text:
Note: This item is more than eight years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
Print – Plain Text – Permalink
News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, firstname.lastname@example.com, 512-389-8030
Jan. 14, 2009
TPWD Seeks Volunteers to Remove Abandoned Crab Traps
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Hoping to add to the mountain of more than 24,000 derelict crab traps hauled from Texas bays since 2002, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials are gearing up for the 8th Texas Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program, running this year from Feb. 20 to March 1.
During this 10-day period, all Texas bays will be closed to crabbing with crab traps, and any traps left in the bay will be presumed to be abandoned and considered litter under state law, thus allowing volunteers to legally remove any crab traps they find.
Before the 77th Legislature authorized the abandoned crab trap removal program, only the trap's owner or a Texas game warden could legally remove a crab trap. State game wardens pick up more than 2,500 traps annually, yet there are many more still in the water to foul shrimpers' nets, snag fishermen's lines, ghost fish and create an unsightly view of Texas shores.
Volunteers are needed to assist in the coast-wide effort to remove the numerous wire mesh traps that have been lost or abandoned since last year's cleanup.
To facilitate volunteer trap removal efforts this year, TPWD will provide trap drop-off sites at several locations along the coast Saturday, Feb. 21, from 8 a.m. to noon, weather permitting. Additionally, at all sites, dumpsters marked with banners will be available to receive traps for the duration of the closure. Site locations will be announced in February.
Volunteers can work at their own pace during the closure as time and weather permit, but traps cannot be removed prior to Feb. 20 or after March 1. Last year, volunteers, with the aid of numerous sponsors, removed more than 2,800 traps.
"The success of this program is a reflection of the keen sense of stewardship anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts have for the marine resources of this great state. Volunteers are working themselves out of a job, as indicated by the waning number of traps removed each year, but that is a good thing," said Art Morris, TPWD program coordinator.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program, Coastal Conservation Association Texas, Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, and the Cecil M. Hopper Museum are providing significant support to the crab trap removal program. Additional help is coming from numerous organizations and companies who are volunteering their services.
To participate, volunteers can arrange pickup free tarps, gloves, trap hooks and additional information at their local TPWD Coastal Fisheries Field Stations. TPWD requests volunteers record and submit information about the number of traps that they collect as well as any sightings of diamondback terrapins.
For more information about the Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program and how you can volunteer, please contact your local TPWD Coastal Fisheries Office or Art Morris at the Corpus Christi Field Station: (361) 825-3356, firstname.lastname@example.com; or Tonya Wiley at the Dickinson Marine Lab: (281) 534-0131, email@example.com.
Publication — Permission is granted to publish, in whole or in part, any news releases on this page.
Print — A print-friendly version of the news release shows only the release with font sizes set to the browser default.
Plain Text — Plain text versions of TPWD news releases are provided for copying and pasting into editing software.
To copy text into an editing software:
- Click a Plain Text link to display the plain text page in your browser.
- Select all.
- Copy.
- Paste in a document in your editing program.
Permalink — This is a direct link to the news release, omitting the navigation context from the URI.
English/Spanish — News releases posted in both English and Spanish have one of these links.
If you have any suggestions for improving these pages, send an e-mail to email@example.com and mention Plain Text Pages.
(5.4.16 i)


text:
Another Good News/Bad News Report
The number of jobs created in December, 155,000, was very close to consensus expectations. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.8%, revised up from 7.7% in an annual revision process to population estimates. The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for October was revised to up 137,000 from up 138,000, and the change for November was revised to up 161,000 from up 146,000. The best news was in the earnings part of the report.
Specifically, healthcare added 45,000 jobs and food service added 38,000, and bear in mind not all jobs in healthcare are high paying. Construction added 30,000 new jobs while manufacturing added 25,000 workers. Construction appears to have benefited from a post-Sandy rebuilding effort, so it is hard to tease out underlying trends in that sector. Retail, which has added quite a number of new jobs in recent months, shed 11,000 jobs (remember this is seasonally adjusted) in December while all levels of government reduced payrolls by 13,000 people. Other sectors had smaller degree of change....389 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
Already a Subscriber? Please login.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
August 23, 2013
Raising Aces
The RP-Funk All-Stars
Starting pitchers tend to receive most of the attention devoted to pitchers, both in Raising Aces and within the general community of baseball evaluators. Yet some of the most intriguing pitchers in the major leagues hail from the bullpen. Starters tend to adhere to a prototypical build designed for stamina, but relief pitchers come in all shapes and sizes, often earning their roles as a direct result of the perception that they cannot withstand the rigors of a 200-inning season or a seven-inning appearance.
There are a multitude of reasons why a pitcher might be assigned to relief work, including body type, pitch selection, and/or mechanical trends. When it comes to mechanics, a pitcher with a funky delivery can be sent to the pen just as quickly as one whose motion is perceived as dangerous. These attributes can be intertwined, as the same elements that make a delivery look goofy can also present the risk of injury. Other times, a pitcher's mechanical approach is geared toward deception, creating strategic angles that are designed to exploit platoon splits or to exaggerate downhill plane.
At the Sabermetrics, Scouting, and Science of Baseball conference that took place last weekend in Boston, former pitcher Brian Bannister spoke glowingly of the advantages inherent in an eccentric motion. The potential downsides of an unusual delivery are minimized in the bullpen, with lower workloads and short stints acting to minimize the risk of overexposure. So with a nod to Bannister and George Clinton, I present the RP-Funk All-Stars of the 2013 season.
"Hip Hop"
Walden's delivery is pretty normal during the lift phase of his delivery, but just when it looks like he's about to hit foot strike, the right-hander's back foot leaves the ground. The bunny hop acts to extend Walden's stride, but the disruption to his balance is a precursor to inconsistency at release point. He essentially leaps onto the front foot, with all of his weight coming down on the unstable foundation at foot strike, while the back ankle looks like it might snap as it touches down.
Walden also has some flail to his delivery, with heavy flexion and a soft glove side into release point, but the hip-hop stride is trademark funk. One would expect that he would never hit his targets, and a lack of command did define the first several years of Walden's career, but he has been able to harness the leap of faith in his first season with Atlanta. His walk rate is three points lower than his previously established mark of 10.5 percent, yet he has maintained a strikeout rate a tick above his career average.
The fastball has always been Walden's greatest weapon, but his average velocity of 96.3 mph is the low point of a downward-sloping career trend. The diminished velo is paired with a decreasing frequency of heaters, and his recent success could very well be tied to a varied pitch mix that includes more sliders and a career-high rate of 12 percent changeups. Both of his secondary pitches have been much tougher to hit than his fastball this season, and the net result is a career-low rate of walks, hits, and homers allowed.
Paco Rodriguez
"Statue of Liberty"
Pac-Rod has emerged from relative obscurity to become the stingiest arm in the Dodger bullpen, which is made all the more impressive by high-K closer Kenley Jansen. Rodriguez's delivery is exemplified by an unusual arm action in which he holds the ball high above his head as if he's showing it off to the center-field camera prior to triggering the rotational phases of his delivery.
On episode 12 of TINSTAAPP, Paul Sporer observed that Rodriguez keeps the arm in the air like a torch, daring batters to try to read the identity of the incoming pitch, thus bestowing upon him the apt "Statue of Liberty" label. The southpaw taunts batters with his weapon raised before he defies the reliever stereotype with an eclectic pitch mix that includes a modest 90 mph fastball, a devastating slider, an occasional changeup, and an 86-88 mph cutter that he brings to the table at a 35 percent clip.
The second-round pick out of the University of Florida needed fewer than 20 innings in the minors before making an impression on the National League. He shuts down lefties and righties alike, defying the LOOGY label in addition to every other preconceived notion of what a left-handed reliever is supposed to look like. Pac-Rod has allowed just three extra-base hits through 197 opponent plate appearances to date, and he has been equally effective from the windup and out of the stretch. No matter how you slice it, this southpaw has been simply dominant out of the bullpen.
"Underground Sub"
Say hello to Chad Bradford version 2.0, a groundball-inducing machine who submerged himself for years in the waters of the marina at Oakland's Jack London Square. Ziegler has resurfaced as a closer in the Arizona desert, relying on an extreme submarine delivery that he's used to produce a higher rate of grounders than any other pitcher in baseball over the last three years.
Ziegler earns few points for balance in his delivery, with the crouched approach that is a hallmark of pitchers who seek such low release points. Side-arm throwers are relatively common from the left side of the mound, but right-handers are a much rarer breed due to the platoon splits that commonly arise from low arm angles and the lack of a ROOGY role in the typical pen. True to form, Ziegler has allowed an OPS 140 points higher against left-handers this season, but even those bats who've enjoyed a platoon advantage carry the slash line of a glove-first middle infielder (Ziegler has allowed no homers to lefties this season).
Only an RP-Funk All-Star could manage such an impressive stat line on the heels of an 86 mph fastball that is thrown 70 percent of the time, a frequency that includes 95 percent of his initial pitches to right-handed batters. His no. 2 pitch is a changeup that is virtually nonexistent against same-side hitters, and the pitch sequence is also relatively predictable versus left-handers, as Ziegler basically saves el cambio for situations in which he is ahead in the count.
"Hydraulic Lift"
Pitchers with K-to-walk ratios of nearly 4-to-1 don't exactly grow on trees, but this former 40th-round pick managed to toil in obscurity for the past decade. The minor-league veteran with 10 years of professional service benefits from a new dimension of funkadelic pitching mechanics, and his unusual technique stands behind an impressive 2013 performance that is nearly invisible in the context of Milwaukee's lost season.
Kintzler has an extremely odd lift pattern that involves multiple stages. His arms rise in connection with leg lift, and at the height when most pitchers would reach the top of their deliveries, the right-hander invokes a slower, secondary lift of his leg, arms, and glove. It is the hydraulic '64 of leg lifts, and though most pitchers would struggle to simply coordinate such a delivery—let alone repeat it—Kintzler does a remarkable job of maintaining balance and stability throughout his consistent motion. His overall efficiency would earn high marks on the mechanics report card, and the 5'-10" right-hander's high angle of shoulder abduction allows for a taller release point without sacrificing posture, a trait that should please even the Brewers.
Kintzler's stuff is legit, ranging from a sinking fastball at 92-94 mph that keeps the ball on the ground to a sidewinding slider that can make Andrew McCutchen look foolish, in addition to a fading changeup that keeps lefties honest. Kintzler exemplifies the concept of "functional funk," and his leg lift acts to both distract opposing batters and to extend his stride. The end result is a release point that has depth, height, and consistency.
Honorable Mention
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but in the case of Alex Wood, a video might just leave you speechless.
Wood's delivery invokes the chaotic spin cycle of Taz, and yet somehow the southpaw seems to know where his pitches are going, with a shocking ability to paint targets around the strike zone. His motion goes way beyond funk, and the erratic nature of his whirlwind delivery gives the impression that Wood is merely dancing with the devil. He no longer qualifies within the relief pitcher category, having made six consecutive starts for the Braves over the past month, but his 15 appearances out of the bullpen merited an honorable mention. His bizarre mechanics will be a subject of discussion on episode 13 of TINSTAAPP, as Paul drew the assignment for podcast homework this week. Tune in to a BP channel near you to hear all of the gory details.
Doug Thorburn is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @doug_thorburn
2 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
You should also take a look at Jameson Taillon's orbital delivery, where he shows the ball to the hitter as his arm goes all the way around his head, then whiffs him anyway.
Aug 23, 2013 08:12 AM
Nathan Aderhold
Fun stuff.
Aug 31, 2013 21:26 PM
Not a subscriber? Sign up today!


text:
Grace Hotel Pool Pass - Sat, 1/12 - Discounted Rate
Eric Virgil Inc.
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 10:00 PM - Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 3:00 AM
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
Saturday, January 12th, 2013
DIP Aquabar and Lounge inside The Room Mate Grace Hotel
Prepaid Option - Discounted
$15 for Ladies and $20 for Guys
10pm to 3am
Sponsored Vodka Open Bar from 10pm to 11pm
You can chose to pay the pool pass at the Door. Pool Passes at the door are
$20 for ladies, $25 for Men
There are 4 Changing Rooms in the Venue. Please bring a bag to place your coats and personal belongs. We encourage all guests to place all bags and change of clothes at the Coat Check to protect your belongings.
Passes are not refundable. Exchanges are not permitted.
Music: Top 40, Hip Hop, Open Format and House
Everyone must be 21 and over to enter the venue.
The Grace Hotel, located in Times Square, has done a reputable job at staying under the radar. The feature that separates this venue from other NYC hotels and has us boasting is its 22-foot heated indoor pool with a swim-up bar. This isn't a conventional indoor pool for families with kids, however, it's bordered by stadium seating accompanied by tables, which offer the option for bottle service. Where there's a pool, there are bathing suits. If you're not interested in getting wet, you can always sit and watch. However, if you're willing to try something new and get a little wet while at a bar we can guarantee you'll be surrounded by hot men and women. In case you forget your bathing suit, the venue sells disposable suits outside of the pool entrance. However, we did see women get in the pool in their under garments. To go along with the nightlife vibe, there is a projection screen above the swim-up bar which coincides with the live DJ the hotel provides five nights a week. At the swim-up bar, pool inhabitants can see through the bar to the opposite side of the inside bar. However, seeing as though the bar goes through, the bartenders must attend to the inside guests as well as the pool guests. This presents our only complaint. The bartenders fall short of service when it comes to the swim-up bar. You'll find three to four people at a time waiting behind the swim-up bar to have their order taken. Halfway throughout the night the venue supplies the pool with numerous blow up balls. Just when you thought things were getting hot and heavy, venture to the third floor of the indoor pool-room and you'll find showers, a sauna and a steam room. It seems as though this venue thought of it all. The Grace Hotel is in a great location. It has a feature that no other hotel in NYC offers, and we recommend this venue to anyone who is up for a wet and wild experience not easily found in NYC
When & Where
inside The Roommate Grace Hotel
125 West 45th Street
New York,
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 10:00 PM - Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 3:00 AM
Add to my calendar
Eric Virgil Inc.
Eric Virgil Inc. is one of the Leading Events Planners in the New York Tri-State Area. Contract him at 917.664.2686 for major parties or go to www.ericvirgil.com


text:
De'Anthony Thomas had a busy day Wednesday. Living in the gigantic media fishbowl that is Los Angeles, Thomas fielded over 100 phone calls leading up to his press conference. The event itself got moved the day of the announcement from the LA ESPN studios to Crenshaw High School. The time was changed from 5:00pm to 6:00pm. Either way, the Black Mamba was destined to be the last commitment of letter-of-intent day, 2011.
Of course the announcement did not happen at 6:00. Those of us patiently waiting for his words became decidedly less so by 6:45. The Eugene Register Guard's George Schroeder suggested that due to the length of the ceremony, Thomas had just used his redshirt year. Duck Sports Authority's A.J. Jacobson opined that somebody had faked an injury to slow down the pace of the proceedings.
But when De'Anthony Thomas walked up to the podium, he left little doubt the signal he was sending. He wore a Duck hat and an Oregon jacket. Having been committed for months to hometown USC, the announcement was a difficult and important one to Thomas. His voice quivered with emotion as he spoke.
"I see my teammates in here," Thomas began. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for their support. Back-to-back champs you know. I want these underclassmen to take it back one more year for me, keep it three-peat."
He then alluded to his hat and jacket. "You can see that I'll be going to the University of Oregon next year".
At that, the assembled crowd at Crenshaw High School erupted into extended cheers and applause. Watching Thomas you could see him visibly relax at the response from his family, friends and classmates. He took off his Duck jacket to reveal an Oregon 12-0 t-shirt, hugged his coach then went back to the podium and continued.
"It was a hard decision for me. I have got a lot of family members and teammates at the University of Southern California. I just take it as I feel comfortable in Eugene, Oregon. I'm going to be playing running back, it's a great offense for me, and hopefully I'll be successful and get my degree and get my education."
While Duck fans might have had to wait a long time for the announcement, De'Anthony Thomas did not disappoint, with one of the most surprising switches in recent recruiting history. Something that could be viewed as yet another indication of the shift in football power on the west coast.


text:
Liberty Leather Jacket
389,95 €
Product Number 0054814-6638
Color: climbing ivy
- Biker jacket made from super soft Napa leather
- Special treatment along the seams
- Jersey lining in grey
- Metal zip
- Length 50 cm at size 36
- 100% leather
- Relaxed jacket
Model is 181cm / 5'11" and is wearing an UK size 10
- Do not wash
- Do not bleach
- Do not iron
- Do not dry clean
- Do not tumble dry
Shipping costs
Within Germany we will take care of the costs for careful packaging and reliable delivery of goods.
See details about shipping costs abroad
Delivery period
In general, you will receive your order within 1-3 business days.
You may return the goods without giving reasons within 2 weeks by returning the goods.View returns details


text:
The Project
Make it fat, make it precious, make it rough, make it glossy, make it colorful, make it YOUR OWN Moleskine notebook.
myDetour is a creative relay. Five partner bookshops and design stores in Tokyo collected decorated notebooks through special Moleskine drop boxes. The author of the most remarkable notebook, selected by the jury, is invited to the next myDetour city in 2010. A selection of 10 notebooks will be published on the permanent online gallery.
myDetour is a travelling project with previous stops in New York, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Istanbul, San Francisco.
myDetour takes place in most cities together with Detour, the Moleskine notebook exhibition with contributors of international renown, at MoMA Design Store Tokyo 15 oct -4 nov.
Print the myDetour program in MSK format and stick it on your notebook
Where to findYou can find myDetour drop boxes and exhibitions at:
CIBONE, Aoyama
Aoyama Bell Commons B1
2-14-6 Kitaaoyama Minato-Ku
Tokyo 107-0061
Cibone displayed notebooks from New York, decorated by Rejwan Ahmed, Katerina Leznik, Lindsay Podd, Peter Sriployrung, Jasmine Wigandt.
Cosmos Aoyama Garden B2F
5-53-67 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-0001
Aoyama Book Center displayed notebooks from Milan and Rome, decorated by Giulia Cerini, Hanna Baranava, Miguel Garduno, Kyung Sung Hyun, Ryosuke Fukusada, Begum Gazioglu, Hagit Pinkovici, Ivette Alarcon, Kanyapat Seneewong, Sinem Kocayas.
5-6-23 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku
Tokyo 107-0062
Spiral Records displayed notebooks from Paris, decorated by: Veronique Augry, Maarten Averink, cacatie, Marion Bernard, Celine Coyac, Dead Wood, Sarai Delfendahl, Emmanuel Lesgourgues, Ivan Milisic, Lorraine Remise.
NADiff a/p/a/r/t
1F, 1-18-4 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-0013
NADiff a/p/a/r/t displayed notebooks from Berlin, decorated by: Nadine Barnick, Allison Dring, Judith Glaubitz and Maria Heidepriem, Jane Trema, Tomasz Kargol, Yayo Kawamura, Klara Kohler, Jeanne Koulischer, Stephan Markus, Corinna Wittke.
2F, Carrot Tower
4-1-1 Taishidou, Setagaya-ku,
Tokyo 154-0004
TSUTAYA displayed notebooks from Istanbul, decorated by: Beste Miray Doğan, Dilek Öztürk, Kadir Yardımcı, Aslı Aydın-Gaye Başaran.
Press Release
|Press Release (English)
|Press Release (Japanese)


text:
I don't mind how Lance celebrates, I mean it's basketball- the pinnacle of show-off sports. Lance broke his ankles and drained a jumper, hell yeah he can do a shimmy shake.
I was watching the league pass feed from the Boston commentators (I hate LP's constant technical difficulties!) and PJ Carlesimo, who is a Pacer lover, was ticked off at how Vogel kept Lance in the game for so long just to get the triple double. He predicted that the Boston players will remember that and at some point will give him a hard foul in the future. Seems to be too much respect between the coaches and players for that but I agree with the sentiment.
Lance's triple double is kind of empty because it didn't happen in the flow of the game. He was playing against the Boston bench and was chucking everything trying to get that last point. It's just not pure to me. But I can see Vogel's point of view in keeping Lance in because he is a very encouraging coach and really tries to focus on the accomplishments of his players and hopefully this will help Lance's confidence in the future because he definitely has the ability.


text:
Your browser does not support iframes.
District attorney Rex Gore introduced Allison Brown to the South Brunswick Islands Rotarians at the club's meeting Aug. 13.
Brown is a rising sophomore at West Brunswick High School where she participates in honors classes and plans to take Advanced Placement Classes. She has been a member of the basketball, cross country and track teams while maintaining a 4.3 GPA.
Ilario Pantano, Republican nominee for U. S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 7th Congressional District, will be the keynote speaker at the Brunswick County Republican Women's Sept. 2 meeting at the Brunswick GOP headquarters, 971 Old Ocean Highway in Bolivia.
The 5:30 p.m. meeting will be preceded by an informal social at 5 p.m.
The Southwest Brunswick Newcomers Club will celebrate its fifth year as an organization at its first meeting of the club year at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 9, at the Shallotte Presbyterian Church in Shallotte.
Featured guest speaker will be Robb Ellis, meteorologist for WECT-TV6 in Wilmington.
The Leland Area Rotary Club is sponsoring an evening of wine, cheese and mystery from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10 at 101 Stone Chimney Place in Supply.
Tickets are $25 per person and proceeds will be donated to Hope Harbor Home.
This is not a typical dinner mystery where the audience solves some fictional story as played by actors. Instead, this is a real life drama as told in a compelling presentation by prosecutors Ben and Jon David.
The Coastal Carolina Camera Club will feature a presentation on tabletop and still life photography by Michelle Tinger and Irene Dowdy, award-winning members of the club, at its Aug. 19 meeting.
They will share tips on how to make well-presented photographs using simple, inexpensive techniques and materials, which will include a slideshow of sample photographs. The program will also incorporate a demonstration of the materials and techniques involved.
The South Brunswick Islands Rotary Club annually awards a $1,000 scholarship to three West Brunswick High School seniors and one $500 scholarship to a senior member of the WBHS band.
Receiving the three $1,000 scholarships were Hanna Lee Adkins, Megan Campbell and Haley Enzor. The band scholarship was presented to Helene Paul.
This year's recipients, along with their parents and guardians, attended the SBI Rotary meeting and breakfast at Tamers Restaurant on June 18 to receive recognition for their awards and to talk with club members.
Ladies Auxiliary to VFW Post 7288 in Calabash will present a Kids Patriotic Festival from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on May 22 at VFW Post 7288, 900 Carter Drive in Calabash.
Events will include learning stations on the National Anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance and the American flag. Children will also have the opportunity to craft projects (hand-held fans and M&M candy pill bottles) that will be delivered to veterans residing in the Fayetteville VA Medical Center.
Each year, the Brunswick Town Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presents awards to high school seniors who meet the criteria to receive its prestigious Good Citizen Award.
DAR Good Citizen Chair Pat Gooding presented awards to three outstanding students from West, North and South Brunswick high schools at the March 14 DAR meeting at BEMC in Supply.
The April 15 meeting of the Coastal Carolina Camera Club (CCCC) will host a discussion of sports photography with speakers from the Pelicans Baseball team of Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Julie Borshak, director of community relations, will share her expertise in candid sports photography and her experiences in taking candid photos of the Pelicans players. She is an avid baseball fan and is in her third season with the organization.
Brunswick Community College Foundation kicked off its first Women in Philanthropy and Leadership meeting on Thursday, March 4, at Farmstead Golf Club.
Dr. Debbie Conner of Coastal Carolina University was the featured guest speaker. Conner shared her vision and passion for this mission to more than 30 women in attendance.
Women in Philanthropy is an organization dedicated to revolutionizing the way women give by transforming charitable contributions into philanthropic investments in the community.
Copyright © 2017
The Brunswick Beacon is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Brunswick County, North Carolina and surrounding areas.


text:
The following database contains a listing of drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sale
in the United States. Drug information typically includes the drug name, approval status, indication of use, and
clinical trial results.
Review descriptions for our medical therapeutic area list to help
assist in your search.
Bevyxxa (betrixaban); Portola Pharmaceuticals;
For the the prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism, Approved June 2017
Bavencio (avelumab) ; EMD Serono/Pfizer;
For the treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma , Approved March 2017
Baxdela (delafloxacin) tablets and injection; Melinta Therapeutics;
For the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, Approved June 2017
Dupixent (dupilumab); Regeneron Pharmaceuticals;
For the treatment of atopic dermatitis, Approved March 2017
Rhofade (oxymetazoline hydrochloride); Allergan;
For the treatment of facial erythema associated with rosacea, Approved January 2017
Siliq (brodalumab); Valeant Pharmaceuticals;
For the treatment of plaque psoriasis , Approved February 2017
Tremfya (guselkumab); Janssen Biotech;
For the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, Approved July 2017
Parsabiv (etelcalcetide); Amgen;
For the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in adults with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis, Approved February 2017
Qtern (dapagliflozin and saxagliptin) ; AstraZeneca;
For the treatment of inadequately controlled type II diabetes , Approved February 2017
Trulance (plecanatide); Synergy Pharmaceuticals;
For the treatment of adults with chronic idiopathic constipation, Approved January 2017
Symproic (naldemedine); Shionogi;
For the treatment of opioid-induced constipation, Approved March 2017
Xermelo (telotristat ethyl); Lexicon Pharmaceuticals;
For the treatment of carcinoid syndrome diarrhea, Approved February 2017
Haegarda (C1 Esterase Inhibitor Subcutaneous [Human]) ; CSL Behring;
For the routine prophylaxis to prevent Hereditary Angioedema attacks, Approved June 2017
Brineura (cerliponase alfa); BioMarin;
For the treatment of late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 , Approved April 2017
Besponsa (inotuzumab ozogamicin); Pfizer;
For the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Approved August 2017
Endari (L-glutamine oral powder); Emmaus Life Sciences;
For the treatment of sickle cell disease , Approved July 2017
IDHIFA (enasidenib); Celgene;
For the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia with IDH2 mutation , Approved August 2017
Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel); Novartis;
For the treatment of refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia , Approved August 2017
Rebinyn (Coagulation Factor IX (Recombinant), GlycoPEGylated) ; Novo Nordisk;
For the treatment of hemophilia B, Approved June 2017
Rydapt (midostaurin); Novartis;
For the treatment of FLT3 positive acute myeloid leukemia and mastocytosis , Approved April 2017
Vyxeos (daunorubicin and cytarabine) ; Jazz Pharma;
For the treatment of newly-diagnosed therapy-related AML or AML with myelodysplasia-related changes, Approved August 2017
Mavyret (glecaprevir and pibrentasvir) ; AbbVie;
For the treatment of chronic HCV genotype 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, Approved August 2017
Vosevi (sofosbuvir, velpatasvir, and voxilaprevir) ; Gilead;
For the treatment of hepatitis C, Approved July 2017
Ocrevus (ocrelizumab); Genentech;
For the treatment of multiple sclerosis, Approved March 2017
Zerviate (cetirizine ophthalmic solution 0.24%); NicOx;
For the treatment of ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis, Approved May 2017
Benznidazole; Chemo Group;
For the treatment of Chagas disease , Approved August 2017
KedRab [Rabies Immune Globulin (Human)]; Kedrion Biopharma ;
For the post-exposure prophylaxis of rabies infection, Approved August 2017
Vabomere (meropenem and vaborbactam); The Medicines Company;
For the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections , Approved August 2017
Duzallo (lesinurad and allopurinol) ; Ardea Biosciences;
For the treatment of hyperuricemia associated with gout , Approved August 2017
Emflaza (deflazacort); Marathon Pharmaceuticals;
For the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Approved February 2017
Kevzara (sarilumab); Sanofi ;
For the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis, Approved May 2017
Tymlos (abaloparatide) ; Radius Health;
For the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, Approved April 2017
Austedo (deutetrabenazine) ; Teva Pharmaceuticals;
For the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington's disease, Approved April 2017
Gocovri (amantadine) ; Adamas Pharmaceuticals;
For the treatment of Parkinson's disease dyskinesia, Approved August 2017
Ingrezza (valbenazine); Neurocrine Biosciences;
For the treatment of tardive dyskinesia, Approved April 2017
Radicava (edaravone); Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma;
For the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , Approved May 2017
Xadago (safinamide); Newron Pharmaceuticals;
For the treatment of Parkinson's disease, Approved March 2017
Kisqali (ribociclib); Novartis;
For the treatment of breast cancer, Approved March 2017
Zejula (niraparib); Tesaro;
For the treatment of recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer , Approved March 2017
Alunbrig (brigatinib); Ariad Pharmaceuticals;
For the treatment of advanced ALK-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, Approved April 2017
Imfinzi (durvalumab); AstraZeneca;
For the treatment of advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, Approved May 2017
Nerlynx (neratinib); Puma Biotech;
For the treatment of HER2 breast cancer, Approved July 2017
Unless otherwise specified, all medical content is compiled by MSF staff and reviewed for accuracy by a member of our Medical Advisory Board.
The MSF strives to present clear and unbiased information. This site is partially funded through a grant from Bayer Healthcare, LLC.
� Copyright 2000-2009 Multiple Sclerosis Foundation - All Rights Reserved


text:
This job listing has expired! Click here to view the latest ICT / Telecommunications jobs in Nigeria
Cactus Communications is a leading provider of scientific communication services to more than 60,000 clients across 116 countries. We engage a team of highly skilled editors who are experts in various academic fields. CACTUS is honoured to be ranked 15th (after a screening of more than 40,000 companies) on FlexJobs' 2016 list of Top 100 Companies for Remote/Freelance Jobs.
What You Will Do:
What You Need:


text:
On chotchkes and scientific data in oncology
Getting back to the blogging groove after 3 weeks on the road at successive conferences (AUA, ASCO and EHA) is a bit of a shock, so the first post will be short and pithy.
AUA will be remembered for incredibly unsocial and early 6am education session starts. No thanks, with three meetings in a row stamina trumps insanity by a long shot. At ASCO, the Chicago venue is sprawling with long walks between sessions that appear to have no theme or cohesion around them and of course, the Press Room is way out in left field over the walkway no matter where you need to go. The S406 Vista Room was particularly bad and became notorious for the #blisterwalk on Twitter. Never again will I complain about switching between Halls A and F at Orlando, that's a piece of cake by comparison!


text:
The Ferndale Public Library has announced the book they'll be encouraging everyone in Ferndale to read this February through March -- "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut.
As in years past, those who are interested in reading the book can come to the library beginning Feb. 9, or any of the Ferndale Reads events, and get a free copy to keep. This year's kickoff event will be held at Rust Belt Market, 22801 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9.
The details of the kick-off are a mystery but attendees might want to bring their smartphones to document the occasion. Copies of the book will be handed out at the kickoff.
Throughout the month of March, there will be many ways to earn entries in a prize drawing, including being "caught" reading Slaughterhouse-Five around Ferndale, attending a book club discussing the book, attending another Ferndale Reads event, and a few others that will be announced along the way.
This year's keynote speech will feature local Ferndale resident and author Gregory Sumner, a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy.�
At 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, the professor of history will speak about Vonnegut at the Ferndale Public Library,� 222 E. Nine Mile Road. For more information, call 248-546-2504.
His recent publication, "Unstuck in Time," is a journey through Vonnegut's life and work. Sumner will speak about the popularity of "Slaughterhouse-Five" and will sign copies of his book.
At 8 p.m. March 7, March 14, March 21 and March 28, the group "Go Comedy" will perform a show inspired by Slaughterhouse-Five at 261 E. 9 Mile Road in Ferndale. Other events during March are a Science Fiction Book Club at 7:30 p.m. March 13 at Ferndale Public Library and an Emory Book Party at 7:30 p.m. March 21 at 22700 Woodward Ave.
For updates on Ferndale Reads, visit facebook.com/FerndaleReads.


text:
You Should Check Your Name For Unclaimed Property. I'm Getting a Check From the State!
Last Wednesday as I was starting my stay-at-home-dad vacation, I saw a story on KSFY about unclaimed property that the South Dakota State Treasurer is just sitting on.
It's money or property that someone was trying to send to the rightful owners but couldn't locate them so it ends up with the state.
I had heard of this before but I always assumed it was something that happened to rich people who have so much money and property and deals going on that just couldn't keep track of it all.
At the end of the story they gave the website, sdtreasurer.gov, and I wasn't going to bother. I was on my laptop doing some work and stopped. "What the hell?" I thought. I see if my name is in there.
It was! Along with my old address on Sycamore Avenue before I got married.
I did not find a fortune, but I did find that I had $17.75 waiting for me from something called "Cellco Partnership." I Googled it and found out it was actually from Verizon.
I'm guessing, but what probably happened was after I combined my phone with my wife's on one account, having already paid my most recent bill, I had overpaid by $17.75. They tried to send the refund for the rest of the already paid for month to my last address and the forwarding address with the post office had likely expired.
Now at some point in the next few weeks or months I will be getting a check from the state. It's not a small fortune, but I can definitely buy some diapers or groceries with it.
To see if you have unclaimed property, or money, go to the South Dakota Treasurer's website and type in your name.


text:
Every Marvin Window and Door is made to order, one at a time. An unparalleled value in the market, Marvin offers craftsman-quality construction, energy-efficient technology and the industry's most extensive selection of shapes, styles, sizes and options.
Integrity's windows and doors are made with Ultrex® Fiberglass, an innovative material created 20 years ago. For two decades now, Ultrex has outlasted and outperformed the competition on virtually every measurable scale.
Infinity Ultrex fiberglass replacement windows and patio doors are designed to replicate the look of traditional wood windows while providing modern features and low-maintenance, yet long-lasting performance.
Contact us directly and set up your free consultation.
Sliding Patio
Swinging Patio
Planning a project?
When you partner with Marvin on your next project—whether that be a remodel, replacement, new construction, or even the creation of sustainable building—you can be sure you will be getting the guidance and expertise necessary to make any design complete. We invite you to visit our inspiration gallery, research our brands, learn more about architectural styles and explore our wide array of brochures and catalogs.
Need some extra help?
We gathered some helpful resources to help answer your immediate questions and provide solutions. From manuals to maintenance, and installation instructions to energy data, there's a wealth of information right here.
Ultrex fiberglass - a pultruded fiberglass material so strong and durable it is superior to other window materials. Best of all, it makes Infinity products virtually maintenance free.
We gathered some helpful resources to help answer your immediate questions and provide solutions. From manuals to maintenance, and installation instructions to energy data, there's a wealth of information right here.
Call to set up a free consultation.
Product Support for Professionals1-800-346-3363
Support for Marvin Design System and Drawings1-800-472-8895
General Information1-888-537-7828
Trade Shows
Construction Specifications
CAD Drawings
Installation Instructions
See Marvin Case Studies Here
Replacement Parts
Request Information
Inspiration Gallery
Integrity Windows and Doors sets you up for success with a wide selection of products and options, fast, dependable delivery and a dedicated customer support system. As pioneers of the fiberglass window and door category Integrity is revolutionizing the industry. At the heart of it all is Ultrex®, our proprietary pultruded fiberglass construction material. When you want the best windows, start with the best materials. Ultrex pultruded fiberglass outperforms vinyl and aluminum on every measure:
For great-looking windows and doors that are strong, durable, and virtually maintenance free, there's Ultrex and there's everything else.
Learn more about Ultrex
Integrity is your resource for educational materials, AIA courses, housing trends and inspiration.
AIA Page
See Integrity Case Studies Here
The Cleanest Lines. The Boldest Statements. Thin frames maximize glass area to invite in more sunlight. The Marvin Corner Window offers clear sightlines from multiple angles that enhance breathtaking views.
Scenic Doors bring the outdoors in by blending indoor and outdoor living spaces. Marvin offers three beautiful ways to open up a one-of-a-kind view.
Marvin Contemporary Studio products seamlessly connect interior spaces to beautiful landscapes with large glass, narrow frames and clean lines.
Originally developed as a custom solution, 9-foot doors are now available as a standard product. Available in various styles, stunningly large heights, numerous panel configurations and operations.
When shopping for windows, it's important to focus on the four main categories: materials, efficiency, design, and value. For additional help, watch our video series Decide with the Diamond, hosted by Lou Manfredini.
We are always here to help you figure out which window or door is best for you. Find an independent dealer partner near you, and start getting answers to your questions.
Honors the exceptional work of licensed builders, remodelers and architects who use Integrity Windows and Doors.
More and more commercial contractors are turning to Integrity to meet their needs for durable, customizable, low-maintenance Ultrex fiberglass windows and doors.


text:
Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection in Upper Gastrointestinal Canal With HybridKnife
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a relatively new modality for the treatment of superficial gastrointestinal neoplasia and especially in the diagnosis and treatment of submucosal tumors. ESD has become a minimal invasive alternative to surgery but requires a high degree of endoscopic skills to be performed safely, it is time consuming, and less safe than endoscopic mucosa resection.
New endoscopic instruments have been developed to increase the efficacy and safety of ESD, and a combined endoscopic instrument (HybridKnife) has been developed and evaluated with promising results in animal studies. This HybridKnife allows high-pressure water-jet (submucosal) dissection, as well as cutting and coagulation and makes ESD possible without changing instrument.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of using HybridKnife for ESD in humans.
|Endoscopy, Digestive System Esophageal Neoplasms Stomach Neoplasms
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Case-Only
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection in Upper Gastrointestinal Canal With HybridKnife
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 85 Years (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Inclusion Criteria:
- Submucosal tumor (< 4 cm)
- Mucosal tumor (T1) in patients unsuitable for surgery
Exclusion Criteria:
- Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) or CT signs of metastasis
- Insufficient access to tumor
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01185483
|Contact: Michael H. Larsen, M.D.
|0045 29694631
|Odense University Hospital
|Odense, Denmark, 5250
|Contact: Michael H Larsen, M.D. 0045 29694631 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Sub-Investigator: Michael B. Mortensen, M.D., Phd
|Responsible Party:
|Michael Bau Mortensen, Odense University Hospital
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01185483 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|August 17, 2010
|Last Updated:
|September 3, 2010
Keywords provided by Odense University Hospital:
Endoscopic submucosal dissection
Submucosal tumor
Minimal invasive
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Stomach Neoplasms
Esophageal Neoplasms
Gastrointestinal Neoplasms
Digestive System Neoplasms
Neoplasms by Site
Digestive System Diseases
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Stomach Diseases
Head and Neck Neoplasms
Esophageal Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 19, 2017


text:
Chris Mortensen reported on ESPN's NFL Sunday Countdown today that Marvin's agent, Tom Condon, held face-to-face talks with the Colts this past week. Nothing esle to report as of now.
I don't know if anything is going to come of it. We all know Polian's history of waiting until after the season to work on contracts. Still, I see this as a good sign. I'd love to have Marvin re-signed as soon as possible so the Colts can begin to work on Edge and other team free agents.


text:
I Love American Bobtails - Scratched Heart Sleeveless
Product Color:
Product information
The Sleeveless I Love American Bobtails - Scratched Heart is the no-sleeve version of the popular favorite t-shape. Perfect for use in sports where you are bound to sweat and need wide range of movement as well as on hot and sunny days, to avoid those tan-lines across your biceps. Put American Bobtail on the finest combed jersey which feels soothing against your skin.
American Bobtail Sleeveless is available in 10 different color options. Heather Grey: 80% Peruvian Cotton/20% Polyester. Remaining Colors: 100% Peruvian Cotton.
Sku: SL1BL0000016850707070004WHRE00000


text:
Posted 5 years ago
(470 items)
This is a collection of patches were from my Wife's Dad. Nice, old Gulf, Mobile Gas,Trenton Speedway and cute Hamilton Police one this town is beside us here. It's famous for having more horses than people who live in town, this was from 1960s , maybe more people now. Hamilton Ma.


text:
Draw MeRiddles are little poems or phrases that pose a question that needs answering. Riddles frequently rhyme, but this is not a requirement.
I've been drawn by the artists these days, and of old;
Yet I'm seen only when all around me is cold.
For most of the time you just live and ignore me;
Then you gasp for me, stop for me, mutter below me.
You might say, in surprise, I've been taken away,
But it's true I've been with you, at least 'til today.
When I leave you, you leave too!
Who am I?
Everyone draws breath, and it is seen on icy days.
We breathe subconsciously, but might gasp or stop for breath. We mutter "under our breath" at times.
We might say our breath is "taken away" but we have it as long as we live - until we "leave" this world!
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this riddle, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Back to Top


text:
Duke Lupus Registry
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease that can present with many varied symptoms, including joint pain, fevers, kidney disease, and rashes. Lupus can affect anyone, but it is most common in younger women.
The Duke Lupus Registry will collect information and blood samples from patients with lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus or cutaneous lupus) seen in the Duke Rheumatology clinics. The goal of this Registry is to understand how lupus changes over time so that we can improve the treatment of patients with lupus.
|Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Cutaneous Lupus
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Cohort
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Duke Lupus Registry
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|July 2007
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|June 2019 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
The Duke Lupus Registry is a prospective cohort comprised of patients with lupus seen in the Duke Rheumatology clinic.
The Duke Lupus Registry has two main purposes:
- Improved patient care. By following disease activity scores and medication usage, we expect to improve our care of the patients seen in clinic.
- Future research on lupus outcomes. This may encompass a broad array of areas, including but not limited to cardiovascular health, pregnancy and fertility, infections, medication use, quality of life, and depression.
At each office visit, patients will complete a questionnaire, physicians will measure lupus activity, and patients may be asked to provide a small blood sample. Patients will not be required to make extra visits to Duke in order to participate -- all paperwork and blood draws will occur during a regularly scheduled office visit with the physician.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or Cutaneous Lupus
- Patient of a rheumatologist at Duke University Medical Center
Exclusion Criteria:
- Inability to travel to Duke for follow-up visits
- Inability to speak English
- Not able to provide informed consent
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00512694
|Contact: Laura Neil
|(919) 684-8936
|United States, North Carolina
|Duke University Medical Center
|Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27710
|Contact: Martin Tochacek, PhD
|Sub-Investigator: Lisa G. Criscione-Schreiber, MD
|Principal Investigator: Megan E. B. Clowse, MD, MPH
|Principal Investigator:
|Megan E. B. Clowse, MD, MPH
|Duke University
Additional Information:
|Responsible Party:
|Duke University
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00512694 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
8652-07-6R1 ( Other Identifier: Duke legacy protocol number )
|Study First Received:
|August 6, 2007
|Last Updated:
|July 27, 2017
Keywords provided by Duke University:
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Cutaneous Lupus
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic
Connective Tissue Diseases
Autoimmune Diseases
Immune System Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
Capitalizing Change in the Performing Arts
Leaders in the nonprofit performing arts face a rapidly changing environment — in the shape and nature of their communities, the earned and contributed resources that fuel their efforts, and the ways they produce and share their creative work. But they also face the challenge of steering a complex and established organization to respond to that environment. How can arts leaders make durable shifts in complex organizations in the face of rapid change?
A unique partnership between American University's Arts Management Program, the William Penn Foundation, and AEA Consulting will spend the next three years exploring that question in great detail. The partnership comes in the form of a major, three-year, $350,000 research grant from the William Penn Foundation. "Capitalizing Change in the Performing Arts" will offer an extended and intensive view of three leading Philadelphia arts organizations — Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Opera Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania Ballet — as they seek to make durable changes to the way they work in a changing world.
The principal investigator on the project is Andrew Taylor, Assistant Professor of Arts Management, whose research focuses on organizational design and strategy in the nonprofit arts. Professor Taylor and the project team will work in close partnership with cultural manager and international arts consultant Adrian Ellis, Director and Founder of AEA Consulting, and former Executive Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York and the Conran Foundation in London.
"The Arts Management Program is passionate about connecting current and future cultural leaders with the knowledge and insight they need to excel," said Sherburne Laughlin, Director of the Arts Management Program. "This partnership offers an extraordinary opportunity to develop and share essential insights about our field."
The project will include ongoing interviews with organizational leadership and deep dives into organizational reports, data, and program development. The project will conclude with a public report in late 2016.
About the Arts Management Program
The Arts Management Program in American University's College of Arts and Sciences is a leading graduate degree and certificate program in arts and cultural management, with a deep commitment to research, innovation, global partnerships, and professional communities of practice. Since 1974, the program has developed future leaders and engaged current leaders in effective multi-cultural management, policy, and community impact.
About the William Penn Foundation
The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region through efforts that close the achievement gap for low-income children, ensure a sustainable environment, foster creativity that enhances civic life, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region.
About AEA Consulting
Founded in 1990 by Adrian Ellis, AEA Consulting is regarded as one of the world's leading cultural consulting firms, with over two decades of experience assisting clients in the cultural sector internationally, helping them to define, plan and achieve their long-term goals.
Photo credit: Give Me Value by Melissa Dooley / CC BY.


text:
Sunrooms and Patio Covers
Building Permit Requirements
- You must obtain building permits for your project.
- Building plans are required and must be designed under the current building code and local design criteria.
- A site-related plan is required to show the impact of your construction on your property.
- Your project must be inspected to ensure the construction is in accordance with the code and the approved plans.
Learn more in our Sunrooms & Patio Covers publication
More Questions?
For more information, follow the link above, email us or call the Permit Application Center at 703-222-0801, TTY 711.


text:
The Yolo County Health Department is offering a fourth special free flu vaccine clinic on Wednesday, from 4 to 8 p.m., at West Sacramento City Hall, 1110 W. Capitol Ave., West Sacramento.
So far, the predominant flu virus this season is H1N1. This is the H1N1 virus that emerged during the 2009 pandemic.
Seasonal flu is responsible for severe illness and death every year, but the H1N1 virus disproportionately affects younger adults, children, people with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women.
To date this season, five Yolo County residents under the age of 65 have been admitted to an intensive care unit as a result of the flu.
Additionally, in 2009, H1N1 did not follow the traditional flu season months of November through March, according to Yolo County health officials. While it is too early to determine how long the flu season will last, there is still time for those who have not gotten their flu vaccine to do so through their health care provider, pharmacy or through the Yolo County Health Department.
All forms of the flu vaccine this season are designed to protect against H1N1. Flu vaccine is available for individuals 6 months and older. No needle is necessary for eligible individuals ages 2 to 49 years who qualify for Flu Mist.
Besides the special free flu vaccine clinics, the Health Department also provides in-house seasonal flu vaccinations during its regularly scheduled Monday immunization clinics. All vaccines offered during these clinics are $10, unless otherwise noted. Those unable to pay will not be turned away. No appointment is necessary; community members are seen on a first come, first served basis. With the exception of holidays, regularly scheduled immunization clinics are held from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the month at 500B Jefferson Boulevard in West Sacramento and on the second, third and fourth Mondays of the month at 137 N. Cottonwood St., Woodland. The next immunization clinic will be held on Monday, Feb. 3, at the West Sacramento facility. "The special free flu vaccine clinic in Woodland this past weekend was a huge success with 79 volunteers assisting in providing flu vaccine to over 400 residents," said Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Constance Caldwell. "If you haven't received the flu vaccine this year, I urge you to do so. By getting vaccinated, you will not only be protecting yourself, you will also be protecting vulnerable individuals around you."


text:
Leeds coach Brian McDermott is happy for his team to take on the role of front-runners in the Super League title race as they prepare to host reigning champions Wigan but warns they will almost certainly have a "blip" at some stage this year.
The Rhinos were outside the top six at this time of the season in both 2011 and 2012 before going on to make history by becoming the first team to win the Grand Final from fifth spot.
This time Leeds are going strong in both league and cup but McDermott saw from St Helens' recent mini slump how fortunes can suddenly change and is not getting carried away by his side's impressive form in the first half of the campaign.
"If we are very fortunate enough to win the league this year and end up doing it leading from the front, that would be something I've never experienced before," McDermott said. "It would be a weird way of doing it but that's what we'd like to do.
"At the the moment, we're top of the tree but we're not celebrating that. That position can leave us at any time - we're not five or six points clear of anybody.
"I am sure we will have a blip this year and we'll plan accordingly. If we can go through the season without having one it will be nice but, in reality, it will come, w hether that's forced by injury or by the nature of the intensity of the games.
"When you're up front, everybody tries to knock you off and nobody likes Leeds anyway, do they? We have a fair few derbies at Leeds- every time we play Hull, Castleford, Bradford, Wakefield, they're all derbies - and then we've got the big games against Wigan and Warrington anyway."
The visit of Wigan to Headingley on Friday night is shaping as the biggest match of the season so far.
Shaun Wane's man took the trophy from Leeds at the end of last season and have won their last six matches to close to within three points of their rivals with a game in hand.
Wane admits he was impressed by the Rhinos' 32-12 Challenge Cup win over St Helens last Saturday but knows his team traditionally thrive on the heady atmosphere of a Roses match at Headingley.
"They're the team to beat," Wane said. "I thought what they did against St Helens was perfect. They were very energetic. They are a very good team, with good edges and obviously they've got Jamie Peacock playing out of his skin.
"They've got some great players and when you start naming them it's quite scary but we can play as well.
"It's one of the best atmospheres you can find, is Headingley, and we always seem to play well there. We admire what Leeds do but they do have deficiencies and we're hoping to find them out."
An obvious deficiency for the Yorkshiremen is the absence of a recognised hooker, with Paul Aiton sidelined with a virus and Rob Burrow having undergone surgery on the collarbone he broke in Saturday's Challenge Cup win over St Helens.
"It was a clean break and he was having it plated," McDermott said. "The medical people are saying it's a three-month injury but I'm hoping it will be nearer two.
"We'll miss Rob, who has been brilliant for us this year. We'll have to plan accordingly and come up with something."
McDermott has not ruled signing a replacement or promoting Robbie Ward from the club's Under-19s team but more immediately he is set to switch skipper Kevin Sinfield to the dummy-half role, with Liam Sutcliffe and Stevie Ward helping fill the playmaking void.
"That's the probably most obvious option but there's a few different things we might do," McDermott said.


text:
Noticed three new discs in PDGA approved list yesterday.
DMI Sports Assault, Sabotage and Vendetta. From numbers they all seem like low profile putters. Sabotage has the widest rim 1,2cm (same as Dart) and others 1,1cm.
Anyone know anything about these?
Actually their height is higher than Jokeri but rim depth is less. I guess they'll be somewhat domey (similar to Dart maybe).


text:
The Law Students for Reproductive Justice is a student-led, student-driven national non-profit network of law students, professors and lawyers committed to fostering the next wave of legal experts for the reproductive justice movement. We advocate for greater equality among the sexes and hope to increase awareness of laws and judicial opinions that affect an individual's reproductive rights.
Law Students for Reproductive Justice (LSRJ)
Organization Contact
Kayleigh De la Cruz


text:
Havana Restaurants
From local dishes to modern international cuisine, the dining scene is varied and interesting
(continued from page 4)
The climb up three flights of a dimly lit, crumbling marble staircase doesn't do anything to quiet the little voice inside you saying, "Why are you doing this? Where are you going?" Along the way, there is usually at least one young child begging for a few coins, and down the hallways at each landing of the decrepit old building, someone sticks their head out a door to an apartment. But the climb is worth it; at the top of the stairs waits La Guarida, the best restaurant in Havana. And, the passage through a rundown, sketchy apartment building to find a gem says everything you need to know about dining in Havana: even if it doesn't seem possible, everything is possible in Cuba.
Enrique Nuñez del Valle, the proprietor, smiles hopefully when asked how things are going now. "It's coming along. We're doing a good business." From the people waiting in the foyer, to the filled tables in the jumbled warren of rooms around the small kitchen, he's telling the truth. But he is still trying to get back to the level of service the restaurant had before it closed in 2009, partly due to crushing government rules. With those rules relaxed, he reopened late last year, and has been forging ahead ever since.
The restaurant scene in Havana is more exciting today than at any time in the last 20 years. Those new government rules—which allow a variety of private businesses including restaurants to now hire and fire employees and legally expand the number of seats—have thrown a new wrinkle into the quest to find and judge the dining scene in Havana. The new places are opening so rapidly that it's hard to keep track of them, but perhaps more importantly, in some cases, they are being opened by former workers from the government's top restaurants.
Those defections will affect quality and service in some old standards, so be aware of that phenomenon. And if those employees can't start their own restaurant, many veteran waiters and chefs are seeking employment at the private restaurants, or paladars, as they are known in Havana.
During a weeklong trip in early May, David Savona and I ate at as many restaurants as we could manage in six days and seven nights. We sampled a couple of old favorites, made sure to visit some of the most well-known and older paladars, and tried to hit as many of the new places that are getting rave reviews from the local expatriot crowd, which is always on the lookout for good places to eat. We also ate at some of the places reviewed in this story on our trip in December.
One of the most frustrating things about dining in Havana is the lack of any clearinghouse of information, no Zagat's guide to Havana restaurants. You have to rely on word-of-mouth, or on a hotel concierge. With the latter, there's no guarantee that he will have any firsthand information; his reports are likely gleaned from tourists who have visited the establishments. While we were there, I had at least three conversations where someone said, "Oh, you have to try this new restaurant, or that new place." Often, the next person hadn't even heard of the new place. Therefore, anyone using this guide should reconfirm our choices, and be on the lookout for new places. We ate at three restaurants that had not even been open on our visit in December.
Undoubtedly, there will be new restaurants opening in the course of 2011, and some of them may be quite good. So it pays to ask around.
Of course, there is always the exception to the rule: the papaya lasagna at La Guarida is worthy of any top restaurant in any city in the world, and you can tell from the name that it is not your usual dish. Shrimp in malanga batter at Hurón Azul was top-notch. And a one-time menu item at Cocina de Lilliam, a cazuela of corn, was outstanding. Sometimes it is also worth asking if there is anything "off the menu." That can produce exotic offerings such as sea turtle or venison, so it is worth asking about. But the safest bet is to stick with the basics, and you won't go wrong very often.
Wine lists are pedestrian and predictable, with only a couple of exceptions: El Aljibe and Club Habana, which has a smaller list but with some interesting and unusual choices. Most lists have a pretty complete roster of Spanish producers: Marques de Riscal, Marques de Caceres and Torres, with an eclectic smattering of Argentine and Chilean labels. The prices for the standard wines are pretty uniform, ranging between $25 and $50. Once you get into higher end wines at El Aljibe, figure that the sky is pretty much the limit. As an example, a bottle of 1997 Sassicaia costs 1,400 cuc (about $1,600). I recommend to drink simple and drink young; storage is problematic (less so at El Aljibe, which takes good care of its wines), so unless you are certain of the cellar, any wine with age is probably not going to be in peak condition.
As for cigars? This is Havana. Your cigar is welcome at virtually every table.
We have chosen a group of restaurants as Editors' Choices; they were our favorites. There is also a group which we ate at that are simply good restaurants, and worth a visit for convenience and overall experience. And finally, we'll give you a list of popular restaurants that others have recommended, and hopefully, next time we'll get a chance to try them out too.
Editors' ChoicesLa Guarida
Concordia No. 418, entre Gervasio y Escobar
Centro Habana
Tel: (537) 866-9047
This has been—with a brief intermission during its closure in 2009—Havana's best restaurant for many years. It was one of the city's first paladars and continues to attract a very well-heeled international business and diplomatic crowd. The wine list is still being rebuilt, so expect little more than the standard labels for now. Fish and chicken are outstanding here, and the papaya lasagna is worth a detour. One table has a view out over Havana, but the other rooms are quaint and the tables close together. This is a must-stop.
La Terraza
Prado 309, esquina Virtudes
La Habana Vieja
Tel: (537) 862-3626
Prado 309, esquina Virtudes
La Habana Vieja
Tel: (537) 862-3626
There are three restaurants in this building, which is owned by the Spanish society, the Sociedad Cultural Asturiana. The terrace on the top floor houses La Terraza, and the stoves are currently manned by chef Jorge Falco Ochoa, a master griller. Try the grilled octopus with pesto and grilled potatoes, or the warm octopus salad.
He also often serves up an entire leg of lamb off the grill. The covered rooftop terrace is spectacular, with great views. Just inside is an air conditioned room. This is a nice hybrid between a paladar and government restaurant because of the connection to the Sociedad. You can often see dance classes just outside the more casual restaurant on the ground level, and the second floor frequently has music from its stage overlooking the tables.
La Moraleja
Calle 25, No. 454, entre J y I
Tel: (537) 832-0963
Calle 25, No. 454, entre J y I
Tel: (537) 832-0963
A long walkway of brick, stone and wood brings you to this wonderful and relatively new restaurant—it had been open only a few months when I lunched there. Started by Olgadia and Jorge Luis Añel, it is very close to the Habana Libre. I had the ceviche exotico, flavored with olive oil, lime and pepper.
The Camarones Hemingway (shrimp), served in an earthenware bowl, were a little sweet from the anise and garlic flavoring, but nevertheless delicate and delicious. There is a nice wine list with very attentive service. At night, meals are served in the courtyard and along the walkway. Convenient to the Habana Libre Hotel.
Doctor Café
Calle 28, No. 111, entre Av. 1 y 3
Tel: (537) 203-4718
Calle 28, No. 111, entre Av. 1 y 3
Tel: (537) 203-4718
Doctor Café is tucked away behind a house out in the Miramar section, and people simply point and say, "it's around back." One of the older and more successful paladars in Havana, this is not a big restaurant, although I would guess it will expand under the new rules for paladars, which now allow up to 50 seats. Juan Carlos Doce oversees the dining room, and is quick to offer any daily specials that may not be on the menu.
Try the delicious appetizer of shredded crab enchilado with tomato sauce and peppers. The menu for lunch that day included conch grilled with olive oil, onions and garlic, and it tasted like cèpe mushrooms from the sea. This is another great place to keep on your dining agenda in Havana.
Hurón Azul
Calzada de Infanta (Humbolt 153 y Calle P)
Tel: (537) 879-1691
Calzada de Infanta (Humbolt 153 y Calle P)
Tel: (537) 879-1691
This paladar run by Jose "Pepe" Hernandez, which is right behind the Habana Libre Hotel, is a hidden gem, and in fact, had some of the best food we ate all week. Try the shrimp in malanga batter; malanga is a Cuban root vegetable that many restaurants serve as deep-fried croquettes. The deep-fried shrimp with the batter is a perfect combo. Octopus with onions and olives, shredded crab with polenta in a tomato sauce and a casserole of rabbit were all nearly perfect.
For the main courses, a beef filet with a chocolate and Roquefort sauce was brilliant, if a little heavy for my taste. Shrimp in a ginger sauce was delicious and the chicken in a honey lemon sauce was also very tasty. The wine list is decent, and if you have a small group (up to about eight people can fit comfortably), ask to dine in the private room. A real treat—and not on everyone's radar yet.
Good ChoicesCafé Laurent
Calle M, entre 19 y 21, Penthouse 257
Tel: (537) 832-6890
Started by former employees of the outstanding government restaurant El Templete, Café Laurent is one of the best seafood outposts in the city. It sits atop a small apartment building within walking distance of the Hotel Nacional, and the view from the terrace extends up and down the Malecón. The seafood focus is evident in such excellent dishes as the squid in ink sauce that was spot on.
However, this restaurant was still finding its way when we were there; expect it to get better. For now, the wine list is minimal, even lacking some of the normal go-to Spanish wines, and a couple of main courses were spotty on the night we were there. But the setting more than makes up for any hiccups now.
El Aljibe
Av. 7 y Calle 24
Tel: (537) 204-4233
Av. 7 y Calle 24
Tel: (537) 204-4233
Not a place for haute cuisine, El Aljibe is nevertheless one of Cigar Aficionado's favorites, a traditional first stop on our visits to Havana. This is a place to eat roast chicken. There are other entrées on the menu, but frankly, we've never tried them. The black beans, French fries and rice are all great. And, if you're in need of a good bottle of wine, this is one of the largest wine cellars in Havana, maintained at proper cellar temperature.
You can ask Inti Alvarez for a tour, but it's quite likely that when you ask for a bottle of wine, he'll say, "Follow me," and take you into the cellar to pick your bottle. The better wines are expensive, but you can drink good Spanish Albariños or Chilean Chardonnays for around 40 cuc. But the cost of dinner is minimal: 12 cuc, or about $15 for the chicken. A large thatched roof covers the open dining area, which is a big expanse of tile floors with wood posts. Plus, there's a cigar shop just outside the main entrance.
La Cocina de Lilliam
Calle 48 1311, entre 13 y 15
Tel: (537) 209-6514
Calle 48 1311, entre 13 y 15
Tel: (537) 209-6514
One of the prettiest, and older, paladars in Havana, this is a quaint restaurant in a residential area of Miramar that is run by Lilliam Dominguez. The tables are set up under a trellis covered with tropical plants, and the entire garden bursts with colorful tropical flowers. The food is quite simple, but a couple of dishes stand out. Without debate, it produces the best malanga fritas in Havana. Try them. On one visit we also had a corn casserole that was excellent. The shrimp is also as good as anywhere in Havana. There is often a guitarist. The main drawback is that it is a little out of the way; I'd recommend hiring your taxi by the hour and have it wait. Service can be slow.
La Fontana
Calle 46, esquina Av. 3
Tel: (537) 202-8337
Calle 46, esquina Av. 3
Tel: (537) 202-8337
Comments4 comment(s)
Kevin Shah Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, February 21, 2012 11:48pm ET
I've been to La Guarida, and totally agree with the entire first paragraph!
PAUL WALLACE April 2, 2015 1:19pm ET
where is the best "Cuban" sandwich in Havana?
David Savona April 2, 2015 1:33pm ET
I haven't had a great Cuban sandwich in Havana. They pale in comparison to those I get in Miami or Union City, NJ. But for those of you reading this article from 2011 now, I suggest you look for our May/June issue (coming to newsstands 4/21) which has a completely updated guide to Cuba, including the dining scene in Havana.
Stephen Fannon Marlton, New Jersey, USA, March 5, 2017 11:03am ET
We just returned from Havana and ate in as many restaurants as possible and La Guardia was by far our favorite. The food, the building it was in, the seating (outdoor area overlooking the city), the food and service were top notch. And the cost of full dinners with drinks and tip (10%) are amazing low - this was our highest bill which was $177.00 cuc's for four people with cocktails, appetizers, dinner, bottle of wine, dessert and coffee with tip! The rest were about $100.00 or less.
Log in if you're already registered.
Or register for Cigar Aficionado today—it's free.
Registration allows you to:
Keep track of your favorite cigars in your personal humidor.
Comment on all our stories.
Ratings & Reviews
Search our database of more than 17,000 cigar tasting notes by score, brand, country, size, price range, year, wrapper and more, plus add your favorites to your Personal Humidor.


text:
Pirates' roster due for a trim this weekend
BRADENTON, Fla. -- The next visitor in the Pirates' Spring Training camp will be the Grim Reaper -- as old-timers referred to the annual rite of cutting players. Before the weekend is out, possibly two sets of trims will reduce the 49 players still in big-league camp.
That number includes 21 pitchers, including five non-roster invitees, several of whom could be reassigned and/or released even prior to Friday afternoon's game against the Rays.
If the tentative lineup for that game is any indication, moves affecting position players could soon follow. Whether by coincidence or by design, that lineup is comprised almost exclusively of players on the bubble:
Alex Presley CF; Jose Tabata LF; Felix Pie RF; Brandon Inge 2B; Brad Hawpe 1B; Josh Harrison 3B; Michael McKenry C; Ivan De Jesus SS; Jeanmar Gomez P.
Of interest, Inge and Hawpe both can opt out of their Minor League deals on Tuesday if not placed on the 40-man Major League roster. Left-hander Jonathan Sanchez,who started Thursday night's game against the Orioles, gets to make the same decision this Sunday.
After this weekend, the Bucs will have only six games remaining in Florida. They will break camp and head north next Thursday.
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. He can also be found on Twitter @Tom_Singer. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
It all began with a dog called "Bones."
One of the many street dogs scavenging around the streets and beaches of Nicaragua, Bones caught the eye of Blake Andrews. The Manhattan Beach man was there on a business trip for Toms Shoes, a company that matches every pair of shoes sold with a pair of new shoes for a child in need.
While the human need was evident, Andrews also noticed something else - stray dogs everywhere.
"There were hundreds of dogs walking around," he said.
At the end of his trip, he visited a surf camp for a little relaxation before heading home.
That's where he spotted Bones, a dog locals said had been hanging around for years. As his nickname implied, Bones' standout feature was his very visible rib cage.
Andrews called his wife, Tricia, and said, "I think I have an idea."
The couple had been talking about a way to use the model of Toms to launch a new charitable venture. Tricia had read Toms founder Blake Mycoskie's book "Start Something That Matters" and felt especially inspired to turn her love of dogs into a charitable cause.
So this past summer, Givebones was born.
"We decided we needed to do something and dogs don't have the opportunity to speak for themselves," said Tricia, a North Dakota native who formerly worked in advertising. She now devotes her full-time energies to Givebones, working out of the couple's Manhattan Beach home.
Here's how it works:
Givebones manufactures and sells a line of brightly colored, signature nylon dog collars for $14.99 each, sending 10 percent of every sale to the spcaLA and several other animal shelters that have agreed to partner with the new business.
"Our goal is to be national," said Tricia, noting that they have so far signed up with shelters in Texas, North Dakota and Colorado but are still looking for partners in the eastern part of the country.
With the motto, "Buy a collar, save a dog," Give-
bones is being marketed as a movement as much as it is a business.
Givebones also exists to raise awareness for the plight of shelter dogs, urging followers to also donate directly to those facilities.
While the Givebones line could expand later (leashes are next on the list with items such as harnesses and possibly leather collars), the company currently sells large, medium and small collars in black, royal blue, red, turquoise, fluorescent pink and neon orange.
Each one includes a silicone gel "givebones" logo tag plated onto the collar. Owners also can buy their own matching silicone
"givebones" bracelets to wear (two wristbands sell for $4.99).
Some of their first sketched designs were "awful," the couple acknowledged. "We're not artists," Tricia said.
When some research determined that 60 percent of the collars sold are plain nylon styles, they decided they didn't need anything fancy or elaborate.
"We decided to go with something simple," Blake said.
They've sold about 300 collars so far since the company's official launch in June. Tricia was her own first customer - buying a collar for the couple's rescue dog, Sadie.
The collars are only available online (the website just went live Nov. 15) and through the spcaLA, but Tricia is hoping also to find a presence in retail boutique pet stores.
"We think this is something that is very sustainable once people get on board," Blake said.
Follow Donna Littlejohn on Twitter at http://twitter.com/donnalittlejohn
Want to help?
What: Givebones, a new charitable company launched by Blake and Tricia Andrews of Manhattan Beach
Information: Ten percent of each dog collar sold (for $14.99) goes to the spcaLA and other partner animal shelters. The website is www.givebones.com, and a company page can be found on Facebook.


text:
Golf Getaways
Luxurious homes, spectacular spas and the privileges of a private sanctuary add spice to golf vacations
(continued from page 4)
Golf is by its nature a retreat from the everyday routine, from carpeted hallways to grassy byways, from the confining desk to the expansive links. Golf is doing something for a few hours on the opposite side of the psyche. A golf retreat is being on the opposite side for days, even weeks. Hundreds of resorts around the United States, from Florida to California, Michigan to Texas, have lush courses and posh hotels. It's all very nice, very elegant, very away from it all.
But is it enough? For those with means and imagination, there are retreats that embrace the most elegant and refined leisure lifestyle, places that are for the few and select. They are for those who have amassed wealth, and are not for the masses. There are a number of retreats that stand head and shoulders above the rest. They have names like the Santa Lucia Preserve, The Promontory and Lajitas. They have grand golf courses by architects like Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio and Pete Dye. Beyond the golf courses, there are lakes for fishing and boating, equestrian centers, spas, tennis courts and shooting centers. In essence, they are the perfect escapes.
The Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel, California
The Monterey Peninsula of California has for a century been one of the world's most desirable places for vacations, second homes and dreamy sunsets. The Lodge at Pebble Beach and its Pebble Beach Golf Links, legendary in the American game, hug the Pacific Ocean on the southern part of the peninsula. The artsy town of Carmel, with enough galleries to fill a major museum, has been a sanctuary to the privileged.
Just a few minutes' drive inland from the sea sits a vast property known as the Santa Lucia Preserve, an area encompassing 20,000 acres (some 31 square miles). When real estate executive Tom Gray came to look at the land in 1989 and saw its rolling hills, lush meadows, streams, redwood groves and ancient oaks dripping with lace lichen, he knew he had to have it.
"There is the old adage about real estate—location, location, location," says Gray. "Being near the ocean, Carmel, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Big Sur, what better location could you have? Plus the scale of the place, this amazing 20,000 acres, was all together."
Gray had been into California real estate for years as a partner in the Pacific Union Co., which had many diverse holdings. But this was a unique opportunity, one not to be squandered. "You are always told not to fall in love with your real estate," says Gray. "But when you come to this place, it's pretty difficult not to."
For $70 million, Gray obtained one of the finest pieces of land in the United States and certainly one of the most spectacular. From the outset he knew that land use issues would be paramount in being able to develop the property and sell real estate. What had long been a ranch would now become a development. Preservationists and environmentalists were continually asking developers to tread softly on the land, disturb as little as possible and maintain as much as possible in a pristine state. And that's what Gray and his partners set out to do, tread softly on the land as they stepped lightly through the mine fields of the permit process. It took four years.
Now, the Santa Lucia Preserve might be the ultimate development, because it doesn't seem like a development at all. Only 2,000 acres, one tenth of the total land, will be developed. A conservancy was funded with $25 million to maintain the rest of the land in perpetuity. Only 300 homesites were designated and 230 of them, at an average of 20 acres, have already been sold for prices starting at $1 million. They were sold in less than a year and a half.
"We've been fortunate to be part of an incredible real estate market," says Gray. "We have given people a chance to be part of an irreplaceable, timeless community. We have given them a chance to be part of history and to create something that will be a cherished family heirloom. More than 100 years from now, there will be members of the same families who will look around here and say, 'What an incredible place this is.' "
Golf had to be part of this landscape. The course by architect Tom Fazio takes up 354 acres that flow seamlessly through the immense habitat. It takes advantage of streams, trees and elevation changes, all the elements necessary for a world-class golf course. "It really is a mind-boggling piece of property," says Fazio. "You just seem to have the world to yourself here."
From the opening tee shot to the perfectly framed fairway and green below, through the meadows and along the shoulders of the muscular, wooded hills, the course is both a test of golf and a journey. With all sorts of bird life and deer, the course is more like a game preserve with some patches of grass mowed very short with a hole in the middle of them.
"The kind of people who want to be part of this are the kind of people who like to play golf," says Gray. "We did a market study that determined that 30 percent of the people who might want to buy here wouldn't do so without a golf course. We made sure that the course had as little [environmental] impact as possible, while having Tom create for us a really special course."
There are 300 golf memberships selling for $150,000 each; home ownership is not a prerequisite for membership. There is also the Ranch Club, which revolves around the old hacienda on the property and includes equestrian and swimming facilities, and more than 100 miles of trails.
"My passion," says Gray, "is to keep this land in its natural state. So many of the great ranches of California were broken up piecemeal with no respect to the landscape and that leads to the deterioration of the land. It's our goal here not to let that happen."
From his first sighting of the land in 1989 to the successful completion of a land plan that allowed development to begin in 1998, Gray knew he was dealing with a special place. "Something like this could be viewed as a giant act of stupidity, but when it's successful it's a leap of faith," says Gray.
Lajitas, Texas
Lajitas calls itself the ultimate hideout. It is certainly "out" there, more than 200 miles from the closest town. It's far away from the country's urban centers yet close enough to be accessed comfortably by private jet, which is why Lajitas has its own airport.
When you are in far west Texas, in the Big Bend area of the Rio Grande River, and you are trying to attract a clientele used to convenience and elegance, an airport is more than just an amenity. And for those without a private plane, Lajitas offers a fleet of jets that will transport you from several Texas airports.
Lajitas was an old family resort town that was put out to auction in 2000, all 25,000 acres of it. Excel Communications multimillionaire Stephen Smith bought this arid expanse for $4.25 million and then poured in about another $50 million to transform the area into an upscale resort and second-home retreat. The old resort hotel was completely redone to five-star standards; well-known chef Jeff Blank, renowned for his Texas Hill Country cuisine, was brought it to modernize and energize the menu; a spa was added; and a hunt club and bird sanctuary were created. The airport will include a community for fliers who will have their own hangars. About 400 homesites have been designated. About 80 percent of the 25,000 acres will remain as part of the wild, wild West.
Golf has played a central role in Lajitas's transformation. The Ambush Course by Roy Bechtol and Randy Russell is an oasis in the middle of a starkly beautiful desert landscape. Lajitas is set between the mountain ridges of Big Bend National Park and Big Bend State Park, and borders Mexico at the Rio Grande. Bechtol and Russell even built an international par 3 as a 19th hole: No. 11A is a 99-yard shot across the Rio Grande; players hit only the tee shot for a chance at a hole in one. The course has been critically acclaimed, not only for its design but also for its use of bent grass instead of the more traditional Bermuda grass used in hot climates.
The Ambush Course is open to resort guests, though members get preferential tee times. A second course is under construction and will be for members only. Golf membership stands at $50,000.
"This is not meant to be a place that's filled with people," says president and managing director Daniel Hostettler. "This place is very remote and by its nature it will never become a huge destination. That's the whole idea. We want people who really want to get away from it all, and that goes for aircraft owners especially. We give them very rich amenities when they get here. We have wonderful golf courses, great dining. But Lajitas is really about just being here in a completely casual, unhurried place."
Briar's Creek, near Charleston, South Carolina
If Lajitas is at the far end of the road, Briar's Creek couldn't be more convenient, yet still hold a certain mystique of remoteness. Briar's Creek is on John's Island, 25 minutes from the lively heart of downtown Charleston and 10 minutes from an airport for private planes. You can get there efficiently, and disappear in a heartbeat.
Briar's Creek, at 915 acres, isn't nearly as vast as the Santa Lucia Preserve and Lajitas. Golf is the central focus here. The Rees Jonesñdesigned course was voted best new private course in 2002 by Golf Digest magazine and sprawls over 300 acres.
On the other side of the namesake creek that borders the property to the south is Kiawah Island, famous for its Ocean Course and other inviting links. When Briar's Creek developer Steve Koenig set about doing a deal for the land in South Carolina, he had in mind those people on Kiawah Island who coveted just a little more privacy. "I wanted something that would take advantage of the people who had invested in Kiawah," says Koenig. "They have wonderful courses over there and Kiawah is a great place, but I thought about doing something that would be strictly for members only, giving them a very high-class course and pristine site."
Founder member Mike Martin, an owner of property on Kiawah, saw the appeal immediately. "When you drive down this long dirt and gravel road through these really beautiful old oaks, you know that this is a special place," says Martin. "I'm a member of the Kiawah Island Club and we have two wonderful courses, the River Course and Cassique. But there is more play there and they have tee times. Briar's Creek is completely unhurried and relaxing. We don't have tee times. And it's very much a family place."
The course is low-country ideal, winding around marshes and lagoons and through stands of oaks. There will be 62 homes at Briar's Creek, some of them near the course but discreetly sited. Most of the housing will be across a lake that is stocked with fish. Lots sell from $350,000 to more than $1 million. Golf club membership stands at $110,000.
Like so many of these developments, Briar's Creek attempts to tread lightly on its landscape. About 50 percent of the property will be designated a conservancy and there is an established nature walk. A large equestrian center is nearby. "More than anything, I think Briar's Creek is just about being a really tranquil place," says Martin. "It's one of those places where you can have a permanent home if this is the area you live in, or a second home that's very easily accessible, certainly from the East Coast. You come here, kick back and play golf, or do nothing if you like."
The Promontory, Park City, Utah
For those with a hankering for Big Sky, The Promontory is 6,500 acres of rugged mountain and valley terrain blanketed by the natural big blue dome. You can be excused if you think that you are on the edge of the stratosphere. It does take your breath away.
The area is well known for skiing and a few golf courses. The golf ante was decidedly raised at The Promontory with the creation of the Canyon Club course by Pete Dye and the soon-to-be-developed Valley Course by Jack Nicklaus. Based on demand, as many as three additional courses may be built. Playing on Dye's exquisite layout, you may have a gallery watching you that could include deer, elk or moose.
The Promontory also has an equestrian center, tennis facility with a stadium court that converts to an ice rink in winter, miles of hiking and biking trails, fishing and hunting, and a convivial family atmosphere. It, too, has a conservancy, and 75 percent of the land will be reserved for green space. Homesites start at about $250,000, with the average selling prices pushing $400,000. Some of the $95,000 golf course membership fee is included as a promotion by the developer in the cost of the homesites, which generally range from one to four acres.
The project is being developed by The Pivotal Group of Phoenix. Chief Executive Officer Francis Najafi defines The Promontory's concept as "bohemian bourgeoisie." By that, he means elegant but comfortable, classy but not stuffy.
Log in if you're already registered.
Or register for Cigar Aficionado today—it's free.
Registration allows you to:
Keep track of your favorite cigars in your personal humidor.
Comment on all our stories.
Ratings & Reviews
Search our database of more than 17,000 cigar tasting notes by score, brand, country, size, price range, year, wrapper and more, plus add your favorites to your Personal Humidor.


text:
THE deputy leader of Pembrokeshire County Council has been suspended for two weeks after he was found to have improperly used council resources.
Councillor Rob Lewis was the subject of a Code of Conduct hearing at County Hall on Tuesday, after being accused of using authority computers for political campaigning in the last elections.
The Public Service Ombudsman was called into investigate a complaint made by Cllr David Bryan, after he received an anonymous DVD called 'IPG election campaigns 2008 and 2012' with 16 sub-files on it in September 2012.
A report which went before the Standards Committee said Cllr Lewis accepts that he had used the council's computer system inappropriately in 16 circumstances, including creating election posters encouraging people to vote for the likes of David Simpson, Elwyn Morse, Ken Rowlands, Lyndon Frayling, Pearl Llewellyn, Peter Stock and himself and former councillors Clive Collins, Jim Codd and John George.
But Cllr Lewis disputed that the context of a further five instances were improper use. In his opinion those matters related to either the preparation or formation of the relevant political structures required for the running of an authority.
As the secretary to the Independent Group, Cllr Lewis said: "I was asked by members to prepare a speculative view of how the authority would look after the elections.
"Maybe in hindsight I should have picked up my laptop, instead I used the machine which I had sat in front of for six or seven years.
"The files are split into two sections: Pre election files and actual files. The pre election ones could be deemed inappropriate, but the post election ones are to do with the formation of the council.
"The files before you were stored in the council system, taken without my permission, and used against me."
Cllr Lewis also raised concerns about the publicity surrounding the matter, with the complainant already bringing it to the attention of the press, and the stolen files available to see on Cllr Jacob Williams' website. He said the matter should have been kept confidential until it had reached a conclusion.
After deliberations, Cllr Lewis was found to have breached the Code of Conduct and was suspended for two weeks. The Standards Committee also recommended a review be undertaken of the use of Council IT resources.


text:
Brand new player here, 30s male, RHBH. Only a few full rounds under my belt, and about a week of daily throwing at the driving range (soccer field across the street).
When I play, I use mids (Shark) and putters (aviar), as I can throw these fairly straight and predictable.
When I'm practicing, I throw all my discs, including:
Wolf 172 - goes very straight with minimal fade, about 150'
Shark 171 - straight with bigger fade at end, 150'
Leopard 150 - bit of a left turn, minimal fade, overall nice "s" flight, 175'
Valkyrie 167 - goes left with a hefty fade at the end, 170'
Now when I throw the 172 champion Monarch with my backhand, (with a level release) it quickly starts curving to the left and quickly starts tipping over with it's left side angling down. Even if I throw it with the left side up and right (toward me) side down (anhyzer?) it still quickly turns and dips to the left. The Monarch is supposed to be an understable beginner driver yet when I throw it, it behaves more like what I would call an overstable disc with high fade.
So what are some likely culprits at play here that are really magnified when I throw the Monarch (faster disc 10, 5, -4, 1)? Not throwing fast enough, not enough wrist snap, poorly aligned follow through? Any thoughts would be appreciated.