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The Risk of Presenteeism in the Open Office Workplace
Presenteeism is the act of attending work while sick. For many of us, presenteeism has been engrained into our lives from a young age. Schools limit sick days and discourage students from missing class. As with work, in school you never know when you will really need that sick day. We only half-jokingly refer to elementary schools as petri dishes. Many opponents of open office environments are concerned that open plans will create a similar environment that results in an increased likelihood of illnesses spreading. A recent article on the US Department of Health & Human Services' Healthfinder.gov, "Offices With Open Floor Plans Tied to More Sick Days", cites a Swedish study claiming just that, but let's take a closer look at why that may be the case.
In reality, whether you work in a traditional office environment or an open office environment, it just doesn't make much sense for contagious people to come to the office for work. When our clients make the move to open office environments, we always recommend a thorough review (done by both their team and ours) of any policies they have related to working from home. We'll also work with our clients to develop guidelines, protocols, and etiquette for working in what is often a dramatically different work environment. The spread of germs is always one of the top concerns!
Do you see this often at work?
-You feel that you must be on your death bed/going to see a doctor for pneumonia or bronchitis if you stay home from work.
-People come into work sick even when there is no way to be productive.
-People apologizing profusely and/or rattling off descriptive symptoms of the illness and the details of the past 24 hours if they do stay home:
- "I could barely move!"
- "I'm pretty sure I lost 5 lbs. in one day."
- "Let's just say- it wasn't pretty. You wouldn't want to be anywhere near me."
- "My nose was a faucet and I felt like the room was spinning."
Establish Remote Working Policies
With the benefits of easier collaboration come additional considerations. In addition to considering workplace etiquette, storage options, and providing plenty of private "heads-down" spaces, organizations committing to an open office plan also need to take another look at their remote working policies. Many employees believe that they must be in the office in order to be seen as a dedicated worker, even if they are sick. What we do not recommend is going to remote work options for sick employees without establishing clear guidelines.
There are varying degrees of illness. Some require actually taking the day off, while others require simply avoiding the office while contagious as a courtesy to others. The point of allowing remote work is not to help employees avoid working while saving sick days or to get rid of sick days altogether. The purpose of having remote work options for sick employees is to keep the office and employees happy and healthy–whether they have a full-blown cold or are maybe just a little contagious.
Changing the Culture
By extending workplace flexibility in your organizational culture, your employees can feel empowered, knowing that it's truly ok for them to stay at home if they're sick. Whether team members can barely get out of bed, or are just starting to feel a cold come on, it's important for employees to not feel like they need to "tough it out" and come in when they're sick. Understanding rewards and consequences is something we often discuss with clients. If the prevailing sentiment is to frown upon the usage of sick time and to reward employees for being martyrs who come in and work no matter how they're feeling, simply offering some telework is not going to change the culture. Discussions with managers, communications to team members, and ultimately, the behavior displayed by leadership will determine the success of this change.
If this is something your organization is struggling with, or if you're considering a move to a more open work environment, Stegmeier Consulting Group can help. In being a resource to guide you through the transition, our consultants can work with your team to develop the right strategy for moving forward, meet with the various layers of your organization to discuss changes and achieve buy-in, and craft messaging to keep your workforce informed throughout. Head over to our Services page to see how else we can help, or contact us to learn more.
Elizabeth Anderson is a Consultant in Change Management with Stegmeier Consulting Group whose professional role supporting clients with their workplace transformation initiatives is enhanced by her experience in providing strategic occupancy solutions that address the financial, operational, and workforce implications of the changing work environment. Elizabeth's career background includes a role as Occupancy Planner for Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) in Seattle and Staff Accountant for Moss Adams, LLP in Tacoma.


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Every president since Richard Nixon has said the United States must end its reliance on foreign oil. Yet today we import more petroleum than ever, and oil provides 96 percent of the fuel for our cars and trucks.
David Sandalow, former assistant secretary of state and member of the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton, says the next president can succeed where others have failed. The trifecta of mounting concern about petroleum's impact on national security, the environment and the economy provides an unprecedented opportunity to radically reshape national energy policy, says Sandalow, who is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
His new book, Freedom From Oil: How the Next President Can End the United States' Oil Addiction, offers a detailed plan for weaning us from oil within a generation.
"Oil dependence is a problem we can solve," he said in a telephone interview. "We have the political consensus and the technological opportunity. This is a moment to seize."
Sandalow drew upon his government experience, dozens of interviews and reams of documents – the 272-page book includes 42 pages of footnotes – in crafting a six-point plan for our next leader:
1. The country should begin transforming the transportation fleet to alternative fuels. How? The government should begin converting its fleet to plug-in electric hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles. The government should also provide Detroit with the capital to develop such vehicles by paying automakers' retiree health care costs and backing battery warranties. Consumers would receive tax credits of up to $8,000 for buying a plug-in hybrid. These proposals would cost $13.5 billion over 10 years; the health care plan would cost $500 million annually.
2. The fuel supply should also be transformed by requiring all major fuel suppliers to retrofit half their pumps for E85 (cost to suppliers: $300 million), extending the ethanol tax credit for 10 years (cost to the government: $15 billion) and requiring refiners to produce low-carbon gasoline.
3. Federal funding should also go towards mass transit and promotion of telecommuting rather than highway construction.
4. Research into all forms of renewable energy should receive $1 billion annually from the government.
5. The government should increase the gasoline tax by 10 cents a gallon each year for five years, generating $65 billion. Most of that money would be returned to taxpayers in annual rebates; the rest would finance programs to ease our dependence on oil.
6. Make clean fuels and energy efficiency a top diplomatic priority by encouraging America's allies and trade partners – particularly China, where fuel needs are expected to quadruple by 2030 – to adopt similar efforts to wean themselves from petroleum.
Sandalow realizes some of his proposals are controversial, and he says they aren't the only way to address a problem policymakers increasingly agree must be solved. He defended his plan in a phone interview with Wired News.
WN: What you propose will require a Manhattan Project or Apollo program level of commitment.
Sandalow: I call it the Reynolds Project. I got the name from the town of Reynolds, Indiana. It's a town of 574 people, and they have decided they will use only renewable energy, nothing else. The president of the town council, Charles van Voorst, told me, "It's hard to get someone to believe in something that's never happened before," and I think that's the basic problem with this challenge. We all grew up with cars that relied on oil, so we think it's the way of the world. It doesn't have to be that way.
WN: You place tremendous emphasis on converting our transportation fleet to electric plug-in hybrids. Why?
Sandalow: I believe electric plug-in hybrids are the most important part of the solution, but they're only one part of the solution. Oil provides 96 percent of the energy for our vehicles but only 3 percent of the energy for electric power generation. If we could connect our cars and trucks to this infrastructure, the potential for reducing oil dependence dramatically, and in a short period of time, would be incredible.
WN: What about the argument that cars fueled by electricity from a coal-fired power plant ultimately are as polluting as cars using fossil fuels?
Sandalow: If you plug a first-generation into a coal-fired plant, you would still be producing fewer heat-trapping gases than you would driving the average car powered by oil. But the real win is to plug these cars into renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
WN: Why not call for electric vehicles?
Sandalow: We should experiment with both. My opinion is we'll start with plug-in electric hybrids and work our way to full electric vehicles. The leading example of the full electric car is the Tesla. They have a great product. But it's a $98,000 car.
WN: Every president since Richard Nixon has said we need to address this issue. Why haven't we made more progress?
Sandalow: First, we have allowed ourselves to be whipsawed by trends in the oil market. When prices dropped in the mid to late 1980s and '90s, we stopped paying attention to this issue. Second, we've focused on just a narrow part of the problem. Our political dialog focuses much too much on imported oil as opposed to the problem of oil dependence. The fundamental problem is 96 percent of the energy our cars and trucks use comes from oil. We need to find other energy sources for our transportation fleet.
WN:: You drive an electric plug-in hybrid?
WN: You've suggested in the book that we need much tighter fuel-economy standards. Do the standards President Bush recently signed into law go far enough?
Sandalow: I think it was a good step forward and a historic advance. But we can do more. Unfortunately, the day after President Bush signed that legislation, the administrator of the EPA denied the application from California and more than a dozen other states to impose an even more visionary rule. I have every hope that the next president will reverse that decision and we will soon see even stronger rules.
WN: In calling for a transformation of our fuel supply, you emphasize ethanol, biofuels and low-carbon gasoline. Why don't you include hydrogen?
I'm not optimistic about the chance of hydrogen to make a difference in the short or medium term. I'm not opposed to it, but there are two challenges when it comes to hydrogen. The first is producing it. It takes lots of energy and money to do that. And then once we've got the hydrogen, what do we do with it? We have no infrastructure for distributing hydrogen, and building one would be a gargantuan task and expense. I think the biggest advances will come in ethanol and other biofuels.
WN: We're in the midst of an era of tremendous research into alternative fuels, from cellulosic ethanol to algae. Should our efforts be more focused?
Sandalow: We should be pursuing a wide range of possibilities with a combination of private sector and government funding. Government funding should go into basic science and technologies that are furthest away from market applications. No one can predict where the breakthroughs will come, and we need to be pursuing several options.
WN: You call for a significant shift in funding away from highways and toward mass transit. How likely is that to happen, given current growth patterns toward suburbs and exurbs?
Sandalow: We do not have a level playing field for mass transit in this country. If you're a local government or a state government and you want money for a road, you have to prove less (with regard to the project's benefits) and you get a higher percentage (of the project's cost) in reimbursement from the federal government than if you want money for a mass-transit project. That's nuts, and we need to change that. Our political system is used to dispensing money for roads, so it will take some changes in mindset.
WN: You suggest increasing the gas tax 10 cents a gallon a year for five years. Four presidents have tried, and largely failed, to increase the gas tax.
Sandalow: I've been around politics long enough to know that any tax proposal will immediately be met with widespread opposition. One suggestion I have is to rebate some proceeds from the tax to middle- and low-income families. The checks could be delivered during the summer, when families are taking vacations. The remainder would be dedicated to programs that reduce our oil dependence.
WN: What's the point of taxing consumers for gasoline, then returning the money to them?
Sandalow: It would change what people spend money on. If people and the automakers knew gasoline taxes would rise, people would demand, and automakers would produce, more fuel-efficient vehicles. It would encourage people to move away from gasoline. The tax also would provide tax rebates on plug-in hybrid cars.
WN: Critics will consider your proposal an example of big government run amok.
Sandalow: Our dependence on petroleum is the result of decades of support by big government. There have been subsidies for the production of oil in the U.S., preferential rates for the production of oil on public land, subsidies for road building. But the fundamental role the government has played has been ensuring the oil flows and promoting its safe transit around the world. Big government already plays a central role. The only question is are we going to use big government to move away from oil, or to continue its dominance.
WN: What about the argument that the market should decide the best course and government should stay out of the way?
Sandalow: If you are a free-market purist and believe big government shouldn't be involved, then you would support withdrawing U.S. forces from the Persian Gulf, revoking the Carter Doctrine, adjusting the mission of CENTCOM, redefining our relationship with Saudi Arabia, eliminating all the preferences for domestic production and a whole lot of other things the government does to support oil. Some people may support those things, but most people I've talked to think they would be a bad idea.
WN: How hopeful are you that the next president will take at least some steps toward moving us beyond oil?
Sandalow: Very hopeful. I think a president from either party has a huge opportunity to hit the ball out of the park, particularly if the American people stand up and say this is something they care deeply about. We're hearing that. This is a challenge the next president can, and I believe will, address.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Home
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Bob Gill is a telecommunications and networks expert focused on wireless and wired networks. His other interests involve sensors, co-operative, cognitive and ad-hoc networks. Throughout his schooling, Bob pursued a dual career path in telecommunications and power.
His industry experience includes: IBM (Toronto Lab Operations- now called Celestica), BCHydro in various capacities including: system planning, design, field operations, customer service and telecommunications. During tenure with TELUS in Calgary as a Technology manager, he was responsible for LAN/WAN, TX, meridian, IVR and the call center.
Mr. Gill is also an experienced educator. He has taught at Simon Fraser University, The University of British Columbia, The University of Victoria and The British Columbia Institute of Technology. These teaching assignments have been in diverse areas: electrical and computer engineering, DSP, network security, bio-medical engineering, computer systems and professional practices.
He is a Fellow of Engineers Canada and has served APEGBC in various capacities and presently serving as a member on Mentoring committee. He is currently serving as Chair, IEEE Vancouver Section.
Computer Communications
Analysis, design and implementation of computer networks and their protocols. Application layer protocols, transmission control protocol (TCP), Internet protocol (IP), routing algorithms, reliable data transfer, multiple access, Ethernet. [3-0-2]
Introduction to Computer Security
Security risks, threats, and vulnerabilities from technical perspectives; confidentiality, integrity, and hybrid policies; cryptography, access control, assurance, accountability, and engineering of secure systems.


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Cover: Princess Kate, young star of what you can think of as the longest-running reality show ever, is at odds with the show's veteran performer Elizabeth Windsor. So William and his wife are moving from Kensington Palace to a smaller palace in Norfolk to get away from Her Royal Pain. It's just like your family, only with a slight chance of beheadings.
This week in status quo: Life&Style brings you the latest shockers: Miley Cyrus is loud and disruptive, Kendra Wilkinson's marriage is collapsing, and Oprah is in no rush to get married.
Sad weird item inside: A photo quiz asking readers to "name that sideboob." (C'mon, Lohan's a gimme.)
Cover: Star declares that Miranda Lambert is pregnant, presumably in a bid to create a new Jennifer Aniston (mother of 400 beautiful, poorly sourced cover stories over the years). Key evidence? She asked hubby Blake Shelton to lay off the drinking. Hey, he's not pregnant. Sounds like that "irrational thoughts" problem expectant ladies have.
Dolly part: Dolly Parton's not sure if Miley can handle the starring role in her biopic, and prefers Scarlett Johansson. Well, so do I — so does everyone — but ScarJo's voice could not be any wronger. Why's she the frontrunner? Er, two good reasons.
Sad weird item inside: Zac Efron's trying to stick to his sobriety, while hanging out with Justin Bieber and Michelle Rodriguez. Everybody watches Rob Ford, but nobody learns, y'know?
Cover: It's the story everyone's talking about, because all the other mags had it a week ago.
Mad, meaning nuts: Vincent Kartheiser marries Alexis Bledel and an Us insider says he looked "just as dashing as his Mad Men character." They mean Pete Campbell, TV's creepiest little prig. It's not exactly Schindler's List, Us insider; you won't suddenly become an outsider if you admit you don't watch.
Sad weird item inside: MTV is having a Teen Mom TV cast reunion except for Farrah Abraham, the "erotic" "book" "author" and star of such films as Farrah 2: Backdoor and More.


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Forty years ago today at 9 a.m., in a light rain, jackhammers began tearing at the granite walls of the soon-to-be-demolished Pennsylvania Station, an event that the editorial page of The New York Times termed a ''monumental act of vandalism'' that was ''the shame of New York.''
This grim anniversary falls in Halloween week, when spirits of the departed seem so notoriously restive, and those searching for the insistent phantoms of Penn Station can find them deep in the bustling, claustrophobic warren that has been carved out of the old terminal's subterranean remains. Ghost hunters need only know where to look.
Consider, for example, the eroded splotch in the new imitation tile floor down a corridor off the station's busy rotunda.
Peeking through, and clearly visible, are exposed blocks of surviving pink Milford granite, adjacent to a section of the original tan herringbone-patterned bricks that once supplied the paving for Penn Station's southern carriage drive. Horse-drawn buggies -- not to mention Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and five decades of passengers -- traversed bricks identical to these as they rushed to waiting trains.
''It's as if the old station just keeps insisting on coming out,'' said John Turkeli, a railroad historian and urban archaeologist who leads a free monthly public tour of both the Penn Station that is and the spectral Penn Station that was.
It is true that the wrecking ball knocked down nine acres of travertine and granite. But thousands of distracted visitors to the current terminal have no idea that they are surrounded by dozens of minor treasures from the vanished masterpiece by McKim, Mead & White.
If some Penn Station revivalists see only the tragic loss of architectural grandeur in such fragmentary and accidental survivals, Mr. Turkeli, 43, sees them as evidence of the indomitable spirit of the transportation hub, which opened to the public in 1910. ''It just will not be forgotten,'' he insisted. Daniel A. Biederman, president of the 34th Street Partnership, said he started the architectural tours a decade ago ''to increase people's awareness, so that more great things won't be destroyed.'' The partnership sponsors the tours under the umbrella of the Business Improvement District, which runs along 34th Street from 10th Avenue to Park Avenue South.
''When you see these vestiges of this famous place, you feel even more regret,'' he said.
Some of the remains were identified by Lorraine B. Diehl, who used to lead the tours, and others were discovered by Mr. Turkeli. Those who wish to join Mr. Turkeli's 90-minute tours should gather at 12:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of every month at the tourist information booth in the station's rotunda; information is available at (917) 438-5123. But since the next tour will not be until Nov. 24, ghost seekers can, on their own, find many of the surviving artifacts by investing a bit of time and shoe leather. (However, visitors must wait for the tour to see a few inaccessible relics in restricted areas protected by station police.)
A visit to Penn Station -- which gave way to the Penn Plaza complex and Madison Square Garden -- might begin outdoors at the statue of Samuel Rea, president of the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1913 to 1925, in front of 2 Penn Plaza at Seventh Avenue and 32nd Street. The statue, by Adolph A. Weinman, once stood in a niche to the right of the staircase leading down into the main waiting room.
Next, head south on Seventh Avenue toward 31st Street, and make obeisance to one of the original 5,700-pound Tennessee-marble stone eagles that once perched on ledges above the station's grand entrances. This eagle is in captivity now, fenced in, visited daily by a family of squatter pigeons. Could they be distant descendants of the flock that once decorated Penn Station's exterior and flapped under its vaulted roof?
On 31st Street, head west to the middle of the block, and pause to look south, across the street, at the monumental surviving edifice of the coal-fired Penn Station power plant, now used for storage and backup power systems.
Between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, head north under the canopy along the footpath of the driveway (now barred to vehicles for security reasons). Make a left into the terminal building, then pause atop the escalators. This is the location of the original grand staircase into the main waiting room; the Rea statue was once enshrined at the right.
Look down at the rotunda below, site of the old main waiting room. It was patterned after the Baths of Caracalla in Rome and once soared 15 stories to a vaulted ceiling. The big room, Mr. Turkeli noted, ''then as now, never had a bench in it.''
''It has never really been,'' he said, ''a place to wait.''
After descending on the escalator, head left to a corridor marked ''For Passenger Concourse Use Only,'' adjacent to the Grove Snack Shop. If it is between 6 and 10 a.m., or 4 and 8 p.m., it is permissible to stroll halfway down the corridor to view the eroded section of the previously mentioned floor tiles and see the remains of the building's signature granite and its herringbone bricks.
Another section of these bricks has struggled out from under the asphalt on the opposite side of the rotunda. Without entering the off-limits corridor marked ''Employees Only,'' visitors can stand at the portal and observe, back near the elevator, a swath of the remnant of the station's northern carriage drive.
Back at the center of the rotunda, the futuristic waiting room for Acela and Metroliner trains occupies the former men's and women's waiting rooms. At the site of the current departure board, with its tiny digital clock, once stood a windowed arch beneath a large ticking station clock.
Walk left, skirting the curve of the glass-enclosed waiting room, and head straight back to the far wall, at the West Gate of Tracks 5 and 6. There, heading down to the train level, is a remaining original staircase of brass and wrought iron (all the others have been replaced by escalators).
Walking left to the baggage-claim signs, visitors will see a 1948 bronze plaque that had been affixed to the original station walls, honoring baggage-department employees who died in World War II, from Joe R. Adams to Frederick W. Zahodnick.
Behind the wall, in the baggage area restricted to the public (but visible on Mr. Turkeli's tour), are four poignant artifacts of the Penn Station past. Upon the floor survives a section of the original glass bricks that brought natural light from the station's skylight down to the passageways and train level.
Nearby, on the original wall of ceramic tile, a fading painted directional sign to the East Gates is still visible. The ''E'' and ''G'' have surrendered to time, leaving the Scrabblish message ''AST ATES.''
Next to a wall is what is believed to be the last surviving elevator cage, with its dusty grill. And nearly obscured behind an Everest of heating ducts is the surviving cast-iron train indicator for Track 1.
Outside the baggage area, in the public corridor paralleling the modern row of Amtrak ticket windows, an impromptu gallery of historic photographs has been affixed to the pillars. Depicted are the original waiting room, a station facade and 1910 pictures of the vaulting, 10-story-high main concourse, with staircases plunging to the train level, like the one at Tracks 5 and 6.
''There's a lot of interest in these photos,'' said Michael J. Gallagher, the assistant superintendent of station operations, as he stood near one at the pillars. ''People study them, and they constantly ask us why the station looks like it does now.''
So, what is his habitual answer? He sighed, ''What can I tell you?''
Those interested in a longer visit should head down the stairs past the train announcer's booth into the Long Island Rail Road station. To the right, after the long corridor toward Seventh Avenue, the sleek new ticket windows (under the destination boards) are just about where the old ones were in the original station.
Also from the original station, a 30-foot-wide, Tuscan red, cast-iron partition, with beveled-glass windows, stands guard at the portal for the ticketed waiting area, adjacent to the gray police booth under the American flag.
After leaving Penn Station, visitors should also seek out the street-level entrance to the Long Island Rail Road terminal on 34th Street near Seventh Avenue. There, they can find a working four-sided clock, suspended on cables and believed by Mr. Turkeli to have been in the original Long Island terminal.
Those who have completed the tour, and have been saddened by an architectural loss of such immensity, might appreciate a bit of cheering up. In the end, the destruction of what the Municipal Art Society termed ''one of the great monuments of classical America'' led to the creation of the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1965.
''And that led to the rescue of Grand Central Station,'' Mr. Turkeli said, ''which could have met the very same fate.''


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As a parent of a player currently playing with Central in AAA Bantam, and who's older child has played both AAA Peewee (winning the provincials) and Bantam, I have no problem with the league. Look around. Compare other AAA leagues, not just in the Atlantic provinces, but further west. The areas of higher population, have teams who dominate the leagues. Are all those leagues "abject failures"? The NS league currently has a team with 1 win and 29 losses. NB has a team with 0 wins and 26 losses. First place teams? NS 29 wins 1 loss , NB 20 wins 2 losses. Obviously those leagues are failing as well. Our biggest issue? Geography. Do we have to travel if we live outside St. John's? Yes. 2 years ago, my oldest played AAA bantam , old way, no league, just 4 tournaments. I travelled much,much more that year than I'm doing in the league this year. If your child wants to play at a higher level, and you're limited by geography, you travel. That's life.
For Central or Western to compete, all the best players have to tryout. Not move to get better hockey. Even when they all tryout, only when we have a bumper crop are we truly competitive. But that's realistic. Show me a AAA league where all teams are relatively equal. Bantam, peewee, midget, I don't care. You won't be able to.
The "AAA" Competitive Imbalance
The current makeup of Triple "AAA" Peewee and Bantam hockey within our province is an abject failure. In its wisdom (or lack thereof), Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador (HNL) has flexed its muscles to form a provincial league that is composed of players from the St. John's, Trinity-Placentia (TriPen), Conception Bay Region (TriCom), Central and Western minor hockey leagues. In effect, it has created a league that is destined to be dominated for the most part by teams from two locations (St. John's/TriCom areas) with Central and Western Teams lagging well behind.
At the time we penned this article, the current standings at the AAA Bantam level shows that the St. John's team well out in front of the standings, with a record of 20-1-1-0, accumulating 41 points overall. In second place is the TriPen team with a record of 14-4-1-1 (30 points). Close behind in third place is the TriCom team with an 11-10-5-1 record (28 points). This is where the current imbalance comes to light when you have the Central team setting well back with a record of 4-16-41 (13 points) and the Western team sitting in the basement with a record of 4-18-1-1 (10 points).
The disparity continues when you examine the AAA Peewee results. St. John's again leads the way with a record of 19-2-2 (40 points), followed by TriCom at 18-3-1-0 (37 points), TriPen at 6-13-1-0 (13 points), Central at 6-17-0-1 (13 points) and Western at 6-18-0-1 (13 points).
In speaking with some of the parents with children involved in this level of play, they express their concerns and displeasure at the current structure. Not only is it impacting player morale in the Central and Western ranks, it is creating arrogance in the ranks of the winning teams. This is also carrying over to the parents, volunteers and organizers at the league level. These are the people that are experiencing the frustrations at home and trying to put on a brave face in light of what is occurring throughout the league and on the ice.
Before HNL established the current makeup of Triple AAA hockey within the province, many of the home leagues were seeing an increase in participation at what they considered the "Elite" level of the game. Players were more willing to try-out, participate and looked forward to competing beyond their house leagues. It is evident now that interest is waning and speaking to people privately they will tell you it's the current imbalance that is a major contributing factor.
There are those from the winning leagues that indicate they have a much larger pool of players in their respective areas. They indicate that talent is also cyclical and that the current imbalance is not so much about the league makeup but more about a great group of young hockey players that have come along at the same time. They liken it to an alignment of "stars" and "planets", seeing nothing wrong with the fact that one or two areas are dominating the current structure.
At the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves is this good for the game of hockey here in Newfoundland and Labrador? Sure there are those players with dreams of following the likes of Dan Cleary and Michael Ryder to the NHL, but in all likelihood, many of today's younger players will be lucky to make it to the ranks of a great junior team or even to one of the Newfoundland Senior Hockey teams.
The focus in our opinion is that the current structure is broken and is taking the fun out of the game for both the players and the parents. No one enjoys losing but when you have the governing body of hockey here in Newfoundland fixing the structure of play to benefit certain areas, one has to question such wisdom.
It is time for something to change at the Triple "A" level of hockey here in the province. The game has to be returned to being both competitive and fun for all those involved.
Stay tuned for more on this issue as we examine Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador's jockeying the system to favour St. John's teams.
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9 Comments
As a parent of a player currently playing with Central in AAA Bantam, and who's older child has played both AAA Peewee (winning the provincials) and Bantam, I have no problem with the league. Look around. Compare other AAA leagues, not just in the Atlantic provinces, but further west. The areas of higher population, have teams who dominate the leagues. Are all those leagues "abject failures"? The NS league currently has a team with 1 win and 29 losses. NB has a team with 0 wins and 26 losses. First place teams? NS 29 wins 1 loss , NB 20 wins 2 losses. Obviously those leagues are failing as well. Our biggest issue? Geography. Do we have to travel if we live outside St. John's? Yes. 2 years ago, my oldest played AAA bantam , old way, no league, just 4 tournaments. I travelled much,much more that year than I'm doing in the league this year. If your child wants to play at a higher level, and you're limited by geography, you travel. That's life.
Well i feel so bad for you! How about the kids from Labrador? They don't even get to play at the AAA level any more. No one gave a second thought about them when you formed your little "elite" leagues on the island. They get left out once again. Oh yes we get invited down to play in the end of year Tournament, what a joke. Sure bring down your team from Labrador the get to practice twice in the season and not play one game, come one down and play against our teams that 25+ game season. What a joke " HN " and the rest of you are!
Then to add insult to the associations up in Labrador, you do nothing but cry when you get graded and have to take part in the Easter Tournaments up there. Saying how expensive it is to go up there. Well have a look at all the teams they send down? How much money do those people have to raise to send their teams and their kids to play on the island.
The goal of AAA should be to have fun while developing the top players. The province wide league should be abolished and each region should have its own league to make things as competitive as possible.
If you want to have a overall champ at the end of the year, have each league send their champ to the year end tourney with the the smaller regions getting a few pick ups from other teams in their league based on population. This way throughout the year everyone is happier and the scores / standings won't be as lopsided.
If you have an outstanding kid in a smaller region in Banatam for example, the parents will have to decide if they want to send them or move to the bigger centre for better competition / exposure.
In response to Steve's post- and to be honest I don't think the admin's articles were written to compare provinces' relative success or failure with AAA- firstly, there is no province-wide AAA in Pee Wee in Nova Scotia- and there shouldn't be any in NL. It's too early for kids of that age. By the time these kids get to Midget, they're burned out from all the long Winters of travel. Secondly if we are to compare Leagues, province to province, 10 of the 12 teams in Nova Scotia's Bantam AAA league typically play competitive games – the results of the games are posted online. Typically there are a couple of teams that are better than most of the league, and a couple of teams that struggle against most of the league. My point is that with so many teams, more kids get to play, there are always teams in your general area so travel is cut down, and finally, if a team has competitive games against 8 or 9 teams out of 11 possible opponents, it isn't so bad as when a team like Western, for example, can only compete against 1 or 2 of 4 possible opponents. I can only speak to the situations in NS and NL. It's simple math- there are more competitive games in NS. Yes, the geography of NL is unique- absolutely. What's the solution? To be honest- I don't know and I wouldn't presume that I could come up with one given that I've been out of the Province for a couple of years. But surely, I know there are great hockey people in NL who, if they could step back and not worry so much about NL's (typical a team from the Avalon) results on the Atlantic stage, could brainstorm to find a better way.
I can't confirm this because I've only spoken to a few friends from Corner Brook, but I'm hearing that people from Western are doubting whether they'll be able to ice a team in AAA Pee Wee- as early as next year! And who could blame them? Lining up for a season full of 4-9 hr drives to games, many during NLs Winter, only to be mercilessly beaten on the ice, and then to turn around and make the long drive home on Sunday to make it in time for work/school on Monday? Ask the East Coast parents if even they feel the drives to the West Coast for games are worthwhile. I suspect they don't see much value given the lack of competition, cost, and inherent risk in the drive.
Just my two cents- I'm not speaking for anybody but myself.
The other problem which has been eluded to but not fully discussed is practice time. The St. John's Tricom teams practice at least once per week in prime time hours. They have little disruption from their day to day routine.
Practices allow for systems to be in place players get better and more comfortable with their teammates etc.


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This blogs sole purpose has transitioned to one of keeping in touch with each other. Over the years it has been primarily for letting everyone know what is happening and also for promotion to add more folks to our Winter Texan family. The core of things has changed and we must change along with it. We still want to know what is happening with our friends no matter where they may be located. So continue to let us know where you are and what is on your plate.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
We went to get our yearly supply of peaches again. We only got about 750 pounds this time. Pictured is just 1 row of boxes, more rows in dining room and kitchen. Most of these are sold, I keep about 200 pounds for us. So in case you were wondering what I am doing.....canning peaches and answering the door for peach pick-up! You should smell this place!!!! Yummmy
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Amazing Technology!
3D Printer.... pretty amazing
This printer can reproduce an actual tool!
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This printer can reproduce an actual tool!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Cooklin's swan photos
Monday, July 18, 2011
Weekend videos
Boone Trip:
Boone Toys:
Meat Eater:
This third video is a wonder. This tiny little baby girl is a major eater. I cannot believe the amounts of food she eats. Her parents order her a meal to herself when they eat out and she is 14 months old! Another phenomenon in my book is that she loves meat and eats a ton of it. This third video would make a great commercial for the Iowa Beef Producers. She snitched the steak from her mothers plate.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Dear Magnolia Park Family
Dear Magnolia Park Family....my parents, Dorothy and Dick Hannewald will be celebrating their 85th ( Mom ) and 90th ( Dad ) birthdays on August 6th ( same day, different years ....as Mom reminds us ! ). Since most of their dear friends are scattered all over the country , it would be hard to have a birthday party.....so I thought I would have a " birthday card" party......so if you would like to send them a card on this special day...I know they would love it....I'm keeping this a surprise....they love to get mail....their address is P.O. Box 6...Thompsonville, MI 49683.....Thanks so much in advance....P.S. They became great-great grandparents this week....Ada Marie...6 lbs 10 oz....19 1/2".....short, like the rest of us !!! Hope you are all having a great summer.....! Judie Mathews...( their daughter )
Thursday, July 14, 2011
From a park resident- Guess who??
I have found a great recipe for dishwasher soap! I love it, our water is so hard here, even with a softener. It works great, no film on glasses.....
2 cups of Washing Soda
2 cups of Borax
1 cup of salt
4 packs of unsweetened lemonade Koolaide
I'm guessing the Koolaide provides the citric acid needed to keep the film off the glassware. Salt softens or scrubs the dishes? Anyway I am very happy with this, beats Cascade hands down. I used to just use the soda and borax, but it left a film on things.
2 cups of Washing Soda
2 cups of Borax
1 cup of salt
4 packs of unsweetened lemonade Koolaide
I'm guessing the Koolaide provides the citric acid needed to keep the film off the glassware. Salt softens or scrubs the dishes? Anyway I am very happy with this, beats Cascade hands down. I used to just use the soda and borax, but it left a film on things.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
From Sharon Hvam
I was finishing up reading the Sunday Star Tribune today when I noticed Dale's obituary in the paper. He and Hazel lived where Larry Ergen now lives in Magnolia Park before they moved to San Juan Gardens(i believe) and I thought many of the long time residents of Magnolia might like to know about this, so wondered if you could post it.
Dale Mohn 83, died Friday, June 24,2011 at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen,Texas. Inurnment will take place at 1pm Thursday July 14,2011, at Fort Snelling National Cemetary in Minneapolis,Minnesota. A reception honoring the life of Dale will follow the inurnmentat the American Legion in Richfield Mn. It did not give an address for her.
Friday, July 08, 2011
Cost to Drive
This was on TV news tonight! Go to costtodrive.com Put in the info asked for, and they figure how much it will cost to drive to wherever you want to go! Neat info.....Kay
Barb says-" Yes, but do we really want to know?"
Barb says-" Yes, but do we really want to know?"
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Harper's visit Pearces
Don and Marty Harper visited Ron and Chris on their boat. Our camper overlooked the Mississippi. Read the sign. We had a great time. thanks Ron and Chris
Monday, July 04, 2011
From Marie Flood on the 4th
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text: Sargent Corporation has a large equipment fleet with the latest technology to get the job done right! Sargent also has its own on site modern shop facility, to maintain all trucks and equipment and a wide variety of machines and equipment including compressors, forklifts, generators, crushers and screen plants, fuel and water trucks. As well as numerous attachments, including snow blades, brooms, cutters, tillers, and hammers which help get the job done.


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When the young William Lyons introduced his devastatingly handsome SS Jaguar 100 sports two-seater in the fall of 1935, it was viewed with some skepticism by the rather conservative English sporting motorists of the day. Rakishly low, with 90 mph plus readily available and acceleration to match, it was well-equipped and finished, yet cost a mere ₤398. Surely there was a catch somewhere? Time has shown there was indeed no catch. With its long, many-louvered hood, its open cockpit with cutaway sides and its arching fenders, the SS Jaguar 100 symbolizes traditional 1930's sports car design, just as its brilliant successors, the Jaguar XK 120 roadster and the Jaguar E-Type coupe, represent the 1940s and 1960s.
William Lyons' master stroke was to make use of existing well-tried components from the multitude of makers surrounding him in Coventry. Steering gear, axles, gearboxes, instruments, even the chassis frame and more, all were "brought in" from the English industry's most reputable companies. The long-lived and powerful overhead valve engine was evolved by the famed Harry Weslake from a Standard Motor Company unit used in previous SS Jaguar models. Even the striking aluminum fenders were supplied in batches by a specialist, although it must be conceded that each SS Jaguar 100 body was skillfully hand crafted using traditional methods. Brought together by Lyons' young team of gifted engineers, the result was a responsive high-performance car with excellent steering, brakes and gearbox. There was a limited market in Britain in the late 1930s for such a car even at Lyons' relatively low price. In the few seasons before the war put an end to production only 190 were sold, plus 118 of the 3.5-liter version introduced in 1937, although that is a total most of his competitors would have regarded as very satisfactory.
SN 18031 is the last SS built in 1936 and the 31st produced. It has a documented list of owners since 1946. In the early 1980s, SN 18031 was completely disassembled for restoration. It was sold in pieces to the current owner in 1983 who undertook an exhaustive restoration. He spent hundreds of hours taking notes, carefully examining old photos and seeking the advice of Jaguar experts from as far away as England to South Africa. All the bodywork, painting, chassis, mechanical and assembly was lovingly carried out by the owner, and the car has all matching numbers to prove it. Whenever original items were missing, such as the top, an original pattern was located to copy exactly.


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….it seems that my granddaughter is going through a growth spurt
I was blessed this weekend to have my daughter and granddaughter stay with us for the weekend. On Friday they will be moving to the summer camp that my son-in-law is in charge of and unless I go up there during the summer there's little chance of seeing them for the next two months. Hopefully I will find the time to drive up and spend a day or two, here and there over the summer months.
So this weekend was very special to me. We started the day with lunch on the deck and Winnie enjoyed a sandwich, juice and strawberries. She discovered that dipping strawberries into almond butter made for a tasty treat.
After lunch Mommy left to visit a friend for a couple of hours so Winnie and I walked up to the Lakeshore where a grilled cheese festival was taking place. Before we got there she was already declaring that she was hungry again so the first thing we did was purchase a grilled cheese sandwich. She didn't eat it all but she did want to take it home (which she finished later). Then we went to the yarn store and the owner kindly offered both of us a drink of juice with 'strawberries' in it. Of course Winnie loved it.
When we left the yarn store Winnie once again said she was hungry so we headed towards the ice-cream store. She ordered a 'strawberry' cone and I had a cup of 'sweet cream'. Her cone had a very generous scoop of ice-cream for a kiddie cone but she had no problem finishing the whole thing.
In between all the treats Winnie bounced around in the Bouncy Castle and played several games where she earned some coupons for a few small prizes. All in all it was a wonderful afternoon that I will always cherish.


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Medisoft Clinical is a fully integrated EMR system.
There is a recent and interesting piece in the Washington Post by an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Craviotto, about the maddening aspect of forced mandates and bureaucratic requirements in medicine that seem to have very little to do with actual medical care and more about hoops through which we must jump that seemingly lead to nowhere.
While I do find the bureaucracy of medicine in the United States insane versus the Canadian system (for example) I was interested in Dr. Craviotto's take on the burden of the forced electronic health record (EHR) mandate and the time that doctors spend filling out "unnecessary fields" to satisfy regulatory measures. Dr. Craviotto writes that his isn't an unique complaint, quoting a study commissioned by the American Medical Association that identified "Poor EHR usability, time-consuming data entry, interference with face-to-face patient care, inefficient and less fulfilling work content, inability to exchange health information between EHR products, and…
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Council Policies
Council Policies - Policies that have been developed to act as guidelines for the elected officials to the City of Belleville.
This policy is intended to provide a framework for members of City Council respecting their:
- attendance at conferences/conventions;
- attendance at seminars/workshops/training courses, and other similar events;
- allowable expenses and compensation related to such events and functions.
This policy establishes a standard practice for members of Council with respect to use of promotional items provided through the City.
The purpose of this policy is to clarify that members of Council are required to follow the provisions of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, and that:
(a) No member shall use the facilities, equipment, supplies, services, staff or other resources of the municipality (including Councillor Budgets) for any election campaign or campaign-related activities.
(b) No member shall undertake campaign-related activities on municipal property during regular working hours.
(c) No member shall use the services of persons during hours in which those persons receive any compensation from the municipality.
Municipal Investigation Process / Information
Council and Standing Committee Meetings
Agendas for Council and Committee meetings are posted on the website one to three days prior to the scheduled meeting date.
Minutes are posted once they are approved, usually the following month.
How to Appear as a Deputation
Citizens have an opportunity to provide information and express their views at City Council meetings. By-law 2007-194 (Part 6.6) outlines the procedures to be followed by those wishing to appear before Council.
(1) Persons desiring to be included on the meeting agenda as a Deputation shall contact the office of the Clerk no later than 4:30 p.m. on the Tuesday preceding the date of the next Regular Council Meeting to request to be listed on the meeting agenda as a Deputation, but the Mayor may authorize a Deputation be added to the meeting agenda any time prior to finalization of the meeting agenda.
(2) Persons wishing to appear as a Deputation and who are not listed on the meeting agenda may appear as a Deputation with support from the majority of the Members present.
(3) Persons appearing as a Deputation shall be limited to a maximum of 10 minutes speaking time, and where a Deputation consists of more than one person, all persons combined shall be limited to a maximum of 10 minutes speaking time, but Council may, by resolution, grant permission to any Deputation to speak for longer than 10 minutes.
(4) During or following a Deputation, Members may ask specific questions relating to the presentation for the purpose of clarification without statement or comment.
(5) Following a Deputation, Council shall adopt a motion: (i) to receive; or (ii) to refer to another item listed on the meeting agenda; or (iii) to refer to a committee or board or City staff for a report; or (iv) to refer to New Business for consideration.
The same rules apply to appearing before any Standing Committee of Council.


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Toll Free: (800) 803-2086
Genesis Psychology Group is a Los Angeles-based psychology practice with offices throughout California providing comprehensive and wide-ranging forensic and clinical products and services.
We are psychologists in the California Workers Compensation system and experts in Civil Litigation with a combined 70 years of distinguished forensic service to applicants and plaintiffs, attorneys, claims adjusters, nurse case managers, and judges.
Our evaluations are thorough and complete, our reasoning sound and sensible, and our opinions impartial, equitable, and judicious.
We also provide competent and compassionate treatment to patients suffering from a range of painful emotions, from psychological trauma and grief to chronic physical pain and workplace mistreatment.
Regardless of the nature, extent, or kind of psychological distress, we treat all patients with one goal in mind: reduce painful psychological symptoms and increase daily functioning as soon as possible.
Making a false or fraudulent workers' compensation claim is a felony subject to up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to $50,000 or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by both imprisonment and fine.
Drs. Appleton and Boehm are the principal psychologists in the practice but, with Dr. Framer's full-time role as clinical director, we combine for more than 70 years of psychological services. We are dedicated, compassionate, and competent psychologists eager to provide solutions to your medical-legal needs.read more
Dr. Boehm is a Principal and Co-Founder of Genesis Psychology Group, bringing more than 20 years of teaching, evaluation, clinical and forensic experience to this dynamic psychology practice. He is published in the field of employment law and is an expert in both civil and employment litigation.read more


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A statement from Vault said Penteract was a cloud-based security operations centre which allowed students to gain national-level qualifications by working through real-life security scenarios.
Penteract has been funded by the Federal Government's AustCyber Project Fund, and is being administered by the ANU and Nova Systems as well, and uses a training facility at the Canberra Institutes Reid facility.
This facility can house 40 students and the aim of the program is to fill the demand for skilled cyber security workers in Australia.
"It's important that these skills don't go overlooked and we are excited to be able to provide a secure and sovereign environment for these students to build their security skill set for their future."
Matthew Wilcox, the founder and director of Fifth Domain, said, "When we set out on this project to develop a new cyber security training facility with CIT, we had three requirements. We needed a cloud provider that ran on OpenStack, was able to securely store data within the sovereignty of Australia and was based in Canberra. Vault's cloud ticks all of those boxes."
The project is estimated to cost $1.1 million, with $547,000 coming from AustCyber's Project Fund.
Vault said the cloud-based platform would allow CIT to not only train people in the classroom but also remotely so more people could be reached. Additionally, the program can be used by TAFEs around the country to share content.
"Selecting Vault as a partner for the new cyber-security training project at CIT was an easy decision based on their credentials," said Jayne Miller, director of Business Development at CIT.
"Not only do we have a ASD-certified Protected cloud provider storing this valuable training data, but we are able to have three Australian organisations all based in Canberra working together. With Vault providing the cloud environment, we can rest assured that we will have great support from the local team on the ground."


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Manny Prado Takes La Ruta's First Stage
Source: La Ruta
Manuel Prado, Heinz Soerweg from Austria and Marc Trayter from Spain initiated a rapid ascent toward Costa Rica's Central Valley during the first stage of La Ruta de los Conquistadores yesterday, breaking apart what had been a five-man lead group. Left behind was retired road racer and three-time Vuelta a España winner Roberto Heras of Spain, who later said he was suffering from a stomach bug.
Prado, who lives in California and races for the Sho-Air team, narrowly won the stage over Soerweg. It was Prado's first La Ruta stage win and he dedicated the victory to his brother, who passed away three years ago.
On the day, 225 racers from 17 countries started the stage, which traveled 67 miles through Costa Rica, including the country's Carara National Park.
Team Monavie-Cannondale's Jeremiah Bishop returned to La Ruta after suffering a severe crash in 2007 that sent him to the hospital. Despite a mechanical early in the stage, Bishop fought back and delivered a solid performance through the heavy mud in Carara to finish fifth.
Today's 75-kilometer-long Stage 2 includes a 3,200-foot climb in the first 3 miles that will serve as a warm up for tomorrow's third stage, which has riders ascend the 11,000-foot Irazú volcano.
For complete results, visit http://www.AdventureRace.com
Men's Results
1 – Manuel Prado – ShoAir – Costa Rica – 05:43:35
2 – Heinz Zoerweg – KTM – Austria – 05:43:36
3 – Marc Trayter – Spain – 05:50:20
Women's Results
1 – Adriana Rojas – Costa Rica – 07:17:23
2 – Louis Kobin – USA – 07:27:54
3 – Yesennia Villalta – Costa Rica – 09:11:26
Sound off in the comments below!
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Dutch Sustainable Maritime Solutions Presented
On October 10, 2016, during the Dutch national Sustainability Day, on board of the MS Borelli, a barge that has been converted with electric propulsion, the 178 sustainable maritime solutions powered by the Dutch and collected by Netherlands Maritime Technology (NMT) have been presented. The solutions were handed over to Salima Belhaj (member of the Dutch Parliament party D66) and Brigit Gijsbers (Ministery of Infrastructure & Environment). With this number of solutions the Dutch maritime technology sector shows it can compete against various social challenges.
Meteorologist Margot Ribberink from the Meteo Group (member of the association NMT) showed the consequences of climate change, such as the rise of sea level and hurricanes. Water transport is known to be much less polluting than transport by road and by air, but it can and should be even cleaner.
Many of the developments that are being discussed on National, European and International level, are currently all realisable for both the sea and inland shipping.
Salima Belhaj (member of the Dutch Parliament party D66) and Brigit Gijsbers (Director of Maritime Affairs - Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment) received the total number of 178 solutions by Hans Voorneveld (NMT) and Margot Ribberink (Meteo Group).
Upon receipt Belhaj and Gijsbers pointed out the importance of these solutions and they spoke out their appreciation for all the positive developments within the Dutch maritime sector.
Salima Belhaj is pleased sustainability is gaining more interest and that more and more entrepreneurs are convinced of the importance: "D66 stands for rewarding these initiators. Therefore providing funding is included in our election manifesto of 2017. Moreover, I am proud that the shipyards, suppliers and the rest of the Dutch maritime sector worked out this initiative together."
This statement is endorsed by Brigit Gijsbers: "The accumulated number of solutions demonstrates the innovative strength of the Dutch maritime sector. There are several emission reduction commitments made at global and European level. Nevertheless, it requires more standards and this is what we are working on. I am pleased to see that the Dutch industry offers real solutions. Illustrative of this is the R&D rate of the sector, which is twice higher than the national average."


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Dave is probably the only precious metals "stacker" I know and seeing a post he did early December about what bullion he buys got me thinking about the kind of Silver that is good to "stack". Dave mentioned that he collects Canadian Maples and American Eagles for his 1 oz coins, and Royal Canadian 10 oz bars and Johnson Matthey 100 oz bars.
Personally, I think stacking silver first has to be value-for-money, which means only bullion IPM-grade silver should be bought. That means none of the numismatic stuff. Those are for hobbyists and serious collectors.
However, although value-for-money is important, I think liquidity is also important. So while you can probably get lots of silver at a great price, the source might not be well known. This means that they are less liquid and probably less valuable (it would only be bought back at spot). For example, American Silver Eagles are more expensive than most of its other coin counterparts, but it still manages to retain its premium even in resale. Most of the very commonly heard of names also have no problems being sold with a respectable premium over spot.
So anyway, I decided to do a simple study based on the products and prices available on BullionStar to help me decide which silver product would give me the best bang for my buck.
From the table above, you can see that Dave actually bought the best priced silver product in each category based on the premiums that he paid over spot. To me, the Royal Canadian Mint Silver 10 oz Bar looks like the best choice.
Benefits of Royal Canadian Mint Silver Bars 10 oz?
- trusted brand name and quality
- low premium over spot
- modern and good looking design
- serial numbered
10 oz bars have a reasonable premium over spot, while also being a very common product. A quick search on APMEX showed 32 X 10 oz products and only 10 X 1 kg products.
After looking at this data, I am very much convinced to "stack" Royal Canadian Mint Silver 10 oz Bars. The premium over spot is actually LESS than a 1kg bar, while the premium is marginal over a 100 oz bar, but which 10 times less capital outlay. That makes investments less chunky and more manageable to accumulate bits over time.
I just bought a piece through BullionStar and I shall be heading down soon to pick it up. If it really does look great and fulfill my needs, I think this will be my mainstay physical Silver investment!
Full disclosure: If you enter BullionStar through my site, and you buy anything, I get a small commission.
This is my main source of blog revenue. I prefer this to asking for "donations" because I rather you get something that you want as well, instead of a tip.
Whether you buy at BullionStar directly or enter from my site, the price you pay does not change.
My personal precious metals investments are stored with BullionStar and I pay the same fees as any other regular customer.


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BIM.Technologies Welcome Digital Construction Cluster
BIM.Technologies Welcome Digital Construction Cluster
BIM.Technologies have welcomed the Estonian Digital Construction Cluster as part of their tour of the UK to discover how BIM is being used in the UK construction industry.
Estonia has become quite famous globally as a IT powerhouse. The government and public sector are proactive in implementing new technologies and are efficient compared to many other countries.
The Estonian construction industry decided to follow the lead and the Digital Construction Cluster was established to encourage implementation of digital practices. Their focus is bringing BIM to life as a tool for co-operation and increasing efficiency throughout the sector. Contractors, architecture and engineering offices, developers, government, and IT service providers are all actively participating in the Digital Construction Cluster.
As one of the activities, the Digital Construction Cluster has led high level executive study visits to learn from the experience of others. They have travelled from Silicon Valley to Singapore, and today they visited the BIM.Technologies Newcastle office to learn about their work, experience and the challenges ahead.


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Welcome to Sawtooth Veterinary Services
Your Veterinarians in Jerome,ID
Call us at (208) 324-5151
Pet Emergency? Call us right away at (208) 324-5151!
If you live in Jerome or the surrounding area and need a trusted veterinarian to care for your pets – look no further. Dr. Charles Schabacker, Dr. Christie Jackson, and Dr. James Green are licensed ID veterinarians, treating cats and dogs. Your pets' health and wellbeing are very important to us, and we take every possible measure to give your animals the care they deserve.
Sawtooth Veterinary Services is a full-service animal hospital and welcomes pet patients in need of routine medical, surgical, and dental care. Our doctors have years of experience treating serious conditions and offering regular pet wellness care. Beyond first-rate pet care, we make our clinic comfortable, kid-friendly, and calm, so your pet can relax in the waiting room and look forward to meeting our Jerome veterinarians.
We are happy to offer a number of resources that enable you to learn about how to take better care of your pets. Please feel free to browse our site, particularly the informational articles. The best veterinary care for animals is ongoing nutrition and problem prevention, so becoming knowledgeable about preventative pet care is essential to the ongoing success of your animal's health. If you have any questions, call (208) 324-5151 or email us and we'll promptly get back to you. Our Jerome veterinarian office is very easy to get to -- just check out the map below! We also welcome you to subscribe to our newsletter, which is created especially for Jerome pet owners.
At Sawtooth Veterinary Services, we treat your pets like the valued family members they are.
Dr. Charles Schabacker, Dr. Christie Jackson, and Dr. James Green
Jerome Veterinarians | Sawtooth Veterinary Services | (208) 324-5151
988 West Main St.
Jerome, ID 83338


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Look for a crescent moon in the west just after sunset at the start of November. The two bright planets above and left of it are Venus (on the left) and Saturn. Reddish Antares is below them. For northern hemisphere viewers, this scene is a little south of west. In any case, the moon will be above the planets by the 2nd. You will also notice the planets are moving away from each other.
The moon is right of Mars on the 5th. During the month, Mars is higher in the sky but in the same general direction in the evening. Saturn is getting closer to the horizon though. You may be able to spot Mercury near the ringed planet by the end of November.
The moon is just past full when it passes in front of Aldebaran on the 15th. The occultation is visible from most of southern and eastern Asia.
Jupiter is a morning object this month. You'll find it right of Arcturus. A waxing crescent moon passes close to the big planet on the 25th.
The moon is farthest south on the 4th, crosses the equator going north on the 11th, is farthest north on the 17th, and goes south of the equator again on the 24th. Lunar perigee is on the 14th at 221,500 miles distant. Apogee is on the 27th at 252, 700 miles.
First quarter is on the 7th, full moon (one of the closest this year) on the 14th, last quarter is on the 21st, and new moon on the 29th.
Mercury is at aphelion on the 11th.
Two meteor showers radiating from Taurus peak this month. The southern Taurids are at their maximum around the 4th and 5th. Meteors that seem to radiate from near the V that is the Hyades make this shower. You may see just five to ten meteors per hour, but this shower is known for producing many bright fireballs. The waxing crescent moon will offer some interference. The moon is almost full when the northern Taurids peak around the 11th and 12th. This shower also produces just five to ten meteors per hour. The radiant is near the Pleiades. Both Taurid showers come from dust left by Comet 2P/Encke.
The Leonids meteor shower peaks around the 17th and 18th. The moon a little past full will interfere. Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle is responsible for them. There may be up to 15 meteors per hour from this shower.
Southern solstice on Mars is on the 28th. Less than a month later, Earth has its own southern solstice.


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Indigeny is essential, it truly is and it's right there waiting for us to open up our eyes and claim it. It can be terrifying work. You are all being asked, as we were asked, to let go of the filter of conquest and monotheism, to drop it and stand vulnerable and naked before some unknown thing that people you've probably never met before tell you is a blessing. But claiming it requires a radical shift in everything you thought you knew, in your entire outlook, in the way you relate to every single thing in your world. Moving from one state of being to the other can involve a seemingly insurmountable chasm.
Your ancestors can help bridge that chasm. Remember them. They're there for you and want you to be healthy, engaged, and whole--something the post-conquest filter will not foster.
Moreover, you have the capacity to do this. It requires courage, yes, but each and every one of you is capable of making this leap. Do it for your ancestors. Do it for yourselves. Do it for your children. Do it for their children. They (and you) deserve a much better world than what you've been given. You can each make a difference. It may seem insurmountable but it begins one person at a time, one single mind, heart, and soul committed to the struggle at a time. You can all do this thing because that indigenous filter is not out of reach at all. It's right there, your birthright; and readers, it changes *everything* for the better.
Once you've seen through indigenous eyes (and we all have indigenous roots. Our people come from somewhere.) you may become angry. In fact, you may look at the world and become enraged. Good. That is the appropriate response. Understand that: how can anyone look at this world awash in the depredations of monotheism and its children and NOT be enraged. Use that anger. Allow it to inspire you, fuel you and move you into a deep committment toward healing our world. It needs healing, and that call to arms is also our birthright.
Even though the TI42 Initiative is over, we shall continue posting here over the next few months. We still welcome contributions, and this archive will remain up and active. We won't be posting every day as we did through the initiative, but we will still be active here. So check back and keep on keeping on. Every single one of you is needed in this struggle.
May the ancestors inspire us.
May they strengthen and guard us.
May they help us remain firm in our committments;
and may we, in our words, our hearts, our actions,
ever do them honor.


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My Little Princess Dog Tulle Dress
This event-loving tulle dress is our new obsession! It's made to articulate the cutest princess style with its shimmery tulle layer to attract absolute attention! As any lady who has a princess heart for twirling, let's get our precious four-legged friends dressed up. This tutu dress is perfectly designed for matching owner's style and parties of all kinds. This is the best princess-worthy dress for its tulle overlay, sparkling heart, and soft material. You don't have to save it for a special occasion!
cotton, polyester
- 10": Back Length 10", Chest Girth 15"- 17.5", Neck 10"
- 12": Back Length 12", Chest girth 16.5"- 19", Neck 12"
- 14": Back Length 14", Chest girth 18"- 21.5", Neck 13.5"
- 16": Back Length 16", Chest girth 21.5"- 27.5", Neck 15.5"
Customer Reviews
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# 35380454
24630 Clay Road Katy, TX 77493
- Single-Family
Katy Texas | Homes for Sale | Johnna Johnson | ReMax Top Realty | 713.558.2515
by Susan DeVries Barwis
In the beginning it was only a wide open prairie, the hunting ground of the Karankawa Indian tribes, the winter feeding grounds of great herds of buffalo and large flocks of wild ducks, geese, sandhill and whooping cranes, and numerous other game birds, and home to longhorn cattle, deer, and wolves.
If you had come in 1875 to live where Katy is today you would have found no town and no railroad. One family was here. Thomas and Mary Robinson had 200 acres of land on the Cane Island branch of Buffalo Bayou. They came in 1872. Fifteen years later, Peter Black andhis wife, Ophelia, bought land and moved out from Addicks. The families farmed quietly until 1895 when it seemed that a lot of people suddenly decided Cane Island, Texas would be a good place to settle.
Why did this area seem to be a good place to settle? There are two main reasons for the early settlement of this area first called Cane Island. First: people wanted farm land. Second: The Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad was completed and it was easier for people to get to the area. It was also easier to get farm products to market. The city of Katy was named for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad.
What did the people find when they arrived? The arriving people found rich farmland The land was flat and seemed to, go on forever. The prairie was covered with tall, flowing grass as high as a man on horseback.
Who came to settle the land? The first family of the 1895 group of new settlers arrived on Christmas Day in 1894. Mr. William Pitts, his wife Lella, and their three children came from the town of Pattison, Texas. In 1895 many more families came to find new farms and new lives. The Peeks came from Indiana and Iowa to farm and run dairies. The Stuarts and the Danovers came from Iowa. The Beckendorffs came from Pattison to farm. Mr. Cabiness came then too. He worked for the railroad as the depot agent. He also built a a lumberyard milled rice bought and sold the farmer's peanuts, and helped start the Apostolic Faith Church in 1905.
One very important person to come this year was Mr. James Oliver Thomas, who came from Mississippi. He bought 320 acres of land and laid out the town site of Katy in 1895. Mr. Thomas set aside land-for two parks. One park on Cane Island Creek and the other was the town square.
The year 1896 saw more arrivals including the Stockdick family, the Ruskeys, Mortons, and David Peter Franz, a watchmaker. Coming from Iowa, Mr. Stockdick was a real estate person who encouraged many more families to move from the northern areas to Katy.
This was also the year that Katy is first listed in Washington, D.C. as having a post office. It is officially called Katy, Texas and Mr. J. O. Thomas was the Katy postmaster. The post office was part of his general store.
The next year, 1897, saw the arrival of the Morrisons from Missouri, the Freemans from Iowa, and the Eule (Eye-lee) family from Germany.
Mr. Eule is very special to Katy's history. He is the first person to raise rice in Katy. In 1897, the first year he grew rice, he used surface water from' the prairie. The second year he dug wells to irrigate the fields. The Eule family had a school in their home for their own children and the children of their neighbors.
By 1898 Mr. Featherston had arrived. He was the first pastor of the: Katy Baptist Church. Dr. James Malcom Stewart was an important addition to the-settlement in 1898 also. He came from Tennessee with his new wife to start his medical practice.
John Henry Wright, his brother, Wilbur, and their parents, also arrived this year. They drove their team of horses and wagon from Missouri. They were looking for a healthier climate for Wilbur. The family stayed to farm and later started a drug store. In 1904, Mr. S.H. Wright and Dr. Stewart formed a partnership. Mr. Wright opened a drugstore with Dr. Stewart's office next door.
Two families arrived on the same train in 1900. Both families had moved from Germany to Iowa to farm. Looking for a better place they decided to come to Katy. The families' names were Schlipf and Weinman. They purchased farms north of town and there they settled. The Eule farm was nearby so the children went to school in the Eule home. Soon the classes were moved to the Schilpf home and then they were moved to the schoolhouse that was: built on the Schlipf land. Children attended the country school until it closed in 1918.
All children living on the farms went to school at home, at a neighbor's house, or in a one room country school nearby. In 1918 all the children from the small farm schools were brought together in the town of Katy to start the Katy Independent School District. Children came from Cobb School, Schlipf School, Dishman School and Sills School.
During this period many people raised rice. Others raised peanuts and cotton. Most families had their own gardens for fresh vegetables too. They sold the rice to others and raised potatoes for themselves to eat.
Katy ISD is a flourishing suburban school district that encompasses 181 square miles in east Texas. Its eastern boundaries stretch to Houston's energy corridor approximately 16 miles west of downtown Houston and extend along Interstate 10 to a few miles west of the city of Katy.
|Every Katy ISD school provides students with facilities, equipment and materials that are among the state's best. > Complete list of schools in Katy Texas.
In the 2006-07 school year, the student enrollment has grown to more than 50,000 served by 45 schools including six high schools.
Rated as a Recognized district by the Texas Education Agency, Katy ISD offers an outstanding instructional program with facilities, equipment and materials that are among the best in the state.
* Based on data from 2005-2006 school year. Katy ISD is the fastest-growing school district in the Houston metro area and one of the fastest-growing in the state. Projections show a steady upswing throughout this decade, with total enrollment topping 83,000 by Fall 2015.
Download the 2006-2007 Katy ISD Fact Sheet
Katy Mills features hundreds of the best names in retail including OFF 5TH Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet; Banana Republic Outlet, Ann Taylor Loft, Osh Kosh B'Gosh and Nautica offering the latest fashions, gifts, electronics, entertainment and dining.
La Centerra at Cinco Ranch in Katy offers top retailers and eateries including Chico's, Claire's Boutique, Talbots, Bath Junkie, Designs of the Interior, Gymboree, Nestle Toll House Cafe, and Jamba Juice.
Something happened shortly after we moved to the Cinco Ranch® master-planned community in Katy, Texas. We became Cincoans. The Cinco Ranch community isn't just the place where we live, it's become our hometown. It's ours. The minute we moved here, we felt like we belonged; our neighbors became our friends. As we go about our days - whether at work, running errands, or even running on the miles of trails, we feel connected to this place. It's welcoming. It's comfortable. And it's a place that you can call home, too.
Call 713-558-2515 or Email firstname.lastname@example.com today!
SELLING YOUR HOME IN KATY? CLICK HERE. Johnna Johnson with RE/MAX Top Realty is the right Realtor to get yours SOLD!
Follow me on Twitter , Like me on Facebook and Get LinkedIn Now!


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The annual clash between the Traverse City Central and West High Schools is more than just an exciting football game. It's an event to honor those who answered the call to serve our country. Many men and women, who at one time had their feet on Thirlby Field, once had or now have their feet on foreign soil while serving in the United States military.
This game honors their service, along with police and firefighters who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe.
Active duty military, Veterans, and first responders are invited to attend a pre-game Tailgate Party and are then invited to come down to the field for a pre-game ceremony to recognize their service.
Commemorative 8th Annual TC Patriot Game t-shirts will be available for purchase at area car dealerships and both schools. The proceeds from the 2019 t-shirt sales will benefit a local nonprofit yet to be selected.
Join us for the 8th Annual TC Patriot Game!
Friday, September 20th, 2019 at 6:30pm
Thirlby Field in Traverse City, Michigan
Follow the Facebook Event Page for updates
2019 Ticket Sales information
TC West Athletic Office
$6 per ticket
Tickets on sale Monday, Sept 16th through Thur Sept 19th (7:30am-3:30pm) and Friday, September 20 (7:30am-1:00pm)
5376 N. Long Lake Road
Traverse City, MI, 49685
TC Central Athletic Office
$6 per ticket
Tickets on sale Monday, Sept 16th through Thur Sept 19th (7:30am-3:30pm) and Friday, September 20 (7:30am-1:00pm)
1150 Milliken Dr.
Traverse City, MI 49686
At the gate on game day
$6 per ticket
Tickets on sale Friday, September 20th beginning at 4:00pm
410 W Thirteenth St
Traverse City, MI 49684
Questions about the TC Patriot Game? We're here to help!
PO Box 5433
Traverse City, MI 49696


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Fixing infertility with Intuitive Eating
If I had known when I was 16 years old that restrictive eating and over exercising would have caused infertility 15 years into the future, would I have changed my behaviour?
I highly doubt it. How could I have, when I grew up with the perfect storm of conditions for having hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) later in life: an overweight father with health conditions related to a poor diet, which in turn made me extremely fat-phobic as a child (I was scared to eat foods high in fat because I thought I would have a heart attack, too); a slightly Type A and perfectionist mindset combined with anxiety due in part to my dad's poor health; an introverted personality type that prefers individual sports such as running and weight lifting over team sports; over 10 years of competing in endurance sports; going on the birth control pill at age 16 which prevented me from cycling naturally thus hiding any ovulation problems for over 15 years; and growing up in North American diet culture, where every magazine told me how I needed to lose those last 10 pounds.
Perpetuating diet culture
When I first realized the most probable underlying cause of my infertility (I'm still waiting to get into the fertility clinic to see if anything else is wrong, but I'm 99% sure based on my missing period and other symptoms), I was angry. First, I was angry at myself, but not for my behaviour — as I mentioned above, I doubt that could have been helped — I was angry that I played a part in contributing to diet culture with my blog and personal training business. I know I have at least a few blog posts about losing weight, counting calories and "healthier" versions of recipes. I was mad at the fitness and health industry I've been a part of for the past four years.
I truly thought I was helping. But I was just perpetuating diet culture without even knowing it.
The majority of my personal training clients were just looking for marathon training and strength training plans, and I was more than happy to help as a certified strength and conditioning coach. But some were also looking for fat loss or nutrition plans, and in my desire to help others with their health (because I was never able to help my dad — whoa psychology!), I gave them the textbook approach for losing weight and provided online accountability to help them achieve their goals. And many did. But something never felt quite right. I was waaaay more lenient and forgiving with my clients than I was on myself, telling them to not stress out and to just enjoy themselves. This is not what a good personal trainer does, I thought. Maybe I'm not cut out for this. I stopped taking new clients and slowly backed off my personal training business, wondering why it didn't energize me like it used to. I want to help people be healthy and happy, but something just didn't feel right.
After realizing diet culture had a huge part to play in my HA, I knew I had to take my blog and business in a new direction. And I apologize for contributing to making anyone feel they need to change their bodies to fit into a cultural ideal. You are all beautiful and perfect that way you are <3
With that all said, here's what I'm doing to help heal HA and (hopefully) fix my infertility.
Fixing infertility with Intuitive Eating
It is estimated that HA is the underlying cause of 35% of women who seek help for missing periods, which they usually do when they're trying to get pregnant. Because no period = no ovulation = no pregnancy. I couldn't find any stats about the percent of total infertility cases caused by HA or HA behaviours — such as constant dieting, stressing about food and exercising to compensate for overeating, EVEN when you are at a "normal" BMI — but based on the prevalence of diet culture and the new "healthism", I'd suggest it's higher than we think.
After reading No Period. Now What? and finding out I needed to eat at LEAST 2,500 calories a day coupled with almost complete rest to help recover form HA, I had to completely rethink my approach to food.
The first two weeks were harder than I thought it would be. You'd think getting a "free pass" to eat anything you want would be great, but it just showed me how ingrained diet culture was in me. When a plate of sandwiches and desserts appeared at a catered lunch meeting, I caught myself looking for the healthiest option (whole grain bread, no cheese, no mayo) instead of whatever I happened to be craving. When I went grocery shopping, I automatically picked the same "healthier" versions of foods for myself then realized, I don't even know if this is what I like to eat because I've never tried anything else. I had planned to make pizza this week, and had ingredients in my cart to make a homemade dough for Matt's pizza with cheese, pizza sauce, peppers, and several kinds of meat. For mine? A small whole wheat pita, kale, peppers, sundried tomato and nutritional yeast. What the actual f*ck, I thought to myself. That's not a f*cking pizza.
It was clear I needed an entire mental shift to recover from HA properly, so I started looking into Intuitive Eating, which is essentially just eating when you're hungry and stopping when your full, like you did when you were a kid before coming under the influence of diet culture. It's crazy to even think Intuitive Eating is a thing with books and podcasts and the like, but not surprising in this day and age that we actually need external guidance to listen to our internal cues.
In the first week after following the 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating and trying to remember what I liked to eat at age 14 (Kraft dinner, teriyaki chicken, pasta, apple crumble, cookies, burgers and fries, cheesecake, cereal of every kind), I've noticed I'm not craving the things I used to as much because they were "off limits", and am getting better at picking what I want rather than what I think I should have. For example, on Thursday instead of having my usual half a plate of veggies and chicken breast for dinner, I ate toast with peanut butter and a bowl of cereal because I felt like eating something carby and sweet. Then yesterday, I wanted meat and veggies for dinner, so I had a chicken and bean stew I made PLUS crackers. The old me would not have had anything starchy for dinner during the week. This is just one example of a "food rule" I had for myself based on "healthy eating best practices".
Aside from a few days a week of bloating (which is common when recovering from HA), I feel good. I'm sleeping better and am not as cold as I usually am. I'm noticing a few other symptoms of recovery already, which is a good sign.
If you're in a similar situation as I am or also feel like your life is ruled by diet culture, I highly recommend reading No Period. Now What? by Dr. Nicola Rinaldi and Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch. You can also find Intuitive Eating Certified Counselors or Registered Dietitians in your area or online if you feel you need more support. Here are some other great resources:
- Food Psych Podcast – a podcast about intuitive eating, Health at Every Size,® and body liberation.
- Holistic Fertility Day Retreat – If you live in the Calgary area and are free on November 4, 2018, this would be an amazing workshop to attend. Jen Rawson from Ignite Nutrition Calgary will be there talking about mindful eating for fertility.
- Tabitha Farrar – An eating disorder recovery coach who has a great podcast and a book to help adults recover from eating disordered behaviours.
If you have any other resources to share, please comment below 🙂


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Time Management for Work & School in the Military
It can be difficult to find employment(bridge loan lenders) after leaving the military. Many skills learned in the military do not transfer to the civilian job market. Today's workforce is more competitive than ever, and a college degree can be invaluable for finding employment. However, taking college courses and meeting the demands of military life can be difficult. Proper time management can mean the difference(cash advance usa) between success and failure.
Source : www.ehow.com


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Trading Depot supplies the complete range of Aqualisa – existing Aqualisa showers and Aqualisa Spares for current and previous models where available.
Aqualisa is one of the UK's most successful power shower manufacturers. From the introduction of their revolutionary bi-metallic thermostatic shower valve in 1977 to the launch of the first Digital shower in 2001, they have always been renowned for quality, innovation and service. In 2004, they launched Axis Digital and in 2006, they unveiled the very first, entirely wireless and batteryless remote control. Aqualisa continues to progress their legacy with further innovation, product development and enhancement.
Aqualisa was founded in 1977 to develop an innovation in showering: the bi-metallic thermostatic shower valve.
This patented and unique technology is still at the heart of Aqualisa's phenomenal success. Its design means that an Aqualisa shower delivers more water to the shower head, controls the shower temperature accurately and resists limescale build up more effectively than conventional mixer showers. In May 2001, Aqualisa took another huge step and launched its first Digital shower – a revolution in shower design.
Quartz Digital proved to be way ahead of other UK showers in terms of ease of installation, ease of use and design. Whereas a standard shower installation can take two days and require major bathroom excavation, Digital showers can be installed in as little as two hours with no damage to decor. In addition, Digital showers can be operated with one touch, making it ideal for the whole family.
2004 saw the launch of the Axis Collection, including the sleek Axis Digital shower with remote switch and body jets and a full range of solid brass bath and basin taps.
2007 took Digital showering onto another level with the launch of the ilux, Opto Digital and Visage ranges. ilux is Aqualisa's high specification, luxury range which includes a contemporary digital shower packed full of new features such as pre-programmable pre-sets an Eco setting plus it introduces a first for Aqualisa – the Digital Bath controller. Opto Digital was awarded CORGI Product of the Year 2007 and is an entry level digital shower devised specifically for and available exclusively to the installer market while Visage, is its retail domestic sibling.
Trading Depot is a leading on-line retailer of the Aqualisa selling almost all of the showers available and the complete range of Aqualisa spare parts. Most showers are held in stock for quick delivery and sent via our couriers.


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[lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Maroon 5[/lastfm] just announced they will celebrate the release of their upcoming album Overexposed by performing a full Live on Letterman streaming concert Tuesday, June 26.
Adam and the guys will perform songs from throughout their career and handful of new ones as they electrify the Ed Sullivan Theater with their signature funky-rock0pop hybrid sound. You can watch the entire show right here or on CBS.com
You can get ready for the show by playing the "Payphone" video on repeat until you know all the words. To make things easier, we've got some of the lyrics down below it.
[metrolyrics artist="Maroon 5″ song="Payphone"]
Don't forget to come back right here, June 26 at 8 PM ET/ 5 PM PT to watch Maroon 5 Live on Letterman, presented by AT&T.


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Smiles are universal. No matter what language you speak, be it English, Spanish, Chinese, or sign language, smiles are an unspoken form of communication that symbolize joy, laughter, appreciation, and so much more. Smiles bring people together and they certainly filled the room at this year's Deaf Storyteller event hosted by FHSD. The day provided students who are deaf or hard of hearing an opportunity to share their experiences, socialize with friends, and participate in a variety of activities.
As part of the Deaf Storyteller program, the students welcomed Trix Bruce, an American Sign Language (ASL) performer, to share stories using personification, facial expressions, sound effects, and more. Bruce's enthusiasm and audience engagement left the students laughing, cheering, and even falling over during one of her stories as the students pretended to be trees chopped to the ground.
Many young students with hearing impairments don't often interact with adults who have a hearing loss similar to their own, so guest performances by individuals such as Bruce can be very meaningful to them. "Students are able to see that there are deaf adults out in the world and they can be successful, too. Their hearing impairment is not going to hold them back," said Andrea Rau, a sign language interpreter at Daniel Boone Elementary.
Along with the engaging stories, the students also learned about self-advocacy. They started the day by playing a jeopardy game, which taught them the importance of advocating for their hearing needs. "I hope they learn it is okay to speak up," said LaWanda Brewer, a hearing impaired resource teacher at Becky-David Elementary. "This world can be a scary place, but we're all in this together. There are people out there who can help and who understand." Heaven M., a student at Becky-David, explained that it is important to share your experiences. "You have to tell others your story and explain your hearing loss."
While the students learned to advocate for themselves, they also appreciated the chance to spend the day with others who do understand what it's like to have a hearing loss. "A lot of times it's just about camaraderie," said Brewer. "We all want to feel like we belong somewhere." Students look forward to the annual event every year. "If we didn't have deaf storyteller, we wouldn't see the friends that we've met," said Heaven excitedly.
This year's event was held at the North Road Community Church and was made possible by the University of Missouri Extension/St. Louis Storytelling Festival. The celebration gathered together individuals who communicate in a variety of ways. Some speak with their hands, others with their voices. Some listen with their ears, and others with a device. They celebrated their unique languages, and they united in smiles and laughter.


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Model especially developed to serve breeders of chicken for slaughter and matrixes, who prefer traditional equipment. The Pendular Drinker 2003 has few parts, which facilitates handling, setup and batch removal. In addition to that, its water output system, with 4 orifices, prevents waste and the suspension system between the valve and rod allows greater fitting speed and ease.
Main Characteristics
• Valve with easy water flow setup;
• Suspension system to facilitate maintenance;
• Simple and effective fitting between dome and rod;
• Water output system, with 4 orifices to prevent waste;
• Hook for counterweight placement.
Recommended birds number:
80 to 100 (chicken for slaughter).
Weight: 1 kg
Remark: Client shall provide the counterweight according to the instructions manual.