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The United States is on ice this weekend as the U.S. Figure Skating Championships continue in Omaha, the World Sprint Speedskating Championships start up in Utah and the ice hockey Sled Cup wraps up in North Carolina. There is plenty of other winter sports action, ranging from the bobsled and skeleton world championships to the Winter X Games. Check out this week's Team USA Weekend Preview for all the details.
World Championships, Jan. 25-Feb. 2, St. Moritz, Switzerland
U.S. bobsledders Steven Holcomb and Steve Langton will seek a repeat of history when the men's two-man bobsled event begins Saturday at the World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Holcomb and Langton teamed up to win the first two-man world championship in U.S. history last year.
The United States will have three sleds in the men's bobsled. Cory Butner and Chris Fogt will ride in a second sled, and Nick Cunningham will ride with Dallas Robinson. The four-man bobsled, featuring Holcomb as the driver for USA-1, will be held next week, as will the men's and women's skeleton races.
The women's bobsled began Friday, with Elana Meyers and 2012 world bronze medalist teammate Katie Eberling currently sitting in third place after the first two of four runs. Jazmine Fenlator and Aja Evans, who won bronze at last week's World Cup event in Igls, Austria, are in eighth after moving up two spots in the second run. Jamie Greubel and Emily Azevedo, who teamed up to earn World Cup silver earlier this season, are in 12th place halfway through the competition.
The United States will also have two entries in Sunday's team event.
TV: 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Universal Sports
Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Jan. 19-27, Omaha, Neb.
Wearing a burgundy dress and skating solidly Thursday night, Ashley Wagner began her defense of the national title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Omaha, Neb.
Wagner had a score of 67.57 in her short program, leading Agnes Zawadzki (65.31) and 2010 Olympian Mirai Nagasu (64.39).
"I did exactly what I came here and planning on doing," Wagner said after her skate Thursday. "I skated solid. I felt I really owned every single jump, spin, element I had in the program."
Wagner will go for the gold in the free program Saturday. Should she defend her title she will become the first back-to-back women's champion since Michelle Kwan, who won from 1998-2005.
Gracie Gold, the 2012 U.S. junior champion and considered to be one of the contenders for the senior title this year, had a disappointing showing and is in ninth place with 54.08 points.
Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir, however, skated a strong pairs short program. Their score of 62.27 in the short program led Felicia Zhang and Nathan Bartholomay by nearly 10 points.
The focus at the CenturyLink Center Omaha Convention Center will shift Friday to the short dance and the men's short program. Meryl Davis and Charlie White, ice dancing silver medalists at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, are strong favorites to win their fifth national championship. The free program is scheduled for Saturday.
2010 Olympian Jeremy Abbott will seek his fourth national title in a men's competition that will be missing two U.S. stars. Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek withdrew last week due to his recovery from a surgery to repair a sports hernia. Two-time Olympian Johnny Weir is also out due to injury. Ross Miner and Adam Rippon will be among those challenging Abbott. Following Friday's short program, the men's free skate will be Sunday.
TV: 3 p.m.-6 p.m. and 8 p.m.-11 p.m. ET Saturday, NBC; 11 p.m. Saturday, Universal Sports; 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, NBC
Essent ISU World Sprint Speedskating Championships, Jan. 26-27, Kearns, Utah
The fastest skater in the world will be determined in Utah.
Heather Richardson, who broke three national records at the U.S. Championships to qualify for the World Sprint Team, will be among five U.S. skaters hoping for podium finishes at this weekend's Essent ISU World Sprint Speedskating Championships. The Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns is host to the competition.
Richardson won gold in the 1,000 and silver in the 500 last week at the Calgary World Cup, and she has been dominant this season at both distances.
Joining Richardson at the World Sprint Championships are Brittany Bowe, Sugar Todd, Mitch Whitmore and Jonathan Garcia. The event consists of men's and women's races at 1,000 and 500 meters both Saturday and Sunday.
TV: 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Universal Sports
Webcast: 3 p.m. Saturday, universalsports.com
Also in speed skating:
U.S. Junior Short Track Speedskating Championships, Jan. 25-27, Woodbridge, Va.
FIS World Cup Alpine, women's slalom and giant slalom, Jan. 26-27, Maribor, Slovenia
Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin will seek podium finishes in their final competitions prior to the FIS World Championships. Vonn, fully recovered from a stomach illness earlier this season, is a medal contender in both slalom events. She won her 58th career World Cup event last week in the downhill in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Shiffrin, 17, will be looking to grab her fourth World cup victory.
TV: 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m. ET Saturday and 9-10:30 a.m. Sunday, Universal Sports
Webcast: 4 a.m. ET Saturday, universalsports.com
FIS World Cup Alpine, men's super combined, downhill, slalom, super-G, Jan. 22-27, Kitzbuehel, Austria
Ted Ligety and Steven Nyman will be among the U.S. skiers in a busy World Cup event in Kitzbuehel, Austria. Four events will be held over three days, beginning with the super-G on Friday. Nyman was seventh fastest during a downhill training run Thursday.
TV: 8-9:30 p.m. ET Friday, Universal Sports; 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Universal Sports; 12:30-2 a.m. Sunday, Universal Sports
Also in skiing:
FIS World Cup Ski Jumping, men, Jan. 25-27, Vikersund, Norway
Webcast: 10 a.m. ET Saturday and 8:30 a.m. Sunday, universalsports.com
FIS World Cup Cross Country, Jan. 23-27, Falun, Sweden
FIS World Cup Nordic Combined, Jan. 26-27, Klingenthal, Germany
Webcast: 6:30 a.m. ET Saturday and 5:30 a.m. Sunday, universalsports.com
FIS World Cup Freestyle, men's and women's moguls, Jan. 26, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
ISF Junior Nordic World Ski Championships, Jan. 21-27, Liberec, Czech Republic
FIS World Snowboarding Championships, Jan. 17-27, Quebec, Canada
Nick Baumgartner finished fifth in snowboardcross qualifying Thursday, advancing to compete in the finals Saturday in the FIS Snowboard World Championships in Quebec, Canada. All four U.S. snowboarders qualified for the final field of 48: Baumgartner, Seth Wescott, Jonathan Cheever and Hagen Kearney.
In women's qualifying, Faye Gulini placed 15th to reach the finals.
The worlds at the Stoneham Mountain Resort will finish up Sunday with finals in men's and women's parallel slalom.
Webcast: 11 a.m. ET Saturday, universalsports.com
X Games, Jan. 24-27, Aspen, Colo.
Olympic gold medalist snowboarders Shaun White and Kelly Clark are among a number of winter-sport showstoppers competing in this weekend's Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo. White is a 12-time X Games medalist.
The competition at Buttermilk Mountain, which began Thursday, will feature action in halfpipe, slopestyle, big air skiing, snowmobile-cross and freestyle trick.
White advanced to the finals in both superpipe and slopestyle at Thursday's qualifications. He is the five-time defending champion in superpipe.
TV: 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Friday, ESPN; 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, ESPN; 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, ABC; 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, ESPN
Sled Cup, Jan. 23-26, Indian Trail, N.C.
The United States shut out Russia, 4-0, Thursday at the Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail, N.C., and will play South Korea on Friday night to complete preliminary-round play. Team USA has won its first two games by a combined, 9-0. South Korea also enters Friday's game with a 2-0 record. Taylor Lipsett, Greg Shaw, Kevin McKee and Declan Farmer scored in the win over Russia.
The medal round will be held Saturday.
U.S. Men's National Team vs. Canada, Jan. 29, Houston
The U.S. Men's National Team will face Canada in an international friendly Tuesday night at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game is a final preparation before the United States' next World Cup Qualifier match on Feb. 6 against Honduras.
TV: 9 p.m. ET Tuesday, ESPN2, Univision Deportes
Jack Pinto Cup, Jan. 26, Colorado Springs
University World champion Max Nowry, University World bronze medalist Jamel Johnson and two-time World Team member Joe Betterman are among 30 U.S. wrestlers who'll compete Saturday in the Jack Pinto Cup in Colorado Springs.
The annual competition, formerly known as the Kiki Cup, was renamed the Jack Pinto Cup in honor of Jack Pinto, a 6-year-old wrestler who was one of the children who lost their lives in the tragic school shootings in Newtown, Conn.
Four U.S. teams will face teams from Japan, Kazakhstan, Sweden and Lithuania in the Greco-Roman dual meet format. None of the U.S. squads will face each other.
Webcast: 9 a.m. ET Saturday, themat.com.
Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, Jan. 25-27, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Coleman Scott, a bronze medalist at the London 2012 Olympic Games, will be among four U.S. wrestlers competing this weekend at the prestigious Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Scott will wrestle Saturday in the men's freestyle 60kg weight class. Other U.S. freestyle wrestlers: Brent Metcalf and Chase Pami, 66kg; Keith Gavin, 84kg.
Also in wrestling:
WCWA Nationals, Jan. 25-26, Bristol, Tenn.
Five Nations Match, Jan. 26, Glasgow, Scotland
Olympians Carmelita Jeter, Bernard Lagat, Duane Solomon and Manteo Mitchell are among nine U.S. athletes who will compete Saturday in the Five Nations Match in Scotland. Jeter, a three-time medalist at the London 2012 Olympic Games, will run in the 60-meter race. Lagat, a three-time Olympian, will run in the men's 3,000, Solomon in the 600 and Mitchell in the 400.
Also in track:
NACAC Cross Country Championships, Jan. 26, Jamaica
World Dressage Masters Palm Beach, Jan. 24-26, Wellington, Fla.
Olympic riders Steffen Peters, Tina Konyot and Adrienne Lyle are among five Americans competing this week at the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach event in Wellington, Fla. The competition at the Palm Beach County Jim Brandon Equestrian Center is the only North American stop this year on the World Dressage Masters Series presented by the Axel Johnson Group. Saturday's events include the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI5* and FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI5*.
Peters, a three-time Olympian, is the two-time defending champion. Peters will ride Legolas 92, an 11-year-old Westphalian gelding. Ravel, Peters' former horse, was retired following the London 2012 Olympic Games. Peters and Ravel won bronze at the 2010 Alltech/FEI World Equestrian Games and gold at the 2009 FEI World Cup. In addition to Konyot, riding Calecto V, and Lyle, aboard Wizard, also riding for the United States are Heather Blitz and James Koford. Blitz will ride her own Paragon and Koford will ride Rhett.
Webcast: 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, usefnetwork.com
Australian Open, Jan. 14-27, Melbourne, Australia
Sloane Stephens knocked off Olympic gold medalist and 15-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, but fell to top-seeded Victoria Azarenka, 6-1, 6-4, Thursday. That left no Americans with a chance to win the singles championships in men or women. Novak Djokovic of Serbia will go for his third consecutive Australian Open men's title Sunday.
TV: 3 a.m.-5:30 a.m. ET Saturday and 3-6:30 a.m. Sunday, ESPN
ISAF World Cup, Jan. 27-Feb. 2, Miami, Fla.
Fleet racing in the Olympic classes begins Monday in the week-long ISAF Sailing World Cup in Miami. Five days of opening-series racing for elite-level sailors will be followed by double-points races Feb. 2. Competition will be held in the 13 sailing classes that will also be held at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
More than 300 sailors from 35 nations will compete, many of them Olympic medalists and World Cup medalists. The Miami event is the second World Cup regatta this season as the chase for 2016 begins.
USA Triathlon Winter National Championships, Jan. 27, Butte, Mont.
The 2013 USA Triathlon championship season begins Sunday at the Powderhound Winter Triathlon and Homestake Lodge in Butte, Mont., when the Winter Triathlon National Championships are held. All three events of the competition will be conducted on snow: 5-kilometer trail run, 10k bicycle race, 5k Nordic ski. Mike Wolfe and Rebecca Dussault are defending champions.
Men's National Team vs. Argentina, Jan. 26, Irvine, Calif.
The USA Men's Senior National Team will face Argentina in an exhibition match Saturday at Northwood High School in Irvine, Calif. The match is a final preparation prior to the UANA World Aquatics Championship Qualification Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Canada. The United States will play Canada in its opening match Wednesday night in Calgary, Alberta.
USA Curling Junior National Championships, Jan. 26-Feb. 2, Wayland, Mass.
Competition begins Saturday for 10 men's teams and 10 women's teams in the USA Curling Junior National Championships. The tournament will decide the squads that will represent the United States at the World Junior Championships in late February in Sochi, Russia.
Title contenders include the Minnesota women's team led by Cory Christiansen and the USA Curling High Performance men's team skipped by Korey Dropkin. Teams Christiansen and Dropkin are defending champions. Dropkin's team includes Alex Fenson, the son of 2006 Olympic bronze medalist Pete Fenson. Miranda Solem leads the High Performance women's team.
Also in curling:
World Curling Tour, The National, Jan. 23-27, Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, Canada
World Curling Tour, German Masters, Jan. 25-27, Hamburg, Germany
Junior World Cup, Jan. 24-25, Calgary, Canada
While the USA Luge senior team trains this week in Whistler, B.C., for next week's FIL World Championships, the junior team will finish up competition Friday in the Junior World Cup and Junior American Pacific Championship in Calgary, Alberta. The event began successfully Thursday for the United States as Theresa Buckley won gold in youth women's singles. Riley Stohr won bronze in youth men.
Leon Lurje Trophy, Jan. 26-27, Gothenburg, Sweden
Three U.S. teams, including the Crystallettes of Dearborn, Mich., will begin their 2013 international season Saturday and Sunday at the Leon Lurje Trophy competition in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Crystallettes are current U.S. silver medalists.
Also representing the United States will be the synchronized skating team from Miami (Ohio) University and the Synchroettes of West Orange, N.J. The Synchroettes will skate in the junior division.
Also in synchronized skating:
Midwestern/Pacific Coast Synchronized Sectional Championships, Jan. 24-26, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Nastia Liukin Cup Series, Jan. 25-27, various locations
The fourth annual Nastia Liukin Cup Series continues this weekend with invitational meets at four venues: Sand Dollar/Whitlow Invitational, Kissimmee, Fla.; Wisconsin Dells Gymnastics Vacation Classic; Parkettes Invitational, Allentown, Pa.; San Diego Classic, San Diego, Calif. The top gymnasts selected from 19 invitational meets held over six weeks will advance to compete in the Nastia Liukin Cup on March 1 in Worcester, Mass.
Eight gymnasts earned spots at competitions last week: Emily Gaskins of Coral Springs, Fla.; Reagan Campbell of Highland Village, Texas; Samantha Partyka of Katy, Texas; Ashleigh Gnat of Lake Mary, Fla.; Charity Jones of Miami, Okla.; Mariah Peterson of South Jordon, Utah; Mackenzie Brannan of Austin, Texas, and Drew Watson of Nacogdoches, Texas. Another seven spots are up for grabs this weekend.
Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Paul D. Bowker is a freelance contributor for TeamUSA.org. Material from various news services and press releases from National Governing Bodies was used to compile this report. This story was not subject to the approval of any National Governing Bodies.


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INDOT is a national leader in the research, design, construction, maintenance, and management of transportation infrastructure. From project design, excellence in planning, and engineering achievement, INDOT has been hailed by national and international trade and professional organizations as an innovative leader in transportation infrastructure.
In just the past year, INDOT has been honored for its work on projects like the Sherman Minton Bridge repair, Accelerate 465, the Ohio River Bridges Project, I-69, and I-465/Allisonville Road Interchange Reconstruction.
Click on the links below to find out more about recent awards garnered by INDOT.

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In case of emergency, please call us immediately. If it is after hours, check with a local animal hospital emergency clinic.
VCA Metroplex; 770 West Airport Freeway, Irving, TX 972-438-7113 open 24 hours http://www.vcahospitals.com/metroplex
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As part of the VCA family, we have over 83 specialty hospitals across the US and Canada which provide referral specialty care, so there may be one near you. Enter ZIP to find VCA specialty care hospitals near you.


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PRINCESS ANNE, MD. - (updated Dec. 8, 2011) - Winter graduation exercises at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore are Friday, Dec. 16, in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center. The 15th annual ceremony begins at 10 a.m.
UMES anticipates it will award approximately 255 degrees, including 36 master's degrees and 10 doctoral degrees.
The commencement speaker is Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, who is in his second term working alongside Gov. Martin O'Malley.
Since taking office in 2007, Brown has been the point person for the O'Malley administration on expanding and improving health care, helping victims of domestic violence and making higher education more accessible – especially for veterans of the conflicts in the Middle East who are looking to re-enter the civilian world.
Brown is a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, which makes him the highest-ranking elected official to have served in Iraq, according to a biography on the official state website for the lieutenant governor's office.
A two-time Harvard graduate – including a law degree – Brown served in the Maryland General Assembly for two terms as a delegate from Prince George's County and rose through the ranks to become majority whip. He is the father of two children and lives in Mitchellville.
Commencement guests are encouraged to be seated 30 minutes prior to the start of the student and faculty processional at 10 a.m. In keeping with tradition, the university's Concert Choir and Wind Ensemble will perform.
No tickets are necessary. For more information, visit www.umes.edu/commencement.
Bill Robinson, director, UMES Office of Public Relations, 410-621-2355.
Gail Stephens, assistant director, UMES Office of Public Relations, 410-651-7580.


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Know it, love it.
Probably going to see it this weekend. Hugely awesome buzz at this point after "opening."
Worst review out there (and holding it down at metacritic) is the New York daily news pouting about New York Fan getting ripped to pieces by it.
(trailer is at http://www.bigfanmovie.com)
May get down to the sticks/you by Christmas.... if it follows the Juno timetable.
Absolutely no media budget in this one so it is flying under radars thus far. Going to slow release and then spread.


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0.96 CT. T.W. Men's 5-Stone Diamond Ring in 14K White Gold (H-I, I1)
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About this itemFive round brilliant-cut diamonds are showcased in this handsome 14K white gold men's ring.
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Biography All Music Guide
All Music Guide:
Although preceded by Larry Adler (who has actually spent much of his career playing popular and classical music), Toots Thielemans virtually introduced the chromatic harmonica as a jazz instrument. In fact, ever since the mid-'50s, he has had no close competitors. Toots simply plays the harmonica with the dexterity of a saxophonist and has even successfully traded off with the likes of Oscar Peterson.
Toots Thielemans' first instrument was the accordion, which he started when he was three. Although he started playing the harmonica when he was 17, Thielemans' original reputation was made as a guitarist who was influenced by Django Reinhardt. Very much open to bop, Thielemans played in American GI clubs in Europe, visited the U.S. for the first time in 1947, and shared the bandstand with Charlie Parker at the Paris Jazz Festival of 1949. He toured Europe as a guitarist with the Benny Goodman Sextet in 1950, and the following year moved to the U.S. During 1953-1959, Toots was a member of the George Shearing quintet (mostly as a guitarist) and has freelanced ever since. He first recorded his big hit "Bluesette" (which featured his expert whistling and guitar) in 1961, and ever since has been greatly in demand (particularly for his harmonica and his whistling) on pop records (including many dates with Quincy Jones) and as a jazz soloist. Toots' two-volume Brasil Project was popular in the 1990s and found him smoothly interacting on harmonica with top Brazilian musicians.


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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (5 votes).
In short: Fabulous day, great organisation & atmosphereDate of review: October 12, 2012
In short: My first race of any kind , and it was ace. Makes me want to do more.Date of review: October 11, 2012
In short: My 1st half marathon and what a magic experience. Smallish event, great atmosphere and lots of local support along the courseIn full: Bit hillier than I expected and I was glad that a friend warned me about the brief but steep climb at 11ish miles beforehand! Would recommend this run to anyone thinking about tackling a half marathon for the first time.Date of review: October 8, 2012
In short: Well organised race, blessed with good weather for a changeDate of review: October 8, 2012
In short: Great start, great finish, great middle - GREAT!Date of review: October 8, 2012
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- About Us
WSDOT at a Glance:
The Washington State Department of Transportation is the steward of a multimodal transportation system and responsible for ensuring that people and goods move safely and efficiently. In addition to building, maintaining, and operating the state highway system, WSDOT is responsible for the state ferry system, and works in partnership with others to maintain and improve local roads, railroads and airports, as well as to support alternatives to driving, such as public transportation, bicycles and pedestrian programs.
The agency's roadmap for Washington's transportation future, Results WSDOT, focuses on six goals: strategic investments, modal integration, environmental stewardship, organizational strength, community engagement and smart technology. Through a culture of continuous improvement, WSDOT is building a more efficient, effective and accountable government for those we serve. This strategic plan aligns with the Governor's Results Washington initiative.
Results WSDOT supports the six transportation policy goals adopted by the Legislature in RCW 47.01.012 which includes safety, preservation, mobility, environment, stewardship, and economic vitality. These goals are interdependent and support the overall vision for all transportation agencies (like WSDOT) in the state.
As WSDOT delivers transportation services, we also work to identify lowest cost solutions and practical design principles to get the most efficient use of limited resources, preserve environmental quality, improve fish passage, identify clean transportation opportunities to address climate change and aggressively pursue agency reforms to improve our performance.
WSDOT's diverse programs and projects are supported by more than 6,800 full-time employees, including engineers, vessel captains, maintenance technicians, environmental specialists, planners, and many others. We take pride in our workforce and strive for excellence and integrity in everything we do.


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"I guess an airplane is pretty decadent, right? But if anyone has a problem with that, tell them to go f--k themselves, because I will live in that trailer [I own] in Alabama before I give up that f--kin' airplane. That airplane is, hands down, the greatest luxury a human being could have. There's nothing that f--king beats it. F--k a yacht. "
Last-Minute Moves
A quality air charter provider should be able to have you in the air within two hours of receiving a call for a pop-up, or last-minute, domestic flight. [See "Taking Off in a Hurry"] But what if you need to alter the passenger manifest or amend your destination shortly before takeoff? How flexible can your charter provider be regarding such changes?
Operators and brokers typically answer that question with can-do bravado. "This is what we do day in and day out," said Paul Class, a senior vice president at TWC Aviation in Van Nuys, California. "Clients change itineraries, destinations and passenger counts all the time." True, but charter operations are highly regulated, not only in terms of crew duty times but with regard to airport standards, weather minimums, crew training, maintenance and many other factors. This helps account for charter's enviable safety record, but it can limit operators' ability to make last-minute changes.
Not surprisingly, the scale of the change in your plans will largely determine your charter company's ability to meet the request. If you're scheduled to fly into New Jersey's Teterboro Airport and decide an hour before takeoff that you instead want to arrive at New York's Westchester County Airport, "we can probably make this happen without much hassle since the change is small," said Tosh Desai, scheduling manager at Fair Wind Air Charter in Stuart, Florida. "However, if the same client asks to change the arrival airport to Toronto, and wants a larger jet than planned for, we have to look at availability of a larger jet, crew and duty-time issues, customs operating hours in Toronto and other logistical concerns."
Here are tips that could make life easier should you need to alter your plans within hours of a scheduled flight:
Select your provider with an eye toward change. If you anticipate the possibility of last-minute modifications, make flexibility in this area a criterion for selecting your charter company. Ask the operator or broker about experience handling itinerary and manifest changes, and ensure that the provider has sufficient resources in terms of lift and logistical support to accommodate your needs. Ask about cancellation fees and waivers that would apply should alteration of plans become necessary.
Anticipate specific changes and communicate your needs. As soon as you envision the possibility of changes, discuss them with your charter provider. The operator can then alert the crew to be prepared to respond and perhaps to have a Plan B in place. "If you may need another size jet, we can sometimes place one on hold for you for 24 hours or until someone else wants to book it," said Tom Bax, president of Sentient Jet Charter in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Gather identification documentation for anyone you think might be added to any manifest, so you can quickly provide the information to the charter company and any relevant government agencies should the need arise.
Allow time for destination changes. Even a change to a nearby airport sets a flight-planning department scrambling to check runway data, FBO services, hours of operation and other considerations. Planners may need to obtain landing and departing slots for major airports and airports with seasonal slot programs, and these slots may not be readily available. The planners will have to determine whether the changes will cause conflicts with the 14-hour duty-day limits for Part 135 pilots. A change in destination may also dictate a change in aircraft, if the category you originally planned to use is mismatched with the new mission.
Anticipate red tape on international flights. On international charters, visa and other regulatory requirements affect the ability to change destinations or manifests. If you decide you want to fly to mainland China instead of Hong Kong or add a colleague to your party, you can obtain a visa from a Chinese consulate in one working day. (This change may also require you to find a new charter operator, as only a handful operate into or out of mainland China.) If your change of plans involves Russia, keep in mind that a visa turnaround time of three to four days is considered expeditious. U.S. citizens flying into or out of their own homeland must have their names submitted to the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection at least 60 minutes before aircraft departure, so you may not be able to offer a lift home to the old friend you run into overseas.
Understand the consequences of changing the passenger manifest. If you've chartered a Hawker 400XP for your group of five and then decide you want to bring along three more associates, you may need a larger aircraft. On the other hand, if half your group contracts the flu the day before departure, a smaller, less expensive jet may be able to fulfill your mission.
Upgrading or downgrading your lift, particularly during peak demand periods, is the biggest challenge of last-minute charter changes, however. And even if the jet you've already booked offers sufficient seating for additional passengers, changes to your plans may be necessary. Added passengers may limit the fuel onboard, turning a direct flight into a one-hopper, and adding to your time en route.
Whenever you're changing aircraft, be aware of the terms of your charter agreement, as hefty cancellation fees may kick in 24, 48 or 72 hours before the flight. (Some of all of these fees may be waived if you're moving up to a bigger aircraft through the same operator.) Cancellation of empty-leg or discounted one-way charter flights may be subject to 100 percent forfeiture of the cost.
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"People sometimes ask me what the biggest perk of being president is. No. 1 is the plane. "
Arizona's Stone Canyon
Here's a golf course that looks like a prehistoric rock garden. Luckily, it plays like a something out of Eden. Between the stark, boulder-strewn Santa Catalina Mountains looming on the east and the Tortolita Mountains to the north, you half expect to see dinosaurs roaming just around the doglegs here.
In fact, this 1,400-acre property in Oro Valley, Ariz. (18 miles north of Tucson), is brilliantly conceived at every point, from the Jay Morrish-designed golf course to the generous land plan, meandering roads and Tuscan-themed home sites and clubhouse. With the homes set back and virtually hidden in the Sonoran foothills here, the golf holes play out of box canyons and alongside rock stacks as if
in their own ancient world. Small wonder this private club ranks No. 78 on Golfweek's best-modern-courses list and No. 20 among golf communities in the U.S.
Some of the back tees are perched on precipices and feel more like launching pads. From 7,317 yards (73.9 rating/140 slope), the course is demanding in the extreme, especially as the desert floor provides little hope for wayward shots. But the fairways are generous, and as you move up to the middle and forward tees, the forced carries all but disappear. There's a great little uphill par-3 sixth hole, all of 145 yards to a humpback green with a splashy waterfall to the left. And the 306-yard, par-4 17th hole plays through a box canyon and is seductive from the tee-especially because at an elevation of 3,000 feet above sea level, golfers get a 5- to 6-percent boost of additional yardage through the thin air.
Stone Canyon is readily accessible via Tucson International Airport (28 miles to the south) and, for business jet travelers, Avra Valley Airport in Marana (10 miles west).
Longest runway: 6,901 ft
Elevation: 2,031 ft
10-mi drive
FBO: Tucson Aeroservice Center (520-682-2999)
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We don't have a quantity and energy problem; It's a collection and distribution problem."attributes and characteristics that make it unique.
Start early. You can't ever assume you're going to get through these [review] processes quickly."reduced the footprint of the project. In the original application, it was 7,000 acres, then it went down to 4,000 acres. We reduced it further to 3,500 acres.
Where you don't locate is as important as where you do locate."billion gallons] in the desert on an annual basis, that's obscene.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear?
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. The Arboretum is 66 acres, including the 8-acre Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden. Don't forget a hat and sunscreen.
Are food and snacks available for purchase?
There are several dining options and drink machines on site including a seated restaurant. Sandwiches, soups, salads and snack items are available to order. Guests can also enjoy indoor and outdoor seating at the Children's Garden Cafe. Seated Tea is served in Restaurant DeGolyer year-round. Tea is available by reservation only. Please call 214.515.6511 to make reservations. See dining options
Can I bring food from home?
Yes, you can bring your own picnic basket with food, snacks and any drinks.
Where can I eat?
Visitors may picnic anywhere on the grounds, except in dining areas. There are a limited number of picnic tables located throughout the Garden. During Seasonal Festivals, Restaurant DeGolyer has outdoor table service. Food is allowed only in specified areas in the Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden. See all our dining options.
Are wagons permitted?
Wagons are allowed at the Arboretum and are available for rent for $10 at the Information Booth, located at the main public entry at 8525 Garland Road. Please note that wagons, personal or rented, are not permitted in the Children's Adventure Garden.
Are wheelchairs and strollers permitted?
Wheelchairs and strollers are allowed throughout the gardens including the Children's Adventure Garden. Wheelchairs are available for rent at the Information booth. There is no fee for renting wheelchairs, but they are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Can I bring a bicycle?
Bicycles are not allowed in the Garden. There is a designated bicycle stand in the main parking lot and in the Children's Adventure Garden parking lot. Please inquire with the parking attendants about bicycle parking locations.
Can I bring pets or assistance animals?
Only licensed service animals are permitted in the Garden.
Can I bring balls or balloons?
To protect our plants, active sports and games are not permitted at the Arboretum. Prohibited games and activities include, but are not limited to: kites, Frisbees and other plastic discs, egg hunts, roller skating, footballs, baseballs and soccer balls. Balloons are also prohibited.
Can I cook or grill food at my picnic?
All outdoor flames are prohibited including candles.
Can I take bridal/Quinceanera photos in the garden?
Personal photography is allowed in the Garden. Bridal and Quinceanera photo shoots are allowed in the Main Garden, but photography equipment must not impede the general walkways/doorways. Changing clothes in public restrooms is prohibited. Brides and Quinceaneras must come already dressed for photo shoots. There is a VIP Room available for rent Monday through Friday. Please contact firstname.lastname@example.com to rent this area.
Bridal and Quinceanera photo shoots, as well as tripods and professional photography equipment are prohibited in the Children's Adventure Garden. Personal photography with cell phones and cameras is allowed.
Can I listen to music in the garden?
All amplified music and noise-making devices are prohibited, unless pre-approved by the Arboretum.
Can I smoke in the garden?
No, the Dallas Arboretum is a smoke free garden. The City's no smoking policy will be enforced during public garden hours. Public garden hours include normal daytime operating hours as well as any evening public activities to include concerts, member activities and night time exhibits. This includes the parking lots and the garden itself, and extends to vaping and e-cigarettes.
Does it cost to visit the Arboretum?
Yes. There is a general garden admission fee, and an additional fee to enter the Children's Adventure Garden. While advance reservations are not required for the Children's Adventure Garden, they are highly recommended. If available, tickets to the Children's Adventure Garden may be purchased on site. Visit our admissions page for more information
Additional information:
- Please do not stand or walk in garden beds or climb on trees or shrubs.
- Do not pick flowers.
- Do not take or harm any of the wildlife (this includes feeding squirrels).
- Please do not play in the water features.
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
- The Dallas Arboretum honors discounts on our website only. Incorrect pricing and promotions by other entities will not be accepted.


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Skip to comments.Gun ID legislation may trigger exodus of gunmakers Remington, Colt
Posted on 08/28/2012 2:10:15 PM PDT by Neil E. Wright
Two venerable American gun manufacturers Remington and Colt could head for the West their weapons helped win if New York and Connecticut force them to implement microstamping technology.
Microstamping, or ballistic imprinting, is a patented process that uses laser technology to engrave a tiny marking of the make, model and serial number on the tip of a guns firing pin to allow an imprint of that information on spent cartridge cases. Supporters of the technology say it will be a game changer, allowing authorities to quickly identify the registered guns used in crimes. Opponents claim the process is costly, unreliable and may ultimately impact the local economies that heavily depend on the gun industry, including Ilion, N.Y., where Remington Arms maintains a factory, and Hartford, Conn., where Colt's manufacturing is headquartered.
Mandatory microstamping would have an immediate impact of a loss of 50 jobs, New York State Sen. James Seward, a Republican whose district includes Ilion, said, adding that Remington employs 1,100 workers in the town. Youre talking about a company that has options in other states. Why should they be in a state thats hostile to legal gun manufacturing? There could be serious negative economic impact with the passage of microstamping and other gun-control laws.
In March, prior to the recent mass shootings at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., a Sikh temple in Wisconsin and at New Yorks iconic Empire State Building, Remington executive Stephen Jackson wrote to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warning forced microstamping could prompt the company to reconsider its commitment to the New York market altogether rather than spend the astronomical sums of money necessary to reconfigure its manufacturing and assembly processes.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Where liberty dwells, there is my country." Benjamin Franklin
They should all come to the gun friendly states down South, where they probably belong.
What morons.
I I decide to knock someone off.
I go to the range, pick up some shell casings the same caliber as I am going to use, shoot the guy and drop the casings I picked up.
Or I use a revolver and no casings will be left at the scene.
What morons.
Remington already has an ammunition plant in Lonoke, Arkansas - I'm sure the folks in Arkansas (and the state government) would be more than happy to give them all sorts of incentives to move!
But I have a question - wouldn't it be simple just to take some fine sandpaper or a polishing wheel and just remove the microprint on the firing pin?
For that matter - wouldn't the micro engraving eventually be worn out of normal wear? What if the firing pin must be replaced? Would a new one have to be specifically manufactured for THAT gun with all the information engraved?
I would use a revolver in either case. The only difference in the two scenarios would be whether I dropped the other guy's casings to put the cops on a goose chase.
With a revolver, even if I have to reload, it is a simple matter to put the empties in my pocket.
I can not believe how dumb libs are.
But then anyone who can't write a budget or 4 years, who does not know how to fix the PO, social security and medicare can't fix anything.
NE Mississippi would be a good place to locate. Shipping on the Tenn/Tom waterway or a good center point for railroad shipping.
I left New York State in 1980.............after having paid 11% tax on my income there.....Went to Texas and never looked back.
...What I was thinking.
Just replace the firing pin. Just about anyone could easily do it. I'm SURE the law stipulates that new weapons will require the unique firing pins, otherwise it would be a totally useless law, written by legislators that don't know shit about firearms.(I'm SURE we wouldn't be surprised. LOL)
Use a double barrel shotgun. Can't do ballistics on buckshot...
Ah the liberal mindset. ID for ammo, when it won't make much difference. No ID for voters when it would.
Glad I won't be here when they get around to the ID that goes in the right hand or forehead. It can't be much longer now, things are accelerating.
Kimber Manufacturing (my 1911s) is in Yonkers, NY. I'd think that they'd be looking to GTH out of there, too.
The examples I have seen do not appear to be firing pins but another part on the that stamps the area near the rim and does a lot of damage to the cartridge. It might eliminate reloading because of the damage.
Texas, the one word for those companies to keep in the front of the minds.
Texas, By the Grace of God.
I would LOVE to have them here in Colorado. We have a fantastic manufacturing base, a well educated population, and all the land they could ever need to set up shop and a shooting range (hint, hint).
They are not dumb. This is not intended to make anyone safer. They are in the process of making everyone a criminal. This is by design. The rules are getting so vast and complicated that no one can possibly follow them. When the honest people are busy trying to follow the law, the tyrants are busy stealing power.
In addition to their ammo plant in Lonoke, Remington has a firearms plant outside Mayfield, Kentucky and their R&D facility is in Elizabethtown, Kentucky (about 2 miles from where I live).
Moving to Montana, gonna be a gun manufacturing tycoon...sorry Frank Zappa
I have what I consider a better suggestion, concerning gunshows. MAke ALL sales at gunshows have to be background searched, as in, if I as an individual want to sell to another individual at the show, in order to take the weapon out of the show it must have been background checked for buyer background through one of the show kiosks. Every weapon brought in is checked for 'unloaded' condition, so it would not be that much inconvenience to check all going out, to match with ownership or transfer.
Did you really think we want those laws observed? said Dr. Ferris. We want them to be broken. Youd better get it straight that its not a bunch of boy scouts youre up against... Were after power and we mean it... Theres no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there arent enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? Whats there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers and then you cash in on guilt. Now thats the system, Mr. Reardon, thats the game, and once you understand it, youll be much easier to deal with. (Atlas Shrugged 1957)
I'm hoping they come to the gun friendly state of Montana — specifically The Flathead Valley where we having a growing gun industry.
That's a bit creepy.
I second that notion.....
Come on down to Texas, where you belong.
Texas, Colt, Remington....has a nice ring to it!!
George Orwell, Ayn Rand, we regard their books as warnings, The left thinks of them as manuals.
That is the last sentence of the article.
What they do not say is the only way to make it work is a database of gun owners by make model and serial number.
Without that there is no way to trace it, so it is also back door gun registration.
A file, 30 seconds, and it's gone. Where does this make any sense? What criminal would leave it in place? This is the stupidest idea I have ever heard of.
T-shot penetrates kevlar. That's why they took it off the market.
Apparently liberals think that criminals who hot-wire cars, defeat home alarm systems, and steal credit card info are too stupid to use steel wool on firing pins...
And the bottom line is that since almost all major crimes, other than crimes of passion, are committed with stolen guns.
And in crimes of passion there is no need to look for the bad guy.
When the cops arrive, he usually is standing there with the smoking gun telling everyone what a SOB the dead guy was.
So many people are Marxists and don't even know it.
Please, Colt and or Remington move to Texas. We are a large firearms market, business friendly, low cost of living, committed to personal freedom and great food. Come on down and you will stay.
And, microstamping wears off in a relative few number of rounds fired. It is bogus dolt technology, only promoted to make people feel safe when they are not.
What is T-Shot? Tungsten shot?
I'm unfamiliar with those regs, so, like what?
if it is patented then SOMEBODY is going to be making money and the government is picking a croney winner.
WHO PAID who to force people to use this?
the inventor must have been unable to sell it on the free market so now the inventor is forcing the sale of this USELESS tech on the makers.
time to expose the money trail.
The point is back-door gun banning, in slow motion. It will be a felony to sand off the marks. Of course, they will need to be inspected frequently to be sure. YOu will need to bring your guns in, and they will be checked adn tested at your cost. Miss a test, you are a felon. No guns! It will be so legally risky and costly to own a gun, that folks will get rid of them to avoid becoming an accidental felon.
There are so many ways around gun control laws. A little knowledge, research and ability provides anyone with the will to completely avoid the government in gun transactions. For instance, and this is completely legal, one could build a M24 (a weapon used by Army snipers), or a close facsimile, without the government knowing. To do so, one needs to buy a Remington 700 for the basis of the M24 build from an individual, not a gun dealer or store. There are 5 million 700's in the US, most of which are used for hunting, so they are sighted in once a year, and if the hunter is skillful, used to take game ... So maybe 30 rounds are passed thought the barrel in a year. Thus, it is easy to purchase a 700 in very good condition to use its action to make an even better weapon. (A model 700, unaltered, is a fine weapon on its own.) The rest of the parts to build a M24 are not controlled or restricted in anyway by law and are readily available over the Internet or at a gun show; where you can use cash for a purchase.
The real danger in NY and CT's anti gun legislation is that the folks that make a good and satisfying living making weapons for Colt and Remington will lose their jobs, or will have to move with their companies. If anti-gun legislation is taken to extremes, those companies will move offshore. Remington and Colt should immediately start talking about moving their operations to Mexico. It would be interesting to see what would happen if Army and Marine sniper weapons and all M16's and most M4's are built in Mexico.
I don't understand why Colt has not departed Connecticut for better pastuers yet.As a citizen of Connecticut you can't even by an AR-15 that has any semblence to an M-16.
Not that I need a Bayonet lug or the need to operate it on full-auto.But this Government Dictates that the rifle can't even have a flash suppressor.What a bunch of worthless SOB's we have in the STATE Government in Connecticut.
Colt should leave as soon as Possible.
Steel buckshot - for geese
The gun manufacturers should open bids for states that want their business, and do so publicly and loudly. Several states will be more than happy to offer them impressive concessions.
Then the gun manufacturers can buy advertising in their current states, identifying those politicians by name and how much tax money and jobs their state will be losing.
As it comes down to the wire, offer big discounts to the people of their state for guns that do not microstamp, in a "blow out sale".
So they want to put a micro stamp on the face of a firing pin? A swipe of a file or stone will make that go away. More than likely, they would add micro grooves to the barrel when it's being broached, basically putting a bar code on every round fired. Would be much harder to remove without honing or re-barreling.
The regulations of some of the counties are on the Web. Try Larimer. Try Park. Run "sustainable development," "open space," "animal protection," cattle, "uranium," "fracking" and like with keywords.
this is what happens when people that have no clue about guns decide to make 'reasonable' laws re guns
Well, Larimer isn't a county I'd put a business. I was think more along the lines of Elbert, Lincoln, or Pueblo counties. Counties like Larimer and Boulder are lost causes to business.
When firing pins have microstamps, only criminals will have replacement firing pins... or didn't you know that. Is that a replacement firing pin in your pocket or is that a pen? I have a search warrant to search your pockets... and a microscope...
The counties you mentioned might be good ones. They're down on the saner plains, too. Funny...Pueblo Democrats (Action 22 or something like that) were in favor of a uranium exploratory drill up here, on the Range. Local Range Republicans (mostly government pensioners/employees/corporates) were very much against it and stopped it (as they did gas, and so on). That's not a general statement in favor of Democrats, of course (despise their social-social spending stuff).
It is a statement, though, that many Republicans on the Range are commies at least nearly as much as Democrats. I've seen far worse from them. Another public school teacher was firing indiscriminately only about a half hour ago, either to scare or hit another neighbor's cattle nearby. One of the local socialist herd recently accusing an old ranching family of cruelty to animals (best ranchers around, all of their cattle confiscated, rights to ranching removed by the County/State, grazing land permits/licenses taken).
Public school teacher has 4 calves, 3 horses and more animals unloaded in an old, small corral just today—all on about 70 acres. That's the third local crazy public school teacher we've seen over the past ten years. Each one of them is or was on drugs, too. Police won't touch 'em. Tried talking to them before. Public school teachers are untouchables (affiliated in local bureaucracies receiving federal funds, considered to be authorities, etc.).
Best to stay away from hysterical/drugged local government employees insane with social pathologies. Maybe the Range will be quieter after the debt craze has run its course.
About the number of animals on a small place, this is not like the Midwest or even the high plains. Very high, dry land. And the ice will spray hard and get deep this coming winter.
The liberal garbage is everywhere. I live in a wooded area and we still have liberals talking trash about the liberals in suburbia...only to plant bluegrass in the forest and try to make their place look like a manicured lawn...just like suburbia. One neighbor thought ladder fuels and defensible property meant to simply strip the trees of all lower branches and clear the land. They ruined a perfectly good piece of forested property. Liberals: A modern word for moron.
Heh. I might plant a lawn and water it a lot. The place could also use some Astroturf on the sidewalk and porch, and maybe a plastic palm tree. There are no trees around here, so we won't need to cut a certain distance from the house and cut lower branches further out. But I did build a monster and cut around it like that in a development in Teller in the past.
But I won't support any regulations against property rights at all. We need more salvage yards on the Range, too, BTW.
Oh...reminds me to put the issue of a new rendering plant to the HOA here next year.
I'm series. We could use a million or so Ozarkians up here (where I once lived). ;-)
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set out your Heavy Brush items for collection ONLY during authorized set-out periods.
How do I know which cart is mine?
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Is a 96-gallon cart sufficient?
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- The automated system allows the City to collect garbage efficiently. Since the automated collection vehicle requires a crew of only one driver as compared to a crew of three persons, significant long-term financial savings in labor costs can be achieved.
- Manual collection is labor intensive, and puts workers at a high risk for injury. Since manual loading of garbage is eliminated with automation, job injuries are reduced, thereby decreasing claims and insurance premiums paid by the City.
- The City provides durable carts with a close-fitting lids. A cart is equivalent to three regular garbage cans. This animal-proof cart with a stay-on lid helps reduce windblown litter and improves the neighborhood's appearance.
- The carts are also easy to roll. Ensure the lid is closed. Use the toe hold at the bottom rear of the cart, grasp the plastic handle and tilt the cart toward you. You can either push or pull the cart.


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Hassing, Shumski top All-Area
FAIRMONT – One chapter in the rich history of area prep basketball ends, while a new chapter just begins to unfold.
Blue Earth Area senior power forward Krista Hassing exited her esteemed three-year varsity prep career by etching her name into the Buc program's record books.
Only 15 miles to the south, Granada-Huntley-East Chain freshman center Rachel Shumski began to perfect her low-post moves and sharpen her shooting skills during her first season as a varsity starter.
The pair of highly-skilled 6-footers produced the top two scoring averages in the area, while helping engineer their respective lineups' winning campaigns.
Ironically, Hassing's Bucs fell to eventual Class AA state champion New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva during the Section 2AA, South Sub-Section semifinals, while Shumski's Mustangs lost to Class A state qualifier Mankato Loyola in the Section 2A, South Sub-Section championship game.
While Shumski topped the Mustangs in both scoring (14.1 points per game) and rebounding (6.7 rpg), Hassing did likewise for the Bucs by averaging nearly a double-double every time she stepped onto the hardwood court. The two-time Minnesota Associated Press honorable mention all-state choice posted impressive clips in both scoring (16.6 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg) for Blue Earth Area.
In fact, the 2013 Miss Minnesota Basketball nominee topped the maroon-and-gold by producing 75 steals (3.1 spg) and blocking 26 shots – No. 6 all-time in the Bucs' history – during her senior campaign.
The three-time all-South Central Conference choice also connected on an incredible 122 free throws this season to rank third all-time for Blue Earth Area, while her 225 rebounds placed her No. 5 for a single season.
The Bucs' senior jumping jill exits her prep basketball playing days as the program's fourth-best career rebounder with 581, seventh-best all-time leading scorer with 973 points and fifth-best defender with 54 career blocks. Hassing displayed her all-around arsenal by garnering 197 steals and distributing 140 assists, including 48 in 2012-13, for her career.
While Hassing leaves an indelible mark in the memories of the Blue Earth Area basketball faithful, Shumski has laid a solid foundation for three more years on the hardwood court.
The first-year all-Valley Conference choice displayed her basketball-handling skills by pocketing 58 steals and distributing 38 assists from the low post.
The All-Area Rookie of the Year demonstrated her deft shooting touch by connecting on 47 percent of her field goals (157 of 329) to help pace her seasonal point total of 367 this winter.
While Shumski will look to help the Mustangs improve on this season's 18-8 overall record and advance the team into the sectional finale next year, Hassing will trade her basketball jersey for a volleyball uniform next season. Hassing accepted a volleyball scholarship to Minnesota State University, Mankato, and will switch athletic gears in the upcoming fall.
For all of their contributions on the court and in the lockerroom, Hassing and Shumski have been selected as the 2013 Sentinel All-Area girls basketball players of the year.
Here's an inside glance at the rest of the 2013 Sentinel All-Area first- and second-team basketball selections.
Alex Christianson (Fairmont) – Pure athleticism.
The all-South Central Conference choice displayed her shooting prowess by connecting on a team-leading 52.8 percent of her field goals this season.
Christianson connected on 134 of 254 shots from the floor, in addition to sinking 36 of 63 free throws during her debut as a varsity starter.
The hard-working power forward generated a team-best 304 points en route to a second-leading scoring average of 11.7 points during the winter.
The 5-10 sophomore standout also garnered a second-best team total of 153 rebounds (5.9 rpg) to complement pocketing 39 steals and distributing 27 assists.
Christianson will join forces with fellow first-team All-Area selection Kayla Lardy again next season to form a solid foundation for Fairmont's resurgence.
Kayla Lardy (Fairmont) – The most improved.
The repeat all-South Central Conference post player extended her shooting range, handled the basketball more in the Cardinals' halfcourt set and worked the backboards at both ends of the floor this season.
In fact, the three-year varsity starter nearly posted a double-double performance each and every game, averaging team-bests in scoring (11.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg) in 2012-13.
The 6-1 junior center, who tied the program's single-game rebound mark (20), also topped Fairmont in assists (53), steals (47) and blocked shots (34) this winter.
Lardy connected on 114 of 278 field goals for 41 percent, in addition to sinking 67 of 110 free throws for 60.9 percent, to cap a stellar campaign.
Kate Thiesse (Martin County West) – The hardest worker.
The two-time All-Area choice played an integral role in helping engineer the Mavericks' appearance in the Section 3AA, South Sub-Section championship game and a runner-up showing in the Valley Conference.
The two-time all-conference forward led Martin County West by pulling down 172 rebounds (6.3 rpg), while finishing second on the team in scoring by just one-tenth of a point – 12.6 ppg to fellow All-Area choice Taryn Tumbleson's 12.7 average.
The 5-9 junior standout also netted No. 2 marks on the Mavericks' statistical charts in steals (95), assists (51), blocked shots (16) and 2-point field-goal accuracy (148 of 311 for 47.6 percent) on the season.
Thiesse and Tumbleson will form a solid foundation for Martin County West to build around in 2013-14.
Taryn Tumbleson (Martin County West) – Quickness incorporated.
The 5-9 sophomore scoring sensation supplied solid leadership on the hardwood court to help power the Mavericks to a 22-5 overall record, an appearance in the sub-section finale and a runner-up showing in the Valley Conference.
The all-conference shooting guard displayed her versatility by pacing the Mavericks in scoring (12.7 ppg), steals (106, 3.9 spg) and blocked shots (21) this campaign.
The talented Tumbleson – who also distributed 49 assists and garnered 82 rebounds – connected on 97 of 264 shots from 2-point range, 32 of 108 from behind the 3-point arc and 53 of 94 at the free throw line to cap a brilliant season.
Second Team
Effie Bentz (Martin Luther) – The Knights' team captain proved a model of consistency throughout her four-year varsity hoops career.
The two-time All-Area selection generated 201 points (8.4 ppg), distributed 98 assists and pocketed 74 steals to cap her senior prep season.
The all-Valley Conference first-team choice connected on 70 of 193 field goals for 36.3 percent and sank 53 of 75 free throws for 70.7 percent to cap her third year as a member of Martin Luther's starting lineup.
Cheyanne Boland (North Union) – The all-Corn Belt Conference first-team guard led the Warriors' offensive attack with an 8.7-point scoring average this winter.
The hard-working senior playmaker connected on 69 of 102 free throws to produce North Union's best accuracy mark at the line (67.6 percent).
Boland also distributed 33 assists, snared 32 steals and pulled down 36 rebounds to close out her solid prep basketball career.
Amanda Cegelske (Granada-Huntley-East Chain) – The perennial all-Valley Conference selection made a smooth transition from the frontcourt to the backcourt to help steer the Mustangs to the Section 2A, South Sub-Section championship game this season.
The repeat All-Area choice displayed her multi-tasking abilities by distributing a team-best 95 assists (3.7 apg) and garnering the lineup's top steal total 76 during 2012-13.
The three-year varsity starter connected on 78 of 161 field goals for 48 percent and added 42 of 58 free throws to pace GHEC's No. 2 scoring average of 9.8 points per outing.
The 5-11 senior point guard, who netted the Mustangs' second-best rebounding mark of 6.2 this winter, also etched her name into the GHEC basketball record books.
The multi-tasking Cegelske finished No. 4 in all-time steals (202), seventh in rebounds (460), eighth in assists (218) and ninth in blocked shots (45) to put the wraps on an outstanding prep hoops career.
Brooke McDonald (Truman) – The junior post player nearly averaged a double-double performance every time she stepped onto the high school hardwood this winter.
The 5-10 power forward topped Truman's offensive attack by scoring 11.7 points and grabbing 9.7 rebounds per contest.
McDonald connected on 102 of 284 field goals for 36 percent and 100 of 162 free throws for 62 percent. She also recorded 26 blocks and 20 steals to round out a solid season.
Kayley Shoen (Martin Luther) – The all-Valley Conference honorable mention choice came off the Knights' bench to supply instant offense and defense.
The fleet-footed junior forward tossed in 9.3 points per game, in addition to pocketing 54 steals, distributing 40 assists and grabbing 89 rebounds this season.
The two-time All-Area selection connected on 84 of 200 field goals for 42 percent, while sinking 52 of 96 free throws for 54.2 percent to round out her second varsity campaign.
Emily Zaharia (Truman) – The all-Valley Conference honorable mention selection utilized her multi-tasking skills to make a successful transition from forward to point guard this season.
The hard-working 5-10 junior backcourt standout put Truman's offense in motion by doling out a team-best 72 assists, while displaying her defensive mettle by rejecting a team-best 28 shots to complement 54 steals in 2012-13.
Zaharia, who also paced the Bluejays by making 64 of 155 field goals for 41 percent, produced a 9.0-point scoring clip to go with 5.2 rebounds per outing.
Zaharia also hit 10 of 33 shots from behind the 3-point arc to go with a 58-for-104 shooting performance from the free throw line.


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Zipp SLC2 Carbon Handlebar - Road Bike Shop
Road Bike Shop
Shop > Components > Forks, Cockpit, Pedals > Handlebars >
Zipp SLC2 Carbon Handlebar
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Zipp's SLC2 Carbon Handlebar is a go-to for triathletes, time trialists, and sprinters alike. Why Well, because the bars' stout tops maintain the clamp area's 31. 8 diameter throughout much of the width. So, whether you need strength for clip-on extensions, or stiffness for laying down watts, the SLC2 is up to the task. The SLC2 handlebar is the stiffest in Zipp's lineup -- a feat that was accomplished by maintaining the 31. 8mm clamping diameter across 60% of its width. Powerful riders will appreciate the added stiffness, which is especially noticeable when you're pulling hard on the drops to leverage power from your legs. And the added benefit of this style of construction is that the SLC2 is the only carbon fiber handlebar that Zipp approves for use with clip-on aero bars. So, if you're looking to run Zipp's VukaClip extensions, this is your handlebar. Despite the obvious stiffness, Zipp's VCLC gives the SLC2 an added boost of comfort. VCLC is short for Visco-Elastic Constrained Layer Control. In essence, it's an elastic layer that's incorporated between the layers of rigid carbon fiber. The result is that high frequency vibrations are dissipated before they're able to reach your hands. Ultimately, Zipp claims that this feature provides a 10% reduction in road vibration. With a weight that hovers around 190 grams, it's understandable why you might wonder about the durability of the SLC2 handlebar. However, quell your fears, as the SLC2 was subjected to EFBe Laboratory's extensive testing, and passed with its top performance rating. Basically, these bars are tough, so you're able to concentrate on riding, not worrying about your equipment. The Zipp SLC2 Carbon Handlebar is available with a Traditional Bend and in the sizes 44 and 46cm. Please note: Zipp measures its handlebars center to center at the hoods.


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Chef Paolo Monti Uses only the freshes ingredients, traditional italian herbs and is an expert on extra virgin olive oil.
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Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy Fire Scout Equipped with Enhanced Radar
Source: Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy demonstrated a new multimode maritime surveillance radar on the MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter that is expected to enhance long-range imaging and search capabilities for Navy commanders.
Warfighters will now have the latest in radar technology to pair with their current electro-optical infrared payload. Integrating this new radar system will provide the MQ-8B Fire Scout with essential operational capabilities in all tactical environments and will improve how it addresses threats in real-world scenarios. Northrop Grumman modified a Telephonics Corporation AN/ZPY-4 multi-mode maritime surveillance radar system used for manned aircraft, so it could be used on the unmanned MQ-8B Fire Scout.
Read more about the MQ-8B Fire Scout here.
Photo courtesy Northrop Grumman
Related: Military Observation


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Nursing homes in the red
Minus 16, minus 5, minus 44, minus 34, minus 14 and minus 18.
No, those are not the overnight low temperatures at the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear during a six-day span in early January.
Those are the operating margins, revenue minus expenses (in percentages), of a half-dozen North Country nursing homes. During an April 4 interview with the Enterprise, Adirondack Health President and CEO Chandler Ralph read these numbers from a spreadsheet, although she didn't identify the nursing homes they referred to.
She said the figures were provided at a recent meeting of North Country nursing home administrators coordinated by LeadingAge New York, an organization that represents nursing homes across the state.
"They brought us together, showed us this chart and said we're going to lose our nursing homes in the North Country if we don't do something," Ralph said.
While financial losses are nothing new for many nursing homes around the state, North Country nursing home officials say the situation they're facing now is more acute and severe than ever before. That's sparked a dialogue in the last few months among the region's long-term care leaders about ways they can partner, share services or consolidate under one organization.
"We are coming together to see if we can create a new model," said Chip Holmes, president and CEO of Inter-Lakes Health, which runs a nursing home, hospital and other health-care services in Ticonderoga. "I think no option is off the table. Shared governance is an option. Consolidation is an option. Centralization of support services is an option. The only option off the table is going backwards."
Leaders of at least eight to 10 of the region's nursing homes have been involved in these talks, which officials stress are in their infancy. The most recent gathering was last week at Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake. State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah was among those who attended.
Shortfalls in Medicaid reimbursement are to blame for driving nursing homes into the red, Ralph said. Medicaid accounts for 85 percent of the revenue at Adirondack Health's two nursing homes: Uihlein Living Center in Lake Placid and Mercy Living Center in Tupper Lake.
Uihlein receives $149 per day per resident from Medicaid, but its actual costs are $297 per day per resident. At Mercy Living Center, the daily rate is $196, while actual per-resident costs are $310 per day.
As a result of these shortfalls, the two nursing homes have lost a combined $11 million since Adirondack Health purchased them from the Sisters of Mercy in 2008.
"It's been substantial, absolutely," Ralph said. "There are big losses because New York state's public philosophy is they don't properly fund nursing homes, in the North Country particularly. How can you take care of an elderly person with 24-hour nursing care, and dietary, and housekeeping, at these rates?"
Holmes said his 84-bed Heritage Commons nursing home, which gets 80 percent of its revenue from Medicaid, has lost money each of the last five years. It closed out last year with a $1.2 million loss.
"We are full, our costs are in line, we're taking care of the people we're supposed to be taking care of, and we still can't make ends meet," Holmes said.
The Lake Placid, Tupper Lake and Ticonderoga nursing homes are all run by nonprofit organizations. Many private, for-profit nursing homes in the region are also heavily dependent on Medicaid and are feeling the same crunch.
"We get reimbursed less than $7 per hour for each Medicaid patient," said Paul Richards, administrator of Meadowbrook Healthcare, a 200-bed nursing and rehabilitation facility in Plattsburgh. "That's less than minimum wage, and these patients literally need hour-to-hour care."
"The model's broken for nursing home reimbursement. Nursing homes have been relying on Medicaid, and it just doesn't pay the bills."
Dan Heim, LeadingAge's executive vice president, said the financial challenges faced by nursing homes in the North Country are more acute than in other parts of New York.
"They tend to be smaller facilities, on average, than other nursing homes in the state," he said; therefore many of each home's care costs are spread out over fewer people than at a bigger home. "They tend to serve a population whose needs are somewhat different because of the socioeconomic variables in the region and other factors, and as a consequence, their payments from the Medicaid program tend to be lower than we see in other regions of the state. The challenges of being in remote areas kind of add to the difficulty."
Richards said North Country nursing homes are too dependent on Medicaid.
"You can't just survive on Medicaid," he said. "You have to have a private pay mix. You have to have a Medicare mix. Many of these nursing homes are relying 70 to 80 percent on Medicaid, and with all the overhead, they're all drowning."
Part of the problem, Richards said, is that some seniors in the North Country end up in nursing homes and on Medicaid when they could instead be in assisted-living-type facilities. But there aren't as many of those other options here as in other parts of the state, he said.
"In metropolitan areas, there's a lot of different resources, steps along the long-term continuum that support the aging process," he said. "There's support services, bussing, assisted living options, adult day care options. We don't have that as much up here, so you rely disproportionately more on institutional settings like nursing homes. With so much strain on them, I think the communities are really going to have a dearth of viable alternatives to care for their loved ones."
Breaking point
If nothing changes, nursing home advocates and administrators say there will be even fewer options for long-term care in the region.
"The reimbursement rates in the North Country are so poor, the very viability of some of the homes is questionable at best," Ralph said in an email.
"Some of the facilities are reaching a breaking point," Heim said. "We could see downsizing of facility beds. We could see closures. We most certainly will see changes in ownership of the facilities."
Some of those things are already happening, especially with the county homes that have served seniors for many generations. Last month, Essex County officials signed a contract to sell Horace Nye Nursing Home in Elizabethtown (established in 1832), which was losing between $2 million and $4 million a year, to the Bronx-based Centers for Specialty Care.
Franklin County is transferring operations of its Malone nursing home to Alice Hyde Medical Center, which is building a new facility to accommodate it and a new assisted-living center.
Adirondack Health is cutting the number of beds at Uihlein Living Center in half. It's planning to partner with one or more other organizations to offer assisted living and senior housing on the Lake Placid campus.
Ralph also said Adirondack Health may become involved with home care in the future. She said she's talking to two organizations that are "very interested in bringing home care into the community, should the county decide they don't want to do that anymore." Creating a facility for seniors with dementia, who are often placed in nursing homes but may not need the full cadre of nursing home services, is also being discussed.
"There's better options out there for having people age more in place than what we're doing right now," Ralph said. "We want to be in on developing that and bringing that to these communities here."
Heim said the state is pushing long-term care providers toward those other options, which are less costly than typical nursing home care, through ongoing changes to its Medicaid program.
"They are moving Medicaid recipients into managed care plans and other coordinated care arrangements," Heim said, "and we fully expect that under those types of arrangements there will be very strong incentives to serve people more in the community and less in institutional settings."
Despite that shift, Richards argues there will always be a need for nursing home care.
"Every community needs police departments, fire departments, water treatment plants and jails," he said. "They need a certain amount of skilled nursing facility beds because there will be people in the community who need that level of care. You need places for those people to go to.
"If some of these smaller nursing homes do go under, families will have to unfortunately place a loved one farther away from that community," he said. "The state certainly doesn't want to build another nursing home bed, because a bed filled by a nursing home patient comes out of the Medicaid budget, and that's already 40 to 50 percent of the state budget."
LeadingAge has convened at least two meetings of nursing home leaders in the North Country since the start of the year to discuss the future of long-term care in the region.
"As we talk with other long-term care facilities in this part of the world, our stories are very similar," Holmes said. "That's why we're all engaged. We are coming together with a strong desire, focused energy on service, and in cooperation with the Department of Health, looking to see if we can create a new model."
Heim said the goal is to craft a plan "to maintain the viability of the region's nursing homes and to ensure there's a balance of services available to seniors, including home care and assisted living." He said nothing has been decided yet.
"We've brainstormed a number of ideas, certainly looking at how the facilities are governed and operated, whether or not there's a potential for shared services, group purchasing, group negotiation with managed care plans," Heim said.
Although LeadingAge represents nonprofit and public nursing homes, administrators of some for-profit nursing homes, like Richards, have also been involved in the meetings.
"I think the essence was we have to think differently," Richards said. "Obviously it would be extremely challenging to have a county-owned facility and a hospital-related facility and private facilities come together because of the challenges with governing bodies and ownership, but there's enough nonprofit nursing homes in the Adirondack region that that might make sense if people can put their differences and territorial rights aside. Because if you don't do something like that and have shared ownership or shared services, the ma-and-pop approach won't survive."
"It starts with leadership, like shared governance," Holmes said. "If we can all create one body to help govern a certain region, you start bringing together this collective experience, then you can create a shared strategy to serve an area of the world we all have in common."
State's role
State Health Department officials didn't return a message seeking comment for this story, but attendees at last week's meeting in Saranac Lake said they were pleased that Shah was there to listen.
"He is supportive of us coming together and trying to create a new model," Holmes said.
"Dr. Shah said he'd be willing to listen to all parties, work with everybody and meet monthly, but he said there's got to be some sort of collaboration, there's got to be a new model, and we've got to think out of the proverbial box," Richards said.
Holmes said the parties involved in the talks have committed to continue meeting on a monthly basis.
"The intent of these discussions is really good," said state Sen. Betty Little, "to look at how they can help each other, how they can join together and how they can save, and yet still provide the necessary services in the North Country. I think the hope is that in some ways there will be some savings by creating a greater volume."
Contact Chris Knight at 891-2600 ext. 24 or email@example.com.


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Lisa M. Nelsen
MANKATO – Memorial services for Lisa Marie Nelsen, 44, of Mankato, formerly of the Fairmont area, will be 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, at Hosanna Lutheran Church in Mankato.
Lisa passed into Jesus' arms on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, after a long, well-fought battle against breast cancer. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service at the church. Northview-North Mankato Mortuary is assisting the family with arrangements.
Lisa was born in Fairmont, Minn., on Feb. 1, 1968. She graduated from Mankato West in 1986. Lisa Marie married Roger Oachs in 1997. They later divorced but remained friends.
Lisa worked at Pearle Vision and Sears Optical until cancer forced her to retire in February of 2009.
She is survived by her son, Christopher Oachs; mother, Myrna (Lynn) Braun of North Mankato; brother, James (Michelle) Gieser of Maryland; nephews and nieces: Jacob, Jessica, and Daniel Gieser; stepsisters: Candi (Mike) Scott, Cari (Vic) Prado, Roberta (Tom) Braun, cousin/sister: Kathy (Brent) Hanson; special friend, Gino Lowe; special supportive cousins, Kevin and Julie Woizeschke; Godparents: Gayleen Woizeschke and Kent Dunker; aunts, uncles, cousins and "the girls."
She was preceded in death by her father, Gerald Gieser; stepbrother, Mark Braun; four grandparents; three aunts; and two uncles.


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Well it's been a month since I posted something to my blog. Partly because I've been traveling more and shooting less. A flight to Pittsburgh and a drive to Chautauqua Lake, NY to visit friends and family for Thanksgiving was very much needed. As any photojournalist can attest, this is always a slow time of the year. It gets cold outside so people and their events all hibernate for the winter. As do the paychecks.
So how do you get through this time as a freelancer? I asked myself that question about four years ago while struggling to find much work from about December through March following graduation. I immediately went to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review photographer, Justin Merriman, for help with that. Although he wanted to help, as a staff photographer, it's not something he has to worry about. Instead, he forwarded me to freelancer Jeff Swensen, a guy he shared a photo studio with on the south side of Pittsburgh. What transpired over time from that single meeting at the Terminal Building has sent me on a much more clear, guided, thoughtful, happier, and fulfilling path. I joined a great space with a crew of folks that included Jeff and Justin, along with (current Pittsburgh Tribune-Review photojournalist) Stephanie Strasburg and (videographer and marketer extraordinaire) Mickey Miller.
As creatives we're always looking to improve on our craft. And I've found the best way to do that and to always be driven is by surrounding yourself with other fellow artists. Not just good artists but good people. People who are open to working together and pushing each other in a positive way. It's not just good for your artistry but also for your sanity and your mental state. There will be a lot of days where no one calls and no one emails with potential work. It can be pretty depressing at times and you can easily fall into a terrible state-of-mind if you're not careful. On the flip side, there's no better time to brainstorm and start on personal projects that you've been putting off all year. Use this time to put together your best images from the year and a new business plan. Write down what goals you accomplished and set new ones for yourself.
Collaboration is the key. These friends will help drive you on those days when you're not feeling confident about your work or your business. For me, it's a huge asset to have and certainly part of the reason for me returning to Pittsburgh. In that town, people aren't afraid to share work. They make sure that the community succeeds because they genuinely care about each other. If someone helps you out with an assignment, you don't steal their client, and you return the favor whenever possible. And that's not even factoring in the daily benefits of being able to critique each others work and constantly keep each others minds thinking about the future in how you can evolve and become a better photographer, businessman, etc. And if you live in an affordable city that can foster groups of young creatives, start a studio! Get a few people to chip in for a space. It can be really beneficial to get everyone out of the house and into a place with fewer distractions that would allow for more work and progress to happen. The larger your circle of friends and fellow artists grows, so do your ideas, clients, and ultimately, paychecks. Because let's face it, as much as we love what we do, the bills come every month too, regardless of the season.
So my suggestion to everyone out there having a tough time keeping busy is to just to continue to network and be a good friend. I am personally very thankful that I have such an amazing crew of people in the steel city. It won't always solve your immediate financial issues but as long as you've set aside a little savings to help you through those months, it will at the very least keep your head up and the creativity flowing. After all, what are friends for?
I will leave you with some of my recent football images that were a result of my creative flame always staying lit thanks to those aforementioned people…