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San Francisco Marriott Marquis
780 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA
0.6 km from
Staff was not accommodating for what was promised. Staff was also rude.
We enjoyed the Marriott Marquis hotel very much , but the valet only parking is a bit spends. Thank goodness there is another parking garage one block over. Y
The location A 4 star Marriott hotel without room service? In San Francisco? Get your act together. What a dated American hospitality company. Will not stay there again and would not recommend this hotel to anyone
No free wifi and same type of breakfast everyday
Location is excellent. Big hotel where you get lost. Looks and feel old, needs a major renovation.
Really nice lobby, rooms where clean The wifi wasn't free, they charged you to use a computer for $.40 per minute. I really needed a workstation. No hot tube or pool for $400 per night. Will not go back.
The room was clean, the bed was amazing, location was walking distance to all things downtown, I felt safe with my young son, easy express checkout. No room service, for the money we spent I would've liked to see a free breakfast, the cost of parking is insane (it is SF though), no pool.
Location No swimming pool
The value for the money is really good! It was clean, spacious, well decorated. We ensured to get two beds in the bedroom and we got them!
They tried to steal my luggage when I first came in, took them over 4 hours to bring my stuff up. I said enough of this bs and went to go down myself and get all my stuff to find it hiding in a room away from everyone else while the guy at the front was telling me "it'll be there shortly were a little backed up". Then to top it all off I find $35 of charges from the hotel of stuff I never used. I've never been so disrespected by a hotel in my life. Shady workers I highly recommend you don't stay here.
Hotel was clean We booked a room for two night with a king size bed upon arrival we were not told they didn't have a room for us instead sent us to a room with double beds wouldn't accommodate us claiming they had "no more rooms available "... next day had issues relocating our luggage to next room. Parking was absurd $70 dollars a night ?? Overrated
Great location great front desk people beautiful view Drink left in room from previous occupant
Location. Proximity to public transportation. Doors, fixtures show age, wear and tear. Facilities fee (which I assume were adjusted for SPG Platinum members)
Comfortable and clean. Good location No room service
I loved the view and staff was extremely friendly and the location great. Bed was very comfortable and and room was nice and clean. Mabye a lil upgrade on the appliances other than that it was great. I think for the resort fee it should have came with a little more amenities.
Location was nice for exploring the city. Room was clean/comfortable. NO INTERNET at this hotel... In the modern age, it's ridiculous that wifi/high speed internet is not included in the cost of the hotel when you purchase ahead of time. On top of that, I asked about wifi when I was checking in, and the lady told me we could get internet with an OPTIONAL ~$35 PER night fee, that included internet and other services like bike rentals. We didn't want to spend this, so it made sense that I couldn't connect to any wifi from my hotel room. When I checked out, they said they had charged us for the fee, and that it was required, despite the fact that we'd never connected to the internet. Outrageous that this wasn't just in the price of the hotel from the getgo... Don't bother with this place until they get with the modern age.
Great location Restaurant can be improved, i. e. choice & prices slightly too high
We had a view even from the 9th floor. Very clean and cozy. Staff was really kind. No mini fridge :(
location - Pressured toliet caused loud, frequent rattling sounding like a fire alarm in the middle of the night. I told management and they don't/couldn't fix it . - $38 per night "resort fee" for no real services. A true rip off.
View was great, staff was very friendly, and room was very clean. $58 for over night parking is outrageous, because of that I will not stay here again. Also, $20 for wifi? For the price you're paying that should definitely be included. We had to ask twice for a crib to be sent up to the room, that was a little disappointing when I had two small children to get to bed upon arrival. Also would have been nice to have a mini fridge included in the room. When traveling with kids it's very convenient to have a fridge to store their milk, snacks, etc
Poor accommodations. Rude staff.
The room they put us in was very small. There was no refrigerator, no microwave, nothing that would make the stay comfortable or say luxury. Plus the parking cost and facilities fees are ridiculously high.
You had to pay for WiFi and the restaurant had a very limited menu.
Location staff and cleanliness No room service or mini bar
Great hotel and staff. They treated us perfectly. I would absolutely stay here again. No complaints as all. The location for us was a bit too close to some seedy areas of town. No problem, but you need to be careful which way you walk.
I hosted a bachelorette party at the Intercontinental and it was great!! The staff was very accommodating and helped us with making sure all the girls were taken care of. The rooms were beautiful and spacious, and the hotel was extremely spacious. There was a "bouncer" type employee at night who gave me and the girls staying at the hotel a hard time. He required every girl to have a key in their hand to get in, even though we just had one person per room have a key because we didn't think it was necessary. He was extremely rude and borderline harassing.
Awesome views of AT&T Park and the Bay. Front desk agent was great.
I liked how the staff was really attentive. Rooms clean, everyine real proffesional. I didnt like the fact that when u drive in to check in they dont tell u that the charge for parking is 65$ . Also that the water thats in the room thats bottled i didnt know they would charge me 8:50$ for it. Ridiculous! I seen when i checkd out!
The room stunk! For $600 get some air freshener.
Luxury accommodations. Very friendly and helpful staff. Valet parking fee is crazy high!
We stayed a night since it was near our morning meeting. The layout and lobby is great, and the staff is very welcoming. Unfortunately let down by mediocre room experience (deluxe king) and we could not have a good rest. The thermostat in our room was broken and it was way too hot. We tried re-setting it several times but it kept blowing hot air even though it was 75F. It was very difficult to sleep and sweated through the night. The shower pressure was very low. Having both shower head choices was nice, but it was difficult to feel clean because the water pressure was very low and so it took much longer to soap off. For a business hotel, you had to pay for internet. We used a hotspot instead. It felt a bit confused whether it was a luxury hotel or a business hotel, and for the price point I would stay somewhere else that has better value for money. Not having a good night sleep really affected my work day
Appreciated the staff the location and the lounge/restaurant. The room was great with a nice view each morning ....
Comfortable bed, clean facilities Check out was at 12:00pm as normal but was woken up by maid knocking on door at 9:15am. Charged my credit card $100.00 more than what was on invoice when I checked out. To be refunded within 5days or so supposedly....... It would have been nice to know beforehand.
Given a corner room even though I booked via Kayak Provided with slippers Room was spacious and TV was large - guess is 55" Gym was well equipped but didn't have time to use it Easter bunny was on duty and there was a tableful of candy for the young and not so young - I didn't have any but still appreciated the effort Bathroom short on racks to hang towels Shower head water flow too wimpy Bathroom scale low on battery
Very friendly staff, great service. The access to Equinox is fabulous! Prime, prime location--the best!! In-room dining is awful. I had breakfast twice, and was severely disappointed at the outrageous price for the poor, poor quality of every aspect of the food--coffee is burnt and thick like mud, toast burnt, side vegetables unbelievably expensive with NO quality. The fresh orange juice is good. And that's it. Otherwise, the hotel is just wonderful.
Amazing service and experience! We we're there for our honeymoon and loved every moment. The staff went out of there way to help us.
Nice rooms. Polite staff. Nice bathrooms. Everything worked without an issue. At Reservation, called the 800 number. I was told they only had two suites available. No rooms. Two minutes later, I went on Kayak and booked two rooms with no issue. Service was in no way exceptional. It was a little irritating that bell desk couldn't get cab. Food/bar is terrible Surcharge for internet access is ludicrous
good fittings and decor
People extremely helpful room service wasn't up to par, maybe because it was Valentines weekend.
The room and hotel are beautiful. We had a beautiful view of the city and Yerba Buena Gardens. The service is impeccable. Very comfortable bed and quiet rooms.
Service was excellent. Room service perfect. Bar outstanding. Concierge service spot on. Nothing
Close to everything in Union Square, clean and nice-looking inside. ...but that translates to a little over $300 a night, which isn't really worth it. Avoid it during the conventions in town.
Had a great time friendly staff great restaurant That nobody answered the phone at the restaurant for me to make a reservation fri night
The location of the hotel was excellent. There were many nice dining, shopping and entertainment options very close by. It is also very close to a BART station so getting there from the airport is very easy. San Francisco is a surprisingly easy city to drive in as well, though parking is very expensive. Though the bed was very comfortable, it was a bit squeaky. Also, being on Market street means that there is a bit of noise but it's not excessive.
The staff was very friendly. The driver to the airport (George in the Towncar) was very courteous. Need a coffee maker in room. Not a deal breaker though of course.
The Palomar was clean, quiet and comfortable and in a great location. The woman working in the evening checking in guests needs more training. Either that or maybe she was having a bad night.
The Palomar is in a great location, the staff is very friendly, and the rooms are nicely decorated. Beds are OK. Restaurant (Bad Habit?) onsite had a nice quality breakfast which was pretty reasonable.
Windows face directly into office building just 10ft away. People in the office can see directly into your room
Good arrival and wait staff were both friendly and efficient. The door man was great and the team inside were extremely helpful. I have stayed in other SF hotels in the past and Hotel Zelos is a nice addition to the city. City hotel rooms can sometimes be small but the rooms at Zelos are very spacious! I also would like to say thank you for an overall smooth and fun experience! From booking on line with Kayak to speaking directly with the hotel, to checking in & out, everyone was super friendly and consistently would go out of their way to be helpful. Mixed message on parking After speaking with associates on two separate occasions. Then the confusion in the garage, mind you I thought I lost my ticket to return however I unpacked it when I arrived back home this evening. There was a problem between the hand written sign in log from the valet and the printed report from the front desk and the hotel's portion of valet claim check system also did not work. I retrieved my vehicle because I brought the only two matching keys and I have matching handmade key chains attached. Breakfast table with two nice chairs rather than a rolling office chair. That was weird. But it was also SF PRIDE weekend so who cares!
The location was great and my room was quiet. There was a bit of mildew odor in the bathroom. If not for that I would have given an excellent rating, instead of good, for my stay.
Front desk personnel and bell service were exceptionally helpful. Rooms were nicely appointed - largest TV I've ever had in a hotel room. Central location right at Powell St. BART Station allowed me to get there quickly from Oakland Airport.
The service at the San Francisco Palomar was excellent. The front desk staff and doormen deserve top marks. They were helpful in every circumstance from procuring a taxi to giving directions or making suggestions regarding nearby attractions and walking distances. The hotel was clean, the restaurant was superb....fantastic breakfast! And the wait staff was superior. We would stay here again in a heartbeat and look forward to that happening in the near future. Hats off to the Palomar staff!!!!!!!
Room was great. But we were placed next to the ice machine....the wall there sounded paper thin throughout the night as guest needed ice. Being stuck next to an ice machine at 2 am
Being charged $60 to valet a car in unacceptable
I loved the staff! They were nice and very friendly! I also liked how we were able to communicate through texting and they replied very quickly. I asked for more conditioner for our stay, but we didn't get any extra. I also didn't like how there wasn't room for water or food in our fridge, but overall I loved this place! Definitely booking a room at the W in the future!
Liked the decor and comfort of the room Phones are not answered in time
Rooms have an awesome view of the city, very modern decor, and comfortable beds. I've only ever stayed here on business, but this is an impressive hotel with impressive rooms if you don't want to spend a thousand bucks a night at the Fairmont.
Very poor service. A fraudulent charge from the restaurant was added to my room charge. When I brought this to the attention of the staff, they became very accusatory and combative. Very, very disappointing!
Great centrally located property. Rooms were very zen, beds super comfy and lots of cool little details that made the stay pleasant. Staff was hit or miss. I get that they want to create a chic vibe but a smile wouldn't kill anyone. Did get the requested high floor room with some semblance of a view.... granted our flight arrived at 5pm on a holiday weekend makes sense why they couldn't accommodate that request.
Great location. The staff were very very friendly. The ambience was hip. The room, although had no view was very well decorated and filled to the brim with mini bar treats. The price, although not cheap, was probably one of the better in the areas for a clean non-scary establishment. I would stay here again! $63 for parking!!! Youch! That's probably standard in the city. Your $300 a night room just went up to almost $400.
The view Carpet was very dirty, stained, there was not enough space in the room and pictures online were deceiving. The air conditioning was not working including the fan, the room felt warm even when the air conditioning showed a lower temperature. Very Noisy. Staff was not helpful when asked to move to a bigger room.
Large room, nice bathroom, overly public space (including a "playroom" which wasn't for kids but they were free to use), and a great bar that was buzzing but always had seats! Staff were very friendly and engaging. Didn't use onsite restaurant - breakfast looked a little limited for kids but various diners and cafes nearby. Great spot near muni and cable cars and Westfield shopping centre. Good for union square without being union square Restaurant menu looked fab for adults but not for kids for breakfast. Otherwise nothing negative
Overall cleanliness and facilities were good We told the concierge we were on vacation and wanted some ideas on how to spend our time in San Francisco and he told us to "go see a movie". No help at all
Rooms are small and efficient; be prepared. Bed was comfortable. Hall bathroom was difficult to enter; the door got in the way. I remember waking up to some noise around 6am, but perhaps that's unavoidable in this location?
Great location near Downtown BART stations and Moscone Center. The room that I had this time had the sink located outside of the bathroom, near the bed and desk.
If you don't mind the shared bathrooms, The Mosser is a superb place to stay and it's right in the heart of San Francisco. Best of all, it's a great value especially for a European style hotel at a prime location! Very friendly staff and we felt very comfortable during our 5-night stay.
Location across from Marriot and a bit cheaper Tiny tiny rooms and shard showers not bad at all but shard showers
The location was the only thing great about this hotel. Having to share a bathroom and restroom with the entire floor. The bathroom on my floor didn't work so I had to use another floor. No real breakfast offered and parking rates were too much. Parked one block away for half the price.
Location Price Staff No amenities Bathroom didn't have a fan; instead, had a window that opened onto an adjacent room's bathroom window Ceiling fan was haunted
The location is really nice and the cleanliness were very good. The wall is very thin. The couples' voices who were staying next door were heard till late evening.
It feels refreshing as soon as you walk in the room. Everything is clean and the beds are amazing. The only thing I can say is wish they had a little mini fridge in the room.
Inexpensive compared to the other options. There qas a fight for the shared bathroim in the middle of the night that woke me and it was noisy from the street outside.
Nice interior and nice rooms. Great coffee and free internet. I did not know that there is not a bathroom/shower in the suites, but rather down the hall. However, this isn't a big deal and I got a good value Shared toilet/shower
I liked the location. I didn't like the bathroom/ shower located in the hall way that was basically too small to use. I barely fit on their bed in the original room. I upgraded to get my own bathroom and shower for $50 extra and this out me right over 4th street. Where it was so loud (even with both windows shut) and so bright from other lights (even with the blinds closed). The bed was as hard as a rock and oh yeah, let's not forget $49 a night to park your car at their hotel that you just spent $180 a night for and won't be able to sleep anyways.
The parking is a bit expensive- I realize it's San Fran but $46/night seems excessive
Friendly staff. Comfortable beds. Clean. Helpful concierge. Central location near transport and theaters. Lovely Art Deco Architecture. Extensive vending machine. No Air Conditioning. No hotel movies. No room service.
The price you pay for a hotel in that location was great. It was clean and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The shampoo and lotion provided was good enough that I didn't need to use my own (it was Bath & Body Works brand). And the towels were nice and fluffy - not thin and scratchy. It was pretty worn around the edges. Facilities were old and walls were badly in need of a paint job. The room was small and the bed creaked. The WIFI was slow and unreliable. The walls were pretty thin and you could hear other guests and street noises clearly.
Cleanliness, location, price and everything Charging Extra 50 USD , for Incidental charges no doubt same wlll be refunded but they should have that much faith in customer
The AC seems not working, the vents blow hot air only. Opened all the windows to get some cool air but that was too loud as the room opens on to the busy road with lots of traffic. Wi-Fi is OK, but could not connect to VPN. It was a short stay checked in at midnight. I was travelling from East Coast, so that is 3 AM. Did not bother to complain to staff and checked out 8 AM local time.
I got early to the pickwick hotel I liked that they were able to get me a room by 1 pm
Great value! Great location for Moscone Convention Center. Cozy room (small), but very clean and quaint. Good for one person who's not planning to spend time in the room other than to sleep. T.V. was great with fast channel surfing, solid cable connection. Although old building, everything was very clean. Clean bathroom, great water pressure. I don't think there was room service - no menu or hotel binder in the room. Not a lot of space to put toiletries in the bathroom, but that wasn't a big deal. Wifi didn't work in the room - totally weak connection.
Location excellent! The mattress with its loud rubber squeaking was completely INSANE!!!? It was something from a comedy show or hidden camera. I have never imagined something so aweful. Worse yet, when we told the front desk, we were told a Manager would call us. Nope. We called amd emailed. No return call. There is no excuse to have such HORRIBLE customer service as to not even return a phone call.
It was 3 blocks to the Moscone Center. The employees were very friendly and helpful. Historic/ small rooms. Price was outrageous for the room - $349 a night (but we were there during the Pride Parade and Library Conference). We had to sleep with the windows open, weak AC - air temp not the problem, but street noise. Water pressure in shower came and gone. Both of us seating at the end of the bed flipped the mattress.. Surprise!
Unique room small but lots of windows that opened to Mission st and large wallirrir behind bed wall! !mission and 5 th st parking garage just across street , short walk to Moscone Center with Starbucks on way Close parking and walking distance to Moscone Center
It was fine. N/a
The location was great. Yeah - theres homeless people outside BUT theres homeless people all over SF. My second room was good. I was originally put into a room on the second floor (avoid at all costs) and the windows were open when I got there (sign 1) - got them closed. Then my hot water didnt work and maintenance had to work on it for 30 min (sign 2). Finally when I slept it got so incredibly hot in my room that I was sweating. Not even the fan was keeping it cool. I should have changed rooms that night but it was 10 pm and I just worked a 12 hour day. The next morning I explained to the front desk all of the above and they immediately put me in a nicer room.
The staff are great price was very good facility and the rooms are clean Underneath this place is a saloon that has multiple live performances per night and practices during the day (every day of the week). It is worth noting that the staff will do their best to move you to a better room Cleaning staff decided not to empty my trash for 4 days shared Bathroom and and shower
Nothing The location. The staff. The shared bathroom. I couldn't shower for 3 days because every time I went to go use the shower, someone was using it or there was standing water left in the tub from the last person using it. It was disgusting.
The Utah in is very simple in what you get. In what you get, they do a very good job. The location isn't the best. Probably not appropriate for families and would suit single travelers best.
Attractive front, quiet. Uncomfortable beds, gum on wall directly next to the bed. Awkward bathroom arrangement.
Nothing at all, it was awful The whole floor has to share one bathroom it was disgusting and old. Isn't even in a good part of San Fransisco, and a loud nasty bar was directly under the hotel. If you're looking for a cheap stay I'd drive a little further out of the city and get a decent hotel for the same price.
Good location. Easy walk to AT&T Park. Very rundown. Very noisy. Construction went on until 1:00am and music until 2:00am.


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Game, Religion: Rapper Reveals He Got Baptized Last Year, Talks About His Faith
In a new interview, rapper Game has revealed he's a born-again Christian after getting baptized last year and talks about a spiritual awakening he's had since reading the Bible and attending church since 2011.
"I thank God very often, and ever since I got baptized last year, I've just been in my Bible and going to church as much as I can," he tells "Sister 2 Sister" magazine. "But I haven't changed who I am. I'll still do the things I love to do. But I got my own relationship with Jesus, and I don't think I need to explain it to anyone. I love him to death, and I worship and I pray all the time, not only for me, but for my family and friends, and just people in general. But that's me and God."
Game also explained how his fiancee Tiffney Cambridge had been trying to restore faith in him. "Tiffney [has] been trying to get me to get baptized for I don't know how long, but I told her, 'When I'm ready to get baptised, Jesus will talk to me and I'll let you know,'" he shared. "So it took about seven years, and one day I woke up and I was like, 'Today is the day.'"
The rapper, who is starring with Cambridge in their reality TV show, "Marrying the Game," said his new relationship with God inspired his next album, but his faith hasn't fully changed who is and his habits.
"The album is called Jesus Piece, and it's basically about wanting to be a Christian, right?" he explained. "But not wanting to change all the things that I love doing. Like, you know, I've been baptized. I go to church. I love God … but at the same time, I love going to strip clubs. Sometimes I smoke marijuana. And I still love drinking alcohol and chilling. I don't want to be judged for that … so that's what the album is about."
In other Game news, the rapper told TMZ he got a ticket for tinted windows and not having a license plate on his car while celebrating his birthday earlier this week in Hollywood, Calif.
Watch Game in the Trailer for "Marrying the Game"

subset: commoncrawl


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Gilfillan Delivers... a Complete GCA Radar Every 48 Hours
We reserve the right to remove comments deemed inappropriate. We also reserve the right to delete comments that are off-topic or abusive, and do not allow messages that sell products or promote commercial ventures. Posted comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Duke University Libraries. Please contact John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History with research questions.


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Doctors are quietly giving AIDS drugs to people who like unprotected sex.
All of the kids are out in the open, unprotected from the weather, and so we had one of the little girls die.
Unguarded, unprotected, forced to find his way without the guidance of his guardians.
If the public is unprotected, it's because he's equally committed to the free market.
The two had unprotected sex on multiple occasions, according to the woman.
The unprotected prophet was now completely exposed to the attacks of his enemies.
How maddening if, seeing that I was an unprotected man, they palmed off Jaeger on me!
Surely a kind Providence watched over these unprotected ones that they might in after years fulfill their destiny.
That, and the necessity to defend him on his unprotected side.
And perhaps,' with a bashful glance, 'you wouldn't mind seeing me up the street a short way, as I'm alone and unprotected.'
mid-15c., from Latin protectus, past participle of protegere "to protect, cover in front" (see protection). International economics sense from 1789. Related: Protected; protecting.


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Hi! My Name Is...
Caitlin Mayer
I graduated from the University of Missouri and returned to my hometown, Kansas City, MO to begin teaching. I am so excited to be at University Academy teaching Fifth Grade Writing! Feel free to email me at firstname.lastname@example.com
"Creativity is not a competition."
-Autumn Sky Hall


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Under pressure from state authorities, the University of Illinois plans to rebid a multimillion-dollar contract with BLDD Architects of Champaign because of concerns about a potential conflict of interest, Chancellor Phyllis Wise said Monday.
The Illinois Procurement Policy Board raised questions this spring about the UI's $4.6 million contract with BLDD for work on the renovation of the 120-year-old Natural History Building because a top UI planner is married to a BLDD employee. The board recommended in April that the contract be voided, and it planned to discuss the matter again today in Springfield.
"I don't think there was a conflict of interest," Wise told The News-Gazette on Monday.
But she added, "We will rebid it (the contract). And it will cause a significant delay in the renovation of the Natural History Building, but it probably is wise to rebid it."
Michael Bass, senior associate vice president who oversees UI capital projects, said the university will await the outcome of today's hearing before deciding how to proceed. He said the contract will be "a topic of discussion" at this week's UI Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday and Thursday in Chicago.
The controversy has already delayed the work by four months, at a cost of $366,000, and any further delays could push that cost over $1 million, UI officials said in documents provided to the state board.
At issue: Jill Maxey, UI associate director of planning in Facilities and Services, who supervises some aspects of campus construction projects, is married to Bruce Maxey, who works at BLDD and owns a 8.9 percent share of the firm. Jill Maxey is also a former BLDD employee.
BLDD disclosed the relationship, as required under state law. And the state's chief procurement officer for higher education, Ben Bagby, last month refused to void the contract, saying he found no evidence that the potential conflict resulted in any improper actions, documents show.
But the state procurement board didn't learn about the potential conflict until March 2012, more than a year after BLDD beat out 33 other firms for a $368,000 contract for conceptual design work on the project. The UI also expanded the contract in December 2011, agreeing to pay BLDD $4.3 million for architectural and engineering services for the duration of the project.
The procurement board's executive director, Aaron Carter, said board members today could accept Bagby's recommendation or vote again to void the contract, based on procedural violations — namely, he said, the failure to report the potential conflict to the board in advance and Bagby's decision to move forward with the project before it was vetted by the board.
A state law that took effect in July 2010 requires that when a potential conflict of interest is identified or "reasonably suspected," the state chief procurement officer must send the contract to the Procurement Policy Board. The board then recommends whether to allow or void the contract or bid offer, "weighing the best interest of the state of Illinois."
UI officials made a determination in 2010 that notification wasn't required under its interpretation of the new law, according to testimony from a hearing in May prompted by the procurement board's vote.
Assistant Vice President Maxine Sandretto, the UI's state purchasing officer, saw the potential conflict as a "serious concern given the close relationship involved," emails show. But she consulted with the UI's legal department, which advised that the statute didn't apply to Maxey because she did not meet the salary threshold in the state procurement code.
The UI also argued that it had an internal procedure in place to prevent a conflict, as Facilities and Services had set up an informal "firewall" to remove Maxey from the decision-making process if BLDD bid on a project. Therefore, they argued, no potential conflict existed.
But the procurement board said documents and testimony from the hearing revealed several "breaches" in that firewall. Maxey recused herself once BLDD bid on the Natural History project but was later copied on several emails about the scope of the project, before a firm had been chosen.
Also, the employee that Maxey assigned the project to, Anthony Battaglia, testified that he had connections to the firm, playing in a band with some BLDD employees. His wife's brother-in-law works at the firm, documents show. Battaglia testified that he removed himself from the process after the four finalists were chosen.
Bagby conceded in his decision that the university's efforts at the firewall were "weak," adding, "The process was simply lacking." And he said the UI should have submitted the contract for review before it was signed.
"The university has changed its position and is now submitting disclosed potential conflicts for review before signing contracts," Bagby noted in his decision last month.
But he also said it would be too expensive to rebid the project now.
Carter said both the UI and Bagby have made that argument, but "had it been disclosed initially it would have been a whole different story."
The university said Maxey did not participate or comment on the selection of BLDD architects or on the fee negotiations with the firm, and she was removed from any decision-making involving BLDD. But that didn't preclude her involvement in earlier stages of planning, scheduling or budgeting, part of the scope of her job, the university said.
However, the university has since modified its procedures in Facilities and Services to tighten the firewall, directing that a formal memorandum to be sent to all staff directing any questions to Maxey's supervisor when BLDD bids on a project. It also says that Maxey won't be copied on any emails or consulted on any matters related to the selection, negotiation, contracting or management of BLDD.
Bass said the policy needs to be formalized "at a minimum," and a conflict management plan put in place.
"The firewall was not as effective as we thought it would be," Bass said Monday.
Carter indicated the university may have to make substantial changes to satisfy the board's concerns.
"The board will have the same feeling every time this issue comes up unless there's some pretty good policy in place to prevent this," he said. "There's no way right now we can distinguish that this individual wasn't involved ... from influencing a decision."
The Natural History Building was initially scheduled to reopen by fall 2015, but that's already been pushed back to winter break of 2015, and any further delays mean the building wouldn't be available until the summer of 2016. The total cost of a 12-month delay would top $1.1 million, the university said.
The UI said the project carried some urgency because a structural analysis in June 2010 determined that 40 percent of the building was structurally unsound. The floors were sagging, and the entire 1908 addition had to be evacuated.
The state procurement board contacted the other three finalists for the project, asking if they would be willing to take it over using BLDD's work from the initial phase as a basis. All three said yes.
Bill Latoza of BauerLatoza Studio, which finished less than a point behind BLDD in the UI's scoring system for the finalists, said it would take two weeks for his firm to become familiarized with the project. He said that would not add any cost to the firm's initial base-fee bid.
The third-place firm, Holabird & Root, estimated that it would cost $100,000 to $150,000 to review the work to date and propose any modifications. The UI would also have to pay BLDD for any work to date, principal James Baird wrote.
Maxey could not be reached for comment Monday evening.
I hate to say it but maybe they need an outsider to look at the conflict policies they have and how they are implimenting them. An outsider would know you don't copy the emails to someone but when you work there and it's someone you know and trust you don't think about how things look. Especially when that is part of that person's job. Poor implementation of a recent law result in a lot of wasted time and money.
It is a 120 year old building. It is not functional by today's standards. Demolish it. It would be cheaper. Use the space for a new building, or a parking lot.
For once UI was going to use somebody local, and now that's been screwed up by the state? Ridiculous. What a waste of money to rebid.
And what sort of building, architecture, and build quality would we get for anywhere close to $5 million?
"Historic" buildings are not green. They require continued, and costly care. When new buildings on campus are built sometimes someone wants to pay part of the cost to have their name on it. Renovation of "historic" buildings generally has the state paying the cost. Yes, a new building would cost more money. However; it would be energy efficient, and less costly to maintain not counting the regular renovations. The present building is a dinosaur. How many times has it been "renovated"? It will continue to cost after this renovation. How many "historic" buildings do you want renovated on campus?
Sid Saltfork, I do not know where you get your information about the ability to turn an old building into an energy efficient building. You might check the abundance of information on this topic on the UIUC Building Research Council web site indicating that this can be accomplished plus do a search on the internet for examples where this has been done . Next as another person mentioned to build a new building with the qualiy of materials that presently exist in the old building for the monies quoted could not happen. Further, Bruce Hannon, now retired from the university, wrote the seminal article published in Science about embodied energy. It is so convenient to say just scrape a building and build new with total disregard of the cost of the embodied energies in the old buildng plus the cost of road wear to take out old materials and bring in new along with the landfill issues and maybe contamination. When these values are added to the cost of building new, all of a sudden that cost far exceeds renovation costs.
Look at what Doug Farr, Chicago architect, was able to do with an already existing building in Chicago to turn the building into the premier example of renovating this building and making it sustainable along with doing the same with the grounds, two 2-story high cisterns, and recycled right on site all of the rubble that had been dumped there. Read about the building here http://www.chicagogreentech.org/ [14]
How long do you want to keep it? Do you want to keep it for it's historic value, or for functionality? The "embodied energies", and "maybe contamination" are not going to go away. They will remain until the building crumbles. The place was falling down a few years ago. The "quality of materials" cost money to replace, or repair. The "quality of materials" is not a necessary concern. A replacement building would hopefully not use the same "quality of materials". It is no different than a 120 year old house. It will continue to be a money drain. One thing after another will need repair, or replacement. Face it... the U. of I. campus is not Oxford, or the University of Florence.
Very interesting response because of your assumptions, mainly that any rrric newly built building will not have problems, maintenance costs, a 50-100 year building life--none of these are accurate. Rather than focus on historic value, which it does have for the university, focus, instead, on embodied energies and all of the costs involved that are huge. Why do you prefer to spend more of the taxpayer dollars rather than be economically efficient. The first step toward being green is building reuse rather than what tends to be built in this comunity for a building life of 10-20 years and is architecturally uninspiring.
One last point since we here like to emulate those institutions of higher education that are held in high regard--Harvard over a decade ago made a policy decision to reuse the buildings presently on the campus rather than tear down and build new because it was discovered that it cost much less to do so.
My house is about a 100 years old. It's pretty solid. Was neglected before I bought it so it needed a lot of work. It stays fairly cool in the summer without ac, because window placement was designed for airflow. They don't do that anymore. With 1 1/2 in. thick plaster on the walls if the heat goes out we don't notice it for days. I even have hardwood floors in the bathroom. They don't make old buildings like they used too.
Not sure where you get your info, SS, but what you propose is penny wise and pound foolish. The Natural History Bldg., like many older buildings on campus, has suffered from deferred maintenance, not obsolescence, or poor build quality. We'd probably be lucky to get something today to replace that building for $50 million, and likely have to replace it sooner. Many universities have found ways to adaptively re-use buildings.


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The Deal
- $15 for $30 worth of Asian hot pots, valid Monday through Thursday
Hot Spot
At Hot Spot, there are as many chefs as there are customers. That's because every customer gets to be the chef, and be in charge of creating and cooking their Asian-fusion hot pot. They start by picking out a type of steaming hot broth, which they will then use to cook their chosen meats, seafood, tofu, and vegetables. To pair with this, they can then create their own blend of dipping sauces from varieties such as the garlic, soy, and green onion sauces. Once meats and vegetables have cooked to a desired texture, clients can dip them in the sauces for added flavor. Each meal comes with as much as you can eat, which allows guests to invent many different dishes without building their own kitchen in the dining room.


text: Nothing in the original pbi.conf as concerning proxy settings. This is the second install I did, neither auto populated the pbi.conf. I check both the pcbsd.conf and pbi.conf before setting proxy data and after. the pcbsd.conf was updated correctly. ________________________________ From: Kris Moore <kris at pcbsd.org> To: testing at lists.pcbsd.org Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2011 1:42 PM Subject: Re: [PC-BSD Testing] Suggestion for pbi On 10/13/11 11:54, Ronald Georgia wrote: I installed PCBSD9-BETA3 on my HP/Compaq 7800 mini desktop without incident. Since I am behind in a corporate environment, everything goes through a proxy server. Once the install was over and I manually setup the proxy address (system setting --> network settings --> proxy AND kdesu kcmshell4 proxy) I notice the >/usr/local/etc/pcbsd.conf was updated correctly (listed below); however I had to update the pbi.conf manually. > > >Okay, suggestion: auto update the pbi.conf file just as you did with the pcbsd.conf file. Your thoughts? > > > ># PC-BSD Configuration Defaults ># Default PC-BSD Mirror for System Updates / Meta-Pkgs >PCBSD_MIRROR: ftp://ftp.pcbsd.org/pub/mirror >PCBSD_PROXYURL: proxy.blah.blah-blah.com >PCBSD_PROXYTYPE: HTTP >PCBSD_PROXYPORT: 8080 > > > >_______________________________________________ Testing mailing list Testing at lists.pcbsd.org http://lists.pcbsd.org/mailman/listinfo/testing That is odd. Its supposed to auto pull proxy configuration from pcbsd.conf if its not set in pbi.conf. Did you have some proxy stuff in setup pbi.conf originally? -- Kris Moore PC-BSD Software iXsystems _______________________________________________ Testing mailing list Testing at lists.pcbsd.org http://lists.pcbsd.org/mailman/listinfo/testing -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.pcbsd.org/pipermail/testing/attachments/20111019/ef7c5e22/attachment.html>


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And the Award Goes to
Andreas Berlind, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, received one million cpu-hours of computing time on the TeraGrid, a National Science Foundation-funded program. Berlind will use the research time on national supercomputers to simulate the evolution of dark matter.
The first Chancellor's Chair in History was awarded to Michael Bess, professor of history, who specializes in twentieth-century European history.
Barbara Hahn, Distinguished Professor of German, and Michael Bess, Chancellor's Professor of History, have been awarded 2008 Guggenheim Fellowships. These competitive awards provide funding in the arts, sciences and other forms of scholarship.
Tom D. Dillehay, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and department chair, has been named a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The academy annually elects as new fellows the finest minds and most influential leaders of our day.
In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns by John Geer, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, has been awarded the Goldsmith Book Prize of the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University. The prize goes to an academic book that best improves government.
Larry Isaac, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and professor of American studies, received a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship Award for 2008.
Molly Miller, professor of earth and environmental sciences, received the 2007 Chancellor's Cup, given annually in recognition of the greatest contribution outside the classroom to undergraduate student-faculty relations.
"Endangered Still Life, #7" by Ron Porter, senior lecturer in art, took top prize in the Red Clay Survey at the Huntsville Museum of Art.
Dieter Sevin, professor of Germanic languages and literatures and chair of the department, was awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (das Bundesverdienstkreuz). The Order of Merit is the highest tribute of the Federal Republic of Germany for services to the nation.
Photo by Daniel Dubois.


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On Wednesday, Constellation Brands (STZ) said that rising beer sales had helped boost its quarterly earnings. STZ stock rose about 1% in morning trading.
STZ stock climbed after Constellation Brands posted fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $157 million. Adjusted EPS came in at 81 cents, easily beating the 76 cents that Wall Street had anticipated, Reuters notes.
Revenue during the quarter climbed to $1.29 billion, up 86% due to the purchase of U.S. distribution rights for Corona and Modelo beers from Mexico's Grupo Modelo. STZ said that beer net sales increased 13% in the quarter.
For the current fiscal year, STZ predicted adjusted earnings of between $3.95 and $4.15 per share. That was mostly higher than the full-year profit of $3.95 per share that analysts have expected.
STZ stock closed at on Tuesday. Over the past 12 months, STZ stock has risen more than 65%.
More Alcohol Stock News:


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Archive for Gottfried Helwein:
October 2, 2014
By Belinda Chun
Posted In
CNN Features Gottfried Helnwein "Astonishing photo-realistic portraits you won't believe were painted by hand"
CNN World Recently featured Gottfried Helnwein on the "Ones to Watch" in an article they titled "Astonishing photo-realistic portraits you won't believe were painted by hand". The images you are about to see may shock or confound you. When portraiture looks this realistic, it can be hard to accept that what you see is just paint on a canvas, or ink scratches on a page. Discover nine of the finest artists from around the world who are recreating humans in their art — with strikingly lifelike results. Gottfried Helnwein frequently depicts children in his gigantic, mesmerizing portraits, along with "low culture" icons including Donald Duck, with the loss of childhood innocence as a reoccurring theme.
October 17, 2013
By Belinda Chun
Posted In
Brian Richer, Gottfried Helwein, Openings, Ray Caesar, Stephen Ibbott
Truth, Light & Matter – Oct 3rd Annual Exhibit in Toronto Canada
Our Annual exhibition opened on October 3, 2013 and continues until November 23, 2013 with hours and appointments listed under the Contact section. It's been an incredible year –at Gallery House we are currently unlike other existing entities in the art world. We only cater to senior and high end established artists to help grow and foster their work.
Sometimes I feel as if the concept is so new it is difficult to clearly understand what this actually means. We are different because we ensure constant prominence and exhibition is taking place internationally as Gallery House deliberately partners with commercial galleries, institutions and special projects to exhibit the artists works. We manage all the nitty gritty details from strategic planning, communication, negotiation, media/reproduction, contracts, appraisal, insurance, shipping, coordination from concept to exhibition to collection of funds and return. Together with the artists we handle their inventory distribution and ensure rotation of the works of art. As such, the artist is alleviated from the above and can focus on creating their best works.
The venture was formed after working in the fine art world for over 12 years in institutions, as a consultant, commercial galleries and art fairs. Fine arts is a passion of mine and Gallery House over the few years has garnered attention from some of the top institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, US and Bristol Arts Museum, England and numerous partnered galleries in over 8 countries and growing.
Gallery House means we value our artists and our passion inspries us to bring you the best work while insuring the integrity of the artists rights are intact.
Thank you for believing and supporting us.
Above, Brian Richer newest work Marble and Fluorescent Tube limited edition of 10.
A viewer inspecting the much coveted Gottfried Helnwein–Murmur of Innocent 31.
Some attendees having an early evening viewing.
The grand opening night in full swing.
Ray Caesars' newest works –he's produced the most amount of one of a kinds in the last several years for this particular exhibit.
A viewer enjoying Joe Fentons' work and Duggan's Brewery beer.
Above, Anita Kunz large head of installation–to be acquired in a grouping of 1, 3, 5…
Talented David Cain shot a short clip on the beginnings and inspiration of Gallery House–viewers listen and watch the projector provided by Fresh Air Cinema. To view the full video by David Cain click here.
April 28, 2013
By Belinda Chun
Posted In
Gottfried Helnwein in LA Studio
This past week we were lucky enough to spend some time with Gottfried and Renate Helnwien in there studio. It was something to go through each work with him and get a better understanding of his process and the work that he does. With such a busy schedule Gottfried was kind enough to spend the whole day with myself and introduce me to the rest of his family.
Renate on the left and Gottfried on the right flanking a painting –upcoming to be at Gallery House!
Gottfried Hewlnwein and Belinda Chun above.
February 20, 2013
By Belinda Chun
Posted In
December 5, 2012
By Belinda Chun
Posted In
2012 Annual Exhibition – Miles to go before I sleep
Our yearly exhibition of Gottfried Helnwein, Ray Caesar, Anita Kunz and Catherine Howe
Dick and Anita centre surrounded by guests, writers and curators above.
A crowded backroom of the gallery with guests mingling… Chris from Duggans Brewery!
Visitors near the fireplace enjoying the works of art!


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Leader Times readers share Christmas memories
Hard lesson
I am 89 years old now. Here is a Christmas memory I will never forget.
One year, I was a small child and my sister, one year older, wanted beautiful dolls.
Well, Christmas Eve came and Santa Claus was putting toys under the tree — two of the most beautiful dolls I had ever seen or wanted, and two Raggedy Ann dolls.
We got excited, and my sister and I made noises.
Well, Santa Claus heard and sent us back to bed. We did not get the pretty dolls, for peeking — they were given to our older sisters.
We never peeked again, but I never got a beautiful doll. I told my little ones about it when they were small. That is a hard story to tell.
Sara Fulmer
Rural Valley
What is Christmas?
Christmas is filled with all the things that we love most.
Trimming the tree with treasured ornaments and twinkling lights. The perfectly wrapped packages that entice us to guess their contents. Children sending their last-minute requests to Santa Claus, and the sweet smells of holiday cooking and baking.
Our hearts fill with gladness as people everywhere come together to share the joy of the season. The spirit of love encourages us to put a little of ourselves into every aspect of the holiday. The excitement of gathering, the pleasure of planning, the thrill of discovering — all these things help us share the Christmas message with friends and loved ones.
Time-honored traditions are passed from one generation to the next, strengthening our families and enriching our lives. That's how it has been for the past 62 Christmases for me.
My siblings and I have been blessed with parents and grandparents that unselfishly sacrificed to give to us the most perfect Christmas possible, year after year. No matter how much, or more often, how little money was spent on the presents, the true gift was always and foremost the love of family.
The glorious memories of Christmases past still flourish in my mind and will remain some of the best memories of all time for the remainder of my time on this earth. Both of my parents and the grandparents have parted this world, mother being the last, back in September, but the magic they created will live on through the legacy of their love.
My gift to all of you is borrowed from the collection of poems written by my late mother, Dolores, who gave so much joy to so many, especially over the holiday seasons.
It is titled "So There."
Is there anyone more fussy,
Than a mother in December?
She running here and running there,
With so much to remember.
Now the house must be cleaned just right,
So she stays up half the night;
Therefore, when the morning comes,
She's ready for a fight.
The shopping's next; but what to buy?
For Sam and Sally and dear old dad.
And noisy toys for all the kids,
That they won't get if they are bad.
Now the baking and cooking's next,
For a week before the big day,
By Christmas day she's all worn out,
So what's the sense anyway?
So this year this old lady
Is not in any rushy.
She's going to just sit back
and watch
All the young mothers
being fussy.
May you and your family experience all the wonders of Christmas this year and always.
Dave Foreman
The Kelvinator
As a new bride, I was brought in 1975 to my first Christmas in West Kittanning. I was helping to prepare the special dinner.
Being a Southern gal, I was kind of shocked that my new family didn't use corn bread in their "dressing" for the turkey but used white store-bought bread, torn in chunks, and left out to dry a bit before mixing with celery, onions and sage.
Helping Grandma Gould prepare the dinner, I couldn't help but noticing her big roasting pan … a heavy aluminum Kelvinator. She told me this was the secret to a successful bird — using that roasting pan. She was 87 when she went to Heaven and I inherited that pan in 1982. Thirty-one years later, I am now home in Kentucky with my 88-year-old mother 10 minutes away…bragging about how delicious my turkey is and "corn bread stuffing." The magic roasting pan and the love of cooking bring back those good memories of Garfield Street, Keith, Barney, and Minnie Gould. I even found a brand-new Kelvinator pan, which I gave to my niece for her to start a new family tradition. Let's hope the spirit of Christmas and time with family will help everyone have a wonderful holiday season.
Fronza Gould
Winchester, Ky.
Through the years
A beautiful girl, just turned 3, was bubbling with life and youthful glee.
What a touching sight to see, as she sat and laughed on Santa's knee.
Ten years later, as an active teen, she was both athlete and beauty queen.
She liked sports, music, boys and school, and thought Christmas "very cool."
In 10 more years, as a loving young mom, she tenderly held her newborn son.
On his first Christmas, this mother and wife sincerely thanked God for this precious new life.
Years went by and on each Christmas Day, she and her family found a way
To help the forgotten and those in need; they helped to comfort, to love, serve and feed.
Many years later, as Christmas grew near, a doctor advised her family, so dear: "Tell her you love her, and tell her today; she won't be with us on this Christmas Day."
Heaven's gates opened and an angel went home; with new eyes she saw our earth as a globe.
She saw all the people — a beautiful site; around many she saw a bright light.
With new ears she heard a voice say, "These are the people you helped on their way,
"They're now helping others; your good travels on, well done dear daughter, and welcome home."
On each Christmas Day and for all the year through, there's a sacred importance to all that you do.
Hold fast to all that is honest and true; those you love from above might be watching you.
Linda Keener
Virginia Beach, Va., formerly of Fairmount City
Slipped inside
About 65 years ago, our families were not able to buy gifts for everyone, so we decided to draw names and set a price.
My brother-in-law, Fred, kept telling me that he had my name and was going to give me Evelyn's old black coat, which was badly worn. Evelyn is his wife and my sister.
All was forgotten for a while.
The big day finally arrived and we gathered at my other sister's for our Christmas dinner and gift exchange. I was sitting on the floor and someone passed a beautifully wrapped, big box as my gift. I tore into it and when I took the lid off of the box, there was Evelyn's old black coat.
I was half crying and half laughing, and everyone else was laughing.
In among the folds of the coat was another gift, my exchange gift, a beautiful yellow slip.
What a Christmas and a good memory.
Lillian Andryka
Rural Valley
A miracle: Walking
In November 1998, our daughter gave birth to our first grandchild — a beautiful, healthy baby boy, so we thought.
The holidays were coming, and how excited we all were about having a baby to share Christmas with, even though he didn't realize what was going on. Our excitement was short-lived because his first Christmas was spent in Children's Hospital. Our precious grandson had been diagnosed with a very rare blood disorder, and the future looked very bleak for Jami. He was in the hospital on and off for the next couple of months.
In February 1999, Jami was home, and visiting nurses came almost every day to care for him.
He seemed to be doing well until Feb. 7, 1999. Jami woke-up and couldn't breathe. His parents rushed him to Armstrong County Memorial Hospital, where he was life-flighted to Children's Hospital.
We were all scared, but we had to believe all would be well with this little guy. Unbeknownst to us, Jami's heart stopped while in the helicopter. Thank goodness they got him back, and again on Valentine's Day, when his heart stopped again. It was a roller coaster ride, daily, for all of us.
After all the time on a ventilator, the doctor decided Jami would have to have a trach put in his throat to breathe.
He seemed to get stronger every day, and finally in April 1999, Jami was home. But the doctors told his parents he would never be able to do anything — no sitting up, no crawling, no walking. Basically, he would be a vegetable.
My daughter would not accept this, so she, the visiting nurses and therapists worked with him every day until, miracle of miracles, he was soon able to do almost everything. As his first birthday came near, we were so surprised to see him take his first steps.
When Christmas arrived, I can still see that small baby boy came running to greet us when we knocked on the door.
If ever there was a Christmas miracle — here it was. He was walking! That was the best Christmas ever.
Jami is now a 15-year-old young man. The trach was removed 10 years ago, and his blood disorder seems to be gone. He's truly a miracle, and we are thankful everyday for him.
Merry Christmas, and always remember there are miracles.
Cynthia Duncan
Ford City
The real Santa
I have many Christmas memories, one for every Christmas.
The Christmas of 1960 is the one that stands out, because it defines the way I have seen the season ever since.
I was 6 years old and had just realized that Santa Claus was really my parents. When I told my mother that I wasn't going to write Santa, my poor mother broke into tears. Her last child (of six) had grown up a little; no longer a baby. I had never seen her cry until that day. I immediately said I would make a list anyway, just in case. Smiling again, she told me that she would always believe in Santa Claus.
I'm 59 now, and to this day I believe in Santa, too. At 27, I had my first child and, lo and behold, I understood what she'd been telling me. Santa is love, expressed through giving. It's that simple. Like mother, like daughter.
Thank you, mum.
Love you forever.
Susan DeLuca
Through a child's eyes
Being the mother of four wonderful children, and the grandmother of 10 beautiful grandchildren, I have many, many precious memories. I would like to share this one with you.
This memory is of our first-born child, Paula, who has been at home with our Lord since she was 13 years old.
Paula was in first grade at the time, and Christmas was drawing near. One morning, as we were starting our daily devotions, she said to me, "Mommy, we need to pray for my little friend at school, she was crying yesterday."
I asked, "Was she sick?"
Paula replied, "No, Mommy, she wasn't sick, she was really, really sad. They can't pay their bills and she isn't getting anything for Christmas. But, Mommy, I told her not to cry anymore because my Daddy would pay all their bills."
I was ready to explain to this little one that her own Daddy was working two jobs to pay our own bills and, how could she be thinking such a thing?
As I was taking my breath to explain, Paula looked up at me with the most beautiful smile and said, "Mommy, I know we are rich because we are so happy."
As I thanked God for our many blessings, I held her in a big bear hug and whole-heartedly agreed with her, knowing that it was all because of the Christ of Christmas.
And Paula's little friend did get something for Christmas.
Vivian Futscher
I'm now 65, and one of my fondest memories was "Tradition."
Tradition was a name I had given to a string of garland that always hung on my parent's Christmas tree.
I was only a toddler when my mother purchased it. It was probably a new style of garland for the 1950s. It was red and made of cellophane; shiny, bright and bristly, and very stunning on the tree.
Every year, we hung Tradition on the Christmas tree, always beginning at the top, and zig-zagging across the branches until it reached the bottom.
It began as one large string, but over the years, it became brittle and fragile until it ended up as several smaller ones that we had to handle it very gingerly.
Tradition saw the demise of leaded icicles and the strings of electric lights, that when one bulb went out, the tree would go dark. Tradition saw Christmas balls come and go, and the disappearance of spray-on snow, and other decorations that became broken or obsolete.
It was just a few years ago, after my father passed, that my mother moved to an apartment. The next Christmas, when my family was decorating her tree we discovered that we couldn't find Tradition.
"Mother, where is Tradition?" I asked.
"Oh, it looked pretty tattered, I threw it out," Mother replied.
My mother is now gone, and so is Tradition.
There isn't a Christmas that passes that I don't think of Mom and Dad, and the family times we had decorating the tree with "Tradition."
We have our own Tradition, one purchased at an antiques shop. It's not quite the same.
Bob Wood
My Christmas family
I enjoy all of the holidays during the year, but my favorite time of year is Christmas.
Christmas has always meant so much to me. I especially enjoy attending worship and Christmas Eve services with my church family.
It is a homey feeling being gathered all together in the beautifully decorated sanctuary, singing, hearing the scripture readings, and message of God's son, Jesus, who came to save us all.
The candlelight service is so peaceful and it gives everyone hope. Some of the familiar faces are now gone, but their kindness and memory will always live on in my heart.
Roseanne Linko
Leader Times editorial clerk


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One of the benefits of living next door to small children is that they have taken an interest in the toys we packed away long ago as our own son outgrew them. He is out of college now, so we are talking about ancient bins of plastic Legos and sets of Playmobile people who once inhabited little houses made of foamboard and lots of glue -- "projects" that threatened to take over whole rooms in our house. That first round of playing with him was a rediscovery of my own childhood, and now I get to do it again.
Legos are still a mainstay of child's play at home and in day cares, durable, brightly colored little blocks with connector bumps that secure them together. Even very young children (who first taste their toys) can play with the large beginner sets, learning how to stack them or build simple structures. Five-year-old Quinn and his four-year old friend Mason from across the street can make elaborate space ships and wheeled vehicles that convey Lego people here and there in a world they create as they go. They can do this for hours, and no batteries are required. They are learning as they play, small-scale accomplishments that satisfy deeply, beg for further innovation and creativity. They work together or compete, building something interiorly as they make things with their hands
The daily scriptures (Nehemiah 8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12) tell the story of Israel 's return from exile in Babylon . The desire to rebuild the temple is foremost in their minds. The psalms composed about this period reflect the national grief over the destruction of the Temple in 586 BCE, the longing to return home to reestablish this visible foundation of their covenant with God. After almost 50 years it is though they are dreaming of bricks and sturdy gates, altar stones and door frames, a place called home where they would be safe, back in God's plan and held within the promise of love.
Lego blocks are designed to be put together to make something bigger. Like people. We are meant for community and for purposes only all of us together can accomplish. The desire to build is built into our dreams and our hands.
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Why Should Gamers Be Disappointed With E3 2014?
The five key conferences of E3 2014 have now been and gone, and there's a greater sense of apathy towards the industry's biggest event of the year.
The reasons differ from person to person: some hated Sony talking about TV programme Powers for what seemed like an eternity, while others didn't like Microsoft's focus on talking about games we already knew about.
But there's a common thread between all the complaints, and that's one of disappointment.
That's not to say there wasn't anything to get excited about. Crackdown 3 and an exclusive Platinum Games title for Microsoft; Bloodbound, LittleBigPlanet 3 and Uncharted 4 for Sony and Rainbow Six: Siege from Ubisoft.
So where has this antagonism come from? We look at each of the five E3 2014 conferences, talk about what happened and what went wrong and – perhaps – even try and figure out who 'won'.
Cause that's all anyone cares about, right?
Microsoft's E3 2014 Conference
Microsoft was super careful with its E3 conference this year. After something of a disastrous show last year, it was important Microsoft didn't slip up in the eyes of the gamer.
So Phil Spencer came out humble and apologetic: 'we care about what you think', he claimed, 'you're helping us make Xbox One awesome'.
It's easy to be lulled into the siren song here, but that wasn't the problem. Microsoft has spent so long hopped up on arrogance it needs a bit of humility.
No, Microsoft's problem was the games – and for two reasons.
First was the fact that a huge portion of the early part of the show was spent discussing or demoing games we already knew about. Call Of Duty, Forza Horizon 2, Sunset Overdrive, Evolve and Assassin's Creed Unity were the key titles of the conference.
And we'd already heard of all of them before. New gameplay was shown and that made the likes of Assassin's Creed Unity very much appreciated, but the conference still suffered from a lack of surprise, that sudden sense of oh-my-god-this-is-the-game-I've-been-waiting-for excitement that we all long for while watching E3 2014.
Of the new announcements, Microsoft also suffered at the hands of leaked info. Everyone and their aunts knew Crackdown 3 would be there, somehow, while leaks of the name 'Rise Of The Tomb Raider' just before E3 2014 told us everything we needed to know.
On paper Microsoft had a very solid showing – and it was respectable – but everyone longs for a little bit of excitement at E3 2014, and Microsoft struggled to really provide that.
EA's E3 2014 Conference
By far the worst conference of the show, EA's problem was unique because – in theory at least – it had the potential to be the most exciting.
New details on Star Wars: Battlefront 3, Mirror's Edge 2, Mass Effect 4 and even famed-developer Criterion's next title all featured – yet what do we actually know about any of these games now, after the conference?
The most exciting thing it had was the revelation of Battlefield: Hardline's PS4 and PC beta, which went live during the conference.
It created that sense of surprise and excitement we all want, and even led to crashing both Origin and PSN.
But again, we kind of already knew about Battlefield: Hardline thanks to all those leaks. It was still pretty exciting to see in action, but perhaps we're not the only ones who thought it seemed like a bloody cool mod for Battlefield 4 than a completely new idea.
EA pitched its conference as offering an insight into the development of its games; which is commendable. It's easy to understand that if there isn't anything to show, then don't show anything – other games have been criticised at other E3s for that very problem, after all.
But if you're talking to the developers about the game, get them to cough up some details. Why not drop some deets on what might happen in Mass Effect 4? Tell us what is new in Mirror's Edge 2, not the reason Faith has a tattoo around her eye.
The most exciting thing about EA's press conference was the in-engine footage of Star Wars: Battlefront 3, which perhaps says everything there is to say.
Ubisoft's E3 2014 Conference
Ubisoft shared the similar problem whereby it didn't really have much to announce. It had a stellar opening in the form of Far Cry 4, but after that it was hard for Ubi to stay consistent.
Why Ubisoft thinks every year that anyone watching its E3 conference is a fan of Just Dance we'll never know. It's always met with scorn.
And to add to that we also had Shape Up, a fitness game for Xbox One that gamifies exercise. It's a decent concept, but it's not why gamers tune into E3. Not even nearly.
Even the games that should've garnered some excitement failed to after already appearing at Microsoft's conference a few hours earlier – in some cases with less exciting details during Ubi's own conference.
Take The Division, for example, which had new gameplay during Microsoft's conference, but only a moody CG trailer during the Ubisoft conference.
Assassin's Creed Unity's co-op mode was officially unveiled during Microsoft – and it looked gorgeous too – yet while new gameplay was on show during the Ubi conference, it didn't share the same excitement. We'd already seen next-gen gameplay, after all.
It was all resolved with the announcement of Rainbow Six: Siege, the tactical multiplayer shooter. It was unexpected and exciting, showing a tense – if not heavily scripted – battle of wits.
It was new and that was enough. That's what we want to see from E3, and Ubisoft was smart to leave it until last. Did that good feeling make up for the mixed conference? Not quite, but it gave us all something to talk about – and that is really what E3 is about.
Sony's E3 2014 Conference
Initially it'd be easy to claim Sony had the best conference, since it at least had a handful of surprises.
The biggest was by far Bloodborne, the PS4 exclusive that everyone is genuinely excited about – mostly because of its heritage as a Demon's Souls spiritual successor.
Elsewhere the unexpected reveal of LittleBigPlanet 3 might have taken some aback – even if the game itself lacked anything truly exciting – while news friends without a copy of Far Cry 4 can be invited into your game to play alongside them was pretty interesting, if only for the potential of this feature becoming more of a staple in the future.
Dead Island 2, Magicka 2, an unexpected Grim Fandango remake, Suda51's Let It Die and official confirmation of Uncharted 4 all gave us something new to see – even if they weren't the huge names we all wanted.
And no, God Of War was never going to be there – despite the rumours otherwise.
Another big reveal was GTA 5 officially announced for next-gen consoles. It was obviously angled heavily towards the PS4, but it gave gamers enough of a reason to get excited about the conference – even if the game itself wasn't exclusive.
But then Sony spent half an hour talking about entertainment and services, about PS Plus and PS Now that – while interesting features – was just a little boring and went on too long.
Was anyone really that bothered that graphic novel series Powers would be coming as a TV series exclusively to PS4? We'd expect no.
Add in the fact that the games that were shown weren't exactly show-busters – Bloodborne aside – and it sullied what could've been an amicable, if not overlong, conference from Sony.
Nintendo's E3 2014 Conference
Using its digital event method once again, Nintendo was comfortable as it set about listing a bunch of new games.
The Legend Of Zelda was by far the best thing on show. Expected, yes, and perhaps not all that original, but it's open-world, it looks gorgeous (even for an underpowered console, amirite?) and sounds like it could be doing something different for the series.
Believe it or not.
There was Bayonetta, Smash Bros and confirmation of a new Star Fox. Obvious money maker Skylanders-alike Amiibo figurines, cutesy Yoshi's Woolly World and even the long-overdue Mario Maker.
There was a whole load of stuff for Nintendo fans, and even something new in Splatoon – a sort-of-shooter about spaffing ink everywhere, rather than getting kills for points.
Out of the lot, Nintendo's conference was the most consistent – plenty of new announcements, some exciting new things and even some developer insight.
But Nintendo has to fight a lot of bad blood from gamers on the internet these days, and until it announces a new IP – or something completely innovative for the Wii U – it's just not going to able to appeal to anyone but the hardcore Nintendo fans.
And to be fair, outside of the fanboy glee of seeing a high-definition Link and his fancy new bow, there wasn't all that much to surprise. Kirby looked nice, but brand new? No.
Even Mario Maker – as obvious as it is – suffered by being late to the part (LittleBigPlanet says hi).
Fun is what Nintendo was trying to sell, and it managed to get that message across, but it wasn't exactly a runaway success at E3 2014 for the beleaguered developer.
So Who Won E3 2014?
Well, no one, really.
The sad truth is there just wasn't much to get excited about from any of the conferences.
Many of us went into E3 2014 expecting more – perhaps too much – since the lack of games for the next-gen consoles has left us all feeling a little disheartened.
So having very little 'new' to tantalise us, and most of those games that are new aren't out until 2015 at the earliest – so we've still some time to wait.
Disappointment is perhaps the only word for it, and every conference host was as lacking – in one way or another – as the last.


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by Staff Writers
Santa Cruz, Calif. (UPI) Jul 8, 2013
The Earth may once have had two moons, one of them a smaller twin that collided with the moon we see orbiting our planet today, a U.S lunar scientist says.
Erik Asphaug of the University of California, Santa Cruz, said he believes the landscape of our moon contains evidence of the smaller moon from when the pair collided, The Daily Telegraph reported.
"The second moon would have lasted for only a few million years; then it would have collided with the moon to leave the one large body we see today," he told the British newspaper.
The smaller "twin" would have have been about one-thirtieth the size of our moon, he said.
"It would have orbited Earth at the same speed and distance and just got slowly sucked in until they hit and then coalesced," he said.
Most scientists have supported the theory the moon was once part of the Earth that was thrown off after a collision with another body.
Asphaug will present his theory of two moons at a conference about the moon to be held by Britain's Royal Society in September, the Telegraph said.
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Comprehensive Legislative Package Gives Power to the People and Local Governments
"For far too long, New Jerseyans have been on the receiving end of higher and higher taxes imposed by state and local governments, which have been unable or unwilling to curb costs. Today, that comes to an end," said Governor Christie. "With this package of bills, we are now taking action to bring to an end the current property tax crisis and giving people real relief. After talking about the direction we need to move, we now need to get down to business and enact these reforms.
"Today, we take an important step closer to lasting property tax relief. I am committed to working with the legislature so we can act and get this done to finally fulfill a long overdue obligation to the people of New Jersey to bring property taxes under control," said Christie.
The centerpiece of this legislative package is "Cap 2.5," a constitutional amendment creating a 2.5% cap on the increase in the property tax levy by municipal, school and county taxes and a 2.5% cap on spending for State government operations. Under Governor Christie's proposal, the property tax levy cap allows for adjustments in the event a municipality adds new ratables, and provides a single exclusion from the cap: debt service payments. Current law provides for a 4% cap with at least 13 broad exclusions that render the cap virtually meaningless.
The package of bills provides key reform in a number of other critical areas for local government entities to directly address cost drivers and make living within "Cap 2.5" realistic and realizable. The Governor has recommended reform in the areas of civil service, collective bargaining, employee pensions and benefits, red tape and unfunded mandates, election reform and shared services. The 33 specific legislative reforms are:
2) Constitutional amendment to place a 2.5% cap on spending for State government operations (excluding state aid to municipalities and school districts and direct property tax relief); cap banking is allowed.
3) Reform in selection of arbitrators for union contracts.
4) Arbitrators are mandated to consider impact of union contracts on property taxes, no such requirement in current law.
5) Arbitrators are barred from making contract awards that exceed 2.5% cap, inclusive of all salary, benefit and other economic contract provisions
6) Pension benefit reform - eliminate eligibility for State retirement systems for non- government groups and associations.
7) Pension benefit reform - cap sick leave and carry forward of vacation for current employees.
8- 9) Shared services reform - when local units decide to share services current law requires buyout of union contracts, bumping and other civil service protections that destroy the efficiencies of the merger; this proposal eliminates certain civil services protections when services are shared. (2 bills required to amend different statutes).
10) Allow furloughs by local government to save costs.
11) Allow counties and municipalities to opt out of civil service municipalities by ordinance or referendum initiated by 15% of the voters.
12) Public employee discipline reform - reclassify many offenses as minor to avoid lengthy and costly hearings for relatively trivial infractions.
13) Police employee discipline reform - reclassify many offenses as minor to avoid lengthy and costly hearings for relatively trivial infractions.
14) Firefighters discipline reform - reclassify many offenses as minor to avoid lengthy and costly hearings for relatively trivial infractions.
15) Employee discipline reform - revise appeal process of employee disciplinary hearings to reclassify many offenses as minor.
16) Revise layoff rules to allow less senior, but more essential employees to avoid bumping.
17) Give Civil Service Commissioner more day-to-day control as when the Department of Personnel was a freestanding department.
18) Increase testing and appeal fees for civil service promotional exams.
19) Allow Civil Service Commissioner to make seasonal appointment for 9 months.
20) Allow municipalities to offset property tax refunds against State income tax refunds.
21) Expand parties that may bring challenges to Council on Local Mandates to includes groups, like the League of Municipalities. (Currently, only individual municipalities can do this and is too costly for one town to "go it alone.")
23) School districts could once again impose a "last best offer" contract under certain circumstances.
24) Executive county superintendents approval of all union and superintendent contracts. No approval of contracts with:
- Salary/benefit increases exceeding the 2.5% cap;
- Pupil contact time per day as set by regulation;
- Minimum number of work as set by regulation;
- Prohibition on contracting out auxiliary/ancillary services.
25) Executive county superintendents would be required to implement sharing of school business functions across districts and with municipalities.
26) Pension reforms similar to those affecting municipalities.
In addition to the bills primarily affecting municipalities, school districts and county government, the Governor has also recommended a number of key reforms to assist higher education institutions in New Jersey lower costs, economize, and manage their budgets more effectively. Governor Christie is proposing the following reforms for higher education:
28) Designate State colleges and universities as employer of record for collective bargaining.
29) Allow state colleges and universities to hire faculty members for a probationary period.
30) Remove classified employers from Civil Service status and include them within each institution's personnel system.
31) Allow separate workers compensation program management for college and universities.
33) Move school and fire elections to November.
Press Contact:
Michael Drewniak


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Political manoeuvres by Conservative MPs on the House of Commons transport committee have enabled General Motors Co. to avoid in Canada the intense scrutiny the auto maker has faced in the United States stemming from the failure of car ignition switches that led to the deaths of 12 Americans and at least one Canadian driver.
GM is subject to five separate U.S. inquiries or investigations, and the auto maker's chief executive officer, Mary Barra, has testified at two U.S. government committee hearings.
In Canada, neither GM officials nor Transport Minister Lisa Raitt have been summoned to testify to the transport committee about the failure of ignition switches that led to the death of a Quebec driver last year and the recall of 2.6 million compact cars and other vehicles in the two countries. About 368,000 vehicles have been recalled in Canada.
The federal department of transport says it received several other reports of fatal collisions involving GM cars that are included in the recall and is looking into whether the defective ignition switch played a role in those cases.
The Canadian situation involving GM stands in sharp contrast not only to the actions U.S. politicians have taken, but also to the high-profile Toyota Motor Corp. recall in 2010.
An attempt by NDP MP Hoang Mai to force a transport committee investigation into the GM recall was thwarted in April. At that time, Conservative MPs used their majority on the committee to force an in-camera vote on a motion calling on Ms. Raitt and GM officials to testify. Because that vote was in camera, none of the MPs are allowed to say what happened and whether it was defeated.
"It's not public, so I can't tell you what happened," Mr. Mai, MP for Montreal-area riding Brossard La Prairie, said in an interview. "Obviously you know it, they have a majority."
Larry Miller, the Conservative chair of the committee, said the committee has not turned its attention to GM because it is too busy addressing rail safety regulations after the disaster in Lac-Mégantic last summer.
"We're in the middle of a very, very important study that Canadians want an answer to. People in Lac-Mégantic want an answer. And we're staying the course," Mr. Miller said in an interview. "Nothing else. You know, I guess if this committee didn't have anything of high priority in front of it, maybe that's something they'd consider."
People can question that decision, he added, but "you can't do both at the same time. You've got to set priorities."
Mr. Mai and other opposition members of the committee said the committee's future schedule does not include appearances by Ms. Raitt or GM officials.
He said he wants to know what, if anything, Transport Canada knew about the issue going back well into the 2000s, when the problem first became apparent to GM.
"We want to know what Transport Canada has known and what they've done to protect public safety."
David McGuinty, the Liberal Party's transport critic, said there is no reason to think the committee would be unable to deal with another matter while it continues its study on rail safety. He pointed to Bill C-3, legislation dealing with the aviation industry, which was considered by the committee in February and March while the rail safety study was set aside.
"We always have room for extra meetings, it's a common practice," he said. "I don't see this as a rationale for not considering this in a meaningful way."
When Toyota vehicles around the world were recalled in 2010 because of suspected sudden acceleration, senior Toyota Canada Inc. and Toyota North America executives were called to Ottawa to testify after Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda appeared before U.S. Congressional hearings. No deaths in Canada were attributed to the Toyota sudden acceleration issue.
At the time, Conservative government MPs supported a transport committee investigation. "Americans have been learning about some of the gut-wrenching stories that have come out in the aftermath of these revelations," Pierre Poilievre, then the parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said. "We think Canadians are entitled to the same answers, and we hope to work with our opposition colleagues in order to give them those answers."
A spokesperson for Transport Canada said the department was informed of the GM problem in February and has held "ongoing" conversations about the recall with General Motors of Canada Ltd. since the beginning of that month. Asked about the committee's decision not to study the GM recall, a spokesperson for Ms. Raitt said it's up to committees to determine what they will study.
Asked if the federal government's shared ownership of 110 million shares of GM stock affects how Transport Canada views the GM recall issue, the spokesperson said it was inappropriate to comment given that investigations are ongoing.
GM Canada said in an e-mail that it is working with Transport Canada to make sure lines of communication are open.
"We will continue to offer our full cooperation with the federal government as we work through these difficult issues," the company said.
GM outlined the U.S. probes in a filing it made last week with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
"We are also the subject of various inquiries, investigations, subpoenas and requests for information from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, Congress, NHTSA, the SEC, and a state attorney general in connection with our recent recalls," the filing said. NHTSA is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
GM Canada acknowledged in a news release issued March 29 that the fatal crash last year of a driver in Quebec is related to defective ignition switches, which involves cars effectively shutting themselves off so that power steering fails and airbags don't deploy in the event of a crash.
Five lawsuits have been filed in Canadian courts seeking class-action status.
Among them is a suit against GM, GM Canada and Delphi Automotive PLC, the supplier of the ignition switch, that was filed in Ontario Superior Court by Suzanne and Daniel Baker of Cornwall, Ont., whose 22-year-old son Nick died in a crash in 2012. The family received a recall notice for his 2006 Saturn Ion compact about 18 months after he died.
The family's statement of claim said he died when his car suddenly lost power and veered across a county road. The airbags did not deploy and investigators were unable to pinpoint the cause of the crash.
"I think the government should certainly look into it," said Russel Molot, an Ottawa lawyer who is representing the family. "But I think that if there is any kind of fine that those funds should be distributed among the victims."
A spokesperson for Transport Canada said the department has investigated the Cornwall case, but could not comment further because of the lawsuit.
Consumer advocates also believe Transport Canada and GM officials should answer questions.
"Even if you got no substance, I think it would be an important message that the industry is answerable for what happens in Canada, too," said George Iny, director of the Automobile Protection Association.Report Typo/Error
Follow us on Twitter: @kimmackrael, @gregkeenanglobe
- General Motors Co$35.62+0.05(+0.14%)
- General Motors Co$35.60+0.11(+0.31%)
- Updated July 26 1:29 PM EDT. Delayed by at least 15 minutes.


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Today is the feast of Bl. Alvaro of Zamora, "a major figure in the reform of the Dominican Order in Spain".
"He also built 'station' chapels, each representing a scene from Our Lord's passion, and has therefore been credited with originating devotion to the Stations of the Cross in the West, but this had become widespread with the popularity of pilgrimages to Jerusalem, encouraged by indulgences being attached to them in the fourteenth century."
He was born c.1350, and died c.1434.
His foundation near Córdoba "became a major centre of devotion and learning".
Please click here for an image of Bl. Alvaro of Zamora, pictured with the station chapels.
Click here for the Catholic Encyclopedia's article on the Way of the Cross. Bl. "Alvarez" is among those mentioned in the history of the devotion.
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MIAMI (AP) - A 15-year-old accused of fatally shooting another student on a South Florida school bus will be tried as an adult.
The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/Y0hnOS ) reports the teen will be transferred to the Miami-Dade County Jail after being on house arrest since the shooting just before Thanksgiving.
His first appearance could come Thursday morning. Authorities say 13-year-old Lourdes Guzman-DeJesus was killed when the teenager took a pistol out of his backpack while the bus was taking the students to school. It fired, striking Guzman-DeJesus in the neck. The shooting happened in front of the girl's 7-year-old sister.
The Herald reports the student will face formal charges of manslaughter, carrying a concealed firearm and possession of a firearm by a minor on Jan. 28.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)