text:
See all countries >
8 November 2013
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights today considered the second periodic report of Bosnia and Herzegovina on how the country implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.Introducing the report, Saliha Duderija, Deputy Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that Bosnia and Herzegovina had been progressively implementing the provisions of the Covenant since the presentation of its previous report. This included the setting up of a human rights ombudsman's office. The State had been active in stamping out anti-Roma discrimination in areas such as education. The rights of refugees and displaced people were an additional area of activity, particularly with respect to housing and infrastructure needs. Bosnia and Herzegovina believed in principles of tolerance, diversity and equal rights protections under the law and was willing to work with the United Nations to this end.The Committee said that the complex structure of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a result of the Dayton Accords following the Bosnian War, was unwieldy when it came to the implementation of the provisions of the Covenant and other human rights instruments. It raised concerns about the rights of Roma and other ethnic minorities, as well as the housing, healthcare and educational needs of returnees, refugees and internally displaced people. The establishment of an human rights ombudsman was to be welcomed, but the Committee was concerned that this was not enough to enable Bosnia and Herzegovina to overcome its human rights challenges.In concluding remarks, Ms. Duderija thanked the Committee for asking difficult questions to help focus efforts to improve human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Heisoo Shin, Committee Member and Rapporteur for the report of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said she had mixed feelings with regard to the human rights situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its ability to uphold the provisions of the Covenant, given the difficulties caused by the country's constitutional structure.Zdzislaw Kedzia, Committee Chairperson, thanked the delegation from Bosnia and Herzegovina for its frank and open approach, and wished it all success in implementing the Committee's recommendations in the future.The delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina included representatives of the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Gender Centre of Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Government of the Republika Srpska and the Permanent Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations Office at Geneva. The next public meeting of the Committee will take place at 3 p.m. on Monday, 11 November, when it will start its consideration of the initial report of Djibouti.
ReportThe second periodic report of Bosnia and Herzegovina can be read here: E/C.12/BIH/2. Presentation of the Report SALIHA DUDERIJA, Deputy Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that Bosnia and Herzegovina had been progressively implementing the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights since the presentation of its previous report. This included the setting up of a single human rights body – the ombudsman's office - as well as a parliamentary committee for human rights. A law on the prohibition of discrimination was adopted in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2009 and covered all areas of life and all forms of discrimination. Public institutions were charged with removing discriminatory barriers in their activities. This was particularly relevant to Bosnia and Herzegovina's Roma minority; the State had been active in stamping out anti-Roma discrimination in areas such as education. The rights of refugees and displaced people were an additional area of activity, particularly with respect to housing and infrastructure needs. However, Bosnia and Herzegovina had not resolved this problem according to the action plan, and appealed for international aid in this area. In general Bosnia and Herzegovina believed in principles of tolerance, diversity and equal rights protections under the law. To this end it was willing to work with United Nations bodies and mechanisms in an open and constructive way. Questions by ExpertsHEISOO SHIN, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for the report of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that she was sympathetic to the challenges faced by Bosnia and Herzegovina 18 years after the end of the war there. The second report, while timely, did not unfortunately follow the structure laid out in the guidelines. The ratification of most of the Optional Protocols of the Covenant was to be welcomed, and there were many positive developments such as the establishment of a human rights ombudsman's office and the attention paid to the problems of the Roma. However, the complex structure of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, its two constitutions, 10 cantons, and the presence of 176 ministers, including 14 education ministers alone, greatly hampered peoples' enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights because of lack of coordination. The structure of the State must be reformed if rights were to be properly advanced. The Covenant was consequently "invisible" in the judicial structures and institutions. The domestic non-discrimination law mentioned in the presentation was not being implemented sufficiently. Why not?An Expert added that the new ombudsman's office was, by the delegation's own admission, underfunded. What would be the budget for it in 2014? Secondly, despite what the delegation had said, there was no evidence of a national human rights action plan. Would it not be a good idea to have one? Thirdly, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers had sat on its own gender equality legislation since 2001. How could the Committee be assured of Bosnia and Herzegovina's commitment to gender equality with a record like this?Another Expert noted that once the Covenant was ratified it became a part of domestic legislation so judges had to be fully conversant in it. Could the delegation show that they were?Questions raised by another Expert included an inquiry about levels of police training vis a vis the Covenant, the high number of refugees and internally displaced people still housed in camps, the progress of a hate crimes bill in the legislature, and the number of non-governmental organizations active in women's rights in the country. Another Expert noted that the Committee's previous recommendations were now almost eight years old. What was being done to apply them "consistently" and what did this mean? The Strasbourg court's recent decision about levels of discrimination in Bosnia and Herzegovina reflected a problem which, in the delegation's own words, would be "resolved soon". How could this be achieved? Did Bosnia and Herzegovina envisage establishing a national human rights commission to support the work of the ombudsman? Could the delegation shed light on the participation of non-governmental organizations and civil society in their efforts? An Expert, referring to the Dayton Accords which had framed the conditions of its post-war existence, recognized the difficulties faced by Bosnia and Herzegovina. If a country could not successfully rebuild its economy, a progressive rights-approach to improving conditions of citizens would be difficult. What could the delegation add to the Committee's understanding of Bosnia and Herzegovina's post-war reconstruction efforts and its relationship to European Union and United Nations bodies?Figures indicated that 80 per cent of internally displaced persons and returning refugees were living in poverty, and an Expert asked the delegation what was being done in Bosnia and Herzegovina to address this. What protections were in place for pregnant women? The delegate had been frank about the failure of Bosnia and Herzegovina's social protection and assistance programmes, but this was because the system was badly targeted. What did the delegation have to say about that? It was clear that the unemployment situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina was grave, standing at 43 per cent according to official figures (other figures indicated it was in fact much worse than this, particularly with regard to women and people with disabilities). Could the delegation provide a more detailed picture of employment, broken down into social categories? An Expert asked for more hard facts about the labour inspection regime in Bosnia and Herzegovina because the problem of non-payment and broken contracts appeared to be intractable. The lack of progress on the minimum wage, trade union reform and workers' rights was problematic. What could the delegation say about the Government's intention to reform union regulations? How many people in Bosnia and Herzegovina were entitled to pensions? With regard to women's rights, an Expert said the delegation had been frank about the levels of discrimination in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but one way to tackle this would be to introduce equal pay laws. Was this something being considered? In addition, while victims of war in various categories had been recognized by Bosnia and Herzegovina, why had war-rape victims not been included?In 2006, Bosnia and Herzegovina chose the road of privatization for its economy; how had this impacted labour rights and the right to work? How had problems in the European economy since then impacted on the rights agenda in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Responses by the DelegationResponding to the questions asked by Committee Experts, the delegation made reference to the Dayton Accords and the complexity of the structure of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina. All sides were equally unhappy about the Paris peace treaty of 1995 at the time, but it had brought peace and in this sense it was a balanced document. If all sides wanted to change it they would. Many countries in the world had complex constitutional structures, including even Switzerland, which functioned quite well. However, the complexity of the State meant that the application of international instruments was mostly through the court system. All such human rights obligations were applied in this way and cantons and municipalities had inquired into their applicability at the local level. It was difficult but Bosnia and Herzegovina aspired to apply all international instruments in its systems. In answer to the assertion that it did not have a human rights action plan, the delegation assured the Committee that Bosnia and Herzegovina did indeed have an operational action plan for human rights although it was proving difficult to implement. Meanwhile, measures had been taken to improve the situation of vulnerable categories of people in line with the recommendations of this Committee and others. With regard to the Strasbourg judgement, the European Commission was assisting the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in making sure that nobody would be barred from standing for elections.Turning to budgets, it must simply be said that all budgets were at present frozen and that meant that the ombudsman's office would be funded as before. However, funds would be found to provide the minimum standard of its operations.With regard to labour rights and the employment of returnees, the delegation considered this to be a sensitive issue. However, alongside youth and women, this was a target category of employment programmes. The problem was that returnees often did not have adequate housing and this was an impediment to their participation in the agricultural workforce. As for pregnant women and their employment rights, maternity leave with compensation was guaranteed although it was fair to say that the application of this right was applied differently in cantons and the Republika Srpska. The delegation did not have with it employment data by year or category but the headline unemployment figure was 44 per cent, although it was fair to call this an administrative figure and International Labour Organization figures were calculated differently. In any case unemployment was unacceptably high and the authorities were active in attempting to bring it down through programmes, particularly with respect to persons with disabilities. Furthermore a questioner asked about the operation of labour inspectorates. It was true that the structure of the State made this a complex issue and that it was a modest outfit with just eight inspectors at the federal level. Despite this their success rate in handling employment disputes was impressive. In Republika Srpska the inspectorate was also working well. Stamping out informal employment was a priority across all entities of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Minimum wages, which differed in the constituent entities because they were arrived at by collective agreement, were far from sufficient and it had been proposed to centralise the setting of the minimum wage.The constitutions at all levels of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the labour laws respected union rights but it was up to labour unions themselves to organise their activities; there was nothing in legislation to prevent this. Turning to the right to strike, the delegation said that workers in important service sectors, for example healthcare and water supply, had to announce their intention to strike in advance. Pension provision also differed across the constituent parts of the State but it was true to say the amounts were insufficient while remembering that retirees were given some community privileges. Privatisation had led to a negative impact on employment and union activity. Concerning gender equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the delegation pointed out that the report contained information on the Council of Ministers' deliberations about the application of the gender equality laws, and this included consideration of equal pay rights. However, the diffuse structure of the State meant that equality laws were submitted to the centre from the constituent parts in a collaborative process. Cooperation with women's non-governmental organizations increased each year and while there was no central register of them it was true to say that they were active in gender equality work. The Committee had noted that not all institutions applied gender equality standards, and this was true, but bodies such as the Gender Centre of the Republika Srpska were trying to encourage data submission from institutions about women's employment rates. The general law on the prohibition of discrimination was applied and monitored through the ombudsman's office and this held data on discrimination cases. In 2012, 81 mobbing cases were recorded, 30 cases of national discrimination cases, 13 gender discrimination cases, four sexual orientation discrimination cases, one case of discrimination based on skin colour, and zero sexual harassment cases. The largest amount of cases in 2011 concerned ethnic or national discrimination. Discrimination cases concerning employment and working conditions had been recorded in the dozens in each of the last few years. The Ministry of Human Rights and other entities in the structure of the State would have to establish their own database of discrimination cases according to legislation, and this would help provide a better picture in the future. Harmonisation of legislation across ministries and with international obligations was progressing. Racial discrimination was a criminal offence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and new crimes, including hate crimes, were being added to the criminal code. The rights of pregnant women were subject to the labour, social security and healthcare laws and this was further complicated by the diffuse entities of the State which all had their own laws. The federal law was but a framework document and each canton and the Republika Srpska and the Brcko District applied their own laws.The reconstruction of houses for returnees, according to estimates by the Ministry of Human Rights, would require a large loan. A strategy was in place to close some 80 per cent of the remaining collective centres where the returnees were currently housed and there were loans available from Saudi Arabia to apply to the improvement of housing infrastructure for vulnerable categories of internally displaced persons and returnees. Applications for return to Bosnia and Herzegovina by tens of thousands of people living in other countries in the region were being accepted and housing projects were initiated for them in anticipation of their return.Further Questions from Committee ExpertsAn Expert wondered about collective centres where internally displaced persons were living and why, if they numbered just 8,000 or so, they had not yet been re-housed two decades after the war. Had the poverty rate increased or decreased in response to the poverty reduction programmes put in place? Had the claims of the Roma been settled yet? Had the implementation of the housing plan for the Roma improved their lot or not? Another Expert addressed three issues: human trafficking, poverty and access to safe drinking water. What had been the effectiveness of the Third National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking? What were the origins of trafficked people and was the phenomenon linked to organized crime? Bosnia and Herzegovina had an usually high rate of poverty for a European country, so was the country seeking international assistance to alleviate this? The lack of access to safe drinking water was alarming in Bosnia and Herzegovina; was Bosnia and Herzegovina seeking international assistance on this?Turning to Bosnia and Herzegovina's strategies to prevent family violence, an Expert asked whether these programmes had been assessed and monitored given that their timelines had now elapsed? Could the delegation provide more information about the situation regarding street children in Bosnia and Herzegovina? How often were living standards measured? An Expert pressed the delegation about Bosnia and Herzegovina's application of sexual health programmes for young people and what it could say about the outcome of these measures. What was being done to guarantee basic healthcare for vulnerable groups? A recommendation made by the Committee in 2006 on healthcare for returnees had yet not been applied according to the report, why not?An Expert wanted to know more about the children who had resulted from sexual violence during the war; where were they and what was their status? Another Expert inquired about early marriage in Bosnia and Herzegovina and asked the delegation elucidate this problem?Turning to the right to education, an Expert noted that in 2006 the Committee had recommended ending the practice of "two schools under one roof" in an effort to lessen ethnic tension, but this practice remained in place. When would it be ended? The rate of non-attendance in school by Roma children was also raised in 2006 and this issue remained unsolved; how did Bosnia and Herzegovina intend to resolve this issue?With respect to cultural questions, one Expert quoted a non-governmental organization as saying that culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina was considered a "luxury". What was the Government doing to promote cultural rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina? An Expert pointed out that many promised actions with regard to minority cultural rights had not taken place, and that cultural life appeared to have been effectively shut down in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Committee appealed to the State party to be sensitive to its obligations toward economic, social and cultural rights.Further Responses by the DelegationThe delegation said that the European Commission was taking a leading role in the transitional administration and economic management of Bosnia and Herzegovina in anticipation of its accession to the European Union. To say that development resources were not being used adequately was right, but this was because the country was still suffering from the effects of the war. However, as regards to international instruments, these were applicable across the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Turning to women who had been victims of sexual violence during the war, like all the victims of the war, they were covered by social protection mechanisms. Bosnia and Herzegovina was awaiting a transitional justice system which would later address their specific needs. The services available to all victims of war were available but inadequately funded; Bosnia and Herzegovina awaited financial assistance to make improvements. Law enforcement and judicial officers were trained in the provisions of international instruments, including the Covenant, and its provisions were applicable in all relevant parts of the public administration of the State. Although non-governmental organizations had demanded the creation of a human rights commission, the Government had felt that the creation of the ombudsman's office was enough to cover this need. For the meantime the non-governmental organizations could perform the role of an independent human rights commission themselves. Non-governmental organizations were fully involved in the preparation of human rights treaty reports and were able to participate in the consultative process. In response to the question of how Bosnia and Herzegovina monitored the implementation of the provisions of the Covenant, the delegation hoped that the Committee could see from its report and this answer what efforts were being made in this respect.Turning to problems of allocation and equality in the social security system, it was worth pointing out that Bosnia and Herzegovina was suffering from the effects of the general European economic crisis. The diffuse structure of the State and the high level of decentralization it implied meant that there were great differences in the levels of social protection across the country. The World Bank said that in 2011 social assistance spending in Bosnia and Herzegovina was 7.1 percent of Gross Domestic Product, putting it in the mid-rank of European countries. About three-quarters of this allocation was taken up with so-called war-related categories. Non-war related categories of social protection was a very low figure and the pressure that had been applied was to reduce war-related benefits in favour of non-war related benefits, but this would be a fraught process in the current conditions of economic difficulty. As had been said, the federal government set the framework for the social security system which was then elaborated at the cantonal level. Reforms were however underway with a view to ironing out the discrepancies and inequalities across the system. With respect to the problems of the Roma minority, the delegation stressed that Bosnia and Herzegovina had devoted significant attention to including the Roma into society by adopting strategic documents and actions plans. Funds to the value of 1 million euros had been funnelled into building or reconstructing housing units for the needy, including the Roma. This improvement had been recognised by Member States of the Roma Decade, of which Bosnia and Herzegovina would be the chair in 2014/15. The low educational level of the Roma was a brake on their employment opportunities and the State was aware of the need to improve this through targeted funding plans. A needs assessment census had been carried out and this meant it was much easier for Bosnia and Herzegovina to understand the Roma's requirements in housing, employment and healthcare. The measures undertaken had had a positive impact on the living conditions of national minorities including the Roma and it was important to continue with these action plans since this was simply the beginning of a resolution of their problems. Questions from ExpertsIn a follow-up clarification, an Expert pointed out to the delegation that a national human rights commission could not be substituted by an ombudsman's office under the Paris Principles because they had completely different functions.Another Expert, responding to remarks made about the legality of trade unions by the delegation, said it was the responsibility of the Government under the terms of the Covenant not merely to have laws allowing the work of trade unions but to actively promote their existence.Commenting on the fact that the gender equality law seemed to remain in abeyance in the Council of Ministers, an Expert wanted to know specifically if the Council of Ministers was going to enact its own law and when.Could the delegation address the matter of occupational safety? Was this data collected and could the delegation share it with the Committee?The Committee Rapporteur for Bosnia and Herzegovina added her voice to the unease expressed earlier about the apparent misunderstanding the delegation had shown on points concerning trade union membership and equal pay for equal work. Returning to gender equality and discrimination, an Expert asked what sanctions were contained in the relevant laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina. What efforts were there to promote women to high office?Responses from the DelegationResponding to these questions and comments and others, the delegation said that as for the national human rights commission, an additional body would be created in the future to adhere to the Paris Principles but in the meantime the focus was on building capacity in the ombudsman's office. As part of its Universal Periodic Review, Bosnia and Herzegovina was obliged to master the methodology of human rights law and it was slowly learning these lessons, hence the lack of a national human rights action plan. The Government had passed laws to allow the establishment of trade unions and they were prominent in the Republika Srbska and the Brcko District as here they were responsible for collective bargaining. In the public sector, unions were active but not in all parts of it. As for occupational safety, it should be understood that improvements in this area were expensive; the statistics showed that indeed accidents and fatalities at work were increasing and this was a cause for concern. Turning to equal pay for equal work, the principle of establishing like-for-like rates across differently gendered occupations was something the delegation would turn its attention to later. The outcome of the story of the gender equality law languishing in the Council of Ministers would depend on reforms to the work of the Council of Ministers itself. However the criminal law provided for various sanctions for crimes with a gender element such as domestic violence. As for women in public life, there were indeed quotas in place and such mechanisms as mentoring programmes and data collection to monitor and analyse this matter existed. Turning to the question of the number of internally displaced persons being housed in collective centres, it was true to say that at least 50 per cent of such people were living below the poverty line. Bosnia and Herzegovina was obliged to meet the minimum social and housing needs of vulnerable groups and measures had been undertaken by the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees. Collective centre residents were of particular concern and the Return Fund was being deployed to address this concern. Social housing supported by the Government, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental bodies had been built and there were a number of positive examples. A set of new laws was in the pipeline to reform both the public and the private housing sectors, and harmonisation of laws between the cantons and other entities was envisaged. As regard to the returning Roma, the problem was that before the war the Roma often resided in illegal or temporary accommodation, and while their rights were to be respected under the terms of the Dayton Accords, many thorny problems had arisen as to how to accommodate this housing right. In addressing domestic violence, the delegation said that there were a number of plans, strategies and laws aimed at tackling the scourge. A study had been prepared in compliance with United Nations and World Health Organization standards to build a detailed picture of the problem. One statistic showed that 40 per cent of women over the age of 15 had experienced at least one act of violence against them. Moving on to reproductive health, both constitutional entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina (that was, including the Republika Srpska) had programmes to address this matter.The delegation explained that the healthcare system in Bosnia and Herzegovina was highly decentralised and it was organized at the cantonal level. In general, however, the basic healthcare package gave free care to children under 18 and people over 60. The Republika Srbska was slightly different with free coverage for children up to 15 years. A member of the Committee had asked about early marriage and the delegation said that the law prevented minors under 18 from getting married unless a court gave its permission based on a judgement. Data collected about early marriages in the Roma population showed that while the phenomenon existed, it was not statistically significant, and Bosnia and Herzegovina had been active in analysing and monitoring this situation. Bosnia and Herzegovina had improved its success rate in tackling human trafficking through its regional approach. There was a very small number of internationally trafficked women in Bosnia and Herzegovina – just three to five identified individuals – and the problem mainly centred on forced prostitution and forced marriage in the domestic population. As for street children, it was true to say that begging, either organised or individual, was seen on the streets of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Government had undertaken research in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund into the problem and had developed social protection and care programmes to attempt to eliminate the problem. Day-care centres operated in six major towns to support street children. A large number of this population were Roma and they were compelled to work this way because of poverty. Access to safe drinking water was not a big problem for Bosnia and Herzegovina as the country had abundant reserves of pure water. However some sources had been contaminated because of the war and where this was the case, environmental protection programmes had been put in place.Turning to the elimination of the practice of operating "two schools under one roof" it had to be remembered that education was devolved to the cantons and entities, so that there were actually twelve separate ministries of education; coordination between these was therefore difficult. Since the establishment of the Ministry of Civil Affairs in 2003, five framework laws on education had been published. Responding to the recommendation put to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2012 that ethnic segregation in schools be immediately ended, the delegation said that it hoped that this reform would be carried out by the end of this year. Tackling the problem of school drop-out and non-attendance rates among the Roma, Bosnia and Herzegovina had set up a monitoring group and established an action plan; since that time the number of Roma children attending school had been creeping up. Last year 30 Roma children completed their secondary education and this had never happened before. Unfortunately, several key cultural institutions remained shuttered in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Government was well aware that this was a huge problem which it hoped to resolve at a future date.Questions from ExpertsAn Expert wondered what role schools were playing in the post-war healing process, while another pressed the issue of enforcing the desegregation of schools; how would this be done? Another Expert asked about the opportunities ethnic minorities had to participate in public life; how could this be promoted?Responses from the DelegationFollowing the Strasbourg case, the delegation said, the proposal was that there would be a constitutional reform – now being negotiated in Brussels – to change the electoral law in order to tackle the issue of the participation of ethnic minorities in public life. The complications of the constitutional arrangements of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina made this problem, as with almost every problem facing the country, especially difficult. The Government understood that Bosnia and Herzegovina had problems and it was sincerely looking for solutions. Concluding RemarksSALIHA DUDERIJA, Deputy Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, thanked the Committee for asking difficult questions to help focus efforts to improve human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Major challenges remained but the Government – that was the Council of Ministers and the entity governments - was determined to improve human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina.HEISOO SHIN, Committee Member and Country Rapporteur for Bosnia and Herzegovina, said she had mixed feelings about the presentation of the delegation because although she could see how hard Bosnia and Herzegovina was trying to live up to its human rights obligations, it was hampered by the complicated constitutional arrangements made for the country by the Dayton Accords. However, Bosnia and Herzegovina had the right to self-determination so it could address this systemic problem. Ms. Shin urged the delegation to press for the implementation of the Committee's recommendations.ZDZISLAW KEDZIA, Committee Chairperson, thanked the delegation for its sincere efforts to report the difficult human rights scenario in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nobody was perfect and a basic principle of human rights was hope that things could always be improved. Due to the continuous nature of the Committee's work, the delegation was urged to keep in touch and share as much written information as it wanted as soon as possible within the 48 hour deadline. The leadership of the delegation was praised for its efficient handling of the meeting. _________
For use of the information media; not an official record


text:
Ruth Carroll MacDougall McCartin passed away November 4, 2012 in Dana Point, Calif.
She was born in Redwood Falls December 17, 1925, attended Redwood Falls schools and graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul in 1947.
After graduation, she worked in department store advertising in St. Paul; taught first grade in Quantico, Va.; worked in newspaper display advertising in Costa Mesa, Calif. and returned to teaching in high school alternative-charter schools after attending the University of California in Irvine and the University of Indiana.
Ruth was active in the Costa Mesa Historical Society, the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society as a tour guide, the Costa Mesa Girls Club, Costa Mesa Presbyterian Church of the Covenant and Community Presbyterian Church of San Juan Capistrano.
She is survived by four sons: Michael (Catherine), Mark (Cheryl), Casey (Geri) and Duff. In addition, Ruth had nine grandchildren: Laurie, Jennifer, Megan, Cameron, Shaun, Casey, Taryn, Cheyenna, Jenni and a great-granddaughter, Paige.
Church services will take place November 15, 2012, 2 p.m. at Community Presbyterian Church in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., immediately followed by a celebration of Ruth's life at Niguel Shores Recreation Center in Monarch Beach, Calif., Food and drinks will be served.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the MacDougall-McCallum Heritage Foundation http://macdougallmccallumheritagefoundation.org, 33681 Capstan Drive, Dana Point, Cal. 92629 would be appreciated.
Location, ST | website.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Apartments' solar panels cut costs
Published: Monday, February 18, 2013 at 9:14 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, February 18, 2013 at 9:14 p.m.
The 641 solar panels installed atop Bonne Terre Village Apartments' carports last year have generated more than 150,000 kilowatts of electricity, according to property managers.
Houma's two mixed-income apartment communities for the elderly were retrofitted with the photovoltaic solar panels in late 2011 as part a national property developer and managers' renewable energy initiative.
The panels generate about 147 kilowatts of power per hour in direct sunlight, covering the cost of 50 to 60 percent of the buildings' hall lights, elevators, air-conditioning systems and other power-operated amenities, said Tim Talley, HRI Properties facilities manager.
The installation is part of a project at six residential facilities in Shreveport, New Orleans and Houma that are run by HRI Properties. The $10 million project, paid for by HRI, is expected to produce about 1.4 million kilowatt hours of solar energy per year from all its properties.
HRI representatives said it is the largest solar installation in the state.
The property owners pay a fixed rent equal to roughly 75 percent of the electricity savings, Talley said.
Melissa Ardoin, property manager of the apartments, said she isn't sure of the exact savings, but she and the other 115 Bonne Terre residents are enjoying it.
"It's working real well," Ardoin said. "It's keeping the cost down for the housing meters, and the residents are enjoying the covered parking."
It's saving at least a couple hundred dollars a month for residents' power bills, she said.
Talley said the company would like to expand its solar program to other states. It decided to launch the project in Louisiana because of the Department of Natural Resources' EmPower Louisiana program, which received $71.7 million in federal stimulus dollars in 2009. The state also offers an income tax credit for residential building owners who install wind- or solar-energy systems.
The solar panels sit atop more than 100 carports in Bonne Terre's parking lots and were installed in less than two months.
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.


text:
ProPublica: A valuable lesson on how not to run a transparency database
ProPublica: A valuable lesson on how not to run a transparency database
03.21.13 | By
I've been watching the news coverage of ProPublica's Dollars for Docs with disappointment. Why hasn't the media questioned the validity of conclusions drawn from numbers without context? Rather, many follow ProPublica's lead and paint an unsavory picture of collaboration between physicians and biopharmaceutical companies - armed only with figures and names. And then I read a Forbes column by Robert Radick. He dares to be skeptical about the database, saying its vagueness creates more questions than answers, and pushes back on "what apparently is intended to be a not-so-subtle wall of shame."
"Moving beyond such a superficial look into the complex relationships that exist in the medical industry, what is the genuine significance of all of this information? And does data about historical payments really shed any light on a doctor's professionalism, his or her commitment to patients, and the relationships between physicians, hospitals, and industry," said Radick.
Radick uses a couple of examples to illustrate just how murky a transparency database becomes without context:
- "When a physician is shown to have received $10,000 for travel, what was the purpose of the trip? Did he or she go to the British Virgin Islands for a conference in which there was one hour of consulting and otherwise a good deal of snorkeling. Or, was the trip to China for the purpose of helping fix the cleft palates of orphans? The database offers no insight into these critical distinctions."
- "When a doctor appears to have received $10,000 for speaking, was this amount paid for 20 separate talks given to clinics in underprivileged areas about the doctor's experiences treating a certain condition. Or, was the money paid for just one talk in which the doctor attempted to convince other physicians about the benefits of a specific manufacturer's product? Again, the database does not distinguish between these two very different types of payments. Thus, unless one views every single benefit given to and received by a physician or hospital as part of a cynical effort to influence the independent judgment of physicians, it is impossible to gauge whether any payments in the database are problematic, or instead appear to be reasonable, justified, and even beneficial for society as a whole."
Filling in the blanks and drawing your own conclusions can fuel the cynics (just look at Dollar for Docs) and there's no denying that those negative portrayals affect physicians. How would any of us feel about continuing to conduct work that was mischaracterized and tainted? The reality is that physicians play a vital role not only in researching and developing new medicines, but also ensuring patients have access to new medicines. Learning more about these complex collaborations is a very good thing and to do so requires that we be equipped with information - not just numbers. As CMS develops guidance on how the Sunshine database will look, we at PhRMA certainly hope they take this seriously. And until we have greater context, please visit Partners for Healthy Dialogues, which can help explain what ProPublica leaves out.


text:
Halloween is just three weeks away and Eagle Ranch wants to help area residents pluck the perfect pumpkin for the party.
On Saturday, Oct. 6, Brush Creek Park will be transformed into a pumpkin patch of plentifully preposterous proportions. The event is planned from 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. All pumpkins are priced at $5.
"Bring the whole family and find a perfect pumpkin," said organizer Erin Vega. "Plan to spend the whole morning visiting the haunted barn, carving pumpkins, playing festive fall games, enjoying pony rides, sipping cider and taking in the beautiful morning at the site of a former working ranch."
Children will also have an option to work off some of that pre-Halloween energy in four bouncy castles. A $10 fee buys an unlimited bouncing pass. While the kids play, grown-ups can peruse a silent auction benefiting the Sunshine Mountain Preschool. Food, games and fun are planned for the whole family.
For more information, please call Erin Vega at (970) 328-2172.
What's a Halloween season without a scare or two?
The Eagle Valley Middle School football program will again oblige that urge by presenting the Haunted Barn at Eagle Ranch.
The barn will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6 during the Eagle Ranch Pumpkin Patch event. The "haunting" will be age appropriate.
The Haunted Barn will also operate Friday, Oct. 26, and Saturday, Oct. 27, from 5 to 8 p.m. Admission is $4 or $10 for a three-scare pack.
For more information, call 970-331-5502.
It's that time of year again when all Medicare beneficiaries should be reviewing their Medicare supplements and prescription benefits.
Senior Medicare Specialist Kate Neuschaefer will be assisting senior citizens with what is new for the 2013 season. This includes prescription drug plans, Medicare supplements, vision and dental plans, and long-term care.
Neuschaefer will be available at the Golden Eagle Senior Center, 715 Broadway in Eagle, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, and Nov. 6. There will also be a presentation after lunch on Oct. 23 at 12:30 p.m.
For questions, call Neuschaefer at 303-810-8469. The Golden Eagle Senior Center can be reached at 719-836-3366.
The Ekahi Grill in Gypsum has new hours and is now serving breakfast.
The Hawaiian restaurant is at 116 Park St. Its new hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
"Please inquire inside for a sample of the breakfast menu," said owner Danny Woolsey.
The restaurant also does catering and can be reached at 970-524-4745.
Team Keepin 'em Real will be hosting the second annual Crawlin' To A Cure next Saturday at the Eagle County Fairgrounds.
Tickets are $10 for everyone age 6 and older.
The event will include timed laps run with all classes.
"No matter what time people show up they can see stock jeeps and race buggies," said organizer Vikki Hobbs. "The fun starts at 2 p.m. and continues to 10 p.m. and there will be food vendors and a beer tent set up for the event."
This November, Team Keepin 'em Real will be participating in the Susan G. Komen 3Day for the Cure in Phoenix. The 3Day is a 60-mile walk - 20 miles per day for three days.
"This is our fifth 3Day and we are honored to be crewing this year," said Hobbs.
This year the team will be serving lunch rather than walking 60 miles.
"We will be getting up at 4 a.m. and we will be bused to a different location each day to set up tents and serve lunch to the more than 2,000 walkers," said Hobbs. "We are all very excited because crewing means we do not have to fund raise for the walk but we know how important the funds are to those who need them, so we continue to raise money and this year we are able to keep them right here."
Team Keepin 'em Real will set up a scholarship fund for students with families affected by breast cancer. The team will also donate to Susan G. Komen Aspen Affiliate to help with life-saving tests, treatments and education in Eagle, Pitkin and Garfield counties and to the Vail Breast Cancer Group.
For anyone interested in driving in the Crawling for a Cure event, the entry fee is $100 for one class and $50 for each additional class. Competition will be divided as follows:
• Stock Class - Full body vehicles with tires up to 35 inches
• Modified Class - Full body vehicles with tires up to 40 inches
• Unlimited Class A - Any vehicles with tires 42 inches or smaller
• Unlimited Class B - Any vehicles with tires 43 inches or bigger
For the record, "Unlimited" means any vehicle. Drivers can run in Stock or Modified and Unlimited A or B, but must run the harder course. The cost to enter is $100 and $50 extra to enter an additional class. Cash prizes will be awarded for each class.
For more information about the event or Team Keepin 'em Real, call 970-524-7447 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
The Take a Swing at Cancer Golf Tournament and BBQ is Saturday, Oct. 20, at Gypsum Creek Golf Course.
Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. followed by a shotgun start at 10 a.m. Entry costs $30 per person and includes a cart, range balls and green fees. Prizes will be awarded.
A silent auction and barbecue follows the tournament. The buffet-style meal is $20 per person. A cash bar, live music and DJ entertains from 3 to 8 p.m. A special bone-marrow testing drive is also planned.
The benefit is for Eagle County Sheriff Detective Kyle Hall, who is fighting leukemia. Hall has lived in Gypsum about 12 years and served on Gypsum Town Council from 2008 to 2012.
Donations may be sent to Wells Fargo Bank in Eagle. Please specify, "In care of Kyle Hall, 2608540627."
For more information about the golf tournament, contact Gypsum Creek Golf Course at 970-524-6200.
• The next Brush Fork and Cork event at Dewey Dabbles in Art is scheduled tonight, Oct. 4. The picture is Pumpkin and Corn and $35 covers everything. Painting starts at 6:30 p.m. For more information call Jennifer at 970-328-7687 or visit www.deweydabblesinart.com. Dewey Dabbles in Art is located at 50 Chambers Ave. next to the Back Bowl.
• Eagle Ranch Fitness Club is now offering a 20 percent off all annual memberships. For more information contact Ellen Sirico at 970-328-5770.
• Denver Post columnist Rich Tosches offered a shout out to the Eagle Valley Enterprise in his Sunday column. Titled "You can't make this stuff up," Toches's column talked about various police blotter items from around the state and featured several stories from the Enterprise. We agree with his analysis. You can't make this stuff up.
Author Linda Weaver Clarke will host a Family Legacy Workshop Saturday, Oct. 6, at 1 p.m. at the Eagle Public Library.
During the two-hour workshop, Clarke will help participants turn their family histories into stories, and make ancestors come alive on paper. She will also discuss some of the most important elements of writing, including setup, characters, plot and the significance of conflict and emotion.
"This is the 'read between the dates' part of family history," says Jaci Spuhler, the Local History and Archives Librarian for the Eagle Valley Library District. "You know birth and death dates but it's the stories that come between those dates that make our ancestors memorable. Linda is just the person to help put all of this together."
Some of Linda Weaver Clarke's fiction work is available for checkout at the Eagle Public Library. She is the author of eleven fiction novels; five historical romances and four are mystery adventures. Clarke has also written two non-fiction e-books, including "Writing Your Family Legacy," published in 2011.
The Family Legacy Workshop is free but registration is necessary due to limited space. To register, call Jaci at the Eagle Public Library, 970-328-8800.
The next Alive @ 25 class is planned Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the Colorado Department of Transportation/Colorado State Patrol building in Glenwood Springs. Class begins promptly at 4:30 p.m.
Alive at 25 is a 4 1⁄2 hour driver awareness program sponsored by the Colorado State Patrol Family Foundation (501c3 nonprofit). This single-class program has proven to be the most effective driver awareness class in the United States and it demonstrates a substantially lower percentage of teen deaths compared to those who did not take this class or took another class.
The cost is $39 for those taking the class to attain their drivers permit. Those who are required to attend due to courts or other authorities have a $79 tuition. This National Safety Council multimedia class is designed specifically for those drivers (or soon to be drivers) between the ages of 14 through 24.
The program is taught by current or retired Colorado State Patrol Troopers. Successful completion of this program will result in the immediate issuance of a National Safety Council Certificate, eligibility to get a driver's permit six months early, waiver of the required six hours of behind the wheel practice with a commercial instructor, and a possible reduction in liability insurance. For further information, to sign up, or make a tuition payment, go to www.aliveat25.us or call (866) 605-3900.


text:
rogerfederer.com - Roger cruises through
Navigation with Access Keys
- [Alt + 0] - Startseite
- [Alt + 1] - Navigation
- [Alt + 2] - Inhalt
- [Alt + 3] - Kontakt
- [Alt + 4] - Sitemap
- [Alt + 5] - Suche
Language menu
© Mutua Madrid Open
Roger cruises through
11.05.2011 | Tennis, Starseite 1
Roger defeated France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-2 today to book a spot in the next round in Rome.
Roger secured an early break in the first set and had no trouble bringing it home 6-4 after 43 minutes, even though Tsonga had two chances to re-break. In the second set Roger saved seven of the seven break points he faced as he came up with great serves when necessary. After 83 minutes, Roger used his second match ball to win the match 6-4, 6-2.
Our champ will now play Richard Gasquet (ATP 16) on Thursday. The two have met nine times before and Roger is leading the head-to-head 8-1.
Congratulations Roger! Well Done!
you have played a remarkable match against nadal last week:):):) well done for that.....and you have played really well against Tsonga...common lets beat all champ....Allah bless you always and loads of love for you.
Go go gO Roger
i believe you Always
i love you
i believe you Always
i love you
Roger, excelente inicio, esta es una muy buena oportunidad para recuperar terreno, estoy seguro que tu lo puedes hacer, buena suerte
Congratulations on your win and such a good score. You must have played well.
Good luck and keep up with the good work. You have my support as always, win or lose!
Good luck and keep up with the good work. You have my support as always, win or lose!
Congrats and good luck roger
Just want to wish you... GOOD LUCK... against Gasquet this afternoon.
Some very nice shots during the match! Keep up the good work and most of all ENJOY the tennis.
Wonderful play continued.
Really, it's charmed by your play, right?
Please keep your game.
Go to win. Good luck!!
Really, it's charmed by your play, right?
Please keep your game.
Go to win. Good luck!!
CONGRATS Roger! Great to hear that you won ur match! I am sure it was great. Best of luck for the next round. GO ROGER!!!!!


text:
Good morning and welcome to Summit Up, the world's only daily column that's feeling a bit ducky today for some reason.
To the right is cute li'l Logan Sternfeld. This 3-year-old loves ducks and she especially loves visiting Summit County to see her grandparents. This year she was thrilled to win first place in The Summit Foundation's annual Rubber Duck Kids' Race. As you can tell by the photo, "Miss Pink" was the winning duck this year.
We figure better late than never. That's all folks. We out.


text:
Lady Gaga will be making her long-awaited guest appearance on the twenty-third season finale of The Simpsons, "Lisa Goes Gaga," which is set to air Sunday, May 20th.
According to show's synopsis, the plot will revolve around Lady Gaga coming to Springfield "to cheer up a dejected and depressed Lisa." Gaga's appearance was first revealed almost a year ago.
Back in August she exclaimed that her cameo was "one of the coolest things that [she] has ever done." Considering she's pretty much a walking cool-thing-doer, that probably as high a praise as you might expect to get.
[video via Joe My God]


text:
Two years and nearly 55 million views later, Dan Rice of Hadouken! returns with the long-awaited sequel to his viral sensation, "People Are Awesome."
Consisting of 75 clips of people being awesome, the 2013 compilation also includes at least two CGI-assisted tricks that were culled from commercials.
Asked why, Rice responded, "I just like seeing people getting worked up about it in the comments, some people just want to watch the world burn."
[H/T: Reddit]


text:
POSITION: Right Wing
SHOOTS: Left
BIRTHPLACE: Vantaa, FIN
DRAFTED: CHI: 2001-9 overall
|Missed majority of 2005-06 due to back (October 15, 2005 at San Jose) and ankle (January 8, 2006 vs. Nashville) injuries. Traded to Carolina by Chicago for Andrew Ladd, February 26, 2008. Missed majority of 2012-13 due to recurring hip injury and resulting surgery, January 18, 2013. Traded to New Jersey by Carolina for Andrei Loktionov and future considerations, March 5, 2014.
Tuomo and his wife, Emilia, have a one-year-old daughter… Tuomo is involved with the children's organization Plan International… Tuomo's brother, Jarkko, plays for Jokerit in Finland, and his cousin, Hanno Möttölä, played basketball at the University of Utah and in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks… Tuomo's first youth team was Vantaa EVU, when he was 5 years old, and his favorite player growing up was Mario Lemieux… He says his "whole family" had the biggest impact on his career… Tuomo also played soccer and ran long-distance events in track and field growing up… He speaks English, Finnish, Swedish and some German and says his favorite vacation spots are Norway and Iceland… Tuomo collects CDs of 1980s hair bands and says his favorite movie is Dances with Wolves… His favorite meal is the traditional Finnish meal of reindeer and mashed potatoes… Tuomo enjoys the novels of Paulo Coelho and his biggest talent outside of hockey is soccer… The person he would most like to meet is Nelson Mandela… His favorite holiday is Christmas and his first job was in retail at a clothing store… He wears the number 15 because it was his number with the Finnish national team… His most memorable goal was his score in the final of the World Cup of Hockey against Canada and his most memorable hockey moment was winning the 2011 II HF World Championship with Finland… His all-time favorite teammate is his brother and his favorite thing about playing professional hockey is spending time with his teammates… Tuomu's favorite website is yle.fi and his favorite restaurant in the Triangle is Sitti… His favorite road city is Montreal, favorite road arena is Bell Centre in Montreal and favorite team to play against is Montreal.
Completed his ninth NHL season and sixth with the Hurricanes, appearing in just 17 games… Totaled four goals and five assists (9 points) and eight penalty minutes… Missed the first 29 games of the season while recovering from hip surgery… Made his season debut vs. NJ (3/21)… Earned his first point of the season and 300th career NHL point with an assist on Jordan Staal's third-period goal at TOR (3/28)… Earned a pair of helpers at WPG (3/30)… Fired a season-high four shots on net vs. TB (4/4)… Registered a season-high seven hits vs. NYR (4/6)… Scored two goals at WPG (4/18)… Earned his 200th Hurricanes point with a goal at PIT (4/27)… Earned five points in the last six games of the season (4/18-4/27: 4g, 1a)… Games missed due to injury: 31 (hip: 1/19-3/19; lower-body: 4/1-4/2)… Longest goal streak: 2 games (4/25-4/27: 2g, 0a)… Longest assist streak: 2 games (3/28- 3/30: 0g, 3a)… Longest point streak: 3 games (4/23-4/27: 2g, 1a)… Multigoal games: 1 (4/18 at WPG: 2g, 0a)… Multi-assist games: 1 (3/30 at WPG: 0g, 2a)… Multi-point games: 2 (last: 4/18 at WPG: 2g, 0a).
Is in his 10th NHL season and seventh with Carolina… Agreed to a four-year contract with the Hurricanes on 2/22/12 that runs through the 2015-16 season… Has represented Finland at 10 major international tournaments, including the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, when Finland earned bronze… Served as an assistant captain and led his team in scoring, helping Finland capture a bronze medal at the 2000 Under-18 World Junior Championship… Won a silver medal at the 2001 Under-20 World Junior Championship and a bronze at the 2002 Under-20 World Junior Championship… Served as team captain at the 2003 Under-20 World Junior Championship and led the tournament in scoring (10 points), helping Finland capture the bronze medal… Represented Finland at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, as well as the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011 II HF World Championships… Was third among all skaters in goals (6) at the 2011 World Championship, leading Finland to the gold medal.
1999-00: Spent the majority of the season with HIFK Helsinki's Under-20 team in the Finnish Junior League, recording 11 goals and 16 assists (27 points) in 35 regular-season games… Played in one game with HIFK Helsinki of the Finnish Elite League (SM-Liiga).
2000-01: Was the youngest player in the Finnish Elite League, recording 11 goals and 11 assists (22 points) in 47 games for Jokerit… Appeared in five playoff games for Jokerit before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
2001-02: Totaled 23 points (7g, 16a) in 51 games with Jokerit… Served as an assistant captain… Played in 10 postseason contests, tallying six assists and registering 29 penalty minutes in helping Jokerit capture the SM-Liiga Championship… Selected as The Hockey News No. 1 NHL-affiliated prospect in the world in 2002 by a panel of NHL executives in the publication's 14th Annual Future Watch edition.
2002-03: Skated in 30 games for HIFK Helsinki of the Finnish Elite League, totaling 27 points (12g, 15a) and 24 penalty minutes… Suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-January… Named by The Hockey News as the top player in the world not playing in the NHL during the 2002-03 season.
2003-04: Played his first season of hockey in North America, joining the Chicago Blackhawks… Led the team in goals with 23… Ranked tied for first among Blackhawks skaters in power-play goals (10) and led the team in game-winning goals (3)… Among NHL rookies, ranked third in goals (23), tied for fifth in assists (21), third in points (44), tied for first in power-play goals (10), tied for second in power-play points (17), third in shots (174) and third in shooting percentage (13.2%)… Was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for March after tallying 16 points (8g, 8a) in 15 games… His 16 points in March were the most by any NHL rookie in a single month during the 2003-04 season… Notched 39 points (21g, 18a) in the final 46 games of the season… Was one of four Blackhawks to play in all 82 games… Represented Chicago and the Western Conference at the 2003 NHL YoungStars Game during All-Star Weekend… Made his NHL debut vs. MIN (10/8)… Scored his first NHL goal/point, beating Chris Mason vs. NSH (10/19)… Earned his first NHL assist vs. CGY (11/12)… Earned his first NHL multi-goal game with a pair of goals at CGY (1/30)… Had three points in a game three times (2/19 at SJ, 2/25 at CBJ, 3/11 at NJ).
2004-05: Appeared in six games for Finland at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, tallying three points (1g, 2a)… Did not play professionally during the season.
2005-06: Appeared in only 15 games due to back and ankle injuries, registering five points (2g, 3a) and 31 penalty minutes… Missed 25 games with a sore back and 37 games with a partially-severed tendon in his ankle, suffered vs. NSH (1/8).
2006-07: Appeared in 71 games, recording 38 points (17g, 21a)… Led the Blackhawks with 156 hits… Suffered a sprained knee during a preseason game at CBJ (9/22) and missed the first 10 games of the regular season… Played his 100th NHL game and scored Chicago's only goal vs. NJ (11/9).
2007-08: Split the season between Chicago and Carolina, as the Hurricanes acquired him at the trading deadline in exchange for Andrew Ladd… Had four goals and seven assists (11 points) in 17 games with Carolina after being acquired from the Blackhawks… Was second on the team in hits (171) and tied for third among Hurricanes forwards in plus/minus (+4)… Prior to the trade, had six goals and 15 assists (21 points) and 75 penalty minutes in 60 games played with Chicago… Earned his 100th career NHL point with a goal vs. LA (12/12)… Played his 200th career game at OTT (12/22)… Made his Hurricanes debut vs. NJ (2/26), earning an assist and leaving the game in the third with facial lacerations for which he received approximately 40 stitches… Scored his first goal with the Hurricanes and assisted on Staal's goal vs. TB (3/1).
2008-09: Established his career high in goals (26)… Ranked second among Hurricanes in goals (26) and third in points (54)… Was second on the team in power-play goals (10)… Led the team in penalty minutes (79)… Led all Hurricanes and ranked 10th in the NHL in hits (228)… Was selected by the Carolina media as the winner of the 2008-09 "Good Guy Award," given for cooperation with the local media… Established a new career high for points in a game with five (2g, 3a) at TB (3/7)… Completed his first NHL playoff season, skating in 16 of Carolina's 18 postseason contests… Ranked fourth on the team in hits in the playoffs (54)… Made his NHL playoff debut in Game 1 at NJ (4/15)… Assisted on Staal's goal for his first career playoff point in Game 4 vs. NJ (4/21)… Scored his first career playoff goal in Game 7 vs. NJ (4/28)… Assisted onJokinen's overtime game winner in Game 3 vs. BOS (5/6).
2009-10: Ranked tied for fifth among Hurricanes in goals (14) and second in hits (156) despite missing 28 games due to injury or suspension… Played in his 100th game with the Hurricanes and earned his first points of the season with a goal and an assist vs. FLA (10/9)… Had a goal and an assist and was assessed a boarding major and a game misconduct at COL (10/23)… Was suspended for three games (10/24-10/31) for a hit on Darcy Tucker at COL (10/23)… Established a new career-high with four assists and scored the game-deciding goal in the shootout vs. TOR (11/19)… Earned his first career hat trick with three goals on four shots and was (+2) vs. DA L (12/16)… Returned to action on Tuomo Ruutu bobblehead night after missing 15 games and netted an empty-net goal vs. FLA (2/9)… Earned his 200th career NHL point with an assist vs. BUF (2/11)… Earned an assist vs. BOS (3/16) for his 100th point with the Hurricanes… Had season-ending surgery on 3/25.
2010-11: Established new career highs in points (57) and assists (38) in a season… Ranked second among Hurricanes skaters in assists (38) and third in points (57)… Led the Hurricanes and ranked second in the NHL in hits (309)… Played in all 82 games of the season for the first time since his rookie year in 2003-04… Netted his first goal of the season vs. MIN (10/8) in the second game of the 2010 NHL Premiere in his home country of Finland… Scored his 100th career NHL goal and added an assist vs. WSH (12/26)… Had a four-point game with a goal and three assists vs. NJ (1/1)… Played in his 200th game with the Hurricanes at NYI (1/26)… Set a new career high with his 29th assist vs. ATL (2/5)… Had 10 points (2g, 8a) and was (+5) in the season's final 11 games.
2011-12: Was fourth on the team in goals (18) and fifth in points (34)… Led all Hurricanes skaters in hits (151) despite missing 10 games due to injury… Earned his 100th Hurricanes assist vs. NYR (12/1)… Extended his point streak to a career-high six games and scored a goal for his career-best fourth consecutive game at PIT (12/27)… Played in his 500th NHL game at TB (12/31)… Played in his 300th career Hurricanes game vs. WPG (3/30)… Scored the gamewinning, power-play goal at OTT (4/3)… Games missed due to injury: 10 (upper body: 2/17-3/7)


text:
The Right Call
PHS teacher gets another chance
May 9, 2013
If everyone deserves a second chance, then rehiring Parkersburg High School physical education teacher Jesse Young was the right thing to do....
The "Bad Box" should have lost her teaching license pure and simple. This Harlem Shake controversy is nonsense.
1 Agrees | 2 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Both teachers deserve another chance. End of story. Rodney I am sure you are perfect in every way. So you can probably say that. I'll bet Mr. Youngs conduct and professionalizm changes now though. It better he will not get another chance after the, eat your own, parents get to him.
2 Agrees | 4 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
It was the wrong call. Especially since it was a sexual-laced incident. Why do all of the rest of the teachers have to sign a Code of Conduct agreement, as this guy did, but he gets off for his behavior. The BOE has set a precedent, they are just too PC to notice it. Next comes the Bad Kid Fort teacher. Does she deserve the same treatment? Time will tell. One squeaky wheel just got greased, but there are other wheels out there. This incident has made Wood County Schools a JOKE statewide. If the proper decision had been made, everyone would not have been pleased, but the system would have gained some respect for doing the right thing. Make no mistake---there are some out there who think what he did is OK. That is the problem. There are no absolutes in society anymore--just shades of gray. The excuse that he is just a bit older than his students is pure bull. Teachers are NOT students' friends. They can be friendly, but cannot be friends. He has a lot to learn.
6 Agrees | 3 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Showing 3 of 3 comments


text:
There are at least two juicy specimens in the traditional operatic repertoire that most people would consider candidates for the title of Best Beginner's Opera. The qualifications? Start with a gorgeous, accessible score, full of tuneful arias that take up permanent lodging in the memory bank. And all that ear candy has to be harnessed in service to a high-stakes drama full of passion, betrayal, desperation, etc., with turns of plot relatively free of those unlikely developments and last-minute reversals that set the eyeballs to rolling in some other operas.
Georges Bizet's melody-rich "Carmen" is the front-runner for a lot of folks, what with its steamy seduction scene, outbursts of jealous rage and that dagger-to-the-rib cage denouement. Even though the music is undeniably memorable, it can get a little bit draggy, with four acts stretching out over 3½ hours.
Less of a challenge for the uninitiated is my personal pick, Giacomo Puccini's masterpiece, "Tosca." It has a fast-moving, credible plot propelled by political intrigue, romance, sadistic cruelty, courage under torture, vengeance and treachery, and it clocks in at two hours and 40 minutes, tops. Best of all, the music is unforgettable, from the ominous, downward-stabbing chords that open it through some of the most glorious, heart-rending arias ever written ("Vissi d' arte" for the soprano, "Recondita armonia" and "E lucevan le stelle" for the tenor).
If you wrap that all up in a package that includes great staging and top talent in the starring roles, then you've got all the ingredients that could conceivably make a convert out of a newbie operagoer.
Hope is aflutter, then, for San Francisco Opera's production of "Tosca," which will feature two world-famous sopranos alternating in the title role throughout the 12-performance run, which opens Thursday in War Memorial Opera House. Our first Floria Tosca is the gifted Romanian Angela Gheorghiu, who will sing opposite tenor Massimo Giordano as Mario Cavaradossi for six performances, with baritone Roberto Frontali as the thuggish sexual predator Scarpia.
Also cast as Tosca is acclaimed soprano and longtime S.F. Opera favorite Patricia Racette, who begins her run Friday night, with up-and-coming tenor Brian Jagde, a third-year Adler Fellow, as her Cavaradossi and baritone Mark Delavan -- also an S.F. Opera stalwart -- as Scarpia. S.F. Opera music director Nicola Luisotti conducts the performances of the Thierry Bosquet-designed production, which is directed by Jose Maria Condemi.
Details: Through Dec. 2 at 301 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. Tickets, $22-$340, are at 415-864-3330 and www.sfopera.com.
ORNAMENTAL SONG: Boston-based sopranos Kathryn Mueller and Kristin Watson, known as the duo Les Sirènes, make their West Coast debut this weekend on the San Francisco Early Music Society's concert lineup, with a program titled "Virtuosi Italiani: The Florid Style of Monteverdi and Handel." Accompanied by Cora Swenson on cello and Michael Sponseller on harpsichord, they will perform arias and duets written in the highly embellished Baroque style that Claudio Monteverdi made popular in the 1600s and Georg Friedrich Handel brought to polished perfection a century later. They appear first at 8 p.m. Friday at Palo Alto's First Lutheran Church and move to Berkeley's St. John's Presbyterian Church for Saturday's 7:30 p.m. concert, winding up Sunday at 4 p.m. at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in San Francisco. Tickets, $30-$35, may be purchased at the door or through www.sfems.org.
ANOTHER PLUCKY DUO: João Luiz and Douglas Lora met 15 years ago as teenage guitar students in São Paulo and have been performing worldwide as the Brasil Guitar Duo ever since. They concentrate on expanding the repertoire for two guitars, with Lora composing and Luiz arranging classical and Brazilian works for the combined instruments. Hear some of the results at 8 p.m. Saturday when they perform in the Green Room of the War Memorial Performing Arts Center at 401 Van Ness Ave., in San Francisco. Tickets, $34, are available at 415-242-4500 or www.omniconcerts.com.
IF YOU'VE GOT IT, FLAUT IT: She's only 16, but Pleasanton's Foothill High School student Annie Wu last year became the youngest performer in the 33-year history of the National Flute Association to win its solo competition. She piled up major cred in Europe this summer, playing in Vienna, Berlin and other venues. She will be guest soloist for the Diablo Symphony's 4 p.m. Sunday concert in the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, playing the Ibert Flute Concerto. Matilda Hofman, Diablo's new conductor, will also lead the orchestra in works by Mozart, Verdi, Brahms, Barber and Chabrier. Tickets, $10-$25, are available at 925-943-7469 or www.lesherartscenter.org.
Contact Sue Gilmore at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
I've had a Ching Sniper in my bag for 6 years until tonight ..... a case of grip lock sailed it into the Winnebago River. I really liked this disc for my long approach shots.
Is anyone familiar with the profile of this disc and knows if it is molded by someone else under a different name -or- if it is close to another disc that is still on the market? I already checked e-bay and there was not a Ching Sniper to be found.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks


text:
Top 24 most significant moments in Henrico history
Jolfe Rolfe cultivates tobacco at Varina Farm
Citie of Henricus established
Patrick Henry's 'Give me liberty' speech
Henrico voters reject merger with City of Richmond
County manager form of government established
Seven Days Battles
Bacon's Rebellion
Henrico opts to maintain its own roads
Interstate 64 constructed through Henrico
Gabriel's Rebellion
Pocahontas and John Rolfe marry
Battle of New Market Heights
First hospital in North America built at Henricus
Henrico, VA mailing address approved
Plans for first university in North America drawn
Virginia Randolph's contributions to education
HCPS begins one-to-one laptop initiative
Innsbrook Corporate Center constructed
County earns triple AAA bond rating
City of Richmond surrendered to Union at Tree Hill Farm
Richmond International Raceway built in Henrico
Short Pump Town Center built
USS Henrico deployed
Richmond International Airport built in Henrico
Free children's clothing for those in need
The Children's Clothing Closet at Highland Springs United Methodist Church will be open Saturday, Aug. 27 and Tuesday, Aug. 30 to provide free new or nearly new children's clothing for families in need, prior to the start of the school year. The Clothing Closet will be open from 10 a.m. to noon both days. The church is located at 22 North Holly Avenue. > Read more.
Local choral group seeks volunteers
Citizen Staff Reports 07/18/2016
Good Vibrations choral group is looking for all voices with some musical experience to sing with the volunteer choir. The season runs from August to November. Genre includes patriotic and inspirational. > Read more.
Weekend Top 10
It's a great weekend to get outside! The Pocahontas Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society is offering two events this weekend. Accompany the group to find and document native plants present and blooming in Echo Lake Park on Saturday or take a "Sunday Stroll" at Dorey Park to observe the seasonal changes taking place. Other outdoor events this weekend include the final summer concert at West Broad Village and "Fridays on the Patio" at James River Cellars Winery in Glen Allen. If you're going to be outside, don't forget the insect repellent! To learn more about avoiding those pesky mosquitos, check out Henrico County's "Fight-the-Bite TODAY" event tomorrow. For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.
Business in brief
Holton campaigns for Clinton, Kaine in Henrico
Main Street Group names new VP
National Parenting Center issues Fall Seal of Approval report
Henrico man dies in Dinwiddie crash
- More News
Print Edition
Aug. 18, 2016Click here to read the print edition.
Weekend Top 10
Restaurant Watch
Cultural Arts Center announces 2016 fall class schedule
Weekend Top 10
Weekend Top 10
- More Entertainment
Obituary – Dora Burnett Bowles
Obituary – Phyllis Dinwiddie Hobbs
Obituary – Jerry Lee Carper
- More Obituaries
Free children's clothing for those in need
Local choral group seeks volunteers
County plans Fourth of July event
- More Community
Storm woes for e-junkies
'Good old days' were good – for some
Of character and parenting
- More Opinions
RIR to admit children 12 and younger free next year
Henrico teams win district, state championships
Varina HS to host Basketball Skill Development Academy June 20-23
- More Sports
Reader Survey | Advertising | Email updates
Place an Ad | More Classifieds
CalendarThe film "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice" (rated PG-13) will play at 7 p.m. Sept. 2 and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Henrico Theatre,… Full text


text:
There are hundreds of different materials that are used to construct many different styles and types of gloves. To ensure maximum performance and durability, we recommend the following glove styles for the tasks listed. Click here to determine your glove size.
Glove Sizing Chart
To obtain your glove size, use a tape measure to find the circumference of your hand around the palm. This measurement, in inches, is your glove size. If the measure is 10", specify 10 or L (Large).


text:
Kevin Martin will not play against the Suns on Sunday due to flu-like symptoms.
Mario Chalmers (Achilles) has been cleared to return to the court.
Marc Gasol (foot) said all indications show that his foot is healing as expected.
Stan Van Gundy said that Andre Drummond must "do what it takes on the mental level to get himself ready to play every night."
Festus Ezeli had his left knee injected with a bone marrow aspirate concentrate on Tuesday, and he will be sidelined for the next six weeks.
Lakers sign F Brandon Ingram.
Kevin Durant was brilliant in Team USA's 96-66 win over Serbia on Sunday, going 10-of-19 from the field and 5-of-6 from the stripe on his way to 30 points.
Pau Gasol scored 31 points to lead Spain past Australia for the Bronze medal on Sunday.
According to Sixers coach Brett Brown, Joel Embiid (foot) is on track to play in preseason games.
Doc Rivers believes DeAndre Jordan is primed to have a breakout season.
Doc Rivers is confident that the Clippers will be able to retain both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin for the long haul.
John Wall (knee surgeries) is still hopeful that he will be ready for opening night.


text:
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M – Corpus Christi baseball team picked up a dramatic walk-off win in the first game, and came back to win more comfortably in the second as they took a pair from Nebraska Omaha by 3-2 and 7-2 finals to finish the weekend at Chapman Field.
The Islanders are now 3-1 on the year after splitting the first two games against the Mavericks yesterday, and then coming back for the Sunday sweep to open the year. UNO is now 1-3 on the season after the season-opening series.
In game one, Trevor Foss cruised early, but gave up the tying runs in the fifth to even the score at 2-2. Tanner Green came on in relief, pitching the final two innings to pick up the win and move to 1-0 on the year. Jake Dziubczynski started game two, but ran into trouble in the fourth, as the Islanders used five pitchers in the game as freshman Matt Danton earned the victory in relief to improve to 1-0.
The first game saw a scoreless affair until the fourth inning, when the Islanders plated two to take the first lead of the contest. Eric Weiss, getting the start behind the plate, led off with a double down the left field line and Brad Porras walked to put runners on first and second. A fly out by Bobby Buckner to right allowed Weiss to move to third and put runners on the corners.
The first run came in a somewhat unconventional way, as Weiss came home on a balk call that also moved Porras to second and made it a 1-0 contest. Weston Montgomery then singled down the right field line for his first RBI of the year, with Porras rounding third and crossing the plate for a 2-0 margin.
The advantage was short lived however, as Foss ran into trouble in the next half-inning, giving up two runs on four hits to get knocked out of the game. Reliever Franco Pace came in and extinguished the rally; striking out the only batter he faced to preserve the 2-2 tie.
The score remained the same until the bottom half of the seventh inning. Due to the doubleheader, the first game was only scheduled for seven innings and the Islanders looked to keep it from going into extras. The frame started off with Sciantarelli walking and moving over to third on a Kyle Danford double to put runners on second and third with no outs. That brought Jeramie Marek to the plate for what would be a walk-off single to center field over the head of the fielder. Sciantarelli came home to immediately end the game in a 3-2 final for Texas A&M – Corpus Christi.
Game two saw significantly more scoring that any of the previous games, as the Islanders grabbed an early lead after scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. Sciantarelli got the rally going in the first, singling through the right side and moving to second on a walk issued to Weiss. Buckner followed with a single to center that scored Sciantarelli and moved Weiss to second base. Buckner the used his speed to beat out the throw at second to load the bases as Danford reached on a fielder's choice. Marc Damon then drove in his first run of the year on a fielder's choice, bringing home Weiss with the RBI while an error on the second baseman brought in Buckner to make it a 3-0 game.
UNO finally answered back in the top of the fifth, scoring two runs on four hit and one error to make it 3-2, but the Islanders once again answered with three more runs to make it 6-2.
Santiago Ruiz started things off with a single up the middle, but was eliminated when Drew Vest put down a failed sacrifice bunt attempt that kept just one runner on first. Marek followed with a single to move Vest to second, then Sciantarelli grounded out to first, which moved each runner up a base.
Weiss reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases as the UNO pitcher looked Vest back to third base instead of getting the out at first, and then the floodgates opened. Buckner walked to bring in Vest for an RBI, and Danford followed with a single up the middle to plate two runs and make it a 6-2 game.
Texas A&M – Corpus Christi added one more run in the sixth, as Stafford Brantley walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then advanced to third on a putout, while also coming home on the same play, courtesy of an error by the pitcher.
That finished the scoring at 7-2 and put the Islanders firmly in control. Dziubczynski got the start in the game and pitched well early on before running into trouble in the fifth. Four Islander relievers came on and combined to give up just one hit in 4.2 innings of work while striking out three and walking none.
For the Islanders, Danford, Marek and Buckner each picked up two hits on the day, while Vest, Sciantarelli, Weiss, Ruiz, Montgomery and Omar Garcia each had one. Danford and Buckner had two RBI, while Marek, Montgomery and Damon had one apiece.
Next up for Texas A&M – Corpus Christi will be a Tuesday evening match against Houston at Cougar Baseball Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with the Islanders and the Cougars squaring off in the only game this season between the two teams.
For all the latest on Islanders Baseball, like the team on Facebook (Islanders Baseball), follow them on Twitter (@CorpusBaseball) and visit www.GoIslanders.com.


text:
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012
WARREN COUNTY, Ga. -- Warren County and Hancock Central high schools will play each other in football Friday night for the first time since a fight after last year's game.
The details of the security plan for the game have been released.
Deputies from Warren and McDuffie counties will be assigned to each team. Fans will not be allowed to walk from one side of the stadium to the other. If fans decide to leave the stadium, they will not be allowed back in. Hancock Central players will arrive in their uniforms, so they will not have to go into the locker room.
Last year's fight happened when the two teams were returning to the locker rooms after the game. Warren County players said Hancock Central players ambushed them and began fighting.
Warren County Coach David Daniel had serious head injuries after being attacked. Daniel retired before the 2012 season to focus on his health.


text:
Smoked Salmon Cheesecake
As our readers may recall, we've partnered with Viking Cooking School a division of Viking Range Corporation, which originated commercial-type appliances for the home. Viking cooking classes are currently offered in 17 cities around the U.S.
As part of this partnershipdescribed in our joint July 13, 2011 press releaseselected cooking classes at the Ridgeland, Mississippi, Viking Cooking School will feature wild seafood provided by Vital Choice.
Viking chefs are also providing us with selected recipes for our readers, and today's Smoked Salmon Cheesecake recipe would make a crowd-pleasing appetizer for your Thanksgiving feast!
Since that is a very busy day, you probably should make it in advance. Allow at least 10 hours for preparing it: 2 hours for baking and cooling, and 8 hours for chilling. Store it tightly covered in the refrigerator up to 3 day ahead of serving, or freeze it for up to one month.
Chef Senn offers these secrets for producing a creamy, crack-free cheesecake:
Smoked Salmon Cheesecake
Serves 12
Crust ingredients
Organic extra virgin olive oil, macadamia nut oil, or canola oil, for oiling pan
4 oz finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 cup)
1 cup fine breadcrumbs (unseasoned)
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's® Famous Creole Seasoning*)
1 teaspoon organic black pepper, or to taste
1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons), melted
Custard ingredients
2 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's® Famous Creole Seasoning*)
1/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds cream cheese (not low-fat), brought to room temperature
2 tablespoons cake flour
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 teaspoons finely minced lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
3/4 cup sour cream (not low-fat)
4 large eggs
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus extra sprigs for garnish
8 oz cold-smoked wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, very finely chopped
* Tony Chachere's® Famous Creole Seasoning is available in the spice section of many grocery stores or online at foodlocker.com or cajungrocer.com.
Serving ingredients
8 oz cold-smoked wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, very thinly sliced
2 oz wild Alaskan salmon caviar (optional)
1/3 cup very finely diced red onions
1/4 cup capers, drained (optional)
1 large hard-boiled egg, yolk and white separated and very finely diced
Pumpernickel bagel chips or toast points
Special equipment
9-inch springform pan
Crust instructions
Custard instructions
Serving instructions
Serving suggestion
If you prefer, unmold the cheesecake onto a cake stand, and garnish the top with salmon rosettes and fresh dill sprigs. Serve guests buffet-style with additional garnish on the side.
Check out these customer favorites


text:
Home > Catalog > All > DE0025
To view other courses in this category, use the "Previous" and "Next" buttons.
To select this course and request approval, please login.
Need more help reading this page?
This online course presents current information regarding alcoholism and fetal alcohol syndrome, as well as the dental management of patients affected by alcoholism. This interactive program includes a presentation of information on specific topics followed by practice in the form of multiple-choice and true/false questions. This format provides you with immediate feedback to reinforce key learning concepts for different topics, and prepare you for the final quiz.
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to: 1. Define alcoholism and its effects on different body systems. 3. Discuss contraindications of medciations for the alcoholic patient. 4. Identify considerations when treating patients with alcohol problems. 5. Describe fetal alcohol syndrome [FAS] and fetal alcohol effect [FAE]. 6. List considerations when treating patients with FAS/FAE. 7. Explain the purpose and components of CAGE questionnaire.
It is the policy of the Indian Health Service, Division of Oral
Health, that faculty/planners disclose any financial or other relationships with commercial companies whose products may be discussed in the educational activity.
The Indian Health Service, Division of Oral Health, also requires that faculty disclose any unlabeled or investigative use of pharmaceutical products and medical devices.
Images that have been falsified or manipulated to misrepresent treatment outcomes are prohibited.
None of the faculty/planners for this activity has a conflict of interest, and there is no use of unlabeled or investigative pharmaceutical products or medical devices.
No images have been falsified or manipulated to misrepresent treatment outcomes.The educational objectives, content, and selection of educational methods and instructors are conducted
independent of any commercial entity.
Concerns or complaints about this course may be directed to Mary Beth Kinney or to ADA CERP (http://www.ada.org/goto/cerp).
None. Course developed February, 2011.
Tuition must be paid in full 8 weeks prior to the start date of any course. Request for refunds must be received in writing at
least two weeks before the course begins. For each refund request, there will be an administrative charge of $100. No refunds will be made to registrants who fail to attend a course.
If IHS CDE program cancels a course, then 100% of the tuition will be refunded.
My CDE | Catalog |
Help |
If you have any questions about this site please email: Mary Beth Kinney
This website may require you to download plug-ins to view all content.
Accessibility · Disclaimer · FAQs · Website
Privacy Policy · Plain Writing Act · Freedom
of Information Act · HIPAA · No Fear · Contact
Indian Health Service (HQ) - 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857 - Find a Mail Stop


text:
On Aug. 4, 2012, an excited and nervous Carolyn Canfield, of Marietta, placed a call to Phoenix resident Donna Silvius.
Not recognizing the phone number nor the name the woman left on her voicemail, Silvius didn't respond at first.
"I thought, 'I don't need insurance,'" Silvius, 74, said with a laugh Monday.
Article Photos
Photo courtesy of Carolyn Canfield
Marietta resident Carolyn Canfield, left, hugs her sister, Donna Silvius, at the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix prior to boarding a flight home on March 25.
But it had taken Canfield, 59, more than three decades to find Silvius and she couldn't stand to wait much longer. She called back an hour later and, again emphasizing her maiden name of Warner, left a more insistent message.
"I'm going to call you until you call me or the police come to my house and tell me not to call you anymore," Canfield said.
Four minutes later, her phone rang.
"And all of a sudden," Canfield recalled with tears welling in her eyes, "there's a voice at the other end of your phone, and it's your sister."
Now, barely a day goes by that the women, both daughters of the late Carl William Warner, a native of Parkersburg who later moved to Marietta, aren't in communication.
"I'm on the phone all the time," said Canfield, an advertising sales representative at The Marietta Times. "Every morning before I leave to come to work, I send her a message. And by the time I get to work," Silvius has sent one back.
On March 20, they met in person for the first time, at the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix.
"It just confirmed everything," Silvius said. "It brought us closer, I think, to be able to see and touch a sister that you'd never seen before, that you didn't know you had."
Silvius was born Donna Sue Warner in 1938 in Parkersburg. About a year later, in a time when divorce was not so common, her mother left her father and Donna never saw him again, nor heard much about him.
But Carl Warner did not forget about his daughter. After serving in World War II, he remarried, and in the 1970s enlisted the aid of his second daughter, Carolyn, to track down the older sister she'd never known. They were unsuccessful, but before he died in 1988, he asked her to continue her search.
"He wanted her to know that he loved her," Canfield said.
The search became a passion for Canfield, albeit a frustrating one.
"I was getting nowhere," she said. "I had little tidbits that we'd collected over the years but ... nothing connected."
The trail wasn't easy to follow.
Silvius' mother, Ruby Delores Phillips, remarried in Elkins, W.Va., and the family eventually moved to Maryland. When Silvius was 21, the family headed west to Arizona. Before they did, Alby Phillips, the man who raised her and who she will always call "Daddy," told her the name of her biological father.
"It wasn't a sad story. It was just surprising," Silvius said. "I knew I was a Warner, but I didn't pursue it."
Silvius, who had no knowledge of her father's life and family after he and her mother separated, lived in Alaska and California before returning to Arizona more than 30 years ago. She married twice, the name changes further covering tracks she didn't know anyone was trying to follow.
Canfield's husband, Cliff, bought his wife a subscription to Ancestry.com for her birthday in February 2012. After several months of searching, she found Ruby and Alby Phillips' marriage license from Elkins.
Having a surname led to her next step - calling every Phillips she could find listed in Elkins.
Finally, she made contact with a niece of Alby Phillips. They talked for about a month, but the woman couldn't recall Donna's married name.
One day though, she found a photograph, taken more than 20 years earlier and mailed to her by a cousin, one of Donna's sisters. On the back were the names of everyone pictured.
"Then I Googled her," Canfield said. "And bam! There she was, her phone number, her address, everything I needed."
Although she'd been searching for so long, Canfield said she took a day to think it over. Eventually, she decided it might be important for Silvius too, to have this connection made.
Silvius admits she was skeptical at first. After all, she didn't know she had another sister to find.
"Part of me believed her, but there was doubt," Silvius said.
To back up her claim, Canfield sent documents and photos. The latter sealed the deal.
"Then I see her picture and I think, 'Oh my goodness, we're related.' She's a ... smaller version of me," Silvius said.
Talking on the phone and spending six days together last month only reinforced what genealogical documents and pictures told them.
"She is a very sensitive, intelligent, outspoken woman. And so am I," Silvius said, before adding with a chuckle, "Well, I am a relatively intelligent woman."
During Canfield's visit to Phoenix, the reunited sisters continued their conversations about their lives, details large and small, and sharing photographs.
"We cried, and we held each other," Canfield said of that first day. "And then we cried, and then we laughed, and then we held each other."
The cycle was broken when Silvius' other two sisters, who Canfield said have welcomed her into the family, came to take them to dinner. They ended up eating a lot, Silvius said, as various members of her family came to visit the newest addition.
"We would find ourselves, all the families that were at all those meals, Carolyn and I were just kind of staring at each other," she said.
Although they were meeting for the first time, they recognized a lot of what they saw.
"She is the spitting image of my father," Canfield said. "The more you look at her, the more people you see in her."
Canfield's husband and son quickly spotted the resemblances during a video chat.
"My husband said, 'Oh my gosh, there's two of you,'" she said.
Canfield admitted she was a little nervous, even after all those phone calls, about going to stay with Silvius. What would she do there? What would they talk about?
It wasn't a problem.
"It's not like a friendship. It's not like I have to tiptoe," Canfield said.
"I don't need to know her to love her. She's my sister."
Silvius said it wouldn't have taken sharing a father to get her to like Canfield.
"We would be friends," she said. "We think alike."
Silvius said she appreciates the opportunity to see pictures of her father and learn more about him.
People have remarked to Silvius how unfortunate it is that the women went so long without knowing each other, but she's determined to focus on the positive aspects of their reunion.
"It's one of the biggest blessings of my life," she said.
And now they've forged a bond that distance cannot break.
"I feel, right now, even though we're, what, about 1,500, 2,000 miles apart, that she's very close to me," Silvius said.
Canfield feels the same. When the women met in the airport, both were emotional, especially Canfield. At one point, she was crying and Silvius put an arm around her encouragingly.
"She said, 'And now I can be the big sister,'" Canfield said. "And she sure is."


text:
Family movie follows parade
Published: Friday, December 7, 2012 at 3:15 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, December 7, 2012 at 3:15 p.m.
The Larose Civic Center will host a Christmas movie viewing Friday following the community's Christmas Parade.
The parade begins at 5:30 p.m. at Rouses. For information, call 693-7355.
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.


text:
You can join in the fun next year
Published: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 3:08 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 3:08 p.m.
I'm glad to say that I was able to experience something that I never thought would happen.
Last Saturday evening, I participated in the Lockport Christmas Parade. It was a thrill that I will never forget. I rode in Mardi Gras parades some time ago, but that was nothing to what I experienced here.
The weather was great, no cold, no wind and a full moon overhead.
The crowd along the parade route was something I never thought I'd see.
Every float was playing Christmas music, and you could see people were in the holiday spirit.
I want to thank Police Chief Warren Vedros and his department and Fire Chief Armand Autin with the Lockport Volunteer Fire Department and his people for making the parade a reality.
I know it took much time and effort to line up all the 69 units that made up this event.
Now, if you want to experience it yourself, mark your calendars for the first Saturday in December of next year to come to the Lockport Christmas Parade.
As Santa said while riding in the parade, "Merry Christmas to all."
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.