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Parks for all?
The National Park Service struggles to connect with a changing America.
Cliff Spencer knows what it's like to be singled out. The tall, slim 54-year-old is superintendent of Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park, and one of just a handful of African-Americans in the upper echelons of the National Park Service. Some years ago, when Spencer ran Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park, he strolled through the visitor center on the way to his office. When he reached his desk, a ranger was on the line: "Cliff, some people want to meet you." It was a black family from Atlanta, visiting several parks on their way to the Grand Canyon. "We've never seen a black person in uniform in any of the parks we've visited," they told him. "Do you mind if we take a picture of you?"
Spencer understood: It was probably the only such photo they'd get. In his 30-year career, Spencer has gotten to know many major Western parks and monuments, including Lake Mead, Point Reyes, White Sands, Petrified Forest and now Mesa Verde. But no matter where he's gone, brown-skinned rangers and tourists have been scarce. Even as the nation becomes increasingly diverse, park visitors and staff remain overwhelmingly white. Spencer's rise at the National Park Service is one of the agency's success stories, but also highlights its struggle to reach more minorities.
"There were two things I knew growing up," Spencer says. "I really loved the outdoors, and there was a whole country out there to see, and I wanted to go." As a child in inner-city L.A., Spencer went to summer camps in Griffith Park and discovered that archery, horseback riding and hiking were more fun than hanging out on the street. He attended college at California State, Northridge, majored in recreation administration, and got chosen for a program that gave minority students a chance to work at the nearby Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
If anyone understands the importance of having Americans of all races appreciating public lands, it's Spencer. "I would love to get to the time," he says, shaking his head, "when a black ranger is not a big deal, not cause for a double take." At Mesa Verde, he's reached out to nearby communities of color – the Navajo, Southern Utes and Ute Mountain Utes on whose ancestral lands the park sits. Tribal representatives helped design the new visitor center, a handful of Native interpreters guide tourists, and Native students have opportunities to intern. And yet Spencer, as the busy overseer of the nation's largest archaeological preserve, seldom writes "increase diversity" on his daily to-do list. "I think about it occasionally," he says, "but there are just so many other things going on. That's not an excuse, but I don't think I'm doing a very good job of promoting it."
Unfortunately, parks and other public lands are facing an array of challenges, and without increased support from citizens, these lands may be in jeopardy. "If Congress decides that it doesn't want national parks, they will go away," warns John Reynolds, who spent 36 years as a Park Service planner and regional director. Just last summer, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., suggested "removing" less-visited parks and putting new parks under private management. During last fall's federal shutdown, states like Utah paid for operations at some national parks, fueling calls from some locals for complete control. In March, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to gut the Antiquities Act, which several presidents have used to protect lands that later became national parks, including Grand Canyon and Grand Teton. And underfunding remains a chronic problem – the agency's budget doesn't even keep up with inflation, and it staggers under a nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog.
Given these threats, "we can't allow millions of people, generations of people, to not experience parks and to have no connection to them," says Spencer. "When those people get into positions where they'll influence policy and hold the purse strings, they won't understand what parks are and how important they are."
Thus, the Park Service's diversity dilemma. Despite years of rhetoric about the importance of the issue, the agency's on-the-ground actions have failed to keep pace. In 2016, the Park Service will celebrate its centennial, and the stakes have never been higher. "Some of the things we are seeing now are symptoms of waning relevancy," says agency director Jon Jarvis. "The flattening of our budget, sequestration cuts, the political pressures on the Park Service to allow everything from extractive usage to more motorized recreation. Rather than continuing to treat the symptoms, we need to go for the cure – and make that connection with all people."
Today, a handful of pioneering urban parks, such as Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area in Massachusetts, and Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, are using innovative programs to reach out to under-represented communities. Can they lead the rest of the massive park system into the future and help a new, more diverse generation find relevance in America's "Best Idea" – before it's too late?
Within 30 years, according to the Census Bureau, more than half the nation's population will consist of people of color; about one-third will be Hispanic. Those demographic shifts will affect how parks are visited, valued and developed. But today, you'd never know: The visitors and staff of our national parks are about as diverse as your average 1960s country club. At least 80 percent of the agency's roughly 22,000 employees are white; for administrators, it's more like 85 percent (see graph, facing page). It's the same for park visitors. In 2013, national parks were visited 274 million times. But in a 2011 survey, Hispanics accounted for fewer than 10 percent of American visitors. Blacks made up just 7 percent, Asian-Americans 3 percent and Natives 1 percent.
The national park system was created to preserve our most iconic landscapes, but from the start, for better and worse, it also reflected the nation's character – including the discrimination prevalent at the time. Such fathers of conservation as Teddy Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot and John Muir held opinions that today we'd consider unabashedly racist; the national parks were, in part, envisioned as a refuge where white urban-dwellers could find respite from cities increasingly being transformed by immigration. Some parks had designated "white only" picnic areas until World War II. "Those concerns (of segregation and not being welcome in public places) don't simply vanish when the signs go away," says Alan Spears, director for cultural resources with the National Parks Conservation Association. "It takes generations for those memories of discrimination to work themselves out."
The Park Service first began to worry about diversity in 1962, when the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission realized that minorities visited national parks and forests at much lower rates than did whites. The early '60s "outdoorsy is sexy" movement that swept the nation – selling everything from cigarettes to adventure travel – apparently bypassed minorities. During the ensuing decades, the Park Service wrung its hands about its racial homogeneity in conferences and symposiums. In 1997, the agency's first (and only) black director, Robert Stanton, made "seeing the face of America in every park and every office of the NPS" his mantra. Over the next several years, the agency commissioned reports, assembled task forces, implemented diversity hiring initiatives – all to no avail.
As the Park Service heads toward its second century, it still hasn't made much progress. Even the agency's employees think it's falling down on the job. The 2013 "Best Places to Work in the Federal Government" survey placed it a dismal 258 out of 300 in how well its leaders "promote and respect diversity," with "diversity" here referring not just to race and ethnicity, but also to religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and so on. "We've had any number of successful initiatives," says David Vela, former associate director for human resources. "But we haven't sustained them. The needle hasn't moved much."
Jon Jarvis, NPS head since 2009, has been working hard to change the agency's priorities, putting "relevance, diversity and inclusion" at the top of the list. That reflects national priorities as well; President Obama issued a 2011 executive order promoting diversity and inclusion across all federal agencies.
But the Park Service is a gigantic entity, made up of what veteran employees call "400 little fiefdoms," each with its own, entrenched culture. Jarvis acknowledges his "limited power to turn this battleship." And the agency can't do it alone – "it's a very, very slow cultural change that's going to take decades," says Roberto Moreno, founder of a program that brings minority families to national parks. "It's not just the NPS' job, it's the whole outdoor community's job to change the social context of our entire industry" – an industry that all too often depicts only whites in outdoors settings.
Still, Jarvis is trying. A Call to Action, issued in 2011 and updated annually, is Jarvis' blueprint for renewing the agency's commitment to stewardship and getting the public more engaged in parks. Noting that millennials will soon eclipse baby boomers in purchasing power and social influence, Jarvis says he's targeting the 18- to 35-year-old market. "They don't see diversity the way we do," he notes. "They grew up in multicultural families, have friends from different groups – that's just how it is for them."
The plan, which includes a promise to fully represent the nation's ethnically and culturally diverse communities, remains a work in progress, but Park Service leaders point to specific actions now being taken, such as contracting with minority-owned businesses and updating training programs.
Yet getting a handle on the agency's progress is like nailing Jell-O to a tree. An enormous stack of reports and PowerPoint presentations has been churned out over the past few decades, but coming up with hard numbers isn't always easy. The Park Service doesn't track visitor race and ethnicity, instead relying on academic partners like the University of Idaho to obtain data. Nor does the agency know whether it is meeting its stated goal of giving 10,000 white and minority kids per year a "multi-year progression of experiences" leading toward employment. "Our metrics/measurement system is being redesigned currently," the agency's chief spokeswoman, April Slayton, emailed High Country News. "We will have more accurate numbers when that is complete."
Although the number of minorities who work for the agency remains disappointingly low, a young man named Vidal Carrillo offers some hope. On a July afternoon in Rocky Mountain National Park, the 20-year-old seasonal firefighter, well over 6 feet tall, stands in a grove of ponderosas talking to a Boy Scout group about working for the Park Service. The otherwise rambunctious kids, mostly black and Hispanic, listen quietly, captured by his serious yet humble demeanor.
Carrillo was born in inner-city L.A. When his brother and nephew got into gangs and drugs, his mother sent the two boys to Eagle Rock, an alternative high school in Estes Park, Colorado, aimed at troubled teenagers. Carrillo, then 15, came along to support them. Eagle Rock offered programs that took students to Indian reservations to build housing, and also brought them into Rocky Mountain National Park to work.
"I had never been in the mountains before, only in a city park with pigeons and squirrels," he says. "Camping seemed so remote. We didn't even know this was here." On a wilderness course in the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, he decided that the outdoors provided the respite he needed from the turmoil of urban life. "All my troubles go away when I step out on the trail. I feel absolute tranquility." He worked a variety of summer jobs at Rocky Mountain National Park while going to school, but always had his eye on the fire program. When an opening came up, he snagged it; he's now in his third season as a Hotshot.
After graduating from Eagle Rock in 2012, Carrillo is majoring in biology and pre-med at Colorado State University and hopes to go to medical school in Cuba through a program for low-income Hispanics. Ultimately, he'd like to return to the West and treat injured firefighters. But he's paid a personal cost for the choices he's made. "My family back in L.A. doesn't understand what I like about it," he says. "They had a bitter feeling, like I was abandoning them."
People like Carrillo can serve as excellent role models, encouraging youth to consider Park Service careers. "It's good for kids to see someone in a national park who looks like them," says Spencer. "It opens their awareness to think this is a job I could do, this is something that could be for me."
The agency is now trying to employ more minority youth in parks through several programs, most in partnership with universities or nonprofit groups like the Student Conservation Association. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative gives students summer work experience in parks, and is being expanded to Hispanic and tribal colleges. The Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program, begun in 1999, has provided internships to 260 students from various cultural and ethnic groups; seven have been hired permanently.
More recent efforts include Pro-Ranger, begun in 2010 to help replace retiring law enforcement rangers. At two universities with large black or Hispanic populations, students receive specialized training and admission into the Park Service law enforcement academy. So far, 36 have gotten full-time jobs. "It's a good program," says Hayley Mortimer, vice president of the Center for Park Management. "But it needs to be improved and taken to scale."
The same can be said for the National Park Service Academy, now in its fourth year, which annually serves about 125 diverse college students. The program aims to help students obtain a parks job through workshops, internships and mentoring. So far, roughly 25 have gotten seasonal employment, with one hired permanently. (See sidebar.)
"The expansion of different types of academic internships is where part of the future lies," says Nina Roberts, associate professor of recreation, parks and tourism at San Francisco State University. "But don't promise jobs that don't exist; there has to be a light at the end of the job tunnel."
And that's the catch: Last year, thanks to shrinking budgets, the National Park Service offered just 425 full-time openings nationwide. Such intense competition, along with the fact that park managers often like to hire from within, makes it even harder to find a foothold: Less than 20 percent of recent new hires were minorities. Byzantine personnel systems and preference points given to veterans also make it harder for managers to tap promising young people. "For groups that have been traditionally under-represented in the NPS workforce," writes Slayton, "the ability to find full-time employment has greatly diminished." Still, opportunities may increase over the next few years, as roughly a quarter of agency staffers begin retiring.
It should be noted that outdoors-loving students can find work in other places besides parks. "I hear NPS people saying, 'Why are we working so hard to bring in these interns when we don't have the jobs?' " says Roberts. "That's so selfish." She advocates educating kids about opportunities on other public lands, like national forests and wildlife refuges, or with park partner groups. It might not be the dreamed-of job at the Grand Canyon, Roberts says. "But if you've got passion for public lands, you can start somewhere."
On a blue-sky October day in 2012, thousands of people of all colors lined up amid the golden hills and oak trees of California's San Joaquin Valley. They were there for President Obama's dedication of the first national park site honoring a contemporary Latino, the César E. Chávez National Monument, named for the labor advocate and founder of the United Farm Workers. Speaking at the dedication, Obama said, "(This site) joins a long line of national monuments that tell the story of who we are as Americans."
The new monument demonstrates the Park Service's determination to tell the stories of all Americans, not just whites. And it's an acknowledgment that perhaps the park system has to make some changes in order to draw more diverse visitors. That's a subtle but important divergence from the old belief that it's the people themselves who have to change, and that low visitation is due simply to the mistaken idea that minorities lack an interest in the outdoors.
In fact, Hispanic, black and Native people tend to be deterred by more practical factors, including the expense, time and distance involved in traveling to parks. And some may not be aware of what's available, according to a 2011 University of Wyoming study. The study also found that minorities were more than three times as likely as whites to say that parks provide poor service and are not safe places to visit. "They think they're going to get attacked by mountain lions, killed by avalanches, eaten by bears," says Moreno ruefully.
Last spring, the agency released a study of American Latino accomplishments with an eye toward locating possible future national historic sites or landmarks, similar to the Chávez monument. Such sites provide a way to attract new visitors, says Spears. "Will 30 percent of them suddenly become park enthusiasts? No, but maybe 2 or 3 percent will, and then we can talk to them about how great it would be if they protected parks."
Other recently added sites include the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument in Maryland and Virginia's Fort Monroe National Monument, both of which recognize the history of slavery. "Some of the areas that the Park Service commemorates reflect on difficult periods in our history," says Stanton. "They are not places to wallow in remorse but rather places to strengthen our resolve."
Still, less than 10 percent of park sites commemorate minorities or women. And that includes places like Mesa Verde, which focuses on ancestral Native Americans but has not always done so in a culturally sensitive way. Mesa Verde and several other parks sit on land taken from tribes, but in only a few of those parks, such as Arizona's Canyon de Chelly, do they have a major voice in park management.
But changes have taken place at existing parks, too. Some of them are small, like adding more picnic tables to campsites to better accommodate large Hispanic groups, and translating materials into Spanish. But much bigger advances can be made. "The agency needs to figure out how to appeal to what people need, more deeply than just what kind of facilities (it provides)," says Reynolds. Parks are starting to provide interpretive programming that encourages people to participate and that describes historical events from the perspective of all involved, instead of solely presenting Anglo-centric stories.
Interpreters can emphasize aspects of an existing park's history to make it more interesting to specific visitors. African-American buffalo soldiers of the 9th Cavalry, for instance, guarded Yosemite in the early 1900s. Their history in the park is explained to present-day visitors by black ranger Shelton Johnson. "He's built Yosemite into more than a great scenic wonder," says Spencer. "He's made it emblematic of the black experience."
The parks' diversity problem is compounded by an age problem, however. Annual attendance at national park sites has decreased by about 3 million visits since 2000, and the proportion of 48- to 66-year-old visitors is increasing as the share of 16- to 20-year-olds declines. "We're losing a generation," says Spencer. But parks can appeal to a younger, more urban audience by providing services such as wireless networking and rethinking the traditional visitor center. Many contemporary visitors get basic information off the Internet before they visit and have more in-depth questions ready once they arrive. "Millennials do see value in national parks," says Jarvis, "but they don't want it handed to them boxed up and already baked. They want to have an adventure with their peers and share on social media."
To that end, the Park Service, National Park Foundation and other partner groups are kicking off a major campaign next year. Called "Find Your Park," it's designed to help people, especially youth, become aware of park units in their own communities, not necessarily the big, remote nature parks but the smaller, more conveniently located places – our often-overlooked national lakeshores, parkways, waterways, trails, monuments and historic sites.
Park officials might also consider expanding their vision of how parks are used. The younger generation wants something more thrilling than just hiking and camping: bike races through Colorado National Monument, say, or BASE jumping in Utah's Zion National Park. While parks can't – and shouldn't – try to accommodate all such activities, they might stretch the rules a bit to allow a few, and even market them.
At the same time, attracting new visitors shouldn't involve alienating those who already love the parks as they are. And there are legal considerations, too: The 1916 Organic Act, which established the Park Service, limits drastic changes to parks and how they are used. Each site has something unique to offer, says Neil Mulholland, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation, and parks don't need to create a lot of new activities to draw visitors; mostly, they just need to do a better job of marketing what's available. "Just talk to me about why I should care," says Roberts, discussing the importance of educating potential visitors who aren't familiar with the many benefits of parks. "Show me a picture, show me a video – help me understand what it's all about."
Donning oversized rubber boots, a group of 7- to 13-year-olds squat in the icy, rushing water of a stream in Rocky Mountain National Park. As they lift rocks from the streambed, they hold nets just downstream to capture whatever might have been lurking under the rocks. They empty the nets into plastic trays, and park rangers help them identify the bugs and debris they've scooped up. "What's that little round thing? Yep, it's a fish egg!" When thunderclouds build, one boy plops down on the stream bank and announces that he doesn't ever want to leave. Another studious-looking youngster with Buddy Holly-type glasses is ready to go: "Video games are more fun," he says, frowning.
These multicultural Boy Scouts from inner-city Denver are attending Camp Moreno, founded by Roberto Moreno in 2009, whose camps are meant to help "emerging populations" understand how public lands can enrich their lives. It's one of a handful of recent efforts by the Park Service and partner groups designed to interest kids in parks. After all, a lifelong devotion to anything starts with the children.
Later, firefighter Vidal Carrillo will tell these boys about Park Service jobs; now, Moreno is educating them about their own public lands. "You own something better than a condo at Vail," Moreno says, gesturing toward the magnificent surroundings. "You own this. These lands belong to you, and you should be using them." A few adults nod – parents usually accompany Moreno campers – but most of the kids just stare at him, apparently stunned by the notion.
"You take a family in an industrialized place like Commerce City (Colorado)and bring them to Rocky Mountain National Park," Moreno says, "and suddenly they realize there's a bigger world out there; they understand we need to preserve these public lands." Camp Moreno has operated in seven national parks around the West. So far, about 1,400 kids have been through the program, usually with one or both parents in tow and sometimes siblings as well.
Other types of programs that boast higher attendance but don't provide the same kind of family involvement operate in parks as well. The National Park Foundation offers Ticket to Ride, started in 2012, which gives parks grants to pay for bus rides, meals and educational programs for students. Annually, at least 60,000 kids visit a local national park through this program, many for the first time.
Everyone agrees that these field-trip programs are great, but how do you quantify the results? They can foster excitement and curiosity, and give children outdoor opportunities they'd never have experienced. "Kids who have never been exposed to wilderness come out from (the city) and go home saying, 'This changed my life; I never knew that anything like this existed,' " says Reynolds. "That's the turning point."
The Park Service, for its part, has come to realize that working with partners like Camp Moreno can make a huge difference in its ability to connect with local minority communities. Existing nonprofits, schools and faith-based or youth programs can help the agency reach people who might not seek out a park on their own. "The NPS was a little late in the game in doing community outreach," says Spears. "It's not Field of Dreams; you can't just build it and people will come."
As the Park Service wrestles with its future, Jarvis says, it finds itself considering the theories of influential management consultant Margaret Wheatley, who has promoted the idea that the solutions any organization needs already exist somewhere within that organization. "You need to find that, nurture it and connect others doing similar kinds of things," says Jarvis. "They become the pioneers that lead the organization forward."
And when it comes to the Park Service, the best place to find those pioneers is not in the remote, scenic places that Americans tend to picture when they think about national parks – Glacier, Yellowstone, Arches – but rather in the smaller park properties, the recreation areas, greenways, historic sites and memorials that are close to cities and their diverse inhabitants. More than four out of five Americans now live in urban areas, but 40 of the nation's 50 biggest cities contain national parks, and urban sites draw more than a third of all park visits.
"Our relevance in urban areas will prove critical to the NPS' survival," says Michael Creasey, executive director of the agency's Conservation Study Institute. "How can we organize ourselves differently to respond to those community needs?" The institute is working with agency leaders and partners to create an "Urban Agenda," which will consider how the Park Service can better use its full portfolio of programs to revitalize local economies, connect youth to nature, and make urban parks "portals to diversity."
One of the biggest such portals is San Francisco's Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Seven million people, including large Hispanic, black and Asian-American populations, live within an hour's drive of Golden Gate, one of the nation's first urban parks. The visitors are still mostly white, but the park's holdings, which include headlands around the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and Muir Woods, attract a lot of local minorities, says supervisor Frank Dean.
He notes that the park brings in youth from under-represented communities, starting with school field trips and progressing to more in-depth experiences. It works with a medical clinic in mostly black Bayview-Hunters Point, and has shuttled residents up to the park for prescribed exercise. The Roving Ranger, a repurposed bakery truck done up in bright orange and green, travels to communities and schools to educate people and entice them to visit. Crissy Field Center is a model of youth engagement, especially a program called I-YEL, Inspiring Young Emerging Leaders.
The program helps build relationships between the park and its neighbors, says Ernesto Pepito, associate director of youth leadership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. "If you think about why park visitors aren't diverse," he says, "awareness and transportation are small factors. We're missing the big stuff – why is a national park important to me, my family, my future?" Staffers at Crissy Field, says Pepito, go out and listen to what matters to community members, then connect those concerns back to the park. "We can help people come to their own conclusions about this park and why it matters, like for clean air and water."
The kids in I-YEL research a topic that's important to their communities, then present it in a creative way. Last year, they put on a play; this year, they're building an obstacle course with pollution-themed challenges to navigate, such as dangling plastic water bottles. The program also has brought in a more diverse staff, says Pepito, because it calls for unusual skills such as art and media: "We were able to reach a new applicant pool that hadn't thought about working in parks before."
Ultimately, Golden Gate is "a different park from the rest," says Dean, "and we need to provide lessons learned." Those lessons may not always translate perfectly to more remote nature-focused parks, because of the long travel distances and the fact that the local communities are often largely white. But people who get comfortable with visiting a nearby urban park may eventually venture to faraway parks, and outreach techniques developed for minority communities can apply to other communities who may not use even nearby parks, such as ranchers, says Creasey. He notes that it's not only racial diversity that's critical to park success, but also diversity of interests, ideas and experiences: "It's diversity from an ecological standpoint. Homogenous systems die."
Given the outsized challenges it faces today – including institutional inertia, chronic funding shortfalls and the growing appeal of digital rather than natural experiences – the Park Service is unlikely to increase its racial diversity any time soon. But in many ways, urban parks like Golden Gate are already creating a model for the rest of the agency and pioneering a way into the future. "I think it's blending what a new generation might use these parks for and what they might get out of them with what these parks traditionally do," says Pepito. "It's finding that beautiful infusion."
Jodi Peterson is HCN's managing editor. She writes from Paonia, Colorado.
This story was funded with reader donations to the High Country News Research Fund.
Bob Stanton did make diversity in the workforce a priority, but he wanted the national figures to be used in every park which was a recipe for failure. Regionally the NPS does OK. The southwest has more Hispanics and Native Americans than other areas of the country, the east and southeast more African Americans, west coast more Asians, Hawaii more Hawaiians, etc.
Jarvis may be trying but, if he is, he's not trying very hard. His "Call to Action", at last count, had over 35 goals so the NPS can always point to a desired "goal" in response to questions. Then state how many meetings they've held on the issue under discussion. But not many results.
The media needs to stop taking at face value what the NPS says and start looking where they spend their funding. Way, way too much is spent in central offices in such places as Washington and San Francisco for a bloated bureaucracy that produces very little for the money spent, hand wringing over diversity being a good example, and way, way too little is spent in the field areas which is where it should be spent. The NPS is in a world of hurt as they approach their 100th anniversary and, unfortunately, much of the damage is self-inflicted. If Jarvis thinks diversity of the work-force and visitation is currently the most serious problem facing the agency, he needs to get out of DC more often and face reality.
And the whole idea of the commons, of which the national and other public parks are a part, is being eroded across America, as evidenced by many proposals to sell them to corporations to run for profit. Kids are taught to be consumers at an early age, to mistrust any public entity, and to fear the 'other', be that people, places or things. It's a sad state of affairs, but luckily there are many individuals and groups committed to getting our young people outdoors to appreciate the glorious world we inhabit.
America's National Parks include our most spectacular lands and Civil War Battlefields which must be protected and preserved so our children will see our beauty and our history just as we do today. I hope that our Congress and States will increase funding for these lands, while the cost to visit them will remain low so most all of out citizens and tourists can visit.
Dick Schaffer
National Park Transportation Scholar
Saguaro National Park- 2005/2006
Further, it is fruitless for the NPS, or any government agency to attempt to make their workforce reflect the racial makeup of the general population. The problem is more complex. For instance, there are many parks in many geographical areas where certain minorities are absent from the local population. When the agencies entice minorities to take jobs in these areas, they often don't last because they feel isolated, or it's just not where they want to be. Having a revolving door on some of these positions does not contribute to an effective operation. Too much time and effort is spent on training people who don't want to be there. Also, for many of the critical job categories (biology, ecology, etc.) for the parks, the graduates coming out of universities don't reflect the general population. Thus, the NPS is trying to take a simplistic approach to a greater issue, with often unintended and negative results.
Also, when we talk about attracting a diverse population to the parks, let's first look at economics. Minorities at the bottom of the economic scale cannot afford to travel to distant parks or even pay the increasing entrance fees. I would argue the real problem is economic rather than race. We have to raise up the economic level of the lower end of the population, which is over-represented by minorities. 0nce people have a better economic situation, they are more able to partake of the benefits available in society, including parks. I see more blacks in parks today, but they seem to be more middle class or upper middle class. I think the same was true for groups in the lower economic class in the past---immigrants like the Irish, Jews, etc. Their investment in the parks came from rising up in economic class and the resultant ability to partake---not from some government program intended to make them appreciate what they couldn't afford. There was a time when many people questioned whether this country should have an Irish Catholic president. That question died out when the Irish reached the middle class and thus became fully incorporated into the American fabric. 0ther minorities need an economic boost to attain the same incorporation. The increasing gap between rich and poor in this country is the real problem.
It is also interesting that as we seek to increase diversity in parks, as Mr. Good says, there is no decline in park use. And yet the NPS is actively seeking to increase support from donors (primarily rich white people and corporations) and doesn't do anything to reduce what is basically a subsidization of the tourism industry that brings groups of foreigners to our national parks at the expense of US citizens, who pay for the parks. One need only go to Yellowstone in the summer and you will see large numbers of minority visitors. Unfortunately, they are tour groups bussed through the park, coming from Japan, the Middle East and other countries. By supporting this tourism the NPS is limiting US citizens and allowing impacts from overuse. I don't think many people who have visited Yellowstone multiple times over the past 20-30 years will say that crowding or the visitor experiences has improved.
I'm not arguing against bringing minority kids into the parks, or seeking to hire minorities, but we have to look at the issue in all it's complexity and come up with much smarter strategies. For one thing, I find younger NPS employees, much like surveys show with millennials in general, reject the "check-a-box" ethnicity identification so important to the bean counters. They see that as divisive. They are far beyond the boomers in how they view race, and they see no reason to be constrained by what they consider artificial categories. They see race as an outdated, insignificant idea, and instead embrace the complex mix of who they are. I think a lot of the hand-wringing about diversity is a remnant of the sixties, and is irrelevant to the people who will soon be leading our nation. I certainly hope so.
Jon Jarvis didn't say specifically that diversity is the most important issue facing the Park Service. He said he has been working hard to put "relevance, diversity and inclusion" at the top of the list of the agency's priorities. So really....do you think that if the parks are not relevant to a majority of Americans, that funding and support to address the myriad of other problems - anything but race - will somehow magically be forthcoming? If you want the American people to be relevant to parks and support funding, don't you think the parks will need to be relevant to the American people? That issue of relevancy and support is the entire core of this story. No, Jon Jarvis doesn't think that "diversity of the work-force and visitation is currently the most serious problem facing the agency" as one reader wrote and that "Jarvis needs to spend more time out of DC". I suspect that Jon Jarvis DOES think that the agency has a crap-load of very long term, high priority problems that will NEVER get addressed unless there is an increase of relevancy of parks to the majority of American people. And the skin color of the majority of American people will very soon be brown.
It really does not matter if an EVER INCREASING percentage of an EVER DECREASING group of people are keeping visitation numbers high. If the emerging majority is not connected to parks and not supportive of parks, the multitude of problems that so many of you are concerned about (and give a higher priority to than relevance to the American people) will not get funded and will not go away. High visitation (by white people) does not magically transfer into a high level of support from the American people. For example, there is no shortage of violent white supremacist groups. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, who tracks these things, those groups have approximately quadrupled since we elected a black president. But that doesn't mean that even though there is an increase of racists, that violent racism is generally supported by the American people. Yes, parks have high visitation. No, parks are not enjoying increased support among the American people. Especially the emerging majority. NOW do you get it?
And as an aside, I do get tired of the same old saw that minorities are just dying to visit parks, but just do not have the money. Yes, blacks in particular are over-represented in circles of poverty. But yes, plenty of us have plenty of spare cash. Have you really not noticed that there is a large and strong black middle class now? We've been around for quite a while. No, this is not an issue of class. Yes, this is an issue of race.
And again, it is of zero significance that parks such as Yellowstone have a large diversity of visitors from foreign countries. "One need only go to Yellowstone in the summer and you will see large numbers of minority visitors. Unfortunately, they are tour groups bussed through the park, coming from Japan, the Middle East and other countries." We are not talking about ethnic diversity here for the mere sake of diversity. We are talking about the political and financial support of public lands that can ONLY come from the American people. We appreciate the tourist dollars that come from our vast number of Middle Eastern guest. But their support of American public lands is completely and totally irrelevant. Do you seriously not understand that?
No, the NPS is not trying to 'force' any type of particular ethnic make up within their workforce. It is as illegal to discriminate against white people as it is against black people. What the NPS IS trying to do is present the relevancy...the BIRTHRIGHT, if you will....the historical participation....of public lands to ALL Americans. That's pretty different than 'forcing' a specific racial makeup to be involved in something that they have never had any relationship with.
No, the Park Service is not trying to court wealthy white donors. Government agencies are prevented by law from accepting donations. Try donating a dollar to the National Park Service. It's impossible.
An 'no' again. The NPS does not 'entice' minorities to take jobs in places that they do not want to be and then make huge investments in their training - and then they leave because they are not comfortable there. Where are these faraway places full of minority employees that don't want to be there? I've not seen those places. It is very, very difficult to secure a permanent job with the Park Service, as the story pointed out. By the time a person has secured that coveted permanent position, THEY, not the Park Service, has worked very hard to make that happen.
So if you're really concerned about all the problems of the National Park Service that you say you are concerned about, you better put relevancy of parks to American people on the top of your list. Or get used to the continuation of the problems. Think of the National Park Service as the Montgomery City Buses of 1955. As Montgomery discovered, when the Montgomery black minorities decided that the buses were no longer relevant, Montgomery discovered that their buses couldn't operate without financial support from the minority community. So they made them more relevant. NOW do you get it? And what if something really strange happened? What if by coming together and visiting the many and varied national parks, that we Americans discovered that, other than skin color, there's no damned difference between us? How weird and maybe discomforting would THAT be?
And sorry, but yes, this is a conversation about race.
I'm not sure what this article has to do about Montgomery bus boycotts, but, hey that's your deal.
It's sad that you have to attack and distort to push your agenda. The conversation is about much more than race. "Revelance, diversity and inclusion" should be about A LOT of things beyond race. The conversation needs to be broader. It's unfortunate you want to limit discussion of complex issues down to one hot button, and denigrate those who want to broaden the discussion.
As for attracting more youth, so NPS users don't age out, and to get a more diverse ethnic profile, I do not want national parks to be just another Internet hot spot, albeit one with prettier wallpaper. Per writers like Louw on nature deficit disorder, we need to be getting people to disconnect from all the electronic toys, at least on occasion, in order to appreciate nature.
I have no idea if the Park Service gave HCN accurate statistics or not. Quite often when I have written or spoken about the lack of diversity in parks, people have asked to see the studies that prove this. And I used to provide them. But now I say simply; "Go to the park. Open your eyes. Look around. Tell me what you see." It is diversity among Americans – who vote and in affect, approve funding for parks - that is being discussed here. Yes, there are many foreign visitors. Although since the parks do not have a quota on numbers of visitors, I don't see how that limits opportunities for Americans to visit their parks. The experience may be degraded, but not the opportunity. Sure, I've seen the boxes that are provided for applicants to note their ethnicity. Dunno if folks check them or not. And neither does anyone else. But I have eyes and I have looked around. For decades. Yes, I have seen some slow change and I am immensely gratified that parks such as Zion and Bryce, close to urban areas, have seen an increase in ethnic diversity. I am pleased that some parks, close to ethnic communities, have seen an increase in hiring. Although as the superintendent of Mesa Verde noted, Mesa Verde is not one of them. But it remains true that when a visitor opens his or her eyes at an icon, natural park, they mostly see folks who's ethnicity as a majority of the population, will not be available in not too many more years, to vote to support parks.
Public lands, parks or otherwise, are under attack EVERY day. In 2006 an Under-Secretary of the Interior, Paul Hoffman, came frighteningly close to re-writing the NPS Organic Act, and the mission of the Park Service, to change our parks into something that would have been un-recognizable and, to most of us current users, un-enjoyable. Thanks to the work and sacrifice of mostly one man, J.T.Reynolds, a 'non-traditional' park superintendent, Hoffman's efforts were killed. An eye opening, frightening, and interesting read in Vanity Fair at http://www.vanityfair.com/[…]/nationalparks200606.
Sure, I've seen many minority and urban kids camping in the wild. I even volunteered for several years at a Park Service run camp, called 'Old Stories, New Voices' in the San Luis Valley of south central Colorado. A free camp open to urban kids – most of whom had brown skin. And in almost all the situations where I've seen or worked with urban and minority kids in the backcountry, by far, MOST of those kids were having a great time. For those folks who would say, "Well SOME of those kids feel isolated and uncomfortable, so we should terminate these programs. They don't work." To them I would suggest that if you always do what you've always done, the you will always get the results that you've always gotten. Nothing will change, which is maybe what some folks want. And in some number of years, public lands will receive even less support then they do now to address all those 'other ' problems'. It's really not hard to understand. Do the math.
Yes, I am well aware of the National Parks Foundation – which is not the National Park Service. And so it remains true that the National Park Service does not solicit funding from wealthy white guys. But hey, I'm all for wherever the NPS or the NPF can get funding in support of public lands.
At least one woman let her subscription to HCN expire because the magazine had the temerity to write a story about race. I don't admire her thought process, but at least she got it right, even if she is yet one more person who can't tolerate talking about race…it MUST be about something else. This is a story about how public lands need the support of the majority of American to stay afloat. And in our children's' lifetime, the majority of Americans will have brown skin.


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All quotes tagged Uniqueness
(851 quotes found)
"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
"I would much rather have regrets about not doing what people said, than regretting not doing what my heart led me to and wondering what life had been like if I'd just been myself."
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."
"You are not special. Your are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else."

subset: commoncrawl


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Pastor was quick to condemn
June 6, 2009
A few days ago a friend of mine invited me to her church, a large, spectacular and impressive conglomerate of buildings and fun.
From the moment the usher opened the door, the churchgoers welcomed us with friendly smiles and open arms.
The place was impressive, with a coffee shop, (Starbuck's coffee), a bookstore, a large playground, amazing children's programs and great music.
Everyone was dressed casually and we felt comfortable.


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Stump MitchellArizona Cardinals
Assistant Coach
Ht: | Wt:
News | Stats | Stat vs. Team | Targets | Injury | Depth Chart | Roster
|Redskins | S. Mitchell heading to NCAA
Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:11:06 -0800
ESPN.com reports Washington Redskins running backs coach Stump Mitchell has accepted the head coaching position at Southern University.
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|Redskins | S. Mitchell headed to Southern University?
Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:33:30 -0800
Perryn Keys, of The Advocate, reports Washington Redskins running backs coach Stump Mitchell has received an offer to become Southern University's next head coach, but Mitchell cannot technically accept the job yet. Mitchell said, "You can tell the (SU System) Board of Supervisors that I will see them Wednesday (Jan. 13). I will be in Baton Rouge (La.) on Wednesday." Mitchell said he must still meet with the Redskins' team management for an exit interview. Mitchell said he will meet with head coach Mike Shanahan Monday, Jan. 11, and that he is not looking for another job as an NFL assistant.
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|Redskins | Team hires Mitchell
Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:27:06 -0800
The Associated Press reports the Washington Redskins signed Stump Mitchell as the team's assistant head coach and running backs coach Wednesday, Feb. 13. Mitchell was the Seattle Seahawks running backs coach since 1999. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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|Seahawks | Mitchell leaves team
Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:03:25 -0800
Frank Hughes, of the Tacoma News Tribune, reports Seattle Seahawks running backs coach Stump Mitchell left the team Friday, Nov. 16, because of a severe illness in his family in Georgia. Former Seahawks FB Mack Strong replaced Mitchell during practice Friday.
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|Seahawks | Mitchell re-signed
Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:16:48 -0800
Mike Sando, of the Tacoma News Tribune, reports the Seattle Seahawks have re-signed running backs coach Stump Mitchell through the 2008 season, according to Mitchell's agent, Harold Lewis.
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text:
I've sent a half dozen friends through this and no one has had a negative thing to say.
Last one before next October or so is June 2nd and 3rd.
Saturday 8-5 Willoughby
Sunday 8-10 Gray's Armory
$125 for the class and range time Sunday. You complete the course, pass it, you can have the permit within 10 days or so.
Great if you carry cash for work, work late, work in shitty area, want to more easily transport a firearm or any combination of the above.
PM me if interested and I'll get you set up with my uncle who teaches it after 30+ years as LE officer.
No... I get no piece of that $125.


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March 22, 2009-Colorado Springs, CO
The US National Modern Pentathlon team will kick off the 2009 UIPM World Cup Series with its first competition bring held in Mexico City from March 26 to March29. This will be the first pentathlon World Cup contested using the new combined run-shoot format. There have been several competitions held this year with the new format (including one here in the United States (Palm Springs, CA on January 3, 2009) - as seen on the USA Pentathlon website.
USA Pentathlon, as the new National Governing Body for the sport of modern pentathlon is very pleased and proud to support the US National Team for this important international competition. The competition series will include three more World Cups, the Senior World Championships in London, England, and the World Cup Final this fall in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
National team head coach Janusz Peciak his team of six pentathletes will be representing the United States. . The team will feature three returning Olympians, Eli Bremer, Sam Sacksen, and Margaux Isaksen. Completing the team will be Dennis Bowsher, Will Brady, and Daelyn Chase. Peciak, an Olympic pentathlon Gold Medalist and his US team of four at this past Olympics games was one of only four countries qualifying a full team of four pentathletes. Additionally, he was the coach of the only country qualifying athletes to the Olympic Games who had less than four years in the sport (3 out of 4 pentathletes). This is especially noteworthy because in pentathlon each individual has to qualify with the international federation before they receive an invitation to compete in the Olympic Games.
Ten year veteran pentathlete Eli Bremer followed up his Olympic debut at the 2008 Beijing Games with a season ending bronze medal performance at the World Cup Final in Portugal last October. Sacksen was the top placing US athlete at the Beijing Olympic Games. Isaksen was the Youth A World Champion last year, winning the gold medal in September in Albena, Bulgaria. Sacksen and Isaksen were among the youngest pentathletes at the games. Dennis Bowsher placed fourth at the World Cup Final in October and hopes to continue with strong performances this season. Will Brady is looking forward to building a strong performance around his strength at the combined event, fresh off a first place finish at an international training camp competition held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. At age fifteen, Daelyn Chase is new to the US National team. She won the bronze at the 2008 Junior National Championships and competed at the Junior World Championships in Cairo, Egypt last summer.
After a very successful web TV season last year, the UIPM will once again will broadcast the action live on the internet. The instructions for viewing the feed at no charge will be found on the home page of the UIPM website: www.pentathlon.org. Also keep checking back to the website throughout the weekend to enjoy the blogs and real time score updates of UIPM blogger Barry Tompkins. Each evening the day's events featuring the US team will be highlighted on the USA Pentathlon website (www.usapentathlon.org). In addition the schedule for the following day's activities will be updated.
The tentative schedule includes the men's qualification competition on Thursday March 26 and the women's qualifier on Friday March 27. The finals for the men and women will be held on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
For further questions please contact: Atif Siddiqi - (303) 667-1509-- email@example.com


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Emerging Leader Program
UMB's Emerging Leader Program is a 12 month program designed to prepare talent for a lifetime of leadership.
Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity is about who we are: people who bring different viewpoints to UMB.
Search Career Opportunities
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Leave ordinary behind. Find an extraordinary career at UMB
UMB is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified associates and applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender (including pregnancy), gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, age, ancestry, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information or any other legally protected status.


text:
iHerb Customer Reviews
Savings of: $2.43 (29% off)
Posted by Reviewer1205818 on Jun 20, 2011
My body stopped absorbing vitamin B12 from pill vitamins and I turned up anemic. My doctor suggested I try a sublinqual (under-the-tongue product.) This is the first product of this kind I have tried. I will know soon exactly how well my body absorbs it when I have more blood tests done soon*. But there is no reason to think this won't work just fine and, it has folic acid and other B-vitamins too! It disolves quickly and the taste isn't bad. *Just got blood test results and I am not only no longer anemic, I am on the high-side of B12 now! So its confirmed. It works!
A very good product!
Posted by Reviewer2427918 on Oct 03, 2015
When on sale at iHerb, I will stock up as it is the best B-Complex supplement I have taken. I often put 2 Tabs into a dish of plain full-fat yogurt, cover - and leave out overnight. Then in the morning mix the dissolved Tabs further, before adding fresh berries, and eating. Instant energy and very good for your gut health! iHerb has best prices. I wish they would also stock more of Superior Source regular B Complex however, as they are usually Sold Out even when offered at their everyday pricing.
micro lingual
Posted by Reviewer1761684 on Feb 27, 2012
Most B vitamin mixes taste pretty awful to me. Yet these are just fine melting on my tongue. I dont mind the flavor at all. In fact I look forward to it after a few weeks.
All in one.
Posted by sarahknits on Dec 30, 2012
This is a B complex. It has many B vitamins all together in one pill. Which I needed.
Nice product
Posted by Reviewer1356683 on Aug 30, 2015
I was suffering from sensitive teeth and this product helped me very quickly. Also it is easy on the stomach and has only good ingredients. The taste is awful at the start but it gets better with use. Great service from IHerb, fast delivery.
B complex
Posted by Reviewer1267638 on Mar 09, 2011
I already used it, it has excellent performance, easy to take. I appreciate that the dase is in 2 lozenges.
Posted by Strelka on Apr 24, 2015
Labas devas, bet noteikti tikai pēc brokastīm var lietot
Good product
Posted by Reviewer1525865 on Sep 03, 2012
Good product. High potency and tastes ok
hard to find supplement available and in-stock at iHerb!
Posted by Reviewer2037121 on Jul 08, 2011
my order arrived exactly as ordered and in record time, even though I opted for regular fed ex delivery. Thank you iHerb! for helping me stay healthy.
Posted by 5437394411448111452 on Apr 08, 2016
Items 1-10 of 10 total


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I'm Jules :) I've always loved animals, and after being exposed to animal cruelty at a rather young age, I've learned how horrible it is, and known how much I wanted it to be stopped. Hope to be a part of the solution!
Rank: 46891
Not recently active
I'm 15 years old, i live in Puebla, México, and i have been lived with animals all my life, i love and care my babies. I'm a cat person, i really love cats :3 i have 2 dogs called Papi and Megan, 5 cats called Bofito, Rayita, Gizmo, Benito and Bonita, 1 fish and 2 turtles. If you want to know me, just talk to me :)


text:
Davis & Gilbert LLP: Trademark Clearinghouse to Begin Accepting Submissions to Protect Domain Names
March 27, 2013
In this advertising alert Davis & Gilbert LLP discusses the newly created Trademark Clearinghouse which supports the registration of domain names in new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) and works to resolve disputes.
Members Only Content
This content is available to ANA Members only. Please login below or create an account.
You may already be a member. Find out if your company is already an ANA member.


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Hill Billy Half Marathon: Run Your Pace - Page 3
photo by On the Run Events
The author striding to the finish.
After a successful day, I decided to indulge in some celebratory drinks at Fish Tails Brewery with fellow racers Jared Scott, 2011 LaSportiva Mountain Cup winner and World Mountain Championship competitor, Christina Bauer, 2011 GORETEX Transrockies podium finisher and Robert Krar, Flagstaff resident and GORETEX Transrockies winner. We talked and laughed and drank good beer ... how the end of a good trail race should be.
Next stop, Jemez Mountain Half Marathon in Los Alamos, New Mexico.


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Next week, October 2-6, I am in San Francisco to support the IBM exhibition boot at [Oracle OpenWorld 2011] conference. IBM is a Grand Level Sponsor for this event. IBM and Oracle have been partners since 1986, and IBM is a [Diamond Level Partner in the Oracle OpenNetwork], the highest level available. I will be joined by dozens of other subject matter experts from various parts of IBM. Here is my schedule:
|5:30pm - 7:00pm
|Keynote session, Moscone North, Hall D
|7:15pm - 10:30pm
|IBM Team Dinner
|8:00am - 9:15am
|Keynote session, Moscone North, Hall D
|9:45am - 4:30pm
|IBM Booth #1111, Moscone South
|5:00pm - 7:00pm
|JD Edwards Customer Appreciation Event
|8:00am - 9:15am
|Keynote session, Moscone North, Hall D
|9:45am - 6:00pm
|IBM Booth #1111, Moscone South
|7:00pm - 9:30pm
|Titan Award Gala, SF City Hall
|8:00am - 9:15am
|Keynote session, Moscone North, Hall D
|9:45am - 4:00pm
|IBM Booth #1111, Moscone South
I won't have my laptop at the IBM booth, so if you need to reach me, send me an SMS text message to my cell phone, or send me a tweet on my Twitter account: [@az990tony]
IBM will also have experts in the following areas throughout the week:
- Intel: Booth #711 at Moscone South
- Java One: Booth #5608 at the Hilton San Francisco, Continental Ballroom
- JD Edwards Pavilion: Booth HSJ-002 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel
- Netezza, a newly acquired IBM company: Booth #3723 at Moscone West
I arrive Sunday afternoon. If you arrive Sunday, here are some things IBM is featuring:
- Network with Other Quest IBM Customers on PeopleSoft
10/02/11, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., OpenWorld session #29020
Presenter: Steve Johnston, IBM
Discuss topics of interest with your peers in this special interest group meeting for IBM customers using Oracle's PeopleSoft Enterprise applications.
- Network with Other Quest IBM Customers on JD Edwards
10/02/11, 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., OpenWorld session #29001
Presenter: Steve Johnston, IBM
Discuss topics of interest with your peers in this special interest group meeting for IBM customers using Oracle's JD Edwards EnterpriseOne or JD Edwards World applications.
- IOUG: Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition/Oracle Business Intelligence Applications (27380)
10/02/11, 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m., OpenWorld session #27380
Presenters: Shyam Nath, IBM; Florian Schouten, Oracle
This session looks at Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE) and Oracle Business Intelligence Applications solutions. Hear what's new in OBIEE Release 126.96.36.199 and how that affects Oracle BI Applications implementations. Learn how mobile BI support in OBIEE adds new meaning to pervasive BI.
- IOUG: Oracle Exadata Customer Panel
10/02/11, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., OpenWorld session #27261
Presenters: Shyam Nath, IBM; Vinod Haval, Bank of America
This moderated panel discussion includes Oracle Exadata customers, Oracle product managers, and implementers who will share their real work implementation experiences and how they overcame the challenges in the process.
- Managing Your Oracle Applications in Today's Economy: Ask the Experts
10/02/11, 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., OpenWorld session #29280
Presenter: Frances Wells, IBM
Attend a panel discussion of your peers as they discuss how effective data management strategies have helped them reduce costs, streamline test and development projects, and improve Oracle application performance while increasing IT efficiencies.
Download IBM's mobile app for Oracle OpenWorld and receive a Starbucks gift card! (While supplies last!)
Visit [myIBMmobile.com] and get the IBM mobile app—your guide to navigating IBM events at Oracle OpenWorld 2011. Optimized for mobile devices—tablet friendly.
- Uncover the best award-winning restaurants in San Fransisco with the free Zagat guide to local restaurants
- Easily navigate the show floor and the city with special tools
- Stay on schedule with a helpful list of all IBM sessions
- Learn more about the IBM/Oracle relationship
- Find Starbucks locations close to Moscone Center
Of course, IBM is going all out on the social media side as well:
- Follow us on Twitter: [@IBMandOracle]
- Join our LinkedIn group: [IBM and Oracle]
- Watch the YouTube Channel: [IBM and Oracle]
Learn more about how IBM and Oracle can help you transform your enterprise at: [ibm.com/solutions/oracle/us/en/] Access a wealth of knowledge from our resource library at: [ibm.com/oracle/openworld]
technorati tags: IBM, Oracle, OpenWorld, San Francisco


text:
- Home
- Volunteers
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In AYSO every child plays at least 50% of every game… In fact our motto is Everyone Plays®. Here's where you'll find what makes AYSO the world's most child-focused youth sports program.
That's right, we've been updating our website and have moved things around a bit. If you can't find what you're looking for by navigating around, try our search.


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Very flattering but too short in torso for taller women
By Nat
from Boston, MA
About Me Competitive Athlete
Comments about Pearl Izumi Women's Select Jersey - Closeout:
I love this shirt. Very flattering. Probably great for women who are short in the torso. I have almost the same stats as another reviewer who said the same thing (which I didn't real until now). I'm 5'9" and 133lbs and measure 35/26.5/36.5. I ordered a small. It fits beautifully width-wise but is far too short in the torso. It was in the returned items section so for $16 it was worth it. At first I could still wear it but only with high-waisted knickers. It was too short for my regular bike shorts - think half shirt. And now after many washes, it's too short to wear even with the knickers that come all the way up to my belly button. Boo hoo! Otherwise, it's a very flattering and comfortable top.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
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Comment on this review
Buy it.
By icantremembermyname
from florida
About Me Casual/ Recreational
Really nice jersey, well made, fits true. Very happy with the purchase. Only surprise was the white stripe on the side was a little wider than I thought itd be... choose your brassiere wisely.... cause it will show thru the stripe.
Comfortable, even flattering
By Say yes!
from Santa Barbara
About Me Avid Athlete
See all my reviews
I was pleasantly surprised. I'm 5'2" (125 lbs) with a longish torso and hourglass shape and this jersey fits perfectly. The color is gorgeous too - a little richer than it looks online. Finally I found a jersey that feels functional AND flattering.
i would buy every color of this jersey
By sandy
from orlando, florida
very comfortable. washes well. looks good on the body.
High visibility, styling and comfort
By Laughdoc
from Rock Hill, SC.
Gift for my.wife who rides 25+ miles daily. Love the bright, highly visible colours and styling.
Can't beat the prce!!!
By Petite52
from Orange, Ca
I'm pretty petite (85 lbs, 5 ft) so I got XS and this was right around my shoulders and waist. I love the color, the fit & the jersey is very comfortable. I am happy with the purchase.
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Nice but too small
By Gloria j
from Dayton, ohio
I plan to use the shirt to cycle. I like the the weight of the Jersey. It fit me too snug and that maybe my fault as I do not like my clothes to fit snug but loose. So the fit maybe how it is suppose to fit.
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
Too short
By First Half Iron
from Houston, Tx
Beautiful shirt but much too short. I'm just under 5'9, ~132 pounds. Ordered a Small. The fit everywhere else was perfect, but it didn't even touch the top of my shorts in the front and barely in the back. Otherwise, attractive, comfortable jersey, but can't use.
A Pearlie jersey
By Lancy Armstrong
from Lafayette, LA
I use this jersey for cycling as I am an avid cyclist. Absolutely love everything about the jersey, soft to the feel and can't beat the price.
Too Short
By Jennifer
from Jacksonville, FL
About Me Gym Rat
I have to return this product. I am thin but tall. This top fits in the waist but is way too short.
Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend
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LINGUIST List 24.3106
Wed Jul 31 2013
Calls: Syntax, Morphology/Brazil
Editor for this issue: Bryn Hauk <bryn
Marcelo Sibaldo <sibaldo
Agreement - In Honor of Maria Denilda Moura
E-mail this message to a friend
Full Title: Agreement - In Honor of Maria Denilda Moura
Date: 06-Feb-2014 - 07-Feb-2014
Location: Recife-PE, Brazil
Contact Person: Marcelo Sibaldo
Meeting Email:
< click here to access email >
Web Site:
Linguistic Field(s): Morphology; Syntax
Call Deadline: 31-Aug-2013
Meeting Description:
This first GETEGRA international thematic workshop in Recife-PE, Brazil, will take place on February 6-7, 2014. It aims to explore agreement in the generative perspective mainly, in order to honor Professor Maria Denilda Moura who, besides being mentor of the GETEGRA professors, has been contributing to Brazilian Portuguese Linguistics by carrying on research about this topic.
Invited Speakers:
João Costa (Universidade Nova de Lisboa)
Marcel den Dikken (The Graduate Center, CUNY)
Ian Roberts (University of Cambridge)
Conference Organizers:
Grupo de Estudos em Teoria da Gramática (GETEGRA)
Dorothy Bezerra Silva de Brito
Adeilson Pinheiro Sedrins
Marcelo Amorim Sibaldo
Cláudia Roberta Tavares Silva
Final Call for Papers:
Abstracts are invited for 20-minute talks (plus 10 minutes for discussion). There will also be a poster session.
Abstract Guidelines:
The official language of the workshop is English, thus abstracts must be delivered in this language. They must be anonymous and are not to exceed two pages in length (including examples and references, on the second page), A4 or letter-size, 12-point Times New Roman font, with 1-inch/2,5-cm margins, single line spacing. Submissions are limited to 1 individual and 1 joint abstract per author, or 2 joint abstracts per author. The abstracts should be sent to the email address agreement.2014
gmail.com up until August 31, 2013. Speakers will be notified of the results of their abstract review by October 15, 2013.
Please include the following information in the email:
1. Paper title
2. Name(s) of author(s)
3. Affiliation(s) of author(s)
4. Email address to which the notification of acceptance should be sent
5. Plenary/poster section
Important Dates:
Submission deadline extended: August 31, 2013
Notification of acceptance: October 15, 2013
Workshop: February 6-7, 2014
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