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For the first time since it was established in 1976, Bits of Lace is expanding beyond downtown Charleston.
The upscale lingerie and sleepwear boutique at 302 King St. is opening its second location in Mount Pleasant at 453 W. Coleman Blvd. near Shem Creek.
Pearl, a women's boutique, closed and moved out of the space last month.
Bits of Lace first opened on Vendue Range, but after a brief stint near Waterfront Park, the store joined the then-blossoming retail hub on King Street, where it has operated for more than 35 years. The move to East Cooper is the boutique's first brick-and-mortar expansion. An online store, www.bitsoflace.com, was launched in 2005.
Regal experience
Regal Entertainment Group will debut its first giant screen theater in the Charleston market Thursday with a showing of "Divergent" at Regal Azalea Square Stadium 16.
Billed as the Regal Premium Experience, the state-of-the-art screening room features a 53-foot screen with high-definition digital projectors, a powerful surround sound system and luxury seating. The Summerville theater at 215 Azalea Square Blvd. is Regal's third location in South Carolina to introduce the high-tech theater room. Tickets are $12-$15.
Spring for ice
Rita's Italian Ice will mark the first official day of spring Thursday by giving away free Italian ice all day. The local dessert shop is in North Charleston at 4958 Centre Pointe Drive, across from the Tanger Outlet Center.
Five Guys adds two
Five Guys Burger and Fries has leased a restaurant space at North Rivers Towne Centre. The fast-casual burger joint will replace the former Starbucks coffee shop in the Target-anchored shopping center at 7250 Rivers Ave. in North Charleston. Five Guys is also opening another North Charleston location in April at the Corner at Wescott Shopping Center on Dorchester Road.
Shadow art
Clay Rice, an artist who specializes in shadowed silhouette portraits, will take clients at Wonder Works on Saturday. Those interested in having portraits made can visit the Mount Pleasant toy store at 624 Long Point Road from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., or 3-5 p.m. at the West Ashley location at 975 Savannah Highway.
Reach Abigail Darlington at 937-5906 and follow her on Twitter @A_Big_Gail


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By Michael Howell
Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital was recently ranked in the top 100 critical access hospitals in the nation.
Small and rural hospitals play a critical role in providing efficient and effective health care that is on par with other larger suburban and urban counterparts, according to iVantage Health Analytics, the company that rates hospitals across the nation based on the Hospital Strength Index which is based on an evaluation of market conditions, clinical and operational performance, and financial and qualitative concerns.
"The hospital Strength Index reflects the multiple challenges of running a hospital by incorporating the measures on which the industry has worked to gain consensus and standardization," said John Morrow, the company's executive vice-president.
The Hospital Strength Index rates 4,400 general acute care hospitals, including 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals. The index is based on eight performance categories measuring 56 different performance metrics. The Index offers hospital executives, boards of directors and communities an objective way to measure their performance internally and among their peers.
The hospital's high rating came as good news to CFO Donja Erdman, Director of Quality Mira McMasters and Director of Nursing Susan Hill.
McMasters said that high quality patient care was part of the culture at Marcus Daly and she was proud of her physicians and their nursing teams. She said that the hospital employs outside vendors to measure the quality of its services and help plan specific quality improvements.
"We collect a lot of data to track our performance results and improve our delivery of services," said McMasters.
One of the measures of a hospital's ranking is the 30-day readmission rates as well as the 30-day mortality rates. Director of Nursing Susan Hill said that the addition of 24/7 hospitalist staff had increased patient care tremendously. The hospital also recently added three case managers, which improves the likelihood of patients not being readmitted for the same illness. A brand new call system in patient rooms ensures that patient response time is further reduced and a focus on pain management, proper discharge instructions and medication management also contributes to exceptional patient outcomes. Hill said the hospital is always looking for feedback from the patients to improve its services.
The hospital performed particularly well in the financial category with costs and charges lower than over 90% of critical access hospitals nationwide. Hospital CFO Donja Erdman said that she works hard on balancing the need for services with the need to re-invest in the facility itself. She said it is important to have a sound financial base that can support the staff required as well as provide them with the best equipment available.
"As a community based non-profit we do a lot that is not exactly cost effective," said Erdman. But the hospital has managed to make some significant improvements to its facility with a new emergency department, laboratory, rehabilitation center and four new medical clinics.

subset: commoncrawl


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There are two basic types of sealant, polysulfide and silicone.
Polysulfides are great for most deck applications however they will
melt Lexan and ABS plastic. Silicone is more flexible and is useful
for all deck applications, especially in areas that flex. It is a
little harder to clean up when it's time to re-bed a fixture. Our
strictly personal preference is to use polysulfide except on plastic
and areas that flex like around the chain-plates.
Now here is the simple secret to a great looking job. Put
everything back together (dry fit) and then put masking tape
around the hardware. The masking tape makes it easy to remove
the excess sealant and get a clean professional looking
Ok, now take it all apart again and apply a 1/16 to 1/8 inch
coating of sealant. Go all the way to the edge of the tape. It's
better to apply too much than too little. If you don't get an
even coating it will leak and then you get to do it over and
over until you get it right. Apply too much and you just have a
little more clean up, but the tape makes clean up a snap.
Reassemble everything. Only tighten the screws enough to
just squeeze the sealant out the edges. Don't tighten the screws
all the way. You are creating a gasket with the sealant so you
want 1/16 inch or so of space under the hardware filled with
Let this stand overnight. Don't rush it, let the sealant cure.
Silicone will set in an hour or two but you can leave it for
24 hours without any problems.
After the sealant has cured tighten the screws. If you see
sealant squeezing out the sides like toothpaste you're rushing
it. Wait a while longer.
Finally for a great looking job carefully cut the sealant
down to the tape all the way around the hardware with a sharp
knife or razor blade. Pull the tape off and clean up with a
little soap and water. You're all done and you have a great
looking installation that should last for years.


text:
The mission of the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board (ESPB/Board) is to protect those species of plants and animals native to Illinois which are in danger of being lost from the wild in Illinois.
The Board was created by the passage of the Endangered Species Protection Act in 1972. The Board consists of nine members who are appointed by the Governor, and the Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR/Department) as a non-voting member. By law, the members include at least six naturalists, including at least two zoologists, two ecologists, and one botanist.
While administratively housed at the Department, the Board is a separate entity from the Department.
Board staff, based in Springfield, coordinate and represent the Board on a daily basis. Board staff work closely with the Department and the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission.
The Board is required to review and revise the Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Species (Illinois List) as warranted, but not less often than every five years.
Illinois List - The Board may list, as endangered or threatened, species of animals or plants which have reproduced in or otherwise significantly use, as in migration or overwintering, the area which is now the State of Illinois, if there is scientific evidence that the species qualify as endangered or threatened as defined by the Act. Federally designated endangered and threatened species are automatically placed on the Illinois List. The first Illinois List was published in 1981. Since then, there have been six 5-year reviews and revisions of the entire List, as well as some administrative and editorial revisions, resulting in the current (2015) Illinois List of 480 endangered and threatened species. The Board completed in 2014 another review of the Illinois List and the proposed revision is expected to become official sometime in 2015. Follow this link for information about the Illinois List.
Illinois List Review - The Board's listing decisions must be based on scientific evidence. Factors that are considered when evaluating a species include changes in population size, changes in range in the state, whether it occurs at protected sites, any known threats to its existence, as well as features of its life history which might have a bearing on survival. Follow this link for information about the Illinois List review and revision process, and the most recent and upcoming Illinois List reviews.
Illinois List Revision - Changes to the Illinois List must be based on scientific evidence. The Board may remove from the Illinois List any non-federally-listed species for which it finds satisfactory scientific evidence that its wild or natural populations are no longer endangered or threatened in Illinois. A public hearing is held to receive comments and evidence before the Board finalizes its listing decisions. Follow this link for information about the Illinois List review and revision process.
Research and Surveys - Board staff conduct and participate in field surveys and research to monitor the status of endangered and threatened plants and animals to gather information for both the Board's review and revision of the Illinois List and in advising the IDNR on the conservation of E&T species. When the Board has adequate funding, it may also fund research projects and surveys.
Recovery Planning - The Board develops endangered and threatened species recovery planning documents in coordination with the IDNR. Recovery planning documents are used in both the Board's review and revision of the Illinois List and in advising the IDNR on the conservation of E&T species. Both agencies also work together in implementing recovery actions.
The Board is required to advise the Department on methods of assistance, protection, conservation and management of Endangered and Threatened (E&T) species and their habitat, and on related matters.
The Department is required to seek the advice of the Board as it plans and implements its Endangered Species Conservation Program.
The Department is required to seek the advice of the Board and provide written response to any Board comments regarding the issuance and terms of authorization for incidental taking of E&T Species.
These three requirements all relate to the business of the Board advising the IDNR on the conservation of E&T species and their habitats and related matters including new or proposed changes to policies, regulations, and laws. Indeed, constituents and the general public expect the Department to ask for and consider the advice of the Board as called for in the Act. This division of responsibility is vital in maintaining the objectivity and credibility of Illinois' overall endangered species conservation.
The Board is required to hold meetings no less often than quarterly.
The Board is required to produce and make available a report of accomplishments biennially.
The Department is required to consult with and gain written approval of the Board when promulgating Administrative Rules on E&T Species Permits.
Copyright © 2016 Illinois DNR


text:
Don't let it get away!
Keep track of the stocks that matter to you.
Help yourself with the Fool's FREE and easy new watchlist service today.
Ctrip.com International (NASDAQ: CTRP ) is taking a potentially lucrative trip to the debt markets. The company has announced that it intends to float a $500 million aggregate principal amount offering of convertible senior notes maturing in 2018. The conversion rate into Ctrip.com's American depositary shares, as well as other terms, will be determined when the issue is priced. Additionally, Ctrip.com said it expects to grant the offering's initial purchaser a 30-day option to buy up to an additional $75 million in principal amount of the notes solely to cover overallotments, if any.
The company will use its share of the proceeds to pay financing costs and for "other general corporate purposes." These include working capital requirements, potential acquisitions, and possible ADS repurchases and note retirements.
Currently, Ctrip.com has more than 130.7 million ADSes outstanding, and its stock trades at $55.11 per ADS.


text:
A "big possibility" exists that final autopsy results for Heath Ledger will be released as early as Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the New York City Medical Examiner's office tells PEOPLE.
The new findings will supplement those of an initial autopsy, whose inconclusive results were announced on Jan. 23, a day after the 28-year-old actor was found in his Manhattan apartment.
"The autopsy was inconclusive," Medical Examiner spokeswoman Ellen Borakove told PEOPLE on Jan. 23. "We have to do further testing including toxicology and tissue testing. Neither cause of death or manner of death has been concluded."
Michael Baden, a prominent forensic pathologist not involved with the investigation, told PEOPLE the initial inconclusive finding "rules out the natural causes, such as a brain hemorrhage, pneumonia or a cardiac abnormality."
"That leaves drug overdose as the most likely cause of death," Baden said.
Reporting by KATHY EHRICH DOWD
For the complete story of how Heath's partying affected his relationship with Michelle – but never changed her love for him – pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE.
'Big Possibility' Heath Autopsy Results Are Ready
Lisa Rose/JPI


text:
Home slider
Paul Smith, CFA
Marc Faber PH.D.
Petr Koblic
Dmytro Sologub, CFA
James McCormack
Ludwik Sobolewski
Frank M. Hatheway
Timothy Ash
Prof. Witold M.Orlowski
Attila Koksal, CFA
Olaf Osica
Michał Woźniak, CFA
Marcin Zaborowski, Ph.D
Prof. Adam Glapinski
Grzegorz Zawada, CFA
Liam Halligan
Zsolt Darvas
V International Central and Eastern European Investment Conference
CFA Society Poland and CFA Institute are pleased to announce V International Central and Eastern European Investment Conference to be held in Intercontinental Warsaw, Poland on November 18th 2016.
V CEE Investment Conference is the top investment industry event in Poland, organized by the CFA Society Poland and supported by the CFA Institute. One-day conference will cover four panels with notable speakers and offer the possibility to hear various ideas and opinions on issues of investment opportunities in the period of complicated geopolitical situation. It will feature a unique networking opportunity to make business contacts, strengthen collaborative efforts and launch new projects.
Conference's speakers include prominent economists, successful investors, government officials and policy makers, who share insights on today's investment climate issues, examine market trends, uncover new investment opportunities, and deliver practical investment advice
International Central and Eastern European Investment conference is an annual event, which is held every year in different European capitals. It gathers leaders of the largest financial institutions from all over the world, international investment banks and funds, professional consultants and financial market specialists, as well as representatives of the major business mass media to discuss actual topics of investment potential of the CEE region. First CEE Investment Conference took place in Bucharest in April 2012, Second in Moscow in April 2013, Third in Istanbul in November 2014, Fourth in Kyiv 2015 gathering over 300 influential investment professionals concentrating on the region.
The organization process of the events of the CFA Society Poland, including CEE Investment Conference remains free from direct corporate or political influence making it a unique and independent networking environment.


text:
Argos App for iOS & Android GET IT NOW
Hama Beads Bumper Activity Set.£9.99
Get creative with Hama! This bumper activity set has 4,000 beads so kids can really enjoy designing. Use a design sheet or make your own picture in beads, iron it and keep it forever!
Create lots of fun models.
Includes 4,000 beads, pegboards, stands, design sheet, ironing paper and more.
Prices correct as displayed but are subject to change


text:
Teen on bike injured by truck in hit-and-run, police say
Teeen in good condition; Police looking for driver
UPDATED 9:52 AM CDT Sep 21, 2013
An 18-year-old was struck by a tractor-trailer that left the scene Friday night in Oklahoma City, police said.
Police are looking for the driver.
The teen was riding a bicycle when the collision happened near Northwest 10th Street and Council Road around 10:15 p.m., police said.
The teen was conscious and talking as he was taken to University of Oklahoma Medical Center, police said. He was listed in good condition.
Copyright 2013 by KOCO.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Galaxy 58NLH5HS8GGX GeForce GTX 580 Video Card - 1536MB GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0, Dual DVI, Mini HDMI, SLI, DirectX 11Item#: G458-0580 | Model#: 58NLH5HS8GGX
Currently Out Of Stock!
Additional Resources
Galaxy GeForce GTX 580 Fermi 1536MB GDDR5 SLI Product Details
Galaxy 58NLH5HS8GGX GeForce GTX 580 Video Card
Next-generation gaming has arrived. Galaxy 58NLH5HS8GGX GeForce GTX 580 gives your games an adrenaline shot with the worlds fastest performance and futuristic, visually-stunning graphics. The Galaxy 58NLH5HS8GGX GeForce GTX 580 brings games to life through incredible DirectX 11 tessellation performance and advanced cinematic effects like motion blur and depth of field. Experience 3D worlds littered with debris and consumed in fire and smoke with NVIDIA PhysX effects running at twice the performance of prior generation GPUs. Completely immerse yourself in the game with NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround technology powering three HD displays in jaw-dropping stereoscopic 3D. And when you finish, sit back and interact with ray traced 3D renderings so realistic you wont believe your eyes. Arm yourself for the future of gaming. Galaxy 58NLH5HS8GGX GeForce GTX 580.
What it is & Why you need it:
- Next generation architecture delivers incredible gaming performance at maximum resolution and quality settings
- New high-speed 32x anti-aliasing smoothes edges for top notch visual quality
- Support for up to 3-way NVIDIA® SLI® technology for the ultimate gaming performance
- NVIDIA PolyMorph Engine, the geometry processing engine built from the ground up for DirectX 11 tessellation, enables incredibly detailed game characters and terrain with blazing performance
- Worlds first consumer GPU to enable interactive ray tracing for ultra photo-realistic scenes
Additional Resources: Product Manuals
Recommended Items
Manufactured by: Galaxy
Warranty provided by: Galaxy
UPC No: 845735000914
Mfg Part No: 58NLH5HS8GGX
Box Size:
( Length:13, Width:9, Depth:3)
Shipping Weight: 3.5500 pound(s)
Click here for full warranty and support information
- Galaxy logos are registered trademarks of Galaxy. All others trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.


text:
Greg Cooper
> My Linux machine can't establish a PPP connection to my ISP, AT&T
> Worldnet.
> I'm using pppd 2.4.1 on RedHat Linux 9 (kernel 2.4.20-6) with an
> external USRobotics Courier V.Everything modem.
> pppd: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/ttyS0
> pppd: sent [LCP ConfReq id=0x1
> localhost last message repeated 9 times
> pppd: LCP: timeout sending Config-Requests
This usually means that the peer isn't speaking PPP but is sitting at
a prompt or menu. Often this is due to it receiving a carriage-return
before PPP negotiations begin.
Ending the chat script with
CONNECT \\c
which should prevent chat from sending a carriage-return. That's for a
chat script on the chat command line. In a chat -f file `CONNECT \c'
may be enough.
If that doesn't help then add the chat option -v and post the chat
log messages, including timestamps, along with an exact copy of the
chat script.
Clifford Kite Email: "echo email@example.com|rot13"
PPP-Q&A links, downloads: http://ckite.no-ip.net/
/* "Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send"


text:
Archive for September 2nd, 2008
Google's new browser: Chrome debuts, Bush beams
Today's the day of Google's release of its new 'Chrome' browser in a Googley attempt to rest away some of MS Internet Explorer's 75% advantage:
Oh and Bush speaks tonight by satellite to the RNC thereby saving himself the annoyance of showing up in person to laud his sassy successor.
Guiliani out, Lieberman in at RNC 2008
Musical chairs at the RNC! Such drama:
Update: Guiliani was actually bumped later ito the week and roused the crowd quite well.
Craig Ferguson tickets procured!
Now here's a coup I can believe in!
It's confirmed: TV's Craig Ferguson is coming to a town nearby and tickets have been purchased!!
Suave European Mr. Ferguson may now join George Carlin as one of the very few comedians I've seen in concert.
They're much alike really – one is known for spouting out-of-the-mainstream foul-mouthed yet witty truisms – and the other one is George Carlin.


text:
Markets as Monitors: A Proposal to Replace Class Actions with Exchanges as Securities Fraud Enforcers
Adam C. Pritchard
University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School, Working Paper No. 99-006
This Article proposes the replacement of securities fraud class actions for "fraud on the market" with an enforcement regime administered by the securities exchanges. It discusses the social costs of fraud in secondary trading markets and the respective roles of compensation and deterrence in controlling those costs. The expense and ineffectiveness of securities class actions in achieving deterrence are explained. An alternative regime enforced by the exchanges is outlined, and the incentives of exchanges to enforce anti-fraud prohibitions are analyzed.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 98
Date posted: February 23, 1999
Suggested Citation
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text:
Installed BE7.3 for SBS over 7.0. Initially GUI initialised okay but looking
at any device related item caused a Dr Watson. At this point NT backup refused
to see tape drive (Seagate 4mm DAT via Adaptec SCSI card). NT reported device
to be OK. Reinstalled drivers for tape device several times with no change.
Disabled all BE services and restarted server again. NT Backup saw tape
device and all was well. Started BE again and GUI generated Dr Watson immediately
as it launched.
I'm a real amateur at this game so any advice would be welcome.
Andy Sims


text:
Here's the deal: I just can't pass up one of these for sale at any affordable price. I have my own lovely little Kathy, and honest-to-goodness that is enough for me. But I see these little machines offered for sale here and there at less than market value and I just gotta take them home with me. They never stay long - I don't hoard them, I find them new homes. In the meantime I enjoy playing with them and making their acquaintance.
The two who passed through recently couldn't be more different. Here you have a B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L 1952 Singer 221 in nearly pristine condition.
She "almost" (and I said "almost"!) tempted me to swap her out for Kathy. But I'm nothing if not loyal and Kathy has served me well so she isn't going anywhere. I do love the Celtic knot decals, though. And all the visible screws are black, something I haven't seen before, and I think it looks so elegant. Needless to say, she sews as well as she looks.
So this machine stayed with me a few days and quickly found a new home via eBay. (I hear that her new owner is very pleased!)
Then on the other hand was the machine I introduced in a recent post. A 1937 in dreadful condition:
That is a picture of it partially disassembled. I proceeded to remove every bit and piece of this machine and sold it all off on eBay. Just like with a recent 15-91 that I parted out, these parts sold like hotcakes! It is always a little sad to reduce a machine to an organ donor, but I consider that other machines can go on to give more years of service because they got original replacement parts that they needed. This machine was neglected, worn, dirty and greasy. I had to struggle just to get her running (as shown in previous post.) But she had some beautiful parts such as the early type scrolled face plate
I spent a brief moment considering dressing up Kathy with this beautiful plate, but then I just couldn't do it. With her more modern prism type decals, it looked as ridiculous as a woman in a dress like this:
Wearing a hat like this:
Kathy looks best with her original, striated face plate and I like to keep original parts together as much as possible. So the face plate was sold (that alone brought more than I paid for the entire machine!) along with every single part including the stripped down machine head. Without giving exact amounts, let me just say that the total of all the parts far exceeded what the machine by itself would have sold for. Go figure!
Well, anyway, I enjoyed the time I spent both with the beautiful machine (I wanted to clean and tinker with it, but it was in such perfect condition - not even a speck of lint - that there was nothing to do but oil it) and the old worn out one (I enjoyed "dissecting" it and getting a chance to study all the parts without having to worry about scratching or ruining a good machine.)
Just to top off my Featherweight Frenzy, I whipped up a new case cover. And BTW, matching chevron at the seams is not for sissies, let me just say.... ;)
Vintage Images courtesy of FreeVintageImages.com


text:
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Please click on the link below to download the latest version. Thanks!
The U.S. government is expected to compensate 9/11 rescue workers and residents living near Ground Zero amid concerns of a possible link between cancer and the toxic World Trade Center rubble.
When the towers fell, thousands of New York's finest rushed to the scene, where smoldering debris made it difficult to breath. Many law enforcement and medical workers stayed to help for months.
Now, more than a decade later, many people who helped as well as those who lived near the site say the toxins from the destruction gave them cancer.
"For first responders and residents, they knew the air wasn't safe, not withstanding what the EPA was saying," attorney Michael Barasch said.
"But it didn't matter," he continued. "They were there to help save whoever could be saved."
At first, federal government officials refused to pay for medical bills saying there was no proof. But new evidence has emerged that has changed all that -- on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary.
The government is expected to announce that about 50 cancers will be covered by a nearly $3 billion fund set up for victim compensation.
"The first responders who were there for us, we're now going to be there for them," Barasch said. "We're going to compensate them and help provide treatment."
Authorities on Alert for 9/11 'Lone Wolf' Attack
National Cathedral Scales Back 9/11 Services
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Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting? Are you facing a difficult situation?
Find peace with God, discover more about God or send us your prayer request.
Call The 700 Club Prayer Center at 1 (800) 823-6053, 24 hours a day.
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.
CBN News Anchor/Reporter
Wendy Griffith is a Co-host for the The 700 Club and an Anchor and Senior Reporter for the Christian Broadcasting Network based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In addition to The 700 Club, she co-anchors Christian World News, a weekly show that focuses on the triumphs and challenges of the global church. Follow Wendy on Twitter @WendygCBN and "like" her at Facebook.com/WendyGriffithCBN.
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text:
People on the move
July 4, 2004 Sunday
The Deseret News Publishing Co.
-- Jay K. Francis, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the Utah Jazz, was elected president and chairman of the University Hospital Foundation's board of trustees. Francis has served three years on the board, most recently as chairman of the foundation's marketing and public relations committee. The foundation is a nonprofit organization that solicits funding for the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics.
-- Wells Fargo Bank has named Scott K. Mitchell as business banking specialist for its Cache Valley region. Mitchell has nearly 15 years of financial services experience. At Wells Fargo, he has served as business development officer, senior training officer and branch manager. He is a graduate of Utah State University.
-- The Utah Bankers Association announced its new officers. M. Craig Zollinger, president and chief executive officer of Bank One Utah, was elected president of the association. Zollinger has been with Bank One since 1986. Preston L. Jackson, president and chief executive officer of Merrill Lynch Bank USA, was elected vice chairman. Jackson oversees offices and subsidiaries in five states for Merrill Lynch Bank and has 20 years of banking experience. James C. Anderson, president of Bank of Utah, was named treasurer of the association. Anderson has worked in the banking industry since 1967.
-- Shanna Speredon was elected to serve as corporate and board secretary of Brighton Bank. Speredon currently serves as senior vice president and chief financial officer of the bank. She has been with Brighton Bank since 1980.
-- Westminster College has appointed Laura A. Murphy as executive director of communications. Murphy will design and implement an integrated marketing communication plan to increase awareness about Westminster. She is a graduate of New York University and Boston University.
-- Alex Beseris has joined Carter & Burgess Inc. as a senior planner in the firm's Salt Lake transportation programs unit. Beseris has more than 15 years of experience in urban and regional planning, with special expertise in land use and transportation. He is a graduate of the U. and is a member of the American Planning Association.
-- Michael W. Spence, a shareholder in the Salt Lake-based law firm of Ray Quinney & Nebeker, was elected to the firm's executive committee. Spence's practice involves corporate, commercial, real estate transactions and litigation. He is a graduate of the U.
-- Senforce Technologies Inc., a new Orem-based software company, has appointed Brian McElroy as senior director of business development. He will secure and manage partnership opportunities and identify and generate new revenue streams. McElroy comes to Senforce from another technology company, where he served as director of business development.
-- Gale Rudolph has joined Alpine Confections Inc. as director of functional foods. The Alpine-based company manufactures chocolates and confections under several brand names. In addition to her work at Alpine, Rudolph is an adjunct professor at the U.
-- R&O Construction announced two staff promotions. Rick Zampedri was named manager of large commercial operations. He has been with R&O since 1992 and was most recently a project manager. Tim Gladwell was promoted from project manager to manager of all other commercial operations development, including retail projects. Gladwell joined R&O in 1990.
-- Diana Windley joined Goldenwest Credit Union as director of marketing. Windley has 10 years of marketing experience, more than five of which were spent in the financial services industry. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University.
-- Big-D Signature Corp. has named Jeremie M. Moore to its business development team. Moore will be responsible for acquiring and developing new business relationships. He has more than 12 years of construction experience, including several as head of his own firm.
-- Stein Eriksen Lodge has promoted Dan Bullert from director of engineering to director of rooms. Bullert has 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He joined Stein Eriksen in 1996.
-- The Salt Lake Association of Independent Insurance Agents announced its new officers. Eric Kingdon of Trustco Inc. was named president. Jonathan M. Jepsen of Bunker & Moss Inc. is vice president, and Gary Ogden of Fred A. Moreton & Co. is secretary.
-- Utah Community Credit Union announced that Teri Chatterton, Claralyn Hill and Michael Orme were re-elected to UCCU's board of directors.
-- Riggs Capital Management, an Orem-based investment advisement firm, has named Randy Skalla to its investment committee. Skalla's financial and investment industry experience includes 13 years as partner, chief investment officer and chairman of the investment committee for an Omaha firm. He is a graduate of BYU.
-- LDS Business College announced three staff changes. Craig V. Nelson, formerly the college's dean of college affairs, was promoted to vice president of student affairs. Nelson is a graduate of BYU and has been with the college for nine years. Linda Doran was named director of retention. Doran previously served as the college's registrar. She has worked at the college for 30 years. Tamra Baird, former executive assistant to the college's president, was promoted to registrar. Baird is a graduate of LDS Business College and Ricks College.
-- Cobblestones Activewear has named Michael Seegmiller vice president of sales and marketing. Seegmiller has more than 25 years of experience in managing national accounts. He is a graduate of Merritt College and California State University at Hayward.


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Capt. Jeffrey Haney, missing pilot from Jackson County, died in crash, Air Force announcesThe U.S. Air Force has identified the pilot of the F-22 Raptor that went missing Tuesday in Alaska as Capt. Jeffrey Haney.
Haney, 31, is a 1997 Columbia Central High School graduate who did his first flight training at the Jackson County Airport.
He graduated from Western Michigan University's College of Aviation in 2002 as one of the school's top students. He was a member of the 2002 national championship winning Sky Broncos, WMU's precision flight team.
Late Thursday night, the Air Force identified the missing pilot as Haney. He is assigned to the 525th Fighter Squadron, according to a statement posted to the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson's website. Haney's current status is missing.
"We're still looking," said John Pennell, a public affairs specialist for the base. "It's in a pretty remote area."
Pararescuemen with the Alaska Air National Guard spotted wreckage Wednesday morning about 100 miles north of Anchorage, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
The base sent a convoy of rescue workers to the crash site Thursday, Pennell said. The convoy ran into bad weather and stopped in the small town of Cantwell to spend the night. Pennell said the rescue workers will start out again Friday morning. They are about halfway to the crash site, Pennell said.


text:
Regarding Desktop Video capture Using VC++
i have download the project from microsoft using WMEncoder to capture a desktop activities as video. Its working fine. But the problem is it capture a full screen but i need to capture the specific window. I am new to VC++ thats y i dono how to change the coding for mu purpose. Please help me to solve this issue....
Thanks in Advance
Code is
// WMEncScrnCap.cpp : Defines the entry point for the application.
Re: Regarding Desktop Video capture Using VC++
I haven't checked through your code but are you capturing a window by using its window handle? If so then you can capture the full screen simply by capturing from HWND 0. Zero is the HWND of the entire desktop.
Re: Regarding Desktop Video capture Using VC++
I cannt understand you. Please kindly tell me the thing clearly. And Hwnd is used to create a window but i want to capture particular window....
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27 / 293 inNuevo Vallarta
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Nuevo Vallarta is one of the most beautiful small cities along the Mexican Pacific and the Caribbean Coast. The area is known for its historic Mayan ruins, exciting zip lining adventures through the jungle canopy and beautiful coral reefs and marine ecosystems. Nuevo Vallarta in particular draws visitors from all over the world who come here to experience its pristine tropical beaches, world-class local restaurants and the popular Dolphin Park.
While you are in Nuevo Vallarta, relax on the beach or explore the exotic marine life along the coast. Swim with dolphins and sea turtles. Take a jeep tour into the heart of the jungle. And after the sun goes down, hear live music and experience award winning traditional cuisine at Nuevo Vallarta's beachy, energetic restaurants, bars and nightspots. Between rounds of golf, parasailing adventures, hikes, and luxurious afternoons in the spa, you'll never run out of exciting things to do in Puerto Vallarta.
Here are a few additional suggestions to get you started as you plan your trip:
You'll have no trouble finding the perfect place to stay in Nuevo Vallarta. There are plenty of vacation rentals available all year long here and you can easily find luxury accommodations that meet your needs. Rent an elegant condo, a beautiful and affordable apartment, or a terraced ocean villa within a few steps of the beach.


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July 29, 2013
Posted by Tim McDonnell and James West on Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Noah Oppenheim's plan was simple: Rig a young lobster underneath a waterproof, infrared camera; drop the contraption overboard off the coast of Maine; and see who comes along for a bite to eat. The takers, he expected, would be fish: Cod, herring, and other "groundfish" found in these waters that are known to love a good lobster dinner. Similar experiments conducted in the 1990s showed that apart from being snatched up in one of the thousands of traps that sprinkle the sea floor here—tools of this region's signature trade—fish predation was the principle cause of lobster death. Instead, Oppenheim, a marine biology graduate student at the University of Maine, captured footage that looks like it comes straight from the reel of a 1950s B-grade horror movie: Rampant lobster cannibalism.


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To the initiate, reading the proceedings contained in this book will undoubtedly clarify many misconceptions that he might have had, and further will convey to him many new and perhaps surprising facts. To the initiated, this book should review and confirm pre-existent knowledge and perhaps channel certain conclusions into a potentially controversial arena. Although Freud was a pioneer in his interpretations of human sexual behavior, Kinsey was responsible for putting such behavior into perspective by his statistical studies and classifications. The recorded proceedings of this conference go beyond this in attempting to correlate the psyche with the genetic and anatomic. Most of this information is contained in the first seven chapters under the section devoted to research findings.
F. J. Kallman, after briefly reviewing some of the more pertinent aspects of normal and abnormal genetics as related to hermaphroditism and similar congenital developmental problems, raises the controversial point that genetic
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December 7, 2005
Revised: January 20, 2012
Purpose 3 Guideline 4
I. Appointments 5
Full-time appointments 5
Part-time appointments and benefits 5
Probationary Period 5
Promotions 6
Secondary Employment 6
II. Compensation 6
Annual Salary 6-7
Longevity 7
Health, Dental and Vision Insurance 8-9
Health Insurance in Retirement 9-10
Retirement 10
Social Security 10
Short and Long Term Disability Insurance 10
Worker's Compensation 10-11
Employee Assistance Program 11
Defense and Indemnification 11
Deferred Compensation Plan (457c) 11
Tuition Reimbursement .11
Employees Savings Plans 12
Travel for County Business 12
Civil Service Exam Fees 12
Safety Equipment 12
III. Attendance and Leave Benefits 12-13
Office Hours 13
Base Work Day/Work Week 13
Emergency Management Responsibilities 13
Holidays 13-14
Annual Leave 14-15
Sick Leave 15
Emergency Sick Pool 16
Family Sick Leave 16-17
Personal Leave 17
Family and Medical Leave 17
Leaves of Absence 18
Bereavement Leave 18-19
Jury Duty 19
Military Leave 19
IV. Reasonable Suspicion Alcohol and Controlled Substance Policy 19
V. Personal Appearance 19
VI. Employee Evaluations 20
VII. Equal Employment Opportunity 20
VIII. Code of Ethics 20
IX. Questions of Intent or Application of this Policy 20
The purpose of this policy manual is to provide Department Heads, Management employees, and Management/Confidential employees with a reference for the basic terms and conditions of employment with Cortland County.
The County Legislature is committed to providing a high quality of services to the citizens of Cortland County. The administrative employees of the County are one of the essential elements required to fulfill this commitment. Through their leadership and professionalism, the Board's philosophy and policy is manifested in the efficient and effective operation of the County departments.
The County Legislature values the dedication and service of its administrative employees. The policy and the provisions contained herein establish and provide the terms and conditions of employment for Department Heads, Management, and Management/Confidential personnel in the employment of Cortland County Government. This policy statement is intended to provide those employees with a better understanding of the privileges and responsibilities of their positions and to assist in the mission of the professional delivery of services in Cortland County.
The term "Administrative employee" is used in this policy manual to refers to all employees who occupy positions that are exempt from the bargaining unit under the Taylor Law. For the purposes of this manual, we have defined the administrative employees by using four major categories, which are explained below. Policies or benefits that apply to all employees have been referred to as applying to Administrative employees or employees covered by this policy. Specific benefits or responsibilities that pertain to specific groups of employees, for example, Department Heads, have been noted as such.
The following guidelines apply to this policy:
1. Department Heads - Employees who are recommended by the County Administrator for appointment by the County Legislature. Department Heads function in the primary leadership position in the department and are directly responsible for the development of departmental policies and the implementation of legislative initiatives. The County Administrator will complete an annual performance evaluation on department heads based on legislative policies.
2. Management Employees - Employees who are appointed by the Department Head to positions authorized by the County Legislature. Management employees have significant managerial responsibility in the areas of supervision and policy formation.
3. Management/Confidential - Employees who perform support functions for management positions and/or other assignments, which require them to be unrepresented by collective bargaining agreements.
4. Elected Officials - Employees who are elected by popular vote. Due to their unique status, Elected officials are exempt from leave and attendance requirements and are therefore ineligible for any fringe benefits related thereto. They are also exempt from the probation period.
Positions within each category are included in Attachment A.
I. Appointments
126. Full-Time Appointments
Department Heads, Management employees, and Management/ Confidential employees are for fixed or continuing terms.
Fixed Term Appointments - Certain appointments are for a pre-established number of years as prescribed by the N.Y.S. Constitution, State and County Law, General Municipal Law, and Local Law or Rule. Included in this category are appointments which are made for the "Term of the Board", which is two years.
Continuous Term Appointment - The remainder of appointments are continuous are, in most instances afforded Civil Service Status and Protection, and are renewed contingent on satisfactory performance and authorization by the County Legislature and/or the County Administrator or Department Head. This group includes administrative employees who are appointed "at the pleasure of" the County Legislature or the Department Head, within the confines of Civil Service. Information regarding the type of appointment is provided to candidates during the recruitment and selection process. Questions concerning the term of appointment may be directed to the Personnel Department.
2. Part-time Appointments and Benefits
In certain cases, the County Legislature may establish part-time and/or temporary appointments to accommodate unique situations. Employees appointed to part-time positions and who work less than the standard work week, shall receive the approved salary for the position and the statutory benefits referenced herein, including Retirement (if eligible), Unemployment Insurance, Social Security, Worker's Compensation and Health, Dental and Vision Insurance. There shall be no earned leave benefits unless said part-time appointment consists of a regular schedule equal to or greater than one-half (1/2) of the standard work week for the position. In this case, leave benefits shall be prorated.
Fringe benefits shall be limited to the above-referenced items unless otherwise approved by the County Legislature.
3. Probationary Period
Employees in the classified service are subject to a probationary period in accordance with Cortland County Civil Service Rules. (Rule Change pending) The classified service includes the Competitive, Non-Competitive, Exempt, and Labor classes of Civil Service. Employees who have been promoted to a position in the classified service are also subject to a probationary period.
Employees in the unclassified service or elected classification are not subject to a probationary period.
4. Promotions
Administrative positions are critical to the efficient and effective operation of County government. It is the policy of Cortland County to seek professionals with the qualifications and experience necessary to fulfill this goal. Emphasis will be placed on recruitment of current employees who possess the qualifications, experience, and employment history necessary for the quality operation of the department. Employees who are promoted or working out-of-title shall be placed at the minimum of the new grade unless the current hourly rate is above the minimum, in which case, they will be placed in the Step immediately above their current hourly rate. No one shall exceed the top of the range for the new grade. Out-of-title shall be defined as duties and responsibilities assigned beyond that of an employee's regular position for a period greater than five consecutive business days due to an absence, exclusive of annual leave.
5. Secondary Employment
Employees covered by this policy understand and agree that their employment with the County is of basic and primary importance, and that secondary employment must not inhibit or impede the efficient and effective performance of their job duties, responsibilities, or attendance; nor shall it impair their judgement in the exercising of their official duties. Department Heads, Deputy Department Heads and Division Heads engaged in secondary employment will notify the County Administrator's Office of the details of their employment.
Certain positions covered by this manual also have a prohibition on secondary employment embodied in New York State statute or local rule.
II. Compensation
1. Annual Salary
Cortland County maintains a competitive salary structure and benefit package for administrative employees.
A six step increment system (equal to a 4% increase between two year steps) shall be implemented fitting each employee into the proper grade and step in accordance with the MSD Study and length of service in an employee's title on January 1, 2005. All employees covered by this policy manual are placed in the graded salary schedule which has been adopted by the County Legislature. This graded salary schedule shall receive an annual salary review during budget deliberations by the Personnel Committee of the Legislature and by the Personnel Director and County Administrator and shall be adjusted annually, as deemed appropriate. Following this review, the County Legislature will review the recommendations of the Personnel Committee along with recommendations of the County Administrator and the Personnel Director. At the conclusion of this review, a total compensation plan, including any cost of living adjustment, shall be submitted to the County Legislature for approval.
Employees not at the job rate of the grade shall move to the next step upon the completion of 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 years in the title upon their anniversary in that position. No employee may exceed the job rate of the grade.
Employees shall begin employment at the Step 1 for the grade unless the Personnel Committee determines that the need for the services or the employee's experience require that compensation be fixed at a higher Step.
2. Longevity
Employees, with the exception of the District Attorney, who have been continuously employed with the County on a full-time basis or part-time employees regularly scheduled to work equal to or greater than one-half (1/2) the standard work week for the position, shall receive a non-cumulative annual longevity incentive upon completion of continuous County service in accordance with the schedule listed below.
Full Time Part-Time
Completion of 15th Year $ 1,500 $ 750 Completion of 20th Year $ 2,000 $1,000
Completion of 25th Year $ 2,500 $1,250
Completion of 30th Year $ 3,000 $1,500
Completion of 35th Year $ 3,500 $1,750
For the purposes of this program, continuous service shall be defined as no break in employment that exceeds one (1) year unless said break in service is the result of personal illness, accident, military service or layoff.
Employees who are less than full time shall receive a pro-rated value of the full-time equivalent of the scheduled full-time hours. Employees who move from less than half-time to half-time or more will receive service credit for longevity purposes from the initial part time date of hire as long as the service is continuous.
If an employee has been on full pay status for less than eleven (11) working days of the calendar month, longevity will not be credited for that calendar month.
Longevity payments shall be made by the County in one lump sum payment in a separate paycheck to the employee in the payroll period after the employee's anniversary date.
Only regularly scheduled employees who are on the County payroll at the time of longevity payment will be entitled to the longevity benefit. Employees who retire prior to the longevity payment will receive a prorated amount at the time of retirement based on their date of retirement.
3. Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
Health Insurance:
Cortland County provides group health, hospitalization, major medical insurance, and prescription drug coverage through a self insured Participating Provider Network (PPN) for all full time and part-time employees covered by this policy and their eligible dependents. Effective January 1, 2006, both the full and part-time employee share of this coverage shall be fifteen percent (15%) of the monthly premium, plus any applicable co-payments and deductibles. Effective January 1, 2007, both the full and part-time employee share of this coverage shall be twenty percent (20%). The County's Health Benefits Program is fully described in the Plan Booklet.
Prescription Drug Coverage:
The County Health Insurance Plan includes a three (3)-tier formulary plan for prescription drugs. Each employee who participates will contribute $5.00 co-pay for generic prescriptions, $10.00 co-pay for brand name prescriptions and $25.00 co-pay for non-formulary prescriptions.
Employees may utilize the multi-month maintenance medication program for prescriptions and pay one co-pay for three month supply. Prescriptions for maintenance drugs filled at a retail pharmacy will require one co-pay for each one-month supply.
Employees shall be required to fill all prescriptions with the generic brand when available. Should the employee voluntarily elect not to fill with the generic brand, the employee will be responsible for the cost between the generic and the drug selected (name brand or formulary), plus the co-pay for the name brand or formulary. In the event that the employee cannot take a generic drug due to a medical reason determined by the prescribing medical provider, the employee will not be required to pay the difference between the generic drug and the drug selected. The co-pay will be required for either the name brand or formulary.
Employee contributions / Eligibility:
Employee contributions for the health insurance premium shall be deducted in equal amounts from each bi-weekly paycheck. Coverage for new employees hired prior to the 16th of the month shall become effective on the first of the following month. Coverage for new employees hired on or after the 16th of the month shall become effective on the first day of the second month following employment (e.g. date of hire of May 17 would result in coverage effective July 1).
Enrollment in the health insurance plan shall take effect as described herein or during the open enrollment period held at six (6) month intervals.
B. Dental Insurance:
The County provides a self insured dental plan for full-time and part-time employees. Employees shall be responsible for 50% of the monthly premium equivalent, if coverage is elected. Dependent coverage is available at 100% of the cost of the monthly premium equivalent.
C. Vision Insurance:
The County provides a self insured vision plan for full-time and part-time employees. Employees shall be responsible for 50% of the monthly premium equivalent, if coverage is elected. Dependent coverage is available at 100% of the cost of the monthly premium equivalent.
The Employer provides the I.R.S. Section 125 spending account plan for employee contributions toward Health, Dental, Vision and other authorized and applicable health care related costs, and authorized and eligible day care expenses. The plan is administered by a Third Party Administrator and conforms with I.R.S. regulations.
211. Health Insurance coverage upon retirement
Employees shall be eligible to continue health coverage for themselves and any eligible dependents in retirement, provided they have met the following requirements:
a. completion of a minimum of ten years of service (Employees hired on or after January 1, 2005 shall require ten (10) years continuous service) with Cortland County during which the employee was eligible to receive Health Insurance; and
b. are employed by Cortland County at the time of retirement; and
are enrolled in the health plan at the time of retirement; and
provide the Employer with proof of retirement and otherwise meet the definition of retirement as specified by the NYS Retirement System.
Be at least 55 years old;
The Retiree's share of Health Insurance costs shall be as follows:
Employees who retire and were hired prior to January 1, 2006:
Employee Share County Share
10% 90%
Employees hired on or after January 1, 2006:
Employee Share County Share
10 years service but less than 15 years 50% 50%
15 years service but less than 20 years 35% 65%
20 years service or more 20% 80%
For All Retirees: Upon qualification for Medicare Part B, all retirees must enroll and provide the Medicare Part B required information to the Personnel Department.
The spouse of a deceased retired employee may continue to participate in the County's Health Plan upon payment of 100% of the monthly premium equivalent.
5. Retirement
The County participates in the New York State Employee's Retirement System with all rights and benefits presently provided by the Career Retirement Plan under Section 75i and 14b of the Retirement and Social Security Law. All permanent, full-time employees are enrolled in the New York State and Local Retirement System. A Retirement System booklet is provided at orientation. This booklet provides all basic information on the Retirement System benefits. Due to changing legislation and regulations, you should check with the N.Y.S. and Local Retirement System directly to obtain information regarding your benefits.
In addition, Cortland County offers the following Retirement Enhancements:
* May not apply to 14b members
306. Section 41(j) - the application of unused sick leave accruals towards additional service credit upon retirement
307. Section 41(k) - military service credit buy back.
308. Section 60(b) - Minimum Death Benefit of up to three times the employee's annual rate of pay depending on length of service of employee at time of death and retirement tier.
6. Social Security
Social Security provides income protection when an employee's earnings either cease or are reduced as a result of retirement, disability, or death. Social Security benefits are based on the employee's salary history up to the maximum Social Security taxable wage base. Each payroll period, payroll deductions made by the employee are matched by Cortland County to provide this benefit. Complete information is available from the Social Security Office.
7. Life Insurance and Long-term Disability Insurance
The County participates in, through payroll deduction, both Life Insurance and Disability Insurance through the New York State Association of Counties. Both programs are voluntary, with the full premium paid by the employee.
8. Worker's Compensation
Employees who suffer an injury or illness which is directly related to their employment shall be eligible for Worker's Compensation Benefits amounting to a maximum of two-thirds of an employee's salary, depending on the degree of injury. Employees must file the required report form immediately following the job related accident.
9. Employee Assistance Program
The County will provide an Employee Assistance Program through a qualified provider of the County's choice. Employees will be responsible for any co-payments applicable to the services provided. All records of the Employee Assistance Program are confidential between the employee and the provider. The fact that an employee utilizes such assistance shall not impact promotional opportunities or job security.
10. Defense and Indemnification
The County of Cortland shall provide for the defense and indemnification of employees covered by this policy for actions or omissions made in the ordinary course of their employment in accordance with the procedures and policy outlined in Local Law # 3 of 2004. Employees requesting assistance under this section are advised to make a written request to their Department Head or County Administrator within three (3) business days of their receipt of any summons, complaint, process, notice, demand, or pleading that may require defense and indemnification coverage.
11. Deferred Compensation Plan (457c)
A Deferred Compensation Plan is a voluntary savings program created by federal and state law that enables public employees to save a portion of their gross pay before federal, state, and local income taxes are deducted. Currently, Cortland County participates in the NYS Deferred Compensation Program administered by the National Retirement Solutions. The amount deferred accumulates tax free until the funds plus earnings are distributed, generally after retirement. Information regarding the complete details of the Deferred Compensation Program and payroll deduction forms are available in the Personnel Department.
12. Tuition Reimbursement
Employees covered by this policy are eligible for tuition, books and fees reimbursement for job related/advancement courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, subject to the approval of the Department Head and the oversight Committee. Reimbursement will be made at the four-year SUNY undergraduate or graduate rate, as applicable for approved courses upon receipt of satisfactory completion of the course. Employees who withdraw from a course after the deadline date for withdrawal without penalty may be required to reimburse the County for the cost of the course. The County will not duplicate reimbursement from any other source. Course requests are available in the Personnel Office.
An employee who resigns from County employment, excluding for reasons of disability, death or an event beyond the control of the employee, and has received tuition reimbursement shall be required to refund the County according to the following schedule:
# of Months Since % Refund
Course Completion Due the County
0 - 12 100
13 - 24 50
25 - 36 25
In the event an employee fails to make such refund by the resignation date, the employee shall forfeit payment of accrued vacation and compensatory time, not to exceed monies owed. Any remaining balance shall be deducted from the employee's final paycheck.
Professional development requests will be reviewed as part of the annual County budget process subject to procedures developed by the County Administrator.
13. Employees' Savings Plans
A number of different options are available for ordinary savings through payroll deductions. Employees may enroll for U.S. Savings Bonds through authorized payroll deductions by contacting the Treasurer's Office. Should an employee desire to use the direct deposit payroll option, the County's bank will transfer funds to the employees savings or checking account. The Credit Union will also provide savings accounts through authorized payroll deduction.
14. Travel for County Business
Employees covered by this policy will be reimbursed for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of County business in accordance with separate policy and upon submission of an approved claim form. Generally, mileage will be reimbursed at the rate in cents per mile that is allowed by the IRS.
Travel authorization and conference attendance shall be required in all cases involving out of County and overnight travel. Travel authorization shall be submitted on the approved form in writing to the County Administrator no later than seven (7) days prior to the first date of travel.
Civil Service Exam Fees
Cortland County Managers and Administrators taking civil service examinations for Cortland County positions shall pay only the fee assessed the County by the New York State Municipal Service Division.
Safety Equipment
The County will, at its cost through reimbursement, provide managerial-level employees with necessary safety equipment and/or uniforms to carry out job duties. Requests for reimbursement will be processed by voucher submitted to the County Auditor.
III. Attendance and Leave Benefits
1. Office Hours
County Offices shall be open for the conduct of business and convenience of the public in strict accordance with the hours prescribed by the Cortland County Legislature and in accordance with existing State and County regulations.
(Generally, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
2. Base Work Day/Work Week
Department Heads and Management employees are responsible for performing the duties of their office. The work day is determined by the tasks to be performed. The work week shall be a minimum of 35 hours per week or 40 hours per week, depending on the position. Department Heads and Management employees are not eligible for overtime compensation or compensatory time except as provided by the County Administrator.
Management/Confidential employees are required to work the hours and schedule determined by the Department Head. Designated Management/Confidential employees may receive overtime compensation subject to budgeted appropriations and approval of the Department Head and the County Administrator. Employees in this class may accrue compensatory time provided they have received prior approval from the Department Head. Compensatory time may be accumulated as follows:
For a thirty-five (35) hour regular workweek, a maximum of thirty-five (35) hours may be accumulated on leave accruals at one time;
For a forty (40) hour regular workweek, a maximum of forty (40) hours may be accumulated on leave accruals at one time.
Once the maximum accumulation of compensatory time is attained, overtime shall be paid.
C. All employees covered by this policy, except elected officials, are required to complete time and attendance forms in accordance with County policy.
3. Emergency Management Responsibilities
It shall be the responsibility of all employees covered by this policy to report for duty at times and places designated by the Chairman of the Board or County Administrator, or their designee, when a natural disaster or emergency has occurred. Designated radio and television station(s) shall be considered as carrying official information. A designated phone number and County website will also be accessible.
4. Holidays
Employees covered by this policy who, in the judgment of the Department Head, can be spared without interfering with the operation of the department, will be allowed time off with pay to observe the following holidays, provided such employee shall have worked the work day immediately preceding such holiday and provided such employee works the work day immediately following such holiday unless the employee is using paid benefit time, other than sick time, for which prior approval has been given. Employees who are required to work on a holiday will receive equal time off in lieu of the holiday.
New Year's Day Columbus Day
Martin Luther King's Birthday Veterans Day
Presidents' Day Thanksgiving Day
Memorial Day Day after Thanksgiving Day
Independence Day Christmas Eve Labor Day Christmas Day
An annual holiday calendar will be issued by the Personnel Department designating when holidays will be observed.
In addition, employees on payroll prior to July 1st of any year will receive one (1) floating holiday.
If an employee is absent from work due to illness on either the last regularly scheduled work day prior to the holiday or the first regularly scheduled work day following the holiday, he/she shall forfeit being paid for the holiday unless the absence is verified by a medical provider's statement, if requested by the Department Head, Personnel Director or County Administrator.
5. Annual Leave
A. Annual Leave will be earned and credited monthly. New employees must start on or before the 15th of a month to receive annual leave credit for that month. On the first of January of each year of employment and every year of full-time continuous service thereafter, annual leave will be credited as follows:
Years of Credit
Days of Vacation Accrued Monthly
Maximum Days Earned Annually
At Least
1 month
2 years
3 years
4 years
5 years
6 years
7 years
8 years
9 years
10 years
11 years
15 years
18 years
20 or more years
For the first January 1 of employment, the employee shall be credited with two years of service credit for vacation. Each January 1 thereafter, the employee shall be credited with an additional year of service.
Part-time employees regularly scheduled to work greater than half the Full Time Equivalent will receive a pro-rated value of annual leave.
Employees shall not accrue vacation leave for any period during which they are off the payroll for more than half of the working days per month.
B. Department Heads and Management Employees may carry a maximum balance of 50 days of accumulated annual leave credit.
C. Management/Confidential employees may carry 50 days of accumulated annual leave.
D. Upon the termination of an employee, either by resignation or retirement, and when at least two weeks notice is given by such employee of his intended termination, any unused annual leave credits are to be compensated at the employee's regular rate of pay. Employees will receive a lump sum payment during the last payroll period for accumulated annual leave credits.
E. Employees shall submit requests for approval of use of annual leave to their Department Head. Department Heads shall notify the County Administrator, in writing, of their intent to use consecutive days of annual leave, at least one (1) week in advance of the intended leave date, unless or except in special circumstances. Department Heads shall notify the County Administrator when expecting to not report for work for the day. In no event shall a Department Head and second in command take their annual leave at the same time unless approved by the County Administrator, Legislative Chairperson and Committee Chairperson of oversight Committee.
F. Annual Leave shall be used in minimum increments of fifteen (15) minutes.
6. Sick Leave
Absence from duty by an employee of Cortland County by reason of the employee's own sickness, disability, or medical/dental appointments or that of their immediate family, shall be allowed as provided in this section. Absence from duty for such reasons, if duly granted by the Department Head, shall be considered and known as "sick leave".
A. Sick leave shall be credited at the rate of one and one-half (1½) days per month. Half-time employees shall earn a pro-rated amount of sick leave. Employees shall be charged sick leave time for actual hours used, in a minimum increment of fifteen (15) minutes. Sick leave credits will be earned when an employee is on full and active pay status for fifty percent (50%) of the working days in the calendar month. Days during which an employee is out on Worker's Compensation, in excess of 20 days are not considered to be days on full pay status for purposes of earning sick leave.
B. An employee who is absent on sick leave shall report his absence, and reason therefore, to his supervisor at the earliest possible time but no later than 9:30 a.m.
C. Sick leave shall be granted by the Department Head. Department Heads who are absent under the provisions of this section shall notify the County Administrator if the absence is anticipated to be of an extended nature and/or will interfere with departmental operations.
D. After 3 consecutive days of illness or after 12 cumulative days of illness during a 12 month period, a medical certificate may be required. When a pattern of abuse of sick leave is suspected, the department head may, upon advance notice, require an employee to provide proof of illness at any other time. The department head also may require the employee to be examined, at the County's expense, by a physician designated by the County Administrator.
E. Employees may utilize sick leave during the statutory waiting period while under Workers' Compensation.
Employees may accumulate unused sick leave up to a maximum of 200 days.
An employee who is employed for a full calendar year and who does not use any sick leave during a calendar year shall accrue an extra day of annual leave.
At the time of retirement, employees shall use the first 165 unused sick leave days as extra pension credit in accordance with the rules established by the New York State Employees Retirement System. Employees may convert up to 35 unused sick leave days in excess of the 165 on a two-for-one basis not to exceed $1,750 to pay for the employee's portion of retiree health insurance.
7. Emergency Pool
In conformance with the rules, the Personnel Officer is authorized to permit the use of hours in the pool by any current County employee who qualifies and makes a request for such hours based on a personal or family emergency. All decisions by the Personnel Officer shall be final and binding.
8. Family Sick Leave
An employee shall be allowed to use up to a maximum of thirty-five (35) hours [for a seven hour per day employee] or forty (40) hours [for an eight hour per day employee] of accumulated sick leave per calendar year for absence from work necessitated by illness of the employee's parent (including stepparents and foster parents), spouse, child (including stepchild and foster child), sibling (including step sibling), grandparent, grandchild, parent-in-law, son/daughter-in-law or other person who is a member of the household. The Department Head may request written documentation from the employee to verify residency of other household members.
Effective July 1, 2008, each employee may use up to an additional thirty (30) days of sick leave for a family event which is Family Medical Leave qualified. The additional leave is not applicable for an intermittent FMLA request.
9. Personal Leave
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. Personal leave with pay shall be granted for religious observance or personal business.
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. Effective January 1st of each year, employees shall be credited with four days of personal leave. Employees who work at least half time shall receive prorated personal leave. Employees hired after January 1 or terminating service before December 31st shall receive a prorated share of personal leave credit.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Whenever possible, a request for personal leave should be submitted to the department head or their designee forty-eight (48) hours prior to the requested date. Department Heads shall notify the County Administrator's Office of instances where a Department Head will not be reporting for work for the day.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Personal leave may be granted only with the approval of the department head. Unused personal leave time shall be carried over at the end of the year credited as accumulated sick leave.
10. Family Medical Leave
An eligible employee shall be granted Family Medical Leave in satisfaction of the Federal Family Medical Leave Act not to exceed a total of twelve work weeks during any twelve month period for the following:
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ. Because of the birth of a son or daughter of the employee in order to care for such son or daughter;
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. Because of the placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care;
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. In order to care for the spouse, son, daughter, or parent of the employee, if such spouse, son, daughter, or parent has a serious health condition;
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT. Because of a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the position of such employee;
An eligible employee shall be required to use accrued paid vacation or personal leave for instances provided under subparagraphs 1 or 2 above. An eligible employee shall be required to use accrued paid vacation leave, personal leave, sick leave or family sick leave for leave provided under paragraph 3 or 4 above for any part of the twelve week period of such leave.
The County shall maintain coverage for health insurance to an employee on leave pursuant to this section for the duration of the twelve week period, and under the conditions coverage would have been provided if the employee had continued in employment continuously for the duration of such leave. The County may recover the premium that the County paid for maintaining coverage for the employee under such group health plan during any period of unpaid leave if the employee fails to return from leave after the twelve week period except if the employee fails to return because of the continuation, recurrence, or onset of a serious health condition that entitles the employee to leave under subparagraph 1 or 2 above or, other circumstances beyond the control of the employee.
Nothing contained in this provision shall otherwise limit the obligations of the employer or the employee under the provisions of the family leave act.
11. Leaves of Absence
A. A leave of absence without pay of up to one year may be granted to employees covered by this policy. A written request for a leave of absence must be submitted to the County Administrator (for Department Heads) or to the Department Head (for Management and Management/ Confidential employees) at least four (4) weeks prior to the requested date of leave stating the reason for the leave and the anticipated duration of the leave. Department Heads will confer with the County Administrator and the Personnel Director prior to granting a leave to Management and Management/Confidential employees.
B. A leave of absence shall not be granted to accept other employment.
C. No leave shall be authorized which may exceed the remaining period of a term appointment.
D. Not less than thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of an employee's leave, the employee shall be required to submit written notification to the County Administrator or Department Head of their intention to return to work.
E. When an employee is on a leave of absence for one-half of a month or longer, sick leave, longevity and vacation will be pro-rated to reflect the leave. Employees on an unpaid leave of absence will be required to contribute the full cost of health insurance and any other paid fringe benefits for the period beyond three (3) months, except as otherwise provided by law or rule.
12. Bereavement Leave
In the event of the death of an employee's parent (including stepparents and foster parents), spouse, child (including stepchild and foster child), sibling (including step sibling), grandparent, grandchild, parent-in-law, or other person who is a member of the household (the Department Head may request written documentation from the employee to verify residency of other household members), the employee shall be excused from work, if the employee was scheduled to work, with pay at his/her request, for up to four (4) days. One (1) day of the four (4) may be retained for later interment.
The use of up to four (4) days referred to in "A" are to be used within thirty (30) days of the employee's receipt of notification of a qualifying death. The requested bereavement days must be used consecutively and cannot be spread over a 30-day period. Employees may still retain one (1) day for interment. Where special circumstances exist which prohibits use with in the 30-day period, a request may be made to the County Personnel Officer for other accommodations. The Personnel Officer shall have sole authority to grant an exception.
In the event of the death of any relative not outlined in Section 1 of this Article, the employee shall be excused from work at his/her request on the day of the funeral utilizing accrued personal leave, vacation leave, floating holiday or comp time.
Employees covered by this Agreement who are less than full-time shall receive a pro-rated value of the full-time equivalent of the scheduled full-time hours.
13. Jury Duty
Upon receipt of proof of the necessity of jury services or appearance as a witness to subpoena or other order of the court (for job related actions only), employees shall be granted leave with pay to provide time as needed for such service. Any compensation received, less expenses, for said service shall be returned to the County Treasurer within five (5) working days from the time it is received by the employee. An employee, who is dismissed for the day or from service within two (2) hours or more remaining in his/her regular scheduled work day is required to report to work.
14. Military Leave
Employees serving as a member of an organized militia or any reserve force or reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States are entitled to paid leave not to exceed thirty (30) calendar days or twenty-two (22) work days, which ever occurs first, in accordance with Section 242 of Military Law. Requests for military leave should be presented to the Department Head or County Administrator as soon as possible upon receipt of orders.
IV. Reasonable Suspicion Alcohol and Controlled Substance Policy
Cortland County intends to maintain a drug and alcohol free workplace and, as such, has adopted procedures for conducting screenings of all employees for the use of illegal drugs and improper use of prescription drugs and alcohol based upon reasonable suspicion.
V. Personal Appearance of Employees
It is important that all County employees project a professional image to the patients, clients and/or members of the general public with whom they interact. Employees are expected to dress in a manner appropriate to their working environment and to the type of work performed. Employees who are required to wear uniforms and safety equipment are expected to wear them in their entirety.
VI. Employee Evaluations
With the exception of Elected Officials, all employees under this policy shall receive an annual performance appraisal 60 days prior to their anniversary date in accordance with adopted Legislative Policy.
VII. Equal Employment Opportunity
It is the policy of Cortland County to provide equal opportunity in employment for all qualified persons; to prohibit unlawful discrimination in employment; and to promote the full realization of equal opportunity on a continuing basis through a realistic Affirmative Action Plan.
This Policy of Equal Employment Opportunity:
Applies to all persons without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, age (18-70), sex, disability, religion, marital status, political affiliation, or criminal record.
Applies to all County organizational departments and governs all County employment practices, policies, and actions.
Provides that no local practice, or procedure or policy exists which serves to diminish or negate such equal opportunity.
All Department Heads, Management, and Management/Confidential employees are expected to comply with this policy directive and to insure equal opportunity in all Human Resources practices within their individual departments.
VIII. Code of Ethics
Employees shall be bound by Section 806 of the General Municipal Law and Resolution of the County Legislature adopting a Code of Ethics. Employees shall behave in the highest moral and ethical conduct in accordance with State and County Law. A copy of the County's Code of Ethics is provided upon hire.
IX. Questions of Intent or Application of this Policy
Questions regarding the intent of proper application of any provision of this policy shall be directed to the Director of Personnel. The Director of Personnel shall meet with the County Administrator and Chairman of the Legislature to determine the proper course of action to take on any question.
ON MOTION OF MR. PACE RESOLUTION No. 343-11
Amend Management/Management
Confidential Compensation Policy
Grade and Step Schedule for 2012
WHEREAS, the Cortland County Legislature adopted a local law on November 14, 2011 entitled A Local Law to Adopt the County of Cortland Employment Policy Manual for Department Heads, Management Employees, Management/Confidential Employees and a Grade and Step plan for employees falling under the plan, AND
WHEREAS, the County Administrator is recommending that the 2012 Grade and Step Plan be adjusted and established to incorporate a 1.5% cost of living adjustment, effective January1, 2012 in accordance with the attached schedule, AND
WHEREAS, the County Administrator is also recommending a 1.5% cost of living adjustment for employees who are off scale, NOW THRERFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Cortland County Legislature hereby authorizes and directs a 1.5% cost of living adjustment for those employees who are off scale and be incorporated into the Management/Management Confidential Compensation Employment Policy 2012 Grade and Step plan for employees falling under the plan effective January 1, 2012 in accordance with the following schedule.
1.5% Increase
hire rate
2 year
4 year
6 year
8 year
10 year
Management Confidential
Grade 1
Public Defender
County Attorney
Commissioner of Social Services
Director of Information Technology
Public Health Director
Director, Comm. Mental Health Services
Grade 2
Supt. Highways
Grade 3
Personnel Officer
Grade 4
Probation Director II
County Auditor
Deputy Highway Supt.
Deputy Public Health Director
Director of Planning
County Clerk
Asst. District Attorney
Asst. Public Defender
Asst. County Attorney
Social Services Attorney
Deputy Director of Information Technology
Grade 5
Director, Agency on Aging
Director, Real Property 1
Grant Administrator
Director of Clinical Operations
Grade 6
Director Hospice
Director of Social Services
Director of Administrative Services
Clinical Dir of MH Programs
Grade 7
Bldg. & Gr.
Medical Director
Medical Advisor
Grade 8
Deputy Personnel Officer
Fiscal Manager
Public Health Program Manager
Grade 9
Emp. & Training Director
Family Support Services Director
Nutrition Program Director
Grade 10
Director Fire & Emergency Management
Fiscal Officer
Clerk –Legislature
Dir. of Veterans' Services Agency
Dir. of Weights and Measurers
Grade 11
Deputy County Clerk
Motor Vehicle Director
Asst. Director Fire & Emergency Management
Safety Officer
County Treasurer
Fiscal Officer Trainee
Grade 1
Secretary I
Secretary to County Attorney
Election Clerk
Grade 2
Secretary II
Secretary to Co. Administrator
Secretary to County Administration
Secretary to the Commissioner of Social Services
Grade 3
Sr. Election Clerk
Secretary to Sheriff
Secretary to D. A.
Grade 4
Personnel Tech. Trainee
Payroll Coordinator
Grade 5
Audit/Accounts Payable Specialist
Personnel Technician
Date: 1-1-12


text:
A REDDITCH high school has become the first in the borough to be graded outstanding in every category.
RSA Academy Arrow Vale was given the official Ofsted rating following an inspection in March.
The categories included the achievement of students, quality of teaching, behaviour and safety of pupils, leadership and management as well as the promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
Inspectors praised both staff and pupils, stating the quality of teaching was not only outstanding but behaviour in lessons was exemplary.
They added the school prepared pupils for the future 'very well'.
Principal Guy Shears said: "I'm incredibly proud of the students and staff of Arrow Vale who work tirelessly to ensure everyone is valued and students excel.
"To be the first ever high school in Redditch to be graded outstanding is testament to the hard work and commitment of everyone within the Arrow Vale community."
Arrow Vale is not the only successful school in the borough as Trinity High School and Sixth Form Centre has been crowned one of the best in the country for student progress at GCSE.
Data from the Department for Education revealed the Easemore Road school was in the top 20 per cent of schools nationally for progress made by pupils between their Key Stage 2 results at primary school and their GCSEs.
It means they have qualified for an SSAT Educational Outcomes Award which recognises the achievement.
Sue Williamson, chief executive of SSAT said: "Trinity High School and Sixth Form Centre should be congratulated for their exceptional achievement. They have proved themselves to be leading the field in improving GCSE outcomes for their students."


text:
Your zeal for life could allow you to seek out lively and stimulating interactions with others today. You might notice that everything around you seems vibrant and brimming with positive energy, and you might wish to cultivate this feeling by being with other people. Perhaps today you may want to focus on spending time with people who energize you. You can think about those people in your life who inspire you with thought-provoking ideas and engaging discussions. Making an effort to be with the people who are a positive force in your life could provide the mental excitement you need and fuel your vivacity. Keeping in mind that interactions are cyclical, be aware that you need to put as much into an interaction as you get out of it.
Interacting with people who invigorate us cultivates our enthusiasm for life. We all have friends who can be a drain on us and demand much more from us than we are willing to give. Even when we feel energetic, these interactions can exhaust our energy. When we set the intention to be with people who stimulate and engage us, however, we enter into a cycle that allows us to replenish our mental energy. Our interactions become a catalyst for new inspirations and connections with everything that life has to offer, and we become open to new ideas and thoughts as a result. By being with people who stimulate you, you will nourish your desire to get as much out of life as you can today.
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