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Related Reading
This excerpt is Chapter 1 from Java Security, 2nd Edition, published in May 2000 by O'Reilly.
When Java was first released by Sun Microsystems, it attracted the attention of programmers throughout the world. These developers were attracted to Java for different reasons: some were drawn to Java because of its cross-platform capabilities, some because of its ease of programming (especially compared to object-oriented languages like C++), some because of its robustness and memory management, some because of Java's security, and some for still other reasons.
Just as different developers came to Java with different expectations, so too did they bring different expectations as to what was meant by the ubiquitous phrase "Java is secure." Security means different things to different people, and many developers who had certain expectations about the word "security" were surprised to find that their expectations were not necessarily shared by the designers of Java.
This book discusses the features of Java that make it secure. In this book, we'll discuss why Java is said to be secure, what that security means (and doesn't mean), and--most importantly--how to use the security features of the Java platform within your own programs. This last point is actually the focus of this book: while some of Java's security features are automatically a part of all Java programs, many of them are not. In this book, we'll learn about all those features and how to utilize them in our own Java applications.
What Is Security?
Software Used in This Book
The Java Sandbox
Security Debugging
The first thing we must do is to discuss just what Java's security goals are. The term "security" is vague unless it is discussed in some context; different expectations of the term "security" might lead us to expect that Java programs would be:
In fact, while all of these features could be part of a secure system, only the first two were within the province of Java's 1.0 default security model. Other items in the list have been introduced in later versions of Java: authentication was added in 1.1, encryption is available as an extension to the Java 2 platform, and auditing can be added to any Java program by providing an auditing security manager. Still others of these items will be added in the future. But the basic premise remains that Java security was originally and fundamentally designed to protect the information on a computer from being accessed or modified (including a modification that would introduce a virus) while still allowing the Java program to run on that computer.
The point driving this notion of security is the new distribution model for Java programs. One of the driving forces behind Java, of course, is its ability to download programs over a network and run those programs on another machine. This is something most computer users do today within the context of a Java-enabled browser, although the idea behind portable code like this is beginning to seep into other applications, such as those based on Jini technology. Coupled with the widespread growth of Internet use--and the public-access nature of the Internet--Java's ability to bring programs to a user on an as-needed, just-in-time basis has been a strong reason for its rapid deployment and acceptance.
The nature of the Internet created a new and largely unprecedented requirement for programs to be free of viruses and Trojan horses. Computer users had always been used to purchasing shrink-wrapped software. Many soon began downloading software via FTP or other means and then running that software on their machines. But widespread downloading also led to a pervasive problem of malevolent attributes both in free and (ironically) in commercial software, a problem which continues unabated. The introduction of Java into this equation had the potential to multiply this problem by orders of magnitude, as computer users now download programs automatically and frequently.
For Java to succeed, it needed to circumvent the virus/Trojan horse problems that plagued other models of software distribution. Hence, the early work on Java focused on just that issue: Java programs are considered safe because they cannot install, run, or propagate viruses and because the program itself cannot perform any action that is harmful to the user's computing environment. And in this context, safety means security. This is not to say that the other issues in the above list are not important--each has its place and its importance (in fact, we'll spend a great deal of time in this book on the third and fourth topics in that list). But the issues of protecting information and preventing viruses were considered most important; hence, features to provide that level of security were the first to be adopted. Like all parts of Java, its security model is evolving (and has evolved through its various releases); many of the notions about security in our list will eventually make their way into Java.
One of the primary goals of this book, then, is to explain Java's security model and its evolution with each subsequent release. In the final analysis, whether or not Java is secure is a subjective judgment that individual users will have to make based on their own requirements. If all you want from Java is freedom from viruses, any release of Java should meet your needs. If you need to introduce authentication or encryption into your program, you'll need to use a 1.1 or later release of Java. If you have a requirement that all operations be audited, you'll need to build that auditing into your applications. If you really need conformance with a U.S. government-approved definition of security, Java is not the platform for you. We take a very pragmatic view of security in this book: the issue is not whether a system that lacks a particular feature qualifies as "secure" according to someone's definition of security. The issue is whether Java possesses the features that meet your needs.
The information in this book is based on the Java 2 Standard Edition, version 1.3 (or 1.3, for short). There are slight differences between how Java security operates in 1.2 (that is, the Java 2 Standard Edition, version 1.2) and 1.3. When we refer to a specific release, we'll use its number; otherwise, we'll say Java 2 to refer to either platform.
In addition, there are great differences in how Java security operates between the Java 1.1 and the Java 2 platform. While we concentrate on Java 1.3, the end of each chapter contains a section that elucidates the differences between Java 1.3 and previous releases of Java. Some of the very different topics of Java 1.1 are presented in the appendices of this book; it is not generally recommended that you use the facilities and APIs discussed there since they are not compatible with the Java 2 platform.
We present information in this book from three standard Java extensions: the Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) version 1.2.1, the Java Secure Sockets Extension (JSSE) version 1.0.2, and the Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) version 1.0. Each of these contributes certain technologies to the Java security story. These extensions require 1.3.
Information about the extensions is presented thoughout the book as it makes sense. The JSSE API defines a set of classes that are used to perform SSL operations, and these are discussed in a separate chapter. The JSSE API also defines a set of classes that are used for key management; these are discussed along with the classes in the core API that handle key management. So even though these three packages are standard extensions, we recommend that you install them now along with the SDK so that you can become familiar with their features when they arise. In version 1.4, all these extensions are scheduled to be included in the core SDK, which is another reason why it helps to think of them as an integrated unit.
In the next few pages, we'll discuss how to obtain and install the platform and extensions. Configuring the extensions may require some steps that you don't understand right now because they have various security options that apply to them. However, we recommend that you just follow the instructions for now and install the extensions. The extensions use Java's standard security framework, and as we discuss each aspect of the framework, we detail how the extensions relate to that aspect. Thus, while the core features of each extension is discussed in its own chapter, information about the extensions appears throughout the book.
The core Java 2 platform supplies the basic facilities of Java security:
Java 2 version 1.3 can be obtained for Solaris, Linux, and Windows systems from http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/. If you need Java for other platforms, check with your platform vendor or check http://java.sun.com/cgi-bin/java-ports.cgi.
The Java 2 platform contains two flavors: the Software Development Kit (SDK, also known historically as the JDK) and the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Administration of the security model applies to both the JRE and SDK, but to use the security APIs that we discuss, you'll need the SDK (which includes the JRE). Throughout this book, we'll use the environment variable
$JDKHOME to refer to the directory in which the Java 2 SDK was installed and the
$JREHOME variable to refer to the directory in which the Java 2 JRE was installed. If you installed the SDK into
C:\files\jdk1.3 then
$JDKHOME would be
C:\files\jdk1.3 and
$JREHOME would be
Installed or Bundled Extensions?
When you work with the extensions that we use in this book, you have the option of treating them as installed or bundled extensions.
Installed extensions are much easier to work with: they require no special configuration once they are installed. However, they must be installed into special directories within
A bundled extension requires no special installation privileges, but it does require you to set up things within your environment: you must modify your classpath, and you must set up special policy files. In addition, some of this configuration must be done programatically, so this option will not work for third-party applications. We assume in our examples that you've set up the extensions as installed extensions.
JCE leverages the Java 2 core platform's security architecture to provide a variety of cryptographic operations:
JCE can be downloaded from http://java.sun.com/products/jce/. Version 1.2.1 is an important version because it takes advantage of a change in the policy of the United States regarding export controls of cryptographic engines. Prior to early 2000, the United States government considered cryptographic engines to be a munition and severely restricted the export of such technology. After this policy was changed in early 2000, JCE 1.2.1 was modified to meet the new standards. As a result, although it performs strong encryption, JCE 1.2.1 can be exported from the United States.
JCE consists of some documentation and a
lib directory that contains four jar files:
US_export_policy.jar, jce1_2_1.jar,
local_policy.jar, and
sunjce_provider.jar. Like most extensions, you can install JCE as a bundled or unbundled extension.
To use JCE as an installed extension, you must:
To use JCE as an unbundled extension, you must:
$HOME/.java.policy. The information to be added depends on where you have placed the jar files; if you've put JCE into
/files/jce1.2.1 then the appropriate lines are:
/files/jce1.2.1. Note that this is a URL; you use forward slashes no matter what your platform. On Microsoft Windows, the beginning of the appropriate URL is
Security.addProvider(new com.sun.crypto.provider.SunJCE( ));
More details about how this works can be found in later chapters. Chapter 8, Security Providers, discusses the addition to the
java.security file and its programmatic alternative, and the
.java.policy file is discussed in Chapter 2, The Default Sandbox.
JSSE provides Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption facilities. If you need to communicate with an SSL server or SSL client, you can use the APIs in this extension. If you are writing both a client and server and want to do encryption, you can use this extension or you can use the cipher facilities of JCE.
JSSE can be downloaded from http://java.sun.com/products/jsse/. Version 1.0.2 takes advantage of the relaxed export restrictions of the U.S. and is exportable. Unlike JCE, however, there are still two different versions of JSSE: one for domestic use (use within the United States and Canada) and one for global use. The difference between these two versions is that the domestic version allows you to substitute new implementations of the SSL algorithms. Such substitution is still prohibited by export rules, so the global version does not allow it. However, both versions provide exactly the same API and the same key strength for their encryption.
JSSE consists of documentation and a
lib directory containing three jar files:
jnet.jar, and
jsse.jar. To use JSSE as an installed extension, you must:
To use JSSE as an unbundled extension, you must:
Security.addProvider(new com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Provider( ));
JAAS provides for user authentication within the Java platform. It performs a unique function in the Java platform. All of the core facilities of Java's security design are intended to protect end users from the influences of developers: end users give permissions to developers to access resources on the end user's machine. JAAS, on the other hand, allows developers to grant (or deny) access to their programs based on the authentication credentials provided by the user.
JAAS can be downloaded from http://java.sun.com/products/jaas/. It comes in two parts: a Java library which defines the interface to the service (the JAAS proper), and platform-specific modules to perform the authorization (the JAAS modules). Sample modules are available to perform authentication based on JNDI directory services, Windows NT login services, and Solaris login services.
JAAS itself contains documentation and a
lib directory with a single jar file (
jaas.jar). The jar file should either be installed into
$JREHOME/lib/ext, or the user must add it to her classpath.
lib directory of the JAAS modules contains an additional jar file (
jaasmod.jar) that must be handled similarly. It also contains platform-specific shared libraries. On Solaris systems, these libraries must be installed into
$JREHOME/lib/sparc. If that is not possible, the libraries can be placed into any directory (e.g.,
/files/jaasmod1_0/lib) and that directory can be added to the user's LD_LIBRARY_PATH.
On Microsoft Windows systems, these libraries are named
nt.dll, nt.lib, and
nt.exp and they must be installed into
$JREHOME\bin. If that is not possible, then you must set the
\files\jaasmod1_0\lib, you would specify the following property on the command line:
No modification to the
java.security file is required for JAAS.
Encryption and Weaponry
The whole question of importing and exporting encryption technology occurs because it is often classified as a munition. While this position is sometimes questioned, it comes from a long tradition in computer science.
During WWII, the Allies waged a successful and pivotal campaign in the Atlantic against the Axis navy. The success of this campaign was greatly due to the work of Alan Turing, who with his colleagues broke the German encryption algorithm known as Enigma. Turing was also one of the founding fathers of modern computer science, much of which was based on the work he developed in service to his country during the war.
Ironically, the reward that Turing reaped for his efforts was that some years after the war, he was arrested and forced to undergo harmful chemical treatments because he was gay. There's an odd parallel here: many of the harsh restrictions that are sometimes placed on encryption technology make no more sense in a world with a global Internet than did England's persecution of Alan Turing in the 1950s. Perhaps the relaxation of export restrictions is a good sign in general.
The U.S. is not the only government that regulates the use of encryption, and encryption software can face import restrictions as well as export restrictions. In France, for example, it is illegal to import many encryption packages without a license. Other countries have regulations for cryptography, but in most cases they are less onerous than those of the United States. However, it is always wise to check your local policies to be sure (see Appendix B, Security Resources, for resources to find more information about these limitations).
Even though the U.S. has relaxed its export rules, some restrictions still apply. You may not export either JCE or JSSE (and, hence, any programs that use them) to the following countries: Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Serbia/Montenegro (Yugoslavia), Sudan, Syria and parties listed on the Denied and Restricted Parties List (available at http://bxa.fedworld.gov/prohib.html). Additionally, it is Sun company policy not to ship products to Burma.
The encryption extensions, like many aspects of the Java platform, allow for third-party implementations; just like you can buy a third-party JDBC driver, you can buy third-party implementations of JCE. However, many of the popular algorithms that are used by the extensions are patented algorithms, which also restricts their use. RSA Data Security, Inc. holds a patent in the U.S. on several algorithms involving RSA encryption and digital signatures; Ascom System AG in Switzerland holds both U.S. and European patents on the IDEA method of performing encryption. If you live in a country where these patents apply, you can't use these underlying algorithms without paying a licensing fee to the patent holder. In particular, this means that many of the third-party security providers and third-party implementations of JCE cannot be used within the United States because of patents held by RSA (although some of them have reached a licensing agreement with RSA Data Security, Inc.--again, it is best to check with the provider to see what restrictions might apply). Sun has an agreement with RSA Data Security to redistribute its implementation of the RSA algorithms.
Note that import and export restrictions apply only to the encryption technology contained within JCE and JSSE. Although the core Java APIs perform important cryptographic operations, those operations are not considered to be munition-grade operations.
Though Java-enabled browsers are very popular, we do not discuss most of the popular ones. This is because their security implementations are very different from the official Java security model. Both Netscape and Microsoft, for example, introduced new (and proprietary) APIs to allow for security extensions. Both companies also developed their own (again proprietary) mechanism to sign applets.
The better way to run Java applets from within a browser is to use the Java Plug-in, which comes standard with every release of the Java 2 platform; when you install Java 2, you install the Java Plug-in. In Netscape 6 and later releases, the Java Plug-in is the only way to run Java applets; there is no Java virtual machine built into Netscape 6. The Plug-in is also compatible with Internet Explorer 4.x and higher, as well as Netscape 4.x versions.
The security model of the Java Plug-in is exactly the same as that of the Java platform that we describe within this book. Where the security model of older browsers is different, we point that out, and we provide directions to the vendor's web sites that give information on their non-standard systems.
When Java security is discussed, the discussion typically centers around Java's applet-based security model -- the security model that is embodied by Java-enabled browsers. It's considered "applet-based" because in early versions of Java, it applied only to applets that run within a Java-enabled browser. In the Java 2 platform, however, this security model can apply to any Java application as well as to the Java Plug-in, which allows newer browsers to run Java 2 applets. The Java 2 security model is also configurable by an end user or system administrator so that it can be made less restrictive than earlier implementations of that model.
This security model centers around the idea of a sandbox. The idea is when you allow a program to be hosted on your computer, you want to provide an environment where the program can play (i.e., run), but you want to confine the program's play area in certain bounds. You may decide to give the program certain toys to play with (i.e., you may decide to let it have access to certain system resources), but in general, make sure that the program is confined to its sandbox.
This analogy works better when you consider it from the view of a close relative rather than from the view of a parent. If you're a parent, you probably consider the purpose of a sandbox to be to provide a safe environment for your child to play in. When my niece Rachel visits me, however, I consider the purpose of a sandbox not (only) to be to protect her, but also to protect my grandmother's china
from her. I love my niece, but I can't give her leave to run through my house; I enjoy running the latest cool applet on the Internet, but I can't give it leave to run through my filesystem.
The Java sandbox is responsible for protecting a number of resources, and it does so at a number of levels. Consider the resources of a typical machine as shown in Figure 1. The user's machine has access to many things:
Each of these resources needs to be protected, and those protections form the basis of Java's security model. We can imagine a number of different-sized sandboxes in which a Java program might run:
docs directory on the local filesystem, but not to any other files.
The sandbox, then, is not a one-size-fits-all model. Expanding the boundaries of the sandbox is always based on the notion of trust: when my one-year-old niece comes to visit, there's very little in the sandbox for her to play with, but when my six-year-old godchild comes to visit, I trust that I might give her more things to play with. In the hands of some visitors, a toy with small removable parts would be dangerous, but when I trust the recipient, it's perfectly reasonable to include that item in the sandbox. And so it is with Java programs: in some cases, I might trust them to access my filesystem; in other cases, I might trust them to access only part of my filesystem; and in still other cases, I might not trust them to access my filesystem at all.
In early versions of Java, only applets were run within a sandbox. In the Java 2 platform, all programs have the potential to run in a sandbox. Applets that run through the Java Plug-in or the appletviewer will always run in a sandbox, and applications that are run via the command line (or by clicking an icon on the desktop) may optionally be set up to use a sandbox. Applications also have the option of programatically installing new versions of the sandbox.
Hence, in the Java 2 platform there is little distinction between the security level of an applet and an application. There are programmatic differences, of course, but both are subject to the same security model, and the security model for both is administered and programmed in the same way. There is one significant difference, however: applets always run with Java's security model (even if that model has been administered such that the applet is allowed to do anything it wants to), and an application will only run under the security model if it is told to do so. This is typically done by the end user by specifying a command-line parameter; it may be done by the program developer who specifies that parameter in a script that starts the application, and it may be done by the developer who inserts code into his program.
Any program, including an applet, can change the behavior of the sandbox under certain circumstances. However, most of them will use Java's default sandbox. The default sandbox, as we'll see in Chapter 2, The Default Sandbox, is very flexible; it allows the user who runs the program to determine exactly how the sandbox will operate. This moves the definition of the security policy to the end user or system administrator of the machine running the program.
The anatomy of a typical Java program is shown in Figure 2. Each of the features of the Java platform that appears in a rectangle plays a role in the development of the Java security model. In particular, the elements of the Java security policy are defined by:
java.security package as well as those in the security extensions) allows you to add security features to your own application as well as providing the basis by which Java classes may be signed. Although it is only a small box in this diagram, the security package is a complex API and discussion of it is broken into several chapters of this book. This includes discussions of:
The last two items in this list have broad applicability beyond expanding the Java sandbox. With respect to the sandbox, digital signatures play an important role because they provide authentication of who actually provided the Java class. As we'll see, this provides the ability for end users and system administrators to grant very specific privileges to individual classes or signers. But a digital signature might be used for other applications. Let's say that you're deploying a payroll application throughout a large corporation. When an employee sends a request to view his payroll information, you really want to make sure that the request came from that employee rather than from someone else in the corporation. Often, this type of application is secured by a simple password, but a more secure system could require a digitally signed request before it sent out the payroll information.
This list is also a rough outline of the path we'll take through this book. We'll start by looking at the default sandbox and how it can be administered. Following that, we'll look at the details of everything that makes up that sandbox, from the bytecode verifier through the access controller. Then we'll move into the security APIs that allow you to add digital signatures and encryption to your own applications.
The Java security packages include debugging code that you can enable via a system property. The property in question is
java.security.debug, and it may be set to the following values:
checkPermission( ) method of the access controller. This allows you to see which permissions your code is requesting, which calls are succeeding, and which ones are failing. This option has the following sub-options. If no sub-option is specified, then all are in force:
stack -- Dump the stack every time a permission is checked.
failure -- Dump the stack only when a permission is denied.
domain -- Dump the protection domain in force when a protection is checked.
jar -- When processing a signed jar file, print the signatures in the file, their certificates, and the classes to which they apply.
These options should be given as a comma-separated list (including the sub-options for the access option). For example, to see the permissions granted by the secure class loader and see a stack trace when a permission check fails, you would specify
-Djava.security.debug=scl,access,failure on the command line.
JSSE extends this facility by consulting the
javax.net.debug property for the following options:
As you progress through the samples in the book, you can turn various options on in order to see more information about what's going on.
Security is a multifaceted feature of the Java platform. There are a number of facilities within Java that allow you to write a Java application that implements a particular security policy, and this book will focus on each of those facilities in turn. These features are important within a Java-enabled browser, and they are also important with Java applications, particularly as applications become more distributed.
In addition, the security package allows us to create applications that use generic security features--such as digital signatures--for many purposes aside from expanding the Java sandbox. This other use of the security package will also be a constant theme throughout this book.
Return to ONJava.com.
Copyright © 2009 O'Reilly Media, Inc.


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The mission of Outright Vermont is to build safe, healthy, and supportive environments for LGBTQQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning) youth, ages 13-22. Since 1989, Outright has worked to provide safety and support for LGBTQQ youth, helped make schools more inclusive, and focused on youth empowerment, leadership, and advocacy. Outright works with nearly 5,000 youth annually, is the oldest LGBTQQ youth serving organization in the state of Vermont, and is one of the few remaining free-standing LGBTQQ youth centers nationwide. ... Continue ReadingPosted in Specific Groups
Posted: May 20, 2014
Today, StopBullying.gov launched two new videos and an animated GIF that address the issue of labels and how words can do harm. This project is a result of regular engagement and collaboration with one of the main audiences for StopBullying.gov: teens.
Communication professionals pride themselves on coming up with big ideas and big messages. I am one of those people, but I also recognize when I may need a little help connecting with my audience. It's been a while ... Continue ReadingPosted in Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention
Posted: May 1, 2014
The United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) organization was an early partner in federal efforts to stop bullying. For the past 37 years, our goal has been to foster the spiritual, mental, physical, and social development of American Indian and Alaska Native youth and to help build a strong, unified, and self- reliant Native America through greater youth involvement. Since 2002, we have been working with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to help educate American Indian youth on bullying prevention and provide them with the tools to be more than a bystander.
... Continue ReadingPosted in Prevention
Posted: April 3, 2014
Understanding what excites and concerns youth is one of the critical ingredients to Cartoon Network's success. That's why we knew we had to act when we learned that nearly 85 percent of our youth audience was concerned about bullying and needed information on how to prevent it.
When we first launched Stop Bullying: Speak Up, we saw a great opportunity to make kids smarter about bullying and to also strengthen our connection ... Continue ReadingPosted in Prevention
Posted: March 19, 2014
An image can be more impactful than hundreds of words – especially when it is used to raise awareness of an important issue. Tifara Brown and her peers used photography to deliver a message about bullying prevention.
Classmates bullied Tifara from elementary school until high school. Tifara is an African-American whose parents raised her in a religiously observant and conservative household. She had to deal with negative stereotypes of African-Americans as being less competent than people of other races. In addition, she was ... Continue ReadingPosted in Profiles/Voices from the Field

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Volume 13 - Article 18 | Pages 455-484
Forecasting sex differences in mortality in high income nations: The contribution of smoking
|Date received:
|01 Sep 2004
|Date published:
|17 Nov 2005
|Word count:
|forecast, forecasting, mortality, sex differences, smoking
To address the question of whether the sex differential in mortality will in the future rise, fall, or stay the same, this study uses the relative smoking prevalence among males and females to forecast future changes in relative smoking-attributed mortality. Data on 21 high income nations from 1975 to 2000 and a lag between smoking prevalence and mortality allow forecasts up to 2020.
Averaged across nations, the results reveal narrowing of measures of the sex differential in smoking mortality. However, continued widening of the differential in non-smoking mortality would counter narrowing due to smoking and lead to future increases in the female advantage overall, particularly in nations at late stages of the cigarette epidemic (such as the United States and the United Kingdom) where narrowing of the smoking differential has already begun to slow.
Author's Affiliation
Fred Pampel - University of Colorado at Boulder, United States of America
Other articles by the same author/authors in Demographic Research
Cohort change, diffusion, and support for gender egalitarianism in cross-national perspective
Volume 25 - Article 21
Most recent similar articles in Demographic Research
The future of death in America
Volume 25 - Article 1 | Keywords: forecasting, mortality, smoking
Convergence in male and female life expectancy: Direction, age pattern, and causes
Volume 34 - Article 38 | Keywords: forecasting, sex differences
Divergence without decoupling: Male and female life expectancy usually co-move
Volume 31 - Article 51 | Keywords: mortality, sex differences
Factors responsible for mortality variation in the United States: A latent variable analysis
Volume 31 - Article 2 | Keywords: mortality, smoking
A modified new method for estimating smoking-attributable mortality in high-income countries
Volume 23 - Article 14 | Keywords: mortality, smoking
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at The Staples Center on October 2, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.
19. Olly Murs - Troublemaker
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 16: Singer Olly Murs speaks on stage during the official launch to mark the FA's 150th Anniversary Year at the Grand Connaught Rooms on January 16, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)
18. Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 16: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) DJ's Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso of Swedish House Mafia perform at Madison Square Garden on December 16, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
17. Maroon 5 - Daylight
XXX performs during the 2012 F1 Singapore on September 22, 2012 in Singapore.
16. Justin Bieber & Will.I.Am - #thatpower
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 05: Justin Bieber visits "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" at Rockefeller Center on February 5, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
15. Icona Pop - I Love It
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 06: Singers Caroline Hjelt (L) and Aino Jawo of the musical group Icona Pop attend the Nicholas K Spring 2013 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Studio at Lincoln Center on September 6, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week)
14. Taylor Swift - 22
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 20: Taylor Swift performs on stage during the Brit Awards 2013 at the 02 Arena on February 20, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Matt Kent/Getty Images)
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NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 05: Wesley Schultz, Neyla Pekarek, and Jeremiah Fraites of The Lumineers speak onstage at The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! held at Bridgestone Arena on December 5, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
12. Alex Clare - Too Close
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 20: Alex Clare attends the Brit Awards 2013 at the 02 Arena on February 20, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Eamonn McCormack/Getty Images)
11. Britney Spears & Will.I.Am - Scream & Shout
at a taping of We Will Always Love You: A GRAMMY Salute To Whitney Houston on October 11, 2012 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, California. The show airs November 16, 2012.
10. P!nk - Just Give Me A Reason
attends the St. John's Health Center's Power Of Pink benefiting The Margie Petersen Breast Center at Sony Studios on November 12, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.
9. Demi Lovato - Heart Attack
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 14: Recording artist Demi Lovato attends the Topshop Topman LA Grand Opening at The Grove on February 14, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
8. Rihanna - Pour It Up
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 10: Singer Rihanna arrives at the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
7. Pitbull - Feel This Moment
<> on August 9, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.
6. Krewella - Alive
Festival goers enjoy a set by a dubstep DJ at the "Lounge on the Farm" festival near Canterbury in Kent, on July 8, 2011. Five years ago, dubstep was just another fresh but obscure strain of dance music, limited almost exclusively to a handful of nightclubs in south London. Today it is taking over dancefloors worldwide. Born out of drum'n'bass and the 2-step UK garage movement which propelled Craig David to fame, dubstep completed its journey from quirky curiosity to commercial success story earlier this month (eds: earlier in July) when DJ Fresh's "Louder" hit the top of the UK singles chart. AFP PHOTO/Leon Neal TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY JAMES PHEBY *BRITAIN-ENT-MUSIC-DUBSTEP* (Photo credit should read LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
5. Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man
performs onstage at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on February 12, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.
4. Rihanna - Stay
Singer Rihanna performs live on stage as part of her 777 tour at The Forum on November 19, 2012 in London, England.
3. Calvin Harris - Sweet Nothing
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 06: DJ Calvin Harris poses in the press room during the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards at Staples Center on September 6, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
2. Macklemore - Thrift Shop
SEATTLE - APRIL 08: Seattle recording artist Macklemore performs a tribute to Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus, who passed away last November, prior to the Mariners' home opener against the Cleveland Indians at Safeco Field on April 8, 2011 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
1. Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie
AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 16: Justin Timberlake performs at Myspace Secret Show @ SXSW on March 16, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Myspace)
Categories: Music Top 20 JAMZ


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Fort Frye goes high-tech with curriculum
BEVERLY – The Fort Frye Local Board of Education voted Tuesday night to spend nearly $100,000 on a new high-tech social studies curriculum and accompanying equipment, while also approving a mineral rights leasing agreement expected to bring in more than $100,000.
The vote was unanimous to approve the $97,674.19 purchase of the social studies texts from McGraw-Hill, the Networks1 program to access them electronically, 30 standard textbooks and 90 iPads, enough for three high school social studies classrooms. Students will be able to read the texts online via the iPads as well as their own computers and devices. Tests and quizzes can be taken electronically, and supplemental material like videos are also available.
"This is just the start to where we want to head," said Noreen Mullens, district curriculum director and special education coordinator, noting the science department is on deck for new textbooks next year.
She added that the electronic format is "a great tool for special education and differentiated instruction."
While the iPads would be linked to the classrooms rather than individual students, Superintendent Tom Gibbs said after the February meeting that the long-term goal would be to eventually provide one such device to every student. Board Vice President Charlie Schilling indicated his support of that direction Tuesday.
"I think within a couple of years we should talk about an initiative of it being one to one," he said.
Schilling said the electronic format may also draw students from other districts to Fort Frye via open enrollment.
The vote on the oil and natural gas lease with Reed Energy LLC was taken earlier in the meeting, after some discussion. It passed 4-1, with board member David White opposed.
White expressed concerns about some of the terms in the lease, as well as the upfront bonus payment offered to the district – $2,600 when some other property owners have been getting more than $4,000. He also questioned the provision that gave the company rights to minerals in layers of ground below the Marcellus and Utica shale, where most of the recent activity has been centered thanks to advances in horizontal drilling technology.
"If it was my personal property, I wouldn't sign a lease like this," he said.
But other board members said they didn't think the district would be able to get a better deal.
"I think we're very fortunate that we have anyone to go with at all," board member Kevin Worthington said.
The fact that Fort Frye didn't sign on earlier with a landowners' group and the relatively small size of its property didn't leave the district with much leverage, Gibbs said.
The superintendent said he'd been working for several months on the matter and of the landowner groups and companies he'd contacted, only Reed offered the district a lease for its approximately 40 acres of property at and around the high school and Beverly-Center Elementary. Their initial offer was $1,900 per acre in part because the district wanted a "no-surface-disruption" clause to prevent drilling and other activity on its property. Eventually, they agreed to give the district the $2,600 rate agreed to with an area landowners' group.
A local attorney reviewed the lease for the district and made several suggestions of changes, to which the company agreed, Gibbs said.
White said he wished there had been more communication on the issue prior to Tuesday's meeting. Gibbs said it had been discussed regularly at meetings of the buildings and grounds committee, of which White is not a member, over the last few months.
In other business, the board unanimously approved a resolution opposing portions of Ohio Gov. John Kasich's new school funding proposal that would expand public money available for vouchers for students to attend private schools.
Gibbs told the board he had been to Columbus three times recently to testify about the governor's funding proposal, which would keep state assistance to Fort Frye and 60 percent of the districts in Ohio flat over the next two years. It maintains those levels for Fort Frye and many other districts with guarantee funds to make up the difference between what they have been receiving and what the new formula allocates.
"By the second year of the budget cycle, Fort Frye would be on a guarantee to the tune of $300,000 a year," he said.
Members of the governor's administration have indicated they would like to eventually do away with guarantee funds, Gibbs said.
He and other officials with the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools are advocated increasing the base per-student funding amount from $5,000 to help deal with the issue.


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I will have a CD with a few mellow songs, about 3....then right to the ACDC....they all love it......
I will have a CD with a few mellow songs, about 3....then right to the ACDC....they all love it......
That's what about 12~16 minutes of romance and getting in the mood?
Sam I'd love to see the complete playlist.
"Some balls are held for charity and some for fancy dress, but the ones held for pleasure...."
Is it safe to assume that AC/DC song is one of the mellow one's on your play list?
AC/DC will appeal only to certain women ... but may have the opposite effect on the good girl segment, unfortunately.
Now come on what good girl would find herself in Sam's zone?
John Legend, Michael Franks, Sade, Luther Vandross, Santana, Keith Sweat, Anita Baker, throw in some candles and a massage, it only gets better from there.
Most of these chicks up to a certain age still listen to the pop station (brittney spears etc etc) so I flip on the radio. With my kid in the house I just need something to drown out the noise and the pop station works well. With this one canadian chick I used to put hockey on the tv and turn it up real loud.


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Hi! This is my first time posting, but I have been reading and following advice on this forum for a few weeks. I am back at work after 7 weeks with my 8 week old. I have been pumping to store milk while at home but now back at work I'm worried! I came back to work for the last week of school to try to get a schedule for my pumping sessions but all I can squeeze in so far is 1 session for 15 min around noon. I am a high school teacher and leaving my students more than that has not been possible so far. Am I in trouble? Luckily, school is over this week and I will be back with my baby for another 8 weeks until school starts up again in August. My baby girl will be about 4 mths by then. Any suggestions, or am I doomed? I really wanted to try to keep up the BF for the full year. I have an awesome pump, Medela PIS, but can't find the time!!
ps... I have been nursing at 8 am, pump at noon, then nurse from 4pm on. (in case you need more info!)


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Get more out of IBM Maximo Asset Management solutions for facility management
In April, IBM made two announcements that significantly expand IBM Maximo? Asset Management solutions for facilities management. First, IBM announced its agreement with Drawbase Software to enhance its capabilities around smarter buildings management. As part of the agreement, IBM will license Drawbase software code to add space management and space planning capabilities into its software portfolio.
Second, IBM and Johnson Controls formed a new relationship to create a new era of smarter buildings. Together, the companies will team to provide a smart building solution that can improve operations and reduce energy and water consumption in buildings worldwide.
Provided by: IBM Topic: Developer Date Added: Jan 2011 Format: HTML


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I'd like to find a pacifier that will work for DD for when we're in the car. She seems to want to sleep in the car, but needs something to help her get there, so she ends up sucking on a bottle (if someone is back there with her) or my finger and then falls right asleep.
She does NOT like the Tommee Tippee ones I bought for her. We have some cheap ones we got in a gift basket at my shower that she likes a *little* better, but not enough to keep sucking it. She will actually shake her head at the Tommee Tippee ones, she dislikes them so much.
So...I was going to try another brand, but where do I start? I thought I might start with someone else whose LO hated Tommee Tippee? Anyone out there?


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Local railroad right-of-way could run drilling waterlines
EAST LIVERPOOL – Another potential buyer found for the Columbiana County Port Authority's railroad is planning to continue operating the railroad and use the right-of-way to run waterlines to drilling sites.
The Port Authority board on Wednesday approved a tentative agreement to sell the former Youngstown and Southern Railroad to Aqua Infrastructure LLC for $3 million. Under the nonbinding letter of intent to sell, Aqua is required to make a down payment of $50,000 and has until June 30 to decide whether to make the deal.
"We're confident in our homework so far. … We don't think there will be any bar to getting this wrapped up," said Bill Davis, vice president for corporate development for Aqua.
The company is a subsidiary of Aqua America Inc., a private water supplier operating in 10 states, including Ohio. "We are, in fact, the largest private company operating in the state of Ohio," he said.
While Davis said Aqua intends to keep the railroad operating and look for new customers, they also are interested in running a water line along the railroad right-of-way, with secondary lines transporting water to and from oil and gas wells expected to be drilled in the area over the coming years.
An estimated 4.5 million gallons of water are needed to "frac" a well, which is the process used to release oil and natural gas deposits trapped in the shale formations located underground. Being able to run water lines to well sites eliminates the need to transport the water by tanker truck, reducing traffic congestion and wear-and-tear on local roads.
Aqua operates a water pipeline system that serves drilling sites in Lycoming and Tioga counties in north-central Pennsylvania, and Davis said they have seen first-hand the problems created by heavy truck traffic.
"But if you came at it with a pipeline like we have in Pennsylvania, you end up removing … a lot of truck traffic from the roads," he said, "and that's what we think might happen in this part of Ohio."
Davis said they would begin work on this phase after securing the necessary commitments from drilling companies.
"Installing a water line is a rather expensive investment, so you want to make sure you have customers interested in utilizing it," he said.
Most of the 36-mile railroad, which runs from Darlington, Pa., to Youngstown, passes through Columbiana County. Davis said their first job would be to make improvements to the railroad bed.
"We want to make it stable, safe and secure and can accommodate the traffic there. It's experienced deferred maintenance for a while," he said of the railroad.
Aqua also wants to begin finding railroad customers. "It's important to us that the railroad continue as a vital entity, and right now people are questioning its longevity," Davis said.
The railroad's only customer in recent years has been the company that operates the construction and demolition debris landfill in Negley. Officials said that while the landfill remains open, there has been no activity for some time.
Although this is the company's first attempt at running a railroad, Davis said they have done their homework and are confident they can make it a viable proposition given its proximity to the drilling boom underway in the region. He said well sites need fracking sand, pipelines and other supplies, all of which can be transported by rail.
"To do that, we have to ensure the railroad is up to standards … and we're willing to put the money in to see that it's done," he said.
Under the letter of intent, the Port Authority is required to return the $50,000 down payment should there be a problem with the title to the railroad or the sale fails to receive the necessary approval of federal regulators.
The Port Authority has been trying to sell the railroad for years, but each deal has eventually fallen through. The latest was last year, when the Port Authority entered into a letter of intent to sell the railroad to Tervita Corp., which currently operates the Negley landfill. Tervita pulled out of the $2.9 million deal after saying it uncovered contamination issues with two pieces of railroad property.
The Port Authority believes the contamination claims were exaggerated, and Davis indicated the problems do not appear to be a barrier to the proposed sale. "We believe it is manageable," he said.
Giambroni writes for the Morning Journal in Lisbon.


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Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier ReviewBy Adam Rosenberg - Posted May 22, 2012
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is an exceptional game housed in an exceedingly generic shell. The parts that work well do so brilliantly, while those that don't only serve to make the game feel incomplete.
The Pros
- Fun, futuretech-filled campaign is just as fun to play solo as it is in co-op
- Responsive, well thought out controls
- Mission maps are smartly laid out to support multiple play styles
- Ridiculously elaborate weapon customization
The Cons
- Total absence of stat-tracking outside of multiplayer
- Lack of cross-mode unlocks limits replay value across the board
- Multiplayer progression feels limited given how much gear is available elsewhere in the game
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier starts out with a bit of misdirection. You're following a squad of gun-toting grunts as they drive along in an armored humvee as part of a larger convoy. Your immediate assumption is that you're riding with friendlies; no one is speaking, in English or any other language, and the non-descript nature of the uniforms and gear suggests Vanilla Military Force. The fact that the camera is along for the ride is all the proof we really need to assume that we're looking at some of the Good Guys.
Of course, misdirection is the calling card for Ghost Recon's future soldiers. The camera eventually cuts away from the convoy, off to a nearby ridge where a squad of four teched out soldiers in stealth camo lie prone with their weapons and intel devices pointed in the direction of the convoy. It's a slick introduction to what ultimately amounts to a rather generic story, but it nonetheless captures the essence of what being a Ghost Recon soldier is all about.
Cut From The Same Cloth
The scene described above ends with the Ghost squad opening fire on the convoy and quickly suppressing all resistance. Once the area is secure, a search of the vehicles unfolds that results in the discovery of a dangerous-looking warhead. As it turns out, the whole thing was a trap and the warhead detonates well before the Ghost team can get clear. This sequence of events sets Future Soldier's story of revenge in motion, with a second Ghost squad -- the one that you are a part of -- being dispatched to track down those responsible.
It works very well as a setup, even if the first-person shooter trope of killing off a seemingly important character in a bomb blast has been done before. What's unfortunate is that many of the events that follow this one feel largely generic and too heavily inspired by other sources. You'll infiltrate a Russian prison to rescue a VIP. You'll fight through the streets of a familiar city caught in the grip of a revolution. You'll even watch in horror as a found footage cutscene shows an attack on another familiar city.
This isn't to say that the missions aren't well thought out. You'll do cool things as you rescue VIPs, infiltrate enemy compounds, gather intel, and eliminate HVTs. You just won't care why you're doing it. The only real failing in Future Soldier's mission design is one that occurs later in the game without your squad to back you up. This is a squad-based shooter and the mission in question simply doesn't work very well without that squad backing you up. Fortunately, this is the only such example of a forced solo situation, and even that can be offset by playing through the mission in co-op.
Tools Of The Trade
The story is all very generic and forgettable in the end, though it's not the crime that it could be given the many strengths that Future Soldier does have. It's a game that certainly lives up to its title, serving up a vast range of technological doodads and gizmos that you can use and abuse to tilt the rules of engagement in your favor. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier might not introduce much in the way of new ideas, but its fresh treatment of familiar ones offer a good time regardless.
Let's start with the most low-tech tool in your toolbox: sync shots. Up to four enemy soldiers can be marked with the press of a button, with your team then following your lead and taking out anyone you've marked once you open fire on one of the targets. Stealth is a huge part of the game and the friendly AI is shockingly competent, so you end up relying on this feature frequently.
You can also mark as many as three targets and leave them for your team to deal with (by pressing and holding the same button you use to mark enemies). This is most useful when paired with the game's UAV drone, a remote-operated quadrotor-powered camera that can be deployed during most missions.
Between tools like the drone and the sync shot feature, it's entirely possible to play through most of Future Soldier without firing your weapon. This is really where the game stands out most, giving you all of the tools you need to tackle near-future battlefields in a way that suits your particular play style. The responsive controls fully support this too, whether you go in guns blazing or you rely on your squadmates to handle the bulk of the heavy lifting.
It's really the pacing that makes all of this work, however. Future Soldier never simply drops you into a mission with dozens of futuristic battle tools to choose from and no indication of what each one does. You're learning new tricks and picking up new toys throughout the game, though it's presented in such a way that it never feels like an endless tutorials. You're simply supplementing what you already know.
Sometimes these are one-off gameplay features that amount to a palette cleanser. In one particular case, you spend most of a mission guiding a combat mech around the battlefield. You certainly have the option of relying on your equipped firearms for most of the challenges you face, but it's far more fun to use the mech to rain a constant stream of devestation down on your enemies. There are also occasional on-rails sequences that give you all the ammo you could ask for and a bunch of enemies to shoot with it.
Then there's the weapon customization, which is by far the most detailed you've ever seen in a AAA release. You can tweak everything from underbarrel and side rail attachments to the gas system, barrel length, and trigger pull of your chosen firearm. Kinect voice and motion controls can be used in this Gunsmith mode, though they feel tacked on and unnecessary. The level of customization is the real win here, no question.
Future Soldier's gameplay overall is as fun as the story is generic. Sure, you'll balk at some of the things you see and hear in cutscenes as nods to (or ripoffs from) other games. But you'll also likely be too excited about what new toy you'll get to play with next to care. Only the on-the-ground version of the UAV drone misses the mark, due to exceedingly clunky driving controls.
Fighting With Your Fellow Future Soldiers
Co-op forms a huge part of the experience in Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. Some of the game's challenges, such as the solo mission mentioned above, simply don't work well without multiple human players in the mix. Guerilla Mode, a Horde-style 50-wave survival challenge, is basically impossible to play through without at least one other player at your side.
As enjoyable as it is to rely on your UAV drone and sync shots in the campaign, the best bet is always to bring along other human players. You can fill out your entire squad of four with online friends (or randoms), and apply the same sort of teamwork-oriented thinking in a group setting. The amount of enjoyment you take away from this depends largely on how well your crew can work together, but switching from managing an AI squad through each mission to using your futuretech tools in the context of a group is seamless.
Group play is even necessary in certain cases. There are challenges that are unique to each mission in the game; completing them unlocks all manner of new weapons and Gunsmith attachments. Some of these challenges are easier to complete on your own, but most of them favor group efforts.
The challenges offer a cool twist to the campaign and a reason to replay each mission on tougher difficulties, but the way that they're executed speaks to one of the larger problems in Future Soldier. A lot of the out-of-game menu juggling feels half-baked and poorly executed. For example, there's no way to measure your past performance. You receive a 1-100 rating based on your performance in each mission, and there are challenges tied to these ratings. Unfortunately, there's no way to look back at how you've scored previously inside the game.
There's also the fact that the different pieces of game feel disconnected from one another. You're constantly unlocking all sorts of weapons and attachments in the campaign, but none of this carries over to the Guerilla or competitive multiplayer modes. In Guerilla, you're actually stuck with whatever the game chooses to offer you for each wave. There's also no real sense of progression in this mode, beyond unlockable Achievements/Trophies. You can play through the 50 waves and have fun doing it -- every 10 rounds you have to take over and then defend a new HQ for the next 10 -- but there's no carrot to keep you coming back.
Finally, there's the multiplayer. It's mostly great. You don't have any of the typical bog-standard modes like Deathmatch or Team Deathmatch. Instead, there are four entirely objective-based modes to choose from. They're all a lot of fun to play and they all feel decidedly unique, even if they play on established multiplayer ideas.
Decoy, for example, has one team rushing to interact with their "key" objective. There are also two other "decoy" objectives. The opposing team can see all three locations, but it isn't ever made clear which one is the primary. Or Conflict, a mode with a rotating set of objectives that could involve anything from kill/defend an HVT to take a control point and hold it. There's nothing in the multiplayer modes that's particularly new, but it's nonetheless a lot of clever riffing on familiar ideas.
Unfortunately, there are also some baffling limitations. Each of the three classes -- the frontal assault-oriented Rifleman, the stealth camo-clad Scout sniper, and the sensor grenade/UAV-toting Engineer -- levels up individually, but they're all saddled with a surprisingly limited selection of weapons. There's so much firepower on the campaign side of the game, but you can only put a sampling of it to work for you in multiplayer. More weapons unlock as you advance through the ranks, but it's still only a sampling of what's available elsewhere in the game.
Future Soldier also makes the fatal mistake that others have made, of forcing faction-specific loadouts and weapon options on players. Is it more realistic for the U.S. forces to have access to an ACR and for the Russian forces to use an AK-200? Sure. That sense of realism comes at the cost of a good time, however. Tweaking your custom loadouts can be fun, but having to spend your attachment credits on the same new Gunsmith parts twice quickly becomes tedious and bothersome.
So in the end, we're left with an experience that feels divided against itself. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is an exceptional game housed in an exceedingly generic shell. The parts that work well do so brilliantly, while those that don't only serve to make the game feel incomplete. There are things that will annoy the hell out of you, no question, but there's also a ridiculous amount of fun to be had. My advice to shooter fans: get over it. For any of its faults, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is well worth investing your efforts and multiplayer hours into.
Editor's Note: Future Soldier was reviewed using an Xbox 360 copy of the game; however, we also played the PS3 version, and found no differences. If further investigation reveals any differences between the 360 edition and the PS3 edition of the game, this review will be updated to reflect those differences.


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Two Middletown men carried more than 7,000 pennies into a grocery store to be cashed in, but they are accused of stealing most of those pennies from a family member.
The 7,000 pennies turned out to weigh nearly 40 pounds, and police said when the two men cashed in the coins, they went straight to a drug dealer to buy heroin.
Police arrested 46-year-old Ramon Rivera and 43-year-old Hector Sampel, and the pennies were reportedly stolen from Sampel's mother-in-law.
Police said Rivera cashed in the change for about $65, and Sampel's mother-in-law said when she got home around 1:30 p.m., her back door was broken and the only thing missing was two large piggy banks full of change she said were worth about $400.
Neighbor Amanda Collins said the area is usually pretty quiet.
"It is odd. They must have known it was there," she said.
The men reportedly put 7,095 pennies, a $1 bill, six dimes and five nickels into the machine.


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|Morning: A journal, cup of tea, and a pencil box
JGH & Roots'n'Leaves Archives.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Sharing Memories: Lessons from the Pencil Box
9 comments:
I have no words, let me go pencil that into my non-existent journal!ReplyDelete
I'll never look at a pencil the same way again.
See, I knew you were a poetic soul!ReplyDelete
You should have seen that first box of pencils --- really a hoot -- half of the box held pencils with yellow, green and orange pumpkins and things, and then the other half had black, blue and purple ghosts and hobgoblins and such. Besides that they were slightly smaller in diameter, so I had to be careful sharpening them -- so as to get them even, you know.
You know what phrase stuck out to me, Joan? You wrote, "I always wanted to be perfect, hated learning anything in public." That sounds so much like me I could have written it! Do you still feel that way?ReplyDeleteReplies
I still prefer knowing how to do a new activity before I do it/try it in public, but not so much as when I was younger. That may be because I have more skills (true) or I am more sure of inner self and don't view new activities as a "make or break" deal (true) or I don't care as much what people think (also true) --- probably just a factor of age and experience.Delete
BTW I had a giggle about your mom --- yours and mine could have come from the same mold. Some of the images were so familiar to me.
I love the mental image of all those coloured pencils. I never liked the scratchiness of pencils so prefer what I call propelling pencils...not sure what you would call them. Sounds like you are a perfectionist too Joan..obsessing about sharpening the pencil the right way :-) I can relate!ReplyDeleteReplies
Pauleen, that first box of pencils were just a hoot! I miss them and just the other day I found one tucked in a drawer -- it was quite short, but I brought it back to my office and installed it in its original box. Looks a bit funny as it is surrounded by tall, upstanding yellow pencils. That's a hoot too. To see how I work, one would never believe I am a perfectionist, but t'is true --- always a perfectionist trying to be.Delete
What a great, fun post, Joan!ReplyDelete
Definitely, try the calligraphy.
You should go to an art supply store and explore their felt pens (including calligraphy nibs) and experiment to see which ones have the feel you like. Or even try an office supply store, just to explore the many offerings of pens. Your comment about pens put me in mind of a pen my husband discovered: smooth feel like a gel pen, looks like fountain pen ink on the page, good feel in your hand. (He says its a Uni-Ball Impact RT Bold, and he uses blue ink.) Believe it or not, there are people out there who wholeheartedly share your sentiments about the feel of the writing!Replies
Jacqi, What a neat comment. As much fun to read as writing this bit. I was afraid it was sort of dorky and no one would "get" the the feel. Thanks, for such a great comment --- and I may even hike over to the art supply store for an indulgence.Delete
Not at all dorky Joan...we other "old timers" enjoyed it and the in-built memories. Glad you found a lone survivor! Once a perfectionist, always a perfectionist ;-)ReplyDelete


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~ The opening line of Te Deum laudamus, a hymn that can be traced as far back as the 2nd century A.D., in a translation common to American hymnals.


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Hello from Ohio!
I am so glad NASCAR is back in full swing and have an entire year again to root for Tony and his team!!!! Also looking forward to heading to Eldora again several times this year especially to watch the trucks take it to the dirt!!!
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Evzen wrote:my Chrome running in a VirtualBox machine(!) on a DELL 6520 with i5@2,5GHz shows numbers from 0 to 5 for the Sticky Password extension and plugin in its task manager.
srozenbe wrote:If you sure (or want me to believe) that Sticky Password is not in business here, just forget it. I see that there is no easy solution for this, but I'm at least hope that somebody would take a look on possible improvement.
Evzen wrote:Basically, the extension is responsible for "analyzing" the loaded page, finding forms to be filled, filling the data, etc. The plugin is responsible for communication between the extension and the database.
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BEAR MT. and ELMA, NY — Cross-country capped off the fall season with its glorious Section 9 Championships and the NYSPHSAA Cross-Country Championships staged just four days after on November 10. The Section 9 Championships, which were held at historic Bear Mountain, the event location for the last 62 years, produced 14 Sullivan County state contenders that included the county's lone Section 9 individual champion in Eldred's Alex Campanella. The stalwart senior harrier, who overcame a stress fracture that eliminated most of his spring track season, a bout of mononucleosis this fall and the recent death of his grandmother, surged ahead of Mt. Academy's Rufus Wareham to a sterling 15:52 Section 9 title win, propelling him back to states in Elma, NY, just south of Buffalo. Campanella, last year's Class D state runner, finished third this year in 16:22.5.
"I can't get down on myself. I left it all out there. It just wasn't my day. I feel lucky to say I've done what I've done and I feel like I still have a lot to improve on. I still haven't had that breakthrough race. I'm still nowhere near my potential." Campanella will pass up this week's Federation Championship Race at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls to train for the Nike Cross New York (NXN) Regionals held there on November 24.
Sullivan West senior Reed Scott evinced a quantum leap over his 2011 effort. Scott took fourth at sectionals in 16:22.90, surpassing his eighth-place finish a year prior. He finished 10th at states in 16:32.5, besting the three area runners who had bested him at sectionals, and qualified for the Federation Championship Race this coming weekend. "It definitely felt good to outrun everyone from our sectional race. I just made sure to stay with the lead pack. From there, I just tried to slowly pick off the runners in front of me." Scott credited coach George Shakelton with mentoring his training over the summer and fall.
Alex Campanella and Reed Scott were the recipients of the Sportmanship Award at the state meet.
Eldred's Dave Powers qualified for states with a 10th-place finish in Section 9. He finished 72nd at states.
Tri-Valley's girls' team won the Section 9 Class C title for the second straight year, a farewell tribute to soon-to-be retiring Coach Missy Iatauro, who has been at the helm for the past 34 years. Freshman Autumn Bender finished fourth at Section 9 (19:28.55), but was really impressive at states with her 14th-place finish in 19:34.2. A year ago, she was 48th in 22:43.9. Bender was joined at states by teammates Sabrena Smith, Danielle Graham. Brooke Gillette, Brittany Pennell, Ali Reynolds and Keira McHugh, who finished 64, 76, 92, 97, 104 and 116 respectively.
Sullivan West senior Dani Myers finished fifth at Section 9 in 20:03.25. Sophomore Kelsey Dutton (20:09.65) took sixth in Section 9 as the duo made it back to their third and second state meets respectively. Dutton finished 52nd at states in 20:50.3, while Myers came in 82nd in 21:27.2. Eldred seventh grader Kayla Maas was sixth in Section 9 Class D with a time of 21:43.49. She finished 67th at states in 22:38. Monticello freshman Camryn Johnson was 91st at states in Class B in her second trip to the event. She was sixth at the Section 9 championships in 19:47.53.
Visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com [1] for the Section 9 Championship photos and www.sportsinsightsny.com [2] for detailed stories.


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Vermont Department of Labor warns of scamStaff Report | December 03,2012MONTPELIER - The Vermont Department of Labor is warning about a nationwide identity theft scam that attempts to lure employers into providing confidential information about their employees.
Emails have been sent to businesses in at least 10 states, including New York and Massachusetts.
The DOL said it has not yet received reports of the scam in Vermont.
According to DOL, the scam is designed to trick employers into responding to an email that appears to have been sent from a state's "Division of Unemployment Assistance."
The email looks like a legitimate job separation request used by state agencies. The email requests wage and other information on a former employee filing for unemployment benefits. It then directs the employer to click on a link to an embedded website address in South Africa.
Employers are advised that DOL does not use email to request confidential information, nor does the agency attempt to collect information on behalf of other state's unemployment agencies.
Any employer receiving this email or other correspondence that may not be legitimate, should call the Vermont Department of Labor 828-4254.MORE IN This Just InPolice: Chase
men also stole
CHELSEA Police say two men involved in a... Full StoryMANAMA, Bahrain Drawing the U.S. Full StoryDANVILLE Police said a Concord man was jailed for violating an abuse prevention order. Full Story
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The Samsung NX300 follows on from the NX210 and is the new flagship model in the company's NX-series. Have the latest developments and improvements made it a better performing system? We find out in the Samsung NX300 review...
Samsung NX300 Review
Samsung has taken a different approach with its latest flagship model, opting against the idea of a chunky handgrip and electronic viewfinder, yet the NX300 is a model that boasts the most impressive specification we've seen from any NX-series camera to date.
Samsung NX300 review – Features
When the Samsung NX300's predecessor was launched a year ago in the form of the NX210, the key talking points were its 8fps burst rate, ability to shoot compressed Raw files and Wi-fi connectivity. The Samsung NX300 is not so much a subtle upgrade, but a much more significant improvement.
At its heart of the NX300 lies a new 3:2 aspect 20.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor. Though the resolution and the physical dimensions of the chip (23.5×15.7mm) haven't changed, the ISO range has broadened to 100-25600 – equivalent to a 1EV gain over the Samsung NX210.
The maximum permitted shutter speed and continuous burst rate have also been increased on the Samsung NX300. Previously on the NX210 the fastest you could shoot at was 1/4000sec, but this is now up rated to 1/6000sec with the option to shoot a continuous burst at 8.6fps. By uniting the renewed sensor with the DRIMe IV imaging engine, Samsung claim the NX300 is capable of producing better colour reproduction and more effective noise reduction.
Autofocus is an area where NX-series CSCs have struggled to perform well in the past. Samsung has stepped up to its competition with the NX300 by incorporating a new hybrid AF system that promises faster AF response. Though this is not new technology (other CSCs with hybrid AF systems include the Canon EOS M and Sony NEX-5R), it's certainly a step in the right direction.
The pairing of contrast detect AF and phase detection AF should see an improvement in AF speed and accuracy, with the phase detection being used to identify focus and contrast detect taking over to fine-tune the focusing. Single and continuous AF modes are provided, and there are four AF area modes to choose from including selection AF, multi AF, face detection and self-portrait AF.
AMOLED screen
The rear of the Samsung NX300 features a 3.3in AMOLED touch screen complete with a 768k-dot resolution. Again, this is an improvement when it's compared to the NX210's 3in, 614k-dot display. The hinge at the bottom of the NX300's touch screen also allows it to be pulled out and tilted when shooting at low or high angles – a welcomed addition for the consumer that this camera is aimed at.
Samsung's i-function technology is featured on the 18-55mm II f/3.5-5.6 OIS lens that the NX300 is bundled with. The idea of this is that you can touch the i-Fn button on the lens to cycle through common variables before rotating the focus ring to apply new settings. There are 14 different settings to choose from within the NX300's smart mode.
These include a 'panorama' function that combines a series of photos to create a panoramic image in camera, a 'rich tones' function that merges multiple images with different exposures to create photos with a wide dynamic range and 'creative shot', which studies a scene before it applies what it thinks is the best filter available.
Wi-fi capabilities
Improving on its Wi-fi capabilities, the Samsung NX300 also features NFC (Near field communication). A late development to the camera after the initial pre-production models were rolled out, NFC allows users to touch the camera with NFC enabled devices to share images by touch.
To take full advantage of the Wi-fi capabilities of the camera, Samsung NX300 users are requested to download Samsung's Smart Camera App – a free download for Android and iOS devices from Google Play and the iTunes store.
Not forgetting HD video, the Samsung NX300 shoots Full HD movies in the MP4 format at 50, 25 and 24p using H.264 compression. Samsung has also taken the opportunity to update the battery on the NX300 and it now uses a BP1130 lithium ion battery pack.
Samsung NX300 review – Design
Although the Samsung NX300 adopts the basic shape and body styling from the NX210, it's fractionally chunkier and more aesthetically pleasing to look at in its two-tone black and silver finish. The faux leather plastic at the front contributes to a high-end appearance, however it doesn't feel like a premium product in the hand and lacks the premium finish of other compact system cameras at similar price points.
That said, the handgrip is of a good size and the smooth curved grip makes it feel comfortable and well balanced in the hand. We also like the way you don't have to uncomfortably bridge your finger to trigger the shutter – the index finger rests flat over the shutter button, leaving the thumb to operate the mode dial and buttons at the rear.
The arrangement of the buttons on the Samsung NX300 hasn't changed greatly, but we would prefer to see metal buttons rather than plastic ones – a strategy other manufactures are using to improve the feel of their products in the hand. Playback and delete buttons are found below the dpad, whereas the menu, function button and exposure compensation are all controlled from above.
The small scroll dial on the top plate can be used to change shutter speed and aperture settings on the fly and beside this is a Direct Link button that enables a chosen wireless function. For a majority of our setting changes we used the cameras i-Function facility, though how much use this sees is dependent on user and whether they like the idea of using the focus ring to operate camera settings.
Touch screen
The Samsung NX300 can be operated using the touch screen or the buttons. To ensure it's easy to navigate, the menu system features bright white text on a black background and there's very little you can't setup on the camera using the screen. All the icons are displayed at a good size and the main menu is split into four basic categories. The screen sits proud from the back of the camera but can be flipped out smoothly and pushed back effortlessly.
With no built-in flash, the only way of illuminating a subject with artificial light is to plug in an external flash via the NX300's hotshoe. The NX300 is bundled with Samsung's SEF8A flash (guide number of 8 at ISO 100), but if a more powerful flash is required the NX300 is compatible with Samsung's range of flashguns, including the ED-SEF 220A (£110) and ED-SEF42A (£170).
Samsung NX300 review – Performance
The most noticeable improvement on the Samsung NX300 is the speed and accuracy of its autofocus system. On previous NX-series CSCs the contrast-detect AF system has often struggled to acquire focus quickly in poor light, but thankfully this is no longer an issue. The hybrid AF system on the NX300 is now faster than the older contrast-detect system on previous NX-series cameras and this was particularly noticeable when shooting in low light.
A bright green AF-assist beam at the front of the camera aids focusing in extremely dark conditions and most importantly, the NX300 is now up to speed in terms of its AF with some of its closest competition in the market.
The Samsung NX300 features a fast autofocus system which, combined with the touch screen, provides an intuitive user experience. It's one of the most responsive touch screens we've used and requires the lightest of touches to confirm settings or scroll through photos in playback mode. Touching the display rather than using the dpad buttons makes for a faster way of positioning the AF target over your subject. Be wary though that the AF point can't be positioned at the very top and bottom of the frame like it can on some other CSCs.
Menu navigation
Navigating the camera with the touch screen is very quick and easy. For smart phone and tablet users who are familiar with operating a device in this way, the Samsung NX300 will be a camera that's easy to pick up and use from the moment go. Setting the mode dial to Wi-fi gives users a number of ways to share images. Provided you're within a Wi-fi hotspot, images and video can be sent via email directly from the camera.
Alternatively, the Samsung NX300's Autoshare feature can be used to send every picture you take to your mobile phone via a Wifi connection. The mobile link worked without any problems with our iOS devices and images were imported straight to our camera roll, taking approximately two seconds to transfer each image with a fast Wi-fi connection.
The Samsung NX300's remote viewfinder function also worked without a hitch and would be useful for capturing group shots when you don't want to rely on using the self-timer. However, the Samsung Camera app only gives you the option to trigger the shutter and doesn't allow you to adjust camera settings such as shutter speed, aperture or ISO.
Loaded with a class 10 SDHC memory card, the NX300 manages to record 12 Fine JPEGs at 8.5fps before the buffer interrupts shooting. Set to Raw, the camera rattles out five frames and after rigorous testing we found our review sample's burst initially started off slow and gradually got up to its full 8.6fps speed after the first two frames had been captured – something we expect to be fixed with a new firmware update.
Image Quality
Samsung NX300 review – Image Quality
A majority of our shots were taken with the Samsung NX300's image quality set to Raw&Super Fine JPEG. JPEGs appear sharper than Raw files under close inspection and the latter would benefit from some additional sharpening in post-processing. The contrast boost that JPEGs receive is also very noticeable when the two are viewed side-by-side, however Raw files produce more detail in the shadows. We also identified that JPEGs are very fractionally richer than Raw files in terms of colour.
There was little to fault with the metering system other than it had a tendency to underexpose slightly when photographing bright scenes that contained a bright white background. To compensate for this we dialed in +1EV exposure compensation to produce slightly brighter results. The Samsung NX300's auto white balance also put in a sterling performance and recorded faithful colours, with no signs of any colour cast. To read the NX300's Raw files we opened images into Adobe Camera Raw 7.4.
ISO performance
Inspecting our images closely revealed the 20.3MP CMOS sensor produces superb levels of detail and we produced even sharper results when we swapped the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6mm III lens for the new 45mm f/1.8. At ISO 100, the Samsung NX300 recorded 30 lines per millimeter on our resolution test chart – a very respectable performance for an APS-C sized sensor.
Studying our Raw files for noise after turning the sharpening and noise reduction controls off within Camera Raw revealed noise-free results between ISO 100-800. Noise creeps into images at ISO 1600 but doesn't have a detrimental effect on the overall quality of an image unless you're viewing at 100% or closer. At ISO 3200, colour noise is more evident, particularly in the shadows. This was quickly removed in Camera Raw by setting the noise reduction luminance slider to a value of 15 and the colour slider to 30. As the sensitivity is increased, more colour noise is evident. ISO 6400 is the limit at which we'd want to push the sensitivity for the fear of noise degrading the quality of images.
Samsung NX300 review – Verdict
To make the Samsung NX300 a better camera than those that have been released before it, Samsung has carefully listened to the feedback from its consumers. Price and performance have been two areas in the past where NX-series cameras have been marked down, but both of these areas have seen improvement with this latest release. Looking at price first, the Samsung NX300 is significantly cheaper than the NX20 when it was launched and it's also cheaper than the NX210 that it replaces. Costing £599 with the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens at the time of review, the camera represents good value for money when you consider the performance is now up to speed with today's expected standard and it boasts a comprehensive set of features and connectivity options.
In the early days of the NX-series there were only a handful of NX-mount lenses to choose from. Samsung has gradually developed the lens range to give its users a wider choice. Though the lens range isn't as vast as Panasonic's G-series lens lineup, there are eleven lenses available for the NX system covering focal lengths from 12mm through to 200mm. During our testing we used the NX300 with the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, 20mm f/2.8, 45mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/1.4 lenses. Our pick of the bunch was the new 45mm f/1.8. We found the nature of its small size and lightweight design well suited to the NX300, while the fast maximum aperture was particularly good for creating images with a shallower depth of field.
Overall opinion
Although we have no complaints in terms of the Samsung NX300's operation and performance, the build quality is one area that could be improved in the future. It's not that the camera isn't finished to a high standard; it just lacks the premium feel that we expect from a flagship model in a company's range. Replacing some of the plastic parts of the camera with metal would help to give the product the premium feel that we feel it deserves.
Overall, the Samsung NX300 is an enjoyable CSC to use and it has come on a long way from previous NX-series cameras. It'll make a good choice for those stepping up to a compact system camera from a compact and the good news is, it's not a difficult interchangeable lens camera to use or get familiar with. The NX300 produces great images from its APS-C sensor, offers high-speed shooting and finally has an AF performance to challenge the competition in the compact system camera market.
Sample Image Gallery
These are just a small selection of sample images from the Samsung NX300. For more, visit the Samsung NX300 review sample image gallery.
1/400 sec @ f/4, ISO 400, +1EV, AWB
1/100 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 100, +0.6EV, AWB
1/400 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, +1EV, AWB
1/125 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 100, +1EV, AWB
Video review
Samsung has taken a different approach with its latest flagship model,
opting against the idea of a chunky handgrip and electronic viewfinder,
yet the NX300 is a model that boasts the most impressive specification
we've seen from any NX-series camera to date. Watch our video review to find out more.


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PsycINFO contains bibliographic citations with abstracts for an array of subjects related to psychology including, education, business, medicine, nursing, law, social work, and animal behavior. PsycINFO covers all types of publications including journal articles, books, book chapters, reports, and dissertations. References include material from 45 countries and in several languages.
Miami University has a long and proud tradition of student involvement in both radio and television productions. This exhibit will celebrate five decades of students in broadcasting. Many of these productions can be found online in the WMUB Archives. For questions about the exhibit, contact Marcus Ladd at firstname.lastname@example.com or (513) 529-0462.
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Staff Spotlight—Thom Gerrish
New in November: Leisure Reading
ALA President Dr. Julie Todaro Releases Statement on Libraries, the Association, Diversity and Inclusion
Leonard Cohen (1934-2016): playlist and notable resources


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By having direct access to Jarrell home builders' web sites, you have the most accurate, up to date new home information. Please contact the builder's sales representative directly with any questions about purchasing your new home.
Happy home surfing!
It doesn't look like we found any communities in Jarrell. You can easily find communities in nearby cities by visiting our Texas state page.


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Renewable energy sources generated 14.2% of net U.S. electric power generation during the first six months of 2013, up from 13.6% the same time a year ago, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Non-hydro renewable energy sources including solar, wind, and biomass energy, increased 12.1% in the first half of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. In particular, solar thermal and photovoltaic energy increased 56.9% in 2013 compared to the first half of 2012, and wind power grew 15.3% during the same timeframe, according to EIA. See the EIA June 2013 report.
Also, world energy consumption is projected to increase by 56% in the next three decades, driven by growth in the developing world, according to International Energy Outlook 2013 released on July 25 by EIA. Among the key findings of the report was that world energy consumption will increase from 524 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 2010 to 820 quadrillion Btu in 2040, with half the total world increase in energy consumption attributed to China and India. Also, almost 80% of the projected global increase in renewable electricity generation is fueled by hydropower and wind power. The trend of rapid wind energy growth will continue into the future, according to International Energy Outlook 2013. See the EIA press release and the complete 2013 report.


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A special 2 part edition of Inside Moore. We look at the events that took place on May 20th, the Survivors, the Response, and the Recovery. Special Thanks to all of our Citizens, the First Responder, and Volunteers.


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Private railway wins federal grant
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Great Western was the only railroad in Colorado to receive federal grant money, which doesn't have to be repaid, after last September's devastating floods, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The grant to rail and real estate magnate Pat Broe came after Colorado's Democratic U.S. Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet wrote letters to the Federal Railroad Administration supporting the grant request. The funds were delivered through CDOT. Broe is a modest, although longtime contributor to Udall, among other politicians.
A spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration and a representative of OmniTRAX did not respond to requests for comment.
Udall spokesman Mike Saccone said the transportation department received the grant to partner with Great Western Railway to complete repairs.
"It wasn't an earmark, it was a competitive grant," he said. "There were no politics involved."
Bennet supported the grant as he has supported other funding that CDOT has requested, Bennet spokesman Adam Bozzi said in an email.
"Had any other railroad applied for assistance with the support of the state, we of course would have advocated for them as well," he said.
The nearly $1.7 million federal grant will address a sizable chunk of the $3 million in damage suffered by the railroad company after floodwaters destroyed a portion of Front Range railroad infrastructure in September. Great Western Railway will contribute $434,000 in matching funds.
The taxpayer dollars from the Federal Railroad Administration will cover removal of flood debris, construction of railroad track and bridges and reconstruction of salvageable railroad track in Weld, Larimer and Boulder counties.
The deluge impaired nearly 150 miles of railroad tracks and damaged bridges, leading to millions of dollars in damage. The disaster stymied crude-oil rail shipments for Noble Energy Inc. (NYSE: NBL), among the largest oil and natural-gas companies in Northern Colorado. It also delayed rail shipments of Vestas Wind Systems' (OMX: VWS) wind turbine components.
Broe founded real estate and asset management firm The Broe Group in Denver in 1972. In 1986, The Broe Group's involvement in rail began when it bought a portfolio of real estate assets from the bankrupt estate of a large industrial company, including a railroad in Northern Colorado that became Great Western Railway near Windsor. The Broe Group now owns OmniTRAX Inc., a network of railroads including Great Western that it operates throughout North America.
Rail has become an important part of Broe's business, attracting companies such as Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL), which built a sand terminal in the Great Western Industrial Park, also owned by The Broe Group. Halliburton uses the Great Western Railway to deliver its sand to various customers.
The Broe Group's asset portfolio includes more than 10 million square feet of commercial property nationwide. Among Colorado's wealthiest businessmen, Broe ranked 25th nationwide in land ownership in the 2011 Land Report 100, with hundreds of thousands of acres of land in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico.
The grant to the railroad comes as cities and towns in Northern Colorado and the Boulder Valley attempt to cope with limited funding to repair public infrastructure. Meanwhile, businesses in 10 Colorado counties, including Boulder, Larimer and Weld counties, have received $26.8 million in Small Business Administration low-interest loans that they eventually must repay. The federal agency does not have a disaster grant program.
"The Colorado Department of Transportation's larger strategy is designed to maintain and upgrade this transportation infrastructure that is an important component of commerce and industry in this region of Colorado," Udall said in his letter to Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo.
Broe has made $4,250 in campaign contributions to Udall since 1998, according to Federal Election Commission records, although he has not contributed to Bennet.
The senators' offices noted that both lawmakers have led efforts to secure recovery aid for Colorado cities and towns, including raising the cap on the amount of federal transportation recovery dollars the state could receive from $100 million to $450 million.
Amy Ford, spokeswoman for CDOT, confirmed that only Great Western Railway received the disaster-relief grant. Great Western qualified for the grant because of its designation as a short-haul railroad, Ford said. Other railroads such as BNSF and Union Pacific were ineligible because they are considered long-haul railroads.
Transportation department officials saw that they could apply for the federal grant and asked Bennet and Udall to write letters of support, Ford said.
"One of the things that we were looking at is how do we benefit Colorado as a whole, and we saw the opportunity to apply for these grants," Ford said. "It wasn't about who owns this railroad. It was an opportunity to rebuild Colorado in an area that had been devastated by these floods."
Great Western Railway spent 3,300 man hours repairing its lines and finished emergency repairs by Nov. 11, according to the grant application submitted by CDOT. About 720 feet of track remained out of service and unrepaired as of December when the application was completed.
Union Pacific did not receive such a grant, nor did it apply for one, UP spokesman Mark Davis said. UP saw damage on its Denver-to-Grand Junction and Denver-to-Cheyenne lines.
The company considers natural disasters a cost of doing business, said Davis, who has worked for UP more than 30 years. He could not recall a time when the railroad company ever has applied for a grant to rebuild after a natural disaster.
BNSF, which saw more than a mile of track damaged in Boulder, Loveland and Longmont, also did not receive a grant, BNSF spokesman Andy Williams said.
Molly Armbrister contributed to this report. Steve Lynn can be reached at email@example.com and 970-232-3147. Follow Lynn on Twitter at @SteveLynnBW.
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