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It was after a hard drive through heavy bottom lands, across rivers, creeks and bayous, over long stretches of dripping prairie, and now and then a wooded section, that we entered a great park-like estate on the east bank of the Tres Palacios.
From afar I had observed what appeared to be a big thicket skirting the range. On nearer approach I discovered it to be a hedge of rose bushes from twenty to thirty feet high, from fifteen to twenty feet wide, and thirty-seven miles long. It stretched as far as the eye could see.
The driver alighted, opened the gate that marked the only gap in this impenetrable hedge, and as the horses walked within the confines of the estate I could see, far off toward the distant river, one of the most beautiful homesteads in all this southern country. It may have been the long, dreary ride through the quagmires of the Caney bottoms, it may have been the hard pulling over the water-soaked prairies of the Colorado River, or both, that lent enchantment to the view, but whatever the reason, I am sure that no more charming picture was disclosed to me than that when I first gazed upon el Rancho Grande. It was like drawing aside a somber curtain and presenting a masterpiece of art.
The broad expanse of level prairie between the rose hedge and the homestead was like a velvety lawn. High-bred cattle browsed upon the rich verdure.
Remember, this was mid-December on the southern coast.
The air was laden with fragrance. The sun was just low enough in the great dome to show this homestead in its most picturesque and hospitable garnishment. With a glorious background of noble oaks and lordly elms, the pure white of the main building had a perfect setting. The smaller structures on either side served to heighten the charm of the picture.
In any part of the North or East, where beautiful homes and well-kept estates abound, such a scene would command attention, but in south Texas, in a country little-known and seldom traversed, in a country where the whistle of a locomotive has never been heard, it is no wonder that the sight evoked from me an exclamation of rapture.
As we approached the buildings new beauties were discovered to our view. The prairie was dotted with Indian pinks and primroses, buttercups and daisies, marigolds and verbenas, while within the confines of the garden near the house, chrysanthemums and majestic roses, nodding in the gentle breeze, bade us welcome.
I had never heard of Jonathan E. Pierce until a few weeks ago, and I had never seen him until the day I drove up to his house. While we sat in his room late at night smoking, I asked him to tell me the story of El Rancho Grande. He laughingly declared there was not much to tell, and then, in bits and snatches, with occasional digressions as the recollections of the days of long ago awakened other subjects for conversation, he narrated the story of his life. He was born in Rhode Island fifty-eight years ago, he told me. The farm his father owned was poor but every art known to the skillful and scientific agriculturist was practiced to add to its productiveness. The elder Pierce taught his children to do thoroughly and well anything and everything they undertook. He impressed upon them the virtue of patience and perseverance. Thirty-seven years ago, when but a raw youngster, Jonathan Pierce came to Texas. He knew how to farm, he knew carpentering, he knew blacksmithing, he knew plumbing. He thought there was in the great state of Texas a chance for a young man to advance in the world more rapidly than in the crowded East. What he saw when he began life in Texas was different from what he imagines, but he never forgot the principles inculcated by his father. He went to work for a cattleman named Grimes and received $20 a month. The life was very hard and the food was very rough. He inquired why vegetables were not grown and was laughed at. He was told the soil of Texas was no good for anything but cattle. There was little else in Texas those days but cattle. The men who told him Texas soil was no account were older than he and had been in Texas longer, but he was not satisfied. When the opportunity offered, he broke ground and planted a little patch of such vegetable seeds as he could procure. The result was a handsome crop. There were vegetables in Grimes' household after that, and more respect was shown for the young Yankee's judgment.
But Jonathan Pierce hadn't come to Texas merely to show the Grimes family how to grow vegetables. He loved rugged life and was ambitious and was ambitious to make a name and fortune. "Old Grimes" was one of the leading cattlemen of the state and his cowboys traversed the whole country tributary to the Texas ports. In all his trips over the prairies and through the valleys of Texas, the young cowboy from New England never saw a more beautiful spot that the one on the banks of the Tres Palacios River at what is called Deming's Bridge, in Matagorda County. The next time he saw it he drove some stakes in the ground and resolved that there he would, if life was spared to him, and his fortune prospered, make his home someday. Then he rode away and followed the herd, but he never forgot the land where the oaks and the elms grow so thick, and he dreamed of the day he would live there and have his own herds of cattle.
The young Rhode Islander was broad-shouldered and keep-chested. With his mechanical skill he was invaluable in a country where artisans were scarce, careless and slipshod, but he always did his best. Owing to his great strength he could do more work than two ordinary men. Soon it got to be a recognized fact that if John Pierce (the Jonathan was contracted to John) did a thing it was all right and there could be no question about the workmanship. While a jack of all trades and master of many, he was always trying to learn something more and always strove to widen his spheres of usefulness.
Ordinary cowboy life was too narrow for a man of his handiness and soon he branched out in various ways. He took contracts to do work and when it was pointed out to him that he could make more money if he used lighter material and did not carry out all the details so thoroughly he said there was only one way to do a thing and that was to do it right. On that rock he built his reputation.
With a fund of good, hard common-sense, with indomitable determination, love of work and plenty of ambition, young Pierce was not slow to make headway. The money he earned he put into cattle and land. He always had an abiding faith in the value of land. In partnership with his brother A. H. (Shanghai) Pierce he kept steadily adding to his worldly store. For twenty-six years the brothers were in partnership. During that time Shanghai did the outside or trading work and Jonathan looked after the ranch interests. Shanghai became known from one end of the United States to the other, but Jonathan was seldom heard of except among the cattle men of south Texas. In the twenty –six years the wealth of the Pierce brothers grew enormously. Shanghai pinned his faith to cattle. Jonathan pinned his to cattle and land. About the first bit of land that Jonathan purchased was the strip of land on the Tres Palacios that he had staked out some years before. In the twenty-six years the brothers were together they never quarreled. When they dissolved they had a vast domain to divide.
I asked Jonathan Pierce how much he is worth; how many acres of land he has and how many head of cattle he owns. He laughed but wouldn't answer.
Then I asked him about his ranches.
"I have this one, which I call El Rancho Grande," said he. "and the one you see below, which is the Pilkington Slough ranch and south of that is the Oyster Lake ranch. At Tulsa, in the Creek nation, Indian territory, I have another."
I remarked that El Rancho Grande was appropriately named.
"I think it is," Mr. Pierce replied. "I confess I am proud of it. I have lived to see the ambitions of my youth realized. For thirty-seven years I have lived in this country and I have given my best energies to make a home, a reputation and a fortune. I hate to leave things as I found them and I constantly try to improve. Idleness brings vice. I am never idle myself and my men are happy because I treat them well, pay them well, and keep them busy. One of my men has Aunt Eliza, the colored woman you saw, was a slave owned by Old Man Grimes when I was a cowboy working for $20 a month for him."
I asked Mr. Pierce how it came about that he had the rose hedge.
"That hedge," he said, "will prove a blessing to the cattle men of Texas. I planted it to keep out horse thieves and other depredators. The thief who will penetrate a rose bush hedge is hardly fit for business after the trip. It was solely a defensive measure against thieves that I planted the bushes, but I soon found out that they were a much greater utility. The soil in that part of Texas is very rich and the bushes grew as you have seen. The hedge not only forms a pretty barrier to mark the outlines of the various pastures, but it serves as a windbreak and when the northers blow the cattle seek the shelter the hedge affords and are protected. It is the cold sharp wind that more than anything else kills cattle, and with these windbreaks the loss is minimized. I have thirty-seven miles of this hedge, and I will have twenty or twenty-five miles additional in a year or two. If you want to see the hedge in all its glory come here in the spring or summer. The whole thirty-seven miles of hedge is then one great blaze of rose blossoms and the perfume of the air hereabouts is so sweet that those who visit us say they are in paradise. Other stockmen are now putting in this rose bush hedge and soon I expect most of the rich pastures will be protected and adorned in this way."
When I remarked to Mr. Pierce that his home was a remarkably comfortable and well-built one, and that he seemed to be on of the few men who had realized all his early hopes, he smiled and said: "Why, you haven't seen one-half of what I have here. I am, to be sure, proud of this home. I think I know the carpenter business and I superintended the building of this house. I believe it is the best built dwelling in all Texas. You could roll it over and over and not break off enough wood to make a toothpick. Every bit of lumber in this house is as good as lumber can be. Why, there's 2200 pounds of galvanized nails in it, too. The walls would stand a siege."
Mr. Pierce was right when he said I hadn't seen the half of what he has at El Rancho Grande. I had seen a church steeple off to the north, but I didn't know until later that the church was part of El Rancho Grande. Neither did I know that the building nearby was El Rancho Grande's Masonic Temple. When I took a list of the other buildings that go to make up this great establishment, I had to write down an office, two carriage-houses, one barn, a saddle house, a crib, a hide house, a store house, a gear house, a smoke house, a white men's house, a negro men's house, a carpenter shop, a blacksmith shop, a hide press, a hay house, a potato house, a cotton feed house, a hog house, a goat shed, a hen house, a tool house, which they call the "department of state," and a cotton gin which is said to be the finest in the state.
In driving over the wide prairies that form part of El Rancho Grande I had seen at points about five miles apart great windmills, forty-five or fifty feet high about which the cattle gathered. I asked Mr. Pierce how many of these great windmills he had on his estate. He told me eighteen, and, in addition, he had two immense reservoirs to the south, in the neighborhood of the Pilkington Slough ranch. With the reservoirs and eighteen windmills the cattle are guarded against drought in the long hot summer.
I drove from El Rancho Grande eighteen miles south, to the Slough ranch, and from the Slough ranch I drove seven miles south, until I stood on the spot, I am informed, where Stephen F. Austin landed his first colony. It is this site that the G.A.R. committee is negotiating with Mr. Pierce for. Here the G.A.R. colony will be located if the gentlemen agree on terms. It was to examine this site that I had made the trip from the Brazos river overland to the remote region in which I was now traveling. As I stood on the bluff overlooking the pellucid waters of Tres Palacios bay, the wild ducks and the wild geese flew by in covey. On the left was a pretty bayou that broadened out into what is known as Oyster Lake. On the road down the driver had called my attention to a herd of deer, while wild turkeys and other game abounded. I was told some great stories of tarpon fishing and redfish and red snapper catching. In the bay and its estuaries, I was informed, there are turtles and oysters in abundance.
I could not but appreciate the beauty of this whole region. Creeks, bayous and arroyos drain the land so well that despite the recent heavy rains and the fact that the road I followed was little more than a trail, travel was easy. We had passed through four great pastures that seemed to me to be of about the same proportions, and I inquired if there was any significance in the division. I was informed that each of these pastures contained 5000 acres, and that Mr. Pierce had given to each of his four children an independent estate, stocked each of the pastures with cattle, and kept the accounts of each child's interest separate. Of these four independent estates, the one in the highest of improvement is that owned by John Pierce, Jr. Young John Pierce has his father's love of the soil and his father's mastery of detail. Perhaps 1000 acres of the 5000 in young John's portion are in cultivation. It looks more like an Ohio or Illinois farm than a Texas Ranch. Young John, too, has his father's mechanical traits. His house is fitted throughout with running water and bath rooms and all accessories to good living, while the buildings are models of neatness, comfort and graceful appearance. Each of the strips of land owned by the children fronts on Tres Palacios river. On the banks of the river, on the land of young John Pierce's a pretty yacht, the Nomad, was moored. Nearby a good-sized steam launch, which will be christened El Vaquero, was being built. El Vaquero will be about 45 feet long, and will accommodate about forty persons. It will have eighteen horse power and will be used by the Pierce family and their friends in hunting expeditions along the Tres Palacios and Matagorda and Espiritu Santo waterways.
Although Mr. Pierce did not tell me how many acres of land he owns or how many thousands of cattle he possesses, I could form a fair idea of the magnitude of his interests from this short trip to the Slough Ranch. In the "patch" which the G.A.R. people are negotiating for there are 20,000 acres. There are 20,000 acres in the portions allotted to the children for pin money. These are distinct from El Rancho Grande. On the west of the Tres Palacios there are more great pastures and on Matagorda Peninsular (sic) there are more lands that Jonathan Pierce owns. It would be conservative, I think, to put his landed interests at 200,000 acres. I saw the pile of abstracts of his lands. Packed away in one of the great safes in his office, they make a stack nearly three feet high. When it is understood that lands in that part of Texas are rarely bought by cattlemen in less than 640 acre tracts, it can be appreciated what that formidable pile of documents represents. Of his cattle it is difficult to form a fair estimate, but I know he has in one "bunch" 15,000 head. Of blooded stock he has more than 500 bulls. Among these are Galloways, Durhams, Devons, Herefords and Brahmas of high degree, many of them being registered. No account is taken in this list of his ranch in the Indian territory. I believe all told, 30,000 head of cattle.
When I told Mr. Pierce that I thought he had the most magnificent ranch in the world and that he seemed to have everything man could desire, he said that he felt his life had been well spent.
"I have lived," said he, "to see all the dreams of my youth fulfilled. I am now beyond the need of money. You wouldn't think I was 58 years old, would you? I work today with the same heartiness and relish I did when I was a young man. I love to work. I can do more hard work to-day than any man I employ. Thirty-seven years on a Texas ranch tells the story of why I look to-day a man of 40 instead of being an old man. But although I still feel the zest for work and although the ambitions of my early days have all come to fruition, I have new hopes and new plans. I expect to see them realized. Man is, I believe, to a large extent the architect of his own destiny. I have never wronged a man in my life and I have tried to live so that my children and my children's children will be proud of their ancestry. In all my life, although my business has been large, I have never sued a man.
"Men whose fortunes were great when I was a $20 a month cowboy I have seen brought to poverty; men who were struggling, hustling youngsters like myself I have seen rise to wealth and affluence. I have never seen a drone succeed. The busy bees rarely fail of reward.
"This beautiful country through which you have been traveling has been long held as the domain of the cowmen. It has been necessary in order to preserve these great pastures to keep out immigration. This is, I believe, one of the most fruitful regions on the face of the globe, but so far the cattlemen have succeeded in keeping out the homeseekers. Now we realize that we can no longer keep them from invading this region. One railroad, the Galveston, Brazos and Southwestern, has already surveyed a route through this county. Another line is projected. The day of great pasturage tracts in this part of Texas is closing. Soon this whole southern Texas country will be cut up into small parcels of land. It is beyond the power of man to check the tide. The cattlemen did all they could to maintain this rich land for themselves, but now the time has come when they will be driven out.
"I will stay here as long as I live. When I die I will be placed in the cemetery up near the church you saw. But I expect that will not be for many a year, and in the meantime I want to enjoy some of the luxuries in life that I have not had in the thirty-seven years I have been here.
"It does not seem to me so very long ago since big ocean steamers came into the bay below here through Port Cavallo. There was plenty of water on the bar in those days. Many a vessel I have loaded with cattle. I expect to see the government, stimulated by the demands of the commerce of the great west, develop more deep water harbors along the Texas coast. A cut of a mile through Matagorda peninsula would make Tres Palacios bay a deep water harbor. If that is ever done the Tres Palacios river will become an artery of commerce. To-day I can load a schooner of seven feet draught at my pier at Deming's Bridge. What I dream of now is seeing a busy bustling town there on Tres Palacios point and of having a thriving little town here near El Rancho Grande. I want to have electric light and electric cars. I want to see beautiful homes along these charming streams. I will give $10,000 cash and half of a town-site to the Galveston, Brazos and Southwestern road.
"Each summer I take a journey to the north and east. Living as I have in this cattle country for thirty-seven years, I naturally seek the centers of population. Oh, I enjoy life. And I mean to enjoy it, honestly, rationally and well. If my plans for the future develop as happily as did my dreams of long ago, I will be busy and contented until I lay down my work.
"This region affords all the opportunities for the maintenance of an agricultural community. The courses of the many streams are wooded with live oak and cedar, elms and cottonwood, and as for ash, the trees are the finest in the south. Many of them are four feet in diameter and the first limb is sixty feet above the ground.
"You can see that this is almost a floral paradise. Of the agricultural products we can grow cotton, corn and sugar cane, potatoes, onions, beets, cabbage, celery, lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, cauliflower, watermelons, cantaloupes, figs, plums, grapes, pears, peaches; in fact, anything and everything the human family requires. Fish are plentiful and the climate is all that man could desire."
"Mr. Pierce," said I, "one thing that impressed me forcibly while I have been going over your ranches is that nowhere have I seen a sixshooter. The revolver is generally supposed to be part of a cowboy's or a ranchman's makeup."
"The sixshooter was banished long ago," said Mr. Pierce. "In the old days every cowboy carried a young arsenal. My men were like the others. I determined to stop it. One day I went to the Slough ranch. The boys had their 'guns' and cartridge belts strapped on them. I looked at the foreman for a few moments. He had a bigger shooting outfit than the others. Seen any Indians to-day?" I asked. "Indians," he exclaimed. "Why, no! I haven't seen any Indians in a long time." Then I looked at him again. He didn't understand what I was driving at. Finally I said: "there's a law in this country against carrying sixshooters. I'm a member of the grand jury. I was just up to my son's ranch. He had a sixshooter on him. I told him if he didn't put it away I'd had him indicted. Then I galloped over the prairie toward home. There hasn't been any sixshooter-carrying on my ranches from that day to this."
When my horses' heads were turned toward the Colorado and El
Rancho Grande was disappearing in the distance, I congregated the
various ideas and impressions gathered during my visit and decided
that the man I had just left was a great man, remarkable in many
ways. That he had been favored by fortune may be said, but that he
would have made his mark in any calling there can be little doubt.
Now In the ripeness of his years and experience, with his two sons
and his two daughters grown, with money sufficient to satisfy almost
any one's desires, with one of the handsomest homes in Texas, and
with an estate greater by far than some of the European
principalities, his herds of cattle adding day by day to his wealth,
he can not but feel that, the dreams of his youth realized in their
fullest, the dreams of later days may yet blossom into realities.
Rancho Grande after the house burned
The first Pierce ancestors in Matagorda County were the family of
William D. Lacy and his wife, Sarah Bright Lacy. Lacy was given a
league and a labor of land along the Tres Palacios River after
signing the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico and
serving in the Texian Army. He had come from Paducah, Kentucky, in
1831. His tannery in Columbus, Texas, was destroyed during the
conflict. One of their three daughters, Nannie Deborah (b. August
11, 1845), married Jonathan Edwards Pierce on May 2, 1866, after his
and his brother's, Abel Head "Shanghai" Pierce, returned from the
Civil War.
Jonathan was born in Little Compton, Rhode Island, on December 6, 1839, and joined his brother, Abel, in 1858 to work on the ranch of W. B. Grimes near the present town of Blessing. He became a rancher and cattleman with large holdings, and he and Nannie built "Rancho Grande" on the Tres Palacios. Four children were born to them there: John Phillps, who married Louise Keller; Pearl, who married Dr. Allen J. Smith; Abel Brown; and Grace Harriet, who married William Walter "Pudge Heffelfinger. Nannie Lacy Pierce was accidently thrown from her carriage and died nineteen days later on February 15, 1896. She was buried in Hawley Cemetery. Jonathan married second Grace Lawrence and their children were: James Lawrence, who married Mary Bull and second Evelyn. After Grace's death he married Laura Duffield and they had a son, Jonathan E., Jr. Jonathan Pierce, Sr., died on March 29, 1915, in Galveston and was buried at Hawley Cemetery.
Historic Matagorda County, Volume II, pages 405-406
Nannie Lacy Pierce at right
Jonathan Edwards Pierce was a son
of J. E. [D.] and Hannah P. Pierce and was born in the State of Rhode
Island on December 6, 1839, and grew to maturity in his native soil.
He came to Texas in the year 1860 and landed at Old Indianola, locating soon afterwards in Matagorda County where he resided until his death.
The decedent was prostrated by illness in October last and he had gradually become weaker until his final dissolution came about nine o'clock in the evening of March 19th at St. Mary's Infirmary in the city of Galveston, whither he had gone for treatment.
A pioneer citizen has gone to his
reward, leaving behind a host of grief-stricken relatives and
sorrowing friends.
The Matagorda County Tribune, April 9, 1915
Pierce, Tex., Feb. 22.—Mrs. J. E. Pierce of Deming's Bridge departed this life on February 15, 1896. By her death Matagorda county loses one of its most benevolent and charitable women. She was a lady of Texas birth; her maiden name was N. D. Lacy. Her father, W. D. Lacy, was prominently known in Kentucky. He came to Texas with the famous Stephen F. Austin's colony and was a signer of the declaration of Texas independence. Her husband, Mr. J. E. Pierce, and her interesting family of four children, Jonathan P., Pearl L., A. B. and Grace H., all of whom reside at Deming's Bridge, survive her. Mrs. Pierce has been noted for her life's devotion to her family and for her fervent love of religion. She was by faith a Baptist, and the church of which she was the main promulgator stands as a worthy monument of the zeal of this noble woman. Besides her bereaved family, she leaves a host of sorrowing friends, whose eulogy with one consent is contained in the words:
"None saw her but love her, None knew her but to praise."
Newspaper unknown
El Rancho Grande Barns - 2007
After the death of his first wife, Nannie Lacy Pierce in 1896, Jonathan Edwards married a second time to Grace Lawrence.
They had two children:
James Lawrence Pierce (1899 - May 12, 1931) who married
Mary Bull Pierce (December 19, 1899 - February 8, 1976).
Both were buried at Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County,
Benjamin Bull Pierce, 49, of Elkins
Lake, died at his home Jan. 22, 1976. He was born Feb. 22, 1926 in
Minneapolis, Minn. Survivors include his mother, Mrs. James Lawrence
Pierce of Minneapolis, Minn.; one daughter, Miss Grace L. Pierce of
Houston; one sister, Mrs. Sally McLaglen of Red Lodge, Mont.; and
one brother, James L. Pierce of Minneapolis, Minn. Graveside
services were held at the
Hawley Cemetery Sunday, Jan. 25
with the Rev. Robert Tarbet officiating. Arrangements were with
Taylor Brothers Funeral Home.
The Daily Tribune, Jan, 1976
2. Evelyn Pierce (October 9, 1900 - October 12, 1902 buried Hawley Cemetery, near Blessing, Matagorda County, Texas.)
Jonathan Edwards Pierce, Sr. married Laura Eliza Duffield on February 22, 1911 at Christ Church, Houston, Harris County, Texas.
On May 17, 1912, Laura gave birth to a son, Jonathan E. Pierce. Jonathan Edwards, Sr. died on March 29, 1915.
In 1930, Laura and Jonathan were living at 2631 Prytania Street in New Orleans and Jonathan was a college student.
Jonathan married Olive Vimer Reeves Pierce (December 3, 1913 - January 15, 1966) and they were living in Houston, Harris County, Texas at the time of the 1940 Census. Jonathan was an interviewer at the state employment agency and Laura, 49, was working as private duty registered nurse.
Their children were:
2. Jeanine A. Pierce born Harris County, Texas and married Robert Steber
3. Jonathan E. Pierce III born in Harris County,
Texas and married Donna Lee
PIERCE -- Jonathan E., died June 5, 1993. 30 year resident of Bonita, CA. A graduate of Tulane University. Recently attended 60th college graduation reunion. Past President of the S.D. Patrons Tennis Assoc. and involved in Jr. tennis work. Father of January Crockett, Jeanine (Robert) Steber and Jonathan E. (Donna Lee) Pierce III. Grandfather of Joel B. and James T. Gleghorn, Jonathan E. IV. and Christopher W. Pierce, Clayton D. Crockett, Casandra (Quinn) Early, Courtney Crockett and Lorana Pierce. Great Grandfather of Cameron and Chance Early. Preceded in death by wife Olive Vimer Pierce and grandson Jonathan R. Gleghorn. Visitation Thurs. 9 a.m. Greenwood Mortuary. Graveside Services and Interment Thursday 2:30 p.m. Greenwood Memorial Park. Donations to San Diego Animal Shelter appreciated.
San Diego Union-Tribune, June 9, 1993
Copyright 2006 - Present by Carol Sue Gibbs
All rights reserved
Jan. 8, 2006
Jan. 19, 2017


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What do you inspect?
We inspect all food establishments and tattoo businesses within the Lancaster City limits. This includes restaurants, grocery and food specialty stores, caterers, institutional food services, seasonal and special events vendors.
How often do you inspect an establishment?
We make an effort to inspect at least two times a year. We also inspect if we receive a complaint. The results of our inspections are printed the 4th Sunday of each month in the Lancaster Sunday News.
What happens when you get a complaint about a restaurant or a store?
The person who complains may remain anonymous if he/she wishes. We will make every effort to respond to the complaint within one business day that it is received.
Does the establishment know when you are coming to inspect?
Food establishments and tattoo businesses know we are coming to inspect only for the initial inspection prior to opening a new business, or after remodeling. Subsequent inspections are unannounced.
What do you look for in an inspection?
We look for a healthy, safe and clean establishment, including observing employee practices, in conjunction with the state food code. We also try to be proactive and provide any health safety education that pertains to the business.
Food Establishments
What are some problems you might find in a food establishment?
Some problems are quite serious and could make people sick. For example:
– Failure to maintain proper temperatures of food products, either stored or served, can be the cause of food poisoning.
– Lack of proper hand-washing by all employees handling food can also be the cause of some very serious problems.
– Other serious violations, which could result in temporary closure, are a severe rodent infestation, a sewage problem, and general unsanitary conditions, including poor and improper food handling.
State guidelines require:
– All employees involved in food preparation must wear hair restraints, hats, hairnets, etc.
– Gloves must be worn when preparing ready to eat foods.
– The only jewelry that can be worn on hands and wrists is a wedding band.
– A Consumer Advisory must be added to menus advising patrons that there is a risk to eating undercooked foods.
What if I see a problem at a restaurant or food store in Lancaster City?
Please call a Health Officer here in Lancaster City. Your call can remain anonymous. Your call may prevent someone from becoming sick. Our numbers are 291-4707 or 291-4714. If you see a problem outside the City we will refer you to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for assistance.
What is the Food Safety Certification requirement?
State law requires that all food related businesses have at least one employee who is certified in food safety. This means that employee has successfully completed a State approved food safety course. Classes are available through a home study program.
Food safety certification information and requirements may be found online here.
Tattoo Businesses
Tattoo and body piercing is regulated by the City.
A Health License issued by a City Health Officer is required to be
displayed in a prominent place.
Shops are inspected semi-annually.
Owners and artists are licensed by a City Health Officer and are required to have:
– Blood borne Pathogens training;
– Hepatitis B shot series;
– Sterilization practices and equipment in place.


text:
Health information management professionals work in a variety of different settings and job titles. They often serve in bridge roles, connecting clinical, operational, and administrative functions. These professionals affect the quality of patient information and patient care at every touch point in the healthcare delivery cycle. Having skilled HIM professionals on staff ensures that an organization has the right information on hand when and where it is needed while maintaining the highest standards of data integrity, confidentiality, and security.
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Learn about careers in HIM.
A career in HIM may be right for you if you:
As health information technology (HIT) becomes more prevalent, health information practitioners will continue to be critical components of the electronic health record (EHR) workforce.
Across the world, health care systems are recognizing the need for innovation and health data management to make the most of their systems. Industries with an increased demand for health information professionals include academic institutions, consulting agencies, government agencies, and healthcare software companies. The technology-enabled, transforming health care system is producing an immense volume of information and, more specifically, how to interpret and use that data will be important. Much rides upon its availability, integrity, and confidentiality, which opens up opportunities for new support positions including mobile support adoption positions, public health informatics, implementation support specialists, and information management redesign specialists.
Competencies help HIM programs ensure that HIM students have skills that are appropriately aligned to the needs of the labor market. Professionals in health information management (HIM), industry leaders, and educators develop these maps as a guide to adequately prepare students in HIM. As a result, the curriculum competency maps are built to reflect changes in the workforce. Industry leaders who ensure that their staff meet HIM competencies understand that these competencies:
Build a strong, dedicated team that is committed to high standards of care and quality
Promote ongoing enhancement of knowledge and skills
Improve the quality of information and care
Minimize errors and reduce exposure to fraud and abuse charges
Increase efficiency and reduce cost
AHIMA certification represents a high level of achievement, proving that individuals have demonstrated proficiency in these competencies and have a broad base of knowledge. AHIMA certified professionals pass a rigorous exam and commit to ongoing professional development and recertification. When a person becomes AHIMA-certified, it reflects a deep personal commitment and sense of accountability, inspiring credibility and confidence in an individual's professional knowledge.
AHIMA recently renewed the competency maps for students in the United States. And while there are currently no competency maps for international students, AHIMA is working with the GHWC as they oversee building on the AHIMA Foundation's curricula competency, adding other countries curricula models, releasing a draft for public comment, editing to include the comments, and then releasing a final version at the end of the year. Programs are encouraged to begin self assessing their curriculum using these documents to align with industry and workforce needs. http://www.ahimafoundation.org/education/curricula.aspx
The competency development is a complex process based on a system model of Input -> Process -> Output -> Feedback. The curriculum development process is an example of the sources of input, how the input was processed and transformed into the new curriculum maps and how feedback was demonstrated through the steps taken to vet the outcomes.
In 2013 there were 994 Qatari students studying in the United States, and this figure continues to increase. Attending one of the more than 4,200 accredited post-secondary institutions in the United States may help to advance career opportunities and provide experience for future employment.
Over 300 academic institutions in the United States offer programs in health information management (HIM), health informatics (HI), and health information technology (HIT). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, HIM is one of the 15 fastest growing occupations in the U.S., and employment in the field is expected to increase by 22 percent through 2022.
It is anticipated that the need for skilled health information professionals will continue to increase worldwide. As outlined in the National Health Strategy of Qatar, the country is invested in recruiting, retaining and educating a high-quality workforce. To meet the needs of this growing healthcare sector, highly-skilled HIM/HI/HIT professionals are needed.
Studying health information management, health informatics, or health information technology offers students the opportunity to explore these exciting fields and be a part of the healthcare team. HIM/HI/HIT professionals play a critical role in ensuring the delivery of quality healthcare by maintaining, collecting and analyzing the data that doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers rely on. Job opportunities for HIM/HI/HIT professionals exist throughout the healthcare industry: from hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities to insurance companies, government agencies, and software and pharmaceutical companies.


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I was born and raised in The Bahamas, and moved to LA because I craved the city life. I started my blog 'Off The Clock' to originally be focused around fashion and interviewing models, but quickly fell in love with the idea of being able to take photos of the models I was interviewing. After picking up a camera, I started to crave creating new and exciting content.
I'm most known for my ongoing series 'Levitate'. 'Levitate' revolves around surrealism; taking an ordinary photo and making it extraordinary through levitation. Over the past 3 years, I have explored many different styles and techniques, and I've put them all together to create this magical series. I have found histories of surrealism and minimalism to be useful in the creation of this modern art. The goal of 'Levitate' is to really make the viewer stop and think, not only to appreciate the photo, but to question how it's done.
Thank you so much for taking the time to view my blog, and I hope you join me on my journey!


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Saudi Arabia Announced Tuesday that it will forge ahead with construction of a fence to seal it's boarder with Iraq. It went further, stating that Iraq is the primary source of terror in the region, and the fence will help protect against it's spread. The intention is to prevent the entry of Islamic Militants and Illegal Immigrants.
The same thing must be done on our southern boarder. I don't know why it is difficult for the United States citizenrey to understand that people crossing our southern boarder without going through the proper checks is the single largest hole we have in defending the homeland against attack. Of course, the entire crisis is not fixed with a fence, but it's a good start.
In order to have any decent progress on immigration reform in this country, one of two things need to happen. We either need to construct a fence (or find some other way of keeping them out), or concede that every 20 years or so the President will have to sign an amnesty bill granting all illegal immigrants amnesty. A fence along the Southern boarder would ensure that immigration laws were followed. Any new legislation, be it a guest worker program, less stringent immigration laws, or a no tolerance policy, must start with control of the population flow across the boarder.
Granting amnesty every 20 years is not the answer. Obviously, the Regan administration did nothing but encourage illegal immigrants to flock to this country when it granted amnesty the first time. Why should we repeat mistakes? Immigration policies must be in place in order to control the number and type of people we receive into our nation. An open boarder is not practical, or wise.
It is unfathomable to me that as Washington continues to debate about what to do on illegal immigration, Saudi Arabia will be constructing their fence.


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Click on the title to go to the website of other resources that may be of help.
Self-compassion entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate, rather than ignoring our pain or flagellating ourselves with self-criticism.
The mission of 1in6.org is to help men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences in childhood live healthier, happier lives. This includes providing resources for people who care about them.
A Call To Men
A Call to Men is a leading national men's organization addressing men's violence against women, and the eradication of sexism, while maintaining strong coalitions with women's organizations already doing this important work. They help to organize communities in order to raise awareness and get men involved in ending violence against women. A Call to Men believes that ending violence against women is primarily the responsibility of men.
Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas, Inc.
This state association promotes the efforts of local Children's Advocacy Centers in the state of Texas. They offer assistance by coordinating and providing training, providing technical assistance and offering resources to CCCC.
Family Violence Program of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission
The Family Violence Program of the State of Texas promotes self-sufficiency, safety and long-term independence from family violence for adult victims and their children. The program provides emergency shelter and support services to victims and their children, educates the public and provides training and prevention support to various agencies.
Humane Society Advice for Domestic Violence Victims with Pets
Information about pets, domestic violence and how to prepare your pets to leave.
Male Survivor
Male Survivor is committed to preventing, healing, and eliminating all forms of sexual victimization of boys and men through support, treatment, research, education, advocacy, and activism.
Men Can Stop Rape
Men Can Stop Rape mobilizes male youth to prevent men's violence against women. They build young men's capacity to challenge harmful aspects of traditional masculinity, to value alternative visions of male strength, and to embrace their vital role as allies with women and girls in fostering healthy relationships and gender equity.
National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence
The NCDSV designs, provides and customizes training and consultation; influences policy, promotes collaboration; and enhances diversity with the goal of ending domestic and sexual violence.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is a multi-lingual hotline that receives calls for information and referrals nationwide 24 hours a day. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can directly connect you with a domestic violence program that serves your geographic area.
National Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault
SCESA was born out of a desire for Women of Color in the anti-sexual assault movement across the country to reclaim their leadership and ensure inclusion of their experiences in ending sexual assault.
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center serves as the nation's principle information and resource center regarding all aspects of sexual violence. It provides national leadership, consultation and technical assistance by generating and facilitating the development and flow of information on sexual violence intervention and prevention strategies. The NSVRC works to address the causes and impact of sexual violence through collaboration, prevention efforts and the distribution of resources.
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
RAINN is America's only national sexual assault hotline. Through a network of 853 member rape crisis hotlines, the free and confidential hotline provides help 24 hours a day. RAINN can also connnect you to the sexual assault program in your geographic area.
Sexual Assault Support for the DoD Community (Military)
The safehelpline.org website provides vital information about recovering from and reporting sexual assault. Specially trained Safe Helpline staff will offer one-on-one advice, support and information to the worldwide Department of Defense community. The service is anonymous, secure and available 24/7. Operated by RAINN through a contract with the Department of Defense's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office.
Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA)
TAASA is the membership organization for sexual assault programs throughout the state.This site provides sexual assault statistics and information for Texas and the United States.
Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV)
TCFV is the membership organization for domestic violence programs throughout Texas. This site offers valuable information about family violence programs in Texas.
"Abuse & Advice: An Online Resource Guide on Domestic Violence"


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About 10 years ago it was rather fashionable to declare that Lindy Hop was dying or already dead. Again.
In the aftermath of the Neo-Swing boom of the late 90's, this was somewhat understandable since dance floors were not as packed as they were just a few years previous. However, a long time promoter astutely observed to me that the scene was merely returning back to the norm established in the mid-nineties. It's been a decade since that conversation, and events in the scene have demonstrated how right he was , but also how Lindy Hop has evolved in ways that no one could have predicted at the time.
2014 will mark the 100th birthday of Frankie Manning, which will be commemorated in New York City at Frankie100. Depending on who you believe, the modern Lindy Hop revival started in earnest around 1984, so theoretically, 2014 will also mark the 30th anniversary of the modern Lindy Hop community.
While not as dramatic as 100, turning 30 is a fairly significant milestone in most people's lives. It's about that time when people start settling down and thinking in the long term, but in order to do that, you take stock of your current life situation.
People talk about different aspects of the scene or the dance, but I've found that they're often they're coming from a very limited perspectives, and ignoring how different facets of the community are interrelated. That's an easy thing to do in our community because we're mostly connected informally through events and social media. There's no really reliable way to get a big picture view of the entire scene, but that's what we're going to try to do here.
Is The Dance Evolving?
People will often ask why isn't Lindy Hop danced to modern popular music. My first instinctual response is to tell them that they're not asking the right question. Let's put aside the notion that if you want to partner dance to pop music using modern movements, then there are several scenes that already do that, so retreading their footsteps seems redundant.
Consider, however, that those dances developed over time as part of broader culture. This is what separates modern Lindy Hop from many other dances. The dance lay isolated for several decades before separate groups of people around the world specifically sought to do it again based on what they saw in old movie clips. The result is that rather than the dance growing as part of an overall culture, we have been building a culture around a preexisting dance.
Very astute observers will note that I just described "cultural appropriation." They would not be wrong, but that's not the whole story, nor is it the end of the story. However, there's not really a good way to address that without going into a very lengthy tangent, and I'm not entirely certain that I would be the right person to lead that discussion anyway. Lindy Hop is a black dance rooted in the African American experience. Being mindful of that tradition while respecting it has been and will continue to be a challenge for this community.
That the modern scene has largely developed separately from this tradition connected only through a tenuous umbilical cord of a few original dancers does impact our current perspective. I had an interesting conversation with Sylvia Sykes recently where we talked briefly about the pre-neo swing era in Lindy Hop. Sylvia was one of the only modern Lindy Hoppers to learn directly from original era legend, Dean Collins in the 1980's, and she was also one of the first people to travel extensively to teach Lindy Hop.
Washington, DC has one of the oldest Lindy scenes in the country, starting in the mid-1980's. From what I can gather, it grew out of the contra and zydeco dance scenes. To put it colloquially, they were a bunch of fun-loving, older hippies. I always thought that was a unique circumstance to DC, but according to Sylvia, that pretty much characterized most of the other swing dance scenes around the country through the 90's.
They didn't realize it at the time, but the neo-swing boom of the late 90's essentially rebooted the scene. The large numbers of new people brought with them a variety of expectations and goals for their participation that didn't always align themselves with established dancers and promoters. The so-called "Style Wars" of the late 90's-early 00's was one manifestation of this.
If you watch Karen & Andrew's homage to Lindy Hop in their 2010 routine, notice how the dance goes from the bad ass recreation of the Rhythm Hot Shots in 1994 to the beginner level dancing of the Gap Ad in 1998. This is obviously not the dance evolving, but merely reflecting the capabilities of the people who were popularizing it at the time.
This is what people talk about in their observations about general trends in dance styles: Everyone looks like Erik & Sylvia or Skye & Frida or Max & Annie. Dancers are too musical. They're not musical enough. Not enough connection. Too much Charleston. Not enough soul. Etc.
It's Not a Bug, It's a Feature
One of the more recent iteration of this observation comes at the end of Ryan Francois' TEDx Talk where he talks about the influence of the internet in flattening out the overall style of dancers.
On one level he does have a point in the sense that the overall stylistic differences are being minimized, but I don't think it makes sense to lay this at the feet of the Internet. In laying out the differences between each city, he overlooks the other point that the majority of people danced the same within each city.
Pay attention to the girl all the way to the left. Not long after the video starts, she changes levels and gets down. It doesn't take long before all the other girls are doing the same thing. Peter Loggins uploaded this video and there's not much information about it, but I think it's safe to say that it is very old.
Old time New York City Lindy Hoppers will tell you that you could tell what ballroom people danced in the most by their dance style. Later, DC Hand Dancers from the 50's and 60's could tell you what neighborhood you were from based on what moves you did. Why is that? The answer is that you pick up the foibles of the people that you socialize and dance with regularly. It's the same reason why different parts of a country will use the same speech patterns and colloquialisms. It's why your group of friends will often have inside jokes that only people in the group will get. This is how you can lead a Minnie Dip on almost any Lindy Hopper who has been dancing for a decent amount of time.
Technology isn't the cause of stylistic similarity spreading across Lindy Hop scenes; it's merely amplifying an existing social dynamic that has always been characteristic of cultures, subcultures, and—well—people.
Ultimately, trying to focus in on particular dance trait that a lot of people are supposedly sharing is too myopic. Instead, consider this:
If you looked onto a crowded dance floor 10 years ago, you would have noticed how everyone looked too much like one style like Hollywood, or Savoy, or Old School, or groovy. The music at dances both locally and at big events tended to be more modern jazz sounding and recorded. You could count the number of blues and balboa events combined, in the entire world, on the same hand.
10 years before that, it would have been easier to walk across the floor since it was much emptier. You could count the number of national/international level Lindy Hop events on your one hand. Balboa was often offered as a novelty class and blues dance was something you did at Herrang. The floor craft of those few couples would have been much worse since connection was such a foreign concept that even Herrang, the most established Lindy event at the time, was just embracing the social, improvised aspect of the dance.
And ten years before that? In 1984 we wouldn't be having this conversation because very few people knew what Lindy Hop was outside of the old timers and their friends in New York City and Southern California.
Look over this arc of recent history, and you'll realize that a lot has happened in a short period of time. This is why it's hard for me accept general criticism of overall dance trends as any kind of artistic tragedy.
This isn't a matter of seeing the glass as half full vs. half empty. The glass is full. In fact, it's overflowing.
Take a look around you. Herrang has expanded to 5 weeks. ILHC is being broadcasted live over the internet. BluesShout just celebrated its 11th year. All Balboa Weekend, will celebrate its 14th. There are solo jazz weekends on at least three continents. In preparation for Frankie100 this year, you can now find someone to shim sham with on every inhabited continent on this Earth.
It's hard to see how we could have gotten to this point without internet technology. Neo-swing may have re-ignited interest, but social media from Jive Junction's first guest book to Kickstarter raising over $100,000 for a documentary about the dance continues to fan the flames of growth.
I do get to hear a lot of criticism about the kinds of web sites and posts about the dance current in the scene, which some people feel may not reflect the community in the best light. This is the curse and blessing of the kind of democratization that technology brings to the masses.
If it makes you feel better, it's important to note that one of the points I in-artfully made in my paper about the development of the Lindy Hop scene was that sights and sounds always trump text in any discussion about dance. You can start something online, but our short history shows that it usually gets resolved on the floor. There's a lot of criticism out there about the internet creating walls between people, but since social dance is something that can only be done physically, in person, the internet only serves to amplify existing ideas and relationships. Overall, this should be considered a good thing. Otherwise, our dance world would be much smaller, and not nearly as wide spread as it is currently.
Music Making & Hip Shaking
The most significant example of this dynamic is the way that live music was embraced by the community by the middle of the last decade. That collective decision has shaped the dance more than any comment thread or blog post. In turn, that music continues to shape the dance in more ways than one.
After near continuous complaining and discussion on various discussion boards about the type of music played at Lindy Hop events, Amy Johnson took the next major step in that discussion by making live music an integral part of the revolutionary Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown contests starting in 2002. Fortuitously, Showdown's inclusion of live music coincided with the first wide spread use of dance videos on the Internet. More people had access, and, just as significantly, the lines between far-flung dance scenes began to erode almost instantly. This simple tweak to a dance contest, along with wide exposure, almost single-handedly brought live music to the forefront of the Lindy Hop world.
This new paradigm, of course, provided us all with something new to argue about. The common criticism of the music played for dances now is that it is too "charlestony." You hear this particularly from dancers who have been around long enough to remember the New Testament Basie/Oscar Peterson-heavy sets of the early 2000s, and who miss what they perceive to be a vanished and more authentic aesthetic. This is an unavoidable consequence of embracing live music in the aftermath of the community's struggle to figure out what the best music is for dancing. Jump blues derived from Neo-Swing is too simplistic and repetitive. Modern jazz has changed so much and is played in a way that many Lindy Hoppers find undanceable. Even when they are asked to play Swing era standards, many modern jazz musicians still play in a way that is not appealing for dancing.
I've interviewed a number of musicians as to why there is a reticence for musicians to play in a manner more directly inspired by that classic swing period. Some think that it's because modern jazz technique is taught as a more current way of playing Swing music, and there is little incentive or appeal to playing rhythms and melodies in the way they were done in the 1930's and 40's. In reaction to that evolution, hotter forms of jazz from the 20's and early 30's were "preserved" more or less parallel to the rest of jazz. However, this still left the Swing Era style of playing and arranging music in limbo.
In rejecting modern jazz playing as fun for dancing, dancers simply turned to the only other available alternative of traditional jazz. This has caused some observers to despair that more vertical based Charleston style dancing is displacing what is considered classic Lindy Hop.
While people may disagree as to the degree of how the dance has changed, I don't believe that there is a reason to believe that this will be a permanent change. One thing that people are overlooking is how dancers are affecting how musicians approach dance music. The first step was addressing more obvious ways of playing in regards to tempos and length of songs. The continued interaction with dancers, however, is bringing a more nuanced understanding of classic Swing Era jazz to musicians. Then there is the almost too-strange-to-be-true phenomenon of Lindy Hoppers maturing their own musical skills to start bands that are a mix of other dancers and musicians who are also attracted to that style of playing.
As the music continues to change, so will the dancing. Social dancing has always adjusted to the music. After the so called "style wars" that characterized discussions about dance soon after the neo-swing boom, fans of dancing to slower, groovier music temporarily found a home in the blues scene, but the dynamics over there have followed the same course. In order to prove that blues dance is a separate, distinct entity, they have emphasized playing more authentic blues music rather than just slow music of any genre. Contests and performances to that music have introduced a new status quo of dance into that scene.
This is also why I believe that Balboa will not achieve the same level of independence as the blues scene does from Lindy Hop. Despite some people's insistence, "balboa music" does not exist as a genre of music to anyone of consequence, especially musicians. Balboa's recent appeal seems to come from its portrayal as the "geekiest" of the swing dances. In order to counter the perception that it is an easy dance where not much happens, dancers are told of the amount of technical subtleties needed to truly master the dance. This has inadvertently created a perception of a high bar for competency for a dance that does not have the visual appeal of Lindy Hop. Because of this and the fact that balboa is still danced to the same music as the Lindy, the two dances and communities will probably remain tethered together for the foreseeable future.
Overall, live music brought a level of energy that helped to popularize faster dancing, but that has had an unintended consequence. Faster music requires certain amount of athleticism, which has helped to attract younger dancers. This especially pronounced at many larger events.
This is quite an development when you think about the fact that Lindy Hop first developed around the mid 1920's and then fell out of the public consciousness around the mid 1950's; around the time when Frankie Manning "retired" to become a postal worker and the Savoy Ballroom closed. The modern revival has lasted about the same amount of time, yet the demographics, or at least in the travelling community, still skew relatively young.
15 years of perspective since the neo-swing revival make it easy to see why the Swing Era ended. The people who grew up swing dancing in the 30's and 40's went to war, and then came home to start families. The dynamics are slightly different now, but dancing all night long, all weekend long does not fit into the lifestyle of most people as they get older, so it's easier to understand the drop off after the initial lindy addiction subsides. We've generally done a good job of attracting new dancers. However, consider that younger dancers tend to not have very much money. That impacts how much promoters can charge for their events. That in turn dictates how much they can spend on venues, instructors, musicians, and any other sundry extras that can make their event more appealing than the other half dozen swing or blues events occurring almost every weekend around the world.
From the time the dance was named after Charles Lindberg to the year that the Savoy Ballroom closed spans about 30 years. In that time Lindy Hop came into its own, grew into a dance that helped define a generation, and then faded away. In the intervening 26 years, the dance became a part of history, and not even the few faithful practitioners ever expected any kind of resurgence. Yet here we are, around 30 years into the modern revival. It is now possible to go a Lindy event on almost any continent and dance with a crowd whose average age is probably around 30.
Lindy Hop is in uncharted territory now because the dancers of the original generation didn't concern themselves with issues like bringing in newbies or retaining students. They didn't worry so much about how the change in music would affect the dance because they grew with that change and either changed their dancing or stopped dancing altogether.
The main difference between now and then is that people have worked very hard to deliberately establish institutions designed to sustain interest in the dance. Herrang Dance Camp just celebrated 30 years of existence. The International Lindy Hop Championships just six, but is broadcasted live over the internet with the help of Yehoodi.com. And it's not just big events: Rochester just hosted Steven Mitchell and Virginie Jensen for the 16th year in a row which is longer than what most people consider to be the "Swing Era."
The essential irony here is that the events themselves—rather than the internet—are responsible for the marked similarity in dance style both nationally and internationally. Recall that the rise of YouTube and of major events was nearly simultaneous. In terms of dancing, the two things fed one another, but an emphasis on the internet has led critics to ignore the leveling effects of a dance culture that embraces frequent travelling for weekends.
Additionally, while serious students of the dance will often point to vintage films for examples of how dancers looked differently from each other, they forget that their sample size is both absurdly small and absurdly talented. Most of those performances are by some of the best dancers of that generation. The members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers had near daily access to practice in the Savoy Ballroom where Chick Webb and some of the greatest musicians of that era rehearsed. While these people are great inspirations, they are not practical examples to follow, nor are they indicative of what it would have been like to be a normal dancer during the swing era.
But even if we do not limit our discussion to those great dancers of New York City and Southern California, remember that those old timers also reminisce about how you could tell what ballroom or even what neighborhood a dancer was from. That was not because they valued individuality any more or less than we do today. Most of those people simply did not have the means to travel as extensively as people do today.
What is interesting to note is how many of the best dancers of this generation came out of scenes that were well established by the time of the Neo-Swing boom. The New York Swing Dance Society, Swedish Swing Society, London Swing Dance Society, Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association, Ithaca Swing Dance Network, Northern California Lindy Society, Washington Swing Dance Committee were all hosting regular dances and workshops that allowed people to concentrate on dancing and socializing. Dancers from smaller scenes will attest that running a local scene and getting better at dance are not always compatible goals.
Furthermore, these same great dancers have logged what can only be considered an astonishing number of hours on the dance floor. They've long since passed through the phase of copying old masters and moved on to leaving their own mark on the dance. This takes time, which is why it's in many ways quite silly to lament the lack of a varied styles. Most of us simply do not have the time—or, honestly, the talent—to be marvels of creativity and inspiration. That's not to say we should not aspire to those heights, we just need to be mindful of certain realities.
Next Steps
In this small attempt to assess the state of the Lindy Hop scene, I've tried to tackle the two most common complaints about the modern situation (music and style) while placing it all in a context that complicates rather than streamlines the simple explanations put forward. At the beginning of this piece, I suggested that Lindy Hop is bursting at the seams with new dancers, events, and ideas, but this is not to say that there aren't problems in the scene, or, to put it in a more complex way: risks.
We have an abundance of events, and this has created a professional and incredibly talented class of dancers who travel from weekend to weekend spreading the love. The explosion of competitions, however, has created a strange new dynamic in the scene not present 10 years ago. It's now possible to be a regular dancer without ever truly engaging with one's local dance scene. Those with the passion and the funds often spend their time and money travelling, and, while this is in many ways a good thing, it can make us forgetful of the hometown Lindy scenes all across the country that provide the mass of dancers who populate the larger events.
Events are wonderful, but they can't alone sustain a culture of jazz music and dance. If every good dancer or instructor dreams of taking the show on the road, we end up with local scenes and venues without experienced dancers and personalities to lead them. By the same token, and I think we're seeing this now, we end up with an instructor bubble at the higher level.
This is where focusing on sustainable teachers and venues at the local level becomes crucial, because this is where we can really develop the jaw dropping talents who can wow us all 10 years from now. Imagine if a 14-year-old Nina Gilkenson had never had the chance to develop her chops in a local dance scene. Rather than spend her time dealing with the administrative realities of running a dance, it's more than likely that she would have found some other creative endeavour to satisfy her creative urges.
Aside from local scenes, the professionalization of the dance has created a very appealing and seductive ladder for the creatively ambitious to climb. This is part of community, and a motivation to climb has produced some excellent dancers and teachers. Unfortunately and perhaps inevitably, ladders create idols, sacred cows, and Buddhas on the mountaintop. A truly vibrant scene requires people with different kinds of vision, and I would venture to say that we are too often looking up. The greater the distance between the average dancer and the people on or aspiring to the top, the less true connection occurs, and the less useful information gets passed along.
Let me reiterate that these problems are for the most part inevitably tied to a scenario of growth and development. The Lindy Hop scene is sinking down roots; it is blossoming rather than decaying. Ultimately, how the dance develops and evolves it's not about doing your triple steps differently. It's about how to integrate Korean culture and mores with Lithuanian ones with the African American core of the dance. It's about how we accept gay and lesbian dancers or those who don't want to be limited by traditional gender partner dance roles. It's about acknowledging those people in the back of the ballroom practicing the pretzel. With that in mind, I'd like to offer a few suggestions for a more nuanced view going forward.
First, we need to recognize that the laments over homogeneous style are slightly misguided and certainly historically misinformed. Creativity, uniqueness, and excellence are by definition rare. They take time and dedication to develop. Beyond this, people dance for a host of different reasons; we would do well to recognize that the average social dancer pays the bills and that they deserve room in the Lindy scene as much as any of the hot dogs.
Second, live music in the modern scene is a relatively new, and still growing phenomenon. We have certainly not seen the end of its development, and while we can work to steer its direction, it is premature to mourn. Things are happening, and they will be interesting and complex. Once in a while we should step back and appreciate that our scene has overwhelmingly embraced live, messy jazz. It's incredible. 10 years ago, no one could have predicted it.
Third, going forward we need to take advantage of the opportunities we have to nurture and support local dancing. Despite the proliferation of events, this is where the vast majority of Lindy Hop in the world happens. We've developed a massive superstructure for dancers to travel and learn from the best. It's time for us to turn some of our attention back home, and build new dancers rooted to a town, a venue, a place. Some of them will become great, and some of them will be truly mediocre. All of them are worthwhile.
Finally, as Lindy Hop grows and takes us to strange and unpredictable places, we should remember that nothing is more powerful than the individual attention that experienced dancers can provide to those just starting out. This goes beyond the handing down of technical skills and includes the preservation of certain values that make Lindy Hop what it is: we do this for fun, we take care of each other, and, whenever possible, we eliminate rather than cultivate the class distinctions that petrify scenes. From Skye and Frida on down, we can spare a minute here and there to connect with people who have just discovered what we have known for years: Our dance, our music, and our scene are unbelievably awesome.
This essay is dedicated to my mother.
I would also like to thank Michael Seguin for stepping up in helping me finish this essay when my life got crazy by first consulting, then editing, and finally co-writing the conclusion. Michael is the co-proprietor and head insaninator of The Mobtown Ballroom in Baltimore, Maryland.
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A lovely and colorful fabric collection inspired by the Caribbean (one of the places she grew up) by Jennifer Paganelli. From Jennifer:
The West Indies. Sitting above the equator, home to loose fitting garments, outspoken colors found in schooner sails, the flags of many nations, the hat-wearing church ladies, the turbans, dashikis, moo moos, all of it! The tutti frutti colors of homes raking up the hillsides that would have had to have been inspired by the guavas, mangoes and plantains hanging outside.. The soul of the West Indies is inside me. The signature of all of my textiles is about an untouchable time, innocent but cosmopolitan , highlighted by the sun the fabrics dazzled everywhere on the island. I am grateful for the opportunity to keep bringing them to you.
Thank you, Jennifer, for continually bringing them to us! See the entire collection on her website.


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Jillian - posted on 01/24/2009 ( 123 moms have responded )
My daughter is only 9 and 1/2 months, but I feel like there is a lot of critisism of making the choice ot have just one!.....I have heard many times people say "only children don't interact proper" or "they turn out weird" etc... I also feel like your pressured to have them super close together, 1 or 2 years apart...and if you do wait , then they won't be as close and what not.
I am almost positive that i don't want anymore children, I had a beautiful, healthy baby girl (always wanted a girl:)...and i got her) ...I feel like that is enough for me:)
Does anyone else feel the way I do??? please write back, I would love to hear all opinons and views:)


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By Dana Cobb, TrizCom PR
Leonard Stein, one of the original founders of Mad-libs, said that the iconic ad-lib inspiration notepad was directly linked to his inability to spell "hyperbole" in a seventh-grade spelling bee. Humiliated and embarrassed beyond words, he ran home to take refuge in the family dictionary, determined to learn the correct spelling and exact meaning of as many words as humanly possible.
Words are important; they are the most valuable tools in spoken language.
Misuse of these words can backfire on the deliverer in monumental ways.
My biggest peeve is the exchange of moot versus mute in conversation. For the record, a moot point can be either an issue open for debate or a matter of no practical value or importance because it's hypothetical. The word mute means "silent; refraining from speech or utterance," and the pairing mute point has no canonized meaning in standard English.
Following is a quiz. Take it and see how you score. I scored perfectly because I have the best words.


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The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) is the moisture content at which the wood is neither gaining nor losing moisture; this however, is a dynamic equilibrium and changes with relative humidity and temperature. Expressed as a percentage, the EMC describes what percentage of the material's mass is made up by water. EMC is therefore determined by the inherent properties of the material and the temperature and relative humidity of the environment.
In many ways, it is more difficult to evaluate the impact of fluctuations in the environment's relative humidity than the environment's temperature because Moisture Equilibration is influenced by more variables than thermal equilibration. For example, enclosures or housing situations may act as moisture barriers and thus influence the how quickly (or how slowly) the objects are exposed to the new humidity conditions. The temperature will also influence the rate of moisture equilibration. Furthermore, there is more variation in the capacity of the individual objects or materials to control moisture equilibration than thermal equilibration.
I/ Who?
Only hygroscopic materials – organic materials that naturally contain water – are susceptible to moisture equilibration.
First, while it may seem too obvious to state, moisture equilibration is only relevant for organic materials that naturally contain water, or hygroscopic materials. Only hygroscopic materials will absorb or desorb water to equilibrate with the relative humidity of the environment. Non-hygroscopic materials – materials that do not inherently contain water - will not equilibrate with changes in the environment's moisture because they have no moisture to release, nor the nature to absorb any moisture. For example, organic, cellulosic materials such as paper or textiles will adjust to changes in the moisture of the environment (they will equilibrate) by absorbing or desorbing moisture, while inorganic materials like metal will not. Non-hygroscopic materials such as metal may be affected by the environment's moisture in other ways, (corrosion is an obvious example) but they will not equilibrate with the moisture content of the environment.
II/ Why?
Hygroscopic materials are constantly exchanging moisture with the air in the form of water vapor.
At any given moment, there is a dynamic exchange of moisture occurring between an object's core, its perimeter, and the air of the environment. The moisture is transferred in the form of water vapor by the process of diffusion. The moisture diffuses from the material into the air, then it diffuses back to the material and then back to the air. Roughly speaking, this diffusion is driven by differences in moisture content. So, when an area with more moisture comes in contact with an area less moisture, moisture is transferred from the area of higher concentration of moisture to the area of lower concentration of moisture. Because this exchange of moisture is continuous, eventually enough moisture is diffused from the air into the material (or the material into the air) that the material neither gains nor loses moisture in the exchange. At this point, the object has reached moisture equilibrium with the environment. This dynamic, continuous exchange is why hygroscopic materials equilibrate with the relative humidity of the environment.
III/ When?
When the moisture content of the material is not in equilibrium with the relative humidity of the environment, the material adjusts its moisture content to reach equilibrium.
When hygroscopic materials are moved from one humidity condition to another, (or when they are exposed to humidity fluctuations), the moisture content of the materials is no longer in equilibrium with the relative humidity of the air. Confronted with this difference in moisture content, the material will absorb or release (desorb) moisture until its moisture content reaches equilibrium with the new environmental condition. For example, if the relative humidity of the environment increases, the material will absorb moisture from the environment. In other words, if the moisture content of the air increases, the material reacts so that its moisture content will also increase. During absorption, the moisture travels from the outside of the object inward, affecting the edges and the top of the object before reaching the object's core. Similarly, if the relative humidity of the environment decreases, the material will release (or desorb) moisture into the environment. In other words, if the moisture content of the air decreases, the material will react so that its moisture content will also decrease. During desorption, the moisture travels from the inside of the object outward towards the surface.
The materials thus respond to the changes in the moisture content of the air. But, just as with temperature equilibration, the new moisture equilibrium is not attained instantly. It takes time for the material to respond to the new conditions, to absorb or desorb the appropriate amount of moisture. Only if the new humidity conditions persist long enough will the entire object –from its perimeter to its core - reach a moisture equilibrium with the relative humidity of the environment.
IV/ How much?
The amount of moisture organic materials contain is primarily determined by the relative humidity of the air.
Because hygroscopic materials equilibrate with the relative humidity of the environment, the relative humidity is the primary determinant of a material's moisture content. The amount of moisture a material contains when it has reached equilibrium with its environment is described as the Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC). Expressed as a percentage, the EMC describes how much of the material's mass is made up by water (For example, if an object is has an EMC of 8% at 60oF and 40% Relative Humidity, then there are 8 grams of water in every 100 grams of material when the material has reached equilibrium with that environment).
Not all materials contain the same amount of moisture.
V/ How fast?
The rate of moisture equilibration is influenced by each material's inherent capacity to control moisture diffusion.
As stated earlier, materials don't respond instantaneously to changes in the environment. It takes time for the material to absorb or desorb the appropriate amount of moisture to adjust to the new humidity conditions. The length of time it takes an object to equilibrate, however, depends on many variables; the inherent properties of the object, the hygroscopic nature of the material, the dimensional characteristics, and the surface exposure to the environment all influence moisture equilibration.
VI/ So what!?
What does this "slow" rate of moisture equilibration mean in respect to environmental fluctuations?
Just because the relative humidity of the environment suddenly increases 20% does not mean the moisture content of the object simultaneously increases. In fact, if the increase is temporary, the object may not "feel" the change at all.
Knowing that moisture equilibration is a slow process gives us an important perspective on the significance of environmental fluctuations.
Bigourdan, J.-L., P. Z. Adelstein, and J. M. Reilly, "Moisture and Temperature Equilibration: Behavior and Practical Significance in Photographic Film Preservation," La Conservation: Une Science en Evolution, Bilans et Perspectives, Actes des Troisiemes Journées Internationales d'Etudes de l'ARSAG, Paris, 21 au 25 Avril 1997, (Paris: Association pour la recherche scientifique sur les arts graphiques, 1997) pp. 154-164. (Open PDF file)
Bigourdan, J.-L., and J. M. Reilly, "Effects of Fluctuating Environments on Library and Archives Materials," Final Report to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, IMLS Grant #LL-80088-98, Image Permanence Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, Februrary 15, 2003.


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Okay so I'm behind on posting sneak peeks and featuring designers. I'm still playing catch-up from being gone an extra week with Brielle in the hospital. Thanks for hanging in there and being patient. Oh and for those who have e-mailed me about a session or other photogs who've e-mailed - I'm not ignoring you... I promise. I'm just swamped and have been working till past mid-night every night to get orders submitted & packaged, editing and trying to catch-up on e-mails. I will get back to you all soon ;-)
On Saturday my session was with 3 little cuties - 10 month old Harmon, 3 yr old Teige and a 5 yr old Emmeline. I love their names! So unique! And Emmeline is just as pretty as the name sounds. Harmon and Teige are all boy! Teige just couldn't get enough of pretend play, he has such a great imagination! I could tell he and his daddy play a lot of 'action' type of pretend play - again, very boy. :)
Here's a little sample of the images I captured :). (some of them called for a vintage wash with some light texture, others b&w with a touch of mocha and of course a few with my fun and funky color).
And their daddy is an airline pilot so check out this official pilots hat and the cool vintage plane Teige is playing with. He knew all the technical terms for each part of the plane and he knew the names of tricky cool moves the plane can do. They were all completely over my head (honestly, I hadn't even heard of over half of the terms he and his dad were using - but they sounded really cool) ;-)
(now with texture and a light wash....)


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|Apr '17
|Apr '17
Spring Chicks arrive WEEKLY at Spring Creek Feed Center through April 30, 2017!
All baby chicks are pullets, 90% accuracy unless noted*.
Chicks will be available at noon on the date listed.
April 7th
• Silver Wyandotte, Barnevelder, Maran, assorted Ducklings
April 14th
• Rhode Island Reds, Light Brahma, Blue Langshan, Russian Orloff
April 21st
• Ameraucana, Production Red, Barred Rock, Buff Orpington
April 27th
• Bantams*, Assorted Frizzle Bantams
Watch for chick arrival updates on Facebook!
Get all your baby chick and chicken supplies at Spring Creek Feed Center! We have everything you need to raise healthy chicks, including chicken coops, feeders, fencing, waterers, heat lamps, and more! We carry starter feeds, regular chicken feed, and organic/non-GMO chicken feed.
Please note: Dates may vary depending on chick hatch dates; we recommend calling the store to confirm new chick arrivals as well as quantities and varieties of new chicks. For questions about availability, quantities, and varieties of new chicks, please call Spring Creek Feed Center at (281) 252-5400. All chicks should be available by noon on the delivery date.


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You are here
Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, California
Rowan is the Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation, California. In this role, Rowan leads the California team to build and manage a portfolio of co-investments spanning all three sectors of Johnson & Johnson.
Rowan most recently served as Head of Healthcare Investing, GE Ventures. There she led the team responsible for GE Ventures' healthcare investing strategy and portfolio as well as managing partnerships and thought leadership with a particular focus on digital health, data analytics and precision medicine. In this role she drove creation of the first three Healthcare "NewCos" incubated and launched from GE. Prior to joining the ventures team, Rowan served as Head of Precision Diagnostics at GE Healthcare, where she was responsible for strategy development to integrate lab services, products, data, informatics, software, and content. Before GE, she spent 11 years as a Partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures, where she drove development of the life science investment strategy and practice area. Her investments ranged from therapeutics to diagnostic to digital.
Rowan holds a PhD and first class honors degree in Biochemistry from Cambridge University, U.K. and was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco.


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The conventional wisdom runs like this: Liberals are charitable because they advocate government redistribution of money in the name of social justice; conservatives are uncharitable because they oppose these policies. But note the sleight of hand: Government spending, according to this logic, is a form of charity.
Let us be clear: Government spending is not charity. It is not a voluntary sacrifice by individuals. No matter how beneficial or humane it might be, no matter how necessary it is for providing public services, it is still the obligatory redistribution of tax revenues. Because government spending is not charity, sanctimonious yard signs do not prove that the bearers are charitable or that their opponents are selfish. (On the contrary, a public attack on the integrity of those who don't share my beliefs might more legitimately constitute evidence that I am the uncharitable one.)
To evaluate accurately the charity difference between liberals and conservatives, we must consider private, voluntary charity. How do liberals and conservatives compare in their private giving and volunteering? Beyond strident slogans and sarcastic political caricatures, what, exactly, do the data tell us?
The data tell us that the conventional wisdom is dead wrong. In most ways, political conservatives are not personally less charitable than political liberals—they are more so.
…People living in conservative states volunteer more than people in liberal states. In 2003, the residents of the top five "Bush states" were 51 percent more likely to volunteer than those of the bottom five, and they volunteered an average of 12 percent more total hours each year. Residents of these Republican-leaning states volunteered more than twice as much for religious organizations, but also far more for secular causes. For example, they were more than twice as likely to volunteer to help the poor.


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Tiny purse, its so small its not even practical. Can hold few coins, a realy small items. Its more a fancy adornment than a real holder
One of most UNPRACTICAL and nonsense item we have. There is no purpose of haveing them unless you like small pockets just for show.
Material: Natural Leather, Cattle Hide - Vegetable Tanned. Hand painted.
- Measurments:
- wide: 4,5- 5,5cm
- height: 5-5,7 cm
- deep: 2-3cm
- can be worn on 1,4cm belts
Uno Purse
- Brand: Faun-Forge
- Product Code: uno_purse
- Availability: Pre-Order


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Chamomile, Lemon & Ginger Toddy
This is such a warming and comforting drink – ideal for chilly weather, and the perfect pick-me-up for colds and flu.
2 Higher Living Lemon & Ginger teabags
200ml (1/3 pint) just-boiled water
1 cinnamon stick
1 scant teaspoon finely grated fresh root ginger (optional)
2-3 teaspoons honey
Lemon slice (for garnish)
Put the Lemon & Ginger tea bags into a heatproof a heatproof glass or mug, add the very hot water and the cinnamon stick. Leave to steep for 5 minutes, then remove the teabags.
Add the root ginger & Lemon juice, then sweeten to taste with the honey. Add a slice of lemon, then drink whilst hot.
Cook's Tip: Add a tot of whiskey to the drink to give it an added kick!


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Public Comment
Berkeley Iceland Initiative Petitioners Seek Signatures
Because the current leadership of the City has failed to address the need for its restoration as a community recreation center, an initiative targeted for the November Ballot has been launched through which the Citizens of Berkeley would establish the restoration of Berkeley Iceland as a public community recreation center the official policy of the City of Berkeley. A drive to qualify the initiative kicked off on the fifth anniversary of Berkeley Iceland's closing in 2007 with the goal of getting the signatures of 3,000 Berkeley voters by May 10. The full text of the initiative is available at http://www.berkeleyiceland.org/advocacy/ballot_2012/resolution.
When the current owners of Berkeley Iceland closed our 72 year old community ice rink in 2007, the City of Berkeley lost a valuable public recreation space. In the intervening years, the community has fought and won preservation of the structure in the face of significant opposition from the owners and little support from city leaders. With preservation of the structure achieved, the City of Berkeley needs a policy regarding use of the site that best serves the entire community: a public recreation and community center based on a sustainable ice rink as was the historic role of Berkeley Iceland. This initiative would set City policy so that any plans for Berkeley Iceland coming before the Council, Boards, Commissions and other official bodies use the need for community recreation in their decisions.
While it was the the current owners who closed Berkeley Iceland, actions of the City of Berkeley were cited by the owners as contributing factors. Because the building was not designated for preservation and the City did not have a policy to preserve the valuable community space, Berkeley Iceland was allowed to become an unused eyesore neglected by its owners. While the landmark designation of the building is settled and the site itself protected, the attention is turned to the use of the building. The City of Berkeley needs a clear policy to ensure Berkeley Iceland is restored for the good of our community. A building designed for public recreation in a City lacking recreation space requires policies which favor its restoration as a community recreation center.
The City of Berkeley Master Plan recognizes the lack of public recreation space in Berkeley. The restoration of Berkeley Iceland as a community recreation facility is an opportunity to return lost community space to the City of Berkeley. With active support for this goal set forth in the policies to be adopted through this petition by the City of Berkeley, resources from public, private and nonprofit sources can be combined to restore a truly world-class community recreation center in an acknowledged historic building - Berkeley Iceland.
Petitions are being circulated throughout the City of Berkeley - look for us at the Farmers Markets and other popular sites. If you can volunteer to gather signatures, contact us through the Save Berkeley Iceland website , and follow our progress on the site as well. Help us in the next step to Save Berkeley Iceland!
As always, we thank you!, our community, for all the support you have given over the years - without it we would not gotten as far as we have!
Email Tom Killilea at: firstname.lastname@example.com