pursue training in the Treasurer's duties. She did receive instruction in the health insurance billing process. (Exhibit 3 and Testimony, Cahoon I).
8. On November 1, 2003, the Petitioner became the Acting Treasurer/ Collector in Brewster. The Petitioner was very involved in the payroll side of the position and not very involved with the banking side. The Petitioner worked closely with Lisa Souve, the Town Finance Director/Accountant, and the Assistant Treasurer, both of whom worked on the banking aspects of the office. During this period of time there were problems in the entire office with a planned computer payroll conversion. Stress levels were high among all staff members. The Petitioner was informed that there was no time for training as Treasurer at that time. She was told that an Assistant Collector with "treasurer skills" would be hired to assist her in the meantime. (FF 8, Cahoon I).
9. Training for both municipal Treasurers and Collectors takes place at UMass Amherst every August for one (1) week. The classes are taught by certified Treasurers or Collectors. After three (3) years of required classes, the student may sit for an examination in order to become certified. (FF 9, Cahoon I and Testimony, Cahoon I).
10. In March 2004, the Petitioner was offered, and accepted, the position of Treasurer Collector on a permanent basis. The Petitioner was appointed for a three (3) year term to expire on March 1, 2007. Prior to her appointment, Charles Sumner, the Town Administrator, acknowledged that she was very strong in her "Collector" skills and not strong in the "Treasurer" skills. Both Mr. Sumner and Lisa Souve advised her to finish her classes in the "Collector" aspect of the position and take her test on that subject before she took any more "Treasurer" classes. She was informed that her priority was to get the new payroll system up and running. (Exhibits 3 and 5, Cahoon I).
11. The written job description for the position "Town Treasurer/Collector" in Brewster includes: Definition:
Responsible and complex professional, administrative and supervisory work planning, coordination and directing the financial and administrative activities of the Town Treasury; managing the Town's investment program;borrowing of money and the preparation of periodic and annual financial reports; collecting Town receivables and all related work as required.
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Works under the administrative direction of the Town Administrator, with duties and responsibilities as defined by the Board of Selectmen, the General laws, and Town bylaws.
Performs a variety of complex and highly responsible duties in the Administration of the Town's financial management, including disbursements and investments and methods which are related to municipal collections.
Supervises assigned employees.
Errors could severely hamper municipal operations and require extensive costs to correct and could seriously affect the public image of the department and the Town.
Examples of Work:
Discharges the statutory duties of Town Treasurer for the Town of Brewster with responsibility for distributing all municipal and local school funds, after approval by established authorities.
Is accountable for all monies of the Town of Brewster, both receivables and expenditures, as well as the investment of idle funds to cover payables. Deals with Massachusetts Bureau of Accounts regarding borrowing. Coordinates closely with the Town Accountant on the validation of reconciliations.
Knowledge, Ability and Skill:
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; familiarity with Massachusetts Municipal Finance Law. Working knowledge of the bond market and the collection of taxes. Skill in money management, including investments and borrowing funds. Working knowledge of data processing and its applications.
(FF 11, Cahoon I and Exhibit 5, Cahoon I).
12. The Petitioner was advised to hire an Assistant Collector/Office Supervisor as soon as possible, but that she could not choose a candidate who had already worked in the office and was known to the Petitioner. Instead, a Lisa Vitale was hired as the new Assistant Collector/ Office Supervisor in May 2004. She had prior experience and was well-versed in the Treasurer's functions. (FF 12, Cahoon I, Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
13. In or about May 2004, Lisa Souve became the Town Finance Director and was given direct supervisory authority over the Petitioner and the Treasurer/Collector's Office by Mr. Sumner. The Petitioner had reported directly to Mr. Sumner during the first two months of her appointment. (FF 13, Cahoon I).
14. Between May and July 2004, the Petitioner was closely involved with the program installation for converting the payroll system. She spent many hours working with the company representative in order to have the system in effect for July 1, 2004. Lisa Vitale handled the Treasurer, "banking" functions of the office. When July 1, 2004 rolled around, the system failed again. The payroll had to be re-entered into the old system in order for pay checks to issue. This task took many extra hours of work to accomplish. The stress levels among the staff were high again. (FF 14, Cahoon I).
15. Several months went by without an answer from the payroll conversion company about the successful implementation of its system and working out of any bugs. In March 2005, a new vendor was chosen. The conversion was not attempted for a third time until October 2005. Because of this, the October 2005 tax bills were issued two weeks late. (FF 15, Cahoon I).
16. In August 2005, the Petitioner attended the Massachusetts Treasurer Collector School at UMass Amherst, took the remaining two classes necessary for her certification as a Collector, and passed the test. She became a certified Collector. (FF 16, Cahoon I, Exhibit 5, Cahoon I and Exhibits 7, 10 and 14, Cahoon II).
17. In December 2005, the Petitioner was informed by Lisa Souve that the office staff in the Treasurer/Collector's Office was too involved in the work on balancing the bank statements. Ms. Souve admonished the Petitioner for this. The Petitioner was also told that she needed to work on becoming a certified Treasurer and to educate herself on those aspects of her position. Ms. Souve also criticized the way that the Petitioner and another staff member did the health insurance billing together. (FF 17, Cahoon I, Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
18. In early January 2006, the new payroll system finally went live. While the Petitioner was working on the bank statements, she asked Lisa Vitale to review some of the work. Ms. Vitale informed the Petitioner that Lisa Souve had stated that she was not to help with the banking any longer. (FF 18, Cahoon I,Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
19. The Petitioner and Lisa Souve had a conversation about the latter's instruction to Ms. Vitale. Ms. Souve apologized for not going to the Petitioner first, but then told the Petitioner that if she was "in the real world she would have been fired by now". Ms. Souve also told the Petitioner that she needed to perform much better if the latter wanted to be reappointed to the position the following March (2007). The Petitioner was told that if she had any questions, she needed to run them by Ms. Souve in the future. (Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
20. The Petitioner was very upset following the January 2006 conversation with Lisa Souve. She felt that she was being set up to fail; as, she had not taken the Treasurer courses and had little time to try and complete such the program for certification prior to March 2007. (Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
21. In or about January 2006, the Petitioner began to stress surrounding her job and the added pressure to get up to speed on the Treasurer's aspects same. She also had trouble focusing. (Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
22. In February 2006, the Petitioner remained determined to show Ms. Souve and Mr. Sumner that she could handle the stress and do an efficient job. She began to do more tasks on her own without relying on her staff. The bank statements were completed and handed over to the accounting office. There was a variance with one of the banks, and, per Ms. Souve, she waited to talk to the auditors. (FF 22, Cahoon I,Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
23. The Petitioner had always been of the belief that she, as an individual could not know everything, and, that the best way to get any task completed and working smoothly was to work together with office staff as a team. That way, she believed, each member of the team could do what he/she did best. She was distressed that Ms. Souve felt that she should be able to carry out all of the duties of her appointed position by herself, and, that she relied on her staff too much. As a result, the Petitioner felt that she was working in a "hostile workplace" where the person to whom she was required to report problems was the person who didn't seem to want her in the position. She was stressed and unhappy. (Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
24. In March 2006, the tax bills were mailed early, making the office work smooth and efficient. The Petitioner awaited word from the auditors regarding the February 2006 variance with the one bank. The tension between the Petitioner and Ms. Souve increased. The Petitioner found herself making errors, having trouble focusing on tasks at work and thinking that she was "losing it". She was frequently unable to remember how to do simple tasks. She lost files in her computer. (Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
25. In April 2006, the tax payments were coming in on a regular basis. These were posted to the computer and at the bank each day. The town continued to earn interest on the deposits. The auditors suggested that the Treasurer write a letter to the Town Accountant and write off the February 2006 variance. Ms. Souve could not decide what she wanted to do in her office concerning the variance, and, instructed the Petitioner to leave the variance until the following month. (FF 25, Cahoon I,Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
26. The Petitioner worked extra hours in early May 2006 and again in late May 2006. She took a two week vacation in the middle of that month. There was another variance following the issuance of a voided payroll check after the check had been issued to the wrong employee. The February 2006 variance was still held in abeyance by Ms. Souve. The Petitioner did not feel a less stressed after her vacation. (Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
27. June 2006 was a busy month in the Petitioner's office. Payroll rate changes were worked on in conjunction with the Selectmen's Office. The staff was also involved with the tax title and tax litigation processes. The new payroll system still had not worked as expected. The Petitioner was concerned that the payroll rates may not be changed in time, as the rates had not yet been received from the Selectmen, and, she informed Ms. Souve of same. (FF 27, Cahoon I, Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
28. In the spring and summer of 2006, the Town of Brewster had many temporary loans along with new debt issued. The Treasurer/Collector's Office was also involved in a bank conversion which did not go smoothly. (FF 28, Cahoon I, Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
29. As she had during the weeks that she was at work in May 2006, the Petitioner worked extra hours in early and late June 2006 and took a one week vacation in the middle of the month. Again, when she returned from her vacation, she was still stressed and having trouble focusing. She was unable to remember simple tasks, she made errors, and she felt that she was "losing it." She became concerned that some larger health issue was going on. (Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
30. On July 3, 2006, the Petitioner found her stress levels unbearable and was experiencing great pressure to succeed in her job. She went to her physician's office where she saw Janice Harrison, RN-C, MSN, ANP. She indicated to Ms. Harrison that she was overwhelmed with stress from her job and had developed diarrhea and sleeping difficulties. She was unable to control her emotions and could not stop shaking and babbling at that time. She reported that she was unable to retain any memory of how to work effectively and was making many errors on the job. Ms. Harrison provided her with a note that indicated she must take the remainder of the week off. The Petitioner was also given a prescription for a muscle relaxant in order to help her sleep at night. (FF 30, Cahoon I and Exhibit 8D, Cahoon II).
31. After she left the doctor's office on July 3, 2006, the Petitioner went directly to Mr. Sumner's office. She was shaking and crying as she informed him that she could no longer handle the stress and needed to step down as Treasurer/Collector due to the continued stress and pressure and hostile workplace. Mr. Sumner told her that they all knew she had been under stress. The Petitioner asked if she could step into the role of Assistant Treasurer/Collector. Mr. Sumner told her to take the next week, and, that they would "work things out". He also told her that he would talk to Lisa Souve about her absence. (FF 31, Cahoon I, Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
32. On July 5, 2006, the Petitioner called into her office and told Lisa Vitale what needed to be done on the payroll and CDs that were coming due. (FF 32, Cahoon I, Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
33. On July 6, 2006, the Petitioner went into her office to help the Assistant Treasurer with the health bill because the latter was unfamiliar with the computer program. The Petitioner was not able to function effectively and left without accomplishing much of anything. (FF 33, Cahoon I).
34. On July 10, 2006, the Petitioner saw Vincent Birbiglia, M.D. of Cape Cod Neurology, PC. She complained of cognitive problems for approximately a year and a half. Dr. Birbiglia noted that the Petitioner had been in a very stressful situation and that the question had arisen as to whether this was the cause of her memory problem. The doctor noted that the MRI and the mental status exams showed no abnormalities. Dr. Birbiglia prescribed Aricept and scheduled a spinal tap. (FF 34, Cahoon I and Exhibit 7, Cahoon I).
35. The Petitioner was seen by her physician, Peter M. McKay, M.D. on July 12, 2006. She was found to be in good physical health after a complete physical examination. An EKG on that date revealed a right bundle branch block. This was a change from her EKG two (2) years prior. Subsequent testing revealed no cardiac abnormalities. (FF 35, Cahoon I, Exhibits 3 and 4, Cahoon I).
36. On July 24, 2006, the day of her return to work, the Petitioner experienced diarrhea. She learned at that time that Lisa Souve was upset with her for not informing her of the leave of absence due to stress. The Petitioner had difficulty focusing at work and returned to her doctor's office. Janice Harrison told her that she should remain out of work until the stress level was eliminated. (Exhibit 8D, Cahoon II).
37. The Petitioner reported to work on July 25, 2006 in order to meet with Charles Sumner, Lisa Souve and a Jillian Douglas. At that time, the Petitioner was informed that she would not be put into the Assistant Treasurer/Collector's position, as her stress levels were detrimental to the entire office staff. She was informed that her options were: to resign and receive a letter of recommendation; or, be terminated. She was also advised to return to her physician to see how long she would need to be out of work.
During the same meeting, Lisa Souve informed the Petitioner that she had gone into the Petitioner's office while she was away and had been surprised to learn that the Petitioner had called in to her staff and given directions on what needed to be done. Ms. Souve then asked the Petitioner what her plan was for her office while she was out on leave. The Petitioner had no answer at that time. Ms. Souve was displeased. The Petitioner was confused and further stressed that, on the one hand, she was admonished for directing her staff while she was out, and, on the other hand, she was admonished for not having a plan to direct them. Both Mr. Sumner and Ms. Souve suggested that the Petitioner use sick time and apply to the sick bank for additional sick days. The Petitioner went out on medical leave and stayed out of work through December 2006. (Testimony and Exhibit 3, Cahoon I).
39. The Petitioner began seeing LICSW Heidi Zimmerli in August 2006 for her anxiety symptoms. Ms. Zimmerli reported that the Petitioner's symptoms of insomnia, obsessive thinking, inability to concentrate, frequent headaches, loss of appetite, and chronic fatigue had all resulted from the chronic stress she experienced during the past three years with the Town of Brewster. Dr. Zimmerli noted that the Petitioner had been contracted to do a job that she was not entirely qualified to handle, and she had made that clear at the outset. Ms. Zimmerli added that, due to a series of acts and decisions made by others, the Petitioner wound up trying to do a job without the support promised to her by her supervisors. As a result, she became increasingly stressed to the point that she was no longer able to tolerate the stress and was now on medical leave. The Petitioner continued to see Ms. Zimmerli over the next several months. (FF 39, Cahoon I, Exhibit 6, Cahoon I and Exhibit 8E, Cahoon II).
40. On October 2, 2006, the Petitioner went to Dr. McKay's office and was placed on anti-depressant medication. She was not able to tolerate it at that time. (FF 40, Cahoon I and Exhibit 4, Cahoon I).
41. The Petitioner resigned from her position effective January 11, 2007. She has maintained that this was not a voluntary resignation, but rather a constructive termination. Just prior to her resignation, in December 2006, she had seen an advertisement for the position of Treasurer/Collector in Brewster. She knew that she would not be reappointed. (Exhibits 3 and 5 and Testimony, Cahoon I).
42. The Petitioner applied for accidental disability retirement benefits on January 16, 2007. As the medical reason for her application, she stated: After many, many months of stress overload, conflicts at work, resulting in a hostile work environment, unable to work effectively, memory loss, confusion, causing errors, unable to focus, emotional distress and also right bundle branch blockage of heart, unable to sleep with or without medication. (FF 42, Cahoon I , Exhibit 3, Cahoon I and Exhibit 5, Cahoon II).
43. Dr. McKay completed the Statement of Applicant's Physician. He reported that the Petitioner was disabled from her position due to anxiety and stress related to the job. In his narrative, Dr. McKay stated:
… She felt that she was given responsibilities that she was not properly trained for and her assistant was reassigned to another position. This then resulted in a large amount of pressure placed on Mrs. Cahoon. She felt that she was not helped in understanding her responsibilities and was denied the help to accomplish her duties. Because of her responsible nature, this created an overwhelming situation for this patient…
Considering her prolonged anxious state, she will not be able to perform her work, nor return to her previous situation…
(FF 43, Cahoon I, Exhibit 4, Cahoon I and Exhibit 6, Cahoon II).
44. On March 8, 2007, the BCRB denied the Petitioner's application on the basis that the actions of her employers constituted bona fide personnel actions and would not be considered the basis of a personal injury. No medical panel was convened. (FF 44, Cahoon I, and Exhibit 1, Cahoon I).
45. The Petitioner filed a timely appeal. (Exhibit 2, Cahoon I).
Additional Findings of Fact
Based upon the evidence submitted at the January 5, 2009 hearing, I hereby render the following additional findings of fact (Cahoon II):
46. Between 1999 and 2004, the Petitioner took several courses required for the certification as Town Treasurer. (Exhibits 10 and 14, Cahoon II).
47. In November 2003 at the time she applied for the position of Treasurer/Collector in the Town of Brewster, the Petitioner notified Charles Sumner that she planned to take the test for certification as a Collector in August 2004 and the test for certification as a Treasurer in August 2005. She also informed him that she had already taken some courses related to the Treasurer position. (Exhibits 9 and 14, Cahoon II).
48. During a visit to Dr. Peter McKay's office on July 12, 2004, the Petitioner complained of stress related diarrhea. The doctor prescribed Xanax. (Exhibit 8D, Cahoon II).
49. The Petitioner reported to Dr. McKay's office on July 3, 2006 complaining of stress at work. She explained that she found herself "angry and melting down". She indicated that the job was too stressful and that she was thinking of making a change. She also indicated that she developed diarrhea when her stress levels were high. She was prescribed Xanax and the muscle relaxant Flexeril. Mental health counseling was also suggested at that time. Janice Harrison, RN and ANP, wrote a note stating that it was recommended that the Petitioner stay out of work until her symptoms resolved. (Id.).
50. The Petitioner returned to Dr. McKay's office on July 10, 2006. She complained again of stress at work and added that she may try to stay in the system, but that she had decided to move on to a less stressful job. She stated that the Flexeril had helped her to sleep at night, but that she had not tried the Xanax. The Petitioner requested another note from the doctor's office stating that she was unable to work until her stress symptoms subsided. Ms. Harrison wrote a second note stating that it was recommended that the Petitioner stay out of work until her symptoms resolved. (Id.).
51. Janice Harrison's office noted from July 12, 2006 indicated that the Petitioner had developed a right bundle branch block in her heart. A Thallium stress test was set up. (Id.).
52. On July 24, 2006, the Petitioner reported to Janice Harrison that she had experienced a recurrence of diarrhea after her vacation. She reported that she was still experiencing tension at work, and that her boss was ignoring her. She was very upset and crying during the visit. She reported that she would think about mental health counseling. (Id.).
53. On July 25, 2006, the Petitioner told Ms. Harrison that, although she was under stress she thought it might be time to move forward. She indicated that she had been at her job for years and that she felt undervalued. She was afforded mental health counseling and again stated that she would think about it. (Id.).
54. The Petitioner and her husband saw Janice Harrison again on July 27, 2006. The Petitioner reported that she had diarrhea and was unable to sleep. She indicated that she had tried several times to meet with her boss to discuss issues and that he would not meet with her until July 25, 2006. She also stated that she had visited the BCRB and acquired accidental disability retirement forms. On this occasion, the Petitioner agreed to consult with a mental health professional. She was prescribed Melatonin and Flexeril. (Id).
55. The Petitioner saw Heidi Zimmerli, LICSW, for the first time on August 9, 2006. Ms. Zimmerli reported:
She is suffering from anxiety and depression due to a series of job-related stressors that have gone on for the past three years. She was contracted to do a job that she was not entirely qualified to handle, and she made that clear at the outset. Due to a series of acts and decisions made by others, Ms. Cahoon wound up trying to do the job without the support from her supervisors. As a result, she became increasingly stressed and is now on medical leave. Her symptoms include insomnia, obsessive thinking, inability to concentrate, frequent headaches, inability to make decisions, loss of appetite, and chronic fatigue. She feels betrayed by colleagues she has worked with for years. She also, paradoxically, feels that she should have been able to do the job, even though she made it clear from the beginning that she didn't have all the required skills and knowledge.
At the time of this appointment, the Petitioner was taking the medications Alprazolom for anxiety and the antidepressant Cyclobenzaprine for sleep. (Exhibit 8E, Cahoon II).
56. On October 2, 2006, the Petitioner saw Janice Harrison. Ms. Harrison reported that the Petitioner's therapist believed her to be experiencing anxiety and depression. The Petitioner indicated that she felt more anxious than depressed. The Petitioner was started on the medication Wellbutrin. (Exhibit 8D, Cahoon II).
57. In a letter dated October 10, 2006, Heidi Zimmerli informed Mr. Sumner that she was continuing to treat the Petitioner for anxiety and depression "resulting from the continuing stress caused by her employment with your organization and the additional stress caused by the uncertainty of her current status". (Exhibit 8E, Cahoon II).
58. On December 5, 2006, Heidi Zimmerli reported that the Petitioner continued in cognitive therapy. Ms. Zimmerli noted that the Petitioner's symptoms included insomnia, obsessive thinking, inability to concentrate, frequent headaches (three to four days a week), loss of appetite, and chronic fatigue. (Id.).
59. At the time she filed her application for Section 7 benefits in January 2007, the Petitioner had nine (9) years and ten (10) months of creditable service. When she inquired as to whether she should purchase eight (8) months of service in order to also apply for ordinary disability, she was told that it was unnecessary at that time because if her section 7 application were allowed, she would not need to be vested. The Petitioner did not purchase any service in January 2007.
60. On page 8 of the February 8, 2007 Statement of Employer, Linda Souve indicated in the section entitled "Occurrence of an Incident or Hazard NOT Related to the Applicant's Job Duties" that the "applicant previously sought marriage counseling. Spousal pressure regarding work hours/use of vacation time." Ms. Souve noted on page 4 that the employer was unaware of any incident or hazard related to the applicant's job duties. (Exhibit 7, Cahoon II).
61. The Petitioner and her husband were never in marriage counseling. (Testimony, Cahoon II).
62. On March 23, 2007, Dr. McKay reported:
…has been a patient of this practice since 2001. She exhibited extreme stress when she presented to our office on 7/3/2006. She was under unusual stress at work. She was forced to resign from her duties and has only recently responded to medication for her problem of high anxiety.
In the time I've known Ms. Cahoon, she has always been a confident person. Her experience over the months prior to 7/06 has been life- changing for her. She will be soon undergoing (sic) neuropsychological evaluation to see if she suffered damage other than depression and anxiety.
(Exhibit 8D, Cahoon II).
63. The Petitioner was evaluated by psychologist David M. Presnall, Ph.D. on April 7, 2007. He had been asked to evaluate her cognitive and emotional functioning and to assess any particular evidence of memory impairment or other difficulty in cognitive processing. To these ends, he administered a battery of tests. He also conducted a clinical interview.
During the interview, the Petitioner reported that she "has struggled with functions involving number use and accounting, a problem which haunted her at her previous job." The Petitioner informed Dr. Presnall that, under renewed stress, she continued to have periodic headaches, diarrhea and stomach cramping. She added that she could become quite emotional and fall apart.
Dr. Presnall did not find any indication that the Petitioner has Attention Deficit Disorder. Her intelligence tests were all in the average range. The tests of short term memory function revealed deficits, particularly on tasks that required auditory retention over time. Dr. Presnall believed that this weakness indicated a problem with auditory memory and data retention. Dr. Presnall also found the Petitioner to be weak in visual motor planning and figure-part integration. The tests also indicated a weakness in math functions involving fractions, percentages and value conversions.
The Petitioner admitted to increased irritability, difficulty making decisions and a general lack of self confidence. She acknowledged that she was often self critical. She stated that she sometimes thought of herself as insecure and that it was scary to fail at something.
Dr. Presnall concluded that the Petitioner was experiencing emotional stress from past traumatic events and tended to be easily overwhelmed, prone to excessive worry and anxiety and vulnerable to significant mood swings. He thought that her emotional state was partially responsible for her cognitive problems. He advised that she continue in outpatient mental health counseling in an effort to process and work through various thoughts and attitudes which created stress for her and consider a change of venue, avoid sources of continued stress, and involve herself in activities which she finds meaningful and rewarding. (Exhibit 8C, Cahoon II).
64. The Petitioner and her husband moved to Virginia in late 2007. (Testimony, Cahoon II).
65. The Petitioner was examined by Neurologist Vincent P. Birbiglia, M.D. on June 11, 2007. The neurological examination was normal. The doctor found no evidence of dementia. He reported that stress was the reason for "pseudo dementia" in the patient. (Exhibit 8B, Cahoon II).
66. A regional medical panel comprised of three psychiatrists evaluated the Petitioner on February 19, 2008. Drs. James Greenblatt, Irine Guryanova and Suzanne Stoterau answered the certificate ""yes, yes, yes". (Exhibit 12, Cahoon II).
67. In the panel narrative, the doctors indicated that the Petitioner believed that the stress-related problems began around the time of her promotion to Treasurer/ Collector as she had a protracted gynecological infection and a D&C procedure at that time. The Petitioner also reported that she had no psychiatric history before the onset of her stress symptoms in 11/03. She informed the medical panel that she a taken a job as a cafeteria worker a month before the exam, and that she felt she could handle this work because "it doesn't have to do with numbers." (Id.).
68. The panel's mental status exam showed anxiety, difficulty with concentration, attention and the ability to do simple math. The primary diagnoses were: Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder. The panel doctors reported that there was no clear evidence that she would recover the level of functioning that she enjoyed before 2003.
The panel's CONCLUSION included the following:
Mrs. Cahoon suffers from GAD, ADD and has the above medical complaints (irritable bowel syndrome, tension headaches, migraines, psoriasis…) which are exacerbated by her psychiatric status. There is a suggestion in the record that she was anxious and had ADD symptoms as a child. However, she functioned well without treatment for these conditions until a series of events occurred in her workplace that led to a major depressive episode and exacerbation of her mild baseline symptoms. Her major depressive episode has resolved with therapy and her current medications but concentration and memory remain problematic. The etiology of her cognitive complaints is unclear, but it is clear that her memory and concentration have declined subsequent to a series of stressful events in her workplace. Her incapacity is related to the personal injury in the workplace on account of which retirement is claimed. As above, Mrs. Cahoon functioned well until 12/05 when work stress increased and she became more symptomatic…With ongoing work stress, her mood and cognitive symptoms continued to decline until she was incapacitated and sought medical treatment in 7/06. (Id.).
69. The BCRB denied the Petitioner's Section 7 application on September 24, 2008. (Exhibit 1A, Cahoon II).
70. The Petitioner filed a timely appeal. (Exhibit 2A, Cahoon II)
71. The BCRB granted the Petitioner a Section 6 (ordinary disability) retirement in September 2008. At that time, the Petitioner purchased two month of service. She was informed that she would lose twenty five thousand ($25,000) dollars if she were to purchase all of her member service and that it was in her interests to purchase the two months. She did so on October 11, 2008. (Testimony, Cahoon II).
72. On November 5, 2008, in response to an inquiry from the Petitioner, the BCRB denied her request to change her ordinary disability retirement date to the date that she applied for accidental disability retirement. (Exhibit 1A, Cahoon II).
73. The Petitioner appealed the BCRB decision regarding her Section 6 retirement date. (Exhibit 2B, Cahoon II).
In order to receive accidental disability retirement benefits under G.L. c. 32, § 7, an applicant must establish by a preponderance of the evidence, including an affirmative medical panel certificate, that she is totally and permanently incapacitated from performing the essential duties of her position as a result of a personal injury sustained or hazard undergone while in the performance of her duties. The medical panel's function is to "determine medical questions which are beyond the common knowledge and experience of the local board (or Appeal Board)." Malden Retirement Board v. CRAB, 298 N.E. 2d 902, 1 Mass. App. 420 (1973). Unless the panel employs an erroneous standard or fails to follow proper procedures, or unless the certificate is "plainly wrong," the local board may not ignore the panel's medical findings. Kelley v. CRAB, 341 Mass. 611, 171 N.E. 2d 277 (1961).
In this case, the certificate of the medical panel is "plainly wrong." While I concluded in Cahoon I that the Petitioner had made out a threshold case that she had sustained a personal injury and was entitled to a medical panel examination, after a careful review of all of the testimony and medical records in this case which were not in the record in the first appeal, I have concluded that the Petitioner is not entitled to prevail in this appeal. She has not met her burden of proving either: that she sustained a compensable personal injury within the meaning of G.L. c. 32, § 7(1); or, that her disability is such as might be the natural and proximate result of an accident or hazard undergone on account of which retirement is claimed.
It is a well-established principal in retirement law that G. L.c. 32 s. 7(1) shares with the Workers' Compensation statute the definition of a "personal injury" which excludes any "mental or emotional disability arising principally out of a bona fide personnel action…except such action which is the intentional infliction of emotional distress." (Emphasis added). See Zavaglia v. CRAB, 345 Mass. 483 (1963) and Sugrue v. CRAB, 45 Mass. App. Ct. 1 (1998) for this proposition. The Sugrue Court was aware of the legislative change in 1986 wherein the Chapter 152 s. 1(7A) definition of "personal injury" was amended to include the words "within the meaning of this chapter" when said Court stated "[w]e observe, however, that it has been long recognized both well before and after 1986 that the language of Chapter 32 s. 7(1) should be interpreted in harmony with Chapter 152." Sugrue, supra at page 4. CRAB has followed this line of reasoning in recent years, as well. See Barnstable County Retirement Board and Richard Morrison v. CRAB, Mass. App. Ct. No. 00-P-0816 (2002).
The Petitioner has averred that she was set up to fail in her role as Treasurer/ Collector. In effect, she has contended that she was the victim of a subtle campaign of harassment during at least two of the three years that she held the position before she left work for the last time. She has contended that the May 2004 appointment of Ms. Souve as Finance Director and her de facto supervisor served in establishing a hostile work environment wherein the Petitioner was unable to perform her duties as she saw fit, including her relying on staff members who had more skills than she herself in certain areas. However, the appointment of Lisa Souve to the position of Finance Director was a bona fide personnel action by the Town of Brewster. It occurred a mere three months after the Petitioner's appointment to her position. While Ms. Souve's appointment and the subsequent change in the chain of command took the Petitioner out of her comfort zone, there is no evidence that this appointment or the reorganization of the Treasurer's office and her accountability was made with any intention of inflicting emotional distress upon the Petitioner. The Petitioner has not demonstrated any intentional infliction of emotional distress by Ms. Souve or Mr. Sumner.
It should be noted here that the record reflects that the Petitioner was experiencing stress from the onset of her tenure as Treasurer Collector in the year 2004. Many of the medical records indicate that she felt work stress for a three year period. She herself reported to the medical panel that she began her appointment while she had an infection and felt stress as a result of those factors. The computer conversion created stress. Adherence to deadlines created stress. Variances created stress.
Another important factor to consider is that the Petitioner has always had trouble with certain types of math problems. She knew this going into the role of Treasurer/ Collector. In her November 2003 letter to Mr. Sumner prior to her appointment, a document that was not included in the record in Cahoon I, the Petitioner informed Mr. Sumner that that she had taken some courses toward her certification as a Treasurer and that she would pursue that certification. There is no mention of her needing skilled support staff in that aspect of the job in order to perform the function properly effectively. While the Petitioner performed in the role of Collector/Treasurer somewhat effectively with staff assistance during the early part of her term, including the payroll conversion, she began to experience more difficulties when additional expectations were placed on her to exercise a more independent role in the position to which she was appointed. It was not an intentional infliction of emotional distress to expect her to rely less on her staff and others with more Treasurer skills than she. Rather, it was a bona fide personnel decision on the part of her supervisors to hold her, the Treasurer/Collector, accountable to perform the essential, required functions of the position as set forth in the job description. The Petitioner was weak in these areas. Her weaknesses came to light. The supervisors expressed displeasure and she experienced stress which she then categorized as a "hostile work environment."
There is no evidence that, apart from the annual August courses at UMass, the Petitioner ever volunteered to attend any courses or on-line trainings or purchase any books on the Treasurer aspects of the job. She did not attempt to alleviate her own stress levels. Rather, she holds Ms. Souve and Mr. Sumner solely accountable for her not being fully able to perform that side of the job that she willingly undertook. Further evidence of the Treasurer/Collector job being a poor fit for her may be found in her statement to the medical panel that she could handle a recent job she had taken in Virginia because she "did not have to work with numbers."
The Petitioner has attempted to support her assertions with only non-specific testimonial evidence that is more reflective of her own difficulties with self esteem and her skewed perceptions of events going on around her than any objective indication of a campaign to harass her or force her out of her position. It is also noteworthy that, because she was so overwhelmed by the expectations that she herself perform the all of duties of her official position, in July 2006, the Petitioner asked to be placed back in her former position, Assistant Treasurer Collector, a role in which she felt far more comfortable.
The Petitioner's difficulties in performing all of the functions of the Treasurer/ Collector position, a position for which she, standing alone, was not fully qualified, and her tense relationship with Ms. Souve are not "identifiable conditions not common and necessary to all or a great many occupations." Blanchette v. CRAB, 20 Mass. App. Ct. 479 (1985). A certain degree of stress is inherent in a municipal financial office. Ergo, the Petitioner's dealings with staff and administration concerning her work conditions are not personal injuries within the meaning of Section 7(1) for this reason as well. Sugrue, supra.
The Petitioner has not supported her assertion that she had a gradual buildup of stress from and after Ms. Souve's assuming the role of her direct supervisor. The entire body of medical evidence, most of which was not offered during the hearing in Cahoon I, does not support the Petitioner's claim of a compensable work-related personal injury. She did not receive any treatment for headaches, stress or diarrhea through the second half of 2004, the entire year 2005 and the first several months of 2006 until July 3, 2006, the last day she worked. While she has claimed that her doctor's office did not take her problem seriously in July 2006, the record reflects that she was offered, but declined the services of a mental health professional until late July after several medical visits. The medical record does not support the assertion of a gradual buildup and eventual melt down due to stress. There are no references to work-related incidents leading up to or concurrent with the doctor's treatment of her mental health problems until after the Petitioner left work for the last time. There are no pre-August 2006 counselor's or therapy records. The reasonable inference here is that the Petitioner did not make any formal complaints to her superiors or health care providers concerning any identifiable physical or mental stress reaction(s) in herself following any of the incidents or encounters which she described in her testimony until she stopped working in July 2006. It is also noteworthy that it was after she learned that she must resign or be terminated that the Petitioner began the accidental disability application process.
For the foregoing reasons, the Petitioner's experiences as Treasurer/Collector and her dealings with her supervisors in the Town of Brewster are not compensable personal injuries within the meaning of either Section 7(1) of the retirement statute or Section 1(7A) of the workers' compensation statute. Sugrue, supra and Kelly's Case, 394 Mass. 684 (1985).
The decision of the BCRB denying her application for accidental disability retirement benefits is affirmed.
As for the Petitioner's claim that she is entitled to an earlier retirement date, she did not have ten years of service at the time that she filed for Section 7 benefits in January 2007. She chose to wait for the outcome of the Section 7 appeal. Then, in late 2008, based upon the advice of the board's agent, the Petitioner opted not to "lose a full twenty five thousand ($25,000) dollars" by purchasing all of her prior service. This was an informed choice over which she had complete responsibility. There is no dispersion that can be cast upon the board. The BCRB's determination of the Petitioner's ordinary disability retirement date is affirmed.
So ordered.
Division of Administrative Law Appeals,
Judithann Burke
Administrative Magistrate
DATED: July 24, 2009


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UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday that former mayor Michael Bloomberg helped reduce carbon emissions in New York and he is now counting on the billionaire philanthropist "to work for humanity" in his new job as United Nations Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change.
Ban made the comments as he welcomed Bloomberg to U.N. headquarters for the first time since his appointment on Jan. 31.
The secretary-general said Bloomberg has been a strong supporter of many U.N. goals and ideals, including saving the lives of women and children, helping HIV/AIDS patients, and fighting non-communicable diseases but is best known "for his strong stewardship on environment and climate change."
Last year, Bloomberg boasted that New York city's air quality hit its highest levels in 50 years and now has the cleanest air of any major American city.
He said the level of sulfur dioxide in the air has gone down by 69 percent since 2008 and the level of soot pollution by 23 percent since 2007 — achievements officials attributed to a combination of factors, including buildings burning lower-pollution heating oils or switching over to cleaner burning natural gas.
The U.N. chief said he was counting on Bloomberg's "dedicated and visionary leadership" to help countries around the world address the climate change phenomenon.
As a first priority, Ban said he wants the former mayor to help make the U.N. climate change summit he has called in September "a great success."
"Most importantly," Ban said, "we need to have a global, legal climate change agreement by 2015 next year."

subset: commoncrawl


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NEW YORK (AP) — For the richest American family of their era, the goal was fittingly ambitious: "To promote the well-being of mankind throughout the world."
With that mission, underwritten by the vast wealth of John D. Rockefeller Sr., the Rockefeller Foundation was chartered 100 years ago in Albany, N.Y. For several decades, it was the dominant foundation in the United States, breaking precedent with its global outlook and helping pioneer a diligent, scientific approach to charity that became a model for the field.
It earned the abiding gratitude of many beneficiaries, inspired imitators and — due to its power and influence — became a periodic target of criticism from both right and left.
"They were in a very small group of foundations that practiced idea-based philanthropy as opposed to just charity. They are willing to invest in ideas," said Bradford Smith, who as president of the New York-based Foundation Center oversees research on philanthropy worldwide.
The next generation of philanthropists would be wise to study the history of the Rockefeller Foundation and its handful of peers, Smith said.
"The new money goes about this as if there wasn't any history," he said. "I think there is a lot to learn — what worked, what didn't work."
Now dwarfed by the largesse of Bill Gates and other contemporary philanthropists, the Rockefeller Foundation remains ambitious and well-funded, and is increasingly eager to work in partnerships.
It is celebrating its centennial by touting an array of forward-looking projects, ranging from global disease surveillance to strengthening vulnerable cities' resilience to future calamities. It is also looking back, at a 100-year history replete with triumphs and controversy.
The Rockefeller Foundation played pivotal roles in introducing Western medicine to China, developing a vaccine for yellow fever, combating malaria, establishing prestigious schools of public health, and spreading the lifesaving agricultural advances of the Green Revolution. Recipients of its grants included Albert Einstein, writer Ralph Ellison and choreographer Bill T. Jones.
Still, detractors challenged the foundation's work. From the left, activists accused it of being a front for U.S. corporate and national security interests. From the right, critics over the years faulted its support for population-control programs and for research by Alfred Kinsey and others into human sexuality.
During the 1930s, the foundation provided some financial support to the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Anthropology, Human Heredity, and Eugenics in Germany, which, among other projects, conducted research related to Nazi-backed eugenics and racial studies.
The foundation says that its grants to the institute were focused on straightforward genetic research, and that it cut off support for any projects that veered into social eugenics.
Also during the 1930s, and continuing after the start of World War II, the foundation funded a project to relocate scholars and artists, many of them Jewish, who were losing their positions in Germany under the Nazis.
Even before the foundation was first proposed, there were sharply mixed views about John D. Rockefeller Sr. and the fortune he amassed as the founder of Standard Oil.
Rockefeller was "perhaps the most reviled as well as the most generous man in America" in the early 1900s, according to a just-published history of the Rockefeller Foundation which it commissioned to mark its centennial. The book depicts Rockefeller as America's first billionaire, with a fortune that today would be worth $231 billion.
On the advice of his inner circle, Rockefeller sought a congressional charter for a foundation that would coordinate his already substantial charitable giving.
Some government officials were suspicious of the endeavor and some newspaper editorialists suggested the project was a cynical effort to improve the family's checkered image. The measure proposing a charter died in the U.S. Senate, prompting the Rockefellers to turn swiftly to New York state, where lawmakers unanimously approved a charter that was signed into law on May 14, 1913.
It was one of three major, still-operating foundations founded in that era, following the Russell Sage Foundation in 1907 and the Carnegie Corporation in 1911.
Judith Rodin, who has been the Rockefeller Foundation's president since 2005, noted in an interview that the Rockefeller family started channeling huge sums into philanthropy at a time when the tax code didn't reward such practices.
"Clearly they were improving their own images," Rodin said. "But they had strong views that people with that much money should give it back to society."
She also credited the family with establishing a broad, flexible mandate for the foundation so that its leaders, over the decades, could tackle a wide array of challenges, both in the United States and worldwide.
"We have the luxury and responsibility of picking the big, thorny problems, without worrying about offending governments or our donor base," Rodin said.
In a summary on its website, the foundation touts the accomplishments of past leaders and staff in taking on those problems. "Through their efforts," it says, "plagues such as hookworm and malaria have been brought under control; food production for the hungry in many parts of the world has been increased; and minds, hearts, and spirits have been lifted by the work of foundation-assisted filmmakers, artists, writers, dancers, and composers."
Much the creative work has taken place at the foundation's Bellagio Center in northern Italy. Maya Angelou and Susan Sontag did some of their writing there, and novelist Michael Ondaatje worked on "The English Patient" while in residence at the center.
Among the foundation's proudest achievements was the Green Revolution — the nickname for a series of initiatives between the 1940s and 1970s that dramatically boosted agriculture production around the world. The concepts — such as improvements in irrigation, wiser use of fertilizer and pesticides, development of high-yield grains — were pioneered by agronomist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug, and then spread to other nations via Rockefeller Foundation programs.
After several decades of dominance, the Rockefeller Foundation was overtaken by the Ford Foundation as the nation's largest.
Now, according to the latest rankings compiled by the Foundation Center, the Rockefeller Foundation is the 16th largest, with total assets of $3.5 billion, compared to $34.6 billion for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In terms of total giving, the Rockefeller Foundation ranked 39th with gifts of $132.6 million in 2011, compared to more than $3.2 billion given by the Gates Foundation.
Those financial realities have prompted the Rockefeller Foundation to do most of its current work in partnerships, rather than operating solo. Partners have included the Gates Foundation, which Rodin sees as a positive influence on the entire foundation sector.
"It's forced us to be even more strategic than if we didn't have it," she said. "It's been beneficial for other foundations — it may have catalyzed more collaboration."
Dwight Burlingame, a professor at Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy, said such partnerships have become crucial to effective grant-making.
"Foundations need to be more nimble," he said. "The number of players has dramatically increased — foundations have pushed recipients of their grants into getting more partners, so it's not a single source."
The number of foundations in the U.S. and worldwide has surged in recent years, and a new generation of billionaires in Asia and other regions is showing increased interest in philanthropy.
Rodin says the Rockefeller Foundation, in addition to its other projects, is holding conferences for aspiring philanthropists from developing countries to provide advice on effective giving. It's been a leading proponent of "impact investing" — investments that can spur social and environmental progress as well as earn profits.
"We've tried not to be out there hectoring others to become philanthropists, but to be there as a resource for those who do want to give," she said. "We'd like to help them not make the same mistakes over and over."
Rodin, who came to the Rockefeller Foundation after serving as the University of Pennsylvania's first female president, has served as co-chairwoman of the NYS 2100 Commission, an expert panel formed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
The commission's task — to recommend ways that New York could more effectively respond to and recover from future storms — dovetails with some of the Rockefeller Foundation's major initiatives of recent years. It has worked in New Orleans and several Asian cities to build resilience in response to super storms and man-made disasters.
Those efforts reflect the overlapping, interconnected nature of many modern-day challenges — climate change, environmental degradation, poverty and food security.
"The problems don't land in neat packages," Rodin said. "The problems are more complicated. The world is more networked. We need more partners."
Follow David Crary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CraryAP


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Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe's 'Barcelona' Work Now Backed by Orchestra
Was there anyone in rock that had the range and the voice of late Queen singer Freddie Mercury? While most know him from his work with Queen, he did step out to explore his voice in a different style with the solo album 'Barcelona.'
The disc, initially released in 1987, featured Mercury letting his operatic vocals blend with acclaimed Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe, and on Sept. 3, 'Barcelona' will get a special four-disc box set 25th Anniversary reissue.
One of the highlights of the re-release is that the entire disc has been re-recorded with a full 80-piece orchestra backing the pair. In advance of the street date, a video featuring Mercury and Caballe duetting on the title track with the new orchestral backing has surfaced online (and can be seen below).
The 'Barcelona' re-release coincides with Mercury's 66th birthday (Sept. 3). Fans can also look for 'The Great Pretender' DVD and Blu-Ray that delves deeper into the singer's personal and professional life will arrive in stores Sept. 25, as well as a companion 'The Great Pretender' book coming in September.


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Rochester police ready to fine all wrong-way drivers on Brock StreetBy JOHN QUINN
Union Leader Correspondent
February 27. 2013 6:06PM
ROCHESTER - Police will start fining people who drive the wrong way on Brock Street while it's under construction.
Brock Street is closed to any traffic south from Washington Street (Route 202) to Gonic Road (Route 125) due to the construction, which began in January and will last more than a year. The one-way travel is in effect throughout the day and week, police said.
"I'm not sure if it's confusion, as it has been well publicized and signed, as much as it is people trying to sneak through," Sgt. Patrick Emerson said in an email.
The $2 million project will widen the mile-long road, a key connector between routes 125 and 202, while updating the drainage, sidewalks and curbing. It also calls for improvements of the driveway at the McClelland School, the reconstruction of more than 800 feet of water pipes and about 5,000 feet of sewer connections and services, according to the city's website, rochesternh.net.
The sewer construction is expected to be finished in April; work at the school is scheduled to begin in mid-June and be finished by mid-August. Road work will continue into the fall, and the entire project should be finished by April 2014, according to the website.
Residents wanting to use Brock Street during the construction period must travel through the downtown or drive south along the Spaulding Turnpike (Route 16) to Exit 12, where they can follow detour signs, according to Emerson.
Emerson said police have conducted 51 directed patrols along Brock Street and stopped 53 vehicles driving the wrong way since Jan. 11.
He said that officers warned 51 drivers and issued two summonses, but now intend to start issuing summons to all, which could result in a fine of $103.33 for driving the wrong way on a one-way road under RSA 265:23.


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Of all the unhappy trends I have witnessed–conservative swings on television networks, dwindling newspaper circulation, the jailing of reporters and "spin"–nothing is more troubling to me than the obsequious press during the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. They lapped up everything the Pentagon and White House could dish out–no questions asked.
Reporters and editors like to think of themselves as watchdogs for the public good. But in recent years both individual reporters and their ever-growing corporate ownership have defaulted on that role. Ted Stannard, an academic and former UPI correspondent, put it this way: "When watchdogs, bird dogs, and bull dogs morph into lap dogs, lazy dogs, or yellow dogs, the nation is in trouble."
The naïve complicity of the press and the government was never more pronounced than in the prelude to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. The media became an echo chamber for White House pronouncements. One example: At President Bush's March 6, 2003, news conference, in which he made it eminently clear that the United States was going to war, one reporter pleased the "born again" Bush when she asked him if he prayed about going to war. And so it went.
After all, two of the nation's most prestigious newspapers, the New York Times and the Washington Post, had kept up a drumbeat for war with Iraq to bring down dictator Saddam Hussein. They accepted almost unquestioningly the bogus evidence of weapons of mass destruction, the dubious White House rationale that proved to be so costly on a human scale, not to mention a drain on the Treasury. The Post was much more hawkish than the Times–running many editorials pumping up the need to wage war against the Iraqi dictator–but both newspapers played into the hands of the Administration.
When Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered his ninety-minute "boffo" statement on Saddam's lethal toxic arsenal on February 5, 2003, before the United Nations, the Times said he left "little question that Mr. Hussein had tried hard to conceal" a so-called smoking gun or weapons of mass destruction. After two US special weapons inspection task forces, headed by chief weapons inspector David Kay and later by Charles Duelfer, came up empty in the scouring of Iraq for WMD, did you hear any apologies from the Bush Administration? Of course not. It simply changed its rationale for the war–several times. Nor did the media say much about the failed weapons search. Several newspapers made it a front-page story but only gave it one-day coverage. As for Powell, he simply lost his halo. The newspapers played his back-pedaling inconspicuously on the back pages.
My concern is why the nation's media were so gullible. Did they really think it was all going to be so easy, a "cakewalk," a superpower invading a Third World country? Why did the Washington press corps forgo its traditional skepticism? Why did reporters become cheerleaders for a deceptive Administration? Could it be that no one wanted to stand alone outside Washington's pack journalism?


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SYCAMORE – A Republican who lost re-election to the DeKalb County Board might be returning in District 3.
The DeKalb County Republican Central Committee is recommending Riley Oncken to fill the seat Ken Anderson vacated when he resigned Feb. 19, according to a news release. Oncken had served on the board for about four years when he competed against Democrat Mark Pietrowski Jr. and Andersen for two county board seats in November.
Andersen, who had represented District 3 since 2006, had support for the board chairmanship before an unexpected nomination from Democrats for Republican Jeff Metzger of Sandwich derailed Andersen's bid. Last month, Andersen said he had lost the drive and energy to fight for the changes he believes are necessary.
The four elected precinct committeemen from County Board District 3 and county Republican Party Chairman Steve Kuhn selected Oncken after interviewing him and Stephen Ward, the release stated.


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American Building Maintenance Industries
List of Deals
- 1968 stock offering 249,000 shares of common stock
- 1971 400,000 shares of common stock (without par value)
Morris Rosenberg founded a one-man window washing business in San Francisco in 1909 called "Chicago Window Cleaning." His first customers included the St. Francis Hotel, the Phelan Building, and the Bank of Italy (later known as Bank of America). Over the next few years, the business grew beyond window washing into complete janitorial services. Due to this expansion, Rosenberg changed the name of the company to American Building Maintenance in 1913.
The company continued its robust expansion, and in 1920 it opened offices in Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle. ABM made history in its field by becoming the first janitorial contractor in the country to clean a major college campus, when it contracted with Stanford University in 1921. Further growth led to the acquisition of Easterday Janitorial Supply Company in 1927; the company could then offer both janitorial services and supplies to its customers.
Theodore Rosenberg took over the presidency of the company in 1935, after the death of his father, Morris Rosenberg. The next year, a division of ABM wired the lighting system on both the Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay Bridges.
During World War II, the company cleaned thousands of Navy ships docked in San Francisco, among many other West Coast ports. The company also assembled and installed the wiring on the amphibious vehicles known as "Water Buffaloes" that were built in Seattle during the war. By the end of the war, ABM was operating seventeen offices in the United States and Canada.
In 1962 American Building Maintenance and Easterday Janitorial Supply Company became subsidiaries of American Building Maintenance Industries, the corporation formed to become a publicly held company. Ted Rosenberg was named the chairman of the board, and Sydney Rosenberg was named president and chief executive officer of the new corporation.
In 1962 the company's sales were $31.1 million. By contrast, in 1965 the company's sales were $41 million: ABM Industries was growing rapidly. In 1965 the company listed its stock on the American Stock Exchange. By 1968 the company made over $50 million in sales. The company made several acquisitions in the years between 1965 and 1969, including Ampco Auto Parks, Commercial Air Conditioning, American Air Conditioning, and General Elevator Corporation. In 1971 the U.S. government commenced an anti-trust action against the company due to its acquisition of J. E. Benton Management Corporation and Benton Maintenance Company.


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In other words, resilience is the ability of people, communities or systems that are confronted by disasters or crises to withstand damage and to recover rapidly .
Therefore, we seek to develop the capacities of families, communities and institutions to protect people and their livelihoods, through measures to avoid (prevention) or limit (mitigation and preparedness) the adverse effects of hazards and to provide timely and reliable hazard forecasts. This is called Disaster Risk Reduction ( DRR ), or to simplify: The prevention and mitigation of, and preparedness for, disasters, within the broader concept of sustainable development.
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Hi i am making a calculator for a game i play but i cant figure out how to calculate it down to what i need
i have 2 text fields (troop number) and i put in a number say 1 into the first and 5 into the second text field(time reducer). 1 troop takes 5400 seconds so i times the number of troops by 5400 and that gives me the time and each time reducer reduces that time by 30% so if i have 1 it does 5400 - 30% then takes that total and minuses it by 30% etc 5 times
what i cant figure out is how i can make it get the total of the first -30% and then -30% from that total then take that total and minus it by 30%
i tried a while loop but this doesn't work
while (timeReducer > 0) totalTime = trooptime * 0.7; timeReducer--;
because it loops around and does the trooptime again instead of using the total time in the next calculation.....any ideas how i could make it so i could use the totaltime on the second calculation instead of the trooptime?
thanks for any advice you can give


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Kristi Yamaguchi fit for life
Twenty years after she won her Olympic gold medal in figure skating, fitness remains a priority for Kristi Yamaguchi.
But the 41-year-old California native — who skated out of Edmonton's Royal Glenora Club in her glory years of 1991 and 92 — admits that keeping fit is more challenging these days.
"It's definitely harder. It's more of a conscious effort than before," she says in a phone interview from her home in the San Francisco Bay area. "It's not something I obsess over, but it's something that I'm conscious of."
Yamaguchi, whose weight hovers around 100 pounds on her petite five-foot-one frame, tries to work out when her two daughters — ages nine and six — are at school.
"It varies. Today, I did a little bit on the elliptical for some cardio, and some core exercises," she notes.
"Sometimes I'll just work out with my husband (retired NHLer Bret Hedican, who won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006). We have a workout regimen that we do together. We use very little weight — small hand weights — and then a lot of bodyweight, isometrics and stuff like that."
Whether it's by herself or with her hubby, Yamaguchi usually works out at home.
"Bret and I will work out in our garage, where we have a little bit of equipment," she adds.
And occasionally, she calls a girlfriend and the two meet at the gym for a "workout date," which typically means cardio and core work.
Yamaguchi strives to exercise two to three times a week for 45 minutes to an hour each session.
"If I get that, that's great. Sometimes it's one time a week where I actually get to work out. It just varies," she explains.
"Sometimes I'll let it slide for a couple weeks, especially in the summer for going on vacation, but then I really feel like I need to get back into some kind of activity because I think my energy level is better and you just feel better."
Yamaguchi also hits the ice "once or twice a week" with her youngest daughter, who has taken up figure skating.
"I just do some fun skating around and easy stuff," she says.
"It was pretty intense when I was training and even skating professionally. Now it's more of, 'OK, I just want to continue with an active lifestyle and be as healthy as I can.' "
Indeed, fitness is an ever-present part of her life, even in business.
Yamaguchi recently launched her own line of activewear called Tsu.ya (from her middle name Tsuya).
The line, designed to be both functional and fashionable, was unveiled with a limited 18-piece edition for fall featuring yoga pants, leggings, jackets, Ts and tops.
"I've been an athlete my whole life," she says. "Now I'm in that arena of busy mom and looking for this type of wardrobe to take the place of some of the other clothes that don't get worn as much."
A portion of the fashion line's proceeds will be earmarked for Yamaguchi's Always Dream Foundation, a children's charity the skater founded.
Tsu.ya follows on the heels of last year's fitness DVD release of Kristi Yamaguchi: Power Workout. The DVD, produced with celeb trainer Erin O'Brien, features three 10-minute circuit workouts, along with an abs and chest segment.
In 2010, Yamaguchi served as a TV correspondent at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
In 2008, she won ABC TV's Dancing with the Stars.
And Yamaguchi shows no sign of slowing down.
Besides plans to expand Tsu.ya, the best-selling author is penning another book.
Yup, this mom keeps busy. But she's never too busy to keep fit.
"If you're taking care of yourself," she adds, "you're going to feel better and be able to take care of everyone else better."


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We often hear the term "wellness" and think "healthy" or lack of illness.
Much study and research has been done in recent decades in the subject of wellness. We now know that wellness means much more than simply a lack of disease. It means to thrive in your life on a variety of levels.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Henry County Local, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
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It's new and exciting for Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber, entering a Grand Slam tournament with the No. 1 in front of their names.
Both reached the top of the rankings for the first time near the end of 2016, ending long reigns by Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams.
And so they'll open their Australian Open campaigns on Rod Laver Arena on day one — both against Ukrainians.
Murray, a five-time runner-up, opens his pursuit of a first Australian title against Illya Marchenko in the last day match on the main show court. Kerber opens the night session against Lesia Tsurenko. She'll be followed on court by Roger Federer, who is returning from six months on the sidelines....


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NEW YORK (AP) -- A pair of Australians won a race to the top - or to the 86th floor, anyway.
Aussies captured the top spots in the men's and women's races in the annual Empire State Building Run-up on Wednesday night.
Mark Bourne won for the first time with a time of 10 minutes, 12 seconds. Fellow Aussie Suzy Walsham won the women's division in 12:05. It's the fourth time she's won the race, tying the record for most wins by a woman.
"I'm so thrilled that I won," Walsham said, adding that in comparison to previous years, "I feel surprisingly good" at the finish. She's run the race a total of six times.
Bourne was doing the climb for the second time.
It's "a great feeling to come out on top," he said.
Australians took both second-place slots as well, with Darren Wilson finishing in 10:45 seconds and Brooke Logan finishing in 12:48.
The previous men's champion, Thomas Dold of Germany, did not race for what could have been his eighth consecutive title.
About 700 people from around the world did take part - up 86 flights of stairs at the Empire State Building. That's a total of 1,576 steps, starting at the lobby and finishing at the observation deck.
The run-up used to be held during the day before being switched to evening hours last year to allow more participation. The event is put on by the New York Road Runners, which also puts on the annual New York City Marathon.
The race "is a real challenge," said Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of NYRR. "This is not something you do any day of the week."
She added, "It's a - pun intended - high."
The Empire State Building race is among the more high-profile tower climbs in the world. Participants are coming from around the United States, as well as countries including Belgium, Japan and Papua New Guinea.


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Triumph Series Marches & Hymn Settings - Parts: 1st Trombone by Salvation Army
Music/song book
Tags: Worship, Book, Brass Band, Music/song book
Normal Dispatch Time: 1-10 days
Cross Rhythms Product Code: 93347
Product Format: Book
Content Type: Music/song book
Cat. Code: 40007
Please note we can only provide this product if you purchase at least four items from the series.
Brass Band CD
A four-CD compilation featuring songsters and bands from around the world.
Brass Band CD
An eclectic performance of Christmas material from the Salvation Army.


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Garden Burger Original Veggie Burger, Sauteed Mushrooms, Tillamook cheddar, Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado
> PLEASE CHOOSE ONE <Tim's Chips Green Salad Red Potato Salad Hand-cut Fries ($1.00)
The location and menu you have chosen is currently closed and unavailable for immediate orders.
You may continue to place your order, but the earliest time the order will be ready is:
Pickup: Tuesday, October 23 @ 10:30AM
I understand. Continue my order...


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Toyota Motor : The auto companies have had a good run, Cramer said. Enjoy the profits, but don't buy more.
Ubiquiti Networks : This wireless communications company has had a huge run lately. Cramer isn't sure he can recommend it.
Encana : Cramer likes this stock, but prefers Linn Energy right now.
Sina : The only Chinese stock Cramer is recommending right now is Baidu .
Silver : Cramer called sliver "the poor man's gold." He wants to ring the register on this precious metal because it's had a big run this year.
Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC
Questions for Cramer? firstname.lastname@example.com
Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website? email@example.com


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St. Francis of Assisi on exclusion
If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, then you have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."
~ St. Francis of Assisi
Prayer Circle for Monday
Today, let us send our prayers to all farmed animals.
May compassion and love reign over all the earth for all farmed animals―Dear ducks, geese, turkeys, chickens; cows, pigs, lambs, bison, elk, deer, and all of you who are suffering today in tiny cages or crowded into feedlots, being beaten, fed poisoned and unnatural food, and for those of you languishing without water or food on trucks or entering the slaughterhouses.
We bear witness to your suffering, we take action to permanently end it, and we continually send out an energy field of love and compassion to comfort you and to transform the hearts and souls of those who support this violent oppression. We send our tears and our prayers on wings of love to you.
Compassion encircles the earth for each of you and for all beings.
( 7 daily prayers by Judy Carman www.peacetoallbeings.com)
www.worldpeacediet.com – our daily VegInspiration For The Day
www.circleofcompassion.org – our Prayer Circle For Animals Weekly Update
www.worldpeacemastery.com – our new online self-paced WPD Facilitator Training
Original watercolor painting by Madeleine Tuttle www.willtuttle.com/madeleine.htm


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Traffic center tour
Sen. Shaheen tours Nashua air traffic center to stress needsBy BARBARA TAORMINA
Union Leader Correspondent
July 22. 2013 9:33PM
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen toured the Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center in Nashua Monday afternoon to highlight the upcoming debate in Washington on funding to upgrade the nation's network of air traffic control towers.
The Senate is proposing a $54 billion Transportation, Housing and Urban Development or THUD Appropriations Bill, that will spare air traffic controllers in Nashua and at other airports from mandatory furloughs and would also continue the investment in NextGen, a Federal Aviation Administration initiative that will shift the nation's ground-based air traffic control system to a satellite-based system. The House version of the THUD calls for roughly $44 billion in spending.
"The FAA is here, and Nashua is a critical center," said Shaheen. "We all know how important it is, what they do and how they keep us safe."
Shaheen said that Congress has not maintained an adequate level of funding for the FAA, and the National Airspace System is at risk for losing FAA air traffic control towers.
Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau, who toured the center with Shaheen, also highlighted the need for continuing to invest in the center's air traffic control technology, especially since the
"This is the busiest general aviation airport in the Northeast," said Lozeau.
Shaheen acknowledged that in hard economic times all federal spending receives more scrutiny, but added that the air travel system is a priority.
"One of the things we saw inside was new technology to better manage air traffic," she said. "But we need training and equipment and we have to make sure the resources are there. Air safety is the priority."
During her visit, Shaheen also met with Patricia Clark who worked as an administrative assistant at the airport since it opened in 1963. Shaheen and U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte sponsored legislation to rename the aviation center the Patricia Clark Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center in honor of her decades of service."
The visit was also a wonderful chance to meet with Patricia Clark to personally thank her for her work at the Air Route Traffic Control Center. It was an honor to help recognize such an outstanding federal employee for her long and dedicated service," Shaheen said.


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Theme: Winter!
Snow, snow, and more snow. Hell, even if the show has something to do with snow it works.
Entry Rules:
1) Your signature must be at least 200 by 80 pixels, and no larger than 500 by 250 pixels, the files must be saved as a PNG file. Verticals are allowed as well.
2) Entries are due on the date of Saturday, November 17th, 2012.
3) All entries must have the text AnimeGalleries.net on them for.
4) By entering in this contest, you are allowing AnimeGalleries.net the right to use your signature for promotional reasons or otherwise.
Other Rules:
1) Ellipsis is not responsible for your entry following the contests theme or following any other above rules. If you have ANY questions pertaining to this contest, please PM Ellipsis or Observer and your question will be swiftly answered.
2) Themes are up to your own interpretation, and should be handled as such. Questions, comments, concerns, etc, regarding the theme or Signature of the Week in general will be answered here.
3) You are allowed only one (1) entry for this contest. The entry must be specifically made for this contest only, and may not be posted anywhere else on the internet until the voting ends. You are allowed to make necessary edits to your entry, when sending it, please label your new entry PM BSOTW 20 Edit.
3.5) Beginners are allowed to enter both signature contests, but cannot enter the same entry or premade entries in either.
4) Rules are subject to change


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Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - 1:30pm to 2:30pm
Explore the Rio Tinto Center's unique design, materials, green features and public art on a guided architecture tour. Scheduled 45-minute tours are available Tuesday through Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
- All tours meet in the Canyon. Look for an Architecture Guide in the Canyon near the Collections Wall.
- Tour schedule is subject to change. Please inquire to our Visitor Services Staff when you arrive with any questions.
Tuesday through Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Tours last 45 to 60 minutes
Included in Museum admission


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What can your library card do for you? We're discovering all of the possibilities here during Library Card Sign Up Month!
Today we bring you this possibility. Share yours with us! And join in on the conversation – we're using the hashtag #cobblibrarypossibilities on Facebook and Twitter.
Discover the Possibilities: Gardening


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Subscribe to our Newsroom RSS feed | What is RSS?
Follow Loyola University New Orleans on Twitter
Law student honored by national organization
Loyola press release - March 12, 2012
Third-year Loyola University New Orleans College of Law student, Lacey Rochester, was one of five students nationwide honored as a 2012 Distinguished Law Student by the American College of Bankruptcy, an honorary professional and educational association of bankruptcy and insolvency professionals.
Students undergo a rigorous nomination process and must be recommended by either a College of Bankruptcy Fellow or one of their professors. Each nominated student must have outstanding academic credentials and an interest in bankruptcy law. Only one student is selected from each circuit. Rochester was nominated by Adjunct Professor David J. Messina '84, J.D. '87, M.B.A. '87, lecturer in creditors' rights and bankruptcy at the College of Law. Messina was also Rochester's law review comment adviser for her topic, "The Need to Reconsider the Conduit Theory under Federal Bankruptcy Law." In addition, Rochester was also a member of the Bankruptcy Moot Court Team and competed last year in the Duberstein Competition.
Rochester will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the College's annual induction ceremony and events in Washington, D.C., March 16-17, where she will have the opportunity to meet and greet distinguished bankruptcy practitioners and judges in the country. It takes place at the U.S. Supreme Court and will be presided over by Chair of the American College of Bankruptcy, Paul M. Singer.
The American College of Bankruptcy plays an important role in sustaining professional excellence. College fellows include commercial and consumer bankruptcy attorneys, insolvency accountants, turnaround and workout specialists, law professors, judges, government officials and others involved in the bankruptcy and insolvency community.
For more information, contact James Shields in the Office of Public Affairs at 504-861-5888 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Student Organizations
Joining one of our student organizations is a good way to meet people and build up your resume. One of the main reasons students get involved in campus organizations is to develop leadership skills. At Taylor, students are encouraged to take the lead in a variety of areas and organizations. We base our leadership practices on the biblical model of service and humility.
The Taylor Student Organization (TSO) offers over 100 diverse student leadership and cabinet positions and experiences on campus. Students are encouraged to plug their gifts and passions into an office and team setting that will cultivate their faith, leadership and calling for service.
Student leaders in TSO work to create excellent programs and provide quality services that build Christian community, explore contemporary issues and popular culture through a Christian worldview, and add to the educational and spiritual environment of campus.
Check out the variety of TSO programs you can be involved in:
Global Engagement desires to prepare students to work in a multi-cultural environment while serving as part of the global church body.
MESA (Multi-Ethnic Student Association offers opportunities to deepen relationships with international students and the rest of campus.
ICC (Inter-Class Council) helps to build Taylor community amongst each graduating class by hosting class events as well as community events that promote fellowship.
Office of Finance assists TSO cabinets by preparing their budget and payroll as well as helping to wisely plan and spend within their means throughout the year.
IFC (Integration of Faith and Culture) challenges students to strengthen their commitment to engage, understand, and challenge culture.
Office of the Student Body President provides leadership for Taylor Student Organization (TSO) and serves as student representatives to Taylor administration.
Leadership Programs exist to serve life and leadership scholars, and the student body as they explore their calling in efforts to reach their full potential.
SAC (Student Activities Council) creates fun and meaningful activities and events to encourage campus and community involvement.
Media & Marketing Services informs students and faculty through creative design and marketing skills about events TSO puts on throughout the year.
Student Senate serves as the primary representative body for the students of Taylor University.


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A portion of the proceeds from the sale of BILLIEVE items will go towards helping in the fight against Breast Cancer
Annual Screening Saves Lives. The NFL® is supporting the American Cancer Society in its efforts to create a world with less breast cancer and more birthdays. Please visit nfl.com/pink to learn more.


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School of Nursing
Nyack's core values were penned and adopted within the last decade but the legacy of these values began at its founding more than 127 years ago. Our core value of social relevance is defined as an objective to prepare students to serve in ministerial, educational, healing and community-building professions.
Our nation is in need for dedicated nurses to meet the increasing demand placed by an aging U.S. population, a high demand for quality care, and an existing RN workforce that is approaching retirement age. You can be a part of the solution to this problem. Nyack College rises to meet the need of this nation to increase the number of nurses with a baccalaureate degree to 80 percent by 2020. School of nursing offers Bachelor of Science in Nursing program through 3 different pathways: traditional BS in Nursing, LPN to BS in Nursing, and RN to BS in Nursing. RN to BS on online program will be offered in near future.
Explore this exciting new undergraduate degree program at Nyack that will lead to opportunities in a wide variety of healthcare settings. Whether you decide on working in a hospital, a health clinic, a school, in medical missions work abroad, or as an educator, you'll find a strong foundation available to you at Nyack College. In addition to studying in an intentionally diverse environment where personal transformation takes place, you will encounter a faculty with solid experience—professors who will provide you with an academically excellent program and mentor you for success.
Are you passionate about serving others?
Are you enthusiastic about promoting and assisting with restoring health?
Do you have a thirst for learning complex scientific principles?
Do you have the ability to problem-solve and work in emergency or crisis situations?
Do you want to advocate for the voiceless who have unmet healthcare needs?
Nyack College can equip and empower you with the tools it takes to make a unique difference in the healthcare industry in urban, suburban or rural regions of our country—and even in other nations. We're ready to help you get started on the road to success!
Join the Nyack College School of Nursing in
the Nurses Lounge for news, updates, and more!


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NH College Sports Roundup: UNH hockey team jumps to No. 3 in one national poll
January 28. 2013 10:49PM
The University of New Hampshire men's hockey team moved up one spot in this week's USCHO.com Division I poll, jumping to No. 3.
UNH (15-6-2) is ranked fourth in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.
Trevor van Riemsdyk recorded a career-high four assists as UNH defeated Merrimack College, 6-2, on Saturday night at Verizon Wireless Arena, snapping a two-game losing streak. His strong play at the blue line has helped UNH to a No. 1 ranking in Hockey East in both offense (3.48 goals per game) and defense (2.26 gpg), as well as penalty kill (93.4 percent).
In the weekly USCHO.com Division I poll, Minnesota edged out Quinnipiac for the top spot. Miami (Ohio) ranks fourth and Boston College fifth. Dartmouth College, which has lost two of three games, dropped four spots to No. 16.
In the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, UNH trails Minnesota, Quinnipiac and Miami, with BC fifth. Dartmouth is unranked in the poll, which only includes 15 teams, but is the first school listed among "others receiving votes."
Plymouth State University men's hockey players Kyle Greco and Jack Astedt received Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference honors on Monday following a pair of Panther victories last week.
Greco, a senior, collected a goal and three assists in a pair of victories, earned MASCAC Co-Player of the Week honors with Westfield State University sophomore Steve Evans.
Astedt was selected was named Goalie of the Week after making 26 saves in Thursday's 2-1 win over UMass Dartmouth and another made 31 saves in Saturday's 3-2 overtime victory over Fitchburg State.
Joel "Charlie" Hendrix, a sophomore at Daniel Webster College, was named New England Collegiate Conference Player of the Week by the league office on Monday. Hendrix, a sophomore middle blocker and outside hitter, averaged 3.57 kills per set along with 1.79 digs for the Eagles (1-3).
St. Anselm College freshman forward Mike McCahey, who averaged 17.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in two victories last week, has been named Northeast-10 Rookie of the Week for the seventh time this season. McCahey pumped in 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds in an 83-80 win at Southern Connecticut on Wednesday night.
He scored 15 points in an 80-67 victory against Le Moyne on Saturday.
The St. Anselm College women's ski team competed at the Clarkson University Carnival this past weekend, finishing with a second-place finish in both Friday and Saturday's giant slalom races at Lake Placid, N.Y.
Caitlin Forbes led the Hawks on both days of competition with a third place overall finish on Saturday, posting a two-run total of 1:40.68 and a second-place result on Sunday with a time of 1:56.81.
In men's skiing, St. Anselm College skied to a fourth-place finish on Saturday and a sixth-place finish in Sunday in the weekend's giant slalom races. Justin Redente led the Hawks with a 1:40.90 for an 11th overall finish on the day.
Also posting a top-20 finish was St. Anselm's Eric Brandolini, of Georges Mills, who registered a 1:42.14 and took 17th place.