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When Josephine Bottitta co-founded Project Enroll Now in 2004 she wanted to dispel the negativity in the Malverne school district, particularly among those residents who thought the public schools were insufficient and gave them no choice but to send their children to private ones.
"We saw a real disconnect to what was truly happening in the schools and what was being communicated to people who weren't using them," she told Patch. "We were trying to help communicate to Malverne particularly, but not only Malverne, the bright side of the schools … it was allowing a choice for people who thought they didn't have one because of what they heard."
Now, eight years later, Bottitta, the parent of two Malverne students, once again has a vision for how the school district can improve, but to accomplish these goals, she's vying for one of two seats available on the Board of Education.
Bottitta, or "Joey" as she is called by most, is running in the May 15 election against Malverne business teacher and NYC teacher Joann Krudis, both parents like herself, for the seat that opened up earlier this month when
For Bottitta, who moved to Malverne in 1991 and has been very involved in the district and community as a parent, Little League coach, class mom, and member of the PTA and Superintendent's Advisory Council, the decision to run for the board now was "a timing issue."
Her children are older and more independent now - her son is in sixth grade, her daughter in second - and after making a career shift, her job is more stable, allowing her to work a four-day schedule.
"I'm ready in the sense that I have more time ... and my children are okay with me not being around as much," she says. Plus, over the years, she's cultivated much experience. "I've heard from teachers, staff, administrators and parents," she says. "I have a good understanding of the issues."
If elected, Bottitta wants to "encourage unity amongst the communities," and see more residents, including those with children in the private schools and those who do not have children, get involved, attend board meetings and express their opinions. This ties into her second goal, "helping to promote a board that operates as a team in a professional and respectful manner."
She's seen the board function very differently as the seats have changed hands over the past eight years, but says, "I'd like to see more unity ... and a more diverse representation. If I'm elected, I'm firmly committed to being a team player amongst the board members and the public. Showing professionalism and respect, and trying to accentuate the positive is very important to our district, our community, and our property values."
She'd also like to promote a better environment for teachers in the schools, one that's "constructive and supportive to all employees" and fosters teamwork, but still holds them to the "standards of accountablity."
Her biggest goal though is to balance the mission of "providing a quality education with the taxpayers' burden and property values," saying, "We need to provide the best at the lowest cost."
She says her experience working in the health care industry, which faces similar challenges, would be an asset to the board, especially when trying to strike this balance come budget time.
Bottitta's career has taken her from social work to law, to most recently, running the Human Resources Department of a 561-bed nursing home in Manhattan with 1,000 union employees.
Like what's happening with the school system now, Bottitta had to contend with reductions in state aid, unfunded mandates and rising salary, benefits and pension costs, while trying to "maintain the quality of care with less resources."
Today, she works as an outside consultant for more than 150 nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living communities and home-care providers, dealing with struggles related to budgets, finances, insurance policies, risk management and more.
As for the 2012-2013 Malverne school budget, Bottitta said she does support it. "My impression coming to board meetings and speaking to people was that there was a collective effort by the board, administration and teachers … and they started early."
She says she hates to see any cuts, but realizes "we are in an environment where unfortunately, we 're not going to be able to provide it all." That said, she does "believe that many people have moved to Long Island and will bear the cost in their taxes because they have higher expectations for what the schools can provide and want to provide."
Her main concern when looking at the fiscal challenges the district faces is keeping teacher-to-student ratios low. "It's not to say that only academics matter, because there are children who succeed because of sports, arts, theater or music," she says. "I don't know that any one is more important than the other, but to try to strike a balance so we can provide as much as possible would be ideal, because that helps to make a child a full person. It can't be only academics."
Bottitta says, "Everyone I've spoken to collectively wants to raise the bar but we have less funding and increased costs." Her answer is to apply more out-of-the-box thinking, including fundraising, utilizing volunteer resources and applying for grants.
"It's going to require fiscal prudence and if I'm lucky enough to get elected, I'll be very diligent about that and work hard," she adds. "No rock will go unturned."
The Malverne school board and budget vote will take place on May 15 at Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more candidate profiles and related news, click here.


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|Men's Tennis » Schedule » Roster » News » Coaches » 2013-14 Season Statistics
Experienced Crusaders Set for Spring Season
Tuesday, January 30, 2007As Valparaiso is set to serve up the 2007 season of Crusader tennis, experience is definitely a major strong suit of this year's team.
Head coach Jim Daugherty begins his 22nd season at the helm of the Crusaders, and is looking to bring a Mid-Continent Conference title home to Valparaiso in the Crusaders' final season in the league before moving to the Horizon League next year.
Daugherty returns seven letterwinners, including all six from his regular lineup last season, from his team which went 11-10 overall and 5- 1 in the Mid-Con, finishing runner-up during the regular season. For Valpo, last year marked the first winning season in more than a decade.
Nic Kooyers, the reigning Mid-Con Player of the Year, leads the way for the Crusaders at the top of the lineup. The senior won 20 singles matches during 2005-2006 while posting a perfect 6-0 mark in Mid-Con action. The Mid-Con Player of the Week four times last year, Kooyers is a two-time First Team All Mid-Con selection after earning Second Team accolades as a freshman.
Joining Kooyers on the First Team last season was classmate Joe Venegas. Venegas was an All-Conference pick for the second straight season after earning Second Team All Mid-Con honors as a sophomore. Last season, playing second singles, Venegas won 14 singles contests, including a 4-2 mark in conference competition.
The third member of the senior class, Dave Bukowski, played mainly fifth singles for the Crusaders last year. In his last two seasons with Valpo, Bukowski has totalled 27 singles victories. He and his doubles teammate Mike Wagner combined for 11 doubles victories on the year, most by any duo on the squad.
Wagner, a junior, was a Second Team All Mid-Con selection one year ago. After beginning last season playing in the fourth spot in the lineup, he moved up to third midseason, where he went 4-2 in Mid-Con action. Wagner was prone to long matches, as 11 of his 31 singles contests went the distance.
Junior Mike Shideler also played in the middle of the lineup alongside Wagner in 2005-2006. Shideler also finished 4-2 during the league portion of the schedule while also finishing at .500 (14-14) in doubles action.
The third junior on the roster, Dan Brunette, also provided valuable depth for the Brown and Gold last season. As a sophomore, Brunette posted a 9-5 singles mark, including a championship match appearance in the D Flight of the Windy City Invitational.
Alex Lau, the lone sophomore on this year's squad, saw significant action during his rookie season. Playing at the sixth spot in the lineup, Lau went a perfect 6-0 against league foes, and finished the season at .500 overall in both singles (13-13) and doubles (12-12).
With all the experience in his lineup this season, Daugherty brought in just one freshman for the upcoming campaign. Tom Litscher got a taste of collegiate tennis this fall in several tournaments, and will now try and contribute during team competition.
Valparaiso's schedule, like usual, is a demanding one early on. The Crusaders open the year at DePaul on February 2 before heading to Western Michigan the following day. The Crusaders also have road non-conference contests slated against the likes of Ball State, Marquette, Michigan State, and Xavier (Ohio), among others to help ready themselves for league play.
The Crusaders' home opener is set for February 11 when Eastern Illinois visits Matchpoint Tennis Club, with the outdoor opener set for March 28 against Chicago State at the Valparaiso University Tennis Complex. Future Horizon League foes Butler and UIC will also pay a visit to Valpo this year.
The first of two Mid-Con clusters will take place on the campus of IUPUI April 13-14 with the other league matches being contested at Centenary the following weekend.
Valpo has a wealth of experience on the roster to help the Crusaders make one final push towards the Mid- Continent Conference crown. After finishing runner-up one season ago, only time will tell as to whether Valpo can climb up one more rung on the ladder to get to the top. The challenging non-conference slate should help, allowing the Crusaders to be running high by the time the league tournament begins April 27 in Tulsa, Okla.
Men's Tennis Archives
2006-07 Men's Tennis

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Joe Buckles
The Tribune-Star
One of the top stories on the Wabash Valley motorsports stage last season was the emergence of Blake Fitzpatrick as a legitimate front-runner on the national sprint-car scene.
In what could best be termed as a breakthrough year, the young West Terre Haute racer made his presence felt at the local and national levels.
Posting an impressive campaign that listed six feature wins, including his first national USAC feature victory, the Midwest Sprint Car Series championship the 19-year-old Fitzpatrick paved the path for what many project will be a promising career in racing.
While the well-deserved success of a year ago drew its share of recognition, the relative newcomer to the sport is seasoned enough to know that in the highly competitive world of open-wheel sprint-car racing success seldom comes easy or lingers long.
A driver's fortunes often are only as good as his last performance behind the wheel of his race car.
With the opening rounds of the 2011 USAC sprint-car season already in the record books, it appears the Wabash Valley driver is on track to continue his impressive ways of a year ago.
Fitzpatrick and his supporters are optimistic that a pair of runner-up finishes in recent events at Ocala, Fla., will set the tone for the upcoming year.
The three-race southern tour started on an ominous note for Fitzpatrick but concluded with runner-up finishes in two of the events, having led laps in two of the three shows.
Fitzpatrick's car developed mechanical problems as early as the wheel packing session on the opening night show but his fortunes improved the following two nights.
"When we broke the rocker arm that first night I didn't know what to think. It wasn't the way we wanted to open the year. That's for sure," said Fitzpatrick.
The following night he battled eventual winner Bryan Clauson the entire 30-lap distance, leading the first 22 circuits before settling with a second-place finish.
"We qualified sixth and started third. I lost my line and Clauson got around me there towards the end. I pretty much held on for second," recalled Fitzpatrick.
Less than 24 hours later he lead early before losing the top spot to winner Damon Gardner but still held on for a solid second-place showing.
"I don't think we could have asked for a better start to the year," Fitzpatrick said. "Those second-place finishes were a real confidence builder. I think we have what it takes to run with these [USAC] guys."
He left the Sunshine State ranking sixth in points under a new USAC point system that will produce a national champion based on dirt track events only.
While he likes what he sees with the new points program, Fitzpatrick says points aren't a priority as he prepares for the upcoming year.
"It ought to be real exciting and great for the fans, but I've just never been much of a points guy. I race to win races. Sorta let the points take care of themselves," he added.
Like most small independent teams, the West Terre Haute team is feeling the pinch of a troubled economy. Sponsorship support has become harder to find and more increasingly difficult to hold on to.
"We've been very fortunate to have the support of Don [Smith] and the guys at First Financial. They make it possible for us to have guys like Bubby Jones and Jay Argo to be part of our operation."
"To be able to compete with a team the likes of Tony Stewart that can roll out three cars anytime at the race track, you have to come prepared. It doesn't come cheap."
Fitzpatrick hopes to include selected Midwest Sprint Car Series and weekly specials to his already crowded 2011 schedule — this while continuing to attend classes at Indiana State University.
Joe Buckles can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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The Register-News
---- — Mary Jean Rodgers, 62, of Marion, passed away 11:07 a.m. April 23, 2013. She was at home peacefully surrounded by family.
The memorial service will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Harvest Christian Life Center.12212 Cedar Grove Rd, Marion, with Pastor Kevin Holliday officiating.
Mary was born 6:10 a.m. on Feb. 9, 1951, in Mt. Vernon. She went to Mt. Vernon Township High school and continued on to become a C.N.A. in Chicago Mary was married to Mario Magdaleno Hernandez, who preceded her in death. Mary worked as a physician's assistant for numerous years then moved on to teleservices at Annex in Chicago. She enjoyed family time, crocheting, music and game nights. She also enjoyed bingo nights and interacting with her friends.
Mary is survived by her sister, Patricia "Stone" Workman, Mt. Vernon; Linda Holland, Florida; brother-Richard "Dickey" Stone, Mt. Vernon; daughter, Tajuana Hernandez Bates, Chicago; daughter, Esperanza Rodgers, Marion; daughter, Nita "Ramonita" Newport, St. Petersburg Beach, Fla; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; ad numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and other family and friends.
Mary was preceded in death by her mother, Marchetta "Delores" "Stewart" Stone; father, Waverly T. Rodgers; brother, Cecil Holland; brother, Michael Stone; and niece,Tiffany Nicole Workman
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to Hospice of Southern Illinois, INC or the American Cancer Society.
The family of Mary Rodgers wishes to thank Hospice of Southern Illinois and all the wonderful ladies that took such wonderful care of her.


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Cabbage merchantTalk0
this wiki
"My cabbages!"
|Cabbage merchant
|Biographical information
|Physical description
|Personal information
|Chronological and political information
|Image gallery (5)
The cabbage merchant traveled to many locations in the Earth Kingdom in his profession, selling cabbages out of his cart, which was repeatedly destroyed, usually by Aang when he was fleeing from a foe or some other situation, to which he would exclaim "My cabbages!"
When the cabbage merchant was trying to enter Omashu, his cart was destroyed by a troop of overzealous earthbending guards. He later obtained a new cart filled with more cabbages, only to have it be destroyed again by the Avatar and his companions when they were riding on the Omashu delivery system. Following this, he demanded "Off with their heads, one for each head of cabbage!" during their subsequent trial, but King Bumi threw them a feast instead to the merchant's shock and annoyance. His cart was destroyed for a third and final time in Omashu by King Bumi and Aang while they rode the mail system again.[3]
At the seedy merchants pier, his cart was destroyed by Aang when he airbent the cart while being chased by pirates, causing him to yell "This place is worse than Omashu!"[4] The cabbage merchant was among other refugees waiting at Full Moon Bay for a ferry to Ba Sing Se; while waiting, the ferry's passport attendant told him he could not bring his cabbages due to the risk of a cabbage slug infestation. The cabbage merchant was distraught at this, thinking there could not possibly be cabbage slugs on his cabbages. However, the attendant ordered his cart to be destroyed by a security platypus bear over the screams of the merchant. Nevertheless, her suspicions were proven correct when a cabbage slug was found among the cabbages. The cabbage merchant was severely traumatized by this experience and had to be carried away by the security officers.[5]
In Ba Sing Se, an escaped rabaroo ate his cabbages, to which he responded by exasperatedly saying, "My cabb- Oh forget it," and walked off to sob over his predicament.[6] Eventually, the cabbage merchant met Pu-on Tim, an acclaimed Earth Kingdom playwright, during his travels. As Pu-on Tim was writing a play about Avatar Aang at that time, he provided the playwright with information about Team Avatar by recounting their many encounters. Because of the merchant's considerable knowledge on the topic, Pu-on Tim later mentioned him as "surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage", one of the sources of information for his play.[7]
During the industrial developments that took place in Republic City, the cabbage merchant eventually bid his produce-selling days goodbye and founded a company, Cabbage Corp, orientated to the manufacturing of automobiles. His son, Lau Gan-Lan, later took over its ownership.[8][9]
Outside Cabbage Corp's headquarters, a metal statue of the cabbage merchant was erected in order to commemorate his first stand in Republic City.[9] Perched atop a high pillar, he is depicted standing, while raising a cabbage in the palm of his hand, next to his cart full of cabbages.
|Cabbage merchant
|Lau Gan-Lan
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Book One: Water (水)
- 105. "The King of Omashu"
- 109. "The Waterbending Scroll"
Book Two: Earth (土)
- 212. "The Serpent's Pass"
- 215. "Tales of Ba Sing Se"
- The cabbage merchant was meant to be a one-time character, intended to appear in only one episode.[10]
- Despite his cart being destroyed and supposedly not allowed in either Omashu or Ba Sing Se, he was seen with them in each city.[3][6]
- The cabbage merchant has also been referred to as "our lovable loser, the cabbage merchant".[11]
- An e-card from early in the show's production states that the cabbage merchant was only selling cabbage temporarily and that "the REAL action's in Cantaloupes!"[12]
- The cabbage merchant can be seen in the PlayStation 2 and GameCube version of the Avatar: The Last Airbender video game.
- The cabbage merchant was voiced by James Sie, who later provided the voice of Cabbage Corp owner and son of the cabbage merchant, Lau Gan-Lan, in The Legend of Korra.
- He was seen in the Avatar Extras promo before the episodes with the Extras were released.
- The cabbage merchant is the only known character who was not part of Team Avatar to be honored with a statue in Republic City and to have a descendant appearing in The Legend of Korra.
- Since he founded Cabbage Corp sometime before 120 AG, the cabbage merchant is the first known inhabitant of the Avatar World who founded a private company.


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Learn how to recognize and characterize risky situations. Assess their potential adverse consequences, reduce selected adverse consequences before-the-fact and provide for the rest after-the-fact, monitor and control risk performance, and ensure success even in the face of uncertainties. Learn methodologies to assess the risks with each life cycle phase and how to mitigate them.
- Topics Include:
- Risk management concepts
- Schedule, budget, and technical risk
- Technology assessment
Undergraduate degree in a technical field or equivalent experience.


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BEIJING (CNN) - After more than three months and no signs of the Malaysian Airlines MH370, the mystery into its disappearance continues.
But one man is convinced officials are hiding the truth, and he wants to find out by offering a reward to anyone who will come forward with information.
It's been over three months since MH370 vanished from the skies and there is still no sign of the Boeing 777 and the 239 people on board.
The world's greatest aviation mystery has left authorities confused and frustrated while families of the victims remain angry and heartbroken.
"I feel I'm living a constant nightmare. It's bad enough to lose people you love, but Philip (Wood) isn't gone. He's lost because there's no evidence he's dead. So I can't even grieve for him yet. I just miss him terribly and feel this compulsion to fight," said Sara Bajc, partner of MH370 passenger Philip Wood.
Bajc has joined a group of families who've taken matters into their own hands.
They've launched a crowd-funding campaign to raise $5 million to fund a reward for information and their own investigation into the missing plane.
"We need a fresh approach. We really need to look at what we can do that can make a change in this investigation. The plane needs to be found, the people need to be found and the truth needs to be known," said Ethan Hunt, MH370 Reward Project Leader and Australian businessman. He's the man behind the "MH370 Reward."
While Hunt has no connection to anyone on board, he says that as a regular traveler he wants answers and is convinced someone knows the truth.
"I don't care who the person is, I don't care where they are, what they've done or what their role is. If they come forward and give this information, I will give them the money," Hunt said.
The families involved in this reward believe there has been gross mismanagement and misinformation and have gone so far as to say there's been a cover up. While that plays into the hands of conspiracy theorists, the reality is we still don't know what happened to MH370. And it's hoped a "whistleblower" whether they be from the government, airline or military, will shed some light.
"At this point we've got to do something. We've been trusting in our governments to solve this for 3 months and how far has that gotten us?" Bajc said.
However, there are concerns among other families that this approach could be a distraction from the search effort.
Steven Wang, whose mother was on board, has his reservations. But he's willing to do anything to stop the agony that he feels every single day.
"I'm just missing my mom so does my father. He doesn't want a grave for my mom. If he passes away he doesn't want one either. He just wants me to put him into the sea so he can find my mom," Wang said.
Grief and heartache that no matter how much time passes will never go away.
Copyright 2014 CNN. All rights reserved.
U.S. officials believe something brought down the Boeing 777 aircraft which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All passengers and crew are believed to be dead.
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To read more about the results of this survey, visit www.addvance.com/about/survey.html
Please note that I was a paid consultant for participation in this program
Pat Quinn, MD
Take the Poll
- It was the right decision.
- I have seen improvment in behaviors at home and school.
- I would like more information about options for treatment.
- I would like more control of my child's mediction treatment.
- I have learned a lot about ADHD.
Poll Results
It was the right decision.38% (12)
I have seen improvment in behaviors at home and school.16% (5)
I would like more information about options for treatment.38% (12)
I would like more control of my child's mediction treatment.0% (0)
I have learned a lot about ADHD.9% (3)
I was so skeptical about putting my 14-year-old on medication. And, his dad fought me tooth and nail. But, it has turned out to be the best thing for him.
He is able to pay attention in school, his grades are going up, and he is finding that some of his impulsive behavior (making noises, laughing too loud, etc.) that annoyed his friends is subsiding, too.
He's happy, and so am I.
Pat Quinn
Pat Quinn,MD
I would encourage you, though, to keep an open mind. You say "the docs" would like to put your other two children on medication. Which docs would that be? The children's pediatricians? Why don't you trust your children's doctors?
What do you mean that the "side effects are too risky?"
It's important not to "scare yourself silly" with random information on the Internet.
No one wants to give a child unnecessary medication. But it's also important to understand that there are risks to untreated ADHD, and the medications are very well studied. Used properly, they are considered safe.
Sometimes what happens is that a parent with untreated ADHD fails to see the implications of ADHD going untreated in a child. They deny and minimize the problems the problems of their child in the same way they deny and minimize their own problems.
ADHD can impair judgment and an appreciation of long-term consequences. It can also impair the ability to make decisions rationally rather than overly emotionally.
Sometimes it's best for the parents to treat their own ADHD before attempting to help a child -- similar to being on an airplane and "putting on your own oxygen mask first before helping a child."
"Diet changes" will help a child with poor nutrition. But there's no evidence that "diet changes" will treat ADHD. Especially unspecified diet changes that are not guided by quantifiable data.
I notice that when you write, there is no space after the period at the end of the sentence. While not symptomatic of ADHD itself, I have seen this to be a "red flag" for people with ADHD. When I point it out to them, they might not even notice that there is no space. But if you look closely, you'll see that there is not.
For some kids and parents it isn't the right fit but it was for us and it was an amazing difference when I got him medicated.
We had him evaluated at the end of 1st grade and it was determined that he had inattentive-ADD. Over the summer we began tutoring and behavioral therapy, hoping that would be enough to help him catch up. When we met with his 2nd grade teacher at the beginning of the school year, he was back to his daydreaming ways - shutting out everything. That was when we decided we had to give medication a try.
Since he started the medication we have seen a huge change in his confidence. Before medication, he had never raised his hand or participated in class because he couldn't keep up with the conversation. The same day he started on medication, he raised his hand 3 times and got the right answer each time.
At the beginning of the school year, he was choosing beginning-reader books at reading time. Now, just 3 months later, he is working his way through the Lightning Thief series and he is researching and conversing with us about Greek Mythology - his new interest.
We still have quite a ways to go with helping him to develop his social skills and I wish we had gone with our gut feeling and had him evaluated earlier. But, I am thrilled at how far he has come and I love seeing regain his confidence.
I know your intentions are obviously sincere but some of what you are saying unfortunately I don't agree with. To have an opinion that poohbaby has ADHD just by the way she types is ludicrous....maybe that is how she has been taught or learnt how to type?
I have no problem with people wanting to put their children on drugs and really believe that there is a time and a place for these, but it is just becoming too easy to say a child has ADHD and they need medication. To the point where teachers have now become experts and are putting pressure on parents to have their child medicated when they are not qualified to do so.
What I also have a problem with, is that everyone claims to be an expert on what is the best for 100% of children. If we were all the same, then this would be true, but we aren't.
I believe that if there were proper processes in place to have a child fully examined and checked for any existing medical conditions (heart and other organs), before the treatment begins and again prior to a repeat prescription being given, then feel that a proper informed decision can be made.
With regards to "diet" that you refer to, are you then saying that if a child eats sweets and fizzy drinks everyday of his life, that this in some way is not going to have an affect on the childs energy level?
Sorry but just my opinion...
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The man police suspect of killing a former Cal State Long Beach basketball player and his fiancee may have done so out of revenge for the loss of his Los Angeles Police Department job, police said at a news conference Wednesday night.
The suspect, Christopher Jordan Dorner of La Palma, on Monday posted an online "manifesto"—posted by the Venice 311 website—in which he blamed Randy Quan, a retired LAPD officer who became a lawyer, for his firing in 2009, said Irvine Police Department Chief David Maggard.
Quan is the father of Monica Quan, a Cal State Fullerton assistant women's basketball coach and the fiancee of Keith Lawrence, a former star basketball player from Moorpark. He had graduated from the Ventura Sheriff's Academy and more recently has been a public safety officer at the University of Southern California. Quan played two years at CSULB before transferring to Concordia University in Irvine, where she met Lawrence, also a basketball player.
The couple's tie to the suspected killer were apparently only via association.
Directly addressing Quan and specific other law enforcement personnel, Dorner threatened their family members.
"Look your wives/husbands and surviving children directly in the face and tell them the truth as to why your children are dead," he wrote in his manifesto.
According to an October 2011 Second District California Court of Appeals document, Dorner's employment with the LAPD was terminated for making false statements. Dorner had filed a complaint against his field training officer, accusing her of kicking a suspect—a claim the LAPD's Board of Rights found to be false, according to the court document. Dorner was formally charged on two counts of making false statements and one count of making a personnel complaint he knew or should have known was false, the document said.
Dorner filed a petition in Superior Court, seeking to have the board's decision overturned, but a judge denied it. Dorner then went on to file an appeal, which he also lost, the document shows.
According to his testimony as reported by the appellate court document, Dorner graduated from the police academy in February 2006, but left for a 13-month military deployment in November of that year. He returned to the LAPD in July 2007 and was on probation and assigned to the San Pedro area, where the incident in question took place.
After reviewing evidence, including testimony of police personnel and other witnesses, the Board of Rights could not find that the field training officer's kicking of a suspect, as reported by Dorner, actually occurred. The only collaborating testimony came from the supposed victim, who was mentally ill and could not give an accurate account of the incident, the court document said.
Further, "The Board found there was evidence that appellant had a motive to make a false complaint, citing Sergeant Evans's testimony that appellant was going to receive an unsatisfactory probationary rating if he did not improve his performance and that the kicks were reported the day after appellant received an evaluation," the document reported.
The appeals court rejected Dorner's contentions.
In the so-called manifesto Dorner wrote that he didn't mind dying, because he died on Jan. 2, 2009, the day he was fired from the LAPD. Claiming the department cost him his law and Naval careers as well as his relationships with family members and friends, Dorner wrote he had exahsted all available means at obtaining his name back, a theme repeated in the manifesto.
"I have attempted all legal court efforts within appeals at the Superior Courts and California Appellate courts," he wrote. "This is my last resort. The LAPD has suppressed the truth and it has now lead to deadly consequences."
—City News Service and Nancy Wride contributed to this report.


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Safari Books Online is a digital library providing on-demand subscription access to thousands of learning resources.
Arduino Internals
Copyright © 2011 by Dale Wheat
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher.
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All the connections, none of the complexity
Easy to use, with features that boost any room's acoustics, the Yamaha RXV373 5.1 channel home theater receiver is ready to amp up your entertainment. Four 3D HDMI inputs keep your digital world orderly, using ARC to eliminate wires. The front USB port keeps your iPod/iPhone where you need it — easy to grab and cranking' out playlists, while Yamaha's Compressed Music Enhancer deepens their sound. And a Burr Brown DAC makes sure your digital sound is more than crystal clear. Legacy inputs keep your old-school audio and video engaged, while the RX-V373 is ready for the future with 4K pass-through and energy saving ECO mode. 17 DSP modes satisfy everyone from hard rockers to hard-core gamers. And the Yamaha RX-V373 sets up perfectly, using the calibration mic (included) for pinpoint YPAO sound optimization. Yamaha's slogan is Powered by Music, but they put 100W per channel muscle into their home theater as well with the RX-V373.
In the box
Included with the purchase of the Yamaha RX-V373BL 5.1 channel home theater receiver: Remote with batteries, AM antena, FM antenna, YPAO speaker callibration microphone, Easy set-up guide, CD-Rom
Great budget receiver (August 02, 2012)
|Ease of Use
|Overall Rating
Reviewed By: Mitch - Lenoir City, TN
I bought this receiver about two weeks ago to power a pair of newly ordered Energy Veritas 6.2 towers. This was my first receiver but I determined to get something that combined good performance for a decent price. I spoke with a representative at Vanns who referred me to this unit based on my needs. I could not be happier. The unit itself looks great and sounds great. I love the available surround sound EQ settings and built in USB front port for my iPod. didn't need wireless AirPlay. Set up was a tad tedious and the iPod on screen interface is a bit archaic and hard to use, but otherwise the unit is great for what it is. Recommended for anyone looking to start a budget home theater center at a decent price.
Comparison Specifications
- Processing decoding: Dolby TrueHD/Digital Plus, dts-HD Master Audio
- Output power: 100W (@ 8 ohms, 1kHz, 0.9% THD)
- Inputs: 4 HDMI / 2 digital audio optical / 2 digital audio coaxial / 2 component video / 4 composite video / 4 analog audio
- Outputs: 1 HDMI / component video / composite video / analog audio / headphone
- USB input for iPod/iPhone
- Subwoofer preout
- DSP mode: 17 DSP modes
- Remote control
Additional Specifications
- 3D-ready HDMI inputs with ARC
- 4K video pass-through capable
- YPAO sound optimization (callibration mic included)
- USB supports iPod/iPhone, USB Memory, portable audio player
- ECO mode option
- FM/AM tuner
- Compressed music enhancer
- iPod/iPhone song titles displayed on front panel
- 192 kHz/24-bit Burr Brown DACs for all channels
Dimensional Specifications
- Dimensions: 17.13" W x 6." H x 12.38 D
- Weight: 16.5lbs
Yamaha RXV373BL Warranty Details
2-year limited parts and labor warranty


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Standard Carpets
Member since 2013
Membership expired on July 13, 2014Industrial Area 1, Plot 94
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With a mission of honesty, integrity, efficiency, quality, and sustainability, we are constantly pushing the limits of our company to create the best, most environmentally friendly carpet possible.
Standard Carpets is an ISO 14001:2004 certified company. We are the largest
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- Membership
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The carbon rotor button in a stock HEI distributor cap has very high resistance. When the high voltage of an MSD 6, 7, or 8 Series ignition is added, this resistance builds up heat and can actually melt the distributor cap. To solve this problem, install one of these MSD low-resistance HEI bushings, which will pass the secondary voltage from the distributor cap to the rotor without the excessive heat buildup.
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Eastern Euro BB set. 2 cups with bearings, 2 tube spacers, and 2 cones.
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I bought this BB to put on my 10' P1, and I decided to go with Eastern because I know they have quite the reputation with single-ring BMX style DJ cranks. Installation was clean and simple, and my cranks have been rolling smooth ever since. Good buy.
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Please note this offer is only available to physical shipping addresses in the 48 continental United States (no PO Boxes), and oversize charges still apply on some heavy/large items.


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Clean Energy Options: In the Wake of the Oil Spill, Energy Alternatives That Will Create Jobs
Fabiola Carrion on July 19, 2010 - 2:00pm
With less than 5 percent of the world's population, the United States produces 25 percent of greenhouse gases, making it the second largest emitter in the world after China. The American public is well-aware of this issue; according to a Pew Research Center Poll, three-fourths of Americans described climate change as a serious problem. Since the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, support for off-shore drilling has waned substantially and more Americans want to look for clean energy policies that will avert more ecological disasters. Pew has also noted that the American public overwhelmingly supports (by 87 percent) renewable sources like wind and solar power.
Accompanying this environmental crisis is one of the worst economic periods in the nation's modern history. Overall unemployment rates are just below 10 percent and almost all states are dealing with budget shortfalls. Progressive state legislators, nevertheless, continue to take major steps to lessen our dependence on oil, create jobs that remain in this country, diversify our energy sources, and ensure that these sources are transmitted and distributed through a reliable electrical system.
States have taken an important – and often primary – role in setting the environmental and energy agenda in the United States. A review of state policies, federal policies based on state models, and federal policies where state leaders play a key role in implementation demonstrates that state actions will have reduced carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 536 million metric tons per year by 2020. As Progressive States Network has described in previous Stateside Dispatches, increasing the number of renewable energy systems reduces greenhouse gas emissions, relieves grid congestion, creates jobs, and provides their owners with surplus energy to sell back to the market.
In this Dispatch, PSN will examine clean energy options that contribute to a green economy, including evaluating the great strides that energy supply alternatives have created in the states that have enacted policies that promote them. We will explain how states have established Renewable Portfolio Standards and how these have created the demand for innovative investment, as well as how to promote new sources of renewable energy, including creative financial mechanisms, multi-state agreements, and the upgrade of an electrical grid that will better transmit energy from these intermittent sources. And for states looking for new job creation strategies, one key fact is that the production, installment and maintenance of renewable energy sources create sustainable jobs.
Federal Support for State Action: The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) assisted continued action by states with the inclusion of a wide array of provisions to spur clean energy generation and energy efficiency. A special package of $85 billion was allocated towards energy and transportation related spending, dedicating $21 billion toward incentives for wind, solar, and other renewable energy manufacturers. ARRA also provides more than $30 billion for direct spending on clean energy programs, including $11 billion to modernize the electricity grid, $2.5 billion for research into renewable energy, and $6 billion for state and local efforts to achieve energy efficiency. In addition to all of these national efforts, ARRA allocates $3.1 billion to the Department of Energy's State Energy Program, which distributes funds to help state governments improve energy efficiency and expand the use of renewable energy in their states. According to Environment America, programs that have been funded by ARRA are expected to reduce emissions by approximately 10 million metric tons per year by 2020.
Environment America - America on the Move: State Leadership in the Fight Against Global Warming, and What it Means for the World
American Clean Energy and Security Act
Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act
Table of Contents:
- Renewable Energy Sources in the States
- Renewable Portfolio Standards: One Key to Promoting Alternative Energy Production
- Putting a Price on Carbon: Regional Greenhouse Gas Emission Agreements
- Clean Energy Financing Options
- Networking the Green Economy: Creating Jobs and Improving the Transmission of Renewable Energy Sources
- Conclusion: A Greener Economy Drives Job Creation
Renewable Energy Sources in the States
Renewable energy sources (used interchangeably here as alternative energy sources) include solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels, geothermal, conventional hydroelectric, and biomass waste. The production of renewable energy largely depends on the geographic location of these resources, the availability and location of infrastructure, and demand for energy. As such, the two most common barriers for the development of alternative energy sources are (1) cost, and (2) lack of infrastructure.
Solar Energy: Pike Research forecasts that the United States will become the largest market for small solar installations by 2011, surpassing Germany, the best known solar energy producer in the world. Unlike fossil fuels, solar energy is clean, safe and everywhere. With higher demand, solar energy is costing less. Thanks to this rapid growth, it is believed that the US can reach the goal of obtaining 10 percent energy consumption from the sun by 2030. One of the drawbacks of solar energy, however, is that it is intermittent and consequently not always available to match demand. It is therefore imperative that we use technologies that can measure the various levels of power that solar energy can generate and transmit them according to on- and off-peak times.
Wind Energy: Wind energy has become the fastest growing source of electricity in the United States. In fact, in 2008, the United States surpassed Germany to reclaim the world's leadership in installed wind power capacity. And in 2009, the wind industry increased by 39 percent. Now, almost two percent of our electricity is coming from wind turbines. Further, about half of components used in wind farms are now made in the US, compared with 25 percent in 2004, meaning that jobs in this sector have increased rapidly.
Thanks to our transition into wind generation, the US Department of Energy attributes approximately 17 million metric tons of the decline in carbon dioxide emissions during 2009 to expanded production of zero-emission electricity compared to 2008 levels. Environment America also concludes that the increase in renewable energy production since 2004 could be assumed to have reduced emissions in 2009 by roughly 44 million metric tons. Texas is currently the nation's top wind producer, with a total of 9,410 megawatts, about three times more than the second-largest producer, Iowa. They are followed by California, Washington, and Minnesota.
On their own, solar and wind power can significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we normally emit, and together, they can complement each other. Under the right conditions, solar generated energy is at its highest output during the hours when wind resources are least likely to be available.
Center for Social Inclusion - Solar Energy Generation at the Community Level: Briefing Paper Five of Black, Brown and Green
The New York Times - Wind Power Grows 39% for the Year
US Department of Energy - Short‐Term Energy Outlook Supplement: Understanding the Decline in Carbon Dioxide Emissions in 2009
Renewable Portfolio Standards: Key to Lessening our Dependence on Foreign Fossil Fuels
A renewable electricity standard (also known as renewable portfolio standard) requires utilities to develop renewable energy resources as part of their energy plan. In other words, an RES (or RPS) requires utilities to obtain a certain share of electricity they deliver to consumers from renewable resources. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have adopted minimum standards requiring that a percentage of their electricity come from renewable energy. Five additional states (Florida, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Virginia) have set voluntary renewable portfolio standards.
Thanks to these standards, about three percent of power generated in the United States originates from renewable energy sources. The Department of Energy attributes state laws as the force behind this increase In concurrence, research by the North American Electricity Reliability Council shows that over 50 percent of the growth in renewable energy capacity occurred in states with mandatory Renewable Portfolio Standards.
These efforts will reduce global warming pollution by 79 million metric tons nationwide. Environment America calculates that 119 million metric tons will be reduced by 2020 thanks to RES policies and the reductions in electricity consumption that will result from other related policies.
Renewable Energy Standards Vary from State to State: The mix of resources eligible for credit varies greatly from one state to the next: some include "carve outs" for particular technologies (most often solar power), and some allow out-of-state resources to count on an equal basis with in-state resources through credit trading. Each state has designed its RES to account for a range of state-specific conditions and policy priorities. These include available wind, solar and other renewable energy potential in a state, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating other environmental externalities associated with fossil fuels, and lowering electricity costs to consumers. Other goals include diversifying the energy mix to protect against potential fuel interruptions and attracting wind and solar farms, product manufacturers, and research and development facilities to promote economic development and job creation.
The first renewable energy standard was adopted in Iowa in 1983. Massachusetts, Nevada, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey and Wisconsin followed suit in the late 1990s, all enacting standards in the space of a few years. The number of RES increased even more in the 2000s, while many states that had been among the first to adopt the policy updated their legislation to enact more aggressive renewable energy goals and to ease implementation of the policy.
Even when states have already implemented renewable portfolio standards, they are still seeking to expand them. States have expanded compliance dates, raised compliance targets, or added carve-outs for specific technologies.
- Oregon's HB 3039, enacted into law in 2009 two years after the renewable portfolio standard was first signed, includes a solar photovoltaic standard within the state renewable portfolio standard. Oregon state legislators continue to seek to amend existing laws to increase RPS requirements over the years.
- In 2002, Nevada enacted an aggressive renewable portfolio standard that required that 15 percent of all electricity generated be derived from renewable resources by 2013. In June 2005, Nevada raised the requirements of the RPS by 20 percent of sales by 2015.
- Virginia also increased the state's renewable portfolio standard to 15 percent during the 2009 legislative session.
We previously highlighted Colorado's leadership in clean energy legislation, including its recent law to expand its renewable energy standards. In one of the most far-reaching environmental initiatives in the country, HB 1001 requires 30 percent of large utilities' electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2020. In detail, utilities must supply at least 12 percent of their retail electric sales from such sources from 2011 to 2014, 20 percent from 2015 to 2019, and 30 percent for 2020 and beyond. Three percent of this standard must be met by local solar power, leading to the construction and installation of 100,000 solar rooftops, panels, and turbines.
The Undeniable Success of a Renewable Energy Standard: Seventy percent of the fastest growing energy supply -- wind power -- was generated in the US thanks to a renewable energy standard. Between 2004 and 2009, state mandates for renewable energy have averted the release of approximately 44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution in 2009. By requiring utilities to invest in renewable energy, states have established policies that have leveled the playing field for clean energy sources to compete with traditional fossil fuel.
Experts project that the manufacturing renewable sector has the potential to employ many more Americans in green jobs. Of the 18 states that have both renewable portfolio and energy efficiency standards in place, 11 states (61 percent) had more jobs in the clean energy economy than the national average. Similarly, in 12 of those 18 states, clean energy jobs made up a larger share of all jobs when compared to the US average.
Progressive States Network - Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) Advance in the States
Center on Wisconsin Strategy, the Workforce Alliance, the Apollo Alliance - Greener Pathways: Jobs and Workforce Development in the Clean Energy Economy
Stateline - The Rush to Renewables
Center for Social Inclusion - Solar Energy Generation at the Community Level: Briefing Paper Five of Black, Brown and Green
Environment America - America on the Move: State Leadership in the Fight Against Global Warming, and What it Means for the World
Progressive States Network - Colorado Leads Clean Energy Reform
Environment Maryland - Building a Solar Future: Repowering America's Homes, Businesses, and Industry with Solar Energy
Apollo Alliance - As Oil Spill Tragedy Continues, Clean Energy Progress in Missouri and Georgia Points to Hope for the Future
Renewable Energy World - Where the Wind Blows and Sun Shines: A comparative analysis of state renewable energy standards
Putting a Price on Carbon: Regional Greenhouse Gas Emission Agreements
In addition to complying with their own statewide portfolio, twenty-three states are participating in three major regional initiatives seeking to increase renewable energy generation and reduce carbon pollution from power plants that cause global warming. The most famous of these agreements is the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative or RGGI, composed of 10 Northeastern states: New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
RGGI's 2002 Working Group proposed to keep emissions flat from 2009 to 2015, and then begin to cut the cap by 2.5 percent each following year. By 2018, emissions are expected to be reduced by 10 percent from the program's start date. RGGI holds an auction where the member states sell credits for carbon emissions. The buyers are electric utilities who purchase credits either to be able to emit carbon dioxide or to re-sell those credits to other utilities. Under this cap-and-trade regime, each auction raises on average $80.5 million and in total the auctions have raised $663 million. The money raised in these auctions is supposed to be directed towards projects that promote energy efficiency.
Although some states have used some of the RGGI funds to fill in the gaps of their state's budget, the RGGI still continues to create job opportunities for workers who conduct energy audits and install home weatherization measures. For example, the Center for Ecological Technology, a company that conducts RGGI-funded efficiency efficiency work on behalf of electric utilities has doubled its workforce - from 50 to 100 full-time employees. This increase has also spearheaded the creation of new positions in the IT and customer service departments. Furthermore, thanks to RGGI, carbon dioxide emissions from power plants are below the cap they set. Along with RGGI, the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) has been created to reduce emissions across the region by 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. Seven US states (Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington) and four Canadian provinces are part of WCI; the program, to be fully implemented by 2015, will cover close to 90 percent of emissions from the states' and provinces' territories. Also in the Midwest, six US states (Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) and a Canadian province have joined to form the Midwest Greenhouse Gas Accord in order to reduce their emissions. MGGA's Advisory Group recently published its final recommendations, setting an emissions reduction target of 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.
Altogether, 23 states, accounting for half of the US population, are involved in greenhouse gas reduction accords.
Other Ways to Put a Price on Carbon: The most straightforward, and many would argue transparent, method to curtail carbon emissions might be to precisely pay for producing them. Instituting a tax provides the certainty of compliance, and has been successfully implemented in several countries, including Norway, Sweden and Germany. Carbon tax legislation has been introduced in US cities like Portland, Oregon and Boulder and Aspen in Colorado. According to the Oregon plan, builders that do not construct an energy efficient home must pay a fee. By the same token, the plan gives developers cash rewards if they save at least 45 percent more energy than the Oregon building code would require. The Boulder plan charges on the number of kilo-watt hours used, directing the profits to renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. The idea of taxing for carbon emissions has received a lot of support from environmental and labor activists, and even from Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson.
Please click image above to view a full chart of state Mandatory Renewable Energy Standards for 2010 from RenewableEnergyWorld.com.
Stateline - The RGGI raid: how cap-and-trade revenues went to fix state budgets
Progressive States Network - Bold Plan for Carbon Tax Introduced in Portland, OR
Environmental Protection - First RGGI 2010 Auction Yields $87.9 M for Member States
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Western Climate Initiative
Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord
Renewable Energy Financing Options
Through public bonds, pension funds, state-managed investment pools, and by leveraging federal dollars, states can direct investment dollars into alternative energy production. These financial incentives are being applied over a long period of time to establish consistent and efficient programs and create a stable market.
Federal and State Funding: Federal monies, principally through the ARRA, are being directed towards bonds that enable local and states to finance renewable energy projects. The US Department of Agriculture, for instance, operates a loan guarantee program for agricultural adoption of renewable energy. States are taking full advantage of the federal government's support. Thirty-two of them have combined federal and state funding to provide residential, commercial, and industrial loan financing for the purchase of renewable energy. The following examples paint a good picture on what states are doing with government funding:
- In Colorado, SB 31 was enacted in 2009 to create the Clean Technology Discovery Evaluation grant program for the purpose of improving and expanding the development of new clean technology discoveries at higher education research institutions. The state will also allocate $2 million in grants towards renewable from 2009 ARRA funding through the Governor's Energy Office.
- Montana also provides direct funding for renewable energy development through grant and loan programs that typically target generation at the scale of residential and commercial buildings. It offers a grant program to subsidize small-scale renewable installations via a state-mandated system benefits fund maintained by the state's largest private utility. Montana's revolving fund loans up to $40,000 per renewable project.
Municipal Financing and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE): A model called Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) enables municipalities to use their ability to obtain financing at low interest rates to pay for the upfront cost of installing renewable energy parts in businesses and homes. The financing is recouped through a special assessment on the property owner's taxes, or in certain cases, their utility bill. In most programs, property owners pay back the costs over a period of 20 years. The tax remains with the property; if a property owner sells the property during the period of financing, the responsibility to pay back is transferred to the new owner. Hence, PACE absolves the homeowner of the risk that they will move out before they receive the full benefits of the system. Two barriers to making energy upgrades are therefore eliminated: (1) the up-front costs, and (2) the question of who pays for ongoing costs for upgrades when properties are sold.
The White House has estimated that if only 15 percent of residential property owners in the US took advantage of PACE related programs, the resulting emissions reductions would contribute to four percent of the savings needed for the US to reach 1990 emissions by 2020. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, PACE programs promise to lower energy bills for consumers and create jobs in home weatherization and renewable energy installation. So far, PACE programs have been authorized in 23 states.
Source: Pew Center on Global Climate Change
California enacted AB 811 in 2008 to allow cities and counties to offer PACE financing. Under the California program, property owners seeking funding for energy efficiency improvements must have a clear property title and be current on property taxes and mortgages. Financing may originate from bonds, local government funds, and third-party lenders. Under Minnesota law, loan amounts may not exceed 10 percent of the assessed value of the property and may include costs related to the required energy audit or feasibility study, equipment and labor costs, and performance verification. A recently enacted New York law (AB 40004A) allows counties, towns, cities and villages to offer sustainable energy loan programs that can pay for energy audits, cost-effective, permanent energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy feasibility studies, and the installation of renewable energy systems. The local program determines the sectors eligible for financing, and qualification for the loan is contingent on energy audits or renewable energy feasibility studies that meet New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) or equally stringent standards. Energy efficiency improvements must meet cost-effectiveness criteria as established by NYSERDA. Land-secured financing districts for PACE programs have been created in Florida, Georgia (HB 1388-2010), Hawaii, Louisiana (SB 224-2009), Nevada, Vermont (HB 446-2009), and New Mexico (SB 647-2009).
Also last year, Oregon established the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Technology loan program to provide state loans for residential and commercial energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The 100 percent upfront long term, low-interest loans can be paid back on the utility bill. The program is financed through state bonding and private loans.
This year, Maine enacted LD 1717 to implement a loan program through a local ordinance that provides financing for property owners who want to put clean energy improvements in their homes. This legislation is unique in two ways: (1) municipalities will be able to use federal grants or any other funds available for the purpose of funding PACE programs; and (2) PACE assessments will be considered subordinate liens, secondary to mortgages. Further more, Efficiency Maine Trust was directed to promulgate rules for Maine's PACE program, including eligible efficiency improvements and renewable energy installations, standards for underwriting requirements, and truth in lending provisions which are to guide the consumer disclosure that must be included in PACE agreements.
Another eight states have introduced PACE bills in 2010 in their legislatures, including Hawaii (SB 2865 and HB 2643), Missouri (HB 2178, HB 2298 and SB 1037), Michigan (HB 5640), New Jersey (AB 2500), Illinois (SB 2505).
Georgia also approved legislation this year (HB 1388) to help residential and commercial property owners make energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements to their properties through voluntary property assessments.
PACE Programs Under Challenge: Recently, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac asserted that because PACE programs' liens take priority over existing mortgages, this poses a risk to lenders and secondary market entities, as well as alter valuations for mortgage-backed securities. Consequently, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the US Treasury Department have instructed banks to place additional restrictions on home loans to borrowers in jurisdictions that have PACE programs. In response, cities and states have taken action to save PACE.
For instance, the state of California has filed a complaint against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack for blocking PACE programs; California Attorney General Jerry Brown argues that PACE funding is an assessment, not a loan, and that Fannie and Freddie have long accepted local governments' use of assessments in California to finance improvements that serve a public purpose. The city of Babylon in New York will likely follow California's action; its leaders joined more than 50 local workers at a rally last Tuesday to announce the town's plans to sue the FHFA. As these leaders note, PACE programs like California's actually work to reduce the risk of default by requiring a clean record on property taxes and mortgages. In New York, stringent standards have to be met in order to obtain financing under PACE. And in Maine, the Efficiency Maine Trust is creating standards for underwriting requirements and truth in lending provisions to guide consumer disclosure. Further, more federal money is being allocated to fund and guarantee the success of PACE programs. Last year, the US Department of Energy announced funding for PACE projects and is apportioning $80 million as upfront capital for PACE-type programs. PACE programs can also apply for competitive grants under the Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant Program.
Feed-In-Tariffs: One other funding source for renewable energy is where a company that installs and maintains a renewable source device receives a Power Purchase Agreement or Feed-In-Tariff with a customer. Here, the customer pays no upfront costs while the energy provider pays for the entire project including installation, maintenance, and trouble shooting. Also, this relationship guarantees that the installation can take place quickly, the service is predictable, and the rate is at parity with other retail electricity rates. Feed-in tariffs have played a role in the development of Germany's world-leading solar power industry. In the United States, feed-in-tariffs have been adopted in Vermont and Washington.
The Vermont feed-in-tariff law was designed to ensure that homeowners or businesses receive the same return on equity for their investment. Vermont's legislation bases the tariffs on the cost of generation plus a reasonable profit. Vermont's feed-in tariff program contains the key elements of the successful policies found in Europe: tariffs are differentiated by technology and size; tariffs are set on the cost of generation plus profit; and profit is set by a reasonable rate of return, loan contracts terms, and a regular program review.
Rebate Programs: By providing cash incentives, more homeowners and businesses will install renewable devices and technologies in their buildings. States have taken note of this efficient strategy. Twenty-three of them and the District of Columbia offer rebate programs to promote the installation of renewable energy systems and energy efficiency measures such as solar water heating and photovoltaic systems. We highlight a few of them:
- California's Million Solar Roofs Initiative provides grants to homeowners who install solar systems, with the amount of the rebate declining over time to reflect the anticipated declining cost of solar power.
- Thanks to ARRA funding, Minnesota offers rebates of $100 to $250 on refrigerators, dishwashers, and clothes washers, and New Jersey residents will be able to receive rebates worth $25 to $ 100 on the purchase of those same items. Similar rebate programs for home appliances exist in Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Net Metering: Net metering allows customers who generate electricity through renewable sources to receive credit for electricity they put on the grid. In other words, net metering customers buy electricity when they need it, use the electricity they produce, and sell any excess to the utility. This provides an incentive for consumers to invest in small renewable generation systems. More than 40 states and the District of Columbia have adopted net metering laws.
- Last year, Nebraska's LB 436 was enacted to provide net metering for electricity. It includes one to one credit for energy generated up to the amount used, protection against additional utility charges and fees, protection against unnecessary safety or performance standards, and prohibition of additional liability insurance.
- Newly enacted AB 510 in California raises the cap set on the number of homes and businesses that can take advantage of net energy metering. Current law caps the amount of electricity that can be generated under the net metering program to 2.5 percent of a utility's peak demand. AB 510 raises the net metering cap to 5 percent and will help meet projected demands received under the California Solar Initiative program. The law further allows the rate-making authority to compensate net energy producers for the value of the electricity itself, and the value of the renewable attributes of the electricity. Moreover, net energy producers will receive a bonus if the renewable attributes of the energy production add indefinite or unforeseen benefits. Environmental advocates claim that the law, which was introduced last year but died in committee, finally balances the interests of utilities, customer-generators, and non-participating customers. This is a great win for the more than 50,000 customers, including schools, community colleges, cities and counties and homeowners in California who participate in net metering.
- New Jersey has one of the most comprehensive net metering and interconnection laws in the United States. It includes a wide array of renewable sources: solar technologies, wind, fuel cells, geothermal technologies, wave or tidal action, and methane gas from landfills or biomass facilities. This program has been praised for standardizing the interconnection procedures for residential and small-commercial customers, who pay at the end of the each year for every excess Kwh they produce.
Protecting the Ability to Install Renewable Energy Sources: States are also enacting rules to protect access to renewable energy. Last year, Virginia enacted SB 320, which voids covenants that restrict installation of use of any solar energy collection device on private property.
Progressive States Network - Colorado Leads Clean Energy Reform
The Pew Charitable Trusts - The Clean Energy Economy: Repowering Jobs, Businesses and Investments Across America
The Apollo Alliance - As Oil Spill Tragedy Continues, Clean Energy Progress in Missouri and Georgia Points to Hope for the Future
The White House - Policy Framework for PACE Financing Programs
Environment America – America on the Move
Center for Social Inclusion - Solar Energy Generation at the Community Level: Briefing Paper Five of Black, Brown and Green
Progressive States Network - Green Buildings: Multi-State Agenda Campaign Update
Apollo Alliance - Efforts Underway to Save Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Programs
The White House - Policy Framework for PACE Financing Programs
Center on Wisconsin Strategy, the Workforce Alliance, the Apollo Alliance - Greener Pathways: Jobs and Workforce Development in the Clean Energy Economy
Environment Maryland - Building a Solar Future: Repowering America's Homes, Businesses, and Industry with Solar Energy
Networking the Green Economy: Creating Jobs and Improving the Transmission of Renewable Energy Sources
Renewable sources present unique and serious transmission challenges due to their intermittency and the remoteness of the site of generation. For renewable energy production to maintain its current rate of growth, it must overcome significant obstacles, including the lack of capacity and connectivity in the regional electrical infrastructure. The only way that we can fully maximize the use of renewable energy sources is by upgrading the current electrical system. With an upgraded, or smart, grid, renewable energy production overcomes significant obstacles including lack of capacity and connectivity. Improving the electric grid will expand the ability of renewable energy and energy conservation to meet the nation's energy needs.
The smart grid is an aggregate term that refers to a distribution system that allows the flow of information to the consumer and to the utility company through thermostats, Web based programs, appliances, and other devices. Establishing smart grids at the transmission level will enable digital controls and high-voltage transmission lines to transport energy from renewable energy sources. A smart grid improves the management of the distribution and consumption of energy that results in the integration of various sources of renewable energy into our power system. In this manner, it facilitates more efficient energy use and reduces the amount of emissions from harmful greenhouse gases.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act apportioned $4.5 billion on smart grid demonstration projects. Beyond this, $11 billion will be invested in general improvements to the grid; another important step towards a grid that will allow for more flexible and efficient generation and use of power.
- Last year, California enacted SB 17/AB 238 to declare that new and modified electric transmission facilities, including the employment of smart grid technologies, are necessary to facilitate the state's energy efficiency goals and renewable portfolio transmission facilities. This is the first smart grid state law in the country, as it promotes the installation of smart meters, data networks and other infrastructure for a cleaner, more efficient electrical grid by — by July 1, 2010. Under this law, the Public Utility Commission is required to report on a yearly basis, starting on Jan. 1, 2011, to the governor and legislature on the progress being made in improvements to the electrical grid.
- Vermont and Maryland have each provided funding to study smart metering and/or smart grids, as a means of reducing energy use.
- The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has teamed with utilities in the states of Washington and Oregon to test new energy technologies designed to improve efficiency and reliability, while at the same time, increasing consumer choice and control.
- In North Carolina, 100 Lafayetteville residents and businesses cut energy use an average of 20 percent during a six-month pilot last year. The customers were equipped with software that enabled them to check their energy use from the Internet.
By using applications and devices supported by digital infrastructure, such as broadband and information communication technology, we can build a green economy:continuing our economic growth and creating new jobs while decreasing our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Progressive States Network - Networking the Green Economy: How Broadband and Related Technologies Can Build a Green Economic Future
Progressive States Network - Green Jobs Programs to Drive Economic Recovery
The Apollo Alliance - Make It in America: The Apollo Green Manufacturing Action Plan
Progressive States Network - Networking the Green Economy: How Broadband and Related Technologies Can Build a Green Economic Future
Conclusion: A Greener Economy Drives Job Creation
Nearly six out of ten jobs in the green economy fall specifically in the area of energy generation, which includes jobs responsible for producing clean forms of energy such as wind, solar and geothermal. Jobs responsible for solar power generation dominate this subgroup: 62.5 percent of all energy generation jobs in 2007 were in the solar industry. Jobs in wind power were second overall, making up 9.7 percent of energy generation jobs in 2007, but they grew more rapidly – by 23.5 percent between 1998 and 2007, compared to 19.1 percent growth for solar power jobs during the same period. Since the ARRA was enacted, an estimated 150,000 jobs were saved or created in the construction of solar panels and wind turbines.
Industry sector experts have cited state policies such as renewable portfolio standards as important factors in driving investments, attracting companies and growing new industries and jobs because they help create market demand for clean energy technologies, products, and services. However, without key policies such as renewable electricity standards, the market will be slow to grow. The Union of Concerned Scientists agree; they have estimated that a national RPS requiring 20% in renewable energy sources by 2020 could generate 355,000 jobs across the country. Also by this time, the domestic market for renewable energy supplies is likely to reach $226 billion annually.
Potential Federal Action: While states are still making progress on their own, a stronger federal partner is needed for national change. Last year, US Representatives introduced the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which requires that 20 percent of the country's electricity be generated by renewable energy by 2020. This year, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (also known as the APA) was unveiled in the Senate. The APA includes: a cap and price on greenhouse gas emissions, similar to a cap-and-dividend already considered at the state-level, a target for reducing those emissions to 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050, and a fee for "carbon leakage" of imports in order to level the playing field between American manufacturers and foreign competitors that emit carbon. Not included in the Senate bill is a national renewable portfolio standard. Although the APA offers support for renewable energy sources, a federal mandate is needed in order to push the remaining 20 states to seriously commit to the use of alternative sources of energy. In the absence of renewable energy standards in the American Power Act, states can and must continue to fill in gap by continuing to mandate the use of renewable energy.
State Policy Program: Whatever the feds ultimately do, states are taking action to ensure that the future is bright -- literally and metaphorically -- for alternative energy production in the United States. With more than half of states having enacted renewable portfolio standards we are well under way to achieving our environmental and economic goals, but much more needs to be done. States should continue to build on their track record of innovation in clean energy policy by continuing to enact and renew their renewable energy goals. Specifically, as this Dispatch has demonstrated, states should:
- Enact RPS standards, and for those that have enacted them, to find ways to set higher goals that can be accomplished and are meaningful;
- Provide financial support -- in the form of bonds, rebates, or other innovative financing mechanisms -- to accelerate the deployment of more renewable energy technologies;
- Integrate renewable sources into an upgraded, "smart" grid, and;
- Create good, sustainable green jobs that will enable those employees to develop, manufacture, deploy, and maintain the various elements of renewable sources and smart grid infrastructure.
The key is not only promoting renewable energy supplies, but also of creating actual incentives that spur their use. These incentives come in the form of mandating goals for renewable use, as was the case in Colorado, and placing financial incentives for clean energy investment. As more and more renewables are manufactured, installed and used, it is imperative that our electrical grid also undergoes a drastic reformation.
Environment America - America on the Move
Headwaters Economics - Clean Energy Leadership in the Rockies: Competitive Positioning in the Emerging Green Economy
Pew Research Center Publications - An Increase in GOP Doubt About Global Warming Deepens Partisan Divide
The Pew Charitable Trusts - The Clean Energy Economy: Repowering Jobs, Businesses and Investments Across America
Center for Social Inclusion - Solar Energy Generation at the Community Level: Briefing Paper Five of Black, Brown and Green
- From the Dispatch
- Green Collar Workforce Development
- Cap and Trade Programs
- Sun, Wind and Bio-Based Power
- Clean Energy Funding
- Upgrade Energy Infrastructure
- Energy Supply Alternatives
- Green Jobs Training
- Green Collar Workforce Development & Training
- Renewable & Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards
- Networking the Green Economy


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So tonite is New Year's Eve, ushering out the old year and decade and welcoming in the new. Tonite, we're just having a low-key evening including dinner out with friends and maybe back to their place. At the moment, I'm just leaning towards Dick Clark / Ryan Seacrest and some tea at midnight. It's been a crazy busy year, full of travel and change. I'm hoping if I usher in the new year calmly, then 2010 might reflect some of that calm.
What are you doing? There are a lot of options, and I'll point you in the right direction to find lists of parties. Don't forget, the new Mynt Martini is now open on Fountain Square. I expect the place to give Tonic a run for its money, although I'll take vintage cocktails over creative martinis any day. Amazing location though! If anyone goes, I'd love for you to write me up a review!
On to festivities:
And in case you overindulge – hey, it happens! – you can count on a free taxi ride home. Mothers Against Drunk Driving is sponsoring free taxi rides home as long as you're within the 275 loop. The number to call (write this down) is 513-768-FREE.
Image by Flickr User Waldo Jaquith
via Creative Commons
Wine Competitions Wine Book Club (WBC) Wine Judging Reviews Readings Whiskey Watch France Weblogs Games Wine Clubs Books RIP Repost WBW #65 Wine Glossary Wine Maps TasteCamp Web/Tech Marketing Uncategorized Legislation Recipes Florida Recession Wine Meet the Winemaker Greatest Hits Holiday Drink Pink! (BCRF) Television Current Affairs Wine Shop Wednesday Photos Spirits Contests Scotch & Whiskey History Disney Wine Tech Food and Wine Pairings Mad Men Monday Guest Writers Pop Culture Food and Drink Wine Blogs Knowledge Entertainment Dinner and Drinks Life Charity Benefits News Beer-Guy.net Beer Special Events WBW Local Wineries Cocktails Wine Shops Restaurants Travel Wine Notes Wineries Wine Events Weekly Cincinnati Wine Events Wine Misc Local Tastings Cincinnati
Krystal Pepper Memorial Scholarship Fund
Raising money for a scholarship fund in memory of Michelle's little sister who passed away in 2007


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With a high-stakes 2013 looming in which its first slate of in-house developed films will be released, Legendary Entertainment has raised $443 million in new equity financing, the company announced Tuesday.
The deal gives asset management and financial planning giant Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. a stake of just under 20% in Legendary and values the production company at about $2.5 billion, according to a person familiar with the structure of the financing but not authorized to speak publicly. Chairman Thomas Tull retains majority control of the Burbank-based company.


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By Marjorie Nesin
Staff Writer
---- — Just a week after city councilors voted to ask city residents what to do with the Fuller school building, Mayor Carolyn Kirk has vetoed the idea of a non-binding 2013 referendum question on Fuller's future, calling at least one of the multiple choice options "inappropriate."
Kirk primarily rejected one of the three referendum options — renewing the building's use as a public school —telling the Gloucester School Committee Wednesday night that, since the committee had already decided against reusing Fuller as a school, that's not a viable option.
"It's grossly misleading to the public, should that option prevail, that the School Committee would reopen a policy that's been set in stone," Kirk said. "It's just inappropriate."
The mayor also voiced her opposition to the other two options, one being to relocate all of the municipal offices to the Fuller school building, the other to lease or sell the property. The proposed council referendum does not include an option for using the site as a combined public safety complex — a police and fire headquarters — though that has been one of the proposals bandied about over the past year.
City councilors had voted last week in favor of posing the three-pronged referendum, with eight voting in favor of petitioning residents and City Councilor Joseph Ciolino, the sole vote in opposition. The council can also vote to override the mayor's veto, and carry the referendum forward.
In a letter to the councilors, Kirk wrote that the relocation of municipal offices would not work because the municipal offices only require about 50,000 square feet of space — leaving 125,000 square feet of unused space still remaining in Fuller. Kirk also pointed out the city's ongoing $4.1 million investment in restoring City Hall. Plus, she added the change would harmfully impact the downtown area.
Kirk's office had circulated a survey asking a similar question of Gloucester residents, and received about 800 responses. But that's a number that City Councilor Greg Verga said is far too low to gauge residents' desires.
"I did not have much faith in this survey," said Verga, who was behind the council's call for a Fuller referendum. "And having only 807 respondents — 46 of which do not live in Gloucester — it is evident that this is insufficient to reach a conclusion of the public's support."
Verga said he is vying for the option of the municipal building relocating to the Fuller school building, but no matter the outcome, he's pleased at the prospect of a referendum.
"A ballot question will provide a definitive gauge of public opinion," Verga said.
Kirk's survey found that many residents, when they make trips to City Hall, visit downtown stores and shops in the same outing; the survey also found that most respondents were opposed to the idea of a retail store complex at the Fuller building.
Though the city councilors' proposed referendum also does not specify the third survey option, to sell or lease the property to retail stores, Kirk rejected the option because of its broad nature.
"There will be no way to glean a meaningful interpretation of the results of this option should it prevail," Kirk wrote.
Marjorie Nesin can be reached at 978-283-7000, x3451, or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Origins of Flesh-Eating Bacteria Uncovered
April 15, 2014|
Researchers construct a family tree of group A Streptococcus to trace the evolution of a "flesh-eating" strain.
April 15, 2014|
Researchers construct a family tree of group A Streptococcus to trace the evolution of a "flesh-eating" strain.
April 11, 2014|
Researchers collate a list of the 100 most rare and unique avian species facing extinction.
April 10, 2014|
Evidence presented at AACR suggests that daily coffee consumption may cut a person's risk of developing a form of liver cancer.
April 9, 2014|
The intestinal parasite Entamoeba histolytica kills host cells by tearing pieces from them, which it then eats.
April 4, 2014|
Lynne Quarmby's love of the natural world inspires her to explore beyond her cell biology lab through art.
April 4, 2014|
The professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at Simon Fraser University is also an accomplished painter.
April 4, 2014|
Zebras evolved stripes to prevent pesky biting flies from landing on them, a study finds.
April 4, 2014|
Architecture student-turned-artist Macato Murayama creates beautiful images inspired by the intricate anatomy of flowers.
April 2, 2014|
Patients should be able to decline learning about incidental genetic findings when undergoing whole-genome screens, according to new expert recommendations.
April 1, 2014|
Cancer Virus, A Window on Eternity, Murderous Minds, and The Extreme Life of the Sea


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