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Peabody Municipal Light Plant (PMLP) is excited to announce that we have transitioned from our current billing system to a more improved billing system as of November 1, 2015! These changes are part of PMLP's continued efforts to provide enhanced customer service and timely and accurate utility billing services to you, our customers. Your understanding and cooperation is greatly appreciated!
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PMLP has created PO Box #3199 to accommodate the newly formatted customer bills. The former PO Box #3648 is now closed. PMLP has contacted the US Postal Service at the Peabody location – Any items sent to PO Box #3648 will be RETURNED TO THE CUSTOMER.
Peabody Municipal Light Plant is a consumer owned, not-for-profit electric utility owned by the citizens of Peabody and dedicated to providing safe, reliable electricity and high quality service at the lowest possible rates. We are committed to the protection of our environment and to the welfare and safeguard of our community. PMLP was founded in 1891 after a long and emotional political battle was fought by the citizens of the then Town of Peabody for the right to operate their own electric business. The efforts of our Peabody ancestors resulted in legislation being passed which allowed all cities and towns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the opportunity to establish their own electric business. With one of the most modern and reliable electric distribution facilities in New England, PMLP's electric rates are traditionally among the lowest in the region. Unlike most municipally owned utilities, Peabody has the ability to generate its own power, if necessary, to help safeguard against widespread power outages. Service is provided to approximately 25,000 customers in Peabody and South Lynnfield . A five (5) member Municipal Lighting Commission, elected by the citizens of Peabody, governs the light plant. The Commission meets on the fourth Thursday of the month in the McCarthy Auditorium located at the light plant .
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17 Easy Recipes for a Slow Cooker
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Written on: 06/08/2009
I was thrilled to find Ojolie after seeing most other sites and their cheap, commercial quality. It is the first, and now only site I use for online greetings. The original artist quality and unique creative subjects can not be equaled, and when you can custom make your greetings it is perfect! I particularly enjoy the international tone, as I live in India and the US and I can always find an appropriate message no matter where it is being sent... Can't wait to see her new designs when they arrive. There is nothing I coul suggest to make Ojolies site better except seeing more cards to choose from! Oh, yes...maybe more jazzy music or having the choice of music if that were possible.
As rated by our community of reviewers
" Why don't you stop taking orders When you can't deliver? " Read More
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Friday, September 11, 2009
9 comments
Charlie (my golden retriever) was pretty muddy this morning. He had been for a long walk with our son yesterday, with a swim, and although completely dried off his long, magnificent coat was tangled and matted a little, especially on his chest ... Read more
Saturday, September 05, 2009
10 comments
1. Husband -- 30 years later, what I still know for sure is that the smartest, luckiest thing I ever did was marrying Mike.
2. Kids -- works in progress (as all we are) but both terrific human beings who make me proud. And of course num... Read more
Friday, August 28, 2009
7 comments
Latish on Friday night after a great theatre production -- it's raining on the skylight over my head and I can hear the wind howling gently. And the forecast calls for rain all weekend.
Not such a bad thing, actually -- an excellent reaso... Read more
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
6 comments
Yesterday was three months for me at SparkPeople: and I continue to be amazed at and grateful for this remarkable site and all the people who participate in it!
I'm continuing to track my nutrition faithfully. Most of the time I am hittin... Read more
Monday, August 03, 2009
6 comments
I was thrilled to be able to play golf yesterday -- it was nine holes only, and with a power cart: but still! Beautiful evening, best company (my husband); and we stopped for a glass of wine on the patio of the club house afterwards. "Let's ge... Read more
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
3 comments
I'm enjoying the thoughtful comments on blogs from SparkFriends and in particular the message boards in my new At Goal and Maintaining team.
It's very helpful to be part of a community of people who are trying to be healthy, know it's not... Read more
Thursday, July 23, 2009
4 comments
So far, I'm not getting much of a sense of how many calories I need to eat to maintain weight loss . . . so I'm just sticking with the programme for now. I don't want to be gaining weight, that's for sure, particularly since I'm still not able... Read more
Saturday, July 18, 2009
7 comments
I was thrilled today to step on the scale and see 154.5 flash up. Tried the scale in four different spots on the floor: yes, really true, no wavering. Last weigh-in 157 and now I'm down below the 155 goal weight.
So now I'm rethinking: is... Read more
Saturday, July 11, 2009
6 comments
Reading JOPAPGH's blog reminded me: I've also been at SparkPeople for two months as of yesterday, July 10. I've used the nutrition tracker every day for every meal and only been a little less diligent on the exercise. Meaning that although I h... Read more
Friday, July 10, 2009
1 comments
Glorious evening on the golf course -- just the right temperature, beautiful blue skies and interesting clouds, not too many bugs, wonderful golf companions, purple liatris and yellow daylilies coming into bloom in the flower beds, the second cr... Read more
Thursday, July 02, 2009
4 comments
It's amazing how much pleasure there is to be had in a little walk around the garden at the house where I've now lived more than 22 years. Every day there is something new in bloom: right now, I'm especially enjoying my floppy pale pink antiq... Read more
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
1 comments
Tomorrow is July 1st. What we Canadians used to call Dominion Day. And now call Canada's birthday (it's our 142nd, if you're asking) or Canada Day, or whatever. The failure to be prescriptive about the name is in itself pretty typical of Ca... Read more
Thursday, June 25, 2009
7 comments
I am sustaining my cheerful mood and feeling grateful for the excellent treatment I'm getting (reducing my statistical chance of recurrence from about 25% to maybe 2-3%) but: the cumulative effect of the series of treatments is making me somewha... Read more
Saturday, June 20, 2009
3 comments
OK, the scales aren't moving just now -- only tantalizing me by wavering a pound or two lower, pausing provokingly, and then settling back on the 158.5. (This is, of course, a more reassuring portent of better things to come than the reverse --... Read more
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
2 comments
It was a thrill to see a "5" as the middle number on the scales today! Just 3.5 pounds to go to goal weight, but I know it may take 3 or more weeks to get there: the weight comes off much more slowly at this point. However, wearing a size six ... Read more


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Let's go for a dip in the old mail bag again shall we. Well, not really the mail bag, someone on my Facebook page asked what has been causing all these planetary and planet/moon conjunctions that I have been talking about.
Good question. There is an imaginary line that runs around Earth called the equator. It divides the northern and southern hemispheres.
Just as Earth has a line around the middle, so does our sun. If the solar equator is extended into space it marks the plane where all the planets will generally have their orbit.
This line is called the ecliptic and is the place where generally all the planets will be found at some time during the year. It is also the path the sun follows against the background of the stars as seen from Earth.
This line also is the location of the zodiacal constellations
The moon also follows this line thus allowing it to join the planetary party at various times during the year.
The planets really only appear close. In reality we are looking at them along the same line of sight.
Venus, located between us and the sun, is an average of 67 million miles from the sun. Jupiter, on the other hand is the fifth planet out from the sun and is an average of 483 million miles from the sun.
The same can be said for Mercury and Uranus which were in conjunction a couple of weeks ago. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and Uranus is out beyond the orbit of Saturn and their close appearance was again along the same line of sight.
When the moon joins the party it is just passing between us and the planets in the same general vicinity. But, because its orbit is along the ecliptic it can appear to look close.
Venus and Jupiter were at their closest yesterday. Venus will continue to rise higher after sunset and the pair, although drawing apart, will appear close for the next couple of weeks.
If you want to see a really nice conjunction, wait until April 2-3 when Venus will invade the Pleiades star cluster and play an April Fool joke on all of us by appearing to be right in the cluster. More about that later.
I have been hearing a lot of people say they are ready for spring. Well, sports fans, spring is about to be sprung.
Officially the vernal (spring) equinox is at 1:15 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 20 when the sun crossed the equator moving north. But for us folks here in the Mountain Time Zone, that makes it 11:15 p.m. on Monday, March 19.
That will give us a couple of hours jump on the rest of the country -- except for the people in the Pacific Time Zone who will get an hour jump on us.
Anyway, as my dear sainted grandmother used to say, "Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the flowers is."
SKY WATCH: Third quarter moon yesterday, Wednesday, March 14. Jupiter and Venus are still in fairly close conjunction. Look east about an hour after sunset for a bright Mars in the east. It is just below the middle of Leo, the Lion. Orion, the King of Winter has moved into the western part of the sky and, typically for spring, the Big Dipper asterism is almost upside down in the northeast after sunset symbolically pouring out the spring showers.
NEXT WEEK: More astronomical blathering.


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Editorial: The Incredible Shrinking RPG
Joe Juba
on August 08, 2011 at 03:03 PM
As a longtime fan of role-playing games, most of my decisions regarding new console purchases were decided by which system had the best RPGs. Though I loved my SNES, I didn't think twice about abandoning Nintendo and buying a PlayStation instead of an N64. In retrospect, I absolutely made the right...
Blog Post:
Embracing The Supernatural: The Art Of Darksiders II
Ben Hanson
on July 01, 2011 at 11:00 AM
While you may have already seen Joe Madureira demonstrate and explain his own drawing process, there is an entire team of unsung heroes hard at work in the art department of Darksiders II. Led by art director Han Randhawa, the team at Vigil Games is exploring the possibilities of the afterlife as they...
Blog Post:
How To Design A Dungeon In Darksiders II
Ben Hanson
on June 27, 2011 at 11:00 AM
We could all name a few of our favorite dungeons from gaming history, but what was that secret ingredient that made them so memorable? On our recent visit to Vigil Games, we sat down with producer Ryan Stefanelli to discuss the team's approach to creating dungeons in Darksiders II. From sketching...
Blog Post:
The Origin Of Darksiders
Ben Hanson
on June 25, 2011 at 11:00 AM
If you were given the opportunity to create any game that you wanted, what would you make? This was the question posed several years ago to the fresh studio called Vigil Games. After tossing out ideas that included sharks and cyborg children, the team fell in love with the four horsemen of the apocalypse...
Blog Post:
Drawing Darksiders: The History And Creative Process Of Joe Mad
Ben Hanson
on June 24, 2011 at 11:00 AM
Few people are able to achieve their dream job, especially if they have two of them. Joe Madureira grew up with a love for both comic books and games and managed to make a name for himself in both fields, crafting the "Joe Mad style" within the comic book industry before venturing into the...
Blog Post:
Behind The Scenes Of Darksiders II
Ben Hanson
on June 20, 2011 at 11:00 AM
We'd like you to meet the team behind Darksiders. The crafting of heaven, hell, and everything in between takes place in a relatively small studio based out of Austin, Texas called Vigil Games. With Tim Donley the development director of Darksiders II as your tour guide, we invite you to watch the...
Blog Post:
Take A Walk Through Square Enix's Japan Office
Tim Turi
on June 17, 2011 at 09:25 PM
If you were to take a stroll down the streets of downtown Shinjuku, Japan, you'd be hard-pressed to identify which inconspicuous office tower was home to Final Fantasy. There are not gigantic bahamut statues or neon signs indicating that the uncontested king of JRPGs sits within the nondescript building...
Blog Post:
Creating The Apocalypse: Darksiders Developer Commentary
Phil Kollar
on June 17, 2011 at 12:00 PM
On Game Informer's various video series, such as Replay and Reiner and Phil , we get to play games while subjecting you to our dumb observations and jokes. But I've always been interested in the notion of getting the developers' point of view in a similar setting. When I visited Austin-based...
Blog Post:
Touch Of Death: The Combat Of Darksiders II
Ben Hanson
on June 15, 2011 at 11:00 AM
Originally conceived as a cross between The Legend of Zelda and Devil May Cry, combat proved to be one of the highlights of the first Darksiders. Death's introduction as the main character in the second entry radically changes the way players will face off against enemies in the game's dungeons...
Blog Post:
The Tech That Built Darksiders II
Ben Reeves
on June 13, 2011 at 01:00 PM
It's not easy to build a game. A lot of features and technology get left on the cutting room floor as developers rush to get a game out the door. Vigil's Darksiders franchise is no different. We sat down to chat with Vigil's tech heads, and they explained how Vigil's development...
Blog Post:
Darksiders II: Lead Designer Haydn Dalton Interview
Ben Hanson
on June 06, 2011 at 10:00 AM
From England to Texas, Commodore 64 to PS3, Haydn Dalton has had a full experience within the gaming industry. As lead designer on Darksiders II, his past experiences are invaluable for informing his everyday choices that funnel into the creation of Darksiders II. Game Informer's own Phil Kollar...
Blog Post:
Question Of The Month Reader Responses: Issue #219
Jeff Marchiafava
on June 03, 2011 at 04:46 PM
In issue 217 of Game Informer, we asked gamers what their favorite military FPS franchise is. This issue we ran a small sample of the responses we received, but there were plenty of other players who shared their opinions as well. Keep reading to see what franchises your fellow gamers prefer, and to...
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James Gonzalo Medina, 40, allegedly told FBI informant he wanted to bomb synagogue 'for the glory of Allah.'02:00 03.05.16 | 0 comments
Only during the 1973 Yom Kippur War did the US start supplying Israel with weapons. So the arms embargo they had in place did not win any friends. At that time there were no settlements and the US was not hated because it supported Israel. The US is hated be despot nations who lack freedom and prosperity and hate those who have. The Palestinians could have had so much, much more than what they are asking for today, had they accepted the 1947 partition plan. So supporting Israel is the right thing to do. Sometimes one must do the right thing. And it is because of lack of support for the Jewish nation, from the US, that has helped fuel the conflict. The US must come out in support for the Jewish connection to the the land and Jerusalem. Palestinians can share but not at the expense of Jews. The world will know no peace if Israel is allowed to go down under the Muslim hammer. You will be next. Do the right thing!


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Special Teams play is gonna be huge for this game, San Diego has had some serious mistakes this year in special teams that have cost them games.
Ginn needs to have a huge day. Offense needs to sustain drives to keep Rivers off the field.
28-24 Niners win. Ginn breaks a KR for a TD


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Archived Story
Sparkman poised to win first basketball championship since 2007Published 1:54pm Thursday, February 27, 2014
BIRMINGHAM- The expectations for the Sparkman girl's basketball program have been sky high since Alexis Jennings was a sophomore and emerged as one of the top players in the state. But the championship has been elusive. Sparkman was upset last season in the Northwest Regional by eventual champion Hoover.
This year, Sparkman dispatched Hoover 57-40 in the regional and has spent the entire season as the top ranked team in the state. They are now one win away from the Senators first state title since 2007 when June Seals coached the team.
Shades Valley is the only obstacle in the way and Friday night at 5 p.m. Sparkman will take on the Mounties at the BJCC in the 6A girl's championship game.
Head coach Patrick Delay was on that staff and has been an assistant on all three of Sparkman girl's state titles.
"These kids deserve it. They work hard and have done everything asked of them," Delay said from Birmingham where the team stayed after Wednesdays 56-45 win over Blount.
"They come from great families and are getting all the rewards they should get."
Sparkman is letting school out early on Friday to give fans and teachers time to get to Birmingham.
Delay said this team has been confident all year and that losing last year motivated them through the off-season.
"The girls are excited to be in the championship game and they are loose like they have been all year. That is what gets them focused in and ready to play."
"We love playing in front of big crowds and it will be a good environment," Delay said. "Shades Valley being here in Birmingham will have a lot of fans there and Mountain Brook fans will jump on board."
Shades Valley is a formidable team coming in with a 30-4 record and wins over Huntsville and Gadsden City in the regional and Jeff Davis in the semifinal.
Sparkman struggled in the first half against Blount in Wednesday's semifinal game and led by only one point at halftime. Starting guard Wynter Sales picked up two quick fouls. Six fouls in the first five minutes limited Sparkman's ability to press and they played some zone defense.
"We got outrebounded by 10 and anytime that happens you are fortunate to win," Delay said. "We were able to settle in with our man-to-man defense in the second half and we cut down on their dribble penetration and run outs.
Alexis was getting good looks at the basket but they just weren't going in but her offense never affects her defense. She can score 18 and consider it an off night. We're going to need a real good game from Alexis to beat Shades Valley and we need Toni to keep playing well too."
Jennings scored 29 points in each of the two wins at the Northwest Regional and scored 18 against Blount. Toni Brewer was an efficient 7-16 from the field and had 17 against Blount.
Sparkman has not played Shades Valley this season.
"They looked fantastic against Jeff Davis," Delay said of Shades Valley. "Their guards were putting on a lot of pressure and getting easy opportunities in transition. It will be a challenge just to slow down their guards enough to win. You're not going to shut them down. They have one good sized post player so we will try to take advantage in the paint."
Sparkman can call upon bench players like Morgan Caselberry and Kendra Dawkins who have played well if a starter gets in foul trouble.
One concern going into a championship game is avoiding foul trouble for Sparkman's leading scorer Alexis Jennings. Jennings at 6-foot-2 can score from the outside and in the paint. She has signed to play in college at the University of Kentucky.
"She does a good job of going around post players and avoiding charging fouls," Delay said. "Our main worry with her getting in foul trouble would be on the defensive end being too aggressive trying to block shots. We have a very deep bench if anyone gets in foul trouble."
Two basketball players, Alexis Fletcher and Chelsea Robinson, were on Sparkman's softball tam that won a state championship last year.
Delay got news on Thursday that Jennings was one of only 10 players nationwide to be named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association High School All-America Team.
Jennings is rated the ninth best forward in the 2014 class by ESPN.com. She was a finalist for the 6A Player of the Year last year and Miss Basketball in Alabama. Both awards are within her reach this season.


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From The Pain Behind the Mask: Overcoming Masculine Depression, you will discover how masculine development precludes your male clients toward the two defining characteristics of masculine depression: dissociating...
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iHerb Customer Reviews
Savings of: $4.29 (19% off)
Great for skin, okay for washing
Posted by 5101638549302499619 on Feb 20, 2016
Have been using this product for a while now and while it certainly seems to contribute to less skin irritation it doesn't do a wonderful cleaning job in the washing machine. It does leave clothes 'clean' and smelling fresh but is not able to remove even mild stains. However, didn't expect it to perform like harsh detergents so will keep using it for now.
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Maybe it's because I'm using a high efficiency washer, but this stuff just did not clean my laundry! Sweat stains and even drool stains on pillow covers didn't come out. I really wanted to like this product but sorry to say it just didn't do the job for me.
Use it for everything including body wash and shampoo
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I cannot rave enough about this stuff. I used it in the shower for shampoo - had to put it on an exfoliating puff first and lather up before squeezing that onto my hair but it took like 5 secs so no big deal. Also used the puff on my body. Everything is soft and natural and f*cking amazing if i can say that :D. It's exactly what i've been looking for and i won't be buying anything else again ever. I can't wait to use it in my laundry wash tomorrow and see how soft and gorgeous and beautiful it comes out. Oh yeah, didn't even need to use argon oil for conditioner afterwards bc of the olive extract. This stuff is worth it's weight in gold. I will probably get a foaming pump bottle for it for hair and body at some point which will be absolutely perf.
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For years, I bought all kinds of detergents, searching for one that I love. Finally, this product is incredible. My clothes come out so clean and after drying-a beautifully soft feeling. It's expensive but you only use one squirt for a full load. It actually lasts relatively long. I am willing to pay a little extra for the unbelievable outcome. I am still in disbelief that a product does what it is advertises.
Great product
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Love it, my clothes smells great after washing, unlike using other liquid detergent.
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I use this in a regular washer so it's very expensive! However, it's taking out marks and stains that were there through several washes! It is easy to use and I put it right where the stain is. Highly recommend, I will keep purchasing.
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All detergents should be this environment friendly! I like how well it works in the laundry and as a general cleaning product. I also use this to wash the cloths I wipe my cats with; I am peace knowing it is not toxic to my cats or the earth.


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Keywords: Disgruntled ladybug
From "Baman Piderman"
|Keywords: Black and White
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|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|May 20, 2003
|Filing date
|Sep 10, 1999
|Priority date
|Sep 16, 1998
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Venkat V. Easwar
|Original Assignee
|Texas Instruments Incorporated
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (5), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (50), Classifications (10), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application claims priority under 35 USC �119(e)(1) of Provisional Application No. 60/100,671 filed Sep. 16, 1998.
This invention relates in general to the field of image compression and decompression, and more particularly to a method of compressing an image to a specified compression ratio where the image consists of text, graphics and image objects and then decompressing the image in real time.
When printing a document, the page to be printed is typically composed electronically using software like QuarkXpress, Framemaker, etc. Internally the page is stored in a vector based graphical representation by these composition tools. This representation is then usually converted to another representation called a Page Description Language (PDL). Some composition tools generate the PDL directly. To print the page, the PDL representation is sent to the printer directly, or through a network. Before display or printing, a Raster Image Processor (RIP) must convert the PDL representation of the page to a raster (bitmap) representation at the desired resolution.
This conversion process can usually be divided into two stages: interpretation and rendering. Interpretation is the process where the original page description is reduced to a series of drawing primitives called the display list. Rendering is the process where these drawing primitives are converted to a bitmap in the frame buffer.
At high resolutions, a significant amount of memory is required to store this bitmap image. As an example, an 8.5″�11″ (i.e. A4 size) page at a resolution of 600 Dots per Inch (dpi), 8 bits/pixel and 4 color planes will require 128 MB of frame buffer memory.
In order to reduce the memory requirement, the page may be divided into smaller portions or bands, with the band size being determined by the available frame buffer memory. Each band is then converted to bitmap form and passed on to the exposure module of the printer to make space for the subsequent bands.
Since in a typical non-impact printer the exposure module has to be fed with bitmap data at regular intervals, each band must be rendered in a predefined time. As rendering is computationally intensive and is influenced by the page content, such real-time rendering may not be possible for complex bands. In some cases real-time rendering may not be possible even though the bands are not complex. If the available memory is limited, there may not be sufficient room to store the original display list and other information required for rendering the page. If this is the case, each band must be pre-rendered, compressed and stored. After all the bands have been processed and compressed, they are decompressed in real time and fed to the exposure module.
There are various methods that may be employed to compress the rendered image. To maintain maximum image quality, a lossless or low loss method is preferred. Unfortunately, the amount of compression attainable with most of these methods is highly dependent on the page content—some pages will compress much more than others. Since the amount of memory and the page size are fixed, a method must be found that guarantees that all pages can be rendered and printed in real time. In addition, the requirement that the page be decompressed in real time also restricts the compression method selected to one of relatively low complexity. As an example, Direct Cosine Transform (DCT) based methods are very efficient in terms of compression available, but are computationally too intensive to be used on the whole page.
The invention described here presents a block-based hybrid compression method. The image to be compressed is first segmented into p�q non-overlapping blocks of pixels. Each block is then analyzed by preparing the block for Block Truncation Coding (BTC). First the mean and the alpha (first absolute central moment) is computed, the block is then BTC coded, and the error between the original and coded block is calculated. Based on these parameters the block is classified, and the best compression method is selected on a block by block basis. The salient steps of this process are as follows:
Compute BTC parameters for the block
Classify block as SOLID, TEXT, SATURATED TEXT or Image using the BTC parameters
Differential Pulse Code Modulation (DPCM) is used to compress SOLID blocks
Consecutive SOLID blocks (Runs) are compressed using Run Length Coding
Block Truncation Coding (BTC) is used for TEXT.
Decimation is performed on IMAGE blocks, followed by BTC. Alternatively, DPCM or Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) based compression methods may be used.
Compression ratio control is achieved by the selection of the appropriate compression method for each block. Additional control parameters are available, such as the use of lossy or lossless DPCM compression, the selection of the Quantizer Step Size when lossy DPCM compression is selected, and the use of the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) algorithm on selected image blocks.
The Hybrid Compression Method described in the invention can be very efficiently implemented on a parallel processing Digital Signal Processor such as the Texas Instruments TMS320C80 family.
These and other aspects of this invention are illustrated in the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a flow chart of the block classification process during compression
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the classification flow
FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the compression of blocks classified as solid
FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the compression of TEXT blocks
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the compression flow for SATURATED TEXT blocks
FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the compression of Image blocks
FIG. 7 is a continuation of FIG. 5
FIG. 8 demonstrates the lossless DPCM coding
FIGS. 9 and 10 show examples of valid and invalid pixel patterns in blocks classified as text or SATURATED text
FIG. 11 shows an example of coding a row of Image blocks
FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing block classification during decompression
FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the decompression of blocks classified as SOLID
FIG. 14 is a flow chart of the TEXT and SATURATED TEXT decompression
FIGS. 15, 16 and 17 show alternate methods of Image block decompression
FIG. 18 shows a block diagram of the TMS320C82 DSP
FIGS. 19 and 20 show compression and decompression flows on the TMS320C82
The present invention comprises a system to efficiently compress and decompress a stream of data that represents the content of a page to be printed. Most non-impact printers require the data to be printed to be available in real time. Once the printing of a page is started, it can not be interrupted. Since the data to be printed is stored in a compressed format to reduce the size of the physical memory required, the data must be decompressed in real time to keep up with the printer. For maximum throughput, compression should also be done in real time to avoid pauses between pages.
The compression method shown in the invention is block based. The page is segmented into equal size blocks of size p�q, and each block is then analyzed to determine the most efficient way to compress it. FIG. 1 shows the program flow to implement this classification of the blocks. First the block is prepared for BTC coding by thresholding the pixel data, based on its mean to create a binary bitmap. To aid in reconstruction, to reconstruction levels fg (foreground) and bg (background) are calculated to represent the block along with it's bitmap. The fg and bg values are chosen to preserve the mean m and the first absolute central moment alpha.
After starting the process, input function 101 reads p�q pixels that will represent the first block. The mean m is computed in 102 as follows: if g(i,j) represents the gray level of the pixel in the i row and j column of the block, and N=pq or the number of pixels in the block, then m is expressed as:
Function 103 then thresholds the block around mean m. A binary bitmap is formed where all pixels with gray levels g(i,j)>m are set to a 1 (foreground) and all those with g(i,j)<=m are set to a 0 (background). Function 104 then calculates the first absolute central moment alpha in the following manner:
Next, functions 105 and 106 will calculate the value of bg and fg as follows: let fgcount be the number of pixels in the bitmap set to the foreground (fg) and bgcount be the number of pixels set to the background (bg). If fgcount is 0, the block is classified as SOLID, and both fg and bg are set to the mean m. Otherwise, fg and bg are computed as follows:
The per pixel absolute reconstruction error, err, is calculated in 107 by taking the average of the absolute differences between the original pixel gray level g(i,j) and the reconstructed level (fg or bg, depending on whether g(i,j)>m or g(i,j)<=m).
FIG. 2 demonstrates an actual example of the above calculations, where 201 represent the original block. In this example, p=4, q=4 giving N=16. The mean m computed in 201 is 62.5, resulting in bitmap 204 after thresholding around the mean in 203. Bitmap 204 derives a fgcount of 8, and a bgcount of 8. Using the above formulas, fg is calculated in 205 to be 110, bg is 15 and alpha is equal to 47.5. Block 206 shows the reconstructed block, and the error (err) is computed in 207 to be 7.5
Decision block 108 in FIG. 1 compares alpha to alpha(solidthreshold). If alpha<alpha(solidthreshold) the block is classified as SOLID in 109. Blocks with small first absolute central moments below alpha(solidthreshold) are classified as solid areas. If not, decision blocks 110, 111 and 112 complete the classification. If error (err) is found to be less than an error threshold in block 110 and if (fg-bg) is equal to or less than a foreground/background difference threshold (fgbgdiff) in 111, the block is classified as TEXT in 113 (typically the error threshold set to 0). Decision block 112 then further classifies the TEXT block. If bg equals 0 and fg equals the maximum gray level, the TEXT block is classified as SATURATED TEXT in 114. If the test in decision blocks 110 or 111 fails, the block is classified as Image in 115.
Since there are four primary classes, the class information may be coded in two bits. There are two ways to signal class information to the decoder:
1. Class information is transmitted per block. This imposes an overhead of two bits per block
2. Class information is only sent when the information changes and the class transitions may be signaled by the use of an <escape> codeword. Since this option is more efficient, we will assume that the preferred embodiment of the invention described here will be using that method.
In addition to the four primary classes, a fifth one is also possible. This is the RUN class used when a number of consecutive SOLID blocks are found. In this case run length coding is used for maximum efficiency. A run is signaled by the <escape> code followed by the code for the SOLID class. Since a RUN always follows a SOLID, we can implicitly assume that a SOLID class followed by the <escape> code followed by the SOLID code will signal a RUN.
An alternate method to code the class information would be to use Variable Length Codes. Measuring the frequency of occurrence of the different classes for a typical set of pages, assigning a shorter code for the more frequently occurring classes and transmitting this VLC code for the class information can do this. Another method that would allow transmission of more information in addition to the class would be the use of an <escape> code word. For example, if 00=SOLID block, 01=TEXT block, 02=Image block, 03 then can be the <escape> code that is followed by a n-bit code that can signal additional state information such as:
Quantization step size (Qstep)
Change in image decimation factor
If the mode is to be toggled between SATURATED and UNSATURATED, etc. . . .
Because coding of the current block depends on parameters of the previous block (mean, class, etc.) these parameters are preserved from one block to the next. An example of this dependency is when the mean of one block is used to predict the mean of the next block. Default values are used for the first block in each row of blocks. This state information includes:
Last mean m
Previous block's foreground (fg)
Previous block's background (bg)
Previous class
Current run length count
Current compression ratio
Flag to signal if last class was changed
Once the block is classified, the appropriate compression algorithm is selected based on the block's class and the required compression ratio. The following table shows the selection criteria:
Differential Pulse Code Modulation (DPCM) is used to compress SOLID blocks
Consecutive SOLID blocks (Runs) are compressed using Run Length Coding
Block Truncation Coding (BTC) is used for TEXT and SATURATED TEXT.
Decimation is performed on IMAGE blocks, followed by BTC. Alternatively, DPCM or Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) based compression methods may be used.
DPCM coding may be lossless or lossy, depending on the compression ratio requirement. In lossless DPCM, an augmented form of the JPEG lossless difference coding method is used. The JPEG compression algorithm is well known in the art, and is described in detail in the "JPEG still image compression standard" citation. The augmentation of this invention consists of the following:
An <escape> codeword is used to signal block class transitions
Prediction will depend on the class of the previous block. For example, if the previous block is TEXT, then the background bg may be used to predict the mean m. If the previous block is IMAGE or SOLID, then the previous mean is used as the predictor.
The JPEG lossless difference-coding algorithm performs entropy coding of the difference between the actual mean and the predicted mean. The simplest prediction mode where the previous mean is used to predict the current mean is employed. The difference value is segmented into one of nine categories we will call SSSS, depending on the number of bits required to represent the number. This is illustrated in FIG. 8. For non-zero differences, immediately following the codeword for the category, SSSS additional bits are transmitted. As can be seen in FIG. 8, if |Delta m|>32, the coded bit representation is larger than the original representation. This means that while for most pages there is compression of the data, it is possible that for some pages there will actually be a data expansion. The following options may be used to eliminate such cases:
Use lossy DPCM
Turn off difference coding by signaling appropriately at the beginning of each row of blocks
In lossy DPCM the difference signal is quantized before transmission. The quantizer is a function that maps many input levels to fewer output levels. Different types of quantizers may be used:
Uniform quantizers may be used by defining a quantization step size Qstep. This quantization may be performed analytically by division and truncation:
Non-uniform quantizers may be defined using look up tables (LUT).
Compandors may be used. In a compandor, the input is first compressed dynamically through a LUT, followed by a uniform quantization. At the output, it is dequantized and then expanded using the same LUT function.
Since in this method of compression the decoder only has access to the reconstructed mean, foreground and background, the compression side algorithm also uses the reconstructed values for prediction and not the original values.
When coding UNSATURATED TEXT using BTC, the parameters fg, bg, and the corresponding bitmap are transmitted. The fg and bg are difference (DPCM) coded, with the previous blocks fg and bg used as predictors.
Text areas have relatively poor compression ratio. For example in the case of a 8�8 block, SOLID blocks have a compression ratio 64:1, IMAGE blocks are greater than 16:1 when compressed using a 4:1 decimation followed by DPCM, whereas text areas have compression ratio only slightly over 6.4:1. This causes a problem with composite pages containing closely packed text with small point sizes. It is possible to improve text compression by pre-storing bit patterns that occur frequently. For example, 256 frequently occurring patterns can be stored using only 8 bits as an address. The closest pattern is then determined, and the pattern index is transmitted rather than the original bitmap. This will lead to a greatly improved compression ratio. The closest matching pattern may be determined using a content addressable memory search technique.
Since TEXT blocks have the lowest potential compression ratio, it is important to minimize miss-classification of blocks as TEXT. The following techniques may be used to minimize such miss-classification:
By generating a large number of text pages with various fonts and point sizes and then examining 4�4 pixel block patterns, we can class the patterns as valid or invalid. FIGS. 9 and 10 show examples of valid and invalid patterns respectively. A block containing an invalid pattern can therefore be re-classified as an IMAGE block.
Typically, contiguous TEXT blocks will have the same foreground and background. As an example, if the current block is classified as a TEXT block, and the previous block is also a TEXT block but does not have the same foreground and background, the current block may be re-classified as an IMAGE block. Similarly, if the previous block is classified as SOLID but has a mean that does not match the current foreground or background, the current block may be re-classified as an IMAGE block.
IMAGE blocks usually contain a large amount of redundant information. A rule of thumb in the graphics world is that the source image is scanned or digitized at twice the resolution of the halftone screen frequency. Assuming a 150 lines per inch (LPI) screen, source images are typically digitized at 300 dots per inch (DPI). For printing, this is expanded to the device resolution (usually 600 dpi or greater) by pixel replication or by interpolation, creating a large amount of redundant information. As the first step of the compression of IMAGE blocks, this redundancy is eliminated by decimating the image. The decimation ratio depends on the required compression ratio and the required print quality. A ratio of 2:1, 3:1 or 4:1 may normally be used. After decimation, the pixels are typically averaged for better image quality. Depending on the quality required, more complicated filters may also be used, but the quality, in most cases, is not improved significantly over simple averaging. After decimation, the blocks may be coded in one of three ways:
Block Truncation Coding (BTC). This is the simplest of the three methods, particularly since it is part of the process by which blocks are initially classified. During the classification process, the BTC parameters alpha, mean, error, foreground and background are calculated, and are available to be used during compression. The method is explained earlier, and is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2
Difference coding (DPCM). Each pixel is predicted from the pixel occupying the same position in the previous block
Discrete Cosine Transform Coding (DCT). The block is transformed into the frequency domain, and then quantized. This method is used in the JPEG image compression standard, and is well known in the art. It is very efficient in terms of compression, but is also very computationally intensive.
Multiple contiguous SOLID blocks with the same mean m are encoded using run length coding. As seen in FIG. 3 when Delta m is equal to zero and the previous class is a SOLID the class is reset to RUN, and a run counter is updated. No data is output until the class changes from RUN to an other class. At the change, the procedure output_run( ) is called.
The procedure output_run( ) has 2 predefined parameters—MIN_RUN and MAX_RUN_BITS. MAX_RUN is then defined to be MAX_RUN=2MAX — RUN — BITS. Only those runs that exceed MIN_RUN in length are run length coded. Those that are smaller are output as a series of SOLID blocks. This is because there is an overhead involved in signaling a RUN, and it is expensive in terms of bits used to code small runs. The length of the run is then transmitted using MAX_RUN_BITS. If the run length exceeds MAX_RUN-1, a 0 is used to signal this, followed by the difference (RUN-(MAX_RUN-1)). This procedure is then continued until the entire run length is transmitted.
To reduce system overhead, it may be desirable to define a macroblock (a rectangular collection of blocks). For example, we may have an 8�8 macroblock composed of four 4�4 blocks. The motivation for such a data structure would be the following:
Class information is sent at the macroblock level reducing overhead. In this case, BTC analysis is still done at the block level. If any block in the macroblock is an IMAGE, the entire block would be classified as an IMAGE
The prestored pattern technique described earlier for text areas may be used at the macroblock level to reduce the size of the associative memory needed.
Since the effective compression ratios achieved are highly dependent on the image content, a mechanism for compression ratio control is an absolute requirement to prevent overflowing the physical frame memory. In the embodiment of this invention, the compression ratio is dynamically controlled by adjustable control parameters such as:
Quantization Step. Increasing Qstep has the effect of improving DPCM compression performance
Image decimation factor
Block size. Larger block size leads to higher compression ratios, and also reduces the overhead required to signal class change information
Block classification. A SOLID block will compress more than an IMAGE, which will compress more than a TEXT block. More SOLID blocks can be forced during block classification by increasing ALPHAthreshold, and TEXT blocks decreased by increasing fgbgdiff threshold.
These control parameters may be adjusted after each row of blocks, every N blocks, or signaled with an escape code as shown earlier. The extent of adjustment is determined by doing a compression ratio sensitivity analysis of the various parameters for a typical suite of pages. As a final, fall back option if the above described feedback system does not achieve the target compression ratio, the entire frame buffer may be decimated to achieve the desired ratio. Alternatively, the entire buffer may be coded as IMAGE class. It must, however be remembered that increasing the compression ratio will usually result in a reduced image quality.
Some composite pages may be completely filled with images, and some only partially filled. It is advantageous to maintain "first" and "last" image block in a row parameter to estimate the area of the IMAGE blocks. This information can then be used in choosing the control parameters. Alternately, the display list may be used to compute the relative areas of SOLID, IMAGE and TEXT blocks. This information can then be used to determine the initial compression control parameters.
In case of color images, the methods described in this invention can be applied independently to each color plane depending on the color space used—RGB, CMYK or YCrCb.
FIG. 3 shows the compression flow for a block classified as SOLID. Function 301 sets m equal to the previous m as a prediction, then in decision block 302 we check if delta m (predicted m−calculated m) is 0. If not, we go to decision block 303 to determine if the previous class was RUN. If yes, a non-zero m indicates that the current block is not part of the RUN, and function 304 calls the output_run( ) function which will transmit the terminated run class, and return control to decision block 307. If decision block 303 finds that the previous class was not a RUN, it will also transfer control to block 307. Decision block 307 checks if the current class is equal to the previous class. If yes, the value of Delta m is transmitted in 308, and control is returned to START. If the classes differ, 309 transmits the <escape> code indicating a change in the class followed by the 2-bit class code and the calculated Delta m, then returns to START. If block 302 finds that Delta m is equal to 0, decision block 305 will check if the previous class was SOLID or RUN. If not, control is transferred to block 307. If yes, this indicates the start or the continuation of a RUN. Function 306 will set the current class to RUN (if not already set), increment the run block count, and returns to START.
FIG. 4 shows the processing steps involved in compressing a block classified as TEXT. Decision block 401 tests if the previous class was RUN. If it was, the output_run( ) function is called in 402 to process the terminated RUN class. The output_run( ) function will return control to function block 403. If we find in block 401 that the previous class was not RUN, function block 403 will set the predicted fg equal to the previous fg, and the predicted bg equal to the previous bg. Block 404 then tests if the current class is equal to the previous class. If yes, block 405 transmits the calculated Delta fg, the calculated Delta bg, the new bitmap, and then returns to START. If the current class is different from the previous class, block 406 will transmit the <escape> code indicating a class change followed by the 2-bit code representing the new class. Next, the calculated Delta fg and Delta bg is transmitted, followed by the new bitmap. Control is then transferred back to START.
If the block was classified as SATURATED TEXT, the flow shown in FIG. 5 is used. Decision block 501 tests if the previous class was RUN. If it was, the output_run( ) function is called in 502 to process the terminated RUN class. The output_run( ) function will return control to function block 503. If we find in block 501 that the previous class was not RUN, block 503 will test if the current class is equal to the previous class. If it was, block 504 will transmit a 0 followed by the new bitmap. The 0 is transmitted as a filler, since the decompression algorithm will expect a VLC code in this position even though in the case of SATURATED TEXT there is no code. If we find in 503 that the current class differs from the previous class, block 505 will transmit the <escape> code signaling the class change, followed by the 2-bit class code and the new bitmap representing the block. In either case, control will return to START.
FIGS. 6 and 7 show the compression flow for IMAGE blocks. Starting at FIG. 6, decision block 601 tests if the previous class was RUN. If it was, the output_run( ) function is called in 602 to process the terminated RUN class. The output_run( ) function will return control to function block 603. If the previous class was not RUN, the program flow goes directly to function block 603, where the image data is decimated. After decimation, the predicted m is set to the previous m in block 604. Decision block 605 then selects one of three compression methods: Block Truncation Coding (BTC); Differential Pulse Code Modulation (DPCM); or Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT). The compression method selected depends on the required compression ratio, available computing resources and printer speed.
If BTC is selected, block 606 will test if the current class is equal to the previous class. If yes, block 607 will transmit the calculated Delta m, followed by Alpha and the new bitmap. Control then returns to START. If the test in 606 fails indicating a change in class, block 608 will transmit the <escape> code, the 2-bit code for the new class, followed by Delta m, Alpha and the new bitmap, followed by a return to START.
If Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) was selected, decision block 609 will test if the current class is equal to the previous class. If yes, block 610 will transmit the Delta m, followed by the quantized AC coefficients, then returns to START. If the current class is different from the previous class, block 611 will transmit an <escape> code followed by the new class information, the Delta m, and the quantized AC coefficients. When completed, control returns to START.
FIG. 7 shows the program flow when DPCM was selected. First, block 701 will test if the current class is equal to the previous class. If yes, block 702 will transmit the difference coded delta between the mean and each pixel. If the current class is not the same as the previous class, block 703 transmits the <escape> code signifying the class change, followed by the 2-bit class code, and the encoded delta values. In either case, the flow returns to START.
FIG. 11 shows an example of the compression flow for a number of differently classified blocks. The block size was selected to be 4�4, and the IMAGE block was decimated 2:1 and then coded using DPCM. Block 111 is a SOLID block, with m=11. Block 112 is also SOLID, with an m of 20, giving a Delta m of 9. Block 113 is SOLID with m=20. Since Delta m=0 and the previous class is SOLID, this block is reclassified as RUN. As blocks 114, 115 and 116 are also SOLID with m=20, the run length is 4. Block 117 is TEXT, thus terminating the run. For block 117, fg=50 and bg=20. Since the previous m (20) was used as a predictor for m, Delta fg is 30, with Delta bg being 0. In block 118 fg and bg are the same as in 117, with 0 Deltas. Block 119 is a SOLID block with m=10 giving a Delta m of 30. The previous block's bg value is used as the predictor for m. Block 120 is IMAGE. It is shown decimated 2:1, resulting in a 2�2 block. Starting with the previous m=10 and the upper left block, the difference code is (20−10)=10. Going counterclockwise, the next code is (25−20)=5, then (35−25)=10. The last code is (30−35), which is then set to the saturated foreground value of 50.
FIG. 12 shows the logic flow during decompression. The first step is to determine the block's class, so that the appropriate decompression algorithm may be selected. Function block 1201 starts the process by decoding the first VLC code. Decision block 1202 then determines if it represents an <escape> code. If no, we set the current class equal to the previous class, and decode the additional input bits required to determine N in block 1204. Decision blocks 1205, 1206 and 1207 then implement a branch to the appropriate place depending on the current class.
If block 1202 detected an <escape> code, we branch to block 1208 to decode the next 2 bits, giving the new current class code. Decision block 1209 than checks if the previous class and the current class are both SOLID. If yes, the current class is set to RUN in block 1210, and the run length is decoded in 1211. Control then, passes to the decompression algorithm used for SOLID blocks. If the test in decision block 1209 fails, control is passed to block 1204.
FIG. 13 demonstrates the steps used in decoding SOLID and RUN blocks. In function 131, Delta m is set so the value of N decoded in block 1204. Block 132 then calculates and de-quantizes the new mean, m=previous_m+(Delta_m*Qstep). Function 133 will reconstruct the block by replicating the mean p�q times. If the class was RUN, block 134 will replicate the reconstructed block based on the run length value decoded in function 1211.
Function blocks 135, 136 and 137 are common to all classes. Block 135 sets m-previous to the current m, fg_previous to the current fg, and bg_previous to the current bg, thus providing the prediction values to the next block. Decision block 136 then check if this is the last block in the current row. If not, control will return to START. If this is the last block, function block 137 updates the appropriate control parameters from the bitstream, then returns to START.
FIG. 14 shows the decompression flow for blocks classified as TEXT and SATURATED TEXT. For TEXT, function 141 sets Delta_fg to N decoded previously in 1204, and then calculates fg as follows: fg=fg_previous+(Delta_fg*Qstep). In block 142 we decode the next VLC code. This represents the value of Delta_bg. Block 143 then computes bg as follows: bg=bg_previous+(Delta bg*Qstep). The next p�q bits are then read from the bitstream in function 144. These bits represent the bitmap for the block being decoded. This block is then reconstructed in function 145 from the bitmap, fg and bg. Control then returns to function 135 to complete the decoding. In the case of SATURATED TEXT, block 146 sets fg to be equal to the maximum gray level, and block 147 sets bg to zero. The block is then reconstructed in functions 144 and 145, as in the case of TEXT blocks.
If the block being decoded is an IMAGE block, it may have been compressed using either BTC, DPCM or DCT algorithms. Branching on the compression algorithm, if BTC was chosen we continue on FIG. 15. Block 151 sets Delta_m to the N decoded earlier, and then calculates m=m_previous+(Delta_m*Qstep). Block 152 will than decode ALPHA from the next 7 bits in the bitstream. Block 153 recovers the bitmap by reading the next p�q bits from the bitstream, and then in block 154 we compute fg and bg as follows:
where bgcount is the number of pixels in the bitmap set to the background and fgcount is the number of pixels set to the foreground. Function 155 can now reconstruct the decimated block using the values of the bitmap, fg and bg. Next, function 156 recovers the final block by expanding the decimated block. This expansion may be done by simple pixel replication, or preferably by averaging the pixels for better image quality.
FIG. 16 shows the decompression flow if DPCM was used for compression. Block 161 sets the Delta_m to N recovered earlier, and than computes the first pixel as follows: m0=m_previous+(Delta_m*Qstep). Block 162 computes the next and succeeding pixels by setting Delta_mI=mI−1+Delta_mI*Qstep. Decision block 163 will loop back to function 162 until the block is completed, then transfer control to function 156 to complete the decoding.
The flow for DCT based decompression is shown in FIG. 17. Block 171 sets Delta_m to be equal to N decoded earlier and then computes m=m_previous+(Delta_m*Qstep). In block 172 we decode the AC coefficients in the bitstream. The method of compression and decompression using Discrete Cosine Transforms. (DCT) is well known in the art, and is part of the JPEG (Joint Photographers Expert Group) and MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group) International Standards. DCT may be implemented in a variety of ways depending on the particular physical implementation, and the computing resources available. After the decoding is complete, control is transferred to function 156 to expand the reconstructed block and to complete the process.
The hybrid compression method shown can be very efficiently implemented on a multiprocessor Digital Signal Processor (DSP) such as the Texas Instruments TMS320C82. The basic architecture of this DSP is shown on FIG. 18.
The TMS320C82 is a fully programmable parallel processing platform that integrates two advanced DSP cores—PP0 (181) and PP1 (182), a Reduced Instruction Set (RISC) processor 183, multiple Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) blocks 185, 186 and 187, a crossbar switch 184 that interconnects all the internal processors and memories, and a Transfer Controller (TC) 188 that controls external communications.
The hybrid compression algorithms may be implemented on the DSP cores on the TMS320C82, fully utilizing the special hardware modes provided in the device. BTC coding and decoding in particular may be very efficiently implemented using the mask expansion logic and the 3-input Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) to merge the foreground fg and background bg based on the expanded mask. For real-time compression and decompression it is usually desirable to arrange the PP's in a pipeline mode as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20
FIG. 19 shows one possible compression implementation with PP0 (192) classifying the blocks and PP1 (193) doing the actual compression. FIG. 20 similarly shows the decompression flow, with the bitstream decode and block classification taking place in PP0 (2002), and the decompression and block regeneration in PP1 (2003.
Although the present invention was described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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Owner name: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED, TEXAS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:EASWAR, VENKAT V.;REEL/FRAME:010253/0808
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|Sep 26, 2006
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Year of fee payment: 4
|Oct 25, 2010
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Oct 28, 2014
|Fee payment
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Mayor Hyram Copeland said Tuesday nothing illegal occurred within City Hall regarding $635,412 in unpaid federal taxes the city owed, but it's still something he's looking into.
The city's tax troubles were something Copeland said he was not aware of until a representative with the Internal Revenue Service arrived at Vidalia City Hall Thursday to collect the unpaid balances.
"I didn't receive any notices," Copeland said. "There's nothing illegal that's been done or anything like that, it's just that some people didn't do their jobs."
The entire unpaid balance, Copeland said, was paid Friday to the IRS representative — contradicting City Attorney Jack McLemore's statement Monday night that a check was sent after a notice was filed on Sept. 18.
"We paid the total amount immediately as soon as we found out about it," Copeland said. "But I'm sitting down with my staff and even the IRS this week to go over everything more in-depth."
Former City Manager Ken Walker, whose last day was Sept. 18, said he was unaware of any situation involving the city and the IRS.
"If that's what they've uncovered, I'm not aware of that at all, and that's totally new to me," Walker said. "There may have been errors, but no city employees have ever done anything with malice.
"It had nothing to do with my decision to leave."
And until he's had a chance to examine the situation closer, Copeland said he wouldn't comment on how the notices might have gone unnoticed or how the city paid the $635,412 last week.
"I don't want to make any statements until I have all my facts," Copeland said. "I just don't have all the answers right now, but I will soon."
Dee Stepter, IRS spokeswoman for Mississippi and Louisiana, said the IRS is prohibited by federal privacy and disclosure laws from discussing the tax situation of any taxpayer or group of taxpayers. Stepter would also not answer general questions about the Vidalia situation.
The situation is something Copeland said he's never dealt with in his time in office.
"I've been around a long time, but we've never gone through anything like this before," Copeland said. "We're taking appropriate measures to get everything in line with the city."
The unpaid payroll taxes included amounts withheld from employee paychecks beginning in 2006 and continuing sporadically until 2012 for income taxes, Social Security and Medicare.
Those unpaid balances resulted in the Internal Revenue Service filing federal tax liens at the Concordia Parish Clerk of Court's office Sept. 18 against the City of Vidalia.
Just under $200,000 of the assessed taxes were for tax periods ending in late 2011 and 2012, but approximately $450,000 were for periods between 2006 and 2010.
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Once a lien arises, the IRS generally cannot release the lien until the taxes, penalties, interest and recording fees are paid in full or until the IRS may no longer legally collect the tax, the site stated.
The notice filed against the City of Vidalia lists nine unpaid balances, and two penalties for failure to file information returns or wage and tax statements.
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• Three amounts are listed for tax periods ending in 2011 and assessed this year, which total $178,439.51.
• The most recent unpaid balance listed on the notice is for the tax period ending on March 31, 2012, for $8,352.89.
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- Access to Quant Ratings
Real Money
More than 30 investing pros with skin in the game give you actionable insight and investment ideas.
Product Features:
- Access to Jim Cramer's daily blog
- Intraday commentary and news
- Real-time trading forums