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NEGAUNEE - Is it possible to make a park even greener than it already is? City of Negaunee officials have been designing the proposed Jackson Mine Park in downtown Negaunee to include a rain garden, a green-roof pavilion and other environmentally friendly elements.
"This is an effort to create a green park," said City Manager Gerald Peterson.
Peterson said the park will include a pavilion with a living roof that will feature native plants. The rubber roof, topped with soil, will keep the structure cool in the summer, Peterson said.
Article Photos
Negaunee City Manager Gerald Peterson explains the plans for the new Jackson Park to new council members at a special meeting held in November. The park is designed to bring more traffic through the Negaunee downtown. (Journal photo by Johanna Boyle)
Bill Sanders, a landscape architect, designed the park layout and included a rain garden in one of the parking lots.
"They collect rain and percolate it back into the soil instead of the sewer," Sanders said. "Environmentally, the more you can put back in the ground and keep it out of the sewer system the better."
Sanders said a living roof can as much as triple the lifespan of a roof, making it much more sustainable than ordinary roofing materials.
"It's just understood that communities are looking for sustainable design, construction and maintenance," he said. "That's really our experience to approach land development from an environmental stewardship."
In the construction of the park, Sanders also plans to move trees and replant them instead of cutting them down and planting new ones.
He said reusing materials - and sometimes entire structures - has become a trend in design.
"I think people are really starting to understand the value of existing structures from the natural resources standpoint," he said.
Plans call for the park to be created between Tobin and Merry streets, with Jackson and Iron streets ending at the park. A section of the Iron Ore Heritage Trail will run through the park.
Peterson said another public hearing will be held on the creation of the park at a future city commission meeting.


text:
Showing Suppliers 1 - 4 of 4
CoorsTek (1 Products)
Address: Oregon Operations 555 N.E. 53rd Avenue, Hillsboro, OR
Business Type: Manufacturer, Service
Description: Making the World Measurably Better Since 1910 For more than 100 years, CoorsTek has built a reputation of quality and service for advanced material components. Today, we enable next-generation technology with high-performance components and, in turn, make the world measurably better.... (more)
Aponte Power Services, LLC
Address: 1942 NW Overton St., Portland, OR
Business Type: Distributor, Service
General Pacific, Inc.
Address: 22414 NE Townsend Way PO Box 70, Fairview, OR
Business Type: Distributor
GM Nameplate
Address: 13725 SW Millikan Way, Beaverton, OR
Business Type: Manufacturer, Service
Description: Create a lasting impression for your customers through branding components and user interface assemblies that work together, producing a satisfying user experience. With 50+ years of experience, GM Nameplate's unparalleled knowledge of materials and processes is a powerful... (more)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|"David Gilbert" <email@example.com>
|Re: [TowerTalk] Inverted L for 160 meters
|"jeremy-ca" <email@example.com>
|Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:19:06 -0400
----- Original Message ----- From: "David Gilbert" <email@example.com> To: "jeremy-ca" <email@example.com> Cc: <email@example.com>; "Jim Brown" <email@example.com> Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 6:37 PM Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Inverted L for 160 meters > > Wrong again, Carl. I've seen it mentioned here several times on this > reflector that radials such a small a percent of a wavelength above > ground really don't act as tuned elevated radials since they couple so > closely to the ground, and that would seem to make intuitive sense. What you really mean is that on this reflector you have read something that happens to agree with your view while dismissing all others. What a great concept. If > you start with radials laying on the ground and closely coupled to it, > then raise them a foot or so off the ground, then raise them some more, > then some more ... the determining factor for when they begin to act > independently of the ground is going to be some function of a wavelength. The ONLY determining factor is the field strength at x wavelengths if doing an A-B comparison between on ground and at some elevated distance. However, unless you spend all of your time on 160M AM or SSB ragchewing with locals, the radiation at 0 to maybe 10 degrees is meaningless. I suggest that you study ON4UN's book (The 4th Edition is the latest) as well as other writings that detail the angles necessary for DX work and why an obsession with installing a perfect ground is a waste of time. Carl KM1H > Dave AB7E > > > > jeremy-ca wrote: >> >> >>> There's nothing WRONG with having radials 12 ft off the ground on 160, >>> but they are not "elevated" radials, they act just like they were laying >>> on the ground, because AS A FRACTION OF A WAVELENGTH, they are nearly on >>> the ground. >>> >> >> Yes they are elevated radials, you are the only one Ive heard of that >> thinks >> otherwise. >> >> >> >> > _______________________________________________ > > > > _______________________________________________ > TowerTalk mailing list > email@example.com > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk > _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ TowerTalk mailing list email@example.com http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
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text:
Question: Why is the speed limit on Route 57 in Agawam only 55 mph?
– S.F., Agawam
Answer: Funny you should ask.
According to the website of the National Motorists Association in Waunakee, Wis., the speed limit on the Route 57 freeway in Agawam was lowered from 60 mph due to the National Maximum Speed Law approved by President Nixon and never restored.
In 1974, the law was put into effect in response to the energy crisis that started a year earlier. The new law stipulated that speed limits nationwide would be a maximum of 55 miles per hour. The law was lifted in 1995, and the federal government gave the authority to set speed limits to each individual state, according to Michael Verseckes, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
More recently, however, a 2008 speed analysis was conducted for Route 57, and it was determined that 55 mph was an appropriate speed, he added. Speeds in excess of 55 mph are typically found on interstate highways that have greater lengths, but because Route 57 is somewhat shorter in length, the determination was made to keep the speed limit at 55 mph, Verseckes said.
Just Ask: Why is the speed limit on Route 57 in Agawam only 55 mph?
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on January 09, 2014 at 7:00 AM, updated January 13, 2014 at 9:20 PM
Question: Why is the speed limit on Route 57 in Agawam only 55 mph?


text:
On Monday, the street was clogged with vehicles and other equipment from Clean Harbors, a company that responds to environmental emergencies throughout North America, and, by its own account, "can handle a wide range of hazardous materials including oil, gasoline, chemical, PCBs, and biological hazards."
When the Advance first queried Con Edison last week about activity at the site, spokesperson Chris Olert responded that it was "a DEP (city Department of Environmental Protection) sewer project."
DEP reported something different on Monday morning.
"Con Edison is conducting the soil remediation at this location," said DEP spokeswoman Mercedes Padilla in an e-mail to the Advance. "Please contact them for details. DEP will repair a collapsed sewer upon completion of this remediation work," she wrote.
A reporter counted five Con Edison personnel walking around the Garfield Avenue site on Monday afternoon, all of them wearing the company's blue hard-hats; two Con Edison vehicles were parked on the street.
Spokesman Olert explained their presence this way, in an e-mail: "Con Edison supervisors and inspectors are making certain that the job is done properly."
This is not remediation," Olert told the Advance. "It is site preparation for DEP to repair the broken sewer line. "It's a DEP job, with which we are assisting.
"Our construction contractor is trenching and shoring up the excavation, and Clean Harbors is removing sludge so DEP can access the sewer line and fix it. No agency has determined this is remediation."
We asked if the presence of vehicles and equipment from Clean Harbors indicates that the ongoing work is an environmental response.
"Yes," spokesman Olert replied. "Diesel oil and motor oil was found in the trench.
"A sewage pipe broke outside of our station; to expedite its repair we are working with the city DEP to excavate the trench so that it could make the sewer pipe repair. We wanted to be certain it was clean, since it adjoins our facility, and since there was a report of an oily sheen, we wanted to be able to test and make sure we are in compliance.
"We also had the qualified contractors available," he explained. "DEP's contractor, Delaney, was not certified in the event (that) hazardous materials are discovered."
The latest from Con Edison at press time: "Our preparation work may be wrapped up" as early as tomorrow. "DEP may be pumping until it can get the sewer line repaired."


text:
Rechargeable batteries sold with certain Slim and Secure™ Video Monitors are being recalled.
About 58,000 batteries made by MP and BK were used in the products.
The battery in the handheld video monitor can overheat and rupture, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
Summer Infant has received five reports of ruptured batteries, including three incidents of minor property damage. No injuries were reported.
The recall involves Summer Infant Slim and Secure handheld color video monitors with unmarked, MP and BK rechargeable batteries.
The Video Monitor is sold in either silver and white, model #02800; or pink and white, model #02805.
Both the video monitor and receiver components come with A/C adapters but only the receiver unit contains a rechargeable battery.
The batteries are unmarked or marked with letters MP or BK on the lower right corner of the battery (see photo gallery).
Batteries that are marked TCL are not included in this recall.
They were sold exclusively at at Babies R Us from September 2009 to May 2010 for about $200.
Consumers should immediately stop using the video baby monitors with the recalled batteries and contact Summer Infant to receive a postage paid envelope to return the defective battery in exchange for a free replacement battery.
The monitor can continue to be used on AC power with power cord.
For additional information, contact Summer Infant between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday at (800) 426-8627, or visit the firm's website at www.summerinfant.com


text:
This deal has ended.
Home Shopping Network (HSN) has a selection of Method Cleaning Kits marked down by as much as 50%. This is a great deal as the kits are already value-priced and some of the lowest prices we've seen on Method products. Good deals include the Squeaky Clean Green Book and Tote Bag Set, retail value of $31.94, sold on HSN for $24.95 and on clearance for $12.95, the 6-Piece Granite Cleansing Kit (pictured) drops from $31.99 to $19.98 to $13.90 and the Method 7-Piece Detox Your Home Cleaning Kit is marked down from $40.99 to $24.95 to $19.90. Shipping is from $5.20 and there's no sales tax (except FL, CA). New customers can use code C56574 to take 15% off one item (won't work on these clearance deals).No longer available


text:
Martinsburg city employees get pay raise
MARTINSBURG – At their meeting Thursday, Martinsburg City Council members unanimously approved a 1 percent cost of living adjustment for city employees and a merit pay increase that could be up to 4 percent.
The raises had been recommended by City Manager Mark Baldwin and approved by the council's budget and finance committee during a meeting Aug. 1.
This will be only the second time since the Great Recession five years ago that the city has been able to afford a merit pay increase and COLA, officials had said.
At the end of the last calendar year, employees were given what amounted to a one-time bonus. Employees get $50 longevity pay every year, which was already budgeted for this fiscal year.
The estimated average merit pay increase will be about 2 percent, according to information provided by the Mark Spickler, the director of the city's finance department.
Merit pay is based on job reviews, which department heads are in the process of completing.
Also, council members approved a salary cap increase of 5 percent, which the budget and finance committee had recommended.
According to Spickler, there are about 24 employees whose salaries are at their pay grades' maximum amount. Those employees would get the COLA, but would not get any merit pay increase. By raising the cap by 5 percent, they will be able to get a merit pay increase, he said.
Spickler's estimated grand total for the workforcewide pay raises is about $268,000. The city has about 180 full-time employees.
"We saved more than $200,000 in health insurance (in the fiscal year that ended June 30) because our claims went down," Spickler said earlier. "I believe it is the health insurance decrease that allows us to do this."
The pay raises are retroactive to July 1, the beginning of the city's fiscal year.
In other action, council members unanimously approved a resolution that distributes funds left over from the fiscal year that ended June 30.
The city had about $898,435 in uncommitted funds brought forward from last year. Of that, about $467,963 were additional revenues, according to information provided by Spickler.
The largest amount of additional revenues was $205,811 in business and occupation taxes. The largest amount of that figure was a $110,000 one-time windfall stemming from a back B&O tax payment, Spickler explained.
He also said there were about $430,472 in unspent contingencies that had been budgeted; committed funds that were not spent; workers' compensation insurance savings; personal services that were budgeted, but were not used, because of temporarily vacant positions and unused overtime; and other expenditures that were budgeted, but were unused for items such as legal fees, liability insurance and jail fees, according to the information.
The distribution of the unassigned funds is as follows:
City general development fund (5 percent), $44,930.
City retirement fund, $50,000.
City OPEB (Other Post Employment Benefits) Trust Fund, $100,000.
City computer system fund for maintenance and support, $50,000.
Employee COLA and merit pay contingency for the 2014-15 fiscal year, $200,000.
Fireworks funding, $10,000.
Street paving and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curbing, $350,000.
Two truck beds for street department, $20,000.
Pickup truck with utility bed for street department, $38,000.
Contingencies, $35,505.
Martinsburg City Council usually meets on the second Thursday of each month. This month's meeting was postponed one week because several members and staff were attending the West Virginia Municipal League's annual conference Aug. 7-9.
– Staff writer John McVey can be reached at 304-263-3381, ext. 128.


text:
Remodeling Pleasure and Pain: Five Survival Tips
What would other people think of my choices? What is everyone else doing? What's new? What's right? Should I use porcelain or natural stone tile? Go contemporary or traditional? Here is what I learned: It doesn't matter. What matters is what I think is right and the way to go about a multi-room remodeling is to break it down.


text:
By Amy Cherry 3:50pm, November 18, 2013 - Updated 9:38am, November 19, 2013County police are identifying a man who was murdered inside the Autumn Park Apartments south of Newark Monday.
Police say they fouund 19-year-old Darby Ford of Philadelphia shot to death in the first block of Winterhaven Drive around 1 p.m.
Police continue to canvas the neighborhood, but have been unable to find any suspects or a motive for the shooting.
What they do know -- a small sedan was seen leaving the area around the time of the shooting.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Gloucester County Sheriff Carmel Morina announced today that the Gloucester County Sheriff's Department will be holding child safety seat inspections at the Paulsboro Fire House from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 21.
The firehouse is at 1502 Swedesboro Road in Paulsboro.
"There are hundreds of types of child safety seats on the market and they all require proper installation to be effective," said Morina. He said seats can range from rear facing infant seats, forward facing seats, combination seats and booster seats. "It's important that parents and caregivers take a few minutes to have their child seats inspected to make sure they are installed and functioning correctly."
Morina has officers whot are trained to show parents and caregivers the proper installation for the seats in vehicles. His office has free seats available for replacements if a car seat is expired, out dated or if someone is without one.
There is no charge for this inspection. For more information call (856) 384-4630.


text:
R. Winchester
Community Care, no.1310, 2000, p.10-11
Carers expecting money for breaks in the wake of the government's carers special grant have been frustrated. Many local authorities have not taken on board what the grant is for and many are failing to use it in the way which the government intended.
A. Alaszewski
Managing Community Care, vol.8, Feb. 2000, p.22-26
Article takes a fresh look at the concept of risk in the light of the government's plans to modernise health and social care. Increasingly health and welfare agencies are expected to protect their users, the public and themselves from risk, danger and harm.


text:
Be it known that 264.11 iz the all time high for this pig... It was a decree made in septmber by the mighty trading gods, which haz since then become Law. Beware, for the next leg down shall be violent and take no prisonerz. Those caught in the mighty down draft shall be rounded up shot on sight by robots armed with a 50 cal vulcan machine gun.... You have been warned by sybil - a lowly messanger of the powerful trading gods.
Are you sad?
No, Sybil, I'm not asking you.
I'm asking if shorts here are sad seeing another "short" as fake and deranged as you are.
It seemz someone out there besidez old sybz thinks your an idiot that spanks the monkey constantly, reason being you have 2 thumbs down opinionz on you dumb post and sybil iz only allowed one of them.


text:
My Favorite Nonprofits
193 profile views
1 reviews
Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Inc.
joanspec wrote:
I spent the morning observing Miami Lighthouse for the Blind's SGA program for seniors. It was amazing. The work they do, under... more »
- Location:
- Miami, FL
Page (1 of 1)


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The deadliest ebola outbreak on record has killed as many as 399 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone this year. In 2013, Ebola and Marburg viruses re-emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. In 2012, it was Lassa fever: the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health declared an epidemic, with cases reported in 23 of the country's 36 states. While these diseases understandably cause alarm, there is also some reassurance to be found in the way affected countries are becoming better equipped to diagnose and deal with these threats.
These so-called "emerging" diseases may in fact be both much older and much more common than previously thought. Through our experiences in Sierra Leone and Nigeria, my colleagues and I have come to believe that diseases like Ebola and Lassa – first discovered in the second half of the 20th century – may in fact have been circulating in villages for centuries.
In reality, these diseases may only be rare in their detection. Despite popular accounts, viral hemorrhagic fevers often have general symptoms, such as fever and headache, which can be mistaken for malaria or typhoid. Beyond misdiagnosis, many individuals with fever never come to the hospital at all despite having serious and sometimes fatal infections.
Indeed, these diseases may only be new to Western medicine. Lassa virus was discovered when two missionary nurses succumbed to the disease while working in Nigeria. Marburg virus was discovered in the town of the same name in Germany when workers at a primate centre began suffering from fevers, vomiting and bleeding. The Ebola virus was discovered during simultaneous outbreaks at a mission hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a cotton factory in Sudan.
Understanding these viruses is best done from the field, from places like the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) in Nigeria, where I came to work in 2008. My colleagues and I began our research on the genetics of Lassa fever, working with the outstanding local clinicians and scientists. While there, my research partner Christian Happi told me a story of a young boy who was brought to the hospital by his father and successfully treated for Lassa fever. Weeks later Christian had travelled to the boy's village to investigate the origins of his disease. There he learned that the boy's mother had died of the same mysterious disease, as had his cousin and his neighbour. All told, over 20 individuals had died, unnoticed by the outside world. Remarkably, none had come to the hospital, as the hospital had previously had no diagnostic tests for the disease, and limited ability to treat it. Their story made us consider the countless individuals who die silently each year from this disease.
Today, with diagnostic tests able to detect the Lassa virus genome in patient blood and therapeutics on site, the hospital has become a regional centre for treating Lassa fever. Surrounding communities – hearing of the many successful stories like the young boy's – know where to turn, and the site has become a referral centre for patients with undiagnosed febrile illness within hundreds of kilometres. The site is not just a specialist centre for Lassa fever care and research, but also a sentinel site for emerging infectious diseases of all kinds.
Technological advances in analysing the genomes of a wide variety of microbes have the potential to transform the clinical care, surveillance and understanding of devastating diseases like Lassa and Ebola. But to truly fulfil that promise, the tools must be delivered to researchers on the ground – tools for global surveillance and tools for effective diagnosis and treatment of patients where they are.
Happily, strong partnerships between communities and clinics are growing, creating positive feedback loops that save lives and help clinicians to rapidly detect emerging pathogens. There will soon be an African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Disease (ACEGID) at Redeemer's University in Nigeria, thanks to support from the H3 (Human Heredity and Health) Africa initiative and the World Bank.
The recent Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa highlights the importance of local research centres. In the wake of the incident, members of my team immediately flew to the Kenema Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. While they brought badly needed supplies to help safely diagnose Ebola, they weren't there to take over. They were there simply to support the growing efforts already underway.
Clinicians, nurses, and the public health team at the Kenema hospital have been combatting Lassa fever in Sierra Leone since before the civil war in the 1990s. These outstanding African scientists immediately took control of the situation. Increasingly, sites throughout Africa will have their own diagnostic capacity on site for a wide range of infectious agents. There they will lead on the frontline of the battle against infection disease, supporting their communities and helping to detect, monitor and characterize emerging diseases before they become global threats.
You can learn more about these ideas through this video created by Stephen Gire: "Emerging Disease or Emerging Diagnosis?":
Author: Pardis Sabeti is an Associate Professor at the Center for Systems Biology at Harvard University and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. She is participating in the World Economic Forum on Africa 2014 in Abuja, Nigeria.
Image: A doctor works in a laboratory on collected samples of the Ebola virus at the Centre for Disease Control in Entebbe, about 37 km (23 miles) southwest of Uganda's capital Kampala, August 2, 2012.


text:
Having a "Stranger" in My House
The November speaker for the Alzheimer Cafe is Norm Harris, a representative from "Senior Helpers". Senior Helpers specializes in in-home caregiving of dementia patients, their families and caregivers. Harris can respond to questions such as, "How do I handle having a "stranger" in my house? How do I set boundaries and maintain privacy? What if we don't like the caregiver? What actual duties can "senior helpers" perform and what can they not do? Can they help with housekeeping, shopping, laundry, etc. or just physical care? What kind of screening process do caregivers and clients go through? This promises to be a very informative and helpful session.
Time for Q&A; socializing & support
For: persons at any stage of dementia/Alzheimers, family & friends
The Café will be held the second Friday of each month
(except December & August) free & open to public
Southminster Presbyterian Church
12250 SW Denney Rd. Beaverton, OR 97008


text:
SALEM — Four people face drug charges after two city homes were searched by law enforcement officers last week, authorities said.
Agents from the Salem County Prosecutor's Office Gangs, Guns and Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant at a home on Wesley Street at about 1:45 p.m. Thursday with the help of the Salem City Police Department and the Salem County Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit.
Another warrant was executed about an hour later on East Broadway when a home was raided by the Prosecutor's Office, Salem City Police and the New Jersey State Police Teams Unit.
While searching the houses, authorities said they found and seized about $500 worth of cocaine, heroin and marijuana. Drug distribution paraphernalia was also allegedly found during the raids, according to police.
Salem County Prosecutor John T. Lenahan said the warrants are just the start of a year-long initiative to target distributors of illegal narcotics in Salem City.
"Resources from the Salem County Prosecutor's Office will be deployed in the city continuously to reduce and hinder those involved in criminal activity in Salem City," Lenahan said.
The following people were arrested and charges during the raids:
• Malcolm Street, 38, of Wesley Street, was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a CDS with intent to distribute, possession with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was lodged in the Salem County Correctional Facility, in Mannington, in lieu of $35,000 bail.
• Nevin McKenzie, 27, of Hubble Avenue, was charged with possession of a CDS and tampering with physical evidence. He was released on a summons.
• Isom Golden, 40, of East Broadway, was charged with possession of CDS and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released on a summons.
• Jaquille Cook, 18, of East Broadway, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and was released on a summons.
• Khary Higgs, 40, of North Broad Street, in Penns Grove, was charged with violating a city ordinance and was released on a summons.
Contact staff writer Alex Young at 856-451-1000 ext. 550 or email@example.com


text:
The Influence of Gang Migration on Gang Proliferation
The primary focus of this Bulletin is to assess whether gang migration has played a major role in gang proliferation. Migrant gang members may stimulate the growth of gangs and gang membership through a variety of processes, such as recruiting locals to establish a branch of the gang in previously unaffected areas. This approach, described as the importation model, involves efforts by gang members to infuse their gang into new cities, primarily to establish new drug markets and other money-making criminal enterprises (Decker and Van Winkle, 1996). This is also referred to as gang franchising (Knox et al., 1996) and gang colonization (Quinn, Tobolowsky, and Downs, 1994). Alternatively, migrants may establish a new gang without structural affiliation to an existing gang. Furthermore, if a sufficient number of individuals from a gang move to a new location, they may replicate a migrant subset of their former gang. No matter what process is used, new local gangs will most likely emerge in response to territorial challenges or perceived protection needs. The city with a single gang is a rare phenomenon (Klein, 1995). Regardless of the pattern of new gang initiation, gang member migration would create an increase in both the number of gangs and gang membership.
Another way migrant gangs may stimulate gang proliferation is by introducing new and exciting cultural distinctions from existing gangs. In a city in which gangs exist but are not firmly established, migrant gang members may act as cultural carriers of the folkways, mythologies, and other trappings of more sophisticated urban gangs. They may offer strong distinctions from other gangs and cause a rivalry with existing gangs, such as the rivalry between the Bloods and Crips in southern California and between the People and Folks in the Midwest. Most of the respondents in the 1993 USC phone survey reported that migrants influence local gang rivalries, gang dress codes, and recruiting methods (Maxson, Woods, and Klein, 1995). In addition, the solidification of local gang subcultures may increase the visibility or attractiveness of gangs to local youth. It may also influence the growth of rival gangs.
Conversely, there are a variety of circumstances in which migrant gang members have little or no impact on gang proliferation. If the geographic location allows, migrants may retain their affiliation with their original gangs by commuting to old territories or they may simply discontinue gang activity altogether. In cities with relatively large and established gangs, it is unlikely that migrant gang members would have a noticeable effect on the overall gang environment.
An important related issue is the impact of migrant gang members on local crime patterns. 2 Migrants are generally perceived as contributing to both increased levels of crime and the seriousness of criminal activity (Maxson, Woods, and Klein, 1995). The 1993 USC survey involved telephone interviews with law enforcement in 211 cities that experienced gang migration in 1992. Most of the cities involved in the survey (86 percent) reported that migrant gang members contributed to an increase in local crime rates or patterns primarily in theft (50-percent increase), robbery (35-percent increase), other violent crimes (59-percent increase), and, to a lesser extent, drug sales (24-percent increase). The small increase in drug sale activity can most likely be attributed to competition from established local drug markets. The survey also showed that the type of criminal gang activity was changing to include increased use of firearms and more sophisticated weapons (36-percent increase). Carjackings, firebombings, residential robberies, drive-by shootings, and advanced techniques for vehicle theft were also cited on occasion. Changes in the targets of criminal activity and the use of other technological advances were mentioned less frequently.
2 Whether or not migrants provide a catalyst to local gang proliferation, their impact on local crime is of considerable concern to law enforcement.


text:
Great Lakes Spey Fest...
Anyone from the area planning to go? It's this Saturday at Henning Park in Newaygo.
Re: Great Lakes Spey Fest...
I would love to, but it's 900 miles and this is the first I have heard of it. It's probably the closest spey thing to me. Sad huh?
Re: Great Lakes Spey Fest...
Dan, next year come and play with some of our MI Salmon and then hit the SpeyFest...It's the last weekend in September...
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text:
Come test our mettle with a free HR consultation.
Get in touch today to claim your free hour of support. Our employment advice is highly practical, provided by experienced practitioners, and will help you get to the bottom of that knotty HR conundrum. You can ask us about any people management query you have, and no matter how big or small, we'll listen to your query carefully and discuss all the possible options through with you.
Managing people made easy.
Real People is an award-winning HR consultancy and social enterprise developed by the charity St Mungo's. Based in London but operating nationally, we specialise in providing HR support to both private and third-sector organisations.
Our value-for-money SME support ranges from helpline advice, management and leadership training, to carrying out independent investigations. We also run the annual Barometer survey into pay and HR trends. We guarantee that, whatever the task, we will provide a highly personalised service from people you can rely on.
© 2016 Real People HR. All rights reserved.
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What we do | About us | Contact us | Privacy


text:
Auburn, NY — The state is investigating the what may be the improper removal of an asbestos-laden boiler from a Market Street building, evacuated Monday after workers dismantling the equipment filled the air with dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, officials said.
Firefighters were called around 10:45 a.m. after detectors warned occupants of the apartment and commercial building that there were high levels of potentially lethal carbon monoxide in the building, Fire Chief Michael Hammon said.
Investigators from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Labor Department's bureau of asbestos control also responded after firefighters found a large amount of asbestos in the basement and on nearby scrap metal, Hammon said.
Prolonged exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and lung disease, and there are federal and state laws regulating the removal and disposal of large amounts of the insulation material.
The workers, who were unnamed, were using a gasoline-fired demolition saw to cut the boiler into smaller pieces, and gasoline fumes from the saw filled the three-story building with more than triple the safe levels for carbon monoxide in work areas, Hammon said.
No one was hurt but the situation "was dangerous," Hammon said.
Kerstetter LLC, owns the building at 55 Market St., according to city property records. George Kerstetter, of Kerstetter LLC, was unavailable for comment.
The case was turned over to the Labor Department's bureau of asbestos control after DEC investigators found no environmental violations, agency spokeswoman Stephanie Harrington said. Labor Department spokesman George Morrissey did not return a telephone message in time for this story.
In 2008, former Cayuga County employee John Chick, of Auburn, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in removing and disposing an asbestos-laden boiler from the basement of the county Elections Board two years earlier.
Residents from the apartments in the Market Street building and two workers in a street-level insurance office were told by firefighters to immediately leave the building. They were allowed to return a couple hours later, Hammon said.
Eileen Wunder, who manages the Metropolitan insurance office, said firefighters did a good job and that she's not worried about having been possibly exposed to the carbon monoxide.
"They made us aware it was a dangerous problem and then they cleared us out," Wunder said.


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TRENTON — The organizations whose collections are displayed at the Trenton City Museum and the Trent House say the city has ignored their requests for talks about the museums' futures, leaving it unclear how long their art and relics will remain in the city-owned buildings.
After the museums' full-time directors were among 150 workers laid off last month, the city assigned interns to take over day-to-day operations at both buildings, a move that both the Trenton Museum Society and the Trent House Association say violates their management agreements.
The museums are still operating; last weekend, for example, Trent House hosted a well-attended butter-churning event, and the facility has programming planned through the end of 2011, said Pete Maruca, president of the Trent House Association board.
"What we're trying to foster is a sense of business as usual," Maruca said. "We're trying to keep it open, but it's obviously tough without a director."
The lack of resolution has leaders of the Trenton Museum Society concerned that they may need to pull their collection out of Cadwalader Park's Ellarslie Mansion, where the city museum is housed, they said. The management agreement stipulates that the city is allowed to display the society's artifacts, but that it must employ a full-time, qualified director.
"The intern is there helping out with some displays," said Robert Cunningham, president of the museum society board. "She's being given other assignments, so it's not like it's a full-time person there. And she's not what you would call a qualified professional. She doesn't have the training for that."
The museum's permanent collection remains on display, while all traveling exhibits and special showcases have been canceled indefinitely.
"We would like to keep the museum going and make it better, but without a director it's impossible to get the kind of cooperation we need from other museums," Cunningham said.
As with the city museum, the Trent House museum, located at the corner of Market Street and William Trent Place, belongs to the city while the collection inside is the property of the Trent House Association.
Both Cunningham and Maruca said that, weeks after filing grievances with the city, they have gotten no response. Under the terms of their management agreement, the city has about a week to convene a committee made up of both members of the administration and the museums' trustees to discuss any issues.
"I did get acknowledgement that they received the letter, but I haven't heard back anything definitively about forming the committee or meeting," Maruca said.
The city did not respond specifically to questions about museums' status and whether the administration considered the interns qualified directors. "We are working to resolve these concerns as soon as possible," city spokeswoman Lauren Ira said in an e-mail.
Cunningham said that the museum society has been contacted by other groups that might be willing to exhibit its collection if they cannot reach an agreement with the city.
"We're kind of looking around. We certainly feel that we have to make a decision by the end of the year," he said. "We would certainly be willing to sit down and talk to the mayor and try to help. I don't want this to become adversarial, but sooner or later it's going to have to if we don't get somewhere."
Maruca said the Trent House Association might be willing to amend its management agreement and take on more day-to-day responsibilities at the site, but that the city would have to commit more financial resources.
"Our goal is to work creatively with the city to help meet their needs in these difficult times and to strengthen our organization at the same time," he said. "We know the city's in tough shape, and we want to work with them to keep this fabulous resource available."


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Dame un besito ♪ ♫ , Atrevete y Besame ♪ ♫ lalala x)Flogger Flogger's Nuevo Swag Emo Style Chupin Verde Cheto Skater Flequillo gorra roja (? xD :L kjasjas
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Showing Suppliers 1 - 2 of 2
JLC Tech, LLC
Address: 4157 Pine Ridge Lane, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Business Type: Manufacturer
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Address: 600 South Northlake Blvd Suite 160, Altamonte Springs, FL
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|Download : Games : Puzzles : Save all the Bubbles
You are the fairy Cindy and have to save all your friends trapped in the Bubbles - Windows Demo $19.95. Can you help poor Cindy? She and her friends are trapped in a world of bubbles as a result of a wicked spell cast by the evil Witch Makeeba. In seventy levels of fascinating gameplay, becoming increasingly more difficult, you must click on the matching bubbles trapping each pair of her friends to release them. Sounds easy but you have a limited time available and the bubbles bounces all over the screen! Special bonus bubbles give you a chance to increase the time you have remaining, a green pair gives you another 20 seconds, while a blue pair gives an extra 50 seconds.
BubbleWorld 1.0 12-Dec-07 English 19.5 MB
But, to make things more difficult, from time to time a pair of bubbles will start to flash. When this happens you must rush to free that pair before they burst and you lose ten seconds of your valuable remaining time. Each level ends when you run out of time or have managed to free all the trapped friends, and you earn 100 points for each freed pair. If you complete the level without running out of time, you go on to the next level. Otherwise you start back at your opening position for that level. To make things more interesting, new types of friends appear in later levels. Be Warned - Don't start to play this game unless you are prepared to keep going as you progress through the various levels, because it's truly addictive! Don't blame us if you suddenly find that hours have magically disappeared while you enjoy the fun, for believe us, you will enjoy it!
|Puzzle Game Kids Funny. Casual Arcade Fairy Cindy Save Friends Trapped.
| BubbleWorld


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GARDENDALE, Alabama -- Police are searching for a man accused of stealing necklaces from Gardendale Jewelers Tuesday.
A man entered the store between 11:50 and 11:54 a.m. Tuesday and asked to see gold necklaces, according to the Gardendale Police Department's Facebook page. When the store owner laid two necklaces on the display case, the suspect grabbed the necklaces and fled, saying "See ya, bubba," according to police.
The suspect was described as a white male, about 5-foot-9 and 140 pounds with brown hair and a thin beard. He was wearing red knee-length sweat pant shorts, a T-shirt with the sleeves cut off, an Alabama flat-bill baseball cap and glasses. He fled the scene heading north on Main Street in a tan, brown or gold Toyota Camry without a tag, and the suspect appeared to have trouble starting the car, police said
Anyone with information is asked to contact Gardendale Police Det. Brian Baker at (205) 631-8787.
Follow @JonDReed
Follow @alcomBirmingham


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Binghamton, NY (WBNG Binghamton) Tickets for the Binghamton Senators Calder Cup Finals went on sale Wednesday morning.
Phones were ringing off the hook at the Veteran's Memorial Arena in Binghamton.
Season ticket holders were the first ones to score seats for home games 3 and 4.
The B-Sens will face off against the Houston Aeros in the best of games.
The Calder Cup is considered the second most prestigious trophy after the Stanley Cup.
Binghamton will have a team in the Calder Cup finals for the first time since the 1980's.
The arena hopes to fill the house for the games.
"We're looking at some alternative ways to bring a broadcast of some type to our fans that can't get in," said Tom Mitchell Executive Vice President of Operations. "I'm not sure what that's going to be yet. So we're looking at some alternatives because there are going to be a lot of people that want to get in here, that aren't going to be able to get in."
The series starts in Houston with games Friday and Saturday.
Game 3 in Binghamton is on Wednesday, June 1st at 7:05PM.
Game 4 is on Friday, June 3rd at 7:05 as well.
If needed, game 5 will be on Saturday, June 4th at the arena.
Tickets for the general public go on sale Thursday at 10:00AM.


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PLAINWELL -- Ron Dolegowski has taken six deer with his old 20-gauge shotgun over the years. On Saturday, it was his daughter Julie's turn.
The Dolegowski family drove up to the garage of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Plainwell Operations Center in their 1986 Ford van -- fresh from a field just south of Dorr. The side door slid open, and out popped 15-year-old Julie and her three sisters: Krysten, 9; Amber, 11; and Heather, 13.
Lying in the back on a large piece of cardboard was Julie's trophy -- a small doe she shot from about 70 yards.
• Deer hunters share opening-day success stories
• Readers Gallery: Submit your fall hunting photos
• Firearm deer season opens with bang in Michigan
• Financial impact of deer hunting is huge
• While some men have their deer, their spouses shop
• Ann Arbor: Washtenaw Co. hunters undaunted by poor weather
• Flint: Hunters head to public lands as weather puts a damper on opening day
• Flint: Weather dampens start of deer season for some, statewide interest is higher
• Jackson: Hunters deal with a wet, cool opener
• Kalamazoo: Hunters see busy opening day of deer season
• Some hunters say they'll be baiting, anyway
• Hunters, businesses want good Michigan deer season
• Belding inventor assists disabled hunters
• Diligence needed in deer processing
• Participation in small game hunting at record low
• Deer season: Where rubber meats the road
Ron helped Julie carry the deer to an examination area, where DNR officials checked the animal's age by looking at its teeth and found out where and when it was shot.
"This was her first time shooting," Ron said. "We saw the deer at about 100 yards. Then it gradually came closer and I said, 'Julie, that's the shot.'"
Julie had only one word to describe her first deer hunting experience: "Exciting."
Once the deer was checked, Julie and her sisters hauled it back to the van. "You're donating this for lunch," Ron told Julie.
The Dolegowskis, of Vicksburg, were just a few of the 700,000 estimated Michiganians who will participate this year in the firearm deer season, which opened Saturday and will run until Nov. 30.
At 11 a.m. the operations center was buzzing with activity. About every 5 minutes another vehicle would arrive with more deer.
DNR wildlife ecologist Mark Mackay asked hunters if they'd be willing to donate deer heads so they could be tested for chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological disease that can strike deer. Several said yes, including Kevin Thiel, of Plainwell.
"I don't mind giving them the head," Thiel said. "Listen, I'm here for the venison. You can't eat the horns." He did receive the antlers back, though.
'Make me some steaks'
Near the end of Mill Street in Galesburg, the business of turning deer into meat began in earnest Saturday afternoon. At the Galesburg Meat Co., three skinned deer were hanging from hooks just outside a side door.
Owner Mark Christian was talking to Franklin Crane, of Scotts, whose 55-pound buck was spread out on a large scale. He had shot the deer earlier in the day with his trusty 12-gauge shotgun, or, as he called it, "a deer-killing machine."
"It's in my blood to kill deer," he said. "I just love being outdoors."
Crane told Christian what he wanted. "Make me some steaks and summer sausage," he said. "And make it spicier than last year."
Deer can be turned into steaks, roasts, jerk, bratwurst, breakfast sausage and just about any other meat product, Christian said. His business processes about 1,200 deer per year, and more than half of that number come during firearm season. "It's a busy time," he said, "but we have fun."
In a matter of minutes, Crane's deer would meet the same fate as the trio hanging behind Christian, at the hands of workers Omar Barragan and Gary Royston. The process of taking off the legs, head and hide took only about five minutes.
"Cool him up, cowboy," said Royston, a man with long, gray hair and an even longer beard hanging nearly to the middle of his chest. The deer ended up in a cooling locker, along with about 30 others, to dry out before being processed.
Enforcing the rules
Saturday was one of many long days to come for Christopher Holmes. From Vicksburg to Parchment to Richland, the DNR conservation officer crisscrossed Kalamazoo County responding to complaints of everything from hunters trespassing to safety zone violations.
He was up at 6:30 a.m. and said that his day probably wouldn't be over until 9 p.m., by which time he would have put about 200 miles on his work truck.
"I've been all over the place," he said at about 4 p.m. "It's been a very busy day."
He estimated that about 90 percent of hunters in the area were in compliance with hunting regulations. But he had responded to nearly 40 complaint calls as of Saturday afternoon.
Turnout was up a bit this opening day compared to years past, Holmes said, likely because it fell on a Saturday.
"If today was any indication," he said Saturday, "we're going to have a good firearm season this year."


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HOBOKEN – A total of six Apple laptops were reported stolen over a five-day period in Hoboken.
Three of the Apple laptops were reported stolen from two Hoboken apartments while residents were at work on Monday, police reports said.
Police were called Monday night to a three-bedroom duplex shared by three 25-year-old roommates at Sixth Street near Garden Street, on the report of a burglary, reports said.
The residents reported that two Apple Air laptops and a Gucci watch were missing from the apartment, that together had a total value of $3,100, reports said.
One of the victims said she went to work at 8:40 a.m. and returned home at 7 p.m. The apartment door was locked but not dead bolted, reports said. At around 10:30 p.m. she noticed a her laptop and watch were missing.
The victim also found a second laptop was missing from the bedroom of a third roommate, and she then called the police, reports said.
Then on Tuesday at 8 a.m., police were called to an apartment at Bloomfield Street near Fourth Street, reports said. The 33-year-old resident reported that he had gotten home from work, but did not notice anything amiss until he went to bed at midnight
He then found his Apple Macbook, worth $1,500, that he kept under his pillow was missing, reports said. The resident said that he may have left the door unlocked when he went to work.
No sign of forced entry was found at either property, reports said.
On Friday two students reported that three Apple computers an iPad and other electronics were stolen from their apartment on Washington Street near 11th Street.


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Yesterday, Alicia Keys debuted the video for her hot as fire single, "Girl on Fire" on 106 and Park. Asked for some background on the song, an excited Alicia Keys said, "The evolution of "Girl on Fire" came from me wanting to always be able to declare that I'm a Girl on Fire. Sometimes we don't always feel like that. Sometimes things get difficult. But even in a world that's filled with catastrophe, we not backing down and we got our head in the cloud."more..
This day not only marks the day of New York City's Snowpocalypse of 2010, it's also Monster Monday. In honor of that momentous occasion, Swizz Beatz released a song by Alicia Keys and Eve called "Speechless." If you don't find the Egyptian inspired artwork interesting, how about that combination: Alicia Keys and Eve. Is this an appetizer for things to come in 2011?
Slow down, there's not any official new A. Keys material on the way, in her words, "Speechless is a little freestyle treat 4 the holidays. It's not a new album, not a single its something special 4 U!"more..
One of the benefits of being married to an R&B/pop star is the new found access to the family photo stash. Swizz Beatz got his hands on a picture of Alica Keys when she was seventeen years old, looking ready for the high school prom/school photo album, and posted it as his Twitter background, for all to see.more..
It's official, on Saturday, Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz exchanged wedding vows on the coast of Southern Italy. The picture up top says it all: it was pretty much the ending of any romance movie. Swizz Beatz (via Twitter) summed up the moment with one word: "Wowwwwwwwwww."
Miss Info has all the particulars..more..
On December 18, Alicia Keys was on hand at M2 Mansion in NYC for a release party for her stellar new album "The Element of Freedom." If you don't have it yet, you need to get off your computer and beat a path to Target/Walmart/Best Buy or pop a tab, click up an online shop and fill a shopping cart. Point is: forget the freebies, good music deserves better dollars (especially these days) and Alicia Keys cooked up something phenomenal for these cold winter months.
On a completely non-musical angle I can tell you listening to the album I wasn't sure if Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz were still making their lo-pro relationship happen. Oh sure, throughout the album there is the sound and feel of a woman smiling in the glow of a new love, but who that love is I felt was up for question.more..
Alicia Keys has David Letterman sprung on that good stuff. Last night, A. Keys made her umpteenth appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman to perform "The Thing About Love."
I'm loving that look: fine + fabulous = without even trying.
Didn't catch the couch time, but Alicia Keys' piano plunking is ready to go.more..
Over the last few months Mediafakedyouout has posted rumors that Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz are secretly dating. In fact the NY Post's Page Six once 'spotted' them having lunch in Los Angeles. This friendship is the rumored reason Swizz Beatz and his wife Mashonda are getting a divorce.
Last week, Alicia Keys supposedly threw a surprise birthday party for Swizz Beatz at the Guggenheim museum. With these stories circulating Alicia Keys is being labeled a homewrecker by many women in blog world and it's gaining momentum.
Swizz Beatz has spoken out against this scandalous and surly gossip.
In a US magazine exclusive Swizz Beatz said..more..
From a (black) man's point of view, that would have been all that's needed to say about Alicia Keys performance at the BET Awards. Then just as Alicia Keys shook her hip, for what looked like the freeze, she upstaged herself - changed the story - by bringing out SWV, En Vogue and TLC.
Last night, Alicia Keys was a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman. With two dancers/backup singers she performed her new single "Teenage Love Affair." We'll step past the dancing and singing. The blurbable part of the appearance was Alicia Keys telling a story about her solo trip to Peru on New Years Eve.
It seems as though Alicia Keys escape to Egypt wasn't a one-off thing. She said she is going to take those kinds of vacations every year to give herself a break from celeb life.
What I don't understand is Alicia went solo on New Years Eve, but she thinks of Kerry Brothers as someone she would marry? On a "big" day like New Years Eve, shouldn't it then be a WE vacation.


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"It didn't take long for these Democrat recruits to act like Washington politicians," NRCC Communications Director Andrea Bozek said in a statement.
"With Nancy Pelosi devoted to making herself Speaker of the House again, Republicans aren't going to waste any time introducing her recruits to voters and revealing them for who they really are — Pelosi's hand-picked candidates who will reliably stand behind her failed agenda."
The ads target Democrats Gwen Graham, who is challenging Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.); Kevin Strouse, who challenging Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.); and Andrew Romanoff, who is challenging Rep. Mike Coffmann (R-Colo.). The campaign committee is also targeting potential candidate Erin Bilbray-Kohn, who has expressed interest in running against Rep. Joe Heck (R-Nev.).
All four of those Republicans were also named to the NRCC's "Patriot Program" on Monday, the program designed to help the party protect its incumbents and its control of the House.
NRCC ties Democratic candidates to Pelosi in new ads
The ads are targeting top recruits for Democrats that the NRCC says have "already gone Washington." They tie the Democratic candidates to Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), charging that the House minority leader "likes" the candidate in question, and asking, "Do you?"
More in Energy & Environment


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'Goff should be shot' - Harawira's latest gaffe
Tuesday 10 Nov 2009 2:20 p.m.
Hone Harawira called Labour Leader Phil Goff a 'bastard' and said he should be 'shot' (NZPA)
"Actually I am about to hammer Labour again about Phil Goff telling me I should be suspended from politics. The cheek of the bastard," he said.
"If I should be suspended for swearing, him and his mates should be lined up against a wall and shot," he said.
Mr Harawira's remarks followed an apology in which Mr Harawira said sorry for his language, but not his message, in a controversial email sent to former Waitangi Tribunal director Buddy Mikaere.
Mr Mikaere wrote to Mr Harawira over his decision to leave Brussels, where he was visiting as part of a parliamentary delegation, and take his wife to Paris for the day.
Mr Harawira responded: "White motherf...ers have been raping our lands and ripping us off for centuries and all of a sudden you want me to play along with their puritanical bullshit."
The Maori Party leadership, Prime Minister John Key, and Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres were among those who have called for an apology.
A spokesman for Mr Key said; "he accepts he has apologised and in the end it's for New Zealanders to judge the issue".
He was not going to critique the apology.
Regarding the new attack on Mr Goff he said; "that's a debating matter he might wish to take up with the Labour Party".
Mr Harawira said sorry for his "poor choice of words" and the offence they caused.
He should have instead referred to what European colonisers had done, the MP for Te Tai Tokerau said.
He accepted his language had damaged his party, Maori-Pakeha relations and he apologised for demeaning women.
The controversy had damaged his credibility and he would be doing "serious bridge building" with his caucus, who he also apologised to.
Mr Harawira was "pissed off" by the email and reacted.
"I suspect if I had said something like `European colonisers have been responsible for the loss of more than 63 million acres of Maori land over the past 150 years, and it is inappropriate that you should be holding me to standards set by people with such little regard for Maori land and Maori custom,' it wouldn't have rated a mention at all in the media."
However the language had caused an unwanted reaction; "and for that I do apologise".
The comments were not an attack against all Pakeha, he said, but had been taken that way.
"... and that's caused a lot of damage to my own credibility throughout the Te Tai Tokerau and throughout Aotearoa as well."
The MP said he was not a racist "Hone doesn't hate Pakehas. Hone's part Pakeha," he said.
He said had received racist taunts over his comments.
"Others just ring up and say `wish you were dead you black bastard' and `you black mofo' and the rest of it really just goes on the shelf."
Mr Harawira admitted he could have handled the decision to go to Paris better but had been open about what he had done and had not tried to hide the trip.
He denied telling party co-leader Tariana Turia the reason he missed the meeting was because he was ill, he was ill on his return and that had caused confusion.
Mr Harawira was asked about his party leadership which he said he was comfortable with and said he had no aspirations in that direction.
"One of the reasons why is I am a flashpoint kind of guy, leadership requires a measure of diplomacy and a measure of tact, and a willingness to negotiate, grinding your teeth even while you are negotiating, and I just don't think I am suited."
The party had achieved things that an individual could not, including securing a repeal of the foreshore and seabed legislation.
But he admitted having problems being in a support arrangement with the Government.
"I am uncomfortable with it. I am uncomfortable with it because I think they are going really really hard on some things which I think are impacting adversely on our people."
NZPA / RadioLIVE


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Career Journal: Build Your Own Winning Team
By Mrityunjay Srivastava
Ready for more cricket?
With the Indian Premier League beginning today, 2011 is turning out to be a cricket-heavy year.
But watching cricket need not be all play and no work.
In fact, India's historic win in the ICC World Cup Saturday is a case study for managers on the power of the right team. Indian captain M.S. Dhoni successfully channeled the energies of disparate team members in a way that helped them become world champions.
Mrityunjay Srivastava is general manager of corporate Human Resources development for Wipro Ltd., based in Bangalore. Write to him at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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10 things we learned from the 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' trailer
Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson return
Black Widow certainly likes to change her hairstyle a lot
Natasha Romanov (Scarlett Johansson) sure does like to change hairstyles. It seems like she may be evolving more from film to film than almost any other Marvel character. Watch her again in "Iron Man 2," and then look at this trailer and you'll see how much warmer and more human she seems now. She and Cap seem to be getting very close this time around, but more as respected peers than in any typical romantic sense. She offers Cap an anchor in the present-day, and if anything were to happen to her in this film, I suspect whoever was responsible would be very, very sorry.
-Drew McWeeny
Photo Credit: Marvel Studios
'The Craft' Turns 20: Rachel True, Andrew Fleming and Douglas Wick on the making of a teen classic


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Bainbridge blotter | The fight before Christmas
Selected incidents from the Bainbridge Island Police Department blotter.
Sunday, Dec. 23
9 p.m. Police pulled over a car on New Brooklyn Road after it was weaving in and out of the lane. The driver had just picked up her husband and daughter at the ferry. Officers could smell alcohol on her breath. The woman said she had consumed three glasses of wine and that she was very sorry. She then said that she lived "right there" and asked if she could just go home.
A portable breath test registered a .203 percent blood alcohol level. Breath tests at the station registered .261 and .260. The woman was arrested for DUI.
10:23 p.m. A father and daughter had an argument at their residence on Eagle Harbor Drive. The father got angry when their dog spilled a glass of wine he had placed on the floor.
The daughter tried to calm him down and eventually told him to shut up, tapping him on his cheek. The father then slapped his daughter very hard, according to the daughter. She slapped him back. The father suffered a bloody nose. He then grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her into her room and onto her bed.
The father then walked off to cool down. When police found him he said he had too much alcohol and that it contributed to the events of the night. He denied placing his hands on his daughter and was shocked that she slapped him.
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Big news out of Las Vegas, outside of the Tim Hardaway debacle, is that a 41-year-old Scottie Pippen is looking to make a comeback. Krista Jahnke shoots down his chance of playing in Piston blue.
February 16, Detroit News: Scottie Pippen, who confirmed he's trying to make a comeback, told me he is not interested in playing for the Pistons because they have too many guys. Maybe no one told him they're on the market for a backup, veteran guard… But really, I think Pippen has his sights set on one place and one place only — Miami.
He said he wants to play for a championship contender in a warm place. And really, can you imagine someone from those hated Bulls teams playing in 2007 for the Pistons? That's a bizarro image.
If Pippen has anything left in the tank, joining the Heat could hinder the Pistons chances of representing the East in the NBA Finals. But it appears the Heat aren't the only Eastern Conference foe that may make a run at the seven-time All-Star.
February 16, Akron Beacon Journal: ``I think there's an opening for me in Cleveland. There may be an opportunity there for me at the point,'' Pippen said Friday. ``I know they're a little young in that area and have a lack of experience, and I think that's an area where I could help them as a team. I will pursue it.''
The Cavs probably will wait to see what develops in the trade market before the trading deadline next week before seriously considering Pippen, who said he still needs time to prepare before he'd sign with anyone.
He isn't anything close to the classic point guard the Cavs crave, but he was a distributor his whole career, often playing a ``point forward'' role.
Of course, there are major questions about his physical ability, but James said he'd surely be willing to give Pippen a try.
``Scottie Pippen was one of the 50 greatest players ever,'' James said. ``I haven't seen him play in a long time, but his leadership role on any team would be good.''
Additional sources are indicating the Lakers and Suns could be interested in Pippen's services. Obviously these two Western Conference pose less of an immediate threat to Detroit.


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So who's salvageable and who's not?
It turns out we find Fidel Castro's name firmly entrenched on the "not" list.
For those of you who don't follow major league baseball, Ozzie Guillen, manager of the Miami Marlins, recently completed a five-game suspension.
The reason for his sudden free time had nothing to do with failures of strategy or team preparation. No, Guillen's offense was an interview with Time magazine in which he made the boneheadplay of all bonehead plays, public relations wise. He volunteered the fact that he not only respected the retired Cuban dictator, but actually loved him.
"You know why?" he blundered on. "Many people have tried to kill Fidel Castro in the last 60 years, yet that (expletive) is still there."
The firestorm of outrage that ensued was fascinating, to say the least. It's not as if Guillen was heaping praise on Castro's human rights record, after all -- just his survival skills. It's the same kind of props we award the common cockroach.
But we're talking about Miami, Fla., here -- a community where more than one-third the population is Cuban-American and the name Castro evokes roughly the same emotional response as, oh, Judas Iscariot. I'm no community relations whiz, but even I would know better than to try selling quidditch tickets at Hogwarts with an "I Love Voldemort" promotion.
Now that Guillen has expressed his regrets and done his time, his future as a Miami manager rests on the community's capacity for forgiveness. But the whole controversy raises certain questions about redemption.
Of course, when we talk about redemption here, we're talking about the historical brand, not the spiritual. There's a whole religion, after all, constructed around the idea that every human being, no matter how filthy or depraved, is capable of being redeemed.
But what historical figures are so discredited that it's considered impermissible to say the least thing positive in their favor?
I'd say Adolf Hitler qualifies, to begin with the obvious. So would Osama bin Laden and Benedict Arnold -- in the United States at least.
For me, however, that last example illustrates the fragile tightrope we walk. There's a fine line, after all, between Benedict Arnold and Nathan Hale. If the English had won the Revolutionary War, we might be calling Arnold a patriot instead of a traitor. And, of course, we wouldn't be calling it the Revolutionary War.
So who's salvageable? And just how much of the answer depends on historical context? Think about our customs. Think about who our heroes are.
Back when people actually carried cash, Americans collected pictures of men who owned other human beings -- as many as they could get their hands on, in fact. Of the seven most common denominations of U.S. currency, six sport the faces of slave owners. The $5 bill, decorated by Abraham Lincoln's homely visage, is the lone holdout.
Nor is it just slavery that seems problematic. I imagine that many American Indians must have mixed feelings every time they're handed a $20 bill. There you find the face of Andrew Jackson, architect of a forced migration policy so mindlessly brutal that American Indians refer to it as the Trail of Tears.
Looking at our money, you'd think genocide and slavery marked the height of moral achievement.
I'm reminded of the time I read an article about an aging Klansman, being tried for the murder of a civil rights worker decades before. One morning, while waiting for the start of proceedings, he turned to pick up his grandchild, who almost strangled the old man with a fierce hug. It reminded me of the danger of looking too closely: Even a monster, for one brief instant, can turn into a human being.
This is not intended as an excuse for Fidel Castro or an apology for that Klansman -- only as a reminder that human behavior walks an ever-wandering trek between evil and good. Even our worst villains have their moments of vulnerability. And our most beloved heroes insist on walking on feet of clay.


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Previous abstract Next abstract
\def\kms{\ifmmode{\hbox{km s}^{-1}} \else{km s$^{-1}$\ } \fi}
We model deviations from uniform expansion of the universe among galaxies and groups of galaxies in the vicinity of the Local Supercluster ($cz \le 3000$ \kms). The luminosity distribution is defined by 1138 galaxies and groups derived from a database of 3030 galaxies. The trajectories of all 1138 objects are determined by application of a variational principle in which the path is an extrema of the integral of the Lagrangian over time. Paths are constrained by the present day positions in the sky and the redshifts plus the constraint that peculiar velocities at very early times were small compared to Hubble flow. Mass-to-light is assumed constant for all objects within a given run and runs are made for a wide range of mass-to-light ratios and ages of the universe, $t_0$. Contour maps of $\chi^2$ are generated from the mean square differences in model and observed distance moduli for a subset of 300 galaxies with Tully-Fisher measurements of distance. We report tight constraints for $t_o$, $\Omega_0$, the average mass-to-light ratio, and $H_0$.
Thursday program listing


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GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Police believe a recent spate of violence downtown is more of a coincidence, not a sign of ongoing problems.
"You'll see that consistently it is safe and that there are aberrations where you'll have incidents like these," Grand Rapids Police Capt. Curt Vanderkooi said.
Police plan to have more of a presence downtown this weekend, particularly after two teens were shot on Ionia Avenue near Fulton Street just after midnight Wednesday, June 18.
A 16-year-old male was in critical condition and a 17-year-old had less serious injuries after both were shot in the back.
The injuries happened just days after shots were fired early Sunday, June 15 in front of McFaddens, just a short distance away. No one was injured.
Police also responded multiple times to trouble at Rosa Parks Circle earlier Tuesday evening. Officers ended up arresting one person for disorderly conduct involving a fight and at least two others for hindering and opposing.
"We were very busy last night," Vanderkooi said.
Police said six to eight officers were assigned to the area around Van Andel Arena for the Bruno Mars concert.
Later, when trouble erupted at Rosa Parks, they shifted to that area.
Police say they don't believe attendance at the concert had anything to do with the midnight shooting.
Vanderkooi said it's unclear whether the fight at Rosa Parks Circle is related to the shooting.
Police would not indicate the exact number of officers they expect to assign to downtown this weekend.
"We have to be fluid with assignments. We don't have a crystal ball to predict where the next problem is going to be," he said.
E-mail John Tunison: email@example.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/johntunison


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"Flat" is defined as "smooth with little or no depression or elevation," or "without sparkle or taste." Or so says Webster's Dictionary.
But today's concrete industry has redefined traditional flatwork, elevating the lowly gray concrete slab into tasteful, even dazzling compliments to residential and commercial architecture.
"It's a growing segment of home improvement, and it's a big thing for higher-end new construction," said Jon Glassner, a Montague contractor and owner of Stampcrete of Western Michigan. "It's nothing like pouring regular concrete."
Durability, comparative cost effectiveness and the wide variety of styles and finishes have made stamped and stained concrete increasingly popular, Glassner said.
Prospective customers are amazed by the variety of stamped designs from which to chose, he said. Tile, cobble, slate, brick and stone in regimented or seemingly random patterns are among options available. Coupled with a vast selection of base pigments and patina stains, the number of possible combinations is staggering. Even the release agent, a powder scattered on the surface to help spring the stamp from the grip of the concrete, is another opportunity to add a layer of color and depth.
"This process is for people who want to be unique," Glassner said. "There are no two pads that are going to be the same. People can have anything they want."
"Every year, we do more and more of it," said Rick Klomp, who with his brother Glen, operates Montague's Klomp Brothers Masonry.
Klomp currently is working on a driveway project as part of an addition to an existing North Muskegon lakefront home. The driveway, which will be finished with a stamped Pennsylvania cobble field pattern, will require more than 100 yards of poured concrete.
"Options. That's what people want," Klomp said. "They want their driveway to match the house."
While much of the stamped work is done on new cement, Glassner said the process works well when creating a faux brick or stone border alongside existing cement work. Sod is removed, sprinkler heads are moved, and the border is framed for new cement. Next, horizontal holes are drilled into the existing concrete driveway, and steel rebar is installed, connecting the old cement with the new pour.
"It keeps the concrete from separating or settling out," Glassner said.
While the process has long been used on the West Coast, in the New York area, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada, its popularity has spread inland in recent years, he said. The stamped designs are beginning to edge out exposed aggregate concrete, a finish that was popular a decade ago, Glassner said.
"That was big for years, but it was rough on the feet if you walked on it barefoot," he said.
Klomp, who built his own home three years ago, said he installed a stamped concrete walkway at the front of the house and used an unusual version of exposed aggregate for a rear patio.
The process calls for tinted concrete mixed with limestone or multicolored pea gravel. The rough, exposed aggregate is then ground down with a sander fitted with a diamond disk. The result is an attractive surface that is "smooth, easy to sweep off and not slippery," Klomp said.
At $6 a square foot -- double the cost of a standard concrete pour -- Klomp said he's "had a hard time selling" the look.
While most of the decorative work is completed on new concrete, Glassner and Klomp said the same look can be achieved with an overlay process over existing concrete. Utilizing a special concrete mix, installers float a three-eighths-inch-thick skim coat over old surfaces before beginning the stamping and staining process. The overlay coat also can be left smooth. Whatever finish is chosen, the key to success is the integrity of the existing concrete, they said.
"We can do a nice overlay if the (existing) cement's not in too bad shape," Klomp said. "If it's 30 years old and chipped and cracked, you can't hide those cracks."
"It works especially well with porches," Klomp said. "We can make them look like brand new."
Another option for existing concrete is a staining. Here, the surface is cleaned, stained and sealed. Again, the color options are many, and the application allows for the creation of an interesting surface with the appearance of depth and texture.
After the color is applied, the surface is sealed with an oil-based product -- a process the homeowner must repeat every two to three years to maintain the finish and color.
"If you don't seal it, the sun's ultraviolet rays will break (the applied finish) down," Glassner said. "The sealer gives it a sheen and brings the true colors out."
Stamping concrete is not a do-it-yourself project, Glassner said, and hiring a professional is "not cheap." But homeowners going after a certain look should find prices comparable to installed brick or cobblestone and less than natural flagstone, with the stamped designs holding up better over time, he said.
Klomp said that decorative concrete work ranges from $8 to $18 a square foot, with traditional flatwork approximately $3 a square foot.
"People are interested in it, but it's expensive," Klomp said. "But it's cheaper than brick or flagstone."


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NEGAUNEE - Applause broke out after the Negaunee school board unanimously approved its one motion during its budget work session Monday night, and while the audience was pleased with the board's decision to make limited cuts, the district could be facing the same issues next year.
The board voted unanimously to make $137,700 in cuts, using the district's fund balance to fill the remainder of the projected $1,057,000 deficit for next year.
"I'm not surprised," said Superintendent Jim Derocher. "It just puts us in a very precarious situation for next year."
Article Video
The motion to make fewer cuts and use the fund balance was made by board Treasurer Martin Saari, supported by Secretary Fae Collins and unanimously approved by the board.
"It seems like the last six years, it's been doom and gloom when it comes to the budget. It doesn't give any of us great pride to be sitting up here when we get no help from the state and no help from the federal government," Saari said. "We're hearing that this year is bad, next year could be worse. We can cut through and have a patch quilt kind of deal here, impact a lot of people's lives.
"My feeling is if we have 200K in the fund balance or $490 (thousand) in the fund balance and we're looking at a million-plus deficit next year, who really cares?"
Article Photos
The board voted to cut the district's special education coordinator under a third-party contract ($45,563), cut a transfer to the athletic fund ($30,000), close the high school pool ($27,000 for chemicals and a part-time custodial position), cut the SHINE volunteer coordination program ($12,000) and eliminate a $23,137 transfer to the food service budget.
The pool closure takes effect July 1, after which no swim classes and no community activities will take place. The plans for the cooperative high school swim team - which incudes Negaunee, Ishpeming, Gwinn and Republic-Michigamme - will need to be worked out.
Although the board voted to only make those cuts, additional measures could have included the cutting of four teaching positions, closing of the district's media centers, eliminating kindergarten classroom aides, privatization of custodial services and eliminating the district's nurse position.
Supporters of the district's music department were the majority of those who attended the meeting, fearing that the cutting of one of the department's four teachers would lead to a reorganization of the department, putting the remaining teachers at the head of classes they don't specialize in. Other concerns included the cutting of the jazz band program.
A group of current music students and recent graduates attended the meeting, marching up the hill to the high school to the beat of a drum and carrying signs reading "You can't stop the beat" and other musical slogans.
The district is anticipating $11,186,636 in revenues for next year, along with $11,816,594 in expenditures. Added to that is an increase of $237,288 in health insurance costs and $190,100 in retirement increases, leading to a deficit of $1,057,346.
The district will also be attempting to fulfill four of the five items identified as best practices by the governor, which would lead to an additional $143,740 in revenues for the district.
Negaunee Education Association President Rae Ann Loy said the teachers union, which has been working under an old contract since September 2010, will be meeting with the district throughout the summer for negotiations.
Johanna Boyle can be reached at 906-486-4401.


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The unnamed donor created the foundation's Fund 2012 at the end of 2009. The $4 million gift is the largest ever received by the foundation. The fund, which received its first donation in 1971, had grown to $112 million at the end of last year.
The donor established Fund 2012 after lengthy research and investigation, according to foundation President Chris McGuigan. The strategy is to make a significant impact by spending the funds by 2012, with a majority of the grants expected to be focused on Muskegon.
The Community Foundation for Muskegon County
Note: The foundation statistics includes affiliate foundations in Oceana, Mason and Manistee counties.
"In this case, the donor is an example of someone successful in life, and that has been recognized," said Bob Chapla, vice president of development for the foundation. "This is not about him but the support of the community. He wants the focus on the community, and we are flattered that he is putting the focus on us."
The community foundation was selected because it provided the donor with the most flexibility for the gift by putting it in the hands of a professional organization to manage the funds geared toward environmental restoration on Muskegon Lake, McGuigan said.
Interest in water quality
"The presence of Grand Valley State University's Annis Water Resources Institute and its director, Al Steinman, got our foundation noticed," McGuigan said. "In Muskegon, we have the water and people like Al. The donor was very impressed, and he said with these kinds of partners, we can make an impact on water quality."
Along with Steinman, Kathy Evans began discussing Muskegon Lake's needs with the donor two years ago. She is the environmental project manager with the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission and a driving force behind the Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership.
Foundation officials say that the unnamed donor is a graduate of Muskegon Heights High School. He left the community to obtain his medical education and has lived outside of West Michigan ever since. The donor retired from an active medical practice three years ago but continues to work on medical technology through his own company.
The donor's licensing of his company's technology led to the $4 million gift to the foundation, officials said. The philanthropist has been working with the foundation since December on how to structure the fund, McGuigan said.
"He is a busy guy," said Bob Chapla, vice president of development for the foundation concerning the announcement of the gift this week. "He has been working on how it should be spent. We have followed his lead and timetable."
Evans said the donor's ties to Muskegon were renewed when he met a member of the Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership.
Initial conversations between the donor and the watershed group resulted in some financial contributions over the past two years, Evans said. His relationship with water quality issues in Muskegon developed as he learned of Grand Valley's water research in Muskegon and he met Steinman, she said.
Impressed with the Water Resources Institute's work in Muskegon, the donor has funded two of the three recent post-doctoral research positions in water research at GVSU, Steinman said.
Evans has been working with the donor's advisors on how best to spend his resources to make a difference on Muskegon Lake. Steinman said that he has advised that Muskegon needs to coordinate the water research and watershed advocacy already under way here.
"He is very interested in Muskegon Lake and the shoreline," Evans said, pointing to the community's $10 million National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant to restore natural areas on the south shore of Muskegon Lake.
"We need to have more done," Evans said of the community goal to "de-list" Muskegon Lake as an environmental "area of concern" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "With his help, we will be seeing light at the end of that tunnel."
Specifically, watershed officials and the donor's advisors have been investigating the purchase of ecologically sensitive sites on Muskegon Lake to put into public ownership. Evans said the idea is to preserve natural areas and not to intensely develop a site.
"He has kept a very single focus on this," Evans said. "He wants to do something good for the lake. Pure and simple, this is a good thing to do for the community."
Steinman said Muskegon Lake needs a more coordinated approach to preserve and protect the shoreline. That begins with water-based research that will become the foundation for future restorations. And finally, the public needs to be educated and encouraged to protect the lake in the future, he said.
Foundation officials said they were able to secure the gift because of a willingness to be flexible on how the funds would be invested in the short-term, allowing some of the grants to be made outside of Muskegon County and having the funds spent by 2012. Many community foundations would not allow charitable gifts outside of the community and would want to create a perpetual endowment that would limit grants in the short term, McGuigan said.
The 2012 Fund is a larger gift than the $3 million donated by Paul C. Johnson, creating a separate foundation within the community foundation. The original Thomas and Geraldine Seyferth fund was in the $2 million range, and SPX Corp. donated $1 million upon its sale of the Muskegon-based Sealed Power Corp. assets.
"This would be the largest gift we have ever received," McGuigan said. "The most exciting aspect is the projects that will get funding."
The 2012 Fund already has given scholarship money to Muskegon Heights High School graduates continuing their education at the University of Michigan.
E-mail Dave Alexander: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Do you know how to craft a story?March 4th, 2013 by Scott
Writers use a lot of different words for the process of figuring out a story.
You break a story.
You crack a story.
You wrangle a story.
Those verbs give you a pretty good idea of the fundamental challenge a writer faces when writing a story. It ain't easy. A story is a live, moving target with a will of its own, so in order to craft a story, you need to know how to break it, crack it, wrangle it.
That's why I created "Prep: From Concept to Outline," a unique six-week online Screenwriting Master Class course that provides participants an interactive approach to figuring out a story. Once you learn this approach, you can use it on all future writing projects.
The class consists of six lectures that I've written and six weekly writing exercises, creating a process that engages you with your story universe and its characters. During the six weeks, your story emerges enabling you to pull together a comprehensive outline so you can type FADE IN with confidence.
Moreover it's a workshop environment, so you get the benefit not only of my feedback, but comments and suggestions of other writers, including weekly teleconferences.
Finally it creates a structured online environment that lights a fire under your ass, so if you have problems making progress, sticking to something, or even getting started, committing to a class like this can be just the thing you need.
My next session of the Prep class starts next Monday, March 11 and there are still a couple of spots open. To my knowledge, there is nothing else like "Prep: From Concept to Outline" anywhere else, which strikes me as crazy because every Hollywood writer knows how critically important prep is to writing a successful story.
Here is your chance to work with me on your story. For more information or to enroll, go here.
UPDATE: A comment from Rob Burke:
Hope you don't mind Scott – but, as someone who has taken the class, thought I'd (unsolicited) throw out there that I HIGHLY recommend this course. Especially if you can answer "YES" to this question:
I have [fill in the blank] scripts that I've started, but have not finished.
This class has the potential to get you past what's likely getting you stuck in the proverbial writing mud. It did for me. And, while it is definitely not an automatic cure-all – you have to put in the work and be committed to it – I think if you've been searching for a better way to approach writing your script, you'd be hard pressed to find a better dogmatic approach than Scott's. (Or is it karmic . . .).
If I wasn't going to be gone for a lot of March and April – I probably would have signed up for one more go! But, as is, my writing thanks Scott and this class immensely.
Rob raises a key point: Perhaps the single biggest reason why writers start scripts, but don't finish them is because they haven't figured out the story before they type FADE IN. Anyone can write a first act. Some folks can get through the next 10-20 pages. But when they get lost midway through Act Two, that can lead to confusion, frustration and almost inevitably giving up.
The Prep workshop is designed in large part of solve that problem, steering you through and motivating you to break your story before launching into the page-writing part of the process.
Just like Rob says.


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Khadijah Rushdan knows the consequences of thundering down the lane, spinning away from trouble or leaping for a rebound.
Her knees pay the price every time.
The left one aches, the right one throbs. Piles of ice packs will never make the pain disappear.
The Rutgers red-shirt freshman may only be 20 years old, but sometimes she feels like she should be playing shuffleboard on a sunny deck of a cruise liner.
Two knee surgeries are enough to send the most fearless competitor into early retirement, but Rushdan was emboldened by the mishaps, bent on playing this season without a brace on her right knee until her doctor took the prudent path.
"He's a brace guy," Rushdan said with a laugh, resurrecting a career derailed by a second ACL injury last year that left questions about whether the 5-9 guard might ever regain the skills that catapulted her into high school stardom.
For all the hype swirling around Rutgers' heralded freshman class, Rushdan has quietly carved out a significant role this season.
"It started off a little rough ... I'm not going to lie," said Rushdan, who will make her fifth consecutive start when the Scarlet Knights (12-6) host South Florida (15-6) at the Rutgers Athletic Center Saturday. "To try to come in here and still prove that I could run the team, it was a lot to take on. In the beginning, I was worrying about my knee. Now, I'm just trying to get back and be productive."
Rushdan's early-season struggles at point guard drew the ire of coach C. Vivian Stringer, who voiced her displeasure at all the careless mistakes by the former McDonald's All-American. Rushdan, who played just eight games last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury, looked out of place running the team early on.
Rushdan committed more turnovers than assists in 10 of the first 13 games, including a forgettable eight-turnover performance against Georgia in December. Her lackluster night (zero points, zero assists, three turnovers) in Rutgers' loss to Syracuse in the Big East opener prompted Stringer to admit that when "things get anxious, (Rushdan's) going to shoot it or she's going to just turn it over. So, it teaches me to not put her in a crucial situation."
Rushdan, who bounced back from a left knee injury in eighth grade, didn't wilt in the face of the coach's criticism.
"The same thing (Stringer) says to (the media), she says to us in practice," Rushdan said. "I hear it, but I try to stay positive. I know it's only to help me. I would be worried if she wasn't on my case all the time. I just take what she says and find some way to get something out of it."
Rushdan, sputtering for the better part of two months, was reborn a few weeks ago when Stringer altered her offensive philosophy by employing elements of a guard-heavy, dribble-drive motion offense.
Playing one of the wing guard spots, Rushdan flourished in the new system, penetrating at will. She looked more comfortable, attacking the basket and drawing fouls on one end and drawing tough defensive assignments -- many times against bigger players in the post -- on the other.
Stringer's confidence in her began to swell. Rushdan's versatility seemed to be an ideal fit for this style of play.
"She's more relaxed ... and not nervous to make turnovers," said freshman Nikki Speed. "You can see it in practice. Her whole (demeanor) is different. Just how she carries herself. She's a completely different player than when we started."
Rushdan's move back to the starting point guard spot last week has paid immediate dividends thanks to 10 assists and just two turnovers in the past two games.
"Playing the point is without a doubt one of the hardest positions on the floor," Rushdan said. "I was struggling a little bit in the beginning of the season. But (Stringer) is trying to mix it up and get me to be comfortable again by putting me in (favorable) spots. And it seems to be working."
Notes: Epiphanny Prince is among 20 finalists for the John Wooden Award given to the nation's top player. The junior guard is the third leading scorer (20.6 ppg) in the Big East...
Stringer made no guarantees that struggling senior center Kia Vaughn would re-gain her starting spot for the remainder of the season. Vaughn didn't score in Rutgers' loss to DePaul last Saturday before losing her starting spot to Rashidat Junaid in Tuesday's win over No. 17 Notre Dame.
"I won't say that Kia Vaughn is going to start the next time," Stringer said. "There's a good chance that she will. Then again, you shouldn't be surprised if she doesn't."


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Neal Cheek
Philanthropy Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator
I grew up in Charlotte; my academic degrees are from Wake Forest University, University of South Carolina - Columbia, and University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
I have lived in Chapel Hill, NC since 1970 and am retired from university administration. My wife and I have two children and three granddaughters. Our son and his family reside in New Bern and our daughter is located in Chatham County. My hobbies are reading, hiking, kayaking, bird watching, and travel in North America and overseas. I have enjoyed volunteering with the Conservancy in the state chapter office and serving on the board of Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina since 1996.
Year started at TNC: I began volunteering with the NC Chapter upon my retirement in the summer of 1996. I also spent a wonderful October week volunteering on the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve in Osage County, Oklahoma, in 1997. My wife and I have been members since 1978. Through field trips with staff and other members, our appreciation for TNC's mission has continued to grow over the years.
Favorite TNC Preserve and why: My favorite is Bluff Mountain because of the unique fen at the top. A special moment was standing on Perkins Rock and looking across to Three Top Mountain. Many more of our preserves are special but too numerous to mention.
A typical good day for you at work: A good day is connecting a volunteer to satellite staff that enables her or him to have a great field workday experience. That experience can both educate the volunteer and provide much needed help in one of our conservation areas. Ultimately, I hope that the volunteer will see the good we are doing and be inspired to join TNC, if they aren't already a member, and will look forward to future volunteer, event and hiking experiences.
Place in the world you would most like to visit but have never been to: I would most like to visit TNC's Big Bend Reach preserve along the Platt River in Nebraska when the sandhill cranes and numerous other species are making the annual fall and/or spring migrations.