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A device and method for harvesting, generating, storing, and delivering energy to a load, particularly for remote or inaccessible applications. The device preferably comprises one or more energy sources, at least one supercapacitor, at least one rechargeable battery, and a controller. The charging of the energy storage devices and the delivery of power to the load is preferably dynamically varied to maximize efficiency. A low power consumption charge pump circuit is preferably employed to collect power from low power energy sources while also enabling the delivery of higher voltage power to the load. The charging voltage is preferably programmable, enabling one device to be used for a wide range of specific applications.
1. A method for delivering power to a load, the method comprising the steps of collecting charge from an energy source; boosting a voltage of the collected charge with a charge pump; controllably charging a supercapacitor to a threshold voltage; controllably charging a battery from the supercapacitor; and delivering power from the supercapacitor to a load; wherein the step of controllably charging a supercapacitor comprises adjusting a rate of the switching step based on a parameter selected from the group consisting of a charging rate of the supercapacitor and a power level of the energy source.
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14. An apparatus for delivering power to a load, the apparatus comprising: at least one energy source; a charge pump for boosting a voltage of charge collected from said energy source; a control module; a battery; and one or more supercapacitors for charging said battery and delivering power to a load; wherein said control module controls charging of said supercapacitors to a threshold voltage by said charge pump; and the control module adjusts the rate of switching capacitors in the charge pump based on a parameter selected from the group consisting of the charging rate of the supercapacitors and the power level of the energy source.
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This application claims the benefit of the filing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/756,876, entitled "System for Energy Harvesting and/or Generation, Storage, and Delivery", filed on Jan. 5, 2006, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/824,755, entitled "Circuits for Energy Harvesting and/or Generation, Storage, and Delivery", filed on Sep. 6, 2006.
The application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/824,749, entitled "Electric Double Layer Capacitors Having Low Equivalent Series Resistance", filed on Sep. 6, 2006, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/796,329, entitled "Lithium Ion Battery", filed on Mar. 8, 2004, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/796,532, entitled "MEMS Electrochemical Power System", filed on Mar. 8, 2004, U.S. Pat. No. 6,861,170, entitled "Volumetric Micro Batteries", and U.S. Pat. No. 6,621,687, entitled "Micro-Supercapacitor". The specifications and claims of all of the above patents and patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.
The U.S. Government has a paid-up license in this invention and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by the terms of Contract Nos. W31P4Q-04-C-R346 awarded by DARPA, FA8650-05-C-2613 awarded by AFRL, and NNL06AA06C awarded by NASA.
1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention is related to miniature systems for harvesting, generating, storing, and delivering energy, and implementation thereof.
2. Background Art
Note that the following discussion refers to a number of publications and references. Discussion of such publications herein is given for more complete background of the scientific principles and is not to be construed as an admission that such publications are prior art for patentability determination purposes.
Wireless sensors and networks of wireless sensors will be used to 1) monitor the structural health of buildings, bridges and aircraft, etc.; 2) monitor the environment, such as in domestic and commercial buildings, and military and homeland security installations; and 3) control industrial processes for increased autonomy, as well as for other tasks. These systems will find use in factory automation, process and environmental control, security, medicine, and condition-based maintenance, as well as in defense applications and intelligence gathering. Widespread use of wireless sensors will improve safety, increase security, lower heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) costs, and increase manufacturing efficiency.
Such wireless sensor systems will typically: 1) require numerous individual devices (known as nodes or motes) to provide comprehensive monitoring capability; 2) be located in inaccessible places and 3) require long intervals between scheduled maintenance. Periodic maintenance, such as replacing batteries, would clearly increase operating costs (often to prohibitive levels), and could be inconvenient, at best, if it required interruption of a continuous process. For some remote, hostile, or inaccessible locations, any maintenance may be impossible to perform. In the immediate future, energy management and improved battery technologies may mitigate some of these issues, but in the long term there is clearly a need to develop an energy source that can last years with little or no maintenance.
Miniaturized turbines and micro-fuel cells have been proposed as means of meeting long term energy delivery needs for wireless devices. While these systems exploit the high energy density of hydrocarbon fuels, for example, these systems are inherently limited by the need for a means of storing and delivering a consistent fuel supply, as well as advanced thermal management to safely remove waste heat. These challenges can be overcome; however, the plumbing and additional system engineering (also known as the balance of plant) adds considerably to the overall size and complexity of such systems.
There are additional challenges with micro-fuel cells. Most types use hydrogen fuel, as protons diffuse through an electrolyte more easily than other ions. Storing molecular hydrogen presents significant scientific and engineering challenges, and so most systems use other fuels such as hydrocarbons, methanol or formic acid, or natural gas that must be reformed with steam at high temperature (600� C.) to yield hydrogen and CO. These reformers again add engineering complexity and require extensive insulation for both safety and efficient operation. Furthermore, reported data for micro-fuel cells indicate maximum peak power densities on the order of 50mW/cm2 but with a duration of less than 100 ms. These challenges ensure that combustion and micro-fuel cell power systems will be unable to meet the volumetric energy and power densities needed for severely volume-constrained applications.
Energy harvesters that garner ambient environmental energy (such as light, vibrations, etc.) and convert it to electrical energy are attractive solutions for wireless sensors as they do not need to be replaced, recharged or refueled. Of course, they do not function in the absence of ambient energy (analogous to solar cells at night), and so an energy harvesting power supply must be designed to include some kind of energy storage that can provide back-up power in such situations.
Storage of the energy generated may be accomplished using conventional capacitors, which have very limited energy storage capability (E=�CV2, where the capacitance, C, is typically on the order of a few hundred microfarads, and V=3-5V). This approach leaves the system vulnerable to interruptions in the ambient energy source. Although batteries and or supercapacitors have been proposed as alternative storage devices, no design has effectively accommodated the low power available from small energy harvester devices. Conventional battery chargers, for example, will not operate at the low power levels delivered by energy harvesters, and, besides, even in they could, they would waste too much of the input energy. Further, no existing system discloses the use of optimum energy storage elements for different functions (e.g. back-up power, pulse power, etc.).
Finally, a major challenge that faces wireless sensor nodes is the asymmetry of the power demands of sensing, processing, communication and sleep functions—on the order of four orders of magnitude. Because communication functions draw relatively high power levels (typically from tens to a few hundred milliwatts), wireless sensor nodes are designed to communicate infrequently (for example, once a minute to once an hour), reverting to a low-power sleep state to extend battery life. In order to meet high power communications loads, the usual approach is to design a power source large enough to handle the highest power load. Unfortunately, energy harvesting devices and batteries typically have low power densities, and so power sources are typically oversized for most of the operating needs of the system.
There is, therefore, a need for a simple and compact system which combines energy generation via harvesting of ambient energy sources with energy storage to provide back-up power, and deliver high power pulses as needed.
The present invention is a method for delivering power to a load, the method comprising the steps of collecting charge from an energy source, boosting the voltage of the collected charge with a charge pump, controllably charging a supercapacitor to a threshold voltage, controllably charging a battery from the supercapacitor, and delivering power from the supercapacitor to a load. The voltage of the collected charge is preferably less than half of the threshold voltage, and optionally approximately one fourth of the threshold voltage. The threshold voltage is preferably programmable. The method preferably further comprises the step of switching a second supercapacitor from being in parallel with the supercapacitor to being in series with the supercapacitor, which step preferably comprises delivering power at a delivery voltage, preferably approximately twice the threshold voltage, higher than the threshold voltage to the load or to charge the battery. The method preferably further comprising the step of switching at least two capacitors in the charge pump from being in parallel to being in series. The step of controllably charging a supercapacitor preferably comprises adjusting the rate of the switching step based on a parameter selected from the group consisting of the charging rate of the supercapacitor and the power level of the energy source. The method preferably further comprises the step of conditioning charge pump gate voltages, preferably comprising saturating one or more FETs in the charge pump. The method preferably further comprises the step of recharging the supercapacitor from the charge pump when power from the energy source is available, and preferably further comprises the step of recharging the supercapacitor from the battery when power from the energy source is unavailable.
The present invention is also an apparatus for delivering power to a load, the apparatus comprising at least one energy source, a charge pump for boosting a voltage of charge collected from the energy source, a control module, a battery, and one or more supercapacitors for charging the battery and delivering power to a load, wherein the control module controls charging of the supercapacitors to a threshold voltage by the charge pump. The voltage of the collected charge is preferably less than half of the threshold voltage, and optionally approximately one fourth of the threshold voltage. The control module is preferably programmable. The supercapacitors are preferably switched to being arranged in series for delivering power at a delivery voltage higher than the threshold voltage to the load or to charge the battery. The delivery voltage is optionally approximately twice the threshold voltage. The control module preferably adjusts the rate of switching capacitors in the charge pump based on a parameter selected from the group consisting of the charging rate of the supercapacitors and the power level of the energy source. The apparatus preferably further comprises a FET gate conditioner circuit for saturating one or more FETs in the charge pump. The supercapacitors are preferably recharged from the charge pump when power from the energy source is available, and preferably recharged from the battery when power from the energy source is unavailable.
An object of the present invention is to provide a system for harvesting, generating, storing, and delivering energy, particularly for remote applications.
An advantage of the present invention is that it can effectively store charge from very low power or low voltage energy sources while still providing power to a load at higher voltages.
Other objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate several embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings:
The system of the present invention is a compact long lifetime power source which will enable the implementation of many applications, including but not limited to wireless network systems, that will no longer require battery changes or replacement. The present invention preferably comprises several components including energy storage (including but not limited to batteries and supercapacitors), energy harvesting and/or generation sources (including but not limited to vibrational (piezoelectric, capacitive or inductive), thermal (thermoelectric), radioisotope (betavoltaic), solar (photovoltaic), fuel cells, microcombustion, or biochemical sources), and ultra-low power electronics for functions including but not limited to charging of energy storage devices, power conditioning, rectification, power management, monitoring state of charge, and/or voltage step-up. The present invention may be configured using different combinations of the above components depending on the intended application. The energy harvesting component will generate power from the ambient environment, which power is then preferably stored in the energy storage components. The ultra-low power electronics preferably control how this power is used or delivered. The present invention can be packaged in many common form factors (battery sizes such as AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, etc), as well as in custom sizes, and are preferably capable of plugging directly into a wireless system/component, just like a battery, in order to provide a long lifetime power source.
The present invention preferably combines energy harvesting, energy storage in (for example) batteries and supercapacitors, and ultra-low power electronics to condition the output from the harvester and carefully charge the storage devices. Batteries (or microbatteries) provide back-up energy to accommodate periods without ambient energy, while supercapacitors (or microsupercapacitors) provide excellent power delivery capabilities to handle high and/or pulsed loads. The electronics circuitry is preferably designed to draw only a very small portion of the harvested energy so that the remainder may be directed for storage, as described above, or for immediate use by the system it is powering. Furthermore, once it is fully charged, the battery can be switched out of the circuit to serve as a back-up source, and the energy generated by the harvester is then preferably used to power the application load (i.e., sensor) and accommodate any charge leakage in the supercapacitor.
Because it is harvesting energy from its environment, the present invention provides a long-lived energy source, far out-lasting conventional batteries. The system may be designed to have a custom form factor or to fit a standard battery configuration, including but not limited to AA, AAA, 9V, Li123, C, D, and others, so it can be used in systems already configured for these types of batteries with little to no modification. Moreover, as advanced packaging and integration technologies deliver smaller sensor nodes, the present invention is also expected to evolve through similar miniaturization strategies and will, therefore, be compatible with future generations of miniaturized sensors.
As used throughout the specification and claims, the term "battery" means battery, microbattery, thin film battery, and the like, whether planar or volumetric. As used throughout the specification and claims, the term "supercapacitor" means capacitor, supercapacitor, microsupercapacitor, microcapacitor, ultracapacitor, electric double layer capacitor (EDLC), and the like. As used throughout the specification and claims, the term "energy source" means an energy harvester or energy generator, such as vibrational (including piezoelectric, electrostatic and inductive methods), thermal (thermoelectric), solar (various forms of photovoltaics), radioisotope, chemical, biochemical, fuel cell, microturbine, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) converters (ATP is a biomolecule able to store and transport chemical energy within cells), magnetic, electromagnetic (or RF) induction (EMI), and microcombustion generators and the like.
The electrical energy from the harvester(s) is stored, initially, in a supercapacitor (or supercapacitors), then in a rechargeable battery. These two energy storage devices provide complementary features: supercapacitors deliver energy efficiently (high specific power), while batteries store energy efficiently and so provide back-up power when the harvester is not providing enough power. The supercapacitors in the system of the present invention are preferably used as the first stage energy storage component because they can be discharged and recharged more efficiently and more often than batteries, and are also preferably used for energy delivery because of their low impedance.
A low-power digital control module (DCM) preferably monitors the state of charge (SOC) of both the battery and supercapacitor(s), and simultaneously dynamically adjusts the operation of the charging module to accommodate any fluctuations in the level of energy delivered by the harvester(s). The Digital Control Module is preferably programmable and preferably comprises a microcontroller. As used throughout the specification and claims, the term "control module" means a DCM, an ultra-low power microcontroller, a low power Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a low power microprocessor, programmable logic designed into an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and the like. The charging module in the present invention preferably comprises a charge pump, but could include other devices and architectures such as piezoelectric transformers, dc-dc converters and the like. Should the incoming energy not be sufficient to recharge the supercapacitors, the control module preferably switches in the battery to maintain charge on the supercapacitor. Because energy harvesters only produce very small amounts of power, this circuitry (the charge pump, in particular) preferably operates extremely efficiently to transfer as much of the available power as possible to the energy storage devices without wasting it in the charger.
The use of a control module imparts capabilities to the system that conventional power sources such as batteries and other energy harvesting power supplies do not provide. For example, in addition to monitoring the SOC and the input energy source, it can provide state of health monitoring for the whole system, as well as communication with the host sensor or application. For example, with appropriate sensor hardware, the control module may optionally detect a sharp temperature excursion or an unusual vibration pattern that may indicate a tamper event, optionally triggering power down. For sensors, communications with the host sensor mote could enable sophisticated system management capabilities not possible with other power solutions. For example, the complex interaction of SOC and input energy variables may be used to determine whether the sensor should enter power conservation or power down modes.
As discussed, energy storage is preferably accomplished using at least one secondary (rechargeable) battery (including but not limited to lithium-ion, lithium polymer, thin film lithium ion, nickel metal hydride (NiMH), and nickel/cadmium (NiCd)) preferably in combination with at least one supercapacitor (also known as an ultracapacitor or electrochemical double layer capacitor (EDLC), comprising, for example, aqueous or organic based electrolyte chemistries and symmetric or asymmetric types). The energy storage components of the present invention preferably store the energy generated by the harvester components for use at a later time. The different characteristics of batteries and supercapacitors make them suitable for different functions of energy storage and delivery. If the energy must be stored for a long time, and released slowly, for example as back-up in case there is no harvestable ambient energy (e.g., at night when the energy harvester is a solar cell), a battery would be the preferred energy storage device. If the energy must be delivered quickly, as in a pulse for a radio frequency (RF) communication module, but long term storage is not critical, use of a supercapacitor is preferable. The system can employ i) a battery (or several microbatteries) alone, ii) a supercapacitor (or supercapacitors) alone, or iii) any combination of batteries, microbatteries and supercapacitors appropriate for the application of interest.
Improvements in materials, construction, etc. for lithium ion and some lithium polymer batteries are resulting in devices that are capable of delivering pulsed loads as well as steady state loads. These devices may be capable of fulfilling both back up and pulse load delivery functions which are currently preferably accomplished using a combination of microbatteries and supercapacitors. However, as shown in
The present invention may use commercially available (off-the-shelf) batteries and supercapacitors or custom designed devices depending on the anticipated usage parameters of the system. Parameters that may influence energy storage selection include the power profile, availability and consistency of ambient energy and environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. Moreover, some novel thin film batteries exist, both as research devices and commercial products (e.g., Oak Ridge Micro and PowerPaper). These devices tend to have high discharge rate (high power) capability, but their capacity values on a per unit area basis are low, meaning that large footprint devices are needed to meet useful energy storage capabilities. For certain applications, these devices may prove to be appropriate. One embodiment of the present invention may combine a volumetric battery for energy back-up with a thin film battery in place of the supercapacitor to provide pulse power.
The circuitry preferably comprises a charge-switching module for charging a supercapacitor energy storage device and a battery charging circuit, controlled by the control module. Energy for operation of the control module is preferably stored in an intermediate energy storage device, for example a conventional capacitor (typically a few μF to a few hundred μF). The charge switching module preferably prevents irreversible damage to the supercapacitors (for example C19 and C21 in
Connecting a supercapacitor directly to an energy source delivering voltage V will draw a current I equal to V/ESR, where ESR is the equivalent series resistance of the supercapacitor (typically a few Ohms, and ideally <<1Ω). As a low ESR is a desirable characteristic of supercapacitors for power delivery, the supercapacitor would draw a high instantaneous current, overloading the energy source. As the system of the present invention may sit on the shelf for some time before being deployed, it is not possible to store the supercapacitor in the charged state, and the charge-switching module preferably controls the current draw in order to prevent damaging the generator on initial deployment.
Once they are fully charged, the supercapacitors then preferably serve as an energy "cache" for charging the battery. This keeps the average current draw very low. Before charging the battery, the parallel supercapacitors are preferably intermittently switched in series to increase the voltage. Then the battery, for example a Li-Ion battery, is charged, preferably in two stages. First, a constant current charge increases the battery voltage until a target voltage (for example 4.2V), preferably monitored by the control module, is reached. This stage usually delivers about 70% of the total capacity of the battery. The battery is then trickle-charged at a constant voltage. Charging is typically terminated once the current level falls below 10% of the initial charging current.
By employing a control module that operates at extremely low power, various functions or conditions of the present system can be periodically monitored both during the charging cycles and during operation, including but not limited to the state of charge of both the battery and supercapacitor and whether or not the generator is producing power. Once the battery is fully charged it may be removed from the circuit so that the present invention provides power to the sensor or other load via the energy source and supercapacitor(s) only. If the control module detects that the energy cell has ceased to provide power (e.g. during periods of darkness in the case of a solar cell, or in the case that ambient vibrations cease), then the control module preferably switches in the battery to provide back-up power. In this case, the battery preferably trickle charges the supercapacitor and provides quiescent power to the sensor until the ambient energy source is restored. The battery is preferably designed to be able to store sufficient energy to provide back-up power for the entire time the system is anticipated to be without ambient energy. This time would vary for different applications, but may range from a few hours to several days or weeks. In the event that the stored energy in the battery drops below a predetermined level, a low battery condition is preferably communicated to the sensor, allowing the sensor to shut down or go into a power conservation mode, for example.
Finally, current is preferably delivered to the load through the supercapacitor which can supply both steady state and high power pulse current, depending on the demand from the load. For steady state operation, the energy source (or the battery if there is no energy from the generator or harvester) preferably delivers energy to trickle charge the supercapacitor, and compensates for the energy delivered to the load or lost through the supercapacitor's internal leakage. As discussed previously, the supercapacitors' low impedance makes them well suited for delivering high power bursts when needed by the load.
Thus, the present invention preferably utilizes one or more supercapacitors as primary energy storage devices, and one or more batteries as secondary energy storage devices, which are preferably used to recharge the supercapacitor(s). The primary energy storage device preferably provides a higher power output than the secondary storage device, while the secondary storage device provides a greater total energy storage than the primary device. That is, the load is preferably powered only from the supercapacitor(s), and not from the battery. The supercapacitors can deliver both pulsed and steady state power, depending on the requirements of the load, and have higher power delivery and lower Equivalent Series Resistance than the battery, thereby increasing efficiency (especially for pulsed power applications). In the present invention, the battery (secondary storage device) is used to charge the supercapacitor(s) (primary storage device). This configuration also permits the use of supercapacitors with reduced capacitances, and thus reduced leakages, enabling charging from low power energy sources.
Preferred features, advantages and benefits of the present invention, listed in Table 1, address concerns that manufacturers and end users of wireless sensors and other applications have identified as potential barriers to adoption of this kind of technology. For example, while not having to change batteries periodically is desirable for many wireless sensor applications, the vulnerability of energy harvesting to a lack of ambient energy (e.g., darkness for solar cells) is also concern for many users. The present invention addresses these concerns at low cost.
Electronics of the present invention preferably convert ultra-low power from environmental sources into higher voltage, high power output power with smart, programmable control. The present invention preferably accepts either AC or DC power input with voltages as low as approximately 1.5V, and current as low as approximately 5-15 ΩA, and preferably employ dynamic self-modification of the conversion control to efficiently convert and store the input energy in high energy density supercapacitors and backup batteries. The voltage regulation of the present invention is preferably not dependent on the maximum voltage supplied by the energy source used, and is preferably programmable to provide steady state DC output voltages up to 5VDC or greater with current output many orders of magnitude greater than that of the input after storage. The present invention is preferably programmable to provide any desired voltage (not only one or two discrete voltages), either at the time of delivery or in the field. Thus the same system can be used for a wide range of loads and energy storage elements suitable for use in different applications.
As shown in
The control module preferably dynamically controls the operation of the charge pump to efficiently store very low power energy from the energy source(s). For dynamic control of the charge pump switch rate, the control module preferably periodically measures the supercapacitor voltage and computes the rate-of-change of the voltage. If the rate is above a specified level, the switch rate is preferably kept sufficiently high to pump as much charge as is available. If the voltage rate-of-change falls below that level, the switch rate is preferably correspondingly decreased so that the charge pump supercapacitors can maintain 90% of the highest voltage level prior to switching. As the supercapacitor voltage increases, the potential differences in the charge pump decrease, and so the control module preferably further decreases the switch rate in order to accumulate as much charge as possible in the switching capacitors prior to the switch cycle. Also, if the current available at the source increases, the control module preferably senses this as the voltage storage rate increases, and preferably increases the switch rate dynamically as before, in order to take advantage of the greater available quantity of charge flow.
If more than one supercapacitor is used, the supercapacitors, when charged to the programmed final voltage level, may optionally be switched in series to provide twice the voltage for subsequent backup battery charging via the battery charging circuit, or for higher voltage output. Power output (on or off) and battery charging is preferably controlled by the control module. When input power is unavailable, the control module may be programmed to turn off the output or recharge the supercapacitors from the backup battery module for continued operation.
In general, the charge pump of the present invention stores low level charge obtained from the energy source(s) and boosts the voltage, enabling the supercapacitor to charge at the higher voltage level. In contrast, the charging voltage of many existing systems is limited to the output voltage of the energy source, whatever that may be. For low power energy sources, for example a solar cell exposed only to low light, this voltage may not be sufficient to charge the supercapacitor to its threshold voltage (for example due to leakage of the supercapacitor). Thus these other systems simply won't work with low voltage or low power energy sources. The charge pump preferably incorporates intermediate charge storage for increased efficiency, and preferably does not utilize resistors for signal control or limiting. Other designs as described in the prior art use resistors or inductors for voltage control between the energy source(s) and the energy storage components, resulting in limited current flow and therefore lower efficiency, or use no voltage control at all. In addition, it is preferable that the charge pump comprises MOSFETs, which require voltage, not current, for switching.
The embodiment of the high voltage capacitive charge pump pictured in
The capacitors C6, C8, C10, C11 in the charge pump preferably have a low capacitive value and low leakage, allowing the system to scavenge low charge levels presented by both high impedance, low power environmental generators such as piezoelectric vibration sources, as well as low impedance higher available charge generators such as photovoltaic cells under a high intensity source. In order to present the supercapacitors with a high charging voltage, the flux of current from the charge pump capacitors during switching is preferably controlled by the switching rate, which is preferably dynamically changed with time by the control module. For example, when little charge is available from the generators, the switch rate is preferably decreased. When there is ample charge available, the switch capacitors achieve their final value very quickly, and the switch rate is preferably increased. This dynamic control allows the system to take advantage of very low levels of ambient energy while maintaining a high charge voltage into the supercapacitors.
If desired, the storage capacitors C6, C8, C10 and C11 in the charge pump are switched from parallel to series preferably by using low resistance, low gate-source voltage MOSFETS. To increase the efficiency of the transistors, the gate signals are preferably conditioned by ultra-low current op-amps U15 and U16, thereby increasing transistor saturation and decreasing the channel resistance. When the control module determines that the desired system voltage level has been obtained, or conversely that no energy is available at the input, switching of the charge pump is preferably halted to conserve power.
In greater detail, an embodiment of the Voltage Charge Pump circuit of the present invention, shown in
After the charge is transferred into C11 and C10 at the higher voltage, the process is preferably reversed, with FETs Q36 and Q37 turning off and Q45 turning on so that capacitors C8 and C6 are recharged in parallel, while simultaneously FET Q46 is turned off and Q39 and Q38 are turned on, thereby switching capacitors C11 and C10 from parallel into series and providing a current flow path discharging C11 and C10 into the supercapacitors through diode D27 at the higher voltage. Diodes D22 and D23 block the back-flow of charge from capacitors C6 when in series with C8, and C10 when in series with C11. Diode D21 blocks the back-flow of charge from capacitors C8 and C6.
An FET Gate Conditioner circuit is also depicted in
When necessary, the control module may switch the energy storage supercapacitors into series, at least doubling the output voltage at high power levels. This action can drive higher voltage loads, or provide the higher voltage necessary for backup battery charging. In this case, a Voltage Output and Doubling Circuit, shown in
Although the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to these preferred embodiments, other embodiments can achieve the same results. Variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover all such modifications and equivalents. The entire disclosures of all patents and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference.
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Like the desolate yet majestic plains of the arctic north, Tunturia's sound is at times both harsh and beautiful combining elements of post-rock, ambient soundscapes and experimental noise. Formed in late 2005 the band quickly became a vehicle through which its members were able to explore concepts and ideas through music. Intricate without being technical, grand in scope without the pretension, lush without losing intensity, the band forged ahead writing new material that at times teetered between the edges of progressive and hauntingly minimal.
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GREENFIELD — Greenfield police are investigating after finding the body of a 37-year-old woman Saturday, July 14th in a home near 45th and Morgan. Police responded to the home for a welfare check early Saturday morning, and found the woman inside with wounds "consistent with being stabbed." Police say a 38-year-old man is in custody.
Friends of the victim say the man in custody was the victim's boyfriend for several years.
FOX6 News is not identifying the victim until police release her name.
The victim's friends say the woman showed no signs of distress in recent days. They say she was a great friend and an even greater mother.
"She was an awesome parent. She loved her kids very much. Her life revolved around her children," Bobbie Ridgen said.
Friends gathered in the lawn next door and watched as police went in and out of the house on Saturday. Friends reflected on the memories they made at the home now surrounded by police tape.
"Memorial Day, we we had a nice picnic. Labor Day, we were gonna come back. We'd just get together. It's an annual thing. Now, what are we gonna do this year?" Rigden said.
Friends say their focus now is the victim's children. They say she had three kids – ages 13, 8 and 7.
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Engineering Connections to K-12 Education
The "E" in STEM, the engineering component, is connected to Science, Technology, Mathematics, and courses within the existing Standard Course of Study. Engineering Connections are developed and aligned with the STEM Implementation Rubric Principles. The Key Engineering Elements in the Engineering Connections align characteristics to Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12. These Connections enrich courses in the Arts, Career and Technical Education, English Language Arts, Healthful Living, Music, Social Studies, and World Languages as well as Out-of-School programs:
- Grades 9-12: Engineering Connections Aligned with the STEM Rubric Principles
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- Grades 6-8: Engineering Connections Aligned with the STEM Rubric Principles
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- Grades K-5: Engineering Connections Aligned with the STEM Rubric Principles
(pdf, 498kb)
- K-12 Correlation: Engineering Connections Aligned with the STEM Rubric Principles
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Engineering STEM Connections Summary
(pdf, 238kb)
North Carolina STEM Recognition Application
Elementary, Middle, and High Schools or Programs have the opportunity to obtain recognition as a North Carolina STEM School or Program. In addition, they may become a North Carolina Future-Ready STEM High School or Program of Achievement. Use the STEM Attribute Implementation Rubrics to guide your school or program. The Rubrics outline quality indicators of each STEM Attribute and the varying depths of implementation. All eleven Attributes must be attained to be recognized as a quality STEM Program.
LEARN, FIND, CONNECT, SHARE to STEM resources at The NC STEM Center portal. Teachers, school systems, parents, business and industry can access everything STEM at www.ncstemcenter.org
NC STEM Learning Network
The NC STEM Learning Network is a product of North Carolina's K-12 Statewide STEM Education Strategic Plan to harness innovative ways of teaching and learning. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, in partnership with the NC STEM Learning Network, has established a web portal where students, teachers, school systems, parents, business and community partners may gain access to an array of resources promoting STEM education in North Carolina.
The Do-It-Yourself Guide to STEM Community Engagement. How to Build Sustainable Education Innovation in Your Community.
The do-it-yourself-guide provides schools, systems, and local community organizations with self-guided tools to engage a broad community of stakeholders in sustainable education.
(pdf, 1.8mb)
STEM Guide for Students: 239 Cool Sites about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
From games and apps to summer camps, contests and career advice, you'll find everything you need to spark your imagination K-12. http://www.mastersindatascience.org/blog/the-ultimate-stem-guide-for-kids-239-cool-sites-about-science-technology-engineering-and-math/
Grand Challenges of Engineering
Sponsored by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Grand Challenges of Engineering are 14 engineering challenges proposed by a diverse committee of engineers and scientists. The challenges were both achievable and sustainable to help people and the planet thrive. The Grand Challenges website provides materials and resources about the challenges and other related activities.
Common Core State Standards for K-12 Mathematics and K-12 English Language Arts
On June 2, 2010, North Carolina adopted the Common Core State Standards in K-12 Mathematics and K-12 English Language Arts released by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. With the adoption of these state-led education standards, North Carolina is in the first group of states to embrace clear and consistent goals for learning to prepare children for success in college and work.
North Carolina Essential Standards
The Essential Standards includes the standards for the newly adopted curriculum for Arts Education, English as a Second Language, Guidance, Healthful Living. Information Technology, Science, Social Studies, World Languages and the Occupational Course of Study.
Career and Technical Education Essential Standards
The 2012 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Essential Standards were approved by the State Board of Education in June 2011 and implemented beginning with the 2012-13 school year. CTE fulfills an increasingly significant role in school reform efforts. Career and Technical educators at the state and local levels partners with business and industry and with community college and other postsecondary institutions to ensure CTE serves the needs of individual students and the state.


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Quotes & Info
|ABBV > SEC Filings for ABBV > Form 8-K on 8-Jul-2014
|All Recent SEC Filings
Regulation FD Disclosure, Other Events, Financial Statements and Exhibits
On July 8, 2014, AbbVie Inc. ("AbbVie") issued an announcement (the "Announcement") pursuant to the U.K. City Code on Takeovers and Mergers disclosing, among other things, a revised possible offer to acquire Shire plc. A copy of the Announcement is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference into this Item 7.01.
Pursuant to General Instruction B.2. to Form 8-K, the information set forth in this Item 7.01 (except insofar as such information is also set forth under Item 8.01 below) shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section.
As described in Item 7.01 above, on July 8, 2014, AbbVie Inc. disclosed a revised possible offer to acquire Shire plc.
Exhibit No. Exhibit
99.1 Announcement, dated July 8, 2014.


text: 3D Gold is described as a "sparkly chunky gold." It's more like a golden chartreuse glitter with a mix of iridescent glitter that gives a rainbow of color as it flashes around. It's very, very pretty, and it's such a shame it isn't eye safe. I know that many MAC artists use the glitters on the runways, and I've included a shot of using it on the lid, but I get too nervous using it myself.


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Financial Aid for Undergraduate Students
More than 90% of Baker students at the College of Arts and Sciences receive financial aid in the form of scholarships and grants that total thousands of dollars.
Outstanding Quality + Reasonable Cost = Great Value
The Baker financial aid package is typically a combination of University scholarships, state and federal grants, campus work, and student loans. Only loans must be repaid after graduation.
- Affordable Education
- Application Process
- Scholarships & Awards
- Documents & Forms
- Federal & State Aid
- Sample Award Letter


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Murdocks' "Final" Show this ThursdayBy Austin Sound • Feb 15th, 2011 • Category: News
So seems the Murdocks have finally had enough of us. You know, they just got really good, so it only makes sense to go out on top and thus up the pricetag on their eventual reunion show. Good business strategy. Very savvy. Of course, seeing as how it took them nearly half a decade to get their last LP out, maybe this isn't so much a hiatus as it is a break to do some recording. Or something. Last year the local trio impressed with the release of Distortionist, but according to the band, this Thursday will mark their last show for the indeterminate future. We know how these "trial separations" go, though - first you start up the side project, and then things just fall off, and before you know it, it's been two years since you thought about all those good old Murdocks days. It's cool though - we can take it. The funny thing about this breakup though, is that they're going to still dump a bunch of videos and tunes on us over the next year that they have in the attic. So what's up guys, is this good bye or not? Don't tease us. Either way, we'll still be down at Emo's on Thursday night for one final fling with Murdocks as the band unloads their "hits" from across the past decade with support from Paper Shapes, Antic Romantics and Shazz.


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[BLANK SLATE] David Bazan doesn't know what to tell you about God. After nine Pedro the Lion releases, a decade as indie rock's scholastic defender of Christianity, and hosting theological QA sessions at every show—followed by a very public loss of faith, a couple years of blackout binge drinking and an album that buries, mourns and rages at everything he believed—Bazan has run out of answers.
"It's like losing a lifelong imaginary companion," the Seattle-based singer-songwriter says, then corrects himself. "That's not even it. I thought God and I had a pretty cool thing going. It's a companion that had the added feature of providing safety, and was going to be the one to right worldwide wrongs. I grew up believing that the poor and downtrodden had this cosmic advocate, and I no longer do. So that's not awesome."
Curse Your Branches, Bazan's first LP under his own name, is a record of that disappointment—and the sudden vulnerability of shedding a label and discovering that you are naked. As Pedro the Lion, Bazan was an acoustic defense attorney for God, using song cycles like Winners Never Quit and Control to prosecute pious hypocrites and advocate for prodigal sons. But now he has himself become a prodigal, with no intention of returning. "I swung my tassel to the left side of my cap," he sings in "Hard to Be," the new album's opener, "knowing after graduation there would be no going back." Curse Your Branches is a breakup album where the songwriter doesn't know if he's the dumper or predestined to be dumped—or if the person he loved even existed. It is a uniquely honest document of apostasy, with wild fluctuations between freedom and grief. Also, it's the loveliest piece of pop Bazan has ever recorded.
"I've been trying to not have such a rigid idea of what instruments are appropriate," Bazan says on a Halloween drive between Lawrence, Kan., and Omaha, Neb. (Curse Your Branches opens with synths, then expands past the traditional Pedro drone to include pedal steel, tambourine and group crooning.) "Whatever needs to be there is going to go on there. It's more fun not to limit myself."
The casting off of Christianity was far more painful. Bazan hit the bottle hard—"I wanted to drink until I physically couldn't drink anymore"—and wrote grooving kiss-offs to his former creator. "The toothpaste isn't going back inside the tube on this one," he thought. But even in the album's final song—where Bazan's father, a Presbyterian choir director, plays piano—he admits, "The crew has killed the captain, but they still can hear his voice." Bazan retains that longing for God. "I can't tell which it is: perceiving that something exists, or missing the conviction that something exists. I just don't know."
Admitting what he doesn't know has become Bazan's daily answer. "The discipline of reserving judgment, I don't think it comes as naturally for me, and I don't think it comes naturally for a lot of people. Just feel each conviction as strongly as it comes, write it down, and then move on to the next conviction. Or to lunch, or whatever." AARON MESH
SEE IT: David Bazan plays Mississippi Studios Friday, Nov. 6, with Say Hi. 9 pm. $12. 21+.


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Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) Development Handbook
This handbook has been written to assist persons who plan, develop, implement, manage, and evaluate for field epidemiology and training programs (FETPs). It should also be of assistance to persons who wish to advocate for an FETP and for persons developing competency-based epidemiology training programs that do not fully meet the definition of an FETP. Each section of this handbook will guide you through the process covered in that section, and we've included various helpful tools and references in the appendices.
Download the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) Development HandbookAppendices


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Technical Data
Rab11A (RAB11A Member RAS Oncogene Family, Rab-11A, MGC1490, RAB11, Rab-11, Ras-related Protein Rab-11A, Ras-related protein Rab11A, YL8)
Rab proteins are low-molecular-weight GTP-binding proteins that form the largest branch of the Ras superfamily of GTPases. Located on the cytoplasmic face of organelles and vesicles, rab proteins are involved in intracellular membrane fusion reactions. Three membrane proteins, synaptosomal associated protein of 25kD (SNAP-25), synaptobrevin, and syntaxin, form the core of a ubiquitous membrane fusion machine that interacts with the soluble proteins N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) and a-SNAP. Rab proteins, in coordination with the core fusion machinery and Munc-18, help to mediate vesicle docking and fusion. There exist over 40 Rab proteins that have been described in mammals. Rab 11 is a known marker for protein trafficking, sorting, and recycling in the endosomal pathway. Rab11 is a member of the YPT-1 subfamily of Ras-related GTP-binding proteins. Rab11 mRNA has been detected in a variety of tissues including brain, testis, spleen, heart and gastrointestinal mucosa. In the gastric fundus the Rab11 protein is expressed in parietal cell tubulovesicles membranes. Expression of the Rab11 protein appears to occur in discrete epithelial cell populations where it localizes to apical vesicular populations.
Suitable for use in Western Blot. Other applications not tested.
Recommended Dilution:
Western Blot: 5ug/ml. Detects a ~22kD protein representing Rab 11 in CV1, PC3, and HeLa cell
extract. Another less prominent, unknown band is also detected by this antibody at ~35kD.
Optimal dilutions to be determined by the researcher.
positive control:
HEK293 cells
Storage and Stability:
May be stored at 4°C for short-term only. For long-term storage, aliquot and store at -20°C. Aliquots are stable for at least 12 months at -20°C. For maximum recovery of product, centrifuge the original vial after thawing and prior to removing the cap. Further dilutions can be made in assay buffer.


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|Tuesday, 25 February 2014 10:10
February 1964
Feb. 3, 1964 – The Barren County Day Nursery for Retarded Children opened today with a total enrollment of 10 children ages 6-13. It is the first of the kind in the county as well as the state. Mrs. Lois Terry will be the instructor. It is located on McGrah off of Columbia Ave.
February 5, 1964 – Happy Valley PTA celebrates Founders Day. Officers helping are Mrs. Glyna Barret, Historian, Mrs. Les Toms, 2 VP, Bill King, President, Mrs. Phil Clements, Devotional Chairman, Mrs. P K James, Secretary, Mrs. Margie Kinslow, Treasurer, Mrs. Carroll Holmes, 1st VP, and Carter Hooks, Principal.
Feb. 6, 1964 – American Music Month in Glasgow is proclaimed by Mayor Lynn B Mayfield. Mrs. Louis Power and Mrs. Henry Royse, of the Ladies Matinee Musicale were there for the signing.
Feb. 7, 1964 – Bunche PTA celebrated "Founders Day". Joe Bush, president of Bunche PTA, Mrs. Aloenia Stockton, secretary, and Russell Conley, teacher at Bunche accepts the charter from Curtis Williams.
The Badger team is the Champion of the Little League Big Ten. Coach was Kenneth Motley.
Fred Troutman wrote a column for the Glasgow Daily Times called Trout Lines.
February 11, 1964 – Brownie Scouts of Troop 74, HVES, presented toys and recordings they collected for the Barren County Nursery for Retarded Children. Adult leaders were Mrs. Margaret Crawford and Mrs. Mable Oaks.
February 12, 1964 – Hiseville High School Homecoming festivities were held with Carol Ann Ford being crowned Queen by Captain Roy Lee Meadows, Crown Bearer was Donnie Pedigo, and Flower Girl was Ruth Karen Froggett. Attendants were Bonnie Bow, Junior and Betsy Newberry, Sophomore.
Glasgow Lions Club holds Ladies' Night at Lera B Mitchell Clubhouse. President Ralph Palmore and First Lady greet member J B Galloway and his lady, along with Dr. and Mrs. William H. Bryant, and Mr. and Mrs. Joe L Goodman.
Feb. 13, 1964 – Demolition continues on the Barren County Courthouse.
Feb. 14, 1964 – Judge James E Gillenwater proclaims FFA Week. Local FFA presidents include Melvin Perkins, HHS, David Wood, PCHS, Jerry Wood, THS. and Roger Spann, ATHS.
February 19, 1964 – Principals of the six schools in the Barren County School System met and prepared checks for 5 charitable fund raising drives – Heart, Cancer, Red Cross, Easter Seals and March of Dimes. They were W L Gardner, PC, Frank Newberry, HHS, Kenneth Sidwell, AT, David Montgomery, TH, Wayne McKibbin, Eastern and Taylor Mc Coy, Red Cross.
Feb. 20, 1964 – FFA Week is observed at Austin Tracy High School. Officers are Terry Jackson, reporter, Kenny Bush, treasurer, Kenneth Berry, VP, Dale Spann, President, Eddie Whitlow, Secretary and Wayne Davis, Sentinel.
Hiseville FFA Officers are John Colliver, VP, Melvin Perkins, President, Richard Botts, Secretary, Randall Franklin, Treasurer, Jerry Kinslow, Reporter and Steve Matthews, Sentinel.
Park City FFA Officers are Gary Gillon, VP, David Wood, President, Larry Toohey, Secretary, Donald Depp, Reporter, Roger Boles, Sentinel and Neil Allen, Treasurer.
Temple Hill FFA officers are Billy Elliott, VP, Jerry Wood, President, J D Basil, Secretary, Johnny Miller, Treasurer, Danny Simmons, Sentinel and Freddie Lawson, Reporter.
February 21, 1964 – Kentucky Business School started another class in Kentucky. Students include Blanche Hatcher, Rebecca Evans, Avis Dudley, Linda Franklin, Irene Hyde, Marie Lyons, Ernestine Beals, Diane Lloyd, Janet Smith, Moena Sadler, Leonard Philpot, Marlene Forbes, Dorothy Lewis, Mary McNamara, Julie Mattingley. Mrs. Burchett, Instructor, Joe Hurn, Director. Bill King was the guest speaker for the opening night exercises.
Feb. 24, 1964 – Rebecca Dockray, 17 year old Park City Senior was crowned Basketball Homecoming Queen at Park City. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Siddens.
February 25, 1964 – Edmonton Younger Women's Club has style show. Models included Judy Wilson, Betty Wilson and Teresa Bell.
Feb. 26, 1964 – Glasgow's business area continues to grow and the latest new store to open is Gambles – The Friendly Store on E. Main Street next to the Plaza. Guy Perkins, Sr. and his son, Guy, Jr. with Mrs. Perkins, Sr. assisting. A complete line of auto accessories and home appliances.
February 27, 1964 – Mrs. H W Jolly receives the Glasgow Garden Club Award given annually for garden design improvement. She received the award at the first meeting of the Garden Club held in the new Lera B Mitchell Clubhouse.
February 28, 1964 – Mrs. Dearing's class Cheerleaders are Julie Simpson, Terri Thum, Vickie Reagan, Martha Dean and Carla Pursley.


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Good Morning HabsAddicts
Early Friday afternoon, Pierre LeBrun broke the news that the National Hockey League had submitted a new offer to the NHLPA, composed of some 300+ pages.
Some parts of the offer were already discussed before, including a 10 year term on the Collective Bargaining Agreement, $300 Million for the "make whole" provision ($50 Million of which is to go to the NHLPA's pension plan), and a single amnesty buy-out for each team in 2013-2014 which wouldn't count against the salary cap.
Important to point out, as far as the amnesty payment is concerned, that the bought out contract would instead count against a team's hockey related revenue, which would reduce amounts on both sides of the ledger. This is a significant move by the league, in an attempt to find an equitable way to avoid an immediate cap hit to a single team. It would instead distribute the onus to all teams by reducing HRR and the salary cap by a minimal and manageable percentage.
While the league still insists on a cap on player contract lengths, they've extended the length to six years instead of the original five, and they have backed off on issues like entry-level contracts, Group 3 free agency (unrestricted), and arbitration rights.
However, included in this latest offer is an absolute drop-dead date to start, that being January 19th, in order to have a 48-game season. Training camps would have to begin on January 11th. Effectively, that gives both sides a windows of just a few days to get this offer agreed upon, and begin recalling their players from European club teams and the KHL.
Habs and Hockey News and Notes
- In an action packed affair, Team Russia defeated Alex Galchenyuk and Team USA 2-1 on Friday morning at the World Junior Hockey Championships. Team Canada, who won earlier on Friday 6-3 over Slovakia, received some good news as forward Anthony Camara would not receive any supplemental discipline for his devastating hit on Slovakian defenceman Patrik Luza. J.C. Lipon, who also received a major penalty for head contact on forward Tomas Mikus, received a one game suspension.
- With HC Davos' win Friday versus Adler Mannheim, Team Canada was assured a birth in the Spengler Cup semi-finals in Davos, Switzerland on Sunday. The quarter-finals will take place Saturday between Fribourg Gotteron vs. Adler Mannheim and HC Davos vs. Salavat Yulaev Ufa.
- The Montreal Gazette's Dave Stubbs celebrates (I'm kidding) the 20th anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens last Stanley Cup win.
(photo: Paul Sancya/AP)
Saturday, December 29, 2012
New Offer From NHL, Russia Downs USA, Spengler Semis for Canada
Good Morning HabsAddicts
1 comments:
You have beautifully maintained it,Its really helpful for me, hope u have a wonderful day & awaiting for more new post. Keep Blogging!
Heirloom seeds


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John McGlynn hopes the likes of right-back Ryan McGowan are still Hearts players once the January transfer window comes to a close as the manager seeks to meet his own expectations in his first season at Tynecastle.
Hearts enter this weekend's match at Ross County - their final fixture of a tumultuous year - in ninth place in a congested Clydesdale Bank Premier League table.
With Hearts' financial woes well publicised and players entering the final six months of their contracts, McGlynn could see many of his established first-team players depart next month.
Australia international McGowan has been linked with a move, while Scotland defender Andy Webster and captain Marius Zaliukas, a third defender, are all out of contract come the end of the season.
McGlynn described McGowan's link with a move to Asia as "pure speculation".
"Players like Ryan McGowan will attract attention," McGlynn said. "They're out of contract in the summer and the football club is not in a position to knock back good offers if they come in.
"Some players will probably go, if not in January, then at the end of the season.
"We're going to have to go through a transitional period right now and another one in the summer. That's how it will be.
"I would like as many players to stay as possible because that would give me the best chance to do my job best.
"I wouldn't want to lose defenders because that's probably the strongest part of our team, but it may be that these are the players that are sought after most by others.
"I just need to deal with that issue as I have done with every other issue."
Historically Hearts majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov has not allowed players to depart on the cheap - goalkeeper Craig Gordon left for Sunderland in a £9million deal, for example - but the club's dire economic position might dictate moves.
McGlynn returned to Hearts from Irn-Bru First Division Raith, where financial constraints were tight, and knew circumstances would be difficult at Tynecastle, but nevertheless believes he can still achieve his aims.
"I came here with the expectation to be in semi-finals and to be competing at the top end of that table; it's kind of living up to expectations," said McGlynn, pointing to the Scottish Communities League Cup semi-final with Inverness on January 26.
"This is probably the most difficult time for Heart of Midlothian Football Club. I don't think they've ever had a transfer embargo in the past or been so close to a winding-up order.
"It's a big challenge. This is a great football club and the players have been fantastic, it's just a wee bit bad timing."
McGlynn was earlier in his career in caretaker control at Hearts after George Burley's departure and believes the chaos of that spell prepared him for this one.
McGlynn, whose hopes for 2013 include a League Cup final place and the hope that eases the financial burden, said: "If we have to put more younger players into the team then fair enough.
"That was my brief - to come here and try to bring through young players."
McGlynn had no update on Hearts' challenge of the indefinite transfer embargo imposed by the Scottish Premier League, but did reveal trialist Arturas Rimkevicius has returned home, for now.
As well as the Dingwall match, Hearts have the Edinburgh derby to look forward to ahead of the winter break.
Should results go their way, Hearts could go above Hibernian, currently fourth, entering the two-week hiatus - and that is a target for McGlynn.
"Ross County will be in a buoyant mood after their victory at Easter Road, so that will make it a tricky game for us, but one I still believe we're capable of winning," he said.
"If we can do that we'll move on to the 28-point mark and if by 10 o'clock on January 3 we have 31 points then I'll be happy."
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Prevention Services of Coastal Horizons Center, Inc. provides a range of programs and services designed to help prevent problems associated with alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and promote healthier choices for a safer community. Area schools, businesses community and faith groups have all benefited from these programs and services. Programs use techniques and strategies that are proven effective in developing protective factors in youth, families, and communities. Protective factors promote healthy choices as an alternative to drug use. Prevention programs are age appropriate, culturally sensitive, and based on current research and include:
Youth, Family, and Community Prevention Programs
Community Building and Technical Assistance
Experiential (Interactive) Education Activities
Substance Abuse Education Training
Health Awareness Campaigns
Life Skills Education
Science Based or Best Practice Model Programs Include:
For Parents
Strengthening Families (Families with 1st-5th graders and 6th-8th)
Positive Action (Families with 6th-8th graders)
Staying Connected with Your Teen
Guiding Good Choices
For Youth
Im Special
Protecting You, Protecting Me
Project Venture (6th-12th grade)
Project ALERT (6th grade)
All Stars
Towards No Drug Abuse (TND)
Skills for Success
Towards No Tobacco (TNT)
Our trained facilitators are also available for fee based training and workshops customized to meet the needs of business professionals, teachers, faith leaders, and other groups interested in an interactive educational experience. Programs can be delivered on-site for your convenience or enhanced with our Alpine Tower Experience or Low Challenge Course Program.
Signs, Symptoms and What You Can Do to Prevent Substance Abuse
Creative Problem Solving and Decision Making
Communication Essentials
Leadership Development
Stress Management
Contact us: email@example.com or by phone at (910) 202-0840.
For more information on prevention, check out these websites:


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Clubs And Organizations
Student Ambassador Training
• 2013 Student Ambassador Training Photo Gallery
Pitt Community College Student Ambassadors are required to attend three days of intensive leadership training each August before the start of fall semester.
Training includes effective communication and public speaking tips, meetings with PCC's president and vice presidents, a scavenger hunt, and instruction on leading campus tours and providing registration day assistance. Ambassadors also complete a certificate program based on Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People."
The group also takes on a challenging ropes course at East Carolina University that requires students to work as a team and solve problems together. It consists of physical challenges that involve trust, good communication, creativity and thinking skills.
During the final phase of leadership training, ambassadors elect officers, schedule meetings for fall semester, and select a service project for the year.


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Bryan Adams' Hit-Heavy Fox Show
By Jeremy Essig
Lightning Bolt's Sharp New Sound
By Jason Robinson
Fleetwood Mac Back with Classic Lineup
By Hans Morgenstern
Here's Who's Making STL Noisy This Spring
By Joseph Hess
Beatles Sister Louise Harrison Departs the Midwest
By Peter Gilstrap
By Julia Burch
Working Class Dogs to Honor Rick Springfield
By Jeremy Essig
Torche Gets Back Into Its Heavy Groove With Restarter
By Nathan Smith
Ignore the probability that the above paean to trans cendence was written under the influence of amphetamines, hallucinogens or some combination thereof. That's (arguably) beside the point. Taken from the slow, syrupy "Are You Rollin'," from this year's best hip-hop album, the Dungeon Family's Even in Darkness, the lines reveal a beautiful philosophy that's creating hip-hop bliss in an unlikely setting: commercial radio. A few major-league hip-hop producers are hitting heaven because they're willing to die (read: flop) -- because they're coloring out side the lines and making the music go bang.
Are Timbaland and Organized Noize the Phil Spectors and George Martins of the new millennium? Are they important? Do they matter? Damn straight they matter, and even as Rolling Stone is giving a Mick Jagger solo album five fucking stars, rap's dropping new beat bombs nearly once a week, masterpieces so shocking that we won't understand the extent of their collective brilliance until the dust settles. Timbaland and Organized Noize are taking hip-hop on a strange trip, one that draws not only from the music's insular recent history but also from drum & bass, house, experimental laptop electronica, Miami bass, Jamaican dancehall and sturdy Detroit techno. If rock & roll was created by the merger of seemingly disparate country, blues and R&B musics, the equally revolutionary merger of all musics computerized is transforming hip-hop into a new kind of freak show.
Organized Noize, a production crew consisting of Rico Wade, Pat "Sleepy" Brown and Ray Murray, is part of the Atlanta collective Dungeon Family; also under the umbrella are OutKast, the Goodie Mob, Cool Breeze, rapper Backbone and a couple of others. (Got all that?) Organized Noize are regular collaborators with both the Goodie Mob and OutKast. Best known is their work with the latter on the entirety of their lauded Stankonia (specifically the brilliant "B.O.B.") and on OutKast's new shuffle single, "The Whole World." They've also worked with Ludacris, TLC and En Vogue.
At the core of Even in Darkness, the Dungeon Family's first collective effort, are unbridled joy and experimentation. Each track is filled with giggles and smiles, the kind that makes you wish you were a fly on the wall -- or a roach in the ashtray -- of the Family's studios. Where others loop and repeat for four minutes, the Family's work shows a meandering quality, a willingness to stretch the beats and fill the space between them with weirdness. They suggest influences without explicitly sampling them: The stuttering Kraftwerk hi-hat sip on "Trans DF Express" (itself a reference to Kraftwerk's seminal hip-hop blueprint "Trans Europe Express") exists only as a shadow, an unspoken appeasement of the gods of hip-hop history. You can hear the fun of singing the song all together on "Follow the Light," a song reminiscent of classic P-Funk. The Family's songs aren't derivative like the songs of Dr. Dre or Ice Cube, whose grooves seem merely lifted from funk jams. They pepper the funk with modern computer sounds -- hollow bamboo beats (on "White Gutz") recall new German techno, and stuttering snares (on "On & On & On") suggest drum & bass.
Whereas Organized Noize started in the '90s as a conservative crew banging out relatively unsurprising sounds and gradually climbed to outer space, Timbaland started freaky and is getting more so by the track. At its heart is a stutter-step rhythm; perhaps because it's so jarring, perhaps because amid all the noise on the radio the itsy bits of silence inherent in his sound seem to jump out of the radio -- perhaps because it just sounds so future, Timbaland is the man of the moment, and you can't miss him if you listen to hit radio: He's behind Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On," Aaliyah's "Try Again," Bubba Sparxxx's "Ugly" and one of the great hip-hop tracks of the last decade, Timbaland and Magoo's "Up Jumps Da Boogie."
Because of his ubiquity, it's tempting to dismiss Timbaland. His sounds are funny, he's all about the money and he pimps his wares everywhere. He doesn't seem to care whether the rappers who use his tracks are any good (despite the brilliance of "Get Ur Freak On," Elliott must have scribbled the words out when she was half-drunk or asleep) or whether their message is interesting (witness his recurring partnership with Magoo, a rapper who, despite his fascinating style, is a lame-ass bigot). So his indie cred's in need of some attention.
But track down some of the 12-inches, most of which contain instrumental versions of the songs, and you can hear the music untainted by mediocre rappers. Timabaland has stolen from Björk (and he says that her Vespertine is one his favorite records right now) and lifted melodies and ideas from English folk (on "People Like Myself" from his and Magoo's uneven new Indecent Proposal), a Japanese hakuhachi flute, new wave, electro, dancehall and rock. (Fun fact: Did you know that Timbaland's engineer, Jimmy D, engineered, among many others, Television's Marquee Moon, Gang of Four's Entertainment, the Art Ensemble of Chicago's Bap-Tizum and Roxy Music's The Thrill of It All?)
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|272 posts found
Novice Member
Joined: 11/09/06
Originally posted by cheyane
ah man now im sad asswell :( EQOA (yes ps2 console MMO:P) had the same settings oh god i miss it.
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Novice Member
Joined: 1/02/12
I know of a well-known game in which you can get end-game gear solo. It's really boring to do so, though.
Novice Member
Joined: 1/22/07
Originally posted by maplestone
It wasn't always like this. Grouping up while leveling was the common thing to do, for many reasons. Won't get into details.
Soloers crying for ages managed to achieve what they wanted. Now soloing is the most efficient way to level up.
And here comes stage 2. End game and hardest content also soloable.
Novice Member
Joined: 6/24/06
Originally posted by TheScavenger
Because MMORPG's were meant for COMMUNITY. There are 100% soloable RPG's though...on XBox360 and PS3...where they were meant for.
Novice Member
Joined: 12/11/12
Advanced Member
Joined: 7/16/09
Originally posted by TheScavenger
You can offer players choices. But let's be honest, players have much too often a utilitarian view (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarian) on games. If you offer group content and equivalent solo content players are going the path of least resistance.
There is nothing that can be done to help a soloist. A company can make the game in a way that allows to level, quest and explore most of the world on their own ways (and without help). But there are also those other players that want some group content and some more challenge (i.e. coordinating a group of people isn't that easy). Companies try to cater to both camps of players. And now a soloist complains that there are activities they can't endulge in?
If you take MMORPGs like WoW of SWToR a soloist can take on the old group content (provided his/her toon outlevels the content). If it's just to see the content once that should suffice. But take some group content with levers or puzzles where more than one person is required. In order to make it viable for soloists this content would need to be redone (and the puzzle changed conpletely).
You can't always please everyone.
Novice Member
Joined: 1/17/12
Originally posted by theAsna
Anyways, "levers or puzzles" ? What games do you play?
We have no levers and puzzles, and during wotlk we went to AQ just to see newbie people who flamed guildies that they died at sarth3d die 4 times at twin emps, unable absorb the tactics without bossmods, nearly every week...
The bar is rather low, no tactics, levers or the sheer number of people required there.
Noone says it would be easy, just the things you would have to consider regarding loot could fill a page of text if not more.
But it is possible, no 7 day lockout, no mobs that oneshot everybody and are completely immune to cc, that enrage and reset, just so that you have to have a group.
If a soloist wants to kill a mob in 100 minutes that a group of 10 kills in 10minutes, why shouldnt he?
Flame on!
Novice Member
Joined: 4/29/06
There once was an MMO that did a decent job ( I didn't say perfect, because it was flawed but the right concept was there) on solo v. grouping. For one thing, players did not have levels attached to them. People from the newbie that just logged in for the first time to the player who was close to being "fully developed" (there were skill trees and a person could design their own "template" until they ran out of skill points to unlock new boxes/skills) could group together in rather large groups(I think groups maxed out at 20) and EVERYONE got the same amount of XP from kills. There were certain animals that even a maxed character had to be grouped to get missions from mission terminal and those offered the max XP in the game of 500. It was possible to solo to completed template but grouping was quicker. Also, there were "dungeons" and "bosses" that were designed to need groups.
Unfortunately, game designers did not put into the equation that people would find ways to make stronger armor and buffs than intended and that people would find the "perfect" template combining these factors so that there were those that could solo EVERYTHING in the game. Instead of groups working together on missions, solo groups became popular with people using groups to access the best missions from the terminals but soloing the spawns. Then WoW came on the scene and MMO companies saw that there was potential for a much larger player base. Rather than "tweak" numbers to fix the game that existed, the company totally changed the game to try chasing after the WoW numbers and players who wanted games to be easier/more solo-able.
I personally hate the concept of "end-game" but part of the problem with players having levels is it leads to soloing up to end game. I haven't played WoW in a while but I've made around three attempts at playing it, each attempt lasting a month or two. It was always frustrating hitting a point in the quest line that had a group quest because it meant trying to find enough people who were around the same level, perhaps even had the same quest, in order to do the quest. The other option was to get high enough to be able to solo something designed for group but still low enough to get decent xp from it....or high enough to solo it with very little xp, doing it just to see what the like and get the loot/money from it. Then "endgame" becomes the point in the game for "forced" grouping because at that point people are maxed level and everyone who has hit "endgame" is the same level. Not sure why anyone would want "endgame" content to be solo-able because I still don't understand the importance of endgame. Is it to make your character strong enough for when more levels are added and that is no longer the end of the game? *shrugs*
Anyway, on the subject of solo v groups, there is a reason this genre of games is called MMOrpg. As others have said, there are plenty of solo games available. If all a person wants to do with other people is PvP, there are also plenty of solo games with a multiplayer pvp option. An mmo should not be designed to be 100% solo-able. For me, the "perfect" balance would be a game in which one could totally develop their character using solo-able stuff without extreme frustration BUT there would be motivation to group (such as higher xp from grouping) and there would be 1. things in game that a higher player could solo but a group of lower players could also do (20 players with the newbie gun that was in the inventory the first time they logged in killing a big bad dragon is not only fun to participate in but can be hilarious to watch), 2. things in the game that could not be done solo by ANYONE (not that it necessarily takes a group of maxed out players because that leads too much to elitist guilds plus I love mixed groups where higher players help lower players).
Elite Member
Joined: 11/16/07
The fact that developers have already made games as "solo freindly" as they are, is prime reason, imo, that the genre has gone down the toilet in the last 6-8 years.
As Raph Koster of SWG design fame has said, "MMOs, in regards to the original implementation, are no longer being made. What is being made now are signle player games in shared space."
As such, there is already too much in "modern MMOs" that can be solo'd. TOR being a prime example, where you never needed interact with another player during the whole time leveling up a toon. And this is a weakness in an MMO, this lack of need for player interdependency and community, is a prime reason TOR crashed so spectacularly.
100% solo MMO? Bad for the genre that has already gone too far in that direction.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 6/11/08
I think with my heart and move with my head.-Kongos
I don't know, it's an interesting thought experiment. All content can be done 100% solo, but the world is also something of a sandbox, where players can have land, rent houses, whatever. They have the option of doing content in groups, but it really is optional.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
Originally posted by Onomas
Group co-op is not the only interaction out there, is it? Trading is an interaction. AH is an interaction.
And i think you get it reverse. It is not people want SP console games as a MMORPG, it is MMORPG devs want to capture the SP console game players as a part of their audience, and integrate SP game elements into MMORPGs.
Lastly, do you really think solo-ability is not a MMORPG issue? With so many MMORPG touting the ability to solo in them.
Novice Member
Joined: 7/05/11
Sandbox is your only hope for a decent mmo ;)
Originally posted by nariusseldon
Do you even know what a mmorpg is, the definition is, and how odd your statement sounds? MMO = massively multiplayer online.................. Doesnt say massively singleplayer online. Here since you still dont get it let me draw you a picture:
See the top left picture is singleplayer, see the solo character.
See the top right is online games with multiplayer function like statistica, moba, etc without the world and fun. Anywhere from 2-a few dozen players that can interact with things that are linked, but not shared.
See the bottom picture is a MMO/MMORPG. Its a whole lot of people in a circle, the circle represents a world, and they all interact at the same time and have lots of fun.
I still cant believe you do not understand the difference and want the entire industry to change for your views of what a mmo is.
And yes single player style games should stay out of mmorpg's, it does nothing but ruin what mmorpgs stand for. Go put some mmorpg into a single player console and be happy with that.
Solo PvE content in a PvP MMO where you need to group up to overcome the PvP obstacles.
Problem solved & a perfect game.
Originally posted by Onomas
I go with this industry definition:
And since that includes LOL .. certainly there is SP game features in MMOs.
Do YOU know what the current MMO definition is?
Advanced Member
Joined: 8/10/12
Playing 100% solo is boring as shit. I can play solo for a while before I get bored (but not overly long), but even then, I'm constantly watching chat to see if anyone wants to group for content I want to do. If everything was 100% solo, I would get very bored, very quickly.
I personally love seeing LFG this and that. It gives me motivation to level to do it myself with others. I like grouping with other players and having fun.
I think games are FAR too solo-heavy as it is and needs to be scaled back. 50-50 is probably fine, but it's currently like 80-20 for soloing.
I generally don't level up just to do things myself. I level up, obtain gear, etc., to be more useful in group situations, and to show off a little while I'm at it if possible.
That being said, OP, I woudln't be surprised if a 100% solo game is in the works. I just don't think it'll last.
Originally posted by Aviggin
To be fair, i prefer LFD grouping to level in a MMO. But i also understand there are those who prefer solo more. Boring to you is not boring to others, i hope you understand that.
Actually if a game is MMO .. hence online, there is usually a MP component. Even games like Diablo and Torchlight 2 are not 100% solo.
If you think about it all MMO games are solo play. Why or how dare I say that? I will tell you why or how dare I say it because you have to pick a class or a race that YOU like then you have to lvl up your avatar to achieve the goals of the game weather it be healing or dps or taking or whatever your role is. Then if you play PVE with npc running your quest or even if you play with other real live players if you fail on your part in whatever instence or raid or for that matter just solo playing lvling up and you die by trash mobs then guess what it not the fault of a group or the trash mobs or the boss that your raid just wiped on it is your fault no one else fault because you could not play your toon to a solo point to contribute a wining outcome.
So to answer the OP is yes you can solo everything 100% in a MMO.
Just remember your victory is just that your victory. Also you fail is just that your fail. You soloed it no one else but you.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 8/25/10
Elite Member
Joined: 7/05/12
Those who ask a question, are stupid for 30 seconds. Those who never ask, are stupid for life.
Originally posted by nariusseldon
Yes, this.
For one, I find grouping MUCH easier than going at something solo. In groups, I barely have to pay attention to what is going on or what I'm doing. Same with raids, especially the larger 25 man (and even more so in 50 man) raids. Going at something solo, I have to be on my feet...really pay attention to what is going on.
Now I do group once in a while. And I find looking for dungeon/raids a great feature to motivate to join groups. No need to stand around for an hour waiting for the raid to fill up. And I can turn off sound, so I don't have to listen to an armchair strategist telling (or in some cases, yelling) me what to do. I can instead just focus on the game, and not hear some guys voice.
Also, going at something solo...I can take my time doing something. In groups, its rush rush rush...solo...I just go at my own pace. I can go afk any time if something comes up, I don't have to be at my chair for hours and hours...I can take a lot of breaks.
A lot of reasons why solo is more fun and better. And like mentioned, just because I'm not in a group...doesn't mean I'm not contributing to the community and game or not socializing at all.
Hard Core Member
Joined: 7/29/10
Magic Propels my Rolly Chair.
I'm sorry, who are these people and what are their credentials?


text:
New to the forum and New to drums.
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Indonesia
Posts: 8
New to the forum and New to drums.
I'm a 25 year old male Living in Jakarta. I started drumming about a year ago, There's a long story about how i picked up but mainly from games and the love for music. I am currently studying drums at a Yamaha school. I came here to look for tips n tricks that could help me with some of my shortcomings and also to find new drum idols.
I am most interested in playing progressive type songs be it jazz,rock,classical,etc and my favourite drummers are mostly from japanese groups and bands mainly because I listen to mostly Japanese songs but I also listen to some english songs with well known drummers. Just to name some from the western side, Dave Weckl, Mike Portnoy, Andrea Vadrucci, Buddy Rich, Bill Bruford; And the Japanese side Akira kawasaki, Akira Jimbo, Kozo Suganuma, drummer from 96 (Composes metal-prog songs for Drum mania game series, their identity is a mystery:(..I think..).
So yeah, I would actually love it if I could be able to play like one of those drummers i've listed but I know it's still a long, looong way before I can begin to even learn anything like what they're playing. I still have to master the basics and rudiments n stuff. Well that's enough about me. Hope to be able to learn something from you guys and one day contribute in one way or another \o/ .
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Palmer Drug Abuse increases summer hours
In anticipation of the upcoming summer break for young adults and teens, the Palmer Drug Abuse Program has increased the hours and number of day centers in Corpus Christi, Kingsville and Alice. In addition to providing a safe and drug-free environment, these locations are staffed with counselors to assist those teens and young adults who are in crisis or at rick.
Palmer Drug Abuse provides various services, such as day centers, counseling, evening and weekend activities, group meetings and retreats free to the public.
Information: 887-8900.
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Most of your steam problems start when the customer wants a price on a new steam boiler. The larger number of steam boilers installed are over sized. This practice causes short cycling of the boiler that reduces the efficiency and also creates system problems.
The proper way to size a steam boiler is measure the existing radiation. Convert all the radiation to sq. ft. of steam or commonly called EDR. Most of the time do not add any thing for piping or anything else. There are a few things to keep in mind. If the horizontal mains in the basement are not insulated insulate them. (See chart for BTU loss of steel pipe ). After sizing all the radiation grab the manufacturers brochure and select the boiler from the sq ft of steam available. (Brochure )
Proper steam boiler operation starts with the near boiler piping. The piping of steam boilers has not changed in the last 100 years or so. The piping diagrams must be followed to the tee for a good operation. Always use iron pipe above the water line of the boiler. Copper may be used below the water line if you choose. A few reasons we do not want copper above the water level although it is not against national codes, is the steam can leach the copper from the piping and these copper molecules get back into the boiler and a galvanic reaction occurs. This will shorten the life of the boiler. Another reason is copper pipes expand (see expansion of pipes ) far more than black iron pipe. This will stress the joints more than screw or welded pipe joints. All the piping around the boiler has names. Let's get familiar with these terms.
The condensate return is the pipes that carry the condensate; steam, which condensed back into water, back to the boiler. There are two types of condensate return pipes. They are known as DRY returns and WET returns. The only difference is the location of the pipes. If the return pipe is above the water line it is called a dry return. If the condensate return pipe is below the water line it is a wet return. The wet return is under the water level all the time, which becomes loaded with debris over many years. These wet returns are known as the garbage dump of the system. It is a good idea to replace them when a new steam boiler is installed is a residential application.
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Hartford Loop
The hartford loop was first designed as boiler protection so if the wet return would spring a leak all the water would not drain out of the boiler and cause a dry fire. Dry firing the boiler means there is no water in the boiler and the boiler continues to fire. This will crack the boiler and require a boiler replacement. Never add water to a dry fire condition unless the boiler has had ample time to cool down. Adding water to a very hot boiler may cause physical injury or damage to the boiler and or property. A hartford loop should be installed on all steam boilers unless the boiler has a pumped return from a condensate pump or boiler feed unit. Never install check valves in the return lines of residential steam boilers with dry or wet returns.
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2" Distance on Hartford Loop
The 2" distance shown on the drawing for the hartford loop is a critical distance. This is the distance from the normal water level (NWL) is to the top of the elbow on the hartford loop. Follow the manufacturers instructions in the I & O manual. If in doubt use the top of the elbow. If this horizontal distance becomes too high or too low it can affect performance or create noises. The horizontal piping from the tee or wye to the hartford loop should be as close as possible. If that connection becomes too long it also could cause noises.
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24" Distance
The 24" distance shown in the drawing is the distance from the normal water line (NWL) to the centerline of the header. This is a minimum distance. The higher the header the better. Our concern is to make the steam as dry as possible. Longer pipes from the boiler to the header will allow more water to drop out of the steam as it travels up the boiler raiser to the header.
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Dropped Header
Dropped headers may be used when the installation will have low ceilings or anytime you want drier steam. The boiler risers will go up the required minimum 24" and elbow horizontal and elbow back down. The more piping and fittings the steam goes through the drier the steam gets.
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Thursday, May 15, 2014
Staying beautiful is expensive.
After the Murrells Inlet 2020 Board of Directors saw its funds cut from the $18,250 recommended by the countys A-tax committee to the $14,100 approved by Georgetown County Council,
it took a second look at its mowing program, paid for, in large part, with Georgetown County Accommodations Tax funds.
The organization contracts with a private vendor to mow the median and pick up the trash that accumulates in the area at a cost of about $1,000 for each mowing and trash pickup.
At the same time, the group heard a request from Patrick Paladino, a Murrells Inlet resident, to upgrade the plantings along U.S. Highway 17 and make the median more attractive.
Paladino prepared a preliminary, hand-drawn sketch of his ideas for shrubs and trees along U.S. 17, created after a consultation with staff at True Blue Nursery.
Frankly, he told the board, you see the areas in Litchfield, in other areas, and were boring.
Board chairman Sean Bond pointed out that right now, the board is having a difficult time securing money just to keep the grass mown.
Our first order of business, Bond said, is to keep the grass mown.
He also noted that four or five organizations were responsible for the plantings along the median.
The DOT is responsible for saying what you can and cant do, and right now, its more what you cant do, Bond said.
Linda Lane, an advisory board member, pointed out that golfer Lou Krieger and a group of his friends personally maintain the median in Surfside
He went to DOT and personally found out the rules. He and his friends personally take care of all that, she said.
As for the issue of A-Tax funding, Sue Sledz, the executive director, noted that with the change in funding approved by Georgetown County Council, Murrells Inlet 2020 would have to come up with a $7,400 match instead of the $3,000 the organization had expected.
Stephen Williams said that the Program Committee had discussed getting out of the business of roadside maintenance.
We didnt believe, I dont believe that its a long-term business we need to be involved in. Its typically a county responsibility.
Williams also noted it could be a question of liability as well.
Jim Wilkie noted that its an amortization thing.
Its just increasing and increasing and increasing until we are paying for the whole thing.
It has been on this table for years, to get this mowing, said Sandra Bundy. There are a lot of citizens in this community who are glad and are giving us money to pay for this.
Wilkie suggested a dedicated fundraiser to pay for mowing.
Thats $27,000; thats a lot of money, he said.
Bond said that there was $823,000 in requests this year, but only $488,000 available, so tremendous cuts were made across the board. He said originally the goal was to use the A-Tax funds as a catalyst to get the project going and then have the businesses take it over.
Bond suggested that the group consider cutting back on the scope of the project and see what can be done with $17,000, so the board would still provide a $3,000 match.
Bond suggested that the group accept the A-Tax money and put the mowing out to bid, see what the bids come back at and discuss the next move at the June meeting.
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