text:
15 Books to Empower Tween Girls
Learn about good books that will empower young girls, tweens and teens. Shop books for girls on Overstock.com.
Cat Lover's Daily Companion is a unique, easy-to-use, and inspiring handbook filled with a year's worth of insight, helpful tips, and practical advice into the feline-human relationship for all cat lovers and owners. Whether you're a cat owner yourself or someone who just loves all things cat, this book will provide you with a lifetime's worth of ways to enjoy and appreciate cats. The formata year-long, day-minder-type bookis not meant to be read cover to cover; rather, the book can fall open on any given day and lend applicable information and inspiration. Cat Lover's Daily Companionis also completely indexed so you're able to easily search for specific content.
Each day features essays, anecdotes, activities, and trivia that remind you why you love cats:
Monday - Practical information, from welcoming a cat home to understanding its basic needs
Tuesday - Engaging tales of cats in history and literature
Wednesday - Feline health and wellness topics, from acupuncture to the zodiac
Thursday - Household tips and ideas for cat-friendly home decor and crafts
Friday - The world of cat breeds, from Abyssinian to York Chocolate
Saturday and Sunday - Bonding, relationship building, and planning special occasions with your pet
With Cat Lover's Daily Companion, you'll have a year's worth of ideas, information, and activities to help you care for, understand, socialize, and honor your feline friend.
|PETS / Cats / General
|Publisher Date
|2011-09-01 00:00:00.0
|Quarry Books
|Copyright Year
|8.75 in
|6.75 in
|1.0 in
|Unit weight
|1.45 lb
|365 Days of Insight and Guidance for Living a Joyful Life With Your Cat
|Edition Number
|Hampshire, Kristen
|Country of Origin
|United States
Learn about good books that will empower young girls, tweens and teens. Shop books for girls on Overstock.com.
Best Books to Give for Mother's Day from Overstock.com. If your mom is a bookworm, use these tips to find her a literary Mother's Day gift.
How to Create Your Own Reading List from Overstock.com. Learn how to choose books that you'll enjoy and create a useful, engaging, and fun reading list.
FAQs about Banned Books from Overstock.com. Celebrate the freedom to read! Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions about banned books.
Twilight: Beyond the Novels from Overstock.com. Our guides provide customers with information about Twilight, the novel.
Pulitzer Prize Literature Guide from Overstock.com. Looking for something to read? Here is a list of notable Pulitzer Prize-winning books.
How to Start a Book Club from Overstock.com. Our guides provide customers with information about how to start a book club.
10 Fun Facts about Disney from Overstock.com. Disney has a long, exciting history, and here are some fun and lesser known facts.
Tips on Selecting the Perfect Entertainment Gift from Overstock.com. Our guides provide customers with tips on selecting the perfect entertainment gift.
This date is subject to change. In order to assure you receive Overstock.com's low price on this item, your credit card will be charged upon order placement. The item will ship immediately upon release.
Items must be returned in new or unused condition and contain all original materials included with the shipment. More Details
FINAL SALE EXCLUSION: Items marked as FINAL SALE are not returnable unless the problem you experience is the result of our error.
For your protection, all orders are screened for security purposes. If your order is selected for review, our Loss Prevention Team may contact you by phone or email. There may be a two business day delay to process your order.
** Most Oversize orders are delivered within 1-4 weeks. Some orders may take 6 weeks to be delivered.
Cat Lover's Daily Companion: 365 Days of Insight and Guidance for Living a Joyful Life With Your Cat (Paperback)
Today: $12.47


text:
Ross Noble has some interesting obsessions; just ask his dog, writes Bernard Zuel.
Somewhat like his shows, that are called stand-up comedy but really are excuses to invade a brilliantly comic off-centre mind, a conversation with Ross Noble requires that you be prepared to fly.
Being tethered to the ground or the predictable will leave you floundering when he diverts. Such as when a casual question about embarrassing celebrity moments - while becoming better known here after many tours, Noble is rather famous in his native Britain - introduces us to a major figure in the life of this Geordie comic.
"I took my dog to Edinburgh with me and we rented a flat in the New Town in Edinburgh in quite a posh street," 27-year-old Noble explains. (Do you think maybe he needs more friends?)
"I let him into the communal garden out the back. He did a bit of a poo and it was pissing with rain and I thought I'll get that later. The next day it was the most beautiful weather and there was a woman out there clipping the garden and I went out there and there was a big sign 'DO NOT LET YOUR DOG POO IN THE GARDEN' so I told her what had happened, cleaned it up with leaves and didn't think any more of it. Then in the paper the next day, it's like a blow-by-blow account of what happened and 'the shame of him letting his dog shit in the garden'.
"There's all sorts of big world events and this story was that big [he holds his hands 20 centimetres apart] Now if I had done a poo outside a nightclub ..."
I tell him the reason I ask about celebrity infamy is I've just watched an episode of Celebrities Uncensored, a tacky American TV show. Not surprisingly, Noble is familiar with it. "I've seen them all," he says enthusiastically. "They're on cable. I find it quite frustrating when I'm over here without digital [TV] because in the UK I've got 300 channels."
Like I said earlier, maybe he needs more friends. Does the dog watch them with him?
"My wife and I had this big argument about the fact that when we go out we leave the TV on for the dog," says Noble.
"I bought the biggest plasma television that money can buy - when people ask me what I miss the most about the UK I say my telly - and we had this argument because I said he preferred cartoons and she said he preferred music videos so we would leave the TV on, go out for a couple of hours, and then judge the mood of the dog dependent on what had been on the TV. It's quite hard to tell you know."
Yeeesss. Sure Ross, whatever you say.
The dog is a bearded collie. And, yes, he has a picture of him in his wallet (standing next to Noble's wife). Does he have a picture of his plasma TV in the wallet?
"I wish I did," he says wistfully. "I should actually. In fact, I will."
By now, you're probably wondering about the dog's name.
"I can't tell you his name: it's really bad. Or not bad but can be embarrassing," is Noble's initial reaction. But he breaks down. "The dog's name is Winston."
Clearly taken from the middle name of our comedy-loving Prime Minister, I tell him. Noble looks horrified.
"He's called Winston? That's added to the embarrassment.
"When I came up with it I thought of Winston Zedmore the guy from Ghostbusters [as you do: see reference earlier to needing friends] and a tribute to Stan Winston, the special effects guy for movies who did Terminator, Jurassic Park, any film with a creature almost.
"It wasn't until we took him out to the park a few times that I'd realised I'd completely forgotten about Winston Churchill and it seemed like I was some kind of crazed patriotic English twat rather than some guy who likes any movies with monsters in it."
Which is perfectly normal, isn't it Ross?
Ross Noble plays the Sydney Theatre, Walsh Bay, tonight until Saturday.
The fourth annual Big Laugh Comedy Festival is in full swing at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta with a local and international line-up. Coming attractions include the acclaimed stand-up comic Danny Bhoy. The 28-year-old Scotsman's accents and impersonations - and charm - have won him a legion of fans. He performs tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday at the Lennox Theatre. And catch the Japanese daredevils, The Tokyo Shock Boys, on Monday and some song and dance next week courtesy of the Fabulous Singlettes.
National | World | Opinion | Business | Technology | Sport | Entertainment | Multimedia
|text | handheld (how to)
membership |
conditions |
Copyright © 2004. The Sydney Morning Herald.
|advertise | contact us

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Welcome to the Madison County Arkansas Circuit Court Clerk Website!
Madison County is located in Northwest Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 15,717. The county seat is Huntsville. The county was formed on September 30, 1836, and named for James Madison, President of the United States.
The Circuit Clerk and Recorder is the keeper of records for the Arkansas Circuit Courts and ex-officio recorder of the county.
Madison County is in the fourth judicial district. The administrative duties of the circuit clerk are to maintain a record of all proceedings of the circuit courts and to prepare the dockets for these courts. This includes maintaining a file of the cases pending, as well as, of all past court cases and their disposition. In addition, the circuit clerk is responsible for drawing the jury panels. In Madison County the jury panels are computer generated by random selection.
The Circuit Clerk is also ex-officio county recorder and is responsible for recording instruments which involves real property within the county and other miscellaneous documents. The Circuit Clerk swears in all notaries public.


text:
In this Article
How does Ficin work?Ficin contains chemicals that might help break down proteins and kill intestinal worms.
Are there safety concerns?There isn't enough information to know if ficin is safe to take by mouth. Large amounts can cause severe diarrhea.
It is UNSAFE to use ficin on the skin. It can cause bleeding and allergic reactions.
Special Precautions & Warnings:Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough information to know if ficin is safe to take by mouth. But it is UNSAFE to use on the skin. Stay on the safe side and don't use ficin if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Dosing considerations for Ficin.The appropriate dose of ficin depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for ficin. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.


text:
Posted by anonymous
I paid this lawyer $5,000.00 he didn't return most of my calls. He made me feel he could care less about me or my case. Tried to get me to take the first awful plea bargain offered when I told him how rediculous the plea was he replied with name calling. Very rude and cold lawyer! He didn't help me in anyway! Luckily I fired this guy and found someone good!
Posted by anonymous
This is the worst attorney you could possibly ask for, he does absolutely nothing right at all... He can not even withdrawl from your case correctly.. I fired this guy and he continued to charge me even though I had another attorney, we went to court and they reversed $800 in billing from him...


text:
In a week of media flashes of Somalis fleeing death by starvation and the shadow of a Norway massacre that saw an act of terror stub out lives barely begun, there is talk closer to home of the times in which humans seek to quicken their fate and each of our right to die.
Marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Suicide Act, a survey of the views of more than 2,000 people on assisted suicide has been released showing large support for a change in the law.
Three in four people were to said to believe terminally ill adults who wish to end their life should have the right to ask their doctor for help to do so, whilst in the case of the physically disabled who are not terminally ill, one in three thought the same. The public, it seems, are getting to grips with death.
This is welcome news. When it comes to the ending of life, our society must acknowledge that which is not streamed on television; the everyday, the quiet suffering of a drawn out end – and to understand that in these times, true humanity is not forcing others to cling to the painful edge of life, but allowing them to take, as much as possible, autonomy over a dignified death.
That these statistics suggest this is widely acknowledged shows great promise for the cause of assisted suicide. That this is the case for both the terminally ill and the disabled, however, shows great cause for concern.
A distinction between the two by those surveyed was indeed made – at the crux, there was less support when it came to the disabled – yet it cannot be said that it is one that reflects a deep distaste for the euthanasia of the willing disabled. When the point of comparison is with people who are dying, it means very little that fewer support the same option for those who are not.
Disability, particularly when severe or exasperated by lack of support, can be hard. It is not, in its darkest forms, comparable with near death.
The difficulties of a lack of physical ability and the plight of the terminally ill should not as such be mentioned in the same breath.
There are of course cases in which disabled people, who have no disease that threatens their life, wish to die.
They are individual tragedies, and despite the ethical questions and wider societal consequences that stream from them, should not be judged. This is not to say, however, that they should be supported.
Outside of disability, it is an unavoidable truth that suicidal thoughts exist, ending lives with undeserved failings of the mind. I would suggest that if asked the number who would deem it right to aid in these quests to die would be considerably less than one in three. It is a worrying reflection on the perception of disability that when the problem becomes physical, what was our responsibility to prevent can quickly become our responsibility to assist.
Those supporting such a move are not gung-ho 'euthanizers', gleefully ticking off the list of the vulnerable whilst clutching a copy of Mein Kampf, but members of a complex debate holding good intentions. Yet it cannot be ignored that under good intentions sit damaging thoughts on what makes a life worth living, that questions need to be asked as to why what would otherwise be seen as a 'waste of a life' fails to be if the one seeking to die happens to be disabled.
What disabled people need is acknowledgment as worthwhile equal citizens and government assistance to let their potential be realised. When it comes to disability, beneficial legislation is that which strengthens life, not assists death. In the assisted suicide debate, this distinction must be made clearer: for the sake of the disabled and the euthanasia movement itself.
• Frances Ryan is a freelance writer and a political researcher at the University of Nottingham. She blogs at Frances Ryan and tweets


text:
The following links are external links only and no file is being uploaded on blogger's server. If any of these links violates copyright, please inform us, we will remove that link(s) immediately. These songs are for PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY and should not be used for anything else but to promote the artists.
Support the Artist ... (®by.funkysize.dj©)
Sonntag, 29. November 2015
DJ.MANIE - presents The Baby Makin' Mixtape Vol.4
Post: ®-FnKySzE-© um 00:29:00
Abonnieren Kommentare zum Post (Atom)


text:
Walk and Talk
Get to the farmers' market as soon as it opens and visit each vendor to find out what they're selling—and for how much. While Berube says you might get a great deal at the end of the day from a farmer eager to get rid of their leftover produce, the more appealing—and cheaper!—produce might be sold out by the time you show up. For instance, a great deal on zucchini at 8:00 a.m. might be over by 11:00 a.m. if the farmer sells out.
Haggling with farmers over their prices can put them on the defensive—it's hard enough to make a living running a small farm. Instead, ask multiple vendors at the market what their prices are. You don't have to buy all your produce from a single farmer—you can buy apples at one stand and squash at another, if the prices for individual fruits and veggies are lower elsewhere. You can, however, try to negotiate a better price if you're going to purchase an item in bulk.


text:
BT2 is installed to my hd. Mine already had a .config file there, which I assumed it was the file used to make BT2. You should have one there too. I did follow his advice to a certain degree, and made the backup in /boot.
cp /usr/src/linux/.config /boot/config-`uname -r`
I rebuilt mine with a bluetooth patch from bluez, to get my keyboard to work. Now it works better than it did in windows XP. It's an MS bluetooth keyboard!
Are you sure you need a new kernel?


text:
The Vermont Telephone Company filed a petition on Thursday with the Vermont Public Service Board for permission to provide television service to its rural Vermont customers.
The Springfield-based corporation must provide TV programming in order to qualify for $116 million in federal funding for broadband expansion in rural Vermont.
The USDA Rural Utilities Service grant awarded to VTel last August stipulated that the company must provide television service within its fiber footprint as part of the project. VTel applied for a certificate of public good to provide television service on June 30.
VTel's television service would be distributed through its already planned infrastructure for Internet and telephone service.
In a memorandum of understanding, VTel and the Vermont Department of Public Service have asked the Public Service Board to fast track the approval process for the petition so that the company can move ahead with its fiber rollout.
In the company's petition for a certificate of public good, nearly 11 months after the RUS funding was awarded, VTel requests that the Public Service Board "Proceed to review the Petition without the need for hearing, and promptly issue an order approving this Petition."
VTel spokeswoman Sharon Combes-Farr said the company is hoping to skip the hearing process so the project, which has been in the planning phase since last August, can begin as soon as possible.
The petition states that "VTel proposes to offer cable television service consisting of channel (programming) line-ups substantially similar to the channel line-ups and tiers offered by many cable television companies in the U.S. today."
Though VTel has not yet developed an official list of channel offerings, the company attached the Burlington Telecom channel listing as a sample of what might be offered.
VTel plans to offer at least one, and up to three channels for public, educational and governmental use, known as PEG, or public access programming.
"VTel intends to work with (access management organizations) to facilitate PEG programming in the Service Area," the petition states. It is unclear whether VTel has been in contact with such groups regarding public access television programming.
Combes-Farr said the certificate of public good was the next logical step in the process.
"Essentially, as we went through all of the details that we have to finalize in order to get this project forward and we closed with the RUS on our grant, it was clear at that time that getting the CPG for video was the next step to complete in order to move forward to the project," she said.
"It's technically possible we could have applied [for the Certificate of Public Good] earlier," said Combes-Farr. She said VTel needed to analyze its corporate structure before moving forward.
Since television is not among the services already offered by VTel, the company must do more planning and permitting to roll out this part of the project. VTel, said Combes-Farr, already had Certificates of Public Good for Internet and phone service.
"We had to look at the organization of our company to determine what's the best overall structure of the company to look at which entity was the best" to handle television, she said.


text:
Known for environmental activism, San Francisco is joining Seattle and other cities intent on reducing unwanted Yellow Pages by taking the bold step of banning their delivery unless requested by consumers.
In a 9-1 vote, the city's Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance late Tuesday that creates a three-year pilot program to limit delivery only to customers who are at home and physically accept them or who give prior approval by phone, mail or sticky note left on the door.
"The over-distribution of telephone directories results in an unconscionable waste of natural resources, and costs the city over one million dollars every year to process through our refuse system," Melanie Nutter, director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment, said in a statement. She said the ordinance, proposed by the board's President David Chiu, will bring San Francisco "one step closer to its goal of zero waste in 2020."
FOLLOW Green House on Twitter
Chiu, citing industry data, says the city receives almost 1.6 million Yellow Pages phone books each year, although there are about 800,000 residents. If stacked, he says the books equal the height of more than 287 TransAmerica Pyramids – nearly eight and a half times the height of Mount Everest -- and create nearly 7 million pounds of waste annually.
The law, developed with environmental advocates and Nutter's department, now heads to the mayor's office for signing. It's slated to take effect May 1, 2012, giving the yellow pages industry time to implement it. The lone board dissenter was Supervisor Sean Elsbernd.
In October, Seattle passed an ordinance allowing people to place themselves on an opt-out list for receiving the Yellow Pages, similar to the "no call" lists telemarketers must respect. City Councilman Mike O'Brien, who proposed the measure, said it cost the city about $350,000 a year to dispose of unwanted books.
"Seattle's opt-out system is clearly something our residents and businesses want, as demonstrated by the number of people who have already opted out," Councilmember O'Brien said in a statement this week. He reported that more than 23,000 homes and businesses have already opted out of summer delivery.
Two publishers of Yellow Pages phone books, Dex Media West and SuperMedia LCC, along with the Yellow Pages Association has sued Seattle in federal court, arguing the ordnance violates their First Amendment rights to free speech and will hurt them financially.
Yellow Pages Association President Neg Norton told the Seattle Times last year that the ordinance is unnecessary because the association is improving its opt-out website, www.yellowpagesoptout.com. "It doesn't do any good to deliver anybody a phone book that doesn't want one," Norton said, adding if cities follow Seattle's lead there will be a confusing "patchwork" of rules and opt-out websites.
In February, Norton announced an upgraded, user-friendly website to make it easier for consumers to opt-out or limit deliveries nationwide.
Recently, U.S. District Court Judge James Robart denied motions to halt Seattle's opt-out program. The industry immediately appealed.
Wendy Koch has been a reporter and editor at USA TODAY since 1998, covering politics and social issues. She's begun a quest to build the most eco-friendly home her budget allows. She'll share her experience and give you tips for greening your home. More about Wendy


text:
WIN Stadium, Wollongong, Friday 8.05pm (AEDT)
Last meeting: Round 5 2012 - Broncos 28 bt Dragons 20 at Suncorp Stadium
Head-to-head: Dragons 13 Broncos 15
Referees: Jason Robinson, Gavin Morris
TV: Live, Channel 9
TAB Sportsbet: Dragons $2.15 Broncos $1.70
FootyTab: Dragons +2.5
Michael Chammas writes: St George Illawarra had a better completion rate than the Melbourne Storm last week but still went down to the reigning premiers. If the Dragons can show similar discipline against the Broncos, who were weak in defence in the second half against Manly, they'll score plenty of points.
The Broncos started so well in their opening round clash with the Sea Eagles but fell into a heap in the latter stages of the match. Scott Prince, who finds himself in the No.6 jersey, has to be the playmaker who creates rather than directs, with Peter Wallace assuming those duties. This is a big game for Dragons halfback Nathan Fien, who would begin to feel the pressure for his position if his side was to start the year with back-to-back losses
AAP writes: Both sides will be bordering on desperate here in order to blow out the early season cobwebs and shake off the type of pressure that back-to-back losses will bring. The fade-out of an aging Brisbane outfit against Manly will be a big worry for coach Anthony Griffin as will the ineffectiveness of his halves pairing of Scott Prince and Peter Wallace.
The Dragons were solid against the Storm but again this year they lack spark in attack. Saints are always hard to beat in Wollongong but Brisbane look to have too much firepower here.
Key: Broncos centre Justin Hodges was brilliant in attack in the loss to Manly last week and if he can get some more help here Brisbane will likely be too good in a close one.
Late Mail: Luckless Dragons centre Chase Stanley trained with the side on Thursday but a final decision on whether he plays against Brisbane on Friday night won't be made until close to kick-off. Stanley suffered a minor knee sprain last week and had been expected to miss up to two weeks, but he was named in the centres for the clash and coach Steve Price intends to give him every chance to play. Should Stanley be ruled out, Daniel Vidot is available.
The Broncos left Brisbane on Thursday with the players named earlier this week. Officials said there would be no changes.
DRAGONS: Gerard Beale, Brett Morris, Chase Stanley, Matt Cooper, Jason Nightingale, Jamie Soward, Nathan Fien, Dan Hunt, Mitch Rein, Michael Weyman, Tyson Frizell, Ben Creagh (capt), Trent Merrin. Interchange: Bronson Harrison, Leeson Ah Mau, Matt Prior, Cameron King, Jack Stockwell (one to be omitted).
BRONCOS: Corey Norman, Josh Hoffman, Jack Reed, Justin Hodges, Lachlan Maranta, Scott Prince, Peter Wallace, Josh McGuire, Andrew McCullough, Sam Thaiday (capt), Alex Glenn, Matt Gillett, Corey Parker. Interchange: Ben Hunt, Ben Hannant, Mitchell Dodds, David Stagg, Scott Anderson (one to be omitted).


text:
Claim you profile
Beauty Therapist
- Full time
- Part time
- One time
- Contract
- Temp
Work History
Beauty Therpaist
Self Employed
I specialise in Hair Extensions and Beauty Therapy. I have a Home room salon and also travel to clients.
Is this your profile?
If this is your profile, then you can claim it now and log into your account.
We will need to verify your account and email address before you can log in. To claim your profile now, please use the 'Claim Profile' button below.
Skillpages has been acquired by Bark.com!
Bark.com is pioneering the way people find local services. Skillpages is the world's premier directory of service providers.Find out more


text:
|Start Date + Time: 4/22/17 at 1:00 PM
|End Date + Time: 4/22/17 at 4:00 PM
|Location: Camp Lakamaga
|Marine on St Croix, MN
|Grade Range: 6–12
|Fee: $10
|Registration Closes: 4/6/2017 at 11 PM CST
|Register online here.
Or print and register by mail.
|If you are not a current Girl Scout member,
please register by phone at 800-845-0787.
Explore the basic leadership skills needed to work with younger girls. Learn the characteristics of younger Girl Scouts, practice planning activities and find out what it takes to help out at events. Includes training needed to be a Youth Event Assistant (YEA) for council-sponsored program events.
Chaperones need to stay on site, but will not participate in the training. Register for the Junior Caddie Training held earlier in the day to round out your leadership training.
If you have questions or would like to register by phone, please call 800-845-0787.
Please review our Event and Cancellation Policies.


text:
Step 1: Test the water solubility of the ceiling
What's the best way to paint an acoustical ceiling? That depends on whether it's ever been painted before. Without paint, it tends to be very water-soluble. This means that painting it with a roller can be very tricky because the acoustical material will absorb the water from the paint and start coming off on the roller. To test the water solubility, spray a small amount of water on an inconspicuous area. If the texture becomes soft, the best way to paint it is with a spray gun.
Step 2: Paint popcorn ceiling
If that's the case with your acoustical ceiling, use a good, vibrator-type paint sprayer (available at home centers). Since you'll be working overhead, you'll need a suction set and portable paint reservoir for the sprayer instead of the usual paint jar. The one we used has a backpack type of setup. To ensure a uniform coat, it's wise to apply the paint in at least three directions.


text:
Great Scott! You Can Buy "Back To The Future" Shoes Now!
You know those grey, light-up, self-lacing high tops Michael J. Fox wears in "Back to the Future 2″? Yeah, well, now you can actually purchase them — if you've got a spare few thousand dollars lying around. Nike has teemed up with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research to produce the NikeMag, a pretty much exact replica of the shoes Fox sports in the film franchise. The brand is selling 1,500 pairs of them exclusively via eBay, to raise money for the foundation, and man, are people going cuh-razy. At last count, one pair was up to more than $75,000. Maybe it's because of the promo video, which features NBA-er Kevin Durant, Bill Hader and OG "Future" scientist "Doc" Christopher Plummer? [eBay]


text:
Rooms now show wear and lack of upkeep. Scratches on desk and furniture. Peeling paint over tub, from prior leak above.
The room was huge. The room was very dark. The bed was dirty - there were blood stains on the left bottom base! Scary. The bathroom was so dark, as was the majority of the apartment. There were no menus for room service, and their computer service was down, so I had to call twice to have them bring me a menu. Walls are thin; at 5am, I heard loud pounding noise above me. Wasn't sure if it was music or something else, but it was disturbing.I only stayed here because the W was fully booked. Otherwise, would not choose to stay here.
I hated it, the service clerk was very rude and told me that even though I made a reservation all the rooms were booked. Horrible customer service, I will never return to this hotel!!
The staff was friendly, the room was huge with full amenities, and the bathroom was spacious. I very much so enjoyed my stay. A minor thing: the room had some walls/ceiling that were unfinished, which may or may not have been part of the decor.


text:
This week we took The Pulse of Sarah Kisner, Admissions Director of Capri College in Davenport. Capri College offers many things from classes, hair care, and Summer Programs. Capri also hosts a Summer Program for youth this summer and charters an Exploring Post for youth 14 to 21. Sarah is a great friend to the Kittan District! We talk about getting a Masters in nail tech, choosing your favorite Beatles song, and eating Mexican with a Beatle.
Find out more about Capri at: http://www.capricollege.com/davenport-page.cfm


text:
Learning Modalities
The Cohort Experience
Module Descriptions
Clinical Pastoral Education
Application deadline: January 31, 2018. Applications may be submitted a year or more in advance.
Prompted by the promise of Christ's soon return, the Doctor of Ministry program at Andrews University is designed to develop spiritually mature and responsible professionals in ministry for the worlwide church. The DMin Chaplaincy concentration prepares participants for excellence in health care and other chaplaincy fields.
Concentration Goals
The Doctor of Ministry Chaplaincy Ministry concentration seeks to develop the person (Being), knowledge (Knowing), and practice (Doing) of its participants. Following are outcomes that are important to evaluate. These outcomes guide the curriculum and should be reflected in the Ministry Development Plan developed by the participant.
The graduate will be engaged in a learning process aimed at enhancing personal spirituality, enriching the personal life, and improving professional relationships through an expanding awareness of what God has called them to be.
- Spiritual maturity
- Living by the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26)
- Enrichment of personal and family life
- Greater commitment to the Seventh-day Adventist ministry
- Positive collegial relationships
- A global view of society and ministry
- Become aware of their strengths and limitations (background, emotional state) and to realize the impact self-awareness and self-understanding may have on ministry
Assessed by: Requiring students to complete a section in their Ministry Development Plan (MDP) in which they will name strategies for chaplaincy ministries and practices they adopt to grow spiritually as a result of the DMin program and the direct assessments in module two on theological and spiritual foundations administered by faculty.
The graduate will be expected to exhibit an advanced understanding of sound theological and spiritual care that support chaplaincy leadership and how they contribute to responsible ministry for the worldwide church.
- An understanding of chaplaincy within the context of Adventist theology
- An understanding of organizational culture and systems thinking
- Knowledge of the professional field including spiritual leadership, consultation, networking, and ethical conduct
- Knowledge of current issues and research related to the field of spirituality and health
- Engage the discipline through sociological and psychological perspectives
- Reflect theologically on the lived experience of patients
- Learn basic research skills relating to chaplaincy
Assessed by: Completing two theoretical chapters in their project manuscripts (chapters 2 and 3) in which students will provide theological reflection on their research topic and show a high level of acquaintance with the current literature on the subject, the direct assessments in modules one and two of assignments dealing with literature research and theological reflection administered by faculty, and of literature research in all modules.
The graduate will model Christ-like ministry and demonstrate the ability to effectively contribute to the misison of the church by wise and competent application of spiritual care theology and theory to practical and innovative solutions for ministry challenges.
1. Practice of the following core chaplaincy essentials:
A God-given passion-stirring shared vision
Demonstrating faith-based hope
Exercising solid integrity
Courage to challenge the status quo
Unswerving commitment to empowering people
Integration of own spiritual an dtheological perspectives into the practice of ministry
Appreciation of diversity issues
2. Proficiency in the following skills:
Skills pertinent to their practice in the field of chaplaincy and spiritual care
Facilitating effective planning
Managing resources responsibly
Communicating effectively
Building effective teams
Managing conflict
Spiritual care evaluation and assessment
Making meetings matter
Mentoring others
Assessed by: Successful assessment of the project before peers and respective project committees as well as direct assessments of case studies administered by faculty.
Learning Modalities
The following learning modalities will be included in the concentration's andragogy:
- A ministry development plan reflecting the participant's current situation, personal vision statement, action plan, and helping/hindering forces
- A context support group to provide feedback and assessment
- Significant current literature in leadership, spiritual care, pastoral identity, themes
- Journaling to encourage reflective and critical thinking
- Small groups learning to foster relational learning and encourage improved personal relationships
- Mentoring from a field professional
- Classroom consultation: including didactic and experiential learning and networking with top educators and experts in the field of chaplaincy
- Research: including perusal of current literature, theological reflection, assigned readings, case studies, and field research in their ministry context
- Praxis: including implementation of spiritual interventions in the context of ministry
- Project: including theological reflection, field research, and intervention involving a specific challenge in their ministering context
The Cohort Experience
The program is delivered in the cohort model, wherein participants proceed through the sequence of courses together. Study and learning are year-round, with pre-intensive, during-intensive, and post-intensive activities and experiences. Pre-intensive assignment preparation can begin as early as six months prior to an intensive. There are four annual teaching sessions presented by chaplaincy ministry professionals. During the program you will participate in regional work groups, follow a ministry development plan, read and reflect on the best literature in your concentration area, and develop and evaluate a professional project within the context of your own congregational or other leadership responsibilities.
Cohorts are identified by the year in which they formed. For example, if you are a member of a cohort that formed in 2014, during the five-six years you expect to be in the program, the title of your group will be "the 2014 Chaplaincy Cohort."
Module Descriptions
CHMN788 - Professional Practice in Chaplaincy (for those in the health care track)
Credits: 4-5
Explores various leadership roles and functions involved in chaplaincy. Includes professional conduct, leadership, ethics, interdisciplinary consultation, and interdepartmental relations. Promotes the integration of the chaplain into institutional life. Teaches how to conduct workshops and organize support groups.
CHMN775 - Foundations of Chaplaincy Ministry (for those in areas of chaplaincy other than health care)
Credits: 4
Examines theoretical and practical implications of biblical, theological and religious foundations for chaplaincy. Participants will study the hisotry and development of chaplaincy as a pastoral calling, along with the role and function of chaplaincy in the church and community. Ethics and professional practice are discussed and the personal spirtiual formation of the chaplain.
GSEM790 - DMin Project Seminar
Credits: 4
Participants receive assistance in forming their DMin project proposal, and orientation to issues in successful completion of the project. Areas of focus include a literature review, theological reflection, critical thinking, experiential learning, reflective observation, research design and techniques, reading and evaluating research, academic writing, development of an effective work plan for completion of the project, and other project-related topics.
GSEM706 - Spiritual and Theological Foundations for Ministry
Credits: 8
This is a foundational module required of all DMin students. The module builds the spiritual and theological basis from which the practice of ministry and mission grows and seeks to lead the student into a self-reflection and examination of life and belief.
CHMN786 - Clinical Issues in Care and Counseling
Credits: 5
Training in theory and clinical skills related to the clinical setting within the context of spiritual care. Provides education in the following specialty areas: psychological and spiritual assessment, grief recovery, trauma, conflict resolution,m and specific disease processes such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, disability, and mental health issues.
CHMN787 - Theory and Research in Health Care Chaplaincy (health care track)
Credits: 4-5
Examines current research on spirituality and health, as well as theological understanding of spiritual care within the clinical context. The theoretical framework is based on psychological, sociological, and theological literature. Enables participants to have a better understanding of the lived experience of the people to whom they minister.
CHMN747 - Christian Leadership (for those in areas of chaplaincy other than health care)
Credits: 5
This module investigates principles, challenges, and practices of Christian leadership, emphasizing issues that make leadership in the context of church, education and non-profit service organizations unique. Participants examine leadership theory and literature, consider a theology of leadership, and build the foundation for leadership development in the context of professional ministry.
Clinical Pastoral Education
Clinical Pastoral Education is a significant component and a standard requirement in the clinical training of chaplains. An applicant in the health care field must have at least one year of full-time work experience as a health-care chaplain, and two completed units of CPE. Persons who have four units CPE will be considered as having one year of work experience. Participants who have no more than two units CPE are required to take at least one additional unit of CPE while in the program. A minimum of three units of CPE is required for the Adventist Board Chaplain Certification; four units are required by the Association of Professional Chaplains. The CPE requirement may be completed by arrangement in the first four years of the program. Participants may choose the CPE site that is in close proximity to their work place.
Contact the Coordinator
Dr. Mario Ceballos serves as coordinator for the Chaplaincy concentration. He can be reached at 1-301-680-6780, firstname.lastname@example.com.
Travel and lodging information is provided in the links under the "Intensive Location" column.
Cohorts are identified by the year in which they formed. Cohort participants will take these courses and modules:
2014 Chaplaincy Cohort
Course requirements and schedule for the cohort formed in 2014:
Course #
|Course Name
|Intensive Dates
|Intensive Locations
Professional Practice in Chaplaincy (health care)
(4 credits)
|Vaughan Grant
|March 31-April 6, 2014
|Altamonte Springs, Florida
Foundations of Chaplaincy Ministry (other fields)
Daily schedule for intensive
(4 credits)
|Martin Feldbush
|March 31-April 6, 2014
|Altamonte Springs, Florida
DMin Project Seminar (4 cr)
Daily schedule for intensive
|Bill Knott and/or David Penno
|April 7-15, 2014
|Altamonte Springs, Florida
|Spiritual & Theological Foundations for Ministry (8 cr)
|Jon Dybdahl
|April 6-16, 2015
|Andrews University
Clinical Issues in Care and Counseling (5 cr)
Daily schedule for intensive
|Siroj Sorajjakool
|April 4-15, 2016
|Altamonte Springs, Florida
|DMin Project
|spring semester 2016
Theory and Research in Health Care Chaplaincy (health care)
(5 credits)
|Johnny Ramirez, Mario Ceballos
|March 20-31, 2017
|Altamonte Springs, Florida
Christian Leadership (other fields) (5 credits)
Daily schedule for intensive
|Skip Bell
|March 20-31, 2017
|Altamonte Springs, Florida
|DMin Project
|spring semester 2017
2018 Chaplaincy Cohort
Course requirements and schedule for the cohort forming to begin in 2018:
Course #
|Course Name
|Intensive Dates
|Intensive Locations
Theory and Research in Chaplaincy
(4 credits)
|Johnny Ramirez
|April 9-17, 2018
|Altamonte Springs, Florida
|DMin Project Seminar (4 cr)
|Jim Wibberding
|April 18-24, 2018
|Altamonte Springs, Florida
Spiritual & Theological Foundations for Ministry (8 cr)
|Allan Walshe and Kleber Gonçalves
|March 28-April 11, 2019
|Andrews University
|Implementation Symposium
|David Penno
December 12, 2019
|Professional Practice in Chaplaincy (5 cr)
|Mario Ceballos
|April 20-May 1, 2020
|Altamonte Springs, Florida
|DMin Project
|spring semester 2020
|Theory and Research in Chaplaincy (5 cr)
|Siroj Sorajjakool
|April 12-23, 2021
|Loma Linda University, CA
|DMin Project
|spring semester 2021
The Doctor of Ministry reduced residency (for intensive venues other than the Andrews University campus) is offered as an approved exception to Association of Theological Schools Degree Program Standard B, section E.3.1.1.
For dates and locations of courses planned for cohorts in other concentrations, see the DMin Program Planner.
You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software loaded on your machine to access any pdf documents referenced on this page.


text:
ARIZARD-L ArchivesArchiver > ARIZARD > 2003-06 > 1056245416
From: "Vera Reeves" <>
Subject: [ARIZARD-L] Cathey obituary
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2003 20:30:16 -0500
Melbourne Times - Oct 23, 1913
Mrs Cathey Dead
Mrs Arch Cathey died at her home in Izard County, several miles west of Evening Shade, on Wednesday of last week and the remains were laid to rest at the Bear Creek Cemetery the day following. Rev. E. A. Horton of this place conducted services at the grave. Mrs Cathey had been in poor health for several years. She was a most estimable lady, and her death brought sorrow to many friends. --------- Sharpe County Record.
(note: 1880 Izard County census shows Arch Cathey's wife to be Gabrella F.-- age 36)
(Bear Creek Cemetery - G. F. Cathey b. 22 Mar 1846 d. 8 Oct 1918) (looks like the old stone was hard to read)
This thread:
|[ARIZARD-L] Cathey obituary by "Vera Reeves" <>


text:
POLAND-ROOTS-L ArchivesArchiver > POLAND-ROOTS > 2001-12 > 1007409121
Subject: Re: [POLAND] new trick to avoid virus
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2001 14:52:01 EST
In a message dated 12/03/2001 2:16:20 PM Eastern Standard Time,
<< Stay with us. We need "newbies" >>
I agree, we have all made boo-boos at one time or another. I'm still learning
different things. None of us know everything, just some of us know more.
This thread:


text:
No Tickets Left?
Provide Your Contact Information Below
01/24/14 6:30pm – Fresh Beat Band
See All Fresh Beat Band Events
Grand Ole Opry House
January 24, 2014, Friday @ 6:30pm
With millions of fans nationwide, Ticket Monster
is your destination for exclusive discounts on
sports, concerts, and theater tickets.
Sign up and never miss a deal!
Enter your email address and we will send you an email with instructions on how to reset your password.


text:
No Advance Agenda Drawn Up for Bermuda Parley
No advance agenda has been drawn up for the Anglo-American conference on refugees in Bermuda since the parley is of an exploratory nature only, it was learned here today. The conference will open with a general review of the refagee situation, presented by the person who will be appointed chairman. It will then discuss details… More ▸


text:
Epidemiological and statistical methods
The choice of the right method is essential in epidemiology. Which sample size is necessary to verify an association between a risk factor and a disease, taking potential statistic variations into account? To which degree do other risk factors for the examined disease distort the outcome of a study? In order to get meaningful results, these questions must be evaluated for every new scenario.
- Manas Akmatov (Scientific Colloborator in ESME from 2012 to 2014)
- Hannah Bongartz (internship and bachelor thesis in ESME in 2014)
- Anna-Sophie Peleganski (Voluntary Scientific Year (FWJ) in ESME from 2013 to 2014)
- Amelie Schaible (Voluntary Scientific Year (FWJ) in ESME from 2013 to 2014)
- Vitaly Belik (visiting scientist from 2013 to 2015)
- Ekaterine Garsevanidze (internship in 2015)
- Florian Lamping (medical doctoral candidate from 2014 to 2015)
- Lea-Marie Meyer (Voluntary Scientific Year (FWJ) from 2014 to 2015)
- Stella Luisa Sonnenburg (Voluntary Scientific Year (FWJ) from 2014 to 2015)
- Vivien Stumpe (internship and student assistant in 2015)
- Tamara Drenk (doctoral candidate from 2015 to 2016)
- Jakob Pantenburg (Voluntary Scientific Year (FWK) from 2015 to 2016)
- Beate Zoch (doctoral candidate from 2012 to 2016)
PrintSend per emailShare


text:
Earlier this week, our city's flagship paper, the Omaha World-Herald, published an editorial that really struck a chord with us.
Omaha World-Herald Editorial:
Tech offers opportunities for men, women
This editorial posed a challenge to the greater Omaha community for a stronger focus and investment in education, training and professional development for women pursuing careers in technology.
The obvious lack of women and minorities in the tech space is not a problem unique to Omaha. But, in the spirit of our great city, we know it won't be a problem for long. We applaud those making strides to develop curriculum, programming and other initiatives that propel more diversity in the tech space. It's a win for everyone.
And it is something we soon plan to put resources towards, too.
So, hats off to our community for taking a critical step toward progress. We are right there with you and plan to see this initiative succeed.


text:
Provo » The offensive line is injured and inexperienced. The linebacking corps includes a starter still learning his position, while one of the starting cornerbacks wasn't even in the program last year.
At BYU, however, it is all about the quarterback. And the big question regarding senior Max Hall has nothing to do with his arm strength, mobility or ability to read defenses.
What's going on in Max's mind?
That's what Cougar fans want to know, after Hall struggled mightily in three of BYU's final seven games last season. The low point, most say, was that five-interception performance in the 48-24 loss to Utah.
Eight months after he trudged off the Sam Boyd Stadium field after that 31-21 Las Vegas Bowl loss to Arizona, has Hall recovered mentally?
With the Sept. 5 showdown against one of the best teams in college football, No. 3-ranked Oklahoma, staring him in the face, Hall acknowledges his critics, and says he has put a lot of effort into the mental side of his game in hopes of atoning for the failures of 2008.
"I am motivated, no question about it," he said. "Any person who calls himself a competitor would be motivated. More than anything, though, I have worked really hard to put myself into position to succeed."
Long talks with former BYU quarterback Robbie Bosco, all-pro NFL tight end Chad Lewis and his uncle, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Danny White has made Hall realize that even great players stumble sometimes. White told him after the Utah game: "Do you want to know the only difference between your five-interception game and my five-interception game? We won 3-0, or something like that." Said Hall: I have had a lot of former quarterbacks come up to me and say it happens. The advice they give to me is: don't feel like you have to do it all on your own; don't feel like you have to force everything in. Still play the game, and trust in your guys. I think that's one of the biggest lessons I have learned from it."
A quarterback who was intercepted six times in his last two games would seemingly have his confidence nicked pretty good, but not Hall. As quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman says, "Anybody who has talked to Max knows he is not lacking confidence. He has a better focus, but the same confidence." Says Hall: "I have won a lot of games for us. What everyone will say is that I haven't won the big games recently, losing to TCU, Utah and [Arizona]. I guess you can criticize me for that, but I think all-around I am doing a good job in not only representing BYU as a football player, but as a student and a person, too."
Sense of urgency
Hall was at BYU's training complex at 6 a.m. almost every morning this spring and summer, lifting weights, running, throwing and watching film until 1 p.m. "Yeah, I worked pretty hard," he said. "It is a different feeling when you go into your senior season because it is your last shot, and your [legacy] is at stake. I did everything I could to prepare myself so now I just have to have fun and let it rip." Doman said Hall needed to get in better shape. "So he has changed his body shape dramatically. He's much stronger, a lot leaner. He's faster. We need him to stay durable."
Make no mistake about it -- Hall wants to silence his critics, and get revenge. The competitor in him is angry and tired of hearing about last year's failures, especially against rival Utah when he threw five interceptions. Though he says he doesn't read newspapers or listen to sports talk radio, the jokes and criticisms have reached his ears. "I know what people are saying about me," he said. "I know what the criticism is, and what I did wrong. I am not stupid. If people think I am not the No. 1 person who is mad about it, or wants it to improve, they are crazy, because I do."
Hall said he has matured more this offseason than in the other three offseasons he's had in Provo combined. "The situation atter last season, how it ended and stuff, it can break you, or it can make you, as cliche as that sounds," he said. "I think it helped me. Obviously, it was tough and it hurt, and I had to overcome it and learn from my mistakes, but it has made me a better quarterback. And I now know what to do in those situations. I understand how to handle them and I have learned from them."
Seriously, Hall often discusses last year's losses to TCU and Utah by saying he's thankful that he gets another shot at them, and that the poor quarterback play didn't come in his senior year. "Max psychologically realizes he has to play better this year than last year, and he is fortunate that he has another year," Doman said. "I keep telling him how dang lucky he is to have another year to make up for past failures, and he believes it. He is really trying to take advantage of the opportunity."
Hall said he has watched every game that BYU's first opponent, Oklahoma, played last year at least twice. "I feel like I am the most prepared than I have ever been for a football season," he said. Added Doman: "Max needed to get mentally stronger. So we spent a lot of time on his mental focus, and his pre-snap preparation. I think he can be the best pre-snap quarterback in the country. That's the goal."


text:
Brian Deal, Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign & co-director of Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC)
Ben Sliwinski, Technical Director at Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Tremendous amounts of energy are wasted by buildings and infrastructure. Find out how local governments can save energy and money through energy audits and retrofits. Topics will include lighting, HVAC, insulation, habits and municipal infrastructure including street lights and stop lights.
John Walton, Vice President Marketing, Advance Fuel Systems, Corp. AFCS
Karen Rozmus, Village of Oak Park
Fleet vehicles use a lot of gas – costing money and adding to air pollution. Learn how to adopt new practices and use alternative fuels to improve air quality and create other benefits. Information will be provided on natural gas, propane, E-85, biodiesel, electric and hybrid vehicles. Learn about anti-idling and fuel use reduction ideas to make your fleet green and to save money.
Philip Krein, Professor and Director of the Grainger Center for Electric Machinery and Electromechanics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Brita Pagels
There are many sources of energy beyond coal and nuclear. Learn about renewable energy so local governments and agencies can be prepared for the new opportunities available through the federal stimulus package.


text: On 08/12/12 10:01, Daniel Hardman wrote: > Fellow Torquers: > > The migration to GitHub is complete. TORQUE's new home is: > https://github.com/adaptivecomputing/torque. This is true for all > TORQUE branches that Adaptive is shepherding. Fantabulous, thanks to all the team for doing this, much appreciated! Thanks also to David for the contributor guidelines - clear, common sense and useful. All the best, and have a good weekend all, Chris -- Christopher Samuel Senior Systems Administrator VLSCI - Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative Email: samuel at unimelb.edu.au Phone: +61 (0)3 903 55545 http://www.vlsci.org.au/ http://twitter.com/vlsci


text:
|Specific References
|Related Products
|A DNA sequence encoding the human GMFB (Met1-His142) was expressed.
|E. coli
|In general, recombinant proteins are provided as lyophilized powder which are shipped at ambient temperature.
Bulk packages of recombinant proteins are provided as frozen liquid. They are shipped out with blue ice unless customers require otherwise.
|> 95 % as determined by SDS-PAGE
|Please contact us for more information.
|Samples are stable for up to twelve months from date of receipt at -70℃
|The recombinant human GMFB consists of 142 amino acids and predicts a molecular mass of 16.7 KDa. It migrates as an approximately 17 KDa band in SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions.
|Lyophilized from sterile PBS, pH 7.4
1. Normally 5 % - 8 % trehalose and mannitol are added as protectants before lyophilization. Specific concentrations are included in the hardcopy of COA.
2. Please contact us for any concerns or special requirements.
|Store it under sterile conditions at -20℃ to -80℃. It is recommended that the protein be aliquoted for optimal storage. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
|A hardcopy of COA with reconstitution instruction is sent along with the products. Please refer to it for detailed information.
GMFB is a nerve growth factor which belongs to the actin-binding proteins ADF family, GMF subfamily. GMFB is involved in nervous system development, angiogenesis and immune function. It is especially crucial for the nervous system. GMFB causes brain cell differentiation, stimulates neural regeneration and inhibits tumor cell proliferation. It contains 1 ADF-H domain and is phosphorylated after phorbol ester stimulation. GMFB overexpression in astrocytes results in the increase of BDNF production. GMFB expression is increased by exercise, thus BDNF is important for exercise-induction of BDNF.
|Product name
|Product name


text:
ABB is taking part in the InnoTrans 2012 international trade fair for rail transportation with three dedicated stands and a comprehensive display of new products and solutions that reduce energy consumption and life cycle costs in the rail sector.
Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 14, 2012 – ABB will be a major exhibitor at this year's InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin, Germany, which takes place between September 18-21.
InnoTrans is considered the world's leading international trade fair for the rail transportation sector. This ninth edition of InnoTrans is expected to attract more than 100,000 trade visitors from around 100 countries. The event will feature five product display segments devoted to railway technology, railway infrastructure, tunnel construction, interiors and public transport.
ABB is a long-time player in the rail industry and is a leading independent supplier of power and automation products and solutions to vehicle manufacturers, railway operators and system integrators. With a vast global installed base, ABB also provides life cycle service support, including maintenance and retrofits.
Among the many new innovations that ABB is showcasing at InnoTrans 2012 are:
- a traction transformer that uses power electronics to reduce the size and weight of the components and increase the energy efficiency of rolling stock;
- a highly compact converter with super capacitor energy storage that significantly reduces the energy consumption of diesel-electric multiple units;
- traction systems with exceptional power density, energy efficiency, and best-in-class control hardware and software;
- a permanent magnet prototype to be compared with an induction closed self-ventilated traction motor to demonstrate the high torque and power density offered by the new technology;
- robot solutions for rail car painting and other applications which visitors can discover in an interactive way;
- a complete range of low voltage products with a compact design, low energy consumption and complying to main international standards;
- an energy storage system that harnesses, stores and reuses train braking energy to reduce train energy consumption by up to 10 percent;
- rail information systems that enable rail companies to efficiently manage discrete assets like rolling stock, yards, signs/signals and IT systems as well as the linear or continuous assets that are the foundation of their operations.
ABB has a truly global reach in the rail industry, with a worldwide sales and service center network in more than 100 countries that provides equipment, systems and solutions for the entire railway value chain.
Visitors to InnoTrans 2012 can find ABB experts and products on display at three dedicated stands:
- Rolling stock - stand 101, new Hall 9
- Rail infrastructure - stand 306, Hall 25
- Service - outdoor display FA/14
To learn more about how ABB can improve the performance of rolling stock, infrastructure and service, click here to view our special InnoTrans website: http://www.abb.com/innotrans
Exhibition quick facts
September 18-21, 2012 (trade fair)
September 22-23, 2012 (open to the general public, outdoor display and tracks only)
9.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Messe Berlin
Messedamm 22
D-14055 Berlin, Germany
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 145,000 people.


text:
Southeastern Louisiana University will operate on a four-and-a-half-day week during the fall semester.
The change is a cost-saving measure, SLU President John L. Crain said.
It should save the university about $185,000 for the semester, said Rene Abadie, a spokesman for the university.
No decision has been made on whether the change in hours would be extended past the fall semester, Abadie said.
Beginning Monday, SLU offices will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 7:30 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. on Fridays, he said.
Employees, who will have 45-minute lunch breaks, will still work 40-hour weeks, Abadie said.
During the summer, employees have worked four 10-hour days and the university has been closed on Fridays. Abadie said SLU saved even more on energy costs during that period, though the exact figures weren't available Friday.
The new hours will provide "adequate hours for students and others conducting business with the university," and also allow a reduction in energy costs, Crain said.
During the fall, no classes or labs will be scheduled on Friday afternoons, Abadie said.
The number of those classes already has been reduced gradually during recent years, he said.
The change in hours won't necessarily apply to researchers and other academic personnel, Abadie said.
The shorter work week also won't apply to the university's Southeast Louisiana Business Center on Martens Drive in Hammond and the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in downtown Hammond.
Fall classes begin Aug. 17.
SLU will closed Sept. 5 for Labor Day and Oct. 6-7 for fall break.
Abadie said enrollment is expected to remain around 15,300 students for the fall.
The number of applications for admission has decreased, but registration by continuing students is up, he said.


text:
- kaytie327
- 5 years ago
- Wedding: October 2014
On a beautiful mid-October day in 2012, my future husband took me to Frick Park (which I am obsessed with) so we could walk around & look at the beautiful autumn leaves before they all fell off the trees. Everything looked so beautiful & perfect that day, & Spenc even willingly took pictures with me, which he NEVER does without putting up a fight first! Afterwards, we went out for a nice dinner & when we returned to our apartment, he asked me to wait in the car while he ran inside to get something.
Note: A week prior to this, he asked me to get online to look at engagement rings so he could have an idea for when he goes to look "some day" .. Yeah, he is not the best at surprises (hehe).
He came back out to the car & told me that he's ready for me to come in. As I entered the apartment, he had me close my eyes until he said, "open." When I opened my eyes, in front of me were two carved pumpkins which read, "Will you marry me?" I must have stood there in shock for a few seconds because Spenc had to finally say, "Turn around." When I did, he was down on one knee with a beautiful ring in his hand. I don't think I even gave him time to officially ask me because I started kissing him immediately!
Even though I had an inkling of what he was up to that night, I think that his proposal was super cute & thoughtful, especially because carving pumpkins was one of the very first activities we completed together as a couple!
Taken in Frick Park (Pittsburgh)


text:
An emotional charity gig will be held in memory of an 'amazing man' who died on a Lake District fell.
Before his untimely death six years ago on Eel Crag, near Keswick, James Marshall dedicated his life to helping orphans in Burma.
He was planning another visit to Myanmar when he was blown off the crag in high winds.
Long-standing friend and Kendal-based estate agent Iain Bainbridge has organised a fundraising event with all proceeds going to the Burmese orphans James dearly loved.
The Shakespeare Centre on Highgate will host the music-based fundraiser at 7.30pm tomorrow. Local part-time musicians Abby Columbi, a web designer, and solicitor John Osborne will perform. Abby has previously performed on stage with Beyonce.
- VIDEO: The moment heavy rain filled a dry river bed
- VIDEO: Watch the moment a pedestrian and a car are nearly struck by a falling branch
- Positive Parenting with Chris Garner: baby talk
- World-renowned organist comes home to Eden village for recital
Iain, who knew James from the age of 12, said: "I want to show that James has not been forgotten.
"This is an opportunity to start something significant for orphans in Myanmar who have absolutely nothing.
"James told me that they rely on the love and human interaction they get from volunteers like him who visit them. There is, as is often mentioned, a real need for the issue of affordable housing to be tackled in South Lakeland but it's good for us to remember the bigger picture and to think of those in a far more desperate situation."
Tickets can be bought online for £7 at www.northernsky-kendal.com or at the door for £10. Every penny raised will go to Orphan's Hope.


text:
I think he sees the network as an underdeveloped asset that is poised to be souped up and made more relevant and competitive.
As part of the speculation about his love life, a rumor had gone around that Hoover had an underdeveloped sex organ.
Since her lower jaw is underdeveloped and her teeth never grew in, her little tongue is permanently sticking out.
His father and grandfather had been illiterate men and he had inherited their underdeveloped brain cells.
In some ways, compared to those of Terra, the industries of Tepokt were underdeveloped.
How truly magnificent were the men of her own kind when compared with these underdeveloped, almost frail, Ammadians!
An overdeveloped child is likely to be an underdeveloped man.
After five centuries of foreign domination, Bulgaria was backward, underdeveloped, and poor.
We must encourage the development of resources and enterprises in all parts of the country, particularly in underdeveloped areas.
Though immature and underdeveloped by Terran standards, she had a fair figure for a Dry-town woman.
underdeveloped un·der·de·vel·oped (ŭn'dər-dĭ-věl'əpt)
Not adequately or normally developed; immature.


text:
By Jon Cassidy | Watchdog.org
An investigation into the corruption of admissions standards at the University of Texas School of Law confirmed Watchdog's reports that dozens of applicants had been admitted to UT Law despite atrocious test scores.
Nonetheless, Kroll Associates made no mention in its final report of the dozens of inadequate Law School Admission Test scores it found in researching applicant data from 2004 to 2014.
Most of those underwhelming students were admitted when Bill Powers was still dean of the law school. Instead, Kroll simply ignored the most damning findings from Power's tenure at UT Law, and gave detailed figures just for 2010 to 2014.
"Of 6,155 admitted applicants from 2010 to 2014, only four were admitted with an LSAT score below 150," Kroll reported. Also, "During the time period reviewed, we found only two applicants who were admitted with both an undergraduate GPA below 3.0 and LSAT score below 155; however, both applicants belonged to an under-represented minority group and had valuable public sector experience before applying to law school."
Actually, Kroll found dozens of students with LSAT scores below 150, and even found three students admitted during the Powers years with scores in the 130s.
As one of our critics put it when these abuses were first coming to light, "A 148 LSAT score getting into UT Law would be beyond extreme. Shocking, even."
The 150 cutoff is significant, as even the worst accredited law schools in the country rarely accept scores any lower. UT usually aims much higher. In 2014, 800 of the 1,080 admitted applicants had LSAT scores of 165 and above on the test, which is scored on a 120-180 scale. Another 196 had scores from 160-164. Of the remaining 84, just 13 were below 155, and none below 150.
In the years 2007 to 2009, UT Law admitted at least six students with LSAT scores lower than 150. But the Powers years were much worse. In the Powers years, the low grade point average for admitted applicants was usually around 2.3, although one was so low it fell off Kroll's chart, and was recorded as simply "<1.9."
Powers left the deanship of the law school for the presidency of the university on Feb. 1, 2006, at which point most of the admissions decisions for that year had been made. In 2004, 2005 and 2006, the law school admitted at least 22 students with LSAT scores below 150, according to the Kroll records.
In each of those years, UT Law admitted somebody with an LSAT score of 137, which is down in the bottom 8 percent of test takers nationwide.
It's impossible to say now exactly how many underqualified students were admitted, as UT redacted the tallies. We can say that in 2004, UT Law admitted at least one person with each of the following scores: 137, 140, 141, 144, 147, 148 and 149.
In 2005, UT Law admitted at least one person with each of the following scores: 137, 140, 141, 143, 144, 147, 148 and 149.
In 2006, the low scores recorded were 137, 141, 143, 146, 147, 148 and 149.
Powers was paid $635,918.87 by the UT Law School Foundation, whose members were often interested in having their own children attend the school. That entire compensation program was later canceled, as it runs afoul of state law prohibiting the payment of honoraria to public officials for the performance of their official duties.
Kroll asked for admissions files on 169 applicants admitted between 2010 and 2014 with GPAs lower than 3.0 or LSAT scores below 155, but was only provided with 70 files, and told the rest had been destroyed when the person chose to go elsewhere.
The findings are quite similar to a Watchdog report from May 2014 that went back a little further than Kroll's timespan:
"In recent years, UT Law has admitted students not just with LSATs in the 140s, but with scores as low as 138, 137, 136, even 128. Several of them were rejected by other Texas law schools of lesser reputation.
"A 128 is down at the very bottom 1 percent of test-takers nationwide. It means the person got less than a quarter of the answers correct."
A Kroll investigator underlined those sentences in blue ink on a printout of three Watchdog.org articles included in the Kroll investigatory file. So Kroll knew what it was supposed to find. The question is who made the decision to keep those findings out of the final report.
Vice Chancellor Dan Sharphorn oversaw the report. He reports directly to Chancellor Bill McRaven.
RELATED: Chancellor Bill McRaven's UT cover-up has no defenders
Those three Watchdog articles, along with a whistleblower from the admissions department, prompted then-Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa to bring Kroll in to investigate admissions corruption.
At the time, state newspapers barely noticed.
It took the Houston Chronicle 24 days to report on Cigarroa's preliminary inquiry into admissions favoritism, which was published May 15. The Austin American-Statesman finally noted the report's existence June 24, after Cigarroa announced the Kroll investigation. The Dallas Morning News reported nothing (although its opinion page took notice).
UT Regent Wallace Hall had been raising questions about admissions integrity for more than a year, but none of the newspapers took his claims seriously enough to investigate (or even to report on the investigations of others). Instead, they typically presented Hall's efforts as some sort of "witch hunt" against Powers.
The bigger the scandal gets, the worse it reflects on those beat reporters, which is why the newest protagonist in the story comes not from the newsrooms, but from the editorial page of the Morning News. The opinion columnist Rudolph Bush, like Watchdog.org, has requested access to all of the records assembled during the Kroll investigation.
Last week, Bush got his paper to file for a court order telling UT to stop dragging its feet and produce the records.
Just like it took a judge to break Watergate wide open, UT's malfeasance may not be thoroughly exposed without a judge taking an active interest in the case. In response to a public records request, UT last week produced a key 24,536-page document from the Kroll files, with every last page redacted.
Attorney General Ken Paxton's office, which is in charge of open records rulings, has been hit or miss so far, ruling for transparency in some cases, but also endorsing some of UT's excuses for secrecy. For example, last week his office ruled that some evidence of regents getting Powers' office to admit their favored candidates was covered by attorney-client privilege, because the Kroll investigation was overseen by an attorney.
Paxton's office has not yet ruled on global requests — filed independently by Bush and Watchdog.org — for all of the Kroll papers, which may well lead to litigation.
Contact Jon Cassidy at [email protected] or @jpcassidy000.
- Texas' Rep. Pitts announces retirement after improper influence story
- University of Texas regents show support for Wallace Hall
- Case against UT regent Wallace Hall is a sham — here's proof
- Texas senator got $477k for supposed 'cameo' appearance in Wallace Hall lawsuit
- Lawmaker admits pulling strings on UT admissions
- Trustee accused of crime for rejecting dodgy accounting
- Longhorns: Senator used clout in UT law school admissions
- Children of Texas lawmakers get into UT School of Law, but struggle to pass bar exam
- Chancellor is probing favoritism in UT admissions
- UT report: Charge against Hall is legally 'absurd'
- Attorney in UT case hides six-figure charges despite terms of contract
- University of Texas clout scandal grows as new e-mails surface
- Four more get into UT Law despite low LSATs
- Reports on UT favoritism, impeachment expected soon
- Attorney: Secret tape covered up by lawmakers proves regent's innocence
- Dozens of UT Law's least qualified students are connected politically
- University of Texas uncovers admissions corruption, halts investigation
- UT admissions: Straus, Branch, Pitts pulled strings
- Who got the 128? UT Law admits students with bad LSAT scores
- Patrick's win may doom Hall impeachment effort
- Chancellor promises complete investigation of UT admissions
- Board to decide UT president's fate Thursday
- Texas politicians smarten up, ditch UT pres this time around
- Tribune story may have doomed UT's Powers
- Academics condone the privilege they denounce
- Three essential stories on the UT admissions scandal
- Texas AG Greg Abbott embraces Roe v. Wade
- Roe v. Wade is AG's new pretext for blocking Texas law school investigation
- Two UT regents pressed for records destruction
- New crime invented for Hall: assisted guesswork
- Texas lawmaker failed to disclose his own clout letter in UT flap
- Texas legislator Fischer insists on role in UT investigation
- Hutchison pulled strings for friends' kids and grandkids at UT
- Ex-UT Law dean's credit card bill: $400k in four years
- Abbott's UT picks are pro-affirmative action
- Report: University of Texas showed favoritism to thousands
- Kroll ignored hundreds of weak UT applications
- Billionaire defends UT admissions privileges for 'leaders'
- Weak admissions to University of Texas Law increased after Sager's ouster
- Kroll report takes dig at Watchdog.org
- Hicks won't stop UT's backdoor admits
- Texas governor's wife was on UT nominee's payroll
- Bill to limit UT oversight clears committee
- UT regent blasts speaker for 'abuse of office'
- Texas politician rebuts himself with apparently plagiarized letter
- Pay-to-play scandal involves UT dean, Texas Exes
- Supreme Court asked to look at UT's backdoor admissions program
- Lawmakers want UT applications shielded from scrutiny
- McRaven makes UT scandal his own
- An open letter to Attorney General Ken Paxton on the UT cover-up
- Chancellor Bill McRaven's UT cover-up has no defenders
- UT's back door still open, but can't stay secret, AG rules
- Whitewash: Kroll left dozens of bad LSATs out of UT report
- McRaven's defense to Hall lawsuit refuted by own words
- Ready for the end of affirmative action?
- UT admissions scandal is 10 times bigger than official report
- McRaven trolls Dallas Morning News
- Powers to get top salary at UT Law
- UT sues to block Watchdog access to admissions investigation
- UT approves 'Spinal Tap' policy for backdoor admissions
- Admissions survey: No, UT, everybody doesn't do it
- UT admissions scandal prompts new investigation
- Ticket scandal a black mark for UT, DA
- Showdown over UT cover-up nears end
- McRaven's rationale for UT cover-up denounced by regents, AG
- High court to decide if University of Texas can deep-six investigation
- High court hears arguments on whether UT can bury investigation
- Testimony by UT contradicts story fed high court
- These 'horns ain't loyal, McRaven finds
- UT's Hall challenges Abbott over board picks
- Texas Supreme Court nullifies rule of law; impunity to reign
- The battle for the Kroll records goes on


text:
Institute of Culinary Arts
College of Nursing & Health Studies
School of Business Administration
Institute of Art & Design
School of Computer Studies
Morris Graduate School of Management
Images not loaded yet. Try again in a few seconds.
About Me
I'm a Morris Graduate School of Management student, pursing my MBA with a concentration in Management and Human Resources. I am also a full-time paralegal specializing in unemployment law. When I'm not working or studying, I'm watching Hockey or Baseball or attending concerts.
NATO Summit
Bark in the Park!
Finals Week and a Recap
Morris Women Presents
Mentoring Panel Discussion
International Women's Day
The Oscars!
Graduating on-time and Morris Women
Scheduling Classes
Year 2012
Winter is Here!
Morris Women
Sports and Unity!
Week Four
Open Streets
The Last Two Weeks!
To Drop a class or not!
Fall is almost here.
Busy, Busy, Busy
Summer Vacation
Summerfest in Milwaukee!
Graduation Time!
We're havin' a heat wave!!
My first blog!
Previously on Real Life @ RMU
My first blog!
Hello, my name is Nina Rodriguez, born and raised in Chicago and this is my first blog at RMU. I am currently a graduate student pursing a MBA with a double concentration in Management and Human Resources. I have been a Morris Graduate student for a year and half and hopefully will graduate early 2012. When I am not in school, I work as a full-time paralegal specializing in unemployment law.
Besides being a student and paralegal, I am also an animal activist. I try to promote prevention of animal cruelty by attending charity events or making contributions to organizations like the ASPCA and The Anti-cruelty Society. I have two dogs, a gold Labradoodle and one black lab and pit-bull mix. I'm passionate about these causes because Ace, my black Labrador/Pit-Bull mix, was rescued from a shelter in Macomb Illinois. Ace had been abused by his previous owners and also had his tail bitten by another dog, from his stay in the shelter. If we hadn't taken him in, he probably wouldn't have received the extensive medical attention he needed.
Realizing the importance my pets have in my life, I try to make others aware about the issues all animals face and what actions we can take to help them. One cause that I am currently involved in is raising money for a US soldier who asked for help to bring his beloved dog, Bella, home from Afghanistan. It's a huge cost to transport pets from overseas which is a burden US soldiers and their families can't afford.
When I'm not trying to change the world, I engage in wide variety of hobbies, which include photography, books, music, and some sports. I am a huge Chicago Blackhawks fan and am looking forward to attending the Third Annual Blackhawks Convention in July. Also in July, I am going to see U2 at Soldier Field for their 360° Tour. I am also trying to find a way to attend Lollapalooza in August to see Muse and the Foo Fighters. I just have to convince someone else to be crazy enough to want to join the sea of other concert-goers during the August heat. I look forward to writing more blogs and attending classes this summer at RMU. Cheers!
Next on Real Life @ RMU
Graduation Time!
This past week the halls at RMU were filled with students holding clear bags filled with caps and gowns for graduation. I saw the anxious yet excited looks on their faces as they clutched their bags. Some of the graduates were former classmates of mine and we stopped in the hall to talk about their happiness to have finished the program and also the feeling of uncertainty regarding their future. The current economic condition hasn't provided much reassurance for these graduates. Jobs are on the slow progression but not enough to sustain a solid recovery. Despite that, graduates should be reassured that they are leaving RMU with more knowledge, experience, and wisdom, which will aide them on their future journeys.
The knowledge, experience, and wisdom acquired stems from the diverse faculty at RMU. One of the very first lessons I learned at RMU was from Dr. Bob (Dr.Robert Castaneda), who taught the BUS 500 and 501 classes. He instructed us that whatever career we pursued that we should obtain certification to stand out from the rest and to also always keep learning and make yourself current to stay competitive. Dr. Meier, who taught our MGT 545 Leadership class, enforced in us to read the Wall Street Journal daily, to keep us informed about the current industries. Also, reading the Journal would prepare us to answer any question during job interviews. As a result, I currently have a subscription and it has allowed me to gain favor with my current employer during discussions. Then there is Mr. Wayne Gru, who has taught some of the MGT 505 and 550 classes and offered insightful perspectives on the challenges managers face in organizations. He has also offered his support to any questions we may have regarding our current positions and the obstacles we are facing. Mr.Gru, also reminds us that we can contact him any time even after completion of our classes for advice. Graduates can take these lessons and advice and apply them to their careers.
I wanted congratulate the class of 2011 on all their hard work. I also wanted reassure them that they are leaving RMU with a plethora of resources to be successful in their endeavors. Cheers!
Real Life @ RMU
NinaProgram: Master of Business Administration Hometown: Chicago, IL Campus: Chicago
We're havin' a heat wave!!
A heat wave has finally settled over the city. Chicagoans have emerged from their dark caves and are enjoying the sun. It's time to tan the pale skin hidden under layers of clothes due to the long winter. Along with the warm weather, summer brings to Chicago many fests and outdoor events. There is the Blues Fest, Gospel Fest, Jazz Fest, movies in Grant Park, and of course Taste of Chicago. The nice thing about these events is that the majority of them are free.
One free event in particular that I enjoy is the free concerts at Millennium Park. Concerts take place at the Jay Pritzker Pavillion, also known as the "Metal Flower." If you arrive early you can find a seat in the pavilion or grab a spot on the lawn. If you run out of room on the lawns there is always room underneath the surrounding trees. On Mondays, they have a series called "Downtown Sound: New Music Monday," which features emerging artists. This past Monday, June 6, 2011, Iron and Wine headlined the night. They are best known for their song called "Flightless Bird/American Mouth," which was featured in the movie "Twilight" during Bella and Edward's slow dance in the gazebo. If rock/alternative/folk music isn't your forte there are other genres of music throughout the summer series. Thursdays evenings feature world class Jazz, and other nights feature classical ensembles, and world music. It's an enjoyable experience listening to good music, hanging with family or friends, with the city skyline as your backdrop.
And lastly, on Tuesday, June 7, 2011, Lollapalooza released the concert schedule for each individual day. Also single ticket purchases went on sale, so if you don't want to attend all three days you can choose which day is the best (see link for list of bands). The fest opens August 5, 2011 with headliners Muse and Coldplay. Saturday's headliner is Eminem. And on Sunday the Foo Fighters close out the event. Cheers!


text:
NonZeroSum's Metal wood clamps
Description: I have 8 metal wood clamps, medium, spring-loaded, and 4 longer grip driven clamps to use for holding materials while drying or manipulating.
Have a question about this item? Contact the owner.
Join NeighborGoods or login to your account to borrow this item.
Condition: Like New
Original Price: $15
Location: Tacoma, WA 98405


text:
Nearly 40 years ago, residents of Boulder, Colo., became the first of any city in the United States to levy a sales tax on themselves to buy, manage and maintain open space.
Now, a grass-roots group of residents is taking another crack at gathering support for a similar effort in Oro Valley.
"I doubt we'll ever be able to accomplish what Boulder did," said Dick Eggerding, designated spokesman for the recently created Land Conservation Committee of Oro Valley, noting that Boulder passed its first bond issue for open space land acquisition in 1902. "But Boulder offers a wonderful role model to follow. There are huge differences between our towns, nevertheless, we can learn some big-time lessons from Boulder," Eggerding said.
Other committee members include Development Review Board members Al Kunisch and Richard Feinberg, Karen Rogers, a key figure in starting the town's Save-A-Plant Program, and Pat Spoerl, both members of the town's General Plan Steering Committee, Jim Kriegh, one of the town fathers, and Marilyn Cook, a board member of the Oro Valley Endowment Fund.
One of the committee's first objectives is the preservation of buildings on the historical Steam Pump Ranch, a 15-acre site west of Oracle Road between North First Avenue and East Tangerine Road, a former stagecoach stop for travelers north from Tucson and a watering hole for prospectors and Apaches.
"Steam Pump Ranch is a classic starting point," Eggerding said. "There is no doubt in my mind that Steam Pump has to be saved and it's got to be saved in a meaningful way.
"And this can be done in an economically viable way as well, where the developer, if he's willing, could turn this into a very positive thing" with the mix of business uses proposed for the site, currently zoned for one home per three acres.
"There are plenty of examples around this country where historic sites are saved and they end up being focal points, if you will, for retail development if it's done properly," Eggerding said. "But it's got to be done in a classy way."
The town is in an excellent position to accomplish this because the developers have to come to the town to change the zoning. In this regard, the town couldn't be in a better bargaining position, he said.
The developer, ARCADIS G&M Inc., wants to use the site for auto repair and sales facilities, offices, retail and drive-through restaurants.
In October of 2002, SWCA Inc., environmental consultants, submitted a report to ARCADIS G&M Inc. concluding that only two of the 11 structures on the site, spanning the periods of the 1870s and the 1930s, were worth preserving for historical purposes.
Oro Valley hired R. Brooks Jeffery, a heritage preservation consultant, to verify those conclusions in light of concerns that an architectural historian with experience in preservation was not used to assess issues of architectural integrity or the breadth of themes of significance on the entire ranch property that would preserve the essence of the Steam Pump Ranch environment.
The consultant recommended preserving seven of the 11 buildings as well as the surrounding setting as part of a Steam Pump Ranch Rural Historic District and allowing land uses that would "preserve the quality and character of Oro Valley's only remaining historic site."
In support of that recommendation, William S. Collins, deputy state historic preservation officer, notified Oro Valley in January that his office was "willing to offer any assistance it can" in support of a preservation effort and a listing of Steam Pump Ranch on the National Register of Historic Places.
Other sites high on the committee's priority list are the 188-acre Kelly Ranch east of Oracle at Tangerine, a chunk of the 9,500 acres of state trust land north of town, 25 acres north of the 213-acre Naranja Town Site and 42 acres surrounded by Calle Concordia on the south, Linda Vista Boulevard on the north between Egleston Drive and Oracle Road.
The committee's greatest challenge, Eggerding said, will be to educate the public on what can and can't be done and the cost of accomplishing land conservation goals agreed to by the public.
"If there's no strong public sentiment about this, there's no sense going forward," he said. "This isn't motherhood, apple pie and the flag. This is something very concrete that has to be evaluated before it's implemented and it won't happen if the citizenry isn't there to support it. A strong public edict on land conservation forces all the parties to come together to work something out. It's an idea that has to be sold from both economical and environmental perspectives, for without both there can be no sale."
Specifically, the group is working to gather public support to fund open space purchases by means of a sales tax increase. A half-cent sales tax increase above the town's 2 percent sales tax, as an example, would mean an additional $1.5 million in town revenues.
In order not to be perceived as some splinter group, the committee is seeking Town Council support and sanctioning under the auspices of the town's General Plan which is now being revised and is scheduled to go before voters in November.
A Town Council study session is planned to discuss the town's role in this effort and possible assistance from Town Manager Chuck Sweet and Finance Director David Andrews to identify other land conservation possibilities and the means to finance the purchase of these lands.
"We're at the point where we have to stop the rhetoric and do something," Eggerding said. "The emotional diatribes of the past just aren't going to get the job done.
"Open space, by its very nature in Arizona, is in very limited supply with 85 percent of the land owned either by the state, federal government or Indian tribes," he said. "That doesn't leave very much, so you have all this pressure for development on the remaining land.
"Bringing the issue closer to home, the history of the town is such that we've gone through transitions from Pima County to Oro Valley becoming a town and that has brought with it all kinds of land use issues," he said.
Only once before has there been any such move on the part of any group of residents to put the question of open space land acquisition before voters. The Oro Valley Neighborhood Coalition did just that in 1996 only to have 76 percent of voters reject their referendum on the purchase of Honey Bee Canyon.
"Past efforts have been too emotional," Eggerding said. "The issue of open space land conservation has always been presented as save, save, save in an all-too-emotional way, not in terms of let's preserve the land because of inherent archaeological, historical and environmental reasons.
"There's been a lot of name calling and emotionalism as opposed to presenting the facts and a meaningful way to pay for it," he said. "Cost factors can't be underemphasized and in the previous attempt those cost factors weren't explained very well."
There are three phases the committee deems critical to gaining public support: identifying open space that is readily and legally available; setting priorities on acquiring those lands; and determining a method of payment, including the costs of maintenance and operations.
"This has to be done in a very calculated, unemotional way and requires the cooperation of a variety of sources," Eggerding said. "That includes the general public which has to buy into the idea of open space conservation, the developer who should be willing to compromise in given situations and the Town Council and town administration in being creative as to what a developer can and cannot do and coming up with funding possibilities.
In light of recent annexation efforts that will bring into the town the Plaza Escondida and La Entrada shopping areas, as well as commercial properties on both the northeast and northwest sides of Magee and Oracle roads, an increased sales tax takes on even greater significance, he said.
"Just think of the impact now that an increased sales tax could have on land conservation as a result of that," he said. "And the more retail you add, the more emphasis this receives because it adds revenues for open space.
"Another thing I like about the sales tax is that it's like a user tax. The people who come into our town and use our facilities would help us in acquiring open spaces.
"I'm confident in the intelligence of the community to realize that the purchase of open space will enhance their quality of life," Eggerding said. "And I also think they'll figure out it will enhance the investment they've made in their homes. It's a proven fact that where you have this kind of attitude on the part of the public, property values are sustained, if not increased dramatically.
"So there's an economic factor to all this," he said. "In the long run the resident gets a greater return on the dollar in terms of environmental aspects and terms of property values.
"I'm a cockeyed optimist," said Eggerding, founder and current president of the Greater Oro Valley Art Council and former chairman of the task force charged with presenting proposed improvements to the 213-acre Naranja Town Site to the council. "I wouldn't be doing the things I do if I weren't.
"But I also have a lot of confidence in the people who live here and a lot of confidence in my country and where this economy is going," he said. "Right now we're in the doldrums, so to speak, in terms of the economy, but when this thing turns around, and it will, the revenue stream is just going to go through the roof, particularly in retail sales. The more retail space we add, the more it's going to increase our ability to follow through on land conservation," he said. "The two go hand in glove."
Mayor Paul Loomis said the group has been asked to submit an information package to the town for review and comment after which a study session of the council will be held.
Loomis questioned how often a sales tax could be implemented to finance the numerous land purchases sought.
Another scenario over the next 18 months is to research, market and identify additional sources of funding and possibly seek a general revenue tax through a bond issue that could cover costs related to improvements at the Naranja Town Site as well as open space purchases and the creation of a town fire department.
The need to establish a funding mechanism for the acquisition and management of open space lands has been recognized in both the town's 1996 General Plan and the latest revision under review. "Without timely establishment of such a mechanism," the plan acknowledges, "the town will continue to develop and further limit options for establishing a connected system of open space."