text:
Town Square
Get harmony back!
Original post made by Pingyu Liu, Midtown, on Sep 24, 2007
Since last year, I've noticed that the Mandarin Immersion (MI) program has became more and more of an issue. Although the board voted to adopt MI, the issue was handled in a way that led to many unwanted consequences, such as many unhappy parents, a divided community, and an overworked school board.
Let me say up front that MI would not benefit any of my children. It's having a scientist's conscience that has driven me to want to serve my community. I have used my research approach to study the MI issue. First, I put the MI issue into the category of "foreign language education for K-12." Second, I searched for all related historic and current information I could find in that category. Let me briefly present my research results here.
1. On January 5, 2006, President Bush launched the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI). Chinese is listed as a "critical need" foreign language. NSLI provides $24 million to help critical need languages education in K-12 through FLAP (Foreign Language Assistance Program) grants.
2. On May 19, 2006, the Department of Education's OELA published a notice inviting applications for new FLAP grants.
3. In fall 2006, many school districts received FLAP awards:
Saint Paul Public School District was awarded a FLAP grant of about $680,000 for the Chinese Articulation Project.
Michigan's Lansing School District received an $801,556 three-year grant. The grant will fund the expansion of a program in Mandarin Chinese.
These facts show that MI supports the national strategic interest. While PAUSD's school board was fighting over the MI issue, other school districts in the nation were rapidly advancing in Mandarin Chinese education with the help of federal grants. My observation is that the board did not properly handle the MI issue. This mistake cost us dearly. It cost time, resources, and harmony in our community. This was partially due to board members not having solid experience with handling federal grants. This lack of relevant experience limited their vision to have only a local (rather than global) perspective. A board with members having diverse backgrounds and experiences could have prevented this kind of mistake. An independent scientist would be a good choice for the board.
I was invited to be an NIH grant review panelist. I know that federal grants not only provide financial assistance but also support strategic directions and critical needs of the nation. I want to contribute my experience to PAUSD.
Let's look forward. The nation is giving PAUSD another chance!
Recently, California Congresswoman Susan Davis introduced legislation—the U.S.-China Language Engagement Act—which provides $20M for 2008, and $25M for fiscal years from 2009 to 2012 for K-12's Chinese language education. PAUSD cannot afford to lose this new chance to win a federal grant for its Mandarin Chinese education. My experience in handling federal grants will help tremendously for PAUSD to win in the next round of FLAP grants. Winning a grant would save PAUSD a lot of time and resources. There would be no more fighting over the MI issue.
In 2008, we will start two MI pilot classes. I suggest that the admission policy should include two clauses. First, applications from non-Mandarin speaking families should be accepted with priority. This is designed to guarantee a fair and general access to Chinese language education. Second, students from Mandarin speaking families should constitute at least 30% of the total enrollment. This will make the "immersion" environment more realistic and challenging.
I believe that with all these done, we'd have harmony back in the community!
(Web Link)
Comments (52)
a resident of Midtown
on Sep 24, 2007 at 6:04 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Midtown
on Sep 24, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Gosh, that didn't rate being editted! And another post just disappeared!
Ok, to re-phrase - that analysis seems way off base and simplistic to me, missing a lot of aspects that drove the debate MI. Whether you praise or condemn MI, I don't think that's the approach to thinking or problem solving that one would want to see in our elected councils.
a resident of Professorville
on Sep 24, 2007 at 7:08 pm
If the taxpayers and voters of Palo Alto want a language program that is funded entirely by our citizens and our government, I have no problem with that. What I have a problem with is accepting money from unknown sources to sponsor a trip and feasibility study, and ultimately educate a select number of students for this program.
I have done quite a bit of research on this myself, and what I have discovered is shocking.
I plan on contacting officials in Washington, D.C. to clear this up, because there may be some violations regarding agencies accepting money from a Communist government to influence the minds of our young children. This includes the College Board.
The Chinese government has been spending millions of dollars to launch Mandarin programs all over the world.
If the money came from Hanban or the Confucius Institute Project, this is the "Chinese Government Office of Chinese Language Council" - this is the Beijing government - a communist government.
Web Link
or Web Link
The money would therefore be coming from a Communist source.
I would prefer that my child's education not be influenced by any foreign country, especially a communist country.
The Confucius Institute is extremely wealthy. If you do some research, you will see that they are violating other things (in Hong Kong).
While I love languages and speak another tonal Asian language, I think the way that China is going about this is insidious. They are finding loopholes in our government and public school systems to influence the minds of our children.
If we voted for a language program, and received a grant that was funded by our government, I have no problem with it.
a resident of Professorville
on Sep 24, 2007 at 7:32 pm
I apologize that my link to Hanban did not work.
Please try this link:
Web Link
If this link does not work, just type in Hanban in your Google search.
You will be amazed.
a resident of Professorville
on Sep 24, 2007 at 8:39 pm
I just found this link about the Palo Alto grant program:
Web Link
I am now researching where the money originates for FLAP grants - specifically Mandarin. I will keep you posted.
a resident of another community
on Sep 24, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Language Loving Parent:
First you say:
"If we voted for a language program, and received a grant that was funded by our government, I have no problem with it."
Then when you find out a grant from our gov't has been received, you say:
"I am now researching where the money originates for FLAP grants"
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
And people wonder why the US education system sucks!
a resident of Meadow Park
on Sep 24, 2007 at 8:54 pm
What exactly is meant by the reporter's comment:
"All students will demonstrate positive cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors."
It's just one thing after another around here. Inquiring minds still want to know the source of the $60K -- was it personal money from the PACE group? Was it money from the Chinese government? [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.] These are reasonable questions left unanswered by the district's continuing failure to respond to the FOIA and other accountability and transparency requests made in the last however many months. Why not just tell us? Not doing so gives the appearance that there is something to hide, even if there isn't. And it gets us back to the question of why the BoE didn't require ndisclosure of who was funding that big fat check. Of course, maybe they did require an accounting, in which case, let's have it.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 24, 2007 at 9:21 pm
The nation is giving PAUSD another chance to further a cause that is not favored by the majority of voters and residents of Palo Alto, and was not favored on principle by the Board of Education. (The board of educatoin was forced in to voting yes on MI for fear of a charter threat, and for no other reason.)
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Isn't this the same Liu that is a BOE candidate? We should very clearly understand what kind of 'harmony' we could expect if this person were elected. I don't even object to his support of MI as much as his blind committment to such a concept that has the promise of being so damaging to PAUSD.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 24, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Lets get harmony back and go back to 12 or 13 equally excellent neighborhood schools!
Nothing could be more damaging to the property values of this city than destroying our strong neighborhood school system with a system of luck based lottery schools which make a few fabulously wealthy and enriched, and the rest (by definition) lesser funded, and therefore perceived as inferior. Will it be YOUR neighborhood with the inferior school? Will it be YOUR neighborhood left without a neighborhood school all together?
Its wrong. A conglomoration of charter type choice schools is a really bad model for Palo Alto. As a tax payer and property owner, I take great offense to the concept of boosting one school up to the heights with a $700,000 investment while the rest of the schools struggle to get by with magazine drives, wrapping paper drives, etc.
The first step is for this BOE to act against vastly inequitable schools in this city by rejecting this grant. The next step is for the people to elect board members who understand and appreciate the value for EVERYONE of strong equitably funded neighborhood schools.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Sep 24, 2007 at 9:55 pm
My goodness, how and WHY is the PAUSD Mandarin grant application and program on a Chinese UK website?
There are pictures of Edinburg on there too! This is too weird!
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 24, 2007 at 9:58 pm
It's great that PAUSD can get money from the feds to support a cost-neutral program favored by a majority of voters and residents of Palo Alto, a program that the BOE was at first bullied into voting against.
Order has been restored.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 24, 2007 at 10:06 pm
That's funny, I thought instituting MI was as easy as falling off a log, and Susan Charles and her one chinese speaking teacher were going to be doing this in their spare time with one hand tied behind their back. No problem.
Now they need $700,000 worth of funding to get it off the ground??
And how convenient that it materialized after the approval went through, even though it was turned down when the vote was no. In other words, everyone (except the public) knew this was waiting in the wings, if only those stubborn BOE's could be bullied into reversing their vote.
So, are they going to dole out $700,000 checks to each school to keep every neighborhood school on a level playing field in terms of resources?
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 24, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Surely you all recognize that the grant is for K-12 Mandarin program, not just for the MI program. Surely you jest when you disregard the fact that the MI program is cost neutral *to the district* in that extra costs of Mandarin materials, books, professional development, etc. are not coming out of the district's general fund, but being born by private donations or grants or other contributions *outside* of PAUSD.
Surely, you have full confidence in the 12 PAUSD elementary schools in delivering the same curriculum. Two schools in another language, but the content is the same.
And surely those of you who on one hand say language skills are really important and should be made available to all elementary students; those same people say that languages are not in the priorities list and shouldn't be addressed at this time.
Surely change is difficult and uncomfortable for some, but innovative and inspiring for others.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 24, 2007 at 11:33 pm
If MI is cost neutral to the district then any grant money given to MI will mean that the district will not need to provide the MI program that same amount of money. This should be a windfall for the district. The money saved by the district, not having to pay the MI program, could be used to start a language program for the rest of the elementary children.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2007 at 8:02 am
check the logic:
MI is cost neutral to the district.
Ergo, the district is not providing MI any extra money.
The district is providing the same money to the MI classrooms as to any other classroom, teacher salary, custodial support, library support, etc.
The district is not saving any money from the grant because the grant is being spent on things that the district would not have spent.
a resident of Midtown
on Sep 25, 2007 at 8:41 am
Right logician, the grant can be spent on items such as ipods for every child, PC's at each desk complete with a library of all the latest teaching materials and headphones so as not to disrupt the child in the next work station, high def. TV's for instructional videos, the sky's the limit. Should be a great program!
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2007 at 8:54 am
So, you are telling me that the MI classrooms will be stocked with all the latest high tech stuff, while my child's classroom has to make do with all the low tech, out of date stuff and parents donating (sorry fundraising through buying junk) for things like digital cameras, printers, etc. for our classrooms.
Now this is definitely sounding bad. Not only does my child not get language instruction, but gets left out on the updated technology too.
Winning the lottery sure sounds like winning the lottery.
a resident of Escondido School
on Sep 25, 2007 at 9:13 am
Clarification on what the grant will be used for can be found in Marilyn Cook's letter to Supt. Skelly dated today, Sept 25. It starts on page 44 of Web Link. The letter is part of the board packet will be presented at the board meeting tonight.
It's worth noting that this award requires 1:1 matching by the District. From Cook's letter, "District matching is achieved through existing personnel costs and the staff development general budget." The memo includes a revised Budget Detail which would clarify this conversation as far as what the grant will and won't cover, and how the matching will occur.
a resident of Midtown
on Sep 25, 2007 at 9:41 am
Looks like the $52,000 for "equipment" mentioned in the report would be a possible source of funding for the items mentioned above.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2007 at 10:07 am
Well, we all heard Marilyn Cook, Becky Cohn Vargas and Susan Charles stand up and say the MI-Ohlone program they were presenting to the board could be executed excellently, up to PAUSD standards, with little or no incremental effort or cost whatsoever. Becky Cohn Vargas practically gushed about the fact that district staff wouldn't need to be involved at all and the program would be just fabulous. And Charles claimed that it would be really no trouble whatsoever to simply open up the kindergarten doors to an Ohlone program in Mandarin language, that would be up to par in every way with standard Ohlone programming.
And I assume we can take them for their word??
(Because if that was not true, then BOE approved the MI program on false pretenses??!)
Ok, so let's agree to suspend reality for a moment and say then it was true. If true then a huge funding windfall of $750K for Mandarin language education is entirely GRAVY for this program - a VAST enrichment of resources over and above anything in any of our elementary schools. All for PURE LUXURY (not necessities! Because remember the above "truth" says with certainty they can roll out the program virtually for free other than 10K per classroom incremental -just 20K per year incremental!)
The real train wreck here is what this huge funding windfall, directed to ONE elementary school choice program, means to the very fabric of our neighborhood school concept. We operate this district on a well understood principle of 12 equally excellent schools, that operate on a level playing field of resources. We approved PIE and support PIE annually, on this principle of equity across the schools.
Well, kiss that concept good-bye for good if the board accepts this huge sum of money for the benefit of one program. PAUSD returns to the dark ages of pre-PIE days where equity in our elementary schools was not a princple we cared about, stood up for. From here on out its every man (every school) for themselves!
Talk about unintended consequences!
BOE - are you willing to sell PAUSD's soul for a buck? Please have some integrity, and show the world that we have some integrity. You were forced against your own best judgement to accept the MI program. You are NOT forced to accept this grant - you have been told they can do this program excellently and ON PAR with PAUSD standard elementary offerings for free. So please support a level playing field for our elementary schools!!
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2007 at 10:14 am
$52,000 in equipment for Mandarin Laguage efforts in PAUSD. how luxurious for them.
a resident of Meadow Park
on Sep 25, 2007 at 10:24 am
I'm confused about this grant. If PAUSD is supposed to match it, then accepting this grant will mean spending $750K or whatever the number was on the program (K-12 classes) out of district funds. Is Marilyn Cook saying that we would be spending that ANYWAY on two k-1 classrooms plus 2 high school mandarin teachers? If so, that would mean that the program is still benefitting from the FLAP matching funds. According to PiE principles, I think that money can't be spent on staff. So what exactly would it be used for? Also, is it really standard cost for two k-1 strands and 2 mandarin high school classes to cost $1,500,000? That seems mighty high, way above what the rest of the district is costing. Additionally, it is dangerous to rely on soft funds such as grants, donations etc. for ongoing programs. You set up the programs and then what happens if the funds dry up? Are we stuck with teh program? Are we stuck with funding it at previous levels that included the grant? This is basic knowledge among those who do accounting involving grants.
I hope the BoE and Dr. Skelly think long and hard and ask some probing questions (heck, including where that first $60K came from) before they willy-nilly accept Marilyn Cook's recommendation. I'm not saying it wouldn't be fair to fund the program that way, but how can anyone tell anything? Pleas how can anyone believe at face value anything that the 25 Churchill staff says about this program after the fiasco that was the Feasiblity Study?
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2007 at 10:38 am
What I was trying to say is that if the grant gives the MI program money then the district could "save" that same amount of money to be used elsewhere. MI says that they only need the same as the rest of the classrooms so they shouldn't really "need" the grant money, therefore, they can "return" the district money. Just a theory, I am sure that it would never happen.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2007 at 10:45 am
(don't call me) shirley - surely you recognize that the BOE has not approved a K-12 Mandarin program? The BOE specifically said they were not only NOT approving middle school, but they were not even discussing middle school. Marilyn Cook herself said over and over that no middle school study had been done. So how did a middle school MI program worm its way into the grant application?
And surely you saw the feasibility study presented by Marilyn Cook to the BOE, and the hours of testimony from the staff to BOE that said that no staff resources whatsoever would be needed to implement the MI program as presented for vote. So how did levels upon levels of staff resources worm their way into the grant application (program directors, mandarin specialists, assessment directors, etc)?
And (dont call me) Shirley - tell me where the feasibility study and staff talked about Parent Education offering for the MI participanting families? I don't remember seeing anything about that anywhere - except in the grant application.
And tell us where the feasibility study outlined the scope and cost of the Assessment effort by Stanford consultants (never mentioned in the feasibility study, never presented to the BOE, yet put forth in the grant application.)
None of this in the feasibility study - NONE of it presented to the Board - yet it all magically becomes a PAUSD committment reality through the grant application process.
And since the FLAP grant stipulates that acceptance of the grant becomes binding committment between PAUSD and the Federal government, per the program as delineated in the grant application itself, acceptance of the grant becomes defacto acceptance of all these elements of the program without ANY board discussion or vote on the full scope of the program.
The grant application itself creates a program that the BOE did not approve!
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Meadow Park
on Sep 25, 2007 at 10:49 am
Yes, but the thing is, if I understand correctly, the grant is predicated on the district's spending that much on the program. So if the district spends $50,000 on the program and sends the rest of the money elsewhere, the grant will only cough up $50,000. So basically, if you accept the grant you double the funds going to the MI program -- the funds that you would have spent anyway, and then the grant that matches that amount dollar for dollar. The grant is earmarked. Its funds are limited to use for a Mandarin k-12 program, which at this point is 2 K-1 classrooms and a couple of Mandarin high school classes. So I don't see how transferring funds is a possibility. Bottom line, as I understand it, we have to spend the same amount of money to get the money, and it all has to be spent on Mandarin. (This is not how the FLAP grant was sold way back when -- it was sold as a way to fund the entire program so that it would actually be LESS than zero net cost to the district)
Anyone have a different understanding?
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2007 at 10:56 am
Logician - right. The grant is for stuff that no one else in the district has, no else needs, and MI doesn't need. MI is going to have everything it needs to succeed at standard PAUSD funding levels.
Proof that MI doesn't need the money: according to staff reporting, Feasibiliyt Study, and copius staff testimony to the board - the program can be absolutely wonderful, at standard pausd funding levels, without any incremental staff time or any incremental PAUSD resources needed whatsoever.)
So why do we need the money? For greed's sake?
This sets a pretty ugly precedent for grabiness/greediness and disproportionate luxuries distributed inequitably across the district - why would the board agree to allow this other than for greediness sake?
I wonder if this BOE has the guts to act on principle?
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2007 at 11:03 am
Natasha - not sure I agree wholly - for example, there are developmental activities (such as development of curriculum, development of specialized assessment tools) in the grant application. So those would be spent today, for future use. So they wouldn't be limited to spending in the first year (for example), on K,1 activity.
Now, interms of 'matching' I believe the district set this up with a pretty loose definition of matching. The teachers, which all our students would have anyway - Mandarin or not - are being put up as the 'matching' resources for this grant. So, for example, we are telling the feds that the kindergarten teachers salary (say $100K) qualifies us for $100K of grant funds for other MI stuff. In my opinion, that's bogus. And perhaps would be challenged if the grant agency understood that PAUSD is not actually incurring ANY incremental investment for the MI program whatsoever. PAUSD has no skin in the game on this MI program. Good for PAUSD - but what would the granting agency say?
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2007 at 11:31 am
How ironic that a topic with the title 'get harmony back', brings us directly back to the subject that is the most unharmious, discordant issue to face PAUSD in recent memory.
The suggestion that we take a $750K grant to FURTHER entrench this district in MI, and to suggest EXPANSION of MI before even the first student shows up for the pilot, is about the most unharmonious suggestion on this terribly divisive issue, that I could have imagined.
I think dissonance is the word that this author might have been looking for. He suggests harmony can be restored by increasing the dissonance in PAUSD by doubling (tripling, quadrupling) down on the MI effort? Its a baffling slap-in-the-face position for someone trying to attract voters.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Suggestion to actually get the harmony back:
BOE should hold off on a huge infusion of funding for MI until after the pilot phase is complete. Since it is true that the staff said they could put on a very excellent program within current PAUSD resources, it seems recklessly premature to spin up the MI program into the stratosphere of funding until after the pilot is shown to be successful.
The argument, "grab for the gusto now, or lose" - this is something like what happens to a home buyer looking at open houses - panic buying, When you see another couple people running around an open house, you think OMG, I'll never get another chance to get this 'fabulous, once in a life time' deal. It clouds your judgement.
BOE - don't panic. Don't dig us (or yourselves) into an even deeper hole on this. If Mandarin education is enjoying such huge widespread growth across the whole entire USA, and is so 'strategic' to the US government, then funding sources will be just as available three years from now as they are today - if not more so. The global need for something this "important" just doesn't dry up and go away three years from now (if you believe that propoganda line). AND, if true, then there is all kinds of R&D underway now for mandarin assessment tools, curriculum, etc., so PAUSD doesn't need to grow all this stuff on their own. Three years from now, they'll have much more developed curriculum, etc. to choose from, and they wont ~need~ as much in the way of resources to build a full program.
So all the way around, waiting for the pilot to play itself out is the more prudent action.
a resident of Midtown
on Sep 25, 2007 at 12:46 pm
I completely and unequivocally agree..do not let money, from whatever source, entice you into voting in any direction.
Either it is a good idea to have a very enriched k-12 Mandarin program, or it isn't. It should not be forced through by the waving of checks...
On principle,this should be turned down. We can not reward such behavior, writing up a grant for a program that the Board specifically said we did not want to pursue. Then getting it and putting us in this absurd position of having to bypass our vote ( again) and commit to a program that will need to be either continued post grants, or dismantled. Either scenario is an appalling scenario, given that there was no local choice in this matter through our Board.
Taxation without representation, again...THAT is what creates the lack of harmony, not simply being upset over the outcome.
Most of us are people that if we lose a vote, we accept the fact and move on. But if our votes, our wishes, are overridden, that is another story. THAT is what is causing disharmony here.
We are making yet another decision in the absence of any Strategic Plan to support it, any election on the future of our District to support it, or even just a community survey to support it. In fact, the last ( now horribly behind) strategic plan and goals and community survey concluded just the opposite.
It is wrong to keep doing this to us.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2007 at 1:41 pm
I went to the School Board Candidate Forum last night. MI was brushed aside, with the attitude seeming to be that it we should 'all just get along'. Only Wynn Hauser, in a thinly veiled response, talked about ''equity" in the choice programs, and all kids ultimately getting the same curriculum in the elementary schools. The candidates will not bring up the issue of the long-term ramifications of MI unless the public demands it.
The biggest disappointment to me was that some of the questions asked were really softball questions. "Why do you want to be on the school board?" Who cares! We have big, serious, long-reaching important issues facing our district. The candidates need to be asked hard, controversial questions -- repeatedly, if necessary, until answers are given and commitments are made.
With a dozen more events planned, this is an unprecedented opportunity for the PAUSD community. I hope that more members of the online community show up to these events and ask the smart questions that are so often posted here.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2007 at 2:00 pm
On the other hand, Wynn has publicly stated, in writing, that he does not favor revisiting MI. I am not sure what his stance is on MI going forward. He might have addressed it in one of his posts but I don't remember.
a resident of Walter Hays School
on Sep 25, 2007 at 2:12 pm
To I was there too,
Agreed. I will be ready to ask hard questions.
The only problem with on the spot hard questions, is that it is sometimes difficult to give a concise answer under pressure.
I found that during the initial MI discussion, the board members (with the exception of Ms. Townsend's out of office reply) quickly and politely responded to my questions and concerns via email.
I was also able to provide all my factual data and concerns forward to the council members via email.
I would not have been able to do this in the tense 3 minutes alloted each speaker.
The board members even requested more information from me regarding the implementation of a MI program - which my husband and I opposed.
This was before the charter school was thrown at them.
a resident of Midtown
on Sep 26, 2007 at 1:17 am
I Was There Too, what are these "hard questions" that we should get "commitments" on? I know that seems like a leading question, but I am genuinely curious - are there specific issue positions that would disqualify candidates in your mind?
a resident of South of Midtown
on Sep 26, 2007 at 7:30 am
Yes, I will not vote for anyone who thinks it is a good idea to have different curricula at each public elementary school. Period.
different teaching styles..ok, maybe...
Public education is predicated on EQUAL OPPORTUNITY for all, not equal chance at the lottery for all. We can't enforce that in the nation or the state, but we sure as heck can make it a vision and stick to it as best we can for our own district.
Aside from that, I will not vote for anyone who wants to give one group a "choice" while taking away the choice of another group. That is not "choice", it is "takeover".
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 26, 2007 at 7:37 am
Hi coward,
So, just to be very clear on your position:
1. Would you want the candidate to change the board policy regarding choice programs?
2. Would you want the candidate to champion eliminating SI and MI?
3. Would you want the candidate to eliminate all choice programs so that all schools are neighborhood schools?
Your (somewhat) extremist views beg clarification.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 26, 2007 at 2:09 pm
I appreciate the fact that you were clear that you were curious and not antagonistic.
To answer your last question first, I'm not sure if there is a specific answer that would disqualify a candidate in my mind. But I'd like to know their thinking and position on several issues, and I'd like to know that they've actually been thinking about things. Dr. Liu answered "I don't know" a number of times Monday night. While I appreciate his honesty, that's not an answer I'm looking for. I'd even appreciate an answer that indicates an understanding of all the complexities of a situation without giving a specific answer. For example, a candidate could say 'I'm not sure about issue x, and before I gave an answer on that I would need to look at A, B, C, D, and E. I will study that and have an answer ready by the next forum, or via email by this date.'
The questions I would like to see answered have to do a great deal with the Choice programs at our schools. How many is enough? Do we expand the ones we have before we add anymore, since all of them are indeed holding waitlists currently, and we can expect the same of MI? Young 5s hardly seems like a choice, more a necessity; what is the candidate's requirements to expand that program? What happens when MI runs out of room at Ohlone? Do they expect for existing Ohlone classrooms to become MI? Or do they plan to move MI to a different building? And then what of MI the Ohlone way? Is it dumped, or does Ohlone have a satellite in a different building? What is the vision for that? It is the district policy that a choice program not displace neighborhood kids, but Escondido is growing by leaps and bounds. Will SI have to move out, or will those neighborhood kids be given a priority spot in SI classes? What did they learn from the MI experience -- even though most of them weren't on the Board? (At Duvenck, they were all singing the same 'move on' song, but I would consider this question important -- possibly the most important one I would ask -- and would hope for a thoughtful and complete answer and not a 'barn building', 'let bygones be bygones' answer, as I think the question has nothing to do with re-hashing the past, but everything to do with what a Board Member might do in the future.)
There are other issues as well -- budget priorities, expectations of teachers, the way information is both sought and shared, middle school and high school expansions, but this is enough from me for now.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 26, 2007 at 2:20 pm
"The questions I would like to see answered have to do a great deal with the Choice programs at our schools. How many is enough?"
I don't understand your focus on this. Is the board considering other choice programs? Is there pressure from parents for another choice program? Is there an organized group pushing for a new choice program? Is there a charter in the wings?
If not, then this focus seems mostly backward-looking to me.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 26, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Here's the problem with the flippant (ignorant?), 'move on' answer to the MI issue.
The only part of MI that is in the past is the board approval vote. The ENTIRETY of the development, implementation, rollout is IN STILL IN THE FUTURE.
Are we honestly expected to sit back and say "The program has been approved (based on the theoretical outline provided to us on paper) so anything that happens in the FUTURE implementation phase just 'is'. Are we really just expected to hand over the reigns to Marilyn Cook and Grace Mah, and Susan Charles and accept whatever happens with the program development, the spending, the funding, the cost neutrality, the student results, the lottery, the location, etc - the way a blacktop accepts a steam roller?
That's an absolutely ludicrous position - which by the way our new superintendent supports! As far as he is concerned, which he made abundantly clear last night - no discussion allowed on MI - because its water under the bridge.
I'm looking for a candidate that knows better and will be promoting accountability and transparency to the community on the rollout of this program and who will be holding true to the parameters for that program that were set forth by this board (ie: accountability, cost neutrality, equity against other PAUSD elementary programs, appropriate and unbiased ethnic balance, student oucomes that exceed PAUSD standards, transparent lottery, etc.)
Do we have any of these candidates? Melissa's the only one I've heard talk about accountability. But I don't know if its on the matter of MI or more generally speaking.
I'm tired of letting the District staff skate all over us.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 26, 2007 at 2:45 pm
1.5 cents: Sure, backward looking, until the next one comes along. Then its all about using the 'precendent' and the pathetic swiss cheese policy as defense for the next ridiculous program that shows up waiving a check in a board meeting. Didn't your mother ever teach you - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Sep 27, 2007 at 1:25 am
And let's not forget the big question--where the hell does MI go in 3 years?
The only way to move on at this juncture would be to stop the program. Otherwise, wayyyy too many problems. We've got a program and no space. Simple really.
a resident of Escondido School
on Sep 27, 2007 at 1:47 am
OhlonePar, I don't think stopping the program is an option. Being an immersion program, there will be children in grades K, 1 & 2 who will have been taught primarily in Mandarin. It's not fair to these students to drop immersion mid-stream when they haven't had adequate English instruction. I remember hearing this discussion somewhere – probably some board meeting – and they proposed that in the worst case, should MI fail for whatever reason, the currently enrolled students would complete their K-5 immersion.
This seems fair for the MI students but terribly complicated for the program. They'll have to complete the development of the curriculum to grade 5 for this 'small' group of students. Vested interest. And then there's that nice juicy grant. More vested interest. I don't see any scenario where MI ends after 3 years. "Pilot" was simply required terminology for the board vote.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Sep 27, 2007 at 1:48 am
Ohlone Par, did you see my posts? I was looking for you. I just sent a letter off to two Congresswomen, and several to Washington, D.C., CNN, and NBC, and a close friend of mine who is a syndicated journalist.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 27, 2007 at 7:59 am
Concerned Parent,
Please let us know what response you get from the congresswomen, CNN, and others.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 27, 2007 at 9:03 am
So, you're saying a three year scenario would be you have three years worth of kids who are so far below grade level in English that it wouldn't be 'fair' to get them in English instructions pronto. I'd say it wouldn't be fair to do anything other than that.
And the only answer at that point would be to continue teaching them in Mandarin? [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Sep 27, 2007 at 10:13 am
Yet Another,
No, I don't expect them to just stop the program either. But because of that, there's no just "moving on" because there is such a space issue. I think it's interesting that the grant is for a 240-student school and then a K-12 program.
What's interesting in that light is how unsuccessful the first Cupertino class is--I think it's six kids in that first year now. Way less than a class' worth.
Concerned, I did see your posts and look at the links, but I haven't really had the time to analyze them and think them through. I think there's been some question before as to whether the $60K came from China.
a resident of Escondido School
on Sep 27, 2007 at 10:28 am
Wow, the PA Online staff have their giant clipping shears out today. Parent, I read your original response and can't remember what was so incredibly offensive that had to be deleted. Can you write it again more delicately worded?
I'm assuming you're using the word 'you' in a general sense, because I didn't design how immersion works and am not here to defend it. I'm neutral - it is what it is.
The way SI (and MI, eventually) works is that Kindergarteners are taught primarily in the foreign language - they're 'immersed'. It's about 80-90% foreign language, I think. Every year that percent decreases, until the end of fifth grade when they are supposedly at the same level of English reading/writing proficiency as non-immersion students. My hunch is that a kindergarten immersion student can successfully transfer to traditional first grade. (At least for SI, I'm not so sure about MI since the alphabet is different.) First to second is a little more challenging, and second to third is even more so. This is why the District addressed how to serve the initial group of MI students, should the program be canceled after the 3-year pilot.
It takes a great leap of faith on the part of English-only speaking parents for the first few years. That's one of the reasons a 'community within a community' forms: these parents need a lot of support from each other first in assisting their children, and second in getting reassurance that it was the right decision. It's scary when faced with STAR testing in second grade and their child has barely been taught in English.
I think this addresses your deleted comment, but if not please comment again.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Sep 27, 2007 at 10:29 am
In retrospect it's astonishing how hard MI supporters have lobbied to get MI here when there are so many thriving Mandarin programs available in our region!
Is it worth it to throw a strong public school district (PAUSD)into confusion and also add a monkey wrench into the question of future district facilities needs/plans? MI makes things a lot more complicated around here, and how many students out of all of PAUSD may benefit from MI??? Apparently, now MI is seen as "umlimited" in expansion - I am shocked.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Sep 27, 2007 at 10:31 am
What I meant is, very FEW students will benefit from MI, however there are grand plans to lock in expansion; yet I doubt that many parents will really jump onto the bandwagon. Still, facilities and related services will be co-opted by the program.
a resident of Escondido School
on Sep 27, 2007 at 10:43 am
Don't worry, k, there will be plenty of parents jumping onto the bandwagon. PAUSD has a world-wide reputation. The 'Overseas Chinese Web Guide' has a list of recommended schools & school districts in the US. Web Link Palo Alto and Cupertino are prominently featured. If you click on the navigation links on the left you can find Palo Alto under 'Top Schools', 'Chinese Schools' and 'Santa Clara County API'.
a resident of Walter Hays School
on Sep 28, 2007 at 4:45 am
That web Link! Is this why we are so overcrowded? Looks like the flood gates are wide open. Come one, come all, get the best education right next to Stanford and it's free! Impress your friends back home and tell them that you made it here.
I heard that you have to pay for the decent schools in Asia and it is competitive to get in.
Bring out more portables! What is the population over there?
We are friendly lot of people, lets roll out the red carpet (no pun intended)
a resident of South of Midtown
on Sep 28, 2007 at 7:50 am
To whoever asked the question about change Board policy on Choice.
No, stick to Board policy in the whole..choice works if it is "feasible", definition doesn't mean "do-able"...do it if it feasible w/in context, priorities, strategic plan.
In that light, I would suggest changing the way the Board policy is written to make the English and the context of the English clearer. We have never said that we want to become a district of all alternative schools, with each kid getting the eduation they win through lottery, in the name of "choice", which means one person wins in choice while the other loses in choice, in the way it has been set up.
Have a Board that understands we don't do end-runs around our District Strategic plan, nor around valid district-wide surveys of what the district sees as priorities.
We've been around and around this, no point in continuing it.
Don't miss out on the discussion!
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Cherries and Berries
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Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength . . .
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Meeting Other New Parents
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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.


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Pieter Johnson, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at CU-Boulder, is having a pretty good year. He and a co-researcher have won an award recognizing outstanding contributions to ecology, and he has been named an Early Career Fellow by the Ecological Society of America.
During the Ecological Society of America's 98th Annual Meeting next month in Minneapolis, Johnson and co-winner Jason Hoverman will accept the George Mercer Award, which recognizes an outstanding and recently published ecological research paper by a young scientist.
Johnson and Hoverman, with Purdue University, are cited for using a novel approach in their 2012 Proceedings of the National Academy paper "Parasite diversity and coinfection determine pathogen infection success and host fitness."
Increases in the diversity of parasites that attack amphibians cause a decrease in the infection success rate of virulent parasites, including one that causes malformed limbs and premature death, Johnson and Hoverman found.
Commenting on that study, Johnson said scientists are concerned about how changes in biodiversity affect the risk of infectious diseases in humans and wildlife. Charting the relationships between parasites and amphibians is important, since few studies have examined the influence of parasite diversity on disease, and the fact that amphibians are declining faster than any group of animals on the planet due to human activities like habitat loss, pollution and emerging diseases, Johnson said.
In the PNAS study, the team sampled 134 California ponds for the parasites, known as trematodes, comparing their abundance and distribution with the health of more than 2,000 Pacific chorus frogs.
The CU-Boulder team combined the field studies with extensive lab experiments that charted the health of the frogs in the presence of different combinations of the six most common amphibian parasites, including the Ribeiroia group whose larvae burrow into tadpole limb regions and form cysts that disrupt normal frog and toad leg development, causing extra or missing limbs.
The study showed when the chorus frogs were exposed to all six trematode types simultaneously, the infection success rate was 42 percent lower than for frogs exposed to only a single species of parasite.
"Our results show increases in parasite diversity consistently cause a decrease in infection success by the most virulent parasite," said Johnson.
While the six parasites used in the study are responsible for about 95 percent of trematode infections in the wild, most of the world's parasites cause limited damage to host individuals, said Johnson. In the PNAS study, only two parasites, Ribeiroia and a parasite group calledEchinostoma — which can trigger amphibian mortality — were known to be particularly dangerous to their host species.
The primary study results support the idea that higher biodiversity can help protect against certain diseases, but few previous studies had considered the diversity of the parasites themselves.
Because many parasites compete with each other, ecological systems richer in parasites can act as a buffer against virulent pathogens. Johnson said the combination of extensive field and lab work helped strengthen the study results.

subset: commoncrawl


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Last Modified: Friday, January 11, 2013 10:38 AM
South Lake Charles Little League will have its first on-site registration from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Nelson Elementary, 1001 Country Club Road.
Parents or guardians must bring player's birth certificate and two proofs of residence. Registration and medical release forms are required. You can print them out in advance at www.slclittleleague.com or complete them on site. Also, online registration is available at www.slclittleleague.com. For more information, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Fundraiser Held For Fallen Firefighter
BAYBORO, PAMLICO COUNTY - A fundraiser for 20-year-old Larry Sparrow was held Friday at the volunteer fire department in Grantsboro.
Sparrow, a volunteer firefighter and 2011 Pamlico High School graduate, died Sunday. He was pulled from a rip current on Atlantic Beach ten days before.
Volunteers sold plates of barbeque to raise money to help Sparrow's family with medical and funeral costs.
The fundraiser started at 10:30 Friday and volunteers sold out of barbeque by noon.
"He came out and gave his time so we give him some time back and maybe we can help his family out with it," Fire Chief Monnie Golden said.
"We want his family to know he's going down with a legacy," Samantha Suggs, a fellow volunteer firefighter, said. "He meant something to us."
Sparrow's funeral is scheduled for Saturday in Grantsboro.
Previous Story
Funeral arrangements have been set for a young Pamlico County firefighter killed by a rip current.
The viewing for Larry Sparrow is scheduled to be held on Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Rivers-Morgan Funeral Home, Inc., at 701 West Street in New Bern.
Sparrow's homegoing service will to be at noon Saturday at the New Bern Eastern Missionary Baptist Association Building, Grantsboro. Burial will immediately follow at Hudnell Cemetery.
Sparrow, a member of the Grantsboro Volunteer Fire Department, was taken off life support and died at about 6 a.m. on July 21, said Grantsboro Fire Chief Monnie Golden, Jr. The young man was caught in a rip current at Atlantic Beach on July 11 and was spotted about 200 feet to the west of life-guarded beaches.
After Sparrow was pulled to shore, Atlantic Beach firefighters were able to revive him, said Atlantic Beach Fire Chief Adam Snyder. Sparrow was then taken to Carteret General Hospital, before he was transported to CarolinaEast Medical Center, where he died Sunday.
Sparrow was the youngest of four brothers, his family said.
"I miss everything about him. He was very very important to me," said Clinton Hackney, Sparrow's oldest brother.
Sparrow played basketball at Pamlico High School and graduated in 2011.
"It brightened everybody's day to see him come down the hall and to know he was in good spirits," said former classmate Kaylah Blount.
In January, Sparrow joined the Grantsboro Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter.
"He was an asset to this fire department," said Chief Golden. "He was smart. He did good."
A fundraiser for Sparrow's family is scheduled to be held on Friday. According to the Grantsboro Volunteer Fire Department, they will be selling plates of barbecue from Moore's Barbecue in New Bern. The plates cost $7 each and will be at the fire station. Call 252-402-1775 for more information. All proceeds will go to Sparrow's family.
A previous car wash fundraiser raised more than $1,000 for Sparrow's family. Friends are also raising money by selling shirts and decals.
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Those biscuits you used to eat when you were a kid, and you were amazed to stumble upon some re-packaged in the super market the other day when you were all grown up or find in your friends cupboard. Famous ones include the'nice' biscuits which were anything but nice, the ring shaped biscuits with multi coloured icing on that make your teeth itch and look like some acid trip induced creation from the 60's (and still do! including pink and brown colours!) and such things as Bourbons and custard creams can be considered 'retro'
by Steveoz32 February 05, 2007


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Town Square
Wrangling about Wal-Mart's neighborhood store
Original post made by Tim Hunt, Castlewood, on Apr 17, 2012
Councilman Matt Sullivan exercised his option to appeal the Planning Commission's approval of Wal-Mart's plans to locate one of its neighborhood markets in the former Nob Hill store. The center has been without its anchor since Nob Hill closed the market in 2010 and other merchants have been suffering.
The center management submitted an application for Wal-Mart last summer and the application has been wending its way through the Pleasanton planning morass since that time.
The Planning Commission already has heard the issue twice and this will be the second hearing before the City Council.
This is a classic case of a non-issue if the operator was going to be any outfit other than Wal-Mart, which the unions detest. It's an identical use—market for market—with no expansion of space or lengthening of business hours.
What it will do is give the surrounding neighborhoods back a shopping option and generate foot traffic that should help other tenants in the center.
What's remarkable is just how long it has taken to replace one market with another. A full range of appeals have been used in this process that should finally wrap up if the four council members who supported the Wal-Mart application do so again.
SPENDING LAST WEEK relaxing in southern Orange County with a timeshare unit facing the Pacific Coast Highway and the Amtrack/Metrolink lines, it's amazing how many empty passenger trains go by in a day.
We were in our unit during the morning and evening commutes most days and it was discouraging to see trains that had lots of seats available speed by Capistrano Beach.
Metrolink runs two trains during commute hours, while Amtrak operates 10 trains daily during the week.
No wonder Amtrak requires such a huge subsidy. If a train were half full, we would have been shocked.
The tracks run right along the coast so the scenery is wonderful. But the ridership is anything but.
The Amtrak lines connect San Diego with downtown Los Angeles with connections to the Metrolink going east available. Certainly, the LA and Orange County areas are poorly suited to transit—you can say the same for much of the suburban East Bay.
Seeing how low the ridership was on the Amtrak line calls into further question the absurdly inflated ridership estimates for the high-speed rail in California. San Joaquin County routes call for ridership increasing 10-fold once the speedy trains are running.
You have to wonder what those folks were inhaling or imbibing when they dreamed up those numbers.
a resident of Parkside
on Apr 17, 2012 at 8:40 am
SteveP is a registered user.
Only a couple more weeks until we can look forward to Matty and his union comrades fade into obscurity. I, or one, will be glad to not have to endure the mindless posts of the local union trolls. Their insistence that they must control local business based on their philosophy that organized labor rule with an iron fist is reaching its end. It'll be great to see business conducted again in the old Nob Hill location, along with the increase in employment and tax revenue for the city---all the benefits the union fought against.
a resident of Old Towne
on Apr 17, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Casanova_Frankenstein is a registered user.
It is I, Casanova Frankenstein! Fear not, O Tim, I shall save you from the underused passenger train cars and sinister union-tainted CFL light bulbs!
Casanova Frankenstein, AWAY!


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Posted 5 years ago
(1 item)
genuine Miriam Haskell Signed Vintage Baroque Pearl Necklace from the 30's. Signed Miriam Haskell metal clasp (See Picture). Stunning Baroque Pearls that we believe to be a size 4.
Designer: Miriam Haskell
Style: Baroque Pearl Single strand
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Save 20% on select merchandise purchased from L.L.Bean at llbean.com, by phone, at retail stores, or on the L.L.Bean App; not valid at L.L.Bean Outlets or through our global.llbean.com website. To redeem offer, either click through your promotional email; enter promo code SUMMER during online checkout; or provide the code to a phone representative. No code is required for retail store purchases. Offer applies to merchandise only and excludes shipping charges; return labels; taxes; license/stamps; gift cards; repairs; duty; engraving; monogramming; alterations; gift boxes; select boats, optics, electronics; firearms; Bean Boots by L.L.Bean and Maine Hunting Shoes; Outdoor Discovery Schools private lessons, custom adventures, adventure trips, and youth programs; select products at our retail stores; and Direct to Business orders. Not valid on previous purchases or with employee discounts. Cannot be combined with other percent-off or dollar-off discounts including Special Pricing promotions and other limited-time offers. All refunds will match the discounted amount on the purchase receipt. L.L.Bean reserves the right to deactivate promo code(s) in the event of fraud or technical issues and to limit quantities of individual items eligible for purchase with this discount. Offer valid from Wednesday, May 24, 2017, at 12:01 a.m. ET, to Wednesday, May 31, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
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text:
- — Keep track of your favourite manga
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Usagi Drop
When Daikichi returns home for his grandfather's funeral he meets an unfamiliar child in the garden. Later, his mother explains to him that Rin is grandfather's illegitimate daughter! The presence of the child causes embarrassment to all relatives and nobody wants to adopt her. Daikichi, annoyed by such attitude, decides to take care of her himself. How will the cohabitation between the bachelor and the quiet Rin evolve?
This manga is no longer available on Mangable


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The 21st Century Community Learning Center team focuses on assisting our Arizona grantees in building and sustaining comprehensive afterschool programs. In order to continuously provide better assistance, a variety of fiscal and programmatic grant tools have been complied and made available on-line.
Grant as a Blueprint
Getting Started
- Road to Achievement
- Collaborating with other funding sources – Using NCLB Funds to Support Extended Learning Time
- The Positive Impact of Social and Emotional Learning for Kindergarten to Eight-Grade Students – CASEL
- Job Description for Afterschool Program- Program Coordinator
- Job Description for Afterschool Program- Site Coordinator
- Job Description for Afterschool Program- 21st Century Coordinator
- Site Coordinator Evaluation
- Interview Questions- Instructor
- Interview Questions- Outreach Specialist
- Teacher Sign-Up
Staff Handbook
Student Recruitment Letters
Student Registration
Student Handbook
Student Attendance Log
Lesson Planning
- Lesson Planning Template (PDF) (Word) – SEDL Afterschool Toolkit
- 21st CCLC Lesson Plan/Course Approval Form
- 21st CCLC Lesson Plans (by grade)
- 21st Century Enrichment Program Lesson Plan
- Homework Planning Log – SEDL Afterschool Toolkit
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Classroom Observations
Parent Surveys
Contact Information
21st CCLC Unit
Arizona Department of Education
1535 West Jefferson Street, Bin #24
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Tel: 602-364-2349
Fax: 602-364-1938
Director: Cindy Trejo


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A musical duo from Chicago consisting of Vapor Eyes & Capriquarius who create a unique blend of 90's styled urban/electronic music.
Damn son, that new BOOMJUICE single is off the chain!
by admissionsandrecords March 11, 2009
What comes out of a young ladies bottom after a healthy bout of bum-lovin. Specifically defined as a rich mixture of lube, sperm, a touch of poo and if you you are lucky a bit of blood.....mmm
"Whilst walking to work Jenny was shocked to feel the familiar warm trickle of last nights Boom Juice running down her inner thigh........"
by Churchissimo August 07, 2006


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Stay connected with us to get the latest health and fitness news, innovative workouts, healthy recipes and wellness tips.
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ACE Fit Share
Curry powder and mango chutney are the flavor-intensive secret ingredients in this swift and simple Indian-inspired salad. If you want, double this recipe and you'll have a great lunch for the next day.
Nutrition Profile:
Diabetes Appropriate
Gluten Free Diet
Healthy Weight
Heart Healthy
High Potassium
Low Calorie
Low Carb
Low Cholesterol
Low Sat Fat
Low Sodium
Serves 2
Prep Time 20 min
Total Time 30 min.
Step 1
Place chicken in a small skillet or saucepan and add enough water to cover; bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and cool to room temperature.
Step 2
Meanwhile, whisk yogurt, chutney, curry and cilantro in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Add broccoli, onion, cashews and the cooked chicken; toss to coat.
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Normal Body
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Tower Oil Receives Nissan Approval
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Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Nissan North America has awarded Automotive Approval to Tower Oil & Technology Co., Chicago, IL, for its Klenedraw 4701 stamping lubricant. Nissan uses the synthetic lubricant—oil-, chlorine- and sulfur-free—for punching, forming and drawing.
See also: Tower Oil & Technology Co.
Related Enterprise Zones: Lubrication
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Florence? 1370 /1375 – Florence 1402/1442
The Man of Sorrows
[Vir dolorum]
tempera and gold on wood panel
34.2 (h) x 24.0 (w) cm Accademia Carrara, Bergamo
Bequest of Giovanni Morelli 1891
Florence in Lorenzo Monaco's time was a politically independent city-state with extensive territories throughout Tuscany, widespread banking and commercial networks, and a thriving textile industry. Recovering from the ravages of the plague in 1348, Florence became a centre for learning and trade, the birthplace of the Renaissance. Sculpture and architecture were highly valued; Florentine art, as exemplified by Giotto,[1] was characterised by its qualities of space, structure and volume. To accommodate an increasingly urban population many new churches were built and existing churches expanded. The monasteries were central, and the Camaldolese monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Florence, to which Lorenzo belonged, was renowned for the production of high-quality manuscripts.[2]
The image of Christ as the Man of Sorrows, shown with the physical evidence of his Crucifixion, was increasingly important during the Middle Ages when his suffering became the focus of contemplation, especially for private devotion. Here the Christ figure, who is both living and dead, is portrayed from the waist up emerging from the tomb, with black bands indicating the Cross behind him. The panel, which has probably been cut down on all four sides, may have been the door of a tabernacle—perhaps the reason for its reduction was the need to remove a keyhole.[3] Several other holes are visible still. Alternatively, it may have been part of a small, portable altarpiece or one panel of a polyptych.[4]
Lorenzo's sombre, almost monochrome palette is in keeping with the subject matter. Colour is used only for Christ's scarlet wounds and the pink marble tomb. The brushwork around his face and hair is especially beautiful and delicate, particularly the wispy beard. The finely-modelled, painted form of the body contrasts starkly with the punched halo and low relief arch on the gold background. Indeed the contrast between Christ's face and the 'metallic' halo is such that it is reminiscent of earlier Byzantine art. The juxtaposition between the perspective of the tomb and the emphatically flat black Cross is also remarkable.
As a monk, Lorenzo left few of the secular documents such as tax records which allow us to date his works with certainty. Several connections exist between this and the artist's other paintings, including his Pièta with symbols of the Passion 1404,[5] in which Christ has the same pigeon chest and slightly undersized head. Giovanni Valagussa draws further links to his Coronation of the Virgin panels of the San Benedetto altarpiece 1407–1409.[6] Lorenzo's artistic abilities were regarded as a divine gift for glorifying God and Camaldolese spirituality, thus the panel, whether a section of a religious object or part of a larger painting, would have served as a constant reminder to its owner of the inevitability of his mortal state. It summarises a period on the cusp of the late Middle Ages and the first flowerings of a new, modern era.
Lucina Ward
[1] Giotto di Bondone (1266/1267–1337).
[2] The Camaldolese Order, a branch of the Benedictines, was formed by
Saint Romuald at Camaldoni in 1012.
[3] www.accademiacarrara.bergamo.it, Catalogo dei dipinti esposti, viewed 30 August 2011.
[4] Scott Nethersole points out that many churches were rearranged in response to reforms enacted because of the Council of Trent (1545–1563); see Nethersole, Devotion by design: Italian altarpieces before 1500, London: National Gallery, 2011, p. 98.
[5] Galleria dell Accademia, Florence; see also the Pietà fresco in the Museo dell'Ospedale degli Innocenti, Florence.
[6] Monastery of San Benedetto fuori Porta Pinti, now National Gallery, London; other panels Florence, Rome, London, Poznan and American collections. See Giovanni Valagussa, cat. 14, in Botticelli, Bellini, Guardi … Chefs-d'œuvres de l'Accademia Carrara de Bergame, Paris: Editions Hazan, 2010, p. 58.


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Commission Dockets | previous page
TC04-217 - In the Matter of the Filing for Approval of a Reciprocal Interconnection, Transport and Termination Agreement between WWC License LLC and Splitrock Properties, Inc.
Date Filed: 11/08/04 ♦ Initial Comments Due: 11/29/04 ♦ Docket Closed: 12/17/04 ♦
Weekly Filing
Weekly Filings 11/04/04 to 11/10/04
December 14, 2004, 9:30a.m. Commission Meeting
December 14, 2004, 9:30a.m. Commission Meeting
Orders: Orders are in Adobe Acrobat *.pdf format


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Web Exclusive
Remembering Father Naus
There are people who are bigger than life and Marquette Magazine loves to discover and tell their stories. But with some very rare souls, it feels as though there is no way to do them justice. That's the case with Marquette's beloved Jesuit, Father John Naus.
He brought sunshine, smiles, surprises, silly jokes, a little slapstick, serenity and solace to everyone he touched, and his reach was extraordinary. Countless alumni and parents have their favorite "Naus stories." I have one.
I dropped my second son off on campus to begin classes as a freshman and at 10:30 p.m. my telephone rang. The voice at the other end asked if I was the mother of Marquette student Alex Mueller. I instantly began thinking as a mother would about the various punishments I could mete and what I would say to Alex after I heard exactly what trouble he'd caused on his first day on campus.
Then the voice said: "This is Father John Naus. I had lunch with Alex this afternoon and I just have to tell you what a fine young man he is." That was Father Naus, a one in a million kind of friend and a man whose love of life may actually have come in second to his love for this university, for its students and graduates, and for its Catholic and Jesuit mission.
Do you have a story to share about Father Naus? Share it with us. We want to hear every single one and remember our dear friend.
Joni Moths Mueller, editor of Marquette Magazine
Last spring, 2012, one of my close friends from grade school and high school passed away suddenly and tragically. As I was getting prepared to attend and participate in his funeral on a Thursday afternoon, I found myself in the lobby of Zilber, crying. Father Naus wheeled up next to me and asked what was wrong. I told him my young friend had died and that I was going to his funeral that afternoon. Without missing a beat, Father started a Hail Mary. I joined in and we said both a Hail Mary and Glory Be. That simple gesture meant more to me than anyone could ever know. That is who Father Naus was. A man with a gregarious personality who knew exactly how to make students feel special, a Godly man who made a difference. I know he will be watching over us. Good work, soldier, and Godspeed.
I realize that none of my other Professors owed that same courtesy to me but for Fr. Naus it wasn't a courtesy it was who he was and he would have done that for anybody. He's always been a kind and carrying man. Marquette owes so much to him, I truly believe that he probably made more students days than any other person every involved at that university did or will. He, his smile, suspenders and his Christmas Cards that my family and I receive each year in summer will be missed.
I will always miss him and remember his dedication he put to Marquette University.
I never thought I would ever say this about anyone. Fr. Naus has done so much for Marquette and its students that I do not believe that he is replaceable and that Marquette would ever be the same again. Thank you again, Fr. Naus.
Henry Kwan '71 Arts, a grateful alum
And when Fr. Naus made a balloon hat for Alice Semrad, Dean of Medical Technology (1979), which she wore for the rest of the banquet.
And as an RA in Schroeder Hall, when I dressed up as a devil at Halloween. I have the funniest picture I have of kissing Fr. Naus on the cheek.
Incredible memories from someone who touched so many lives and made us all smile! Thank you, Fr. Naus! You will always be in our hearts.
During my visit to Marquette with my family from Pakistan in summer 2010, I wanted to talk to him but he (sitting in his wheelchair outside back door of Alumni Memorial Union) was surrounded by lots of students that time and I just went past him.I wish I could have talked to him some memorable words !!!!!!!
Met him in his wheelchair a few years ago on campus while visiting with my daughter. His smile has not changed. We love you, Father.
This is who he was: someone who cared deeply about complete strangers. If we can have even a portion of his energy and love of life, this world would be a better place. -2013 grad
MU Class of '71
As we gathered to celebrate the faith community he helped build, you could tell that he was overjoyed to be there. He sat, smiling, surrounded by the wonderful music and familiar faces in the chapel that evening. And even though he was slowing down, he gave a perfect homily centered around gratitude.
Despite the sadness, gratitude is what I feel most today. Gratitude for his the songs, the jokes, and the joy he exuded. Gratitude for bringing us together in prayer and friendship every Tuesday night. Gratitude for having seen on our foreheads, "Make us feel important."
And every time we saw him, he did just that. He will be missed dearly.
My 2nd recollection is how my mom & young brother visited the summer between jr. & sr. year. Fr. Naus was generous enough to share lunch with us. He made my mom & brother feel as if they were guests of honor at a special banquet. He was so wonderful with everyone he encountered. God bless him! Finally, my wife, Sarah (not a Marquetter…what?) was open to seeing if we could have Fr. Naus preside at our wedding. She had met Fr. Naus a few times during visits to MU. Sarah embraced this special man the same way everyone embraced him…wholeheartedly & completely. He was that easy to love & appreciate. Fr. Naus did marry us & was the biggest hit of that day…just by being himself at the liturgy, at the reception & at my folks' home; he was Father John Naus…special, amazing, incredible & a blessing to us all.
I moved to CA after graduation, and every time I was back in MKE, I made a point to stop by the union and visit Fr. Naus. He could always brighten any day. Of course, you couldn't ever just go for the 5 minute hello. You had to be prepared to catch up with him on everything about your life, and our conversations never lasted less than a hour. But time doesn't matter, when you were catching up with a good friend.
Fr. Naus, many will miss you and although I am sad a bit at your passing, I can only imagine what you are doing now!
I was blessed to have known you and hope I can bring a bit of your compassion and warmth to my work with college students.
David Vaillancourt
Senior Associate Dean of Students
University of Massachusetts Amherst
knowing he was around. He was a truly positive, inspirational person.
Father John Naus will be dearly missed by all he knew and loved him.
He was a generous man. How many weddings, baptisms and funerals has he travelled to all over the country? He worked with the Evans Scholars and countless other groups. He made all feel welcome on campus, probably some people that never had been in contact with a Jesuit priest in such a setting.
I saw him a few years ago as he was tooling around in his scooter. He seemed to have the same friendly spirit that he did decades before.
Although he never bought me lunch..and I don't recall getting a balloon animal, I appreciated the Christmas cards over these last 30 some years.
He led a very full life. He had that outgoing, giving personality that you dont't see in all teachers or administrators. He will be missed by many in the Marquette community.
Father John Naus will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.


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lively, fresh tea
Verified Purchase
lively, fresh tea
This tea is a pleasant combination of pungency and mildness. The flavor is citrusy/spicey and the mint does not really add a flavor but just a cool sensation. Very nice, organic tea and good for evening, after-meal digestion.
lively, fresh tea
Posted by Reviewer1708065 on Nov 26, 2012 | Verified Purchase
This tea is a pleasant combination of pungency and mildness. The flavor is citrusy/spicey and the mint does not really add a flavor but just a cool sensation. Very nice, organic tea and good for evening, after-meal digestion.
Wow this is so good, please bring it back!!
Posted by LibbyLee on Sep 09, 2015 | Verified Purchase
I am so addicted to this tea. I just received it for one week now and already come back to iHerb to re-order it. I have this in the morning after my coffee. I have this tea when I am working on something. I have it hot and I have it cold. I am drinking this tea with milk as I am typing this review. I love it! Sadly I fount it discontinued. Please bring it back iHerb!
good flavour without bitterness
Posted by 5629384972480841894 on Nov 16, 2013 | Verified Purchase
purchsed it for my sister who's pregnant and she says it's great. some rooibos only teas get bitter when brewed too much; but for this one, you don't need to worry about that.
Posted by Reviewer3031617 on Aug 14, 2013 | Verified Purchase
Wonderful tea. Make it hot and drink it like that or cool it in a refrigerator. Hits the spot!
Love this
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Very relaxing - so pleasant to drink - will definitely buy more
organic tea
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I like organic tea.
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This in line with species rooibos chai I've had but I would find some other species with more intense flavor, the Tao, but not disgust me just convince me why I tested with this, expecting more from product, seek more.
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I have this in the late afternoon as I'm winding down and the spicy flavor gives me a little wake-up.
Great Tea
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love the tea drink it every night
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Sipping this as I type. A really lovely more-ish blend


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Police quick to sort rubbish dispute
"I have just learned how to get the attention of police if you want them at your home within 15 minutes," enthuses Merilyn. "My well-identified rubbish, recycling, and two garden bins are kept in a carport at the end of the section. Gardeners working at the townhouse next door filled all four of my bins with garden rubbish. I explained they were mine and I wanted to use them so I emptied them and wheeled them home to hose out. While I was hosing the gardener called the police. In about 15 minutes two policemen arrived at my front door to check out who owned the wheelie bins! All of my bins had my address painted on them so I was in the clear. Some years ago I had a man in my private garden in the middle of the night and police took ages to come - I should have told them I had a wheelie bin dispute."
T20 price-gouging
Michael of Mt Eden writes: "Five friends and I planned to go to the T20 cricket at Eden Park on Saturday.
We looked up the prices and saw adult tickets were either $27 or $32. I drove down on Saturday to the ticket office at Eden Park to buy the six tickets but when I got there I was advised that the same tickets were now $40 or $45 as I was buying them on game day. I find this unbelievable. If I went to the supermarket to buy an advertised product for $27 and then got told it was $40 at the checkout, well that would be illegal. I don't get it ..."
Horse burger jokes
My doctor told me to watch what I eat, so I grabbed some tickets to the Grand National ...
Tesco Quarter Pounders: The affordable way to buy your daughter the pony that she's always wanted!
Had some burgers from Tesco for my tea last night ... I still have a bit between my teeth.
I've just checked the Tesco burgers in my freezer ... AND THEY'RE OFF.
These Tesco burger jokes are going on a bit. Talk about flogging a dead ... NO! NO! NO! NO!
Mad Men out of touch with times
Helen was reading a job ad which read: Combine the perpetual smile of a flight attendant, thick skin of a rhino and a big dollop of nous and wit, then whip up into the perfect PA for one of the top Creative Directors in Auckland ... "Can someone tell these advertising Neanderthals it is 2013, not the 1963 of your Mad Men fantasies. I hate to think how the rest of the women in the agency are treated, if this sort of "pretty girl job" (to quote Lena Dunham's Girls) is still advertised this way."
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Video: Parody of the 'Don't Bring Your Mates' ALAC ad . Much more based in reality.
* Got a Sideswipe? Send your pictures, links and anecdotes to Ana at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Transcript: Dr. Gary Ransdell welcomes you to Distance Learning!
Welcome to Western Kentucky University, home of the Hilltoppers. WKU embraces a proud heritage and a bold, ambitious vision to become a leading American university with international reach.
As a distance learner, you are an important part of our University and this vision. Distance learners represent nearly every state in the nation and many countries around the world. We recognize that studying at a distance can be challenging. Online and independent learning courses offer unparalleled flexibility, allowing you to balance this university with other obligations like never before. At WKU we are committed to helping you stay connected and informed through online communities and a number of resources at WKU, including technology support, online tutoring, advising, research assistance and more. Remember, you have dedicated people here at WKU to help you along the way. These resources are in place to make sure you succeed in meeting your educational goals. Whether you want to start a program of study, finish your degree or just take a class, we are here to support you every step of the way. With more than 1,000 courses offered online at WKU you're almost certain to find a wide array of courses that meet your needs.
I am a graduate of WKU as is each member of my family, and all members of the WKU family share a spirit that is unique among higher education institutions in America.
Congratulations on your wise decision to become part of our highly successful distance learning program. Even from a distance, you too can catch the WKU spirit! At WKU, the Spirit Makes the Master.
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Auckland Council's Mike Lee has criticised his organisation's membership of industry organisation the Property Council.
Lee, a Waitemata and Gulf ward councillor and Transport Committee chairman, said membership was inappropriate because Auckland Council had to remain objective and impartial and should never have joined.
"I was surprised to learn from a non-council source after a meeting that the Auckland Council itself and most of its CCOs had recently joined the Property Council. And apparently, collectively, the council pays the largest amount of membership subscriptions," Lee said.
"I don't know when the decision was made to join, or by whom. However, it seems to compromise the council's role as a disinterested RMA regulator on behalf of the public. Not a good look all round."
Lee's comments followed the Property Council's victory over Auckland Council on the controversial blanket tree protection rules in Auckland.
The Property Council agreed not to proceed with an Environment Court case this month, if Auckland revoked its blanket tree protection rules.
Property Council chief executive Connal Townsend said he was flabbergasted by Lee's comments.
"The relationship works well. We have a huge amount in common with Auckland Council which are big owners and managers of commercial property ..."
A special discount rate was negotiated for joining, he said, encouraging Lee to call him to discuss the matter in more detail.


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Debbie Harry Medium Wavy Hairstyle
These platinum blonde locks are dressed in waves all through the back and sides adding plenty of body and volume to this look. The big shape o this hairstyle makes it perfect to compliment a long face and great for any occasion. This formal hairdo needs time to create and product for hold and shine.
- Hair Category: Formal
- Hair Length: Medium
- Hair Elasticity: Wavy
- Gender: Women
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- Hair Density: Medium/Thick
- Hair Texture: Fine/Medium
- Age: Under 21, 21 - 30, 31 - 40, 41 - 50, 51 - 60, and Over 60
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- Glasses: Suits with and without
- Styling Time: 30+ minutes
- Styling Tip: Tease your hair at the roots for height and control.


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Originally Posted by let`s talk
Is it seriously that ambitious to challenge 3Lu-3T with underrotated 3F in Junior Ladies? Really?
Her issues have been hit or miss in terms of UR/DG.
Polina Edmund has a russian mother, who coached her as well. Polina is a russian name
Originally Posted by mskater93
Depends on what happens in Senior Ladies, but usually the Junior National Champion goes with two Senior (National) level skaters to JWs, so probably.
ok, so it Polina E., Hannah , Hicks and Wang should be in the mix for junior worlds
It's ambitious to try ANY 3/3 in front of the USFS tech panels. They've been URing and <<ing 80-90% of ladies' attempts at both Junior and Senior levels.
Forum Rules


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Cramped Clinton library asking for money to expand
Asking 100 people to donate $100
The Village of Clinton's library has outgrown it's space. The library is celebrating 100 years but they need more space to serve all their patrons.
They're asking 100 people to donate 100 dollars to begin raising money for an expansion. From the floor to ceiling, the shelves in Clinton's library are literally crammed with books.
"Unfortunately just to get new books I had to take out 1000," says the Director Mary Biber.
They've had to purge about a thousand books that weren't being checked out as often to make way for more new books and DVDs.
A feasibility study done in 2012 estimated they need around 12 thousand square feet and more computers. The community of more than 2-thousand people currently share about six computers.
"Our computer use I've been here since 2011. It has increased steadily. 2000 sessions per year, so it's been about 4000 thus far and it keeps expanding so we're hoping to bring in more computers," Biber said.
The friends of the library has launched a campaign asking 100 people to give them $100 to help them expand.
"We actually just reached the half way mark today so we got number 50 of 100," said Mary Ann Inman with the Friends of the Library.
Inman says their goal is to raise 10 thousand dollars. She says they plan to use that money to help create a library foundation and apply for grants.
Bieber says their current library is centrally located and they hope to build their new library in the same location. Their wish list also includes private study rooms for tutoring, an adult reading area away from the children's section.
The director said every bit of their 2,400 square foot space is being used to meet the community's needs. Even in this digital era, there's a demand for more space for books.
"When we look at data, Clinton at least, is a little behind or they haven't jumped into that digital age we have the lowest use in Rock County of overdrive. They still really prefer the printed books," Biber said.
The names of the 100 donors will be placed on a quilt as the financial building blocks for their new library which will hopefully be built in the next five years.
For details on how you can help click on the link to their website listed below. http://als.lib.wi.us/CPL/index.html


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Scientists Gather to Study the Arctic Climate
FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- Will it be hot and sunny tomorrow, or will it rain? Call a weather forecaster. But will it be generally hotter or cooler in 100 years? Call a climatologist.
This week climate researchers are discussing the complex interactions of the oceans, ice, and atmosphere in the Arctic at a workshop on the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) campus. The researchers are specialists in the fields of atmosphere, ice and oceans.
Understanding the Arctic climate is important because global climate changes often show up first in the Arctic. This makes the Arctic the bellwether for predicting global climate change.
Many scientists test their theories about the Arctic using supercomputers that describe nature mathematically. This is called modelling. Scientists use supercomputers to model tiny snowflakes or the entire Arctic region. A complex supercomputer model will calculate the effect of ocean currents, wind, precipitation, ice cover, cloud cover, and seasonal changes on the Arctic climate.
The workshop, "High Latitude Ocean-Atmosphere-Ice Interactions: Measurements and Models," brings scientists together from many disciplines to share their observations and research. The workshop is sponsored by the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center and the Center for Global Change and Arctic System Research. More than 60 scientists from throughout the United States are attending.
Earlier this week scientists focused on a different discipline each day: atmosphere on Tuesday, ice on Wednesday, and oceans on Thursday. Tomorrow morning (10:40 a.m., Friday, July 29) a panel discussion is scheduled to summarize much of this research. The conference runs through Friday, July 29, at the Geophysical Institute on the UAF campus.
Several scientists at the workshop are modelling the complex Arctic climate systems using the powerful supercomputer called Denali at the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center on the UAF campus.


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Stay connected with us to get the latest health and fitness news, innovative workouts, healthy recipes and wellness tips.
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ACE Fit Share
As good to look at as they are to eat, these sundaes turn a weeknight meal into a celebration.
Nutrition Profile:
Gluten Free Diet
Healthy Weight
Heart Healthy
High Calcium
High Fiber
Low Calorie
Low Cholesterol
Low Sat Fat
Low Sodium
Serves 4
Prep Time 15 min
Total Time 30 min.
Step 1
Pull green tops off strawberries. Slice the strawberries and put half in a small saucepan. Add pineapple chunks, jam and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries are soft, about 5 minutes. Carefully stir in the remaining strawberries (the sauce will be very hot). Set aside to cool.
Step 2
To serve, spoon most of the sauce into 4 ice cream dishes and top with scoops of frozen yogurt. Spoon the remaining sauce on top. Garnish with mint sprigs if desired.
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