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What is being termed "the worst drought since the Dust Bowl" cut deeply into production of wheat and corn and had a tremendous impact on dairies in California and elsewhere that struggled against rising feed costs.
The 2012 drought, spawning the third hottest summer on record for the contiguous United States, was among the top agricultural stories of the year.
At an agribusiness conference in Fresno, experts on more than a dozen commodities traced the interconnections of crops while giving projections for their outlooks in the year ahead.
Here's a synopsis of each of those industry reviews presented at the 31st Annual Agribusiness Management Conference sponsored by Fresno State University's Center for Agricultural Business, Bank of America and the California Agricultural Technology Institute at Fresno State.
• The nation saw record high corn and soybean prices and the second highest wheat values, ever, thanks to the drought, said Joel Karlin, commodity manager and market analyst with Western Milling in Goshen, Calif.
In recent months, Karlin said, the drought "has migrated from the Eastern Corn Belt to the Western Corn Belt and Plains, in the process torching much of the nation's corn and soybean crop and now threatening U.S. winter wheat production."
Karlin said U.S. corn and soybean yields have worsened each of the past three seasons. He said wheat fared better than corn or soybeans, and U.S. feed use of wheat will be the highest in five years as record high corn prices have encouraged use of alternatives.
• Milk production was down in California in August, partially due to hot weather but also because of high feed prices forcing rationing at dairies, said Michael Marsh, CEO of Western United Dairymen.
Average cost of production outstripped the price at which milk was sold in the second quarter of 2012 and in many other months since improvement in 2011 after the significant losses experienced in 2009.
A bright spot for the U.S. dairy industry in 2011: Exports increased significantly compared to 2010, up 12 percent for butter, 29 percent for cheese and 13 percent for powder, a trend that Marsh said spilled into 2012.
Marsh said some analysts are "forecasting stable to slightly higher prices" in 2013.
• In 2011, for the first time ever, the value of the California almond crop surpassed the state's iconic grape industry to move into second place, behind dairy.
And the U.S. Department of Agriculture has forecast the 2012 crop at a record 2.1 billion pounds.
Sue Olson, associate director for statistics and compliance with The Almond Board of California, said global demand remains high for 2011-12, marking a third year in which California shipped more than 1 billion pounds of nuts to export destination. At the same time, domestic shipments were up 11.6 percent over the prior year.
The industry continues to capitalize on health claims that characterize the almond as a "nutrient power house."
Beef, navel oranges
• Past drought also took its toll on the state's beef industry.
Billy Gatlin, executive vice president of the California Cattlemen's Association, said four years of severe drought through much of the state has resulted in significant reduction in the size of the state's cow herd, but above average precipitation fell during the 2011 winter grazing season.
So far, 2012 has proven to be a dry year, he said, with 88 percent of the state experiencing some level of drought. For 2013, Gatlin said, if demand can run steady with 2012, prices will likely reach new record highs as supplies are forecasted to decline for the year.
Tighter global beef supplies and rising demand have supporter higher global meat prices over the past eight years. U.S. beef export prices moved sharply higher – up 43 percent from January 2010 to May 2012.
• The navel orange industry had a positive year from a revenue and profit per acre perspective in 2011-2012.
But the Mandarin industry did suffer as a result of very cold weather last December followed by a cold snap in January, said Joel Nelsen, president and CEO of California Citrus Mutual in Exeter.
As for the 2012-2013 crop, citrus producers remain bullish despite a slightly higher crop, Nelsen said, adding that fruit size is good, fruit shape positive and heat units this past summer likely to produce "plenty of sweetness."
Nelsen said a new flavor maturity standard has been put in place, which he believes will provide "a better tasting piece of fruit at the outset of the season and will result in more consistent flavor thought the first quarter of the season."
In 2011-2012, the harvest got off to a slow start with small fruit and late maturity. Dry, cold weather in December brought out full color and strengthened rinds.
Cotton, pistachios
• Cotton prices became less attractive, especially when compared to competing crops, in all productive regions, said Gary M. Adams, vice president for economics and policy analysis with the National Cotton Council.
He said that in developing economies, "demand for cotton textiles and apparel will be very sensitive to relative prices of cotton and polyester."
The 2011-11 Pima crop was "an unprecedented one," said Ernie Schroeder Jr., president and CEO of Jess Smith and Sons, "with prices of over $3 a pound reached in February 2011.
The higher prices attracted more acres to Pima following a decade low of 141,400 acres for the 2009-2010 crop season. For 20120-2011, it was 204,200 acres and for 2011-20012 it was 307,400.
As prices dropped, there has been a drop in planted acres to 239,000 for 2012-2013. Competing crops, such as beans, corn and wheat are at historically high prices and expected to attract Pima acres next year.
Meanwhile, production declines in Egypt and China will push demand to the United States.
• The pistachio crop for 2012 will be a record for the U.S. pistachio industry at about 550 million pounds.
The crop size will hit 1 billion pounds between 2018 and 2020, said Richard Matoian, executive director of American Pistachio Growers in Fresno.
The industry sees good opportunities for exports to India with the lowering of tariffs there.
The U.S. and Iran continue to dominate the world's production of pistachios. In 2008, the U.S. surpassed Iran as the No. 1 pistachio producer and has remained in that position. The U.S. implemented a ban on all Iranian products entering the U.S. effective September 2010.
• Bearing acreage for raisins continues to drop by 2 percent to 3 percent per year despite stronger returns for raisin grapes and now stands at 205,000 acres.
The 2012 raisin grape supply is estimated at 1.9 million tons, said Glen Goto, CEO of the Raisin Bargaining Association in Fresno. That's 14 percent below the previous 10-year average.
The 2012 Thompson Seedless green price was $325 per ton, the highest ever paid for the grapes to be crushed.
The 2011 field price of $1,700 per ton was paid with no reserves held.
Skies were clear and temperatures warm during the months of September and October 2012, compared to two previous years of late maturing grapes and weather related issues.
Grapes, wine
• The crop value of California table grapes has continued to increase in recent years and has exceeded $1 billion each year since 2004, said Jeff Klitz, research analyst with the California Table Grape Commission in Fresno.
About 40 percent of the California table grape crop is exported to more than 60 countries, he said.
• A handful of large players continue to dominate wine-making in California. By volume, Gallo, The Wine Group and Constellation make up well over 50 percent of the market share, said Stan Xavier, president and CEO of Correia-Xavier.
Xavier pointed out an appearance by Joseph Gallo, CEO of the giant company, at the San Joaquin Valley Wine growers Association in November 2011 sent a message his company was expanding their production capacity and asking growers to contact Gallo regarding long term purchase contracts.
"It is clear we have seen the bottom of another cycle in the wine business," Xavier said, "and we are now starting another leg up the expansion of that cycle.
Xavier said a "cheap is chic" temperament has encouraged importation of cheap bulk wine, mostly from the southern hemisphere and that does threaten to displace some of the lower priced California grapes that had regained market share since the start of the recession.
• The 2011 season marked the first California stone fruit season without the California Tree Fruit Agreement following the termination of its peach and nectarine marketing orders by the growers. The California Plum Marketing Board voted to go into dormancy in the fall of 2011.
As the 2012 season approached, said League Associate Director Sara Frauenheim, a severe hailstorm rolled through the Central Valley in April. The worst damage was in the Traver area, and from 10 to 15 percent of the stone fruit crop was destroyed.
With the close of the California Tree Fruit Agreement, the California Grape and Tree Fruit League has assumed an expanded role to include research facilitation, supplementary trade activities and crisis communication.
• Production for the 2012 crop of processing tomatoes is expected at 12.6 million tons, said Mike Montna, president and CEO of the California Tomato Growers Association. It will be the second largest crop California has produced.
Yields have continued to increase the past five years, he said, due to use of drip irrigation, varietal research and development and "continual improvement of agricultural practices."
The CTGA negotiated a price of $69.40 per ton for the 2012 season.


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The Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series of Hope College will feature David Cho and Heather Sellers on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. in Winants Auditorium of Graves Hall.
In addition, Cho and Sellers will participate in a question-and-answer session on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 3:30 p.m. in the Herrick Room on the second floor of the DeWitt Center.
The public is invited to both events. Admission is free.
David Cho was born and raised in the Chicago area, a child of Korean parents who immigrated to America in 1971. Whether writing of his parents, other relatives, his multi-ethnic friends, or other members of community or congregation, Cho seeks to honor and elucidate the past, even as it clashes with the present to form an American hybrid: the poet himself. Along the way, he revisits moments of childhood confusion and wonder, of assimilation and tradition, of memory and loss.
His publications include "Night Sessions," a book of poetry published last year and nominated for the 2011 National Book Awards and "Song of Our Songs," a chapbook of poems published in 2010. He has also had poems published or accepted for publication in journals including "Amerasia," "Many Mountains Moving," "Prairie Schooner," "Theology Today," and, forthcoming, "The American Scholar." A scholarly manuscript on 20th century Korean American novels will be published this year.
An assistant professor of English and a member of the faculty since 2008, Cho teaches in the college's American Ethnic studies program as well as in the department of English. He holds a B.A. from the University of Illinois, an MFA and MA from Purdue University, and an MAT and Ph.D. from the University of Washington.
Prior to joining the Hope faculty, he was a Future of American Studies "Seminarian" at Dartmouth University. He was also previously a member of the faculty at North Park University in Chicago, Ill.; Seattle Pacific University; the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash.; and Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind.
Heather Sellers' award-winning memoir, "You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know: A True Story of Family, Face Blindness, and Forgiveness," has been featured by "O, the Oprah Magazine," where it was a book of the month pick; "Good Morning America"; the "Rachael Ray Show"; NPR; "The New York Times"; Dick Gordon's "The Story"; "Good Housekeeping"; "Elle"; and many others.
Awarded an NEA Fellowship for fiction, she published a short story collection, "Georgia Under Water," which was a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. She has also published a children's book, "Spike and Cubby's Ice Cream Island Adventure," three volumes of poetry, and three books on the craft of writing. Her poems, short fiction, memoir and creative nonfiction have appeared in numerous journals, anthologies and magazines. Her textbook, "The Practice of Creative Writing," from Bedford/St. Martins, was published in a second edition this past fall. She's currently at work on a novel for young readers, essays, and a new memoir.
A professor of English at Hope and a member of the faculty since 1995, she teaches poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. In 2011, the graduating class presented her with the "Hope Outstanding Professor Educator" (H.O.P.E.) Award.
Sellers was born and raised in Orlando, Fla., and her Ph.D. in English/Creative Writing is from Florida State University, from which she also holds a BA and MA. She has also taught at the University of Texas - San Antonio and St. Lawrence University.
Additional information about the Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series may be obtained online by going to www.hope.edu/vws.
A performance by a Hope jazz group will precede the reading beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The Herrick Room is on the second floor of the DeWitt Center, located at 141 E. 12th St., facing Columbia Avenue at 12th Street. Graves Hall is located at 263 College Ave., between 10th and 12th streets.

subset: commoncrawl


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Caregiving and Medicare Open Enrollment Chat on Nov. 8 With Nicole Duritz and Amy Goyer
Submit your questions!
Are you a caregiver with a question about Medicare? Open enrollment is the one time each year when your loved one should review his or her Medicare coverage and, if necessary, change to a different plan.
Join AARP at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 8, for a live online chat with Nicole Duritz, AARP vice president, Health & Family, and Amy Goyer, AARP family expert. They'll be taking your questions on Medicare open enrollment, which ends on Friday, Dec. 7.
If you're a caregiver who's helping a person with Medicare review their coverage or have questions about Medicare options, this free live chat session is for you. Submit your questions in advance by clicking on the above module!
You may also like:
- Test yourself — and learn how to save — with our Medicare Open Enrollment quiz.
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Remember to go to the AARP home page every day for great deals and for tips on keeping healthy and sharp.
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Two women have alleged that Julian Assange, the founder of the Wikileaks website, sexually assaulted them in Sweden. Mr. Assange and his supporters insist the allegations are the result of a combination of two women scorned seeking revenge and a Swedish state that is secretly conniving with the US to extradite the former hacker to the US to face charges related to his release of hundreds of thousands of US military and State Department documents two years ago.
Now Assange's nearly two-year fight against extradition to Sweden for questioning over the allegations is heading to the end game. A final decision will be made within two weeks.
The claims of the two women are complicated by the fact that both say they had previously had consensual sex with Assange. One of the two women has told Swedish investigators that she was coerced to have sex with Assange, and that he carried on without using a condom, despite her insistence that he use one. The other said he initiated sex with her while she was asleep, and without consent being given.
Could the pair be lying? That's certainly a possibility. But the insistence of Assange and his supporters that they are definitely lying, that there is no reason to take their accusations seriously, may speak to a siege mentality and, frankly, a disregard for how much difficulty women face in getting authorities to take their accusations of assault and sexual harassment seriously, particularly when their accusations are directed at powerful public figures.
The public position of Wikileaks has been that there's a secret deal between Sweden and the US to ship the Australian to American custody as soon as possible. The evidence presented? None. It's possible that the US has sought a sealed indictment of Assange, but it's also possible that it hasn't. And why Sweden? Unclear.
As British legal analyst Carl Gardner told the Monitor's Ben Arnoldy, under European law the UK would retain an effective veto over a Swedish extradition attempt. In other words, both Sweden and the UK would have to agree to the extradition. It would have been simpler to make the request while he's in the UK, with only one country in the mix.
But no matter, Wikileaks – which Assange says is dedicated to something called "scientific journalism – is convinced. On May 29, its main Twitter account wrote: "Hillary Clinton and State Dept team arrive Stockholm June 3-4; 4 days after Assange extradition decision. Fanciful to think no discussion." The US says Ms. Clinton is heading to Sweden for a climate change conference and to discuss "a range of issues, including green energy, Internet freedom, Afghanistan and the Middle East" with Swedish leaders.
Yesterday, the group wrote in a statement: "The US, UK, Swedish and Australian governments are engaging in a coordinated effort to extradite its editor in chief Julian Assange to the United States, to face espionage charges for journalistic activities."
It's not just Assange's organization making this allegation. Yesterday Wikileaks' Twitter account quoted prominent left-wing journalist John Pilger approvingly as saying, "Swedish elite has forged sinister and obsequious links with Washington."
Mr. Pilger has been one of the self-appointed defenders of Assange. In an interview with Truthout this week he dismissed out of hand the allegations made against the Wikileaks supremo. "The attempt to extradite Assange is unjust and political," he said. How does he know this? "I have read almost every scrap of evidence in this case and it's clear, in terms of natural justice, that no crime was committed."
I don't know much about natural justice, but the evidence, such as it is, are the claims made by two women in Sweden to the authorities there, on the one hand, and Assange's public denials on the other. It's a classic she-said-she-said-he-said situation, and Assange has made every effort to avoid going to Sweden to formally present his side of the story for over a year-and-a-half now.
To be sure, the US government has made it clear that it considers Assange a danger and would love to prosecute the man if it can find evidence to support an indictment (the "foreign enemy combatant" dodge against presenting evidence in court isn't available in his case). And there are indications that they may eventually find a way.
Journalist Parmy Olson alleges in her new book, "We Are Anonymous," that Wikileaks had cultivated ties with LulzSec, the loose-knit hacker collective that had five of its members arrested in the UK and US in March. The arrests followed months of investigation after LulzSec hacker Hector Monsegur was uncovered by the FBI and turned informant to avoid jail time. Mr. Monsegur, working under the handle "Sabu," provided evidence that other LulzSec members were involved in the theft of internal emails at the consulting company Stratfor, which were then given to Wikileaks for dissemination.
Wikileaks' legal protection for the documents it provides is that it doesn't solicit illegal activity, and merely acts as any news outlet would when information is provided to it. But actively soliciting illegal activity would be another matter, and something that the FBI would surely be interested in pinning on Assange.
In Ms. Olson's telling, Assange contacted one of the Lulzec members who was later arrested on June 16, 2011, because Wikileaks was interested in "infiltrating several Icelandic corporate and government sites." Olson writes that Lulzec member "Topiary" (later arrested and revealed to be Jake Davis of the UK) and Mr. Monsegur, already working as an FBI informant, participated in an Internet-relay-chat conversation with Assange and another Wikileaks supported identified only as "q."
"Assange and q appeared to want LulzSec to try to grab the e-mail service of government sites, then look for evidence of corruption or at least evidence that the government was unfairly targeting WikiLeaks," Olson writes. "The picture they were trying to paint was of the Icelandic government trying to suppress WikiLeaks's freedom to spread information. If they could leak such evidence, they explained, it could help instigate an uprising of sorts in Iceland and beyond."
If her reporting holds up (there has not yet been any independent corroboration) that provides a link, albeit an extremely tenuous one, to hackers involved in the theft of data. There's no evidence any criminal activity was ever directed at the Icelandic government, and the men involved were still involved with Anonymous, a larger hacker collective of which LulzSec is an offshoot, at the time. No evidence has been presented of any Wikileaks coordination with the successful effort to steal Stratfor's data. And if there is any such evidence, it will almost certainly come to light, given Monsegur's extensive cooperation with the FBI at the time the Stratfor files were stolen.
For now, Assange faces no formal charges of any kind. The extradition request from Sweden is for questioning, and the US has made no formal requests for his extradition, from any country. Wikileaks itself is almost entirely consumed with Assange's legal battles. There have been no actual leaks for some time.


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Among the first companies globally to adopt a new approach to finance green assets.
Among the first companies globally to adopt a new approach to finance green assets.
Landsvirkjun's results for the first half of the year reflect the difficult economic conditions throughout the world.
Hörður Arnarson, CEO, Landsvirkjun, explains how the power company's ongoing innovation allows it to maximize the sustainable harvest of natural resources and add value to the economy in an interview with Country Reports in partnership with Newsweek.
" The current economic situation has shown us that supporting innovation and improving the utilisation of natural resources in Iceland is more important than ever" says Kristín Linda Árnadóttir, Deputy CEO of Landsvirkjun.
Landsvirkjun, Norðurorka (Utility Company), Húsavík Energy and SSNE have signed a new contract to continue their cooperation on the EIMUR innovation project which was formally established in 2017.
Landsvirkjun has started the process of developing a hydrogen production facility at Ljósifoss Hydropower Station.
Acceptable first quarter results under challenging external conditions.
At Landsvirkjun's board meeting, on April 20, 2020, the board of directors agreed on a new dividend policy for the company.
Landsvirkjun has exercised an issuer call option to redeem a bond on 28 October 2020 of the amount of USD 50,000,000.
Landsvirkjun's contribution to reigniting the economy.
Jónas Þór Guðmundsson re-elected chairman of the board.
Landsvirkjun and MýSilica join forces to support innovation and development in the Mývatn area.
The offering was very well received, with an order book which was multiple times oversubscribed.
Landsvirkjun will deliver 100% certified renewable energy to the high-performance computing data center.
The visitor center is temporarily closed due to COVID-19. This is only a precautionary measure.
The ratings apply to long- and short-term commitments, with and without the guarantee of collection.
Acceptable results in challenging external conditions.
A dialogue between the companies amid challenging conditions in aluminium markets.
An open meeting presenting the details of a new action plan.
Acceptable earnings in a demanding business environment.
S&P Global Ratings has upgraded Landsvirkjun's credit ratings.
Landsnet buys back outstanding bonds
Landsvirkjun and Advania have signed a power purchase agreement for the supply of energy to Advania's data center in Fitjar.
Net debt continues to decrease while the company is currently constructing two power plants.
The renewal of Norðurál's contract with Landsvirkjun on the purchase of electricity does not involve state aid, as it was concluded on market terms.
The total water stored stands at just over 97% of capacity, which is much better than in 2015.
Rules on chain liability are intended to ensure that any party working indirectly for Landsvirkjun enjoy rights and employment terms in accordance with law and wage contracts.
Moody's Investors Service has upgraded Landsvirkjun's credit rating for unguaranteed debt to Baa3 from Ba1.
Power price linked to market in Northern Europe.
Net debt continues to decrease
Gagarin has been awarded the prestigious Red Dot for Landsvirkjun's exhibition, "Powering the Future" in the Ljósafoss Power Station.
Affirmed Landsvirkjun's credit ratings at BBB-/A-3
Landsvirkjun has decided to renew the turbines in the old Bjarnarflag Geothermal Station in order to ensure its continued operation.
Landsvirkjun and the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) have signed a USD 50 million long-term loan agreement without a guarantee of collection for the construction of the Theistareykir project
Moody's Investors Service has today placed all of Landsvirkjun's ratings on review for upgrade
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a EUR 125 million loan agreement with Landsvirkjun to finance a new geothermal power station and its geothermal wells at Theistareykir, near Húsavik in north-eastern Iceland.
Three out of four tourists said that the utilisation of renewable energy had a positive impact on their experience of Icelandic nature.


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The following news release is from MassDOT regarding the planned closing of I-93 South through Boston from Tuesday, April 8th at 11:00 pm through Wednesday, April 9th at 5:00 am for roadway sweeping, wall and sign washing.
MassDOT to Motorists: Plan Ahead for I-93 Restrictions through Boston
Complete Overnight Closure of I-93 Southbound is Tuesday, April 8 into Wednesday, April 9
BOSTON- Monday, April 7, 2014—This coming Tuesday, overnight into Wednesday, April 9, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's maintenance schedule will require complete lane closures of Interstate 93 Southbound through Boston.
I-93 SOUTHBOUND traffic will be detoured off of the highway at Rt. 38/Mystic Ave onto surface streets and allowed to re-enter I-93 Southbound at the Herald Street on ramp south of the Mass Pike. Traffic destined for I-90 Westbound will access the I-90 Westbound on-ramp just south of Kneeland Street. This closure gives maintenance crews access to the Lower Deck, Zakim Bridge and O'Neill Tunnel Southbound.
Maintenance crews, contractors, along with State and Boston Police will begin set-up for the closure on Tuesday evening at 11pm. The full closure will begin at midnight on Wednesday and last until 5am Wednesday morning. In the event of inclement weather, the closure will be postponed.
Work to be performed includes roadway sweeping, wall and sign washing.
Plan Ahead- Complete Lane Closure Dates for the Month of April:
I-93 Northbound Tuesday, April 15 from 11pm to Wednesday, April 16 at 5am
With the winter months behind us and as in past years, MassDOT will resume complete closures on I-93 in Boston on the first and third Tuesdays of each month beginning in May through the end of the year, weather permitting. The first Tuesday into Wednesday, the closure will be Southbound and on the third Tuesday/Wednesday the closure will be Northbound through Boston.
In 2009, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) was created to unify the state's various transportation agencies. MassDOT now includes the Highway Division, the MBTA and Rail Transit Division, the Aeronautics Division, and the Registry of Motor Vehicles. MassDOT is committed to providing a safe and reliable transportation system to all those who travel in the Commonwealth and works to deliver excellent customer service. MassDOT has been nationally recognized for its innovative approach to transportation, including the Accelerated Bridge Program, the "Where's My Bus and Train?" apps and "Fast 14" work. For more information, visit MassDOT at our website: www.mass.gov/massdot blog: http://blog.mass.gov/transportation/, or follow MassDOT on twitter at https://twitter.com/MassDOT and Facebook at www.facebook.com/massdotinfo.


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Washington, DC - In response to yesterday's action by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) seeking additional comments on proposed draft ENERGY STAR Version 6.0 criteria for skylights, the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) is calling on the agency to address additional concerns the industry has about the skylight criteria, the proposed window and door criteria and the overall direction of the ENERGY STAR program.
"Yesterday's action by EPA proposing some changes to the skylight criteria is a good first step toward addressing our concerns about product feasibility, availability and cost effectiveness for consumers, but we are still disappointed EPA has not addressed them fully, nor has it provided an explanation why," said WDMA President Michael O'Brien. "It is also still uncertain how EPA will respond to the same concerns raised by WDMA for proposed window and door specifications currently under consideration by the Agency."
The Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA), which has been actively engaging EPA on the revision of ENERGY STAR criteria for windows, doors and skylights, believes the latest revisions make the qualification criteria for skylights more reasonable for much of the country, but that they still fall short and should be improved further.
In a letter sent yesterday by EPA to ENERGY STAR stakeholders announcing the latest revisions to the skylight criteria, the Agency stated the intent of the revisions is to ensure tubular daylighting devices (TDD's) and more double pane skylights will be able to qualify for the Northern climate zone, and to address concerns over the feasibility and affordability of ENERGY STAR qualified skylight products in other parts of the country as well.
However, while the latest revisions are significant improvements in the skylight U-factor criteria for the ENERGY STAR Northern climate zone and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) in the Northern, North-Central and Southern climate zones, they still fall short of fully responding to industry concerns on the whole for skylights with respect to product feasibility, availability and cost effectiveness.
"WDMA has voiced significant concerns with proposed ENERGY STAR Version 6.0 criteria since it was first proposed by EPA last year. The proposed criteria also underscores broader concerns WDMA has with the direction the program appears to be headed in general," said O'Brien. "It appears EPA is more concerned about market share of ENERGY STAR products rather than recognizing efficient products that are most affordable and cost effective for consumers."
WDMA maintains that the proposed Version 6.0 criteria, which is based largely on a market share approach, is counter to EPA's guiding principles for the ENERGY STAR program and resulting in proposed criteria that is less feasible for manufacturers to meet and less affordable and cost effective for consumers.
WDMA firmly reasserted these concerns in a thirty-three page comment letter sent to EPA earlier this month in response to "Draft 2" of the proposed Version 6.0 window, door and skylight qualification criteria. Those comments as well as those submitted in addition by WDMA members are still under consideration by the Agency.
"We will continue to work with EPA to seek further revisions to the Version 6.0 criteria that fully address our concerns and what we believe are in the best interest of the ENERGY STAR program and consumers," said O'Brien.
Source: Window & Door Manufacturers Association
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Palestinian university staff have announced they will go on strike for six days after the Palestinian Ministry of Education failed to meet university employees' demands for better working conditions.
"The problem is about budget and financial support for universities," Dr. Salem Tdhawaba, Head of the Union at Birzeit University, told the Palestine Monitor.
The Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employees (PFUUPE) released a statement yesterday saying that the strike would take place across all Palestinian universities Sept. 30, Oct. 5-6, and Oct. 12-14.
"In 2008 there was an agreement for a package of salaries for the workers at the universities that would be valid for 5 years. It expired in 2013 but the package has remained the same," said Tdhawaba.
Despite two years of ongoing negotiations regarding government increased funding for public universities, there has been little change in the financial support offered to the PFUUPE by the Palestinian Ministry of Education.
"We always face the same answer, which are the budget limitations of the authority," said Tdhawaba.
Following the announcement of the strike, the federation called on the the Ministry of Education to meet their demands to increase wages, provide health insurance for retired university staff and exempt employees' children from tuition fees.
Currently, the average salary for university professors is between $2000-$3000 per month, although this varies depending on degree and profession.
According to Tdhawaba, this is not an adequate living wage.
"The workers at the universities are asking to look at the rates and the salaries because of the cost of living and the cost of living every year is raising and there are more expenditures for families," said Tdhawaba.
"We suggested raising the salaries by 40 percent, but this is negotiable," he added.
Tdhawaba emphasised the necessity of international support and donations to the Palestinian Authority, the instability of which has financially disrupted the Palestinian higher education system, amongst other public sectors.
"The financial situation of the Palestinian Authority mainly depends on international donations. And the donations, because they are unstable, affect the stability of services offered for the citizens. One of the factors is education and higher education."
"We ask the international community to look at the higher education in Palestine and try to support this sector," said Tdhwaba.
The decision to go on strike was made at Palestine Technical College in Tulkarem in the presence of the heads of the university staff unions of an-Najah University, Hebron University, Al-Quds Open University, Birzeit University, Bethlehem University, Al-Quds University Abu Dis, Palestine Polytechnic University, the Islamic University in Gaza, the American University in Jenin and al-Aqsa University in Gaza.
Dr. Anwar Zakarya, Assistant Deputy for the Ministry of Higher Education, told the Palestine Monitor the the ministry yesterday agreed to transfer 16 million NIS to all public universities.
He indicated this was only one area that had been agreed upon, adding, "we will continue to talk to representatives of the union today or tomorrow and we hope to find a solution."
Tdhwaba is eager for negotiations to continue as a means of ensuring increased financial support for higher education, which he sees as essential to the growth of the Palestinian economy.
"As you know, we don't have natural resources. What we have is human resources, and education is needed for the Palestinians."
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The Lighthouse Care Center of Augusta (LCCA) is a multi-discipline behavioral healthcare center that offers mental health services to the communities of surrounding Augusta, Georgia. We are focused on providing the highest quality treatment. Our mission is to create, promote, and maintain a positive customer relationship with our consumers, payers, staff and our community.
LCCA currently has exciting opportunities for Registered Nurses. The Registered Nurse delivers quality direct care to adolescents with psychiatric disorders admitted to the acute, residential or PHP unit; to provide safety, supervision and crisis management; to provide assessment and medical management, and to support the management of a therapeutic milieu.
Why you should join our team and start your life-changing journey today:
- Comprehensive benefits package
- Generous Paid Time Off
- Education and certification reimbursements
- Opportunities for growth and development
- Rewarding work environment
- Because your continued development and a rewarding career is our priority, we offer a Nurse Residency Program for the new graduate nurse, or a nurse that is new to behavioral health. This self-paced program also rewards CEUs upon course completion.
Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) is one of the nation's largest and most respected health care management companies, operating through its subsidiaries acute care hospitals, behavioral health facilities and ambulatory centers nationwide. Founded in 1978, UHS subsidiaries now have more than 65,000 employees. The UHS business strategy is to build or purchase health care properties in rapidly growing markets and create a strong franchise based on exceptional service and effective cost control. Our success comes from a responsive management style and a service philosophy based on integrity, competence and compassion.
Job Requirements
- Must be at least 21 years of age
- Associates, Bachelors or higher (degree) in nursing
- Current, valid State of GA RN license in good standing
- Prefer one (1) year psychiatric experience with children or adolescents in an acute hospital or residential setting.


text:
Affectionately known as "America's oldest teenager," Dick Clark was significant in transforming the record business into an international industry. As host of American Bandstand. Clark provided many acts with the opportunity to reach a national audience via television, spreading the gospel of rock and roll to teenagers across the country.
Born Richard W. Clark on November 30, 1929, in Mount Vernon, New York, he entered the music business as a sales manager for an upstate New York radio station at the age of 17. He then became a news anchor on WKTV, a television station in Utica, New York. In 1952, he began doing a radio show ("Caravan of Music") at WFIL in Philadelphia. The station's TV affiliate had a teen-oriented show called Bandstand. In 1956, the show, which was the city's top-rated TV program, was taken over by Clark. He was such an affable, magnetic host that Bandstand was picked up for national distribution by ABC in 1957. The first national broadcast, on August 5, 1957, featured Clark interviewing Elvis Presley. With Clark as businessman, personality, music lover and host, American Bandstand catapulted to popularity. In 1958, ABC added the show to its Saturday-night lineup, and it was attracting more than 21 million viewers. American Bandstand was the first TV show to feature black and white artists performing on the same stage. It also brought many artists – including Ike and Tina Turner. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Stevie Wonder. Talking Heads and Simon and Garfunkel – their first national exposure.
Though his demeanor was low-key and agreeable, Clark did not shrink when it came time to defend rock and roll. He stood up for the music when it was under attack from censorious voices who branded it immoral. "I was roundly criticized for being in and around rock and roll music at its inception,"he said."It was the devil's music. It would make your teeth fall out and your hair turn blue, whatever the hell. You get through that."
By playing R&B records by the original artists on his show, Clark helped stop the longstanding practice whereby records by black artists were "covered" in lame, sanitized versions by white artists, thereby robbing the former of income and recognition. Such figures as Buddy Holly and James Brown made their national debut on American Bandstand. The show's success helped spread the word throughout the entertainment industry that rock and roll was no fluke.
Thanks to the success of Bandstand. Clark was able to branch out into other areas of TV. In 1963, he began hosting game shows, including The Object Is and The $10,000 Pyramid. Then, in 1972, he broadcast his first Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve show. Meanwhile, his weekly televised record hops – which predated MTV by 25 years – played an integral role in establishing rock and roll, keeping it alive and shaping its future. In 2002, American Bandstand celebrated its 50th anniversary. It was the longest-running variety show in television history.
In 2007, Clark suffered a massive stroke. Then, on April 18, 2012, Dick Clark died of a heart attack in Santa Monica, California. He was 82 years old.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum


text:
W&M receives a visit from its 'sister'
The College of William and Mary received a visit from family this summer.
Students and faculty members from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) – William & Mary's new "sister university" – visited Williamsburg in July and August to take classes, make friends and share information about their lives, culture and education with the College's faculty and students.
"Everyone benefitted very much," said Nancy Yang, a representative from UESTC who organized the trip. "They learned a lot, far beyond their imaginations."
The visit was hosted by the School of Education and the Center for Gifted Education with support from the Reves Center for International Studies, the School of Business, the School of Law, the physics department, the applied science department, the computer science department, the mathematics department, the Charles Center, and conference services. Numerous other William & Mary faculty, staff and students also provided support for the visit.
William & Mary and UESTC became "sister universities" in December 2010 when President Taylor Reveley and UESTC Vice President of International Affairs Wang Houjun signed a memorandum of understanding in the Wren Building's Great Hall.
"UESTC is one of the most distinguished universities in China," remarked Reveley at the ceremony. "We look forward to an exchange of faculty and students in academic programs and cultural exchanges between Chengdu and Williamsburg."
That cultural exchange began soon after the agreement was signed when Yanfang Tang, an associate professor of Chinese, took a group of William & Mary students to UESTC in June. This summer, UESTC returned the favor by sending 21 students and 18 faculty members to William & Mary for a three to four week U.S. study and tour program.
"The (UESTC) group can bring more diversity to campus," said Yang. "It is important to bring that cultural exchange to William & Mary for students who don't get the chance to study abroad or in China."
The participants enjoyed William & Mary classes, lectures and discussions on a variety of topics, including education in America, U.S political systems, early American history and cross-cultural communication. They also toured the campus, visited sites around Williamsburg and along the East Coast, met with Newport News city officials, enjoyed leisure time (and even a pick-up soccer game or two) with students and faculty, and lived both on-campus and with local host families.
One UESTC student said that she decided to participate in the program because she wanted to know more about America.
"America is very important to the world -- the culture and also the education for us (is especially important to learn) because most students want to further their studies in America," she said.
Another UESTC student said she enjoyed getting to see a different classroom style while at William & Mary.
"Taking a course with the students here is a good experience for us because we know how to take courses where you just stay in the class and that's very different from China," she said. "I really think it's a good way for both students and the teacher. They have conversation in class. That's very good. I really like it."
Nola Liu '14, who served as the lead William & Mary student volunteer for the program, spent a lot of time with the UESTC students during their visit, getting their schedules ready and helping them connect with other William & Mary students on campus. For instance, she arranged for them to meet with members of CKI (Circle K International), Branch Out and the Student Organization for Medical Outreach and Sustainability (SOMOS) so the two groups of students could discuss community engagement in their respective countries.
"In China, they have a completely different perspective on community service, so this was a great opportunity for us to learn about something our organizations are very passionate about," said Liu. "It was just a good, cross-cultural exchange."
It was even a good learning experience for Ruoyan Sun '13, who is from China but has been studying at William & Mary for two years.
"My hometown is another area from where they came from so I'm kind of like them because we have a lot in common and we use the same websites and chat software, but there's still a little difference," said Sun, who was on campus this summer through a Chappell Fellowship. "Because I never went to college in China, I see how the college life is an extension of our high school life. It's just really different from William & Mary."
Sun said she now thinks "between American and Chinese."
"I didn't even realize it because you don't usually have those deep conversations," she said. "I feel like I've already changed. Like when they talk about politics, I have different views. I don't have stereotyped Chinese views anymore."
Lori Bland, director of professional development and practice in gifted education, said she hopes that, like Sun, the UESTC participants learned some new ideas while visiting the College.
"I hope that they took away with them that democracy is extraordinary, and coming to school in a democratic society can truly change the world in a way that is better for all of us," she said.
But the UESTC students and faculty weren't the only ones learning during the visit.
"I think what I learned is that China has spent a lot of time educating their brightest students and ensuring that they have the best education possible," said Bland. "We can emulate each other because they are much more serious about their education than we are. … Chinese culture places a higher value on education than American culture seems to place on education. However, we have better ways of teaching creative thinking, critical thinking, problem solving, and questioning. We teach our children to think critically about what people tell us."
Liu said she really enjoyed getting to know the UESTC students and learning about their culture.
"Because I am Chinese, but I was born in the United States, I wasn't fully exposed to Chinese culture," she said, adding she's only visited family members in China a few times. "Since (the UESTC students) are all kind of around my age, we can kind of understand each other and learn from each other, especially since the majority of them are interested in coming to the U.S. for graduate school.
"When I go back to China I know I can find them and hang out with them and stuff. Just developing that really close relationship with them is definitely the best part of this."
Many of the William & Mary students who met the UESTC students hope to remain in contact with them. Additionally, some of the UESTC students are now considering pursing graduate studies at William & Mary. But even if they don't end up returning to the College for school, many of the students said they greatly enjoyed their time at William & Mary and hope to visit it again.
"It's a very nice school," said one student, while giving a thumbs-up. "I love it. It's awesome."


text:
Debates of Nov. 1st, 2018
This is page numbers 4677 - 4704 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was housing.
- Oral Questions
- Members Present
- Prayer
- Minister's Statement 127-18(3): Anti-Poverty Update
- Minister's Statement 128-18(3): Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Community Housing Plans
- Minister's Statement 129-18(3): Energy Initiatives Update
- Minister's Statement 130-18(3): Municipal Government Elections
- Air Tindi 30th Anniversary
- Infrastructure Projects in the Sahtu
- Remembrance Day
- Carbon Tax Impacts on Traditional Economies
- Kole Crook Fiddle Association
- Trapping Season in the Beaufort Delta
- Carbon Pricing
- Hay River Town Council Elects
- Passing of Agnes Sutherland
- Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
- Question 486-18(3): Carbon Tax Impacts on Traditional Economies
- Question 487-18(3): Home Ownership Programs
- Question 488-18(3): Prime Fur Bonus Program
- Question 489-18(3): Reduction of Non-Renewable Energy
- Question 490-18(3): Home Ownership Program in Fort Simpson
- Question 491-18(3): Fur Harvesting Programs
- Question 492-18(3): Availability of Family Planning Tools
- Question 493-18(3): New Government Building Name
- Question 494-18(3): Sole-Source Contracting for Fuel Resupply
- Question 495-18(3): Flexibility for Large Tenders/Northern Bids for Contracts
- Question 496-18(3): New Government Building
- Tabled Document 286-18(3): Grants and Contributions Results Report 2017-2018 Tabled Document 287-18(3): Energy Initiatives Report 2017-2018
- Tabled Document 288-18(3): Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Annual Report 2017-2018
- Tabled Document 289-18(3): Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority 2017-2018 Annual Report Tabled Document 290-18(3): Annual Report 2017-2018 NWT Health and Social Services System Tabled Document 291-18(3): Tlicho Community Services Agency Health and Social Services Annual Report 2017-2018 Tabled Document 292-18(3): Annual Report 2017-2018 Hay River Health and Social Services Authority
- Tabled Document 293-18(3): Inter-Activity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 (April 1 to June 30, 2018) Tabled Document 294-18(3): Public Accounts 2017-2018, Sections I, II, III and IV
- Tabled Document 295-18(3): Annual Reports for Northwest Territories Education Bodies for the 2017-2018 School Year Ending June 30, 2018 Tabled Document 296-18(3): Operating Plans for Northwest Territories Education Bodies for the 2018-2019 School Year Ending June 30, 2019
- Tabled Document 297-18(3): Annual Report on the Activities of the Rental Officer April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018
- Tabled Document 298-18(3): Correspondence from Native Women's Association to Health and Social Services Minister Abernethy, Received Oct. 31, 2018 regarding Auditor General of Canada 2018 Report on Child and Family Service Delivery Tabled Document 299-18(3): Correspondence from Deninu Kue First Nation to Health and Social Services Minister Abernethy on Reopening 'Our Great Elders Facility' in Fort Resolution, Dated October 12, 2018
- Motion 25-18(3): Appointment of Chair to the Northwest Territories Honours Advisory Council, Carried
- Motion 26-18(3): Appointment to the Special Committee on Transition Matters, Carried
- Motion 27-18(3): Appointment to the Human Rights Adjudication Panel, Carried
- Motion 28-18(3): Establishment of a Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly, Carried
- Motion 29-18(3): Appointment of Human Rights Commission Members Carried
- Motion 30-18(3): Extended Adjournment of the House to February 5, 2019, Carried
- Bill 31: Northwest Territories 911 Act
- Bill 32: Naturopathic Profession Statutes Amendment Act
- Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
- Report Of Committee Of The Whole
- Bill 20: Ombud Act
- Recorded Vote
- Assent To Bills
- Orders Of The Day
Members Present
Hon. Glen Abernethy, Mr. Beaulieu, Mr. Blake, Hon. Caroline Cochrane, Ms. Green, Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Hon. Bob McLeod, Hon. Robert McLeod, Mr. McNeely, Hon. Alfred Moses, Mr. Nadli, Mr. Nakimayak, Mr. O'Reilly, Hon. Wally Schumann, Hon. Louis Sebert, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Testart, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Vanthuyne
The House met at 1:30 p.m.
Page 4677
Elder Michel Louis Rabesca
[Translation] I would like to say a prayer for the Legislation here. I know that our people are listening to us. [End of translation]
I ask the elders up there to join me when I pray, and I'm going to say a short prayer that we always pray. I have been here in this House many, many times, my friends, and I know the Premier well. I worked with the Premier when I used to work with ENR when I was a Grand Chief, and so I shook a hand with him and I told him I haven't seen him for a long time.
I just want to say that it is good to be back in here. I haven't been here a long time, but don't forget that you are in the eyes of the public. Someone is always watching you all the time. Well, when I pray, I am going to ask the Creator to help every one of you that is here, so that people can work together. That is what we always do. Our elders are always telling us, when we start a meeting, always pray. Things will pan out, work for you. He is there watching us all the time. That is how the elders always talk to us.
I will pray in my own way and you can shut your eyes and ask your Creator to help you as a government, because we need you guys as a government. We need government to govern our country, our people communities out there that need a government, and that's who you are. I will pray for you in my own language.
[Translation] I know that I would like to say a prayer for all the Members and the Regular Members and also the staff, and also the Ministers and the Speaker, and help them to work together and to support one another, and help them to be like one. So I would like to say a prayer now. I would like to pray. [Translation ends]
[Microphone turned off] pray in your own like you guys used to do every morning before you start this meeting, so I will just start my own prayer.
[English translation not provided]
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, very much.
Page 4677
The Speaker Jackson Lafferty
Good afternoon, colleagues. Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to visitors in the gallery at this time. We have with us two elders from Behchoko. Noel Drybone is here with us and Louis Frankie from Behchoko, two of the respected elders from my community of Behchoko; and also with us Richard Charlo, my CA. Welcome to our Assembly. Masi.
We also have former Grand Chief Joe Rabesca; his son is here with us as well. I would like to thank him for coming, as well. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Minister's Statement 127-18(3): Anti-Poverty Update
Ministers' Statements
November 1st, 2018
Page 4677
Glen Abernethy Great Slave
Mr. Speaker, over the last five years the Government of the Northwest Territories has worked in partnership with people and organizations across the Northwest Territories to better understand and meaningfully address the root causes of poverty in this territory. This outreach supports our mandate commitment to reduce poverty in the Northwest Territories.
In 2013 the GNWT released Building on the Strengths of Northerners: A Strategic Framework Toward the Elimination of Poverty in the Northwest Territories. The development of this Framework was a collaborative effort between our government, Indigenous governments, and the business and non-profit sectors. It is the guiding document for all the work that has been carried out since its release, including the development of a GNWT Action Plan and a multi-stakeholder Territorial Anti-Poverty Action Plan, as well as annual roundtables to bring all partners together, significant new investments, and innovative new programs and services in communities across the Northwest Territories.
Next week the Sixth Anti-Poverty Roundtable will be held in Hay River, continuing my commitment to host these annual meetings in a different region each year to help partners better understand the unique contexts of poverty throughout the territory.
Mr. Speaker, the roundtable will focus on two critical pieces of work: informing the development of a progress report on the strategic framework toward eliminating poverty since its release five years ago; and working to develop a renewed Territorial Anti-Poverty Action Plan to guide our work moving forward. Co-creating these documents with involvement from all partners is critical to respecting the collaborative model we have embraced in our poverty reduction efforts.
Mr. Speaker, this commitment to working together is foundational to how we have chosen to address poverty. The Territorial Anti-Poverty Action Plan released in 2015 sets out three principles for action:
- Respect and equality are essential to anti-poverty work;
- People are our most important resource; and
- How we do things is as important as what we do.
Elder Paul Andrew has said, "We didn't know we were poor until the government told us we were, and no one was homeless until someone told us we had to live in a house."
The GNWT has an essential leadership role in addressing poverty, there is no question. We also have a responsibility to carry out the role with humility, especially cultural humility, recognizing that people and communities are best able to drive solutions that are based on their lived experience and understanding and informed by the needs and priorities they articulate for themselves.
Mr. Speaker, poverty is not an Indigenous issue, but Indigenous peoples living in the Northwest Territories continue to be disproportionately impacted by poverty and the negative health and social outcomes associated with it. This is the direct result of colonial policies that have removed people from the land that sustained them, forcing them to adapt to life in settled communities, residential schools, and other institutional environments.
Investments in community health and wellness, mental health and addictions, and opportunities to reconnect to the land and culture have been essential elements of our work to address poverty and address the legacy of colonialism. Addressing the wrongs of the past and helping to create healthy, hopeful futures begins with and will be sustained by the personal development, wellness, and wellbeing of all northern peoples.
Mr. Speaker, one of the tools that we have established as part of our approach to eliminating poverty, in partnership with our communities and partners, is the Anti-Poverty Fund. Since the Anti-Poverty Fund was established in 2014, it is conservatively estimated that 13,000 people have been touched by the programming and supports. Over the years, youth and families have been the most frequent recipients of the program supports. Women, persons with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, and elders have also benefitted from targeted programming. These efforts are essential to breaking the cycle of poverty for individuals and from generation to generation.
This year, the $1 million Anti-Poverty Fund has been allocated towards more than 40 projects across the Northwest Territories.
Through the fund, food security for children, elders, and those in need is being immediately addressed with meal and snack programs, as well as soup kitchens. It will also support longer-term solutions by investing in initiatives such as community gardens, traditional harvesting programs, and training for small-scale agricultural and poultry production.
Employment and life skills, including traditional and cultural skills, are being supported by programs all over the territory including the Tlicho Government's Dene Warriors Program; the Hay River Committee for Persons with Disabilities' Life-Skills Employment Action Program; and the Deh Cho Friendship Centre's Community Helper Program.
Housing is being addressed through numerous programs, ranging from emergency shelters to rapid rehousing projects, Housing First programs, and an extended stay program to provide extra support for women and children in crisis.
Mr. Speaker, these projects, led by community partners with financial support from our government, are examples that show how we are working together to alleviate the effects of poverty in the short term, while meaningfully addressing the root causes of poverty in the long term.
Poverty is not just an issue of income or economy. It cannot be solved by more jobs, or better-paying jobs, if those opportunities are not accompanied by social policy that respects the dignity of those who are not able to work. Social and technological change everywhere is shifting the nature of work itself, and it is more important than ever that we find ways to invest in the creativity and ingenuity of northern people to create their own opportunities, generate their own employment, and drive employment to community-based economies that are meaningful, sustainable, and grounded in culture and a way of life.
There is much work yet to be done. The GNWT is committed to ongoing leadership in the effort to address poverty in the Northwest Territories, and we are committed to continued collaboration and co-creation in the work that we do and the way that we do it. Today I want to recognize the progress that has been made so far and acknowledge the sustained efforts of all partners, including my colleagues on both sides of this House, Indigenous and community governments, NGOs and community service providers, and the business and philanthropic sectors that support our work. Thank you to all of them for their continued support to advance these programs and initiatives, and I look forward to working with you all in Hay River next week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister's Statement 127-18(3): Anti-Poverty Update
Ministers' Statements
Page 4678
The Speaker Jackson Lafferty
Masi. Ministers' statement. Minister for NWT Housing Corporation.
Minister's Statement 128-18(3): Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Community Housing Plans
Ministers' Statements
Page 4678
Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, access to housing continues to be one of the most serious issues for people in the Northwest Territories. Many new players are coming to the table with a new interest in addressing this need, and roles and responsibilities for housing delivery continue to change and evolve. Our government is committed to working with the other governments and housing stakeholders to implement Northern solutions for Northern housing to help address our high cost of living.
The federal government has come back on the scene with a potential long-term commitment under the National Housing Strategy. We are still negotiating with them on the final amount and how to use those resources. Indigenous governments are now taking more of an interest in housing delivery. Although no Indigenous governments have drawn down jurisdiction over housing, there have been offers for engagement and partnerships.
Mr. Speaker, these shifting roles and some new resources offer an opportunity to reshape housing governance, partnership, and planning in the Northwest Territories. To set the stage for more multi-stakeholder involvement in housing projects, the Housing Corporation will be working with individual communities to undertake long-term housing planning in all 33 communities in the Northwest Territories. Housing plans will be developed through a partnership involving the Housing Corporation, the community, and other stakeholders with resources and information to offer.
Mr. Speaker, our focus is to ensure that values and priorities communities have about their housing are reflected in their housing plans. By synthesizing community knowledge and perspectives with housing data and statistics, housing plans will form a comprehensive map to better direct federal and territorial governments, Indigenous governments, community governments, and private industry on future housing investments.
Mr. Speaker, the Housing Corporation has also committed to working with communities to monitor these housing plans on an ongoing basis once they have been developed. The deliverables that communities can expect include a comprehensive community profile, a needs analysis, and a housing plan with goals and outcomes we can use to measure housing changes over time. Some areas housing plans will focus on include housing needs, housing demand, health, education, crime, economic information, available land, population growth, and other factors that support a comprehensive strategic planning document.
Mr. Speaker, the Housing Corporation has undertaken discussions over the past three months with stakeholders in the Government of the Northwest Territories, the federal government, Indigenous governments, and individual communities to start the first round of housing plans for this fiscal year. A community selection process has been established, including readiness criteria that are based on community interest and stakeholder input. Key criteria include a municipal community plan, committed leadership ready to lead the housing plan process, existing advisory or other committees, and potential to hire a local facilitator to engage the community, gather local feedback, and to help plan for a community housing forum.
The Housing Corporation has presented this concept to the Tlicho Government and the Government of the Northwest Territories Housing Working Group. The Housing Corporation will be working with Tlicho representatives towards the development of community housing plans over the next year. My understanding is that Whati will be one of the first communities within the Tlicho region to begin the housing plan process. The Housing Corporation met the week of October 15th with the community's leadership to seek formal approval and agreement to participate.
The Housing Corporation has also presented this concept to the Deline Got'ine Government. The Deline leadership was anxious to proceed, and they will shortly be issuing a formal resolution to participate in this project.
The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the Gwich'in Tribal Council, and communities in the Sahtu and the South Slave regions have also expressed interest in starting plans. The Housing Corporation is targeting at least four communities, in addition to Deline and Whati, to complete plans in the next six months.
This is not planning for planning's sake, Mr. Speaker. Once the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government have come to an agreement under the National Housing Strategy, there will be further housing investment opportunities in all of our communities. The Housing Corporation will multiply this investment by stacking resources through its Community Housing Support Initiative, which has already seen the development of new housing in partnership with Indigenous governments such as the Salt River First Nations.
Mr. Speaker, we have all heard the saying, "Nothing about us without us." The Housing Corporation's initiative to develop 33 community housing plans meets the spirit of that saying. Investment by all our housing stakeholders will be informed by and grounded in direct feedback from the community residents, ensuring that our resources are used in the most effective way to meet community priorities. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Minister's Statement 128-18(3): Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Community Housing Plans
Ministers' Statements
Page 4679
The Speaker Jackson Lafferty
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister for Infrastructure.
Minister's Statement 129-18(3): Energy Initiatives Update
Ministers' Statements
Page 4679
Wally Schumann Hay River South
The Government of the Northwest Territories has made a mandate commitment to implement the 2030 Energy Strategy. This includes renewable and alternative energy solutions and actions that the Government of the Northwest Territories and our partners will undertake to meet targets for greenhouse gas reductions in heating and power generation as well as our 10-year strategy for investing federal and other funds towards energy projects.
Later today I will table the Energy Initiatives Report 2017-2018, which provides an overview of the many energy initiatives completed last fiscal year by various government departments, Crown corporations, and partner agencies that support energy projects, programs, and services for our residents, communities, and Indigenous governments.
Our collaborative approach in these initiatives allows us to make the most of limited resources and to achieve many of our mandate commitments.
Last spring the Government of the Northwest Territories publicly released the 2030 Energy Strategy, along with the Climate Change Strategic Framework and the Northwest Territories Petroleum Resources Strategy. Together, these documents are defining our long-term vision and approach to energy and climate change and will enable the Northwest Territories to transition to a strong, healthy economy that is less dependent on fossil fuels.
The 2017-2018 Energy Initiatives Report supports the strategic objectives outlined in these three documents, which, Mr. Speaker, is a reassurance that we are on the right path.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight some of the noteworthy accomplishments in the Energy Initiatives Report 2017-2018, and begin by sharing some of the projects that we advanced in the Government of the Northwest Territories' mandate commitment to continue to develop and advance initiatives to displace diesel generation in the Northwest Territories, including biomass energy projects.
The Government of the Northwest Territories installed a biomass boiler at Ecole Allain St-Cyr School, which I toured earlier today. This system will meet nearly 100 percent of the heating needs of the school. The system will save 115,000 litres of diesel, or about $130,000, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 306 tonnes per year. The Government of the Northwest Territories also installed a 950-kilowatt biomass boiler at East Three School in Inuvik, making that school the first GNWT asset in the Beaufort-Delta to install biomass heating. This system will offset 270,000 litres of propane or the equivalent of 410 tonnes of carbon dioxide. It will also provide an annual savings of close to $370,000.
Last year, we also marked the 10th anniversary of the Government of the Northwest Territories' Capital Asset Retrofit Fund, also known as CARF. As Members know, this program uses money saved through energy efficiency improvements to government buildings to further fund improvements. Over the last decade, CARF-supported initiatives that have effectively reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the Government of the Northwest Territories assets by over 10,000 tonnes annually and have displaced the equivalent of 27 million litres of diesel fuel since the program's inception, representing a nearly 24 percent reduction in annual emissions.
Mr. Speaker, our government is also fulfilling our mandate commitment to displace diesel generation through wind energy projects, including the proposed Inuvik High Point Wind Project, and assessing the feasibility of wind energy projects in other communities or regions.
The Government of the Northwest Territories is undertaking wind monitoring in Sachs Harbour to better understand wind resource potential in the High Arctic. We are also undertaking wind monitoring and data collection in Norman Wells, and collecting water flow information that could lead to a community-scale hydro project in partnership with the community of Gameti.
In 2017-2018, work continued on the Inuvik Wind Project as part of the 2030 Energy Strategy targeted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from diesel electricity by 25 percent by the year 2030. To support this project, the Government of the Northwest Territories has undertaken community outreach, including a Traditional Knowledge and Land Use Workshop in Inuvik with Gwich'in and Inuvialuit elders, land users, and youth.
Mr. Speaker, looking forward, other strategic energy initiatives are taking place. For the first time, we have secured a long-term commitment from our federal partners to invest in energy infrastructure projects and incentive programs that are tailored to advance our policy objectives and deliver on mandate commitments.
This past March, the federal government committed to fund the Government of the Northwest Territories with more than $570 million over the next 10 years under the Investing in Canada Plan. Approximately $350 million of that commitment will support the 2030 Energy Strategy and Energy Action Plan. Notable projects for which the Government of the Northwest Territories submitted applications under the agreement include the mega-size wind turbine project in Inuvik, overhauls to the aging Snare hydro system. We look forward to providing Members with further updates on these projects in the very near future.
Earlier this month, we also signed a $23 million funding agreement as part of the federal Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund. Part of this funding is being used to increase the Arctic Energy Alliance funding by approximately $9 million over four years.
Remaining funds will be used to support the new government Greenhouse Gas Grant Program, which was announced earlier this month and will provide up to $1.8 million in grants per year for community governments to undertake greenhouse gas reduction projects.
Mr. Speaker, the Energy Initiatives Report 2017-2018 is an excellent reference for those interested in learning how the Government of the Northwest Territories has linked broad policy objectives to community projects and to programs across the Northwest Territories over the last year and how it is helping the 18th Legislative Assembly fulfill mandate commitments.
Looking forward, we are focused on leveraging the significant federal investment that we have secured to advance and fulfill our mandate commitments, reducing our infrastructure gap, and ultimately improving the sustainability of our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister's Statement 129-18(3): Energy Initiatives Update
Ministers' Statements
Page 4681
The Speaker Jackson Lafferty
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Minister's Statement 130-18(3): Municipal Government Elections
Ministers' Statements
Page 4681
Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, six community governments in the Northwest Territories had an election on October 15, 2018. These elections took place for all of our communities with city, town, or village status, including the city of Yellowknife; the towns of Hay River, Fort Smith, Norman Wells, and Inuvik; and the village of Fort Simpson.
There were 87 candidates in total, vying for 52 available seats. The large number of candidates shows that there was keen interest in the local level of government and that individuals want to serve as leaders and decision-makers for their community.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to report that our territory continues to benefit from gender parity at the local government level, with four of the six mayor positions taken by female candidates. In total, 26 percent of the total 87 candidates for municipal office were female, and 78 percent of those candidates were successful in their bid for election.
The voter turnout rate was between 34 percent and 78 percent across the Northwest Territories. The lowest turnout rates were in communities where either the mayor or council was acclaimed.
Seventeen percent of candidates overall were acclaimed, with the mayor of Hay River and eight councillor seats for the town of Inuvik not requiring a vote. Overall, the mayor position was well contested, with two to four candidates running for mayor in each of Yellowknife, Inuvik, Fort Smith, Norman Wells, and Fort Simpson.
Local elections remain important to community residents. Being an elected official is one of the best ways that an individual can support their community in providing a safe, sustainable, and healthy environment for their residents. Congratulations to all who were elected on October 15, 2018, especially to the mayors. I look forward to working closely with Mayor Natasha Kulikowski in Inuvik, Mayor Frank Pope in Norman Wells, Mayor Sean Whelly in Fort Simpson, Mayor Rebecca Alty in Yellowknife, Mayor Kandis Jameson in Hay River, and Mayor Lynn Napier-Buckley in Fort Smith.
Many thanks to all the candidates who ran in the six communities, whether they were successful or not. People's willingness to serve is what makes democracy work, especially at the community level.
I would also like to thank the staff and volunteers who not only led the election process on behalf of the municipalities, but also those who supported candidates with their campaigns. It takes a significant effort by many people to facilitate this process behind the scenes so that residents can exercise their right to vote in elections.
Mr. Speaker, there will be an election for nine hamlet community governments on December 10, 2018. During this election, there will be 35 positions to be filled. This will be an opportunity for aspiring candidates in those communities to run and for residents to choose their leadership and determine the future direction of their community. I encourage all qualified residents to put their names forward and, especially, to get out and vote. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Minister's Statement 130-18(3): Municipal Government Elections
Ministers' Statements
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The Speaker Jackson Lafferty
Masi. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Air Tindi 30th Anniversary
Members' Statements
Page 4681
Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak about a good-news success story stemming from the riding of Yellowknife North. It's the story of a good idea, hard work, and community partnerships that grew into a northern legend and thriving business.
Mr. Speaker, today is the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Air Tindi. On November 1, 1988 Peter and Alex Arychuk and their wives Teri and Sheila, along with eight employees and three aircraft, opened their new business. They loved aviation, loved the people of the North, and brought confidence and a strong work ethic to their new airline. They started with seasonal tourism flights, wildlife surveys, and mining exploration, and grew from there.
Over time they earned loyalty and friendships among customers and communities by building a tradition of excellence, reliability, service, and safety. Starting in 1991 they have forged a total of six Aboriginal joint ventures. Continuously since 1993 Air Tindi has provided medevac services across the NWT. The diamond rush of the early 1990s boosted the airline even further, leading to growth in business and the acquisition of more-capable aircraft, like the Dash 7.
Today Air Tindi employs 200 people flying 18 aircraft. It provides vital daily connections between five communities and the capital. Its medevac crew is ready to be in the air anywhere in the NWT within 45 minutes of getting a call. In 2017 they flew over 1,200 medevac missions.
Air Tindi flies specialty charter missions of almost every description. It carried the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Blachford Lake Lodge, dog teams to the Arctic Winter Games, and a load of piglets to Gameti for the community's local agricultural project.
Mr. Speaker, like many northern businesses Air Tindi has benefitted from a focus on safety and best practices. This past year it achieved 1 million hours and three full years' operation without a lost-time injury.
The airline also grows its own northern workforce. About 30 apprentices or trainees are at Air Tindi at any given time, learning to be pilots or mechanical engineers.
Mr. Speaker, Air Tindi is truly a northern success story. After 30 years it continues to play a central role in transportation services in the NWT, providing a vital service and connecting northern communities and peoples.
Colleagues, please join me in congratulating Air Tindi on its 30th anniversary in business. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Air Tindi 30th Anniversary
Members' Statements
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The Speaker Jackson Lafferty
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Infrastructure Projects in the Sahtu
Members' Statements
Page 4682
Daniel McNeely Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we conclude our capital planning session.
Mr. Speaker, I recall growing up in the community of Colville Lake, and being mindful on the proposed new school facility gives me pleasure.
Mr. Speaker, in those early days we did not have a school in the community and therefore attended the Inuvik residential school.
Mr. Speaker, the Colville Lake First Nations built their own facility. Now, Mr. Speaker, the community children will soon be able to attend classes in a community-participation designed facility and no longer have to whisper from behind panels made from bookshelves.
Mr. Speaker, the community of Tulita held their first joint meeting with Infrastructure on their design input involvement to their community health centre, a true partnership approach by the Departments of Health and Social Services and Infrastructure.
Both buildings, Mr. Speaker, will contribute to building and strengthening community-based education and healthcare.
Mr. Speaker, advancing forward during 2019, I look forward to the community benefits by construction.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to extend best wishes to all Members for the remainder of 2018. Mahsi.
Infrastructure Projects in the Sahtu
Members' Statements
Page 4682
The Speaker Jackson Lafferty
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
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text: Raheem DeVaughn (born May 5, 1975) is an American singer and songwriter. His debut album, The Love Experience (2005), reached No. 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It featured the singles "Guess Who Loves You More" and "You". His second album Love Behind the Melody was released in January 2008. It features the singles "Woman", and "Custome… Read More


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This is a guide for using the ruby
antlr3 project. Currently, it's a work in progress, so bear with me as I work to cover all of the important details.
This guide is not intended to cover ANTLR's metalanguage, grammar specifications, or other conceptual aspects of the tool. For a full introduction to ANTLR and writing grammars, refer to ANTLR's primary documentation. For the most part, the documentation is written with the assumption that the reader has, at a minimum, basic familiarity with ANTLR's grammar language, terminology, and the command line ANTLR tool.
This guide targets the particulars of using the
antlr3 ruby project. It attempts to tailor the general concepts covered in ANTLR's Java-oriented documentation for usage in ruby. The guide also attempts to cover all places in which this ruby target diverges from conventions followed by the other language targets.
Getting Involved
If you have any suggestions, complaints, requests, or compliments about this guide, or the ruby
antlr3 project in general, feel free to let me know. I have written most of the target code on my own, and thus I have made various design decisions using my own judgment and style preferences. Thus, I am certainly open for discussion, feedback, and collaboration for any developers using this package. Also, if you're interested enough to join in on the development work, such as contributing extra features, enhancing the run-time library, writing more test code, or improving on the project documentation, please get in touch.
Bug Reports / Issues
This software's primarily been tested with my own system and configuration (Linux using standard "matz" ruby, version 1.8.7). I have tried my best to create a thorough suite of test code, using the Python and Java targets' extensive test code as a basis and then expanding it to cover issues specific to Ruby. However, given the complexity of the ANTLR code generation system and the various components of the run-time library, bugs are bound to have been overlooked. More information on issues or general design considerations from users working with other operating systems or alternate flavors or ruby would be incredibly helpful at this stage in the project.
Open issue reports on the github repository page.
About ANTLR
What's ANTLR?
ANTLR is a program that generates code for performing a variety of language recognition tasks: lexing, parsing, abstract syntax tree construction and manipulation, tree structure recognition, and input translation. The tool is similar to other parser generators: ANTLR takes in a grammar specification and then produces source code that recognizes the language.
While the tool itself is implemented in Java, it has an extensible design that allows for code generation in other programming languages. To implement an ANTLR language target, a developer may supply a set of templates written in the StringTemplate language. The grammar specification is written in a combination of ANTLR's metalanguage and the target programming language.
What does it offer over other parser generators?
- ANTLR's grammar specifications are more human-readable and logical than most other language recognition tools (like YACC)
- it uses its own concept of "LL(*)" arbitrary look-ahead to permit a developer to write a language using a structure close to how a person understands the language
- it uses familiar aspects of EBNF and regular expression syntax, such as repetition operators like
+, and
- it combines lexer and parser design. You don't have to provide your own lexer code (though you still can if you need to)
- all generated code is object-oriented and organized into classes
- it is tailored for common language recognition tasks
- it features integrated optional Abstract Syntax Tree generation
- it can generate tree parsers to rewrite, translate, and/or evaluate ASTs
- it features integrated automatic input translation using templates
About the Ruby
antlr3 Project
What's the Ruby
antlr3 project?
It's a collection of ruby code and templates, with a dash of Java code, wrapped into a standard ANTLR package. This package permits Ruby developers to use ANTLR to generate recognizers written in Ruby.
Doesn't ANTLR already have a Ruby target?
Yes, it does (well, sort of). With all due respect to the author of the original ruby target, the target only features rudimentary parser/lexer generation, making writing recognizers for more sophisticated languages difficult or even impossible.
So how does this project differ from ANTLR's default ruby target?
This project completely implements all of ANTLR's features. It provides all of the features implemented in ANTLR's Java and Python targets, including:
- AST construction
- Built-in automatic test scripts to quickly try out your recognizer
- AST parser generation
- Debug mode features
- Grammar profiling features
- Template output mode (using a variation of
ERBinstead of
- Lexer filter mode
- A little cleanup while reviving the projects — updates coming soon
- started Built-In Drivers article
- started Tokens article
- Created blank section for general discussion of grammar files
- Started a section for a broader overview of what this project's used for
- Started new Scopes article and added a little more material to the Action Blocks article


text:
Search results
(1 - 1 of 1)
- Title
- Validated age and growth estimates for the shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, in the North Atlantic Ocean,
- Description
- Age and growth estimates for the shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, derived from vertebral centra of 258 specimens (118 males, 140 females), ranging in size from 64 to 340 cm fork length (FL) were compared with data from 22 tag-recaptured individuals (74-193 cm FL) and length-frequency data from 1822 individuals (1035 males, 787 females; 65-215 cm FL). Annual band-pair deposition, confirmed by a concurrent bomb radiocarbon validation study, was used as the basis for band interpretation. Validation was further confirmed with a tetracycline-injected male shortfin mako recaptured after being at liberty off South Africa for 1 year and aged at 18 years. Growth rates from tag-recapture analysis (GROTAG) were higher than those derived from vertebral annuli and were only available from sharks up to 193 cm FL at recapture. Modal length-frequency data were used to verify the first four age classes. Growth curves were fit using both von Bertalanffy and Gompertz models. The 3-parameter version of the von Bertalanffy growth function produced the most biologically reasonable values for males, based on observed data (L∞ = 253 cm FL, K = 0.125 year-1 (estimated longevity = 21 year), and L 0 = 72 cm). The 3-parameter version of the Gompertz growth function produced the most biologically reasonable estimates, for females (L ∞ = 366 cm FL, K = 0.087 year-1 (estimated longevity = 38 year) and L0 = 88 cm. Males and females were aged to 29 (260 cm FL) and 32 years (335 cm FL), respectively. Both sexes grew similarly to age 11 (207 cm FL, 212 cm FL for males and females, respectively) when the curve leveled in males and continued to rise in females. Age at 50% maturity was estimated at 8 years for males (185 cm FL) and 18 years for females (275 cm FL). The species grows slower, matures later and has a longer life span than previously reported in North Atlantic waters. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc., Cited By (since 1996):30, Fish and Fisheries, CODEN: EBFID, ,
- Author
- Natanson, Kohler, Ardizzone, Cailliet, Wintner, Mollet
- Date


text:
Indigenous cooperation
Climate action works best when it is planned and implemented on local level – be it in the municipalities of Europe or in the indigenous territories of Amazonia. The key is to have broad variety of approaches. There is no universal solution.
This principle of diversity is reflected in the cooperation between European municipalities and the indigenous peoples of the Amazonia. In addition to cooperating with the umbrella organisation of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin (COICA), Climate Alliance works to strengthen the political integration of indigenous peoples in international processes, support funds, supervises partnerships between cities, organises delegation tours and supports community projects in the Amazon region, for example through art or with the provision of solar lamps.
For Climate Alliance members, too, there are many opportunities to promote climate justice. Find out more in our Bridges to Amazonia brochure or contact us for further ideas on how to get involved and support this pillar of Climate Alliance!
Photo: Stéphanie Zimmer


text: Home > Locations > United Kingdom > London - Holborn - Telephone answering Telephone answering Want to focus on your work without constant interruptions from the telephone? Or would your business benefit from a local Londontelephone number? Our Telephone Answering services give you a landline telephone number and the choice of live or automated call handling services. What is included A telephone number for your chosen city Personalised greeting message Voicemail accessible 24/7 Voicemail notification by email Access to our offices See all 2 photos


text:
Amazonite Palm Stone
Amazonite encourages communication without excessive emotion and assists you in being able to see both sides of an issue. It also helps dissipate negative energy.Crystal System: Triclinic
Mohs Hardness: 6
Crystals and Energy Tools
Crystals and other energy tools are intended to be a complement to, and not a substitute for, professional medical or psychiatric care. Outcomes can vary and cannot be guaranteed.
Please use caution and common sense when burning any herbs. Always use a fire safe container and do not leave unattended. The herbs we sell are not intended for ingestion, please do not consume.
Please note that you may not receive the exact crystal or handcrafted pictured. Crystals and other items are selected when your order is being prepared for shipping. Crystals are natural objects and as such they vary between individual pieces. Handcrafted items will be made in the same manner as those pictured but there are slight variances from piece to piece with handcrafted items and that is part of their charm.


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The Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro II has surfaced once again, and thankfully, this time around, Mr. Blurrycam decided to stay at home. A Chinese website has published some gorgeous snaps of the successor to the Xperia Mini Pro. The Mini Pro II is no Arc, but it's still quite a looker.
While the Mini Pro will be a tad bigger than its predecessor, SE is still quite serious about the 'Mini' tag. Leaked specifications suggest that it will feature a 3.0 inch screen with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels. It's expected to be powered by a capable 800 MHz Scorpion processor with Adreno 205 GPU. Considering SE's recent trackrecord, it seems pretty obvious that it will sport Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) at launch. Other features include FM Radio, 5 megapixel camera with HD video recording, and expandable memory (up to 32 GB). Of course, the biggest attraction of this handset is its physical QWERTY keypad.
Samsung has been making things tough for other manufacturers by launching attractive handsets like the Galaxy Ace at unbeatable prices. However, if the Mini Pro II is priced sensibly, Sony Ericsson might have a winner in its hands.


text:
A LANDMARK legal agreement that could see Darlington Football Club return to its hometown after two years in exile has been signed.
The Quakers have signed a memorandum of understanding with Darlington Rugby Football Club that will set the two teams on the path to sharing the rugby club's Blackwell Meadows site from next season.
But the football club has warned that it is still facing significant financial challenges and needs to raise thousands of pounds if it is to make it to the end of the season and for the return to Darlington to go ahead.
Martin Jesper, chief executive of the football club, admitted that the club's finances are "extremely stretched" and that without a "huge" fundraising effort by fans the agreement may not come off.
Darlington FC has spent two years in groundsharing with Bishop Auckland FC at Heritage Park, but the costs associated with that agreement, and a drop in crowd attendances this season, mean that a move back to Darlington is now urgent.
Details of the exact amounts needed and the timescales for the fundraising at Darlington FC are expected to be announced by the club early next week.
Senior figures at both clubs have hailed the agreement as an opportunity to each become more sustainable and to create a hub for team sports that will serve Darlington and the Tees Valley.
Mr Jesper said: "We need money to get to the end of the season because our finances are extremely stretched. In order for this groundsharing vision to happen in September, first the club has to exist. We will be fundraising to keep the club viable.
"The club has survived on the good will of the fans but there are lots of costs associated with being at Bishop Auckland. Without a huge fundraising push next week this may not come off.
"Being back in Darlington will help the off-field side of the football club."
The memorandum of understanding sets out the terms of future discussions on the practicalities of a groundshare at Blackwell Meadows, which lies off Grange Road, on the outskirts of town.
Tony Stowe, secretary of Darlington Rugby Club, said: "We've had a vision to turn this corner of Darlington into a community sports hub.
"Adding the football club to the rugby union and league and amateur football we already have will mean it continues to develop."
The scheme has won the backing of Darlington Borough Council, which will help with planning and car parking arrangements, and Darlington MP Jenny Chapman.
Ms Chapman said: "I see this as another milestone on what has become a very long journey. It's a positive step and I'm pleased that the two clubs have a shared vision for sport in Darlington."
Council leader Bill Dixon said: "It is fantastic that the football club is returning to play in Darlington. In terms of sustainability it's got to be a win-win for both clubs."