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Archive for Metro-North
Two weeks later, questioning MNR's speedy safety responsePosted by: | Comments
When the MTA is in crisis mode, it has shown the ability to respond quickly and efficiently to address issues. For an agency not known for finishing projects on time, adapting new technologies within any reasonable timeframe or generally seeing through innovation, time and again, the MTA tackles major problems better than just about any other governmental agency. Most subway service was restored less than a week after Sandy in 2012, and, more recently, Metro-North and the LIRR instituted sweeping safety improvements barely a week after the first crash with passenger fatalities in Metro-North history.
For this, the MTA deserves some praise. The agency has learned how to make the most out of potentially catastrophic scenarios and has become adept at responding. But the speed with which the MTA addressed some major underlying safety concerns over the past few weeks has raised some eyebrows. Why did it take a fatal crash to implement basic safety upgrades? If these problems were so easy to fix, why weren't they implemented years ago?
WNYC's Kate Hinds raised this question on her Twitter account last week, and today, Matt Flegenheimer tackles it in The Times. Here's an excerpt of his story, and it is not particularly kind:
Since a Metro-North Railroad train derailed in the Bronx on Dec. 1, killing four people and injuring more than 70, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has not had to look far for safety remedies that might have prevented the crash. Recently ordered improvements, delivered in response to the derailment, have been borrowed from Metro-North's sister agency, the Long Island Rail Road, and at times from the Metro-North system itself.
Changes significant enough to have thwarted the crash, according to rail experts, were simple enough to have been completed within days. Others are so straightforward that some of the authority's board members assumed they had been in place for years. While the authority and federal investigators have cautioned that a full accounting of the derailment is not yet complete, many transit officials have arrived at a troubling conclusion since the crash: The authority could have — and in many cases should have — installed a series of protections long before the train's operator apparently became dazed at the controls early that Sunday morning, racing into a sharp curve at nearly three times the allowable speed…
Asked why broader changes to Metro-North's signal system were not made sooner — particularly at well-known curves like the one at Spuyten Duyvil — Marjorie Anders, a spokeswoman for the authority, said it was the job responsibility of train operators to "know all the physical characteristics, including the speed limits" in all areas where they were qualified to work. For more than 30 years, she said, "that system worked fine," with no accident-related passenger fatalities since Metro-North was created in 1983. The recent changes were "a result of the intense introspection currently underway at Metro-North," she said.
The bulk of Flegenheimer's explores the reactions to the MTA's changes. Board members were surprised by the speed at which Metro-North implemented its fixes and were floored to find out that many were rooted in common sense and parallel best-practices in place at the Long Island Rail Road. "The fact that some of the stuff was done in the rebuilding of track that occurred over a couple of days, it does lead you to believe that it could have been done earlier," William Henderson, head of the MTA's Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee, said.
Other MTA Board members wondered if an intense focus on on-time performance was to blame while others wondered if the federal government's singular approach to safety via a federally mandated positive train control system forced the MTA to examine safety issues through a single-lens approach. "I think it may have slowed down the process, actually," Ira Greenberg said to The Times. "Why put in a system on top of a system that does virtually the same thing, when you can wait for the better one?"
Ultimately, though, the MTA's response to the crash and the response to the response brings up a tried-and-true problem with the agency — and really any government agency of its size and breadth. The MTA has been essentially reactive for decades now as it has struggled to overcome decades of deferred maintenance and disinvestment in the system. It is not a proactive leader in the global field of transit, and it may never get there. From an area as basic as the fare payment technology to a realm as important as safety, the MTA has not been ahead of the curve, and two weeks ago, it proved quite costly indeed.
FRA set for 'Deep Dive' on Metro-North safetyPosted by: | Comments
Less than two weeks after a fatal crash that killed four people and a few days after the MTA rushed to implement federally mandated safety improvements, the Federal Railroad Administration has announced it will begin an exhaustive review of Metro-North's "safety culture" over the next two months. The 60-day review will commence on Monday, and this so-called Operation Deep Dive is the first of its kind.
"Safety is our top priority, and this in-depth investigation will help ensure that Metro-North is doing everything possible to improve its safety record," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. "Together with our other recent efforts, Operation Deep Dive will give travelers the peace of mind they deserve when traveling throughout the railroad's region."
According to the FRA, the review will be comprehensive and will explore the following factors:
- Track, signal and rolling stock maintenance, inspection and repair practices;
- Protection for employees working on rail infrastructure, locomotives and rail cars;
- Communication between mechanical and transportation departments at maintenance facilities;
- Operation control center procedures and rail traffic controller training;
- Compliance with federal Hours of Service regulations, including fatigue management programs;
- Evaluating results of operational data to measure efficiency of employees' execution and comprehension of all applicable federal regulations;
- Locomotive engineer oversight;
- Engineer and conductor certification; and
- Operating crew medical requirements.
Once the review wraps in mid-February, the FRA will produce a report with its findings and recommendations. Then agency will assess Metro-North's compliance with the safety order issued last week and will assess if other actions are necessary. According to various reports, the FRA decision stemmed not only from the fatal crash earlier this month but also from a series of accidents, fatal and non-fatal, over the course of 2013.
For its part, Metro-North has seemingly embraced the review. In comments to The Times, a spokesman said the agency was examining its safety culture and working to assess "whether there are any common factors" to the various accidents this month. Meanwhile, the MTA is hoping that, in light of recent bad press and the perception of the problem, it can find a silver lining in this cloud. Ted Mann of The Wall Street Journal reports on a large fiscal ask:
Also Thursday, the MTA asked the FRA for a new $1 billion loan from a federally controlled program to pay for installation of positive train control, or PTC, a next-generation signal system that is intended to prevent train crashes caused by operator error, including speeding.
The $1 billion loan request comes in addition to the $2.2 billion MTA has already sought to help pay for East Side Access, a massive, subterranean new terminal station for the Long Island Rail Road beneath the streets north of Grand Central Terminal. That loan request has not been approved.
In a letter to Administrator Joseph Szabo, Mr. Prendergast said the federal loan would provide a much needed infusion of cash as the MTA develops PTC systems for Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road. The MTA is among a number of large commuter railroads that said they do not expect to meet the December 2015 deadline to install PTC systems on all inter-city passenger and many freight rail lines.
As Mann notes, the $1 billion request is for — surprise! — $300 million more than the MTA originally priced out a PTC installation. It's unclear why the project is over budget, but the new number comes as no surprise. As Mann notes as well, the MTA does not believe that it will be in compliance with a 2015 deadline for PTC, but New York's is hardly the only transit agency facing such a problem. Legislation to extend the deadline to 2020 is pending the U.S. Senate.
Feds order Metro-North to shut the barn door after the horse escapedPosted by: | Comments
Following last Sunday's derailment and a series of fatal and non-fatal Metro-North accidents over the past year, the Federal Railroad Administration has ordered Metro-North to up its locomotive crew staffing and improve its overall security measures by the end of the year. While the new measures may lead to further overstaffing on a railroad that already spends too much on personnel, if the MTA doesn't comply by December 31, it — and its executives — could be subject to steep fines and federal charges.
On Friday afternoon, the FRA issued an emergency order detailing the past year's worth of problems and ordering immediate changes to MNR's signal system and staffing approach. "Safety is our highest priority, and we must do everything we can to learn from this tragic crash and help prevent future derailments," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. "While we assist the National Transportation Safety Board in carrying out its investigation, this Emergency Order will help ensure that other Metro-North trains travel at appropriate, safe speeds."
The 14-page order details the Spuyten Duyvil derailment as well as two May incidents and the July derailment of a CSX freight train near Spuyten Duyvil. All four incidents are still under review by the FRA, but as the feds investigate the root causes of the recent problems, the agency issued Friday's emergency order to head off any further problems. As is common with orders from the FRA, this one seems a bit heavy handed to me.
In essence, the FRA is concerned that Metro-North's signal system at various locations is not equipped to handle trains running at high speeds that shouldn't be. For instance, since Metro-North doesn't have a positive train control system in place along the Spuyten Duyvil curve, the railroad is relying on on its engineers to observe speed restrictions. When William Rockefeller reportedly dozed off last Sunday, his train sped through the curve at 50 miles per hour above the recommended speed. The results were catastrophic.
So now, Metro-North is facing a temporary order to ensure that two qualified crew members are in the controlling locomotive cab or passenger car control compartment at locations along their routes where the speed drops by 20 miles per hour or more. This order will be in effect until signal systems and the corresponding Automatic Train Control system can be modified to enable "adequate advance warning or and adherence to" any speed restrictions in place. Metro-North must identify modifications to be in compliance with this order as soon as possible by December 31, and the staffing requirements will be effective as of Monday, December 10.
So what's the issue? In a statement along with the emergency order, FRA administration Joseph Szabo spoke about the need to keep the public safe. "Last year was the safest on record for our nation's rail industry," he said. "Even with a 43 percent decline in train accidents nation-wide over the past decade, we must remain steadfast and vigilant to ensure passengers and employees are safe. The public deserves better and our mission is to drive continuous safety improvement."
I'm all in favor of safety, and the technology exists to ensure that there are zero train fatalities. Now, though, the MTA will have to find two qualified employees for each speed change. Those employees are those are "qualified on the physical characteristics of territory over which the train is operating, who is qualified on the signal systems on the territory, and who has been trained to apply the emergency brake to stop a train." If a conductor is qualified, he or should could be that second person, but then ticket collection would suffer. If no conductors are qualified, the MTA will have to up-staff their trains until the signal system is in compliance with the FRA's EO. It seems as though the cost of complying with this order is likely to outweigh the benefits.
In response, the MTA accepted the FRA's suggestions and noted that Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road will comply with the order. This evening, the MTA unveiled its plans for Monday. Engineers have installed new signal projections for the Spuyten Duyvil area which include automatic breaking near the curve. By Tuesday, MNR conductors will stand with engineers at the control cab through critical curves to verbally confirm speed limits. If the train layout precludes a physical presence, the personnel will communicate via radio. All trains will be equipped with alerter devices within the next year, and the MTA will reduce maximum speeds at 26 locations to ensure that there will be no areas where speed limits drop by more than 20 miles per hour. The MTA does not anticipate needing to adjust schedules as a result. Transit and Bridges & Tunnels, though exempt from FRA oversight, will conduct safety stand-downs this week as well.
As now, PTC won't be ready until 2019, but the MTA is facing increasing pressure to respond to safety concerns sooner. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in fact, sent off a letter to MTA head Tom Prendergast urging an "accelerated" effort to implement PTC. Whether those concerns — and the FRA's order — are overstated is a question I addressed last week. I'll leave it for you to decide if this response is appropriate or if the FRA is simply closing the barn door after the horse has already escaped. It strikes me as a politically expedient and seemingly necessary, if heavy-handed, response to a problem that should have been avoided long ago.
MNR Updates: Full service returns, push-pull setup questioned; lawsuits on tapPosted by: | Comments
After running a nearly full slate of service on Wednesday, Metro-North restored all service along the Hudson Line for this morning's rush hour commute. Crews had worked through the day yesterday rebuilding a second track in the area of the derailment, and Sperry Rail Car cleared it for service after ultransonic testing. Today's morning commute went off without a hitch.
Work on track four — the outer track which had been essentially destroyed — will continue for the remainder of the week. Metro-North reported that yesterday morning's Hudson Line ridership was approximately 25 percent below normal peak for a Wednesday, but those riders were generally using Harlem Line trains and were expected to return to the Hudson route today. The people who were alleging that they'd turn to a much more dangerous car commute likely did not do so.
Meanwhile, the push-pull setup that Metro-North and many other rail systems employs is coming under fire right now. As Metro-North can't turn around trains at depots, the engine remains at the northern end of the train. It pulls going north and pushes heading south. The Times reports on the concerns:
The Metro-North Railroad train that derailed on Sunday included a system designed to warn an operator of a potential accident. But such an "alerter," which can automatically apply the brakes if an operator is unresponsive, was not in the cab where William Rockefeller apparently fell into an early-morning daze at the controls. It was at the other end of the train. On Wednesday, three days after the Manhattan-bound Hudson line train tumbled off the rails in the Bronx, killing four people and injuring more than 70, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that an alerter system had been installed in the locomotive pushing the train, but not in the front cab, where the engineer was positioned, properly, at the time of the crash…
It is not clear how long before the crash Mr. Rockefeller became inattentive, or whether the alerter system could have prevented the derailment or reduced its severity. It appears likely, though, that if Mr. Rockefeller had experienced a similar episode for an extended period on a northbound trip — when he would have been stationed in the locomotive — the siren might have sounded. In effect, trains configured and equipped like the one in the derailment employ the "alerter" system on only half of their runs.
While much of the safety discussion since the crash has focused on an expensive control system that remains years away from reality for the transportation authority, rail experts have said that a number of lower-cost remedies could have been put in place — and should be in the future — both inside the train and across the system governing it…One potential safety improvement would be ensuring that the alerter systems were installed in every cab. The authority had said that new cars would include the systems in all cabs.
Installing alerts in places where the engineer is for half of a train's runs would, you know, make common sense. What else is there to say really?
Finally, as Crain's New York reports on the expected legal fallout. The MTA is bracing for lawsuits, but most of the damages will be covered by insurance. Here's Andrew Hawkins' take:
The Metro-North derailment that killed four passengers and injured 70 will likely cost the Metropolitan Transportation Authority tens of millions of dollars in wrongful death and injury claims—but insurance may cover all but $10 million.
After that $10 million in self-insurance is exhausted, the agency will have an additional $50 million it maintains through its captive insurer, First Mutual Transportation Assurance Co., said Laureen Coyne, director of risk and insurance management for the MTA. In addition, the MTA maintains $350 million in liability insurance through multiple carriers in the commercial markets.
In total, the agency is covered for up to $410 million in liabilities and says it stands ready to deal with any and all claims, which are likely to materialize in the months ahead as the nature of the injuries and causes of the accident become clearer.
The MTA could not comment on whether the crash and subsequent payouts would cause its premiums to increase, but it seems for now, that the budget contingencies and insurance plans will keep costs in line with what the agency can afford to pay. The wheels have already been put in motion for the first of many suits to come.
Rail Safety: The kneejerk reaction vs. the actual needsPosted by: | Comments
There's something very dramatic and unsettling about seeing a passenger rail train, once filled with people, lying on its side scattered about its tracks and the woods nearby. It's wrong for a train to be off its track, and it's newsworthy when one jumps the rails. This past Sunday's Metro-North derailment provided us with a tragic reminder of the worst that can happen when a train derails, particularly one traveling at excessive speeds.
In the aftermath of the incident, safety takes second stage. Politicians throughout the region issued calls for comprehensive studies and sounded alarm bells. Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy penned a letter to the MTA. "I am asking MTA/Metro-North to develop an action plan that addresses communication, safety reporting, inspection and maintenance programs, remedial short term action plans, and longer term capital investment programs to upgrade the infrastructure," he wrote. Change needs to happen now.
New York's junior senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued a similar call with particularly strident language. She wrote a letter to Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo expressing "deep concern over the recent derailment of a Metro-North commuter train in the Bronx, and for the safety of New Yorkers and others who use the Metro-North railroad every day."
"Yesterday's accident is the latest in a long list of accidents on MTA's system, and comes on the heels of a freight train derailment near the same turn in July… This is simply unacceptable," she wrote. "I renew my call for an immediate comprehensive safety evaluation of the MTA system and procedures to ensure that we do not experience a similar tragedy in the future. Additionally, I request that you provide my office with an overview of any steps that have been taken by the FRA to address MTA commuter rail safety."
What Gillibrand and Malloy are saying has some truth to it, but there's also some kneejerk fearmongering. Meanwhile, the incident has created the perception of safety problems. One rider said to The Times on Sunday, "You think you're safe on the train. I know I'm going to be taking a car for a while."
It's that reaction that the coverage over the last few days and the statements made by politicians has fed. Sunday's derailment is a terrible story with a tragic ending for four riders and horrific injuries to many others. These four fatalities though were the first passenger deaths in Metro-North's 31-year history. WNYC crunched the numbers and found that, since 1993, for every 1 billion train passengers, seven have died. In 2012 alone, 33,561 Americans died in traffic incidents. The comparable motor vehicle death rate is 108,000 for every 1 billion drivers.
Now, I'm not going to further minimize what happened Sunday. Fatalities or not, Metro-North's safety record, as the FRA noted on Tuesday, has been abysmal of late, and the technology exists to ensure that no one — zero people — dies on in a crash derailment due to excessive speeds. The MTA though hasn't fully funded the positive train control program and may not have it ready until 2019. That we can build a $4.5 billion subway stop but can't scrounge up a quarter of that to save lives speaks volumes about our priorities in non-emergency situations. But I digress. (In an excellent post, Patrick at The LIRR Today delves into this issue and more.)
I'd like to know from politicians where the general outrage is when seven pedestrians die in car crashes as they have over the last week in New York City. I'd like to know why it's a struggle to fund mass transit until something calamitous happens and dramatic photos — of flooded stations, of derailed trains — are splashed across front pages. Investing in transit is a commitment, but it's well worth it in added mobility and, yes, saved lives. Metro-North needs to improve its safety record, and it likely has to overcome a brain drain. But it needs support from start to finish and not just at the end.
Investigation continues as nearly all Hudson Line service set for Wednesday returnPosted by: | Comments
Metro-North will restore service to the Hudson Line tomorrow morning, just three days after Sunday's derailment, and the agency plans to run 98 percent of its normal daily service, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press release. Crews have been rebuilding 800 feet of track near Spuyten Duyvil, but full service will not be restored for a few days as the outer track was completely destroyed by the derailment.
According to the MTA, trains will single track through the area as rebuilding continues. In addition to the destruction of the outer track, the middle track sustained serious damage as well. As such, six morning trains will be reduced to three, but the Hudson Line will run the rest of its 172-train schedule. Riders are warned to expect delays of 10-15 minutes, a far cry from the hour-long diversions many had been experiencing this week.
"Thanks to an extraordinary effort and around the clock work, over 98% of service will be restored for Hudson Line commuters in time for tomorrow morning's rush hour," Governor Cuomo said. "As the NTSB continues its investigation of the derailment on Sunday morning, the MTA is fully cooperating to ensure we find out exactly what caused this horrific incident that took the lives of four individuals and injured many others. The families of those we lost and those still recovering continue to be in our thoughts and prayers."
The National Transportation Safety Board, meanwhile, continued its investigation today. The Board announced that it did not appear as though faulty brakes were the culprit as the brakes showed no degradation or anomalies at previous stops. Additionally, alcohol testing on the engineer and other on-board employees came back clean while drug test results are still pending. The engineer's work schedule showed no indication that he had been overworked or otherwise off calendar, and interviews with on-board personnel are ongoing.
Reports: MNR engineer 'zoned out' prior to crashPosted by: | Comments
As more news breaks concerning Sunday's fatal Metro-North derailment, it's looking more and more likely that human error, rather than a train malfunction, was to blame. According to multiple reports this morning, William Rockefeller, the train's engineer, either "zoned out" or momentarily lost consciousness as his train sped into a sharp curve at over 80 miles per hour. This development contradicts earlier reports from Sunday that the brakes failed.
The Post led with their story on the front page this morning, and it has since been picked up by DNA Info, The Daily News, and The Wall Street Journal. One source told the News that Rockefeller had no memory of the crash while another compared the engineer's state of mind to a day dream.
"I think anybody who's ever driven a car and sort of gotten to that place where you're not really conscious, and then you snap yourself out of it, that's in effect what happened," The Journal's source said. "That is exactly how Billy described it."
The various reports diverge a bit in the details. The Post says Rockefeller "zoned out" and was awoken by a warning whistle that the train was going too fast. DNA Info says that the "rumbling of the train roaring through the head of the curve awakened Rockefeller." Either way, the pendulum is swinging toward some form of inattentiveness by the engineer and human error.
We won't know the official ruling until the National Transportation Safety Board issues its findings, and Rockefeller has unsurprisingly lawyered up. But questions are already swirling surrounding the role technology could have played in preventing this incident. A positive train control system, in the planning and funding stages, could have automatically slowed down the train in Rockefeller's moment of distraction. Ted Mann summarizes:
Rail safety experts said that advanced train control systems would likely have prevented the accident if the derailment was a result of speeding. Systems to automatically slow or stop trains before collisions or derailments can occur are in various stages of development on commuter rail networks across the country, thanks to a federal law that requires they be installed by 2015. But many railroads, including Metro-North, say they can't meet that deadline, citing technical complexity of the systems, lack of radio spectrum, and other pressing needs for scarce funding.
I'll have more on railroad safety lately. For now, the latest reports indicate that PTC may not be ready until 2019, but area politicians are starting to make some noises that they aren't happy. Needless to say, the pressure will now be on the MTA to bring some positive train control system to its railroads sooner rather than later
Buses to and from Yonkers; FASTRACK on the FPosted by: | Comments
Following the NTSB reports of an 82-mph speed just prior to derailment and a video of the crash's aftermath, the MTA has released its own B-Roll of the recovery efforts. The agency had to re-rail the cars and move them out. Now, crews have to repair 800 feet of damaged rail before running test trains and restoring service.
In the meantime, bus service between Yonkers and the 1 line will continue on Tuesday. Metro-North service will operate between Poughkeepsie and Yonkers with shuttle buses to the Van Cortlandt Park-242nd St. station. Hudson Line tickets will again be cross-honored on the Harlem and New Haven Lines, and NJ Transit will take Harlem Line takes on the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines. There is still no word yet when full service will be restored.
Meanwhile, in Manhattan and Brooklyn, the last FASTRACK of the year hits the F line. Trains will be running on the A between West 4th and Jay St. with shuttle buses providing service between Jay and York Sts. in Brooklyn and between East Broadway and Broadway/Lafayette. This is the first FASTRACK along this stretch of the tunnels, and it's the last FASTRACK of the year. We don't yet know what next year's treatments will be, but I assume this program will continue.
NTSB: Metro-North train traveling at 82 mph just before derailmentPosted by: | Comments
The Metro-North train that derailed yesterday morning was traveling at speeds of 82 miles per hour as it entered the Spuyten Duyvil curve, the National Transportation Safety Board just announced. Speed limits on the curve are just 30 miles per hour, and the speed limit on the straightaway north of the curve is 70. The NTSB noted that they do not yet know if human error or mechanical malfunction caused the deadly incident.
The NTSB noted that six seconds prior to the train coming to a stop, the throttle went to idle, and one second later, break pressure dropped to zero. "We do not yet know the initiating event for the throttle going to idle or the brake pressure dropping to 0 psi," the agency said in a statement.
As of now, the NTSB has noted that there were no prior problems with the brakes, and the safety investigators will continue interviews with the engineer and three other crew members. The rail cars and locomotive have been removed to a secure location for further study, and the tracks have been turned back over to Metro-North. Yet, extensive service changes remain in place for the afternoon commute and morning rush. I'll have more as this story develops.
Scenes from Metro-North's tragic Sunday, and a Monday planPosted by: | Comments
As news about Sunday's tragic Metro-North derailment spread throughout the day, I couldn't help but think how worse it could have been. That's small consolation to the families of Donna L. Smith, James G. Lovell, James M. Ferrari, and Ahn Kisook. They were the first four passenger fatalities in Metro-North history. For them, December 1 will be a day that long haunts them.
But for everyone else who could have been on an early morning train heading down the Hudson Line to Grand Central, the derailment was a hair's breadth away from being much, much worse. Because it was early on a Sunday morning, only around 120 people were on board, a much smaller crowd than during a Monday. Furthermore, when the train jumped the tracks, the lead car stopped just short of the Harlem River. A few more feet would have sent that car plunging into the frigid, rough waters of the Spuyten Duyvil Creek.
Otherwise, for those people whose lives were taken earlier today, nothing about Sunday was lucky. For many, the accident will create the perception of a safety problem with rail travel, and for those on board, the event will be a life-defining day. Two New York Times reporters spoke with survivors, and the tales they tell are horrific. Trees tore through windows as the cars came to rest in marshy bogs near a rivera. Riders were trapped as rescue workers had to stabilize train cars and prevent further injuries. It was a nightmare.
Furthermore, a statement released by the Metro-North Railroad Commuters Council drives home the perception problems. Noting the three earlier incidents, the rider advocates called for a full accounting of Sunday's accident. "The riders whom we represent must be assured they are safe when they travel on a Metro-North train, but their confidence in the Railroad has been shaken. Metro-North management must act decisively to ensure that incidents like those that the failures that have occurred this year do not occur again," MNRCC Chair Randolph Glucksman said.
So what happened? Right now, National Transportation Safety Board inspectors have the train's black box and are studying records, but from reports from the crash, a problem with the brakes seems the most likely explanation. A train that could have been going as high as 70 on a straight-away hit a steep curve prior to the Spuyten Duyvil station, and the brakes failed. Earlier in the day on Sunday, various reports suggested that the brakes failed, but evening stories hedged. The Times explains:
It was not clear how fast the Metro-North train was going. But an official from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the train operator had reported that the train was going into the turn too fast and that he had performed an emergency braking maneuver. The operator told the first rescuers to reach the scene that he had "dumped" the brakes, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Railroad experts said that dumping the brakes is a last-resort move that has the effect of slamming on the emergency brakes on all the cars of a train at once. It is usually done to avert a collision with another train or a car at a grade-level crossing.
Officials opened an investigation but cautioned that it would take time to piece together the evidence and pinpoint a possible cause. The National Transportation Safety Board sent investigators to the site with instructions to inspect the overturned cars and interpret information from the train's "event recorders," devices that are somewhat similar to the flight recorders on airplanes. The Federal Railroad Administration also dispatched a team of investigators.
Earl F. Weener of the transportation safety board said at a news conference with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo that investigators had yet to interview the operator of the train, who was among those injured. A spokeswoman for Metro-North said the engineer, identified as William Rockefeller, had about 14 years' experience with the line. There were also three conductors on the train. "Our mission is to not just understand what happened but why it happened, with the intent of preventing it from happening again," Mr. Weener said.
For Metro-North, this is another in a line of bad incidents this year. A derailment and a collision in Connecticut led to days of delays, and early draft of The Times report pointed a finger at brain drain. "The recent episodes have occurred at a particularly trying time for the railroad," a draft of the story, since revised, said. "The agency, brought under the auspices of the transportation authority in 1983, has endured a spate of departures that have left several positions either vacant or filled by less experienced employees. Retirements of high-level employees have been common, officials said, because retirees can receive maximum pension payments after 30 years of service."
We'll know more in the coming days and weeks, but for now, the immediate concerns are logistics. Monday marks the first full day of work since prior to Thanksgiving, and the Hudson Line is out of commission for a few days. The MTA has received the go-ahead from the NTSB to clean up and repair, but service for Monday morning will be severely impacted.
Starting at 5 a.m. on Monday, the MTA will provide train service to Yonkers and a shuttle bus to the 242nd St. 1 train station. Transit will operate two additional peak-hour 1 trains, but those locals will be slow and crowded into Manhattan. Hudson Line tickets will be cross-honored on the subway, on Harlem Line trains and a the Port Jervis station. For 26,000 people, the ride into New York will be tough. For four people, that ride will never happen again, and the answers will soon be forthcoming.


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Educause Security Discussion
mailing list archives
Hello Everyone,
I'm trying to find some best practices for securely distributing exam papers
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* <mailto:eoin.dunne () dit ie> eoin.dunne () dit ie
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subset: commoncrawl


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May 3rd, 2012
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EPFO E-Sewa Portal
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1. Why should an employer register his/her establishment on the EPFO Employer portal?
With effect from 01.04.2012, any remittance to be made by the employer has to be done only after generating challan from the Employer Portal of EPFO. In case of wage month March 2012 onwards, the employer has to upload Electronic Challan cum Return (ECR) in the pre specified format and challan will be populated on the basis of uploaded return. For previous and other dues the challan has to be filled in online to generate and print it for remittance.
2. What happens if the employer does not register?
The online generation of challan will not be possible if the employer has not registered his/her establsihment. The employer has to register and create his/her user id & password for accessing the Employer Portal of EPFO.
3. Once the employer enters his/her establishment id a message is displayed 'No record found". What should he/she do?
Please check whether you have entered the correct code number and extension number, if any and have selected the correct EPFO Office. If correct, then please contact the concerned EPFO Regional/Sub Regional Office.
4. The employer enters his/her establishment id and clicks "Get Details" button. Message comes that the "Your Establishment is already registered". What should he/she do?
Please check whether you have entered the correct code number and extension number, if any and have selected the correct EPFO Office. If correct,click the link for generation of request letter. Print the letter and submit it under the signature and seal of the Employer/Authorised Signatory to the EPFO Office where the establishment is covered. Please mention your mobile number in the letter. Once the EPFO Office clears the registration, you will get an SMS on that mobile and then you can register.
5. The Registration screen asks for entry of PAN. Which PAN is to be entered as the Employer and Authorised Signatory have their PAN?
The PAN issued by the Income Tax of India in the name of the establishment is to be entered. Please also enter the name as it appears on the PAN.
6. After successful registration and creation of user id and password, the employer has forgotten the user id and/or password. What to do?
At the login screen of the Employer Portal, there is a link "Forgot Password?", Click the link. You will get a pop up screen where you have to enter the establishment id. Then enter the user id or primary mobile number or primary e-mail id. On submit, you will get an SMS using which you can login.
7. The employer has registered his/her establsihment. How to change the primary mobile number?
Please login to the Employer Portal. Under the "PROFILE" Menu there is link "Edit primary mobile number". Enter your new mobile number and submit. You will get an SMS with a PIN on the new mobile number. Enter the PIN and click "Change Primary Mobile". Confirmation SMS will be sent to the new mobile number which will become your primary mobile number.
8. At the time of initial registration the employer made a mistake in entry of mobile number and clicked "GET PIN" button. The button is now disabled and he/she did not get the PIN. What to do?
Please edit the primary mobile field with the correct mobile number and wait for a few minutes. The button will get enabled and you can click it again to get the SMS with another PIN.
9. At the time of initial registration the employer got the PIN but for some reason he/she could not enter it and click REGISTER. Can he/she enter the PIN later and register the establishment?
No, he/she has to fill in the details again and get a new PIN to complete the initial registration.
10. The employer has registered his/her establsihment. How to change the primary email id?
Please login to the Employer Portal. Under the "PROFILE" Menu there is link "Confirm primary email". Enter your new email id replacing the id that appears. Click "Send Verification link" An email message will go to the entered email id. Go to your email account and click the link in the message received. Your verified email id will be recorded in the system and in future you will get mail on the new id.
11. One person is employer or Authorised signatory for more than one establsihment. Is he/she required to register each establishment separately?
12. One person is employer or Authorised signatory for more than one establsihment. Can he/she have same user id for all such establsihment?
13. What is the use of additional authorised signatories and his/her mobile/email details?
These information will be used in future and SMS on activities other than registration and editing of the profile may be sent on the addiitional mobile numbers also.
14. How to change the profile details of the establsihment?
Please login to the Employer Portal. Under the "PROFILE" Menu there is link "Edit profile". Change the details and click "Get PIN" to get SMS on the primary mobile number. Enter the PIN and click Update Profile. Confirmation message will be sent through SMS.
15. The employer has entered the correct code number but the name and/or address that is displayed is incorrect or has some errors. How to correct it?
Please send request letter to the concerned EPFO Office for necessary corrections.
16. Can an epf member register on the Employer e-Sewa portal to view his/her account?
No, this service is for the employers of the establsihment having EPF Code number and for filing online return and making remittance. Members should not register here.
17. Whether the employer/Authorised Signatory of an establishment exempted under the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme is also required to register?
18. Whether after registration, can an employer upload returns for the previous accounting year(s) or for year 2011-12 through the Employer e-Sewa Portal?
No. The monthly ECR from the month of March 2012 (payable in April 2012) only can be uploaded through the portal as the uploaded return has to be backed with the remittance through the challan generated after the upload. Returns for the previous year(s) upto 2011-12 are to be submitted as per the existing procedure. As regards any remittance for the past period, a challan has to be generated after data entry of the details in the Challan link on the portal.
ECR stands for Electronic Challan cum Return. This is an electronic monthly return to be uploaded by the employers through the Employer e-Sewa portal. The return will have the member wise details of the wages and contributions including basic details for the new and exiting members (members who have joined or have left service in the wage month for which the return is uploaded). The approval of uploaded ECR will result in generation of a Challan using which the employer has to remit the dues in the designated branches of SBI. Thus each ECR will be linked with a remitted challan and the ECRs uploaded but not remitted will lapse after 15 days of the generation of the challan. The upload of ECR each month will relieve the employers fropm filing any paper return and also the various monthly and annual returns. The upload of ECR that ae backed with remitted challan in the EPFO Application will result in the updating of member balances on a monthly basis. This information will be shared with the members through the Know Your PF Balance link.
The employer has to first register his/her establishment, instructions for which has been made available on the E-sewa portal. The registered employers have to prepare the ECR text file as per the format made available on the E-sewa portal. The method of preparing the file has also been explained in it. It is as follows: How to Prepare ECR Text file: Step 1: Use any Spreadsheet (Open Office, Excel, Lotus etc,) for creating the member details as per the prescribed format and save the file in CSV (Comma delimited) format. Step 2: Open the CSV file in any text editor (notepad, edit plus, etc.,) and replace all "," with "#~#". Save the CSV file. Step 3: Change the file extension from CSV to TXT. Your file will be ready for upload. Alternatively the employer can also use the e-return software version 4.0 available on the epfindia website. The employer after the registration of the establishment can login to the portal using his credentials for uploading ECR each month. Instructions on how to upload the ECR file has been made available on the portal.
ECR is a text file consisting of 25 columns each separated by a column separator (namely #~# ) and there will be a separate line for each member. A sample ECR with 3 members data (one existing member, one new member and one exiting member) will look as follows: Line 1 (Not part of ECR txt file) (for exiting member): 12#~#SANJAY#~#7000#~#6500#~#840#~#840#~#541#~#541#~#299#~#299#~#0#~#0#~#10000#~#1500#~#1000#~#500#~##~##~##~##~##~##~#20/03/2012#~#20/03/2012#~#S Line 2 (Not part of ECR txt file) ( for existing member): 13#~#BIRENDRA#~#6000#~#6000#~#720#~#720#~#500#~#500#~#220#~#220#~#8#~#0#~#0#~#0#~#0#~#0#~##~##~##~##~##~##~##~##~# Line 3 (Not part of ECR txt file) (for new member): 16#~#SHEELA#~#5000#~#5000#~#600#~#600#~#417#~#417#~#183#~#183#~#4#~#0#~#0#~#0#~#0#~#0#~#VINEET#~#F#~#05/03/1990#~#F#~#05/03/2012#~#05/03/2012#~##~##~#
Once the ECR file is uploaded, the system checks whether the file is complying to the prescribed format and in case there is any error then the upload is not successful. An error log is created and line wise error is indicated. Common mistakes to be avoided: 1. Do not use decimals in the numeric fields such as wages, contributions, NCP days etc. 2. Do not use any special character other than . (period) in character fields such as name. 3. The date fields should be in dd/mm/yyyy format. Do not use other separator like – or . in the date fields. 4. Do not enter any values in column number 17 to 22 in case of existing members and exiting members (members who have not joined during the wage month for which the return is uploaded) 5. Do not enter any values in the column number 23 to 25 in case of members who have not left service during the wage month for which the return is uploaded. 6. Each line should have 24 column separators #~# irrespective of some column not having any values. 7. There should not be any header line with the field names etc.
Make the corrections in the text file with the help of the list of error log codes as available on the protal under the ECR/ECR Error Log option and upload it afresh.
On successful upload of the ECR file, a Summary page of uploaded ECR file will appear. You have to fill in the details regarding EDLI and EPF/EDLI administrative/inspection charges. Please check the rate of contribution applicable to your establishment. By default it will appear as 12% but it can be changed to 10% if this rate is applicable. On click of submit button, a digitally signed PDF File will appear. Download the file and verify the data in the file to satisfy yourself on the correctness of the members wise data as compared to the uploaded text file data. Once you approve the PDF file, a Challan will be generated with a TRRN (Temporary Return Reference Number) along with an acknowledgement slip for the uploaded ECR file. Print the challan and make the remittance. You have two options: a. If you are a CINB (Corporate Internet Banking) customer of SBI you can make online remittance using the TRRN. For this you have to login to the Online SBI portal.(This facility will start after some time and pleas use the option b - payment through cheque for some time). b. Otherwise submit the challn with Demand Draft/ Local Cheque at any designated SBI Branch accepting PF Challans.
The challan generated on approvel of uploaded ECR file will be available for remittance for 15 days and will lapse thereafter.
YES. But for each uploaded ECR file payment should be made through the challan generated for that ECR.
27. If the employee is having 31 NCP days (LOP) for them how we need to show them in a ECR file?
In ECR text file, show the member with zero wages & contribution for that wage month
28. The employer has to make payment for the past period, that is for the dues against the wage month of February, 2012 or before. What shall he/she do?
The Employer E-sewa portal has a link for Challan on the top menu bar after the employer has logged in. This link has the option for data entry of Challan for the past period. After entry of the data, on Submit, a challan with TRRN will be generated and can be used for remittance.
29. The establsihment has no members and the employer has been remitting the minimum administrative charges of Rs 5/- and Rs 2/- in the account number 2 and 22 respectively. How can he/she make the payment after March 2012?
In the Employer e-Sewa portal, after login, there is an option for Challan entry under the Challn link on the top menu bar. This can be used for the remittance of the minimum administrative charges. Only the amount in account number 2 and 22 can be entered after if a month March 2012 or onward is selected and the button Cont/Admn/Inspection challan is clicked.
30. IW 1:Who is an International Worker (IW)?
An International Worker (IW) may be an Indian worker or a foreign national. International Worker means: - - Any Indian employee having worked or going to work in a foreign country with which India has entered into a social security agreement and being eligible to avail the benefits under social security programme of that country, by virtue of the eligibility gained or going to gain, under the said agreement; - An employee other than an Indian employee, holding other than an Indian Passport, working for an establishment in India to which the EPF & MP Act, 1952 applies.
31. IW 2: Is an Indian worker holding COC (Certificate of Coverage), an International Worker?
Merely holding the COC does not make an employee an International Worker. He/she becomes IW only after being eligible to avail the benefits under social security programme of any country. After obtaining COC, the employee is exempted from contributing to the social security systems of the foreign country with whom India has SSA, hence he/she is not eligible to avail the benefits under the social security programme of that country.
32. ANX-II-1: The employer has not uploaded the return for the Month of February 2013. Will the list of members for preparing the Annexure II be available for download on the ECR Portal after Employer log in?
No, the list is prepared on the basis of the members PF number and Name as per the ECR file uploaded and remitted for the month of February 2013. So if an employer is still to remit the dues for the wage month February 2013, the list will not be available.
33. ANX-II-2: The list of members downloaded from the ECR portal for the preparation of the Annexure II has some names that are incorrect. Can the employer change the name?
No, the names that appear are based on the names as uploaded through the ECR text file for the wage month of February 2013. Thus the data that appears is the data entered by the employer. The Annexure II does not provide for the change in name and even if the employer changes the name(s) while uploading the Annexure II, the data on the portal will not be changed.
34. ANX-II-3: If the employer has uploaded the Annexure II and wants to change the data through another upload of the Annexure II, will it be possible?
No, once the Annexure II for a member (PF Number) has been uploaded and approved, data of the same member (PF Number) cannot be uploaded. The system will through error stating that the data for such member has already been uploaded and approved.
35. ANX-II-4: How to prepare the Annexure II txt file from the downloaded file?
After downloading the .xls file from the ECR Portal, the missing data (where fields are blank) are to be filled up in case of all mandatory fields. Then the same process as explained for the ECR file is to be followed. The header row is to be removed. Since there are 14 fields for each member, there will be 13 separators (#~#) in each row.
36. The employer has REGISTERED the Establishment but has forgotten the USER ID and/or PASSWORD and has also lost his/her mobile. In such case how will he/she get to know the User Id and Password??
In such case the employer should go to the REGISTRATION (for fresh registration) screen where he/she will find the establishment as already registered. There is a link to generate a letter for resetting of registration. The letter should be generated and submitted under the signature and seal of the Authorised Officer and with the new mobile number to the concerned PF Officer where the returns were being submitted. The NODAL OFFICER of the EPF Offices will reset the registration after verifying the signature and SMS will go on the new mobile number intimating the user id and password. The employer should login and change the password and also the mobile number on the portal.
This Portal can be best viewed in IE (7.0 and above), Firefox, Chrome and Opera browsers.     @2012, System powered by


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Create Your Saturday! Macy's Arts Sampler: March 15, 2014
Who doesn't love free events? This Saturday, March 15, the Greater Cincinnati region is teeming with free arts events at Macy's Arts Sampler. We know there are a lot of fun things to do this weekend, so we want to make sure you have a few ideas of how you can create your Saturday itinierary. Check out the sample itineraries below.
The Downtown/OTR Sampler Standard
- 10am-11:45am: Visit Memorial Hall for Dance Liaison presenting "A New Beginning" and Bach & Boombox, an interactive presentation where you can discover what Bach and James Brown have in common.
- Noon: Catch the St. Patrick's Day Parade OR stay at Memorial Hall for the Forget-Me-Not Dancers
- 1pm: Catch the Spirit at Music Hall with a collaborative performance by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, May Festival Chorus, and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
- 2pm: Head back to Memorial Hall for the Greater Cincinnati Choral Consortium Concert
The Irish Culture and Music Lover
- Noon: Catch the St. Patrick's Day Parade Downtown, then pop in to the Main Library to catch Dave Hawkins share music, stories, and funny anecdotes in a performance that blends folk and celtic.
- 1pm: Stick around at the library for the Clark and Jones Trio as they present a concert of Celtic music, including lively dance tunes, sing-alongs, and reflective airs on fiddle, Celtic harp, bodhran, recorder, guitar, and more.
- 2pm: Pop down to Memorial Hall for the Greater Cincinnati Choral Consortium Concert
The Dancer
- 10:30am-1:30pm: Enjoy interactive classes and demonstrations at Elementz, featuring instruction from MamLuft&Co Dance and hip-hop dance class from Elementz
- OR 11am-Noon: Visit Ballet Theatre Midwest to see students perform from their production of Paquita and modern choreography by Shani Ziso
- 2:30pm-4:00pm: At the Cincinnati Ballet Studios, the Cultural Centre of India present Mantra-Mystical Dances of India and Bi-Okoto Cultural Institute presents Rhythm of Our Land
The "Girls Day Out" Art Lovers
- From 10am-5:30pm: Drop in at the Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Art Gallery to see Exhibitions: Canstruction®; Nellie Taft: Odyssey, A Lifelong Journey Through Art
- From 1pm-4pm: Enjoy the amazing art at Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center
- From 11am-4pm: Sample classes and enjoy refreshments with Women Writing for (a) Change.
The Interactive Family
- 10am-11:15am: Create your own art with hands-on family friendly art experiences at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts
- 11:30am-2:30pm: Take the short trip to the Fairfield Community Arts Center to see the Bubble Troll create bubble art, hear school age performers play the blues, and enjoy an interactive comedic Shakespeare showcase with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.
- OR 1pm-2:30pm: Experience interactive storytelling at the Behringer-Crawford Museum with Clifton Performance Theatre's Baby Box Theatre and Dramakinetic's The Adventures of Oz.
The Family with Multiple-Generations
- 11am-2pm: Visit Otterbein Senior Lifestyle Choices for Cincinnati Music and Wellness Coalition: Wellness Through Music Making, featuring interactive art that is proven to strengthen the immune system. Then stay for the Cincinnati Opera presenting Carmen Redux, a modern take on the classic opera.
- 3:30pm-5:30pm: Head over the Memorial Hall to catch the rest of the Greater Cincinnati Choral Consortium Concert.
Other Highlights:
- 11:30am-1:30pm: Grove Banquet and Events Center - ROKCincy presents The Barber of Seville and Jonathan Heart's "Win It in an Origami Minute"
- 11am: Middletown Arts Center - Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra string trio concert
For a full list of events at each of these amazing locations, visit the Macy's Arts Sampler main page or download the Macy's Arts Sampler 2014 app.
Community Arts Center Week Returns August 24-30, 2013
One of our favorite neighborhood arts events returns for the fourth straight year. Community Arts Centers Week is your chance to discover all the amazing offerings of your local arts center - places where families, friends and neighbors come together to make and enjoy music, dance, theater, visual arts, crafts and more. Best of all -- all of these events are FREE! Special thanks to our friends at United Dairy Farmers who are providing free ice cream at these events.
2013 Pre-Community Arts Centers Week event:
Saturday, August 17th Middletown Arts Center, 130 North Verity Parkway, Middletown.
10:00AM – 12:00PM Paws-a-Palooza – The MAC will be joining forces with PAWS Adoption Center for a pet-centric event that runs from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. They are inviting visitors to stop by during the day to participate in the creation of a new mural. Professional balloon twister Cedar Sanderson will be on-hand from 10:30-11:30AM.
Scheduled Community Arts Centers Week Events, 8/24-8/30
Saturday, August 24th
Women Writing for (a) Change Center, 6906 Plainfield Road, Cincinnati.
10:00AM – 2:00PM The center will have a variety of activities, including writing samplers and readings from adults and girls and an open-mic reading opportunity beginning at 1:30. Make plans to stop by here first before heading to their neighbors just down Montgomery Road.
Kennedy Heights Arts Center, 6546 Montomgery Road, Cincinnati.
12:00 – 4:00PM Participate in a community art project wherein you will have the chance to help construct a giant vessel on the front lawn as part of the exhibit Vessels: All the Eyes Can Hold. Additionally, there will be a number of hands-on art activities for all ages, highlighting KHAC's upcoming fall classes.
Elementz, 1100 Race Street, Cincinnati.
11:00AM – 2:00PM Get your dance on with a variety of free dance classes at Elementz. Children and preteens from 7+ can enjoy hip hop at 11:00AM; Miyah leads a Zumba workout for older teens and adults at Noon; and teens and adults can take part in a hip hop groove class with Derrek Burbridge beginning at 1:00PM.
Oxford Community Arts Center, 10 South College Avenue, Oxford, OH.
2:00 – 5:00PM The Big Ol' Wall: Oxford Ohio Making Art Together – Bring the family and join the neighbors as the community comes together to participate in the creation of a large scale art project.
Sunday, August 25th
Madisonville Arts & Cultural Center, 5021 Whetsel Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 3:00 – 5:30PM The newly relaunched (and renamed) MACC presents a Sunday Soiree FIESTA, featuring arts activities, homemade treats, Latin music and dance with special guests Pasitico Latin Band. Neighbors and visitors alike are encouraged to participate in all of the fun acitvities.
Oxford Community Arts Center, 10 South College Avenue, Oxford, OH.
7:00 – 8:00PM Classy Tunes, Double Piano – Two pianos, five musicians, one fantastic hour: Dr. Jerry Stanley presents a scale-blazing hour of amazing music with some special guests.
Tuesday, August 27th
Oxford Community Arts Center, 10 South College Avenue, Oxford, OH.
6:00 – 9:00PM A Midsummer Night's Dream presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company – It Shakespeare in the Park, Uptown Park to be exact. Free art activities for all ages beginning at 6:00, followed by the free performance at 7:00PM.
Wyoming Fine Arts Center, 322 Wyoming Avenue, Wyoming, OH.
5:30 – 7:30PM Open House – Meet the wonderful faculty and staff at WFAC and learn about their programs! Faculty representing all our programs will be on hand to answer your questions or just chat: Ballet, Jazz/Hip-Hop, Musical Theater, Musik Kids, Suzuki Violin and Piano Programs, Art, Private Music Instruction (from Drums to Guitar, Voice and beyond).
Wednesday, August 28th
Oxford Community Arts Center, 10 South College Avenue, Oxford, OH.
3:00 – 6:00PM Adult Workshops – Oxford-area artists will offer "bite-sized" adult classes. Anyone over 18 is welcome to stop by and try a "free sample."
Offerings include:
· Howard Krauss – Watercolor for Beginners and Beyond, 3:00-5:00PM
· Pamela Howard – Paper journal binding, 3:00-3:45PM
· Debra Bowles – Rorschach inkblots, 3:30-4:00PM
· Wendy Richardson – Macrame key fobs, 4:00-4:30PM
· Jim Rubenstien – Coloring note cards, 4:30-5:00PM
· Marjorie Bowers – Painting flowers, 5:00-5:30PM
· Sondra Kapirides - TBA, 5:30-6:00PM
· Rebekah Powers – Beginner's Yoga, 5:30-6:00PM
Clifton Cultural Arts Center, 3711 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati.
7:00 – 9:00PM A Midsummer Night's Dream presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company - Wednesdays on the Green is finished, but we're not quite ready to say goodbye to summer fun on the front green. Please join us for this free Shakespeare in the Park performance in honor of Community Art Centers Week and our five-year anniversary. Free ice cream courtesy of UDF will add to the festivities!
ArtsWave Presents Summer Series for Families in Washington Park
The Summer months just got better with more FREE, family-friendly events.
As part of the OTR Performs arts programming in Washington Park, ArtsWave Presents Sundays in the Park will feature a variety of participatory arts activities led by artists and arts organizations from across the community, including Visionaries and Voices, My Nose Turns Red, Cincinnati Ballet, Bi-Okoto Drum and Dance Ensemble, Cincy Young People's Theater, Cincinnati Ballet, Children's Theatre of Cincinnati and more! Special thanks to OTR Flags for their sponsorship of this series.
Leading off a full day of programming, the Sundays in the Park events will start at 2:00 PM. OTR Performs starts at 7:00 PM featuring everything from puppet shows and musicals to three-act plays and Shakespeare. Families are encouraged to pack a picnic or enjoy the concessions for sale in the park.
Click here for descriptions and details of all the ArtsWave Presents Sundays in the Park events.
Dancing, Music, Museums at Macy's Arts Sampler on April 13
Top Picks
Celebrate the end of Macy's Arts Sampler 2013 with the Sampler Sock-Hop in Washington Park. Featuring The Wonderettes from Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, this fun event will have everyone singing and dancing along to the music of the 1950s and 60s. 5 to 7 pm on the Civic Lawn.
Top Picks for Families
Let the little kids' imaginations run wild at Contemporary Arts Center's UNMuseum starting at 11 am. And the whole family will enjoy playing in the CAC's current main exhibition "ON! Handcrafted Digital Playgrounds".
Cincinnati Ballet has a world tour of dance with traditional Indian dance, belly-dancing, kung-fu, and yes, ballet.
Enjoy the Taft Museum of Art's current exhibition "African American Art since 1950: Perspectives from the David C. Driskell Center" and stay for hip-hop dance and spoken word performances by teens from Elementz, and African drumming and dancing by Bi-Okoto. Doors open at Noon.
Teens and parents who love musical theater will want to head over to the Covedale Center in Westwood for a choreography demonstration and mini-lesson from Cincinnati Landmark Productions' current production of the musical, "Legally Blond".
Learning Through Art's "Books Alive for Kids" gets young kids inside the story with crafts, performances, and activities from 10 am to 2 pm.
Top Picks for Adults
Adults will want to play at the Contemporary Arts Center's ON! Handcrafted Digital Playgrounds exhibition, plus check out an eclectic mix of events throughout the day including Mam-Luft modern dance, Constella Festival chamber music, and Wasabi Jazz.
Brazee Street Studios in Oakely holds an open house with glass-blowing demonstrations by Queen City Glass from Noon to 3 pm.
Catch a sneak peek of the musical PARADE at The Carnegie in Covington at 2 pm.
Great Neighborhood Events
Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton will have music, crafts, and more for families starting at 10 am.
Enjoy great choral music from Cincinnati Children's Choir and MUSE: Cincinnati Women's Choir at St. John's Unitarian Universalist Church in Clifton at 1 pm.
Sharonville Fine Arts Center hosts weaving demonstrations and a performance by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company at 3 pm.
College Hill Presbyterian hosts music, dance, crafts and a silhouette artist starting at 1 pm.
In Northern Kentucky, public libraries host musical groups in Fort Thomas, Newport, and Erlanger.
Nrityarpana School of Performing Arts in Mason will have an open house featuring traditional Indian dancing, henna painting, and food starting at 11 am.
Join Us for Art in the Park!
ArtsWave and the Cincinnati Reds are teaming up for the first-ever Art in the Park day on Sunday, April 7 at Great American Ball Park!
Come cheer on your Cincinnati Reds as they take on the Washington Nationals. ArtsWave will sponsor art performances and activities in the Fan Zone before the game, including performances and character greetings by Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, and Pones, Inc.
Artistic Director of Playhouse in the Park, Blake Robison, will throw out the first pitch at 1:10 p.m. and a group from the May Festival Chorus will sing "God Bless America" at the seventh inning stretch.
Get $5 off on tickets when you order online here: www.reds.com/artswave.
Fun Card and ArtsPass holders-- watch your email for a special discount just for you!


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…Miichan could have been innocently enjoying talk over a cup of tea with a male friend whom she isn't romantically involved, and then found herself unable to go home late in the night and so she accepted a gracious offer to go to sleep in a spare bed.
Now the whole fucking thing has gone globally viral, and it angers me that people are now buying into the lies produced by irresponsible journalism and sensationalist entertainment-industry bloggers flying in circles like vultures.
So what's next? Picket lines at Akihabara? The Diet calling for an investigation? Whatever could happen in the next few days isn't going to give peace to any AKB fan, so we're officially in a state of war — a war against lies and misinformation.
We are still with you, Miichan.
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Hearty Pasta Dishes
Pasta with Hearty Lentil and Spinach Sauce
This recipe, satisfying combination of pasta, lentils, and spinach (or other greens) is a longtime family favorite. Easy and substantial, this can easily become your go-to plant-powered pasta dish. Recipe from Plant Power: Transform Your Kitchen, Plate, and Life with More Than 150 Fresh and Flavorful Vegan Recipes by Nava Atlas. ©2014, published by HarperOne, reprinted by permission. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky. more→
Mom's Meatless Meatballs
My mom created the most delicious vegan meatballs! I almost spit out the first bite I took because I thought she was playing a horribly mean joke on me, they tasted so meaty! The original recipe uses eggs and parmesan cheese. To veganize the recipe we used a "chia egg" instead and omitted the cheese. To make them gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs and gluten-free pasta. You can use store-bought marinara sauce or make your own. This recipe is a bit involved, as you need to prepare the ingredients and let them sit over night. It's worth the wait…trust me. Recipe and photos contributed by Cristina Cavanaugh, from Begin Within Nutrition.
Roasted Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
This mac and cheese is 100% vegan and so healthy! The 'cheese' in this recipe is a combination of roasted sweet potato, mustard, and nutritional yeast. The result is a nostalgic mac and cheese with a grown up edge and a rich, creamy, and satisfying dish! This recipe utilizes gluten-free pasta, but if that's not a concern for you, any whole-grain short chunky shaped pasta will work. Recipe and photos contributed by Sophia Zergiotis of Love and Lentils. more→
Vegan Beanballs (for serving on pasta with marinara sauce)
Made of beans, oatmeal (or quinoa flakes) and walnuts, there's nothing "fake meat" about these beanballs. They're super easy to make, too — basically you just throw everything into the food processor. While they're baking, cook up your favorite kind of pasta. Once it's done, add the kind of marinara sauce you like best — homemade Classic Marinara Sauce, or or your favorite natural purchased brand. Serve with a colorful salad, and, if you'd like, roast some broccoli and/or cauliflower in the oven at the same time that the beanballs are baking. Tip: set aside some of the marinara to spoon over the beanballs, once you arrange them atop the pasta. more→
Savory Mushroom Stroganoff
Yum, yum. Thanks to meaty-tasting portobello mushrooms, this satisfying stroganoff has the rich flavor of the traditional version without all of the extra fat and calories. Recipe contributed by Laura Theodore, from Jazzy Vegetarian Classics: Vegan Twists on American Family Favorites* © 2013 BenBella Books, reprinted by permission. more→
Vegan Macaroni and Cheese
This basic vegan macaroni and cheese is rich and comforting. Using pureed silken tofu as a base makes it super easy. For an even healthier sauce, try our Almost-Raw Cheez Sauce, based on baby carrots, raw cashews, nutritional yeast, and other nutrient-dense ingredients. Boost the nutrition of this comfort food meal by serving with plenty of fresh veggies — this goes well with simply prepared broccoli or kale — and a colorful salad or platter of fresh cut vegetables with dip. more→
Pasta with Pesto, Potatoes, and Green Beans
Pasta with pesto, potatoes, and green beans is a classic rustic Italian combination. It may seem odd to combine pasta and potatoes, but it does work well, and is extra hearty. It's carb heaven, maybe, but still healthy, especially if you use whole-grain pasta. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky.
Vegan Spinach-Mushroom Lasagna
I almost named this "The World's Easiest Lasagna" because this dish is super easy to make. Using no-boil noodles and pre-made sauce cuts prep time down so much that you can throw this together pretty quickly and your dinner guests will think you slaved away in the kitchen for hours. I served this at a party once and it was a huge hit, so I can attest to it's omnivore friendliness. It's also cat friendly, as I caught Archie sitting on the counter nibbling on it after I turned my back. I guess that cliché about orange cats and lasagna is true! Also, this tastes even better reheated the next day. Contributed by Dianne Wenz, from VeggieGirl. more→


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Windells Session 6 2014 – Video
The Technine Team and more at Mt. Hood.Read More
The Technine Team and more at Mt. Hood.Read More
Ryland West, Johnny Brady, Andy Glader, Ben Kessler, Graham Haley, Armeen Pirooz, Andrew Brewer, Cole Linzmeyer, Erik Leon, Sean Keane, Kumara Kelley, and more.Read More
Nial Romanek, Sammy Spiteri, Craig Cameron, Andrew Brewer, Alex Hermann, Brent Oftedal, and more.Read More
Technine team members Dylan Thompson, Andrew Brewer and Nick Poohachoff met up with homies Chris Grenier, and Zak Hale.Read More
Ben Bilodeau, Luke Haddock, Brady Larsen, Dylan Thompson, Andrew Brewer, and Zander Blackmon.Read More
Senior Photographer E-Stone's favorite photos of 2013.Read More
Technine at their third annual Technine week at Windells.Read More
The first episode of Arnette's new series.Read More
Tim Humphreys, Dylan Thompson, Scott Vine, Brandon Reis and friends send it in this edit.Read More
The Technine Team is taking over Session 6 at Windells Camp this summer!Read More


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"Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.
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program. To ensure that people are properly informed and trained, an institution-wide training program will need to be in place before the SDI is unveiled, and retraining will need to be offered periodically for users to understand the system as it develops. The SDI program will need to implement follow-up metrics to determine how well it is being executed to meet its strategic goals. On the basis of findings gathered with those metrics, there will need to be a process for making adjustments to serve users and fulfill USGS priorities.
A series of organizational and technical considerations are necessary for following the roadmap. It is important that SDI implementation have high priority for USGS leadership. A designated senior SDI staff officer will need support from all levels of leadership—from senior managers to the USGS director—and would need to be given commensurate authority to develop and deploy standards. Implementation of an SDI is a major program for establishing a geospatial base for USGS professional staff and outside users, and it would need to be viewed as such by the Survey. The incentive structure for scientists may need to be modified to reward sharing of spatial data. The USGS will need to consider expanding partnerships of five kinds: strategic partnerships with agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Science Foundation; data partnerships with agencies such as the Census Bureau; standards partnerships; academic partnerships; and technology partnerships with the commercial sector.
Among the technical considerations, supporting the diverse science workflows will require the Survey to evaluate its current information-technology infrastructure to ensure that it is aligned with the USGS Science Strategy. In light of that assessment, the USGS can implement robust enterprise data management, begin the transition to using the Web as a computing platform, and ultimately implement a comprehensive, long-term knowledge-management infrastructure that supports end-to-end spatial data management, including the collection, integration, maintenance, and delivery of multidisciplinary scientific data.


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Students who are eligible to receive funding through outside sources are required to indicate those sources on their registration form. The Director will, when appropriate, refer students to outside agencies for funding evaluations.
Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped
40 North Pearl Street, 15th Floor
Albany, New York 12210
Phone (518) 473-1675
Fax (518) 473-6260
Reader's Aid
Office of Vocational and Education Services for People with Disabilities
One Commerce Plaza Room 1601
Albany, New York 12234
Phone (518) 474-5642
The Veterans Administration
113 Holland Avenue
Albany, New York 12208
Phone (518) 462-3311 x3575
Fax (518) 462-2173
Acces-VR (formally VESID)
Adult Career and Continuing Education Services - Vocational Rehabilitation
Once Commerce Plaza, Room 1601
Albany, New York 12234
Phone (518) 473-8097


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@matusiak You might also want to check out this one http://bit.ly/6E0gvd for more music
Category Archives: Notes
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Eating at CubanRevolution in Durham. Feeling like communism can't be all bad with food this good. Durham has come a long way in a few years.
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Michelle was interviewed for the Herald Sun briefly yesterday. The reporter was there to profile a Duke player and caught her in the lobby for a few quick questions.
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Looks like we made it, Day +100 post-transplant and a healthy baby. Now to see about everything else. http://hlh.evanz.org/2010/10/day-100/
Google Cheatsheet
United States of Texas
And here I am living in the heart of The United States of Texas.
Nader Loses It
Can you say, 'Psycho'?
Microsoft today announced their new technology, heroin! Great name guys, really.


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The Big 12 is losing a lot of superstars from this season. Iowa State have said goodbye to their seniors, Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane, Kansas has already seen Andrew Wiggins announce his decision to go to the NBA Draft while Joel Embiid continues to ponder it, and Oklahoma State knew that this was Marcus Smart's final season with the Cowboys.
Even though "Transfer U" missed out on Temple's Anthony Lee, there's still more talented prospects that either are heading, or still looking at the Cyclones. Every season will continue to see a rotation of new potential stars under Fred Hoiberg. Which gives us the question, will Iowa State be the Big 12 favorites in men's basketball next season?
Most pundits, including Clones Confidential, had Iowa State as the fourth-best team in the Big 12 coming into this season. Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Baylor were arranged in the top three.
The Jayhawks and Cowboys have the most potentially damning exits. Embiid is the anchor for Kansas. Without him? Wiggins could score all he wanted to, but the defense suffered mightily. Embiid's injury paved the way for Iowa State to crush them inside during the Big 12 semifinal game and allowed Stanford to advance to the Sweet 16 even after missing all 10 3-point attempts.
Oklahoma State will lose Smart and Markel Brown, but they could also lose Le'Bryan Nash. Nash is on the fringe of being drafted in many NBA mock drafts, and he still hasn't gone public with his decision on whether he'll be staying for another year. If Nash does leave, Phil Forte and Brian Williams aren't bad players to lean toward, but it's a significant downgrade in talent.
Baylor might be the biggest threat in Iowa State's way of claiming the top spot for next season. Brady Heslip and Cory Jefferson will be gone, but the tandem of Isaiah Austin, Royce O'Neale, and Kenny Chery saw signficant improvement down the stretch. Plus the team is loaded with depth, and with how well they finished after a horrendous start to Big 12 play, people will be remembering that when they create their preseason lists.
Obviously, once we figure out who's all leaving and coming, it's hard to analyze if Iowa State will be the best team in the Big 12 heading into next season. But Monte Morris had a Georges Niang-like impact from last season, becoming the surprise freshman that every fan loved. Plus, the likes of Niang, Dustin Hogue, and Hogue's incoming teammate from Indian Hills CC, Jameel McKay, that will bring in a post presence that Iowa State sorely needed this season.
There's a very solid argument that the Cyclones will be next season's Big 12 favorites. But for now, fans just can't wait until basketball season starts up again this November.
Tags: Basketball Iowa State Cyclones Joel Embiid Le'bryan Nash