text:
Everybody's an expert: Community has questions about new fire station
JANESVILLE--Councilman Douglas Marklein said "everybody and their brother" have become fire station-siting experts.
Fire Chief Jim Jensen said: "I have heard every imaginable suggestion for a fire department site."
Questions abound about the location and scope of a city staff recommendation to demolish 12 homes and build a new central fire station just north of its current location at 303 Milton Ave. at a cost of $9.5 million.
That option allows firefighters to operate from the current fire station during construction, after which the old station would be demolished for green space.
Another option at a cost of $9.2 million would require buying and demolishing seven homes, but firefighters would have to relocate for about 10 months during construction.
The Janesville City Council in closed session in November narrowed a list of numerous potential sites to the current location or an adjacent site to the north. The decision was released to the media in late February, when some neighbors said they first learned from newspaper reports their homes were targeted.
Here are some commonly asked questions and answers gleaned from interviews and a March 10 city council meeting:
Q: How did the cost increase from $6.2 million to $7.4 million in October to up to $9.5 million?
A: The first cost estimate did not include property acquisitions and relocations. During the closed-door meeting when the city council made its decision on location, staff estimated those costs to be $450,000, Councilman Jim Farrell said.
Now, the cost to buy and relocate is estimated at $1.4 million to $1.8 million.
"A lot of those numbers were put together pretty quickly," Jensen said.
Q: In 2009, a city staff member said a site at Racine and Main streets was perfect for a new fire station. Other studies have mentioned a corridor between the current location and Racine Street and Randall Avenue. Now the current fire station location is said to be the best location. What has changed?
A: The 2009 study did not put appropriate emphasis on response times and routes but instead was based on cost and politics, Jensen said.
"Are citizens willing to pay the cost of not properly positioning the station for 50 to 60 years?" he asked.
It's not just about the one station, either, Jensen said. It's about how the system fits together. The central station is the hub, and that location is the most critical.
Q: The majority of city council members agree the city must replace the existing fire station, but why do we need a larger central fire station when the central area isn't likely to grow?
A: The central station is the busiest station because those firefighters cover for outlying stations, which are small, Jensen said. In addition, when three or four stations are at a fire, available units move into the central station to respond to other calls.
Q: Why do we need eight bays instead of the current four?
A: Auxiliary equipment, such as the city's one aerial ladder, must be at the central station to quickly get to fires all over the city.
"We have to arrange multiple resources so we can quickly assemble an adequate force," Jensen said.
The size of equipment has increased through the years. Some equipment, such as hazardous materials response team equipment, did not even exist when the central station was built.
At its five fire stations, the city has 14 bays, 24 trucks and numerous trailers. The department sometimes must send personnel to get reserve equipment stored at the City Services Center. At the central station, they must move equipment out of the bays to get to the equipment they need. Recently, a tanker arrived at a fire two minutes later than the other equipment because of that jockeying.
"If you're waiting at the scene for water, two minutes is a long, long time," Jensen said.
Q: Could some non-essential equipment be stored elsewhere?
A: Yes, but only one other station has extra space, and the hazmat equipment is stored there. Reserve equipment frequently is used for major events, so it is more efficient to have it stored centrally.
Q: Couldn't we simply build a smaller station and add a smaller station somewhere else to relieve the pressure?
A: Janesville already needs a sixth station on the northeast side, Jensen said, and it could use a seventh. Those stations haven't been built because of the expense of staffing them. The cost for three people to operate an engine and two people to operate an ambulance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year is $1.2 million per year.
"So buildings are expensive, but compared to personnel, they're cheap," Jensen said.
The current location of the central fire station works even if sixth and seventh stations are built.
Jensen continues to urge city administration to purchase land for a sixth station in the area of Highway 26 and McCormick Drive.
Q: Could we build the new station in phases so personnel could work out of the current station rather than relocating for 10 months?
A: Staff is exploring that option.
Q: Why are the building designs for both sites the same—only reversed—even though the two sites are different? Shouldn't a building design be tailored to the site?
A: Jensen said the design is a common one for the architects, who specialize in fire departments.
"They know it works well, it flows well," he said.
The building plan for the southern site would be modified because the grade there requires structural fortification.
The footprint is so large because the department needs outside space for maintenance. Firefighters need space to park their vehicles when they go to the central location for training. Drive-through bays are highly recommended.
Could more work be done on the plans?
"Absolutely," Jensen said. "We can do that once we determine where the station is going to be so we can get into the plans in detail."
Q: Could you build an entire second floor rather than a partial second floor to reduce the footprint?
A: Yes, but building up is expensive, Jensen said. It would be a very tall building because the equipment downstairs is so tall. Staff kept administrative offices on the first floor to be accessible to the public. Jensen prefers dorms on the main level, as well, but they are on the second floor. A traditional fire pole would be installed.
Q: Councilman Marklein, a homebuilder, suggested the department cut $1.5 million from the costs, noting his customers normally start with price ranges and options. Evansville in 2009 built a station for about $2.3 million, for example.
A: Most volunteer departments are metal buildings, Jensen said. The city's designer will look at different building materials as opposed to the masonry building now suggested.
"We're not going to get $1.5 million out of this project by taking off a few feet or a bay off the end," Jensen said. "It has to be a significant change."
Jensen noted the location is also a gateway to the downtown, something the council might want to consider when deciding the appearance of the building.
Q: The staff-preferred recommendation involves a home listed on the National Register of Historic Places. What does the historic commission say about that?
A: Commission members said destroying or moving the home would be detrimental to the fabric of the historic district, said Gale Price, city liaison to the committee. Members are concerned about the scale of the proposed fire station versus the scale of the buildings designated as historical. They recommend the historic structure at the very least be moved.
Q: Can we sell the current station?
A: Minimal repairs would cost between $1.2 million to $2.2 million, Carl Weber, director of public works, said. Some structural problems with the building have been discovered, as well. Manufacturing uses might not be compatible with the neighborhood.


text:
Kinetik Racing Co
Kinetik Racing is a ULTRA high performance fin company, its products are designed, tested and used by some of the most influential surfers and shapers of the present time.
Sprouting in summer of 2009 KR collaborated an A grade team of surfers, shapers and manufacturing elites to make for an un-deniable combination of quality and performance.
KR fins are not just endorsed by the team but are the teams actual fins, used in World Championship events and day to day sessions alike.
The KR team covers a full range of surfers and styles, each are respected for there ability and knowledge of the sport. The current team have been riding and refining there individual fin templates for years, working closely with the the KR RnD crew.
Kinetik Racing has a commitment to providing you with the same ultra high end equipment as used by the best surfers in the world.
Expect, new riders, new templates and boundaries to be pushed in this companies bright future.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
For the treasury and finance functions of companies that do business around the world, bribery and corruption are a serious concern.
In an Ernst & Young study released last month, 57 percent of respondents in the developing world said that bribery and/or corruption is widespread in their country. Another survey, conducted by Kroll Advisory Solutions and Compliance Week, provides further support for the idea that these risks are growing—and suggests that companies' efforts to battle bribery and corruption are not extremely effective.
Nearly 300 executives from around the world responded to the Kroll/Compliance Week survey; the median company represented by the survey has $3.5 billion in annual revenue and more than 9,600 employees. Among these respondents, 43 percent said their bribery and corruption risks have increased in the past two years, while only 7.7 said those risks have fallen. Fifty percent of respondents expect their bribery and corruption risks to rise again in the next year.
Why do bribery and corruption risks continue to grow? One major reason is that businesses continue to expand into new markets. Respondents to the Kroll/Compliance Week survey also cite the proliferation of new anti-bribery/corruption laws, and increased enforcement of laws already on the books, as reasons that their risk is increasing. (See Figure 1, below.) In addition to the U.K. Bribery Act are new laws designed to combat corruption in Russia and Brazil.
Moreover, half of all respondents to the survey said their companies are increasing risk by increasing the numbers of third-party relationships in which they engage. In fact, the average respondent's company does business with more than 3,500 third parties.
To mitigate their bribery and corruption risks, the vast majority of companies perform due diligence on their business partners—87.3 percent in the Kroll/Compliance Week survey. Among large companies, due diligence frequently involves dedicated investigations of prospective business partners, as well as having their local business units collect information on the prospects and having corporate legal, accounting, and/or finance departments conduct third-party reviews. Within smaller companies, due diligence generally focuses more on self-reporting by prospective business partners and obtaining references from trusted sources or U.S. government agencies.
However, once they're working with a third party, the majority of companies neglect to train that business on their anti-bribery and corruption policies. Most include an anti-bribery and corruption certification in their contracts or include an anti-bribery statement in their code of conduct. But just over 40 percent provide in-person or Web-based training.
Perhaps most alarming, few respondents think their company is effective or very effective at training third parties on its anti-bribery policies and procedures (30 percent), monitoring compliance after a business relationship begins (37.7 percent), or auditing compliance among third parties (35.4 percent). (See Figure 3, below.)
For organizations that don't have the resources to effectively monitor all their third-party relationships, Kroll recommends responding to bribery- or corruption-related incidents with a thorough investigation and the most severe discipline possible. "You're not going to catch everything, but an incident-based response and investigational approach will sometimes give you a lot of leverage in terms of managing staff and third-party risks," says Violet Ho, senior managing director with Kroll.


text:
Cyprus's banks opened for the first time in almost two weeks, with new rules curbing access to cash preventing an initial panic to withdraw deposits.
"We expected much more people," said Argyros Eraclides, manager of a Bank of Cyprus Plc branch in the Stavrou area of Nicosia. "Fortunately there are only some people who needed cash for the day, but customers reacted fantastically. We expected some people to be more aggravated."
Banks opened at midday local time today, with lines of about 15 to 20 people waiting to enter branches in the Cypriot capital. They close at 6 p.m. The Central Bank of Cyprus's controls include a 300-euro ($383) daily limit on withdrawals and restrictions on transfers to accounts outside the country.
Cyprus's lenders had been closed since March 16, when the European Union presented a proposal to force losses on all depositors in exchange for a 10 billion-euro bailout. That plan touched off protests and political upheaval on the island, and was rejected by the country's parliament. A subsequent agreement shut Cyprus Popular Bank Pcl, the second-largest lender, and imposed larger losses on uninsured depositors.
The controls will be in force for seven days, according to a statement from the Finance Ministry. The European Commission said in a statement today the control on capital movements must remain "proportionate" and be lifted as soon as possible.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades thanked Cypriots for maintaining calm as banks opened, with many savers heeding the government's call for citizens not to rush to banks or seeking to avoid potential chaos.
"I would like to thank the Cypriot people for their maturity and collectedness shown in their interactions with the Cypriot banks," Anastasiades said on his Twitter account.
Security guards at banks in Nicosia were allowing about eight or nine customers in branches at any one time today, with orderly lines forming after an initial push at the doors to get in. Many were older customers without cash-machine cards, while others were waiting to pay bills or deposit checks.
"I only bought a few small items during these days to survive," said pensioner Kyriakos Hadjisophocleos, 65, who was waiting on a bench in front of a Bank of Cyprus branch in Nicosia from 7:30 a.m. to get money to pay part of his 380-euro rent. "I had many coins saved up so I was using them. If the banks didn't open today I would have had to borrow from some friends."
Stocks and the euro rose, with the single currency climbing 0.2 percent to $1.2804 at 2:21 p.m. in Frankfurt. Spanish bonds slid, with the 10-year yield rising two basis points, or 0.02 percentage points, to 5.09 percent.
The Cyprus Parliament last week gave wide-ranging powers to the central bank governor, Panicos Demetriades, and Finance Minister Michael Sarris, who have spent the last days deciding which measures to implement.
Those chosen include bans on terminating time deposits and cashing checks. Customers can transfer abroad at most 5,000 euros per month from a given financial institution.
"People have organized their budget for the week through the ATM machines and the radio has been calling on people not to run to the banks today," Maria Kyriacou, a Cypriot ruling-party lawmaker, told Bloomberg Television.
"I will not go to the bank today because I'm afraid that it will be chaos," said Maria Charalambous, a grocery store owner. "You do not know who will be behind you in the line and you could end up getting robbed. I will wait and see."
Cypriot banks lost 1 billion euros in deposits in February amid rising uncertainty over the country's ability to secure a bailout, European Central Bank data showed today.
Cyprus in June became the fifth euro-area nation to request a rescue, after Greece's debt restructuring trashed the financial health of lenders including Bank of Cyprus, the nation's biggest lender, and Cyprus Popular.
The 18 billion-euro economy is the third-smallest in the 17-nation euro area. Before the bailout, which was coupled with an austerity package, the European Commission predicted a contraction of 3.5 percent in 2013. Economists said afterward that the damage will be greater.
Moody's Investors Service yesterday lowered the highest rating that can be assigned to a domestic debt issuer in Cyprus to Caa2, citing a growing risk that the country would exit the euro. The company said Cyprus's Caa3 government bond rating and negative outlook remain unchanged.
Listed Greek companies reported the amounts of the deposits they held in Cypriot banks at the request of the Hellenic Capital Markets Commission. Jumbo SA, Greece's biggest toy retailer, said it holds about 58 million euros at Bank of Cyprus and predicted sales in Cyprus would drop as much as 25 percent by the end of the current fiscal year.
Deposits at Alpha Bank SA's Cypriot unit stood at 2.7 billion euros at the end of 2012, Chief Financial Officer Vassilios Psaltis said yesterday. Alpha, Greece's third-largest lender and the one with the biggest presence in Cyprus, reported a 1.1 billion-euro loss for the year.
"I won't go to the bank today because I have no money," Antonis Evripidou, 53, a taxi driver in Nicosia, said today. "I owe money. Things will only get worse. This is only the start."
Bloomberg News


text:
ELKHORN--Three Elkhorn teens accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in an Elkhorn basement are free on signature bonds pending their next court appearances.
Charged with sexual assault of a child younger than 16 are:
-- Braden D. Mann, 18, of W5244 County ES, Elkhorn.
-- Gage A. Timmer, 18, of 433 W. Court St., Elkhorn.
-- Nicholas T. Cook, 18, of 408 W. Centralia St., Elkhorn.
The 14-year-old girl told an Elkhorn police detective the assault happened Dec. 21 in the basement of Cook's home, according to one of the criminal complaints charging the three.
Cook and Timmer admitted having sexual contact with the girl in the basement that day, according to the criminal complaint.
Mann told the detective he was in the basement with the girl, too. He didn't know for sure if he had sexual contact with her, but if he did, "he made her stop," according to the complaint.
The criminal complaints were filed Feb. 10 and 11.
Walworth County District Attorney Daniel Necci declined to comment further about the cases Monday.
Preliminary hearings are scheduled for all three defendants--Friday for Timmer and Friday, March 7, for Mann and Cook.


text:
Francis A. "Pete" Pietrowski, Janesville, WI (1921-2014)
April 3, 1921 - April 14, 2014
Francis A. "Pete" Pietrowski, age 93, of Janesville, died on Monday, April 14, 2014, at home after a long battle with lung cancer. His theme song was "Lord It's Hard To Be Humble When You're Perfect In Every Way". Now he is forever perfect. He was born in Stevens Point on April 3, 1921, the son of Edward "Poppy" and Anne "Mom" Pietrowski. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He married Ruth Gothard in 1940, and she preceded him in death in 1970. Pete, later, married Bernice Burdick Schyvinck in 1963, and she preceded him in death in 1986. He, then, married Mary E. Johnson Ackerson in Stevens Point on June 1, 1990, and she preceded him in death on April 27, 2013. He had been employed by Wisconsin Bell Telephone (AT&T) for over 40 years, retiring in 1985. Pete was a member of the Loyal Order of Moose and the Telephone Pioneers of America.
Pete is survived by his three children with Ruth Gothard: Jeanne Hills of Madison, Jane (Ron) Wittenberg of Rotunda, FL, and Curtis (Becky) Pietrowski of Monaville, TX; three step-children with Bernice Burdick Schyvinck: Robert (Lois) Schyvinck of Janesville, William (Lynn) Schyvinck of Milton, and Jon (Rhonda) Schyvinck of Janesville; two step-children with Mary Johnson Ackerson, John (Cindy) Ackerson and Jay Ackerson, both of Janesville; 11 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; 15 great-great-grandchildren; 11 step-grandchildren; 13 step-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Francis Pietrowski; and his three wives.
Private Services will be held. Lasting Memorials may be made to Home Health United Hospice of Janesville. SCHNEIDER APFEL SCHNEIDER & SCHNEIDER FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY is assisting the family. For on-line condolences and registry: www.schneiderfuneraldirectors.com


text:
Suspect admits shooting neighbor over land dispute: Court documents
Daniel Bellard admitted he killed his neighbor because he feared she would "take our land," according to court documents filed today.
Bellard is scheduled to appear in Rock County Court this afternoon on a charge of first-degree intentional homicide in the Feb. 6 death of 59-year-old Christine Gestrich.
Bellard, 75, told investigators he believed Gestrich was going to take his land through adverse possession after they had a dispute over the property in rural Orfordville, according to the criminal complaint.
Bellard is accused of taking a .22 rifle and a shotgun into his barn and shooting Gestrich when she arrived to pick up some antiques that morning, according to the criminal complaint.
Bellard told investigators he recalled trying to shoot himself with a shotgun after he shot Gestrich. Bellard was released Monday from a Madison hospital where he had been recovering since the February shooting and booked into the Rock County Jail.


text:
Foreign exchange (fx) advisory firm FiREapps analyzed the earnings calls of 800 large multinational companies; each company included in the study makes at least 15 percent of its revenues internationally, in at least two currencies.
Among these businesses, 213—or 27 percent—reported that currency fluctuations had a negative impact on their revenues in the first quarter of 2013. That number is down from Q4/2012, but it's still much higher than the number of companies reporting currency headwinds in 2011. (See Figure 1.)
Ninety-seven of these companies quantified the impact of currency fluctuations on their revenues in the first quarter of 2013. The impact totaled US$3.67 billion, or 1.11 percent of revenue on average. Among the companies that disclosed the impact on earnings per share (EPS), the average EPS impact was US$0.03.
"Considering that fx managers from leading multinationals increasingly have MBOs (management objectives) of no greater than 1-cent EPS impact from balance sheet exposures alone, an average 3-cent hit to EPS is large and material," says FiREapps CEO Wolfgang Koester. "Currency impacts alone made companies miss their low end of EPS guidance. That EPS impact brings home the point that without good currency risk management, EPS remains at risk."
The two currencies mentioned most frequently as impacting earnings last quarter were the yen and the Venezuelan bolivar. Eighty-nine companies reported negative impacts from the yen, and 43 reported negative impacts from Latin American currencies, while only 25 reported negative impacts from the euro.
Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe began to devalue the yen shortly after taking office in December 2012. In the six months since, the yen has fallen almost 30 percent relative to the U.S. dollar. "The yen slide has set off a competitive devaluation race to the bottom, as an increasing number of countries have felt forced to get into the currency war," Koester says. "That's in order to maintain the relative competitiveness of their exports. One area in which yen devaluation has ignited a competitive devaluation race to the bottom is Latin America."
FiREapps does not anticipate a change in currency volatility anytime soon. "Looking toward the rest of 2013 and the first half of 2014," Koester says, "the yen will continue driving competitive devaluation and currency battles around the world. CEOs and CFOs need to prioritize currency exposure management because investors know that if a company has fx impacts greater than 1 cent of EPS, the company is not managing currency risk to the market standard and is therefore likely to have continuing fx surprises."


text:
- Riding
- Writing
- Tinkering
- Obsessing
- Reviews
- Features
- Trading Post
- Info
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Bike Lane Etiquette?
Apparently, we are hardly the only town experiencing such shocking advances in bicycle infrastructure. A friend from Virginia has written me with the news that there are now bicycle lanes in Harrisonburg, and he - a lifelong cyclist sans lanes - does not quite know how to behave in them. Where is one supposed to pass? How to deal with joggers in the lane?
While I am by no means an authority, I will contribute my ideas on bike lane etiquette. Please note that although these contain commentary on safety, they are meant as thoughts on polite behaviour and are not safety tips.
It is a good idea to cycle in the left half of the bike lane, as this positioning places you out of the "door zone" (i.e. you will not get struck by a car's door, should one suddenly fling open). Occasionally, a misguided cyclist or driver may shout at you to scoot over to the right, so that they can pass you easier - but don't allow yourself to be guilted into listening to them. Instead, politely explain about the door zone and why your positioning in the lane is necessary.
Try to keep to a consistent line within the bike lane; don't weave. Drivers and other cyclists can get freaked out by weaving cyclists, and in turn behave irrationally.
Passing other cyclists should be done on the left, never on the right. If you pass on the right, you endanger both yourself and the cyclist you pass, by nullifying the distance between the two of you and the door zone. Pass the slower cyclist by going around them on the left (into the traffic lane), naturally checking that the lane is clear first. Should another cyclist attempt to pass you on the right (you can sometimes sense them coming up behind you), I think it is perfectly fine to tell them not to do this ("Please don't pass on the right" or "Please pass me on the left").
Yield to turning vehicles in the lane, be they cars or other bicycles, instead of attempting to go around them as they are making the turn. Even if you manage to do this safely, it is disturbing to the vehicle to suddenly see you beside them as they attempt to execute a traffic maneuver.
4. Yielding to pedestrians
If the bike lane intersects a crosswalk, yield to pedestrians in a way that makes them feel safe - don't just cycle around them within inches of their person... And please don't even think of ringing your bell at pedestrians to make them cross faster (I have witnessed cyclists do this in Boston). It is the pedestrian's right to be in the crosswalk and your obligation to yield.
On the other hand, it is not the pedestrian's right to be in the bike lane itself, whether they are jogging or rolling a baby carriage, or whether it is a group of people caught up in chatting. If a pedestrian is blocking a bike lane, I think it is only fair to ring your bell and/or politely say something like "Excuse me, bike lane!" so that they move out of your way. It is rude of them to block the lane; it is not rude of you to point out that they are blocking it and ask them to move.
When stopped at an intersection, stop before the crosswalk - as opposed to blocking it (as shown above), as some cyclists do in order to get a head start. It's not very nice to make pedestrians go around you as they attempt to cross the street.
If other cyclists are already stopped at the intersection when you arrive, it is generally considered polite to stop behind them - as opposed to next to them, in an attempt to compete for who goes first when the light turns green.
Communicate your intention to turn by signaling and merging into the turn lane early on, rather than at the last moment, so that drivers are not surprised and can yield to you properly.
Observe the same rules as if you were a motor vehicle: When making a left turn, yield to oncoming traffic; when turning right on red, yield to pedestrians crossing and to cross-traffic.
I think the reason some cyclists engage in this behaviour, is to make an easier left turn. However, it is wrong and inconsiderate to "salmon" in the bike lanes; please don't do it. And I think it is perfectly acceptable to ask other cyclists not to do it.
Upon reaching their destination, some cyclists transition onto the sidewalk and continue to cycle - dismounting when they reach the bike rack, or the front door of the building they will be entering. My view is that cyclists should dismount upon reaching the sidewalk, and walk their bike thereafter.
9. Speed
As while driving, it is common sense and common courtesy to slow down when executing delicate maneuvers in traffic. It is also common courtesy not to jeopardise the safety of other cyclists, even if you are in a hurry. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow of bicycle traffic, even if technically you are capable of going faster.
10. Interaction with drivers and other cyclists
Please... just be polite. If you are annoyed or frightened by a driver or another cyclist, it is never a good idea to express that sentiment by immediately insulting them or shouting obscenities. An urgent tone of voice does not need to be abusive. "You almost killed me!" in an alarmed voice is more effective than "You almost killed me, you goddamn idiot!" in a hostile voice. While it may be tempting to shout the latter version, consider that doing so can actually escalate conflict and further endanger you.
With more cities across the US creating bicycle lanes, the numbers of new cyclists out on the roads is growing. And while different states have different degrees of regulations when it comes to cycling, I think there are certain aspects of using the bike lanes that are a matter of common sense and courtesy. I hope my suggestions are useful to new users of bike lanes. Your feedback, whether in agreement or disagreement, is welcome.
46 comments:
oh, man, am i glad the somerville ave reconstruction is finally completed! (which is not to say that there aren't some weird, and potentially dangerous, design problems with the reconstruction). having commuted on this thoroughfare for the past four years, and having been struck by a motorist on it, it was my most detested portion of my commute. the new bike lanes are great, and i've noticed that motorists behave much better than they did when it was an unmarked free-for-all.ReplyDelete
forgot to mention, i also noticed that somerville added sharrows to many of its streets this past month, and i read that during 2010 the number of miles of somerville roadways with bike lanes or sharrows has more than doubled. it's *almost* becoming as bike-friendly as cambridge...ReplyDelete
I've noticed little bike pictures on the car-heavy Somerville portion of Route 28 (near Broadway intersection), for all intents an purposes two six-to-eight lane car highways intersecting--not exactly bike paradise.ReplyDelete
The bike pictures tell cyclists to stop on the line to request green and are drawn in all lanes, presumably depending on whether you are turning left/right, going straight and so on. I can't tell when these appeared there, maybe I simply didn't see them before as I only drive in that area.
And yet just the other day I saw cyclists on the sidewalk riding along the recently added freshly painted bike lanes on Somerville Ave, getting up to a pedestrian crosswalk near a super-market, presumably intending to cross when car traffic dies down and continue on the other sidewalk, on the opposite side of the street. I don't see sidewalk cyclists as often in Boston and Cambridge as I do in Somerville.
OMG. Stop hating on that neighborhood. You make it sound like the ghetto, which it clearly isn't. :)ReplyDelete
Don't be silly! I dislike all of Boston, be it ghetto-esque or gentrified, and long to live in the middle of nowhere milking my own clothes and sewing my own cows.ReplyDelete
As shown in the photos, it is a good idea to ride about three feet to the right of the RH tire tracks, presuming that does not put the cyclist in danger from door openings. If it is not possible to ride three feet to the right of the RH tire tracks without clearance against door openings, the street is too narrow to have a traffic lane AND a bike lane.ReplyDelete
I admit to doing the "salmon" thing in the bit of bike lane that I use everyday. Then again, I'm just about the ONLY cyclist around here. I've determined that in my particular situation it is by far the safest. It means that I can make my left and go the 1/16 of a mile to the next street over for another left without having to cross 4 lanes + a suicide lane in a 50 mph zone to go that short distance and have to cross all of that again. I think that in the 4 years that we've lived here I've seen 2 other cyclists total using the lanes, so I don't think that I'm going to get in anyone's way. I would be delighted if I did by chance encounter another cyclist using it! :)ReplyDelete
Steve - Interesting, I did not know the tire tracks rule.ReplyDelete
Amy - How sad that you are the only one using the lanes : (
PS Herzog - By "normally I avoid this road", I meant that I avoided it not because of its vinyl sided houses and thriving used tire trade, but because in the past year and a half I was "brushed" by cars on it not one but three times, and several people I know have been struck by cars there.
Maybe now they'll repave Beacon St. Or is that too much to hope for?ReplyDelete
the most common reason I've heard for people who salmon is that they think it's safer to be facing traffic--they think oncoming cars can see them easier, when actually it makes no difference. They also discount that cars turning into an intersection will not be looking for wrong-way traffic. I've probably had as many close encounters with salmons as with cars. I really hate salmons.
- AnonymousOctober 4, 2010 at 2:46 AM
What a thoughtful article, if only everybody was as considerate. I always try to be considerate. That kind of bike lane while appreciated puts you at risk of being dinged. Vancouver has oodles of bike lanes including a new separated bikeway downtown and specific bikeways which are roads where cyclists have the right of way and hopefully cars avoid.ReplyDelete
One some streets the bike lanes are in between the bus lane and regular traffic and while it takes some getting used to is actually very safe.
My personal pet peeve is people standing on bike lanes or bike ways. Vancouver has bike specific lanes throughout Stanely Park and all the seawall routes but people will stand like cows in the middle of them and wonder why they are being screamed at by angry cyclists. People with strollers, wildly roaming children, dogs you name it will be on the bike lane! I don't know what the etiquette in cities like Copenhagen or Amsterdam, but I highly doubt people would dare stand in the bike lanes. It's supposed to be a way for cyclists to get to their destination quickly without distraction and to be able to just RIDE.
And riding against traffic on the bike lane and on the road is very risky. Not only does it disrupt cycling traffic and put others at risk, it puts you at risk. Cars won't be expecting you to be riding the wrong way, won't be looking for you. I have been pushed onto traffic or onto the dirt by people barreling along the wrong way. And most provinces in Canada, cyclists must follow the rules of the road. So if a cyclist is riding against traffic and gets in an accident with a vehicle the cyclist will be found at fault or partially at fault resulting in loss of potential benefits and compensation.
I only do it occasionally on my rural routes when I am trying to cross the highway to go down a side road and am trying to beat ferry traffic.
I also do not know why cyclists ride on busy sidewalks. You know; downtown where the sidewalk is literally full of people and some nitwit thinks they can just push through on their bike. And it's always grown men who are big and strong enough to ride with traffic! Kids are allowed to bike on sidewalks, but that's it. It is illegal in most places, but as a cyclist there is a certain amount of leeway depending on conditions and consideration for safety.
Where I live in rural bike hell some bike lanes were built along some roads in villages and such, but are so poorly designed nobody really uses them. They are too bumpy, too close to driveways, powerline poles in the middle of them, overgrown bushes and brambles that slice open flesh and tonnes of loose gravel, rocks, glass, metal etc.. An extra shoulder was created on one side of the highway I ride on to and fro work. Not sure it was meant to be a bike lane or not, but it's become one. Problem is, it's only on one side, so on the other I still contend with almost no shoulder, piles of gravel, sand, glass etc. Very few people bike out here out of fear. I have no interest in 'taking the lane' as it is unsafe even though I am legally entitled to. Someone wrote a letter to the editor thrashing local cyclists for not using the bike lane that 'taxpayers paid for' and boy did he get lambasted by cyclists! Cyclists actually pay more than their fair share in taxes because bikes and bike gear are not subsidized while the cost of gas is heavily subsidized in North America. If gas cost what it does in Europe, you'd see many more people on their bikes.
I'm not sure I am understanding the yielding to turning traffic part. Surely if their turning manoeuvre causes you to need to need to take action to avoid hitting them it was performed improperly. In real life this happens innocently all of the time when people slightly underestimate your speed and force you to slow down slightly, but when on the bike I find people turn across the bike lane frequently with a wilful disregard for cyclists, in which case yielding to them will only make the situation worse.ReplyDelete
Nice post. Jeff Mapes talks about the difference between laws and a 'code of transportaion' in his book pedaling revolution (which I highly recommend)and that people generally accept or reject certain behaviors as we get around, whether they be laws or not. Bikes pose an interesting problem because laws are often unclear, vary from place to place and don't exist sometimes. As bikes become a more important part of American transportation many of these issues will work themselves out. In the meantime, I agree that courtesy and some common sense is the best method. Good luck!ReplyDelete
God, it would really be so nice if people behaved this way. Cyclists here are really so bad. I cling to Bike Snob's wry descriptions just to keep going.ReplyDelete
steve-- good point on the distance rule of thumb. i'm guessing the city engineers use the overall width of the street to determine whether there is enough room for a dedicated bike lane, taking into account minimum widths required for car lanes, bike lanes, and parking spots. they only paint bike lanes when there is sufficient space for all three. since these roads are so old and their width varies from block to block, sometimes the bike lane will simply "disappear" at a narrow section and re-appear again farther down the road when it widens.ReplyDelete
what really shocks me is what is happening in union square. after what seems like an eternity waiting for that quagmire of intersections to get reconstructed in a more bike- and pedestrian-friendly way, they've finally finished paving of portions of it and didn't include bike lanes!!!!! after all those promises!!!
moopheus-- beacon street was actuallly supposed to be repaved last year, but because both beacon st and somerville ave are major thoroughfares through the same city, they decided to hold off on beacon until somerville ave was completed to avoid too much disruption of traffic flow. my guess is that reconstruction of beacon street will commence next spring.
Great post and suggestions about riding in bike lanes! Unfortunately riding to the far left in most bike lanes doesn't keep you out of harms way with regards to doors, but it's better than setting yourself up to take the full force of a door I guess. And yes, passing on the right is incredibly dangerous - I've had other riders pass me on the right with no announcement just as I was about to move to the right to avoid a pothole or some other road obstacle!ReplyDelete
Great post :) I was in Somerville yesterday and waht a pleasent suprise to see Somerville ave all nice with a bike lane. When I lived in Somverville I used to ride on this road daily for 16 years only to dream of it being this way! So many great things happening all around.ReplyDelete
I pretty much agree with regard to the bike lanes - the one thing I would mention is that, unless you are going quite fast and can't watch the parked cars to the right, I would ride more towards the middle of the bike lane - if you ride way to the left, parts of your body and your bike are then actually in the traffic lane to the left, even if your tires aren't.ReplyDelete
To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of painted bike lanes, and I'd prefer to ride on a non-segregated, low-traffic street most of the time if possible (and until we get more real bicycle facilities), but if you have to ride on a busy street, it's nice to at least have some space of your own.
A lot of cyclists here stop in crosswalks, and it drives me crazy. Even when there is a bike box at the intersection so they can sit in front of car traffic, they will pull through the whole bike box and sit in the crosswalk in front of it. I just don't understand.
It was funny being in Amsterdam and seeing people walking luggage with rollers down the bike paths. I guess if you come from a place where you never think about bikes, you assume it's just sidewalk (since often the bike paths are not grade-separated from the sidewalk, just a different color).
One thing that I really appreciated about bicycle infrastructure in Amsterdam, as opposed to Portland, is that it is clear, well-marked and consistent throughout the whole city. There is none of the usual thing that happens in Portland where you'll be in a bike lane, and suddenly it will end, leaving you in the right lane of a three-lane road with fast traffic, or a bike lane which only appears for about 10 feet, so you have to merge out of traffic to go in the bike lane, then merge back into traffic as soon as it ends. Not to mention, we have so many different types of signals and infrastructure in Portland from "testing" things that then never get implemented on a city-wide basis, it can be really confusing sometimes just trying to figure out what all of it means and is used for.
Great advice. I wish there were more (any?) bike lanes up in Salem, so that I could use this advice.ReplyDelete
- Ron NewmanOctober 4, 2010 at 2:22 PM
I usually find it better to stop just beyond a crosswalk instead of behind it.ReplyDelete
Ron - When stopping beyond the crosswalk is possible I do it too, because it both gives me a head start and doesn't interfere with pedestrians. But if the light is already red when I get there and people are already crossing, it isn't possible to do without interfering with pedestrians.ReplyDelete
Mr. Colostomy - The kind of scenario I am thinking of, is, for instance, when a car makes a turn but has to pause in order to merge with traffic while its rear end is still in the bike lane. As a cyclist in the lane, I see this and have a choice to either slow down, pause for a few seconds if necessary... or to attempt to go around them somehow - which will actually keep them from completing the turn and keep them in the lane longer, inconveniencing other cyclists.
Here in Phoenix, we have very few bike lanes but very large sidewalks. It's very scary trying to ride on the small asphalt roads at night among the cars hoping they will see you and be able to go around you. Meanwhile, I hate to ride on the sidewalks no matter how wide because I really feel like I'm doing something wrong.ReplyDelete
I'm always glad to hear that more cities are making more bike lanes and I'm hoping that our city will "get it" sooner than later.
The law depend on the city police, and what they understand as legal. Here in my city, at a car-bike fatality, the police woman spoke to the TV news reporter and said "it is a shame, he should have been on the sidewalk where he belonged"ReplyDelete
We are slowly getting a few bike lanes, but cars use them too.
We just got a whole slew of new bike lanes in downtown Salt Lake City. Well, they are actually shared bike lanes with cars (there is just a green bike 'path' painted in the middle of the traffic lane). Essentially they are just telling motorist that bikes can use the whole lane. I don't love the idea of a sharing a lane with a car. Feeling their engine and impatience breathing down my neck, especially when I am on my slow Pashley and can't keep up with traffic. But I suppose it is better than being off in the gutter where drivers are still annoyed that I am not over far enough when there is really no safe place for me to ride. At least in the shared bike lane, they may be annoyed but they can't really say anything about it since I am exactly where I am allowed to be. Another plus, they can see me clearly and act accordingly.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 4, 2010 at 4:48 PM
It sounds as though you don't care for Boston very much...so why not move? it does not sound as though you are tied down caring for elderly parents or tied to schools. And the cat will no doubt readjust to a new view.ReplyDelete
So if that is what would make you and the CoH happy...take a risk...pack the bikes...hit the road. After all, you can always come back if the cows are ill-tempered and the rural life does not suit. It makes me a little sad to think that someone is not pursuing her dream if she can. And you seem very much like the sort of person who can.
kara-- that's exactly the point of the shared lane markings: it tells drivers that cyclists are "allowed" to be on the road just as are drivers, and it brings (hopefully) a level of awareness to drivers that there are cyclists who may be using the road too.ReplyDelete
dave-- not all local police have the same understandings of the laws, especially new laws. i know that here, there are some police who don't like to accept that cyclists have certain rights, and see them as a nuisance (the old "why can't they just drive cars like the rest of us" mentality). then there are others who are very supportive of cyclists. i think the laws are changing so rapidly and many police just don't bother to keep up with them. for example, i almost got doored by a cop parked on the side of the street. he never bothered to check for cyclists in the bike lane. yet, there's a new law in MA that makes it a requirement for drivers to check for cyclists before opening their doors into traffic. (how enforceable such a law is is anyone's guess, but hopefully even if not enforceable, it will eventually bring an awareness to the general public).
As I was cycling to the high school where I work, some lady honked loudly three times and stayed behind me. We have no bike lanes but I was cycling as close to the sidewalk as possible but on the street. She could have easily passed me but yet, when we got to the stop light she yelled "Get on the damn sidewalk!" I can't. There are children walking to school. It was plain rude. I took out a notebook and wrote her license plate (I won't do anything, but it scared her.)ReplyDelete
Great post and much needed. With each new school year here in Flagstaff along come a whole slew of new bicycling NAU students unused apparently to biking on city streets. The most common problems I observe are failure to properly signal and traveling the wrong direction on a bike lane. Usually, the student/rider is not only traveling the wrong direction in the bike lane but on the wrong direction on a one-way street.ReplyDelete
Ah, one of my favorite topics. Door zone bike lanes. DZBLs. I agree with Samantha, above, who says riding on the left of the bike lane doesn't neccessarily keep you out of the door zone. Open car doors are 35 to 45 inches wide, reportedly. Your handle bars/elbows need at least another 2 feet width. If a car is parked very close to the lane (look at that car in front of the van in your first three photos) there is precious little if any room in the lane if a door swings open.ReplyDelete
DZBLs make you ride a tightrope between the door zone and the vehicles passing by on your left. The passing motorists don't know this and think you have a whole bike lane to yourself when really you do not, and you need the option of going into their lane and they don't understand or expect this. To me these kinds of bike lanes advertise a safety factor that is false, and serve to cause confusion and a possibility for surprises between motorists and cyclists that are dangerous. Be careful everyone.
- AnonymousOctober 5, 2010 at 7:55 AM
Last week I was downtown and witnessed something heartwarming, an officer ticketing one of our local hipsters for riding his bike in circles on the sidewalk in front of the museum I was working in. I found the look of confusion and injured entitlement on the guys face gratifying in a petty, smallminded way. Then I noticed that the cop had parked her car in the bike lane and left the door halfway open. I thought about faking a door-strike and sueing the bloomers off the city but decided not to tempt fate, God's watching and I'm probably overdue for a snowball to the ear or a wiffleball bat in the spokes as it is...ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 12, 2013 at 6:31 AM
I've read many of your comments on this blog. You strike me as the kind of person who'd offer constructive criticism to a fellow cyclist, yet you'd acquiesce to a badge (... a glorified title, if you will)? Dafuq?Delete
Which god? /troll bait mode
I think the only point I'd disagree with is the one about your positioning in the cycle lane so as to avoid parked car doors.ReplyDelete
As a part of learning to drive (certainly in the UK) you are told to watch for people exiting parked vehicles, as well as when you are parked to watch for other road users passing before you exit.
That being the case, the onus is on the occupant of the parked vehicle to be aware of you cycling past.
Asside from that, I would rather cycle into an opening car door than be hit by a wayward car as it passed me by.
My view is that you ought to be either in the centre of the cycle lane, or preferably towards the inside of it, and not near the busy traffic. The lane is there for your safety - it would be a shame to not use it for such.
@ Kung Foo Sausage,ReplyDelete
Unfortunately most drivers in the USA do NOT look before opening their doors, and unfortunately hitting a door or being hit by a door being opened can have devastating consequences far beyond the impact of the door. If you are knocked sideways or fly over the door, it is quite possible to land in the traffic lane under the wheels of oncoming traffic.
While the danger of traffic coming up behind you while you cycle in the bike lane (or shared road lane) is real, the statistics I saw still point at "doorings" as a more serious threat. It makes sense to choose the lesser evil here.ReplyDelete
My personal take on it is: The people who are behind you can/should see you ahead, but the people opening the door do so when they don't see you or don't even think to look. It also happens to be a very violent dismount, capable of serious injury.
I'm confused about one point.ReplyDelete
If you're riding to the far left to avoid dooring, but you want people to pass you on the...left, aren't you leaving no room on the left for them to pass you?
I'm a novice biker and I don't always know when people plan to pass me but if they yell out "on the left" if there's room or "on the right" - fine. But it just seems like riding all the way to the left is asking for them to pass you on the right? Or expect that they announce they're passing you, have a dialogue about it, move and then they pass you on the left?
I think bike lanes are not generally designed for two bikes to travel side by side. Passing within the bike lane, on the left or on the right puts cyclists closer together than is safe.ReplyDelete
What follows is that the passing cyclist must first look back and then temporarily merge left with car traffic to pass safely.
That's what I do, anyway, and if car traffic is either too heavy, or too fast or too slow, then I can't pass and must wait. I've had cyclists pass me on the right, squeezing between parked cars or utilizing a gap in them and it's very unnerving. Fortunately, this only happens rarely and most cyclists here appear to know to pass as a car would, on the left.
- AnonymousOctober 5, 2010 at 11:20 PM
boycott bike lanes. they create more problems than they solve and, in my neck of the woods, they send the worng message to drivers re: the cyclists' right to the road--ALL roads, excepting freeways and suchlike.ReplyDelete
Anon 11:20 - I am comfortable cycling both in traffic lanes and in bike lanes, but in Boston I have to say that the behaviour of drivers has notably improved on roads where bike lanes have been placed.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 6, 2010 at 3:44 AM
I'm also somewhat ambivalent about whether bike lanes are a good or a bad thing precisely because it can send the message that cyclists are somehow not entitled to use the roads as motorists are. Sharrows and "share the road" signs seem as though they might perhaps be a better option, but then again sometimes there are some apparently significant gains in safety after bike lanes go in.ReplyDelete
I'm fortunate to live in a very bike friendly community here in the Fraser Valley, so most motorists actually seem to be quite accommodating and so far I haven't had any close calls despite the lack of bike lanes. It definitely was much scarier riding in Vancouver when I used to live there.
We've just returned from Provincetown on the Cape. Everyone cycles in Provincetown, it's simply like nothing else. Maybe it's the unique traffic situation, (driving a car there is a huge hassle) but there are no bike lanes yet drivers are extremely courteous while passing cyclists not just in town but everywhere else. Cape Cod is some sort of velo-paradise.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 6, 2010 at 5:11 PM
Hi. I'm the same anon from 11:20pm. I suspect drivers are better behaved on the bikelane-equipped roads b/c they see the signs and road paint, and therefore *know* that you're "allowed" there. The problem is, on roads without bikelanes, they think you're not "supposed" to be there, as there is no bikelane. In Philly last here, some blowhard in one of the dailies was anti-bikes at all, and his argument, such as it was, relied on the notion that cyclists should stick to the roads with bikelanes.
We need better education for all roadway users *far* more than we need bikelanes. Having bikelanes on roads that are already open to bikes seems redundant. We might as well try to ride 2 bikes at once, while we're at it.
rob, MDI, good comments. Interesting the diversity of strong views on this, among cyclists. That says something.ReplyDelete
Thanks for this post Velouria.
@MDI: We experienced a very similar thing in Amsterdam, where in the main center of the city, there are a lot of roads where bicycles, pedestrians, and cars all share the roads, and people were very patient and considerate, when needing to pass and when being passed. Of course, the population in the center of the city is dense enough that you can't really drive very fast even if you wanted to, so probably people just get used to it and don't worry about it. The whole feeling of the city there felt much more relaxed and much less frantic than most places we've been in the U.S. - which of course makes for nice traffic, because you know people are actually watching out for you and will stop or move if they need to, they're not just in a huge rush to go as straight and fast as possible (both people driving and on bikes).ReplyDelete
In the photo relating to turning(#6) you seem to be pretty far right in the lane. I believe it would be safer to be in the middle of the lane. This would prevent drivers from trying to turn around you and trapping you against the curb. Although, there really should be a bike turn box in that line like this http://commutebybike.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/bike-box.jpgReplyDelete
I love the blog btw, keep up the awesome work.
Daniil--good point re: turning. I agree that bikes turning right should occupy more of the turn lane to avoid cars squeezing in.ReplyDelete
There is a narrow bike lane there that suddenly expands into a turn lane (that you see in the picture) while the real bike lane continues straight. It indeed sets you up to be too close to the curb, unless you first look to your left and merge to centre at the moment that the turn lane appears.
Whats most important is to look how other cyclists and traffic behaves and adapt to that. In Sthml you get run over if you walk in a bike lane or bike path. Bus drivers are totally lacking sympathy for life and limb of all other traffic if you walk in their lanes or designated areas. And dont count on cyclist to ring a bell, they are likely to just pass you at one Angstrom´s distance!ReplyDelete
When I encounter a person riding the wrong way coming towards me, I move as far right as I can to FORCE THEM into the trafficReplyDelete


text:
The euro dropped as the European Central Bank (ECB) is considering a negative deposit rate if more economic stimulus is needed, according to two people with knowledge of the debate.
The dollar fell versus the yen as consumer prices in the U.S. declined for the first time in six months, damping expectations that the Federal Reserve will trim monetary stimulus. The Australian dollar extended losses after the International Monetary Fund said the currency was 10 percent overvalued and that the central bank should maintain easy policy settings. The Federal Reserve releases the minutes of its October meeting at 2 p.m.
"Taking the deposit rate negative that will have negative implications on the euro," Eric Viloria, senior currency strategist at Gain Capital Group in New York, said in a phone interview. "If banks have to pay money in order to park cash with the ECB, it's going to make them reluctant to do so, and make investors reluctant to hold euros."
The euro dropped 0.7 percent to 134.61 per euro at 10:46 a.m. in New York after touching 135.95, the strongest level since October 2009. The shared currency fell 0.5 percent to $1.3468. The U.S. currency slipped 0.2 percent to 99.94 yen.
The Bloomberg U.S. Dollar Index, which monitors the greenback against 10 major peers, added 0.2 percent to 1,016.71.


text:
Shooting at town of Milton tavern is second in eight months
TOWN OF MILTON—For the second time in less than a year, police are investigating a shooting at the Countryside Inn, 1801 E. Highway 59.
The latest shooting took place after closing early Sunday. The victim, a 28-year-old Madison man, was treated and released from Meriter Hospital, Madison, according to a news release from the Rock County Sheriff's Office.
The shooting was believed to have occurred around 2:10 a.m., said Rock County Sheriff's Office Capt. Jude Mauer.
Because of an event taking place at the bar, the tavern had asked a Town of Milton police officer to be on the premises. Near closing time, some of the patrons were involved in a� "physical altercation," Mauer said.
The town of Milton officer called for assistance from the Rock County Sheriff's Office around closing time, but no arrests were made at that time, Mauer said.
At 3:34 a.m., Sunday, officials at Meriter Hospital in Madison called the Rock County Sheriff's Office with a report of a man with a gunshot wound to his lower leg, according to the news release.
The man, who had been dropped off near the hospital, told Madison police that the injury happened somewhere near Milton. After investigation, Madison police determined the location of the accident was at the Countryside Inn, the news release said.
The man told investigators he was shot about 2:10 a.m. while leaving the tavern. He was later treated and released from the hospital, according to the news release.
Overnight investigation led to a search warrant being executed at the business at 10 a.m.
Police are not yet releasing information about what, if anything, was found during the search.
The June 22 shooting took place after closing time. A 31-year-old man was shot three times in that incident.
In both cases, the shooting took place after an event held at the bar.
The shooting in June in prompted town of Milton officials to consider a "demerit system" for taverns. Countryside owner Rich Erdman objected to the plan, saying that he didn't have much control over the behavior of people in his parking lot. He did, however, tighten up security for events, adding security guards and video cameras.
In the June shooting, Trevonne McClarn, 22, formerly of Madison, was charged with attempted first degree homicide. He appeared in Rock County Court in July and was released on $250,000 cash bond.
McClarn is scheduled to appear in court again in March.


text:
Delavan celebrates Cinco de Mayo
DELAVAN--Delavan will celebrate its 13th annual Cinco de Mayo on Saturday, May 3. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Tower Park, downtown Delavan. Enjoy the many arts and crafts vendors. Food vendors will feature many traditional Mexican foods.
All funds raised will go to next year's festival and a scholarship to be offered to a graduating student at Delavan-Darien High School this year.
This festival is not just for Delavan. All area communities are invited and encouraged to visit historic downtown Delavan during our Cinco de Mayo Fest. The DDBA invites the public to enjoy great food and music — be sure to wear your dancing shoes.
This year, the entertainment will open at 10 a.m. with DJ Tejano 7 followed by more live music at 11 a.m. featuring mariachi performers.
At noon, the Delavan Flying Dragons will perform, followed by the Ballet Folklorico Dancers Youth Group at 1 p.m.
Enter the jalape�o eating contest from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. if� you dare.
It's back to the music with Los Hermanos Velas performing from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. followed by a performance by Liz Duran. Rounding out the day's lineup is����������������� La Brissa De Veracruz.
Cinco de Mayo is a festival celebrated by many Mexican-Americans across the United States. It is a day of cultural pride that commemorates the unlikely victory of an outnumbered Mexican Army over the French occupying forces in the state of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It is not the true independence day of Mexico, which is Sept. 16, but is a time for the community to celebrate.


text:
It is my honor to serve as Chief of Police in the City of Franklin, a vibrant and diverse community with a rich history and an exciting future. Our organization takes pride in providing the highest quality police services to our citizens and businesses.
Through collaborative problem solving with the community and aggressive pursuit of criminals, the Franklin Police Department endeavors to keep our community safe and secure. A community oriented policing philosophy serves a guiding principal for the department. Our department's values emphasize the importance of being leaders in the community and building relationships based on trust. This approach encourages citizen involvement, and allows our team to provide quality services that anticipate and respond to the changing needs of the community. Our tradition of community policing means that we listen to what you have to say. We respond to complaints and seek out long term solutions to neighborhood problems and challenges. Our staff, both sworn and civilian, are well trained, well equipped, and committed to serving our great community.
The men and women of the Franklin Police Department are committed to serving you, our customer. Whether you are visiting, work, or reside in Franklin, you should know that we stand ready to serve. Of course, we cannot do it alone. We need your help in reporting suspicious activity and crime, becoming and remaining involved in your neighborhoods, and sharing information with us to preserve order and safety.
On behalf to the staff of the Franklin Police Department, thank you for working with us to make the City of Franklin a great place to live, work, learn, and play. We welcome your suggestions and comments regarding our services, and we are committed to continuous improvement in our service. If you have any questions or concerns, please visit our facility, or contact me or any other member of my staff at (706) 675-6624.


text:
Rural Walworth County house catches fire Tuesday
ELKHORN— A malfunctioning clothes dryer caused a house fire north of Elkhorn on Tuesday, a fire official said.
The fire started around 1 p.m. in the basement of the home, N6537 Cedar Road, said Elkhorn Fire Department Chief Rod Smith.
He and his crew were on the scene around 1:15, shortly after receiving a call from a friend of homeowner Pete Nettesheim. No injuries were reported.�
When Smith arrived at the home it was filled with smoke. The back of the building had a hole burnt through the wall, Smith said.
Several Walworth County fire departments responded to the fire at the house, located five miles north of Elkhorn on the corner of Lakeshore Drive next to Silver Lake.
Attic windows of the one-story house had been removed and showed signs of the fire.�
There is significant damage to the inside of the home from smoke, heat and water, Smith said.
In order to live in the home again "extensive remodeling" will need to be completed because of possible structural damage, Smith said.
The last firetruck and crew members left around 4 p.m.


text:
Jondavid Pollock, MD, PhD
Main Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Cervical Cancer | Resource Guide
If you are diagnosed with
cervical cancer
may be part of your treatment plan. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. The drugs enter the bloodstream and travel to the tumor in order to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy also kills normal cells, though. The advantage is that the cancer cells are more sensitive to the drugs being used.
Chemotherapy may be given either alone or along with
radiation therapy
. When given alone, it is given in a higher dose designed to kill off cancer cells. When given along with radiation therapy, it is delivered at a lower dose and is designed to make the cancer more sensitive to the radiation.
A wide variety of chemotherapy drugs may be used, such as:
Chemotherapy is usually given by vein, but some forms can be given by mouth. Your oncologist will tell you how many cycles or courses of chemotherapy are best for you. Usually there are between 4-6 cycles of chemotherapy given when the chemotherapy is delivered on its own, and up to 10 cycles of chemotherapy when the drugs are given along with the radiation therapy.
The side effects and amount of time required in the doctor's office depend on the type of chemotherapy you receive, as well as how many cycles you receive and how often. The most common side effects are:
When chemotherapy is given at a lower dose, these side effects are less common. But most people feel very fatigued.
A variety of drugs is available to manage side effects, including nausea and fatigue that results from anemia.
Long-term side effects may also occur. The chemothrapy drug adriamycin has been associated with damage to the heart muscle. Some very rare cases of leukemia may also result from treatment with chemotherapy drugs.
About chemotherapy for cervical cancer. American Cancer Society website. Available at:
Accessed September 4, 2012.
Chemotherapy for cervical cancer. American Cancer Society website. Available at:
. Updated March 14, 2012. Accessed September 4, 2012.


text:
- Make sure the nominator is a current member of AAAA.
- Make sure the nominee has not been awarded the Bronze OSM before.
- Fill out the nomination form, 100 word limit summary, 1,500 word limit for supporting information.
- Submit nomination to your local Chapter for Chapter President Approval. If nominator is a member but not affiliated with a Chapter, please submit to National.
- All approved nominations must be submitted to National for our records
Historical List of Awardees:
Historic List of Order of St. Michael Award Recipients


text:
Nellie M. Huschka, Dekalb, IL/formerly Albuquerque, NM and Janesville (1921-2013)
March 5, 1921 - November 19, 2013
Nellie M. Huschka, age 92, of DeKalb, IL, and formerly of Albuquerque, NM, and Janesville, died on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013, at Bethany Health Care & Rehabilitation Center, DeKalb, IL. She was born in Janesville, on March 5, 1921, the daughter of Anton and Annie (Albrecht) Wunder. She graduated from Janesville High School, and married LaVerne Huschka in Rockford, IL, on Nov. 9, 1946. LaVerne preceded her in death on June 7, 2013. Nellie had been a member of St. John Lutheran Church, Janesville, and the VFW Auxiliary Post 1621.
Nellie is survived by her four children: Bradley James (Sally) Huschka of Lehi, UT, Christine Joy (Dr. Donald) Grady of DeKalb, IL, Linda Kay (Dr. Charles) Blackbourn of Edgerton, and Susan Ann Campbell of Tacoma, WA; eight grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; son, David Lawrence Sheldon; grandson, Donald L. Grady, III; great-granddaughter, Rakiera Jackson; four brothers; and four sisters.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, at MILTON LAWNS MEMORIAL PARK CHAPEL with Rev. Bond Haldeman officiating. Interment will be in Milton Lawns Memorial Park. Lasting Memorials may be made to St. John's Lutheran Church, Janesville, WI. SCHNEIDER APFEL SCHNEIDER & SCHNEIDER FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY is assisting the family. For on-line condolences and registry: www.schneiderfuneraldirectors.com


text:
Death Notices for April 10, 2014
Louis M. Alf, 87, Beloit, died Wednesday at Beloit Memorial Hospital, Beloit. Arrangements are pending at Brian Mark Funeral Home, Beloit.
Ellsworth H. "JR" Gillam Jr., 68, Pine City, Minn., formerly of Edgerton, died Sunday at First Light Health System, Mora, Minn. Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Ehlert Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Edgerton. Visitation will be from noon until the time of services Friday at the funeral home.
Russell L. Porter, 87, Beloit, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Manor, Footville. Services will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday at Sun Valley Presbyterian Church, Beloit. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Daley Murphy Wisch & Associates Funeral Home and Crematorium, Beloit.
Robert Scholz, 88, Janesville, died Wednesday at Cedar Crest, Janesville. Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Cedar Crest, Janesville. Visitation will be from 12:30 p.m. until the time of services Saturday at Cedar Crest. Daley Murphy Wisch & Associates Funeral Home and Crematorium, Beloit, is assisting the family.


text:
Search for a name or phrase
Search for a name or phrase
using quick search
Find the right name for your baby using our advanced search tool
's Stuff
My Name Ratings
Review and change the name ratings you've made throughout the site
My Lists
Create a private list of your favorite names or share it with the Nameberry community to flex your naming muscles
Names I Follow
Manage all the name subscription emails you've set up
Account Settings
Change your email address and your password
Or Register
- this week
Gender: F Meaning of Zora: "dawn" Origin of Zora: Serbo-Croatioan
Share Zora on Facebook Share on Facebook
Share Zora on Twitter Share on Twitter
Share Zora on Google Plus Share on Google+
Love the name Zora
Dislike the name Zora
Follow Zora
Please Register or Login
We're excited that you have an opinion about the name Zora. To rate names on Nameberry, please register for an account or log in to an existing account.
Would you like to follow Zora?
You will receive an email (no more than once per day) summarizing any new mentions of Zora on Nameberry. Would you like to follow Zora?
People who liked Zora also liked:
Ace Anais Anaïs Athena Boaz Christine Dex Emrys Esmé Estella Ezri Frederica Heloise Hiram Hyacinth Ida Junia Karin Leni London Mac Maeva Marius Nasima Neve Noah Noam Odette Olwen Ophelia Oren Portia Rosalind Roxie Sabina Simone Snow Solene Tahlia Tzipora Vera Viviana Wild Yara Zahara Zara Zipporah Zorina Zuri


text:
Global trade is expected to grow by leaps and bounds in coming years. What's already growing rapidly is the number of free trade agreements that companies have to keep track of when they're importing or exporting goods.
There are more than 500 free trade agreements, and William Methenitis, global director of customs and international trade at Ernst & Young, said the pace at which new agreements are being put in place is accelerating. "It has picked up in the last five years," he said. "In the last two or three years you've seen it grow quite a bit."
Each agreement sets out different rules for different types of products, so the proliferation poses a challenge for companies that import or export goods. "It's a huge data exercise to be able to analyze them," Methenitis said.
Free trade agreements are designed to promote manufacturing activity in the countries signing them, and their rules about which products qualify for reduced tariffs—known as rules of origin—take into consideration the extent to which a product was produced in the country from which it's being exported, explained Arthur O'Meara, principal at O'Meara & Associates, an Aurora, Ill.-based company that provides strategic trade compliance and training.
"The theory is that your product that you sell to a foreign market will be allowed to be imported into that market duty free because you as a manufacturer have proven this product has a certain minimum amount of domestic value," O'Meara said, noting that that value could entail labor and overhead as well as materials. "You have to prove it's made in America; it's not just made somewhere else and repackaged here.
"A free trade agreement can have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of different origination rules," he added.
The considerable number of trade agreements and all of their differing provisions pose a particular challenge to companies that manufacture goods for multiple markets, according to E&Y's Methenitis.
"Each agreement has a separate set of rules of origin," he said. "When you think about that for the entire supply chain, the company needs to be able to determine that a particular product qualifies by bill of materials for each free trade agreement destination country, and it's got to be able to monitor any changes in the supply chain that would affect that bill of materials. When you look across the entire supply chain, there's quite a lot to optimize."
Methenitis cited the example of a company in Mexico that is contemplating manufacturing an item to be exported to the U.S., Europe, and Japan. "Mexico has free trade agreements with each of those places," he said. "They all have fundamentally different types of rules of origin. It does require independent assessment of each rule. Sometimes it's possible to meet all of them, and sometimes it's not. Your sourcing of the materials affects the qualification of the goods you're producing."
A product that's manufactured in the U.S. with no imported parts qualifies for U.S. origin, said Methenitis, who's pictured at left. "But that's not the real world of business. Companies are importing all over the place, and they're trying to source the lowest-cost item.
Companies rely on technology to help them comply with free trade agreements, he said. "It's very hard to do this manually if you're making multiple products and they qualify for multiple free trade agreements."
O'Meara noted that complying with free trade agreements is voluntary. If a company prefers, it can ignore a free trade agreement and just pay the tariff. If duty rates are low, it might not make sense to take on the administrative burdens involved in complying with a trade agreement, he said. "Duty rates have been trending downward for decades," O'Meara added.
Anthony Hardenburgh, vice president of global trade content at Amber Road, which provides global trade management software, says that while most people looking at global trade and trade agreements focus on the financial aspects, such as duties and fees, trading goods globally also involves "a multifaceted spectrum of rules and regulations." Hardenburgh cited, for example, rules restricting the import or export of certain types of goods and lists of prohibited trading partners.
"If you're leaving a country with an item, the first thing you need to know is who you're doing business with," he said. "Many of the Fortune 2500 companies around the world are aware and have trade compliance offices, but as you start to come down the chain, not everyone is aware that you have to be screening or that there are tools out there that let you screen who you're doing business with against the various lists out there. A lot of times, they're not aware of all the lists. They have operations around the world, and they're not always certain of the regulatory environment.
"Oftentimes folks aren't aware of the export classification and reporting requirements and whether a license is needed for their items," he added. "And all of these tend to get companies in trouble."
Trade negotiators have started to take notice of the challenges that the growing number of trade agreements pose for companies, Methenitis said. The United States is currently negotiating a trade pact known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership with 10 other countries, including Australia, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. In addition to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which links the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the U.S. has trade agreements with Australia, Chile, Peru, and Singapore, he said. "Each has different rules of origins, and there has been a lot of discussion about how to harmonize those."
In addition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the U.S. and the EU are currently negotiating a new trade agreement, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). "Just between those two agreements, you're talking about countries that account for probably 60% of global trade," Methenitis said.
These new agreements are getting attention from some developing economies that have been less active in negotiating trade agreements. "There are still a number of developing countries that have sort of been on the sidelines," he said. "Brazil is probably a good example. This has been a real eye-opener for some of those countries, who are worried they may be left out." Methenitis suggests such concerns among developing economies may lead to even more trade agreements.
He also noted that the newer trade agreements have a broader scope than earlier agreements. The U.S.-EU negotiations have "a very ambitious agenda that really talks about [product] standards and facilitation, as well as the duty reduction and market access," Methenitis said. "If there's real progress made in those areas because of the size of the two markets, you could be looking at a de facto set of global standards. Even producers that are outside those two regions may be impacted by the scope of what these new waves of agreements are talking about. That's a really interesting dynamic."
For a look at how global trade is evolving, see Forecasting Global Trade.


text:
Wedding day to remember: 2-14-2014
JANESVILLE—He's not Elvis, and this is not Las Vegas, but if you want a simple wedding to remember, this is your chance.
For Valentine's Day, the Rock County Clerk's Office and Rock County Court Commissioner Steve Meyer are offering to marry 20 couples for free— or as close to free as possible.
Rock County Clerk Lori Stottler said she got the idea from another county, and "just really thought it was a cute idea."
Here's her reasoning:
�First, it will be memorable.
Being married on Feb. 14, of 2014 means that you'll have an anniversary you can never forget. That's as in 2-14 of 2014 if you're having trouble figuring that out.
Second, marry on that date and you'll save money on flowers and chocolate for the rest of your life.
"I mean, it's one and done," Stottler said.
That's as in, one box of chocolates and one bunch of flowers to cover both Valentine's Day and will cover both Valentine's Day and your anniversary.
Third, it will be something memorable without being too expensive.
Costs will be limited to the $95 for the marriage license, and that's something you'd have to buy anyway.
Stottler said she's working with local businesses to be able to provide balloons and a simple snack such as heart-shaped doughnuts and orange juice.
"I thought it'd be fun to have a little orange juice toast," Stottler said.
To qualify for the event, couples must apply for a marriage license by Friday, Feb. 7, and it's first come, first serve.
For more information about what's required to get a wedding license, call the marriage license line at 608-757-5666.
Other questions can be directed to the clerk's office at 608-757-5660.
The ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Valentine's Day.