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|millennium (mɪˈlɛnɪəm)
|—n , pl -nia, -niums
|Christianity the millennium the period of a thousand years of Christ's awaited reign upon earth
|a period or cycle of one thousand years
|a time of peace and happiness, esp in the distant future
|a thousandth anniversary
|[C17: from New Latin, from Latin mille thousand + annus year; for form, compare
A period of a thousand years foretold in the Book of Revelation. During the millennium, those who have been faithful to Jesus and who have not worshiped the Antichrist will reign with Jesus over the Earth. According to the Book of Revelation, the millennium will precede the final battle for control of the universe; Judgment Day will come afterward.
Note: The meaning of the Bible's words about the millennium has been much debated by Christians. Prophecies about the millennium are part of the basic doctrine of several denominations, including Jehovah's Witnesses.
Note: Figuratively, a "millennium" is a period of great justice and happiness on Earth.
a thousand years; the name given to the era mentioned in Rev. 20:1-7. Some maintain that Christ will personally appear on earth for the purpose of establishing his kingdom at the beginning of this millennium. Those holding this view are usually called "millenarians." On the other hand, it is maintained, more in accordance with the teaching of Scripture, we think, that Christ's second advent will not be premillennial, and that the right conception of the prospects and destiny of his kingdom is that which is taught, e.g., in the parables of the leaven and the mustard-seed. The triumph of the gospel, it is held, must be looked for by the wider and more efficient operation of the very forces that are now at work in extending the gospel; and that Christ will only come again at the close of this dispensation to judge the world at the "last day." The millennium will thus precede his coming.


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Lago Vista is located in Texas.
Lago Vista, Texas 78645 has a population of
The median household income in Lago Vista, Texas 78645 is
The median household income for the surrounding county is $54,977
compared to the national median of $50,935.
The median age of people living in Lago Vista 78645 is
46.9 years.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Posts:1435
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GC: NBA 17-2 Totals Play Clippers At Lakers
0 Reply | 226 ViewsOn 02/14/2013 01:34 PM in NBA
On Thursday the Free NBA Totals Play is on the Over in the LA. Clippers at LA. Lakers game. Rotation numbers 503/504 at 10:35 eastern. All teams on the road vs the Lakers with no rest off a home game have played over 17 of the last 19 times. In the series between these two the last 7 games have posted over the total. The Clippers have gone over 11 of 15 times vs teams who average 99 or more and 7 of 10 in Division games. The last 5 times they have played on the road they have played over the total. The Lakers have played over in 10 of 14 as a dog, 6 of 9 vs Division opponents and 13 of 19 vs teams who score 99 or more. Look for this one to fly over the total tonight. On Valentines Night its sure to a massacre as we have a 24-1 NCAAB Blowout Angle and a Never Lost Power System Game of the Week in the Miami at Okc game. Last nights top NBA Play cashed as Dallas went over the total. This Powerful side tonight has a 100% Power System direct from the database and is included with the analysis. In NCAAB Action we also have a Rare 100% Total of the Month. Contact at firstname.lastname@example.com or at 646-269-5269 to Jump on and recoup some of that Valentines Day cash. For the free play take the Clippers and Lakers over the total.


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Availability: Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Phoenix hotel, near Biltmore Fashion Park
Classic desert escape
Once accessible by invitation only, this Phoenix resort is set on 39 acres of manicured gardens and tiled pools, a half-mile from Wrigley Mansion. The hotel is also close to shopping and restaurants at the Biltmore Fashion Park mall.
Spa, tennis, swimming
The Arizona Biltmore Resort – The Waldorf-Astoria Collection offers Frank Lloyd Wright heritage and a famous spa, shops, 7 tennis courts, 3 pools, a 92-foot water slide, and misted cabanas. Guests can also enjoy the 2 on-site 18-hole golf courses.
Mission-style comforts
Accommodations at this Phoenix Biltmore Resort are decorated with wood and leather furniture; views are of the gardens, golf course, or pools; and bathrooms have marble baths stocked with spa treats.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel Amenities
- General
The Biltmore has a sports pool for water volleyball and basketball and the Paradise Pool, consisting of three pools and a 92-foot water slide. The main garden of the resort is surrounded by shops, most notably the Lilly Pulitzer store, where shoppers find the pink-and-green-flowered frocks favored by Jackie Kennedy. The Arizona Biltmore Spa offers 80 treatments, as well as steam rooms and saunas. Arts and crafts for kids are available at the Kids Korral, and in summer—when families take advantage of low rates there are themed activities and booths at the main pool.
The business center features 25 meeting and conference rooms and computer stations for a total of 100.000 square feet meeting facilities. Extra charges apply for some services and activities.
- Outdoor pool
- Swim-up bar
- Spa tub
- Complimentary newspapers in lobby
- Health club
- Room service (24 hours)
- Coffee shop or café
- Bar/lounge
- Restaurant
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Supervised childcare/activities
- Conference space
- Business center
- Poolside bar
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Porter/bellhop
- Express check-out
- Multilingual staff
- 24-hour front desk
- Total number of rooms - 740
- Concierge services
- Number of floors - 4
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Hair salon
- ATM/banking
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Laundry facilities
- Shopping on site
- Garden
- Valet parking (surcharge)
- Tennis on site
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Elevator/lift
- Full-service spa
- Computer station
- Library
- Conference center
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Conference space size (feet) - 100,000
- Conference space size (meters) - 9290
- Number of meeting rooms - 25
- Sauna
- Number of buildings/towers - 7
- Steam room
- Television in lobby
- Wedding services
- Parking
Self parking (surcharge), Valet parking (surcharge)
- Room Amenities
- Pay movies
- Premium bedding
- Climate control
- Soundproofed rooms
- Complimentary newspaper
- Air conditioning
- Phone
- Free local calls
- Refrigerator
- Minibar
- Daily housekeeping
- Turndown service
- Private bathroom
- Bathrobes
- Complimentary toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Designer toiletries
- Desk
- Video-game console
- Iron/ironing board
- In-room safe
- Cribs/infant beds available
- Cable TV service
- Dining
Wright's at The Biltmore - Featuring a culinary concept named American Lodge Cuisine reflecting the organic architectural style of Frank Lloyd Wright – elegant, with simplistic presentations focusing on ingredients from American boutique farms, dairies and game. Distinctive architecture combined with floor-to-ceiling windows and pewter chandeliers. Featuring a private wine cellar with an extensive wine list, as well as a private dining room. Open nightly for dinner and on Sundays for Brunch.
The Wright Bar - This bar is located at the entrance to Wright's and features a variety of beverage specialties, wine flights, signature specialty drinks, and a light appetizer menu. An upbeat, contemporary atmosphere mirrors the restaurant carrying the Frank Lloyd Wright design and colors throughout the bar. An expanded patio, Squaw Peak Terrace, features oversized fire pits and picturesque mountain views. Open daily with nightly entertainment.
Frank & Albert's - A dining experience inspired by the passion of famed Biltmore architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Albert Chase McArthur. Innovative and healthy dishes using locally-grown ingredients. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Diners may opt to be seated indoors in the casual and comfortable atmosphere, or on the popular market-umbrella-shaded patio with a roaring open-pit fireplace in the evenings. Named a "Best New Restaurant" by Phoenix Magazine (October, 2010).
Café - This casual bistro features an array of light breakfast specialties, in addition to homemade pastries, Illy coffee, danishes, muffins and cookies. An assortment of fresh salads, sandwiches and ice cream specialties are also available. Guests may also enjoy a variety of snacks, beverages and bottled waters. Patio seating offers spectacular views of the mountains. The Café is open daily.
Cabana Club - Located next to the 92-foot water slide, the Cabana Club is a favorite of kids who swim up to the bar to order from a children's menu. Of course, adult swimmers can also order from an array of drinks, and everyone takes advantage of the salads and specialty sandwiches. There is also poolside meal service.
- Recreation
Golfers head for the two adjacent championship golf courses, and the tennis center features seven tennis courts that fill up in the cool morning hours. Kids shoot hoops on the lighted basketball court, and folks of all ages try the putting course. Use of the expansive fitness center is included in the resort fee.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; charges may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Basketball on site
- Spa
- Body wraps
- Aromatherapy treatments
- Ayurvedic treatments
- Massages
- Body treatments
- Facial treatments
- Accessibility
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible path of travel
- Accessible bathroom
- Roll-in shower
- Accessible parking
- In-room accessibility
- Accessibility equipment for the deaf
- Braille or raised signage
Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel Policies & Fees
- Check-in
Check-in time starts at 4 PM
- Check-out
Check-out time is noon
- Payment types
Accepted at this hotel: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
- Pets
Pets allowed, Pet maximum weight in kg is 50
- General
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- Fees
- Unless otherwise indicated, the charges below are not included in the overall room price. If not included in the overall room price, they will be charged by the property at check-in or check-out. Charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book. This property told us they will charge you for the following:
Hotel resort fee inclusions (may be listed elsewhere in this description as complimentary or available for a surcharge):
- Resort fee: USD 28 per accommodation, per night
We have included all charges provided to us by the property. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Spa access (may be limited)
- Fitness center access
- Internet access (may be limited)
- Phone calls (may be limited)
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
- Self parking fee: USD 12 per day (in/out privileges)
- Valet parking fee: USD 28 per day (in/out privileges)
- Pet fee: USD 100 per room, per stay
- Pet deposit: USD 100 per stay
- Additional Details
Children 17 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.
- Details
Best of Waldorf Promotion
Book a stay in a "Best of Waldorf" rate plan category and receive the following:
- One $50 USD hotel credit per night, per room


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You're inside a mall and you want to know how to get to the nearest Eddie Bauer, a working escalator, the nearest bathroom. The directory in front of you is hopelessly out-of-date and is surrounded by gum-snapping mall kids.
You could wait them out. Or you could whip our your iPhone and download a "smartmap" on the free Point Inside application, the brainchild of Kevin Johnson and his partners at his Seattle-based startup. They are leveraging the technology in 3G smartphones with GPS and location-based services to come up with what they think will be the "Google Maps of the indoor world."
Johnson told me he and his co-founder got the idea when they were trying to figure out indoor positioning.
"It's very hard if the satellites can't see you and normal GPS techniques can't see you," he said. "But we had an 'a-ha' moment when we said, 'Even if we can figure out indoor positions, there are no maps. So let's step back and do indoor maps.'"
So Point Inside began working on acquiring maps as well as building what Johnson calls an indoor navigation engine. Point Inside has started with malls because of revenue-generating part of the company; the maps that show up on the Point Inside app also show you discounts, sales and promotions at certain retailing partners. If the app drives foot traffic to those stories, the company gets compensated for that.
Johnson says there are a lot of apps that use maps to help people connect, "but nobody's doing that indoors. People are getting more used to working with digital maps. The most interesting aspect of airports these days isn't the payphone. People are asking, 'where's the bathroom' and 'where are the power outlets?' We'll help people find both."
And after malls and airports, look for Point Inside smartmaps to include big-box retailers, indoor arenas, trade shows, university buildings. His company may also license their technology to other app makers. "There are 2300 location-based apps for the iPhone, and not a one of them has indoor maps."
Point Inside is also talking to other makers of smartphone operating systems.
When Peter Grumman makes a move in the online sports arena, it usually bears watching. He and Dave Eckoff formed Rivals.com and Scout.com in 2001, and managed to sell Rivals to Yahoo. So he has experience in this segment of the web, and he's now offering Spitters.com, an online mashup of sports and Twitter.
"We're pulling headlines from a bunch of different places of coverage of your favorite team, so you can find them in one place," Grumman told me. "And then we present the community discussion around that. It's kind of like a zeitgeist check. You want to know what's going on with your team, but also the reaction from who's following the team."
Grumman, based in Bellingham, Wa., says Spitter is still trying to figure out a business model. His "spitterbot" technology that culls headlines and Twitter feeds could be applied to other areas of interest, such as hobbies, so there are licensing possibilities. There's also the e-commerce aspect with merchandising.
"NFL is different from college, but the sports demo is male, college-educated and they buy t-shirts, Gatorade, coffe mugs," he said.
Northwest Startup DEMO Fall 2009
And the winner is...Aquapulser, a Seattle-based company that says it can create high-energy plasma ignition out of your basic spark plug. The audience at the recent Northwest Startup DEMO Fall 2009 event was sufficiently wowed by the stage demonstration to award Aquapulser with first prize at the twice-yearly event for regional tech entrepreneurs.
The event is sponsored by the M-I-T Enterprise Forum Northwest, and chairman Steven Johnson tells me that past winners have found employees, advisers and - yes - investors at previous competitions.
The next DEMO event is set for May.


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At age 74, folk icon Judy Collins is traveling the country, singing songs both old and new and loving it.
She does about 120 shows a year all over the country, and this winter she's performing in Olympia and Tacoma.
"There's no retirement for an artist — ever," she said in a phone interview this week. "There can't be. The only thing that stops any of us is being brought to our knees by illness.
"Artists don't stop doing what they love. People who retire want to find something they love because they didn't do that all their lives. I don't have to do that because I love what I do and have always done."
Fifty-three years after she released her first album, "A Maid of Constant Sorrow," Collins just keeps right on singing, on her voicemail greeting ("I'll Be Seeing You") and in a recent concert filmed for PBS at Dromoland Castle in Ireland.
She wrote a new song, "New Moon Over the Hudson," for the Irish concert, which also features such favorites as "Cat's in the Cradle," "Bird on a Wire" and "Chelsea Morning," which inspired Bill and Hillary Clinton to name their daughter Chelsea.
"It was very important to me to have something new," she said of the concert lineup. "I'm always working on new songs."
Among the songs audiences are clamoring to hear at her shows is the recent "In the Twilight," written after her mother's death, along with such perennial favorites as "Both Sides Now," "Look Where the Time Goes," "Since You Asked," "Houses" and "My Father."
Of course, Collins can't promise she'll play your personal favorite next week. "I only put in a handful of the classics," she said. "You can't hear everything at a concert, but if you come to all the concerts, you might."
Collins' influence on music history extends well beyond her own writing. She helped launched Leonard Cohen into songwriting success with her recordings of his songs, including "Suzanne" and "Bird on a Wire."
Cohen encouraged her, too, she said. "When Leonard Cohen and I met, he said, 'Why aren't you writing your own songs?' and so I took the lead and decided to start doing that."
Collins feels blessed by her continuing success. "I love what I'm doing," she said. "I make a good living. My audience is growing rather than diminishing. It's very exciting."
Critical acclaim would suggest that's no coincidence.
"Her voice actually seems to have gotten better in the last four decades, stronger and richer in timbre," Joseph Finder wrote in 2011 for the The Daily Beast.
And in 2010, Stephen Holder of The New York Times gave Collins an even more glowing review. "Her slightly unworldly voice is still an instrument that evokes angelic visions in an imaginary cathedral or a shaft of moonlight settling on a lake whose waters are barely quivering," he wrote.
Beyond singing and songwriting, Collins has also written seven books, most recently 2011's "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music," a frank look at her life, including her battle with alcoholism, her son's suicide and plenty of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.
"I write books, I write songs, I sing, I perform, and it's all satisfying," she said. "I love it all.
"It fits together like a Chinese puzzle."
No wonder she wouldn't dream of retiring.
"An artist," she said, "continues to do what she does till she falls over."
Judy Collins
What: Singer-songwriter, author and activist Judy Collins performs, accompanied by Seattle's Passenger String Quartet.
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia
Tickets: $34-$62 for adults; $31-$56 for students, seniors and military; $17-$31 for youths
More information: 360-753-8586 or washingtoncenter.org


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Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County (CCC) is hoping the community will step up in the next week to help them in their quest to provide Christmas gifts to children in need in Waukesha County. Nearly 100 additional children will need help this year compared with last year – a total of more 4,600 – due to an increase in applications from needy families this year.
CCC is continuing to take calls from families and organizations that are interested in personally sponsoring a family through Tuesday, Dec. 11. Sponsorship includes purchasing toys and/or clothing for each child in a family for a suggested amount of $60 per child. Sponsors are given a family's name and contact information to obtain information on the family's needs and make
arrangements to deliver the gifts to the family by Dec. 12.
"With more applications, we are asking for the community to step up and include CCC family sponsorship as part of their Christmas giving plans this year. This is the last weekend for sponsors to shop for sponsored children and we want to get the word out. The community has always generously supported our mission to bring smiles to children on Christmas morning. We hope, when they learn of this need, they will open their hearts and call to sponsor a family," said Ruth Page Jones, CCC's executive director.
Families yet to be sponsored include the following examples:
- Unemployed father looking for gifts for his 5- and 6-year old girls
- Low-income single mother with two-year old daughter dreaming of Disney Princess toys, Play Doh, and Disney-themed clothes
- Parents of two boys, ages, 17 and 6. Older boy asking for professional work clothes and book gift cards, younger boy needing snow boots, snow pants and hoping for Lego or Lincoln log toys
- Family with three teenagers and bread-winner father recovering from accident and needing another surgery
"There is still time for families, businesses and organizations in the community to help us fulfill these children's requests and call us to sponsor a family. There is nothing like knowing you are fulfilling a child's wishes, especially at this time of year. We are also asking people to consider donating new, unwrapped toys at one of our toy drop-off locations for those children for whom we don't find sponsors," said Jones. Toy donations will be accepted until December 12 at one of the many CCC toy drop-off locations throughout the county. A complete list of toy drop-off locations can be found on CCC's website, www.christmasclearingcouncil.org.
About Christmas Clearing Council
Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2009, the Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County is a nonprofit group that matches needy families with individuals and groups who want to help on a person-to-person basis during the holiday season. Families who are not matched with sponsors are invited to CCC's annual Toy Shop, stocked with donated items, to shop for their children. In 2011 more than 4,500 Waukesha County children from more than 1,900 families experienced the joy of the holiday season because of the efforts of CCC and its volunteers, donors and sponsors. CCC was awarded "Small Non-Profit of the Year" in 2011 by the Waukesha County Executive's office.


text: Surveys on Patient Safety Culture Sign up: Subscription Announcement Email updates As part of its goal to support a culture of patient safety and quality improvement in the Nation's health care system, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sponsored the development of patient safety culture assessment tools for hospitals, nursing homes, ambulatory outpatient medical offices, and community pharmacies. Four surveys on patient safety culture are available: Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture. Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture. Community Pharmacy Survey on Patient Safety Culture Health care organizations can use these survey assessment tools to: Raise staff awareness about patient safety. Diagnose and assess the current status of patient safety culture. Identify strengths and areas for patient safety culture improvement. Examine trends in patient safety culture change over time. Evaluate the cultural impact of patient safety initiatives and interventions. Conduct internal and external comparisons. Additional Resources Research Reference List—The purpose of this research reference list is to provide citations for articles published on the AHRQ safety culture surveys. It includes references on the use of the surveys; psychometric analyses; analyses linking the survey to outcome data; reviews of instruments; and international studies. Improving Response Rates on the AHRQ Surveys on Patient Safety Culture—This podcast will provide you with information on tips and tools to increase your survey response rates in your organization. Newsletters—The newsletters are intended to help users stay informed about new developments, tools, and resources available for the surveys: November 2011 [ - 442.07 KB] November 2010 [ - 606.9 KB] June 2009 [ - 311.5 KB] International Users AHRQ is interested in finding out about international users of the Surveys on Patient Safety Culture. If you are an international user, please Email firstname.lastname@example.com to share information about your administration of the surveys, results, and any translations you have made of the surveys. For more information about international use of the Surveys on Patient Safety Culture, go to International Users. Technical Assistance email@example.com, 1-888-324-9749. email@example.com, 1-888-324-9790. Current as of April 2014 Internet Citation: Surveys on Patient Safety Culture. April 2014. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/patientsafetyculture/index.html


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About Us Corporate Citizenship
Through direct financial support or other in-kind contributions to local organizations, and by participating in public service activities, Robins Federal is an active partner in our community. We recognize that practicing good citizenship supports the Credit Union Philosophy of "People Helping People."
In the past 57 years, we have supported over 500 worthy causes and initiatives. Here are just some of the organizations that Robins Federal supports by fundraising or volunteering:
• American Cancer Society's Relay for Life
• American Red Cross Blood Drives
• Children's Miracle Network
• Middle Georgia Community Food Bank
• NewTown Macon - Friday Fest
• Rebuilding Together
• Ronald McDonald House
• Toys for Tots
• United Way Campaign
To request a donation or sponsorship for your organization or event, please view our Donation and Sponsorship Policy and then complete our Donation and Sponsorship Request form
• Open an Account
• Free Financial Calculator
• Rate & Fee Schedule
• Practical Money Skills
• Online Services
• Savvy Money Checkup


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It's awards season in schools now. I got an invite to the awards reception at Luther Judson Price Middle School in Atlanta, Ga and I couldn't be more proud. You see my goddaughter Machaela is a...
Mon., May 21, 2012 6:27pm
All volunteers receive training, free parking and a catered meal provided by Carole Parks Catering.Get More Info »


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The Port Arthur News
Hilda Mae Hebert Roccaforte, 85, of Groves, Texas passed away at her home surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday, August 21, 2013.
She was born on October 26, 1927 to Helena Young Hebert and Edward Hebert in Port Arthur, Texas. She married Tony Roccaforte in 1949 and together they raised their seven children. They moved to Groves in 1955 and were members of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church. Hilda raised their seven children and never lost her sense of humor.
She enjoyed making baby blankets with crochet borders, playing bingo and going to the casino.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters, Virgia Domec Moss and Juanita Doiron, her brothers, Leroy Hebert and Gilbert Hebert and her husband of 61 years, Tony.
Visitation will be on Friday, August 23, 2013 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Clayton Thompson Funeral Home in Groves with a rosary to be prayed at 7:00 PM by her nephew, Deacon Glen Hebert. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM Saturday, August 24, 2013 at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Groves with Msgr. Kenneth R. Greig and Deacon Glen Hebert con-celebrating. Burial will follow in Memory Gardens.
Serving as pallbearers will be her grandsons, Toby Wyble, Corey Wyble, Reese Roccaforte, Nick Roccaforte, Bubba Richard, Micah Richard, Kaleb Richard, Rhett Roccaforte, Cade Fontenot, Ryan Roccaforte and Jimmy Baxter.
Hilda is survived by her children, Chris Klinkhammer and husband Herman, Pat Richard and husband Tokey, Mike Roccaforte and wife Stacie, Wayne Roccaforte and wife Lisa all of Groves, Texas, Buddy Wyble and husband Mark of Port Neches, Texas, Larry Roccaforte and wife Sharon of Nederland, Texas, Garry Roccaforte and wife Margaret of Conroe, Texas, 28 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 5 great-great grandchildren.
She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Marilyn Roccaforte of Groves, Texas along with numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank extended family and friends for their prayers, love and support over the past few weeks. Also special thanks to Tessa, her hospice aide, who was very special to mom, and all the wonderful Hospice nurses and Dr. Michael Amsden.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Southeast Texas Hospice, 912 W. Cherry Street, Orange, Texas 77630 in memory of Hilda.


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Simply confirm your registered email address below and click "Reset Password." We will immediately email you a link back to the site where you can enter a new password for this account.
Friday, November 16 at 8 pmAt The Fabulous Fox Theatre!$50, $45, & $35A limited number of Gold Circle seats are also available. On-Sale Information:Purchase tickets at the Fox Box Office or by calling 314/534-1111. Order tickets online at www.metrotix.com. Described in 2011 by The Times in London as "Setting the gold standard," The Australian Pink Floyd Show is a live touring sensation which has now sold over three million tickets worldwide, and the band have created an incredible show for the "Exposed In The Light" 2012 Tour.Taking its title from the lyrics of the Floyd classic "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", the 2012 "Exposed In The Light" tour will be a true Pink Floyd 'immersion'. New for this year is a state of the art surround sound system. This incredible audio output will be bolstered by new lasers, new lights and even more jaw-dropping video effects. The 2012 tour is going to be a truly multi-media sensory experience. TAPFS is known for pushing the boundaries and taking the concert experience to a new level, but the 2012 show sets the bar even higher.Emerging back in 1988, the original and credible Floyd act TAPFS has been getting bigger and better ever since. The band were described by Floyd drummer Nick Mason on BBC 5 Live as "Very good, probably better than we are," and even engaged by David Gilmour to perform at his 50th birthday celebration! The Mirror hailed the act quite simply as, "The kings of the genre".


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Mike's Quality HomesReview me Claim this business
- Type
- Professionals Home Builders
- Address
- 4325 NW Evangeline Trwy,
Carencro, Louisiana,
United States, 70520
- Phone
- (337) 896-9444
- Website
- mikesqualityhomes.com
- Additional Information
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This article series revisits monsters from the Monster Manual, providing them with additional background and story. In addition, the articles present the monsters in the revised statistics block format that first appeared widely in Monster Manual 3. The monsters have had some minor updates to powers and to some of their statistics, including attack, damage, and defense values. These changes in statistics generally reflect the updates that appear on page 7 in the Dungeon Master's Guide rules update. This iteration of the article includes Foulspawn and Grimlock.
Foulspawn come in many forms, all twisted distortions of people. These soldiers of the aberrant hordes hate the creatures of the natural world. From places of madness and Underdark caverns, they wage war against humanity.
Grimlocks might be far from the most intelligent or civilized creatures, but they make up for their shortfalls by being exceptionally strong and uniquely adapted to the pitch-black caverns of the Underdark. They occupy a place in the middle of the food chain. They hunt and eat goblins, kobolds, and other weak creatures, yet they possess enough survival skills to avoid the larger subterranean predators. Only the most intelligent or organized foes can easily best grimlocks, usually to exploit the rugged creatures for slave labor.


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Originally published on Wed March 14, 2012 12:07 pm
The vaccine — $417,000 worth of it — is stacked high in refrigerated containers to protect it from the Haitian heat.
Hundreds of health workers are trained and ready to give the vaccine. They're armed with programmed smartphones and tablet computers to keep track of who has been vaccinated and who needs a second dose.
And 100,000 eager Haitians, from the teeming slums of Port-au-Prince to tiny hamlets in Haiti's rice bowl, have signed up to get the vaccine.
The leading group of U.S. pediatricians says it's now time for boys, as well as girls, to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidance to parents and doctors in favor of routine immunization for boys against the virus.
More parents are opting out of school immunizations for their kids, and Colorado is near the top of the list.


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MURPHYS - It was Nick Colbert's first time in Murphys, and like many, he had come in search of wine.
But after sampling some of Main Street's finest - pinot noirs and merlots, chardonnays and zinfandels - the Turlock man and his friend found something a little unexpected.
Location: 263B Main St., Murphys
Contact: (209) 743-9463
Owner: Suzanne Burens
Employees: Burens and her husband, Jim
History: In 2010, Jim and Suzanne — who have dubbed themselves "serial entrepreneurs" — opened Angels Flight Winery in Standard, near Sonora. They opened the Murphy's Mead tasting room on St. Patrick's Day of 2012 and have found success. "I think people were ready for something a little bit different," Suzanne Burens said.
They came to Murphy's Mead, a tasting room operated by Suzanne and Jim Burens that specializes in wine made from honey rather than grapes.
"A lot of the grape wines start to taste the same after awhile," Colbert said. "This is our first time trying meads."
The fermentation process for mead is somewhat more complex than with grape wines, and the Burens said they enjoy experimenting with flavors.
"I think it's somewhat like when you're a photographer: You take a lot of pictures, and you hope that a couple of them turn out well," Jim said.
"The creativity is only limited by your own imagination," his wife added.
One of her creations, for example, is called Ambrosia and is based on a family recipe for ambrosia fruit salad.
"It's so nostalgic," Suzanne said. "I think every time I sell a bottle, my mother smiles somewhere."
There's one drink infused with pear, and another reminiscent of a piña colada.
The couple makes their mead in the cellar of a 98-year-old church, which also houses their main store, Angels Flight Winery, near Sonora. The Murphys tasting room, with large windows and Irish decor, opened last year.
The Burens have been married for 26 years and moved to the area from Los Olivos, in Santa Barbara County. "Supposedly to make our life simpler," Suzanne explained of the move, "but we've been plenty busy since we got here."
After working his way through the tasting menu, Colbert ended up buying a bottle of Habby Shooter, infused with passion fruit and habañero. "It leaves you with a little kick in the back of your throat," he said.
And the conversation was enjoyable, to boot.
"It's rare that you actually get to talk to the people that are making the product that you're going to be drinking," Colbert said.
Contact Web Content Producer Katie Combs at (209) 546-8255 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Visit her blog at www.recordnet.com/multimediablog.


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Alfred Molina
• TNT's 'Monday Mornings' Preview: The Next Great Medical Drama
• Blu-ray Review: 'Abduction'
• Blu-ray Review: 'The Tempest'
• Check Out 'The Tempest,' Now On Blu-ray
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Birth Name: Alfred Molina
Born: 05/24/1953
Birth Place: London, England, GB
Born: 05/24/1953
Birth Place: London, England, GB
Born on May 24, 1953 in London, England, Molina was raised by his parents, both of whom fled their native countries - Spain for his father; Italy for his mother - because of World War II, winding up in London where they met and worked at a fancy hotel in the famed Mayfair district. Growing up in a working class neighborhood in Notting Hill, Molina decided to become an actor at nine years old after seeing "Spartacus" (1960) on the big screen. He performed with the National Youth Theatre company in London from 1969-1971, then later joined a children's theatre company touring the English countryside with a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1975). Two years later, he became a member of ... Continue Bio >>
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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A three-game trip to the West Coast is nothing for "The Sabre," who has traveled the world and been deeply affected by the different cultures he's experienced. Well, according to the NHL and comic book legend Stan Lee, anyway.
The league and Lee announced a partnership in October in which the creator of Spider-Man would make heroes based on all 30 teams. The character based on the Sabres was unveiled Wednesday night, the fifth in a daily run that will lead up to the All-Star Game at the end of the month.
According to the release: " 'The Sabre' spent his pre-super hero life as a scientist specializing in hydro-engineering. He's a man of deep thought, choosing to devote his life to green technology and its applications. His scientific endeavors have allowed him to travel the world and he has been deeply affected by the different cultures he's experienced. The government has tried to make him a liaison, but he's turned them down preferring to travel the world on his own dime and staying under the radar. He's a noble intellectual who would rather outthink his opponent than beat him to smithereens.
"As a superhero, The Sabre was the product of a hydroelectric experiment gone awry. As a result his body is totally comprised of water. He uses a specially designed hydro-suit that allows him to control his physical appearance although mostly he chooses a human form. He has the ability to be liquid, solid or in a gaseous (vapor), state, depending on what's needed for the situation."
The league said development for each character came in discussions with each NHL club, so the creators could get a feel for how to incorporate the team and town into each individual superhero.
"This is really a fresh, new, original approach to superheroes, based on the local NHL team," Lee said. "When you think about it, the names of these teams, they sound like super characters. They're inspiring. In doing the National Hockey League Guardians, I just wanted characters that people would enjoy reading about."
---John Vogl


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Refine Search Criteria Viewing Room 130 of 177
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Clean lines of Cherry cabinetry with a Cinnamon finish continue from the kitchen into the dining area. Under-cabinet lighting creates an inviting atmosphere.
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The motto for the Contemporary & Dynamic style is "less is more."


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The first of the presidential debates featured President Obama asking voters to stay the course and Mitt Romney arguing that change is necessary because the "middle class is being crushed."
InstaPolls showed Romney was the winner.
Some highlights:
Obama opened by wishing Michelle a happy 20th anniversary. When he got to his first real remarks, he pivoted to a familiar theme: "The question tonight is not where we've been, but where we're going."
Romney congratulated Obama on his anniversary, and added a joke. "I'm sure this was the most romantic place you could imagine, here with me." He then laid out his familiar broad themes, including energy independence and a balanced budget.
Obama: "Governor Romney has a perspective that says if we cut taxes skewed toward the wealthy and cut back regulations, we'll be better off. I have a different view."
Romney: "Virtually everything [Obama] has just said about my tax plan is inaccurate... I don't have a $5 trillion tax cut. ... We ought to apply tax relief to people in the middle class, but I'm not going to reduce the share of taxes paid by high-income people. I'm not looking to cut massive taxes."
Health care: Romney said he likes his Massachusetts plan because it was done in bipartisan fashion, unlike Obama's.
Education: After Obama accused Romney of seeking to cut funds, the challenger responded, "Mr. President, you're entitled to your own airplane and your own house, but not your own facts."
Obama criticized Romney for being vague on details for his various reform plans. "At some point the American people have to ask themselves: Is the reason Governor Romney is keeping all these plans secret, is it because they're going to be too good? Because middle class families benefit too much? No."
Big Bird: Romney told moderator Jim Lehrer that he would cut PBS funds. He said, "I'm sorry Jim. I'm gonna stop the subsidy to PBS. I'm gonna stop other things. I like PBS, I like Big Bird, I actually like you too."
CNN poll: 67% of those responding said Mitt Romney won the first presidential debate; 25% said President Obama won. Romney's 67 percent in the CNN insta-poll is the highest number they've ever recorded after a debate.
Return to: Gator And StyckMan Mornings Blog


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Bronzed: Ryan Sheckler Claims Skateboard Street Bronze at X Games 17
Ryan Sheckler wasn't quite in top form this past week at X Games 17.
But Oakley's skate team superstar displayed his natural talent in grabbing the Skateboard Street Bronze amidst fierce competition from the young phenoms on the course.
Ryan's full runs didn't materialize the way he'd hoped, with the only complete planned run ending with a long, solid rail grind.
"It's a lot of skating, especially with how hot it is outside," Ryan said, rocking his Oakley Frogskins. "We skate outside all day, so it really shouldn't be an issue, but with all that adrenaline going, trying to nail every trick, it's tough."
The overwhelming barrage from Nyjah Huston and Brazilian Luan Oliveria was too much to overcome for the defending Gold Medalist. Nonetheless, it was an entertaining day with a raucous crowd behind Ryan every step of the way.
"I really liked that little center section, that unfinished concrete section," Ryan said of the artistically demolished centerpiece on the course – resembling construction work in the city. "The whole course was fun, definitely challenging to skate."


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The Lucky Starr
Address: 5746 Upper East Valley Rd. Pikeville, TN 37367 Phone: (423) 533-2100
Rte. 127 into town of Pikeville, turn East on Cumberland Ave. between quilt shop and volunteer fire department. Drive 6 miles to Lucky Starr sign on right. Drive up to main house for check-in.
Serene setting with beautiful views. Quiet getaway.
Tennessee Vacation eGuide
The 2014 eGuide gives you instant access to Tennessee's irresistible attractions and destinations. Peruse venues online, then put in your order to get a free guide delivered to your doorstep.


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Q: eating all those recipes posted at the site, could we really stay below 20g of sugar?
i mean a 155g apple is alone 16-18g of sugar. the quick guide states that you have to stay below 20g of sugar including natural. is this really achievable? eating around 1500 calories per day is w...
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I have a family of picky eaters, so I'd especially like recipes that may be kid friendly or easily modified to make them kid friendly so I don't have to make 2 separate meals.
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I suck HORRIBLY at meal planning and I would like to transition into cleaner eating but so many of the meal plans I'm finding have elaborate recipes that are time consuming. As a student and mother...
Q: Sweet potatoes and beans?
I have a recipe for sweet potatoes stuffed with white beans and kale. It is okay to eat sweet potatoes and what about the rule on beans?
Q: What IGNITE recipes have you created/used?
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Budget Savings from Reducing Incarceration
Christian Smith-Socaris on March 2, 2009 - 1:44pm
As with our health care system, a generation of conservative control has left a broken and bloated criminal justice system for progressives to mend. Current systems are both ineffective and wildly expensive. The US now incarcerates one out of every one hundred adults. And newly released numbers from the Pew Center on the States shows that an even greater number - 1 in 45 adults - is on probation or parole. Adding the two together, 1 in 31 adults in the US is under some form of correctional supervision. When men (1 in 18) and blacks (1 in 11) are even more stupefying. Many states have rates significantly higher than the national average. Georgia ranks first in the nation with 1 in 13 adults under correctional supervision, and high ranking states include liberal bastions like Massachusetts (1 in 24).
Again, like health care, our current system is not only unsustainable, it is already breaking under its own weight. State corrections spending increased 10% in 2006 and almost 6% in 2007. Correction spending in the states now tops $50 billion a year and accounts for 1 of 15 discretionary dollars spent by the states. In 2007 it was the fastest growing major component of state budgets. The impact of these cost increases was made evident in California recently when the state was ordered by a panel of federal judges to release tens of thousands of prisoners because of severe overcrowding.
With states in desperate need of solutions to budget shortfalls, redirecting criminal justice resources to programs that reduce long-term costs is a huge untapped well of savings. As this Dispatch will outline, smart-on-crime practices not only reduce criminal justice costs, they reduce crime itself, as well as the collateral costs of over-incarceration.
Table of Contents
- Incarceration: A Major Cost Driver Without Clear Public Safety Benefits
- Restoring Discretion to Judges Before Incarceration
- Graduated Sanctions for Probation and Parole Violations
- Conclusion
Incarceration: A Major Cost Driver Without Clear Public Safety Benefits
The key driver of criminal justice costs is the high rate of incarceration. A year in prison is often more costly than a year of college, and as noted above, our prison populations and costs have seen unprecedented increases. However, these increases are not the result of increases in the crime rate. Instead, they follow from sentencing and other policies that have increased prison terms, but have not significantly increased public safety. Similarly, rates of recidivism remain very high, meaning that once a person enters the system, they tend to re-enter it repeatedly. Both strict sentencing and high recidivism artificially increase prison populations above what is necessary to ensure public safety. And like poor sentencing policies, recidivism rates are in part driven by near-sighted "tough on crime" policies that result in wasted resources.
Basic Reforms that Can Yield Substantial Savings: While most state criminal justice systems are in need of systemic reform, there are several simple, low-cost changes that lawmakers can use to begin to start addressing gross inefficiencies in the system. With the dollars saved, states can reinvest resources into more ambitious criminal justice reforms that will generate additional savings. Additionally, savings can be directed to the communities to which the largest proportion of offenders are returning from prison - a strategy called justice reinvestment. The Justice Center of the Council of State Governments has been working with states such as Kansas and Michigan on initiatives that are using smart criminal justice cost savings to provide integrated service improvements in education, housing, and economic development. And the recently passed federal Second Chance Act provides grants for just these sorts of initiatives.
Restoring Discretion to Judges Before Incarceration
One of the main causes of increasing costs in the criminal justice system has been the removal of judicial discretion to place offenders in lower-cost alternatives to costly prison lockups.
Judicial Discretion: Much of the cause of this country's record prison population are policies that have taken sentencing discretion out of the hands of judges. Without the ability to tailor criminal sanctions to the facts and circumstances of every offender and crime, judges cannot prevent criminal justice dollars from being wasted on long prison terms for low-risk offenders. There are two primary areas where returning discretion to judges can result in large cost savings.
Drug Offender Diversion to Treatment: Drug offenders, often addicts, and the long prison terms that have been instituted for drug crimes are a major driver of increased incarceration rates. The Rand Corporation has famously calculated that one dollar spent on drug treatment reduces crime related to cocaine use as much as 15 dollars spent on criminal justice responses. Given this fact, it is clear that diverting addicts to drug treatment will lead to large cost savings and a great reduction in the social costs of drug abuse. The utility of treatment for many of these offenders becomes even more clear when you realize that only 25% of drug offenders in state prison have been convicted of a violent crime (1996 figures). While there are a number of ways to structure drug offender diversion, drug courts are the most comprehensive model and the one that offers offenders the best chance of success.
- New York - A study of felony drug offenders who received treatment as an alternative to incarceration saved the state $47,000 per person over six years. Another study estimates that the state saved $254 million by diverting 18,000 offenders to treatment. And yet another study predicts that repealing minimum sentences to allow diversion of more offenders could save the state over $250 million per year.
- Washington - The state has estimated that it saves $1.74 for every dollar it spends on its drug courts.
- Texas - Expanding the number of treatment beds in the state has stopped the growth in the state's prison population.
Repeal Mandatory Minimum Sentences: Mandatory minimum sentences are the hallmark of the failed "tough on crime" policies that have caused our prison populations to explode. These laws were originally predicated on the belief that strict, mandatory sentences would be powerful deterants to crime and would adequately incapacitate offenders. Unfortunately, what has actually happened is incarceration rates have grown without a substantial effect on public safety. In fact, locking up lower-level, non-violent offenders (often drug offenders) with hardened criminals for long periods undermines public safety instead of improving it.
Many states, being crushed by the costs associated with mandatory minimums, are turning to sentencing guidelines, as a way to ensure consistency in sentencing, while allowing judges the discretion to adjust sentences when circumstances and justice require it. Many states have moved in recent years to relax mandatory minimum sentences. Notably, Michigan undertook an almost total repeal of these laws in a bipartisan fashion at the beginning of the decade.
Graduated Sanctions for Probation and Parole Violations
While we typically assume that you need to commit a crime to go to jail, for those under community supervision (probation or parole), it is often a violation of the rules of their supervision and not a new crime that results in a return to prison. In 2006 over one third of state prison admissions were the result of parole violations, not criminal convictions. And while returning to jail is an appropriate sanction in some instances, many states just have not implemented a set of intermediate sanctions short of prison for addressing these rule violations.
The Pew Center on the States has put together model legislation that institutes administrative sanctions in the community corrections context. This allows probation and parole officers to tailor sanctions to violations, and allows them to enforce sanctions without petitioning the court. Such reforms have had dramatic impacts in several states that have implemented them.
- Kansas - By implementing graduated sanctions and other improvements to its community corrections, the state cut parole revocations by half in two years and cut the percentage of parolees committing new crimes by a large number as well.
- Hawaii - The state's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement program realized a 85% reduction in missed probation appointments and a 91% decrease in positive drug tests.
Parole Discretion: "Truth in sentencing" laws in many states have taken the discretion out of the hands of parole boards to decide when a prisoner can safely return to their community. Instead, prisoners are forced to serve almost the entirety of their sentence no matter how they behave in prison. This needlessly increases the prison population, while actually undermining the security of the prisons themselves as it removes the most powerful incentive for good behavior and rehabilitation - being paroled before the end of your sentence.
States that have increased the amount of merit and earned time that a prisoner can accrue have saved substantial dollars and have not seen increases in recidivism.
- Mississippi - Restored parole for non-violent offenders, saving the state $12 million in prison costs in approximately two years.
- Washington - Increased earned release time awarded for good behavior and prison program completion for non-violent offenders from 33% to 50% of their sentence. This resulted in a decrease in non-violent recidivism, while saving the state an average of $10,743 per offender.
Reforming our broken criminal justice systems is an essential part of a new era of progressive governance. As states confront deep budget shortfalls, this undertaking can also be a source of significant cost savings. Progressive legislators should therefore seize this opportunity to push for common-sense criminal justice reforms in their own states.
Incarceration: A Major Cost Driver Without Clear Public Safety Benefits
Justice Center - Justice Reinvestment
Justice Policy Institute
The Sentencing Project
Pew Center on the States - One in 31: The Long Reach of American Corrections
Pew Center on the States - Corrections and Public Safety Program
Restoring Discretion to Judges Before Incarceration
Sentencing Project - Distorted Priorities: Drug Offenders in State Prisons
National Drug Court Institute - A Drug Court Within Reach of Every American in Need
National Drug Court Institute
Center for Court Innovation - Drug Court
Washington State Institute for Public Policy - Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative Report
Sentecing Project - Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws - The Issues
Sentencing Project - Lessons of the "Get Tough" Movement in the United States
Families Against Mandatory Minimums
National Center for State Courts - State Sentencing Guidelines - Profiles and Continuum
Graduated Sanctions for Probation and Parole Violations
Pew Center on the States - Administrative Sanctions Brief
Pew Center on the States - A Policy Framework to Strengthen Community Corrections
Pew Center on the States - Kansas Case Study
Hawaii Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) Evaluation
Washington State Institute for Public Policy - Increasing Earned Released from Prison


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News Release:
Oct. 5, 2012
Bernard LaFayette Jr., distinguished senior scholar-in-residence at Candler, is the recipient of the National Civil Rights Museum's 2012 National Freedom Award. The award will be presented October 16 in Memphis.
"As the country moves further from the turbulent days of the 1960s, the memory of those who fought so bravely for freedom and justice is dulled. This year's National Freedom Award recipient will serve as a stark reminder of the tremendous struggle and sacrifice of those who were willing to stand up and speak out," read the museum's announcement of the award.
The Rev. Dr. LaFayette is an ordained minister, a longtime civil rights activist, and an authority on nonviolent social change. In 1960, he helped to lead the Nashville Student Sit-in Movement. Later that year, he co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). He took on leadership roles in the 1961 Freedom Rides, the 1962-1965 Alabama Voter Registration Project, and the 1965 Selma Movement. He was appointed by Martin Luther King Jr. to be national program administrator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and national coordinator of the 1968 Poor People's Campaign.
The Freedom Award is conveyed each fall by the National Civil Rights Museum. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to civil rights and who have laid the foundation for present and future leaders in human rights activism. Other 2012 honorees include Muhammad Yunus (International Freedom Award); Marlo Thomas (Humanitarian Award); and "The Three Doctors" (Legacy Award).
For more information about the National Civil Rights Museum and the 2012 Freedom Award, visit http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/?page_id=118.


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You could call it superintendent speed dating.
The three finalists being considered to be Ashland School District's next superintendent spent Friday separately touring classrooms, quads and cafeterias. They met the principals of seven schools, and said hello to rushed parents and children bogged down by backpacks.
The candidates, all from out of state, are in Ashland for two days to meet and greet and be interviewed one more time before a decision is made on who will replace Superintendent Juli Di Chiro, who is retiring after 13 years on the job.
They are vying for a position that oversees nearly 2,750 students, approximately 300 full-time and part-time teachers, support staff and administrators, and has a total budget for 2012-13 of $43.9 million.
The salary for the new superintendent ranges from $120,000 to $135,000, according to Ashland School Board Chairwoman Carol Davis.
The finalists already have survived a rigorous application process, screening, interviews, reference checks and a visit by Davis and board member Jim Westrick to their school districts.
In Ashland on Friday, they were given a unique itinerary — their paths didn't cross — and were escorted to their 10 appointments by a member of the school board.
At 8 a.m., finalist Gary Plano was shaking hands with Walker Elementary School Principal Patty Michiels outside her office.
Throughout the day, Michiels wanted each of the finalists to discover that teachers design curriculum collaboratively at each grade level.
Plano was introduced to the elementary math curriculum in action as students used technology to show the thinking behind problem solving. He also spoke with the special education teacher Joanne Cyphers, who explained how the staff meets the needs of students with learning disabilities.
Inside Heidi Heidig's fifth-grade classroom, he listened as students heard the academic lineup for the day and that veggie wraps would be served for lunch.
Plano, who has a doctor of education degree from Seton Hall University, has been the superintendent since 2007 of Washington state's Mercer Island School District, which has about 4,200 kindergarten through 12th-grade students, a staff of 495 and an annual budget of about $48.5 million, according to the district's website.
He plans to retire in Ashland, whether he receives the job or not, and has already built a home here.
While walking the school hallway, he said, "Kids are kids, no matter where they live."
At 9 a.m., Ashland High School Principal Michelle Zundel was leading finalist Debra Spring Munk on a whirlwind tour. In 45 minutes, candidates visited a handful of classrooms where subjects from English to fiber arts were being taught.
In Karen Green's Food II class, students were making red velvet cupcakes. "The breakfast of champions," joked Zundel. She and Munk then continued on to Laura Davidson's sewing class, where students were cutting squares for a collective quilt.
There was also a brief stop to meet journalists at the Rogue News classroom and a quick pass by Athletic Director Karl Kemper. Munk asked him about that night's basketball game, showing she had done her homework.


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Mrs. McDonough's fashion design Swan Lake 2004
A glimpse of the formidable Julie McDonough before her daughter's 2002 Junior Worlds SP
Suzanne Bonaly
Shuguang Zhao (Caroline Zhang's mother)
Marjorie Chin
Julie McDonough
Park Mee-hee (Kim Yu-Na's mother)
Jennifer Leung
Jody Flatt
Danny Kwan
Doris Fleming
Raymonde Joubert
Galina Cohen
Mrs. McDonough's fashion design Swan Lake 2004
A glimpse of the formidable Julie McDonough before her daughter's 2002 Junior Worlds SP
Last edited by TheIronLady; 06-03-2013 at 07:55 AM.
Case in point:
http://www.oprah.com/world/Tonya-Har...#ixzz2V7gbu4DcWhen Tonya [Harding] was 6 or 7 years old, she says her mother began physically and mentally abusing her. "She became very abusive [and was] drinking all day long," Tonya says. "Beating me, dragging me off the rink, hitting me with a hairbrush right in front of everyone."
In response to her daughter's allegations. LaVona Golden, Tonya's mother, says she did hit Tonya once at a skating rink, but she also says she did the best she could as a mother.
So, whom should we believe, Tonya Harding or LaVona Golden?
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1...nancy-kerriganThe voice came across the ice like the scrape of a blade on metal. Five-year-old Tonya Harding, practicing her figure skating, wanted to rest or go to the bathroom or talk to one of the other girls taking lessons, but her mother shouted to keep moving.
" `I paid for you to practice, so you're going to stay on the ice and practice,' her mother would scream," recalled Kirsten Spethmann, who took lessons at the same rink as Harding when they were in grade school.
Never mind that Harding sometimes was forced to urinate on the ice, according to people who knew her then. Or that at the outdoor rink she was shivering in her frilly chiffon skating outfit.
If Harding protested, her mother, LaVona Golden, "slapped her across the face," once so hard that she was knocked off a stool, said Pat Hamil, whose daughter, Jeannine, skated with Harding.
My vote's with Tonya.
Someone is trolling for gossip. This is just about the stupidest poll ever!! Do any of you know what these families give up to have a kid at the top?
Almost useless poll. How can the Moms of Harding, Lipinski, Fratianne, and maybe even Debi Thomas not be on it yet you have people like the Moms of Cohen, Kwan, Kim Yu Na, Flatt, Joubert, on it. Makes no sense.
Last edited by TheIronLady; 06-03-2013 at 07:53 AM.
Well Scott Hamilton said he felt due to her Mom Debi could never love skating, and that her Mom didnt even really want her to skate but to focus only on school.
And I think the dark side of our beloved sport is a fair topic for discussion here, even if I take much of what anonymous posters give as examples with a grain of salt.
Horror of horrors! What a controlling and difficult mother! That sort of thinking leads to girls' growing up to be physicians.
Marjorie Chin, easily.
A friend of mine used to skate at Lake Arrowhead around the same time that Tiffany was training there.
According to him when Tiffany missed a triple toe loop over and over in practice one day, after Chin left the ice, Marjorie slapped her daughter in full view of everyone.
Still, public incidents of physical and emotional abuse by athletes' parents not unknown in other sports, and some governing bodies (in tennis, for example) have done quite a bit to address the problem. What, if anything, are the USFSA, Skate Canada, the ISU, etc., doing?
Frank Carroll has talked about what a lovely woman Mrs Fratianni was. I would rather believe him than some skating fan passing on 5th hand rink gossip. I never heard any of this stuff during Linda's amateur days. Some of the posts here are just baseless gossip. Pretty distasteful.


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By BRADEN LAMMERS
The 1-million-square foot distribution center Amazon.com Inc. has constructed along Ind. 62 in Jeffersonville is open for business.
The facility opened Monday, and Wednesday morning officials with the city of Jeffersonville lauded what the site will mean for businesses and development in the area.
"This will definitely have a huge impact on the city of Jeff[ersonville] ... Clark County and the whole Louisville metro area in more ways than one," said Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore.
When the announcement was made that the online retailer was locating its fifth such center at the former Indiana Army Ammunition Plant, it was said that 1,050 jobs would come to Jeffersonville, along with the $150 million investment. However, there are 2,584 parking spaces at the location and seasonal employment is expected to exceed the number of permanent jobs.
Moore said, so far, Amazon has added a total of between 1,200 and 1,600 employees that are working at the facility in one morning and one afternoon shift.
With the employees flocking into the facility, there are some concerns of increased traffic congestion along Ind. 62. In addition to a new traffic light that is operational at the Cox Street and Ind. 62 intersection, another light — and improvements to the railroad crossing on Salem-Noble Road — planned for Salem-Noble Road and Ind. 62 is expected to be operational in about two weeks.
According to a Jeffersonville press release, Amazon is expected to begin shipping out of the distribution center about the same time that the aforementioned road work is completed Oct. 17.
Jeffersonville Police Chief Chris Grimm said the greater traffic concern is related to truck traffic when shipping begins.
He said it is expected that there will be between 300 to 500 trucks each day coming in and out of the facility when Amazon is fully operational. Grimm estimated when Amazon is running at full strength, it will triple the truck traffic coming out of River Ridge. He added that turn lanes already in place will greatly decrease some of the traffic concerns and there are plans to increase police patrols in the area.
But the bigger impact offered by Moore will be the development that will occur because Amazon has launched its operations at River Ridge Commerce Center.
"We certainly need another gas station or two and a couple of fast food restaurants up this way," he said. "I hope this spurs some development from some private investors."
Coupled with the groundbreaking for the east-end bridge, additional development is expected to follow Amazon's lead in locating a facility in River Ridge.
"I think a lot of people pay attention to a company the size of Amazon," Moore said. "Companies that have money and want to invest are looking for a place to relocate. Obviously, Jeffersonville, Ind., has jumped to the top of the list. Every need for getting to or from Jeffersonville is right here and you are going to see a whole lot of money invested in Jeffersonville."
Moore added he has had conversations with companies wanting to locate at River Ridge, but would not offer the names of any interested parties.
Paul Wheatley, director of marketing and finance for River Ridge, confirmed that there is ongoing interest in sites at River Ridge, but again would not comment on specifics.
"Amazon definitely gave us a bit of a bounce on looks and inquiries," he said.
Moore offered further support that a boom is coming to the city, as he said it has added 2,300 new jobs since the first of the year.
"It not only has the impact of jobs but ... we've got a land out here to be developed for subdivisions," Moore said. "The housing market is going to take off because of this. The area businesses are going to reap the benefits from all of this. You're going to see a huge impact.
"We've got to look at this as a competition. I'm competing with Louisville. I'm competing with Clarksville, Sellersburg, every city around here. I've got to make Jeffersonville the most attractive choice. So far, it seems to be working."
Calls made to Amazon seeking comment earlier in the week were not returned by press time Wednesday.


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Avik Roy, Forbes Staff
With all the controversy around whether or not insurers should be forced by Washington to cover birth control pills, there's another big drugs story that has gotten short shrift: the quintennial reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, the law that has come to govern the pharmaceutical regulatory process at the FDA. This time around, legislators and biotech concerns have been trying to use the process to make important reforms at the FDA that will help speed innovative medicines to market. But they have been undermined by a seemingly unlikely source: big pharma.
One of the best ways to save lives, one that helps charge rather than retard the economy, is medical innovation. However, as former FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach notes in yesterday's Wall Street Journal, thanks to bureaucratic inertia at the FDA, clinical trials from 2003-2006 were 70 percent longer, requiring far more complexity and cost, than those conducted from 1999-2002. As he points out, the problems are especially bad in the most common diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
The old, constrained "accelerated approval" process
As a result of this inertia, medicine's innovators in the biotechnology have mostly opted out of addressing these large, common disorders, leaving them in the hands of the lumbering R&D giants like GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. Instead, increasingly, the upstart biotechs are focusing on more specialized diseases, like rare cancers, where they can conduct inexpensive clinical trials, and gain approval after mid-stage phase II studies, using what's known as the accelerated approval process.
The accelerated approval process, instituted in 1992 at the behest of AIDS activists, gives the FDA a mechanism to tentatively approve drugs after phase II if a drug shows promise in a serious disease using a surrogate endpoint. "For example," explains the FDA on its web site, "instead of having to wait to learn if a drug actually can extend the survival of cancer patients, the FDA might now approve a drug based on evidence that the drug shrinks tumors because tumor shrinkage is considered reasonably likely to predict a real clinical benefit. In this example, an approval based upon tumor shrinkage can occur far sooner than waiting to learn whether patients actually lived longer."
A real-world example of the accelerated approval process was the approval of Avastin in breast cancer. Avastin was approved in 2008 based on evidence that the drug improved progression-free survival in combination with Taxol, compared to patients on Taxol alone. (Progression-free survival indicates that a patient continued to live without growth in the size of her tumors.) But the drug failed to show a benefit on the more rigorous overall survival endpoint, which measures how long patients lived, irrespective of tumor growth. Last year, the FDA revoked its approval of Avastin in breast cancer, based on the new information.
The problem with the accelerated approval process is that it is only used in very narrow areas, such as cancer and AIDS, where the FDA has to its satisfaction established surrogate markers that it believes to correlate to broader clinical outcomes (such as tumor shrinkage being a surrogate for cancer survival). But there are a lot of areas where surrogate markers aren't as easy to define. In addition, the FDA focuses on using the accelerated approval process to address life-threatening diseases like cancer, neglecting serious but more chronic ailments such as diabetes, where the cost of clinical trials is prohibitive.
A slower FDA is a boon to big pharma
While this problem has harmed patients by making it harder for them to gain access to new treatments, it's been great for the big pharmaceutical companies. As my colleague Matthew Herper recently showed, from 1997 to 2011, twelve multinational pharma companies spent $802 billion to gain approval for just 139 drugs: a staggering $5.8 billion per drug. While these companies have been remarkably unproductive on the R&D front, they do have one huge advantage: they generate billions of cash from their already-approved drugs, a luxury that smaller biotech companies don't have.
As a result, the small biotechs are forced to partner with the big pharma companies to get their drugs to market. The biotechs are forced to give up the economic upside of success for their innovations, while big pharma skims the cream off of biotech pipelines for their own purposes.
Sen. Kay Hagan (D., N.C.) is attempting to do something to address this problem. Today, she is introducing a bill called the Transforming the Regulatory Environment to Accelerate Access to Treatments (TREAT) Act, which seeks, among other things, to incrementally the accelerated approval process.
But what you didn't hear from Sen. Hagan today is what happened behind the scenes. It turns out that big pharma helped to kill an earlier version of the TREAT Act, which would have created an entirely new "progressive and exceptional approval" pathway for innovative new drugs: something that could have turbocharged drug development in several fields.
A bold new pathway for "progressive and exceptional approvals"
The new pathway would have addressed a much broader range of drugs than the existing accelerated approval process, such as: the first drug approved for a specific and identifiable disease subpopulation; patients unresponsive to, or intolerant of, existing treatments; improvement in patient outcomes due to either improved safety or efficacy; or "otherwise satisfy an unmet medical need."
Unlike the accelerated approval process, which requires an FDA-sanctioned surrogate marker, the new process would involve a case-by-case negotiation between the industry sponsor and the FDA, in which both sides could come to an agreement as to what would demonstrate an early signal of clinical benefit. If confirmatory phase III studies didn't reproduce that benefit, the FDA could revoke its approval, as with the Avastin case.
Sen. Hagan's proposal would have been devastating to the big pharma R&D oligopoly. If small biotech companies could get their drugs tentatively approved after inexpensive phase II studies, they would have far less need to partner those drugs with big pharma. They could keep the upside themselves and attract far more interest from investors. Big pharma, on the other hand, would be without its largest source for innovative new medicines: the small biotech farm team.
Instead, big pharma gets to keep its "cut of the action"
Hence, big pharma, through its trade association PhRMA, objected to Sen. Hagan's proposal, instead arguing for window-dressing reforms to the existing accelerated approval process. Instead of allowing for phase II data to achieve approval for a wide range of drugs, the new TREAT Act merely allows for the existing, surrogate marker-driven accelerated approval process to address "highly targeted therapies for distinct subpopulations." Relative to the bold, innovative proposal contained in the bill's original version, the new version amounts to window dressing.
"There were four major groups that played a role in the change," one well-placed insider told me. On the pro-innovation side were the biotechnology industry, as represented by its trade group BIO, and reformist legislators on Capitol Hill, such as Sen. Hagan and Sen. Mike Enzi (R., Wyo.). In favor of window dressing were PhRMA and the FDA, which "wasn't ready" for the change, according to my source.
In addition, other sources tell me, certain consumer activist groups raised concerns that the change would allow unsafe drugs to make it to market. This charge is most usually made out of context, insofar as it fails to take into account how overweening regulatory conservatism drives up the cost and the risk of drug development, preventing and delaying life-saving treatments from reaching patients.
Big pharma was all too happy to jump onto the "consumer safety" bandwagon. "Big pharma says 'don't dilute safety measures for new drugs,'" said University of Michigan professor Erik Gordon in a Bloomberg interview. "That sounds better than 'we want to keep our cut of the action.'"
The FDA, too, is incentivized to promote "safety," by slowing down drug development, than to look out for the interests of ill patients who need novel medicines. Last month, Steve Usdin of BioCentury interviewed FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, who poured cold water on Hagan's progressive approval proposal, calling it "a new scheme for getting drugs on the market that substantially lowers the standards for safety or for effectiveness."
With Washington bureaucracy and left-wing consumer activists lined up against real reform, it would have been tough enough to get strong pro-innovation bills through Congress. It's an election year, after all. But when big pharma joined the anti-innovation chorus, small biotech didn't stand a chance.
Today, BIO chief Jim Greenwood praised the TREAT Act, claiming that it will "help break the institutional barriers to a faster idea-to-market pathway and speed new cures to patients most desperately in need." But make no mistake: entrepreneurial medical innovators, and the seriously ill patients they serve, got rolled.
UPDATE 1: Eli Lilly, at its Campaign for Modern Medicines blog, says that my assertion that big pharma quashed broader reform "couldn't be further from the truth" (emphasis added):
In fact, our understanding is that Senator Hagan went the extra mile by working with BIO, FDA, PhRMA, and patient groups to reach a consensus agreement. We continue to believe in the benefits of a clean PDUFA; we believe the law should be reauthorized in a timely way, unencumbered by extraneous or controversial provisions. We applaud Senator Hagan for her consensus approach to supporting biopharmaceutical innovation.
That said, lawmakers need to be vigilant that adding multiple new requirements on the FDA and not jeopardize the agency's ability to accelerate review times and thereby delay patients' access to breakthrough new medicines.
Josh Bloom, of the American Council on Science and Health, is concerned about safety risks under a progressive approval process: "It's inevitable that we will see additional safety problems in phase III trials are circumvented." My argument, of course, is that we are too concerned with the safety problems of phase III, and not concerned enough about the benefits that come from stimulating medical innovation.
UPDATE 2: Charles Hooper, writing in Medical Progress Today, points out that a conditional approval process would be a win-win for patients, because conservative patients could still wait for the full data to come out, while bolder patients could voluntarily choose to jump in:
In economic terms, this is a Pareto improvement over our current situation. The more conservative patient, say Patient C, could wait for the full efficacy data. The bolder patient, say Patient B, could try new drugs sooner and actually help create efficacy data. Both parties would be better off, or at least equally well off, as they are today. Patient C, who would wait for the same amount of efficacy data as before, would be no worse off. Patient B, who would have more drugs to choose from and would have access to drugs sooner, would be better off.
Such a solution is a Pareto improvement, in that everyone is at least as satisfied as under the current system. Cautious patients would still get the assurance of reams of efficacy data, while patients who don't want to wait, wouldn't have to.
UPDATE 3: The Raleigh News & Observer discusses the TREAT Act. It's worth noting that the Research Triangle area of North Carolina is home to a number of biotech companies, along with a big research facility for GlaxoSmithKline.
This article is not reflective of an both the real worlds and the drug approval process. Phase II trials are usually done with very small patient populations and the benefits of drugs in Phase II trials may not translate into the same benefits in larger patient populations in Phase III. In addition the legal profession would love accelerated approval so they can litigate pharma companies when new side effects are reported in Phase III trials. Consumer groups are correct that safety needs to be the paramount issue here. However the FDA should look at each drug in development vs. current treatment options and if a drug shows unique benefits in Phase II that can really impact the quality of patient care than that drug needs to be evaluated on vs current treatments.
To read more about Big Pharma check out the American Action Forum http://bit.ly/wgYH9t
Kay Hagan is not a Republican, she is a Democrat. She beat out Liddy Dole for that seat.
According to BIO's own data, only 44% of drugs that have successfully completed Phase 2 eventually get approved. So as many as half of all drugs receiving tentative approval under this system would eventually be withdrawn for lack of safety and/or efficacy.
This proposal might work out well for small biotechs that otherwise end up in unequal negotiations with larger companies that have the resources to fund Phase III trials. But ultimately it would be bad for patients, and bad for the industry's already tattered image as well.
Exactly in the current arrangement we can only hope for early drug failures to keep th costs and wasted time to a minimum
Well put, Avik & RJB007. Roger Moore fan, RJB007?
While there is truth in the last comment it is also the case clinical trials are not pure science. Different populations respond differently and there is no reason why certain drugs could not be approved for sub groups or groups frankly willing to give consent to an experimental drug. We forget that for mant patients the trial represents a last gasp effort.
Thank you Avik Roy, this is a great piece. My only problem is that Orphan drug definition blinds us to how the trial system is failing our more familiar chronic diseases. There are no better examples than Parkinson's or ALzheimer's. The trial process needs total rethinking in light of the roll out of those diseases.
In short here are two chronic diseases with millions who suffer from them but the approved treatments of those diseases have not even received the regulatory advantage of Orphan drugs. On top of that almost every major PHARMA is bailing out of addresssoing neurodegenerative disease
Having been a nurse for 33 years, I have been a participant in administering "experimental" drugs such as Interferon when there was no name for it, but only a drug number. Additionally, I was a part of the clinical trials in following HIV patients who were given the new integrase inhibitors which proved successful in blocking the virus with much less metabolic devastation.
If my memory serves me correctly, those drugs were released after the Phase II process and yet are still extremely expensive drugs. Therefore, I question whether or not Phase II release vs Phase III release truly determines the cost passed on to the patient. Additionally, I question the cost of drugs for consumers, period. The Pharma corporations and clinical trials facilities receive huge government grants to research, manufacture trial drugs, and perform the clinical trials. Additionally, many of the Pharma have established foundations which generate donations to the cause of development and clinical trials. It all leads me to believe (a belief I've long held), that the FDA has a financial interest in the big Pharma corporations.
One example which upholds that belief is the release of medications to OTC sales when doctors have stopped prescribing or reduced prescription of certain medications because of some problem with them that they have identified. Case in point is Tagamet, which is contraindicated for patients who take calcium channel blockers, especially in geriatric patients. I have witnessed many cardiovascular patients who seemingly are doing great and suddenly get into an acute cardiac event often leading up to their death.
Any thoughts on this, anyone?


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I am an officer at Tampa Police dept, my daughter and her husband recently got assigned to Eglin AFB and are looking for an apartment. My daughter was looking into a place called Hillcrest Villas in Crestview FL. An info on this place would be appreciated. I don't want her in a bad/dangerous area as I'm sure you guys can understand. Thanks in advance and be safe!!!!
Mark Altimari
Tampa PD


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Police have arrested a man who they say led them on a high-speed chase from Cooperstown to Milford and then northbound along Route 166 before they abandoned the chase for safety reasons.
Christopher Card, 18, of Morris, turned himself in to Cooperstown Village police Friday and was charged with failure to comply.
The chase began early Sept. 30, when Cooperstown officers attempted to pull over a Volkswagen Jetta for having a tail light out, Otsego County Deputy James Mateunas said Sunday.
Deputies picked up the pursuit south of Cooperstown on Route 28, Mateunas said, adding that the speeding car hit 100 mph and passed several other vehicles along the way.
When the Jetta turned onto winding Route 166, deputies decided they couldn't safely follow it anymore and broke off the pursuit, Mateunas said.
An off-duty deputy later recognized the car and persuaded Card to surrender, Mateunas said.
Card was being held Sunday at the Otego County Jail on $1,000 cash bail.