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Why Can't I Stop Drinking Wine?
I am trying to figure out how to set a daily reminder on my phone so it buzzes me at 5:00 p.m. to tell me I don't want any wine.
If there is an app for an electric shock, I would like to install that too.
I'm not an alcoholic. I stop sipping after two glasses of cheap Costco wine…on the weekdays anyway. But why do I even need those? It's like 5:00 p.m. rolls around and I start salivating. I hate that.
I hate feeling out of control.
But what is so bad about having a couple of glasses of wine at the end of the day?
Well, for one thing, after a month or so of having them the scale starts to creep up. I've spent a lifetime managing or succumbing to—depending on the year—eating and body image disorders. I am now a healthy weight. I don't want to lose any more (okay, maybe just 10 pounds), but I definitely don't want to gain. A pound here, a pound there, and suddenly the self-hatred starts kicking in. I know, I know; it's obvious that if gaining a few pounds is all it takes to put me into a dark place I still have a problem with self-esteem.
Give me a break. I'm working on it.
Even more than the weight, though, I worry about my reasoning. I make a decision in the morning not to drink wine with dinner. Dinner rolls around and I'm pouring myself a glass. It's way too easy to talk myself out of my morning resolve and into half bottle of Woodbridge.
What am I trying to numb? I love my life.
But every day there's something; my back hurts, I'm stressed about whatever is going on with the kids, I deserve it, I taught three yoga classes today so I've burned a bunch of calories, it's Wednesday and the weekend seems far away.
I've gone through long periods of time when I haven't had these two glasses of weeknight wine, but there's never been a time when I didn't want them. The issue never goes away, it's either dormant or not.
In all other areas, I am disciplined. I am a paragon of health. I eat clean, sleep enough, have jobs that are meaningful (mother, writer, yoga teacher). I meditate, get outside every day, move my body, express my love freely. I have enough money. I have a happy marriage. I have great kids.
What the hell is my problem?
Sure, there was a time, a long time, when I didn't have or do those things. Let's be honest, I was a complete mess. I was the poster-child for poor life-choices and dark, debilitating depression. Is this me hanging onto a little piece of that? Afraid if I admit to the core of my being that I am finally happy, somehow I won't be me anymore?
Or is it the other way around? Is that little piece of darkness still hanging on to me? In other words, am I as happy as I think I am?
I don't know and I can't figure it out—that's frustrating for someone who prides themselves on identifying problems and fixing them.
Have I mentioned that I'm a perfectionist? Maybe my wine is a way to take a break from me beating myself into submission all the time. I think I'm getting closer to the truth, because as I read that sentence back it sounded awful.
I beat myself into submission all day every day. Every now and then I have a kind, internal word to say, but my negative talk is far more predominant. Words like fat, dumb, lazy and inept litter my interior landscape. Which is so weird, because I know I'm not fat, dumb, lazy or inept, but I am only not these things (my internal voice says) because I force myself not to be. Not because I am naturally thin, smart, driven or savvy. If I stop cracking the whip, all hell might break loose.
Seeing that written in black and white makes me think one thing: Maybe I shouldn't be setting alarms or trying to electrocute myself. Maybe I should just be nicer to me. If I was, at the end of the day, instead of feeling like a beaten dog, perhaps I would feel like a beloved pet.
I'm not going to turn my alarm off yet (I did finally manage to get it set), but I promise to try and be less insecure taskmaster and more loving companion to myself.
Perhaps I should re-program the reminder, which now has the note, "Don't drink wine, loser," to "You did good today, kid. Just relax and eat your dinner."
I'll let you know how it goes.
Like the mindful life on Facebook.
Ed: Sara Crolick
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52 Responses to "Why Can't I Stop Drinking Wine?"
God, I have been there. Exactly there. Well, perhaps without the yoga fitness, but otherwise… Active, conscious routine change (setting out a teapot and good tea before I even left for the day, emptying the house of temptation) plus good hard look at the crazy things I told myself plus support was key. I wish you all the best, and gentle ease in God's hands.
you think too much. you should move to france and enjoy your wine.
"you think too much"—true, perhaps, but we all do so, and stating the obvious in "you" form is hardly kind. That said, France, mais oui!
OMG, I could have written parts of this. Thanks for making me feel like I'm not alone.
Gosh I struggled with this exact question for the past few months. I think my inner rebel hears my inner mother and when dinner comes around I'd say, "ah whatever mom I'm a big kid now."
The game changer for me when finally I just was downright concerned my inner rebel was just budding alcoholism. So I stopped. And for a couple weeks.
Honestly, it's a pattern and once you break it it stops nagging you, I haven't had the internal alarm ring at 5pm since my "cleanse"
I am right there with you….let me know if it helps…blessings to you….( and mine is Riesling)
Oh my — I feel like you wrote that about me! Thank you for sharing. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who struggles internally with this.
try having only one glass a week night and really enjoy it john
❤ This
Life's about balance and balance is something that fluctuates, as anyone who has ever weighed themselves daily knows. Wine brings relaxation and new experience into your life.I've spent a good part of my life tasting wine with my "left brain" and I've found that a glass of wine is something that can get you as "present" as meditation can. As I like to say: Moderation in moderation!
Nice piece….thanks for sharing! I'm currently reading this:
Which provides an interesting lily on how to quit the booze…. Very much pushing the perspective that it is not something to be missed and how to set yourself free.
These guys also have interesting newsletters each week and provide support specifically to women who've had enough of the trainee glad of wine which turned into a bottle an evening:
Hope these might prove inspiring
Definitely break that habit . Your body clock has tuned you into 'Wine at 5' . If you started having popcorn everyday at a certain time or ice cream etc the craving for that would begin too. My friend used to have a glass before lunch some days et was amazed how quickly it became a habit where her mind said 'wine time' . She only ever had half a glass of White with ice in it but whatever she was doing in the day at around 1.30pm the desire for that drink happened. So Tis habit…..we are creatures of habit . Cut back to two half glasses at a different time maybe ? ! Then you break a habit but don't deprive yourself and don't crave it . X
So, just a couple of thoughts. You sound awfully hard on yourself. Do you laugh enough? Are you able to sit and simply be? Perhaps you have the brain chemistry that is a set up for alcohol misuse. How well do you pamper yourself? Maybe you can find a way to chill other than drinking. Actually your life sounds hectic and very full of doing. I would be happy to talk to you privately if you want to explore. I am a yoga / meditation teacher, a substance abuse counselor, a professional life coach, an ex-executive director, and the mother of four grown kids.
Rebecca Smith 800.522.5382
A glass or two a day is good for your stomach and digestion …..ain't it ?….. Enjoy it and don't feel guilty ….!
Thank you for your honesty and vulnerability! I was just having this same conversation with a friend. I decided my next step is to attend an al anon meeting. I often wonder, am I following in my alcoholic parents footsteps or just decompressing? Either way my bottom line is I would rather not rely on the alcohol for decompression nor do I want the weight.
Thank you for sharing.
My experience and opinion is that wine, beer…. the one or two a night drink is 'more' than just your normal habit of use. For me I had to learn to be able to say, "I don't believe I am an alcoholic but I do have a drinking problem, I have developed a dependency on this crutch". A beautiful glass of wine.. what could be the harm in that, a laugh with friends, a quiet time for chilling, what better? Alcohol use in moderation is so socially acceptable, so absolutely fine. Just quit fighting it and enjoy it, after all you aren't an alcoholic? But for some, through introspection you see that you can't put it down, that you are using it as a crutch, that you are actually self-medicating with it. I don't know that is how it is for all, but it is for some and perhaps for you? Once a person has this realization then it is possible to move towards change.
For most we have to go to some point of pain (a divorce, a job loss, death of a loved one) before we realize that crutch is nowhere near enough and no amount of self medication is going to lessen the pain and perhaps you choose then to lean into that wind of pain without any crutches whatsoever.
I too find it so difficult to change when everything is going well. Thanks for sharing your experience.
In Vino Veritas
I found myself there too, having a glass or two each night, every night…..but at my yearly physical telling my doctor I drank wine occasionally. Then one day, I just didn't buy it when I ran out. The first couple of nights, I definitely thought about my wine and why didn't I have a glass right then. After a few days though, I thought about it less, until I didn't even remember that I drank wine at night. Now I have wine in the house and I'm not drinking it every night. Funny thing is….I looked at the bottle just before I read this article and was surprised to see that I had wine in the house. I forgot that I bought it earlier in the week.
I love love your honest sharing! It's beautiful. Thank you. I enjoy each time you post. I also take myself a bit too seriously for my own good, ugghhh, it's just exhausting. Much love your way <3
If, when you honestly waft to stop, you find you cannot, you may have a problem with alcohol. My story was just like yours. 2 glasses a night for years, no problems as a result. Then came the forties and 2 became 3. Then a death in the family and 3 became 5. Now sober 10 years and feel so good. Good luck on your journey. Time will tell. If you have a problem, it won't get better. If you don't, it doesn't have to get worse. I like the idea of trying 1 a night instead. I do think current conventional wisdom for women is 7 a week is ok for good health. Good luck.
I had the same problem, and I was sick of beating myself up about it. I found this little e-book called Seven Days Sober on amazon and it was cheap but it actually really helped because if just asked me to stop for a few days to get a hold on things. I also went to some aa meetings and learned a lot about drinking patterns, talked to some of the ladies there and figured out that my drinking pattern may be unhealthy, if not full blown alcoholism. I decided to go sober and have been so much happier with everything. It's been about nine months. Good luck to you! And thank you for your honesty.
Great thoughts Bailey, thank you! Im buying that book right now
So brave. Bravo.
This actually sounds a lot like borderline alcoholism. We have some funny ideas about what being an alcoholic means. A lot of people associate it with absolute addiction, drunk all the time, can't handle their lives etc. Which is far from the truth for most alcoholics. Alcoholism is so complex. If you're having a fight with yourself about your drinking, it's probably a problem. Perfectionist thinking is also quite the alcoholic trait. If you've had an eating disorder, chances are you have the "addict brain," which can manifest with many many things. Speaking as someone who's had eating disorders and other addictions, these can all be a powerful path to self awareness. Thinking about why you want to drink each night is a really start. What do you really want? Even if this doesn't feel out of control, don't be afraid to seek out some kind of help with it if you're struggling. It's all growth.
I always think of Satchidanandas words- negative habits fall away effiorketsly with practice just as a child lets go of toys as they mature. They simply are no longer fun. Don't try to quit – just practice and let it fall away. This has definitely been my experience- I just at oneoint felt better before the wine instead of feeling better after the wine. Peace .
Lovely words, thank you so much.
Half a bottle is more like 3 glasses…apparently there are seven standard drinks in one bottle.. I don't know why either but I do know that the chinese qi energy wheel states that the kidneys have maximum energy flow from 5-7pm… maybe.. just maybe, you are living so cleanly that your kidneys are crying out for some toxins to play with… *said with humour but wondering if there might be some truth to it*
haha! I love that idea and that your response was unique. Thank you.
sadly it is not common knowledge, but alcoholism comes in many shapes and sizes. the AA big book and/or going to a meeting could help you determine if you are or not. a message with love.
Thank you Sterling!
It is interesting because you are beating yourself up whether you are drinking wine or not. That is what you would call confusion. The confused feelings will not go away just because you stopped drinking. Instead of going for a glass of wine, to stop the old, bad confusions, try connecting with someone who will just listen and not tell you how you should feel. You will feel confused, and at the same time it has nothing to do with reality. Most all of us are trying to make sense of a society that has sends out mixed messages all the time. Don't beat yourself up about drinking wine, however that will not make your life go better, you might feel better. But, I think you want more, like all of us, it is a decision you have to make, because no amount of wine is going to change the way you feel about yourself. It will just add to the confusion." Good bye wine, it was nice knowing you! I am going to feel whatever I need to feel. It is different now, I have people. I no longer have to feel numb. Yea!" Have fun with that pattern, you are in charge. Have at it!
nicely put, thank you.
I agree with Annie. If you lived in France or Italy or most anywhere in Europe, this wouldn't be considered a "problem", it is a lifestyle…enjoy, relaxing, drink up…la dolce vita, you know…(and on a sweeping generalization, Europeans, on the most part, are waaayyy healthier than Americans).
I am married to an attractive, brilliant, hard working woman who lives her life with thoughtful deliberation. She has been a good wife and mother. For the last 20 years she has drunk 2~3 glasses of wine every night. Almost very evening she smells of alcohol. And when she speaks I can't always tell what comments and emotions are alcohol enhanced or what is genuine. I have ended up not trusting her emotionally and find myself longing for a sober mate, someone who doesn't need to drug themselves in order to live and share time me.
Whatever YOU decide is safe and healthy level of drug consumption I hope that you consider the impact of your behavior on your spouse and children.
These are my words not written by me Thank you, Pema Chodron has some things to say about sitting with our problems, I am working on the 5pm sit with my desire.
You can't stop drinking wine?….. So what?
What if it were orange juice or water you were drinking every day at 5? Would you be beating yourself up about that?
The same people giving us the "health" warnings about drinking are the same ones who still recommend people eat dairy and meat products.
I had a similar pattern but then a series of very stressful times escalated it into a lot more than a couple of glasses but a couple of times a week. Both were unhealthy patterns for me as, as you rightly said, I felt out of control.
I'm also a buddhist and have found upping my meditation absolutely invaluable. When I'm finding it tough, I focus on the Six Elements practice, and the metta bhavana but really focus on giving metta to myself. Would I allow a dear friend or my daughter to do this to themselves? Would I want them to feel like that? Meditation as I'm sure you know, can have fundamentally transformative effects on your thinking.
I started dryathlon this january and haven't had a drink since New Year's day. That along with more yoga, twice daily meditation, and I haven't felt this good in years.
It's not the wine that's the issue, it's you feeling out of control. Once you regain that control, you can choose whether or not you re-integrate wine into your life. But you will have a real choice then. Wine can be good for you, but beating yourself up and feeling that it's controlling you is not good for you. All the very best of luck, I really identified with this article!
Heather xx
Erica, thank you for being so honest and vulnerable. I have struggled for years with the same issue. It wasn't until I found out about the GAPS (gut and psychology syndrome) diet, that I realized what was causing my 5 o'clock wine cravings. Over the course of our lives, our gut bacteria get very out of balance because of antibiotics, poor diet, alcohol consumption… a whole host of reasons. When the "bad bacteria" take over your gut, they crave sugar, carbs, alcohol ….things that feed them… which is why we crave them. Until you get the bacteria back in balance, you will continue to have your wine and other cravings. Read the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS)…..it changed my life!! PS I too am a person very into physical fitness, spiritual wellness and connectivity….despite all that, I still had my wine cravings at 5 PM!! Good luck!!
I hate to tell you think but that is alcoholic thinking. You migjt want to check out AA.
I drink wine every night myself. I'm very fit, clean home, laundry done, family is taken care of. That being said, I often wonder if people living in France, Italy, Greece, and Portugal beat themselves up as badly as we (Americans) do. I try not to spend so much time over analyzing my wine consumption. We all have a vice, eating to much, smoking, gambling, sex addiction, drugs, excercise, ect…When wine/alcohol takes over your life, and interferers with daily responsibilities then there's a problem…Enjoy your LIFE & your WINE!!! Cheers
This sounds like it was written by me. All of it!!! And I see that the author has the same name as me.
Maybe if I wasn't sitting her drinking my wine, I could be writing things like this
Really surprised by all the comments (read 75% of them anyway). Poor girl has a couple glasses of wine when the day is winding down, NOT a couple if bottles for gods sake! Why all the doomsday, "you're an alcoholic" talk?! Sheesh, almost everyone I know needs a meeting then.
Erica ~ your article is fabulous and heart-felt, as are all of the replies. I find myself drinking wine during the weekends; beginning Friday evening after a hectic and stressful work-week and into Saturday, as well as Sunday. I've thought numerous times about stepping outside of this "wine zone" and enjoy a weekend-free sabbatical from partaking in my usual one glass of Chardonnay on Friday night and my 1/2 bottle to full bottle of chardonnary between Saturday & Sunday. I practice yoga Monday thru Thursday, as well as Saturday and Sunday morning/mid-morning class — "it is on like donkey-kong!!!" Let the pouring of a glass of Chardonnay begin! My diet is relatively clean. HOWEVER, I'm sure I would feel even better if I completely eliminated my Chardonnay. As the saying goes, "moderation in moderation," but this weekend, I'm going to challenge myself; no Chardonnay. I'll let you know how it goes. Om Shanti~
I love you. I read through this, and kept wondering when I wrote it! Thanks for expressing this so eloquently.There are many of us out there!! Unite and support!
I can relate. I can relate exactly. – and idk if you're an alcoholic or not- but in your opinion do you think it matters how much you drink in order to qualify you as one? I'm very interested in hearing your answer. Much love.
Wow. I'm just like you! I swear I've had this thought process a million times, except it sounds like you're far more disciplined than I am (hello, yoga teacher!). Right there with ya, sister. Now when can we get a glass of wine together? 😉
Wine can be good for you (mind, psyche, and spirit)! Research the benefits of wine and beer. If Iits just guilt you feel, look into that, explore. But otherwise, let yourself relax and enjoy. Its okay.
ahh! i know your thoughts exactly. I gave up cheap wine during the week a few months ago and now drink expensive wine on the weekend. See? Rewards!
Haha… but seriously. I wanted to regulate my bedtime and lose a couple of pounds, so I stopped drinking during the week, and the first week or two was hard, but sticking to its been great . Don't get me wrong, Monday, I'm still cursing my decision. But by Friday, I feel great, the guilt of each day saying , I know I shouldn't but I want to is gone, my week's been stellar, and I love celebrating with a nice glass or two of exactly what I want.
Good luck!
It is interesting that most of the comments have been about prejudice around alcohol rather than keying into your suspicion of perfectionism. Addiction is about filling an empty space in our souls. We all have our personal addictions and means of denying the unloved aspects of our personality. Your insight is brave and the prescription for your feelings of a lack of integrity is sound. With integrity intact, the amount of wine consumed will self-regulate and you will be OK with whatever is happening in your life. This constant struggle of one's mind over subconscious impulses requires deeper healing than simple impulse control. I support your journey and thank you for sharing it with us.
If you think you have a problem, then you have a problem. It's not the wine; it's you. Stop.
Have you considered the possibility that you're addicted, not to the alcohol, but to the sugar?


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Cards raise security issues at Vance Air Force Base
ENID — Illegal immigrants using fake identification cards have repeatedly breached security and gained entrance to Vance Air Force Base to work on construction projects, a recently fired civilian police officer has told The Oklahoman.
Base officials verified breaches have occurred, but said the pilot training base has multiple layers of security meant to prevent unauthorized access and penalties can be severe. Former officer Corey Spradlin, of Enid, said it is disturbing that even after the 9/11 terrorists' attack and shooting spree at Fort Hood, "we've got people who aren't even legally authorized to be in the country that are gaining access to an Air Force base." "I know none of the people were part of the Mexican al-Qaida, but, the point is, if they're getting on, then what's to say some extremist isn't," he said. "There's an attitude this is Vance, America. Nothing ever happens here." Spradlin said he was terminated within days of denying entrance to the mother of the base commander's housekeeper because she had an expired visa. The housekeeper and her mother told police they were on their way to meet the commander's wife for a Bible study, according to an Enid police report. Spradlin said he previously had upset Air Force base officials by verbally clashing with a construction contractor over illegal immigrants being brought on base to do construction work. Lax security procedures had enabled illegal workers to obtain long-term contractor passes, Spradline said. Spradlin has filed retaliation complaints over his dismissal with the base's inspector general and equal opportunity officer.
Commander respondsCol. Chris Nowland, 71st Flying Training Wing commander, said he could not discuss Spradlin's dismissal. However, he said he has not tried to influence the investigation. Nowland said his wife hired the housekeeper, who has a "very good reputation" in Enid and is in this country legally. Security forces "did exactly what they were supposed to do" by detaining the housekeeper's mother and calling Enid police when they discovered the woman had an expired visa, the commander said. Spradlin was employed as a civilian police officer at Vance Air Force Base from Sept. 14 until Feb. 2, according to 1st Lt. Agneta Murnan, public affairs officer for the base. "He was terminated for failure to demonstrate fitness for further federal employment" prior to the end of his one-year probationary period, she said. Spradlin said during his short tenure at Vance, he encountered at least three illegal immigrants who successfully used fake identification cards to get base long-term contractor passes, enabling them to work on base. Two eventually were taken away in handcuffs after the deceptions were discovered. The third was turned away at the gate after his fake identification card and contractor pass were confiscated, Spradlin said. One of the men arrested was Victor Martinez-Ochoa, 18. Spradlin said Martinez-Ochoa had a long-term contractor's pass, which would indicate he previously had cleared the base security force's background check.
• Location: Four miles south of downtown Enid.
• Base population: About 3,500.
• Mission: Train pilots for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allies. ONLINE: For a video about base security, search for "Vance Air Force Base" on NewsOK.com.


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An Bill um an Aonú Leasú Déag ar an mBunreacht (Uimh. 4), 1991: An Chéad Chéim. Eleventh Amendment of the Constitution (No. 4) Bill, 1991: First Stage.
Tuesday, 18 June 1991
Dáil Éireann Debate
Mr. S. Barrett: (Dún Laoghaire): Tairgim:
Go gceadaítear go dtabharfar isteach Bille dá ngairtear Acht chun an Bunreacht do leasú.
That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Constitution.
This is in relation to the bail laws.
An Ceann Comhairle: Is this Bill opposed?
Cuireadh agus aontaíodh an cheist.
An Ceann Comhairle: Since this is a Private Members' Bill under Standing Orders, Second Stage must be taken in Private Members' time.
|Last Updated: 23/05/2011 02:16:29
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text: The current ADE Bulletin focuses on the theme Disciplinary Futures and features articles by Louis Menand, Michael Schoenfeldt, Michael Bérubé, Lisa Ruddick, Catherine Porter, Marc Geisler, and Susanna Ashton, as well as an editorial by David Laurence on the assessment of student learning. If your department is a member of ADE, you can download articles from the current issue now. Click here to learn more about the ADE and ADFL bulletins.


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What will be the future impacts of our new-found ability to get
gas out of shale? In the US, shale gas is becoming an increasingly
important energy source, and such has been the expansion of
production over the past decade that gas prices have fallen
dramatically as a result of what analysts are calling a "
shale-driven glut".
But what does that mean for us, and could the same thing happen in
the UK? Here, shale gas currently has the status of a classic
environmental controversy, rather than a big energy
While a
vocal lobby argues that shale gas has the possibilty to bring "
cheap, plentiful and green" energy to British shores, their
opponents argue that the controversial extraction process (known as
'fracking') is environmentally damaging, and that shale gas is a
distraction from renewables and energy efficiency.
Even more tantalising to the media is the prospect of
confrontation between a Texan company and the tweed belt of
the Home Counties over proposals to prospect for the gas.
This was the stage for the latest in a series of seminars from
Policy Network, this one entitled "shale gas:
positive breakthrough or environmental disaster?" The event
gave the platform to author of the
Politics of Climate Change and Policy Network fellow traveller
Anthony Giddens, as well as emeritus professor of petroleum policy
at Dundee Professor
Paul Stevens, and
James Elston of Palladian Energy (which seems to be a shale gas
Shale gas in the USA...
The impact in the USA has certainly been pretty phenomenal. EIA
figures show that in 2009 16% of domestic gas
production in the USA came from shale - by 2035 it could be as
much as 47%. In its Energy Outlook released last week, BP cited
research showing the the US could become a
net exporter of gas by 2030 off the back of shale
International geopolitics forms a fascinating part of the picture.
To give one example - at the seminar, Anthony Giddens discussed the
impacts on the relationship between Russia and its neighbours.
Indigenous production of shale gas could release Eastern European
countries, like Poland,
from the dominance of Russia - a prospect that apparently
has Russia somewhat worried.
Shale gas in Europe
So could the 'shale gas boom' take off in Europe as it has in the
States? In the discussion, the general consensus was 'not
immediately', for a variety of reasons. Prospecting for gas in the
Sussex commuter belt, for example, is a much more complex
proposition than it is in the relatively sparsely populated US.
Infrastructure for extracting and shifting gas around also isn't as
developed in Europe as it is in the States, and differing
approaches to mineral rights also alter landowners' reactions to
the prospect of gas discoveries under their land.
Professor Stevens argued that a significant amount of shale gas
produced in Europe will not be produced in the next 5 years, and
that it will not be a "serious possibility" for 15-20.
James Elston - an energetic and enthusiastic proponent of shale
gas - seemed to agree. These seem like important figures to bear in
mind in relation to more short-term discussions around energy
costs, and particularly household bills.
Environmental impacts - fracking
The 'fracking' process by which shale gas is extracted from rocks
is famously controversial, and the speakers discussed the impacts,
including a recent minor
earthquake in Blackpool and the impact on ground water
Mr Elston argued that there has been "more than a million fracks"
in the USA with no successful class action lawsuits as a result. He
cited research from the British Geological Society showing that
the earthquake was "very minor". At the seminar however there
seemed to be a general agreement that the local impacts of
extraction are an important part of the debate, but probably not
intractable with sufficient regulation.
Environmental impacts - greenhouse gas
Perhaps of more interest (to us, anyway - you may feel different
if you live in Blackpool) is the impact of shale gas on greenhouse
gas emissions, which has unsurprisingly received somewhat less
attention from the press than earthquakes.
When burnt, natural gas produces around
half the emissions of coal. As a result, shale gas is often
touted as a potential 'transition fuel' - that is, a cheap and
relatively low-emissions fossil fuel that could help meet our
energy needs until (hopefully) emissions cutting
renewables/nuclear/CCS take over.
It's the extraction process which complicates working out what the
'carbon footprint' of shale gas actually is. Fracking can cause
methane to leak at the same time as gas is extracted. Methane is a
powerful greenhouse gas, and a
study by Cornell University published in 2008 suggested that as
a result shale gas has a 'carbon footprint' almost as high as coal.
Not good, if you want to use it as a cleaner energy source.
However, the Cornell report has been heavily
criticised by other studies since, and it was pretty roundly
abused by the speakers at the seminar. Mr Stevens in fact argued
that the main advantage of the study was that it was so bad that it
prompted others to take a look at the same question.
Other studies, including a literature
survey by the Manchester Tyndall Centre, an
American paper published in 2011, and a recently published
paper in Environmental
Research Letters all appear to indicate that whilst emissions
from shale gas are slightly higher than 'conventional' gas, the
difference is not that massive.
Mr Elston also pointed out that letting methane leak out from your
gas plant is both uneconomic and not particularly safe (as it has a
tendency to explode), which seemed a reasonable point. There was
however universal agreement that not enough is known and more
research was needed in this area.
On the face of it, then, shale gas could make an effective
'bridging fuel' to renewables. But if that's what you're after,
there is a significant stumbling block - the economics. Advocates
of shale gas are also often keen to point out that shale is cheaper
than renewables, and won't require subsidies, thus posing a "
competitive threat" to all forms of renewable energy". If
that's true, and shale gas out-competes renewables instead of
out-competing coal, it's not really going to help with cutting
emissions in the medium-to-long term - after 2020, say.
The think-tank Policy Exchange have accepted that burning more gas
now may mean building gas plants which then have to be
mothballed in the 2020s, or retrofitted with Carbon Capture and
Storage. (See pages 9-10.) When we put the question of whether this
was a viable investment option to Mr Elston he responded (perhaps a
little evasively) that this was a question for the
Shale gas poses some big questions, and dilemmas about the
difficulty of looking into the future. Probably most key is whether
there is a realistic chance of significant shale gas production
from Europe over the next decade, and if not, (as the speakers
appeared to agree on), whether gas prices in Europe will fall as a
result of cheaper prices in the USA. Will shale gas bridge, or will
it distract? There are questions still to be answered - by
Published under a CC
license. You are welcome to reproduce material for
non-commercial use, credited 'Carbon Brief' with a link to the
article. Please contact us for commerical use.
Published by Climate Brief Ltd - Company No. 07222041


text:
Thursday, February 18, 2010
© Copyright 2015 Clayton News Daily
The Henry County Board of Education has filed a challenge to the constitutionality of the Georgia Charter Schools Commission.Legal representatives for the Henry County and Griffin-Spalding County school boards filed a joint suit Monday in Fulton County Superior Court against the charter commission, a state agency established by law in 2008 to authorize or deny charters. The State Department of Education is also named as a defendant in the suit, which seeks a declarative judgment on the commission's constitutionality, according to court documents. The legal protest comes after the charter commission's recent decision to charter Heron Bay Academy, a school to be constructed in the Heron Bay Golf and Country Club community. The community encompasses parts of southern Henry County and northern Spalding County. "We're hoping to get a ruling ... before it impacts us monetarily," said Ray Hudalla, chairman of the Henry County Board of Education. "We're not against charter schools. However, it hurts us financially." Ben Scafidi, the chairman of the charter commission, said the law that created the commission is already being challenged by several school districts, including the City of Atlanta, DeKalb County, and Gwinnett County. "It seems like a waste of money for more school districts to sue at this time," Scafidi said. "I remain confident that the law will be upheld. I hope, for the sake of Georgia students, that it is upheld." Hudalla said the law takes local control away from school districts and leaves them, in many cases, without adequate state funding. State funding, he said, is allocated to public school districts based on full-time enrollment. Charter schools take a per-student share of that state funding based on the number of students they enroll. "The money that the state would take from us, we would not realize a dollar-for-dollar savings by not having those students," said Hudalla. "It's going to put us in a worse position than we already are." Tim Shepherd, legal counsel for Griffin-Spalding County Schools, echoed Hudalla's sentiment. Shepherd said he believes the school districts have an obligation to pursue legal action. Georgia Charter Schools Association Spokesman Seth Coleman believes the commission has acted responsibly. "Throughout the legislative process ... numerous constitutional and legal experts deemed it fully constitutional," Coleman said. "Also, the fact that the commission recently approved just seven schools out of 35 applicants shows that it is serious about providing parents and communities with quality public school choice options." The Henry and Griffin-Spalding school boards are also seeking "injunctive relief" barring the Georgia Charter School Commission from diverting state and local funds from the local districts to fund the creation of Heron Bay Academy, according to A.J. "Buddy" Welch, legal counsel for the Henry County school district. "It is our position that the named defendants [in the suit] are taking millions of local tax dollars to support and fund a school that is being built in a private golf community, for the benefit of the subdivision developers," Welch said in a statement. "The local districts [Henry and Griffin-Spalding] believe that it is a misuse of Georgia law, and the boards of education have to do their best to protect local tax dollars," he continued. "The local districts are requesting that the charter agreement between the Georgia Charter Commission and Heron Bay Academy is declared null and void. Furthermore, the local districts are seeking an injunction that prevents the named defendants from withholding any funds from the local districts to fund Heron Bay Academy." Welch said no date had been set for school board representatives to appear before a judge.
More like this story
- School districts sue over charter decision ( February 17, 2010 )
- State approval of charter schools wins support ( May 11, 2010 )
- Henry BOE to appeal charter schools ruling ( June 16, 2010 )
- Georgia's high court hears Charter School arguments ( October 12, 2010 )
- Henry BOE to appeal charter schools ruling ( June 17, 2010 )


text:
CRUSER Meeting - July 2011
CRUSER Monthly meetings are held at NPS as a collaborative forum to discuss upcoming items of interest, hear about current research related to unmanned systems or robotics, and . The meetings are open to anyone. The meetings will be available via dial-in or VTC to any member of the CRUSER Community of Interest.
Anyone interested in VTC, please submit the following information at least 3 days prior to the meeting
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Please e-mail your name and organization to email@example.com if you would like to be added to the agenda for the open discussion period
1200 - Welcome by Jeff Kline
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1205 - Joe Rice- Report on MISSION
1220 - Doug Horner - Report on CAVR
1230 - Sean Kragelund: Report on USV Community of Interest (CoI)/Users Workshop
1235 - CDR Bill Hatch: Report on National Defense University's Unmanned Platform conference
1240 - Open for Discussion
1245 - Closing Remarks - Jeff Kline
Additional Information


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|Youth, Sports & Culture Vol. 3 Issue No. 21
|March 1 -15, 2007
Expressing his satisfaction over the organising part of the Games, the Prime Minister complimented the people of the State.
North East News Agency
After 10 action-packed days finally the curtains came down on 33rd National Games in Guwahati. Thousands of people with a heavy heart bid goodbye to the sportspersons who gifted the region one of its proudest moments. The sporting extravaganza concluded with a gala function at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium at Sarusajai. Capacity crowd witnessed the closing ceremony. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. State Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi were also present at the ceremony.
Visibly moved by the success of the games, the Prime Minister said that the scale and magnitude of this largest-ever National Games was impressive and it speaks for itself. Expressing his satisfaction over the successful completion of the Games he said that the time had come for all our sportspersons across the country to roll up their sleeves, tighten their belts and get prepared for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
He said the country is committed to taking the top place in the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and with the efforts and dedication of the sportspersons, in the Olympics. He also revealed that the country needed to develop a broad-based sports culture in which the children are encouraged by their parents and guardians to take up games and sports seriously. He further said that the sports infrastructure also had to be developed all over the country and sporting facilities had to be made available to the youngsters in the rural areas. He also appealed to the corporate sector to look beyond a few popular games like cricket and support new disciplines where domestic talent is blossoming.
Expressing his satisfaction over the organising part of the Games, the Prime Minister complimented the State Government and the Chief Minister for creating such an impressive infrastructure.
Dr. Manmohan Singh also handed over the prizes to the best team Services, best woman athlete Richa Mishra of Delhi and best male athlete Rehan Poncha of Karnataka..
Like the opening ceremony, a cultural programme was organized during the closing ceremony too. The guests were greeted by the cultural troupes with excellent performance of jhumur, bagrumba, bihu, etc. Military band played the National Anthem. Official song of Assam - O mur aapunar desh– was sang by a group of noted singers. A cultural procession of the
North-Eastern states was also held where japi dance of Asom, butterfly of Meghalaya, dhols of Manipur, bamboo dance of Mizoram, Naga spears of Nagaland, yak dance of Sikkim, Hozagiri dance of Tripura and paper mask of Arunachal were performed by artistes.
After completion of the cultural procession, the combined march-past began, which was led by the band of Assam Regimental Centre, Shillong. Although all the 33 participating contingents with over 10,000 members have participated in the march-mast, it was a well disciplined yet fun-filled affair and was regarded as one of the most exciting events of the closing ceremony. Athletes showed off their traditional cultural dances in front of the huge gathering. Finally, it was the Assam Police band which came out playing the tune of Kapau phoole nohoai to give the final touch to the march-past.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the dream of hosting the 33rd National Games was realised. He said that despite having problems of financial constraints, floods, insurgency, etc., the State had been able to host the mega event very successfully.
IOA president Suresh Kalmadi said that it had been a fantastic Games. The newly created infrastructure also will help in producing sportspersons of international repute from this region, he opined. Complimenting the State football team for its glorious title winning performance in the final, Kalmadi said that it was a befitting finale to the Games which will be an event to remember.
After extingushing the Olympic flame, the IOA flag was lowered and handed over to the representatives of the Jharkhand Olympic Association.
Jharkhand will host the next National Games in 2009.
Couple of Bollywood stars were also present during the closing function. An attractive cultural extravaganza featuring Bollywood star Urmila Matondkar, singer Usha Uthup, Zee Sa-re-ga-ma-pa 'Voice of India' Debojit Saha, besides State film personalities Zerifa Wahid, Barasharani Bishaya, Kapil Bora and Joy Kashyap. Around 2284 children from 18 city schools also participated in the function.
Rehan, Richa adjudged best athletes
Swimmer Rehan Poncha and Richa Mishra, leading individual medal winners in the 33rd edition of the National Games, were adjudged the best male and female athlete of the 33rd National Games.
Rehan Poncha of Karnataka, who topped the individual medal winners tally, bagged nine gold, three silver and three bronze medals. He also set four new Games records during the 10-day-long multi-discipline event.
Rehan said, "it is very rare that you get to see an event of such high calibre being organised in a State which has been in the news all for wrong reasons, but with this event I am sure people across the country would form a different picture of this beautiful land when they go back from here." Incidentally Rehan was also adjudged the best male athlete in the Hyderabad edition of the Games. His dream is to win an Olympic Gold. His four meet records came in 400m and 200m individual events along with events like 100m and 50m backstroke.
Delhi's Richa Mishra was the favourite of the crowd from day one. Richa created one games record in 200m backstroke. Richa got eight gold, three silver and one bronze medals. "I have worked hard for all these moments and each of the medals won in the 33rd National Games is a special one. Though I missed out on a few golds, yet I am content with my performance," the golden girl said.
President to honour Khelchandra, Mangi
North East News Agency
President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam will honour five eminent personalities as Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna (Fellow) which includes Pandit Ningthoukhongjam Khelchandra Singh, an eminent scholar of Manipuri art and culture.
He will also honour 33 artistes including Elangbam Joychandra Singh renowned theatre director and Khangembam Mangi Singh, noted Guru in Pena — traditional music of Manipur.
Pandit Khelchandra Singh has become the first Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellow, the highest honour of Sangeet Natak Akademi from North East India.
For his scholarship and contribution in the field of Indian art and culture, he was elected Fellow of the Akademi.
Born on 1st September 1920 at Uripok Ningthoukhongjam Leikai, Imphal, Khelchandra Singh is an authority on Manipur's culture that has made significant contribution towards the preservation of Manipur's performing arts.
Educated at Cotton College, Guwahati, he studied ancient Manipuri literature under traditional scholars of Manipur.
For his service to Manipur's arts and culture, he was conferred the Padma Shri in 1980 and the Fellowship of the Manipur State Kala Akademi in 1987.
He was honoured with the Fellowship of National Sahitya Akademi in 1999.Elangbam Joychandra Singh is a renowned figure in Manipuri theatre who established touring Drama Company – Manipuri Artistes Touring Drama Party in Manipur and propagated Manipuri theatre in every nook and corner of the State of Manipur and in Assam where Manipuris are settled.
Born in 1927 at Keishamthong Elangbam Leikai in Imphal, he started as a singer in the traditional Natasankritana at the age of fourteen.
Joychandra has produced more than sixty plays, of which Punshi Pamel, Shageigi Mou, Khanguthakki Chekla and Kathokpa are the most acclaimed.
He received the Manipur State Kala Akademi Award in 1992, the Natya Bhushan award of the Manipur Sahitya Parishad in 1987, and the Fellowship of the Manipur Sate Kala Akademi in 2005.
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text:
He was born Dec. 5, 1949, in Clayton to the late Lindsey C. and Louise Blair Moore. He was a member and a captain in the Rabun County Rescue Squad and was employed at Burlington Industries for a number of years. He was a member of the Tiger Baptist Church.
He is survived by: his wife, Judy Jones Moore of Tiger; two daughters, Tammy Moore and Patti Harkins, both of Tiger; four brothers, his twin Carl Moore and Ronald Moore, both of Tiger, and twin brothers Larry and Harry Moore, both of Clayton; three grandsons, Kyle Moore, Jack Harkins and Austin Moore; and several nephews, nieces and cousins.
Funeral services were held Wednesday at Tiger Baptist Church with the Revs. Tim Hunnicutt and Larry Cannon officiating. Burial followed at Tiger cemetery, with services conducted by Lloyd Hunter.
The family is at the residence on Lindsey Moore Lane in Tiger.
Hunter Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. An online guestbook is available at www.hunterfuneralhomega.com.
The Clayton Tribune, Oct. 27, 2011


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STILLWATER — Clint Chelf will quarterback OSU in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against Purdue, and Mike Gundy's stated reason is rock solid.
He's trying to win the game.
STILLWATER — Clint Chelf will quarterback OSU in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against Purdue, and Mike Gundy's stated reason is rock solid.
He's trying to win the game.
There are other reasons to start Chelf, who went from third-teamer to cult hero in the month of November.
Try to keep Chelf around; as a graduate (earlier this month), he is eligible to transfer and play immediately at a school that offers a master's program unavailable. Or maybe Gundy believes Chelf is the best long-term option for OSU, and might as well get Chelf all the work you can going into 2013.
Of course, 2013 is a reason to not start Chelf. If the Cowboys are committed to this Air Raid offense, and there is zero evidence to believe they're not nor shouldn't be, then freshman Wes Lunt remains the OSU quarterback of the future. That's what Cowboy coaches saw last spring, and despite some growing pains in Lunt's limited playing time around a series of injuries, there's no reason to see anything differently now.
But Gundy says his decision is not based on looking ahead, to January or the spring or the 2013 season.
"He's played well at the end of the year, deserved to be there," Gundy said of Chelf. "The most important part of it is the seniors. What's important for them. We'll think about next season after the bowl game."
Gundy often brings up commitment to the seniors. He's been critical of the coaching carousel — both coaches leaving for other jobs and schools firing coaches — that leaves some teams short-handed in bowl games.
Forget, for a moment, the irony of a coach who flirted with Tennessee and Arkansas two weeks ago to talk like that. Gundy is fundamentally correct. The players, especially seniors, are often the victims in bowl games.
OSU will play the bowl game without its offensive coordinator; Todd Monken took the Southern Miss head coaching job. Purdue will play the bowl game without its head coach; Danny Hope was fired in November.
Continue reading this story on the...


text:
Former workers' comp official gets over 5 years in prison
AKRON Terrence Gasper, who used his job as chief financial officer of the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation to steer millions of dollars in investment funds to people in exchange for use of a Florida Keys condominium, money, and dozens of other gifts, was sentenced today to five years and four months in prison.
Moments before his sentencing, Gasper told U.S. District Court Judge David Dowd that he wanted bureau employees to understand there was a small group of political appointees in senior management during his tenure from 1995 to 2004 who called the shots at the agency.
Their agenda was totally political in nature, often to the detriment of what the bureau was trying to do. It was very frustrating for those of us who were more professionally-inclined, said Gasper, who didn t identify those in the group.
He also told Judge Dowd that he actively opposed retaining certain investment managers.
I was compelled to retain them by my superiors. I did not pursue or intend to support their participation at the bureau, Gasper said. He declined to comment after his sentencing.
Gasper s statement did not answer the question of whether other high-ranking officials knew about his dealings.
Gasper pleaded guilty in June, 2006 to a federal racketeering charge for accepting use of a Florida Keys condo from brokers Michael W. Lewis and Daniel P. O Neil, $25,000 from Republican power broker and coin dealer Tom Noe, and $20,000 from marketer Clarke T. Blizzard all of whom did multimillion-dollar business with the agency in charge of protecting injured workers.
Gasper s sentencing was delayed until today, as he cooperated with authorities in the investigation that has so far netted the convictions of 16 public officials and money managers.
Mr. Gasper is the highest-ranking public official yet to be convicted in this extensive scheme of public corruption that has invaded the Bureau of Workers Compensation, said assistant U.S. Attorney Benita Pearson. He violated the trust of the people of Ohio, shaming family and friends as well.
Gasper, who was hired at the bureau when George Voinovich was governor, could have received 20 years in prison on the federal charge. Prosecutors agreed to recommend a prison sentence from five years and 10 months, to seven years and three months. Judge Dowd lowered that range, citing Gasper s cooperation with investigators.
That cooperation will continue even with Gasper in a federal prison because the investigation into the bureau s investment practices continues, said assistant U.S. Attorney Benita Pearson.
Based on his faithful cooperation, we have no serious doubt we will get that, Ms. Pearson told Judge Dowd.
Mr. Gasper, who was forced to resign in 2004 from the bureau, made key decisions regarding both the failed $50 million Noe rare-coin investment and the bureau s offshore hedge fund managed by Mark D. Lay of Pittsburgh-based MDL Capital Management, which lost $215 million.
Noe, who is serving a 27-month sentence in federal prison for illegally laundering thousands of dollars into President Bush s re-election campaign through friends and colleagues, was sentenced last year to 18 years in state prison for stealing millions of dollars from the rare-coin funds he managed for the bureau.
Documents released in 2005 showed that Noe submitted a proposal to the bureau in 1997 to invest in a rare-coin fund almost nine months before the bureau requested proposals from firms to invest in stocks, bonds, private equity, and other financial instruments. The bureau said two proposals from Noe were found in May, 2005, in the office that Gasper had used.
E-mails show that October, 2004, Jim Conrad, the bureau s administrator-CEO misled the bureau s politically appointed oversight board and the agency s employees about the real reasons for the departure of Gasper. Mr. Conrad told oversight members and agency employees that Gasper left for health reasons, when actually he had been given a choice to resign or be fired after failing to tell Mr. Conrad that he had approved a reallocation of $100 million to MDL.
The bureau confirmed in 2005 that Mr. Conrad, the bureau s CEO-administrator who resigned in the wake of the controversy over Noe s rare-coin investment, had given Mr. Gasper power of attorney, enabling him to sign investment contracts.
Federal prosecutors said Gasper planned to retire in October, 2005, with a full pension after 10 years with the bureau and anticipated living part-time in the Florida condo that Mr. O Neil and Mr. Lewis purchased.
He also had planned to collect a salary from another broker not yet named or charged who previously made cash payments to Gasper in exchange for favors he arranged through the bureau s investment department, investigators said.
At the same time, Gasper would work pool side as a consultant for the unnamed and uncharged broker and Blizzard, an investment marketer, who was sentenced last week to three years in federal prison for bribing Gasper.
Gasper, who joined the bureau in 1995 after leaving a high-ranking post at Columbus-based Borden Corp., testified for the prosecution at the trial of Mr. O Neil and Mr. Lewis, who were charged with bribing Gasper in exchange for bureau investment business
A jury last November acquitted the two men after a trial in which Gasper acknowledged he had given conflicting statements to investigators.
Gasper, who has lived in the Columbus suburb of Worthington, would like to serve his prison term in Morgantown, W. Va., his attorneys said. Judge Dowd said he didn t know if the federal Bureau of Prisons would approve that request, saying that Gasper can t be sent to the same prison as Blizzard.
Gasper appeared relaxed as he walked into the courtroom yesterday, clutching a briefcase stuffed with documents. He shook hands with Ms. Pearson. With his shock of white hair and blue suit with matching tie, Gasper closely resembled the high-flying chief financial officer who wowed bureau employees with his ability to explain complex financial matters.
The sentencing was delayed for about half an hour after Judge Dowd said he would have to delay a decision for 90 days unless prosecutors and Gasper s attorneys reached agreement on restitution.
Federal prosecutors requested Judge Dowd to order Gasper to pay restitution of more than $14 million in addition to his prison sentence, saying Gasper should be liable for the money that Noe was convicted of stealing from the rare coin funds. Noe has been ordered to make restitution.
Also, a fine or restitution should cover the $345,000 Florida condo that Gasper used that Mr. O Neil and Mr. Lewis purchased, the $20,405 that marketer Clarke Blizzard gave Gasper in exchange for bureau business, and the $25,000 investment that Gasper received from Noe that was in the name of Gasper s former girlfriend, Betsy Ratcliff, according to Ms. Pearson.
Gasper s attorneys opposed the prosecutors request for restitution, saying it would be a 20-year judgment against a man who is likely to never be employed again, certainly not in the capacity he was before this ordeal.
It was never foreseeable to Mr. Gasper that Mr. Noe would steal the funds that were entrusted to him to invest; that was not foreseeable by Mr. Gasper and that conduct should not be attributable to Mr. Gasper, said Gasper s attorney, James Gilbert.
Half an hour after Judge Dowd called a recession, prosecutors and Gasper s attorneys reached an agreement.
Gasper was ordered to pay a $60,405 fine in lieu of restituition: $15,000 for the use of the condo that Mr. O Neil and Mr. Lewis purchased, $20,405 for the amount that Blizzard paid Gasper, and $25,000 for the investment that Noe gave Gasper in the name of his girlfriend, Ms. Ratcliff.
Judge Dowd told Gasper that part of the money he earns in prison would be used to pay the fine, in addition to any pension benefits and Social Security payments.
In his remarks to Judge Dowd, Gasper acknowledged he had committed crimes.
If I could turn back the clock and change those bone headed decisions I made, I certainly would. Maybe part of my problems and it is not an excuse was my long experience in the private sector and going to the public sector. In the private sector, the activities I participated in would not have a criminal aspect to them, he said.
Gasper said he never solicited or requested anything from anyone and added: I have been the most forthcoming and honest of all of the individuals who to my knowledge have been involved in working with the government.
Gasper, however, has been the target of investigations before the Coingate scandal that led to his downfall.
In 1997, bureau internal investigators probed Gasper had helped steer bond business to a Cleveland bank on behalf of the late Paul Mifsud, a former chief of staff of then-Gov. George Voinovich.
Investigators noted numerous calls between Mr. Gasper and Mr. Mifsud, who was seeking consulting work from the bank. The bureau then gave the bank nearly a million in business.
Mr. Mifsud, who became a high-powered Statehouse lobbyist after serving six months in a work-release center for accepting a sweetheart deal on his future wife s home in Union County, died in 2000 after a battle with lung cancer.
In 1996, Mr. Mifsud and Mr. Gasper successfully urged Republican legislators to add the bureau to a bill that gave the state pension systems greater flexibility in how they could invest their funds. Mr. Voinovich signed the bill into law.
Later today, Gasper is scheduled to be sentenced in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on a felony money-laundering charge for accepting the $25,000 from Noe; and a misdemeanor charge of failing to disclose sources of income, gifts, travel, meals, entertainment, and gratuities on his annual ethics statements.
Last year, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O Brien said Gasper accepted thousands of dollars in gifts, meals, sporting tickets, and other gratuities from substantial dozens of other BWC vendors.
Gasper both asked for and was given the gratuities on at least 150 instances, Mr. O Brien said.
A former associate of Noe said the former coin dealer had talked about how he would ship fresh fish from the Florida Keys to Gasper.
Trial records show that between October, 2001, and January, 2004, Noe charged at least 18 shipments of fish from Islamorada Fish Co. on his American Express card, often with multiple charges on single days, especially close to Christmas.
Noe also charged at least 18 meals totaling about $1,300 from 1999 through 2004 at Rigsby s, a restaurant in Columbus trendy Short North area, which Gasper often patronized.
Contact James Drew at:firstname.lastname@example.com 614-221-0496.
Read more in later editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com


text:
As state officials move forward with a plan to redirect some forensic patients from the Riverview psychiatric hospital to a mental health unit at the Maine State Prison, growing numbers of health care advocates are voicing criticism about the policy change. The new protocol was approved by lawmakers last month in an effort to help the state resolve federal compliance issues at Riverview. But as A.J. Higgins reports, forensic psychologists say that the prison does not meet the best practice standards needed to determine a person's mental competency.
Beginning next year, those charged with crimes who are also seeking mental competency evaluations will be sent to the Maine State Prison's mental health unit rather than to a hospital setting, such as the Riverview Psychitaric Center in Augusta.
But Dr. Kim Gorgens, a forensic psychologist and professor at the University of Denver's Graduate School of Professional Psychology, says that's the wrong therapeutic setting for a psychological assessment. And she says it will make Maine an outlier. That's because most states treat those requiring psych evals for competency hearings in a hospital setting, not a correctional one.
"It's certainly in the minority of states," Gorgens says. "Most states have a forensic hospital system."
Lawmakers signed off on a plan supported by the state Department of Health and Human Services and Gov. Paul LePage as part of a policy to bring Riverview into compliance with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The action was taken after a federal investigation uncovered insufficient safety measures to protect patients and staff.
Investigators were also critical of control and restraint methods used at the hospital, which also treats non-forensic patients. CMS has begun th eprocess to cut off $20 million in funding to the state. In response, the state has decertified 20 beds at the hospital and opened up a segregated forensic wing there.
In addition, the hospital will now send those seeking psychiatric evaluations to determine competency, and prisoners with mental health issues at the county jails, to the Maine State Prison's mental health unit. Gorgens says while Maine's response may provide a short-term solution, it may not meet patients' mental health needs and is far from ideal.
"To the degree that you want all of the elements of the environment to operate in the same direction - that is, to point someone as quickly as possible and support the restoration of mental health - then you really want all the pieces to work together well," Gorgens says. "And if one of those pieces is staying in a cell, for example, then it's working at cross purposes with the state's aim to restore competency."
"All this is doing, from my perspective, is treating mental illness as a crime," said Rep. Joe Brooks, a Winterport independent. Brooks was among the few lawmakers who objected to the change in policy. He says it's nothing less than an attempt to criminalize mental illness.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine also opposes the policy. Justice organizer Grainne Dunne calls it a band-aid effort whose end result will be to warehouse those with mental illness.
Jenna Mehnert, the new executive director of the Maine chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness agrees. She says even those in the state Corrections Department acknowledge the agency has neither the capacity nor the resources to operate a mental health hospital.
"Individuals whose mental illness is severe enough to need hospital level care need to get hospital level care," Mehnert says.
"I see nothing wrong with placing people for evaluation at the prison, in the prison plant, in a clinical setting," says Maine Attorney General Janet Mills. Mills takes issue with mental health and civil rights advocates' portrayal of the new policy.
Mills says several states, including Rhode Island, send those charged with criminal offenses and making mental competency claims to correctional facilities for treatment. The quality of the care, Mills says, is more important than where those services are being provided. She also points to New Hampshire as another state that performs its evaluations at a correctional facility.
But New Hampshire maintains a free-standing forensic unit on the grounds of its corrections department. And while it's not a hospital, it does allow for separation from the general prison inmate population. Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew says the New Hampshire model also faces significant short-term hurdles.
"There are extensive costs associated with creating a free-standing facility that would have to be factored into that equation," Mayhew says. "As I've said, this is a system-wide issue that affects not just those within the criminal justice system, but it affects all those who are in need of in-patient psychiatric services."
Beginning in February, forensic patients who had been treated at Riverview will be sent to the new mental unit at the Maine State Prison in Warren. The ACLU of Maine will monitor those developments and has not ruled out a legal challenge to the new policy.


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AMARILLO, Texas – Xcel Energy has received numerous reports about a new scam targeting customers in the Texas-New Mexico area.
Some customers have been contacted by callers claiming to represent Xcel Energy, indicating the customers' electric service is soon to be disconnected. The caller then tells customers to make their utility payments by purchasing a Green Dot pre-pay VISA card at a local drug or convenience store.
Borger Police Report
July 26-29, 2012
July 26
200 block of East Jefferson – house/business check
2300 block of Huber Avenue – report of suspicious vehicle
Huber Park – report of suspicious activity
1000 block of Minnesota – report of suspicious activity
Texas and Bunton – field interview
500 block of Industrial – alarm
3rd & Cedar – welfare check
900 block of Elmore – welfare check
Parking lot – abandoned vehicle
Fritch city limits – traffic escort
Powerhouse – followup
1300 block of Turner – report of lost/found property
400 block of Michigan – report of theft
"Kissless" is set for performance for the Borger community this weekend at the Borger High School Auditorium.
The shows will be held at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 3 and 4.
Round up your family for a musical about a story of two very different people forced to live together for the summer and the unlikely relationship that develops...to the dismay of their friends and families.
With a raucous cast of Abercrombie Jocks, misfit Goths, and brainy nerds, Kissless tugs on heart-strings between belly laughs.
There are now only six more weeks to go for the farmers to sell their fresh products here in Hutchinson County.
Now is your chance to gather fresh foods from the Hutchinson County Farmer's Market.
The market is open for business every Friday from 7 A.M. until 12 P.M. or sooner if farmers sell out.
The market is located in the 500 block of Weatherly (one block east of Main Street).
The market is open to all community buyers and sellers. Stands will consist of a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, homemade jams, breads, and assorted fruit juices.
Most motorists in the state of Texas renew their driver's licenses during the summer months than any other time of the year.
More than 1.3 million license renewals, which is nearly 30 percent of the annual total, take place during the summer. With this fact in place, lines at Texas Driver License offices get longer as well.
However, Texas drivers don't have to pack up their paperwork or spend their gas money traveling to a driver license office and standing in line to renew. Instead, eligible current licensees can renew their license online at Texas.gov/Driver.
Election runoff time for various local, state, and national offices is here!
The runoff election is set to take place tomorrow, Tuesday, July 31. Voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the following locations:
Pct #11 - Faith Covenant Church, 1501 S. Florida, Borger
Precinct #14 & #23 - Fairlanes Baptist Church, 3000 Fairlanes Blvd., Borger
Precinct #21 - Fritch School Administration Building, 540 Eagle Blvd., Fritch
Precinct #31 & #41 - WTHS Commons Room, 600 Stewart Ave., Stinnett
Precinct #33 & #42 - Borger School Administration Building, 200 E. 9th, Borger
The Hutchinson County Crisis Center is set to host its annual telethon.
This year's telethon will be the best yet, auctioning off various items donated from organizations and local citizens. Patrick Nonhof of Provenance Consulting and several of the actors here to film the musical "Kissless" will be this year's Guest MCs and will perform at the telethon as well. The plan is for several of the cast members to tag-team MC throughout the evening.
Golden Plains Community Hospital is excited to welcome Creative Solutions in Healthcare, a healthcare leader in Texas, to Borger. Gary Blake, a native of Brownwood Texas and owner of Creative Solutions in Healthcare, and all of his team are proud to become a part of the Borger community with the building of a short and long term care home.
The Colorado massacre at a midnight release for "The Dark Knight Rises," caused a stir everywhere, including among local residents.
As the new Batman movie played in a Aurora, Colo. theater, a gunman, identified as 24-year-old James Holmes, dressed in black and wearing a helmet, body armor and a gas mask, stepped through one of the theater doors.
He then threw gas canisters, filling the theater with smoke and opened fire on the innocent bystanders using a military-style semi-automatic rifle, a shotgun and a pistol, stopping only to reload.
It's just a little over six weeks until Stinnett's annual community celebration. So, gather your family and head out to Stinnett Celebration on September 6, 2012. The celebration includes a community picnic at the Stinnett City Park before the lighting of the big "WT" at 6 p.m.


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Department of Psychiatry
Eric Granholm, Ph.D.
Contact Information
3350 La Jolla Villa Drive
San Diego, CA
T: (858) 552-8585 ext. 7768
Research Interests
Dr. Granholm is Professor of Psychiatry at UCSD and Associate Chief of Psychology and Director of the Center Of Recovery Education (CORE) treatment program at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1991, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. At UCLA, he conducted research on neuropsychology, pupillometry, social skills training and family therapy for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Since joining the faculty at UCSD in 1993, Dr. Granholm has been an active basic and clinical researcher in the areas of neuropsychology, pupillometry, ecological momentary assessment, mobile interventions and cognitive behavior therapy in consumers with schizophrenia. He developed Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training (CBSST) and has conducted several clinical trials of CBSST for schizophrenia.
Research Interests
Research Focus
Dr. Granholm's recent research has primarily focused on clinical trials of interventions to improve functioning and recovery outcomes in schizophrenia. He developed an intervention called Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training (CBSST), which combines two evidence-based psychotherapy interventions, cognitive behavior therapy and social skills training, and has conducted several clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy of CBSST for improving negative symptoms and functioning in schizophrenia. The evidence for the efficacy of CBSST has been evaluated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and was found to be sufficient to list CBSST on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) website: http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/. His mobile intervention research, uses ecological momentary assessment (EMA), which involves mobile cell phone delivery of assessment questionnaires and cognitive behavioral interventions in real time in the real world multiple times per day.
Dr. Granholm's basic neurocognitive and psychophysiology research has focused on the broad investigation of the relationships between neurocognition and aging, symptoms, and real-world community functioning in consumers with schizophrenia. His current basic research examines associations between dysfunctional attitudes, amotivation, and goal-directed task effort, using pupillary responses as an index of task effort allocation; the extent of age-related decline on neurocognitive measures; and relationships between dysfunctional attitudes, negative symptoms, neurocognition, and functional outcome in consumers with schizophrenia.
Clinical Focus
Dr. Granholm is a clinical psychologist and Director of the Center Of Recovery Education (CORE) program at the VASDHS. The CORE is a psychosocial rehabilitation program that provides comprehensive evidenced-based psychotherapy and skills training, supported employment, wellness activities, family interventions and medication management within a recovery model orientation for Veterans with psychotic disorders. His primary clinical focus is on cognitive-behavioral and social skills training interventions and neuropsychological assessment for seriously mentally ill consumers. He is also an active clinical supervisor and teacher of psychology interns, JDP practicum students, psychiatry residents, and post-graduate fellows from multiple disciplines (psychology, social work, vocational rehabilitation, occupational therapy, psychiatric nursing, and psychiatry).
Granholm, E.
, Holden, J.L., Link, P., & McQuaid, J.R. (2014). Randomized Clinical Trial of Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training for Schizophrenia: Improvement in Functioning and Experiential Negative Symptoms.
Journal of Clinical and Consulting Psychology
, EPub/PMID: 24911420.
Granholm, E.
, Holden, J., Link, P. C., McQuaid, J. R., & Jeste, D. V. (2013). Randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral social skills training for older consumers with schizophrenia: Defeatist performance attitudes and functional outcome.
American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21
, 251-262.
Granholm, E.
, McQuaid, J.R., McClure, F.S., Auslander, L.A., Perivoliotis, D. Pedrelli, P., Patterson, T. & Jeste, D.V. (2005). A randomized, controlled trial of cognitive behavioral social skills training for middle-aged and older patients with chronic schizophrenia.
American Journal of Psychiatry, 162,
Granholm, E.
, Ben-Zeev, D., Link, P., Bradshaw, K., & Holden, J. (2012) Mobile Assessment and treatment for schizophrenia (MATS): A pilot trial of an interactive text-messaging intervention for medication adherence, socialization, and auditory hallucinations.
Schizophrenia Bulletin, 38
(3), 414-425.
Granholm, E.
, Loh, C., & Swendsen, J. (2008). Feasibility and validity of computerized ecological momentary assessment in schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia Bulletin, 34
(3), 507-514.
Granholm, E.
, Ben-Zeev, D., Fulford, D., Swendsen, J. (2013). Ecological momentary assessment of social functioning in schizophrenia: Impact of performance appraisals and affect on social interactions.
Schizophrenia Research, 145
(1-3), 120-4.
Granholm, E.
, Verney, S.P., Perivoliotis, D. & Muira, T. (2007). Effortful cognitive resource allocation and negative symptom severity in chronic schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia Bulletin. 33,
Granholm, E.
, Morris, S., Asarnow, R. F., Chock, D., & Jeste, D. V. (2000). Accelerated age-related decline in processing resources in schizophrenia: Evidence from pupillary responses recorded during the span of apprehension task.
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society,
6, 30-43.
Granholm, E.
, Morris, S.K., Sarkin, A.J., Asarnow, R.F. & Jeste, D.V. (1997). Pupillary responses index overload of working memory resources in schizophrenia.
Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106,
(3), 458-467.
Granholm, E.
, McQuaid, J.R., & Holden, J. (2015).
Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training (CBSST): A Practical Guide and Consumer Workbook.
New York: Guilford Press.
UC San Diego Department of Psychiatry
9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0603
La Jolla, CA 92093-0603
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ST. PETERSBURG, Florida -- The Golf Boys are the talk of the PGA Tour. Four fan favorites, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan, Ben Crane, and Bubba Watson, released their second music video last week and had a blast doing it.
Crane and his buddies decided to feature fellow pro golfers in the lyrics, and that brought a smile to some tour vets' faces.
Need more Golf Boys? You can catch Ben Crane this week at Innisbrook for the Tampa Bay Championship.


text:
Sang Park, DDS, MMSc
Assistant Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences; Assistant Dean for Dental Education; Director, Predoctoral Curriculum
Contact Information
Sang Park, DDS, MMSc
Dr. Sang Park received her DDS degree from New York University College of Dentistry and her advanced graduate certificate in prosthodontics and MMSc in oral biology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. She is an assistant professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences, and, after serving as senior tutor for the Peabody Society for nine years, is currently assistant dean for dental education and director of predoctoral curriculum in the Office of Dental Education.
Fields of Interest
Dr. Park's research activities in dental materials grew from her effort to have her research interests, teaching, and patient care strongly support one another. In addition to her principal area of research in dental materials, she has been conducting educational research in student performance and clinical productivity.


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Spouted jug with dragon handle
From Kutahya, modern
Inscribed with the name of the owner, 'Abraham of Kutahya'
The jug may have been used as a liturgical vessel.
The Armenian inscription on the base identifies its Christian owner, Abraham of Kutahya. Inscribed or dated pieces of Iznik pottery are rare, and are used by scholars to date material of a similar style. This can sometimes be misleading. For example, because of the rare inscription and date on this jug, 'Abraham of Kutahya' was the name commonly given to the whole early period of blue and white Iznik pottery, even though the jug is not representative of the various styles of the earliest Iznik wares, and Kutahya was not the only centre of production.
The long spout
and angular shape suggest that the jug was made in imitation of
metalwork, while the choice of colours is probably influenced by
blue and white Chinese porcelain imports. The curving handle is in
the shape of a scaly dragon's neck and head, biting at the
top of the jug. The decoration is entirely in cobalt
More information
N. Atasoy and J. Raby, Iznik: the pottery of Ottoman (London, Alexandria Press, 1989)
J.M. Rogers and R. Ward, Suleyman the Magnificent (London, The British Museum Press, 1988)
A. Lane, Later Islamic pottery: Persia, (London, Faber and Faber, 1957)
J. Carswell, Iznik pottery (London, The British Museum Press, 1998)
Height: 17.800
Diameter: 6.900 cm (rim)
Diameter: 6.900 cm (rim)
Height: 17.800
Museum number
Godman Bequest


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Rake: TV Review
The Bottom LineKeegan Deane (Kinnear) is a defense attorney who hasn't really grown up. He loves gambling and women and drinking and getting into all kinds of scrapes and cons he can't quite get out of -- though sometimes his wink and his charm are enough. But that may not be enough for viewers who have seen his sort for years (and perhaps in better-built shows). In a crowded field, familiarity is often troubling.
Thursday, Jan. 23 at 9 p.m. (Fox)
Peter Duncan
Greg Kinnear, Miranda Otto, John Ortiz, Necar Zadegan, Tara Summers, Bojana Novakovic
Greg Kinnear and a solid cast may not be enough to save this scoundrel series from its own familiarity.
Sometimes you think you want something until you get it. For those who may have seen Fox's endless promotions for Rake, starring that charmer Greg Kinnear and premiering Jan. 23 at 9 p.m., the previews made it look like a comedic lark worth following.
That is, Kinnear was seen in a number of situations (often bloody and bruised, in some kind of trouble he was hoping a wink would get him out of), and as those situations piled up a familiar TV trope emerged – the lovable loser who is nobody's idea of reliable but in the end redeems his bad behavior by doing something good for others or for society.
PHOTOS: 2014's New Broadcast and Cable TV Shows
And that's what Rake is, basically. Imagine those traits on a loop. See, Kinnear, that old rake, goes about his scoundrel ways with women, booze, gambling, lying, getting into scrapes that he can sometimes but not always talk his way out of. As a defense attorney more interesting in having fun than being proficient, he doesn't have a lot of clients and a lack of clients is bad for his gambling, which is just one of his many addictions. On paper, this sounds like an excellent fit for Kinnear (which it is), even when it sounds awfully familiar (which it is – including being based on an Australian series).
However, once you see the pilot unspool, you might have reservations about its charm. And familiarity.
As a dramedy, Rake doesn't have much drama – the legal case in the pilot is given barely any thoroughness and, for a serial killer and police corruption case, that's really saying something. Instead, the emphasis is on Kinnear's wild side as he plays Keegan Deane (or Kee/Key as he's called repeatedly). That wild side means that his drunkenness, womanizing and all-around unreliability is taking a toll on his best friend Ben (John Ortiz), and Ben's wife Scarlet (Necar Zadegan), Assistant District Attorney for Los Angeles. Though Ben and Scarlet love Keegan dearly, they're married, with children, responsible and have, as friends since law school, cooled on Keegan's inability to grow up. But yes, in case you were wondering, they can't resist him ultimately.
STORY: Is Fox's Greg Kinnear Drama 'Rake' Too Dark for Broadcast Viewers?
Also putting up with Keegan is Leanne (Tara Summers) his tireless assistant who hasn't been paid in ages. And Mikki (Bojana Novakovic), his $500 and hour prostitute who probably has a heart of gold but definitely has some kind of un-hooker-like love for the man.
Ah, Keegan also has an ex-wife (Miranda Otto) and a son (Ian Colletti) – the former still exasperated by him and the latter starting to look like a younger version of him.
And it goes on.
That's a lot to pack into a pilot that, despite all of those characters, seems flimsy. A big part of that is despite Kinnear's charm, it's not especially easy to like the Keegan character. Maybe he's such a screw-up that it's tiring. Or maybe the trope is so tiring as to block interest.
If you can't love the rake in Keegan, then you sure can't love the lawyer in him either (since it's barely developed in the pilot). That leaves Rake as an overly familiar character study and an under-developed law procedural. In today's incredibly competitive TV environment, that might be an hour you can't afford to screw up like Keegan would.
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St. Lucie commission to discuss whether to rename a road after slain Sgt. Gary Morales
ST. LUCIE COUNTY — By next month, St. Lucie County Commissioners could weigh in on the move to rename Midway Road or any county road after a St. Lucie County Sheriff's sergeant killed in the line of duty.
At a 9 a.m. June 12 strategic planning session, the group plans to discuss renaming Midway or any county road the Sgt. Gary Morales Memorial Highway in honor of the deputy who was fatally shot Feb. 28 while conducting a traffic stop.
"As a community we all need to mourn together and remember Gary Morales and other law enforcement officers who gave their all," said Jon Folbrecht, a Martin County Sheriff's deputy, who spearheaded the effort with an online petition.
So far, 14,440 people have signed the petition supporting the renaming, Folbrecht said.
Usually when the county receives a request to rename a road, it informs property owners on the road about the potential name change and gets their input before commissioners vote. The county attorney's office is waiting for a decision from the commissioners before sending any letters to property owners said, Erick Gill, county spokesman.
Folbrecht points to other roads in the county with multiple names, includes Florida's Turnpike also being the Ronald Reagan Turnpike and 25th Street in Fort Pierce also being Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Initially, the petition was to rename Oleander Avenue, near the location where Morales was shot, because it is a highly traveled road.
However, Morales's sister-in law, Shayna Morales, asked if the road could be changed to Midway because it is where the Sheriff's Office is located.
Meanwhile, St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara has named the agency's training complex after Morales.
However, Folbrecht said he would like to see a countywide memorial recognizing Morales.
"It's a great reminder for people who work at the Sheriff's Office," he said. "But what about the people in the county who don't drive by the Sheriff's Office?"
One concern about renaming the road after Morales is, whether it is a disservice to other law enforcement officers killed on Midway.
In 1987 on Midway Road, two Fort Pierce Police officers were killed. Sgt. James Adrian Wouters and Capt. Grover Clifton Cooper III were shot and killed during a drug investigation at a mobile home in White City.
Folbrecht said he expanded the scope of renaming to any county road out of respect for families of slain officers and the history of White City.
The first settlers to White City named Midway Road after Midway Plaisance, the main entertainment attraction at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Most of the fair's buildings were covered in white stucco and illuminated with streetlights, which was called the White City.
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When it comes to trying to lean out and attain my weight loss and fitness goals, I have to set up personal boundries. One of the most successful boundries I have learned to set is cheat meals. If I know I can have 1-2 cheat meals over the course of a week, I will eat clean the rest of the time. All of the pointless calories from a casual glass of wine, cookie, bread basket, fun size candy bar, etc. that tend to accumulate over the week are eliminated. I plan a meal (or two) per week that I can splurge on which usually consist of something like a dessert (cheesecake) or pizza and of course wine! Cheat meals keep me honest and eating clean throughout the week and my "cheat treats" taste so good when I finally get to splurge!
Another technique that works for me is planning out my workouts, this has been a huge challenge with a new baby at home, BUT it can be done. I registered for Iron Girl this May so I would have no excuses to blow off any workout. I usually try to get 6 workouts in a week, but since I am at home with Lily have of the time I double up on some days when I have more free time.
Double workout days are great "brick" workouts for triathlon, this week I will probably be training for 4-5 days on 2 of those days will be a double workout of bike/run or swim/bike. I cannot wait for the weather to get warm again I REALLY miss jogging with Lily and the stroller.
Cheers to triathlon training and cheat meals!


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Regional solid waste system
More information
Establishing a garbage democracy in Spokane County may prove as difficult as bringing representative government to Afghanistan.
City officials had shown little interest in Spokane County commissioners' call for transferring control of the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System to a health-district-style coalition. But on Feb. 3, 2011, a group of regional officials including Spokane Mayor Mary Verner tentatively agreed to form such a coalition.
The city would continue to own the Waste-to-Energy Plant and transfer stations in Spokane Valley and Colbert – as guaranteed by current contracts. But the new solid waste system wouldn't be obligated to use Spokane's facilities or services.
A host of thorny details are to be worked out by a committee, but the basic framework is a regional board with authority to contract with Spokane or any other service provider.
Contracts that created the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System call for the city to retain ownership of the Waste-to-Energy Plant even though county ratepayers helped pay for it.
Wheelabrator Spokane's contract to operate the plant expires Nov. 16, 2011. It says Wheelabrator may take over another company's winning bid – leaving other companies little incentive to bid.
The chance of three-year extension of Wheelabrator Spokane's contract to operate the Waste-to-Energy Plant is an open question. The proposed extension would remove contract terms that discourage other operators from bidding in the future, but would require $18 million worth of plant improvements.
Under the new regional system, every member government will have a seat on the board of directors. Voting is to be weighted in some fashion, perhaps by the amount of garbage residents contribute.
If Spokane chooses to join the system, as owners of the Waste-to-Energy Plant it could be a service vendor as well as a voting member.
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Sunday Spin: Beat the Clock on teacher bill falls short
OLYMPIA – A vote in the Senate last week brought a result about as rare as a sunny day in the state capital, and much harder to explain.
A bill to require statewide student tests as part of teacher evaluations – a requirement designed to keep the state kosher with federal No Child Left Behind rules and the money that comes with them – went down in defeat on a floor vote of 19 yes and 28 no.
Rare because hardly anything that comes to a vote in the coalition-led Senate fails, let alone so decisively. It's almost an article of faith that if coalition leaders bring a bill to the floor, they have the votes to pass it on their own regardless of what Democrats do. But not this time. . .
To read the rest of this item, or to comment, continue inside the blog.
New Spokane City Council casts first 4-3 votes
The new majority of the Spokane City Council flexed its muscles twice on Monday in the first 4-3 votes of the year.
Both votes rejected nonbinding efforts to back a state Senate bill designating energy produced at the city's Waste-to-Energy Plant as renewable.
But council members who cast no votes say they generally support the legislation and were reacting to what they say was a rushed vote with no public notice.
The city has been pushing state officials for years to designate the energy produced at the incinerator as renewable. Energy labeled renewable can garner higher prices, and energy produced at the Waste-to-Energy Plant used to have the renewable classification. The proposal has been in the city's official lobbying agenda the last few years, including the one that was unanimously approved by the council late last year.
The new 4-3 majority – council members Ben Stuckart, Candace Mumm, Jon Snyder and Amber Waldref – rejected a plea from Councilman Steve Salvatori to rush a vote on a nonbinding resolution supporting the Senate bill. The legislation, introduced by state Sen. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, will get a hearing in Olympia on Thursday.
Because the City Council nonbinding resolution wasn't introduced until today, it didn't appear on the council's agenda and needed five votes to be considered.
Wheelabrator will manage incinerator 3 more years
City leaders tonight agreed for the second time this year to a deal that keeps Spokane's Waste-to-Energy Plant open another three years.
The Spokane City Council voted 6-1 to approve an operating contract with Wheelabrator, the Waste Management subsidiary that has operated the plant since it opened. The city's current 20-year deal with Wheelabrator expires in November.
Under the new terms the city will pay the company about $800,000 more a year.
An earlier deal with Wheelabrator fell apart after county officials said it included costs to pay for plant upgrades that aren't needed within the years that the contract includes. County commissioners hope to leave the city-managed system in three years.