text:
Federal grants for the $132.8 million streetcar project are on hold
until City Council votes to continue the project, according to a Dec. 2 email from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to Cincinnati officials.
The decision means Cincinnati can no longer tap into $44.9 million in federal grants until Mayor John Cranley and a majority of the newly sworn-in City Council, both of which have shown opposition to the streetcar project, agree to continue with ongoing construction.
"As per our telephone conversation, early last week, the Administrator decided to restrict further access to the Federal project funds until the FTA received an affirmative signal from the city's newly elected officials that the city intends to proceed with the project on the agreed-upon schedule," wrote Marisol Simon, FTA regional administrator in Chicago. "This measure was taken to protect the taxpayer funds not yet drawn down by the city from being subject to a potential debt collection action."
The FTA's decision shows Cranley and other streetcar opponents were in the wrong when they insisted they could lobby the federal government to reallocate the money to other projects, such as the interchange at Interstate 71 and Martin Luther King Drive.
But the consequence should come as little surprise to elected officials. In two letters to former Mayor Mark Mallory and a phone conference with City Council, federal officials warned the city they would pull the funding if the streetcar project were canceled.
The news comes on the same day City Council plans to vote to pause the streetcar project as the costs of cancellation are weighed against the costs of continuing.
It also comes two days after streetcar builder CAF USA warned the city of substantial costs that would be incurred if the streetcar project were canceled.
Even if council only pauses the project, Streetcar Project Executive John Deatrick says the path forward is unknown because it's unclear how the city will fund costs associated with a pause.
The costs would presumably come out of the project's contingency
fund, according to Deatrick, but pulling money out of the contingency
fund for a delay or pause changes the scope of the project and could face federal resistance.
On Nov. 21, Deatrick said the costs of canceling the $132.8 million streetcar project could nearly reach the costs of completion after accounting for $32.8 million in estimated sunk costs through November, a potential range of $30.6-$47.6 million in close-out costs and up to $44.9 million in federal grant money that would be lost if the project were terminated.
Mayor John Cranley and the new City Council were sworn in yesterday. Two days prior to the ceremony, Cranley announced his appointments for council committees that play a crucial role in passing legislation through City Hall, but the choices were not without controversy as Cranley, a Democrat, snubbed members of his own party for the two most powerful committees. Councilman Charlie Winburn, a Republican, will head the Budget and Finance Committee, and Councilman Christopher Smitherman, an Independent, will take control of the Law and Public Safety Committee. Democratic council members Chris Seelbach and Wendell Young also didn't receive any appointments; both supported former Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls in her bid against Cranley for the mayor's office. CityBeat covered the new City Council's priorities in further detail here.
Among the new city government's first priorities is canceling the $132.8 million streetcar project, but not if supporters of the project have anything to say about it. Hundreds of streetcar supporters yesterday gathered in Washington Park and walked the planned streetcar route to show their solidarity. They're threatening a referendum on any action council takes to pause or cancel the project, but some are concerned council will attach a funding measure to legislation that would allow a cancellation or pause ordinance to go into effect immediately, even if the project makes it onto the November 2014 ballot.
Meanwhile, the company in charge of building the actual streetcars wrote a letter to former Mayor Mark Mallory on Nov. 30 threatening substantial costs if the project were canceled. The letter explains that, on top of the sunk expenses on design work, cancellation would require CAF USA to pull back on various established deals with subcontractors, which would spur further costs. For streetcar supporters, the letter renews fears that canceling the streetcar could lead to litigation from contractors and subcontractors as they seek their full payday. The legal costs for such lawsuits would fall on an already-strained operating budget that pays for day-to-day services such as cops and firefighters instead of a capital budget that finances capital projects like the streetcar, according to city spokesperson Meg Olberding.
Councilman Smitherman told The Business Courier that he wasn't aware his brother's construction company, Jostin Construction, was involved with the streetcar project, but a 2009 press release from the local branch of the NAACP shows Smitherman acknowledging his brother's ties to the project. Still, a Nov. 21 letter confirms that Jostin pulled out of the project. The connection is important because it presents a potential conflict of interest for Smitherman, a streetcar opponent who will likely act as one of the five necessary votes to pause and potentially cancel the project. It also raises questions about the validity of Smitherman's anti-streetcar votes in the past few years.
Ohio is one of five states whose economy worsened in the past three months, according to an index from the Federal Reserve of Philadelphia that combines four economic indicators to gauge states' economic health.
A Republican and Democrat in the Ohio House proposed using the $400 million in savings from the federally funded Medicaid expansion to boost the local government fund, but it seems most of the Republican leadership in the Ohio Senate intends to use the savings on a tax cut. The savings are a result of the Controlling Board's controversial decision to expand Ohio's Medicaid program with federal funds, which should shift some Medicaid expenses from the state to the federal level.
More women will get access to maternity leave under Obamacare.
The federally run Obamacare website relaunched in the past week, but it's unclear if the fixes will make it easier for Ohioans to obtain health insurance.
Coming off the Thanksgiving holiday, gas prices dropped across the state.
Michelle Dillingham, who lost in her bid for City Council, started her own progressive blog: The Cincinnati Forum.
Follow CityBeat on Twitter:
• Main: @CityBeatCincy
• News: @CityBeat_News
• Music: @CityBeatMusic
• German Lopez: @germanrlopez
The company in charge of building Cincinnati's streetcars says the city would incur substantial costs if it cancels the streetcar project after it's already gone through some construction and design work.
The Nov. 30 letter from CAF USA Vice President Virginia Verdeja to former Mayor Mark Mallory arrived just one day before Mayor John Cranley, who opposes the streetcar project, and an anti-streetcar majority were sworn in.
"CAF will have to recover all the incurred expenses as well as all the additional cost of cancelling the contract, which would be substantial too," Verdeja writes in the letter.
The letter explains that, on top of the sunk expenses on design work, cancellation would require CAF to pull back on various established deals with subcontractors, which would spur further costs.
For streetcar supporters, the letter renews fears of litigation that could crop up if the project were canceled and contractors decided to pursue their full payday. Those legal costs would fall on the already-strained operating budget that pays for day-to-day services like police and firefighters instead of the capital budget that finances big capital projects like the streetcar, according to city spokesperson Meg Olberding.
The letter was first posted on the Cincinnati Streetcar Facebook page. Its validity was confirmed in an email to CityBeat from former Mallory staffer Jason Barron.
On Nov. 21, Streetcar Project Executive John Deatrick warned the costs of canceling the $132.8 million streetcar project could nearly reach the costs of completion after accounting for $32.8 million in estimated sunk costs through November, a potential range of $30.6-$47.6 million in close-out costs and up to $44.9 million in federal grant money that would be lost if the project were terminated.
Earlier on Sunday, hundreds of streetcar supporters rallied in Washington Park and walked the planned streetcar route in support of the project. They're threatening a referendum if the new City Council moves to pause or cancel the project.
City Council plans to vote on pausing the project on Monday. Because of threats from the federal government that a mere delay could lead to the loss of federal grants, streetcar supporters claim a pause would equate to cancellation.
Read the full letter below:
Updated at 6:13 p.m. with the PDF of the letter.
Several hundred people from various local neighborhoods on Sunday gathered at Washington Park and walked along the planned streetcar route to show their support for Cincinnati's $132.8 million streetcar project.
The rally preceded a City Council vote planned for Dec. 2 that would pause the streetcar project as the freshly sworn-in city government reviews the costs of cancellation versus the costs of completion.
On Nov. 21, Streetcar Project Executive John Deatrick announced canceling ongoing construction for the project could nearly reach the cost of completing it after accounting for $32.8 million in estimated sunk costs through November, a potential range of $30.6-$47.6 million in close-out costs and up to $44.9 million in federal grant money that would be lost if the project were terminated.
Supporters at the rally vowed to hold a referendum on any council action canceling or pausing the streetcar project. If they do, construction could be forced to continue until voters make the final decision on the project in November 2014.
Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld on Nov. 26 announced his support for continuing the streetcar project, which gave streetcar supporters the four of nine council votes necessary to block an emergency clause that would make a pause or cancellation ordinance effective immediately and insusceptible to referendum.
But Ryan Messer, leader of the "We Believe in Cincinnati" group backing the streetcar project, warned that council could attempt a special legislative maneuver, such as attaching some sort of funding measure to a bill, to immunize a cancellation or pause ordinance from referendum.
Supporters of the streetcar project claim even a pause in the project could effectively act as cancellation. Federal Transit Administration Chief Counsel Dorval Carter on Nov. 25 told council members that the federal government could consider a delay in the project grounds for pulling federal funds.
Streetcar supporters argue the 3.6-mile loop, which will span from The Banks to Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine, will produce economic development along the route and a 2.7-to-1 return on investment over 35 years — an estimate conceived through a 2007 study from consulting firm HDR that was later validated by the University of Cincinnati.
But opponents of the project, including Mayor John Cranley and at least five of nine council members, say the project is far too costly and the wrong priority for Cincinnati.
Streetcar supporters will hold a press conference the day after council's vote to announce their steps forward.
Mayor John Cranley and the new City Council were officially sworn in on Sunday after nearly a month of contentious political battles that effectively doomed the parking privatization plan and put the $132.8 million streetcar project in danger.
Cranley was joined by three newcomers to City Council — Kevin Flynn, David Mann and Amy Murray — and six re-elected council members — Chris Seelbach, Yvette Simpson, P.G. Sittenfeld, Christopher Smitherman, Charlie Winburn and Wendell Young — as they were sworn in on Dec. 1 at 11 a.m., as required by the city charter.
Already, the new mayor and council plan to move decisively on the streetcar project and parking plan. On Dec. 2, council will hold committee and full meetings to consider pausing the streetcar project as the costs of cancellation are weighed with the costs of continuation.
Streetcar Project Executive John Deatrick on Nov. 21 revealed that cancellation costs could nearly reach the the costs of completion, even before considering the cost of potential litigation from contractors already committed to ongoing construction of the project.
Council is expected to have five of nine votes to pause the project. But with Seelbach, Simpson, Sittenfeld and Young on record in support of the streetcar project, council might not have the six votes for an emergency clause that would make a pause or cancellation ordinance immediately effective and insusceptible to referendum.
If streetcar supporters successfully place a council action on the November 2014 ballot, construction could be forced to continue on the streetcar for nearly a year until voters make a final decision.
Supporters of the streetcar project argue pausing the project would effectively act as cancellation, given the federal government's warnings that any delay in the project could lead the Federal Transit Administration to yank $40.9 million in grants that are funding roughly one-third of the overall project.
A larger majority of council and Cranley also plan to quickly terminate the parking plan, which would outsource the city's parking meters, lots and garages to the Greater Cincinnati Port Authority and private companies. The previous administration pursued the deal to obtain a lump sum payment of $85 million that would have paid for various development projects around the city and helped balance the city's operating budget.
On Friday, Cranley announced his appointments to the committee chair positions that play a crucial role in deciding what legislation comes before the full body of City Council.
The appointments for two of the most powerful council committees became particularly contentious after Cranley, a Democrat, snubbed members of his own political party to build what he calls a bipartisan coalition. Winburn, a Republican, will take the Budget and Finance Committee chair, and Smitherman, an Independent, will take control of the Law and Public Safety Committee.
Mann, a Democrat who will also act as vice mayor, will lead the newly formed Streetcar Committee. He opposes the streetcar project.
Sittenfeld, a Democrat, will lead the Education and Entrepreneurship Committee; Simpson, a Democrat, will run the Human Services, Youth and Arts Committee; Murray, a Republican, will head the Major Transportation and Regional Cooperation Committee; Smitherman will chair the Economic Growth and Infrastructure Committee; and Flynn, an Independent, will preside over the Rules and Audit Committee.
Democrats Seelbach and Young won't be appointed to any committee chair positions. Both publicly supported former Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls in her bid against Cranley for the mayor's office.
Cranley on Wednesday also unveiled Willie Carden, current director of Cincinnati Parks, as his choice for the next city manager. With council's approval appearing likely, Carden will replace City Manager Milton Dohoney, who, during his more than seven years of service, fostered Cincinnati's nationally recognized economic turnaround, the streetcar project and the parking plan.
Beyond the streetcar project and parking plan, a majority of the new council is determined to structurally balance the operating budget without raising taxes. Some council members argue that's much easier said than done, especially since specific proposals for budget balance are few and far between.
CityBeat's German Lopez noted on Twitter the irony of The Enquirer now supporting both the streetcar and parking plan while the candidate it endorsed attempts to unravel both — Cranley already stopped the parking plan. The comment drew a response from Enquirer Editor Carolyn Washburn, who is on the newspaper's editorial board along with Publisher Margaret Buchanan and Editorial Page Editor David Holthaus.
The editorial includes the following paragraph: "In endorsing Cranley, we said he would 'have to rein in his dictatorial tendencies and discipline himself to be diplomatic, respectful and collaborative.' What we've seen so far is a matter for concern. Hurling insults at professionals like streetcar project manager John Deatrick isn't what we need. Deatrick enjoys a good reputation as someone who has managed The Banks project and the rebuild of Fort Washington Way. He needs to stay on the streetcar project."
The editorial was published the same day City Council put completing the project into law and Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld announced his decision to support the project's completion, which Lopez pointed out leaves Council short of the six votes required for an emergency clause that would immediately halt the project without leaving it open to referendum. Without the emergency clause, streetcar supporters could gather the required signatures to put a 5-4 cancellation vote to referendum, which would force the city to continue working on the project until voters decide on it in November.
Mayor-elect Cranley will hold a vote to stop the project on Monday. With Sittenfeld set to vote against halting the project, Cranley will need either newly elected David Mann or Kevin Flynn to vote in favor of stopping it. Both are on the record as being against the project but have left room to consider the financial realities before making their final decisions.
Cranley announced this morning that he will name the new city manager at 2 p.m. today. Cranley removed former city manager Milton Dohoney last week.
A story by The Enquirer's Mark Curnutte yesterday detailed life expectancy disparities among Cincinnati's poor neighborhoods, finding a 20 year difference at times between citizens of predominantly black or urban Appalachian neighborhoods and people of wealthy white neighborhoods like Mount Lookout, Columbia Tusculum and Hyde Park. The Cincinnati Health Department will release more statistics Tuesday and a community discussion on the issue is set for Jan. 10.
Pope Francis yesterday criticized the world's growing wealth disparity, mentioning things like "idolatry of money" and "a new tyranny" in a 50,000-word statement that sharply criticized trickle-down economics.
The Pope via The Washington Post:
"Some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system. … Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting."
OTR restaurant Kaze will begin offering lunch hours starting on Black Friday.
Away from home and tired of "Friends-giving" gatherings? Here's a bunch of restaurants serving good stuff on Thanksgiving day.
Skip Black Friday craziness and use CityBeat's Gift Guide to shop local this holiday season. There are also plenty of local retailers you can hit up online if you don't wait until the last minute!
If you're traveling to some stuck-up East Coast city for Thanksgiving, charge the iPad or whatever because there are going to be some storms.
And high winds might cause the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to take all the air out of the Snoopy balloons so no one flies up into the air like in movies.
The NSA reportedly considered revealing the "porn-browsing history" of certain people considered to have ties to terrorist activity in order to discredit them.
Great, now America's durable goods orders are down. Thanks a lot, government shutdown!
At least the country's jobless claims are back to pre-recession levels. Thanks, Obama?
The University of Cincinnati Bearcats beat UMass Lowell in basketball last night and senior forward Justin Jackson jammed one in the hoop hard.
Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld on Monday announced he will vote to continue the $132.8 million streetcar project.
Sittenfeld's support for the project means the incoming City Council might not have the six votes required for an emergency clause that would immediately halt the project and make a cancellation vote insusceptible to referendum.
If streetcar supporters successfully put a cancellation vote to referendum, the project would be forced to continue until the streetcar once again appears on the ballot in November 2014. The continuation would sink more costs into the project as construction is forced to progress for nearly a year.
Sittenfeld's announcement preceded a vote from the outgoing City Council to officially write the streetcar project into law, which means Mayor-elect John Cranley, a streetcar opponent, won't be able to take administrative action to halt the project and instead must bring the project to a City Council vote after he and other newly elected officials take office on Sunday.
The two remaining swing votes in the incoming council — David Mann, who Cranley on Monday named as his choice for vice mayor, and Kevin Flynn — previously discussed delaying the project as council analyzes whether it should permanently cancel or continue with currently ongoing construction.
But Sittenfeld equated a delay to total cancellation after warnings from the federal government made it clear that the city could lose federal funds for the project even if it only delayed progress.
If either Flynn or Mann move to support the streetcar project, streetcar proponents would gain a five-vote majority on the nine-member council to continue the project and preclude a referendum.
Sittenfeld characterized his decision as the better of "two bad choices."
"We can pursue a project that has never earned broad public consensus and that has yet to offer a viable and sustainable budget," he said at a press conference, "or we can scrub the project and throw away tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer money, forgo a massive federal investment and have nothing to show for the enormous effort and expense."
To explain his decision, Sittenfeld cited concerns about how much money has been dedicated to the project at this point, including $32.8 million in sunk costs through November and a potential range of $30.6-$47.6 million in close-out costs, according to estimates from the city. Sittenfeld noted that, at the very least, half of the city's $87.9 million share of the project will be spent even if the city pulls the plug now.
Sittenfeld also voiced concerns that pulling back from the project and effectively forfeiting $44.9 million in allocated federal funds would damage Cincinnati's reputation with the federal government. That could hamper projects he sees as much more important, such as the $2.5 billion Brent Spence Bridge project.
"I did my part to avoid getting us into this reality, but it cannot be wished away," Sittenfeld said.
There was one major caveat to Sittenfeld's decision: the operating costs for the streetcar, which the city estimates at $3.4-$4.5 million a year.
Sittenfeld said the cost must not hit Cincinnati's already-strained operating budget and instead must be paid through fares, sponsorships, private contributions and a special improvement district that would raise property taxes near the streetcar line.
A special improvement district would require a petitioning process in which property owners holding at least 60 percent of property frontage near the streetcar line would have to sign in favor of taking on higher property taxes to pay for the streetcar.
"Ultimately, that's a decision for the citizens," Sittenfeld said.
If the special improvement district doesn't come to fruition, Sittenfeld cautioned that the streetcar project would be more difficult to support going forward.
Asked whether Sittenfeld thinks some of the people who voted for him will see his decision as a betrayal, he responded that his conclusion shows the "thoughtfulness and carefulness" people expect of him when it comes to taxpayer dollars, given the costs of cancellation.
For the third time, a representative from the federal government yesterday reiterated to Cincinnati officials that if the $132.8 million streetcar project is canceled, the city would lose $40.9 million in federal funds and another $4 million would be left to the discretion of the state government, which could allocate the money anywhere in Ohio. The repeated reminders are necessary as Mayor-elect John Cranley and the incoming City Council prepare to delay or potentially terminate the project once they take office in December. Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Chief Counsel Dorval Carter said even a mere delay could lead to the federal government restricting or outright terminating the federal grant deals. But Cranley, a long-time opponent of the streetcar project, appeared unfazed by the news at a press conference following Carter's thorough explanation. "If we have to, we'll give the money back," he said.
Cranley yesterday announced his intent to appoint Councilman-elect David Mann as his vice mayor. Cranley said Mann passed the "bus test," an unfortunate hypothetical scenario in which the mayor dies after being hit by a bus. Cranley also cited Mann's numerous accomplishments, ranging from achievements at Harvard University to previous stints as mayor when top vote-getter in the City Council race automatically assumed the position. Mann promised to work with Cranley to make his administration a success and respectfully disagree but move on when the two men differ.
A Cincinnati Health Department report found life expectancy can vary by 20 years from one part of Cincinnati to another. Black men in particular can expect to live nearly 10 years less than white men. The Health Department said in a press release that it wants to find out why there's such a disparity.
A Quinnipiac University poll shows Republican Gov. John Kasich still ahead of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald in a 44 to 37 percent match-up, but FitzGerald is gaining ground. About 71 percent of Ohioans in the poll said they don't know enough about FitzGerald to form an opinion about him, so FitzGerald still has time to build positive name recognition while Kasich has an opportunity to paint his opponent in a negative light before the November 2014 election.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters might be investigated by the Hamilton County Board of Elections for improperly voting.
Councilwoman Laure Quinlivan asked the Hamilton County Board of Elections to cancel an automatic recount of the Nov. 5 vote, which Quinlivan was entitled to after she placed 10th place in the City Council race by only 859 votes.
The grand jury for the Steubenville, Ohio, rape investigation indicted four people, including a school superintendent.
Four Ohio corrections officers were fired over the escape of an inmate serving a life sentence for rape, officials announced Monday.
The University of Cincinnati is aiming for an attendance record when it hosts Louisville for a Dec. 5 game at Nippert Stadium.
The deadline to select Medicare coverage is Dec. 7 at midnight.
Scientists could be on the verge of learning how to erase and rewrite memories.
Morning News and Stuff will most likely be out of service until Monday, Dec. 2 as CityBeat staff celebrates the Thanksgiving holiday.
Follow CityBeat on Twitter:
• Main: @CityBeatCincy
• News: @CityBeat_News
• Music: @CityBeatMusic
• German Lopez: @germanrlopez
Mayor-elect John Cranley on Monday announced he will appoint Councilman-elect David Mann to act as vice mayor.
"Quite simply, he passes the bus test," Cranley said at a press conference, suggesting that Mann is capable of doing his job if the mayor were to die after getting hit by a bus. "He's the one guy who can serve as mayor and preserve the city's heritage."
Cranley cited Mann's numerous accomplishments, including his time with the prestigious Harvard Law Review journal and previous stints as mayor when the top vote-getter in the City Council race automatically assumed the position.
Mann and Cranley promised to work together, even if they don't agree on every issue.
"Your success will be the city's success," Mann said to Cranley. "When we disagree, we'll disagree with respect and go forward."
Speaking on priorities he shares with Cranley, Mann
outlined his intentions to structurally balance the budget, cancel the
parking plan, investigate whether the city can afford to terminate the
streetcar project, tackle the city's high poverty rates and refocus city
funding to benefit all local neighborhoods.
Cranley and Mann will officially take office on Sunday, along with the rest of the new City Council.
Although it has already been explicitly stated in two letters from the federal government, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Chief Counsel Dorval Carter on Monday reiterated that if Cincinnati were to unravel the $132.8 million streetcar project, the city would lose $40.9 million in federal grants and another $4 million in federal funds would be transferred to the state government, which could appropriate the money to any project in Ohio.
The clarification is necessary because Mayor-elect John Cranley and a majority of the incoming City Council are looking into pausing and potentially canceling the streetcar project once they take office in December. Cranley says he will lobby the federal government to reallocate the federal funds, even though the federal government has repeatedly insisted it's not going to happen.
Carter joined City Council's Budget and Finance Committee on the phone on Monday to walk council members through the legal technicalities involved in cancellation and how the federal government would react to such circumstances.
According to Carter, merely delaying the project at this point would break the city's agreement with the federal government and lead the federal government to restrict the federal funds, ask the city to repay the money it already spent or terminate the deal altogether.
Still, Carter said cancellation might not hurt the city's chances, at least from a legal perspective, of obtaining federal funds for other projects.
"It will not preclude you from pursuing other projects," he said. "You would just have to pursue those on their own merits."
But Carter agreed with Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls that the city's credibility could be weakened if the streetcar project were canceled.
President Barack Obama's administration has prioritized light rail projects like the streetcar, according to Carter, so the reclaimed federal money would likely go to other cities pursuing similarly ambitious transit projects.
At a press conference following the council meeting, Cranley appeared unfazed by the news.
"If we have to, we'll give the money back," he said.
Although much noise was made about the council meeting, there wasn't much news in the way of substance. The federal government already outlined the cancellation costs in separate letters sent to Mayor Mark Mallory in June and earlier in November.


text:
Replacement Guarantee available:
3 Year Protection £21.00
Skullcandy Roc Nation Aviator Headphones - White
- In Stock
1 review
- Delivery
- Next day delivery available
Skullcandy Aviator Roc Nation Headphones - White.
Thanks to Aviator's platinum sound technology listening to the Skullcandy Aviator Roc Nation Headphones is like having your own personal amphitheatre, allowing the entire spectrum of your music's detail and emotion to be expressed.
A spring hinge creates the ideal contour fit for optimal wear and then easy storage once you're done.
Premium polished surface bringing a lens quality fit and finish. Tangle-free, no worries nylon cable with Skullcandy Mic3. Platinum sound performance and 40mm full-range enhanced audio driver ensures a sweet, detailed sound that will bring any music to life, from hip hop to rock to soul.
Skullcandy Aviator Roc Nation Headphones construction - Stainless steel, Aluminum, Polycarbonate.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
DDT doesn't just fade away
by Rachel OdellA half century after the National Park Service dumped DDT on the northern part of Yellowstone National Park, traces of the deadly pesticide remain in the ecosystem. Scientists studying cutthroat trout last summer tested fatty tissues of the fish and found DDT - even though it has been banned in this country since 1972, a decade after Rachel Carson documented its dangerous effects in Silent Spring.
Park records revealed that in the mid-1950s, biologists mixed DDT powder with diesel fuel and unloaded the combination from airplanes. Their target was the spruce budworm moth, a species whose larvae feed on spruce needles and kill the trees. Operating out of the Gardiner, Mont., airport, biologists sprayed 140,000 acres in 1953, 55,000 acres in 1955, and 80,000 acres in 1957, says park biologist Roy Renkin.
In 1957, tracer cards left out during the spraying showed that only .18 pounds per acre hit the ground, Renkin says, while .82 pounds of the chemical blew out of the area or into the Yellowstone River, where hundreds of dead fish drifted downstream following a 1955 spraying.
Scientists say the small amount of DDT detected in fish today is no longer dangerous, but they're also not surprised to find it.
"DDT is phenomenal," says Renkin. "Had foresters realized at the time how dangerous it was, I think they would have looked a little further into what they were doing."
*Rachel Odell
© High Country News


text:
The wait is over! Download the BeerAdvocate app on iTunes or Google Play now.
Get 12 issues / year of BeerAdvocate magazine for only $9.99!
Aphrodisiaque - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel
Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.
Ratings: 1,125 | Reviews: 538 | Display Reviews Only:
Reviews by MNMike:
4.25/5 rDev +1%
04-04-2014 03:36:00 | More by MNMike
More User Reviews:
North Carolina
4.43/5 rDev +5.2%
Glad I found this today,I havent had a real earth shattering brew in awhile,this fit the bill.Poured a near jet black with only a slight hint of ruby showing thru when held up to the glass,a frothy mocha colored head atop.Deep cocoa in the nose,the vanilla takes a backseat but is there,a decent amount of roast shows up as well.Perfect mouthfeel,it almost feels like its nitrogen dispensed,just as creamy and smooth as all get out.Flavors are big on the coholate/vanilla but not to sweet due to a nice earthy dryness that hits late.A damn fine stout,easy to drink with its creamy feel and rich flavors,one of the better beers I have had in some time.
01-08-2010 21:11:26 | More by oberon
Ontario (Canada)
4.13/5 rDev -1.9%
As the brewing notes suggest, this beer incorporates both cacao and vanilla in the brewing process.
A dark brown and unbelievably humongous tan head. It took several minutes for this one to settle. The nose was very big on cacao. It was dryish and not sweet but more bold and appetizing (if that makes any sense).
The mouthfeel was rich and creamy but not overly thick or heavy. Again, flavours of cacao and chocolate were prominent and the vanilla added a noticeable kick to the senses. The finish was of a dry, powdery cacao that lingered long and pleasantly. An excellent beer!
06-10-2003 07:59:41 | More by Popsinc
Newfoundland (Canada)
4.5/5 rDev +6.9%
11-01-2013 01:06:19 | More by cam477
3.95/5 rDev -6.2%
A: Dark brown with a beige small head that leaves a nice lid of lacings.
S: Very mellow and round, yet characterful. Lots of chocolate and vanilla. Pleasant malts beneath. Not very complex, but the vanilla and chocolate combination is very pleasant.
T: The taste is on the sweet side with a foundation of mild roasted maltiness and huge amounts of vanilla and chocolate/cocoa/chocolate powder. The sweet flavors of vanilla and cocoa are very prominent and dominate the taste completely. It's almost reminiscent of a tasty milkshake. Just a hint of dark fruits and perhaps a hint of smoke as well. The finish is very mildly bitter with notes of nuts and chocolate. Unfortunately, I think the finish is a bit short.
M: Medium body with a creamy texture. Slightly too active carbonation.
D: A good one. Very smooth and round. It's sweet, but not overly so and the somewhat one-sided character works really well due to the well crafted composition.
09-15-2009 20:53:52 | More by ricke
4.5/5 rDev +6.9%
According to my bottle, the beer named Aprodite pours pret-ty, pret-ty black with a nice two finger head after a rollicking pour into my snifter. This head is a beige-brown color in which my girlfriend swore she saw a pinkish hue (I don't see it). The lacing is quite sticky and forms a strinking snow covered mountain look.
The smell is lovely with aromas of roasted malt, cocoa, and vanilla melding together effortlessly. When swirled vigorously in my glass, the roasted malt flavors open up a lot. I pick up other aromas of dark fruits and caramel in the background. There is just enough of a toasted aroma to make this smell a bit like a S'more.
Mmm, the flavor is just as well balanced as the smell. The roasted malt provides just enough bitter astrigency on the sides of my mouth and tip of my tongue to counteract the sweetness of the cocoa and vanilla flavors on the flat of my tongue. Really, the balance between sweet and bitter is just about perfect. The finish of each sip is nicely bittersweet and tastes like a good coffee.
The mouthfeel of Aphrodite is just on the lighter side of medium bodied. The roastiness on the bitter receptors of my palate does a good job of balancing the sweetness on my tongue. The carbonation is low; this is just about perfect for the flavor and body.
Aphrodite is very, very drinkable. I could certainly have a couple of these in a sitting, and it is a beer that I will seek out again. The price is a bit of a deterent, so it is not one that I will buy often, but the quality of the product overpowers the price tag for me.
02-27-2011 22:30:02 | More by TCHopCraver
4.05/5 rDev -3.8%
Black pour with a thin, short lasting brown head.
Cocoa and sweet chocolate truffles on the nose with a background of dark chocolate and smoke. A well working dynamic.
On the tongue, a chocolate and subtle vanilla sweetness hit just before the cocoa powder and smoke turn a tad dry and mildly bitter.
I wouldn't mind a smidge more vanilla in the overall flavor, but still well made. The lighter bodied nature of this tells me that it would bode well as dessert with fresh strawberries or cherries.
12-03-2009 02:58:54 | More by brownbeer
4.5/5 rDev +6.9%
08-31-2013 21:19:57 | More by tbryan5
New York
4.25/5 rDev +1%
01-30-2013 13:30:30 | More by SkiBum22
4.25/5 rDev +1%
01-21-2014 03:05:50 | More by sabitu
4.75/5 rDev +12.8%
04-14-2013 22:34:33 | More by bulldogg915
Alberta (Canada)
4.5/5 rDev +6.9%
09-15-2013 07:00:30 | More by FadetoBock
South Dakota
4.25/5 rDev +1%
04-06-2014 02:26:36 | More by SD-Alefan
4.03/5 rDev -4.3%
A - Pours black with one finger of tan head.
S - The first aroma to hit is some strong vanilla, followed by cocoa. These scents seem to cover up whatever else might be going on, but still very nice.
T - Again vanilla and cocoa, with some nice hops and roasted malts more apparent in the taste than the aroma.
M - Medium mouthfeel, not overly heavy. Nice bitterness from the cocoa and to a lesser extent from the hops. I like this a lot.
D - With the intensity of bitter chocolate and vanilla, would probably stop after one, but a very good and well made stout.
02-08-2011 01:23:43 | More by warnerry
New York
4.93/5 rDev +17.1%
Presentation: It was poured from a brown 11.2oz bottle (with cool artwork) into a tulip glass. Info on the label includes its abv (6.5%) and a nice description of the beer.
Appearance: Its body has a very dark brown burnt wood color which only allows light to seek through at the edges. The pour produces a tall and thick chocolate milkshake like head. This tall head slowly settles to a thin tightly packed cap of foam that makes lots of lacing on the glass.
Smell: The aroma is deep and full bready yeast notes, toasted grain, powdery cocoa, wet leaves and damp earth.
Taste/Palate: Its medium to full body has good mix of roasted malt sweetness with hint of bitterness from both roasted malt and hops. Up first are chocolaty cocoa powder notes on top of toasted bready grain and earthy yeast with the slightest wet old woody presence. In the middle I pick up light vanilla bean notes as well as a light cream soda like flavor notes. This moves into the finish which adds dark roasted coffee and earth leafy hop bitterness. On the palate it has a smooth creamy feel with mellow carbonation.
Notes: This beer packs a ton of complexity into a wonderfully balanced and drinkable 6.5%abv package.
03-01-2011 17:28:45 | More by generallee
4.25/5 rDev +1%
12-08-2013 22:36:17 | More by bishopdc0
Alberta (Canada)
4.45/5 rDev +5.7%
Served from a bottle.
Pours a viscous black-brown with fine carbonation on the sides of the glass, a half-inch cinnamon head which recedes in a couple of minutes. The nose is, as advertised, full with vanilla, chocolate and roasted malts. The mouthfeel is thick and solid, a pleasant hint of carbonation. The flavors are bold roasted coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla. The hops and malt are both "up-front" in this beer - it doesn't shrink back at all. Moderately bitter finish.
Great drinkability. Very pleasant. I look forward to trying more Dieu Du Ciel.
11-18-2009 04:55:33 | More by niangelo
4.35/5 rDev +3.3%
Bottle from Proof. Pours the darkest of browns around the edge and black anywhere further than a millimeter from the edge. Slight medium brown head that almost immediately faded. Poor legs and lacing. Aroma is first the vanilla and deep malt, then a twinge of coffee, then some sweet oaky bourbon and some dark chocolate. Taste is the chocolate and coffee up front, vanilla in the mid-palate, and vanilla/wood in the aftertaste. Nice low carbonation, and silky mouthfeel. I'd love to do a side by side with Peche Mortel.
11-29-2013 21:24:14 | More by mverity
New Hampshire
4.5/5 rDev +6.9%
10-01-2013 22:22:25 | More by JakerLou
3.75/5 rDev -10.9%
12-04-2013 23:29:43 | More by Beerswag
4/5 rDev -5%
Thanks to Exiled for sharing this beer. This beer was my youngest brother's 100th beer.
The beer pours dark brown to black with a tan head. The aroma is vanilla, chocolate and smoke. The flavor is milk chocolate, vanilla, roasted malt and light smoke. The beer tastes a whole lot like cream soda. Medium-thick mouthfeel and low carbonation.
05-29-2010 04:54:51 | More by Mora2000
Ontario (Canada)
4.43/5 rDev +5.2%
Picked up a few bottles of this little number at the uptown Waterloo LCBO. So excited to finally try it! (Again, huge love for the bottle artwork - terrific design)
Bottle dated August 2010. Poured into a Chimay chalice.
Nearly pitch black, with only the faintest line of chestnut near the brim. Produced about a half inch of mocha head, which left some scattered patches of lace and islands of foam lasting throughout the sample.
The nose on this is terrific: a lovely blend of chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, vanilla, cream, caramel and toasted marshmallow. All this without smelling artificial or syrupy. Delicious.
A very tasty stout, which opens with a big hit of chocolate, caramel and vanilla, but leaves with a bitter coffee finish. Good interplay of sweet and bitter here. A pleasure to drink.
Could have been a touch thicker, but the carbonation was right on the mark. Creamy and satisfying.
Outstanding stuff yet again from DDC. Well worth the wait, and very glad to see it grace Ontario shelves. About one an evening is about all I can handle, but certainly I will be back for many more of this.
10-05-2010 23:18:18 | More by JohnnyBarman
4/5 rDev -5%
06-23-2014 04:57:23 | More by andrewdanks
4.75/5 rDev +12.8%
08-05-2013 18:19:16 | More by Mattco
4.25/5 rDev +1%
05-24-2014 04:21:51 | More by Prospero
Aphrodisiaque from Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel
94 out of 100 based on 1,125 ratings.