text:
TPL Press Release
Benton, NH The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced the protection of 360 acres of land, which feature the towering granite cliff face called Owl's Head, as part of the White Mountain National Forest.
The large parcel of land, located off Route 25 in Benton, New Hampshire, is a popular attraction for rock climbers and hikers and is only a half mile from the Appalachian Trail. The property is bound on three sides by the White Mountain National Forest and has over 6,000 feet of frontage along Oliverian Brook. In addition four, fledgling peregrine falconsmore than at any other site in the statewere observed on the cliff this past year by New Hampshire Audubon.
Last fall, at the urging of local citizens, members of the rock climbing community, and staff of the White Mountain National Forest, TPL negotiated an agreement for the purchase of this important property. On August 30, 2007, TPL purchased the property to temporarily keep it off the market while the Forest Service worked to purchase it. Funding to protect the property was secured through the Land and Water Conservation Fund by the New Hampshire congressional delegation led by U.S. Senator Judd Gregg, a member of the Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee. A grant from the Access Fund helped enable TPL to purchase the property.
As a result of continued political activism on the part of the Bitterroot Climbers Coalition, the Ravalli County Commissioners indefinitely tabled (i.e suspended) their vote on a proposal to re-open mining at the Lost Horse Quarry. The proposal would have authorized mining at the quarry, a popular climbing and recreation area for at least five years.
The Commissioners' decision to table the vote represents a big victory for climbers who lobbied vigorously against the proposal. Because the Commissioners decided to suspend the vote as opposed to actually voting against it, climbers may need to mobilize against the proposal in the future.
The climbers are now focusing their organizing efforts on turning the quarry into a climbing park. If you want to help, please email a brief message to firstname.lastname@example.com.
You can also help right away by sending a letter to the Darby Ranger station. Please tell District Ranger Chuck Oliver that you support the effort to turn Lost Horse Quarry and its surrounding areas into a recognized climbing recreation area.
Chuck Oliver, District Ranger
Darby Ranger District
P.O. Box 388
Darby, MT 59828
By Bill Strachan, Executive Director Red River Gorge Climbers Coalition
The Limits of Acceptable Change process for Red River Gorge is nearing an end. After two more LAC Workshops scheduled for January 2008, the recommended alternative is expected to be given to Daniel Boone Forest Supervisor, Jerome Perez for a final decision. The alternative that the LAC group strongly supports is Alternative 2, Balance Recreation and Protection of Resources. The end of the LAC process brings climbers hope that the development of new sport routes in the Gorge will be allowed to resume. A moratorium on new sport route development has been in place for almost five years. The moratorium was initiated during the revision of the Forest Plan for the entire forest and was extended through the three year LAC process.
Another ongoing Forest Service process of interest to climbers is the development of a Heritage Resource Management Plan for Red River Gorge. LAC participants were updated on the status of this process by Forest Archaeologist, Chris Jenkins during the most recent workshop held on December 6, 2007. Mr. Jenkins explained that he is currently working on digesting an 800-page report documenting heritage resources in the Gorge. He said that he needs a couple more months working on the report before he can write the management plan. He thinks that after he is through digesting the report, he can write the Heritage Resource Management Plan in about six weeks. Throughout these Forest Service processes the RRGCC has periodically consulted with the Access Funds Policy Director, Jason Keith.
The BLMs Moab Field Office manages 1.8 million acres of public land including classic climbing areas such as the Fisher Towers, Castleton Tower, the Rectory and dozens of other well-traveled areas. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is now finalizing a management plan that will affect recreational access as well as several other issues such as off-road vehicle use, mining, oil and gas drilling, livestock grazing, cultural resource protection, and natural resource issues. Climbing is given light treatment, but those wishing to review the implications of this plan and comment on its proposals may write by November 30 to:
Bureau of Land Management
Moab Field Office - RMP Comments
82 East Dogwood
Moab, UT 84532
(435) 259-2100 -
Alternatives B and C (the latter preferred by the BLM) both create recreation focus areas in the Fisher Towers, Castleton, and Potash Road climbing areas, and will generally reduce opportunities for OHV use and the threat of oil and gas drilling. No alternative directs a detailed climbing policy, although Mexican Spotted Owl habitat and heightened Visual Resource Management areas may impose climbing restrictions or the use of new fixed anchors in the Kane Creek, Courthouse Pasture, Behind the Rocks and lower Mill Creek areas. For more information check out: www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/planning/draft_rmp_eia.html.
By Steve Johnson, Colorados West Slope Regional Coordinator
The Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (CANM) near Cortez, Colorado has released a draft Resource Management Plan. It is available for review at the following website: www.blm.gov/rmp/canm/deis.html. The draft RMP comment period ends on January 25, 2008 after several local public meetings are held.
There is some new climbing activity in CANM on weathered Dakota sandstone, mostly around Yellow Jacket Crag. These routes mostly consist of bolted face climbs; other areas are being explored and new-routed as well. The RMP preferred alternative (# 5) reportedly proposes to restrict rock climbing to unidentified designated areas, with little documentation or analysis of climbing impacts (relative to permitted oil and gas and grazing activities), to the consternation of local climbers. Public comment supportive of expanded rock climbing opportunities and freedoms, emphasizing that climbing could be expanded and also managed to avoid archeological resource impacts, may help modify the final plan.
A new climbers organization, the 4CCC (Four Corners Climbing Coalition), has formed in the Cortez/Dolores area to address the proposed CANM climbing restrictions and other regional issues, including the recent Hawkins Preserve bouldering area closure. The Hawkins Preserve is located in southern Cortez along McElmo Creek and was established to protect archaeological and natural features. It contains some fine bouldering along hard Dakota sandstone bluffs. The 4CCC is working with the Hawkins Preserve owners and The Access Fund to try to resolve liability and resource protection concerns. 4CCC is considering Access Fund affiliation and is welcoming new members. 4CCC can be contacted at: www.freewebs.com/4cornersclimbing/. For more information, contact Ivan Messinger at (970) 739.8072 or at email@example.com.
By Steve Porcella, Bitterroot Climbers Coalition
Things are looking bad for Lost Horse (see www.accessfund.org/display/page/AA/74 for background). Currently the Ravalli County Road Department has submitted a new proposal to the Commissioners to mine rip rap for 5 years. However, because no financial numbers are attached to this proposal and because the last proposals costs were grossly over projected, the Bitterroot Climbers Coalitions (BCC) focus is on repudiating this new proposal as another ill-planned scheme that will surely cost the citizens of Ravalli County too much money while also destroying a valuable recreational asset.
The Lost Horse homeowners are again providing numbers that say Lost Horse rip rap mining is more expensive than the local quarry owners are offering to provide the County. The BCC is asking everyone to send letters to Bitterroot Star, Ravalli Republic and County Commissioners saying that this new proposal is yet again more expensive than what local quarry owners are offering and is a waste of county tax payer money.
The BCC feels confident if we focus on the underlying fiscal implications of this proposal the three commissioners will vote against this new proposal. For more information see www.bitterrootclimbers.org or email firstname.lastname@example.com
By Ken Wills, President, Friends of Moss Rock Preserve
On November 5, the Hoover City Council unanimously voted to authorize the Mayor to purchase 79 acres next to Moss Rock Preserve and Simmons and Gwin schools. City ownership of the land will help protect and enhance Moss Rock, as well as potentially provide a new trail up the gorge from Moss Rock to the highest waterfall in the area. Mayor Petelos and City Council need to be thanked for their great work in making this happen.
Now the question is: What will come next? First, the city will have to close the deal and obtain title to the land. Second, the city will likely decide what portions of the land are suitable and needed for school expansion. These areas will likely be on the roadside ridgetops next to the schools and will possibly include the huge, infamous dirt pile that is already cleared and nearly ready for development. A traditional park has been suggested as a possibility for the former dirt pile area as well. The waterfall gorge on a fork of Hurricane Branch behind Simmons School is still in pristine condition, and the Mayor already mentioned a possible trail in that area.
Joint Petzl/Red River Gorge Climbers Coalition press release
This fall Petzl America and the Red River Gorge Climbers Coalition (RRGCC) made history with an unprecedented effort to preserve climbing and recreational access in eastern Kentucky. By joining forces for this years annual Rocktoberfest fundraiser and climbers festival, Petzl and the RRGCC raised over $32,000a ten-fold increase from last years event earnings and more than triple the initial goal of raising $10,000 for the RRGCC. Fundraising power was bolstered by a $10,000 matching grant from the Petzl Foundation that provided added incentive for climbers to pitch in for climbing and recreation access in the Red River Gorge area.
In 2004, climbers and advocates of the RRGCC purchased the Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve, a 750-acre plot of undeveloped land now being developed for climbing, hiking, mountain-biking, and human-powered recreation access. On October 1214, an international crowd of nearly 1,000 climbers gathered for a weekend of clinics, competitions, and celebration. The money raised during the Rocktoberfest weekend will help cover the RRGCCs annual $29,000 mortgage payment (due through 2013) to protect the Pendergrass-Murray Preserve. Without funds to cover the yearly mortgage, the preserve could fall into the hands of interested oil developers, which would shut down climbing on the land.
Fundraising by climbers to preserve access even made national headlines! This years RocTrip/Rocktoberfests philanthropy efforts piqued the interest of National Public Radios Its Only A Game. A segment covering Rocktoberfest aired on the nationally broadcast radio program on October 27. Globally, the event generated buzz on 8a (www.8a.nu), the Internets most widely trafficked sport-climbing site, which now spotlights the Red River Gorge as a world-class climbing destination.
This years Petzl RocTrip showed what can be done when a company with heart and soul gets behind something it believes in, says Robb Shurr, Director of Marketing and Business Development for the Access Fund, a national non-profit organization dedicated to keeping climbing areas open and preserving the climbing environment. Having places to climb is fundamental to Petzls business, but they took it one step further and got behind a local access issue with national importance and really pushed for success. Its exactly this sort of involvement, vision, and stewardship that will keep climbing and recreational areas preserved and viable for the future. Shurr continues, The Access Fund has always been proud to have Petzl as one of its biggest and longest standing partnerswere especially proud after seeing the success of this years RocTrip.
We owe the success of this event to the local communitythe volunteers, the RRGCC Board, area businesses, and the 1,000-plus people who came out and put dollars down in support of the Pendergrass-Murray Preserve, says John Evans, Marketing Director for Petzl America. I highly recommend other outdoor companies include this outstanding grassroots event in their outreach programs for 2008. I guarantee Petzl will be back to support this great cause.
The success of Petzl RocTrip/Rocktoberfest 2007 was supported by The Access Fund, Avery Brewing Company, Five Ten, Keen, the climber-friendly Miguels Pizza, La Sportiva, Prana, Red Bull, Red River Gorge Cabin Rentals, Red River Outdoors, Rock and Ice magazine, Sterling Ropes, and The Warriors Way/Desiderata Institute.
Petzl Roc Trip, now in its sixth year, successfully brings the international climbing community together in celebration of the sport, from New Yorks Shawangunks to British Columbias Squamish to Kalymnos, Greece and Millau in the south of France. Open to climbers of all ability levels, the 2007 Petzl Roc Trip/Rocktoberfest featured competitions, clinics, and celebrations of climbing; raised funds and awareness for local and national access issues; and drew over 35 high-profile, sponsored climbing athletes.
By Stacy Roberts, Associate Director and President, Allied Climbers of San Diego
San Diego climbers are holding strong and uniting as a community to fight for climbing access, recover after major fires hit Southern California, and to work closely with the Access Fund.
The Allied Climbers of San Diego (ACSD) have been patiently awaiting an Environmental Assessment regarding a proposal by the Cleveland National Forest (CNF) that would deny well-established climbing in order to create nesting habitat for non-threatened golden eagles and prairie falcons based on historical nesting of eagles in the vicinity. This proposal will close off climbing areas that have no indication of eagles nests ever being present on the cliff faces that climbers use, or within view of climbers activities.
This action is unprecedented. No conflict exists between climbers and eagles at the areas proposed for closures. The CNFs proposals encompass 2,640 feet in all directions of supposed historical nests, yet they have refused to provide any evidence to support their claims of these cliffs as nesting locations. The outcome of this proposal could have national implications due to the CNF invoking authority for this action under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). The MBTA is an act of commerce that covers over 800 species, some as common as the crow, swallow, and hummingbird. Accordingly, climbing areas across the country could become more susceptible to unnecessary and unjustified access closures because all climbing takes place on crags and in areas that could be considered suitable nesting habitat for birds covered under the MBTA.
In other news, due to recent wildfires in much of southern California, all southern California National Forests have been closed until further notice. These fires also affected a majority of San Diegos crags. ACSD is working to assess damage, educate the San Diego climbing community on the status of these crags, and find out where they can physically help out with restoration, trail maintenance and other volunteer efforts. At this point, local crags that are known to be affected by the fires include Eagle Peak, El Cajon Mtn, and Mt. Woodson. Whether or not the rock has exfoliated on certain routes or entire sections of the rock (due to the extreme temperatures of the fire) is still to be determined. Up to date information will be posted on the Allied Climbers website as it becomes verifiably available: www.allliedclimbers.org.
ACSD has been working closely with the Access Fund to maintain climbing access in San Diego. Recently Brady Robinson (the new executive director of the Access Fund) along with other key Access Fund staff took a trip to San Diego to meet with ACSD members, the Cleveland National Forest, and to check out some of San Diegos precious climbing destinations. Unfortunately, their visit coincided with the fires, but before they left, the Access Fund team got a better understanding of the size and significance of the areas that are being threatened, the commitment of the San Diego climbing community to stand up for their recreational user rights, and of course they managed to squeeze in a little climbing as well.
As we continue to wait on the Environmental Assessment from the CNF, the Access Fund and ACSD will continue to suggest reasonable solutions to the Forest Service. For important background information on this issue and to see the AFs and the ACSDs position on this issue please go to: www.alliedclimbers.org/cnf_timeline.php.
By Samantha Christen, Sunset Park Representative, Southeastern Climbers Coalition
Civil War veterans established the Chickamauga/Chattanooga National Military Battlefield in the late 1800s to memorialize the catastrophic battles that took place in this region. Spread over two states and four counties, the park is not only the oldest and largest National Military Park in the United States, but also home to one of the most historic climbing areas in the Southeast: Sunset Park.
In recent years there have been numerous, and growing, complaints to the rangers at Point Park about climbers and climbers behavior; there have been an equal number of remarks made among the climbing community regarding the rangers. Though we definitely are not the only user-group to enjoy the natural resources of Sunset Park, we are most often the scapegoat due to our high visibility.
In order to maintain the privilege of climbing in this historic area, we must be good stewards of our resources and good ambassadors of our sport. Please help us to foster and maintain good relations with the National Park Service and with individual rangers by honoring park regulations. The following regulations are posted on all kiosks and are available online.
Observe the One Hour parking spots.
Observe the posted "out" times. These times change seasonally; take note as you are hiking in.
Dogs must be on a leash (and you on the other end!) at all times.
Groups of 10 or more are required to obtain a permit through the Ranger Station (423-821-7788).
Do not block the trail. Don't make hikers walk over your rope, gear, dog, food, self or pack.
Observe the "Landscape Restoration" and other posted "Keep Out" areas. The SCC has put in a lot of time and money to re-vegetate these areas; trampled plants equates to wasted SCC money, which equates to less SCC money to buy/lease climbing areas.
Practice Leave No Trace principles: Pack it in and pack it out.
Be considerate of your language and volume.
Most of all have fun and be safe!
As climbers, must do our part to preserve history, not only the history of our country, but also the history of our chosen pastime. It is up to us, the climbers of this generation, to pass along the history of our sacred places.
Feel free to contact your local NPS Ranger with any questions or concerns. The Ranger Station number at Point Park is 423-821-7788. Ranger John Housch may be reached either via phone at 423-298-7137 or email at firstname.lastname@example.com Ranger Doug Briggs may be reached at email@example.com.
You may also contact the SCC directly via firstname.lastname@example.com, or you may contact Samantha Christen, the Sunset Park representative for the SCC, at email@example.com.
By Erik Filsinger, Land Advocacy Chair, Arizona Mountaineering Club
Over the past several months members of the local Arizona climbing community have expressed concern about the substance and process surrounding the proposed federal legislative land exchange involving Oak Flat near the Queen Creek climbing areas. See www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-3301.
The Governor of Arizona raised a number of serious concerns about the states role www.mynewdb.com/QC/GovToEdPastor_Letter.pdf, as have local Native American communities about the displacement of historic lands www.mining-law-reform.info/IndexSup.htm.
These political developments and growing unrest within the climbing community regarding the enforceability and longevity of the access license to climbing in Queen Creek Canyon resulted in considerable discussions with elected officials and the filing of testimony to a congressional hearing on the proposed legislation. See: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=32&extmode=flat. Due in part to these local-based actions, the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, does not appear to be forwarding any legislation this year for further action. For more information on the activities and local concerns, see: www.amcaz.org/main/QueenCreek/amcActionStepsQC.html or contact Paul Diefenderfer at email@example.com.
By Troy Mayr, Friends of Williamson Rock
As you may be aware, the Angeles National Forest has requested public comments on a proposal, which were due June 6th. The proposal is to construct a trail from the Angeles Crest Highway to Williamson Rock, located in the upper reaches of Little Rock Creek within the Angeles National Forest. The proposal will analyze reopening the popular recreation site and rock climbing area to the public, while protecting the mountain yellow-legged frog (MYLF) and its critical habitat.
The information can be found at: www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/news/2007/news-2007-05-10-comments-on-williamson-rock-access.shtml and www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/documents/final-williamson-rock-scoping-ltr.pdf
Curious of how our (your) response to the USFS Scoping Letter / proposal was received?
Troy Mayr spoke with their primary contact at the USFS and asked him how the climber response was going. His response, "I give up. There are 100's, they are pouring in like rain!"
So a huge thank you to all who took the time to write!
The USFS did receive a letter that could have a negative affect for climbers (which was expected). While the group who wrote doesn't appear to be against climbing in any way, they are adamant about protecting endangered species above all else (recreation etc.).
In short they will push for a full E.I.S. as opposed to an E.A. Here are the pertinent definitions.
EA: Environmental Assessment - Generally, an EA includes brief discussions of the following: the need for the proposal; alternatives (when there is an unresolved conflict concerning alternative uses of available resources); the environmental impacts of the proposed action and alternatives; and a listing of agencies and persons consulted.
EIS: Environmental Impact Assessment (Study) - A National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) document. An EIS, should include discussions of the purpose of and need for the action, alternatives, the affected environment, the environmental consequences of the proposed action, lists of preparers, agencies, organizations and persons to whom the statement is sent, an index, and an appendix (if any).
The USFS I.D. Team will review the letters received and make a decision as to how to proceed. In all its off to a great start but the process is cumbersome and slow, so please continue be patient.
Friends of Williamson Rock will keep all up to date as details continue to unfold.
Background: The Williamson Rock area is a well-known recreation site used predominately for rock climbing. It has been used by climbers since the 1960's and is widely regarded as a unique rock climbing resource for the entire Southern California region.
The Williamson Rock area has been temporarily closed since December 2005 to protect the frog, which is an endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Populations of the frog are known to exist within the closure area. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated approximately 615 acres along Little Rock Creek within the closure area as critical habitat for the MYLF in October 2006.
For more information, please visit www.williamsonrock.org or email email@example.com
By Steve Johnson, Colorados West Slope Regional Coordinator
After several years of private landowner closure to public access through Silver Pick Basin, public access to Wilson Peak, a popular Fourteener located at the headwaters of the San Miguel and Dolores Rivers in southwestern Colorado, has been restored. In early November 2007, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) announced that it had closed on the purchase of 23 patented mining claims in Silver Pick Basin. These claims encompass several hundred mostly above-timberline acres, including hiking trails used to access the West Face and Southwest Ridge of Wilson Peak, and which extended near the summit. The acquisition of these claims also opens access from Silver Pick Basin into Navajo Basin, from which two additional 14'ers, Mt. Wilson and El Diente Peak, are often climbed.
The TPL is still seeking to raise $1.6 million of the $3 Million purchase price. Several large private and foundation grants were key to the purchase, including the Telluride Foundation, the Tishman family, and Coors Brewing, which features Wilson Peak on its beer cans and ads.
The landowner will retain several claims at the bottom of Silver Pick Basin and the Rock House area in mid-basin. TPL and the USFS Norwood Ranger District are studying a partial trail re-alignment to avoid these claims. This re-alignment may necessitate a new trailhead which could add approximately 400' vertical and a half mile of trail length for a new, more scenic approach exclusively over Forest Service lands.
Public access over the new trail is not expected to be opened until late summer/fall in 2008. The popular Southwest Ridge route from the Rock of Ages col to the summit of Wilson Peak can be approached in the meantime from Navajo and Bilk Creek Basins.
The Telluride Mountain Club, Colorado Mountain Club, Western Mining Action Project and Sheep Mountain Alliance were instrumental in opposing the closures and related development scenarios that could have included hard rock mining, unbalanced land exchange proposals, and public road modifications. These groups worked with the landowner and public agencies to obtain accurate surveys and explore closure alternatives before the TPL purchase occurred. The late Charlie Fowler was also active in this multi-year effort. For more information email firstname.lastname@example.com
By Armando Menocal, Honorary Access Fund Board Member
Actually, its not a trail but a 100-foot wooden stairway built around 1992 to stabilize the badly eroded base slopes of Grand Teton National Parks only true sport climbing area. The stairway is the only passable access to Blacktail Buttes 80-foot Main Wall. Although the stairway was built to protect the heavily used area, it was intended by the Park Service, primarily, if not exclusively, for the benefit of climbers.
And, yes, now the Access Fund and the Park Service want to tear the stairway out. The stairway starts a few feet from a parking area, which is right off of US 26-29 and only a short distance from the Park entrance at Moose Junction. The stairway gives climbers access to sunny, solid rock in a mountain range known for loose rock; alpine climbs; and 3- to 4,000-foot approaches. Blacktail Buttes south-facing limestone cliffs rise prominently above the forest. If youve ever seen a photo of a climber on steep rock silhouetted against the stunning background of the Tetons, it was of Blacktail Butte. Add recently replaced, bomber glue-in bolts on all of its 16 routes, which range from 5.10 to 5.13, and its no surprise that Blacktail Butte has become popular with local and visiting climbers.
The stairway, easily visible from an RV traveling on the highway, also attracts many tourists who assume that the stairway must go to a not-to-be-missed sight. Instead, around the top of the cliff it peters out into various game trails. Camera-toting sightseers in flip-flops may out number climbers.
The heavy use and the Tetons mountain weather have severely shortened the stairways useful life span. Steps are broken. Erosion has undercut anchoring logs and planks. The rope handrail has been gone for years. And, despite the stairway and a good, two-switchback trail to the crags top, climbers have gashed shortcuts.
A repair or rehabilitation of the stairway, however, would have to meet the current Park Service building standards, which would mean, for example, no rope handrailindeed, no handrail at all. The railing would have to be a fence with open space no more than three inches wide. And, large plank stairs staked over scree, dirt, and roots are certainly an unnatural approach to a climbing site in a national park.
The NPS and the Access Fund immediately agreed that the stairway should go and be replaced with a natural trail. The new trail will be longer, traversing out into the forest and returning to join the cliff at the base of the Main Wall. A 5-minute climb up stairs will be replaced by a 10-minute hike through the forest. The upper trail will also be rebuilt.
Tearing out the stairway and replacing it with a natural trail, however, is not the actual challenge. Signage, maps, and physical barriers, such as large, downed trees across eroded slopes, will be employed to keep climbers from attempting to re-impose the directisima of the stairway. After all, the stairway largely followed the original climbers route straight up to the cliff. Will climbers follow a switchback that heads away from the cliffa cliff that they can see tantalizingly close byjust because we tell them its a better way? That is the hope of the project.
The Access Fund and Grand Teton National Park expect to undertake the project in the summer of 2008. Work days for volunteers may stretch over a week or more. Wyoming Access Fund Regional Coordinator Mark Daverin is in charge for the Access Fund.
There are a number of construction projects underway in American Fork Canyon that impact climbing access. The Salt Lake Climbers Alliance, along with climbers from Provo, are working with U.S. Forest Service representatives to make sure that climbers' access is retained to all of the cliffs in American Fork. One bit of good news is that the Forest Service has included parking for climbers in their restoration project of the Little Mill Campground picnic area. This parking will serve climbers visiting the popular Division Wall. A top agenda item for climbers is bridge access to the cliffs on the south side of American Fork Canyon. A number of climbers are starting to work with the Forest Service to address this situation. Hopefully, some good solutions will be on hand by Spring 2008.
For more information, contact the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance at www.saltlakeclimbers.org or the Uinta National Forest Pleasant Grove Ranger District at (801) 785-3563.
By Stacy Roberts, Associate Director and President, Allied Climbers of San Diego
San Diego climbers are anxiously awaiting an Environmental Assessment regarding a proposal by the Cleveland National Forest (CNF) that would deny well-established climbing in order to create nesting habitat for non-threatened golden eagles and prairie falcons based on historical nesting of eagles in the vicinity. In one instance, these speculative preserves would be established where eagles havent nested in well over 15 years! The move would close off nearby climbing cliffs that have no indication of eagle nests ever being present on the cliff faces.
The ACSD, in concert with the Access Fund, is trying to preserve climbing access by working with the CNF on a reasonable solution. For important background information and to see the AFs and the ACSDs position on this issue please go to www.alliedclimbers.org/cnf_timeline.php.
The ACSD invites all climbers to understand why the Access Fund and the ACSD oppose these measures in their current form. This is a national forest issue with national, precedent-setting potential. Stay tuned.
The Access Fund is coming to townthe AFs Executive Director, Policy Director, and Associate Programs Director will be visiting us at the Allied Climbers of San Diego (ACSD) membership meeting on October 23. Please check www.alliedclimbers.org for the location and time of this very important event.
Fall is typically fire season in Kentucky, and a severe drought this summer has created particularly dangerous fire conditions. After a lightning-induced fire started above the popular Funk Rock City crag in the Clifty Wilderness, the USFS temporarily closed the area to climbing on September 7, 2007. This fire grew from about 5 acres to over 18 acres, and burning snags falling from the top of the cliff burned 1 to 2 acres at the cliff base. The fire eventually burned out, and the Forest Service reopened the area to climbing on October 1, 2007.
Then on October 4, 2007, the Forest Service issued a 120-day ban on all open fires outside of developed recreation areas in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The governor of Kentucky has also issued a statewide ban on all open burning. Due to the fire danger, the private Muir Valley climbing area has instituted a temporary ban on smoking and all sources of open flames.
The Red River Gorge Climbers Coalition (RRGCC)-owned Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve (PMRP) does not allow open fires at any time on the property. Forest fires burned portions of both Muir Valley and the PMRP last fall. Please respect the fire bans and refrain from smoking no matter where you are climbing in the Red River Gorge.
Over Labor Day and, more recently, over the Columbus Day / Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, Muir Valley experienced large crowds that resulted in a serious parking problem. As a result, Muir Valley has issued the following parking guidelines: 1. Please park responsibly. Dont leave 3/4 of a space between your car and the adjacent one. 2. Dont park off of the graveled parking lot anywhere adjacent to it. 3. Dont block other cars or the entrance to the maintenance building. 4. Weekends this fall you may park down the hill past the barn in the lower meadow, unless there has been a recent rain.
In other news, Muir Valley is holding their annual trail day on November 10, 2007. More information about the Muir Valley, their trail day, and how you can contribute to maintaining this area can be found on these websites: www.muirvalley.com and www.friendsofmuirvalley.org.
By Kaija Webster; Access Fund Regional Coordinator, Minnesota
A new parking lot and trail at Elys Peak were created to help minimize conflicts between climbers and the landowner near the traditional parking area. The Access Fund helped fund the project with a generous Climbing Preservation Grant. Additional funding came from the City of Duluth and the Minnesota Climbers Association (MCA). Climber volunteers from around the region contributed their time to build the trail.
A volunteer day and ribbon cutting for the new lot will start at noon on Sunday, October 14. The MCA will provide free food for the event and climbing at Ely's will take place after the crews are finished.
Climbers can find the new lot off of Becks Road, 2.2 miles from the I-35 Midway Road exit. It's only a 7-minute hike from the parking lot to the climbing.
By Tony Holmes; Access Fund Regional Coordinator, Oregon
As the monuments and spires of Smith Rock State Park sit sun-bleached and glowing in the September sun, the silhouette of portable rock walls set contrast to the cobalt blue sky. In a field, just yards away from this natural climbing wonder-land the Smith Rock Detour event is going off!
Climb Max Mountaineering, a local shop with a heart of gold brings to this event the unique chemistry of one-half kids climbing competition and one-half Reel Rock Film Fest, the Detour draws crowds of climbers and gawkers alike from every generation.
This two-day outdoor event started four years ago with a small collection of industry reps and climbing enthusiasts. Today it is an annual event that brings young plastic pullers face to face with some of the sports top athletes and pioneers.
On September 22nd and 23rd, kids from all over the Northwest threw themselves at the walls of plexy and steel, the sounds of encouragement and achievement echoed through the desert air. Clinics where offered for all ages including Cicada Jenerick, the teen-age phenom, teaching those three-times her senior how to break the 5.12 barrier, Arno Illgner presented concepts from his Rock Warriors Way and some where treated to a priceless workshop on how to build bomber anchors.
As the sun set on the burning walls of orange and red, the grounds filled with locals and those that had spent the day in the park. They came for The Reel Rock Film Fest which found a home under a sea of stars as the premier showing of Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimers King Lines wowed audiences snug in their poly-pro and down.
On Sunday, as the semis raged into the finals, Access Fund Regional Coordinator Kellie Rice hosted a service project in the park and in addition to setting routes and coaching I had the opportunity to run a workshop from the Access Funds Boulder Project initiative, Together we were able to insure that the leaders of tomorrow preserve and protect the climbing environment.
Now the air is crisp and the frictionperfect. As I head into the park to work my latest project I think back on the friends that were made and the routes that were set, climbed and stripped and I know I will be back next year. I hope you can make it too.
The Access Fund · 207 Canyon Blvd. Suite 201S · Boulder, Colorado 80302 · 303.545.6772 · 303.545.6774 (Fax)
Copyright © 1995-2015 Access Fund. All rights reserved.


text:
Unfortunately Streamlight 4AA Propolymer Flashlight Industrial Helmet Clamp 68005 is no longer carried by OpticsPlanet. You can also explore other items in the Flashlight Accessories category yourself to try and find the perfect replacement for you!
This model of Streamlight Flashlight Accessories is discontinued and no longer available. Please, choose from our wide selection of AimShot Flashlight Accessories, BlackHawk Flashlight Accessories, Pelican Flashlight Accessories and other Flashlight Accessories on our site.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Loading stream...
Now Playing
Connect with Us
Podcasts & RSS Feeds
|All Content
|View all podcasts & RSS feeds
Most Active Stories
Notes from New Orleans
8:43 am
Tue September 3, 2013
Julia Street Gallery Combines Art And Charitable Giving
Lafayette native Lila Heymann left Louisiana for the Big Apple. Then she went from New York to Charlottesville, Virginia; and now she commutes frequently from there to New Orleans to oversee her art gallery on Julia Street.
On this week's Notes from New Orleans, Sharon Litwin talks to Lila Heymann about the Foundation Gallery and why she gives all its income away.
To read more about Lila Heymann and her gallery, visit Sharon Litwin's article on NolaVie.
Related Content:
Notes from New Orleans


text:
Announcement & Call for Papers (Submission Deadline: June 30, 2006)
The inaugural EMPIRICAL LEGAL STUDIES CONFERENCE will be held at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas, on Friday 27–Saturday 28 October 2006 (ending by 2:00 on Saturday to allow most participants to return home Saturday afternoon). The conference will feature presentations of original empirical and experimental legal scholarship by leading scholars from a diverse range of fields.
The Conference on Empirical Legal Studies is jointly organized by Cornell Law School, NYU School of Law and the University of Texas Law School. The 2006, 2007 and 2008 CONFERENCES will be held at University of Texas Law School, New York University School of Law and Cornell Law School, respectively. The conference organizers are: Jennifer Arlen (NYU), Bernard Black (Texas), Theodore Eisenberg (Cornell), Michael Heise (Cornell) and Geoffrey Miller (NYU).
The conference's goals are: (i) to encourage and develop empirical and experimental scholarship on legal issues by providing scholars with an opportunity to present and discuss their work with an interdisciplinary group of scholars; and (ii) to stimulate ongoing conversations among scholars in law, economics, political science, finance, psychology, sociology, and other disciplines about research in this area. The conference's audience will include paper presenters, commentators, and other attendees, and will include many of the nation's leading empirical legal scholars. The goal is productive discourse on both particular papers and appropriate methodologies.
The following scholars have agreed to participate in the 2006 conference.
We welcome submissions in all areas of empirical and experimental legal scholarship, including but not limited to the following general topic areas:
Submissions for the Conference should be sent as email attachments no later than
June 30, 2006 to:
Please specify the topic(s) for which you are submitting the paper (limit two). All submissions will be refereed. The number of accepted papers will depend on the number and quality of submissions. There is no publication commitment associated with the Conference, nor is previously published work eligible for consideration. There is no cost to register for the conference.
Out-of-town paper presenters will receive payment of $800 to cover their expenses (if expenses are less than this, the remainder can be treated as an honorarium) (limited to one presenter per paper). Given respectable low-cost hotel options and a "state rate" for airfare, we expect that this amount will be sufficient to cover presenters' travel and lodging and other costs. Presenters must attend the entire conference to receive the honorarium.
General inquiries concerning the 2006 Conference should be sent to:Prof. Bernard Black
Registration requests and logistical inquiries should be directed to:Ms. Peggy Brundage, (512) 232-1387


text:
Photo by Romulo Yanes
Leave a Review
Did not make it based on calorie count! Isn't this a lot of calories for one burger?
I had been searching for a new way to make ground turkey and found this recipe. Both my hubby and I enjoyed this and I'll definitely make it again. I used shredded mozzarella, which I put both inside and on top of the burgers. I also doubled the shallots and added garlic to the mixture. My hubby isn't a fan of sun dried tomatoes so I didn't make the mayo. Just as delicious without!
Terrible. I ate two bites and gave the rest to the dog (who loved it).
These burgers are delicious! We've made these twice now, and I must say, the quality of the sun-dried tomatoes make a big difference in flavor. I have to use gluten-free buns, but the full flavors of the cheddar annd the sun-dried tomatoes make me forget about the whole-grain bread flavor I may be missing. we'll be making these again!
this was great! the burgers came out nice and juicy with minimal effort. i made a few changes to the recipe. i substituted guyere for the cheddar as that is what i had on hand and it was still full of flavor. i also did not make the mayo spread and served the burgers on whole wheat toast. will definitely make this again.
Great recipe. The sun-dried tomato mayonnaise is what makes these burgers special. I substituted toasted 12-grain bread instead of a bun, and thought that it was very good.
I've made a recipe like this for a very long time with lots of alterations depending on what I have in the fridge. One of my favorites is to use dill havarti inside the burgers. It adds that extra burst of flavor some may be missing. If you only have ground turkey breast, add a little extra oil to the shallots and mix that in with the meat; it helps keep it moist and tasty.
This burger and the mayo was very good. My mom didn't know it was turkey and my husband ate it cold and thought it was good.
I'd suggest making double of the scallion mixture, adding garlic is good too! I also stuffed it w/ grilled onions(but as a warning, the burger itself will be huge). Using onion kaiser rolls was delicious too. Obviously, I'm a garlic and onion fan. =) I'd also add more cheese too(perhaps just put it on top of the burger). It was great that this burger was great w/o other condiments, just fresh tomatos and lettuce! Def doing this recipe again!!


text:
Yellowstone Invites Anglers To "Talk Trout"
National Park Service
Yellowstone National Park
Al Nash or Dan Hottle
Yellowstone Invites Anglers To "Talk Trout"
Yellowstone is known as a prime destination for anglers. However, protecting and preserving the park's world class trout fisheries is an ever increasing challenge.
Park staff members will travel to nearby communities in the coming weeks to talk with anglers about the ongoing efforts to restore native fish species, the threat of aquatic invasive species and recent changes to fishing regulations.
In addition to the general public, local fly shop employees and fishing guides are encouraged to attend one of the following outreach meetings:
Mon., April 28 in West Yellowstone, Mont. at the Holiday Inn, 315 Yellowstone Ave.
The meetings will begin with a brief presentation at 6:30 p.m., followed by a question and answer session and discussion.
Fishing season in Yellowstone opens Saturday, May 24. Information on fishing and fish conservation in Yellowstone is available online at http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/fishing.htm.
- www.nps.gov/yell -


text:
Abstract available in
Claims available in
Description (OCR text may contain errors)
1, 1957 E. c. MUTSCHLER 3,334,354
DOTTING INK RECORDER Filed March 17, 1966 *3 Shea cs-Sheet 1 SIGNAL SOURCE 2/ TRANSDUCER INVENTOR EDWARD C. MUTSCHLER .W gag/ 6 W Aug. 1, 1967 E. c. MUTSCHLER DOTTING INK RECORDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 17, 1966 m P Hum R u w w m m m Wm 6 m A LIV zrllrllllrlmm H H 96 m 3 Wm uw mm A A u u 2 a \4 VIII/11g 6. m I 7 I 8 T "2 M (/I- g o w a 0 5 mm mm 2 SH mm INVENTOR. EDWARD C. MUTSCHLER ATTORNEYS 1967 E. c. MUTSCHLER 3,334,354
DOTTING INK RECORDER Filed March 1'7, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet S SIGNAL SOURCE FIG. 7
INVENTOR. EDWARD c. MUTSCHLER A T TORNEV United States Patent C 3,334,354 DOTTING INK RECORDER Edward C. Mutschler, Pittsford, N.Y., assignor to Xerox gorporation, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New ork Filed Mar. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 542,988 6 Claims. (Cl. 346-140) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A liquid ink recording system wherein a pin reciprocates about the orifice of a capillary tube to deposit a portion of an ink meniscus formed at the orifice on the surface of a recording medium without the pin contacting the surface. After the deposition of the ink the pin retracts into the capillary tube to an extent such that the pin is completely on the side of the orifice non-adjacent the recording surface. The system further includes a transducer operably connected to an electric circuit for controlling the amount of retraction of the pin into the capillary tube after recording. This circuit also includes an attenuator for controlling the excursion of the pin toward the recording surface.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 320,762 filed Nov. 1, 1963, now abandoned.
This invention relates to recording and in particular to a device for the recording of electrical signals.
Of the many known means for producing a visible recording, the simplest is that in which a marking implement produces a direct visible image on the recording material. However, in recording from an electrical signal, it has been difficult to get rapid, on-oif operation with such a marking implement. In various arrangements using liquid ink, the ink has tended to splatter, drag, skip, or otherwise produce an unacceptable image. As a result, recording devices using liquid ink have been limited almost entirely to recording oscillographs, seismographs, and other devices in which the ink line is continuous and supplies recorded information only by movement of a line back and forth with relation to some reference axis. In facsimile recording, for example, acceptable commercial arrangements have mostly appeared either using special materials that are sensitive to electric current or discharge of an electric spark, or using photosensitive materials with the signal displayed on a cathode ray tube or the like. All of these presently accepted commercial systems use special paper and the systems using electrical current or electrical spark discharge have been noted for slow speed and poor resolution.
Now, in accordance with the present invention, a pen for dispensing liquid ink has been discovered that is operative in response to electrical signals without the handicaps prominent in prior art pens. The pen of the present invention operates by carrying precise, uniform droplets of ink to a recording surface without contact between such surface and the mechanical parts of the pen. This end is achieved by reciprocating a pin substantially coaxially of an ink filled capillary tube, so that the tip or head of the pin breaks the meniscus of ink at the orifice of the tube and carries a precise and uniform droplet of ink to the recording surface without contact between the pin itself and the recording surface. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to define a novel liquid ink recording pen operable in response to electrical signals.
It is a further object of the present invention to define an information recording system in which a recording pen in accordance herewith is operable.
Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent by reading the following description in connection with the drawings wherein:
FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 diagrammatically illustrate the operative parts of the recording pen and demonstrate flow steps in the operation of the pen.
FIGURE 6 is a block diagram of a facsimile receiver system using the pen.
FIGURE 7, is an embodiment of the mechanical apparatus in a facsimile receiver using the pin of the present invention.
Referring now to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the pen in accordance with the present invention employs an ink reservoir 10 contiguous with a capillary tube 11 so that the reservoir opens directly into the capillary tube bore. Pin 12 is positioned substantially through said reservoir and the capillary bore and is operated in reciprocating manner through capillary tube 11 by means of an electromechanical transducer 13. Support member 15 terminating in foot 16, such as a roller or sliding foot device, supports the body of the pin at a predetermined distance from the surface of a recording sheet 17 such as paper. The top of ink reservoir 10 is closed with a cover 18 to prevent ink from splashing out of the rseervoir. This cover must be sufficiently porous to pass air or else have vent holes 20 to prevent vacuum inside the ink reservoir from retarding the delivery of ink to the capillary tube. Electromechanical transducer 13 is energized by an electrical signal source 21 such as will be described more fully hereinafter. When reciprocated the action of pin 12 aids the capillary action in tube 11 to effect ink flow from the ink reservoir to the orifice 22 of the capillary tube 11 whereat the ink forms a meniscus closing over the orifice. Upon downward movement of pin 12 from a position behind the meniscus, the meniscus is punctured and a portion 14 thereof is carried on the tip, or head, of the pin toward the recording surface 17 until the ink, but not the pin tip itself, touches the recording surface. The pin then recedes from the recording surface leaving the conveyed ink thereon and returns to a position permitting a new meniscus of ink to form at orifice 22.
As the pin 12 reciprocates in a cycle from a start position and return it will travel through a path referred to hereinafter as the stroke. The stroke begins on receipt of an actuating signal at the input terminals of the transducer 13 from signal source 21 with the pin tip positioned behind the meniscus at about the terminal plane of the orifice 22. The effect of the actuating signal, as will be described in more detail hereinafter, is such as to cause the transducer 13 to move the pin tip in a direction toward the recording surface until the tip reaches a point adjacent this recording surface. The position is referred to as the record peak of the stroke. The travel of the pin tip then reverses direction and recedes through the plane of the orifice 22 to a position, referred to as the bore peak, in the bore of the capillary tube 11. This latter position generally may be distance from the orifice plane about equal to the record peak. The distance between the record and bore peaks is referred to as the peak-to-peak stroke distance. The stroke is completed when the pin tip returns from the bore peak to the beginning position at which the stroke or stroke cycle can be repeated upon receipt of the next actuating signal by the transducer 13.
The reciprocating action of the pin hereinabove described can be seen in more detail with reference also to FIGS. 2 to 5.
As noted above, at the beginning of the stroke the tip of the pin 12 is situated at about the terminal plane of the orifice 22 of capillary tube 11 (FIGURE 1) across which the ink meniscus has been formed. As the stroke begins, the ink meniscus is stretched and punctured by movement of the pin toward the recording surface 17 and a portion 14 of the meniscus is carried on the tip during its continued excursion (FIGURE 2). It is believed that as this portion 14 of the meniscus is carried away it breaks the surface tension and other cohesive forces that tend to resist the separation of any of the ink from the meniscus. Due to this puncturing of the meniscus only a small and controlled portion 14 of ink generally corresponding to the tip area of the pin is delivered to the recording surface. This is accomplished as the pin and the ink thereon continue toward the recording surface from the orifice plane until the ink, being forward of the tip, contacts the recording medium. At this point, the capillary action of the recording paper, for example, or the wettability of the recording surface, transfers the conveyed ink from the pin to the recording surface (FIG- URE 3).
Since with each stroke the delivered droplet 14 of ink has previously been broken away by the pin from the main body of the meniscus, there is very little variation in the amount of ink delivered from one spot to the other. This ensures that the size of the ink dots successively deposited on the recording surface is extremely uniform. It should be noted that, by virtue of the controlled pin excursion as well as the spacing effected by support member 15 and foot 16, only the carried portion 14 of the ink meniscus and not the pin tip touches the recording surface. The pin is then removed from adjacent the recording surface and travels through the orifice plane to a position retreated into the capillary tube (FIGURE 4).
As the pin approaches toward the bore peak position of the stroke, the ink meniscus reforms between the retreating pin tip and the orifice 22 (FIGURE 5). It is believed that the retreating pin tip draws the reformed meniscus slightly inward of the capillary tube 11 as shown in exaggeration for clarity in FIGURE 5. The surface tension of the meniscus then causes the position of the meniscus to stabilize in the tube 11. As the pin tip continues toward its bore peak, the momentary pressure void created between the retreating pin tip and the meniscus is believed to be filled by ink flow from the reservoir due to the capillary action in the tube 11.
When the pin tip reaches the bore peak of the stroke, it directionally reverses its travel and moves toward the meniscus urging it and the ink filling the aforementioned void toward the orifice 22. The ink which filled the void will in part add to the reformed ink meniscus substantially at the orifice 22 toefiect an increased thickness thereof.
The support member 15 maintains the pin at a precise distance from the recording surface 17 so that pin 12 never quite makes contact with the recording surface. This has been found essential since if the pin touches the recording surface it produces two defects in the recorded image. The first is due to the rapid motion of the pin which forces the ink out to the sides before it can be absorbed into the paper, producing a splattering action. The second is the tendency of the pin to drag the ink droplet due to the lateral motion between the recording pin and the recording surface. With regard to this latter point, it can be understood that, when the pin does not come into actual contact with the paper, the ink carried laterally by the pin is pulled back to the spot of deposition by surface tension when it breaks from the point of the pm.
The materials with which the recording pin is made are not highly critical. The reservoir and capillary tube may be made of metal, glass, plastic, or other conventional material and the pin may be stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant metal selected for its structural strength. The capillary tube and the coaxial pin should both be wettable by whatever ink is used. However, this is conventional and where the materials do not have the desired wettability, surface treatments as well-known in the art can produce the wettability. Outside of the specialized features of the stylus and the manner of opera- 4 tion, a similar type of recording device is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,951,894.
Most commercial pen inks are compatible with the present pen. For example, Strip Washable #64 Black and Skrip Permanent #34 Jet Black available from the W. A. Sheaffer Pen Company, as well as numerous colored inks have proved suitable. It is one of the advantages of the present pen that it is self-cleaning and any ink dried at the tip of the pin is quickly cleared away by operation of the pen even after being unused for a few days.
In order for the pen to operate in a preferred manner described, a number of factors should be observed in the construction of the pen. For the embodiment in which the pin has a circular cross section, the diameter of the pin 12 at the tip is determined by the desired dot size to be obtained in recording. A preferred diameter for good quality facsimile resolution is in the range of 0.005 inch to 0.010 inch. With low speed and high resolution requirements, the pin diameter can be reduced giving a smaller dot size. However, as speed requirements increase the pin size must also be increased, so as to get an adequate recording density on the recording medium. (Note that speed as used above refers to document speed as distinct from pin operating speed.) As the pin diameter and therefore, the dot size is increased over 0.010 inch the degradation in resolution becomes noticeable. The bore size of the capillary tube is dependent on the desired pin diameter. Thus, for the ink composition named, the pin diameter may be about 7 0 to 95% of the bore diameter. The exact relation Within or without this range is determined by the ink flow requirements of an ink selected. If the pin diameter is less than of the bore diameter, most available inks tend to produce uncontrolled deposition on the recording sheet, while if the pin diameter is more than of the bore diameter, there is inadequate ink flow resulting in weak and sometimes no deposition of ink on the receiving sheet.
Foot 16 and support member 15 maintain a uniform spacing between orifice 22 and the recording surface 17 which may be in a preferred range of about 0.003 inch to 0.020 inch. Since this spacing determines the amount of excursion from the orifice to the recording surface 17 required for pin 12, it has been found desirable to keep it as small as possible, so as to reduce the driving requirements for pin 12. The minimum spacing is determined partly by the roughness or capillary action of the recording paper and partly by the size of the meniscus of ink formed at the orifice. Spacing should be sufiicient to prevent any possibility of contact between the recording surface and the ink meniscus, since this would cause unwanted and uncontrolled deposition of ink.
Pin 12 is supported by the transducer assembly in a position so that when the transducer is unenergized, the tip of the pin is approximately at the plane of orifice 22. The amplitude of the signal to transducer 13 is then adjusted so that the record peak of the pin stroke is approximately adjacent to the recording surface. This permits the ink on the pin tip to touch the recording surface while contact between the pin itself and the recording surface is avoided. The exact tolerance for this will vary under conditions of operation but can easily be obtained emperically by observing the recording made by the pen while adjusting the amplitude of the signal via amplitude control 29 into transducer 13. If the pin tip approaches too close to the paper surface, the deposited ink dots become enlarged and irregular while if the pin tip is too far removed from the recording surface there is a tendency to skip or to inadequately deposit the ink dots. By way of example, with the orifice 22 spaced about 0.0045 inch from the recording surface, pin 12 must move through a total stroke having a peak-to-peak distance of approximately 0.008 inch. Since the pin operates in a reciprocating manner, this permits it to move 0.004 inch from the orifice plane to a plane near the recording surface, and to reverse erably in the range of 5,000 to 6,000 stated above. The number of cycles character will depend upon the scan TABLE Stroke (peak-to-peak) 0.005 in 0.023 in. Orificeto-reeording surface distance 0.003 in 0.012 in. Diameter pin (D 0.008 in app. 0.0095 in. Diameter bore (D 0.010 in- 0.010 in. Ratio D to D, 0.8 in 0.95 in.
No absolute limitations have been found on the speed of the operation of the recording pen in accordance with the invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that, under the operating conditions just described, inertia considerations make the problem of drive requirements rather acute when the speed exceeds about 10,000 cycles per second. While not to be limiting, the present preferred speed range for practical application is about 5,000 to 6,000 cycles per second. This speed, for example, enables recording at a somewhat higher rate than used in most current commercial facsimile applications, Without introducing stringent requirements on the driving mechanism. Pin 12 can be driven by any one of a number of electrically actuated driving means. These include such things as piezoelectric, magnetostrictive and electromagnetic devices.
FIGURE 6 is a block diagram showing the pen in accordance with the present invention incorporated in a facsimile receiving system for producing the control signal for transducer 13. Signals coming from a facsimile receiver 25 are illustrated by waveform 26. By way of example, these signals can initially be obtained by scanning a document with a light beam and sensing the variations in reflectance with a photocell. When the photocell passes over white areas of a document, it generates an electric current of one amplitude and when passing over characters or other dark areas on the oiginal, it generates an electric current of a different amplitude. These changes in current amplitude, occurring as the photocell scans printed characters, appear as pulses having widths representing the width of the characters scanned by the photocell. The information represented by the pulses is conventionally. added to a carrier wave for transmission by wire or electromagnetic radiation to a facsimile receiver such as receiver 25 in FIGURE 6. The facsimile receiver amplifies and detects the information from the carrier wave so it appears again in a pulse configuration similar to that coming directly from the photocell. Assuming that the positively going pulses represent points on the orig- I inal,document where the photocell sensed dark areas, the
first positive pulse illustrated in waveform 26 represents a dark area of one width while the second positive pulse represents a dark area of a lesser width. The pulses coming from facsimile receiver 25 turn an oscillator 27 on and off. While waveform 28 from oscillator 27 is illustrated as generally sinusoidal, oscillator 27 is suitably a multivibrator. Due to inertia, the motion of pin 12 will be sinusoidal with either a sine wave or square wave input to transducer 13. With waveform 26 at its positive level, the oscillator is on and with waveform 26 at its negative level the oscillator is off. The oscillator frequency is fixed as that of the desired operation rate of the recording pin, prefcycles per second, as representing a given of the line in a typed rate and may be in the vicinity of two to five cycles for the thickness of a character line. However, as illustrated here for simplicity,
width of dark line such as the width symmetrical waveform 28 shows two cycles of oscillation for the first and wider of the two pulses in waveform 26 and one cycle for the second and narrower of the two pulses.
There are two ways in which an oscillator is turned on and off by an electrical signal. In the first and preferable way for the purpose, the electrical signal actually starts the oscillator oscillating with each on pulse and stops the oscillator with each ofr pulse. The second way the oscillator remains running at all times and the electrical signal merely operates to open and close the path of the next stage of the circuit. The first method which actually starts and stops the oscillator with each pulse is preferable since it enables higher resolution recording in accordance with this invention. Starting the oscillator from rest with each on signal insures that the oscillator waveforms begin at reference potential and swing in the same direction at the beginning of each on pulse. With a continuously running oscillator, an on pulse might appear in the middle of the down swing in the oscillator waveform which would cause the pin in the pen of the present invention to swingin the opposite direction, thus displacing the first clot that would appear after the signal and in some cases changing the total number of dots that would appear from each on pulse.
Following oscillator 27, a limiter amplifier 30 insures that the waveform as it arrives at the transducer is uniform in height. Waveform 3-3 illustrates generally the output from the limiter amplifier 30. Limiter amplifier 30 has an amplitude control 29 to enable varying the amplitude of the Waveform height so that the stroke peak-to-peak distance of pin 12 in the recording pen can be varied slightly depending upon the type of ink and the type of paper used. In this way, the pin can be adjusted to reach a desirable proximity to the recording surface without touching this surface. Limiter amplifier 30 provides the driving power required to operate electromechanical transducer 13. Transducer 13 changes the electrical signal from the limiter amplifier into reciprocating mechanical motion for operating pin 12 in recording pen 31.
Generally, and to a limited extent, the contrast produced by the recording pen on a recording surface is determined by the amount of ink delivered in each droplet to the recording surface 17. That is, to a limited degree the amount of ink delivered in each droplet to the recording surface will, for example, in the case of paper or similar recording materials, be at least partially absorbed by the recording material, where the amount of ink is small as to be totally absorbed, the inked area can appear diffused to the observer such as gray rather than the intended black. Accordingly, quantity of the delivered ink it can be made to retain its composite color, and for example with black ink, to appear black upon observation after the absorption is completed.
As was noted above, the amount of ink delivered by the pin tip is determined by the ink thickness comprising the meniscus at the orifice of the capillary tube. This ink flow, in turn, for effecting this thickness is dependent on two parameters, namely, the bore peak of the pins stroke and the bore gap surrounding the pin periphery within the capillary tube. As a practical consideration, the latter parameter is invariable once the recording pen has been constructed. Therefore, in order to achieve some control of contrast, the bore peak of the pins stroke in accordance with the invention hereof is made selectively variable.
As the pin recedes into the capilliary tube, the ink on the peripheral surface of the pin along with the amount of ink flowing in the tube reforms the meniscus substantially at the orifice 22. As the pin arrives at the bore peak of the stroke and reverses for the movement toward the recording surface, it urges an additional amount of ink toward the orifice which will augment the quantity of ink already present there in the form of the reformed menisby increasing the cus thereby increasing the film thickness of that portion 14 of the meniscus carried by the tip of the pin to the recording surface. From this point, it -can be readily understood that with fixed capillary tube and pin dimensions, the degree of contrast to a limited extent is proportional to the distance the tip of the pin 12 recedes above the orifice plane into the capillary tube 11, i.e., the bore peak of the stroke. This variation in the bore peak of the stroke could be achieved through adjustment of the amplitude control 29 which varies the amplitude of the signal at the output of the limiter amplifier 30. However, such a method of contrast control is undesirable because of the fact that the orifice-to-recording surface distance would have to be adjusted accordingly for each contrast variation in order to prevent the pin from contacting the recording surface.
In order therefore to compensate for desired contrast without affecting the other adjustment, a bi-polar attenuator 32 may be utilized to selectively adjust the amplitude of one or both polarity pulses at the output from limiter amplifier 30 thereby providing an asymmetrical signal. This attenuator is of conventional design of a type, for example, including two oppositely poled diodes in two parallel circuit branches. The branches also contain two potentiometers, respectively, at the output side of the diodes so that the tap on each potentiometer may be moved to vary the amplitude of the particular pulse passed by each diode. In this manner, the amplitude of the pulses in Waveform 33 may be asymmetrically varied so that the contrast may be controlled without a corresponding adjustment of the orifice-to-recording surface distance.
FIGURE 7 illustrates a recording apparatus suitable for utilizing the recording pen of the present invention. In FIGURE 7, drum 35 is supported on base 36 by support members 37 and driven by reversible motor 38 operating through drive belt 40 connecting the motor to shaft 41 of drum 35. Sheet of paper 42 wrapped around drum 35 serves as a recording surface. Pen 31 in accordance with the invention is supported adjacent to the surface of the drum and transported across the surface of the drum by screw means 43. Screw means 43 is rotated by spur gear 45 connected to the shaft of drum 35 coacting with spur gear 46 attached to the shaft of screw means 43.
The gearing ratio is such that, as pen 31 moves one dot I line Width across the surface of drum 35, drum 35 makes a complete rotation.
Pen 31 as illustrated in FIGURE 7 is essentially similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 1. However, pen 31 as illustrated in FIGURE 7 includes ink filler spout 47 with cap 48 which may be a vent type cap preventing any vacuum from occurring in the ink container.
One suitable form of a transducer is illustrated as electromagnetic transducer 13. In this transducer, reciprocating pin 12 is supported by elastic spiders 51 and 52 suitably thin spring metal arrangements permitting the necessary stroke movement of pin 12. Rigidly fixed to pin 12 is a wire Woundcoil 53 with terminals 55 for connection to the signal source 21. In the case of-a recording system of the form illustrated in the block diagram of FIGURE 6, the connection to terminals 55 would be limiter amplifier 30 as modulated by attenuator 32. Elements 56 and 57 of transducer 13 are magnetic pole pieces which interact with wire wound coil 53 to produce the desired reciprocating movement of pin 12 in accordance with the oscillatory signals received at terminal 55.
While described in the specific embodiment of FIG- URE 7, for facsimile use, the recording pen of the present invention is adaptable for use in a wide variety of applications. It is therefore not intended to be confined to the details set forth since it is apparent that certain modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, pin 12 or its tip may have any suitable cross-sectional configuration such as circular, square, elliptical, or character shaped. It is to be i? understood that the bore of the capillary tube 11 must have a configuration and size operably compatible with that of the pin 12.
Also, although the recording pen has been illustrated in a relative vertical position with respect to a recording surface, it should be understood that with an effective capillary action gravity is a factor of such insignificance that the recording pen will operate satisfactorily in a position such that the stroke of the pin is horizontally oriented relative to a vertical recording surface. In this horizontal position, it is noted that the ink reservoir would be suitably constructed to prevent spillage and the ink therein should be maintained at such a level as to continuously make available to the capillary tube 11 all the ink it requires for proper operation of the pen.
Since many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the drawings and specification shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
What is claimed is:
1. An ink recording apparatus responsive to electrical signals for recording intelligence in the form of ink dots comprising:
(a) support means for supporting a record receiving member on which ink dots are to be placed;
(b) a reservoir containing liquid ink;
(c) a hollow capillary connected to said reservoir to receive ink therefrom and terminating as an orifice opposite the record receiving member on said support means;
(d) means for maintaining the orifice plane of said capillary at a substantially uniform predetermined spacing relative to the surface of a record receiving member on said support means;
(e) an elongated rod having two ends and extending substantially coaxially within said hollow capillary;
(f) an electromechanical transducer means coupled to one end of said rod and responsive to a received electrical signal of intelligence to move said rod from a position at which the other end of said rod is in said capillary behind said orifice plane to a record position closely adjacent and spaced from the record receiving member to place ink carried on said other end from the vicinity of said orifice onto the record receiving member, said record position and said orifice plane being separated by a distance less than said uniform predetermined spacing; and,
(g) means to provide relative motion between the surface of a record receiving member on said support means and said orifice.
2. An ink recording apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:
(a) said" rod and the internal bore of said hollow capillary are substantially cylindrical; and,
(b) the cross-sectional diameter of said rod is in the range of 70 to percent of the cross-sectional diameter of said bore.
3. An ink recording pen responsive to electrical signals comprising in combination:
(a) a reservoir containing liquid ink;
(b) a capillary tube connected to said ,reservoirfto receive ink therefrom and terminating as an orifice;
(c) a cylindrical pin in the range of 0.005 to 0.010 inch in diameter, which is 70 to 95 percent of the bore diameter of said tube, said pin having two ends and internally positioned substantially coaxially within said tube for transporting ink from the vicinity of said orifice to an adjacent recording surface;
(d) foot means operable for maintaining a substantially uniform predetermined distance between said orifice and an adjacent recording surface; and,
(e) an electromechanical transducer means operably connected to one end of said pin and responsive to a received electrical signal of intelligence to move said pin from a position at which the other end of said pin is in said capillary tube behind said orifice plane to a record position closely adjacent and spaced from a recording surface to place ink carried on said other end from the vicinity of said orifice onto a recording surface, said record position and said proportional to said oscillations to said transducer means;
(j) means to modify said energizing signals to control the motion of said rod to prevent contact between said rod and said record receiving member; and,
(k) means to provide relative motion between the surface of a record receiving member on said support means and said orifice.
5. An ink recording apparatus according to claim 4 orifice plane being separated by distance less than 10 said uniform predetermined distance. 4. An ink recording apparatus responsive to electrical signals for recording intelligence in the form of ink dots comprising:
wherein said translating means includes an attenuator 'means for selectively attenuating said symmetrical oscillations to produce asymmetrical oscillations.
6. An ink recording apparatus comprising:
(a) a source of electrical signals indicative of intelliorifice onto the record receiving member; (i) translating means for coupling energizing signals (a) a source of electrical signals indicative of information to be recorded as ink dots on a recording gence to be recorded on a record receiving member medium; on said support means; 7 (b) means for supporting a recording medium; (b) oscillator means coupled to said source and re- (0) ink containing means having an orifice across sponsive to said electrical signals for generating which an ink meniscus is formed; symmetrical electrical oscillators; (d) spacer means for maintaining a substantially uni- (c) support means for supporting a record receiving form predetermined distance between said orifice member on which ink dots are to be placed; and a recording medium on said support means; ((1) a reservoir containing liquid ink; (e) carrier means responsive to said electrical signals (e) a hollow capillary connected to said reservoir to for carrying a centr l portion of said ink meniscus receive ink therefrom and terminating as an orifice beyond said orifice and delivering said central poropposite the record receiving member on said suption to a recording medium on said support means; port means; (f) means to provide relative motion between said (f) means for maintaining the orifice plane of said recording medium and said orifice; and,
capillary at a substantially uniform predetermined (g) contrast control means intercoupled between said spacing relative to the surface of a record receiving source of electrical signals and said carrier means member on said support means; for selectively varying the amount of ink constituting (g) an elongated rod having two ends and extending said ink meniscus.
substantially coaxially within said hollow capillary; (h) an electromechanical transducer coupled to one References Cited end of said rod and responsive to energizing signals UNITED STATES PATENTS of intelligence to move said rod from a position at hich the other end of said rod is in said capillary 587336 8/1897 Shori 178 96 H 1,360,823 11/1920 Thwing 346-140 XR behind sald orifice plane to a position closely ad- 3 146 058 8/1964 H h 346 140 jacent the record receiving member to place ink ens aw carried on said other end from the vicinity of said 40 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner, J. W. HARTARY, Assistant Examiner.
Patent Citations
Referenced by
Original Image


text:
Franklin Parker Collection, 1941-2001 and undated | Archives of Appalachia
ID: 500/AppMs 598
Created by: Parker, Franklin (1921-)
Arrangement: Material is arranged alphabetically by author or subject.
Extent: 0.75 linear feet
Show Subjects (links to similar collections)
Show Forms of Material (links to similar genres)
Scope and Contents: The Franklin Parker Collection contains materials that document the life of Myles Horton and his activities at the Highlander Research and Education Center (known prior to 1961 as the Highlander Folk School). Included are articles, newspaper clippings, publications, and correspondence.


text:
BEPP Seminar
Liran Einav
Stanford University
Can Health Insurance Competition Work? The U.S. Medicare Advantage Program
Start: Oct 01, 2014, 11:30AM
End: Oct 01, 2014, 1:00PM
Location: CG2069
BEPP has a long history of providing economic advice to local, state, and federal officials and agencies. Recently, Professor Mike Baye served as chief economist of the Federal Trade Commission.


text:
Wings Charter Middle School Science Fair
Event Details
Date(s) & Time(s)::
October 24, 2013 at 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM
Location: Wings Charter Middle School 771 N College Rd, Twin Falls, ID 83301
Phone: 208-734-2902
Email: email@example.com
Event Description
Wings Charter Middle School Students are holding a science fair. Each student has created their own science fair project and all projects will be displayed the night of the science fair. Each project will be judged and award ribbons and cash awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.Return to event list.
Most Viewed


text:
Neurocognitive Impact of Hypoglycemia in Type 1 Diabetes (HYPO)
The recruitment status of this study is unknown because the information has not been verified recently.
Verified June 2012 by Washington University School of Medicine.
Recruitment status was Active, not recruiting
Recruitment status was Active, not recruiting
Washington University School of Medicine
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Washington University School of Medicine
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: June 2, 2009
Last updated: June 7, 2012
Last verified: June 2012
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
No Study Results Posted on ClinicalTrials.gov for this Study
|Study Status:
|This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants.
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|December 2013
|Primary Completion Date:
|March 2006 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)


text:
|Advice, Suggestions and General Help
|New Topic
|Printer Friendly Version
If you drive to the water before you
Posted by: ezwater on Jul-04-11 8:41 PM (EST)
paddle, your risk of death by car is greater that day than your risk of death by lightning.
And your method of comparison is NOT the way risk of death is set up. I say this as one who has had to wade through many, many studies of risk of death by suicide. The risk is stated as the number of deaths per year per 100.000.
Even in Florida, NOAA exaggerates the risk of death by lightning. It doesn't really matter how risk is calculated. NOAA makes it seem as if the risk of death by lightning is quite high, and it isn't.
Electric Kayak Motor
Kayak Seats
Gear Bags
Bent Shaft Canoe Paddles
|Table of Contents


text:
Horror Takes a Bow: An Interview with Wildclaw Theatre's Scott Barsotti!
Scott Barsotti on the set of THE REVENANTS 2009!
Earlier this past week I highlighted my amazing experience seeing the play KILL ME (see story HERE) courtesy of Wildclaw Theatre! Afterwards I had an opportunity to chat with the young and talented playwright, Scott Barsotti, and I have no doubt you will find his as endearing to your horror hearts as I did…
WILDCLAW THEATRE: Horror is a dish best served "Live!"
When you tell someone that you're a fan of horror, they will immediately assume that you're specifically a fan of horror movies. While it is true the silver screen has been its primary source, ever since Bela Lagosi's DRACULA uttered his maniacal "Good evening," this should not suggest that it is the only medium for which us fans may indulge. In fact, ever since Ancient Greece, plays depicting the supernatural and horror have been a prominent feature of our human existence. We Westerners can trace our heritage of the genre as far back as Shakespeare. Not only does Horror have a long and distinguished history of being performed "Live," many of us would be surprised to learn that Lagosi had been portraying "Dracula" on Broadway years before his native Hungarian accent would become forever linked to the character in thanks to Universal Pictures.
A Day at the Races…with Horror Host Svengoolie!
This past Saturday, the FIRST major Svengoolie appearance of 2012 was "out of the gate!" Yes, I'm one of those lucky fans from Chicago who not only is able to STILL enjoy his childhood host as an adult, but saw him proliferate this past year by going national. Since TERROR FROM BEYOND THE DAVES is a horror host friendly site, created by two childhood fans of Sven, its become a great excuse to stalk the man's appearances without raising two many eyebrows (except on Facebook where I seem to get called out on it all the time).
"My Bloody Valentine"…Less Cut means more Cutting!
"Beware the 14th!" hisses a cantankerous bartender working in the small mining community of "Valentine Bluffs"…and not just because you're about to get fleeced by The Hallmark Greeting Card company! The 1980's were, without question, the golden age of the "slasher movie"; with particular emphasis on any special day on the calendar that could provide an excuse for some maniacal killer to start hacking away at horny young people. HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY the 13th, and GRADUATION DAY were just a few of those special occasions when you'd be better off locking your doors and hiding under your bed as opposed to going out and being festive.
Cool Monster Toys of the 80's – BOGLINS!!!
I will always say that growing up in the 70's was the best time to be a kid. We had THE BEST toys available to us and in my opinion, there has not been a better assortment of toys available to kids since. One of the top toy manufacturers at the time was MEGO, who specialized in the 8″ WORLD'S GREATEST SUPER-HEROES figures as well as MICRONAUTS and even a cool robot called 2-XL that played 8-track tapes full of interactive games and questions.
TALES FROM HORRORHOUND WEEKEND: Meeting George Romero!
George Romero was know for being fan-friendly but, even if he hadn't, it was well worth originally planning a trip to the 2010 Indianapolis Horrorhound Weekend on his account. You can read a bit about that meeting HERE as well as my second time seeing him a few months later HERE.


text:
Item #18659
Product Description
Plant a collection of Madison Sectional pieces on your patio to create just the relaxing haven you seek. Featuring crisp, double-piped cushions and smooth powder-coated steel, this collection offers elegance and versatility. Paired with other pieces in the collection or alone, the Madison Sectional - Right Arm Facing Unit is a welcome addition to your patio or deck.
Product Details
Madison Sectional - Left Arm Facing Unit
Was: $689.00
Sale: $551.00
Madison Club Chair
Was: $699.00
Sale: $559.00
Madison Sectional - Right Arm Facing Unit
Was: $689.00
Sale: $551.00
Madison Ottoman
Was: $459.00
Sale: $367.00
Madison Sectional - Center Unit
Was: $629.00
Sale: $503.00
Madison Spring Chair
Was: $979.00
Sale: $783.00
Madison 3-Piece Outdoor Sectional
Was: $1,949.00
Sale: $1,559.00
Madison Sectional - Corner Unit
Was: $749.00
Sale: $599.00
Madison Coffee Table
Was: $539.00
Sale: $431.00
Madison 24"W Lift-Top Storage Bench
Madison 36"W Lift-Top Storage Bench
Madison 48"W Lift-Top Storage Bench
Madison End Table
Was: $319.00
Sale: $255.00
Madison Swivel Rocker
Was: $899.00
Sale: $719.00
Madison Ottoman
Was: $459.00
Sale: $367.00
Madison Swivel Rocker
Was: $899.00
Sale: $719.00
Fiesta Loveseat
Was: $799.00
Sale: $639.00
Alexei Outdoor Rocking Chair
Was: $309.00
Sale: $247.00
Malibu Outdoor Daybed
Was: $1,099.00
Sale: $879.00


text:
At least let's just mention Radiant Historia with a sad nod
By mrburger 14 Comments
Radiant Historia came out with a whisper sometime during the empty, headlineless Winter leading up to Pokemon Black & White's Spring Twenty-Eleven North America release. What sold Radiant Historia was not any kin or kind of advertising or public presence, none at all beyond youtubable trailers and gameplay footage, but rather its anomalously high scores on aggregate review sites. What was this late 90s-looking RPG, with its review scores in the 80s and 90s despite its sort of uninteresting-looking cast and gimmicky time travel gimmick, what were its intentions, and, well, was it actually, like, anything? Could a game so seemingly identity-less at first glance actually do anything worth looking at or reading through, or, as it would so happen, playing and replaying through in small chunks over and over again throughout the course of the game probably a total of like 20 or 30 times per chunk?
Yes, it could.
Radiant Historia, despite inflicting on its players one of the most punishing gameplay mechanics in recent memory, and doing this often, is a home run, a game with objective goodness, a rewarding experience. Its intentions are innocent and ambitious and happy and smart. It's a gorgeous, albeit flawed, masterpiece of fun. The time travel stuff is beefed by weirdly tight writing and ingenious storytelling tricks, but encumbered with too many hours' just holding the fast-forward button throughout the same dozen or so text-heavy cut-scenes. So many ten minute scenes smooshed down into minute-and-a-half-long fully-automatic flurries of sifty-sounding dialog-go-by noises, visited and revisited and revisited and revisited. But goddamn if that battle system doesn' t just completely absolve the game of whatever gameplay diseases from which it may suffer. Such intense variety in the way characters handle, and such gratifying results for those who master them all. Such challenges, at certain points. Such a good battle system.
Had it come out at a better time, back in '07 or '08 when the DS was still hot and momentous, Radiant Historia probably would have gotten more of the widespread affection it deserved. Instead, it remains just a beautiful little secret told to a handful of lucky passersby. 2011, you were a banner year for the console, an exciting year for games overall, but a quiet, dust-collecting year for the Nintendo DS, Pokemon B&W notwithstanding. No, Radiant Historia probably isn't quite good enough to be anybody's GOTY, not against the inimitable console competition of 2011, but those of us who've played it, who've warmed our hands by its small fire, out there in the middle of nowhere, who've known that puzzle-flavored battle system and its thousand joys, we know what I mean when I say we should at least just mention Radiant Historia, now, with a sorry, distracted nod, it being GOTY season and there being still the issue of deciding whether Portal 2 or Arkham City was the greater sequel and whatnot and so on to attend to, and Radiant Historia being just one more small, good game worth noting amid no one knows how many.