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Fred loved good food and loved to prepare it in his, not Pat's, gourmet kitchen. He loved getting a big Christmas tree each year -- no artificial reproduction for him. He loved the "Orangemen" and his alma mater, Oklahoma State, of course. He cheered mightily at their success. He loved history, especially family history. I can remember telling him about his great grandfather, Simon Dodd, the 28th Mayor of the Village of Marcellus back in 1889. I told him "No wonder I like you, Fred, you're not all German, you're Irish too!"
Fred loved a challenge, whether it was improving his golf game with Mark at The Links or winning a pitch tournament at the American Legion. Recently, he worked on getting a new home for the Marcellus Historical Society. Thanks to the generosity of the Steadmans and their friendship with Fred and Pat, their historic home at 18 North Street was donated to that group. His challenge then was to make sure the building was successful in every sense of the word. We visited with Ed Heinrich at State Parks to see what that organization could do for the Historical Society. He set up meetings with historic architects to make plans and seek grants and just a week before he got sick; he and I traveled to visit a historic home in Cortland to see what was being done there.
When Fred decided to run for a third term as Mayor in 2002, I asked him "Why?"
He said, "Because I love being Mayor of Marcellus."
And he did love that job!
In fact, Fred probably loved Marcellus more than most natives. As Mayor for a dozen years, he was constantly trying to find innovative ways to improve the village, just ask Bob Wilson how many projects Fred asked him to initiate. He traveled to Albany, Saratoga, Canandaigua - almost everywhere in the state, to see what other communities were doing. He was a big fan of e-bay, buying anything related to Marcellus and donating it to the Historical Society. He would caution me, "Don't tell Pat how much it cost."
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UNSOLD LOTS: Antiquities, Pre-Columbian & Ethnographic ArtAll unsold lots have been listed with a Buy-it-Now stated price and will remain available until Friday, March 21. All successful after-auction purchases will be at the stated price plus the 20% buyers premium, and any applicable shipping charges, sales tax and/or VAT. As much as we hate to impose additional fees, if you elect to pay via credit card or PayPal, a 4% service fee will be added to your invoice.
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text: The Conrad New York hotel is a contemporary architectural landmark conveniently located downtown in the midst of thriving lower Manhattan, where business and leisure meet. As part of the Hilton family of hotels, we welcome you to enjoy the exhilaration and ambiance that is New York City and mingle with visitors and locals alike, all from the conveniently located Conrad New York.Our luxury New York City hotel has 463 all-suite accommodations that exude luxury and style, and provide dramatic views of New York city and the Hudson River below. Stroll down busy sidewalks where the sights, sounds and personality of lower Manhattan come to life. Head toward Wall Street or the New York Stock Exchange to feel the pulse of one of the most vibrant financial hubs in the world. Discover the culture of Greenwich Village, TriBeCa, SoHo, or visit the Statue of Liberty and the National 9/11 Memorial, all just minutes away.


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Annual ridership on Amtrak's Milwaukee-to-Chicago Hiawatha line cracked the 800,000 mark for the first time last year, the state Department of Transportation reported Friday.
The Hiawatha provided a record 823,163 rides in 2011, up 4% from 792,848 in 2010, the department said. The line also set monthly ridership records in every month except August of last year, the department reported.
Amtrak had previously reported that the Hiawatha was the most heavily used line in the Midwest, and sixth-busiest nationwide, during the federal fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. The Hiawatha runs seven round trips daily between downtown Milwaukee and downtown Chicago, with stops at Mitchell International Airport, Sturtevant and Glenview, Ill.


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Oct 21, 2010
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Is it good news? The Pentagon has unveiled a new weapon for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan that will save American lives. It is a portable lie detector:
known by the acronym PCASS, for Preliminary Credibility Assessment Screening System, uses a commercial TDS Ranger hand-held personal digital assistant with three wires connected to sensors attached to the hand. An interpreter will ask a series of 20 or so questions in Persian, Arabic or Pashto: "Do you intend to answer my questions truthfully?" "Are the lights on in this room" "Are you a member of the Taliban?" The operator will punch in each answer and, after a delay of a minute or so for processing, the screen will display the results: "Green," if it thinks the person has told the truth, "Red" for deception, and "Yellow" if it can't decide.
"We're not promising perfection — we've been very careful in that," Donald Krapohl, special assistant to the director at the Defense Academy for Credibility Assessment, told MSNBC, which reports on the deployment of the device today.
It's a good thing that the DoD is not promising "perfection." That would be very hard to achieve, to say the least. Even non-portable lie-detector systems have a startlingly poor record of ferreting out deception. And these are almost always used in highly-controlled circumstances in which the psychological pressure on the individual being questioned is at its maximum.
The list of spies who have defeated the polygraph to penetrate U.S. intelligence is lengthy and includes Aldrich Ames, the Soviet mole in the CIA, Robert Hanssen, the Soviet mole in the FBI, and Ana Belen Montes, who toiled away in the Defense Intelligence Agency on behalf of Cuba for a decade-and-a-half, until her apprehension in 2001. The most recent case is that of Nada Nadim Prouty, the Lebanese woman arrested this winter, who moved from sensitive positions in the FBI to even more sensitive positions within the CIA despite a fictitious marriage and ties to the terrorist organization, Hizballah.
The idea that our troops can rely on primitive polygraphs to make snap decisions on the battlefield about whom to trust and whom to suspect is a formula for disaster. One of our most attractive and useful characteristics as a society is fascination with and love of technology. Sometimes, however, fascination and love turn into obsession. We seem to be in the grip of a clinical case of that disorder here.


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Cleveland Lions Club Donates Badger
At a recent all school assembly program the students at Cleveland Elementary School and the N.E.W. Montessori School were presented with a mounted badger. Steve Simons, a member of the Cleveland Lions Club, found the badger dead on the side of the road. Simons contacted the DNR to get approval to have the animal mounted with the intent of donating it to the two schools. After the approval was granted by the DNR, the Cleveland Lions Club agreed to fund the cost of having the badger preserved since it would be a great learning tool for all of the students.
The badger is still awaiting a custom made enclosure that is in the process of being constructed and donated by Jim Evraets of Evraert's Construction of Cleveland. The enclosure will be decorated with a nature scene.
Sheboygan Area School District Press Release
June 1, 2010


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The Vampire Diaries
Ioan Gruffudd and The Vampire Diaries's Alice Evans Expecting a Baby!
Fantastic news for a star of The Vampire Diaries!
Fantastic Four star Ioan Gruffudd and wife Alice Evans, who played Esther on The Vampire Diaries, have a baby on the way, according to People.
This is the second child for the couple, who already have three-year-old daughter Ella.
Alice, 41, and Ioan, 39, are "thrilled" by the news, according to their rep.
The two met on the set of 102 Dalmations and were married in September 2007 in Mexico.
Ioan starred on the short-lived CW show Ringer and recently appeared on an episode of Castle. He played Mr. Fantastic in the two Fantastic Four movies and played Tony Blair in W.
Ioan also recently landed an upcoming role on USA's Necessary Roughness.
Alice's career is booming as well, as she recently appeared in an episode of Grimm. She was born in New Jersey but raised in England and was previously engaged to Olivier Widmaier Picasso, a grandson of Pablo Picasso.
Ioan has previously joked that Alice runs a tight ship.
"She's very, very strong," he has said. "She's like her mother. I've got my work cut out for me at home."
Regardless, let's hope their home life is more stable than Esther's was on The Vampire Diaries.
Congrats to the happy and talented family!
Source: People


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Obituaries for July 27
SANFORD — Having lived a blessed and abundant life of over 98 years here on earth, Ella Blanche Ashley Tippett was welcomed by Jesus, her Savior and friend, into her eternal home on July 25th, 2014.
Ella, born January 11th, 1916, was the youngest of seven children born to Wiley P. Ashley and Ellen Ragan Ashley, who resided in the community of Orange Factory, (Durham county), N.C. She always spoke so lovingly of her parents, and also her following six siblings who have predeceased her: Sadie A. Holcombe, Sam Ashley, Bessie A. Rhew, Annie A. Woodall, Callie A. Garrett, and Estelle A. Rhew.
Also welcoming her presence in heaven is her dear husband of over 50 years, Luther E. Tippett, (deceased, 1984), and two of their seven children, Margaret T. Huddle, (deceased, 1999) and Royce E. Tippett, (deceased, 2011).
Cherishing her memory here on earth are her five remaining children: Joye T. Sherron of Siler City; Leonard T. Tippett (Pat) of Carthage; Linda L. Tippett, Mary T. McCormick (Randall), and Teresa T. McDonald (Tommy), all of Sanford.
Ella was also blessed in having many loving grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren. Her 10 grandchildren include: Denise T. Hackworth, (Tommy); Diane T. Parker, (Jettie); Thomas Sherron, (Laura); Javonah H. Rutherford, (Josh); Lee Huddle; Blake Tippett, (Molly); Ashley McCormick; John McCormick, (Meredith); Maryanna McDonald, and Claire McDonald.
Her six great-grandchildren are: Trevor Hackworth, Caley H. Weeks, (Ryan), Edward Parker, Gregory Parker, (Amber), Jamen Rutherford, and Jack McCormick.
Great-great-grandchildren are Lillie Weeks, Karsten Weeks, and Sophie Parker.
Soon after their marriage in 1933, Ella and Luther moved from the Durham, N.C. area to Ontario, Canada, where Luther grew over 100 acres of tobacco — with the aid of horses, not tractors! Ella assumed the responsibility of not only keeping house and caring for their family, but also cooking for the very numerous field hands employed by Luther. Claire McKenzie Rook was hired to assist Ella with the children and the housework, and has remained a lifelong very special friend to Ella.
After the births of three children in Canada, Ella and Luther moved back to N.C., buying a house and farm acreage near Lemon Springs. Good neighbors with whom the family shared many memorable "fun times" and tobacco "work times" were the J. Vernon and Letha Holland family, the Bonce and Carrie Murphy family, the James and Edna Cummings family and the Lessie Fox family. During this time Effie Mae Simmons was an employee who lived on the farm, and she has remained a highly regarded lifelong friend.
Four more children were born to Ella and Luther from 1944 to 1957, completing the "farm family" who together shared many hours of work; but work which was always balanced with countless hours of fun times, creating lovely, "forever" memories! Ella was a very devoted wife and a wonderful mother, who felt she could NEVER do enough for all her children. We speculate that she must have made at least a million or more delicious biscuits during her long and faithful life!
Her family wishes to thank all relatives, neighbors, and friends who have shown their concern and offered prayers on our behalf. Love and appreciation go out to Doris Willett, for her many years of thoughtful friendship to Ella.
We wish also to thank Dr. Don Wallace and Dr. Robert Deucher of Pinehurst for many years of care for Mom, and the very capable doctors and nurses of Central Carolina Hospital in Sanford, as well as Westfield Rehabilitation.
Warm and very special appreciation goes out to the wonderful staff of First Health Hospice House in Pinehurst for the excellent care they provided, both to Mom and our entire family. May God richly reward all of you.
Bridges-Cameron Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements. Visitation will be held at the funeral home Sunday evening, July 27, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Tramway Baptist Church, Sanford, N.C., with Dr. John Allen officiating. Following the memorial, the family will travel to Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery in Durham, N.C. for the 2 p.m. graveside service, officiated by Rev. John Taylor of Jonesboro Presbyterian Church.
Flowers are certainly welcomed, but should you desire to honor Mom's memory by donating to a charity, the family would be very pleased if you chose First Health Hospice & Pallative Care, 251 Campground Road, PO Box 5889, Pinehurst, NC 28374. Words cannot express how well they cared for our family.
Condolences may be made at www.bridgescameronfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements by Bridges-Cameron Funeral Home, Inc.
Paid obituary
CARTHAGE — Gentry T. Frye, 85, of Carthage, died Saturday (7/26/14).
Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Fry and Prickett Funeral Home of Carthage.
SANFORD — Emmett Junior "Jim" Brooks, 79 of Sanford, died Friday (7/25/14) at Sanford Health and Rehab Center.
He was born in Union County on Nov. 29, 1934, to the late Marcus Cullie Brooks and Rosa Mae Bacuom Brooks. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Holder Brooks; sons Jerry and Phillip Woodham and a grandson. He served his country in the U.S. Air Force and retired as a senior master sergeant and continued to serve the Air Force an additional 20 years in Civil Service.
Surviving relatives include his sons, Randy Woodham of Rock Hill, S.C., Marshall Cox of Cameron, Steve Brooks of Charlotte, Nolan Brooks of Charlotte, Mark Brooks of Charlotte and David Brooks of Charlotte; daughters, Patricia Downing and Larry of Ky., and Michelle Borge and Kevin of Sanford; sisters Genevieve Hughes of Broadway and Bertha Grider of Autryville, Ind.; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends at 11 a.m. Tuesday (7/29/14) at at Bridges-Cameron Funeral Home. The funeral will follow at noon at the Bridges-Cameron Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Russell Blackmon presiding. Burial will follow in Lee Memory Gardens with full military honors.
Condolences may be made at www.bridgescameronfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements by Bridges-Cameron Funeral Home.
SANFORD — Graveside funeral services for Brodie Wendell "Peanut" Parker Sr., 73, of Sanford, who died Wednesday (7/23/14) were conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Broadway Town Cemetery with the Rev. Garland Smith officiating.
Ronnie Cox was the soloist. Pallbearers were Jody Parker, Sam Parker, Erby Parker, Kirby Parker, Donnie Parker and Dan Parker Jr.
Arrangements were by the Smith Funeral Home of Broadway.


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The Alliance for the Arts is the state designated arts agency for Lee County; a non-profit member supported organization with a passion to facilitate and nurture the creation, development, promotion, and education of arts and culture.
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Whether you're interested in the visual or performing arts, connect to Southwest Florida's arts & cultural community through membership in the Alliance and enjoy special member discounts & exclusive promotions.
Lee County's nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $68.3 million in annual economic activity in 2010 – supporting 2,038 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $9.4 million in local and state government revenues.
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Gallery and Gift Shop Hours:
Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.


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Course Abstract Details
HES-105, Introduction to Exercise Science
Credits: 3
Course Description
HES-105, Introduction to Exercise Science, is designed to help the student gain knowledge, skills and abilities in the areas of exercise science and basic exercise physiology. It helps the student define professional goals and develop core competencies deemed essential for a career in the exercise science field. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have a sound understanding of basic exercise science practices, principles, sub-disciplines, and current career options. Prerequisite: exemption/completion of MAT-091, ENGL-101 or ENGL-103, and PHED-101 or permission of instructor. Three hours lecture each week. Three credits. Three billable hours. Offered Fall and Spring terms.
Course Objectives and Grading Information
1. Describe the history and current field of Exercise Science as it relates to the subdisciplines, theories, and terminology (PG1,5, GE1, Exam 1).
2. Apply and analyze sports nutrition and sports medicine practices (PG1,5,GE 2, Exam 2).
3. Survey the sub-disciplines of biomechanics, sports psychology, and kinesiology to better understand their historical development and current professional work performed in each area (PG1,5, GE2, Exam 3).
4. Develop research techniques and familiarize the student with professional organizations and journals through reading and discussion (PG3, GE2,4, Research Abstracts)
5. Present research findings in a small group discussion format using media (PG3, 4, GE1,2,4, Oral Report/Powerpoint Presentation)
6. Observe and critique two areas of exercise science by fieldwork experience and contact with professionals in those areas. (PG4,5,GE1,2,7, Observation Reports)
7. Analyze and assess at least one exercise science sub-discipline through research and salary data collection in a field of interest. (PG3,5, GE1,3,6,7, Career Project)
Learning Goals
The abbreviations in parentheses represent Learning Goals which have been identified for this course and program of study:


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Franchise Encyclopedia ▪ 1983-84 Philadelphia 76ers ▪ 1985-86 Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 58-24, Finished 2nd in NBA Atlantic Division (Schedule and Results)
Coach: Billy Cunningham (58-24)
PTS/G: 112.9 (8th of 23) ▪ Opp PTS/G: 108.8 (6th of 23)
SRS: 4.17 (4th of 23) ▪ Pace: 100.8 (16th of 23)
Off Rtg: 111.3 (4th of 23) ▪ Def Rtg: 107.3 (10th of 23)
Expected W-L: 51-31 (4th of 23)
Arena: The Spectrum ▪ Attendance: 575,415 (5th of 23)
NBA 1985 Playoffs:
Lost NBA Eastern Conference Finals (1-4) versus Boston Celtics (Series Stats)
Won NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals (4-0) versus Milwaukee Bucks (Series Stats)
Won NBA Eastern Conference First Round (3-1) versus Washington Bullets (Series Stats)
Sponsor this page for $35 and help Basketball-Reference.com provide this service. Your message will replace this ad.
Transactions listed are from July 1, 1984 to June
30, 1985.
Click on the Team for team roster and stats.
Click on the Player for career stats and accomplishments.
September 14, 1984
Traded Leo Rautins to the Indiana Pacers for a 1987 3rd round draft pick (Hansi Gnad was later selected).
October 10, 1984
Waived Butch Graves.
December 15, 1984
Signed George Johnson as a veteran free agent and sent a 1989 2nd round draft pick (Reggie Cross was later selected) to the Indiana Pacers as compensation.
Traded Marc Iavaroni to the San Antonio Spurs for a 1986 3rd round draft pick (Keith Colbert was later selected).
March 10, 1985
Franklin Edwards signed as a veteran free agent with the Los Angeles Clippers; received FROM_TRADE as compensation.
March 19, 1985
Signed Steve Hayes as a free agent.
April 7, 1985
Waived Steve Hayes.
May 28, 1985
Billy Cunningham resigns as Head Coach.
June 14, 1985
Hired Matt Guokas as Head Coach.
June 18, 1985
Drafted Terry Catledge in the 1st round (21st pick) of the 1985 NBA Draft.
Drafted Greg Stokes in the 2nd round (33rd pick) of the 1985 NBA Draft.
Drafted Voise Winters in the 2nd round (44th pick) of the 1985 NBA Draft.
Drafted Steve Black in the 3rd round (67th pick) of the 1985 NBA Draft.
Drafted Derrick Gervin in the 4th round (90th pick) of the 1985 NBA Draft.
Drafted Carl Wright in the 5th round (113th pick) of the 1985 NBA Draft.
Drafted Daryl Lloyd in the 6th round (136th pick) of the 1985 NBA Draft.
Drafted Jaye Andrews in the 7th round (159th pick) of the 1985 NBA Draft.


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Get to Know SMART
The Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking supports the national implementation of a comprehensive sex offender registration and notification system.
Learn More at SMART.gov
Ending Youth Violence
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Register now to receive emails from the Federal sponsors.
Helping Victims in Lafayette and Throughout the Nation
Access a compilation of resources for the victims, their families, community members, victim service providers, and others affected by the movie theater shooting in Lafayette, Louisiana. Learn more.
New Report Examines Crime and Safety in Schools
Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2014 analyzes the latest data on victimization, teacher injury, bullying and cyber-bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, and more.
Online Resources
Reminder: Medal of Valor Nominations Due July 31
Does your agency have a public safety officer who has exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of their own personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect human life? Nominate them for the Medal of Valor:
- Submit your nominations for the 2016 Crime Victims Service Awards by July 30, 2015
- NIJ teamed up with ASTM International to provide public safety personnel with free access to guides and standards
- On the Job: Meet Dr. Ann Carson, Bureau of Justice Statistics Statistician
- BJS proposes reinstatement of National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) Identity Theft Supplement


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Privacy and Cookies
Tigerair Australia and its pilots' union are continuing talks aimed at averting possible industrial action planned to start on 7 February that threatens to disrupt the airline's operations.
The Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) has notified the airline that it plans to take protected industrial action from 7 February unless it can reach agreement with it on rostering arrangements for its pilots before then.
AFAP's executive director Simon Lutton tells Flightglobal that pilots are seeking protections for their rosters, which have previously been subject to last minute changes by the company without negotiation.
He adds that the negotiations are "continuing in good faith" and have made significant headway in recent days, but the union is still planning to take industrial action at this stage.
While the pilots are not planning to strike or hold stop-work meetings, they would not take calls from the airline outside of their rostered hours. Lutton says that this may cause "significant disruption" to its operations.
Tigerair says in a statement that it is continuing the negotiations and it is "committed to reaching a reasonable outcome that ensures fair pay and conditions and allows the airline to maintain its competitiveness in the domestic market."
Tigerair Australia is 60% owned by Virgin Australia, which acquired the stake in July 2013 from Singapore's Tiger Airways Holdings. Flightglobal data shows that it has a fleet of 12 Airbus A320s in service, with a further seven on order.


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Click to view our office video
Do you have a dirty matted dog or cat? We now have professional grooming Tuesday through Saturday. Our groomer has over 30 years experience. We always take walk-in's but prefer appointments. For more information on grooming call or e-mail us.
Clinic Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30
Saturday 8:30-1:00
*we take our last appointment 30 minutes prior to closing*
Woodstock veterinarian: Dr. Gerald R Skees, DVM, at Family Pet Hospital is among some of the best veterinarians in the Woodstock area and is committed to your pet's health and well being. Family Pet Hospital excels in pet care and the science of veterinary medicine.
Dr. Gerald R Skees DVM and the staff at Family Pet Hospital have provided Woodstock compassionate veterinary care and pet services year after year, making us the animal clinic of choice for pet owners in and around the Woodstock community. Read our petsimonials and pet memorial page to meet some of our beloved animal friends.
Family Pet Hospital is a full-service animal hospital whose mission is to provide the highest standard of veterinary care for pets. We genuinely care about your pets and all animals! Our staff is passionate about veterinary medicine and are extremely well trained. We strive to provide professional, affordable, and advanced veterinary services. At Family Pet Hospital, you will walk into a calm, welcoming, and friendly environment every visit, so that the experience is as comfortable as possible for you and your pet.
Family Pet Hospital offers the Woodstock community emergency vet care as well as medical, surgical, and dental services. We also have an in-house pharmacy with access to specialists, making our veterinary facility a one stop shop for your pet's health and medical needs. If you are new to our website, please browse around to learn about our facility and to read interesting pet articles and watch groundbreaking pet videos. Click on the "email us" link below to ask us a question or to submit feedback. For directions to our office see our contact us page. To receive free monthly veterinary care articles, please subscribe to our newsletter.
Remember, at Family Pet Hospital, your pets are our family!
Phone: 770-928-9094
Fax: 770-928-9954
E-mail us:
Click Here to Visit Our Online Pharmacy
Please visit for refills on your prescriptions and food.
Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30
Saturday 8:30-1:00
K-9 under 20 lbs $14.00 a night
21-45 lbs $19.00 a night
46-65 lbs $30.00 a night
Over 66 lbs $32.00 a night
Felines $12.00 a night


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This gift highlighted the complicated, ongoing relationship between public parks and their incorporation of private donations. Many communities currently look to philanthropy to fill gaps in park funding—but is this a good idea? The overall increase of philanthropy's role merits a closer look, as well as whether traditional tax-based methods might be better long-term solutions.
Conservancies, "friends of the park" groups, foundations, and other park advocacy organizations have become part of the park landscape in many urban areas. Much of their funding is received through donations, which is mainly used for capital improvement projects, special park activities and programs, and lobbying and advocacy on behalf of the parks. In some unique situations—for example, Central Park—these organizations also are covering park operating costs.
Public–private partnerships that use little or no public funding are also becoming more common in urban environments. In these partnerships, operating revenue comes from a range of outside sources that stretch beyond donations, including user fees, concessions, and restaurant revenue. Money also can be drawn in through property development and in-park fees, as well as from households and businesses located immediately outside of the park's boundaries. For example, the Bryant Park Corporation—a nonprofit, private management company that operates Bryant Park in Manhattan—created a business improvement district for properties surrounding the park, and those businesses pay the park an annual property assessment. The corporation determines this amount, but it cannot exceed 3 percent of property taxes collected by the city.
Questions about park-based groups were included in a 2009 survey conducted by researchers at RFF, who polled urban park directors about their operations and funding. The 44 directors disclosed that a total of $143 million was generated by donors, conservancies, and foundations in the most recent fiscal year, with only five reporting that they had not received any private contributions. In a separate RFF survey, park organizations were confirmed to be largely funded by donations: 63 percent of the annual revenue of those surveyed was marked as having come from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
The two surveys reveal a mismatch between the park funding supplied by conservancies and the biggest needs of today's urban parks. Half of the directors considered finding enough funding to manage and maintain their parks their single biggest problem. But most of the conservancies and other park organizations reported that planning, strategy, lobbying, and advocacy were their main focuses.
Many nonprofit park conservancies and organizations have made positive impacts on their communities, and some have restored failing parks to top form. But an increased use of private funds for public parks makes it a good time to take a step back and assess the drawbacks associated with a heavy dependence on philanthropy:
Philanthropy can play a useful role in the support of public parks, but it isn't essential to their success. Many communities are succeeding with the old-fashioned approach, taxes. Some of the most successful communities that have made public funding work do so through the use of a special park district, a special-purpose unit that enjoys a significant amount of administrative and fiscal independence from local governments. These districts, which sometimes span multiple jurisdictions, are usually given some form of taxing authority and can issue tax-backed bonds for capital projects. Most special park districts rely on a combination of dedicated sales or property taxes along with user fee revenues to fund their operations. Though they must balance their operating budgets according to the limits of these sources, special park districts are not at risk of seeing their revenue swept into a general fund, as many city and state governments can do with their park systems.
To ensure the long-term success of public parks, communities should consider establishing a dedicated park tax designed to target a broad base, in order to incur a small economic burden per dollar of revenue raised. The tax should be periodically taken to voters for approval. Currently, dedicated sales taxes are used to fund state parks in places like Missouri, Minnesota, and Arkansas and a special park district near St. Louis, Missouri. Special park districts in Charleston, South Carolina; Oakland and Alameda County, California; and Columbus, Ohio, are among others that rely on dedicated property taxes. The budgets of these park systems are supplemented with revenues generated through everything from cottage and campsite rentals to concerts, races, and music festivals. No matter the method used, building a foundation on public funding can provide parks with the long-term financial sustainability needed to help them remain permanent fixtures in their communities for years to come.
No single financing method will be the best approach for all park systems, but using taxes to provide them with base funding should become a universal approach. A dedicated tax would probably lead to a drop in general fund revenues, though the loss of some of these highly uncertain funds would not outweigh the benefits of the tax. A more predictable revenue stream would allow park directors to better plan and budget, and maintaining an independent system, such as a special park district, provides an incentive for good management practices.
Is there a role for philanthropy in all of this? The short answer is yes. However, the real question lies in what this role should be. In some cities, conservancies and other park organizations are well established. But other communities should explore the potential of direct-giving mechanisms through the establishment of endowment or trust funds. Ultimately, these funds might be able to provide sustainable year-to-year funding through their interest earnings.
More research is needed to explore when and where philanthropy can be best put to use in parks with a public funding base. But this research should include discussions about how best to deal with the drawbacks associated with philanthropy mentioned above, as well as how to prevent private donations from crowding out public support in all cases. Above all, communities should temper their expectations of what philanthropy can achieve, both now and in the future.
Walls, Margaret. 2014. Private Funding of Public Parks: Assessing the Role of Philanthropy. Issue brief 14-01. Washington, DC: RFF.
<<Previous article
WelcomeNational Energy Policy under Changing ConditionsPhil Sharp
InfographicSurveying American Attitudes toward Climate Change
Goings OnHighlights from Recent Events at RFF
CommentaryToward a North American Energy StrategyRaymond J. Kopp and Alan J. Krupnick
Q & ABlue Skies Ahead for China? An Interview with Mun Ho
Inside RFF
Do Driving Restrictions Reduce Congestion? Lessons from BeijingPing Qin and Jintao Xu
Groundwater Markets: Managing a Critical, Hidden ResourceYusuke Kuwayama
Reflections on the Oil Shock of 40 Years AgoJoel Darmstadter
Money for Nothing: The Case for Eliminating US Fossil Fuel SubsidiesJoseph E. Aldy
Lifting the Oil Export Ban: What Would It Mean for US Gasoline Prices? Stephen P.A. Brown and Charles F. Mason
Private Funding of Public Parks: Assessing the Role of PhilanthropyMargaret A. Walls


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Toasted Vanilla Bean Raspberry Cakes with coconut and almond; get the full recipe, with blog post and photos at topwithcinnamon.com
Izy - hands, director, editor, 2-cake-eater, recipe writer
Sarah - co-director, button presser, joke teller, 3-cake-eater!
Music - Woodland, The Paper Kites
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Letters to the Editor: 12.26.08
Most law-abiding
The editorial ("Bush rule will allow guns in national parks," Dec. 11) and columnist Tom Teepen ("On his way out, Bush rewards NRA friends," Dec. 11) provide misinformation and a wrongly slanted view of the subject of guns in national parks.
The proposed rule will allow those who hold a state issued concealed handgun license to possess a loaded firearm in a national park. Contrary to your statement Texas and many other states specifically allow holders of concealed handgun licenses to possess loaded firearms in state parks.
Concealed handgun license holders are the "law-abidingest" of the law-abiding. My extensive Internet search failed to locate any instance of a concealed handgun license-holder being arrested for illegally killing an animal in a national park. I did find that park service officers are assaulted at an alarming rate, but the assaults usually occur at parks such as the Washington Mall, Camp David and Golden Gate Bridge, not Carlsbad Caverns, Yellowstone and others that we envision when we think "national park."
Here in Corpus Christi, we understand the danger from drug smugglers, illegal immigrants and just plain thieves and thugs that exist deep on Padre Island. To expect to be "protected" by a park ranger there just isn't reasonable.
Dave Townsend
(State Parks and Wildlife says that concealed permit-holders can take their weapons in state parks, but they must be unloaded. The editor.)
Just neighborhood
Ref. Gail Hanson's letter ("Frat parties," Dec. 18). Mike McCutchon is my City Council representative, too. I would like to know what legal authority Mr. McCutchon would have which trumps my constitutionally guaranteed property rights.
The Lamar Park property issue revolved around establishing a business -- a half way house for those in recovery -- in a residential neighborhood. This business allowed up to 20 people at a time to reside in a one-family residential building. This example is distinctly different from leasing as residential housing, a three-bedroom home in a residential neighborhood to three students.
Our neighborhood (which I also live in) is filled with school children of every age, dogs, cats, cars, motorcycles, work trucks, the things most neighborhoods are full of and the noises that come with them.
Gayle Connolly
High in sky
I wonder: Could the Coliseum be the base for something celestial? I'm sure the city budget could not afford it without a lot of private investment, but Seattle, Houston, and San Antonio have these needles in the sky with a bar and nice eatery on top, which rotate to give visitors a 360 degree view of the area.
These are great landmarks, and tourist attractions, as well as symbols of the city's hopes for higher achievement. The cement and steel monster would make a very suitable base structure for a rotating "Morton's Steak House in the Sky." You have to admit it would add some spice to an otherwise boring skyline on the seawall, and a place for a really good steak in Corpus Christi.
Ed Hensley
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Comment Re:Just plain stupid (Score 1) 775 775
Comment Re:Oooh! Conspiracy theory! Follow the money. (Score 1) 775 775
The game is sold for 10 euro a copy.
600,000 / 10 = 60,000 copies sold in one month.
1 month = 30 days
60,000 / 30 = 2000 copies/day
That means, on average, the game sold 2000 copies every day of the last month.
Is that a reasonable number?
On the minecraft site, the number of copies sold in the last 24 hours is constantly shown. As of this post that number is 4486. So it is clear that 2000/day is well within the realm of possibility.
This isn't even a particularly massive number for a successful indie game. World of Goo was on sale last year (a year after it was originally released, I might add), and made 57,000 sales in a single week. (Due to the nature of that sale, about 17,000 basically got the game for free, so a more accurate number is around 40,000 sales over that period.)
So no- you really don't need a conspiracy theory to explain these numbers.
Comment Re:And for those that reached 30 before cell phone (Score 1) 397 397
Comment Re:Half-Life 3? (Score 1) 135 135
Comment Just the usual... (Score 1) 274 274
Comment Re:Isn't it obvious ? (Score 1) 210 210
Comment Re:Makes me wonder (Score 1) 131 131
Comment Re:Times have changed (Score 1) 180 180
Comment Re:It makes sense really (Score 1) 325 325
Comment Re:Why fear terrorists... (Score 1) 689 689
Make these classes tough so that no one graduates without knowing how to deconstruct an argument.
What will that accomplish? All the conspiracy theorists end up being high school dropouts? They'll have to learn to use doublethink to be able to understand critical thinking and logic, and completely ignore it when regarding the object of their paranoia? It sounds a lot like what we already have.
Comment Re:Electromagnetic Pulse, anyone? (Score 1) 258 258
Comment Re:So essentially (Score 1) 538 538
(He has a girlfriend)
Comment Re:weapons precision (Score 1) 465 465
The Hunter class can put skill points toward reducing sway when scoped in.


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Women's Ministry
The Women's ministry of LSC encourages women, in our busy world, to pull aside for a spiritual lift. The women enjoy going to the theatre, out to dinner and maybe even a little shopping. Through these vehicles of ministry lifelong relationships are formed and spiritual direction is given to encourage those who attend.
Ladies' Monthly LifeGroup
Last Friday @6:30 P.M.
Join us for a deeper understanding and application of the word of God in our daily lives. We build lasting relationships, teach, fellowship, and make time for fun activities. Our goal is to inspire one another's spiritual growth while equipping women to share the gospel.
Call 281-932-6642 for more info.
Good Morning - Ladies' Breakfast
1st & 3rd Saturdays @9:00 A.M.
Come as you are and enjoy breakfast. The focus is to put God at the beginning of each day and see what great things He has in store. We discuss our favorite books, and learn from and encourage each other to be the women we want to be.
Call 281-850-2343 for more info.
Prayer Quilt Ministry
Mondays 9am -12pm
Do you have a heart for ministry and enjoy crafting? Contribute to this compassionate ministry by constructing quilts for those needing healing and comfort. The group prays for the receiver as the quilt is made and it becomes a point of contact for healing, as well as comfort and a symbol of love from the congregation of Living Stones.
Call 281-610-4922 for more info.


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Essentials Of Epidemiology In Public Health
by Ann Aschengrau, George R. Seage
Paperback: 534 pages
Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Learning
List Price: $105.95
Your Price: $74.27
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Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Successfully tested in the authors' courses at Boston University and Harvard University, this text combines theory and practice in presenting traditional and new epidemiologic concepts. Broad in scope, the text opens with five chapters covering the basic epidemiologic concepts and data sources. A major emphasis is placed on study design, with separate chapters devoted to each of the three main analytic designs: experimental, cohort, and case-control studies. Full chapters on bias, confounding, and random error, including the role of statistics in epidemiology, ensure that students are well-equipped with the necessary information to interpret the results of epidemiologic studies. An entire chapter is also devoted to the concept of effect measure modification, an often-neglected topic in introductory textbooks. Up-to-date examples from the epidemiologic literature on diseases of public health importance are provided throughout the book. The Third Edition is a thorough update that offers: • New examples, the latest references, and public health statistics. • Nearly 50 new review questions. • Updated discussion of certain epidemiologic methods. • New figures depicting epidemiologic concepts.
Related Titles
- Epidemiology: with STUDENT CONSULT Online Access, 5e (Gordis, Epidemiology)
- Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice
- Fundamentals of Health Care Improvement: A Guide to Improving Your Patients' Care, Second Edition
- Essentials Of Biostatistics In Public Health (Essential Public Health)
- High-Yield Embryology (High-Yield Series)
Scribendi offers Books and Software in association with Amazon.com. Portions copyright Amazon Inc. and its affiliates used under license.


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Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars Season 3 Spoilers: Garrett Gets His "Day in Court" (VIDEO)
We've heard a lot about what's coming for the girls on Pretty Little Liars Season 3, but what about the other characters, like Garrett (Yani Gellman)?
Lucky for us, the gals over at ClevverTV recently caught up with Yani, who opened up about his "misunderstood" character and what we can expect from Garrett in the future.
Read spoilers at your own risk! For more on Wetpaint Entertainment's philosophy on spoilers, click here.
"Now the question is, did I actually [kill Alison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse)], was I framed, was I set up, am I actually guilty?" Yani explains. "I'm going to have my day in court. My character's going to get a chance to tell his side of the story, and we'll see where that leads."
As for his future, Yani hints that we might get to see Garrett in his "civilian clothes" for a while. Does that mean he gets out of jail? Because that's what it sounds like to us. Though don't expect him to be free at first — Yani promises we'll see Garrett "behind bars" when the season starts.
He also hints that "I think we're going to find out more about [the NAT club] as Season 3 goes on." Good! We're dying to know more about exactly what that creepy club was up to.
For much more from Yani, watch the full interview below.
Source: Clevver TV via YouTube
Catch an all-new Pretty Little Liars when Season 3 premieres on Tuesday, June 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC Family.


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: Remember these letters are peoples' opinions; they may or may not be actual facts. This is not a news forum, it is an opinion column. We also urge you to take into account whether the letter is signed. We do not correct spelling or grammatical errors.
River Banks
As beautiful as our River banks are I couldn't understand why, what few places that weren't posted have been littered with trash. I am a resident of Yancey County and very proud of my home. I enjoy taking my neighbor's 5 boy's along with my son and his friends for the once a week plunge. We take snacks and drinks etc, but you know what, when we pick up our trash we pick up yours too. If a fisher person comes we politely stay away. This last Sunday we visited a shallow area which I have always called the Hazel Hole some must have had a good day.They at least bagged their trash and left it. And as for some (fisher person) not all. Thank you for leaving your can corn (cans and lids) laying in the water I cut my foot. I will along with these kids, will continue to pick up your trash. I hope your parents did not teach you to litter. I doubt very seriously they did. Yancey County people are very proud and I'm of them. If you can carry it to the river then you can carry it back!
Stealing Flowers From Graves
Its the time of year when families gather at cemetaries throughout the mountains to honor and pay their respect to loved ones who have passed away.Sadly there are some lowlife people out and about who go and STEAL the flowers that families have placed on the graves.This has happened to our family members numerous times over the past few years,We decided to take matters into our own hands to catch the Sorry Good for Nothing trash that's doing this.We are taking flowers to the graveyard this year as always but they will have a little something extra hidden inside as well a small gps locator.Dont worry about trying to find it if you steal our flowers because the arrangement will be destroyed by the time you get it out.Just saying a word to the wise don't go stealing the flowers off graves,we will catch you this time,and warrants will be taken out.Past couple years they have been stolen on Saturday night before decoration on Sunday.
Concern Over Water Bill Hike
To Mr Ron Powell:What was you thinking when you wanted board members to vote for a 15% rate hike in the water bill when a family of 2 is already paying 65 to 75.00 a month now. And to Mr H. Allen Benowitz what were you thinking with your comment in the readers forum that you agreed with him? Is Mr Wheeler and the rest of the board members the only level headed ones up there? Maybe the people that have to pay these high water bills don"t have pocketbooks like evidently you two do.
State Trash Pick Up
I live on a side road here in the county. Trash beside the road gets picked up a couple times through out the year which is great to have done. My issue is, if they are gonna take the time to have inmates bag it up the state should have enough common sense to make arrangements to have it picked up an hauled off. The past three times the trash has been bagged up its took over two weeks to get it hauled off. In the mean time possums, coon, crows, dogs, coyotes and other critters rip the bags and scatter it right back out. Why can't Dept of Transportation and Dept. of corrections get on the same page ? Kinda pointless to clean up a mess only to have the critters make another mess.
Mother Cat Killed
Being an animal lover it is very sad that the kittens have no mama, but I do not understand how people just let their animals run loose, and expect them not to get ran over, stolen etc. Doesn't make it right just because they aren't contained but people, do you let your children roam the streets unattended? No, so if you love your animals keep them supervised when they need to go out to use the bathroom or just need a second away from the wee ones. I'ts not that complicated.
To whoever run over and killed the small black and white cat at Hilltop Lane in Spruce Pine I wanted you to know her name was Biscuit and had just given birth to 5 beautiful kittens. All they want to know is when there mom will be back and thanks to you she never will.
In God We Trust
Way to go Mitchell Commissioners!! I hope and pray our Yancey county commissioners will do the same. Trust in God was the foundation of our nation and we should never forget it!
Confederate Flag
My great great grandfather fought for the South. I see nothing wrong with the Confederate flag. People who don't know history think the war was over slaves but it was not. Lincoln brought up the slave issue to make other countries think that so they wouldn't help the South. Th south wanted independence and that is what they fought for. My great great grandfather did not own any slaves neither did anyone around him. He wasn't racist , he wanted independence from Northern policies. The political correct people have taken a flag of Southern pride and assigned their own racist views to it.
Mowing at Courthouse
It amazes me how soon some people forget, as far as the taxpayers paying family members It is always the same. many people maybe me or any number of people if in the same position with the authority to hire people probably would do the same, after all many on the opposite side of the isle would not want to work for the ones
on the other side of isle anyway because it would not look good in the eyes of the people on their side of the isle. With all the other issues Yancey County has drugs,domestic violence,larceny just to name a few. I speaking for myself could care less who is mowing the courthouse lawn, or holding any other position as long as they are qualified and doing their job effectively. Be assured that when the one's on the other side of the isle are in charge that the taxpayers will be paying their family, that's just the way it works in Yancey as well as surrounding Counties. This is just my opinion.
driving thru town this afternoon, the courthouse was getting its lawn mowed. nothing unusual about that, I know, but at a second look it shocked me to see who was mowing. how many more family members are we the taxpayers going to pay for a made up job?
Town Design Laws
Burnsville has all these "design" rules yet why don't they make the biggest mess of all be cleaned up? Empty bank buildings all grown up and falling down. BIG EYE SORE!!! It seems to me this would be the first thing that needs to be done.
Old Glory
How long before someone or some group decides that they are offended by the United States of America Flag. How long before some politician issues the order to lower Old Glory from her place above our great nation? Our nation was founded on the motto of "In God We Trust" and not on the political agendas of millionaires. We need to wake up and take a look around, our freedoms are disappearing at an alarming rate!
White House Rainbow
Political correctness is destroying our nation. People are afraid to speak out because they are afraid they will offend someone. But I am furious that our president used the people's house, the White House, as a political statement. The White House belongs to you and me, all of us not just for promotion of the gay agenda. It is not President Obama's house. He has a house, I presume in Chicago, that he can color any color he wants. Blue, purple or plaid, I don't care. But instead he hijacked America's house for a political point. Just like the gays have hijacked the rainbow, which to Christians is a symbol of God's promise. I refuse to let the gays have my rainbow and I refuse to say nothing while people destroy America's Christian values. Read the Bible and there is no doubt but that homosexuality is a sin in God's eyes. We are called to love everyone but that does not mean that we accept the wrongdoing. What are we teaching our children by acting like it's okay?
Banning Confederate Flag
As I have watched and listened to media reports concerning taking down The Confederate Flag in South Carolina It brings me great concern that just because some think it only symbolizes racism when it in reality is a part of American History, as well as civil war monuments. If the confederate flag has to come down because some believe it only represents racism and it offends them, then the rainbow flag representing the homosexuals for example should not be allowed either as well as many others because of what they represent that offends some. Many people according to reports by media outlets. Also as reported by media lawmakers want to stop the confederate flag from being on license plates if this happens then all other depictions of any symbol representing anything should not be allowed how silly but serious the thought of this is, for example that picture of a bear offends me because years ago a bear attacked a member of my family, silly right? I am not a racist but I believe there are some racist people, but the government or no group or individual has the right to label me as a racist because I believe the confederate flag to be a part of the History Of The United States of America. Whats Next? Stop recognizing Gettysburg and other historical battle fields as well as the valiant generals and soldiers who lead fought and the thousands who gave their life on both sides. This Is My Opinion on this Issue. I also believe that it should be of great interest to the people that this is only the beginning of the FREEDOMS we have today being taken away IT'S TIME TO TAKE A STAND!
Parking at Fairground
when is the parking issue in fairground st d section going to get better 2 parking spaces for each family have family's parking and taking up 4 and 5 spaces cars are going to be towed the cops need to address this when you leave no place to park
Town of Burnsville
you want to talk about roadways, lets change gears from the 4 lane to main street. all we hear is Burnsville cant survive without tourism, well if the road system inside of city limits gets any worse, all those tourist that we want to come to Burnsville are going to bypass this beautiful little town. its like driving on a mine field. Town better focus on the streets vs. the sidewalks. we need the streets to get us to those new sidewalks. POT HOLES are not good for those luxury vehicles that we want to bring those moneybag tourist to bring to Burnsville NC.
Road Construction
on my way home from work this afternoon, it occurred to me that maybe the paving crew could take paving 101 again, and see how not to patch a section of road they have removed. why can't they make the patches a bump vs. a dump?
our vehicles are not going to see the day that they can drive on a finished road at this rate.
please fill in the dips mr contractor
So what's new about delays with the road construction? We've been dealing with this joke for 3 years or more now and NOT 1 SINGLE INCH OF IT IS FINISHED!! This is like children playing in a sand box. They scratch on the west end one day,on the east end the next and somewhere in the middle the next. The only thing I see them accomplishing is more holes for us to drive through. What is so hard about paving these places level?
Although this work has been a terrible inconvenience for the last year or more I can't understand the following: Why are they watering the dirt and allowing the muddy run off to cross the road. I think with a little thought since they are the professionals they could figure this out. If needed they could use some of the guys standing around and put a shovel in their hand to lower the grade and keep the water where it was intended. We had one good road from the South Toe area to town albeit 2 lanes which seemed to be enough for years. Now we have nothing but a mess with extended delays usually for nothing. We must be expecting big things to happen in Yancey County but what is it? Who is in charge of this work because evidently they are standing around with the road crew doing nothing! I would like to know so I can offer my assistance with using common sense! OK, I feel a little better now!
Gay Rights
It's either right or wrong. No one gets to vote on it.
Why is it that 3.8
% of the population get to tell the rest of us what's right and what's wrong? A lot of people go along to get along. But when it's shoved down our throats it's time to take a stand.
Old Burnsville Gym
We chose to lock the gym on weekends due to continued vandalism and disrespect to the property. Yancey Co. Rec. Dept.
Does anybody know why the old Burnsville gym is closed on the weekends? My children loved going to the gym
on Saturday
but it has been locked up for a while now
on Saturday
Cats on McKinney Gap
To those of you who stopped to offer assistance or words of encouragement, I finally got the last of the kitties on McKinney Gap (till next time). It's amazing, the people i did talk to have all found dumped animals up there. It is such a problem. Wish there was more money in the budget for animal control.
Connector Road
Everybody is complaining about the road construction and it is bad but at least we will have a nice road in the end. Nobody says anything about the terrible road that connects old 19 at Burnsville Elementary over to new 19 at East Yancey. That road is horrible and gets a lot of traffic. It now has a big hole in it. Something needs to be done about THAT road!
Rec Park
I saw where commissioners in their new budget have given more money for the Cane River Rec Park. I love the rec park. Only problem is it is 40 minutes away from my home which makes it too far to use on a regular basis like for walking. Nice for those people who live nearby.
Logs from 4-Lane Construction
Im sure the construction company will earn every dollar of the the millions of dollars it takes to build a road. Look at all the equipment and people it takes to run it. You do not see any of them standing around leaning on a shovel.The wood that was cut on my property the state bought I was allowed to cut.This is state property and does not belong to the construction company.This company is doing a good job, it is
7 pm
and they are still working.
Though it sounds nice to just give the logs to people for firewood I am sure that the company would face liability and their insurer probably won't even let them do this. Just sayin'
It had been posted awhile back questioning why the timber that is being taken down on the 4 lane widening project, be given to the elderly or needy families for fire wood. Good question, and the answer is clear. Not only was the company that the contract was awarded to for millions upon millions of dollars, there is always more ways for them to make money at the expense of others. There is money, good money, to be made in timber sales. So there you go, the rich get richer and the needy get the shaft, just as it has always been in Yancey county. Such a wonderful place to live, if you are among the elite, that is.
Yancey County
chickens, roosters, road construction, taxes, bars, parkway play house, illegally parked vehicle's, etc..... I have something to say. Who cares? the same families that run Yancey county will always run Yancey county. we will never have any more than what we already have here, which is a BIG FAT NOTHING.
Bald Creek Child Development Center
maybe the so called concerned citizen, should check out how many parents bring their children to the bald creek daycare, and then return to their homes for a day without their children. They are using the bald creek daycare as a baby sitter, while they don't have a job to go to. We are talking about parents that have figured out how to work the system to their advantage. the number of children that are enrolled in the daycare system, and the cost is being funded by DSS or welfare or some other form of financial assistance by the government. our tax dollars are paying for the children's daycare along with paying for the parents to not worry about getting a job.
I think it is very sad that the county manager has decided to start charging such a high rent that the Bald Creek Child Development Center is having to close down. The community needs this child care center. Working families need childcare. This will only leave one childcare center in the county that accepts children under the age of one. That center is full and cannot accept any more children at this time. I asked you, what are families supposed to do? If more families have to quit work before they cannot find childcare.... this will increase people on public assistance. This will decrease the amount of revenue that comes into the county. I asked you what are people supposed to do? A concerned citizen.
Kid Mountain
Why can we not have sign displayed in a prominent place at KID MOUNTAIN saying that adults are only allowed in the park play area if they are there to monitor THEIR children? While a birthday party was going on June 6th a young man-who later told the police he was from Thailand and could not speak English-was in the play area talking (in English) to our children and taking pictures of them. Later 3 adult women were playing on the slides and taking pictures of each other. This is TOTALLY unexceptable and should not be allowed to continue. Our children should be able to go to our taxpayer supplied play area without being accosted in any way. Thank you to the policemen who came to check this out but they were lied to by the young man about his ability to understand what they were trying to tell him. Who knows what he did with the photos of these children before they were deleted from his phone. And before you answer that we should have been there with them-we were but you can't observe (and shouldn't have to ) them every minute. They should have been safe in this area in our small town. Too bad once again the "tourist" take precedence over our own kids!
Thank You from Parkway Playhouse
On behalf of Parkway Playhouse, THANK YOU to the community! We so grateful for the support shown the talented kids who appeared on stage for Disney's
Cinderella, KIDS
Annie, Jr.
We are also thankful to the many members of the community who contributed quilt blocks for the patchwork quilt that was made in conjunction with the play "The Quiltmaker." We were was happy to draw the winners for the Quilt Raffle: Loretta Silvers won the queen sized quilt, Jennifer Wilson won the baby quilt, and Steve North won the throw pillows. Special thanks to Sherry Bohres, Becky Gillespie, Carol and Stinson McCrosky, and Anita Dowd at Fabrics in the Fray. More than $1,000 was raised for Parkway Playhouse Junior and Parkway Playhouse.
We are pleased to be a part of community that comes together to support each other. So, when you come to a play, take the time to notice the advertisers and sponsors in our playbill...We wouldn't be successful without them!
In light of the subject matter of "The Quiltmaker," we'd also like to thank our own Substance AbuseTask Force for working to make our community a safer place, and the Sheriff's Department for their work and for the excellent costumes.
Britt Kaufmann
on behalf of the Parkway Playhouse Staff and Board
Illegally Parked Vehicles
Some people may abuse them but you should not be so quick to judge. I look healthy but that's because you can't see my feet and the painful places on them. Err on the side of being kind.
Just one comment on the handicap parking issue. While I am certain that abuse and misuse occurs, we cannot always judge who is handicapped by their ability to walk a short distance. Obviously the first question would be, do they possess a handicap sign. While that doesn't guarantee the need, it does put them in compliance with the law. When my father, at a relatively young age, had serious surgery, he was able to walk only short distances during his healing process. One of his first outings was to visit a store in The Asheville Mall. He had a handicap sticker. I dropped him off at the door, and parked in a regular parking space. When I came to pick him up, I parked in a handicap space near the store an went inside to carry his purchases. As he was walking toward the car (appearing quite healthy and fit) a car circled and started yelling unkind remarks at him for taking up a handicap space. I still remember the hurt look on his face. Let's don't be so quick to judge, and try give people the benefit of the doubt.
as i watched ch 13 news this morning they were saying troopers were ticketing illegally parked vehicles my question is why has the shrieffs office not ben doing this for years why put up handjcapp signs if your not going ticket the person walking out of a store that you can see walking fine
Yancey County Taxes
I don't know if everyone is aware of it or not, but I have come across the most interesting link on the Yancey County website. It is a link that you can look up yours or anyone's tax status, if paid, if not paid, past taxes paid or not paid. Anyone that is a taxpayer and is concerned how and where your tax dollars fund the services Yancey county provides, this is the site to look at. I've paid my taxes as I am sure many of you all have. I made mine in payments, but they are still paid and I am ready for the 2015 tax bills to be delivered.
what really amazed me is how much taxes are still owed to the county, and by whom. I know you can't name names on here, but this site is allows you to just type a name and it is shows you if their are doing their part for the county or not. One taxpayer alone owes almost $ 50,000.00. we have so many upstanding citizens that pay their fair share to the county, why does so many others not want to pay their share. Anyway I think everyone should take a look at this site to see who is contributing to Yancey County and who is not, which means if the county can't get what is owed, the tax rates will have to be raised just to be able to keep the lights on, so to speak.


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'Syria is Not Iraq' – Right, It's Worse
Shadi Hamid, of the Brookings Institution, thinks "we have overlearned the lessons" of Iraq and unfairly let it inform decisions about whether to intervene militarily in Syria:
The memory of the Iraq War obviously looms large. The war, itself, was one of the greatest strategic blunders in the recent history of American foreign policy. But its legacy is proving just as damaging, leading to a series of mistakes that we are likely to regret in due time. There would have been much more willingness to intervene in Syria if we hadn't intervened in Iraq.
…As [Steven] Cook pointed out in another piece, fundamental questions of morality and philosophy are what, in part, separate proponents and opponents of intervention. "Is it a morally superior position," Cook asks, "to sit by as people are being killed rather than take action that will kill people, but nevertheless may end up saving lives as well?" The question here, then, isn't whether it will work, but will it be worth it?
No, the question is still whether it will work. At least that's one question. As for Cook, his query is formulated all wrong. While it's no fun to sit by while other people are being killed, Americans are primarily responsible for their own actions, not the actions of others. Furthermore, Cook's moral plea rests completely on that final phrase: "may end up saving lives as well." That's not a very sturdy precept on which to wage war, and it presumes the US government actually cares about people being slaughtered rather than about furthering its own interests in the Middle East.
The more relevant moral and philosophical question that Hamid and Cook ought to be asking is, given the US government's history of supporting outright slaughter in the hundreds of thousands by the worst kind of dictatorships, how can it be the proper instrument to remedy the situation in Syria?
Hamid ridicules those opponents of intervention who have asked pragmatic questions – "Today, it is fashionable to play technocrat and ask 'what works?'" – but these are the most important questions. To not ask them, or to leave them unanswered, is to suggest the US march obliviously back into another disastrous war in the Middle East.
So what are the options for military intervention in Syria? A no-fly zone would require American airpower to disable Syria's, but the Assad regime's "anti-aircraft capabilities are located in or near urban areas, which means that significant civilian casualties could result from any attempt to eliminate them," explained Marc Lynch of George Washington University in testimony before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee back in April.
How about a so-called safe-zone? "Creating and protecting a safe area in Syria would…require a significant and lengthy investment of troops and resources, and would not likely hasten Assad's collapse," Lynch added.
Last month Lynch responded to proponents of intervention, like Hamid, who say the Syrian crisis could have been avoided if only Washington intervened sooner.
Advocates of intervention frequently complain that the United States could have prevented this fiasco through earlier, more forceful action. This is easy to say, but almost certainly untrue. Last year, a wide range of serious analysts inside and outside the government, including me, looked carefully at a wide range of possible military steps: no-fly zones, safe areas, bombing campaigns, arming the opposition. None could in good faith conclude that these limited military measures would lead to a rapid end to the conflict. Far from avoiding today's tragedy, U.S. military intervention would very likely have made things in Syria worse.
Critics of the Obama administration's approach, such as Sen. John McCain, have taken to saying that all the things opponents of intervention warned of – militarization, tens of thousands of dead, inroads by al-Qaeda affiliates – have now come to pass. This is only partially true. The U.S. military is not bogged down in another Iraq-style quagmire, steadily slipping down the slope of intervention as each limited move fails to end the conflict. There is no Pottery Barn rule dictating that Americans must prepare for a thankless and violent occupation and reconstruction. It is of little comfort to Syrians, but for the American national interest this is not a small thing.
Any kind of intervention, whether a bombing campaign or fueling a proxy war against the Assad regime, requires supporting an alternative to the Assad regime. This means throwing more support to the rebel opposition which is almost wholly made up of Sunni extremists looking to impose a harsh version of sharia law if Assad is toppled. Jabhat al Nusra, formerly known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq, has now become the foremost fighting force in the rebellion. The State Department just designated them a terrorist organization. Are these the groups Hamid thinks will bring peace and justice to Syria?
In October, The New York Times published an article confirming that "Most of the arms shipped at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Qatar to supply Syrian rebel groups fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad are going to hard-line Islamic jihadists," despite the fact that those weapons were being sent with US approval and coordination. The evidence suggests this worsened the humanitarian situation in Syria.
Even if the opposition were not precisely the types of people Washington claims to be fighting in the war on terror, these kinds of proxy wars are never helpful. The US fueled militants in a proxy war in Guatemala for decades and ended up with something like 250,000 dead or missing. In Nicaragua, too, and about 60,000 people died in a country of only 3 million. And then there's of course Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation, in which maybe a million people died, not to mention the fact that our "freedom fighters" later turned into al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
As Prof. Eva Bellin and Prof. Peter Krause in the Middle East Brief from Brandeis University found in their study of the Syria situation: "The distillation of historical experience with civil war and insurgency, along with a sober reckoning of conditions on the ground in Syria, make clear that limited intervention of this sort will not serve the moral impulse that animates it. To the contrary, it is more likely to amplify the harm that it seeks to eliminate by prolonging a hurting stalemate."
These are just the beginning of the practical questions Hamid dismisses. There are many others, like, "what would come after we topple Assad?" Or, "how would such an intervention be justified under domestic and international law, especially considering Russia and China's inevitable veto of any UN Security Council resolution pushing intervention?"
Even many in the Washington establishment oppose intervention, as Aaron David Miller wrote last month: "The idea that Syria was anyone's to win or lose, or that the United States could significantly shape the outcome there, is typical of the arrogant paternalism and flawed analysis that have gotten this country into heaps of trouble in the Middle East over the years."
What would a US military intervention in Syria produce? A descent into chaos and sectarianism on the order of post-Saddam Iraq. That conflict killed more than 650,000 people according to some studies and cost trillions of dollars. Thankfully, the memory of this catastrophe looms large over the Syria debate.
17 Responses to "'Syria is Not Iraq' – Right, It's Worse"
So you suggest, we just let a cruel dictator like Assad massacre hi sown people? So you believe the Syrian people don't deserve the defensive weopons to defend themselves against Scudmissiles, Airplanes, tanks, artillary and rockets? If we let Assad the warcriminal have hi sway, he will massacre 100.000's of civilians? Sometimes yo need a war and kill people, to prevent the killing of much much much more people. I am very disappointed in the anti-war movement.
1. It is none of our business. We support "cruel dictators" all the time.
2. The same arguments were used to justify the Iraq debacle. We are now looking at a country which has enthically cleansed millenia-old populations, remains unstable and violent, etc. etc. At the cost of a trillion dollars and well over a million dead or damaged or displaced.
3. The "rebels" very likely will be worse. Assad's military attacks are terrible, but many states directly threatened in this way by the violent opposition undertake measures as bad or worse. The U.S. army literally levelled Falluja and threatened to kill every male in the city. The U.S. Civil War involved 600,000 dead and untold wounded. Sherman's March was scorched earth.
It is easily to demonize opponents by using histrionic, emotional language.
Nobody's is saying that you and other conservatives and liberals can use your own money to send aid to the Syrian rebels.
How strange that Syria was a perfectly normal place before the jihadis started a rebellion, with outside backing. Do you think Assad woke up one day and decided to start killing "his" people (which they are not, by the way; the country is currently host to mercenaries from dozens of countries, according to UN reports).
First, last and always: IF they can see a buck in it, THEN the US will be there (also if the US feels itself slighted – see Iran, say); and since Jabotinsky set the stratagem, the Zs *must* do permanent, aggressive war.
Even without the 'limited hangouts' via the mendacious MSM (i.e. NYT, WP), we know that the US is fomenting trouble wherever it wants (NED to CIA), usually associated with some 'strategic objective' = coveted resource. Add Wesley Clark's "We're going to take out 7 countries in 5 years: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan & Iran" as the 'cream in the coffee,' it's another "slam dunk."
It's a bit silly to attempt a debate on more or less potentially killed if the US were to intervene or not; on the one hand, the US *is* already intervening and on the other, neither the US nor the Zs care how many they kill or otherwise get killed, rapine is the only game in town. Any moralising (R2P, say) is only the corrupt apologists attempting to wangle 'resigned acceptance' of some portion of the commentariat – since the people = 'democratic' electorate a) have no effective say and anyway b) hardly ever get the question put.
With the US and Zs operating with every power-mechanism including murdering military, the quisling allies never raise a whimper of resistance and often collaborate (see Sarkozy in Libya), any US reluctance is only because they see some (current) deterrent to demolishing Syria à la Iraq. Most likely, only a matter of time. Not so BTW, some articles indicate that Assad has majority support in Syria.
Bottom line: Since it's US+ driven, the slaughter can be US+ stopped.
The World´s main problem is the US missiles in Eastern Europe. They lead to Launch On Warning and Suicide.Russia will deploy LOW by 2017 and then it´s too late. It happens now and then-www.mcremo.com. But it´s just too stupid that we are about to blow it all up again. A Disarming First-Strike capability leads to Launch On Warning = Suicide but they can´t understand that in the Pentagon. It´s like 2+2=4 but they don´t get it in the Pentagon. "Bloody fools" said General Harbottle. Are we doomed ?
Well…wouldn't this run afoul of federal laws prohibiting monetary support for terrorist groups? ROFLOL.
1. The US did not attack Syria (as in Iraq) 2, The fact that we have supported dictators makes "us" complicit in the crimes of those dictators. 3. Intervention (without "boots on the ground), will prevent those rebels you do not like (salafists) from gaining power in the fighting-they are there because "we" are not!
4. I would like to re-state Brian M's oxymoronic comment as food for thought: It's none of our business; we support cruel dictators all the time.
the US government actually cares about people being slaughtered rather than about furthering its own interests in the Middle East.
[…] Originally posted here: 'Syria is Not Iraq' – Right, It's Worse « Antiwar.com Blog […]
"The war, itself, was one of the greatest strategic blunders in the recent history of American foreign policy."
It was also a grievous crime, for which the architects should be hanged.
The US and NATO have been planning the overthrow of Assad for many years. In 2011, it sent in special ops through Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan to begin the destabilization of Syria, only two years after Obama's malarkey love fest with Assad, and, it was no accident that it began at a time when Syria had begun a process of constitutional reform and was also planning a major pipeline with Iran to bypass Turkey and terminate near the port of Tartus. Had democracy been the issue we could have requested that Syria's elections scheduled for 2014 be monitored by the UN. Instead, we went ahead in classic COIN fashion (something we had done in Libya, Iraq (and Yugoslavia in the 1990's), and infiltrated demonstrations in 2011, beginning with sniper incidents which killed protesters and a child. It later escalated into bloodbaths and massacres in Homs, Hama and Houlas, which, in coordination with the media, we blamed on the Assad government as we proceeded to demonize him and his regime. There is no doubt that he ran a police state, but his country was stable and the most non-sectarian nation in the Middle East, and, in the early years of the Iraq War which we had started under false pretenses, had accepted almost a million refugees from Iraq and fed, clothed, housed them, and gave them medical care and educated their children- essentially, a new life- while we accepted only a few hundred- and the nation was moving toward political reform and economic growth- yet we could not stomach an independent, viable socialist nation (just as we could not tolerate an independent Libya). The U.S. State Department with all of its genius planners (Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice, Samantha Power ("Ms. Genocide"), Jeffrey Feltman, and Amb. Robert Ford ("Mr. COIN") and its genius neocon think tanks (Brookings, WINEP, USIP, et. al) were clueless as to how hard the country would fight back and the people would unite behind Assad, yet it proceeded, through NATO and its proxy allies to destroy and dismember the country, including the magnificent historic city of Aleppo, and go on a killing spree of horrendous proportions- an ethnic cleansing of the country to remake it in the US-NATO's image- and, ever hungry Israel, that has always wanted to annex the Golan Heights, has now, with the approval of the U.S, moved from a clandestine player to an overt proxy belligerent. This has been international war crime of huge proportions for which the U.S. and its allies have been fully responsible and must- and will- be held accountable. The irony is that if the election were held tomorrow, Assad would win. Why? Because he is the only one protecting his country from chaos, and had been the guarantor of non-sectarian peace up to the invasion and conflict. What should the U.S. do? Stop helping the terrorists, cut off the flow of arms and money, ferry the rebels out of Syria back to their own country, leave Syria and its government alone to do its own business, and try to negotiate some form of peace and amnesty for the opposition. This was a misadventure that should never have happened. The question is, will our leaders have an epiphany and change our foreign policy to one of peace, trade, investment and cultural exchange under the rule of international law, or will we continue to seek hegemony to destroy our competitors, plunder resources, and destroy our own society in the process? I'm not holding my breath that their brains in their feet will somehow levitate into their cranium.
Well as a matter of fact you we did two years ago. Where do you think althis came from?
The "salafists" (Jihadists) are your assets and working for you.
As Eisenhower said "If it becomes obvious there should be Plausible Deniability".
Or as said the Brain Dead policy of overthrowing secular Arab governments and placing Islamists in power.
"We get the oiland you can have the sharia" in the delusional belief they can be controlled.
Reply to Liberal; Here! Here! Followed by thunderous applause!
Western embassies in Syria were aware of the ISLAMIC EXTREMISM being cooked by the Assads over the past 40 years!
Loudest megaphones on mosques were spread all over Syria despite civil society's protests
To every mosque institutes were attached teaching Quranic verses glorifying martyrdom
And many more….
Assads intentions were to scare the west by their "own Islamic Extremism" which they used perfectly in Iraq
Hey Sal, the US government has not only supported more vile dictatorships than Assad but we've murdered far more with our barbaric foreign policy. Hell, Clinton is responsible for killing more Iraqi children then all the Syrian's you claim Assad has killed.
the US government actually cares about people being slaughtered rather than about furthering its own interests in the Middle East.