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Praying for you brother.
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Praying for you brother.
Just wanted to let everyone know, Ken has been posting on Facebook periodically and it appears that everything is OK. Hopefully he'll get some time to log in and give us an update.
Thanks for update Trav. Yes, I made it through and am back home. Now that we have my pain med schedule planned out I hoping all my days will be like today. I got to come home Thursday which was nice. Thanks again for all of the well wishes and prayers.
I've been off PD for a week and a half and just saw your post. Glad you're doing fine friend. Hope you got to see your Sycamores on ESPN2 this weekend as they represented themselves well for a national audience.
While you'll not be able to stick paper clips to your head the one side effect of the titanium is interesting. My Mrs. has a titanium plate in her neck and everytime we go through a metal detector it sets off the machine. So... don't be surprised and or embarassed the next time you go to a National Museum or such the alarm goes off. Yes, they'll actually have to get out the wand and run it over your head.
You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....
My niece asked me today if I had gone through any security that it would make go of. i told her no, but am looking forward to doing so to see the reaction.
Glad to hear you are doing better. When I had my shoulder fixed it would go off at the security check points.
Glad to hear that all is going well with the recovery, Ken. I hope it contunues that way!
I want to give you all an update. I went to teh doctor yesterday and got my staples removed and cleared to drive and most activities. He told me I was doing great and to let me body tell me when to rest. Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers!
Great news!!!
I get to go see my girl's team play for the first time since I left school. They Have won 3 games in my absence, so I hope I have not been voted off the team!
Great to hear you're on the mend, Ken!
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. - Winston Churchill
If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning. - Catherine Aird
My Step mom had I believe virtually the same thing. That was a couple years ago and she is doing fine, I tease her all the time that surgery actually made her smart
The toughest thing was seeing her right after surgery, she looked liked she went a couple rounds with Mike Tyson in his prime
It took a few months before she started to really feel "normal" but I thank God she really seems ok today
God bless my friend
Sittin on top of the world!
I didn't really think the thing he took out was affecting me at all, but I have noticed a difference since then. It is truly like a pressure has been released in my head. I'm just so grateful we found an amazing doctor and I have been able to recover so quickly. 3 weeks ago today I had the surgery and today I went to my school for my classes Christmas party. Amazed and blessed I am!
That's fantastic Ken!
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. - Winston Churchill
If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning. - Catherine Aird


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found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
I am up to date with shots, good with kids, good with dogs, and good with cats.
After you submit your application please allow a few days for a volunteer to review your application. During this time your vet reference will be checked and a volunteer with determine if it is the best match for you and the animal. Applications are not approved on a first come, first serve basis. We match up the best home for the animal, so even if the pet has other applications, this does not mean he/she will be adopted to that home.
Once your application has been approved a volunteer with contact you to set up a phone interview. This is the perfect time for you to ask any questions you have about the adoption process and the animal you are interested in.
Betsy, a Allentown Dachshund puppy was adopted! Here's how you can benefit by looking at adoption as an option to buying a Dachshund for sale in Allentown, or seeking a Dachshund puppy from a breeder in Allentown.

subset: commoncrawl


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Become a member today and enjoy unlimited trips to Manor Farm throughout the year, with unlimited free parking and a host of other discount vouchers included in the pack. This membership pack also makes a great gift for that special occasion.
Membership includes…
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If purchasing this as a gift please ensure that you enter the recipients name below.
Hampshire County Council, The Castle, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8ZB
This page was last updated on 9 April 2013. ©
Hampshire County Council 2013.


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Sheriff's deputies arrested an attempted murder suspect Tuesday in Vista, eight hours after he beat up his girlfriend in Pauma Valley and went on the run in his pickup with the couple's 5-month-old son, authorities said.
The search for Kenneth Wayne Welch — a 42-year-old parolee with a history of violence — ended when deputies caught him after a brief chase about 10 a.m. on a Vista street. The baby was found unharmed with a relative of Welch's in Oceanside.
The search for Welch began shortly after 1:30 a.m., when his girlfriend called authorities from a friend's home on Poomacha Road, south of state Route 76, to say she had been battered and her boy's father had fled with the baby, sheriff's Lt. James Bolwerk said.
The girlfriend, who lives in Pauma Valley with Welch, reported that they had been driving on Route 76 when a dispute turned violent.
She told investigators that Welch had hit her on the head and then tried to run her over after she got out of his Toyota pickup, Bolwerk said. The baby also was in the truck.
The girlfriend escaped, running down a ravine and to her friend's home, Bolwerk said. Welch then drove off with the baby.
The girlfriend's injuries were not life-threatening, and she declined medical treatment, Bolwerk said.
Authorities also issued an Amber Alert to tell the public through the news media and freeway signs about the missing baby.
Shortly before 10 a.m., a deputy spotted Welch driving the pickup in Vista. Welch sped off but didn't make it far, crashing the truck on curvy Mar Vista Drive near Miramar Drive, a residential neighborhood.
Vista resident Gary Stodghill, 59, said he spotted a man running from the wrecked truck. Deputies closed in on the man as he jumped fences and ran through sprawling backyards, Stodghill said.
Welch made it to Marine View Drive, a few hundred yards from the crash site, then gave up.
"He was just out of breath and surrendered," Bolwerk said.
At some point before he was caught, Welch left the child with a female family member in Oceanside.
She called authorities after seeing news reports of the search for Welch and the boy, Bolwerk said. She met deputies at a McDonald's restaurant and handed over the child, who was taken into protective custody at Polinsky Children's Center in San Diego.
Welch was booked into Vista jail on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and child endangerment, a charge that stems from the boy being with the couple during the fight in the truck.
Court records show Welch's criminal history includes prison stretches for robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence and vehicle theft.
He was most recently paroled in August 2011, after serving more than nine years of a 13-year sentence, prison records show.


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Local and federal investigators continued to search for the remains of late Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa Monday in an enduring disappearance case shrouded in mystery for nearly 40 years.
An attorney for a former mob underboss, who alerted authorities to the possible grave of Hoffa in Oakland Township, said his client believes "100 percent" that Hoffa's body is there.
Officials from the FBI, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office and Bloomfield Township Police Department confirmed they were executing a search warrant on private property along Buell Road at Adams Road in hopes of finding Hoffa's body after he disappeared in 1975.
Novi-based attorney David Chasnick came to the Oakland Township site with the Hoffa excavation search warrant to speak for his client Anthony "Tony Z" Zerilli, 85, who was at the site for a short time on Monday afternoon, but left after seeing a swarm of reporters.
"Mr. Zerilli is thrilled that this has finally come to an end," Chasnick said. "The Hoffa family may finally have some closure ... The Hoffa family may get peace from this from what they discover over in the field."
Chasnick said Zerilli wrote a manuscript -- available for sale at hoffafound.com -- detailing how Hoffa was taken to the area in Oakland Township and buried alive.
The manuscript says that, after Hoffa's disappearance, three local mobsters drove him to what was then an old house and barn on the Buell Road property.
The manuscript states, "As soon as they pulled near the barn, Hoffa was dragged out of the car, bound and gagged. A shallow hole was already dug in the barn floor. ... (One of the men) picked up a shovel and cracked Hoffa over the head with it."
Zerilli writes that Hoffa put up a fight and was hit several more times. They threw him in the hole and buried him alive.
"He wasn't shot, he wasn't stabbed, nothing like that," Zerilli said in the manuscript.
A cement slab of some sort was placed on top of the dirt to make certain he was not going to be discovered -- end of story, Zerilli said in the manuscript.
Chasnick said Zerilli was in talks with the FBI for at least seven months prior to Monday.
There has been speculation whether Zerilli gave the tips because he was struggling financially. Chasnick said this is untrue because, to purchase the manuscript costs about the same as a cup of coffee. He also reiterated that because Zerilli has been in talks with the FBI for nearly seven months, the FBI wouldn't have gone through the arduous process of getting the search warrant if they didn't think it was a credible tip.
This latest Hoffa story drew the attention from not only news media, but also residents passing by and even prosecutors with extensive organized crime knowledge.
Keith Corbett, a former federal prosecutor who has followed at least two previous Hoffa digs, said that even if Hoffa's body is found, prosecution tied to the case is remote because all five people suspected in the disappearance are dead.
He mentioned that Macomb County resident Giacomo "Black Jack" Tocco, 85, the convicted mob boss of a Detroit organized crime family, at one point purchased the property on Buell Road under a land contract. Tocco is Zerilli's first cousin. But Corbett said he does not know who owns it now.
Organized crime expert Scott Burnstein, author of "True Crime Chronicles" and an Oakland Press contributor, has studied the Hoffa case for years.
Burnstein said he was told by credible sources that although the property isn't owned by Tocco anymore, Tocco had sold the property to an acquaintance who could be friendly with Tocco and his associates.
"As a result, the FBI might have had some trouble getting access to the property -- possibly one of the reasons it could have taken several months to get out here," Burnstein said.
"There's no question that Tony Zerilli is the most well-informed person with the most access and ability to shed the most light to ever come forward," Burnstein said. "He was a very well respected and highly placed member of organized crime, both locally and nationally."
One passerby on Monday, Dan Lennon of Rochester, said that when it comes to Hoffa's disappearance, he's heard it all.
"I've heard he's in the concrete at Yankee Stadium, Giants Stadium, but really what would they do if they found him?" he said.
Hoffa disappeared from the Machus Red Fox restaurant on Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Township on July 30, 1975.
For more than 38 years, this case has brought national attention -- and Lennon grew up hearing about it.
Lennon, who owns a photo studio in downtown Lake Orion, previously worked at BCK Architecture near Telegraph and Maple roads, across the street from the last place Hoffa was seen alive. One of his friends, a woman who lived in the Rochester area, found a bone in her yard that was investigated in connection with the case.
The FBI searched for Hoffa's body at a farm in Milford in 2006, digging under a horse barn, and, more recently, under a driveway in Roseville last October. In 2003, they searched under a pool in Bay County, and in 2004, they dug up floor boards in a Detroit home where blood was found.
Speculation about the Oakland Township search has been ongoing since winter.
The search warrant was issued "based on information that we have involving the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa," said Bob Foley III, of the FBI Detroit Division. "Because this investigation is an open investigation and because the search warrant is sealed, I will not be able to provide any additional details regarding our activity here this morning."
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard has participated in several such searches through the years.
"This has been one of those open wounds for a long time," Bouchard said. "As this was spinning up and ... especially (Sunday), I was thinking about what Father's Day means to the family that doesn't have closure on this case, and families like them all over the country that have a missing loved one and didn't know what happened to them."
"It's my fondest hope that we give that closure not only to the Hoffa family, but also to the community to stop tearing that scab off with every new lead and bring some conclusion that is long overdue."
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is handling the logistical side of the dig, and set up a mobile command center along the road. The FBI is handling the excavation.
Lines of marked and unmarked cars peppered the area -- which looks to be at least 75 square yards -- but media was restricted from coming any closer than around 100 yards from the actual dig site.
Investigators are using a back hoe among several excavation tools and have put tents around the site while they continue to search.


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Archinect - News 2017-09-23T23:12:40-04:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/63680850/dean-robert-greenstreet-awared-topaz-medallion-for-excellence-in-architectural-education Dean Robert Greenstreet awared Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education zelluwm 2012-12-18T18:13:00-05:00 >2012-12-18T18:14:10-05:00
 It is with pleasure that we announce that Dean Robert Greenstreet, PhD, RIBA, Int'l Assoc AIA, who has served as the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning's Dean for over 20 years, has been awarded the 2013 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education.

 Dean Greenstreet has consistently encouraged students at the School, tirelessly working to support and guide them during their tenure at SARUP, and promoting and encouraging them once they graduate. Over his teaching career, he has had an influence on and has mentored thousands of students, several of whom have gone on to serve in leadership positions in world-renowned architectural firms, city governments and social organizations.

 The Topaz Medallion is awarded jointly by the AIA and the ACSA once a year. Previous recipients include Michael Graves, Kenneth Frampton, Vincent Scully and Marcel Breuer.

 For the complete announcement on the 2013 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion ...


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Getting Saved by the Bell!
(February 15, 2006… Los Angeles, CA) Mario Lopez, best known for his role on "Saved by the Bell" and as one of the hosts of the talk show "The Other Half," will join the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful beginning Monday, March 20 on the CBS Television Network. Lopez will play Dr. Christian Ramirez, brother of Los Angeles firefighter Hector Ramirez, played by Lorenzo Lamas.
Widely known for his role as Slater on the comedy series "Saved by The Bell," Lopez also became familiar to television audiences through his series regular role on "Pacific Blue," where he portrayed police officer Bobby Cruz. In addition, Lopez served as host of the syndicated series "Name Your Adventure" and portrayed Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis in the television movie "Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story."
So the question is -- how will Dr. Christian Ramirez impact the lives of LA's hot fashion world? We'll have to tune in on March 20 to find out!
Photo by Alan Mercer. Used with permission.
For more Alan Mercer celebrity photography visit
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Greg Kampe and Oakland were playing an exceptional game at Pittsburgh Saturday and the Panthers nearly became the latest team from a power conference to fall to the upstart Golden Grizzlies.
Oakland led by as many as 18 points in the second half after taking a 14-point halftime lead, but the Panthers (4-0) came fighting back to take a 72-62 win in overtime.
"This is a heart-wrenching loss for our kids, fans and for Oakland University," Kampe said. "It was a loss that shouldn't have happened. We played 37 minutes of great basketball and we didn't do anything special on offense.
"Everything was right where it was supposed to be and when it was time to step up, we didn't do it."
Pitt went on a 7-0 run in the final minute of regulation to force overtime, then scored 11 of the first 13 points in the extra session.
"They had all the momentum and the crowd was going nuts and that's why they don't lose here," Kampe said. "The game should have been over before overtime."
Pitt is now 95-3 all-time in non-conference games at the Petersen Events Center.
Oakland (1-3) played the extra session without starters Drew Valentine and Duke Mondy, who each fouled out in regulation.
Corey Petros led Oakland with 19 points and seven rebounds in 42 minutes. Travis Bader added 16 points and Mondy had 14 points for Oakland, which shot 47 percent (22 of 47) from the floor.
Pittsburgh set a school record for largest halftime deficit overcome at 14 points. The Panthers entered the game as 20-point favorites.
Oakland has never beaten Pitt (0-4) or a team from the Big East (0-14). The Grizzlies get another chance to break their drought Dec.19 when they visit West Virginia.
The Grizzlies nearly had their third win over a so-called BCS opponent in as many seasons after beating Tennessee each of the past two seasons. Oakland visits the Volunteers Nov. 26, but not before a stop in East Lansing to take on No. 21 Michigan State Friday (Nov. 23).
Oakland travels to Texas Southern Tuesday. That game, like all Oakland road games, can be heard on WDFN-AM (1130).
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
Paul Kampe covers Oakland University basketball for The Oakland Press. Read his blog "Grizzlies Den" at TheOaklandPress.com/blogs.


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|April 13, 2005
Volume 7, Issue 8
|Midwifery Today E-News
"Nutrition to Prevent Prematurity"
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Go here for more information and a complete program.
In This Week's Issue:
Quote of the Week
"I am amazed to have been a midwife from the era in which women marched in the streets, demanding normal births without medication, to a time when they expect an epidural as soon as it is allowed in labor, even planning elective cesareans and giving up the gift of birthing their children altogether."
— Katherine Jensen
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The Art of Midwifery
Colic can happen when the breastfeeding mother has a rapid letdown. A local doctor who is a real gem for breastfeeding problems saw a friend of mine who had a colicky baby and pointed out to her that, early in the feeding, the baby started making little noises (sort of like a little hum). The mother was advised to take the baby off the nipple right then—even though the feed had just begun—and burp the baby by putting the baby up to the shoulder. Sure enough, the baby burped up a big bubble from too-rapid gulping right at first to prevent drowning in the rapidly letting-down milk! That did the trick.
— Gloria Lemay
ALL BIRTH PRACTITIONERS: The techniques you've perfected over months and years of practice are valuable lessons for others to learn! Share them with E-News readers by sending them to firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Research to Remember
A study of nearly 9000 pregnant women who had been in car crashes and hadn't buckled their seatbelts showed that they were about three times more likely to lose their babies than those who had worn seatbelts. The unbuckled mothers who did not lose their baby were nearly twice as likely to bleed excessively when they delivered.
— Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol. 102 No. 2
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Nutrition to Prevent Prematurity
Adequate nutrition during pregnancy prevents prematurity in many ways: by boosting the immune system to prevent infections that can cause chorioamniotitis and premature rupture of membranes; by supplying adequate hydration to prevent dehydration and oligohydramnios, common causes of premature labor; by supplying the liver with adequate protein for the production of albumin and supporting the expanding blood volume, thus preventing preeclampsia; by supplying the body with enough nutrients for optimal functioning to prevent intrauterine growth retardation and support a full-term pregnancy.
Recent studies have examined the impact of nutritional quality on pregnancy outcomes. A University of North Carolina study showed that women who failed to eat with recommended frequency and regularity had a higher incidence of premature delivery than did those who met certain guidelines. Animal and human research suggests that skipping meals elevates stress hormones that can contribute to premature delivery (1).
Similarly, a study in India in 2000 found that preterm birth rates among women whose diets were improved by nutritional supplementation were half those of women whose diets weren't supplemented (2).
A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology looked at the effect of nutritional counseling for twin pregnancies and found that it improved all pregnancy outcomes significantly, up to the age of three years. This included increased birth weights and gestation periods and a reduced number of births prior to 36 weeks, as well as reduced incidence of premature rupture of membranes and preeclampsia (3).
Other research found that women deficient in vitamin C had higher rates of premature rupture of membranes and that this could be counteracted by vitamin C supplementation (4). I suggest that eating adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C might have the same effect.
Extensive research has been done in Europe on ingesting fish and increasing omega 3 fatty acids. A Swedish study found that women who had low consumption of seafood tended to have higher rates of premature labor and women who ate higher amounts had longer gestation periods and bigger babies.
Sadly, most research focuses on a single element of diet. This evidence is useful to the extent that it is incorporated into a broader nutritional plan. In our current medical, magic substance/pill mindset, we must help interpret these studies to the public so women don't mistakenly create an apparent malnutrition by focusing solely on one food source.
A side effect of the Brewer diet is not only the eradication of preeclampsia in a high-risk population, but the reduction of prematurity rates in that population to 2%. This number is only impressive when you realize that the present prematurity rate is 12.1% in the general population and higher in high-risk populations. According to the March of Dimes, since 1981 the rate of premature birth has increased by almost 30%.
As care providers and teachers, we should check what a pregnant woman is eating from the very first meeting. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of each woman's diet individually. You cannot assume pregnant women are eating well, no matter how educated they are or conscientious they seem to be. Although I spend one entire class and parts of almost al others teaching about pregnancy nutrition, I still find women who are reluctant to make changes or are missing crucial elements, regardless of supreme efforts to eat well.
— Amy V. Haas; excerpted from "Prematurity Is Preventable!," Midwifery Today Issue 72
Order MIDWIFERY TODAY Issue 72
The body has mechanisms for ensuring that its protein needs are met. As the caloric value of food goes up, so does the efficiency with which protein is utilized. If you are getting enough calories, the effective quality (biological value) of the protein you eat actually rises.
In pregnancy, calorie and protein requirements become greater, and the lack of sufficient quantities of either one has more serious immediate consequences. It therefore becomes more important to pay some attention to combining protein sources during pregnancy to be sure one is getting adequate proteins and calories. Increased calorie intake makes protein more available because protein is not being burned for energy needs.
If calories are insufficient, the body will burn available protein for energy instead. When protein is burned due to a lack of sufficient calories, less amino acids will be available for fetal growth and development, for albumin production to expand the blood volume, and to help with uterine muscle growth. This relationship cannot be reversed—that is, if extra calories are ingested but protein needs are not met, the body cannot convert calories to protein in the same way. The pregnancy will suffer in this situation. If a women is not obese and her ingested calories are just one-third less than she requires, half of her protein intake will be burned for energy.
Doctors and midwives will often suggest a diet that provides plenty of protein (90 to 100 grams) but only 1500 to 2000 calories. Reasoning that the woman is eating a high-protein diet, midwives may dismiss a woman's diet as a causative factor when she develops toxemia or premature labor. Quite often midwives will state that a woman was eating well but she became toxemic anyway. A woman can be making good food choices and still not be getting what she needs; women must eat enough calories and protein from nutrient-rich sources to meet their particular requirements.
— Anne Frye, in Holistic Midwifery, Vol. I: Care During Pregnancy (Labrys Press, 1995)
HOLISTIC MIDWIFERY, VOL. I is a must-have for midwives.
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Forum Talk
I strongly feel a need to find an experienced midwife who is willing to pull me under her wing for the next several years. I know I will do best to learn wisdom, rather than textbooks. I'd like to find someone who is willing to teach me all she knows until we both feel I'm ready to go solo. Yet, I wonder how realistic this is? She would need to have a similar stance to birth as I do, that it's natural and requires little to no intervention and that the midwife's role is primarily one of educating, not necessarily baby catching, and hopefully she's within a hundred miles of me! I'm in southwest Oklahoma; is there anyone in this area think they could/would do this or know a midwife who might? I'm also interested in hearing anyone's thoughts and experiences.
— Camie
Go to our forums to share your thoughts and experience.
Question of the Week
Q: My daughter-in-law has had a chronic perineal fistula that flares up every month with drainage, since she was pregnant. Her son is now 15 months old. The tunneling is so deep that surgery would be a great risk for her (possible colostomy due to nerve damage). She also got a staph infection while in hospital and has been on antibiotics a few times. She has been applying lavender and oregano oils to the site. She is still breastfeeding her baby. Any suggestions for healing would be most welcome!
— Bea
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Join Mabel Dzata, CNM, Stephanie Brill, CPM, Dr. Karen McClintock and others as they share their wisdom about:
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Question of the Week Responses
Q: I was blessed with a wonderful homebirth under the watchful eyes and in the warm hands of a two local midwives in the state of Illinois. This was my fourth homebirth and sixth pregnancy. The birth of my eight-pound, four-ounce baby went beautifully. It was not until I got out of the birthing pool and on to the birthing stool to release our placenta that my uterus prolapsed. My midwives did their best and gave me all the information they knew about uterine prolapse. I am reaching out to the bigger midwife community for additional advice about how to treat a prolapsed uterus and maintain uterine health through the rest of my life. I am only 24, and who knows what is in the future. If we choose to have another baby, what will likely happen? Your support, knowledge, and resources would be greatly appreciated.
— Jahmanna
A: Good nutrition, belly support in the form of binding, and "girdles" can be of great help. I also suggest Mayan abdominal massage. Visit a practitioner and also learn the self-massage techniques. They are amazing; I use them just to keep my heart on my uterine health. (www.arvigomassage.com/courses.html#self) Doing kegels is also helpful. Some good herbs for uterine health are dong quai (Angelica sinensis), true unicorn root (Aletris farinosa), red raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus), lady's mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris), false unicorn root (Chamaelirium luteum). Make sure you are getting enough manganese and vitamins A and C in your diet.
— Demetria
A: It is important to remember that all the muscular and physiological issues involving the uterus are controlled by sacral nerves and that these nerves and their function can have a profound effect on the function and healing of your uterus. It is not a cure for your problem, but if you improve sacral and pelvic biomechanics it can have a profound impact on your future fertility and pregnancies. You should consult a doctor of chiropractic in your area who is Webster-technique certified; you can find a complete list of these physicians at www.icpa4kids.org.
— Paul R. Mahler, D.C.
A: Look into the Arvigo techniques of Maya abdominal massage. Prolapse of the uterus is one of the many symptoms helped by this technique. You can find information on the following: www.earthdancermassage.com and www.arvigomassage.com
You will be able to locate a practitioner near you on Rosita Arvigo's Web site.
— Samantha Ford, CMT, RMT, CHCT, certified ATMAM practitioner
Q: Are there any sources of information regarding the relationship between the throat and perineum during birth—when the throat is tight, the vaginal floor will also be tight?
— Giselle E. Whitwell, doula, board-certified music therapist, Birth Works childbirth educator, certified prenatal parenting educator
A: I haven't seen "written" proof as to the connection between the throat and perineum, but as a L&D nurse, I have witnessed the connection many times and tell my patients about it while in labor. Try encouraging your patients to "blow through a straw," literally or figuratively, the next time they are holding back their baby or they cannot void for whatever reason. You can see a difference in perineal relaxation when blowing through a straw because your jaw is relaxed then. I use this technique quite often when a patient can't void because of an ITN, swollen bottom from stitches, or cesarean section and low and behold, most of them easily void with a little patience and a straw.
— Anon.
A: In Switzerland where I trained as a physical therapist, we were taught that a Danish professor (Van Vanderheiden, I believe) once tested the connection between the female tongue and mouth with the cervix and vagina—a fact which deep (tongue) kissing reaffirms. For the past thirty years I have been teaching a form of Swiss Deep Relaxation to childbirth educators, doulas and mothers, based on this principle. Although invisible to all those around her, a mother who lets her tongue go slack is bound to have a soft cervix very soon. For extra measure, try visualizing blood flowing around in the tip of the cervix—warming it. This too is believed to soften the cervix by improving blood flow to the uterus. During the past three decades, many mothers who read about this in my book (Natural Childbirth the Swiss Way [Prentice Hall, Inc.]) have written to tell me how well these little tricks worked. Try it and let me know.
— Esther Marilus, director of Swiss Antenatal Fitness & Education
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Question of the Quarter for Midwifery Today Print Magazine
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After experiencing a horrible full-blown case of toxemia with my firstborn child that led to an emergency c-section nine weeks early and 10 days in the hospital for me and three weeks for my three-pounder, I vowed to find a cure.
My next pregnancy was clouded with doctors suggesting "low doses of baby aspirin," three gallons of water a day, and no salt. I took matters into my own hands and followed the Brewer diet to the letter (much to my doctor's disapproval). To prove it was working, I told my doctor I would go off it for four days. I swelled up like a balloon, and my blood pressure went to 165/130. After a week back on the diet, all my symptoms vanished. I was blessed to have two more VBACs and healthy pregnancies because of Dr. Brewer. I owe my health and the health of my babies to him. My OB was so impressed he now uses the diet for his clients. I believe *every* pregnant woman should follow the Brewer diet. You have only 40 weeks to make a perfect baby.
I would like to respond to Judy Slome Cohain and her claim that some women have a pathological fear of the hospital [Issue 7:6]. I used to think this idea was crazy. I read about it in "Silent Knife" when it first came out in the early 80s. I had recently had a cesarean. I now believe it with all my heart, although most people think I am nuts. I had my first son in the hospital. I was not overly concerned when I went there, and according to medical community standards, everything went well. However, I was left terrified of going back. I wanted another baby but was very afraid of returning to the hospital. With my second son, I would start labor and head for the hospital. Labor would stop before I would reach the hospital. This happened several times. Finally, three weeks after my due date, my water broke. Two hours later, my son was born by c-section. Now I was even more afraid.
During my third pregnancy I was seeing a doctor (to please my husband) and a midwife while I worked on convincing him of the safety of homebirth. I read everything I could find. I ended up with a hospital birth again because my daughter died at six months, and I had to have labor induced since I didn't ever start on my own. My third and fourth sons were born at home. There is no comparison. Both deliveries were wonderful, and I wish all my sons had been born at home (my cesarean I now know was not necessary). Women are afraid, and fear can stop labor. I strongly believe it is time for doctors to acknowledge that their methods can be a stronger cause for fear than labor or delivery itself. Maybe then they can try to humanize the experience for the women who choose (or must) use their services.
— Karen Current
I too had to comment on the position (soles together) offered by Mary Jo Terrill [Issue 7:4]. A little more than one year ago I provided labor support for my sister-in-law, who instinctively chose this position. It was her first baby, and the birth took place in the hospital where she had worked very hard to avoid having an I.V. and to be allowed freedom of movement. She had progressed wonderfully through labor but encountered some initial difficulty when it was time to push. After a little experimentation with different positions, she instinctively chose to push in a position almost exactly as Mary Jo describes. The only exception was, she held her feet herself (soles almost touching) and could nearly pull them to her nose! In my inexperience I kept encouraging her to try more upright positions, and her OB voiced concern about the stress she was placing on her knees. Despite our suggestions, she kept on in this position and went on to deliver an OP baby, with a 14-inch head, over an intact perineum—one and a half hours from the first push. How she managed to do that has always baffled me until now!
— Jennifer Dean, BS, CCCE
I am a senior in high school, and I am considering training to become a midwife. My sister-in-law had a midwife for her third birth and said it was wonderful compared to going to the hospital. I live in Idaho, and I was told you don't have to have gone to school to be a midwife here. Obviously it would be safer to have gone to midwife school, but is it true, or do you have to have schooling to become a midwife in Idaho? Also, I would like to know if anyone knows of a midwife college in Idaho.
— Marie
I just wanted to share the update on the case of stroke during pregnancy that was listed in the Question of the Week Responses [Issue 7:5]—for what's it worth! [See letter below.]
— Amy V. Haas, BCCE
From the Mom:
The neurologist thinks I can allow labor to happen naturally, so I guess it's not only the OB's decision, but his and the hematologists' as well. The neurologist had the blood results from when I was in the hospital, which showed my blood protein level is 58 versus the normal range of 65–120. This means my blood has a propensity to clot. Now, we don't know if this is "normal" for me in general or if the protein level dropped because of the pregnancy. He still wants to do a heart test after I give birth.
He says that people who inject themselves with blood thinners need to stop before they have dental work, surgery, etc., and people have that small window of time where they *can* get a clot/stroke, but it's such a slight chance of actually having a stroke/clot again versus *never* injecting yourself with the medicine. So, technically I can be OK if I deliver without this medication or with an IV of heparin for a few days. If tests show there's nothing wrong with the heart, then the most likely treatment would just be blood monitoring for a while afterward. But if having low protein levels is "normal" for me *after* I give birth, then I just need to take aspirin for the rest of my life. Simple, huh?
It is most probably/definitely a stroke because of the protein count/clotting theory, and the damage in the brain corresponds to the area where the numbness/tingling is.
The hematologist I saw today thinks the blood clot/stroke thing was a freak thing—my blood protein level is a bit lower than normal, but it's perfectly OK because it's due to the pregnancy—nothing to be alarmed about. There is no sign of cancer, disease, etc. He believes I can deliver naturally and will discuss with the OB about not inducing. The only concern is being on the shots of Fragmin and I absolutely cannot have an epidural—period! And I wouldn't need an IV or anything like that to replace the blood thinners (heparin) while in labor. It's a huge weight off my shoulders—I'm excited. Just want me to continue to be on the Fragmin to ensure that things continue to go well.
[Later] The OB said it's fine to deliver naturally! She said that when labor begins, to stop doing the injections of Fragmin—ideally it would be nice to have it out of my system in 48 hours, but I doubt the labor would be that long. But both OB/hematologist feel there should be little risk to delivering naturally with Fragmin in the system. She just asked that if contractions are about 15 minutes apart or feels like it's getting progressively stronger, to give her a call so they're aware of it and see how labor progresses.
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Midwifery Today: Each One Teach One!


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Charges filed against Jack Didley's bouncer
BENTON COUNTY, Wash. -- KEPR has learned Matthew Hibbard, 41, has been charged with assault in the third degree over an incident on July 4th at a Kennewick nightclub. The charges include aggravated circumstances for excessive injuries.
Court papers found here show Hibbard is accused of dropping Ben Ensign onto his head outside Jack Didley's in Kennewick.
As KEPR has reported previously, Ensign was heavily intoxicated when he was asked to leave the nightclub.
Witnesses claimed the club's security officers used excessive force to remove Ensign.
The young father has remained in critical condition ever since that night. He spent weeks in a medically-induced coma before he was awakened last week. He still has severe injuries and remains in the hospital.
The owner of Jack Didley's has maintained his employees did not use excessive force on Ensign.
KEPR is working to contact the owner for his comment following the filing of charges. We have not reached him.
Benton County Prosecutor Andy Miller says if Hibbard is convicted, he faces up to five years in jail, due to the aggravating circumstances in the charge.
This is a developing story. Stay with Action News, KEPRTV.com, Facebook & Twitter for the latest.


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Battle of the Business 5k – Florham Park, NJ
7:30pm, June 24, 2013
I still have to get a TARC100 race report written! I'm happy to announce I got buckle #4! This one was a close call! Conditions were far from ideal, but I got it done. The constant rain storms leading up to race day made the course a mudddddy mess – we're talking KNEE DEEP MUD & WAIST DEEP WATER in several sections. Lots to share. I'm going to jot down some notes today & hope to get a blog up soon!
TARC100 - somewhere between miles 1-25
In the meantime, I can knock off a quick RR about my 5k last night!
This was my first race after the 100. Between the 8 days of the two events, I ran an easy 40 minutes on Wednesday and 4 miles on Sunday. During the work week, I went to bed later than I wanted and felt exhausted by the end of each day. I was still fighting to catch up on my Zzzz's after TARC. Luckily, there was a lot of lounging going on over the weekend – Saturday on the beach & Sunday on Tom's couch. By Monday, I finally wasn't dragging!
Nova, Me, Angela - Weekend of relaxing and jumping
Angela & I trying to form a heart. I HEART RUNNING!
Should I run Battle of the Business 5k or do an easy run on the Watchung trails?? The thought consumed me allll day! I had been itching to get going again. I wanted to race, but I if I did it'd most likely be slow and then I'd be secretly disappointed (Failing to acknowledge I just ran a 100 miler)
All day my coworker was complaining about the heat wave. 90's and humid. Our office is air conditioned - it's so cold that I have to wear a cardigan and he was all grouchy about the heat?? Really?? The only time he had to be out there was during the walk to his (air conditioned!) car. His constant complaining drove me crazy. To get at him, I told him I was going to run in this so called deathly weather. (Yeah, give me a challenge!)
By lunch, I was leaning toward racing.
I had run this race in 2008, 2010 & 2011. My course PR was in 2008 with 23:29… a little slow?! I tried to remember why - was it hilly? Or was it because it was always on a hot & humid night?
Now, not only did I want to run it, I wanted to get a course PR!!! HA! I jotted down splits for a 23:20, 22:59 (a girl can dream) & 23:40 (back up). I'd have to keep a 7:30 pace. Accustomed to ultra pace, anything under 8's these days seem ridiculously fast. It's only 3 miles though…I can do it???
Goal time splits
I ran 3 other road 5k's this year and I've been doing the weekly XC series.
The road ones are below.
Shamrock Shuffle: 23:27 (the day after a 20 miler)
Lincoln Tunnel Challenge: 23:22 (a week after our euro trip/run)
Roxbury: 23:40 (2 days after the 34 miler 'Train'ing run)
2013 PR - 23:22, Overall PR - 21:53
Heck, my legs only know how to run these things on tired legs.
I got to the race at 6:50 for a 7:30pm start. The sun was sweltering, even in just a sports bra and skirt. While I was warming up, it started to rain. I was soooooooooo happy! I LOVE RUNNING IN THE RAIN. It cooled me off so much that I was thinking of putting on a tank. I'm glad I decided against it, because as we were lining up in the starting area, the rain disappeared and the sun & humidly came back in full force. Sigh.
This race didn't have a ton of hard core runners. There were the fast folks, but a good majority of the 650 runners were with company teams battling for a spot on the podium. I placed myself in the front, in the 2nd row. The guys behind me were making comments that I look fast… and when I started pressing buttons on my Garmin, they made more remarks. HA! If they only knew what I did last weekend! Not fast.
Mile 1: 7:13
I didn't want to start out too fast. I always feel fantastic during the first mile. I think I can run low 7's like back in the day, but by mile 3 I'm dead and dreaming of ultra pace.
I was constantly checking my watch for a 7:30 split. The course was on corporate grounds, next to the Jets training camp. Mentally, it was tough because it was two loooong out and backs and you could see how far you had to go before the turn around. It just seemed so far.
Before hitting the 1 mile mark, there was a water stop and then a small hill.
My first mile was too fast, but I figured that'll allow me some extra time for the next two miles.
Mile 2: 7:33
During the 1st turn around, I was counting the females, wondering where I was in the pack. I was comfortably hurting. I had more in me, but was storing the energy for the later miles.
We Headed back toward the start for the 2nd out and back. Mile 2 @ 7:33, I was still on target.
Mile 3: 7:37
1 more mile, 1 more mile… I repeated 7:30 in my head, desperately trying to keep pace. I felt myself slowing down. I was doing math in my head, readjusting goals, just hoping I wouldn't get in the 24's.
The final quarter of a mile, I told myself there was no readjusting goals – I wanted to course PR & I need to fight for it. I was dying, but motivated. I was working hard to get to that finish before 23:29.
5k: 23:19
I ran the final stretch and cross the timing mat before 23:39. I had no idea what my exact time was, but I guessed 23:25. Considering I had just done a 100, I was happy!!! Later on, when checking out the results, I was surprised to see I actually ran a 23:19!
86. Elaine Acosta Randolph,NJ 38 F U 23:19.74 7:30 16/312 F30-39:8/61 64.83 23:19.36
Not only a course PR, but a 5k PR for the season! Yay, smiles!!
AWFUL photo - right before crossing the finish line.
While runners were still coming in, I decided to put my name on the massage wait list… only it wasn't a massage booth, it was a physical training booth. Same thing, right?
When it was my turn, he asked me what my issues were… I was like, uh, nothing! I'm fine… I just ran a 100 miler and thought a massage/stretching would be helpful?! I did mention that the one thing that was sore after my 100 was my right hip. Nothing painful, just sore. While doing a few basic stretches for my hip and my hamstring, he asked me if I mostly run on one side of the road, if I stretch, what my weekly mileage was, etc... he even talked about the Tarahumara's, as he was halfway through 'Born to Run'. It was a short session of stretching, but man did it feel good! I even got a complimentary PT tech shirt before leaving.
I headed toward the food tent and there were only apples, oranges & cookies left. All the Subway sandwiches (one of the sponsors) were gone! Stinkers.
I chatted with friends for a little bit, stuck around for part of the award ceremony and then headed home.
I wonder if I could squeeze in another 5k this wkd?? There has to be a race somewhere, right? Ahh, back to being a junkie…


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Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, today criticized the Federal Reserve's decision to continue its policy of "quantitative easing."
"Further quantitative easing by the Fed won't close America's troubling growth gap, nor will it lower unemployment. Why the Fed continues to tie extraordinary monetary actions to the unemployment rate, when it has stated repeatedly one cannot impact the other, is beyond me."
The growth gap refers to: (1) the difference between the rates of economic growth and job creation in an average post-war recovery and in the current recovery, and (2) the possibility that the ability of our economy to grow in future may be permanently lower.
In the 3½ years since the recession ended, real GDP increased by 7.5%. During the comparable period in other post-war recoveries, real GDP increased by an average of 17.5%. Similarly, the U.S. economy has generated 6.4 million private sector jobs since the cyclical low in February 2010. In the comparable 36 months, an average recovery would have generated 10.4 million private jobs.
***Rep. Brady is the author of H.R.1174, the Sound Dollar Act, which would focus the Federal Reserve on maintaining price stability. He is also the author of H.R.1176 to create the Centennial Monetary Commission which would evaluate Fed policies for their effectiveness in monetary policy since its founding, 100 years ago.
Source: http://kevinbrady.house.gov/brady-news-releases/extraordinary-monetary-policy-cannot-close-the-growth-gap/


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"I feel better, so much better, thank you Doc for takin' all the ouchies away………"
This is my 3 year old's favorite song. She sings it 100 times a day, usually with a stethoscope and doctor kit in hand. Why? She's playing Doc McStuffins of course, Disney's adorable new kid-doctor who helps her toy friends get their ouchies away. It's cute, it's fun, and what the kids don't realize is that Doc's helping her toy friends with problems that may just happen to kids in real life, and helps them realize that hey! it's ok to need help, to ask for it, and how rewarding it is to help our friends.
Doc McStuffins is a six-year-old girl who plays with her stuffed animals and toys. Each episode deals with a common ailment that a child could see a doctor. Doc's friends include Stuffy, an overly proud dragon; Lambie, her cuddly best friend; Hallie, a jolly and caring hippo nurse; Squeakers, an alarmist squeaky toy fish; and Chilly, a snowman who spends a lot of time getting check-ups at the clinic. Ailments from low batteries to loose stitching are easy for Doc to repair. Although she does ask her mom (a real doctor) for help in several episodes, showing that asking for help is a great idea. Children learn lessons including imagination, teamwork, taking care of yourself and others, responsibility, and friendship from Doc McStuffins. Each episode features two 11-minute stories and an original song and showcases the hallmarks of great Disney storytelling – fantasy and wish fulfillment.
What surprised ME most about this show is how much my 7 year old enjoys it. I'd assumed this would be appealing to the younger crowd, but I'm very happy to report she loves it. 7 has proven to be a really tough TV age in my family- and while we don't watch a ton with the kids, she seems to be in limbo between little kids shows (too babyish, mom!) and big kid shows (NOT appropriate in our eyes). Doc McStuffins has offered a great transition-to-tween program option that is fun and appropriate without being babyish. For that reason alone I love it. I have had discussions with many of my daughter's friends' parents and they have said the same thing- finding shows that are age appropriate for a 6-8 year old can be really tough.
We were able to invite a few of the kids' friends over to have a little viewing party to watch this DVD. The kids loved it. They all wanted clipboards of their own, of course, and doctor coats. I'm guessing that we'll be seeing a few little Doc McStuffins characters come Halloween! Thankfully at least one of the other kids has a soft spot for Chilly the snowman and agrees with me that there should be more shows centered around the adorable snowman. It must be the hypochondriac in me…
The kids all seem to love this show because the characters are so relatable. Anything that promotes kindness, helping others and friendship without seeming preachy goes over well in my book.
Doc McStuffins: Friendship is the Best Medicine is available most anywhere DVDs are sold.
I received some promotional items and the DVD to facilitate my review. Opinions are my own.0


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Study in the USA - Parsippany, New Jersey
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Anthem Institute-Parsippany
Parsippany, New Jersey
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The Grande Dames
America's greatest destination resorts balance the charms of the past with modern amenities
Arriving at the Greenbrier resort is like stumbling across the White House in the woods of West Virginia. Fronted by white columns and rows of windows, it exudes grandeur and formality. No secret hideaway, no boutique inn, it's as public as a promenade down Main Street in your Sunday best.
It recalls how the great American hotels used to look—the grander the better. Travel was for the affluent. Families would pull up in a railroad car or a chauffeur-driven Packard, unload steamer trunks filled with formal wear, and decamp for a season.
But almost nobody vacations like that anymore. Today's wealthy businessman has little more than a week of leisure time at a stretch and luxury opportunities spread across the globe. He can swim on the finest beaches, relax on a Tuscan hilltop or rent a time-share in Paris, London or Cape Town. So why spend that week in a backwater like White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, or Mackinac Island, Michigan, in a property that still looks as it did a hundred years ago?
Many of America's grande dame resorts never successfully answered that question. Those that did have survived as destination hotels, each managing to balance the allure of the past with the amenities of the present. Properties such as the Greenbrier and Mackinac's Grand, Florida's Breakers and Biltmore, and Colorado's Broadmoor each found different solutions, but based on a common philosophy: faceless luxury is everywhere, but the experience at our hotel is singular. It isn't enough to live in the past. "This is a resort that has adapted to the Civil War, the transition from stagecoach to railroad to airplanes, and everything else," says Robert Conte, staff historian at the Greenbrier, a resort that has been host to travelers since the late eighteenth century. "It has adapted to today's traveler, too." So have the others, to greater or lesser extent. Spas have been built, cuisines updated, dress codes relaxed. And with a worldwide tourism industry unsettled by political upheaval, terrorism and economic flux, novelty isn't always the best option. These days, the grand hotels sell the idea that there's comfort in returning to a resort you can depend on.
Here's how five of the grandest hotels on the continent have managed to weather the changes in the industry, survive and thrive.
The Biltmore Coral Gables, FL
No feature of any grand hotel in North America—no soaring tower, no palatial ballroom space—is grander than the L-shaped swimming pool that has filled much of the Biltmore's inner courtyard since the hotel opened in 1926. Constructed as the largest pool on record, it sought to redress the fact that this Florida resort was located six miles inland, far from beach access. It holds 700,000 gallons of water, extends 250 feet, and marks this property as hopelessly, wonderfully, retro.
No feature of any grand hotel in North America—no soaring tower, no palatial ballroom space—is grander than the L-shaped swimming pool that has filled much of the Biltmore's inner courtyard since the hotel opened in 1926. Constructed as the largest pool on record, it sought to redress the fact that this Florida resort was located six miles inland, far from beach access. It holds 700,000 gallons of water, extends 250 feet, and marks this property as hopelessly, wonderfully, retro.
The pool is a reminder of a time when a guest would spend all day sunning by the water's edge, watching the occasional beauty contest or fashion show from the comfort of a chaise longue, doing nothing more energetic for hours than squeezing lime into a Daiquiri. Pool water swells to within a few feet of the hotel's Moorish arches, like a lake threatening to flood after spring rains, leaving no room for argument about the hotel's signature feature—nor much room for anything else. Nothing dates this resort as an early twentieth-century classic more than that vast expanse of water generating no revenue, providing no dining or recreational options, just shimmering in the Florida sun.
The hotel that surrounds the pool is equally lacking in functionality. A double-winged, Spanish-styled structure with a replica of Seville's Giralda tower at its center, it's filled with vast ballrooms and other cavernous halls. The ceilings in its public spaces are gilded and ornate, in the Spanish style. The soaring arches have the grandeur of a cathedral. In all, the Biltmore looks like no hotel built in the last quarter century ever could.
That look was its salvation. Only because the Biltmore stood as a symbol of Coral Gables, from its Moorish architecture to its unalloyed opulence, did the city buy and resurrect it in the mid-1980s, following four decades of misuse and abandonment. (Since 1992, the Seaway Hotels Corp. has operated the hotel under terms of a 99-year lease.) By dint of history and tradition, the Biltmore is integrated into its surrounding community like few other hotels. "We are an extension of the living room for the individual who lives in Coral Gables," says Eli G. White Jr., a Seaway vice president. "This is their health club, their pool."
That was the idea from the start. Developer George Merrick's vision turned open land south of Miami into a planned community designed around the strictures of the City Beautiful movement. The Biltmore was its centerpiece, "a hotel which would not only serve as a complete hostelry to the crowds…thronging to Coral Gables," a Miami newspaper wrote in 1926, "but [also] as a center of sports and fashion." As lots were sold into the 1930s, it became a staging area for prospective purchasers. They'd live in one of its luxurious rooms, swim in the pool and dance in the courtyard, inspecting parcels of land until one struck their fancy.
But shortly after Merrick's death in 1942, the hotel was transformed into an Army hospital. In 1952, the University of Miami opened a medical school off an abandoned hallway. In 1968, the entire structure was closed. For two decades it lay dormant, a reminder of Coral Gables' flagging fortunes as wig shops and cafeterias filled the main shopping street of Miracle Mile. Acquired by the city for a nominal sum, the Biltmore reemerged as a hotel in 1987.
In a sense, this staccato history was a blessing. With no elderly patrons to resist changing so much as the color scheme, the Biltmore was free to remake itself. For a time in the 1990s, it seemed as if every guest in the lobby had a name tag. A series of renovations have restored the luster, and groups now account for only about half of the hotel's business. (Weddings, on the other hand, are a major industry and about 200 are held on the property every year.) "We've gone through so many changes, even in the past few years," says Dennis Doucette, the hotel's general manager. More are on the way, helping the property trend younger. A local disc jockey is creating a unique music mix for the hotel's public spaces, including the semiformal Palme d'Or restaurant, which is getting less formal each season. New cabanas by the pool recently opened, featuring spa treatments, misting fans, even themed moonlit dinners.
Lately, Coral Gables has again become a fashionable destination of its own, a sort of South Beach for grown-ups with designer shopping, fine regional theater and other cultural amenities. That helps attract vacationers who want more than just a hotel as a destination. And the thriving community delivers business to the property. The Biltmore's Cellar Club, which offers discounted dining, waived corkage fees, periodic wine tastings and free valet parking, has more than 1,300 members paying annual dues of $995 a couple, and business memberships that give executives incentive to access the property. Thirty-four percent of the hotel's restaurant business, Doucette notes, is directly related to the Cellar Club. Ancillary revenues add even more. While on site, members just might buy a fine cigar from the hotel's tobacco boutique, or book a room for their next anniversary.
Early on a Friday morning, the gleaming treadmills and stationary bikes at the hotel's health club are nearly all in use. Most of the exercisers aren't hotel guests, but some of the 2,500 local fee-paying members. When the state-of-the-art spa opened last year, it provided another intersection between the hotel and the city around it.
Those ties continue to help, even as the Biltmore's next incarnation comes into focus. Doucette gained permission from the city to alter a dividing wall and reconfigured his outdoor restaurant into a patio positioned between the grand pool and the golf course. "The pool on one side of you, golf on the other," he exults. "Where else can you get that?"
In most communities, any modification to such a historically resonant structure would have to be approved by levels of committees. But Dona Lubin, the assistant city manager and former director of historic preservation for Coral Gables, is a regular at breakfast every Saturday morning. Unlike some distant bureaucrat with no connection to the property, she well understands the problem of guests using that elongated dining space as an outdoor corridor. "Great, I'm tired of getting hit by golf clubs as I eat," she told Doucette when he informed her of his plans. Ground was broken this year.
The Breakers Palm Beach, FL
There's a middle-aged man in a blue blazer, white pants and white shoes sipping a Martini while waiting for a salad of conch and surf clam. Later, he'll eat squares of sorbet: coconut, mango and blood orange. House music pulses around him, to the annoyance of the woman sitting across the table. But when her sushi arrives, she tunes out the pounding and digs in.
There's a middle-aged man in a blue blazer, white pants and white shoes sipping a Martini while waiting for a salad of conch and surf clam. Later, he'll eat squares of sorbet: coconut, mango and blood orange. House music pulses around him, to the annoyance of the woman sitting across the table. But when her sushi arrives, she tunes out the pounding and digs in.
And there, in its essence, is both the challenge facing the venerable Breakers hotel and a piece of the solution. The restaurant is Echo, a five-year-old Asian hot spot that represents a stunning departure from nearly a century of Breakers food. It's such a departure that it is located off-site, three blocks north of the hotel in downtown Palm Beach—and out of sight from those who want everything to remain precisely as before at one of America's most refined resorts. As it has been from almost the start of the last century, Palm Beach remains the epicenter of Social Register winter life, and the Breakers is the epitome of Palm Beach. "At one point," says Kevin Walters, the hotel's vice president of food and beverage, "a woman would have to change clothes here six times a day. One outfit for breakfast, one for tea, one for cotillion, one for dinner, and so on."
The delivery systems are different today—Gulfstreams instead of Pullmans—but the same type of people still come. They're just far more likely to stay weeks—even days—than several months. That leaves plenty of empty rooms in the vast hotel and a shrinking pool of vacationers eager to wear tuxedos in the lobby, as was required on Wednesday and Saturday nights into the 1960s.
Over the last decade, the Kenan family—descendants of the man who built the Breakers, railroad magnate Henry Morrison Flagler—undertook what can only be described as a stealth makeover. "One part preservation, one part moving into the future aggressively and creatively," says Paul Leone, the hotel's president. So Echo opened up the street and the food at the signature L'Escalier restaurant was carefully modernized, with far more attention paid to a wine list that features the best of both the old and new world, and the average meal time pulled under three hours.
A retail component was also added. Stand-alone boutiques owned by the Breakers and selling some of fashion's biggest names, such as Piaget and Steuben, now offer guests a rainy-day entertainment option while adding an incremental revenue stream. "When I arrived, they had a series of mom-and-pop hotel shops," says vice president of retail operations John Zoller, who brought his Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue résumé to the hotel in 1995. "That area over there," he says, pointing to what is now a Guerlain Institut de Beaute store, "had two Ping-Pong tables and a bike rack."
Rooms still span multiple categories (21 now), from a 250-square-foot Superior to an Imperial Suite more than eight times that size. But these days, even the smallest have dataports, on-demand movies, PlayStations and plush bathrobes. The two golf courses were remade and a 20,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor spa opened, with 13 types of massages, including aromatherapy, Thai and deep tissue. And slowly, what had been a rather child-unfriendly place, with dress codes and no special effort made to entertain anyone under the drinking age, became a true family destination. A supervised game room, for instance, now sits adjacent to The Italian Restaurant, divided by a glass partition, so parents can actually watch their pre-teens play without getting up from their osso buco. And men can eat breakfast in short-sleeve shirts now, which was forbidden at one time. "It was felt that women might object to the sight of hair on a man's arms," Walters recalls.
That this has been accomplished not only successfully but almost seamlessly is because of the hotel's unmatched service. Leone wanted guests to feel just as pampered in their Lacoste shirts as they did in their Palm Beach green blazers—and even more pampered, so nobody could accuse standards of slipping. "That was absolutely at the core of our strategies, to take no shortcuts," he says. "To step up the service and the value to an even higher level."
Bill Dadasis, 48, a guest who has been coming to the Breakers for 40 years, sits enjoying his umpteenth breakfast there and shakes his head in disbelief. He's in the hotel and restaurant business himself in greater Boston, and he's amazed at the warmth that accompanies the servers' efficiency. "We do training in our hotels, but this is beyond training," he says. "They just find these people who are both incredibly competent and naturally friendly. You can't train that." All the solicitousness in the world can't fill a 560-room, 88-apartment Florida resort at winter prices once the weather turns hot, but a new marketing campaign to turn the Breakers into a full-year destination has dropped the standard room rate from $470 to $290 in the summer. "We took a property that was running in the mid-60s occupancy on average to an 80 percent occupancy," Leone says. Floridians, already in the heat, have taken disproportionate advantage. They find a property that is more casual than during high season, where most employees are permitted to trade the dark suit and tie for sport shirts and khakis.
Yet for all that, the mere act of walking in a coat and tie through the Breakers' Renaissance-arched lobby, striding along the Tennessee marble on your way to a night of indulgence at L'Escalier, still feels exciting. Even if the hotel no longer requires your finest clothes night after night, something about it seems to deserve them.
The Broadmoor Colorado Springs, CO
The Broadmoor's standing in the celebrity world can be charted by the photos of guests displayed on the walls of the Colorado Springs resort. From Will Rogers, Jack Benny, Arthur Godfrey and Truman Capote in the 1940s and 1950s, the level of fame declines precipitously to present-day actor and economist Ben Stein, travel guru Peter Greenberg and assorted figure skaters.
The Broadmoor's standing in the celebrity world can be charted by the photos of guests displayed on the walls of the Colorado Springs resort. From Will Rogers, Jack Benny, Arthur Godfrey and Truman Capote in the 1940s and 1950s, the level of fame declines precipitously to present-day actor and economist Ben Stein, travel guru Peter Greenberg and assorted figure skaters.
But that's fine with Steve Bartolin, the hotel's CEO. Let the Hollywood types jet to Bali and St. Barts. What the Broadmoor uses to entice today's guests is predictable luxury in an incomparable setting. That may not be as exciting as having famous faces decorating the poolside and paparazzi hiding in the bushes, but it's a better business model. "It's dangerous to be trendy," says Bartolin, who served as the general manager of West Virginia's Greenbrier for four years before moving to the Broadmoor. "Trends come and go, and where does that leave you? We try to appeal to high-end frequent travelers, business groups, honeymooners."
The scenery helps. The ski resort of Vail may have been built in the image of St. Moritz, but no property in the United States evokes Alpine vistas like a stroll around the Broadmoor's centerpiece lake, with Cheyenne Mountain as a backdrop.
But scenery can't make up for lackluster service or amenities. When the current ownership, Oklahoma's Gaylord family, acquired the property from the nonprofit El Pomar Foundation in 1988, the Broadmoor, which originally opened in 1918, was fading fast. "It was teetering," says Bartolin. At the same time, the hospitality industry was just beginning a boom that would make it the largest consumer category in the world. New construction was happening everywhere, rendering many older properties obsolete.
Like the other grande dames that survived, the Broadmoor needed money. The foundation had been limited to how much it could invest, but the Gaylords weren't. They put $280 million into the 400-acre campus (excluding golf courses), beginning with a 90,000-square-foot fitness center that opened in 1995. In 2001, 21 lakeside suites were added. That same year, an infinity pool opened at the north end of the lake, featuring striking purple chaise longues. For a guest sitting there now, gazing out over the west tower toward the mountain, the view is almost too beautiful to be genuine.
Yet the pool also reflects philosophical changes. At the risk of alienating longtime guests, Bartolin decreed that contemporary music—from country-pop to the occasional slash of a rock guitar—be piped in. If you look closely, you'll even see two water slides built into a specially constructed "mountain" to mimic the foothills, another part of the push to turn a celebrity haunt into a family hotel. "You have to be a bit daring," Bartolin says.
In almost every aspect of the Broadmoor, formality has lessened. While the recently redesigned Penrose Room still offers a live band and Rainbow Room-style dancing with dinner, as well as tableside preparations of standards such as Caesar salads, the formal French cuisine of even a few years ago has softened considerably to appeal to a more popular sensibility. "Today's client is more educated, but less sophisticated," says Craig Reed, the food-and-beverage manager. Sommeliers are trained not to just suggest big, expensive Bordeaux, but a range of wines across all price points. "If you want white Zinfandel," Reed says, "you're going to get the same experience." And in a nod to base broadening, a strikingly modern, Adam Tihanyódesigned restaurant called Summit has opened in a newly constructed space across the street from the hotel. It features the kind of food that the Broadmoor's new clientele is accustomed to eating on a nice night out—duck breasts, seared scallops, tuna tartare, a selection of sorbets—as cooked by Bertrand Bouquin. It debuted as perhaps the finest restaurant in the area and has started to lure local diners who may not have set foot on the Broadmoor property in years.
The south building, the dowdiest of the Broadmoor's facilities, reopened in May after a substantial—and pricey—redesign. The facade was replaced and extended outward, creating larger guest rooms, more luxurious bathrooms and balconies. The $24 million or so spent on those 144 rooms pushed the envelope for economic feasability, but the rooms were transformed from the hotel's shabbiest to its best. And a new bank of singular retail stores was set to open June 1: eight boutiques positioned around a courtyard with greenery and wrought-iron benches. These aren't the cookie-cutter Polo shops of other properties, but the likes of Balliet's, which sells high-fashion women's clothes such as Prada and Dolce & Gabbana. Another store will feature clocks, watches and other accessories.
It's all done in an effort to make the Broadmoor distinct from the mega-resorts popping up everywhere—from the shoreline of Laguna Beach, California, to the Las Vegas desert. "We'll always be different because you just couldn't buy up 2,500 acres in the foothills and create a Broadmoor today," Bartolin says. "As long as you keep it up, you really do have a unique property. But you have to nourish it, be creative. The fun part is, you're never done. It's a race without a finish line."
Grand Hotel Mackinac Island, MI
Let other historic hotels keep pace with the Hyatts and Hiltons, Dan Musser says. Let them add spas, plasma televisions and fusion cuisine and allow sports shirts in the lounge. His stately Grand Hotel, blazing white in the Lake Huron sunshine, resolutely soldiers on, staying true to its illustrious past.
Let other historic hotels keep pace with the Hyatts and Hiltons, Dan Musser says. Let them add spas, plasma televisions and fusion cuisine and allow sports shirts in the lounge. His stately Grand Hotel, blazing white in the Lake Huron sunshine, resolutely soldiers on, staying true to its illustrious past.
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Johannesburg -No rallies will be organised by the ANC Youth League ahead of its expelled president Julius Malema's appearance in a Limpopo court, it said on Monday.
The office of acting ANC Youth League president Ronald Lamola said in a statement league members had been warned not to organise rallies - either in support of Malema, or otherwise - under the auspices of the ANCYL.
Malema is scheduled to appear in the Polokwane Regional Court on Friday on a charge of money-laundering.
He was granted bail during his last court appearance on September 26.
"Attendance of the court case by members of the ANC Youth League would be in their individual personal capacities," Lamola's office said.
"The ANC Youth League does not have a case to answer for, hence it cannot be party to the court case process." - Sapa


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Lafeber's Nutri-Berries are made with savory peanuts, hulled canary seed, cracked corn and other tempting ingredients. Your bird will thrive on the stimulation and beak exercise they provide. In fact, 96% of the berries gets eaten, which means it's not just smart nutrition, it's a smart buy, too!
Birds know what's good for them. That's what makes this blend a natural choice. Sunny Orchard Nutri-Berries combine apricots, dates, and tangy cranberries together in berry-shaped pieces birds love.
Please click on "More Information" for feeding schedule, guaranteed analysis, and ingredients.


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Coalition Ready for Afghan Elections, Official Says
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11, 2009 – Nine days before the Afghan national elections, coalition forces are prepared to back up Afghan security forces as necessary to ensure 17 million registered voters have safe access to the polls, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
"Huge expectations and huge consequences are associated with the upcoming election" on Aug. 20, Morrell told reporters. Even President Barack Obama has called the elections "probably the most important event to take place in Afghanistan this year," he noted.
The election, the first the Afghans have organized, run and administered since the 1970s, represents "a significant turning point" for the Afghan people, he said. The United States is taking no position on the 37 candidates on the ballot, but recognizes the importance of a smooth election process.
"It is our wish to see that these elections are as credible, secure and inclusive as possible, that they result in a legitimate outcome, [and] that the Afghan people and the world recognize [them] as the will of the Afghan people," Morrell said.
Toward that end, the coalition is working with Afghan security forces to create a secure election environment.
"Keep in mind, we are dealing with an enemy here that is doing everything in its power to discourage Afghans from executing their constitutional right to head to the polls – through intimidation, through violence," Morrell said. "We are trying to make sure that is minimized, if not eliminated."
The volatile Regional Command South area poses a particular challenge. But even in Helmand province, more polling places than previously thought are expected to be safe enough to open. Afghanistan's independent election commission had expressed concern before the stepped-up coalition presence that too few polling places would be able to open.
"As operations have progressed, the number not safe enough to open [is] shrinking," Morrell said today. "We obviously want to get those numbers as small as possible so that we can have an opportunity for as much access to polling places as possible."
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Genealogy Research Map – Dutch Version 2
The Dutch translation of the Genealogy Research Process map has been updated with some minor changes to make it a better translation. I was contacted months ago by Bob Coret (who helped with the first translation) with some corrections. Because of limited time and many commitments, I was not able to update the map until now.
download PDF (Dutch – version 2) – 1.10 MB
The Genealogisch Onderzoeksproces (Genealogy Research Process) is important to researchers in the Dutch genealogy community and the Standaard voor Genealogisch Bewijs (Genealogical Proof Standard) is being promoted outside the United States. Maybe the Board for Certification of Genealogists should consider working with genealogists in other countries to translate The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual into other languages.


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Craig appears to have rediscovered power stroke
CHICAGO -- After opening the season with a homerless drought that extended 27 games and 110 at-bats, Allen Craig believes some recent tweaks to his approach can help him sustain the power output that has resurfaced over the past few days.
Craig blasted his first home run of the season against the Brewers on Saturday; eight at-bats later, he hit another, a leadoff shot in the second inning on Tuesday.
"Sometimes you just need to do it once so you can get the feeling," Craig said. "I think it took some time to get my timing back. I was hitting some balls hard before, it just wasn't enough."
Craig hit 22 home runs a year ago, averaging one every 21.3 at-bats. He never went more than 10 straight games in 2012 without going deep.
The return of his power stroke coincides with some pointed work that Craig did to get the path of his swing back to where he felt it needed to be. Craig said he has shortened his swing a bit and has discovered that the tweak has put him in a better position to square up on pitches over the middle-inside part of the plate.
Though his home run total lagged early, Craig has not suffered from a lack of overall production. Entering Wednesday's action, he ranked fifth in the National League with 26 RBIs and tied for fifth with 10 doubles. He's batting .412 with runners in scoring position, the seventh-best mark in the NL.
"He's a guy who can hit. We know that," manager Mike Matheny said. "He's a guy who can put together a big at-bat in a big situation. He seems to thrive with guys in scoring position. Those are signs of just a good all-around hitter with a good approach. He doesn't have that long of a track record, but the track record is long enough to show you that the production is going to be there. It was just a matter of not overthinking what was going on."
Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, By Gosh, It's Langosch, and follow her on Twitter @LangoschMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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The market suffered its second day of selling after a big start to the new year, but buyers came in intraday once again and it managed to close fairly well. Breadth actually moved almost even by the time the closing bell rang, as small-caps continue to lead the market.
This morning I discussed how the market is likely to reward stock-picking because there aren't any political or macro headlines moving it around. The fact that there is speculative interest in small-caps is solid evidence that stock-pickers are gaining traction.
Technically, the indices continue to look healthy. There was a big gap-up move and that gain is consolidating nicely. The market hasn't breached the lows hit the first day of the year, and that is key.
Trading in this environment reminds me of the old days, before we were constantly shoved around by central banks, economic reports, Europe and politics. There is appreciation of the individual aspects of stocks, and that makes for good trading if you are a stock-picker.
The Alcoa (AA) report is out and receiving the typical ridiculous coverage. The numbers were in line, the stock is up about $0.08 after hours -- and it doesn't matter one bit. We'll have to wait another week or so for the reports that really matter, but if we continue to focus on stock-picking rather than headlines, we will be in good position to make money.
Have a good evening. I'll see you tomorrow.


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DETROIT - The first thing newly-appointed Detroit Emergency Financial Manager Kevyn Orr is allowed to do when he officially takes office is suspend wages and benefits for all elected officials and the city's chief administration officer. Orr can restore the wages and benefits later if he so desires.
Orr will wade into the city's books, analyze them for fiscal stress and take whatever corrective actions he feels necessary. Among them: amend, approve or disapprove of budgets, pay obligations, contracts, expenditures and loans.
Read more: Kevyn Orr officially named Detroit EFM
He will establish staffing levels, consolidate or eliminate departments and perhaps most controversially he will be able to sell city assets. If he needs more tax revenue he can order millage elections to raise it.
Orr can act as sole agent in collective bargaining with unions. He can initiate legal action to enforce compliance of his program.
Here is what Orr cannot do as EFM:
He cannot raise taxes or sell assets unilaterally. The emergency financial manager needs stat treasury approval to do that.
He also cannot violate Detroit's city charter, a document the state review team said was an impediment to the city's rebound.
Detroit City Council still has legal role
Detroit City Council may not be paid but it does have a legal role. City Council can challenge certain EFM actions. However, in order to do so City Council must propose equal alternatives pretty much dollar-for-dollar. The emergency loan board decides the issues.
Orr says he wants to work with City Council, Mayor Dave Bing and bondholders for one good reason.
"The one thing everybody needs to know if you go into bankruptcy, Chapter 9 of the bankruptcy code is weighted toward municipality. I don't want to pull that cudgel out unless I have to. I prefer to pursue a consensual resolution," Orr said.
Gov. Rick Snyder announced Kevyn Orr as his top candidate for the emergency financial manager position in Detroit on March 14, 2013. A state board approved the recommendation soon after.
Gov. Rick Snyder announced Kevyn Orr as his top candidate for the emergency financial manager position in Detroit on March 14, 2013. A state board approved the recommendation soon after.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Dukkhanirodha wrote:There is a space between the bottom of my flat's door and the ground, so they can get in and out by there. When it has rained a lot, they set out at night looking for a suitable dwelling place, and they visit my appartment.
Spiders come through my apartment by the truck load, the main avenue for them is the space between my front door and the ground. I take a towel, roll it up, and jam it in between the door and the ground. That keeps out most of them.


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The New York Mets may take a second look at Brian Wilson.
New York watched the former San Francisco Giants closer in a private workout Jan. 12 but opted against making him an offer. The club, however, still needs bullpen help and is considering watching the three-time All-Star again this week, GM Sandy Alderson told SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio Sunday.
"It is conceivable we get one or two (relievers)," Alderson said. "We're actually looking to find somebody to pitch at the back-end. We might have to get creative to do so, but there's definitely a possibility that we can upgrade there before the beginning of spring training. … I'm sure Brian is still in our mix, and other clubs as well."
Alderson said Wilson threw only 20 pitches Jan. 12, but that was because he still was in the early stages of his post-Tommy John surgery rehabilitation.
Wilson, 30, was nontendered by the Giants this offseason, making him a free agent. During the 2012 season, he appeared in only two games before having Tommy John surgery. It was the second time he has had the ligament-replacement procedure on his pitching elbow. Wilson is expected to be ready for spring training and fully recovered by opening day.
From 2008 to 2011, Wilson was among the most effective closers in the majors, saving 163 games in that span.
Mets closer Frank Francisco went 1-3 with a 5.53 ERA in 2012, saving 23 games in 26 opportunities, but only five after the All-Star break. He underwent surgery last month to remove a bone spur from his throwing elbow, but he is expected to be ready by opening day. Manager Terry Collins insisted at the winter meetings earlier this month that Francisco would be his closer this season.
But Francisco is scheduled to make $6.5 million in 2013, and there has been speculation he could be a trade target if he proves he's healthy early in the season.
Fantasy Baseball 2013: Find out how to download our Draft Kit


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A VILLAGE'S public lavatory could be converted into a podiatrist clinic.
Chris Rastall and Shelley Rastall owners of The Abbey Mill, Tintern, have put in a planning application to convert and extend the redundant public loo on the main road through the village into a two-and-a-half storey office unit.
Mr Rastall , said: "I bought it two years ago when the council sold it off. We put in a planning application in October, hopefully the plans will be passed.
"We have had an interest from a podiatrist. There are very little health services in rural areas and this could improve the area."
The extension works will involve adding a first floor to the building and a new pitched roof. The plans consist of two offices on the ground floor and a treatment room on the first floor.
They propose one parking space at the front off the main road and three spaces around the back.
The plans also propose solar panels to be fitted.
Monmouthshire County Council planning officers are currently reviewing the application.


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News to Use Podcast Transcript:Jan. 9, 2013
Good day, and welcome to the Fairfax County News to Use podcast for
January 9, 2013. Coming up, learn about the deadline to purchase dog
licenses, upcoming Electric Sunday recycling events, transforming Tysons,
Fairfax Forward and the county's social media channels. Links to topics
mentioned in this podcast can be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.
In Fairfax County, all dogs four months of age or older must be licensed. Licenses are good for one year and must be purchased by Jan. 31. The fee is $10 for all dogs, however, license tags are issued free to the owners of dogs trained and serving as a guide dog for a person who is blind, a hearing dog for a person who is deaf or a service dog for a person who is mobility-impaired. Dog license tags may be purchased by mail, online or in person. For questions, call 703-222-8234, TTY 703-222-7594. Learn more online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dta/dog_licenses.htm.
Fairfax County residents can recycle televisions, computers and peripheral devices – including keyboards, speakers, printers, external drives and other such materials – and unbroken fluorescent light bulbs and tubes at Electric Sundays. There is no charge for Fairfax County residents; however, you may be required to show proof of residency. This year's Electric Sunday events are scheduled monthly through November and the schedule is online. Both January's and February's Electric Sunday events will be held at the I-66 Transfer Station, 4618 West Ox Road, Fairfax on Sunday, Jan. 13, and Sunday, Feb. 24. For additional information, call 703-324-5230, TTY 711.
By 2050, Tysons will be transformed into a walkable, sustainable, urban center that will be home to up to 100,000 residents and 200,000 jobs. Tysons is envisioned to become a 24-hour urban center where people live, work and play; where people are engaged with their surroundings; and, where people want to be. Find useful links and watch a brief video to learn more about transforming Tysons at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/tysons/.
Fairfax Forward is an ongoing effort to develop a new means to review the Comprehensive Plan to replace the Area Plans Review process. Public comment will be accepted through Friday, Jan. 18, on the studies listed on the draft three-year Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program and preliminary scope of work, and new approaches to conducting planning studies. Fairfax County staff will consider comments prior to making final staff recommendations and submit all comments to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors as part of the public record. Find out more online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/fairfaxforward.htm.
Finally, join Fairfax County on Facebook and follow our updates at facebook.com/fairfaxcounty. You can also follow Fairfax County on Twitter for key updates from across county government at twitter.com/fairfaxcounty or text the words and symbol "on @fairfaxcounty" to 40404 – that's "on @fairfaxcounty" to 40404. And for a comprehensive list of news headlines, photos, videos, social media, email newsletters, events and more, visit the Fairfax County NewsWire at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news.
That's all for this News to Use podcast. Thanks for listening. For more information about the topics in this podcast and for continuous news updates, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news. You may also call 703-FAIRFAX, that's 703-324-7329, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. News to Use is produced by the Fairfax County, Virginia, government.


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This zero clearance Majestic fireplace had a broken damper arm that was unable to be fixed because the parts were not available. So it hung open all the time. We plugged the 8" round flue with a 9x9 chimney balloon with a 16" long handle extender.
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