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People's Revolutionary Army (Argentina)
|People's Revolutionary Army
The flag of the Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo.
Mario Roberto Santucho, Enrique Gorriarán Merlo,Benito Urteaga
|Active region(s)
|Buenos Aires (urban) & Tucumán (rural)
The Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo (ERP) (or "People's Revolutionary Army") was the military branch of the communist Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores (PRT, English: Workers' Revolutionary Party) in Argentina.
The ERP was founded as the armed wing of the PRT, a communist party emerging from the Trotskyist tradition, but soon turned to the Maoist theory, especially the Cultural Revolution. During the 1960s, the PRT adopted the foquista strategy of insurgency associated with Che Guevara, who had fought alongside Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution.
The ERP launched its guerrilla campaign against the Argentine military dictatorship headed by Juan Carlos Onganía in 1969, using targeted urban guerrilla warfare methods such as assassinations and kidnappings of government officials and foreign company executives. For example, in 1974 Enrique Gorriarán Merlo and Benito Urteaga led the ERP kidnapping of Esso executive Víctor Samuelsson and obtaining a ransom of $12 million.[1][2] However most kidnappings ended in the death of the hostage, especially when not a person of particular importance.[citation needed] They also assaulted several companies' offices using heavily armed commandos of the ERP's elite "Special Squad". Although claim and counter-claim are invariably difficult to reconcile, figures released for an official publication, Crónica de la subversión en la Argentina (Buenos Aires: Ediciones Depalma) at least give an indication of the kind of guerrilla activity undertaken, with claims that the rural guerrillas occupied 52 towns, robbed 166 banks and took US $76 million in ransoms for the kidnappings of 185 people.[citation needed]
The group continued the violent campaign even after democratic elections and the return to civilian rule in 1973, with Juan Peron's return. On June 20, 1973 the Peronist movement split after the Ezeiza massacre, perpetrated by far-right Peronists the day of Peron's return from exile.[citation needed] Victor E. Samuelson, an Exxon executive, was abducted on 6 December 1973 by the ERP. He was released after 144 days in captivity, after the Exxon Corporation paid a record ransom of $14.2 million.[3] The avowed aim of the ERP was a communist revolution against the Argentine government in pursuit of "proletarian rule."
The ERP publicly remained in the forefront. ERP guerrilla activity took the form of attacks on military outposts, police stations and convoys. In 1971, 57 policemen were killed, and in 1972 another 38 policemen were gunned down.[4]On 28 December 1972, Marine Julio César Provenzano of the ERP, is killed when the bomb he planted in one of the lavatories of the Argentine Naval Headquarters went off prematurely. [5]On 3 April 1973, ERP guerrillas kidnap Rear-Admiral Francisco Agustín Alemán.[6]
In January 1974 the ERP Compañía Héroes de Trelew was named in commemoration of the 1972 Massacre of Trelew, during which 16 left-wing guerrillas who had attempted to escape had been mowed down, attacked the barracks at Azul, which resulted in the death of the Commanding Officer and his wife and the capture of a lieutenant-colonel. However, in August, an assault on the Argentine Army's Villa Maria explosives factory in Cordoba and the 17th Airborne Infantry Regiment at Catamarca by 70 ERP guerrillas dressed in army fatigues, met mixed fortune after killing and wounding eight policemen and soldiers[7] and they lost 16 men who were shot after they surrendered to 300 paratroopers of the 17th Airborne Infantry Regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Eduardo Humberto Cubas. On 18 August 1975 Captain Miguel Alberto Keller, accompanied by an NCO and five conscripts were forced to stop their army lorry at what they believed to be a military checkpoint, and Keller was shot dead as he approached the ERP guerrillas waiting in ambush.[8] In December 1975 a force of some 300 ERP guerrillas and supporting militants[9] attacked the Monte Chingolo barracks outside Buenos Aires but lost 63 dead, many of whom were wounded in the attack and subsequently killed.[10] In addition, seven army troops and three policemen were killed and 34 wounded (including 17 policemen). On 23 October 1974, ERP guerrillas shot and killed Lieutenant-Colonel José Francisco Gardón as he was leaving the Buenos Aires hospital where he specialized in blood diseases.[11] In all, 293 Argentine servicemen and police were killed fighting guerrillas between 1975 and 1976.[12]
In 1976 there had been plans to send a large part of the Uruguayan Tupamaros (MLN-T), the Chilean Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria (MIR) and the Bolivian National Liberation Army (ELN) to fight alongside the ERP and Montoneros in Argentina, but the plans failed to materialize largely due to the military coup.[13]
Operations in Tucumán[edit]
After the return of Juan Perón to the presidency in 1973, the ERP shifted to a rural strategy designed to secure a large land area as a base of military operations against the Argentine state. The ERP leadership chose to send Compania del Monte Ramón Rosa Jimenez to the province of Tucumán at the edge of the long-impoverished Andean highlands in the northwest corner of Argentina. Some guerrilleros were trained in Cuba.[citation needed]In July 2008, Cuban leader Fidel Castro admitted that he supported the guerrilla forces in South America: "The only place where we didn't attempt to promote a revolution was in Mexico. Everywhere else, without exception, we tried".[14] By December 1974, the guerrillas numbered about 100 fighters, with a 400 person support network.[citation needed] Led by Mario Roberto Santucho, they soon established control over a third of the province and organized a base of some 2,500 sympathizers.[15] Santucho's forces in the northwestern province of Tucuman never exceeded 300 in the first year of the campaign.
The growth in ERP strength in the northwest, together with an increase in urban violence carried out by the left-Peronist Montoneros following Perón's death in 1974, led the government of Isabel de Perón to issue "annihilation decrees" and expand the military's powers to fight a counter-insurgency campaign in February 1975. In all, 83 servicemen and policemen were killed in fighting the guerrillas, between 1973 and 1974.[12]
Some 3,500 soldiers of the 5th Mountain Infantry Brigade, and two companies of elite commandos, placed under the command of Brigadier-General Acdel Vilas began immediately deploying in the Tucuman mountains in Operacion Independencia, joined later by 1,500 more troops from the Fourth Airborne Infantry Brigade and Eighth Mountain Infantry Brigade. The pattern of the war was largely dictated by the nature of the terrain, the mountains, rivers and extensive jungle denying both sides easy movement. The A-4B Skyhawk and the F-86F Sabre were used for offensive air support while the North American T-34 and FMA IA-58 Pucara served as a light ground-attack aircraft. While fighting the guerrilla in the jungle and mountains, Vilas concentrated on uprooting the ERP support network in the towns, using state terror tactics later adopted nation-wide during the "Dirty War", as well as a civic action campaign. By July, the commandos were mounting search-and-destroy missions. Army forces discovered Santucho's base camp in August, then raided the ERP urban headquarters in September. Most of the Compania del Monte's general staff was killed in October and the remainder dispersed by the end of the year. While most of the leaders of the movement were killed, many of the ERP subalterns and sympathizers were incarcerated during the government of Isabel Martínez de Perón.
In May 1975, ERP representative Amilcar Santucho was captured trying to cross into Paraguay to promote the JCR unity effort. As a way to save himself, he provided information about the organization to Secretaría de Inteligencia (SIDE) agents that enabled Argentine security agencies to destroy what was left of the ERP, although pockets of ERP guerrillas continued to infest the heavily wooded Tucuman mountains for many months. The case, during which an FBI official transmitted information obtained from the prisoners (Amilcar was detained along with a MIR member) to the Chilean DINA, was one practical operation of Operation Condor, which had started in 1973[16][17]
Meanwhile, the guerrilla movement switched its main effort to the north and on 5 October 1975 guerrillas struck the 29th Mountain Infantry Regiment. The 5th Brigade suffered a major blow at the hands of Montoneros, when over one-hundred—perhaps several hundred[18]—Montoneros guerrillas and milicianos (militants) where involved in the most elaborate operation in the so-called "Dirty War", which involved the hijacking of a civilian airliner, taking over the provincial airport, attacking the 29th Infantry Regiment's barracks at Formosa province and capturing its cache of arms, and finally escaping by air. Once the operation was over, they made good their escape towards a remote area in Santa Fe province. The aircraft, a Boeing 737, eventually landed on a crop field not far from the city of Rafaela. In the aftermath, 12 soldiers and 2 policemen[19] were killed and several wounded. The sophistication of the operation, and the getaway cars and safehouses they used to escape from the crash-landing site, suggest several hundred guerrillas and their supporters were involved.[20]
In December 1975 most 5th Brigade units were committed to the border areas of Tucumán with over 5,000 troops deployed in the province. There was however, nothing to prevent infiltrating through this outer ring and the ERP were still strong inside Buenos Aires. Mario Santucho's Christmas offensive opened on 23 December 1975. The operation was dramatic in its impact, with ERP units, supported by Montoneros, mounting a large scale assault against the army supply base Domingo Viejobueno at the industrial suburb of Monte Chingolo, south of Buenos Aires. The attackers were defeated and driven off with 53 ERP guerrillas and 9 supporting militants killed.[21] The In this particular battle the ERP and supporting Montoneros militants had about 1,000[22] deployed against 1,000 government forces. This large-scale operation was made possible not only by the planning of the guerrillas involved, but also by their supporters who provided houses to hide them, supplies and the means of escape.
On 30 December a bomb exploded at the headquarters of the Argentine Army in Buenos Aires, injuring at least six soldiers.[23] In the eyes of the military, the credibility of the government was now destroyed and the strategy of attrition was bankrupt. The guerrillas had even successfully utilized divers of the Grupo Especial de Combate of the Montoneros: the modern type 42 destroyer A.R.A. Santisima Trinidad was severely damaged by explosives placed under her keel by frogmen of the Montoneros on 22 August 1975 while moored in the port of Ensenada. The damage was so great that the ship remained unseaworthy for several years. By the end of 1975, a total of 137 servicemen and police had been killed that year by left wing guerrillas.[12] Elements within the armed forces, particularly among the junior officers, blamed the weakness of the government and began to seek a leader who they considered was strong enough to ensure a preservation of Argentinian sovereignty, settling on Lieutenant-General Jorge Videla.[24] On 11 February 1976, colonel Raúl Rafael Reyes, the commander of the 601st Air Defence Artillery Group, is killed and two army conscripts (Privates Tempone and Gómez) wounded in an ambush manned by six ERP guerrillas in the La Plata suburb of Buenos Aires.
The Argentine armed forces moved ahead with the "Dirty War", dispensing with the civilian government through a coup d'état in March 1976. In his editorial immediately after the military takeover, Santucho wrote that "a river of blood will separate the military from the Argentine people", and this would result in a popular uprising followed by a civil war.[25] On 29 March 1976, the ERP leadership lost twelve killed in a gun battle in Downtown Buenos Aires with army elements (including the ERP Chief of Intelligence) but Santucho along with fifty guerrillas were able to fight their way out of the ambush.[25] The Argentine Army and police scored more success in mid-April in Córdoba, when in a series of raids it captured and later killed some 300 militants entrusted with supporting the ERP operations in that province.[25] During the first few months of the military junta, more than 70 policemen were killed in leftist actions[26] In mid-1976, the Argentine Army completely destroyed the ERP's elite "Special Squad" in two violent firefights.[27] The ERP's commander, Mario Roberto Santucho, and Benito Urteaga were killed in July of that year by military forces led by captain Juan Carlos Leonetti of the 601st Intelligence Battalion. Several hundred guerrillas of the Guevarist Youth Group in training for operations to coincide with the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, were captured and killed in a series of raids in Zárate soon afterwards.[25] Although the ERP continued for a while under the leadership of Enrique Gorriarán Merlo, by late 1977 it had been eradicated. In 2008 PRT-Santucho estimated the loss of 5,000 of PRT-ERP members killed in action or disappeared after having been detained.[28] By that time the military dictatorship had expanded its own campaign against "subversives" to include state terror against non-violent students, intellectuals, and political activists who were presumed to form the social, non-combatant base of the insurgents. According to different sources, 12,261 to 30,000 people,[29] are estimated to have disappeared and died during the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. Admiteddly there were 12,000 disappeared that survived the dictatorship,[30] thanks to international pressure to release them from the clandestine detention camps. Some 11,000 Argentines have applied for and received up to US$200,000 as monetary compensation for the loss of loved ones during the military dictatorship.[31] According to The Wall Street Journal, some 13,000 Argentines were victims of left-wing terrorism.[32] The PRT continued political activities, although limited to few members, organizing conventions even after democracy returned to the country.
After the destruction of the left in Argentina, some revolutionary cadres made their way to Nicaragua, where the Sandinistas had taken power in 1979. An ERP commando team comprising veterans of the "Dirty War" under Gorriarán, for example, demonstrated their active involvement in the revolutionary struggle by killing ex-dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1980.[33] Gorriarán returned to Argentina in 1987 to become a leader of the Movimiento Todos por la Patria (All For the Motherland Movement or MTP).
Believing in the danger of another military coup by the Carapintadas against the new democratic government of Raúl Alfonsín (which at the time was leading a series of trials against members of the Argentine Military accused of human rights violations), Enrique Gorriarán Merlo led the 1989 attack on La Tablada Regiment, during which the Argentine army used white phosphorus as an anti-personnel weapon,[34][35][36] and which ended in the capture of all MTP members. Alfonsín declared that the attack, with the ultimate goal of sparking a massive popular uprising, could have led to civil war.[37] In their newspapers and in the Argentine press, the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo denounced the way Alfonsín had handled the La Tablada incident, making a connection between what had happened to their children and the treatment endured by the MTP guerrillas.[38] Gorriarán was given a life sentence along with other MTP comrades, but was freed by interim president Eduardo Duhalde two days before Néstor Kirchner's access to power in 2003. The MTP still exist today as a political movement which has abandoned armed struggle.
See also[edit]
- ^ "Corporations: Record Ransom". Time Magazine. March 25, 1974. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ "Court: Exxon Ransom Valid". New York Times. July 28, 1981. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ U.S. Executive Freed in Argentina; Guerrillas Got Record $14.2 Million. Los Angeles Times. (30/04/1974)
- ^ Guerrillas and Generals: The Dirty War in Argentina, Paul H. Lewis, p. 53, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002
- ^ Argentine Navy headquarters hit, Star-News - March 31, 1973
- ^ Admiral kidnapped, The Age - Apr 4, 1973
- ^ Ataque a la Fabrica de Polvoras y Explosivos Villa Maria Cordoba
- ^ Gunmen seize Argentine arms truck, The Phoenix, 18 August 1975
- ^ Guerrillas and generals, By Paul H. Lewis, Page 121
- ^ Gustavo Plis-Sterenberg, Monte Chingolo. La mayor batalla de la guerrilla argentina
- ^ Killing continues in Buenos Aires, Lodi News Sentinel, 25 October 1974
- ^ a b c State Terrorism in Latin America: Chile, Argentina, and International Human Rights, Thomas C. Wright, p. 102, Rowman & Littlefield, 2007
- ^ Determinants of Gross Human Rights Violations by State and State-sponsored Actors in Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina: 1960-1990, Wolfgang S. Heinz & Hugo Frühling, pages 236-237,Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1999
- ^ "Intentamos exportar la revolución a Latinoamérica", reconoció Fidel, Página 12, 04/07/1998
- ^ Guerrillas and Generals: The Dirty War in Argentina, Paul H. Lewis, page 105, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002
- ^ Operation Condor, John Dinges
- ^ Abramovici, Pierre (May 2001). "OPERATION CONDOR EXPLAINED - Latin America: the 30 years' dirty war". Le Monde diplomatique. Retrieved 2006-12-15. (free access in French and in Portuguese)
- ^ Terrorism in Context, Martha Crenshaw, p. 236, Penn State Press, 1995
- ^ Argentina to answer rebels 'with the language of guns', The Montreal Gazette, October 8, 1975
- ^ Argentine troops rout rebel raid, Sydney Morning Herald, October 7, 1975
- ^ Monte Chingolo: Voces de Resistencia
- ^ Review of the River Plate: A weekly journal dealing with commercial financial and economic affairs, 30 December 1975, p. 1021
- ^ Argentine theatre hit by bomb The Spokesman-Review December 31, 1975
- ^ "ARGENTINA: Hanging from the Cliff", Time Magazine, January 5,1976
- ^ a b c d Political Violence and Trauma in Argentina, Antonius C. G. M. Robben, Page 201, University of Pennsylvania Press (January 25, 2005)
- ^ ARGENTINA: Battling Against Subversion TIME MAGAZINE U.S.Monday, July 12, 1976
- ^ From Vietnam to El Salvador: The saga of the FMLN Sappers and other guerrilla special forces in Latin America, David E. Spencer, p. 135, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996
- ^ A 32 años de la caída en combate de Mario Roberto Santucho y la Dirección Histórica del PRT-ERP
- ^ The lower estimate is from the Asamblea por los Derechos Humanos (APDH). Estimates by human rights organizations estimate up to 30,000
- ^ "Durante la vigencia del estado de sitio entre noviembre de 1974 y octubre de 1983, los organismos de derechos humanos denunciaron la existencia de 12 mil presos politicos legales en las distintas cárceles de 'maxima seguridad' a lo largo de todo el territorio de Argentina."Entre resistentes e "irrecuperables": Memorias de ex presas y presos políticos (1974-1983), p. 13.
- ^ State terrorism in Latin America: Chile, Argentina, and international human, Thomas C. Wright, Page 158, Rowman & Littlefield, 2007
- ^ Wall Street Journal, 3 January 2011
- ^ In from the Cold: Latin America's New Encounter with the Cold War, Gilbert M. Joseph & Daniela Spenser, p. 147, Duke University Press, 2008
- ^ E/CN.4/2001/NGO/98, United Nations, January 12, 2001 - URL accessed on February 9, 2007 (Spanish)
- ^ ANSA cable quoted by RaiNews24: Alcune testimonianze sull'uso militare del fosforo bianco (Italian).
- ^ El Clarín. El ataque a La Tablada, la última aventura de la guerrilla argentina, January 23, 2004 (Spanish)
- ^ The Politics of Human Rights in Argentina: Protest, Change, and Democratization, Alison Brysk, p. 119, Stanford University Press, 1994
- ^ Revolutionizing Motherhood: The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, Marguerite Guzman Bouvard, p. 206, Rowman & Littlefield, 1994
- Guerrillas and Generals: The Dirty War in Argentina, by Paul H. Lewis (2001).
- Nosotros Los Santucho, by Blanca Rina Santucho (1997, in Spanish).
- Argentina's Lost Patrol : Armed Struggle, 1969-1979, by Maria Moyano (1995).
- Argentina, 1943-1987: The National Revolution and Resistance, by Donald C. Hodges (1988).
- Monte Chingolo, la mayor batalla de la guerrilla argentina, by Gustavo Plis-Sterenberg (2003).


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"God is Great!" (A Primer on the Libyan Rebels' BM-21s)
On the road north and east of Brega, Libya, rebels cheer — "Allahu Akhbar!" — as a jury-rigged, four-tube GRAD rocket launcher fires this afternoon toward suspected positions of military forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.
Look at the smoke and dust signature the GRADs make. After firing, the rocket crews sped away, toward the man with upraised arms. As they flew past, they urged everyone to move off this slight rise in the ground. A few minutes later two incoming rounds exploded between the rebel firing position and this cheering man. The crowd bolted. This has been one of the patterns along the road near Brega, which is watched over by spotters. Today the firing from the loyalist forces was much lighter, however, perhaps because NATO aircraft were heard now and then in the clouds overhead.
If you don't know what a GRAD rocket is, look it up. In short, it's a Soviet-designed 1960s-era multiple rocket launcher system. And like excess Kalashnikov rifles, it is another form of martial refuse from the Cold War, and shows up again and again in conflicts. (GRADs figured prominently in Georgia's disastrous decision to attack the South Ossetian capital in 2008. And there are many other examples.)
Here is a view of a proper 40-tube launcher, in this case a system formerly owned by Colonel Qaddafi's military, but now in the possession of the Forces of Free Libya, as the rebels call themselves. Note the crew member asleep under the blanket. Many of the rebels have been in the field for weeks now. Understandably, they are tired.
And here is a view of the ammunition, and of rebel rocket-crew members sheltering behind ammunition crates from a brief, stinging wind this afternoon that blew sand hard along the ground. Look at those munitions. Think: Big bottle rocket. Now think: Big bottle rocket carrying a load of high explosives. Don't mistake the GRAD system for a precision instrument. It's not. It's an area-fire weapon, even in the hands of well-trained and experienced crews.
See that truck in the background? It carries of one the rebels' jury-rigged systems, which figure in a military analysis we will publish in tomorrow's New York Times.
Below is a much closer view of one of the jury-rigged systems. In this way, one full 40-tube system has been converted to 10 trucks carrying four tubes each. This has been the Libyan rebels' primary heavy weapon.
I made these, which is why they are not good. Bryan Denton has a much better take. Some of his images will be in The New York Times and on www.nytimes.com soon.
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Binge Eating Disorder Health Center
Compulsive Overeating and How to Stop It
Does the ice cream in the freezer keep calling your name? Can't resist a jumbo bucket of popcorn at the movies?
Powerful forces you don't recognize may be driving you to overeat, according to a new book by former FDA Commissioner David Kessler, MD. The culprits: fat, salt, sugar, and brain chemistry.
Recommended Related to Binge Eating Disorder
Treatment for Binge Eating Disorder
Treatment of binge eating disorder is challenging, because most people feel ashamed of their disorder and try to hide their problem. Often, they are so successful that close family members and friends don't know they binge eat. Eating disorders require a comprehensive treatment plan that is adjusted to meet the needs of each patient. The goal of treatment for binge eating disorder is to help the person gain control over his or her eating behavior. Treatment most often involves a combination of the...
Read the Treatment for Binge Eating Disorder article > >
Kessler stops short of calling Americans' love for sugary, fatty foods a "food addiction." But he believes there are similarities between why some people abuse drugs and why some of us can't resist every last deep-fried chip on a heaped plate of cheese-smothered nachos.
Knowing what's driving our overeating behavior is the first step to changing it, he says.
"For some, it's alcohol," Kessler tells WebMD. "For some, it's drugs. For some, it's gambling. For many of us, it's food."
Kessler, a Harvard-trained pediatrician and medical school professor at the University of California, San Francisco, started researching what would become The End of Overeating after watching an overweight woman talk about obsessive eating habits on The Oprah Winfrey Show. It sounded familiar. Kessler's own weight has zoomed up and down over the years, leaving him with suits of every size.
"For much of my life, sugar, fat, and salt held remarkable sway over my behavior," he writes.
And so the man who tackled tobacco companies while leading the FDA started researching why he couldn't turn down a chocolate chip cookie. He pored over studies on taste preferences, eating habits, and brain activity, conducted studies, and talked to food industry insiders, scientists, and people who struggled with overeating.
His theory: "Hyperpalatable" foods -- those loaded with fat, sugar, and salt -- stimulate the senses and provide a reward that leads many people to eat more to repeat the experience.
"I think the evidence is emerging, and the body of evidence is pretty significant," Kessler says.
He calls it conditioned hypereating, and here's how he says it works. When someone consumes a sugary, fatty food they enjoy, it stimulates endorphins, chemicals in the brain that signal a pleasurable experience. Those chemicals stimulate us to eat more of that type of food -- and also calm us down and make us feel good.
The brain also releases dopamine, which motivates us to pursue more of that food. And cues steer us back to it, too: the sight of the food, a road lined with familiar restaurants, perhaps a vending machine that sells a favorite candy bar. The food becomes a habit. We don't realize why we're eating it and why we can't control our appetite for it.
Once the food becomes a habit, it may not offer the same satisfaction. We look for foods higher in fat and sugar to bring back the thrill.
Kessler points to these factors as the cause of a dramatic spike in the number of overweight Americans in the past three decades.


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Hockey Bay USA Season Preview And Prediction
WB Philp | Sep 28, 2009 | Comments 4
2008-09 Recap: Dismal
The Lightning finished 2008-09 last in the Southeast Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference with a poor 24-40-18 record and 66 points.
They had four players that netted 20 or more goals and six players in total that had double-digit goals. Martin St. Louis (30 goals. 50 assists and 80 points) was a bright spot for the Bolts.
The offense was 25th in the NHL with 207 goals scored and the defense finished 27th in the NHL giving up 269 goals.
The power play was 19th in the league, scoring on 17.8 percent of their chances while the penalty kill was 26th in the league, killing off 78 percent while short handed.
Additions: Alex Tanguay (Montreal), Mattias Ohlund (Vancouver), Matt Walker (Chicago), Todd Fedoruk (Phoenix), Stephane Veilleux (Minnesota), David Hale (Phoenix), Antero Nittymaki (Philadelphia) and Kurtis Foster (Minnesota).
Subtractions: David Koci (Colorado), Richard Petoit (Chicago), Brandon Segal (Los Angeles), Noah Welch (Atlanta), Cory Murphy (New Jersey), Jason Ward (Philadelphia), Radim Vrbata (Phoenix), Wade Brookbank (Pittsburgh), Josef Melichar (HC Czech Budejovice) and Vinny Prospal (Contract Buy-Out).
The biggest question coming into this season is the goaltending. This question has been answered positively…so far. Mike Smith looks to be over his post concussion syndrome and has been solid in his four-preseason games, posting a 1.67 GAA and a .942 save percentage. He has survived being hit and run over and is no worse for the wear. Backup netminder Antero Niittymaki has been sharp and looks to be over the hip injury that bothered him last season.
Goaltending should be a strong suit for the Lightning this season, as long as the injury bug stays away.
The team's top two lines are scary good. Vincent Lecavalier flanked by newcomer Alex Tanguay and Steve Downie will be a formidable group. Vinny looks to be in great shape and is poised to regain his position as a top five NHL forward. Free agent acquisition Alex Tanguay has skated well and will provide some much-needed scoring punch to the lineup. Winger Steve Downie has played inspiring hockey in the preseason. He has earned his shot and will be a solid physical presence on the first line. Can he control his emotions and keep his head right? Stay tuned.
Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Ryan Malone will skate together on the second line. Marty and Stammer have that "special something" between them and Ryan Malone is ready to have the best season of his career. Many fans are calling for Marty to play with Vinny on the first line. This may be warranted, given the fact that we know from past experience that they can be dynamic together, but coach Tocchet wants two solid scoring lines and is hesitant to separate Marty and Steven Stamkos after last seasons stretch of brilliance from them. Can you blame him?
The third line looks to be centered by veteran Jeff Halpern with young James Wright and Drew Miller at his side. This is where the Lightning offense takes a huge step down. It looks to me like gritty Halpern has finally lost a step and the young James Wright is a total wild card. Drew Miller will play well but is not someone that can carry this line.
The fourth line is a toss up, but based on last night's game, it should be Zenon Konopka flanked by Todd Fedoruk and Stephane Veilleux.
Ryan Craig, Adam Hall and Brandon Bochenski were put on waivers today and Brett McLean was released.
I'm not going to get into last years numbers and man games lost to injury. Suffice it to say, the Lightning defense was nothing short of horrible. The Bolts blue liners can't help but be better this season, can they? GM Brian Lawton has done an admirable job of bringing in key free agents to play with the number two overall pick Victor Hedman. Mattias Ohlund is a veteran that is tremendous at killing penalties and will provide great leadership for all the Bolts blue line corps. Kurtis Foster is a solid power play contributor with a cannon of a slap shot, but will need to be good five on five to remain an integral part of the team. Matt Walker brings his rough and tumble style of play to the Lightning. He is a solid stay at home type of defender. Having Paul Ranger and Andrej Meszaros healthy will make a huge difference for the Bolt defense.
The defensive pairings may end up different, but for now they look like this:
Mattias Ohlund-Victor Hedman
Paul Ranger-Matt Walker
Andrej Meszaros-Kurtis Foster
Two of the remaining five defensemen (Matt Lashoff, Matt Smaby, Mike Lundin, David Hale and Lukas Krajicek) will make the squad.
According to TBO.com's Erik Erlenndsson: "General Manager Brian Lawton said on Saturday that some of the trade talk has picked up a little bit, and it's no secret he would like to move Lukas Krajicek and his $1.475 million contract to another team since he obviously didn't crack the top six, even though he has not had a bad training camp. If I were to venture a guess as to who the two defensemen who stay are, I would say Matt Smaby hangs around and perhaps Matt Lashoff. In my opinion, those are the two players who they would have to put through waivers that wouldn't want to lose to another team. I don't want to imply that David Hale or Mike Lundin are expendable, but the Smaby provides an element of toughness that outside of Matt Walker the team doesn't have and Lashoff has too much of an upside to possibly lose him for nothing, plus even if they are able to sneak him to Norfolk on Tuesday, they could potentially lose him on re-entry waivers, which means he might be stuck down in Norfolk the whole season (although that might not be the worst thing in the world for his development especially since he is on a one-way deal next year.)"
The NHL requires that the final rosters be turned in by Wednesday. That leaves less than 48 hours for the Bolts brass to decide on the opening night team. Rick Tocchet and his staff need to give two more players the bad news to get down to the 23-player maximum.
The much-improved Lightning will finish third in the Southeast Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming season puckheads?
Filed Under: Featured • NHL Teams • Tampa Bay Lightning
About the Author: WB Philp is a published hockey writer who has a built in disdain for Barry Melrose. He covered the Detroit sports teams for many years until he came to his senses and moved to the Sunshine State. He is a true puckhead on a mission from God (Gordie Howe) to make hockey relevant in the south. He lives in Hockey Bay USA and covers the Lightning full time. Did I mention he hates Barry Melrose?
Comments (4)
I really can't see the Lightning finishing worse than Atlanta, Buffalo, Ottawa, NY Isles, Florida or Toronto. Unless they get hit with key injuries. I think they will have a better 2nd half and finish in the 7th-9th range.
Thanks Pat! My heart is with you but my mind says no!


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I've been a holy paladin since BC, and haven't really played any other classes so I can't comment on them. But once I got used to the pally changes, I didn't mind healing at the beginning - but there are a few flaws that are beginning to be really irritating. Not being able to control other players deaths is one - particularly when you're in a pug and still cop the blame for it (which unfortunately happened WAY to often - I refused to heal 5 man pugs until the most recent ones for that reason) and the spammy nature of the new raids. I've had people ask me what my HPS is, which is completely stupid... up until now you would be an idiot to even ask, but all anyone cares about is how much healing you can spam out rather than how skilled you are at keeping the team alive while conserving mana.


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Inpatient surgical care: timely antibiotic before heart bypass (CABG) surgery (IHA)
Antibiotics are medicines that can kill bacteria that cause infections. Infections are a possible complication of any surgical procedure. When patients receive antibiotics within one hour before surgery, their risk for wound infection is reduced. A higher percent may indicate that a hospital provides a higher level of patient care.
About This Measure
This measure tracks the percentage of patients having heart bypass (CABG) surgery who receive antibiotics at the right time, within one hour before surgery.
Note: Comparison data is not available for this measure. You can view results of other individual hospitals at www.ihatoday.org.
|Northwestern Memorial
Source:Illinois Hospital Association
Percentage of patients having CABG open heart surgery who were given antibiotic at the right time (within one hour before surgery) to help prevent infection.
Last UpdateMay 17, 2012


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Must-Read Articles:
Romans 13: Rulers Should Enforce Natural LawFebruary 12, 2012
One of the most abused and misunderstood texts in the entire Bible is a passage from Romans 13, written by Paul – formerly Saul of Tarsus.
Conservatives and tyrants alike have used this passage to rationalize obedience to tyranny likely for the last two thousand years. Conservatives see it as a blanket statement — that governments have the "authority" to punish sin just because it's sin.
Tyrants see the text as a beautiful passage that essentially gives them the ability to trample sinners — and that pretty much means almost everyone and everything is regulated, including sex in the bedroom.
In the text of Romans 13, Paul explains the following:
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Before we look at the other sections for additional context, let's discuss exactly what these 7 verses mean in the context of who was writing them, and where he was located:
- Paul lived in the Roman empire — a tyranny.
- Higher powers don't punish good actions.
- There is no authority but God's.
Romans 13 is discussing higher powers — moral authority. It's discussing government in its proper function, not in all of its functions. Nero was "established" by God only in terms of causualty — Nero was still an evil man doing evil things, and God does not ordain what is evil. This is why in Hosea, God says:
"They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not."
This is not a contradiction at all. This is simply an explanation that not all princes are the higher powers. Some men are kings in name only. It was CS Lewis who said:
"The king is under the law for it is the law that makes him king."
This is why "evil government" is not what Romans 13 is discussing — not at all. That's one of many reasons our founding fathers fought the king of England — they knew he had no special "higher power" over them as subjects, because they understood natural law, at least on a basic level.
But what does this mean? What's the meaning of Romans 13 if it doesn't mean that we are to obey evil governments? On a basic level, Romans 13 is not about all politicians, all governments, or all laws. It's a broad generalization. It was not necessarily written for those establishing governments — it was written for those who are subjects to governments. Because of that, the reference to government was put in simple and general terms for the sake of communicating the real idea: the idea of non-rebellion, of being peaceful, of not randomly starting trouble.
But what is useful about the passage? What can we gain if we are trying to establish a government? The answer is simple. We keep reading. This is the part of Romans 13 that conservatives and tyrants alike forget to read when talking with those who understand liberty:
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
How do you fulfill God's law in relation to the "higher powers" established on earth? Simple. Worketh no ill to your neighbor. What should you do because of government? Simple. Don't commit adultery, don't kill, don't steal, don't lie in court, don't covet (the root of almost all social crimes and conflict) — in a sentence, love your neighbor as yourself.
To put this in a phrase that we're used to hearing, do not encroach on other person's or their property.
This doesn't mean that "God's law" says it's alright to smoke pot, necessarily. It doesn't mean that it's moral to do whatever doesn't hurt other people. That's a question of another aspect of God's law — loving God and following His commandments — only that's not at all what the "law" is discussing above, because it's specifically talking about the "higher powers" established here on earth among men.
Note that Paul is writing specifically and exclusively writing about our relationship with others. The higher powers exist in a social context, not a private one — they exist to regulate social behavior, not private behavior. They exist to outlaw adultery (contract violation — though the consequences are different in the New Testament than the Old Testament). They exist to outlaw murder. They exist to outlaw fraud. They exist to fight covetousness — in the context of almost every crime that exists.
A Response to Conservatives
Many conservatives will likely find fault in what I'm saying here. Their argument could be summarized as "governments must ban 'action' sin so long as there's not an exception found in the Bible." This completely misses the point — that the "wrongdoing" mentioned above is in the context of between people — hence, love your "neighbor". It's about rules for how we interact in relation to killing, stealing, and contracts. It's about natural law.
When I say "natural law", I mean those social obligations related to coercion that we can deduce through nature, reason, and conscience, as Paul discusses. There's much more to this, of course, and not all things that are "unnatural" violate natural "law".
This reference to natural law isn't just something I'm making up, of course. Paul refers to it several times throughout Romans — the book where Romans 13 is located. Here's what he said in Romans 1:19-20:
"Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."
Here's what Paul then said in Romans 2:15:
"Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another."
So yes, the ruling powers — the governing authorities — have the right to use the sword against those who do wrongdoing to their neighbor. But nothing else. This means if someone is growing pot on their farm, no one has the authority to unleash deadly violence on them. If anything, that would be incredibly evil itself — a direct violation of Romans 13 of not stealing.
Selling pot to a college kid is no more immoral than selling brownies to a fat kid, and if anything, we should be more worried about the good health of the fat kid, because in America fudge and sugary foods kill far more than pot ever could. Conservatives who believe they are following through with Romans 13 to punish all sin are simply wrong. The Bible doesn't encourage or condone violence against all sinners. Jesus literally said the opposite.
Don't laugh at my fat kid comment — just watch the news. Many people are taking the principle of "ban all bad things" to heart, and yes, it leads to tyranny. What a shame.
The motivation for violence isn't just that it's "sin" — it's that it's wrongdoing to others. In other words, it's a violation of the rights of others. If you believe the bible, you should believe in life, liberty, and property. God's law is perfect, and this is just one more example of how perfect and interconnected it all really is.


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Nearing the end of L3 (crux pitch, 6b) of Adissiatz on the east face of Dent d'Orlu, Ariége
© LeeWood, Aug 2009
Route: Adissiatz
Climbers: spanish climbers
Camera used: Nikon COOLPIX P50


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Similar to Risi e Bisi, the porridgelike Venetian dish of rice and peas, this satisfying vegetarian stew is a great w...
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A building I DID sketch again - Tasmanian Heritage Council Building - So... first day in my trip to Tasmania last month I did sketch 'that' building from my previous post that I sketched in 2005. That building is what I call...
2 months ago
Liz, I am in awe. Your sketchbooks are so inspiring. I look at them and then want to do 2 things — 1. sketch more 2. have a a cup of tea! Thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
Love how you have published it to the blog too. Ease to enjoy.
Oh, your sketchbooks are very inspiring. I am new to journaling and can't seem to think of anything else. Thank you for sharing.ReplyDelete
Amazing. Am ordering one for my collection
CD multimedia storage
Well that's an amazing article! I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts.
DVD printing


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4 out of 4
1 Reviews
Pack and Go
January 27, 2011
Love the fact I can take my long board powder skis and my carving skis on vacation in the same pack. Or if I choose to take one pair I would have room to bring home my favorite pair that I demo while on vacation. Great travel ski bag.
High Sierra Adjustable Wheeled Combo Bag Photo
Black/ Black.
Available sizes, while supplies last, include size and size one size: one size, .
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Processed alien weapon shots
Nightly sounds, light
This is the sound of a book opening and the pages of it being turned. This sound was created as ...
Stereo recording of two balls bouncing and hitting the wall, with reverse and eq process.
Clink of wire hangers - bitcrusher and compression added
voice, effects
This was recorded at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on the ZOOM H2. The crowd claps to a beat. Could ...
Open and close CD tray (Asus CD-S520/A) and then open and close DVD tray (Optiarc DVD RW AD-7173A). Computer noise ...
Jumping into water.
Single zombie vocalization, processed through pitch following and excitation via Symbolic Sound Kyma.
firework, recorded with zoom h2n.
a percussion sample from a recording session using Will Vinton's studio drum set.
This was recorded at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on the ZOOM H2.
LaughLaugh in medium theatreRecorded with MD and Sony mic, above the people
Kicking Metal Gate Wave, 44.1kHz, 24bit, stereo Recording Device: Zoom H2n with xy-capsule Low-Cut: yes (80Hz) Location: Leuphana Universität Lüneburg. ...


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Hostess' tough road out of bankruptcy
Employees at the embattled company are being asked to take an 8% wage cut this year.
"We have a path to emerge, but it's a difficult one and it's a painful one," he says in the following video. "It's painful for the employee because it requires wage concessions and pension concessions. They have been through this wringer once already."
Post continues below.
All employees at Hostess are being asked to take an 8% wage cut this year, Rayburn said. The company's cost structure is the problem, as revenue remains "solid" thanks to the company's powerful brands. Though it may be tempting to blame unions for the company's woes, Rayburn doesn't buy that argument.
"I don't think unions bring down companies," he said. "In Hostess' case, there is plenty of blame for everyone."
I worked for Hostess for 22 years and lost my job due to outsoursing. In those 22 years one of the biggest problems that I saw was that there were too many chiefs and not enough indians. The top level management in recent years made decisions based on no real knowledge of the baking business, but based their restructuring on the "bottom line" only. One of the former CEO's was given a million dollar bonus to come in and "save" the company. He, as well as several others since, completely failed to do so. When is someone going to recognize that the problems start at the top. The "worker bees" who gave their all were the ones to suffer the consequences of poor management. It is sad to think that such iconic brand names may become a distant memory in the very near future.
My husband works for them, they took a paycut 4yrs ago of $120 per week, now they want another 80-100 per week, havent had a wage increase in yrs. They want to now take another when just in this branch, there is 1 supervisors with 3 extra acting supervisors and only 7 routemen. Can you tell me why you need 4 supervisors for 7 men, PLEASE!! Its things like this that have this company in the shape they are in. Seems to me that some positions in management can be eliminated before you come to the routemen for their share.. I just gave you the most sensible solutions without the millions in yearly salary you are paying upper management for free. Try it, IT WORKS!!!. The last paycut from workers ended in management giving huge bonuses and salary increases within the year of taking our little $120 per week... Cut your expenditures at the top end not the bottom. There are alot of excess in upper positions!!
Wonder how many of the white collar execs are being asked to take an 8% pay cut to save the company. Blame the Union because that guy makes $14 an hour and thats a ridiculous wage. Nevermind that the CEO running the company into the ground makes over $1,000 an hour and thats just 1 Exec. They also have a CFO (Chief financial officer), COO (Chief Operating Officer), and CMO (Chief Marketing Officer). Each one of these positions pays over $1 million a year.
Alan Mullaly took a $3 million pay raise at Ford and 2 weeks later asked the workers to take a $3 an hour pay cut. Yep its those darn Unions ruining companies. LMAO. Yeah right.
Farmers cost go up = employee paycut
Gas prices go up = employee paycut
Maintiance and towing cost go up= employee paycut
Electric company increases rates =employee paycut
Insurance rates go up = employee paycut
Health insurance rates go up =employee paycut
Pension funds make bad investments=employee paycut
Ceos and management increase salaries=employee paycut
Advertisement cost go up= employee paycut
Equipment and supplies go up= employee paycut
Supply and demand goes up= employee paycut
Union dues go up =employee pays to keep ther job!
30,000 employees have taken paycuts and pensions cuts
One problem with Hostess is they are about double the price of a Little Debbie, whom they regarded too lightly when they first challenged the market. Little Debbie has more than double the selection of snack cakes than Hostess, who is relying on their old stand-bys like Twinkies, Ding-Dongs, etc. In tough economic times, people are driven by thrift and if given the choice of "Hostess Twinkies, $3.99 a box of 8, or "Little Debbies Golden Creme Cakes, $1.79 a box of 8, and the taste is comparable, most consumers will take the cheaper item. And this is a cheaper Brand Name, not a generic label item that projects lowest quality on the shelf. And Little Debbies aren't the only ones crashing the party. There are Mickey Cakes and others who are marked well below Hostess. If you're going to charge more than double for something, you better blow them away to justify it and I don't think Hostess has done this.
It's crappy undercutting by Mexican companies like Bimbo that are causing the problem for Hostess. Bimbo comes in and provides inferior products and those that don't know better keep buying the junk put out by Bimbo and others because that's what they're used to.
Say it ain't so, Hostess. Please, no Bimbo and their crummy Hostess imitations in the U.S.
BTW, Twinkies, Cupcakes and all their delicious pastries are not what's causing you're health problems. It's eating too many of them that causes the problem. Maybe if you didn't make a steady diet of Twinkies, you might be in better health.
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FIVE MORE DAYS until we kick off the Surfjam Estabanopolis Christmas Spectacular Seasonal Affective Disorder Sing-a-long Sensation. IF YOU'RE ATTENDING THESE SHOWS, PLEASE DO YOUR HOMEWORK: Learn all the songs on this "Wheel of Christmas" and come ready to sing w/ gusto, bravado, vibrato, bravura, brave heart, with drunken joyfulness and zealous ribaldry, i.e. as loud as possible, with CHRISTMAS CONFIDENCE. "Holly Jolly" might be less familiar. "We Need A Little Christmas" is slightly obscure. And "Sleigh Ride" is quick, so drink your Red Bull. We won't be doing ANYTHING in 7/8 I promise. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" will be in 3/4, as it is on the album. (If you can't afford the album, all the songs are streaming on the interweb.com.org.edu.) We'll be playing many other songs as well, and you are free to join us with a chorus, etc. WEAR A SANTA HAT IF YOU HAVE ONE. Wear PRADA. or Balenciaga. The band for this tour is: Rosie Thomas, Nedelle Torrisi, Casey Foubert, James McAlister, and Ben Lanz. And me. We have our work cut out for us. XXO, SS
BEST CONCERT OF MY LIFE. My favorite part is "WEAR A SANTA HAT IF YOU HAVE ONE. Wear PRADA."
Keri and I are headed to this tonight in Providence….have to put on my snazziest sweater! - Luis
Words cannot describe how excited I am for tomorrow night.
Monday. Expect plenty of Sufjan spam in...coming week or so. After all, he's from Detroit....
This. Is. Happening. Tonight.
this is gonna be greatttttt


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Oktibbeha County crews may need some help to address the condition of some of the county's bridges, especially those with bare-steel supports.
Miguel Lasala wants to show Starkville a side of Mardi Gras that is not typically found in New Orleans.
The Oktibbeha County School Board heard school improvement plans from principals Monday night during the regularly scheduled board meeting.
"Pursuit of Realism" was conceived as the title out of respect to the artistic process of each artist, said Dylan Karges.
Starkville's Cadence Bank is now officially in the hands of a private holding company, and bank officials have outlined steps they intend to take as the institution moves forward.
By Paul Sims
City officials hope to open Starkville's newest – and fifth – fire station by late spring, Fire Chief Rodger Mann said last week.
By Gwen Sisson
She said she hated to say, "use it or lose it," but gardeners must walk the garden every day.
By Steven Nalley
Lywanda Shed said she was so excited, she could hardly wait for the new house to be built.
Mary Jo Wallace (left), Library Board member, with Henry Brown, purchasing books and Tristan Durst, waiting in line. Brown is a favorite at the Library book sale.


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I hear from all sorts of folks who are working on their websites. Some are big companies with a lot of experience. Others are small business owners, creating a website for the first time. What I've found is, whether you are a pro or a novice, almost everyone can benefit from focusing on the basics of creating a successful website.
So, over on my Marketing to Women Online blog, I'm focusing on a real life small business owner and her website to illustrate some of the most common mistakes. We're starting by looking at her homepage, and simple changes she can make to make it more effective. The piece specifically showcases websites targeting women, but you'll find these homepage tips will work no matter whom you're targeting.
Hey, even Tiger Woods has to go back and practice the basics!
Do you have any good examples of e-commerce stores that have great copy on the homepage (either gender)?
The blog looks great. I've added it to my reader (a female's perspective seems hard to come by on the 'net)!
We are unveiling our new website design May 21. Our focus and tag line for our site, ads, and anything we do is "Where Fort Worth Women Go to Simplify Life." I would be curious to see your critique of our new site. We have developed approximately 100,000 visitors a month with our old version as now displayed. It will be interesting to see how much we can increase readership in the first few months.
you have to grab the attention of the reader within 5 seconds. Or the homepage is worthless


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Panteao Productions: Michael Bane Concealed Carry DVD #PMR025
Panteao Productions: Michael Bane Concealed Carry DVD #PMR025
$ 49.99
Carrying a concealed firearm for self-defense is more than just selecting a handgun and holster. It's a state of mind and change of lifestyle. Although best known for his highly rated original television series on Outdoor Channel — SHOOTING GALLERY, THE BEST DEFENSE, GUN STORIES, RAPID FIRE, COWBOYS — Michael Bane has been active in competitive shooting and training for decades. Bane was active in the launch of both USPSA and IDPA and worked in the creation of the National Range Officer Institute. Michael walks you through the system of concealed carry. He reviews various holsters, full size and compact firearms, pocket pistols, properly concealing firearms, off body carry, vehicles, home carry, stress inoculation, and range drills. Whether you are new to concealed carry or have been carrying for years, this is a must have video.
Product Sku: 206-011
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I picked up this tip from very successful artists in the animation industry, and now it's a mantra I tell myself everyday.
submitted by -e1n
What have I been saying?
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text: Mar 27, 2014 - My hair is a very fine 3B/3C. I was nervous about using the product when I saw the ingredients. My hair tends to be pretty protein-sensitive. The system was very easy to use. The instructions were well-written and very thorough. I think that the product is fantastic, but it wasn't meant for my hair. My hair felt very draw and straw-like, which it usually does if I try to use a product with hydrolyzed proteins. If you're protein-sensitive, this probably wouldn't be great for your hair. If your hair does well with protein, then you should definitely give it a try!


text:
I learned one main lesson from the long meeting tonight of the Citizens Planning Task Force on school closings in DeKalb: I never want to serve on such a panel.
There is simply no happy ending to this careful process, which depends on reams of data showing enrollments, projected growth, capacities of nearby schools, future housing development around the schools, along with intangibles such as what a school means to a community.
Clearly, from the turnout of 400 parents, the 21 schools that could have been closed mean a lot to their communities. By the end of the long session the list was whittled down to 14 schools, sending the Midvale parents in their green shirts home, relieved to be off the list. But the dozens of sign-carrying Meadowview parents left still anxious that their plucky little school may disappear.
The task force members debated, discussed and deliberated how to determine which schools should close. I was impressed with how much information members sought from district data collectors. I was also impressed with their concern for the impact on students, repeatedly saying that it would be important to divide students from a closed school among only two or three other schools so that friends would not be separated.
In creating the closure list, the county and the panel looked at schools that were below 450 students, which is the magic number for full state funding for an elementary school. Then they looked at buildings to see which might be operating under capacity. Next was a review of whether nearby facilities had the room to take students if the school closed and whether a flood of new students would strain the receiving school.
I was surprised to hear DeKalb schools official Robert Moseley say that renovation projects under way at some of the schools on the list would likely continue even if the schools were shuttered, either because the construction projects were necessary for the preservation of the building — as in a new roof — or because of contractual obligations.
It seems to me that if DeKalb goes ahead and spends millions to fix up buildings that it ends up not using, it should at least consider turning the facilities over to charter schools. (Speaking of charters, Peachtree Hope Charter School was on hand to court parents whose schools may be closed. The charter was approved by the new state Charter School Commission and will open on Memorial Drive in DeKalb in August.)
I arrived very early for the 6 p.m. meeting and talked to a few parents, who seemed reconciled that their schools might close. They understood the financial crisis that the county was facing, although some could not fathom how it took county leaders by surprise. Most were aware that their schools were losing students as their neighborhoods were either seeing fewer families with kids or were suffering waves of foreclosures. Still, they said their communities could rally in a few years when the real estate market recovered and then there could be a rush on local schools.
They were hoping for a miracle that would enable all the schools on the list to stay open, but that seems doubtful with DeKalb's $88 million deficit.
Here is the list as it stands now. And here is the AJC news story on the meeting.
Updated DeKalb proposed closure list
[Estimated savings if closed and available seats for students]
Atherton: $788,830 savings, 207 seats open
Avondale: $570,650 savings, 244 seats open
Briar Vista: $515,700 savings, 100 seats open
Clifton: $597,830 savings, 170 seats open
Flat Shoals: $671,260 savings, 224 seats open
Gresham Park: $589,670 savings, 178 seats open
Kelley Lake: $471,150 savings, 68 seats open
Knollwood: $594,090 savings, 311 seats open
Laurel Ridge: $469,550 savings, 79 seats open
Meadowview: $536,250 savings, 121 seats open
Medlock: $520,680 savings, 108 seats open
Peachcrest: $565,580 savings, 328 seats open
Rowland: $586,020 savings, 110 seats open
Sky Haven: $680,970 savings, 300 seats open
March 24th, 2010
1:44 am
Perhaps this is why we have run out of money….
Here's a non-government solution for the dispossessed students…
March 24th, 2010
4:15 am
But the good news is, with careful planning and deliberation, the BOE will be able to save the majority of central office jobs, even as teachers are being cut.
March 24th, 2010
4:30 am
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March 24th, 2010
6:18 am
Many of the central office jobs get in the way of teaching….. Instead of having a math coach "help" teachers, why don't they DIRECTLY help the students by actually TEACHING the at-risk students??
March 24th, 2010
7:06 am
Sorry parents & kids…but WHY are these schools still open? They are not convenience/vanity neighborhood schools to serve a select few! With the small enrollment and large operating costs, the cost per student ratio must be outrageous! They should have been closed years ago!
March 24th, 2010
7:57 am
I was born, raised, and educated in Dekalb County. I currently live in Dekalb County. As a working professional, there are several things I do not understand. #1 – Keeping an half empty school open (why didn't they think of this before?), #2 – The sheer size of the Central Office (is it really necessary and a benefit to the students to have a HUGE Central Office? Reduce that number NOW!, #3 – Math Coach/Reading Coach (what's the purpose? who are they coaching? (get rid of extra baggage that doesn't have a direct and immediate impact on students' success), #4 – renovating schools that may close (isn't it cheaper to pay the penalty to void the contract?). Finally, when decisions are made — they need to be solid business decisions not based on emotions and intangible factors (for example — don't want to split up friends; what do you they think happen when a family moves? – duh)
March 24th, 2010
8:15 am
that's the essence of education in Georgia.
top heavy, inefficient, and all too often racially driven.
March 24th, 2010
8:24 am
This is a question directed to the teachers.
Do you find that the purpose of the math and reading coaches is to be a resource of knowledge and techniques to teach those subjects better?
or Are they largely in a school to be an enforcer of a particular instructional style?
March 24th, 2010
8:42 am
Math/reading coaches are to help improve instruction, but, saying that right now they need to be teaching math/reading classes at least part of the day, be it enrichment or remedial.Many are political promotions and seldom the best most informed teachers.
March 24th, 2010
8:43 am
This reporting is misleading.
It should be noted that the schools that remain on the list are there only because the committee didn't get around to discussing them. They will get to them in the weeks ahead. Inclusion on this list does not necessarily mean that these schools are better candidates for closure than the ones that were dropped.
Medlock, Laurel Ridge and Briar Vista were not discussed. None of them fit the formula for closure. I think they will still on the list as long as possible in order to placate the folks in south Dekalb.
March 24th, 2010
9:27 am
It will take an act of God to clear up the mess in the Dekalb County School System. It is truly a crime and a shame that teachers' salaries are being cut while central office staff and other non-essential employees continue to do basically nothing yet are barely impacted by pay cuts because of their large salaries. While Almighty God allows us to make choices, correct choices obviously are not being made. It is my prayer that others join in and pray that the so called leaders would make appropriate decisions which basically require common sense and fairness.
March 24th, 2010
9:41 am
Please close Atherton Elementary. The new principal after the cheating scandal is useless, the vice principal is equally useless (I've never even seen her!). No leadership, no PTA, teachers with attitudes… Cut this fat!
March 24th, 2010
10:45 am
If you think you can make a good argument for central office bloat in 2 minutes, then come to the next Budget Committee meeting and say it. It is a smaller venue and a smaller crowd, and it is easier to be heard than at a full board meeting. It is also a place where you can have face-to-face discussions before and after with your board representatives. Show up, make a good data-driven argument, and see what happens. The school closing is only part of the huge deficit that the BOE has to fix, and it only fixes approx. $2 million. That leaves over $110 million more to discuss. Every area will be affected. If you think there is considerable bloat in a particular area, get that information on paper and hand it to them yourselves at the next budget committee meeting. The BOE has proven that they will listen to logical, data-driven arguments – Montessori is a case in point. Montessori proved by showing up at every meeting with the same data that they could run a cost-neutral program, and they were spared. Sparing isn't the point – it was the $$ savings that was the point.
March 24th, 2010
11:39 am
Do you find that the purpose of the math and reading coaches is to be a resource of knowledge and techniques to teach those subjects better?
or Are they largely in a school to be an enforcer of a particular instructional style?
ANSWER: Politically appointed (by CL or his cronies as pay for loyalty) and completely worthless. They should be the first to go, and an intelligent BOE would see that. They have no impact on student learing.
March 24th, 2010
12:51 pm
How's that forced government option working out for you?
Haven't seen any headlines about mass private school closings. Just saying…
But continue to bash the concept of getting government completely out of the education business. They are obviously doing a great job.
March 24th, 2010
1:38 pm
Maybe these schools could be saved, along with lots of money, if the summer employees are cut out this year. These children employeed for the summer are the children and relatives of top employees, including Lewis and Pope, and other Central Office and Service Center staff members. They report for pay and do nothing!!!
Further, these schools could be saved if DCSS employees were not sent to Lewis' home and Pope's office to pick up their "system vehicles" to be detailed and gassed-up at DCSS expense. Why do they even have these vehicles, with Lewis on leave and Pope demoted?!!! This is disgraceful!!!
These schools could be saved if over half of the top level and their secretaries were cut; not moved around "again", CUT!!! Along with all the disgraceful spending on fancy furniture and accessories. There is a lot a image going on and not much work.
Further, Pat Pope should NOT be receiving over $200,000 when she is sitting oding nothing! I do not know how she can show her face for taking this money from the teachers and students!!!
We need our schools and our teachers for the students. There rest needs to be stopped NOW!!!
March 24th, 2010
2:07 pm
David S.
Remember that it is the fault of the private sector (the banking industry) that is causing school and other government cut backs. Public schools do a better job with less money than do private schools.
…just saying….
March 24th, 2010
2:11 pm
I currently work in Dekalb co. I can honestly say that I don't want my son to even go to school in this county because of this mess. There is so much political corruption. We also have people who are supposed to be support staff but all they do is sit around and do nothing or do something that a student could do as an elective, make copies, put folders together..etc..it's a shame. Meanwhile I have to take a paycut to account for the County's criminal behavior..stealing money, paying themselves high sallaries, hiring friends and family and giving them big salaries. I can't wait to leave this county. I hate to say it but most parents will find that in some schools they will be left with less qualified teachers and their students education will suffer as there is no money for books, materials and supplies, copies..etc. We already opperate with no money..where is the money??? The schools certainly don't have any.
March 24th, 2010
4:43 pm
Folks, I have said this before and I will keep saying it…..none of these schools have to close. Just one act will clear up DeKalb County's budget woes…..get rid of school buses!!!!! We pay for MARTA……let's use it….it's SMARTA as they say….parents, make your older kids walk to school…..it will help our obesity problem……I know, kids in the lower grades will have to be driven but it should be the parents responsiblity to get their kids to school anyway and it should not be a function of our education system to operate a transportation system.
March 24th, 2010
5:20 pm
Vince – before you ignorantly call the banking sector private, you should look into the truth of the Federal Reserve, its creation by Congress, its monopoly on setting interest rates, its funding of government debt, its head and his appointment by the president, and I could go on. There is nothing private about the banking system except the profits. The Constitution demands that the Congress coin money and regulate its value and they illegally gave that over to the Fed. Since then, FDR's confiscation of america's gold, Nixon's elimination of the gold standard, the creation of the FDIC (socialization of risk, privatization of profit), the creation of federally-guaranteed mortgages via Freddy and Fanny, and every other intervention into the banking industry by government has made the system anything but private. If you think that any of that sounds like private, then you need to seek help.
The fact that government run education is funded by linking it with property tax valuation is the stupidity of government, certainly not something the banks thought up. The inefficiencies in the government system and the like and the massive waste in administrative overhead quite counter your argument. Over $9500 is being spent on each student. Many private schools and every homeschool spends way less.
And since the government does nothing but steal what it gets, how is it the fault of the private sector that the government must make cutbacks. You would think that the immorality of the theft alone would keep the monies you take and the things you do to a minimum so that the theft could be kept to a minimum. Oh yes, lets blame the private sector for being too poor to fund the robber when he shows up at the door. Do you listen to yourself??
As if the Federal Reserve funded bubble and massive inflation from the Fed printing presses had absolutely nothing to do with this Depression, just like it had nothing to do with the last one.
Please go to http://www.mises.org and get an economics lesson. Stop listening to that liar Bernanke. He didn't even see this coming.
My point is still valid. Everyone is afraid to try another approach.
March 24th, 2010
5:40 pm
My statement and my point stand as written.
March 24th, 2010
6:11 pm
Maureen said,
I was surprised to hear DeKalb schools official Robert Moseley say that renovation projects under way at some of the schools on the list would likely continue even if the schools were shuttered, either because the construction projects were necessary for the preservation of the building — as in a new roof — or because of contractual obligations.
At the end of the day, the taxpayers still 'own' the facilities. While the building may not be used anymore in the near term, there is still an obligation for general maintenance. The same could be said if you own rental property. You must also consider the neighborhoods the building are located in. Allowing a county building to fall into disrepair in a residential neighborhood would be criminal, IMO.
It is 'possible' that a school recommended for closing could re-open if a few years, assuming there are population shifts. Continuing with roofing projects ensure there isn't additional damage done to the facility
March 24th, 2010
6:19 pm
[...] via DeKalb school closings: Long meeting, long faces and longshots | Get Schooled. [...]
March 24th, 2010
6:55 pm
David, this blog is for people with constructive comments regarding DeKalb County schools. We don't need an unrealistic political rant clogging up space. I'm sure there are just as many ineffective home schools and private schools as there are public schools. You cannot paint with such a broad brush. Please stop posting anti-government propaganda here. Instead spend your time counting up the trillions George Bush ran up the deficit growing our federal government. That should keep you busy for a while.
March 24th, 2010
7:47 pm
Avoid the politics and mismanagement. Take a 100% interest in your child's education….Home School
March 24th, 2010
9:05 pm
Home school mom, are you a single mom? Is your husband disabled and you have to work for insurance? Does your husband not make enough money to support you and your children? Do you have a job like teaching or nursing that you love and helps others? It's great that you homeschool and feel it's right for your family, but it isn't right for every family, and it certainly isn't a solution to what ails the economy and public schools. In the 1800s, when almost everyone worked in very close proximity to their homes and farms and a mother's work was feeding and clothing their children from the home, children went to a schoolhouse. It isn't a death sentence to go to a public school. And, for the record, I am 100% interested in my child's education and to insinuate that anyone who doesn't homeschool isn't 100% vested is moronic, closed-minded, and naive. I have an Ivy League degree, and I was educated in a public school. I have an extremely good job, and my two children attend a DeKalb, non-magnet public school and are learning more than I ever did at their age.
March 24th, 2010
9:35 pm
8,800 support and admin personnel to less than 7,000 teaching and media specialist personnel and getting so much worse.
Maureen and AJC staffers know this. Why do you think they keep running stories about DeKalb? They know it is the worst system in the metro area. If you think you are immune because you live in affluent areas of DeKalb – think again – property values are tied to school systems – always have been. In my area real estate agents advertise houses based on Oak Grove and Briarlake test scores. But ALL schools will eventually be affected.
The sad thing is closing these schools will only make a tiny dent in the budget. Until Ms. Tyson and the BOE tackle the largest admin (1,239 Central Office administrators to approximately 6,800 teachers) numbers in the state and the largest support group – 7,500 of them.
Look at these figures:
HR has:
61 employees
Salary and Benefit cost: $4,488,956
($73,589 per employee including clerical staff)
MIS has:
290 employees
Salary and Benefit cost: $19,031,262
($65,625 including clerical staff)
PATS had Kitchen and HVAC (heating and air) maintenance jobs advertised last month for $43,000 to $58,000 with 3 years experience and a high school diploma or GED equivalent. This is more than teachers make. I just looked on PATS and those maintenance jobs are filled (of course – where else would they make these salaries) and the teaching jobs that have been advertised for months (science and math) are still sitting there.
Ms. Tyson is proposing cutting 18 Certified Technical Support Specialists (CTSS). These CTSSs are all personnel INSIDE the schoolhouse.
MIS (Management Information Systems) INSIDE the schoolhouse personnel (CTSS):
111 employees (CTSS)
Average salary and benefits for employees inside the schoolhouse (CTSS): $51,336 annually.
MIS (Management Information Systems) OUTSIDE of the schoolhouse personnel:
181 employees
Average salary and benefits for MIS personnel OUTSIDE the schoolhouse: $73,683 annually
So the 18 MIS personnel Ms. Tyson and the BOE will be cutting are INSIDE the schoolhouse and have the lowest annual salary. Not one of the 181 higher paid personnel OUTSIDE the schoolhouse will be touched. Look at and compare the salaries for personnel all over DCSS inside the schoolhouse and outside the schoolhouse. You will this pattern is pervasive.
Ms. Tyson and the BOE have shown such blatant disregard for the personnel who work with students INSIDE the schoolhouse that they need to be voted out in November.
(source: state Travel and Salary audit 2009; DCSS website – Human Resources webpage staff directory)
March 24th, 2010
9:40 pm
ultimately the following things must happen to bring sanity back to education. otherwise we're still doomed to failure
1) get the politics out of school. especially the racial politics. education is and should be colorblind.
2) year 'round education.
3) let schools actually put out kids who are disruptive and don't want to be there
4) put some realistic guidelines on how much effort and money must be spend on disabled and special needs students.
5) stop the barbeque (pork)
6) understand education funding needs to be overhauled – the days of
green chalkboards and erasers are long over
March 24th, 2010
9:44 pm
home school mom:
not everybody has the resources, money, and skills to home school.
public school can and does work very well, when the kids are expected
to perform and the parents are involved.
this isn't one size fits all.
March 24th, 2010
9:47 pm
sometimes I consider moving to DeKalb to be closer to my job.
then I look across the street at Clarkston HS and that silly thought
goes away. no way I'd put my kid into the DeKalb system
March 25th, 2010
12:47 am
Talk about the maintenance positions being filled. I wonder how many of those positions were filled with people who know what they are doing. The Maintenance Department does not require any specified education for a position. Most companies require a State license for plumbing, HVAC, electrical, etc. DeKalb does not care what happens to their employees. The mechanics just let their helpers do their jobs and put their helper's life in jeopardy. THIS HAS BEEN PROVEN! Does everyone remember the electrical helper who lost his life so unnecessarily. Most mechanics and foremen get their jobs because of who they know or the color of the end of their noses. If the DCSS employed more responsible and educated workers in this department, so much money would not be wasted in this department; and this would benefit the budget for the teachers and students!!!
March 25th, 2010
1:01 am
Are we happy yet in DeKalb County? Can't the school board's pricey attorney, Josie Alexander, solve any of the county's horrific problems? What about Ronald B. Ramsey and Robin Goolsby over in the Office of Internal Resolution? Can't they resolve any of the problems? What about Crawford Lewis? Oh, that's right. He's at home on "self-imposed" suspension. Hmm. Is he banned from the school system? What about Chief Wood, the police guru of the school system? Can't she bring about order to the school system? Can she go get some of that CrawfordCo Gasoline and put it in those DeKalb Po Po cars at two miles per gallon? Poor ole Crawford. Beware when you start "banning" folks; the "ban" may return to you. Eugene Walker, your colleagues are so inexperienced in the game. Wouldn't you agree? Where is Dr. Jim Williams and Gary Sams and Stan Hawkins when you need them? Yes, yes, you left the kids in charge of the candy shop.
March 25th, 2010
9:30 am
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March 25th, 2010
10:23 am
Well things like this will keep our family from moving to that county and buying a house there.
March 25th, 2010
2:26 pm
Clearly, this meeting, open to the "concerned" public is a complete and total waste of time. The 400 parents in attendance really had no business being there, for their concerns, rather than being directed "globally"…that is, what's good for the system…were centered on "what's good for me"? Upon learning that their neighborhood school(s) was off the list of possible closure, and they would not have to endure the inconvenience of transporting their kids any further than they had to, the Midvale "green shirts" lost all interest in the purpose of the meeting and "split". This is not at all indicative of citizenship, and is reflective of the selfish "don't give a damn about other concerns" attitudes so prevailant in our society.
I am thoroughly ashamed of these people who would portend to be concerned citizens when their only concern is "what's good for me and to hell with the rest". Perhaps this is why we see so many "closed door" decisions being foisted upon us…the public cannot be trusted to think beyond their own personal desires.
March 25th, 2010
8:47 pm
I was just wondering…… how are charter schools, funded with tax payer dollars, continuing to be opened yet traditional public schools being closed due to budget problems. If the charter schools are using tax payer money what makes them exempt from the budget cuts that also are using tax payer dollars? The enrollment in the charter schools is far less than the traditional public schools. The public schools have more equipment, supplies, community support and a track record. Just wondering…..
March 25th, 2010
9:01 pm
@ Ole Guy, Midvale parents left 90 seconds before the meeting was over. In fact, as we were walking down the hall, Meadowview parents were right behind us congratulating us – not angry at all. Given that each of us there has dedicated around 40 hours to this effort over the past 3 weeks (including attendance at 3 task force meetings, 3 budget committee meetings, petitions, flyers, PTA meetings, and Tucker Parent Council meetings), I don't think 90 seconds was a big deal. It certainly wasn't a big deal to the task force members, who were happy to speak with us after the meeting was over and express that they were assured that they had made the right decisions that night for the 5 schools that were removed from the list for the same reason as Midvale. It was a big deal to us as we had been working very diligently for weeks on this issue, and we knew from having already attended 3 of these meetings that the meeting was over. We stayed until all business was done. All they did after we left was set the date/agenda for the next meeting. We did not leave right after the public comments, as at least 200 other people did, and we did not pass judgment on them for doing that, either. In addition, our green Midvale group was comprised of students, teachers, parents, and community members from the entire Tucker cluster, including Midvale, Brockett, Smoke Rise, Tucker Middle, and Tucker High. We took it upon ourselves to work as a team and helping each other as our multiple schools appeared on and were eliminated from the list, which is, by definition, not selfish. We are fully in support of a data-driven, educated decision by the task force, and that is what was done. We did not expect a school that is either not in our cluster or does not share the same situation as us (no capacity in surrounding schools) to try to keep us open instead of their school. Because we had already spent so much time at these meetings, the various schools' leaders are all familiar with each other and our "cases" and shared ideas about organization and publicity. Finally, all of us who are intimately involved in this process are aware that by publicizing the list, the task force and BOE pitted community schools against each other. It is inherently unfair and uncomfortable, but we have reached out and worked as a team when requested and where reasonable. Please educate yourself before hurling insults about a situation you have only observed from a distance and know nothing about.
March 25th, 2010
10:28 pm
@Ole guy: Is it indicative of "citizenship" when statements on blogs are made that for every school in the south that is closed, a school in the north end should be closed as well? You imply that with closure, some students will have their students traveling farther to school, and that parents who left the meeting were only concerned that their students would not have to. How many hours have you spent reviewing the data and driving distances between various schools (including ones not in your own local community)? The data, if you can interpret it, clearly indicated that the students from the schools removed from the list by the task force during this meeting would have had to travel farther than would any students from southern schools because there are no schools open within any reasonable distance to receive them. The DATA also clearly indicate that with such closures, children would have to be split multiple directions.
Why do you "pick on" the families from one particular school? Why do you not "call out" all of the individuals who left the meeting once public comments were over, without bothering to hear how the meeting proceeded, rather than focusing on people wearing a particular color. Did you not notice that individuals from other schools which also were removed from the list left at exactly the same time, determining that staying for additional scheduling of meetings was not a "business item" relevant to the community segment?
You speak as if you know those individuals and their motivations. You make judgements about people without consideration for the fact that they too, like the families who left 45 minutes prior, had children and families to get home to, schoolbags to pack, homework to review, lunches to pack, gas tanks to fill, work to do to prepare for their own jobs. You have no idea, and clearly have not taken the time to meet, many of the parents in that room, from any school, who were touched by the children and the parents and the community members who have so much invested in the children, the schools, and the communities. You have no idea how these individuals spend their spare time and resources giving back not only to their local communities but also to the greater Dekalb and state communities. You have no idea whatsoever, and yet you are willing to throw such a stone.
March 25th, 2010
10:48 pm
Just wondering… , you must consider that Independent charter schools fund there buildings and subsequent maintenance. As a result, they typically do not receive the same matching funds for each student.
March 25th, 2010
10:57 pm
Mid Parent, thanks for the detailed brief. I reacted to Ms. Downey's fine article with neither prejudice nor malice. Very true, 90 seconds is no big deal; arguements can be generated in all directions as to the very notion that a particular group left, supposedly en mass, prematurely…albiet "only" 90 seconds. Then again, this seemingly irrelevant issue may, in all probability, be just that…irrelevant.
I have no doubt that these decisions, difficult as they are, must be made; I am quite certain you, and people who share your zeal, will always ensure that good choices will always be made.
Please understand that my comments were motivated by an urge to cast neither insult nor aspersion, but rather to recognize what appeared to be a display of self concern veiled as public interest. Please forgive any unintentional injury to your sensibilities.
March 26th, 2010
12:07 am
Ole Guy, thank you for your response. I should also mention that we also attended the task force meetings en masse even after we were removed from the first list to follow through with keeping tabs on the job that was being done. We were then put on the second list at the next meeting. From a 10,000 foot view, it would have been better to redraw attendance zones before closing schools, but that was not their charge for Phase 1. Again, by publishing the list and pitting formerly neutral or friendly community schools against each other, there will be awkwardness and anger. I hope the task force is able to come to an objective, criteria and data-based decision soon (for the parents, teachers, and students' sake) and then work to make the closing as positive as possible. At one of the recent budget committee meetings, I urged the school board to work with the task force to do their best to make these closings an opportunity for improvement. It is very possible that the smallest or most underutilized schools have not previously had access to specials like music, art, etc. on a regular basis. By combining with another school, they may find themselves part of a bigger school that offers more for them. We will all be watching carefully.
March 26th, 2010
8:27 am
Updated closure list shows 328 seats open at Peachcrest savings of $565,580. This school should be shut down immediately there is not enough property digest income to support a half-capacity school. The students are not receiving as much as they could from a larger school. These students would benefit from these closing. Providing transportation to the nearest nearby school would be recommended. Along with Knowlwood, 311 seats open with savings of $594,090, Sky Haven 300 seats open, $680,970 and Avondale 244 seats with a savings of $570,650. These are the top 4 schools operating undercapacity.
March 26th, 2010
11:54 am
Why are Laurel Ridge, Medlock and Briar Vista still on the list? They don't fit the committee's own criteria. There is not enough capacity at neighboring schools to receive their students if they close.


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Chicken-Fried Steak
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