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I'm coming back to live in Texas and plan to see every inch of it. Your magazine will be a must read.
—NOLA HENNESSY, TH Facebook Fan in Mollymook, New South Wales, Australia
Honey-Sweet Memory
I grew up with honeybees on our land and at least one hive always near our house to watch and enjoy [May]. I do miss having them around. They are amazing creatures, and I am just as fascinated with them now as I was as a child. And I was never stung once growing up.
JAYMIE McGRAW MASSEY,
TH Facebook Fan in Houston
Sign of the Times
I'm enjoying my new issue of Texas Highways, however, the photo of the folks around the fireplace in the Davis Mountains story [May] is sad: four people and there is one iPad, two cell phones, and the other guy might be on one, too. It looks like a lovely place with a nice fire, but no communication or warmth. A sign of the times, sadly.
SANDY OLDENBURGER, Friendswood
Serbin Surprise
Your article about the Wends and Serbin [April] reminded me of the time some friends and I from Dallas tried to go to Austin but ended up finding a place to stay in Giddings. We went to a festival in Serbin and saw the beautiful decorated eggs, food, and Texas Wendish Heritage Museum. We also toured the beautiful St. Paul Lutheran Church. All of us were happy that we found an unexpected place.
RICHARD COOK, Carterville, Missouri
EDITOR'S NOTE: Our readers note two recent errors that merit correction. The vintage aircraft displayed on the USS Lexington [May] should have been identified as an F-14 Tomcat. And, the oak-shaded deck pictured in an April story about Fredericksburg Wine Road 290 should have been identified as William Chris Vineyards in Hye.
Our favorite social media of the month...
I remember our Dad would load up all his kids and our cousins for a trip to the San Antonio Zoo. The one and only time I tasted rattlesnake meat—no, not like chicken.
Josie Robinson
Readers Recommend
Beautiful in Burnet
I learned of a quaint little place just outside of Burnet called Perissos Vineyard and Winery. I was there as the photographer for the wedding of a coworker, and the grounds and the structure are gorgeous. The food is delicious and the service superb.
JANICE E. DAVENPORT, Seabrook
Perissos Vineyard and Winery is at 7214 Park Road 4 W in Burnet; 512/820-2950.


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Kings even series with five-goal third period
CHICAGO — Jeff Carter scored three of Los Angeles' six straight goals, and the Kings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2 on Wednesday night to leave the Western Conference final tied at one game apiece.
Drew Doughty and Tyler Toffoli also scored in Los Angeles' five-goal third period as the Kings became the first visiting team to win in Chicago this postseason. The Blackhawks won their first seven home playoff games this year, but the Kings skated right past Chicago after the defending Stanley Cup champions took a 2-0 lead in the second period.
Game 3 of the best-of-7 series is Saturday night in Los Angeles.
Nick Leddy and Ben Smith scored for Chicago, and Corey Crawford made 25 saves.
The Blackhawks were in position for their fourth consecutive win before Doughty drove a slap shot past Crawford to tie it at 2 just 1:37 into the third. Carter then had another power-play score at 4:04 that gave Los Angeles the lead.
Once the Kings got going, they appeared to get almost anything they wanted against the sagging Blackhawks. Tanner Pearson set up goals by Toffoli at 8:59 and Carter at 14:44, and Carter added an empty-netter for his seventh of the playoffs.
Carter also had an assist in his first career four-point playoff game. It was his second playoff hat trick.
Jonathan Quick made 23 saves for the Kings, including a big stop on Brent Seabrook with Chicago trying for a 3-0 lead in the second.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tag Archives: talented
Farmville Art by Jaxs
Jaxs loves to to share his love for art with the designs he does on the Zynga game Farmville. He has the kind of creativity to turn a farming game into a digital art experience. A gift for drawing since … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Articles, Cartoons, Digital Art, Farmville Art, games and puzzles, Graphic art, Uncategorized Tagged art, artistic, cartoons, cats, Chilly Willy, curious george, cute penguin, Digital art, dogs, farm games, Farmville, farmville art, games, graphic arts, Imagination, mouse, My Opera, Penelope, penguins, Pepe Le Pew, princess, puzzles, talented, Tigger, Tom & Jerry, Zynga Leave a comment


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EKR necesitaba un nuevo diseño de papelería y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 180 diseños de 20 diseñadores freelance.
We are an engineering service provider and software reseller to the medical and electronic device industry. We meet people from everywhere to customer meetings to trade shows.
Companies like Intel, HP and other high tech companies would be a classic customer. We tend to meet with upper managers like CEO's and VP's.
Looking for simple corporate look but with a modern edge.
For our logo, both the jpg and ai version are attached.
Business address can be found here: http://deviceanalytics.com/contact.php
Use the following:
Ed Rezler
Managing Director
The web site will change in the short term so please do not design the business card based on the current site. Many of our customers don't even look at our website but a high quality business card is important!
At the end of the project, I need editable files that can be read into Illustrator and also be sent to the business card print shop.


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November 26. 2012 11:36PM
Candia has blunt words for Manchester on classroom crowding
By TED SIEFER
New Hampshire Union Leader
MANCHESTER - The Candia School Board had a blunt message for Mayor Ted Gatsas and the city school board Monday night: Reduce class sizes or let us go.
The joint meeting follows one earlier this month with Hooksett parents and board members, who decried conditions in Manchester high schools. Under an agreement with the district, the two towns send their high school students to Manchester. Hooksett has 686 students in the district and Candia has 144, all of them at Central High.
"We're here with two solutions," Candia School Board member Kim Royer told her counterparts. "One: we would like every class that has a Candia student in it to have no more than 30 students per class. We would like to have that immediately. We also don't want disruptions to their schedule."
The second option, Royer said, is for Manchester to "release us from the contract."
Royer acknowledged that improvements in class sizes, as well as with textbook and desk shortages, have been made since the start of the school year, but said that classes remain too large.
Mayor Gatsas, citing the most recent figures from the district superintendent, said there were about 59 classes at Central that still had more than 30 students, the state standard for maximum class size.
Gatsas, who serves as chairman of the city school board, said that it would be impossible to respond to the Candia board's request since it was unknown how many Candia students are in classes that exceed the 30-pupil standard. Such information could only be presented in a follow-up meeting with Manchester Superintendent Thomas Brennan. He was unable to attend Monday's meeting because he was sick, as was the case with the Hooksett meeting on Nov. 15.
Assistant Superintendent Michael Tursi was at the meeting with the Candia board, but he did not respond directly to its concerns, beyond presenting a report on new technology initiatives.
Gatsas emphasized that the district was doing all it could in a challenging fiscal environment.
"The situation we're in has not been an easy one," he said. "The state has downshifted costs, and there's no question we're all feeling the fiscal impact. I can only tell you we're all working as hard as we can, and that the transition (next) September won't be anything like this year."
Hooksett and Candia pay Manchester tuition to send their high school students to the district under a 20-year contract signed in 2003. The contract does allow a party to declare another in breach, a process that takes at least six months. The contract doesn't specifically mention class sizes, but it does require the district to comply with state standards, which include the class size limit of 30 students.
Meeting after meeting
Around 40 people attended the meeting in the conference room of the city's public health department. Gatsas adjourned the meeting without opening the floor to public comments on the grounds it was a "special meeting," applying the same rule for school board and aldermanic meetings.
Jim O'Connell, an activist and one of the founders of the parents group Citizens for Manchester Schools, objected to Gatsas' move; several parents also indicated that they wanted a chance to speak. Several city school board members stayed later, including Kathy Staub and Erica Connors, who sat down with a group of parents.
The meeting began with a presentation from Assistant Superintendent Tursi on a report Brennan had produced earlier in the month, "Maximizing Educational Opportunities." The plan calls for the offering of "virtual" computer-assisted classrooms, allowing students to take courses remotely, as well as courses at local universities, to be available as soon as next semester.
The plan, which was also presented at the Hooksett meeting, did not appear to greatly impress the Candia board or Superintendent Charles Littlefield, who heads SAU 15, which includes Candia and Hooksett.
"V-LACS is already available to Candia students," Littlefield said, referring to the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School. "That is not the solution. The solution is adequate resources to make sure our kids are getting what we bargained for, and we're not getting that."
Littlefield later added, "I think the relationship between Candia and Central (High) is special, and I think of it with sadness that the Candia community found it necessary to draw a line in the sand. I think it's only fair that, if there are no solutions to these problems, then we need to know that. Candia kids are great kids, as are yours. But they are highly desirable."
The audience applauded after these comments.
O'Connell, of the Manchester school advocacy group, has had several public clashes with Gatsas. In an interview after the meeting, O'Connell said, "To lure people into the public arena, to deny the parents of Candia and Manchester and Hooksett the opportunity to speak is very disturbing."
He referred to the technology report a "snow job," saying, "This is nonsense document. It's aspirational. It was dreamed up one night while staring at the wall."


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Freshdesk, provider of a cloud-based customer support platform, launched FreshThemes, a suite of new customization capabilities that allow companies to tailor their customer support offerings to the preferences of their customers.
FreshThemes includes a gallery of ready-to-use support themes, allowing businesses to completely customize the look and feel of their help desk using their own cascading style sheets (CSS), JavaScript, and layouting.
With FreshThemes, companies can optimize the entire ticketing process to progress customers through a set of questions based on their previous answers. Companies using Freshdesk can decide what to show customers, where, and how to stylize every element of their customer support portal.
"Customers today demand a personal experience. When they come knocking at the door with a support issue, they are giving the business another chance to impress them", said Vikram Bhaskaran, director of marketing at Freshdesk, in a statement. "Here, the business can stick to metrics and stop with just satisfying the customer. Or they can go the extra mile to craft a lasting personality, and give customers that support experience that will make them delirious with joy."


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Former prep stars meet on collegiate field
The Adrian College football team took care of business on the road on Saturday (Oct. 20) with a 28-8 victory at Olivet College. The Bulldogs won for the sixth straight time this season improving to 6-1, 4-0 MIAA. In addition, Adrian has now defeated Olivet five straight times and leads the all-time series 46-22-1.
Adrian's first possession of the second half gave them a 21-0 lead as Alex Krajniak (White Pigeon) carried into the end zone for the first time this season from one-yard out capping off a six-play, 45-yard drive.
Olivet put together their scoring drive at 11:59 left in the game. The Comets moved 50 yards and Chance Nightingale (Mendon) carried in from six yards and also completed a two-point conversion pass to Zechariah Jenki.
Adrian outgained Olivet, 345-149, for the contest as the MIAA's best defense put together another solid game. In fact, the Bulldogs went 15 quarters in MIAA play without allowing a TD until Olivet punched it in late in the game.
Also seeing time on the field for Olivet was Zach Gropp (White Pigeon).
Rounding out the Comets roster are Evan Ramer (Colon), Johnny Hicks (Constantine) and Cody Ross (Mendon).


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Three incumbents on Columbus City Council said they will seek re-election to continue adding to the successes of the city, making it competitive for small businesses and economically and culturally diverse.
Three incumbents on Columbus City Council said they will seek re-election to continue adding to the successes of the city, making it competitive for small businesses and economically and culturally diverse.
But their challengers say the current council structure, which locks good candidates out of the system, needs to be changed.
Incumbents Priscilla Tyson, A. Troy Miller and Eileen Paley will face Republican challengers Greg Lawson and Brian Bainbridge, and independent Nick Schneider, in the Nov. 5 election.
Lawson, 35, said ward representation "would bring a certain level of accountability."
"Money soils the process," said Lawson, a policy analyst for the Buckeye Institute of Public Policy, a free-market think tank.
"It's very difficult to mount a successful campaign. When you make it that way, the cost of entry is pretty prohibitive."
Any such change in the charter must be approved by voters. Critics of the proposal say wards lead to political gridlock and grandstanding.
Tyson, 58, has an "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" attitude about the subject.
She said Columbus is a success story. It's the only major city in Ohio that's growing and has a AAA bond rating, which allows the city to borrow money at a lower interest rate to finance projects.
Tyson, who lives on the East Side, said neighborhoods are represented, either through civic associations or area commissions, which serve in an advisory capacity.
She said her door is always open to constituents.
"We're doing well," said Tyson, who owns an art gallery. "I don't see any reason to change."
Lawson and Bainbridge, both of whom have served on area commissions -- Lawson on Fifth by Northwest and Bainbridge on Greater Hilltop -- think neighborhood groups' concerns are unheeded at City Hall.
"I don't think they're taken seriously," Bainbridge said. "I don't think they've been taken seriously for years."
Bainbridge, of the West Side, said he supports a combination of ward and at-large representation "working together for a common goal."
"I really believe our nation was founded on the representative form of government we take for granted today," said Bainbridge, 37, a real estate agent. "Why are we exempt from that?"
Meanwhile, council has been criticized by some neighborhood leaders over the amount of attention and money it's given to downtown projects, including the Columbus Commons and Scioto Mile, at the expense of other areas.
Paley, an attorney in private practice, said if there's a disparity that tips in favor of downtown, it's worth the investment.
Downtown, she said, offers the first impression to visitors who are attending a conference at the Greater Columbus Convention Center or staying at one of the hotels.
And there have been positive developments, she said, including the construction of a new Hilton hotel and announcement of Highpoint on Columbus Commons, a 300-unit apartment complex.
"I won't apologize for that. It makes good economic sense," said Paley, 50, who lives on the Far East Side.
Schneider, 31, said the current council structure was put in place nearly 100 years ago when the city had roughly 100,000 residents. Now the population has grown to nearly 800,000.
Of the 50 largest American cities, only Columbus and Seattle have no district representation, Schneider said.
"It's time for our system to get with the 21st century," he said.
Schneider, a videographer and small-business owner who lives in Clintonville, also leveled pointed criticism against the city for using money from the Hollywood Casino to bailout corporations "for their bad investment" in Nationwide Arena.
Lawson, who lives on the Northwest Side, also advocates repeal of the 0.5-cent income tax increase, passed by voters in 2009, that brought the city's total income tax rate to 2.5 percent.
He admits, however, the chances of this happening are "slim to none."
"Their basic premise is, we've got it, we might as well hold onto it," he said.
Miller, meanwhile, has made small business development "a top priority." For example, Miller's Columbus Kickstart initiative allows local entrepreneurs to compete for free downtown retail space.
"Kickstart also hosted a WidgetPitch contest where local entrepreneurs presented their ideas in front of local investors," said Miller, 47, an independent IT consultant who lives on the East Side.
"Small-business development will continue to be my focus for the next four years," he said.


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NH police and illegals: Is this 'catch and release?'EDITORIAL
September 23. 2017 5:35PM
The New Hampshire State Police are working on a "clear policy" regarding that agency's role in dealing with illegal immigrants. We hope it comes up with something clearer and better than what the Deerfield police have just adopted.
Immigration enforcement is clearly not the police's primary concern. But to simply say, "Not our job," does a disservice to New Hampshire citizens and non-citizens here legally, as well as to the police as an agency of law enforcement.
State and local police should not be stopping people based on skin color or foreign accent. But neither should illegal immigrants get a free pass to walk away from a valid stop because of a police policy that does little or nothing to cooperate with federal law and federal authorities.
If state or local police are running a name through crime data bases, that should include immigration data. But the new Deerfield police policy says a person written up for a ticket or citation will be released "regardless of his immigration status."
It then says that its police "may notify ICE" (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) if the person "is flagged by ICE in the NCIC system for violations of immigration law."
But that sounds a lot like barn-door closing after the horse has been allowed to leave the premises. Equally discouraging is the line that says "any request by ICE for non-emergency police assistance must be approved by the officer in charge."
Is that likely to encourage or discourage an officer in the field from holding an illegal or letting him go?
It is often said that we cannot deport 11 million illegals. But we can certainly send a message to prospective illegals that you enter our country at your own risk and that we are serious about enforcing the law.
We hope that Gov. Chris Sununu and Attorney General Gordon MacDonald will make sure the state police policy keeps that in mind.
Crime, law and justice Public Safety Local and County Government Immigration Editorial Deerfield


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Washington could see the most contentious confirmation hearing of Barack Obama's presidency on Thursday, as former Senator Chuck Hagel fights for his chance to be the next Secretary of Defense. At least seven of the 12 members on the Senate Armed Services Committee have expressed some reservations on Hagel's nomination and a few have stated outright that they plan to vote against him. Thatmay not be enough to shut down his appointment, but it could lead to some fireworks today as the Republican committee members get their chance to challenge him directly. Unlike John Kerry, Hageldidn't make a lot of friends during his time in the Senate and will not get the benefit of a rubber-stamp coronation.
So why do his haters want to keep Hagel—a brave enlisted man, a decorated veteran, and a former Senator like themselves—from running the Pentagon? Two reasons, really: Israel and Iran, nations for which Hagel does not appear to share the appropriate level of concern.


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Powerful storms bring damage to Grafton CountyBy BOB HOOKWAY
Special to the Union Leader
June 02. 2013 8:46PM
WARREN — Thunderstorms packing powerful winds made their way north through New Hampshire Sunday afternoon and evening, causing localized damage throughout the state, some of it considerable.
In some communities, such as Warren in Grafton County, trees were uprooted, and some crashed down on homes and vehicles doing a good deal of property damage. Virtually all electrical service was knocked out there. Meanwhile, the same system passed by and barely touched other towns over the course of about two hours.
"Trees are down everywhere here," said Janice Sackett, Warren's emergency management director.
"I just talked to a woman who had a big pine tree come down on her trailer. It broke the ridge pole and wrecked her new car that was less than a month old," Sackett said.
She said no injuries were reported, but highway crews were working to reopen roads blocked by fallen trees and forest debris.
"It's pretty well opened back up," Sackett said at around 7:30 p.m., after the storms struck at around 5:30.
"Red Oak Hill and Beech Hill are open again; they're working on Breezy Hill," said Sackett, who said generators were being used to maintain refrigeration at the Warren Village School and prevent the school's food supply from spoiling. New Hampshire Electric Co-op's outage map showed Warren with nearly 100 percent power outage last evening. That was among the highest in the state, along with Orford, Piermont, Pittsburg, Stewartstown and Thornton.
Nearly 9,000 of the co-op's 78,752 members were affected. Public Service of New Hampshire also reported total outage in Pittsburg, as well as Grafton. About 85 percent of Alton's ratepayers were affected, according to PSNH's outage map.
The storms that passed through the Warren area reached northern Coos County about two hours later, according to comments from residents in Colebrook and Pittsburg.
"Downtown Warren is a disaster," said Marcia Downs, a resident of that town who returned home at about 7:30 p.m. after driving around and surveying the scene.
"It almost looks like wind shear in some places. Some trees look like they were cut with a chain saw about 10 feet above the ground," Downs said.
And what about the Project Mercury-era Redstone Missile that has stood on the Warren green for decades?
"The rocket is still standing," Downs said with a laugh.


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Beautiful Curves
Nikki McDonald 9/25/2010 6:19:52 AMTerrific composition -- gotta love the way the curve of the grass head frames this beautiful creature. Wonderful detail, Robert. #1311516
Stephen Shoff 9/25/2010 8:10:29 AMExcellent capture and unusual composition. #8928938
Ron Livingston 9/25/2010 9:27:58 AMRobert,
Usman M. Bajwa 10/13/2011 3:34:03 AMWOW ... this is a beauty of a capture more so as it is a handheld one. Expect to see this again, Robert!
Dominick M. Dimacale 10/23/2011 3:43:50 AMCongratulations, Robert on your POTD Win!
Dominick #9756075
Deborah C. Lewinson 10/23/2011 3:46:25 AMCongratulations on your POTD, Robert, for this superb and excellent image!
Debby #9756081
Katarina Mansson 10/23/2011 3:46:56 AMExcellent macro and beautiful result - congratulations Robert! #9756083
Debbie Bray 10/23/2011 4:00:31 AMCongratulations on your POTD, Robert!! Great macro! #9756093
Marilyn Cornwell 10/23/2011 4:15:20 AMCongratulations on POTD! #9756132
Kathryn Wesserling 10/23/2011 4:21:05 AMPerfect POTD! Congratulations, Robert. #9756139
Jeff Robinson 10/23/2011 4:47:31 AMCongrats Robert on your Outstanding POTD!! #9756154
Mary K. Robison 10/23/2011 4:48:34 AMCongratulations on your POTD, Robert ~
Karen Celella 10/23/2011 4:50:02 AMCongratulations on your outstanding POTD, Robert! #9756159
WAhid Dilawar Al-Hakim 10/23/2011 5:01:02 AMCongratulations Robert. Nice DOF. :) #9756179
Joy Rector 10/23/2011 5:08:13 AMcongrats on the POTD #9756189
Shirley A. Kinney 10/23/2011 5:34:59 AMBeautiful capture, Robert. Congratulations on your POTD. #9756229
Patricia A. Casey 10/23/2011 5:40:13 AMWow.....wonderful capture, Robert...Congratulations on the well deserved POTD! Cheers! =^..^= #9756241
JO ANN CLEVELAND 10/23/2011 5:53:48 AMStunning macro Robert!
Congrats on this amazing POTD!
jo ann c. #9756262
Patti Coblentz 10/23/2011 5:57:15 AMSuperb composition, Robert...great macro! Congratulations on your POTD! #9756273
Orsi 10/23/2011 6:15:01 AMCongratulations on your POTD!!Beautiful macro,Robert!! #9756318
Susan D. Royce 10/23/2011 6:18:45 AMBeautiful, unique! Congrats on your POTD :) #9756324
Bill Houghton 10/23/2011 7:11:40 AMRobert, this is such a great macro of this mantis. It has beautiful sharpness and detail. I like the bokeh too. Congratulations. Have a great day, Bill
If you have time, check out my website:
Bill Houghton Photography #9756393
Lisa J. Boulden 10/23/2011 7:40:12 AMOutstanding!
Rita Hill 10/23/2011 7:47:53 AMWonderful! congrats on your POTD, Loving the title to this fantastic image.
Maria Coulson 10/23/2011 8:29:50 AMRobert, extraordinary, congratulations!! #9756570
Richard D. Love 10/23/2011 9:39:48 AMCongratulations, Robert. Wonderful macro. Well done.
Rick #9756729
Robert Ganz 10/23/2011 10:04:42 AMWow! Thank you all for the comments! I think that this is the first ever POTD I have had at Betterphoto.
This photo is being published in the very near future, and has won me an amazing (once in a lifetime) prize that I am not yet at liberty to share with you!
Thank you again.
Robert #9756773
Usman M. Bajwa 10/23/2011 10:30:13 AMGood to see this lovely capture, Robert. CONGRATZ on the POTD and your other award, WTG!!
Stanley C. Sims 10/23/2011 1:45:16 PMTerrific captyre Robert. Congratulations on the POTD, and the other awards you are receiving. #9757185
Nadia Paul 10/23/2011 1:50:15 PMthis is stunning Robert - congrats on your POTD! #9757201
Lori Carlson 10/23/2011 2:01:59 PMWow! Wonderful Robert!! Congrats on your recognition!! =) #9757232
Michele Peterson 10/23/2011 2:12:20 PMThis is really neat! Love it! Congratulations on your POTD today, its wonderful!! #9757258
Jeffrey R. Bange 10/23/2011 3:30:10 PMCongratulations Robert on a well deserved POTD and one that I'm sure we will be seeing again real soon. Also a huge congratulations on having your photo published, please keep us informed as to when and where it's being published and also what your prize was that you won. #9757353
Shelly A. Van Camp 10/23/2011 5:24:29 PMBeautiful...I did some pictures today of the same thing....Congrats on the POTD!! #9757549
Daniella Puente 10/24/2011 9:16:07 AMGreat capture! #9758852
Sylvia Rourke 10/24/2011 10:13:07 AMCongrats on your POTD. Crisp and great depth of field. Beautiful
Donna La Mattino Pagakis 10/24/2011 3:59:17 PMA super cool macro and POTD Robert, congratulations! #9759615
Mike F. Anderson 10/24/2011 7:02:23 PMSuperb Robert!
Congratulations! #9759858
Marisol Pastor 10/27/2011 10:03:11 AMSuperb macro! Congrats on the POTD! #9766460
Summer A. Kozisek 10/30/2011 3:00:30 PMFantastic capture! Congratulations on your recent POTD!! #9772774
Karen Bacon 11/16/2011 3:39:42 PMcongratulations on this terrific finalist! #9809201
Sylvia Rourke 11/16/2011 3:44:37 PMCongrats on your finalist...Robert, beautiful macro shot. #9809241
Cheryl Winn 11/16/2011 4:04:06 PMSo beautiful, Robert. Great detail. Congratulations! #9809429
Jeffrey R. Bange 11/16/2011 4:29:19 PMCongratulations Robert and best of luck in the next round. #9809655
The Judges at BetterPhoto.com 11/16/2011 4:40:57 PMThe soft green makes a great backdrop! #9809761
The Judges at BetterPhoto.com 11/16/2011 4:48:34 PMExcellent! #9809832
The Judges at BetterPhoto.com 11/16/2011 7:29:05 PMLove the curved line and the blurred background. #9810849
Nadia Paul 11/17/2011 2:50:55 AMCongrats on your beautiful finalist Robert! #9811926
Usman M. Bajwa 11/17/2011 3:25:55 AMGlad to see this again, Robert. CONGRATZ and Good luck!
Kathryn Wesserling 11/17/2011 4:38:39 AMSo.. how much did it cost you to get him to pose like that? Seriously, Robert - this shows the patience of a true photographer. It's a one-of-a-kind shot that you ought to be proud of. #9812260
Mike F. Anderson 11/17/2011 6:35:32 AMCongratulations on your Finalist, Robert! #9812673
Patti Coblentz 11/17/2011 6:37:54 AMCongratulations on this fantastic finalist, Robert!! #9812686
Indira Klotzer 11/17/2011 9:58:41 AMWow. Just beautiful! #9813422
ROBIN-LEE M. Vieira 11/17/2011 1:36:24 PMSoooo beautiful! Congratulations Robert!! #9814126
Jeffrey R. Bange 11/17/2011 7:22:57 PMCongratulations Robert on taking home the GOLD, well deserved. #9815323
Kathryn Wesserling 11/17/2011 7:25:42 PMWow - that didn't take long to move up to 1st Place. Congratulations, it truly deserved the Gold. #9815326
David M. Montero 11/18/2011 4:35:46 PMWonderful find and capture. Congratulations on scoring gold Robert! #9817445
Rona L. Schwarz 11/18/2011 10:40:32 PMMagnificent capture and spectacular composition, Robert! You must have the Patience of Job and I'm happy to see that is being so well-rewarded. Congratulations on your publication and your amazing prize, and, of course, your BP Gold Win! #9818132
Katherine Kuhn 11/19/2011 9:30:23 AMAmazing capture! Couldn't ask for a better pose! Congratulations on your winner! #9818805
ALLEN O. HOWARD 11/19/2011 9:56:15 AMA spectacular capture! Congratulations for well deserved awards!!! #9818878
JO ANN CLEVELAND 11/19/2011 3:11:27 PMBig Congratulations on this awesome Gold 2nd Place Winner Robert ... fantastic!!!
jo ann c.
Robert Ganz 11/21/2011 5:30:01 PMOk, so now I can spill the beaqns. This photo won the grand prize in Canadian geographic Magazine's Wildlife Photography Contest 2011. It will be minted on a collector's coin produced by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2012 sometime.
Merna L. Nobile 12/1/2011 3:54:28 PMCongratulations!
Sigma 180mm macro handheld, available light on a cloudy afternoon.
Exif: F Number: 8, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/160 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 250, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 180.00 mm, Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Uploaded on 9/24/2010 7:07:26 PM
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Robert Ganz. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Log in to follow or message this photographer or report this photo.


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LONDON (AP) — Five notable changes that took place in Britain in the 77 years that elapsed between Wimbledon titles for Fred Perry and Andy Murray, who ended Britain's drought on Sunday:
1. MANY BIRTHDAYS: Queen Elizabeth II was 10 at the time of Perry's victory in 1936 and still known as Princess Elizabeth. Her coronation was in 1953.
2. MANY WINNERS: A total of 39 different men representing 12 different countries won the men's title at Wimbledon, including one from the now-nonexistent country of Czechoslovakia (Jan Kodes).
3. CHANGES IN PARLIAMENT: The office of Prime Minister exchanged hands 16 times. Some notables: Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher.
4. A NEW WORLD: More than a dozen countries in Africa, along with Hong Kong and large chunks of the Caribbean, including Jamaica, were granted independence from the British Empire.
5. PRICE IS RIGHT: Price for a grounds pass has gone from 3 shillings to 8 pounds ($12). The British stopped issuing shillings for circulation in 1967.


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Is there a time and a trade when it is beneficial for a position to take on more risk than the potential reward?
When a stock is overbought or is facing possible resistance, a bear call spread offers several ways to profit.
With the market appearing to be somewhat extended to the upside, it might be a good opportunity to discuss a non-bullish strategy — one that can put the odds on your side, but with limited gains. Here is a breakdown of a call credit spread and its possible uses.
Bear Call: A bear call spread might be viewed as a high-risk and low-reward trade. Why would an option trader do this? Because it usually comes with a high probability of success when compared to a debit spread, such as the bear put spread.
Many new option traders tend to stay away from credit spreads because they usually risk more than they can make, especially when the spread is set up out-of-the-money (OTM). Debit spreads are preferred and easier to understand. But a trader needs to dig deeper and see that there are other benefits to a credit spread that might influence his or her decision.
One of the advantages of a credit spread is that it still can profit even if the stock moves slightly against your position. Basically, it has really three out of four ways of making money if the spread is implemented OTM. A debit spread, such as a bear put spread, usually needs the underlying to fall to profit from the spread.
A bear call spread involves selling a call while purchasing a higher strike call with the same expiration. The short call is more expensive than the long call. Adding a long call to the short call position creates a credit spread and protects the position from further losses if the underlying rallies past the two strikes. The maximum profit is the original premium received from the spread if the stock finishes below the short strike at expiration; the spread would expire worthless. The maximum loss occurs if the stock finishes above the long call at expiration. This credit spread has a smaller potential profit than a naked call option, but also limits risk.
Because premium is being sold in this spread, the trade benefits from the passage of time. Theta measures the rate of decline in the value of an option because of the passage of time. The closer the options are to expiration, the more the theta decreases the premium of the spread. However, the more time there is until expiration, the bigger the initial spread premium will be. It is a trade-off of premium vs. time and usually these credit spreads are set up anywhere from one day to two months until expiration. In addition, the closer the spread is set up to the current price, the greater the premium will be and vice-versa.
Here's an example:
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is trading near $540 on Jan. 7 after trading just above $570 a couple of weeks earlier. An options trader sees that the stock has a pivot at $560 from previous price action, which will serve as resistance. He may try to capitalize from this forecast by implementing a bear call spread.
The trader sells a call at or slightly above the potential resistance level and buys a higher-strike call for protection.
With a bear call spread, choosing strikes that are farther away from the current price with the same strike distance usually means the less the credit that will be received on the spread. For example, if the current stock price is $540, a 560/565 bear call spread should generate a larger credit than a 565/570 bear call spread. The credit received is the maximum profit that can be attained. So with a bear call spread, there exists a natural trade-off of chances of success vs. payout structure. The higher the short strike, the safer; the lower, the greater profit potential. The trader decides to sell the lower strike spread, which gives the trade a potential greater reward.
In the above example, a trader can sell a 560/565 January bear call spread with 11 days to expiration for a 60¢ credit:
560 call collects $2.15 premium; 565 call costs $1.55 = 60¢ premium collected
If AAPL finishes under $560 by January expiration, the spread would expire worthless and the trader would keep the credit. The maximum at risk on the trade is the difference in the strike prices minus the credit received:
$560 – $565 = –$5 + 60¢ premium = –$4.40
The maximum loss would be realized if AAPL were trading above $565 at January expiration. The breakeven point is $560.60 (560 + .60), which is derived from adding the credit to the short call.
The pros and cons of every option strategy regardless of the outlook need to be debated before implementation. There are other factors involved, like the implied volatility of the options. If the implied options volatilities are elevated, the better the chance that there is more premium to sell, which can be advantageous for a credit spread. Bear call spreads may offer lower profit potential, but there are times they are the right play.
John Kmiecik is an options coach for Market Taker Mentoring Inc. E-mail him at email@example.com.


text:
Funnyman Rainn Wilson's The Office spin-off has been shelved by bosses at U.S. TV network NBC.
Earlier this year (12) the comedian shot a pilot episode of The Farm, which centred around his character Dwight Schrute's life away from the office running a beetroot farm and bed and breakfast.
However, Wilson took to his Twitter.com page on Monday (29Oct12) to let fans know the project has not been given the greenlight.
He wrote, "Farm Update: NBC has passed on moving forward with The Farm TV show. Had a blast making the pilot - onwards & upwards! Keep watching the AWESOME final season of The Office. Many surprises & hilariousities coming!"


text:
OpenSpending is not just a set of technologies. The core of our project is a community of transparency enthusiasts, public finance experts, and data wranglers. We're developing new ways to monitor and explain budgets and government spending through the use of technology.
OpenSpending community members are actively producing research on the basis of OpenSpending's data, technology, and ideas.
- Connecting the Aid Flows — making sense of the IATI data
Mapping the Open Spending Data Community (coming soon!)
Technology for Transparent and Accountable Public Finance (GIFT report)
We want to share our experience working with financial data with journalists, academics, and anyone else who wants to understand spending. These resources compile some of the community's collective expertise.
- Where Does the EU's Money Go? – A Guide to the Data
- Spending Data Handbook
A data standard for transaction-level spending data
This document provides a detailed proposal for an international standard for transaction-level spending data. It is an early draft, mainly intended as a basis for discussion.


text:
Informative video
Tubbys only had 3 legit albums, listen to Bunny Lee speaks the truth 4.42 is where it gets even more Informative
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxhBQ7NE ... e=youtu.be
Moderator: B&F Moderator
jb welda wrote:(...) plus one other record of various recordings tubbys had a hand in. anyone know what that original album was, was it one of the above mentioned three?...
edgar wrote:he says he did 3 albums in total with b lee. Apparently Lee only considers what was done with him as legitimate..
jb welda wrote:what do the credits on prophesy of dub say by way of engineer or mixing engineer? just curious. I know what you mean with the inference that bunny lee considers anything not of his making a fraud, but I do understand he was probably the producer who worked closest with tubbys for most of the years, right?
one love
Users browsing this forum: minidub and 7 guests


text:
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text:
[ UP ] [ USGenWeb
Mansfield, CT ] [ USGenWeb New
London, CT ] [ USGenWeb Norwich, CT ]
[ USGenWeb Windham, CT ] [ USGenWeb Plymouth, MA ]
Volunteers needed!
Norwich Genealogy Related Sites
Place details ('Connecticut, New London, Norwich')
LDS Family History Library Catalog: Norwich Resources
Place details ('Connecticut, New London')
LDS Family History Library Catalog: New London County Resources
New London County Gen Web resources:
Connecticut Internet Resources
general; specific - VR info, graveyards... ; official state library; booksellers;
societies; etc... sites for the state of CT
Helpful Genealogy Links
general, booksellers, cem/obits, maps, copyright/citing, online multi-media,
genealogy programs, search engines, societies, tools...
- Wonderful genealogy related papers by Sharon Barrows Sanzo:
Norwich History
|Norwich is located in southeastern CT at the convergence of the
Fitch, Thames and Yantic Rivers. It is bounded on the north by Sprague and Franklin, on the east by Lisbon and Preston, on the south by Preston
and Montville, and on the
west by Bozrah and Franklin.
It covers 28.34 sq. miles and has a population of approx. 35, 800.
The town was first settled in 1659 under the name of Mohegan by people from Saybrook led by John Mason and Rev. James Fitch. Norwich "received its present name in 1662 [and was incorporated in 1784]. The original township was much larger than its present extent. Beside the portion now known as Norwich, it embraced a part of Preston, including the present township of Griswold, till set off in 1687. Till 1786, it embraced the present townships of Bozrah, Franklin, and Lisbon; and, till 1861, the present township of Sprague. "1
"Ecclesiastically the First Society was that of Norwich Town... Second Society was in the district know as West Farms or Franklin. The Third Society was in what was successively known as Newent and Lisbon. The Fourth Society was approximately in the territory called New Concord and afterwards Bozrah. The Fifth Society was that denominated the 'Long' or 'East' Society in Preston. The Sixth Society was in the part of Norwich known as Chelsea and is now called the Second Society. The Seventh Society, formerly known as Pautipaug, is now extinct. The Eighth Society was formerly called Hanover, now the town of Sprague."2
1 Lucius Barbour, Williston Walker and Winslow Tracy Williams, comps., Vital Records of Norwich 1659-1848, 2 vols (NEHGS Photoduplication 1997; Hartford: Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut, 1913), p. iiv, Prefatory Note.
2 Ibid., pp. iiv-iiiv, Prefatory Note.
Norwich Resources
Churches Libraries, Societies and Museums
Local Government Maps General area information
Norwich Roll Call !!
Calling for Norwich Surnames !
|Have you researched a Norwich family surname? Do you have a website with genealogy data on-line of a Norwich surname/family? If so come add your surname(s) to this listing with your website or E-mail address so others with similar interests may share. This listing will contain first the Norwich related surname and then the researcher's website or E-mail address.
Volunteers needed!!!
Do you have any Norwich, New London County or/and Connecticut resources such as published VRs, probate records, land records, burial records, church records, court records, histories, family genealogies, etc... in book, microfilm, or CD format? Please, contact me if you are interested in being a Look-up volunteer.
Do you have a website with any Norwich sources like transcripts of genealogies, VRs, or/and family genealogy charts, reports, etc... of Norwich families? Please contact me if you want a link on this site to yours.
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USGenWeb Norwich, CT project commenced 7 Apr 1999.
Maintained, and hosted by Susan Taylor.
Last Updated: 25-Apr-2008
Copyright � 1999 - 2008 Susan Gascoigne Taylor


text:
Minnesota's marriage amendment debate has seeped into school hallways, cafeterias and Twitter back-and-forth among students.
Twin Cities high schools have taken different tacks to navigating the contentious issue as the debate over it heats up weeks before the Nov. 6 election — an especially delicate task at parochial schools mindful of the stances their churches have taken.
Some educators at public and private schools see the amendment as a prime teachable moment; others say hot-button issues might be best reserved for parents. By all accounts, students find the issue compelling.
"Students are more engaged by this issue than even the presidential election," said Eric Erickson, a social studies teacher at St. Paul's Como Park Senior High. "It's something they can relate to. It's about relationships."
Joe McLean's fifth-grade son and his friends discussed the amendment in the Minneapolis' Anunciation Catholic School cafeteria after a class on the seven sacraments.
Carolyn Burns' teenagers at Providence Academy in Plymouth countered arguments in support of gay marriage that classmates posted on Facebook and Twitter.
At Como Park High, senior Joe Krivit said students might launch into an impromptu debate over the amendment during recess. Some wear T-shirts that spell out their positions.
The amendment would define marriage as only between a man and woman in the state constitution, strengthening Minnesota laws that already ban gay marriage.
Pollsters are watching youths' opinions on gay marriage closely because they largely account for a recent shift in public perception. According to a Pew survey this summer, 63 percent of millenials — those born after 1980 — support gay marriage, compared with about 40 percent of baby boomers.
Because young people tend not to vote, "our views sometimes get squashed by the older generations," said Krivit, 17.
Last spring, a presentation on marriage went awry at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis and drew national news coverage.
From January through the end of the school year, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis sent a priest and a married couple to 13 Catholic high schools to give presentations. At DeLaSalle, some students angrily debated the speakers or walked out when the talk turned to gay marriage.
Archbishop John Nienstedt announced the visits last fall in a speech focused on the importance of the marriage amendment.
But archdiocese spokesman Jim Accurso said the presentations were an apolitical discussion of the sanctity of marriage, not a get-out-the-vote exercise. And though some schools invited only seniors, the talks were open to all high schoolers.
"These presentations went swimmingly 99 percent of the time," he said.
Susan Creel, whose daughter graduated from Hill-Murray School in the spring, said she expressed concerns when she learned that archdiocese speakers would address seniors the morning of prom.
She commended the Maplewood Catholic school, though, for how it handled the situation, assuring parents the amendment would not come up and — after first saying there would be no time for questions or comments — allowing a discussion after the talk.
Laura Kuntz, a parent at Cretin-Derham Hall High in St. Paul, said she worries the amendment and the archdiocese's forceful support have placed Catholic schools in a tricky spot: Students are eager to debate the issue openly while schools don't want to come across as encouraging dissent from the church's stance.
"I worry Catholic high schools may get caught in the generational divide on this issue between older folks who are generous donors and the students, who may look at this issue differently," Kuntz said.
Administrators at about a dozen Catholic high schools and other Christian schools in the Twin Cities declined to be interviewed.
But a teacher at one local Catholic school said colleagues these days shy away from tackling even the broader topics of sexuality and marriage for fear that hosting any discussion that elicits anti-amendment views could cost them their jobs.
"The teachers and the school feel this pressure, and it's almost unspoken," said a teacher who asked not to be named for fear of being fired. "The sense is even a little slipup can end up in jeopardy."
Burns, the Providence Academy parent, said teachers at the Catholic school did discuss the amendment at length, including the perfect passage record of similar amendments in other states. Students opposed to the amendment were allowed to speak up, she said.
As a parent, Burns said, she expects educators at the school to uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church on this and other social issues.
And she said she appreciated the archdiocese's presentation on marriage. It did not go into the amendment debate beyond touching on it at the end, she said: "Oh, and by the way, there will be an amendment on the ballot in November."
As with other contentious social issues, many schools continue to tread with caution on gay marriage, said David Masci, senior research fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
"A lot of schools find that it is difficult to work topics like same-sex marriage that are the subject of heated debate into the curriculum," he said. "No matter what you put in, some people will be very angry."
Still, some local educators said the amendment makes for a great teachable moment.
"If it's on the ballot, it's in the classroom," said Julie Blaha, the teachers union president in the Anoka-Hennepin district. "It has to be. You can't do a good social studies class without bringing this up right now."
In Anoka-Hennepin, Blaha said, the February repeal of a contentious district policy that directed staff to remain neutral while discussing homosexuality helped ease confusion and anxiety during classroom talks about the amendment.
"The new policy was a big relief knowing a marriage amendment discussion was coming up," she said.
The district's new Respectful Learning Environment Curriculum Policy gives educators much clearer guidance, Blaha said.
Erickson, the Como Park High teacher, said he used the amendment twice in his Advanced Placement government class: to teach about different takes on social issues along the political spectrum and in teaching about federalism.
At the private, nonsectarian Mounds Park Academy in Maplewood, social studies teacher Katie Murr said encouraging students to debate issues such as the amendment is a worthwile exercise.
"These discussions help students grapple with complicated, emotional topics in a calm, rational way," she said. "They also teach students to move beyond sound-bite types of responses because they have to defend their positions."
Mila Koumpilova can be reached at 651-228-2171. Follow her at twitter.com/MilaPiPress.


text:
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Pistol packin' mamas have nothing on honey bees.
Have you ever seen the pollen load that a honey bee carries?
What's pollen? It's the fine, powder-like material produced by the anthers of flowering plants, or the grains that contain the male reproductive cells of a seed plant.
The worker bees carry pollen in special pollen baskets on their legs. The baskets are concave surfaces fringed with bristles or curved hairs to hold the pollen in place.
Only the worker bees have pollen baskets. The queen bee and the drones (males) have none.
"Honey bees derive their protein, vitamins, minerals and some carbohydrates from pollens," UC Davis Extension Apiculturist Eric Mussen writes in Bee Briefs. "Since no single pollen source provides all their nutritional needs, honey bees must have a number of pollens available to them to remain healthy and to produce the royal jelly required to feed the queen and rear brood."
Worker bees feed the brood "beebread," a mixture of nectar and pollen.
Yesterday the honey bees on the grounds of the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis buzzed around the almond blossoms, gathering nectar and pollen.
It's amazing--truly amazing-how much pollen honey bees can pack in those pollen baskets.


text:
Darius Rucker will release his third country studio album, True Believers, on January 22, 2013. Darius wrote 10 of the album's 12 tracks, including the title song and debut single, which is already in the Top 20 and climbing.
"For this album, we really paid attention to what our friends and fans were telling us on the road," Darius said. "The result is an album that I'm so proud of because my fans really have been the true believers since I released my first single to country radio. I can't wait for everyone to hear it on January 22."
Darius's first two country albums, Learn To Live and Charleston, SC 1966, both topped the Billboard Country album chart and produced five No. 1 singles. Darius once again worked with producer Frank Rogers on the project.
True Believers Track Listing:
- True Believers
- Miss You
- Wagon Wheel
- Love Without You
- Radio
- Lost In You
- I Will Love You Still
- Take Me Home
- Shine
- Heartbreak Road
- Leavin' The Light On
- Lie To Me


text:
The evening sun is perceived as still setting when in fact it has already dipped below the horizon. Something similar happens in other contexts. A historic period, for example, may actually have ended before the people it shaped quite realize it has gone.
An instance of this is suggested almost casually by a few general statistics in a news release issued by the National Catholic Educational Association two months ago. The prestige of U.S. Catholic elementary and secondary schools is probably greater today than ever. In the big cities they are generally considered better than public schools. All the same, there are fewer of these schools than there were 40 years ago, because there are fewer sisters to run them. Financial pressures are constant when most teachers are laypeople, who must in justice be paid a fair wage.
The N.C.E.A. bulletin reported that in the academic year 2002-3, the total U.S. Catholic school enrollment was 2,553,277. The 6,785 elementary/middle schools had 1,906,870 students; the 1,215 high schools had 646,407. Together these schools had a full-time equivalent professional staff of 163,374. Of this number, 94.4 percent were laymen and laywomen and 4.2 percent were sisters.
Even people who have not been paying attention can see that these overall numbers and this distribution of personnel point to an epochal change in American Catholic education. Over the last two centuries, American Catholics built an educational network that eventually extended from nursery schools to colleges and universities. Historians are likely to rate this as one of the great religio-cultural achievements of the first two millennia of Catholic Christianity. In its own way, it stands alongside such accomplishments as the civilizing effect of Benedictine monasticism in the western stretches of the old Roman empire or the building of 13th-century Gothic cathedrals or the breaking out of 19th-century Europe to carry the Gospel around the world.
By 1965, the year in which the Second Vatican Council held its fourth and final session, there were in the United States 10,931 elementary schools (almost all of them parish schools) that enrolled 4,566,809 children—nearly twice the 2002-3 enrollment. There were also 2,465 high schools (diocesan, parochial and independent) with 1,095,519 students.
At the elementary level, the establishment and maintenance of this system had been largely the work of women—the members of several hundred religious orders and congregations. In the 19th century, almost all the teachers in the Catholic lower schools were sisters, and as late as 1965 sisters still outnumbered lay teachers by more than two to one in elementary schools. The Official Catholic Directory for 1965 reported that there were then 104,314 sisters teaching in Catholic schools somewhere along the line from kindergarten to graduate seminar. The directory for 2003 notes that the corresponding number for this year is 7,389. It is not fanciful to conclude that an era has ended.
For decades, hundreds of young women entering religious congregations were dispatched almost at once from the novitiate to classrooms rocking with the exuberance of 60 or more children. When the school day was over, the sisters returned to the convent for afternoon prayer, supper, "recreation" (an hour of lively conversation often accompanied by some useful needlework), and then preparation for the next day's classes.
On Saturdays, the sisters took off for nearby universities, where they were accumulating credits toward a bachelor's degree. On Sundays, they monitored the parish Mass for children and taught catechism to public school students. There was never a time when even half the Catholic youth from 5 to 17 were in Catholic schools.
Often enough, when these sisters were well into middle age, they could still be found during the summertime in their voluminous habits on the campus of a Fordham University or a St. Louis or a Notre Dame taking more courses or working for a master's degree.
If some of these overburdened women have been portrayed in waspish memoirs as less agreeable than Medusa, most sisters are remembered with affection touched with awe. At how many dinner tables were not arguments concluded by the untrumpable dictum "Sister says..."?
What sister said may not always have been quite correct, but by and large she and her colleagues set generations of children on the way to becoming both good Christians and good citizens. In this world those women were nearly anonymous, and now their mortal remains lie under identical headstones in cemetery plots on motherhouse grounds. But for the work they did, they will surely, as the prophet said, be "shining like stars for all eternity" (Dn 12:6).
Your editorial "Valiant Women" told us that in the last 40 years the number of Catholic schools and their enrollments have dropped by 50 percent. That is more than 10 percent per annum. The decline is ongoing. Why? Because the schools of the past were staffed mostly by religious women, who worked a day and a half, seven days a week for nothing but minimal keep. Lay people cannot and will not do that.
The cost of running good quality Catholic schools that will accommodate all our Catholic children, not just a precious few, is simply out of reach. So our schools are closing one by one.
What can we do? We must go back to the bedrock of religious education in any time, in any land, in any religion—the temple and the home. For us, that is the Catholic family and the Catholic parish. The family authority and the parish authority must work together to catechize their children. That system is known as the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. There is no way that we can succeed without it.
Yet how are children to be helped today who may be "getting a crappy education," to use the words of the mayor of Washington, D.C., Anthony A. Williams? I will not address this question, although I do recognize that the quality of education in some public schools (more than we would like) deserves deep attention. I do not think, however, that the legislation you describe as "a small, five-year pilot program" justifies your support.
I am glad that Cardinal Theodore McCarrick does believe in public education and is working with civic leaders to improve it in Washington, D.C. I applaud his efforts, but he may be an exception. I see no similar efforts here in South Florida. In fact, in Florida there is a Catholic Education Foundation whose specific objective is to push for public vouchers. It does so on the premise that Catholic parents should have the right to choose individually where to use their tax dollars for their children's education. Note that these vouchers are not intended for "low-income families" only. Rather, the foundation rides a Republican bandwagon that tries to introduce public vouchers to fix every real and assumed ill in the public schools.
Your earlier editorial "Valiant Women" (9/22) quite rightly focused on the formidable role religious sisters played in the historical development of Catholic education in the United States. That history was made possible by the low compensation paid to the sisters. Is it too simple and naive to suggest that as the cost of Catholic education increases and the number of its schools decreases, the official Catholic support for public vouchers for use in private (including religious) schools increases?
You describe charter schools as being "publicly funded but not publicly controlled." I do not think this is an accurate description. The charter school idea was intended to relieve the charter school from many of the burdens that constrain the public school, and thus allow the charter school to develop new ways of teaching. In Florida, however, the concept has become debased, since the charter school movement has been captured by for-profit corporations that act as subcontractors for those granted the charter. Those holding the charter are frequently former public officials and people with political and financial ties to current, as well as former, public officials. Perhaps you should examine what charter schools are really doing, since the program for Washington, D.C., that your editorial supports includes money set aside for charter schools.
So much of Catholic school history has been due to its teachers and administrators, first the religious sisters (and brothers) and now members of the laity. Yet you criticize Senate Democrats because they "treasure the good will of the powerful teachers unions, which detest vouchers." Why did you not say "the good will of powerful teachers"? Do we no longer see a working group and their unions as one and the same? Could we not equally say that "Senate Republicans, like the Republican party generally at all levels, treasure the good will of all those fundamentally opposed to public education, and see public vouchers as one means to undermine it"?
How did sisters live on $3,500 to $4,000 a year? By careful management. By abstemiousness. Grapefruit for dessert on Sunday. Oranges twice a week for breakfast.
Physicians and dentists were good to us, usually not charging for care, which was generous and efficient. Some merchants and some universities offered religious discounts. For a time on the railroads "sisters and squaws" rode free.
Sisters, few in number, still serve as diocesan chancellors, as advisers to nongovernmental organizations at the United Nations and, while the official church still lags behind, as pastoral associates.
A nonagenarian could ramble on. Sisters made me what I am today, a happy nun for 70 years with a satisfying career to look back on and a blessed eternity ahead, comfortable with the knowledge that good lay people are discharging now the functions that were formerly left to sisters.
It is a magnificent and well-deserved tribute to all sisters everywhere to whom the church in our country is so indebted. In the name of the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill, I express our/their gratitude.
To celebrate Mass each day and to see in the chapel balcony so many faithful sisters in wheelchairs or using walkers; to sit at table and listen to so many reminisce cheerfully about their years of ministry; to be the beneficiary of countless lived homilies; all this is a special privilege for this aging Dominican chaplain.
Though the sisters may no longer be engaged in active apostolates because of age and poor health, this is still a rewarding and effective ministry of presence.
To this day the Catholic faithful can still profit and grow spiritually because "Sister says...."
What a shame it is that the general press does not give as much coverage to the extraordinary stories of century-old generosity as they have, for example, to the recent movie "The Magdalene Sisters."
The editorial mentioned these religious now lie beneath identical simple tombstones, and, indeed, many of them do. However, over 40,000 of them are over age 70 still very much alive and last year required over $848 million in care. The median age of women religious is now 69 and that of men religious is 63. With their Social Security benefits only 3.5% of the average retiree's benefit and their very inadequate retirement savings, the struggle to meet rising care costs is tough.
So, I ask you to keep these generous pioneers and benefactors of our Catholic heritage in mind. Not all are "pushing up the daisies".
Sister Andree Fries, CPPS Retirement Fund for Religious
The editorial mentioned these religious now lie beneath identical simple tombstones, and, indeed, many of them do. However, over 40,000 of them are over age 70 still very much alive and last year required over $848 million in care. The median age of women religious is now 69 and that of men religious is 63. With their Social Security benefits only 3.5% of the average retiree's benefit and their very inadequate retirement savings, the struggle to meet rising care costs is tough.
So, I ask you to keep these generous pioneers and benefactors of our Catholic heritage in mind. Not all are "pushing up the daisies".
Sister Andree Fries, CPPS Retirement Fund for Religious


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AIS investment continues to target success
26 Jun 2014
The AIS continued its focus on investing in sports with the greatest potential to deliver international success at the announcement of its annual investment allocations to sports.
Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Chair John Wylie AM said the 2014-15 investment of nearly $120 million continues to be refined to ensure funding is aligned to sports with the greatest potential to contribute to Australia's Winning Edge targets.
"It is pleasing that in these times of financial restraint we have been able to provide the same level of total funding as last year as we continue to sharpen our approach to investment in Australian sport," Wylie said.
"The more focused funding approach has seen a total of $20 million be redirected in the past two years to sports with the greatest medal potential in Rio and beyond.
"Furthermore the financial support of athletes has never been greater with more than $12 million allocated to assist some 650 eligible athletes through the AIS' Direct Athlete Support scheme."
AIS Director Matt Favier said this year's investment allocations recognised sports which had excellent recent records and potential medal opportunities.
"Sailing has received an increase of $1.25 million based on past performances including London and its potential to contribute to Australia's Olympic medal tally in Rio and beyond," he said.
"This also represents a greater investment and support for sailing's emerging athletes for the 2020 Olympics.
"Other national sporting organisations (NSO) to receive an increase in funding include canoeing ($500,000), swimming ($250,000) and rowing ($200,000).
"We have provided these sports with an increase due to their multi gold medal potential, improved performance profile and high preparation costs.
"We have also increased our funding to taekwondo ($300,000) following outstanding performances and women's water polo ($275,000).
"Women's water polo has been rewarded as they are potential Olympic gold medallists and we want to ensure our investment in the sport reflects this level of performance."
ASC Chief Executive Simon Hollingsworth said the investment allocation included a reduction in the high performance investment to sports which have the greatest ability to support themselves financially.
"Sports like AFL, cricket, rugby league, and tennis are iconic sports for Australia. Given these sports generate large amounts of broadcast revenue, the AIS considers it unnecessary to invest directly in their high performance outcomes. Alternative partnerships with these sports and the AIS will be pursued.
"The AIS will continue to financially support the large and active participation programs these sports provide for 2014-15.
"Today's announcement also includes nearly $20 million for grassroots sports through participation grants to NSOs.
"This will enable sports to capitalise on the opportunity of the ASC's flagship participation program, Sporting Schools, announced in the recent Federal Budget."
Find out more about the investment announcement


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Then I got to thinking about Noli's cutie toes. And her cutie tail (yes, my sweetie little granddaughter has a tail, several in fact.)
Then tummies jumped in there and then I got to thinking about the new (to me) meme I discovered, Alphabe-Thursday, brought to you today by the letter T!
So, I thumbed (cyber thumbed since they exist somewhere between my camera and my computer) through my Noli pics and my Oliver pics and came up with some awesome Toes, Tails and Tummies!!
♥ Toes ♥
This is the pic that started it all -- Oliver's toes and tail just above me on the couch.
I love kittie toes -- especially the pink ones like Oliver has. We like to play "spread toes" with him -- rub him between his toes and that big pad on his feet and he spreads his toes waaaay out. Too funny! And his tail was practically on my nose!
♥♥ (I just added this pic and post to Pink Saturday -- but I did it today, Sunday : ) -- Oliver's cutie pink toes are going to join in! Thanks for the suggestion, Birgit! See more info at the end of this post) ♥♥
Oliver says: "cool, my mommyfur" >^.^<
This is Noli in the pool with one of her mom's friends. She was trying to stretch her toes up to the side and just barely made it! Kid pool toes are the best! (No, not my pool -- I wish!)
♥ Tails ♥
Noli plays a lot of make-believe and one of her favorites is to pretend to be a kitty. We used many and varied forms of tails -- here's one that's very colorful.
(I actually think she was being a fox with his big fluffy tail -- you may remember the "Fox in the Yard" post -- well, she still gets a kick out of pretending to be that fox!)
♥ Tummies ♥
This is one of my favorite photos of Noli. She's just turned three and was walking along the path in the backyard. I love the way her tummy kind of leads the way! Hard to believe she's in Kindergarten this year!
And Oliver is all his big cat tummy glory! He doesn't sleep on his back very much so it's a big deal around here when he does! And he definitely has a big deal tummy!! (But don't tell him I said so, he's rather vain...)
For some more "T's" hop on over to Alphabe-Thursday! You're welcome to join in the fun!
P.S. -- Birgit of Swapping Howdies left a sweet comment saying that I should link this up to Pink Saturday over at How Sweet the Sound. Because of Oliver's sweet, sweet pink toes! So I clicked right over and oh! such a cute idea!! OK, so from now on, I'll try to link up over there on Saturdays. Pink is just such a hap-hap-happy color, don't you think?
(Oliver insisted that he get to sign his name too -- since he had to suffer the indignities of the "tummy aka belly " photo! It was the least I could do for the little guy!!


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Ready to make those dream house goals happen, but not sure where to start? You might just be in the market for an interior designer. Someone who can help hone down your inspiration, make the entire process a smooth one and give you a result as gorgeous as this home. Designed by Coco & Jack, you might just have even more to add to those Pinterest boards today—plus, they're sharing five important tips on what to consider when hiring your designer! Head here to see the before images, you won't believe the transformation!
Know their Role
In addition to picking out all the finishes and furnishings, a designer can also help you with new layouts, millwork designs, and lighting placement. Designers will work alongside architects, engineers and contractors from the start of the project to ensure the design is followed through. Once the construction is completed, they will also install the furniture, hang artwork and style the accents so you can come home to a finished space. In short, they help manage the project and simplify the process for you!
Know Your Project
The more information you can give a designer the more they can understand your project and meet your needs. Be prepared to give a wish list for your home, inspirational images and what you are willing to spend. The more detailed the better. This will help the designer meet your expectations and keep within your budget!
Ask Questions
Renovating your home is a big deal, and there is a lot involved. Make sure you understand the process and who will be responsible for what. If you are unsure about anything don't be afraid to ask!
Love their Look
This point is so important! Don't just go with a designer because they came highly recommended, make sure you also love their aesthetic. This will make the design process so much easier and ensure you are both on the same page!
During the design process and construction of your project, it can be really overwhelming and hard to see how everything is going to come together. Remember this is why you hired a designer in the first place. Trust their vision, they are the expert!


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New Canaan boys lacrosse pins Don Bosco (N.J.)
NEW CANAAN -- If defense indeed wins championships, then the New Canaan boys lacrosse team may very well find itself in a familiar spot two weeks from today.
The two-time reigning FCIAC champion Rams topped Don Bosco (N.J.) 7-2 Thursday with a hat trick from senior attack Harry Stanton and a first-half defensive shutout. New Canaan (12-3) will wrap up its regular season Saturday against Fairfield Prep, after holding its last four opponents to a combined 12 goals.
"We've made a couple adjustments on defense," New Canaan coach Chip Buzzeo said. "I think the kids are responding to the adjustments. Those gaping holes we had been giving up are no longer holes. Teams are going to have to change their offensive schemes to beat us."
Despite taking the opening four faceoffs, the Ironmen failed to muster a score against their out-of-state hosts in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Rams jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead, courtesy of two goals from Justin Meichner and another from Stanton. Meichner capped off the scoring run via a well-aimed shot upstairs on a feed from fellow sophomore Kyle Smith.
Don Bosco proceeded to hold the ball for the remainder of the frame and large portions of the second, hoping to wear down a New Canaan defense that refused to yield an inch.
"We wanted to slow it down a bit," Ironmen coach Mike Springer said. "We know we can't score a lot of goals, so we wanted to keep it low. We did, and unfortunately, it just wasn't a good shooting day."
Neither team found the back of the net over the second quarter, highlighted by a 30-second holding penalty against New Canaan. Don Bosco goalie Kiernan McCullough later snared a desperate, last-second shot to as time expired.
Following intermission, Stanton helped jumpstart New Canaan again with another goal, this time just 38 seconds into the new half. The Ironmen eventually answered on an unassisted effort from Jack Mazurek, which was soon washed away by a Colin Ahrens rebound score at the 4:23 mark. Stanton then notched his hat trick by wrapping around the right post with only moments left in the third quarter
Early in the fourth, senior captain Seth Neeleman picked up a goal in transition, which cut New Canaan's edge to 7-1. On the other end, the Ram defense repeatedly limited Bosco strictly to lateral passes and movement that couldn't garner any quality looks.
"The communication," Stanton said of what makes the Ram defense. "You can hear them hollering all day. It's also Trent in net. And our defense knows it can give up 15-yard shots and play like that because we've got one of the best goalies around."
Following its regular season finale against Fairfield Prep Saturday, New Canaan will move onto the conference tournament, looking to notch its third straight FCIAC championship. Quarterfinal play will begin on Friday, May 23 and the championship is scheduled to be held one week later at Brien McMahon High School at 7:30 p.m.
firstname.lastname@example.com; @DNCSports
New Canaan 7, Don Bosco (N.J.) 2
Records: Don Bosco 7-9, New Canaan 12-3, 9-2 FCIAC. Scoring: DB -- Andrew Spallanzani 1 goal, Jack Mazurek 1g, Brooks Rubino 1 assist; NC-- Harry Stanton 3 goals, Justin Meichner 2g, Colin Ahrens 1g, Seth Neeleman 1g, Kyle Smith 1 assist, Cole Turpin 1a, Robby Paul 1a; Goalies: DB -- Kiernan McCullough (8 saves) NC--Trent Nader (10). Shots: JB--12; NC--22. Highlights: DB -- The Ironmen took the opening four faceoffs and scored two second-half goals. NC -- Harry Stanton notched a hat trick, as the Rams shut out Don Bosco in the first half 3-0.


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Copper Mountain, Colorado--Copper Mountain is pleased to play host to the US Olympic Snowboarding team as they train for the 2006 Winter Olympics. The nation's best riders will christen the new Main Vein Superpipe set to open Friday, December 2, 2005. "We look forward to providing a pipe for athletes to train in, says Youth Marketing Coordinator Java Fernandez. "This is the first year for the new pipe and we couldn't ask for more of a grand opening than to have so many Olympic hopefuls breaking it in for us.
Standing at 18.5 feet and 500 feet. long, the Main Vein Superpipe provides a challenging and exciting addition to Copper's diverse terrain, which includes the Catalyst Superpipe, the Catalyst Terrain Park, and the Eagle Jib Park. The Main Vein Superpipe starts at a width of 55 feet and expands into 75 feet, is certain to please Copper's local pipe riders and visitors alike, and proves why Copper has a reputation as one of the best resorts in North America. As local shedder David says, "I come for the piste but stay for the pipe!
Special thanks to the Copper Mountain partners and the US Forest Service who worked exceptionally hard in the planning and execution stages of making the Main Vein Superpipe a reality.


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Broadsides Collection
The Broadsides Collection, housed in the Manuscripts & Rare Books Collection, contains hundreds of one- and two-sided printed items, such as political, government and military posters, flyers, notices of meetings, and a variety of other materials. Access to the collection is assisted through a card index located in the Manuscript Reading Room, which uses subject headings and time periods to allow users to determine what they want to see.
For additional information on the Broadsides Collection, please contact the Manuscripts & Rare Books Collection.


text: My name is Ronnie "The Cruiser" Cruz, and I'm a Font Designer. I studied at the Joe Kubert School Of Cartoon And Graphic Art. This lead to my work as a comicbook letterer. Doing those long hours hand-lettering pages made me resolve not to go back once I go computerized.


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Campus Conduct Hotline allows individuals to anonymously report perceived violations of safety, ethical, and employment policies on the Elmira College campus. The Campus Conduct Hotline system is available for your use around the clock, seven days a week. Because the hotline is operated by an independent organization, any calls made through this hotline are completely confidential.
Using this new reporting service is easy. If you have a question or concern about a possible violation of Elmira College's safety practices, business ethics or employment policies, simply dial toll-free to 866-943-5787, or report the incident online at www.intouchwebsite.com/CCH1494.
Once you have dialed the toll-free number, this is how the reporting and follow-up processes work:
Your call will be greeted promptly and courteously by a person who makes certain you understand the Campus Conduct Hotline program and how it functions.
Because of the built-in confidentiality, it is important that you try to be as specific as possible about the information you provide. Please be sure to call back in five business days to check to see if any additional information is needed. Alternatively, if you would like someone to contact you directly, you can leave your name along with a phone number where and when you would prefer to be called.
To repeat, at no time is any caller required to identify himself or herself and all information provided can be completely confidential and anonymous.
We are committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in our workplace. If you experience or observe what you believe is unsafe or inappropriate behavior and are unsure what to do, call Campus Conduct Hotline to report it.


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All right, it is now upon us. Donovan McNabb is coming home -- and Philadelphia will always be his home. The historians (and reality) will always demand it, as they should. And, well, I'm just going to stream-of-consciousness this thing for a while.
I love it as a newspaper guy -- because who doesn't love this kind of a story? But I hate it, too. It's complicated. In the time McNabb was here, and especially in the outer years, we have all taken sides and established positions -- and we are all cemented into place, even if we don't want to be. With this man, this topic, and especially on this weekend against the Redskins, nuance takes a holiday. But life is nuance and McNabb deserves at least that much.
At the end, like I said, we all chose sides. I thought it was time to turn the page and wrote it that way for at least his final year, and probably longer than that. Really good friends of mine, really smart people, disagree. You start with hints and shades of meaning and then you dig yourself in deeper over the months -- it is how opinions evolve. And the two schools of thought that resulted went like this: that the Eagles are just beating their heads against the wall here and should start anew with Kevin Kolb, or that McNabb is mostly blameless here and that the real problem is that he was badly served over the years by Andy Reid, who called the wrong plays too often and who didn't provide him with the surrounding cast until the best of McNabb's career was behind him and a portion of the fan base was poisoned.
My friends probably wouldn't even agree with the way I have stated their position, even though we have discussed this, for probably 3 years -- at various decibel levels and sobriety levels -- in restaurants, bars, cabs, press boxes, hotel lobbies, telepones, texts, tweets, blogs, columns, sidebars, television and radio appearances. And bars. Oh yeah, mentioned that already.
This Michael Vick business has thrown a complete curve into the old arguments, and that is true enough. I will repeat what I wrote the day Kolb was told to sit down: if the Eagles don't make a long playoff run after this season, Reid just wasted a year and really needs to be held accountable. We're months away from the answer there. In the meantime, there is Sunday, McNabb Day.
We all have these positions, and we're all locked in, and that's true. But it should not rob any of us of the ability to recognize what McNabb accomplished here. It is entirely possible to recognize the good things he did for the Eagles and still believe it was time to move on after 11 seasons. It is the nuance of the thing, and I really wish some of it would bleed through the rhetoric this week.
Because Donovan McNabb stabilized a franchise that was so prone to wild swings and misses (and mostly misses). He was an elite talent for a long time. Two aspects of his game made him special: his legs and his good judgment. He ran his way out of a lot of trouble over the years and his interception rate was so low that he never gave games away. It was a great combination.
But while he won a lot of big games over the years, a lot of playoff game, he was almost never the best player in the ultimate games. (His fault? Andy's fault? You want another beer?) And now his legs aren't there anymore, not to the same level, because of injuries and age. All of that, plus a contract that needed extending -- and which the Redskins have not yet extended -- led to where we are now. But you already knew that.
Just be honest with yourself. Think about the years 1999 to 2009. Eleven seasons. About 200 games. A long time. Can you really pretend that this was not the best long run for this franchise in any of our lifetimes? Because you are dissatisfied with the lack of a championship, a real and obvious dissatisfaction, can you really act as if the rest of it did not happen?
My guess, on the weekend when Donovan McNabb comes home, is that most people can't forget, not if they're honest with themselves.


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Vermont first state to call for constitutional convention to get money out of politics
The U.S. Constitution can be amended only through an act of Congress ratified by the states or by a convention of states acting on their own.
There are 10 states currently considering similar resolutions to the one passed by Vermont, according to Mike Monetta, the organizing director for Wolf PAC. It would take 34 states to trigger a convention to propose amendments to the Constitution, and 38 to approve an amendment.
Earlier in the session it appeared there was no appetite in Montpelier for such a resolution, but a call to Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, from one of his constituents got the ball rolling, he said.
"Dr. Steven Berry is a minister in Manchester," Sears said. "He contacted me, and I've known him for several years, and we talked about it, and the more I heard, it made sense to me."
Sears said he decided to put the resolution back on the "fast track" by holding hearings on the topic and eventually bringing it to the Senate floor, where it passed 25-2.
"I think it's an important resolution," Sears said. "Congress isn't going to act, and we've got to do something to get this country back under control."
Several lawmakers raised concerns that the scope of a convention could not be limited and participating states could bring forward amendments for discussion that many would find unpalatable, such as outlawing abortion.
"I see this resolution as an opportunity to kick-start a movement that I hope will spread throughout the country and let people become aware of the real problems we have with the influence of money on elections and on our public policy," said Rep. Mike Yantachka, D-Charlotte.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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Share Knowledge
'Sustainability through knowledge and action' is a message at the very core of SST and reflects our excitement to share and spread awareness of marine issues. SST will answer any marine-related questions you might have, and we are similarly eager to receive any of your insights or comments as well.
We would like to encourage you to send in your discoveries, photos, and questions about the marine environment, and we will share the information here and via our social media channels to answer your queries.
Additionally, if you have any questions or comments you would like share with regards to the South African Hope Spots initiative, please contact email@example.com.
- In 2014 during a red tide event in the Kenton/Bushmans/Cannon Rocks area, there were many related queries from local residents. SST shared information about red tide with the local residents and posted feedback on our social media pages and website. The response from the local residents was phenomenal and one of the residents even shared their knowledge about a jellyfish bloom that had taken place the previous year and had looked like red tide.
- In March 2015, Andrea Mulder discovered 'Fluffy' the octopus in a rock pool when she spent a morning at Kenton Middle Beach, and shared her discovery with SST.
Contact email@example.com and let's share our knowledge!


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Programs ranging from 4-H clubs to helping new business start-ups are included in a first-time annual report on Michigan State University Extension work in Lenawee County.
Extension district coordinator Matt Shane delivered the report to Lenawee County commissioners on Tuesday. Annual reports are part of a new five-year agreement with the county that started last year.
The report detailed a long list of educational services and training programs for farmers, growers and those in the agriculture industry in Lenawee County.
The MSU Product Center provided 97 counseling sessions in the county to local entrepreneurs working to launch agriculture-based businesses. An artisan bread mix business started last year by Tony Menyhart of Tecumseh was recognized last month with the Product Center awarding him its 2012 "start-up to watch" award, Shane said.
The MSU Extension provided an annual Center for Excellence field day to demonstrate results of different methods of crop farming. Training was provided on pesticides, and programs were available to aid in vegetable and fruit production.
A website was developed by the MSU Agriculture and Agribusiness Institute to help producers deal with this summer's drought.
A "Breakfast on the Farm" program was repeated, this year in Jackson County at Choate's Belly Acres near Cement City. It drew 2,658 people for breakfast and a tour of the farm operation, Shane said.
The Extension provided 4-H programs benefiting 1,222 youths who are members of 43 clubs in the county, he reported. Another 1,402 youths were impacted by other 4-H programs, he said.
"It's really exciting for us to see the things Extension is involved in," said commission chairman John Tuckerman, R-Blissfield. Weather conditions were a setback this year, he said, but the agricultural economy has been strong in recent years, he said.
"It's exciting times, and things like what you are doing makes it more so," he told Shane.
County commission hears about 4-H work and farmer training programs
Programs ranging from 4-H clubs to helping new business start-ups are included in a first-time annual report on Michigan State University Extension work in Lenawee County.