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European Commission, UN Environment step up cooperation to protect the world's oceans 20/12/2016 00:00:00
Mushrooming Cooperation 05/12/2016 00:00:00
The report presents policymakers with clear ideas on how to bridge the emissions gap by 2020
Accelerated uptake of renewable energy, fuel switching and energy efficiency improvements can deliver a large slice of the necessary cuts.
Other measures include sectoral improvements ranging from increased penetration of public transport and more fuel efficient vehicles to ones in areas, such as, agriculture and waste management.
The report cites aviation and shipping as a special but important case, as currently these 'international emissions' fall outside the Kyoto Protocol-the emission reduction treaty.
Together they account for around five per cent of C02 emissions and could account for up to 2.5 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) annually, by 2020.
"Options for reducing emissions from both sectors include improving fuel efficiency and using low-carbon fuels. For the shipping sector, another promising and simple option is to reduce ship speeds," says the report which has involved 55 scientists and experts from 28 scientific groups across 15 countries.
The Bridging the Emissions Gap report, issued just days ahead of the UN climate convention negotiations in South Africa and seven months before the Rio+20 summit in Brazil, provides the clearest indicators yet that the world already has the solutions to avert damaging climate change.
It presents policymakers with clear ideas on how to bridge the emissions gap by 2020 which, as a result of improved modeling from last year's assessment, is now estimated, under the most optimistic scenarios, to be 6 GtCO2e rather than 5 Gt of GtCO2e.
The report also outlines far more pessimistic scenarios, if the commitments and pledges of developed countries, including levels of financing amounting to $100 billion a year by 2020, and the intentions of developing ones are not fully realized-the gap then, by 2020, could be 11 GtCO2e. Under business-as-usual conditions, it could even be 12 GtCO2e.
"The annual UNEP Gap Report is a vital contribution to the global effort to address dangerous climate change," said United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. "It shows that we have much to do, both in terms of ambition and policy, but it also shows that the gap can still be closed if we act now. This is a message of hope and an important call to action."
The study, titled Bridging the Emissions Gap, brought together 55 scientists and experts from 28 scientific groups across 15 countries to examine the newest scientific research on the gap between the pledges that countries have made to cut their greenhouse gas emissions and what will be needed if we are to be on track to reach the 2 degree target by 2020.
"This report puts into the hands of governments and policymakers vital information about their options if the world is to meet the climate change challenge," said Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP and Under-Secretary General of the UN. "This year, countries will be able to begin their deliberations in Durban, South Africa, with all the key technological and economic scenarios at their fingertips that outline the gap between current ambition and scientific reality alongside the urgent bridges that can be built to span this emissions' divide."
Bridging the Emissions Gap is the second in UNEP's series of reports on the topic. The first - the Emissions Gap Report - became a clear benchmark at last year's international climate negotiations in Cancun, Mexico.
There, policymakers asked UNEP to prepare a follow-up report that, not only updated emissions gap estimates, but which also provided ideas on how to bridge the gap. That follow-up is the new report, Bridging the Emissions Gap.
Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, emphasized the need for increased action. "This study, again, reminds us that efforts to address climate change are currently still insufficient," she said. "But it also shows that it is possible for governments to bridge the gap between what they have promised and what needs to be done to stay below a 2-degrees Celsius average global temperature rise."
"Time is short, so we need to optimize the tools at hand. In Durban, governments need to resolve the immediate future of the Kyoto Protocol, define the longer path towards a global, binding climate
agreement, launch the agreed institutional network to support developing countries in their response to the climate challenge, and set out a path to deliver the long-term funding that will pay for that," she added.
Changes to Energy System Key
Bridging the Emissions Gap highlights the need for realistic changes in the energy system, by improving energy efficiency and by accelerating the introduction of renewable energies.
Specifically, the study reviewed 13 scenarios from nine different scientific groups. The scenarios were all able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet the 2-degree target by 2020 by using a combination of the following:
The report's authors note that all the scenarios examined had different mixes of these options, indicating that there are many different pathways to bridging the gap.
Importantly for policymakers, the report also looks at what these options would cost. Globally, the average marginal costs range from $US25-$US54 per tonne of equivalent carbon dioxide removed, with a median value of $US34 per tonne.
Sector by sector
The study also examined research on various economic sectors to consider technical potential for emissions reductions by 2020. It found the following potential:
The total emission reduction potential adds up to about 17 GtCO2e, plus/minus 3 GtCO2e, with marginal costs of up to $US50-100 per tonne of GtCO2e. This is consistent with the cost estimates from the scenarios mentioned above.
This emissions reduction potential is larger than the estimated emissions gap of 12 GtCO2e under business-as-usual conditions, and as such provides policymakers with clear insights into promising options for the way forward to stay below the 2-degree C target.
The report concludes that policymakers could narrow or close the emissions gap in 2020 by:
Editor's notes
Nick Nuttall, UNEP Division of Communication and Public Information Acting Director and Spokesman, tel. +41 795 965 737 or +254 733 632 755; firstname.lastname@example.com, or, Shereen Zorba, Head, UNEP News Desk, tel. +254 78852 6000, email@example.com, or Moira O'Brien-Malone, Head, DTIE Communications, UNEP Paris, tel: + 33 1 44 37 76 12, mob: +33 6 82 26 93 73, firstname.lastname@example.com
About UNEP
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the voice for the environment in the UN system. Established in 1972, UNEP's mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UNEP is an advocate, educator, catalyst and facilitator promoting the wise use of the planet's natural assets for sustainable development. It works with many partners, UN entities, international organizations, national governments, non-governmental organizations, business, industry, the media and civil society. UNEP's work involves providing support for: environmental assessment and reporting; legal and institutional strengthening and environmental policy development; sustainable use and management of natural resources; integration of economic development and environmental protection; and promoting public participation in environmental management.

subset: commoncrawl


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The action didn't stop when the flame went out at the Closing Ceremony in London. U.S athletes will be competing at three different canoe/kayak events this week.
2012 U.S. Sprint National Championships
Who: Ryan Dolan (Kailua, Hawaii) (pictured above) begins his quest toward Rio 2016 after missing qualification for London by 0.248 seconds. Tim Hornsby (Atlanta, Ga.), the kayaker who took the one U.S. men's sprint spot in London, will be a spectator and three-time Olympian Carrie Johnson (San Diego, Calif.) is well into her first semester at the UC-Davis graduate veterinary program. The four-year race to replace Johnson starts this weekend.
2012 Freestyle World Cup No. 1
Who: Siblings Dane and Emily Jackson (Rock Island, Tenn.) will hope to put on a show in their home state. Dane won four medals at the 2011 World Championships and represented North and South America in a freestyle exhibit during breaks in the slalom racing at the 2012 Olympic Games. Emily moonlighted as a slalom kayaker during the 2012 season, competing for the U.S. in World Cup circuit. The next two Freestyle World Cups are in Hartford, Tenn. and Bryson City, N.C., respectively. This time next year, the U.S. and the Nantahala River will host the 2013 Freestyle World Championships.
2012 Slalom World Cup No. 4
Who: 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Coach Rafal Smolen will coach Team USA, including his son and 2016 Olympic hopeful Michal Smolen (Gastonia, N.C.). Michal finished 5th at the U23/Junior World Championships in Wausau, Wis. and 27th at 2012 World Cup No. 2. Long-time Senior National Team members Scott Mann (Woodstock Vt.) and Aaron Mann (Bethesda, Md.) return to the fold. Scott finished 4th among eligible Men's K1 paddlers at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Aaron returns to the water after serving as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2012 U23/Junior World Championships and is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee's Athlete Advisory Council.


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Joseph Dangelo
Joseph J. Dangelo, 82, of
Warren, Pa. died Sunday
morning, March 3, 2013, at
Warren General Hospital
after an illness since Nov.
9, 2012. He was born Sept.
21, 1930, in Warren, Pa. to
the late Alex and Grace LaPlana Dangelo. He was a
lifelong Warren area
resident and a 1949 graduate of Warren High School.
He earned his certificate as
a barber from a barber
school in Erie, Pa. He was
employed as a barber with
his father at Dangelo
Barber Shop for five years
and also was employed for
35 years with G.T.E. Sylvania. He was a member of
Holy Redeemer R.C.
Church. Joe was an avid
fan of several high school
sports and local sporting
leagues, especially football, softball and baseball.
He was always in attendance of Jammers baseball
games. In his early days, he
was an avid bowler.
He is survived by his
wife of 62 years, Catherine
V. Babcock Dangelo,
whom he married May 1,
1950, at Holy Redeemer
R.C. Church, Warren Pa.;
three children: Daniel
Dangelo and wife, Starla, of
Milton, Fla., David
Dangelo of Pittsfield, Pa.,
and Leslie McGary and
husband, Allen of Warren,
Pa.; one brother, Charles
"Chuck" Dangelo of Kane,
Pa.; two grandchildren:
Douglas Dangelo and wife,
Kristine of Pace, Fla., and
Andrea Watson and husband, Damian, of Tampa,
Fla.; one great-granddaughter, Kamryn Dangelo of
Pace, Fla.
Several nieces and
nephews also survive.
Friends may call at the
Donald E. Lewis Funeral
Home, Inc., 304 East St.,
Warren, Pa. on Wednesday,
March 5, 2013, from 6-8
p.m. where a vigil service
will be conducted at 7:45
p.m. A Mass of Christian
Burial will be conducted
Thursday, March 6, 2013,
at 10 a.m. at Holy Redeemer R.C. Church with Fr.
James Gutting, pastor, officiating, assisted by Deacon
Joseph Lucia. Interment
will be in St. Joseph R.C.
Cemetery. Those wishing
to place memorials may do
so through Holy Redeemer
R.C. Church Building
Fund, 11 Russell St., Warren, PA 16365 or the Warren General Hospital Cancer Center, 2 Crescent Park,
Warren, PA. 16365 or Paws
along the River, 212 Elm
St., Warren, PA. 16365.
Email condolences may
be sent by visiting


text:
Trendwood products are proudly manufactured in Phoenix, Arizona USA and sold at retail locations across the country.
Our Mission for the past 25 years has been to manufacture quality products, delivered complete and on time, at the best possible price.
Please Contact Us for information regarding a retailer in your area.
All content copyright © 2011, Trendwood, Inc.


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I don't know about miracles, but good puerh *does* get better and age over the short term, in many cases.
I think the better lesson is that low quality tea does not age, except in forever, if it ages at all. I think the biggest impact will be standard big factory cakes roughly 2005 and later. There are going to be a ton of disappointed puerh owners in 2015, I think.


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Tornado Piranha 1/2 hp 3-Speed Blower
by Piranha by Tornado | Item #: 560574 | Model #: 67210 |
- $ 174 88 174.88
Non-members pay 10% surchargeJoin now!
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Delivery estimates, taxes, and fees are based on ZIP Code. Club Pickup orders are based on your club's current price and item availability on the day of payment.
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The Piranha 3-speed blower is built with patented, rotationally molded material to withstand the harsh, every-day use of contract cleaners, restoration professionals and more. Due to its go-anywhere, durable construction, our fan will outlast other competitive models on the market today.
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Artist Collection: (105 of 117)< Previous | Next >
Tags: stockholm, island, archipelago, ingaro, sweden, scandinavia, sea, ocean, water, seascape, coast, shore, trees, tree, wood, co
- + MOUSE OVER image to zoom in
- + CLICK to enlarge
ingaro island 3 in colourby sarah osterman
- Medium
- Photography
- Artist Notes
- This was taken on the island of Ingarö, in the Archipelago of Stockholm, Sweden. The bay is surrounded by a forest full of trees that still manage to grow on a landscape dominated by rock. Part of a series of 6 images. Also available in black and white.
- Contact Artist Send Artist an Email
More about sarah osterman
- Location
- , sweden
- Artist Biography
- After moving from urban England to rural Southern Sweden, and being faced with stunning surroundings, I developed a renewed interest in photography. Most of my photographs are taken in the beautiful area of Skåne, the southernmost part of Sweden. I specialise in sunsets, coastal views, and la ...


text:
of the files below are Adobe® PDF
The 2003 City of Clearwater Annual Report is organized in the form of
a calendar for the year 2004. For ease of use, our online version of the
report is broken down into the sections listed below.
Alternately, you can download the entire
document as a single file (*4.49 MB*).
To obtain a printed copy of this document, please contact
the Public Communications Department.


text:
"Research suggests that Ms. Lewis-Young's technique in her Grade 3 and 4 split classroom at Massey Street Public School is on the right path."
Stuart Shanker, Author of Calm, Alert and Learning's, 6 Key concepts of self-regulation.
Save the Children and Pearson announce partnership – to deliver education for children affected by conflict
K-12 curriculum, assessment and professional solutions for learners and teachers.
Innovative products, services, and delivery models for Higher Education.
Resources and training materials for today's business and IT professionals.
K12 and Higher Education solutions for French speaking learners and teachers.
Research-based assessment solutions for schools, clinical settings and businesses.
Language-learning and language-enhancement tools in print and digital platforms.


text:
The goal of any great musical is to transport the audience to a world in which internal thoughts are belted out, love blossoms over the course of a duet and all of life's problems can be solved with some tap dancing. Thoroughly Modern Millie, the 2002 Tony-award-winning musical, creates a universe where dance and song heal all wounds, albeit if only superficially.
As the final production of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre's tenth anniversary season, Thoroughly Modern Millie is the ideal after-dinner mint: refreshing, light and leaves you feeling satisfied. The cast–led by the delightful Laurie Veldheer–delivers demanding choreography and hilarious characterizations, while the 1920s costumes and Art Deco-inspired set design bring the glory days of NYC to life.
|Laurie Veldheer as Millie Dillmount and Ashley Kate Adams as Miss Dorothy. Photo by Alicia Donelan.
Set in 1922, Thoroughly Modern Millie revolves around Kansas-born Millie Dillmount's attempt to survive and thrive in the Big Apple. She works as a stenographer while trying to make it big as an actress and land a well-to-do husband, two dreams shared by the gaggle of girls she befriends while living at the Hotel Priscilla. Millie subsidizes her workdays with thrilling evenings in the city with the charming Jimmy Smith and her best friend, Miss Dorothy. Problems arise when Millie notices that orphaned girls who check into the Hotel Priscilla keep disappearing, including Miss Dorothy; Millie then must join forces with Jimmy and her boss to thwart the hotel's dubious proprietor, Mrs. Meers.
Laurie Veldheer shines as the endlessly charismatic Millie Dillmount. Coming straight from the Broadway production of Newsies, Veldheer has dancing chops and turn-of-the-century gumption to spare. Her mezzo-soprano voice remains strong from her opening solo all the way to curtain call, and her chemistry with Jimmy (Jeff Kready) is palpable.
In this production, however, the supporting cast steals the show. Lenora Nemetz brings down the house as the pseudo-Chinese Mrs. Meers. A veteran Broadway actress, Nemetz delivers a devilish performance reminiscent of a sly Disney villain. Her scenes with her two underlings, Bun Foo and Ching Ho, capture the campy essence of the musical. Since Bun Foo and Ching Ho do not speak English, a translation screen pops up whenever they're onstage, a comedic device that never wears out its welcome.
|Lenora Nemetz as Mrs. Meers, Billy Bustamante as Bun Foo and James Seol as Ching Ho. Photo by Alicia Donelan.
If Mrs. Meers is the villain, then Miss Dorothy is the quintessential princess. Ashley Kate Adams plays her to perfection, her angelic blonde curls flouncing with each turn and light giggle. While visiting Millie at work, Miss Dorothy catches the eye of Millie's boss, Mr. Graydon. Few words can describe Burke Moses' grandiose (there's one!) portrayal of Mr. Graydon. Histrionic in a good way and charmingly bombastic, Moses breathes new life into what could potentially be a rather flat character. The highlight of the entire production comes when Miss Dorothy and Mr. Graydon lay eyes on each other for the first time. They immediately break out into "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life!/I'm Falling in Love with Someone," a parody of a love song complete with dreamy lighting and bird sound effects.
All of this terrific characterization is complemented by flawless choreography. The copious tap dancing and 1920s moves, choreographed by Denis Jones, will leave you doing the Charleston in your seat. Stand out numbers occur when the choreography deviates from the norm. "The Nutty Cracker Suite" features Millie and the girls letting loose after a few swigs of illegal gin; drunken falls and missteps transition into swing dance routines. The office numbers, including "The Speed Test" and "Forget About the Boy," see the girls swung about the stage in their stenographer desks. They tap dance as they scoot around, never missing a beat or a note.
|Laurie Veldheer leads the pack as Millie Dillmount. Photo by Alicia Donelan.
As with all Maltz Jupiter Theatre productions, the set and costume designs are spectacular. Unlike many plays and musicals, Thoroughly Modern Millie takes place in a myriad of locations, including the streets of New York, the hotel, Millie's office and a seedy laundry room, to name a few. Each scenic piece, designed by Michael Schweikardt, is perfectly Art Deco and features clean lines, great height and steely colors. The addition of Gail Baldoni's costume design completes the transformation. All of the women don a number of amazing drop-waist dresses, skullcaps and adorable bobs. The men sport wide-legged trousers, pinstriped suits and the occasional fedora.
The goal of all theater is escapism. The Maltz Jupiter Theatre's production of Thoroughly Modern Millie allows the audience to escape to a fantastical world with stellar choreography, chic everyday wear and unbridled enthusiasm. By the end of the two-and-a-half-hour musical, you'll be begging for a room at the Hotel Priscilla, dubious proprietor and all.
The Maltz Jupiter Theatre's Thoroughly Modern Millie runs through March 24. To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit jupitertheatre.org.


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Tampa Bay Bucs Report: Thur., Sept. 16
For the second straight Thursday, Tampa Bay left the confines of One Buc Place and traveled over the bridge to St. Petersburg and Tropicana Field. No, the Bucs weren't checking out a baseball game or the first-place Tampa Bay Rays but using the Rays' facility to practice indoors. The original plan to practice indoors was to keep the players fresh and out of the Florida heat and humidity for one day. The Bucs did it last week and they won… Read More »


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And just like that, the 2014 NBA draft order has been set.
The Cleveland Cavaliers should have one tough decision to make, but given the strength at the top of the draft, there really isn't a wrong answer at No. 1.
From here on out, prospects will be traveling from city to city for interviews and workouts with teams. The top guys who receive dozens of invites will likely decline those from teams not projected to pick in their desired draft range.
We could also be looking at an awfully deep draft here. Having a second-round pick this year could end up going a long way.
Team needs, along with each prospect's NBA potential, were taken into account when deciding how we project the draft to play out.
Note: All quotes have been obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats courtesy of NCAA.com and Eurobasket.com unless otherwise noted.


text:
- Blogs tagged with "funny"
It's a Lonely Day at the Office Today
With everyone out of the office for overseas events, it's probably a good time to think of a proper prank to pull off for when they all come back.
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Search Charity Events
Latest Events
Hope Abounds Charity Event
Shag-4-Hope Weekend Getaway
The Moroccan organisation AVEC is looking for volunteers who like to work in Morocco
Pure Barre Los Gatos #PureGratitude Holiday Give-a-Thon
Holiday Give-a-Thon with Pure Barre Los Gatos
4th Annual Wishing Well Winter Gala
Join Make-A-Wish this December in L.A
In-Sight Photography Project's 18th Annual Photography Auction and Exhibition
2016 Benefit Auction opened on October 7 at Vermont Center for Photography
Fashion Sale
Shopping to support a worthy cause
Breast Ever Brunch
Help create change in the lives of women with breast cancer by hosting a Breast ever Brunch this October.
Light the Night Esperance
Raise funds and walk with us this October 22 to help more Australians beat blood cancer
Light the Night Bunbury
Raise funds and walk with us this October 7 & beat blood cancer through research and support.
Kokoda Trek To Beat Cancer 2017
The trek of a lifetime, 96 km over 8 days raising funds for people living with cancer.
Cupcake Day for the RSPCA
Hold your own Cupcake Day party to help animals in need
Lunch for the Lads 2016
Join us for the 6th annual Lunch For The Lads
Charity Concert Evening this July
Charity concert evening on 20th July 2016 for children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent
Jon Huertas Hosts Wildlands Network Benefit Event
Celebrating 25 Years of Rewinding North America
San Diego History 2016
MADCAPS in Partner with San Diego History Center this June
Hospice Volunteer Program
Support and Join us in Superior Home Care & Hospice
Off Peak Pink Walk
Charity Treadmill Challenge
Magical Forest Charity Run
2016 7KM Magical Forest Charity Run
KJazz Summer Benefit Concert Walt Disney Concert Hall
A Benefit Concert with KJazz Summer
30h Annual Figawi Charity Ball
Cape's Best Charity Event This May
Join English teaching project in rural India
Need worldwide volunteers for this Teaching English project
VINO-Palooza Wine & Music Festival
Wine Tasting and Acoustic Music Concert Benefitting Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Art in the Afternoon
Annual Art Festival
Matt Damon Haiti Commitment
Matt Damon and Gary White, through Water.org, have made a commitment to provide clean and safe water and sanitation in Haiti.
They made the announcement at the Opening Plenary of 2009 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting.
'Water.org will deliver at least $2 million to fund this commitment,' Damon said, and White brought attention to the problem saying, 'The situation in Haiti is extreme, it's the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and nearly half of its people don't have access to clean water.'
Matt Damon and Gary White's Water.org commitment means that 50 000 people in Haiti will have access to the basic human need.
Check these Categories below for more on Matt Damon
Charity News, Matt Damon, Waterorg Charity, Gary White, Haiti Commitment
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text:
Patrick Murphy on Abortion
At the same time, Congress must work to lower the number of unintended pregnancies through education and affordable access to birth control.
Christian Coalition publishes a number of special voter educational materials including the Christian Coalition Voter Guides, which provide voters with critical information about where candidates stand on important faith and family issues. The Christian Coalition Voters Guide summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: "Public funding of abortions"
Christian Coalition publishes a number of special voter educational materials including the Christian Coalition Voter Guides, which provide voters with critical information about where candidates stand on important faith and family issues. The Christian Coalition Voters Guide summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: "Requiring religious groups to cover birth control & abortion in insurance"
Congressional summary:: Women's Health Protection Act: makes the following limitations concerning abortion services unlawful and prohibits their imposition or application by any government:
Opponent's argument against (Live Action News): This is Roe v. Wade on steroids. The bill is problematic from the very beginning. Its first finding addresses "women's ability to participate equally"; many have rejected this claim that women need abortion in order to be equal to men, or that they need to be like men at all. The sponsors of this pro-abortion bill also seem to feel that pro-life bills have had their time in this country, and that we must now turn back to abortion. The bill also demonstrates that its proponents have likely not even bothered attempting to understand the laws they are seeking to undo, considering that such laws are in place to regulate abortion in order to make it safer. Those who feel that abortion is best left up for the states to decide will also find this bill problematic with its overreach. Sadly, the bill also uses the Fourteenth Amendment to justify abortion, as the Supreme Court did, even though in actuality it would make much more sense to protect the lives of unborn Americans.
|2012 Governor, House and Senate candidates on Abortion:
|Patrick Murphy on other issues:
PA Gubernatorial:
Allyson Schwartz
Mark Critz
Michael Nutter
Tom Corbett
Tom Wolf
PA Senatorial:
Bob Casey
Pat Toomey
Left 113th Congress, 2013-2014:
AL-1: Jo Bonner(R,resigned)
FL-13:Bill Young(R,deceased)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R,arrested)
IL-2: Jesse L. Jackson(D,convicted)
LA-5: Rodney Alexander(R,resigned)
MA-5: Ed Markey(D,elected)
MO-8: Jo Ann Emerson(R,resigned)
NC-12:Mel Watt(D,appointed)
NJ-1: Rob Andrews(D,investigated)
SC-1: Tim Scott(R,appointed)
Newly-elected special elections 2013-2014:
AL-1: Bradley Byrne(R)
FL-13:David Jolly(R)
FL-19:Curt Clawson(R)
IL-2: Robin Kelly(D)
LA-5: Vance McAllister(R)
MA-5: Katherine Clark(D)
MO-8: Jason Smith(R)
NC-12: Pending Jul.15
NJ-1: Pending Nov.4
SC-1: Mark Sanford(R)
Won primary 2014:
GA-11:Barry Loudermilk(R)
MA-6 :Richard Tisei(R)
TX-4: John Ratcliffe(R)
VA-7: Dave Brat(R)
AL-6 :Gary Palmer(R)
AR-4 :Bruce Westerman(R)
CA-11:Mark DeSaulnier(R)
CA-33:Ted Lieu(D)
CA-35:Norma Torres(D)
CA-45:Mimi Walters(R)
CO-4 :Ken Buck(R)
GA-1 :Buddy Carter(R)
GA-10:Jody Hice(R)
IA-1 :Pat Murphy(D)
MI-4 :John Moolenaar(R)
MI-12:Debbie Dingell(D)
MI-14:Brenda Lawrence(D)
MN-6 :Tom Emmer(R)
NC-6 :Mark Walker(R)
NC-7 :David Rouzer(R)
NJ-12:Bonnie Watson Coleman(R)
NY-4 :Kathleen Rice(D)
OK-5 :Steve Russell(R)
PA-13:Brendan Boyle(D)
TX-36:Brian Babin(R)
UT-4 :Mia Love(R)
VA-8 :Don Beyer(D)
Retiring to run for Senate in 2014:
AR-4: Tom Cotton(R)
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text:
If you don't know what album a song is from, you shouldn't yak about it during the show - you should go into a music store the following day and look it up! That's what I did with Flowers In The Dirt after I got Tripping The Live Fantastic - I found it had six Paul solo songs that were played live, so I picked it up straight away! And I didn't look back, either!
The difference between genius and insanity is merely the difference between success and failure.


text:
Topic: newbie question about form
hello all,
i used a scaffold to generate a form.
what i need to know is if i add a text entry input, how to i seperate it out of the params ?
for example, this part is generated by the form
<%= text_area("outbox", "message") %>
and i want to add this
<label for="other_email">email</label>
<input type="text" name="email" >
now when the form is submitted to the contact action, i have this
def contact
@outbox = Outbox.create(params[:outbox])
if ! params[:email].nil?
@outbox.message += "\ncontact email = #{params[:email]}"
redirect_to :action => "confirm_contact"
but it is not working right.
is there something i am missing ( or some things )
thanks for any tips


text:
While the legislature has not yet approved any laws specifically addressing smart grids, the Utah state legislature has passed legislation focusing on net-metering in 2002. The Utah state expanded the net-metering legislation in 2010. (HB 145) The legislature, early on, looked into some of the distributed generation technologies and created contractual methods for voluntarily entering into solar easements for solar energy systems in 1979. [2, 3]
Prior to 2006, the Public Service Commission of Utah approved distributed generation and by 2009 this included the establishment of net metering. The Commission approved demand-side management for by 2006. Also by 2006 Time-of-Day rates had been reviewed for all customer types. [4]
"In February 2007, the Utah Public Service Commission decided not to adopt PURPA Standard14 ("Time-Based Metering and Communications") as enacted in EPACT 2005. The Commission's Determination gave three reasons:
- The standard is unnecessary because Rocky Mountain Power (PacifiCorp), the only PURPA-covered utility doing business in Utah over which the Commission has ratemaking authority, already offers, (1) TOU rates, which are mandatory for customers using more than 1 MW, (2) seasonal rates, and (3) a peak-load reduction program.
- There is an absence of supporting analysis demonstrating a need for the standard.
- The timeframe for consideration and implementation of the standard is unrealistic." [1]
Distributed generators include qualifying cogeneration, small qualifying power production facilities, and net metering installations where prices are based on the company's average or seasonally differentiated energy price or the energy is carried forward for billing purposes.
Demand side management includes the customer self directed credit, direct load control, and voluntary load reductions. The customer self directed credit allows a customer to use the DSM cost adjustment to cost-effectively manage demand side management projects within the customers facility. Direct load control installs units on the customer's thermostats, or irrigation systems to reduce load as directed by the company and credits the customer for their participation. Voluntary load reductions allow the customer to make the decision to reduce load during an Exchange Event based on the company provided market price signal.
Time-of-Day rates break the cost for electricity into periods on a seasonal basis with either on-peak, or off-peak pricing.
Rocky Mountain Power
- Rocky Mountain Power Rates
See the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) for information on consumer-owned Cooperatives: http://www.nreca.org/members/MemberDirectory/Pages/default.aspx
Utah offers tax credits for solar, wind, and water at the corporate and personal levels. The state has a rebate for solar and wind.
More information can be found in the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE): http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=UT
State Authority Dealing with Energy Regulation:
- Public Service Commission of Utah
- Docket Search: http://www.psc.state.ut.us/utilities/electric/index.html
Utah Code
Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE): http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=UT
[1] Demand Response and Smart Metering Policy Actions Since the Energy Policy Act of 2005: A Summary for State Officials, Prepared by the U.S. Demand Response Coordinating Committee for The National Council on Electricity Policy, Fall 2008. URL: http://www.oe.energy.gov/DocumentsandMedia/NCEP_Demand_Response_1208.pdf
[2] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Utah – Net Metering, 04/26/2010. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=UT04R&re=1&ee=1
[3] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Utah Local Option Solar Access Law, 12/04/2009. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=UT01R&re=1&ee=1
[4] Rocky Mountain Power, Utah Regulatory Information. URL: http://www.rockymountainpower.net/about/rar/uri.html


text:
Skip to comments.The new rules of the global game
Posted on 02/23/2006 10:09:13 PM PST by Coleus
"Globalisation" has become one of the great buzzwords of modern times.
It came to the fore during the 1990s, and the impact of globalisation looks set to play a prominent part in shaping our world during the first decades of this new century. To see the advocates of globalisation at work and play there is no better vantage point than the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Its members have probably all read columnist Tom Friedman's best-seller, The World Is Flat: A Brief History Of the Twenty First Century, many times over.
Friedman accepts that what he calls the "flat world" - measured, say, by comparing the more equal life-chances of a software engineer in Bangalore with those of another working in California's Silicon Valley - is a great all-simplifying metaphor. While it certainly contains a truth, it is not so much a flatter world as one with many more peaks and troughs. There are of course the success stories of Indian software engineers, but, as Fareed Zakaria of Newsweek International told me, the process of globalisation is leaving hundreds of millions on the margins - Chinese, Indian, Africans and, yes, even tens of millions of Americans and Europeans too.
Asset and vulnerability
But progress has always been unequal. Of greater concern is what might be called globalisation's "dark side" - the extent to which the new linkages in this increasingly borderless world are helping to promote crime, terrorism and the spread of pandemic disease.
Here, giant, brightly-coloured steel boxes with goods from China, Taiwan, Europe, Israel - all computer-tracked - are routed on their way to consumers in American cities. But as the commentator Philip Bobbitt told me, these linkages illustrate both globalisation's "greatest asset and greatest vulnerability." At the giant control rooms that regulate the passage of container trains on BNSF's tracks, you see the potential weakness of the emerging globalised world: break any one link in the chain and the result could be disruption on a major scale. Pandemic disease has the capacity to bring our world to gridlock.
Eastward shift
The key thing to understand is that globalisation is not "unequivocally good." John Gray, Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics, says that "like any other large historical change rooted in technological development , globalisation will have both good and bad aspects". Globalisation is not simply about China or India punching their weight in the world economy; as the "Davos view" would have it, becoming more like "us".
In our new series for BBC World Service radio we grapple with the complex world that is slowly emerging from the fog of aspirations prompted by the ending of the Cold War. It's a world, which, as Moises Naim, Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy magazine told me, is crying out for some form of global governance. But who is to set the new rules of the game? Will it be the international lawyers? Or will it be re-vitalised international institutions that will take charge? According to Niall Ferguson, the new rules of the international system will not be so very different from those of the past. "The forms of the global order are far more elaborate than they were a hundred years ago," he says.
"But the fundamental content of international relations is just the same as it always was."Welcome to the shock of the not so new! The New Rules of the Game is broadcast each Monday at 0905 on BBC World Service from 20 February 2006.
'globalisation's dark side'
Must be referring to the 7 versions of Vista he's releasing.
You mean there are other people on the earth? Lets build a wall.
See my vanity on outsourcing here.
"Must be referring to the 7 versions of Vista he's releasing."
I heard it was gonna be 8.
50 years ago, a threat of sanctions against the USA would have simply brought a shrug from us. Today I'm not so sure.
Whether you lowly peasants want it or not.
The global elite knows what's best for you, and you're going to get it.
Herein lies the Great Fallacy of globalization.
Within the production/inventory supply line, transportation is inherently inefficient, adding only cost, not value to the end product. Global supply lines are a direct contradiction of the JIT imperative to eliminate such wasteful and inefficient motion. The more stable production model is to manufacture locally for the local market utilizing local raw materials and resources.
I don't think the 'global governance' that's coming is quite what they have in mind.
ping for later ranting
Yea, right...and I bet old Moises Naim expects to be right up there with those governing the rest of us serfs and useless eaters.
Well, I've got news for you, Mr. Naim, and all of your ilk. Until Jesus Christ himself comes back and institutes it, let these words stand as our response to your desires for global governance...
MOLON LABE!...Sic Semper Tyranus...De Oppresso Liber!
That line jumped out at me. Who exactly is crying out? I see the looney left focused on Iraq and Global Warming, even they are not out marching around demanding a world parliment. Where did the writer come up with that idea. I'd love to ask him.
(voice offstage:) "Hmm.. Some form, eh?"
"Oh, hey, I know! How about Socialism! Then we (the Elite) can be the tyranical oligarchy! Yea, that's it!"
"Problem solved"
No problem. Just make me Brave Incredible General, Supreme Head Imperial Tyrant (B.I.G. S.H.I.T., for short), and I will mandate that it will be illegal for women between the ages of 19 to 25 to wear clothing.
Bill Gates thinks the world is flat because be conducts business world wide and sees the value for Microsoft in a world economy. His business world transcends cultural and legal boundaries so he fails to see them. I like Bill as there are so many issues that he drives well but there are so many more that he fails to grasp; world governance being one of them.
HMm I am not so sure..There are some in that age bracket that should never be seen naked. Of course you will need people to inspect bodies and determine those who should be clothed and unclothed -- I can submit a resume if need be. :-) LOL
Babylon bttt!
How many days food supply do you have in your home? Do you friends and neighbors have the same?
Reliance upon foreign nations for our food supplies, is criminal! Our nation wide daily food requirements could be interrupted so simply. With foreign ships refusing to unload at our foreign controlled ports this will bring America to her knees in ten days or less.
Starvation isn't something that cannot be fought with bullets or nuclear missiles. The mere threat of terrorist attacks upon the foreign ships after they leave our ports, if they have unloaded at our ports will be enough for them to refuse to bring our daily food requirements.
The ship owners would apologize up one side and down the other, explaining that we can't protect them with our shrinking Navy. The foreign controlled port authorities would pretend to beg for our salvation, meetings of the General Assembly at the United Nations would be held. In the end America would collapse and heed the wishes of the Islamics.
Do you remember what six men in a rubber boat with a couple of rockets in a rubber boat did to the warship, the USS Cole? What could those same men do to unarmed, unprotected cargo ship? Could they sink it next to a major pier in ___________.(you name the city port) How many months would it take to remove the sunken ship? How many ships would they have to sink before foreign ship owners would order their Captains to stay away from American ports?
Men and nations lay down to die. Why are we laying down? Are we just relaxing or are we sleeping while our President and the Congress sign our death certificates?
To All Americans: Do you want to see this movie or would you prefer to live this one event to the end? Is it time to stop globalization or shall we continue walking to our graveyards?
"Peace and Security through Disarmament". (U.N. slogan)
It's for the children......
So they can control them.
I love it when someone has firsthand experience under the UN's One World Plan. GATT or NAFTA didn't do much for you did it?
ISn't free trade a great idea?
Free trade is a great idea......within the country.
This is going to happen, and perhaps sooner that folks think. But I think a systemic economic crash (imploding hedge funds, unwinding derivatives, bank transfer cascading cross-defaults) will be the proximate cause. IMHO the most likely trigger for this sytemic crash will be a middle east crisis, resulting in the closure of the Hormuz Strait to petroleum shipments, but there could be other triggers as well.
When that "just-in-time global conveyer belt" grinds to a halt, even if for a few weeks, our cities will literally explode. We have no surplus inventory, no way to ride out the disruption. One week after our ATMs, gas stations and grocery stores are emptied out from panic, our cities will be in flames.
It will be damned hard to just start up the machine again after that. An analogy is strangulation. If you choke someone for 7 minutes, you don't just let go and say, "You can get up now! Resume your heartbeat and breathing now, please!"
For example: once the gas stations have been drained to the last drop, and real panic sets in, a laden gasoline tanker truck will be worth a king's ransom. Fuel trucks will not be able to make routine deliveries. Criminal gangs will hijack them enroute, their cargo will be worth a fortune to anyone who controls it. A gasoline tanker will be an unguarded Fort Knox on wheels to anyone who can take it. There will not be enough police and national guard to protect every shipment of food and fuel.
This is the dark downside of our total global interconnectedness, based on JIT delivery. Shut that global conveyer belt down for any period of time.....and it's like shutting off the HVAC system in a modern skyscraper. The results will be swift.
Buy gold.
Yep, and keep it physical. Paper gold (GLD, etc) will be just paper after a systemic crash, and worth what all paper assets will be worth. Zero.
Buy a way to keep your food and gold!
Ugh. Ever been to the hills of Tennessee. That idea would go out the door real quick.
We have to many patriots and Christians to tamely submit to a world government without making a try at retooling like we did in WWII. But what do I know.
Some of my other friends point to China. China has been purchasing a significant chunk of our debt instruments, and just one wrong move with them and they will foreclose. H-E-double-toothpicks breaking loose then.
Well, isn't it about time that those who have been in the troughs for a long time get their turn and the ones ho've been on top, like us, have to spend our turn in the trough?
When you have a few million people who are hungry, retooling isn't an option. I would doubt that, during the winter months, if one was to gather every can of food in the entire North America that you could feed us all for 15 days.
That takes into consideration all the canned food in Canada and Mexico plus our own. The crop production during those months is miserable.
The supermarkets in a city use to have five to seven days food for the city, now we are down to three and the shelves would be bare.
The USDA won't permit Country of Origin (COO) labels on fresh meat or vegetables. Why do you think that is? Could it be that they don't want us to know just how much we rely on foreign foods today?
We are way too vulnerable, IMHO.
BAsically women should either be wearing a burqa or nothing at all.
On the family farm we own the production per crop has increased incredibly since the 80's I am told, so I am not sure I see the food problem like you do. It is everything else that is the true problem. Besides if you remember everybody was told to have a garden in their back yard during WWII, they also began keeping chickens and rabbits in their yards also.
Over all food has been a very strong point for America.
The Department of Homeland Security and my state emergency management agency recommend a 72 hour emergency kit for most disasters. I gather that this type of emergency may go on quite a bit longer than three days?
...It's a world, which, as Moises Naim, Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy magazine told me, is crying out for some form of global governance. But who is to set the new rules of the game?...
Our home grown treason club, the CFR, is planning to set the rules in the North American Community, starting iin 2010.
Here's a list of members, could come in handy.
Based on some of the recent threads I've participated in here, many folks would welcome global governance so long as it was "privatized" and run by a multinational corporation.
Unfortunately, we now live in a country where people no longer have loyalties to our Constitutional Republic. The massive influx of immigrants means that many of those folks have loyalties to their homeland or culture. And most native Americans have no loyalty beyond the pursuit of a quick buck.
And lead.
According to the USDA, we import about as much food as we export. This is the first time we've approached equilibrium in over 50 years. (Prior to now, we've always exported more food than we imported).
What has happened to change that?
NAFTA, GATT, globalization, greedy corporations, shareholders, and politicians.
We are supposed to have enough food stored in reserve to feed this country for a long time in case of war, has that changed also and if so who did it?
I've never heard of that, and doubt it exists.
On the family farm we own the production per crop has increased incredibly since the 80's I am told, so I am not sure I see the food problem like you do
One reason for that is oil based products, such as fertilizer and fuel for more efficient machines. When foreigners cut off our oil supply (or Peak Oil hits), those efficiency rates will come crashing down.
Over all food has been a very strong point for America.
This isn't the same country it was 100 years ago, or even 10 years ago.
Yes indeed. What a position to be in, depending on communist China to buy our treasuries!
Most people are too busy watching Desperate Housewives or the football game to care. Even after Katrina, etc...., they still aren't taking steps to be prepared.
I think two weeks, and we're in serious trouble. It's back to choking somebody for 7 minutes. Doesn't matter if it's 7 minutes or 7 hours, the result is the same. I'm liking the skyscraper analogy here. A modern skyscraper can be compared to a modern city, run with a modern "just in time" delivery system. The skyscraper allows a tremendous number of peope to live on a few acres, with an incredible amount of conveniences and even luxury. Climate control, hot and cold water on demand, etc. But if an explosion in the sub basement takes out the pipes and destroys the water and HVAC system, how long can people live in the skyscraper, and where would they go? Big trouble results, in a hurry. Our cities are like that. If the ATMs, gas stations and and grocery stores are cleaned out during any type of panic, then what? Chaos, fear, panic and hunger. Fathers will not sit around while their children cry from starvation. We will see either brutal martial law to keep order, or total anarchy.
Sad but true. Add fear and hunger to the mix, and people would support any dictator who promised to restock the grocery shelves.
snips from http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/food-cn.htm
Dawkins said in 1994-95, 10 cents out of every food dollar spent in the United States went to Philip Morris and another 6 cents went to CongAgra. Four companies - IBP, ConAgra, Cargill and Beef America - sold 87% of all slaughtered beef. Two companies - Kelloggs and General Mills - sold two-thirds of all ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. Campbells sold 73% of all canned soups. Frito-Lay sold 85% of all corn chips and 40% of all potato chips. Kraft is owned by General Foods, (the latter is owned by Philip Morris) sold more than half of all sliced processed cheese.
Small farmers are paying the price for this corporatisation. They have been seen as dispensable in the US and the dispensability of the small farmer is now being globalised through trade liberalisation.
The main argument used for the industrialisation of food and corporatisation of agriculture is the low productivity of the small farmer. However, even the World Development Report has accepted that small farms are more productive than large ones.
In spite of all evidence pointing to the high diversity, productivity and sustainability of small family farms, globalisation is wiping out these efficient systems and replacing them with inefficient and unhealthy industrialised food systems under corporate control.
The myth of low productivity of diversity-based small farms is also being used to promote genetic engineering. In her paper on 'Biodiversity and Biotechnology', Beth Burrows called genetic engineering a form of Structural Adjustment but directed by Ciba-Geigy and Monsanto rather than by the World Bank and IMF.
How many family farmers/ranchers do you know who do not have either the wife or the husband working in town at another 'cash' job today? I don't know a single one and I know a bunch of these folks.
40 years ago the big shots decided that they needed these people as part of the labor force where their wages were taxable.
More family farms have been sold out to the top four or five ag corps in the last 25 years than you can imagine. In many instances the farmer still lives on the land but the crop belongs to Monsanto or some other world wide corporation.
I maintain several months worth of caloric intake as body fat.
I'm ready.
Would you care to imagine what the 12th and 15th days would be like or do you doubt that you still be alive?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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Power Authority, Senator Wright to Explore Use of Landfill Gas
April 30, 2002
New York Power Authority officials announced Tuesday that they would study the feasibility of using methane gas from a landfill operated by the Development Authority of the North Country to produce low cost electricity. Senator Jim Wright (R,C,I - Watertown), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, has lent his support to the analysis.
"We estimate that the landfill could produce at least enough gas to generate three to six megawatts of electricity," said Louis P. Ciminelli, chairman of the Power Authority. "We are working with Senator Wright to see if this project makes technical, ecological and economic sense. We are looking to meet one of Governor Pataki's major goals of providing better government services at lower costs."
One megawatt of electricity can power 1000 households.
Senator Wright expressed enthusiasm over the proposal. "By utilizing an underdeveloped resource produced right here, we are tapping into a fuel that is clean, cheap and available to help us meet our electricity needs," said Senator Wright. "I am pleased to team with NYPA to look at innovative avenues to meet the energy needs of Northern New Yorkers."
The landfill, which was opened in 1992, is considered state of the art design. The site covers 1,200 acres with 33 acres currently active as a landfill. The facility, which serves Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties is located near Rodman, about 15 miles south of Watertown.
The site has an existing collection system for methane gas that was producing about 850 cubic feet per minute (cfm) in February. Newly drilled wells are expected to increase the flow to 1,200 cfm. Ultimately, the landfill is expected to produce about 2,500 cfm.
Located in a remote area with no large electrical users nearby, DANC would seek to sell the electricity to a third party or parties. The Power Authority has indicated it will assist DANC in the marketing of the power. Further, Senator Wright is urging the analysis to be expanded to include possible agricultural benefits for local farmers.
The Power Authority and Senator Wright have also expressed an interest in conducting tests at the site to determine if windmill-turbine generation is feasible.
Senator Wright pointed out that the project would join others that he and the Power Authority have worked on together in the region.
"In Watertown, we worked with the State, completely updating electrical and other equipment at the Dulles State Office Building, making the building far more efficient and cheaper to operate," said Senator Wright. "Cumulatively, taxpayers are saving well over $350,000 a year from this project alone. Once an additional energy efficiency project is completed by the city of Watertown, local savings will increase."
In addition, the Power Authority and Senator Wright have also jointly promoted energy efficiency projects in the Villages of Theresa and Philadelphia, the Canton, Hermon-DeKalb, Morristown and Thousand Island school districts as well as Jefferson Community College and St. Lawrence County government buildings. Collectively, annual taxpayer savings on these projects is nearly $1 million.
"We are working together on all levels to promote projects that are beneficial to the environment and will provide a savings to taxpayers by cutting the cost of government services," said Senator Wright.


text:
The Hills of Lakeway
Our Story
The Hills Country Club
Take a tour of the Club and see what you can enjoy.Set Up a Tour
Prospective Members
Lynn McWilliams
Membership Director
512.261.7145 x:2005
Alex Drees
Membership Director
Laurie Harris
Membership Director
Interested in becoming a Member?
Nominate Our Employees
Nominate our Employee Partners who go "above and beyond" for STAR recognition.
Printable Area Map
Area Map (pdf)
It is the desire of The Hills Country Club to provide a cordial, professional and casual family environment for its Members to enjoy. As such, the Board of Governors has adopted the following dress code policy to foster an environment of respect, courtesy and decorum while balancing Member comfort and facility with the goal of maintaining The Hills Country Club as one of Austin's premier country clubs.
The Club reserves the right to deny access to anyone improperly dressed and appreciates your cooperation.
Dress for special events may be defined for that occasion and prevailing dress definitions may be waived.
The dress code expectations are as follows:
Members are responsible for understanding and agreeing to adhere to the dress code policy while on premises. The Member is responsible for informing all family members and guests of this policy and is responsible for ensuring their family members and guests are attired properly.
I. Hills Clubhouse, Flintrock Falls Clubhouse and World of Tennis Facility:
- Shirt and shoes must be worn at all times. Shirts are to be tucked in unless attire is specifically designed otherwise. Appropriate jeans* and denim* are permitted in the pro shops, Nicklaus Grille, Bin 26, Flintrock Dining Room, ladies' locker room and men's locker room.
- Cutoffs, halter-tops, bare-midriff tops, revealing, faded, torn or tattered clothing of any type, wind or jogging shorts or T-shirts designed as strictly undergarments are not appropriate attire and are not permissible.
- Offensive T-shirts are prohibited.
- Swimwear shall not be allowed in the main clubhouses, main dining rooms or tennis pro shop at any time. Facilities are available to change before proceeding to other areas of the country club.
*Appropriate denim/jeans are defined as being in good repair and consistent in color. They should not be tattered, frayed, patched, discolored or otherwise in disrepair.
II. Waterfall Dining Room policy is as follows:
- No denim of any color, shorts, swimwear, exercise attire, bare midriffs, men's caps or hats or men's tank tops are allowed in the Waterfall Room.
- On occasion, the Waterfall Dining Room may be used as an overflow for the Nicklaus Grille or Bin 26. When this occurs, the dress code for the Nicklaus Grille will govern.
- Dress code for children should be keeping with standards set for adults.
- Special events will dictate exceptions as published.
- Tuesday nights from May 1 through October 1, Bermuda style shorts will be allowed.
- New member orientations on Tuesdays and Saturdays – Nicklaus Grille dress code applies.
- Family Nights on Wednesdays, Bingo Beer & BBQ on Fridays, C&W Dinner Dances – Nicklaus Grille dress code applies.
III. Men's and women's card and locker rooms:
- Dress in keeping with the standards established for participation in Club activities.
IV. Golf course attire shall be worn on the golf course, driving range, practice greens and shall be defined as follows:
Men golfers:
- Shirt must have collar or turtleneck (mock if 1 1⁄2-inch minimum collar height from seam). Shirt must be tucked in.
- Slacks or golf shorts must have a zipper or buttons.
Women golfers:
- Shirt must have collar or sleeves or both.
- Skirt, slacks, skort or golf shorts must be of acceptable and appropriate golf length.
Junior golfers:
- On the golf course – same as adult golfers.
- On the practice facilities – ages 10 and over – same as adult golfers.
- Under age 10 – tennis shoes are allowed.
Shoes – all golfers:
- Only soft spiked golf shoes are permitted. The golf pro shop must approve other shoes (such as tennis shoes).
Not permitted on the golf courses:
- Denim – jeans, skirts or shorts of any color (denim allowed in pro shop only)
- Tank tops, halter-tops, midriff-baring shirts, short shorts, mini skirts/skorts, sweat pants, jams, tennis shorts, jogging shorts, sport shorts or cargo shorts
- Metal spikes on shoes
V. Tennis attire shall be worn on the tennis courts and tennis shop only and shall be define as follows:
- When participating in tennis activities, proper tennis attire is expected at all times including shorts, tennis tops, warm-ups and sweat suits.
- Tennis shoes only with nonmarking soles must be worn on courts.
- No cutoffs, blue jeans, swimsuits or bare feet are allowed.
- Shirts must be worn at all times.
- Men's sleeveless shirts with hemmed armholes are allowed.
- Offensive T-shirts are prohibited.
VI. World of Tennis Fitness Center:
- Closed toe shoes are required at all times.
- Proper fitness attire is required at all times in the fitness center. Proper fitness attire is defined as athletic clothing that is specifically designed for fitness workouts.
- No bare midriffs are allowed. The bottom of the shirt must touch the top of the shorts.
- Shirts must be work at all times.
- Sleeveless shirts with hemmed armholes are allowed.
- Cutoff shorts and shirts are not allowed at any time.
- Offensive T-shirts are prohibited.
VII. Appropriate swimming attire shall be worn while using the swimming facilities and shall be defined as follows:
- Regulation swimwear which is designed for swim activities.
- Two-piece swimwear may be worn so long as it provides appropriate cover. No thongs, string bikinis, offensive or revealing swimwear will be permitted.
- Swim cover wear and shoes shall be worn to and from the pool at all times.
- Beach shoes are permitted.
- Infants not toilet-trained must wear swim diapers.
- No blue jeans or cutoffs are allowed in the pool at any time.
Members entering Club (dining area, golf shop, etc.) who are inappropriately dressed, will be advised by the hostess/supervisor before being seated or proceeding with the sports activity. Those inappropriately dressed will not be seated.
If staff notices the inappropriate dress after the Member (guest) has been seated and if the violation is not repetitive or severe, the Member/guest will be served. The supervisor will speak to the Member regarding the infraction to ensure clarification of the dress code so as to avoid a repeat incident. Additionally, a H.E.A.T./service recovery form will be completed by an Employee Partner and forwarded to the general manager for review and for action as appropriate.
If the Member violates the code a second time, the staff is to report the violation to the general manager. The Member will receive a letter from the general manager citing the breech with a reminder that the Member must comply with the dress code.
A third violation may result in loss of Club privileges. While suspended, Members must continue to pay full dues as billed. The general manager may call upon Members of the Board of Governors as needed for recommendations of disciplinary action.
Management has the right to approve or disapprove of dress attire.


text:
Alcona sheriff reports crime statistics
HARRISVILLE Alcona County sheriff's deputies may be spread a little thin, but don't go speeding through towns or racing down back roads.
More than 900 traffic citations were handed to motorists in 2012, compared to 738 in 2011, Sheriff Douglas Atchison said in his annual report to the Alcona County Board of Commissioners Wednesday,
Over 200 people were arrested for misdemeanors and 80 taken in for felonies, another increase over in 2011 figures. The department's 911 dispatch center also was busy, assigning 3,529 calls to deputies and other personnel last year.
Civil process serving fees generated $18,308 for the county, but were down, he said. Deputies served people 766 legal notices, compared to 847 the previous year.
In times of economic distress, more people are handed documents for legal issues such as foreclosures and divorces.
"When they go down, that is a good sign," he said.
In other business, Atchison said he has been approached by several judges to look at security in courtrooms when judges are on the bench. One bailiff is on staff and Atchison said he steps in when a monitor is needed.
He also urged the commissioners to review the county's emergency action plans in wake of recent shootings across the nation.
"A situation can happen anywhere, even at Kris Mart, (a grocery store) where you have a larger population," Atchison said.
The board needs to identify areas where safety could be jeopardized, such as the courthouse, schools, even the health center, because perscription drug abuse is now an issue, he said. As part of the plan, building maps also would be updated.
The plan was last reviewed in 2005, he said.
Also in his report, the sheriff said he'd like to bring back to Alcona County a deputy who has been serving on the HUNT team. The department is short 1-1/2 people, and the deputy's return April 8 would reduce overtime costs.
Betsy Lehndorff can be reached via email at firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone at 358-5693.


text:
Friday, February 13, 2009
Dinner with Fellow Blogger Leslie
Happy Friday! I'm so glad for today since it's the beginning of a long weekend since we have President's Day off here, woo hoo!
FYI, I picked up a few items from the MAC Hello Kitty collection on Wednesday. I wasn't overly impressed with the collection but picked up a few things for packaging and collecting. I'll have the look I created posted on YouTube on Monday.
Last night I had another bridal consultation. It went really well. The bride definitely loves her makeup so we went for a more dramatic bridal look using lavendar and purples. I'll post pics soon! I noticed that my consultations tend to run about 3 hours...I like to take my time with the appointments so that we can try out any look and discuss any changes to the makeup. I think this definitely makes the bride feel better. I've often heard that they'll get their makeup done without the chance to really put their input in...it's like wham bam thank you mam! I like to get the client really involved to make sure they love their look. It's worked so far since I've booked a wedding for every consultation I've done. Cross your finger that the streak continues!
Anywho, last weekend I went out with another one of my fellow A-town bloggers Leslie. We discovered that we both love Ethiopian food so we decided to meet for dinner and bring our boyfriends along.
Food porn! If you've never had Ethiopian food, you're supposed to take the flat bread and pick up pieces of the food with the bread. Very similar to Indian or Trinidadian style food with naan or roti. The picture on the right is our appetizer - Fried Lentil Sambusa...OMG so good! I cheated on my diet that night to have one of them :)
Silly picture of me as my boyfriend is testing the camera's lighting. This is my look from the Hayden Panettiere tutorial. I finally got to rock a look I did for a tutorial on the outside!
Me and Leslie. Bloggers unite! I hope to work with her on a gig soon :)
Double daters!
Hubby and I :)
Tonight we're taking one of my best friends Melissa to a birthday dinner at a Vegetarian restaurant. Hopefully she's not reading because it's supposed to be a surprise so I won't spill all the details. I think I'm going to try doing a tutorial for Jennifer Hudson's Grammy makeup tonight and wear it out.
I'm in the dark about what the BF is planning for Valentines Day, I hope it's good! Have a great Valentines Day weekend Bellas!
Atlanta Makeup Artist
17 comments:
- Tigress or Tame? said...
Congrats on the booking streak! Hope it continues =)
- February 13, 2009 at 9:52 AM
- 梅子 said...
woe exiting to meet another blogger eh?
and im way looking foward to the Jennifer Hudson Tutorial .
woe and that blue dressy that you have on is WAY CUTE. love it.
- February 13, 2009 at 9:58 AM
- A. Rose said...
Hope your streak continues! Advanced Happy VDay!
- February 13, 2009 at 10:00 AM
- Amina said...
i looooove ethiopian food too!!
I am not surprised that each bride books you. YOu're the best and soo talenetd!!
- February 13, 2009 at 10:10 AM
- Askmewhats said...
the food looks great! :) and you look pretty with the hubby :) :) :) Happy Valentine's Day!
- February 13, 2009 at 10:29 AM
- PBW said...
I can hardly wait for the Jennifer Hudson tutorial!!!
I checked out Leslie's blog. It's great!
Happy V-Day!
- February 13, 2009 at 10:46 AM
- Product Junkie Diva said...
Hey Ren
Love the look as always!
- February 13, 2009 at 11:11 AM
- Sharon Rose said...
Hi there-what a lovely outing and meal, it looked delicious! Happy Valentines Day!
- February 13, 2009 at 11:12 AM
- KiLLaCaM said...
*gasp! jennifer hudson's makeup at the grammys was to die for! i'll be looking forward to that tutorial soon.
- February 13, 2009 at 11:21 AM
- Girl with Curl said...
Of course you would have a good booking streak, it seems like you really care about your clients and readers.
By the way, I never realized how much taller your boyfriend was than you.
I hope I'll be able to meet a blogger that I don't already know in person someday.
- February 13, 2009 at 2:07 PM
- suzyyy ...macNC40 said...
girl u are making me hungry with that food! i've never had ethiopian food, but u make me wanna try it! yum
- February 13, 2009 at 4:25 PM
- Fei said...
Yay! More bloggers get together! Yeah, I really like the Revlon liner now! I've been using it to tightline for quite some time now. :D
- February 13, 2009 at 7:24 PM
- itsjudytime said...
DAMN you're bf is tall!! How cute, you guys had a double date :) The food looked yummmy :D
- February 13, 2009 at 10:33 PM
- Couture Carrie said...
So fun!
Happy Valentine's Day, r2!
- February 14, 2009 at 10:32 AM
- BeautyJunkie said...
Uhmm the food look so good! Imma try Euthopian food someday..any suggestion what to get for a first timer?
- February 14, 2009 at 1:09 PM
- Ethereal Prey said...
hmmm...Ethiopian food...getting hungry now...looks like you had fun with your fellow blogger! girl you're so popular, ur name came up at the nyc meet at the mac pro store!
- February 15, 2009 at 12:31 AM
- Princess Katrina said...
AWWW you two are sooo cute!!!
- February 16, 2009 at 4:22 PM


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Finance Committee on March 27th, 2012
Evidence of meeting #50 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was wines.
A recording is available from Parliament.
On the agenda
MPs speaking
Also speaking
- Hanspeter Stutz As an Individual
- Ivonne Martinez President, Alberta Liquor Store Association
- Rowland Dunning Executive Director, Canadian Association of Liquor Jurisdictions
- Dan Paszkowski President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Vintners Association
- Harry McWatters Time Estate Winery, Vintage Consulting Group Inc.
- Janice Ruddock Managing Director, Winery Association of Nova Scotia
3:35 p.m.
The Chair (Mr. James Rajotte (Edmonton—Leduc, CPC)) Dan Albas
I call this meeting to order.
This is the 50th meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance. Our orders of the day, pursuant to the order of reference of Wednesday, December 7, 2011, concern a study of Bill C-311, An Act to amend the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act (interprovincial importation of wine for personal use).
We have two panels today, colleagues. In our first panel we're very pleased to have our colleague, the member of Parliament for Okanagan—Coquihalla, Mr. Dan Albas. Welcome to the committee and congratulations on your bill passing second reading. I understand you have an opening statement for the committee, and then we'll have questions from members.
Please begin your opening statement.
3:35 p.m.
Dan Albas Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Some 83 years ago, during the Prohibition era, the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act, known as the IILA, was passed, making it illegal for everyday citizens to transport or ship wine across provincial boundaries. It is for all intents and purposes an interprovincial trade barrier, meaning a winery in Quebec cannot legally sell a bottle of wine to a customer in Alberta.
Now, here's where it gets more redundant. That same Quebec winery that cannot legally send a bottle of wine to Alberta can send that same bottle of wine to a customer in Texas. Many small Canadian wineries can more easily access markets outside of Canada than they can within our own great country.
Canadians have proven that they can produce some of the best wines in the world, yet they cannot sell that wine directly to consumers in other Canadian provinces. We as members of Parliament have the opportunity to work together and change this by supporting Bill C-311.
Let's imagine if cars built in Ontario could not be sold in British Columbia. What if prize Nova Scotia lobster could not be sent directly to households across Canada? This is the reality for our small Canadian wine producers.
The wine industry has been battling this unjust Prohibition-era legislation for many years. Now it's time to open up the Canadian marketplace to support the hard-working families who run small wineries in provinces like Quebec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and British Columbia.
How do we best eliminate the 80-year-old trade barrier, put an end to wine prohibition in Canada, and open up the Canadian marketplace? I would like to share the intent and direction of my proposed amendment to the IILA legislation. I would also like to add that I worked very closely with Minister Shea, parliamentary secretary Cathy McLeod, and their staff for the duration of this process. I would like to publicly thank them for their efforts and support in helping move this bill forward.
Essentially, Bill C-311 proposes an amendment that would allow private citizens to directly transport, or cause to be transported, wine that is purchased from one province to another province, provided it is for personal use and the personal exemption policy of the latter province allows it.
Let's be clear on a few points. Yes, this amendment supports Canadians being able to directly purchase wine online from a winery in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, or Quebec and have that wine shipped back to a province such as Alberta. This action would no longer be in contravention of the IILA legislation.
Let's also be clear that this amendment will ultimately clarify that it is indeed the provinces that can set up their own personal importation policy as they see fit. In essence, my amendment proposes to take Ottawa and this trade barrier out of the way and let the provinces set policy that they feel is appropriate.
There are some interests that would like to propose an amendment to the language of my bill, an amendment that in my view would potentially be more restrictive on the ability of the provinces to set importation policy. An example is inserting the word "reasonable". Now, who would decide "reasonable", and what mechanism is there to address that definition?
For the record, I do not support efforts to amend the language of Bill C-311 in any way that might restrict the ability of the provinces to set their own personal importation policy. As much as we all support interprovincial trade, we must also recognize that liquor distribution is a provincial responsibility, and provinces and territories must be free to set their policies accordingly.
Again, I point out that ultimately my goal here is to remove the federal government and the IILA as a trade barrier. I shall also note that some provinces have already taken a leadership role in setting their own personal importation policy. In fact, I would suspect that you will hear from the Canadian Association of Liquor Jurisdictions, which will mention this as one of the reasons they are not likely to support the amendment.
However, provincial policy should not conflict with federal legislation. The fact that a federal law exists to prevent this practice does raise the obvious question of a potential conflict with provincial policy. In other words, how can a province essentially say it's okay to personally import wine while the IILA legislation is clear that this is a criminal act? That, of course, leads to another reason that this amendment in Bill C-311 is badly needed.
I would also add that not all provinces have a personal importation policy. In fact, one province has stated that it will not consider such a policy until the IILA legislation is amended, which is precisely what we are trying to do here.
The final discussion I expect you to hear is one of revenue. Will the amendment create a loss of revenue for liquor distribution monopolies?
I have a few thoughts on the subject. In my riding, many of the smaller wineries do not sell through provincial liquor distribution models. They simply do not have the volume and cannot afford the hefty fees. One small winery owner tells me that it costs him roughly 60% to sell through the liquor distribution branch, and he simply does not have the volume to absorb those kinds of costs. To maximize his income, he depends on the ability to sell directly. Unfortunately, for many of the vacationing Albertans who visit his winery every year, even though Alberta does have a consumer-friendly personal importation policy, IILA still makes it illegal for wine to be taken home by his customers, and shipping remains illegal.
I'd like to take a moment and illustrate another reason that Bill C-311 is not only good for the wine industry but also for the shipping industry. Today, major shipping companies will not ship wine precisely because of the IILA. I have had a few major shipping companies that wanted to be here in person to show their support for Bill C-311 and illustrate how this will be a positive economic policy for the Canadian shipping industry.
I'll get back to my small winery example. In this case, many small wineries currently do not sell through the provincial liquor distribution system. It is difficult to suggest or assess that there would be a loss of revenue, as many of these wineries are already engaged in direct sales. Bill C-311 simply looks to rightfully expand that marketplace across Canada.
We must also recognize that when wine is sold, it is fully subject to HST or PST and GST, depending on the jurisdiction. In other words, increased wine sales resulting from Bill C-311 would continue to benefit government revenues, just not solely directly through liquor distribution monopolies. I'd also like to add that there is GST on shipping as well, so any increased shipping activity as a result of this amendment would also increase GST revenues to both levels of government, not to mention all of the economic spinoffs that go along with it.
Who pays for all of this? Well, it is the consumer. That is also an important point to consider in this discussion. Wine as a commodity is fragile and heavy. As a result, this will be very costly to ship. Shipping an individual bottle can range upwards of $20, while shipping a case of wine can be in the $50 to $70 range. Why do I mention that? Ultimately, there is no cost savings to consumers in directly purchasing out-of-province wine. Consumers are not in support of this bill as part of an effort to avoid purchasing from a government-run liquor store; this bill is about consumer choice and opening up the market to small Canadian producers so that they can sell to Canadians.
Over the past six months, I have heard support from all across Canada, and I know that many of you have likely heard from your constituents on this bill as well. This is a small but important step for a Canadian industry that provides jobs and supports our local economies. In my region, the spinoff industries are considerable. I know that both Nova Scotia and Quebec are also emerging wine regions, while Ontario has become Canada's largest producer. We have an opportunity to take a small step that will eliminate a Prohibition-era trade barrier and legitimately help an industry grow and prosper.
I appreciate the time the committee will spend reviewing this bill. I certainly welcome your questions or comments.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for your consideration today.
3:40 p.m.
The Chair James Rajotte
Thank you very much, Mr. Albas, for your presentation.
Colleagues, we should have enough time for one full round. We will begin that round with Mr. Julian. It is a five-minute round of questions.
3:40 p.m.
Peter Julian Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I think I will share my time with Mr. Mai, given that the time is brief and we only have one round.
Thank you very much, Mr. Albas, for coming forward today. I just wanted to quickly ask you four questions, and hopefully you can answer some of them or provide us with information later on.
You mentioned provinces and their personal importation policies. Can you give us more specifically which province hasn't developed one yet, but might if this bill is adopted? What provinces have it in place, and what might that policy be?
Second is the issue of whether it should apply just to grape wines or to all wines.
Third is whether you've seen any study on the impact in increased sales in wine-growing regions, whether we're talking about Nova Scotia or British Columbia—the Okanagan and southwestern B.C.—or any study on the impact on provincial liquor distribution branches. Has there been any study into potential loss or gain in revenue?
3:40 p.m.
Dan Albas Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC
I appreciate the question.
I believe you asked to see which provinces have an open policy as far as personal importation is concerned.
The two that stick out in my mind, Mr. Chair, speaking through you to Mr. Julian, are Ontario and Alberta. The Province of Alberta has one of the most liberal, I would say, exemptions. It allows an unlimited amount, as long as you transport it on your person. The Province of Ontario also has a limited one.
As I noted in my presentation, other jurisdictions—for example, B.C.—have long held that because of the IILA legislation, there is no point in their looking at a personal exemption. This stems largely from the fact that when the IILA came into force, it basically created separate jurisdictions. While each province has sovereign jurisdiction over its own area, it does not have any authority as far as interprovincial movement of wine goes.
Sir, I'm sorry, but I missed your second question. It was in relation to revenue, was it?
3:40 p.m.
Peter Julian Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
It was whether there are any studies on loss or gain for provincial liquor distribution branches and personal sales, but I'll pass things over to Mr. Mai. Perhaps he can ask some additional questions, and you can answer them all then.
3:40 p.m.
The Chair James Rajotte
You have about two and a half minutes.
March 27th, 2012 / 3:40 p.m.
Hoang Mai Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Albas, for your work.
Regarding wine, I have two questions.
I've heard comments regarding the possibility of having blended wines, which would be a concern for certain regions. Have you looked at that issue?
3:40 p.m.
Dan Albas Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC
That's a very good question.
Regardless of the type of wine—what kinds of blends, etc.—this would allow the interprovincial movement of wine. Anything that is subject to the Excise Act, such as foreign bottled wine, would be subject to that act instead. This particular amendment to Bill C-311 has nothing to do with that, but only with the interprovincial movement of wine.
3:45 p.m.
Hoang Mai Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Also, for confirmation, can you say that this includes any type of wine and that it doesn't have to be grape wine?
3:45 p.m.
Dan Albas Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC
Again, as I said, it's important to recognize that it's actually the excise tax that imposes a federal duty on wine. Currently, wine that is composed wholly of agricultural or plant products grown in Canada is exempt from the federal excise duty. All other wine is subject to excise duty.
My proposed amendment in no way changes that. My amendment deals only with interprovincial movement of wine for non-commercial uses.
3:45 p.m.
Hoang Mai Brossard—La Prairie, QC
I think my colleague has raised some other issues regarding the impact upon provinces in terms of loss of revenues. What is your view on that, or what is your conclusion?
3:45 p.m.
Dan Albas Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC
Thanks for the question.
The bill is specific in that it calls for an exemption under the federal IILA legislation for the personal importation of wine from one province to another, subject to provincial regulations. In other words, the federal government would be ending a Prohibition-era law and leaving it up to the provinces to decide how they would like to work with industry and consumers to respond and to develop workable and sensible regulations that are fair to everyone involved.
3:45 p.m.
The Chair James Rajotte
Thank you.
Merci, Monsieur Mai.
We'll go to Mr. Cannan, please.
3:45 p.m.
Ron Cannan Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for this special opportunity to sit as a guest.
To my colleague Mr. Albas I will say that it has been a pleasure working together. It's been a labour of love for the last several years.
I've had the opportunity to serve the constituents of Kelowna—Lake Country for the past six years and more. It's a pleasure to be here for more than one reason, especially given the distinguished pleasure of being with Mr. Harry McWatters, the guru of VQA wine in Canada, who may live long enough to see that this archaic piece of legislation can be revoked.
As you mentioned, Mr. Albas, the consultation we've had across the country has been fully supported from province to province by the small vintners. Especially for our home base, the Okanagan, maybe you could expand a little bit more on what this will mean for some of the agri-tourism opportunities and for helping the small vintners—by which I mean 2,000- to 3,000-case producers—potentially become clients of the liquor boards and grow to be larger Canadian producers and employ more Canadians.


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Keystone Exams given go-ahead
Keystone Exams are in, senior projects are out.
Proposed changes to state graduation requirements passed March 14 by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education would require students to score proficiently on Keystone Exams to obtain their diplomas.
The exams would feature assessment levels of advanced, proficient, basic and below-basic.
The proposal, which will now move to the Pennsylvania General Assembly for review prior to passage, "requires students to demonstrate proficiency on a Keystone Exam, validated local assessment or a comparable advanced placement/international baccalaureate exam," a Pennsylvania Department of Education press release said.
The exams are based on guidelines provided under the new Pennsylvania Common Core Academic Standards, also given final board approval last week. The first of the Common Core Standards, providing guidelines English language arts and mathematics, are required to be implemented state-wide by July of this year.
"These rigorous standards will serve as a framework for schools as to what students should be taught and have knowledge of based on grade level," Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis said.
The requirements for proficiency on Keystone Exams will be implemented for the first time with the class of 2017, who will have to obtain proficient scores on three tests; algebra I, biology and literature.
In 2019, a composition exam will be added and in 2020 students will be required to show proficiency on a civics and government exam as well.
The release cited the exams as, "rigorous, end-of-course assessments designed to ensure a student's mastery of specific academic content."
A school may offer approved local assessments which conform to state academic standards and meet performance level expectations comparable to a Keystone Exam to satisfy the graduation requirements.
Completion of an international baccalaureate or advanced placement exam including content comparable to a Keystone Exam would satisfy graduation requirements as well.
Keystone exams would be offered at least three times throughout the year and students may take an exam more than once if they score below proficient level.
Students unable to achieve a proficient score on an exam(s) would have the opportunity to supplement their score(s) with an approved, project-based assessment. The project-based assessment must be in line with the content of the exam(s) whose score it supplements. A student must fail to score proficiently on a Keystone Exam(s) to be eligible for a project-based assessment.
The proposal also does away with PSSA testing at the high school level. Students would still take PSSA tests through grade 8, but Keystone Exam scores would replace grade eleven PSSA tests for school evaluation purposes.