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Fabulous Adventures In Coding
Eric Lippert is a principal developer on the C# compiler team. Learn more about Eric.
An attentive reader pointed me at this long thread on a third-party forum where some people are musing about possible future features of C#. There is far, far more here than I possibly have time to respond to in any kind of detail.
Also, I am not going to spill the beans. Anders is giving a talk at the PDC at the end of the month. His talk is titled "The Future of C#" and I'm not going to steal Anders' thunder (or give our marketing department conniptions) by giving specific details at this time.
Of course, I note also that we have not announced that there even will be a language called C# 4. We have not announced that there will be new versions of Visual Studio or the CLR either. But we also know that you people who read blogs about programming languages are not idiots. I posted a link to a video a while back where Charles interviews the C# design team; the fact that there is a design team is evidence that we're designing something. I've been posting about adding more covariance and contravariance to the type system, Charlie has been collecting comments about what kinds of interactions people would like to see between C# and dynamic languages. Clearly we're up to something here, and it is not hard to figure out the broad outlines.
This puts me in a bit of a tight spot -- I want to respond to all these great ideas, I want to inform the community about our plans and get feedback early, but at the same time I want to make sure that we don't overpromise and underdeliver, and I want to ensure that we provide information that is fully-baked and professionally presented.
Therefore, I want to talk about these ideas in the context of the design process we go through here, rather than in the context of specific implementation decisions of specific features.
I made a new friend at a birthday party I attended the other day. We got to making small talk about our jobs. I mentioned that I designed programming languages as part of my job. Now, let me tell you, when I say that at a party I get one of three responses: (1) that's really cool, (2) excuse me, I need to refill this drink, or (3) a puzzled look, followed by "you mean, someone actually designs programming languages? I thought they just, you know, sprang into existence... somehow." I informed my new friend that no, in fact there is a huge amount of design that goes into a language -- six hours a week of meetings for almost ten years, in fact, for C# alone.
I've already linked several times to Eric Gunnerson's great post on the C# design process. The two most important points in Eric's post are: (1) this is not a subtractive process; we don't start with C++ or Java or Haskell and then decide whether to leave some feature of them out. And (2) just being a good feature is not enough. Features have to be so compelling that they are worth the enormous dollar costs of designing, implementing, testing, documenting and shipping the feature. They have to be worth the cost of complicating the language and making it more difficult to design other features in the future.
After we finished the last-minute minor redesigns of various parts of C# 3.0, we made a list of every feature we could think of that could possibly go into a future version of C#. We spent many, many hours going through each feature on that list, trying to "bucket" it. Each feature got put into a unique bucket. The buckets were labelled:
Pri 1: Must have in the next versionPri 2: Should have in the next versionPri 3: Nice to have in the next versionPri 4: Likely requires deep study for many years before we can do itPri 5: Bad idea
Obviously we immediately stopped considering the fours and fives in the context of the next version. We then added up the costs of the features in the first three buckets, compared them against the design, implementation, testing and documenting resources we had available. The costs were massively higher than the resources available, so we cut everything in bucket 2 and 3, and about half of what was in bucket 1. Turns out that some of those "must haves" were actually "should haves".
Understanding this bucketing process will help when I talk about some of the features suggested in that long forum topic. Many of the features suggested were perfectly good, but fell into bucket 3. They didn't make up the 100 point deficit, they just weren't compelling enough.
Next time, I think I'll talk a bit about the design process in the context of OOP.
PingBack from http://blog.a-foton.ru/index.php/2008/10/08/the-future-of-c-part-one/
Since you can't write about the features in bucket 1 at the moment maybe you could write something about the features in bucket 4 or even 5 - you know not the stupid ones that were obviously bad ideas but the promising ones that seemed very interesting at the beginning but than ... something aweful happenend and now it is extremly unlikely that they will ever become features of some future version of c#.
But maybe I'm the only one who would find this interesting ;)
Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4.0 Overview
Argh.. Tease. I see a blog headline like "The Future of C#" and then we're told to wait! Do you have any idea how torturous this is for a rapid .NET fanboy ;-)
When I read this blog post (just having finished viewing Anders Hejlsbergs presentation at the JAOO in Denmark a few weeks ago), it's probably not too hard to see where the trend is going for programming languages in general. Everybody is talking about dynamic languages (dynamic keyword?), parallelism and concurrency but then again, we won't know until PDC.
I'm just hoping that supprt for covariant return types made it to bucket 1 but I'm not going to start that debate again; somebody might step up and slap me at PDC. Then again, if this indeed is going to happen I promise to send champaign to the C# team - honestly.
@Frederik - I'd be interested in seeing that as well.
Like everyone else, I'm looking forward to hearing what's going to happen. One particularly interesting point sprang out from your post though:
"And (2) just being a good feature is not enough. Features have to be so compelling that they are worth the enormous dollar costs of designing, implementing, testing, documenting and shipping the feature."
Those are all relevant costs for Microsoft, but not for the language itself. I'm not saying they should be ignored - far from it, I do understand the practicalities of it. However, I'm possibly more interested in the costs of adding complexity to the language in terms of the difficulty of developers learning it and using it effectively.
What I would love to hear some time (but probably never will!) is a list of features which are useful enough to merit inclusion in an abstract sense - i.e. they would make the language genuinely better, despite the added complication - but which won't happen due to the real-life cost of design/implementation. It seems to me that the dollar cost of designing/implementing a feature is likely to be significantly easier to measure than the complexity cost.
Awww , when I saw the title my blood pressure started to rise and my and I could feel my heart beating while devouring the article .... till the I saw the end of it, it was just a teaser :(, this is so cruel. (Kidding about the cruel part ;) )
Can't wait for next your posts, you guys are certainly my superheroes, keep up the good work.
No C#! Thank God! C# lives, and C# lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, C# will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
"Of course, I note also that we have not announced that there even will be a language called C# 4."
I knew it! Visual Studio 10 will replace C# with a hybrid of Logo and APL. You read it here first, people!
A similar thread exists on Stackoverflow.
Please give us call/cc (call-with-current-continuation) :)
I'd very much like to see what was in the fourth and fifth buckets, yes.
It's even more interesting than the first two, methinks.
another vote for the 4th and 5th buckets


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The last time Western swept Michigan was 1986. I think that was the year before Red, maybe his first year. That was the bar before Red. The bar before Red was routine 7+ goal losses to State and really anyone, at home. And I promise Western was less good back then. It's nice to say we should always be the best because we're Michigan, but that's not the way it works. Red is mostly beyond criticism, because for 22 years, come Hell or high water, he's had the team in the conversation at the end of the year. Every time. For 22 years. 12 team tournaments, 16, he's been in them. Nobody else has done that anywhere, or even been particularly close. Not Ron Mason, not Jerry York, not Jack Parker. But Red has done it. That's why we're loyal. I'd take an underperforming team that makes the tourney than an over performing one that doesn't every time.
And my second question stands. Who does more with this team than the guy with a Jack Adams?

subset: commoncrawl


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One task that's been bouncing around on my to-do list for more than a year, I'm ashamed to admit, is to make better use of the online professional networking service Linked In.
Today Business 2.0 profiled LinkedIn. This profile made me realize it's high time for me to get my act together on that service. Maybe it's also time for news organizations to consider possible LinkedIn synergies and opportunities.
OK, this is just a half-formed idea, but…
It strikes me that many news organizations have a strong, loyal base in their local business and professional communities. After all, there's a reason why almost every paper has a section devoted to business news.
For most businesses, local contacts hold special value. They're the people you can call in for in-person meetings. They're the suppliers or partners who can respond in a pinch to get needed products or services at your door immediately. It's easier to get a sense of their strengths and reliability.
LinkedIn is international in scope. Most news organizations have a local focus. Both thrive on supporting relationships and networks. There's gotta be a lucrative opportunity combining the two, I'm guessing.
I'm not the only one who thinks so. In May 2005, consultant Peter Krasilovsky wrote: "For LinkedIn, a newspaper tie-in might be critical to boosting penetration outside of the tech markets where most of its usage is currently concentrated. There are several potential roles in which newspapers and LinkedIn could partner. These might include promotions, sales, content, listings and online/offline upsells.
"Newspapers, however, might resist partnering with LinkedIn because it ostensibly competes. That would be narrow-minded and self-defeating. The reality is that they actually have very different functions. While newspapers are read by active job seekers at senior levels, newspaper recruitment advertising is actually geared more towards hourly workers and low-to mid-level management. Most executive positions left newspapers years ago"
As I dive into LinkedIn in coming weeks, I'll see if I can flesh this idea out more. In the meantime, if your business-beat reporters aren't already on LinkedIn, they should be.
If you're a LinkedIn user, what do you think? Is there a possible synergy with news organzations, or am I totally off base? Please comment below.
(Thanks to Staci Kramer of PaidContent for the tip about the Business 2.0 article.)


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2013 Dodge Dart: CNET On Cars
About Video
CNET On Cars: 2013 Dodge Dart7:03 /
A dormant model since 1976, Dodge reinvents the Dart into a sporty vehicle with some pretty good tech. CNET's Brian Cooley takes us on a test-drive and shows why the 2013 Dodge Dart is worth a look.
Share (0)
Transcription not available for 2013 Dodge Dart.


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Garetta Children
The child performers from the Garetta Company are posed in costume, with the older sibling admonishing the dog to stay on his perch.
- Date:
- 1875 circa 5 years
- Original Format:
- Carte de Visite
- Item#:
- Photographer:
- William S. Warren (Boston)
- Height:
- 2446px
- Width:
- 1448px
- download hi-res watermarked image
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All Licensed images are available for download as jpeg files at 300 dpi of original size.
If your project requires an image at higher resolution, please contact us (be sure to include item number). Custom requests may require an additional charge.


text:
Dynex™ - 25' Cat-5e Network Cable - Gray
Model: DX-C114198
Enjoy reliable signal strength with this network cable, featuring snagless 8P8C modular connectors to ensure your devices have a dependable connection.
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Thanks for joining the community of friends who own and enjoy Dynex products. For assistance in the use and maintenance of your product, take a look through the guides below. And, remember if you still can't find what you're looking for, visit Support & Service for the many ways you can stay connected.


text:
Magda Berkovits Emphasizes Sense of Community
Ward 10 candidate wants to take the red tape out of government dealings.
By: Bev Spritzer
For Ward 10 candidate Magda Berkovits, York Centre could do well to see some changes.
Indeed, one of the main highlights of her platform is transportation. "This area is very gridlocked," she says, referring to the vicinity surrounding York Centre. "One of the things I propose to do is connect the subway between Downsview station and Yonge station [at Sheppard]. It makes infinite sense, and nobody's even speaking about it. It just makes [the subway system] a perfect loop, not just for the people of York Centre, but for all of Toronto."
Refreshingly, another big issue for Berkovits is Downsview Park, the giant expanse of land along Dufferin between Finch and Sheppard. Aside from having housed several outdoor concerts, it essentially serves as a seemingly useless eyesore. "[The park] is something we should leave behind to our children and grandchildren," says Berkovits. "It could be a great park just like Hyde Park is in London, and Millennium Park in Chicago. We should make it an actual park and there should be help from federal, provincial and municipal governments. They actually have a fundraising arm, but they aren't allowing them to function as much. We all want to support this park."
Garbage is another contentious issue, as we perpetually try to keep track of which waste product goes in which bin. "It's certainly very relevant," says Berkovits. "I'm constantly dreading the three garbage containers you have to be so careful to put the right garbage in the right containers or else they won't pick it up. I have an 88-year-old mother who can't cope with this, so my brother comes to pick up the garbage and sort it for her. There's been talk about having the trash sorted at the garbage site, some of it being incinerated safely, others recycles. But it shouldn't be put on the citizens, because some of us are up to it, but others just aren't."
There is a large Jewish community in Ward 10, and according to Berkovits, having a united, strong Jewish community is of the utmost importance. "In terms of municipal issues," she says, "there are over 40 synagogues in York Centre, which is so beautiful we are diverse and distinct and united, but there should be more recognition of that. There should never be a question of having an election on a Jewish holiday, even a minor one. There should be greater sensitivity."
As well, the fact that Berkovits's parents are Holocaust survivors undoubtedly shapes the way she sees the world, and the way she would likely implement her platform. "I have no grandparents, and it is my mother who always worries about us being safe it's a very fearful existence, one you impart to your children," she explains. "I have to reassure [my mother] all the time that this isn't going to happen again, this is Canada, but in her own mind, things repeat themselves, they go in cycles. This is why we're always more fearful, anxious to please. Children of Holocaust survivors are typically higher achievers because we have something to prove, that we deserve to be in this country. Everything was taken away from them, and this is something you carry with you."
"It makes you more cognizant of your surroundings," she continues. "So you are more willing to go the extra step to prove your worthiness somehow."
Berkovits's connection with her Judaism does not stop there, however. "I went on my honeymoon to Israel," she says. "It was an amazing trip, I'll never forget that. My sister-in-law still lives there. Her daughter has four sons, all went through the army, and they are tough as nails, I am so proud of them. Israelis are tough, and they need to be. I am hoping to go again. You just feel so at peace there. You don't feel the violence when you're there. It's like they really know what's important, they have it figured out."
"We worry about things that we shouldn't," she continues, "and they have their priorities straight, you don't feel any of the fear over there. It's our home. I'm Hungarian, but truly, root-wise, Israel is my home."
One thing Berkovits admits, however, is that she's not very good at promoting herself. "It has never been my forte," she says. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. "For me," she says, "it's the issues that matter, and taking care of people. I think that's the most important thing. If I'm elected, you will have the best advocate you can have."
In the 1980's, before entering politics, Berkovits actually managed a constituency office. "It was an eye opener, how much good you can do for others," she says. "Not for yourself, but as an anonymous little person, you can make such a difference in the lives of others. We dealt with things like immigration, housing, welfare, and when you call on behalf of that person and get answers for them, it's a wonderful feeling."
"That's why I'm running," she says. "To be a better service, and to help my fellow people. Other MPs might say 'you don't belong in my area, call this number, etc.' But if you come to me, I will help you, I will follow through and make sure you are heard."
How refreshing to speak to a candidate so genuinely passionate about helping others, about Israel, and about what truly matters to the public. For most of us, dealing even with minor government issues can be frustrating, but for Berkovits, it doesn't have to be.
"That's the beauty of it," she says. "You can cut through red tape. That would be my role."


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If you go
WHAT: Public workshop on the Aces Ballpark refinancing agreement
WHEN: 2 p.m. today
WHERE: Reno City Council Chambers, 1 E. First St.
ON TWITTER: Follow reporter Brian Duggan during the workshop with @brianduggan.
Reno City Council and the public will get a chance today to discuss the finances that helped build Aces Ballpark as well as a proposed deal to partially refinance the stadium with money from Renos general fund.
The four new members who joined the City Council on Nov. 14 asked for a public workshop. The meeting starts at 2 p.m. at Reno City Hall, 1 E. First St.
The workshop will include a discussion on the original agreement the city signed with the developers behind Aces Ballpark, as well as an explanation of the proposed deal to refinance the stadiums $55 million construction loan.
The City Council will not vote on the deal today.


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What is grief?
After someone close to you dies, you go through a process of mourning. Grief is the visible sign of that mourning and encompasses a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms that you experience after a loss. It is vital to let your feelings out as by bottling them up will only lead to emotional problems in the future.
Grieving for a loved one takes time. We all go through the process in different ways, and often experience conflicting or even overwhelming feelings, but slowly life will become more bearable.
The important thing is to get support from people you trust. Your family and friends all understand what you're dealing with, and will want to help. Exactly how is down to you. Whether you want to talk about your feelings, reflect on your loss, or simply get out to take your mind off things, just do whatever feels right and makes you feel better. And remember to keep in touch with your doctor. If you are having sleeping problems, your doctor may prescribe sleeping tablets or may refer you to a counsellor if you feel the need for more help to cope with a loss.
How long will it take?
The grieving process takes time and should not be hurried. How long it will take depends on you and your situation. In general, though, it takes most people one to two years to fully recover from a major bereavement. It's common to feel especially vulnerable at times such as their birthday, the anniversary of their death, and during the Christmas holidays.
After a suicide
If someone close to you has taken their own life, it can be especially difficult for those left behind. Don't be surprised if you feel completely shocked and numb, or even furiously angry at them, or want to tell them they're stupid or selfish. It's OK to feel this way for a while, and other people who knew them may be going through the same thing too. Many friends and relatives feel guilty, or haunted by the thought that they 'could have done something to prevent it', and again these feelings are normal, and part of the grieving process.
Helping a friend who has lost someone
Don't be scared to talk to them about how they feel, and to say that you are sorry for their loss. Let them know you're there for them if they want to sound off angrily, cry on your shoulder, or get out to do something to distract themselves for a while. Try not to avoid them unless they ask for some space, this may make them feel worse than they do already, and it's a time when they need to know who their friends are.
Next Steps
- Anyone can contact the Samaritans on their 24-hour helpline to talk things through. 08457 90 90 90
- Chat about this subject on our Discussion Boards.
- Need help but confused where to go locally? Download our StepFinder iPhone app to find local support services quickly.
Updated on 29-Sep-2015


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Tuesday, June 19, 2012
ATLANTA – A Newnan tow truck driver is hauling a Georgia Lottery win. Dorough Bright, 54, won $100,000 playing 50X The Money.
"I couldn't believe it," he said while claiming his prize Monday.
Married with six children, Bright will use some of his winnings to treat his 10 grandchildren to something special.
"I'll probably take all the grandkids to Florida," he said. "They just want to go to the beach."
50X The Money is an instant game with prizes up to $1 million.
Bright purchased his lucky ticket at Get N Go, 1150 Main St., Whitesburg.
Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corp. has returned more than $13.4 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs, including Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia's Pre-K Program. More than 1.4 million students have received HOPE, and more than 1.1 million 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program.
For more information on the Georgia Lottery Corp., please visit:
www.galottery.com and www.lotterybenefitsgeorgians.com
Play Responsibly – It's All About Fun!
Kimberly Starks
Media Relations Manager
media [at] galottery [dot] org
Copyright © 2015, Georgia Lottery Corporation. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | Site Terms of Use | State of Georgia | Play Responsibly


text:
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Traditional stock, polished blued steel barrel and engraved receiver, select gloss walnut stock, rounded forearm, BOSS optional, gas piston operated semi auto rifle.
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Mossy Oak Breakup Infinity Dura-Touch camo finish, short action, hinged floorplate with detachable box magazine, gas piston operated semi auto hunting rifle.


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Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...lipe123 Mar 3, 2013 12:11 AM (in response to Insoluble)
They honestly dont give a **** about what happens on the PC ver. Even if their servers went offline and no one could play multiplayer on PC at all, they still wont care.
They have your money and they already made it obvious by removing all the support options as soon as you select PC as your platform.
Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...Insoluble Mar 3, 2013 7:42 AM (in response to lipe123)
And here you are, still buying their products... hmm.
Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...liquid_snake Mar 3, 2013 8:00 AM (in response to Insoluble)
That was a hacked lobby like in mw3. It's impossible to happen in pc because there are servers, not hosts.
Who creates this kind of hacks needs the server side code, which is not released on pc.
Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...Achchaos Mar 3, 2013 10:23 PM (in response to liquid_snake)
I agree with this.
Chances are, unless you're playing in a private game, this will never happen as all matchmaking is being played on dedicated servers (on PC), hence they can't hack the way they're doing in the video.
Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...Ai-Silentshot Mar 5, 2013 7:37 AM (in response to Achchaos)
Achchaos wrote:
I agree with this.
Chances are, unless you're playing in a private game, this will never happen as all matchmaking is being played on dedicated servers (on PC), hence they can't hack the way they're doing in the video.
Not true at all. Same has happened in mw3.
Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...c0ldfr1xion Mar 5, 2013 7:42 AM (in response to Ai-Silentshot)
On PC?
Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...Ai-Silentshot Mar 5, 2013 7:54 AM (in response to c0ldfr1xion)
Yes of course, otherwise i wouldnt post this in the pc forum
Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...pWn3d Mar 5, 2013 10:01 AM (in response to Ai-Silentshot)
MW3 had no dedicated servers in matchmaking/ranked play ? There was a player host?
Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...[pde]paulkersey Mar 5, 2013 11:39 AM (in response to pWn3d)
MW3 does have dedicated servers. The option was hidden by Sledgehammer Games' devs on purpose so that most people would only play matchmaking. They announced that there would be CoD4-like dedicated servers and hyped everyone up when MW3 was announced.
To see the option in the menu, you have to find it in the options menu buried wherever you turn on 'developer console' (I forgot what all that stuff looks like now).
Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...Achchaos Mar 7, 2013 12:12 AM (in response to [pde]paulkersey)
You didn't read his post properly...
Yes MW3 did have dedicated servers, and they were indeed hidden away in the options screen. But as pWn3d said, those servers weren't ranked... You had access to EVERY gun and EVERY skin (I think with exception of gold skin, you'd have to unlock that on matchmaking first (though I could be wrong))
Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...Ai-Silentshot Mar 5, 2013 12:42 PM (in response to pWn3d)
Sorry for this, i meant the four delta one version. It had rentable servers and still hacks like this. Sorry for the confusion.
Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...Achchaos Mar 7, 2013 12:22 AM (in response to Ai-Silentshot)
So I checked out this "Four Delta One version" of MW3, and guess what, its not the same, these "rentable servers" are hosted by the PLAYERS, meaning they have the server software... Which leads to the fact that they can memory edit/mod/whatever you can think of. Its the same thing that happens on the console...
HOWEVER, that is not the case in BO2 for the PC, players have no access to the server files, in no shape or form, therefore you can't mod the server (even less so memory edit it).
Except of course if/when these guys decide to modify Black Ops 2 (if the ever do) as well, then the same thing can happen, as it will once again be player hosted servers.
And I find it funny that you actually used an ILLIGAL PLAYER MODIFIED version of Modern Warfare 3 as base to say that my statement was incorrect.
Re: PCDevs, lets prevent this...avaks Mar 7, 2013 4:32 AM (in response to Insoluble)
I bet they don't give a **** about it. Just uninstall the game and let them enjoy Microsofts **** in their mouth! First DLC is out and 18k players a day in peak lol that must be pretty awesome. I bet after a month there will be not more than 8k, literally dead game... SHAME!


text:
April 19, 2010
Dear Missionary of the Gospel of Life,
Will you make the journey with us and proclaim freedom to
the captives?
Jim Pinto, M.E.V.
Have you visited our MEV Photo Gallery, with photos of our latest MEV Promise Ceremony?
Have you joined the MEV Official Facebook Group? See www.facebook.com/missionaries
Are you a Fan of the MEV Page on Facebook? See www.priestsforlife.org/facebook for more information.
MEV materials: www.priestsforlife.org/store/c-47-missionaries-of-the-gospel-of-life.aspx


text:
By Greg Reeves
With one former and one current NFL player up on criminal charges here in KC, we're trying to get sports-crime expert Jeff Benedict (left, we assume he's the big one) on the phone to talk about it.
Benedict co-authored a chilling 1998 book (Pros and Cons: The Criminals Who Play in the NFL) alleging a fifth of NFL players had been arrested or indicted for serious crimes.
The book's main allegation: The NFL doesn't look the other way when recruiting players with rap sheets; it investigates them with private eyes, then recruits them:
- "NFL teams are recruiting a new breed of criminal players, the likes of which should disturb all NFL fans. Gone are the good old days (of minor offenses). In are the days of lethal violence, rape, armed robbery, home invasion, kidnapping and drug dealing."
Has it gotten better or worse since then? Crime Scene KC wants to know.


text:
Sketchy Ego
Content and Mild
all down to earth
living life wild
for all it's worth.
Your in a mind of deceiving change
for your mind corrupted of all derange
keep in mind for your different moods
no drug can sane this doughty feud.
What does that lead ?
to a vivid strong fight
words exchanged for
chemistry demantled of such fright.
For all in the making
you feel of a butt
you feel of a man
in sorrow for all the rut.
What exactly happened ?
What did I say ?
for all I said it was not of me
but yet of my head in all disarray.
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text:
Another year comes to a close and the country as well as the state has experienced a year of ups and downs. We saw the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and President Obama's fight with the United States Congress to keep in moving forward.
We saw a house divided when it came time for the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and their attempts to reach a deal on the budget in order to avoid default and we were helpless as the sequester tightened around various aspects of our lives.
Here in North Carolina, on a state level, it wasn't much better as budget struggles often stole headlines as well. If it wasn't monetary issues atop the pages it was new legislation such as the requirement of identification to vote, the rejection of the ACA's medicaid expansion, the state's decision to allow some illegal immigrants a driver's license, and so on.
But here in Macon County, we've seen our own headlines, some of which has been bigger to this small area than those from a national perspective.
Forum alleviates concerns over proposed rec site
A community input meeting was held in January regarding the proposed acquisition of the Parker Meadows property by the county to construct a new recreation complex. Macon County residents were able to ask questions and give feedback.
The forum was a result of the Macon County Board of Commissioners' November 2012 decision to move forward with plans to purchase the 48-acre lot on old Patton Road with the intention of developing a recreation complex to contain new baseball and softball fields. After identifying a need in the community and a way to bring economic advancement to Macon County, the board of commissioners unanimously approved pursuing the purchase of the former golf course at a cost of $550,000, half of which was anticipated to be paid for out of state monies such as the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF). At the Dec. 10 board of commissioners meeting, Macon County Recreation Director Seth Adams informed commissioners that the county was approved for a $500,000 grant to begin construction on the new recreation facility.
Franklin's first 2013 baby
Franklin's first baby of the year, Riley Irene Wood was born on Jan. 2 at 4:40 a.m. to Sterling Whorton and Duran Wood both of Franklin at Angel Medical Center. She weighed in at 6 lbs., 14 oz., and was 18 ¾ inches long.
N.C. Supreme Court orders sweepstakes establishments to shut down
The state's high court dismissed in short order the request filed by software and gaming companies to put a hold on a law which justices unanimously agreed to uphold that deemed sweepstakes establishments illegal. Members of the sweepstakes industry requested that the state's Supreme Court delay the Jan. 3 closing date to allow time to appeal to the United States Supreme Court. By the end of January, parlors would be open again citing a loophole in the new law.
Sheriff Holland speaks out in favor of SROs
In response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in Newtown, Conn., in which a 20-year-old gunman shot 20 children and six adults, then turned the gun on himself, Macon County Sheriff Robert Holland gave presentations to both the Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners regarding the district's school safety plans.
During the commissioners' meeting that took place on Jan. 2, Holland and members of his staff played out a scenario for the board in which Commissioners Ron Haven and Jimmy Tate were to role play as teachers faced with a situation involving a gunman within a school. The scenario allowed both commissioners three seconds to respond to a situation in which they were not privy to the details beforehand. The intent of the Sheriff's demonstration was to prove that without proper instruction and training, individuals outside of law enforcement — including teachers — are not mentally prepared to assess a situation and make conscious decisions under pressure. Holland gave the demonstration to suppport his position that arming teachers was not the answer.
"I think teachers should be teachers, and law enforcement officers should be law enforcement officers," said Holland.
At the time of the meeting five School Resource Officers (SROs) serve in Macon County Schools. Holland said that he believes that safety should remain a priority to school officials and the community and that every effort possible needed to be made to put an SRO at each school site.
Macon County Sheriff's Office investigates one of their own
Macon County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into allegations brought against Detective Amy Stewart. On Sunday Jan. 6, the Sheriff's office served two criminal summonses on a Macon County Sheriff's Office employee for communicating threats.
According to affidavits filed by parents of two Franklin High School students, Stewart threatened a student on Facebook in a matter concerning illegal activity that had taken place at her home and threatened another parent at a basketball game regarding her daughter.
In March, Macon County District Court would dismiss charges against Macon County Sheriff's Office detective Amy Stewart. One charge was dismissed because of "successful mediation" while the other was dismissed for "insufficient evidence"
As a result of the circumstances surrounding the charges, Stewart was prohibited from being present at Franklin High School and all related athletics. Once Interim Superintendent Dr. Jim Duncan was informed that the charges were dropped, he lifted the ban.
Congressman Mark Meadows takes Oath of Office
On January 3, Mark Meadows took the Oath of Office as the new representative of North Carolina's 11th Congressional District.
After defeating Democrat Hayden Rogers with more than 57 percent of the vote, Meadows replaced former Congressman Heath Shuler, who served for six years before announcing his retirement from politics.
Meadows is a Jackson County (Cashiers) resident and is the first Jackson County resident to serve in the U.S. House since 1960 when Democrat David Hall served. Meadows serves as only the fourth Republican to be elected as representative of the 11th District since the early 1800s.
Macon County's National Guard unit placed 'on alert' for possible deployment
The Military Police companies of North Carolina's 210th unit of the Army National Guard, which is based in Macon County, was placed 'on alert' for possible deployment. According to Capt. Rick Scoggins, spokesperson for North Carolina's National Guard, the guard uses the 'on alert' status as a way to forewarn companies and their families that they may be needed for a mission or deployment. The 211th unit based in Haywood County was also put on alert.
They would later learn that they would be shipping out in 2014.
'Cold for a Cause' raises support for fourth year
Local Farm Bureau agent Patrick Jenkins spent 48 hours suspended 60 feet in the air by a crane in order to raise donations for Macon County CareNet. He encouraged the community to donate food, coats and blankets to benefit those in need in the local community. Recognizing his efforts, Jenkins was named the Chamber of Commerce's Citizen of the Year during its annual banquet.
New tag and tax program combines vehicle fees
The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles worked with county revenue offices across the state to educate vehicle owners to a new legislative program that requires the payment of vehicle property tax at the same time vehicle registration renewals are due.
Landslide in Great Smoky Mountain drowning Cherokee economy
As a result of torrential rainfall accumulations, a portion of road on the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway connecting Cherokee and Tennessee, was swept away in a landslide. The first assessment of the landslide which occurred along Newfound Gap Road in North Carolina shows that the landslide was approximately 90,000 cubic yards of material or 350-400 feet – around the length of a football field – and 45-50 feet deep.
As the most visited National Park in the country, the landslide was predicted to do significant damage to the region's economy.
"The impact of the slide on Cherokee's economy is nothing less than substantial," said Jason D. Lambert, director, Division of Commerce, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
A reopen date was originally projected for the month of June but reopened April 15, more than a month ahead of schedule.
Contractor Phillips & Jordan, Inc. was awarded the contract in February to complete the work by May 15, but surpassed that deadline by exactly one month.
P&J were given a $18,000 per day incentive package, up to 28 days, to get the project done ahead of schedule in time for the summer tourist season.
Cherokee put up half the incentive dollars and the other half was covered by the National Park Service.
Whitley closes
More than 100 people found themselves out of a job when they were informed that Whitley Products Franklin facility would be closing its doors. Employees first learned of the closure the week before the doors were closed when they received a letter from Whitley's corporate office in West Warsaw, Ind. The letter cited financial difficulties as being the reason for the facility's demise.
Students in Macon County granted a long summer due to state calendar law changes
State changes to the school calendar laws gave students three full months of summer last year. The Macon County Board of Education approved the school calendar for the 2013-2014 school year during their January meeting. The calendar aligned with North Carolina's school calendar law passed by the N.C. General Assembly which states that schools may begin no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26. Since the 2012-2013 school year was set to conclude on May 24, students would have a summer vacation that lasted nearly a month longer than it had in the two previous years.
According to then interim Superintendent Dr. Jim Duncan, as in previous years, a committee comprised of teachers, PTA members and central office staff was assembled to develop the calendar.
Thunderstorms flood downtown Franklin
Thunderstorms swept through Western North Carolina on on Jan. 30, causing severe flooding. Throughout the day, Macon County was under a tornado watch, a flood warning, high wind warning and a thunderstorm warning.
Main Street to the Highlands Road was temporarily closed after the road became impassable due to drainage pipes being unable to keep up with the torrential rainfall. Duke Energy reported 3,602 power outages for Jackson County and 3,315 outages for Macon County.
Macon County Schools' informed parents that buses were temporarily delayed to allow crews to survey roads and determine if routes were passable. Despite a short delay, all buses were able to run on schedule and were advised to proceed with caution.
Building found for new dialysis center
Lease negotiations for the highly anticipated and valiantly fought for dialysis center concluded and renovations to an already existing building began.
At the request of community members, which was supported by commissioners, representatives with DaVita Dialysis Center, the company awarded the contract to open a center in Macon County, diligently searched for an already existing and vacant building in the county to house the new center. The search hit a small snag when options and locations for the center were limited to buildings not able to accommodate the center's needs.
The building that was ultimately chosen had once been the Social Security Administration building and then the CareNet thrift store located in Westgate Plaza. The thrift store relocated to Palmer Street.
The DaVita Dialysis Center would be completed in September and a grand opening was held to alert the community that the dialysis center was open for business.
Jackson County's R-5000 road project begins despite opposition
The R-5000 road project entails the construction of a connector road of 0.7 miles running from NC 116 through the Southwestern Community College (SCC) campus, and ending at US 107. With only one entrance and one exit to the campus, concerns of a possible disaster began to surface and in 1994, plans to address the issue started to develop.
The new road was included in SCC's Master Plan in hopes that another exit would alleviate the stress on a bottle neck evacuation of the grounds if a campus-wide emergency ever took place.
The original price tag for the project began at $6 million, but ballooned to $24.9 million as a result of some unexpected factors, drawing the ire of some Jackson County residents.
AMC requests land for memorial garden
At February's Franklin Town Board of Aldermen meeting, Angel Medical Center employees Don Capaforte and Bonnie Peggs requested that the town consider a deal to transfer town property to the hospital for the development of a memorial garden.
"A memorial garden is something that we have been thinking about for a long time and definitely think it is something the hospital needs and can benefit from," said Peggs.
Peggs and Capaforte, executive director of the AMC Foundation, asked aldermen to consider giving AMC a piece of town owned property adjacent to the backside of the hospital. "The piece of property is in the back of the hospital near the emergency room," explained Peggs. "There is not a lot of traffic there, and we think it would be relatively peaceful."
The board, which seemed in favor of AMC's request, decided to allow more time to examine the property and to determine the best method of executing a lease for the transfer of the property.
United States Postal Service declares that Saturday delivery to end
The Postal Service's financial hardships continued in the first quarter of the fiscal year as the agency waited for Congressional action to address its mounting debt. As a result of a net loss of $1.3 billion in its first three months of the 2013 fiscal year (Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2012), it was announced that the Postal Service would move forward with accelerated cost-cutting actions necessary to help maintain liquidity because Congress had not passed comprehensive postal reform legislation.
Commissioners honor JC Jacobs
Before opening the February meeting of the Macon County Board of Commissioners, Chairman Kevin Corbin took time to honor a special member of the community. For more than 60 years, JC Jacobs has been a business owner and active member of the Macon County community. First opening up the Twins' Shop, then 55 years ago, opening up People's Department Store. At the end of 2012, Jacobs announced that he would be closing People's.
State General Assembly overhauls unemployment benefits
A bill introduced in the North Carolina House of Representatives made drastic changes to the state's unemployment benefits as well as cause business owners to up their employer contributions to the program.
According to Republican House Representative Roger West, who presides over Macon, Graham and Cherokee counties, the main objective of the bill is to begin paying off the $2.7 billion debt N.C. owes to the federal government. "We have to repay the $2.7 billion we owe the federal government, it has to be paid off," said West. "In order to do that, we looked at cutting the number of weeks, the amount given out as well as raising employers' contributions."
House Bill 4 outlined cutting Unemployment Insurance (UI) from 26 weeks, which is the amount of time 43 states give UI, to a sliding scale of 12 to 20 weeks. In addition to fewer weeks, the bill also decreases the maximum benefits allowance from $535 per week, to $350 per week. This amount makes North Carolina the second highest paying state in the Southeast.
The bill also mandated that the employers' contribution be increased in order to pay off the debt more quickly.
Duke Energy asks for another 9.7 percent from customers
Duke Energy Carolinas' customers were hit with another proposed rate hike in early February when the company announced plans to seek permission to raise electric bills on its nearly two million N.C. customers by nearly 10-percent.
The request to the N.C. Utilities Commission would serve as the third since 2009, which Duke said would help pay for building and upgrades to power plants, transmission lines and pollution controls.
The proposal would force residential rates to go up 11.8-percent, which would raise the monthly bill for a customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours from $102.72 to $116.99.
Disc golf course at SCC opens to public
A new disc golf course was constructed in Franklin just behind the Southwestern Community College building on the Macon County Campus where the old Siler farm once operated.
golf is a quickly growing sport and according to Noa Sparks, designer of the new course, there are around 1,000 courses around the country. Like it sounds, disc golf is similar to "ball" golf. The main difference being the substitution of a frisbee or a "disc," for a golf ball. A player stands at a specific area called the tee, then tosses the frisbee towards the designated basket in an attempt to get it in the specially made basket in as few attempts as possible.
Sweepstakes establishments closed again
The back and forth between law enforcement and sweepstakes establishment owners looked as though it was finally over when N.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Johnson ruled against International Internet Technologies LLC, a software distributor of sweepstakes machines. Police were given the go ahead to enforce North Carolina's ban on sweepstakes video games.
DSS attorney arrested for assault
William Shilling, 51, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor counts of simple physical assault and simple non-physical assault. Shilling is an attorney with the Macon County Department of Social Services.
According to documents on file at the Macon County Clerk's office, an arrest warrant states that there was probable cause to believe that Shilling inflicted physical injury to his child, who at the time, was less than 16 years old.
Originally released on a $500 bond with order not to contact his son or wife, he was arrested again on Feb. 15 after he violated the protective order.
Drivers licenses available for qualifying immigrants
N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Tony Tata announced on Feb. 14 that the DOT would be issuing driver licenses and identification cards to applicants qualifying under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
DACA was implemented by President Obama in 2012 and called for deferred action for some undocumented young people who came to the United States as children and then pursued an education or served in the U.S. Military.
N.C. would begin issuing the licenses to those who qualified on March 25.
Franklin business wins national award
Therapeutics of Franklin was named a Blue Ribbon Small Business Award winner by the United States Chamber of Commerce. The company was recognized for its "dedication to the principles of free enterprise and its contribution to restoring jobs and prosperity."
"The Blue Ribbon Award winners show that, even facing uncertainty and economic challenges, small businesses can grow and succeed," said Thomas J. Donohue, U.S. Chamber president and CEO. "They are America's economic engine, driving growth and job creation all across this country."
Located in the Macon County Business Development Center, Luxury Therapeutics is owned and operated by Debra Green and Karen Kneeland. The business produces quality made, stylish hot and cold packs. Luxury Therapeutics combines an abundance of fabric and years of contacts in the textile community to produce high end designer boutique products.
Batting cages see much-needed renovation
Commissioners gave final approval for much needed upgrades on the Macon Middle School batting cages. Used by both the Macon Middle School and the Franklin High School baseball, for batting practice, safety concerns prompted the FHS baseball coach to request the upgrades.
Athletics, teachers on chopping block during school budget discussions
During a budget work session, members of the Board of Education were told by Interim Superintendent Dr. Jim Duncan that in order to continue operating at the same levels once August rolled around, the school system would have to ask the county to add more than $2 million to the county's allocation for the school system budget.
Dr. Duncan presented board members with a list of proposed budget cuts totaling $1,950,393 that would significantly lower the school system's budget, and leave them with asking the county for an $83,125 increase from last year's funds.
Among the nearly $2 million in cuts proposed, a total of $1,088,118 includes instructional staff. The board looked at absorbing 11 teacher positions and 25 teacher assistant positions.
Other possible cuts included closing Macon Early College and Union Academy, and the possibility of eliminating middle school athletics as well as co-curricular (non-revenue generating sports) throughout the county. Football and basketball are the only revenue generating sports.
Congressman Meadows introduces legislation to create safer schools
Congressman Mark Meadows visited East Franklin Elementary School shortly after introducing a bill to the U.S. Congress that would improve safety in public school. The bill called for $30 million to reinstate the "Cops in Schools" program that was started 15 years ago.
The bill known as the Protect America's Schools Act would put more school resource officers in schools through a program that has not been funded since 2005. The Cops in Schools program, originally started by President Bill Clinton and funded with a $753 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, was cut in 2005 after putting more than 6,500 officers in schools.
Meadows worked with his colleagues in Congress and identified nearly $134 million in "unobligated" funds in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admistration budget. He proposed using $30 million of those funds to reinstate the program and immediately begin filling what he views as being a void in the nation's school system.
Undercover wildlife operation cracks down on bear poachers
State and federal wildlife officials in North Carolina and Georgia. Announced an undercover operation that involved 80 wildlife violators and some 980 violations.
Primary violations documented by Operation Something Bruin stem from illegal bear hunting but included an array of state wildlife and game law charges.
The four-year investigation, the largest of its kind in recent years targeted poachers in North Carolina and Georgia, and in adjacent states.
UK company buys Whitley plant
Whitley Products, Inc. looked as though it could be closing its doors for good, but quick action and the dedication of local officials were able to stop that from happening. Tricorn Group PLC, a holding company for a group of companies that develop and manufacture pipe solutions for international sale, officially acquired the facility in early March.
The company stated that it had plans to create 121 jobs and invest $4 million in the local economy over the next three years.
Lady Panthers defeat Enka for sectional title
The Franklin High School Lady Panthers defeated the 3A Mountain Athletic Conference Champions in the sectionals. The Panthers rolled the Sugar Jets by a score of 61-49.
Macon Early College students stand up against budget cuts
After the Macon County School system released a list of proposed budget cuts to account for a $2 million shortfall in next year's budget, Macon Early College (MEC) students discovered that their school funding was among potential cuts.
In response, third year MEC student Emily Ritter launched a petition in order to save the school. The initial goal was to get 50 signatures, but that goal was quickly surpassed when almost 600 members of the community signed on to the petition.
The petition was then delivered to the Macon County School Board, N.C. Senator Jim Davis, the N.C. State House, the N.C. State Senate, Governor Pat McCrory, the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and President Barack Obama.
Under McCrory, new graduates to have new diploma designations
Under a new law signed by Governor Pat McCrory, the State Board of Education will develop curriculums with increased emphasis on career and technical courses with the intention of increasing the number of students pursuing vocational programs such as auto repair, welding, and healthcare technology. When students graduate they will have an endorsement of career ready, college ready, or both. Licensing requirements will also be reduced for the teachers of these courses.
County Commissioners send message to Washington in attempt to save Franklin's LBJ Job Corps Center
Due to federal budget cuts, Lyndon B. Johnson Job Corps in Franklin faced a reduction in funds to its carpentry training program and other vital programs. With the county at risk of losing a valuable source of community service that is contributed annually by the Job Corps, county commissioners stepped up and sent a stern message to members of the U.S. Congress about the importance of the program to the county and to the students who rely on it.
Simpson named to SoCon All-Freshmen team
Former Franklin High School basketball standout and current Western Carolina University basketball player Lindsey Simpson was named to the 2013 Southern Conference All-Freshmen team by the leagues coaches as well as the SoCon Sports Media Association.
Her standout performance of the season came against Furman in mid January when she scored 25 points in a triple overtime showdown that saw WCU pull out the win, 88-83. No player on the women's team had scored that much in four years.
After ending the season as Western's top scorer and consistent starting guard, Simpson was named the SAAC Student Athlete of the Year.
She averaged 7.2 points per game and scored in double digits during nine outings.
WCU's SAAC purpose is to promote and actively encourage the involvement of student-athletes on campus and in their communities, while allowing those student-athletes to have an open line of communication to voice their concerns to institutional administrations and the conference office.
Woody named principal of Franklin High School
Barry Woody, then assistant principal of Franklin High School, was selected as the school's new principle.
Woody replaced Dr. Chris Baldwin, who assumed the role of Macon County Superintendent on July 1.
MEC removed from list of school budget cuts
Both the Macon Early College and Union Academy were removed from a proposed list of budget cuts. Dr. Jim Duncan pointed to the fact that the schools operate from funds allocated from the state as well as around $200,000 from local funds, saying that if they can live within the means of the state grant, then the school would be okay.
Franklin community honors Sam Greenwood's contribution to town
The Town of Franklin hosted a reception for retiring Town Manager Sam Greenwood. Greenwood had been Franklin's manager since 2008 when Franklin began to use a council-manager form of government.
Members of the community and Town of Franklin employees gathered to to show their support and appreciation for the years of service committed from Greenwood.
Town board denies Pauline Avenue zoning request
Property owners brought forth a request for the rezoning of three parcels on Pauline Avenue totaling 13.74 acres. The properties are owned by Gary and Edith Holland and their former daughter-in-law, Natasha Tallent. The request that was before the board was to rezone the residential area from an R-1 to an R-2. The reasoning according to Gary Holland is that Tallent would like to install a manufactured home on her property which R-1 zones prohibit.
When the request was sent to the Town Planning Board it was recommended that the aldermen approve the request, but a protest petition was submitted in hopes of keeping the property from being rezoned.
After listening to both sides of the proposition, the aldermen voted 4-2 to deny the rezoning request.
Macon County health ranks 16th in the state
Macon County was ranked 16th in North Carolina for over-all good health in the 2013 rankings, three spots lower than it did in 2012. It ranked fourth in WNC behind Watauga, Henderson and Transylvania.
The County Health Rankings and Roadmaps program is a collaboration between the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The program ranks almost every county in the country. The purpose behind the rankings index is to help communities create solutions that make it easier for people to be healthy in their communities, focusing on specific factors that they believe affect health, such as education and income, whether a person has health insurance and the quality of health care they receive.
Officials seek community help in string of arsons
Authorities in Macon County turned to the public for help in solving a string of fires that ensued in the early part of the year. Franklin Police Chief David Adams said that with no solid leads to go on, investigators were asking the public to notify the police station with any information regarding suspicious behavior or activity.
The first fire was in a dumpster near the Good Will store. The second occurred a week later at the Board of Education property. A vehicle in the parking lot which had not been driven in a number of days, was set on fire. Since the fire did not begin in the engine compartment, authorities believed it was set intentionally. A week later, a third reported fire torched an abandoned home near Trimont Christian Academy. Just days later, another fire occurred at a vacant home on Promise Lane.
In the same time period, two additional fires were reported, but were determined to be unrelated. One took place on Calico Drive, killing one man, Erin Crawford.
Commissioners commit to bring county employees up to minimum pay level
Almost two years after a compensation study was completed for Macon County employees, in a 3-2 vote, the Board of Commissioners voted to implement the findings of the study, without raising taxes.
The study which was conducted in 2011, was carried out by Springsted Incorporated, a highly touted firm closely associated with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. According to then-County Manager Jack Horton, based on the market data used by Springsted, the pay plan in place in Macon County reflected minimum, maximum and midpoints that were on average 21 percent lower than the market surveyed minimums, maximums, and midpoints. The study also revealed that 55 percent of county employees were making less than the minimum of the study's survey results.
On a motion made by Commissioner Ronnie Beale and seconded by Commissioner Jimmy Tate, the board approved the pay increase. Commissioners Ron Haven and Paul Higdon cast the opposing votes with Chairman Kevin Corbin breaking the tie with a "yes" vote.
Franklin TDA appoints new board members
The Tourism Development Authority voted to recommend the appointment of Josh Drake, co-owner of Mulligan's Bar and Grille, and Leland Riske, with Signs Express to the Franklin Town Board.
As an authority board, the TDA recommends board members for approval to the town aldermen, who have the final say in making appointments to the board. Both would be approved unanimously.
Young leadership steps up to rejuvenate Macon County Democratic Party
During its annual convention, the Macon County Democratic Party voted to elect Corey Duvall as its chairman. At just 21 years old, Duvall stands as the youngest chairman in recent history, and the second youngest in the state.
Duvall started in politics during the 2008 election with the Young Democrats of Franklin High School. He also served as the president of Western Carolina University's College Democrats until November 2012.
Franklin man charged with six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor
The Macon County Sheriff's Office arrested Christopher Lee Burk, 50, of Matlock Creek Road in Macon County. Burk was charged with six counts of first degree sexual exploitation of a minor and his bond was set at $500,000.
The arrest followed an extensive investigation by juvenile investigators that began in March. Multiple search warrants were executed and numerous witnesses were interviewed to establish probably cause for the arrest.
N.C. Supreme Court overturns Duke Energy's
The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled to overturn a portion of Duke Energy Carolinas request for a rate increase, sending the case back to state regulators for further action.
In a unanimous decision, the state's Supreme Court ruled that the North Carolina Utilities Commission failed to make the necessary findings of fact to support its decision to grant a 10.5 percent return on equity.
Customers still had to continue paying the higher rate while the Utilities Commission were tasked to make the necessary findings of fact.
Unemployment rates fall across WNC
Signifying a turn in job conditions across Western North Carolina, unemployment rates fell between March and April across each of the 18 westernmost counties of the state, according to data released by the N.C. Division of Employment Security.
Even though the county still has the second-highest unemployment rate in the state, Swain County posted the largest over-the-month drop, from 16.5 percent to 14.6 percent. Still, it was one of two WNC counties that saw unemployment increase compared to a year ago, which is the comparison employment officials often cite as the most representative of overall conditions. Swain and Mitchell counties were the only two of the 18 westernmost counties to see unemployment increase compared to a year ago. Both were also well above the statewide rate for April, which was 8.5 percent.
Overall, 10 of the 18 counties were above the statewide rate; eight were below. Eight — Avery, Cherokee, Graham, Macon, Mitchell, Rutherford, Swain and Yancey — all posted unemployment rates of more than 10 percent for the month. And among all the counties in the state, Graham County's unemployment rate was the highest, at 15.9 percent.
Sheriff's Department shuts down two pot growing operations
Authorities with the Macon County Sheriff's Office shut down and seized property in two indoor marijuana growing operations. According to documents on file with the Clerk of Courts office, a warrant was issued for a home at 526 Coweeta Church Road. The warrant allowed MCSO Detective Chris Murray to search the premises, vehicle, and person of Christopher Michael Belvedere.
Belvedere was arrested and charged with one count of manufacturing a schedule VI controlled substance. According to the warrant, Belvedere was growing marijuana in his basement.
Tyson Shawn O'Neil was also arrested and charged with one count of manufacturing a schedule VI controlled substance in the basement of his residence.
Gary Michael Hilton gets four life sentences
Nearly six years after the brutal murders of a Hendersonville couple in the Pisgah National Forest, Gary Michael Hilton was sentenced to four life sentences in a U.S. District Court for kidnapping and the murder of John D. Bryant and Irene W. Bryant. He was also sentenced to 15 years in prison for a related robbery offense.
Hilton was able to avoid the death penalty in N.C. in exchange for a plea arrangement.
According to police report, Hilton, a drifter and visitor to the area, camped out and waited for victims before he encountered Irene and John Bryant and killed them in October 2007.
The murder charge was the one of four to which Hilton pled guilty. Conviction for the Bryants' murder was in addition to sentences Hilton had already received: Life in prison for the murder of 24-year-old university of Georgia graduate Meredith Emerson in Georgia and death row for the murder of 46-year-old Sunday School teacher Cheryl Dunlap in Florida. The bodies of both women were beheaded.
No banners across Main Street says Town Board
The Board of Aldermen revisited the issue of banners being hung across Main Street when it became a concern to town officials and organizations who sought to hang banners across the street to promote festivals.
Alderman Verlin Curtis, citing safety concerns in the past, offered a motion to delete any wording from the town ordinance that would allow banners to be hung across the street. The motion passed 4-1 with Alderman Bob Scott opposing.
Thirty-one teachers notified of possible job loss
Following a closed session during a continuation meeting for the Board of Education, Interim Superintendent Dr. Jim Duncan announced that he would be sending a letter to 31 probationary first-year teachers to notify them that at that point in the budget process, their positions would not be filled in the 2013-2014 year.
Dr. Duncan said the possibility of inadequate funding was the reason for sending out the letters. By law, the Board of Education was required to notify teachers of the possibility of job loss by May 15.
The final decision to dismiss the 31 teachers would depend on the outcome of the county commissioners meeting that was to be held on May 20.
Horton presents $46 million budget; Leaves schools with $1.7 million shortfall
During May's regular county commissioner's meeting, then-County Manager Jack Horton presented the 2013-2014 proposed budget. As a result of the proposed budget, the Macon County school system was left with a $1.7 million shortfall.
With the possibility of state budget cuts to education and the uncertainty of funding sources, the school system was forced to turn to the county back in April to request $9,567,455 from county commissioners for the 2013-2014 school year; an increase of $2,656,455 from the previous year. According to Horton, while the school system had requested $9.6 million, in order to continue county operations and to avoid a tax increase, the county would only be able to provide the school system with $7.8 million, which was a three percent increase from previous years.
The Macon County Board of Commissioners would hold several budget work sessions in the following weeks.
FHS softball ends strong season in 3rd round of play-offs
The Lady Panthers saw their season come to an end when they hosted Fred T. Foard, losing to the Tigers for the third straight year. The team hoped to avenge losses from the 2011 and 2012 seasons, but were unable to pull off the win, losing 2-1 in the third round of the state play-offs. Despite the loss, the team enjoyed a highly successful year posting a 15-6 record overall.
The Panthers began their season with a four game winning streak, making it clear that they were going to make a mark in their division. Knocking off conference rivals like Smoky Mountain and Tuscola and avenging a loss to Pisgah helped to continually fuel the team's confidence making them a discouraging match-up for any team they were set to encounter in the play-offs.
Mayor Joe Collins will not seek reelection
Mayor Joe Collins announced in May that he would not seek reelection.
Collins', a Franklin native and a lawyer by trade, graduated from Franklin High School in 1973 and UNC at Chapel Hill in 1977. Ten years later, he received his law degree from Campbell University's School of Law. In 1997, he was elected to the Town Board of Aldermen and served in that capacity until 2003 when he was elected as mayor. Alderman Sissy Pattillo and Alderman Bob Scott would register to run for the vacant seat.
Nineteen members of meth trafficking ring face multiple charges in joint investigation
Nineteen members of a methamphetamine trafficking ring were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The arrests were the result of a multi-agency investigation conducted by DEA, ATF, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Macon County Sheriff's Office, Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Swain County Sheriff's Office, Franklin Police Department and Cherokee Indian Police Department to target and reduce the trafficking of methamphetamine in Western North Carolina.
According to documents unsealed in the U.S. District Court, from in or about May 2012 to April of 2013, the 19 defendants did knowingly conspire to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine or more than 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, which has a street value of $100 per gram.
All 19 defendants in the methamphetamine trafficking ring were charged with engaging in narcotics conspiracy and they were facing a minimum prison term of ten years and a maximum term of life imprisonment, and a $10 million fine.
HB 813 passes N.C. General Assembly to ban synthetic marijuana
House Bill 813 was signed into law by Governor Pat McCrory. The law makes it illegal to possess, manufacture, sell, use, and deliver synthetic cannabinoids.
The synthetic cannabinoids, more commonly referred to as synthetic marijuana or "incense" garnered public attention over the last few years across the country and especially in Macon County when local youths spoke out against the drug.
At June's county commissioner meeting, Adrian Martinez and Cassidy Ledford were commended for their awareness campaign against synthetic cannabinoids. The commissioners presented the teens with a copy of the ratified bill that awaits the governor's signature and a framed keep-sake resembling the Macon County flag.
The event that sparked this movement came when a friend's mother contacted the teenagers about her son who had become dependent on the drug.
N.C. Utilities Commission approves Duke rate hike
Customers of Duke Energy began to see their power bills increase as a result of the North Carolina Utilities Commission's decision to allow Duke's rate increase. The commission approved a 7.5 percent increase in utility rates for consumers.
As a result of the increase, a total of $178.7 million, or 5.5 percent average, increase for N.C. customers will be implemented over the next two years. As of June 1, rates had already begun to go up. The first year includes increases of about 4.5 percent, or $147.4 million. Beginning on June 1, 2014, the rates will increase by an additional $31.3 million or 1 percent. Because of this increase, there will also be a return on equity of 10.2 percent and a capital structure of 53 percent equity and 47 percent debt.
At hearings across the state the previous month, the public was given the chance to voice their opinions on the rate hikes and though some applauded Duke for their efforts within the community, most of those in attendance at the Franklin meeting pleaded with the commission not to allow the increase citing the tough economic times that N.C. and its residents are still experiencing.
As a response to this, according to Duke officials, the company will contribute an additional $20 million to help low-income customers in the state pay their energy bills and provide training that improves worker access to jobs and increases the quality of the workforce.
Budget gives schools additional $430,000; Board flip-flops on Burningtown fire tax increase
After weeks of meetings and deliberations among community members and the county commissioners, Macon County officially has a budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. In a vote of 3-2, the budget was put into place and will take effect on July 1. Commissioners Ron Haven and Paul Higdon opposed the budget as presented.
The proposed budget for 2013-2014 fiscal year sat at $47,145,470 to start, but would likely face amendments throughout the year that will change that number. The 2012- 2013 budget that was set to close on June 30 ended at $48,515,476. When it was proposed, it sat at a little more than $44 million. Unexpected costs throughout the year could elevate the final total.
The Macon County Board of Education (BOE) had requested $440,000 more than the $7.1 million that the county had previously granted, a significant decrease from the $9.6 million the school board initially requested. Realizing that teacher positions were going to be cut if an agreement could not be made, the BOE and finance officer Angie Cook whittled the budget down by $914,000.
In the end, the commissioners did not meet the $440,000 request, but they did allow $220,000 to hire back some of the 32 teachers that had been let go because of the budget constraints. Positions that will be open as a result of retirement would be absorbed by the school system.
Commissioners also approved a fire tax increase of .069 per $100 for the Burningtown fire district following a presentation by residents of the community. Paul Higdon, who represents the Burningtown community, voted against the increase citing conversations he had with the community members who were against the increase.
TDA passes budget for 2013-2014 fiscal year
When it came time for Franklin's Tourism Development Authority to pass a budget for the new fiscal year they considered a marketing plan that had been pitched by local firm Premiere Marketing.
The budget that member Josh Drake proposed would give $25,000 to festivals, down from $30,000; $35,000 for digital billboards; $10,000 for Facebook; $15,000 for Google Ad-words; and $15,000 to be put towards "other" means. Leland Rykse seconded the budget, which passed unanimously.
Board of Education begins process of rehiring teachers
After being forced to notify dozens of teachers that their jobs were not guaranteed in the 2013-14 school year because of a lack of funding, after a closed session during their June meeting, the Macon County Board of Education voted to begin the process of hiring those positions that are essential to the education process.
The Board of Education was originally granted $7.1 million from county commissioners for the 2013-14 school year. Because of budget cuts to public education on both the state and federal levels, Macon County was compelled to inform 31 first year teachers that their jobs would not be available in the next school year. In addition to the teachers who were laid off, 11 positions that were held by interim and probationary teachers, would be absorbed completely.
In an attempt to keep staffing as close to the current level as possible, before approving the final budget for the county, commissioners increased the $7.1 million allocation to the school system by $220,000 in order to hire back some of the 31 teachers that were laid off earlier.
Next week: Part II of the Year in Review.


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| By Scott Spanbauer
If you're longing to leave Outlook, alternative e-mail and calendar programs could lighten the load on your wallet — and on your PC.
At least one free personal information manager replicates most of Outlook's features and adds some handy tricks users ofMicrosoft's PIM can only dream of.
Is your Outlook starting to look bleak?
When Microsoft Outlook debuted just over ten years ago, e-mail was still just one of those applications that we used occasionally throughout the day. Kind of like that newfangled Web thing. Today, e-mail is most PC users' #1 application.
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Outlook was one of the first programs to integrate mail with a calendar, contacts, to-do lists, and notes into a personal information manager. Microsoft's approach to the art of the PIM is now so finely tuned that many of us would gasp like fish stranded at high tide were it suddenly taken away.
For that very reason, I gave up using Outlook as my daily PIM last year. For one thing, I didn't want my mail, calendar, and contacts trapped in a proprietary data file (the notoriously huge .pst file). For another, I wanted the always-available online storage that Gmail provides and the ability to see my mail, calendar, and contacts on any network-connected PC.
Dropping Outlook was actually quite painless. While it's not always easy to get your data in and out of the program, Outlook supports standard mail-server protocols and calendaring systems. This allows you to use it with Gmail and other e-mail and Web-hosted services.
In this column and a forthcoming follow-up, I'll look at several Outlook alternatives, starting with Mozilla Messaging's well-known Thunderbird 2, and MemeCode Software's less-well-known InScribe and its free sibling i.Scribe. You may not opt to leave Outlook entirely, but you might find that an alternative program serves your needs well at home and on any other PC you use.
Many e-mail readers and PIMs replicate some of Outlook's features, but none can truly replace Outlook in every situation. Although Outlook and its competitors all support the Post Office Protocol (POP3) and Internet Message Access Procotol (IMAP) for sending mail through and retrieving messages from Internet-hosted servers, Outlook also functions as a client to Microsoft's Exchange and Sharepoint servers. If your company relies on Exchange or Sharepoint, Outlook is the only practical solution on the client end.
Nevertheless, if you or your firm don't rely on those Microsoft servers, nothing prevents you from switching to a different mail client. Like Outlook, competing mail clients offer such advanced features as message filtering to act on incoming messages based on addressing, content, and other criteria. They also let you sort, delete, or otherwise process messages. Most also filter spam, provide stationery, and download messages from mutiple e-mail server accounts.
| Free version
More info
Just because Mozilla makes the best Web browser, that doesn't necessarily mean that its mail program is automatically top-notch. However, Thunderbird's community-driven design philosophy has resulted in a mail reader that outpaces Outlook in many ways.
The most recent version 22.214.171.124 (and counting) includes a bevy of features that make it a worthy competitor to Outlook. Thunderbird checks multiple POP3 and IMAP servers for new messages, filters out junk mail using Bayesian logic, sorts incoming messages using rules, and spellchecks your outgoing missives.
You can also subscribe to RSS feeds (which are not supported in Outlook prior to the most recent Outlook 2007) and newsgroups (which are not supported in any version of Outlook).
On first installing Thunderbird, potential Outlook switchers may immediately wonder, "Where's the calendar?" Although it will not be fully integrated into Thunderbird until version 3 arrives later this year, the Lightning calendar add-in is fully functional, allowing you to view and create multiple calendars either locally, or on the Web using the iCalendar and CalDAV protocols (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Mozilla's Lightning calendar app integrates with the Thunderbird e-mail client.
Another Thunderbird add-on, the Provider for Google Calendar, lets you view your Google Calendar within Lightning, and even cache a copy locally. For me, this means that wherever I go, whether or not I'm connected to the Internet, I have my appointments handy.
This extensibility via an online library of free add-ins — a concept pioneered in the Firefox browser — is precisely what makes Thunderbird unbeatable as an all-purpose PIM. Even if you don't need the extensions that let you connect to Gmail or Google Calendar, others let you customize Thunderbird's user interface, synchronize contacts, block ads, spell-check in foreign languages, and perform many other tasks.
| $20 version
Free version
More info
I have an older notebook PC (like, ten years old) running Windows XP and maxed out with a whole 192MB of memory. As you can imagine, it's not the fastest computer around, and launching a memory-hungry application causes a noticeable performance hit. I need a mail program that's small, but still includes key 21st century e-mail capabilities.
MemeCode's i.Scribe fits that description nearly perfectly. The program includes a calendar and supports POP3 and IMAP e-mail protocols, mail sorting rules, and Bayesian spam filtering. The few plugins available through the company's Web site include a spell-checker and LDAP directory support.
The program is less than a megabyte to download and doesn't require installation into the Windows Registry, so you can just copy its folder to a removeable drive when it's time to migrate to another PC. Best of all, on my ancient notebook i.Scribe consumes only about 11MB of memory while running. Compare this to the 60MB Thunderbird consumes. (Outlook 2003 uses almost as much memory as Thunderbird does.)
Unfortunately, i.Scribe comes with a few limitations that could make it a no-go for you: The program lets you create only one e-mail server account and only five mail-sorting filters. The U.S. $20 version of i.Scribe, called InScribe, supports an unlimited number of send and receive accounts and message filters and adds shared calendars and other groupware features.
Part II of this review will appear on Aug. 14, 2008. See you then!
Scott Spanbauer writes frequently for PC World, Business 2.0, CIO, Forbes ASAP, and Fortune Small Business. He has contributed to several books and was technical reviewer of Jim Aspinwall's PC Hacks. Scott alternates the Best Software column each week with senior editor Ian "Gizmo" Richards.


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- The Big Picture - http://www.ritholtz.com/blog -
Gold Hits Our $1350 Target; Now What?
Posted By Barry Ritholtz On October 7, 2010 @ 9:15 am In Gold & Precious Metals,Technical Analysis,Valuation | Comments Disabled
About a year ago, I mentioned [1] our intermediate term technical target for Gold was $1,350. The spot price broke that yesterday intra-day, and next month's futures [2] already closed over that price. With that target met, let's take a look at Gold and what the average investor should be doing with it.
From 2001-03, Alan Greenspan slashed rates to 1%. At that time, I wrote of impending inflation and a rise in commodities, especially Oil and Gold. This was right out of the macro playbook (i.e., not any great insight on my part). What was surprising was the dearth of sell side Commodity/Gold enthusiasm.
The first time I recommended Gold to the investing public was on CNBC's Power Lunch, when I suggested having a position in the GLD ETF. This was about 5 years ago, and it was in the $40s. I still have that position, but I would be cutting it back by a third on the next major technical break in GLD.
We look at Gold and Precious metals as an asset class unto themselves. Holding a 5% position, especially from lower levels, provides diversification and a hedge against inflation.
When evaluating equities, one of the key metrics we use is Valuation. We can determine an approximate value based on earnings, dividend yield, discounted cash flow, etc.
That is not possible with Gold. People have tried to develop a model for the price of the precious metal (See Eddy's attempt here [3]), but it always is relative to something else — inflation, interest rates, Oil, Silver, etc. Indeed, an inability to objectively value Gold — other than what someone else is willing to pay for it — is why I am not enthusiastic about any more than a 5% position. With no objectively ability to value it, we are left with technicals, historical comparisons, and the Greater Fool theorem.
Let's consider 3 different ways to contextualize the price of Gold: 1) Relative to the US Monetary Base; 2) Gold versus the SPX; and 3) On an Inflation adjusted basis. All three of these suggest Gold has more upside over the next few years. (Traders wanting to add should look for a pullback, rather than chasing momentum here).
1. Gold versus US Money Supply: Looking at the price of Gold relative to the US Monetary base, Albert Edwards of SocGen drew the conclusion (December 2009 [4]) that Gold is cheap; even if you take a median around 0.60 (or even .40), it remains under-priced relative to US Money Supply — and that is before QE2:>
2. Gold priced via SPX: John Roque prefers to look at Gold relative to an asset class that has a valuation component. His chart of Gold Relative to S&P500 (1928-2010) suggests there is also upside to the metal:
click for larger chart
Thanks to John Roque, WJB Capital Group [7]
3. Inflation Adjusted Gold: We do not inflation adjust stocks, as their price is typically a function of cash flow and earnings. Hence, a nominal $1 of earnings for $15 stock produces a P/E ratio of $15, regardless of past price splits. That's why we do not need to adjust for inflation when looking at stock prices.
But with Gold, there are no earnings, no cash flow, and no price splits. The price of an ounce of Gold in 2010 is very different than the price in 1975. While many are all abuzz over Gold's new highs, be aware that these are nominal, not real (inflation adjusted) highs.
If we were to adjust for inflation, Gold is nowhere near its all time peak — in real terms, its only about half its prior highs:
courtesy of Bianco Research
All three of the above metrics suggest Golds is not yet fully valued has not yet reached its highest potential price point. Slapping a $2,000 target is not unreasonable, and breaching its inflation adjusted target of $2,358 is also possible over the next few years.
So why do you sense some hesitancy on my part?
First, Gold fever has risen to the point of excess. The crowd always piles in at the top. The only thing missing from the recent enthusiasm is a Time magazine Gold cover. Even without it, Gold feels like a crowded trade setting up for at least a minor correction.
And, I see way too many investors who have drunk the Kool-Aid; they have turned their portfolios into a combination of Gold Futures, Miners, and ETFs. This is way too risky for individuals who may not have the trading discipline to honor their stop losses — i.e., cut & run when the momentum stutters. Lastly, this is a high beta momentum play. As we have seen as recently as yesterday (EQIX anyone?), when a volatile high beta name has a hiccup, it can get severely whacked.
As noted yesterday [9], participating in one asset class (Equities) does not preclude you from owning other asset classes.
I Love Gold [10] (August 16th, 2010)
Fools Gold: Inside the Glenn Beck Goldline Scheme [11] (July 28th, 2010)
Article printed from The Big Picture: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog
URL to article: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/10/gold-hits-our-1350-target-now-what/
URLs in this post:
[1] mentioned: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/gold-1109/
[2] next month's futures: http://www.cmegroup.com/popup/mdq2.html?code=GCGLOBEXX0&title=November_2010_Gold&type=p
[3] here: http://www.crossingwallstreet.com/archives/2010/10/a-model-to-explain-the-price-of-gold.html
[4] December 2009: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/12/albert-edwards-gold-is-cheap/
[5] Image: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/gold-is-cheap.png
[6] Image: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Gold-vs-SPX.png
[7] WJB Capital Group: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/05/gold-relative-to-sp500-1928-2010/
[8] Image: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/gold-REAL-dollars.gif
[9] yesterday: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog../2010/10/do-you-wanna-be-right-or-do-you-wanna-make-money/
[10] I Love Gold: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/08/i-love-gold/
[11] Fools Gold: Inside the Glenn Beck Goldline Scheme: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/07/glenn-beck-goldline/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2008 The Big Picture. All rights reserved.


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Northern Light debuted a new geographical search capability in April. It allows users to filter results so that only matches relating to a particular "real world" address will appear. For instance, imagine you wanted to find all the pizza places near your home. Using Northern Light's "GeoSearch," you can enter the word "pizza" and your zip code, then any pages that contain the word pizza and which also seem to be related to where you live will be shown.
GeoSearch is a nice alternative to entering geographical keywords, especially in that those keywords can be too limiting. For example, say I wanted to find pizza places near Newport Beach, California. I could do a "normal" search such as "newport beach pizza," and that might miss out on pizza places that are located in the neighboring city of Costa Mesa. In contrast, GeoSearch might find them, because when you give it a zip code or postal code, it knows all the geographical keywords relevant to that code, for the radius you choose.
To use GeoSearch, just select the "Geo Search" link that appears below the search box on the Northern Light home page. A special form will appear, where you can enter your search word plus additional location information. You must at least provide at least a zip code or a telephone area code, and you can specify a geographical search radius up to 100 miles. Searches are currently limited to US and Canadian locations, but more worldwide support will be coming later this year. After doing a search, you can use the small use the "Edit this search" option to the right of the results page search box to refine your query.
I did a few head-to-head tests of GeoSearch against "normal" searches at Northern Light using geographical keywords, such as the pizza query above. I found that often, the normal search was just as good if not better than the GeoSearch results. Vicinity, the company behind GeoSearch technology at Northern Light, said one reason may be that not all the relevant pages within Northern Light's index have yet been geocoded. When that happens, you would expect the GeoSearch results to improve.
You may recognize Vicinity as the company behind the popular MapBlast mapping and directions web site, though that's just part of what Vicinity does. For GeoSearch, the company has developed "address recognition" software that teaches spiders how to recognize common address formats that they may encounter on web pages. If an address is found, the page is then "geocoded" when placed in the search engine's index. That means the search engine will store an appropriate real-word latitude and longitude for the page, as well as the usual cyberspace address information. If there are several addresses, then the page is assigned to multiple geographical locations.
Vicinity is also talking with other search engines, so it seems likely that GeoSearch may become a more common option. Given this, there are a few things you may wish to consider to ensure your pages are accurately geocoded.
Most important is to include geographical addresses on any relevant pages. For instance, if you ran a local restaurant, having your address on the same page that describes your restaurant might help you rank better if someone did a GeoSearch for restaurants in your area. Similarly, if you ran a chain of electronic stores, having a list of addresses along with a general description of your store could help ensure that you come up well for relevant GeoSearches.
Remember, success will come out of having both your geographical address and a description that includes the terms people might be searching for. You need them both. Imagine that restaurant situation. There might be a page about the restaurant, with a link on it to another page with the actual address. This would be bad, because the separate address page might not actually have the word "restaurant" on it. In that case, it wouldn't be found if someone geosearched for "restaurant."
As a rule of thumb, you might consider listing your geographical or postal address across the bottom of all your pages. That will ensure some geographical information is available to work with the varied content on all your web pages, or certainly at least on your home page. Also, don't forget to also include your web address. Significant numbers of people go to search engines and enter domain names to locate web sites -- MSN Search recently said about 15 percent of their queries are this way. By including your web address, you increase the odds of ranking well when people search for you this way.
Combined together, that means your pages might have a footer like this:
123 Plaza, Newport Beach, CA, 92663, USA
By the way, the actual format of your address isn't important. You don't need to use commas to separate the street address from the city, nor must you spell out a state or province name rather than using abbreviations. The key is to use your zip code or postal code, then keep your address information relatively near this. Vicinity's technology looks for these codes first, and they are what give it the primary information to know where you are located at, the company says. The address recognition software will also quickly scan near the zip code or post code for the other address information, so keeping it nearby is helpful. In short, use any standard address format you prefer, but just make sure that you include your zip or post code.
How about one more stat? Vicinity currently estimates about 15 percent of the web's pages contain some type of geographical information on them. It is these pages, and only these pages, that then become available when doing a GeoSearch.
Overall, GeoSearch seems a good tool to have for those times when you want to find information that could be situated in one of several locations. Similarly, some people may prefer using it rather than trying to think of appropriate geographical keywords. Another plus to using GeoSearch is that any addresses found on a web page will appear below that page's listing, along with a link to map for those addresses.
Northern Light
Northern Light GeoSearch Page
Whereonearth.com Signs Agreement With Yahoo
Whereonearth.com, April 10, 2000
Yahoo's classified and yellow pages sections are to receive their own form of GeoSearch, through a new partnership with Whereonearth.com.


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KitchenAid® 2 Speed Immerison Hand Blender KHB1231
$39.99 Original Price $54.99
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Powerful Blending in the Palm of Your Hand. The powerful 2-speed DC Motor and 8-in. (20.3 cm) removable blending arm provide exceptional control to mix all ingredients with ease. Blend, crush and puree smoothies, sauces, baby food, soup and more. Endless culinary creations, quickly and conveniently. Use your cookware or our 3-cup BPA-free blending jar with lid to reduce the need for multiple measuring cups or mixing bowls. Easily blend, serve, and store in one container. Moreover, the non-slip ring on the jar's base helps prevent sliding on the counter top during blending. The 5-ft. round power cord allows you to move throughout the kitchen with ease.
- 15.3-in. x 2.3-in. x 2.3-in.
- 3-cup container size
- 1-year warranty
- Metal/Plastic
- Dishwasher safe
- Imported
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