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Digging It: As Bertha bores, tunnel geeks everywhere will be watching
I've had personal acquaintance with half a dozen or more tunnel boring machines (TBMs). Including a 25-foot diameter cutterhead TBM I lived with – or suffered with, more accurately – for nine long, cold, wet, hard rock miles below the floor of Massachusetts Bay. In its time, the 1990s, that machine was one of the largest TBMs the world had yet seen.
On Tuesday, I got a good look inside the new Seattle TBM, the one that will bore the new, Viaduct replacement tunnel. I clambered up and down ladders, inched along catwalks, balanced by holding tight to bronze hydraulic fittings and finally crawled on my knees past a steel bulkhead right to the center core of the monster machine now poised in a pit west of Qwest Field: the green, for now, "cutterhead" that will rotate and scrape and grind its way under Seattle. Jammed into quarters made tight with hydraulics and electronics, I marveled to my guide Greg Hauser, Deputy Project Manager for Seattle Tunnel Partners, "I've never seen anything like this."
"That's because there's never been anything like this," replied Hauser (below), a lifelong project-hardened mole – as tunneling engineers often are called – without batting an eyelash. "This, for a machine, is almost unbelievable. I call it a work of art."
Hauser is in charge of testing, launching and operating the TBM. No cockiness accompanies his awe at the scale, power and complexity of the machine. He's grateful for what he calls the "shakedown cruise," slow and cautious, that will soon begin for the first 1,500 feet underground. He spends his time already anticipating the challenges of tuning the machine's operation and its delivery of each daily advance.
A lot of tunneling goes on around the world, most of it unheralded by surface dwellers for its importance to modern infrastructure. At 57-feet across, Seattle's new machine has a handful of recent forerunners that approach its scale. But this TBM is big, really big.
It weighs in at 7000 tons, the equivalent of more than 30 orange and black BNSF Dash 9 diesel locomotives. Its 24 huge electric motors — that's the #18 motor below — generate the 25,000 horsepower that will slowly rotate the cutterhead (at about one revolution per minute) as it chews and grinds the ground – TBMs don't actually drill into the ground. The TBM's 56 thrust jacks that push the rotating cutterhead (the business end of the boring machine) against the ground ahead exert 44,000 tons of thrust, or 13 times the thrust of the engine and booster rocket that lifted the space shuttle into orbit. The machine is powered by what is essentially a 26 kilovolt extension cord. Seattle City Light built the dedicated feeder line just for this purpose. An extension cord!
Seattle's press and public get a close-up look at the behemoth on Saturday before it starts to disappear underground sometime next week. It will re-emerge after its 1.75 mile tunnel drive to Aurora Avenue North near Denny Way. But the machine is already an international rock star, engaging engineers and other experts who are now in Seattle from Spain, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Russia and France, and just about every corner of the United States. The homegrown workforce of building trades men and women, including sandhogs, operating engineers and electricians bring valuable, pertinent experience from Sound Transit and Brightwater tunnels, has never worked on a TBM like this.
Moles everywhere will be keeping tabs on how well Seattle's TBM performs. And how will performance be measured? There are, of course, a myriad of measures to be tracked every day, indeed every hour by command officers like Greg Hauser and their teams. But the two key parameters are utilization and production.
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Posted Fri, Jul 19, 12:44 p.m.
Mr MacDonald will face accusations & charges of criminal actions and unacceptable incompetence sooner or later. Sooner rather than later is preferable even to MacDonald associates who will likewise be charged with incompetent derilection of duty that led in these instances to tragic outcomes. Credit republican leaders who fought back, Ms Rivers and Don Benton, two to be commended and awarded profound respect.
Mr MacDonald, it is NOT wild speculation to calculate that watery, clay and soft fill soils are an ABSOLUTELY INAPPROPRIATE application for this scale of bore tunnel too close to vulnerable buildings. The FEIS 'Stacked' Cut/cover is the ONLY appropriate seismic-stabilizing tunnel with the desirable 'impermeable' seawall replacement to control and reduce underground water flows.
You are wrong, mister.
You will face these charges.
Your career is over.
Wsdot & SDOT directors & department heads will face similar charges related to Mercer West, Alaskan Way boulevard, seawall soil-stabilization 'preferred' technique (compounds underground water channeling problem), and the closing of Battery Street tunnel and Broad Street Underpass assumptions. Engineers outside Washington ARE embarrassed for the whole lot of you Pugetopolis smart ass pukes and most haughtily unconservative fossil fuel frackers and spewers.
Posted Sat, Jul 27, 12:49 a.m.
Thanks, Wells, for discussing the facts on this disastrous project, and please keep posting in this, and other threads, that discuss the region's focus on "smart growth" techniques that are seismically unsafe. The other posters, obviously, have "competing interests," and are associated with the "smart growth" development industry, who has built hundreds of poorly reinforced "smart growth towers" in the region, and plans to build more of them along the coast of Puget Sound, where they will collapse in the next tsunami and earthquake. Tens of thousands will die, as you already know, in the next 9.0 subduction zone quake, expected in my lifetime - and up to an equal number will die in the next fault on the Seattle fault - also in my lifetime (next 60 years). I posted more comments below. Gov. Inslee should immediately halt the tunnel with an Executive Memorandum.
Posted Fri, Jul 19, 5:28 p.m.
Excellent article Mr. MacDonald.
Sadly, Wells is one of the naysayers in this world who doesn't have a clue. I'm sure he's not an engineer, just a clueless fool. There are many engineers including those from the USGS that have reviewed this project and given it a thumbs up.
I believe that this will be a major success for every one. Bertha is an EPBM type machines like Togo, Balto, Brenda and the other TBMs that successfully dug the Sound Transit tunnels under Beacon and Capitol hill. They were all built specifically to handle the soft soils and glacial till as you find in Seattle. But EPBM TMBs have been used all over the world very successfully from subways to dam projuects. My bet is that Bertha will complete her task ahead of schedule wowing everyone.
Is their some risk in this construction project? Yes, but frankly most of that danger is right at the beginning of the project. The first 500 yards will be the most challenging. This is wet fill from the Denny Regrade. However after that point the tunnel will make it into stable glacial till and before you know it, this beast of a machine will be breaking through on the other side.
After which Mr Wells and his negative predictions will be forgot. Especially by him.
Posted Sat, Jul 20, 11:23 a.m.
These negative predictions are not wild speculation. Severe soil destabilization will occur slowly over time, invisibly undermining vulnerable historic buildings beyond repair, forcing their evacuation and demolishment. In an earthquake, buildings could collapse suddenly with a death toll in the hundreds or thousands. Once the bore tunnel is in, the dire threat is permanent. Every sensible person in Seattle will remember that the potential for sudden building collapse will keep even clueless people away from Pioneer District and the waterfront. Engineers who aren't paid to ignore dire threats issue warnings.
Warning: The Deep Bore Tunnel will be a catastrophic failure. Prove that warning wrong, acbystesia or stfu. Perhaps you won't mind admitting to yourself that you were made the fool later when this ignored and forgotten warning is sadly proven to be only too credible.
Posted Sat, Jul 20, 2:46 p.m.
If this were true, the entire downtown core of Seattle would have had buildings falling down a long time ago. This will be a deep bore tunnel under thousands of pounds of pressure from the earth above it. That pressure will be balanced by the TBM itself as the cutter head shaves the soil in front of it and passes through that void the cutter head creates, and then the shield of the TBM and then finally the concrete rings of the tunnel itself.
There is really nothing unique about this tunnel except it's size in diameter. Tunneling through glacial till with TBMs or tunneling in high ground water pressure environments are both very common. It is a challenging job, but a couple of hundred years of mining and tunnel expertise has prepared these engineers from accomplishing this feat.
There are dozens even hundreds of tunnels that are under large bodies of water. To the North of us in Canada, there is the Massey Tunnel which goes under the Frazier river. There are 18 transport tunnels under the river Thames, some that go back to the mid 1800s. NYC has about a dozen railroad, subway and highway tunnels under both the Hudson and East rivers. In SF BART built it's subway tunnels under the bay. There are countless other, even long tunnels under large bodies of water, including the 33.46 mile Seikan undersea tunnel in Japan, the Channel tunnel, which at 31.4 miles, linked England and France., the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel in Delaware, the Miami Port tunnels. In Korea, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, India. In China they have completed at least 6 in the last 5 years, some that are under the ocean. In fact, China has plans to build a 76 mile under ocean tunnel tunnel across the Bohai strait. How would you like to drive for a full hour under the ocean?
Engineers are not paid to to blindly give a thumbs up to a foolhardy project, they are paid to lend their expertise in building the wonders of the world from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Grand Coulee Dam to sending a man to the moon.
The sky is not falling Chicken Little.
Posted Sun, Jul 21, 11:44 a.m.
Those who mention 'high ground water pressure' but refuse to consider its affect upon a bore tunnel, undermine any reasonable case for the DBT. Once underground waters reach the DBT shell, they are forced to spread above, below and along its length (approx 3000' to the south portal), creating a 'mud bed' which enables movement and ossilation that transmits vibrations the entire 10,000' length of the DBT. Underground waters also cause 'siltration' and the formation of cavernous voids which collapse soils beneath building foundations above.
A cut/cover tunnel, OTOH, compacts soils below and solidifies unstable soils along its east side. Along the west side, a Cut/cover/Seawall combination is nearly impermeable to water thus most ideal for controlling underground water flows and their impacts. Moreover, a cut/cover will not ossilate nor pose the danger of snapping DBT steel bolts that connect miles of segmented seams. The weight of the DBT itself is enough in a mud bed to cause its own failure. Incidental and complete flooding can be managed better with a cut/cover tunnel depth of 70' as opposed to DBT depth of 180'. Emergency evacuation is also safer with a Cut/cover.
Because Seattle sits directly atop a major 40-mile east/west faultline, earthquake forces will bounce off a cut/cover, but roll over a bore tunnel, adding the weight of shifting soils that compound pressures that transmit bore tunnel vibrations and cause voids to collapse and soils to shift upward as well as collapse downward.
The DBT is entirely unique in its close proximity to vulnerable buildings above. Boston's Big Dig tunnel is a cut/cover near vulnerable downtown buildings. Bay Area BART Transbay Tube is NOT a bore tunnel.
Posted Sun, Jul 21, 3:29 p.m.
To Wells, aka: Chicken Little and his post marked Sun, Jul 21, 11:44
While it is possible that a cut and cover solution may have been a better choice, I think your argument is over the top paranoia. As I have mentioned, there are countless projects all over the world in tougher high ground water conditions and seismically challenged than Seattle.
Yes the BART Tunnel is not a bored tunnel, but the Seikan tunnel and the English Channel tunnel are bored as is the Kuala Lumpur SMART Tunnel which not only winds it way beneath skyscrapers, also has to do with Flash Floods a few times a year. The Seikan Tunnel crosses a couple of seismically active faults as will the new Chinese Tunnel across the Bohai strait.
BTW, pointing out the Boston Big Dig tunnel being a "cut and cover" tunnel doesn't help your argument as probably no project in US history had more cost over runs. It exposed the major inherent problem with Cut and cover tunnel and that is the cost involved in moving utilities throughout the entire route.
The worst argument against this tunnel project is the one you are making. It will NOT make the buildings above it any more vulnerable to earthquakes or voids in the soil. Their effect on the buildings above is totally independent of the deep bore tunnel.
Posted Mon, Jul 22, 1:04 p.m.
An evidence-based argument contending the DBT is unacceptably risky engineering is not paranoia. Paranoid fear is without evidence. The Boston Big Dig Cut/cover is a fair comparison. Your absurd cost overrun argument ignores ultimately costly high risk. The HSR Channel Tunnel is a pair of 20' diameter bore tunnels rather than the 60' diameter of the DBT, plus there are no buildings above as with the DBT bore vs the Big Dig cut/cover. Your only argument is to question my personal credibility to make these charges of incompetence and worse. IOW, you haven't made a credible counter-argument.
Posted Mon, Jul 22, 11:11 p.m.
Mr. Wells, you have not presented an evidence based argument that the sky is going to fall or the buildings for that matter.
Yes, the Seattle Deep Bore Tunnel is 57.5 feet wide, but done right this will not cause the ground to move any more than a 20' tunnel(actually the Channel tunnel is 25' in diameter, not 20') but this doesn't really matter except during construction. BTW* the Kuala Lumpur SMART Tunnel winds it way under High Rises and has to deal with substantially more water than the Seattle's Deep Bore Tunnel It is also a very wide diameter bored tunnel measuring 43.71 feet in diameter. There have been countless actual engineers working to design this project. They are not building it to fail.
I'll trust the actual engineers building the project as opposed to armchair quarterbacks yelling at their tv sets. You should look up the word credibility and then go get some.
Posted Tue, Jul 23, 4 p.m.
"Mr. Wells, you have not presented an evidence-based argument that buildings are going to fall. The 58' diameter Seattle Deep Bore Tunnel constructed right will not cause the ground to move any more than a 20' tunnel ~(Not true). This problem only matters during construction. (Not true). The 44' diameter Kuala Lumpur Tunnel winds it way under high rise buildings and deals with more water than the Seattle DBT ~(and?). There have been countless engineers working to design this project ~(Nonsense). They are not building it to fail ~(Not true). I'll trust the engineers building the project rather than the armchair quarterbacks. You should look up the word credibility and then go get some."
I'm a general contractor, construction worker in the energy conservation field. Akbee Tesla should learn how to edit the BS. Credibility can be demonstrated in written word. I'm credibly proficient at presenting credible argument. Akbee Tesla is a wannabee who hasn't yet been through the long learning process.
Oh and BTW, I checked with an Oregon State wetland hydrology department and learned USGS neither studied nor approved Seattle waterfront soil conditions as appropriate. Wsdot studies were probably conducted by private contractors for the right price, more if pretermined outcomes are required. Hah! (^=}
Posted Sun, Jul 21, 2:14 p.m.
acbytesia, your comments are interesting. I agree that the bore machine and bore work is fascinating, and we hope well engineered (who can forget the sinking of the I-90 pontoon during a Thanksgivings weekend storm due to human error, and who can forget the most recent DOT foul-up with the concrete floats for the new 520 bridge? Danger! Danger! Will Rogers!)
However, I have yet to read any intelligent or thoughtful response to the two major complaints from users and taxpayers. These 2 major complaints are the underlying reasons most of the naysayers will never quit saying "STOP, just build a new viaduct." And then they will move away, to a new city/county where politicians do not so blatantly ignore public comments and ignore common sense.
1. This stretch of tunnel will cost in excess of $4 BILLION dollars, for approximately 2 miles. Taxpayers cannot afford this cost for such a tiny project in Washington State.
2. This extravagant tunnel and roadwork costing in excess of $4 BILLION dollars, will NOT move more vehicles every day. It will never move more vehicles every day. It will mover far fewer vehicles each day, forcing 30,000 to 50,000 vehicles each day into downtown Seattle surface streets.
I will not be one of those inconvenienced drivers. I moved my business north, and ship mainly via water these days. I avoid Seattle like the plague it has become, which is sad, because I am a 3rd generation Seattleite, raising a 4th generation, who is soon to be moving as well. We all just say "done, over, can't stand ya".
It is not the growth, it is the war against cars, and the massing up of housing so people cannot get a break from each other. That's not the Seattle I was raised in, nor is it the Seattle I feel will be successful.
Posted Sun, Jul 21, 3:40 p.m.
I'm not sure where you are getting the $4 Billion dollar estimate as the contract for it including the new Alaskan way surface street which will provide the access to downtown that is lost with the subtraction of the two Viaduct exits is half that cost at 2 Billion.
From my perspective, the one reason this project is the best solution is that IMO, is the least disruptive to traffic during construction. The ability to keep traffic flowing through our city during constructions is immeasurable. I also believe the combination of the new Alaskan Way and the tunnel will be fine. My only problem with this project is the toll. I think they should find any way possible to avoid a toll on the tunnel as the toll will encourage people to go around the tunnel which defeats the purpose of the tunnel. That being said, the toll is designed to pay for only 20% of the cost of the project and people are already trying to find a way to supplement the toll through other funding.
Posted Tue, Jul 23, 8:33 a.m.
There have been a great many articles outlining the cost budgets for this project. Never has there been a project of this magnitude in this state, and to think it will come in at or under budget is naïve.
The tunnel is just like a big house remodel -- by the time you decide to spend xyz to remodel the kitchen, it's pretty easy to emotionally justify spending xxyyzz to remodel or rebuild the whole house and yard too. But the bottom line ... for the net result of traffic flow, this bore tunnel project is a mobility mistake, and we simply cannot justify, nor afford the cost of the $4.2 BILLION dollars.
"The budget for the entire tunnel project, including the portals, property acquisition and management, is about $1.96 billion and the cost estimate for the entire viaduct replacement project, which includes work to demolish the southern stretch of the viaduct and the city's plans to build a new waterfront park, is $4.2 billion."
Btw, parking under the viaduct hasn't been cheap for years.
Posted Tue, Jul 23, 11:19 a.m.
First off, 2 Billion dollars is not the "budget for this project" it s the contract for this project and this is not a "cost plus project. Also, there are no "add ins' for this project. This is not the "Big Dig" of Boston which was actually 8 times this large with multiple on ramps,exits, interchanges and bridges. It also has a built in contingency and STP, the GC is responsible for going over budget.
Posted Fri, Jul 19, 10:44 p.m.
And now as we are presented with another round of tunnel press releases disguised as news let's not forget that no other proposed configuration (especially this tunnel) matches the existing viaduct in any transportation related category. The rights of ways already exist. The elevated configuration already can handle 110,000 vehicles a day. It already provides a bypass for downtown and off ramps for the core, Ballard and West Seattle. It already meets the demands for commercial vehicles. It could easily incorporate modern seismic protections and other enhancements for noise abatement, bikes, pedestrians and aesthetics. It acknowledges the fact that rubber-tired, multi-passenger vehicles (cars) are still the choice of over 90% of us. And a replaced or refurbished viaduct is a over a billion+ dollars cheaper than this sub-optimized tunnel joke that cuts capacities and access by almost half, increases congestion downtown and costs billions more than an elevated solution.
Posted Fri, Jul 19, 11:57 p.m.
I have to wonder jmrolls, at what point will you stop campaigning against the tunnel? My guess is that you will be complaining after the Bertha breaks through near Mercer Street in 14 months and maybe not then.
This is the solution the government chose to proceed with and it only took a decade of fighting about.
Get over it.
Posted Sun, Jul 21, 2:24 p.m.
One must never, ever say that just because "the government chose to proceed with it and it only took a decade of fighting about" without realizing that this project never had mass acceptance by the public ... which makes the "government who chose to proceed with it" non-representative of the people.
That has got to stop.
acbutesia, you are the one who needs to Get Over It.
You have your fingers in the financial pie in some way, that I can see. Step away from the steaming pile, and view this mess from the point of view of cost per vehicle - astonishingly out of scale with any other road project in Washington, or any other state for that matter.
Posted Sun, Jul 21, 4:25 p.m.
I have no financial interest in this project at all. I don't own any downtown or waterfront real estate, nor money in construction, or any connection to Seattle Tunnel Partners at all.
I listened to the debate on this issue going on ten years. No solution was perfect. I wouldn't have been against a "cut and cover" tunnel or even replacing the viaduct with another elevated highway although I would have been concerned about the congestion that most likely would have caused.
I do think I slightly favored one of the tunnel solutions but honestly could have cared less which was chosen.
Frankly, my problem is people second guessing after the fact because they didn't get their way. I'm sick of government gridlock in Seattle. Stop talking and "get er done" is my motto.
Take Sound transit for example. Their process from start to finish even small parts of adding to the line is a ten year process!!! This is absurd as the majority of the New York Subway system was built in 2 years!!! Modern construction methods allow us to complete projects in record time so why do all these projects take substantially longer than they did in 1890? The government process of "including" everyone in the process. Court challenges and NIMBYism.
Enough of the chat..grab a shovel.
Posted Mon, Jul 22, 1:29 p.m.
I have to wonder why I have to "get over it"? The project is moving forward and I'm not complaining. You are. The government proceeded after a decade of discussion and two elections. I think that is more than enough,
I've been involved in elections where I've lost, sales that I've lost and causes that I've lost. What I don't do after it's obvious I've lost is what you are doing. Whining and carping.
Posted Tue, Jul 23, 8:44 a.m.
Whining and carping? The cost and reduced mobility make this project wrong.
Wrong is wrong. Allowing any 'government' work to continue on simply because it's been being discussed for a decade or more is not appropriate. The 'government' did not involve the people by vote in this expensive project, and that cannot be forgiven.
Posted Tue, Jul 23, 1:29 p.m.
It is "whining and carping" because this is the solution the people chose. It is "whining and carping" because this project is actually more than 25% completed. Or in case, you haven't noticed that half the viaduct has already been demolished, utilities have been moved, an entire substation was built to power the TBM, A launch pit with 15 foot concrete floor was built Pilings have been dug. The Atlantic street overpass was built for trucks going to the port, not to mention 80 million dollars was spent to build the TBM that is specific to this project. The TBM is in the launch pit and is about to start digging.
So yes, you are "whining and carping". I can understand that you may have thought another solution would have served the community better and I respect people for fighting for what they think is best. But there is a time to surrender and that time was a long long time ago.
Posted Tue, Jul 23, 9:01 p.m.
What people "chose" this? No vote was taken.
Wrong is wrong.
Posted Sat, Jul 20, 11:08 a.m.
The 6-lane 'stacked' cut/cover tunnel in the FEIS most closely 'matches the viaduct' in terms of managing traffic, and is for this reason too the only sensible tunnel option. MacDonald knows this, but fearing imprisonment, denies culpability for punishable offenses committed during his tenure at Wsdot when the planning process and state studies were 'rigged' to keep this cut/cover tunnel option from a fair public consideration during the 2007 voter referendum. It is 'least disruptive' to construct as the only cut/cover that could be built without having to tear down the AWV first. MacDonald did not want voters learning this cut/cover option existed so he could promote the alternative he and his business cronies favored, an elevated monstrosity, jmrolls. After the referendum, further studies of cut/cover tunnel and surface/transit options were likewise rigged, yet, the stacked cut/cover made it into the FEIS as most ideal.
Posted Sat, Jul 20, 2:59 p.m.
The "cut and cover" technique would have been far more disruptive than the deep bore tunnel and it is likely that it would have been as expensive or more expensive. The problem with "cut and cover" is the necessity to tear up the entire path from one end to the other and moving all of the utilities in the way. In the downtown area of Seattle, this would have been grossly impractical. Why dig up two miles of streets, pipes, sewer, electrical utilities not to mention the dealing with the foundations of the large buildings above. Because unlike the Deep Bore option that went under these foundations, the cut and cover method would have been undermining the foundations of some of the large buildings along side it's path.
Posted Sun, Jul 21, noon
The 'stacked' cut/cover tunnel was the least disruptive, yet even that disruption was exaggerated in the Wsdot studies. Wsdot proposed to build a 6-block trench between Spring and Main streets in the first phase, then proceed from the middle to the portals at Pike and King streets. Building a tunnel from the middle outward and lifting soils to the surface and removed with dump trucks makes little sense when the excavation could proceed from the south portal northward in 1- or 2-block segments that once completed would return the surface to temporarily adequate use and most soils removed underground to the south portal. IOW, Wsdot rigged these Cut/cover tunnel studies to be more disruptive than necesssary, a punishable offense. Avoiding construction disruption is NO EXCUSE for constructing an absurdly inferior tunnel option.
At this point, I'd just like to say: Mr MacDonald, you sir, are a coward. You'd best put together your Condoleesa Rice excuse, ie, "Who could've known the bore tunnel would be such a catastrophic failure?" or something to that affect so you may avoid imprisonment and continue collecting your undeserved pension.
Posted Sat, Jul 20, 6:39 a.m.
acbytesla, will you force the "government officials" who decided to proceed to pay for all of the cost over-runs out of their own pockets?
Posted Sat, Jul 20, 12:30 p.m.
Well acbytesla, I'll probably always be annoyed by special interest driven capital projects like the tunnel that deliver less and cost more. The tunnel/surface option is a terrible substitute for one of the most successful north/south arterials in the city. It will add to the tax bill of the over-taxed, and it will add to the congestion faced by regional commuters. It's another example of Seattle's leadership demonstrating that it cares more about how the city looks on a post card than the mobility of its citizens. About "getting over it" I think that since the costs and deficiencies are permanently built into the tunnel project I'm sure I'll still be annoyed no matter when and where Bertha shows up. Bad ideas don't get better over time.
What would you do if the government announced that it was OK to eat the yellow snow?
Posted Sat, Jul 20, 3:16 p.m.
While we can argue over the best way to have replaced the viaduct, the fact is that the viaduct absolutely needed to be replaced. Whether by another elevated highway, cut and cover tunnel or surface street option. It has to be done.
Frankly, I was tired of the government dysfunction. It was times like this that I hate democracy. 10 years was too long to "discuss our options". Make a decision damn it!!! I hope we don't take ten years on what to do with the waterfront after the Viaduct is torn down.
As for the Viaduct itself, I'll always miss the view it presented to me while driving across it. But on the other hand I was always a bit nervous driving across it. The view across the sound was spectacular and I always wanted to drink it in, but the lanes were narrow and I had to discipline myself not to look. But any time I ever walked around below it. I hated it. It was loud noisy, dirty and dark. It's subtraction will make the city more inviting for tourism and a big plus for the citizens of Seattle.
Posted Sun, Jul 21, 8:33 a.m.
There's no argument about the best configuration (tunnel/park or elevated) to replace the viaduct. That answer is obvious if you keep the criteria to things like capacity, access and accommodating the needs of commuters. And don't forget about the enormous costs. After all, it's a transportation project isn't it?
The process wasn't ten years. I think the tunnel/park idea showed up near the end of 2008. The adoption was a lot of PR, phony referendums, influence pedaling and back room deals. Check this: http://crosscut.com/2009/03/26/crosscut-blog/18899/When-Chopp-speaks-parse-closely/
I think you're going to be missing more than the view if you find yourself among the 30-40 thousand commuters who will now be faced with making their way through and around downtown surface streets at rush hours because of the limited capacity of the tunnel/park.
Posted Sun, Jul 21, 12:49 p.m.
Yes the process took ten years. The Nisqually Quake happened in 2001. Government futz around with dealing with this problem for a grotesque amount of time. Could we really have waited for another ten years to come up with a solution? Frankly, I don't know what the best solution is/was. But after a solution is decided upon, it's time to get on board, not harp and whine about the decision.
Posted Sun, Jul 21, 2:33 p.m.
I always liked it under the Viaduct. It was above ground, and yes, dirty and noisy, but no dirtier than any other street in Seattle. We used to be able to park there for free or nearly free. Who cares about noise when you're just parking the car??
As crime grew in Seattle, 'under the Viaduct' certainly did became more violent, and scarier - but that had nothing to do with the Viaduct, and everything to do with crime, drugs, homeless people, and thugs. Building one more vast waterfront park will just be a new home for scary people to hang out in.
Posted Sun, Jul 21, 3:47 p.m.
I couldn't disagree more. Seattle's waterfront without the viaduct will be spectacular. That massive hulking structure that cast a shadow on everything, obstructing every view.
I can see why you like it...as a cheap parking space, but it will be so much more. You won't have the cheap parking spot, but the city will have so much more. I can't wait to see the city without it. In ten years, nobody will miss the Viaduct.
Posted Sat, Jul 20, 6:49 p.m.
Thank you Mr. MacDonald for eloquently sharing this overview of the project and the feat of engineering required to accomplish it. This is Crosscut at its best. (great pics, too!)
Posted Sun, Jul 21, 10:38 a.m.
So, how is the bored material handled? Passed behind and trucked out or carried on a conveyor belt? And then where will it go? Just curious.
Posted Sun, Jul 21, 12:38 p.m.
It depends on the tunnel machine and the project. In this case it is carried out by conveyor belt that winds it way to a dock just North of the Launch Pit. From there a barges will transport the bored material (muck) to an old quarry pit near Port Ludlow.
Posted Mon, Jul 22, 2:40 p.m.
I wish Crosscut would quit giving Douglas MacDonald a platform to spout off from and now that he's not the head of WSDOT he keeps looking for another bully pulpit.
Posted Tue, Jul 23, 12:31 p.m.
Anytime a ranter commenter hits the third or fourth repetitious posting, I tune out. C'mon folks, Crosscut used to be a forum for rational comment threads. The thread here is an unreadable mess.
Posted Tue, Jul 23, 3:32 p.m.
We can give thanks, us grouchy old contruction workers and truck drivers, that the CRC I-5 project has been "shelved" for now, about 2 years (I think) cuz Marine Drive and the 'Expo-to-Hayden' local road projects are shovel-ready, their cost $450mil. Credit Kitzhaber for Oregon still ahead in its planning.
Inslee has fewer accomplished experts to lend his trust. Washington State highway & transit DOT agency projects are questionable. Especially the deep bore tunnel, (DBT), which incurs too many high risks for worst case scenarios going wrong. Worst soil conditions. Wrong tunnel type. Seawall techique is NOT recommended because underground water channelling, siltration and void problems can worsen unpredictably. Vulnerable building foundations damaged beyond repair. Forced Demolitions. Limited replacements. The Seattle faultline in earthquakes is high risk for damage and collapse. Indeed, unperceived cavernous voids collapse and then buildings above collapse. A Bengali deathtoll is possible.
We are grateful the CRC was shelved because Wsdot bad engineering is apparent on the DBT worse than imaginable. Those who know better, will stop the DBT and related street projects.
Seattle seems like zombie ground zero.
Sometimes a zombie makes the Editors Pick list.
Zombie no like to read. Eyes, brain, no work good.
Posted Tue, Jul 23, 3:54 p.m.
My name is Wells, I'm a whiner, I'm a carper, I'm a sore loser. I'm Chicken Little. What I'm not is an engineer. The Deep Bore Tunnel construction project has been reviewed by engineers from the USGS and they determined that the project was and is safe. The Deep Bore Tunnel is designed to deal with 9.0 earthquake, which is a 1 and 2500 year event.
The project was approved through a democratic process. It is more than 25% complete and yet you waste your time whining and second guessing.
Do you harbor any delusions that you will get your way and people will come around to your way of thinking and stop it's construction?
Silly rabbit.
Posted Wed, Jul 24, 11:38 a.m.
My name is Art Lewellan. I have advocated for and witnessed many successful light rail systems across the West and nation since 1992. In the learning first years my contributions to the field added perspective that advanced streetcar 'integration' as complementary thus value-added.
I designed a 6-mile single-track monorail that circled SeattleCenter and from KOMO south with low-impact routes. Estimated cost $500 Million. Performance: More ridership than the $5 Billion Greenline fiasco. I've designed a remarkable Waterfront Streetcar Line and a Trolleybus reconfiguration that smart ass transit wonk/wannabee/potheads don't care to see or consider, cuz like, you know, like uh, like oh wow man....huh?
My list of accomplishments is long. I don't have time for this Ackbee Tesla oxymoron BS. Others are reading my analysis and acting on it. I'm a gifted engineer with designs that can become proprietary. In other words, another Oregonian (or Oregon itself) is being squeezed by a few rich Washingtonian pricks and their envious clueless minnion/twerps.
Posted Fri, Jul 26, 10:27 a.m.
The last estimated 9.0 quake to hit the Seattle faultline was around 900, 1100 years ago, not the 2500 years Akby Tesla supposes. Several major but lesser quakes have hit the area since, roughly on a 300-500 year repetition, the last was around 1700.
The Bore tunnel will soon create and sit in its own mud bed 3000' in length from the south portal. This mud bed will NOT securely support the weight of the bore tunnel. Earthquake forces will push the DBT side-to-side in the mud bed creating vibrations that will transfer its entire length beneath Belltown and to Denny Triangle. Soils will settle and vulnerable building foundations will be damaged beyond repair. Replacement buildings will face the same uncertainty. Ignore this warning and Seattle will suffer.
Posted Tue, Jul 23, 9:44 p.m.
Why would a "transportation" project design (meaning moving commuters, commerce, etc. from one place to another) be chosen that has half the access and capacities of the 60 plus year old structure that it is designed to replace, simply to enhance the property of a few downtown developers? And at a higher cost to tax payers than any other option. Are you serious?
If you're going to be a hooker for these special interests you should get a little background…understand the history and the facts and try and not call people names.
And I see that Crosscut has awarded another 1st Amendment Editor's Pick to –R on Beacon Hill because this miasma of free speech makes him tune out.
Posted Wed, Jul 24, 11:43 a.m.
I checked with an Oregon State wetland hydrology department and learned USGS neither studied nor concluded Seattle waterfront soil conditions are appropriate for the DBT. Wsdot studies were probably conducted by private contractors for the right price, more if pretermined outcomes are required. Hah!
Predetermined outcomes!
Posted Wed, Jul 24, 6:41 p.m.
Give what a rest? The succinct truth in just a few sentences?
"Why would a "transportation" project design (meaning moving commuters, commerce, etc. from one place to another) be chosen that has half the access and capacities of the 60 plus year old structure that it is designed to replace, simply to enhance the property of a few downtown developers? And at a higher cost to tax payers than any other option. Are you serious?"
What gives? It's the war on cars, continued ... goodbye Seattle. You are no longer adaptable, flexible, creative, fun or tolerable.
Posted Fri, Jul 26, 7:44 a.m.
I did not realize cars equate to creative, flexible fun!
I am not sure how I had such a grand time in Tokyo, NYC, etc., etc. since I did not get in a car once.
If there is a 9.0 quake, the last thing we will be worried about is the tunnel. If anything, you naysayers should be glad the capacity is down so less people are killed.
There will be much more property/life destruction that has nothing to do with this tunnel.
Posted Fri, Jul 26, 12:13 p.m.
Ya. Tokyo and NYC are really prime examples of what Seattle should become. NOT.
Cars and mobility = creative, flexible fun, and better paying jobs because the better paying jobs rarely are in convenient transit areas.
Density = stifling, dirty, crime, noisy, and a good place to visit, but not to live.
A 9.0 quake will be best survived in rural areas.
Posted Thu, Jul 25, 3:24 p.m.
Gotta love the internet. Everyone is an expert. No evidence. Just the equivilant of talking heads. Yawn.
Posted Fri, Jul 26, 1:22 a.m.
Dear Secretary MacDonald,
You are forgetting the reality of quakes and tsunamis that will crack the tunnel and flood it with seawater. A 9.0 "Chile" style subduction zone quake will cause massive damage in Seattle, collapsing tall skyscrapers along with the seawall along puget sound. A 7.0 quake on the Seattle fault would cause similar damage, since it occurs at a shallower level.
When these two expected quakes strike in the next few decades, they will cause tens of thousands of deaths. Hundreds of people will die in the tunnel by asphyxiation, and various government agencies will be sued, for building the tunnel, yet refusing to acknowledge the quake risks.
Urban fill dirt along the coast of Puget Sound, with a high liquifaction potential, is not the place for a tunnel. Nor is it a place for the planned, tall, narrow, concrete, unreinforced, "Smart Growth Towers," with large glass windows along Puget Sound. The entire coastal urban restoration project, especially the tunnel, was obviously not subject to proper seismic reviews.
Finally, Washington State Taxpayers helped subsidized my tuition in Geology, and Botany, at the University of Washington. They gave me the knowledge to present intelligent comments such as this one. Why do you and your colleagues not listen to those of us who you have paid, with your tax dollars, to attend your universities? Most importantly, why do not listen to UW Professors of Geology such as Dr. Joanne Bourgeois, who has documented evidence of massive tsunamis and multiple fault zones in the Puget Sound Basin? Why did the State of Washington cancel its Puget Sound basin fault mapping program a few years ago?
This tunnel project, and the shear amount of extant and planned Seattle "smart growth" projects that will kill thousands with the quakes, is immense. I am not proud to have been born and raised in a City, that refuses to listen to earthquake engineers, such as Dr. Peter Yanev.
Could you and your colleagues please reconsider this tunnel endeavor? I hope that Governor Inslee reads this, and stops this project immediately with an Executive memo.
Sincerely yours,
Tom Lane
UW and OSU - botany, geology, meteorology
Posted Fri, Jul 26, 12:15 p.m.
Good points of concern. However, is no current method to estimate devastating quakes happening within "decades".
History shows us we *are* due, but there is not a due date that we can predictably measure. Date of quake may be 200 years, 2 years, 22 years or 673 years away. Or not.
Posted Mon, Jul 29, 4:25 a.m.
But that is never a reason to not prepare. The Bay Area has upgraded its standards even though it is impossible to predict quakes. It is likely that a 7.0 quake on the Hayward Fault (through Oakland) by 2030. With every day, the chances increase, incrementally.
Therefore you are in more danger today, then you were yesterday.
Posted Sun, Jul 28, 1:44 p.m.
Wow. 35 credits in geology. That must almost make a minor, eh. So vs. the licensed geotechnical engineers, Phd geologists, and certified civil engineers that wrote the technical reports for the tunnel I'd say you are in way over your head.
Your refute? That we live in a subduction zone with a risk of a large earthquake???? Any Seattle high school student knows this. You obviously haven't read the tunnel technical reports and you certainly present nothing to refute those findings. I only have an MS in a science field, but your lack of an cogent argument and flailing around with generalities is quite unscientific. You think, maybe, those technical reports cover earthquake and liquefaction risk? Duh.
Come back with a logical discussion and others, including me, will be open to convincing. Meanwhile, no whining.
Posted Mon, Jul 29, 4:31 a.m.
The original Caldecott Tunnel from Orinda to Oakland in the Bay Area will collapse with a 7.0 quake on the Hayward Fault. That is well known. Tunnels are risky to design. It is even more difficult to engineer a tunnel that is in an area that could become inundated with water. I know that you guys have screen names and have competing interests in politics and engineering. And, I also know that engineers are sometimes hired by local governments with a clause that the job is done by only meeting the minimum standards, and not the "worst case" scenario.
I will never stop my opposition to the tunnel and waterfront "Smart Growth" towers. UW Professors and Peter Yanev of Orinda, CA will continue to warn you guys, and I hope that someday you will wake up, resign from your positions as paid consultants to local governments, and start your own independent, honest consulting engineering firms.
Posted Fri, Jul 26, 9:15 a.m.
Is this a satirical piece? If so, it's great. LOL. A botany major - with no supporting documentation, cries chiken little. Amazing that 3 teams of hired, independent geologists, civil engineers, geohydrologists - with a mass of reports and conclusions can be swept away with - YES - an unsustantiated opinion. If nothing else this thread is making some great entertainment.
Collapsing skyscrapers, thousands die, the earth reverses its rotation, godzilla returns!!!
Posted Sat, Jul 27, 12:42 a.m.
@ Treker - not just a botany major, but 35+ credits in geology at the UW and OSU, and 15 credits in meteorology at OSU, 30+ credits in basic math, physics, and chemistry, and a masters - someday. So you want supporting documentation? Search "Peter Yanev" for hundreds of articles and web sites and you tube presentations on earthquakes around the pacific rim, including Seattle. Search "Joanne Bourgeois," UW professor of Geology, for her papers on tsunamis and quakes on faults in the pacific rim including metro Seattle.
A 9.0 subduction zone quake is likely within my lifetime, as is a quake on the Seattle Fault. Each will kill tens of thousands, unless all plans for tunnels and poorly engineered concrete and glass waterfront smart growth towers are canceled by the Governor. Given Dr. Yanev's observations in Chile, which experienced a 9.0 subduction zone quake, then Seattle and Portland - both in a subduction zone - will receive catastrophic damage, with collapsing towers.
Read Dr. Peter Yanev's book on earthquake preparedness for a general introduction - order at htto://theearthquakebook.com Dr. Peter Yanev's consulting site - http://yanev.com
Dr. Joanne Bourgeois - http://www.ess.washington.edu/dwp/people/profile.php?name=bourgeois--joanne
Finally, would you please disclose any competing interests and your real name?
Given the negativity of this thread, may I suggest that Crosscut require that posters list their real first and last names.
Posted Sun, Jul 28, 10:42 p.m.
Don't live in fear young man. Something is going to kill you and it's doubtful that a giant quake will be the thing. Your idea that "A 9.0 subduction zone quake is likely within my lifetime, as is a quake on the Seattle Fault. This region gets those big quakes maybe every 500 years, with the last one being about 300 years ago. Your odds are darned high that you will not be around when the next biggie comes rockin and knockin.
Will the big one kill tens of thousands? I doubt that too. Tens of thousands??? Possible, not likely.
Hyperbole loses the audience.
Posted Mon, Jul 29, 4:21 a.m.
It will be tens of thousands due to all of the concrete buildings that are not adequately structurally reenforced in the region. The Seattle fault travels under Seattle and Bellevue and therefore under most densely populated areas in the region. Much of downtown and the waterfront is on soft soils and fill dirt which are very unstable. In addition there are faults in the Snohomish area and Tacoma-Bonney Lake.
Seattle and Washington State do not have very strict standards compared to California. Political leaders refuse to listen to Peter Yanev of Orinda, CA and this is unfortunate. The Seattle development scene is all about a bunch of money hungry architects with their dreams of collecting millions in rent from tall concrete "smart growth towers" with inadequate structural support. They will collapse and thousands will die, instantly.
Posted Sat, Jul 27, 9:27 a.m.
I was out of town and just read MacDonald's article and the related comments.
While I appreciate Doug's insights, it's the comments that caused endless amusement. Priceless!
Posted Mon, Jul 29, 4:35 a.m.
They are likely paid consultants working for local governments. Or, they are members of local governments. Doug MacDonald is a high profile person, so his articles will generate significant controversy in the comment threads, among those of us with geology backgrounds. In the end, the paid consultants who fail to plan for "worse case" scenarios, are always proven wrong, since the "inevitable" eventually happens. Hopefully, not in our lifetimes! Instead, hopefully, the Washington standards will be updated to meet those of California, before anything happens.
Posted Mon, Jul 29, 9:18 a.m.
OK. That's a stirring factual arument from an geology "expert". I'm convinced.
"Paid experts" - what? They're supposed to do it for free? This is a great thread!
Login or register to add your voice to the conversation.


text:
I need help with a used troybilt tiller I just purchased. The serial # 842781 I don't have a manual and MTD was not able to help with what year or model I have. It has an eight horsepower engine. The problem I am having is with the speed part of the transmission. There is a lever that allows you to shift from high speed to low speed but I can't get it to move. I was told to rock it back and forth while shifting but that does not help. I tapped the gear lever down at the transmission but that did not help either.With it locked in high gear(i assume)it is hard to tile heavy soil and impossible to move without the engine running.(can't get it in neutral)Any suggestions on year made and or transmission. |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by troybilt__dave z6NY (My Page) on Wed, Nov 11, 09 at 16:33
You need to join the troybilt tiller club at yahoo groups.com They have all the answers to your tiller problems and you can download the manuals for free. Dave |
I know the linkage can bind up on those, but I suspect some lack of lubrication on the internal shaft. |
- Posted by gator_rider2 z8 texas (My Page) on Thu, Nov 12, 09 at 7:19
The pivot on 2 speed lever is frooze up at pivot take a 3/4 wrench loosen nut see move if not take nut off clean parts make shour you get parts back right its friction disc this hold in place. 3/4 wrench will adjust ease of shifting if to easy it come out gear while operating. I have 2 troy bilt horses I had work over both of low and high speed lever pivots. One fall out high speed other one as yours lever would not move handle almost brake off if tryed change speeds. |
Thanks Dave for the web directions. There is a ton of info. there(i joined today) also thanks to "baymee and "gator rider" you were right on your diagnosis! It was the linkage frozen at the friction disc. Rust! I removed the rust, lubricated the total linkage and reasembled everything and it works great |
Disappointed, I am. I took Dave's advice and went to the Troybilt Tiller site and submitted an application to join. This morning I received an email letting me know that I had been denied membership. I'm not sure what I did wrong unless it was the bottom of the app. that ask me what information I wanted to receive(advertisement,notices)It was the standard app. with why do you want to join. My reason, I purchased a used Troybilt and was advised to join. Any ideas as to what I did wrong and how to correct whatever I did wrong? |
Strange, since I also took the advice given in this thread and submitted an app on Wednesday. Yesterday, I received approval as follows: Hello, To learn more about the troybilttillerclub group, please visit xxxxxxxxx To start sending messages to members of this group, simply send email to xxxxxxxxx If you do not wish to belong to troybilttillerclub, you may unsubscribe by sending an email to xxxxxxxxxx To see and modify all of your groups, go to xxxxxxxxxxx Regards, Moderator, troybilttillerclub Don't know if it made any difference, but I am and have been a member of other Yahoo Groups as well. Must be a simple glitch in the system . . . Yahoo has strict anti-spam software which automatically bounces suspect emails. |
- Posted by gator_rider2 z8 texas (My Page) on Fri, Nov 13, 09 at 12:02
I'm just guessing you have 2 different names here jdhad SC and jdhad 29536. But keep trying its not perfic system over there. I belong to 8 groups over there one hard ones to get in for me cub cadet. |
The two different names come from posting a follow-up. One is my zip code. I thought zone was my zip code but now know better and the SC is South Carolina. I am new at forums and could have put the wrong message in the Troybilt app.I don't want to offend the Troybilt Club by reapplying if it is a club for more experienced Troybilt owners. Until now I have used a shovel for tilling a small garden but this year bought a used Troybilt Horse. Of course there were no manuals or directions. I did go to the troybilt web site and printed the directions that were the closest to the horse I have. I'm learning tons of stuff from the Garden Web Forums and I can read the Troybilt Club threads. Life is good! |
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Billings Clinic patients should have access to more specialists and better technology once the purchase of a Missoula hospital is complete, clinic officials said Friday.
The pending merger with Community Health Center likely will keep costs down for patients and give the Billings Clinic greater financial stability, officials said.
"We see opportunities for some growth," Dr. Nicholas Wolter, Billings Clinic CEO, said Friday.
The nonprofit Billings Clinic is Montana's largest health care provider and Yellowstone County's biggest employer, operating a 285-bed hospital in Billings. The clinic manages 11 critical-access hospitals in eastern and central Montana and multiple branch clinics.
If state regulators approve, the merger would represent the largest in Billings Clinic's history. Wolter said he expects it will be finalized in six to eight months.
Nationwide, hospital mergers have increased in recent years as officials look for ways to keep costs down amid changing health care regulations.
"There's more and more need to partner (to take advantage of) economies of scale and also how we learn from each other. Those trends are causing collaboration and partnerships," Wolter said.
The mergers are also increasing in size. In 2013, the total value of hospital mergers grew 9 percent to $135.3 billion from the previous year, even though the total number fell by one-third, according to the American Hospital Association Resource Center. Industry experts say providers are eyeing larger clinics and hospitals to increase patient counts and streamline costs.


text:
Blog | Comments |
WoW | 5 Comments |
Recent Comments:
Must-have PvP talents for shaman in 4.0.3, part 2 {WoW}
Dec 12th 2010 8:08PM Well this has been a heated thread! XD I just wanted to have some input here. First off, to those who say enhancement PvP is bad, i strongly disagree. Enhancement is awesome, if you do poorly in PvP, you probably need to learn the class and spec better and improve your skills. Although it may not have as much utility as other specs, it is great if you play correctly. It has definitely been improved since 4.0.3, too. For all aspiring enhance pvpers, i say GO FOR IT! As for MH/OH enchant, i run with Wf main and FB off-hand. Windfury procs provide a great damage boost. FB provides movement utility and a damage increase with frozen power. Unleash elements for both of these provide awesome percs. WF gives strong melee attack and attack speed bonus, while FB gives you an additional slow, which becomes even more powerful if your enemy is already afflicted by one of your frost attacks. I disagree with the fire nova talent. Aoe is very very situational, and most of the time you should have searing totem up. If you need a quick aoe, throw down a totem that can use nova and fire away. Grounding totem is a tough call. Personally i think it is better without the glyph. These are the talents/glyphs i use( i meant to replace WF with lava lash in prime). http://us.battle.net/wow/en/character/maiev/melior/talent/primary
I believe the talents i have are the basics that every enhancer should have. Then there is the question between static shock, totemic reach, spark of life in the resto tree, and concussion, reverberation, and elemental warding in elemental tree. I wouldnt take improved shields for pvp, as the dps and mana regen increase is minimal for the 3 points. These talents really depend no what you are doing. BGs vs Arena, defensive vs offensive playstyle, etc. As for earthquake.. i don't play elemental, but i would say take it!
Upcoming mount changes {WoW}
Aug 4th 2009 1:38PM this was probably already said, but shouldnt they do something about shaman's ghost wolf and druid's travel form? if they don't, both are pretty much made obsolete by the mount change.
Class Q&A: Warrior {WoW}
Aug 4th 2009 1:34PM great point rsa, i totally agree. like i said, i don't know much about it, i was just putting in my two cents. also, i'd just like to point out that my warrior wasnt twinked, it was my highest toon on that realm.
Class Q&A: Warrior {WoW}
Jul 23rd 2009 10:45PM *aren't supposed to
Class Q&A: Warrior {WoW}
Jul 23rd 2009 10:44PM IMO, prot spec is doing great. I soloed at level 30 elite at level 27. So to all those complaining about prot not dealing good damage, they are supposed to in the first place since they are tanks, but the damage they deal is substantial.(my highest warr is only 34 so i may be a bit of a noob when it comes to this class, but this is what i think)


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If you're anything like me, you grew up playing "NBA Live" on Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, trying to replicate your friends with create-a-player so you could play an entire NBA season with your junior high team.
Well, Ricky Rubio is not like us, because he is basically 11 years old. From Timberwolves.com:
Jonah Ballow: What do you expect your emotions to be like when you step on the Target Center floor in Minneapolis for your first NBA game?
Ricky Rubio: I can't believe it, I can't believe it. I can't wait for that day to come. Since you are a kid you imagine you playing on NBA Live on PSP or something when you are playing, and you see Kobe Bryant or something and you want to be over there one day and you just dream about that and never think it's going to happen and now I can do that.
Just for reference, the first installment of the series available for PlayStation Portable was "NBA Live 2006," which was released when Ricky was 15 and us old folks were telling all of our friends how great the first Wolf Parade record was because we're so cool and we know all about the hippest music. This is a guy reminiscing about a childhood where he played a legendary series of games on a game system that wasn't even released until 2005. If that doesn't make you feel old, then you are probably Ricky Rubio, Justin Bieber or in "Twilight."
As for me, I'm going to go purée some peas so that I can finally get this prune juice taste out of my mouth. Then I'll probably take a nap, watch "Matlock" and treat myself to some Werther's Originals before going to bed before the sun goes down. Old age is the worst and my bones hurt.
(via NBA Offseason)


text:
The 2007–2008 optoelectronics catalog features a variety of high-brightness, power-efficient LEDs. The catalog includes low-profile SMD displays, bicolor and full-color LED lamps, and high-power white, blue, red, yellow, and green SMD LEDs. A comprehensive solution guide assists design engineers in meeting their design requirements. The supplier is certified to TS 16949, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001.
Kingbright Corporation


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More or less apropos of nothing, Bloomberg News quotes new UCI President Brian Cookson as quite cool on the idea of World Series Cycling, the former breakaway league that arose out of discontent with the UCI's management of the sport and the promoters' stranglehold on revenue.
I don't know in what context the quote came; the Bloomberg piece seems to have been a phone interview, and I don't know how long it was, or what question was asked. It's dangerous to draw inferences out of a single quote.
In a way, I'm a bit surprised it came up at all. WSC was a clear insurrection. Jonathan Vaughters, who was involved at various points, always maintained that a breakaway league was not preferable to working with the UCI.
But the old UCI, under Pat McQuaid, seemed not to want to change the status quo. To the extent they wanted revenue-sharing, they wanted a piece of the promoters' pie for themselves, in the form of Global Cycling Promotions.
The intransigence, even as teams struggled for revenue certainty and races were in the dark about future places on the calendar, is what spurred WSC; the teams felt a threat to leave was their only bargaining option. Now that Cookson is in place, the UCI looks like a more amenable partner, and WSC—at least as a breakaway league—simply loses its vitality.
But what of certain reforms WSC championed? Some may find life in the new UCI. Others will not. One that Cookson dismisses is the idea of a series of new or altered stage races of short duration that would follow a format: a time trial, a flat stage, a climbing stage, so on.
Personally, I'm pleased to see that. The UCI calendar is overstuffed and needs reform. But it needs paring, not a series of wholly new races with no history and no brand equity. Nor does it need enforced homogeneity. The beauty of road racing is that a single sport comprises everything from a muddy one-day race over cobbles to a three-week Grand Tour.
One of the ideas that may continue is revenue sharing of some kind, in particular with teams to augment their current model of sponsorship funding. But it will be tricky. Currently, the biggest single source of funding in the sport is broadcast rights revenue.
Right now, that accrues only to the race organizers who own the events. And that comes down primarily to two main promoters: ASO and RCS. (Flanders Classics, an umbrella organization of some one-day Spring races including the Tour of Flanders, is a lesser player.)
The key is in convincing those promoters to share the haul from television rights deals. That won't be easy. The legitimate argument of an organization like ASO is that, while the Tour de France is a cash cow, Paris-Nice is not. It may barely break even; the TdF revenues help support it, and countless other races that ASO owns that don't exactly pull in big money.
So, the argument goes, if you slice up the TdF pie to include teams, it stabilizes those teams, but hurts smaller races that perhaps ASO can no longer afford to run. So you've got strong, well-funded teams...with nowhere to race.
In truth, it's probably not that simple. And revenue-sharing is a durable financial model for almost every other major sport in the world (often combined with elements like a salary cap). That implies a certain inevitability to it.
The question is how to get there; how do you convince ASO and RCS that an immediate sacrifice of revenue could lead to a stronger, more stable and more profitable sport for everyone involved? And, crucially, how do you make that a reality, not an empty promise?
Cookson has a lot of work to do as the new UCI boss. He must re-structure the organization while minding its ties to the IOC; he must navigate the sport's long and contentious history with doping; and he must re-invent it as a trusted and respected body.
But long-term, his biggest task is to make the financial structure of the sport sustainable, which it now is not (and, truthfully, hasn't really been for decades). More than charting a path through a truth and reconciliation commission, it will be his biggest challenge.


text:
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We are a global network dedicated to the professional practice of Interaction Design.
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Hi there. I'm Erica. Been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that. I have been elbows deep in my real life, for good and for bad. This blog is real enough. It's as true as it needs to be. The stuff I write about doing, I actually do. The rants about food politics, I actually [Continue Reading…]
On A Personal Note… (Or: What I Did On My Summer Vacation)
At this time of year millions of kids have to write essays entitled, "What I Did On My Summer Vacation." I thought I would write a grown-up version of "What I Did On My Summer Vacation" to explain what's been going on in life beyond this blog. So, at the risk of getting all Opera [Continue Reading…]
Add An Outdoor Tic-Tac-Toe Board To Your Garden
I saw a photo on Facebook yesterday of an outdoor tic-tac-toe board with stone markers. It was so adorable, and so totally do-able that I immediately ran outside to make my own garden tic-tac-toe game. This project was super fast and easy, required only stuff I already had kicking around, and the kids love it. Gather [Continue Reading…]
Lunch In A Jar: How Mason Jars Can Make Your Brown Bagging Easier
Do you run short on reusable, environmentally-friendly containers when you are packing lunches? In the, "this may be too obvious to be a blog post but may also change your lunch hour for the better" category, I'd like to talk about using your stash of mason jars for things other than canning (or margaritas). Like brown [Continue Reading…]
Where The Men Aren't
Maybe you have websites like these your blog-reader. They are filled with instagram-tinted family photos and helpful recipes and they have cute tag-lines that always include the phrase: "journey to self-sufficiency." These blogs focus on what one family is doing to become more healthy, self-reliant or economically and environmentally responsible. Sometimes the focus is on [Continue Reading…]
Mother's Day: A Radical Act of Defiance
Secretly, creeping through the brain and heart and blood of every mama there is a deep, dark fear that we are Not Mom Enough. We snap at our kids, or grab the sharpie out of their little hand a bit too roughly before they can decorate another piece of furniture, or are the last to [Continue Reading…]
Side-Dressing: A Feeding Strategy For Plants and Kids
For a year-and-a-half I felt terrible guilt that I was ignoring my daughter. Reasonable observers would assure me that I was not neglecting her, but in my heart I knew that the attention lavished on her had diminished markedly since the birth of our son. You see, our daughter was a home-schooled only-child for six-and-a-half years. She got [Continue Reading…]
An 18 Month Old's Ode To Broccoli
On Things That Make You Feel Big Broccoli, my broccoli: Nothing brings me more joy I love you more than all my toys. With you I can pretend to be A big ol' giant, eating trees. On Showing Your True Feelings Broccoli, my broccoli: When I know I get to eat you – and what [Continue Reading…]
Burning Polly Pocket: My Clutter-Clearing Fantasy
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The 5 Best Vegetables To Grow With Kids
I wrote the article below for the website of a local magazine called ParentMap about a month ago. It's all aglow with the joys and benefits of gardening with kids, and these are many. But I gotta tell you, this past weekend I turned around to see my son standing in the raised bed I'd just been [Continue Reading…]
The Beauty of The Survivor
Part One My mom will say, if you live long enough, it'll happen to you or to someone you know. It really doesn't matter what "it" is – disease, divorce, death, loss of a child, suicide, job loss, tragedy. Live long enough and eventually these things will touch your world. I know friends, mentors, parents of [Continue Reading…]
Build A Lower Waste Lunch
A friend asked for some tips on packing lower-plastic and lower-waste lunches for her school-age son. This rather surprised me, since this particular friend is genuine cloth-diapering, Keystone XL Pipeline-protesting, etsy-craft-selling kind of girl. And in fact, when further questioned, it turned out my friend was already packing a pretty green lunch, but was looking [Continue Reading…]


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Mon, Sep 2, 13 at 13:14
I have a jade bonsai that has broke in half from the stem. I am really upset about this. What do I do to make my broken piece root. I would really appreciate any help... I am very new to gardening and don't have much of a green thumb, but this plant has sentimental value. I would love for advice. Thanks in advance... |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by cadillactaste zone 5 Ohio (My Page) on Fri, Sep 6, 13 at 14:16
I don't have a jade...but here is a link. Seems easy enough! |
Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/jade-plant/propagating-jade-plants.htm
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The start of the Pacific Northwest cherry season last season was so late that most grower-shippers missed the lucrative July Fourth holiday, and that's a milestone that industry officials say they hope isn't soon repeated.
Whether the industry gets its wish for an earlier start this season will depend on weather between bloom and harvest.
"Last year we missed anybody east of the Rockies, so we should have promotable volume for the Fourth this year — that's our plan," said Suzanne Wolter, marketing director for Selah, Wash.-based Rainier Fruit Co.
The 2012 season appears a bit earlier in some production areas, although Roger Pepperl, marketing director for Stemilt Growers LLC, Wenatchee, Wash., said he doesn't expect harvest to begin until June 12 — about seven days later than normal.
If the first bing doesn't come off until about June 25, he said marketers may be hard pressed to make a June 27 ad ahead of the July Fourth holiday.
Nevertheless, he said Stemilt should have plenty of the earlier chelans, beginning about June 20.
Barring any bad weather, such as frost, hail or untimely rains between now and harvest, Pepperl said the industry has the potential to produce a record 22 million 20-
pound box equivalents this season.
Based on increased acreage, production could range between 18 million and 24 million boxes.
"If it goes the way it should, we should have a record crop we're going to have to market," he said.
That compares to the compressed 2011 season, where the industry moved about 18.3 million boxes, the second largest crop on record, according to the Yakima, Wash.-based trade group Northwest Cherry Growers.
Loren Queen, marketing and communications manager for Domex Superfresh Growers, Yakima, said all indications point to near-normal timing for the start of the dark sweet cherry harvest and strong volumes of large fruit.
Superfresh Growers' volume also will be enhanced by newer orchards of dark sweet and Rainier cherries coming into production, he said.
"It's manageable growth, but it's definitely a strong growth pattern," Queen said. "There's more consumer demand, not just from here but around the world."
Early fruit should begin June 7-10, with promotable volumes by June 15, he said.
Barring changes in weather, Scott Marboe, marketing director for Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers, Wenatchee, said he anticipates harvest to start toward the end of the week of June 10.


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Like many of you we have endured a harsh, long and cold winter this past season here in Indiana. Now, that winter seems to have finally given up it's reign, the damage it has done to my JM, trees, and other shrubs is becoming apparent. My list of confirmed dead includes Beni Kawa, Beni Tsukasa, Inazuma, and A. palmatum Aureum. These were twelve year old trees that are now alive only in the bottom 10 to 12inches that was covered by snow. My 14 year old Ever Red dissectum is reluctant to leave out, which might indicate more damage to be seen later in the season. Acer circinatum 'Sunny Sister' is completely dead, down to the roots. Strangely enough the much younger Ukigumo, Shigitatsu Sawa, Bloodgood, and Fireglow have come through it without any damage. All my shiraswanum cultivars are also not damaged. The loss of the older more mature cultivars hurts, but it also opens up space to replace them with others I have been wanting to try. Maybe I am just doing self-talk here. Thanks for letting me vent a bit. I hope your trees made it through this past winter in better shape than mine. On to a new growing season! |
Follow-Up Postings:
I feel your paint! Spring is lovely, but it's always a moment to see what I've lost. :( |
I had the same experience here in zone 4 MN. The oldest JM trees that had exhibited the most hardiness over the years were the ones that took it on the chin. The younger 4-5 year trees came through fine. I think it is in part that the more slender, pliable young trees withstood the enormous snowfalls and pile-up better than those of a larger caliper. |
My Crimson Queen bit the dust here in Dayton but the others are ok. I don't know maybe I should look at the shiraswanum but never see them local so it would have to be a mail order. Sorry about all your losses. Cher |
- Posted by cearbhaill Zone 6b Eastern KY (My Page) on Sun, Jun 15, 14 at 8:05
I had a large Crimson Queen that experienced about 10% loss. Two Shainas- one is fine and the other lost about 50%- that one was the worst hit of all my JM's. My Full Moon one spot over is fine, though. Several other larger trees (Oridono Niskiki, Nigrum, Jiro Shidare) look bad because the first flush of leaves got frozen, but didn't lose any branches on those. I had 10+ two year old babies, all of which did fine and are coming on gangbusters. The Sazanami is about to eat my yard it's growing so quickly, lol. |
I lost a 10 year old Beni Kawa that was planted in a semi-protected location. From what I have seen online, Beni Kawa is not as hardy in Zone 5 as originally hoped. I am planning on replacing it with A. palmatum 'Red Baron,' which is not as pretty but apparently hardier. |
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Thu, Jul 24, 08 at 5:56
I want to show you this little precious thing :) |
Here is a link that might be useful: Sansevieria ballyi
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by dufflebag2002 Calif. 91607 (My Page) on Thu, Jul 24, 08 at 16:14
It's slow, but I just love that little plant, especially when it's in flower. It's a tough plant, enjoy. Norma |
Very cute! I just purchased one and can't wait to get it. |
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Third Millennium Bible (TMB) | New International Version (NIV) |
5 he that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh a bribe against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. | 5 who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. |
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved. (Third Millennium Bible Online) | Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |


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Updated Dec 3, 2012 - 1:10 pm
Arizona officials set to approve election results
PHOENIX -- Top Arizona officials meet in Phoenix on Monday to conduct the official canvass to approve results of the state's Nov. 6 general election.
The canvass will be held in the historic Senate chambers in the Old State Capitol.
The participating officials are Secretary of State Ken Bennett, Attorney General Tom Horne and Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch. Gov. Jan Brewer is out of state.
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Live Broadcast From Silicon Beach Fest Of Demo Day And More
Tomorrow at 2pm PST we'll be broadcasting live from SBF Demo Day presented by StartEngine. As well as broadcasting from other events live throughout the whole event that starts tomorrow. Panels ranging from Meet The Accelerators to How To Hire A Developer. Into coding and actually products, don't worry as StartEngine has you covered with a full 48 hours Hackathon going on throughout the event. Quick hint, teams from Disney are among those who'll be showing up to show us what they can do.
While the event truly kicks off Friday morning, we'll be using Google to do a Live Hangout of the Demo Day to kick off the event. Streamed live on Nibletz.com we'll be showing you the whole event as well as giving you our opinions as products are shown in only a way I personally can do. Good, Bad, confused, you'll hear it as I think it. But that's not all, on Friday we'll be doing this all over again this time for the Angel Pitch session. Think those developers and teams had it touch on Thursday showing off their goods, just wait till they are in the hot seat in front of Investors whom they are wishing to take loads of cash from.
Everything finishes up on Saturday as the heavy hitter, the Hackathon ends with it's final judging at 6pm PST. Through out the day we'll be interviewing people as their impressions as well as how they think the event is going. So make sure to check back through out the event for more articles…


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Description of Property
The former Rutland Heights State Hospital property comprising approximately 85 acres is located off Maple Avenue (Route 56) in a primarily residential neighborhood approximately 1/2 mile from the Town center. Approximately 32 acres of the site are developable, with a large portion of the area consisting of wetlands and steep slopes. Pursuant to Chapter 245 of the Acts of 2000 DCAMM has been authorized to convey this site to the Rutland Development and Industrial Commission (RDIC) for a variety of possible uses including light industrial, commercial/retail, senior housing and municipal uses with a heavy emphasis on activity that expands the Town's tax base. The full and fair market value of the property has been determined by appraisal to be $546,000 and The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) is in the process of finalizing the conveyance to the RDIC.


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Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean) (or), Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil (Sunflower), Glycerin, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Petrolatum, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamide MEA, Fragrance (Parfum), Cucumis Sativa (Cucumber) Fruit Extract (Cucumber), Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract (Green Tea), Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Lanolin Alcohol, PEG 5 Cocamide, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Green 3 (CI 42053), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), DMDM Hydantoin, Methylisothiazilinone, Tetrasodium EDTA, Etridronic Acid, Iodopropyl Butylcarbamate, BHT, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Yellow 5 Lake.
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Description: C-Thru Rulers are measuring tools for use with rubber stamping, memory albums, quilting and many other art and craft projects. Zero Centering Ruler 18"- Clear plastic, flexible, ruler marked with metric(down to millimeters) and imperial (down to 1/16") measurements. 18" long, with 0 in the center for effortless alignment, stitch and eyelet spacing holes, and journaling and parallel line guides. All markings are printed in Blue.
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, center, speaks with Representative Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, right, as Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, looks on before U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. Obama declared the U.S. economy healed and said the nation now must begin work to close the gap between the well-off and the wanting. Photographer: Pete Marovich/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Mitch McConnell; Paul Ryan; John Cornyn
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In a country that labels everything from cosmetics to cleaning agents, it's surprising that there are no laws in the U.S. requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods.
There are many reasons why Americans want labeling of genetically engineered foods. Whatever the reason is that brought you here, what unites us all is that we all want to make informed choices about the food we eat and feed our families. We have a right to know if what we are eating has been genetically engineered.


text: By Paul Hamalian What does the Bible say about interest? "If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest" (Exodus 22:25). Historically, Habitat for Humanity has used this verse as its basis for not charging interest. First, it is important to develop a contextual understanding of the meaning of the word "interest." In the ancient Near East, it was typical to charge excessive interest, or "usury." The English word "interest" used in Exodus 22:25 is translated from the noun form of the Hebrew word neh'-shek, which comes from the root word nsk, meaning "to bite." This creates a vivid image of the vicious nature of money lending at that time. This same word is alternatively translated as "usury" by many scholars to more accurately capture its core meaning. Therefore, we can conclude interest in these contexts refers to the concept of usury or excessive interest. Secondly, the laws prohibiting interest were given to the nation of Israel through Moses within the context of their unique covenant relationship with God. More than a thousand years later Christ initiated a new covenant between God and all people who recognize his son, Jesus Christ. We, as followers of Christ today, are participants in this new covenant. We are not obligated to follow all the cultural laws of the old covenant with the nation of Israel. For example, the law against interest is among a list of other cultural laws that Christians do not follow today such as, "You shall not allow a sorceress to live" (Exodus 22:18) or "Whoever sacrifices to a god other than the LORD must be destroyed" (Exodus 22:20). Based on the common biblical understanding of the new covenant established by Christ, we can conclude these Old Testament passages do not prohibit Christian organizations from charging interest. Rather than discard the prohibition of interest as only being applicable to ancient Israel, Habitat should follow Christ's example by seeking to demonstrate the true spirit of these laws. The precedent for this comes from Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), where Jesus says, "I have not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it." He goes on to interpret the full meaning of several of the Old Testament laws. Unfortunately, we do not have any direct teaching from Christ regarding the charging of interest. In the case of the laws prohibiting interest (usury), I propose that the spirit of the laws prohibiting interest is, "do not charge excessive interest when you loan money to the poor." We can conclude that Habitat can charge interest to the poor, but should avoid excessive interest. However, there is a more profound teaching of Christ that is not prohibitive, but proactive. Jesus Christ admonishes his followers to "love your neighbor as yourself." Love in this passage is translated from the Greek word agape, which means unconditional love. The recipients of agape love are whoever we meet along the road of life, including our enemies. Habitat strives to put agape love into action by facilitating access to housing credit. Love drives us as leaders in the Habitat movement to find the most efficient and just way to facilitate financing to the millions of people without access to housing credit—the "un-banked." Facilitating access to housing credit is core to our roots. It is the central teaching of Clarence Jordan, biblical scholar and spiritual father of Habitat for Humanity, as he advocated that "what the poor need is capital—not charity." Paul Hamalian is the director of Global Finance at Habitat for Humanity.


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Recent H&S Educational Grant Initiative Awards
Summary: Spring 2014 H&S Educational Grant Initiative Awards
Between December 2013 and April 2014, the Educational Grant Initiative (EGI) Review Panel awarded more than $15,000 in support of 32 projects.
- Sarah Rabice, biochemistry major on behalf of the Ithaca College pre-medical society, to bring Dr. Brandon Williams, assistant professor of surgery, to discuss continuing medical education and training, commitment to humanitarian service, incorporating global medicine into a medical career, and the importance of giving back to a community, March 20, 2014
- Modern languages and literatures department, to bring the Teatro Travieso/Troublemaker Theater company to Ithaca College to perform "Women of Ciudad Juarez" and conduct a workshop with IC Teatro, March 23, 2014
- Bhavani Arabandi, assistant professor, sociology, to bring to campus Ithaca College alum Dr. Amy Best, associate professor of sociology at George Mason University, to discuss her research on food, youth culture, and the changing landscape of American food, April 24, 2014
- Environmental studies and sciences department, to support the IC Solar! Race at the Convocation Community Picnic and Campus Sustainability Day as part of an effort to increase environmental literacy across campus, May 6, 2014
Course-based projects and department-based activities
- Keri Watson, assistant professor, art history, to support the creation of the Senior Show Catalogue to enhance learning in the classroom and give students the opportunity to develop their professional skills by writing, designing, and publishing a professional exhibition catalogue, April 17-May 10, 2014
- Keri Watson, assistant professor, art history, to support Amy Cancelmo, curator of "Strange Bedfellows," as a guest lecturer on curating and to critic student created promotional materials, March 18, 2014
- Patricia Rodriguez, assistant professor, politics, to bring guest speakers from local environmental grassroots organizations to participate in discussions on global waste issues, April 17 and April 19, 2014
- James Pfrehm, assistant professor, modern languages and literatures, to bring Ursula Heinzelmann, German food and wine writer, for a public lecture on German food from a socio-historical perspective and a tasting of related foods, April 8, 2014
- Xanthe Matychak, lecturer, environmental studies and sciences, to provided resources to students so that they can lead a workshop in which they teach other students to prototype table-top games using the Arduino platform, May 2014
- Biology department, to invite Philip Feinburg, Biochemistry alumni ('11), to give a seminar on working in a successful research laboratory and applying to graduate programs, April 10-11, 2014
- Nancy Brcak, professor, art history, to support a field trip to "Graycliff," the Martin Family home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, for the senior architectural studies majors, April 27-28, 2014
- Kathryn Caldwell, assistant professor, psychology, to support the conservation-service learning project and invite guest lecturer, Julie Kulik, for an ecological identity and eco-literacy experiential exercise, March 28-May 8, 2014
- English department, to support the Global Modernism Symposium, a conference that will bring scholars of modernism to discuss new directions in modernist studies with Ithaca College students, April 3-4, 2014
- Roy Lightner, instructor, theatre arts, to bring three master teachers, Peggy Hickey, Rick McKee, and Jeremy Leiner, to Ithaca College to provide insight on the professional world of theatre and music, spring 2014
- Claire Gleitman, professor, English, to bring actor Frank Wood to Ithaca College, where he will take part in a staged reading of Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" and visit classes in the English and theatre departments, February 18-20, 2014
- Frances Gallart-Marques, lecturer, art history, in support of a student field trip to see 'Pompeii,' directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, as part of their "Introduction to the Roman World" course, February 22, 2014
- Jacob Brenner, assistant professor, environmental studies and science, to support a trip to Doston Park and Bosck-Harvey Preserve where students in "Topics in Geography and Planning" will interact with land management professionals and later apply learned skills to the Ithaca College Natural Lands, February 10-April 29, 2014
- The environmental studies and sciences department, to support the Ithaca is green road trip, a visit to the Museum of the Earth, a sustainable harvesting trip, and an off-the-grid house visit as part of the "Environmental Science and Technology" course, spring 2014
Research and collaborative projects
- Keri Watson, assistant professor, art history, to bring Amy Cancelmo, curator of "Strange Bedfellows", an exhibition on display in the handworker from March 17-April 11, 2014, into a museum practices class as a guest lecturer, March 18, 2014
- Courtney Denardo, Rebecca Newman, Sarah Schmidlin, Robby Tolette, and Benjamin Tolles, environmental studies and sciences majors, to support the creation and study of self-sustaining aquaponic and hydroponic systems, spring 2014
- Edward Cluett, associate professor, biology, to support continued research of cholesterol trafficking in cells, February 1-May 6, 2014
During the spring 2014 semester, the Educational Grant Initiative provided more than $12,500 in "Easy-Access Funds" in support of travel by 80 School of Humanities and Sciences students to conference and workshop opportunities across the country.