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With five buyers almost ready to become homeowners, Teresa Boyd, who works for Coldwell Banker Sloane Realty in the Highlands neighborhood in Shallotte, is excited to come to work.
Boyd said Monday she's seen great improvement in the housing market since the late spring, a huge improvement in prospects, offers and sellers accepting offers.
"This time last year I could go weeks without anybody stopping into the sales office," she said.
She isn't sure what caused the change in attitudes, but she's happy to see it.
New directors elected to ATMC board
Albert H. "Al" Parker Jr. and John W. "Buster" Dowless have been elected to serve on the ATMC Board of Directors.
Parker was elected to represent District 5 (Holden Beach, Supply, Varnamtown) and Dowless was elected to serve as an at-large board representative. Parker and Dowless replace Marion D. Davis and Elbert D. Gore, respectively.
Evans becomes certified public manager
Without strong leadership, few organizations are successful. This rule certainly holds true for North Carolina state and local government organizations.
For the past 16 months, select managers from across North Carolina state and local government organizations have worked to improve their skills and become better leaders through participation in the Certified Public Manager Program (CPM).
For July, Brunswick County's unemployment rate reached 11 percent. That's a slight increase from June, which was at 10.9 percent.
Unemployment has slightly increased throughout the summer, which is generally one of the county's busiest times of the year because of tourism.
Back in May the county's unemployment rate was at 10.3 percent, and in April it was 9.7 percent.
The 11 percent rate for this July is the same as it was for July 2011.
The state's unemployment rate has increased again.
North Carolina's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July increased to 9.6 percent. It was 9.4 percent for June.
July's state rate is higher than the national unemployment rate for July, which was 8.3 percent.
North Carolina's July 2012 unemployment rate is 1.1-percentage point less than it was a year ago.
BOLIVIA—Brunswick Novant Medical Center just celebrated an important birthday—its own.
Tuesday, July 31, marked the first birthday of the hospital, which opened a year ago.
Hospital spokeswoman Amy Myers described the anniversary as "capping a dramatic turnaround for medical care in Brunswick County that began with Novant Health's arrival six years ago."
SHALLOTTE—The steaks are already marinating as Golden Corral prepares to open its doors.
According to owners Mickey and David Chance, if everything stays on track with inspections, the restaurant will open its doors for the first time in Shallotte at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 3.
At press time Tuesday, everything was on track for the Friday opening. David Chance said the staff has been hired and trained.
Braza joins Summit Plastic Surgery & Dermatology
Edward Ricciardelli, MD, and the staff at Summit Plastic Surgery & Dermatology welcome the addition of Thomas Braza, MD, a fellowship-trained Mohs and reconstructive surgeon to its practice.
Braza has performed thousands of Mohs micrographic procedures and is known for his quality care and personable bedside manner.
SHALLOTTE—In the autumn of 2010 a new dining option opened quietly in Shallotte—one that took taste buds by storm.
The Grille, owned and operated by Sal Rubio, opened inside the BP gas station behind Naber Dodge.
Rubio, a chef in the area since 1993, was in the catering business and decided to give his business a storefront where people could drop in and get gourmet soups and sandwiches. He opened the restaurant quietly to see how things would progress. He was its only employee.
ATMC upgrades wireless services
ATMC Wireless has upgraded its Bald Head Island wireless transmission site to 4G with HSPA+ (High Speed Packet Access) technology, completing its tower upgrade project and making the ATMC Wireless network now 100 percent 2G/3G/4G compatible in Brunswick County.
Copyright © 2017
The Brunswick Beacon is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Brunswick County, North Carolina and surrounding areas.


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Editorial cartoons: Trayvon Martin case
Editorial cartoonists from around the nation express their thoughts on the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida.
Daryl Cagle, CagleCartoons.com
Gary McCoy, Cagle Cartoons
Taylor Jones, El Nuevo Dia, Puerto Rico
John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Missouri
Randall Enos, Cagle Cartoons
Knoxville News-Sentinel/Charlie Daniel
Orlando Sentinel/Dana Summers
Tribune Media Services/Matt Davies
Chicago Tribune/Scott Stantis
Tribune Media Services /Drew Sheneman
Tribune Media Services/Drew Sheneman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel/Chan Lowe
South Florida Sun-Sentinel/Chan Lowe
CAPTION: Stand your ground cartoon
Tragic Trayvon Martin Shooting
Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Mike Luckovich
South Florida Sun-Sentinel/Chan Lowe
The Oregonian/Jack Ohman
Newsday.com now uses Facebook for our comment boards. Please read our guidelines and connect your Facebook account to comment.

subset: commoncrawl


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Translation Disclaimer
The City of Berkeley Public Library offers assistance to Small Business throughout the year. Monthly, in collaboration with the the Alameda County Small Business Development Center interactive small business seminars are offered. Classes cover management basics for new business ventures and specialized subject matter for experience entrepreneurs.
Seminars are led by experienced professionals who overview their topics, provide several real-world examples and answer questions from the audience. Most seminars finish with a panel of experts that provide additional insight, participate in a lively question and answer session and then stay to speak with attendees one-on-one after the seminar.
Getting customers to your Web site involves much more than merely designing an interesting site for them to visit.
Learn techniques that can be used right away: Ways to optimize a site to ensure high ranking on key search engines; Methods to increase Web traffic; Use of Web Analytics to effectively engage customers on a website; Increasing conversion rates from site visitors into paying customers; And more.
Coming up next ...
You're Certified, Now What?, April 7, Thursday, 2-5pm
Social Media & Web Marketing, May 17, Tuesdays, 2-5pm


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Early Antiviral Therapy for Critically Ill HIV Infected Patients
The recruitment status of this study is unknown. The completion date has passed and the status has not been verified in more than two years.
Verified September 2013 by Marcio Manozzo Boniatti, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceicao.
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceicao
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Marcio Manozzo Boniatti, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceicao
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: October 17, 2011
Last updated: September 18, 2013
Last verified: September 2013
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The aim of the study is to verify the effect of HAART in critically ill HIV infected patients. The current practice is to begin antiviral therapy after ICU discharge, when the condition of the patient is more stable. The investigators hypothesis is that the investigators can improve outcome of these patients with earlier antiviral therapy in the ICU. The investigators just have retrospective studies in this scenario. After admission to ICU, patients are assigned to one of two arms: early HAART (within 5 days of ICU admission) or conventional therapy (initiation of HAART after ICU discharge). The following data will be collected: demographic variables, CD4 count, viral load, drug toxicity, opportunistic infection, hemodialysis, mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drug. The patients will be followed to determine ICU mortality, hospital mortality and 6-month mortality.
|HIV Infection
|Drug: early HAART Drug: Late HAART
|Phase 4
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Early Antiretroviral Therapy for Critically Ill HIV Infected Patients
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: HIV/AIDSU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Marcio Manozzo Boniatti, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceicao:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Hospital mortality [ Time Frame: 4 weeks ]It is a estimative of length of hospital stay
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- 6-month mortality [ Time Frame: 6 months ]
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|January 2012
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|December 2014
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|December 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
|Experimental: Early antiviral therapy
Drug: early HAART
Initiation of HAART within 5 days of ICU admission
|Active Comparator: Conventional therapy
Drug: Late HAART
Initiation of HAART after ICU discharge
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- HIV infection
- CD4 cell count less than 350 cells/mm3 within 3 months prior to study entry OR CD4 cell count between 350 cells/mm3 and 500 cells/mm3 if age > 55 years, coinfection with HBV or HCV, neoplasia, viral load > 100,000 copies/ml or elevated cardiovascular risk OR AIDS-defining illness
Exclusion Criteria:
- Regular use of HAART
- Pregnant
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01455688
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01455688
|Contact: Marcio M Boniatti, PhD
|Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceicao
|Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
|Contact: Marcio M Boniatti, PhD 33572221 email@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Marcio M Boniatti, PhD
Sponsors and Collaborators
Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceicao
More Information
Keywords provided by Marcio Manozzo Boniatti, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceicao:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017
|Responsible Party:
|Marcio Manozzo Boniatti, Principal investigator, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceicao
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01455688 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|October 17, 2011
|Last Updated:
|September 18, 2013
Keywords provided by Marcio Manozzo Boniatti, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceicao:
critically ill patients
HIV infection
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections
Critical Illness
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Disease Attributes
Pathologic Processes
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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Garcia delivers first knock with parents on hand
ST. LOUIS -- Though the Cardinals intend to stick with veteran Mark Ellis as their regular season baseman, Greg Garcia drew the starting assignment -- the first of his big league career -- on Wednesday.
Called up from Triple-A on Monday, Garcia pinch-hit in the first two games of the series. He drew a walk in Monday's plate appearance before being hit by a pitch a day later. Manager Mike Matheny's decision to start Garcia on Wednesday afford his parents, Belinda and David, the chance to see their son in the field before flying back to their home in San Diego on Thursday. Matheny's timing was perfect: Garcia recorded his first big league hit with a leadoff double off Wei-Chung Wang in the fifth inning on Wednesday.
"It's really special for me," Garcia said of having his parents in attendance for this three-game series. "It's amazing, but I'm trying not to overthink it. I have to take it like another baseball game. I'm going to prepare the same way, go out there and play as hard as I can. Hopefully, we can go out there and get a win today."
Garcia said that he learned that his name was on the lineup card directly from Matheny, who delivered the news while Garcia was in the club's food room. Garcia was batting .267 with five homers and 14 RBIs in 21 Triple-A games before joining the big league team.
"I think you're reminded of the first chance you had and how special it is," Matheny said. "He'll never forget this. Randal [Grichuk] will never forget last night, being able to throw a hit in there and make some nice plays as well. It's always exciting to watch these guys get that opportunity they've been dreaming about."
Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, By Gosh, It's Langosch, and follow her on Twitter @LangoschMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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And, of course, the fine print:
Get free shipping on your next order when you spend over $100. The discount will be automatically applied to your purchase; no promo code required. The subtotal of your purchase must be $100.01 or greater after any promotional discounts have been applied. Additional fees such as tax or shipping and handling do not apply toward your minimum subtotal requirement of $100.01. Offer applies to standard shipping only. Certain items that require additional shipping and handling are excluded from this promotion and do not apply towards your $100.01 subtotal minimum. Offer subject to change.
Keeping flower stems nicely spread out in your mason jars, these special lids make for a charming vase. Just add your own jars, screw on these tops and place your blooms ever-so-carefully.
- Includes 3 lids with flower separaters
- Does not include mason jars
This product ships from the maker within 8 days, via USPS
If you're not happy with this item for any reason, you may return it for a full refund within 14 days.


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Topic: Newb
Hello Everyone,
My name is Erica and I was diagnosed with Stage IV Bile Duct Cancer on May 10th of this year. I am 27. Would have never known if it hadn't metastasized to my hip and caused me great hip pain, that the doctor's couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. Why would they ever suspect a young healthy woman of having Stage IV cancer. I have tumors on my left hip, sternum, lung, 5-6 vertebrae, liver, bile duct (duh), and lymph nodes. I expect my PET scan looked like a Christmas Tree.
I've been through 10 rounds of radiation to my hip and sternum, targeting tumors that were causing me immediate pain. My skin has been burned but it seems to finally be healing like a sunburn.
I've also been through 4 rounds of Chemo so far. Seems I'm on what everyone else is on, Cisplat and Gemzar. My doctor is great and I am responding well to the therapy. Haven't lost my hair. Megestron helps me keep my appetite going strong. The steroids make me a pacing anxious let's-get-this-over-with wreck during all 6 hrs of chemo. My weeks off from chemo are great but because I had to quit my job, I'm stuck at home, bored, being watched by my super helpful husband and dropped-everything-ran-to-her-daughter mother (handlers).
Found this site reluctantly, searching for more information on just what the heck Bile Duct Cancer is. So far it seems just like me: Rare (I'm a special one-of-a-kind kinda person; Invasive; Complicated.
As far as my mortality is concerned, my doctor can't give me a definitive expiration date because I'm so young. My CA 19.9 started at 51,000 and after 3 treatments was down to 4,000. He seemed very happy about it and said it was great news. If anyone can really explain why this is great news to me, I would be grateful. Seems like a bunch of numbers to me. My tumors are still there. All over my body. I'm more like, "Let me know when my tumors have disappeared and then I'll celebrate." Call me pessimistic. I feel more realistic.
My life had just begun. I'm a teacher and professor and I love what I do. Had a relatively late in life career change and just finished getting my Bachelor's and Master's in 4 years while working. I'm a go-getter. I want my Ph.D. This is ruining all of my plans and I hate it. I need plans. I can't just say, well I'll keep working because I've accomplished most of what I wanted in my life and everything will be great until I die. I'm more the kind of person that would say, "Oh, I have 6 years to live? I can get my Ph.D. in 5, 4 if I kill myself, so yes, let's go for it."
Alright. That's all I've got. ^_^
I wish the best for everyone out there. If anyone knows of any support groups in South Jersey/Philadelphia for Stage IV people, let me know please. Or a Spousal Support Group for my husband at least. He needs it more than I do.
Have a great week!


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We are in Charlottesville VA
Three cards are shown- two picture cards and a Three of Diamonds card. The cards are turned face down, and the spectator is asked to pick out the Three of Diamonds. Even though the spectator is sure he has chosen the correct card, when it is turned over, it is a picture of a TREE of Diamonds!
A classic and easy packet (small pack of cards) trick. Includes all cards needed plus color instructions. Matches Bicycle decks.
And that's all you need!
Because these are Bicycle backed cards, they can be secretly added to the top of a regular deck of Bicycle brand cards and worked from the top of the deck, making it even more startling.


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[Mrs. Converse's house]
[Mrs. Converse's house]
[between 1906-1909?]
"The personal photo album of Mrs. Albert F. Converse. 1906-1909? Mrs. Albert F. Converse's photo album was damaged by a flood in the library in 1988. The photos, however, were untouched. They are, however, suffering from deterioration and ballpoint pen marks. The photos offer a good look at many private homes in Reading during the first decade of the 20th century. And, while there are many existing photographs of the exteriors of Reading homes, the view of Mrs. Converse's living room (page 13) is a rare photo of Victorian interior design in the library's collection. Street numbers and updates were added by Mrs. Miriam Barclay in 1965. Written comments are within quotation marks." From the album containing the photograph.;28 or 34 Highland Street, Reading, MA, 01867
Architecture, domestic -- Massachusetts -- Reading -- Pictorial works
Highland Street (Reading, Mass.); Reading (Mass.) -- History -- Pictorial works.
Collection :
Tags :
Citation :
"[Mrs. Converse's house]," in NOBLE Digital Heritage, Item #13569, http://heritage.noblenet.org/items/show/13569 (accessed September 26, 2017).


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Panama Hats are a Dying Tradition
(continued from page 2)
Obviously, there is an irony in that what the world knows as a Panama hat actually comes from Ecuador. But the small, somewhat dreary coastal town of Montecristi has been for centuries a place where straw hats were woven. The difference is that the Montecristi Finos are simply the finest straw hats in the world, even to the point of defying the description straw. And with the makers dying off, the treasures of Montecristi are in danger of disappearing.
Brent Black, the former Associate Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi in San Francisco, isn't about to let that happen. Eight years ago, he began an odyssey that eventually led to Montecristi, north of Guayaquil on the Pacific coast of Ecuador. What began as a passion to photograph the hats, soon turned into a mission to keep the hat making art alive. Black's quest actually began in Mexico, in the Yucatán city of Mérida, where he read guidebook accounts of a crude Panama hat being woven in the region.
"It wasn't easy," says Black today. "I didn't speak any Spanish, and even the shopkeepers and vendors who did speak a little English couldn't understand what I wanted. No one knew what a Panama hat was. In Mérida, they call the hats jipijapas" (pronounced hee pee hop as). Through a shopkeeper, he finally photographed some weavers in a nearby town. But back in San Francisco, Black mentioned his hat search to someone at a cocktail story. An attorney familiar with Ecuador told him about the hats there--and specifically about Montecristis. The information triggered Black's plunge into extensive research about the Panama hat and heightened his desire to see a Montecristi firsthand.
In 1988, he took off from his new base as Executive Creative Director of Ogilvy & Mather in Honolulu to fly to Guayaquil. From there, he boarded a series of brightly colored, sputtering buses and traveled one hundred miles up the coast to the city of Manta, a commercial fishing village, where he stayed overnight in the best hotel in town--at $2 a night. The next morning, he climbed aboard another bus to Montecristi. Before even getting off the bus, a nine-year-old boy appeared at his elbow. "Panama hat, meester. Panama hat, meester."
"There aren't too many gringo tourists in Montecristi," laughs Black. "So when one does show up, he's bound to attract a certain amount of attention. And there is no rational reason anyone wouldever visit Montecristi except to buy hats.
"So, there I was. A four-foot-tall, self-appointed guide pulling atmy shirt sleeve, a dog of rather questionable ancestry sniffing at my legs and before me lay the legendary town of Montecristi. To say the least, it wasn't what I expected.
"I guess I had pictured in my mind a quaint, colorful little village with revered artisans working patiently in their workshops. The reality was quite different. Montecristi is rather drab. The one- and two-story buildings are made mostly of wood and split bamboo, and they just blend into the dry, dusty hillside on which the town is built. Nothing colorful about them. Dogs and idlers lounge in whatever shade they can find. Children play in the streets and open areas. Pigs occasionally wander here and there. There are no hotels. No restaurants. The town only has running water a couple of hours each morning.
So, a little dismayed, I yielded to the tugging at my shirt sleeve and followed my guide up the hill."
After a brief stop to meet 20 or so members of his guide's family, Black went with the guide to the home/workshop/warehouse of the largest distributor of hats in Montecristi. It was a fairly substantial two-story building made of square red brick. A large two-inch-thick wooden door had been slid open to allow access to and provide light for the approximately 20 by 20-foot workshop. One man was working at finishing the weave on the edge of the brim of a hat, and a second was trimming the long ends of straws protruding from the inside of a hat. A dozen or so hat bodies in various stages of completion were stacked at their feet.
"I felt like I had stepped into a legend," Black reflects. "There they were--Montecristi Finos. I had to actually pick one up and look at it closely to be able to see the pattern of the weave. That's how finely woven they are."
Black was introduced to the distributor. Conversation was difficult because Black spoke hardly any Spanish and the distributor didn't speak English. With the help of a phrase book, a dictionary, pointing to objects and a lot of smiles, Black says he was able to communicate that he was interested in the hats and that he would be around for a week or so.
"It was, and is, very important to me," Black's earnestness comes through in the tone of his voice and the way he leans closer as he talks, "to do business the way it's done in Latin America, not the way it's done in the U.S. I didn't want to blow into town, buy some hats and leave. That's the way most gringos do business down there. I wanted to get to know them and for them to know me before any money changed hands."
Black says the weavers were surprised when he pulled a chair over beside them and sat down. The distributor handed Black a stack of hats for his inspection and asked if he wanted to buy some. Black said yes, but not today. "Mañana." The distributor smiled, pulled his own chair over near Black and went back to counting and sorting hats.
Sitting among the weavers for most of the week, Black learned firsthand about the craft, the history and the legend of the Montecristi Fino hat. Occasionally, Black would carefully sort through hats offered to him, putting aside ones he eventually wanted to purchase. And he constantly asked if there were any even finer.
The weavers explained that the really, really fine hats are becoming rarer and rarer. They provided the estimate that there are maybe 20 master weavers left and shook their heads when asked if children were learning the trade.
There's a reason why this trade is dying: The work is hard. The finest hats are woven only at night, when it's cooler, to protect the straw from being damaged by a weaver's sweat, which might build up during the steamy equatorial days and stain the straw. The weaving is done from a bent-over position, with the weaver's chest resting on a small cushion on top of a wooden block and his arms extended down toward the floor, fingertips working on the fine straw. It's a posture that is not just uncomfortable, it's painful. The younger generation, if they weave at all, prefer to work on simpler pieces such as ladies' handbags, fans and animal figures, which take less time and effort to complete.
"I suppose," muses Black, "that the question is not so much why people might not want to weave bent over all night, as it is how they evolved the technique in the first place, and why they have practiced it for centuries. Sometimes I wonder if a really good industrial engineer could study the process and come up with some kind of jig or something that would allow the weavers to create traditional hats without having to weave in the traditional posture."
Throughout the week, Black took photos of the weavers while they worked at finishing the edges and trimming straw from the hats. They warmed to him and took him out to other houses where other weavers were working.
"During that first incredible week, quite simply, I fell in love with the people, the hats, the weaving, the art form. And I became determined to do more than just buy a few dozen hats. I had found a mission. I wanted to preserve the art, to ensure that three generations from now the world will still be able to wear, admire and treasure Montecristi Finos."
Since that first visit, Black has made numerous trips to Montecristi. He has become deeply involved with the weavers and the community. He often purchases large quantities of food to be distributed to the weavers and their families during times when weaving jobs are scarce and family incomes are down. He has taken some of the older weavers into Manta for prescription glasses. He sends Christmas presents every year. And, of course, everyone he photographs receives a copy of the picture. If you visited Montecristi, you would see Black's photos in almost every house.
According to some of Black's pamphlets on the subject of Panama hats, they are woven from various types of straw from all over the world: the Caribbean, Polynesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, China, Africa and on and on. Why have the straw hats woven in Ecuador risen to such an exalted position at the top of the hierarchy? One of the most important reasons is the straw itself.
The source of the straw is a kind of palm, known in scientific jargon as Carludovica palmata. In Ecuador the plant is called toquilla, the straw is called paja toquilla and the hats are called sombreros de paja toquilla. Although it has been found naturally as far north as Panama and as far south as Bolivia and has been successfully introduced into Mexico's Yucatán peninsula, nowhere are conditions better for the plant's growth than in the coastal lowlands of Ecuador.
The plants grow wild in abundance but could almost be said to be cultivated by those who "harvest" their straw. The unopened leaf chutes are cut from the plants with machetes. The green leaf casing is removed. The vein, spine and coarse edge are stripped away. Then, the opened, pale green palm fronds are put into 50-gallon oil drums filled with water. A fire under the drum boils the water. After an hour or so, the palm chutes are taken out of the water and hung up to dry on a clothesline. As they dry, the long strands shrink and curl lengthwise to form closed cylindrical fibers about a yard long. Each fiber is then slit into yet narrower strands, and the straw is boiled and dried again.
The straw is then ready for the weavers.
The hat weavers split the strands of straw to as fine a width as they are comfortable working with. The best weavers work with straw so fine that one has to look at the hat very closely to make out any weave pattern at all. "They're incredible," remarks Black. "The texture looks more like fine linen than straw." The hats are woven from the center and worked out toward the edge of the brim. When the end of one strand of straw is reached, it is tied in a minute knot onto the next strand. This in turn forms little rings, or vueltas, inside the hats. Some claim that the number of rings inside a Montecristi directly relates to its quality. Black disagrees. He says that the number of rings, while sometimes a general indication of fineness of the straw, is not a reliable way to gauge the overall quality of the hat.
"It would be like counting the rings on a tree to decide how tall it is," Black says. The metaphor is apt. At best, the number of rings may roughly correlate to the fineness of the straw. But if the straw is badly woven, with gaps or extra knots, then it is not a high-quality hat.
Black recommends the following criteria when selecting a Montecristi: the fineness and tightness of the weave; the evenness of the weave; the uniformity of color throughout; and the compact regularity of the "back weave", the narrow band at the edge of the brim. "if you're looking for a fine hat," cautions Black, "never buy one with a brim that has been cut, folded under and sewn." His anger boils over as he talks about what he almost considers a blasphemous affront to a handwoven hat. It is a shortcut often taken in finishing cheaper hats so that the brims all have the same width.
"The very finest hats will have--I don't know quite how to describe it..." Black searches for the words. "They almost seem to glow. There is a kind of visual purity about them." He laughs at his own passion about these hats. "To me, it's almost as if they have an aura or halo around them."
Weaving is not the only endangered art connected with hats. The practice of fine hand blocking, or shaping, of the hats is also disappearing. "When I returned from Hawaii after that first trip, with a hundred or so Montecristi Finos, I had to find someone to block them. They were just hat bodies. Flat on top. Straight-walled, round crown. No leather sweatbands. No ribbons. Nothing. Without being blocked and finished, they were unmarketable.
"I began asking hat dealers in Hawaii and on the mainland. No one knew anyone who could do it for me. Pretty soon, I was making phone calls all over the country, following up on the thinnest of leads. Through a combination of persistence and luck, I finally found Michael Harris of Paul's Hat Works in San Francisco.
"Michael is incredible," says Black. "I think of him as the Sorcerer of Straw. He has the same reverence for the hats as I do. And he knows how to block and finish them so that their art is elevated, rather than compromised. He shapes them entirely by hand, one at a time, often employing tools that haven't been made in decades and techniques that are all but lost or forgotten. When he's finished, the hat is still just as soft and flexible as it was in Montecristi. There are only a handful of blockers left who can do that."
It was critical to Black to have the integrity of the art extend all the way to the consumer. He didn't use stiffeners or offer hats with the edges trimmed and sewn. He wanted to make sure that people would wear what the weavers had woven.
Today, Black distributes his Montecristi Finos through Kula Bay Tropical Clothing in Hawaii and Worth & Worth in New York. He insists on dealing with retailers who appreciate the level of workmanship and the sense of history of these fine Panamas. The completed hats sell for anywhere from $350 to $750 for a basic Montecristi to over $10,000 for a museum-quality piece. You can also buy hats at premium hat shops such as Paul's Hat Works in San Francisco. There are several other grades of Panama hats that are more readily available to the buying public, and more affordable. Coarser weaves are found in most major cities of Ecuador, and even those hats have the telltale signature of true handwoven Panamas: the small, concentric circles woven outward from the center of the hat's crown. These hats may take a weaver or several weavers just hours to complete. Interestingly, these Panamas often retain characteristics of weaving native to their regions. Cuenca, a town in the highlands south of Quito, is the home to a particularly handsome herringbone design that is somewhat tightly woven and intricate. The price for a more conventional straw hat varies from $50 to $1 10, and the best ones always retain some suppleness when handled.
Retailers who handle this kind of straw hat run the gamut and include Barneys, Neiman Marcus, Bigsby & Kruthers and J. Peterman; check locally with a major department store to see if it carries woven straw hats. Buyers should also beware of many claims by manufacturers that refer to their hats as genuine Montecristis when in fact they may be a lesser-grade Panama straw. Check with an expert hatter such as Paul's Hat Works in San Francisco or Worth & Worth in New York for authentication. If you happen to be in Hawaii, genuine Montecristis also are sold by the Kula Bay Tropical Clothing outlets in several of the main hotels.
In the end, the buying public may be the determining factor for the future of Montecristis straw hats. "The only way to save this art is to create a demand for it," explains Black. "Over the last few years, I've been able to purchase more Montecristi Finos than all other buyers combined. As a consequence, there are more weavers weaving now than at any time in the past twenty years. It's working. We may actually be saving the art. But we have a long way to go."
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text:
There's a lot of buzz about shopping locally—how it creates a multiplier effect that stimulates the local economy, fosters relationships with the people who sell you gardening supplies and designer shoes, etc. But Santa Feans don't really need to be convinced: We're all about the local thing, and we're passionate about the shops and businesses that define our city. Take Collected Works, the perennial winner of the "Best Local, Independent Bookstore" category, which will order any book you want and offer nonalgorithmic suggestions about what else you might like. Or Big Jo True Value, another frequent favorite for its similarly personalized and conscientious customer service. Sure, it's fun to buy online now and then—but in a city as fiercely different as Santa Fe, why would you want to shop where the rest of the world does?
You're from Santa Fe if…
By Chicken Joe
…you stockpile liquor on Saturday for Sunday morning
…you think Subaru is the lead auto maker
…you exclaim EVERY TIME you see a black person
…tuition is taxable
…you drive like a tourist, year-round
…the saying downtown is "don't blink"
Best Local, Independent Bookstore
1st: Collected Works Bookstore
202 Galisteo St. 988-4226
It's hard to enter Collected Works without immediately joining the cult of the indie bookstore. Shelves upon shelves of lovingly cared-for, painstakingly curated titles allow for nearly endless browsing; a barista quietly serves expertly prepared teas, coffees and pastries; and the clientele and staff have the ability to subtly convince other customers of their natural intelligence: You found this place. You know something. Of course, Collected Works also epitomizes the indie bookstore by acting more like a good corporate citizen than any corporation that actually uses that phrase, helping out with local events and hosting diverse speeches, readings and discussions for the public to enjoy, free of charge. Has Amazon.com ever done that for you? (AS)
2nd: Garcia Street Books
376 Garcia St., 986-0151
3rd: The Ark Bookstore
133 Romero St., 988-3709
Best Local Women's Clothing Store
1st: Cupcake Clothing
322 Montezuma Ave. 988-4744
You've been downtown, perused the shops and have come to the conclusion that Santa Fe skimps on the cute clothing stores, so what's the point of even going on a girlie shopping spree anymore? Ladies, this is the point: the small dot on Google Maps—Cupcake Clothing. The white walls really make the clothes pop, and the spunkiest girls helpfully assist you in trying on outfit after outfit. Prepare yourself for a day of shopping as if you were the star of an '80s movie, and montage after montage features you trying on shirts, skirts and getting your ears pierced while Whitney Houston sings "How Will I Know." (TS)
2nd: Maya
108 Galisteo St., 989-7590
3rd: Bodhi Bazaar
500 Montezuma Ave., Ste. 117, 982-3880
Best Local Men's Clothing Store
1st: Harry's Clothing
202 Galisteo St. 988-1959
Established more than 40 years ago for people who "appreciate fine clothing," Harry's has carved a permanent name for itself thanks to its policy of staying away from fads and opting for a more timeless look. "Things don't change too quickly in our industry," owner Greg Voida says, measuring tape hanging from his neck. "Sure, cuts have gotten a little trimmer, and flat-front pants are now more popular than pleated, but nothing really changes overnight." That approach has garnered a strong civilian and celebrity following, with folks like Alan Alda, Gene Hackman and Arnold Schwarzenegger ("back when he was still with Maria") in Voida's client roster. Whether you stop in for a whole new wardrobe or just to hem some jeans, Voida is sure to give you the celebrity treatment. Trust us, you'll be back. (EL)
2nd: Santa Fe Mountain Sports
1221 Flagman Way, Ste. B1, 988-333
3rd: Corsini
107 W San Francisco St., 820-2300
Best Local Optical Shop/Dispensary
1st: Acoma Optical
3530 Zafarano Drive, Ste. C1 471-2020
Eyeglasses have come a long way since the days of pince-nez, monocles and (not too long ago) Coke-bottle lenses. And they're no longer just an inconvenient necessity: Brian Boddy, of Acoma Optical, emphasizes glasses' role in creating identity and accessorizing. He and his wife, Cyndi, are co-owners of the only free-form eyeglass designing company in the state. The experts at Acoma Optical not only tailor customers' glasses to their particular lifestyles and needs, but also grind the lenses themselves. As if that weren't enough, Acoma also stresses the customer experience, from the moment you enter the door. "We have a deep understanding of the business, but we also want you to come in and have fun," Boddy says. (KF)
2nd: Botwin Eye Group
444 St. Michael's Drive, 954-4442
3rd: Eye Associates of New Mexico
2947 E Rodeo Park, 983-6613
Best Consignment/Vintage/Thrift Shop
1st: Double Take
320 Aztec St. 989-8886
Small statues of a mule, a saddle and a Native American adorn the entrance of Double Take, one of Santa Fe's premier vintage Western shops. Inside, customers can browse around collections of contemporary pottery, Native American jewelry and a full wall of secondhand, high-end cowboy boots. But almost hidden around the corner is the consignment section, a full room dedicated to clothes, books and houseware. Owner Suzanne Wissman-Moore says the items are "things that people need on a daily basis." Kids, for instance, can find school uniforms, fancy dress wear and casual clothes. Clean outdoor wear and "nice men's designers" are also on offer. "We have all price ranges," Wissman-Moore tells SFR. "We know how to service the customers with what they need." (JP)
2nd: Act 2
839 Paseo De Peralta, 983-8585
3rd: Goodwill
3060 Cerrillos Road, 424-9726
Best Local Store for Children
1st: TIE:
Merry Go Round/Toyopolis
150 Washington Ave., 988-5422
Moon Rabbit Toys
112 W San Francisco St., 982-9373
As every five-year-old in Santa Fe knows, we lack a Toys "R" Us. Sure, there are a few big-box alternatives, but this is Santa Fe. We shop local—and here's the upside: There are two wonderful options. Both located downtown, Merry Go Round/Toyopolis and Moon Rabbit Toys both offer an eclectic selection of distractions for your little ones. Though both retailers sell great local fodder, Moon Rabbit features some fantastic handmade stuffed animals, while Toyopolis tends to stock some more recognizable names in toys. Additionally, Toyopolis has merged with Merry Go Round to sell children's clothing, like some really cool rain slickers that make your toddler look like a dinosaur. But kids need more than mindless Hot Wheels and dolls, so both stores offer plenty of those "science" type toys that trick kids into learning while having fun. (RHD)
2nd: Gypsy Baby
318 S Guadalupe St., 820-1898
3rd: Play (in Sanbusco Market Center)
500 Montezuma Ave., 820-3338
Best Local Shoe Store
1st: On Your Feet
530 Montezuma Ave. 983-3900
Last time I went into On Your Feet, I ended up in a conversation about the earrings I was wearing with a very engaging and pleasant lady. It took me a minute to figure out she worked there. But remarkably, instead of using her charm to seduce me into buying two pairs of practical yet stylish kicks, she let me meander around the store in peace. It happens that I know a great many women who appreciate this balance of friendly customer service and space, and they all shop at On Your Feet. Or maybe they are drawn by the massive selection of Dansko clogs, which nearly everyone who works in the service industry swears by. Regardless, these folks have the shoe business dialed. (LH)
2nd: Goler
125 E Palace Ave., Ste. 125, 982-0924
3rd: Running Hub
527 W Cordova Road, Ste. B, 820-2523
Best Local Gardening Store
1st: Santa Fe Greenhouses
2904 Rufina St. 473-2700
For more than half of its lifetime, Santa Fe Greenhouses has been voted the best gardening store in town. This year, for the store's 26th birthday, Santa Fe does it again. A vast selection of native xeric plants and the arrangements of living gardens draw locals and tourists alike to this expansive nursery. Whether you are in search of beauty, knowledge, plants or supplies, an informed and friendly staff is happy to help you find what you are looking for. However, if all you need is a pleasant amble among the exhalations of flowers and grasses, trees and shrubs, succulents, vegetables and herbs, Santa Fe Greenhouses is glad to give you that, too. (MRC)
2nd: Agua Fria Nursery
1409 Agua Fria St., 983-4831
3rd: Payne's Nurseries and Greenhouses
304 Camino Alire, 988-8011
Best Local Pet Supply Store
1st: Critters & Me
1403 Agua Fria St. 982-5040
In Santa Fe, pets are sometimes held in higher regard than close siblings. As such, though the big-box stores sell "premium" food, even this isn't good enough for most. Critters & Me understands. Its large selection of high-quality, all-natural foods and supplies is the pet's equivalent of Whole Foods Market—and maybe even better. While all of the products are the best your pet can eat, specialty foods, such as grain-free chow, are also available in abundance. Critters & Me is committed to customer service as well, with a loyalty program and a $15-per-use dog-washing station in house so that you can reclaim your bathtub for humans. (RHD)
2nd: Teca Tu
500 Montezuma Ave., Ste. 116, 982-9374
3rd: Zoe and Guido's Pet Boutique
607 Cerrillos Road, Ste. A, 988-2500
Best Outdoor Store
1st: Santa Fe Mountain Sports
1221 Flagman Way, Ste. B1 988-3337
With its new space in the up-and-coming Baca Railyard area, Santa Fe Mountain Sports has actually had some trouble attracting locals because it's in an obscure location, says owner Dan McCarthy. Nevertheless, the new store is an improvement: a 5,500 square-foot, two-floor shop that, unlike the old shop, allows McCarthy to display summer gear (bicycles and accessories) along with winter gear (skis, snowboards and warm clothing) during all seasons. That will help McCarthy put a dent in the customer base of his big competitor, REI, though other employees emphasize that service makes SF Mountain Sports stand out. As shop manager Deven Gonzales notes, the employees themselves are actually skiers, snowboarders and bikers. "This is something they love," Gonzales says. (JH)
2nd: Alpine Sports
121 Sandoval St., 983-5155
3rd: New Mexico Bike 'N Sport
524 W Cordova Road, 820-0809
Best Bicycle Shop
1st: rob and charlie's
1632 St. Michael's Drive 471-9119
The goal of rob and charlie's bicycle shop is to get as many people in Santa Fe riding bicycles as possible, says Stephen Newhall, the manager. A cynic might note that's an opportune goal for a store whose bottom line depends on people riding bicycles. But the employees there are dedicated and knowledgeable about their craft: selling and fixing bicycles. Conveniently situated near the St. Mike's stretch of the Rail Trail, rob and charlie's has been in Santa Fe for three decades, and its diverse product line—carbon fiber road bikes, big-wheel mountain bikes, trick BMX bikes, classic bikes with baskets and bells—is part of the secret to the small but well-stocked shop's success. "We try to have a bicycle for everybody," Newhall says. (JH)
2nd: New Mexico Bike 'N Sport
524 W Cordova Road, 820-0809
3rd: The Broken Spoke
1426 Cerrillos Road, 992-3102
Best Local Ski & Snowboard Store
1st: Santa Fe Mountain Sports
1221 Flagman Way, Ste. B-1 988-3337
If you're planning to hit the slopes this winter, check out the extensive collection of skis and boards Santa Fe Mountain Sports has to offer. The shop devotes warehouse-like resources not just to selling, but also to waxing, tuning and mounting your skis or board, whether you're a free-heeling backcountry skier or a first-time snowboarder. Perhaps what's best about this store is that its employees are all avid snow-sport maniacs, so they can point you toward a powder stash or send you on a backcountry adventure, depending on your needs. There's also plenty of gear and clothing to stock up on while you're here—and unlike some other outdoor stores, it's local. (AS)
2nd: Alpine Sports
121 Sandoval St., 983-5155
3rd: Beyond Waves
1428 Cerrillos Road, 988-2240
Best Hardware Store
1311 Siler Road 473-2255
Big Jo True Value has a lot of the same products any hardware store offers: tiki torches, lawn mowers, sledge hammers, waffle makers, potting soils, braces, nuts, bolts, drills and Radio Flyer wagons. But what differentiates it from the big boxes is that it's not overwhelming, and there's always prompt service. You can be in and out without walking through a maze of aisles dedicated strictly to drill bits, and the employees are trained to know every product in the store. And if you can't find what you're looking for, Rick C de Baca, one of the store's owners, says that the folks at True Value will happily put in a special order for you. They'll even deliver anything in the Santa Fe area without charge. (JH)
2nd: Ace Hardware
2006 Cerrillos Road, Ste. 1, 424-9343
3rd: Empire Builders Supply Co. Inc.
1802 Cerrillos Road, 982-2646
Best Local Solar Energy Company
1st: Positive Energy Solar
801 Cerrillos Road 428-0069
As SFR has reported, New Mexico is the fourth-sunniest state in the union, which means it offers huge potential for solar power to become a viable alternative energy source. Indeed, many Santa Feans have already taken advantage of the abundant sunshine by installing solar panels across their conveniently flat roofs—and time and again, they call Positive Energy Solar. The company offers competitive rates and outstanding customer service in a time when many small businesses are either cutting services or closing altogether. And as the first business to install an electric-car charging station in Santa Fe, this is a company that believes in what it's selling: green—er, all-the-colors-of-the-visible-spectrum-and-some-other-kinds-of-solar-emitted-radiation-you-can't-see—tech. (RHD)
2nd: Affordable Solar
4840 Pan American Frontage Road, 944-4220
3rd: Solarwise
2754 Agua Fria St., 690-0749
Best Place to Buy Home Décor
550 Montezuma Ave. 955-1700
I know what you're thinking: World Market is the equivalent of a fancy-schmancy big-box home accessories store. But scratch beneath the sandalwood-scented surface, and you discover an American success story that started off in the 1950s in the other SF, San Francisco, when a businessman-cum-world-traveler started selling goods by the shipload at a 10 percent markup (hence the "Plus" part). A shit-ton of baskets and 259 stores later, the company has managed to bring the color, textures and handmade quality of the globe's most exotic bazaars to stateside living rooms while still maintaining rigid social compliance norms, offering customers a sustainable window to cultures and customs far and wide. And what, if not that, is uniquely Santa Fean? (EL)
2nd: Jackalope
2820 Cerrillos Road, 471-8539
3rd: Design Warehouse
101 W Marcy St., 988-1555
Best Place To Buy Western Wear
1st: Double Take
320 Aztec St. 989-8886
You want cowboy hats? They've got 'em. You want concha belts? Step right up. You want to drop two grand on a pair of exotic boots? Do-se-do on down, partner. Hell, they've even got a baby Jesus porcelain figure rocking handmade silver sandals. "It's really become a family destination," owner and manager Suzanne Wissman-Moore—who also runs the upstairs art gallery—boasts. Be it for city-slicker theme parties or real-life dude ranch dwellers, Double Take has got every possible inch of your body and home covered. Case in point: a $1,600 cowhide-covered sofa. Just refrain from raising your feet up on the matching trunk coffee table, buckaroo. Rule here is: If your spurs rip something, you buy it. (EL)
2nd: Kowboyz
345 W Manhattan Ave., 984-1256
3rd: Back at the Ranch
209 E Marcy St., 989-8110


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for Ukiah Daily Journal
The summer students of SPACE - Near and Arnold's School of Performing Arts and Cultural Education are bringing a Broadway musical to life this Friday and Saturday, with a fully-staged performance of "Once on This Island" - the first big show to hit Broadway in the early '90s, according to director Joel Shura. This is Shura's second time as a SPACE director. He is also concurrently directing "Title of Show" at the Ukiah Players Theatre.
Shura, choreographer Kira Gibson and musical director Janice Timm have been working for three weeks with a cast of 43 students ranging from ages 7 to 13, who will be presenting the culmination of their experience in the summer arts program. "It's a great little show, which is known for its beautiful, catchy, magical sounding material that sets the mood and the pace. It's a great actor's soundtrack," says Shura.
Following the success of the Broadway show, the authors created a junior version, which is what SPACE students are performing. "We PG'd' some of the material," smiles Shura. The play is set in the Caribbean, and is the story of a young peasant girl named Ti Moune. "Ti Moune falls in love with a boy of another culture. She gives up her life and her soul for love," says Shura.
There is a bit of "Romeo and Juliet" in the play. "It doesn't end happily for Ti Moune in this life, but her sacrifice paves the way for changes in future generations. She is the change that bridges two different cultures," Shura continues.
"SPACE always brings in mixes of different ideas and cultures so kids of small-town Ukiah are exposed to a more worldly vision," says Shura. To bring home the cultural difference between Ukiah and the Caribbean, Niv McGivney, a volunteer with Hearthstone Village came to one of the rehearsals to show the students what life was like at the Reveil Matinal Orphanage, a project started by Ukiah area locals who have been supporting dozens of children orphaned as a result of the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. McGivney presented a slide show of the orphanage and spoke to the students about life in Haiti, which she had visited just two weeks earlier.
This was McGivney's fifth trip to Reveil Matinal in two years. "You get really attached to the girls," says McGivney who taught elementary-aged students for 18 years and is currently an educational consultant.
"The 23 girls are getting older. In Haiti, when you finish sixth grade, you take a government test. If you pass, you've made it through the first, fundamental education course. We decided we didn't have the capacity to teach the middle school, so we sent the older girls to a private middle school. They are walking to school and walking back every day. They finished their first year, and Hearthstone is supporting their tuition for uniforms and other necessities. Five more finished sixth grade this year, so next year there will be more kids attending middle school. Hearthstone decided to support them going to the best school they can. It's exciting, because we are supporting their medical, social and educational needs, but it is a big commitment, which causes us to be very aware of fundraising needs," says McGivney.
To that end, SPACE co-founder Paulette Arnold announced that a portion of the proceeds from "Once on This Island" are going to be donated directly to Hearthstone Village.
"I'm so happy these girls are doing so well, as well as the folks working at the orphanage. They're happy, energetic, going to school and learning English. They have computers and we're working on getting Internet access. Our library is expanding and the girls are working on sewing and art projects. We're looking at some land to build a house that would expand their playing area. Haiti is still Haiti, but I never hear gunshots at the orphanage," McGivney concludes.
"It was great when Niv came in and presented the slide show on Haiti. Here were kids who don't speak English, who live in an orphanage, but they are singing, dancing and having a blast. It's great for our kids to have that taste of reality," says Shura.
"At its core, Once on This Island' has got a lot more going on than a Disney fluff' musical. This play is deeply rooted in an actual culture- their gods and their lives, and we're incorporating as much as we can with costumes and culture," he continues.
In three weeks time, SPACE staff take four dozen kids and put together full-blown performances. "We start out putting age ranges together, where some kids may be familiar with one another. During break time, they intermingle between ages, and many older kids have chosen' another child that they relate to. Our 11- to 13-year-old children are really stepping up, because they are the oldest campers this year. We have many younger children playing lead roles. For many, it's their first time on stage, and they're learning as they're going," says Gibson.
This is one of the first times on stage for 11-year-old Nevaeh Travis, who is playing the lead of Ti Moune. Her experience with SPACE exemplifies the organization's commitment to teamwork and personal growth. "I like how instead of people acting jealous about not getting parts, everyone cheers me on and supports me," says Travis. "There really aren't any small roles. Even if you don't have a line to say, you're just as important as anyone else. We try to divide the camp so everyone has a singing part, a dancing role and a line or two," says Shura. "We've done our best to make this something very different from public school - breaking up cliques and intermingling kids so that we're one theatrical family," he continues.
"In most cities, theater, particularly children's theater, is about the result, not the process," says Shura. "Even as a young kid doing camp at SPACE, I knew it was about the learning process - understanding different people and things. You don't get that in a school setting, and now that everything is so media-driven, things are so stereotyped," Gibson continues.
"We're trying to send our kids and our audience into another world - something outside of technology- dancing, singing and talking to each other. Please come and support SPACE and the kids in Haiti who need us," Shura concludes.
Performances of "Once on This Island" will be held at the SPACE Theatre, 508 W. Perkins St., on Friday, July 26, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, July 27, at 2 and 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the Mendocino Book Company and the SPACE Box Office.
For more information, visit http://www.spaceperformingarts.org or phone (707) 462-9370.
For information on Hearthstone Village visit https://sites.google.com/site/hearthstonevillageorganization/.


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How to clean up an illegal camp
EUGENE, Ore. - Contractors with heavy equipment moved in Thursday to begin a 2-week cleanup in the West Eugene Wetlands and Bertelsen Nature Park area.
After weeks of warning, enforcement action Monday and Tuesday sent the remaining campers packing.
Michael Mascari with the Bureau of Land Management said two dozen or more camps left litter all over the place.
Propane tanks, old mattresses, broken down tents, tarps, boxes, shopping carts - plus bio-hazards: heaps of dirty needles and syringes galore greeted cleanup crews at one camp.
Mascari said they hope to have trash out no later than August 14.
Then begins two weeks of habitat rehabilitation work. Foliage will be thinned to reduce the risk of fire, invasive plants will be removed and work will begin to restore wetlands to natural conditions.
All oaks, cherry and other trees more than 24 inches in diameter will be left.
After that, BLM ranger patrols will have to be stepped up, Mascari said to keep campers from returning.
The land will reopen to hiking - but not camping - by the end of August, if all goes according to plan.


text:
Full round review:
Canterbury pulled off a last ball victory over Auckland to extend their lead to eight points at the Lincoln University National Under-19 Tournament in Lincoln.
Otago picked up a comfortable win over second-placed Central Districts to elevate into third, while Wellington cruised past Northern Districts to get off the bottom of the table.
The boys from the capital were led to a tournament high 331 for six by opener Sam Le Gros, who scored a sensational 123 off 103 balls. The bowlers then dismissed Northern for 225 to complete the emphatic 106 run victory.
Le Gros crushed 16 fours and three sixes in what was a brilliant display. He brought up his century off 91 balls and made sure his side would set an imposing target. Alongside a number of cameos from the likes of Sam Keegan (62) and Henry Walsh (52) Wellington well and truly surpassed 300.
Northern's response revolved around Anish Desai, who fought hard with 97 from 94 balls. Opener Sean McCarthy provided the most support for him with 41, but it wouldn't be enough.
Liam Sullivan took four wickets in his 9.3 overs for 55 runs to help his side end the game after 42.3 overs.
The closest game of the round was between Canterbury and Auckland, with the former reaching their target off 232 off the final ball.
Leo Carter (69) was the leading scorer from a solid all-round effort with the bat from the top-order, but his dismissal left the middle-order with a big task.
Sam Chamberlain (39*) put in a crucial effort at the end, but it was Marsh who proved to be the hero, hitting a boundary off the final delivery for the win.
Earlier, Auckland had benefited from a late 59 not out from Max O'Dowd to get them to a respectable total. Shawn Hicks did the early work with a well-made 73 to be the top-scorer, while Connor Ridge chipped in with 31.
They finished 231 for eight, with Canterbury's bowlers sharing the wickets.
In the other match, Otago upset Central Districts with a dominant 100 run triumph to slot into third. Having made 249 for nine in the first innings, they then ran through Central's line-up to dismiss them for 120 after 33 overs.
The pursuit got off to the worst possible start with both openers getting ducks, before number three Matthew Edmondson showed some resistance with 30 from 46 balls.
Unfortunately though that would be their top-score, as Otago's Michael Haddleton took impressive figures of four for 19 from six overs, ending their innings prematurely.
Otago's innings featured a number of starts, with opener Tom Griffin the only one to bring up his half-century with 56. Both Hamish O'Brien and Ben Willemsen made scores of 40 plus and overall seven players made double digits as they fell just one short of 250.
The tournament has a rest day tomorrow, before the teams get back into the action on Tuesday.
Points table:
Canterbury 31
Central Districts 23
Otago 18
Auckland 15
Wellington 15
Northern Districts 12


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Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Reports: Pacers may try to move Granger, but dont bet on it happening http://dlvr.it/2q1yYX #PBT #NBA
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Danny Granger is close to coming back, sometime right around the start of February. On the surface that suggests the Pacers could get better they have the best defense in the NBA but the 29th ranked offense (using points per possession). Granger gives them scoring and good wing defense, put him in the mix and in theory the Pacers get a lot better.
Or, they may just trade him instead.
Thats the buzz from a few places. ESPN.coms Marc Stein wrote this:
Interesting comments recently from Indys Paul George about how past Pacers teams all had an ego to them but how this one is putting the team first. Hard to imagine that the Pacers could find a trade taker for Danny Granger in the next 24 days before the deadline, given that Granger (knee) has missed the entire season so far, but it seems safe to suggest the end of the Granger era in Indy is drawing closer and closer.
ESPNs Chad Ford ads this:
If they can get him back into the swing of things quickly and get his trade value up expect them to try to flip him fast now that Paul George has replaced Granger as the alpha dog of the team
Pulling off a deal at the deadline will be hard because teams will be skeptical and not offering a ton after he missed months with a knee injury. Plus, Indiana is a team based around chemistry and fit where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. You have to defend well, you have to buy into the system and not every player fits what they do.
But look for the buzz to start heading into the deadline. A deal could happen.
Id say a summer deal is more likely, but that also might depend on how the Pacers play during the playoffs a deep run can change perspectives and plans. Just something to keep an eye on.


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Every sailor who calls a brokerage company to list his or her yacht for sale has the same agenda—sell my boat for the highest possible price in the shortest timeframe with the least amount of hassle. With that common theme comes a range of mistakes that work against the seller's best interests. Here are 10 things you should do to sell your boat quickly while still fetching the best price.
Good brokers sell boats; weak ones do not. Yacht brokering is a profession that requires a wide range of skills normally obtained over years of apprenticeship, often through the aegis of professional organizations such as the Yacht Brokers Association of America, the Florida Yacht Brokers Association or the California Yacht Brokers Association. Any truly successful North American yacht broker will be licensed and bonded in either Florida or California, and will likely carry the Certified Professional Yacht Broker credential from the Yacht Brokers Association of America.
There is no question that you should only be taking advice from a broker who is in the market on a daily basis selling boats just like the one you are trying to sell. Familiarity matters—a broker who can't confidently advise you on pricing or a potential buyer's sailing requirements will be crippled when it comes to the final moments of a deal.
As yacht sales are now a global business, look for a broker who works at a company that employs a wide range of marketing messages globally—boat show presentations, print, online and social media. Check the broker's web presence, MLS listings and website traffic rankings to make sure your yacht has the best exposure.
Make sure your broker is a part of a skilled team that can assist him when he or she is out of the office. Successful brokers travel often, so they need an expert team to support them when they are away.
If you price your boat too high, she will not sell. A professional yacht broker should provide you with a report of recent sold figures for boats such as yours, how they differed, and why they sold for what they sold for. He should offer you his advice on a proper retail price for your boat in the current market based on her condition, equipment, year, configuration and location
Many sellers wrongly assume that every upgrade they make to their yacht adds value; sadly, this is generally not the case. While there are many items that do in fact add value to boats for resale, they seldom fetch back what they cost to purchase or install.
The time in which your boat sells is tied largely to her price and condition. But her location can also play a major role. In the U.S., the hot spots for selling are the major yacht cities of Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Annapolis, Newport, San Francisco, Seattle and San Diego. These cities are easy to get to and a buyer can often see several different yachts on the same visit. In the Caribbean we find that the Virgin Islands, St. Martin and Grenada are the best locations for sales. In Europe, the South of France and Turkey are easy to get to as well, warm enough year round to complete a sale, and have a wide range of large shipyards where a survey can be conducted.
We always suggest that sellers allow us to produce a Catamaran Condition Index on their boat. With this report, we rate her overall condition in advance of a survey. Many buyers half a world away may be interested in your boat, but they have one lingering question: What condition is she really in? No buyer wants to take a long flight to learn that the boat he thought was a cream puff is really a worn-out charter boat.
One issue that presents problems is when boats are located where it is not only hard to visit them, but hard to survey them. Have you ever tried to haul a 30-foot cat in Tahiti? Cannot be done. Unless there are facilities to haul and survey your cat easily near her listing location, selling her will be doubly complicated.
Whether you list your boat for sale in a popular location for showings or an isolated one, it is vital that you work with your broker to provide him with every scrap of information you have on her history, good and bad. Buyers want to know everything they can—engine hours, gen hours, brand of electronics, recent refit history, damage history, where you sailed her, who has owned her, charter history, etc.
Getting very detailed information is even more vital if you are selling a lesser known brand or a custom or semi-custom boat. Who built it? Who designed it? How was it built? Can I stand up in the saloon if I am over six-feet tall?
There is no question that we always want to have as many pictures as we can get of any yacht we have for sale. Whenever a boat is close to us, we take them ourselves, and we also do a video walk-through. Hopefully these pictures do not show a boat that is cluttered. While I personally believe that pictures are seldom a good way to determine a boat's condition, many people on the Internet tend to disagree. The requests we get for "more pictures, please" is rather constant, so my advice at the start to any seller is the more the merrier. Videos are even better, as they give a good idea of the flow of the yacht
It boggles my mind how often yacht sellers fail to disclose accident history. I was recently involved in a sale where a few moments before I planned to send the seller an offer from a buyer I asked him pointedly, "Before we go into a survey, is there anything you wish to disclose to me?" After a long pause he admitted that he had a serious collision with a barge and his entire port hull had to be rebuilt.
Such "failure to disclose" is problematic for several reasons. The first is that any serious damage history is almost surely going to be revealed in a survey, and the moment this occurs the buyer is rightfully going to be very upset and question the integrity of the seller and the broker. Secondly, in North America, failing to disclose any damage that might impact the seaworthiness of a yacht or her resale value is a violation of the law. I believe this is why so many sellers who are selling damaged boats do so in the Southern islands of the Caribbean where the standards are lax and consumer protection laws quite limited. In short, honesty really is in the best policy when selling anything.
The cheapest and best thing you can do to sell your boat is to have her professionally buffed, waxed and detailed, and to have her cleaned once a week until she sells. It continues to amaze me how few of our sellers do this. The next most important actions are to have your engine rooms detailed, to have all rust removed, and to repaint any bow or stern lockers that are dirty or mildewed. Finally, remove all clutter, store only what you must, and have her looking spotless inside, with all beds made up nicely and with good ventilation running at all times. Cosmetics con-tinue to matter more than anything else—frankly, a lot of buyers are simply not experienced enough to see past a boat that needs a good buff and wax and detail.
Boats go market dead pretty fast. If you place your boat in a location that makes her hard to get to and you see no activity, you need to move her—fast—to a location where she can sell more easily. If your boat still isn't selling, you need to lower the price until you start to see some offers. It is always better to turn down offers that are too low than to get none at all.
Every boat has a value, whether she is on top of a reef or brand new off the shipyard floo. As long as she is priced properly for the current demand, she will sell.
Yacht sales often get a bit too personal, and sometimes sellers assume all sorts of ill intent from a given buyer when there is none. When I get into a sale I have no idea how a buyer or seller will behave in the heat of negotiations. But if there is one thing I have learned, it is this—anger is never helpful or profitable in business.
If you get an offer, you can accept it, reject it or counter it with the terms and price you can live with. If you find an offer upsetting, simply refuse to counter it. If you are selling the boat for far less than you had hoped, that is not the buyer's fault. You may have paid too much for her. You may have added on options that are not bringing you back the money they cost to install and purchase. The market condi-tions may have deteriorated since you bought her.
The only advice I can give to sellers who are upset about the price they are getting for their boats is to ask them to recall all the months or years they spent on her, then to consider what it would have cost them to charter for all of that time, and place a significant value on that. We buy boats for life enhancement, not as investments.
Never allow your boat to go into a survey unless you have had her props and bottom recently cleaned, her oil changed, and all of her engine and generator fluid stopped off. If something is broken prior to a survey and it needs to get fixed,fix it or it will show up as a negative in the survey. Many deals fall apart because a piece of equipment did not work and the seller knew in advance but did not tell his broker. Now is not the time to be cheap.
It is always a good idea for the seller or his skipper to be present at a survey to answer questions, explain operations and examine any potential defects the surveyor points out to the buyer. Should negotiations need to take place after the survey, there is nothing more helpful than knowing exactly what the problem was and what the surveyor believes is the best way to correct it.
After you have an acceptance of yacht, it is vital that you focus on the many details of transferring the title with your broker. Remain in easy reach by phone, email and courier express services. I am often surprised at how many sellers take off to far-flung places after the survey, where it is nearly impossible for them to work closely with us in expediting the closing process.
There is no reason at all why the process of a yacht sale should not be pleasant for the buyer, the seller and everyone else involved. While issues may arise that require serious negotiations, they should always be carried out in good faith and with a pleasant attitude. Yacht sales are often emotionally charged events for buyers and sellers. Keep the process positive and a positive result is far more likely to occur.
Andrew Holland is the Sales Manager of The Multihull Company and oversees 50 to 60 catamaran sales a year.


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Third-straight Top Five Finish Phoenix, AZ - 04/12/2004 - Will Turner and Don Salama earned the pole position and finished in second place in Saturday's Grand Am Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. Tim Pappas and Dino Crescentini ...
Third-straight Top Five Finish
Phoenix, AZ - 04/12/2004 - Will Turner and Don Salama earned the pole position and finished in second place in Saturday's Grand Am Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. Tim Pappas and Dino Crescentini joined them in the top ten with a sixth place finish. Salama and Turner now have the overall lead in the ST-class Championship. Turner Motorsport drivers are now leading Championships in two series (Bill Auberlen leads the SPEED Touring Car series after one round).
Don Salama set the team up for a good start by grabbing the pole position on Friday afternoon. He kept the Turner Motorsport BMW at the front of the field for much of the race and handed the 330i over to Will Turner on lap 65.
Don Salama: "This was a great car and my Grand Am Cup experience at this track added to our success. The pole position is great, our first of the season, and another second-place moves us up in the standings. Really the only way the Mazda team was going to catch us was with that abbreviated pit stop."
Will Turner got in the seat on lap 65 and took on four new tires and more fuel. He resumed the race in first place but was passed on his out lap by the Mazda. He stayed in second through the remainder of the race.
Will Turner: "Our BMW was solid through the whole race and we could have had a win here. The Mazda RX-8 pitted and only took two tires while we elected to change all 4. And that's where the race was. Our BMWs have been reliable and consistent this year, in addition to being fast, and that's why we're leading the Championship right now."
The #97 Turner Motorsport BMW scored another top ten finish with Tim Pappas and Dino Crescentini behind the wheel. The car was repaired after a crash in the last round at Homestead Raceway in Florida and Pappas qualified the car just outside the top ten in eleventh. The car got better as the race continued and he was able advance in to the top ten when it was time to let Crescentini take over on lap 62. Crescentini joined the Grand Am Cup team this weekend to cover for the ailing Steve Pfeffer.
The SPEED Channel will have the broadcast of the Phoenix race on Sunday, April 18, 2004 at 1 PM Easter. The next Grand Am Cup event is May 21-23 in Mt. Tremblant, Quebec.


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Rating: 3 1/2 stars.
Not rated: In Italian with English subtitles.
Starring: Toni Servillo, Carlo Verdone, Sabrina Ferilli, Carlo Buccirosso, Iaia Forte, Pamela Villoresi.
Director: Paolo Sorrentino.
Running time: 2 hrs. 22 min.
Playing: Landmark Nuart, West Los Angeles.
In person: Paolo Sorrentino is scheduled for a Q&A after the 4:45 p.m. show today, and for an introduction to and a Q&A after the 8 p.m. show today.
Paolo Sorrentino was not kidding when he named his movie "The Great Beauty." This ravishing, capital-A Italian art film takes full advantage of the varied, gorgeous backgrounds that Rome has to offer, then takes even more advantage with lusciously languid camera moves that enable one to soak in every classical design and character crack of age.
The same goes for leading man Toni Servillo's face. The actor's creased but canny countenance also served director Sorrentino well in the political machinations epic "Il Divo." Here, it's a well-worn road map to pleasure, and what hopefully might lie beyond.
Servillo plays Jep, a 65-year-old journalist who still thrives on la dolce vita with gusto, but whose nagging need to locate a purpose in life is starting to take over. Haunted by the past and fed up with what passes for friendships and romance in the waning Berlusconi era, Jep isn't exactly depressed — life is still good and his world could not be more attractive or seductive — but he can't stop the feeling that something is missing.
Comparisons to Federico Fellini have been plentiful, but "The Great Beauty" is very much its own thing. It's quite cynical in places, yes, sometimes even biting, but the film is infused with a distinct love for art, passion and the mysterious quality that draws us to beauty in the same way that we are compelled to breathe.
You'll want to drown in it.


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Question for the Money Doctors
Question submitted on Jan 24, 2013.
I am an insurance / business consultant.
I started my businss in 3/15/12. I am structured as an LLC and S-Corp for tax purposes.
I am preparing my 2012 tax return before the corporate deadline. I operate out of my home office, if I take the home office expenses deductions do I have to depreciate my home ?
Since I operate the business from one room in my home and I take a % of the home expenses as a business deduction, do I have the option to not depreciation my home ? Would it make a difference if I sold my home for a gain 5 years later?
You do not have to take depreciation expense but if you get audited you then can not go back and include it saying I just forget to take the deduction. Depreciation expense taken would be an add back on sale.
For additional information visit http://www.360financialliteracy.org/


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American Crossroads released this must watch short video about Barack Obama's contention that he is the 4th Greatest President of all-time.
But not to be upstaged by his boss, at yesterday's White House press briefing, when a reporter asked the president's spokesman Jay Carney about Barack Obama's claim that he could be considered the fourth best president in U.S. history, behind only Lincoln, FDR, and LBJ.
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Carney basically said, yes he is:
Sure, I mean, this has obviously been of great interest in the conservative blogosphere, but the fact of the matter is, he has — he was making a point about the volume and substance of the legislative accomplishments, and the foreign policy accomplishments, in his nearly three years in power. He was not making an assertion of — that only historians will make about the success or — this was not a comparison of success to other presidencies except in the significance and substance and size of the legislative accomplishments, whether it's health care reform, which was an effort that took 100 years to accomplish; or the Recovery Act, which was an enormous response to an historic economic crisis; the bailout of the automobile industry, the saving of the American automobile industry against great political opposition; and on the foreign policy front, continuing to take the fight successfully to al-Qaeda, embodied most notably in the successful mission to remove Osama bin Laden from the battlefield; the successful efforts that we led to bring the international community behind the effort of the Libyan opposition to remove Moammar Qaddafi from power.
I could go on, and believe me, I will, as time permits. But it was within the context of the substance and volume of what has happened in the face of enormous challenges in these past nearly three years.
Ah, see? Obama was not saying he was greater than George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or Ronald Reagan — except in "the significance and substance and size of the legislative accomplishments." And in some ways, he truly has exceeded all his predecessors, placing him in a category all his own.
The exchange begins at approximately 22:29 below.
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FC Dallas announced another major move in what has been a busy first week of the official MLS offseason, sending the rights to veteran forward Kenny Cooper and allocation money to Seattle Sounders FC in exchange for 27-year-old midfielder Adam Moffat.
In acquiring Moffat, FCD signs a player who started 28 games last year between Houston and Seattle, as well as starting 13 MLS Cup playoff games over the past three seasons.
In addition to the experience the midfielder brings, FCD signs a player with one of the most thunderous shots in the league. Let's take a look at some of the best #MoffatRocket's from the past few years(ignore the orange, he's in a better place now).
Moffat scores on a wicked shot from inside the box at Chicago
Moffat rifles in volley from 25 yards out vs. Revolution
Moffat scores another trademark strike from outside the box in 2012 playoffs
Moffat long-range strike slips through Greunebaum's fingers
Moffat scores emphatic goal vs. FCD
Moffat MLS Cup assist
Moffat scores from way downtown in 2011


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The Portal is the realization of a vision to build a flexible, technology-rich center for learning, research, training, collaboration and content production. Visitors enjoy open space equipped with a combination of PCs, laptops, and tablets that greatly expand public Internet-enabled access. Conveniences include a shared printer, multiple power outlets, and casual seating with pervasive wi-fi. Knowledgeable and approachable staff members with well-developed user instruction skills assist customers.
Features of The Portal include:
Digital Arts Suite
A unique space for digital art creation, information and inspiration with options to create and edit video, audio, and photos. Customers can access professional-level editing software and preserve slides, photos and home movies by converting them to digital formats. Equipment to create, record, and edit original music and more are included.
Audio/Video-Conference Suite
Group conferencing technologies enable library customers to participate online in off-site educational programs and training. A large digital whiteboard aids in enhancing the learning opportunities.
Language Learning Suite
People of all ages and abilities may access this closed space, equipped with headphones and microphones for learning, listening, and practicing foreign languages, for example, French, German, and Japanese.
Family Technology Suite
Adults and youth may learn together using multiple computers with age-based software and educational games. Additional options include a variety of child-friendly technologies.
The Portal is made possible through TCPL's Library Improvement Reserve Fund and gifts from local corporations and private donors.


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Discover the multi-culture life in Malaysia. Visit colorful Kuala Lumpur, beautiful sceneries in Cameron Highlands, Penang, Kota Bahru, Terengganu, Kuantan, and experience the historical towns that happen to be the newly UNESCO recognized sites – Penang..
The rainy season along the East Coast is from November to February. Unexpected flash floods, although rarely, may occur. In such circumstances, the Company reserves the right to make necessary changes to the itinerary.
During the Hari Raya and the Chinese New Year, some places of interest are closed (Festive Dates are subject to change).


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Beijing Wada International Hostel
Real Reviews
Real reviews from fellow travellers
These are trusted reviews from guests who have actually stayed here. We hope you find them helpful.
Note: we only give a property a rating once it has received a minimum of 3 reviews.
- Page:1/1
- " Almost the worst hostel I have ever experienced. Not helpful staff, very dirty and wet toilets. The dorms cannot be locked!!! I felt very unsafe!!! Also it's quite cold inside and outside dorms. "
- 03 Dec 2012 Anonymous China


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Our Mortgage Pre-Qualification Program is a service that allows you to find out upfront how much of a mortgage you will qualify for. Save time and money by looking for homes in your price range.
We will provide you with a pre-qualification letter so you can shop for your new home with confidence. Our process includes an income and credit analysis to provide you with a creditable letter that you can use when shopping for your new home.
You will need the following information in order for us to complete the Pre-Qualification application:
- Income Verification - (original W-2's for the past two years and most recent two years Federal income tax returns)
- Completed mortgage application
- Most recent pay stub
- Two Months Bank Statements
Please call our Mortgage Department at (518) 584-5844 or email us.
Mortgage is subject to credit and property approval.


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10th Mountain Division veteran, leader remembered for outreach to soldiers
By GORDON BLOCK | Watertown Daily Times, N.Y. | Published: March 14, 2013
WATERTOWN, N.Y. — The former president of the National Association of the 10th Mountain Division, Nathan E. Morrell, was remembered for his big heart and his enthusiasm for Fort Drum soldiers.
"He appreciated their sacrifice and service, and he let them know that," said Michael T. Plummer, the organization's president.
Mr. Morrell, 89, died March 6 at Samaritan Medical Center. The post hosted a funeral for him last weekend.
Training with the division at Camp Hale, Colo., Mr. Morrell served with the division in Italy during World War II. He also was a medic during the Korean War. Mr. Morrell earned a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars during his career.
After leaving the Army, the New Hampshire native moved in 1967 to New York, where he ran several businesses.
His daughter, Jennifer A. Morrell, said her father always was taking on new projects and learning new things.
"He loved history, he loved politics and he loved the 10th Mountain Division," she said.
Mr. Morrell served as president of the division's organization from 1998 to 2001.
Among the accomplishments during his time leading the organization was the development of the 10th Mountain Military Monument. He also was chairman of the organization's board from 2002 to 2007.
Mr. Plummer said Mr. Morrell brought a large amount of enthusiasm to his work.
"Everything in the glass was half full," he said. "His optimism was contagious."
In recent months, he was involved in the Project Fallen Warrior Monument, which is expected to be finished this fall.
James W. Corriveau, who worked with him on the statue, said he first met Mr. Morrell in 1998 when he was planning a reunion of about 350 10th Division soldiers on post.
The highlight of the reunion, Mr. Corriveau said, was the march of veterans in formation at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.
"It was quite a scene, a bunch of proud old guys, and Nate was the ringleader for all that," he said.
Mr. Corriveau, the post's director of public works, said Mr. Morrell set up several opportunities for current soldiers to interact with the veterans during the reunion.
"He wanted more engagement between the young soldiers of today and the veterans of World War II while they were still around," he said.
Craig Boss, the organization's executive director, said the outreach was appreciated.
"They're looking at this guy who was in combat in the 1940s, 1950s, and they're going through the same stuff now," Mr. Boss said. "They share the same bond."
He said Mr. Morrell was a regular visitor to division headquarters.
"He'd literally just go into an office and plop into a chair and talk to you if you were in uniform," he said.
In addition to his daughter, Mr. Morrell is survived by a sister, Marion Owen, along with several nieces and nephews.|
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My experience, being German-by-origin (but Greek-by-ancestry), doesn't quite match up with that. If you step outside those cities, it gets really hard to sustain any sort of group.
I tried to run one here in Cologne, which eventually became cologne.pm [pm.org], but while the group isn't as dead as its website, it's just barely on this side of death.
I feel terribly lonely in my geekiness…
That sounds quite sensible. I think I'll post a pointer to this to the list.


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Two students selected to teach in Europe
MAY 1, 2003 - Two Muskingum College students are putting their education to work a long way from New Concord. Kate Ryder '04 and Jessica Raffelson '04 will travel to Europe to teach English to students in Spain and France, respectively.
Ryder will teach at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Toledo, Spain. She will teach English as a second language to Spanish-English majors and to those interested in taking an English course. Ryder is the fourth Muskingum student to teach in Spain.
Dr. Russ Brown, professor of Spanish, offered Ryder this opportunity, but Ryder didn't give it more complete thought until she did a semester abroad at the University of Alcala de Henares in Spain. Ryder said she is very much looking forward to her next experience across the ocean. "Even if you have only a small interest in traveling and studying in another country, do it," Ryder said.
"One semester abroad was not enough for me. I am very excited to be returning to Spain. I love the new appreciation for the U.S. I feel when I'm over there," Ryder said.
Raffelson is president of the French Club, and majors in French with a minor in Spanish. She will be going to the Institut Unversitaire de Technologie in Nice in the south of France.
Raffelson will assist 10 different professors and may act as a substitute when the faculty needs her. "I don't know exactly what courses I'll be involved in, but the school specializes in computer science, engineering, marketing and business," she said.
Dr. Jean Morris, associate professor of French, told Raffelson about the possibility of teaching in Nice, gave her information about it and guided her through the application process. Dr. Morris also was a student teacher at IUT.
Raffelson will leave this August for nine months and Ryder will leave this September, returning to the states next June.
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Hechavarria sits with soreness in elbow
MIAMI -- One of the most durable Marlins was scratched from the lineup on Saturday afternoon.
As the team was winding down batting practice, shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria -- who has been dealing with soreness in his right elbow since April 2013 -- headed to the clubhouse with trainer Sean Cunningham.
"Hech has had the same re-occurring thing as last year," manager Mike Redmond said. "He gets treatment on it every day. Sometimes it flares up."
Ed Lucas made the start in place of Hechavarria, who is listed as day to day.
Prior to Saturday, Hechavarria appeared in 72 games. Only Giancarlo Stanton (74) and Casey McGehee (73) have been in more.
The 25-year-old is batting .272 with 10 doubles and three triples. In the past week, he hit either second or eighth in the lineup.
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. He writes a blog, called The Fish Pond. Follow him on Twitter


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As part of National Heart Month, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, Montclair Plaza and the American Heart Association have joined forces to put on the Survivor's Fashion Show.
The show will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 23 in the Lower Level of Macy's Court at the Montclair Plaza, 5060 E. Plaza Lane in Montclair.
About a dozen Inland Valley residents who are survivors of heart conditions will serve as fashion show models for the event that is hosted by Macy's, according to a statement from the hospital.
The models received treatment at the hospital's Stead Heart and Vascular Center, the statement said.
In addition to the fashion show the program will include a hands-only CPR demonstration and a talk on heart disease, it's prevention and treatment.
Live entertainment, free samples, exercise demonstrations and door prizes will be part of the event.
The event is tied to the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women campaign.
The campaign is part of efforts to educate the public about the problem of heart disease in women and advocate for prevention services.


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A new study says that for children and teens who suffer violence at the hands of peers, immediate one-on-one mentoring on how to avoid conflict and diffuse threats reduces their risk of becoming victims again. Participants who received personalized counseling and formed a mentoring relationship with counselors reported 25% fewer fights and 42% fewer injuries from fights six months later.
711 Third Avenue - Suite 700 | New York, NY 10017 | 212-949-4800 | 212-949-4936 (Development)
The Children's Aid Society is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization


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I'd say it was a success, since I made these today and ate the entire bowl for lunch! I realize that some families have very determined brussels sprouts haters (and I'm looking at my sister Pam when I say that) but I'm adding this to my growing list of Carb-Conscious Thanksgiving Recipes as another option if people in your family are open-minded about brussels sprouts. And here are my picks for The BEST Low-Carb and Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Side Dishes, in case you'd like more ideas.
Shredded and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Almonds and Parmesan are seriously amazing. And since today officially starts the Countdown to Thanksgiving 2013, I'm recommending this recipe as a Thanksgiving side dish. But don't save them just for Thanksgiving, please try these for dinner soon!
I used coarsely grated parmesan cheese, which I thought was ideal for this.
Shredded and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Almonds and Parmesan
(Makes 2-3 servings, or an entire lunch for a hungry food blogger; recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from lots of shredded brussels sprouts seen in other places.)
1 lb. brussels sprouts
1 1/2 T olive oil plus about 1 tsp. for brushing roasting pan
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1-2 T coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 T toasted slivered almonds (could use other types of nuts as well)
Brush a roasting pan with 1 tsp. of olive oil and arrange the brussels sprouts on the pan in a single layer. Roast until the brussels sprouts are nicely browned on the edges and tender, about 25 minutes. I turned them about every 10 minutes.
During the last few minutes of roasting time, put almonds in a dry pan and toast 1-2 minutes, shaking the pan so they don't burn. Don't walk away because they go from nicely browned to burned in a few seconds.
Wipe out the bowl you used to toss the raw brussels sprouts in, and when they are cooked through and browned as much as you'd like, toss the hot sprouts with the coarsely grated Parmesan. Arrange on serving dish, sprinkle almonds over and serve.
(Normally a pound of vegetables will serve four people, but these shrink up a bit when they're roasting, so if you're serving more than 3 people I would double the recipe and roast on a large cookie sheet.)
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Nutritional Information?
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans (with or without Gorgonzola cheese) from Kalyn's Kitchen
Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cheese from White on Rice Couple
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts from Kalyn's Kitchen
Brussels Sprouts with Black Bean Garlic Sauce from Simply Recipes
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Burton Flint Messenger Bag
Urban grid or daily grind, this classic messenger fuses vintage vibes with practical, every day organization.
The Burton Flint Messenger is a classic design that excels in intense environments thanks to a synthesis of practical internal organization, 20 liters of space, and padded laptop protection. From a style standpoint, this messenger exudes a deep rooted feel with faux leather detailing, dressed up fabrics, and vintage vibes that set it apart from the standard issue.
- Laptop Compartment [8.75in x 14.75in x 1.5in] [22cm x 37.5cm x 4cm]
- Internal Organization
- Exterior Slip and Zippered Pockets
- Magazine / Notebook Pocket
- Shoulder Strap
- Removable Cross Body Bike Strap
- Lifetime Warranty


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Event Contact
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Telephone: 800-343-9619
Website: http://www.enservio.com
Visit us at Booth(s) 13
About our Company
Enservio, the nationwide leader in contents claims management, provides software and services to property insurance carriers and their policy holders nationwide including inventory capture, valuation, analytics and replacement.
317.875.5250 - Indianapolis | 202.628.1558 - Washington, D.C.
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Speaking to FoodNavigator at the recent Food Vision event in Cannes, the Dutch insect expert noted that from a nutritional standpoint 'insects are more or less comparable to livestock.'
"They are even a bit better, because they have more polyunsaturated fatty acids they common livestock," he added - noting that insects also generally contain more minerals and are much better for the environment than consuming more traditional sources of animal protein.
"Insects produce much less greenhouse gasses," said van Huis. "They are also very efficient in converting feed to edible weight."
Economic benefits?
However, the potential benefits of switching to insect protein are not just in the nutritional and environmental impact. There is a strong economic and business care for investigating the use of insects too:
"There are quite some economic benefits," he confirmed. "First of all you can rear the insects on organic waste streams .
"One third of our food, or our agricultural produce in the world, is wasted. We can grow insects on these waste streams and then end up with a high protein product."