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The Salesman, a Dry Cleaner and a Post-it Note
John Antonik
February 03, 2013 11:32 AM
Sometimes you have to lift up a couple of rocks or do a little digging to come up with a good story. Other times, good stories just seem to fall right into your lap.
Well, this one was dropped on me like a water balloon from the top of the Engineering Building, and since
football signing day is coming up
on Wednesday, what better time to tell another recruiting story, right?
The other day, I chased down former Mountaineer basketball assistant coach Gary McPherson to ask him a couple of questions about Dale Blaney, profiled in
last week's Friday Flashback
– the newest feature on our website.
"Coach Mac," I began. "I need something good on Dale Blaney before I get him on the phone. What do you got?"
"How much time do you have?" he asked.
"How much time do you have?"
Right away, my mind flashed back to that funny scene in Vacation when Chevy Chase's character Clark Griswold asked the small-town auto mechanic how much it was going to cost for the repair job to his badly damaged car and the mechanic replied "how much you got?" as he tapped a crowbar.
So, how much time you got?
Not much was known about Dale Blaney when he played high school basketball in one of those one-stoplight towns in Northeastern Ohio. Just a couple of small local colleges were recruiting him when McPherson walked into his office one fall morning in 1982 and his phone started ringing.
"Our secretary comes on and says, 'Coach, someone wants to talk to you about a player you should be recruiting,'" McPherson said.
Just what he needed, another wild goose chase looking for the next Jerry West in some godforsaken place, McPherson imagined.
"Coach," said the guy on the other end of the line, "my name is Don Grouver, G, R, O, U, V, E, R, and I want to talk to you about a player up in Hartford, Ohio. I think he can play for the Mountaineers."
"What's his name?" asked McPherson.
"Dale Blaney."
"What position does he play?" was McPherson's next question.
"He would probably be a guard in college."
"Well Mr. Grouver, we're not recruiting any guards this year," McPherson politely answered, his train of thought beginning to drift to the 10 or 15 other things that he should be doing before practice later that afternoon. At that particular time West Virginia's roster was already full of guards with guys like Greg Jones, Quentin Freeman, Tony Washam and Diego McCoy, and McPherson's boss, Coach Gale Catlett, had issued a strict order to all of his assistant coaches that fall – NO MORE GUARDS.
Catlett has always been a pretty intimidating guy and whenever he issued an order it was usually carried out without a second thought. During his Mountaineer playing days back in early the 1960s, Catlett was considered one of college basketball's top enforcers with his No. 1 job being to make sure All-American guard Rod Thorn finished each game upright and healthy.
"I used to protect Rod when guys would thug on him," Catlett once told me. "Thug on him" was the phrase Catlett actually used, which I thought was pretty cool for a 60-some-year-old guy to say. It was pretty common knowledge around here that Catlett and Pitt tough-guy-extraordinaire Brian Generalovich used to mix it up on the basketball court about as frequently as Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier did in the boxing ring.
At any rate, McPherson tried to get the guy off the phone so he could get back to work. "But coach, this kid can really play and right now there are not that many schools after him. I think he can play for the Mountaineers," Grouver said.
"That may be, but the thing is we are not going to recruit any more guards this year," McPherson said firmly.
No dice. The guy still wasn't giving up.
"Where are you?" McPherson finally asked.
"I'm here in Morgantown."
"Why did you call me?" the agitation beginning to show in McPherson's voice.
"Listen, I'm a sand salesman and I sell sand to these glass plants in the area. I have a friend up in Ohio and I told him I was going to call you and get your word that you would go and see him play and make a decision on him."
"If I gave you my word I'd go, but I'm not going to give you my word because there is just no need for me to go if we're not recruiting guards," McPherson said.
The guy wouldn't take no for an answer, so to get him off the phone, McPherson finally agreed to see the kid play. He wrote Blaney's name on a Post-it note and stuck it on his desk right next to his telephone.
For the next couple of months, whenever he looked at his phone the first thing he saw was that Post-it note with Dale Blaney's name written on it. Eventually, it started to bug McPherson the way that runny-nosed guy used to bug me whenever he sat down behind me for lectures in college (Why sit behind me? Why not sit someplace else in the 500-seat lecture room? Why not blow your nose once in a while instead of slurping it up like a milkshake every 15 seconds? And more importantly, why do I still think of these things?).
Nevertheless, McPherson was doing exactly what Catlett had asked him to do - recruit a center - and the player he was pursuing was 6-foot-9-inch Keith Wesson from Niles, Ohio, which just happened to be near where Blaney lived. McPherson made a couple of trips up to see Wesson play and one night while he was there, a guy tapped him on the back of the shoulder during the game McPherson was watching.
"You're from West Virginia and you're here to see Wesson play, aren't you?" he said. "Well, you're wasting your time. He's going to Ohio State."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because they've already given his brother a manager's job down here at the local plant and you're just wasting your time," he said. "By the way, he's not the best player up here. There's a kid down in Hartford named Dale Blaney. He's the best player up here."
Dale Blaney. There was that name again.
"He's a guard, isn't he," McPherson said facetiously. "Well, we're not recruiting any more guards. By the way, what do you do?"
"I have a dry cleaning business here," he said. "But I'm telling you right now,
Blaney is the best player up here
and you're just wasting your time with Wesson because you don't have a chance."
In the meantime, the Mountaineers continued to win basketball games, first 10 in a row, then 15, and then 20 on the way to a nation's best 23-game winning streak by the end of February. West Virginia had risen to No. 6 in the polls – the highest ranking for WVU since the days when Catlett and Generalovich were beating each other up - the entire state was going berserk over the basketball team, and all McPherson could think about was that damned Post-it note stuck to his desk with Dale Blaney's name written on it.
Finally sick of looking at it, one morning McPherson decided to get the name of the basketball coach at Kinsman-Badger High School where Blaney played, a fellow named John Sheets (Sheets happened to be the maiden name of McPherson's wife Peg, coincidentally), and he soon got the coach on the phone.
"Coach, this is Gary McPherson down at West Virginia and I've had a couple of people tell me about Dale Blaney (a sand salesman and a dry cleaner). Do you think he can play for West Virginia University?" he asked.
"Well coach, I'm not sure, but he is a pretty good player. We're a small school, he plays all over for us, but he's a good athlete and a fine young man," Sheets said. "I think you would have to determine that for yourself."
"What time do you practice today?" said McPherson.
"We usually practice every day around 4 o'clock."
"How long will it take me to get there from Morgantown?" asked McPherson.
"Oh, about three, three-and-a-half hours," he said.
McPherson looked at his watch, saw that it was right around lunchtime, and with no practice scheduled for that afternoon, he figured there was just enough time for him to get to Hartford to watch Blaney work out.
"Can I watch your practice today?" McPherson asked.
"That'd be great coach. We'd love to have you."
So McPherson grabbed his Ohio road map and took off for Hartford, finally arriving late that afternoon. When he walked into the gym the team was doing defensive sliding drills. McPherson barely had a chance to sit down and stretch out his legs on the bleachers behind the basket when Sheets blew his whistle. Practice was over.
Still sitting there, McPherson was certain that Sheets would bring Blaney back out on the floor for a little private workout. But Sheets sent all of his players into the locker room, including Blaney. The coach then walked over to McPherson and introduced himself. "What'd ya think, coach?"
"What do you mean, what do I think?" said McPherson. "He looks like he does a pretty good job with defensive sliding, but I have no idea what else he can do."
"Well, coach, we had to cut practice short today and this was all we could do," explained Sheets. "Here is our schedule for the rest of the year. Maybe you can come back up and see us play sometime."
McPherson managed a crooked smile, gave the coach a quick handshake and got back into his car. The longer he drove the madder he got. He had just wasted seven hours of a rare day off to see a kid from a one-stoplight town do defensive sliding drills for 20 minutes.
When McPherson returned to the office and sat down at his desk the next morning, still sitting next to his phone was that Post-it note. That's it, he decided, I'm going to see this kid play and then throw that damned piece of paper in the trash. It was time to put this old hunting dog to rest.
So he drove up to Hartford to watch Blaney play and he scored "about 30 or 35 points," McPherson recalled, against a team without a single guy taller than 6 feet. McPherson watched Blaney play a second time, and once again, he had another great game. Still, he wasn't sure because the team Blaney had played against was no better than the first one he saw.
Meanwhile, the Mountaineers had advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in Logan, Utah where they were eliminated by Fresno State in a tough, down-to-the-wire game. When McPherson returned with the team to Morgantown, he came down with a severe case of pneumonia that required bed rest. He was under strict orders from his doctor - no recruiting.
Then the phone rang. It was John Sheets to inform McPherson that Blaney's team had another game but he wasn't sure if they could win it, so it might be the last opportunity to see him play. The game was in Canton, Ohio.
McPherson, barely able to stand up, got team manager Rex Foster to drive him up to Canton while he rested in the backseat of a university car. Once more, Blaney played a great game and when McPherson returned to Morgantown, Catlett had finally gotten wind of his top-secret recruiting junkets to Ohio, most likely from Foster.
"What the hell are you going up to Ohio for?" asked Catlett.
"Well, Gale, I'm recruiting this guard up there at a little school in Hartford," said McPherson, figuring it was probably time to come clean.
"I thought I told you not to recruit guards - we don't need any more guards," barked Catlett.
"But Gale, this kid really intrigues me," McPherson said. "He's a heck of an athlete and I don't know for sure, but I think he might turn out to be a pretty good player for us."
A couple of weeks later, McPherson learned that Blaney was selected to play on the Mahoning County all-star team to face an all-star team made up of city kids from Youngstown. Several college coaches, including Michigan State's Jud Heathcote, were going to be there to watch the game.
By then, McPherson was all-in for Blaney and he decided that it was time to double down. After this game he would know for sure whether or not the kid could play. And if he performed well, McPherson was going to get Catlett on the phone and demand that he give Blaney the team's final scholarship. If he had to, McPherson was prepared to bolster his case by telling Catlett that several prominent scouts (a sand salesman and a dry cleaner) had recommended him.
When he arrived in Youngstown for the game, Blaney was not even listed in the starting lineup. Well hell, McPherson thought, if he can't start for the Mahoning County all-stars how in the world is he going to play for the Mountaineers?
At the game's outset, the city kids put it on the country boys, leading by 12 or 15 points when Blaney was finally put in. Immediately, he lit up the scoreboard the way Michael Jordan did against the Lakers in game five of the '91 NBA finals, and Blaney continued to play that way for the rest of the game.
"He just destroyed those Youngstown players," marveled McPherson.
As this was happening, a severe thunderstorm rolled through the area and knocked out the power to the gym and everyone was forced to sit there in the dark for about a half an hour until the electricity came back on.
While he sat there, McPherson must have realized that the big guy upstairs was sending him a message - if that was even possible in a place as bleak as Youngstown, Ohio –
Dale Blaney was destined to play for the West Virginia Mountaineers!
It was like a shout from the mountaintops, if only in McPherson's mind.
When the game finally ended, Blaney was named MVP over several better-known players and it didn't take someone with the basketball IQ of a sand salesman or a drycleaner to realize that Blaney was clearly the best player on the floor. Some of the coaches in the gym watching their players waited around afterward to talk to Blaney. Great, figured McPherson, after all of the trouble I went through to find out if the kid was any good or not it's now going to come down to this – I lose him to Jud Heathcote in an all-star game.
McPherson slipped down to the locker room before the rest of the coaches to try and get to Blaney or Sheets, whoever he could talk to first (in those days the high school coaches were far more important to talk to than the AAU coaches are today, plus, they actually knew a little something about the game which also helped). Standing next to the locker room door was an attractive young girl.
"Do you know a guy named John Sheets?" said McPherson. She did. He then asked her if she knew Dale Blaney. A wide smile formed on her face.
"You're Dale Blaney's girlfriend, aren't you?" asked McPherson.
"Yes I am."
"What's your name?" said McPherson.
"Dawn Grouver." She was the daughter of Don Grouver, the guy who wouldn't let McPherson off the telephone. Had McPherson known this, there is no way he would have ever attempted to recruit Dale Blaney in the first place.
He talked to Blaney and his family after the game and convinced them to come down to Morgantown the following week for a visit. After a couple of hours touring the campus, McPherson asked Blaney if he wanted to play basketball for the Mountaineers.
"Coach, I promised Coach (Eddie) Biedenbach from Georgia that I would have him for a home visit," said Blaney. "Call me on Friday after I talk with Coach Biedenbach and I'll let you know."
That Friday morning McPherson telephoned Blaney. It was going to be six months well spent or six months wasted, but either way there would finally be closure. As good fortune would have it, Biedenbach missed his flight out of Atlanta and was forced to cancel his home visit with the Blaneys. The coach wanted to reschedule, but Dale told him not to bother because his mind was made up: he was going to West Virginia.
"We spend all this money on kids, we bring them in and give them the royal treatment, and that's how we recruited Dale Blaney," said McPherson, figuring that it probably cost the school a couple of tanks worth of gasoline to get him, plus a whole lot of time and patience.
So that's the story of how West Virginia ended up with Dale Blaney - one of the better players in Mountaineer history – a persistent sand salesman, his daughter, a dry cleaner, a Post-it note, a little patience and a whole lot of luck.
And now you know the rest of the story.
Check out Antonik's new book
The Backyard Brawl: Stories from One of the Weirdest, Wildest, Longest Running, and Most Intense Rivalries in College Football History
now available in bookstores. A portion of the sales benefit the WVU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Also, be sure to "Like" the
new Backyard Brawl Facebook page
and tell us your personal WVU-Pitt story.
Dale Blaney
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text:
VIA PT880 PRO: Biostar's Deluxe Dual Comboby Gary Key on 3/20/2006 12:05 AM EST
- Posted in
- Motherboards
17 Comments
Back to Article
Rza79 - Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - linkI would say the Asus P5VD1-X is a 10x better option than this board.
- PT880Ultra instead of PT880Pro
- Asus doesn't use OST caps
- gigabit lan controller
- space in between the AGP and PCI-E slot so you can actually put two cards
- can be found as low as 50 euro
It would be nice if you reviewed this board too. I used it and it really did good. Reply
Marlin1975 - Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - linkThats the PT880 board I am running now. It does not have voltage mods for the CPU but I was told the next Bios update will fix that. :) Reply
Per Hansson - Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - linkGary, sigh, I whined about this in your Epox review and I'll do it in this one too
The Caps used on the board for the VRM section are excellent brand by United Chemi-Con, for the smaller caps they used the crap-brand OST that will prolly fail within the boards useful life if they are installed in any high ripple areas, which they seem to be (chipset, memory and expansionslots....) Please atleast provide pictures where you can read the make and model of the caps
Next; PCI-E 4x has low bandwidth; well, compared to AGP 3.0 it is 2.0GB/s, and guess what, AGP 3.0 has 2 GB/s too... So the issue is not with too little bandwidth but something in the implementation...
Most serious is the fact that there is no mention about the fact that the VT8237R does not support SATA2 harddrives, i.e. they do not work at all with it! Only the VT8237R+ support SATA2 properly, this is a design issue in the following chipsets: VT8237, VT8237R, VT6420 and VT6421L
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=24910">http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=24910 Reply
Rza79 - Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - linkWhile i know OST caps are cheap and come from Taiwan, still i have to see a blown up one. Asrock is using them from the start and those first boards are still working good for me. Still, better ones are good but OST isn't crap but just worse. Big difference.
PCI-E 4x has 2GB/s bandwidth in total, what means 1GB/s per direction. So it can read 1GB/s and write at 1GB/s. Since these stuff are reading most of the time ...
AGP can use it bandwidth in both directions meaning it can read at 2GB/s or write at 2GB/s. But the benchmarks do show that 1GB/s for reading is just not enough for these highend cards.
About the Sata2 incompability. The southbridges you mention do have a detection issue. But any Sata2 hdd can be to Sata1 by jumper. When you do that, they will just work. Actually hdd's from Samsung, ... are set to Sata1 by default and have to be set manually to Sata2 by jumper.
All the lastest Via boards i got from Asus (last month) had the Plus version of the southbridge, so you don't need to bother any longer about it either. Reply
Gary Key - Friday, March 24, 2006 - link"Next; PCI-E 4x has low bandwidth; well, compared to AGP 3.0 it is 2.0GB/s, and guess what, AGP 3.0 has 2 GB/s too... So the issue is not with too little bandwidth but something in the implementation...
Most serious is the fact that there is no mention about the fact that the VT8237R does not support SATA2 harddrives, i.e. they do not work at all with it! Only the VT8237R+ support SATA2 properly, this is a design issue in the following chipsets: VT8237, VT8237R, VT6420 and VT6421L "
The PCI-E 4x comments have been clarified by RZA79 already. Our features chart and text clearly indicated the VIA VT8237R was a SATA 1.5Gb/s controller. However, I obviously did not clearly state this in the article. :) I updated the Final Words section based upon your comments. In our testing with this controller, our Maxtor, WD, Seagate, and Samsung 3Gb/s drives all worked fine with the jumpers set to 1.5Gb/s. Thanks!!! Reply
Per Hansson - Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - linkYea right, OST is great...
Shuttle MS50N s478
MSI MS-6741 s754
Matsonic MS8318E s462
I had no idea about the PCIe bandwidth info... Interesting to say the least
And last, I bought a friend a 500GB Seagate Barracuda, it did not get recognized by his mobo (8237 southbridge) I contacted Seagate by phone, the tech said I was supposed to put a jumper between two of the pins, it did not help, so I had to buy him an external controller Reply
Per Hansson - Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - linkSorry, links trancuated...
Shuttle MS50N s478
MSI MS-6741 s754
Matsonic MS8318E s462
http://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=251">http://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=251 Reply
Wonga - Monday, March 20, 2006 - linkFrom this review, you can certainly see that AMD made a good choice going for an IMC - relying on VIA, they'd always be in second place.
Not that VIA chipsets are bad to use, but they certainly aren't the quickest... Reply
lemonadesoda - Monday, March 20, 2006 - linkSomething isn't quite right here. If you want to provide an upgrade path for basic users, start with what they have already:
1./ CPU - 478 (this is an intel example)
3./ Memory - DDR
And cost/price of the original components (and their new replacements) IS IN THAT ORDER. What's the point of throwing away your most expensive components and recycling only the lowest value ones? Not much really.
The design criteria should be to get maximum gain from minimum investment. And to me that would suggest upgrading, in this order:
A./ Increase memory
C./ Other software or hardware speed-me-ups
D./ Maybe CPU if you have a pooooor humble one. Either you buy a second hand CPU on ebay, or you might as well start with a brand new up to date platform
Not on the list, would be to change memory format DDR vs DDR2 (since this ain't going to give you any more practial or noticeable speed)
Therefore, for the budget conscious upgrader, what is needed is a mainboard that will allow them to do upgrade A and B at minimum cost. ie a mainboard with PCIe16 and socket 478 and SIX DDR memory slots. (SIX Slots allows the upgrader to use existing too-small DDR sticks and add a couple more)
I believe ASUS and ASROCK did a socket 478 and PCIexpress, but guess what, only 2 RAM slots. Brainless. Reply
Missing Ghost - Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - linkyeah bright, 6 dimms unbuffered memory! Reply
Myrandex - Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - linkI don't know of any desktop level chipset supporting 6 slots, you are being unrealistic here. 4 is about the most you could hope for.
4x PCiE is disapointing.
Jason Reply
DigitalFreak - Monday, March 20, 2006 - linkAnother crap chipset from a crap vendor. Reply
Marlin1975 - Monday, March 20, 2006 - linkSet the memory to 166MHz before trying to overclock. I found this worked best and got me past 205MHz FSB setting. But at 200Mhz memory (ddr1) it would hold or freeze.
I have had an Asrock and a Asus PT880 pro board and both worked well. I now have the Asus with an 805 chip. The Asus board has the best sound from all the PT880 pro boards I have seen so far and that is why I gave up the Asrock. Also since the 805 chip starts at 133MHz fsb overclocking seems to work better. That and the 805 would be a better choice to review this type of board based on price. So how about trying the Asus with a 805, or even this biostar with a 805.
Gary Key - Monday, March 20, 2006 - link
Set the memory to 166MHz before trying to overclock. I found this worked best and got me past 205MHz FSB setting. But at 200Mhz memory (ddr1) it would hold or freeze.
We tried the 166MHz level and were able to overclock at the 14x multiplier up to a 215FSB but the board was not stable enough to complete our benchmark tests and would generate a ream of errors in MemTest86. We also tried the 15x muliplier with the same results. This issue occurred with two different bios revisions also. We believe either our board or the bios just has an issue with running the CPU at a multiplier other than stock.
While a Pentium D 805 or a newer Celeron D CPU is the most likely CPU candidate along with an 6600GT or X800 video card for this board we did not have the schedule time to go back and test the other boards with these configurations. In fact, our Intel platforms will be moving away from the 840EE after the next review and to a more recent Pentium D processor along with a change in the GPU choice.
Thank you for the comments and suggestions. Reply
hans007 - Monday, March 20, 2006 - linki think you guys "the reviewers" made a pretty crappy choice of video cards to benchmark this with.
this board is clearly meant for someone who is say ... just trying to do a budget upgrade, not someone who can afford a x1900xtx or 7800gtx.
the benchmark scores make it look like an awful board because of the x4 slot limiting the video bandwidth. i think if you benched it with a more realistic bunch of cards such as say 6600gt, or 6800gs etc, it'd be much closer as those cards are probably not as affected by the x4 slot. Reply
Visual - Monday, March 20, 2006 - linkwell, we know the regular excuses about this - the card is the same as all other reviews so that results can be comparable, and so the reviewers don't need to actually run tests with other boards (they already have the scores ready)
also, i can imagine someone using a board like this if they want to stick with their AGP card for the time being, especially if its one of the fastest models. and later they would upgrade to something fast on the PCIe and expect a good performance, so its good that the review shows that isn't the case.
for people simply going budget, this board doesn't make sense. none of the "combo" features are really needed if you go with a cheap pcie vidcard and a small ddr2 stick.
i was actually surprised someone bothered to make a board like this - intel moved to ddr2 ages ago and i can hardly see anyone needing ddr mobos by now... and even if they did there are plenty of ddr mobos already. and pcie is the standard for quite some time now... it would've made sense right after the intro of pcie, when someone might've wanted to stick with their expencive 6800gt, but now those agp cards are just not worth keeping for the "slow upgrade" route. Reply
jm20 - Monday, March 20, 2006 - linkn the performance area, the Biostar TForce4 U 775 generated abysmal benchmark scores in the gaming and media encoding areas.
Typo, "Biostar PT880 Pro-A7" is the correct model Reply


text:
Rubberstuff Mulch Pine Bark
- Free Pickup
About this itemRubberstuff Mulch lasts a lifetime, controls weeds and insects and is made from 100% recycled tires.
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text:
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♦ Nicolás Maduro is looking to blame anybody else for Venezuela's economic problems – even Spider-Man.
♦ While support for Cristina Fernández ebbs in Argentina, Sergio Massa has risen to become one of the strongest potential candidates for presidential elections in 2015.
♦ Slate magazine imagines how the US government shutdown would be covered by the US media, if it took the same tone that it does in its foreign coverage.
♦ The Washington Post is crowdsourcing for ideas as to how congress can be punished for the government shutdown.
♦ Smuggled letters from westerners caught up in the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood reveal that terrible prison conditions remained unchanged and there is a new willingness to subject westerners to the same treatment as Egyptians, according to the New York Times. Read more
© The Financial Times Ltd 2016 FT and 'Financial Times' are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd.


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have you tried testing the actual caps on each distro, I mean, capture with BT4R2 and save it to bt4-cap.cap then test cracking on both distros, then capture with BT5 as say, bt5-cap.cap and test that on both. If I read your post correctly, it seems you have tried capture and crack seperately on each distro, so there is a few exta variables in your test environment.
It may well be that the wireless drivers have changed between distros, or for some reason your capture wasn't good with BT5.


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Conference Planning
Exceed every expectation at your event. Four Seasons Hotel Toronto's reinvented approach to conference planning ensures that your event will be productive, inspiring, interactive, and absolutely memorable.
Our fresh approach includes details such as a cool urban coffee-house experience during meeting breaks, sleek modern furnishings and table settings, and customized menu concepts, décor and music styling.
With more than 1,331 square metres (14,300 square feet) of function and meeting space, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is ideally suited to host events for up to 400 banquet guests. Choose from 12 elegant event spaces, featuring contemporary multi-service meeting and function rooms –and 5 convenient overflow or pre-function areas– on the third and sixth floors. All feature state-of-the-art audiovisual systems and wired and wireless Internet access.
Technical Assistance
Audiovisual services play an important role in the overall success of your event, and we are pleased to offer the technical expertise and equipment necessary to flawlessly deliver a spectacular occasion. Our services include the following, and more:
- Experienced staff and professional technicians
- 3D designs and on-site renderings through SwankDraw by PSAV
- Event consultation and show supervision
- LED, decorative and intelligent lighting
- Superior sound systems
- Video conferencing, webcasting and event archiving
- Technical and creative set design
- Computer data display
- Projection specialists
- Audio and video recording and duplicating
Music and entertainment
Our conference service manager will be happy to assist with setting up any type of music or entertainment for your meeting.
Receiving and maintenance
The Hotel features a full-service shipping and receiving office. All packages should be sent to the attention of a group's name and its conference service manager. Packages will be stored in a separate conference storage area. Limited space is available for the storage of large items. Please time shipping to the date of your arrival.
Receiving dock
Please contact the receiving department or your conference service manager for special arrangement for delivery of oversized packages or environmentally sensitive equipment.
Post-conference shipping
Shipping of post-conference materials may be coordinated through your conference service manager.
The engineering department is available 24 hours a day for general assistance with lighting, room temperature control and minor repairs.
Destination management companies
Your conference services manager can help accommodate your group's special requests. For detailed information, please contact the Hotel directly. In addition, we recommend the following destination management companies:
MCC Destination Management
310 North Queen St.
Toronto, ON
Telephone: +1 (416) 621-6622
Fax: +1 (416) 621-0363
JPDL Toronto Inc.
2 Berkeley Street, Suite 500
Toronto, ON M5A 4J5
Telephone: +1 (416) 221-5679
Fax: +1 (416) 221-6372
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: www.jpdl.com
Toronto Tours – Tour & Convention Services
60 Harbour Street, 5th Floor
Toronto, ON M5J 1B7
Telephone: +1 (416) 869-1372
Fax: +1 (416) 869-0284
Website: www.torontotours.com
Welcome To The City
100 Dupont Street
Toronto, ON M5R 1V2
Telephone: +1 (416) 924-4778
Fax: +1 (416) 924-5919
Website: www.wttc.com
Welcome amenities and VIP gifts
Special arrangements can be made for clients to purchase welcome amenities for their VIP guests.
Spouse programs
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto offers many activities of interest to the spouses of meeting participants. Activities may include:
- Fashion shows
- Luxury goods presentations
- Wine tastings
- Make-up and skincare presentations
- Cooking lessons with our Chef
- City tours
- Casa Loma breakfast and tour
- McMichael Canadian Art Collection
- Niagara-on-the-Lake lunch and winery tour
- Stratford Festival
- Tickets to the theatre
Family programs
Our Concierge is always pleased to help arrange appropriate activities for visiting families.
Quick Reference
Time zone
GMT -5 hours
Eastern Standard Time
Language(s) spoken
Electrical system
Local voltage is 110 to 120 volts AC. Adapters available; please request through the Concierge.
Shopping hours
- Monday to Wednesday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
- Thursday and Friday 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
- Saturday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
- Sunday 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Working hours
- Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Time and distance to city centre
The Hotel is conveniently located in downtown Toronto.
Time and distance to shopping
The boutiques of Bloor Street and Yorkville are located just steps from the Hotel.
Time and distance to financial district
5 minutes/3 kilometres/2 miles


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checking kiln elements
Posted 02 June 2013 - 02:18 AM
In order to check the elements first, Im going to fire it up until they are orange to see if any aren't working.
Does anyone have any idea what temperature I need to fire to in order to check them, or is there a better way to check them?
Thanks, Julia
Posted 02 June 2013 - 10:01 AM
With a computer controlled kiln, program it to reach 500 degrees F with a ramp of 500 degrees. That's the same as turning everything on High.
You can also buy a multimeter, which costs about $20 at any hardware store. Measure the resistance of your elements by touching the probes to the ends of the element lead wires. If one of your elements is bad, it will have a much different resistance reading. You should also measure and record the resistance value of your elements when they are brand new. You can always guage the current age of your elements by comparing.
If your kiln has thermocouples, the multimeter can also tell you if your thermocouples have burned out too.
Good Elephant Pottery
Posted 02 June 2013 - 10:10 AM
My poor kiln is in a bad way and not reaching temperature
In order to check the elements first, Im going to fire it up until they are orange to see if any aren't working.
Does anyone have any idea what temperature I need to fire to in order to check them, or is there a better way to check them?
Thanks, Julia
Do everything as mea says here. Heating up is easy, just until they glow. If one is broken it will not show with a glow. If using a multimeter leave kiln off and unplugged. Touch terminals to where wire comes in and goes back out on kiln. Take a reading there. If one element shows big difference-bingo. However, if all of your elements have oxidized to where they are all weak, you may get a glow, but not have enough to fire to temp. this usually does not happen often, but a well maintained kiln, kept clean not over-fired, will go without breaking, just loosing power.
Posted 02 June 2013 - 11:13 AM
Posted 02 June 2013 - 11:17 AM
Posted 02 June 2013 - 12:16 PM
If using a multimeter leave kiln off and unplugged.
A VERY important detail!!!!!
If one element shows big difference-bingo.
There are some types of kilns that have "tuned" elements that are designed to make them fire more evenly. In these kilns the straight DC resistance to current flow can be different on different banks of elements normally. So check your kiln manufacturer's manual to see if this is the case on your kiln.
John Baymore
Adjunct Professor of Ceramics; New Hampshire Insitute of Art
Former Guest Professor, Wuxi Institute of Arts and Science, Yixing, China
Former President and Past President; Potters Council
Posted 03 June 2013 - 09:39 AM
Neil Estrick
Kiln Repair Tech
L&L Kilns Distributor
Owner, Neil Estrick Gallery, LLC
Posted 06 June 2013 - 11:21 PM
Did you use this kiln before, and it was OK or you recently bought a used one? If you just bought it, make sure it has no additional height increasing rings that don't carry heating elements. Those rings dramatically affect the max temperature your kiln will be able to achieve. It will work fine for low fire clays and grazes, but won't work for medium fire ones. It may go to Cone 1 or so, and that's all.
Other than that, if all your coils glow when the kiln is in a full heat mode, the best way to check the condition of the coils will be to measure their resistance. As it was mentioned above, you have to find out the normal resistance of EACH coil when they're new. The manufacturer should help you with this. Older coils have increased resistance. Something like a 13-15% increase is quite significant and may indicate that the coil needs to be replaced. Again, the tech support should provide you with those figures.
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Regal 2860 Window Express — By Capt. Bill Pike
— April 2006
Light Show
Want a bright, open ambiance below decks? Check out this stylish express cruiser.
How many express cruisers have you seen lately that can lay claim to a bright, open, well-ventilated interior? Although we're living in an age that touts innovative marine design, these days many of our sporty midrange express cruisers proffer the same long, tubular, gloomy, virtually airless interiors that first characterized the genre years ago, despite the liberal usage of opening hatches and skylights.
This article originally appeared in the May 2006 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.


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Fiery Lawrie sparks Blue Jays to comeback win
Getting timing down, third baseman hits go-ahead two-run double
TORONTO -- The Blue Jays have been searching for their missing piece since the season began, and they might have found it with the recent return of Brett Lawrie.
Toronto's third baseman missed the first 13 games with a strained left oblique muscle before rejoining the club on Tuesday. It understandably has taken Lawrie a little while to find his timing at the plate, but things are starting to move in a positive direction.
Lawrie had a pair of hits, including a go-ahead two-run double, while J.P. Arencibia added a two-run homer as the Blue Jays' bats finally came to life in an 8-4 victory over the Yankees on Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre.
"I know that I need reps, so there's nothing really to panic about," Lawrie said after recording multiple hits for the second time in three games. "I know it's going to come around some time, so I was just waiting on it. [I'll] just keep going to work every single day and keep doing what I'm doing."
Upon his return, Lawrie went hitless in his first 10 at-bats. Six of those were strikeouts as he clearly had trouble adjusting to Major League pitching after being away from it for approximately six weeks.
The biggest issue appeared to be with breaking balls, but it wasn't a major concern to either Lawrie or the club. He was rushed back because of Toronto's glaring hole at third base and as a result, there was going to be a few bumps along the way.
Since the initial struggles, Lawrie has four hits in his past 13 at-bats. It's not exactly perfection, but it represents a big step in the right direction for one of the Blue Jays' core players.
"Just when you're seeing the ball, taking pitches," Lawrie said when asked how he knows the timing is back. "When you're taking pitches. it just lets me know that my timing is there and I can feel my hands. You just feel on time, you know as a hitter."
The Blue Jays have been waiting for someone to provide a major lift to the team, which has been struggling through the first three weeks. Lawrie managed to do just that during a dramatic sixth inning when he came to the plate with two runners in scoring position and his team trailing by one.
Lawrie quickly got ahead in the count 2-1, then sent a two-seam fastball from right-hander David Phelps down the line in left field. The double scored both runners and Lawrie would later come around to score on an RBI single by Melky Cabrera before J.P. Arencibia blew things open in the seventh with a two-run shot.
The timely hit gave the sold-out crowd at Rogers Centre something to cheer about. Not surprisingly, the always energetic Lawrie relished the moment as well. Upon his double and then later his head-first slide into home he immediately jumped to his feet, clenched both fists and screamed at the top of his lungs, much to the amusement of the hometown crowd.
It's the type of emotion that fans and teammates of Lawrie love to see but it also has the potential to ruffle some feathers on opposing teams. Phelps, for his part, didn't take issue with the celebration.
"It's a big part of the game and he's a fiery player," said Phelps, who was charged with three runs in three innings. "You can't really fault a player for being excited for scoring runs."
The offense took a lot of the attention away from an inconsistent afternoon on the mound for Josh Johnson. Toronto's No. 4 starter allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out four in 5 1/3 innings.
Johnson had glimpses of greatness, but he also suffered through a troublesome fifth. Johnson loaded the bases on three consecutive singles before walking both Lyle Overbay and Eduardo Nunez to score a pair of runs.
"For the first four innings, everything felt good," said Johnson, who is searching for his first victory in a Blue Jays' uniform. "It seems like it happens a couple of times a year where you just all of a sudden can't find the zone for whatever reason."
With the victory, the Blue Jays avoided being swept for the first time this season. The club hits the road on Monday for a seven-game trip with stops in Baltimore and New York.
The old cliche is that there is no such thing as momentum in baseball. Momentum is only as good as the next day's starting pitcher, but the fact that the Blue Jays snapped their losing streak before hitting the road can only be taken as positive news.
Time will only tell, but Lawrie hopes this is the type of game that can have a spillover effect and help snap Toronto's early-season woes.
"Very exciting, that's a great win for our team to go on the road and hopefully carry that on," Lawrie said. "It was a tough couple of games the past couple of days, but obviously today was a new day and we capitalized on that. It was great."
Gregor Chisholm is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, North of the Border, and follow him on Twitter @gregorMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Want to listen to an online radio program but don't have access to a computer? There may be another option for you.
Stow resident Chuck Benjamin, who has been running an online radio show for seven years out of his home, said he was contacted by George Cernat, chief financial officer of AudioNow.com, in early January about working with AudioNow to allow those who do not have a home computer to connect to his online radio show by using their telephones. Benjamin operates Tunedex Memories, which plays music from the 1950s and '60s.
"Apparently, one of my visually challenged listeners in California had been persistent in his quest to get my station on their services," Benjamin said. "I had no knowledge of AudioNow or what they do prior to George contacting me. They provide targeted phone numbers so physically challenged and other people who cannot afford a computer can listen to broadcasts they could not otherwise hear. After a couple conversations with George, it only took about a day, and everything was up and running. I have heard from three blind listeners already, the man in California who got this going, a lady in Michigan and most recently a lady in Peoria, Ill. They are all thrilled that they can hear my station without the need of a computer.
"While I'm sure there are visually challenged people in Stow who may be interested, there are probably even more seniors who don't have computers who might enjoy hearing the music of their youth."
"The number assigned to my station is 415-325-0722," he said."Calling this number connects you to my stations Internet stream and you hear exactly what you'd hear if you were connected via the Internet with a computer or mobile device."
Benjamin said that he has announcements on the station that warn people that if they're not in the 415 area code or do not have a free long distance plan, they will incur long distance charges for any calls they make.
AudioNow makes radio streams available "for people all over the world," Benjamin said, "and for much bigger programs than I run."
Alexandra Moe, the director of strategic partnerships with AudioNow, said that the company has received positive feedback from the visually impaired community regarding Tunedex.
"What is exciting for us is, with Tunedex, the number of visually impaired listeners who have given us feedback on how easy it is for them to access the radio with this platform," she said. "We are filling a need for those who are otherwise displaced by technology."
Moe said that AudioNow works with about 1,400 broadcast partners. Most of the broadcasters are in the United States, but there are several international ones that have an AudioNow number.
"You can listen to BBC, you can listen to Radio France," Moe said.
Shortly after the Haitian earthquake in 2010, AudioNow "was able to attach a phone number to the one radio station that was not toppled," she said.
"People living in the United States with friends and family in Haiti could call and listen to the radio station for updates on their loved ones," Moe said.
Moe said that those wishing to use the service could use any type of phone, from a smart phone to "an old phone."
Benjamin, who is retired, said he has listeners from 26 states and 16 countries.
"You don't get to hear 50s and 60s music very often," he said. "Everyone should be able to hear the music they grew up with."
For details or to access Benjamin's online radio station, which he says is on seven days a week all day, visit http://www.songsyoushouldhaveheard.com/
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 330-541-9438


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Document Actions
PROGRAMS: Hunter Has Heart (Triple H)
PROGRAMS: Hunter Has Heart (Triple H)
Hunter Has Heart (Triple H) is a social justice program designed to improve communities through volunteerism and advocacy. Participants must be currently registered, in good academic standing and have an interest in volunteerism and social justice. Triple H participants will have the opportunity to participate in various group and individual volunteer projects.
Program Requirements
You must be in good academic standing and have an interest in volunteerism and social justice. All participants will be required to attend a New York Cares volunteer orientation and join the Hunter Has Heart Facebook Group.
New York Cares, New York's largest volunteer organization, offers thousands of short-term and long-term volunteer projects. The Office of Student Activities will host an on-campus volunteer orientation. If you are unable to attend, you must make arrangements to attend an orientation with New York Cares.
The Facebook Group page will be used for group discussion, project ideas and group project sign-up.


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Family Workshop: Figure it Out! - Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building at MoMa
Hours: 10:30am-12:30pm or 2-4pm
Ages: YE,AD
4 W. 54th St. - 212-708-9400
Midtown West, NY 10019
Description: Focus on the figures of artist Willem de Kooning, then experiment with different tools and techniques in this drawing workshop. For individual families of up to two adults and three kids. Registration required.


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There's no better time to raise a glass and laud a favorite couple than on their wedding day, and speeches offer the perfect opportunity for loved ones to share their happiness for the newlyweds as they start their new life together. Embrace this time-honored tradition with the following tips and you'll likely contribute to some of the most memorable moments of the weekend.
The Rehearsal Dinner
Since the rehearsal dinner is a casual get-together with close friends and family, this is the time for more informal speeches. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- After a few words from the host (usually the groom's parents), the floor is open for speakers. This is the opportune time for bridesmaids, groomsmen and siblings, as well as anyone else who wants to speak, to seize the moment and toast the happy couple.
- Embarrassing speeches, as hilarious as some people might find them, are bound to leave a bad taste in some guests' mouths. Resist the urge to bring up past relationships, inside jokes, drunken anecdotes or anything else that might make people cringe. Humor is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, but make it sincere.
- Speak from the heart! Even if you trip up your words a little, they'll come across more genuinely if it doesn't feel rehearsed.
- On that note, practice a few times until it's familiar and try to avoid reading from a note card.
The Reception
The reception is a more formal, time-sensitive setting that should be limited to traditional speeches. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- The time for toasts should be decided by the bride and groom prior to the wedding. Many couples reserve the time before or after cutting the cake, while others choose to have the speeches once everyone is seated for the meal. Generally, any time when people are gathered or in their seats is ideal.
- The couple should delegate the order of toasts well before the wedding so each person knows when to speak. Traditionally, here's how it should go:
- Best man
- Maid of honor
- Groom or bride, or both together
- Parents (the hosting party should speak first)
- 2-3 minutes is an appropriate time limit. Keep it short, sweet and above all, genuine.
- Make it count! When else will you have this kind of opportunity?
Are you the maid of honor for a friend's upcoming wedding? Get great tips on how to write the perfect speech in this guest post from Dessy Group's Bridesmaid Blog!


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334 Comments on "Academy Award Telecast Part One"
Move over warecat! New thread!
I have a huge crush on Kevin Spacey, ever since American Beauty. Maybe I have daddy issues.
hahah Angies face when everyone stood
what the hell was that??!?
Wow….best Oscar speech ever! The lungs on her!
Move over everyone! New thread!
i think BC not gay just…..has mama issues like LEO
ok singing lady….enough
That silver dress would look good on somebody…not her, sadly…but someone
Pick the comfortable one! Yay!!
Way to keep the passionate speeches down!!! 😀
So…B Coop…gay or likes girls that just graduated from high school? Can't figure him out.
to kill a mockingbird music for bc? huh?
Coop looks BUFF
Really, Lucas? I thought it was a Jamiroquoi tribute! Thanks for the info. Welcome to the Oscar thread!
Thanks TTM. Think I'm the only dork who watched all the shorts. If The Great Beauty wins best foreign film, I swear I will deadlift my house into rubble.
Harrison should ask Ellen how Anne is?
I always feel uncomfortable when someone gets cut off by the orchestra.
Is Whoopi Goldberg on oxygen?
I'm killing it in my predictions. One wrong so far. Best animated short, but that doesn't count, right?
This is the garbage music that gets to be played at the Oscars? Why is this considered good? Wtf
i always feel bad for the second dude who tries to go …….
Olivia Wilde really cleaned up Jason Sudeikis.
These guys look like Timelords!
Canadachick I'm 6/7 but Lainey hates us 'mericans and won't allow us to enter the contest 🙁
Why are they plying Forrest Gump music?
whooop another one right….
yes! needs the cape!
Sorry, Kristin. Dang Helium, stealing all the awards
kate hudsons dress looked better with the cape TTM
More COWBELL!!!
Ellen seems stoned tonight
5/7 categories right so far .whooo me lol
Ugggh Helium.
Ellen does looks bored tonight canadackick, maybe Tina and Amy can come take over.
C'mon Just Before Losing Everything….
Hey Seven!
I know you guys dig Kate Hudson's dress, but me not so much
dress good. side hair…bad
Was that Fred Willard?!!!
Ellen is not on her game tonight
@TTM – the hat actually has history, and is Vivienne Westwood: The Buffalo Hat
Tina Fey in an Amex commercial is the most entertaining I've seen so far this night.
Seven! Hey! Been snarkin ..you?
MARTIN SHORT commercial #EdGrimley
funny Tina Fey commercial
LOL @ Zac Efron. "An aspiration to …"
I don't know about you, but I find aspiration important to my everyday life. Thanks, Zac!
Hi Seven! I was wondering where you were!
OMG Kim Novak's Tragic Plastic Surgery!
Do you think they are doing non sexy categories while we suffer thru commercials?
Yay! Loved Gravity!
tiny bit…


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You won't be able to dismiss this by usual means (escape or click button), but you can close it programatically based on user choices or actions.
"I ordered these in the color "aloe". They look so beautiful in person! They have a pearl finish, which you can't see on the computer, but it adds such an extra element of class. I redesigned the back of the RSVP cards so that they were largely the aloe color instead of so much black, and they made the changes for me quickly and so beautifully! Very easy process, with a stunning end result."
"Our wedding theme is burlap and lace and these go perfectly! I used the tan background and white text. They turned out so nice. Simple, yet elegant!"
"This wedding invitation is so very beautiful. I am so thankful for being able to purchase these online. I wanted to make a statement and make sure that my guests would understand what the theme of my wedding is - glam and formal. The invitation captured that - regal and intricate. The font was sharp, the design is very detailed and neat. The invitation is autumn orange with navy font. I used a feather and piece of rhinestone wrap to seal the envelope. I know that when my guests receive this invite... they're going to know that it is going to be a truly special occasion. Thanks so much!"
"This product is outstanding. I have been most impressed by the quality, service and ease of use on the website. I had my invitations delivered to Australia and they were worth every cent and more. Thankyou for making this part of my wedding planning easy and extremely affordable. I love my invitations!!"
"This designer was exceptional to work with. I am extremely picky and requested custom changes. He/She was able to accommodate me 100%. The designer was fast and efficient. Thank you!"


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Morgan Freeman opened the 84th Academy Awards before host Billy Crystal appeared in a spoof showreel based on scenes from nominated films including The Descendants, The Help and The Artist.
Tom Hanks presented the first awards of the night for cinematography and art direction to Martin Scorsese's Hugo.
Next up were Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez to present the awards for costume design to The Artist. They also presented the award for make-up to the team behind The Iron Lady. The next award, for foreign-language film, went to the Iranian film A Separation.
Christian Bale handed out the award for supporting actress to Octavia Spencer for The Help. The tearful actress, who was given a standing ovation, thanked her family in Los Angeles and Alabama before wrapping up, saying "I'm freaking out".
The Oscar for film editing was given to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The award for sound editing went to Hugo as did the Oscar for sound mixing.
Gwyneth Paltrow joined Robert Downey Jr on stage to present the Oscar for best documentary to Undefeated. The award for animated feature film went to Rango, while the gong for visual effects was presented to the team who worked on Hugo.
The supporting actor award went to Christopher Plummer for Beginners. The 82-year-old, the oldest actor ever to win an Oscar, held up his statuette and said: "You're only two years older than me darling, where have you been all my life?"
The award for original score went to Ludovic Bource for The Artist, while the gong for original song went to Bret McKenzie for his song Man Or Muppet from the latest Muppets film. Angelina Jolie presented the award for adapted screenplay to The Descendants. The award for original screenplay went to Woody Allen for Midnight In Paris.
The award for Best Director went to Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist, and his leading actor Jean Dujardin was named Best Actor. The French star told the audience "I love your country" and thanked swashbuckling screen idol Douglas Fairbanks Jr for inspiring his role.
The best actress Oscar was presented by Colin Firth to Meryl Streep whom he described as "unreasonably good". Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise presented the best picture Oscar to The Artist - the first silent film to win in decades. Producer Thomas Langmann accepted the award as he was joined on stage by the cast and crew including Uggie the dog.


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March 26, 2013
PRIMM, Nev. – The Mustang golf squad took to the links Tuesday morning with a first-place standing on the 'Battle of Primm' leaderboard.
Unfortunately, at the end of the third round, TMC golf head coach Jason Semelsberger and the NAIA's 11th-ranked team found itself fifth out of a field of 17 teams, with a final score of one-over 865 (287, 280, 298).
Leading the Mustangs' effort was Thane Ringler (Hutchinson, KS). Ringler finished in seventh place and made par in the final round, which brought his final score to 212 (71, 69, 72). Following closely was Michael Reitz (Denver, CO) who tied for ninth place and carded a 215 (70, 72, 73).
Both John Lawson (Mobile, AL) and Andrew Bergoon (Mobile, AL) shot a 5-over 77 in the third round. Lawson finished tied for 20th with a final score of 218 (75, 66, 77), while Bergoon's final score of 227 (71, 79, 77) landed him tied for 59th place. Nolan Sand's (Hoquiam, WA) final score came to 228 (79, 73, 76) and tied for 61st place.
After a quick break, the Mustangs will hit the road again to compete in the '2013 Bash at the Beach' tournament, held on the prestigious greens of the LPGA National Golf Course in Daytona Beach, Florida.


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I realized the other day I have now reached the point that I have lived more years without a father than I did with him.
Every year, I take lots of vitamins, get a flu shot and wash my hands in hopes of not getting sick. It's not getting sick that scares me. It is the prospect of having to stay home and watch the stuff they have on TV during the day.
I think the goal of each generation is for the generation that follows to have better opportunities.
I remember the day I asked my dad to take the training wheels off of my bike. I had the feeling I was ready to go on two wheels.
I remember the day I asked my dad to take the training wheels off of my bike. I had the feeling I was ready to go on two wheels.
The landscape of Hall County is minus one sturdy magnolia this week.
The landscape of Hall County is minus one sturdy magnolia this week.
Pop culture plays an increasing role in how people arrive at names for their offspring.
I'm back and just in time to opine about Mother's Day.
For the past few years, we have gathered at this same spot for a weekly visit. I've looked at it as a friendly chat over the back fence.
Now that the final moment of Christmas is over and radio stations are no longer playing songs by Bing Crosby and Dean Martin, the focus now moves to the New Year.
In 1992, I had a temporary loss of mental stability and decided to run for the Georgia House of Representatives.
On one occasion in my life, my mama stuck bar of Ivory soap in my mouth for a verbal transgression I committed. I still think about it when I say something regretful.
Naming schools is an interesting thing. Some get directional names, like north or south, other get names for communities or streets. But then there is that old standard of naming schools for people.
People magazine, the arbiter of all things sexy, has declared Ryan Reynolds as the "Sexiest Man Alive" in a recent issue.
When it comes to being thankful, my basket of gratitude is pretty near full.
There is an interesting fascination with idea of getting something free.
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This web site for Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel magazine provides special hotel and airline rates, destination ideas, e-newletter and tips from experts and readers.
"Largest not-for-profit cruise portal on the Internet" offers links to major cruise line web sites, information on cruise ships and destinations, and passenger ratings.
Provides coverage of both historical and current state of affairs in the hospitality and tourism field, including cultural aspects of travel and leisure activities, and economic aspects of tourism.
The official New York State travel website is searchable by attractions, recreational activities, accommodations, events, and regions.
Shortened versions of Lonely Planet's print guides along with interactive maps.
The official National Park Service site offers detailed descriptions of the "nearly 400 natural, cultural and recreational sites across the nation."
Travelers resources, including winter advisories. Call 1-800-Thruway (1-800-847-8929) for road conditions.
Access to low airfare sites of leading airlines plus hotel and car rental sites.
This guide to the 380-mile Erie Canalway Trail route provides an interactive map, mileage chart, attractions and accommodations, itineraries, helpful information for cyclists, and Parks & Trails e-news.
Driving tours covering more than 35,000 miles of scenic America.
International travel advisories issued by the State Department.
Travel advice and health information provided by the Centers for Disease Control.
One-stop travel site featuring air, car, hotel, and vacation reservations as well as destination information.
Features over ten million user-contributed recommendations for hotels, restaurants, inns, vacation packages, sight-seeing, and more. Includes links to travel services such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Hotels.com.


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The custom appearances for a digital signature are kept in the security directory in the file, appearances.acrodata. The security folder for me (Windows 7 using Acrobat 10) is at [user directory]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Acrobat/10.0/Security.
As long the signature has been set up, moving that one file from one computer to another will move the custom appearance of the signature.
For more:
Digital Signature Appearances
Sample Signatures
Creating the signature appearance (Acrobat 9)
Adobe TV: Signing PDF Files and Creating Appearances (Acrobat 9)


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Saint Elizabeth Receives Get With The Guidelines®- Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement AwardMarch 15 2012
LINCOLN, NE — Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines®- Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the commitment and success of Saint Elizabeth in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.
Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, founded more than 120 years ago, is a full-service, 260-bed nonprofit regional medical center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Saint Elizabeth has been selected as a Top 100 Hospital® in the nation by Thomson Reuters five times and has been recognized as a Magnet hospital for excellence in nursing since 2004.
Catholic Health Initiatives is a national nonprofit health organization with headquarters in Englewood, Colorado. The faith-based system operates in 19 states and includes 76 hospitals; 40 long-term care, assisted- and residential-living facilities; two community health-services organizations; two accredited nursing colleges; and home health agencies. In fiscal year 2011, CHI provided more than $612 million in charity care and community benefit, including services for the poor, free clinics, education and research. With annual revenues of more than $10.5 billion, CHI is the nation's second-largest Catholic health care system.
Catholic Health Initiatives organizations in Nebraska include Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, HealthConnect at Home serving Lincoln, Grand Island and Kearney, Nebraska Heart Hospital and Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, Saint Francis Medical Center in Grand Island, St. Mary's Community Hospital in Nebraska City and The Physician Network. Through its hospital facilities and The Physician Network, Catholic Health Initiatives in Nebraska provides full-service inpatient, outpatient and behavioral health care along with primary care and specialty physician services.
In the spirit of its founders, the ministries of CHI Nebraska provide not only medical care, but are community partners. Called by shared core values of reverence, integrity, compassion and excellence, these organizations devote funding and resources to programs and services that benefit the health of the greater community.
About Get With The Guidelines® Get With The Guidelines is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's hospital-based quality improvement program that empowers health care teams to save lives and reduce healthcare costs by helping hospitals follow evidence-based guidelines and recommendations. For more information, visit heart.org/quality.


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Originally written on Larry Brown Sports | Last updated 11/3/14
Does Ryan Lochte believe in reverse psychology? At this point, I'm starting to think that is what he's trying to pull off with respect to Michael Phelps and his future. If Phelps does not compete at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, Lochte would conceivably have less competition swimming against him in the pool. Phelps insists [...]
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Andrew Miller agrees to four-year, $36M deal with Yankees
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South Africa scores with TripAdvisor travellers
The Cape Grace has always been an exemplary hotel and a benchmark for the best in Cape Town hospitality. We are so pleased that it has been recognised in such an authoritative way. – Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, CEO of Cape Town Tourism.
South African hotels have fared extremely well in the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards for 2013, with the Cape Grace taking 2nd place in the Top 25 Hotels in the World category. Situated on the V&A Waterfront, the Cape Grace was beaten only by the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii.
Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, CEO of Cape Town Tourism, was thrilled with the announcement. 'The Cape Grace has always been an exemplary hotel and a benchmark for the best in Cape Town hospitality. We are so pleased that it has been recognised in such an authoritative way,' she said.
On the TripAdvisor list for the Top 25 Hotels in Africa, the Cape Grace was rated number 1, with the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, also in Cape Town, claiming 14th spot. Cape Town's Mount Nelson Hotel placed 18th, The Oyster Box in Umhlanga 19th, the One&Only Cape Town 21st, Kapama River Lodge in Limpopo 22nd, and the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town 23rd.
In the Top 25 Hotels in South Africa category, there is an impressive list of luxury hotels, with, again, the Cape Grace taking 1st place.
In the Top 25 Small Hotels in the World category, 3rd place went to Blackheath Lodge in Cape Town, 5th place to Akademie Street Boutique Hotel and Guest House in Franschhoek, and 13th place to Derwent House, also Cape Town. In the B&Bs and Inns category, Cube Guest House in Hout Bay took 11th place, with Boutique Manolo in Cape Town placing 20th.
One thing is for sure – TripAdvisor users love South Africa, and Cape Town in particular.


text: The World Championship competition in an Olympic year is unique in that many of the Olympians do not participate (or do not skate as well, coming off their Olympic high). This gives an opportunity for other stars -- new and old -- to shine. What are your favorite performances from an Olympic year Worlds?


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An eight-day strike by power control room staff at London Underground is due to begin later today.
Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), Unite, and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) members are due to walk out at 8pm until 7.59pm on July 9.
The dispute is about pensions, length of service, working conditions and the futures of the staff who supply the power to the entire Tube network.
Mick Cash RMT acting general secretary said: "This dispute is over an all-out attack on the power control grade that would damage the futures of this key group of Tube workers.
"Management's claim they can run the system without them is both provocative and dangerous.
"These staff are effectively the national grid for London Underground and this action will have the most severe consequences for Tube operations but has been forced on us by management wrecking the earlier talks."
Richard Jones, London Underground's head of command and control, said: "Due to detailed planning there will be no visible impact on the network should the strike action go ahead."


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EMOTIONAL tributes have been paid to the motorcyclist who died following a crash in Dorchester.
The 23-year-old local man, who has been named locally as Steven Lavis, has been described as a hard working 'loveable rogue' who would do anything for anyone.
Mr Lavis died following a collision with a Peugeot people carrier, being driven by a 47-year-old man from Dorchester, at the junction on Windsor Road and Cambridge Road at 8.30pm last night.
He came off his bike and then collided with a parked car.
The emergency services were called and Mr Lavis was given medical attention at the scene.
He was then taken to hospital but died of his injuries.
Mr Lavis' cousin, Simon Jeff, said: "Steven was just a young lad who had his whole life ahead of him.
"I was waiting for him at the shop when the accident happened, and also went to the hospital with him on Tuesday night.
"He was a man so well known in Dorchester because he was born and had grown up here, he will certainly be missed by everyone."
One friend of Mr Lavis and a Windsor road resident, who did not wish to be named, said he had known him for more than five years.
He added: "The sad thing is for me he had only recently got offered his motorcycle and he offered it to me first of all.
I can't stop thinking if I had bought it then none of this would have happened; I'm still in shock.
"Steve was incredibly well known in the community and would do anything for anyone; a couple moved in nearby just a few weeks ago and he helped them move in."
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said he performed CPR on Mr Lavis while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
He said: "I have known Steve since he was 14, he was incredibly well known throughout Dorchester and a real loveable rogue character.
"While performing CPR I could see there was no response from him but I wanted to do what I could to help."
Chris Larder, 17, said this has been the second fatal accident in Windsor Road in the last two years.
He added that he knew Mr Lavis because his cousins are a similar age.
He said: "My dad's Ford car was the one Steven collided with after hitting the people carrier - it has been taken for police evidence.
"Steven only had the motorcycle less than a week; he was such a popular man who was always up for a laugh."
A police spokesman said: "We are investigating the circumstances surrounding a fatal road traffic collision that occurred in Dorchester, on Windsor Road at its junction with Cambridge Road.
"A motorcycle travelling north ridden by a 23-year-old local man collided with a Peugeot people carrier driven by a "47-year-old local man - causing the motorcyclist to come off his vehicle and further collide with a parked Ford vehicle in the road.
"We would like to thank residents and members of the public for their patience while a full forensic investigation took place."
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.
You can leave your tributes below.


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James Franco: The Great Chameleon
With the holidays upon us and the cold weather creeping in, there's no better time to invite friends and loved ones over for a dinner party. If this sounds like a daunting endeavor, don't fret—a little planning (and maybe a cook's cocktail or two) will keep the stress at bay.
Downtown Manhattanite Kendall Roberts plans events for Dean & DeLuca by day but hosts casual, fun dinner parties for friends by night.
Click through her guide to throwing a manageable soiree that will surely garner you hostess points and a rep as a fantastic chef!
At my table, the ideal dinner-party guest list includes six to eight invitees who range from reserved to garrulous and share a few common interests.
If time allows, send a handwritten invitation to your guests. As a great alternative, the website Paperless Post allows you to send "fine stationery" via e-mail and tracks your guests' responses on the site. Be sure your invitation clearly states that the event is a dinner party and requests that your guests repondez s'il vous plait.
TIP : Be sure to invite plenty of conversationalists and seat them at different ends of the table to keep conversation flowing.
Place cards look nice on the table, but they're also a great way to avoid the awkward game of predinner musical chairs.
Why We Love Sarah Jessica Parker


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Stacie Abbott
Senior Manager
Stacie Abbott, Senior Manager, leads strategic planning, development, and implementation of Avalere's Policy 360 research program, a business intelligence product that focuses on healthcare policy developments and their implications for life sciences companies, health plans, and providers. Stacie helps clients anticipate the impact of healthcare policies by providing updates on recent developments, producing in-depth analyses of major issues, and identifying long-term trends for healthcare stakeholders.
Prior to joining Avalere, Stacie was the Policy Information Manager at AbbVie, responsible for researching and analyzing the effects of state and federal policy developments on the pharmaceutical industry. She prepared briefings, newsletters, and talking points around these developments. Prior to that, she was the Policy Information Manager for Abbott Labs.
Stacie has a BA from the University of Kansas.


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A COMMUNITY fun day is set to ramp up the numbers of girls and women heading to the skate park.
Sadie Osborne and Rosie Flaherty of Skate Girls Productions, have been involved in the organisation of a special event at the Front Skate Park on Saturday, July 12.
It is taking place between noon and 6pm and is open to everyone of all abilities.
Sadie said: "This event will help to raise confidence in people and give girls a chance to have a go.
"You see a lot of guys on the ramps and it can be a little scary. It's not that they are sexist towards the girls, it is that the girls can lack confidence."
The event will also feature, live music, a barbecue, tie dying and crafts.
The line-up will include local musician Lauren Bannon, DJ Amy B and Bridport artist Jack Harrison.
Sadie added: "Boys are still welcome to the event, we don't want to be biased, we welcome their support for getting the girls into skating.
"We hope they come and enjoy the events with us. A guys show will run between 5pm and 6pm."
Pro-guests are also set to attend including Lucy Adams who is one of the top female skaters in the UK.
Spectators can attend the fun day for free and for those wanting to ride the ramps it will cost £5 for the whole day. Boards will be available to hire at the Park.
All proceeds will go towards the skate park charity.
Guests can make the most of tips and advice from experienced skates.
An after party is set to take place following the event at The Lazy Lizard between 9pm and 1am.
The activity park opened in 2001 as a result of a three-year campaign by parents and young people.


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Charlize Theron turns 40 years old today! We're getting in on the birthday fun by taking a look at some of the South African superstar's sexiest photos over the years. Charlize has starred in over 30 films, including Snow White and the Huntsman and Prometheus, and even took home the Academy Award for best actress for her role in Monster. But her early career in modeling definitely prepared her for a lifetime of sexy outfits and hot photos. Click through to see Charlize's hottest moments, and happy birthday, Charlize!
Image Source: Getty


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Mortensen gives up walk-off in finale of sweep
Lester submits solid start; Ortiz extends hit streak to 25 games
ARLINGTON -- Clayton Mortensen is in the Major Leagues because his pitches have a natural sink to them.
So when the game was on the line for the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon, the right-hander tried to do what he does best. Only this one sank too low for a wild pitch that seemed to change the complexion of the entire ninth inning.
The misfire set up Adrian Beltre for a two-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth that gave the Rangers a hard-fought 4-3 win -- not to mention a three-game sweep -- over the Red Sox.
Things had started so well for Mortensen, who was pitching in a more pressurized situation than normal on a day the Red Sox were once again without closer Andrew Bailey (right biceps injury).
Mortensen came on in a 3-3 tie and promptly struck out the first two batters he faced. Elvis Andrus gave the Rangers life with a single up the middle.
And with Lance Berkman at the plate, Mortensen buried the first pitch. The ball bounced off catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and then too far away to make a play on Andrus, who was on his way to second.
Once Berkman looked at the next pitch to make it a 2-0 count, Red Sox manager John Farrell called for an intentional walk. Four pitches later, Beltre lined one to right for a single and Andrus scored easily from second.
"Yeah, it's frustrating," Mortensen said. "You come out and get two outs pretty quickly, and the next guy jumps on the first pitch and gets a base hit. You say, 'OK, let's get this next guy,' and then you throw one in the dirt, it gets away, he goes to second, and it kind of changes how you're going about it in the inning. It just kind of changed the complexion of the inning."
It marked the first time this season the 20-11 Red Sox have been swept, and perhaps it's fitting that it came against the team that is now tied with Boston for the best record in the Majors.
"It's three games. We're not going to get overwhelmed by winning three," said Rangers manager Ron Washington. "I'll say it again -- we can play baseball. On any given night, our best game can compare to anyone's."
The Red Sox are now 12-28 against the Rangers dating back to the beginning of the 2009 season.
The good news is that the Sox headed back to Boston after the game, set to open a seven-game homestand that starts Monday night against the Twins.
"We'll be fine," said Red Sox lefty Jon Lester, who took a no-decision. "We've got a bunch of guys in this clubhouse -- this isn't their first go-round. Guys have been through the winning streaks and losing streaks and everything in between. I wouldn't imagine it's going to be a big thing for us.
"We played a good clean game today. They had some really good at-bats and squared some balls up at the wrong times. Sometimes you have to tip your hat to the other team when you have games like this and move on to tomorrow."
The Red Sox had an early 3-0 lead on home runs by David Ortiz and David Ross, but Rangers ace Yu Darvish was nasty for the rest of the day.
"Going up against a very good starter in Darvish today, we got to him early then he settled down and was dominant through the seven innings of work that he pitched, but we continued to battle," Farrell said. "We created some opportunities late. Just, unfortunately, we didn't get that one key hit."
While there was a lot of buildup about the starting-pitching matchup, Lester and Darvish wound up dueling to a virtual standoff.
Over six innings, Lester allowed five hits and three runs, walking three and striking out seven.
"I felt good," Lester said. "I felt like I had pretty good stuff. I made two mistakes. Against a team like that in this ballpark, you can't do that."
Darvish lasted seven innings, giving up four hits and three runs. He also tied a career high with 14 strikeouts.
"He's capable of throwing breaking pitches hard and soft for a strike," Ortiz said. "He had no clue about where his fastball was going, but he can throw his off-speed pitches for strikes a lot. He's got good command of his slider and two different breaking balls. The fastball was bouncing all over the place, so I wasn't worried about that."
Starving for offense in the first two games of the series, the Red Sox got an early jolt from Ortiz, who ripped a two-run homer to right against Darvish with two outs in the first. That extended Ortiz's career-long hitting streak to 25 games, dating back to last season.
"I just reacted to a pitch that I saw," Ortiz said. "It wasn't in -- it was on the plate."
In the second, the Red Sox got another big swing, this one from Ross. The backup catcher smashed a solo shot over the foul pole in left, and into the club level. Ross became just the fourth opponent in the history of Rangers Ballpark to hit one into the club seats in left.
"Not that many people are as good as I am," quipped Ross. "It was, 'close my eyes and swing hard.' That's my approach."
It marked just the second time in his career Darvish allowed two home runs in one game.
After that, Darvish was almost untouchable. Early on, so was Lester.
The lefty did give up a solo homer to Mitch Moreland in the third, slimming Boston's lead to 3-1.
Lester navigated out of jams in the fourth and fifth, but he was not so fortunate in the sixth. With Beltre on first, Lester left a fastball out over the middle of the plate to Nelson Cruz, and the outfielder roped it for a game-tying, two-run homer to center.
"The guys did a good job early on of giving me that lead, and I've got to do a better job of minimizing damage, and I didn't do that in the sixth," said Lester.
Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brownie Points, and follow him on Twitter @IanMBrowne. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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CROWDS have been enjoying music in the sunshine today at a Weymouth harbourside gig.
The Quayside Music Festival got off to a rocking good start on Sunday - and there's more to come today.
See a video here
Now in its seventh year, the festival sees bands playing on an outdoor stage outside the Rendezvous over two days.
Fine weather brought out the crowds today. The music goes on until 10pm on Sunday.
Bars have been set up outside plus there is a hog roast, and a hot dog stand courtesy of the Fantastic Sausage Factory.
Music today has been provided by the likes of Amy Mayes, Victorian Barbers, Surfin' Birds and Powelly.
The festival continues Monday from 12noon until 10pm with bands including the Average Wyke Band, Cuba Libre, Riptide, Mad Hatters and Peacock Suit.


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A Home of Your Own - October 2012
University of Florida in Osceola County
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 6:00 PM - Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 9:00 PM (EDT)
Event Details
You only need to purchase one ticket per person for the entire class series. To purchase the RIGHT TYPE of Ticket:
Select Individualticket type if you are attending the workshop by yourself.
Select Couple's Only ticket type if someone else will be attending the program with you AND if you plan on sharing course material. If you would prefer your own copy of material, then you will need purchase individual tickets for each person.
Be sure to fill out all required information under the ordering section to ensure your registration is complete. Then click the Checkout with Paypal button. You will need to create a PayPal account (which is free) to finish processing your order.
Please note: The cost of the class is $5.00. To cover online fees, there is an added cost per ticket which is included in your final total. To avoid this fee, you may register in person at 1921 Kissimmee Valley Lane, Kissimmee, FL 34744. In-person registration space is limited.
For more information, please call (321) 697-3000.
Class information
This class is a 4-part series. Classes will be held on Tuesdays, October 2, 9, 16 & 23, 2012 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. To get a class certificate, YOU MUST ATTEND ALL 4 Classes. There are NO EXCUSED absences. The Downpayment Assistance program requires anyone whose name will be included on the mortgage MUST take this class.
When & Where
1921 Kissimmee Valley Lane
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 6:00 PM - Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 9:00 PM (EDT)
Add to my calendar