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The Partnership Center Newsletter
February 8, 2013 Edition
In this issue, you will find…
- Letter from Partnership Center Acting Director, Acacia Bamberg Salatti
- Featured Update: Statement from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on African-American History Month
- 100 Congregations for Million Hearts
- Help From the Affordable Care Act to Quit Smoking and Live Longer
- National Health Service Corps expands the primary care workforce
- HHS Announces Health Insurance Marketplace, New Tools to Learn More
- Let's Move Faith and Communities: Bread for the City's Food Pantry Ensures Access to Nutritious, Affordable Food
- American Heart Month
- Spotlight on Staff: Ari Schoenholtz
- Upcoming Events
- Grant Opportunities
In February, we celebrate African-American History Month. We at the HHS Partnership Center thought it would be most appropriate to share Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' thoughts marking the occasion with you, our stakeholders and colleagues. Working with all of you, our Center strives to make a positive impact on diverse communities and congregations throughout the country. We hope the Secretary's words inspire you as we observe this special month.
Acacia Bamberg Salatti, Acting Director
Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Featured Update
Statement from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on African-American History Month
Today, we celebrate the beginning of African-American History Month and honor the remarkable contributions that African-Americans have made to the nation's progress. At HHS, we honor the opportunities in public health, medicine, and scientific research made possible by leading African-Americans across the country.
During this year, we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, and pay tribute to the pioneers who came before us and commit to build on their legacies. It seems only fitting that the theme for African-American History Month is 'At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: the Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.'
African-Americans are part of what makes this country great and our nation's health and health care system has been strengthened and transformed by their steadfast commitment to ensuring a system of health equity. During this month, we recall Dr. Charles Drew, whose work led to the life-saving ability to store blood plasma; Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, who performed the first successful heart surgery in 1893; and Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African-American professionally trained nurse. In more recent times, we recognize such leaders in public health and health equity as Dr. David Satcher, who served as Surgeon General of the United States, Assistant Secretary for Health and Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
We honor these medical trailblazers by carrying on their work to advance health care and expand access to care. Without access to quality health care and the security of health insurance for all Americans, we cannot truly have freedom and equal opportunity for all. This administration is committed to building a nation where every American has a fair shot to achieve his or her dreams. For too long, African-Americans have faced challenges getting the health care they need, and consequently, their opportunities have been limited.
Building on our first ever HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, the Affordable Care Act takes steps to ensure all Americans have the opportunity to live out their full potential by bringing down health care costs, investing in prevention, eliminating the worst of insurance industry abuses, and ensuring millions more Americans have health insurance. The health care law is making preventive services such as flu shots and cancer screenings more accessible than ever and available at no out-of-pocket cost to millions of Americans with private insurance, including 5.5 million African-Americans. The health care law is also helping states expand Medicaid eligibility and it's strengthening Medicare for our seniors and people with disabilities.
The law also expands coverage to millions of previously uninsured Americans through the new Health Insurance Marketplace. Those that are uninsured or underinsured will be able to shop for health insurance through their state's Health Insurance Marketplace, where they will be able to compare plans based on price, benefits, quality, and other important features and choose the one that best suits their needs. Enrollment begins Oct. 1, 2013. If you need health insurance or know someone who does, you can visit www.HealthCare.gov and learn how to prepare for the new Marketplace and how to get help or help others get the health care they need.
At every level, we are working hard at HHS to make a healthier America by eliminating disparities, increasing diversity of the nation's health care workforce, and improving the health of all communities. Join us this month as we recognize the achievements of African-Americans and move toward the day when every American has the chance to live a healthy life and contribute to their community and country.
For more information about the Affordable Care Act and the Health Insurance Marketplace, please see www.HealthCare.gov.
Follow @HealthCareGov on Twitter and like HealthCare.gov on Facebook.
Learn more about what HHS is doing to fight health disparities at www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov.
Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
100 Congregations for Million Hearts
By Acacia Bamberg Salatti, Acting Director, HHS Partnership Center
Heart disease and stroke are two of the leading causes of death in the United States. The societal cost of cardiovascular disease is not a price we can afford and the opportunity to affect change by reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in the population is far too ripe to ignore. Co-led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Million Hearts is a national initiative that HHS launched in September 2011 to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. By focusing on clinical and community initiatives to combat one of the most common, costly and preventable chronic diseases facing us in the 21st century, Million Hearts™ brings together communities, health systems, non-profit organizations, federal agencies, and private-sector partners from across the country to fight heart disease and stroke.
The magnitude of this problem necessitates a focus on population health with particular attention to communities disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease. It is in this spirit that Million Hearts has developed a plan to address health disparities in minority populations. 100 Congregations is a component of that plan.
The goal of 100 Congregations for Million Hearts is to enlist the support of faith-based organizations in increasing awareness and action around cardiovascular disease prevention by focusing on hypertension control. Participating congregations will commit to designating a Million Hearts advocate from among the membership to serve as a resource for heart health information and warehouse for clinical referrals. In addition to the Million Hearts Advocate, congregations are being asked to establish and/or strengthen relationships with local providers (community pharmacists, community health centers and community health workers); disseminate messages about the importance of hypertension control; promote the risk check challenge app (an app that helps consumers determine and reduce heart risk); and distribute hypertension tracking walled cards. This effort will be launched in five cities: Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Diego and Tulsa.
We invite you to attend the launch in Baltimore on Thursday, February 21st from 1:00-3:00pm at the CMS Auditorium (7500 Security Blvd. Baltimore, MD 21244).
Help From the Affordable Care Act to Quit Smoking and Live Longer
By Dr. Howard K. Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health
Quitting smoking by age 35 may add 10 years to your life, according to a new article in the New England Journal of Medicine. And quitting even in middle age can increase your life expectancy by as many as six years. In fact, non-smokers are twice as likely to live to age 80 compared to smokers.
That's why the Administration is focused on helping people, especially youth, from taking up smoking in the first place and helping adult smokers quit. It's not easy to stop smoking. The good news is that now, because of the Affordable Care Act, Americans have greater access than ever to resources to help them quit.
For many Americans with private health insurance plans, tobacco use screenings for all adults, cessation interventions for tobacco users, and expanded counseling for pregnant women who smoke will be covered at no out-of-pocket cost. And seniors and people with disabilities with Medicare who smoke or use tobacco products are now covered for counseling to help them stop.
But that's not all we are doing. We are making an unprecedented investment in programs like the Million Hearts initiative, because cigarette smokers are 2-4 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than nonsmokers. And a national ad campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention helped tens of thousands of smokers to quit. Through investments in programs like these, we can prevent and detect heart disease early and we can get people the information they need to stop smoking and make good health decisions.
Quitting smoking may be the single most effective thing you can do to improve your life expectancy, according to the article's findings. And now the Affordable Care Act can help you find the way to quit and add years to your life.
Visit BeTobaccoFree.gov for additional resources on quitting and preventive tips for youth.
For more information about the CDC's Tips From Former Smokers ad campaign, see http://www.cdc.gov/tips.
Listen to the Podcast: Be Tobacco Free.
National Health Service Corps expands the primary care workforce
Physicians to practice in communities that need them most
On February 6, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the National Health Service Corps awarded more than $10 million in funding for loan repayment to 87 medical students in 29 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, who will serve as primary care doctors and help strengthen the health care workforce.
Made possible by the Affordable Care Act, the National Health Service Corps' Students to Service Loan Repayment Program provides financial support to fourth year primary care medical students in exchange for their service in the communities that need them most. In addition to Corps clinicians currently providing care, nearly 1,000 students, residents, and health providers receive scholarships or participate in the Student to Service Loan Repayment program to prepare to practice.
"This new National Health Service Corps initiative is an innovative approach to encouraging more medical students to work in primary care, and to bring more primary care doctors to communities," Secretary Sebelius said. "This is an important part of the administration's commitment to building the future health care workforce."
The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Students to Service pilot program provides loan repayment assistance of up to $120,000 to medical students in MD and DO programs in their last year of education in return for their commitment to practice in the communities that need them most upon completion of their primary care residency.
"The average medical school debt is often more than $200,000," said HRSA Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N. "The Students to Service program help relieve a tremendous debt burden, allowing them to follow their passion for primary care." These newest NHSC providers must provide three years of full-time service or six years of half-time service in designated rural and urban areas.
As a result of historic investments in the Affordable Care Act and the Recovery Act, the numbers of National Health Service Corps clinicians are at all-time highs. The number of providers serving in the Corps has nearly tripled since 2008. Today nearly 10,000 National Health Service Corps providers are providing primary care to approximately 10.4 million people at nearly 14,000 health care sites in urban, rural, and frontier areas.
In October, Secretary Sebelius announced that $229.4 million was invested in the National Health Service Corps in 2012 to support more doctors and nurses and increase access to primary care. These investments included nearly 4,600 loan repayment and scholarship awards to clinicians and students, and grants to 32 states to support state loan repayment programs.
For more information about NHSC programs, please visit www.NHSC.hrsa.gov.
HHS Announces Health Insurance Marketplace, New Tools to Learn More
In eight months, starting on October 1, 2013, millions of Americans will be able to sign up for quality, affordable health care. In January 2014 the health insurance coverage will begin. HHS has created new tools to educate people about the new insurance options. To learn more about the Health Insurance Marketplace, visit www.HealthCare.gov and click on the orange tab. You may also want to sign up for updates on the Marketplaces on this page as well.
The Health Insurance Marketplace, sometimes called an "Exchange", will be where people can learn about affordable health insurance. People will be able to compare all of their health insurance options in one place, and know that plans are meeting state and federal standards. Health insurance will also be more affordable for many families, thanks to new rules that make it easier to get help with costs. Different financial assistance programs will be directly linked in, including Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and tax credits that can help pay private health plan premiums in advance.
Small businesses will be able to use this new program to make health insurance available to their employees. They will have the option to offer coverage from multiple insurers, choose the level of coverage they will offer, and define how much they will contribute towards their employee's coverage.
Each month in the HHS Partnership Center Newsletter we will update you on new developments in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Please also visit the Affordable Care Act and You section of our website, www.hhs.gov/partnerships for new webinars, including an updated tour of www.HealthCare.gov and new materials on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Let's Move Faith and Communities:
Bread for the City's Food Pantry Ensures Access to Nutritious, Affordable Food
At the heart of the issue of childhood obesity is a paradox: while one in three American children is overweight or obese, over 16 million children continue to live in food-insecure households where putting food on the table, let alone healthy food, is a daily struggle. Bread for the City's food pantry, the largest in Washington, DC, has completely transformed its food delivery model to include healthy fare through an innovative combination of urban agriculture, gleaning and free farmers markets. The organization provides a great model for how other food pantries and programs can address hunger while also providing healthy, nourishing food for its clients.
Bread for the City serves 31,609 low-income District of Columbia residents through its medical and legal clinics, as well as its social services program. The organization is well aware that its food pantry may be the only source of healthy foods for the over 9,000 people per month who rely on its offerings – and it is committed to delivering it! At Bread for the City, food pantry "bushels" of ramen noodles and other instant foods have been replaced by lean meats, whole grains and fresh produce, as well as the one-on-one nutritional and culinary guidance to go with it.
The organization focuses on the District's most vulnerable populations: the elderly, the disabled, and families with children, all with annual house incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty line. Its programs include:
- Glean for the City: Weekly volunteer excursions to local farmers markets (and the occasional farm itself) to collect fresh produce (apples, corn, squash, etc.) that would otherwise go to waste. This season, Bread for the City collected an average of 2,000 lbs. of produce each week. Since Glean for the City's inception in July 2009, over 172,000 lbs. of free fresh produce has been collected and distributed through the organization's food pantry locations.
- City Orchard: In 2011, Bread for the City finalized a grant with the University of the District of Columbia to grow an orchard on a 2.75 acre plot of land in nearby Beltsville, MD. With this new resource, called City Orchard, it anticipates it will be able to provide clients with hundreds of tons of fresh fruit (including apples, Asian pears, blueberries, and more).
- Rooftop Garden: Within city limits, Bread for the City cultivates the largest rooftop garden in the DC-metro area. The 3,500 square-foot garden in Northwest DC provides space for workshops focused on gardening and nutrition. A second rooftop garden is in the works at the organization's Southeast Center. Beyond serving as a sustainable produce supply for the city's poor, City Orchard and the Rooftop Garden provide an invaluable resource for conducting field trips and engaging clients on topics such as nutrition, growing produce, and urban gardening.
- Free Farmers Markets: Through a grant from the Capital Area Food Bank, Bread for the City's Food Program runs a seasonal Free Farmers Market where it distributes thousands of pounds of free produce. In addition, at each market it provides healthy food samples, helps eligible clients apply for SNAP and WIC benefits, gives cooking demonstrations, and hosts arts and crafts activities like face-painting.
Bread for the City and its programming is a shining example of how food pantries, non-profit groups, and communities can work together to encourage healthy choices and ensure access to nutritious, affordable food.
Heidi Christensen is Associate Director for Community Engagement at theHHS Partnership Center. Pam Niesen is an intern at theUSDA Partnership Center.
American Heart Month
February is also American Heart Month, a time to think about what you can do to take care of your heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Every year, about 715,000 Americans have a heart attack and about 600,000 people die from heart disease in the United States each year – that's 1 out of every 4 deaths.
The situation is alarming, but there is good news: most risk factors for heart disease – including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity, and smoking – are preventable and controllable. Controlling these risks could reduce your risk of a heart attack by 80 percent.
We can start by taking small steps every day to bring our loved ones and ourselves closer to heart health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is providing a tip a day throughout February, but you can take these small steps all year long.
The five major symptoms of a heart attack are
- Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back.
- Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint.
- Chest pain or discomfort.
- Pain or discomfort in arms or shoulder.
- Shortness of breath.
- If you think that you or someone you know is having a heart attack, call 9–1–1 immediately.
In her Statement on American Heart Month, Secretary Sebelius also discusses several partnerships between HHS and public and private partners to raise awareness of heart disease. These include:
- Million Hearts is a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017, by educating the public and health care professionals and bringing together diverse partners from across the country to fight heart disease and stroke.
- The Heart Truth shares stories of women who have been touched by heart disease, increases awareness of women's personal risk factors and empowers them to take healthy steps to reduce their risk.
- First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative provide adults and children with resources and tips to make heart healthy changes in their lives.
- Haga La Llamada. ¡No Pierda Tiempo! is geared toward Latinas and builds on the Make the Call. Don't Miss a Beat campaign. The new Spanish-language campaign aims to educate and encourage Spanish-speaking women to call 9-1-1 when they or their mothers, sisters and friends, experience any symptom of a heart attack.
You can also follow Million Hearts and The Heart Truth on Facebook and Twitter for even more ways to protect your heart and live a longer, healthier life.
- Like Million Hearts and The Heart Truth on Facebook.
- Follow @TheHeartTruth and @MillionHeartsUS on Twitter.
Together, we can prevent heart disease, one step at a time.
Spotlight on Staff: Ari Schoenholtz
My name is Ari Schoenholtz and I'm a Program Analyst at the HHS Partnership Center. I manage our Center's efforts to support the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative through Let's Move Faith and Communities. I also help produce our communications efforts, such as the newsletter you're reading and many of the toolkits and 1-pagers featured on our website, as well as external presentations like our webinars. Within the Department, I coordinate our Center's relationships with HHS staff who serve as liaisons to faith-based and community organizations in the 10 HHS regions across the country. Finally, I have the privilege of managing the Partnership Center's Internship program, which offers interns the opportunity to work closely with our staff and with faith and neighborhood leaders who prioritize wellness as a key dimension of care for their constituents.
My favorite part of my job is sharing ideas and creating resources to help faith and neighborhood leaders across the country make their communities healthier. For example, through the programs and resources offered by Let's Move Faith and Communities – such as the Clearinghouse of Best Practices, the Communities on the Move Video Challenge and our monthly webinars – our Center shines a spotlight on leaders who are transforming how their communities eat and exercise. These leaders witness firsthand many of the obstacles their congregants and community members face in the journey to good health and have a unique ability to inspire people to make positive changes for themselves and their families. I really enjoy lifting up these leaders' voices and sharing their best practices so that others can learn from them and adapt these programs for their own communities.
Over the coming year, I'm excited to continue brainstorming with leaders and highlighting innovative models of community health. My focus will continue to be on encouraging wellness leadership, since efforts to improve a community's health can only grow strong roots in a community where there is leadership in place to nurture it and make it happen. The most effective wellness leaders weave the importance of healthy living into the fabric of a congregation or organization's role within a community, or as one of my colleagues likes to say, they "build wellness into the character of their communities." Our support helps these leaders establish a foundation for long-term, sustainable change in their congregations and communities. I love doing my part to make that possible.
Upcoming Events
Interactive Webinars on the Health Care Law
The HHS Partnership Center continues to host a series of webinars for faith and community leaders. All webinars are open to the public and include a question and answer session where you can ask HHS staff any questions you may have. We also encourage you to submit questions you would like to have answered on the webinars to email@example.com.
To participate in one of the webinars, please select your preferred topic from the list below and submit the necessary information. Please click on the title of the webinar and fill out the registration form. After registering you will receive an e-mail confirmation containing information about joining the webinar. Please contact us at email@example.com if you have problems registering or if you have any questions about the health care law.
National Webinars
February 12, 2:00 p.m. ET – The Health Care Law 101
February 21, 12:30 p.m. ET – Tour of HealthCare.gov
February 26, 3:00 p.m. ET – The Health Care Law 101 (in Spanish)
February 27, 2:00 p.m. ET – The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Outreach and Enrollment Campaign
March 7, 1:00 p.m. ET – The Health Care Law 101
March 19, 3:00 p.m. ET – The Health Care Law 101 (in Spanish)
Grant Opportunities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Grants Forecast is a database of planned grant opportunities proposed by its agencies. Each Forecast record contains actual or estimated dates and funding levels for grants that the agency intends to award during the fiscal year. Forecast opportunities are subject to change based on enactment of congressional appropriations.
When funding is available and an agency is ready to accept applications, the agency will issue an official notice, known as a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), which will be available on how to apply.
As always, the final section of our newsletter includes an updated grants listing that faith-based and community non-profits can pursue. All of these grant programs are competitive. It is important to review the funding announcement thoroughly to ensure that the grant opportunity is one that is appropriate to your organization's mission, size, and scope.
Grants Listings
Title:Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment Grants
Description: Funded under the Affordable Care Act, these grants will continue efforts to find and enroll eligible children in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). A total of $32 million is available. Grants are expected to range in size from $250,000 to $1 million for a two-year period, beginning June 1, 2013 and ending May 31, 2015.
Eligibility: States, local governments, community-based and non-profit organizations. Indian health care providers and tribal entities also are eligible to apply. (In addition, a separate funding opportunity exclusively for Indian health care providers and tribal entities will be made available for outreach and enrollment grants at a later time.)
Link to Full Announcement:Link to Full Announcement
Last Day to Apply: February 21, 2013
Grant is administered by the:Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Title: New Access Point Grants
Description: This announcement solicits applications for the Health Center Program's New Access Point (NAP) grants. Health centers improve the health of the Nation's underserved communities and vulnerable populations by ensuring access to comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services. Health Center Program grants support a variety of community-based and patient-directed public and private non-profit organizations that serve an increasing number of the Nation's underserved. Individually, each health center plays an important role in the goal of ensuring access to services, and combined, they have had a critical impact on the health care status of medically underserved and vulnerable populations throughout the United States and its territories.
Eligibility: Applicant must be a public or non-profit private entity, including tribal, faith-based, and community-based organizations.
Link to Full Announcement:Link to Full Announcement
Last Day to Apply: March 7, 2013
Grant is administered by the:Health Resources & Services Administration
Title: Adoption Recruitment Campaign and Response Initiative
Description: The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement is to establish, by awarding a cooperative agreement, a multimedia national adoption recruitment campaign to promote the adoption of children from the public child welfare foster care system to ensure that they have permanent adoptive homes with loving families and to establish a support system for the states in the utilization of the new media and appropriate recruitment response mechanisms so as to meet the requirements of the Child Health Act of 2000. The intended result of this work is to increase the number of adults willing to provide an adoptive home for children in foster care who are waiting for an adoptive family.
Eligibility: Faith-based and community organizations that meet eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement.
Link to Full Announcement:Link to Full Announcement
Last Day to Apply: March 7, 2013
Grant is administered by the:Administration for Children & Families
Title: Academic-Community Partnership Conference Series
Description: The purpose of this grant opportunity is to bring together academic institutions/organizations and community organizations to identify opportunities for addressing health disparities through the use of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). The objectives of meetings conducted as part of this award will be to: (1) establish and/or enhance academic-community partnerships; (2) identify community-driven research priorities, and (3) develop long-term collaborative CBPR research agendas.
Eligibility: Non-profit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status are encouraged to apply. The opportunity is also available to various governmental entities, local organizations, for-profit groups and small businesses.
Link to Full Announcement:Link to Full Announcement
Last Day to Apply: October 17, 2014
Grant is administered by the:National Institutes of Health


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The NACC Learning Center, located in downtown Johnson City, has several instructor-led classes scheduled for July.
"QuickBooks," from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, covers the basic features of QuickBooks, which is used to record and track business transactions. All recent versions of QuickBooks are included in the class. This class is designed for beginning to intermediate users of QuickBooks.
"QuickBooks Lab — Hands On," from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, is designed for QuickBooks users who already know the basics and want one-on-one help with their own data. Anyone who has completed the basic QuickBooks class is ready for this lab.
"Smart Phones for Business — How to Use Yours," from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, is designed for business people who want to get more return on their investment in a Blackberry, iPhone, or Android phone. After completing this class, attendees will be able to use their smart phone to see web pages, read email, stay in touch with their business, and update Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Lunch is included.
"Excel Essentials," from 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. July 11, covers everything needed to know to use Microsoft Excel. Emphasis is on easy-to-remember tips and techniques that help business people get more done faster in Microsoft Excel.
"Word Essentials," from 1:15 to 4:30 p.m. July 11, includes everything needed to know to use Microsoft Word. Customers who have taken this course report significant increases of speed and accuracy in using Word. Easy techniques to improve the overall appearance of Word documents are emphasized in the class.
"Facebook for Business — Hands On," from 8:30 a.m. to noon July 13, is designed for business people who already use Facebook, and for those just getting started with it. Topics to be covered include creating and modifying Facebook business pages, promoting a business page, advertising on Facebook, designing custom Facebook pages, and linking Facebook to Twitter and LinkedIn. Attendees will work on their own Facebook pages under the guidance of David Perot, NACC Learning Center general manager.
To register, or for more information, call the NACC Learning Center at 975-0274. The complete NACC Learning Center schedule is online at www.nacservice.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Spell Check of disappear
Correct spelling: disappear
Definition of disappear:
1) become invisible or unnoticeable; " The effect vanished when day broke"
2) cease to exist; " An entire civilization vanished"
3) become less intense and fade away gradually; " her resistance melted under his charm"
4) get lost, especially without warning or explanation; " He disappeared without a trace"
Common misspellings for disappear:
- dissapear (38%)
- disapear (28%)
- dissappear (13%)
- disapper (3%)
Examples of usage for disappear:
1) They could appear and disappear suddenly, and no one could tell how or where. "The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries", , W. Y. Evans Wentz.
2) I'm about to disappear the same way Kristen did. "Syndrome", , Thomas Hoover.
3) Stone Aimes was about to disappear, just like Kristen had. "Syndrome", , Thomas Hoover.


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The Mortgage Bankers Association reports a decrease in mortgage purchase activity last week, but an increase in refinancing activity, led by the new version of HARP, which is now in full swing. "The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 75.2 percent of total applications from 70.5 percent the previous week," the MBA writes, and about 32 percent of the refis came from HARP loans.
This is thoroughly unsurprising once you realize that banks have figured out a way to legally steal from their customers using HARP.
With profit margins on HARP 2.0 refinancings sky high, Wells Fargo & Co., is putting caps on the loan-to-value ratio it will accept from third-party lenders, National Mortgage News has learned […]
A new report from Amherst Securities found that some megabanks are making 3.5 to 7 points of profit on HARP 2.0 loans, in part because they are charging higher than market rates for the loans.
On industry advisor close to the issue, and who spoke under the condition his name not be used, said on a $200,000 loan (for example) some lenders have the ability to earn $10,000 in profit per loan. "They can earn up to 10 points," he said, but that profit margin only applies to loans that are already in their servicing portfolio.
The advisor noted that Wells is not doing anything wrong – but simply sees a huge market opportunity to earn a ton of money.
So far, the big banks have basically closed off HARP refis to competition. This enables them to earn higher profits by charging higher than market rates for the loans. The GSEs changed their underwriting formulas, allegedly to help third parties to refinance the loans. But now Wells (and presumably the other big banks) will cut off the refis they will do with third parties at 105% LTV. This defeats the entire purpose of HARP 2.0, which was to increase the LTV so more underwater current borrowers could access the market for refinancing.
There is a market opportunity for some lender to do a bunch of these refis, even with the roadblocks put up. They'd still make money without ripping off the homeowner and providing current market rates. But if that fails to materialize, expect lots more HARP 2.0 loans and lots more profit for the big banks. And the government will extol the virtues of getting mass refinancing to the public, without mentioning that the banks are taking a huge cut in the process.


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Forusbeen 50 4035 Stavanger Norway
"Statoil is an international energy company with operations in over 35 countries. Building on 40 years of experience from oil and gas production on the Norwegian continental shelf, we are committed to accommodating the world's energy needs in a responsible manner, applying technology and creating innovative business solutions.
We are proud to be sponsor Debating Matters because we believe in making a positive contribution to the development of young people who will shape the future of our world. The success of Statoil is down to individuals with the ability and desire to think critically and creatively, and with the skills and determination to achieve remarkable results. It is individuals like these who hold the key to a successful future for society as a whole. The Debating Mattere competition offers a unique opportunity to young thinkers to discuss the big issues of our time - such as climate, the environment and energy - that are important both to Statoil and to society, in a rational, fact based, cordial way. It provides a training ground where young people can develop first class reasoning and communication skills that will enable them to contribute in a range of settings later on."


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Ministry of 'radical hospitality' soothes soles, and souls, of homeless guests
Every third Thursday afternoon of every month, homeless men and women stand outside 1268 Jefferson in Memphis. Inside, a group of volunteers bustles about filling foot baths, preparing a meal, and getting out other supplies.
When all supplies are in order and volunteers have their assignments, Camille Bradley, coordinator of the Foot Clinic, gathers everyone to the front of the house for a quick prayer.
"Let us all be messengers of God's radical hospitality to our guests," Bradley says as the circle breaks and the volunteers move to their posts.
As the doors open and guests come in, they sit in two rooms and put their feet up. Volunteers wash their feet, physicians check for foot-related problems and health issues, shoe specialists offer fittings and, sometimes, new shoes.
"All you really do when you're homeless is walk," said Ashley Moore, a volunteer and former guest at the Manna House Foot Clinic.
"That means your feet hurt, especially when your shoes don't fit. But we have some guests now whose feet are starting to heal after just a few months of coming to the clinic. But even more than the physical healing, it is spiritual."
The clinic began about two years ago. Bradley, a regular volunteer at Manna House, was approached about the idea.
"We felt there was a need for something like it, but it was a question as to who would do it," Bradley said.
A youth minister at Trinity United Methodist Church, Bradley brought a proposal to her youth group. "We prayed about it, and decided that we could do it," she said.
Guests sign up for the foot clinic during the morning hours at Manna House, which opens its doors from 8 to 11:30 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
On those mornings, guests can get hot coffee, showers (Monday and Thursday for men, Tuesday for women), haircuts, and fresh clothes. The clinic takes place from 5 to 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.
Moore said they added a meal to the clinic because there is a soup kitchen that provides a meal at the same time.
"We don't want people to have to choose between eating and being taken care of," Moore said.
As some of the guests eat their meals, others come and sit on couches and chairs to have their feet washed by volunteers.
Jacqueline Denise Jones, a guest who has been coming to Manna House for years, says she loves the feeling of being pampered. "These people, they're good people," she said. "They make my feet feel so good."
After guests have their feet washed, they are seen by a volunteer from Mid-South Foot & Ankle Specialists. Dr. Christopher Hendrix said most of the problems he finds at the foot clinic involve diabetes, arthritis and blisters.
"We try to keep folks in pretty close," he said. "When people have chronic problems, sometimes we'll do a follow-up in our office."
Hendrix said the kind of care men and women can get at Manna House is unavailable anywhere else.
"There is not any other place in the city that does this," Hendrix claimed. "People can go to the emergency room if they are having an acute problem, but that really doesn't solve the problems that we see here."
In addition to being seen by the podiatrist, guests can be fitted for shoes by volunteers from Fleet Feet Sports in Memphis. Tommy Clark, a Fleet Feet volunteer, said they collect new and gently used footwear to donate to the men and women at Manna House.
"About 80 percent of the people we see are wearing the wrong-size shoe and the wrong shoe type," he says. "We try to get them shoes that really fit. It'll save their feet."
When all of the guests have been fed, washed and treated, the guests and volunteers sit and talk. Bradley claims that Manna House is "A little bit of heaven on Earth."
"This is a safe place," she says. "Everyone gets treated with respect, and we're always looking for volunteers, both for the morning Manna House and for the foot clinic. It's really about being a visible sign of hospitality."
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On the 13th
hole, Tiger's drive finished on a slight upslope of a waste bunker. He had
to clear a pretty significant lip and hit a 6- or 7-iron for the
178-yard shot. To play the shot, he gripped down on the club about an inch,
then lowered his right shoulder or angled his shoulders so the right one
was much lower than the left. From there he made normal, ball-first contact,
easily clearing the lip. In other words, he didn't swing down into the sand, but rather clipped the ball cleanly with more of a sweeping angle of approach. Unfortunately, he pulled the shot into a sandy lie on
the hill above the green and chunked his pitch into the greenside bunker.
From that position, on the short side, he opened his 60-degree wedge fairly flat. With only about 10 feet of green to work with, he had to create a lot of spin to keep the ball from rolling well past the hole. He produced the perfect amount of spin by using a steep, full backswing, really increasing the speed of the club through impact. He also swung to a full finish. The ball settled 18 inches from the hole, and he managed to save bogey and salvage a well-earned 69.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman


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Anyone who remembers his American history courses in grade and high school – when American history was still being taught, because very little of it is today – will also remember all the glowing, adulatory accounts in standard textbooks of Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. One encountered nary a disparaging word about them. They "saved the world," were "forward looking," or "ahead of their time," and "served selflessly" the cause of "democracy" and "social justice." These particular presidents appeared in those textbooks as squeaky clean, literal saints, and were held up as models of political and national leadership.
They could do no wrong, and if these real-life Dudley Do-Rights failed in their missions to reorient the electorate to be more easily led to moral adventures, the New Frontier, and Great Societies, it was all the fault of greedy obstructionists and other Snidely Whiplash villains in Congress or the Supreme Court.
Hobsbawm preferred one style of totalitarian architecture; Howard Zinn another.


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Letters to the Editor, Dec. 9
What we should worry about
The only thing "astoundingly foolish" about me is that I worked as a teacher in one of the most perilous, under-paid professional positions in this country, nurturing, educating and supporting latchkey kids who were in the DJJ system with no hope for a future. These were the kids that everyone wanted warehoused and out of the "regular" classroom. That is the damage Mr. Huff needs to worry about -- their future will be on our streets.
It would take a treatise over 500 pages long to discern who I think has served this country honorably and effectively as a president. That was not my intent, and I have been voting for the past 42 years.
If I were to give an opinion on the reign of George W. Bush, it would speak volumes about his ineffective leadership, micro-management and passivity during wartime. It was his blatant refusal to deal with health care reform that has led to Obamacare.
NCLB touted wonderful pedagogies -- but maybe now you should look at all of the tenured teachers leaving the field because they cannot support their families or pay their mortgages due to the lack of appreciation and salaries commensurate with the task. And you'd better pray real hard that someone devotes enough funding, training and incentives to help retain the teachers that are trying to keep more criminals off the streets.
Tanya Wilson
Peace, rather than war
An attempt to have John Heuer enter the Yanceyville Christmas Parade with his Veterans for Peace flag didn't work; he had promised Sue they would go Christmas shopping. Jokingly, I assured him I would get my wish list to him before Saturday.
Seriously, I want another year like 2013, with the world working together toward peaceful solutions. I knew John, having dedicated his entire adult life for peace, would gladly support my mission.
In 2013, major countries have come together to negotiate peace, rather than war. Rotary International held three Peace Forums in Berlin, Honolulu and Hiroshima. My daughter Linda and I attended the one in Hiroshima; there were 2,600 delegates representing 56 countries.
Recent polls show Americans want to stop war and the world seems war-weary. A letter from my American Legion Post 447 tells a sad story, but an encouraging message for peace. Money is short, renewals are coming in slowly and younger veterans are not joining.
I have fond memories as commander, Saturday night dances and camaraderie with my World War II veterans. However, I'd cash in all war memorials for peace.
The naysayers will always be with us. They may never open a Bible; they can quote the Scripture verbatim, "There will be wars and rumors of wars."
Our answers must be, "We have had the wars; let's enjoy our Creator's perfect world and share it with our neighbors."
Samuel H. Winstead


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Jake Arrieta
Dave Szymborski MLB Analyst For ESPN Joins Scott And Jeremy
"Davis has had a very up and down career," said Szymborski. "He's hitting .200 or less of late, and it's not really sustainable."
Though many in Baltimore are a bit panicked after Machado's injury, Szymborski points out that every team has injuries, and many also have far worse scenarios as a road to the playoffs.
Orioles Shut Down 4-1 By Former Teammate Arrieta
Last season, Baltimore traded Jake Arrieta to the Chicago Cubs. On Friday, the Orioles got to see firsthand how nicely the right-hander has developed in the National League.
Preview: Orioles At Cubs
While Baltimore's 161 homers lead the majors by a comfortable margin, that power has overshadowed an outstanding run by the pitching staff.
10 Biggest MLB First-Half Surprises
Let's look at the 10 biggest MLB first-half pleasant and unpleasant surprises.
National League Mid-Season Team MVPs
Sometimes a team's best players don't make the All-Star team. Here are the National League's mid-season team MVPs.
The Top 20 Baltimore Sports Stories Of 2013
As 2013 winds to an end, a look back at the most popular sports stories of the year (determined by your clicks!) is in order. Take a look back at the Baltimore sports fan's year in sports.
Bob Haynie: Have The Orioles Made The Right Moves?
July and the non-waiver portion of the Major League Baseball trade deadline has passed. I think it is fair to say that GM Dan Duquette and the Baltimore Orioles have been very proactive in trying to upgrade their roster.
Steve Davis: Feldman Trade Is Good One
I like the trade for Scott Feldman. He should help the Orioles. This isn't a barnburner, but it should make them better.
Orioles Trade Arrieta & Strop For Feldman & Clevenger From The Cubs
The Baltimore Orioles have traded Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop for two Chicago Cubs players: Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger. And Nolan Reimold has been activated from the 15-day disabled list.
Mark Zinno: The Most Dangerous Team In Baseball And The Best Pitcher On The Orioles
Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com joined Zinno to talk baseball and the Orioles. And while the Birds are playing extremely well right now, they aren't the most dangerous team in the game.
Ken Singleton Joins Zinno
"Sweet Swinging" Kenny Singleton, former Oriole and current broadcaster for the YES Network, joined Zinno to talk baseball and the Orioles.
Mark Zinno: Gausman Call-Up: Is It The Right Time?
Baseball Insider Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com joined Zinno to discuss the call-up of Kevin Gausman to make his first Major League start in Toronto on Thursday.


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Sediment Toxicity Assessment: Rationale for effect classes (5 pp)
- Wolfgang Ahlf,
- Susanne Heise
- … show all 2 hide
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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Ulrich Förstner on his 65th birthday
Background, Aims and Scope
The main challenge in the application of biotests for hazard assessment of sediments is a transparent interpretation, especially if combinations of biotests are applied and an integrated assessment of all results is wanted. For decision making, assigning results of biotesting into different classes that indicate increasing hazards can be a useful tool. In this paper we suggest an approach on how to set up a site-independent classification system for sediment toxicity tests.
About 250 sediment samples were collected from two rivers and evaluated. The bioassays applied are used in a standardized procedure for all samples over years. The test battery include toxicological endpoints like nematode growth and reproduction, algae growth, bacteria activity, and luminescence inhibition.
Results and Discussion
The classification system described emphasizes the following steps: the assessment of test-specific response spans for each applied biotest and the subsequent interpretation of inhibition values in terms of toxicity, estimation of accuracy and uncertainty of different test systems, and the use of cluster- and k-means analyses in order to identify occurring pattern within a large biotest data base, followed by a ranking. The outcome of the procedure were 5 effect classes with an increasing potential of hazard.
The effect classes represent the result of a logical procedure of deduction. The procedure is transparent giving an increased degree of certainty. The site independent ranking of 5 classes could be used for sediment monitoring and facilitate fast interpretation.
Recommendation and Perspective
A large database comprising differently contaminated sediments is the precondition for setting up effect classes, because it is essential to know the range of effects and the variability of the test methods. The proposed procedure could then provide the basic rules for designing an expert system.
- Title
- Sediment Toxicity Assessment: Rationale for effect classes (5 pp)
- Journal
Journal of Soils and Sediments
Volume 5, Issue 1 , pp 16-20
- Cover Date
- 2005-02
- 10.1065/jss2005.01.127
- Print ISSN
- 1439-0108
- Online ISSN
- 1614-7480
- Publisher
- Ecomed
- Additional Links
- Topics
- Keywords
- biotests
- sediment toxicity classes
- classification system
- hazard assessment
- Industry Sectors
- Authors
- Wolfgang Ahlf (2376)
- Susanne Heise (3944)
- Author Affiliations
- 2376. Dr. Wolfgang Ahlf TU Hamburg-Harburg Arbeitsbereich Umweltschutztechnik Eissendorferstr. 40 21071 Hamburg DEUTSCHLAND,
- 3944. Dr. Susanne Heise Beratungszentrum für Integriertes Sedimentmanagement (BIS) an der TU Hamburg Harburg Technische Universität Hamburg Harburg Eissendorfer Str. 40 D-21073 Hamburg,


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How Ventura County voted
Ventura County residents generally voted more conservatively than voters statewide in Tuesday's election, with higher percentages supporting Republican Sen. John McCain for president and state Proposition 8, which would ban gay marriage.
Ballots are still being counted locally and statewide, but results so far indicate 55 percent of county residents voted for Democrat Sen. Barack Obama, 43 percent for McCain.
Statewide, it was 61 percent for Obama, 37 percent for McCain.
The national vote was tighter with 52 percent of voters supporting Obama and 46 percent going for McCain.
County election officials say if pre-election turnout predictions were accurate up to 20 percent of local ballots remain to be counted. That's tens of thousands of ballots, most of them late absentee or provisional. Statewide, about 96 percent of precincts have been counted.
A higher percentage of local voters also supported Proposition 8, though they were closer to the state vote, with 53 percent of county residents voting yes, compared with 52 percent across the state.
County residents also showed stronger support for Proposition 4, which would require minors to notify their parents before getting an abortion. Locally 50 percent of voters supported the proposition, compared with 48 percent statewide.
A majority of state voters — 52 percent — supported Proposition 1, which would build a high-speed train between Los Angeles and San Francisco, while the same majority of county voters opposed it.
For the views of local voters, click here http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/nov/05/voter-voices/
Subscribe to the Ventura County Star
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Welcome to TS Hattersleys Lacrosse Equipment
The name Hattersleys is synonymous with the game of Lacrosse in the UK. Hattersleys have been making hickory lacrosse sticks the traditional way for close on 100 years. Today through an agency arrangement with US Lacrosse giant STX we offer the most comprehensive range of Lacrosse equipment anywhere in the UK.
Hattersleys is much more than a manufacturer of traditional lacrosse sticks. We stock and supply the whole range of equipment for all lacrosse players from sticks to protection to apparel. We can supply our products to anywhere in the UK via a fast mail order service and can even customise team uniforms or kit bags with a club or team logo. Please take time to browse the site and feel free to call us should you have any specific questions.


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Mt. Agung is on the island of Bali east of Batur Caldera. Space Shuttle photo.
Mt. Agung on Bali in foreground. Mt. Batur caldera complex in background.
(May 2000 - Image Credit: Dan Olberg, Senior Geologist, PT Nusa Halmahera.)


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Oh Jon Hamm, is there anything that you can't do? You are a prodigious Banger of Secretaries, you effortlessly knock triples into the gap during celebrity softball games and nothing seems to be standing in the way of you becoming a member of the SNL Five-Timers Club. Speaking of which, how did Hamm perform during his third hosting stint this weekend?
Quite admirably! Regardless of the quality of the writing (which, just like every episode, was a little up and down this week), Hamm gives every sketch his all. He's actively engaged in the delivery of the material and, unlike a lot of hosts, actually seems like he could fit into the ensemble cast. Most of all, Hamm always seems like he's having fun up there (even when he's doing the Best Cry Ever), and that energy is contagious with both the cast and the audience. Does this make him the best host of the show who's not already a Five-Timer? Discuss!
And while you're thinking about whether Hamm is better than James Franco, Jack Black or Justin Timberlake (it can't be coincidence that all of their names start with the letter J, can it?), follow along for our weekly breakdown of how the Not Ready For Primetime Players performed this week.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE POWER RANKINGS: 10/30/10 (Host: Jon Hamm; Musical Guest: Rihanna)
1. Kristin Wiig (44 points): Last week, we were ready to write Wiig off. She didn't annoy us nearly as much this week, although I was forced into giving myself Ear Muffs every time she opened her mouth during the Vincent Price Halloween sketch (her pill-popping Judy Garland wore out its welcome years ago). On the good side, though, "Darlique and Barney" was a pleasant surprise and Garth and Kat are always aces.
2. Bill Hader (41 points): On Bill Hader's very first episode of SNL way back in October of 2005, he scored the first huge laughs of his young career with his Al Pacino impression. Five years later, his Pacino still SLAYS, but his finest moment of the night was his heretofore unknown impression of Alan Alda. I can only assume that the name Alan Alda means nothing to a large percentage of SNL's viewing audience these days, but for us olds up way past our bedtimes on Saturday night, it was quite the moment.
3. Fred Armisen (27 points): Armisen plays Liberace at his hound doggiest, but those of us old enough to remember when Liberace frequently appeared on television know that he was just as hammy (if not necessarily as obsessed with double entendres) as Armisen plays him. Also, although his appearance as Prince was brief, it was a welcome flashback to one of the first characters that got Armisen recognition on SNL.
4. Kenan Thompson (22 points): Kenan's Cosby impression is, has always been and will always be gold. Also, I rather enjoyed the horny-yet-guilt-ridden police chief he portrayed in the otherwise forgettable "Highway Cops" sketch.
5. (tie) Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis (21 points): After narrowly missing our list of the Top Ten Sketches of SNL: Season 35, Shy Ronnie and Rihanna made their long-awaited Digital Short return. Can we be honest with each other? If so, here goes: I thought "Shy Ronnie 2″ was a little lacking in the inspiration department. The jokes didn't grow (except for the boner, natch) from the foundation they built last time, and on the practical tip, why was she making a music video with someone who she damn well knows doesn't know how to enunciate? That said, there was certainly a lot of chatter about it on Twitter over the weekend, so what do I know?
7. Taran Killam (15 points): Remember how great "Les Jeunes de Paris" was? Well, as lovely as his Pee Wee Herman and Gilbert Gottfried impressions were this week (Confession: they were only okay), "Les Jeunes" is still the best thing he's done so far this season. And since NBC hasn't decided to put this sketch online, we thought we would. Don't say we never did anything for ya, okay?
8. (tie) Abby Elliott, Bobby Moynihan (14 points): Everytime I see Abby, I think to myself, "Shoulda been you, Slate, shoulda been you!" Her Joan Cusack was okay, I suppose, but she's never been able to up her game past the point of being a fairly decent impressionist. As a featured player, she should be bringing MUCH more to the table. As for Bobby? Screaming and a bad wig does not a Sam Kinison impression make. BRING BACK MARK PAYNE! (If I say it enough, think it will happen?)
10. Nasim Pedrad (12 points): Everyone gets an off night, I suppose. Still, I remain firmly on Team Pedrad. Once Wiig vacates the stage at the end of this year (which has got to happen, right?), it will be Pedrad's time to shine.
11. Paul Brittain (10 points): After what seemingly was Paul Brittain's breakout episode last week, he didn't get much in the way of air time this week.
12. Jay Pharoah (7 points): So far this season, we've seen Jay do impressions of Denzel Washington, Will Smith and now, Eddie Murphy. I am looking forward to seeing what else he's got going for him besides this, but Lorne has yet to give him that chance.
13. Vanessa Bayer (2 points): Ooft, this must've been a frustrating week for Bayer. She was the first of the new castmembers to earn a lead spot in her very own sketch (see: Miley "It's Pretty Cool" Cyrus), but she's been treading water every week since. Hang in there, kiddo!
And really, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that bizarre David Spade/Fred Wolf collaboration, "Dog In Purse" (which, weirdly enough, isn't online). As much as I miss David Spade's sarcastic takedowns of the rich and famous, this bit felt really stale and out of place on the show.
1. ⇑ Kristin Wiig (149 points; Last Week: #4)
2. ⇑ Bill Hader (145 points; Last Week: #5)
3. ⇓ Andy Samberg (143 points; Last Week: #1)
4. ⇓ Fred Armisen (141 points; Last Week: #2)
5. ⇓ Kenan Thompson (131 points; Last Week: #3)
6. Jason Sudeikis (98 points; Last Week: #6)
7. Bobby Moynihan (83 points; Last Week: #7)
8. Nasim Pedrad (79 points; Last Week: #8)
9. Taran Killam (72 points; Last Week: #9)
10. ⇑ Paul Brittain (61 points; Last Week: #11)
11. (tie) ⇑ Abby Elliott, ⇓ Vanessa Bayer (58 points; Last Week: #13 and #10, respectively)
13. ⇓ Jay Pharoah (57 points; Last Week: #12)
Reference Materials:
Need a refresher on the Scoring System?
Here's this week's sketch-by-sketch breakdown:
Also, did you know that we're showing classic episodes of SNL every night on VH1? It's true!


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"Wall-E" is a film that not only "Star Wars" fans will adore, but any human being with a pulse will fall in love with. Pixar's grand space opera was immediately acclaimed by critics and audiences alike and it is able to wrap love, spaceships, and an eco friendly message into a children's film. For the first 60 minutes of the film there is not one line of dialogue and the film develops in a slow and wonderful manner that is completely juxtaposed to the current multiplex fare. It is filmmaking of the highest order. If it weren't for the existence of "Cars 2," we'd be apt to make the claim that the folks at Pixar aren't capable of making bad movies.
"Star Trek"
Some Trekkies and film aficionados believe that this "Star Trek" saga could grow to be the ultimate replacement to George Lucas's epic. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto have built up such a rapport that people have needed to be reminded who Shatner and Nimoy are. Plus, the sublime ensemble cast that includes Simon Pegg, Anton Yeltchin, and Zoe Saldana have added a wonderful layer of fun to proceedings. There is even room for a Leonard Nimoy cameo, yet sadly no room for Shatner to make a triumphant comeback. One day Bill, one day.
Consider posting a comment.


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COLUMBIA CITY — When it came to a scant showing at the polls for the May 8 Primary Election, Whitley County fared as poorly as many in the Hoosier state.
According to media reports, about 19 percent of the 4.4 million registered voters in Indiana exercised that right a week ago.
In neighboring Allen County, news reports are calling the participation at the polls by voters near the lowest in the state.
In Whitley County, primary voter turnout dropped dramatically from the previous primary in 2008.
COLUMBIA CITY — Phyllis J. Harrold, 84, of Columbia City, died at 11:45 p.m. Sunday, May 13, 2012, at Parkview Oaks where she had been a resident since May 7, 2005.
She was born April 2, 1928, in Fort Wayne, a daughter of Harold and Gladys (Pontzious) Beard.
Her formative years were spent in Fort Wayne. She graduated from North Side High School.
On Dec. 31, 1949, she was united in marriage to Richard L. Harrold. They made their home in Thorncreek Township until 1964 when they moved into Columbia City. Mr. Harrold died Aug. 24, 1992.
She was employed at Shooks Dairy Queen for 25 years.
Madelyn J. France, 92, formerly of Columbia City, passed away at 2:10 a.m. Friday May 11, 2012, at Western Reserve Masonic Community, Medina, Ohio.
Born Nov. 26, 1919, she was the daughter of William and Isabelle (Lovely) Stidham.
On Feb. 8, 1941, she married Robert D. France in Columbia City. A wife and mother, she was a member of Columbia City United Methodist Church.
Cheryleen Sue Ressler of Columbia City passed away at 9:45 p.m. Saturday, May 12, 2012, at Parkview Oaks, Columbia City.
Born on Sept. 18, 1946, in Fort Wayne, she was the daughter of Herbert I. and Cathaline "Katie" C. (Adkins) Ressler.
She was a lifetime resident of Whitley County and attended Etna Troy Grade School and Indiana School for the Blind. She worked at Passages, Inc. for 30 years.
Ruth N. Cox, 99, a resident of Lake Township in Allen County and widow of Lawrence V. Cox, passed away at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 13, 2012, at the Hamilton House in Fort Wayne where she had resided for the past two years.
Mrs. Cox was born on Nov. 5, 1912, in Kosciusko County, a daughter of Amiel N. and Lula Mae (Nichols) Green. She spent her formative years in Eel River Township, and graduated from Huntertown High School in 1931.
On Sept. 1, 1931, she was married to Lawrence V. Cox, and had moved to her home in Lake Township in 1943 from Cromwell.
OSSIAN — Columbia City's softball team's 6-0 win over Norwell Monday night wasn't just another win.
It was the Lady Eagle's seventh win in the Northeast Hoosier Conference, taking the conference title with an undefeated (7-0) NHC record.
"I'm very proud of our girls for winning conference," Head Coach Steve Cox said.
Not only was the feat special for the team, but it was especially important for Columbia City pitcher Cassie Vodde, who didn't give up any earned runs in any conference games this season.
"It was another great game by Cassie Vodde," Cox said.
COLUMBIA CITY — Columbia City's tennis team hosted and defeated Central Noble Monday in the last match, and final home play of the season.
The Lady Eagles won by a 4-1 score.
"The win tonight was a great way to finish the regular season," Columbia City Head Coach Katie Myers said. "It was also a nice farewell for our two seniors, as they both picked up wins."
Blake Farber and Lauren Taylor are the team's seniors this season.
Farber, along with No. 2 doubles partner Macie Hinen, won 6-1, 6-2.
COLUMBIA CITY - The city council motioned to pass an ordinance on first reading, as they worked toward amending the illicit discharge and connection to the storm water system. The meeting was held Thursday.
The ordinance was before the council to address some issues found in the existing ordinance regarding the clarification of ambiguities.
"The reason to have this kind of ordinance is to make sure that we're discharging clean rainwater through our storm water system and eliminating stuff going into our sewer that does not need to be going into our sewer," said Mayor Ryan Daniel.
CHURUBUSCO — It was their 15 minutes of fame and they will never forget it.
NBC's The Today Show was in Churubusco early Saturday morning to do a live broadcast of three local teens recalling a now-famous deck collapse right before the school's prom May 5.
It was a picture perfect day when 12 Churubusco teens were posed on the deck of Greg and Margaret Blake's deck just north of Churubusco on U.S. 33. The group was waiting for Haleigh Gross to appear.
CHURUBUSCO — Churubusco hoopster Chris Jones signed with Bluffton University Tuesday afternoon.
Jones led the Eagles (14-7, 8-2 NECC) with seven points per game, a 45.5 percent field goal percentage, and a 79.7 percent free throw percentage.
Churubusco was the Northeast Corner Conference Runner-up this season.
Jones ranked second in the NECC in steals and assists.
He made The Post & Mail's second-team all-county list.
Jones earned Hoosier Basketball Magazine's nod on the All-State Honorable Mention team.
He was ranked eighth in Class 2A in assists in 2011-12.


text:
Biography All Music GuideWikipedia
All Music Guide:
What you think when you hear the name "John Cafferty" has a lot to do with where you're from. If you hail from Rhode Island or the nearby states on the Eastern Seaboard, you know Cafferty as the leader of the Beaver Brown Band, a hard-working combo who've been rocking venues both small and large since the mid-'70s with their tough but passionate blue-collar sound. If you're from anywhere else, you know Cafferty as the voice of Eddie Wilson, the doomed rock & roll star played by Michael Pare in the hit movie Eddie and the Cruisers. Born and raised in North Providence, Cafferty got his start in music when he was in junior high, forming a teenaged garage band called the Nightcrawlers with some friends in 1965. The Nightcrawlers evolved into the East-West Blues Band, who played a steady stream of gigs at school dances and teen clubs around the state until high school graduation broke up the band. While attending Rhode Island College, Cafferty ran into an old friend, drummer Kenny Jo Silva, who was playing in a band called the Luvin' Kynd; Silva's group had just lost their lead singer, and he invited Cafferty to become their new vocalist. By 1972, the Luvin' Kynd had broken up, and Cafferty and Silva opted to form a new group. Influenced by the hard-edged, soulful sound of the J. Geils Band, the rhythms of classic R&B, and the swaggering style of vintage rock & roll, Cafferty and Silva assembled a band from some of the best players on the Rhode Island club scene, including Gary "Guitar" Gramolini, bassist Pat Lupo, Bobby Cotoia on keyboards, and sax player Paul Jackson. Taking their name from a can of paint, Beaver Brown holed up in a makeshift rehearsal space in Providence for close to a year, honing their sound before playing their first show in the spring of 1973. They were soon gigging full-time, earning a reputation as one of the tightest and most crowd-pleasing acts in Rhode Island, and in 1977, Paul Jackson left the group, while Michael "Tunes" Antunes, a veteran of New England rock and R&B bands since the early '60s, came aboard on sax. With Beaver Brown's definitive lineup in place, the group's following began to spread across the East Coast and into the Midwest, and in 1980 the group recorded their first single, "Wild Summer Nights" b/w "Tender Years." The self-released 45 received steady airplay in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Cleveland, and ended up selling over 10,000 copies. Despite the success of the single and the band's impressive live draw, Beaver Brown had little luck scoring a record deal, in part because of their stylistic similarity to Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, a matter of shared influences and Cafferty's natural vocal resemblance to Springsteen more than anything else. In 1982, producer Kenny Vance was hired to coordinate the music for a film adaptation of P.F. Kluge's rock & roll novel Eddie and the Cruisers, and he hired Beaver Brown to provide the sound of the fictive band. Cafferty and Beaver Brown re-recorded both sides of their single and a number of their best original tunes for the film, as well as a handful of rock & roll oldies, and Antunes was given a small role as the band's saxophone player. When Eddie and the Cruisers was released to theaters in 1983, it was a box-office dud, but the soundtrack album sold well with Beaver Brown's East Coast fans, and after the film began playing on HBO, it re-launched the album. With the group credited as John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, the Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack went triple platinum on the strength of the hit singles "On the Dark Side" and "Tender Years," and Scotti Brothers, the Sony-distributed label that released the soundtrack, quickly signed Cafferty and Beaver Brown to a record deal. The first proper album from John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, Tough All Over, was released in 1985, and it spawned a pair of Top 40 singles, "C-I-T-Y" and "Tough All Over." However, Cafferty and Beaver Brown released their second LP, Roadhouse, in 1988, which failed to click with radio and sold poorly, and in 1989, they once again impersonated Eddie and the Cruisers for the soundtrack of Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives. The movie and the soundtrack album both sank like a stone in the marketplace, and before long, Scotti Brothers dropped the band. Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band would continue to contribute songs to hit films, including Rocky IV, Cobra, Jersey Girl, and There's Something About Mary, but the band failed to score a new record deal, and to add insult to injury, in the '90s, Scotti Brothers reissued Tough All Over and Roadhouse as Eddie and the Cruisers albums, as well as bringing out an album of unreleased live material without the group's input. However, while the group's fortunes had soured as recording artists, they remained a strong live act, and continued to perform and tour regularly. Career and health concerns brought many changes to the lineup (sadly, Bobby Cotoia succumbed to liver disease in 2004), but Cafferty, Gramolini, and Antunes still anchor the current lineup, and they headline regularly in New England and throughout the country.
John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band is an American rock band from Rhode Island which began its career in the 1970s and achieved mainstream success in the 1980s. Originally known as simply Beaver Brown, they got their name from longtime friend William Bosworth. The classic lineup of the group (consisting of John Cafferty on vocals and guitar, Gary Gramolini on lead guitar, Pat Lupo on bass, Kenny Jo Silva on drums, Bobby Cotoia on keyboards, and Michael "Tunes" Antunes on saxophone) started out as a New England bar band based in Narragansett, Rhode Island and established a following up and down the Northeast corridor with strongholds in the beach resort towns of Narragansett and Misquamicut, Rhode Island; New York City; New Haven, Connecticut; Boston, Massachusetts; and Asbury Park, New Jersey.
They first achieved success with a 1980 self-released single pairing two of their songs, "Wild Summer Nights" and "Tender Years", which sold over 10,000 copies and enjoyed radio play up and down the Atlantic seaboard. Despite their success, the act was ignored by the major labels due to persistent critical comparisons to Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. They finally achieved international success when producer Kenny Vance, a longtime fan, offered them the score to a movie soundtrack he was helming based on a best-selling novel about a legendary bar band, Eddie & The Cruisers. Thanks to frequent airings of the film on HBO and the purchase of the soundtrack album by their established fanbase as well as hundreds of thousands of new converts, Eddie & The Cruisers: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and produced a number 7 hit single ("On the Dark Side") on the Billboard Hot 100. "On the Dark Side" also held number-one on the Album Rock Tracks chart for five weeks. The album was eventually certified triple Platinum by the RIAA.
The group's 1985 follow-up album Tough All Over made the top 50, enjoying great sales for "C.I.T.Y." and the title track, which became their second number-one single on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Another song from that album, "Voice of America's Sons", was the featured theme song on the official motion picture soundtrack of the movie Cobra, starring Sylvester Stallone, and Cafferty's solo track "Hearts on Fire" was featured in another Stallone film, Rocky IV.
The band's next album, the self-produced Roadhouse, sold well to their fan base but did not reach the sales heights of Tough All Over. In 1989, they followed it with the score to an "Eddie" sequel, Eddie & The Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! which became their last major label release of new material.
Several personnel changes occurred over the next few years with Kenny Jo Silva departing in 1992 and Pat Lupo in 1994 to be replaced, respectively, by Jackie Santos, formerly of Tavares, and Dean Cassell. Bobby Cotoia had been forced to retire from the road during the 1990s due to an illness but remained an active member of the group in the studio. His on-stage replacement was Steve Burke who remains in the lineup. Cotoia died on September 3, 2004.
John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band remains a top concert attraction and continue to tour. Their music has appeared on the soundtracks of several major motion pictures including the There's Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber To.


text:
How can we find out what happened at the start of the Universe, over 13 billion years ago? Dr Hiranya Peiris, Lecturer in Cosmology at University College London, describes the observational methods that are used, and how our knowledge may improve in the future.
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Hi there, mama.
You probably clicked through to this post because you're tired. Maybe you Googled "toddler sleep issues" late at night as you listened to your toddler scream at 2 a.m. I know that's probably the case because I've been doing the same thing lately. It's lonely, 2 a.m., just you and your crying baby and the soft glow of your smart phone.
You know all those things that worked when he was 8 months, or 18 months? They don't work anymore when he's 2. He just plain doesn't want to sleep. Life is too interesting; his love for you to is just too strong. I've read all the excuses and explanations for toddler sleep issues — molars, separation anxiety, a busy brain, growing pains, nightmares. Truth be known, we don't know. It's a huge mystery because toddlers? They can't tell you much about their toddler sleep issues. Toddlers got 99 problems, and sleep ain't one (actually is it…for you.)
Here's a short list of things Kelsey and I have tried for our toddler sleep issues:
- Crying it out
- Sleeping on the floor next to him
- Letting him sleep in our bed
- Controlled crying
- Rocking him to sleep
- Putting him to bed early
- Putting him to bed late
- Getting him a pillow
Here's an even shorter list of things Kelsey and I have tried for our toddler sleep issues that have worked:
- —–
Yes, that list is suspiciously empty because nothing has worked up to this point. We've had marginal success putting him in the crib and firmly telling him to lay down. Yeah, he'll fall asleep, but there's a 50/50 chance he wont' stay asleep and a 70% chance he will be up again in four hours and we start the whole thing over again. You know what? That sucks.
It sucks that we have no control over our toddler sleep issues. The other day I got an email about how sleep is more important than food. Can you even imagine? Did you know sleep deprivation is classified as a type of torture in some countries? Uh, yeah! Durp! My tiny little torturer has been chilling in his crib yelling about dinosaurs for hours at a time for three weeks.
You feel desperate when you're tired. What can I say that hasn't already been said a million ways on mom blogs? When I'm tired and I hear people at work talking about how tired they are and they dont' have kids, I straight up want to punch them in the nose and I'm not a violent person.
So instead of saying that, I'll bring some positivity to the conversation. Breathe in, breathe out and repeat after me: this too shall pass.
The thing that's helped me through my ongoing toddler sleep issues is perspective. I'll blink my tired eyes (a long…..slow blink…..it makes me feel like I've had a minute little snooze…..) and my child will be 8 and worried about his big game; I'll blink again and he'll be a teenage boy still sleeping at 1 a.m. I'll blink again and he'll be gone to college, and yet again I'll blink and (God willing) will be rocking my own grandchild as my son drags tiredly through his own home….AND THEN JUSTICE SHALL BE MINE. And I will laugh and laugh and laugh…quietly, as to not wake up the baby.
Although I would truly madly deeply like to know when toddler sleep problems start to fade away, I'm trying to learn patience from them and I try to realize at least he's not a newborn because y'all, that stuff is SERIOUS.
I take comfort in knowing that I'm not the first mother who is experiencing toddler sleep issues, and you're not either, and neither one of us will be the last. Trust yourself and your instincts…that's the best advice you'll get.
So, spill, have you gone through toddler sleep problems? Any advice for other moms?


text:
Daniel Lévy-Bruhl (co-ordinator), RNSP/CIDEF, France
Richard Pebody, NPHI/EPIET, Finland
Irene Veldhuijzen, RIVM, Netherlands,
Marta Valenciano, RNSP/EPIET, France
Kate Osborne (ESEN Project Co-ordinator), CDSC, England & Wales
from data provided, on behalf of the ESEN project, by :
Anne-Marie Plesner, SSI, Denmark
Mary Ramsay, CDSC, England and Wales
Wolfgang Vettermann / Doris Altmann, RKI, Germany
Stefania Salmaso, Christina Rota, ISS, Italy
Richard Pebody, NPHI, Finland
Martine Le Quellec Nathan, DGS / Nicole Guérin, CIDEF, France
Marina Conyn-van Spaendonck, RIVM, Netherlands
Patrick Olin, Victoria Romanus, SIIDC, Sweden
The aim of the European Sero-Epidemiology Network (ESEN) is to coordinate
and harmonise the serological surveillance of immunity to vaccine preventable
diseases in eight countries in Europe (Denmark, England, France, Germany,
Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, and Sweden). It was established in March
1996 under Biomed II programme of the European Community and is coordinated
by the Public Health Laboratory Service Communicable Disease Surveillance
Centre (CDSC) in London. The specific objectives and the various workpackages
of the project have been described previously (1). One of the workpackages
- on the descriptive analysis of the differences in vaccination programmes,
current and past incidence of disease, and current and past vaccination
uptake - has been undertaken for ESEN under the coordination of the Centre
International de lEnfance et de la Famille and the Réseau National
de Santé Publique in France. This paper presents the results of the descriptive
analysis of diphtheria, which includes the characteristics of the immunisation
programme, vaccine coverage, and disease specific information. Further
papers will present the descriptive analysis of pertussis and the three
diseases - measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) - covered by the MMR vaccine.
The data were collected by a questionnaire that was agreed at a meeting
of national ESEN project coordinators who were responsible for the completion
of the questionnaire within their own country, involving, when needed,
other national experts. The questionnaires were completed during the first
trimester of 1997 by all eight participating countries and were analysed
by a working group that included representatives from several countries.
A report was prepared and circulated at various stages for validation
by the national project coordinators.
Programme characteristics and service delivery
Two categories of country were identified (table 1):
- In Denmark, Finland, England and Wales, the Netherlands, and Sweden,
vaccination is the responsibility of the public services. Vaccination
is free of charge and is not compulsory. Active follow up procedures are
used to ensure high coverage early in life.
- In France and Italy, the private sector is largely responsible for
vaccination and part of the cost may remain at the recipients expense.
Some vaccinations are compulsory and the vaccination status of children
is not checked systematically before they start school, but in France,
some municipalities check the vaccination status of children aged 18 to
24 months. In Germany most immunisation activities are carried out in
the private sector.
Table 1 : Programme characteristics and
vaccination coverage assessment in eight countries for diphtheria, pertussis,
and measles, mumps, and rubella
status (1)
R (diphtheria: C in the army)
C Others: R
Others: R
% vaccinations in public sector (2)
5 years old
5 years old
stimulation of full coverage (3)
some municipalities or districts
/ FU in some regions
for vaccination providers
least yearly coverage assessment
(every 2-3 years)
large surveys since 1980
coverage indicator (4)
/ population data
/ registered children
/ health certificates
/ health records
mechanism of coverage measurement
check at all levels
/ cross-checking
pertussis vaccine trial
of accuracy of coverage measurement
accurate R : not accurate
(1) R = recommended : C = compulsory
(2) ND = no data
(3) RB = registration at birth ; FU = follow up by invitations ; TD = tracing of
defaulters (4) NA = Not applicable
Vaccination coverage assessment
Among the eight countries, only Germany has no routine vaccination coverage assessment
(table 2). All the others have at least one assessment per year except in Finland where
cluster surveys are carried out every two to three years on samples of child health
records. Participating countries have tested the validity of their assessments through
either a regular validation procedure or occasional studies, mainly cluster sample
surveys. All but France and Italy concluded that their assessments are accurate. In
France, the assessment is not completely accurate because the return of health
certificates is incomplete. In Italy, assessment of coverage at the national level is
considered to be unreliable particularly for the vaccinations that are not compulsory. For
this reason, surveys of vaccine coverage using cluster sampling are also performed.
2: Diphtheria immunisation schedules in eight countries
at 1st dose
No of doses < 2 years
No of doses
Age when last booster offered
11-15 years + booster every 10 years
5 years
11-13 years + booster every 10 years
16-18 years + military recruits
15 years
5-6 years + booster every 10 years (see below)
9 years
10 years
of shift from high (D) to low (d) dose
for adults
Recent changes in response to NIS epidemic
10 yearly boosters in adults
1996 : booster at 5 years Travellers to endemic areas
1989-90 : catch-up campaign Booster : - at 11-13 years - > 40 years -
military recruits - travellers to endemic areas
Adults travelling to endemic areas
1994 : Td* replaced T** for school leavers
Td booster recommended every 10 years, but coverage not measured
Travellers to endemic areas
No of cases since 1990
* Td: Tetanus-diphtheria vaccine
** T: Tetanus vaccine
1- Immunisation schedule
All participating countries introduced diphtheria immunisation about 50 years ago.
Table 2 compares the current immunisation schedules. The first dose is usually
administered at either 2 or 3 months of age. The total number of diphtheria doses received
by a child in the first two years of life is three or four, the total number of doses
(including boosters) after two years of age and the age of the last dose varies widely
(five years to lifelong ten yearly boosters). The age at which low dose (d) replaces high
dose diphtheria vaccine (D) also varies.
Many countries have added extra doses to their immunisation schedule following the
recent diphtheria epidemic in the Newly Independent States (NIS). Responses differ and the
schedules are now more heterogeneous than during the 1980s, when five of the eight
countries gave the final booster at or before 2 years of age. All countries now have a
booster at least for children of school age and, with the exception of Germany (which has
introduced 10 yearly boosters in adults), a booster dose for travellers to risk areas.
Finland initiated a mass vaccination campaign in 1989-90 targeted at adults based on the
results of serosurveys that indicated low antibody levels in those aged over 40 years.
2 - Vaccination coverage
Only data for coverage with primary series can be compared due to variability in
booster policies.
From 1970 onwards, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden have had high coverage
rates, ranging between 95% and 100%. In England and Wales coverage has increased from 80%
in the early 1970s to 96% in 1996. In France, coverage figures for three doses have been
available only since 1990, showing coverages over 95%. In Italy the coverage was over 98%
in the most recent cluster survey conducted in 1991 in seven regions. In Germany, no
coverage data are available.
France and the Netherlands have no official contraindications for diphtheria
vaccination and the only contraindication in the other countries is a severe reaction to a
previous dose. This seems to have had a negligible effect on vaccine coverage, affecting
less than 1% of those eligible for vaccination.
3 - Surveillance and epidemiology
In all participating countries diphtheria is a notifiable disease and laboratory
confirmation is required.
Diphtheria was virtually eliminated from the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden
in the early 1970s, with almost no cases notified with probably exhaustive surveillance.
During the same period, the situation in England and Wales was similar, with incidences
below 1 per 10 million inhabitants since 1975. In the 1970s, Germany and France reached a
high level of disease control with rates of less than 10 per 10 million, acknowledging the
less reliable surveillance data in Germany. Only Italy had a higher incidence, which only
fell below 10 per 10 million during the early 1980s.
Diphtheria is now well under control in all the participating countries. In Denmark,
France, and Sweden no cases have been notified since 1990. During the 1990s, a number of
sporadic cases have been reported from the other countries, mainly linked to the large
outbreak in the former Soviet Union. In Finland, all cases were linked to travel to the
NIS and no secondary transmission has occurred. In Germany at least eight of the 13 cases
diagnosed between January 1994 and June 1996 were linked to the NIS outbreak. In these two
countries, 29 of the 32 cases (91%) notified between 1993 and 1996 were adults aged over
20 years. All but one of the cases reported from England and Wales were also imported or
import related, mainly related to travel to south east Asia.
The experience gained from diphtheria vaccination shows that all countries
participating in ESEN have the infrastructure and resources to achieve high vaccine
coverage in children. This has resulted in a uniform high level of control of the disease,
even with wide variations in vaccination schedules, particularly with regard to the age at
the last dose. The most important factor for disease control appears to be coverage with
the primary series. This is illustrated by the situation in the 1970s, when those
countries with high coverage had eliminated domestic transmission, even with a schedule
including only two doses before the age of 1 year and a total of three doses, as in
Denmark until 1996.
Adult immunity may have been important in the resurgence of the disease and recent
studies have shown that up to a half of adults in some western European countries have low
levels of or undetectable diphtheria antibodies (2,3). Comparison between countries,
however, is hampered by the use of different methods and thresholds, justifying the
standardisation process undertaken under the ESEN project (4). Despite increasing contact
with epidemic countries, domestic transmission has not resumed in Western Europe even in
those countries with few doses in the immunisation schedule. Most recently reported cases
were adults linked epidemiologically with cases from epidemic/endemic countries. It may be
that high coverage rates in childhood result in a herd immunity that is sufficient to
prevent transmission (5,6). The high proportion of cases among adults in the few recently
notified sporadic cases in the countries under study probably reflect a combination of
more frequent exposures of adults to cases from epidemic/endemic countries at home or
through travel to these areas, the higher infectious dose due to close personal contact
(such as kissing), and the higher susceptibility in adults. The immunisation status of
older people should be checked and updated before they travel to areas where diphtheria is
still endemic.
Osborne K, Weinberg J, Miller E. The European Sero-Epidemiological Network. Eurosurveillance
1997; 2: 29-31.
2. Plotkin SA, Mortimer EA. Diphtheria toxoid. In: Vaccines. second edition.
Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1994.
3. Galazka AM, Robertson SE. Immunisation against diphtheria with special emphasis on
immunisation of adults. Vaccine 1996; 14: 845-57.
4. Galazka AM. Diphtheria: the immunological basis for immunisation. Geneva: World
Health Organization, 1993. WHO/EPI/GEN/93.12.
5. Galazka A, Tomaszunas-Blaszczyk J. Why do adults contract diphtheria? Eurosurveillance
1997; 2: 60-3.
6. Fine PEM. Herd Immunity: history, theory, practice. Epidemiol Rev 1993; 15:
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