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Impact Rookies
by Andrew Fiorentino, RotoWire Writer
It can take a long time for even some of the most talented players to achieve NHL productivity. For every Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin who comes right in and lights up the league from Day 1, there are guys like Henrik and Daniel Sedin - superstars now, but neither one cleared 40 points in their first three years in the league, and it wasn't until their fifth year that they broke out into the 70s. And, of course, there are many more that don't make it at all. Every year, though, there are rookies who come into the league and make an immediate impact, and the 2011-12 season is shaping up to be a very interesting one with some big-time prospects ready to make the leap to NHL greatness. Here are some favorites to break out with big rookie years.
Brayden Schenn, C, PHI - The best prospect in hockey came to Philadelphia in the Mike Richards deal, and he couldn't have found a better landing spot than this retooled Flyers squad. They're a contending team, but one with so much turnover on the top lines that Schenn could easily play his way into the top six. Schenn's credentials are unquestioned: fifth overall pick in '09, nearly two points per game in juniors last year, plus a point per game in his seven-game AHL stint. He's ready to rock.
Ryan Johansen, C, CLM - Jeff Carter comes in and presumably assumes the top center spot, but everything after that is up for grabs. Derick Brassard and Antoine Vermette will make their cases for the No. 2 center role as well, but Johansen is just as talented as those guys (and they're no slouches). He's only 19, but he rocked junior hockey for 40 goals and 92 points last year, and the 2010 No. 4 pick is capable of contributing on the NHL level right now - especially if he's filled out that 6-3 frame with a bit more muscle.
Brett MacLean, LW, PHO - MacLean has nothing left to prove in the AHL after racking up 50 points in 51 games last year and 65 points (including 30 goals) in 76 the year before. Better yet, the Coyotes have little in the way of competition for him: Outside of the veterans Ray Whitney and Shane Doan, there are absolutely no sure things on the wing in Phoenix. Soon to be 23, MacLean's got a new contract and a great chance to apply his scoring ability to a lot of NHL minutes.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, EDM - Yet another first overall pick comes to Edmonton, where Nugent-Hopkins could team up with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle to create the best young line in hockey. He's only 18 years old, but he racked up 106 points in juniors as a 17-year-old last year. Unlike most of the others on this list, he's assured of nothing as far as getting to the NHL right away, but the slender center has put on some weight over the offseason, getting up to 175 pounds, which should improve his chances of competing in what seems to have become a more rough-and-tumble league.
Gabriel Landeskog, RW, COL - The man picked after Nugent-Hopkins, Landeskog is already penciled in as a second-line winger for a Colorado team that's sort of in transition right now. The soon-to-be-19-year-old Swede didn't blow the competition away offensively last year in juniors (not that he did bad, tallying 36 goals and 66 points in 53 games), but he's got NHL size and strength, and is widely considered the most NHL-ready player in this draft. (To me, he's second to the guy below.) It's hard to project him coming in and racking up 60 points, but 40-some would play in deeper leagues.
Jonathan Huberdeau, C, FLA - In Huberdeau, we have a player who is arguably just as good or maybe even better than the players picked in front of him. He scored just one point less than Nugent-Hopkins last year for Saint John of the QMJHL, collecting 105 points in 67 games, and he comes to a Panthers team that has little of interest up the middle, leading many - including yours truly - to believe that he's in for a Jeff Skinner-like rookie breakout, particularly if he gets a shot to click with David Booth on the first line.
Tomas Kubalik, RW, CLM - Last year's training camp sensation had a very fine season in the AHL despite failing to make the team, tallying 24 goals and 53 points (both easily team-leading totals) for Springfield to go with with a couple assists in four NHL games. Columbus is iffy on the wing, especially right wing, and so Kubalik could find his way onto the roster this fall and make an immediate impact. The 21-year-old Czech has the skill and the size at 6-3, 209 to stick in a top-six role.
Marc-Andre Gragnani, BUF - Here's how you make a great impression as a young player: After four wildly successful AHL seasons (52, 51, 43 and 60 points), you come up at the end of the year, get in on your team's playoff run, and lead the team in points in the playoffs as a defenseman. Gragnani racked up seven points in Buffalo's seven playoff games last year, and he's established himself as one of the top up-and-coming offensive defensemen in the game. Unfortunately, Buffalo brought in Christian Ehrhoff to man the power play with Tyler Myers, pushing Gragnani off for the moment. Ehrhoff may not be as impressive as his Sedin-twins-inflated numbers, though, and of course this is the NHL - injuries happen. Gragnani will get his chances on the PP eventually, but even without that, he could easily achieve a fantasy-relevant point total this year.
David Rundblad, OTT - Not a lot of young players score 50 points in the Swedish Elitserien, and of those few, you almost never see a defenseman do it - until Rundblad ripped off 11 goals and 39 assists in 55 games last year. Now he brings his talents to America, where he'll be expected to bring his scoring touch to a Senators blue line that's seen Sergei Gonchar age very suddenly and, aside from Erik Karlsson, doesn't have much offensive upside. It's always hard for young defensemen to make a scoring impact in the NHL, but if anyone can do it, Rundblad can. He's one of the very best defense prospects of the last decade.
Ryan Ellis, NAS - Ellis is another one who fits into "best defense prospects of the last decade"� as the rare 100-point junior scorer from the blue line. In just 58 games last year in the OHL, Ellis racked up 24 goals and 77 assists. If he doesn't make the Preds out of camp, it'll be a travesty. The only knock on Ellis is that he's a bit undersized, but he has so much offensive talent, there's just no way that Nashville needs to "let him develop."� He's developed. Don't tell me the Predators are a better team with Kevin Klein or Jack Hillen.
Jonathon Blum, NAS - If the powers that be in Nashville were smart, they'd join Ellis with Blum on their second defensive pairing, sit back, and watch the kids do work. A first-round pick (No. 23) in '07, Blum has shown the ability to put up points both in juniors (where he was a two-time 60-point scorer) and in the AHL, where he's got 75 points in 134 games over the past two seasons, including 34 in 54 last year. Blum's had his two seasons in the AHL, and he's had a little NHL exposure, too, with 23 regular-season games followed by 12 in the postseason. That experience should be enough to put him solidly in the rotation for Nashville this year. He's capable of big things, especially if he gets some PP time.
Jake Gardiner, TOR - The Leafs wisely acquired Gardiner from the Ducks, who took him in the first round in '08 and watched him develop into a top defenseman at the University of Wisconsin, where he put up a point per game over 41 contests last season. The Leafs have made some great moves to strengthen their blue line, adding John-Michael Liles and Cody Franson, but there's still room for Gardiner to beat out Carl Gunnarsson for the sixth defense spot. Even if he doesn't do that in camp, it's only a matter of time before Gardiner makes his way up to the big team for good.
Kevin Poulin, NYI - One of my favorite goaltending prospects, Poulin ridiculously outperformed his fifth-round (2008) draft pedigree last year, racking up a sick .932 save percentage for AHL Bridgeport over 15 games before getting the call to Long Island, where he went 4-2-1 over 10 games with a .924 save percentage and 2.44 GAA for a bad Islanders team before suffering a fluky knee injury that ended his season. Rick DiPietro is always hurt and hasn't played well; Al Montoya, who played well for the Isles at the end of last season, is more likely to be a flash in the pan than a long-term solution; Swedish import Anders Nilsson will need some time in the AHL. That leaves Poulin plenty of opportunity to take a starring role and run with it.
Jhonas Enroth, BUF - With Patrick Lalime finally retired after a couple seasons of backing up Ryan Miller, Enroth is the inheritor of that role. Miller's one of the best in the game, and he tends to be a high-volume goalie, starting 68 and 65 games the last two seasons, but the talented young Enroth has been consistently good in the AHL for the last three years, and with Miller on the wrong side of 30 now, the Sabres could look to have his load reduced a little. You can pencil Enroth in for at least 20 games as a backup, and if Miller gets hurt, he's suddenly a full-time starter on a playoff-caliber team.
Jacob Markstrom, FLA - Jose Theodore has a two-year contract, which should send a message about what the Panthers think of Markstrom's development, but Theodore is no Tomas Vokoun and backup Scott Clemmensen is no NHL starter, so Markstrom could push his way up with a strong first half, particularly if one of those guys is bitten by the injury bug. After all, Theodore has had problems holding up for whole seasons before and now he's soon to be 35 - no spring chicken. Markstrom, a 2008 second-round pick, is one of the top goalie prospects in the game, so if he can elevate his game in the AHL this year, the Panthers will have to find a place for him.
Mark Dekanich, CLM - Look out, Steve Mason. Dekanich is coming for your job. At some point, the Jackets are going to get sick of Mason, the '08 rookie sensation (10 shutouts!) turned picture of mediocrity the last two seasons. Enter Dekanich, signed away from the goalie-heavy Predators, with whom all he did was put up a .931 save percentage and 2.02 GAA in the AHL last year. Not only is Dekanich arguably better than Mason, he's older than him and he has a history of excellence in college and in the AHL. Don't be surprised if he usurps the job in Columbus (or at least turns it into a timeshare) much quicker than most would expect.


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By Ron Norton Reel CCA President
I want to start this column by saying how much I love CCA and the instructors who chose this profession because they love students.
I want to stand up for our members who give each and every day for our students. Some of these students are prepared, some are not. Some arrive in our classes interested, some take some time to develop an interest in the subject matter.
Some want to join our profession; and some find their way into CCA, a union that dedicates itself to making our working conditions the best possible learning conditions for our students. None of us could be CCA members without dedicated teachers along the way that made a difference in our life. I can name a few myself.
I salute my middle school teacher Mr. Townsend from Wasco, whose union negotiated additional compensation so that he could tutor me three days a week, when I came down with rheumatic fever. Mr. Townsend became my hero, and I decided that if he could take the time to come and teach a poor boy like me, then I wanted to be a teacher.
I'm sure I had the opportunity to attend college because my 10th grade English teacher, Miss Delguchi from Shafter fought for me to be included in a special program to assist students in increasing their reading speed. I went from reading 100 words per minute to 1,600 words per minute with 90 percent comprehension. This allowed me to read an entire textbook the night before a test and carry 22-25 units per semester while working 40 hours a week.
I cannot overlook my community college professor Ginger Vogler from San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton who recruited me for her speech team. Her union had negotiated reassigned time so she could coach students like me.
She told me if I worked hard enough, four-year colleges would offer me a scholarship to give speeches. With her help, I placed seventh in the United States with a speech titled, "Do You Hear The Children Weeping?" I was the first man in a college competition to talk about child abuse.
Dr. Hal Bochin of California State University at Fresno provided me with a full scholarship. He helped me construct a speech about accepting people for what they are, instead of trying to change them to fit what we want them to become. Under his tutelage, I became the U.S. Intercollegiate four-year college and university champion in persuasive speaking.
Why do I mention these educators? I do so because their unions fought for the working conditions that provided their students with the learning conditions they needed to thrive.
We must continue to work within our local chapters to provide the services they need to carry out the work of the union.
I want to take just a minute to mention a few people who have worked hard to improve the working conditions of their members.
Ed Gomez of San Bernardino Community College Faculty Association has been able to encourage other faculty members willing to work hard and stand up for what is right. His leadership has completely revitalized his chapter.
Ken Nolte of the Shasta College Faculty Association has brought clarity and solidarity to his faculty and is responsible for increasing membership in his local chapter.
Fola Odebumi of United Faculty North Orange County Community College District has taken on a daily fight with the district over working conditions and the infamous Student Learning Outcomes.
Scott Lucas of Lake Tahoe Community College Faculty Association is responsible for creating a more positive and effective association. His college has completely turned around under his presidency.
Gaylla Finnell of the Imperial Valley College CCA has provided the energy, tenacity and leadership to bring part-time faculty into the association. Her college president has since agreed to allow for full faculty recognition.
Ken Wagman of Gavilan College Faculty Association worked to make sure that the association's constitution, bylaws, and contract now includes full and part-time faculty.
These dedicated members are worthy of recognition from all of as examples of those we need to stand up and support.
One of my favorite poets is Yevgeny Alexandrovich Yevtushenko. Before he was sent to Siberia, he wrote of how wrong it was for the Russian government to take young boys out of school and make them soldiers of war. In a 1987 interview with Time magazine, he was asked why, after repeated warnings from the Russian government, he had continued to be a voice of opposition.
He answered, "My parents taught me to be as eloquent as possible and to always tell the truth about issues of importance."
Although I cannot be as eloquent as Mr. Yevtushenko, I will always tell the truth about who we are, what we do, and how we will always strive to stand up for our members and our students.
Every child deserves a chance to learn and no child succeeds alone.
© 1999-


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Outward Hound HandsFree Leash
This product can be found in: Dog Collars: All | Dog Leads: All | Other Leads | Puppy Collars, Leads, Harnesses | Puppy Products: All | Synthetic Leads
Outward Hound Hands-Free Leash
Product Code: 61574
Earn 168 Reward Points
DescriptionHands-free walking or jogging with your dog! Having to handle a leash can make a chore out of a great run, walk, or hike with your four-legged friend. The Outward Hound Hands-Free Leash provides you with the perfect solution. It comprises an adjustable, lightweight, waist pack and leash.
The neoprene belt features two pockets with reverse coil zippers for carrying essentials such as keys, mobile or cash and the handy attached mesh pouch collapses and stores inside its own pocket, making it ideal for carrying water bottle or treats. Please see the extra images.
The non-slip, elastic waistband contours to your body to provide greater comfort and there are dual D-rings for right and left side leash attachment. It comes complete with a 6 foot woven leash that you can also store in one of the pockets for when you allow your pet off the leash.
Perfect for joggers, hikers and walkers, or anyone who wants both hands free when out and about with their dog.
Dimensions: approx L69 x W10cm
Belt fits waist sizes: 80-120cm
Load capacity from leash hook to hook: up to 130kg
Load capacity from D-ring to the belt: up to 47.7kg
Customer Ratings & Reviews
Just what I needed posted on 16/05/2016 by Poppys Master
This is a great product from petplanet.co.uk, much better than expected as it comes with two pockets for phone and keys/money as well as a water bottle holder at the back, two d-rings means you can attached your dog/cat/polar bear to either side of the belt, it also comes with a lead which is not mentioned in the product description (bit thin for my liking but perfectly usable) Well made belt which is nice an wide so comfortable to wear and doesn't dig in. SO 10 out of 10 for quality/price and fast delivery.
A whole new experience but really made me bond with my dog posted on 19/03/2015 by Denise
I am always looking for new and very different ways of entertaining the dog. It took a little getting use to running together. He wore a harness which was easier than a lead around his neck to guide him. Voice commands needed to be clear as to avoid crossing over into my pathway, I encouraged him to run on my right and brought treat to encourage him. He would become distracted easily at first so I needed to keep him focused on the run. We had a wee walk before the run and I increased the running time and route gradually. We are still a work in progress but we are enjoying each run. Lots of variations in time and distance and lots of rewards make a happy dog want to run. I had to positively encourage him. I feel we have become a team and we get a lot of attention on our runs. We feel like mini celebrities.
Fantastic posted on 27/02/2015 by
hands freelove it posted on 16/02/2015 by darcydoo
I bought this to allow me to run a little with my 4 month old puppy weimaraner I used to run with my previous dog however my arm would hurt as I was not running correctly and she would pull wearing the harness was a good experience we dont run too much as she is still growing but it allows me to train her the waistband is very good and I was able to take water treats and poo bags and still have both hands free when she was allowed off the lead the lead just clips up out of the way onto the waistband would recommend a try of this for the great price to try before buying the canix harnesses which are expensive this waistband lets you see how good the dog would be
Great product posted on 02/12/2014 by SarahD
Good value product The extra pockets are really useful too First outing with the hound for a jog was effortless The only downside is that it can attach 2 dogs but you only get one lead and therefore one attachment You need the right clip to attach to the belt and the dog Its only a small downside and I love it regardless
Review posted on 22/10/2014 by Allylad57
Exactly what is says However one issue I have is that it should be supplied with two leads I did try to source one from supplier with one result
Lovely product posted on 18/10/2014 by mamaligabluz
Excellent quality useful addition to our walkingrunning kit Dog seems happy to run along Might be an issue if dog is a puller
Love it posted on 16/05/2014 by Julie
I have two collies who pull this belt has plenty of storage for dogwalking and coued with the use of harness or head collars i can easly control my dogs safely and comfortably
Love it posted on 22/04/2014 by kimberley
Excellent value for money great product. I wanted it for road running with my dog. My springer and I can go on some lovely runs together.
Fabulous invention posted on 31/03/2014 by Jayne Tierney
I go running with my 2 dogs on this belt and it great. Theres plenty of pocket room too for poo bags phone car keys lip balm money. The belt tightens up so doesnt bounce about I wish i'd bought one years ago.


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In response to requests from Plumbing Manufacturers Intl. (PMI) and its members, as well as from other supporters of the U.S....
Get the most for your money with an advertising plan
"A plan without action is a daydream; action without a plan is a nightmare." – Japanese proverb
"Put simply, your advertising plan tells you how you plan to attract customers." – Roy H. Williams, the Wizard of Ads.
The No. 1 error I see time and again with businesses of all industries and sizes is the lack of a marketing or advertising plan, and the subsequent sporadic spending (and eventual pouring) of precious marketing funds down the drain.
A lot of buzz surrounds having a marketing and/or advertising plan for a business operation — but it seems the general consensus is that its merit is a little fuzzy. Those who have a plan may be unsure why, and those who do not are unsure where to start.
"If you don't have a budget and a plan, your ad spend will blow out due to persuasive ad reps," said Craig Arthur of Wizard of Ads Australia. "You spend a little here, a little there — a discounted radio package pops up, a newspaper liftout (all your competitors are in it — you don't want to miss out), a TV run-of-station deal — little by little, your wallet is emptied and your ad spend becomes obese."
Let's compare it to an experience we can all relate to: grocery shopping. Consider the following two scenarios:
In option 1, you sporadically purchase items that you do not essentially need, but look good in that moment. In option 2, you buy what you need to contribute to the overall goal of stocking your cupboards with necessary items. This is the comparison between having a marketing/advertising plan for your business or not.
Preparing a Plan
Having an advertising plan is a great theory. Here is how to put it into practice.
A plan is essentially deciphering the best uses of your time and money. Both need to be budgeted for — remember, time is money too.
First, go to www.adbudgetcalculator.com. My friend, Wizard of Ads partner (and general nice guy) Dave Young, formulated this tool for calculating optimal advertising investment range.
Second, calculate your time budget. How much time per day/week/month/year are you willing to invest in attracting customers to your business?
If you like working visually, as I do, utilize the budget templates in the various Microsoft Office Suite programs (Excel, Word, etc.). Often, simply using a guide for laying it all out takes half the work out of the exercise.
Third, and most importantly, what is your company's message? "Until you get your message right, there is no right media to deliver it," according to Williams. What does your business stand for? What does your business stand against? What are the needs of your customers? How can you solve their problems? Think "Volvo = safety."
Fourth, write it all down. There is something about committing words to paper that makes it more definite.
I suggest starting small. Don't get bogged down into putting together a five-year plan — stick to a 12-month plan initially.
Having a plan will give you clear direction and also help you say no to the tempting phone calls from sales representatives asking you to advertise. Being void of a plan will always result in ad hoc advertising spending, which will, in turn, evolve into an expensive experiment. Don't be swayed by those seemingly "once-in-a-lifetime" advertising deals either. Trust me — they will not be once in a lifetime.
Words of Advice
Here are my parting tips. First, be consistent, both in your message and your medium. Within your plan, develop a style guide for your message that outlines the words you will always associate with your brand (including any taglines, keywords, etc.), along with words you will never associate with your brand (negative words, those your competitor uses, etc.).
When attributing the budget, commit to yearly spending with each medium (or just one if that is what you can afford). For advertising to be effective, it needs frequency and repetition — not small bits here and there.
Second, don't feel that a plan cannot be molded over time. Things happen. A plan can be adapted, although changes should not happen every time a "good" advertising opportunity comes along.
"If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there," says the Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.
Plan your spend. Know exactly where you are going.


text: This tea is heavenly! I received this as a sample in the mail. Perhaps its also because I haven't had black tea in ages, but this one is just mMmm delicious! I love the real scent of spices in this little bag. There is nothing artificial to the smell or taste! It was a nice, mild but spicy enough beverage. The black tea base is perfect. I added some sugar and milk to it, and it was wonderful. Such a great tea for a cold day.


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The Vox Mini3 Modeling Guitar Amplifier offers everything a guitarist needs: a wide range of authentic sounds, great effects, a convenient and compact size, AC or battery powered portability and a great design that you've come to expect from Vox. Drawing on Vox's superior modeling technology, the Mini3 provides a total of eleven amp models, ranging from a powerful high-gain sound to a sparkling clean sound. Also included is a new clean, non-distorting setting that supports a direct line connection from a keyboard or other source. A full complement of effects is also provided, as well as a built-in tuner. In addition, the Mini3 provides a versatile array of connections. You'll find a dedicated mic input, plus an AUX input ideal for connecting an MP3 player, making the Mini3 the perfect unit for street performances
Vox Mini3 Modeling Guitar Amplifier Features
What started as a simple string and pedal sales catalog has grown exponentially over the past thirty years. The early days were a time where catalogs didn't have much of a presence in the industry, but what began as a college dorm room operation grew rapidly. In 1986 we moved to a full product offering and 64-page catalog, which over the years has grown to 162 pages. Join the AMS family and get your free catalog now!
Copyright © 1996-2017 American Musical Supply, Inc. All rights reserved. American Musical Supply reserves the right to correct pricing and/or product specifications in the event of typographical errors found in our print catalog or on our website. If a product is listed at an incorrect price due to such errors or because of inaccurate information received from a supplier, American Musical Supply shall have the right to refuse or cancel any orders placed, whether or not the order has been confirmed and your credit card charged. If your credit card has already been charged for the purchase and your order is canceled, American Musical Supply will issue a credit to your credit card account in the amount of the charge.


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What is Packet Pickup?
This is where you pickup your race bib #, timing chip, race day t-shirt, and goody bag. You can also review the race course map and ask race day related questions that you might have. Buy some last minute race day goodies that we may have for sale like custom race event logo, t-shirts, sweat shirts, bags, etc. This is your last chance to register for this race.... NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION
2016 Results are in!
Checkout the preliminary results and let us know if you see any adjustments that need to be made. We will see you on the starting line soon.
Packet Pickup
Saturday Dec 2 - noon to 4 pm
Location: Pleasant Valley Fields Park - WEST END of parking lot
152 Westpark CT, Camarillo CA 93012
the YMCA side of the park
Race day Checklist
All athletes are encouraged to bring a new unwrapped toy for donation to the Toys for Tots program.
U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program
The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.
The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.
|Overall // Male/Female
|Overall // Male/Female
|Overall // Male/Female
Sunday Dec 3, 2017
Welcome to the 6th Annual
Holly Jolly Half Marathon 5k 10k
Eastside Parking Lot - Pleasant Valley Fields Park, 152 Westpark Ct, Camarillo, CA 93012
This is a rain or shine event.
Dec 3, 2017 - Race start: Half- 8:00 am, 10k - 8:05 am, 5k-8:15 am
Start / Finish will be at the Pleasant Valley Fields Park at the Village At The Park Sports Complex. This course is over the mostly flat Camarillo bike path. No auto traffic to worry about on this course.
Yes we will have prizes for the best holiday costume's, so come dressed in your favorite Christmas duds and let's see how creative everyone can get.
Weekend warriors / Beginners / walkers:
Yes, very walker friendly course, mostly flat, plenty of aid stations, and loads of fun! Generous 4:00 hour time limit for the half marathon so take your time and enjoy the scenery, all levels of fitness are welcome at our events.
Middle of the pack runners:
Everyone will be asking…. What did you do on your holiday vacation time? Now you can show off your finisher medal and race day t-shirt. This is the race for you and everyone you know.
Elite and Advanced runners:
This mostly flat two loop course is a great way to test your winter time speed! A perfect way to give yourself a holiday gift (a new PR) that you can cheer about all the way to new years.
All Runners will receive:
Finisher medal
Water bottle
Race day athlete tech t-shirt
Custom Goody bag with race day logo
Top 3 overall M/F in each race - Special Award
Top 3 each age group M/F - ALL RACE DISTANCES
Elite Sports California © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


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What work makes policy?
The mainstream policy literature identifies a number of activities as part of 'policy-making': 'policy analysis', 'policy advice', 'decision-making', and perhaps also 'implementation' and 'evaluation'. Describing policy in these terms is compatible with the Western cultural account, and these terms tend to be applied to positions, organisational segments and official procedures. But policy practitioners tend to find that on the one hand, their experience of their work bears little resemblance to the assumptions in this policy-making model, and on the other, that policy outcomes seem to reflect much broader processes than the work of specialist functionaries. On closer examination, we find that our thinking about policy activity draws on several distinct and potentially conflicting perspectives, and that what is seen as 'policy work' depends on the conceptualisation of the policy process. Framing the question in this way helps to understand the apparent differences between mainstream (American) accounts of policy activity and policy practice in other political systems. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLP 2006
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.
Volume (Year): 39 (2006)
Issue (Month): 4 (December)
Pages: 309-321
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| Web page: http://www.springer.com
Web page: http://policysciences.org/index.html
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|Web: http://www.springer.com/political+science/journal/11077/PS2
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This product is no longer available.
You can try these similar gifts instead.
Sterling Silver Duo Cross Necklace
She likes to layer her clothes and she'll like the look of this necklace that has a layered look as well. One strand has a sideways cross and the second strand, a shiny heart-shape or oval plaque that can be custom engraved.


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10 Comments
Nice color and design. +1 voted.
BEAUTIFUL WORK!!! I like it!
if you have time check out my designs..thanks
this one is realy great…very good..voted
if u have some time please check my stuffs later ok..thankx
Interesting! Very interesting!
and looks great!
i love it!+1
real good! nice illo and placement!
BabyKotton Human
love it!!!! definatley would buy!!!
Thank you all for the comments and the votes! :-)
wow! power!


text:
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Prat's affordable polypropylene presentation book features an exclusive modular spiral-ring mechanism to add or replace sheet protectors. It allows each page to lay completely flat for viewing.
Each book comes with a set of 10 archival super clear polypropylene sheet protectors as well as a polypropylene CD holder.
Refill pages also available.
Portfolio Dimensions — The Sizes noted for presentation cases, portfolios, binders, and refill pages are the sizes of the artwork they are intended for, not the actual outer dimensions of the product. For all dimensions, see the Item Specs tab.
Format Note — The first dimension (H–Height) shown in the table below refers to the bound side.
11" × 8½"
279 mm × 216 mm
11" × 14"
279 mm × 356 mm
11" × 17"
279 mm × 432 mm
14" × 11"
356 mm × 279 mm
17" × 11"
432 mm × 279 mm
19" × 13"
483 mm × 330 mm
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(based on 12 reviews)
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Reviewed by 12 customers
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Perfect for our display in our museum. Would order again!
By Ro
from Pittsburg, CA
Comments about Prat Start Refillable Presentation Books:
We used it in our museum to insert old photos and newspaper articles about the local sports, that were already in an old album and we just took the album apart and placed those pages in these protected sleeves, so our patrons could enjoy the information without destroying these old album pages.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Quality Product
By Jan the photographer's daughter
from Baltimore, MD
I most likely will order again. I am trying to preserve many large format photos that my dad made throughout his life. He was a photographer with the Navy in WWII, stationed in Attu, Alaska. Some amazing aerial images of the landscape, since we went on several reconnaissance flights. He was a professional photographer his whole life; industrial photog for Glenn L. Martin in the 50s-60s; and a photojournalist for the Baltimore Sun for 20 years thereafter. These pages allow me to preserve and showcase his work beautifully!
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Worth it if your budget is limited
By Tabs
from Louisiana
I bought this for my senior review in graphic design for college. All my work was to be printed 11x17 landscape. The portfolio itself was size appropriate however the sheets inside were more like 11x16.5. I was able to set my documents to print that size rather than return the product or buy different sheets because I was in a time crunch. However the portfolio is really nice and I enjoy it. For the price compared to others I really can't complain.
PRAT Start Presentatuion Books
By Photographer
from Covington, LA
Ordered refill Archival pages and received Presentation Books by mistake, my fault miscommunication with the person on the telephone. Returned for replacement via UPS waiting for Pages to arrive.
Excellent Product
By DeeCee
from New York City
I have used this product several times before when preparing a musician's portfolios and most recently as a photograph album. The quality is outstanding. Most important for me is the ability to add pages since it's refillable. Further, dickblick.com shipped my order in a timely fashion and it arrived perfectly packaged. I strongly recommend this company.
(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
Great value
By Dave
from Goreville, Illinois
For an inexpensive portfolio, this one ranks at the top. Well made with very good quality components, and very impressive for the cost involved.
Best In Its Class
By Cooper
from Los Angeles, CA
I was looking for an attractive way to present my music compositions (with a CD of the recordings) for college apps, and this seemed to be the best looking from the pictures. It turned out to be a more fantastic portfolio than I expected. Everything feels very substantial, not some cheap flimsy folder -- everything from the covers to the binder rings, to the CD case, which was a very nice touch touch. The black version is incredibly sleek, as well. I felt very good about my portfolio, and I will be stocking up on more of these soon.I just about always report something that could be improved when I review something, but I honestly can't think of anything for this portfolio. It's clean, attractive, and very professional looking.
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
Fantastic Product!!
By Smooth Jazz Man
from Seattle, WA
I bought this presentation book for the portfolio requirement for my Health Information Management class thinking that it would be a pretty good deal for the price. But I was surprised by the quality of this product. After putting some of my documents in the plastic sleeves I realized just how much quality went into the construction of this product--I particularly love the clear plastic sleeves with the black paper inserts and the textured pattern on the outside cover of the premium version of the book. But the only negative thing I can say is that the binder can only hold about 30 documents comfortably. Maybe there should be a thicker size available. But my documents look fantastic! I just can't wait to show my teacher my impressive body of work in this fine presentation binder. I think that I will get more than a passing grade! I'm definitely going to show off the book to all my classmates when I'm finished putting it together. I think that there is going to be a bit of jealousy!
Not quite what I expected, but good.
By Melissa
from Richmond, KY
I expected something with a bit more substance, but for the price it is reasonable. It's basically like an Itoya. I do like the sizes that are available, especially the horizontal one.
great product!
By BehindBlueEyes
from Susanville, CA
I use the book as my portfolio for my b&w, graphics design and reg photos. Quality that I know I can trust to store my best projects in.
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Rivals.com AMP opens the Video Vault once again and opens the polls for the best rushes by a running back. This week nominees are Josh Adams, Michael Goodson, Benjamin Tate, Asher Allen, and Ricky Thenarse.
Check out these five plays and place your vote for the best run at www.rivals100.com.
Article Continues Below


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Press Release: Statement by IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato at the Conclusion of his Visit to Japan
August 3, 2006Press Release No. 06/176
Mr. Rodrigo de Rato, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement today in Tokyo:
"I am pleased to have had the opportunity to visit Japan again. I had the privilege of meeting with Prime Minister Koizumi. I also had productive meetings with Finance Minister Tanigaki, Bank of Japan Governor Fukui, and other senior officials and representatives of the academic and business communities.
"I am very optimistic about Japan's economic prospects. The economy is expanding strongly, driven increasingly by domestic demand. The corporate and financial sectors have strengthened considerably as a result of far-reaching restructuring efforts. Deflation pressures are abating and the risk of a deflationary relapse has receded.
"Notwithstanding the prospect of above-potential growth for the near term, major policy challenges remain. In particular, there is a need to pursue further fiscal consolidation and undertake additional reforms in a variety of areas to boost Japan's economic potential and cope with population ageing. The current favorable economic situation provides a good environment for moving forward on these fronts.
"During my visit, I also exchanged views with the Japanese authorities on the IMF's Medium-Term Strategy, which aims at positioning the Fund to help countries take the opportunities—and meet the challenges—of 21st century globalization. We discussed how best to address critical issues such as ensuring fair voice for all members and quotas that reflect the evolving weight of countries in the global economy. The valuable dialogue I have just had with the Japanese authorities will help the IMF to implement the Medium-Term Strategy, and will also aid preparations for the forthcoming Annual Meetings in Singapore in September."
|Public Affairs
|Media Relations


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An Organic Apple a Day Keeps the Altruism Away
There's interesting new psych study out about the relationship between food and morality. The study, which was published in a peer-reviewed journal of social and personality psychology, comes to a rather provocative conclusion: When people are exposed to wholesome or organic foods, their levels of altruism decrease. First, some context: Recent research has revealed that … Continued


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About Impact Academy
Impact Academy of Arts and Technology is a tuition-free public charter high school in Hayward, dedicated to transforming students' lives by preparing them for success in college and in life. We are in the process of adding middle grades to our school, click here for more information about the middle grades! Impact Academy offers students a rigorous academic experience and a diverse, compassionate community in which to grow. Our students are inspired and empowered to be leaders in their high school education and their communities.
Impact Academy is one of three Bay Area charter schools operated by Envision Education, a nonprofit founded in 2002. Learn more about Envision Schools and Envision Education here.
Last year, Impact Academy was the subject of a prestigious study conducted by the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE). To read the report and learn more about "student centered learning" in action at Impact, click here: SCOPE-Student-Centered-Learning-Impact final.
Impact at a Glance:
- Public charter school
- Tuition-free
- Grades 9-12, adding 7th grade in fall 2016
- Student population: 465
- Located in Hayward
- College Prep classes for all students
- Project Based Learning
- Arts and Technology integrated into curriculum
- Thriving Sports and Extracurricular Program
- Average Class Size: 30
- Student to staff ratio: 1:15
- Accreditation: Impact is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
- Schedule: Impact operates on a rotating block schedule. Schools starts promptly each morning at 8:30 am. School ends at 3:40 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and at 1:05 pm on Wednesdays. Download the full bell schedule here.
- Closed campus policy: Impact has a closed campus. Students may not leave campus during the school day without the permission of a parent or guardian.
- Lunch Program: OUSD
- Impact Academy's Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), 2015-16
- Impact Academy's School Accountability Report Card, 2015-16| Versión Española de Informe de Responsabilidad Escolar, 2014-15


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Hancock graduation this Friday
Fourteen Hancock High School seniors will be receiving their diplomas during commencement exercises on Friday, May 16. The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. in the Hancock High School gymnasium.
The Hancock concert band will lead off the program with the traditional "Pomp and Circumstance" to which the class will enter the gym.
Supt. Jerry Martinson will offer a welcome followed by an invocation.
Student addresses will be given by Taylor Holleman, Samantha Schmidgall and Ross Ascheman. Chad Christianson will be speaking briefly about the class.
Class president Samantha Schmidgall will read the names of the seniors. They will be awarded their diplomas by school board chairman Barry Nelson.
The class motto is "We are the future looking out on the past, We are the present making old things last, We are tomorrow, thinking of yesterday, We are today, doing things our own way."
Their colors are purple, black and silver. The class flower is the gerber daisy.
The graduates include (*denotes honor students): Karol Andrea Algarate, Austin Taylor Anderson, *Ross Anthony Ascheman, Jerid Michael Berning, Lee Jordan Chamberlain, *Taylor John Holleman, Haley Rose Klucas, *Patrick Allen Koehl, *Alexis Marie Nohl, Lincoln Edward Rinkenberger, Adam Lee Sanders, *Samantha Ann Schmidgall, Curtis Darrell Utech and Samantha Jo Vasek.


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A New Columbia Heights blog query of DC Metropolitan Police Department crime statistics shows a drop in almost every category of violent and property crime, except for one notable exception: Robbery with a gun.
The DC police website is surprisingly friendly to those seeking data about crime statistics in the District. There are lots of conflicting theories bouncing around about gentrification and crime in Columbia Heights. Some of the notable ones are 1) with gentrification, crime will decrease with greater neighborhood prosperity; and 2) the increasing income disparity as new wealthier residents move in next to less economically prosperous older residents may drive up crime rates. So I decided to test them with the violent and property crime data for police district three which covers Columbia Heights, Mount Pleasant, Adams Morgan, parts of Georgia Petworth, Reed Cooke, Shaw and the U Street area -- essentially most of Ward One, represented by Councilman Jim Graham.
The data doesn't settle either theory to rest definitively, but is worth a look. Overall -- compared to the same period last year, January through early May -- violent crime is down 13%, not an insignificant drop. Yet robbery with a gun is up 17%: Evidence of greater income disparity driving muggings? The statistic itself isn't enough to go on alone.
Property crimes only see a slight drop, except for almost a quarter fewer stolen cars. The arson numbers also see a big drop, but there are so few, the drop is statistically insignificant.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Cop Data: Drop in Crime in C. Heights & Surrounding Hoods
2 comments:
This is very interesting -- thanks for posting.
- May 9, 2008 at 8:46 AM
- Allison Scuriatti said...
Thanks for the posting this. I agree that gentrification may lead to certain crime issues even as it brings benefits too.
If someone is new to the neighborhood and wants to learn more about the "feel" with respect to crime - like whether people feel safe walking on specific streets at night - where is a good place to learn this? I have seen a couple of discussion groups - maybe you know of some? It's been several years since I lived in Columbia Heights.
- May 12, 2008 at 8:47 PM
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Matt Baker wanted to take all the blame. John Bunting didn't want to give it to him. But one thing North Carolina's quarterback and coach can agree on is the state of the team's offense two games into the season. "Too inconsistent," Bunting said after UNC's 14-5 loss to Wisconsin on Saturday night at Kenan Stadium. "That's really the only way to describe it."
(Durham Herald-Sun)
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Robo-Dome is one of my project based on a card game and tournament with robots. It's also a gallery of the robots of modern age, that I would show on my website kokorojoujou.it. Here are the first robots: Ko.ko.ro my mascot and main robot of the serie; Nova-9 a giant metal bot, powered by solar energy. They are best friends! Roko-Barocco, an italian robot, powered by steam. It's like a divided machine with two personality ans style. Smartboy, a little robot with smart quality and long arms. The 1st on left reminds very R2D2 from Star Wars, because it's a cult type of robot..but I think I coud not develop it.
Thank You!


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Where most would see a heap of metal, Stephen Mallon sees the beauty of engineering. Take a look at the industrial photographer's series, Next Stop Atlantic, which documents the transfer of old subway cars to their final resting place at the bottom of ocean.
More after the jump.
pic and info: Stephen Mallon


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Rediscovering Classics
In this day and age of technology, it's easy to forget that you can get free entertainment at your local library. This summer my family has rediscovered Huntington Memorial Library in Oneonta and come across some classic favorite stories and movies from childhood. My husband and I feel lucky that both our kids enjoy reading and we have enjoyed reading "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L Frank Baum to them and then watching the movie.
They loved that, plus we read "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl and then also watched the classic original movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" with Gene Wilder.
Next up, we'll be reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C. S. Lewis and then watch the movie.
It's a very fun and free way to enjoy time together with the kids so don't forget your local library which typically has some movies available. Also there are free library programs during the summer at Huntington Memorial Library in Oneonta. Check it out.


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The Bitch recently had the honor of interviewing Hinsul Lazo, the 48-year-old native of Pinar del Río, Cuba, and owner of Museo del Disco, an insurgent CD and DVD store occupying a West Miami-Dade warehouse.
The Bitch: Um, so you've called me a bunch of times trying to get me to write about your place, but I think it would just be easier if you manifesto about it yourself, okay? So what's the deal?
Hinsul Lazo: Okay, Museo del Disco is a concept store. It's a very unique store. It's located at 1301 SW 70th Ave. It caters to an adult crowd. It doesn't really cater to kids. It caters to music people. People who love music. When you walk into my store, you can find from jazz to R&B, from the Sixties and Seventies and Eighties to today's music. The only thing you're not going to find in my store is hip-hop and rap. I don't cater to that crowd. So what I'm trying to do is make this city aware of a music store you can drive to and there's a piece for everybody. Whether it's jazz, whether it's R&B, whether it's pop from James Taylor to whomever. I mean it could be Bobby Darin. It could be Frank Sinatra. It could be whoever you want. You're going to find it. That's the idea.
But nobody knows about it. The only stores that get published are Virgin, Specs, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Circuit City, Borders. That's where people think you can go to find music. The people who go to buy music think there's no other outlets to music. And there is a tremendous store. It's 10,000 square feet of music and DVDs. It's in a warehouse district and it's a gorgeous store. It's a beautiful store. It's like no other store in this city. Not because it's my store. But that's the word from all the customers. They walk in and they're amazed it's so neat and we're so organized. It's a warehouse but it's decorated like it was a dollhouse. It's beautiful inside. Color-coordinated red and white. The furniture's red, the walls are white. The light boxes around the entire store are red. It's got pictures of all the old records, the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
So what my moan is, or what my concern is: I'm trying to take it to the next level. But unfortunately I need publicity. You know, I need some kind of a writeup, some kind of story, some kind of little push.
Um, have you tried advertising?
I did.
You did? That isn't doing it?
No. Not for the Anglo. Remember, I'm trying to bring in the American. I've got Latinos coming in to buy American product. But where's all the Americans? Where do you go to buy music when you buy CDs? Where do you go?
Just give me a name.
Well, I normally just download stuff from the Internet and burn my own CDs.
See? What kind of music do you like?
All kinds of music. Shoegazer, electronica, industrial, hip-hop, mostly.
All kinds. What if you were looking for a Miles Davis CD or a John Coltrane or a Billie Holiday, some great CD? There's only two ways to find them. Either online, because that's where people go because they don't think any store's going to have them. Or you can go to my store. And you'll find it in my store. Because that's what it's about. My store's a music store. We special-order things for people. It's the old style. And by the way, nothing in my store is bootlegged or burned or counterfeit. It's all original product.
Um, okay. When did you open?
Four years ago.
So you don't have any kind of hip-hop?
No. I mean, 50 Cent and Tupac. That's it.
So how do you decide that 50 Cent and Tupac ...
It's too big of a record. You know what I'm saying? If it's that big, big, big of a record, we're forced to buy the kids -- the parents walk in with some of their kids. And in order to keep them in peace so they cannot be bored, we have four or five of the latest, of the top.
What about Snoop? Snoop Dogg.
Maybe one or two titles. But no. I mean we do, but we don't. If you understand what I'm saying. We do have some rap, but it's very minimal. We don't carry every Snoop Dogg CD he's released. We might have the latest one and after three weeks we get rid of it and it's on to the next. Because rap records don't linger. They don't stay as catalogues. I had a lady walk in today to my store, she walked in and she said, "Do you have Al Green?" I said, "Which one do you want?" She went nuts. She took two.
Ah. Okay.
And this was a Latin lady, it wasn't an American woman. She spoke decent English, but with an accent. But she wanted Al Green.
Dr. Dre?
No. No, we don't carry Dr. Dre.
Is piracy affecting your business?
It affects my business, but it doesn't affect my business too much. Because the people who come to my store want the original stuff. And since what I sell is catalogue, catalogue doesn't get bootlegged.
Explain that, will you?
Catalogue music is old product. People don't burn old product. The people who buy CDs are people 30 and up. Let's say, 40 and [up] years old. And they want the original, with the original cover. They want the liner notes. They want to see who played bass or played the guitar or played trumpet on that track.
Do you have vinyl?
No vinyl. Just CDs. No used CDs.
No cassettes. And no VHS. Only DVDs.
It definitely sounds unique.
Oh, you gotta see it. Seeing is believing. But I need a little help, man.
You're taking on the big chains.
Let me tell you something: I've got $532,000 in investment in that store, in inventory.
This is a monster.
Are you in the black yet?
No. No.
But heading that way?
Yeah. Of course. Because it's a concept. This warehouse is my building, it's my property.
Are you doing anything else, like real estate?
No. This is it, buddy.
What were you doing before?
Distribution. Music distributor. It's called HL Distributors. It's my distributing company.
And you're doing Cuban music from the island?
From everywhere. Cuban, Colombian, Argentinean, Brazilian, Venezuelan, Mexican product. Buddy, everything. I bring in from Puerto Rico. I import directly from Cuba.
From where?
Iran? You know, any Middle Eastern ...
I do have some Youssou N'Dour. One or two. I do carry world music.
Turkish house?
No, no. We're not, we're not, that exotic. C'mon.
I'm just thinking of stuff I've heard in the clubs recently.
You're good. I like that. That's what I want. I have some Arabic, but on the world side I'm a little lost. I carry everything, but I don't know exactly what I have.
The Bad Touch
The arms race for school security is on. Since this past April, visitors to the Miami-Dade County school district's main administrative building at NE Second Avenue and Fourteenth Street have been required to go through new and improved Orwellian processing in order to attempt to call upon the bureaucrats within. Instead of merely signing a log and obtaining a hall pass, visitors now have to submit driver's licenses for scanning by a machine resembling an espresso maker. The machine snaps an unflattering portrait and spits out a sticky tag with a bar code, name, and picture for the visitor to apply to her clothes. The Bitch grumpily submitted herself to this process recently, but then she wondered: What in this building is worth stealing or biting anyway?
Two companies, Texas-based Raptor Technologies and West Palm Beach's SISCO Corp., loaned their respective wares to the district in the hope that visiting school principals and other administrators would fall in love with the sleek omniscience of the machines. There's sex in the pitch, as in keeping offenders away from children. Turns out while Mr. Coffee scans IDs, it also checks personal information against a database of undesirables, such as those convicted of molestation-type crimes.
In April, Raptor persuaded three schools (American High, Hialeah Miami Lakes High, and Lawton Chiles Middle) to purchase the software, which runs about $1500, not counting annual upgrades. These schools can then see whether parents, contractors, or any other strays are registered sex offenders in any of the 43 states currently in the database. If a match is made, a warning pops up and a text message is transmitted to school officials. Carol Measom, Raptor's marketing director, says the system is in more than 600 schools in Texas, Florida, Illinois, and Arizona. Measom rattles off a list of chilling statistics collected in Texas, showing that most sex offenders visiting schools are also parents, and 73 percent of the offenders have committed a crime involving underage victims.
But the field of "visitor management," as SISCO Corp.'s bubbly director of sales Jonathan Fox calls it, is competitive. "The school market is hot," he says. Thus SISCO, which has for years sold screening systems to the cruise-line industry, offered to install its product at school district HQ free, for a limited time only. This caused Raptor to take its system out, Measom says, so the SISCO guys couldn't eyeball it too closely (the three schools still have the system).
The SISCO system, which goes by the brand name Fast-Pass, was designed with other security considerations in mind. Cruise lines, for instance, aren't generally noted for their hyper-vigilance in policing potential sexual-assault perpetrators. After 9/11, Fast-Pass and other SISCO technologies received a huge boost. They've been installed everywhere from NYPD offices in New York to area hospitals to the building that houses the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Fox says even the Miami Herald is looking into getting the system. His contact there suggested he talk to the school police, which is how Fast-Pass came to public education. The company is also wooing the Broward County school district, which is considering spending $2.7 million to place units in all of its schools.
This system, which Fox describes as "more robust," allows purchasers to search several databases to keep out the unwanted -- for instance, noncustodial parents who aren't allowed to pick up their children, individuals barred via restraining orders, or any other searchable criteria selected. "It can be used in so many different ways," enthuses Fox. "Could you use it to keep other undesirables, such as lobbyists, out?" The Bitch muses aloud. "It can be used a number of ways," Fox repeats and then pauses. "You're being facetious." Nah. Just wishful thinking.
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The information is also archived, so theoretically a searchable record of every visit to the school district building could be kept. The Bitch wonders whether all of these records would be available to the public. The district is a public entity. If it creates a record, anybody can request it. So she requested a copy of all the visitor scans processed the day of the last school board meeting. "Huh, that's an interesting question," school district spokesman Joseph Garcia said. "Nobody's ever asked for it before. We'll have to see what that looks like.
Okay for a Chumbawamba Concert
The Bitch has an opinion about wearing white shoes, which is: Don't do it, especially with a suit. No less an authority than Esquire Magazine disagrees with the sartorially preoccupied hound, though, because the publication has seen fit to reward this activity by naming Mark McKenzie its Best Dressed Real Man in Miami. (She allows that the subset of those two groups -- "Real Men" and "Best Dressed" -- is surpassingly small.)
What really caught The Bitch's eye, however, was not so much McKenzie (fourth from the left), an account executive for 99 Jamz, but the unexplained presence of Michael Capponi (on the left), a consistently well-dressed real man, in the photo submitted by Miami's Circle One Marketing.


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|03 Dec 2012
Win 7 Pro x64
MKV runtime length not being shown in folder Detail mode.
I just got done reinstalling Windows 7 Professional 64 bit. Before I did the reinstall, it would display the runtime length of MKV files when I would open a folder in Detail mode. As I recall, accomplishing this the first time was not easy. It's proving difficult again. Here is what I have done:
Immediately after the reinstall, absolutely no runtime lengths were shown for any kind of video file. I installed the latest K-Lite codec mega packs for both 32 bit and 64 bit. The runtime length of every video format is displayed - except for MKV.
After doing some research, there were those (including those who claim to be affiliated with DivX) who said the DivX codec pack was designed to add the MKV length functionality to folder listings - so I installed that - no joy. (My prior experience with DivX and "locked" MKV's caused me to pause before proceeding with the above step. Its failure led me to then uninstall DivX).
More research found those who said using Win7DSFilterTweaker to set the preferred decoder to ffdshow would solve the problem. I did this for 32 and 64 bit (one at a time, individually and together); the problem remained.
Others said that using it to set the 64 bit preferred decoder to LAV would work - it didn't.
One person claimed that installing Haali Media Splitter fixed the problem on his system - but not on mine.
Oddly... the K-Lite's Codec Tweak Tool's "Miscellaneous:" "Thumbnails" options did allow me to force Windows 7 to display a thumbnail in the status bar when an MKV is highlighted - but still no runtime length display.
Anyone have any ideas about other possibilities to fix this annoying problem?
Edit: Oh yeah... I also tried installing x264vfw - no luck there either
|My System Specs
|03 Sep 2013
Windows 7 Pro x64
I know it's been a while since this was posted, however I had the exact same problem.
The fix ended up being the installation of a little programme called Icaros, which is essentially a "thumbnail-restore" type programme. You'll also notice that not only does Windows 7 not natively show the length of any MKV file, it also won't show the thumbnail preview in icon-view mode. Icaros shows this as well.
It's an extremely lightweight programme, and easily available from MajorGeeks
Download Icaros - MajorGeeks
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|General Discussion
most visited folders not shown when right click on folder icon
http://s17.postimage.org/5fw8s5yjj/Untitled.png when I right-clicked on the folder icon in taskbar a popup window showing some options and some of recently opened (I think most visited) folders are shown. But now, as you can see in the image, the folders are not shown anymore why? what should...
|General Discussion
Folder Detail Options: Name Check Box Lock
I've never seen this before and I'm usually very good at finding the problem on Google and solving it myself. But I've searched quite deeply and used the search history here just to make sure but it seems I'm the only one with this issue: Operating System: Windows 7 NOTE: I run Windows 7 in...
Folder Detail is backwards in Win7 search sort
I am new to Windows 7. When I used the search feature of Win XP I was able to sort files by subdirectory within the directory I was searching. When I search in Windows 7 the results are sorted by the smallest subdirectory within the directory. For example I have a directory "2010" containing...
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31,998 Dojos and growing
Helping people find Dojo since 2004
Currently online: 1151 Visitors
Distance is showed approximately from the downtown area of Graysville, IN. Click on 'Map' next to a Dojo to see it on the Map. To see a list of Martial Arts and Self Defense classes near you, Search with your address.
Most of these Martial Arts Studios, clubs and gyms offer Karate classes for kids or Self Defense classes for children, men and women in Graysville area. If you are looking for classes or lessons near your address in Graysville, please use the following search box and see a list of Martial Arts Schools, clubs and organizations near you.
See Martial Arts Schools and classes in places around Graysville, Indiana: Sullivan, Merom, Hutsonville, Fairbanks, York, New Lebanon, Palestine.
If you are associated with a Martial Arts School, Club or Dojo in Graysville, please list it with dojos.info.


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Stories tagged by 'photography'
March 01, 2012
Where can you see Academy specimens revealed in natural light? » Read More
October 09, 2011
Would you recognize a famous writer if you saw one? » Read More
Become a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and get insider access to our scientists, collections, exhibits, and more.
©2017 The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University | 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 299-1000
Explore the work of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative
Members' Night at the Academy


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by Rick G
My wife and I have two Presto 16 qt canners that bought right after we were married(24 yrs ago).
We do a lot of canning and running two at a time sure speeds things up. We use a double gas burner out on our porch.
We once tried another brand of canner(the heavy type), but they take sooo long to heat up and cool down. The Prestos are quick and plenty durable.
Our local hardware store carries parts but we've only replaced the seal gasket, rubber safety plug, and gauge grommet.
The canners still look great and if we ever had to buy again, we would absolutely buy the same ones again.
Comments for One is not enough
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1957 Custom Chevy Pickup - Blu Reflections
A Son's Promise
Ed Cottrell's curiosity and infatuation with pickup trucks began when he was knee high to the bumper of his dad's '57 Chevy pickup. The two put thousands of miles on the ol' hauler with little Eddie riding shotgun during his younger years. That was some 40 years ago. During the past 35 years he has been an avid drag and road racer, and most recently, a custom truck enthusiast.
In high school Ed purchased an old '67 Corvette ex-drag car with the factory big-block. After a couple of years of prowling the boulevards, with the occasional street race, it was retired after a rod let go, punching a hole in the side of the block. It was yanked with intentions of dropping in a small-block. It was parked behind the family barn, where it sat under a tarp for 25 years.
While thumbing through a local truck trader rag, Ed discovered a rust bucket and took ownership for five Franklins. A three-year journey of building began with intentions of creating a cool daily driver, which seems to be the initial intent of many custom truck enthusiasts. After investing endless hours and money into the project, it easily snowballed into a serious show custom.
The original straight-axle leaf-spring front suspension of the rusted hunk of metal was severed from the frame with a cutting torch. A '70s Camaro front clip was then squared and grafted to the original frame rails. Ed delivered the modified frame to the sand blaster where decades of rust was removed, exposing the frame's virgin metal surface. The frame rails were then boxed using 3/16-inch steel plate to increase the frame's strength and rigidity. New engine mounts, suspension pickup points (front and rear), and brackets were welded in place. The frame then received multiple coats of PPG body-color blue.
To obtain the lowered static ride height, Ed Z-notched the front clip. Using stock Camaro spindles and Corvette disc brakes the truck now stops like it should. A pair of Gabriel front shock absorbers and Eaton coil springs control the front end's action. American Racing Torque Thrust II 17x7-inch billet aluminum wheels are wrapped in BFGoodrich 235/45R17 rubber. The rear frame rails were C-notched to allow for the negative suspension travel of the '90 Corvette C4 IRS transverse-leaf rear suspension. A pair of Gabriel shocks controls the rear end's vertical oscillation. It's spinning a pair of American Racing Torque Thrust II 17X11-inch billet aluminum wheels capped with BFGoodrich 305/45R17 tires.
After retrieving his machined 383ci block from Indy Cylinder Heads in Indianapolis, Ed borrowed his close friend Dave Fisher's immaculate garage to assemble the 383ci stroker power plant. An Eagle 3.75 stroker crankshaft is the rotating pivot point of power that is linked to the Keith Black pistons and Speed-Pro rings by reconditioned factory connecting rods. A pair of World Product 202 S/R Torker cylinder heads deliver the correct fuel/air mixture to each of the eight combustion chambers. A Comp Cams bump stick (with 260 duration at 110-degree lobe separation angle, with 0.450 lift) was inserted into the cam bearings. A set of Comp Cam lifters and push rods transfer the rotating inertia into coordinating the valve train action.
The TPI (tuned port injection) system was borrowed from an '86 Camaro to deliver the correct fuel/air mixture. A factory GM electronic ignition system produces ample spark through the MSD 9mm ignition wires carrying charged energy to the eight spark plugs and combustion chambers. A pair of DynoMax 1-5/8-inch headers with Jet Hot coating flow into 2-1/2-inch DynoMax exhaust tubing and mufflers. The GM 700-R4 automatic transmission was improved by installing a B&M shift kit with high performance bands, clutch packs, and a Corvette servo.
To achieve a pure body, Ed had the '57 cab, doors, hood, bed/tailgate all acid-dipped to remove any rust and contamination. The front and rear fenders are fiberglass. Ed shaved and smoothed the entire body, parking lights, door handles, emblems, and tailgate. The firewall was also filled and smoothed. To add some style to the cab, Ed frenched-in the electric telescoping antenna. The interior received a steel waterfall style center console, completing the body package.
Ed is multi-talented and even mixed his own PPG paint color because he wasn't satisfied what was available. After hours of welding, filling, grinding, and sanding, then applying primer followed by more block sanding, Ed filled his paint gun pot and began to spray its brilliant blue hue. After the four color coats were applied and sanded, they were enhanced by burying the blue with multiple coats of clear that were wet-sanded between each of its eight clear coats. Following ample time to cure, the flawless paint job was then cut, buffed, and polished to a mirror finish.
A simple sound system consists of a Jensen head unit and speakers. The smoothed dash received a Dakota Digital instrument cluster to relay the engine's vital signs, replacing the original V-shaped speedo and gauge cluster. Vintage Air maintains perfect ambient conditions through its custom air and defroster vents in and under the dash. A painted ididit tilt steering column was capped with a Billet Specialties 14-inch Vintec steering wheel. For easy shifting of gears, Ed installed a Lokar floor shifter. Ed's talents again are visible as he stitched the entire interior, covering the Tea's bench seat, headliner, and door panels/armrests in gray tweed and leather. After installing a layer of some well-needed insulation, the floor was then covered with low-cut pile gray carpet. A new windshield, rear window, and electric one-piece side windows were installed for style and ease of comfort.
Following the completion of Ed's '57 he and his girlfriend, Del Graves, enjoy cruisin' and showin' their pride and joy. Ed's mom, Mary, is his biggest fan. Ed built his cool '57 in memory of his dad. Every time he takes it out for a run to the hardware store or a cruise to a show, his dad's spirit is riding shotgun with a big smile on his face and twinkle in his eye.
A double thumbs up!


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Forums → Games → Fable 2
- 2 Replies
I am soo excited for the sequel to the first fable... it looks like it's going to be so awesome... i've been watchin some video's and stuff on it and it looks like they've added soo much stuff to it... like you can jump now! (lol)
here's the site for it:
and here's some good movies i found:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zELSAvr-Gss (trailer)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dD24VfjfWFo&feature=related (new features pt. 1
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8qncymXVGxo&feature=related (pt. 2
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BfuD3izTqbg&feature=related (pt. 3)
There are more good video's on youtube on Fable 2.
I've heard that it's supposed to come out November of this year. I'm very excited....
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July 12, 2010
Anna Christopher, NPR
The interview with Mills is airing tomorrow on Morning Edition; visit www.npr.org/stations for local stations and broadcast times. NPR's news blog The Two-Way is currently reporting details from the interview: www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/07/12/128473542/u-s-general-still-upbeat-despite-marjah-afghanistan-gov-t-shift
Zahir was appointed district governor of the area that includes Marjah in February 2010 - part of a plan to install a "government in a box" in one of the most violent areas of Afghanistan. An excerpt from Montagne's interview with Mills follows:
MONTAGNE: The U.S. State Department has said of him [Zahir], one of the things he lacks is managerial experience and help in administering his town and his district. Is that going to change soon? I guess I'm asking, the much-touted 'government in a box,' was that maybe over-sold, simply because the Afghanistan central government can't really provide that?
MILLS: Renee, very timely questions as a matter of fact. I can report to you, as a matter of fact, that Haji lost the job yesterday. He was replaced by a new governor who has come down with some experience from Kabul to take over. They swapped yesterday, they swapped positions. They did so very peacefully and with good feelings on both sides. Haji Zahir did a lot. He did a lot. He has been governor there during very traumatic period obviously. He got the district center started, and began to get the beginnings, I think, of a local government, based on shuras, based on a civil council that he gathered of local elders who could advise him on issues. And he did his best, I think, under some very trying times. They have now brought in a professional who I have not yet met. .We look for some improvement there in the government.
Morning Edition is public radio's most listened-to program with 13.3 million weekly listeners on 680 NPR Member stations nationwide. The two-hour weekday newsmagazine is hosted by Steve Inskeep in Washington, D.C. and Renée Montagne from NPR West in Culver City, Calif. For local stations and broadcast times, visit www.npr.org/stations


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This script is Copyright (C) 2007-2017 Tenable Network Security, Inc.
Synopsis :
Arbitrary code can be executed on the remote host through the Media
File Format.
Description :
The remote host is running Windows Media Player/Service.
There is a vulnerability in the remote version of this software that
could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the remote host.
To exploit this flaw, one attacker would need to set up a rogue ASF file
and send it to a victim on the remote host.
See also :
Solution :
Microsoft has released a set of patches for Windows 2000, XP, 2003 and
Risk factor :
High / CVSS Base Score : 7.5
CVSS Temporal Score : 5.9
Public Exploit Available : true
Family: Windows : Microsoft Bulletins
Nessus Plugin ID: 29312 ()
Bugtraq ID: 26776
Get Nessus Professional to scan unlimited IPs, run compliance checks & moreBuy Nessus Professional Now


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NBA athlete Kobe Bryant doesn't leave the court until he sinks a couple hundred shots each day. Similarly, creative professionals must consistently practice their craft to stay at the top of their game. But how can we get unstuck from the occasional procrastination that keeps us from practicing?
43 Folders creator Merlin Mann shares his advice: select a modest goal for the day, just to get the ball rolling. He calls this "dashes," and he identifies three types:
Time-based dash – Most jobs lend themselves to a time-based dash, so pick up a kitchen timer at your local drugstore. Choose an amount of time that gives you enough room to do something but that's brief enough to seem completely unintimidating.
Unit-based dash – Alternatively, depending on the tasks you've been avoiding, you could go with a unit-based dash, during which you agree to plow through an arbitrary number of pieces associated with your project (such as pages to read, words to write, glasses to wash, etc.).
Combination dash – In many cases, the best solution is a combination dash, in which you get to stop the hated work whenever you reach either the time or unit goal first.
Another NBA athlete, Ed Macauley, once famously said: "When you're not practicing, remember that someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him he will win." Its imperative that we practice consistently – every day, even. And as Seth Godin wrote for us a while ago, you can't wait until you're in the mood to practice; you have to do it regularly.
Read Mann's full piece on running a dash to kick procrastination's ass, over at 43 Folders.


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50th wedding anniversary! Those who have reached this milestone, deserve more than a standing ovation. In today's world, people sometimes get divorced within a year! Marriage has become a sort of joke now. People get married, the first few days, everything is full of fun and laughter, but as soon as a year passes, problems start arising between the couples and the marriage ends in a disaster. Thus, when we hear that a couple is celebrating their 50 years of "I do", there are no words to describe what great feeling it is. 50 years of their life has not been a bed of roses. They too had their share of ups and downs, but they faced it all, together, and overcame them. They stood together through thick and thin and what made them stick together? Love. True love. And today when they are celebrating their 50 years of togetherness, they deserve nothing but the best. There are times when a person cannot decide what to give the other as present. We always want to give the other something which they will love, something which they need. So if you are confused about what to give your husband of 50 years, here are some ideas which you can try out.
Anniversary Presents to Surprise Him With
Choosing a gift for someone is easy if you know the person well. If you know what your husband needs, or what he loves, then it's easy choosing something as an anniversary gift. But, still if you are confused, which most of us are when it comes to choosing gifts, the ideas given below will make your task simpler and it will also make the receiver happy.
Romantic Candlelight Dinner
A romantic candlelight dinner, with just the two of you, soft music playing in the background, and later a slow romantic dance. He will love it! Choose a place, that you think he will love, it can be the place where you first met, or the place where you had your first date, or the place where he had proposed to you. This place will rekindle all the happy and nostalgic moments and make the evening special. You can also have this dinner at home, where you can cook your husband's favorite dinner and they enjoy a romantic dance; just the two of you. No children or grandchildren allowed.
Songs Collection
Have you seen the part in the TV series 'Friends' where, Chandler, having nothing to give Monica for Valentines Day, gave her a CD which contained all her favorite romantic songs? Well, you can do the same. Make a collection of all the songs that he loves listening to, no matter how old they have become, make a CD out of it and gift it to him. It could be a song collection of some of his favorite romantic songs or trance or maybe even hard rock.
Love Letter
A handwritten love letter, talking about all that he had made you feel these past 50 years, all the love that he has given you, all the moments of joy and sadness and all that you feel for him, is another good idea for 50th anniversary. To read the love letter that his wife is writing even after 50 years of their wedded life, is something really romantic. You can also give him a collection of all the letters that you had written to him when you were courting each other. They are sure to rekindle some old and happy memories.
Photo Frame
A photo frame with a picture of the two of you, 50 years ago and 50 years later, is a great idea. You can also make a collage out of all the pictures that you have clicked, your wedding, your honeymoon, you becoming parents and all the pictures collected over the period of 50 years, and gift it to him.
Does he love baseball? Does he love to visit the sport stadiums? Does he love to watch the basketball matches? If the answer is yes, then here's another idea. Why not get him a ticket to these matches? You too can accompany him and enjoy the fun.
Other Gift Ideas
If he loves playing golf, then you can probably give him a golf set, or you can even give him a wine opener set or maybe some other small gifts, such as a shaving kit or an expensive cologne. These things, no matter how tiny they may seem, are sure to make him happy, because, as they say, it's the thoughts that counts.
But, out of all these gift ideas, one of the best 50th wedding anniversary gifts for husband that you can give is love and time. That is the most valuable thing that all of us have and that is to be shared with the person who is the most close to your heart. And I am sure that after 50 years of spending your life with him, that's all he wants on this special day. So once again, congratulations on your anniversary.
A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person ~ Mignon McLaughlin
Bouquets and Brickbats


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Managing change
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Change is one of the constants on the factory floor. Keeping everyone up to date will become even more critical in the future.
Change is one of the constants on the factory floor. Whether it's manufacturing personnel figuring out better production techniques or designers tweaking devices, automation systems are always undergoing revision.
With the push towards custom manufacturing, that's not going to change. Keeping everyone up to date will become an even more critical part of the industrial control environment in the future.
Throughout the industry, suppliers of software development tools, manufacturing systems and software and even robot manufacturers are devising techniques that make sure changes get to all sites that need to know about them. And that's definitely a good thing.


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Madison to hold 7th annual sports auction, burger feed
The seventh annual Madison burger feed and live auction will be held from 5-7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Madison V.F.W.
The build-your-own burger will be free-will donation with proceeds going toward improvements to the Madison ball field.
Many items will be auctioned off, including baseballs signed by Jerry Koosman, Scott Baker and Kent Hrbek; a bat signed by Terry Steinbach; plus Twins and Willmar Stingers tickets.


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"This is affecting our property values."
Commissioners have heard fed-up residents say it whenever the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort is discussed.
The frustration is especially pronounced at the Colony's next-door neighbor, the Aquarius Club, which has several units that overlook the shuttered resort. Residents of the condominium have emailed commissioners en masse, urging them not to approve an extension of the resort's tourism use.
The commission has heard residents who live further away from the Colony, in neighborhoods such as Bay Isles and Country Club Shores, who have said their property values are also impacted.
But, emotions aside, is the perception that the Colony is adversely affecting Key real estate a reality?
Residents of Aquarius Club and Tencon Beach have complained about the property's appearance, as well as rodents, trespassing and potential safety concerns.
It's difficult to quantify the effect even on the properties adjacent to the resort: the 10-unit Tencon is located directly south of the property, and the Aquarius Club is located to its north.
At Tencon, sales have historically been rare. Four of the property's 10 owners purchased their units new in 1978, and just two bought their units in the 2000s.
The 87-unit Aquarius Club has had four sales so far in 2013, ranging from $400,000 to $760,000. In 2007, before the economic downturn and the closure of the Colony, the property also had four sales, which ranged from $529,000 to $880,000.
Greg Van Howe, an Aquarius Club board member, has been vocal about the effects of the Colony on the condominium.
In an email to the Longboat Observer, he wrote:
" … there is no doubt our listings-to-sales conversion over the past three-plus years has been extremely low, and the few units that have sold in our building have netted much less than one would expect from a well constructed, beautifully maintained, excellently managed building such as ours that also has the best beach on LBK. There is much anecdotal evidence from Realtors and potential buyers that the Colony mess is the culprit. When you look at that property from our vantage point, it's not hard to draw the same conclusion."
Still, sales at the 37-year-old condominium don't appear to lag behind other Key condominiums on the Gulf that were built around the same time.
The effect is also difficult to measure, in part, because the Colony closed in 2010 — one of the slowest years for Longboat Key real estate in recent history. Along with the Colony and the recession, Longboat Key has many aging properties and has dealt with the loss of the Holiday Inn and some businesses leaving the island.
"There's no way to specifically say that any one of these things is a negative impact on value," said Tom Aposporos, a Realtor, Longboat Key Revitalization Task Force member and former president of the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce. "But it's hard to argue that the combination of events (isn't) affecting us in a negative way."
The question mark
Bruce Myer, of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, has sold real estate on Longboat Key for 33 years.
"We've had a number of clients who have come through the Colony who have been owners," he said.
Like many local Realtors, he often hears questions from buyers about what's happening at the Colony. But the question is usually one of curiosity.
"If you're right next to it, I can see how that might be a factor," Myer said. "I've never had one person say, 'I'm not going to buy on Longboat Key because the Colony looks like hell.'"
"It definitely is a topic of conversation everywhere," said Cheryl Loeffler, a top-selling Realtor with Premier Sotheby's International Realty. "People are optimistic that something wonderful or magnificent could come at the Colony … The overall issue is, even in a rising market, it interjects a certain level in the conversation about an unknown."
"When you have a curiosity, that can discourage a buyer from making a purchase," Aposporos said. "That does become a factor in Longboat's future."
Another unknown: How many guests would have stayed at the Colony over the past three years and eventually purchased Longboat Key property?
In addition to being a Realtor, Loeffler is a Longboat Key resident and a member of the task force. Like many Longboaters, she got her introduction to the island when she stayed at the Colony.
"It's a part of our heritage on Longboat Key," Loeffler said. "Most people started here going to the Key Club or the Colony. Now (Longboat) has to be more of a buying destination."
Click here to view a sales sample graphic.
View Colony sales sample in a larger map


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WASHINGTON, June 4 (UPI) -- Tampa, Fla., socialite Jill Kelley says in a lawsuit the government knowingly libeled her in the affair that led to David Petraeus' resignation as CIA director.
Kelley and her husband, Scott Kelley, allege in a 65-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Washington the FBI, the Pentagon and unidentified government officials "willfully leaked damaging, false information" about them to the media, disregarding and violating the couple's privacy.
Kelley, whose complaint to an FBI investigator of harassing emails sent by an anonymous woman eventually led to the uncovering of Petraeus' affair with journalist Paula Broadwell, was also named when the Petraeus scandal widened and the Pentagon investigated emails between Kelley and U.S. Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen in a search for possible "inappropriate communication" between the two married people.
Petraeus, who is also married, resigned Nov. 9, 2012. Allen was cleared in a misconduct inquiry Jan. 22.
"Today is an unforgettable day," Jill Kelley said in a statement Monday, "because one year ago threatening emails shook my life, and ultimately changed our country's leadership.
"It was under the faithful direction of our concerned military leaders, that I went to the law enforcement to seek the proper protection for my family, our commanders and top U.S. officials," she said.
"But unfortunately, we did not receive the confidentiality and protection," she said. "Instead we received highly hurtful and damaging publicity from willful leaks from high-level government officials that were false and defamatory.
"In addition, we also learned that our personal emails were wrongfully searched, and improperly disclosed," she said.
The FBI, Pentagon and Justice Department had no immediate comment.