text:
SEN. BENJAMIN CARDIN (D-MD): (Sounds gavel.) The Helsinki Commission will
come to order. We'll shortly be joined by the co-chair of the Helsinki
Commission, Congressman Hastings. He is making his way over from the House
side. House members always have a hard time finding their way over to the
Senate side. It's a problem that we have here.
I want to welcome Ambassador Chaudhry, who is with us today, the U.S.
ambassador to Moldova. It's a pleasure to have you in our committee room
today, and we welcome you.
Mr. Prime Minister, it's a pleasure to have you here in the United States and
having you before the Helsinki Commission, and we welcome you and look forward
to your testimony.
This has been – 2009 was an incredible year for Moldova. Countries always have
a difficult time in an election year. And, as you know, the United States will
be going through its mid-term congressional elections in 2010, which is always
an exciting time.
Well, in your country you went through two elections in 2009. And the last
parliament that was controlled by the Communist Party fell in 2009. So it was
a dramatic year for Moldova. It has made tremendous strides to develop a much
closer relationship with the European community, and that's very much noticed,
and we know that you still have very significant challenges, including
constitutional reform that you are looking at.
You're operating under an acting president, which is a matter that needs to be
resolved, and I know that you're working very hard to deal with the governance
issues, and the reforms in your country to develop not only the democratic
principles but the principles that will allow for the continuity of your
government, and we welcome your thoughts on how that is proceeding.
Moldova is in a critical part of a region and it is a country that we look to
as a very important country, as a member of the OSCE but as an ally of the
United States, in our commitments towards that region.
I do want to acknowledge that this is the first hearing that the commission has
had on Moldova, and I just really want to acknowledge that. It's certainly not
because of the lack of interest, as you will see when we get to the questioning
time. There are a lot of issues that are important to our work on the Helsinki
It's because there are so many countries and we've never had the honor of
having the prime minister before our committee, and we thank you very much for
giving us the opportunity so that we could have a hearing on Moldova.
The Parliamentary Assembly that my co-chair was the president of devoted a lot
of time to Moldova. There are a lot of issues. There's a lot of issues that
are currently – in regards to frozen conflicts that we hope we'll be able to
get into today.
So with that, we look forward to your testimony. And I would now call upon the
co-chairman of the Helsinki Commission, the former president of the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly, my good friend Congressman Hastings.
REP. ALCEE HASTINGS (D-FL): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Senator I
appreciate your convening of today's hearing. Is this microphone on? Yeah,
now it is. I appreciate you convening today's hearing as part of the Helsinki
Commission's ongoing monitoring of developments in the Republic of Moldova.
I'm particularly pleased, Your Excellency, Mr. Prime Minister, to welcome you
to Washington for your first visit, of which I hope will be many, but certainly
since your selection in September. And, as the senator has done, I welcome you.
Much of our attention following independence was focused on the continued
presence of foreign troops and military equipment on Moldovan territory. The
commission itself continuous pressed for implementation of related commitments
agreed to at the 1999 Istanbul OSCE summit, and we remain steadfast in our
support for core principles, including territorial integrity and sovereign
equality enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act.
When I was president of the Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE, I was pleased to
support the work of the assembly's parliamentary team on Moldova. As a matter
of fact, a team of the Parliamentary Assembly was in Moldova just a week or so
ago, and I'm familiar with all of the principals that came.
There was a group of, and continues to be, of fellow parliamentarians dedicated
to promoting peace, stability, and the rule of law in Moldova while encouraging
dialogue across a wide spectrum of the Moldova population.
While your country, Mr. Prime Minster, has faced a myriad of external pressures
over the years, our focus today is on the current political impasse following
last year's parliamentary elections, and popular sentiment of change was
evident last spring when thousands of Moldovans took to the streets to have
their voices heard following the April balloting.
Those protests attracted large numbers, and we're seeing more and more of this
in a lot of our countries of young voters that are savvy in the use of new
technologies and united in their demands for change in their country. The
political stalemate and the street activity that followed the spring elections
led to a fresh round of parliamentary elections in late July and the result was
a coalition of opposition parties, led by Your Excellency's Liberal Democratic
The current impasse results from the inability of any party or group in
parliament, and I find this more than ironic to muster the 61 votes required.
I don't know whether it has any parallel here in the United States Senate –
(laughter) – but there must be something about it in your constitution to elect
a new president. Meanwhile, a host of domestic issues remain largely on hold,
awaiting a resolution of the deadlock, and we share that similarity as well in
our country.
Amid a global economic downturn, your country faces particular challenges,
including a sharp reduction from remittances from relatives previously working
abroad. We know that there are difficulties concerning a variety of issues.
One of our colleagues, my good friend Chris Smith, a member of this commission,
is particularly on the issue concerning the trafficking in women that takes
place all over the world.
While the United States has been supportive of Moldova's aspirations for
further integrations into Western organizations, especially the European Union,
it's going to be up to the country's political leadership to chart a course of
action that moves Moldova beyond political and economic stagnation and holds
out the prospect for real change.
I certainly join in welcoming you, Mr. Prime Minister, and we look forward to
your testimony.
SEN. CARDIN: Thank you very much, Congressman Hastings. We'll now be pleased
to hear from Prime Minister Filat. It's a pleasure to have you before our
(Note: Prime Minister Filat's remarks are delivered via translator.)
PRIME MINISTER VLADIMIR FILAT: Mr. Chairman, Mr. Co-Chairman, it's an honor
for me and my colleagues to be in this chamber and to be able to have a
dialogue with you.
The Republic of Moldova has undergone recently a period of time full of
dramatic developments. We have learned what separatism is, which hovers over
our country even as we speak. We have felt what the effects of economic
pressures are and dependency. In the 21st century we had to leave under a
communist authoritarian regime.
But despite all this, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova not only said
that they wished to change this and have a better life, but they have
undertaken concrete steps and actions to ensure that that happens.
On July 29 at the parliamentary elections, the people of Moldova chose between
past and future. So by a direct vote, their vote has offered the citizens of
the country the prospect of normality, the prospect for individual liberties
and freedoms.
We have inherited a country with a distorted political and economic system,
which we must insist to transform. But along this uneasy road, we have had
constant support on behalf of our friends and partners, and I would like to
avail myself of this opportunity to thank you on behalf of the government of
Moldova, and my own to thank the United States government and also the Helsinki
Commission for all the support.
But now we have to concentrate our efforts and energy for what is to follow in
the future. We must face the effects of the economic crisis. We must settle
the issues that deal with the constitutional crisis in Moldova to carefully
settle and manage issues that deal with security. As an objective in our
program of government, we have the maintenance of inter-ethnic stability.
We want to build a society which is based on tolerance. I have to mention that
the incident that took place on the 13th of December in Moldova is the first of
such kind that happened in Moldova since independence, but even so, it is one
too many.
The government has acted promptly in this regard and I want to assure you that
even though we do have a number of imperfections in our legal system, we will
intervene in order to launch a new investigation so that those that are
responsible for perpetrating this act are brought to justice, and that such
instances do not occur again. At the same time, the Ministry of Justice is
examining ways of excluding the new movement from the Register of Social
As I'm making these remarks, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Co-Chairman, the full testimony
– written testimony – will be provided to the commission for record. But, to
conclude, I would like to say that the government of the Republic of Moldova,
in its program of actions, aims to build a state of law, which will offer its
citizens rights, freedoms and prosperity. And allow me once again to thank you
for allowing me to be in these chambers.
SEN. CARDIN: Well, thank you for your comments. Your full statement will be
made part of our committee record.
I want to start first with your observations to us as to the likelihood of
constitutional reform as it relates to a more stable government. As I
understand your system, but for the fact that one term of the presidency ended
and there was a vacancy, there may not have been able to get the election of a
president through the parliament because of the vote threshold.
It's my understanding that you're looking at constitutional changes that would
allow for the popular election of the president, but I'm curious as to whether
there are other fundamental changes that may be recommended in order to
reinforce democratic institutions for allowing a more definitive judgment by
PRIME MIN. FILAT: Mr. Chairman, as far as amending the constitution, we are
seeking to come up with a solution as soon as possible. Of course, the
situation we find ourselves in at the moment cannot be tolerated forever.
Having a qualified parliamentary majority and having that legal norm which
stipulates that the president must be elected with 61 mandates of members of
parliament, and I hope it doesn't have any coincidences with the situation that
you have to deal with.
The situation will lead us to the instance when we will be required to have,
for the third time, an early election. So when the society finds itself, for
such an extended period of time, in an election campaign, it doesn't offer the
possibility to develop and to move forward.
There are a number of solutions, but all of this must be viewed through the
prism of amending the constitution, and to this end we have requested
assistance and expertise on behalf of the Venice Commission in order to
identify a solution that is accepted not only and endorsed not only internally
but also externally as well.
There are ways to amend the constitution without having to conduct early
elections, but as I mentioned, this solution must be endorsed by foreign
experts. But we hope that by the end of the month we will have a solution
identified that will be endorsed by the foreign experts and will be made public.
SEN. CARDIN: Clearly you need to look at how your government is formed after a
national election, and that is, I'm sure, the main energy behind looking at
constitutional changes. But are there other parts of your constitution that
need to be reviewed from the point of view as you see the development of a
stable democratic country?
PRIME MIN. FILAT: The constitution of the Republic of Moldova has clear
provisions which provide for a state of law, so the problem was not in the
content of the constitutional norm but rather in its implementation. So we are
not talking strictly from a legal perspective.
The legal norm does not allow for the illegal arrest of people for their
mistreatment, for their dispossession of property. Nevertheless, these things
occurred in my country. So that means that we must ensure an efficient system
of control of the legal norm with concrete consequences for those who infringe
For that we need functioning state institutions. And by this I mean judiciary,
I mean the freedom of the press, and I mean freedom in economic activity so
that those who are able to exercise it can do it without any kind of
intimidation, which basically means a state of law.
SEN. CARDIN: I very much appreciate, in your opening statement, bringing out
the December menorah episode. And I want to start on a positive note but then
I want to come back to areas that concern me.
On a positive note, when the menorah was taken down and vandalized, it was
condemned by your governmental leaders, and we very much appreciate the
leadership that was shown by the government's verbal response to what occurred.
But since that condemnation, the menorah was replaced in a different location,
not at Europe Square, where it was originally placed, but placed in a much less
prominent location.
Secondly, as you pointed out, the justice system treated it as a rather trivial
issue with those who perpetrated the act. I understand you're saying now that
that's going to be reviewed, and we very much want to make sure that is
But I just want to express my concern that – I believe it was not handled well
with the menorah being placed back up. It was almost like the vandals won.
They didn't want it in a prominent location and it no longer was in a prominent
And there is a second issue – and if you could respond to both I would
appreciate it – which is very much of concern to the Jewish community, and that
is the International Joint Committee has invested foreign capital into a center
to help the people of Moldova, the Jewish population of Moldova.
And there has now been litigation to try to take over that center, and that,
again, appears to many of us to be a form of anti-Semitism, and if the courts
condone that, it will have a chilling effect on international support to help
the people of Moldova.
I would appreciate your comments on both of those issues, which are very
important to this commission in our continuing efforts to deal with all forms
of discrimination, including anti-Semitism.
PRIME MIN. FILAT: As I mentioned in my opening remarks, this incident was the
first of such kind since the independence of the Republic of Moldova. And,
again, I insist – repeat that even though it was once, it was one too many.
We are still waiting to obtain an answer to the question that you raised, and
the answer will come after a thorough investigation. I have sufficient reason
to believe that this was a provocation which had more of a political motive
behind it than anything else.
But this does not have any – must not have any effect on the actions that we
must undertake. And imperfections in our legislation did not allow us at that
time to intervene adequately. I have mentioned that this case will be
administered again, but in parallel with this investigation, we must ensure
that instances like this will bear a concrete and severe punishment.
About the second issue, it basically deals with the conflict between two Jewish
organizations in Chisinau. As a government, as the head of this government, we
do not have the right to intervene in the way justice works – the judicial
system works.
But we have had discussion with parties in the conflict. Yesterday, after I
visited the Holocaust Museum, I had a meeting with the leaders of the Jewish
organizations in Washington, D.C. Representatives of both parties involved
were present at this meeting.
We have agreed that upon our return to Chisinau, I have undertaken the role of
a mediator and we will take all necessary steps in order to make sure that this
civil action does not continue to have a negative impact on my country. And I
can see, in perspective, a solution being identified soon.
SEN. CARDIN: I appreciate your answer on both of those points. We don't want
to take sides on a local dispute. However, the information we have is somewhat
different in regards to the community center, and we might, with your consent,
make some information available to you as it relates to international norms but
not trying to interfere with legitimate local disagreements. We understand it
differently than that, but we will get that information to you.
Congressman Hastings?
REP. HASTINGS: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Prime Minister, first let me – that's okay if he needed to finish. I'd
like to commend you on holding the event at the Holocaust Museum. I think
that's a manifestation of a good spirit after the December 13th incident. And
I certainly believe that it was the right thing for you to do and I think it
will resonate. Certainly it does with me, and to the extent that I can make
known the fact that you did take that action and did hold the meeting with
Jewish leaders, then I think that's a step way in the right direction.
Second, I'm a little bit jealous that you signed a memorandum with North
Carolina. (Laughter.) Now, I'm from Florida, and North Carolina has mountains
like you do, but they don't have oranges and they don't have an ocean like we
do. No, I'm only being facetious, sir. I applaud you for that memorandum.
And I do urge, however, that on some of your return visits, if possible, that
you come down and see us in Florida.
Tell me, Mr. Prime Minister, concerning challenging economic realities – and
that's just global, but then in countries like Moldova, it's a bit press down.
Last week, for example, I attended, the third time, the elections, for me, in
Ukraine, and undergirding all of that election was the harsh economic reality
that Ukraine has faced, as Moldova has faced, as all countries in the world,
not all the same way. But what do you consider the most urgent assistance for
your country at this time?
PRIME MIN. FILAT: Of course the Republic of Moldova is not touched just by the
effects of the economic crisis. The thing is that the Moldovan economy was
underdeveloped and was not able to face adequately the crisis, also due to poor
Presently we have a situation which offers a good platform for the economic
development of Moldova. We have managed to agree with the IMF on a new
program, and on January 29th the IMF board must approve this program with
Moldova. The government of the Republic of Moldova has fulfilled all of its
commitments under this memorandum, and pending this approval we will have a
program of implementation for a period of three years.
And this program is complementary to the program of internal stabilization and
economic development of the country. It provides for thorough economic
reforms, which also will bear significant costs, including social costs. So we
are now in the process of seeking resources in order to minimalize (sic) the
impact of these reforms on the most vulnerable representatives of the Moldovan
REP. HASTINGS: I appreciate that answer.
Mr. Prime Minister, looking at your curriculum vitae and listening to your fine
testimony lets me know that you are a lawyer, and Sen. Cardin and I bear that
same diploma. I would urge your consideration – and I've listened to you very
carefully – on more than one occasion in this short time, you have used the
fact that you and other members of your country are moving toward, as you put
it, a state of law, and I have no quarrel at all with that.
What I do remind all developing democracies – and I wish to make it very clear
here the United States is not finished – but all developing democracies need to
know, and very occasionally world figures, particularly in the OSCE sphere – we
leave an election – and your last two elections meet minimum standards, and I
know that whenever an election is called, you and others are going to do
everything you can to improve the overall standards for election.
But an election – and this is not lecturing you; this is all comers – an
election does not a democracy alone make. Or, standing alone, an election does
not make democracy. The rule of law is fundamental, and I hear you loud and
clear and applaud your efforts, and one of the things that I believe that you
would benefit from is the experience of the more developed democracies in
developing an independent judiciary and efforts to arbitrate the local matters.
Too often, resources that are available to accomplish that are not, one,
offered when people are talking about helping you toward prosperity, and,
number two, are not requested. And, therefore, I would urge you to take my
words, lawyer to lawyer, friend to friend, and make sure that along the way of
the request that you rightly ask and hopefully will have provided to the extent
that our country can and other countries can, that you ask them to send you
assistance in developing the state of the law.
And that includes – and I know a part of your background – that includes land
reform, which becomes particularly critical. And understanding that you
understand English, I'll just tell you, I'm from where Haiti has a large
diaspora in the congressional district that I'm privileged to represent.
And right now, in spite of all of this awful disaster that we are facing – and
your country has faced similar circumstances, I know – it is an opportunity for
them to do something that they hadn't done before, and that is land reform so
that it can be developed along the way. I don't mean that as a lecture; I mean
that most sincerely as a friend, and I know for a fact, many countries that
I've been in have that ongoing problem.
Now, we continue to refer – just turning to another subject, we continue to
refer to areas where there are disputes, Transnistria being one – not the only
one. It's interesting; I began a discussion a week ago in Syria with President
Asad by asking him what he thought about Nagorno-Karabakh, and it kind of
stunned him, you know, because he expected me to ask him about issues having to
do with Syria and Turkey, Syria and Iran, Syria and Israel.
And world leaders have views about things other than their area, and so toward
that end, it is important for us to know what your view is regarding how we
might assist in that resolution, but it is also important in light of the fact
that you have lived that conflict that you help us understand how we might
resolve other conflicts as well.
And that's the approach that I take. I hope it resonates with you and that you
know that at least the Helsinki Commission is open-minded and open-hearted when
it comes to resolution of these conflicts. They are critically important. I
don't mean to minimize them at all. I've worked on that one, Chechnya, South
Ossetia, you name them – Kashmir. They're all over the world, and very
occasionally – too occasionally right here in America, and we tend to forget
that when we go around the world talking.
I don't know if there is any need for a response, but on the rule of law, I
think you and I have a similar view, and I want to be able to help.
SEN. CARDIN: Thank you very much.
Mr. Prime Minister, Congressman Hastings mentioned the Transnistria region. I
want to get to that for two reasons. It's significant because of the military
presence of Russia. It's also significant because of the ethnic community that
lives in that area has a relationship with Russia that at times could be of
concern of whether their rights will be protected under a centralized Moldovan
So I just really – we haven't heard much about it I guess of late. This has
been, as Congressman Hastings said, one of the frozen conflict areas. How does
that resolution fit into the priorities of your government?
PRIME MIN. FILAT: It's one of our priorities, the priorities of the new
government. In order to achieve its objectives, the country must be
reintegrated. The citizens that live in the Transnistria region of Moldova are
citizens of the Republic of Moldova. And as similar to what we have on the
right bank of the Nistru River with people being of a different ethnicity –
Russian, Ukrainians, Gagauz.
We are all citizens of Moldova and we constitute the country of the Republic of
Moldova, which is an independent, sovereign and international-recognized state.
And here we have to recognize whose actual rights are being infringed in this
So when we talk about the Transnistria region, it's not only national
legislation that is being infringed; it's also international obligations and
commitments that are not being fulfilled. And you mentioned yourself the 1999
OSCE Istanbul documents.
This is a flagrant infringement of law, but without consequences. I am talking
about the international commitment undertaken at that summit. So sometimes I
have the impression that the approach to this issue is more diplomatic because
unfulfillment of international commitments but also negligence of national
legislation can become usual practice.
SEN. CARDIN: I have one final question I want to ask, and it's a general
question, not related to the last subject exclusively, and that is how can the
OSCE help you in your priorities? And, as a second question, how can the
United States – what can we do here to further your efforts to strengthen the
democratic and economic institutions of your government? And I would be
pleased to hear your answer.
REP. HASTINGS: Mr. Chairman, would you just yield?
SEN. CARDIN: Sure.
REP. HASTINGS: To add to that as the final – whether or not the aid you are
receiving now from the United States is reaching the greater development of
your country.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
PRIME MIN. FILAT: First of all, I would like to say that since its
independence – since the independence of Moldova, the United States has been an
avid supporter of the democratic processes in my country and not just
financially. And we have had this support constantly, and we count on this
support but also our request is that the issues of my country, the Republic of
Moldova, is maintained on the foreign policy agenda of the United States.
And also, as far as the Transnistrian settlement is concerned, is we ask that
you maintain your position with support to our national legislation. And we
are to talk about the Transnistrian conflict. This region continues to
register a constant infringement of human rights and freedoms, and this makes
this issue even more worthy of being maintained constantly on your agenda. And
of course, we need your support in our quest towards European integration.
SEN. CARDIN: Well, let me tell you that we very much agree with you. You will
have our support on Transnistria. We consistently have supported the
commitments that have been made and we want to see them carried out. And in
regards to your movement towards integration with Europe, we strongly support
that effort and will continue to do everything we can.
I think Congressman Hastings' last point about how our current relationship is
working is one that we welcome a continuing dialogue as to how the United
States directly and through international organizations such as the OSCE can be
constructive, because we very much are encouraged by what we have seen in the
last several months in Moldova, and we want to see the continued development of
sustainable democratic institutions.
We wish you well on your constitutional reform. I am encouraged by your
understanding that it requires international legitimacy as you go about
developing the type of constitutional changes that would promote democratic
results. It's not who wins the election – the people as that right to make
those judgments – but you want to have a functioning national government that
can govern and protect the human rights of its citizens.
And I would say that, you know, you live in a very challenging region. I mean,
there's strong ethnic ties to other countries that – and there is concern as to
whether they're a national government. They are all Moldavian, but they are
concerned as to whether they'll be treated the same if their ethnic ties may be
to Russia versus Romania, and you need to have a government that is respected
for the human rights protections of all of its citizens, and you are moving in
that direction, and we want to make sure that we are helpful in you achieving
And through integration into Europe, it's going to be good for Moldova, it's
going to be good for Europe, and it's going to be good for the United States.
So we look forward to very much working with you. And we look forward to
working with your delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly as we continue to
find ways to work together on areas of mutual interest.
PRIME MIN. FILAT: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
SEN. CARDIN: And with that, the commission will stand adjourned. Thank you.
(Sounds gavel.)


text:
|Harvest Festival theme, parade grand marshals announced
|Written by Wauneta Breeze
|Thursday, 27 June 2013 16:30
By Sheri Hink-Wagner
The Wauneta Breeze
Wauneta's annual celebration, Harvest Festival, is just around the corner. The event will take place July 25-29 this year.
Last week, the Wauneta Chamber announced the theme for this year's celebration, "Humble beginnings...winning traditions."
The parade grand marshals will be the 2012 Wauneta-Palisade football team, who took the state championship their first year back in 6-man football.
As usual, the weekend will be full of events for people of all ages. On Thursday, July 25 things will get started with Harvest Fest specials at Tommy's Sports Club II and a pancake supper and bingo at the Senior Center.
Friday, the village will host Pool Olympics and Champa group will begin their digital photo contest with this year's themes, "flowers" and "general." New this year, Champa will also host a video contest, "Wauneta's Funniest Videos."
Friday evening at the park will feature pie-the-cheerleaders, kids activities sponsored by Wellstone Industries, the Lion's Club walking taco feed and sand volleyball.
The Chateau Theatre will finish out the evening by showing "The Lone Ranger."
Saturday is by far the busiest day during Harvest Fest. Things start off with a Yucca Run and Fun Run and the BWTelcom courtesy breakfast. The parade will start at 10 a.m. MT/11 a.m. CT.
The W-P Volleyball team will sell root beer floats before and during the parade and the cheerleaders will hold a cake raffle during the parade.
After the parade, Mercy Meals will hold an Indian taco fundraiser at the Legion where they will be frying the bread in a 22-gallon cast iron caldron brought in by Pastor Keith Wellman.
Valley Bank & Trust will host a Nickel Scramble for preschoolers and Scrabble Run for children in kindergarten to sixth grade. Harchelroad Motors will host their annual Poker Walk after the parade.
Saturday afternoon will feature nickel beer at Good Times and free swimming at the pool.
The annual Water Fights, hosted by the Wauneta Volunteer Fire Department, will start at 12:30 p.m. MT/1:30 p.m. CT.
Later that afternoon, the second annual Cody Fanning Horse Shoe Tournament will be held at the park. The FFA will also hold their annual Duck Race.
Saturday evening the Wauneta Chamber will host their annual free barbeque on main street with homemade pie, ice cream and drinks sold by the Methodist Church members.
Saturday evening the Chateau Theatre will show "The Lone Ranger" free of charge.
Saturday's activities will wrap up with a DJ Dance sponsored by the Wauneta Chamber at the Legion.
Harvest Festival will come to a close on Sunday with breakfast and drink specials at Tommy's Sports Club II, a dinner at the Senior Center and a movie that evening at the Chateau.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
What a bunch of bull. I figured everyone knew they are in the Bighorns, but I even read in EHJ that there aren't any up there.
This is probably the 9th or 10th wolf track I've seen in the past two years along the eastern face of the Bighorns. This one was really fresh. I'm guessing I probably spooked him. Good sized track too. Cut several more the same day. Guessing it was the same wolf. older tracks. G&F says tracks are probably dog (lol) and if they are wolf its because on rare occasion ONE may pass through. What a joke. There wasn't any dog this size where I cut these tracks.
What a bunch of bull. I figured everyone knew they are in the Bighorns, but I even read in EHJ that there aren't any up there.
Arise... Kill, Eat! - Acts 10:13
very well could be a wolf track, but i beg to differ on it being "really fresh". i can see where the track has melted out in numerous places, and i know that it is melted because the edges are rounded....a fresh track will not have uniformed and rounded holes around rocks and grass. same thing happens around large boulders when the snow melts around them, it is even and smooth, just like in your pic.
but either way....it looks like a big dog (wolf included) track, but nothing to reference it to. would not surprise me any if they are there, actually they should be there by now. I hunt in the Winds and we have a lot of dogs there, boy are they big and their tracks are gigantic, thats for sure! Nice pic., next time place somethin in the pic so we can all get a good idea of how big it is. good job with the pic, keep em comin if you have more.
Last edited by wileywapiti; 04-07-2011 at 07:25 PM.
supposed to be 5 or 6 here in the Black hills of SD.........somebody please stop them before they procreate ;-) just sayin
Here is a reference. My hand is 3 3/4 inches wide accross the knuckles,middle finger is 4 inches long. I guessed the track to be fresh. Pic was taken at app. 10 am. It was snowing at 6 am sun came out app. 8am. So it could of been 4 hrs old..??
I personally saw a wolf in the bighorns in 2008. Big black and ugly! Have pics of tracks will post later. They are much bigger tracks than the ones in this post. I'm sure that there are several wolfs in the big horns since that's been 2 1/2 years ago.
Just a couple of days ago a black one was spotted and photographed just 6 miles south of Gillette.
Were you watching in an X marks the spot sorta way?
I hunt because......


text:
To help victims of the Oklahoma tornado go to redcross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999.
Press Release: Florida Division of Emergency Management
Floridians are reminded to donate wisely to survivors
TALLAHASSEE - Emergency officials from across Florida stand ready to assist those affected by the Oklahoma tornado. The Florida State Emergency Response Team is in communication with emergency officials in Oklahoma and is working through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to support response efforts.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to those impacted by yesterday's tornado in Oklahoma," said Bryan W. Koon, Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. "Our teams are actively working through the proper channels to support the survivors and first responders as they work to respond to and recover from this devastating event."
All Floridians can help the survivors of this event by donating through established relief organizations. Donating cash through established relief organizations allows for versatility to meet needs as they arise. If you have goods to donate, be sure to confirm the need through a relief organization before donating.
"The best way people can help is to send a cash donation to an established relief agency," said Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman. "Material donations have to be sorted and transported, which can create more work for emergency responders. Cash is versatile, effective and meets survivors' needs as quickly as possible."
Floridians who wish to assist those impacted by the Oklahoma tornado are encouraged to follow the "3 C's" Cash, Confirm, and Connect.
CASH - Financial gifts are the best way to immediately help survivors. Donate to an established relief organization. For a complete list of established relief organizations, visit: www.nvoad.org/members.
CONFIRM - A community hit by disaster does not have the time, staffing or money to dispose of unneeded donations. Confirm any and all donations are needed before sending.
CONNECT - Volunteers are a critical part of disaster response and recovery, but it is important to get connected to an established relief organization before traveling to impacted areas to help.
For more information about how severe weather can affect Florida, and to Get A Plan!, visit www.FloridaDisaster.org, and follow FDEM on Twitter at @FLSERT, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FloridaSERT and www.Facebook.com/KidsGetAPlan.
Press Release: Governor's Office
Gov. Scott Offers Prayers, Pledges Support to Oklahoma Governor
SANTIAGO, CHILE – Today, Governor Rick Scott reached out to Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin following the tornado that impacted the City of Moore.
Governor Scott said, "This morning I reached out to Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and offered the heartfelt condolences of Floridians for families in the City of Moore whose community was devastated by yesterday's tornado. Florida is offering to help Governor Fallin with the recovery by providing any state resources we can to help get this community back on its feet. These families desperately need our prayers and support, especially as they continue the search for their loved ones. Americans help one another – especially in times of crisis – and I encourage Floridians to open their hearts and support credible organizations that are working to make this community whole again."


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Founders Company Store
We recently opened an on-site company store, connected to our taproom! It has a to-go beer cooler (bigger than the one in the taproom—don't worry, the original is still there) and room to for you to check out all of our one-of-a-kind gear. We're opening with limited inventory, but things will start picking up and…Read More »


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Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Andre Hollins hit 6-of-7 from 3-point range
and finished with a game-high 22 points to lead the 14th-ranked Minnesota
Golden Gophers in an 88-64 rout of South Dakota State.
Austin Hollins compiled 17 points, five assists and four steals for Minnesota
(9-1), which improved to 16-0 against South Dakota State. Joe Coleman
contributed 15 points and seven rebounds in the Gophers' fifth straight win
since a loss to Duke on Nov. 22.
Jordan Dykstra had 17 points to pace the Jackrabbits (6-3), who played without
leading scorer Nate Wolters because of an ankle injury.
Tony Fiegen and Chad White posted 10 points apiece in the lopsided loss.
The Sports Network


text: When a pastor friend of mine told me that there was an interfaith dialogue at George Fox University, the local college, I was excited to go. I have read, studied, and listened to and about this type of thing, but never had attended one in the flesh. I figured it would be an eye opening experience. The speakers were a Zen… (more…)


text:
For additional information or to book a speaker contact a Seminars Representative.
"For the Scripture says 'Holy, holy, holy Lord of hosts; full is every creature of his glory'. And we, led by conscience, gathered together in one place in concord, cry to Him continuously as from one mouth, that we may become sharers in His great and glorious promises."


text:
Article Courtesy of Elon Athletics:
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Coming off last year's Southern Conference North Division championship and 21-win season, the Elon University men's basketball team was tabbed as the Southern Conference preseason favorites by both the league's head coaches and SoCon Media, the conference office announced today, Oct. 17.
The Phoenix returns 12 letterwinners and five starters from a squad that went 21-12 last season, won the league's North Division and earned a berth in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Elon earned seven first-place votes and finished the balloting with 96 points in the coaches' poll. In the SoCon Media poll, Elon earned 14 first-place votes and finished the balloting with 270 points.
In addition, seniors Lucas Troutman, Jack Isenbarger and Ryley Beaumont were named to the league's preseason all-conference team by the head coaches. Elon had the most preseason all-conference selections of any school.
A first-team All-Southern Conference selection last season, Troutman ranked fifth in the SoCon in scoring at 15.1 points per game and second in field-goal percentage with a 54.6 percent clip. Troutman tallied a league and Elon single-season best 64 blocks last year, setting the school record for blocked shots in a career on Feb. 16. The Belton, S.C., native was named the SoCon Player of the Week twice on Nov. 27 and Feb. 5. Troutman scored his 1,000th career point on Feb. 2 in a home victory over Samford, tying a career-high with 26 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six blocked shots. Troutman was named the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational Regional Games Most Outstanding Player on Nov. 18 after leading Elon to the tournament's title. During the two-day tournament, Troutman averaged 16.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.5 blocks per game. Troutman scored in double figures 27 times last season, including a streak of 22-straight games from Nov. 13 to Feb. 7. Troutman was named a Lou Henson Preseason All-American this season by CollegeInsider.com.
A third-team All-SoCon honoree last season, Isenbarger finished the year second in the conference in three-pointers made with 82 and in free-throw percentage at 86.5 percent. Isenbarger finished the season 16th in the league in scoring at 13.2 points per game and 10th in the conference in minutes played at 31.8 per game. The Zionsville, Ind., native scored in double figures 23 times last season, including a season-high 25 at VMI on Nov. 24. Isenbarger scored his 1,000th career point on Jan. 24 against Chattanooga, pouring in a game-high 23 points. Isenbarger was an All-District selection last season as well.
Beaumont was the only Phoenix player to start all 33 games last year, finishing the season averaging 11.8 points and a team-best 7.1 rebounds. The Millersville, Md., native was tabbed the SoCon Player of the Week on Feb. 19 after averaging 20.5 points and 11.0 rebounds in victories over Appalachian State and Western Carolina. Beaumont scored in double figures 20 times last season and recorded three double-doubles. He scored the game-winning basket at Samford in the final moments on Feb. 21 that clinched the league's North Division title for the Phoenix.
See the Elon men's basketball team in action tomorrow night, Oct. 18, at Late Night With the Phoenix inside Alumni Gym. The event is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., with doors set to open at 7:45 p.m. Opening Night is slated for Friday, Nov. 8, when the Phoenix hosts Washington & Lee and 7:30 p.m. The team's lone exhibition game is on Monday, Nov. 4, when it hosts Lynchburg at 7 p.m.
Southern Conference Coaches' Poll
Predicted Order of Finish
Team (1st-Place Votes) - Total
1. Elon (7) - 96
2. Davidson (3) - 90
3. Western Carolina (1) - 82
4. Appalachian State - 67
Samford - 67
6. Wofford - 57
7. Chattanooga - 50
9. Georgia Southern - 30
10. Furman - 20
11. The Citadel - 14
2013-14 Preseason All-Conference Team
Jay Canty, Appalachian State
De'Mon Brooks, Davidson
Ryley Beaumont, Elon
Jack Isenbarger, Elon
Lucas Troutman, Elon
Raijon Kelly, Samford
Tim Williams, Samford
Z. Mason, Chattanooga
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina
Karl Cochran, Wofford
2013-14 Preseason Player of the Year
SoCon Men's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish - Media Poll
1. Elon (14) - 270
2. Davidson (12) - 268
3. Western Carolina - 233
4. Samford - 176
5. Wofford - 165
6. Appalachian State - 164
7. Chattanooga - 161
9. Furman - 69
10. Georgia Southern - 66
11. The Citadel - 46
Elon/ WFMY News 2 Sports


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The Coast Guard has suspended a reach for a missing soldier.
A crewmember of the Army Corps of Engineers vessel Major General Winfield Scott apparently went overboard Sunday morning south of Ocrocoke Inlet.
Coast Guard helicopter, airplane, and rescue boat crews from Elizabeth City, Fort Macon and Hatteras Inlet, and a Pedro helicopter rescue crew from Cherry Point searched more than 1,572 square nautical miles during the 40-hour search for the crewmember.
The search area was larger than the state of Rhode Island.
The Major General Winfield is homeported in Fort Eustis, Va.
Previous Story
U.S military crews are searching for an Army soldier who apparently went overboard about 15 miles off the North Carolina coast.
The unidentified soldier was reported missing Sunday morning, according to a U.S. Coast Guard press release. Rescuers from the U.S. Marine Corps were helping in the search.
The soldier was last seen Sunday on the bridge of the Major General Winfield Scott, which is based at Fort Eustis, Va.
The Daily Advance of Elizabeth City reported the missing soldier was 58 years old and was not believed to be wearing a life vest or anti-exposure suit to protect him from the elements at sea. The ocean water temperatures was about 58 degrees on Sunday. The man's name has not been released.


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Superhero drama 'Arrow' hits the bull's-eye
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The first of the CW's new shows premieres at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, and it's a good one. "Arrow," based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, is the tale of Oliver Queen, a billionaire playboy shipwrecked on an island for five years and presumed dead, who returns to Starling City intent on cleaning up the corruption that now runs rampant.
It's a superhero drama but not. While the character is a hero, executive producer Mark Guggenheim (who has written for Marvel and DC Comics) said the folks who run the show approach the series "more like a crime thriller than a live-action comic book."
That's perhaps most evident in the look of the film. This is a dark, gritty superhero world, more akin to Christopher Nolan's Gotham City than the world of "The Avengers." It's a dirty place, marked by a muted color palette and the desolate former warehouse of Oliver's late father, which serves as Green Arrow's headquarters.
Also, his costume is much less flashy than that of many superheroes, including the version of the character played by Justin Hartley on the Superman drama "Smallville." (Hartley returns to the network Oct. 16 in the new series "Emily Owens, M.D.") It's dark green, which I imagine will make it easier for him to blend into the shadows than Hartley's bright green one.
The show comes from Greg Berlanti ("Everwood," "Brothers and Sisters," "Political Animals"), which means we should get plenty of character development to go with the villain-of-the-week stories. Executive producer Andrew Kreisberg has already hinted at that, saying, "Every week is sort of its own origin story. We're seeing both the hero and how he got that way."
Canadian actor Stephen Amell plays the hero. He's seriously buff -- a must for superheroes (watch for his hardcore pull-ups in the pilot) -- and he's got very expressive eyes. I really noticed them in Oliver Queen mode, but they'll surely come in handy during his masked vigilantism, as well. And speaking of eyes, it doesn't hurt that he's easy on them, too.
Also in the cast are Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, Oliver's ex and a Legal Aid lawyer; Colin Donnell as Tommy Merlyn, his rich playboy best friend; Willa Holland as his sister; Susanna Thompson as his mom; Colin Salmon as Walter Steele, his father's former business associate and his mom's new husband; and Paul Blackthorne as a cop out to unmask Green Arrow. Jamey Sheridan is seen in flashbacks as his father.
If you're looking for a superhero fix to tide you over until "Iron Man 3" hits theaters in May, or you need an action-packed pick-me-up to get you through hump day, be sure to check out "Arrow."
Also premiering
"Chicago Fire": 10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, NBC. This workmanlike drama from "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf can be summarized in one word: hot. As in hot fires, hot bodies and hot tempers. It's centered on a fire station where tensions are high among the beautiful people working there after a team member's death.
The cast includes Jesse Spencer ("House"), Taylor Kinney ("Trauma"), Lauren German ("Hawaii Five-0") and Monica Raymund ("Lie to Me"). Fun facts on Kinney: he studied business management at WVU before he got into acting, and he's dating someone else with a West Virginia connection: Lady Gaga (her mom is from the Mountain State and her grandmother still lives here).
"Nashville": 10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, ABC. Connie Britton shines in the trailer for this Music City soap, elevating my curiosity from ambivalent to mildly interested. She plays an aging country queen forced by her record label to team up with a white-hot country pop starlet (Hayden Panettiere, "Heroes"). Each episode will feature original songs produced by Grammy and Academy Award winner T-Bone Burnett ("Crazy Heart," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?").
Series premieres: "Nor'easter Men," 9 p.m. Thursday, History (New England fishermen); "Crash & Bernstein," 8:30 p.m. Monday, Disney XD (a boy's puppet comes to life); "To Catch a Smuggler," 9 p.m. Monday, National Geographic (JFK customs agents); "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition," 9 p.m. Tuesday, Lifetime (with Abby Lee Miller of "Dance Moms"); "Keyshia & Daniel: Family First," 10 p.m. Tuesday, BET (R&B star Keyshia Cole); "Bid & Destroy," 9 p.m. Wednesday, National Geographic (demolition team).
Network season premieres: "30 Rock," 8 p.m. Thursday, NBC; "The Cleveland Show," 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Fox; "90210," 8 p.m. and "Gossip Girl" (final season), 9 p.m. Monday, CW.
Season premieres: "Jersey Shore," 10 p.m. Thursday, MTV (final season); "Billy the Exterminator," 10 p.m. Saturday, A&E; "Pit Bulls and Parolees," 10 p.m. Saturday, Animal Planet; "Upstairs Downstairs" (Masterpiece Theater), 9 p.m. Sunday PBS; "Ink Masters," 10 p.m. Tuesday, Spike.
Timeslot change: "The Neighbors," 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, ABC.
Rebroadcast: "Call the Midwife," whose debut last week was upset, re-airs that episode at 7 p.m. Saturday on PBS2 before the new episode at 8 p.m. Sunday on PBS.
Season finale: "The Next," 8 p.m. Thursday, CW.
Specials: "Hollywood Goes to Washington," 8 p.m. Friday, TCM (study of politically-themed films); "Winged Planet," 8 p.m. Saturday, Discovery (cameras on birds' backs give unique view of the world); "Steel Magnolias," 9 p.m. Sunday, Lifetime (all-black remake with Alfre Woodard, Queen Latifah and more).
Schedule note: CBS' Sunday night programming begins a half-hour late, starting with "60 Minutes" at 7:30 p.m.
Of note: Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the first Bond film's release, Daniel Craig hosts "Saturday Night Live," 11:30 p.m. Saturday, NBC; "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror," 8 p.m. Sunday, Fox; Joss Whedon's super-villain musical, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," with Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion, 9 p.m. Tuesday, CW.
W.Va. alert: The Hatfields & McCoys feud is the focus of "How States Got Their Shapes," 10:30 p.m. Saturday, History 2.
Reach Amy Robinson at email@example.com.


text:
The Walking Dead, just as the term suggests is a top American TV series that is mainly based on a comic book that carries the same name. The book was written by Tony Moore, Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard and first developed for TV by Darabont Frank. It first premiered on cable TV network AMC on the 31st of October 2010. The series mainly focuses on one Rick Grimes, a Sheriff Deputy who was put in a coma after he was shot. He wakes up only to find himself in a very dangerous new world which had been overrun by walkers. He then joins a group of survivors who include his son and wife as they all try to survive in another world among the living dead.
As of the 31st of March, 2013, a total of 35 episodes of Walking Dead had been aired already. This is what marked the end of the third season. So how were the first three seasons like? Let us have a recap of that here:
Season 1
The first season of the Walking Dead premiered on the 31st of October 2010 and ran up to the 5th of December the same year on cable TV network AMC. Blu-ray disc and DVD releases were later on made and availed to audiences across the globe. This season mainly marked the beginning of the story and thus there really was nothing much to talk about.
Season 2
The second season of the Walking Dead was also commonly referred to as the Guts. This is perhaps the season that took the entire nation by storm. There is no doubt that people across the globe loved what it had to offer. In this episode of the TV series, were first are introduced to Rick Grimes who is essentially the protagonist in the series as stated before.
Season 3
The third season of the Walking Dead premiered on the 14th of October 2012 and mainly featured 16 episodes. The series is mainly based on a series of coming books that carry the same name. Just like the case is for the book storyline, the season is set in an abandoned prison and a pretty active rural village of survivors. This season introduced a number of notable characters like the case is in the comics and they include Michonne, The Governor, and Tyreese. It is also important to note that this third season features ten main roles that receive star billing with eight of them returning from the other seasons. Two new members of the cast are also introduced in this particular series.
There are rumors of celebrities Amber Heard (read her bio) and Christina Hendricks (read her bio) guest starring in future episodes but AMC representatives haven't confirmed the information yet.


text:
Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Alex Rodriguez has been once again linked to
performance-enhancing drugs.
According to the Miami New Times, Rodriguez's name was found in the records of
a Miami anti-aging clinic that allegedly supplied the New York Yankees third
baseman and other big league players with performance-enhancing substances.
The New Times based its report on records given to the publication from an
employee at Biogenesis, a clinic run by Anthony Bosch, who was previously
connected with Manny Ramirez when the slugger was suspended by Major League
Baseball for violating its drug policy in 2009.
Rodriguez, though, has denied having a relationship with Bosch.
"The news report about a purported relationship between Alex Rodriguez and
Anthony Bosch are not true," the statement released through a PR firm said.
"Alex Rodriguez was not Mr. Bosch's patient, he was never treated by him and
he was never advised by him. The purported documents referenced in the story
-- at least as they relate to Alex Rodriguez -- are not legitimate."
Rodriguez, in the spring of 2009, admitted to using PEDs while a member of the
Texas Rangers from 2001-03. He said he had never taken the drugs while with
the Yankees, but the records from Biogenesis appear to indicate Rodriguez's
name appearing 16 times in Bosch's handwritten notebooks from 2009-12.
According to the New Times, Bosch wrote in a notebook with Rodriguez's name
and labeled 2012, "He is paid through April 30th. He will owe May 1 $4,000...
I need to see him between April 13-19, deliver troches, pink cream, and... May
meds. Has three weeks of Sub-Q (as of April)."
The "troches," according to Bosch's notes, are a type of drug lozenge that
includes 15 percent testosterone. The notes also say "pink cream" is a formula
that includes testosterone and the "Sub-Q" is a mixture of HGH and other
Other major leaguers named in Bosch's notebooks were Melky Cabrera, Bartolo
Colon and Yasmani Grandal -- all of whom have been suspended by Major League
Baseball for PED use in the past year.
Major League Baseball issued a statement Tuesday in response to the New Times
"We are always extremely disappointed to learn of potential links between
players and the use of performance-enhancing substances," the statement read.
"These developments, however, provide evidence of the comprehensive nature of
our anti-drug efforts. Through our Department of Investigations, we have been
actively involved in the issues in South Florida. It is also important to note
that three of the players allegedly involved have already been disciplined
under the Joint Drug Program.
"We are in the midst of an active investigation and are gathering and
reviewing information. We will refrain from further comment until this process
is complete."
Rodriguez is expected to be sidelined until at least the All-Star break after
undergoing hip surgery earlier this month.
The New York Daily News reported over the weekend that Florida authorities and
the Drug Enforcement Agency have begun an investigation into Bosch.
It could lead to another BALCO-style scandal. BALCO was the drug laboratory in
California linked to alleged steroid use by baseball stars Barry Bonds and
Jason Giambi.
The Sports Network


text:
Ranveer Chandra, Jitendra Padhye, Lenin Ravindranath, and Alec Wolman
February 2007
|Publication type
|Published in
|IEEE HotMobile
|IEEE Communications Society
Copyright © 2007 IEEE. Reprinted from IEEE Communications Society. This material is posted here with permission of the IEEE. Internal or personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution must be obtained from the IEEE by writing to firstname.lastname@example.com. By choosing to view this document, you agree to all provisions of the copyright laws protecting it.


text:
Despite my having lived in Rockville, Maryland, for 15 years, last week was the first time I ever attended a city council meeting. What would drag me out on a cold, dark February night at my normal (admittedly early) bedtime? Golf, of course.
RedGate is Rockville's only municipal golf course, set in a forest surrounding two 1970s Cold War era reservoirs. Although officially built for flood control, the local mythology is that the reservoirs were built to serve as Washington's back-up water supply in case of catastrophe. Like most muni courses, RedGate is nothing fancy – the club house is really just a snack bar, and the air is filled with the humble scritch-scritch-scritch sound of fellow trunk slammers shuffling to and from the parking lot in their soft spikes. But the fairways and greens are remarkably well maintained and it's comfortable playing golf somewhere no one is going to notice the brand of your clubs or demand that you wear a collared shirt in the sweltering Washington summers. As we documented in our January issue, this sort of casual, inclusive course is a vital recruiting ground for the sport if golf is to thrive in the future.
My husband and I have taught our three teenage sons a number of crucial life lessons at RedGate—adults ride in the cart while kids walk, please just pick up your ball and carry it around the lake before we lose them all, and most importantly, life is too short to keep score. And we've had our more contemplative moments too, on summer evenings when cool, misty air rolls out of the trees and onto the fairways, bringing along with it the tentative steps of deer. So it was with some alarm that I noticed a brief Facebook post from the golf course announcing the city council meeting to discuss "the future of RedGate."
Given that the city council recently had to bail out the golf course from a debt of $2.4 million, it wasn't a complete surprise. RedGate is a microcosm of the budget struggles found in public recreation facilities across the nation, and determining its future path means balancing the need for green space and affordable, healthy outdoor recreation with long-term fiscal sustainability. Fortunately, the city council had earlier contracted with the National Golf Foundation to perform an analysis, which included a suite of well-researched options. In my next blog, I'll discuss some of these options (including outsourcing management of the course), what the city council and the citizens group called the RedGate Advisory Committee thought of them, and how this all relates to national trends and NRPA's Golf Coalition.
Elizabeth Beard Managing Editor Parks & Recreation
The opinions of NRPA blog contributors don't necessarily reflect the editorial position of National Recreation and Park Association as a whole.
22377 Belmont Ridge Road Ashburn, Va 20148-4501 800.626.NRPA (6772) ©


text: Archives > Writers < Prior Page Page 2 of 18 Next Page > Burn the ships! By Alex TokarevPosted Aug. 8, 2012Government | Some time ago, I had a heated argument with a colleague of mine on how to treat our students. His considerable experience as a pedagogue had taught him that… [http://worldmag.com/2012/08/burn_the_ships] The myth of immigrant healthcare costs By Alex TokarevPosted Aug. 1, 2012Immigration | Last week I examined two myths about immigration. We can see how our culture of political correctness put new clothes on old arguments. A century ago… [http://worldmag.com/2012/08/the_myth_of_immigrant_healthcare_costs] Two cheers for immigration By Alex TokarevPosted July 25, 2012Immigration | "There are real problems about permitting unrestricted immigration into a welfare state," wrote Milton Friedman in the late 1970s. "It's one thing when people… [http://worldmag.com/2012/07/two_cheers_for_immigration] How the spirit of capitalism returned to America By Alex TokarevPosted July 18, 2012Economy | One lesson we could have learned from the Weimar Republic and the rise of Hitler is that "political freedom cannot be preserved unless inflation is kept in… [http://worldmag.com/2012/07/how_the_spirit_of_capitalism_returned_to_america] Lessons in leadership By Alex TokarevPosted July 11, 2012Economy | Last week I noted how Paul Volcker, almost accidentally, ended up in the hot seat as the Federal Reserve chairman. He immediately assaulted inflation by… [http://worldmag.com/2012/07/lessons_in_leadership] Despicable Fed: The anguish of central banking By Alex TokarevPosted July 4, 2012Economy | In theory our central bankers are independent from the government. In practice the Federal Reserve is under constant pressure from the president and Congress. [http://worldmag.com/2012/07/despicable_fed_the_anguish_of_central_banking] How Keynes made it cheaper to drown 'em than to raise 'em By Alex TokarevPosted June 27, 2012Economy | In The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath , Robert J. Samuelson noted how a whole generation of "new economics" experts infiltrated the White House, Congress, and… [http://worldmag.com/2012/06/how_keynes_made_it_cheaper_to_drown_em_than_to_raise_em] Our planned economy By Alex TokarevPosted June 20, 2012Economy | Last week I stopped my narrative at the point where LBJ was forced to fight a war on many fronts against the destructive forces of inflation. In his book The… [http://worldmag.com/2012/06/our_planned_economy] The rising stagflationary tsunami By Alex TokarevPosted June 13, 2012Economy | Last week I noted how President John F. Kennedy bequeathed to his successors a team of economic "experts" confident that they could eliminate the business… [http://worldmag.com/2012/06/the_rising_stagflationary_tsunami] How economists hijacked the republic By Alex TokarevPosted June 6, 2012Economy | "Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it." This warning from the 18th century Irish philosopher Edmund Burke explains why our generation is… [http://worldmag.com/2012/06/how_economists_hijacked_the_republic] Forgotten lessons from the Great Stagflation By Alex TokarevPosted May 30, 2012Economy | "We used to think that you could spend your way out of a recession and increase employment by cutting taxes and boosting government spending. I tell you in… [http://worldmag.com/2012/05/forgotten_lessons_from_the_great_stagflation] A penny saved is a penny lost? By Alex TokarevPosted May 23, 2012Economy | It was during the Great Depression that John Maynard Keynes found what he believed to be an explanation for the crisis of capitalism. He boldly proclaimed… [http://worldmag.com/2012/05/a_penny_saved_is_a_penny_lost] < Prior Page Page 2 of 18 Next Page >


text:
Not to hijack things, but nice job on the stainless steel exhaust system, Ace! It looks great and it sure would be nice to have a system that won't rust out.Eamon
You've missed the point twice!
Go ahead...tell me what the point is. I can take it.
so, you haven't wasted your time... have you?
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Minding Africa's business
A new brand of entrepreneurs and economists say Africa can prosper the old-fashioned way-by earning it
"Minding Africa's business" Continued...
June Arunga watched mobile phone use in Africa skyrocket: "It was like the discovery of the wheel." She and business partners at BSL Ghana Limited had an idea. With many parts of the continent cut off by poor electricity, nonexistent landlines, and too-expensive computers (or computers so old they operate on DOS), cell phones are the continent's lead form of communication. Africa has the largest telecom market of any continent in the world-300 million of the world's nearly 3.5 billion cell phones, and growing by the millions each year.
But while phone use has taken off, financial services lag: Eighty percent of African households have never opened a bank account. They wait in long lines to pay an electric bill with cash. Villagers making beautiful crafts have no way individually to market them beyond the village or to engage in ecommerce.
Arunga and associates saw a business opportunity: Turn mobile phones into mobile currency. The cards for prepaid phone service, called "scratch cards," can be sold in denominations of $5-$1,000. Using an embedded code that can be sent as a text message, mobile phones can make online purchases and money transfers. A further selling point for state-owned telecoms: Phone numbers can serve as tax identification numbers, boosting government revenue normally lost in the continent's vast cash-only economy.
The Kenyan-born Arunga, 28, has credentials and visibility to push a bold venture. With a law degree from the University of Buckingham, she founded a film company, Open Quest Media, and worked with a BBC film crew in 2003 to produce a documentary of her own 5,000-mile journey from Cairo to Cape Town called The Devil's Footpath. She also has worked on behalf of business ventures across the continent. But government officials and overseas execs, who own most of the continent's telecoms, stopped her and her partners cold: Pushing commerce via telecommunications, they told her, could risk foreign aid packages and overseas contracts. What Arunga discovered, she said, is that in the global competition for finance, "money will go to Africa for charity-with no prospect of accountability whatsoever-but no one can wrap their head around investing in African business."
While Arunga has been pushing money-making proposals on investors, she and a new host of business-minded Africans-buoyed by a potent brew of homegrown ideas and Western financial savvy-are running head-on into what should by now be obvious: Government-to-government aid to Africa is hurting trade.
"Study after study after study . . . have shown that after many decades and many millions of dollars, aid has had no appreciable impact on development," writes Dambisa Moyo in her 2009 book Dead Aid. "Aid has financed consumption rather than investment; and foreign aid was shown to increase unproductive public consumption and fail to promote investment."
Like Arunga, Moyo grew up in Africa. Harvard- and Oxford-educated, she worked two years for the World Bank before joining Goldman Sachs. Ever since Dead Aid came out in March, it has been on the New York Times bestseller list.
At 40, Moyo represents a post-colonial generation of Africans that has firsthand knowledge of the cycle of poverty, has seen how free markets and the private sector work, and believes many Africans can escape impoverishment through economic growth rather than charity handouts.
"It bothers me that we would rather focus on what I call the four horsemen of Africa's apocalypse-war, disease, poverty, and corruption," says Moyo. "Everybody wants to have the photo-op with the starving baby, but the world is asking us to raise our children on this continent under a very negative perspective, and one that's couched in pity. Any psychologist or psychiatrist will tell you that if you tell someone constantly and long enough they are not good enough, not equal, they are poor, they aren't going to amount to anything, they need to be helped-that can't be a formula for long-term sustainable development."
Arunga, who now calls Ghana home, has been striking the same theme in lectures and interviews: "There is basic human dignity that comes from people being involved in the market and solving problems and making a living from being useful rather than receiving charity. I don't think charity is a way to wealth, and I never heard of one telling their children it is either."
The continent as a whole, according to Arunga, has a "branding problem." Potential investors don't comprehend its resources or capacity.
When Arunga pitched the mobile phone plan, one potential U.S. investor asked, "Do people have mobile phones?" When Arunga explained that they do by the millions, the investor asked, "But who do they call?"
As Arunga tells it: "This is a very well-educated person, a public figure, and I was shocked. She was liberal, and I expected her to have an international sensibility, but I had to explain by asking, 'Who do you call?'. . . and then I explained, 'That's who they call too.'" As Arunga explained to an audience at New York University earlier this year, "The branding problem is a big one. The only pictures she'd seen are pictures of Africans begging and dying."
That brand of Africa is where at least one in two people lives on less than a dollar a day; one-third of the population suffers from malnutrition, and one in six children dies before age 5.
Average annual GDP per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa is less than $2,000-the lowest of any of region in the world-and more than half the continent's GDP comes from two countries, Nigeria and South Africa.
The brand of Africa that Arunga, Moyo, and others want more prominently displayed is where human and natural resources ignite to produce a legitimate trading partner and exporter of raw and finished goods for the future. Over 40 percent of Africa's population is under age 15, meaning its share of the world's labor force (given a leveling of HIV/AIDS and other diseases) is set to rise dramatically over the next decade.
Africa is a leading depository of in-demand minerals and metals like platinum, nickel, and cobalt (hosting 60 percent of the world's cobalt reserves and 90 percent of its platinum)-raw materials vital to the production of automotives, computers, and satellite technology. In addition, it is a major producer of gold, diamonds, and uranium.
Africa's proven oil reserves are nearly 10 percent of the world total (making up 12.5 percent of current supply). And it is the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to southern temperate zones. As President Barack Obama noted at a G8 summit in July, "There is no reason why Africa cannot be self-sufficient when it comes to food. It has sufficient arable land."
Yet for all that, most African governments remain 70 percent to 80 percent dependent on foreign aid (that is, government-to-government transfers of aid, not including most humanitarian aid and emergency relief). The United States sends approximately $40 billion in direct foreign aid to Africa each year, while the continent attracts less than 1 percent of the world's foreign direct investment-about $17 billion.
This aid regime started about 60 years ago as African countries began to move out from colonial rule, creating self-perpetuating bureaucracies and disincentives for development. The results are hard to argue: Sixty years ago roughly 10 percent of the continent's population lived on a dollar a day, and today over 70 percent live on a dollar a day. As Moyo writes in the introduction to her book, "Aid has been, and continues to be, an unmitigated political, economic, and humanitarian disaster for most parts of the developing world."
Ironically, that alarm bell began to sound just as celebrity advocates like Bono, Madonna, Bob Geldof, and others began a global aid crusade. The U2 frontman and singer-songwriter Geldof launched a campaign that culminated with the Live 8 benefit concerts in 2005-a campaign that notably failed to bring in the desired G8 donations but gave popular credence to the belief that what Africa needed was more charity.
"By the late 1990s, most of us in the aid world knew traditional aid wasn't working," said William Duggan, senior lecturer at Columbia Business School and author of the just-released book, The Aid Trap: Hard Truths About Ending Poverty. "After 30 years and trillions of dollars, most countries receiving aid were just as poor as when the aid started." Meanwhile, China, he noted, took off without aid: "But instead of an aid re-think, Jeffrey Sachs and Bono, Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie whipped up popular support for 'more aid.' This knocked the wind out of any true reform."
Lost in a media frenzy, the anti-aid camp took to giving lectures and writing books: American University's George Ayittey wrote Africa Unchained in 2004, followed by former World Bank economist William Easterly's best-selling The White Man's Burden in 2006. By 2009, with a global recession forcing Western governments to reconsider aid expenditures, a convergence among those in the anti-aid camp took place, with Moyo's Dead Aid and numerous other books (see sidebar, left) along with Duggan's Aid Trap, which he co-authored with Glenn Hubbard, and a burst of new watchdog websites and blogs.
Suddenly Africans like Moyo and Arunga found themselves with publicists and worldwide lecture tours and an appearance on Oprah!-achieving along with a growing group of prominent entrepreneurs (see sidebar, next page) their own kind of celebrity status.
Moyo remains notably hard on people like Bono: "I think they are wrong in their fundamental approach to ask for more aid to Africa," she said in New York in March, "and they actually have taken over the space of becoming the face of Africa, and spokespeople on behalf of the African continent." Many Africans may appreciate the attention, she said, but they also wonder, "What's the point of having a democratic society, albeit in a nascent form, if at the end of the day someone else outside of the continent is designing the future?"
In 2006 Bono upbraided the church in America for its slow response to global poverty and the AIDS epidemic. But at the Willow Creek's Leadership Summit two months ago he said, "The church has done incredible things. . . . I think we referred to it as the sleeping giant but I didn't know the giant could run that fast."
Beyond celebrities, evangelical leaders like Willow Creek's Bill Hybels and Rick Warren have "sharpened Christians' awareness," according to Brian Fikkert, director of the Chalmers Center at Covenant College and author of this year's When Helping Hurts: "We have seen in the past 30 years an enormous increase in the willingness of evangelicals to combine words and deeds." But Fikkert said he worries that some of these efforts keep the poor in a state of inferiority and shame while elevating the giver. Fikkert's book is headed to a fourth printing since its July 1 release, representing sales Fikkert said "are well exceeding our expectations" and show the "tidal wave of energy and interest." by the church. "We are trying to say to that tidal wave, there may be some better way of doing things than what you're trying to do right now."
One better way, according to George Ayittey: smart aid, or "aid that empowers the African people." The United States should give aid not based on the promises of governments to reform, he said, but based on the formation of independent, critical institutions, like central banks, judicial systems, media, electoral commissions, and neutral and professional armed forces.
He and other experts say that the United States could do more to bring down trade barriers, too. In 2000 Congress passed the African Growth and Opportunity Act, giving tangible incentives for African governments to open up their economies and create free markets. But the bill largely has freed up petroleum exports from Africa while other trade barriers remain, most notably in agriculture (most U.S. food assistance must be U.S. grown) and textiles (African textile exports to the United States must contain U.S. fiber).
African governments also must get serious about reform, according to Ayittey: "They don't want to give up power."
And that's where Africa's entrepreneurs come in. "One has to remember that it is Africans who have to come up with their own solutions for their problems," said Ayittey.
Ghana BSL, the communications firm that Arunga co-founded, has chipped away at opposition to its venture and is now months into the launch of its mobile phone banking venture. It's too early to measure success, but Arunga's business partner, Herman Chinery-Hesse, is being called the Bill Gates of Ghana.
Web watch
By The Editors
• Kiva (kiva.org) is a global clearinghouse that profiles business ventures in less-developed countries and links potential lenders with aspiring entrepreneurs.
• Aid Watch (blogs.nyu.edu/fas/dri/aidwatch/) is the provocative and informative blog of Prof. William Easterly, author of the 2006 bestseller The White Man's Burden. When Easterly speaks, the World Bank listens (sometimes).
• Africa Unchained (africaunchained.blogspot.com/) features daily blogging by "venture catalyst" Emeka Okafor that touches on culture as well as economic transformation in Africa.
• Bottom Billion (bottombillion.com) is news and opinion on Africa's and the world's poorest, headlined by author Paul Collier.


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"Good quality." (E25193)
"Our 16U girls fastpitch team loved these black & grey camouflage socks! Great price great fit." (E5190)
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Augusta Athletic Wear Reversible Practice Jersey [E18000]


text: I used my new Palm TX (supported according to the wiki) to connect to Zimbra Mobile and it sync'ed my inbox and calendar fine using active sync but my other folders and contacts were not sync'ed. Is there a reason why this did not sync or did I miss something? Thanks in advance!!


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U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head outside a grocery store in Tucson while holding a public event, Arizona Public Media reported Saturday.
The 40-year-old Democrat, who was re-elected to her third term in November, was hosting a "Congress on Your Corner" event at a Safeway in northwest Tucson when a gunman ran up and started shooting, according to Peter Michaels, news director of Arizona Public Media.
At least nine other people, including members of her staff, were hurt. Giffords was transported to University Medical Center in Tucson. Her condition was not immediately known.
Giffords was talking to a couple when the suspect ran up firing indiscriminately and then ran off, Michaels said.
It is absolutely, absolutely unacceptable to shoot "indiscriminately".
Target only politicians and their staff, and leave regular citizens alone.


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06/30/2008, Tropical Dreamer
The sailboat isn't taking on water. This stream of water is the air conditioner on the sailboat working. Marine air conditioners use water pumped from the ocean to release the heat created by the compressor. It took about an hour to prime the pump, but once it started pumping water, the air conditioner started going strong. I don't know yet how good the system is. Frankly it seemed rather weak by Tucson standards, but it was probably 90 decrees in the boat when I turned it on so it may take a few hours to chill the boat down. The plan is to bring the motorhome down late tonight and unload my belongings into the boat while it is docked and while the marina is closed for the night. Then tomorrow I will head out and anchor outside the town dock and begin transitioning the dogs.
06/30/2008, Deatons
I have to admit I asked one of the dockhands to drive the boat into this slip as I didn't want any problems while parking near the other expensive sailboats. Amazingly, the engine started right up and began purring like new after 9 months of storage. The engine appears to be charging the battery bank just fine, although the batteries are well charged from the solar and wind turbine. While the boat was going through the main area of the yard several of the marine tradesmen commented at the apparent quality of the installation Matt did. They refered to it as a "custom install" and I could tell they appreciated the work that went into Tropical Dreamer over the course of the last month. It is a good sign that I was somehow able to get the boat in the water by the end of June, which was my main objective.
This is how good the folks at Deaton's Yacht Service are - They noticed that I hadn't painted the bottom of the wing keel (it was not possible while it was on blocks). They could easily have just let me go in, knowing that barnicles and growth would build up over the ensuing months on a part of the boat that nobody would notice but which would inevitably have a small affect on speed and efficiency. Not Deatons. They stopped the travel lift, set me up with more bottom paint, a fresh roller with a long stick extension, and let me paint the bottom of the bottom with two coats of the really good stuff before she went into the drink. Now I can sleep better at night knowing that the bottom is completely protected.
06/30/2008, Deatons Yacht Sertive
I stopped into the office to check on tomorrow's drop in. They were pretty busy tomorrow and offered to put her in today. I had about 30 minutes notice before the travel lift arrived. That was enought time. I was ready!
06/30/2008, Oriental, NC
I woke up this morning refreshed and ready to go. Took the dogs on a nice walk and then headed over to the boatyard. First I scheduled the boat to go in the water tomorrow morning (Tuesday, July 1, 2008), got the nuts and bolts I needed to finish the dingy and got it ready to go. Then I washed it and hoisted it up on the davits. I was worried that the dingy wouldn't fit due to the Hydrovane, but the dingy inflatable tube lays nicely against the big stainless steel tube support for the vane and it may even be more stable than before. The guys shifted the stands over so I could finish the bottom paint. I even put plastic bags over the stands after they were moved so they wouldn't blemish the already painted areas. Then I started moving things around in the boat to make room for the loads of my belongings that will start to come today and in the next several days. The rear cabin is going to be the main storage room until I get things more organized, which will take some time. This time tomorrow I should be in the water.
06/29/2008, I'm in Oriental, the picture was taken at Lake Pleasant north of Phoenix
I worked during the middle of the night with one of my former legal assistants on a number of law-related matters so I was pretty tired when I awoke early this morning. Jake and Anne slept perfectly as usual so I took them for a nice walk, then headed over to the boat. I tightened the bolts on the Hydrovane (applying tef-gel first), installed the vane frame, and studied the machine by working it through all potential movements. Unfortunately, about 10-20% of potential area required by the vane's movement is blocked either by the bimini/solar panels on one side and the dingy davit bars on the other side. During the vast majority of wind conditions and directions, it doesn't affect the vane much if at all, but in some conditions and directions, the vane may be blocked from the far reaches of its movement. I can solve most of that problem by removing davit bars before long passages; the dingy goes on deck during passages anyway. The bimini may be able to adjust towards the bow a bit, thus relieving the problem on that end, but its pretty rigid and there are a lot of wires. We'll have to see how the Hydrovane performs once I get on my way and go from there. I'm well ahead of myself in any event because the boat isn't even in the water and I have no passages planned. As I write this the National Weather Service is issuing a thunderstorm warning for the area. I looked out on the water this afternoon and it was downright snotty out there. Dare I say I was glad I was still on land. Today was spent mostly working inside on the computer and making calls. I took a scooter ride to explore more of the area, did some shopping at the grocery store, made good healthy food, showered and shaved, organized, and wrote a letter to my nephew Brett and mailed it. Tomorrow begins the push to splash, hopefully first thing Tuesday morning.
06/28/2008, Deatons
I had a few hours this afternoon after spending some time working with a law client on the phone (skype) so I brought the mechanical self steering drive unit into the motorhome and mocked it up while reading the installation instructions. I pretty much understood what I needed to do, so I went for it. It was a little precarious with the several thousand dollar drive unit perched sideways on the floor of the scooter, but I took it slow and made it to the boat yard without problem. In order to install it, you have to align the main unit onto a small hole that a pin goes through. This is hard enough 8 feet above ground, but while doing this the tiller unit has to be fitted in just right to a tight spot in between without bringing the main unit off the alighment hole. It took several tries and I was completely dripping with sweat, but I got it. Still don't know exactly how the "worm gear" works, but I'm starting to understand. Afterwards I did some more work on the dingy, but found that it needs some hardware, so I won't be able to finish it until Monday when Deaton opens. Matt's mechanics boot camp has really come in handy. I can do things that simply wouldn't have been possible for me a month ago. I've sweat more in the last month than in the last 10 years, but I've also lost those extra 5 pounds I put on before I left.
Solar Report: The solar system is doing better than imagined. A lot of people bag on solar and say its not worth it. I don't know whether its the modern panels or the high quality wiring and other equipment and installation on Tropical Dreamer (or the intense sun we've been getting in North Carolina), but the two 135 watt panels have been pouring out energy since I hooked them up yesterday morning. We had afternoon thunderstorms today but when I left the boat at about 6:00 this evening, the batteries were showing essentially full charge. And this is without any addition of power from the wind generator. I think I will be off the grid for a long time... unless we need air conditioning, in which case we may be back on sooner than we think.
Thank you to those people sending comments. They are greatly appreciated. If you want to read comments, click on the word "comments", otherwise, I've hidden them as not everyone wants to be public (and not everyone needs to read my mother's frequent encouragement, though her comments are appreciated most of all). I hope my dad is checking in from time to time too.
06/28/2008, Deatons
After breakfast and a stop at the local Saturday farmers market, I headed back out to tackle the dingy tube. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get the tube on by myself as it is pretty heavy and awkward and has to fit into a narrow track, but as you can see, I managed. The directions suggested soapy water so I brought over a hose, sprayed everything, made up a batch of suds, and went to it. After about an hour of sweaty adjusting I got it all aligned properly. I still need to reinstall the drain plug with the new gasket Walker Bay sent under warrenty and I would like to sand and varnish the oars, but the latter project will likely wait until we are underway. Believe it or not, I am now on the final checklist to splash in. This afternoon I will pull out the Hydrovane drive unit, review the instructions, and prepare it for installation today or tomorrow. I've got some touch-up to do on the bottom paint and some odds and ends on the engine and rigging, then I think I'm going to schedule her in the water Monday or at the latest Tuesday. The Rebounder is paid up until Thursday. My plan at this point is to get the boat in the water while the dogs are cozy (and out of the way) in the motorhome. I can spend some time testing and adjusting and packing the boat while at Deaton's dock and fix anything that still needs fixing while I'm there. Then I'll move the boat about 2 miles and anchor it at the sheltered marina just beyond the town dock. Once the boat is set, I can dingy into town and walk back to the motorhome and slowly get the dogs adjusted to the boat. Thursday or Friday the RV gets moved into the long-term storage spot and Jake, Anne, and I will move onto Tropical Dreamer. I'm sure we will miss the air conditioning most of all. The boat has AC, but it requires shore power. I'm going to try and hook up my honda generator so we will have relief during the hottest hours of the day, but I need a special connection that isn't easily found. One step at a time.
06/28/2008, Deatons
I got up early, walked the dogs, and brought out the materials for the bottom paint job. First I headed over to the hardware store to have the paint shaken. Marine bottom paint contains copper (one of the reasons it is so expensive), which tends to settle to the bottom and needs to be mixed up very well. The guy said that one of my three $100 cans was defective and may have been exposed to air or something. I only used 1.5 cans so far, so I returned the other can. Even though I got an early start, it was hard. The paint is heavy on the roller and it was a serious work out getting the bottom of the bottom parts. Having been preparing my body for the last several weeks, it wasn't too bad. I've been worried that the waterline will be too low with the added equipment and the stores to be shipped while long-term cruising so I raised it about two inches. Turned out pretty nice... we'll see how it looks when it gets in the water.
06/28/2008, Oriental, NC


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Shares of Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed Friday at $66.87, from $67.58 the week prior. The company rebounded from a 5-plus-percent drop earlier in the week after Yum! Brands warned investors that its China sales are below its earlier forecast. The company cited bad publicity from the China government's review of the chicken supply to sister company KFC.
In December, Chinese food safety authorities claimed that KFC's chicken contained too many antibiotics. The investigation by the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration affected KFC's — and parent company Yum! Brands' — reputation. Yum! claimed it stopped purchasing poultry from one of the two suppliers in August. Yum! Brands has since issued an apology to Chinese consumers over its handling of the "inspection shortcomings and lack of transparency."
Meanwhile, average block cheese prices fell 4 cents last week on the Chicago Mercantile Market, averaging $1.72, from $1.76 the week prior.
The $1.72 cost matches cheese prices from the week before Christmas.
Cheese closed at $1.76 on Monday, and $1.72 Tuesday through Friday.
Wheat prices also fell 4 cents last week on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, averaging $8.44, from $8.48 the week prior.
Wheat closed at $8.46 Monday, $8.45 Tuesday, $8.40 Wednesday, $8.39 Thursday and $8.45 Friday.
Wheat prices were averaging $9.13 about a month ago. The cost is still significantly higher than it was during the middle of the summer, when prices averaged $7.49.
Gasoline and diesel fuel
Today's nationwide average for regular unleaded fuel is $3.30, up a penny from $3.29 the week prior, according to the AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Prices a month ago were $3.27. Last year at this time, consumers were paying $3.38 at the pump.
Today's mid-range unleaded is $3.46, up a penny from $3.45 last week. Premium gas is $3.61 today, also up a penny from last week.
Diesel fuel prices are currently $3.90, from $3.91 last week. The price of diesel fuel is down from $3.94 a month ago, and up from $3.87 a year ago.
Natural gas
At most market locations, natural gas prices fell during the report week (Jan. 2 to Jan. 9). The Henry Hub spot price fell from $3.30 per million Btu (MMBtu) Jan. 2 to $3.14 per MMBtu Jan. 9.
The near-month (February 2013) NYMEX futures contract declined 12 cents per MMBtu over the report week, from $3.233 per MMBtu Jan. 2 to $3.113 per MMBtu Jan. 9.
Pizza company stocks
After turning in high numbers across the board thanks to Washington D.C.'s efforts to avert going off the fiscal cliff, pizza stocks stabilized a bit on Friday. During the first week of January, the S&P 500 finished at its highest collective closing since December 2007.
Shares of Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed Friday at $66.87, from $67.58 the week prior. The company's 52-week high was in the spring at $74.75. Its 52-week low is $61.05 from a year ago. Notably, Pizza Hut rebounded from a sharp, $3-plus drop in the beginning of the week after Yum! Brands warned investors that its China sales are below its earlier forecast because of the chicken supply chain investigation at KFC.
Domino's closed last Friday at $45.16, up from $44.61 the week prior. The company hit a fresh 52-week earlier this month at $45.98. Shares remain higher over this time last year when the company traded at $28.17.
Papa John's closed out last week $55.02, down from $56.66 the week prior. PZZA hit its 52-week high at $56.69 earlier this month, eclipsing its previous high of $56.41 set in August. The company hit its 52-week low of $36.26 a year ago.
CEC Entertainment Inc., parent company of Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, closed out last week at $33.85, up slightly from $33.66 the week prior. The company's 52-week high was $40.01 in March. Its 52-week low was $28.23 a year ago.
Pizza Inn finished last week at $3.75, up from $3.61 the week prior. PZZI hit its 52-week high of $6.50 a year ago and traded as low as $2.18 in June.
Read more about equipment and supplies.
Topics: Cheese , Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza , Domino's Pizza , Equipment & Supplies , Food Safety , Operations Management , Papa John's , Pizza Hut , Pizza Inn
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