text:
Front View larger MTX THUNDER500.1 Mono subwoofer amplifier 500 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms Item #: 236THND5K1 In Stock 36 Reviews Your price: $179.99 Earn up to 180 Rewards points Add to Cart Free Shipping Lifetime Tech Support + Add to wishlist + Email me alerts for this product View all associated offers Need help? 1.888.955.6000 Email Chat Ask an expert advisor No pressure, no commission — just lots of good advice from our highly trained staff. x By buying this product you'll earn up to 180 Rewards points. When you sign up for a Crutchfield account, you'll be enrolled in Crutchfield Rewards. You'll earn one point for every dollar you spend on gear from us. You can turn your points into Rewards Cards that you can use toward future purchases. You can sign up for an account now, or after you complete your purchase (you'll get credit for the points either way). Sign up for a Crutchfield account
by Buck Pomerantz Upgrade your power for better sound You'll get some serious MTX bass mojo when you put the MTX THUNDER500.1 mono amp in your car. This compact amp will drive your subwoofer setup with up to 500 watts RMS. Hook this amp up to a nice set of subs, and you'll hear sounds you've never heard before, even in your favorite songs. And this little bruiser wil truly fit in places where amps don't usually go. MTX THUNDER 500.1 control panel Advanced tone control You can adjust the low-pass filter and subsonic filter to get the best possible sound from your sub and enclosure. In the unlikely event you want to bump up the bass a little, you also have access to a selectable bass boost. Product Highlights:mono subwoofer amplifier300 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms (500 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms)variable low-pass filter (40-220 Hz, 12 dB/octave)selectable bass boost (0, 6, 12 dB at 50 Hz)variable subsonic filter (20-50 Hz, 12 dB/octave)Class-D amplifier designfrequency response: 20-220 Hzpreamp inputs4-gauge power and ground leads and a 60-amp fuse recommended wiring and hardware not included with amplifierno onboard fuses when installing multiple amps in a system, an additional 60-amp in-line fuse between the distribution block and the amplifier is recommended9-1/2"W x 2-1/4"H x 6-5/16"Dwarranty: 5 years (free repair or replacement for 2 years; prorated replacement for years 3 through 5)Our 60-day money-back guarantee My system has plenty of power. Who needs an amp? You might think you don't need an amp because you have a 400-watt system in your car, or because your new stereo puts out 50 watts a channel. But those are peak wattage ratings, which may boil down to 15 or 20 watts per channel, using the more realistic RMS rating. An amp sends your speakers the power they need to deliver your music with clarity and impact, whether you're using factory speakers or high-performance components. And low-frequency reproduction requires lots of power, so an amp is an absolute must if you're adding a sub to your system.
mtx thunder500 Written By Reggie, dallas tx on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) This little amp is just enough if not more than what I needed. I am very satisfied and with the sound quality this little amp definitely backs up the brand! Pros: It's small so you have an advantage if you have limited space. It pushes my 2 kicker cvt's with no problem. The amp hasn't gotten hot any. Overall this thing deserve 5 stars Cons: No cons
Great amp / hard punch to sub Written By Greg, Middletown on Sunday, December 07, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Compact size with clarity & lots of power Pros: Clarity , power, built in sub cross over Cons: None
Very good Amp Written By scottrr, Miwaukee, WI on Monday, September 29, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Very good mono amp, Small, cool, and takes alot of vibration-at least so far. Pros: Small, Doesn't get Hot
Good amp, good price Written By SteveR, Dayton, OH on Thursday, May 22, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Nice amp, drives my Rockford Fosgate 15" sub very nicely. Amp stays cool, small footprint made for easy install under the seat. Good value for the price, good sound. Pros: compact & easy to mount, good sound and power, good price. Cons: haven't found any yet!
Great little amp Written By LMLHD, APO Germany on Friday, May 09, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Awesome amp for a great price. I have it powering a JL Audio 10w6v3 and the amp does just fine. I set the gain with an oscilloscope and after calculating the voltage with the speaker ohm level, the amp is putting out 548 watts RMS with no clipping. Pros: Excellent value. Powerful. Cons: None
MTX Rocks Written By Russ, South Dakota on Saturday, March 15, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Sound Quality Value MTX Thunder 500, Audio control LC2 shallow mount 10" DVC 2 ohm is just what my 2011 F 150 SC needed. This amp has is amazing more than I would need. The gains turned down and still pounds. Crystal clear sound from both. Thank you Crutchfield Pros: Small size , very we'll made, lots of power, 2 ohm stable. Cons: None!
The little amp that could... Written By RubenN, Los Angeles, CA on Tuesday, March 04, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Sound Quality Value My MTX 500.1 mono amp is paired with a 10'' Alpine Type S in a ported box at 2 ohms and it POUNDS. The amp is as small as they could possible make these things which was the main reason (along with the price point) for choosing this amp. Having owned an Alpine mono amp of the same wattage, this one seems to hit a little harder. Having to turn up my system for over an hour of bass-heavy tunes, this amp was warm and didn't break a sweat. Pros: - Small size - value in power output Cons: - No remote bass controls (hardly a CON)
great sub amp Written By hotrod, central, AL on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Using this to power a 10" Polk sub in a sealed enclosure.... Plenty of power and I really like the small size - able to mount just about anywhere... Pros: powerful small footprint Cons: none yet
Small price, big punch Written By Stan, Baton Rouge, LA on Thursday, January 23, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I have this mated with a JL Audio 13" TW5-3 3-ohm sub in one of their StealthBoxes and a Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD head unit. The speaker handles up to 600W RMS and this beast of an amplifier slams it with the gain set at about 1/3 of maximum and the bass boost (has settings for 0db, 6db, 12db) at 0db! The bass response is tight and fairly flat all the way down to the lower registers. It is rated at 300W for a 4-ohm load and 500W with a 2-ohm load, so I'm guessing it's rated at about 400W with a 3-ohm load (Manual doesn't specify output for 3-ohm load). But it seems like this amp may be underrated on power. Small footprint and unbelievable price tag for an amp this good. I've heard (never owned) other MTX Thunder amps in the past and they've always impressed me, but the price tag of this one raised a flag. I read the mostly positive reviews and decided to take a chance, and I'm 100% convinced I made a great buy. Runs cool, even at pretty loud volume. If you need solid, clean power at a very reasonable price, this is the amp for you. Pros: Small footprint, clean sound, powerful! Cons: It wasn't free
hearing goodbye hello mad neighbors Written By james, reedsburg wi on Wednesday, December 18, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Sound Quality Value clean bass Pros: small,powerfull Cons: angle of wire bolts speaker + both next to each other same for the - speaker wire ports
TNT Written By Baha, Athens Ga on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) The only thing that I can compare it to is dynamite. They are both small, very powerful, and way under rated! Running one JL 10" sub rated at 300 watts rms and have to turn the gain way down and bass boost off. Could very easily run another one. Sound quality is great and lots of tuning capabilities. Would purchase again in a heartbeat! Pros: Small strong and clean sounding Cons: N/A
Great amp regardless of the price Written By MPohio, Central, Ohio on Thursday, December 05, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) This amp really surprised me!! I paired this up with my alpine Type R 8" sub. A little more power than my amps require, but that is a good thing and it works darn near perfectly together!! Stays cool, easy to install and doesn't take up too much space. Pros: Has subsonic filtering, stays cool, price compared to others. Plenty of controls to help you hit the sweet spot. Cons: None
Mtx Amo Written By Anonymous, Germany on Thursday, November 28, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) A small amount with big sound I'm satisfied. Thanks
great little amp Written By DaveP, kansas on Tuesday, October 29, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Great amp for the price.It is very well built produces good bass even though it is paired with some older subs.It was installed in my nephews car so I haven't got to listen to it much.But it sure put a smile on his face. Pros: very good input and output terminals,compact size,amp adjustments,and build quality Cons: none so far
Great Amp! Written By Doug, Lodi, CA on Monday, October 21, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Installed to power an MTX Sub in a 2001 Dodge Dakota Quad-Cab. Easy installation, small and compact, excellent power and really drives the Sub! Pros: Great power for the money. Small and compact for installation almost anywhere. Clean clear power. Cons: None yet.
Solid build, compact, good power Written By Scott, Nashville, TN on Friday, August 23, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) This amp is even smaller than you expect once getting it in your hands. However, while the footprint is small, it still is over 2 inches high and is quite heavy. Connections are all solid and the look is very clean. Appears very well built, for the price it is massively overbuilt. Power output is as advertised and it seems to run well under continuous load - doesn't get too hot. I initially hooked it up to a shallow sub with very low sensitivity and it was underwhelming. However, substituting a pair of more traditional 10's it proved the limitation was the sub, not the amp. It pounded the 10's! Looks like if I stick with my current, self-imposed space restrictions I will need to either add a second shallow 12 or switch to a couple traditional 8 inchers that will make much better use of this amp's power. Bottom line - an incredible deal for the price and just a very nice amp overall. Pros: Size, build quality, power and installation flexibility Cons: None so far
Big Power Small Package Written By Nathanial, Plant City, FL on Wednesday, August 14, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I got two Alpine Type E's and chose the Thunder500.1 to power them. This amp packs a big punch even with the bass turned down. The amp have an amazingly clean exterior that against a light grey background just pops. Pros: Big Power. Compact design. Easy to install. Cons: Non yet.
Great value Written By telekaster, San Diego, CA on Friday, July 12, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I'm using it to drive a JL CP108LG-w3v3 subwoofer/enclosure. It's a great match. This is one of the best values on the market when you shop for comparable amps. Pros: Great price. Small size. Good power. Cons: The optional accessory external bass control (EBC) is no good at all. All the adjustment is within the first 10% of knob travel, then it's FULL BLAST past that point. I purchased and returned it to MTX after testing it out. I went with an RCA-based gain control. The full range of the knob is usable with that unit. The amplifier itself is great.
Big wattage in a tiny package Written By BlakeY, Madisonville, Ky on Friday, July 05, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Bought many many amps in the past and this thing should be put up next to the best. The price is deceiving and the pictures even more. This amp is tiny, but the footprint it leaves is huge. Currently pushing a 12" pioneer premier spl 3000 in the bass bunker sub box thats also here on crutchfield and man does it pound. Only thing it needs is a bass remote included. Pros: Small size, price, wattage output, sound Cons: No bass remote
Sleeper Written By David g, Tn on Tuesday, July 02, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Small but packs a good punch Pros: Size,power Cons: No fuse
small amp but does it's job!! Written By truc, orange county, ca` on Friday, June 28, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) i was surprise how small this amp was. i hook the amp to my (2) kickers cvr 800 total rms and it slaps! this amp produce clean bass.
So far so good Written By Anonymous, Farley, ia on Friday, June 28, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Nice power for the price Pros: Small, powerful , reasonably priced Cons: Speaker terminals could use a better connector
big power small package Written By Ed, Washington coast on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Great bang for the buck for sure.. Amp is compact but still cranks out the power. I am pleasantly surprised, great deal. Pros: compact size fits under seat, clean power. less connectors needed, wires plug right into amp. Cons: can't see any seems i got more than what I paid for.
Powerfull little amp Written By 1badawg, Akron Oh on Friday, June 21, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Ordered this for a friend who wanted me to put a system in his Jeep Wrangler that " is loud enough to hear with the top down and clear enough to enjoy". And oh ya, take as little space as possible. Was able to mount this under the steering column and wow. Great power to pair of Boston Acoustic 10's in a custom box behind back seat. Pros: Small size, great power. Cons: Wired remote not included
GREAT! Written By Seajdilla, Edmonds, WA on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I installed it about two weeks ago and I've had nothing but great sound.. My last amp would get to hot and cut out ALL THE TIME, this MTX stays cool and pumpin that bass!! Pros: Price, Size, Power, Cons: None
Big sound in a small package Written By Brant C, Woodstock Ga on Tuesday, June 04, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I put this amp to a polk audio 10 and wow.It shakes the whole car with the gains turned down.I would recommend is amp to anybody looking for a lot bang for the dollar. Pros: Small,doesn't take up a lot of room.powerful Cons: none
MTX THUNDER500.1 Written By GeorgeE, Mobile, AL on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Small, easy to mount, but a powerhouse... pushing one 15" sub, it hits Hard! not using near the potential of this amp yet. no worries about upgrading with this little powerhouse. Pros: Small... Lots of Boom... Runs Cool... Cons: none
MTX Thunder500.1 Written By Williams, Las Vegas NV on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Good little amp. Currently running two 10" Kenwood KFC-XW10's. Granted, the subs are rated for more than the amp can produce but it makes the subs pound hard. I have the new Kenwood KDC-X797 head unit and they both pair up pretty good. The amp is strong. It gets pretty warm on me when I have the music turned up and may have shut off on me once but I am not sure if that is what happened cuz it hasn't happened since then. I have done the Big 3 upgrade on my Honda Civic with 4 awg cables and with the volume up loud I do get the headlights to flicker a little bit on my 80 amp alternator. So... it's not drawing a terrible amount of power. Just got the EBC bass control to control the bass with a remote knob rather than through the head unit (that's annoying) but haven't hooked it up yet. Just adding this in to let you know that it offers this feature. You may be able to find a better price for the amp than from Crutchfield, but that is not to knock Crutchfield, they stand behind their products 110% and the Customer Service is worth the extra $. For a low cost bang for your buck subwoofer amp for your small stereo system I would definitely recommend this amp for sure. Pros: small, good power, loud, good price. It's MTX and I have always liked MTX amps. Cons: None yet
Lil Beast Written By Reginald, Texas on Thursday, May 16, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Lil giant Pros: Small and full of power Cons: None
MTX THUNDER500.1 Written By RFaber, Montana on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) nice amp, so far it stays cool while pushing a 12" sub woofer at 2ohms. Hits hard!!!! Pros: easy install, small size fits under seat Cons: None
MTX Thunder500.1 Written By Boscorilious, Laveen, AZ on Sunday, April 28, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I needed an mono amp to power a 12 inch Kicker subwoofer. This amp did just that. It was incredibly reasonable and easy to use/install. As a Class D amp it runs well in closed spaces within little air circulation. It's been hard at work for 2 days now and so far no complaints. Pros: Everything about the amp is great. At this price point, not all amps give you the ability to manage bass boost, gain, LPF, or subsonic. Great power at 500W, peak 1000W, it's an amp that's hard to beat. Cons: Instruction manual is not easy to use. Since this was my first amp/sub install, I relied heavily on youtube videos in order to tune my amp.
Don't shy away from this amp because of $$$ Written By DougB, Nashville, TN on Monday, April 22, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) So Im relatively new to Crutchfield but a friend recommended. I upgraded my daughter's vehicle factory sound system (2000 Ford Expedition). I installed a new head unit (Kenwood, awesome), 2 Polk Audio 12's, and to push the 12's I purchased this amp. OMG.....this thing absolutely pounds. I was so shocked when I installed this unit that I actually had to make sure they sent me the right amp. I wired the 12's down to 2ohm and this amp just pounds them. ITs a very clear sound, no distortion at all, and I haven't even begun to push them. I have the amp boost to 6db and likely will turn it down, I have the gain about quarter of the way up and it will blow your mind. Im telling you, if you want a setup with 10's or 12's and you dont want to spend a ton of money, you need to buy this amp. Pros: Sound Quality Power Easy Installation Small, will fit anywhere Cons: No fuse, but this is not a big deal. My amp wiring kit came with an inline fuse so its no big deal at all...Infact, I'm embarrased to put it as a con.
Small but powerful Written By mroy006, Saco,ME on Friday, April 12, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) This thing is physically small so I was a bit concerned when I unboxed it. Installed it to power my Kicker CompVR 10" wired for 2ohms. Sounds just as good as my previous Kenwood 8105d amp that died on me. Also I dont notice it getting very hot at all when making it work hard. Pros: Should fit it any application Runs Cool for small size Allen head screw type terminals Cons: Might have been nice to have an indication light on front of unit but the one on the side is really bright so its easy to see
Not what I expected Written By J. Acevedo, Puerto Rico on Thursday, April 11, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Sound Quality Value I bought this "little thing" to complement my setup. My audio shop told me that this things are loud.....I didn't believe them until i felt this amp moving an audiopipe 12" DVC. My little tercel was shaking! Pros: Way too much power!!!!!! Cons: ..............................none so far!
MTX THUNDER500.1 Written By JW, Ft Worth Tx on Wednesday, April 03, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Great amp and good price, Very small for the power. Works great on my Kenwood 10's. 4 gauge connections. Gives you connections for 2 subs so you don't have to daisy chain them or try to stuff 2 sets of speaker wires in the same hole. Very pleased with amp will be buying another for my 12's. Just remember to buy a fuse block for it does not come fused. Pros: Super small, plenty of power, great connections Cons: not fused.
Big Punch - Small Package Written By Jim K., Blues Bros. Hometown on Tuesday, April 02, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Great size! Mounted it right to sub box. End pieces come off, I painted them to red match sub grills. Nice touch! Just make sure you sand them real good so paint sticks. Pros: Compact Cons: None
Get everything you'll need to enjoy your new MTX THUNDER500.1 Choose Category Single-amp Wiring Kits Speaker Wire RCA Patch Cables & Adapters Fuses Fuse Holders Capacitors Tools Connectors Professional Installation Single-amp Wiring Kits Speaker Wire RCA Patch Cables & Adapters Fuses Fuse Holders Capacitors Tools Connectors Professional Installation You'll need an amp wiring kit to install your new amplifier, as wiring is not included. Bring the music from your amp to your speakers. Patch cables take the music from your stereo to the amplifier. Most amp wiring kits don't include them. Get a spare fuse now so you won't be listening to silence later. For multi-amp systems, you'll need a separate fuse holder. Helps protect your car's charging system and improves power handling. Required power and ground wires not included with cap. The right tools will make the installation easier. Have your new amplifier put in by a qualified professional in your area. Single-amp Wiring Kits Speaker Wire RCA Patch Cables & Adapters Fuses Fuse Holders Capacitors Tools Connectors Professional Installation T-Spec V10-RAK4 4-gauge amplifier wiring kit includes 2-channel patch cable Item #: 120V10RAK4 (1) $99.99 Add to Cart Rockford Fosgate RFK4X Complete 4-gauge amplifier wiring kit Includes patch cable and speaker wire Item #: 575RFK4X (13) $159.99 Add to Cart T-Spec 4PK Installation Kit 4-gauge amplifier wiring kit includes speaker wire Item #: 1204PK (4) $89.99 Add to Cart EFX PA4BX Wiring Kit 4-gauge amplifier wiring kit — includes 2-channel patch cable Item #: 142PA4BX (10) $79.99 Add to Cart Rockford Fosgate RFK4 4-gauge amplifier power wiring kit Item #: 575RFK4 (11) $114.99 Add to Cart Kicker CK4 Complete 4-gauge amplifier wiring kit includes 2-channel patch cable and speaker wire Item #: 206CK4 (3) $149.99 Add to Cart Kicker PK4 4-gauge amplifier power wiring kit Item #: 206PK4 (1) $129.99 Add to Cart Lightning Audio LA-4i 4-gauge amplifier wiring kit includes 2-channel patch cable Item #: 495LA4I (10) $69.99 Add to Cart T-Spec 12-gauge Speaker Wire Black/white jacket priced per foot Item #: 120SW12WB1 (34) $1.99 Add to Cart T-Spec 16-gauge Speaker Wire Black/white jacket priced per foot Item #: 120SW16WB1 (17) $0.69 Add to Cart Stinger PRO Series Speaker Wire Priced per foot (14 Gauge) Item #: 541SPW514B (56) $0.65 Options 16 Gauge 14 Gauge Add to Cart T-Spec 2-Channel RCA Patch Cables Available in 7 different lengths (17-foot) Item #: 120RCA172 (29) $19.99 Options 1.5-foot 3-foot 6-foot 10-foot 14-foot 17-foot 20-foot Add to Cart EFX 17-foot RCA Patch Cable Item #: 142A17C (55) $7.99 After $2.00 Savings Add to Cart EFX 2-Channel RCA Patch Cables Reference Series Multi-Core RCA patch cables — available in 5 different lengths (12-foot) Item #: 142RR12 (2) $19.95 Options 3-foot 6-foot 12-foot 17-foot 25-foot Add to Cart EFX 2-Channel RCA Patch Cables Core Series Twisted RCA patch cables — available in 5 different lengths (12-foot) Item #: 142RCT12B (3) $9.95 Options 3-foot 6-foot 12-foot 17-foot 25-foot Add to Cart EFX 2-Channel RCA Patch Cables Elite Series Braided Multi-Core RCA patch cables — available in 5 different lengths (25-foot) Item #: 142RE25 $99.95 Options 3-foot 6-foot 12-foot 17-foot 25-foot Add to Cart Rockford Fosgate RFFM60 MAXI Fuse Pair of 60-amp platinum-plated wafer fuses Item #: 575RFFM60 (1) $4.99 Add to Cart T-SPEC V8 Mini-ANL Fuses Pair of nickel-plated mini-ANL fuses (60-amp) Item #: 120MANL60 (11) $3.99 Add to Cart Rockford Fosgate RFFAGU Fuse Holder Platinum-plated AGU fuse holder Fits 4- or 8-gauge cable Item #: 575RFFAGU (26) $10.99 Add to Cart EFX CFHG4 Fuse Holder In-line AGU fuse holder accepts 4- to 8-gauge wire Item #: 142CFHG4 $9.99 Add to Cart T-Spec Capacitor 1.5-farad capacitor with red LCD meter Item #: 12015DDC (12) $79.99 Add to Cart Bojo Trim Panel Tools Set of 6 pry tools helps remove interior and exterior trim and door panels Item #: 126CR6NGL (56) $24.99 Add to Cart Pro.Fit Wire Worm Installation tool helps route wiring through tight spaces Item #: 042DM4533 (36) $12.99 Add to Cart Metra Crimp Tool and Connectors Package contains crimp tool and over 150 pieces Item #: 120CRIMPKT (16) $19.99 Add to Cart S&G Wire Cutter/Stripper Tool Cuts and strips 12- to 22-gauge wire Item #: 18119100 (23) $19.99 Add to Cart S&G Tool Aid 87650 Door Trim and Panel Removal Tool Item #: 18187650 (74) $9.99 Add to Cart Pro.Fit Trim Panel Tool Remove your vehicle's trim panels without damage Item #: 042DM4022 (93) $5.99 Add to Cart Skewdriver Pro SPK4042 Ratcheting straight and offset screwdriver set with 40 bits (Skewdriver Pro with ratchet handle, pictured) Item #: 180SPK4042 (8) $49.99 Add to Cart Spec Tools SQR-200a Squeeze Wrench Narrow space ratchet kit with 18 sockets Item #: 180SQR200A (1) $49.99 Add to Cart Bojo Trim Panel Tools Set of 6 pry tools helps remove interior and exterior trim and door panels Item #: 126CR6LNGL (8) $29.99 Add to Cart Install Bay IB35400 Premium door panel and trim tool Item #: 12035400 $15.99 Add to Cart Install Bay 3320 Auto-ranging digital multimeter Item #: 1203320 $39.99 Add to Cart DEI Heat Shrink Tubing Black 4-foot length (Assortment) Item #: 696010839 (8) $24.99 Add to Cart InstallCard: Amp or Equalizer Prepaid professional amplifier or EQ installation Item #: 597421003 (19) $79.99 Add to Cart


text:
Name: Rosa Quinapanta
Nationality: Ecuadorian
Community: Salasaca
1.- What kind of Natural Resources has Salasaca? Sheep's wool, Cabuya, Capuli, Eucalipto (eucalyptus)
2.- How do you work the wool? It could be by hand or with machine.
3.- What is the process to have the wool ready to weave? They remove the hair of the sheep, them they wash it and they leave it to dry, after that they color themselves with vegetable dyes.
4.- Can you explain me a little bit more about the Cabuya? We have a cabuya that its call "the black Cabuya" (Cabuya negra), that is hard and gross.
5.- Can the Cabuya be dye? Yes the Cabuya can be dye.
6.- It is possible to make fine product with this material? Yes, it is possible.
7.- Are the products from Cabuya washable? No, the Cabuya is not washable, because the way how the cabuya is ready to work, has to be dry and if it is wet, the form can change.
8.- What kind of products do they do with the Eucalipto? They use it to make furniture.
9.- What kind of abilities have the artisans from Salasaca? Weaving, to embroider, work with wood (eucalipto)
10.- Who help the artisans in Salasaca? Junta parroquial (joins parochial), Cooperativa the artesanos Kiria (Cooperative of artisans Kiria)
11.- How do the artisans sell the products? Indigenous people, skilful weavers, sell their crafts in the "Sunday fair".
12.- What kind of products make the artisans? Salasaca's artisans sell tapestries, ponchos, sweaters, bags, hats and other articles as souvenirs.
13.- These designs are originally from Salasaca? The tapestries are original from Salasaca, the others products are copies from others places, specially Otavalo.
14.- Are the artisans traditional, or open mind in term of products? They are open mind in term of products.
15.- Do you think they will accept the idea to work to make new artisan designs? Yes, they will accept it. They want to make new business.
16.-Do you think they will accept to change their designs and combine them with modern ideas?
Yes, they will accept it.
17.- Do you think that they would be interested in working in a project as this?
Yes, I think they would be interested.
18.- How many communities exist in Salasaca? There are 24 communities.
This interview was useful for my research about the people that live there, how they think and work. I found that this place has 24 communities and everybody has different abilities in terms of weave and wood. Before made this interview I was thinking about to work with the Cabuya, but I found that is not washable and I decide to work with the sheep's wool because it can be work beautifully and designing in different ways. I found that they are open mind with the traditional products and they would like to make new business.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Arts Talk
Join the A&E team's discussion of the arts in the Capital Region
Monthly Archive for February, 2007
Flights of Fantasy inventory reduction sale
Eleanor at Flights of Fantasy, the Loudonville bookstore, has sent an e-mail saying that the book store has cut prices of all used books by 25 percent. The Web site, http://fof.net/, says: 25% Off Inventory Reduction Sale Stop into the store during the month of February and get 25% off of All Used Paperbacks and […]
[Read More]
Time for a new book review publication?
There's growing chatter online about this (which I first heard thanks to the Complete Review). This discussion is happening at the Open University: ENTHUSIASM FOR A NEW BOOK REVIEW: by Jeffrey Herf Thanks very much to Cass Sunstein, Steven Pinker, Eric Rauchway, Linda Hirshman, Richard Stern, and David Bell. I'm very glad to see their […]
[Read More]
$47,800 for "Grapes of Wrath"
What would Tom Joad say about this?
[Read More]
A look at 'blook' from Down Under
The Australian, one of the national newspapers of yes, you guessed it, Australia, weighs in on the claim by a dictionary to contain billions and billions of words (or at least 2.5 billion, my apologies to Carl Sagan). Among the words the dictionary has that The Australia doesn't quite deign to recognize is our good […]
[Read More]
Newbery medal scandal!
…and a nice headline from mediabistro, at this link.
[Read More]
Black History Month: "Invisible Man"
Ralph Ellison's 1952 novel "Invisible Man" has been called a classic of American literature. But don't just take my word for it. Here's an excerpt from Irving Howe's review: This novel is a soaring and exalted record of a Negro's journey through contemporary America in search of success, companionship, and, finally, himself; like all our […]
[Read More]
A lesson in writing 'dirty'
From the Boston Phoenix: Embarrassingly enough, my weakness for these sort of scenes led me to check out "The Joy of Learning To Write Sex Scenes" at Porter Square Books last Thursday night. The host, local author and Grub Street instructor Elizabeth Benedict, penned the classic resource, The Joy of Writing Sex: A Guide for […]
[Read More]
Jennifer Armstrong in the news
Kudos to Saratoga Springs Jennifer Armstrong, from Missouri: President's Day brings to mind our country's history, patriotism, independence, democracy and of course, our Founding Fathers. Here is a list of books on this subject: First is a book I believe every family should own. "The American Story: 100 True Tales From American History" by Jennifer […]
[Read More]
Gardening book article with a nod to a local blogger
The Dallas Morning News has an interesting article, here, on Amy Stewart's Flower Confidential: The 306-page book is a journalistic behind-the-scenes account of the international floral industry – where flowers come from and insightful speculation, if you read between the lines, about where they are going. Ms. Stewart traveled the world to learn about industry […]
[Read More]
FLAMENCO VIVO CARLOTA SANTANA, The Egg, 02/17/2007
Company harnesses the passion of flamenco By TRESCA WEINSTEIN Special to the Times Union ALBANY … With "Palillos y Pies," which opened Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana's program Saturday evening at The Egg, choreographer Pilar Andujar does something revolutionary with flamenco: She preserves all its power, poise and passion while injecting it with some of the […]
[Read More]
Show More


text:
Welcome To CruiseCritic.com
Stay on CruiseCritic.com
Go to Cruise Critic UK
Close X
Subscribe today
Get Cruise Critic in your inbox
Sign up!
Your Ultimate Cruise Guide
All Cruise Reviews
Cabin Reviews
Cruisers' Choice Awards
Editors' Picks Awards
Excursion Reviews
Member Reviews
Port Reviews
River Cruise Reviews
Luxury Cruise Reviews
Find a Cruise
All Cruise Deals
Last Minute Cruises
Caribbean Cruise Deals
Cheapest Cruises
Price Drop
All Destinations
Alaska Cruises
Australia & New Zealand
Bahamas Cruises
Canada & New England
Caribbean Cruises
Caribbean - Eastern
Caribbean - Southern
Caribbean - Western
Europe Cruises
Europe - Baltic & Northern
Europe - British Isles & Western
Europe - Eastern Mediterranean
Europe - Western Mediterranean
Mexican Riviera
Panama Canal
How to Cruise
First Time Cruisers
Cruise Styles
Live Chats
Meet & Mingle
Member Reviews
Message Boards
Roll Calls
Cruise News
Cruise News Archive
> Update: NCL's New F3 Design: Noro-Friendly?
Date Published: May 14, 2008
More current news for Norwegian Cruise Line:
Norwegian Cruise Line Raises Daily Gratuities
Norwegian Cruise Line
Profile and Reviews
Cruise News
Update: NCL's New F3 Design: Noro-Friendly?
Update: Since we published our initial piece, Norwegian Cruise Line provided us with this official statement: "NCL takes the wellbeing of its passengers with the utmost seriousness -- both in the features of its current ships and in the design of F3 New Wave staterooms. The new configuration will not mean any additional surfaces between toilet and basin from NCL's existing design. A separate toilet is not unusual in cruise cabins or hotel rooms. What is new about the design is the additional space and comfort it provides within the cabin, and the opportunity to use all the bathroom facilities at the same time.
"NCL has an excellent track record in the prevention of infectious illness onboard its ships. The cruise line encourages passengers and staff to be rigorous about hand washing -- and disinfectant gel dispensers are sited throughout the ship for this purpose. What's more staterooms, public spaces and staff areas are kept scrupulously clean."
(May 12) --
Norwegian Cruise Line
's innovative plans to refashion cruise ship staterooms on its new
series of vessels have created a lot of waves, most of which are positive. But an intriguing story that appeared in England's Telegraph has flamed a new controversy.
The article
, written by U.K.-based Jane Archer, has suggested that because the "New Wave" cabins on the upcoming 150,000-ton, 4,200-passenger F3 ships will place washbasins completely separate from the toilet and shower areas, the layout could breed even higher than usual cases of the dreaded Norovirus.
Archer quotes Sally Bloomfield of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine as saying that putting the sink outside the toilet cubicle could definitely encourage spread of the highly contagious Norovirus. "Norovirus spreads by person-to-person contact and through contact with surfaces that have been touched by people carrying the bug," Bloomfield told the Telegraph. "Everyone should wash their hands as soon as they have been to the toilet and the toilet area should be designed to encourage that. That means putting the sink by the toilet."
Indeed, Cruise Critic's own sources at the
Health Protection Agency
, which works closely with the Passenger Shipping Association, the Association of Port Health Authorities and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to help manage sea-based outbreaks of Norovirus, concurs with Bloomfield, telling us "that the design of the room with the sink separate from the toilet would facilitate the spread of infection and may result in contamination of other surfaces."
Norovirus, according to the London-based Health Protection Agency, often causes outbreaks because it is easily spread from one person to another. It can be transmitted by contact with an infected person by consuming contaminated food or water or by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects.
Beyond the quite worrisome issue of whether it facilitates the spread of Noro, the cabin design,
unveiled last month
, is really quite forward thinking. The "New Wave" staterooms feature contemporary curved walls and there will be enhanced mood lighting, MP3 connectivity and flat-screen televisions. But it's the aforementioned bathroom layout that has earned the controversy; in this case, the sink and vanity area is out in the open while the toilet and shower will be tucked into segregated spaces behind a closed door.
--by Kelly Ranson, Associate Editor, and Carolyn Spencer Brown, Editor in Chief
Cruise News
Norwegian Cruise Line News
Norwegian Cruise Line Reviews
Norwegian Cruise Line Deals
Cruise Agencies
Cruise Deals
© 1995 - 2015, The Independent Traveler, Inc. All rights reserved.
This file may be downloaded for personal use only.
Other copying or reproduction is expressly prohibited.
About Us
Editorial Disclaimer
Site Map
UK Cruises
Thank You For Signing Up!
Please Note:
To ensure delivery of your free e-letters, please add firstname.lastname@example.com to your address book.
We're committed to protecting your privacy and will not rent or sell your e-mail address. By proceeding, you agree to our
Privacy Policy
and Terms of Use.
Check prices for the following:


text:
Loading stream...
All Content |
View all podcasts & RSS feeds |
Originally published on Fri December 14, 2012 12:20 pm
In this week's Barbershop, the guys weigh in on U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrawing her name from consideration for secretary of state. They also discuss Michigan's right-to-work law and whether unions are still relevant today.
St. Louis Public Radio
is a service of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.


text:
Current Students
Online Registration Guides
View PDF how-to guides for registering for a class and for dropping a class.
University College Bulletin (PDF)
The Bulletin contains policies and guidelines that apply to all University College students.
Undergraduate Programs
All programs open to undergraduate students.
Graduate Programs
A full list of graduate programs.
Graduate and undergraduate certificate programs.
General Education Requirements
Basic undergraduate degree requirements.
Guidance and information about admission and degree requirements, academics, course selection and transfers.
Undergraduate Honors Program
Listed in the Programs section of this site is information about UC's acclerated and exceptionally rigorous, flexible, and independent program of study.
UCollege Computing
Find out about passwords, WUSTL Email, wireless connections, and more.
Student Services
A guide to navigating campus, academic resouces and and other serivces for students.


text: My 11 year old miniature poodle started vomiting two days ago. Since then she doesn't want to eat anything (even her most favorite treats) and doesn't want to drink any water either (two days now). She licks the carpet and when we put her outside to do her thing, she pees very little and only wants to eat grass. These two things are causing her to vomit more. She also seems very confused and out of touch. What could be wrong with her? Please help soon.


text: Golf. Sailing. Tandem Bike. Line Dancing. Arts. Book Discussion... Living with a vision loss does not mean having to stop favorite activities of leisure and recreation. In fact, just the opposite is true - including social and recreation events in rehabilitation and training enhances the learning experience and ability to achieve your goals. We offer a wide range of recreation opportunities designed to create access to events and activities for a high quality of life and that assist in the journey towards independence and which, coupled with our other services, makes us one of the most comprehensive service providers in the country. Recreation For the physically active our year round activities will utilize your developing mobility and travel skills while you meet others with the same interests. Join us for golf, sailing, tandem bicycling, cross country skiing, line dancing, and ball room dancing, among other activities. Clients in mobility, counseling, vocational, and employment programs experience great benefits to being on a team, taking instructions from a coach, moving about a different environment, as well as develop confidence and learn that their vision loss does not limit their opportunity to remain independent and enjoy life. Leisure Challenge your mind and develop new ways to approach your leisure time with activities such as Learning Braille, Book Discussion, Music Study Groups a partner program with The Cleveland Orchestra, Crochet Club, Braille Notes Choir, audio described theater, and Sculpture. Participation in these activities will provide a support network to help you maximize your participation in areas of your personal interest. Your self-reliance will improve as you meet new people living with similar challenges as yours. You will discover that your vision loss will not limit your capacity for a rich and fulfilled life, and you will develop fine motor skills that will also help you with learning to read braille, and other skills taught for independence at home or in the office. Social Social skills are the #1 barrier for people with blindness or low vision to achieve independence and employment. Once a month we offer a Social Club activity Cleveland Sight Center, and have three other community based Social Clubs during the year. Come and meet new friends and people who can be a part of your journey, and learn of the many opportunities available to you. How We Do it - Our Wonderful Volunteers and Partners Cleveland Sight Center staff could not provide our Socialization and Recreation without the help of our many volunteers - many of whom are clients of the agency - and partners that include The Cleveland Orchestra, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Delta Gamma Alumni Associations, Garfield United Methodist Church, Northern Ohio Golf Association, other agency departments, and the others in the community who support our efforts to empower people with their time and donations. For more information about our active lifestyle activities, please call 216-791-8118 and ask for Jeri Rask. She will help you keep busy. Click here for our Recreation Calendar


text:
Sorbas Holiday Homes(2)
Didn't find what you're looking for?
View all 450 Mojacar area Holiday homes or all 849 Costa de Almeria Villas
Sorbas is a unique place to stay in Andalusia, best known for its overhanging houses above a dramatic gorge surrounded by the Rio Aguas which makes a natural moat. "Sorbas" means "pot of sand" and probably refers to the pottery industry which still thrives in the area.
Most visitors will want to see the potters at work in their studios in the area. The Sorbas potteries are known for their high quality goods which make great souvenirs. To the south of Sorbas holiday rentals is the Parque Natural de Karst en Yesos which has many caves with limestone stalactites and stalagmites in the arid desert-like landscape. Walking, climbing, caving and mountain biking can be enjoyed, as well as taking scenic drives to other small mountain villages. In mid-August the San Roque Festival takes place in Sorbas and is a great way to see the national costume, cultural cuisine, singing and dancing. At other times there is a small bar and restaurants in Sorbas but no real nightlife.
Nearby villages make a great day out from your holiday home in Sorbas. Explore Lucainena de las Torres, a cluster of white houses around a red-tiled church. It has a tiny village square and a winding main street. Nijar has an old Moorish quarter with tall buildings along narrow streets which create cool shade. Bedar is another charming village with stunning views of the surrounding countryside from its high position. Bedar prospered with many lead mines in the past and consequently has some fine architecture. Further afield Cuevas del Almanzora has many caves with natural features and a 16th century fortress which is now an art and history museum.
Holiday rental homes in Sorbas, Andalusia enjoy hot dry summers with average temperatures reaching 30°C (86°F) in August with almost zero rainfall. In the winter season there is more chance of a shower and daytime highs average 17-21°C (63-70°F). The shoulder seasons of March to June and September to November are very pleasant for enjoying outdoor activities in the area.
The nearest airport to Sorbas holiday rentals is Almeria (LEI) airport which is 58 km drive away. The airport is about 10 km east of Almeria city centre and has a high volume of tourists arriving daily from the UK and northern Europe as well as national flights. easyJet, BMI Baby, Monarch and Ryanair fly into Almeria airport daily and offer cheap flights from the UK while Iberia Airlines are the domestic airline carrier. A hire car is essential to reach Sorbas. Further afield is Murcia San Javier (MJV) Airport about 174 km drive away.
Didn't find what you're looking for?
View all 450 Mojacar area Holiday homes or all 849 Costa de Almeria Villas


text:
- Text Size:
- ASmall Text
- AMedium Text
- ALarge Text
Which companies offer jobs with the most work-life balance options?
Click here to take a look at a list of the best companies for telecommuting.
The views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use.
blog comments powered by Disqus


text:
Follow Us
NHI Newsletter
Legal Notices
Some Favorite Sites
- At Risk for HD
- barista
- Branford Eagle
- Business NH
- Chris Volpe Photography
- Crosscut
- CT Capitol Report
- CT Enviro Headlines
- CT Mirror
- CT News Junkie
- CT Watchdog
- Design New Haven
- Gotham Gazette
- I Love New Haven
- Josiah Brown
- Karman Turn
- La Voz Hispana
- Laurel Club
- Media Nation
- Middletown Eye
- MinnPost
- My Left Nutmeg
- NH Register
- NH Review of Books
- NHV.org
- OneWorld
- Only In Bridgeport
- Oral History Project
- Reddit NH
- Saved By Design
- See Click Fix
- Smartpill Design
- St. Louis Beacon
- Taste Of NH
- Valley Independent Sentinel
- Voice of SD
- VT Digger
- Yale Daily News
Government/ Community Links
- 'r Kids Family Center
- Agency on Aging
- All Our Kin
- Animal Shelter Volunteers
- Arte Inc.
- Arts Council
- Artspace
- Beth El Keser Israel
- Bike New Haven
- Boys & Girls Club
- Cancer Support
- Chabad of Westville
- Chamber of Commerce
- Children's Museum
- Christian Community Action
- City of New Haven
- CitySeed
- Citywide Youth
- Columbus House
- Community Action Agency
- Community Loan Fund
- Community Mediation
- ConnCAN
- Creative Arts Workshop
- CT Best Restaurants
- CT Tech Council
- Data Haven
- Elm City Cycling
- Elm Shakespeare
- Elmseed
- Empower NH
- Friends Of Wooster Sq.
- Gay Men's Chorus
- GNH Community Chorus
- Habitat For Humanity
- Info New Haven
- INFO NH Calendar
- Jazz Haven
- Jewish Federation
- Job Finder
- Junta
- Labor History
- Lawyer Finder
- Legal Aid Network
- Liberty Safe Haven
- Life Haven
- Literacy Coalition
- Magrisso Forte
- Mary Wade
- Music Haven
- Neighborhood Music School
- New Haven 828
- New Haven Chorale
- New Haven Farms
- New Haven Museum
- New Haven Reads
- New Life Corp.
- New Reach
- NH Land Trust
- NH Symphony
- NH/Leon Sister City
- On The Road To Greenness
- Orchard Street Shul
- Orchestra NE
- Parents Available to Help
- Pat Dillon
- Peace News
- PechaKucha
- Planned Parenthood
- Police
- Promoting Enduring Peace
- Public Allies CT
- Public Library
- Public Schools
- Public Works
- Rainbow Girls
- Register Calendar
- SCSU Events
- Share Our Voices
- Shubert
- Solar Youth
- Soul-O-Ettes
- Squash Haven
- United Way
- Urban Design League
- Urban Resources Initiative
- W. Square Blossoms
- West Rock Trails
- Westville Renaissance
- Westville Synagogue
- Workforce Alliance
- Yale Events
- Yeshiva NH Shul
- Youth Continuum
Budget Battle Sparks Long-Term Ed Questions
by Thomas MacMillan | May 12, 2014 7:12 am
(18) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author
Posted to: Schools, City Budget
(News analysis) As a contentious budget season comes to a head, some fundamental questions have surfaced: Has the city been paying millions more than it's required to for education? Could—and should—that money go toward reducing taxes or paying for other city services?
Those questions may be addressed in part Monday and Wednesday nights, when the Board of Alders Finance Committee holds its final meetings before sending a n city budget to the full Board of Alders for a vote.
The Finance Committee has been probing the depths of Mayor Toni Harp's proposed $511 million budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.
The mayor's budget includes a tax hike of 3.8 percent, which alders have been working to trim or eliminate. As part of that quest, education spending has emerged as a top target for cuts. Upper Westville Alder Darryl Brackeen has proposed eliminating a planned $1.5 million increase to the city's contribution to the Board of Ed. Prospect Hill/Newhallville Alder Michael Stratton has called for tens of millions of education dollars to be slashed.
The debate has ventured into the technical details of education funding, including how much the city is actually required to spend on schools, and how the city measures its contribution to meet the minimum budget requirement (MBR).
Ongoing budget discussions have raised a number of new questions: Is it possible that the city could include in-kind expense in its MBR contribution? If so, would that allow the city to cut education spending below what has previously been thought possible? And if the city could make big cuts to education, should it do so? And where would those cuts be?
All these questions won't be answered by this week's Finance Committee meetings. They're part of a discussion that will likely continue through the year as alders try to find ways to both avoid tax hikes and improve schools.
In the interest of following those discussions and moving beyond personalities and histrionics, here's a Q-&-A primer on some of the underlying issues at hand:
Start at the beginning. What's this "MBR" stuff all about?
Every year, the state requires the city to spend a certain amount of its own money on education, a requirement for collecting state education money. State and city funding together have to meet the MBR. New Haven's contribution to the MBR, as it's currently calculated, is about $18 million.
For years, the city has been meeting its MBR with a payment to the Board of Ed out of the city's general fund. Other cities meet their MBR with in-kind contributions, including, for instance, pension and health benefits for Board of Ed employees.
Here's the important part: New Haven also pays for pension and health benefits for Board of Ed employees, only it hasn't been counting those payments towards its MBR.
Why is that so important?
That means that, if you factor in the in-kind payments, New Haven has been for years paying more than it's legally required to for education. Not only could this affect the calculation of how much New Haven is spending per student to educate children; it theoretically presents a chance to cut spending on education, without losing state funding.
Conventional wisdom has been that the city can't spend any less on education because then it wouldn't meet the MBR and wouldn't qualify for state funding. But under the new math, the city is already way over its required contribution and so it does have an opportunity to spend less.
This is also important because it touches on the city's complicated relationship with the Board of Ed, which is not simply another city department.
The Board of Ed has its own separate budgeting process. The Board of Alders does not have line-item veto over the school district's spending plan, a fact that has long been a source of contention for taxpayers and alders who would like to get under the hood and tinker with the nuts and bolts of education spending.
If the city has a new way to cut education spending, that could be a new way for the Board of Alders to get leverage on the Board of Ed budget.
But why would you want to cut education spending? The children are our future.
That's undoubtedly true. But, some taxpayers and some elected officials charge the Board of Ed isn't spending its taxpayer money as efficiently as possible. For instance, budget watchdogs perennially call for eliminating heaps of high-paid administrators they believe are adding little to education while their salaries run up the city's bill. They rarely provide details about which administrators can realistically be cut, beyond general categories like "assistant principals." Pressed on the question, they sometimes respond that the Board of Ed itself hasn't been forthcoming with details, a charge the Board of Ed denies.
While it's obviously important to know whether the city can cut education funding, the much more important discussion is whether the city should cut education funding. That's a complicated question, and one that has been overshadowed in the current budget debate by technicalities and hot tempers.
Well, suppose you did want to cut education spending. Would this MBR shift really work?
Theoretically, the city has the power to count its MBR differently, to factor in in-kind payments. It's simply a matter of how the city reports its education spending to the state.
The city could theoretically then reduce its general fund payment to the Board of Ed. It could also—again, theoretically—decide to stop paying for teacher and administrator health care, forcing the Board of Ed to pick up the tab. Then the Board of Ed would have to find its own cuts elsewhere.
Whether that would work in practice is an open question, one that would likely require a legal opinion, should the Board of Alders go in that direction. For starters, pension and health care benefits are tied to union contracts, which could present a problem.
Such a move wouldn't be unprecedented. In the past, the city did not commingle city and Board of Ed pension and health care benefits.
Wait, why did the city take over those Board of Ed payments in the first place?
Years ago, the city used to give money to the Board of Ed and the district could choose how to spend it. However, that meant that if the Board of Ed didn't spend the money on, say, debt service, the city would be on the hook for those payments. When the city started combining Board of Ed pension and health care benefits and debt service into the city's payments, it sought more control over where its money went.
Combining city and Board of Ed health care benefits also results in a larger pool of workers, allowing for the negotiation of lower rates.
OK, let's say this MBR change worked and we wanted to cut education spending. What would we cut?
Alder Brackeen has called for flat funding the Board of Ed, removing a $1.5 million increase in the mayor's proposed budget. Mayor Harp said that's a bad idea, that New Haven's kids need that money in the schools.
Another idea that has been floating around has been to remove some functions carried out by government—arts programs, say, or environmental education—and farming them out to not-for-profits like the Creative Arts Workshop or Solar Youth. That's a classic argument about how best to run government: Does outsourcing save money and produce better results? Or simply shortchange employees and remove public oversight over standards?
Meawhile, Alder Stratton has made a more drastic proposal: cut some $40 million from the Board of Ed. Stratton has a list of specific cuts totaling $57 million, leaving a margin of error to get to $40 million. Click here to see the whole list.
Here's a sample of some of the big-ticket items on Stratton's list:
• Close Lincoln-Bassett School. "Nobody wants to go there," Stratton said. "It's a failed school." Lincoln-Bassett is underpopulated and its students and teachers could be easily absorbed by other schools, he said
• Close New Horizons school and merge it with Domus.
• Close the Polly McCabe Center, the district's program for pregnant students. Those students should be mainstreamed, Stratton said. But the Board of Ed should make sure the teens get health services, and one teacher should be available to homeschool them around their due date. (Click here for a story about a 2012 event at which Polly McCabe students Elaina Williams, Angelica Santiago, & Kendra Tate describe their experiences.)
• Eliminate the city's nascent vocational tech program: "All it is is one guy in a building with a commercial oven." Vocational efforts could be merged with a stripped-down adult education program, perhaps housed at Lincoln-Bassett, Stratton said. Vo-tech has been a hot topic of debate in New Haven since last year's mayoral race; some candidates called for expanding it, arguing that not everyone is cut out for college.
• Cut administrators. This is often the rallying cry of Board of Ed budget watchdogs. Stratton would cut the number of assistant principals at Wilbur Cross High School from seven to three. He would also eliminate a number of "building manager" positions, and get rid of a large number of positions at Board of Ed headquarters. Those include a fiscal officer, an "itinerant teacher," a "special assistant principal," the chief of wraparound services, and a youth development coordinator.
• Cut "other contractual" service spending and "carryovers."
Wow. People talk about cutting budgets with a scalpel versus a hatchet; this is like using a chainsaw. Are these really realistic cuts?
Well, to be fair, a lot of the items on Stratton's list are meant as conversation starters, to begin thinking about what's really necessary at the Board of Ed. He acknowledges that they may not all be possible or desirable in the short-term future. And the list does include a lot of smaller, more scalpel-sized cuts.
I ran some of the suggested cuts past Superintendent Garth Harries, who claimed he didn't have time to look at all three pages of them.
On the topic of cutting administrators, Harries said this: "The job of leadership in our schools is extremely challenging." Each assistant principal oversees an average of 20 teachers, five paraprofessionals and a range of other staff, plus over 200 kids, he said. Administration in large high schools like Wilbur Cross is "particularly complex and challenging," Harries said.
Nevertheless, the Board of Ed has "taken steps to reduce the number of principals in Cross and Hillhouse over the years," Harries said. "But it's a delicate balance" of savings versus leadership.
This year the Board of Ed hired a new fiscal officer to respond to concerns that the system needs better controls and transparency. Other administrators end up carrying out functions mandated by federal funding or otherwise essential to running a system, like hiring and evaluating teachers and principals or developing curriculum or supporting teachers or students who are struggling in the classroom.
On Stratton's call for closing Lincoln-Bassett, Harries said, "He's wrong on the need for that school. He's wrong on its importance to the community."
The state just approved an ambitious plan to turn the school around. The school will receive extra state money, support and oversight for an overhaul that will include a longer school day, a longer school year, smaller classes, new administrators, and new teacher-evaluation consequences and coaching. Mayor Harp has said she wants Lincoln-Bassett to serve as a model for early-morning-until-after-dark community schools geared to the realities of modern families' schedules.
In general, how is the Board of Ed responding to Stratton's attempt to overhaul the education budget?
As you might expect, it's not going over well. Harries has some serious objections not just to the content of Stratton's proposals, but to their form, which he described as destructively adversarial, bordering on litigious. You may recall that Stratton, a trial lawyer, got into a heated exchange with schools Chief Operating Officer Will Clark, also a trained lawyer, at a Finance Committee hearing on April 9.
Stratton emailed 38 pages of questions to the Board of Ed on the evening of May 5.
Click here to read the questionnaire. Click here to read the BOE response.
Much of that 38-page document, to Harries' surprise and consternation, took the form of a set of true/false questions, the kind of document that's usually used as the first step in a lawsuit.
"We've tried to approach the budget process in good faith," said Harries, who's also a lawyer. "We're surprised and disappointed to have dropped on our desks what amounts to legal interrogatories and request for production that ultimately we don't think serves children or taxpayers."
Based on Stratton's questionnaire, it looks like the alder is preparing to sue the Board of Ed, Harries said. (Stratton ran into a similar problem last month when he sent some questions to the city controller using his law firm's letterhead. He later promised not to use the letterhead again for communications with the city.)
Harries (pictured with Mayor Harp) also said Stratton's gutting budget proposals don't allow for a productive discussion between the city and the Board of Ed.
"We're working very hard on financial issues" and have "taken steps to control costs" while trying to do more for New Haven public school students. The Board of Ed has been trying to accomplish that in collaboration with the Board of Alders, Harries said. "That's not a constructive discussion with a guillotine hanging over the heads of our children."
Stratton responded that he is not filing a lawsuit against the school, and that jumping to that conclusion is just an attempt to paint him as a litigious trial lawyer. He acknowledged that the questions were in the form of interrogatories. "That's just how I ask questions," Stratton said. He called true/false questions "the clearest and best way to get answers."
"If we had doctors on the board, they would probably submit questions on prescription pads."
What does the endgame look like here? At some point alders have to pass a budget, right?
Yeah, soon. The Finance Committee is meeting with school district staff at a public budget hearing Monday evening, and they'll hash out all of this. Then the committee meets again on Wednesday to vote to send the budget to the full Board of Alders, which will vote on it by the end of the month.
There will likely be a number of amendments moved and passed at Wednesday's Finance Committee meeting, and possibly some at the full board meeting. Stratton's most drastic proposals are unlikely to carry the day.
The discussion of how best to pay for education will no doubt continue beyond the budget season, when the possibility for movement may be greater, without the immediate pressure of passing a spending plan. After the budget vote comes the less glamorous, less noisy, month-by-month process of seeking structural review and change. If they continue the quest they started, critical first-term alders like Stratton and Brackeen will face the twin test of putting together straightforward, in-depth proposals for change, and bringing colleagues, other officials, and the public on board.
In the meantime, look for some answers more questions to emerge this week at the Finance Committee.
Tags: Finance Committee, city budget, Board of Education
Post a Comment
posted by: robn on May 12, 2014 7:32am
Truth is important and it says a lot that the BOE is uncomfortable with true/false questions, preferring to hide behind classic quotes such as, "a guillotine hanging over the heads of our children." What's the next BOE diversion; "every dollar taken away from education kills a kitten?"
posted by: SteveOnAnderson on May 12, 2014 9:39am
The biggest problem here is our acceptance of the false choices being put before us. The BoE needs greater scrutiny AND more funding. Taxes need to be cut for New Haven residents AND the city needs a bigger budget to provide adequate services for all residents.
The discussion around education in New Haven, like discussions around many other issues in our city, is a telling example of what happens when we internalize the logic of austerity and polarize around false choices because we're told we can only have one or the other.
First, significant tax reform that incorporates Yale must be prioritized. A city cannot be governed when its most powerful private entity gets to operate according to a different set of rules that it basically writes itself. Through public grants and tax-exemption, Yale receives hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money a year that it essentially privatizes. The money that Yale should be paying in taxes is more than enough to both lower taxes on residents of New Haven AND provide better services, including public education. It's far past time for the city of New Haven and state of Connecticut to stand up for their residents and fight the increasing inequality that is prying this city and state apart.
Second, New Haven must reject the education reform efforts that are driving the privatization of public school systems all across the country. This means ending outsourcing to charter schools AND rejecting Common Core. Both Garth Harries and Dave Cicarella are dead wrong on these issues, and are leading New Haven Public Schools down a disastrous path of privatization and rationalization.
Third, the best way to improve education in the city is to combat poverty and segregation. New Haven needs to demand that new market rate housing developments include 25% low income & workforce housing. New Haven needs to build better public transportation infrastructure. New Haven needs good jobs and support for its residents.
posted by: Dwightstreeter on May 12, 2014 10:26am
Is "fuzzy math" acceptable in a City Budget?
Taxpayers deserve a clear explanation of the Education portion of the Budget.
And why should a child's education depend so heavily on where s/he grows up. People are mobile. The benefits of the cost of that education will likely travel.
We need to re-thing the whole funding structure.
posted by: Brutus2011 on May 12, 2014 10:59am
Thank you for this article as I now know that there are 2 important meetings this week—tonight and Wed.
I am planning on attending and I urge all other citizens to attend.
We need to send a message, as citizens and the ultimate sovereigns of our local, state, and federal governments, that we are interested, watching, and ready to act.
Believe me, the foxes who are guarding the hen house will be watching as well.
Our local elected representatives will also be watching and waiting for the reaction, or non-action, of their constituents.
So folks, just how important are our kids and our collective futures to you?
posted by: Esbey on May 12, 2014 11:08am
The way I see it, Mike Stratton is a passionate hot-head who needs to figure out the difference between what is effective in litigation and what is effective politics. A lot of his ideas are over the top and just aren't going to happen.
But: he turns out to be right about the BOE budget, doesn't he? The BOE has been announcing that the city "has to" increase its funding just to meet the Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR) but it turns out that if New Haven did its accounting the way every other city in CT does, we would be way over the MBR.
I read the BOE powerpoint presentation on its budget. It is astonishingly misleading, relabeling city expenditures as "reimbursements". I hope it is clear that the chart above, "BOE-prepared chart on spending per student," is false and misleading. Why is it OK to mislead the alders and the public?
We are, it turns out, spending way more money per student that other urban CT districts. That is fine with me if we are getting proportionately better results. Are we?
What is so wrong with shutting Lincoln Bassett? Isn't that a fitting end to a failed school? For better or worse, we are not a "neighborhood school" city, we are a school choice city—the kids will transfer to better schools.
posted by: robn on May 12, 2014 12:14pm
Your First Point : I agree in a roundabout way. The state long ago found secondary education to be a great societal benefit. If that still exist, the state as a whole should absorb the tax liability. The question shouldn't be "is Yale really a non-profit?" and should be, "does the State of CT value secondary education enough to sponsor a property tax credit?"
Your Second Point : I'm troubled by the ultimate result of the charters; motivated parents self-select, low performers transfer back to public education and then he stats get skewed. Its a sort of reverse cherry picking. But the presence of charters has forced reform within a failing school system. I think we have yet to see a more radical reform because the current may be overcautious.
Your Third Point : You can't just force private developers to meet your own economic model. Affordable housing is accomplished in other cities by offering incentives to offset the cost. If you don't, developers just won't come. I don't know how to address your premise because its a conundrum; workforce housing in a city where blue collar jobs have been disappearing for 50 years?.
posted by: robn on May 12, 2014 12:31pm
Meant to write "higher education". Maybe I should go back to college.
posted by: Jonathan Hopkins on May 12, 2014 12:33pm
What is the difference between Worthington Hooker and Lincoln Bassett?
Does one have more resources then the other? More teachers, administrators, principles, or conselors? More highly-qualified staff? A different curriculum? Different school hours?
Education funding comes fundamentally from two sources. Public funding for schools from teh City and State and private funding from the student's home. $14K is the public input per student for schools, including transportation, facilities and staff (the actual amount spent on each child is a fraction of that figure). Many students are invested in significantly from private sources in the home on things such as weekend trips to museums, libraries, gifts like IPads that have educational components, etc. Then there are also many students who have little to no private investment made in them from their household. The city tries to make up for this deficiency by offering after-school activities, tutoring, festivals, etc. but they are not and will never be enough to overcome the lack of additional private investment for many of New Haven's public school students.
I'm not exactly sure what the answer is. More city-funded programs to compensate for households that lack of the means or the will to invest in their children? More staff at schools? Longer school days and years?
I think a more fundamental change will be necessary. We need to apply the same amount of outrage in school segregation that prior generations had to the neighborhood and town-level segregation that exists today. If neighborhoods are failing kids, there's notihng that a school will be able to do to overcome that. Our neighborhoods and communities need to be diverse places where opportunity exists even if you happen to be poor. The concentration of the region's poor in a handful of city neighborhoods is an egregious injustice that is reflected in many stats from school performance, to crime and health.
posted by: FacChec on May 12, 2014 1:36pm
It would be transparent if taxpayers and all residents could be informed on just how much New Haven contributes to the Board of Education. We know that the BOE contributes no monies or in-kind to the city.
Here Stratton is asking a long series of probing question that rattles this sacred institution which claims it is now transparent.
As expected, Harries did not provide transparent answers, instead he they rambled through the historical response providing tired rhetoric and stonewall.
In its budget the BOE takes in 396M and spends 396M with a 9M deficit for 2014/15.
The city, in its budget sends the BOE 178M for 2014/15. That's a difference of 218M.
I think Stratton and the entire board, led by Perez, is obligated to show the taxpayer and the public a systemic breakdown of all funds contributed by the city by source, and all funds and in-kind contributions received by the BOE by source.
And while we are on the subject of transparency, the city's general fund budget at 510M is increased by 13.3M over this year. The GF should be reduced by 11M, to only reflect labor union increases of 2.4M.
The capital budget at 44M is increased by 11M over this year.
Reduce the capital budget by 6M, thereby reducing all the new Harp pilot projects and gimmick credit card purchases.
posted by: cellardoor on May 12, 2014 1:58pm
Hello, SteveOnAnderson,
I do not understand how 'we internalize the logic of austerity and polarize around false choices because we're told we can only have one or the other'. In fact the city must ultimately have sound fiscal practices, because we cannot print money as does the federal government, where a reasonable argument about the false logic of austerity can be made. You have not suggested how all that you say must be done, can be done while still addressing New Haven's fiscal problems. Taxing Yale has been a nonstarter as was recently proven in the state legislature, except for a token move re: future property acquisitions by the university. Retroactive, meaningful reform of the taxation of nonprofits would presumably bring a world-class lawsuit down on our heads. To some degree, our budge is in fact a zero sum game, and hard choices must be made. The fact that a great deal of money per capita is spent on New Haven's school children does not mean that it is being spent effectively. The reluctance of this administration to address these and other issues that endanger the future of the city is extremely worrisome, and reflects a head-in-sand approach. Or at least reflects a prioritizing of short-term (?mainly political) advantage over longterm welfare.
posted by: Laughingstock on May 12, 2014 3:27pm
The destructive attack on our schools is not only likely to damage the prospects for our students, it is creating a very negative picture of our city. Who would want to move to New Haven as it is portrayed? And who would stay once the education system is set back to a primitive condition?
The incivility and slander in this debate is embarrassing and uncalled for. I am disappointed, but not surprised, that the spirit of selfishness and anti-intellectualism in our country has spilled over to our city.
Our schools have a long way to go, and thoughtful analysis and proposals are valuable assets. I do question extreme and quite specific proposals from a rookie alder who appears to have no experience in in public education.
Furthermore, it is reckless to propose destroying the improvements in recent years which have been nationally recognized as remarkable achievements. These budget-slashing people are indifferent to education for our children and appear to value having a few bucks fewer on their tax bill than having a decent provision for our kids. As an older person, I share with these cost cutters high taxes and no kids in public schools. Nevertheless I have attributed my own home value stability and the flourishing of the city in recent years in part to our reputation for having innovative and rising public schools. If we allow the Yahoos to destroy the schools and damage our good name we will shame and injure ourselves.
posted by: Threefifths on May 12, 2014 3:32pm
Close New Horizons school and merge it with Domus.
There is a problem.How many of you know Domus is failing.There bring in there fifth school principal.Do not be fooled.Alder Stratton is a clone of King Bloomberg.And just like King Bloomberg,Alder Stratton is for privatization of publicly owned operations.People wake up.
posted by: robn on May 12, 2014 4:45pm
I assume you're writing about the improvements described in the Dec 2013 report linked below. Since the education budget has remained relatively unchanged for the past decade, the change in schools must be attributable to something other than money. In fact, the report goes to great lengths to credit the new teacher evaluation system. If anything this reinforces the notion that antiquated and bloated central bureaucracy has always been the problem. Empowered principals could have long ago have pruned dead wood if given the chance.
posted by: OccupyTheClassroom on May 12, 2014 10:15pm
False sense of urgency. There is no crisis in education. The plan is to shut down public schools and open up charter schools just like they did in Chicago.
$1,200,000 went to Renaissance over 3 years. Scores remained where they were when Ren first came in. Morale is better but that's because of a change in leadership. A million bucks.
posted by: Noteworthy on May 14, 2014 9:57am
It is deeply offensive to this taxpayer that this level of acrimony is need to finally wrench the truth out of City Hall and the NH BOE. For the first time in the last 12 years, officials have to admit taxpayers are funding its operations in excess of twice the MBR. This is a sea change and the truth had to be forced down their throats or wrenched from their hands - take your pick.
The MBR has been used as the whipping boy to beat back budget critics with claims that the sacred cow of education can't be cut because of the state's mandated MBR without paying for it by a reduced ECS allocation. Further, it was alleged that the NH BOR had zero ability to affect the line item cost of the BOE. The entire time, officialdom knew this wasn't true. Let's not sugarcoat it - it was a lie - a really big, at least a $100 million lie.
I'd like to know why. I deserve to know why.
Because lies tend to generate new lies in order to cover up the previous ones - here's another whopper: The BOE has been flat funded for XXX years. This was told by Mayor Harp just this year in order to justify a $1.5 million increase. The unaccounted for cash contribution to the BOE may have been flat funded, but all the rest of the costs, paid out of the general fund on behalf of the BOE have gone up. So the BOE has NEVER been flat funded in any year! Now now, not ever.
It is impossible to have an honest, vigorous and open discussion of any public policy or educational budget when the roots of it are based in dishonesty and deception. It becomes even more so when the BOE's top officials denigrate critics (elected officials and the public) because they don't like the form of the question, or because the proposed cuts are deep.
Misc Notes:
1. There is nothing wrong with shuttering failing schools with under-populations. It's smart.
2. Error: Critics have proposed specific cuts to education. They along with all the other specifics were trashed which gave rise to general %/$ cuts.
posted by: Dwightstreeter on May 14, 2014 11:33am
Noteworthy speaks for a lot of us who follow the controversy re: the Education Budget and city finances generally.
Getting reliable information from City officials is like being in a tractor pull!
I'm glad Stratton is willing to take on the opprobrium of those who prefer a genteel approach to an effective one when it comes to getting answers.
He said there was a $40 million discrepance in the budget and Noteworthy says it's $100 million.
Either way, the taxpayers of New Haven have a right to feel angry and betrayed at the shell game going on.
Time to go out and get my pitch fork and storm the castle!


text: 06 Dec 2014 5 reasons to embrace wearable technology By lanroni Gadgets, Technology 0 Comments It's estimated that the UK will spend over £100million on wearable technology this Christmas. Predictions are that the wearable tech market will be worth billions in the coming year, yet only one in five of us owns a piece of 'wearable' tech (excluding things like iPods and iPhones) at the moment. So why should we Read More 13 Jan 2014 AFFORDABLE SMARTPHONES TO CONSIDER BUYING By lanroni SmartPhones 0 Comments Buying smartphones these days can be a difficult thing to start with because of the digital exposure and technological updates. Most people find it very difficult and are confused on what to buy when it comes to smartphones. When buying smartphones there are few things you must check out for, among which are the feature, Read More 24 Oct 2013 What to Look for in Your Next Pair of Headphones By lanroni Gadgets 10 Comments Headphones are awesome accessories to accompany practically any electronic gadget. Whether it's for a morning job with your iPod or settling down to work on your tablet during a long flight, headphones are a great way to tune into your project, movie, music or game while tuning out everything else. Surround Sound Quality Read More 26 Sep 2013 Some Apps That Need To Install On Smartphone Devices Firstly By lanroni Android, Apple, Applications, Apps 2 Comments It is a common known fact that more than the dominant hardware, what build a device valuable is the wonderful applications that can run on Smartphone devices. An application is capable of making life easy and supports users in almost all the actual life problems. There are some customized apps for each and every platform Read More 24 Sep 2013 7 Exciting Features Of iPhone 5S From Apple By lanroni Apple 0 Comments Apple has introduced a new and enhanced version of the iPhone 5 that iPhone 5S. IPhone 5s has similar design as of iPhone 5 but contains some enhanced and revolutionary features in it. Due to the most exciting features, consumers are attracted towards it. Here is a list of exciting features of iPhone 5S, mentioned Read More 22 Sep 2013 5 Highly Puffed Gadgets That Never was Introduced By lanroni Gadgets 0 Comments There are so many gadgets available, which made their presence in a brief manner with the help of marketing type, mode ahead of their launch. This has given way for the sake of anticipation and excitement among the spectators but later on, these disappointed them by never existing them into the market. These were never Read More 20 Sep 2013 Six Apps That Are Banned To Be Used On BYOD Devices By lanroni Applications 0 Comments Build-your-own-device (BYOD) is one of the most popular trend available in these days. With this trend, users can move their offices to ease off their devices. This trend is rising every day. Tablets and Smartphones are some popular devices that come under this trend. These things may look awesome and cool but there are some Read More 14 Sep 2013 Future tablets – bendable, flexible, unbreakable? By lanroni Tablets, Technology 0 Comments When tablets first came on the scene, everyone was, to be honest, just a little bit sceptical. We have smart phones and we have laptops, so why have something in between that has some but not all of the functions of each? Tablets seemed to be trying to be all things to all men, and Read More 17 Aug 2013 What is IT Service Management? By lanroni Technology 0 Comments Business operations are evolving at a breakneck pace in the 21st century. For many growing enterprises, traditional in-house IT service management solutions are no longer possible. The logistics required can be daunting and the costs and security issues involved may far outweigh the benefits provided. IT service management (otherwise simply known as ITSM) has now Read More 17 Aug 2013 VoIP Phone Service for Home By lanroni Internet 0 Comments VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is one revolutionary service that has transformed the face of modern day telecommunication, by making it even more convenient, economical and better in quality. In contrast to the traditional telephone services, VoIP Phone service providers offer high-quality tele-calling services through the Internet medium. The service does not require any extra Read More 1234Next ›Last »


text:
Name That Celebrity Cat!
guessing gameBe the first to correctly guess this celebrity cat's name and get a retweet from the WhoSay staff.
Happy hump day, WhoSayers! To help you get through the remainder of the work week, it's time to play another round of "Name That Celebrity Pet!"
In our last edition of "Name That Celebrity Pet," we asked you to identify Jessica Biel's favorite four-legged friend, Tina. Today, we're showing some love to all the cat lovers out there with this delightfully darling little kitty, who is just as cute all grown up as he was as a kitten.
Can you name this celebrity cat? For a chance to have your answer retweeted by the WhoSay staff, tweet your best guess @Whosay with the hashtag #NameThatCelebPet. Remember—spelling counts!
Hint: This lucky guy has not one, but two celebrity owners.
More on WhoSay:
- Name That Celebrity Dog!
- Name That Celebrity Dog!—Answer Revealed
- 25 Pictures of Pets All Bundled Up for Winter


text:
You are here: Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / Honolulu News Releases 2004 / Schofield Sunset in the Park honors Deploying Soldiers and Families |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BUSINESSES JOIN TO SAY ALOHA TO DEPLOYING ōTROPIC LIGHTINGö TROOPS AT SCHOFIELD SUNSET IN THE PARK HonoluluÆs corporate community will jointly wish the 4,500 troops of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) heading to Afghanistan a safe deployment and speedy return at ōSchofield Sunset in the Park,ö from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., March 20 & 21, 2004. The weekend event will be held at Sills Fields on Schofield Barracks and is open to the general public. Joint military and civilian sponsors of the popular event are the City & County of Honolulu, U.S. Army, Hawaii, the Association of the United States Army, Sprint Hawaii, Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii, Ohana Hotels & Resorts, Oceanic Time Warner Cable and The Honolulu Advertiser. First Hawaiian Bank and USAA are additional sponsors. ōThe support of our business community is vital to undertake these economic initiatives. Their leadership demonstrates how communities like Wahiawa and Mililani benefit from the increased visibility and new market opportunities that Schofield Sunset in the Park provide to businesses and service providers of these communities,ö said Mayor Jeremy Harris. ōSchofield Sunsetö also expresses the communityÆs aloha for the soldiers of the U.S. ArmyÆs 25th Infantry Division based at Schofield who are being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan for a long and hazardous tour of duty. The two-day event highlights the network of support available to the remaining family members in the neighboring communities of Wahiawa, Mililani, Waipahu and the North Shore. ōI would like to commend the members of the Mililani, Wahiawa and North Shore communities for their efforts to show our expression of appreciation to the soldiers and families of the 25th Infantry Division,ö said Council Chair Donovan M. Dela Cruz. ōThe members of the U.S. Army are important contributors to the Wahiawa, Mililani, and North Shore communities.ö Strong community support has materialized in the form of community volunteers to serve on committees. Thirteen popular restaurants from the surrounding communities will provide great food at affordable prices. These restaurants include Time 2 Grind, Paradise Water Ice, Ono Kettle Korn, Pizza Hut, Slush Puppies, State Street Beef Col., MollyÆs Smokehouse, Dong Yang Inn, Shimazu Shave Ice, Paalaa Kai Bakery, GiovanniÆs White Shrimp Truck, Dots of Wahiawa and Gushy Trades. Leading entertainers who will be performing Saturday include recording artist Jennifer Perry on Saturday, American Idol finalist Jordan Segundo, Epic Session, 2 MÆs Capoeira Hawaii & Aloha Rumberos, Batacumbe and All Jammed Up. Sunday, audiences will be treated to an exciting variety of performers, including Na Kama, Pohaku, SUGahDaddy and the Schofield Tropic Lighting Band on Sunday. ōSchofield Sunsetö will also feature a Market Place consisting of crafters, artists and businesses from the surrounding communities selling their products and services at affordable prices. For the youngsters, there will be a childrenÆs area with games, rides Keiki ID, and activities like face painting, tattooing, and pony rides. The event will also have train ride, a Lego Land and a collection of restored military vehicles by the Hawaii Military Vehicles Preservation Association. For the teens, ōSchofield Sunsetö will feature a separate teen stage organized by Sassy Magazine on Saturday and Oceanic Cable on Sunday. The teen stage will have entertainment, games, dance performances, contests and many more teen activities. At sunset, movies will be shown on the 30-foot screen and will feature ōPirates of the Caribbeanö on Saturday, March 20, and ōSeabiscuitö on Sunday, March 21. Attendees to ōSchofield Sunsetö are asked to have current photo identification and be prepared to have large packages and bags inspected before entering the base. Ample free parking is available in designated areas on Schofield Barracks and is free. For further information, please contact either Jack Wiers at 438-0303 or Kathy Giannetti at 656-0110 of the U. S. Army, Hawaii; Malcolm J. Tom at 523-4811 of the City & County of Honolulu; Mark Segami at 547-4708 of the Office of Councilmember Nestor Garcia; or Brandon Mitsuda at 527-5710 of the Office of Council Chair Donovan Dela Cruz or http://mwrarmyhawaii.com/. -30- |
Thursday, March 18, 2004 |