text:
This story is a Gazette collaboration with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a project of the Centre for Public Integrity, Washington, D.C This story is part of the centre's project called Tobacco Underground: The booming global trade in smuggled tobacco.
Gary Godelie has been a tobacco farmer most of his life, struggling to keep alive a family farm that produces what most everyone agrees is a death crop. Whacked by global competition undercutting his prices, not to mention a dwindling number of Canadian smokers, he often thinks of getting out of the business.
Nothing brought this thought home more clearly than a series of events that began one hot July day in 2006, when two men drove up to his southern Ontario farm near Delhi and offered to buy his entire crop. That surprised Godelie, because anybody in the tobacco business would know that Canadian growers are part of a tightly regulated quota system. Buyers have to be federally licensed and can buy only through the marketing board.
"I said, 'Well, no. I can't sell you tobacco. I have to sell it to the legal system,' " Godelie recalled. "They kind of looked at me and laughed and like said, 'Why would you want to do that when we're offering you cash money, a deal here, you know?' " 'Well, no, I'm not going to do that kind of stuff.' " The two men drove off and Godelie thought that was the end of it.
A few days later, he had to fetch some irrigation equipment from a barn where he had stacked 169 bales that were over quota from the previous year's tobacco crop. He hoped to sell the surplus bales at auction that winter as part of the current year's quota. The first clue something was wrong came when he saw his hydraulic forklift sitting on the hood of his tractor. His first thought was to blame his son-in-law. But then he thought, that wasn't typical, his son-in-law wouldn't have done something like that. He switched on the light.
"I stood there kind of flabbergasted for a minute and then I scanned over the stacks and then it hit me: Oh no, they had cleaned out the barn completely." It had rained the previous night so Godelie hadn't gone out to irrigate. That was the night they nailed him. He said he figured that at 40 pounds a bale, it took them maybe 20 minutes to clean him out.
"They stole all 169 bales, which is 8,000 pounds. It takes about 1.9 pounds to make 1,000 cigarettes. That's more than 4 million cigarettes. That's pretty significant. Now we're talking some serious coin. For me, it was about a $20,000 loss." It wasn't long before Godelie began hearing about other tobacco farmers in his area getting hit. The thefts became so widespread that farmers began installing security systems, barring barn windows and parking disabled tractors in front of their barn doors. But to little effect.
"Now they are so brazen they take chainsaws and they cut the side walls out of the barn," said Linda Vandendriessche, chairperson of the Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers' Marketing Board and herself a tobacco farmer.
"It's no joke. You will not believe the intimidation that is going on with our farmers." A Runaway Black Market The thefts are the result of a new brand of tobacco smuggling, one that has flooded the Canadian market with contraband cigarettes and cigarillos made not by brand companies - as was the case with tobacco smuggling in the 1990s - but by clandestine manufacturers on Indian reserves here and in the United States.
Over the last six years, as federal and provincial governments hiked tobacco taxes to curb smoking and raise funds, the smuggling business has grown "exponentially," the RCMP say.
At a time when a crumbling economy has forced governments into deficit financing, smugglers - and in some cases their mob partners - are pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars in profits. The cheap cigarettes not only fuel the spread of smoking, which costs Canadian taxpayers about $4.36 billion annually in health care, but also rob governments of money that otherwise would go into official coffers to pay for services including health care. The federal, Quebec and Ontario governments claim the proliferation of contraband cigarettes - untaxed cigarettes either smuggled into Canada from the U.S. or produced by unlicensed manufacturers on Canadian reserves and sold throughout the country - is costing them at least $1.6 billion a year in lost taxes.
The size of this black market is huge, conservatively estimated at $1.3 billion in Canada alone, with profit margins rivalling those of narcotics. Both industry and government studies indicate that, across the country, two to three cigarettes of every 10 sold are contraband. In Ontario and Quebec, the figure climbs as high as 40 per cent, according to the latest report from Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada.
"We're making more cigarettes than Imperial Tobacco (Canada's leading tobacco company)," boasted one Mohawk smuggler.
Seizures of contraband
tobacco in Canada jumped
16-fold between 2001 and 2006, according to the RCMP. The off-the-books smokes range from independently-produced cigarettes sold in plastic bags to expertly counterfeited packs of leading brands. In some cases, cheap Indian brands have become so popular that rival illicit manufacturers are counterfeiting them.
So vast are the profits and so poorly are the laws enforced that the contraband tobacco industry has attracted an unholy alliance of Mohawks - from Akwesasne, Kahnawake and Kanesatake - and members of organized crime. Outlaw bikers and Italian, Irish, Russian and Asian mobs are involved in the manufacturing, distribution and retailing of the illicit tobacco products, according to an investigation by The Gazette and the Centre for Public Integrity in Washington, D.C.
"Everybody knows we do have organized crime here," Kahnawake Chief Rhonda Kirby said. In fact, some smoke shop owners want to get out of the business, she added, but have been forced by the gangs to stay put. "The mob is involved with some of the individuals, the Mafia and the Irish mob and the Russian mob and the Chinese mob."
At the centre of the tobacco trade are about 20 native-owned manufacturers that produce millions of untaxed and unregulated cigarettes a day out of small and medium-size factories at Indian reserves in Ontario, Quebec and across the border in New York State.
In some cases, the capital to buy the equipment and set up operations has been fronted by organized crime, Indian smugglers and police say. Recent joint U.S.-Canadian police investigations indicate that drug money has been used to finance the tobacco business. Tobacco profits are then used to buy cocaine and marijuana, which are smuggled across the border using the same networks as the tobacco. Large cash seizures are common at the border and along Highway 401, which has become a smuggler's pipeline to Montreal and Toronto.
This month, the RCMP arrested two Hells Angels from Quebec City and two Mohawks from Kahnawake, as well as 18 others, and charged them with trafficking in cigarettes and an array of drugs including methamphetamines, cocaine and marijuana. They also seized $75,000 in cash. In March 2008, native peacekeepers in Akwesasne, Kahnawake and Kanesatake seized about $2 million in cash after raiding a cigarette/marijuana smuggling operation. In just two seizures on Nov. 17 and Dec. 7 last year, Canadian Border Services agents seized $636,467 in U.S. and Canadian funds hidden in vehicles driven by Mohawks from Akwesasne, which straddles the border between Ontario, Quebec and New York and has long been used to smuggle goods between the U.S. and Canada. In addition, the RCMP on Feb. 19 seized $260,000 U.S. from a native driving from Akwesasne to Quebec. Police believe the cash is linked to drug sales into the U.S.
Yet while police struggle to keep the contraband in check, the Canada Revenue Agency has been licensing some manufacturers in Akwesasne and Kahnawake, according to police and court documents. In one instance, it licensed a company in Akwesasne whose Mohawk owner was later charged with racketeering and marijuana smuggling into the U.S.
The Canada Revenue Agency refused to say to whom it gives licences and wouldn't comment on its licensing practices, saying they are confidential. One RCMP officer claimed the licensing potentially undermines their anti-tobacco strategy. "I was really surprised when we heard they had licensed some of these manufacturers," the officer said.
Made in Canada
While officials here have complained to their U.S. counterparts that most of the illegal cigarettes are produced on the U.S. side of the Akwesasne reserve, this is no longer true. According to Mohawk sources and visits to manufacturing plants, the operations have slowly shifted to Kahnawake.
Ironically, it was a major
tobacco company, Imperial Tobacco, that supplied Kahnawake with the reserve's first cigarette-making machines when it sold off surplus machines at its Montreal plant in 2003 and moved its operations to Mexico.
"They not only supplied the machines, but they came on the reserve and showed us how to work them and blend the tobacco," said one smuggler who spoke on condition that his name not be used. Imperial Tobacco admitted that it sold surplus machines to the Mohawks, but claimed the company later took them back. Only licensed companies can operate tobacco machines in Canada.
Some producers operate in clandestine warehouses and garages or makeshift shacks located along back roads on reserves. Others work out of sophisticated plants sporting reconditioned British-made cigarette machines known as Mark-9s, each capable of producing 3,500 to 5,000 cigarettes a minute.
The illicit operations have become important local employers for both natives and non-natives. Workers daily earn $100 to $150 in cash for bagging cigarettes and $175 to $200 a day for working the machines, several workers said.
In Kahnawake, which has a population of about 8,000, Kirby, who is responsible for the Mohawk reserve's tobacco industry, estimated that the business employs more than 2,000 people in manufacturing, distribution, wholesale and retail. Many of the workers are non-native.
"We have so many non-
native community members working here and then of course relationships start up, so now that's another problem," she said, referring to both Kahnawake and Akwesasne being traditional Mohawk communities that bar non-natives from living among them.
Both communities also jealously guard what they consider their right as a sovereign people to freely cross borders and trade with whomever they want and not collect or pay taxes.
Police generally won't enter First Nations reserves without permission from the tribal council. To a degree, this has made some native communities a sanctuary for the activities of organized criminals seeking a safe haven for their contraband as well as a trans-border pipeline, say law enforcement officials.
The smuggling of drugs, illegal aliens and guns, as well as the establishment of Internet gambling services, casinos and bingo halls, have all become contentious issues not only between aboriginals and non-aboriginals but also within the aboriginal communities.
Tobacco, however, is different. It's part of Mohawk ritualistic tradition, and Mohawks believe they have a right to trade this substance that pre-dates European colonization. What's more, it brings wealth to otherwise poor communities.
"The government's upset because we are punching out millions of cigarettes a day and, of course, he wants his piece of the pie," one contraband seller said. "If they come in, we'll close the bridge again," he added, referring to the barricading of the Mercier Bridge in 1990.
In the early 1990s, when tobacco smuggling on Indian reserves was at record levels, the product came from major manufacturers such as Imperial Tobacco, which is owned by British American Tobacco; RJR Macdonald, which at the time was owned by RJ Reynolds and is now owned by Japan Tobacco Inc.; and Rothmans Benson & Hedges. The RCMP effectively shut down that pipeline by charging RJR and its executives with aiding and abetting smuggling. Rothmans and Imperial paid $1.1 billion in fines and penalties to Canadian governments last year for their part in the early 1990s smuggling. RJR and some of its executives still face criminal charges.
With the major players out of the contraband game, the Indians have taken over and created a fully integrated business. The only part they don't control is tobacco farming.
alleged Gang ties
The success of native cigarettes, says tobacco farmer Godelie, reflects a sea change in market dynamics brought on by high taxes, which now make up about 75 per cent of the cost of a legal cigarette. "That really started to send a message to everyone in the world of tobacco that the consumer in Canada went from taste sensitive to price sensitive," he said.
But as Godelie learned three years ago, the tobacco business can sometimes be organized crime at a worrisome, reckless level. At the heart of it all is the 17-kilometre section of the U.S.-Canada border that runs through Akwesasne. It is a major security soft spot with marijuana and cocaine flowing south while tobacco and weapons come north. The fact that goods can pass from the Mohawk community of St. Regis on the U.S. side to Akwesasne on the Canadian side, and then enter non-native communities unchecked, poses a major problem for authorities.
When the St. Lawrence freezes, smugglers take a winter path across the ice between the two communities. When the ice melts, the speedboats come out.
In February of this year, U.S. police arrested 10 people, alleging they were part of one ring that smuggled 22,700 kilograms of marijuana through Akwesasne and into the U.S. from 2003 to January of this year. Among those arrested: two residents of Akwesasne, men from New York City and New Jersey, and an Israeli.
One of the accused is David Sunday, 37, who is charged with racketeering and running a "continuing criminal enterprise." Sunday owns a tobacco manufacturing company on the Canadian side of Akwesasne called Seven Nations Tobacco. On June 2, 2008, the Canada Revenue Agency awarded Sunday's company a tobacco manufacturing licence.
Last May a CRA official told Parliament that 14 licences of a total 46 in Canada are now held by natives. Licences have to be renewed after two years and a criminal background check is performed before a licence is handed out, the official said. The government will not say how many of these 14 licences are still good or whether more licences have been handed out since last May. These manufacturers also need provincial licences to allow them to transport their cigarettes, which, according to police, Quebec and Ontario have been reluctant to issue.
One prominent tobacco seller in Kahnawake, who calls himself Splicer, doesn't agree with law enforcement on much, but he says he does agree with the RCMP on one thing: The mob has infiltrated the illicit tobacco business. "I agree with them 100 per cent that, yes, there is Mafia in our community," said Splicer, who has moved contraband tobacco for 20 years. Organized crime, he explained, finances some of the manufacturing plants and retail smoke shops, most of which are little more than plywood shacks or converted shipping containers.
All roads lead ...
Business on the Kahnawake reserve is growing so fast that the community now appears to have surpassed its cousins in Akwesasne. The Gazette found that Kahnawake has at least nine manufacturers. One worker, who would speak only if his name wasn't used, said production varies but overall his shop processes about 5,000 pounds of tobacco each day using two Mark-9 machines - enough to make about 2.5 million cigarettes, or 125,000 packs per workday.
In addition to Kahnawake, police claim that about 11 Indian manufacturers are operating on the Canadian and U.S. side of the border at Akwesasne. The Gazette tried to track them down, but could locate only two that were still in operation. Officials say there are also manufacturers on the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford in southwestern Ontario and the Tyendinaga reserve near Belleville, Ont.
Until recently, the raw tobacco has been smuggled up through Akwesasne from North Carolina. But with the emergence of Kahnawake as a force in cigarette production, Splicer, the veteran tobacco dealer, said a lot of tobacco is coming from various countries through the Port of Montreal and the St. Lawrence Seaway, which goes right through Kahnawake.
"We have all kinds of ways of getting tobacco here," Splicer explained. "We have the borders beat. We have customs beat. The international waters goes right through our community, doesn't it. Take a ride up the riverfront and take a look and you'll figure out how we get it in. We built our own docks. We can load and unload."
Just a few years ago, Mohawks hired companies in North Carolina such as the Timcorp Group of Charlotte to supply turnkey cigarette manufacturing plants, plus raw tobacco, filters and tips, police say. Timcorp's website now claims it is out of business. A call to the firm, however, found it still operating. A receptionist said company president Dennis Makepeace would not reply to questions about his business with the Indians.
On March 14, 2006, St. Regis tribal police on the U.S. side of the Akwesasne reserve stopped three Bulgarian nationals in a vehicle owned by a prominent Akwesasne company. According to the RCMP, one Bulgarian named Stoyan Ivanov Darzhonov, 34, told police they worked for Timcorp and had come to St. Regis to set up cigarette machines.
Darzhonov also told police that two months earlier, they had set up manufacturing operations for three companies, including Jacobs Tobacco and Native Trading Associates.
Native Trading's brands crowd the shelves of smoke shops in reserves in Ontario and Quebec. Its owner, Sue Jesmer of Cornwall, Ont., has a manufacturing plant on the U.S. side of Akwesasne and holds a U.S. federal licence to manufacture her Native brand cigarettes. Jesmer refused, through her Washington, D.C., lawyer Bill McGowan, an interview. "It's a very sensitive subject. It's a big, complex, nasty issue," McGowan said in trying to explain why he didn't want his client to talk to the media. "The whole issues of Canada, etc., etc. ... She just wants to follow the rules and not everybody is doing that."
no-name Baggies
More than 150 Indian smoke shops crowd the nine-kilometre strip of Highway 138 that runs through the heart of the Kahnawake reserve. With names like Mega Butts, Get'n'Go, and Another Damn Cigarette Store, they serve the relentless flow of commuters between Montreal and its southern suburbs. They sell predominantly re-sealable bags of no-name cigarettes and Indian brands such as Native, Montcalm, Broncos and DKs, most of which, Splicer said, are made on the reserve.
The price of a carton of 200 legal cigarettes in Canada varies between $70 and $90, depending on the province. Contraband cigarettes cost less than the taxes on the legal ones. Indian-made brands cost from $20 to $35 and no-name brands, in the resealable bags, sell for as low as $15 for 200 cigarettes. (Competition in Kahnawake grew so intense last year that baggy prices sank to $6 before the Kahnawake Tobacco Association imposed price controls designed to boost the price to $20.)
Many of the tobacco manufacturers have their own websites, on which they advertise their products and where they can be purchased. One of the largest manufacturers is Jacobs Tobacco Company on the U.S. side of Akwesasne. Its website Jacobstobacco.com boasts of a "state of the art facility" producing three "premium brands" under the name of "disCOUNT." The website claims the company regularly donates to community youth programs and health services.
The company's cigarettes line the shelves of Canadian smoke shops and are considered contraband by the Canadian government. Jacobs Tobacco is owned by CEO Rosalie Jacobs and her family, according to an affidavit she filed in a U.S. federal court.
Her son Al Jacobs, known on the reserve as the "40-million-dollar man" because of his tobacco earnings, is a veteran tobacco smuggler with convictions dating back to 1994. He was indicted July 17, 2008, with five other men in the robbery and murder of a marijuana dealer in Stockholm, N.Y., and is in prison awaiting trial.
His mother's business, which has addresses in both Pennsylvania and Akwesasne, still operates, now out of a new 4,400-square-metre factory employing 72 natives full-time with a payroll of $2 million U.S., according to an affidavit signed by Rosalie Jacobs in U.S. federal court.
Jacobs Tobacco in 2007 opened an account at the Bank of Montreal on the Canadian side of the reserve. It is the only bank on either the Canadian or U.S. side. In an affidavit, Jacobs said she opened the account to wire payments to her U.S. wholesale tobacco suppliers. On Aug. 20, 2007, for example, she declared $15,000 U.S. to border authorities and was allowed to take the cash into Canada where she deposited it at the Bank of Montreal. Three days later, she tried to take $64,000 U.S. across the border into Canada. This time, however, when she declared the money to a U.S. border guard, he seized it and gave it to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), which initiated a seizure proceeding.
Rosalie sued the U.S. government to get the money back, claiming that it was legally acquired from tobacco manufacturing and that she had at all times complied with U.S. law. The ATF, in turn, argued that Jacobs Tobacco's operations were illegal because the company had no U.S. licence; it has a licence from the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe that is not recognized by Canadian or U.S. authorities. The case was settled last year when Jacobs agreed, without admitting or denying guilt, to forfeit half the money - $32,000 U.S. - while the ATF agreed to return the other half.
Rosalie Jacobs continues to deposit cash at the Bank of Montreal, according to police, and declares her funds to both U.S. and Canadian officials. Her Discount brand is widely sold in Canada.
Enforcement fails
The RCMP strategy for combating cigarette smuggling is to work with local and provincial police, as well as Mohawk peacekeepers to target the ringleaders - those primarily responsible for manufacturing and distribution. At the same time, police have tried to disrupt the flow of contraband by arresting couriers. So far, even officials admit this strategy hasn't worked.
Tribal councils won't shut down manufacturers because they don't regard them as illegal. They've shut them down only because their owners have also been arrested for drug smuggling. Since 2007, there have been 480 tobacco seizures in the region of Akwesasne and Valleyfield, just west of Montreal, netting 443 vehicles plus a number of firearms that include two AK-47 assault rifles, two M-16 machine guns and three grenade launchers.
In theory, penalties for selling or smuggling untaxed tobacco in Canada can be quite severe. Federal fines range from between 17 cents per cigarette and 25.5 cents per cigarette, which adds up when you've got thousands of cigarettes jammed into a van. Added to that are provincial penalties that can double the fines. Failure to pay means up to 18 months in jail.
Trouble is, prosecutors say, smugglers and contraband sellers often don't bother to show up in court, which means police have to go looking for them. And when they finally do come to court and receive stiff fines of tens of thousands of dollars, they don't pay them.
"In my four years doing these cases, I have never seen anybody incarcerated for failure to pay a fine," Cornwall public prosecutor Ron Turgeon said, adding that nobody pays the fines. "Now I'm asking for prison for a second offence, but I'm still not getting it."
Ontario funnels all the Akwesasne cases through a small courthouse that sits behind a beer store in the rural town of Alexandria, about half an hour from Cornwall. The Gazette tried to follow one person accused of smuggling, Oren Bigtree, through the court system, but he never showed up for his hearing.
"They get fined hundreds of thousands of dollars and nobody actually pays that money," said Sgt. Michael Harvey of the Cornwall detachment of the RCMP. "They pay maybe $100 a month. It's just crazy. We seize loads every day but there are factories pumping out millions of cigarettes so it doesn't make any dent."
Chasing smugglers is a dangerous occupation. Last month, a smuggler from Akwesasne tried to run over a Sûreté du Québec police officer with his truck. The officer shot out a tire, arrested the man and found an AK-47 in his cab. In January, an elderly couple from Massena, N.Y., was killed when a tobacco smuggler, chased by two Mohawk police officers, rammed their car. The smuggler also died in the collision that engulfed both vehicles in flames. The police officers were charged with criminal negligence causing death and with dangerous driving.
Since the accident, tobacco seizures have declined because police are reluctant to chase smugglers, Harvey said.
Weak enforcement, willing suppliers, and big demand suggest how difficult it will be to disrupt what has become a billion-dollar black market. Worse, with penalties and punishment modest at best, the biggest challenge may simply be the huge profits to be made, rivalling those of narcotics. Individual smugglers, or runners, can cash in big. One 17-year-old runner from Cornwall testified at her bail hearing that she made three trips a day, six days a week, and earned about $6,000 a week. She said she used the money to finance her cocaine habit.
Retailers also can make a good living. Splicer said his operation clears about $130,000 a year selling contraband. Still, it's not easy, he said. Splicer complained that he can't hold any assets in his name or the government will seize them. He has no bank account and is forced to keep large amounts of money handy to pay his workers and suppliers in cash.
"I can't put my name up front because the government is going to come kicking my door in. That car I own out there? It belongs to my last girlfriend. I pay for the car payments but I can't own it in my name. And my business is not in my name. I burn all my stuff. We don't keep records in the stores. We burn paper. At the end of the day I log into a special computer and hide it on a chip. ... The house I live in is not in my name. That's how I live. I'm nobody."
But he's someone to the Quebec government.
Tax collectors have assessed Splicer for an impressive $25 million in unpaid taxes dating back to the early 1990s, when he ran millions of cartons of cigarettes into Kahnawake. Splicer said he reached a settlement agreeing to pay the government a mere $150 a month against the debt. "They told me to sign an agreement to pay or go to jail for two years," he said. "I pay."
Revenue Quebec would not comment on why it settled for this amount. Often, when there is nothing the government can seize, it will settle on an amount it believes the taxpayer can afford.
It's hard to believe that will make much of a dent in what has become a booming business. Throughout the conversation with Splicer, there is a constant flow of customers in and out of his smoke shop. They buy mostly the low-end discounted cigarettes that come in resealable bags. Twice during the afternoon suppliers brought in fresh boxes, each containing 50 cartons or 10,000 cigarettes.
"I have been in this business since I was 16 years old," Splicer said, taking a drag from a premium brand cigarette. "When they first rolled the first cigarettes into this community, I was there on the water smuggling them in. I was armed with a machine gun in the bush to protect our loads. I remember all this. I ran the river. I did all that. Because this is what I do. This is who I am."
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated the company Brand-U Media is a tobacco manufacturer. Government records, however, indicate its activities as publishing and combat sports. The Gazette also reported that Burton Rice is president of Mustang Distribution Ltd. Government records indicate that its president is Peter Rice. Burton Rice is not listed as an officer or shareholder of the company.


text:
Item #4563
We believe that as home gardeners, we can help to replenish the monarch habitat by sowing milkweed and other butterfly-friendly varieties in our home, school, and community gardens.
Specifically chosen for the Midwest, the Midwest Flutter Butterfly Collection includes two native milkweed varieties (Asclepias tuberosa and Asclepias syriaca) that provide food and habitat for the monarch caterpillar. Prairie Splendor Flower Mix brings the beauty of the Midwest to your garden, while the Cut & Come Again Zinnia shares lasting blooms through the season. Enjoy a gorgeous butterfly garden in no time!
(P) Butterfly Flower Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa (150 mg)
(P) Butterfly Flower Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca (150 mg)
(A) Zinnia Cut & Come Again Zinnia elegans (1 gram)
Prairie Splendor Flower Mix: Percent of mix by weight: 18% each Lance Leaved Coreopsis (P), Purple Coneflower (P), Indian Blanket (A), Gayfeather (P); 9% Purple Prairie Clover (P); 4% Standing Cypress (B), 3% each White Upland Aster (P), Prairie Aster (A/B); 2% each Black-Eyed Susan (A), Prairie Coneflower (B/P), Brown-Eyed Susan (P), Prairie Ironweed (P); and 1% and Plains Coreopsis (A).
A=Annual B=Biennial, P=Perennial
Midwest Regional Collection is intended for the following states: AR, CO, IL, IA, KS, KY, LA, MN, MS, MO, NE, NM, ND, OK, SD, TX
Item #4563
32.00 grams

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Toys R Us Coupons – $120 Off Step2 Play Up Gym Set (exp 12-22-2011)
NOTE: Only the coupons currently available will show up when you click the link, so if this is an older post, this particular coupon might be no longer available.
- Visit the Retail Store Coupons Database for all of the latest retail coupons.
- Visit the Restaurant Coupons Database for all of the latest restaurant coupons.
To get the most recent information for the best coupons and deals out there, be sure to subscribe to Surviving The Stores via RSS blog reader or free daily email updates.
You can also get the latest updates directly to your Facebook news page when you "Like" Surviving The Stores on Facebook!


text:
At UPMC, we are committed to keeping our community safe and healthy as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds. As our team continues to provide Life Changing Medicine to our patients, our recruiters will continue to fill positions throughout this time. Interviews and other processes may be modified to protect the safety of our candidates and employees. Thank you for your patience.
For more information about UPMC's response to COVID-19, please visit upmc.com/coronavirus.
DescriptionAre you interested in a new, or continuing, career in the healthcare field that provides plenty of opportunity for growth and development? UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC Shadyside are currently hiring part-time nursing support staff for a variety of shifts and days.
At UPMC, our shared goal is to create a cohesive, positive, experience for our employees, patients, health plan members, and community. If you too are driven by these values, you may be a great fit at UPMC!QUALITY & SAFETY
UPMC provides a total rewards package that can help you achieve the goals you have for your career and your personal life. Whether you want to learn a new skill through a training course, reach personal health and wellness targets, become more involved in your community, or follow a career path that provides you with the right experience to be successful, UPMC can help you get to where you want to be.
Now more than ever, YOU can help us shape our communities and UPMC into a better place for everyone to work, study, play, and thrive.
Learn more about working here and check out our policies and recent updates.


text:
Lots going on in the world of gluten-free today! Starbucks will now be carrying Kind Bars. If you haven't tried these bars, you are really missing out. Combinations of fruit & nuts, some with yogurt, too. Most varieties are gluten-free, but watch, there is at least 1 I have seen that has oat bran. The labels clearly state "gluten-free" on the ones that are safe for us. I almost always have 1 of these in my purse, but it is nice to know that there is one more place I can get a gluten-free snack if I need to or want to!
Filed under: Family, Gluten-Free, Gluten-free Products |


text:
Harley honors U.S. Marine with surprise gift
A Wisconsin Marine got a huge surprise while helping to kick off Harley-Davidson's 110th anniversary party.
"They notified me that Harley-Davidson is looking for a Wisconsin native. I said, 'What do you need? A color guard? Somebody to march up? Let me know. I'll help you out,'" 1st Sgt. Timothy La Sage said.
He has served as a U.S. Marine for 20 years and received two Purple Hearts, combat medals and more for his sacrifice.
La Sage was asked to ride the Freedom Jacket back to Harley-Davidson. It is a jacket that left the Harley-Davidson Museum last year for a trip around the world.
Worn by many, the jacket made its way back to the museum just in time to officially start the festivities.
La Sage rode up on one of the latest 2014 Harley models wearing the jacket. Many cheered, asking Harley-Davidson to give him the coat for his dedication and service, but Harley-Davidson said, "No."
"I'm afraid I can't give it to him because the pope touched it, and it has to go into the museum. But what Harley-Davidson can do, is give him this 2014 Street Glide," said Mark-Hans Richer of Harley-Davidson.
"It's a testament to their family, the Harley-Davidson family, and just to be part of it is wonderful," La Sage said.
La Sage is currently with the 2nd Battalion, 24th U.S. Marines infantry company based in Madison, Wis.
The Freedom Jacket can be seen at the Harley-Davidson Museum.


text:
mid-cap(redirected from Midcap Stock)
Describing a publicly-traded company with medium amount in market capitalization. In general, a mid-cap company has a market capitalization of between $2 billion and $10 billion, but there is no hard-and-fast rule. Some brokerages or exchanges have slightly different definitions of mid-cap. Some indexes track mid-cap companies, as do some exchange traded funds. See also: High-cap, Low-cap.
1. Of or relating to the common stock of a company with a middle level of market capitalization, usually within the range of $2 billion to $10 billion, although the cutoff points are fuzzy on both ends.
2. Of or relating to a mutual fund that holds mostly mid-cap stocks.


text:
Local Events
Movie Gallery
Latest Updates
Vasavi Reddy
Vasavi Reddy
Vasavi Reddy Galleries
Vasavi Reddy
Added on
July 1, 2016
Vasavi Reddy
Added on
June 28, 2016
Vasavi Reddy
Added on
June 16, 2016
Latest Movie Events
Lockdown Movie Teaser Launch
Bellamkonda Sreenivas's Rakshasudu Movie 1 Year Celebrations
Vijay Raju-Tamanna Vyas-Jaya Durga Devi Multimedia Film Muhurat
Adah Sharma - Shree Krishna Creation Production No.1 Movie Opening
Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav Congratulates Bhanumathi Ramakrishna Team
Chitram X Movie Trailer Launch By Hero Srikanth
Bhanumathi Ramakrishna Poster Launch
Anucharudu Movie Launch
Latest Local Events
VB Entertainments Film And TV Dairy 2020 Launch
Rana Daggubati And Miheeka Bajaj's Wedding Pics
Rana Daggubati-Miheeka Bajaj's Mehandi Ceremony Pics
Zest Art Show - Exhibition of Paintings at Taj Deccan
Creamstone Introduces Creamy Tub Ice Creams in Hyderabad
Vijay Deverakonda Felicitates Plasma Donors, Urges people who have recovered to donate
Writer Prasanna Kumar Bezawada Wedding Photos
Producer Vallurupalli Ramesh's Son Maharshi Wedding Photos
Latest Starzone
Maansi Kumar Latest Photoshoot Images - HD Gallery
Sawali S Nandaragi in Red Lace Dress Exclusive Photo Shoot
Sonia Akula Latest Photoshoot Images - HD Gallery
Priyanka Sharma Latest Photoshoot Images - HD Gallery
Kritya Sudha Karda at Creamy Tub Ice Creams Launch by Creamstone, HD Gallery
Prashanth Varma at Zombie Reddy Movie Shooting Location
Tripura Nimmagadda in Pink Frill Trim Dress - HD Gallery
Nikitha Chaturvedi at Creamy Tub Ice Creams Launch by Creamstone, HD Gallery
Latest News
This Picture of Seerat Kapoor is stealing all the attention on Internet, have a look
Ram Charan goes gaga over 'Uma Maheshwara Ugra Roopasya'
Mahesh Babu can't thank enough: 'Your Love Always Reminds Me Of How Blessed I Am'
'Recchipodam Brother' lyrical song unveiled via Aditya Music
Suniel Narang's health is stable, will be discharged in a day: Brother
Read More News
Latest Reviews
Trance Movie Review
Trance Movie Review
Trance Movie Review
Trance Movie Review
Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya Movie Review
Read More Reviews
Latest Updates
Sameera Reddy G Exclusive Photoshoot Making Video Full HD
Sawali S Nandaragi Exclusive Studio Shoot
Maansi Kumar HD Photo Gallery
Ram Charan goes gaga over 'Uma Maheshwara Ugra Roopasya'
Mahesh Babu can't thank enough: 'Your Love Always Reminds Me Of How Blessed I Am'
'Avunu' fame Poorna takes up Green India challenge
RGV laughs at Covid-19 rumours in his own style
TVS Motor Company introduces new colour for TVS NTORQ 125 Race Edition
Happy Birthday Aadarsh Pasupuleti!
Birthday Wishes to Madhuri Mandal!
View More Updates


text:
Lobster Man was the first place we came upon, they had fresh lobsters, crabs, oysters, clams, mussells and scallops for sale.
It was the first I saw scallops sold in their shell.
Next door was seafood deli and small grocer. I can't recall the name. They had these beautiful terrines.
We passed on those, and opted to sample their salmon jerkey and halibut eggplant curry wrap. Both were quite tasty, the wrap was unique.
We walked through a couple galleries and check out the wares being sold at the tents outside the market before stumbling on La Baguette et L'Echalote Bakery.
We were just going to share a sandwich, but they had a lunch special for two. Twist our arm. We had brie and avocado and taste of Italy sandwiches. Completely different flavors, but both were delicious. Dessert was an apple strudel and chocolate and almond croissant. Oh my goodness, they were heavenly.
By now the clouds broke and the sun was shining through. It was warming up (well, nearly 70), it made for a great picnic lunch on the pier.
Next, we headed inside the Public Market. Food was everywhere! We mostly drooled as we walked by each place. We did stop for cookies at Stewart's bakery, I was skeptical, I thought they looked dry, and they were. But Frank wanted to try. They were better dipped in cappucino. Then, we had to try the French Onion soup at A La Mode.
The soup wasn't as rich as your usual French onion, but it had a nice oniony flavor. It was very good. Gooey cheese and flakey pastry crust. Yum!
We could not eat anymore so we just wandered about the rest of the way through the market.
We walked down to the docks to inquire about a harbor tour. The tour company wasn't booking any tours since it's guide was on vacation. We ended up taking a mini-tour on Aqua Bus, which is the water taxi.
Water levels from the tides have huge swings. Some of the largest I've witnessed.
Every single highrise seen in these photos are residential. Units run upwards of a million or more. Frank and I couldn't help but wonder what people do for work. There is no financial district. We only saw three professional buildings downtown. There is a hospital and all the hospitality jobs, but I doubt those provide enough for million dollar apartments, boats and yachts. All we could figure is people are independently wealthy, work from home or are retired.
This sculpture was very neat, it moves with the tides and it has solar panels that allow it to light up at night. Vegas seriously needs to get on the ball with our solar technology, with 360 days of sunshine we shouldn't be outdone by Vancouver (only July-August is known to be sunny).
We hopped off the boat at Olympic Village to have a look around. There is a neat little habit restoration happening, it home to lots of geese. If you're in Canada, you can just say geese, right?
Science World
Olympic Village, this is where all the athletes stayed during the olympics. Unit are now selling from one million.
After seeing the sights we were taken back to Granville Island. We walked around a bit more before catching the bus back to the hotel. We rested up for the second half of our day.
Our hotel offered a free shuttle to various downtown locations, we just had to call and reserve it. We booked it to take us to Chinatown. We thought we'd grab dinner. It was odd, though, when searching yelp not many places were coming up with reviews. The driver asked us why we were headed to Chinatown, food! He then gave us the scoop Chinatown isn't where you go, it's Richmond.
Today, Chinatown is most active during the day, around 5 or so, everything starts to close down. It's mainly elderly Chinese that remain, those that are younger have moved out to Richmond which is modeled after Hong Kong. He went on to explain that the homeless and drug addicts frequent the area. Insite, known to be highly controversial, it is a clinic that provides a clean place for injection drug use. Not all addicts use it, but they do congregate around the blocks surrounding it. He took us down East Hastings so we could see for ourselves.
I have been by the projects in Chicago, lower wacker drive, D Street, old Naked City, and North Las Vegas, I see people whacked out on drugs often at intersections at Sahara/Las Vegas Blvd and Tropicana/Valley View. Crack heads, meth heads... I thought I had seen it all. But no, nothing prepared me for what we saw. The sidewalks were filled with homeless, most were absolutely out of their minds. There were dozens of working girls, these couldn't even be called escorts. He told us to stay out of the alleys, it's a favorite place for shooting up... used needles line the streets. He showed us the police station right next to the huge crowd of zombies in a drugged stupor. It was unreal. What's worse is these people are all given money monthly, there is no excuse for being homeless. These people choose to live on the streets to support their drug habit. I've heard all about it, but actually seeing it with my own eyes was mind blowing. He said it has actually improved since the Olympics came. I cannot wrap my mind around what it was like when it was bad. Seriously, unreal.
Most people would've probably turned away, but it was the second largest Chinatown in North America we had to experience it. The driver dropped us off at the arch, just two blocks away from the original skid row (home to the highest per capita heroin-related deaths, the highest rate of HIV and Hepatitis C infection in North America).
We walked down Pender until we came upon Dr. Sun Yet-Sen Garden.
The garden was lovely. It would have been serene if I was not completely on edge. About mid-way through I was quickly reminded where we were, when a homeless man with rolling suitcase passed us to leave the gardens. Not an unusual sight, that is until I noticed the tourniquet still tied around his leg from his latest injection. My skin was crawling. You have to understand needles are one of my largest fears. I have nightmares about being injected. The anxiety was building. I took a deep breath and did my best to not let it get to me. Ironically, enough just then I get a glimpse of this view.
"Everything is going to be alright" well, if the building says so it must be true. I took another deep breath and kept shooting... photos.
We left the gardens and continued up Pender.
As we passed alleys you couldn't help but look down them, and sure enough it is where shady business goes down. My anxiety was getting worse and worse. I said to Frank "I hope there are no mosquitos around here". He laughed, but I was dead serious. This is just one of the crazy thoughts that is running through my mind... that I would be bitten by a mosquito and I'd get aids. Not quite rational, I realize this. Anyway, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to go. Even if we found a place open, I doubt I could relax and enjoy the meal. We go to the bus stop. Along the way we see a used condom, fantastic. At the stop, I occupy my mind by watching a broken down van. I could tell the driver and passenger are waiting for someone. A guy likely in his 30's pulls up to assist. He parks the car behind the van only he never puts it in park. He turns the car off, gets out and the car starts rolling. He realizes and tries to stop the car, fortunately it hits more level ground slowing it down before it could ram into the van. Just then the bus arrives and we are on our way OUT of Chinatown. But we had no idea where we were headed. We got off at near the Sky Train Station. We took that to Waterfront. Finally, we were back to familiar territory. We boarded the Sky Train to to Richmond (this route travels mainly underground). We got to Richmond and I saw a sign for Kirin Seafood. I recalled the name, and per Yelp it was supposed to be very good. We walked around the shopping center and found the entrance. It was busy but we were able to snag a table, early diners had wrapped up.
Just the walk through the dining room had our mouths watering, everything looked amazing! We heard little english and we were the only non-Asians, it had to be good.
Frank had wonton soup to start and I had crab claw with minced prawns. Both were great and well executed.
Then for our entrees we had sweet and sour chicken and peking duck. The duck is served in two courses, I was intrigued. The first was crispy skin and crepes, and the second was lettuce wraps. I adored this preparation. There was no fat to work around, you just got to enjoy all the best parts. Frank enjoyed his chicken, it's the best we've had since leaving Chicago.
We stuffed ourselves silly. Dinner was fabulous. We hopped back on the Sky Train and stopped at the station connected to River Rock Casino. We went in to have a look. It was really nice, Vegasy, even. They had a nice race & sports book. Table limits were $10 and slots were just like home. The poker room was odd, it was located across the street in a small building beneath the parking garage. It was very busy, though.
We took the train back toward the hotel getting off at Yaletown. We walked around looking for a bar, finally settling on G Bar on Granville St. We liked the vibe at first, but then the music changed to *thump, thump, thump* we just wanted a pub like place, but most of the bars liked to bump. We had a drink and bailed, then, we called it a night.


text:
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, then dreidel I shall play…
Now where are my chocolate gold coins? lol No I'm not Jewish, however, I wanted to wish all Jews around the world a Happy Hanukkah!
It's Potato Lakes time ya'll, and here is a delicious recipe I found.
from Food Network
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Inactive: 20 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Yield: 10 to 12 pieces
These classic potato pancakes are super crispy on the outside but soft and moist on the inside. We use shredded potatoes for a traditional look, and a little bit of onion for that hint of sweetness.
- 2 pounds russet potatoes
- 1 small yellow onion
- 3 tablespoons matzo meal
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as chives or parsley, for garnish
- Sour cream, for serving
- Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce, for serving
Peel the potatoes and shred them in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade; transfer the potatoes to a large bowl as the food processor fills up. Repeat with the onion. Transfer the onion to the bowl with the potatoes and stir in the matzo meal, egg, baking powder and salt.
Fill a large skillet with 1/2 inch oil. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil is very hot but not smoking. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a small piece of potato into the oil; if the potato sizzles steadily, the oil is ready.
Working in batches, scoop the potato mixture by 1/4-cupfuls and add them carefully to the skillet, flattening each latke slightly with a spatula. Fry, turning the latkes once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Remove any loose bits of potato mixture between batches with a slotted spoon.
Serve the latkes immediately, or keep them warm in a 200 degree F oven. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with sour cream and Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce.
Cook's Note: If you need to fry a lot of latkes, it's best to make multiple batches rather than one double batch. The longer the mixture sits, the wetter it becomes which makes the latkes fall apart more easily as they cook.
Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce
- 3 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 6 cinnamon sticks
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
Combine the apples, pears, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the apples and pears are very soft but still a bit chunky, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste the mixture and add the remaining tablespoon of sugar if desired.
Remove the sauce from the heat and stir a few times until the sauce is well combined with small chunks. Cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon sticks and serve. (For a smoother sauce, remove from heat, remove the cinnamon sticks and then whisk the mixture until smooth before cooling.)
Cook's Note
This recipe can be prepared several days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. Let it stand at room temperature for a few hours before serving.


text:
More Products
All Hodge Silk Swabs are made from 100% silk.
OUR MOST HIGHLY REQUESTED INSTRUMENT SWAB! Silk is very absorbent, soaking up water in instruments better than any other material on the market, including both cotton and chamois. Silk is also very compressible, making it possible to pull through instruments with large variations in bore size. In addition, silk is lint free.
Powered by Pro-Active WebsitesEntire contents Copyright © 2003-2020 The Band House.


text:
- Free Consultation and Quote
- High-end Work
- Available within 24 hours
- Certified Bathroom Renovation
Know what to anticipate
With respect to Bathroom Renovation in Federal Way, WA, you have to be knowledgeable to make the most effective judgments. You should not go into it blindly, and you should be aware of what to expect. You will not confront any surprises when you hire Bathroom Renovation Guys. Start off by contacting 888-341-7776 to go over your task. We are going to go over your questions and concerns as soon as you call and get you organized with a scheduled visit. We always get there at the scheduled time, all set to work closely with you.
For the very best Bathroom Renovation in Federal Way, Wyoming, choose Bathroom Renovation Guys
Whenever you are preparing a task for Bathroom Renovation in Federal Way, WA, there's lots of reasons to prefer Bathroom Renovation Guys. We have got the top customer satisfaction ratings, the very best quality materials, and the most sensible and efficient cash saving techniques. We fully understand your requirements and ambitions, and we are ready to help you using our expertise. If you need Bathroom Renovation in Federal Way, choose Bathroom Renovation Guys at 888-341-7776, and we're going to be more than pleased to help.


text:
Croatia joins EU, pledges regional ties
ZAGREB, Croatia In its first day as a European Union member, Croatia on Monday pledged to help other Balkan countries move closer to the bloc and to help bring lasting stability to a region which was engulfed in conflict 20 years ago.
Croatian president Ivo Josipovic met with leaders of other Balkan countries just hours after Croatia became the union's 28th member state. It is only the second former Yugoslav republic to join, following Slovenia in 2004.
Josipovic said Balkan leaders have agreed to future meetings to discuss joint projects and resolve remaining issues weighing on regional ties. EU officials will join the gatherings that will also focus on further EU integration of the region, he said.
"I look at the future with much optimism," Josipovic said, greeting the Balkan leaders "on the first European morning."
Croatia marked the entry on Sunday with fireworks and festivities that lasted long into the night. EU membership is considered to be a milestone for the country of 4.2 million people that suffered four years of war after declaring independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991.
Integration into the EU is viewed as key in pacifying the Balkans, still reeling from the wars that claimed more than 100,000 lives, left millions homeless and impoverished the region. Lured by the prospects of EU entry, Balkan foes Serbia and Kosovo recently struck a historic deal normalizing ties.
Tiny Montenegro, an Adriatic country of just over 600,000 people, is expected to be the next in line to join the EU. Serbia has been given green light to start accession negotiations in January, while Kosovo will open the initial stage of the process.
Bosnia has been lagging behind because of the bickering between its Serb, Muslim and Croat politicians which has snarled ordinary government activity. Nebojsa Radmanovic, head of Bosnia's three-member presidency, on Monday urged the EU to make a "brave leap" and embrace other Balkan countries.
"The citizens of Bosnia expect to see quicker and more determined steps toward integration," he said.
Kosovo's President Atifete Jahjaga added that Croatia's entry "opened a new page in the integration of the Western Balkan countries."
Also on Monday, in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy hailed the "courageous" agreement between Serbia and Kosovo, saying it "puts an end to a period of conflict that erupted in the heart of Europe two decades ago."
"It is fitting that the Union, itself born from the ashes of the Second World War, becomes now a place of reconciliation and encounter for the Balkan nations," he said. "We cannot change the past. We can only change the future. And we are doing so."
Serbia does not recognize the 2008 declaration of independence by its former province of Kosovo, but has agreed to normalize ties to move closer to EU.


text:
They Bleed Pixels
They Bleed Pixels on sale through Halloween, new content added
They Bleed Pixels is the latest Steam title to offer Halloween DLC and price cuts. The dark and gory platformer's spooky new level lets you play trick or treat in a sadistic new way.
They Bleed Pixels headlines
They Bleed Pixels now on Steam; 20% during launch week
They Bleed Pixels, a Lovecraftian platformer originally expected on Xbox Live, is now available on Steam. The indie effort is 20% off to celebrate its launch window, which means you can grab it for $7 until September 6. You can grab it with the soundtrack in a slightly thriftier bundle, too. It's Spooky Squid Games' […]
They Bleed Pixels: Steam release confirmed
They Bleed Pixels, the gory pixelated platformer from indie dev Spooky Squid was coming to Xbox Live once upon a time, but it's now heading to Steam instead.
Wednesday Shorts - The morning edition: Gears 3 Easter Eggs, Link statue, Kirby, lots more
Spit-balling Shorty McShort news updates to keep you in the know. Lots to read, gawp at and make fun of.
Spooky Squid Games releases trailer for They Bleed Pixels
Spooky Squid Games has updated its website with details and a video for its new XBL platformer They Bleed Pixels. Apparently, the game is a "fast-paced, gothic lo-fi, platforming beat'em up that drips, gushes and flows," with a one-button combo-attack system. It is slated for release this summer, and features a soundtrack from DJ Finish […]
They Bleed Pixels latest
They Bleed Pixels on sale through Halloween, new content added
Wednesday Shorts – The morning edition: Gears 3 Easter Eggs, Link statue, Kirby, lots more


text:
DJ Snake sat down for an interview with Maxwell on #MostRequestedLive!
On how he got both Cardi B and Selena Gomez on "Taki Taki":
"Cardi heard the record with Ozuna, and she was like 'Ooh, what is that?' And he said, 'Oh that's the record that I have with Snake.' She was like, 'Oh my God, I need to be on this.' So she called me, said, 'Hey, this is Cardi, I need to be on that record, that's my sh**.' So I was the happiest man on the planet. She cut the record pretty fast, and then I was like you know what, we should bring another queen on the record. Selena was down to work on it, she was super excited, and that's my first record in Spanish - that was a big challenge for me... I didn't know if the Latinos were gonna love it or not. That record's a monster."
On the next challenge he wants to tackle now that he has a Spanish record under his belt:
"I get inspired by the world, so the next challenge is trying to make new things, bringing some different sounds into my world, and I'm almost done with my new album and its gonna be incredible. I have a lot of people on it: super talented kids, some huge superstars, rappers, other DJs - that's gonna be a big one... I just can't wait to share the monster with you."
Listen to DJ Snake's full interview with Maxwell below!
Watch the video for DJ Snake's hot collab with Ozuna, Cardi B & Selena Gomez, "Taki Taki" below!


text:
Warrior Nation
114 members
Join Warrior Nation
View All Comments
Welcome toWarrior Nation
Sign Upor Sign In
Or sign in with:
J. Jeannine Metzger
Give a Gift
Mikmaq Hunter
Give a Gift
Posted by Christopher Stewart on August 1, 2020 at 3:23pm
0 Comments
Posted by PAUL E COMEAU on July 1, 2020 at 10:39am
1 Comment
1 Like
Posted by Ms. Down-to-Earth on June 9, 2020 at 8:10am
0 Comments
1 Like
Game -Word Association
Rhyme Time Fun Time
What's Your Weather
One-word Scrabble
For the Warriors who fight and Die...
so the rest of us may fight to Live.
© 2020 Created by LadyHawkღ.
Powered by
Badges |
Report an Issue |
Terms of Service
Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.


text:
By the Decision 29 COM 20, adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 29th ordinary session (Durban, 2005), the 30th ordinary session of the World Heritage Committee will take place from 8 to 16 July 2006, in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The current members of the World Heritage Committee are as follows: Benin, Canada, Chile, Cuba, India, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lithuania, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Republic of Korea, Spain, Tunisia, United States of America.
The following members comprise the Bureau of the Committee:
- Chairperson: H.E. Mrs Ina Marčiulionytė, Lithuania
- Rapporteur: Prof. Alexander Gillespie, New Zealand
- Vice-Chairpersons: Benin, Chile, India, Kuwait and Netherlands


text:
Leon County Booking Report: June 12, 2019
Published: Jun. 12, 2019 at 9:15 AM EDT
Attached is a PDF file containing all bookings at the Leon County Detention Facility from June 11, 2019.
The PDF can be found on this page as "Booking Report 6-12-19."
DISCLAIMER: The arrest records that are available through this website are public information. Any indication of an arrest does not mean the individual identified has been convicted of a crime. All persons arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.


text:
Shawty Lo (Feat. Cosa Nostra) - I Do That Now
"WSHH & JTF EXCLUSIVE! @jordantowerjtf @thatsshawtylo! New Song With Shawty Lo "I do that now"! Back with a vengeance! TO BOOK JORDAN TOWER FILMS TO DIRECT YOUR NEXT VIDEO EMAIL: firstname.lastname@example.com!" [m]
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Bundi - Girls (Out 30th November 2009) [Artist Submitted]
B reports "Bundi's 'Girls' track. A comical depiction of the different 'Girls' Bundi has met. 'Girls' - Out digitally on 30th November (itunes, amazon, napster, etc) Directed by Porge 1. Filmed by Ady Leroux. Track produced by Fusion. Vocal mixdown by Dirty Reckless. Flawless vocals by Bundi. Management/ Contact info: email@example.com More Bundi info: www.myspace.com/bundi1 www.facebook.com/bundi01 'Girls' - Out digitally on 30th November (itunes)
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
CONGRATULATIONS to
This year I put a limit on the amount of gifts I would get my daughter. More often than not I get her extra stuff that she doesn't need! Case and point: her birthday was almost 3 months ago and she has about 6 gifts she hasn't opened yet!! So this year I focused in on a handful of items I know she needs and has talked about multiple times. I have cut myself off from buying her more presents and I can't afford any more!
Soooo in the giving season (and to avoid me buying more) I am giving away a $25 Walmart gift card for you to spend on your loved ones…. or yourself!!
Entering is a breeze, use the widget below!
Be sure to enter my other giveaway for a $50 Pear Tree Greetings credit!


text:
Check the Match 6 Evening winning Lottery numbers and Lottery payouts here!
0 players matched 6 of 6, jackpot rolls to $1,280,00013 players matched 5 of 6, each receiving $1,000643 players matched 4 of 6, each receiving $2011,203 players matched 3 of 6, each receiving $20 players matched 10+ of 18 each receiving $2,5003 players matched 9 of 18, each receiving $1,00057 players matched 8 of 18, each receiving $50399 players matched 7 of 18, each receiving $252,058 players matched 6 of 18, each receiving $108,123 players matched 5 of 18, each receiving $523,041 players matched 4 of 18, each receiving $2
View Match 6 Evening Winning Lottery Numbers and Lottery Payouts
View Match 6 Prize Chart
Learn to play Match 6 - Try It Here
You can check the PA Lottery website for Lottery results, or visit the Lottery VIP Players Club to sign up for emails or text messages to receive winning lottery number alerts for Match 6 and other PA Lottery games.
How to Claim a Lottery Prize
Pennsylvania Lottery Benefits Older Pennsylvanians. Every Day.
Be Social
Get the PA Lottery
Official App
Sign Up
For Text Alerts
Join the
VIP Players Club
Get the Official
PA Lottery App
Join the VIP Players Club
© 2020 PA Lottery
Players Must Be 18 Years or Older. Please Play Responsibly. PROBLEM GAMBLING HELPLINE: 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537).
Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the winning numbers, prize payouts and other information posted on the Pennsylvania Lottery's website. The official winning numbers are those selected in the respective drawings and recorded under the observation of an independent accounting firm. In the event of a discrepancy, the official drawing results shall prevail.
"The trademark 'Cash For Life' and 'Cash 4 Life', reg. nos. 3099613, 4254557, and 4748172 are owned by and used with the permission of the Multi-State Lottery Association."


text:
Missing games is tough, but injured Crew defenders Jed Zayner and Chad Marshall are starting to see the positives of being sidelined.
The pair was rehabbing leg injuries Tuesday at the Crew's training facility in Obetz and discussed their misfortunes together after sitting out the club's season-opening win over Toronto FC last Saturday.
"You never want to be injured, but of all the times to get injured, get it out of the way at the beginning of the season," Zayner said. "We only have two games this month."
With the Crew's upcoming bye this weekend and another bye in April, the necessity for either to rush back isn't paramount.
Marshall strained his left hamstring earlier this month while training with the team in Arizona, but could be ready for the next match April 10 at FC Dallas.
"They say hamstrings are pretty temperamental," said Marshall, who's never had a serious hamstring injury before. "The more time I have to get back, the better. If we're a month into the season and I miss only two games, it's not as bad."
Zayner suffered a partial tear of his right medial collateral ligament during a preseason game in Arizona and is eyeing the April 24 home game vs. Real Salt Lake for his return.
But the light early schedule and a strong bench ease the anxiety for head coach Robert Warzycha, who knows there are capable replacements that will allow the injured maximum time to heal.
Andy Iro, for example, slid into Marshall's center back spot on Saturday and handled the job as the Crew posted a 2-0 shutout win.
"The best thing would be to have your best 11 on the field," Warzycha said. "Chad is Defender of the Year, so he should be playing. On the other side, it's good to have players who can step up. In Andy's case, last week he even scored a goal. That's good to have."
Iro, slightly taller than the 6-4 Marshall, went to the friendly skies to head a free kick from Guillermo Barros Schelotto for the first goal of the season. Afterward, reporters surmised Iro was doing his best imitation of Marshall.
"That's not an impression of me," Marshall countered. "That's what he does. He's worked on his heading game and crossings and corners. That's just a testament to the hard work he puts in at practice. He made a great run and a great finish."
Despite Iro's success in his stead, Marshall's injury woes have implications beyond the Crew. He was coming off a left knee sprain at the end of the 2009 season and did not have a standout camp with the U.S. National Team in January, and the latest injury further diminishes his chances of being named to the World Cup roster.
"I would have liked to have stayed healthy at the end of last year going into the January camp and hopefully been sharper," he said.
When asked of his World Cup chances, he replied: "I would probably lean toward the not making (the team). Given the injuries and stuff it's something that I guess I'm expecting. You still hold out hope, but I won't be too crushed if I'm not selected."
Last season he won his second straight MLS Defender of the Year award to match the feat of Chicago's Carlos Bocanegra (2002-03) and Robin Fraser (Los Angeles, 1999; Columbus, 2004) as the only two-time winners.
Can Marshall, at age 26 but in his seventh season, get the hat trick?
"First and foremost is the team," he said. "If the team is doing well, the individual accolades will come."


text:
5 Reasons Why Hen Welfare Should Ruffle Your Feathers
Apr 07, 2016 04:31AM
By Family Features
Over the past year, the national conversation over animal welfare has grown increasingly louder. Just three years ago, eggs from hens in cramped cages made up 95 percent of the market. Today, major corporations across the country have committed to more humane food practices by moving to cage-free eggs.
While eggs with the "cage-free" label are a step in the right direction, they're not the complete solution. Cage-free hens still live indoors their entire lives and some free-range hens may not be as free as you think. Unscrambling the egg aisle and understanding egg carton labeling such as cage-free, free-range, organic, etc., is a challenge in and of itself. Although hen welfare conditions have improved over the past few years, it is still increasingly difficult to understand what labels are saying about the way egg-laying hens are treated.
The happy egg co., the first free-range egg brand to be certified by the American Humane Assocation, believes that each hen deserves to live a happy and healthy life. By providing each hen with 21.8 square feet of outdoor space, their hens are free to roam, spread their wings and exhibit natural behaviors on acres of open space.
National Farm Animals Day is April 10th and is the perfect time to think about ways consumers can make informed, humane purchasing decisions when shopping the egg case. As you think about which eggs to purchase, here are five things you should keep in mind:
Football fields
Happy hens may not be throwing touchdown passes, but they certainly need space to run up the middle of the pasture and spread their wings. The reality is that 85 percent of eggs still come from caged hens who spend their entire lives indoors. The happy egg co. allows access to six football fields of space for their hens to forage outdoors.
Lean on your 'go-to' retailers
Consumers are demanding more humane options at the grocery store and nearly 100 major food companies like Starbucks and McDonald's are committing to cage-free, or better. Be mindful of the latest retailer announcements, as these can help you decide where to shop and eat.
The unfortunate reality is the majority of eggs still come from hens that live indoors their entire lives, confined to cages no bigger than an iPad. Don't be fooled by pictures on the carton, if it doesn't say otherwise, caged eggs are most likely what you're buying.
Can't stop at cage-free
While cage-free is certainly a step in the right direction, it's important to realize that the egg industry can't stop there. Besides, cage-free simply means hens aren't kept in a cage, but they still never step foot outside a barn.
Know the difference
Organic hens are given organic feed, and it has nothing to do with whether or not they live their lives outside. Organic hens are given feed that is grown without GMOs or pesticides per the USDA standards, but despite the wholesome, all-natural image, most organic hens do not go outside.
Knowledge is power and by committing to shop more humanely, consumers are able to make a positive impact on the lives of farm animals everywhere. Join the happy egg co.'s #FlockingHappy movement, designed to motivate consumers to make thoughtful purchasing decisions in the egg aisle, at flockinghappy.com. For every pledge up to 25,000 made by a consumer, the happy egg co. will make a monetary donation to Compassion in World Farming, the leading international farm animal welfare organization.
Now that you know how to determine whether the eggs you are buying came from hens that are treated humanely, get out there and support hen welfare.


text:
Beaten, but undrained: Litigant says City gets its water... in 40 years
32 comments
If Mr. Braverman is depending on anyone remembering the definition of the word lease in 40 years then his is a pyrrhic victory - the reporter is right, all he got is dust in the wind.
What a tragedy for our community and what a cost. To benefit the all ready well off and sock it to the average Joe. And the loss of a magnificent natural area at Ragged Mountain that will be destroyed along with 60,000+ trees - what kind of community are we that we would allow this to happen and never maintain the reservoir we have at South Fork for our water supply. Didn't we do enough damage to the environment 60 years ago when we built that and don't we have an obligation not to throw that away and do more ?
This is an excellent report of what actually transpired yesterday . I was there. II have followed this since 2007 and the only descent journalism about this vital community issue has come from Mr. Spencer and the Hook.
"This is an argument right out of Kafka," scolded defense counsel Robert Hodges
The only thing Kafkaesque about this is the way the RWSA had manipulated the community to build a dam we don't need at great expense to the public.
"the language in the transfer documents seemed chosen to avoid the Constitution's 40-year lease cap"
HOW NEFARIOUS!!! The transfer documents, as written, FOLLOWED THE LETTER OF THE LAW! This only proves how evil the people devising this water plan are!! The fact that these wrongdoers would purposefully do the right thing is evidence of their wrongdoing! Yep, nothing Kafkaseque about that argument....
I've followed the water issue since 2002, when the area was 90 days from having to truck in water. People that claim to be informed about this issue and ignore how imminent this disaster was because we did not have an adequate water supply are kidding themselves.
People can believe whatever they want. What is clear with this issue is that people that believe that this is all some evil plot completely discount the very real arguments in favor of the existing plan. The fact is that the plan will satisfy the areas water needs for several decades. This satisfaction was mandated by law and the local municipalities entered into an agreement to meet this legal requirement. We can't just hope for the best like we were prior to 2002.
Water is essential for carbon based life forms to exist. The City of Charlottesville was VERY close to running out of water within the last 10 years. Any government that would ignore this reality should be impeached.
There are real arguments against the existing plan and they were taken into account. There are also real arguments for the existing plan and they have won. Elected officials ratified this plan and now it's been ratified in court.
Yes, maybe even Judge Higgins is in on the conspiracy. Or maybe the opponents of the water plan have lost fair and square. Time to get over it and move on, kiddies....
In 1944 and 1957, City Councils purchased land to expand the City's public Oakwood Cemetery. Those officials knew that extra land would be needed because Maplewood, the only other public cemetery in the entire Charlottesville-Albemarle community, was already hemmed in by streets and residences. And they felt the need of taking that action because providing public burying ground had been an accepted responsibility and collective act of compassion since the early 19th century not just here but in every other civilized community.
But even though the two parcels acquired in '44 and '57 were shown as part of Oakwood on City Planning Department-generated maps in 1967 and 1972 and 1979 (projecting for 1990), those parcels were never opened for burials in the late '90s, when all available plots both in Maplewood and in the already opened portion of Oakwood had been sold.
Last year, when Councilors, prompted by cronies (i.e. Southern Development's Charlie Armstrong, former Mayor Blake Caravati, and Caravati-associate and former City Council candidate Brevy Cannon), suggested in closed-door City Hall session that the City give to them for building the parcels acquired in 1944 and 1957 for Oakwood expansion, Councilor Holly Edwards asked that the land be used to expand the cemetery but "got no support" (in Edwards' recent words).
Councilors Huja, Szakos, Norris, and Galvin -- aided by NDS Director Jim Tolbert's enthusiastic misrepresentations to the public, to the press, et al. -- sent their giveaway of Oakwood property through a blink-and-miss-it, pretend-like public process at warp speed earlier this year. And even after they were confronted with conclusive evidence that the land they were determined to give to Southern Development using Habitat for Humanity as a beard (a fine old term from criminal slang) had been acquired for Oakwood expansion -- indeed, even after they had grudgingly admitted that fact in their meeting of 7 May -- those same four Councilors voted to complete their reprehensible giveaway of the people's burying ground.
This Council has apologized for earlier Councils' razing of Vinegar Hil, pledged to learn from and apply the lessons from that, and appropriated money for a statue to honor those displaced by that action. At their 7 May meeting -- in which four current Councilors dissolved Charlottesville's almost 200-year provision of public cemeteries without ever even addressing the subject, much less involving the public in that decision -- Councilors expressed elaborate concern for the poor and also for African Americans. But none of that self-serving rhetoric, etc., inhibited Huja, Szakos, Norris, and Galvin from voting to give to Southern Development and its junior partner Habitat the Oakwood expansion parcels purchased in 1944 nd '57, parcels both needed and wanted by the public for at least a decade and especially needed and wanted by African American members of the public for whom it is especially "sacred ground."
All of which is to say that I'm very grateful to Mr. Braverman for fighting this highly flawed City government. And, for his sake, I'm very glad that he thinks he's won something. But in a community that has no collective memory and in which public officials feel not the slightest obligation whatsoever to honor the best decisions of their predecessors, I have to question his optimism. When the people in charge respect nothing and "honor" only what brings them gain, nothing is safe even for now, much less for the future.
@ meanwhile -Is this a joke ?
". The City of Charlottesville was VERY close to running out of water within the last 10 years. Any government that would ignore this reality should be impeached. "
@ meanwhile I guess you've been out of touch for awhile
'Ballparking' RWSA: Record low water use and record high RFP?
By Hawes Spencer |firstname.lastname@example.com
Published online 7:04pm Sunday Jun 26th, 2011
and in print issue #1026 dated Thursday Jun 30th, 2011
New data show that the community is using one fifth less water than a decade ago. The latest figures show use of just 8.72 million gallons a day during first five months of 2011. That's 20 percent less than the 10.91 million gallons a day drawn during the first five months of 2001 and just 0.02 million more than the record low usage of 2009, which had a rainier-than-usual summer. So unless this summer goes back into a drought as it experienced last year, this could be a year for the record books– and a fitting irony for the launch of a public works project widely seen as unnecessary.
Here's the link if you want to read what a total boondoggle for ratepayers this is - and sure to get worse
Lower demand and more debt - recipe for ratepayer disaster
city resident + @meanwhile:
Having long since lost sight of who's being ironic, who's trying to report facts, who's just making noise, et al. vis-a-vis the future water supply, I would just note that an obligation to maintain the South Fork Reservoir was built into its creation but never performed.
So the situation with the water supply has always been analogous to the City refusing to perform for already owned City vehicles even the most basic maintenance -- oil changes, tire rotations, etc. -- then demanding great big, shiny new SUV's to replace the never-maintained vehicles (plus, of course, the junking of those never-maintained vehicles).
And no one ever seems to note that the deletion from the local ecosystem of many thousands of trees -- in the past, in the present, in the future -- means that a fair amount of water will never actually fall from the sky at all. And what does not fall, cannot be collected in anything -- not in modest old reservoirs, not in an obscenely expensive new reservoir.
And P.S. on burying ground: Even if the City does as Klueless Kristen suggested on 7 May purchase new burial space to replace already acquired new burial space just given away, it will not substitute for the public burial space purchased in 1944 and 1957 because it will not be in Oakwood. Sacred ground isn't fungible. One patch of graveyard dirt isn't the same as any other.
city resident, no it's not a joke. Were you living here in 2002? Simple question: yes or no.
If you were here then you must recall that we were 90 days from having to truck in water. If you were not here, then you are missing the context of this entire debate.
From the tenor of your comment asking whether or not I'm joking, I take it that you were not a resident of the City of Charlottesville in 2002. When did you move here?
I was here in 2002 and your statement is fear mongering and a complete falsification.
Kevin Lynch was on City Council and has documentation from RWSA to show that your claim holds no water .
To set the record straight
Demand and Conservation:
How much water will we need in 2055
There is NOTHING more FUNDAMENTAL to the Community Water Supply Plan than an accurate DEMAND ANALYSIS. How much water will our community need in the future?
The current plan was sized according to a "Demand Analysis" that forecast how much water per day our community would need in 2055 (50 years.) RWSA consultants, Gannett Fleming (GF), who have since been fired, based their study on several assumptions which have since proven wrong.
They used 30 years of data through 2001. However, starting in 2000, water use started to decline due to a number of sustainable conservation practices. It is now 25% below the projections the plan is based on.
Albemarle Water Resource Manager Greg Harper wrote an excellent analysis of demand in May 2008. Harper advocates a "soft path" to meet future needs over the "hard path" of concrete and steel.
Given the faulty assumptions which led to faulty projections along with the decade-long trend in declining water use.... A NEW DEMAND ANALYSIS IS NEEDED!
"Our community is growing and we are using more water."
According to the Census Bureau, since 2000 our area has grown 12%, yet water use has DECLINED 20% in that same time period.
Despite population growth and increased hook-ups, we are using 28% less water than the Demand Analysis for the Community Water Supply Plan projected for 2008. In fact water use has been below projections EVERY YEAR since 2000. Water use continues to decline -- a downward trend in water consumption on its way to putting 2010 in the record books for the lowest water use in recent history.
Water use peaked in 1999 and has been coming down ever since. Why? Because we have implemented permanent changes in our water usage. Low flow showers, front loading washing machines, golf courses are off the system and car washes are mandated to use recycled water - among others. Welcome to the 21st century.
"The University of Virginia is planning to grow and will need more water "
While UVA is a major employer and influence in the Charlottesville area, it is NOT a major user of water. UVA uses about 15% of the water sold in the Urban Area and that has fallen in the last decade.
UVA has been a leader in the conservation of water, reducing its per capita use by 30% from 1999 to 2006. Since that time, it has increased its square footage by xxxxx yet is still 20% below its peak use in 1999. .
@ meanwhile -this PowerPoint by Kevin Lynch demonstrates how wrong you are
-meanwhile, I was living in the area in 2002 and I know it was bad. I have no idea where you get the 90 day water trucking thing except making it up. There was 138 days of water at the then daily usage amounts. We use 20% less now, which means those days of water left increases. That means we can grow 20% before we hit water usage of 2002.
I think the real issue is not that you truly think we need the water, but that you just don't like the idea that some people stood up and challenged the status quo. Maybe you have friends who are developers and are filling your ears, or maybe you part of the original development, and you just think someone is piddling all over your post by putting the plan in the dust.
Kingdoms fall on the sort of irrational behaviour you are showing here. Unfortunately, the people living in this area have to suffer with you.
Caesonia, not making it up at all. I do not wish to divulge my identity. Thank you for acknowledging that we had 138 days of water left. Apparently you believe that governments should wait until the last possible moment before trucking in water?
The plan was to truck in water 90 days after the drought broke. Not making this up and I'm not "wrong" about it.
If you don't believe that this near disaster is precisely why the local municipal governments have embarked on the course of action that they have, then you are deluding yourselves.
Wishing for the best is not responsible behavior when faced with a possible catastrophe. Responsible public servants should and will act in the best interests of all the people, not merely pander to the emotional arguments of an irresponsible fringe group.
I was waiting for the call, had the cell phone
on traveling between Jackson Wy.and Santa Barbara homes.
Never lost a criminal case, and undefeated in civil cases since 1969.
What attorney loses ....And then calls it a victory ??
Riparian riights are a big deal out my way.
I would have made it a test case for water on your coast.
Give me a holler.....think I can win on appeal.
Out here in the cowboy state we think big....as in
Take no prisoners .
307-733-5248 fax
Happy Trails
Jerry Spence
I like the way this has become a pissing contest on who lived here in 2002. Like this place was some kind of country village with a general store and a livery.
I also like the way the people can't understand simple math. I guess the City can stop handing out $100 toilet rebates. We certainly won't need them with all the water we're sure to have!
@meanwhile, I don't think anyone will disagree that the drought of 2002 spurred communities to study their water plans for the future. In fact, then Governor Warner mandated that communities come up with 30 - 50 year plans.
The problem with our current dam/pipeline plan is that it is based on out of date data that has since been updated to show that dredging our current South Fork Reservoir will provide all the water this community needs for many decades and most likely more than 50 years, given the data from the last decade of falling water use and updated information about the South Fork capacity and sedimentation rate . Please look at the graphs in Mr. Lynch's powerpoint that illustrate this point beautifully, so that anyone can understand it. In addition there are far cheaper and less damaging ways to provide additional water than destroying the Ragged Mt. Natural Area and it's irreplaceable magnificent hardwood forest if South Fork's capacity after dredging proved insufficient.
The fact that powerful special interests got their way does not mean that this decision is for the public good, in fact, I would argue just the opposite. It is the most discouraging decision I have witnessed in my 40 years living in this community and one I believe even many supporters will come to regret.
Mr. Lynch and 2 other Councilors ( Mr. Schilling and Ms. Hamilton), who voted on this plan in 2006, have publicly come out and said, that given what they know now, they would not have voted to support it.
I want to personally thank Mr. Braverman, the Sierra Club, the hundreds of citizens who signed petitions, attended public meetings, wrote letters and spoke to elected officials in an effort to bring about a less costly, less environmentally damaging water plan that would have provided all the water we would need for 50 years or more, and done what should have been done all along - maintained the South Fork Reservoir for water supply.
A special thanks goes to Dave Norris who crafted a plan that was dubbed " the Norris Plan " ( dredging South Fork and adding on to the original dam ) and advocated for new studies that showed the original dam at Ragged Mt. was not only safe, but could be raised, and a dredging study that proved that dredging South Fork was not only feasible, but far more economical than we had been told.
And lastly thanks to Hook editor, Hawes Spencer and the entire staff, who provided the one consistent voice to tell the people's story that otherwise would have gone undocumented and misunderstood, amid all the biases shown by some in other media. Let the Virginia Press Association Award they won in 2009, based on this story, for Journalistic Integrity and Community Service ( the highest statewide award ), stand as a testament to their outstanding reporting, and the service they provided and continue to provide to our community.
The 40 year lease may be forgotten, along with the 60,000 trees that will be destroyed, but this story will live on and we can only hope, remind future generations of the dedicated citizens who gave countless hours to try and provide a better long term water supply plan for people and the environment.
The problem from the start was control. The city owned all three reservoirs and the lease was to expire June 2012. The county did not want to come to the city to ask for water for development and have the city in control. This whole long affair was about control. The environmental community principally operates in the county and backed the county to gain their place at the table. Hence the unlikely alliance.
The county won big time. City folks just could not rise above the complaining stage and mount a legal challenge to any of the many procedural requirements. Then came the last election of City Councilors. The county leaders must have jumped for joy. The fix was in and the deal was done right there. Dede and Dave were completely ignored, run over, by the three stooges who received the county pac money. The poor city citizens got severely fleeced.
And the band played on as the Water Babies ignored creditable council and let Braverman leave his retirement from immigration and represent the community for free as their litigation attorney. Talk about taking a knife to a gunfight. Even the judge seemed a bit concerned. "Mr Braverman, what do you want me to do?"
Now the issue is settled for the next 40 years. The city has lost control of their major assets and if they build many more low cost housing units the city will have to buy water rights from the county. The economic base is leaving and the startups flee as soon as they get out from under the wing of the university. You can hear the drum beat. Tom Tom Tom Tom
In the end, after all the lies, false information, steamrolling and the like; the city got what they voted for in the election. Three Stooges in who will sell out the assets of the city, just for the power to do so. Lets hope that we do not have a drought during construction of the new monster reservoir. Let us pray that our masters at City Hall are not too hard on us slaves.
Charlottesville is "The Plantation again." Come get your rations while they last. The shack over there is for you. We will take care of you just vote for us and support our lives. Our meetings are secrete, but will will produce a public show for you.
There is no honor in these proceedings.
one does get weary reading betty's comment.
is there no end to the tired; self serving ; self aggrandizing
that is now trotted out like an ode; a eulogy for things that never were ?
so over the top that it belongs on SCTV sammy maudlin show.
does our community need a designated mourner for issues that
there was no political will for ?
does our community need a 'loyal opposition' that is ineffectual
and in essence serves as a useful prop; lacking any real substance?
Why do you-all keep harping on this? The city government recognized the unfairness of the situation and worked with the county to fix an unfair problem.
Brown, Huja, and Szakos worked with us to right a bad situation and they should be lauded, not pilloried. It is the county that drives economic growth in this region and the city that takes and spends money as it sees fit, often for ridiculous programs.
We couldn't allow that to reach its obvious conclusion in the future and potentially demolish the economic integrity of central Virginia. When you have a bunch of people whose greatest interest is relaxing marijuana laws it doesn't bode well for decision-making.
So, we have now taken it away from them and put it into responsible hands. Future generations will be thankful.
@ Oh Giveme a Break
Are you just trying to sound official, or are you actually a person of significance. In other words, who are you and what do you know?
No response from Oh Giveme a break. Whoever that is it is obvious that theft of city assets through manipulation of public office is the preferred course of action to an honest debate of the real issue.
How corrupt can you be? One thing is certain, eventually the truth comes out and so far we have received some evidence that Brown, Huja and Szakos were in fact working with the county to the detriment of the city. All because the county just did not want to pay for what they took through corruption of these nefarious public servants. Hey the Demand Analysis had substantial growth built in and we still had plenty of water. Just how big is Central Virginia really destined to become. SO steal it from us in the City and let the rest of Central Virginia profit for free.
Strong charges of public corruption but consider what they told you and how they treated our Councilors Norris and Smith. Oh we know most of the city people are beholden to the city for their food, shelter or job. So we vote for these guys and they screw us in return.
Spread the word at every opportunity.
Ms. Mooney, thank you for making a lucid, rational argument that is intermingled with your appeals to emotion and sympathy.
As you well know, there were numerous arguments in support of the current plan presented in the public city council session when the current plan was approved. I refer you to Mrs. Szakos and Mr. Huja's direct responses to your direct, public reproach of them.
Ultimately, the rationale was (and is) that this is an issue that we should deal with now, one time. Were we to go with the Norris plan, this entire debate would have to be reopened right as Mr. Norris reached retirement age. Kicking the can down the road and hoping for the best is precisely NOT what a responsible body of government should do.
Construction costs and interest rates are low now. They will most likely be higher in the future. Water is becoming a more and more scarce resource.
I ask you, what is stopping us from leasing water rights to the over abundance we will enjoy as a result of this plan?
There are many, many benefits to the current plan which are ignored and/or glossed over by those that only wish to oppose what will be done. It gets very tiring and it is pointless to bring them up.
Thank you, Ms. Mooney, for acknowledging those that fought a good fight in a lost cause. I hope you show just as much emotion when your direst predictions do not come true and then proceed to thank those that ignored your futile pleas.
slave of the democrats understands the real deal
Here in Jefferson country .
One league , only a couple of divisions , with some
Individual teams .
Chamber of Commerce division
Social Justice division.
Truth is some players play in both divisions
Grandfathered in I imagine.
Some teams just losing slower than others.
Both on a track to no where
Probably because the league doesn't realize
They play on leased tracks....
Sooner or later you have to pay to get more track built.
Thats something the players don't want to do.
Oh Gimme a Break,
What unfair situation were they rectifying? The City owned all the assets, had financed them and paid for them, and had shared FOR FREE the product of those assets with the County for the last 40 years. What is remotely unfair about that? The City was going to continue to share those assets with the County, free of charge for the next 40 years, while dredging. How was that unfair? What, because the County might not get to grab all the assets an apply it to their schemes FOR FREE? Is that unfair? Really?
Well, I have decided I want to take all the water from your well FOR FREE. I think you are treating me unfairly if you don't let me use FOR FREE all the water I want from your well for my drinking needs. Who cares if you paid for it, I demand you let me use it FOR FREE.
Tell me, what has the County ever given the City FOR FREE? Don't talk about revenue sharing either, because they expect the City to spend it on County projects all the time.
What's more, out of the consutrction of this new boondoogle, is the County sharing FOR FREE 40% of the water it has paid for? Nope. They expect the City to PAY. For water that the City shared with the County FOR FREE.
Stop talking about unfair. The only people getting the shaft here are the City residents.
And City Council (3 STOOGES) is giving the People of the city THE SHAFT.
Isnt that a shame Mrs Mooney!
which would cost more... trucking in a few tankers of water every twenty years or so when there is a drought or spending MILLIONS AND MILLIONS on a dam.....
They should have dredged...
the next time a small vocal minority
take their case to court may i recommend
"THINKING LIKE A LAWYER"by UVA law professor
Frederick Schauer.
that could be a big help.
Is it 54,000 trees or 60,000 trees? Can someone give me the math behind that?
It's all very sad. I have not been here long (only since 2004), and in the time that I've been here, the city and county elected officials seem to have become completely in the pocket of developers. It's always been bad, but it seems blatant now. People like Ken Boyd in the county and Huja, Szakos, and Brown in the city need to go.
RWSA had determined in 2002 additional local of water to augment the current water supply including one of the county's lakes. According to Mr. Frederick, executive director of RWSA, we will not be able to increase our storage for drought protection any more than we have today for at least another 20 years when we are scheduled to evaluate the actual construction of the pipeline unless we dredge before then. Even if we dredge before then RWSA will not include that additional storage capacity gained through dredging in our volume for drought protection. This last statement alone should indicate to any rational thinking person that something is crooked here. Personally, I think it would be hilarious if we have a severe drought within five years after the new dam is built and would love to read the comments of the "build-now" enthusiasts when they realize that they haven't won anything yet except bigger bills. In order to avoid burdensome rates, RWSA will not be able to start acquiring the land for the new pipeline until after the bonds are retired from building the dam. Now it has become a question of affordable rates and financing. Thank you CSWP for forcing this information out into the public discourse. I thank those responsible for the current lawsuit for getting RWSA to remove city-owned assets from its list of assets backing the u-coming bond issue. It may result in a higher cost for the bond issue but those who consider themselves the winners of this debate should not care about increased water costs to finance the next $31 million bond issue. I am sure Council will be glad to subsidize its residents with rebates large enough to cover the increase in their water bills. And, of course, the County won't.