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Michael Phelps is one of the most decorated athletes of all time. It was unclear after the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London if Phelps would be returning to swim competitively in Rio 2016. We all thought he had retired. Today, Michael was spotted in a pool in Mesa Arizona, preparing for some competitive meets, and the internet blew up.
Phelps' longtime coach, Bob Bowman commented, "He's gotten back into good shape since September. He can give a good effort and certainly not be embarrassed. He's in enough shape to swim competitively." CBS Sports actually reported weeks ago that Phelps may come out of retirement to compete in the next Olympic games, stating that Michael is "testing the waters."
Phelps had never seemed very keen on the idea of swimming into his 30's, so he could just feel like a "fish out of water." His legacy is also pretty much sealed. ESPN reports that Phelps has been involved with several swim schools and a foundation focused on water safety among other things since retiring. Fellow swimmer, Ryan Lochte, is planning on returning to the games in 2016, as he's hungry for more, and reality shows don't really seem to be his thing. Do you think Phelps is coming out of retirement, or do you think he's just swimming for fun?


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Cork Bits: ideas for your Napa Valley weekend
Yet another weekend is nearly here (hurry!). As is typical this time of year, there are no shortage of happenings in the Napa Valley.
Here are a few that should be well worth the time (and money).
Saturday, August 8th
- Between 10:30am – 5pm Flora Springs Winery will celebrate the one year birthday of its St. Helena tasting room (located at 677 S. St. Helena Highway). While regular tasting fees apply, the winery will have cupcakes and wine specials all day long. Call 707-967-8032 for more information
- Franciscan Winery in St. Helena invites you to 'Chill' between 5pm – 7pm. For $30 per person ($15 per wine club member), you'll be able to sit back, relax and enjoy Franciscan limited release wines while indulging in sliders prepared by the winery's in-house chef. RSVP by calling 707-967-3993
Sunday, August 9th
- UPDATE: We're told this event is completely sold out! As previously mentioned, between 11am – 2pm you're invited to Yountville for some Zin n' Ribs courtesy of Chef Michael Chiarello (@ChefChiarello on Twitter) and fellow Top Chef Masters participants Cindy Pawlcyn, Hubert Keller and Elizabeth Faulkner. For $30 per adult ($35 at the door) you'll be able to enjoy Bottega's Tuscan BBQ Ribs paired with Chiarello's Giana Zinfandel. At 1pm, Chiarello and Keller will do a cooking demonstration and there will be lawn games for the kids. Full details can be found here
- From 12pm – 3pm Peju Province Winery in Rutherford will host a pre-release party for its '06 Cabernet Franc Reserve. Only 1,000 cases of this wine have been produced and you're invited to be among the first to taste it along with the winery chef's food pairings. Cost is $30 per person ($20 per wine club member) and you're encouraged to call 800-446-7358 to make a reservation
[techtags: Napa, Napa Valley, wine, winery, Rutherford, Peju Province Winery, Cabernet Franc, Music in the Vineyards, Top Chef Masters, Michael Chiarello, Hubert Keller]

subset: commoncrawl


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ASPCA & Rachel Ray Kickoff 3 Month Shelter Challenge To Place Pets In Good Homes
Rachel Ray, the Emmy Award winning television show star, chef extraordinaire, and dog lover, is teaming up with the ASPCA to challenge 50 pet shelters nation-wide to find parents for as many of their pets as possible in the next 3 months. The winning shelter gets $100,000 and the runners up will share another $50,000 in funds and prizes.
All 50 shelters will be hosting events this week, weekend, and beyond to encourage adoption in their communities. This weekend, August 3 - 5, shelters will have kick-off events to get people psyched up for the 3-month challenge. The shelters involved in the Challenge event are listed on the ASPCA website.
During this period, the ASPCA is asking everyone to adopt a pet, encourage others to adopt, and/or attend shelter events, Share on Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, and show support any way you can.
Did you know that you can see photos of the dogs and cats available for adoption at your local ASPCA-affiliated shelter right on the national ASPCA site? You can! Check this out!
Myra Per-Lee
Animal News
by catchatcaren (not verified)
love this!! I am a Rachael Ray FREAK and I LOVE that she does so much for the good of animals!!!
I am having a give away of her newest food on my dog's website check it out! http://dakotasden.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/i-am-one-lucky-dog-i-have-rachael-ray-nutrish-naturally-delish-and-guess-what-you-can-too/


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Organization Name: Railway Recruitment Cell Bhubaneswar
Official Website: www.rrbbbs.gov.in
Examination Name : Group D
www.rrbbbs.gov.in RRB RRC Bhubaneswar Group D Exam Results 2013 . RRC Bhubaneswar Group D results 2013 on Railway Recruitment Cell official webpage rrcbbs.org.in. The written exam notification was released by the cell in the month of September 2013 and the closing date of application form is on 11th of November 2013. The registered individuals for the exam will be given or issued RRC Group D admit card 2013 and it can be obtained through the above link. There were various posts as helper, Points man, Track man that were being announced as vacant by the recruitment cell. The Board releases different employment notification for Engineering, Degree, Medical candidates. Students may apply to their eligible post before the date for submitting application either online or offline ends. The Cell conducts a written examination that includes papers General Knowledge, Reasoning and Aptitude for every Group D post. Along with written exam applicants undergoes PET and Medical Examination if qualified in the test RRC Bhubaneswar Group D results 2013 shall be published and the provisional list of selected candidates are uploaded to RRB's web portal.
Click here for RRC Bhubaneswar Group D Exam results 2013
Click Here For Latest Govt Jobs
Click Here For Latest Railway Jobs
Click Here For Latest Bank Jobs
Click Here For Latest Employment News
Click Here To SubScribe For JOBSRELEASE.COM Updates Directly To Your Mail


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Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy 4th of July!
HAPPY 4th of JULY!! I hope everyone has a fantastic, safe day!! I'll be parading it up, feasting at a BBQ and attending fireworks. So excited! In commemoration for this holiday, I'm sharing my favorite thing about a front porch: The blue ceiling! (The blue ceiling and a porch swing. Oh, and pretty flowers. I love front porches.) See more images and read about the history of the blue ceiling over at Apartment Therapy. Have a great Holiday weekend!!
Posted by Erin {House of Turquoise} 2 comments
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Puppy Love
A little while ago Desire to Inspire posted a bunch of images by the talented photographer Antoine Bootz. This image was awfully cute. I absolutely love the saturated color. And why is it that if you add a dog or cat to a picture it gets 50 times better? Or maybe that's just me...
Posted by Erin {House of Turquoise} 1 comments
View More: Bedroom
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
This lovely photograph snapped by Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn makes me fantasize about the kitchen I might have one day, with my one-day husband, in our one-day beach home. *sigh*
Posted by Erin {House of Turquoise} 3 comments
View More: Kitchen, Turquoise and White
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Beautiful Blue Bedroom
Lynn from Paris Hotel Boutique and Holly from Decor8 both posted a slew of images from a colorful home featured in Traditional Home magazine, all of which were stunning...so much fun color! This particular image that Lynn shared was my favorite, for obvious reasons. I love the mantel behind the headboard. And such a neat headboard at that!
Posted by Erin {House of Turquoise} 2 comments
View More: Bedroom
Monday, June 30, 2008
Eye Candy from Robyn Karp
I love these beautiful rooms designed by Robyn Karp. They are all elegant with such clean lines and pretty color. I especially love that rug in the top image...a little walk on the ocean! -Robyn Karp Interiors
Posted by Erin {House of Turquoise} 1 comments
View More: Bedroom, Living Room, Turquoise and Brown
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REVIEW: Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Thomas Dunne Books (Oct 2011) | Hardback, 500 pages
Horror | Thriller
Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist is a horror mystery set on the isolated Swedish island of Domarö, which has a hidden past that is still haunting the present.
Our story begins with Cecilia and Anders taking their young daughter, Maja, on a daytrip to the lighthouse on the tiny island of Gåvasten, connected to Domarö by a stretch of sea that has frozen over in the spring. What starts out as a fun family outing soon has horrific consequences as Maja disappears, seemingly into nothingness, as there are no footprints in the snow and no clues that indicate how she could have gotten off of the island.
The book then leaps to present day, with Anders returning to Domarö a year later with his life in a downward spiral. He has become an alcoholic, has pushed Cecilia away and is still desperate for answers regarding his daughter. Living in their old family home brings back old memories for him, and he starts sleeping in Maja's bed to try and feel close to her, and beginning to think that the house is possessed with her spirit.
Someone was watching him. He tensed the muscles in his legs, swallowed hard and without warning he shot up from his chair with such speed that it fell over backwards. He looked quickly around the kitchen, in all the corners and shadows. There was no one there.
Elsewhere on the island, Anders' grandmother, Anna-Greta, and her lover, Simon, become concerned for Anders' welfare, but it is clear that both know more about the island's history than they first let on. The book also delves into their past, detailing how they met and how their relationship has changed over the years.
The book's forays into the past also show us more strange disappearances from the island, all of which involve the sea, giving the residents cause to believe that there is something nasty lurking within the water. Then there is the mysterious Spiritus, a magical insect found by Simon that gives him power to control the water. Does this insect have something to do with the threat of the sea, or are there further powerful forces at work?
I really enjoyed Lindqvist's writing in this book, as it cleverly takes you to different parts of the island's history whilst still feeling that everything has relevance. However, I did feel that the book's ending was a little odd and not fully explained, but this lack of explanation further reinforces the book's mystery so it can be easily overlooked. I also wasn't sure about the inclusion of the supernatural Spiritus, as I felt the book could have worked better if the threat was just from the sea instead of adding supernatural elements too.
As for Anders' character, in a way I was glad that the entirety of the book wasn't focused on him as I found myself getting frustrated with the amount he was drinking and the harsh way he interacted with other characters. This was understandable to an extent, as he has lost his daughter, but sometimes it did feel too self-deprecating.
I was glad for the writer's use of multiple perspectives, as I enjoyed reading from Simon and Anna-Greta's points of view, and seeing their history together. They both have interesting pasts, and it is clear that they are both concerned for Anders' well-being and sympathise with his search for Maja. However, both of these characters are keeping secrets from each other and from Anders, and when the secrets are revealed they could be the key to discovering her whereabouts…
Overall this book was a gripping mystery, and despite being a little disappointed with the ending I still found it hard to put this book down, as it was really well-written and I really wanted to know what had happened to Maja and the others who had disappeared on Domarö. There are some disturbing scenes, and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good horror mystery novel.
This book was an intriguing read as I was never quite sure where the story was going to go next, especially as it takes you on a journey through different times. I felt that it was very cleverly written for all of the island's history to be interwoven, and loved Lindqvist's writing style as it was easy to pick up the book and not put it down again.
Website | Goodreads | Facebook


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I will here say that two weeks before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Said they, "You have had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God."
These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and they waited on me for two days and two nights. I thought it very singular, that notwithstanding so much work had been done, and yet nothing had been done for them. The thought never entered my heart, from the fact, I suppose, that heretofore our minds were reaching after our more immediate friends and relatives.
I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon Brother McAllister to baptize me for the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and fifty other eminent men, making one hundred in all, including John Wesley, Columbus, and others. I then baptized him for every President of the United States, except three; and when their cause is just, somebody will do the work for them.
Some of you have read the history of the power of the devil in England, when the fallen angels that are upon the earth made war upon Brother Kimball, Brother Hyde, Brother Fielding and Brother Russell, who had all they could do to live in the midst of that kind of warfare. These evil spirits knocked down Brother Russell and Brother Hyde. They didn't Brother Kimball; but that power fell upon him. His eyes were opened. He saw the spirits before him; he saw what kind of beings they were. They gnashed their teeth; they were mad; they wanted to destroy the lives of the brethren. These men held the Priesthood. Brother Kimball held the keys of the Priesthood, so far as England was concerned. These spirits had not, therefore, the power to destroy them.
Brother Kimball, Brother George A. Smith and myself had a similar experience in London, at a house where we were stopping. It seemed as if there were legions of spirits there. They sought our destruction; and on one occasion, after Brother Kimball had left, these powers of darkness fell upon us to destroy our lives, and both Brother Smith and myself would have been killed, apparently, had not three holy messengers come into the room and filled the room with light. They were dressed in temple clothing. They laid their hands upon our heads and we were delivered, and that power was broken, so far as we were concerned.
I don't believe I'm familiar with that story. If you're able to drum up the details, I'd like to hear it.
Don't forget, there are "friendly" ghosts, too.]]>
Ghost equates bad, right? Am I right? If so, than Holy Ghost is ironic. At least from a mortal perspective.]]>
The only thing I could think of to do at the time was dedicate the house. I ran by our Ward Mission Leader's to check if that was ok and how to do it then we went back and did the ordinance. After that they said they had no more problems with it. So, whatever was going on, faith in the power of the priesthood seemed to lend a hand:)
Personally, I've never really believed most stories I hear whether good spirits or bad, but I don't discount the possibility and have wondered for a long time why devils are not cast out anymore like they were back in the day. Or are they but we never hear about them because we feel discouraged towards telling them nowadays? I dunno.
But don't tell anyone about writing that book!! That's MY idea I've had for 3 years+ and I'm going to do it hear soon enough. This blog is a great start!:)]]>
I live in the south near a Civil War battle field I can tell you that there is some serious spooky stuff going on here.
There are three kinds of spirits that visit/inhabit the earth. Angels that come to us with a purpose; spirits who are evil and are angry that we have bodies, the third kind are ghosts who made the wrong choice to not cross over to the other side. These ghost are usually harmless, but can be mischievous. Where did I hear this? On Oprah from a pair of paranormal psychologists. I think that there is a lot of validity to this viewpoint.
Also on Art Bell ( I am not a regular listener) a psychic said that it is dangerous to do seances, weegie boards etc… because the analogy he used was that you don't drive around in a bad part of town with your car door wide open. Someone might jump in. They might be harmless, but more likely they will be trouble.]]>
In my mission there were apparently some missionaries who went swimming in Lake Atitlan (you know, the Waters of Mormon) and when one elder was jumping off the pier into the water his companion took his picture. Well, the one who jumped in never came back up. Drowned. The mission president had to come to the lake and command the evil spirit to release the missionary. Soon thereafter they found the elder's body. And when the companion got his film back he looked at the photo (the one he took at the moment the elder jumped in the water) and guess what? There were hands coming up from the water grabbing his legs and pulling him under.
When did this event happen? I've read of a boat capsizing in that lake in 1990 with several missionaries aboard.]]>


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Campus Life
Welcome to CCA campus life!
As students push the boundaries of their art, a variety of student life resources and programs support and nurture their success at California College of the Arts.
Among CCA's student life resources is a range of information from artistic opportunities and events to off-campus housing opportunities to important registration dates to exhibition forms, among other valuable call-outs for optimizing the student life experience at CCA.
What's Going on at CCA?
Learn about all of the innovative events, exhibitions, and lectures by reviewing the CCA event calendar. (Tip: Make the CCA homepage your default browser page, so you can easily review the week's top events and news stories.)
Other great ways to stay connected: Join the CCA fan page on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to the various CCA news feeds and college newsletters.
How Can I Fund My education?
CCA's financial aid program is designed to make attending the college more affordable, allowing students to reach their creative potential. Also note: when job searching, visit the Career Services Office and take advantage of the résumé review service.
Where Am I Going to Live?
The Office of Residential Life provides students who seek CCA-provided housing with safe, secure, and supportive living environments. Students who prefer to live off campus have immediate access to an off-campus housing list and related resources.
Academic Advice & Assistance
The college's academic advisors provide guidance, support, and relevant information to assist students with their academic and studio endeavors. For one-on-one writing, software, or academic support, schedule an appointment with any of a number of coaches at the Learning Resource Center (LRC).
What Academic Dates Do I Need to Know?
The college's academic events, meetings, and deadlines are listed on a designated academic calendar. Furthermore, frequently used student forms have been conveniently compiled online.
To additional information, please explore the links within this section, or consider visiting the corresponding campus offices. All CCA staff is eager to support the success of student life here at the college.
See CCA Cares for support during difficult personal and academic circumstances.
Virtual Tour
On-Campus Events
The college hosts many on-campus admissions-related events throughout the year that allow students to take walking tours of the campuses, speak with faculty and current students, and view student work.
- Campus Life
- Residential Life
- Student Activities & Leadership
- International Student Affairs/Programs
- Career Development
- Student Accounts
- Student Records
- Exhibitions
- Health Insurance | Wellness
- Academic Calendar
- Commencement
- Academic Advising
- Learning Resources
- Counseling
- Disability/Access Services
- Shuttle Service
- Student Resources
- Student Handbook


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How can I write a script to automate MySQL database grants in a very easy way?
I have a config file that contains the grant changes I want to make. I want the script to read the config file, and make any necessary changes to the access rights as specified in the config file. Essentially, I want the target rights to match the rights in the config file.


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MyNCS Films
A short film about the NCS experience.
A short film about the NCS experience.
For further information or assistance on applying for a full time course please see the How to Apply page, email us or call 01458 844453.
Freepost RTJE-YBZU-BSTB
Strode College
Church Road
© Copyright Strode College 2016 All rights reserved. Strode College, Church Road, Street, Somerset, BA16 0AB Tel: 01458 844400 Fax: 01458 844411


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(0) items
Edition: 2nd
Author(s): BLACKBURN, ROBIN
ISBN: 9781844676316 / Trade Paper / 8/2/2010
Marketplace Disclaimer:
Edition, Cover Design, etc may vary from the eCampus.com description. Please refer to the seller's comments before ordering. Marketplace sellers are required to ship by the end of the 5th business day. Items are not returnable to eCampus.com. Orders cannot be cancelled by eCampus.com.


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323 UCLA Student-Athletes Named to Fall Director's Honor Roll
Men's soccer player Joe Sofia leads the list with a 3.96 cumulative GPA
Meet the Sophomores and Redshirt Freshmen
Get to know UCLA's six sophomores and redshirt freshmen
294 Student-Athletes Make Spring Director's Honor Roll
Joe Sofia leads the list with a 3.96 cumulative grade point average.
294 Student-Athletes Make Winter Quarter Director's Honor Roll
Swimmer Kelsey Hall holds highest cumulative GPA.
Fall Quarter Director's Honor Roll Lists 276 Student-Athletes
Seventeen earn a 4.0 gpa for the quarter.
2012 UCLA Men's Soccer Sophomores/Redshirt Freshmen
Introducing 2012 UCLA Men's Soccer sophomores and redshirt freshmen
Men's Soccer vs. Oregon State
Men's Soccer vs. Oregon State; October 5, 2012; UCLA 1, Oregon State 0
2012 -- Did not play.
2011 -- Redshirted the season.
High School/Club -- Played four years at Crossroads School ... Named to the All-CIF team in 2011 ... Earned first-team all-league honors in 2010 after posting a goals against average of 0.375 ... Earned second-team all-league honors in 2009 ... Named the team's Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 ... Won the adidas Golden Glove at 2010 US Youth Soccer ODP Championships as the goalkeeper for Cal-South, which advanced to the championship game ... Also led his ODP team to the Region IV title in 2010 ... Played club soccer with the Central California Blues, which won the 2010 Surf Cup.
Personal -- Biggest athletic thrills were winning the Surf Cup in 2010 and winning the adidas Golden Glove for ODP for 2010 ... Admires Iker Casillas and Muhammad Ali ... Parents: Stuart and Moira ... Has an older brother, Harrison ... Full name is Jacob Louis Tenzer ... Born Sept. 9, 1993 in Los Angeles, CA ... Pre-Business-Economics major.


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SAKT Ambassador
A Persistent Girl and Her Mystery
With long blonde hair and a big smile on her face, Anna Leingang looks like any other five-year-old girl; however, her life has been anything but normal. With the help of CHI St. Alexius Health's Pediatric Therapy department, Anna has been able to make progress and many strides in what Lisa, Anna's mom, calls a mystery condition.
Shortly after Anna was born, Lisa said things didn't seem right and Anna was always sick with colds, respiratory infections and ear infections. At four months, Anna's dad, Brad, took her for a checkup. Nurses found Anna's head measured larger than normal. Brad and Lisa scheduled an appointment right away with Anna's pediatrician. A CT scan showed swelling around the brain, called external hydrocephalus. Some babies are born with external hydrocephalus and for others it shows up a little later, but typically goes away by age two.
"Anna seemed to be on track her first year and was hitting all of her baby milestones," Lisa explained. Then between the age of one and two, Anna seemed to regress. Sounds and movements she normally made stopped and certain activities ceased. Anna didn't start walking until around 20 months. "She was not making the gains she was supposed to," Lisa said.
After a few speech and occupational therapy sessions with Bismarck Early Childhood Education Program (BECEP), a friend referred them to CHI St. Alexius Health's Pediatric Therapy department. The initial evaluation showed a medical necessity to receive assistance from the speech, physical and occupational therapy programs.
Jesse Wutzke is Anna's occupational therapist. "When Anna started therapy she was a very shy, timid and almost nonverbal little girl who struggled with most skills she should've mastered for her age. She is now able to dress and undress herself almost independently, she can cut out simple shapes fairly well and she is able to write her name with a model given. She has opened up a bit more to movement-types of activities such as standing on a balance board that moves, going on swings or playing on playground equipment. It has been wonderful watching this little girl blossom over the last couple years!"
Anna attends speech therapy each week. Amber Fox, speech therapist, said she is currently focusing on motor planning for speech sounds such as tactile cuing (touching her face) and visual cues. "She has made significant improvements in her communication, play skills and speech articulation skills with therapy. She is able to verbalize her wants and needs and even tell you about her day. Anna is a very determined little girl who has worked very hard to improve her speech. The consistency and follow through provided by her family has been essential to her progress."
Although Anna no longer goes to physical therapy, Cara Mitzel, said, "Anna blossomed with her gross motor skills such as throwing and catching, kicking a ball, overall balance with obstacle courses and her general confidence."
|Anna Leingang
Today, Anna is as happy as any five-year-old and has a huge imagination even though she is still working towards improving her speech, balance and attention span. "Anna picks up on a lot of things happening around her, it is just hard for her to convey her thoughts all the time," Lisa said.
Brad and Lisa are thankful for the support from the therapy staff at CHI St. Alexius Health and say Anna enjoys her therapy sessions. "Not only will they work with her, but they work with me as well, giving me things I can do at home with her," Lisa mentioned. She describes the cause of her daughter's condition as a "mystery." Lisa's goal is for Anna's life to be as close to normal as possible and for her to function on her own.
When the Leingang's were asked to consider having Anna represent the Pediatric Therapy department as St. Alexius Kickball Tournament's (SAKT) 2015 Ambassador, they said "yes" right away. Their goal is to help raise awareness for the department and the great work it does for children who struggle to overcome their health challenges. "Anna will seem to take two steps forward and then one step back, but with persistence, therapy has really, really helped her," Lisa said. "Anna wouldn't be where she is if it wasn't for the Pediatric Therapy department."
SAKT 2015 is a one-day, coed kickball tournament on Saturday, September 26 held at Clem Kelley or Cottonwood Softball Complex. Proceeds from SAKT 2015 will go toward the purchase of therapeutic equipment and technology utilized in pediatric occupational, physical and speech therapy treatments, helping our younger patients meet their health goals.
To learn how you can help the children served by CHI St. Alexius Health's Pediatric Therapy department by participating in SAKT 2015, visit [1] or call 530-7394.


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A month before his trial starts, Nate Gray sits in his cozy Shaker Square office, surrounded by pictures of his son and daughters and a half-dozen plants reaching up from the floor, condolences sent after his mother's death five years ago. A doll in a Negro League baseball uniform sits atop his bookshelf, above "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" and "The Power of a Praying Husband."
"One thing I value most is those cards on the wall," he says, indicating a hundred-some cards crowded onto a bulletin board, thanking him for everything from traveling to a friend's relative's funeral to donating ribs to a vacation Bible school. "If I had a piece of chocolate for every nice thing you do for me..." one reads. It's hard for him to say no to people who need his help, he says.
Ask him about any of these things, or the four old Cleveland Municipal Stadium seats in his lobby, and he offers a big, toothy grin. But ask about the 45 federal charges the U.S. Attorney's Office has levied against him and there's little reaction at all. He just stares. A court order keeps him from talking about anyone who "may in any way be related to any of the issues in the indictment," his lawyer, William Whitaker, says.
So Gray can't say where the FBI hid the bugs that showed him handing cash to then-East Cleveland Mayor Emmanuel Onunwor. He won't talk about contractors who sought work at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Or the work he did for his many consulting clients.
And he won't answer questions about Michael R. White, former Cleveland mayor, former state senator, former friend. Gray was the best man at White's 1987 and 1998 weddings, and a mutual friend says they talked on the phone several times a day when White was mayor.
Across the room, tucked into a picture frame, is a ticket to a fund-raiser from the 1980s: "An Evening at the Flats with Sen. Mike White." White cut Gray out of his life a few years ago, a mutual friend says, but clearly the old friendship means a lot to Gray.
Mike White's name appears nowhere in the charges against Gray. The indictment alleges Gray bribed the mayor of East Cleveland, Cleveland city Councilman Joe Jones and public officials in Houston to get government work for his clients. A jury already has found Onunwor guilty of taking bribes from Gray. Four other defendants have pleaded guilty to either accepting bribes from Gray or conspiring with him to bribe others.
"If they testify truthfully," maintains Whitaker, "it will be very clear that Nate Gray has committed no crimes."
The trial may start to answer decade-old questions about Gray and White's friendship. When his buddy was elected mayor, Gray was a neighborhood gas station owner facing tax evasion charges. After White took office, Gray became a trusted mayoral adviser, co-operator of city parking lots and shuttles and consultant for nationally prominent companies seeking government contracts.
How did Gray get to the point where Cecilia Huffman, a former executive assistant for Mayor White, says, "I bet you can't find a black elected official in Cleveland, East Cleveland, or Warrensville [Heights] that hasn't called on him at some point for advice, direction or some kind of assistance"?
Many people doing business with the White Administration paid Nate Gray to consult for them, says Cuyahoga County Treasurer James Rokakis. "There's not anything illegal about that — it happens all the time in Columbus and Washington. People were paying him to get access to the mayor."
However, Rokakis adds, "I am privy to numerous stories about behavior that crossed ethical lines. And I've shared those with prosecutors." He won't tell the stories for publication. "It's not for me to deal with. The feds are taking care of it — finally.
"This has been going on since the early '90s. It took them a while to get it, didn't it? If, in fact, he's guilty."
Gray's trial was scheduled, at press time, to start June 13. But prosecutors have said they may indict more people after Gray's trial. So his current case could be just a prelude.
At least one more public official who has not yet been named is also under investigation. In a 2004 court brief obtained by Cleveland Magazine, a prosecutor describes a conversation recorded before July 2002 in which someone using a telephone at Gray's company "acknowledges that the corrupt activity will continue despite the fact that one corrupt official was stepping down."
White announced in May 2001 that he would not seek another term, and he left the mayor's office in January 2002. If the federal prosecutors are describing White as the official who was stepping down, then they must be investigating White as well as Gray.
If the Justice Department's charges against Gray prove true, the trial could unlock the biggest political scandal to hit Cleveland in decades.
Prosecutors recently claimed that Gray had "de facto control" over various public contracts and that he often used Cleveland's minority set-aside program to extort kickbacks from minority contractors, the very companies it was designed to help.
FBI agents reportedly began interviewing some former members of White's City Hall staff this winter. White has not been named in any public court documents. Prosecutors won't say whether White is under investigation. White did not comment for this story despite repeated calls and e-mails.
The FBI is investigating two of the White era's biggest public projects: the $1.4 billion Hopkins Airport expansion and the $750 million renovation of Cleveland's aging water plants, public records obtained by Cleveland Magazine show. The FBI and a grand jury have asked the city for copies of major bids and contracts on the two projects. Also, nine companies that worked on major contracts at Hopkins Airport appear on a federal subpoena used in the Gray investigation. Six of those companies also had contracts on the $300 million construction of Cleveland Browns Stadium, and three had water department contracts.
The U.S Attorney's office says Gray's alleged schemes made him rich. Between 1995 and 2003, he deposited more than $3.5 million, including more than $320,000 in cash, in a bank account he hid from the IRS, according to a prosecutor's court brief.
Cleveland law asks companies that work for the city to include minority-owned subcontractors in their projects, and they can be denied contracts if they don't meet the city's goals. Gray worked as a consultant for big national companies that wanted work from City Hall — and got it — and minority businessmen who got huge subcontracts on city work, prosecutors say. Some of Gray's clients are companies that helped design or build city projects, and at least one was a project co-manager, helping sort through other contractors' bids and proposals and supervise their work.
During White's years in office, contractors bidding on major city projects turned to the same minority partners over and over again, including companies close to White. The key to understanding the pattern may be Nate Gray.
Mike White and Nate Gray's friendship began in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood around 1977, the year White was first elected to city council. Gray's uncle, Clifton Gray, had a Shell station in Glenville and was one of White's earliest supporters.
By the late 1980s, "there was nobody closer to Mike than Nate Gray ... with the possible exception of his immediate family," recalls a White associate from the Glenville years.
Gray and White became closer after 1985, when White joined the state senate and did Shell franchise owners a favor by calling for the state attorney general to investigate how Shell was treating its independent dealers.
By then, Gray owned his own Shell franchise on Kinsman Road. Nate's Shell was a neighborhood fixture — "much more than just a service station and convenient mart," White wrote to a judge in 1990. "It is a place where people from many parts of the southeast area come to seek assistance of varying kinds ... a son in jail, gas turned off, marital problems, funding for Little League teams, advice for emerging business persons."
"If someone couldn't afford a repair and wanted a little credit, then we would certainly extend it to them," Gray says. He'd let local kids pump customers' gas for money. "They either pump gas for change or they sell drugs for change," he says. "I think I'd rather they sell gas for change."
Gray, 47, was born in Mississippi and moved to Cleveland at age 5. His parents worked at a barrel company and a hospital. He grew up in the Glenville and Lee-Harvard neighborhoods and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1975.
He could often be found at White's house in the late 1980s, and at almost all of White's events — meetings, protests, letter-writing campaigns — says the White associate. But Gray would keep quiet. "He was not Mike's political ally," the associate recalls, "more a personal confidant." When White married his third wife, Tamera, in 1987, Gray was the best man.
During White's underdog campaign for mayor in 1989, Gray was a key part of a small core of loyal workers. "He was just a lovely person, a dear sweet person, very jovial, a good spirit, kind-hearted," recalls fellow campaign worker Denise McCray. Gray drove White to his campaign appearances and passed out literature. "He always smiled, was always happy," McCray recalls, "even when everyone else's spirits were down."
Gray befriended other politicians early in their careers. He became close to Emmanuel Onunwor in the mid-1990s when Onunwor left a job with East Cleveland and was looking for work. Gray offered Onunwor financial help after he took some low-paying jobs, Onunwor's attorney said at his client's trial. The prosecutor alleged that financial help was really bribes, which began when Onunwor was elected to East Cleveland's city council.
Cleveland City Councilman Zack Reed, who went to high school with Gray's younger brother Kenny and met Gray in the late 1970s or early 1980s, says Gray and attorney Ricardo Teamor showed up at his first fund-raiser in 2001, soon after Reed joined council. Both quickly became his friends and mentors, Reed says.
Gray often gives him political advice on how to talk about local issues and stay connected to his political base as he seeks citywide support. Though Gray, now divorced, lives with his girlfriend in Orange, wears Brooks Brothers suits with French cuffs and drives a BMW, Reed says he's still as comfortable meeting at a neighborhood soul food restaurant as he is drinking vodka-and-pineapples on West Sixth Street.
Gray and Teamor "have never, ever asked me for anything," Reed says. "They never asked me to steer a contract, they never asked me to pass a piece of legislation that would be beneficial to them, they have never given me money outside of [a] fund-raiser, nothing like that."
After White was elected mayor, Gray helped him make hiring decisions. Huffman says Gray interviewed her for her executive assistant job. The mayor and Gray "had dinner every week," Huffman says. "They would play racquetball once a week. They talked on the phone several times a day."
The administration often turned to Gray to help "take the pulse of the community" before major decisions, Huffman says. "People like him, they talk to him" — from the down-and-out to the powerful, small businessmen to clergy. "Nate has street smarts" and "savvy," Huffman adds. She says White and his staff called Gray for advice on keeping the city calm in 1991 when they feared riots over the deaths of black men in police custody.
White named Gray to the Northeast Ohio Sports Commission, the city's boxing commission, search committees for new police chiefs and a committee on reforming the Cleveland schools. He was at the mayor's side in 1999 when White watched the Ku Klux Klan rally from atop a city garage and when he announced allegations (eventually discredited) of racism in the Cleveland police. When White separated from his wife in 1995, Gray appeared at the press conference announcing the news. And when White married former Lakewood city council president JoAnn Boscia in 1998, Gray was again his best man, and a minister from Gray's church performed the ceremony.
Architect Bernie Zofcin met Gray after his firm submitted two proposals for Hopkins Airport design work in 1999. Zofcin's firm came in fourth and second in competitions, so Zofcin set up a meeting with Edwin Williams, vice president of the Ralph Tyler Companies, one of three firms managing the $1.4 billion airport expansion for the city.
Zofcin remembers asking, "What do we need to do to get us over the top to No. 1?" He expected a technical answer that would help his firm on the subjective rating scales used to choose architects. But he says Williams gave him very different advice.
"Without hesitation, his response to me was, 'You need to see Nate Gray,' " Zofcin says.
So Zofcin visited Gray at the offices of his company, Etna Parking, in Shaker Square. Zofcin showed Gray his proposal and asked how to win a job at the airport.
"His only response," Zofcin says, "was, 'You need to get some real minorities on your team.' " But Zofcin's proposal already met the city's goal for minority participation. It included an 18-percent partner owned by Indian-Americans and city certified as minority owned.
"Whatever was happening, it just didn't seem like the kind of avenue we wanted to pursue to get business," Zofcin says. He says he never followed up with Gray and never tried to get airport work again.
Williams says he doesn't remember talking to Zofcin about Nate Gray and that he never would have told anyone they had to see Gray to get city work. Williams says he'd refer prospective airport contractors to "lobbyists" in town, including Gray, to help them find partners — but he usually did that with out-of-town firms, not local ones like Zofcin's.
Williams' then-employer, Ralph Tyler Companies, is one of several companies with government contracts that paid Gray for consulting work, according to prosecutors. (Williams says he did not know the Tyler Companies and Gray had a business relationship until after he left the company, when he learned about it from federal investigators who interviewed him.) Prosecutors claim Choice Construction, another co-project manager at Hopkins, had unspecified ties to Gray.
The U.S. Attorney's court briefs about Gray often put the word "consulting" in quotes. Prosecutors convinced the jury at Onunwor's trial that Gray passed consulting payments to Onunwor to bribe him for favoring his clients.
But representatives of companies that hired Gray insist they were paying him to market or lobby for them. That's a likely part of Gray's defense: consulting just meant lobbying, marketing, representing, advising.
Gray had "a very legitimate consulting business," says Whitaker, his attorney. "A consultant is somebody who has knowledge and uses that knowledge to advise people. It's a legal, legitimate function, and there is certainly not a major business in the United States that doesn't understand the need for consultants."
What knowledge did Gray have? Whitaker says he has to save that answer for Gray's trial.
At least one other company that worked on the airport expansion also hired Gray: the V Companies, owned by the late Paul Voinovich, the brother of U.S. Sen. George Voinovich. In late December 1999, the city of Cleveland paid the V Companies $172,000 for designing the car-rental facility across I-480 from Hopkins.
The V Companies was nearing bankruptcy when the check came. A week earlier, a jury had ordered the company to pay $13 million for unsatisfactory work on the Jefferson County jail. Airport officials knew they should pay the V Companies quickly; a payment form in city records is marked "express," its due date listed as "NOW." However, former V Companies chief financial officer Tom Woods testified in a deposition that he didn't know of anyone at the company asking clients to hurry payments.
One business day after it was paid, the V Companies cut a $10,000 check to Nate Gray, a court record shows. The company declared bankruptcy two weeks later. Woods and former V Companies vice president of operations Mike Raig say Gray was a consultant for the company, but they don't know what work he did. Paul Voinovich died in 2002, a few months after a federal judge ordered the V Companies dissolved, declaring that its management had "engaged in questionable transactions and some self-dealing."
"I know of many people who paid Nate Gray to consult," says Cuyahoga County Treasurer James Rokakis, a city councilman during Mayor White's first two terms. "You'd have to have been deaf, dumb and blind not to know the influence Nate Gray had." Gray's consulting clients included contractors and others who did business or wanted to do business with the city of Cleveland, Rokakis says.
When former Councilwoman Helen Smith was trying to unseat White in the 1997 election, she called a press conference at the unfinished Browns Stadium and charged that favoritism plagued the city's minority subcontractor program.
"There are 522 certified minority- and female-owned businesses registered with the city this year," Smith said, according to The Plain Dealer. "If you look at those that have actually received contracts, you'll see only a small percentage of these businesses represented, with only a choice few receiving the bulk of contracts."
Smith now says the "choice few" included Choice Construction, owned by White friends Fred and Gail Perkins, and the Perk Company, owned by Fred's brother, Charles Perkins.
Choice and Perk had "most-favored-nation status," Smith says. "They seemed to win all the contracts." She saw multiple bidders on some airport projects list Choice as its subcontractor.
"It was well understood that there were some most-favored minority contractors," says John Zayac, co-owner of The Project Group, city council's monitor for the stadium project, airport expansion and water plant renovations. "Those contractors showed up time and again."
Mike Polensek, a city councilman who often challenged White's actions, says that smaller black contractors complained at council hearings soon after White left office "that they were cut out because they were not among the chosen few."
During the White years, Polensek often noticed that two contractors competing for a job would both submit bids that included the minority subcontractor RMC Construction, owned by ex-attorney Ricardo Teamor, a friend of White's. Whoever won the bid, Teamor couldn't lose.
"It only reinforces to me they were wired in," Polensek told Cleveland Magazine in March. He says he thinks someone must have told the contractors, " 'You will have them as their sub, you will use them, or you don't get a contract.'
"From the word on the street, that was all relayed through Nate [Gray]," Polensek says. "You'd constantly hear that Nate was the guy massaging."
In April, when Teamor pleaded guilty to conspiring with Gray to bribe Cleveland City Councilman Joe Jones, his plea agreement with prosecutors also asserted that he paid Gray kickbacks "in exchange for being included in various public contracts over which Gray had de facto control" and that Gray had used Cleveland's minority set-aside program to extort money from minority contractors.
The confession says Teamor gave Jones money in exchange for Jones' help securing more legal work on city of Cleveland bond issues after White left office.
Jones' lawyer says the allegations are false; Jones and Gray are set to go on trial together.
"The government said a lot of things to disparage Mr. Gray, many of which are not true, some of which have nothing to do with the charges that have been leveled against him," says Whitaker, Gray's attorney. "We're very much looking forward to trial, to be able to counter the false allegations."
Four of the five top contract recipients under Cleveland's minority business program between 1995 and 2001 appear on a subpoena used in the Gray investigation: Choice Construction, Perk Construction, Bradley Construction (owned by Mike White's neighbor at the time, Howard Bradley) and Ralph Tyler Companies. They won $54 million, $30 million, $21 million and $20 million, respectively, in city work during that time. Teamor's RMC was also in the top 10 with $16 million.
The subpoena, served on East Cleveland City Hall in 2003, asked for records of contracts between East Cleveland and more than 20 companies, including Gray's. Some of them figured in the Onunwor indictment, but many did not.
And the subpoena has proven to be a reliable guide to where the Gray investigation has gone since. It includes Honeywell International and Camp, Dresser and McKee, whose consulting contracts with Gray were not disclosed by prosecutors until a year and a half later, when a former Honeywell salesman and former Camp, Dresser vice president were indicted with Gray on charges of conspiring to bribe officials in Houston and New Orleans.
Nine companies on the subpoena had contracts or subcontracts on the Hopkins Airport expansion: Ralph Tyler, Choice, Perk, Bradley, RMC, Chem-Ty Environmental, Independence Excavating, McTech and Camp, Dresser and McKee.
Prosecutors say Camp, Dresser hired Gray as a $2,500-a-month consultant in 1996. A lawyer for the company declined to comment. Independence Excavating co-owner Robert DiGeronimo says Nate Gray had no involvement with the company's bid or contract. McTech owner Mark Perkins (son of Choice Construction's owners and nephew of Perk's Charles Perkins) says he doesn't know Nate Gray, has had no dealings with him, and is not aware of his company being part of the Gray investigation. Charles Perkins, co-owner of Perk, declined to comment.
Perk co-owner Charles Perkins, Choice co-owner Gail Perkins, Howard Bradley of Bradley Construction and Ricardo Teamor's lawyer all declined to comment for this article. Gail Perkins' husband, Choice co-owner Fred Perkins, did not respond to letters or repeated phone calls.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons for a contractor to get a lot of city work. Some minority subcontractors might get a lot of work simply because there are few other local minority companies who do what they do. Prime contractors might have favorite subcontractors simply because they do a good job, bid low or have expertise. Teamor's RMC, for instance, got a lot of work helping clean and reline water mains, which requires special equipment.
Perk, Bradley and RMC are also among the top 10 minority firms who got work from the Campbell Administration in 2003 and 2004. (Tyler came in 14th, while Choice, which went out of business last year, dropped to 22nd.)
Also, construction contracts are hard to steer because they go to the lowest responsible bidder. (The "responsible" part gives the city a little wiggle room to re-bid a contract or throw out a bid, but not much.)
"Professional services" contracts — including design, engineering and project management jobs — can essentially go to whomever the city wants to ensure talent and quality. So it's easier, but more justifiable, for the city or a prime contractor to favor certain firms. For instance, even White enemies Polensek and Smith say the Ralph Tyler Companies does quality work. The firm also worked on the local headquarters of the FBI and the federal courthouse where Gray is standing trial.
Gail Perkins is serving a four-month sentence in a federal prison camp after pleading guilty last fall to filing a false tax return. Fred Perkins is on probation after admitting he violated campaign finance laws by reimbursing Choice employees for contributing to congressional candidates at the couple's many fund-raisers.
The guilty pleas came four years after federal agents raided Choice Construction's offices in September 2000. They removed thousands of documents, it was reported at the time, including a file labeled, "Property of Nate Gray." A court affidavit shows investigators suspected the company acted as a "front," passing jobs earmarked for minorities to white-owned companies — but the company was charged with only one such count, which was dropped.
Fred and Gail Perkins' former lawyer, James Wooley, says it's not necessarily significant that Fred and Choice appear on the Gray investigation subpoena. "Subpoenas can be very broadly drafted and written. You don't need cause. You can put anybody's name on there," Wooley says. "There's a reason there are no charges related to Choice Construction and Mr. Gray, and the reason is there's nothing criminal there." Fred Perkins' plea agreement doesn't require him to cooperate with other investigations, Wooley notes, and he's not aware of him being subpoenaed to testify against anyone.
Nate Gray was in the business of connecting prime contractors with minority subcontractors for city work, confirms construction contractor John Allega. "It was the talk of the town," he says. "People would ask, 'Did Nate Gray ever come to see you?' "
The FBI has been looking into the Allega Companies' 2001 contract to build a new runway at Hopkins Airport, an FBI letter sent to Cleveland City Hall in fall 2003 and obtained by Cleveland Magazine shows. It's the biggest contract Cleveland has awarded in recent memory, worth $129 million. Investigators tapped Allega's fax machine for two weeks in January 2003, a government document shows.
Allega says he believes investigators are interested in three of his subcontractors' ties to Nate Gray.
Gray would "contact me randomly, ask [me] to meet with him," and ask "if I'd be interested in putting together subcontractors for certain jobs," says Allega. The request was unusual — prime contractors and minority subcontractors usually connect without any middlemen — but Allega sometimes listened to Gray's pitches.
"He tried to lead us to Choice Construction, RMC and Chem-Ty," Allega says. Gray also tried to take credit, he adds, for introducing Allega to companies he'd already been using for years, including Bradley Construction. Allega says he never paid Gray for the introductions and never hired Gray to consult or contribute to his construction projects.
After Gray's pitches, Allega says, he took on Chem-Ty and Ricardo Teamor's RMC Construction as runway subcontractors. Chem-Ty's job, mostly running wires underground through ducts, proved to be too big for the company; it only completed $7 million of its $8 million subcontract, and Allega had to pay Chem-Ty weekly so it could keep operating, Allega says.
Three years ago, Teamor and Allega had a confrontation, Allega says. "Ricardo Teamor and Nate Gray came to visit me in my office one day," he says. "Teamor wanted more money for his work on the airport." Allega says Teamor told him he was paying Nate Gray out of his subcontract. He says he refused to pay Teamor any more money.
After that, says Allega, two other subcontractors told him "they did pay Nate Gray money, basically because he was a consultant who got them work on different public jobs.
"Terri Thomas of Chem-Ty was paying Nate Gray 2.5 percent. She told us this a year and a half ago. [She] came in here crying. She didn't have enough money to pay bills." Howard Bradley of Bradley Construction "told us two or three months ago that he made payments to Nate Gray, a consulting fee," Allega says.
RMC, Chem-Ty and Bradley Construction appear, in sequence, on the 2003 subpoena. The FBI letter sent to City Hall about Allega's contract asks the city for the names of Allega's minority and female subcontractors.
Bradley declined to comment for this story. Thomas could not be reached for comment. Chem-Ty no longer appears in the phone book or Cleveland's minority-business registry. Its old offices are empty, its voice-mail box full.
Allega says Gray pressured him for years to use certain minority subcontractors but never asked Allega to pay him or implied his contract bids would benefit if he cooperated. However, he says Gray did make him one offer.
"He'd say, 'I'm friends with the mayor. Maybe I can help you out with some of your problems,' " Allega recalls. Allega says he didn't need influence to get city construction projects; he just had to be the lowest bidder. "I had no problems. I told him, 'I don't need no help.' "
Federal investigators are also looking at the massive renovation of Cleveland's aging water plants. This March, a federal grand jury subpoenaed records of Camp, Dresser's proposals for Cleveland water work, including its 1999 contract for redesigning a water plant.
Camp, Dresser actually proposed redesigning three water plants that year. The minority partner on the proposals, the Ralph Tyler Companies, couldn't lose: it also teamed up with Camp, Dresser's two competitors on proposals for each project. Tyler got $5.3 million in work from the three jobs.
Another contractor on one of the winning proposals was CH2MHill, which also had a business relationship with Gray. Gray helped the company get a no-bid contract to operate East Cleveland's water system — through bribes, prosecutors said at Onunwor's 2004 trial. Onunwor was convicted of taking kickbacks that prosecutors said flowed from CH2MHill to Ralph Tyler Companies, then to Gray (with the Tyler Companies, also seeking East Cleveland work, adding money of its own), then to the mayor.
Tyler and CH2MHill have not been charged with any crimes. CH2MHill lawyer Ralph Cascarilla and Ralph Tyler Companies lawyer Geoffrey Mearns say the companies were not aware Gray was giving money to Onunwor. CH2MHill's relationship with Tyler predates its relationship with Gray, Cascarilla notes.
Mearns says Tyler was chosen as a subcontractor on the Cleveland projects "because of the quality of its work" and that appearing on all the proposals was simply part of a "corporate strategy to be included on as many teams as possible to maximize the chances of winning." Mearns says the transactions between Tyler's company, CH2MHill and Gray were "well-documented and totally transparent" and "supported by written contracts and regular invoices."
The grand jury also asked for the personnel file of Julius Ciaccia, Cleveland's water commissioner for years, now its utilities director. Ciaccia confirms that he is the anonymous "Cleveland Official #1" in the Gray indictment, which says Gray bragged, in a phone call the FBI recorded in August 2002, that his relationship with Cleveland Official #1 was "one of my best relationships in the city of Cleveland" and that it had helped him obtain business for Camp, Dresser. But Ciaccia told The Plain Dealer in January, "There was never, ever any quid pro quo for contracts," a quote he confirmed to Cleveland Magazine. Ciaccia and his attorney declined to comment further. City records show the water department used a ratings scale with several evaluators to award the 1999 contracts.
Six companies on the subpoena also worked on Cleveland Browns Stadium, including Choice ($1.6 million, again to help manage the project), Perk ($5.1 million in construction or demolition), Bradley Construction (almost $3 million in work), Chem-Ty ($290,000) and Ralph Tyler ($580,000 to help design the stadium).
How did the companies get so much work? Robert DiGeronimo of Independence Excavation, which included Perk on its $22 million in stadium contracts, offers one explanation: Being a friend of the mayor helps, without anyone doing anything unethical.
Prime contractors look for minority subcontractors who deliver quality work, DiGeronimo says. "They might have friends at City Hall, be people who are approved by the city. If the mayor or council likes this person, yeah, we're going to try to find who those people are." But DiGeronimo says no one with the city told his company to hire certain companies for the stadium project.
Nate Gray's friends often talk about his generosity. His minister, Rev. Charles Tyler Sr. of Beth-El A.M.E. Zion Church, says Gray helped pay a young parishioner's private school tuition when her parents couldn't. He also paid for a wheelchair ramp at the church so an ill parishioner could attend services. Attorney and Gray friend Lewis Adkins says Gray has bought a fellow parishioner a refrigerator and helped others with housing payments to avoid eviction. "The person in these indictments and stories that have been covered is not the person I know," Adkins says. "I'm as shocked about this as if Harry Belafonte was lip-synching."
Gray's giving reputation helped him in 1990, when the IRS busted him for filing false tax returns. He'd claimed he'd made $55,000 in three years when he'd really made $201,000, prosecutors charged. He also hid gas station repair receipts from his accountant, "permitted or encouraged" a mechanic to inflate repair bills and charged a higher price for gas than the one he listed, they said. He was found guilty on three counts of tax evasion.
Powerful friends wrote letters asking the judge for leniency: prominent Cleveland minister Otis Moss Jr., then-Councilwoman Odelia Robinson and Gray's friend, the new mayor. "He is one of the most compassionate and sincere human beings that I have ever met," White wrote. "He is a far better human being than I ever will be." White insisted Gray operated his gas stations in an "exemplary," "honest" manner. He wrote about Gray's commitment to his then-wife and two children. "While mistakes clearly have been made, Nate Gray ... should not be locked away," he wrote. Gray got probation, and the IRS slapped a lien on his house.
A year after his conviction, Gray began to get contracts on city-owned parking lots. His company, Etna Associates (now Etna Parking; "Etna" is an anagram of Nate), received a contract with the parking company APCOA to help operate a Hopkins Airport lot. In 1998, when APCOA got a contract to operate a shuttle bus from Hopkins to a new car-rental facility located across I-480, Etna was a $4.4 million subcontractor; its share of the five-year contract earned it about $75,000 a year. City officials let APCOA and Etna expand the airport lot without city council approval.
Then, in 2000, architectural and engineering firm URS Greiner claimed the White Administration was rejecting its proposed solution to a flaw in the airport parking garage it designed in order to benefit Nate Gray by making work directing garage traffic.
APCOA, which operated the garage, hired Willo Security to direct the traffic. White's airport director insisted there was no link between Willo and Gray — until URS gave The Plain Dealer copies of $44,000 in checks Willo paid to Gray's Etna Parking for consulting. The payments began the month the garage opened, four months before Willo got the job. (Willo did not return phone calls for this story. Neither did URS, which later retracted its claim as part of a court settlement. Jack Ricchiuto, a vice president for Standard Parking, which APCOA merged with, says he doesn't know if Gray helped connect APCOA to Willo.)
Sometime in 2000 or 2001 "several months before he left office," Cecilia Huffman says — Mike White stopped talking to Nate Gray.
In May 2001, White surprised the city by announcing he wouldn't run for a fourth term. "You will not see Michael White's name on another ballot," he told reporters.
White's term ended Jan. 7, 2002. On Jan. 16, the U.S. Attorney's office showed a federal judge a still-secret affidavit about an FBI investigation and got permission to tap Nate Gray's phones.
Over the next month, the feds say, they listened as Cleveland City Councilman Joe Jones asked Gray and Teamor for money, as Gray and Teamor talked about asking Jones to "pledge allegiance" and join their "family," and as Jones asked Gray how he could "join that million dollar club."
Since then, prosecutors have brought corruption charges against Gray, Teamor, Jones, ex-East Cleveland Mayor Emmanuel Onunwor, Monique McGilbra and Oliver Spellman (both former Houston officials) and Brent Jividen and Gilbert Jackson, who are employees of Gray clients Honeywell Inc. and Camp, Dresser and McKee. All but Jones and Jackson have confessed to taking bribes from Gray or conspiring with him to pay bribes. (Jackson's lawyer did not return phone calls, and Jividen's lawyer declined to comment. A Honeywell spokesman has said that Jividen's activities violated the company's business practices and code of conduct.)
Both sides at Onunwor's trial last August blamed Gray for corrupting Onwunor. "Nate would exploit his own mother for a dollar," argued Onunwor's lawyer, Jaime Serrat. "Nate Gray was the surrogate mayor of East Cleveland," assistant U.S. attorney Benita Pearson said. The jury convicted Onunwor on 22 counts, including seven charges of taking bribes from Gray. Videotapes from a hidden camera in Gray's office showed Gray slipping Onunwor cash as they talked about East Cleveland's contracts with CH2MHill and Javitch, Block, a law firm that also hired Gray. (A Javitch, Block lawyer says the firm had no idea Gray was paying Onunwor.)
"Did Santa Claus bring anything?" Onunwor asked Gray on one taped phone call. "We'll see what Santa can do," Gray replied.
On another tape, Onunwor told Gray he planned to run for a third term "to protect our business." Gray was heard bragging that Onunwor "don't make a step without me."
He was also heard saying to Ralph Tyler, "I hear you stole my mayor from me."
"Which mayor?" Tyler replied.
Onunwor is now expected to testify against Gray. So are Teamor, McGilbra, Spellman and Jividen, the former Honeywell salesman who pleaded guilty to working with Gray to bribe McGilbra and a New Orleans official for contracts. Prosecutors say Jividen had conspired with Gray since the mid-1990s, and that Gray became a consultant for Honeywell in 1993. Jividen helped negotiate Honeywell's $24 million in energy-efficiency contracts with the Cleveland Municipal School District, awarded in 1994 and 2001.
"The investigation will continue," U.S. Attorney Greg White said in early May. "We intend to follow it wherever it leads." He declined to comment further.
A five-year statute of limitations applies to most federal charges, including those alleged so far in the Gray probe. But a federal conspiracy charge can go back further, if a defendant is alleged to have committed at least one act in the conspiracy in the last five years. (The limit is six years for tax cases, 10 for bank fraud.) So to convict anyone of a crime involving White Administration contract awards in the 1990s, prosecutors would have to show they were part of a conspiracy that lasted into the 2000s. That may explain the FBI's interest in the Hopkins Airport runway contract, bid in February 2001.
Gray's lawyer won't let him talk about any of this, citing the court order. Gray just offers his smile, the one that's charmed and disarmed friends and acquaintances for decades.
Gray's supporters say their warm, kind friend bears no resemblance to the
fast-talking, payoff-pocketing, bribe-paying influence peddler prosecutors describe
in their indictments. Gray is a generous man, they agree. But — if the feds'
suspicions and charges are borne out — then it may also be true that to be Gray's
friend, or his friends' friend, it helped if you were generous, too.
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text:
Bulls 10 Warrington 23
Mick Potter's men slipped to a contentious third successive home defeat of the season but only after a vastly-improved display in which they matched leaders Warrington for long periods.
Bulls hooker Matt Diskin put the hosts ahead with a close-range score in the fifth minute before a series of controversial decisions from the officials went Warrington's way.
Chris Riley grounded a pass from Brett Hodgson which clearly looked forward and Bradford then had tries from Jarrod Sammut and Michael Platt disallowed by the video referee.
Mickey Higham sneaked over the line for Tony Smith's side shortly before half-time and two minutes after the break Ryan Atkins, released by the Bulls in 2006, raced the length of the field to score.
Trent Waterhouse claimed a fourth try for the visitors in the 61st minute and, although the spirited Bulls replied through Jason Crookes' clinical score, Warrington confirmed victory with a late drop-goal from Lee Briers.


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The production of animal-based foods is associated with higher greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions than plant-based foods. A first-ever study in the United Kingdom compares meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans and reports the differences in greenhouse gas emissions of the groups.
The subjects were participants in an EPIC-Oxford cohort study. Diets of 2,041 vegans, 15,751 vegetarians, 8,123 fish-eaters and 29,589 meat-eaters aged 20–79 were assessed. Read the findings published in the journal Climatic Change (PDF).
Production, transport, storage, cooking and wastage of food are all contributors to GHGs. Carbon dioxide is emitted from fossil fuels used to power the agricultural machinery and transport, store and cook food. But many times more potent than the carbon dioxide emissions are the methane and nitrous oxide gases at the agricultural stage.
Animal-based products usually produce much greater emissions than plant-based products per unit weight. Methane gas is the result of the internal fermentation from digestion within ruminant livestock. Most of the nitrous oxide gases are released from tilled and fertilized soil. It may be possible to reduce these emissions with new technologies and farming practices, but major changes in both consumption choices and food wastage are necessary to make a significant difference in emissions.
In the study by diet group, not surprisingly the highest dietary GHG emissions come from the '"high meat-eating men" group while the lowest dietary GHG emissions were from vegan women. The observed mean values of meat-eaters in the order of women then men were "46 % and 51 % higher than for fish-eaters, 50 % and 54 % higher than for vegetarians and 99 % and 102 % higher than for vegans."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had been promoting a Meatless Monday campaign encouraging cafeterias, restaurants, schools, and individuals to adopt one vegetarian meal each week. After the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and Rep. Steve King (R-IA) objected, the USDA issued a retraction saying "USDA does not endorse Meatless Monday."
After dedicating a full show to veganism and meat production, Oprah Winfrey and staff went vegan for a week and some continued the diet. Oprah announced Harpo Studios would honor Meatless Mondays with the staff reporting they felt much better and one losing 11 pounds in one week. Read posted on the Oprah site six things to know about veganism.
There are many other reasons vegetarians choose not to consume animal products but greenhouse gas emissions reduction has now been reported a scientific one.


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County school board candidates to face off at forum Oct. 20
Published: Friday, October 12, 2012 at 9:02 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, October 12, 2012 at 9:02 a.m.
Piedmont Crossing Retirement Community will host a candidates' forum for the Davidson County Board of Education race Oct. 20.
The forum will be from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Piedmont Crossing Retirement Community at 200 Hedrick Drive, Thomasville.
The race for the school board has seven candidates for three seats. Candidates will be questioned on school merger, teacher staffing, No Child Left Behind and curriculum. There will be prepared questions, and residents will have the opportunity to ask questions.
The forum is open to the public.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Denver cyclist/doctor takes sabbatical in Portand
Submitted by Kris Thompson on
From BikeDenver.org
Eric packed up for the journey west!
Interesting story on a Denver physican who will be taking a two month sabbatical in Portand to identify the key steps a community can take to increase bike ridership. I hope to come back to Denver with a clearer picture of what local bike enthusiasts should be working on in order to have a meaningful impact on ridership..
The story goes on to say...
As a physician, I often get funny looks when I speak to people about my interest in transportation issues – doesn't sound very medical. Truth is, there are few things as important for the health of our citizens than how we build our cities.
Follow Eric's sabbatical on his blog One More Cyclist


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Andy Weigel is in his fourth season on Anthony Grant's staff as the team's strength and conditioning coach after serving two seasons at VCU in the same position.
Weigel also assists with the men's tennis team's strength and conditioning as he did at VCU.
Prior to rejoining Grant at VCU, Weigel spent two seasons at Florida working with the Gators' basketball, golf and tennis teams. A Wisconsin native, he graduated from Florida with a degree in exercise and sport science in 2006.


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On February 21, 2014 two academics from Florida announced that the long lost French fort named La Caroline was most likely on the Altamaha River near Darien, Georgia just 45 minutes south of Savannah. If archaeological investigations confirm this location then travelers to the area will have one more historical destination to add to their itinerary.
For a century historians have believed that the French Fort Caroline was located on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. A 1/3 scale replica of the fort was even constructed to attract the millions of tourists who pass through Jacksonville on their way to Disney World. Yet countless archaeological investigations in the area have failed to find a single French artifact in all these years.
Several independent researchers published evidence over the course of 2013 which located Fort Caroline on the Altamaha River. Thus the announcement in February followed a long line of evidence that had accumulated in support of the Georgia location. All that's left to do now is confirm the actual location of the fort with archaeological excavations.
Once the actual remains of the fort are found it will likely take years before local and state governments appropriate the funds to build a replica of the fort like the one currently in Jacksonville, Florida. Until then travelers will have to make the three hour drive south to Jacksonville to learn about this early French colony in Georgia.


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"Stalking the Bogeyman" is based on a true story by David Holthouse and is adapted and directed by Markus Potter.
If you only see one play this year, I urge you to see "Stalking the Bogeyman" at NC Stage Company. Not only does it feature our very own Callan White-Hinman, but it is a powerful piece of drama that depicts the constant struggle of humanity against the 'Bogeymen' of the world, as well as the bogeymen that lurk inside us all. The play is a dramatization of a true story that aired on NPR's This American Life, where journalist David Holthouse recounts how he was violently raped as a child and how 25 years later he confronted the man who raped him.
The power of small theater is in its intimacy. In a well-executed production, there is a connection that occurs between the story and the audience wherein the audience members become active onlookers. Think of the moment in the Harry Potter books when Harry is inside Dumbledore's memories. Although he can do nothing to change the outcome of these past events, Harry becomes actively caught up in the story unfolding before him. The cast of NC Stage presents a well-executed performance that draws the audience into the life of David Holthouse, and presents his motivation for murder with a thriller-like quality that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Callan plays Mrs. Holthouse, David's mother. Here's what she has to say about her experience in this role: "I love the opportunity of working with an outstanding cast of professional actors who are willing to be vulnerable with each other in order to tell a story that will viscerally affect an audience and offer insight and understanding beyond the theatrical experience. To hear from audience members that this is a healing experience for their own personal tragedies is a true ministry for me. To know that this show will bring this kind of crisis to public awareness is profound. What is painful for me is to embody the heartbreak and emotional tsunami that this mother experienced. As a mother, the thought of having my children (or any child) subject to this kind of violation fills me with such horror and sadness. To know that there are countless stories of violations like this breaks my heart."
In talking with Callan about the play, I asked her to tell me why she thinks it is important for the Montreat student body to see this show. She answered "this is the world premiere of a man's true story about being raped at the age of 7 and how it affected his entire life. It is a compelling drama that allows us to see into the human struggle of revenge versus forgiveness. It is about the choices we make. It is about the struggle of the Bogeyman inside of us as well as outside. Whether or not one has been a victim of any kind of abuse, this story is an important journey that will command your attention and compassion." If you do not get to see the show, I urge you to at least listen to the recording of the broadcast on www.thisamericanlife.org. The archive number is 425 and is titled "Slow to React."
The show runs through Sunday, October 13. Student tickets are $10. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sundays. I attended the show on opening night and had the honor to join a talkback after the show with the director of the play and David Holthouse himself. It was amazing to hear the feedback from members of the audience who had experienced similar situations of abuse in their past. One woman in particular pointed out how just a few generations ago, topics such as sexual abuse and domestic violence simply were not talked about; such issues were swept under the rug where they were left to accumulate over the years. It's time to break the cycle. Through his willingness to be open and vulnerable about what happened to him, David Holthouse has set in motion a cycle of healing, establishing an example for our generation and future generations to follow.


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interferon beta 1a - subcutaneous injection, Rebif (cont.)
SIDE EFFECTS: Pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor promptly.Flu-like symptoms such as headache, nausea, fever, chills, tiredness, and muscle aches/pain may occur, especially when you first start this medication. You can reduce these side effects by injecting this medicine at bedtime and using fever reducers/pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more information.Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: mental/mood changes (e.g., depression, rare thoughts of suicide), vision changes, gradual change in weight, intolerance to cold or heat, increased urination, signs of infection (e.g., fever, persistent sore throat, cough), easy bruising/bleeding, fast/irregular heartbeat, sudden increase in weight, swelling hands/legs/feet, severe stomach/abdominal pain, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine.Get medical help right away if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: chest pain, seizures.A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.In the US -Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Chicago -- The message started last Monday and was recited daily thereafter throughout the week. They heard it from coaches inside the building and in the media outside of it. By the time the New Orleans Saints kicked off at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon, their woeful history in the Windy City was fully understood.
They were 4-0 on the season, but all the Saints knew was 0-3. Their record at Soldier Field in the Sean Payton-Drew Brees era had been drummed into their heads at every team meeting and every turn.
How often was it mentioned?
"I don't know, 35 times. Maybe 50," right tackle Zach Strief said. "If there's a stone that's there going into the game, Sean will overturn it."
The Saints responded to Payton's mission statement. They played like a team with something to prove Sunday. They played like a club determined to accomplish something for the first time in the otherwise largely successful Payton/Brees era.
And they way the Saints executed the 26-18 victory over the Chicago Bears made it all the more satisfying. They beat the Bears at their own game. They dominated time of possession, won the turnover battle and controlled field position for four quarters. They were smarter, more physical and more disciplined than their Windy City counterparts. They weren't just better at quarterback. They were better on defense and special teams.
They played Bears Football better than the Bears, and there was nothing Chicago's shoddy field, windswept stadium and bratwurst-breath fans could do about it.
"It's about that time," Brees said of the franchise's decade-long drought along the shores of Lake Michigan. "We knew the formula coming into the game was to remain patient, to run the football effectively, to be very efficient in the passing game and to take care of the football, priority No. 1."
Check. Check. Check. And check.
The Saints rushed for only 66 yards, averaging 2.4 yards per carry. But it wasn't so much the yards as the 28 attempts that mattered. The ground game helped the Saints muster a dominant 36:00-24:00 advantage in time of possession.
Brees, meanwhile, declawed the Bears' highly regarded defense. He patiently dissected the Cover 2, checking down to backs Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Jed Collins when the Bears played conservatively. Brees also burned Chicago for timely deep shots to tight end Jimmy Graham (10 receptions, 135 yards) and Nick Toon (1-35) when the opportunities were there. He completed 29 of 35 passes for 288 yards, two touchdowns and, most important, zero interceptions.
It was the first time in Brees' five games here, including one with San Diego, that he did not commit at least one turnover. His passer efficiency rating of 120.0 Sunday was almost 50 points better than his average rating of 71.3 in his four previous games in Chicago.
Even though he fell 12 yards short of extending his NFL-record streak of consecutive 300-yard passing games to 10, it still was a satisfying day at the office for Brees. He exorcised a personal demon and also learned that his league record of 54 consecutive games with a touchdown pass was preserved when Tom Brady's streak was ended at 52 in Cincinnati.
"It really wasn't a big personal motivation for me," Brees said of his 0-fer at Soldier Field. "We just never seemed to play well here. For whatever reason in the past, we'd come in and do exactly what we said we couldn't do here.
"So it's nice to finally play well as a team and get a win."
The win vaulted the Saints to 5-0 for only the fourth time in club history. They, along with Denver and Kansas City, are one of three unbeaten teams still standing.
This win, though, was the Saints' most impressive to date. They beat a good team outside the friendly confines of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and did it in dominant fashion. They seized control of the game in the opening minutes and never removed their heels from the Bears' throats.
This was their second consecutive wire-to-wire victory. The Saints haven't trailed since midway through the first quarter of the Arizona Cardinals game.
"The feeling in the locker room is we feel like we can beat anybody right now," Strief said.
The confidence is understandable, considering the way Brees and the surprising defense are playing these days. The Saints are a force to be reckoned with this season. Next up are the New England Patriots and a visit to Foxboro, Mass., a place where the Saints haven't won since 1995.
Something tells me that will come up a time or two this week.
Maybe even 50.
Jeff Duncan can be reached at email@example.com or 504.826.3405.


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Posted in Free After Coupon, Free Full Size Products |
Free Glade Scented Oil Warmers @ Dollar GeneralWritten by Freebie Finder on May 15, 2012 – 4:55 pm
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Get a Free Glade Scented Oil Warmers at Dollar General. They have these priced at $1.25 combine that with the printable $1.25 off coupon, making this item FREE.
TFS Latest Freebies
Tags: freebies, household freebies


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Oct 18, 2012 9:10 AM
It's the wedding gift that keeps on giving: this Wine for a Wedding Classic Trio ($79) is a stacked set of elegant wooden boxes housing three bottles (not included) meant to be aged and then lovingly consumed on key anniversaries. It'll be a riot when ten years roll by, and the happy couple discovers we filled the last box with MD 20/20.
LOL! I was smiling nicely through the whole description, and then nearly snorted coffee out my nose when I got to the last line. MD 20/20 or Ol' Milwaukee!! (Ol' Milkie.)
If you've got a product or service that you'd like to promote on Outblush, click here to find out about our advertising opportunities.
Outblush is a blog for girls who love to shop. Our staff digs up the best clothes, home stuff, beauty items, and more. New items are posted every day — bookmark us and check out:


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Hey everyone,
I live in Michigan. We have pistol free zones (I'm sure like every other state) and I think we all agree that these are stupid. Well,
Michigan just got one step closer to doing away with these!:danceban:
State House passes bill allowing concealed weapons in schools, day care centers, stadiums, churches | wzzm13.com


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Google and Geographic Search
This week Google is making it easier to include your geographical location when considering search requests. On the left hand panel of the results page is a place to enter your location preference. This can adjust the search results ordering for certain businesses.
Right now, only a very few businesses will be affected on where they show up in Google's search results. Here is what the one blogger says:
"As the screenshot below illustrates, Google sees the service helping consumers find products, like pizza restaurants that are close to them; not irrelevant articles, pizza recipes or advertisements for major pizza companies who don't operate nearby."
And here is what Google's blog has to say:
"As time has gone by, more and more locally relevant information has come online, whether it's local business listings or a blog from your hometown. Meanwhile, Google has become much better at presenting this locally relevant content—so it felt like the right time to make this setting easier to find."
This feature is important for businesses with a local, location-specific clientele. It could become much more important in the future for businesses with multiple location-specific clienteles (e.g. service businesses with brick and mortar locations). For these types of businesses, it will be critical for Google to be able to make use of the business location.
So as not to be unduly influenced by a single location, Jungle Torch currently employs a large number of geographically dispersed servers to report on SERP (search engine results page) positions for the major search engines: Google, Bing and Yahoo (Bing and Yahoo results available soon).
So what should businesses do to take advantage of Google's localization efforts? If your business is one that appeals to location-specific clienteles, then you should register under Google Places. Google Places is where you can register your business information. Registration is free. If your business is listed in commercial directories (like The Yellow Pages) then Google may already have some information. As expected, Google information collects basic information about your company suitable for web users: name, email info, business URL, business type, etc. However, it also collects information that is useful for your local clientele: hours of operation and storefront photos. Google suggests that you also enter additional details, such as if parking is available and what brands of merchandise you carry.
While Google's changes this week affect only a small number of businesses, this is undoubtedly a trend that will continue to improve the relevancy of search results.
Tags: Inbound Marketing, SEO Report, Social Media Network


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Lisa Vanderpump and husband Ken Todd live a very glamorous life and each week fans of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" are treated to a look inside their beautiful home.Lisa Vanderpump is not taking Brandi's bankruptcy claims lightly.
Vanderpump took to Twitter on Feb. 17, asking that Glanville retract the story. Glanville made the claims on a recent podcast but later blamed co-star Kyle Richards for was responsible for the story. Brandi claimed that Kyle Richards was the one who told her about the bankruptcy.
"Kyle Richards told me, I looked it up and on this site where you pay $9.99 it said yes, they lived off Mulholland drive [sic] in Calabasas", Glanville told E! News recently.
And Lisa Vanderpump is not taking this lightly at all. On Feb. 17 she took to Twitter several times, asking Brandi Glanville to retract the story, saying that it had already caused damage to her and her husband Ken Todd.
At 1:03 p.m. Vanderpump tweeted:
"I am asking you once again @BrandiGlanville to retract this damaging story, regarding bankruptcy that has been on E news!"
Then at 1:04 p.m. Vanderpump tweeted again, saying:
"It is completely untrue and it already has had severe consequences."
At 3:04 p.m. Lisa tweeted again:
"It's unlike me to dignify BS with a response however we were upset as we just saw it on ENEWS…not cool. Anyway back to work at vb…."
At 5:38 p.m. another tweet addressing the bankruptcy:
"At villa Blanca…yes it's still open not bankrupt, loved seeing you all today, don't forget to watch my crazy kids on #pumprules tonight."
Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd have been married for over 30 years and have owned many successful businesses both in Europe and the United States.
Follow Rachael Monaco on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Bubblews and Sulia
©Rachael Monaco All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced without prior permissions from the author. The first two sentences may be reposted with a link back to the original article.
Suggested Links
- Teresa Giudice wants earlier trial date separate from husband Joe Giudice
- 'Big Brother 16' casting calls announced: Which two cities are first?
- Brandi Glanville says 'RHOBH' Lisa Vanderpump was broke and living in the Valley
- 'Southern Charm' preview: Docu-series follows 6 single Charleston aristocrats


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Three-time Medina County MVP Ashley Rose of Cloverleaf has moved on to the University of Toledo, but the majority of the 2011-12 All-Gazette gymnastics team is back this winter.
Cloverleaf junior Maddie Brandt, Medina sophomore Samantha Borrelli and Medina senior Megan Kerrigan all competed at the state meet, combining for nine individual berths in the event at Hilliard Bradley High.
Quintuple-qualifier Brandt earned All-Ohio honors by finishing 10th in the all-around, while triple-qualifier Borrelli garnered All-Ohio recognition with a ninth-place showing on the uneven parallel bars.
Medina sophomore Kira Palmer, Medina junior McKenna Baluch and Wadsworth sophomore Callie Almes also return from the All-Gazette squad.
Baluch, however, will be sidelined until at least January after tearing a ligament in her left ankle. The two-time district qualifier is in a walking boot but continues to work out while undergoing physical therapy.
The other major news comes out of Cloverleaf, where Wendy Armstrong has retired after 20 years of coaching the Colts. Former Medina state qualifier Stacy Thornburg has taken over the program.
"Our goals for the season are to stay healthy, have fun, try to win the conference title, qualify as a team to districts and hopefully make it to state," Thornburg said.
A closer look at the county's four gymnastics teams:
Coach: Michelle Miller, 11th season.
Last year: Fifth at Medina Sectional.
Key letterwinners lost: Alice Hottensmith (All-Gazette), Kirstie Oravec (All-Gazette HM).
Returning letterwinners: Amanda Stertzbach (sr.), Megan Chiara (sr.), Nicole Ferrier (sr.), Amy Bruce (so.).
Newcomers: Becky May (sr.), Leah Fagan (jr.), Mackenzie Conroy (fr.), Kaylee Gordon (fr.), Brooke Riffle (fr.), Kaylee Shorts (fr.).
Noteworthy: The Blue Devils fell one spot and 3.375 points shy of advancing to the Painesville Riverside District last season.
"We really would like to qualify for the district tournament as a team," said Miller, a teacher at Edwards Middle School. "We have four seniors and we would love for this to be the most successful year of their entire high school careers."
• Miller is predicting big things for Bruce, saying, "She has come a long way." …
• Fagan is making her debut in the sport, while Shorts is sidelined with a severe ankle sprain.
Coach: Stacy Thornburg, 1st season.
Last year: Fifth at Painesville Riverside District, second at Medina Sectional, North East Gymnastics Conference champions.
Key letterwinner lost: Ashley Rose (three-time Gazette MVP).
Returning letterwinners: Maddie Brandt (jr., All-Gazette), Hanna Kotlarek (so., All-Gazette HM), Cassie Grabowski (so., All-Gazette HM), Robyn Tresch (jr.), Katie Schroll (jr.).
Newcomers: Meleah Hansen (sr.), Summer Patterson (fr.).
Noteworthy: Rose made a number of regional television appearances during the fall as a cheerleader for Toledo's football team.
• Brandt captured the NEGC championships in the all-around, floor, bars, and vault.
"Maddie is throwing some huge skills this season, including a double-back on floor, a double-back dismount off bars, a handspring-front on vault and a round-off back tuck on beam," Thornburg said.
• Kotlarek won the NEGC beam title, giving the undefeated Colts a clean sweep.
• Hansen is a former competitive ice skater who joined the team this winter.
Coach: Darcy Ranallo, 5th season.
Last year: Seventh at Painesville Riverside District, won team championship at Medina Sectional.
Key letterwinners lost: None.
Returning letterwinners: Megan Kerrigan (sr., All-Gazette), McKenna Baluch (jr., All-Gazette), Samantha Borrelli (so., All-Gazette), Kira Palmer (so., All-Gazette), Gabby Lynskey (jr., All-Gazette HM), Madeline Yurkoski (sr.), Natalie Radice (so.).
Newcomer: Shannon Moran (so.).
Noteworthy: The Bees have an eight-girl roster for the second straight season.
"Being a small team, we need to have contributions from everyone," Ranallo said. "We're also looking for leadership from the entire team because we hope to make a return to districts and do well in the rugged Northeast Ohio Conference."
• Three-year letterwinner Kerrigan made her first appearance at the state meet, finishing 23rd on bars.
• Borrelli qualified for the Painesville Riverside District in the maximum five events as a freshman, advancing to state in three.
Coach: Rachel Frisby, 2nd season.
Last year: Finished 10th at Painesville Riverside District and fourth at Medina Sectional.
Key letterwinner lost: Katherine Bouscher (All-Gazette HM).
Returning letterwinners: Callie Almes (so., All-Gazette), Charlotte Bates (so., All-Gazette HM), Nikki Magnano (sr.), Sylvia Taunt (sr.), Haley Cleckner (jr.), Alli Petit (jr.), Gabby Ruff (so.).
Newcomers: Sydney Kelley (fr.), Ally Mangano (fr.).
Noteworthy: Almes, a first-team NEGC honoree in all five events, has been coached by Frisby since she was 11. They continue to work together at West Side Gymnastics during the high school offseason.
• Bates qualified for the district meet on the floor despite battling season-long shoulder problems.
• Nikki Magnano and Taunt are serving as co-captains.
Contact Brian Dulik at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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If it wasn't a monster movie, then it wasn't worth watching. That was my narrow view of cinema when I was a kid. There was the usual suspects of werewolves, vampires, gelatinous blobs from outer space, and stitched-together cadavers, but nothing thrilled quite as much as seeing one of Ray Harryhausen's animated creatures move across the screen. Whether it was those ghoulish skeletons in Jason and the Argonauts; the Ray Bradbury-inspired Rhedosaurus that tore up New York City in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms; the leathery terradactyl that picked up Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C.; or the octopus that brought down the Golden Gate Bridge; this was the kind of movie that made so many childhoods happy—mine included.
Harryhausen sketched out each of his ideas before turning them into models, and this is a small selection of his drawings for the films Jason and the Argonauts, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, the unmade War of the Worlds, Valley of the Gwangi, 20 Million Miles to Earth, and One Million Years BC.
Early tests by Ray Harryhausen.
Previously on Dangerous Minds
Special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen's animated 'Mother Goose' and other fairy tales
Via Muddy Colors and Book & Negative