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Learn & Join Us
We invite you to become a member of Audi Club North America, the largest group of Audi enthusiasts in the world. Nearly 10,000 Audi members enjoy a wealth of opportunities to explore the Audi ownership experience — from technology and performance to lifestyle and community.
Our mission is to provide you, as a member, the best Audi driving experience possible. How? We focus on fellowship, driver safety training, technical information, and the ability to network with fellow enthusiasts. If you feel passionately about your Audi, this is the club for you!
We continue to add and improve our member benefits. Here are ways to turn your membership into memorable Audi experiences and thousands of dollars in savings immediately.
Enhance Your Audi Brand Experience:
quattro quarterly award winning club Magazine
Member loyalty rewards, special Audi Club member car-buying experience and pricing
Audi Club NA signature event, 2016 National Event in Georgia
Audi Club regional marquee event, such as Legends of the Autobahn
Audi premier access to special events such as American Film Institute, 24 hour Le Mans Fans Camp in France
Austria Winter Driving Experience and Ingolstadt Factory Tour exclusive programs
Audi Club social, driver education, and community involvement events from our 28 Chapters across North America
Ability to drive latest Audi cars during your European vacations
Interactive and informational website, ongoing chapter updates, event photos, Facebook, Twitter, model reviews and more
Driver Schools:
Driver Schools at famous race track venues nationwide
Autocross events
Teen Driver Education
Merchandise, Travel, and Service Discounts:
10% Audi Sportscar Experience -valid for all day event only.
Discount in renting Audi cars and / or Audi tour packages in Europe through Elite Rent-A-Car
Discount in renting Audi cars in Texas through Silvercar
14.5% Intercontinental Hotel Group
15% Audi Collection Discounts, Audi Club North America promo code must be entered at checkout. Please call office at 262-567-5476 for code
Liberty Mutual Insurance (members save $$$ on home/auto policies)
Audi Dealer and Parts discounts, sources for enhancement products
Advertiser discounts
Brooks Brothers Clothing
International Golf Rental
Free classified ads in the quattro quarterly
"It's pretty clear to me that owners who don't get involved with ACNA miss more than just learning how to drive their cars a little better; they miss some of life's great experiences."
-Bill Bremer, Cape Elizabeth, ME
"One of the best things about being a member was finding an ad in the magazine right after I joined that put me in touch with a shop that had a way to boost my 1986 Turbo quattro's performance beyond belief. That alone was worth it. Thanks for the recognition!"
- Ralph Rydholm, Chicago, IL
"The Quattro Club has always had a special meaning to me. Even in the first days of the club when I lived in Anchorage Alaska. It was nice to know there were people who felt like me and took a chance on this new technology, QUATTRO. It was mind bending having the control of the vehicle as I did. My brother was an Alaska State Trooper and recognized the benefit of the quattro system."
-Al Swackhammer, Edmonds, WA
"I drove the Coupe at two driver's schools—Road America and Brainerd. There was nothing better than going through the Carousel at RA with all four wheels sliding"
-Robert Swain, Appleton, WI
"I don't know of any car club that gives you money ($500) when you purchase a new or pre-certified Audi. This shows a great club benefit program, a great manufacturer supporting the club, and a great group of members. "
-Ron Palmer DDS, Colorado Springs, CO
"The hard work and dedication of so many people comes to mind as do the names and faces of so many terrific people I've had the pleasure of spending time with at our events. From students, to participants, to my fellow instructors and volunteers, there are hundreds of people who have contributed to this club and my enjoyment over the years. And through these times our little Quattro Club grew up. I'm very proud to have been a part of Audi Club North America for more than 20 years and look forward to many more years of fun."
-Mitch Epstein, Califon, NJ
"Of all my memories from those years, the Historic Race weekend at Laguna Seca in 1998, where Auto Union was the featured marque, is the standout. It was an Audi enthusiast's dream. To hear, see and smell a V16 & V12 grand prix Auto Union, a 200 Trans Am, a 90 IMSA 20v turbo, the Pikes Peak record car, an A2 group B rally car, and so on was almost too much to take in."
-George Baxter, Yardley, PA
"In my sunset years and still driving Audis
I guess with age, I did not realize that my membership in the ACNA had lasted this long. Well, I can do something about one of those items but will not, just try to pry my Audi and ACNA membership from these warm hands. "
-Walter Sheldon, Ft. Myers Beach, FL
"Teaching students at the track
Some of my most memorable recollections are the many Driving Schools I attended over the years…"
-Jim Fisher, Muncie, IN


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We'll be doing an interview with Erik "The Red" Rydbom this Saturday at 10am. We'll be answering questions about how we met, the new album, future tours and shows, and everyother question Erik can come up with. It'll also be streaming on KGRG's website.
After on year of trials, tribulations, anger, laughter, hirings, firings, love, hate, pain, rock, and road we've finally finished the 1st Album "Walk Up Thru". We will be releasing it at Poppa's Pub in Kent, WA at 510 Washington Ave 98032. Starts at 8pm and there is no cover charge, that's how we usually like to work our shows for our if we can. We have The Black Sails and Big Wheel Stunt show coming to share the evenin Shark Skin Tattoo's of Kent, WA will be sponsoring it doing Tattoo's and Henna all night, as well as a raffle for a coupon towards a tatt. Poppa's will be doing drink specials and The whole night will be covered by The Kent Reporter. After everything we've been through as a band and individually this year, we decided to pull out all the stops for this show. In April of 2011 we will be kicking off "The Drive Thru" tour of 7 states in 60 days. Stay posted. Later, Jobe Himself

subset: commoncrawl


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Old school horror monsters are making a much welcomed comeback in Hollywood and Sony looks to be joining the monster mash with a new film based on the Dracula mythology.
Sony acquired the pitch from writer Jason Keller about the origins of the world's most famous vampire. Keller also wrote the Stallone/Schwarzenegger film "The Tomb" and last year's "Machine Gun Preacher."
Source: Deadline
Want to see a movie tonight? Get your tickets as well as theatre and show time information here!


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Cheap Auto Insurance!
Do You Really Want the Cheapest Insurance? Low-cost auto insurance quotes capture your attention, we see it everyday in the media. However I must ask….. will the online, cut-rate insurance company be there for you when your car meets a tree late at night? To get the lowest rate, you may have just the minimum level of liability … More


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Latest batch. In a bit of a rut. Going to Detroit for fun, shooting, a wedding, and friendship for a few days (driving this time) should help shake out the cobwebs a bit and give me some more fun self-portraits to show you when I return.
Day 190: No Lies, Just Love
Day 191: Daydreamer
Day 192: Be Prepared
Day 193: Silent Scream
Day 194: Honestly


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WNBA Playoff Action: Los Angeles Sparks vs. Seattle Storm
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The Seattle Storm faces off against the Los Angeles Sparks in the first game of the WNBA's Western Conference Semi-Finals at KeyArena. Tina Thompson, DeLisha Milton-Jones and the Sparks fought hard to make the postseason, but they face a tough test in Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird and the Storm, who posted the league's top regular-season record.
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The weather was cool and cloudy. I wore sporty.star this tip starred
Food and beverages are available at the Jams, or you can wander 1st Ave. for some great restaurants.star this tip starred
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WNBA Playoffs: Los Angeles Sparks vs. Seattle Storm
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Very fun. Nice venue and the Storm are a great team. Very loud though...bring earplugs!
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Don't miss Game 1 of the WNBA Playoffs – the Western Conference Semi-Finals, as the Seattle Storm take on the Los Angeles Sparks at KeyArena! Watch history being made, and join the Storm of the century!


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Glenna Latimer papers, 1887-1956
Latimer, Glenna M. (Montague), b. 1898 d. 1980
Painter, Arts administrator
Active in Norfolk, Va.
Collection size: 25 items (on partial microfilm reel).
Collection Summary: Scrapbook containing: clippings, letters from Varina Jefferson Davis, Daniel Garber, and others; photographs of Latimer, her family, and her works; and source material for her paintings. Also, included are records of the Norfolk Art Corner and Tidewater Artists, with letters to Tidewater Artists president, Bertha Fanning Taylor, and a scrapbook kept by Taylor on "Art Week."
Biographical/Historical Note: Glenna Latimer (1898-1980) was a painter in Norfolk, Va. Latimer was best known for her definitive portraits, but worked in landscapes and mural painting as well. A scholarship for her work enabled her to attend the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia for four years. She was the first president of the Norfolk Art Corner.
The lender, Davies, is Latimer's husband.
How to Use this Collection
- Microfilm roll 2435 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
- The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
- For more information on using the Archives' resources, see the FAQ or Ask Us.


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Pchelomatka.ru Web Analysis
Our web analysis service harvested the source of this domain . Web server is found to be in Russian Federation. Latitudes and Longitudes are 60 and 100. This report is generated on 2013-12-08 08:51:42.
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Some parents leave their children precious photos, scrapbooks or even personal journals to pass down to future generations.
Natalie Merchant is leaving a little labor of love called "Leave Your Sleep," a double-CD set which took six years, 130 musicians and a whole lot of research to produce 26 wildly diverse songs adapted from poems. She has described the exhaustive project as "Parts of a long conversation I've had with my daughter during the first six years of her life."
While preparing for a tour that will bring her to the Calvin Theatre in Northampton on Tuesday, July 13, the former 10,000 Maniacs' singer talked at length about this album – her first new studio set in seven years – its origins, her research, her views on parenting and her reflections on the stardom she achieved with her own band and as a solo artist.
And how did her daughter enjoy the project?
"She loved it," the soft-spoken songstress said. "She got a great education, she got exposed to a lot of different people and she had great fun. She feels part of it. And someday she'll have her kids and they'll have memories of listening to this, and their mother will have memories of the making of this record and that's nice."
The album features the writings of contemporary writers and well as British Victorians, mid-20th Century American writers and more, including anonymous nursery rhymes and lullabies.
For the elaborate deluxe edition, Merchant wrote detailed essays about the writers, and she occasionally came up with some real surprises, such as the sordid information she gathered about the man known as the "Laureate of the Nursery" in Victorian England.
"William Brightly Rands happened to be a bigamist and a preacher and an author of moral essays for children," Merchant said with a chuckle. "He pulled it off too. I've had my head just above the water with one child. At one point he had seven children with two different women living in different parts of London…And the poem I chose of his was 'Topsyturvey-World.' I just had fun with those revelations."
Merchant matched the music perfectly on that one and others, utilizing Jamaican stylings for "Topsyturvey-World," and for example, New Orleans' flavors' for the tasty jazz of "Bleezer's Ice Cream." But working with so many musicians did have its challenges.
"It did get unruly working with so many," the singer said with a laugh. "Accommodating them, paying them, feeding them…"
But she credited the people she worked with on the project for making those aspects "pretty effortless."
"There was also a huge amount of work in the legal aspects of the project, getting clearance for songs, making sure we had copyright assignments properly researched, because legally it's a landmine. Figuring out publishers, payment schemes, I will never do it again.(laughs)"
Still, the end result is a remarkably cohesive work that she can take justifiable pride in completing.
"There were a few times where I wondered whether I was sane, but I knew I would finish it. It was just a question of when and how much it would cost."
Not surprisingly, Merchant is doing her best to shield her daughter from certain aspects of the mass media in a world overflowing with outside distractions designed to lure children in particular.
"The easiest solution is to not have a television," Merchant said. "People say 'I can't control it.' Well then don't let them see it…we don't go to big box stores so that eliminates a lot of exposure to advertising which I think is just as damaging as the violence and commercialism (of T.V.). The biggest thing I've had to contend with lately is 'Silly Bandz" and that's alright 'cause it's a social thing, but it's amazing how these fads can take over…I'd say the most violent media is the news and finding age appropriate exposure to current events is really challenging. But like I said, if I'm reading it in the newspaper or listening to it on NPR (National Public Radio) when she's not in the room, I'm able to be informed. But she doesn't have to be overwhelmed by the harsh realities of the world until it's the right time. I pretty severely limit her exposure to mass media. I'll do it as long as I can. At some point I won't have this control anymore."
Was Merchant shielded from TV as a youngster?
"My mother removed the television from my house when I was 7," she said. "The first step was to put the television in the closet and it would come out occasionally but by the time I was 9 it was gone. My mother was pretty conventional; it wasn't like she was this radical hippie or anything. She came home one night and we were watching this film about Lenny Bruce, with Dustin Hoffman, who was naked and had overdosed on the floor of a public bathroom…there was all her kids gathered around the television watching this. I remember she ripped the cable, I remember she pulled it so hard the plaster was flying (laughs). She was a single mom and I think she realized she was using the television as a babysitter – 'They're safe and they're home now they're watching TV'….I also remember seeing 'Rosemary's Baby' at an age when I really had no context or understanding and I really wish I hadn't seen that, especially 'Rosemary's Baby.' I was horrified."
Merchant was still a teenager when she joined 10,000 Maniacs and was by far the youngest member of the band. Her whirling, swirling stage movements, distinctive vocal phrasing and enunciation, and some powerful material helped the band burst out of Jamestown, N.Y. to sell millions of albums and play to massive crowds. In 1993, she left the band for what's turned out to be a very successful solo career.
Did she ever have any regrets about the decision?
"No, it was a great education a wonderful experience, but when I left I was so ready to leave, it was long overdue actually," Merchant said.
"The best part (about the band) was feeling recognized for what we were doing. That was exciting, feeling the satisfaction that I wanted to be an artist. There aren't many people who encourage that career choice, certainly when you come from a working class background. We all shared that in the band, we came from a small obscure town, and the place was really hurting. It's not unique in the things that happened to it, you can probably find 20 cities in every state of the union just like it with the new recession. But we suffered the recession in the 1970s and we never recovered. We're talking 40 years of economic decline and what that does, that's two generations. And with the teenage pregnancy rate we're talking three generations."
She said the current tour is going to be "wonderful," thanks to an eight-piece band, filled with intriguing instrumentation (including a string section) and that the shows will feature songs from the new album as well as music from her past catalog.
Merchant has played with a full orchestra in the past and plans to again the fall.
"I have a full repertoire now of 20 songs (for a full orchestra)," she said. "It's amazing. When I did the show with the Boston Pops, it was like waves of music coming over me, it's hard to describe what that feels like."
As for the future, she said any potential project is less intimidating after "Leave Your Sleep."
"I just want to continue to grow and evolve and challenge myself," she said.
If You Go:
Event: Natalie Merchant in Concert
When: Tues., July 13, 8 p.m.
Where: Calvin Theatre, Northampton
Ticket Prices: $55, $45
(For Tickets call: The Northampton Box Office at (413) 586-8686 or online at www.nbotickets.com.
Check out a recent PBS segment on Merchant's new album:
Upcoming Natalie Merchant Performances:
Jul 07/12/10 Montclair, NJ The Wellmont Theatre
Jul 07/13/10 Northampton, MA The Calvin Theatre
Jul 07/15/10 New York, NY The Town Hall
Jul 07/16/10 New York, NY The Town Hall
Jul 07/18/10 Bethesda, MD Music Center at Strathmore
Jul 07/19/10 Boston, MA Wang Center
Jul 07/20/10 Philadelphia, PA Merriam Theater
Jul 07/22/10 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
Jul 07/23/10 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theater
Jul 07/24/10 St. Paul, MN O'Shaughnessy Auditorium
Jul 07/26/10 Grand Rapids, MI Meijer Gardens
Jul 07/27/10 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater
Jul 07/31/10 Cambridge, UK Cambridge Folk Festival
Aug 08/03/10 Denver, CO Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Aug 08/04/10 Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Garden
Aug 08/06/10 Woodinville Chateau Ste. Michelle
Aug 08/07/10 Goldendale, WA Maryhill Winery
Aug 08/09/10 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
Aug 08/10/10 Santa Rosa, CA Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
Aug 08/11/10 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
Aug 08/13/10 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
Aug 08/14/10 San Diego, CA The Spreckels Theatre
Aug 08/17/10 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
Aug 08/19/10 Dallas, TX AT&T Performing Arts Center
Aug 08/20/10 Austin, TX Paramount Theatre
Aug 08/21/10 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theatre
Aug 08/24/10 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
Aug 08/25/10 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Aug 08/27/10 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
Aug 08/28/10 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
Aug 08/30/10 Durham, NC Durham PAC
Aug 08/31/10 Knoxville, TN, NC Tennessee Theatre
Sep 09/01/10 Greenville, SC Peace Center


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SALEM — A strong line of showers and thunderstorms swept through Salem County on Friday, dumping more than 21⁄2 inches of rain.
A flash flood watch issued for Salem County by the National Weather Service was later upgraded to a flash flood warning as the rains came. The warnings were to remain in effect through the night.
A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect for the area most of the afternoon and into the evening.
As of 8 p.m. Friday, the storms had dropped 2.67 inches of rain in the county, according to official readings from the National Weather Service as recorded at the New Castle, Del., Airport, the closest NWS recording station to Salem.
A mid afternoon storm that brought heavy rain was followed later by another line that brought more rain that fell in torrents at times and thunder and lightning.
For a period the weather caused the speed limit on the New Jersey Turnpike to be lowered to 45 mph.
As the rain fell, it quickly ponded in streets and low-lying yards.
Salem County had been in need of rain. While some areas were hit by strong storms recently and accompanying rainfall, other areas were left dry. Many farmers were irrigating crops and lawns were left parched.
There were several reports of downed wires and also fire company calls for dewatering assignments, likely prompted by the storms.
Today's forecast calls for clearing skies and highs in the upper 80s with a north wind.
On Sunday it will become more humid with sunny skies and highs around 90s with a northeast wind becoming south by afternoon, according to the Weather Service.


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U.S. ONLY, EXCLUDING AK/HI. Store pickup is always free.
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Head to the skate park in the boys Bear Star black crew neck t-shirt from DC.
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DETROIT, MI -- For the second time since April, Mayor Dave Bing on Tuesday fired back at the mayor of another large U.S. city who took aim at Detroit.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino in a New York Times article published last week said Detroit suffers from a lack of leadership.
He said he'd like to come to Detroit if he had to live somewhere other than Boston, but when asked what he would do here, Menino said:
"I'd blow up the place and start all over. No, seriously, when it takes a police officer 90 minutes to answer a call, there's something wrong with the system. Forty percent of the streetlights are out, most of the buildings are boarded up. Why? Inaction, that's the problem — leadership."
Bing didn't take kindly to the comments and issued a response Tuesday afternoon:
"It is extremely regrettable that Boston Mayor Thomas Menino used such an unfortunate choice of words to describe what he would do if he came to Detroit," Bing said. "I would think the mayor of a city that recently experienced a deadly bombing attack would be more sensitive and not use the phrase 'blow up.'
"I am also dismayed that Mayor Menino did not get his facts right before making his remarks to the widely-read New York Times. The Detroit Police Department's response time is not – and has never been — 90 minutes. And, most of our city's buildings are not boarded up. Since taking office more than four years ago, there has been tireless action on the part of my administration to improve the quality of life for our citizens. In fact, I invite Mayor Menino to visit Detroit to see our city for himself."
City officials have placed Detroit's average police response time at 58 minutes. Police Chief James Craig has said that for a subset of 911 calls involving true emergencies, average response time last year was 15 minutes.
Tuesday's response from Bing wasn't the first time he's fired back at another mayor for speaking ill of Detroit.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in April used Detroit's struggle with violence to illustrate how well his city is doing.
"Last year, we had a record low 419 murders," Bloomberg said. "… If we had had Detroit's murder rate, more than 4,500 New Yorkers would have been murdered last year instead of 419. That's a factor of ten."
Bing didn't like it and shot back a response criticizing Bloomberg for touting his crime fighting efforts at Detroit's expense.
"There are dramatic differences between New York and Detroit," Bing said at the time. "First, the city of New York has nearly 40,000 law enforcement officers, compared to less than 3,000 here in the city of Detroit.
"Secondly, New York has crime fighting techniques and resources such as 'stop and frisk at will' and a sophisticated surveillance system that we do not currently have in our crime fighting arsenal, in part due to the fact we are under a federal consent decree."
A federal judge last month blasted New York's stop-and-frisk policy, saying police were violating Constitutional rights by making hundreds of thousands of stops without reason.
Detroit has a stop-and-frisk policy based on reasonable suspicion.
Follow MLive Detroit reporter Khalil AlHajal on Twitter @DetroitKhalil or on Facebook at Detroit Khalil. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 313-643-0527.


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Stillman (5-4, 2-3 SIAC) hosts
College of Faith (0-8), 5 p.m., Stillman Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Stillman has a chance to win its final home game of the year Saturday as they take on winless College of Faith, an independent institution within the American Small College Athletic Association (ASCAA). Stillman, now 5-3, dropped a 31-30 heartbreaker to Miles College last week. The Tigers had control most of the game, leading 30-10, but the team fell in the end. Quarterback Torrance Moise connected on 17-of-28 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 103 yards on 22 carries. Wide receiver Raymond Coats hauled in five passes for 29 yards in the loss. Stillman was coming off a 35-33 triumph over Central State. Stillman takes on Alabama State on November 28 at New ASU Stadium.


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May 2012
featured articles
Methyl maintenance
A structure of a DNA methyltransferase complex highlights how autoinhibitory and active mechanisms ensure substrate selectivity.
A Pseudomonas L-serine dehydrogenase
Structural studies of an uncharacterized Pseudomonas aeruginosa enzyme reveal a dehydrogenase with a substrate preference for L-serine.
research highlights
A glimpse at toxicity
A crystallographic study provides a structural model for toxic amyloid oligomers.
Bacterial secretion: Highly sprung secretion
Cryo-electron tomography reveals the contractile sheath structure of a T6SS.
technical highlights
EM for the (small) masses
A new strategy using Fabs allows visualization of small protein molecules by cryoEM.
EM-proving protein structures
A new version of EM-Fold combines medium-resolution data with computational techniques to achieve atomic resolution structures.


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The new leader of Lehigh County says economic recovery efforts are on track and moving well.
County Executive Tom Muller delivered his first state of the county address Thursday morning at Coca Cola Park in Allentown.
Muller said things are going well in the county and he will use feedback from residents to determine the way forward.
He said the biggest challenge is determining how to keep taxes as low as possible without sacrificing vital services.
"Our county is financially sound, recovering steadily from the recession. Your county government is financially very sound. And all we need to do is come to grips collectively to determine the balance again of what the citizens want between our taxes and our services,"Muller said.
He said the unusually large amount of snow this winter has provided some extra financial challenges for local municipalities.
But he said he is confident they can ride out the storm.


text:
International Edition
October, 27, 2016
About Us
Contact Us
Rwanda's methane lake becomes source of future power
By Stephanie Aglietti , AFP
May 26, 2014, 12:07 am TWN
KARONGI, Rwanda--Beneath the calm waters of Lake Kivu lie vast but deadly reserves of methane and carbon dioxide, which Rwanda is tapping both to save lives and provide a lucrative power source.
Plans are in place to pump out enough gas for power that would nearly double Rwanda's current electricity capacity, as well as reducing the chance of what experts warn could be a potentially "catastrophic" natural disaster.
The glittering waters of the inland sea, which straddles the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, contain a dangerous and potent mix of the dissolved gases that if disturbed would create a rare "limnic eruption" or "lake overturn," expert Matthew Yalire said.
Levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane are large and dangerous enough to risk a sudden release that could cause a disastrous explosion, after which waves of CO2 would suffocate people and livestock around, explained Yalire, a researcher at the Goma Volcano Observatory, on the lake's DR Congo shore.
"Right now the lake is stable, but for how long?" asked Yalire, who believes that extracting potentially explosive methane is one way to help "stabilize" the lake.
Near the town of Rubavu, a pilot project of the Rwandan government is already producing about two megawatts of electricity from the methane in the lake.


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Who: Chicago (9-6) vs. Detroit Lions (4-11)
Kickoff: 1:00 PM ET at Ford Field
Live Blog: Join the MLive conversation one hour before kickoff.
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Latest spread: The Lions are a 3-point underdog
-- Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham believes Ndamukong Suh should have been selected to this year's NFL Pro Bowl.
-- The Bears lead the NFL in takeaways and are second in turnover differential. They had three red-zone takeaways in their first game against Detroit. Ball security will be vital.
-- The Lions started to bulk up the secondary in the 2012 draft, selecting Jonte Green and Chris Greenwood, but Cunningham would like to add even more size and strength to the back end of the defense.
-- Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz denied allegations about tension between him and general manager Martin Mayhew.
-- Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, but would love to re-sign with his team.
-- Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz gave offensive coordinator Scott Linehan a glowing endorsement for his performance this season.
-- Hanson said no one in the locker room is thinking about things like draft order, they're focusing on proving they deserve jobs next season.
When Detroit Lion Stefan Logan took a knee on the 4-yard line late in the fourth quarter against the Falcons last week, he may have sealed his fate. Logan told reporters on Thursday he will not be back on returns for this Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears.
It wasn't the only error he made that day (or this season). Logan also accidentally signaled fair catch on an earlier punt at a point when entering Falcons territory would have at least helped.
The move seems to be welcomed but late for Lions fans. And Logan certainly didn't win back their hearts when he responded by saying: "The game was already over. It's not like I cost the game for us. You can look at it however you want to look at it."
-- "All joking aside ... this has to be the absolute worst the Detroit special teams have played in the last 30 years.
"From the back to back 2 TD return games, to the unreal Logan fiasco last week (not to mention 6 fumbles this year) to Harris muffing punts whenever we need a defensive stop to even Hanson missing that 47 yarder against Houston.
"How'd Danny Crossman keep his job belongs up there with the great mysteries of the world such as who built the pyramids and do flying saucers really exist." -- RW19
-- "Wow ... whats the point now with 1 game remaining on the schedule? I'm not an expert by any means, but to me its just backs up the idea that this coaching staff is (clueless)." -- jaytheshocker
-- "15 games and 11 losses too late for this action! Thanks for this minor post Christmas gift Jim. Most fans would agree that you need to let this guy and your ST coach go after this year. You can't help but improve with any replacements!" -- Lifelonglionsfan58
So the changes at kick and punt returner may be a day late and a dollar short, but between the Cliff Avril contract discussions and the Mayhew/Schwartz rumors, there are a lot of changes Lions fans would welcome.
-- "Much as most of us would like to see coaching changes, I doubt if it happens. Assuming that is the case, this coaching staff needs to do some major soul searching over the off-season. Defensively, is Gunther doing enough schematically to confuse the opponent?
"Players have to execute (i.e. Stafford must have at minimum 2 to 1 ratio TDs to INTs), but the bottom line is this team performed very poorly in crunch time situations that cost them several games that could have been won (TN, GB at home, Texans, Colts). Coaches have to take some of the responsibility for that.
"Defensively, sacks were down a lot which may in part be due to very poor coverage by the secondary/LBs. Lions have holes in a lot of places, but I would focus on O-Line and back 7." -- swpiston
-- "We have had secondary problems on this team forever. I would focus the first three rounds on that.2 CB and a S in the first 3 rounds.I know we drafted 3 CB in last years draft but 2 of them were late round picks with late round talent." -- ConchRepublican
-- "I understand the initial philosophy in drafting d-line was to get pressure up the middle before pass plays could develop - thus compensating for a perceived weakness in the defensive backfield. This thinking justified (in their heads) a luke-warm attitude toward the need for talent in the secondary. We all know that much of the pressure they got two years ago has been analized and negated by quick routes and running traps. That offensive approach has also been successful due to the corners playing so far back off the line of scrimmage (again, to compensate for the lack of talent). This is why I would argue that they need to find cornerbacks capable of playing tight at the line in concert with the aggressive d-line approach. Take away the quick stuff and the d-line should become as dominant as advertised." -- meekmonster
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-- Like MLive's Detroit Lions Facebook page


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September 2014
Bonus Rays prospects: Nos. 21-25
Better late than never right? The 2104 regular season is in the books and I realized I hadn't posted my final team's bonus prospects: the Tampa Rays.
Once upon a time, the Rays' farm system was the envy of every club. Picking high in the Draft helped, as did some savvy drafting later on. They also did a nice job of getting top-flight prospects in return for Major Leaguers they felt they had to trade away.
Recently, though, the system has not gotten the same kinds of reviews. Guys have graduated, drafts haven't been as successful. Whatever the reason, it's not the juggernaut it once was, with just one player in the Top 100, the recently drafted Casey Gillaspie.
21. Jeff Ames, RHP: The Rays had seven sandwich picks in the 2011 Draft and Ames was, ahem, sandwiched in the middle of them. He has the chance to be as good as any of the seven thanks to a combination of size and stuff, though he was sidenlined in 2014 by Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, an ailment that compresses nerve bundles in the upper body. Tall and lanky, Ames has an above-average fastball when healthy. He throws a slider and a changeup, both of which have the chance to be at least average offerings. He'll need to continue to refine his command once he's back on the mound.
22. Jose Mujica, RHP: Ranked No. 8 on our International Top 20 by Jesse Sanchez back in 2012, Mujica signed for $1 million as the top-ranked pitching prospect in that signing period. Developed at the Carlos Guillen academy in Venezuala, Mujica has a loose arm, with a nice delivery coming from a tall and lean frame. He throws a heavy fastball, has plenty of arm strength, with more in the tank fastball-wise. His changeup is his better secondary offering, but his curve was making progress as well. He gets points for his maturity and his leadership skills. A broken foot near the end of Extended Spring Training almost entirely wiped out his 2014 season.
23. Patrick Leonard, 1B: Wil Myers got most of the attention in terms of the offense the Rays got in the James Shields deal, but Leonard has some potential at the plate as well. Drafted as a third baseman in the fifth round of the 2011 Draft by the Royals, Leonard has since made the move across the diamond to first. Coming from St. Thomas High School in Texas (coached by Craig Biggio), Leonard is still learning to tap into his raw power. As he refines his approach, he should be able to find more pitches to drive to all fields. At the corner infield spot, the bat will have to play for him to keep advancing.
24. Oscar Hernandez, C: There seems to be little question that Hernandez has what it takes to catch at the highest level. The Venezuelan has tremendous catch-and-throw skills, having thrown out 44 percent of would-be basestealers in his brief career (41% in his full-season debut in 2014). He moves well behind the plate as well. Hernandez has shown raw power in the past, hitting 21 homers in 69 games in the Venezuelan Summer League in 2011, but it hasn't shown up as much since. His swing can get long, though he did show some improvement this past season. How much his bat develops will determine whether he's a backup or an everyday backstop in the future.
25. Jake Hager, SS: Before the Rays had seven sandwich picks in 2011, they had three true first rounders. The first two picks turned into Taylor Guerrieri and Mikie Mahtook. Hager was pick No. 3. Signing quickly, the Las Vegas prepster got a lot of playing time during his summer debut. That made the Rays confident to send the hard-working infielder to the full-season Midwest League as a teenager, where he more than held his own. He's been moving a level at a time since and performed well in Double-A, at age 21, in 2014. Hager is quick to the ball at the plate and makes consistent hard contact. He may never be a huge power guy, but there is some extra-base ability and he can turn on the right pitch for some home run pop. He's a solid runner and has the range, hands and arm to stay at shortstop for the long-term.
Bonus Mariners prospects: Nos. 21-25
The march of bonus prospects goes on. Next up: The Seattle Mariners.
As of today, the Mariners are just a game out of a Wild Card spot. While the current big league roster has certainly received a boost from big-time acquisitions like Robinson Cano, there's also been a lot of help from within. Seager, Miller, Taylor, Ackley, Zunino, Paxton… just some of the names who were drafted and developed under the watch of GM Jack Zduriencik and his staff.
There's more coming, with Taijuan Walker back and healthy, D.J. Peterson not far off… I wouldn't say it's the deepest system in the world, but they do keep churning out big leaguers. There is a bit of a dropoff at the back end of the list, but that doesn't mean the 21-25 set can't produce some talent.
21. John Hicks, C: A 2011 Draft pick out of the University of Virginia, HIcks struggled in Double-A in 2013. The good news is he went back this past year, performed well and earned a promotion to Triple-A. His best tool is his arm, throwing out a combined 38% of would-be basestealers in 2014 (He's at 47% for his career). He greatly improved other aspects of his defensive game, cutting his passed balls total from a whopping 17 in 2013 to just two this past season. He also bounced back with the bat, hitting for average albeit without much power. He appears just about ready to help out as a big league backup soon.
22. Jack Reinheimer, SS: The East Carolina product was a fifth-round pick in the 2013 Draft and had a solid first full season as a pro in 2014. Most of it was spent in the Midwest League, though he did get bumped up late to the California League. He's a solid defender who's tools play up because of his plus instincts. He saw some time at second base as well, but the Mariners like to have their middle infielders play multiple positions as they move up, if at all possible (Nick Franklin, Chris Taylor stand out as examples). Reinhemer's baserunning instincts also allow him to maximize his solid, though not plus, speed. His 39 steals in 2014 put him second in the organization. How much he'll hit will determine what kind of future he'll have.
23: Austin Cousino, OF: The Mariners like their college position players, don't they? Cousino was their third-round selection from the most recent Draft (He was ranked No. 182 on our Draft Top 200.). The University of Kentucky product debuted in the short-season Northwest League this summer, hitting .266/.341/.402 while his 23 steals (in 27 attempts) were good for fourth in the league. He runs well and plays a very good defensive center field. It's all going to be about the bat for Cousino. If he can hit for average and get on base (he's not a power guy), he has the chance to patrol center field at the highest level.
24. Stephen Landazuri, RHP: Sometimes talent can be found in the later rounds. The M's took Landazuri out of the California high school ranks in the 22nd round of the 2010 Draft and he spent the 2014 season in Double-A. He fits the mold of the "undersized right-hander," but has shown a solid three-pitch mix with his fastball that touches 93-94 mph, a curveball and a changeup. He missed nearly two months of the season with an oblique injury. He'll need to tighten up his command a bit, but could be a back end of the rotation type in the future.
25: Dylan Unsworth, RHP: It's been a slow climb for this South African right-hander, who made his United States debut at age 17 back in 2010 (He struck out 44 and walked just one in the rookie-level Arizona Legaue that summer). A member of South Africa's World Baseball Classic team, he struck out Shawn Green in a qualifier against Israel. He spent the 2014 season in High Desert, a horrific place for pitchers in the California League. He's still a command/control type, and walked just 19 — while striking out 119 — in 119 innings. He has fringy stuff across the board and was way too hittable (11.5 hits per nine innings), but it will be interesting to see if he can make adjustments once he gets away from High Desert.
Bonus Pirates prospects: Nos. 21-25
We continue our march through my teams' 21-25 prospect lists. Next up is the Pirates, a fun system to talk about, and not just because I live in Pittsburgh and get to see these guys when they make it up to the big leagues.
Last November in a Pipeline Perspectives piece, I touted the Pirates as having the best farm system in baseball. Since that time, Jameson Taillon (and Clay Holmes, for tha tmatter), needed Tommy John surgery. But the mark of a good, and deep, system, is that the loss of a top prospect to injury doesn't disproportionately impact the strength of your organization. Several years ago, a Taillon-type injury would've been huge for the Pirates. Don't get me wrong, it's not good now, but the system can take the hit and still be successful.
Much of the talent is at the lower levels, though some of the top guys reached Double-A and above this year. There was still plenty of talent to choose from for the 21-25 set:
21. Joely Rodriguez, LHP: This lefty spent time on the Top 20 earlier in the season, coming out with the re-rank and the addition of draftees over the summer. The move up to Double-A was a bit rough for him, though he did show the ability to get a ton of groundball outs, thanks to his sinking fastball. He did leave it up a bit too much, making him more hittable than he'd been the previous year. He has a breaking ball that has the chance to be average and a changeup that is above-average with sink as well. If he can get back to commanding the baseball better within the strike zone, he has the chance to be a back end of the rotation type of starter.
22. Elias Diaz, C: Sometimes it takes a Minor Leaguer a while to hit his stride. For catchers, it can take even longer given all of their responsibilities behind the plate. Diaz toiled away during his first few years in the organization as a strong-armed backstop who couldn't hit. He spent two seasons in the Class A South Atlantic League. His bat started to show signs of life in 2013 with a move up a level, hitting .279. He hit .328 this past year in Altoona, being named an Eastern League All-Star and earning a late promotion to Triple-A. There hasn't been much power to speak of, but he doesn't strike out much. And his arm gets a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale according to some. Like Rodriguez, he spent some time in the Top 20.
23. Chad Kuhl, RHP: Looking for a good under-the-radar pitcher? Kuhl's an excellent candidate, a ninth-round pick out of the University of Delaware who pitched well during his first full season of pro ball, in the Class A Advanced Florida State League. He improved as the season went on, lowering his ERA by well over a run in the second half compared to the first. He can touch 95 mph, sitting in the low 90s, with his power sinking fastball. He has a slider and changeup as well, which are inconsistent, but improving. He goes right after hitters and has solid command. If the secondary pitches continue to develop, he has the makings of a solid mid-rotation starter.
24: Erich Weiss, 2B: This University of Texas product grew up around the game, with father Gary spending parts of two sesaons in the big leagues. Weiss's best tool is his bat, with a quick stroke that can send line drives to all fields. There's room for some power to come, though it hasn't much yet. He makes the most of his average speed and is aggressive on the basepaths. The 2013 11th-round pick was a third baseman initially, but spent all of 2014 in the South Atlantic League playing second. He doesn't have a true defensive profile, leading some to believe a super-utility type role might be the best bet.
25. Gage Hinsz, RHP: The Pirates went to Montana to find Hinsz, a high school right-hander they took in the 11th round of this past Draft. The limit for picks after the 10th round is $100,000, with any overages counting against your pool for the top 10 rounds. The Pirates liked Hinsz enough to give him $580,000 to walk away from Oregon State. With no high school baseball in Montana, Hinsz played with the Canadian travel team, the Langley Blaze for a while. He has an intriguing three-pitch mix and there's confidence all will become better with coaching and experience. He made his debut, albeit a brief one, in the Gulf Coast League. He may take a while, but organizational patience could provide a huge payoff.
Phillies bonus prospects Nos. 21-25
The Phillies, as everyone knows, have a bit of an aging big league roster, with one of the highest average ages in Major League Baseball. The question, of course, is just what help is on the way. The Phillies Top 20 doesn't provide a ton of immediate future solutions, though Maikel Franco is up now. Recent first-round pick Aaron Nola should help next year. J.P. Crawford does have the makings of a star at shortstop, but you might need to wait a bit.
As for further down the list, some injuries to promising arms have hurt depth a bit, but if some can return to health, this system could get better down the road.
21. Franklyn Kilome, RHP: If you like tall, projectable right-handers, then Kilome might be the guy for you. The 19-year old made his debut in the Gulf Coast League this summer and threw very well. The 6-foot-6, 175-pound Dominican has plenty of room for growth and added strength, and already throws a fastball in the low-90s. His sinker produces groundball outs and he commands his heater well. The secondary stuff is a work in progress, though he was making strikes in setting hitters up with his fastball and developing off-speed stuff.
22. Austin Wright, LHP: An eighth-round pick in 2011 out of Mississippi, Wright began his pro career promisingly as a starter. When the 6-foot-4 lefty stalled in 2013, the Phillies moved him to the bullpen. Sometimes, that move allows a pitcher to take off; sometimes it takes a while. Wright fits into the latter category as he's struggled with his command more than anything. While he did repeat at Double-A and his numbers aren't anything to write home about, left-handed hitters did have trouble hitting him. With his fastball-breaking ball combination, if he can improve his command/control a bit, he still has the stuff to be a successful lefty reliever in the big legaues.
23: Drew Anderson, RHP: Taken out of the Reno, Nevada, high school ranks in the 21st round of the 2012 Draft, Anderson was making excellent progress, pitching well in the New York-Penn League as a teenager in 2013. This year, he battled injuries, throwing just 49 2/3 innings, but when he was healthy, he threw pretty well in his first taste of full-season ball. Anderson can touch 94 mph with his fastball, which he sinks and commands well. He throws a curve and changeup along with it. The breaking ball has the chance to be a swing-and-miss pitch and the changeup is developing. A back end starter if everything clicks.
24. Jose Pujols, OF: Pujols was ranked No. 16 on our International Top 20 list back in 2012 and the Phillies signed him for $540,000 when the signing period began in July of that year. He made his United States debut in 2013 at age 17 and showed very good raw power, and just how much he needed to learn about hitting. He went back to the GCL this year and did much of the same thing, showing some pop and struggling with plate discipline. He's still a work in progress, but the upside is that of a prototypical power-hitting right fielder.
25. Shane Watson, RHP: Watson is one of the aforementioned injured pitchers. The supplemental first-round pick in 2012 was looking like he was handling an assignment to full-season ball in 2013, but then the arm trouble started. He was shut down in early July and hasn't thrown a competitive pitch since, dealing with shoulder trouble. When healthy, he can touch the mid-90s with his fastball and has a big curve ball that's a solid second pitch. He was really learning to pitch with his changeup before the arm issues started. He has the confidence you like to see from a starting pitcher. Now it's just a question of getting back on the mound for competitive pitching.
Bonus Twins prospects: Nos. 21-25
Next up are the Minnesota Twins, one of the organizations I like writing about the most. I've long liked the way they go about their business and their system is one of the better ones in baseball. Even with injuries to the top guys, No. 1 overall prospect Byron Buxton and No. 9 Miguel Sano, the Twins have a tremendous amount of potential impact talent. Including Buxton and Sano, the Twins have six players in the top 40 on our Top 100 list, with the addition of Nick Gordon via the 2014 Draft.
No. 11 prospect Kennys Vargas just graduated off, meaning No. 21 below is now officially in the Top 20. The 21-25 list is still pretty solid, showing you just how good this system is.
21. Michael Cederoth, RHP: This San Diego State product was ranked No. 59 on our Draft Top 200 and went No. 79 overall in the third round. He doesn't lack for arm strength, with an ability to hit the upper-90s, especially in shorter stints. He performed well in such a role, serving as San Diego State's closer as a junior. He had started in the past as well, with mixed results, and the Twins sent the big right-hander out as a starting pitcher. Early returns were positive, so look for him to be in a rotation somehwere with a full-season club in 2015.
22. Jake Reed, RHP: Ranked No. 123 on the Draft Top 200, the University of Oregon right-hander went in the fifth round, No. 140 overall. Reed had been a starter for two years, but really took off when he moved into the closer role this past spring. His fastball-slider combination works really well in short relief, throwing the heater in the mid-90s with good life and a hard slurve-like slider that misses a lot of bats. He had a strong pro debut this summer and should move quickly through the Twins system.
23. Rainis Silva, C: Considered by some to be the best young backstop in the system, Silva made his United States debut in 2014, playing in the Gulf Coast League at age 18. He more than held his own, hitting .270, albeit without any power or on-base skills. He has some impressive catch and throw ability that should continue to improve. He threw out 39 percent of would-be basestealers in the GCL this summer.
24. Ryan Eades, RHP: The 2013 second-rounder out of LSU had an up-and-down first full season of pro ball. He finished with a 5.14 ERA over 133 innings, all in the Midwest League. He did finish the season well, with a 2.86 ERA in 28 1/3 August innings. When he's on, he has an intriguing three-pitch mix, with a fastball that sits in the low 90s, a curve and a changeup. He needs to continue improving his secondary stuff along with his command in order to move up the ladder.
25. Yorman Landa, RHP: Landa made the move to the bullpen in 2014, his first taste of full-season ball. He was throwing well, striking out 10.8 per nine innings over his first 25 innings pitched. But the Venezuelan right-hander landed on the disabled list in late May with a shoulder issue and didn't return. He should be back in 2015. If he's healthy and can refine his command a bit, he could be a very good power arm out of the pen.
Bonus Angels prospects: Nos. 21-25
It's time to move on to the Angels. Truth be told, Los Angeles doesn't have a particularly strong farm system, with 2014 first-round pick Sean Newcomb the only member of the Top 100. Only three in its Top 20 get an overall grade of 50 or better.
That being said, they have gotten key contributions at the big league level this season from homegrown players like Mike Trout (the obvious one), Howie Kendrick, Kole Calhoun, C.J. Cron, Kevin Jepsen, Mike Morin and Garrett Richards. And they had enough in their system to send to San Diego to get Huston Street to anchor a bullpen that's helping the Angels pull away a bit in the AL West.
Still, coming up with five more names in this system isn't as easy as it is for others. But here goes:
21. Jett Bandy, C: A big, strong catcher, Bandy has gotten raves for his work behind the plate. He' s a solid receiver who calls a good game. While he doesn't have a gun for an arm, it's a bit above-aveage and he's now thrown out 35 percent of would-be basestealers in his career (40% in 2014). He does have some power that comes more from strength than bat speed and he set a career high in home runs. He profiles as a solid backup at the big league level, one who will run into a few long balls at the plate.
22. Jake Jewell, RHP: A strong second season at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M as the team's closer had Major League clubs heading to see him throw. The Angels liked him enough to nab him in the fifth round (Taken No. 149, Jewell was ranked N0. 141 on our Draft Top 200.). Jewell can tough 97 mph with his fastball and it can have good life at times. His slider is inconsistent, but it's solid when he's executing the pitch correctly. He's shown some feel for a changeup, but if he ends up in the bullpen long-term (The Angels did send him out as a starter during his pro debut, though his innings were limited), he may not need a third pitch.
23. Harrison Cooney, RHP: The 2013 sixth-round pick out of Florida Gulf Coast University had a very solid first full season in the Midwest League, finishing third in the circuit with his 2.65 ERA. He does it with average stuff, across the board. His fastball will touch 93 mph and he combines it with a changeup and slider, both of which are fringy average. He doesn't miss a ton of bats, but does get a fair amount of ground ball outs. He has the chance to be a back of the rotation innings-eater.
24. Julio Garcia, SS: The Angels signed Garcia out of the Dominican Republic at the start of this summer's signing period (July 2), giving him $565,000 to join the organization (the highest international bonus the Angels gave this summer). The 17-year old (He turned 17 on July 31) made his first steps in his pro career, playing in the Domincan Summer League and appearing in 18 games at shortstop. He's a switch-hitter with some tools on both sides of the ball.
25. Jose Suarez, LHP: The Venezuelan lefty received $300,000 from the Angels to sign this signing period. Suarez has a good feel for pitching, showing an upper-80s fastball and a plus changeup so far. He could be a Jason Vargas type of starter in the future.


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But both forests are part of a 193-million-acre collective of 155 national forests and 20 grasslands speckling 42 states that must work out their best uses under a single overarching law passed decades ago.
And it's time to get back to the future.
The U.S. Forest Service today publishes a massive planning rule that would help individual national forests tailor their uses to the needs of the day and their specific place while conforming to the law.
While there may be quibbling ahead from some species preservation or logging interests, the proposed rule -- informed by 26,000 stakeholder comments after 40 public hearings nationally -- is an honest effort at clearing the way to manage our lands with fewer of the legal challenges that jam up their use and proper care.
Even proposals such as creating a bike park on Timberline's pumice-heavy trails during the summer months would, under the new rule, be held to a locally articulated standard showing it posed no substantial threats to Mount Hood's distinct ecologies and waterways, valuable to both wildlife and people. Put another way, such a use would have to fit into a broader but local picture -- and in greater Portland that might look different from elsewhere.
The good immediate news is that the Forest Service, suffering multiple failures in trying to adopt such a rule before, moves step-by-step and throws the widest net for public inclusion. With publication in the Federal Register today, the proposed rule enters its final lap of public comment, open through May 16, with a public forum to be held in Portland May 25.
This particular rulemaking should not be mistaken for another dizzying federal process choking on technicalities. The potential impact of it couldn't be more everyday -- on the doorstep of every person calling Oregon home and every person who thinks Oregon is special because of all its green.
The Northwest alone boasts 29 million acres of the nation's national forests -- enough land, if stitched together, to hold Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and New Jersey. Much of it is wild, tough to get to; much of it is familiar, as recreational haven. All of it, however, is part of the broader swatch of national forests that in the American West furnish 50 percent of our drinking water.
Somehow that fact is lost in the perennial heat about logging and forest floor inventories for small critters, which otherwise informs forest management debate and policy. But niche concerns cannot be the lone drivers of conversation about the appropriateness of this new rule, designed to give individual national forests the headroom they'll need to meet the law smartly.
That includes the steadfast preservation of our watersheds as well as species diversity in a time of climate shift. For in guiding forest use, national forest managers will need to show their decisions as ecologically in sync with their particular settings and as socially and economically tuned into the needs of surrounding communities.
We urge more public comment over the next 90 days. And we take the Forest Service at its word that it will further tailor its own planning rule to reflect concerns yet to be expressed from communities surrounding our cherished lands.
Only then will the rule have a real chance at flying, and as it looks now, we think it should.


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Dear Mr. Green,
I would like to start off by saying how truly sorry I am for my actions over the past two months since the start of the 2012-13 NBA Regular season. I took the time prior to the Celtics Christmas Day game against the Brooklyn Nets to watch the ESPN feature on you and your recovery from heart surgery. I must admit that for the majority of this season I have been nothing but frustrated and disappointed with your performance thus far. You have had some flashes of brilliance, to the point that I was ready to declare that you were over the hurdle, but those have been few and far between unfortunately. Your performance in the preseason and monster dunk against Utah had me hoping that we would all eventually stop hearing about Kendrick Abdul-Jabbar, but it has not come to fruition of yet.
As mentioned, I took the time to watch your special feature on ESPN, and I must say it was nothing short of moving. It is because of that feature that I decided to write this letter. All too often with Boston sports, we take our teams far more serious than we should and forget the human aspect of the game. The Boston fans and media have caused countless nervous breakdowns to occur between players and managers of the four major teams in the Boston market. We forget that these are people and expect perfection out of them at all times, regardless of circumstances. While some players may be great at handling adversity such as the flu or the death of a parent or loved ones, we often fail to consider how we would operate under similar circumstances should such a scenario be placed onto our own shoulders. And that is where you come in Mr. Green.
Yes, I knew you had heart surgery, but until I saw the scar on your chest, I don't think I ever fully understood or appreciated just how severe the situation really was. You feature made me truly understand just how dangerous a situation you were involved in and just how frustrating and painstaking the recovery truly was for you. And that is where this apology comes in. The past few months are clearly one of the aforementioned situations where we the fans somehow forgot your situation. When you struggled early on, we didn't stop to think that this was a guy who was recovering from heart surgery, we just assumed that Jeff Green circa 2011 postseason was back. When you seemed lost, slow, and out of place we didn't stop to think how we might play ourselves had we been through heart surgery just under a year ago. And for that, I apologize for the entire fanbase of the Boston Celtics.
I hope that the damning comments that have been written about your play have not spoiled the image you have of the Boston Celtics fanbase; please understand that we are a passionate group that loves to win and loathes losing. We take the game far too serious and let it effect our everyday lives far too often, we forget that this is a game; one that provides us with inspirational stories such as your own. I write this now in an attempt to salvage that relationship between the fans and you Mr. Green in hopes that you can give us another chance, and that the fans may take a step back and give you a chance before they jump the gun on you again. I understand how frustrating it must be for you that you've yet to have a complete season here without some type of asterisk next to it (came in midway in 2011, heart surgery in 2012, recovery in 2013).
Lets hope that in 2014 you can have a whole season without an issue so that you can take steps forward. But do understand there is only so much power behind this letter, it may only hold off the masses for so long before they are going to again expect results. Without the results one day, we will forever hear of the mythical Hakeem Perkins, your tenure here may be viewed as a disappointment performance wise if you never fulfill the potential we all saw, but if nothing else you are still an amazing inspirational story, for none of us would even imagine returning to work after heart surgery as you did and get the results you have, and for that I extend my sincere gratitude.
Nick Sannicandro


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Child molester sentenced to 40 years
Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Anna Laurie sentenced convicted child molester Michal Xaviar of Port Orchard to 40 years in prison double the sentence recommended by the prosecuting attorney on Tuesday, Feb. 19.
Some of Xaviars crimes were committed in Bremerton.
In her sentencing pronouncement, Laurie listed several aggravating circumstances which she said made the exceptional sentence necessary.
She said Xaviar, 33, exhibited deliberate cruelty, violated a position of trust or authority, abused at least one particularly vulnerable victim a boy who previously had been molested by one of Xaviars friends and displayed a pattern of victimization by committing multiple crimes over a prolonged period of time.
Any one of these, said deputy prosecutor Claire Bradley, would be enough to justify the lengthy sentence.
This was an exceptional case, Bradley said. You dont get cases like this very often. This is a very prolific child molester.
Xaviar pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor, second-degree rape of a child, first-degree child molestation and first-degree rape of the child. Xaviar is believed to have committed these crimes between January 1998 and July 2001.
The standard sentencing range for first-degree child rape, the most serious charge, is 20-26.5 years. The prosecution recommended a sentence of 20 years as part of the plea agreement.
In exchange, Xaviar agreed to cooperate in further investigation of the molestations.
Three victims were named in the formal charging documents. Xavier was living at the residence of the first who came forward, a boy who was nine years old when the crime took place. Xavier was responsible for housework and child care in return for a break on his rent.
The boys mother had invited him into the Bremerton household after his roommate, Michael Charleton, was sent to prison on separate child molestation charges. Xaviar had been the best man at the mothers wedding, and she said she considered him a member of her extended family.
We put our ultimate trust in him, she said. He would give you the shirt off his back. But I look back on it now and it was all part of the grooming ritual.
Charleton pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree child molestation in 1998 and was sentenced to six years in prison.
The mother of Xaviars victim said her oldest son also was approached by Xaviar, but managed to avoid being victimized.
He had an incredible infatuation with my son, she said. I think if my oldest son had not been as strong of character as he had been, he would have been (abused), too.
After the mother realized something was wrong and ordered Xaviar to stay away from her sons, she said he made at least two attempts to contact the younger boy including smuggling him an activated pager.
She said shes never seen any indication that Xavier feels remorse.
He doesnt get it, she said. He doesnt think hes done anything wrong.
The mother, her sons, Xaviar and Charleton all were involved in the local branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism, a medieval re-creation group. Both men have been banished from the group and forbidden to participate in future society activities.
The mother said she doesnt believe the SCA is responsible for what happened to her sons.
Xaviars wife, Ann-Marie, was sentenced in December to a year in jail for possession of pornography depicting a minor. By accepting a plea agreement, she avoided additional charges of sexual exploitation of a minor.
That really chaps my hide, because she had to know what was going on, and she was in a position to stop it, the victims mother said.
The womans ex-husband, who lives out of state, wrote a letter to the court asking for the most severe sentence possible.
Mr. Xaviar ... has destroyed my sons self-esteem, damaged our family beyond words and left his indelible mark on my life, the man wrote. He is a multi-victim, multi-offender who is motivated by lust and a perverse desire to injure and degrade his victims. ... This man does not deserve rehabilitation. He deserves punishment.
Xaviar will be required to complete a sex offender treatment program and register as a sex offender after he is released.
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DETROIT— Sandra Layne, 75, is expected to resume testimony during her murder trial in Pontiac this morning.
The West Bloomfield grandmother of five, a retired school teacher, is accused of killing her 17-year-old grandson Jonathon Hoffman, whom she says made her fear for her life and after a fight in which he hit and kicked her, prompting Layne to shoot the teen six times with the Glock handgun she purchased a month earlier.
"I shot the gun, I don't know how many times," Layne testified Wednesday, according to the Detroit Free Press. "There was a struggle."
After the first bullets pierced Hoffman, Layne said she retreated to the basement to hide. Hoffman came down from the loft where his grandmother shot him, believed she had left the home and called 911, wheezing, asking for help, saying he was going to die.
About three minutes into the call, a woman, presumably Layne, can be heard in the background shouting, and later saying repeatedly, "Let go, let go, let go," followed by, "I'll get you some water, let me get you some water."
Then the call fades into silence.
Prosecutors say Layne shot Hoffman a second time while he called 911 for help.
Layne, who has worn the same yellow cardigan-style sweater on each day of trial, told the court Wednesday that her grandson was troubled.
He came to live with her to finish up high school at an alternative school while his parents hashed out a divorce in Arizona.
Hoffman, Layne testified, had problems with taking criticism and would lash out by kicking and breaking things.
He'd been in trouble with the law for possession of marijuana and failed a drug test for the presence of synthetic marijuana on the day of the shooting, according to testimony reported on the live blog of Oakland Press Reporter David Phillips (follow here).
She spoke about an incident on March 12, two months before the shooting, in which Hoffman overdosed on magic mushrooms and was hallucinating when she and her husband visited him at the hospital.
Layne says he now recognizes the silent car ride home as the "tipping point" leading up to the fatal argument.
Layne is scheduled to retake the stand at 11 a.m. in Oakland County Circuit Court located in Pontiac.


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The following is a letter to the editor that was sent to the Kalamazoo Gazette.
GLORIA STENDER, president Everest Institute/Kalamazoo
As anyone with a teenage son or daughter may tell you, it seems like the least popular place high school students turn to for advice is their parents. And with today's constant flood of television, movies, social media and peer pressure, teenagers have more outside influencers than ever before.
However, a new survey of high school students conducted by Everest Institute found that more than six in 10 respondents — the highest percentage of any response — say they find out about job and career choices from their parents or guardians.
Parents, your influence on your teen's future educational and career choices cannot be overestimated. In fact, a similar Everest survey found that lack of parental and educational support is the most common reason younger Americans drop out of high school.
With the spring semester underway, I encourage you to spend time with your teen as they begin to map out their futures — particularly if graduation is around to corner. The time you take now can play a crucial part in setting up your child for future success.


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Harris Wilkinson was one determined crook.
In a spree that lasted a year, he stole copper wire from Met-Ed electrical substations throughout Berks County.
He was even zapped during one break-in at a substation in Reading, but that didn't stop him. After he got out of the hospital, he resumed his crimes.
By the time of his arrest for 26 break-ins in mid-2011, investigators estimated that Wilkinson's thefts had caused more than $400,000 in damage.
Wilkinson, 36, is now serving an 8- to 20-year sentence in the state prison at Camp Hill.
He claims that penalty is too severe, but in a ruling this week the state Superior Court disagreed.
The state court denied Wilkinson's appeal of his sentence, concluding that the penalty is justly deserved.
County Judge Paul Yatron imposed the prison term, to be followed by 20 years of probation, after Wilkinson pleaded guilty in October to numerous charges including burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy and causing or risking a catastrophe.
He had no sentencing deal with prosecutors.
In his appeal to the state court, Wilkinson argued that his prison term was "manifestly excessive." He claimed that Yatron had not taken into account his cooperation with the police, "his intent to have no further contact with the criminal justice system," and his aim to provide a stable environment for his soon-to-be-born daughter.
In the Superior Court's ruling, President Judge John T. Bender called Wilkinson's appeal "frivolous" and found that Yatron had weighed all the factors and fashioned an appropriate sentence.
"In light of the numerous crimes for which [Wilkinson] was convicted, his extensive criminal record and the evidence that he is likely to re-offend if not incarcerated, we conclude that the [county] court's sentence was not an abuse of discretion," Bender wrote.


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The rubber stamp is the twentieth century's definitive emblem of bureaucracy, providing an official mark of acceptance or rejection of governments and corporations. Military, housing, and job applications have been sealed with a stamp, as have births, marriages, and deaths. "Greetings from Daddaland," curated by John Held Jr. — who ran the Stamp Art Gallery in San Francisco in the mid-1990s — provides an alternate history of that tool, charting its renegade use by countless artists and pranksters over the past century.
Dadaists Kurt Schwitters and Marcel Duchamp were early adopters, with the latter represented here with reproductions of chess-themed stamps that he made around 1919 and used during his stay in Buenos Aires. After the wars, Nouveau Réalist Arman popularized the stamp, and Held includes a long, thin stamp of a paintbrush that the artist made in the mid-1950s — a perfect complement for his art, which was created through the obsessive accumulation of the same objects. Next, Fluxus members and other radicals (like Ray Johnson and Robert Watts) picked up the stamp in the 1960s, and their experiments are catalogued in voluminous detail.
The walls of one room are lined with dozens of selections from the Traveling Art Mail (TAM) Rubber Stamp Archive, strips of paper mailed by the Dutch stamp-art collector Ruud Jansssen to other artists and enthusiasts over the years that read, "I kindly ask you to print a few of your (funniest…) stamps on this paper." The responses he received range from opaque, banal messages — "NO SPITTING," "BE BLANK," one card reads — to ornate prints of wristwatches and detailed portraits and still lifes that have the detail of fine woodcuts, highlighting the medium's remarkable range.
The prints in the TAM Archive also encapsulate the strange characteristics of the stamp as an art medium: they are usually anonymous, and they are endlessly reproducible. (One wonders whether the art resides in these coveted rubber stamp or their free prints.) Authorship and uniqueness are tossed aside by the medium, which was designed to create fleeting pleasures, not everlasting masterpieces — exactly how these artists wanted it. Today, when bureaucratic processes have moved into an unseen digital world, it all looks almost quaint.


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Take a Bow… or Bow
Posted 6 December, 12on:
The holiday edition of the pattern books is always my favorite of the year. So much glitz and glam. The last couple of years have been so disappointing. Has fashion taken a wrong turn down the Retro Path? Has the economy dampened the creative spirit? Am I getting old and cranky, no longer able to appreciate the changing trends?
Most of the holiday collections are simply ho-hum. There are very, very few patterns that I MUST. BUY. RIGHT. NOW… like almost none. Several make me believe someone is trying to sabotage the home sewing industry. Seriously, with patterns like these, who would ever want to sew their own dresses. (Not that the selection at the mall is any better… wow… so much ugly on the racks.)
This monstrosity… where to begin…
The giant floral background is such a distraction, but, considering the dress, perhaps that was intentional. The fabric and lace look so cheap. Budgets are tight, but when sewing samples to be photographed for the pattern catalog, the pattern companies should spend a few extra bucks and go for more luxe fabrics. The necklace does not go with the dress. It is so heavy and casual for the delicate lace. The necklace is so heavy that the model cannot stand upright.
Okay… the bow. The. Bow. What an awkward placement. Without the bow, it would be a cute enough dress. With better fabric, it could be a really cute dress. If the bow were at the waist… maybe, just maybe it could be okay. If the seam fell just below the bust/bow… maybe… possibly. If anyone has a very large bust, please, please run away from this pattern.
I have to stop writing. I cannot look at this photo for another minute.


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Defining the endurance word of the week: assalt.
There is a long, sad history of gender controversies in track and field, as well as other sports. Written by: John Mendelsohn Caster
Network will feature more access to Olympic sports year-round. The US Olympic Committee (USOC) has announced a plan to launch an Olympic


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The favorite: Expectations were high for second-seeded Old Tappan, following a surprise trip to the sectional finals a year ago. Such pressure has yet to faze the Bergen County squad, which is 21-4 and currently No. 20 in The Star-Ledger Top 20. With Lucas Mazurek, Brandon Issa and John O'Reilly, there's no denying they can pitch, but the offense has been a pleasant surprise, averaging nearly seven runs per game during its current 14-game winning streak.
The top contenders: Fourth-seeded Demarest may be limping into the playoffs, going 0-3-1 in its last four games, but with an offense, averaging nearly seven runs per game, do so at your own risk. Top-seeded Montville can score runs in bunches with Mike Manfra, Gerry Czyzewski and Tyler Benson at the top of the lineup. Don't discount 11th-seeded River Dell, especially with ace pitcher Ryan Duran now healthy from a torn ACL suffered during the fall.
The dark horse: Twelfth-seeded Mount Olive has a murder's row in the middle of the lineup with Mark Adams, Bobby Shannon and James Renna. The Morris County school also has a win over county champion Randolph. Tenth-seeded Wayne Hills is another team peaking at the right time, winning seven of its last eight games.
Player to watch: Mount Olive junior Bobby Shannon has enjoyed a breakout season, emerging as one of Morris County's most complete players. For the season, Shannon is hitting .409 with 27 RBI and has displayed tremendous power with six home runs and 11 doubles. He has also been one of the area's top defensive shortstops.
Pitcher to watch: Ryan Duran's baseball season nearly came to an end when he tore his right ACL in November during football season. After missing the first 10 games, the senior right-hander has returned with a vengeance for River Dell. Duran, who will pitch at TCNJ has four wins on the year, the most recent being a complete-game three-hitter with six strikeouts against Bergen Catholic.
Other players to keep an eye on: Mark Adams, Mount Olive; Kevin Berge, Vernon; Gerry Czyzewski, Montville; Jeremy Decotiis, Jefferson; Troy Elias, Demarest; Colt Fergus, Morris Hills; Will Foulds, Sparta; Mike Manfra, Montville; Lucas Mazurek, Old Tappan; John O'Reilly, Old Tappan; Harrison Preschel, Teaneck; Brennan Rowe, Wayne Hills; Thomas Ruddy, Sparta; Brian Sciortino, Northern Highlands.
Kratch's pick: This is a section where things will get a bit wild: Wayne Hills is a veteran team that has pitching, hitting, experience and perhaps most importantly, fearlessness. No team in the state has attacked St. Joseph star Rob Kaminsky like Wayne Hills did when it faced him. Don't let the seed fool you; Wayne Hills has played a tough schedule and is better than its record shows. It will demonstrate that by winning this section.
Bernstein's pick: Old Tappan probably has the most pitching in this section and enters the playoffs as the hottest team. Playing in the Bergen County Tournament next weekend may complicate things, but there's enough pitching depth that they're still the pick in this section.


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The Golden Bowl
Release Date: April 27th, 2001
R|2 hr. 14 min.
Plot Summary
An intricately plotted tale of thwarted love and betrayal, "The Golden Bowl" tells the story of an extravagantly rich American widower (Nick Nolte) and his sheltered daughter (Kate Beckinsale), both of whom marry only to discover that their respective mates, a beautiful American expatriate (Uma Thurman) and an impoverished Italian aristocrat (Jeremy Northam), are entangled with one another in a romantic intrigue of seduction and deceit.
Cast: Uma Thurman, Jeremy Northam, Kate Beckinsale, Nick Nolte, Anjelica Huston, James Fox, Madeleine Potter, Peter Eyre
Director: James Ivory
Genres: Drama
Distributor: Lionsgate Films


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This deal has ended.
Dell has their best deal in several months on the 14.1" display, 5.5lb. E1405 Notebook: this E1405 is $699 and has a 1.66ghz dual-core Intel processor, 1gb memory, 80gb hard drive, 8x DVD / CD burner, wireless networking and Microsoft Works. Shipping is free.No longer available


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Tribune Opinion: We're glad to see commissioners moving in right direction on social media; Arts Picnic offers fun, creativity
July 26, 2013
We're glad to see the Board of Weld County Commissioners is working to change language in its recently passed social media ordinance to allow comments from the public on its Facebook page.
The original ordinance, which commissioners passed in June, was designed to make Weld's Twitter and Facebook pages function as one-way communication devices to disseminate information. But Facebook does not allow users to disable comments, county officials said. The language of the new ordinance now outlines a comment-monitoring policy, which authorizes county officials to delete a comment if it includes vulgar language, spam or other posts that are either inappropriate or unrelated to the topic that was posted.
"This is not an attempt to stifle anyone's … criticisms," Weld County commissioner Sean Conway said at Monday's hearing. "It's to keep it in an acceptable format."
We said after the initial ordinance passed that it looked bad for a board whose members occasionally are accused by constituents of selective listening to stifle conversation on its social media pages.
We were a little surprised, however, that it took two tries to get the Facebook policy right. It's hard to believe that no one on the county's Web Governance Committee, which manages the content posted to the county's website, or the five full-time members of the board, thought to consult Facebook policies before they crafted and voted on the social media ordinance.
Still, we're glad to see commissioners headed in the right direction.
Thanks to Weld County fair volunteers
We want to applaud the numerous volunteers who help make the Weld County Fair to be such a successful event.
These unpaid, often unnoticed good Samaritans are the backbone to this Weld County staple that has been going strong for 95 years. Among them are volunteers who have shown up for decades on end; one hasn't missed the event for 60 years.
These folks are needed to coordinate the more than 7,500 exhibits that are featured each year. The knowledge of these volunteers helps keep the fair running smoothly and allows for a great experience for participants and spectators alike.
These behind-the-scenes do-gooders also help improve an experience that showcases our county. To remind them that their contribution has not gone unappreciated, we encourage the attendees and participants to thank the volunteers for their service.
Arts Picnic offers plenty of fun, art
On Saturday, the Greeley Arts Picnic will kick off for the 35th year.
The picnic, which draws more than 20,000 people annually, features the work of more than 150 artists from across the nation. The artists will sell their handmade work, which includes pottery, paintings, photography, glassware and garden art.
In addition to the art sale, there will be a beer garden and live entertainment featuring bands from the rock, blues, honky-tonk, big band, folk and country genres.
The food court will have a dozen booths with a wide range of options, including gyros, burritos, crepes, calzones and barbecue.
This is a great event for this community, and all those who work hard every year to make it a success have our thanks. The event begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at Lincoln Park. We hope to see everyone there.
Fundraiser offers chance to help
Sean and Travis Girard often rode their snowmobiles together. It's part of how the father and son stayed close as Travis, 13, aged.
That's what they were doing on April 1 — a normal day with a bright blue sky — when Travis went over a cliff and fell 30 feet. His snowmobile flipped as Travis fell and hit rocks jutting out from the cliff. With help from his father and passing snowmobile riders who called for help, Travis survived the crash, but he suffered a severe brain injury. Doctor's can't really quantify how much of Travis' brain still is functioning.
Sean's insurance cut him off, he said, because the company wants to put Travis in custodial care in a nursing home. Sean, however, wants Travis to continue with therapy in the hopes that he'll get better.
A benefit auction to help Travis raise money to pay for the medical bills will begin at 4 p.m. Sunday at Randy's All American Grill, 2118 35th Ave. in Greeley. Drinks and dinner start at 4 p.m., with 10 percent of all restaurant proceeds going to the family. The live auction begins at 5 p.m. and should last until 7 p.m. You also can make contributions to Tammy Howell, for the benefit of Travis Girard, P.O. Box 1451, Ault, CO 80610.
We hope all those who can help will.
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CNJ staff photo: Liliana Castillo Anthony Bellow of Oakley, Utah, scored 82 points Saturday during the saddle bronc riding competition at Curry County Mounted Patrol Arena.
By Eric Butler: CNJ correspondent
Scanning the list of numerous contestants from New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and Colorado, it's not difficult to figure out which region of the country the Pioneer Days Rodeo is staged.
But Clovis' annual rodeo tradition took on a more national, even international, flavor on the last night of the three-day competition.
Ryan Jarrett, second in last year's PRCA all-around standings and all-around champ in 2006, was in two events on Saturday night at the Curry County Mounted Patrol Arena.
The Summerville, Ga., native finished in 4.1 seconds in steer wrestling, two-tenths of a second behind winner Tony Larsen — whose mark of 3.9 seconds on Thursday held up over the course of the event. Jarrett also had a time of 9.0 seconds in tie down roping, which was the best time of the night.
Though from Georgia, Jarrett noted that his current address is in Oklahoma.
His participation at Pioneer Days was Jarrett's first rodeo in the last three weeks. Although that is a relatively light schedule compared to many of his peers, Jarrett still felt he was on track to finish in the top 15 of his respective events and have a place in the National Finals Rodeo come December in Las Vegas, Nev.
"I've hardly been nowhere, been at home visiting my family before the big summer run," Jarrett said. "This is the first one I'm cracking out at. I sold some roping calves to a buddy of mine and this is kind of where we met up at.
"The summer rodeo season is fixing to begin right now. It's fixing to get real crazy."
For Anthony Bello, the Clovis rodeo was a chance for the current resident of Utah to ride a horse he felt would bring him a good score in the saddle bronc riding event. Bello may reside in Utah, but the 32-year-old is really from Australia and has been in the United States for the past two years competing in rodeos.
And Bello was right about his hunch.
Riding a horse called Cajun Moon, Bello got a score of 82 on Saturday and the high mark of the Pioneer Days rodeo for saddle bronc riding.
"That's a good horse there," Bello said. "You'd drive the length of the country to get on that horse."
The Aussie knows a little something about long drives. A plumber by trade, Bello said his home town is a 12-hour drive from Brisbane, the closest major city.
After his winning ride on Cajun Moon, rodeo officials played "Down Under" over the loudspeakers for their Australian competitor.
"Brings a tear to me eye," said Bello, who isn't sure how much longer he plans on staying in the U.S. to rodeo. "The way I felt tonight, maybe another five years. Sometimes when you get on those horses that aren't so much fun to ride, about two weeks."
There was local flavor in the last day of the rodeo.
Following Jarrett's run in steer wrestling, Melrose's Jim Bob Allen scored a mark of 6.6 seconds. Though off the best times of the rodeo, Allen was second to Jarrett for the evening as most of the other contestants weren't able to record a time at all.
"It makes you want to bulldog better," said Allen, 37, of going right after the PRCA champ. "It's better to go behind someone who's good, rather than someone who misses one."


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Our Lady of Grace Church in Hoboken will host its ninth annual Funfest from June 7 to June 8, with various activities for the whole family.
The annual festival, which has become a Hoboken tradition, will span two days and take over Willow Avenue, between Fourth and Fifth streets. The fair will begin Saturday with Nitefest from 6 to 10 p.m. and continue Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
"It's an honor to be part of this wonderful tradition!", said Funfest organizer and OLG parishioner Joel Branosky. "Our OLG community has a rich history in the city of Hoboken, and we hope to see a large turnout at the festivities.
In addition, various vendors will feature jewelry and handmade items while OLG parishioners prepare various foods, including zeppoles and empanadas. Attendees can also expect a 50-50 raffle fundraiser, used book sale and carnival games.
For more information on the festival visit www.olgfunfest.com or visit the "Funfest" Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ourladyofgracefunfest.


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MCADOO, Pa. (AP) — Police say someone stole $1,000 from the back of a minivan during a fundraiser for a northeastern Pennsylvania family whose 6-year-old daughter was killed in a house fire last month.
WNEP-TV reports the theft happened during a weekend fundraiser in McAdoo, where the fire claimed the life of Madison Arner. Three other people were hurt in that blaze, which state police say was caused by an electrical problem.
Investigators say there was a fundraiser for Arner's family over the weekend and that about $1,000 was stolen from the back of a minivan Saturday afternoon. Organizers say that, despite the theft, the fundraiser still raised quite a bit for the family.
Police are looking for possible suspects in the theft.


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LOVE It! No Pain! - New Jersey
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I had a deviated septum but I also came in primarily for cosmetic. The portion for the deviated septum was covered but the portion for cosmetic was not. READ COMMENT


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New Orleans police are investigating a shooting Sunday night in the St. Roch neighborhood, according to police spokeswoman Hilal Williams.
A male victim was shot in the shoulder near the intersection of Arts and North Galvez streets about 8 p.m., police said.
No further information was immediately available. Stay with NOLA.com for updates on this story.