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The health of people in Britain is being put at risk by official policy that discourages sunbathing and promotes use of sunblock products. The cost of disease caused by insufficient exposure to sunlight and consequent deficiency of vitamin D is estimated to be billions of pounds per year in Britain.
Government advice to "cover up, keep in the shade…and use factor 15 plus sunscreen"* is based on outdated information, mistaken interpretation of evidence and guesswork. It ignores evidence showing that insufficient vitamin D is closely associated with, and almost certainly is a cause of, dozens of chronic diseases including 16 different types of cancers, several nervous system diseases including schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis, diabetes, raised blood pressure, polycystic ovary disease, menstrual problems, infertility, infections and dental decay.
It may seem incredible that such a long list of very different diseases could all be caused, at least in part, by insufficient vitamin D. However research accumulating over the last 10 years provides solid evidence in hundreds of scientific papers which are summarised in a new report: Sunlight Robbery: Health benefits of sunlight are denied by current public health policy in the UK, written by Oliver Gillie, a former medical correspondent on the Sunday Times and ex-medical editor of the Independent. The report is published by the Health Research Forum.
Oliver John Gillie | alfa
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I am compelled to write in response to recent letters decrying the unending toll resulting from gun violence in our society.
One such writer began by stating he was "sick and tired of these school shootings" and "it is time to fix the reason why they occur." I wholeheartedly concur. However, what I am "sick and tired" of is the shocking number of people who stupidly refuse to face reality in these cases. And, as a retired teacher, I am especially outraged that the gentleman quoted above and many others call for the arming of our teachers as a solution.
Other writers claim that the unending carnage in our streets is God's retribution for the tolerance of homosexuality, legalized abortion, banning of prayer in schools (not true) and even the teaching of evolution. Really? As a devout Catholic, I find it repulsive that anyone would think that Almighty God would be complicit in the brutal slaughter of beautiful, innocent children to prove a point about our behavior.
The violence in our schools and society at large is the result of many things, not the least of which include the massive number and types of weapons, ever deadlier ammunition and the deliberate obstruction of any attempt at meaningful discussion of the situation by the National Rifle Association and other groups.
Contrary to their propaganda this is not a Second Amendment issue. Rather, it is about striking a balance between the rights of the individual and the desire for all of us to be able to live peaceably and safely as a society of people. The contrasting views of the two recent presidential candidates, the parties they represented and the philosophies they espoused could not have illustrated that split more clearly. None of the rights we cherish are absolute. All of them have limitations where they conflict with the welfare of others who are our friends and neighbors. I am even more deeply confused and saddened to see that, often, those who most loudly and proudly call themselves "Christian" seem to be the very people most strongly in support of individuals owning and using weapons created for the sole purpose of killing other human beings. "What would Jesus do?" indeed!
Law enforcement members and agencies whom we never cease to applaud and most glowingly honor (albeit sometimes tragically too late) have been pleading for years for limits on public access to certain types of weapons, ammunition and the body armor being used to deadly effect against them by an increasing number of violent criminals and we have turned our backs on them. A noted speaker last week, in discussing the killings in Newtown, Conn., stated that several of the first responders likely would have been killed by the shooter, had he not first shot himself, because he was better equipped than they were. Shouldn't this incident be the last in which that could be said?
As for solutions to this problem, I can say that arming teachers is not an answer. Would we all wear guns all day? If not, would they be of any use in a moment's notice if they were hidden somewhere in a classroom for use in such an incident. Does anyone think that there is a "safe" place to put a gun where students wouldn't find it if it were left unlocked? Come on people, get real!
We can begin by discussing a ban on assault weapons and ammunition such as "cop killer" bullets. We can close the gun show "loophole." We can limit the number of guns that can be purchased in a given period of time. We can lengthen the waiting period for the purpose of carrying out seriously thorough background checks on those attempting to buy weapons. We can require the reporting of lost or stolen weapons. If those things represent a greater inconvenience to "law abiding" gun owners and purchasers, I'm sorry, but too much innocent blood has been shed for anything less. And, all of those things can be accomplished without denying anyone the right to hunt safely and to defend their family from harm. And we can, and should, closely look at how we address the issue of caring for the mentally ill in our society, many of whom, since the days of Ronald Reagan, have been thrust out into the streets without real care in a misguided (or deliberately false) plan to provide for them greater dignity.
We absolutely should, as a recent writer advised, pray and consult our Bibles. But should we continue to stand by paralyzed by rhetoric and politics worshiping a false god of individualism and a "right" to what is mine above all else and that of any and all others? We are not a nation of 316 million separate individuals. We are "We the people of the United States." We live in a society with each other and it is time for us to again seek a more perfect union.
Bob Thornton

subset: commoncrawl


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For the second meeting in a row, Robinson Township Board of Supervisors continued a zoning hearing decision Monday on whether proposed Range Resources drilling sites would be approved.
During a Nov. 21 meeting, supervisors agreed to delay a vote on the approval of a conditional use permit on the property of Micheale F. Parees and Robert M. Frame off Midway-Candor Road. The hearing was reconvened at Monday's meeting in order to give supervisors more time to review documents submitted for the site.
Range also had requested supervisors move the decision of a property owned by Roger and Susan Kendall near Foley Road in order for engineers to prepare documents.
Both locations are proposed sites for Marcellus Shale natural gas fracture drilling.
When supervisors moved to reconvene the hearing on the Parees property, Range lawyer Shawn Gallagher chose not to participate. Objecting to what he considered a breach of judicial procedure, Range officials declined to comment on the application.
"It's highly inappropriate for you to continue this hearing," Gallagher said. "Anything else is in excess of due process."
Robinson solicitor John Smith disagreed.
"It's the board's decision when to close the hearing," Smith said.
Board officials argued they had not had time to go over the large number of documents Range entered at the last meeting without offering sufficient time to review the materials. They said there were inaccuracies and omissions, as well as contradicting information including some property lines that were marked off differently on Range and municipal maps.
Much of the meeting's dialogue was contentious as board members tried to get the specifics of Range's site plans for both properties.
"You're lack of understanding and blatant disregard for the law is not my problem, Mr. Copeland," Gallagher said to chairman of the board Brian Coppola.
Members of the public showed frustration at the tone the legal representative took during the proceedings.
"I've watched this board have four wells done in a half hour," said one resident. "Now we've got a lawyer that's so rude to us people he won't even answer any questions. I think it's terrible."
Without any further input from Range, supervisors again postponed a final decision until the next meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 14.
Range officials did speak during the zoning hearing for the Kendall property.
That site was proposed to contain between three and 10 wells on the 84.5-acre property, described as residential or agricultural field surrounded by trees. The well pad would be 520 by 300-feet with a 14.5-acre barrier.
A construction phase would last five weeks in which 19 trucks would access the site each day. A 21-day well site preparation phase would see minimal traffic to the location as onsite vehicles would be excavating and constructing the well pad. The delivery portion of the operation would last 70 days at a rate of 50 trucks-per-day. The actual drilling operation would then begin, lasting for 48 days and consisting of 24-hour activity.
Citing the same argument, supervisors voted to postpone their decision on the Kendall property until Jan. 14 in order to view exhibits Range submitted.
At the end of the hearing, some board members showed surprise at the tone of the proceedings.
"We just need to know," Coppola said. "We're not trying to make it any more difficult. "Mr. Gallagher, I just don't understand this confrontational nature."
Range Resources director of corporate communications Matt Pitzarella emailed this statement about the Robinson meeting.
"At the direction of their solicitor, who moonlights as a gas attack attorney, the suggestion that 'Range won't answer questions,' is now the same tired excuse to try and demonize our company, as part of John Smith's personal get rich quick scheme at the expense of the taxpayers. If we've proven one thing over the last eight years, its that we're transparent and open questions and attorney John Smith has proven he's out for himself not communities."
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Men's Brooks PureFlow 2 Running Shoes
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Like peanut butter and jelly or water and energy gels, the lightweight construction and lush cushioning of the PureFlow 2 are a perfect match. The key to blending the two is engineering comfort features in a lean way like a shaped BioMoGo DNA midsole that gives your feet a cushy feel without added materials. It's a match your feet will hunger for.
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Student's art earns national honors
Citizen Staff Reports 10/01/12
Douglas Freeman High School tenth-grader Anna Laughter (pictured) recently learned that a drawing she completed last year will be placed on display at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach Nov. 16 through Dec. 30.
The recognition, part of The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers' "Art. Write. Now. Tour 12-13," is the latest for Laughter's work, which earlier had earned three other honors.
The piece also earned a Gold Key Regional Award as part of The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program and was displayed in February and March at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Later, the piece was named a Gold Medal winner at the national level and also was selected as a Best In Grade (BIG) award recipient – one of only two pieces nationally submitted by ninth-graders (from among 7,123 such works) to earn the award. It was featured on display in New York City in June along with other Gold Medal award-winners, and Laughter also earned a $500 scholarship.
Music makers
Citizen Staff Reports 10/19/2017 EducationHigh SchoolsGeneral News
Members of the Glen Allen High School Marching Band perform at Glen Allen High School Oct. 16 as part of the annual Henrico County Public Schools Band Showcase. > Read more.
McShin Academy expanding to St. Joseph's Villa
By Tom Lappas, Citizen Editor 10/18/2017 EducationGeneral NewsNon-Profits
Two Lakeside-area nonprofits are partnering to create what is believed to be the first recovery high school in Virginia.
The McShin Academy will be a joint effort of the McShin Foundation (a recovery community organization based at Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church in Lakeside) and St. Joseph's Villa (a 183-year-old nonprofit on Brook Road that provides a variety of services for children with special needs). > Read more.
Reynolds CC dedicates student center
Citizen Staff Reports 10/18/2017 EducationColleges and UniversitiesGeneral News
Reynolds Community College recently celebrated the dedication of the Jerry and Mary Owen Student Center, named for longtime supporters of the college who have made numerous investments in it.
Jerry Owen served on the Reynolds College Board from 1984 to 1988, and he and his wife support the college's scholarship fund and created an endowment for the Reynolds Middle College, which helps students earn a high school equivalency and transition into a degree or workforce credential program. > Read more.
Capital One sponsors 'Coders Experience'
Citizen Staff Reports 10/18/2017 BusinessGeneral News
Capital One hosted its "Coders Experience" event in Richmond and a number of other state locations Oct. 14. The events attracted hundreds of middle school girls, who learned how to create their own mobile apps, hone problem-solving skills and gain software development knowledge. A second day of Coders Experience events will take place Oct. 21. More than 500 Capital One volunteers are participating in the 10 events. > Read more.
Hermitage band member named All-American
Citizen Staff Reports 10/17/2017 EducationGeneral News
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl Presented by American Family Insurance Selection Tour will visit Hermitage H.S. Oct. 19 to recognize Truman Chancy as a 2018 U.S. Army All-American. Hermitage High School will honor Chancy before his classmates, bandmates, family and friends at the high school's band room during band practice, and he will be presented with his honorary All-American Marching Band jacket. > Read more.
Hermitage band member named All-American
Crime Stoppers' Crime of the Week: Oct. 16, 2017
Slipping through
Challenger Day will get students with disabilities onto the field
Business in brief
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Oct. 19, 2017Current edition | Archive
Weekend Top 10
Chopt Creative Salad Co. opens Oct. 17 at Willow Lawn
Weekend Top 10
CSz Richmond to operate as nonprofit
Weekend Top 10
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Obituary – Margaret B. "Peggy" Catlett
Obituary – Patricia Wells Melton
Obituary - Dorothy M. Wade
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Green Top Outdoor Expo starts Saturday
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The first thing you see when you visit the WPIAL website is the district's sportsmanship message.
In part, it reads, "The WPIAL reminds member schools to act proactively … to emphasize the importance of good sportsmanship at all athletic events."
One has to wonder if that message was forgotten Wednesday night in an effort to get a player an individual achievement.
When is an achievement not really an achievement? When it is accomplished in a less than sporting manner?
It can be argued that was the case Wednesday night when California's Courtnee McMasters scored 56 points in a victory over winless Mapletown.
McMasters is a very good basketball player, one of the best girls players in the area. In fact, she entered this week ranking second in Washington and Greene counties in scoring.
The Mapletown girls basketball team, on the other hand, is – how can we put this delicately? – not good.
The Maples not only don't have a senior player – the only one they began the season with, Marissa Wrick, was lost to an injury early in the year – but they don't have a junior, either. The entire team is comprised of freshmen and sophomores. In essence, they are a junior varsity team playing a varsity schedule. Not surprisingly, they've lost every game they've played, each by a large margin.
Mapletown's 81-31 Section 3-A loss to California was no different, except for this: McMasters played well into the fourth quarter and scored 56 points.
Why would playoff-bound California leave its best player in a game it was leading 61-27 entering the fourth quarter? Because McMasters began the game with 910 career points.
To his credit, California head coach Chris Minerd approached Mapletown head coach Mike Holloway before the game and told him the Trojans were going to try to get McMasters as many points as possible to get her closer to 1,000.
And, according to Minerd, Holloway said it was OK.
But what was he supposed to say? No?
It's likely McMasters could have scored 56 points – maybe more – without the approval of Holloway.
But just because Holloway said it was fine, that didn't make it the right thing to do. There is sportsmanship to think about.
And having a player go out and try to score as many points in a game that is certain to be a blowout tickles the line of good taste.
Would it have been so bad, for instance, if McMasters, who entered the week averaging just under 21 points per game, scored 40 points against the Maples before giving way to the reserves?
That would have left her 50 points short of 1,000 with at least three games – two in the regular season and one in the playoffs – remaining to play. She scored 18 points in a loss to Avella Thursday night and would have needed only 32 in two games to reach 1,000 career points.
Perhaps the bigger question should be, was it really worth throwing sportsmanship out the window to achieve an individual milestone?
Basketball is, after all, a team game. And if you can't achieve your personal goals within the context of winning the game, then maybe they aren't meant to be.
Countless other teams could have run the score up or had players put up 50 points against the undermanned Maples.
They didn't.
In fact, the 81 points scored by the Trojans was 15 more than anyone else chose to score against the Maples.
Most teams chose not to embarrass the Mapletown players. California, which was in Mapletown's shoes not all that long ago, chose to try to get McMasters a career milestone.
But in doing so, the Trojans cheapened the achievement.
F. Dale Lolley can be reached at email@example.com.
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Almanac Diamond Dozen
The 2013 scholastic baseball season blended the old with the new as traditional powers such as Bethel Park and Chartiers Valley made room for Keystone Oaks and Canon-McMillan. While the Black Hawks and the Colts reached the WPIAL playoffs as did Mt. Lebanon, the Golden Eagles and Big Macs dominated the headlines with their unexpected campaigns. Keystone Oaks mounted the best spring in the program's history while Canon-Mac, five years removed from a state title, regained its championship form, garnering an unexpected section banner in what was expected to be a rebuilding year.
Hence it comes as no surprise that The Almanac's 2013 Diamond Dozen is a blend of the aforementioned schools but with the Golden Eagles claiming the top honors. Jared Skolnicki earned Most Valuable Player laurels while manager Scott Crimone gained Coach of the Year Accolades. KO freshman first baseman Nick Riggle shares Rookie of the Year acclaim with CV's Tanner Garris.
Under Crimone, KO recorded the finest season in the school's history. The Golden Eagles shared a section banner with rival Char Valley, finished third in the WPIAL and reached the PIAA semifinals before falling to Upper Moreland, 3-1. KO finished 20-6 overall.
In addition to Skolnicki, (see related story), Ryan Ribeau played a key role in KO's success. The senior called the shots behind the plate. An all-section performer, he caught eight runners stealing and maintained a .991 fielding average.
At the plate, he ranked No. 2 in hitting with a .357 average. Ribeau drove in 17 and scored 15 runs. He drilled three doubles and a triple. He swiped five bases, second on the club.
"Ryan was clearly the best catcher in the section this season," said KO manager Scott Crimone. "He had a fantastic career here at KO."
Ribeau will continue to play baseball in college. He will attend the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg in the fall.
Three star for CV
Chartiers Valley shared a section title with Keystone Oaks as both clubs split decisions and finished 8-2 in league play. The Colts finished 17-5 overall but fell to the Golden Eagles, 4-3, in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs.
Three reasons for the Colts' success this season were Matt Mulvihill, Jake Horew and Tanner Garris.
A three-year starter, Mulvihill ranked as the ace of one of the top pitching staffs in the district. The senior compiled a 4-0 mark before picking up a key 2-1 win over Belle Vernon in the first round of the Class AAA playoffs. A solid stick, Mulvihill ranked among the leaders in the WPIAL with 29 RBI during the regular season. CV's No. 3 batter gained all-section honors for the second season in a row.
While Horew also garnered another all-section acclaim, Garris gained his first all-section laurel.
A four-year starter, Horew has anchored the CV defense at shortstop. The senior, who batted .456 in 2012, again ranked among the top hitters, not to mention run-producers in the WPIAL. He drove in 24 runs and scored 29 times during the regular season for the Colts. Horew capped his career by participating in the WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association's recent all-star game, playing for the Class AAA club.
Only a sophomore, Garris shares Almanac Rookie of the Year honors with rival Nick Riggle from Keystone Oaks.
An outfielder, Garris ranked among the top hitters in the district. He stroked 30 hits in 66 at bats for a .455 average during the regular season. He also scored 26 runs.
Duo lead CM
While many expected the experienced Black Hawks to claim the Section 5-AAAA title, Canon-McMillan edged BP for the top spot. The Big Macs won the banner with an 8-2 slate while the Hawks tied Lebo for second place with a 7-3 record. In the WPIAL quarterfinals, CM and BP were both eliminated while Lebo lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Kevin Forrester and Frank Fortunato played key roles in CM's successful 12-8 season. Both seniors earned all-section laurels and participated in the WPIAL Coaches Association's all-star contest.
A pitcher, Forrester compiled a 7-1 record on the mound. In 55 innings, he struck out 17 and walked eight. He maintained a 2.77 ERA. Offensively, Forrester batted .377 with three doubles and eight walks. He drove in 12 and scored 19 runs.
A third baseman, Fortunato led the Big Macs in batting with a .464 average. Of his 32 hits, nine went for doubles, one for a triple and another for a homer. He led the club in RBI with 20 and runs scored with 21. Fortunato also managed a team-high 12 walks, nine stolen bases and sacrifices.
Two star for BP
Logan Corrigan and Dakota Forsyth paced Bethel Park to a 17-5 record. Both earned all-section acclaim as well as played for the Quad-A all-stars in the WPIAL feature game.
A senior, Corrigan batted .448 with a .554 on-base percentage and an .821 slugging average thanks to four home runs. He drove in 18 and scored 20 runs.
A four-year starter, who guided BP to three playoff appearances, Corrigan compiled a 5-1 record on the mound. The southpaw fanned 29 batters in 26 innings. Defensively, said BP skipper Tony Fisher, Corrigan was a "sound" first baseman. He will play college baseball at James Madison University.
A senior, Forsyth will attempt to walk on at Penn State. He batted 386 with a .527 on-base percentage. He scored 18 times and drove in 18 runs. A four-year starter at shortstop, Forsyth helped BP compile a 49-14 record in the past three seasons. "He is without a doubt, the best defensive infielder in the South Hills," said Fisher.
Bahm leads Lebo
Mt. Lebanon enjoyed a successful rebuilding year thanks to the play of Zach Bahm. After reaching the state semifinals last spring and losing eight starters, the Blue Devils returned to the playoffs after finishing 7-3 and tied for second place in Section 5 because of Bahm's play on the mound and at first place.
The junior posted a 5-2 record on the mound. Four of his wins were complete games and two were shutouts. He struck out 41.
"Zach's pitching carried us through the section," said Patt McCloskey. "With our relatively inexperienced team, his consistency and endurance allowed us to make the playoffs. His going seven innings so often took the pressure off the rest of the staff."
Once the pressure on his injured ankle abated, Bahm also contributed offensively. He tied for top honors on the team with 11 RBI. He also smashed a team-high two homers.
"Zach really gutted it out for us each time his number was called and he finished the year back in the line-up and hit amazingly well with 10 RBI and two homers in his last five games. He should be one of our better hitters next year."
Fetchet a hit
Not just in football and wrestling, but baseball as well, Michael Fetchet was a hit for South Fayette. The senior helped the Lions earn a playoff berth after finishing behind CV and KO in the section standings. The Columbia University wrestling recruit earned his second appearance on the Almanac Diamond Dozen list. He also gained all-section honors for the second season in a row.
During the 6-4 regular season, he ranked among the top hitters in the WPIAL with a .463 average. An outfielder, who has helped throw out runners at the plate, also contributed as a pitcher for the Lions, who finished 10-9 overall.
Watschak excels
A senior, Chris Watschak earned All-Section honors and he participated for the Quad-A during the WPIAL Coaches Association's all-star game. He doubled as a pitcher and first baseman for the Peters Township, which finished 5-5 in the section but 13-6 overall.
Watschak led the team with a .473 average. Of his 26 hits, five went for doubles, three for round trippers and one for a triple. He drove in a team-high 21 runs and scored 12 times.
Boehme stars
Just a junior, David Boehme ranked among the top hitters in the WPIAL. He also led Seton-La Salle to a third-place finish (8-6) in Section 1-AA and a post-season playoff berth, where the Rebels lost to Riverside, 2-1, in the first round.
Boehme batted .450 (23-for-51). He clubbed three homers and drove in 20 runs. When he didn't start in the infield, Boehme took to the mound and proved Seton-La Salle's ace. He posted a 3-1 record with a 1.76 ERA. He walked only three batters.
Honorable mention
Among the players receiving honorable mention included:
• David Lemley, Ryan Dodson, Corey Lazor, Tyler Grashoff, Luc Cox, Ryan Kogler, Jake McCall from Bethel Park.
An Otterbein recruit, Lemley started at third base for the second year in a row for the Hawks. He batted .423 with a .481 on-base percentage. He led BP in RBI with 28. Lemley also ripped nine doubles, a triple and a home run.
A senior, Dodson batted .446 as BP's designated hitter. His on-base percentage was .506. The Davis & Elkins recruit belted 13 doubles, a triple and two homers. He drove in 24 runs.
A senior, Lazor started two years in center field for the Hawks. He batted .378 with a .446 on-base average. He scored 21 times, drove in 18 runs and swiped seven bases. Named all-section, Lazor was one of the best defensive outfielders in the area, says BP manager Tony Fisher. "He made game-changing catches in the gaps and threw out runners at home with his arm. He is an unsung hero-type, one of those players that fly under the radar. He was our best-kept secret and instrumental in our success."
A senior, Grashoff posted a 4-3 record on the mound with a 1.83 ERA. He struck out 44 in 46 innings. He was 11-3 in his career. "Tyler had the ball in some of our biggest games," said Fisher. Grashoff will pitch at Alderson-Broaddus next season.
A senior, Cox also pitched for BP, sporting a 4-0 record with 27 strikeouts in 20 innings. He is bound for California University of Pennsylvania.
A senior, Kogler started the past two seasons in left field for the Hawks. He batted .328 with 23 runs and nine stolen bases.
A senior, McCall started three years in right field for BP. He batted .308 with nine stolen bases and 19 runs scored.
• Nico DiPaolo and Jim Dlugos from Bishop Canevin. This duo led the Crusaders to a runner-up showing in Section 2A with a 7-3 slate before falling to West Mifflin, 10-1, in the playoffs and finishing 8-6 overall. The pair of infielders each earned all-section honors and participated in the WPIAL Coaches Association's all-star game.
• Justin Davey, Brandon Kildare, Zack Pollack, Teagan Piechnick, Buzz Boggio from Canon-McMillan.
A senior, Davey led the Big Macs with 27 RBI. The first baseman batted .413 with seven doubles. He walked 10 times and scored 14 runs.
A senior center fielder, Kildare had a great season says CM manager Frank Zebrasky. He batted .419 with a team-high on-base percentage of .548. He scored a team-high 23 runs and drove in 18. He clubbed two homers and four doubles.
A junior, Pollack played shortstop and second base for the Big Macs. "He was a sturdy fielder," said Zebrasky, "and he provided us with several clutch hits." Pollack batted .355 with nine RBI and seven runs scored. His 10 walks upped his on-base percentage to .535.
A junior, Piechnick provided steady play, particularly through the second half of the season, says Zebrasky. A starter at short as well as in the outfield, he batted .338 with a .446 on-base percentage. He scored 17 runs and drove in 14.
A junior, Boggio at one point in the season had thrown out 15 of 18 runners attempting to steal a base. He finished throwing out 23 of 35 would-be base thieves in his first varsity season behind the plate. Boggio, who batted .300 with a .424 on-base percentage, also pitched for the Big Macs.
• Dylan Pounds. This senior led Chartiers-Houston to a quarterfinal showing in the WPIAL Class AA playoffs after finishing tied for third place in Section 2 with Bentworth. Both were 9-5 in the division. The Bucs finished 12-8 overall after upsetting Steel Valley in the first round of the playoffs and falling to Shady Side Academy in the quarterfinals. Pounds earned all-section honors as a pitcher but he also excelled as an infielder for the Bucs when he wasn't on the mound. Additionally, Pounds participated in the
• Dom Castello, Josh Lapiana, Ryan Reicoff—Chartiers Valley. As a catcher, Castello earned all-section honors. Lapiana excelled on the mound, racking up a 4-0 record during the regular season. Reicoff posted a 4-1 mark on the mound for the Colts.
• Ryan Rosato and Brandon Gresh. This tandem helped Keystone Oaks boast one of the best defenses in the WPIAL. The Golden Eagles committed just 18 errors and maintained a .973 fielding average as a team.
A senior, Rosato earned his third all-section honor at shortstop while manager Scott Crimone said Gresh possessed the best glove in the section at the hot corner. The third baseman batted .300 for the Golden Eagles with 12 runs, 17 RBI, three doubles, a triple and a double. Rosato socked four doubles and a triple to go along with 18 runs and 12 RBI. Dual athletes at KO, Rosato will play hockey at Pitt while Bresh will play baseball at Grove City.
• Matt McGraw, Darren Zaslau, Brad Bekampis, Brendan Depp from Mt. Lebanon.
A senior, McGraw gained all-section honors and according to manager Patt McCloskey had the best defensive season he's seen out of a catcher in our program. He allowed only one passed ball and threw out 75 percent of would-be base thieves. He batted .295 and he also had huge plays for Lebo by throwing out runners on balls in the dirt.
"He was an absolute leader," said McCloskey. "He is just a tough competitive kid. He provided the type of leadership that we needed to be successful with such a young pitching staff."
A senior, Zaslau started at shortstop and was "rock solid" defensively. He batted .317 and did an "exceptional" job of manufacturing runs for the Blue Devils. He walked five times, was hit twice, sacrificed four times, swiped three of five bases and drove in five runs.
A senior outfielder, Bekampis batted lead-off or third for the Blue Devils. He consistenly hit the ball hard and played through significant pain due to a back injury. According to McCloskey, his defense was nothing sort of outstanding. "He made a lot of great plays that saved some huge runs. He had huge shoes to fill and our defense didn't miss a beat because of his efforts."
A senior outfielder, Depp batted .294. He drove in key runs, including against Peters Township, which enabled Lebo to clinch a playoff spot. He also had a game-saving catch to preserve a win against Canon-Mac.
• Phil Pisarcik, Matt Loether, Max Augenstein, Adam Becker from Peters Township.
A junior second baseman, Pisarcik batted .386 with 17 runs. With seven walks, his on-base percentage swelled to .500. He also smacked two doubles.
A senior right fielder, Loether batted .389 with 17 runs, five doubles and a triple. His 12 walks increased his on-base percentage to .519.
A senior shortstop, Becker drove in 18 and smashed five doubles. He batted .286.
A junior, Augenstein posted a 3-0 record with one save. He struck out 24 and owned a 2.43 ERA.
• Zach Walker—A pitcher, Walker ranked among the strikeout leaders in the WPIAL with 47 Ks during the regular season. He helped South Fayette to a third-place finish in Section 3-AA. The Lions finished 10-9 overall after falling to West Allegheny, 8-5, in the playoffs.
• Ian Frazier, Adam Kraskey, Ben Haus, Anthony Pezzone, Gannon Rooney, Joel Klein, Sam Pavlic—Upper St. Clair.
A senior, Frazier earned all-section honors as a catcher. He batted .328 with two homers and 17 RBI for the Panthers, who finished 8-12 overall.
All juniors, Kraskey, Haus and Pezzone made up the best outfield defensively, corner to corner that Jerry Malarkey has had in his 29 years as manager. They also ranked among the team's top four hitters all season long.
Kraskey batted .373 with 14 runs and one round tripper. He swiped 13 bases.
While Pezzone batted .261, Haus maintained a .310 average with 13 runs, 11 RBI and one home run.
As pitchers, Pavlic maintained a 1.00 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 14 innings and Klein had a 2.56 ERA.
A junior infielder, Rooney batted .314 with two homers and 10 RBI.
Riggle a top rookie
Nick Riggle from Keystone Oaks shares Almanac Rookie of the Year honors with previously mentioned Tanner Garris from rival Chartiers Valley.
A freshman, Riggle was responsible for a walk-off triple that propelled the Golden Eagles to victory, 1-0, over West Allegheny in the consolation contest and sent KO into the state playoffs. He also had the key RBI-single in a 3-0 win against South Park in the PIAA tournament.
"Nick came up with clutch hits when we needed them and he played excellent first base," said KO manager Scott Crimone. "He had an outstanding season and hit very well for a freshman."
Riggle batted .306 with 17 runs and 16 RBI. He smashed six doubles. He also maintained a .992 fielding average.
Players To Watch
Among the players to watch include:
• Corey Augenstein and Zac Forsyth from Bethel Park.
A sophomore, Augenstein posted a 3-1 record with a pair of saves. He owned a 0.99 ERA and opponents batted .148 against hime. He struck out 50 in 35 innings. He posted his biggest win against Franklin Regional in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.
A sophomore second baseman, Forsyth batted. 375 with a .453 on-base percentage. He drove in 18 runs for the Hawks.
• Jared Beach, Connor Coleman, Luke Blanock from Canon-McMillan.
A freshman, Coleman started in left field whenever Kevin Forrester pitched. He batted .370 with a .529 on-base perecentage. "Connor is going to be a very good player," predicted Zebrasky.
A sophomore, Blanock picked up two wins and two saves as a pitcher. As a designated hitter, he batted .450 with seven runs. His on-base percentage was .529.
A sophomore, Beach had three assists as an outfielder. In his first varsity season as a starter, he batted .396 with a .493 on-base percentage. Beach scored 20 runs and drove in 19. He socked eight doubles and three home runs.
• Eddie Jenkins, Vince D'orazio, Robert Klinchock from Mt. Lebanon.
A three-sport athlete, who could become Lebo's next Luke Hagy, Jenkins hit .308 from his designated hitter slot. He is also an outstanding defensive middle infielder, who has an excellent chance to start the next three years as Lebo's lead-off hitter, says McCloskey.
A sophomore second baseman, D'orazio batted .370 as either Lebo's lead-off batter or No. 3 hitter. He led Lebo in hits (20) and runs scored (14). "He was a great catalyst for us on offense," said McCloskey, "and his defense was one of the reasons for our success."
A sophomore first baseman, Klinchock batted .400, tops on the team. He struck out only six times in 47 plate appearances as a clean-up batter. He drove in 11 runs. As a pitcher, he owned a 2.70 ERA.
• Phil Mary. This Peters Township sophomore helped the Indians win two games. "He socked a clutch hit in one and a perfect suicide squeeze bunt in the other," said manager Joe Maize. He also contributed as a pitcher and helped the club defensively in the outfield.
• Danzell Lewis, Carson Rebel and Nico Poppa from Seton-La Salle.
A catcher, Lewis batted .418 with five home runs and 17 RBI in his sophomore season.
As a pitcher, Rebel won two games and finished with a 3.13 ERA. When not on the mound, he doubled as a second baseman for the Rebels. The sophomore batted .363.
Poppa started every game for the Rebels, who finished 8-9 overall. The freshman infielder also batted .272.


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Sabrblade wrote:Predaking Confirmed!
http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=89765&view=findpost&p=2160470Monzo wrote:Just an FYI, but Thylacine is attending the NYCC event on behalf of TFWiki.net, and got us that promo video! So he is not making things up or having pants that are on fire.Thylacine2000 wrote:Predaking. They will not confirm his pricepoint but it is above Voyager (no kidding, he's a very big boy). Cryptic hints that could imply multiple pricepoint versions (makes sense, everyone else got that).
http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=89765&view=findpost&p=2160488Thylacine2000 wrote:His faction = Predacons. There will be many more Predacon toys than Star Seekers. The latter group was invented in the books and there is "no strong driving force" to really explore them in toyline. Predawn faction will be a big deal with big merch push. Predaking himself pretty much confirmed at multiple sizes / pricepoints.
Promo video:
so i think its safe to say that smokescreen is not in season 3? he was not with the other autobots....


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JOHNSTOWN – Dustin Conti is so unflappable a firecracker could go off next to him, and it wouldn't break his concentration.
Try to draw his ire on a wrestling mat by poking him in the eye, and he just gives a little smile and takes you down … hard.
Shove him, elbow him, bend his fingers, and he just turns you over and pins you.
"Dustin is just Dustin," said Jefferson-Morgan head coach Scott Rhodes during the two-day tournament.
In other words, turn him loose on the mat and watch him win.
Conti did a lot of that this weekend, three times in fact, the final one coming Saturday night in the War Memorial in Johnstown. The 4-3 triple-overtime decision over South Fayette's Mike Fetchet in the 170-pound finals gave the senior from Jefferson-Morgan High School his second straight title in the PIAA Class AA Southwest Region Tournament.
Conti was one of 16 local wrestlers to qualify for the PIAA Championships, which begin Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Two of Conti's teammates – John Demaske (126) and Brendan Howard (106) – will accompany him as second- and fifth-place finishers, respectively.
Chartiers-Houston had two champions: Tanner Sutton at 145 pounds and Garrett Vulcano at 195. Avella's Jake Temple won at 220. And Seth Carr's upset win over defending champion Josh Patrick of Ligonier Valley at 113 capped South Fayette's best performance in this event in the school's history. The Lions finished first in the team standings with 88 points and got to take home a shiny new trophy for the showcase. Burrell was second with 83 points and Bedford was third at 74.
"It was brought up in passing discussion," said South Fayette head coach Rick Chaussard. "For the program, this is our biggest accomplishment."
Conti won a thrilling 2-1 three-overtime decision against United's John Blankenship in last year's 170-pound finals. Conti's takedown with four seconds left in the third overtime did in Fetchet.
"I knew it was going to be a close bout, but I'm always prepared for that," said Conti, who is 37-0. "He's hard to take down, so I just do what I can to win. I just try to stay calm out there. I can't ever remember when I lost my composure."
The wins by Sutton and Vulcano were the first titles since Keith Straight won at 152 pounds in 2000. Sutton got the winning points in a 3-1 decision over Tanner Cahill of Conemaugh Township with a takedown in the second period.
"I just go out for six hard minutes and do what I can," said Sutton (42-6).
Vulcano didn't need six minutes. He stuck Zac Croyle of Kittanning in 3:11 to win the 195-pound title and raise his record to 42-2.
"That's the way I like them," Vulcano said, referring to quick pins. "I get it over with quick. I'm not tilting kids now because it's harder. I go for the pin and make sure I have (my hold) tight."
Besides helping South Fayette to the team title, Carr matched his brother, Nick, as regional champions, the only two in the Lions' history. He resisted the temptation to punctuate the win with a backflip that he did following a 7-2 decision over top-seeded Josh Brown of Claysburg-Kimmel in the semis.
"The coaches asked me not to do it," said Carr. "I shouldn't have done it in the first place. My sister taught me that a long time ago."
A takedown in the third period cemented Temple's win and gave Avella its first regional champion since Codie Noga won the 215-pound title in 2007. It also was Temple's 100th career victory.
"I was counting them down," said Temple (37-1). "I thought it would come in the semifinals, but I had a bye in the first round."
In other notable bouts:
• Nick Gavazzi of Charleroi suffered his first two losses of the season and had to win a 2-0 decision over Beth-Center's Anthony Welsh to take fifth place at 138.
"It was just a bad day," said Gavazzi (34-2). "Next week, I'll come back and get a new start."
• Jake Rothka's 100th career win – a 5-3 decision over Kale Burket of Central – got the Bentworth junior fifth place at 113 and a trip to Hershey.
• Burgettstown's Austin McDermitt and Southmoreland's Austin Griffiths had their rematch from last week's WPIAL Championships, but it came in the third-place bout at 113. Both were upset in the semifinals.
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Mt. Lebanon Library hosts 'Downton Abbey' tea
Clotted cream, lemon curd, scones and English sandwiches featuring radishes, smoked salmon and dill, and of course, tea, were just a few of the things that were on the menu at "Downton Abbey," or rather the Mt. Lebanon Public Library recently. The library's meeting room felt more like an English parlor for "Tea at 'Downton Abbey'" on March 7. More than 70 people attended the event.
The library's staff thought it would be a good idea to have a "Downton Abbey"-themed tea because of the popularity of the PBS series.
"It's a fun thing to do, because we knew "Downton Abbey" is one of the most popular programs in recent history," said library Director Cynthia Richey. She said she thought it would be fun to hold the program now because season three of the show recently ended, and folks could have a chance to talk about the episodes while enjoying an authentic English-style tea. The tea was complete with authentic foods from English cookbooks, including chicken salad sandwiches with watercress, oat cakes, ginger cookies, raspberry scones and Yorkshire parkin, which is a ginger cake.
In addition to the tea, homemade food and desserts – most of it made by library staffers – the evening included discussion of the show, trivia and a chance for folks to vote for their favorite character. Folks attending also got the chance to talk about what may happen in upcoming episodes of the series and possibly send their ideas to series creator Julian Fellowes.
"It brings everyone together who are passionate about the series," Richey said.
Public Services Librarian Brandon Priddy, who helped organize the event, said that everyone on the staff at the library talks about the show. He said he likes "Downton Abbey" because "it's a combination of high-brow and low-brow."
Allyson Hayes and Josh Wilson of Dormont dressed in their best "Downton Abbey"-esque attire for the tea. Hayes said she is "obsessed with 'Downton Abbey'" and said she makes scones and tea at home. She joked that Wilson "probably likes it (the show) more than I do." Hayes added, "It brings you back to a time we don't live in now."
Karen Ferraro of Brighton Heights came to the event with a group of friends who told her about it. She said she was flipping channels one day and caught an episode and then went back and watched the rest. "The years coincide with my parents' birth," she said of the time period in which the show takes place. "The dialogue is fabulous. Violet cracks me up," Ferraro said of the character Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, played by Maggie Smith.
Colleen McDonnell of Mt. Lebanon came to the tea with her daughter Jane Dattilo, also of Mt. Lebanon. "We're big fans," McDonnell said.
"The characters are great," Dattilo said. McDonnell agreed, saying, "I can't find any I don't like. They're such interesting characters."
"We want them to do one every month," said Kathy Vergona of Scott Township, about the tea.
Richey said the library plans to do a similar tea after each season of Downton Abbey.


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An era is coming to an end.
Whether or not they repeat as PIAA Class AAA wrestling champions, winning the team title for the third consecutive year, one of the greatest runs in the history of Pennsylvania wrestling will end on Saturday as members of the current Canon-McMillan team will don their blue and gold singlets for the final time.
Seniors Connor Schram, Cody Wiercioch, Alex Campbell and Angelo Broglia will make their last appearances for the Big Macs at the PIAA Class AAA tournament, which begins Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey, and future classes at Canon-McMillan will have a tough time living up to the standard set by this group.
What have they accomplished in four years at the school?
How about four consecutive WPIAL team titles, a feat that had not been done before at the Class AAA level? Or back-to-back PIAA Team Tournament titles? This weekend, they will attempt to win a third-straight team title at the individual tournament.
And that doesn't even include all of the individual accolades and medals, which they hope to add to this weekend.
"They've done a lot of special things, made memories that will last a lifetime," said head coach Chris Mary. "With a state championship team, there's a bond that will last forever. It's just been a journey from last year to carry it over to this year."
The Big Macs will send seven wrestlers to Hershey Thursday, giving them as good a chance as any team to capture a third team title.
But there will also be individual goals at stake.
Schram and Wiercioch want to finish their senior years with another state championship.
Schram, who will compete in the 126-pound weight class, won a championship as a freshman, but has finished second in each of the past two years.
"This is it right now for me, Broglia, Campbell, Wiercioch," said Schram, who will wrestle collegiately at Stanford. "We'll just have to give it everything we've got out there. Hopefully we can win some hardware at states."
Wiercioch, meanwhile, will attempt to win his third PIAA title at 170 pounds. The Pitt recruit also owns a second-place finish here, and admits it will be a difficult weekend.
"It's bittersweet in a way," said Wiercioch. "I get to share the Hershey trip with two of my best friends, my teammates, so I'm looking for three state titles there. Hopefully, we can get Dalton (Macri) in there, too.
"It's going to come to an end, so we'll just enjoy it while it lasts."
Campbell, who wrestles at 220 pounds, was a fifth-place finisher at the PIAA tournament last year, while Broglia, a heavyweight, will be making his first PIAA individual appearance.
They'll be joined by juniors Brendon Price (106), Macri (120) and Solomon Chishko (145). Price will be making his first PIAA trip, while Macri and Chishko were third-place finishers in 2012.
Those seven and Waynesburg 113-pound WPIAL champion A.C. Headlee will represent Washington and Greene counties.
"It's definitely sad," said Chishko, who like Schram and Wiercioch is a three-time WPIAL champion. "I've been training with these partners for so long, winning stuff together. But that's what happens at the next level. You move on and train for college and the next level. It sucks, but it's part of wrestling."
At least according to Chishko, who will be looking to better a pair of third-place PIAA finishes, it's not the end of the line for the Big Macs at the state level.
"We've got some tough kids coming in and we've still got some tough people," Chishko said. "We'll still be competitive next year. Maybe not at this level, but we'll still be up there."
Wiercioch agrees.
"Absolutely. I think the program is going to continue to thrive," Wiercioch said.
But will it be the same?
Other teams might have some success, but it will be difficult to match the accomplishments of this senior group.
"I'm blessed to have such a good group of kids," said Mary. "I'm so proud of them. They're good kids on and off the mat."
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You don't have to look around much to find articles decrying how few American students are choosing engineering or technical professions. It has been feeling like an annual set-piece for years. Hiring managers wonder why more American students don't choose these high paying and professional career paths. Is it because they aren't properly prepared by our education system? Are they too lazy? Too interested in video games or rap music or marketing?
I'll suggest it's our fault. You and me.
I don't have a lot of data, but I have some that's poignant and personal.
My son is a smart kid. He does well in most subjects if he cares to. He's in college and certainly could be studying a technical discipline if he wanted. I've been a software developer my whole career (and as you could tell by past posts, I enjoy it). As a profession it has supported our family well including some private school education for the boy, quite a few glorious vacation experiences and many of life's amenities that we could have done without (and many do).
While enjoying one of those fun-to-do-but-somewhat-expensive outings with my son (and a couple co-workers), I had to step away from the group to pay for parking. [I learned of this discussion later, but confirmed it with all parties involved.] My teammates were politely chatting with my son about his plans now that he was in college. And the somewhat obvious question came up: "Have you ever thought about working for IBM and doing the sort of stuff your dad does?". Without needing to reflect much on the topic, my son replies "No. I see how much he works -- all the nights and weekends. That's not the sort of life I want."
I feel the need to defend us momentarily. By all accounts, I've been a very good father. I never miss an event (and I'm not late to them nor distracted at them, either). I read to him at bed time every night until he was almost a teenager. We did Tae Kwon Do together. I've been involved in all sorts of volunteer activities in support of him (I was a Cub Master and Assistant Scout Master for many years and ran fund raising for the wrestling team). I was his Statistics tutor. In my son's defense, he's not lazy nor unmotivated -- he's an Eagle Scout and has worked tirelessly and without complaint many times and in many situations. We work side-by-side in support of our local food bank and Habitat for Humanity organizations. He's been on the Dean's list or Honor Roll more than once and his first full year of college isn't quite over yet. And I know he thinks I've been a good father because he brought a large room full of people to tears (including me) during the speech he gave at his Eagle Court of Honor recently.
So what gives?
It's not me complaining about my job (most of the time) as I'm the first person to tell you I love what I do for a living. [I'd rather play bass for Lynyrd Skynyrd, but that job was taken.] It's not him being incapable of doing the work. As he's playing XBox on the large HDTV with explosions coming from the surround sound speakers while posting to his Tumblr on his Mac Book, it's not because he's unaware of what earning a good living makes possible.
Part of it is politeness on my part, failing to provide a complete context. At least some of those evenings or weekends I was working were caused by not-working so that I could attend the school play or teacher's meeting or wrestling match or drive a car load of kids to a campout on a Friday. Fortunately, the work I do makes it possible to have that flexibility. But you don't want to say very often "Daddy's working tonight because he took time to be with you today." These activities were never a burden and I refused to give him any reason to think they were.
Part of it is a personal achievement complex I've never been able to shake. I don't want to do good work, I want to do great work whenever the situation allows. If I can swap a couple hours of relaxing in the evening for an impressed customer, I'm usually happy to make that trade. I'm a maker at heart and want to make things worthy of my time and effort (and other people's attention).
But I think the larger part of it is how we run this business of software development (not necessarily at IBM, I've worked a few other places during my career): Plans that were never achievable unless everything went perfectly (and when is the last time that happened?). Customers that want more because they know you could give it -- and if you don't maybe they won't give you the next job. Teams that want to do more than they promised because that's just how they roll. And all of this comes at a personal cost to those involved -- and it may be convincing their children to look for other kinds of work.
An oft-overlooked (have we just given up?) practice of Extreme Programming is working at a Sustainable Pace (http://www.extremeprogramming.org/rules/overtime.html). There may be more to that than developers wanting some of their weekends back. It may be how we demonstrate to the next generation of possible software developers that these jobs are worth having and can provide a lifetime of personal satisfaction.


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You guys haven't been watching Cartoon Network or hanging out in any toy aisles lately then. CN runs plenty of commercials for Clone Wars, (keep in mind that the movie is basically the premiere episode of the series that will be on CN) and the previews have been in theaters and in the crappy TV preview things that are on before the movie previews. Also Wal-mart has a huge glut of Star Wars stuff right now, and Toys R us has dedicated their big movie tie-in section to Clone Wars, so I'd say it's pretty hyped.
Also don't forget that this is freakin' Star Wars! You think the millions of SW fans are gonna go see Tropic Thunder when there's SW in theaters? Besides your opinion of how it looks (like crud) is subjective, and plenty of people (me) dig the look.


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He-Ro came He had great strength as well as great magic ability, as we all know. He pretty much acted like He-Man meaning he saved Eternia from various evil threats, and generally protected the Royal family...the Grayskulls.
Eventually He-Ro married into the Grayskulls.
Many years later one of He-Ro's descendants. King Grayskull (yeah the one from that really cool Power of Grayskull Episode) has inherited his ancestors immense physical strength. Then one day the Horde attacks and he also learns that he has some magical ability, and using this newfound power he sends the Horde to Despondos.
As he dies he seals his soul and his power within his sword until the time the chosen one is found.
Even more years later we get Adam, prince of Eternia and descendant of Grayskull. He is giving King Grayskulls Sword of Power by the Sorceress and told that it is his destiny to use and become He-Man to once again protect Eternia from the threat of Evil.


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…I thank you very much for your service. As well as the quality of your product. I am a fan of Aquila strings for life.My ukulele says thank you very much! Have a Great Day!
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Complimenti al m° Mimmo Peruffo! Ho montato sulla mia vecchia Ramirez le Aquila rubino. Dopo tanto tempo ho ritrovato il piacere del vibrato sulla chitarra classica. Una grande emozione. Anche i bassi rispondono senza rumori e sfregolii di sorta. Ottimo l'equilibrio degli accordi così come risaltano la personalità e il carattere del suono nelle linee melodiche. Queste sono corde armoniche! Grazie, maestro,
Guys! I have just strung my soprano,concert and banjouke with your red strings, they are awesome! The sound is rich, the tonation beautiful and the low G for the concert uke is a wonder to behold. My instruments have never sounded so good. I thought my other Aquila strings were good…..but these…..WOW! My brother-in-law also plays uses and I have bought him two sets also. Thank you sooooo much for making these strings
Vi vorrei rivolgere i miei più sentiti complimenti per il lavoro che svolgete, e il senso di orgoglio che mi compisce nel pensare che un'azienda italiana lavori in questo modo. Ho iniziato a suonare anche grazie a Voi, e questo ve lo devo.
Toon Van Schuylenbergh – Belgium
Hey Aquila, I'am playing ukulele for a few years now and I'am in love with Aquila strings. I always use Aquila strings…
Phil Doleman – UK
…Anyway, as a user of your uke strings for as long as I can remember (at least 10 years I'm sure)….
I'm not asking for free products, simply to share the fact that I love your strings!
…ok, your loaded long gut string is the best from long time.So am am waiting until you can…
Castellaro Davide – The Utopia Custom shop – Italy
… In questo periodo diversi miei clienti mi chiedono i Vostri prodotti…
Scott Wenholz – California
I put the Lavas on my 8 string Uke this weekend and love them….the tone of the originals were great, but the Lavas are another level. Like the reds, they take a little while to settle in, but once they do, they sound and feel amazing. The black strings on a dark fret board looks cool too.
David Stanley – UK
On Nylgut strings…Many listeners have commented on their beautiful clear sound.
These are the best strings I have used in over 50 years of performing & teaching.
Oddbjorn Larsen – Norway
I got my Thunder reds for my Kala ubass yesterday. Put them on right away. Last night at rehearsal with my band. They all loved the tone, and for me the playability is way better than the standard strings. The deep E is loud and clear and makes it easy to make a statement for the bassist with a small bass. Thanks a lot
Kreg Viesselman – Norway
My luthier, Leonardo Michelin-Salomon of LMS guitars, gave me a set of your strings to try on the guitar he made for me. Simply put, I love them.
Seoung Don Min
We're so satisfied with your product.
Thank you for everything and honored I like this nice bright tone and rapid attack response.
also I think (as you written down the back of the pack) tone stability is quite nice
Michael Curry – USA
Alabastro, basses were nice and round, with plenty of edge to cut through, a very good string with lots of volume….
Nylgut- Extremely dynamic string, these are loud with better tone than carbon strings, all the brightness one would ever wantI would keep them on 2 of my 5 guitars though, because the grip on them is amazing, the unbelievable dynamic range, and they are warmer than carbon…. I must admit, I have been using very clear nylon strings over the yearsso nylgut was a nice in-between alternative, I think I will buy more in the future for sure..
The Bionylon felt great under my fingers, and I loved the sustain when I would do a glissando.
Enrico Foglino – Italy
Ho ricevuto ieri le sostituzioni promesse. Grazie ancora, siete davvero professionali ed attenti ai clienti, qualità sempre più rare!
Andre Hendriks – NL
A ukuleleshop is not complete whitout Aquila strings
Taro Tamura – Japan
I have web shop "Spain Guitar Online Shop" in Japan. I have sell mainly Classical guitars,Flamenco guitars and Ukes. I am interested in your ukuleles strings. It's fantastic.
Steve Paull – Australia
The new Red Aquila strings have arrived.
I have tightened the lower G string up to the B above G with no problems.
Many thanks for your kindness and great service.
Andrea Rinaudo – Italy
…mi ha stupito l'equilibrio tra bassi e cantini, cosa che permette anche di ottenere maggiori estensioni di volume con lo strumento, in registro acuto. Dal punto di vista timbrico poi sono davvero eccelse, nulla da invidiare alle….. …le migliori corde mai provate (e non voglio far l'adulatore, non lo sono mai stato)….
M° Marcello Appignani
I have tried a lot of different brands of guitar strings but I never heard a sound so fitting to me! I am an "anomalous" guitarist because I play also on the piano so I cannot have long nails and with the classical guitar strings Alabastro I got the sound I looked for.
Rob Wright – AUSTRALIA
…I also recently bought a set of Aquila Reds for my Kala UBass which I am very happy with as well…
M° Stefano Aruta – Italy
… ieri ho ricevuto le 12 mute di AMBRA che avevo richiesto, ho montato una nuova muta e sento il bisogno di ripeterti quanto detto al telefono a mio parere sono le migliori corde oggi reperibili.
…il mio parere è frutto di una esperienza quarantacinquennale …
Innanzi tutto ho sempre insegnato ai miei allievi che la musica è l'arte di organizzare i suoni ma la matrice di tutto è il suono in sè come mero epifenomeno ed al di la di ogni banale considerazione su potenza , durata , sustain ed altre simili amenità ti ringrazio perché attraverso la tua ricerca hai ridato nobiltà al suono della chitarra , si vede che dietro al tuo lavoro non vi è solo una mera ricerca commerciale , ma un affanno teso alla ricerca del bello in modo da mettere noi musicisti in condizione di dare il meglio…
Matheus Verdan – Brazil
…..I am so glad, thanks for your attention! This really make's a difference in a brand, excepcional! I will make the people know about the dangers with fake aquila, and about the real quality and professionalism of the brand! Thank you so much!
Julian Roach – UK
… After two weeks of playing on them every day I am still delighted with them….I find them molto cantabile, with excellent sustain, quick in their response and highly responsive to variation in touch. They bring a new kind of sound out of my Sakurai-Kohno, a very 'alive' kind of sound. I normally play on D'Addario Pro Arte, which I regard both as excellent strings and good value. Alabastros cost a lot more, but I will pay the difference for their distinctive charm. I thought you might like to know that you have a customer in the UK who is very pleased with your strings…
Salvatore Pinto – ITALY
…sono bellissime, grazie. siete stati molto gentili continuerò a usare queste corde.
Thank you for your wonderful customer service, I cannot speak highly enough of your fantastic follow up and I will continue to use Aquila strings and a lot of that has to do with the treatment I have received from you and your Company.
M° Massimo Gasbarroni – Italy
Come le accennavo frettolosamente, anch'io come, credo, tutti i chitarristi di questo mondo, abbiamo sempre avuto il problema di reperire delle corde di chitarra con delle prestazioni meccaniche e sonore accettabili.
Quando ero studente, fine anni quaranta-cinquanta ho provato anche le corde di budello e di seta naturalmente.
Ma se andavano bene per piccoli spazi non erano certo adatte ad una moderna sala da concerto, come ad esempio il Teatro Petruzzelli, 3000 posti, dove tenni un concerto senza problemi.
Sembrerebbe, a meno di un colossale abbaglio, che con le sue corde io possa aver finito di soffrire…
Michael Malley – USA
…I love the low g red series for the Ukulele. On my concert uke it works great…
Ann Beckett – AUSTRALIA
It is rare these days to find the dedication to customers' needs by yourself and your Company and I absolutely applaud you for this, not too many companies would go out of their way to help like you have, rather they would dismiss it as just not worth the effort….Aquila have just been absolutely outstanding in offering help….
David Stanley – UK
…My set of Alchemia lasted over four months without losing their tone or their volume. That is a big compliment to the strings. Other strings would occasionally last me six weeks, other strings normally only last me about two weeks!
George Charalampidis – Greece
…I love the sound of Aquila's Nylgut for Oud and I do not want to buy strings from another company…
Mr. Clifford J. Lueck – US –
…just admiration for purchasing your Super Nylgut Ukulele strings for my 60 year old Mickey Mouse Getar I recently acquired.
I was able to achieve the required pitch and stability in seconds. That is saying a lot for a plastic Uke.
I will continue to purchase your strings for my 200+ collection of string instrument….
Monique "Honeybird" Mizrahi – New York – US –
Aquila Corde charango strings have brought my charango sound to a new level. The supernylgut strings have a warm full sound with a magical presence which I haven't heard in any other charango strings. Clarity in glissandos, nice feel for bends, definition in the double strings, pull-offs and hammer-ons. I am very happy with Aquila Corde. Grazie mille!
Andrea Pettinari – ITALY
…felice che un'azienda italiana sia capace di distinguersi per professionalità e innovazione, come Voi fate.
Tom Sweeney – UNITED STATES
I use a variety of Aquila strings on various instruments and appreciate the quality products and your responsiveness to customers.
Eventually I got my banjo tuned to standard G tuning….
I had to shorten a couple of the strings because of too many wraps around the tuner post, but now it stays in tune.
I love these Nylgut strings…
I recently bought a few set of strings from your company. I wanted to try new strings after being loyal to my former brand for over thirty years. I must say I was pleasantly surprised in your Nylgut strings. The trebles where very nice
John Kelly – USA
…I have used your strings for years and love them…
Del Ventruella – US
…My first reaction, when I installed this strings, was to tell myself to send Aquila a message and proclaim the guy who came up with these red label strings to be a genius! (Probably tired of hearing that by now…)
M° Domenico Lafasciano
Ho avuto il piacere di provare le corde armoniche Aquila.
Ottimo prodotto, con perfetta intonazione, bellissima cantabilità, prontezza d'attacco,
fascino nel vibrato.
Inoltre la loro lunghezza e morbidezza, rendono anche piacevole il noioso lavoro del cambio
di corde.
Le userò e le raccomando vivamente !
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Most of Stellarium's configuration is done using the configuration window and the view window. To open the configuration window, click the button on the left side toolbar or press F2. To open the view window click the button if the left side toolbar or press F4.
Some options may only be configured by editing the configuration file. See configuration file for more details.
Setting the Date and Time
In addition to the time rate control buttons on the main toolbar, you can use the date and time window to set the simulation time (figure [fig:datetime]). The values for year, month, day, hour, minutes and seconds may be modified by typing new values, by clicking the up and down arrows above and below the values, and by using the mouse wheel.
Setting Your Location
The positions of the stars in the sky is dependent on your location on Earth (or other planet) as well as the time and date. For Stellarium to show accurately what is (or will be/was) in the sky, you must tell it where you are. You only need to do this once - Stellarium can save your location so you won't need to set it again until you move.
To set your location, press F6 to open the location window (figure [fig:location]). There are a few ways you can set your location:
- Just click on the map.
- Search for a city where you live using the search edit box at the top right of the window, and select the right city from the list.
- Enter a new location using the longitude, latitude and other data.
Once you're happy that the location is set correctly, click on the "use as default" checkbox, and close the location window.
The Configuration Window
The configuration window contains general program settings, and many other settings which do not concern specific display options.
The Main tab in the configuration window provides controls for changing the program language, how much information is shown about selected sky objects, and provides a button for saving the current program configuration.
The Navigation tab allows for enabling/disabling of keyboard shortcuts for panning and zooming the main view, and also how to specify what simulation time should be used when the program starts:
- When "Syetem date and time" is selected, Stellarium will start with the simulation time equal to the operating system clock.
- When "System date at" is selected, Stellarium will start with the same date as the operating system clock, but the time will be fixed at the specified value. This is a useful setting for those people who use Stellarium during the day to plan observing sessions for the upcoming evening.
- When "Other" is selected, some fixed time can be chosen which will be used every time Stellarium starts.
The Tools tab of the configuration window contains miscellaneous utility features:
- Show flip buttons When enabled, two buttons will be added to the main tool-bar which allow the main view to be mirrored in the vertical and horizontal directions. This is useful when observing through telecopes which may cause the image to be mirrored.
- Spheric mirror distortion This option pre-warps the main view such that it may be projected onto a spherical mirror using a projector. The resulting image will be refected up from the spherical mirror in such a way that it may be shone onto a small planetarium dome, making a cheap planetarium projection system.
- Disc viewport This option limits masks the main view producing the effect of a telescope eyepiece. It is also useful when projecting Stellarium's output with a fish-eye lens planetarium projector.
- Gravity labels This option makes labels of objects in the main view align with the nearest horizon. This means that labels projected onto a dome are always alighned properly.
- Auto zoom out returns to initial field of view When enabled, this option changes the behaviour of the zoom out key (\) so that it resets the initial direction of view in addition to the field of view.
The View Settings Window
The View settings window controls many display features of Stellarium which are not available via the main toolbar.
Sky Tab
The Sky tab of the View window[fig:viewwinskytab] contains settings for changing the general appearane of the main sky view. Some hightlights:
- Absolute scale is the size of stars as rendered by Stellarium. If you increase this value, all stars will appear larger than before.
- Relative scale determines the difference in size of bright stars compared to faint stars. Values higher than 1.00 will make the brightest stars appear much larger than they do in the sky. This is useful for creating star charts, or when learning the basic constellations.
- Twinkle controls how much the stars twinkle.
- Dynamic eye adaptation When enabled this feature reduces the brightness of faint objects when a bright object is in the field of view. This simulates how the eye can be dazzled by a bright object such as the moon, making it harder to see faint stars and galaxies.
- Light pollution In urban and suburban areas, the sky is brightned by terrestrial light pollution reflected in the atmophere. Stellarium simulates light pollution and is calibrated to the Bortle Dark Sky Scale where 1 means a good dark sky, and 9 is a very badly light-polluted sky. See Light Pollution for more information.
- Planets and satellites this group of options lets you turn on and off various features related to the planets. Simulation of light speed will give more precise positions for planetary bodies which move rapidly against backround stars (e.g. the moons of Jupiter). The Scale Moon option will increase the apparent size of the moon in the sky, which can be nice for wide field of view shots.
- Labels and markers you can independantly change the amount of labels displayed for planets, stars and nebuulae. The further to the right the sliders are set, the more labels you will see. Note that more labels will also appear as you zoom in.
- Shooting stars Stellarium has a simple meteor simulation option. This setting controls how many shooting stars will be shown. Note that shooting stars are only visible when the time rate is 1, and might not be visiable at some times of day. Meteor showers are not currently simulated.
Marking Tab
The Markings tab of the View window controls the following features:
- Celestial sphere this group of options makes it possible to plot various grids and lines in the main view.
- Constellations these controls let you turn on and off constellation lines, names, art and boundaries, and control the brightness of the constellation artwork.
- Projection Selecting items in this list changes the projection method which Stellarium uses to draw the sky. Options are:
- cylinder The full name of this projection mode is cylindrical equidistant projection. The maximum field of view in this mode is 233°
- equal area The full name of this projection method is, Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection. The maximum field of view is 360°.
- fish-eye Stellarium draws the sky using azimuthal equidistant projection. In fish-eye projection, straight lines become curves when they appear a large angular distance from the centre of the field of view (like the distortions seen with very wide angle camera lenses). This is more pronounced as the user zooms out. The maximum field of view in this mode is 180°
- Hammer-Aitoff The Hammer projection is an equal-area map projection, described by Ernst Hammer in 1892 and directly inspired by the Aitoff projection. The maximum field of view in this mode is 360°.
- mercator Mercator projection preserves the angles between objects, and the scale around an object the same in all directions. The maximum field of view in this mode is 233°.
- orthographic Orthographic projection is related to perspective projection, but the point of perspective is set to an infinite distance. The maximum field of view is 180°.
- perspective Perspective projection keeps the horizon a straight line. The maximum field of view is 150°. The mathematical name for this projection method is gnomonic projection.
- stereographic This mode is similar to fish-eye projection mode. The maximum field of view in this mode is 235°.
Landscape Tab
The Landscape tab of the View window controls the landscape graphics (ground). To change the landscape graphics, select a landscape from the list on the left side of the window. A description of the landscape will be shown on the right.
Note that while landscape can include information about where the landscape graphics were taken (planet, longitude, latitude and altitude), this location does not have to be the same as the location selected in the Location window, although you can set up Stellarium such that selection of a new landscape will alter the location for you.
The controls at the bottom right of the window operate as follows:
- Show ground This turns on and off landscape rendering (same as the button in the main tool-bar).
- Show_fog This turns on and off rendering of a band of fog/haze along the horizon.
- Use associated planet and position When enabled, selecting a new landscape will automatically update the observer location.
- Use this landscape as default Selecting this option will save the landscape into the program configuration file so that the current landscape will be the one used when Stellarium starts.
Starlore Tab
The Starlore tab of the View window controls what culture's constellations and bright star names will be used in the main display. Some cultures have constellation art (Western and Inuit), and the rest do not.


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Toronto Demographics
Welcome to the Toronto Demographics portal. Access and browse demographics information for the City of Toronto. You will find information from a variety of sources such as Statistics Canada`s Census and the City of Toronto. Get information on population groups, housing characteristics, languages, income and more. You will also be able to access reports, mapping tools and key surveys for the City of Toronto.


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MEADOW LANDS – For years, Horizon Properties Group President Rod Piatt has been a proponent of development in the Racetrack Road corridor that divides North Strabane and South Strabane townships.
His company built the Hampton Inn & Suites and the Cambria Suites hotels in the corridor, where Horizon also built the Meadow Pointe Plaza office development.
The company's hotel projects were developed to support the business generated by The Meadows Racetrack & Casino and Tanger Outlets, which now collectively draw several million people a year.
Now Horizon is preparing to fill another hospitality niche, with plans to bring several casual dining restaurants to Racetrack Road as part of "The Street at The Meadows," a mixed-use retail and office development on 14.5 acres that front the road and are adjacent to the entrance to the casino and racetrack.
"It's going to be a nice gateway to the casino," said Horizon principal Michael Swisher, who added that the project, to begin construction this summer, is expected to draw many people from well beyond the Racetrack Road corridor.
Horizon purchased 14.5 acres from Meadows owner Cannery Casino Resorts last year, and originally approached North Strabane supervisors with a preliminary plan for "The Street" project in late August.
A lot has changed since late 2006, when Piatt stated at a ground-breaking ceremony for the Hampton Inn that he believed the area was underserved by hotels and was poised for growth as a leisure and hospitality corridor.
While his remarks that day proved to be prescient, even Piatt is surprised by how quickly the growth has occurred there.
"If you would have said (six years ago) there were going to be 700 hotel rooms on Racetrack Road, who would have believed it," he said last week.
What's equally surprising, he said, is how well the hotels are doing there, noting that all are achieving a 60 percent to 70 percent occupancy rate, which is considered to be remarkable by hotel industry standards.
Swisher said the new mixed-use project, which will open next year, will be a three-story building connected by two wings, with a total of 50,000 square feet of retail space, including hair and nail salons and a cellular telephone store. Another 55,000 square feet will be devoted to office space.
Also included will be five outparcels, one for a bank with a drive-through lane and the other four parcels for a cafe-bistro and three casual dining chain restaurants. The plan calls for 700 parking spaces.
Piatt and Swisher said the Racetrack Road corridor is ripe for a mixed-use development like "The Street," and Swisher provided numbers to support their claim.
He noted that traffic studies found there are 13,760 daily vehicle trips along Racetrack Road, driven by the presence of Tanger Outlets and The Meadows.
He noted that the casino and racetrack draw 3.6 million people a year, or about 10,000 each day.
While the 700-plus hotel rooms now in the corridor would be enough to support Horizon's project (there are at least two other hotels in development, including a 200-room project proposed by Cannery Casinos Resorts at The Meadows), Swisher said the company also looked beyond the activity on Racetrack Road and liked what it saw.
Its study found that 672,000 people live within a half-hour drive of Racetrack Road.
Additionally, the corridor is bordered by two of the county's largest residential developments – Meadowbrook, with about 1,500 single-family homes and townhomes, and the multi-phase Stonecreek apartment complex just to the south along Route 19.
On any given day, he said, there could be as many as 600 to 700 groups of people, from local families and hotel guests to people shopping or gambling, who are looking for places to eat.
There are a number of fast-food offerings along the corridor and restaurants in the DoubleTree and Cambria Suites hotels, as well as the upscale Bistecca steak house inside the casino. But there is a dearth of casual dining offerings.
Horizon's project aims to fill that demand, Swisher said.
He and Piatt said they're talking with national restaurant chains that don't already have a presence here, with many of those expressing interest in the project.
"This is a big growth corridor, connecting Route 19 and Interstate 79, with I-70 nearby," Swisher said.
J.R. Shaw, executive director of Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency, said the project will provide another dimension to a corridor that's already dedicated to leisure activity.
"I think it does fill in a very important part of leisure activities on Racetrack Road and in that corridor," Shaw said.
He noted that few dining options currently exist between Canonsburg and the Racetrack Road corridor.
In addition to the acreage Horizon will develop for "The Street," Swisher said the company has an option to purchase the remaining 20 acres behind the acres that front Racetrack Road.
He said Horizon will present its final project plans to North Strabane in the spring, start construction this summer and open the project in the second quarter of 2014.
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Note to Pirates fans: Quit your bellyaching.
It's been 20 years since the Pirates have been in the playoffs, or had a winning record, or been a relevant Major League Baseball team, so many of their fans believe their futility is unrivaled.
Not true.
The Pirates aren't even the biggest losers in their own city. That distinction belongs to Duquesne University basketball, which has not earned an NCAA tournament berth since the Carter presidency, 1977, and has 26 losing seasons in that span, though not in a row. The Pirates last postseason appearance came in 1992.
Think they need reminded of that each year?
Think Wally Pipp would still enjoy hearing, "You know, if you hadn't taken that one day off . . ."
Think the Rooney family didn't cringe when asked why they let Len Dawson and Johnny Unitas slip away in the 1950s?
Bad decisions are made every day; some just have larger implications and linger longer, like two decades. Still, failure at the highest level can be classic, even memorable.
Just ask Vinko Bogataj what he thinks about failure. He failed on a major scale only once, in the 1970 Ski Jump World Championship, and became the symbol for ABC's "Agony of Defeat." He was reminded of that one mistake, if the television happened to be on in his living room, each Saturday afternoon when the network used film of that crash as part of the opening for its "Wide World of Sports" program.
The Pirates' losing streak has not been as famous, because most baseball fans outside of Western Pennsylvania don't pay much attention to it. Just look at what they missed. The last two years, Pittsburgh got off to pretty good starts only to have unbelievable crashes – sorry, Vinko – to punctuate another losing season.
Those who were paying attention last year missed these "memorable" nuggets:
• The Pirates were 16 games over .500 Aug. 8 and finished with a sub-.500 – 79-83 – record. It was the greatest collapse in Major League Baseball history. How many teams can say they made that type of history?
• Their 81st loss came when Homer Bailey tossed a no-hitter in a 1-0 win by Cincinnati. The last time the Pirates were no-hit was in 1971 by Bob Gibson of St. Louis.
• Not only did the Pirates extend their losing streak to 20 straight seasons, a North American record for professional sports, but did so in grand fashion with loss No. 82. It came on Fan Appreciation Day.
You can't make this stuff up.
So what thrills can we expect this season?
After watching Wichita State make the Final Four and Florida Gulf Coast knock off some pretty good teams in the NCAA Tournament, some might believe the stars have aligned in such a way that even more unusual events can take place in other sports, such as baseball in Pittsburgh. Don't count on it.
The starting pitching is weak past A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez. James McDonald looked unhittable early last season, then dissolved into a psychological mess over the final few months. Jeff Karstens is hurt again, Charlie Morton is coming back from Tommy John surgery, and Jonathan Sanchez and Jeff Locke are, in order, older and ineffective, and younger and ineffective.
Jason Grilli is moving into a closer role for the first time after Joel Hanrahan was traded, and the bullpen looks mediocre.
The offense should be good. Centerfielder Andrew McCutcheon is a star, left fielder Starling Marte could become one, and third baseman Pedro Alvarez found his power stroke last season. Second baseman Neil Walker will produce as long as back problems don't flare up, and Russell Martin is an improvement on offense and defense behind the plate.
Despite their best efforts, the Pirates will finish 75-87 and in fourth place in the National League Central.
Try not to get caught up in the record, because you don't want to miss those memorable parts as another season spins out of control.
Assistant sports editor Joe Tuscano can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com
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The 2B3806 Fusion Soccer Goal meets NCAA and NFHS standards. The entire frame of the 2B3806 Fusion Soccer Goal is 4" round aluminum, and the goal is all-surface friendly as the net clips into the Kwik Lock Net System.
The 2B3806 Fusion® Soccer Goal meets NCAA and NFHS standards. The entire frame of the 2B3806 Fusion® Soccer Goal is 4" round aluminum, and the goal is all-surface friendly as the net clips into the Kwik Lock® Net System around the entire frame.
The 10B409 Wheel Option fits the 2B3806 Fusion® Soccer Goal.
The 2B3806 Fusion® Soccer Goal meets ASTM Standard F2950-14.
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