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Take a leisurely drive down the River Road and join us for some of the finest Louisiana cuisine you've ever experienced. Whether it's lunch, dinner or your own private catered affair, Roberto's is ready to serve you.
Find out why people keep coming back to Roberto's River Road Restaurant. The casual atmosphere and the incredible food make this restaurant a true hidden jewel in south Louisiana.
Home | About Us | Locations | Special Offers | Our Menu | Catering
© Copyright 2020, Robertos River Road Restaurant. All rights reserved.


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Question Description
I need statistics help. The class is BUS 308: Statistics for Managers... I need help with the week 5 assignment. I have it in an excel spreadsheet with the data tables. Here are the questions:
- Create a correlation table for the variables in our equal_pay___student_rev_4_3__1_-2.xlsx. (Use analysis ToolPak or the StatPlus:mac LE software function Correlation.)
- Interpret the results. What variables seem to be important in seeing if we pay males and females equally for equal work?
- Below is a regression analysis for salary being predicted/explained by the other variables in our sample (Mid, age, ees, sr, raise, and deg variables.)
Note: since salary and compa are different ways of expressing an employee's salary, we do not want to have both used in the same regression.
- Perform a regression analysis using compa as the dependent variable and the same independent variables as used in question 2. Show the result, and interpret your findings by answering the same questions.
Note: be sure to include the appropriate hypothesis statements.
- Based on all of your results to date, is gender a factor in the pay practices of this company? Why or why not? Which is the best variable to use in analyzing pay practices - salary or compa? Why?
- Why did the single factor tests and analysis (such as t and single factor ANOVA tests on salary equality) not provide a complete answer to our salary equality question? What outcomes in your life or work might benefit from a multiple regression examination rather than a simpler one variable test?
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subset: commoncrawl


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TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Cheryl Leonard's husband was drugged and delirious the first time she saw him after he lost a leg in Afghanistan.
First Sgt. William "Mike" Leonard had injuries to his head and back and a wound to his left heel that ultimately would cost him his other leg. In those confusing early days, the soldier reasoned he was at the Army hospital in the nation's capital because he was the president.
A long journey lay ahead. Cheryl planned to be there till the end.
"I told him that first day, 'I go home when you go home,'" she said.
It took a year and a half, but the Leonards are home in Lacey.
They returned to the two-story house they bought just before his 2010 deployment with Joint Base Lewis-McChord's 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, enjoying their dogs and seeing Cheryl's son regularly. They had planned to retire there. But there's nothing easy about coming home less than whole.
"There's nothing that can prepare you mentally for being a wounded soldier," says Mike Leonard, 41, who graduated from Kentridge High School in Kent, had a 22-year career in the Army and ended it with a local Stryker brigade.
He misses the camaraderie of being with many other wounded soldiers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Fewer than 10 amputees receive care at Lewis-McChord's Warrior Transition Battalion.
To keep his spirits up, he relaxes as best he can with his wife and builds Lego sets to exercise his mind as part of his head-injury recovery.
But his life is on hold while he awaits more surgeries on the East Coast, a medical discharge from the Army and another new start - this time, at a home tailored to his physical needs in Arizona.
His path is one that dozens of Lewis-McChord soldiers back from the latest cycle of deployments to Afghanistan are just beginning. It's one that he and his wife know all too well can feel like "two steps forward and three steps back," said Cheryl Leonard, 49.
"Things are going well, and then you'll be right back in that wheelchair," she said.
Reports from the Army surgeon general show that combat amputations from the past decade of war peaked in 2011, when 244 service members lost limbs. That's about 40 more than the height of the Iraq War, when 205 service members lost limbs in 2007.
A final tally has not been released for 2012, but updates from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center showed 141 combat-related amputations through November.
Updates on the Facebook pages of recently wounded Lewis-McChord soldiers show young men exploring sports and gaining agility on prosthetic limbs. Other local soldiers have posted raw descriptions of their challenges in the hospital, from weaning themselves off painkillers to stumbling with their new limbs.
Cheryl Leonard calls severely wounded soldiers courageous in facing personal battles they did not foresee before they deployed. She thinks they're too often forgotten when the public focuses only on service members who die in combat.
When civilians hear of nonfatal attacks, Cheryl thinks they assume "Phew, only five people were injured."
"But that blast has turned that soldier's life and his family's upside down," she said.
The Leonards have managed his rehabilitation by leaning on each other and strengthening their relationship. They know they have more work to do to rebuild Mike's independence.
"We did survive for a year and a half as a married couple in a little hotel room, so we proved we can survive anything," Mike jokes.
The couple laughs, and the smiles show they mean it.
"I can't say it enough: Your spouse is what keeps you going," he said.
Mike Leonard remembers the moments just after his 25-ton Stryker vehicle hit "an ungodly amount of high explosives" laid in the ground in the form of a pressure plate mine in southern Afghanistan.
Barely conscious, he told another soldier: "Make sure everybody gets out. Make sure everybody gets right."
"Everybody's out, 1st Sergeant," the soldier replied.
Leonard joined the 5th Brigade in Afghanistan in January 2010, about halfway through its deployment. The brigade faced a tough year in Kandahar province as the first Stryker unit to fight in Afghanistan. It lost 37 soldiers as it patrolled hostile territory that NATO had ignored for years.
Leonard took the reins as the senior noncommissioned officer in a company of about 160 soldiers, a position he long coveted as he moved up the ranks through his two previous deployments to Iraq. He wanted to get out with the troops and demonstrate that he could lead from the front instead of hanging back in a headquarters.
"I wanted them to see I was just as much in the fight as they were," he said.
When the bomb hit March 23, he said soldiers got him off the ground in a medical evacuation helicopter within 15 minutes.
He was with his wife at Walter Reed two days later.
His catalogue of injuries included losing his right leg below the knee, suffering a serious fracture to his left heel, a broken femur, a collapsed lung, a broken back and a traumatic brain injury.
She became his advocate at the hospital, paying close attention to tell doctors when his behavior seemed off. Balancing pain medications triggered harsh mood swings.
"I was calling Cheryl every name under the sun," he said. "I was mean."
She didn't let it get to her. She'd tell the doctors to try something different.
"Luckily she was right there next to me," he said. "She'd lay me down, I'd wake up and say, 'What's going on?' and she'd say 'Nothing, everything's fine.'?"
The Leonards prepared for his Afghanistan deployment differently than they did his for his Iraq tours. Before Afghanistan, they talked through what Mike wanted to happen in case he suffered a serious injury.
"It was as if he knew something was going to happen," Cheryl said.
He was clear about one thing: "I didn't want to be a double amputee."
He maintained that wish for months at Walter Reed even though doctors began suggesting to him that the fracture on his left heel would cause him too much pain to walk on it. Their assessment proved true.
Leonard compared himself to other amputees and saw them learning to walk and taking up stunts like skydiving. He could not keep up with them.
He told Cheryl he was thinking of having doctors amputate the second leg. She reminded him of what he said before he deployed. But this was different than he had imagined.
"I'm already a double amputee," he told her. "I'll never be able to run."
They opted for the surgery in January 2011. He was walking a month later.
USA Today later featured him in a story about soldiers who lost limbs in combat choosing to have another amputation once they returned home.
Looking back, Leonard said he should have taken his doctor's recommendation even earlier.
"I wish I would have understood what they were saying," he says now.
Last summer, Mike felt his recovery moving at full speed. He felt confident using his prosthetic limbs and looked forward to new challenges, such as taking up hand-cycling.
He and Cheryl had moved back to Lacey to finish up his medical retirement through the Warrior Transition Battalion at Lewis-McChord, a branch that serves ill and injured soldiers until they can rejoin the ranks or separate from the military.
In that moment when life seemed to be going as well as he could hope, he fell and broke a hip during a trip to San Diego. He survived a touch-and-go surgery and had limited mobility through October.
Today he continues to feel severe pain in his right side. He's scheduled to return to Walter Reed early this year for more surgeries and up to six months of rehabilitation.
To him, returning to the national Army medical center can't come soon enough.
He and Cheryl moved back to the South Sound in August 2011, after just 18 months at Walter Reed. Doctors had told them to expect a stay of three to five years at the Maryland hospital.
That sounded too long for them at the time. They were a relatively older couple at Walter Reed, and they wanted to get out of the hotel room they were sharing.
They missed their pets and their home. And they figured Mike could get the same kind of care at Lewis-McChord and from private specialists in the area.
But they found less support than they anticipated. Amputees make up a very small minority of patients at Lewis-McChord's hospital for sick and wounded service members. Just nine of the more than 400 soldiers in the facility are amputees.
Most military amputees are treated at Walter Reed, Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio or Navy Medical Center San Diego.
At Lewis-McChord, the care often comes from specialists who work off base. As a result, the Leonards rarely visit the base except for doctors' appointments at Madigan Army Medical Center.
Most of his care is administered by a Puyallup prosthetics specialist. He also gets physical and speech therapy at home.
It's a big change from his life at Walter Reed, where younger soldiers looked up to Mike as a company sergeant and he felt the brotherhood of his service. He took the opportunity to build friendships and pass on lessons from his long Army career.
"Soldiers are the best therapy for other soldiers," he said.
These days, Mike wakes at 5 a.m. when he checks in by phone with his supervisor at the Warrior Transition Battalion. He waits about an hour in his bedroom until the swelling in his legs diminishes enough to attach his prosthetic limbs.
He heads downstairs and shapes his days around medical appointments.
He says it doesn't seem like a lot, but it usually sends him back to bed before 8 p.m.
Coming home didn't meet the Leonards' expectations, but they're as close as ever. Their next plans likely will take them away from the South Sound for a retirement in an unexpected place.
After Mike's next round of surgeries at Walter Reed, the couple plans to move to Peoria, Ariz., with the help of a nonprofit organization that builds dream homes for wounded service members.
The designs from Homes for Our Troops call for a house totally accessible for Mike's needs, such as double ovens that he can use to cook from a wheelchair. He smiles thinking of an afternoon in a pool.
"They've thought of everything," Cheryl said.
"That's our light at the end of the tunnel," Mike said.
He says he wouldn't change a thing about his time in the Army. He'd even go on that last mission.
"I've loved it all," he said, "even through this."
At JBLM, double amputee waits to move on
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Cheryl Leonard's husband was drugged and delirious the first time she saw him after he lost a leg in Afghanistan.


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Scammers advertise homes for rent that they don't own, probably haven't even seen
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Today Jaclyn Rae posted a blog titled, 'I'm a Sunflower. What are You?'. Now, the post didn't really go into details about why she is a sunflower, but it got me thinking.
What kind of flower am I?
Yeah, no, this isn't one of those whoo hoo mystically weird posts. I don't do that.
If I could be a flower, I would be a wild violet.
Granted, that stems partly from it being my favorite flower. It's a shy sort of flower, but it packs a wallop in scent. You can smell them on a warm spring day, the scent wafting up from the shady hidden depths of the lawn. Though, for the record, they actually do much better in the sun, and sunshine makes them smell better.
I love violets. They are usually the first sign of spring around here, though lately the wild cyclamen is fighting for that position. Well, either way, cyclamen, violets, they are both gorgeous in the spring. Especially after an amazingly loooooooonnnnnggggg winter. This was one of those years.
After months of rain, snow, wind, snow, rain, fog, clouds, rain, snow, rain, oh and did I mention rain? It's been nice to see sun, (though that has been limited) and spring flowers.
Crocuses, hepatica, cyclamen, violets, blue weedy flowers that I have no idea what they are called, daffodils starting to poke their sunny heads up. It's about time! I seriously thought I was going to go nuts with all the rain and snow.
Oh, here's irony for you. The first day of spring it snowed eight inches of snow! Eight inches! Puleez. Thankfully it was practically all melted by the time 3pm rolled around. Go figure.
Now, I am not totally complaining, oh, and I promise the 'valley girl' talking will end in a moment here, but I do crave some sun occasionally. We do need it to survive.
Someone asked me how my day was yesterday. I think I surprised him when I beamed at him and said, "really good. It's sunny, and it's always a good day if there is sun." I actually coaxed a smile out of this person who never smiles. See, so even that made it a good day.
And this post really has nothing to do with anything, but well, I needed something to write about and well, flowers are always a good thing.
Signing off


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The Avengers
If my 12-year old self thought it was even remotely possible that several of my favorite Marvel superheroes would not only have their own solo movies fronted by big Hollywood celebrities, but one day all appear in the same movie as one big multi-movie universe event, I would've lost my mind. And, hell, even now in my 30s the fact that The Avengers movie exists makes me lose my mind! Back when Marvel kicked off the first batch of their self-produced films with Iron Man, the slim glimmering hope that it would lead to The Avengers was there, but I don't think any of us comic book fans actually thought it would happen. The fact that it did, and that writer/director Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Firefly, managed to pull it off and make it into one of the biggest and thoroughly entertaining action blockbusters of the summer is a miracle.
What's great is all the other Marvel movies have been leading to this. If you've been watching along with Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America, then this movie is all pay off from everything you've seen before. Yet it simultaneously works as a stand alone film that any viewer can watch and enjoy because of how well Whedon balances each character's introductions and screen time. It's similar to watching any ensemble flick and wondering where all these characters came from before the movie. In this case, those movies exist and you can go back to them! But alas, let's focus on the one at hand.Continue Reading
Growing up an avid comic book fan, I always fancied myself a Marvel kid over a DC kid. It's not that I didn't appreciate the cinematic versions of both Superman and Batman, I loved those, but I often found myself relating more to the characters of the Marvel universe, in particular Spider-Man who was always my favorite superhero. Through Spidey, I of course discovered The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and the X-Men books to name a few, but I honestly never found myself into any of The Mighty Thor material. Sure, I read The Avengers and also dug when Thor would interact with the other superheroes of the Marvel Universe, but I never found myself a "fan" of the character or intrigued by his mythology, which in actuality is Norse. So with that in mind, when I watched the movie version of Thor, I had very little expectation or trepidation. I just wanted to enjoy it as a piece of straight-forward popcorn entertainment, and hope that it played to me the way it would to a general audience. Thankfully Marvel Studios managed to take a character that I'd never really been all that interested in and produce a thoroughly enjoyable action flick.
After a very brief introduction on Earth with Natalie Portman's character Jane Foster, Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and their assistant Darcy (Katt Dennings) first encountering Thor (a scene that will repeat itself later in the movie), we're brought to Asgard, the home of Odin Allfather (Anthony Hopkins) and his people and given a short history of the great war between the Asgardians and the Jotuns aka the Frost Giants, a race of monster-like creatures determined to bring about a new ice age to the mortal world. Odin led the great battle which drove the Frost Giants back into their own world of Jotunheim with their great source of power taken by the Asgardians and brought back to Asgard, hence bringing about peace to the Nine Realms. Odin raised two boys, Thor and Loki, with the hope that one day one of them would ascend to the throne and take his place as the new king. Thor is the chosen one, but during his ceremony, a handful of Frost Giants manage to sneak into Asgard in an attempt to steal back their power source. Considering it an attack on their people, Thor rashly and arrogantly takes a small group of his finest and most trusted warriors to seek retribution on the Frost Giants' home.Continue Reading


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Nokia has unveiled its latest concept phone, designed to highlight the company's focus on products that allow users to more readily stamp their personality on their gadgets.
The concept phone, dubbed Aeon, combines two touch-sensitive panels mounted on a fuel-cell power pack. The handset's connectivity and electronics are built into the panels to allow them to be used independendently. When assembled, one panel would operate as the display, the other as the keypad. Since the buttons are entirely virtual, Aeon can flip instantly between a numeric pad for dialling, a text-entry pad for messaging, or a media-player controller.
It's a cute idea and one that ties in with Nokia's expectation that phones will become essentially "wearable" devices - if foresees users removing one of Aeon's display panels and mounting it on a watch-like strap or worn as a badge.
More than a phone, Aeon might tap into local wireless networks to transmit data acquired from sensors such as devices that monitor the user's health signs - which is the kind of application the company has in mind for its Wibree personal-area network technology. ®
Sponsored: Ransomware has gone nuclear


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The MVH500AH is a lightweight head with a wider platform for HDSLR bodies which has a sliding plate which travels to balance the latest interchangeable lens cameras. The entry-level 500 ensures smooth shots and fine control with up to 5kg (11lbs) of equipment. It's the most compact head in our successful Bridging Technology range and it replaces the Manfrotto 701HDV video head.
Beautifully smooth shots: the 500 has professional fluid cartridges on both pan and tilt axes to ensure that every camera movement is smooth, controlled and precise.
Faster, easier and safer to use: the side lock system allows the camera and sliding QR plate to click quickly into the head from above, instead of needing to be aligned and slid in from the back. No secondary safety lock is necessary. The side lock system also makes it quicker and simpler to lift the camera out of the head from above.
The 500 has a pre-set counterbalance of 2.4kg (5.3 lbs), but is able to support equipment of up to 5kg (11 lbs). The 500 has one Easy Link 3/8" connector to allow an external monitor or other accessory equipment to be fitted. MVH500AH head with flat base tripod mount for attachment to a hybrid photo/video tripod, a traditional photo tripod, slider, a monopod or other supports.
Product Specifications:
Attaches By - 1/4" and 3/8" attachment typeAttachment - 3/8" screw attachment typeBubble Spirit Level (No.) - 1 numberCenter Of Gravity - 2.16 inColor - black colorCounter Balanced Weight - 5.29 lbsIndependent Pan Lock - yesIndependent Tilt Lock - yesLateral Tilt - -70Degrees / +90Degrees tilt rangeMaterial - aluminumMaximum Working Temperature - 140 DegreesFMinimum Working Temperature - -4 DegreesFPan Bar Positions - 2 numberPan Bars Included (No.) - 1 numberPan Drag - fluid cartridge with fixed dragPanoramic Rotation - 360 degreesPlate Type - 500PLONGQuick Release - yesSafety Payload Weight - 11.02 lbsSecondary Safety System - yesSpring Loaded Counter Balance - yesTilt Drag - fluid cartridge with fixed dragWeight - 2.05 lbsWorking Height - 3.74 in


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Testimonial from Alfred (1) who had great hidden potential for meditation and spiritual growth that was just waiting for a spark to explode (sort of). His experience illustrates the quote in the spiritual filed "When the student is ready, the teacher appears".
He found my website on-line among other local organizations for Yoga and meditation. He felt that he found what he was just looking for. He attended only 3 classes and took off unbelievably on his own, like no other client.
He has been kind enough to e-mail his insights and experiences (2) and let me publish them under the pseudonym 'Alfred'. I am learning from his insights. I was puzzled why with all his inherent wisdom, he needed to learn the very simple breathing and stretching techniques I teach. When I queried him and asked for his testimonial he sent this wonderful description. This is the kind of endorsement I was looking for all these years. These techniques do help people like him with hidden potential, to make a simple beginning and then keep going on their own steam. I am grateful to Alfred for this feedback and his periodic insights and experiences.
"I am a middle aged businessman who in most all respects enjoys a good life. I have enough money to keep me from worrying, my relationships with wife, family and friends are good and so is my health. Despite all of my good fortune I was aware for some time of some missing element in my life. I had always been interested in the human mind and have read quite a lot about cognition and psychology. The one message I received over and over again was that the practice of meditation with mindfulness as a goal is something which many very credible people advocate.
I did a quick Google search and found Suryanarayana Chennapragada's (CS) web site. CS has developed a simple meditation technique which combines counting breaths and simple yoga to create a calming disposition.
I met with CS and took 6 (3) private classes. Since attending those classes, I have only missed 2 days of meditation, both because of international travel.
I like CS's approach very much because, not only is it immediately effective, but also because it is not steeped in any religious dogma or "new age" philosophy. It is a practical no-nonsense approach that really works well for me.
I look forward to my hourly morning meditation. It centers me for my busy days, allows me to turn off the noise in my head and enjoy the present and it has enhanced my personal relationships. "
(1) Alfred
(2) Alfred's progress – Posts
(3) Actually he attended 3 classes but felt they were six. May be because we had a great rapport!
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Where you choose to work can make all the difference in your career.
At Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, you will be part of a nationally recognized team of rehabilitation professionals — individuals like you whose skills and talents are surpassed only by their commitment and dedication to excellence.
Personal Growth & Professional Achievement
We recognize that the success of our highly specialized programs and services are directly attributed to the effort, engagement, talent and enthusiasm of our employees. That's why we provide you with a strong foundation for your personal success and offer the support and resources you need to learn and develop.
We encourage and promote professional growth and development and award individual achievement through:
- Comprehensive Orientation and Training
- Clinical Mentorship
- Preceptor/Buddy Program
- Career Development and Continuing Education
- Clinical Ladder Promotional Opportunities
- Externship Programs
- Research Opportunities
We also offer the APTA-credentialed Neuro-Residency Program for licensed physical therapists to enhance clinical reasoning, movement analysis and critical assessment skills. For more information, click here.
With over six decades of clinical leadership, Kessler continues to define the standards of medical rehabilitation by providing innovative programs, evidence-based treatment and compassionate care in a dynamic state-of–the-science rehabilitation environment.
Opportunities As Rewarding As They Are Challenging
Our dedicated interdisciplinary team of rehabilitation specialists is committed to providing unparalleled service and care. No matter what your area of interest, Kessler has the opportunities available for you to be part of our unique network of rehabilitation service providers:
- Nurses
- Physical Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Speech Language Pathologists
- Recreation Therapists
- Physicians
- Case Managers
- Neuropsychologists
- Dietitians
- Pharmacists
- Medical Technologists
- Cognitive Therapists
- Vocational Counselors
- Rehabilitation Assistants/Aides
- Administrative, managerial and support staff
If you are passionate about what you do, share that same commitment and join the Kessler team.
Working at Kessler
Our employees agree that Kessler is a remarkable place to work … and grow. Here's what a few of our more than 1,400 employees say:
- "The opportunity to further my education, learn new skills and know the latest technology in the field of rehabilitation."
- "Working with employees that take pride in their work and are committed to doing the right thing for their patients."
- "I enjoy working at Kessler simply because it gives me the opportunity to be a part of a dedicated team of rehabilitation professionals."
- "Kessler is a unique, inspiring place to work with the best staff, most challenging and rewarding patients and best place to become a stronger clinician and person."
- "Kessler is one of the greatest companies to work for. There is excitement, fun and gratification each and every day. We feel valued and important. We are proud to be Kessler employees."
The Kessler Difference
Kessler offers competitive compensation for all full-time, part-time and per-diem employees. In addition, full-time employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
- Health/Dental/Prescription Plan
- 401(k) Plan
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Paid Sick Time (PST)
- Continuing Education Programs
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Life Insurance Coverage
- Long Term Disability (LTD)
- Personal & Family Medical Leave
- Employee Assistance Program
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Direct Deposit
View a listing of current job openings at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.
For more information or to submit your resume, contact Kessler Human Resources:
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation
1199 Pleasant Valley Way
West Orange, New Jersey 07052
All resumes are evaluated and matched against open positions. Appropriate candidates will be contacted.


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A plane carrying a top Russian ice hockey team crashed on its way to the season's opening game on Wednesday, killing all but one of its players and several former National Hockey League stars.
At least 43 of the 45 onboard the Minsk-boand flight were killed in the crash carrying the professional Lokomotiv team, according to The Associated Press. The two survivors-- a crew member and 26-year-old forward Alexander Galimov--are in serious condition, officials said.
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which plays in the Kontinental Hockey League, includes several former NHL players. Pavol Demitra, 36, a perennial all-star and former member of the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild, was a member of the team.
Other members of the Lokomotiv team included former Rangers defenseman Karel Rachůnek, 32; 36-year-old veteran NHL defenseman Ruslan Salei, who recently played for Detroit; and 37-year-old Karlis Skrastins, who played most recently for the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars. Center Josef Vasicek, 30, also played for the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders from 2005-2008. Alexandr Vayunov was a highly-touted NHL prospect and played a few games for the New Jersey Devils.
U.S. & World
Head coach Brad McCrimmon, a 52-year-old Canadian, also played for a number of NHL teams for an 18-year stretch in the 80's and 90's. He won the Stanley Cup in 1989 with the Calgary Flames and was an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings before leading Lokomotiv.
The Yak-42 passenger plane caught fire shortly after takeoff from the central Russian city Yaroslavl and crashed into a riverbank.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has announce plans to take aging Soviet-built planes out of service beginning next year, The Associated press reports.The Yak-42 has been in service from 1980.
Another Russian passenger jet had crashed in the northwestern city of Petrozavodsk in June, killing 47 people. Pilot error was blamed for the accident.
The KHL, which includes teams from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Latvia and Slovakia, has aggressively courted former NHL players, including all-time great Jaromir Jagr.


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Marfan's syndrome is an inherited disorder that causes problems in
the connective tissues of the blood vessels, heart, and eyes, and affects the
muscles, ligaments, bones, and tendons. People with Marfan's syndrome tend to
be tall and thin with long arms, legs, fingers, and toes.
Because of problems with their connective tissues, people who have Marfan's syndrome are at risk of:
Treatment for Marfan's syndrome includes treating specific problems
related to the connective tissue disease, such as heart problems.
Last Revised:
November 2, 2011
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Rakesh K. Pai, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology & Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


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Judy Martin is laughing as she remembers the driving motivation behind a wrestling career that spanned two decades. "I really didn't want to work an eight-hour job," she recalled. "I wanted something a little different."
As it turned out, Martin got something different, and then some. As one of the top woman stars of the 1980s, she traveled around the world, played a featured role in major par-per-views, and even wrestled in a rare women versus men tag team match.
Throw a world tag team title and several tours of Japan and Mexico, and you had a first-rate career when women's wrestling really meant something. "I loved it," she said. "I gave 100 percent every time I turned to walk in that ring."
Martin will be making her first wrestling-related appearance this weekend as part of the three-day NWA Legends Fanfest in Charlotte, N.C. She'll be among more than 50 wrestlers signing autographs and mixing with fans at promoter Greg Price's event.
Also on tap are two night of live wrestling cards, including the final in-ring bout of Tully Blanchard as he takes on Dustin Rhodes; question-and-answer sessions with Ted DiBiase and members of wrestling's Four Horsemen; and Price's first-eve Hall of Heroes banquet to honor the careers of many NWA greats.
Given that whirlwind of activity, Martin said she's looking forward to the short drive from her South Carolina home to see old friends and meet new acquaintances. "I'm very excited about it. I think it's going to be a wonderful time."
It's also a long way from her introduction to wrestling, when she approached Blackjack Mulligan and Dick Murdoch after a show in Columbia, S.C., to learn a little bit about the sport.
"I didn't know women could do this," she told the pros. Mulligan quickly responded that not only were women welcome, but The Fabulous Moolah ran a training facility for them in Columbia. Just as quickly, though, he warned Martin wouldn't make it in the business -- one squeeze of his massive hand and he figured she lacked the requisite strength.
Undeterred, Martin, who had played volleyball in school, hooked up with Moolah, Joyce Grable, and Leilani Kai in 1979 to learn the ropes of the business. "It was tough, but I enjoyed it," she said. "I spent most of my days in the ring and most of my nights trying not to hurt."
Martin started out in Japan, which she said was "a little overwhelming at first ... It bothered me at first. The Japanese fans didn't clap, at least for the first few minutes. They'd be so interested; it was like they were trying to figure out all the moves. I got into later," she said.
Martin entered the WWF on a regular basis in late 1981, teaming with Candy Malloy, and stayed in the federation for at least part of the year for the rest of the 1980s. That, she said, was a true golden era for women's wrestling, with a roster that included Wendi Richter, the Jumping Bomb Angels, the Crush Girls, Velvet McIntyre, Rockin' Robin Smith, and many more.
It also was appealing to fans because no two girls wrestled exactly in the same manner, so they appealed to fans in a lot of ways. "It was a wonderful group of wrestlers," she said. "No two people worked alike. Everyone had a little different style."
For Martin, who usually worked the heel side of the ledger, her "Glamour Girl" pairing with Kai was probably the pinnacle of her time in the WWF. The team, managed by Jimmy Hart, was awarded the women's tag belts in 1985 and successfully defended them until January 1988, when they lost to the Jumping Bomb Angels.
The pair again won the belts in June 1988 and held them until the federation phased out the women's division in 1989, just after Martin spent the first six months of the year chasing Robin's singles title.
As she looks back, Martin thinks WWE Chairman Vince McMahon missed the boat by scrapping women's wrestling, which eventually returned in the form of today's divas.
"Vince said he wasn't going to use girls," she said. "Honestly, I think if he gave the girls the exposure he did the guys, we would have done very well. There was a lot of talent there and I think it was a mistake."
Martin headed briefly to the American Wrestling Association in 1989 and worked for a while in World Championship Wrestling before it, too, scrapped traditional women's wrestling in favor of something that resembles swimsuit models for Maxim. She teamed again with Kai in the Ladies Professional Wrestling Association, where Adnan Alkaissy served as their manager.
She later briefly held the Professional Girl Wrestling Association title in 1999 as the result of a mixed tag team match when her partner, Thunderfoot, pinned George South, partner of champ Susan Green.
"I watched a few weeks ago and I said, 'Oh, my goodness!' It is totally different now. I don't think I would have been interested in it."
Martin worked for several years in law enforcement and currently transcribes medical records. No crowd roars there, of course, but "it's a lot safer than what I was doing!"
For more on the NWA Legends Fanfest, go to NWALegends.com.
Steven Johnson is a writer and editor in Virginia and, with Greg Oliver, co-author of The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams and The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels. He can be contacted at email@example.com.


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(CBS News) The image of President Abraham Lincoln is usually that of a tall man with a booming voice.
But in the new movie "Lincoln," which opens Friday, audiences will see that familiar image, but they're going to hear something different.
Pictures: Acting as Abe: Actors who have played Abraham Lincoln
Pictures: Iconic Lincoln portraits
Scores of actors have portrayed the United States' 16th president on film and television over the years. Although they all strived to look the part, using ample photographic evidence, none of them ever knew if they were able to capture the true voice of one of America's greatest orators.
Lincoln historian Harold Holzer explained to CBS News, "He died long before audio recording was possible, so we have no hints about what he really sounded like except in the reminiscences of his contemporaries."
Holzer, who has studied that written record extensively as chairman of the Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration, said in his view, the actors have mostly gotten it wrong.
Holzer said Gregory Peck's portrayal in "The Blue and the Gray" 1982 miniseries is "much too deep!"
As for legendary actor Henry Fonda's portrayal, Holzer said, "Henry Fonda sounds like Henry Fonda. It's one of the best voices that ever was, but it's Nebraska, it's not Indiana or Kentucky."
Referring to Hal Holbrook's Lincoln in the six-hour TV series "Sandburg's Lincoln" Holzer said, " "None of these actors, maybe with the exception of Holbrook, ever really worked on the accent."
That is, until now.
In Steven Spielberg's new film "Lincoln," Daniel Day-Lewis takes on the larger-than-life character who, according to historians, had a smaller-than-expected voice.
"The most frequent things we read are that, he had a nasal voice, a high voice, but that somehow, miraculously, it floated over large crowds," Holzer said.
The Oscar-winning actor settled on a high-pitched, almost scratchy tone, very different from the deep, booming quality audiences have come to expect from pop culture. No one expected Day-Lewis to channel the Lincoln depiction in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," but some early audiences are still surprised by his voice.
At a Time magazine panel discussion last month, he tried to explain where it came from. Day-Lewis said, "Well, you look for the clues, as within any aspect of the work, you search for the clues, and there were plenty of them, but for me, if I'm very lucky, at a given moment, I begin to hear a voice, not in the supernatural sense, but in my inner ear, and then the work begins to try to reproduce that sound."
Holzer said, "I think it's extraordinary. I think it's uncanny, and I think it's chilling, and I wish we can have somebody come back from the 1860s and say, 'That's the guy!'"
Day-Lewis is famous for disappearing inside his roles, from a wrongly-imprisoned Irishman in "In the Name of the Father," to a ruthless New York gang leader in "Gangs of New York," to a 19th century California oil baron in "There Will Be Blood." He says finding the voice is always a vital part of his process. He said of developing his Lincoln voice, "I began to hear a voice that, as I grew closer to the man, that seemed to give me the full expression of his character."
With "Lincoln," that expression is winning over movie-goers much more demanding than film critics: historians.
Holzer said, "We wish we could hear him, and I think this is about as close as we're ever gonna come"
Watch Seth Doane's full report in the video above.
Recreating Lincoln for Spielberg's film was based in part on the best-selling book "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln." It's published by Simon & Schuster, a division of CBS. "TEam of Rivals" is the featured book for "CTM Reads." The author Doris Kearns Goodwin will join "CBS This Morning" on the web Monday for a Google+ Hangout. She'll discuss the book and her consulting for the film. Go here to find out how you can join the conversation.


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LITTLE ROCK — The House voted Wednesday to override Gov. Mike Beebe's veto of a bill that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks.
A day after Beebe voided House Bill 1037, saying it likely was unconstitutional, the House voted 53-28 to override his veto.
The Senate has scheduled an override vote for Thursday, when a separate abortion bill that would ban the procedure at 12 weeks also will be before the chamber for final legislative consideration.
Beebe has not said what action he would take if the second measure reached his desk, but the governor has said Senate Bill 134 by Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Conway, is more questionable than Mayberry's bill.
Overriding a gubernatorial veto takes a simple majority of both chambers in Arkansas — 51 votes in the House and 18 votes in the Senate. HB1037 by Rep. Andy Mayberry, R-Hensley, passed the House 80-10 and passed the Senate 25-7.
The override passed Wednesday in almost a straight party-line vote, with just two Democrats, Reps. John Catlett of Rover and Jodi Dickinson of Newport, voting "yes" with the House's 51 Republicans. Both had voted for the bill previously.
House Speaker Davy Carter, R-Cabot, who did not vote on the bill when it was in the House previously and does not vote on most bills, voted for the override.
In his veto message Tuesday, Beebe said bill goes against U.S. Supreme Court precedent legalizing abortions performed before fetal viability, or the point at which a fetus can live outside the womb, usually 23-24 weeks.
The governor also referred to the cost to the state of defending a constitutionally suspect law against litigation.
HB 1037 would ban abortions at 20 weeks, the point at which the bill claims a fetus is capable of feeling pain. It includes exceptions for rape, incest and pregnancies that endanger the mother's life or could cause irreversible physical impairment.
Speaking on the House floor Wednesday, Mayberry called HB1037 "a bill that saves baby's lives."
"These are babies who are capable of feeling pain. The methods used to abort those pregnancies are excruciatingly painful," he said.
Mayberry argued that the bill is constitutional, noting that a federal judge in Arizona has upheld a similar law. That ruling is being appealed.
"We're not passing bad law here. We're passing good law," Mayberry said.
Rep. Randy Alexander, R-Fayetteville, spoke in support of the override, urging members to resist pressure from the governor to let his override stand.
"I have a very difficult time understanding how someone could vote for a bill like this one week and against it the next, I don't care who's leaning on you," he said.
No one spoke against the override.
Mayberry told reporters later that he decided to take the earliest possible opportunity to request an override after talking to members and getting "some warning signals that it … might be extremely close." He said he did some quick leg work and learned that he had enough votes for an override.
Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said Wednesday that the governor "made the best case that he could on the legal concerns with the bill and what he thinks will happen if it becomes law, but the Legislature gets the final say."
Carter told reporters that although he had not voted for the bill previously, he supported it. He said the bill was supported by a vast majority of House members, but the vote on overriding the veto was "obviously a pretty close vote."
A lawyer, Carter said he respects the governor but disagrees with his constitutional concerns.
"We've got a federal district court in Arizona that has opined that (similar) legislation is constitutional," he said.
Rita Sklar, executive director of the Arkansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the ACLU is preparing for litigation to challenge the law.
"If this bill becomes law, women's lives and well-being will be in danger, that could have been prevented today. It's unfortunate that it wasn't," she said.
Earlier Wednesday in a 5-2 vote, the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee endorsed a House amendment to SB 134 by Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Conway.
The bill would require a woman seeking an abortion at 12 weeks of gestation or later to undergo an abdominal ultrasound to check for a fetal heartbeat, and it would prohibit an abortion if a heartbeat is detected.
The amendment removed a provision that would have authorized a felony charge against a doctor that violated the law and replaced it with loss of the doctor's medical license. It also adds an exception in the case of a fetal anomaly that would not allow the child to live after birth.
Rapert said he spoke with Beebe about the governor's concerns about the bill.
"The governor has his own conscience," he said. "I think probably the best route would be that he just simply not sign the bill and let it become law, if that's what he decides to do. If he doesn't, then we'll override the veto and it'll become law in the state of Arkansas."


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Research Days
11 a.m.-noon Friday, April 19, Mandela Room
Camille Adolphe, junior, human development; Shira Anis, junior, anthropology; Caitlin Bonnaci, junior, biological sciences; Teddy Gyamfi, senior, Africana studies; Lauren Johnson, senior, sociology and Africana studies; John Moran, sophomore, psychology; and Nouha Saeed, junior, sociology
Advisor: Titilayo Okoror, Associate Professor/Director of Undergraduate Studies, Africana Studies
Implementing an Orientation Program for Refugees Experiences from Working with a Kurdish Family in Binghamton, New York
On average, 60,000 refugees are resettled in the US. Research shows that refugees faced a number challenges when they arrive in a new country. In collaboration with the American Civic Association (ACA) in Binghamton, we conducted four orientation sessions with a Kurdish refugee family of four (father, mother and 2 teenagers) as part to the efforts to resettle them in the Binghamton area. The orientation sessions included information on safety, cultural adjustment, employment and health maintenance. We kept a field journal about of our experiences of working with them and their experiences of moving and settling in a new country. Our findings and experiences will be presented at the poster event.
Download poster presentation (.pptx, 401kb)
Kasey Bizzaro, junior, biological sciences; Cynthia Bortsie-Ansah, junior, biological sciences and Africana studies; Fedia Louis, senior, sociology; Shekima McNair, senior, Africana studies; Tara Perkins, junior, bioengineering; Toycia Pinnock, senior, biological sciences; and Jillian Shotwell, junior, environmental studies and geography
Students' Experiences of Working with a Resettled Kurdish Refugee Family in Greater Binghamton, NY
The American Civic Association (ACA) resettles about 25 refugees and/or immigrants families in the Binghamton area each year. As part of the ACA efforts to increase seamless resettlement into the area, students in a Refugee and Immigrant Health course (AFST 387A) implemented an orientation program with a Kurdish family with 2.5 children (father, pregnant mother, and 2 children). The orientation provided information on the role of resettlement agency, employment, health and public assistance among other things. We kept a field journal about our interactions and experiences of working with them. We will present our findings during the poster event.
Download poster presentation (.pptx, 299kb)
Photos from Research Days 2013
Graduate Recognition Ceremony is held annually. More information to follow. Click here to view photos
Holiday Meet and Greet
Annual event held to promote our commitment to students and their alliance with faculty and staff.
Conferences, workshops and colloquia:
- The New African Diaspora: Assessing the Pains and Gains of Exile
- Conference poster (.pdf,138.0KB)
The African diaspora:
- African origins and new world self-fashioning (an international conference)
- Motherhood as verb (a regional conference)
Campus-wide Dean's Workshops
- Cultural epistemologies of motherhood: Additional information (coming soon)
Globalization, democratization and transition in the developing world:
- Additional information (.doc, 8.90KB)
- Globalization interdisciplinary knowledge
- Africana studies workshop


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EUROSENSE provides highly accurate, technologically advanced and integrated solutions as well as training and consultancy in a broad variety of disciplines.
The policy of EUROSENSE is to be an efficient provider of geo-information services and products in the domains mentioned above. Efficient has to be understood as: in time, within the specifications and within the budget.
All steps of the production process, from data acquisition to the final report are integrated within the EUROSENSE group, thus ensuring the highest quality based on several years of international experience.
Since 1996 EUROSENSE operates according to the ISO 9001 standard. EUROSENSEs approved ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System requires a strictly documented quality control in all steps of the sales, production and delivery chain. The functioning of the company is concentrating on a continuous improvement focusing on the real and latent needs of the customers.
The Quality Management System is the tool to manage the quality policy of the company and has a three level structure:
1. The Quality Manual: including the scope of the ISO system; the quality policy declaration of the company; the organization structure; the definition of the processes and their interactions and a reference to the documented quality system and its procedures.
2. The System Procedures: each of these ISO-procedures describes a process. All important processes of the EUROSENSE organization in the domain of sales, production, delivery, technical support and competence, subcontracting, customer focus, human resources,
are clearly defined, documented and monitored for continuous improvement
3. The Support Documentation: Work and Quality Instructions (WQIs) contain the information required for the work execution and the quality control. WQIs often refer to forms or technical log sheets that must be completed. These forms are also part of the quality system and have to be handled in a controlled way. External documents (e.g. quality requirements from the client) are integrated in the WQIs if necessary.
All phases of the production of a good or the delivery of a service have to be finished within the documented quality system. The next technological step cannot be started before the declaration that the quality control procedure of the previous step is done and the quality of the finished step is acceptable for further processing.
Non-compliances are documented and managed according to our ISO 9001:2008 regulations by means of preventive and corrective actions e.g. in case customer remarks or complaints.
Customer satisfaction confirms the quality delivered by EUROSENSE.
This ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System is subject of continuous improvement.
The Netherlands
Remote Sensing Applications


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Classes are currently being taught online. All physical facilities are closed to the public at this time, and employees are working remotely.Please visit
dcccd.edu/coronavirus for additional information and to
find contact information for various departments.If you need additional assistance, please visit
My Community Services and our
Community Employment Resources.
[ Music ] >> [Background Music]
It's great to be here.
And thank all of you for taking time this afternoon to spend a little time with me, and hopefully we can have a little dialogue as we talk about not only where we've been as the Dallas County Community College District but where we're headed in the future.
You know, I've spent the last year, it's hard to believe that this is officially months since I came to Dallas.
And it has been such a great period of time.
I've been able to talk to thousands of people over the course of the last year.
Both many of you and those within the Dallas County Community College District family, community members, business leaders, political leaders, others that really care about what we do and why we do it.
And over the course of the past year I've come to really realize something that I think is important that I have started to call kind of internally to our folks - the DCCCD way or the Dallas County Community College way because I think there is something very special about the district, about our colleges, out about people that make us unique not only I think in community colleges, but really unique in higher education and every business.
And it really comes down to what we stand for, what we're about, and it's all of you.
And it's our faculty and staff and others who make us who we are today.
And as I have reflected on it.
I am going to try to kind of condense down what I think is the very reason why that was mentioned years ago.
The citizens of Dallas County took forth on a journey that they didn't know what the outcome would be.
But they knew full well why they were starting that journey and what they wanted to see accomplished.
And I am going to try to summarize that today maybe in some comments and statements and then how we've gone forward from that point in time and how we'll need to go forward in the future in order to meet the needs of the individuals that we serve, our employers throughout the district, and most importantly perhaps our neighborhoods and communities.
And that's kind of where I will start.
In fact, I was reminded this morning as I was meeting with the mayor of one of the towns within Dallas County and talking about their community and what their vision was for the community, I realize that number one reason why we were created is really to prepare communities to succeed.
It was realized that they were changing and that we needed to be a part of it.
Number two also came up this morning is that in order to be successful today, businesses also need to prosper.
And part of our reason was to help businesses prosper by working with them.
The third reason we were created was to inspire individuals to achieve.
It was coming up on a time when higher education was more and more important to everyone, and we were really put in place not only to be accessible but to be inspirational to others.
And then to ensure a high quality of life for all, which is what we want for ourselves and our families.
Does that make sense?
Any of those items?
And I want to talk about each of them just a little bit more if I could.
And I'd love to get your thoughts as it relates to it because I do think this really describes why we exist not only today, but why we were created years ago in order to meet the needs of the community.
And I think as we look to the future, it's really time to fall back somewhat and make sure that we are continuing to emphasize those areas and the reasons why we were created to begin with.
Well, let me start.
I think that preparing communities to succeed, you know, as we look at the changing demographics that's occurring throughout our district, I've talked before about the growth of poverty at the same time.
We see tremendous job growth.
Meeting with some mayors that aren't sure what they're going to do to provide the employees to meet the needs of their changing community, how are the houses going to be built while others are saying we've got lots of space, we just need more jobs for people in the area.
And so that part of what we need to continue to work with is to really focus on how do we deal with the poverty issues?
How do we deal with literacy issues of our communities?
How do we work with the lack of education and partner with public schools in order to make sure that we are not only preparing people for higher education, but we're preparing them for life as well?
And what about the skills gap that exist between the skills of individuals and the needs of employers.
So, as we look at preparing communities to succeed, it means that we need to have our antenna up all the time about the new challenges as well as the opportunities and how we can partner in unique ways to make sure that we're responding to the needs of the communities that we serve.
And as I travel throughout the district and I talk to elected officials, they always put this at the top of the list that we want to be a vibrant community and that we want to be thriving and we want to be growing.
And they always say, "And you're our primary partner in order to get there.
" And then invariably they start naming the names of individuals who are helping them achieve their goals and objectives of where they're going.
And then let's kind of, that really moves right into something similar but different.
And us helping businesses to prosper.
When we were created, Dallas was a very different economy than it is today.
Many of the businesses that are now big business today were small businesses then.
Some that were big business then don't exist today in our community.
We've seen companies come and go.
Right now we're really in a unique time when we're seeing tremendous job growth.
Depending on who you talk to, we're either number two or number three in the nation in terms of job growth.
And that's, will probably continue for the few years even though they're predicting a slow down.
But what that means is that businesses are prospering.
And it's when business prosper that they create jobs.
It's when they create jobs that we are able to have the, support the needs of our students, our family, and be able to really build the communities that we want to live in.
So, increasingly we're finding ourselves as we work with businesses more today than perhaps any time in history that this needs to be more closely connected to their goals and objectives than ever before.
And that also businesses are going to migrate to communities where they believe that they can be successful.
Why would you go somewhere where you didn't think you could be successful?
Well, they're not.
And what we need to be is a part of that conversation.
Again, as I have talked to mayors and other elected officials, they tell me over and over again, number one concern of companies wanting to relocate to our communities is can they find the workforce they need in order to be successful.
And if we don't fill that role, who will?
There really is no Plan B.
The third is inspiring individuals to achieve.
Who doesn't like to be inspired?
And I suspect if I were to go through this room today and ask you to reflect back on your educational journey, many of you, if not all of you, could probably tell me about someone at a point in time that inspired you.
Have you had that experience?
And you recall that happening?
Well, me too.
And I can tell you I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for several people in my life including my mother, to begin with, but to teachers in high school, to faculty members in college, to counselors in college, advisors, others in my career that along the way inspired me to do more and to do better and to achieve and to set goals.
And, you know, one of the things that I am struck with each year as I participate in commencements throughout the district, I talk to students who walk across the stage as they shake my hand, and we'll often not have a time for a conversation, but I'll follow up after that.
And they will begin to tell me a story.
And their story almost always involves an individual faculty member, a staff member, sometimes a professional support staff member who went out of their way.
I can recall students telling me how they showed up and they had no idea where to go.
They walked in the wrong door, and if it wasn't for someone walking out, taking them by the hand and saying, "Come with me.
I am going to take you to where we can help you enroll and register for classes," they wouldn't be graduating that night.
Sometimes it's that single act of inspiration.
And as I have talked to students, I've talked to former students, I've talked to employers, and time and time again they said, "What's special about the Dallas County Community College District and our colleges?
" And it's that people inspired me.
You know, I saw that years ago when I stepped into a classroom at Cedar Valley College as an adjunct family member.
And on one hand I was terrified.
On the other I saw that the students inspired me, but I realized I had a role to play in inspiring them as well.
And it's a role that I took seriously as I worked on my career.
And so today, if you think about our colleges, often when we talk about access, it really is about how do we create an environment that is void of barriers, that is inviting to all and inspirational to all?
And fourth, I think we're created to ensure a high quality of life for everyone.
You know, I, and I think about this because we see this come up and surveys over and over again about why people choose communities.
They want a high quality of life.
And Dallas scores very high on that today for a lot of reasons.
And I think especially because of the Dallas County Community College District.
Because it's not just about theater.
It's not just about fine arts.
It's not just about shopping opportunities and recreational opportunities.
It is also an important part of that or about educational opportunities.
And especially related to programs in which we play a role.
You cannot have a high quality of life in a community unless you have good health care.
Well, who provides the nurses?
Who provides the health care professionals today?
Most of them come from the Dallas County Community College District.
Teachers, you can't have high quality of life unless you have a good educational system.
Who provides the teachers today in Dallas County?
They start in our doors, and they transfer to a four-year college or university where they earn a degree.
We also, through our fine arts programs, through our community engagement and recreational programs, through our athletic programs all contribute to the quality of life and all make it a better place for everyone to live.
So, as a I think about the Dallas County Community College District and what I started to call the DCCCD way, that way is really about why we exist and what we do.
To prepare communities succeed, to help businesses prosper, to inspire individuals to achieve, and to ensure a high quality of life for all.
Does that say who we are and what we're about?
I think it does.
And I'm, you know, as I have said over the year, I've really been trying to gather this in so I could summarize what I think is special about us so that not only could I communicate that to others but so that we could communicate it and share it with each other because I think from time to time, it's real easy to get bogged down in the day to day activities and forget the why, why we exist, why we were created, and why we will be here in the future in order to meet the needs of the people that we are so blessed and honored to serve.
And I thought I would also share, OK, so this is why we exist.
And as I reflect back, we've gone through years of investing in facilities, building campuses, creating colleges, starting new programs, closing programs, adding and growing all the while as we serve more and more people until this year, we're serving about credit students this semester.
We're going to be serving about another non-credit.
And as we add adult education in, we're going to see this growing to the point that we're going to be serving about a year for the upcoming year.
That's a lot of people that we touch and that we impact.
And frankly that's really in our care as we look at helping them meet their needs.
But it's not just that.
It's our responsibility going back to the communities we serve, to the employers as well as the individual and ultimately the neighborhoods that exist where we want our children and grandchildren to live and to thrive.
So, as we look at continuing this mission, it occurs to me that there are four ways, things that we need to be really focusing on in order to get there.
And I thought I'd share those with you today as well.
I believe that in the future it's going to be able personalization, alignment, innovation, and scale.
And let me tell you what I mean by each of those.
Let me start with personalization.
I think all of us know that as we live our life we kind of want things on our terms, right?
I know as I get older that's certainly the case for me.
And we find that our students increasingly are coming to us on their terms as well.
Everyone is unique.
Everyone has a different background.
I was just talking to two of our students who are out of the military.
And so there's a unique set of experiences that they bring with them into the college.
And so as we look at, I believe, more and more the need to personalize the educational experience, I think that's going to be disruptive somewhat to the overall district and to the way we do things so that we're making sure that individuals meet their needs as well.
And so we are, as we know, students come to us every single day wanting a fresh start.
I was talking to some students just last week that described their experience in high school.
It wasn't good.
And as they got ready to transition they said, "You know what?
I'm going to start all over.
I have a chance to come to college and rewrite my future.
" And they did.
And they took what, if you looked at their high school background and compared it to their college background, you wouldn't even know they were the same person when you look at their transcripts and what they've done.
That's the beauty that we play that what you did in the past doesn't determine your future.
We also know that many people have accumulated years of learning and experience.
Certainly that's the case if you've been in the military.
You had a little bit of training, right [laughter]?
Along the way.
And educational programs as well.
Well, one of the things that I think is about to be another very disruptive aspect to higher education is competency-based education because competency-based education is basically saying everyone has equity in their educational experience in life.
And it's all about how do we recognize that previous equity whether it was learning that was done on the job, in the military, whether it was training at work, or just learning that I took up on my own initiative to acquire a knowledge, skill, or ability that would make me feel better about myself.
In fact, now we have a way to convert that into college credit that the equity that you've gained throughout your life doesn't have to be lost.
You know, we've always looked at starting college was kind, of like starting all over, right?
You finish one thing.
You started another.
And you built on that.
Well, that doesn't have to be the case.
And what's really changed with that is the fact that the federal government now says that there's a way for students who are going through competency-based programs and receiving credit for direct assessment to get, be eligible for Title or financial aid benefits.
So, that's exciting for us as we look at the future because we know the military has been used competency-based education for generations.
We know that the employers have been using it for years and built their training on it.
We've stayed away from it because of one simple fact.
Students couldn't get financial aid.
That barrier now is being broken down and eliminated which gives us the opportunity.
And then so as we look at personalization, it goes far beyond even competency-based.
It goes beyond being able to recognize students where they are and on their own terms.
It also means that we're increasingly mobile and using devices, handheld devices, mobile devices, and others to meet the needs.
So, we're going to be looking in the future at really how we can leverage technology, how we can leverage the past experience of an individual, and how we can build towards success for all student and meet the needs of not only the students, employers, and communities as well.
The other is alignment, second on it.
And alignment is so critical today that when we first started out as a district, I think alignment meant one simple thing.
It meant, how do we align our programs with school districts so that students graduating from high school can walk through our doors?
And we had a few other areas where we may have thought about alignment.
But today it is much broader, and I think more important in that area.
And, of course, we've got to continue to align with the public schools.
That's very important.
They are our largest partner through our early college high schools, through Richland Collegiate High School, through dual enrollment programs throughout the district.
We now serve somewhere around students every semester who are in high school.
So, this means that alignment can't just be good, it's got to be perfect.
Otherwise we waste their time and money and our resources as well.
So, we're going to continue to work closely.
And one of the things we want to see is expanding early college high schools, adding more because they work.
And they create an alignment that is as close to perfect as anything that we've ever had with K.
The other is with employers.
If we are going to really help businesses to prosper, we can't just guess at what their workforce needs are.
We have to know what they are.
And we have to spend time with them.
We've invested in a convening center that Mary Brumbach is now heading back.
We've trained I think about people here at the LeCroy Center to be able to do compression planning around the district.
And we're starting to really roll as we're meeting with employers throughout the area and talking about their workforce needs and the challenges they face finding the skilled people that they need in order to prosper as a business.
And we know that when we get that right, our students will also prosper.
I'm really astounded at the salaries that many of our students can and graduates can make if they are closely aligned with the needs of business and industry.
And I think we also have to have clear pathways within our colleges.
That's another aspect of alignment that when a student starts, they often don't know what the end goal is going to be.
I mean, if I were to ask all of you today how many of you knew that at the moment you graduated from high school and you could project into the future to today that this is where you would be and what you'd be doing and this is what your job would be, well, no.
We don't know, do we?
We don't know.
What we know is that we start on a journey, and we hope someone is looking after us on that journey to create a pathway that we can follow that we don't have to figure out.
That someone is thinking for us.
So, we're going to be looking more closely at what pathways are available to students so that if they start at one place and they have the opportunity to end up where they might not have ever dreamed they could be, but we need to be dreaming for them and frankly helping them aspire as part of that inspiration, that we want people to scale up their dreams, that most people have the opportunity to succeed that's greater than their vision.
And what we need to do is help them see that vision.
And, of course, we'll continue to partner with the universities also for alignment.
That's another one as we look at the transfer.
We have more and more students that are transferring.
And we've got to make sure that those align.
So, number two is alignment.
Number three way that we will move to the future and meet the needs is through innovation.
And I believe this is really about creating programs and services that meet the needs of a changing workforce, of a changing society, of a changing culture, of changing demographics, and the changing needs of our students.
You know, I am struck today that we have five generations of students enrolled at our colleges in the Dallas County Community College District.
No one set of programs or services can meet the needs of five generations.
It's going to mean that we are going to have to become innovative at how we work with various individuals, various groups, and to be able to sit down and to freely discuss in a way that we haven't before that I think the barriers and challenges that different populations, different individuals face, that those that employers face.
You know, I think we sometimes realize that we are not seeing certain students enroll from certain backgrounds, or we're not working with certain employers, but we really haven't stopped to ask why is that the case.
And we've got to do that in the future because our entire community depends on it.
You know, we've, I've talked before about the need to serve what I call the non-consumers.
Those individuals who just aren't buying what we're selling.
And they haven't connected the dots between where they are, which is generally not good, to where they want to be, which is a lot better, and that we play the role in making those two come together by providing them the educational opportunity in order for them to be successful.
We'll, we've got to figure out ways to do that.
And I think we've got to be able to take some risk in order to do that.
We've got to try some new ideas.
And we've got to find some ways to bring people in at a starting point that we might not have done in the past because we are realizing that many of these individuals don't have the academic background, the educational background.
They don't have the confidence in themselves in order to be successful.
You know, even when they come in the doors I think sometimes we've got to find innovative ways to include them.
I talk to students all the time.
And I've started asking a question occasionally to students how many of you have ever felt like that you were sitting in a classroom and you were an imposter?
Some of you may have felt that when you were in school.
I don't belong here.
Well, it turns out that's a lot of our students.
And of the non-consumers, it is most of them because the reason why they don't come is they just don't believe they belong.
They don't believe they fit in.
They don't believe they're welcome.
And they don't believe that we're the place for them.
So, we've got to find ways to reach out and make that happen, how to partner, collaborate, to share ideas, to work together.
As we look at meeting some of these needs, we're changing how we do funding as we go forward so that we're making available what I am calling risk capital or innovation dollars that's in the budget.
This year we set aside money in the district budget just for colleges or for others within the district who have great ideas of how to do something new, how to do something different, how to reach a new population, that we want to be able to fund that without going through a long bureaucratic process.
And without having forms to fill out.
But basically, let's get out and try something to see if we can make a difference because it's too important for us to wait in this case until we know we need to know.
We are not going to get this one perfect.
We may need to get alignment perfect.
But when it comes to reaching others, we've got to try things and see what works and help meet the needs of individuals.
We also need to continue to figure out how to remove barriers and find innovative ways.
We are going to be doing something here coming up related to a contract with our bookstores that's very different.
We have said that no longer will we take dollars from the bookstore vendors.
Rather, we're going to pass that savings on to students.
So, you'll see coming up an item whereby we're going to be saving students over $ in the course of their degree in the cost of books by just how we do the contract.
And we're going to free up our own faculty and staff and give them the ability to tell students when they can get a book cheaper from some other source.
We have not been able to do that in the past.
So, this is just an example.
And then as we look at down the road, I think what I am calling or others have called the creative comments.
How can we open source and share content in different ways so that we continue to provide high quality education and reduce the cost?
I don't know what we'll come up with.
But I am convinced that our faculty, staff, and professional support staff as well as administrators all have great ideas.
And what we need is a way to cultivate those, and to grow those so that we can make them come to life.
And the fourth, scale.
And in some ways that's the hardest and perhaps in many ways the most important because today we're still not having the impact that we need throughout the entire community that we serve.
We know that today that's one out of ever four individuals, adults that we see in Dallas County does not have a high school diploma.
We know that those individuals are underemployed.
We know that we can't grow the economy if we can't find a way to reach more and to bring them in the doors, which means going back to innovation, alignment, and personalization.
It is going to be part of how we get there.
So, it comes together so that while I'm proud of the fact that we're going to be serving about students this year across the district, I really look to a future when we can see that number grow, that we can impact more.
And that we can not only bring more in the door but more importantly have individuals leave us with the credentials, the awards, and the degrees that they need in order to have the life that they want.
So, as we look at kind of where we are headed as the district, our board is now engaged in an annual planning process.
And they have really focused for as we look to the future, and they are putting together the plan now, on focusing on how we can personalize the educational experience not only for students but for employees as well.
Alignment with the needs of both employers, school districts, and universities.
Innovation through the Board Innovation Fund that has been created.
And grow the scale.
So, as we look at the priorities, what we see is that those are really the focus of the board.
So, I think for the district, as I look where we've been over years, look to the future to where we are going, I really think now is the best time to be a part of the district.
Now is a time for us to look at and build upon the past, but point to a future where we can really make a difference in the lives of individuals, growing our business partners, helping the overall quality of life improve throughout the county that we serve.
And so as we look to the future, we're going to be looking for ideas that you may have.
We're, right now the board has agreed that we need to look at four-year degrees as we go forward.
Pretty innovative.
Pretty risky.
And something very different for our community colleges.
So, we're going to be proposing the implementation of a four-year degree in early childhood education to address the area of teacher shortage.
We're also going to be looking at expanding training and opportunities in fields such as construction, such as automotive technology, health care, and others.
One of the proposals that we will be bringing back to the board very soon is to implement something that we call single stop U.S.A.
And you've heard me talk about that before as a way of really personalizing the educational experience of every student by taking them exactly where they are and pointing them towards services that we may not have available in the district but that are available in our community whether it be food stamps, whether it be transportation vouchers, whether it be health care assistance, whether it be legal assistance.
Whatever that is, we can make that available to them through that program.
And then also we want to make sure that we are using the taxpayers' dollars wisely.
We are going to be investing in a labor market intelligent center within the district that will give us up to date information about where the jobs as, where we'll see them go in the future, and how we need to align our resources to meet the needs.
You know, as I look to the future, I do think this DCCCD way will guide us as we go forward, as we prepare communities to succeed, as we help businesses to prosper, as we inspire individuals to achieve, and as we create a high quality of life for all people within the district.
I'm excited to be a part of it.
And I'm looking forward to seeing what happens not just next year but as we build the pathway for the next years as well.
Thank you so much.
[ Applause ] [ Music ]


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FOOTBALL: Xavier carries champion's burden into new season
MIDDLETOWN -- So what will the Xavier Falcons do for an encore?
It's going to be tough to match the past two seasons, campaigns which saw Xavier go 26-0, win two Class LL championships and twice find itself named the state's No. 1 team.
"We'll be competitive," said 11-year coach Sean Marinan Sr. "We can play with anybody. But I don't know if we have the hunger, the mindset, necessary for the fourth quarter. We're capable of going back to the playoffs and we expect to, but we need to find out where the kids are mentally."
Xavier, which wasn't challenged last season, lost 20 seniors to graduation.
"We're not just replacing kids who graduated," said Marinan. "We're replacing some very talented kids. We have an awful lot of inexperience, even though we will be playing a lot of seniors. Right now we're a work in progress. We're trying to put kids in positions where they can be successful.
"We don't have a lot of depth, so we have been doing a lot of experimenting in scrimmages; playing a lot of kids and doing a lot of evaluating."
The first nine players that Marinan listed as keys to the season are seniors. They are led by Boston College-bound quarterback Tim Boyle, who shared the position with Pat D'Amato the past two championship seasons, but who will go it alone this time around.
"I can't wait," said the 6-foot-4, 215-pound signal-caller. "It's finally time. I've paid my dues, I've had to split the time and now I will have the reins."
Does Boyle feel the pressure of a 26-game winning streak?
"It's weird because yes, there is pressure, but it's a good pressure," he said. "We're starting 0-0, not 26-0. We're here to prove that we're the best team each week so it's not really pressure, but a blessing."
The other key players singled out by Marinan include Max Tylki (TE/LB), DeAngelo Berry (RB), Ben Lisle (LT), Zac Creeron (LG), Kris Luster (WR/CB), James Sullivan (WR), Jonah Dorsey (RT), Max Schumann (C), and juniors Andrew Meoli (RB) and Joe Carbone (QB/SS/WR).
"A lot of those offensive linemen will also be defensive linemen," said Marinan. "We still have a lot of positions up for grabs. Every year it's like putting a puzzle together. Some years it's harder than others. Last year, honestly, it was pretty easy. But this year, it's a little harder."
Marinan used Carbone, a transfer from East Catholic, as an example of a player being prepped to play multiple positions to counteract the aforementioned lack of depth.
"He's our No. 2 quarterback and he's very talented, but he's raw," said the coach. "We've been giving him a lot of reps at receiver. He's 6-4, 220 pounds and he's a basketball player. We think he has the talent to be a good receiver, too."
Marinan said he is pleased with the offensive line, which he said ought to be bigger than last year's first-rate outfit.
"If the line can jell, I think we'll have an effective ground game," said Marinan, whose ground attack will be led by the speedy Berry. "But we need to be able to throw the ball. We know what we have in Boyle, but we need to develop our receivers so Boyle will have people to throw to."
Marinan said he thought that Class L champion Hand (Oct. 12, Palmer Field) will be very good, that Fairfield Prep (Sept. 28, Palmer Field) will be better than last season, that Shelton (Nov. 2, on the road) was young last year and should be better, and that West Haven (Nov. 9, Palmer Field) will be a solid team by that point in the season.
Xavier lost one of its key assistant coaches, Raj Jaswal, to Wesleyan.
"He is an excellent coach, and also was a very good teacher," he said. He went on to say that Jaswell left Xavier entirely and that it was voluntary. Dave Sterling, another assistant, has also left the school to further his education.
Xavier will open its season Sept. 14 with Notre Dame in West Haven. Its home opener is Sept. 21 with North Haven.