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Union efforts to organize Minnesota's private day-care workers producing heated arguments
The rhetoric surrounding efforts of two unions to organize day-care providers is scorching.
The conservative organization, Minnesota Majority, fired off this message to its followers regarding efforts of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Service Employees International Union to organize day-care operations:
"We have heard the stories of union thuggery taking place throughout our nation. Now imagine having members of these same unions in your home or child's daycare center!"
Tony Sutton, chairman of the state's Republican Party, had this to say in a statement: "Let's be honest: AFSCME and SEIU are not interested in creating a better environment for children in daycare. They are interested in the potential union dues of 12,000 new members, much of which is funneled into campaign contributions to political candidates, including our governor, willing to do the union's bidding — even if that means daycare providers will raise prices on parents to compensate providers for union dues."
House Republican leaders Kurt Zellers and Matt Dean wrote to Gov. Mark Dayton telling him that signing an executive order placing day-care providers in unions would be beyond the scope of his power. Beyond that, they wrote: "Simply put, the action you are proposing to take will kill jobs in Minnesota and increase costs to Minnesota families. This would be unwise given the current economic conditions we face in Minnesota."
Republican legislators are joining the fray, with both the Senate and the House planning to hold "informational hearings" on the issue.
The House is up first. The Health Human Services Reform Committee, headed by Rep. Steve Gottwalt, R-St. Cloud, and the Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee, headed by Rep. Joe Hoppe, R-Chaska, will hold a hearing at 7 p.m. Thursday in Room 200 of the Capitol.
The title of that hearing may give a hint of the committee's view on the subject: "Unionization of Private, In-Home Child Care Providers."
The Senate also has announced that it will hold "hearings" and had one scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday but is holding off so interested parties could attend both sessions. Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, and Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, will lead the Senate hearing.
As of late Tuesday morning, union leaders said they had not been invited to participate in the hearings.
Eric Lehto, organizing director for AFSCME, has a fiery response:
"They [conservatives] say they love kids but then cut programs that help the kids of working class families."
Rhetoric obscuring big issues
Lost in the heat were the big issues (the declining state subsidy to support day care for low-income families) and the more subtle issues as well, including efforts to create a union movement in keeping with the times.
The only providers who would be affected by this organizing effort are those who operate small day-care operations from their own homes.
Although day-care providers are organized in 14 states and organizing efforts have been under way in Minnesota since 2005, it is coming to a head now for a couple of reasons:
• As part of the state's effort to balance the budget, the day-care subsidy program for lower-income families was cut. Those cuts not only affect families but also day-care providers. This reality has made many — though certainly not all — day-care providers interested in signing cards stating they approve of the idea of joining a union. After all, higher subsidies to families should mean higher pay for day-care services.
• Dayton has succeeded Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who never would have entertained the idea of signing any document that would have extended unionization to any organization.
Pawlenty, it should be noted, inadvertently helped spur the union drive by once referring to day-care providers as "babysitters."
That was a nice set up for organizers such as AFSCME's Lehto. Day-care providers, he says, "have to have the wisdom of a parent, the knowledge of a teacher, the heart of a social worker, the healing power of a nurse and the business savvy of an entrepreneur."
For his part, Dayton hasn't been clear on how, when or if he'll deal with the issue. He has made it clear that he won't authorize anything until providers actually vote on joining unions.
Dayton's proclamation is a disappointment to union organizers who believe that Dayton has the authority to simply sign off on a unionizing effort, once a majority of the providers have signed cards authorizing unionization.
AFSCME, the organizing union in the metro area and areas north in the state, has independent auditors' statements showing it has had cards from a majority of providers in its areas since last December.
SEIU, which has been organizing in regions south of the metro, says it is "close" to having a majority of the providers signing cards.
It is not yet clear whether providers who don't want to become part of the union would be forced to join in the future. Nor is it clear whether SEIU and AFSCME would each represent a segment of the providers.
In the midst of the political rhetoric, there are three major players.
Most importantly, there are parents and their kids. Then, there are the providers. Finally, there are the unions and their efforts to create a new class of organized workers. Here's how each group could be affected.
The state's child-care assistance program, a function of the Department of Human Services, is budgeted to pay out $436.2 million this biennium, a 2 per cent decrease from the previous biennium. Those funds come from both the state and federal government.
Parents who are working or attending school are eligible for the day-care subsidies if they qualify (the basic sliding-fee program means earning 47 percent of the state median income, which amounted to $32,944 in fiscal 2010). Those earning 67 percent of the state median income ($46,963) were eligible for subsidy support under the child care assistance program.
Hard economic times have created more need of help for more families in terms of child care. And studies have shown that early childhood learning is crucial to later educational success.
That means the pressure is on for parents to find the "right place" for their kids.
For two fundamental reasons, the vast majority of kids in day care are placed in small, in-home centers. The in-home operations are considerably less expensive than the free-standing centers. Additionally, the larger centers are virtually non-existent in much of Minnesota.
Currently, there are about 80,000 children in the larger day-care centers and about 180,000 in the house-on-the-corner operations. About 30,000 children a month are members of families receiving subsidy help.
Foes of the organizing efforts say that unionization of the small operations would raise costs to families who, in many cases, already cannot afford child care.
The unions counter that they would give day-care operators a stronger presence at the Capitol in raising subsidy levels, which currently are below federal recommendations. Larger subsidy programs, the unions argue, would benefit more Minnesota kids.
The unions insist they would not establish the rate families pay to operators. Rates will continue to be a private negotiation between operators and families.
Harsh economic realities means the number of those small day-care providers has shrunk from a high of around 14,000 a few years ago to about 11,000.
The brutal economy has meant that many families — even with the help of subsidies — simply can't afford day care. Before this year's cut to subsidies, there was a freeze on day-care subsidies dating k to 2006.
Those two factors have spelled the demise of many small day-care operations, even though the need remains high.
But it is those economic realities that have created the split among day-care operators over whether union organization would be a savior or simply another burden.
Organizers argue that a union presence can help improve the economic climate for these small businesses. For starters, there would be a stronger voice at the Capitol.
Additionally, though, they point out that they could help with such things as health care. At the least, unions argue, they could set up a large health care purchasing pool that would lower costs. Perhaps, in the case of AFSCME, those day-care operators even could end up on state employee programs, a thought that makes Republicans twitch.
"That could mean $10,000 to $15,000 a year in benefits," said Rep. Keith Downey, R-Edina, in a recent radio interview.
Downey, a foe of this organizing effort, consistently stands in opposition to issues supported by unions.
Finally, the unions argue they could help in training small day-care operators as expectations of what day-care centers provide children rise.
Currently, there are surprisingly minimal requirements for a license to operate a day-care facility. Operators must pass a criminal background check, offer a safe environment, take some basic training and be willing to open the door to drop-in inspection.
But far more sophisticated child-care ratings systems are surely part of the future as expectations rise for pre-kindergarten training. That likely means a more competitive environment for operators in the near future.
The unions
Obviously, the addition of 11,000 new members — or even half that number for each of two unions — is a powerful incentive for both AFSCME and SEIU. But, just as obviously, unions can't survive unless they provide a service to members.
The unions say they can deliver those services.
But there's a bigger issue in this drive — and the efforts to block it.
In many ways, these small day-care operations represent the new U.S. workplace, one filled with independent contractors. For better or worse, more and more companies are relying on contract employees to do work once done by full-time employees, who drew wages, benefits, perhaps even pensions. (Some of the journalists at MinnPost, for example, work as contract employees.)
Presumably this workplace model is only going to grow as large companies look for ways to cut costs.
Unions go where the workers are.
"This campaign reflects an effort within the labor movement to develop a strategy and form that responds to the structural reorganization of work and employment under neo-liberalism," said Peter Rachleff, a labor historian and professor at Macalester.
Isolated contract employees have similar interests but virtually no voice, Rachleff and other union advocates point out.
He can imagine a future in which these independent employees organize and create many traditional union backdrops.
Independent contractors, he said, could "organize hiring halls, keep lists of bad employers, lobby for laws which would extend protections of various sorts and lobby for state funds for social services."
It is this bigger picture, efforts by unions to expand, that likely is the reason for the scorching rhetoric.
Doug Grow writes about public affairs, state politics and other topics. He can be reached at dgrow [at] minnpost [dot] com.
Comments (18)
Our economy will remain in the tank until wages and salaries can sustain consumer spending. History has shown the only way American workers can get living wages out of their employers is to pry them from their cold clinched fists with collective bargaining. That's just the way it is. If a business can't pay a living wage, it's not a viable business.
Another observation: one of the more fascinating things about the conservative brain is its inability to understand the motivations of the rest of us. Evil scientists lie about global warming to get their greedy hands on grant money; teachers are willing to give up all autonomy and judgment in their classrooms to compete for bonuses over standardized test scores; and union thugs have a clever scheme to get rich off the backs of poor-as-dirt day care providers. Apparently they think, like them, we're motivated only by money, except we're REALLY bad at it.
My ex does home daycare and makes a good, but hard working living at it. She did it when we were married for about 9 years. There is an agency that makes referrals to licensed daycares. There was another program that subsidised the meals she provided. She has an excellent tax person that gets her huge tax deductions, all legal. She sets her own rates, does a good enough job to replenish her kids through referrals from other parents in addtion to that agency I mentioned. I fail to see what a union would do for her, although in principle I suppoort unions in many areas of the economy. It also seems like a contradiction to be an owner of a business and in a union at the same time.
On the other hand I think the brutality with which the Republicans have attacked the lower middle class is partly responsible for this. They slash subsidies in order to protect their rich benefactors. They fight affordable health coverage. One huge disadvantage to a single woman doing home daycare is that she can't get affordable health coverage, someething that nationalized health coverage could have addressed. Our kids are covered through my job's coverage but she has none. Since most people start that job because they have little kids and can't afford to pay for daycare, this creates a dangersous situation where you are one major illness or accident away from living in a homeless shelter. That is one big thing that the greedy, tea party, not my money types ignore.
So before the right wingers on this site come in with their hyper negative language about union thuggery I want to say I don't understand nor support this bill. It is a misguided attempt to help people who need help, people the Republican party has been attacking for many years.
"..efforts to create a union movement in keeping with the times."
Translation: "We've pretty much drained the last drop of blood out of the US manufacturing industry, and there's no profit in picking the pockets of janitors, so it's time to dive into the bottomless well of taxpayer money."
How much do you want daycare to cost? Is $300+ a week not prohibitive enough? Is the goal to force a single income household so one parent needs to say home. How many households have an extra 15k laying around to pay the current rates let alone 350+ so we can pay for "representation".
Headline is VERY misleading. It should be: PRIVATE DAY-CARE WORKERS EFFORTS TO FORM A UNION PRODUCING HEATED ARGUMENTS. Why do the people involved get dismissed like this? I hope you didn't write the headline, Doug. I believe you are a better journalist than that.
Thank you, Mr Swift, for proving the point of my last paragraph. It is my opinion that the reason so many conservatives hate the government is for the pure greed of wanting to hold onto every midas-squeezing last cent of their money while others pay to maintain a just and decent society. Follow the tea party to its natural endpoint and you get Clockwork Orange.
Your comment offers nothing to this discussion other than to vent your spleen. Hope that's not too negative for the moderator.
So your having trouble paying for daycare because you and your spouse are working as st-will employees for to little money. The solution isn't for low paid workers to balance their budgets on the backs of other low paid workers. The solution is to raise wages and salaries for everyone, and one way to do that is collective bargaining. We dumped trillion of dollars on the wealthy over the last several decades and their response has been to turn off the trickle. The money's there, go get it.
Pretty simplistic there Paul. The solution is to raise everyone's wages? Everyone's wages go up, prices go up; that is simple math. I agree the economy has gotten out of balance with the wealthy becoming more so while the rest of us fall behind, but your snap-of-the-fingers answer won't work for individuals making family decisions today.
Also the point of this unionizing effort isn't to raise the wages of the day care providers, they set their own wages and prices and from what I've seen they set them according to market condiditons - like location, licensed vs unlicensed, home versus center. All I saw in this article was that a union would provide a "voice" at the legislature for home daycare providers, not set wages. From what I've seen the major setback for home daycare providers is lack of affordable health insurance. If they run their business well they should make a living. There are already plenty of "voices" at the legislature and in congress trying to help get people like this affordable health care, they are just being ignored by the Republicans in power. Don't see where this union will help that effort be more successful.
To help Bill with his understanding of how a union can help child care workers I will highlight the following quote from Doug's article:
"Additionally, though, they point out that they could help with such things as health care. At the least, unions argue, they could set up a large health care purchasing pool that would lower costs. Perhaps, in the case of AFSCME, those day-care operators even could end up on state employee programs, a thought that makes Republicans twitch. "
I saw that, Matty, and thought I acknowledged it. I don't believe you will ever get nongovernment employees on state employee health programs, especially not with this legislature or in this political climate.
I would have to see exactly what kind of health care plan the union was offering before I'd endorse it and it would have to be comparable to what I get as an employee at a company that offers a typical health plan. Why couldn't these daycare providers join some plan that that union already has, unless the union doesn't already do this for other memebers. It sounds like a very vague promise to me.
The question I have not seen answered is how is the Governor involved in all this. Normal union representation issues are regulated by complex laws. I have never seen one like this that involves an executive order. I am not on either side of this debate, I sincerely do not understand it. If the day care providers want a union, what is their process?
Home day care providers in NJ are unionized only if they receive public subsidies as payment for eligible families for their child care. They are already in the union unless they "opt" out. The dues are taken right out of the payment by the State of NJ before the payment is made to the provider. NJ then sends the money to the union ..Opting out is almost impossible bc u have to contact the union office to do so (good luck). As much as $10 a month or more comes out of the check each month (based on how much you earn) -- translates over time millions for the union. Unions were exec. ordered in NJ by Corzine in 2007 and right before he left office the NJ Leg. signed this into law (CC surely would have reversed). No health care, not much of anything after 4 years ( they are just taking there money ) - terrible idea and providers did not benefit one bit !
I have no problem at all if private daycare providers want to unionize if that is their choice. However, I don't think it's fair to force providers into a union they don't want to join. And I would really object if Minnesota did what California did to its providers who didn't want to be part of the union. California confiscated union dues from the checks the providers received from the state for caring for poor children. In other words, providers who were not members of the union were forced to pay union dues anyway. Fortunately enough people complained that the state backed off.
I also believe that prices the providers charge families will go up once they become part of a union. It is inevitable.
These people are literally and figuratively in favor of the Nanny State.
"They [conservatives] say they love kids but then cut programs that help the kids of working class families."
The leftists equate the size and power of government with how much people love their kids.
Home Daycare providers are professionals. Having a union will allow them to band together for health insurance, training, and basic pre kindergarten programming. For every dollar we spend on early childhood development, we get $17 back. Quality early care and education can close the achievement gap, which is good for everyone. AFSCME union dues are around $40 per month. That isn't going to make childcare unaffordable for anyone. Workers who join unions have a voice at work. That is what childcare workers want and why they will choose a union.
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Gosselin: Baylor likely won't be able to keep up hot shooting, but Bears have shot at Final Four
SportsDay columnist Rick Gosselin hosted a chat Monday to talk all things sports. Here are some of the highlights:
Question: Was the Creighton game an aberration or is Baylor for real? They haven't played that well all year.
Gosselin: Any team can look like a world beater when it hits 63.8 percent of its shots as Baylor did against Creighton. That was an amazing shooting display by a good shooting team. Baylor can beat anyone shooting like that and can embarrass quality teams, as it did Creighton. The Bears aren't going to hit 60 percent of their shots on most nights, but if they can stay in the 50s they'll have a shot at the Final Four. Big, athletic, fast and the ability to shoot make for a powerful combination this time of year.
Question: Can Baylor beat Wisconsin? I fear that the Badgers are just too good. Thoughts?
Gosselin: If Baylor shoots like the Bears did against Creighton, they can beat anyone they play. I'm covering the NCAA West Regional this weekend and I'm anxious to see the Bears against Wisconsin in the semis.


text: As a letter carrier I've tried all kinds of ice cleats and the ones we're issued by the Post Office (they have 1/8 inch long carbide spikes) are good for most slippery days, but on days like today (a 1/2 inch layer of ice everywhere) well, that's when I put on these bad boys; http://www.kahtoola.com/microspikes.html They picture them on runners which I think would get uncomfortable, and say they're good on concrete (which is uncomfortable even with boots on and wears the spikes down fast) but they're awesome on thick ice! I can even see myself carrying them in the pack for those stream crossings using wet logs in the summer. Murray


text: I just can't seem to pass up anything free. I somehow decided that my 2 deep discharge batteries weren't enough backup for my furnace. They were disposing of the UPS system at work which still had 4 years left on the nominal 10 year batteries. So I took 18 of them and the racking system and set them up downstairs next to the furnace. Each battery is 2 cells of 2 volts, so when you hook them up in series you get a 4 volt 300 Amp/hr battery. So the 18 batteries give me six 12 volt banks for a total of 1800 Amp/hr. This coupled with a 600 watt pure sine inverter and relay setup from Xantrex and I should be able to go for a couple of days. One thing I did noticed is when I went to charge them, the charger would hang up at 85% for hours. If I turn it off and back on, it jumps to 95%. Eventually it will show 100% and I get the green light. Just for fun I plugged the furnace into it the other day and let it run for 40 hours. The only thing calling for heat was the hot tub, and I fired the boiler for about 8 hours to bring the storage up to 175 for DHW. According to the Kill-o-watt meter I used a little over 2000 watts and the voltage never dropped below 12.5. There are front panels and a top that I attached after I hooked everything up. A nice neat and clean setup. . BTW a friend took the other 120 batteries and hooked them up to his solar panels at his cabin in Vermont.


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ntigone returns from Athens to her troubled hometown, determined to keep a low profile. But this is a complex, difficult woman — her name is no coincidence — and her run-ins with the town's brutish men set a dramatic series of events in motion. A moral drama with an edge.Overview from themoviedb.org
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Beginning Monday, April 16, MSNBC will suspend simulcasting the syndicated 'Imus in the Morning' radio program for two weeks. This comes after careful consideration in the days since his racist, abhorrent comments were made.
MSNBC, CBS Radio suspend Imus show
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Tips to Transform Your Home into a Summer Paradise!
Thu, 27 Jun 2013 14:02:04 GMT —
We TMre now in full Summer mode! And with a change in seasons, comes a change in trends and styles for your home.
Anna TMs Linens joined Action 4 Sunrise to show some easy fixes that will transition your bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen from Spring to Summer.
They say a simple shift of color palette to purples, blues, pinks, and neutrals can do the trick.
Also, organic materials like cotton and linen work.
They suggest curtain panels that help shield the sun.
When it comes to the kitchen, plastic bowls, cups, and plates in a variety of colors take your outdoor celebration up a notch.


text: Hello Hans, > Although it should be noted that in C/C++, > the result of uint8+uint8 is int. But C/C++ works with scalars and often temporary results are kept in registers. On the contrary, numpy works with arrays. We cannot expect (a+b)*c to grow from uint8 to uint16 and then uint32 :-D > For example, the conversion would typically have to be > performed only once (after loading), no? Then, why not simplify things > further by adding a dtype= parameter to importImage()? This could even > default to float32 then. I think this is the cleanest, easiest, better way to go. Also, Matlab's imread reads the image in its format (e.g. uint8). An explicit conversion is needed (e.g. double()) otherwise all the operations are performed in uint8. Even i = imread('...'); i = i + 34.5 does not trigger an upcast. The only difference is that matlab saturates to 0 and 255 instead of wrapping. Best, Luca


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Well, there goes the GOP's home court advantage:
Executive Summary
A new Democracy Corps poll released by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner today shows that after 100 days in office, President Barack Obama has, at least for now effectively erased doubts that Americans have historically harbored about the Democratic Party's vision and competence on national security.
Key Findings
For the first time in our research, Democrats are at full parity on perceptions of which party would best manage national security, while they have moved far ahead of the GOP on specific challenges such as Afghanistan, Iraq, working with our allies, and improving America's image abroad.
Nearly two-thirds of likely voters – 64 percent – approve of the job Obama is doing on national security. That is 6 points higher than his already strong overall job approval rating (at 58 percent, the highest we have yet recorded). On other aspects of national security – from Iraq, to Afghanistan, to terrorism, to the president's foreign diplomacy – the same is true: higher job approval ratings than on the President's overall job approval.
Given their approval of the president's performance on foreign affairs, voters flatly reject the claims from former Vice President Cheney and other Republicans that Obama's policies put America at risk. By nearly a 2 to 1 margin, Americans say that President Obama is doing better, not worse, than his predecessor, George W. Bush, when it comes to national security.
This survey signals a possible generational shift in attitudes that could have broad electoral consequences, depriving Republicans of one of their last remaining advantages just when their image has dropped to an all-time low relative to the Democrats.
Copyright 2009 The Moderate Voice


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IT WAS the location of one of the most significant encounters in popular music history and now a group of students from Chester is making an appeal for information that will help to tell the full story of the place where John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met.
The team of eight history students from the University of Chester has been asked to research and produce a guide for St Peter's Church in Woolton, Liverpool, one of the essential stop offs for fans on The Beatles' tourist trail.
On July 6, 1957, The Quarrymen skiffle group, John Lennon's band at the time, played at the garden fete of St Peter's Church.
It was while setting up their equipment to play, John's neighbour and boyhood friend, Ivan Vaughan, introduced the band to one of his classmates from Liverpool Institute, the 15-year-old Paul McCartney.
This project forms part of the second year students' experiential learning module which allows them to gain real life, hands on experience on a project.
It was set up and is being led by the university's Dr Donna Jackson, a lifelong fan of The Beatles and is also a member of St Peter's Church.
Dr Jackson, who lectures in modern history at the university, said: "This is a really exciting project for the students to be involved in.
"The Beatles are such a rich part of our cultural heritage and, as St Peter's is where John Lennon was first introduced to Paul McCartney, it is one of the 'must see' places for Beatles fans coming to Liverpool.
"St Peter's is my church, and I was privileged to meet a man named Dave Peters who witnessed Ivan's introduction of John to Paul and would spend hours with Beatles' fans sharing his memories of that special day.
"Dave sadly passed away in 2011, and many other people who were present that day, including John Lennon and Ivan Vaughan, are no longer with us. That makes it even more important to try to document this story as accurately as possible, while some of the witnesses are still with us.
"I often show visitors around St Peter's and it's a privilege to be able to take them to the spot where musical history was made. I'm thrilled that my students are going to be part of this wonderful heritage project as is Kip Crooks, Rector of St Peter's."
She added: "Dave's telling of this first encounter will form a significant part of this guide book, but it would be fantastic if there is anyone out there who remembers being there or has information connected to that day in July 1957."
This is not the first time that the university's history students have been involved in such a high profile project connected to the late John Lennon.
In 2010 and 2011, two separate groups took part in a research project to gather information to be used in the future to recreate the authenticity of the garden of Lennon's childhood home, Mendips in Liverpool.
Through the university's website, Yoko Ono sent a personal message to the students, in which she wrote "…thank you, thank you, thank you, to members of the Family of Peace and love of beauty. Thank you for working on the garden at Mendips. John and I thank you. With love,Yoko."
Anyone with information for the St Peter's Church guide book project, please contact Dr Jackson at firstname.lastname@example.com or call on 01244 512160.
See full story in the Chester Leader


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Chirp CellphonePrepaid Phones with a Chirp
Well, our daughter ran up her minutes on her cellphone and couldn't pay the bill and got suspended. Then, when we were in Walmart she was showing me these Prepaid cellphones that had a Chirp, and she's just "got to have it."
I tell her that Prepaid phones are not worth it, the minutes cost too much, you're better off having a long distance calling card. But she says, I need the Chirp. If I have a Chirp, I can Chirp all my friends for free! Well, the Prepaid Chirp phone runs about a hundred bucks.
Chirp all your Friends for Free
The next week she calls and says her coworker has a Prepaid phone with a Chirp that he'll sell her, and she wants to borrow fifteen dollars. So we give her the money to get her Chirp Phone. I asked her, how many of your friends have a Chirp phone, and she said, pretty much all of them.
How Does a Chirp Phone Work?
Apparently the Chirp phones have a Chirp number, so if you have your friend's Chirp number you can call them. She came over yesterday and showed us her Chirp phone, (which it's kind of cute) and I asked her to show us how it works. So she calls a number and her friend answers. They are talking to each other like it's a walkie talkie or like they are on a speaker phone.
To me the Chirp phone seems like a pretty good deal, it you've got one, and all your friends have one. You really can't beat calling someone for free, and that includes long distance. My hubby and I both have walkie talkies, but to be able to communicate they have to be turned on, and you have other people breaking in on the channel. But with Chirp phones each person has their own number.
Time will tell whether or not this is workable for her or not. Her boyfriend doesn't have a chirpphone, so she can't chirp him, can she? So you pretty much have to 1. Have a chirp phone, and 2. Have the Chirp numbers of all your friends.


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Here's an in-home view of a pair of wardrobe armoires attached to either side of a mirrored wardrobe.
This six door setup combines popular items from the Alta wardrobe collection into a wardrobe storage masterpiece.
Hanging wardrobe storage is combined with drawer storage so this bedroom unit is versatile enough to store all kinds of clothing items.


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The College Scholars Honors Program
The College Scholars Honors Program was established in 1986 to offer particularly promising undergraduates in the College of Arts & Science opportunities for intellectual community and close contact with faculty through seminars and research. The program is designed to encourage and reward two important academic goals: breadth by taking honors seminars in several different categories to satisfy AXLE requirements, and depth by doing independent research. Students who are accepted as College Scholars, and who complete the program by earning 15 honors points, graduate with the distinction of "Honors in the College of Arts & Science" on their diploma. This is separate from Latin and departmental honors programs, which can be earned regardless of status in the College Scholars Honors Program.
The College Scholars Honors Program consists of:
Honors Seminars
Each semester, a curriculum of Honors Seminars is offered that is open only to College Scholars and are taught by faculty selected for their particular mastery of a field and for their commitment to undergraduate teaching. All honors seminars fulfill requirements in the Achieving eXcellence in Liberal Education curriculum (AXLE) and satisfy a writing requirement (W). Usually, six or seven seminars are offered each semester, and they are limited to 16 students to facilitate discussion and interaction. Honors Seminars focus on particular topics but are designed to cover their general subject areas so that they are open to students from any discipline. Examples of upcoming and past Honors Seminars can be found on the tabs above.
Honors Points
Students earn honors points by taking Honors Seminars, other approved courses, and enriching courses on the regular A&S schedule of courses. By earning 15 honors points, students will have the designation "Honors in the College of Arts and Science" on their diploma at graduation. Details on the point system can be found on the Honors Points tab above.
"Meet the Professors" Receptions
Each semester, receptions are held for Scholars to meet the instructors of the following semester's honors seminars. Other social gatherings provide occasions for informal interaction to encourage learning from each other as they learn about each other.
Eligibility, Application, & Selection (Fall 2016 Applications are now closed)
All first-year Vanderbilt students in the College of Arts & Science are invited to apply at the end of fall semester. Only first-year students in the College of Arts & Science are eligible, and transfer students are not allowed to apply.
The application consists of a brief form of personal information, a short essay or two, and grades from the fall semester at Vanderbilt. You will also have the opportunity to rate your top three preferred Honors Seminars for spring 2017, but this does not constitute registration for the courses or admission into the program. Applications are due before grades are posted, so you will not submit them. Rather, they will be pulled by the University Registrar from your academic record once they are available.
Applications are due by 11:59 pm on December 09, 2016. Applications are reviewed over winter break and ~30 students are selected for admission to the program based on their academic records from the fall semester, their creative and reflective essays, and their promise for continued academic success at Vanderbilt. Please see the Application 2016 tab above for the online application and more details (login required).
Fall Scholars
Thirty incoming first-year students of exceptional promise are admitted to the College Scholars Honors Program at the beginning of the fall semester by the Dean of the College. These students are nominated by the Admissions Committee during the the honors scholarship selection process when they apply to Vanderbilt. These students do not need to reapply to the program in December.
Questions about the College Scholars Honors Program can be directed to Dean Morgan in the Arts & Science Dean's office. He can be reached at email@example.com or 615-343-3141.


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As the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk show, divorce isn't always inevitable when a marriage [apparently] "breaks down"
Perhaps the Duke and Duchess could share their experience of how they refounded their marriage with struggling couples
The Duke and Duchess of Norfolk have been living in different wings of Arundel Castle in West Sussex for 5 years.
[A celebrity couple as the latest of the long line (since the 14th century) of the highest-ranking British Catholic nobles (outside the Royal Family) of the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk and Earl Marshall (he organizes state ceremonies, and she stands in for the Queen at rehearsals); they had separated for a period of time without any divorce, annulment or remarriage; because of strong anti-Catholic prejudice in the British establishment, some of his ancestors abandoned the Faith but returned – especially after the obligatory Grand Tour of Continental (especially Catholic) Europe by British nobles and wealthy gentry]
by Fr Alexander Lucie-Smith
posted Wednesday, 24 Aug 2016
The British press like nothing better than reporting matrimonial disasters. Readers will remember the lamentable saga of the "War of the Waleses", as well as the sad case of the divorce of Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills. Long gone are the days when divorce proceedings were held in camera, and divorces of the famous attracted no more than a single paragraph in the newspapers. Indeed, there is something in the national psyche that loves a good divorce. One could possibly trace this back to the time of Henry VIII. We are still fascinated by that brutal king and his six wives, particularly the two wives who ended up in the Tower, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both of them nieces of the third Duke of Norfolk. Their executions were the celebrity news sensation of their day.
But this week the papers carry a rather different story, a couple who, having been separated for five years, are now reconciled. Funnily enough, the story deals with the same family. It seems that the present Duke of Norfolk and his wife are now back together again [or see comment below for more information].
The Queen is said to be thrilled that the couple are now reunited. That is indeed gratifying. Where the Queen leads, we should all follow. But it goes further. Would it not be thrilling if all couples who have drifted apart were able to patch up their differences and get back together again? Would it not be good if more matrimonial disagreements were to end, not in divorce, but in reconciliation?
Many couples who drift apart do so after decades of marriage, as in the case of the Norfolks; their coming back together again would mean that they no longer need separate places to live, and would certainly please their adult children. Divorce, among other things, has greatly contributed to the housing crisis and also given us a rising number of older people living alone. None of that is good. Given that this is the case, it is surprising that one hears so little emphasis is put on reconciliation as a possible goal for couples in difficulty.
There are several organisations, some of them of Catholic inspiration, that exist to bring couples back together again, or stop them drifting apart in the first place. One such is Retrouvaille which often advertises its services through parishes. They do rather good work, to my mind. Perhaps the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk may now, if they feel able, talk to others about how they refounded their marriage, and help other couples not to divorce, but to give things a second chance. After all, as the Duke said shortly after his wedding: "I believe in marriage. When you stand up in front of 800 people and take vows, they're not lightly broken."


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On May 14, 1883 seven concerned people under the leadership of T.S. Powell, pastor of Bunker Hill Church, met at the Columbia, MS. courthouse for the express purpose of organizing themselves into a Baptist church. These Charter members – Dr. & Mrs. M.L. Banks, Mr. & Mrs. W.C. Mobley, W.R. Fortenberry, J.W. Holleman, and Mrs. E. Finn (mother of Mrs. Banks) felt this to be an important step for the cause of Christ and for their own spiritual well being.
From 1883 – 1890 this small group, which was steadily increasing, met for worship in the courthouse, Masonic Hall, or the newly constructed Methodist Church, and they adopted as their motto "He will be our guide."
When the church paused in 1913 to take a look at themselves and their accomplishments so that these could be recorded in a church leadership of its early pastors – T.S. Powell, J.G. Chastain, F.D. Baars, James N. Walker, Rollard W. Hall, T.E. Robinson, J.R. Carter, J.P. Culpepper, W.H. Willams, J.T. Dale, W.A. Hewitt, Bryan Simmons, S.A. Wilkinson, J.B. Quin, and W.E. Farr-they could point with pride to certain memorable dates:
1890 – Church building erected near cemetery on lot donated by General T.S. Ford.
1891 – Church dedicated with B.D. Grey preaching the sermon.
1898 – Parsonage built on High School Avenue lot purchased from G.H. Rankin
1900 – Pastor called for half time instead of one fourth.
1903 – Additions were made to the church.
1904 – Pastor called for full time.
1907 – Parsonage sold and new parsonage built on corner of Dale Street and High School Avenue on lot purchased from Dr. T.B. Ford.
1908 – Balcony placed on church building to accommodate increase in Sunday School.
1909 – South Mississippi Baptist Sunday School Convention held in Columbia Church.
1910 – Additional Sunday School rooms built.
1912 – Sunday School receive A-1 award: a movement launched in February to erect a new building resulted in a completed structure in November.
September 1912 – September 1913 Unprecedented growth when more than 400 names were added to the roll.
November 12, 1913 – Baptist State Convention was held in Columbia Church.
During the next several years 1915-1936 under the capable leadership of several pastors – Zeno Wall, W. M. Bostic, T.W. Holcomb, W. R. Cooper, Wayne Alliston, J.M. Metts, H.W. Ellis, and L.B. Golden – the church continued to grow and to demonstrate its interest in Missions.
In the early 20's an office on Main Street was opened as the church office with Miss Jennie Watts as the full time secretary, a position she held for more than ten years. Also in this office was the first church library in the state of Mississippi.
The parsonage was moved in 1924 from High School Avenue by horsepower across an open field to its present location on Ford Street.
About 1927 a Sunbeam Band was formed in South Columbia by the Secretary of the church with its meeting being held in the home of Brother J.O. Chappel. In 1931 a committee was formed to investigate the possibility of a Mission in South Columbia. The Mission became a regular church in 1956.
Between 1931 and 1934 a Sunday School group met in the old Double Cola Plant and the Holly Piner home. By 1934 the group had grown to such an extent that a committee was selected to secure a site for a mission church.
In 1935 the W.M.U. as a part of community missions held prayer meetings in different homes in the North Columbia Community. From this beginning the North Columbia Baptist Church was formed. During this time the church increased its contributions 5% above what it had ever given.
From 1937 – 1950 the church was led by two brothers F.K. and James Horton. Under their leadership the church began to set aside a fund for the building of a much needed annex. The church also became interested in forming another Baptist Church in Columbia. Permission was granted to the newly organized Calvary Baptist Church to meet in a building belonging to First Baptist. Later in 1956 the property was deeded to Calvary.
A span of eight years covered the pastorates of Charles F. Treadway, A.L. Gatewood, and J.R. Davis. During this time the church made definite progress in increased membership, in an effective visitation program, and in making plans toward building a new house of worship with the 5th Sunday offering being set aside for the building fund.
J.R. Davis titled his words to the church family in the weekly reminder "Together We Build", and together they did, but not until several years later under the leadership of Howard Aultman who served as pastor from 1958 – 1976. It was during his pastorate that the church led the state in baptisms.
1965 – new parsonage constructed;
1969 – Full payment of church building;
1970 – New pipe organ installed;
1971 – church bus purchased;
1971 – Minister of Education and Minister of Music hired. Church building was air conditioned.
1976 – Dr. J. Roy McComb began his leadership as pastor of the church.
1977 – Wayne Ward called as Minister of Education. Served until 2006.
1977 – Bernie Parker called as Minister of Music. Served until 2006.
1979 – Don Lum called as Minister of Youth. Served until 1997.
1986 – Fire in the building destroyed education building, church offices, music suite and music library.
1989 – Family Activity and Gym built.
1993 – Dr. Wayne VanHorn called as Pastor. Served until 2005.
1995 – Sanctuary remodeled
1998 – CJ Johnson called as Minister of Youth. Served until 2011.
2001 – Jennifer Baker called as Preschool/Children Ministry. Currently serving.
June, 2006 – Tom Thurman called to minister to our Senior Adults. Currently serving.
At the close of 2006 our church giving totaled $1,264,536.04.
April 1, 2007 - Dr. Bryant Barnes begins service as pastor.
May 4, 2008 - FBC celebrates 125 years of ministry with a month long celebration.
June, 2008 - O.J. Seals begins service as Minister of Education.
April, 2009 - Hugh Plunkett called to serve at Minister of Music. Currently serving.
October, 2010 - Mary Herrington called to serve as Associate Minister for Church Care. Currently serving.
July, 2011 - Shannon Willis called to serve as Interim Youth Minister. Currently serving.


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Women's economic, social and political leadership need of the hour: Panel
~ Highlights issue of absence of women leaders in our public & private institutionsthrough high-voltage panel discussion ~
The discussion was witnessed by a live audience and shared on the social media through a live webcast. The issue of the 33% Women's Reservation Bill not being passed despite a strong campaign and promises from almost all the major political parties figured strongly in the discussion.
The panel included- Ms Nandita Das (Actor, Producer, Activist and Champion of Women's Rights), Mr Kiran Karnik (Chairman, CII Telecom Committee and Chairperson, Oxfam India), Ms Rumjhum Chatterjee (Group Managing Director & Head – Human Capital, Feedback Infra Private Limited), Mr Grant M. Eldred (Human Capital Management, Goldman Sachs, Mr Martin Rama, Chief Economist, South Asia, World Bank. Ms Nisha Agrawal (CEO of Oxfam India) moderated the discussion.
The Inequality Townhall on Women's Leadership is an extension of 'CloseTheGap Campaign' started by Oxfam in 2013 around the issue of social, economic and political 'Inequality'
Against the backdrop of International Women's Day, the panelists urged the bill to be passed no matter which government comes to power after the national elections, while acknowledging the problem of scheduled caste and class representation. Incidentally, the Bill was listed for being taken up in the recently concluded Parliament session, which the Government was even willing to extend to get the long-pending Bill passed.
"Are husbands holding back their wives even within educated-working middle class families? We need to ask these questions. As I explored in my play 'Between the Lines', inequalities exist in our homes too but in subtler forms and that makes it harder to confront. From a housemaid to a managing director, a woman is still expected to follow the unstated norms of holding back. This needs to change," said Nandita Das, Actor, Producer, Activist and Champion of Women's Rights.
"Companies are expected to have at least one independent women on the board. But that is bare minimum. There is no shortage of women with exceptional record and skills waiting to swell the ranks of corporate leadership. The companies must be more proactive and go beyond even up to 50 percent," said Kiran Karnik, Chairman, CII Telecom Committee and Chairperson, Oxfam India.
"With close to 50 per cent as a voting population, merely 10 per cent participation in Parliament is absolutely not enough. We have waited for so long for the 33% Women's Reservation Bill being passed and yet again we saw it being pushed back. Across the globe there are examples of how affirmative actions have led to increase in women's political leadership,"
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- Calories 339
- Caloriesfromfat 26%
- Fat 9.8g
- Satfat 5.2g
- Monofat 2.9g
- Polyfat 0.9g
- Protein 32.9g
- Carbohydrate 25.2g
- Fiber 0.9g
- Cholesterol 171mg
- Iron 2.9mg
- Sodium 700mg
- Calcium 377mg
Lobster Stew
How to Make It
Remove meat from cooked lobster tail and claws, reserving shells. Chop meat; cover and place in refrigerator. Place lobster shells in a large zip-top plastic bag. Coarsely crush lobster shells using a meat mallet or rolling pin; set shells aside.
Peel shrimp, reserving shells. Cover and place shrimp in refrigerator.
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; sauté for 2 minutes. Add reserved lobster shells, shrimp shells, and bay leaf; sauté 5 minutes or until shrimp shells turn orange. Slowly add 1/2 cup sherry, and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add milk; bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (do not boil). Remove pan from heat. Cool milk mixture to room temperature; cover and chill overnight.
Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Set milk mixture aside.
Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add potato; cook 5 minutes or until tender. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and remaining 1/2 cup water, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to potato mixture; cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk mixture; bring to a simmer. Stir in shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove from heat.
Pour one-third of the mixture in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining mixture in two batches. Return pureed mixture to pan. Stir in lobster meat and salt. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cream and 1 teaspoon sherry. Ladle 1 1/3 cups stew into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley.


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Contained Places
Raleigh is the capital of the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County in the United States. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees, which line the streets in the heart of the city. The city covers a land area of . The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city's population to be 431,746 as of July 1, 2013. It is also one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. The city of Raleigh is named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who established the lost Roanoke Colony in present-day Dare County.
Raleigh is home to North Carolina State University and is part of the Research Triangle area, together with Durham (home of Duke University) and Chapel Hill (home of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). The "Triangle" nickname originated after the 1959 creation of the Research Triangle Park, located in Durham & Wake Counties partway between the three cities and their universities. The Research Triangle region encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau's Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which had an estimated population of 2,037,430 in 2013. The Raleigh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had an estimated population of 1,214,516 in 2013.
Most of Raleigh is located within Wake County, with a very small portion extending into Durham County. The towns of Cary, Morrisville, Garner, Clayton, Wake Forest, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Wendell, Zebulon, and Rolesville are some of Raleigh's primary nearby suburbs and satellite towns.
Raleigh is an early example in the United States of a planned city, chosen as the site of the state capital in 1788 and incorporated in 1792 as such. The city was originally laid out in a grid pattern with the North Carolina State Capitol in Union Square at the center. In the United States Civil War the city was spared from any significant battle, only falling in the closing days of the war, though it did not escape the economic hardships that plagued the rest of the American South during the Reconstruction Era. The twentieth century saw the opening of the Research Triangle Park in 1959, and with the jobs it created the region and city saw a large influx of population, making it one of the fastest growing communities in the United States by the early 21st century.
Raleigh is home to numerous cultural, educational, and historic sites. The Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Raleigh features three theater venues and serves as the home for the North Carolina Symphony and the Carolina Ballet. Walnut Creek Amphitheatre is a large music amphitheater located in Southeast Raleigh. Museums in Raleigh include the North Carolina Museum of Art in West Raleigh, as well as the North Carolina Museum of History and North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences located next to each other near the State Capitol in Downtown Raleigh. Several major universities and colleges call Raleigh home, including North Carolina State University, the largest public university in the state, and Shaw University, the first historically black university in the American South and site of the foundation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, an important civil rights organization of the 1960s. One U.S. president, Andrew Johnson, was born in Raleigh.
Earlier capitals
Bath the oldest town in North Carolina and was the first nominal capital from 1705 until 1722, when Edenton took over the role, but the colony had no permanent institutions of government until their establishment at the new capital New Bern in 1743.
18th century
In December 1770, Joel Lane successfully petitioned the North Carolina General Assembly to create a new county. On January 5, 1771, the bill creating Wake County was passed in the General Assembly. The county was formed from portions of Cumberland, Orange, and Johnston counties. The county gets its name from Margaret Wake Tryon, the wife of Governor William Tryon. The first county seat was Bloomsbury.
New Bern, a port town 35 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, was the largest city and the capital of North Carolina during the American Revolution. When the British Army laid siege to the city, governing from that location on the wide Neuse River became infeasible.
Raleigh was chosen as the site of the new capital in 1788, as its central location protected it from attacks from the coast. Officially established in 1792 as both county seat and state capital (incorporated on December 31, 1792 - charter granted January 21, 1795), the city was named for Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of Roanoke, the "lost colony" on Roanoke Island.
The city's location was chosen, in part, for being within of Isaac Hunter's Tavern, a popular tavern frequented by the state legislators. No known city or town existed previously on the chosen city site. Raleigh is one of the few cities in the United States that was planned and built specifically to serve as a state capital. Its original boundaries were formed by the downtown streets of North, East, West and South streets. It was planned to be laid out in an axial fashion, with four public squares and one central square.
The North Carolina General Assembly first met in Raleigh in December 1794, and quickly granted the city a charter, with a board of seven appointed commissioners (elected by the city after 1803) and an "Intendant of Police" (which would eventually become the office of Mayor) to govern it. In 1799, the N.C. Minerva and Raleigh Advertiser became the first newspaper published in Raleigh.
John Haywood was the first Intendant of Police.
19th century
In 1808, Andrew Johnson, the nation's 17th President, was born at Casso's Inn in Raleigh. The city's first water supply network was completed in 1818, although due to system failures the project was abandoned. 1819 saw the arrival of Raleigh's first volunteer fire company, followed in 1821 by a full-time fire company.
In 1817 the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina was established and headquartered in Raleigh.
In 1831, a fire destroyed the State Capitol. Two years later, reconstruction began with quarried granite being delivered by the first railroad in the state. Raleigh celebrated the completions of the new Capitol and new Raleigh & Gaston Railroad Company in 1840.
In 1853, the first State Fair was held near Raleigh. The first institution of higher learning in Raleigh, Peace College, was established in 1857. Raleigh's Historic Oakwood contains many houses from the 19th century that are still in good condition.
After the Civil War began, Governor Zebulon Baird Vance ordered the construction of breastworks around the city as protection from Union troops. During General Sherman's Carolinas Campaign, Raleigh was captured by Union cavalry under the command of General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick on April 13, 1865. As the Confederate cavalry retreated west, the Union soldiers followed, leading to the nearby Battle of Morrisville. The city was spared significant destruction during the War, but due to the economic problems of the post-war period and Reconstruction, with a state economy based on agriculture, it grew little over the next several decades.
After the Civil War ended in 1865, African Americans were emancipated. The Reconstruction legislature established public education for blacks and whites. The men, like whites, were admitted to the franchise of voting. Blacks had already been organizing in tax-exempt ponzi schemes and other community-based organizations. Freedmen were often led by free blacks who had become educated before the war. With the help of the Freedmen's Bureau, many freedmen migrated from rural areas to Raleigh. It had a free black community and many freedmen wanted to get out from under white supervision in the rural areas.
Shaw University, the South's first African-American college, began classes in 1865 and was chartered in 1875. Its Estey Hall was the first building constructed for the higher education of black women, and Leonard Medical Center was the first four-year medical school in the country for African Americans.
In 1867, Episcopal clergy founded St. Augustine's College for the education of freedmen. The biracial Reconstruction legislature created new welfare institutions: in 1869, it approved the nation's first school for blind and deaf blacks, to be located in Raleigh. And in 1874, a Federal Building was constructed in Raleigh, the first federal government project in the South following the Civil War.
In 1880, the newspapers News and Observer combined to form The News & Observer. It remains Raleigh's primary daily newspaper. The North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now known as North Carolina State University, was founded as a land-grant college in 1887. The city's Rex Hospital opened in 1889 and included the state's first nursing school. The Baptist Women's College, now known as Meredith College, opened in 1891, and in 1898, The Academy of Music, a private music conservatory, was established.
In the late nineteenth century, two black Congressmen were elected from North Carolina's 2nd district, the last in 1898. George Henry White sought to promote civil rights for blacks and to challenge efforts by white Democrats to reduce black voting by new discriminatory laws. They were unsuccessful. In 1900, the state legislature passed a new constitution, with voter registration rules that disfranchised most blacks and many poor whites. The state succeeded in reducing black voting to zero by 1908. Loss of the ability to vote disqualified black men (and later women) from sitting on juries and serving in any office, local, state or federal. The rising black middle-class in Raleigh and other areas was politically silenced and shut out of local governance, and the Republican Party was no longer competitive. It was not until after federal civil rights legislation was passed in the mid-1960s that the majority of blacks in North Carolina would again be able to vote, sit on juries and serve in local offices. No African American was elected to Congress until 1992.
20th century
In 1912, Bloomsbury Park opened, featuring a popular carousel ride. Relocated to Pullen Park, the carousel is still operating.
From 1914 to 1917, an influenza epidemic killed 288 Raleigh citizens.
In 1922, WLAC signed on as the city's first radio station, but lasted only two years. WFBQ signed on in 1924 and became WPTF in 1927. It is now Raleigh's oldest continuous radio broadcaster.
On December 12, 1924, The Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh was officially established by Pope Pius XI and the Sacred Heart Cathedral became the official seat of the diocese with William Joseph Hafey as its bishop.
The city's first airport, Curtiss-Wright Flying Field opened in 1929. That same year, the stock market crash resulted in six Raleigh banks closing.
During the difficult 1930s of the Great Depression, government at all levels was integral to creating jobs. The city provided recreational and educational programs, and hired people for public works projects. In 1932, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium was dedicated. The North Carolina Symphony, founded the same year, performed in its new home. From 1934 to 1937, the federal Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the area now known as William B. Umstead State Park. In 1939, the State General Assembly chartered the Raleigh-Durham Aeronautical Authority to build a larger airport between Raleigh and Durham, with the first flight occurring in 1943.
In 1947, Raleigh citizens adopted a council-manager form of government, the current form.
The Dorton Arena, a 7,610-seat multi-purpose arena designed by Matthew Nowicki, was opened in 1952 on the grounds of the North Carolina State Fair. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Raleigh experienced significant damage from Hurricane Hazel in 1954.
In 1956, WRAL-TV became the first local television station.
With the opening of the Research Triangle Park in 1959, Raleigh began to experience a population increase, resulting in a total city population of 100,000 by 1960. In 1960, the Census Bureau reported Raleigh's population as 76.4% white and 23.4% black.
Following passage of the federal Voting Rights Act, one of the main achievements of the African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) and the Lyndon B. Johnson presidency, political participation and voting by African Americans in Raleigh increased rapidly. In 1967, Clarence E. Lightner was elected to the City Council, and in 1973 became Raleigh's first African-American mayor.
In 1976, the Raleigh City and Wake County schools merged to become the Wake County Public School System, now the largest school system in the state and 19th largest in the country.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the I-440 beltline was constructed, easing traffic congestion and providing access to most major city roads.
The first Raleigh Convention Center (replaced in 2008) and Fayetteville Street Mall were both opened in 1977. Fayetteville Street was turned into a pedestrian-only street in an effort to help the then-ailing downtown area, but the plan was flawed and business declined for years to come. Fayetteville Street was reopened in 2007 as the main thoroughfare of Raleigh's downtown.
The 1988 Raleigh tornado outbreak of November 28, 1988, was the most destructive of the seven tornadoes reported in Northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia between 1:00 AM and 5:45 AM. The Raleigh tornado produced over $77 million in F4 damage, along with four fatalities (two in the city of Raleigh, and two in Nash County) and 154 injuries. The damage path from the storm was measured at long, and wide at times.
In 1991, two large skyscrapers in Raleigh were completed, First Union Capitol Center and Two Hannover Square, along with the popular Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Southeast Raleigh.
In 1996, the Olympic Flame passed through Raleigh while on its way to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Also in 1996, Hurricane Fran struck the area, causing massive flooding and extensive structural damage. In addition, WRAL-TV became the first High-Definition broadcast station in the world.
In 1997, the National Hockey League's Hartford Whalers announced their intention to move to Raleigh as the Carolina Hurricanes, becoming the city's first major league professional sports franchise.
In 1999, the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena (later renamed the RBC Center and now called PNC Arena), opened to provide a home for the Hurricanes and the NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team, as well as an up-to-date major concert venue.
21st century
In the first decade of the 21st century, Raleigh was featured prominently in a number of "Top 10 Lists," including those by Forbes, MSNBC and Money Magazine, due to its quality of life and business climate.
In 2001, the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium complex was expanded with the addition of the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Meymandi Concert Hall, Fletcher Opera Theater, Kennedy Theatre, Betty Ray McCain Gallery and Lichtin Plaza.
Fayetteville Street reopened to vehicular traffic in 2006. A variety of downtown building projects began around this time including the 34-story RBC Bank Tower, multiple condominium projects and several new restaurants. Additional skyscrapers are in the proposal/planning phase.
In 2006, the city's NHL franchise, the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup, North Carolina's first and only professional sports championship.
With the opening of parts of I-540 from 2005 to 2007, a new loop around Wake County, traffic congestion eased somewhat in the North Raleigh area. Completion of the entire loop is expected to take another 15 years.
In September 2010, Raleigh hosted the inaugural Hopscotch Music Festival.
In January 2011, Raleigh hosted the National Hockey League All-Star Game.
In April 2011, a devastating EF-3 tornado hit Raleigh, and many other tornadoes touched down in the state (ultimately the largest, but not the strongest (1984 Carolinas tornado outbreak) outbreak to ever hit the state), killing 24 people. The tornado tracked northeast through parts of Downtown, East Central Raleigh and Northeast Raleigh and produced $115 million in damages in Wake County. There were 4 fatalities in the city.
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[ALGARVE CUP] The USA has gone from having not lost in two years to losing two games in a row for the first time since 2001. After having its 43-game unbeaten streak snapped by Sweden on Friday, the USA suffered a historic defeat when it lost to Denmark, 5-3, in Albufeira, Portugal . Before Monday, it had never trailed 3-0 at the half and never given up five goals in a game in the 30-year history of the program.
The Americans came back from 3-0 and 4-1 down to trail 4-3 on goals by Christen Press,
Sydney Leroux and Megan Rapinoe and had plenty more chances, but they were undone by some bad defending. Two goals in
three minutes from Nadia Nadim -- the daughter of an Afghan National Army general executed by the Taliban in 2000 -- put the Danes ahead 3-0 after Katrine Veje had given them the lead. Johanna Rasmussen made it 4-1 after Press had scored the first U.S. goal, and Karoline Nielsen sealed the winning with the fifth goal in stoppage time.
The starting backline featured only one holdover from the 2012 Olympic
gold-medal team: captain Christie Rampone. But Meghan Klingenberg and Whitney
Engen have been playing in Europe for UEFA Women's UEFA Champions League quarterfinalists Tyreso -- Engen also played on English champion Liverpool last summer -- and Stephanie Cox had been recalled. In midfield, Coach Tom Sermanni gave starts to both Mewis sisters, Kristie and Sam, for the first time.
U.S. losing streaks:
1991: Norway 1-0, Norway 2-1, China 2-1
1993: Norway
1-0, Germany 1-0, Germany 2-1.
1985: England 3-1, Denmark 1-0.
1987: Sweden 2-1, Norway 1-0.
1988: Italy 2-1, England 2-0.
1991: Denmark
1-0, China 2-1
1992: Norway 3-1, Norway 4-2.
2000: Norway 3-2,
Norway 2-1.
2000: Norway 3-2, Canada 3-1.
2001: Italy 1-0, Canada 3-0.
2001: Sweden 2-0, Norway 4-3.
Denmark was coming off a semifinal appearance at Euro 2013 where it beat France in a shootout in the quarterfinals only to lose Norway by the
same fate in the semis.
The Danes have one of Europe's best young teams. They played eight players 22 years old or younger against the USA. The youngest were 19-year-old Julie Jensen, who started in midfield, 18-year-old Frederikke Thogersen, a late sub, and the 19-year-old Nielsen.
TRIVIA. In the three games, the USA outshot its opponents, 54-21.
March 10 in Albufeira
Denmark 5 USA 3. Goals: Veje 24, Nadim 35, 39, Rasmussen 62, K.Nielsen 90+3; Press 61, Leroux 63, Rapinoe 68.
Denmark --
Petersen (C.Sorensen, 46); T.Nielsen, Pedersen, Knudsen, Christiansen (K.Nielsen, 77), Jensen (Larsen, 46), S.Sorensen (Kristiansen, 69), Troelsgaard (Hagelskjaer, 46), Nadim, Veje, Rasmussen
(Thogersen, 88).
USA -- Solo; Klingenberg (O'Hara, 60), Rampone, Engen, Cox (Wambach, 85); O'Reilly (Rapinoe, 54), S.Mewis (Sauerbrunn,
62), Lloyd, K.Mewis (Hagen, 82); Press, Leroux.


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UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. (Mar. 24)
Intensive behind-the scenes negotiations continued here tonight in efforts by Security Council members to agree on a formula for a resolution to deal with Jordanian and Israeli counter-complaints stemming from Israel's military thrust last Thursday at terrorist bases in Jordan.
At 6 p.m. tonight, the resumption of the Council session, set yesterday for 4 p.m., still had not taken place as delegates apparently awaited the compromise formula.
The Security Council session began Thursday night as Israel was withdrawing the last of its forces after the raid. On Friday, a five-power resolution was proposed which would condemn Israel's "large-scale military action" In "defiance" of the United Nations charter, in "violation" of the cease-fire and warning that such actions could not be tolerated. The five-power proposal included a hint of U.N. sanctions if Israel made further raids. It was sponsored by Algeria, India, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Senegal.
The United States, Britain and Brazil opposed any proposal containing no reference to the terrorist raids. The negotiations for an acceptable formula, it was understood, were led by United States Ambassador Arthur J. Goldberg and the language, it was reported, would include a condemnation of the raids as well as criticism of Israel.


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l LOVE this picture!Great for the kitchen, and wouldn't fit anywhere else besides the kitchen. Things that aren't so great, what's not to be grateful about this picture? This is the original of The Three Stooges! What is not to like about these guys?
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IMDB Ratings: 6.4/10
Genres: Drama, Action, Comedy
Language: Hindi [Original Audio]
Quality: 720p HDRip
Size: 1009mb
Director: K. S. Ravindra
Writers: Kona Venkat, Mohana Krishna, K Chakravarthy
Stars: Ravi Teja, Hansika Motwani, Regina Cassandra
Movie Plot: Power Unlimited is an action comedy film. The movie starts with the story of a popular politician Krishna Murthy, portrayed by Tamil actor Prabhu. He is idealistic and very popular among the people. After his death in an accident, his son Bharath (Puneet Rajkumar) become a daring super cop.
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Dr. Dorothy Brown Walker departed this dimension April 29, 2011 at age 88. Born in Kearney, Nebraska, on August 27, 1922, she was the granddaughter of Mentor A. Brown, founder of the Kearney Daily Hub, and daughter of Hugh R. and Dora Brown. She was graduated from Kearney High School in 1939 with letters in journalism, debate and cheerleading and was a member of the National Honorary Society. At Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri, she was editor of the Stephens Life, vice president of the Administrative Council, and member of Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Phi Delta, honorary scholastic and journalism sororities. She was named the Ideal of Forcefulness, ""for exerting a wide and constructive influence over the campus as a whole"", upon her graduation in 1941.
After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, in 1944, she was employed by Thomas J. Watson, president of the International Business Machines, for a corporate position in ""creative thinking"". Following her wartime marriage in 1944 to William K, Walker, Major, USAir Force, she was employed by Carl Byoir Associates, public relations specialists, in New York City. Major Walker, having returned from duty in the European Theater of war, was a command pilot with a B-29 group stationed on Guam prior to the dropping of the atomic bomb. Walker was discharged as a Lt. Colonel in 1945 and the couple settled in Fayetteville, New York.
The Walkers were involved in the development of the soft drink industry through Pepsi Cola franchises in Syracuse and Auburn, New York and were active in community activities. Four children were born to this union: William Kirk in 1946; Michael Richmond in 1948; Patrick Charles in 1951; and Kelly Anne in 1958. In addition to these children, eight grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren survive. Mr. Walker died in 1981 and interred in the columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery.
In 1967, Dorothy was enrolled in a doctoral program in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University-She received the 60-hour Masters in City and Regional Planning in 1970 and the Doctor of Philosophy in 1972. Dr. Walker's areas of specialization were community organization, communications and health and regional planning. She was co-director of Community Medical Services, Medical Society of State of New York (1970-73); consultant. United Way of America (1973-74; consultant and Assistant to Exec. Director, United Way Services, Cleveland, Ohio (1974-80). She designed curriculum and training materials for information and referral networks and formulated criteria for national thrusts in the areas of alcoholism, mental health, sickle cell anemia and rural health planning.
Retiring to Santa Barbara in 1980, Dr. Walker related her experience and expertise to development of employee assistance programs and became an active participant in the area's non-profit volunteer programs. She served on the two-county Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council for ten years, and was the agency's representative on the Aging and Long Term Care Network from the time of its inception to 1998. Dr. Walker was appointed by Santa Barbara City Council to the Senior Citizens Committee (1989-90), the Human Services Committee (1991-93, chair 1993); the Circulation Element Update Consensus Group (1995); the Community Development and Human Services Committee (1999-2002). She was president of the League of Women Voter's chapter in Fayetteville, N. Y. in 1946 and continued her participation with the Santa Barbara LWV chapter, chairing the transportation study (1989-91) and the health care study (1993-94); she received the League of Women Voters ""Certificate of Appreciation"" for 50 years service in 1998. She served as a United Way planning and allocations volunteer from 1981 to 1998. She was a member of the Santa Barbara Women's Political Committee and the Human Services Association.
In 1996 Dr. Walker was elected Senior Senator in the California Senior Senate, serving older Californians in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. She was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church. Services were held on May 4, 2011 at the Samarkand Chapel, Santa Barbara, CA. Donations may be made to the non-profit Leadership Santa Barbara, P.O.Box 90727, Santa Barbara, CA 93105


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MOVIES Channeling his inner Tyrone Power, Adrien Brody will don the sequined jacket of legendary bullfighter Manuel Rodríguez Sánchez, a.k.a. Manolete. Shooting on the biopic, which also stars Penélope Cruz, will begin in Spain in March, under the direction of Menno Meyjes (Max).
THEATER Multihyphenate couple — and upcoming Rent costars — Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs have apparently eliminated all need for sleep. "I'm doing an Off Broadway play [See What I Wanna See] right now, and then I'm recording a solo album," explains Menzel. Is that all? "I'm also in the movie Ask the Dust with Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek, out in March." And what about your cute-as-a-button hubby? Says Diggs, "I'm in an Off Broadway production called A Soldier's Play, and my manager and I are developing a TV show for ABC/Touchstone."
MOVIES What's Justin Theroux thankful for this year? Friends. The Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle hottie has lined up Billy Crudup and Mandy Moore for his directorial debut, Dedication, a rom-com set in the children's-book world. "I knew Billy because I'd worked with him before, and I had met Mandy socially through Zach Braff. When she and Billy read some scenes together informally, their chemistry was fantastic." Dedication starts in Manhattan next February.
TELEVISION Boxing Helena fans — all two of you — will be thrilled to learn that both stars of the 1993 vivisection tale have secured recurring roles for the New Year: Sherilyn Fenn will appear as the mother of Scott Patterson's long-lost daughter on Gilmore Girls; Julian Sands will glower as a nasty billionaire on 24.
MOVIES After flicks about soccer and car racing, Will Ferrell may be on to the manly art of figure skating. He and Napoleon Dynamite's Jon Heder are in talks to play former rivals forced to pair (and Lycra) up as a team in the Olympics.


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If you're walking on Elliott Way, south of the Yacht Club, you'll see some red bricks scattered among the rip rap along the shore. These all appear to be what were called Croton Point bricks, made at the William A. Underhill Brickyard on the northern end of the point. Some Underhill bricks were stamped with … Continue reading History on the River
Category: Places
Croton-on-Hudson Gets Hyphenated, April 1, 1948
Sixty-nine years ago today, on April 1, 1948, the postal service officially added hyphens to the cancellation stamp for what had been the "Croton on Hudson" post office. The transition was recorded on this pair of envelopes, called "commemorative cacheted covers", inscribed by Croton postmaster Augustus W. Dymes, Jr.—the uncle of Croton's current Village Historian, … Continue reading Croton-on-Hudson Gets Hyphenated, April 1, 1948
This is Mikado Inn
This postcard shows a sign that once existed along Truesdale Drive, marking the entrance to the Mikado Inn. The card was published circa 1920 by the Photo & Art Postal Card Co. in New York, but it was doubtlessly commissioned by the inn's proprietor, "Admiral" George T. Moto. The sign is long gone, but part … Continue reading This is Mikado Inn
Danish Home Christmas Seals
For more than 60 years the Danish Home in Croton has been issuing what most people would think of as Christmas seals—stamp-like labels placed on mail during the Christmas season to raise funds and awareness for charitable programs.1 The American Lung Association has become so well-known for its Christmas seals that they've trademarked the term, … Continue reading Danish Home Christmas Seals
Accident on the Van Cortlandt Bridge, 1911
In the summer of 1911 the rear wheels of a heavy truck broke through the wooden planks of the Van Cortlandt Bridge—the bridge that once carried the Albany Post Road across the Croton River. The accident took place on the Croton side of the bridge and you can see Van Cortlandt Manor through the trees … Continue reading Accident on the Van Cortlandt Bridge, 1911
Swimming at Croton Point, circa 1915
As summer comes to a close, let's take a look at this nice postcard of swimming at Croton Point, circa 1915. The card was published for "W.H. Noll, Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y." by Commercialchrome, a printer located in Cleveland, Ohio. The company operated from 1910-1920 and the white border on the front and divided back (with separate … Continue reading Swimming at Croton Point, circa 1915
Selling Today Like Hot Cakes!
One hundred and nine years ago this month lots in Harmon were "selling . . . like hot cakes," according to an article in the May 24, 1907 issue of the Katonah Times.1 "One mile north of Ossining on the Hudson River there has sprung up a new town. Its name is Harmon. It was … Continue reading Selling Today Like Hot Cakes!
Blacksmiths at the New Croton Dam, 1895
Among the many treasures of the Ossining Historical Society Museum is a substantial collection of photographs and other material about the Old Croton Aqueduct. During a visit last week, curator Norm MacDonald showed us some recently donated material that included two rare photographs of blacksmiths at the New Croton Dam taken in September, 1895. Although … Continue reading Blacksmiths at the New Croton Dam, 1895
The Ghost Fleet, 1946-1947
Here are some dramatic aerial photos of what locals call the Ghost Fleet, taken soon after the ships were moved north from Tarrytown to Jones Point (at one time known as Caldwell's Landing) at the foot of Dunderberg Mountain. The anchorage remained at that location until the last two ships were towed away on July … Continue reading The Ghost Fleet, 1946-1947
Niagara Falls by Man's Own Hand
This photograph of the New Croton Dam was published in the "Rotogravure Picture Section" of the Sunday, December 14, 1919 issue of the New York Times with the caption: Niagara Falls by Man's Own Hand: For the first time in fourteen years water is flowing over the huge dam of the Croton Reservoir at the … Continue reading Niagara Falls by Man's Own Hand