text:
— Staff Report
Parker County volleyball polished off another stellar district-play year in November. The counties' schools netted two outright district titles, a district co-champion, a district runner-up and a playoff-qualifying third-place finisher.
In postseason, three of the schools went deep into the playoff brackets, one earning a state trip.
Listed herein are the all-district selections for Class 5A, 4A and 3A. Class 2A and 1A all-district roster members will be run on Friday and the All-Parker County teams will be in Sunday's sports section of the Weatherford Democrat.
District 3-5A
First Team
Emma Murphy - Senior Hannah Wright - Senior
Second Team
Sarah Schwartz - Soph
Maddie Dorris - Soph
Honorable Mention
Cooper Mullins - Junior Hannah Schwartz - Senior
District 7-4A
MVP Setter
Haylee Bowden - Senior
MVP Hitter
Madison Goings - Freshman
MVP Libero
Tyler Lucas - Junior
First Team
Raygan McLelland - Senior Madison Lopez - Junior
Second Team
Emily Clayton - Junior
Emily Smith - Freshman
Honorable Mention
Madi Pickett - Senior
Maddie Mittie - Soph
Madison Ginn - Junior
District 6-3A
Most Valuable Player
Shelbi Meek - Senior
Co-MVP Hitter
Ashley Mainord - Senior
Co-MVP Blocker
Katelynn Mainord - Senior
MVP Defensive Player
Kendyl Dean - Junior
Co-MVP Setter
Brooklyn Dauenhauer - Jr.
Second Team
Abbigal Hatton – Freshman


text:
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
All minimally invasive procedures are not created equal
Spend any time researching modern treatments for back care and you will see the phrase "minimally invasive" very frequently. Clearly, minimally invasive spine procedures are less traumatic than open back surgery and offer faster recovery times in general. Less clear, however, are the distinctions between the various procedures discussed in various websites.
The term "minimally invasive" is generally used to denote procedures requiring an incision of less than 1.5cm (just over 1/2″). Other commonly used terms are laparoscopic surgery, or band-aid surgery. These procedures require small incisions but cause various degrees of tissue damage below the surface of the skin. In addition, many "minimally invasive" surgeries that enter through the back only allow the surgeon access to one level of the spine per procedure. If the patient's MRI indicates a problem at the wrong level (which occurs frequently), or there are issues at multiple levels, the patient may not experience relief from their pain and may require another surgery.
North American Spine's partner physicians perform more than 30 spine procedures depending on the needs of the patient. We work with interventional pain specialists, orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons to match the patient to the right procedure(s). The ultimate goal is to relieve the patient's pain symptoms through the least invasive means possible. For many patients, part of a suggested treatment plan will include the AccuraScope® procedure. The AccuraScope procedure utilizes a natural opening at the base of your spine to access the spinal canal. In addition to being less traumatic, this approach allows the physician to guide instruments along the length of the lumbar spine, diagnosing and treating problems in real time. North American Spine offers the least invasive surgery available, and the only one that can treat multiple levels with a single procedure.
Do you want to learn more?
Start a personalized case review by submitting your MRI or CT scan report.
Read about the AccuraScope procedure and watch a video animation that explains how it works.
Or review our other minimally invasive procedures.
- Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
- Vertebral Augmentation
- Laminotomy with Posterior Element Decompression
- Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)
- Microdiscectomy
- Lumbar Discectomy and Neural Decompression
- Percutaneous Discectomy
- Foraminotomy
- Laminotomy Decompression for Bony Stenosis
- Percutaneous Interspinous Process Fusion
- Percutaneous Facet Fusion
- Posterior Cervical Fusion
- Anterior Cervical Decompression with Fusion
- Facet Nerve Ablation
- Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion
- Artificial Disc Replacement
- Axial Lumbar Interbody Fusion
- Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation
- Endoscopic Discectomy
- Spinal Fusion

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Trumbull High School Concert Choir will perform Handel's Messiah at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, New York City on Sunday, November 25 at 2 pm as part of a Distinguished Concerts International event. The Concert Choir will join with other choirs from around the nation, an orchestra and professional soloists for the performance. For tickets and more information go to DCINY.com.
The Trumbull Choirs have previously appeared at Carnegie Hall on nine occasions as well as on tour domestically and internationally. In these settings students have a unique opportunity to perform in a world-renowned venue with professional musicians.
Choir Director Anne Tornillo said, "I am so proud of our wonderfully talented Trumbull High School vocalists whose reputation as fine and well-prepared singers resulted in this invitation. We have worked diligently on this challenging music and so look forward to our upcoming Avery Fisher Hall experience."
Tornillo instructs nearly 300 students in five ensembles: the Freshman Chorus, the Concert Choir, the Chamber Singers, the Women's Ensemble and the Men's Ensemble. The Choirs' annual Winter and Spring concerts are open to the public. The Winter Concert is scheduled for Wednesday, December 19 at 7:30 pm.
For more information about the Trumbull choirs, please visit our student-created website, Friends of the Trumbull High School Choirs, Inc., at www.fothsci.org.


text:
120 Searing Ave, Mineola, NY 11501
For 88 years, Corpus Christi School has served the children of its eponymous parish, offering a Catholic education…More all the way from nursery and pre-K through eighth grade. Originally staffed by the Sisters of St. Dominic, the brick-and-mortar school is actually two buildings - the original built in 1922 and a newer wing in 1953 - connected by a breezeway. The two-story structure is located at the very end of Searing Avenue's dead end, next to the Long Island Rail Road tracks.
The school has two free parking lots: one directly across from the front entrance and the other located in building's rear. A playground for younger students is also on the premises. The Diocese of Rockville Centre cited declining enrollment as the main reason for its decision to close the school after the 2009-10 school year.


text:
You are here: Home >> Tasting articles >> How good are BC wines?
Latest articles
How good are BC wines?
I have marked my favourite wines with a *. This tasting was kindly organised by Australian-born wine educator Mark Davidson who collected the samples from his base in Vancouver. I believe he suggested to various wineries that they choose the three wines of which they are most proud. The bottles were kindly shipped down for me by the official BC generic wine body to taste in a private room at the Heathman Hotel in Portland just before flying home to London after a whirlwind trip to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. He and the first class sommelier there Tysan Pierce set it up brilliantly in the categories below, wines generally grouped by...
Sorry, this page is available only to current Purple Pages members. If you're not a member, why not join today and meet a lively community of fellow wine enthusiasts?
If you are already a Purple Pager, please log in.
Sign up for Purple Pages
Find out more: About membership / About Jancis and the team
Log in
Paid membership access only


text:
Rated 4.7 out of 5Â by 73 reviewers.
Men's adidas Basketball Shoes
D Rose 4.5 Shoes
Running White/Run White (G99364)
Size Chart
+ Save To Wishlist
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Brando116 Awesome These shoes are absolutely GREAT. Not gonna lie, I got these mostly for the style (the red ones and grey stripes) and while the looks of the shoes are beautiful, the comfort is equally superb, and I've never slipped once on the shoes (or at least I haven't yet. They've definitely helped with my performance and feel amazing when driving to the hole. 10/10. And oh yeah, the images on the site don't seem to do justice compared to seeing them in person. Sick looking shoes. February 18, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5Â by TyGuy1399 Style and Flare This product fits amazing and has great grip wiht the D rose signiture its sure t impress and the special cushion inside youll fell like youre walking on a cloud. For sports or style these will do the job and more June 4, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5Â by themachine23 great shoes material: great quality Performance: love the grip and the way the shoe makes one with your feet. its like you are barefoot! Never bought adidas before i think you made a new customer Nice fit, great confort April 1, 2014
Rated 3 out of 5Â by FYB Fantastic model but worst for the heel I fall in love immediately with the design of this shoe, I have the dominant black model. I usually wear the size 8 but for whatever reason in this particular model, I had to go with a 9 (US size). However, on the second day, I was not able to support anymore wearing those as my heel was bleeding. In fact, the curve from the back is shorter then usual basketball shoes and that is probably the worst idea as it pin in my heel on every step until I was not supporting the pain anymore! Addidas, do better QA before designing and manufactured this kind of innovation because this one was not that good. June 20, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Edgar.97 Great buy They are great for basketball in my opinion and they are comfortable.... they are attraction getters people always look at them February 12, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Jsteelies Better than the 4's. The D Rose 4's were great shoes but these, although they're similar, are much better. I like them because they help you on the court and they have a good style. They also fit great. February 10, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Yedi Rose 4.5 I have a pair of Rose 4 and just bought the 4.5. Big improvement comfort wise between the 4s and the 4.5s. Well done adidas, well done indeed. February 10, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Ratchet86 Great All around kicks The grip is very good and great on quick cuts in and out of the lane as well as hard turns running off picks. The change in grip on the heel gives you a natural tendency to rise up off your toes for jump shots. Stability is on point in the ankle heel area and paired with the AdiZero Ankle Braves I feel like I had never torn a ligimate in each ankle. I have the Rose4s and these are BETTER! February 17, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Raptors #21 Great this shoe is amazing January 31, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5Â by B Smooth Still the best guard shoe ever made. I bought the D Rose 4.5 at work about two weeks ago, and I have to say that I am very impressed with this upgrade. This shoe has more of a slightly aggressive style than it's predecessor, but with a purpose for it. The aggressive look comes from the sprint skin upper along with the sprint web that gave my feet better breathability and a greater lateral support that has a lock down feel. The cushioning was so much more responsive in the forefoot, and I love how they added AdiPrene to the heel to absorb the hard landings for when I go for rebounds, blocks, and after driving to the basket. To Derrick Rose, as an Adidas employee, I always believe and feel that you're shoes are still the best guard shoe ever made. We really need you back on the court because you have given me the inspiration of wanting to play like you whenever I step on the court. Thank you, D Rose. June 10, 2014


text:
Community News Network
- Community News Network
How spy agencies keep their 'toys' from law enforcement
A little over a decade ago, federal prosecutors used keystroke logging software to steal the encryption password of an alleged New Jersey mobster, Nicodemo Scarfo Jr., so they could get evidence from his computer to be used at his trial.
Russia's war on McDonald's takes aim at the Filet-o-Fish
Russia said earlier this week that it had no intention of answering Western sanctions by making it harder for Western companies to conduct business in Russia.
But all bets are off, apparently, when you threaten the Russian waistline.
Don't judge mothers with messy homes
I was building shelves in my garage when a neighbor girl, one of my 4-year-old daughter's friends, approached me and said, "I just saw in your house. It's pretty dirty. Norah's mommy needs to clean more."
Arizona's prolonged lethal injection is fourth in U.S. this year
Arizona's execution of double-murderer Joseph Wood marked the fourth time this year that a state failed to dispatch a convict efficiently, according to the Constitution Project, a bipartisan legal group.3
Technology plays key part in battling police brutality (VIDEO)
Allegations of police brutality are nothing new -- as long as there has been law enforcement, citizens have registered claims that some officers cross the line. But in the last few years, the claims of excessive force are being corroborated with new technology from cell phone cameras, police dash-cams and surveillance videos.
Facebook continues moneymaking trend
Facebook seems to have figured out - for now at least - the holy grail for all media right now: how to make money selling mobile ads.
- Has the ipad lost its swag?
Darth Vader is polling higher than all potential 2016 presidential candidates
On the other hand, with a net favorability of -8, Jar Jar is considerably more popular than the U.S. Congress, which currently enjoys a net favorability rating of -65.
Llama on the loose corralled in Missouri town
A llama on the lam cruised Main Street Tuesday before it mistook a resident's fenced backyard for a place to grab a meal and freshen up.
VIDEO: Train collides with semi truck carrying lighter fluid
A truck driver from Washington is fortunate to be alive after driving his semi onto a set of tracks near Somerset, Ky., and being struck by a locomotive, which ignited his load of charcoal lighter fluid.
- More Community News Network Headlines
- How spy agencies keep their 'toys' from law enforcement


text:
Widget and Gadgets Support
Erwinna, PA 18920
WeatherBug Yahoo Widget Support
Below are answers to some common questions about the WeatherBug Yahoo Widget. If you do not see your question here, please fill out a Support Request Form or visit the WeatherBug Forums.
- How do I get the WeatherBug Widget for Yahoo! Widget Engine?
You can quickly download it here. Then follow the 'Installation Instructions' below the image.
- Can I run multiple instances of the widget?
Absolutely. The widget was created so you can keep an eye on the weather in as many places as you choose. Simply open the Yahoo! Widget Engine and open the 'weatherbug.kon' file.
- How do I change the location of the observations?
When you first open the widget, it will prompt you for a ZIP Code. Then it will give you a list of the closest WeatherBug stations from which to choose.
If you find you want to change the location, simply click on the up arrow in the upper right area of the widget. It will again prompt you for a new ZIP Code.
- How do I change the units of the temperature and/or wind speed?
Simply click on the up arrow in the upper right area of the widget, then click the 'units' tab. Selecting the 'C°' will change the temperature to the Celsius scale and the wind speed to km/h. The 'F°' will select the Fahrenheit scale and mph.
WeatherBug Featured Products
Weather News
Other Top Weather Headlines
High Plains At Risk For Wild Storms
For the fourth consecutive day this workweek across the U.S., fresh thunderstorms will cause big problems into tonight…More >
California Hopes Fines Up to $500 Slow Water Waste
California regulators, in a battle to save water in an unprecedent drought, may start fining people $500 for wasting…More >
Weekend Weather Outlook
Much of the U.S. will see energetic thunderstorms throughout the…More >
Weather Near Erwinna, PA
Camera for Asbury, NJ
Be Prepared, Know Before
Get faster alerts and better forecasts from the exclusive neighborhood-level WeatherBug network.Learn More


text:
Known by our For You® brand, Miedema Produce
is your year-around resource for more than 50 different
varieties, ranging from crisp radishes and delicious
parsnips to corn and carrots to late summer
squash and blueberries.
What better way to warm up lunch or dinner than with a fresh bowl of homemade soup? Making soup is easier than you think. Start with your favorite For You vegetables, and express your nutritious creativity. Get started with these unique soup recipes.
Radishes are packed with vitamin C and rich minerals, like iron and potassium.
Skip fast food and pack a crisp green salad for lunch. Pair with grilled chicken breast for a filling healthy meal.
Vitamin A, found in carrots, keeps eyes and skin healthy. Helps protect against infections, too!
Savings tip: Buy fresh vegetables in season. They typically cost less and are at their peak flavor.
Did you know turnips are a natural low-calorie root vegetable very high in vitamin C and fiber?
Eating more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet reduces the risks of some chronic diseases - so add some color to your plate!


text:
Alberto D'Ottavi, Contributor
Re:Start - Young companies worth funding
Italian startups go international and grow fast – very fast, indeed. Beintoo, a loyalty and monetization platform for mobile apps, has reached more than 100 millions of mobile devices in less than a year, and is now announcing a $5 million Series A funding led by Italian VC firm Innogest Capital.
After winning the Startup Competition at LeWeb 2011 (press release, and more about LeWeb 2011 in this other Forbes article), this Italian company founded in 2010 opened an office in Silicon Valley and rapidly gained the interest of developers and investors. Their basic idea is to create a cross-application mobile loyalty system in order to offer to users, especially gamers, real rewards for their advancement in using the app: kinda a "Gamification-badges-meet-Groupon-offers". A great value for developers, that can focus on building the application while offering their users a monetization opportunity. A "Pay-per-engagement model", as described by Antonio Tomarchio, Beintoo' CEO and co-founder.
"Results speak for themselves" says Claudio Giuliano, Managing Partner of Innogest, the fund who led the investment, in the official press release. "Beintoo has a unique proposition for app developers and retailers… Add this to the quality of Beintoo's special offers and you will obtain a company that stands out in the mobile monetization ecosystem". Tomarchio adds: "Retailers can use the loyalty users have for their favorite apps to attract them to their deals, offers, and products, creating a true personalized experience. We find that transforming time spent in an app to real benefits results in high conversion rates and very happy users".
The company plans to expand operations in North America and Asia.
Congrats to team Beintoo. Now the real hard work starts :)
Beintoo has a great team and faces an incredible market opportunity. I'm sure we are going to see a lot from this company.
I guess this is yet another app. Where is the real engagement here? It's just another way to promote a business. Honestly, make sure you check http://mobitto.com and see what I am talking about.
(Disclaimer: I am a co-founder of Mobitto)


text:
As you prepare for your Thanksgiving Feast, the meals leading up to the big day can be tricky. If you're looking for something quick and easy without the mess, stop into the ONF Deli for a whole pizza. We can make it with any number of toppings, just the way you like it. Pictured here is a thin rolled pizza with kalamata olive, bell pepper, mushroom, red onion, spinach, pineapple, broccoli, avocado and heavy on the sauce. That's a pizza! Have something else in mind? Let us know how to serve it up. Don't forget, you can call ahead if you don't have other last minute shopping to do in the store.
- Kevin, Deli


text:
Select a datex
Want to learn how to surf? Where could be better than Sydney, the heart of Australia's surfing culture. For a great, fun-filled introduction to surfing, take this full-day tour to a beach just 45 minutes south of Sydney, where you'll learn all the basics of board surfing from your fully qualified surf instructor.
- Instant Confirmation
- Enjoy a day away from the hustle and bustle of the city
- All necessary equipment included
- Buffet lunch included
- Vegetarian meal option available
- Pickup from a centrally located meeting point
Your surfing tour includes four hours of surfing lessons, divided into two-hour sets, and your surfboard and wetsuit are supplied. You'll travel by four-wheel drive over the sand dunes and along vast stretches of empty beach to find perfect waves for learners, away from other surfers.
Surf for the whole day with progressive surf lessons in an unhurried environment. With a little help from your qualified surf instructor, it's guaranteed you will be able to stand up on your board by the end of the day. It's a scenic day out in Sydney, so bring your camera, swimsuit, towel and sunscreen. There's free time in the day to rest and take in the scenery, and lunch and refreshments are included.
Schedule details
Royal National Park Surf Trip south of Sydney
Select a month to view a calendar of availability and departure details.
Departure Point:Tour departs from YHA Hostel, near Central railway station, Sydney
Departure Time:
- 9:15am
Return Details:Returns to original departure point
Pricing information
Click the link below to check pricing & availability on your preferred travel date. Our pricing is constantly updated to ensure you always receive the lowest price possible.
Additional information
Surfing Lessons in Sydney's Royal National Park
- 2 x surfing lesson with level 1 accredited coaches
- Use of surfing equipment
- Buffet lunch
- See the wildlife and scenery of the Royal National Park OR
- 4wd the beach and sand dunes at Green Hills
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information:
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Minimum age is 8 years
- Adult pricing applies to all travelers
- Please bring sun protection, towel, swimmers and camera
- Please advise size of wet suite at time of booking: XS, S, M,Lg, XL & 2XL
Terms and Conditions:
If you cancel at least 8 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 20 percent cancellation fee.
If you cancel within 7 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
Voucher Info:
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity. What's this?
Local Operator Information:
Complete Operator information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, are included on your Confirmation Voucher. Our Product Managers select only the most experienced and reliable operators in each destination, removing the guesswork for you, and ensuring your peace of mind.


text:
Josh Hamilton? Are you kidding me?
Nobody makes a surprise splash like the Angels, but this was a flying cannonball into the middle of a Southern California pool that had been awash in Dodger blue.
Josh Hamilton? Are you kidding me?
Nobody makes a surprise splash like the Angels, but this was a flying cannonball into the middle of a Southern California pool that had been awash in Dodger blue.
Nobody breaks down the door in the middle of the night like the Angels, but this was a bullhorn-toting, helicopter-descending invasion into the consciousness of a local baseball population that has been resting peacefully atop those Magic millions.
Josh Hamilton? Are you serious?
With one huge swing-from-the-heels signing Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels of Nowhere are back, back, back, back. Hamilton may be fragile, his past may be checkered, the Angels may be giving him far too much time and money with a five-year, $125-million contract, but he still represents the kind of flashy billboard that owner Arte Moreno understands best.
The Dodgers can spend millions, but the Angels will spend flashier millions. The Dodgers can play hardball, but the Angels are going to play long ball. The Dodgers can steal Zack, but the Angels are going to respond with Whack! And, oh yeah, the rival Texas Rangers can stick it in Nolan Ryan's cackle.
Josh Hamilton? Can you imagine?
Hamilton, 31, baseball's top free-agent hitter, with 43 homers and 128 RBIs for the Rangers last year, will bat fourth in an Angels lineup whose first three hitters include Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. Among the three of them, they have either won or finished second in league MVP voting in four of the last five years. If it's not quite a Murderers' Row, it's certainly a
Commuter's Dream, and around here on a Wednesday night in the middle of summer, is anything more important?
Hamilton will be a left-handed-hitting anchor in a lineup that severely tilts right. He will be a left fielder on a crowded outfield roster that could allow the team to trade one of those guys for more pitching. In a winter when the Dodgers signed Zack Greinke, wouldn't it be something if the Angels traded for the New York Mets' R.A. Dickey?
Face it, some would say this move is about the Rangers, but it's far more about the Dodgers. The town that Moreno wants to dominate isn't Arlington, but right here, his own town, a place that the Angels often inhabit in name only. Despite adding the "Los Angeles" to their moniker several years ago, the Angels have had difficulty gaining traction among fans who still have difficulty overcoming geography and tradition, and this winter the distance grew.
Since the end of the most disappointing season of the Moreno era, the Angels have been less visible than ever, unwilling or unable to sign the likes of Greinke and Torii Hunter, receding into the shadow of a Dodgers organization that has pretty much signed or traded for, like, everyone. The good news was that the Angels actually held a media luncheon this week to introduce their off-season acquisitions. The bad news was that the headliner was Joe Blanton.
Oh, but everyone is paying attention now. In the same way the Angels once grabbed us with their signing of Vladimir Guerrero, with the same force that they once rocked us with Pujols, they have burst through the door with Hamilton.
Is he a risk? Baseball has no bigger risk. Hamilton is constantly battling the demons of his drug-afflicted past while fighting to maintain a consistent lifestyle that seemingly spins out of control at the slightest twinge.
He has been healthy enough to record at least 500 at-bats in only three of his six seasons. During those seasons, he has never hit fewer than 30 homers or accumulated fewer than 100 RBIs, and led the Rangers to two World Series appearances in the last three years, but it can still be hard to keep him on the field.
Even when he plays, there are issues. In the middle of last season, he suddenly gave up smokeless tobacco and it sent him into a tailspin, as he hit only eight homers with 27 RBIs in June and July. To compensate for the loss of tobacco, he began drinking so much caffeine, it affected his eyesight and caused him to miss five games in September. He ended the year by dropping a fly ball that led to a loss to Oakland in the division-deciding game, and then went hitless in the one-game wild-card playoff loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
Hamilton was given much blame for the Rangers' losing a five-game division lead with nine games remaining, and later Rangers CEO Ryan had to publicly rebut reports that Hamilton had quit.
Yeah, life with the guy can get pretty messy. Absolutely, he needs to play in a place where his sobriety can be monitored and nurtured, a place where he can avoid the usual baseball pressures and just swing the kind of bat that once hit four home runs in one game in Baltimore and 28 home runs in one round of the home run derby at Yankee Stadium.
Anaheim is exactly that place, and perhaps now is exactly that time.


text:
Gear Review: St. Croix Bank Robber 907-4
Author: Trouts Staff
Hands down, my new favorite Rod!! This thing is a meat hucking machine.
Hands down, my new favorite Rod!! This thing is a meat hucking machine.
One of the best features of this rod is the supple tip, which allows the rod to make short, accurate casts, and well as enabling the rod to roll cast and mend with ease. In a 9' length, I found that this rod could handle any situation.
As stated above, anything that will keep me dry, especially in the cold spring waters of Colorado, will automatically find favor amongst my gear, and in my first few outings, Patagonia's new Rio Gallegos (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈri.o ɣaˈʃeɣos]) waders most certainly fulfilled that role, but that is just the tip of the iceberg…..
Features I liked…


text:
By John Vogl
Cody Hodgson has been in Buffalo for a while working out, so he was confident a contract was coming. As the hours ticked closer to training camp, however, he felt a few nerves.
Not anymore. Armed with a six-year deal worth a reported $25.5 million, Hodgson opened camp today as the team's confident No. 1 center.
"When they have that much faith in you, you want to try that much harder and make sure you reward them for that opportunity," Hodgson said in First Niagara Center. "It was a great summer of training. Obviously, I had a lot of time to make sure I got a lot more explosive, a lot more power."
Hodgson finished last season as the Sabres' second-leading scorer. He's back with the top guy, skating alongside right wing Thomas Vanek. Marcus Foligno, who ended last year as center, is getting an early look as the top-line left winger.
Hodgson has always wanted a top-line role. He entered camp last year competing with Tyler Ennis for the job. The contract and depth chart make Hodgson the clear go-to guy this season for coach Ron Rolston.
"You just want to do what you can and complement the players you're playing with," said Hodgson, who has struggled defensively but hopes to make major strides. "This year, we're going to get a chance to know the systems a little better. Having Ron know right from the start of training camp what we're doing system-wise, I think we'll all get on the same page.
"I was working on power, strength, making sure I can muscle guys off pucks. Hopefully, that will translate into good team defense."
He'll have plenty of time to get to know the team with his contract covering the next half-dozen years.
"I'm really happy to have some concrete knowledge of where I'm going to be for a few years," Hodgson said. "Playing in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Rochester and Buffalo the last couple years, you're never really sure where you're going to be. I'm really happy I'll be able to buy a house or something. To have some security, it's nice."
taggedCody Hodgson


text:
Chairperson: Professor Thompson
100 Human Use and Management of the Marine Environment (3)
Examination of uses and management efforts in the coastal and ocean environment. Assessment of problems arising from those uses and attempts to conserve resources, protect the environment, and minimize use conflicts in the context of changing technological capabilities, knowledge, and values. (Lec. 3) (S)
120 New England and the Sea (3)
An examination of the human and environmental impacts of the sea and its uses on the New England and Gulf of Maine region. Considers marine resource use and management from colonial to modern times. (Lec. 3)
220 Introduction to Marine and Coastal Law (3)
Basic principles of marine and coastal law in the United States. An integration of coastal zone, outer continental shelf, fisheries, marine pollution, and admiralty laws. (Lec. 3) (S) [D]
312 The Politics of the Ocean (3)
Survey of decision making with respect to the marine environment at the international, national, and local levels. Special emphasis on laws and treaties of the United States and the United Nations. (Lec. 3)
320 Shipping and Ports (3)
An introduction to waterborne movement of cargo. An examination of shipping and port operations, innovations in maritime transportation systems, and the interplay of the operators, shipping, and ports. (Lec. 3) Pre: 100.
330 World Fishing (3)
The role of marine fisheries and aquaculture in world food production. Social, economic, legal, and scientific issues in fisheries management. (Lec. 3) Pre: 100.
350 Caribbean Geography
See Geography 350.
410 Senior Seminar in Marine Affairs (3)
Advanced work in the management of the coastal and marine environment, with special emphasis on case studies and student projects. Seniors only. (Seminar) Required for seniors in marine affairs. Not for graduate credit in marine affairs.
413 Peoples of the Sea
See Anthropology 413.
415 Marine Pollution Policy (3)
Introduction to management techniques for marine pollutants (biodegradable materials, nutrients, petroleum, metals, synthetic organics, radioactive materials, plastics, heat, and dredge spoils) with emphasis on strategies to limit environmental impacts. (Lec. 3) Pre: junior standing or above. Not for graduate credit.
461 Coastal Zone Management (3)
Examination of activities and management efforts in the coastal zone of both developed and developing countries and their impacts on the environment. Resolution of use conflicts. (Lec. 3)
465 GIS Applications in Coastal and Marine Management (3)
The use of geographical information systems (GIS) technology in coastal and marine settings. Database acquisition and management are emphasized. Case application in coastal zone management, artificial habitat, and fisheries management. (Lec. 3)
471 Island Ecosystem Management (3)
An ecosystem approach to the sustainable development and environmental management of mid-oceanic islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean. Topics include tourism, reef fishery, cultural heritage, and marine conservation. Simulation game on island-wide management process. (Lec. 3)
472 Marine Recreation and Tourism Management Seminar (3)
Analysis of domestic and international case studies emphasizing identification of and solutions to problems of coastal recreation and tourism. Use of experiential learning. Emphasis placed on presentation, leadership, and negotiation skills. (Seminar)
475 Human Responses to Coastal Hazards and Disasters (3)
Examines the impact of hazards and disasters on human population inhabiting the coastal zone. Sets human adaptations to coastal hazards and disasters in an historical context. Extracts lessons learned for comparative analysis. (Lec. 3)
482 Quantitative Methods in Marine Affairs (3)
Introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics in geography and marine affairs. Emphasis on the spatial application of statistical tests with particular utility to the geographer and marine affairs student. (Lec. 3) Pre: STA 220 or equivalent for undergraduate students.
484 Environmental Analysis and Policy in Coastal Management (3)
Analysis of environmental policy strategies as applied in federal and state coastal management programs. Emphasis on coastal environmental assessment and program evaluation techniques, hazards management, regulatory frameworks, and environmental ethics. (Lec. 3)
490 Field Experience in Marine Affairs (3-6)
Supervised undergraduate internship within an approved work setting designed to provide students with on-the-job experience relevant to their academic training and career goals. Students are responsible for securing internship positions and learning contract. (Practicum) Pre: permission of instructor, senior standing recommended. Not for graduate credit.
491, 492 Special Problems (3 each)
Individual guidance in major readings and methods of research. (Independent Study) Pre: permission of chairperson.
494 Cases in Marine Policy (3)
A single, current problem drawn from areas such as coastal management, ports, or fisheries is examined through detailed analysis of alternatives and decision processes. (Seminar). Pre: permission of instructor or chairperson.
499 Directed Study (1-3)
Individual research and reports on problems of special interest, including honors thesis research. (Independent Study) Pre: permission of instructor.
502 Research Methods in Marine Affairs (3)
Emphasis on the application of alternative research methods utilized in a typical interdisciplinary study. Development of specific research projects. (Lec. 3) Pre: 482 or permission of chairperson.
511 Ocean Uses and Marine Sciences (3)
Introduction to selected ocean uses focusing on the interplay of public policy and marine science. Emphasis on policy implications of uses such as resource and energy extraction. (Lec. 3)
515 Marine Pollution Policy (3)
Introduction to management techniques for marine pollutants (biodegradable materials, nutrients, petroleum, metals, synthetic organics, radioactive materials, plastics, heat, and dredge spoils) with emphasis on strategies to limit environmental impacts. (Lec. 3) Pre: graduate standing only.
516 (or CPL 516) Seminar on the Urban Waterfront (3)
The urban environment and its evolution, structure, and function as it pertains to metropolitan waterfronts and small recreational harbors. Emphasis on the permitting process, public participation, marine recreation, and management issues. Field trip and student project required. (Seminar)
521 Coastal Zone Law (3)
Examination of the authority of different levels and agencies of government to make decisions affecting coastal regions. Survey of existing and proposed state and national legislation affecting coastal regions. (Lec. 3)
523 Fisheries Law and Management (3)
Examination of the relationship between law and fisheries policy on the international and national levels, law relating to fisheries, jurisdictional levels, function of law in implementing fisheries management policy. (Lec. 3)
526 Management of Marine Protected Areas (3)
Examination of ecological, political, legal, and social factors in establishing and managing marine protected areas. Case studies of MPA efforts highlight interrelationships among interest groups, institutions, and legislation. (Lec. 3)
527 (or NRS 527) Marine Protected Areas: An Interdisciplinary Analysis (3)
Examination of the ecological, political, social, cultural, and economic factors influencing the use of MPAs. (Lec. 3) Pre: permission of instructor.
563 Maritime Transportation (3)
Passenger and commodity transportation. Analysis of the relationship between transportation services and the spatial distribution of activities. Emphasis on multimodel transport and bulk commodities. (Lec. 3) Pre: senior or graduate standing or permission of instructor.
564 Port Operations and Policy (3)
Analysis of coastal and international trade routes and the response of ports. Special emphasis on the container revolution, liquid natural gas transportation, and deep-water ports for supertankers. (Lec. 3)
565 Cruise Ship Operations, Marketing, and Ports (3)
Explores the many facets of the cruise ship industry from the points of view of social, management, and policy science. Designed to familiarize the student, utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, with the genesis, current status, and future roles of this dynamic industry. (Seminar) Pre: graduate standing, or seniors with permission of instructor.
577 (or PSC 577) International Ocean Law (3)
Principles of international law as they relate to ocean management problems. Jurisdiction in zones, such as territorial seas, exclusive economic zones, and the high seas will be examined, as well as the problems posed by zonal approaches to ocean-use management.
578 International Ocean Organizations (3)
International organizations involved in marine-related activities, including their planning, management, regulatory, and assistance functions. Attention to the impact of organizations on ocean management efforts in the developed and developing world. (Lec. 3) Pre: 577 or permission of instructor.
582 Coastal Ecosystem Governance (3)
This course links human impacts on coastal environments with existing or proposed governance solutions. Management regimes for individual sectors, coastal regions, and land/estuarine ecosystems are introduced and compared. (Seminar)
589 Master's Project Research (3)
Preparation of a major research paper for M.M.A. students under the guidance of a graduate faculty member. (Independent Study) Pre: graduate standing in the M.M.A. program. S/U credit.
591, 592 Directed Study or Research (3 each)
Areas of special research interest of graduate students. (Independent Study) Pre: permission of chairperson.
599 Master's Thesis Research
Number of credits is determined each semester in consultation with the major professor or program committee. (Independent Study) S/U credit.
602 Federal Ocean Policy and Organization (3)
Ocean policy development and implementation by the executive and legislative branches of government. Allocation of powers and analysis of the decision-making process for the oceans. (Lec. 3)
651Marine Affairs Seminar (3 )
Interdisciplinary seminar conducted by marine affairs program faculty supplemented by guest speakers from industry and government. Focuses on problems of marine resources development and management at the local, state, national, and international policy levels. (Seminar)
699 Doctoral Dissertation Research
Number of credits is determined each semester in consultation with the major professor or program committee. Maximum of 6 credits of 699 may be taken prior to completing approved dissertation proposal. (Independent Study) S/U credit.


text:
Weatherford Democrat
— During the week of Spring Break, Weatherford Police Department utilized grant funding from the Texas Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Program to pay overtime salaries for officers to conduct Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) activities.
STEP activities are geared to reduce the number of drunk drivers on the road during holiday periods as well as enforce speed and seatbelt compliance.
Weatherford police officers worked approximately 115 hours of additional enforcement. The officers concentrated in the areas of South Main, South Bowie and Palo Pinto streets. Officers issued 150 additional speeding citations, 21 seatbelt tickets and 44 miscellaneous other tickets. Officers also made five DWI arrests.
Following the extra enforcement, officers conducted speed surveys and found drivers on South Main had improved to a 77 percent compliance rate with posted speed limits, up from 50 percent. On Palo Pinto Street drivers made great strides improving from a 23 percent compliance rate to a 61 percent compliance rate with posted speed limits. However, just 36 percent of those traveling on South Bowie were driving in compliance with posted speed limits.
Seatbelt compliance surveys indicated more than 97 percent of Weatherford drivers and front seat passengers complied with seatbelt laws.
"Speed limits are set to help keep our streets safe. We are happy to see that drivers have made improvements in driving in accordance with posted speed limits," said Weatherford Police Capt. David Smith. "Seatbelt compliance in our city is outstanding."


text:
Honeymoon Package
7 nights accommodation in best double room available upon arrival, including breakfast
Transfers airport / hotel upon arrival and departure
Sparkling wine, fruit basket and fresh flowers upon arrival
1 Dinner per person in the Casa Velha Dining room, including bottle of house wine
1 Guided tour per person to The Old Blandy Wine Lodge
1 Couple massage (30 mins) at Palheiro Spa
Free access to Palheiro Gardens
Free acess to Palheiro Spa wet areas
From 01st May to 28th September 2014
€ 660,00 per person in double room
From 29th September to 24th November 2014
€ 730,00 per person in double room
! Special Offer !
10% discount for all new bookings staying between 01st June and 31st August
Not combinable with other offers and promotions
The included package services not used are not refundable.
Reservations: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist gegen Spambots geschützt! JavaScript muss aktiviert werden, damit sie angezeigt werden kann.


text:
Rick Neuheisel is back in Westwood, with a new Defensive Coordinator candidate under consideration.
UPDATE (B): While Tracy Pierson should get credit for breaking the story, the MSM (including LAT) is confirming that Seto is out as a candidate for the DC vacancy. 2nd UPDATE (A): Here is the...
BREAKING NEWS: SETO VETOED -- Randy Seto no longer being considered for UCLA defensive coordinator.
More disturbing questions raised about Rocky Seto, a so called "finalist" for the defensive coordinator position for Rick Neuheisel's UCLA program.
After 2 months without a defensive coordinator, is UCLA considering hiring unproven and under-qualified Seattle Seahawks and USC assistant Randy Seto? UCLA Football deserves better than THIS.
We'll email you a reset link.
If you signed up using a 3rd party account like Facebook or Twitter, please login with it instead.
You must be a member of Bruins Nation to participate.
We have our own Community Guidelines at Bruins Nation. You should read them.
You must be a member of Bruins Nation to participate.
We have our own Community Guidelines at Bruins Nation. You should read them.
Choose an available username to complete sign up.
In order to provide our users with a better overall experience, we ask for more information from Facebook when using it to login so that we can learn more about our audience and provide you with the best possible experience. We do not store specific user data and the sharing of it is not required to login with Facebook.


text:
Vin Scully, the voice of the Dodgers and 1982 Ford C. Frick Award winner, has joined the lineup of special guests for the Aug. 2, 2014 celebration concert to honor the 75th Anniversary of the National Baseball Hall Of Fame and Museum.
Scully will record the introduction and opening segment of the concert that will include the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, which will serve as the "house band" for the 75th Anniversary Concert.
"The Hall of Fame is the cathedral of baseball, and it is an honor to be a part of the 75th Anniversary Concert in Cooperstown," said Scully, who will broadcast Dodgers games for the 65th consecutive year in 2014. "This memorable event will be a fitting celebration of the National Pastime and the Museum that preserves the legacy of the game."
The concert will be produced by LGH19 Productions and will be part of a 14-month musical celebration that includes an ongoing silent auction to benefit the National Baseball Hall Of Fame and Museum. VIP tickets can be purchased on the official concert website www.cooperstownconcert.com.
The live event will feature some of the music industry's top recording artists, as well as celebrities from the world of film, television and baseball, and take place in Cooperstown, N.Y., on the pastoral grounds of the Clark Sports Center in a benefit for the National Baseball Hall Of Fame and Museum, just weeks after its 75th Anniversary.
Some of the organizations participating in the celebration include Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, which has produced limited edition Baseball Hall of Fame Fender Stratocaster guitars; Peanuts Worldwide and Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, which has created 75 limited edition Baseball Hall of Fame Peanuts Posters; as well as Charitybuzz, which will host the silent auction.


text:
This week: a discussion on the possible academic impact of athletic conference realignment. Plus, MU signs an agreement with a University in India to work with nanomedicine and nanotechnology.
The Department of Conservation says zebra mussels have been present in the Missouri and Osage Rivers and theLaura Davison (Columbia, Mo.)
The University of Missouri is studying how to make life easier for student parents. Plus, research shows a Prison GED program has multiple benefits.
Hosted by Ryan Famuliner.
MU's Faculty Board met Thursday night to discuss the UM System's current classroom content protection policies. <!--more-->
By Colin Evans (Columbia, Mo.)
The A.T. Still University Board of Trustees recently approved a $26 million bond issue that will create a dental school on its Kirksville campus. Here's how university officials and healthcare chief executives hope this new school will improve the state's current healthcare situation.
By Ryan Schmidt (Columbia, Mo.)
This week: students in unaccredited school districts with ambitions for college could find themselves in limbo. Plus, kids get up close and personal with alpacas.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is warning motorists to watch out for deer, as auto-deer collisions occur most often between the months of October and December while deer are more active during their mating season.
By Marshall Griffin (Jefferson City, Mo.)
About 4,000 fewer Missourians were on payrolls last month, compared to August of last year, according to new labor stats. But Governor Jay Nixon and community colleges across the state hope to better equip those in search of jobs with new skills that will get them employed.
By Elana Gordon (Kansas City, Mo.)
A group of Missouri lawmakers met Wednesday to look for solutions for a potential mass exodus from three of the state's unaccredited school districts.
This week Exam looks at a conflict in Camdenton arising over the issue of the high school's use of website filtering that's blocking educational websites of gay organizations.
Some Columbia private schools have begun integrating new technology in classrooms and Columbia Public Schools are following suit.
By Christian Bryant (Columbia, Mo.)
A family member of former president Harry S. Truman will make an appearance Friday night at Truman State University.
By Wendy Mader (Columbia, Mo.)
One Mizzou strives to promote diversity on campus.


text:
Heart Disease & Stroke
Southeastern Cardiology Consultants
DHH's Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program works with communities around Louisiana to help people stay healthy and avoid having a heart attack or a stroke. The program encourages people to eat healthy foods and stay physically active, which lowers the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Keeping Your Heart Healthy
Changing your eating habits to improve your heart health doesn't have to mean sacrificing the foods and flavors you love. Read more>>
Are you at risk? There are a lot of factors that increase your chances of developing heart disease. Read more>>
Heart diseases appear in many forns, and while most of them are preventable, a lot of times these diseases are gender, age or family-history-related and are beyond your control. Read more >>
A lot of foods are naturally packed with vitamins and nutrients that can improve heart health. Read more>>
Heart disease is a broad term encompassing several diseases
such as cardiovascular, coronary, ischaemic, hypertensive, inflammatory and valvular heart diseases. Read more>>
Prevention: What Can You Do
Eating foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber can help prevent high blood cholesterol. Limiting salt or sodium in your diet also can lower your blood pressure.
For more information on healthy diet and nutrition, see CDC's Nutrition and Physical Activity Program Web site.
If you know your weight and height, you can calculate your BMI at CDC's Assessing Your Weight Web site.
For more information, see CDC's Nutrition and Physical Activity Program Web site.
For more information about tobacco use and quitting, see CDC's Smoking & Tobacco Use Web site.


text:
| ! Hunting & Fishing Licenses | Boat Registration Renewal
CAB Passes February Extension in SW Alabama
By DAVID RAINER
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
An extension of deer season into February in southwest Alabama, the Outdoor Alabama Game Check system and a definition of "area" for purposes of supplemental feeding for deer and feral hogs were among the items approved by the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board Saturday at Vestavia Hills, Ala.
Starting in 2014, the February deer season would allow deer hunting until February 10 in all of Baldwin, Mobile, Washington and Escambia counties, most of Monroe and Conecuh counties and portions of Choctaw, Clarke, Wilcox, Butler and Covington counties (see map). Those areas would be closed to gun deer hunting December 2-11 to offset the extension into February.
The Alabama Dog Hunting Association opposed the extension because the number of days of deer hunting with dogs would be reduced.
Hunters in other areas of the state also expressed an interest in extending the season into February, but Conservation Commissioner N. Gunter Guy Jr. said there isn't enough data to support an extension at this time.
"We need to have data to support what we do," Commissioner Guy said. "Currently we don't have the data to support (extending the season in other counties). If we're going to do it right, and we're going to, we need that data. We have a plan for this year to do the deer fetal studies in the other counties that are not on the map. We got calls from about every county south of Montgomery that wanted the extension, too, and I understand that. But we need to have the data."
Commissioner Guy also said he understood that dog deer hunters were upset because the end of dog deer hunting remains January 15 statewide.
"We did that because we didn't feel it was appropriate for the resource or for the hunters in the rest of the state to give that area extra days," he said. "The dog hunters who stalk hunt will still be able to hunt the same number of days. Now my commitment to those who have an interest in this is that if we extend the season into other areas of the state next year, we will be obviously including more of those who are affected by dog deer hunting days. My commitment is to try somehow to address that, so that you don't lose that many days, or you lose less days. It's very complicated. It's not simple. But I'm not saying we won't go back and look at that."
Commissioner Guy said the implementation of the Outdoor Alabama Game Check system, whereby hunters in Alabama will be required to report their deer or turkey harvests within 24 hours of the kill, will increase the data collection and allow the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) to respond more quickly to the changing dynamics of the wildlife herds and hunter activities, which will be particularly pertinent to the season extension.
"With Game Check we're going to be able to see how many bucks and does are being taken in this extended season," he said. "You will be required to report the bucks you kill. You're not getting extra bucks. It's the same three-buck limit.
"When it comes to does, if you don't want to shoot does, don't shoot does. Certainly, you need to manage your properties. For private land, this will provide the ability to hunt into what the data shows in this area is a later rut. The information we have supports it."
The board also approved a reduction in the daily bag limit of unantlered deer in a portion of north Alabama. The daily harvest during gun season of unantlered deer would be reduced from two per day to one per day. One area that was included in the original proposal – the area west of Highway 431 to the Tennessee River and Highway 231 – was removed from the area with reduced doe harvest.
The other major action taken by the board was to define the "area" where it is legal to hunt deer and feral hogs when supplemental feed is on the property. The proposal unanimously passed by the board would make it legal to hunt an area if the feed is more than 100 yards away from and out of the line of sight of the hunter because of natural vegetation and/or naturally-occurring terrain features. The regulation also includes a "rebuttable presumption" clause that means that if the Conservation Enforcement Officer deems there is evidence of baiting that a citation can still be issued.
"Our Conservation Enforcement Officers do a great job, but under the law, there is no clear definition of what the area is," Commissioner Guy said. "For some officers, that could be the size of the auditorium. For others, it could be the size of the parking lot. It's not a problem with the officers; it's because it's not defined in the law."
Commissioner Guy said the department researched how surrounding states deal with the issue of "area" and found that Mississippi has the 100-yard regulation, while Tennessee's regulation stipulates the hunter must be 250 yards away from the feed. North Georgia's regulation prohibits hunting when feed is less than 200 yards away. The regulation applies to deer and feral swine only.
"This proposed area definition does not allow baiting," he said. "This is not a circumvention of the law that says that you can't bait. You still can't bait. The purpose of this is to allow the officers and public an opportunity to do what is already allowed. You can feed 365 days a year in Alabama. Supplemental feeding is allowed. People want to feed on their property and do it in a lawful manner, but they don't know what the parameters are. So we're trying to set the parameters with this.
"Now if you go out and try to circumvent this by pouring corn out behind a bale of hay, that's not going to work. That's baiting. …We are not allowing baiting."
In other action, board member Bill Hatley of Gulf Shores made a motion to eliminate fall turkey season in the six counties – Clarke, Clay, Covington, Monroe, Randolph and Talladega – where it is currently allowed. Those affected counties will have a spring turkey season only from March 15 to April 30, starting in 2014. The board also voted to remove a portion of Mobile County from a restriction on turkey hunting.
The board passed a motion to increase hunting and fishing licenses according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase of 1.6 percent, which means the cost of an annual resident all-game hunting license will increase about 40 cents.
Adjustments were made to the bag limit for gray triggerfish. To match federal regulation, the daily bag for triggerfish was set at two fish per person. The use of laser sights for hunters who are legally blind was also approved.
In other deer news, the board approved allocating funding for a deer mortality study through the use of collared deer in a collaborative project involving Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and the School of Forestry and Wildlife at Auburn University. Also, a portion of Elmore County and all of Wilcox County were placed on the permit system for dog deer hunting.
All action taken by the board must be approved by Commissioner Guy before it is implemented.


text:
---- — DANVERS — The last time the state audited the Essex Regional Retirement System, it revealed lavish spending, secret meetings and mismanagement of funds.
Three years later, the system is being painted in a much more favorable light.
An audit released last month by the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission gave the Essex retirement system a generally favorable review.
The audit cited three deficiencies — a far cry from the 23 noted in the last audit in 2010. Joseph Connarton, executive director of PERAC, described the problems this time around as "minor."
"We're pleased with the leadership of the board and the administrator they hired," Connarton said. "He has certainly delved into the problems of the past and done an excellent job of addressing those."
That administrator is Charles Kostro, a former state transportation official and town administrator in Newbury who took over as executive director of the retirement system in March 2011.
Along with a new board of directors, Kostro was charged with cleaning up a scandal-plagued agency whose misdeeds led to the ouster of its former board and management.
"Even though we still have work to do to get where we want to be, I think this (audit) is tangible evidence that the system has turned itself around and is doing the things it is supposed to be doing to properly manage the money that's entrusted to us," Kostro said.
Essex Regional oversees public pensions for 48 local entities, including 19 towns and six school districts, with a total of more than 3,000 public employees and retirees. Locally, pensions for employees in Newbury, Rowley, Salisbury, Merrimac, Georgetown and Groveland, as well as the Pentucket and Triton regional school districts, have been enrolled with the board. The money for their pensions comes from contributions from both employees and taxpayers.
Kostro said the regional retirement system has cut operating expenses by 30 percent, sliced its legal expenses by more than half and trimmed salaries from more than $500,000 to $451,000.
The agency has also lowered costs on its consulting and service contracts through competitive bidding, which had not been done in the past, Kostro said.
"We've brought down costs all across the board," he said.
In a press release, Joseph Maney, chairman of the Essex Regional Retirement System board, called the audit "a validation of nearly three years of effort by the board to clean up the finances and management" of the agency.
The audit, which covered the period from January 2009 to December 2011, said Essex Regional "performed in conformity with the standards" established by the commission, with the exception of three findings presented in the report.
Those findings included errors by some of the system's members in determining what earnings were considered regular compensation, and failing to make sure that all employees who earn more than $30,000 are contributing an additional 2 percent toward their pensions, as required by law.
Connarton said this kind of problem is not unusual in regional systems that have many members.
"It's difficult to establish uniformity," he said.
Kostro called the deficiencies "very important" but also "very different in nature compared to the types of things (in the audit) a few years ago."
Overall, Kostro said, the audit reflects the system's determination to overcome the problems of the past.
"Our mission has been to restore people's trust in the system," he said, "and we think this is a validation that this is happening now."


text:
Home > Women > Clearance > Blouses > Short-Sleeve
- View Larger
- More Photos
(0 reviews) write a review
Product is not rated:
BocaBay™ It's a Snap! Shirts
Just snap it up!
Why fuss with buttons, when you can simply use snaps?! Our crisp, short-sleeve shirt features a handy chest pocket and straight hem to tuck in or not. In a no-iron, woven, polyester & cotton blend that's machine easy. Pick from solids or stripes!Hurry!
Item #: 3B4-B3M18
- $4.99
Customer Reviews
No customers have written a review yet, you can be first! Please Login to review this product.
Haband Email List
Join the Haband mailing list to receive Haband news and special offers.
© Copyright 2014 Haband. All Rights Reserved


text:
Simon Pegg
• Simon Pegg To Join The Cast Of Monty Python's 'Absolutely Anything'
• Blu-ray review: 'The World's End'
• Interview: Director Edgar Wright On 'The World's End,' Sci-Fi And The Power of Ant-Man
• Emma Watson, Michael Douglas, Justin Timberlake, More Attend GQ Men Of The Year Awards - See Pics!
• Simon Pegg, Nick Frost And Edgar Wright Talk 'The World's End'
More News >>
Birth Name: Simon Pegg
Born: 02/14/1970
Birth Place: Gloucester, England, GB
Born: 02/14/1970
Birth Place: Gloucester, England, GB
Simon John Pegg was born in Gloucester, in Southwest England, on Valentine's Day in 1970. He grew up in a music shop where his father, John, a jazz musician, sold keyboards, while his mother, Gillian, worked as a civil servant. They divorced when he was seven. As a kid, Pegg was fascinated by an eclectic mix of horror movies, Dr. Who, and stand-up comedy. He also played drums from early on, playing in a teenage band called God's Third Leg. After attending Brockworth Comprehensive Secondary School, he took up English literature and performance studies at Stratford-upon-Avon College before earning his bachelor's degree in drama at the University of Bristol, where he wrote his undergraduate the... Continue Bio >>
Photo Gallery:
View All Pictures >>
Video News:
Popular Movies:
Hector and the Search for Happiness
The Boxtrolls
Star Trek Into Darkness
The World's End
Ice Age: Continental Drift More Credits >>
Browse More Actors:


text:
The 2010 MV Augusta Brutale isn't for sissies, nor is it for inexperienced riders. Capable of going more than 160 mph, this naked bike is for riders who are in total control of their motorcycles, whether they're racing around a track or down a highway. Riders can't afford to make any mistakes when there's this much power between their legs. MV Augusta introduced the Brutale, with a 750 cc engine, in 2001; the 2010 models represent an almost complete redesign, with 85 percent new parts in this high-performance motorcycle. Visually, however, this year's Brutale does not look much different from previous years. The new parts are designed by MV Augusta, allaying fears the Brutale would feature parts made by Harley-Davidson, which now owns the Italian manufacturer.
With dozens of racing trophies under their belts, the folks at MV Augusta know how to build a bike for speed. Both 2010 models, the 990RR and the 1090RR, fall into this category. The 998 cc 990RR is the smaller of the two, but still packs a wallop when it comes to power. The bike debuts an LED light system that is common on cars but new to motorcycles. Another new feature is flexibly mounted handlebars designed to be more comfortable and reduce vibration. Many of the new parts are lighter weight than their predecessors, including a crankcase that weighs 1.32 pounds less and a new generator and transmission system that is a combined 3.52 pounds lighter. The 990RR is available in red or black with silver side panels.
The more powerful 144.2 hp 1090RR has all the new features of the 990RR, as well as a few features that are unique to this model. New features include air ducts painted to match the gas tank and, because of the added horsepower, a new steering damper. Besides a larger engine size, 1078 cc, the 1090RR also features a slipper clutch that is an original MV Augusta design. With its superior technology, the 1090RR has been described ""a beast with an insatiable drive"" by one reviewer. The 1090RR comes in two color combinations: pearl white and black, and red and silver.


text:
Rankings out on top colleges, universities
U.S. News & World Reports 2014 rankings are released on Tuesday, with wide representation from North Carolina colleges and universities on national and regional bests.
On the best national university list, Duke University tied for seventh with MIT and University of Pennsylvania, while Wake Forest University was 23rd, UNC-CH was 30th and N.C. State University was 101st. Among the public universities on the national ranking, UNC-CH was fifth. Among national liberal arts colleges, Davidson College near Charlotte ranked ninth.
North Carolina universities with regional appeal did well in the magazines annual ranking. Elon University rated first in the South, while Appalachian State was ninth, UNC-Wilmington was 15th, Queens University was 18th and Campbell University was 27th.
Among colleges with a regional market, High Point University was first, while Meredith College in Raleigh was second.
The magazine compiled an additional ranking for historically black colleges and universities, and North Carolina had seven on the list. N.C. A&T State was eighth, while N.C. Central University was 12th.
The publication looked at other categories, including undergraduate business and engineering programs, schools with the best price after financial aid, and universities whose graduates finish with the least debt. U.S. News also published lists of A-Plus Schools for B Students.
The rankings are published Tuesday online at usnews.com.


text:
News and Talk
Classical Music
New Program Can Boost Health and Health Knowledge
The cities of Maitland, Eatonville and Winter Park host regularly scheduled community walks to help promote healthy living. Now Healthy Central Florida has created a new option for walkers that will help boost your health knowledge.
[Florida Hospital Dr. Jennifer Simpkins is one of several physcians taking part in Walk with a Doc]
You want to walk regularly, but you're just not sure about that nagging knee problem. Well, in Winter Park, you can walk with a doctor and maybe get a couple questions about that knee answered. Orlando resident Sue Plouden found that when she tried to return to exercise after knee surgery, she wasn't sure what to do.
"When the orthopedic surgeon says resume normal activities, I have a stop button, and I have a go button, I don't have a 'go easy' button, so walking with the doc helped me learn a lot of things I could do to stretch out my legs before I walk and to take some of the stress off the knee," she says.
Florida Hospital doctor Joanna Wierzbicki says the walks trigger a lot of conversation about general health issues like obesity and cancer prevention, but questions are largely centered around the things that affect a person's everyday life.
"We have gotten some questions on some common injuries like tennis elbow and basic things," she says. Walk with a Doc meets every Thursday at 6:00 at the Crosby YMCA in Winter Park.


text:
EDMONTON - Stella and Mitch Melnychuk and Margie and Bud Wild have 120 years of marriage between them.
Both couples will celebrate their diamond wedding anniversay Thursday, April 24, which is the same day they got married, but in different churches.
Fittingly, they first met while attending the same marriage preparation course.
"It must have helped because we're all still together," Margie says laughing.
The four friends sit in the livingroom of the Melnychuks's cosy northside bungalow, sharing stories of the last 60 years before going out for dinner to celebrate Margie's birthday. At 79, she is the youngest. Stella and Bud are both 81 and Mitch is 84.
Stella Zenko and Mitch Melnychuk met at a wedding. "He was with his parents, I was with my parents, and we sat across the table from each other," Stella remembers. "Our eyes connected and that was it. There was chemistry there."
They danced only with each other that night, before going out to Mitch's car for a little snuggling. Just two hours after they first met, he was taking Stella home to meet his only sibling, his sister Dorothea.
They'd been dating eight or nine months when Mitch said, "If I ask you to marry me, would you say yes?"
"Why would you ask that question?" she replied. "And he said, 'I don't want to buy a ring and then you turn me down.'"
A little later he simply asked if she would marry him and Stella told him it was such a big commitment she needed time to think about it.
"I needed to be sure I was making the right decision," she explains.
At the end of 10 days of not seeing each other, Stella said yes, and Mitch bought her a ring.
She chose him because he was a "genuine person and he wasn't pushy to be intimate like some of our friends were at that time and I appreciated that. That's how my mother brought me up."
He chose her because "she's a good dancer," he quips.
After listening to the Melnychuks, Margie says her and Bud's story is "pretty boring" by comparison.
Their families were friends and they'd known each other "for forever" — since they were teens.
"We just kind of grew together. Nothing romantic happened ... we just decided that we liked each other."
One day they were sitting in Bud's Dodge, and he turned to he and said, "I think we should get married."
The former Margie Turner said yes and they went home to tell her parents and show them her engagement ring.
"It was inevitable," she says. "We kind of knew we were going to be together forever."
Why Bud? "He was tall, dark and handsome. He was kind, considerate, he was just meant for me."
Bud says he picked Margie because she was a good dancer, "and she was good-looking too. It was hard to keep up with her, but she kept a rope on me so I couldn't get too far away," he jokes.
"I'm glad he didn't say I was a good cook," adds Margie laughing, "because I wasn't."
The marriage preparation course that all Catholic couples had to take, and which both couples signed up for, started with 20 couples. It ran once a week for almost two months, led by longtime married couples.
"It told you mostly about the things that would happen in your life that you might not know about, like finances, places you're going to go, and what you're going to do," says Bud.
"And the fact that marriage is isn't all a bowl of cherries," Margie pipes in.
"I think that's what prompted some of the couples not to go to the altar, because they were told how it really is," Stella says.
The day they got married started with a 10-centimetre (four-inch) dump of wet snow after a stretch of spring-like weather.
As Stella and Mitch exchanged vows at St. Edmund Catholic Church on 132nd Avenue, Margie and Bud were doing the same at St. Andrew Catholic Church, just a few miles south on 111th Avenue.
Both couples quickly started families that between children, grandchildren and great grandchildren total around 40 members each. Their oldest children have themselves been married between 36 and 40 years, and their oldest granchildren about 10 years.
Over the years they visited back and forth, celebrated children's birthdays and took some camping trips together, but this is the first year they'll attend each other's wedding anniversary parties because they're scheduled for different dates.
Asked why their marriages have lasted so long when so many others have not, Mitch says it's because he and Stella are always patient and considerate of each other.
Stella says it's because they always talk out their problems as they arise, noting they haven't had to deal with too many issues except for Mitch's health, which has declined the last two years. He lives in a care facility during the week, and at home with Stella on weekends.
Margie says marriage is something you have to work at. "As I told my own kids, it doesn't always come easily, but work out your problems, don't take the easy way out (divorce)."
Bud says he and Margie have always approached marriage as a team, right down to their finances, rather than as two independent people, which means they have to work together.
They have been apart for no more than two weeks, twice in their lives, he adds.
Margie sometimes thinks they spend too much time together. "It's going to be hard if something happens to one of us, for the other one," she says.


text:
After he graduates, Justin Barry '12, a double major in English and international affairs, plans to teach English abroad. Over winter break, he reaffirmed this goal during a three-week course in Peru.
"I want to engage in various research projects around the world, involve myself in volunteer work, and write about my experiences," he says. "My trip to Peru made me want to travel even more and learn about other cultures. Our volunteer work at El Hogar Clínica San Juan De Dios confirmed that I want to engage in activities that are fulfilling and meaningful to me, activities that make a positive difference in the lives of others and leave an impact–something I can also achieve through teaching."
Barry joined 17 other students and three professors for the course "Peru's Indigenous Populations in the Modern Day." The students learned about Peruvian society, culture, and history, specifically the manner in which indigenous peoples in Peru and their traditional ways have survived even after more than 500 years of colonial and post-colonial existence. A truly interdisciplinary endeavor, the course was led by Juan Rojo, assistant professor of foreign languages and literature, Jorge Torres, associate professor of music, and Nestor Gil, assistant professor of art.
"This is my fourth year at Lafayette and one of the things that really drew me here was the opportunity to conduct courses such as this one," says Rojo. "This was the first chance I saw for me to develop and offer an interim so I threw myself at it and came up with this course."
The course content spanned a wide spectrum of topics including food, poetry, politics, music, art, and literature. The class also traveled to culturally important sites, such as Koricancha, Sacsayhuaman, and Machu Picchu; visited Peru's capital city, Lima, as well as Cusco where they stayed with a host family; and participated in community service work.
"It's important to learn about cultures outside of our own in order to gain a more balanced perspective of the world we live in. To that end, our students were placed with host families and were able to get a much clearer picture of everyday life for some in Peru," Torres says. "Even just commuting back and forth from their homes to either the University of San Ignacio de Loyola or where they did their volunteer work, The Clinica San Juan de Dios, gave them a much different perspective than just staying in a hotel and being a garden variety tourist. In fact, by volunteering at a non-profit organization, the students were giving back to the community where they were visiting."
The trip allowed for students to form close connections with their classmates and their professors. Barry and Torres would often play guitar together and even opened for two bands at a local club in Cusco.
"Being on an interim trip, allows you to get to know a professor both in-and-out of the classroom," says Barry. "All of the professors were very open to free thinking, encouraged participation, and were extremely passionate about their subjects of expertise."
For Kelly Senters '13, a double major in government & law and international affairs, the course was a way for her to focus on the Latin American concentration she is focusing on her major. She plans to attend graduate school for international politics or international affairs.
"My experience in Peru provided me with a real-life learning experience regarding my Latin American concentration," says Senters. "While classes with respect to this subject matter are fascinating, being immersed in a Latin American community was a completely different and rewarding opportunity."
The highlight of the trip for Barry was visiting Machu Picchu.
"The site gives off an incredible feeling that is hard to explain in words, or in pictures," he says. "While at Machu Picchu, we climbed to the top of Huayna Picchu. On the hike up to the summit of the mountain, there was heavy cloud coverage and it was difficult to see how much ground we had covered, but when we finally reached the top the clouds had cleared–offering us amazing views of the ruins and the Urubamba River."


text:
Raleigh is known as the City of Oaks, but this red maple commands your attention.
Its branches spread over Dixie Trail in Raleigh, just north of Wade Avenue, on a rare 3-acre parcel known as Little Lake Hill. In the fall, its blazing color can stop cars.
Several years ago, it stopped mine. Actually, it was the foliage plus a sign advertising that the trees offspring were available.
Its known as Sport, so named in the 1930s by Nancy Ferguson, who along with her husband owned the property and planted the tree. Raleigh was a small town then, and Dixie Trail was a dirt street known as Highland Farm Road, according to Bett Padgett, current owner of the property and the tree.
Bett and her husband, Bill, set out in 2001 to spread Sports beauty beyond West Raleigh. They turned to Richard Taylor, owner of Taylors Wholesale Nursery, to help.
Taylor took a couple hundred cuttings from Sport and nurtured them under mist in a greenhouse. Within two years, he had 5-foot-high trees ready for planting.
The Padgetts sold them, but not for financial gain. They are active in several nonprofits that match their preservation interests, and they donate the money to them: Trees Across Raleigh; the N.C. League of Conservation Voters; Dix306; and the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society. The trees have led to more than $5,500 in donations.
Its uncommon for a homeowner like Bett to say, We have a nice tree and to do it and to spread it for charitable purposes, Taylor says.
A few Decembers ago, our family got one for $30. We planted it in the front yard and hoped for growth. My daughters named it Linus.
Today, its top branches reach about 15 feet. It turns a gorgeous deep red in fall, though not exactly the same hue as Sport. Color differences come from varying soil conditions, Taylor says.
Our tree is one of many. In her music room, Bett Padgett fingers through a pile of letters and emails from owners of Sports offspring. She says there are at least 220 mini-Sports in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. People send pictures or bring them by, she says.
The Padgetts dont currently have any trees available. But they hope Taylor can produce more by 2015.
Fighting for Sport
Preserving Sport has not been easy. More than 30 years ago, the city at least twice explored a plan to put a sidewalk on the west side of Dixie Trail, a project that threatened the tree. By that time, the old dirt road had become a paved mini-thoroughfare connecting Lake Boone Trail to Wade Avenue and then Hillsborough Street, and Sport stood barely off the street.
According to Padgett, Nancy Ferguson warded off the city, shotgun in hand, intent on blowing out the tires of any vehicle of any crew that threatened her tree. The story of Sport is recounted on Padgetts Web page, www.bettpadgett.com/Littlelakehill.htm.
Its difficult to document the account of Fergusons defense of the tree; folks at City Hall who have been around long enough to have witnessed this say they remember a flap but not the details.
City Council minutes from 1984 reflect that the tree has become famous over a period of years due to the desire to keep the tree, as well as the citys decision to build the sidewalk across the street from Sport. Theres no mention of any extracurriculars. Nancy Ferguson died in 1986, and her obituary mentioned no incident involving a firearm.
Love of something beautiful
It was for the love of something beautiful that the entire community enjoyed that Nancy stuck her neck out, and for that, many hundreds of people are grateful, Padgett says. Now that we have the clones, even more people will be thankful that Nancy stood up for something she believed so strongly in: preservation.
To this day, theres no sidewalk on the west side of Dixie Trail from Churchill Road south to Grant Avenue. The city again has plans to build one, but city Public Works Director Carl Dawson says the project ranks 160 on a list of 200 projects.
Theres no danger of it happening anytime soon, Dawson says. He also stresses that the citys philosophy on sidewalks has shifted. Where the city once would move anything in the way, it now can build around roots or seek easements from property owners to avoid trees.
We try to be more flexible, he says.
In the past couple of years, Sport lost a chunk of its crown, leaving a gap in its annual display. Its starting to show signs of disease. But its legacy will live each fall wherever its fans have planted its clones. And with the citys new policy, it will live as long as nature allows.
No shotguns will be necessary.
Steve Riley is a senior editor. He can be reached at 919-836-4940 or email@example.com


text:
This week on DVD/Blu-ray: The latest from the Dardenne brothers; one of the most buzzed-about documentaries of last year; a moving coming-of-age drama that ranks as one of the best high school movies released in a good long while; a charming Sundance character study about a man and his robot; and a "Dangerous Liaisons" adaptation that proves the classic tale has lost none of its bite.
The Palme d'Or winning Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenn ("Rosetta," "L'Enfant") return with this acclaimed French-language drama about an 11-year-old boy (remarkable newcomer Thomas Doret) who turns to a stranger (Cécile de France) after his father (Dardennes' mainstay Jeremie Renier) abandons him. Winner of the Grand Prix (the runner-up prize to the Palme d'Or) at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, "The Kid With a Bike" packs an emotional whallop that feels warranted given the realism the famed directing duo bring to the table.
Extras: A new conversation between film critic Kent Jones and the directors; an interview with de France; a new interview with Doret; "Return to Seraing," a half-hour documentary in which the Dardennes revisit five locations from the film; the film's trailer; plus a booklet featuring an essay by critic Geoff Andrew
A hit at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival where it was swiftly acquired by The Weinstein Company, the documentary "Bully" sheds a harsh and much needed light on the bullying epidemic that's plaguing the American school system. Director Lee Hirsch opens "Bully" by recounting the 2009 suicide of Tyler Long, a teen who took his own life after years of being bullied. Using that horrifying incident as a springboard, Hirsch opens up his film to follow a handful of bullied children across the country, to address what is evidently a country-wide problem.
Extras: The two-disc set includes the Blu-ray and a DVD copy of the film. Extras include a special version of "Bully" edited for a younger audience; six deleted scenes; a handful of making-of featurettes; a "Good Morning America" segment; and a text-based advertisement for a companion book.
Stephen Chobsky's novel "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" became something of a "Catcher In The Rye" for the Millennial generation when it was published back in 1999. Over a decade later, Chobsky has written and directed the book's cinematic adaptation himself, and it's a total tear-jerking winner. The film centers on freshman Charlie (Logan Lerman), an outcast at his high school who befriends two outspoken seniors, Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), who open him up to new experiences and help him come out of his shell.
Extras: Audio commentary with Chbosky; cast and director audio commentary with Lerman, Watson, Miller and Chbosky; "Best Summer Ever" featurette; deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by Chbosky; and dailies.
Taylor | February 13, 2013 7:57 PM
There are some really great releases this week, and I have wanted to see a few of those movies for a long time. The Kid with a Bike really piqued my interest when it was first released, and I canât wait to check it out. A friend that I work with at DISH said that it was one of his favorite movies from last year. I just saw that I could rent it through Blockbuster @Home from DISH, which should save me some money. It love the wide variety of titles that they have because I can keep up with the latest Hollywood blockbusters as well as little indie movies like this!
ajshamika | February 13, 2013 2:04 AM
Enjoy English Movies, Hindi Movies, Malayalam Movies, Telugu Movies and so much more. No wonder itâs called your personal blockbuster theatre. on BIGFLIX.com


text:
Art Lawler Staff Writer email@example.com
The Ada News
Midwest City —
Cara's Kids have been invited to perform this summer in Branson, Mo., as a result of a musical act that was impressive enough to beat out 799 other acts during last week's Talent on Parade competition at Rose State College.
A talented group of dancers from Cara's Kids, attired in flapper dresses, accompanied by a funny little man with a Hitler mustache, overwhelmed the other acts, including 49 acts entered from Cara Crawford's Central Oklahoma Dance Center, located at 106 E. Main.
In all, 37 different dance studios from Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas performed. But as congested as the talent traffic was, in the end a 12-year-old Ada resident, Jett Black, virtually became the 21st century version of the legendary Charlie Chaplin.
The real Charlie Chaplin (who, incidentally, co-wrote the 1930s hit song Smile) would be 124 years old by now had he not died on Christmas Day 36 years ago and 24 years before his current Ada replacement — Black — was born.
"He's our little boy," said Crawford, a 26-year instructor at her studio. "The act begins when he opens the door for a date. The girl comes through the door, then a second girl and a third girl. Like all Charlie Chaplin routines of so long ago, he is quickly up to his famous black hat with problems that require his constant creativity for survival.
Jett must have given the screen legend of silent and talking movies a run for his money. The 10 other 12- and 13-year olds were impressive as well.
They included Kate Notter, Madison Yates, Carli Manwell, Kaitlin Blankenship, Whitni Simpson, Maddie Bacon, Chandler Crawford, Nicole Lowry, Emily Bagwell and McKinlee Stafford.
"It was a neat thing," Crawford said. "They (judges) were impressed, and he (Jett) was a perfect Charlie Chaplin."
Not by accident, either.
"We've been working on it since last December," Crawford said.
Don Mirault, who creates, produces and directs Kidz Roc with Kim and Talent on Parade, emailed Crawford after the Ada group's performance and invited the Charlie Chaplin dance team to perform on July 27-28 in Branson.
"Everyone loved your routine," Mirault wrote Crawford. "I can't wait to see it.
"I want you to picture your routine on a professional stage with smoke, lighting and a video backdrop," Mirault told Crawford in his email. "We have three large video screens and we can alternate between stock footage that matches Charlle Chaplin to live footage shots of the dancers and we can do this on the fly."
He told Crawford he wanted to provide her with information for students' parents so they could help make the decisions that would send the group to a very large stage at the Clay Cooper Theater in Branson.
The dancers would have to arrive by 8 a.m. July 26, but they can — with their parents' permission — financial help and a fundraising drive or two — learn their entrances and exits and see their lighting, video and special intro ahead of time.
"We will stage the bows at that time," Mirault said.
The Saturday performance would be scheduled between 1-4 p.m. On Sunday, July 28, there will be one show only at 1 p.m.
Mirault told Crawford to let him know if the group can be in Branson, and he said his group will select 17 routines for the two-day event out of 10,000 acts.
He's got 16 to go to fill out his slate.
Last year's ticket prices were $28, with a three-show package around $70. The kids will also get a special rate on hotel rooms of $50 per room per night.
He said the dancers will also get a "real professional credit" for being in the show.
Crawford said the Ada dancers will repeat their performance for a local audience on May 18 at Hallie Brown Performing Arts Center at East Central University."
Crawford said the Central Oklahoma Dance Center has, in the past, sold Adaopoly games, which contain local businesses and landmarks in a Monopoly-type board game. The dancers sold those to raise money in the past and they have more of the games they can sell this time around.
"I really want to thank the businesses who donated the board game for Cara's Kids," Crawford said. "I'm just thrilled to be honored and especially for the dancers to have the opportunity to perform in a professional show in Branson."


text:
|We are now serving lunch Monday - Saturday from 11:30 am - 2 pm and dinner daily beginning at 5:30pm
For more than 216 years, The Dorset Inn has offered traditional New
England hospitality...gracious lodgings, gourmet dining, fine wine &
great spirits...all trademarks of a quintessential Vermont experience.
A lovely stay...appeals to all the senses. Loved our room. Thank you. "
|{ View Comments // Leave a Comment }


text:
Diana B. Henriques, Contributor
I wrote the book on Bernie Madoff. Literally.
Even after more than a year of correspondence with me, Bernie Madoff wasn't quite finished bashing the Madoff trustee and proclaiming his former honesty as a money manager.
On Saturday, March 17 — after Forbes managing editor extraordinaire Tom Post had tucked my magazine article about our pen pal relationship into bed – Madoff sent me a late-night email that returned to his constant theme: Despite what the trustee claims, Madoff was once a legitimate money manager before he became a crook.
Indeed, the subject line on the email was "Continued."
He began, "I forgot to include the following: [Madoff trustee Irving] Picard erroneously contends that I never executed actual trade[s] ever. For 30 years many of my clients had the benefit of various forms of arbitrage and hedged trades. This was confirmed by numerous sources and Academics. This being the case why would these same clients question my trading ability which was well established."
As his Ponzi scheme rolled on, Madoff called his investment approach a "split strike conversion" strategy. He adds a bit of detail about that in this note: "As for the split strike trades, consider the following: The strategy became difficult only after I took in large sums from the [feeder] funds which dated mid nineties. It is important to consider that nobody was aware of the amounts I managed until I became a investment advisor and filed a public disclosure form which was Dec. 2006."
Madoff did register as an investment advisor, as he says. He did so at the insistence of SEC regulators, after they had bungled yet another investigation of tips that Madoff was dishonest. (You can find details of that and other failed SEC investigations of Madoff in The Wizard of Lies, my book on his historic Ponzi scheme.) Unable to find any sign of fraud, regulators concluded that Madoff was merely operating as a money-manager without having registered. He did so to settle an investigation that might have exposed his fraud if it had been adequately conducted.
At the time he registered, he claimed to be managing $17 billion — a remarkable sum of money, one that would have vaulted him into the top ranks of investment managers worldwide. But actually, his "disclosure" seriously understated the amount of wealth he was supposedly managing. The actual number — a fictional one, to be sure — was $64.8 billion.
Ms. Henriques or (anyone else)
I'm a therapist and while I am making zero excuses for what Madoff did, nor am I saying his sentence unjust, but I have one question/comment about Bernie. From my own personal experience and education, Madoff shows a lot Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms. BPD doesn't give him the right to be a crook but it would explain a lot about why he's trying so hard to "protect" his image.
I'd be interested to know of Madoff ever had a full psychological screening done before or in prison?
Madoff is a complete narcissist. Other than finding all this stuff about him very entertaining, why should I or anybody care about him? He ruined many lives. He is where he belongs.
Nothing corrupts like the lure of free money. This applies to Madoff, who created the longest-lasting Ponzi scheme, and also to his "investors" who bought into the idea of high smooth returns.
In that sense, investors were complicit with Madoff, but usually through greedy ignorance, not knowing exactly what was going on, but trusting in something that if true, would be a miracle.
Men care what others think about them. Madoff is trying to use you, Diana, to burnish what remains of his reputation. I think you realize that. But by even covering him, I think you validate him. The best thing we can do for Madoff is ignore him, so that he can truly get the heinousness of his crimes.
Ms Henriques,
What's really striking to me is not only Madoff's horrible grammar but his somewhat bizarre diction when discussing investing and trading.
Some examples:
"…profits were reinvested and the amounts compounded."
We generally say gains or returns are compounded, not "amounts."
"…substantial long term gains (unrealized)…"
We say "unrealized gains," not "gains (unrealized)."
"…afraid of losing his benefit of long term gains…"
Benefit of gains?
"…he would be able to re-liquify in time…"
"Re-liquify?" Sounds like a chemistry term.
In other words, he kind of talks like someone trying to impersonate a professional investor. Or maybe he's just extremely inarticulate. Do you have an opinion on this?


text:
It's a rumor that baseball guys are people who are obsessed with statistics like batting averages, ERAs, stolen bases, hits, strikeouts and other numbers that fans go nuts talking about.
Not me. Why do you think I became a journalist and not a computer programmer?
Even so, I am passionate about my San Francisco Giants. I've been in love with the team ever since the days of Will Clark, Candy Maldonado and, of course, the Batman, Kevin Mitchell. It was a stellar season in 1989 that ended with a loss to the Oakland A's in the World Series.
You might remember that World Series as the one where those ugly, dual A's and Giants fans hats were the rage, and when a little earthquake shook the Bay Area right before game three.
(Sidenote: Ok, who still owns one of those hats? Post a photo of yourself in the hat!)
But alas, the 1989 World Series wasn't the only time that Giants fans would feel the pain of playing in the World Series and losing. In 2002, the G-Men faced off against a tough Anaheim Angels team, another all-California World Series.
Our boys in the orange and black once again failed to bring the Championship home. It was torture, and us Giants fans knew it well. We came to embrace the torture and out of it, we grew closer in our love of the team.
It didn't matter that our boys didn't win the big game. What mattered was that we supported them in both the good times and the bad. We believed in them, and in 2010, we finally got some relief from the torture with a World Series victory against the Texas Rangers.
It was that sweet taste of victory that lingered among the Giants fans throughout 2012 and became a reality when the Giants won the National League Championship Series, taking the Pennant two nights ago against the defending World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals.
I think about the remarkable comeback that the G-Men made against the Cards, and an even more incredible deficit against the Cincinnati Reds, who they defeated on the road to enter into the NLCS.
This is a tough Giants team, going against a very determined Detroit Tigers squad, and I believe that they will win the World Series. Of course, my belief isn't based on the numbers. It's based on the heart I've seen through the years with this team.
Go Giants!
Don't miss news that's important to you Subscribe to our daily newsletter.
|Like us on Facebook |Blog for us | Follow us on Twitter|
Why the Giants Will Win the World Series
No numbers, I promise
It's a rumor that baseball guys are people who are obsessed with statistics like batting averages, ERAs, stolen bases, hits, strikeouts and other numbers that fans go nuts talking about.
BoardsMore »
- Your Account
- Sign In
- Join Patch
- Why Join?
- Patch Info
- About us
- Jobs
- Terms of Use
- About our Ads
- Privacy Policy
- Patch Blog
- Partner with Us
- Advertise
- Claim your listing
- Add your business
- PatchU
- Volunteer


text:
A luxuriously appointed one-room studio measuring approximately 500 square feet. Ideal for a family of four or a couple, this guest room features a Queen bed, a Queen sleeper sofa and a large bathroom with a jetted tub / shower combination.
Junior Suite Appointments
• Approximately 500 square feet
• Queen bed
• Queen sleeper sofa
• Jetted tub/shower