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Cannes Film Festival Kick-Off
- Next1 of 19George Pimentel/FilmMagic
- Previous Next2 of 19Mike Marsland/WireImage
- Previous Next3 of 19Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
- Previous Next4 of 19Chris Ashford/CAMERA PRESS/Retna Ltd.
- Previous Next5 of 19Dave Hogan/Getty Images
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- Previous Next7 of 19Tony Barson/WireImage
- Previous Next8 of 19Baverel-Garcia/Starface/Retna Ltd.
- Previous Next9 of 19Chris Ashford/CAMERA PRESS/Retna Ltd.
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- Previous Next15 of 19Badi-FTW/Starface/Retna Ltd.
- Previous Next16 of 19Chris Ashford/CAMERA PRESS/Retna Ltd.
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Sharon Stone, 20091 of 19
By Lilah Nicolaidis
The Cannes Film Festival starts today. Click through to see the event's most memorable fashion moments in history.
At the premiere of Inglourious Basterds, Sharon Stone showed so much leg in a dramatic Balmain dress that she managed to steal the show.
Diane Kruger, 20092 of 19
Diane Kruger can do no wrong in our eyes, but this incredible draped back Marchesa number is one of our all time favorite looks.
Penelope Cruz, 20093 of 19
Penelope Cruz looks anything but broken at the Broken Embraces film premiere in this lilac Marchesa gown with beaded bodice.
RELATED ON WONDERWALL: Penelope's Style Through the Years
Marion Cotillard, 20094 of 19
Marion Cotillard captured our hearts as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose. We love this 40s-inspired beaded Christian Dior gown, perhaps inspired by her costumes from the film.
Dita Von Teese, 20095 of 19
Dita Von Teese was definitely dressed like a star in this intricate Jean Paul Gaultier gown.
Tilda Swinton, 20096 of 19
We love Tilda Swinton's avant-garde style, but it's also nice to see her in a very wearable outfit for once. The rich color and minimalistic shape of this Haider Ackerman dress, accented with a jacket, would look great for any fancy occasion.
Paris Hilton, 20097 of 19
"Paris Hilton terrorizes Cannes" was just one of the headlines when the socialite touched down in the South of France last year. We think that's too dramatic, but this Basil Soda dress does seem a bit much.
Natalie Portman, 20088 of 19
Natalie Portman chose the Cannes carpet to premiere a dress from Lanvin's famous "color" collection that was instantly coveted by women around the world.
Madonna, 20089 of 19
Fashion film critics applauded Madonna's shimmering Chanel Haute Couture gown. Her film, I Am Because We Are, about the plight of Malawian orphans, was also well received.
RELATED ON WONDERWALL: Fantasy Casting Madonna's Life
Gwyneth Paltrow, 200810 of 19
Ladies take note: This is how you do understated elegance. Gwyneth Paltrow's sublime navy Chanel gown and sparkling Roger Vivier shoes would work for any black tie occasion.
Angelina Jolie, 200811 of 19
We like this simple sheath by Thomas Wylde, but that scorpion print might have been a signal from the extremely private star. …
RELATED ON WONDERWALL: See More Pics of Angelina
Cate Blanchett, 200812 of 19
Cate Blanchett shows us precisely how a movie star should hit the Cannes carpet: in a stunning gray Armani Privé gown and decadent beaded necklace.
Bar Refaeli, 200713 of 19
Model Bar Refaeli is just plain gorgeous in this strapless Elie Saab gown. Glowing skin, hair and dress — no wonder this golden goddess graces the cover of so many magazines.
Kirsten Dunst, 200614 of 19
As Queen Marie Antoinette, Kirsten Dunst wore over-the-top gowns with lace and jewels, so it was wonderful to see her in a simply elegant pale violet dress with swallow details by Rochas.
Beyoncé Knowles, 200615 of 19
Beyoncé sure looks like a dream girl to us in this floral print dress from her own line, House of Deréon.
Audrey Tautou, 200616 of 19
Adorable Audrey Tautou wins in this playful white Balmain dress with shoulder ruffle and gold shoes.
Halle Berry, 200617 of 19
As Storm in X-Men: The Last Stand, Halle Berry wore a high-necked, long-sleeve leather costume — perhaps that's why she chose this revealing Reem Acra dress for the film's premiere.
Charlize Theron, 200418 of 19
Charlize Theron wasn't in De-Lovely, but she sure looked the part at the film's premiere in this sea foam green satin Christian Dior Couture creation.
Nicole Kidman, 200319 of 19
Nicole Kidman epitomized red carpet glamour in this floor length Christian Lacroix for Emilio Pucci gown, accented by some seriously sparkling Bulgari cuff bracelets.


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Not too sure if anyone on theses boards is big on scholarly-published essays, but in my research for my art class I came across this interesting article that suggests Hip-Hop and the art movement Cubism have more in common than we may typically think...it's a very interesting read, if not for the content itself then just for the fact that there's actually a professionally written, academic essay about hip-hop. i figured someone on these threads would enjoy the read (although it is kind of a long one, ~20 pages), here it is if you want to check it out:
(NOTE: let me know if this link works or not, because i'm experimenting by hyperlinking to my local library's database and it may not work for those who, ya know, don't have a library card and shit at this particular library. if it doesn't work, i have the .pdf file itself that i may be able to attach to this posting, but who knows if it'll be needed or not)

subset: commoncrawl


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Assessment of Teaching and Learning
Etymology of the word: Assessment
"To assess" derives from the Latin verb "assidere", to sit by (originally, as an assistant-judge in the context of taxes). Hence, in "assessment of learning" we "sit with the learner", and that implies that it is something that we do with and for our students rather than to them.
The word "assessment" has a variety of meanings within higher education (e.g., "institutional assessment", "curricular and program assessment", "course and learner-centered assessment"). Therefore, for the purposes of this resource guide "assessment" is considered as the systematic collection and analysis of information to improve student lifelong learning. One Definition of "Assessment of Learning" in Higher Education:
"Assessment is the process of gathering and discussing information from multiple and diverse sources in order to develop a deep understanding of what students know, understand, and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational experiences; the process culminates when assessment results are used to improve subsequent learning." (Huba, M. E. and Freed, J. E. (2000). Learner-Centered Assessment on College Campuses -- Shifting the Focus from Teaching to Learning. Boston, Allyn and Bacon.
Event description
We address a variety of issues related to successful student and program assessment including what may be assessed and how to assess. We conclude by leading a discussion on the development of a supportive classroom environment, the encouragement of active and intentional learning, and the importance of reflecting on one's teaching.
Event last offered
"Assessment Tools for Your Course" - Professor Danielle Mihram, September 13, 2007, 1-3 PM, Leavey Auditorium
- Assessing Problem Solving, Sept 07, Danielle Mihram (PDF)
- Assessment Bibliography, Sept 07, Danielle Mihram (PDF)
- Assessment Tools, Sept 07, Danielle Mihram (PowerPoint)
- Assessment, May 07, Danielle Mihram (.pdf)
- Assessment, Oct 05, Bill McComas (video)
- Assessment, Oct 05, Bill McComas (.pdf)
- Assessment Overview, Sept 04, Bill McComas (video)
Megasite on Assessment: Internet Resources for Higher Education Outcomes Assessment, NC State. Includes
- General Resources
- Assessment handbooks
- Assessment of specific skills or content
- Individual institution's assessment-related pages (alphabetical listing)
- Accrediting bodies
- Student Assessment of courses and faculty
See also:
- Deliberations on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
An international website on issues of learning and teaching for the higher education community (Includes "Assessment" as a resource).
- Practical Assessment Research & Evaluation
A peer-reviewed online journal. ("Evaluation" is used synonymously with "Assessment")


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Roaming the area for yard sales
Thirty years had passed on by. A long time when you are a young man with time ahead but only a flash as you reflect back. The old school house, front yards, the beautiful public library, all seem to have shrunk with time. The back alley where we played stick ball seemed hardly wide enough for a car to pass. I remember when it felt like Yankee Stadium. The crowd would roar as I did my impersonation of Mickey Mantle. Poor little Billy Epps was forever the victim of my mighty swing.
It caught my eye as I drove past. Tacked on a tree, an old water oak that I knew well was a sign that read "Yard Sale Today." Somewhere beneath the chipped bark, "Father Time" had smoothed the initials of the neighborhood of '58. The beautiful old tree, like everything else, had shrunk. With the widening of Bull Street, the curb almost touched her trunk. Perhaps damage to the long roots accounted for the haggard look, along with the ravages of time.
A small crowd had already gathered in the front yard. Curiosity and time to kill, I parked.
The card tables and plywood stretched between chairs supported pots, pans, trinkets and a lifetime of knickknacks. A white picket fence had replaced the wrought iron that had protected the yard when we passed by on our way to school. Many were the mornings I grabbed hold of the rail with one hand, swinging a make-believe sword with the other. Sinbad the sailor, protector of my sister and all the other kids in the neighborhood. As brave as I thought I was, I still ran when Mrs. Bealey's chow chased us. I just pretended not to run as fast.
She sat on the porch in an old rocker. I'd never forget her. Never did know her name but she always smiled and waved at us kids. The chair didn't move now. Legs that once motored the chair back and forth were shriveled with age. Her skinny arms slumped loose at her side, leaving the arms of the chair bare as if she were being engulfed by the ancient piece of furniture.
Collectors and the curious touched and rubbed trinkets. I would come to know the very loud lady as her daughter. I cringed at a few of her remarks to potential customers. I kept looking to the porch for some reaction as these treasures were bargained for.
"Oh, that ol' piece of junk," the daughter said to the young couple, "that old churn isn't worth much. Five dollars will be fine."
Quickly, I remembered a hot May afternoon on the way home from school. My sister and I took her offering of homemade ice cream in two paper cups. "So that was the churn," I found myself mumbling.
More people came. The tables became bare. She never moved, just stared straight ahead. I hoped she couldn't hear the fish market atmosphere as her treasures were tarnished by strangers.
"That's mother on the porch. She' out of it," the daughter spoke to a friend. "Once we sell off all this junk, we are selling the house and getting her in the 'Willows'. I hear that place is so nice and they take such good care of her kind."
I cringed. I looked at the porch.
Unnoticed by all the shoppers, the quilt still hung on the crochet rack off to the side. That must have been the piece she was working on all those afternoons when we would pass by. That ol' rocker going at a steady pace, her glasses slightly down on her pointed nose; she always had time to wave.
"How much for the quilt?" I asked as the crowd thinned out.
"I didn't even notice that," the daughter said. "That ol' thing is just a dust collector. You can have it for ten dollars."
She flinched, moving her hand slightly. The rocker creaked. It was special, this quilt.
I paid ten. Walking up the rickety stairs, I placed it on her lap. She smiled.


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1. Denver Broncos (3-0)
First in passing offense, first in rushing defense. Average margin of victory: 18.7 points. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
2. Seattle Seahawks (3-0)
It took just over two quarters for the Seahawks to go up 31-0 against Jacksonville. How bad was it? Tarvaris Jackson played. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
3. Chicago Bears (3-0)
The Bears forced five Steeler turnovers and returned two for touchdowns. Game over. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
4. New Orleans Saints (3-0)
Last year, the Saints allowed an NFL-record 7,042 yards; this year, under new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, they've allowed just four touchdowns in three games. This team is officially dangerous. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
5. New England Patriots (3-0)
It was a much better showing for New England's rookie wideouts, as Kenbrell Thompkins had two touchdowns and Aaron Dobson caught a game-high seven passes against Tampa Bay. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
6. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)
Wow, what a difference Andy Reid makes. The Chiefs are just the third team since 1980 to start a season 3-0 after winning just two games or fewer the previous year. (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)
7. Miami Dolphins (3-0)
Miami may have found its quarterback. The Dolphins are 3-0 for the first time since 2002. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
8. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
The Bengals overcame a 16-point deficit to stun Green Bay and became the first team to allow 30 unanswered points in a win since 1999. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
9. Indianapolis Colts (2-1)
The running game was effective (179 yards), and the defense – which held San Francisco scoreless after the first quarter – was stout. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
10. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Don't be fooled. The Ravens scored 30 points, but they scored just one offensive touchdown. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)
11. San Francisco 49ers (1-2)
In their last two games, the 49ers have almost as many turnovers (seven) as points (10). (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
12. Green Bay Packers (1-2)
The Packers have allowed 34 points in both of their losses this season. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
13. Houston Texans (2-1)
The Texans didn't score a touchdown and were held scoreless after the first half. Not a good strategy for winning road games, especially against Baltimore. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
14. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
DeMarco Murray had 200+ yards and a touchdown against St. Louis – this after running for a franchise-record 253 yards against the Rams in 2011. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
15. Detroit Lions (2-1)
Joique Bell (132 total yards and a touchdown) proved a capable fill-in for Reggie Bush. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
16. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
The Falcons have lost three of four dating back to last season. They led by double digits in all three losses. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)
17. Tennessee Titans (2-1)
Tennessee is yet to turn the ball over this season. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
18. New York Jets (2-1)
Eight sacks overcame 20 penalties, and Geno Smith can actually throw the deep ball. (Photo by Ron Antonelli/Getty Images)
19. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
The 38-0 win over the Giants was Carolina's most lopsided shutout in franchise history. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
20. St. Louis Rams (1-2)
The Rams mustered just 35 rushing yards against Dallas, and Sam Bradford was sacked six times. Needless to say, the offense struggled. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
21. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)
The Eagles welcomed Andy Reid back to Philadelphia by gifting him five turnovers. He was probably gracious. (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)
22. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
The Cardinals opened the game with an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive against New Orleans. They followed with eight punts, two interceptions and didn't score again. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
23. Cleveland Browns (1-2)
Jordan Cameron, with four touchdown receptions in three games, is becoming quite the rookie. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
24. San Diego Chargers (1-2)
Another last-minute loss. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
25. Buffalo Bills (1-2)
Not a bad day for E.J. Manuel, but this team cannot stop the run. At all. (Photo by Ron Antonelli/Getty Images)
26. Oakland Raiders (1-2)
It actually wasn't a horrible game for Terrelle Pryor: 300+ total yards, one touchdown and no turnovers. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
27. Washington Redskins (0-3)
The Redskins (1,464) have allowed the most yards through the first three games of a season since 1966. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
28. New York Giants (0-3)
The Giants have rushed for just 133 yards through three games; that's the fifth fewest to start a season since 1970 and the fewest since 2006. The 38-0 loss was also the worst of the Tom Coughlin era. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
29. Minnesota Vikings (0-3)
The Vikings picked off a third-string quarterback (Brian Hoyer) three times and still couldn't come up with a victory. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
30. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-3)
The offense looked more in sync and actually moved the ball, but if you turn the ball over five times, you ain't beatin' nobody. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3)
Josh Freeman has just two touchdowns on the season, and the offense is averaging just 11.3 points per game. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3)
The horror continues. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)


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A water rescue at High Bridge Park ended with both the successful rescue -- and capture -- of Geiger escapee Michael Wheeler.
Wheeler, 38, was taken into custody after being pulled from the frigid water, bringing to an end a manhunt that began last weekend when he escaped from Geiger Corrections Center.
Officials said that Wheeler was at a home on Chestnut Wednesday afternoon that authorities had surveillance on. Wheeler left the house and started running for the river. He went into the river, with officers in pursuit, and made his way across.
Unfortunately for him, the other side of the river had a cliff face, and by the point he had made his way across the water both sides of the riverbank was lined with officers and K9s.
Police officers got some assistance from Mother Nature at this point. When officers ordered him out of the river, Wheeler, who had been in the frigid waters for some time, complied with their commands and got out. Once he came out of the river he was walked three-quarters of a mile up to a road, where he was put into an ambulance.
Authorities plan to take him to the hospital to be treated for hypothermia as well as injuries he received during his escape from Geiger last weekend.
He was last seen on Sunday in the kitchen area where he worked between 5:35 and 5:55 p.m. A search involving several law enforcement agencies was launched but failed to find him.
Acting on a tip, the Pacific Northwest Violent Offenders Task Force went to a home in the 800 block of South Adams looking for Wheeler Tuesday night. While Wheeler wasn't found at the home, another man, identified by police as Charles Fife, 38, was found.
After a brief standoff at the home Fife was taken into custody on charges of rendering criminal assistance, obstructing a peace officer and a Department of Corrections hold.
Meanwhile, as of 7:45 p.m. Wednesday no one has been arrested at the house on Chestnut where Wheeler was staying.


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10 worst drug recalls
Published On: Jan 09 2012 10:54:54 AM CST Updated On: Jan 09 2012 10:57:35 AM CST
Excedrin and Bufferin are making recall headlines this week, but they pale in comparison to the 10 worst drug recalls in FDA history.
The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to our Terms of Use.


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ASHFORTH Genealogy in All Regions
Search criteria: All Regions, Surname ASHFORTH
What can you do here?
Search online databases for your ancestors:*
Find related genealogy web sites:
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1. Norfolk Transcription Archive
Search for ASHFORTH at partner sites:
ASHFORTH queries on CousinConnect.com
ASHFORTH genealogy records at DistantCousin.
Search Cemetery Records on Interment.net
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Fanmusic MS-E1011
" Fanmusic is a distributor and a brand of Chinese audio-equipment which also has an eBay store. I was contacted by Tony, their manager a while ago and he informed me that they were working on an IEM (under their brand as far as I know), with a dual-dynamic setup in a metal housing with a user replaceable cable, simply named "MS-E1011". Tony offered to send me a..." --ItsMeHere
Mushroom Earbud Design Clip
Budclicks patented the ability to click charms to earbuds. They allow kids, tweens, and adults to style up those bland white earbuds. The Budclick mount works on iPod and iPhone style white earbuds created by Apple. With over 150 million of these earbuds on the market Budclicks have appeal to just about everyone. Budclicks has found the largest audience in music listeners on the go. Whether on...


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Diversity and cross-cultural issues in Jordan
|Diversity and cross-cultural issues in [[{{#explode:Diversity and cross-cultural issues in Jordan| |5}} {{#explode:Diversity and cross-cultural issues in Jordan| |6}} {{#explode:Diversity and cross-cultural issues in Jordan| |7}}]]
|In fulfilling the Peace Corps' mandate to share the face of America with their host countries, Peace Corps is making special efforts to see that all of America's richness is reflected in the Volunteer corps. More Americans of color are serving in today's Peace Corps than at any time in recent years. Differences in race, ethnic background, age, religion, and sexual orientation are expected and welcomed among our Volunteers. Part of the Peace Corps' mission is to help dispel any notion that Americans are all of one origin or race and to establish that each of us is as thoroughly American as the other despite our many differences.
|See also:
One of our nation's greatest strengths is the diversity of our cultural heritage. In fulfilling the Peace Corps' mandate to share the varied faces of America with our hosts, we are making special efforts to ensure that all of America's diversity is reflected among our Volunteer corps. More Americans of color are serving in today's Peace Corps than at any time in its history and that participation continues to grow. These Volunteers are broadening the lessons we are learning about other people, adding to the image those people form about Americans, and "bringing the world home" to more and different American communities. We ask all who serve in the Peace Corps to begin their cross-cultural sensitivity at home, raising awareness about what is right and what is not in the way ethnic and racial groups relate to one another here in the United States.
Television is common in Jordan and perceptions of Americans, unfortunately, come from the programs on the air. Common misperceptions are that all Americans are blond, blue-eyed, promiscuous, and rich. While many Jordanians are educated and familiar with foreign cultures, rural areas tend to be more traditional and may be less accepting of diversity. In Jordan (as in all Peace Corps countries), Volunteer behavior, religion, lifestyle, background, and beliefs will be judged in a cultural context very different from our own. Certain personal perspectives or characteristics considered familiar and commonly accepted in the United States may be quite uncommon, unacceptable, or even repressed elsewhere. Some of you may experience subtle discrimination, and a few, blatant bigotry. Jordanians are justly known for their generous hospitality to foreigners; however, members of the community in which you live may display a range of reactions to differences that you present.
- 1 Overview of Diversity in Jordan
- 2 What Might A Volunteer Face?
Overview of Diversity in Jordan
Peace Corps staff in Jordan recognizes the adjustment issues that accompany diversity and endeavor to provide support and guidance. During pre-service training, there will be sessions to explore diversity and ways, individually and as a group, to cope successfully with these challenges and to be supportive of one another.
In the pre-service training homestay experience, you will live as a family member, and your actions and behaviors will be subject to scrutiny and comment. To ease the transition and adapt to the ways of your host family, you will need to make some temporary, yet fundamental, compromises with who you are as an American and as an individual. You will possibly need to modify how you present yourself, even relative to core elements of your identity. For example, female trainees and Volunteers in Jordan are not able to exercise the independence available to them in the United States; Jewish Volunteers may not feel comfortable revealing their religion; political discussions will need to be handled with diplomacy; some of your personal beliefs or past experiences may best remain undisclosed. You must develop techniques and a personal strategy for coping with these and other limitations. Peace Corps staff will be available, of course, to help you feel your way, but the challenge will ultimately be your own.
Be aware that this exercise of discretion and judgment, as well as the requirement to limit some behavior, may create very real personal stress. For some, the impact of such stress will be higher than for others.
We advise you to learn as much as possible about Jordan before accepting this invitation. Use all the resources available to you and/or suggested by the Peace Corps to assess the challenges and evaluate the benefits of service as a Volunteer in Jordan. It is a marvelous country, with incredible diversity itself, presenting many opportunities for service and growth for any Volunteer. However, opportunities will be maximized when the adjustments required of you by Jordanian reality have, to the extent possible from afar, been realistically anticipated.
What Might A Volunteer Face?
The information below is intended to stimulate thought and discussion. Some of these points are country-specific, some are region-specific. It is important to recognize that these issues may or may not have an impact on your own Volunteer experience. Rather, they are listed to highlight things that one particular group or another may face. As you read, ask yourself, "How would I feel if that happened to me?" and "How could I help other Volunteers if this happened to them?"
Possible Issues for Female Volunteers
Jordan is a traditional, patriarchal culture. Though Jordanian women are gaining more and more authority in the public eye, there are still few women in top positions in government or the private sector. Women, irrespective of the deference shown to them within the family, are usually not given the public status and respect afforded men. You should understand that this is an essential element of a centuries-old society and culture. On the other hand, it is important to note that Jordanians enjoy a greater level of formal, legal, and institutional gender equity than many other Arab societies. While a major challenge for female Volunteers is a reduction in their independent lifestyle, they can still play an important role in modeling behavior that demonstrates to communities the extended capabilities of women. Gender and development activities are an integral part of Peace Corps/Jordan activities.
Female Volunteers may:
- Find that a single woman living alone is contrary to the cultural norm.
- Receive more unwanted and inappropriate attention from young Jordanian men than they would in the United States.
- Experience the perception that they are "loose," therefore, not afforded the respect that conservative Muslim women are given by men on the street.
- Have to work harder than male Volunteers to gain the respect of host country colleagues in the workplace.
- Need to keep a low social profile and practice discretion in public (e.g., smoking in public, drinking in bars, restrictions on dress) to avoid unwanted attention and an undesirable reputation.
Find satisfaction and acceptance in being a part of the "female world" of the community.
Possible Issues for Volunteers of Color
Though Jordanians themselves come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, Volunteers of color may face challenges not faced by other Volunteers. Especially in traditional and isolated rural communities, they may experience extra frustration, even insult, in their work while dealing with rigid preconceptions and historical stereotypes. For example, since many of the domestic help in urban areas come from Asia (Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka), there is often a preconception that they are of a "lower class." Volunteers of Asian heritatage may not fit into the common image Jordanians have of Americans and may be viewed with skepticism.
Volunteers of color may:
- Be the only minority trainee or Volunteer within a particular program.
- Work and live with individuals who have no experience or understanding of their culture.
- Not receive sufficient personal support from other Volunteers.
- Not find minority role models among Peace Corps country staff.
Possible Issues for Senior Volunteers
Age is respected in traditional Islamic societies. The views and opinions of senior members, men or women, will garner more respect and be considered with greater gravity than those of younger individuals. Deference to, and respect for, age is integral in this society. Younger Volunteers may have to work harder than their older colleagues to be accepted as professionals.
Senior Volunteers may:
- Encounter frustrations during training in having their needs met for an effective learning environment.
- Need to be more assertive in developing an effective, individual approach to Arabic studies.
- Feel isolated within the Peace Corps community overseas—most Volunteers are in their 20s.
- Not receive the necessary personal support from younger Volunteers.
- Be reluctant to share personal, sexual, or health concerns.
- Find that younger Volunteers look to them for advice and support. (Some seniors find this an enjoyable part of their Volunteer experience, while others choose not to fill this role.)
Possible Issues for Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual Volunteers
Homosexual Volunteers can expect to encounter difficulties. Jordanian society does not openly acknowledge homosexuality. In fact, homosexual behavior is illegal in Jordan and gay and lesbian rights are not protected under the Jordanian constitution. Homosexual Volunteers must be extremely discreet about their sexual orientation and may encounter particularly trying situations at work and in the community. Many choose not to make their sexual orientation public. Regardless of what is found in the community, Peace Corps is committed to providing support to all Volunteers, regardless of sexual orientation and will work with individuals to address their individual needs.
Gay, lesbian, or bisexual Volunteers may have to contend with:
- Host country acceptance of homosexuality among nationals being different than their acceptance of homosexuality among foreigners.
- Less support from other Volunteers for a homosexual lifestyle. Homosexual Volunteers may serve two years without meeting another gay Volunteer. Also, straight Volunteers and staff may not know how to offer needed support.
- Constant questions about boyfriends or girlfriends, marriage, and sex. Wearing an "engagement ring" can help.
- Most host country homosexuals will have migrated to larger cities while most Volunteers are posted at rural sites, where cultural difficulties may be greater. Relationships with homosexual host country nationals can happen, but as with all cross-cultural relationships, they may not be easy.
- Civil liberties being either nonexistent or ignored; homosexuals may be hassled in clubs or on the street.
- Machismo, i.e., talk of conquest(s), girl-watching, and dirty jokes.
For more information, visit the following website: www. lgbrpcv.org.
Possible Issues for Married Volunteers
While married couples have a built-in support system, they face other challenges that single Volunteers do not. Couples should be sure that they communicate honestly and respect each other's feelings (likely to change on a daily basis and at a different pace for each of them).
Your roles will be different in this culture. A married man may be encouraged to be the more dominant member in the relationship or to have his wife serve him. He may be encouraged to make decisions independent of his spouse's views and be ridiculed if he performs domestic tasks. A married woman may find herself in a less independent role than usual and be expected to perform all the domestic chores.
Additionally, competition may cause unease; one spouse may learn language or adjust faster than the other. There may be differences in job satisfaction and/or professional adaptation.
One spouse may be more enthusiastic about joining the Peace Corps, be better able to adapt to the new physical and/or cultural environmen, and be less or more homesick than the other. Younger Volunteers may look to couples for advice and support.
Possible Religious Issues for Volunteers
For many in America, faith and religion are distinct from other aspects of their lives. In Jordan, Islam shapes every aspect of daily life. This can call for adjustments on your part given the amount of interest or curiosity you'll experience regarding your religious observance or the lack of privacy that will be accorded to this personal matter. All Volunteers need to think carefully about how they will respond to questions about religious beliefs and observance. Declarations of agnostic, atheistic, multi-theistic, or other beliefs will elicit responses varying from confusion to intolerance.
Jewish Volunteers, in particular, can expect to be challenged with respect to religion and politics. Jordan is an Arab country in which the predominant religion is Islam. Furthermore, more than 60 percent of Jordan's population are Palestinians. While they reside in and are citizens of Jordan, Palestinians first came here as refugees from a land that currently forms parts of Israel. Particularly with respect to the Palestinian question, the Middle East has long been subject to conflict—ideological, religious, ethnic, political, and sometimes physical—between the Arab states and Israel. Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1994. However, there are still very few Jews in Jordan except for some members of the expatriate community and no opportunities for public worship.
For many Jordanians, being Jewish equates with Zionism, and they assume that all Americans (Jewish and non-Jewish) are pro-Israel, a political position not generally accepted in Jordan. As a result, if you are Jewish and your religious beliefs or background become known, your efficacy and safety as a Volunteer could be compromised. For non-observant Christians, people may wonder (directly or indirectly) whether you are Jewish. Peace Corps recognizes that there are pros and cons to whatever coping strategy a Volunteer chooses, and we encourage you to consider each of your options carefully. Although the Peace Corps will support all Volunteers' decisions regarding revealing their religion, most Jewish Volunteers have not felt comfortable doing so.


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Report WORD (94K)
Date: January 9, 2013
Honorable Armando Vilaseca
Commissioner of Education
Vermont Department of Education
120 State Street
Montpelier, Vermont 05620-2501
Dear Commissioner Vilaseca:
During the week of September 17-19, a team from the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs (SASA) office reviewed the Vermont Department of Education's (VTDOE) administration of the Title III program authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended. Enclosed is a report based upon the review of the Title III program.
The report includes a brief description of the scope of the monitoring review, recommendations and findings, and required corrective actions resulting from the review. The VTDOE has 30 business days from receipt of this report to respond to all findings cited in the report. We will review the State's response to determine if all findings have been addressed sufficiently and request additional information, if necessary. We will allow 30 business days for the State to submit additional information or work with the State to identify a reasonable timeline that allows the State to address and correct all findings. A State that has significant unresolved non-compliance findings or findings that are repeated from one monitoring review to the next may have a condition placed on the grant award. Please note that the findings cited in the report reflect the status of compliance in Vermont at the time of the onsite review.
The ED team would like to thank Mr. Jim McCobb for his hard work and assistance before and during the review. We look forward to continuing to work with you and your staff to address the needs of English language learners.
Paul (Sandy) Brown
Acting Director, Student Achievement and
School Accountability Program
Cc: Jim McCobb, Coordinator, Title III (English Language Acquisition) Program, VTDOE


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SHR Exclusive Die-cast
I picked this up today, Its a 1965 Chevelle Flashcoat finish autographed by smoke! This is 1 of 37. These were only sold through the gift shop at SHR, you had to go there they would not ship them. This is a really cool piece and it the first time I have seen him sign smoke.


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There is one user account on your Debian system that has the power to change anything: the root account. By power, I mean absolute power. The root user account can read, replace, or remove any file. It can read or write to any attached device. It can read or write to any part of the computer's memory. If there's even a mere suspicion that a piece of software is buggy or poses a security risk, there's no way you should run it as root.
Because of the power of the root account, sensible system administrators take a good deal of care when using it. The best rule of thumb is to do only the bare minimum of operations as root. Different users take different views on how to minimize root usage. Increasingly, Unix-like operating systems take the approach of going as far as to disable the root account and to use privilege-gaining tools such as
sudo to give normal users the ability to run programs as the root user when required.
This article introduces using
sudo to restrict superuser privileges. It is a good idea for you to get used to
sudo now, as the rest of this series will use it wherever you need root access to perform a task.
There are several ways to access the root account. The first is simply to log in to the machine's console as the root user. In normal operation, this is a bad idea, as it tends to encourage excessive use of the root account. However, when in single user mode for repair tasks, it's perfectly acceptable.
In normal operation, a user logs in to the system under his or her own account and wants to become root in order to run privileged commands. The
su program lets you do this. The following example shows what happens when you use
su to become root.
user@host:~$ su -
enter root's password here
You can use
su to switch to any user's account by giving his or her username (and knowing the right password!).
The example shows the normal Debian command-line prompts in full, to show how they change when root successfully logs in. To save space in the future, I will normally use only the
$ prompt to denote the use of a normal user account and
# to denote a root login.
The hyphen argument (
-) to
su instructs it to behave as if root had logged in on the console, so that it executes whatever shell customizations are set up. The root user has the home directory /root by default, and using
su - will place you in that directory. Terminate the root session by exiting the shell with Ctrl-D or
su to start a root shell session is almost as tempting for bad habits as a console login, however. Although you can give the
--command option to
su to execute a single command, rather than entire shell, retyping root's password each time becomes tiresome. Furthermore, using
su means that you have to share the root password with anyone else who wants to run a program as root. Additionally, you can't restrict what those users can do as root. It may well be that you want them to run only one or two commands that require root privileges, not have dominion over your entire system.
sudo program provides a solution to these problems and allows a more flexible and controllable approach to regulating root privileges. Install it by becoming root conventionally with
su and using the
aptitude package manager to install the software. An upcoming column in this series will explain fully how to install the software.
$ su -
# aptitude install sudo
After installing
sudo, you must give your normal user account full privileges. To do this, run the
visudo command as root. This will start up a text editor showing
sudo's configuration file. Find the line reading
root ALL=(ALL) ALL and copy it, substituting your username for root. Write out the file and quit the text editor.
The cautionary notice is shown only the first time you run
Now, quit the root login and log in to your regular user account. To test your new privileges, run
whoami both with and without
$ whoami
$ sudo whoami
We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local system
administrator. It usually boils down to these two things:
1. Respect the privacy of others.
2. Think before you type.
here, enter your own password
From now on, you can prefix all commands that you need to run as root with
sudo and just use your own password. If you use
sudo again within 15 minutes, you won't need to reenter the password. If you add your user to the
sudo group, you need never enter your password to use
sudo. Assign this privilege with extreme care!
Related Reading
Debian System
visudo calls your preferred text editor, rather than only
vi! On a new system, this is the easy-to-use
nano, so don't worry if you're not a
vi expert.
The /etc/sudoers configuration file controls the use of
sudo. You should never edit the file directly, but only through the use of the
visudo command. The expression of permissions in
sudoers is very flexible, allowing a tight degree of control over what others can run.
For example, to give the user
fred the ability to run the
kill program as root, add the following line to
fred ALL = /usr/bin/kill
ALL means that the command can be run on any machine, which is useful if you are sharing the
sudoers configuration over multiple machines on a network. The manual page describes the
sudoers file format in detail; read it with
man sudoers. Its very powerful flexibility allows fine-grained control over the allocation of privileges to users.
If you are happy with
sudo, you may wish to disable root's password completely, meaning that everybody must use
sudo to execute privileged commands. Do this with
sudo passwd -l root. To reverse the process, run
sudo passwd -u root.
One or two problems that arise from relying on
sudo exclusively can mean you need to be careful. These coincide with the use of systems such as NIS or LDAP to control user accounts--these systems use (possibly remote) databases to provider user information. If an operation you run under
sudo causes these services to fail, you will not be able to run
sudo again to get out of the mess, due to the system's not being able to find information on your user account.
The answer to this is either to not disable the root login, to perform such dangerous operations in a root shell, or to use
sudo -s to start a root shell session. Although such situations are rare, you should be aware of this risk, especially when running a development version of Debian, where failure during software upgrade is a possibility. Also, you can configure NIS or LDAP to fall back to a local user database, in which you can create yourself a backup account.
The best way to learn about root privileges on your Debian system is to read the manual pages for
su and
sudo. Do this with the
man command.
Edd Dumbill is co-chair of the O'Reilly Open Source Convention. He is also chair of the XTech web technology conference. Edd conceived and developed Expectnation, a hosted service for organizing and producing conferences. Edd has also been Managing Editor for XML.com, a Debian developer, and GNOME contributor. He writes a blog called Behind the Times.
Return to the Linux DevCenter.
Copyright © 2017 O'Reilly Media, Inc.


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Are Oahu's crosswalk buttons useless in some high traffic areas?
Push the button and nothing happens.
The city's Department of Transportation Services has known about this for years. In fact, the city is responsible for the change.
Thousands of pedestrians walk alongside our busy streets every day.
"In a place like Honolulu, especially the urban areas, pedestrians are a large part of our movement. For many people, that's their primary way of getting around," said Mark Garrity, the Deputy Director of the Department of Transportation Services.
Rush hour is spent rushing across roads or waiting for the light to change.
So for many, pushing the walk button has become automatic whenever they get to an intersection.
"Every time someone has to hit the button. If you're late and there is no one on the other side to hit the button the walk light doesn't turn on," said Kaneohe resident Christina Ramosaea.
Honolulu resident Walter Chun has also spent his time waiting at the corner.
"I've waited as long as a minute and a half sometimes for the light to change. You have to be patient," said Chun.
What about those who repeatedly push the walk button, does that make a difference?
"No, it really doesn't help at all," added Chun.
In some areas, pedestrians don't even need to push the walk button once.
"At busier intersections the walk signal will come on automatically. So whether or not the person pushes the button, it will actually turn on with the next cycle," stated Garrity.
The city switched to automatic signals in parts of downtown Honolulu and Waikiki.
Even though they made the switch years ago, many pedestrians still push the walk button repeatedly.
"Usually when you get to the corner you go pop-pop-pop, right?" asked Big Island resident Steve Nakamura.
Even finding out the crosswalk signals are automatically synced may not put an end to the button-pushing.
Some say, they'll press on. Just because it sure seems to speed things up.
"Oh yeah, give it one tap," said Nakamura with a laugh.
The city doesn't switch from automatic mode during rush hours to manual mode at night. It keeps those usually busy pedestrian areas synced 24 hours a day.


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Lois' flower has died back, but the Cockrell Butterfly Center still has many amazing flowers blooming right now!
Although not all as rare as the corpse flower, the rainforest in the butterfly center is made up of hundreds of hard-to-find tropical plant species, most of which (but not all) come from Central and South America. We have many different varieties of orchids and bromeliads that bloom at different times of the year, so there is always something new to see at the Cockrell Butterfly Center!
What's Blooming Now?
Bromeliad – Billbergia nutans
Bromeliads are a very diverse family of plants. We currently have nine different genera, and many different species, of bromeliads growing in the butterfly center. Most of them are epiphytes but we do have a few terrestrial genera including, everyone's favorite, Ananus comosum, aka pineapple.
|Billbergia nutans
The Orchid family is the second largest family of flowering plants, consisting of around 25,000 species. Different orchids bloom at different time through out the year, so no matter what season you are sure to see at least a couple species of orchids in bloom at the Cockrell Butterfly Center. Also, keep an eye out for our vanilla orchid, not in bloom right now, but still a fascinating vine.
The butterfly center has many different species of ginger, most of which stay in bloom all year round. However, the Torch Ginger, Etlingera elatior, only occasionally flowers, and right now it is putting up three flower spikes, the tallest is over SIX FEET tall.
|Etlingera elatior
Other Amazing Flowers
Medinilla is an epiphyte, meaning it attaches itself to trees or branches in the wild. From afar the flowers look like clusters of tiny pink grapes.
Although not a flower, Nepenthes or Pitcher Plants are definitely a sight to behold. We currently have four species of pitcher plants, each with a slightly different color, size, and shape.
Nepenthes are carnivorous plants that eat mostly small insects such as ants and flies. For more information about pitcher plants refer to my previous blog: Beautiful, but Dangerous: the Fascinating Pitcher Plant.
Warszewiczia coccinea
And we can't forget about the butterflies favorite tree, Warszewiczia coccinea or Pride of Trinidad. This tree remains in bloom almost all year at the butterfly center, but it is putting on a fresh set of flowers right now, meaning the color is at its most vibrant. This tree is the butterflies' favorite because each inflorescence actually contains hundreds of small yellow flower, each containing nectar for them.
|Warszewiczia coccinea
And the list goes on! These are just a few of the amazing plants we have blooming in the Cockrell Butterfly Center right now. So come on down to HMNS and get a taste of a South American rainforest here in your own back yard.
Interested in learning more about plants? Read more of Zac's posts and make sure to check out our live webcam feed tomorrow as Zac replants Lois, the famous corpse flower.


text: I can also see him as a starter. But if he starts, we have nothing off the bench. He's the crowd pleaser, he needs to come in when STAT or Melo takes a seat...I just don't see anyone else on our team be that guy..Like Nate...come in and fire up the crowd...get the others going..


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I apologize for delay in updating. Between planning fundraisers, the holiday celebrations, my amazing daughter Jessa visiting from Alaska, my darling grandson Rylin here, and my travels, I have been derelict in my blogging duties,
We had a very successful Spaghetti Dinner on Nov 3 thanks to the strong support of our community. In my heart, I realize that these community gathering events would not be possible without the sacrifices made by our military to protect our freedoms.
With tremendous thanks, the Board of Directors and officers of COLLIER HOUSE appreciate the VFW hosting our event. Thank you for supporting our mission to bring peace to the world, one family at a time.
I want to thank the 2012 SPAGHETTI DINNER PRODUCTION CREW! Without all of your time, effort, support, cheerleading, background work, advertising, auction prep, our dinner would not have been such a success! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I am also amazed by the musical talent of Joe Cantafio. Thank you, Joe, for spending your Saturday night singing for us. You rock!
"Just Duet" once again entertained our dinner crowd with their wonderful musical talent. Ladies, you are blessed with great talent and I appreciate your sharing your evening with us. Thank you!
In addition to the production crew, I would like to thank all the local businesses and artists who supported the auction with donations:
Boone Creek Golf Center, Carol Urban, Chris Campo of Fantasy Factory, Classic Cinema, "C" You at the Movies, Camp Bow Wow, Chapel Hill Florist, Claws and Paws, Crystal Lake Olive Tap, Crystal Lake Barnes and Noble, Culver's, D15 ECE Team D15 OT/PT, D47 OT/PT staff, Eckel's Flea Market, Epic Bikes, Expressly Leslie, Foxhole Pizza, Gail Schneider, Illinois State Bank, Karen Fuechsl, Karen Kingsbury, Kiera Confections, Laurie Jacobs, Linda and Bill Schuberth, Linda G'eez, Lorraine's Memories Scrapbooking Shop, Marita's, McHenry Ed's Rental, McHenry Harley-Davidson, McHenry Tae Kwon Do Academy, McHenry Starbuck's, Nye's Auto, O'Grady's Barber Shop, Pet Central, Plum Garden, Poul's Landscaping, Rave Waves Detailing, Read Between the Lynes, Riverside Chocolates, Salon Unique, SEDOM CENTER OT/PT staff, Stonewall Orchard Golf Course, , Sweet Pea Cupcakes, Swiss Maid Bakery, The Sugar Circle, Tropical Stop Tanning Spa, Verlo Mattress, Victoria Rose B&B, Woodstock Harley-Davidson, Woodstock Interiors Anew, Woodstock Thoughtfulness Shop, World Wide Traveler.
I also want to thank the generous folks who bid on the auction items, came to dinner and made donations the COLLIER HOUSE. Without the financial support of the community, we would not be able to continue our mission to provide free respite housing for families in crisis.
But mostly, I want to thank my wonderful family. which has carried me through this journey to COLLIER HOUSE. May the sacrifice of Collier and our military never be taken for granted.
Peace… a way of life,


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More focus on results, not on rules
One of the conclusions a consultant who conducted an "audit" of West Virginia public schools reached amounts to recommending less reliance on rules and more on results.
The consultant issued dozens of specific suggestions for improving schools in our state. One of them was that the state Department of Education is too big and costly and should be pared down. And, the consultant added, both the department and the Legislature have burdened educators with too many requirements that don't really add to the quality of schools.
State Board of Education members are about to begin a nationwide search for a new West Virginia superintendent of schools – and they face precisely the concern the consultant identified.
It is expected the coming year will be one in which substantial changes are made in how children are educated in West Virginia. State Board of Education members want to find the very best person they can to lead that reform campaign.
But their first concern must be whether candidates for the job meet requirements set down by the Legislature.
State law stipulates the superintendent must hold a master's degree in education administration or better, have worked in public schools at least five years, and have "recognized ability as a school administrator." How that last can be proven is beyond us.
But other requirements may require the state board to reject applicants who hold great promise. For example, a candidate with a doctoral degree, great references, decades of experience and "recognized ability" might have to be turned down because he lacks that master's in education administration.
Legislators should give the board more flexibility in its search for a new superintendent. That should be among the first actions lawmakers take when they begin work on a sweeping campaign to improve public schools early next year.


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Week 2 (ish) – ChinaMonday, June 17th, 2013
"Why am I here?" The simple answer to this question is I am here to prepare for the main part of my summer program with Amity; namely to teach Chinese teachers how to more effectively teach English in the Chinese school system. In order to do this we have to first become English teachers in China. We were told by our program coordinator that this time teaching in the countryside is not a big part of our program. Our main focus is to observe English classes and then experience the challenges of teaching, by hosting our own classes.
When I came here to this school in the beginning I was expecting to teach English. However, the classes I teach are lectures that give the students cultural background about the United States. I do not consider this teaching. Instead, I am a lecturer to a crowed that only understands basic spoken English. The more I "teach" and the more I observe English classes the better I begin to understand the education system.
In my previous time spent in China, my focus was on learning the language and culture to better understand China as a whole. Although I knew about the Gaokao (college entrance examination in China) and strict education regulation I did not completely understand or experience how it works. Now as a "teacher" and observer of English classes at a rural school in China I have gained a surprisingly new and different perspective. The education system in China focuses on one test, the Gaokao. Thus, when teachers give classes they "teach to the test". Students are not encouraged to ask questions and are given little opportunity to voice their opinion. Classes are memorization. They are not forced to output/speak English or to listen and comprehend English. The students career and a lot of their future depend on the Gaokao. Doing well is the main priority. As a result, important aspects of language learning are ignored to perfect/memorize the type of English questions that are present on the test- which do not include any speaking or listening.
There are many more discrepancies in the Chinese education system that make it easy for a student to fall through the cracks or cause incomplete knowledge –such as with English that are hard to ignore but my focus for this time is language learning. (I should also say that education is a big and very important part of Chinese culture the stress put on a Chinese student is very different than that on an American student. China as in every country has flaws and areas of improvement especially in education.)
I want to be able to make a direct influence or help in a bigger way. It is hard to contain my desire to push for some change. But for now all I can do is observe the how English is taught and crate a way to grow the way English is taught in China. In the second half of our program, Amity interns and I will create a new teaching method for English teachers in China. The goal of the second half of the program is to teach English teachers how to effectively incorporate oral and listening comprehension in and out of class in a way that fits with the demands of an education system reared completely towards the Gaokao.
At the end of my week I was finally able to breakthrough to the students! During class I created activities that my students were able to engage in, they were more confident in speaking, and willing to volunteer for both questions and answers! It was great! Although most the students still laugh at the energy I bring to the classroom, I think of it as a way they show engagement and I hope that some of my energy rubs off (which it seems to be doing). My first class on Monday compared to my last class on Friday was quiet, timid, shy, giggly, and not willing to engage any further than laughing. By Friday all the students were engaged, enthusiastically raising their hand with questions, comfortable speaking English despite mistakes and overly energetic and open to participate in class. Teaching with energy takes a lot of energy! During the school day I do not realize how tired I am or how much effort I put into class. When I return to my hotel at night is when I feel exhausted but still have to work on altering lesson plans. Being a teacher is a handful! But the engagement of students (good days) make it well worth it!!
This environment is drastically different than their usually English class, which consist of a teacher lecturing them in Chinese about English grammar and multiple choice worksheets. After discussing with one of the English teachers in the school we identified that the problem was no motivation or time to focus on speaking and listening comprehension because the Gaokao focuses on reading and writing. Confidence, willingness and motivation to speak English are thus lacking in the students. In this short observation/lecture period at Huashan High school it is my goal to build those characteristics in the students' even if just a little.
Also on another note it is time for the middle school students to take the High school entrance exam! It is taken pretty seriously. My job this weekend is security check. Scanning students with metal detectors and counting to make sure that no one is sneaking in. Here are some pictures!


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Lori Ann (Hessling) Miller
Lori Ann (Hessling) Miller of Beach Lake, PA passed away just before sunrise on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013 at home, surrounded by her loving family after a courageous and long-fought battle with cancer. She was 53.
The funeral service was held at the Beach Lake Free Methodist Church on Friday, April 5, 2013. Pastor Chris Freet officiated.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Beach Lake Free Methodist Church, Lori Miller Sewing Mission Fund, P.O. Box 8, Beach Lake, PA 18405.
Alene Ann Ritz
Alene Ann Ritz of Lake Huntington, NY passed away peacefully on April 3, 2013 with her loving husband, Thomas Ritz, by her side. She was 56.
The family will hold a memorial at a later date.
Memorial contributions in loving memory of Alene Ritz can be made to the Cochecton Youth Commission, PO Box 164, Lake Huntington, NY 12752 or Town of Cochecton Volunteer Ambulance Corps, PO Box 4, Lake Huntington, NY.
Paul Francis Yonchik Sr.
The Family of Paul Francis Yonchik Sr. of Hortonville, NY, announces his passing into eternal life on April 3, 2013. He was 90.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Church Street Long Eddy, NY. The Reverend Charles O'Connor officiated.
Burial will be private at the convenience of the family.


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Logistics remains an essential part of end-to-end supply chain management. This week Forbes focuses on the "last-mile challenge," getting affordable products that provide essential value to billions of poor populations around the world.
This challenge is complicated by poor infrastructure, geographical isolation, and limited access to relevant information. "The consequence—which can affect both urban and rural populations—is that products providing essential value either do not reach the intended customers or are more expensive or lower quality than the standard products that are accessible by other populations," write Nicolas Chevrollier and Stéphanie Schmidt.
The authors point to social entrepreneurs and their innovative alternative distribution schemes, from which all supply chain and operations professionals can learn. These ideas include:
Infrastructure and the supply chain
The Forbes article suggests that logistics professionals look to some nontraditional resources in order to solve the last-mile challenge. Think about how logistics can be a boom or bust to your overall supply chain strategy. As companies grow and advance their value chains in emerging markets, supply chain leaders will have to innovate in order to be successful.
In its January/February 2014 issue, APICS magazine's Elizabeth Rennie closely examines the global infrastructure's impact on the overall supply chain. She writes: "During this period of incredible complexity—with goods being hindered from flowing efficiently and businesses facing serious hurdles to timely operation—innovative supply chain managers are rethinking global infrastructure strategies."
Cesar Mendes, CPIM, is head of supply chain for Amyris and is cited in the APICSmagazine article. Beyond considering the logistics challenges associated with his work in Brazil, Mendes says his job includes analysis of local economies and their cultural and social environments, as well as strategies for achieving consistency. When doing business in a new or emerging market, he advises considering the area's growth, along with workforce preparedness, stability of average wages, and shifting class structures. "The supply chain design process depends on the evaluation of multiple scenarios … which is not an easy task," Mendes says.
As we've seen, supply chain management is often complex; however, there are many examples of innovation and creativity by supply chain professionals. By providing various resources, including APICS magazine, APICS seeks to help supply chain professionals innovate in their businesses and their field. To find out how APICS can help you and your company, visit apics.org.
Type the code from the image


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The time machine
There's no time like the present, according to the old adage. While it seems prudent to be in the moment, there's something to be said for revisiting the past once in a while, and planning for the future often comes in handy. The past week provided opportunities to do all three, and I'm still basking in the glow of reconnecting with old friends, thanks to social networking. For those of you who have chosen to eschew Facebook (and I'm sure you have your reasons) I'm here to testify. I hit a milestone on the site today totaling one thousand "friends" on FB (www.facebook.com) and while that may seem absurd, without the Internet wunderkind, Mark Zuckerberg, my reunion with childhood chums scattered around the country would likely never have occurred.
There is nothing quite like first love, and my nursery school valentine, Judith, emerged from the shadows (via Facebook) years ago. We have stayed in contact ever since. Although we had not seen each other in more than 40 years, it's been fun to catch up, see pics of the kids and discover that our dogs (www.facebook.com/DharmaTheWonderDog) have Facebook pages of their own. Back then, she was "Judy" and I was "that Jon Fox," and although much has evolved in our lives, as it turns out, some things never change. When Judith informed that she would be in Big Indian, NY (www.fullmoonresort.com) for a family wedding, we set about figuring out the logistics of getting together while she was visiting the Catskills. Excited at the prospect, I was unsure that I could do it, since my dance card was full (as usual) with events to attend all across the Upper Delaware Valley. As my mind reeled with memories of Judith, elementary school and puppy love, I pulled into the lot at CAS (www.catskillartsociety.org) and immersed myself in the world of legendary artist Mark Rothko, courtesy of Liberty Free Theatre's Paul Austin, CAS's Bradley Diuguid and their reading of the play "Red," which focuses on a year in the life of a complicated, egomaniacal and influential man whose abstract expressionistic paintings sparked controversy and set the art world on its ear. Austin (www.libertyfreetheater.org) and Diuguid brought the play vividly to life, without sets, costumes, or props, simply by their strong acting skills, and I was impressed. I'm not a fan of Rothko himself and his paintings never moved me, but the story of his life and relationship with his assistant (played by Diuguid) was (IMHO) riveting theatre, and I plan to revisit his work now that I know more about his past. In the near future (October 26) others will have the opportunity to experience "Red" at the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (www.artsalliancesite.org) in Narrowsburg, NY and demand has been high (two encore performances) for this theatrical experience, so reservations are highly recommended.
Hearing Judy's voice on the other end of the phone (for the first time in decades) was cool, and I was amused that she was taken aback by me "sounding like an adult, rather than a seven-year-old," as we worked out the details. Her step-son's wedding was on Saturday, and I was booked for hosting The River Reporter's photo booth (www.facebook.com/theriverreporter) at Pumpkin Fest in Barryville, NY, so we decided that Sunday would work, and I used the Internet to figure out where the heck she was. Pumpkin Fest was a blast, with a packed crowd of costumed kids, adults, and contests involving scarecrows, canines, a bake-off, and the always popular pie-eating competition. Co-sponsored by Thunder 102, (like 'em on Facebook) Pumpkin Fest was spectacular, and I spent the day taking snapshots of the festivities, while calling in to the radio station to report live from the location (www.barryvillesportsman.com). Exhausted, I headed home, but made a pit-stop at the Fort Delaware Museum on the way to check out the "Haunted History Lantern Tour" (www.fortdelawaremuseum.org) and paused momentarily to observe the "Colonial-attired suspects" touring guests around the site, sharing spooky secrets and whispered conversations about "Who killed Joseph Skinner?" Present-day visitors peeked into the past at the fort, while I mused about my approaching trip and the upcoming visit with Judy.
In an instant, the past and present collided as she stood before me, all grown up. We hugged and held hands as introductions ensued, and I met Judith's husband, their kids and friends, all of whom had gathered in New York for the nuptials. Our five-hour visit skidded by in a flash, as we reminisced, caught up and marveled at the time span that vanished in the blink of an eye. Childhood memories flooded our conversation as we made plans for the future, peppered with anecdotes from days gone by, while Dharma played football with the kids, gnawing on an apple and being admired. Living in the present is wise, but there is something special about reconnecting with one's past and social networking makes it easy. Do thoughts of old friends cross your mind? Find them on Facebook and start making new memories. It's fun to step into the time machine.


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Eat More, Weigh Less? provides information about cutting caloric intake to successfully lose weight. Details include a list of nutritious and filling foods, healthy ingredient substitutes for recipes, and ways to cut calories without eating less.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
This quit smoking program helps you re-learn your life without cigarettes. The EX Plan helps you see quitting not as one big war, but as a number of little battles you can actually win. Includes tools to chart your progress and set your quit smoking date.
This guide shows you many types of exercise and physical activity. It also has lots of tips to help you be active in ways that suit your lifestyle, interests, health, and budget, whether you're just starting out, getting back to exercising after a break, or fit enough to run a 3-mile race. It's for everyone—people who are healthy and those who live with an ongoing health problem or disability. En español
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
This tip sheet describes ways to get more active to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
This booklet provides tips and ideas to improve your eating plan and become more physically active before, during, and after your pregnancy.
Weight-Control Information Network (WIN)
This online program helps you begin the journey to quit smoking by taking you through a series of modules with activities designed to help you prepare to quit and stay committed.
American Lung Association (ALA)
This application for the iPhone and iPad provides users with instant access to diabetes nutrition facts for making healthy eating choices.
Go Meals
Go4Life is a campaign from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) designed to help you fit exercise and physical activity into your daily life.
Go4Life-National Institute on Aging (NIA)
This DVD, designed for older adults, features strength, balance, and flexibility exercises that can be done at home, at work, or at the gym.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
This guide from the American Cancer Society® offers information on how to quit smoking.
American Cancer Society (ACS)
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Prom season is in full swing, but a night to remember often comes with a tab that high school students and their parents won't soon forget.
Unless you or your teenager is going through the event yourself, it's easy to forget everything that goes into that big night.
The tickets. Food. Transportation. Hair. Makeup. Shoes.
And this year's prom could be the most expensive yet on record.
But Martha Meyer, a senior at Middleton High School, is just one student who is not buying into an expensive prom.
This year's prom will be Meyer's second at Middleton High.
"We're seniors, so I feel like your first prom is the bigger deal," said Meyer.
So Martha decided to go to Citrine, a vintage clothing store on State Street, to search for a dress that would not blow up her budget.
"A hundred, I think, would be the max," said Meyer of her prom budget, which would be a fraction of what most teens will spend on the big dance this year.
According to a survey by VISA, high school students will spend about $1,100 on average on prom night.
"A lot of people treat it as like the end all, be all, and there are other days you can do stuff extravagant," said Martha.
Pricey proms seem to be bringing more people to roam used clothing racks or looking for secondhand sparkle at consignment shops, like The Pink Poodle on Madison's west side.
"There's definitely been an uptick this year compared to other years, but its always been a good business for us, even in other years," said Pink Poodle co-owner Joe Testa.
Testa can mark down the used gowns to a third of the actual price.
And since money is tighter for many, selling thriftier dresses makes for good business.
"They'll start looking as early as December or January, because they know that we have it and they want to get first dibs," said Testa.
Once Meyer says yes to her dress, her prom purchases are done.
"The tickets are 20 bucks," said Meyer. "Other than that, we're literally spending no other money."
For a budget far below that four-digit national average, Meyer is happy to pass on those steep price tags.
VISA conducts this survey every prom season.
This year the credit card company found that Midwestern families are expected to spend the least of any in the country: $722 on average.


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BSC's Students Visits State Supreme Court on Higher Education Day (w/photo)
CreatedTuesday, February 23 2010
Created byJim Nelson/Media Relations - (304) 327-4103 firstname.lastname@example.com
Bluefield State College students, faculty, and staff participated in the recent West Virginia Higher Education Day at the State Legislature. Additionally, students in Dr. James Voelker's "State & Local Government" class took a guided tour of the State Supreme Court of Appeals and received a special presentation by Supreme Court Clerk Rory Perry. Pictured at the State Supreme Court are BSC students (front row, left-to-right) Priscilla Miles, Traci Johnson (seated), Whitney Hunt, and (standing, left-to-right) A.J. Carr, Sean Mullins (BSC's Frazier-Singleton Scholar, who served as a legislative intern and was selected to speak during the House of Delegates' regular session on February 19, 2010), Jeanene Puckett, and BSC Professor of Political Science Dr. James Voelker.


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Every ONE can make a difference
Start volunteeringMake a difference in your community today.Sign up here
Mayor's Mentoring ChallengeJoin Mayor Emanuel and the Illinois Mentoring Partnership in the Mayor's Mentoring Challenge, a two-year initiative seeking 1,000 residents to serve as new mentors for Chicago's youth. Ensure all of our youth have the tools and support they need to reach their full potential!Become a mentor today!
Chicago Volunteer ExpoVisit the Chicago Volunteer Expo on Sunday, February 28, from 10 am to 4 pm, at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. It's a one-stop shop for Chicagoans looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities.Learn more
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There are three primary categories for virtue the Christian/theist will affirm. The first are the transcendental virtues: truth, beauty, and goodness. The second set is the theological virtues: faith, hope, and love/charity. Then there are the four cardinal virtues: prudence, courage, patience, and justice. It's my belief that every Christian must practice epistemic humility. What is that? Well, epistemic humility, in the sense I'll be using it, refers to an application of the four cardinal virtues in the area of epistemology (knowledge). Each of these virtues have a respective vice. For instance, the virtue of moderation would appear as a vice in addiction.
The virtue of epistemic prudence is know when and how to appropriate your knowledge to others. Have you ever noticed that person in class or in church that seems to be the 'know-it-all,' whether they actually are or not? Of course, it's worse when they're simply ignorant of what they're talking about, but not only is this person annoying but there may be several issues rooted in the flaunting of knowledge. There's nothing wrong with sharing you're knowledge but, like I said, it's how and when you share it.


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First Thursday: The Art of Comedy*Thursday, February 6th, 2014
High school students only.
*Registration Required
What is comedy? It's stand-up, humorous story telling, making liquids come out of all the holes in your friends' faces. In this interactive workshop, comedic storyteller and stand-up comic Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, (SF Bay Guardian's Best Comedian, 2013 and frequent storyteller on NPR's Snap Judgment) will help participants explore the various facets of comedy as well as share her (hilarious) challenges and triumphs in the world of professional comedy.
Click here to register.Call (415) 389-4292 x3 for more information.Thank you to the Mill Valley Library Foundation and the Friends for their generous support of Library programs and services.
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Medal of Honor ReviewBy Abbie Heppe - Posted Oct 12, 2010
All-in-all, MoH might not belong in the highest echelon of military shooters, but it certainly comes close. The short, but punchy, single-player is nicely bolstered by the squad based multiplayer and, though that lacks a bit of the customization and replayability of its counterparts, it's far better than standard FPS fare. Controversial? Not so much, but MoH definitely tells a compelling story without being just another clichéd war scenario.
The Pros
- Engaging storyline and characters
- Lighting and environmental effects make for great settings
- Multiplayer plays to the squad element of the game very well
The Cons
- Single-player campaign is very short
- Some minor technical glitches in the campaign
- Shooter veterans may experience some deja vu
While Medal of Honor has garnered a fair amount of pre-release controversy in the mainstream press, it would be a stretch to label the game controversial (at least after they took out the ability to play as the Taliban), unless you firmly believe in the infallibility of government and intelligence agencies, or worship the very ground Dick Cheney walks on. Instead, Medal of Honor is a solid military shooter wrapped in a timely package.
"War is too important to be left to politicians"
Taking place 6 months after the events of 9/11, the plot centers around an intel mission that goes awry, which turns into a desperate rescue attempt in dangerous mountain terrain occupied by thousands of Taliban operatives. The core group of Tier 1 combatants is Voodoo, Preacher, Mother and Rabbit with sniper and infiltration support courtesy of Deuce and Dusty (the bearded "face" of MoH). Much to the game's credit, for the small amount of character development you can do in a short and fast paced shooter, I actually remembered the names of -- and developed some attachment to -- my squad.
While the aforementioned SEAL group is busy uncovering Taliban stronghold after Taliban stronghold, back at mission control, the commanding officer is frantically trying to buy time for the team, while also attempting to placate a government official who demands that the Army rangers be sent in immediately. There's no grey area: the embedded officer and SEAL team clearly think sending in more troops is a bad idea and the pasty, balding suit -- who vaguely brings to mind Dick Cheney -- has no rationale for his demand, only the implied perception that it will look good for the war effort. If there were a controversial aspect to this game, it would be here. The stance the game takes is decidedly to leave things in the hands of the military personnel who actually understand the situation and the characters take many outright digs at poor intelligence collection.
"Victory at all costs"
Now, the single player campaign is short even by the ever increasingly condensed storylines of comparable games. It clocks in about 4.5-5 hours without skipping cutscenes and is easily conquered in 4 if you do skip them. Despite being short, there is no fat or filler and the experience is exciting, surprising, and engaging without derailing into Micheal Bay-ish action extremes. What works so well for Medal of Honor is the variety of gameplay and the way it swings from putting you on the offensive to the defensive and even into desperate territory: moments where you are being pursued, entrenched with rapidly depleting ammo or being forced to take a bone-breaking plunge before taking a bullet. There is one particular "wow" of a cutscene that I won't spoil, but the most impressive moments are all in-game. This is mostly thanks to the particle effects, how beautifully the game renders the aftermath of air strikes, and the day and nighttime play of light on snow and sand.
"War never changes"
It's not the most extraordinarily unique game -- sniping, calling in air support and blasting through corridors are hallmarks of any modern military shooter -- but MoH measures up to the best of it's genre for the most part.
A large angle of the MoH marketing campaign has been dedicated to promoting the game's consultation with actual Tier 1 operatives and while that is clearly represented in the story, the actual combat feels very familiar with a few small tweaks: sliding into cover feels smooth, choosing between single, and burst fire rounds for each gun, which should be mandatory in shooters. MoH taps into tactical elements like suppressive fire well, though it is ultimately a basic shoot-to-kill game when it had the potential to ask more of the player. Even the stealth scenes are so scripted as to prevent a truly stealthy attack. Also, given the gravity of the subject matter, the headshot signifier feels a bit out of place and remains on-screen too long to prove informative during larger shoot-outs though, conceptually, it's a fun idea.
Even with polish on so much of the game, the mechanics were an infrequent, yet irritating, source of betrayal. The friendly AI is wildly varied in their ability to provide help and the enemy AI can be seen getting trapped in geometry, appearing from nowhere and skating across portions of the map. While generally great shots, my squadmates allowed enemies to get behind us at very inopportune times, resulting in my death, despite 3 Army rangers plugging away at one unscathed Taliban operative. I also ran into several glitches on two playthroughs that caused me to have to restart checkpoints. Following commands to place explosives on and detonate a mounted gun after reaching a safe distance, I found that doing the actions in step with my squadmates direction would cause them to freeze up and block the path. Even chucking a friendly fire grenade (Because, that's what you do, right?) at them wouldn't clear the roadblock and my objective (double-checked) was clearly completed. After trying various solutions to the freeze-up, I found preempting their dialogue with the detonation and then lagging momentarily behind the squad was the only way to avoid the problem. Technical issues aside, however, the single player campaign is, hands-down, great.
"In every war they kill you in a new way"
If you're hungry for even more tactical squad-based operations, the MoH multiplayer is certainly worth checking out. You'll notice right away that there's a pronounced disconnect between the feel of the single-player and the feel of the multiplayer. The multiplayer, which runs on the Frostbite engine rather than the modified Unreal Engine 3, was developed separately by DICE, the team behind Battlefield. This isn't a bad thing, just a slightly odd thing given that the single player portion of the game feels like Modern Warfare and the multiplayer feels like Battlefield: BC2, with a bit of Modern Warfare thrown in.
You'll notice that the weapons handle slightly differently and feedback is different as well. Additionally, you're prevented from going prone (thankfully, as it's one of the more abused abilities in multiplayer matches) and calling in airstrikes won't be exactly what you've become accustomed to in the single-player.
"If we are to live together we have to talk"
Engine differences aside, the multiplayer completely captures the setting and team oriented aspects of MoH. While the modes include deathmatch, the majority are team objective based and actually require team cooperation for success. The objective modes will feel familiar to Battlefield players as they're modified versions of Rush and Conquest where players will capture, defend, and attack points in several variations.
It's the maps that really make the experience interesting and not just that they vary by location. There are war-torn urban outposts and villages, an airfield, bunkers and snowy peaks to tread, but each map encompasses a different element of design. Some are linear and narrow in scope, some are large and open, and some are almost maze-like. There's also a good balance of verticality and not just to benefit snipers, this may be the first time I've found a mounted turret particularly useful in a multiplayer shooter except for, perhaps, Battlefield.
Yes, I keep invoking the Battlefield name, but this multiplayer does several things to distinguish itself. It's similar, yet unique. The class system remains, though engineer and medic are not present. Instead, players choose from Rifleman, Spec Ops and Sniper classes, all moderately customizable with modifiers like scopes, extra mags and different ammo. Each class is leveled separately and the best way to level each class is to acquire point-based killstreaks in matches, but in step with the cooperative gameplay aspect, players are given the choice of offensive and defensive bonuses like dropping a mortar strike on the other team or providing your own with ammo or flak jackets. It's a fantastic way to encourage your team to play as one. There's also limited vehicle support (tanks) on appropriate maps, so no worries about your teammates crashing a helicopter right off the bat.
What concerns me about the multiplayer is that I've only played it in a controlled environment, free from game-breaking 10 year olds and I was still finding choke points and opportunities to spawn kill based on how quickly my team could get the jump on the other. While the issues I saw in the beta have all been fixed, there's a problem inherent in any team-based game, no matter how good. I can certainly see frustration setting in fast if you find yourself on a non-communicative, clueless or kill/death ratio oriented squad. It's just the nature of the game…and the players.
"It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it"
All-in-all, MoH might not belong in the highest echelon of military shooters, but it certainly comes close. The short, but punchy, single-player is nicely bolstered by the squad based multiplayer and, though that lacks a bit of the customization and replayability of its counterparts, it's far better than standard FPS fare. Controversial? Not so much, but MoH definitely tells a compelling story without being just another clichéd war scenario.


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Nintendo plans to release its new MotionPlus motion-sensing game controller for Wii console on the 8th of June, in time for holidays. The new controller should enable new precision of motion sensing as well as new class of games, but some developers claim that in certain cases the new controller is too responsive.
The Wii MotionPlus is plugged to the bottom of Wiimote controller and, combined with the accelerometer and the sensor bar, allows for more comprehensive tracking of a player's arm position and orientation. For example, in the new Wii Sports Resort game the ability to throw a disc through the air and control the angle of flight is now possible. The controller is based on IDG-600 multi-axis MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) rate gyroscope by InvenSense company, a specialist in motion sensing solutions for various applications.
MEMS offers miniaturized sensing solutions to meet the ideal performance, size and cost requirements of consumer applications. A key advantage of MEMS technology, as compared to its quartz and piezo-ceramic counterparts, is its ability to incorporate 3D mechanical features directly into single crystal silicon substrates while easily and cost effectively integrating it with CMOS electronics. InvenSense pioneered its patented manufacturing platform, known as Nasiri-Fabrication, which enabled the company to bring the world's first and smallest integrated multi-axis gyroscopes to consumer products. Using Nasiri-Fabrication allows for the integration of MEMS and CMOS structures at the wafer level with a proprietary bonding technology resulting in several thousand gyroscopes simultaneously produced on a single wafer.
While the new controller is impressive, its development was a surprise for video game developers and even Nintendo's own Sports Resort has been delayed by over half a year. In fact, actual users will only be able to enjoy the new controller with a Nintendo own title on July 26, when Nintendo launches its Sports Resort video game. Until that, Electronic Arts is projected to reveal two titles taking advantage of MotionPlus.
Game developers from EA are pretty impressed with the new accessory, but they claim that in some cases the novelty is too responsive, which may be a reason why it takes relatively long time to create a Wii MotionPlus-supporting title.
"It truly is giving you that one-to-one control movement of your arm motion and then mapping it directly to that one-to-one movement of your character on screen. At times it's overly responsive. It had so much fidelity that at times we have limited that fidelity to make it a compelling experience and giving you full total control," said Tom Singleton, a video game producer from Electronic Arts in an interview with TechRadar web-site.
Wii MotionPlus accessory will be offered at an manufacturer suggested retail price of $19.99; Wii Sports Resort and Wii MotionPlus will be offered together at an MSRP of $49.99.
Tags: Nintendo, Wii, MotionPlus


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Vision of Kihei high school materializing
After years of lobbying from both community residents and lawmakers, it looks like Kihei will finally have a high school complex to call its own.
The state legislative conference committee, consisting of key members from the state Senate and state House, agreed on a $23.7 billion biennium budget proposal Tuesday that appropriates $130 million, as originally requested by Gov. Neil Abercrombie, for a brand new high school complex in Kihei. Lawmakers expect construction to start in July 2015.
"This is a very significant project that Kihei residents have wanted for a long time," said state Sen. Roz Baker, who represents South and West Maui. According to lawmakers, $30 million will come from general obligation bond funds and $100 million from the state educational facilities improvement special fund.
"Students in Kihei will no longer have to go to Maui High or Baldwin High for school. It will take people off the roads, provide students with greater opportunities in after-school activities, and it will serve as a focal point for the community because they will be able to use the facilities at the school," said Baker on Wednesday.
Currently, the only high school in South Maui is Kihei Charter School, which does not have the staff and facilities to meet the full regional needs of the community, according to community advocacy groups like the Kihei High School Action Team. Last year, the charter school, which runs independently of and provides an alternative to the traditional public school system, had a total of 248 students in grades 9 through 12.
That means the majority of students living in Kihei had to commute to other districts to attend school.
"In any other district, if a lawmaker was to ask constituents what their priorities are, you'll probably get six or seven answers at least," said South Maui Rep. Kaniela Ing on Wednesday. "In Kihei, 99 out of 100 will mention the high school as a priority. That's how important it is to this community."
Ing added that the new high school will most likely have a gym, stadium, pool and tennis courts that will be "great, not just for education, but for the community."
The budget bill still requires a vote and approval by the state House and state Senate, which probably will come sometime next week, said Caroline Julian-Freitas, director of state Senate Communications.
The funding measure with the Kihei high school money is expected to be approved. It will then be up to the state Department of Education to complete the bidding and contract process, which involves acquiring bids from contractors, negotiating building plans, securing permits and working out details of the project.
Both Baker and Ing commended the work of the Kihei High School Action Team for raising awareness, submitting public testimony and continuing to advocate for a new high school in South Maui.
"Their sign wavings got the public aware, they sent out tear slips asking for public testimony and received about a thousand responses," said Ing. "It was the community involvement that made a difference this year and showed lawmakers this is the time."
"Mahalo to everyone who believed in a vision of South Maui kids walking through graduation on their own field, in a stadium flanked by their families and friends," Andrew Beerer, founder and head of the action team, wrote in an email to lawmakers after the budget agreement was reached Tuesday night.
"This is such a wonderful moment . . . (We) can't wait to break ground," Beerer said.
The full $130 million in funding will allow the school to be a "design-build project," instead of being constructed in traditional phases. This will save the state between $20 million and $25 million, according to Baker. Like Kamalii Elementary, which was built by Maui developer Everett Dowling in Kihei, the high school will be put out to bid in its entirety.
Kihei is not the only Maui district that will be seeing improvements. The agreed upon budget also appropriated more than $172 million for the Kahului area, according to a news release from Rep. Justin Woodson, who represents Central Maui. Those measures included:
* $60 million for Hawaii Health Systems Corp.
* $50 million for land acquisition for the Kahului Airport.
* $6 million for improvements to provide safer and more efficient operations at Kahului Harbor.
* $4.7 million for construction of the new Central Maui regional sports complex.
* $950,000 for the construction of phase 2 of the Maui campus of Easter Seals, Maui.
* $500,000 for new construction at Maui Economic Opportunity.
* $250,000 for operations and student training for the Hawaii Opera Theater.
* Eileen Chao can be reached at email@example.com.


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1 yr. ago June 9th I adopted GUS from humane society in Lowville N.Y. He was a mess and underweight. One leg is shorter than the rest because he was hit by a car and had no treatment so the leg healed wrong. I cleaned gus up. he has gained weight. When I 1st brought gus home I took gus to the vets had gus neutered and examined. Gus weigh 76lbs he needed to put some weight on . Gus now weighs 105. Gus is very happy now still a little skiddish. Gus has aniexty seperation. Gus is right behind me every step I take. Gus is my child he goes to work with me and loves to ride in the car and see my parents.
Rescued with a great ending
By: robbiedabeSubscribe Channel: Pets & Animals
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says ... on Monday, Aug 3 at 8:01 PM
It's amazing that Gus is still so affectionate after what happened to him, most people would be scarred. He's a little skittish sometimes, but very kind and patient. He's got a lotta heart, that dog!27253562
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says ... on Monday, Aug 3 at 6:33 PM
He's looking good. Thank God for people like you and me that love our kids. And will do anything to make animals safe and healthy. Great Job Robin!!!!!!27250746
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