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Mercure St Martin and Marina
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How has this hotel rated in the past?
- Suites
- Minbar in room
- Airport Transportation
- Spa
- Shuttle bus service
- Reduced mobility rooms
Photos of Mercure St Martin and Marina
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Historical Traveler Reviews Mercure St Martin and Marina Marigot
Never treated so bad
This hotel has so much potential but the place is rundown, the food choices are weak and the new owners just don't know how to run a hotel.
We arrived in Saint Martin after an overnight flight and the problems started as soon as we got to the hotel. We were ignored at the front desk as they seemed to look through us as we stood in front of them. When they finally acknowledged us, they told us to fill out a form with more information than necessary and said we would not be given a room until 3:00pm. We asked if there was a place to get some food because we were starving. They said you can go to the bar. I asked if they had a map and was told it was just through the doors. All we saw was hedges, but we found a way eventually. The staff were taking away what was left of the breakfast buffet when we arrived. It was very confusing and those we tried to talk to didn't understand English. There was no breakfast for us. The tables in the dining room are pretty gross around the edges so it wasn't the nicest place to sit.
We proceeded to the beach and tried to find a lounge chair that wasn't broken. No luck there either. Your butt falls through.
When we finally got our room, we wanted to shower and couldn't get any water pressure when the water was warm, only hot and cold came out with any pressure, just lovely!
We were tired after the all night flight and decided to relax for a bit in the room. We tried the TV and discovered the satelite TV only has 2 english channels. If its not loosing its signal, then someone, somewhere is channel surfer with the remote so forget about watching anything. I asked the front desk about it and they blamed it on the weather.
You better like fish if you want to eat, the chicken is always overcooked and tough. Don't expect to get much with the meal, it is the meat and either rice, potatoes or one vegetable. It is not 4 alcoholic and 4 non alcoholic drinks as described in the semi-all inclusive package, it is coupons. It takes 3 coupons for 1 cocktail, which are served so slowly and not very good.
It seems the week we were there, the new owners were trying to get some sort of control, but instead they were being abusive and mean to the guests. We have never been treated so poorly and we are seasoned travellers. There are so many more things to say about the condition of the place and some of the staff, but we are going save the rest for our letter to the travel agent.
Hope you get the message - stay away with these owners.
Needs a new MANAGER
We stayed at the hotel for 2 weeks this month (Feb. 2005) We encountered the hotel manager every day... not once did he say "Hello" . The rest of the staff are very unprofessional and unless you speak French are very rude.
We were served other people's dinners (i.e. fish rather than meat), witnessed others served their appetizer and desert (forgot to give them the entre), many times we waited 15 minutes before being recognized (the French speaking were not), glass wear were handled with the fingers inside the glass, the bar ran out of draft beer and brandy. About 90% of the lawn chairs were boken. WE were unable to exchange our beach towels for fresh towels on most requests and were not able to get towles until 3 p.m. on the 1st day (arrived at 9:00a.m.) We will defenitely advisae anyone to look elsewhere for their vacation destination. Everybody we talked to said the same. The new owner is from Quebec and he needs to make drastic changes starting with the manager.
Great Location - Very Basic Accomodation
This hotel is perfectly located for those who want proximity to the European atmosphere of Marigot, the action of the Dutch side and a quiet beach environment. However it is not for those who expect anything more than basic accomodation. The low rates for this hotel make up for most of the shortcomings.
Don't consider the restaurant for anything other than the minimal breakfast buffet. There are so many good restaurants within minutes of the hotel that there is no reason to pay relatively high prices for mediocre food in the hotel.
The rooms are adequate but show age. Satellite TV is available but only 1 English station (which varies according to who is handling the control in the office) and 2-3 French stations. Bring your own pillow(s). Replacement of towels, TP and tissues is sporadic. No toiletries provided. Don't stay on the 1st floor if you want any privacy.
The new owners are from Quebec and seem to be trying hard to upgrade the property.
Car rental is mandatory if you want to get anywhere on the island.
Not very good
I was in this hotel in February
The Staff in hotel is still living in the French collonial empire and them treat the customers like the conquerors treated the natives.
The hotel itself have old decoration and furnitures and needs a renovation
I don't recomend this hotel.
Terrible - Don't go.
This hotel is terrible although it has potential. We found the staff at the front desk,for the most part, to be arrogant and rude, and not the least bit helpful. We were given no orientation as to how the all inclusive package worked, and had to go continually to the desk to ask questions. Very few activities were included - snorkeling equipment had to be rented. In the room, there was no instruction as to how to use the phone. On the morning we left, the TV was showing soft core pornography. We traveled with our teenage children. The room they were given reeked of sewage. Upon further exploration, I found that the septic system outside their ground floor room was failing and the lid of the septic tank was broken. The air conditioner unit sat directly over the septic tank, blowing sewage odours directly into the room. I complained 3 times during our first day to the same front desk staff and was advised that there was nothing that could be done other than to send someone to put some deodorizer into the septic tank. One staff member actually said that it was too much hastle for them to change rooms. When new staff came on in the evening, I again complained and they very quickly stated that there was no problem and we were given a new room. I wonder why they couldn't have done that right from the start. However, the air conditioning in the new room did not work.
The hotel is in desperate need of fresh paint and general maintenance. Our room was also on the main floor and was always damp and musty smelling. The grounds and gardens are very pretty, however the waft of sewage in the air from the septic systems makes it a little tough to enjoy.
The food in general can be described at best as okay. In the "almost all inclusive package", you were limited to two choices for lunch and dinner. Often the choices were terrible (rabbit being one choice one night). Dinner consisted of a choice of soups and sometimes salad, a main course of meat and potato and no vegetable. Dessert was good most nights, though one night it was canned fruit salad. There was very little fresh fruit - at breakfast there was some melon and pineapple, and then canned pears and peaches. The service in the restaurant and often at the bar was very slow. One night there was a seafood buffet which is fine as long as you like seafood and/ or aren't alergic to it. There was no other choice. Needless to say, we ate outside the restaurant as much as possible.
We would go back to Saint Martin, but never again to the Mercure Simson Hotel. I would classify it as one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed at.
A caution, if you are offended by nudity (though we are not), the hotel appears to have no problem with women going topless at their pool.
Loved it!!
This was our first trip to St. Martin and the stay at Mercure was wonderful!! The setting was beautiful and the hotel was lovely. Having a room on the ground floor initially concerned me about security but I have never felt as safe in a hotel. Damp swim suits and towels left on our deck to dry along with items in our refrigerator went undisturbed. Our room at the hotel was huge, housekeeping staff was excellent, and we were very comfortable during our week's stay. The French cuisine at the restaurant was very tasty and well presented. If there was any challenge during our stay it was that the staff had difficulty understanding English over their native French. I loved the island atmosphere at the hotel and preferred the French side of the island much more than the Dutch side. Should a vacation to St. Martin be in our future, we will stay at the Mercure. Thank you for a wonderful vacation!!
Very impressed with the Mercure Simson
Just spent a wonderful week at the Mercure Simson Beach. I work in a major hotel in Victoria, Canada, and was very impressed with everything that was offered. The room was European in flavour, nicer than expected, with a fridge and stove on the outside deck. The food was very, very, good, and the location was great. The staff are all french, and very nice. I only found at times that the food and bar service could have been better....But all in all, we had a great time, and wouldn't hesitate to go back
Get what you pay for !
We booked into the Hotel after flying all night we were greated by a very friendly front desk staff, who spoke english fluently. When we got to the room we were a bit disappointed as the photos of the room on the internet were a little bit deceptive, our room was in need of a upgrade. The room had a lock box, Key supplied by the front desk on request. The air condition worked well- we set the control and it work flawlessly for the 14 days. Maid service arrived 1200-1230 daily (they could put a little more effort into the cleaning of the room!) Bed was average , linen was clean and in good shape. The hotel has undergone a change of ownwership which occured during our stay, The first week the meals were served Buffet style- not the best way of providing service to so many people. Week 2 breakfast remained a buffet style- but lunch and dinner you were provided with 2 choices for the main course. Food was good! But in comparision to any of the many fine eating choices you have on the island it is extremly average. But the recent change has caused a bit of disruption with the food serice staff and it was obvious by the actual service they provided, but by the time we had to go home the food service staff was adapting to the new processes and service had improved a bit. The activity desk was undergoing changes as well, But the you man we dealt with was great fluent in english and was very knowledgeable and provided us with many answers. The hotel is in a great location with huge potential - The new owner when I talked to him seem set on making the changes required to improve his hotel as there are a few problems ! If your looking for a quiet- value hotel, Book this hotel.
Hate it.
My stay with Hotel Mercure was not a pleasurable stay.
When I checked into the hotel, the lady at the front desk asked for my credit card. I told her under no circumstances do I want any charges on my credit card because everything I do will be with cash. She assured me that my credit card will not be charged, its for security reasons.
When I paid my bill with travelers check and U.S. cash. The girl who took care of my transaction assured me my room was paid in full and handed me a print out of the bill which has $0 balance.
Upon my return to New York, I was very upset to find that Hotel Mercure has charged my credit card in the amount of $78.81 without any explanation. I am now pursuing a Fraud investigation.
The staff speaks very little English. There is only one iron & ironing board for the entire hotel. Maid service is very slow.
Not recommended at all.
Great potential but stay away for now....
This hotel is in an ideal location but desperately needs renovation. The rooms are nice size with large balconies but in terrible condition. The beds are lumpy, the walls peeling, bathrooms moldy and smelly. The place has enormous potential but has been severly neglected. Even the paint on the roofs of the buldings is peeling. Not a very attractive sight upon arrival. The free breakfast buffet is nice as is the pool and beach. Forget about being in your room here. Staff was somewhat understanding when I checked out after 1 night after initially demanding full payment for the 4 night stay I booked through their corporate website.
TripAdvisor Reviews Mercure St Martin and Marina Marigot
Travel Blogs from Marigot
Day #11 Road Bay, Anguilla — Marigot, St. Martin
Today is our last day at sea. (Yes, read a big frown here.) We sailed from Road Bay, Aguilla to Baie de Marogot. Capt. Greg calling out sail settings and headings with Kyle at the helm and me scuttling around winching lines and securing hatches we tacked our way into the wind and to our final mooring in Marigot, St. Martin. We waited from ...
Laying up
Here we go again, getting ready to leave Ellisa. We had good plans to leave her in Port Royal on a buoy but local news of burglaries on yachts in the area led us to change plans! Along with the French bridge being broken it was not biding well so we decided yo head South around the Island, enter the lagoon via the Dutch bridge and out her on a private buoy, closely watched by Scott, on the neighbouring buoy. Stopping for lunch in Mullet pond bay we went a shore for a paddle and ...
Dutch or French - take your pick!
... for a very healthy broiled (grilled) Atlantic salmon fillet with steamed vegies. Shock horror....I didn't do dessert or cheese.
Saying goodbye to my lovely waiters and leaving big tips for them. I said my farewells. The staff on board really do take care of their guests and I will always remember my first cruise with Carnival and the staff, that helped make this holiday very memorable. It might be clich�d but I think I'll be doing another Carnival cruise in the ...
... all upset when they need to switch to English to accommodate . Although I was pleasantly surprised several times when my best French accent fooled a local and they continued on in French after I had exhausted my knowledge with 'Hello', 'Pardon' and 'Where is?'. The bakery was a mouthwatering experience and after stepping inside you felt like you could have easily been anywhere in Paris, the smells of the fresh bread and sweets were intoxicating and the line of ...
Beach Tits and Bums!!
Well, funny kind of day. Odd in many ways.
Today was St Maarten. We docked a full hour early. Funny how, when you know you can have a lie in, you wake up really early and can't sleep anymore. And so ...


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Complaint Review: Dream holiday??????
Dream holiday?????????????? Orlando, Florida United States of America
Dream holiday??? Phone 407 404 6835 & 407 260 3620. Thats all i have I buy a tour, hotels include, they never send me nothing not e-mail, they take more money Orlando, Florida
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I call lots of times, i only have a descriptions ohnthe tours include, but not names of hotels, no name of the travel agency, tohey say me there's not refound, i lost my money. It's the same thing of the report of the man in your page. I'm sure is the sema company.
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SUBMITTED: Thursday, June 27, 2013POSTED: Thursday, June 27, 2013
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Top Definition
Well in the heat of an amazing threesome (two girls and one guy) the women contort their bodies into the bridge position and then the man places an Alaskan Pipeline (shitting into a condom and freezing it) into both women, connecting them. From there he karate chops the connecting feces bridge and empties the contents into their mouths.
Two drunks girls and one feces fetishing male are needed to create the shit bridge
by Chocolate Ice January 06, 2010
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
A floating bridge of toilet paper keeping your shit dry created by clogging a toilet with a whole roll of toilet paper then taking a dump on top of the toilet paper bridge.
The janitors were real pissed off today. Someone created a shit bridge in the bathroom and they had to use a shovel to clear it out!
by Sucio S October 21, 2011
n. A shit so large it forms a bridge over the toilet bowl drain pipe and cannot be flushed.
v. The act of creating a shit bridge.
v. The act of creating a shit bridge.
Jimmy: "Anybody got a popsicle stick, I just shit bridged the hotel toilet?"
by Hobbes21 May 03, 2008
Also known as shitbridging. for two grown ass niggas to hold both of each others hands and squat down to take a massive shit. This method is most commonly used in places that lack civilization And you don't want your bare ass to touch the nasty bug infested ground. You could also perform a reverse shitBridge together over a toilet if your both in a hurry to take care of business. You may acomplished the reverse shitbridge by locking elbows back to back.
You gotta shit bro? Me too dawg... help a nigga out and let's shitbridge.
by mustanglady February 15, 2015
The space between the opening of the vagina and the anus
"Don't ever go near the shit bridge, thats some dirty shit"
by Tom Day September 27, 2006


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Champaign County, Illinois
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The Clerk of the Circuit Court, commonly known as the Circuit Clerk, is the keeper of the files and records of the Circuit Court. The Circuit Clerk works at the direction of Circuit Court, Appellate Court and Supreme Court of Illinois and is mandated to follow and enforce the laws of the State of Illinois. The Circuit Clerk's Office processes all documents in criminal law, chancery, support, probate, adoption, juvenile, drainage, local improvement, mental, small claims, traffic, ordinance violations, prepares appeals to the higher court, issues passports, summons jurors, tax deeds and handles approximately ten million dollars in costs, fines, restitution, investments and support each year. The Office also issues summonses, writs, attachments, subpoenas and all other tasks as mandated by the courts.
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Estimating a Structural Model of Herd Behavior in Financial Markets
Marco Cipriani
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Antonio Guarino
University College London - Centre for Economic Learning and Social Evolution (ELSE)
May 1, 2012
FRB of New York Staff Report No. 561
We develop a new methodology for estimating the importance of herd behavior in financial markets. Specifically, we build a structural model of informational herding that can be estimated with financial transaction data. In the model, rational herding arises because of information-event uncertainty. We estimate the model using 1995 stock market data for Ashland Inc., a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Herding occurs often and is particularly pervasive on certain days. In an information-event day, on average, 2 percent (4 percent) of informed traders herd-buy (sell). In 7 percent (11 percent) of information-event days, the proportion of informed traders who herd-buy (sell) is greater than 10 percent. Herding causes important informational inefficiencies, amounting, on average, to 4 percent of the asset's expected value.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 40
Keywords: herd behavior, market microstructure, structural estimation
JEL Classification: G14, D82, C13
Date posted: June 9, 2012
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Questions remain over FCA approach to future Arch Cru
Recently concerns have been raised regarding the proposed Financial Conduct Authority's approach to prudential regulation.
Many have voiced concerns, notably Mark Field MP, that while the FCA is set to be a competent financial conduct regulator it may not have the in-house expertise to regulate prudentially investment firms similar to Arch Cru, Keydata and MF Global.
To a certain extent the FSA's latest business plan could be viewed as evidence to support this view as it states that on the FSA's demerger approximately 1100 staff will be transferred to the Bank of England. However, I wonder if the problem is more one of lack of information on how the FCA will actually prudentially regulate firms and what depth of expertise it will have at its disposal.
At present the most helpful information I could find was in the FCA approach document which was published last June. Paragraph 5.14 states that: "All firms will be subject to a minimum level of baseline supervision in line with international standards.
For the vast majority, prudential supervision will be on a 'gone concern' basis... In other words the focus will be on ensuring that firms can fail in an orderly manner, with appropriate levels of consumer protection, through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and the protection or segregation of client assets...
As with conduct regulation, there is likely to be a small number of firms whose failure, even if orderly, could threaten the integrity of a particular market.... For these firms, the FCA will follow a more active supervisory programme on a 'going concern' basis.
This should give the FCA sufficient time to intervene when problems occur and satisfy itself that the firm can be allowed to fail in an orderly fashion."
But how will this type of supervision be achieved? For example will the FCA have two sets of supervisors operating within the organisation or will there be no distinction between prudential and conduct regulatory staff?
At present we do not really know and many of us are keeping a close eye on how the FSA is currently conducting supervisory visits in light of its move to so-called 'independent but co-ordinated' supervision.
Simon Lovegrove is a lawyer with the financial services team at Norton Rose LLP


text:
I'm not entirely sure, but I'm pretty sure that you can be fairly sure that there is absolutely nothing you can be sure of. If you take the time to think about it all, you start to realize that absolutely everything we experience might not even be real. For instance, it is actually possible that our thoughts might not be entirely our own. Our words have no absolute meaning. In example, when someone mentions the color green it can be assumed that everyone would think of a green color but it can also be assumed that they are not all thinking of the same shade of green. Any time you come to a conclusion about something you are probably wrong or at least not entirely correct. Why else would there be so many varying philosophies, religions and social concepts and always more to come. It can be assumed that we can't know everything about everything for sure.
Paul Kaiser
Source: I'm as sure as I can be that this quote came from my own mind through my finger tips and onto the world wide web.
Contributed by: ataraxia
Copyright © 2016 Gaiam, Inc.


text:
Two Santa Ana College football players and a male friend were charged with raping and sexually assaulting a drunk or unconscious woman last summer and videotaping the crime, Orange County prosecutors said Friday.
John Paul Foster II, 22, of Seaside in Monterey County, and Michael Alexander Clemmons, 19, of Tustin were arrested and arraigned this week in the July 2008 assault. The third suspect, Luster Ditto Lewis, 20, of Irvine, turned himself in Friday and was arraigned.
The three men, friends from Tustin High School, are each charged with multiple felonies. If convicted, they each face a maximum of 18 years in prison.
Clemmons is a running back for the Santa Ana College team, and Lewis is a wide receiver, according to the school's website.
Authorities say the men were drinking at the Key Inn hotel in the 1600 block of El Camino Real in Tustin. The 18-year-old victim, who knew the defendants through her boyfriend, came to the hotel after Lewis called her, police said.
She later passed out. Foster allegedly videotaped Clemmons and Lewis undressing the woman, positioning her body on the floor and assaulting her multiple times. Prosecutors accuse Foster of handing off the camera to sexually assault the woman and urinate on her.
Police are still investigating whether the woman was drinking and what caused her to pass out.
An associate of one suspect discovered the 19-minute recording Dec. 28 and gave it to police, Tustin police Lt. John Strain said.
All three suspects are being held in the Orange County Jail on $100,000 bail.
Santa Ana College officials are "reviewing the details of the charges," college spokeswoman Nikita Flynn said.
The discovery of a 19-minute-long videotape that prosecutors say shows graphic detail of a violent rape has landed two Santa Ana College football players and their friend in custody on several felony charges of rape, according to an Orange County District Attorney statement released today.
Prosecutors said the woman was unconscious at the time of the suspected rape.
Earlier this week, prosecutors charged football players Michael Alexander Clemmons, 19, of Tustin and Luster Mitchell Lewis, 20, of Irvine on suspicion of felony rape by use of an intoxicating substance and felony rape of an unconscious person in addition to several other sexual assault-related charges.
The pair's out-of-town friend, John Paul Foster II, 22, of Seaside in Monterey County, was also arrested on suspicion of the same charges, prosecutors reported today.
If convicted of all counts, each could face up to 18 years in state prison.
Just about a year ago, Gregory Haidl and his two high school friends were released from state prison after they were convicted of sexual assault charges in a case similar to this one. Haidl and two high school friends were accused of raping a girl, referred to in court as Jane Doe, on July 6, 2002, in the garage of a Corona del Mar home owned by Haidl's father, former Orange County Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl.
The younger Haidl was described by a prosecutor during a 2004 trial as the "maestro," who directed his friends in the videotaped sexual assault of an unconscious 16-year-old girl on a pool table.
On Sunday, an unidentified person handed over a 19-minute-long tape to Tustin police, who located the woman officials said was seen raped in the video.
The rape, prosecutors said, occurred in July after the three men were partying at the Key Inn at the 1600 block of El Camino Real in Tustin. Prosecutors said Lewis called a woman, who later passed out. The three are accused of knowing she was unconscious or incapacitated from intoxication and raping her, prosecutors added.
It's unclear why the woman was intoxicated.
Foster is accused of using a video camera and taping the sexual assaults against the woman, prosecutors stated.
Clemmons and Lewis are suspected of removing her clothes and moving her from a bed to the floor, where they put her body in different position as they raped her and sexually assaulted her in other ways, officials reported.
Foster then handed the camera to another one of the defendants and is also suspected of sexually assaulting the woman as the tape rolled.
Throughout the sexual assault, authorities said, the men slap the woman, who appears to be either unconscious or prevented from resisting because she was under the influence of an intoxicating substance.
At one point, prosecutors stated, the men are seen in the video slapping the woman in the face, telling her to wake up and holding her nose closed to suffocate her in order to wake her up, prosecutors reported.
Prosecutors said the three suspects became friends while attending Tustin High School, and Foster, who now lives on the Central Coast, visited his friends on occasion in Orange County.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Supervising Dist. Atty. Investigator Randy Litwin at (714) 347-8794 or Tustin Police Det. John Alvarado (714) 573-3250.
Click to view image: 'orange county'
By: berlin_hamann
In: News
Tags: america, rape, woman, raped, and, videotaped
Views: 24991 | Comments: 22 | Votes: 0 | Favorites: 0 | Shared: 2 | Updates: 0 | Times used in channels: 2
Hanging out and drinking with black men always ends very badly for women.
Posted Jan-3-2009 By
(6) | Report
They never let a sleeping dog lie.
Posted Jan-3-2009 By
(3) | Report
their turns comming...
Posted Jan-3-2009 By
(2) | Report
"Just about a year ago, Gregory Haidl and his two high school friends were released from state prison after they were convicted of sexual assault charges in a case similar to this one."
Posted Jan-3-2009 By
(1) | Report
I blame genetics...I hope they get ass raped by a toilet brush in the penitentiary.
Posted Jan-3-2009 By
(4) | Report
Hmmm looks like if Tiger woods and mike Tyson had a kid
Posted Jan-3-2009 By
(1) | Report
How much is enough?
Posted Jan-3-2009 By
(1) | Report
Where's the videotape?
Posted Jan-3-2009 By
(0) | Report
my God. These guys should be hung
Posted Jan-4-2009 By
(0) | Report
I am sure they were nigs too.
Posted Jan-4-2009 By
(0) | Report
don't worry, they definately will become someone else's bitch for the next 18 years of their lives.
Posted Jan-18-2009 By
(0) | Report
WE all know there gonna be bitch to pay no pun intend
Posted Jan-3-2009 By
(-1) | Report
Each of the 3 copped a plea to get 6 years vs. 18 years. WTF!!! They are POS!
Posted Aug-28-2013 By
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The family must sign a Request for Medical Benefits for Another Family Member(s) (Form 243C) to have a family member added to an All Kids/FamilyCare Share, Premium or Rebate case. This also applies to newborns.
(System) When the person is added to the case by the FCRC or the All Kids Unit, Notice of Decision for Addition of a Family Member (Form 3718) is centrally generated notifying the family of the approval.
(FCRC/All Kids Unit) If the person is not eligible to be added to the case, send a manual Form 3718.
Example 1: The R family receives Share. On 12/13/07, the worker receives Form 243C requesting to add Ms. R's newborn to the Share case. Add the newborn to the Share case effective 01/08. Do not review income unless Ms. R asks to be considered for Assist or Moms & Babies. If Ms. R wants her child to be considered for Assist or Moms & Babies, she must provide current verification of income.
The family can request prior coverage to cover the newborn from 11/29/02 (2 weeks prior to the date the request was signed).
Example 2: The P family receives Share for their son. On 10/06/07, Mr. P brings in Form 243C to add his daughter to the Share case. Mr. P asks that eligibility for Assist be determined because of the change in family size.
Current verification of income indicates that the family is eligible for Assist beginning 09/07. Cancel the Share case and set up an Assist case for both children effective 09/07.
Example 3: The Q family receives Share for their son. On 11/12/07, the All Kids Unit receives Form 243C to add their daughter to the case and asks that eligibility be reviewed due to the change in family size.
Current verification of income indicates that family income falls in the Premium Level 1 range. Leave the case as a Share case until the next renewal.
Example 4: The S family receives Premium Level 1 for their daughter. On 11/04/07, the FCRC receives Form 243C to add Ms. S's son to the Premium case. Add the son to the Premium case effective 12/07. The premium increases from $15 to $20 effective 12/07.
Refer to PM 06-08-03-e for information about prior coverage when adding a child to an All Kids Share or Premium case.
Refer to WAG 06-08-03-f for procedures regarding FamilyCare Share or Premium backdating when adding an adult to a case.


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A new school year began last week in Northeast Mississippi and across the state, the annual ritual of a fresh start.
While teachers and students returned after enjoying a summer break from the classroom, there was no letup in the politics of education while school was out. Summer developments and discussion continued to draw attention to the political divide in education policy debates in Mississippi.
Funding is where the differences always begin. The Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which sets a formula for funding, has been in full effect since 2002. But the formula has been met only twice, in 2003 and 2007 – both election years. It has fallen victim to a combination of state revenue declines during the recession and lack of political will.
Because local districts have been getting less in recent years than the law calls for – $1.3 billion less since 2008 – full funding under the formula will drop for the first time for the next fiscal year. It's likely to cost at least $28 million less to fully fund schools under MAEP for fiscal year 2015, which starts next July.
Still, nobody expects full funding to be realized in the 2014 legislative session. Even with state revenue collections rebounding to an all-time high of $5.1 billion in FY 2013, the political dynamics aren't right for full funding with Democrats pushing for it and Gov. Phil Bryant and the Republican legislative leadership not considering it a priority.
On another issue, a group of Republican senators not in Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves' circle have announced their opposition to the Common Core state standards for schools, which Mississippi and 44 other states have embraced and which will be in full effect next year. The state has already spent much time and money getting teachers ready for the more demanding standards, which emerged as a bipartisan effort from the National Governors Association and included the staunch support of former Gov. Haley Barbour. Bryant and Reeves are also on board with the standards.
But politics has intervened since the Obama administration embraced Common Core. Even though Obama is closer to basic Republican thinking on education than on any other topic – he's for charter schools, tougher standards for students, more accountability for teachers – the favorable attitude of his Department of Education toward Common Core has raised some political hackles, especially among those who don't like the idea of national educational standards in any form.
Common Core isn't perfect, but its primary purposes of setting the bar high for all students and allowing each state to see how it measures up against a true national standard are essential if American education is ever to regain its international leadership.
Mississippi's new charter school law creates a state board for reviewing and authorizing charters, and the first four appointees were named last week, three by Bryant and one by the state Board of Education, which named interim Superintendent Lynn House. Bryant's appointments should provide some reassurance to public school supporters that the board won't be filled with people who have an agenda antagonistic to public education.
Interestingly, Bryant signaled that his emphasis on education will shift to public safety in 2014. It apparently will be left to Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn to put any additional emphasis on, for example, strengthening a charter school law that wasn't quite what Bryant or either of them had hoped for.
In any case, it's a sure bet that politics and education policy will continue to be intertwined. Let's hope the children and teachers who resumed their cooperative venture last week are the beneficiaries, not the victims, of how the politics plays out.
Lloyd Gray is executive editor of the Daily Journal. Contact him at (662) 678-1579 or email@example.com.


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Barcelona EZBike
By Avril Consulting
Open iTunes to buy and download apps.
Tired of not knowing if YES or No you will be the one to find the last bike available in the area? Frustrated having to ride around the city to find somewhere to drop your bike off?
Discover Barcelona EZBike!
Simple and intuitive, this app allows you to solve all those problems in one click!
By detecting your geographical position, EZBike gives you the self-service bike stations that are the closest to your position and tells you how many bikes are available, in real time!
Search, select and rank the stations following your needs.
Transform your everyday stations into your favourite, and find them in the blink of an eye.
Don't waste time anymore, join the community and make EZBike an everyday friend to ride in calm!
- Category: Navigation
- Released: 31 March 2012
- Version: 1.0
- Size: 3.8 MB
- Languages: English, French, German, Spanish
- Developer: Avril Consulting
- © Avril Consulting
Compatibility: Requires iOS 4.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.


text:
Proposed Trader Joe's crosses another benchmark
City Council gives approval
Developers trying to bring a Trader Joe's supermarket to Dorset Street crossed another major hurdle Monday night as City Council approved an interim zoning application.
Developers now will go back to the lower committee, the Development Review Board, to seek final approval. The panel gave a preliminary green light earlier this year.
The store would become the first Trader Joe's in the Burlington-Plattsburgh market.
There are no Trader Joe's in Vermont or Northern New York.
Trader Joe's describes itself as providing hard-to-find, great-tasting foods at a bargain.
Building could start as early as this summer, developers said.
The Development Review Board is set to make its final ruling June 4.
Stay with NewsChannel 5 and wptz.com for future developments.
Copyright 2013 by WPTZ All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Book your room at Narrow Gauge Inn
Get an overview of this hotel3-star inn with free breakfast and restaurant
Collect 200 points
Simply enter your Nectar card number when prompted. Your points will be credited 30 days after you return from your trip.*Offers may apply
Situated in the mountains, this inn is 0.2 mi (0.3 km) from Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad and within 9 mi (15 km) of Mariposa Grove and Yosemite South Entrance. Nelder Grove Trail and Wawona Golf Course are also within 9 mi (15 km).
Property Features
Along with a restaurant, this inn has a bar/lounge and a seasonal outdoor pool. Free full breakfast, free WiFi in public areas, and free self parking are also provided. Additionally, tour/ticket assistance, wedding services, and a garden are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 26 rooms offer free WiFi, balconies, and TVs with satellite channels. Guests will also find coffee makers, free local calls, and showers.Would you like to give us feedback? Share it! Opens in a new window
Narrow Gauge Inn48571 Highway 41 Fish Camp CA 93623
Renovations & Closures
- Bar/Lounge
- Swimming pool
- Dining venue
- Spa tub
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
The inn offers a restaurant. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast each morning. Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access.
This Fish Camp inn also offers a seasonal outdoor pool, tour/ticket assistance, and a garden. Onsite self parking is complimentary.
- Total number of rooms - 26
- Number of floors - 3
- Bar/lounge
- Free breakfast
- Front desk (limited hours)
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free WiFi
- Garden
- Restaurant
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Year Built 1952
- Free self parking
- Outdoor seasonal pool
- Wedding services
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Balcony
- Phone
- Free local calls
- Coffee/tea maker
- Private bathroom
- Shower only
- Iron/ironing board
- Television
- Satellite TV service
- Free WiFi
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary full breakfast each morning.
Buffalo Bar (Seasonal) - This restaurant specializes in American cuisine and serves dinner and light fare. Open select days.
Nearby Things to Do
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Rafting nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-in time ends at 4 PM
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of USD 25 per pet, per stay
- Specific rooms only
- Pet-friendly rooms can be requested by contacting the property at the number on the booking confirmation
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
No cribs (infant beds) available
Optional extras
- Pet fee: USD 25 per pet, per stay
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 10.00 per night
Hotel Name
- Narrow Gauge
- Narrow Gauge Fish Camp
- Narrow Gauge Inn
- Narrow Gauge Inn Fish Camp
- Narrow Inn
- Narrow Gauge Hotel Fish Camp
- Narrow Gauge Inn Oakhurst
- Narrow Gauge Oakhurst
We should mention
This property allows pets in specific rooms only (surcharges apply and can be found in the Fees section). Guests can request one of these rooms by contacting the property directly, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.


text:
Eliminate and prevent lice!
Guaranteed lice elimination!
Ladibugs Hair Care began out of the need for two moms with children who contracted head lice at school to find a solution that eliminated toxic and potentially dangerous chemicals for the treatment of lice and their nits. As registered nurses, we put our heads together and decided to develop a plan and product line that is effective, and also pesticide-free. As a result, we now offer our hair care line which includes not only products to eliminate head lice, but those that also prevent infestations including shampoo, conditioner, mint spray, and more!
Our products have become top sellers in salons across the country, a fact in which we take great pride. We also offer the acclaimed AirAllé system, a non-chemical lice treatment that involves directing heated air to all areas of the scalp and hair, effectively drying out and killing lice and their nits or eggs. This is a one time process that completely eliminates head lice in a single sitting, and does not require water, chemicals, shampoo, or any other potentially messy products. Simple and effective! At Ladibugs Hair Care we cater to clients in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, delivering exceptional results! Contact us today to learn more about our products and services.


text:
Draft Core Toll Concessions Public Private Partnership Model Contract Guide
Notice; Request For Comments.
The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) requires DOT and FHWA to develop public-private partnership (P3) transaction model contracts for the most popular types of P3s for transportation projects. Based on public input on the most prevalent P3 transaction type and the need for an educational, rather than prescriptive contract model, the FHWA has developed a draft Core Toll Concession Model Contract Guide. The FHWA values public input in the development of the model contracts, and seeks continuing input. A draft of the Core Toll Concession Model Contract Guide is provided with this notice so that the general public and interested stakeholders may provide comments. This model contract guide has been prepared solely for informational purposes and should be not construed as a statement of DOT or FHWA policy.
Table of Contents Back to Top
DATES: Back to Top
Comments must be received on or before March 10, 2014. Late comments will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Back to Top
To ensure that you do not duplicate your docket submissions, please submit them by only one of the following means:
- Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
- Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
- Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is (202) 366-9329.
- Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket number at the beginning of your comments. All comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Back to Top
Ms. Deborah E. Brown-Davis, Office of Innovative Program Delivery, (202) 366-4249, Ms. Alla Shaw, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-1042, Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, and Mr. Prabhat Diksit, Office of Innovative Program Delivery, 12300 W Dakota Ave., Suite 370, Lakewood, CO 80227, (720) 963-3202, or via email at email@example.com. Office hours for the FHWA are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Back to Top
Electronic Access and Filing Back to Top
You may submit or retrieve comments online through the Federal eRulemaking portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. The Web site is available 24 hours every day of the year. Electronic submission and retrieval help and guidelines are available under the help section of the Web site.
An electronic copy of this document may also be downloaded from the Office of the Federal Register's home page at: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register and the Government Printing Office's Web page at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov.
Background Back to Top
Public-private partnerships are contractual arrangements between public and private sector entities that allow for greater participation by the private sector in the delivery of surface transportation projects and associated services. Generally, in addition to designing or building a project, a private partner in a P3 may be involved in financing, operating, and maintaining the project. By transferring certain risks and responsibilities to the private partner, P3s can result in more efficient and effective project delivery. However, P3 contracts are complex and are of a much longer-term duration than traditional construction contracts. Their terms and conditions address many requirements not covered by traditional construction contracts such as financing arrangements and performance during a concession period, among others. Public agencies need special expertise to ensure that they can successfully negotiate P3 agreements. Section 1534(d) of MAP-21 (Pub. L. 112-141; 126 Stat. 405) requires the DOT to develop model P3 contracts that could serve as a model and a guide to States and other public transportation providers in developing their own P3 contracts. The legislation states:
"(d) STANDARD TRANSACTION CONTRACTS.—
(1) DEVELOPMENT.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop standard public-private partnership transaction model contracts for the most popular types of public-private partnerships for the development, financing, construction, and operation of transportation facilities.
(2) USE.—The Secretary shall encourage States, public transportation agencies, and other public officials to use the model contracts as a base template when developing their own public-private partnership agreements for the development, financing, construction, and operation of transportation facilities."
Development activities to date, include receipt of comments during a January 16, 2013, Listening Session attended by a broad cross-section of P3 stakeholders. In addition, DOT solicited comments regarding model P3 contracts in a prior notice published at 78 FR 1918, January 9, 2013. All comments may be viewed at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/p3/resources/model_p3_contracts.htm.
Based on comments received thus far, the DOT has advanced the development of a draft model P3 contract guide for the most popular type of P3 contract, namely the toll concession contract. We request comment from the general public and stakeholders on the Core Toll Concession Model Contract Guide provided.
About the Core Toll Concession Model P3 Contract Guide Back to Top
During the January 16, 2013, Listening Session, the majority of the commenters requested that the FHWA not provide a rigid model contract that States and localities would be required or encouraged to follow, particularly when Federal grant or credit assistance was an essential element of a project. The concern was that model contract provisions would become mandatory—an approach that would not work in a nation of many diverse States and localities. Stakeholders expressed a preference for an "educational" style of model contract that would assist State and local governments in negotiating and developing their own P3 contracts. The FHWA agrees with these comments. The FHWA has never intended for these model contracts to be mandatory. Rather, these model contracts are merely intended as an informational tool for State and local governments to refer to whenever entering into a P3 transaction. These model contracts should be not construed as a statement of DOT or FHWA P3 contract requirements or policy.
Stakeholders also expressed a preference for a model contract that: (i) Does not include standard boilerplate language; (ii) focuses only on those provisions specific to P3s; and (iii) focuses primarily on the more controversial and/or complex provisions that warrant amplified discussion.
After considering the comments received from the January 2013 notice and listening session, FHWA has chosen to focus first on seven specific contractual provisions critical to achieving public sector objectives and protecting the interest of the taxpaying and traveling public:
1. Tolling regulation (The right to charge tolls; how tolls are set);
2. Revenue Sharing (Approaches to sharing of "excess revenues or profits" between concessionaires and a public owner for projects that produce revenue);
3. Supervening Events (Types of contractual relief typically granted for unforeseen events, and compensation as required);
4. Changes in Law (How changes in law, after a contract has been in effect, will be dealt with);
5. Changes in ownership (Restrictions on transfers and permitted transfers);
6. Default, early terminations and compensation (How the various types of terminations and default events are to be treated); and
7. Hand-back (Issues related to the hand-back of facilities on contract termination).
The draft Core Toll Concessions Model P3 Contract Guide discusses these key issues with an eye to helping states with their own P3 contracts. The draft Guide includes an introduction, discussion of the key provisions in the context of a typical contract; and an appendix with a glossary of terms as used in the Guide. An electronic copy of the draft Guide can be found at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/pdfs/p3/model_p3_core_toll_concessions.pdf.
In addition to addressing the seven key provisions discussed above, FHWA will also develop several secondary, yet still important provisions, found in typical P3 tolling contracts. The secondary provisions will include issues such as performance standards, contract length, capacity triggers, consumer protections, continuing disclosure requirements, Federal requirements, and perhaps brief discussions of other provisions, as well. A draft compilation of a tolling concessions model P3 contract guide including both primary and secondary provisions will be published in the Federal Register after completion to solicit comments from stakeholders and other interested parties.
Based on public input, the second most popular type of P3 contract is the availability payment based contract. These are transactions where payments from public sector revenues are the source of payments to the private sector partner. Although this model has been implemented only three times in the U.S., FHWA will be publishing an Availability Payments Model P3 Contracts Guide in 2014. Issues such as performance standards, hand back requirements, changed circumstances, default/termination, and Federal requirements, as well as other non-core issues will be discussed in the document. Many of the provisions from the Toll Concessions Model P3 Contracts Guide are also germane to the Availability Payments Model P3 Contracts Guide. There will be a draft version of the availability payment contract template published in the Federal Register to solicit comments from stakeholders and other interested parties.
The core Toll Concession Model Contract Guide provisions are being delivered early to ensure that the congressionally established deadline of April 1, 2014, is met. However, please be advised that FHWA will incrementally produce additional provisions to more fully build out the model contracts guide for toll and availability payment P3 concessions.
Authority: Back to Top
Section 1534 (d) of Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, MAP-21, enacted October 1, 2012.
Issued on: January 30, 2014.
Gregory G. Nadeau,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-02589 Filed 2-5-14; 8:45 am]


text:
Monroe College's Bronx campus is an ideal urban campus located in the bustling Fordham section.
Located in downtown New Rochelle, the Monroe College New Rochelle campus is nestled in a diverse, thriving suburban community in Westchester County.
The scenic Monroe College St. Lucia campus in Barnard Hill Castries on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia combines the best of many worlds.
Monroe's Queens Extension Center is located in the heart of downtown Flushing, a vibrant and ethnically mixed district of Queens.
Criminal justice jobs are in high demand. Police units, law firms, social services departments and the courts actively seek top graduates to keep communities safe and to help make a difference. An Associate or Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Monroe College can help you move toward a rewarding and exciting career.
The School of Criminal Justice was founded in 2003 as a service-oriented response to the September 11th attacks. Monroe recognized the need for highly-trained criminal justice professionals, at the local, state and federal levels. We structured our curriculum to empower future law enforcement officers, social justice workers and emergency responders to solve real-life, on-the-job problems.
Associate Degrees Bachelor's Degree Graduate Degree PASS Program
The pursuit of a college degree in the field of Criminal Justice is a perfect major for those ready to assist, protect and service others for which an Associate or Bachelor degree in Criminal Justice degree prepares students.
Criminal Justice encompasses law enforcement, legal studies, human services, corrections, probation and parole, and human services on the federal and state levels. Our curriculum provides the successful student with a solid foundation in the fundamentals of criminal justice from understanding the theory and practical perspective of the field. Our educational offerings cover the full range of crimes, criminal justice, legal, and justice policy issues. Students get the opportunity to study and understand the problems facing our community communities as well as ways in which to solve them.
Michele S. Rodney, Esq., Dean, School of Criminal Justice


text:
Definition of downward in English:
adverb(also downwards)
1Toward a lower place, point, or level: he was lying face downward
More example sentences
- It is generally longer than it is wide and its floor slopes downwards towards a junction either with another valley or a plain.
- The talonid basin lacks rugosity and slopes gently downward towards the ectolophid.
- I cast my gaze downwards towards the floor then looked back up at his hazel eyes.
1.1Used to indicate that something applies to everyone in a certain hierarchy or set: new rules on sick leave affect employees of all grades, from managers downward
More example sentences
- Everyone, from President Mubarak downwards, has assured me of the desire to increase the levels of trade.
- The pressure from everyone, from the Prime Minister downwards, seems to be having some effect at last.
- The whole issue has been handled terribly, right from governmental level downwards.
Moving or leading toward a lower place or level: the downward curve of the stairs a downward trend in inflation
More example sentences
- He said construction inflation was on a downward trend and prices for tenders were coming down steadily.
- They seem to envisage an irreversible downward spiral leading to the depopulation of Australia.
- After all there is an intense competition, creating a downward spiral leading to unviable rates?
descending, downhill, falling, sinking, dipping;
earthbound, earthward
Middle English: shortening of Old English adūnweard.
Words that rhyme with downwardtownward
For editors and proofreaders
Syllabification: down·ward
Definition of downward in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending


text:
More comments on abortion reduction bill introduced today.
For the third consecutive Congressional sessions, Mr. Ryan and Ms. DeLauro have introduced a bill aimed at trying to bridge the schism over this divisive issue. With the legislation now garnering increased support from both supporters and opponents of abortion rights, Mr. Ryan said it is an "idea whose time has come."
Can the great divide be breached?
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- Be respectful. Do not attack the writer. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
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For help on how to post a comment, visit our reference page.


text:
Ted Cruz and Wendy Davis: A tale of two filibusters
Two Texans. Two filibusters. Different or the same? Talk amongst yourselves.
Sen. Ted Cruz' 21-hour extended talk on the Senate floor against Obamacare and state Sen. Wendy Davis' 11-hour filibuster against an abortion-restrictions bill share some things in common. But there are some significant differences. Both were long. Both energized elements of their party's political base. And both were fated to ended in failure.
Although Davis and a raucous gallery of abortion rights supporters effectively shut down the Texas Senate, leaving the GOP leadership looking flatfooted and foolish, Gov. Rick Perry immediately called lawmakers back into special session and passed the bill.
As for Cruz, the numbers were against him from the start. Although he and a coterie of like-minded Republican tea party favorites pledged to do whatever necessary to defund the Affordable Care Act, Democrats in the Senate always had the votes to stop it. And nobody thinks President Barack Obama would sign a bill killing his signature domestic-policy success.
Cruz ended his marathon talk at noon, Washington time, in accordance with Senate rules. He had held his post for hours in the ornate Senate chamber, denouncing Obamacare as a job-killer, comparing opponents of his effort to Nazi appeasers, reading passages from Green Eggs and Ham and periodically giving allies a little time to relieve him.
In the process, he was the talk of conservative talk radio this week. He believes he has energized the grass roots. Cruz' appeal to the GOP's far right voters could help cement his place as the tea party candidate of choice in the 2016 presidential elections – at least he hopes so, according to Cruz associates.
Davis also has benefitted politically from her filibuster against the bill that critics say was aimed at shutting down most of the clinics in Texas that perform abortions. She catapulted to national attention, became a hero of the Democratic party's progressive wing, did a spread in Vogue magazine and quickly raised $1 million in campaign contributions, much of it from outside Texas.
The big difference between the twin talkathons is that while Davis energized her party, Cruz divided his. Davis, a Fort Worth senator who's never held statewide office, is expected to announce Oct. 3 that she intends to run for governor in 2014. Her candidacy would be an uphill battle in a state that has not elected a Democrat as governor since Ann Richards nearly a quarter century ago. But she's expected to have near unanimous support across the political spectrum of her party.
The Cruz opposition to Obamacare, risking a potential government shutdown, didn't have the support of many of his GOP colleagues who fear they'll be blamed for the shutdown. New York Rep. Peter King called Cruz "a fraud." Fox News anchor Chris Wallace said when word went out that Cruz would be a guest last Sunday, he was inundated by negative critiques and razor-sharp questions – from top Republicans.
When Cruz ran for the Senate in 2012, he told crowds he wasn't going to Washington to make friends. He's succeeded. The only question is whether a candidate needs friends to mount a successful campaign for president.


text:
BANGALORE: Tata Consultancy Services has topped a peer endurance study conducted by management consulting firm Hay Group among 39 IT companies in India , including MNC arms.
The study tried to capture the consistency of overall performance (financial and others) that the companies have displayed during recessions or other financially or operationally difficult times. On a scale of 10, where 10 is the highest endurance capacity, TCS scored 8.47, followed by Infosys Technologies at 8.43, Wipro 8.07, IBM and Microsoft 7.95, HP 7.81, HCL 7.74, Cognizant 7.47, Accenture 7.36 and Cisco 7.5.


text:
Read an Excerpt
Lord Robert Deveril Mountford propped himself up on his elbow in his bed. He brushed aside Maggie, Lady Caldwell's waterfall of chestnut curls and kissed her creamy shoulder. 'Two weeks from now?'
Dark eyes sparkling, she cast him a dazzling smile. 'Evil one. Can't you fit me in any sooner?'
'Sorry. I'm going out of town for a few days. Hunting.'
'Furred, feathered or female?' She stood up, slipped her chemise over her head and reached for her stays.
He slapped her plump little bottom. 'Whatever comes along, naturally.' Pleasantly sated, he yawned and stretched.
Maggie sighed. 'It is time you settled down, you know.'
Robert tensed. 'Not you, too.' He leaned across to lace her stays, then pulled the silky stockings off the blue canopy over the bed and tossed them at her.
She sat to pull them over her shapely legs. 'Why not? There are all kinds of nice young things available. Take my niece. She has a reasonable dowry and her family is good quality.'
A sense of foreboding gathered like a snowball rolling downhill, larger and colder with each passing moment. It wasn't the first time one of his women had tried to inveigle herself or a member of her family into the ducal tribe, but he hadn't expected it from this one. He had thought he and Maggie were having too much fun to let familial obligations intrude.
He didn't want a wife cramping his lifestyle, even if the ducal allowance provided enough for two, which it didn't.
Dress on, Maggie went to the mirror and patted her unruly curls. 'Just look at this mess. Caldwell will never believe I was at Lady Jeffries's for tea.' She gathered the scattered pins from the floor and tried to bring some order to her tresses.
Naked, he rose to his feet and stood behind her. Her eyes widened in the glass, the heat of desire returning.
He picked up the hairbrush, all at once disturbingly anxious for her to be gone. 'Let me.' With a few firm strokes, he tamed the luxuriant brown mane, twisted it into a neat knot at the back of her head, pinned it and teased out a few curls around her face. 'Will that do?'
A lovely lush woman still in her prime and wasted on her old husband, she turned and laughed up at him. 'My maid doesn't arrange it half as well. If you ever need a position as a lady's maid, I will be pleased to provide a recommendation.'
He gazed at her beautiful face, then brushed her lips with his mouth. 'Thank you. For everything.'
He liked Maggie. Too bad she had to bring up the subject of marriage. He bent to retrieve her shoes and she sat on the stool. As he put them on her small feet, he caressed her calf one last time. A faint sense of regret washed through him. Too faint.
She sighed and ran her fingers through his hair.
The clock in the hall struck four.
'Oh, botheration,' she said, jumping to her feet. She took another quick peek in the glass. 'I think I will pass muster.' Her trill of laughter rang around the room.
He stood up with a wry smile. Maggie always maintained such good spirits. She never indulged in tantrums or fits of jealousy about his other women. She'd been the perfect liaison. Until now.
He'd send a token tomorrow, a discreet little diamond pin with a carefully worded message. No fool, Maggie. She'd understand.
She reached up and cupped his cheek with her palm. 'One of these days some beautiful young thing is going to capture that wicked heart of yours and you'll be lost to me and all the other naughty ladies of the fon, mark my words.'
Too bad she couldn't leave well enough alone. He caught her fingers and pressed them to his lips. 'What? Be tied to just one woman when there are so many to enjoy?'
'You are a bad man,' she said. 'And I adore you.'
She whirled around in a rustle of skirts, a cloud of rose perfume and sex. She opened the door and dashed down the stairs to her waiting carriage.
Yes, Robert thought, he would miss her a great deal. Now whom did he have waiting in the wings to fill his Tuesday afternoons? A knotty, but interesting problem. The new opera dancer at Covent Garden had thrown him a lure last week. A curvy little armful with come-hither eyes. And yet, somehow, the thought of the chase didn't stir his blood.
It wouldn't be much of a chase. Perhaps he should look around a little more. Looking was half the fun.
He whistled under his breath as he readied himself for an evening at White's.
It was almost perfect. Wasn't it? She just wished she could be sure. In the library's rapidly fading daylight, Frederica Bracewell narrowed her eyes and compared her second drawing of a sparrow to the one in the book. The first one she'd attempted was awful. A five-year-old would have done better. Drawn with her right hand. She sighed. It didn't matter how hard she tried, right-handed she was hopeless.
Devil's spawn. An echo of Cook's harsh voice hissed in her ear. Good-for-naught bastard. She rubbed her chilled hands together and held the second drawing up to the light. It was the best thing she'd done. But was it good enough?
The door opened behind her. She jumped to her feet. Heat rushed to her hairline. Heart beating hard, she turned, hiding the drawings with her body.
'Only me, miss,' Snively, the Wynchwood butler, said. A big man, with a shock of white hair and a fierce bulldog face, but his brown eyes twinkled as he carried a taper carefully across the room and lit the wall sconces.
Her heart settled back into a comfortable rhythm.
'I didn't realise you were working in here this afternoon or I would have had William light the fire,' the butler said.
'I'm not c-c-cold,' she said, smiling at one of her few allies at Wynchwood. She didn't want him losing his position by lighting unnecessary fires.
She picked up her rag with a wince. She'd completed very little of her assigned task: dusting the books. Uncle Mortimer would not be pleased.
In passing, Snively glanced at the pictures on the table. 'This one is good,' he said, pointing at the second one. 'It looks ready to fly away. People pay for pictures like that.'
'Do you think so?'
'I do.' Snively's face hardened. 'You ought to have proper lessons instead of copying from books. You've a talent.'
Always so supportive. Sometimes she imagined the starchy butler was her father. It might have been better if he was. Who knew what kind of low man the Wynchwood Whore had bedded.
'It is not s-seemly for a woman to d-draw for money,' she said quietly, 'but I would love to go to Italy and see the great art of Europe. Perhaps even s-study with a drawing teacher.'
His mouth became a thin straight line. 'So you should.'
'Lord Wynchwood would never hear of it. It would be far too expensive.'
Snively frowned. 'If you'll excuse me saying so, the wages you've saved his lordship by serving as housekeeper these past many years would pay for a dozen trips to Italy.'
'Only my uncle's generosity keeps me here, Mr Snively. He could just as easily have left me at the workhouse.'
He glowered. 'Your turn will come, miss. You mark my words. It will.'
She'd never heard the butler so vehement. She glanced over her shoulder at the door. 'I beg you not to say anything to my uncle about these.' She gestured at the drawings.
'I wouldn't dream of it, miss. You keep it up. One day your talent will be recognised. I can promise it.'
She smiled. 'You are such a d-dear man.'
The library door slammed back.
Frederica jumped. Her heart leaped into her throat. 'Uncle M-M-Mortimer.' The words came out in a horrible rush.
The imperturbable Snively slid the book over her drawings and turned around with his usual hauteur. 'Good evening, Lord Wynchwood.'
Uncle Mortimer, his wig awry on his head, his cheeks puce, marched in. 'Nothing better to do than pass the time with servants, Frederica? Next you'll be hobnobbing with the stable boy, the way your mother did.'
Beside her Snively drew himself up straighter.
She trembled. She hated arguments. 'N-n-n'
'No?' the old man snapped. 'Then Snively is a figment of my imagination, is he?'
'My lord,' Snively said in outraged accents, 'I was lighting the candles, as I always do at this time. I found Miss Bracewell dusting the books and stopped to help.'
'I'm not chastising you, Snively. My niece is the one I need to keep in check.' Frederica wasn't surprised at her uncle's about face. A butler of Snively's calibre was hard to come by these days.
'S-s-s' she started.
'Sorry? You are always sorry. It is not good enough.' He frowned. 'Didn't you hear me ringing?'
She took a quick breath. 'N-no, Uncle. You asked me to d-d-dust the books in here. I d-d-did not hear your bell.'
'Well, listen better, gel. I've some receipts to be copied into the account book. I want them all finished by supper time.'
Frederica hid her shudder. Hours of copying numbers into columns and rows. Trying to make them neat and tidy while not permitted to use anything but her right hand. Her shoulders slumped. 'Yes, Uncle.'
'Come along. Come along, don't dilly dally. It is cold in here. My lungs cannot stand the chill. Snively, send word to Cook to send tea to my study.'
Snively bowed. 'Don't worry, miss, I'll return everything to its proper place.
He meant he'd put her drawings in her room. If Mortimer found she'd been wasting her time drawing, he'd probably lock her in her chamber for a week. Which might not be so bad, she reflected as she hurried out of the room. She threw the butler a conspiratorial smile.
Without Snively and her impossible dream of travelling to Italy and learning from a real artist, her life would be truly unbearable.
Refreshed and relaxed after his afternoon with Maggie, Robert strolled through the front door of White's and handed his coat and hat to the porter. 'Lord Radthorn here yet, O'Malley?'
The beefy red-haired man blinked owlishly. 'No, Lord Tonbridge.'
Robert didn't bother to correct the fool. It never did any good. Only close family, friends and the odd woman could ever tell him and Charlie apart.
He took the stairs up to the great subscription room two at a time. The dark-panelled room buzzed with conversation and laughter despite the youth of the evening.
A group of gentlemen crowded around a faro table, the game in full swing. Guineas and vowels were heaped at the banker's elbowViscount Lullington, a fair-haired Englishman with thin aristocratic features whom many of the ladies adored. He had a Midas touch with gambling and women. Only Robert had ever bested him on either countsomething that did not please the dandified viscount. But that wasn't the reason for the bad blood between them. It went a whole lot deeper. As deep as a sword blade.
The one Robert had put through his arm dueling for the favours of a woman. Robert glanced around the panelled room. No sign of Radthorn amongst the crowd, but a glance at his fob watch revealed he'd arrived a few minutes earlier than their appointed time. He drifted towards the faro table.
'Who is in the soup?' he asked Colonel Whittaker as he took in the play.
'Some protege of Lullington's,' Wittaker muttered without turning. 'The young fool just bet his curricle and team.'
Lullington smoothed his dark blond hair back from his high forehead, his intense blue gaze sweeping the players at the table. A clever man, Lullington, his fashionable air a draw for unwary young men with too much money in their pockets.
Too bad the man had chosen tonight to play here.
As if sensing Robert's scrutiny, Lullington glanced up and their gazes locked. His lip curled. Slowly, he laid his cards face down on the green baize table.
'Mountford?' Lullington never confused him with his twin. 'How did you get into a gentleman's club?' he lisped.
Robert recoiled. 'What did you say?' The viscount's lids lowered a fraction. He shook his head. 'You never did have a scrap of honour.' All conversation ceased.
The hairs on the back of Robert's neck rose. Fury coursed through his veins. He lunged forwards. 'You'll meet me on Primrose Hill in the morning for that slur. Name your seconds.'
The young sprig to Lullington's right stared opened mouthed.
'Gad, the cur speaks. Does it think because it is sired by a duke, it can mix with gentlemen?'
An odd rumble of agreement ran around the room.
Robert felt as if he'd been kicked in the chest. 'What the deuce are you talking about?'
Lullington's lip lifted in a sneer. 'Unlike you, I would never sully a lady's reputation in public.'
Robert felt heat travel up the back of his neck. So that's what this was all about. Lullington's cousin, the little bitch. He should have guessed the clever viscount would use the incident to his advantage. 'The woman you speak of is no lady,' he said scornfully. 'As you well know.'
'Dishonourable bastard,' Wittaker said, turning his back.
'No,' Lullington said softly, triumph filling his voice. 'Mountford is right not to bandy the lady's name around in this club. Mountford, I find the colour of your waistcoat objectionable. Please remove it from our presence at once. None of us wants to see it here again.'
One by one each man near Robert turned, until Robert stood alone, an island in a sea of stiff backs. Some of these men were his friends. He'd gone to school with them, drunk and gambled with them, whored with them, and not a single one of them would meet his eye.
One or two of them were the husbands of unfaithful wives. The triumph in their eyes as they turned away told its own story.
Good God! They'd decided to send him to Coventry, because he'd refused to marry a scheming little bitch.
The only man who remained looking his way was Lullington, who lifted his quizzing glass as if he had spotted a fly on rotten meat.
'It is a lie and you know it,' Robert said.
'Cheeky bastard,' Pettigrew said.
'Oh, it's cheeky all right.' Lullington's lisp seemed more pronounced than usual. He gave a mocking laugh like splintering glass. 'It remains. Pettigrew, will you have O'Malley throw this rubbish out, or shall I?'
One of the menPettigrew, Robert assumedleft the room, no doubt to do the viscount's bidding. Robert stood his ground, forced reason into his tone. 'I didn't touch the girl.' Damn. If he said any more, he'd be playing right into Lullington's hands.
Ambleforth, round and red about the gills, a man Robert had known at Eton, shuffled closer. He caught sight of Lullington's glass swivelling towards him and stopped, shaking his head. ''Fore God, Mountford,' he uttered in hoarse tones. 'Go, before you make it any worse.'
Worse. Heat flooded his body, sweat trickled down his back. How could this nightmare be worse? Lullington had turned every man in the room against him for a crime he hadn't committed. The girl had brought it on herself.


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Archive for the 'Insects' tag
What is killing California's trees, and what can you do about it?
By Ariel Simons January 12th, 2015 at 9:00 am | Comment
Editor's note: This post originally appeared on the author's blog. Project SCARAB is one of more than 800 great citizen science projects on SciStarter. Use our project finder to find one that you can participate in!
The great thing about living in a major port city such as Los Angeles is having access to ideas and goods from the around the world. However, the port of LA, and by extension every trade conduit branching off from there, takes the chance on cargo containers carrying an invasive species. In 2003 one such species, the polyphagus shothole borer (PSHB), was spotted in Whittier, a suburb of Los Angeles. In the intervening decade it has quickly spread to many of the trees in southern California. Read the rest of this entry »
Citizen Science in the Rocky Mountains – Celebrate Halloween with the Colorado Spider Survey
By Arvind Suresh (Editor) October 29th, 2014 at 12:25 pm | Comment
Love Creepy Crawlies? Check out our Halloween Picks!
Editors Note: This post was written by Aditi Joshi, a freelance science writer and a new contributor at SciStarter
As a kid, I avoided houses that had spider decorations during Halloween. Even today, I find spiders scary. Spiders add an extra ounce of spookiness to Halloween. Spiders might be scary for some, but they've always fascinated Dr. Paula Cushing, an arachnologist (spider biologist) at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in Colorado.
Cushing hoped to get a better sense of what kinds of spiders existed around her and what role they play in the ecosystems of the Rocky Mountains. To do that, she needed a map of where the spiders were and what kinds of spiders exist in the area. But an area spanning 104,000 square miles has a daunting array of spider species estimated to be over 650 in number. It wasn't something that she or a small staff or professional scientists were going to be able to do on their own. They needed help.
Waiting for a butterfly to flutter by with the Los Angeles Butterfly Survey
By Melinda T. Hough July 20th, 2014 at 11:01 am | Comment
Live in Los Angeles county? Photograph butterflies and moths, and help scientists study climate change.
Interested in more moth and butterfly citizen science projects? We've got you covered!"Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today, I saw one…" [2]
In the heat of summer monsoons, butterflies accompany the paddling turtles in the lake outside my window… butterfly? Wait a minute; I remember dragonflies, not butterflies, from childhood. Nightly news reports every evening that our fragile blue marble is undergoing significant changes. Could butterflies and moths help scientists understand how living organisms adapt to climate change?
More than 174,000 species of butterflies and moths, the Lepidoptera, or scaly-winged insects, have been cataloged, making them some of the most successful insects to flutter across our planet. Vital to local ecosystems, butterflies and moths are important food sources and pollinators, only differing in their coloration (bold colors vs. drab monochrome) and diurnal/nocturnal range. Yet, only 236 species of butterfly have been observed in Los Angeles County.The Los Angeles Butterfly Survey, a partnership between the all-volunteer Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA) and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, is working with citizen scientists to count and photographically catalogue the butterflies, and moths, found between the urban skyscrapers of southern California.
Becoming a butterfly, or moth, hunter has never been easier. Citizen scientists simply photograph, noting the date, time, and location, of their winged sighting. The photo and observations are then uploaded to the BAMONA website, where experts identify/verify the species before adding the find to their database. The data is used to develop a visual database and life history page for each species including stunning, user-submitted, photographs and maps reflecting recent sightings.
Kelly Lotts, co-founder of BAMONA, notes, "It is very easy for kids to grab cameras and to take photographs of species found where they live or at their school… Kids really enjoy being able to point to their dot on the map, to their actual photograph."Since its launch in 2011, the Los Angeles Butterfly Survey has become an invaluable tool encouraging city dwellers to become scientists for the day. Over 628,000 butterfly and moth sightings have been recorded across all of North America; 1320 for southern California. Lotts goes on to explain, "We get a lot of data requests from scientists looking at butterflies as indicators of climate change… in 2011 and 2012, in California, there was a sighting of Hyalophora cecropia each year. This is very unusual as the Cecropia is found in the east of the Rocky Mountains."
Citizen scientists benefit from their involvement as well. At the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, they are mapping local species in order to inform planting in the pollinator garden. New projects are sprouting up including the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project. According to Lila Higgins, Manager of Citizen Science for the museum, "Citizen scientist are already getting so much out of their experience. They are thinking like scientists – making predictions about what they are going to find in the coming weeks. Talk about science in action."
Why not grab a camera and enjoy the summer sun while waiting for a butterfly to flutter by?
References and Resources:
[1] Image courtesy Tony Maro (BAMONA submission).
[2] Kathleen Kelly, You've Got Mail
[3] Image courtesy Wendy Caldwell (Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles).
[4] Data courtesy BAMONA website.
Dr Melinda T. Hough is a freelance science advocate and communicator dedicated to sharing the inspiring stories of life science and helping the general public explore their world. She holds a PhD from the University of Edinburgh for research into how antibiotics kill bacteria, was a policy fellow at the National Academy of Sciences, and is a published photographer. Naturally curious, it is hard to tear Melinda away from science. Not content to stay in one place for very long, she might be found exploring, often behind the lens of her Nikon D80, plotting her next epic adventure, or training for the next half marathon.
BioBlitz: Explore the National Parks with National Geographic
By Peter Madden August 22nd, 2012 at 12:39 pm | Comment 1
Attention all backyard explorers and rosebush whackers: this is the opportunity you've been waiting for. Your days of leading patient parents on perilous neighborhood expeditions are over. Put down that "machete." Stop mushing the dog. Grab your merit badges. Adventure is calling!
This Friday, August 24, the National Park Service and the National Geographic Society will host their annual BioBlitz species count at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Hundreds of students and thousands of local citizens will join about 200 scientists, naturalists, and explorers from around the country to collect and analyze wildlife data, transforming the forest into a massive outdoor classroom alive with curiosity and discovery.
"I am always moved by the commitment of the National Parks Service to protecting our country's ecological diversity and sharing it with the general public," said Daniel Edelson, Vice President for Education at National Geographic. "The BioBlitzes are…explicit strategies for preparing young people to care for their world."
National Geographic has been "inspiring people to care about the planet" through its magazine since 1888, but it is relatively new to the business of "preparing" them to do so. With the rapid proliferation of digital media, the society saw an opportunity to provide teachers and students with the resources to learn (curricula, films, games) and the tools to take action through a more robust educational initiative, thus engaging with their audience in ways never thought possible. Can't make it to Colorado to catch bugs, spot birds, and count elk on Friday? You can take part in the action via their Google Hangout starting at 3 PM (EST), or even plan your own BioBlitz by following their instructions.
"It's exciting to see that other people are embracing the concept and using the resources we developed to conduct their own biodiversity research in their own parks in their own communities," said Sean O'Connor, a BioBlitz project manager.
This year's BioBlitz, the sixth in a series of ten leading up to the National Park Service's Centennial in 2016, comes amidst the strain of another round of federal budget cuts and continued lack of funding for the program. As the National Park Service prepares to face the challenges ahead—political, economic, environmental, or otherwise—National Geographic aims to show its next generation of stewards why its 397 parks encompassing ver 84 million acres of land are worth preserving.
"We believe [the most important lesson] we can teach young people is how interconnected our world is," said Edelson. "Even in our most pristine National Parks, you can't escape the impact of human activities on the natural environment. A BioBlitz is a chance for young people to see those impacts and learn about the connections between their own actions and the health of ecosystems."
Studying Dragonfly Swarms with Citizen Science
By John Ohab July 11th, 2011 at 10:46 am | Comments (154)
In July of 2009, a friend and I arrived at a lake to collect water samples for work. We had worked at the lake many times, but something was different that day: several hundred dragonflies were flying over the grass.
We often saw dragonflies, but there were 50 times the usual number and they weren't in their usual places. We knew something exciting was happening, so we jotted down notes. I returned to the lake twice to record more observations of the swarm and simply appreciate the marvel of nature that I witnessed. Then they were gone.
That experience changed me. I am an aquatic entomologist with an interest in dragonfly behavior, but that swarm captured my attention like nothing else. I needed to know more about it! I looked into the scientific literature to find answers, but discovered that little is known about dragonfly swarms.


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Starting an all-women's class
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 950
Re: Starting an all-women's class
Wow, the estrogen level in the room!
I didn't know this thread was really about women and sexism- I really not good at the "War Of The Roses" game. I am about getting women into the dojo and experiencing Aikido. I don't want to get into discussions about divisions. I would like to focus the discussion on how to get women interested in Aikido by starting a women's class.
I personally would like to see more women in Aikido, women of different backgrounds, different ethnicity. I have one- on the fence reservation I didn't mention. Sitting in the back of my mind is, the risk of a special Aikido group being exclusive to one type of person, thought, politics, etc. I don't think that is the direction of unification, but an opportunity for division. I am not completely against a women's class, if it is done to get women interested in Aikido. I cross my fingers that it wouldn't turn into something else. Something that Aikido isn't about. I don't have issues with women in Aikido.
A friendly FWI, when the discussion turns into a us vs. them, well am not interested in going in endless circles. I am interested in solving problems, getting results, finding answers, building bridges where there wasn't one before. I focus on the postive. That is what Aikido has taught me and I want to share that. That is what I am about.
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Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door: Hosts free travel classes most Saturdays at the Edmonds Theater, 415 Main St., Edmonds, or at Rick Steves' Travel Center, 130 Fourth Ave. N., Edmonds. Reservations are recommended. Call 425-771-8303, ext. 298, or go to www.ricksteves.com.
Packing Light &Right with Ann Neel: 10 to 11:30 a.m. May 5, Edmonds Theater.
Greece with Julie Coen: 6 to 7 p.m. May 10, Rick Steves' Travel Center.
European Rail Skills with Laura Terrenzio: 10 to 11:30 a.m. May 12, Edmonds Theater.
European Sleeps: Beyond Hotels and B&Bs with Kevin Williams: 6 to 7 p.m. May 17, Rick Steves' Travel Center.
Great Britain with Cameron Hewitt: 10 to 11:30 a.m. May 19, Edmonds Theater.
Beginning German for Travelers with Gretchen Strauch: noon to 1:30 p.m. May 19, Rick Steves' Travel Center.
Roman Europe with Dave Hoerlein: 10 to 11:30 a.m. May 26, Rick Steves' Travel Center/
Beginning Spanish for Travelers with Rich Earl: noon to 1:30 p.m. May 26, Rick Steves' Travel Center.
Stories in Stone: The Trouble with Michelangelo's Marble with David B. Williams: 6 to 7 p.m. May 31, Rick Steves' Travel Center.
The Savvy Traveler offers travel seminars Saturdays at 112 Fifth Ave. S., Edmonds. Call 425-744-6076, 877-225-1994, or go to www.savvytraveleredmonds.com.
Burma, a Cultural Awakening: 10 a.m. May 5.
Papua New Guinea, the Last Frontier: 1 p.m. May 5.
Mount Kilimanjaro, East African Safaris: 10 a.m. May 12.
Vietnam and Cambodia: 1 p.m. May 12.
Packing Like a Savvy Traveler: 10 a.m. May 19.


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Coppell Gallery
Coppell HS
Photo: Rex C. Curry/Special Contributor
Coppell High School red team's Jeremy Mortenson (39) intercepts the ball from the black team's Connor Wilson, (18) in the second of their spring football game at Cowboy's Stadium in Coppell on May 26, 2011.
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