text:
Town Square
Tasers in Palo Alto?
Original post made by Nat, Midtown, on Dec 4, 2006
Police Chief Johnson is quoted in Sunday's (Dec. 3) Daily News as saying, as justification for acquiring these weapons, that "Our officers are running into more and more violent people, and people who are high on methamphetamine. They have super strength".
I've been following news stories on taser use for years. People on meth have been frequently reported as not responding to tasers. Either the tasers are completely ineffective or are used repeatedly to the point where the victim often dies. Drug users are the very people on whom tasers should not be used.
Police Auditor Gennaco is quoted as referring to tasers as "this traditional tool". That shows a bias in my opinion. When did these weapons become "traditional"?!
The colleagues' memo suggests, at the same time as the establishment of a task force to study the issue, both a use policy be prepared by the police chief and an application be made this month for a grant to fund these weapons. This memo chills me to the core. It appears that the powers that be in this City - the city manager, the police chief, and some council members - have already decided that Palo Alto will acqure these tools of torture, for that is what they are. And they often kill the very people upon whom they are meant to be used, people on drugs who cannot obey police orders and who may be vulnerable to heart arrythmia.
When tasers don't kill, they always torture. Even some police officers who have experienced the tasers in training have been injured, despite only one 5 second shot and support by fellow officers. Officers have attested to the excruciating pain. And suspects, usually unarmed, have routinely received multiple shots.
Comments (36)
a resident of Palo Verde
on Dec 4, 2006 at 1:50 pm
Tasers were brought into regular policing under the excuse that their use by police is safer for the citizens than using a gun. Yet they sometimes seem to be used not as gun replacement, but as a tool of subduing the citizenry.
If the police is honest about using Tasers only to minimize gun use, our police chief should have no problem to agree with the following rules:
- Like with the use of a gun, any officer using Taser will be immediately assigned to desk duties until investigation has concluded that the use was justified.
- Abuses of Taser use will be treated identically to abuses of gun use, and have identical disciplinary consequences.
- Statistics on Taser use will be collected, and if annual review shows that Tasers are used more than guns in proportion to violent crimes (based on historical PAPD gun use rates), Taser use will be immediately discontinued.
a resident of Community Center
on Dec 4, 2006 at 3:02 pm
Taser is great tool for police, ordinary citzen. People are confused and deliberately misled by such orgs, ACLU, AI. These people who is groaning about taser use are selfish. Let me ask them a question, what if they have to confront with criminal, you have to submissive to whatever criminal asking? Police are human being too, they need to treasure their lives and offer them all means they can to protect themself and us !!!
These people who complaining about taser are living in vacuum world with totally one-sided and selfish ways of thinking.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Dec 4, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Gee whiz. If you do something so crazy and so bad and so threatening that it makes a police officer reach for his/her Taser (or club, or mace, or revolver) maybe you need to be shot.
The knucklehead on the receiving end should be grateful that he has a reasonable chance of surviving the encounter at all.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Dec 4, 2006 at 6:55 pm
Tasers should be viewed as a tool to be used in place of deadly force. There is a point where deadly force is the last resort but the use of Tasers will reduce the number of times guns are needed.
I get the impression from what's been written by the no-Taser posters that they're the same people that believe a gun can be shot out of someone's hand and, in the heat of the moment, the police can just wing or wound a criminal. I was in the Army and qualified Expert with a .45 pistol. I can tell you it was damn hard to hit a piece of paper. When you've got an armed criminal that's not about to stand still and wants to kill you, it's almost impossible to hit them.
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 4, 2006 at 8:19 pm
Mr. Clark is right on! If you don't want to be taser or worse- shot, then do what the officer says. It doesn't get any clearer.
a resident of Charleston Meadows
on Dec 4, 2006 at 8:44 pm
For your consideration. This officer should have used a gun
Female Snohomish County deputy assaulted
KING5.com (subscription), WA - 5 hours ago
... The officer was attacked after dispatch radioed back that the man had a warrant for his arrest. The suspect jumped on the officer and beat her with her taser. ...
Web Link...
Female Snohomish County deputy assaulted
04:47 PM PST on Monday, December 4, 2006
KING5.com Staff
EVERETT, Wash. - A female Shohomish County deputy was assaulted by a man as she tried to question him in a park near Smokey Point.
The Snohomish County Sheriff's Dept. says the officer approached the man in the 9600 block of State Street just before 10 p.m. Saturday.
The officer was attacked after dispatch radioed back that the man had a warrant for his arrest.
An Alfy's Pizza delivery person and another citizen pulled the man off the officer.
The officer had a black eye, but the full extent of her injuries was not immediately known.
The suspect was arrested.
a resident of College Terrace
on Dec 4, 2006 at 8:56 pm
This story has been all over the news today. "Man dies, taser used"
Now the real story comes out and the taser had nothing to do with his death. TASER saves lives everyday but a few loud mouth liberals want to handcuff police. Don't let them
TASER's Saves Lives Everyday
Taser didn't kill man, police say
By Mike Ferenchik and Matthew Marx
The Columbus Dispatch
Monday, December 4, 2006 11:02 PM
Columbus is considering purchasing 110 additional model X-26 Tasers for police use.
Columbus police say a Taser didn't work against a Dayton man who died after struggling with officers at a Downtown hotel this weekend.
The Franklin County coroner's office will perform an autopsy Tuesday, Dr. Brad Lewis, coroner, said.
Police identified the man tonight as Briant K. Parks, 39. Parks might have been in town visiting a sister who lives in Columbus, but she couldn't be reached last night.
Parks had a 15-year-old son who lived in Iowa, relatives said. Briant Parks was living with his grandmother in Dayton and worked at a cleaning service, a relative said.
Relatives in Springfield, Ohio, and South Carolina last night were shocked to learn of his death and the events leading to it, saying he wasn't violent or the type to get into trouble with the law.
"No, it doesn't sound like him at all," said a woman who would identify herself only as a relative.
Parks has no criminal record in Ohio or in Indiana or Illinois, where he previouslyl lived, computer records show.
His father, an ordained minister, had died in April in South Carolina, the woman said.
Tonight, the Columbus City Council heard legislation to buy 110 more Tasers for Columbus police to add to the 205 already on the street. The City Council could vote next Monday on whether to buy the X-26 Tasers, including training cartridges and street-use cartridges, for $140,975, from Vance's Outdoors.
Parks died after police fired a Taser at him and wrestled with him inside The Columbus, a Renaissance Hotel, on Sunday night.
Parks resisted when police tried to arrest him after he swung a cane at a security guard, police said.
An officer fired Taser probes, which are connected to the gun by wires. One of the probes hit the man's coat and the other probe missed entirely, police spokesman Sgt. Kevin Corcoran said. Both probes have to hit the body, creating a circuit, for 50,000 volts of electricity to fully stun the person, Columbus Public Safety Director Mitchell J. Brown explained.
Police said Parks went into cardiac arrest in the hotel lobby and died at Grant Medical Center.
He had refused to leave Bar 41, which is in the lobby of the hotel at 50 N. 3rd St.
Police refused to release the name of the officer who fired the Taser and the names of other officers involved.
"As in all in-custody deaths, a full investigation is under way by the Columbus Division of Police's Critical Incident Response Team, and no specific-incident details will be discussed until the investigation is complete," Deputy Public Safety Director Barb Seckler said.
Council member Charleta Tavares said that even if the Taser didn't work, she wants to know why the man went into cardiac arrest.
Mayor Michael B. Coleman continues to support the city's Taser purchase, his spokesman, Mike Brown, said yesterday.
"We still see them as an important tool to save lives," he said.
Some civilian Taser models are less expensive than the police model, but have a shorter range -- 15 feet compared with 21 feet for the police model, Seckler said. The legislation states that only the X-26 is acceptable for police use.
An internal police study completed this year on Taser use in 2005 said police saved 24 lives that year by using Tasers instead of resorting to deadly force.
Seckler said from late 2004 through 2005, people filed nine complaints on Taser use with the Internal Affairs Bureau. Police exonerated officers in seven incidents and said two complaints were unfounded.
During last week's hearing, Brown called Columbus officers' experience with Tasers "very positive." He said injuries to prisoners were down by nearly 27 percent and to officers by 16 percent, according to 2005 statistics. Bruce said officers haven't used batons or flashlights as much. And the fire medical director, Dr. David Keseg, told officials that of the 383 times police fired Tasers in 2005, 31 people were taken to hospitals, and four of those were admitted.
Web Link
a resident of Palo Alto Hills
on Dec 4, 2006 at 9:41 pm
Pepper spray, baton, or taser? Pepper spray and a baton require the officer to put him or herself in danger because they have to close to the dangerous criminal to use them. Additional, these tools can be ineffective or even used against the officer in rare instances. A taser can be used up to 21 feet and its deployment is sometimes enough in and of itself to deter the criminal. Do not forget, officers have families too and we should give them the tools to ensure their safe return to their loved ones. A career criminal facing life in prison does not understand such considerations. Honor those putting their lives on the line by giving them the tools they need!
a resident of Palo Alto Hills
on Dec 4, 2006 at 10:49 pm
9mm or a TASER....your choice....make my day!
a resident of College Terrace
on Dec 4, 2006 at 11:48 pm
I find some comedy and a whole lot of disgust when reading many of the views posted regarding police taser use. Let's put this in perspective for a moment. One resident said,
"If the police is honest about using tasers only to minimize gun use, our police chief should have no problem to agree with the following rules: Like with the use of a gun, any officer using Taser will be immediately assigned to desk duties until investigation has concluded that the use was justified.
Let me start by asking this question, do you enjoy living in a reasonably safe community such as Palo Alto? If the answer to that question is "yes" then you are a complete moron. To think that pulling officers out of an already understaffed police department to sit on desk duty for using a taser on a criminal is a smart use of resources, then there are bigger problems at work here! Not to start name calling and act in a childish manner, but think about this logically for a moment. Tasers use an incapacitating amount of electricity to shock and stun a person into submission. Deaths associated with taser use are not the fault of the device. Factually, the fault lies on the various illegal substances and other issues not controlled by police. I'm sure that a quick response from those against would say, "Well there you go. If it hurts one person then that is enough to not use them." I would respond with this, "What is the person doing that deserved to be stunned with a taser in the first place?"
Now I'm not an advocate for allowing police to stomp on the civil rights of citizens or abuse their authority by zapping any person that talks bad to them. But in continuing with our idea of incorporating logic into this conversation, what would you think that an officer should do when confronted with a criminal who is either advancing or taking a fighting stance toward them. Likely, the officer has contacted this person for some legitimate reason, i.e. a resident called in a person breaking into their home. So what should they do? Currently their choices are to physically fight with the criminal, deploy pepper spray, use their night sticks, or use their guns. Which one would you choose? Now my male ego side would immediately pick "physically fight the criminal" but we all know that this is not the best option. Why you may ask? Well we recently learned why physical confrontations with a criminal are not a great option. Does anyone remember Officer Richard May from East Palo Alto who was recently shot and killed when confronting a criminal who was fighting at a restaurant? I know many of you may say, "That was in East Palo Alto and we are talking about Palo Alto, they are two different cities." And my response to this would be, "Where are the border guards posted who are preventing criminals from entering into our wonderful city?" There are none and there are no borders. If you think that you can do the job of protecting our city and the residents who live here then I implore you to strap on the gun, pin on the badge and go to work. I'm just guessing that the first time that you encounter a 6'2" 220 pound criminal in the back of a closed business at 3:30 am and your nearest police officer to come to your aide is five to ten minutes away, you just might change your tune. As a resident of this city, I say give our cops the tools needed to not only protect us, but also protect them. If you still remain dead set against tasers, then I implore you to attend the next slain officers funeral and see just how the wife or husband react to their loved one dying to protect those vocal residents who won't protect them.
a resident of College Terrace
on Dec 5, 2006 at 1:43 am
The police should have access to tasers, and appropriate taser training. Most cops are good, caring human beings; in fact; they're encountering human pain and suffering on a daily basis. The are here to protect. Why then do we NOT see police officers denying an opportunity to use tasers? There are 10's of thousands of tasers in use.
To those who have never had to encounter someone wielding a knife or other non-firearm weapon, or someone high on drugs like meth, I suggest you walk in a police shoes before passing judgment on what kinds of weapons the police need to protect themselves, and those they are attempting to subdue.
a resident of Greenmeadow
on Dec 5, 2006 at 3:29 am
And people complained helmets in world ware one caused more neck injuries. They kinda ignored the fact that they caused less deaths. I wonder if this is the same way, because no one here has any evidence one way or the other. Individual cases so not make the rule.
a resident of Barron Park
on Dec 5, 2006 at 10:37 am
Police have human rights too, the assumption that people against taser made is that police are born to be suffered, they got paid to jerpodize their lives. And criminal's human rights have to be protected, ordinary citzens' rights is no important.
Can imagine if our sociaty being run by people like that.
a resident of Menlo Park
on Dec 5, 2006 at 1:43 pm
Those who disagree with the use of tasers are only listing their problems with the current process, not the solution. Come to the table with a solution assuming that you can validate your problem with reasonable data. Having been a Marine officer and having to subdue people (for training purposes only), there is a chance that the aggressor might be bigger and stronger than you. What do you do then? Give us the solution, not another problem and lawsuit from the ACLU.
a resident of Gunn High School
on Dec 5, 2006 at 5:52 pm
ARTILLERY IS NECESSARY IN GENERAL WHEN THE PEOPLE IN IT CANNOT LIVE IN HARMONY. APPARENTLY THIS DOES EXIST EVERYWHERE. AS THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CANNOT BE EVERY WHERE PERHAPS IT IS TIME THAT WE ALL RETURN TO POSSESSING A SUBDUING DEVICE TO WARN OFF OFFENDERS. AS TAZERS ARE VIEWED AS "We still see them as an important tool to save lives," he said. WITH A NOTE THAT IT IS AFFORDABLE -"Some civilian Taser models are less expensive than the police model, but have a shorter range -- 15 feet compared with 21 feet for the police model, Seckler said. The legislation states that only the X-26 is acceptable AND PURCHASEABLE for police use.
a resident of Green Acres
on Dec 5, 2006 at 11:42 pm
We don't have closed borders, and as such have people from all walks of life in town 24 hours a day. If you take a drive through town at 3 am you will see a lot of questionable characters strolling through downtown, getting off the 22 bus line, and sitting in cars in dimly lit areas. What you also see are the men and women of the Palo Alto Police Department contacting these folks. I for one breathe a huge sigh of relief when I see a black and white cruiser with a well-trained police professional behind the wheel patrolling my city. 24/7/365 they are out there protecting lives and property, dealing with crooks, crackheads, and crazies. If our police say they need tasers, I support them 100%. It is foolish to not give police officers a tool that can protect THEM, as they carry out their duties protecting US.
a resident of College Terrace
on Dec 6, 2006 at 1:42 am
Righto, Tim! Just watch out for the usual group of police-bashers at next week's Council meeting [portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff]. The Council is going to discuss the tazer issue. I would encourage any and all who support our local police to go to that meeting, to support our local police, and to balance out comments from people [portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff] who are relentless in their harsh verbal and disrespectful attacks on the police, Council, and Palo Altans in general.
a resident of Downtown North
on Dec 6, 2006 at 6:22 am
Palo Alto Officials urge stun gun? as reported in Sunday's 12/03/2006 daily.
Chief Johnson's claim that equipping palo alto officers with tasers is "justifiable". Chief Johnson needs to seriously think about expanding her vocabulary. Chief Johnson in all probability would purchase RPG's (rocket propelled grenades) given the opportunity to deal with methamphetamine users who demonstrate and exhibit "super human strength".
She makes no mention of any alternative non-lethal use of force. A sad testiment to her leadership.
a resident of Menlo Park
on Dec 6, 2006 at 8:14 am
Alternative less lethal use of force...No one seems to be able to come up with anything that is statistically proven to work better than a Tazer. If it were for some of the cowardly anti-police, anti-tazer folks, PAPD would be drving electric cars, wearing hemp uniforms, and would be carrying the Koran on their hip. Come on people, wake up, take a walk down Woodland Avenue at 3am and see how you fair. There are dangerous people out there, people that will believe it or not, harm you without a second thought. We have EPA, Ease Menlo Park, and Mountain View on our borders. There are no check points or prohibitions to keep crime or criminals out. When that bad person comes to your door and you call 911, don't you want the police to have the tools necessary to protect your children, I do!
a resident of Menlo Park
on Dec 6, 2006 at 8:33 am
A challenge to Mr. Mark Petersen-Perez... Please tell me what alternates to non-lethal use of force are better. We all are waiting for your response.... Tell us what weapon you would like to have in your hand if you are being threatened by two 6'4" 260lb men. Have you ever been in a situation like this or would you try to reason with them? [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff]
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 6, 2006 at 11:31 am
I'm all for Tasers, but I just don't want cops reaching for a Taser when they should be reaching for their pistol. If some meth-addict is charging you, I have my doubts about the taser.
If someone has a case where police used tasers "for fun," or to simply torment a human being, then by all means those police should be punished, but why not give them the benefit of the doubt and let them do their jobs with the tools they need.
Who knows though - maybe hemp uniforms would be really durable!
a resident of another community
on Dec 7, 2006 at 5:32 am
This dialog misses the point. The more alternatives a cop has to deadly force, the better. That fact alone justifies equipping them with tasers.
The real issue is in what circumstances should the officers be allowed to use the taser. Much of the fuss centers on the public's perception that they be used as a last ditch alternative to deadly force.
The fact is, officers are trained to use tasers at a much lower level of force. Tasers are to be used before the officer has to use physical force to gain compliance. That means tasers can be used when a suspect refuses to follow verbal commands. Tasers can be used before pepper spray and batons.
Given that placement in the use of force instructions, it's no wonder they are used more frequently than deadly force. The policy is the reason for the disconnect between the public's perception that they be used infrequently and the reality of how often suspects get tased.
When cops get injured, there is a real financial impact: time off, medical bills, overtime to cover shifts. By placing tasers so low in the use of force policy, the city avoids these costs. Suspects too avoid injuries, as they need not endure wrestling or a baton. That's a win win.
Yes, some people die from taser use. They also die from pepper spray, impact weapons, and being forced to comply through take down techniques. This usually happens when the suspects' vital signs are near critical levels at the onset of the encounter due to illegal narcotics, such as methamphetamine. It's unfortunate, but it does not merit throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
a resident of Fairmeadow
on Dec 7, 2006 at 2:02 pm
No drugs except alcohol in death of Memphis man in DeSoto Co. custody
Associated Press
HERNANDO, Miss. - An autopsy shows no presence of drugs at the time of a Memphis man's death while in the custody of DeSoto County deputies on Nov. 14.
"The drug scan showed no drugs were involved," county coroner Jeffery Pounders said Tuesday when he released the results.
Earlier, the state Crime Laboratory said Darren Faulkner, 41, had a blood alcohol level of 0.06 percent, just under Mississippi's legal intoxication level of 0.08 percent.
Faulkner was pronounced dead at Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto in Southaven on Nov. 14.
He had twice been hit by Tasers and had "walked through" the spray from a full can of pepper spray, District Attorney John Champion has said. Champion said Faulkner had been involved in two fights, which led to his arrest.
Champion said Faulkner turned on a deputy who broke up the fights. The deputy, he said, retreated while calling for backups and attempting to keep Faulkner at bay.
Two deputies shot Faulkner with Tasers, but deputies were only able to handcuff him after the second Taser was used.
However, after handcuffing him, the deputies rolled him over to get him to his feet to place him in a cruiser when he had difficulty breathing. Then he stopped breathing altogether, Champion said.
The autopsy, performed by the state medical examiner's office in Jackson, showed Faulkner died of heart failure and that he suffered from a hypertensive heart condition.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has been investigating the incident.
"I will not rule on the death," Pounders said. "The state medical examiner's office will determine the ruling. All of my information will be passed to that office."
My comment: Police can not know if a person has a medical condition such as hypertension. There have been other deaths over the years since tasers have been used. They are not always a less than lethal force. In some cases, they are definitely a lethal force. And they are always, always, at best, a means of torture.
a resident of Fairmeadow
on Dec 7, 2006 at 2:08 pm
The above post was posted twice due to the weird reaction on the site, leading me to believe my submission wasn't posted the first time.
After first submitting the post, after imputing the code, I got the comment box again with a new code.
The changes to the system have a bug I guess. Sorry for the double post. Hope it will be corrected.
BTW, why the code? What is the purpose of it? or need?
a resident of Stanford
on Dec 7, 2006 at 3:38 pm
I guess no one was paying attention when this came up in Mountain View last year. Go back and research what happened there. May save you some time and energy.
digital editor of Palo Alto Online
on Dec 7, 2006 at 4:04 pm
Tyler Hanley is a registered user.
We've added the "verification code" to put an end to spammers placing posts on the site through automated computer programs that seek out these kind of forums. You don't see them on the site because we remove them pretty quickly, but they are an increasing problem.
The verification code system requires that a real person read the code and enter it into the box next to it. Sorry for the added inconvenience.
a resident of College Terrace
on Dec 7, 2006 at 4:24 pm
Question: How many deaths would result from NOT deploying tazers?
Also, GSB's point is well taken, as the Mt. View HRC approved taser use. That's a pretty solid endorsement.
a resident of Palo Verde
on Dec 8, 2006 at 3:15 am
In reply to:
My comment: Police can not know if a person has a medical condition such as hypertension. There have been other deaths over the years since tasers have been used. They are not always a less than lethal force. In some cases, they are definitely a lethal force. And they are always, always, at best, a means of torture.
While Faulkner's death is unfortunate, I think the article posted above only furthers the argument in favor of tasers. What are police to do when faced with a violent, intoxicated individual? Their choices include using their hands, pepper spray, night sticks, or tasers. The pepper spray didn't work in this situation, and I don't think it reasonable to ask police to engage in hand to hand combat with every person that causes a disturbance, because they are not prize fighters, they're police officers. So the police realistically had a choice of either night sticks or tasers, and I'm no doctor, but I'm guessing either one of those is potentially lethal for someone who has a hypertensive heart condition.
Of course tasers can contribute to someone's death, but so could a night stick, or tackling someone to the ground. Kitty, do you suggest these officers ask, "excuse me sir, is there anything I can do to gain your cooperation?....oh, and do you have any pre-existing medical conditions?" while they are getting punched in the face? Or perhaps they should put on their department-issued x-ray glasses to identify medical problems, and then run away when they discover one.
Finally, how are tasers "at best, a means of torture." I love it when people loosely throw around words like torture. Tasers have been safetly used thousands of times, and I'm willing to bet that police departments that started using tasers probably saw a decrease in the number of suspects and police that get hurt.
Instead of focusing distrust and suspicion on police, let's focus that energy on criminals who break into are homes and cars, get into shootouts on the streets, and would threaten our whole society if police were not there to stop them.
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 14, 2006 at 1:16 pm
I have heard about the possibility of using a net on combative suspects. Research should be done on this idea. The net would be shot at the person, who would then be entangled in it.
As for tasers, they aren't used instead of a gun. Anytime a police officer is faced with an armed suspect, the officer shoots to kill (not wound). Tasers are used on unarmed but uncooperative people.
Such people include the mentally ill, immigrants who don't understand our law enforcement system or English, and are frightened by police because of experience in Eastern Europe or elsewhere, people on drugs, people having a seizure, people very upset and angry. These are not necessarily criminals. Since tasers can be fatal, they should not be used. Other means must be found. And they can be found with research.
Officers have been injured in training when they were tased and have filed lawsuits. Now, most police departments either forbid such testing on officers or make it voluntary. This is not a good tool to use on civilians.
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 18, 2006 at 2:53 pm
This was sent to me today. Please look at it.
This was just sent to me today. It is about an alternative to tasers that is being used in China today.
Web Link
An alternative to Tasers.
P.S. In the US it's manufactured by Foster-Miller. Not sure why this product never caught on.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 19, 2006 at 2:24 pm
Great, now I have some drugged up monster, possibly armed, caught in a net - how does that help? Dangerous criminals need to be neutralized (following proper procedures of course) and if they die in the process - OH WELL! One less creep on the streets. A taser is torture? You have to be kidding me!!
If people are high on drugs, and fighting with the police, they deserve whatever they get! As someone who is very close to several police officers, I could care less if a druggie strokes out - the only thing I care is that my loved one comes home safely.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 19, 2006 at 2:27 pm
As for the immigrants who don't understand our law enforcement system or English - Welcome to America!! You don't fight with the police here.
And sorry to say, some mentally ill people can be just as dangerous as a drug suspect.
Police officers shouldn't have to risk their lives in order to make these judgement calls.
"Nat" has clearly, obviously never had to face this sort of danger. Otherwise, his/her opinion might be different.
a resident of Downtown North
on Dec 19, 2006 at 3:58 pm
Tasers are meant for the criminals...if your not a criminal, dont worry about it. Unless, you are a criminal...then worry!!
Every other department around PA is getting them...it will be a liability NOT to have them. "Sorry, we could have subdued him with a taser, but we had to shoot him instead...but next time, we will call another agency to take care of the crooks in our city..."
Obviously this city cares more about the criminals (who dont actually live here) than the people protecting this city...such a shame. No wonder the crooks come here....
a resident of Barron Park
on Dec 27, 2006 at 6:29 pm
To ignorance isbliss,
I could of not said it better!!! I don't worry about tasers because I do what the police tell me.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Mar 27, 2007 at 8:41 am
As a member of the task force, after reviewing the questions presented by the public, I prepared some answers to the public's questions in anticipation of tonight's meeting:
Web Link
Comments are welcome there.
Enoch Choi, MD
a resident of College Terrace
on Feb 3, 2008 at 9:06 pm
But I do acknowledge that they are MUCH MORE DANGEROUS than Taser Inc has admitted. Especially the X26 model. Also, they're being abused too often and I wish that Taser would address the misuse more aggressively.
And why does Taser cultivate such close relationships with coroners and medical examiners? Why would they do that? I mean those people just deal with dead bodies, so why would Taser need to cultivate such close relationships with them? I just don't understand...
Don't miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic.
Cherries and Berries
By Laura Stec | 3 comments | 1,379 views
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength . . .
By Chandrama Anderson | 2 comments | 752 views
Meeting Other New Parents
By Cheryl Bac | 0 comments | 565 views
One more week to vote!
Don't forget to cast your ballot online. Voting ends May 29th. Stay tuned for the results in the July 21st issue of the Palo Alto Weekly.


text:
(best price)
Raise up to 2.50%.
From the Goldsmiths Wedding Ring Collection, this Slight Court Extra Heavy diagonal matt finish wedding ring has a band width of 5mm. The ring is available in 9 or 18 carat white gold, yellow gold and rose gold, platinu... show more
Products you may also like:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
In Oregon in 2012, 10% of adults and 7% of children reported that they currently had asthma, suggesting that approximately 360,000 Oregonians have asthma. Oregonians without a college education or who are lower income are more likely to have asthma.
All these facts illustrate the need for a statewide Oregon strategy for improving asthma and illustrates the focus areas for asthma control in Oregon.
Taken together, these focus areas should reduce asthma hospitalizations, increase asthma self-management, and therefore reduce asthma inequities.
The Oregon Asthma Leadership Plan outlines the statewide goals, objectives, and strategies needed to address and measure these priority areas. The Leadership Plan is a statewide call for action to achieve positive long-term asthma outcomes and to improve the quality of life for all Oregonians with asthma.
Oregon Asthma Leadership Plan: 2014-2019
Promoting health and preventing the leading causes of death, disease and injury in Oregon.


text:
First of all, I am not sure if this problem comes from the OS or Hardware or even my program.
Anyway, when I excute a simple C-code which is doing some processing and writes the results
into the hard disc, the program takes to much time to finish up the writing. The file size is about 450MB. I am using 'fwrite' function( Pretty sure, in a correct way) which is normally
working well in otherwhere but in our new computer ( workstation which has 4 CPUs and each
is dure core), it shows really slow file writing. Sometimes, it takes a couple of minitues
to finish up the writing. Sometimes, when I slightly change my code (Definiely, other parts
which is not related with this writing module), it is fast ( done within a few secs).
Any one has same problem ? or Any idea will be reall appreciated.


text:
"Voices of the Victims" Tour Starts Today Calling for an End to Drug War in Mexico
Posted by Kirsten Moller in Featured, Global Exchange News & Events, Mexico, World News & Events on 23rd October, 2013 | 1 Comment
The "Voices of the Victims" tour is calling for an end to a drug war that has killed over 70,000 people in Mexico since 2006. The tour begins an 11 city bi-national tour starting in Denver at the Drug Policy Alliance meeting on October 23rd. Here's more about it.
Read More...


text:
In our bedroom, we have a 8×10 foot Flokati rug I bought after our bathroom remodel to warm up the concrete floors. I had read great reviews about the style including that they are extremely durable and can last a lifetime with proper care.
I love how the rug looks and feels but was a little concerned how exactly to keep it clean. The instructions that came with it said to take it outside and shake it periodically to remove dust. I have also read you can wash them with mild wool soap in your washing machine.
Both sound like great options, but our rug is way to big to stuff in our washing machine and I can only manage to take the rug outside once or twice a year tops. I tried vacuuming but stupidly realized that the rug fiber get stuck in the rotating pieces. Duh. So I was really at a loss of what to do besides shaking it out.
Recently I was watching the High/Low Project on HGTV and Sabrina Soto gave a quick tip about cleaning Flokati rugs. She said to use a plastic rake to clean off debris and keep the rug fluffy.
So on a recent Target trip, I came across toy rakes in the summer clearance section.
At a $1 each, I thought these would be perfect to try out on the rug because of the spokes were really wide apart.
To start, I did a light vacuum with the suction head attachment to pick up any big debris particles.
Brushing the rug was a super simple process. Just brush with the fibers across the length of the rug. Our rug is under our bed so I just worked from the mattress out.
I used the larger rake for most of the rug and the smaller one around the bed and in the corners. I found that the rake picked up more of the debris than the vacuum did.
You will find that some of the wool will get caught in the rake. This is absolutely normal, and is not harmful to your Flokati Rug. Once I was done brushing, I went back and sucked up all the debris with my vacuum.
It may be overkill, but after I brushed the rug I went back a second time with the vacuum to pick up in straggling fluffs. The second vacuuming also fluffed the rug up a little more as well.
Of course by now, the cats wanted to know what the %^&* I was doing. They hate that vacuum.
Here's the final result one fluffy and clean Flokati rug. The full rug brushing took about 20 minutes plus I got a nice arm workout. I am excited to see how long the fluffy look lasts before it needs another brushing. I'll write an update when I find out.


text:
Welcome to InfraSweat!
Infrasweat is a wellness concept that allows you to take control of your health with the use of cutting edge infrared sauna technology. Our studio consists of numerous infrared saunas all within their own private suite.
Take A Tour!
What is Infrared?
Infrared light (experienced as heat) is the invisible part of the sun's spectrum with the ability to penetrate human tissue to produce a host of health benefits minus the UV'S. Because infrared sauna therapy heats the body directly rather than simply warming the air like a traditional sauna, it raises the core body temperature and produces a deep, detoxifying sweat at the cellular level, where most toxins reside.
Join our newsletter to receive updates, specials, & more!


text:
Current Publication:
International Journal of Prosthodontics
March/April 2013
26 , Issue
Pain Caused by a Dental Implant Impinging on an Accessory Inferior Alveolar Canal: A Case Report
Arman Maqbool, BDS Hons, MFDS, RCSEd/Ahmed Ali Sultan, BDS, MSc/Gian Battista Bottini, MD, DMD/Colin Hopper, MD, FDSRCS (Eng), FRCS (Ed)
First time users activate
your account.
Subscribers receive full access to the
online version of International Journal of Prosthodontics.
Single back issues of International Journal of Prosthodontics are
available at a price of $40.00 per issue. You will need
to know the volume, issue number, and year of the journal
you wish to purchase.
Nonsubscribers can purchse single articles
from International Journal of Prosthodontics for $25.00 per article.
Home | Subscription
Services | Books
| Journals
| Multimedia
| Events
| Blog
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | About
Us | Contact
Us | Advertising | Help | Sitemap | Catalog


text:
Recent Articles By David Gallant [RSS]
DJAY from Algoriddim is an all-in-one DJ application for Mac OS X with features for new and experienced DJs. Watch David Gallant's video review to see if DJAY is ready for your next party.
Touch DJ
David Gallant set aside his turn tables to try out Amido's Touch DJ app for the iPhone. The app doesn't have him ready to throw out his regular gear, but it does offer some nice features for on-the-go mixing. Check out his TMO Video Review for more.


text:
Crear by Max Hair Salon
73 Glenferrie Rd, MALVERN 3144
Composed of a highly qualified and friendly team of Korean and Japanese hairdressers, Crear by Max is one of the most innovative hair salons in the Malvern area. The owner…Book Appointment
Second Avenue Hair & Beauty
Rear of 614 Burke Rd, CAMBERWELL 3124
Second Avenue can't wait to satisfy your beauty needs. Are you tired of your current hairstyle Do you think it's time to spice things up The right treatment, hair colour…Book Appointment
Stunning Nails Hair and Beauty
1198 Glenhuntly Road, GLEN HUNTLY 3163
Founded on May 28th, 2014 in Glen Huntly, Stunning Nails Hair and Beauty features star-quality services that are guaranteed to attract many clients. The salon is a one-stop shop for…Book Appointment
Bella Hairstyling
12 Camberwell Rd, HAWTHORN EAST 3123
One of Hawthorn's best kept secrets is an upscale boutique salon known as Bella Hairstyling. Featuring the latest trends and styles, the company's expert team strives to cater to the…Book Appointment
The Hair Sity
667 Burwood Road, HAWTHORN EAST 3123
Ready to feel like the most stunning version of yourself The team at The Hair Sity in Hawthorne East have you covered. Not only can they style your hair to…Book Appointment
Laurie Alexandra - Canterbury
237 Canterbury Road, CANTERBURY 3126
Laurie Alexandra in Canterbury is passionate about creating amazing and creative makeup. These talented makeup artists only use the best products which result in a flawless finish. And it's not…Book Appointment
Model Look Beauty and Hair
237 Canterbury Road, CANTERBURY 3126
Specialists in all aspects of Hair and Beauty, Model Look Beauty and Hair in Canterbury is a truly special place. They specialise in wedding and bridal work and will make…Book Appointment
Jacso Hair & Makeup Salon - Toorak
Shop 8, 28 Jackson Street, , TOORAK 3142
Jacso Hair Makeup Salon, a well-known upscale beauty space in Toorak, Australia, is the preferred choice for those interested in an exceptional salon experience. Featuring the latest trends in hair…Book Appointment
Capelli Lunghi
159 Williams Road, SOUTH YARRA 3141
For your ultimate hair, make sure you make a visit to the Capelli Lunghi hair enhancement salon in South Yarra. They use high quality organic, free from cruelty products such…Book Appointment
Hairroom Salon
766 Glenferrie Road, HAWTHORN 3122
Hairroom Salon in Hawthorn is renowned as one of the premium salons in the local area. Over the years, the owners of Hairroom Salon Hawthorn have developed and nurtured an…Book Appointment


text:
Maine photographer Richard Fortin has sent us a slideshow from the Forget, Forget CD-release show. (Here's Nicholas Schroeder's review of the disc.)
See it here, and enjoy!
By Lance TapleyIn
the midst of public concern about rail shipments of crude oil after the
recent Lac-Mégantic disaster, the Phoenix has learned that Pan Am
Railways has not reported, as required by law, how much crude oil it
shipped through Maine during April and May.When questioned about
this lack, the state Department of Environmental Protection announced
that it was launching an investigation into why the reports weren't
(Yes, spoiler alert, etc. You've been warned.)
If you don't know what we're talking about, check out the food trucks story in our Summer Preview issue.
And if you're ready for the answer, scroll down...
Yes, keep scrolling...
Are you ready for the answer?
Here it comes!
When Governor Paul LePage was trying to woo Airbus to build a plant in Maine (it went to Alabama), he talked to Airbus
Americas chairman Allan McArtor.
In that conversation, LePage told the Portland
Community Chamber "Eggs and Issues" breakfast
yesterday, there were three topics of conversation, according to the governor:
Governor Paul LePage is a really fucking savvy political operator. And he's
about to pull his biggest switcheroo ever, if the Dems let him get away with
It might look like he's about to tear himself in half, given how fast he's
running away from Obamacare on the one hand,
and racing to embrace it on the other.
But LePage's real goal is this: he wants to hand hundreds of millions of
taxpayer dollars to Maine
hospitals (to pay off old debt) without spending a dime on present or future
costs of providing poor Mainers with quality affordable health care.
Last night, the city's Transportation, Sustainability, and Energy Committee unanimously approved a resolution calling upon the state legislature, US State Department, US Congress, US Environmental Protection Agency, and President Barack Obama to "require a thorough analysis of the potential impacts of any tar sands oil pipeline proposal through Maine including evaluation of the health, safety, and environmental risks and spill response techniques and impacts."
There are 44 solar companies in Maine, employing 270 workers, according to a new report by the non-profit Solar Foundation.
"These are the first credible solar jobs
numbers for all 50 states," the Foundation boasts on its blog. "Solar employs 119,000 people in every state
in the nation, and employment grew 13.2% last year alone."
The tragic Boston Marathon bombings have generated powerful conversations about homegrown terrorism versus attacks by foreigners. About how easy it is to jump to conclusions in the wake of disaster, and about how difficult it is these days to feel truly safe.
I wonder, then, if this isn't the perfect weekend to attend one of a series of forums related to the controversial National Defense Authorization Act, the military spending bill that includes a provision allowing the executive branch to detain US citizens indefintely and without due process.
See the following email exchange (read up from the bottom). Not sure who's empowered to accept his resignation, but it's as clear as day: Chris Korzen is leaving the Maine's Majority group he founded. Further, he admits that does not understand the difference between requesting public records from the government to use in a publicity campaign to promote a political perspective and, well, requesting public records from the government to use in a publicity campaign to promote a political perspective.
Put together by Greater Portland Landmarks, the show gets
historic restorers, tradespeople, and craftsmen and -women together with owners
of older homes to talk about how to keep things working to modern standards
while following the historic aesthetics that are so well-loved.
Even as a similar case unfolds in Colorado, the Boston-based Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders filed an appeal brief last week in the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on behalf of a "a transgender teen girl whose Orono, Maine elementary and middle schools
removed her from the girls' restroom because of her transgender status
and forced her to use a staff-only, non-communal restroom in isolation
from her peers."
The Portland Phoenix's seven-years-and-counting series by Lance Tapley on torture in Maine's prison, most especially including conditions in solitary confinement, has gotten national recognition in an article that's part of the Columbia Journalism Review's most recent cover package on "race, class, and the media."
The link below is to a video produced by a student group called Reclaim Colby. It shows students interrupting the college's official February 27 ceremonial celebration of its 200th anniversary in the school's chapel. When college president William "Bro" Adams finishes his speech, student government vice president Kareem Kalil walks to the podium to introduce the (unplanned) student speakers, to the cheers of students sitting in a block of red t-shirts.
Those who read my story last week about groundfishing (or perhaps you saw Jeff and I talking about it on WCSH's 207 program) know that the men and women who catch cod, haddock, flounder, and other bottom-feeding fish are facing hard times.
They've finally gotten a glimmer of good news. At the Maine Fishermen's Forum, taking place now in Rockport, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association announced they WILL (probably) pay for the cost of at-sea monitoring starting May 1.
A friend just brought my attention this incredible Craigslist posting: Basically, if you've got $225,000 (less than many houses), you could soon be the owner of the City Point Central Railroad Museum, which includes numerous antique railroad cars, several buildings, and a 4.6-acre lot close to the Belfast coast. "Amazing opportunity for the
creative thinker," the ad reads.


text:
Metroid® Prime 2: Echoes
Format: Nintendo GameCube™
Launch Date: 11/15/04
ESRB: T (Teen): Animated Blood, Violence
Game Type: First-Person Adventure
Accessories: Memory Card
Players: 1-4
In this first-person adventure, become the bounty hunter behind the visor once more and travel to a planet torn into light and darkness. Hunted by a mysterious entity and a warring race called the Ing, Samus Aran must explore the light and dark worlds of this doomed planet to discover secrets and augment her suit's weapons and abilities.
Game Storyline: When Samus investigates an abandoned Federation ship on a planet named Aether, her ship is incapacitated by a freak electrical aberration in the atmosphere. Crash-landing on the planet's surface, she finds the scene of a slaughter. A group of creatures borne of darkness, known as the Ing Horde, attack her and steal a number of her Power Suit's abilities, leaving her for dead. As she soon comes to realize, the planet has been dimensionally doubled: One exists in darkness, the other in light. The peaceful people of Light Aether, called the Luminoth, are slowly being destroyed by the Ing Horde, and the loss of their generators will mean the permanent eclipse of the planet by Dark Aether. Not only that, but Samus soon finds that something more dangerous than the Ing stalks the planet surface: A dark creature is on the loose, and growing more lethal by the minute.
Characters: Samus, Space Pirates, the Ing Horde, the Luminoth, Federation soldiers.
How to progress through the game: Explore the dual worlds of Dark and Light Aether, battling enemies and gaining power-ups. Every power-up you find will help you access new areas, so study your environment carefully and always remain on guard. In multiplayer, use power-ups like the Grapple Beam and Morph Ball to take on up to three friends in classic death matches.
Special powers/weapons/moves/features: There are many new power-ups and missile combos, including the Dark and Light Beams and many more. Many of the hallmarks of the Metroid series return as well, like the Charge Beam, Missiles, Morph Ball, Boost Ball, Grapple Beam and Scan Visor.


text:
Montana Tech hosts annual Career Smart Fair
BUTTE, Mont. - Montana Tech hosted its 5th annual Career Smart Fair Wednesday on campus.
Employers from around the nation set up booths for the students to interview for jobs, giving students the chance to meet the employers face to face.
The employers in attendance allowed students the opportunities to hand in their resumes, apply for internships, and in some cases line up jobs for after graduation.
Students who attended the fair told NBC Montana that it gives them better odds of finding a job versus doing everything on the computer.
"Actually getting out there and being able to network with employees and employers while they're here, instead of getting online and filling out applications; they're here and you get to talk to someone face to face," said Brenna Ferao, a Montana Tech student majoring in environmental engineering.
"It provides a lot of opportunities. I mean trying to do this on my own, trying to get interviews with employers is difficult, so it's nice to talk to the people. Talking over the phone is nice but having a face to face with people, you can't beat it," added Tyler Good, a Montana Tech student majoring in mechanical engineering.
For more information on career opportunities at Montana Tech follow this link: http://www.MTECH.edu/CAREER/EMPLOYERS


text:
Noted scholar to visit Binghamton University
Cornel West, philosopher, theologian and author of the best-selling book, Race Matters, will visit the Binghamton University campus on Friday, February 28, to help the Black Student Union (BSU) celebrate its 35th anniversary. West is scheduled to speak in Lecture Hall 1 at 7:30 p.m. The presentation is free and open to the public.
West is a professor of religion at Princeton University. Prior to his appointment at Princeton, he was the Alphonse Fletcher Jr. University Professor at Harvard University where he served as professor of Afro-American studies and philosophy of religion. He received his AB from Harvard University and his MA and a Ph.D from Princeton University. He taught at Yale, Union Theological Seminary and Princeton University where he was chair of the Department of Afro-American Studies.
West is an author of numerous articles and books including Prophesy Deliverance: An Afro-American Revolutionary Christianity, Keep the Faith, The American Evasion of Philosophy and Prophetic Thought in Postmodern Times.
His breakthrough book, Race Matters, was published in 1993. It quickly achieved bestseller status and gained the attention of Time magazine and Newsweek. West has also co-written Jews and Blacks: Let the Healing Begin with magazine editor Michael Lerner.
West's visit is just one of several events planned as part of the BSU's anniversary celebration, which will culminate in a banquet planned for April 12.
For more information, contact Tasha Thomas, BSU's graduate advisor, or Tiffany Folks, BSU president, at 607-777-2885.


text: Published with a digital code that may no longer be redeemable from the publisher. Do not purchase with the expectation that the code is still valid. (W) Jason Aaron. (A) Nick Bradshaw, Walden Wong, Scott Hanna, Norman Lee, Danny Miki. (CA) Nick Bradshaw STORM joins the faculty of the Jean Grey School! Wolverine is a clown? Iceman is a fire swallower? Rachel Grey a fortune teller? Frankenstein's Murder Circus comes to town! Cover price $3.99.


text:
New Wine-Wiki from Winexpert: The Wine-Wiki is a user-driven and managed encyclopedia of answers to technical and general questions about home winemaking. Get fast, Winexpert approved answers 24 hours a day. The International Wine Series brings home winemakers grape juice from the world's best vineyards. These are wines that showcase the distinct styles that have made each region famous. In the tradition of our Premium Selection wine kits, the same fresh grape juice to concentrate composition produce an astonishing quality homemade wine. We have taken great care to bring in the finest the world has to offer. See How to Choose a Wine Kit for tips. Starting in 2013, there will be a substantial change in Winexpert kit instructions. They will be noticeably different from previous versions. This paper will help explain these changes and how they will affect your wine.
Complete Home Wine Making Kits and Supplies for the Beginner and Advanced Wine Maker


text:
Build Relationships with Providers
A literal reading of the SES provisions might seem to suggest a fairly passive role for school districts. The state approves providers and, with provider input, identifies which areas of the state each provider will serve.5 The district gets this list to parents of eligible students, who select a service provider for their child. The district then contracts with the providers who have been selected. However, this picture does not match the experience of the districts in this study, each of which found it valuable to take a more proactive role.
When districts reach out to providers, they can get more up-to-date, complete, and accurate provider information to share with parents. Districts can also give providers important localized information, such as whether they will be able to work at school sites, and how or if they will be able to get information about student academic performance, both past and ongoing. Clear district-provider communication, starting at first connection, can lead to specific agreements and contracts that smooth the way for and support effective services to students. From this solid base, even stronger programs and partnerships can be built over time. Especially when the district itself is a provider, it is essential that all providers feel they have equal access to participation in the program.
First Steps
Find Out About Providers Who Will Serve Your District
Districts need to verify which providers will, in fact, serve their students. The need for districts to seek current information from providers may have been especially acute in 2002-03, the first year of SES implementation. With what was effectively a new NCLB-driven market opening up, and with the extent of demand not yet determined, it was optimistic to think that initial provider interest would necessarily translate into commitment. In its memorandum analyzing SES in 2002-03, Rochester staff articulated a common problem:
"Most of the approved SES providers were not based in Rochester and could not adequately market the program from afar. They were stuck in a catch-22 situation-trying to plan for staffing a program in Rochester, but unable to staff the program until they signed up enough students to justify the staffing. Many providers opted to drop out for a year, while planning for 03-04."
The experiences of the other districts were similar, with some providers on the state list not able or willing to offer services locally, occasionally even dropping out after parents had signed up.
Districts will need to continue to be in close communication with providers as both the supply side and demand side evolve. The market is a moving target, shifting according to the degree of demand and the success of providers in growing their capacity to meet it.6
Both Los Angeles and San Diego reached out to providers on the state list in order to get more complete information. They wanted to be sure that they could give parents information about providers that was comparable, dependable, and easy to understand, as required in the guidance. Although states post information about providers on their Web sites, the categories of information they include tend to vary, and individual providers may leave some categories blank. Some providers, but not all, have brochures or Web sites, and the nature of the information they offer varies. In addition, as noted above, specific answers may vary by location and change over time.
San Diego sent a written questionnaire to providers and followed up with interviews. Los Angeles created a simple, standardized one-page template that each provider was asked to fill out addressing such issues as grade levels served, staff qualifications, and demonstrated effectiveness. The results were then compiled in a brochure sent to all eligible parents, as well as being posted on the district's Web site in both Spanish and English.
Los Angeles also held several meetings for all state-approved providers who were interested in delivering services in Los Angeles, at which staff described district procedures and answered questions (see figure 6).
Work Out Provider Access to Facilities
A critical issue is where services will be provided. In many cases, a school site is an attractive location. Parents like to have after-school services housed in the same place their child attends school; it's familiar and no transportation is required. But in deciding whether or which providers should be allowed to work at the school site, a number of factors must be considered, including adequate student management and supervision, teacher property and space, and costs to the district.
Most districts have existing policies defining what types of organizations can use district facilities, under what conditions, and at what costs. Some, but not all districts in this study made school facilities available for providers under lease agreements, while the specifics of those agreements ranged significantly. For example, in one district a provider might pay only $16.80 per classroom for two hours although in another the provider would have to pay almost $300 for a four-hour minimum period.
When considering whether to offer school space to providers and when working out lease arrangements, districts will want to weigh the impact on parent's access to diverse providers. As one provider notes, "If the cost is prohibitive and would essentially eliminate hours of instructional service, then the school site is not a viable option, [which] reduces participation in the program."
Any decision to lease school space to SES providers must take into consideration the fact that some member of the school staff will need to be available to supervise them. Minimally, schools need to be assured that no unauthorized individuals will be in the building, which means someone needs to let students and-sometimes-their parents into the building and to make sure everyone is out of the building before locking up. Especially with young students, someone also needs to make sure that after their tutoring sessions they meet up with their "ride," which may mean letting them go with their parent or, in some cases, getting them onto a bus. All districts should already have in place facilities-use policies and procedures for any non-district program wishing to use district buildings, and a standard policy is to require anyone using a facility to pay for supervision. This applies to SES providers along with everyone else. The school principal is generally the person to assure that someone is assigned to this role.
Figure 6. Agenda from Los Angeles Meeting with Service Providers
No Child Left Behind Supplemental Educational Services Meeting
August 4, 2003
LAUSD Responsibilities
Program Improvement School Information
Provider Responsibilities
Student Learning Plans
Attendance Procedures
Electronic Attendance Report Forms
Attendance/Progress Report
Master Contract/Individual Services Agreement
Invoicing Procedures
Access to School Sites/Leasing Procedures
Access to Parents
Other Issues
Besides encouraging the use of school site space, Rochester has also built on its strong community partnerships to look for other available space that would be convenient for parents. The district has actively sought out the Rochester Housing Authority in an effort to link it with providers who may be interested in offering SES in centrally located community centers throughout the city.
Create a Fair Contract That Sets Clear Expectations
A contract between district and service provider that "leaves nothing to the imagination" provides a solid base for a smooth relationship, these districts emphasize. NCLB specifies a number of components that must be covered in such an agreement; others have been added in one or more of these districts. Each district has a detailed written agreement, ranging from the 25-page "Supplemental Services Master Contract" in Los Angeles to Toledo's eight-page agreement.
Some of the core specifics have to do with the learning goals set for each student, the timeline for achieving them, and how progress will be measured and reported to parents and the districts. These elements are generally laid out in a student learning plan, following a format set by the district, which is incorporated by reference in the contract. See subsequent section "Set Clear Goals and Monitor Progress" for further discussion and examples.
According to NCLB law and guidance (Non-regulatory Guidance, Section G-2)*, the district contract with a service provider must include:
- Specific achievement goals for the student, which must be developed in consultation with the student's parents [Section 1116(e)(3)(A)];
- A description of how the student's progress will be measured and how the student's parents and teachers will be regularly informed of that progress [Section 1116(e)(3)(A) and (B)];
- A timetable for improving the student's achievement;
- A provision for termination of the agreement if the provider [does not] meet student progress goals and timetables [Section 1116(e)(3)(C)];
- Provisions governing payment for the services, which may include provisions addressing missed sessions [Section 1116(e)(3)(D)];
- A provision prohibiting the provider from disclosing to the public the identity of any student eligible for or receiving supplemental educational services without the written permission of the student's parents [Section 1116(e)(3)(E)]; and
- An assurance that supplemental educational services will be provided consistent with applicable health, safety, and civil rights laws (see C-3 through C-5).
Once an SES provider has been placed on a state's approved-provider list, districts may not require that it meet additional criteria or go through an additional approval process before providing services in the district. Districts can, however, require that providers abide by applicable local health, safety, and civil rights laws.
Interpreting these guidelines, districts are routinely including in their contract such specifics as staff clearance requirements (e.g., fingerprinting and background checks), insurance needed, and child abuse reporting requirements.
Some district contracts also specify the district's own obligations. One states explicitly that transportation will not be provided for students. One includes a statement that a provider must serve all students who apply, up to maximum capacity.
Billing arrangements generally require the provider to submit a listing of the services that have been provided, for whom, for how many hours, and at what cost. Los Angeles has developed an attendance form and uses that form and the student's progress report as verification of services. One district has specifically stated that there is "no up-front money," specifically eliminating payment for services like student-accessed online tutorials that they found some students didn't actually use.
Districts should consider the impact of their billing policies on providers, especially those that are smaller or newly established. Often operating with less capital than larger or better-established tutoring services, these providers may not be prepared to handle large amounts of paperwork or able to float expenses during longer billing cycles.
In all instances, districts must strive to be impartial brokers in dealing with and communicating about SES providers. Among other things, this means paying close attention to the possibility of negative unintended consequences resulting from district policies (e.g., as in billing policies, noted above, that might eliminate small providers from the mix available to parents). When the district itself is also an SES provider, it is especially important that it not inadvertently set up a system giving it an unfair competitive advantage over other providers.
Going Deeper
Increase Communication and Coordination Between Providers and Schools
Because schools and teachers have regular access to parents and students, it is important for districts to link providers to schools. The key step in doing so is to encourage schools to take ownership of SES implementation. This can be as simple as having schools generate their own version of the district SES letter to parents. It can also entail something more elaborate, as in Rochester's decision to create a Title I-funded position at each of its most impacted schools for the purpose of coordinating the various academic interventions, including SES, that might be in place for individual students. A key objective is to ensure effective communication around services so they are appropriately targeted, while eliminating unnecessary redundancy, both in communication and, more importantly, services.
Districts should also work to link providers to classroom teachers. One way to do so is in the exchange of data regarding the student learning plans. Although most districts supply providers with students' most recent standardized test scores, many classroom teachers can provide a more comprehensive understanding of students' skill levels and learning needs than is available from assessment scores alone. San Diego, Forsyth County, and Rochester encourage teachers to provide student data to providers to aid in the development of individual student learning plans. In Forsyth, SES tutors were encouraged to contact teachers, who had ready access to recent achievement data through the district's TestTrax system. Several teachers reported a desire to have even more contact with tutors in the future. Providers note that this cooperation helps them set targeted goals with parents and students.
These efforts are critical in supporting the work of providers and enlisting schools in implementing SES. Initially, they allow districts and schools to build stronger relationships with providers, but they also assist with fully integrating SES into the district's improvement strategy and with monitoring providers' impact on student achievement. Most importantly, they allow for the transfer of information that helps everyone do their best in helping students learn.
Figure 7. Resources to Help Community Organizations Become SES Providers
Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives
The Finance Project's Out-of-School Time Project
Title I Supplemental Educational Services and Afterschool Programs: Opportunities and Challenges (August 2002), a Finance Project strategy brief, is designed to help administrators for after-school programs, such as 21st Century Community Learning Centers, understand what supplemental services are, consider the programmatic and administrative implications of becoming a provider, and identify the steps that they need to take to do so successfully.
Expand the Number and Type of Providers
Having a broad range of providers can increase the opportunity for parents to find the best possible fit for their children, as well as ensure that all interested parents can be served. To this end, districts can build on their existing partnerships and contacts in the community, encouraging more organizations to apply to the state as SES providers. Districts should consider approaching nontraditional providers, which may include county agencies, colleges and universities, and community- and faith-based organizations. In San Diego, a nearby university had been piloting an extended learning program in three district schools. Pleased with the partnership, the district proposed that the university apply to become an SES provider, which it did. San Diego also worked out a partnership with a local nonprofit that was already transporting district students to its own after-school program. Under the new partnership, the organization agreed to let SES providers use its facilities so eligible students in the after-school program could receive SES tutoring on-site. See figure 7 for resources to help community organizations become SES providers. (See, also, later discussions of working with community groups to get the word out.)
Some districts may find themselves with relatively few SES providers willing to work with their students, compared to the number of state-approved providers identified as serving the district's geographic region. In such instances, the district may want to explore the underlying reasons by interviewing or surveying providers. If providers identify certain district policies or practices as problematic, the district can review them and determine whether they are important to keep as is or could be reasonably modified with the aim of developing a broader pool of SES providers from which local parents can choose.
Districts with isolated rural schools may face the greatest challenge in ensuring that parents of SES-eligible children have diverse providers from which to choose. If the time required to travel to a school is long and the number of students seeking SES services is relatively small, providers may decide it is not worth their while to offer services at the school even if they were given space. Distance learning programs are often mentioned as an option in these circumstances, although such programs require an adequate technology infrastructure and the ability to assign personnel to supply on-site support for students during their SES sessions. If a district lacks these, it may want to consider partnering with the closest education services agency (ESA), known in different states as county offices of education, direct service districts, or boards of cooperative educational services. Some ESAs may already have the required technology and staff to support online learning. ESAs may also be well-positioned to become SES providers themselves, especially if they could serve students from multiple schools or from more than one district.
Summary for Build Relationships with Providers
|First Steps
|Going Deeper
* The Department's of Education's Supplemental Educational Services Non-Regulatory Guidance is available as a pdf at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/suppsvcsguid.pdf


text:
XKimikoAmayaX's Blog
Mon, May 30, 2011 at 10:16 AM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO mE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME ! HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME :D ! aLSO HAPPY B-DAY TO ANYBODY CELEBRATING A BIRTHDAY TODAY :D BE SAFE, HAVE A GREAT MEMORIAL DAY !
Mon, May 30, 2011 at 10:15 AM
Happy Memorial Day ! // #Pray For Sean Kingston
Happy Memorial Day Barbz ! Hope It's An Enjoyable One For All Of You
Fri, May 27, 2011 at 7:09 AM
She's Baaaaaackkkkkkk !
So for the past few days or so I have been missing in action and alot has happened since then. 1st off: Billboard Music Awards! And of course seeing Nicki Minaj have me loooooadssssss of LIfe.com ! She looked amazington and her performance with Brit was bananas ! The only thing I didn't like was her not really getting the recognition she deserved. Many awards that were given to others she...
Sun, May 22, 2011 at 12:08 PM
Billboard Music Awards Tonight !!
The Billboard Music Awards will be broadcasted on ABC at 8/7 pm Central ! Don't Miss It !! It's going to be huge and have lots of amazing performances and celebrities , but more importantly Nicki Minaj will be there ! I can't wait to see what HB is wearing and what she'll be singing. It's going to be great ! :D p.s any predictions, comments ? Questions ? Post em below !
Thu, May 5, 2011 at 4:42 PM
Sun, May 1, 2011 at 5:42 PM
A New Month , New Start !
So, This Month Is The Goodluck Month For Me Bacause 1. My Bdayy Is Coming Up On The 30th ! 2. School Will Soon Be Ovaa ! 3. Hopefully I Get A Job ! 4. I Vow to Let All The Pain && Drama Go AWAY I Havee So Many Goals && So Much I Wanna Do. I Feel Likee I've Been Slacking && I Need To Get Back On Track . *puts on cape && flyys awayy* #POW !
Thu, Apr 28, 2011 at 7:38 AM
Super Bass Premiere Cancellation (Sound Off)
I'm really bummed that Super Bass Didnt premiere yesterday on BET. it just doesnt make sense to me at all. Why on earth would you show a VIPeek of it if you dont want it on ur show to even begin with? It causes more and more confusion amongst the fans and frankly it just causes bad publicity for BET alone. I mean to show a sneak peek of it, havent you have gotten the chance to review and look...
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 at 3:00 PM
- Superrrr Basssss !!!
In a matter of minutes Nicki's Video For Super Bass Will Premiere && I Cannot Wait ! From the ViPeek It seems to be an incredibly awesome vid. I Cannot Wait To See The Whole Thing && The Vision behind Her Work :)
Mon, Apr 25, 2011 at 4:36 PM
Nicki On Ustream Tonight !!
In a matter of moments Nicki Minaj Will Be On ustream ! You know you wanna see her so just head on overrr !!
Mon, Apr 25, 2011 at 4:34 PM
TTWERmxOniTunesss !!
Britney Spears, ke$ha && the one && only Nicki Minaj ! On One Track= Till The World Ends ((Remix)) #Epic ! If You Havent Already, Take A Listen RIGHT Now ! If You Like IT ? Head Over To iTunes && Buy IT ! Simple && Easy ! I Promise Both You && Your Ears Won't Regret It !! Take a listen here>>> https://youtu.be/pAQweVLyrXM


text:
Moderators: Three Stars, dagny, pfim, netwolf
Kraftster wrote:in
Benny Fitz wrote:Kraftster wrote:in
See what I mean?
Wonder women you can draw your blind!
Don't look at me! I'm not your kind.
I'm Rael!
Something inside me has just begun,
Lord knows what I have done,
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests


text:
I hope this is the right place to ask these questions? My questions concern the fact that I have noticed a lot of people in the Star Wars community use a personal blog to chronicle their progress. I am sure there are other methods that fans use to share their Star Wars costumes, tutorials, tips, tricks, and other info. Are their any members of this forum using this method or something similar?
I have used WordPress in the past. I like it because I could export it to my own site and make additional customizations. But it appears to me that most people use Blogger. Since I am starting over from scratch I am looking for opinions, pros, cons, etc ...
I hosted the blog on BraveNet because I enjoyed their tools. Even though they didn't really help me, I am extremely curious and I enjoyed looking over the stats of my page. I especially loved how it kept track of the bots that visited my site and would get pleasant surprises when these search engines I never heard about crawled my website. Again since I am restarting from scratch, I want to make sure that I am fully informed of my choices. Recently the company that does my printing, VistaPrint, offered me a website deal? Anyone know if this is a good deal or have any suggestions? As long as I can look inside it and tinker I am happy.
In addition to who and how, where are people sharing their Star Wars costumes, tutorials, tips, tricks, and other information? I want to explore as many possibilities as I can and hear everyone's success / horror stories. Please move this thread if it is in the wrong forum, and share links to examples, please!


text:
34,319 of 127,809 schools have worse air.
Note: Rankings are based on modeled concentrations and severity of chemicals known or believed to cause cancer. Learn More
Note: Rankings are based on modeled concentrations of chemicals that cause health problems other than cancer. Learn More
Definition: Manganese is used to produce pesticides, batteries and other industrial products. Although trace elements are found in food and are considered essential for good health, overexposure for long periods can cause mental and emotional disturbances and slow and clumsy body movements -- a disease of the brain called manganism. Children are more vulnerable to such exposures than adults. EPA says that it cannot be determined if there is a link between manganese and cancer.
Definition: Nickel, a metal, can be combined with other metals to make coins, jewelry, and stainless steel. People working in nickel refineries or nickel-processing plants have experienced chronic bronchitis, reduced lung function, and lung and sinus cancers. EPA classifies nickel refinery dust and nickel subsulfide as human carcinogens. Source: EPA, HHS
Definition: Cobalt, a naturally occurring element, is used in the manufacture of aircraft engines, magnets, grinding and cutting tools, artificial hip and knee joints. Radioactive cobalt is used to treat cancer patients and to irradiate food. Normal exposures to nonradioactive cobalt are not harmful, but large amounts of radiation from radioactive cobalt can damage cells and cause nausea, vomiting, coma and even death. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that cobalt and cobalt compounds are possibly carcinogenic to humans.
Definition: Arsenic occurs naturally in the earth's crust. When combined with oxygen, chlorine and sulfur, inorganic arsenic is used to preserve wood. Organic arsenic compounds are used as pesticides. EPA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have concluded inorganic arsenic compounds are known carcinogens, linked to skin cancer as well as cancers of the liver, bladder and lungs.
Definition: Lead in the air comes from mining, manufacturing and burning fossil fuels. Lead has been banned from gasoline for more than a decade and has been removed from most paints. Children are more vulnerable to lead poisoning than adults; swallowing even small amounts of lead can cause anemia, muscle weakness and brain damage. Adults exposed to high lead levels can suffer high blood pressure and damage to the nervous system. EPA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services consider lead and its compounds a probable or possible carcinogen. Source: EPA, HHS
Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, University of Massachusetts at Amherst Political Economy Research Institute
* Chemicals most responsible for the toxicity outside this school may not add up to 100% because only the top chemicals are listed.


text:
GEORGE ARCHIBALD Profile
The Speakers Bureau is a directory of arctic researchers and experts that are available to visit organizations, communities or schools to give presentations. The directory contains names, addresses, science specialties, and presentation experience.
We encourage organizations and communities applying to the Arctic Visiting Speakers Series to use the Speakers Bureau to select a visiting speaker. If a particular subject or speaker is not listed, please contact Judy Fahnestock at avs [at] arcus.org, for suggested speakers.