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LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW All aboard?
- Beverly George
- 3 years ago
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1 LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15 All aboard?
2 Key highlights ENGAGING MEMBERS are satisfied that their organisation supports risk taking consider backbench members have no real influence over decisions think scrutiny committees are not effective ENGAGING PARTNERS say the transition to PCCs has not had a positive impact are using or considering alternative delivery models cannot see any difference to local healthcare governance from councils new public health role do not feel scrutiny of service quality is sufficiently challenging say their organisation is open to all options for service delivery ENGAGING THE PUBLIC say the public are involved in designing future scope and delivery of services 4 page increase 2 page increase say members do not adequately reflect local population of cabinet positions are held by women on average length of annual financial statements on average annual governance statements
3 Contents Executive summary 2 Governance of the organisation 6 Governance in working with others 13 Governance of stakeholder relationships 22 About us The Grant Thornton Governance Institute 31 Contact us 32 Methodology This report is based on: a review of the 13/14 annual governance statements and accounts of 14 English councils, fire and rescue authorities and police bodies responses from over 1 senior council officers and members to our survey on governance in their organisations, partnerships and communications with stakeholders a range of case studies illustrating good or interesting practice. LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15 1
4 Executive summary Welcome to Grant Thornton s fourth annual review of governance in local government. This report is part of a broader review of UK governance practice and complements other similar reviews on the FTSE 35, the NHS and the social housing and charity sectors. Paul Dossett Head of Local Government, Grant Thornton The challenges faced by local authorities continue to intensify. Austerity and central government funding reductions are combining with demographic pressures and technological change to create a potential threat to the long-term sustainability of some organisations in the sector. In this context, the task of maintaining good and effective governance is becoming ever more complex, and at the same time increasingly important. As highlighted in our recent report Rising to the challenge, local government has withstood these challenges and shown a commendable capacity to innovate in the face of increased financial pressures, particularly through new delivery models for services. Governance needs to keep pace with these changes, ensuring that authorities goals are achieved, and values maintained, regardless of who is contracted to deliver the service. In this regard, scrutiny, with its remit to look beyond day-to-day business to question the purpose and value of activities, needs to play its full part. At the same time, structural change may well be looming in the wake of the Scottish devolution vote and the increasing demand to reallocate power from the centre to the localities. Local authorities need to show they are equipped to take on this challenge. The need for effective governance to support sound decision making, prevent things going wrong and resolve problems when they occur, has never been greater. Recent high-profile examples of governance failures in local government show that good reputations can be easily lost. Against this background, we have focused this year s review on three key areas: governance of the organisation: ensuring internal governance arrangements are robust, with effective scrutiny to hold the executive to account while managing risks and encouraging innovation governance in working with others: implementing robust and proportionate governance arrangements for alternative service delivery models, along with new responsibilities involving crosssector working, such as public health governance of stakeholder relationships: engaging with stakeholders to inform and assure them about service performance, financial affairs and governance arrangements. 2 LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15
5 Executive summary Governance of the organisation Governance arrangements that promote rather than inhibit a dynamic and flexible approach to service delivery are vital to success in the current local government environment. Our national survey of more than 1 senior local authority leaders asked if respondents thought their organisations had effective leadership which fostered a positive culture that embraced rather than stifled risk. More than 9% agreed, but when asked if there was consensus among members about their organisation s appetite for risktaking, over a third disagreed. The great majority believe that members understand the financial impact of not managing key risks, but the level of disagreement has increased on last year, from 12% to 16%. Typically, our respondents express a high level of confidence when asked about the strength of their risk management arrangements. This year is no exception, with over 9% satisfied, although some concerns were expressed about the realism and transparency of reporting on risks. With regard to independent assurance about their overall governance, most respondents said this was provided by external audit, with internal audit a fairly distant second. This is a worrying response, as we would expect internal audit to be (and to be seen to be) the primary source of independent assurance over governance arrangements the third line of defence after operational and risk management. Local government internal audit departments may need to consider whether their work in this sphere is covering the right areas and having sufficient impact. Recent years have seen a number of authorities choosing to operate without a chief executive, both to save money and as part of transformation initiatives. Ten per cent of our respondents indicated that their organisation had done this, generally with no negative impact on their governance arrangements. Another current trend was reflected by the fact that 6% of respondents confirmed that their organisation has returned to the committee system and a further 12% saying it is being considered, mainly to involve more members in the decisionmaking process. The main area of concern highlighted by this year s governance survey is the level of dissatisfaction with the scrutiny process. Almost half of our respondents do not feel that the cabinet and scrutiny system provided all members with the opportunity to have real influence over council decisions, a worrying indication of the potential disengagement of many members from council governance. A similar proportion also have concerns about the effectiveness of scrutiny committees at challenging the way that councils do things. Councils vary widely in their level of scrutiny activity, with some having several committees meeting frequently, and others having only one, which might meet just once a year. Some have rejected the cabinet and scrutiny model altogether and moved back to the committee system. Councils need to think seriously about whether this is a missed opportunity to provide robust questioning of how and why they do things, across the increasingly complex series of partnerships, alliances and contracts that now characterise their operations. The main area of concern highlighted by this year s governance survey is the level of dissatisfaction with the scrutiny process. LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15 3
6 Executive summary Governance in working with others The importance of alternative delivery models (ADMs) to local authorities as an avenue for both cost savings and innovation is ever more apparent. By far the majority of our survey respondents agree that their organisation is open to all available options when deciding how services are delivered. A large majority also confirm that their organisation has entered into ADMs or is considering doing so. There is an urgent need for scrutiny to exercise good governance over the complex array of partnerships in which local authorities are now involved. Boundary issues notwithstanding, by shining a light on contractedout activities and joint operations or ventures, scrutiny committees can bring a new level of transparency and accountability to these areas. Of concern, however, is that well over 4% of our survey respondents consider that scrutiny of service quality, including outsourced services, has not been sufficiently proactive. Again, this is an area where councils appear to be missing the opportunity to make scrutiny an essential and dynamic part of governance. Within the local government sector, an important change has been seen in the relationship with police bodies following the election of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in November 12. Over half of those surveyed are not satisfied that this transition has had a positive impact on local partnership working arrangements, consistent with last year s findings. This perception does not, however, appear to be shared by respondents from police bodies. Clearly this needs to be an area of focus for the sector going forward. The Health and Social Care Act 12 gave many councils a new duty to promote the health of their population, taking on a number of functions previously undertaken by the NHS. On the evidence of our survey, this new role has not yet had a significant impact for many authorities, with over 4% unable to confirm a genuine difference in how healthcare is governed and delivered. That said, 12% agree strongly that it has made a difference a potentially encouraging sign at this relatively early stage in the Act s implementation. Although it would appear that most health and wellbeing boards have been successful in securing the engagement of all key local organisations, including healthcare providers, 25% of respondents say this is not the case. This may well continue given the lack of emphasis given to them in NHS England s NHS five year forward view of October 13, about which the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) has expressed its disappointment. In the fire sector, Sir Ken Knight s review Facing the future (May 13) placed the spotlight on the need to consider authority mergers and increased collaboration with other emergency services. However, on the evidence of our survey, mergers are not yet on the agenda of many fire and rescue authorities. Conversely, collaboration is a high priority according to a large majority of respondents whose authorities are already in such arrangements or actively working on them. There is an urgent need for scrutiny to exercise good governance over the complex array of partnerships in which local authorities are now involved. Boundary issues notwithstanding, by shining a light on contractedout activities and joint operations or ventures, scrutiny committees can bring a new level of transparency and accountability to these areas. 4 LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15
7 Executive summary Governance of stakeholder relations We continue to look for evidence of willingness on the part of local authorities to use alternative methods of engagement with the public, and have again been surprised to find that over a third of our respondents consider their bodies to have done little on this front. There was, however, a marked appreciation of the need to use modern technology as a platform for exploring alternative channels of communication, with over 9% confirming their organisation is active in this area. Despite the work that a number of local authorities are doing with the public on co-production, almost a third of respondents do not think their organisation actively involves service users in designing the future scope and delivery of its services. In our view, this is both a missed opportunity and an increasingly untenable position for any local public sector body. In our 14 review we argued that annual reports were a possible route for more meaningful engagement on governance matters. The majority of this year s survey respondents also agree that annual reports are a good way to promote local accountability. However, from a sample of more than 1 councils, only 12% published a report. Annual accounts continue to present a challenge in terms of accessibility to the general public and therefore also raise issues of accountability and transparency. The majority of our respondents do not think external readers could understand their accounts. This may be exacerbated by the average length of the accounts increasing by 4% in 13/14 according to our research, although around a quarter did show evidence of significant de-cluttering. Annual governance statements (AGSs) grew even further, by 18% on average. This may reflect the increased number of risks being reported, a significant element of which are financial risks. The diversity agenda continues to challenge the sector. Only % of local authority cabinet positions are held by women which, while ahead of the boards of UK FTSE 1 and 25 companies, and on a par with charities, lags behind the NHS. Also, over half of our survey respondents say that members do not adequately reflect the demographic profile of the local population. The sector should continue its efforts to address these areas. Conclusion For local government, the task of maintaining effective governance over its operations becomes ever more complex. Local authorities need to ensure their core objectives and values are fulfilled through many other agencies. This implies a greater role for scrutiny and a need to make sure local public sector bodies arrangements are as transparent as possible to stakeholders. Now more than ever, local authorities need to ensure that their associates members, partners and stakeholders are all on board with their governance. Despite the work that a number of local authorities are doing with the public on co-production, almost a third of respondents do not think their organisation actively involves service users in designing the future scope and delivery of its services. LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15 5
8 Governance of the organisation Good governance in local government relies on effective engagement with elected members. Our findings show this needs to improve. As the impact of austerity deepens, strong and effective governance becomes more important. Local authorities remain under pressure to deliver the quality services expected by the public while coping with escalating financial constraints. To achieve this, while maintaining internal stability and clarity of purpose, they need good governance that fully engages members. Risk leadership and management Our 14 review discussed how risk leadership is an essential conduit to a positive and innovative culture. We return to the theme this year, as we still believe that organisations governance arrangements can promote a dynamic and flexible approach to the challenges they face. Our survey asked respondents if they thought their organisations had this kind of risk leadership. Over 9% said they had effective leadership that fostered a positive culture that encouraged risk and innovation. This is very encouraging and is consistent with the views of respondents to last year s survey. Another key element of risk leadership is an understanding of financial risks. Eighty four per cent of respondents agree that members understand the financial consequences of failure to manage key risks, compared with 88% last year. However, there continue to be concerns about elected members grasp of the importance of risk leadership. We asked if there is consensus among members about their organisation s appetite for risk taking, a question we also asked last year. In common with the responses we received then, a significant proportion of our survey continues to disagree: 34% this year compared with 41% in 14. Managers need consistent guidance on risk appetite from the top of the organisation, something clearly lacking in a significant proportion of authorities. Survey respondents are generally satisfied that their organisation s risk management arrangements capture and fully address all its key risks, with 91% believing this is the case. This is consistent with the level of confidence found in our past two reviews. Those who did not agree had the following concerns: risk assessments may not be sufficiently realistic or reported openly and honestly, due to worries about how this will be perceived members may not be adequately appraised of risks and rewards to enable decision making based on full knowledge, with concerns about information being restricted to a select few. This is possibly a reflection of increasing dissatisfaction with the cabinet approach which we will discuss later in this chapter more focus is needed on mitigation and implementation of action, and a better assessment of risk appetite the latter concern being consistent with the above findings about members clarity about organisations tolerance of risk. Although these are the views of a minority, they reflect the everpresent danger that risk management operates in letter but not in spirit, with risk registers dutifully prepared, updated and circulated while the real discussion of risks goes on elsewhere. Local authorities need to continue to move towards greater transparency and more effective engagement of members in risk management, to ensure it is more than a paper exercise. 6 LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15
9 THERE IS CONSENSUS ACROSS MEMBERS ABOUT THE ORGANISATION S APPETITE FOR RISK TAKING 8 % 8 % 12/13 Strongly agree 13/14 Strongly agree % 57 % 12/13 Tend to agree 13/14 Tend to agree % 31 % 12/13 Tend to disagree 13/14 Tend to disagree % 4 % 12/13 13/ Questions for members to ask officers about risk management At committee level At department level 1 Does the risk register cover all our key opportunities as well as threats? 1 Can you explain how risk management works in your department? 2 Would frontline staff agree with the corporate risk register? 2 How is the risk management process and register used in day-to-day management? 3 How confident are managers about managing the risk of service failures? 3 Is the risk management process and register regarded as useful or bureaucratic? 4 How are we managing the safeguarding of compliance risks? 4 How do you escalate risks from your department to the corporate risk register? 5 Did our last report from a regulator include any surprises, and if so, what action has been taken? 5 Are the things that worry those at the front line consistent with what appears on the risk register? Source: Grant Thornton Local Government Governance Reviews, 13 and 14 LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15 7
10 Governance of the organisation Getting governance right Organisations rightly invest considerable time in setting up their governance arrangements. The complexity can be daunting, particularly when coupled with the pressure of budget reductions and the challenges of entering into ADMs, and local government bodies need to be assured that they have got their arrangements right. We asked our survey respondents if their organisation receives independent assurance on its governance arrangements. An overwhelming majority of 92% confirm that they do, and that such assurance is most frequently provided by external audit, followed by internal audit and inspectors or regulators. The reliance on external audit for assurance on governance is an understandable response, but caution should be exercised due to the limited nature of that assurance. External audit is required under the Audit Commission Code of Audit Practice to review governance arrangements as part of its assessment to support the annual value for money conclusion. However, external auditors are not required to carry out a detailed review unless an organisation is assessed as presenting a high risk in this area. Local government bodies may wish to consider an independent assessment of the robustness of their governance arrangements which goes into greater depth than that required for value for money purposes. Our survey response shows that internal auditors are already doing this at a number of authorities, but it may be appropriate to seek assurance from an external source from time to time. Who drives good governance? Once again this year, we asked respondents to list the three people most responsible for driving good governance. Again, the clear first choices are the chief executive or equivalent, the director of finance and the monitoring officer. Respondents continue to give little weight to the role of members (leader, chair, audit committee chair) in setting a tone from the top for good governance; this remains a concern. As members are accountable to the public in a far more immediate way than officers, auditors and regulators, it is essential that they are perceived to play an active role in ensuring their organisations are well governed. WHO PROVIDES INDEPENDENT ASSURANCE ON AUTHORITIES GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS? 44 % External audit Audit committee Internal audit 7 % 5 % LGA Peer reviews 23 % 8 % Other Standards committee Inspectors/regulators 4 % Authority staff 4 % 3 % 2 % Partners Is your chief executive really necessary? A significant development in recent years has been that of authorities choosing to operate without a chief executive, often as a cost-saving measure, but sometimes as part of a transformation initiative involving alternative management models. In our survey, 7% of respondents indicate that their organisation has made this choice. All but one respondent asserts that this has had no negative impact on governance arrangements. Removing the chief executive post is more common in district councils than in upper tier authorities, although a few of the latter have gone down this route. 8 LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15
11 Governance of the organisation WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DRIVING GOOD GOVERNANCE AT YOUR ORGANISATION? (%) 13/14 12/ Chief executive Finance director Head of legal/ monitoring officer Chief internal auditor Head of governance/ risk management Deputy chief executive Audit committee chair Leader/authority chair Head of corporate services Others Case studies Alternatives to a chief executive Sharing an executive director saves 8, per year South Hams District and West Devon Borough Councils have had a shared management structure for a number of years. Since March 14 the councils have been piloting an executive director model across their shared services arrangement, appointing their two current corporate directors to jointly lead the authorities; a move estimated to save approximately 8, a year. One director is responsible for service delivery and the other for strategy and commissioning as well as taking the head of paid service role. The separation of the strategy and commissioning function from delivery is seen as a key element. It is intended to provide flexibility for the future, allowing for potential growth in the number of partner commissioners and service providers. A process of evolution is envisaged: as the model embeds new ways of working, and as alternative service models are explored, the senior management team, along with the rest of the organisation, will split between commissioning and delivery. Joint managing directors foster collaboration West Lancashire Borough Council decided three years ago to abandon the chief executive role and appoint joint managing directors. These directors share the chief executive responsibilities, one taking on the statutory designation of head of paid service, the other that of monitoring officer and returning officer. These duties are performed alongside their existing operational responsibilities one leading on community services and street scene, the other heading up planning services, housing and regeneration. The main aim of the move was to reduce top management costs without affecting efficiency. The change has fostered a collaborative approach internally, which has in turn engendered a flexible and positive attitude towards external partnerships, seen by the council as essential in the current financial climate. Strategic decisions are also reached collaboratively, by the managing directors and their teams. The model brings the leader s role to the fore, positioning it as the dynamic public face of the council. LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15 9
12 Governance of the organisation Some councils have opted to share their chief executive, a move that was encouraged by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government at an early stage of his tenure. While successful in the main, this has had a mixed track record, with a number of councils choosing to reverse the arrangement fairly shortly after introducing it. For example, the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham recently terminated its sharing arrangement with Thurrock District Council. The challenges to making a success of initiatives involving the removal or sharing of the chief executive post can be significant: Transformation projects involving shared management and services can involve significant upfront costs before longterm savings and service improvements emerge. Reducing top-level leadership by sharing the chief executive role from the start may prove too much for some councils Political divisions can complicate the picture, with one party pushing through merged arrangements against the will of the opposition, bringing the risk of instability if one party is committed to reversing the merger Sustained strategic focus is essential for such initiatives to succeed. Councils without a chief executive need to ensure there is clarity as to where this focus is going to come from; joint chief executives need to recognise that their role has changed and reduce their involvement in detailed day-to-day matters Individual councils can have very different cultures and this needs to be recognised and addressed from the outset, along with maintaining staff morale where there are apprehensions about the changes Local authorities therefore need to be clear about both the advantages and disadvantages of opting for alternatives to the traditional chief executive. They must ensure that any such move is a clear fit for their circumstances and that it will preserve strong management and good governance. Scrutiny The introduction of scrutiny committees in councils, to provide a non-partisan forum for members not involved in executive decisions taken by the cabinet, has had mixed success. In theory these committees offer a valuable check to the executive. Potentially, they can also offer a fresh perspective by taking both a long-term view of strategic issues and deep dives into vital areas of council operations. In reviewing the level of scrutiny activity at more than 1 councils in the year to September 14, we found practice varied widely. While councils had an average of three scrutiny committees, the number of committees ranged from 1 to one. These met on average 17 times a year, with a range from 66 meetings to just one. To gain a sense of their potential impact, we noted that on average scrutiny committees made 31 recommendations. This also ranged widely, from more than 1 to just one. We asked our survey respondents if they agreed that the cabinet and scrutiny system provides all members with the opportunity to have real influence over council decisions. Almost half disagreed a notable level of uncertainty about the value of this approach to governance, and a worrying indication of the potential disengagement of many members from council governance. THE CABINET AND SCRUTINY SYSTEM PROVIDES ALL MEMBERS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE REAL INFLUENCE OVER COUNCIL DECISIONS 19 % 35 % 13 % 33% 1 4 Strongly agree Tend to disagree Tend to agree 1 LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15
13 Governance of the organisation We also asked for views on the effectiveness of scrutiny committees at challenging the way councils do things. Here 43% of our survey could not agree that they were effective. OUR SCRUTINY COMMITTEES ARE EFFECTIVE AT CHALLENGING THE WAY WE DO THINGS 12 % 12 % 31% 45 % Strongly agree Tend to disagree Tend to agree In another significant trend, councils are turning away from the cabinet model and returning to the committee approach to governance. This is reflected in our survey results, with 6% of respondents confirming that their organisation has made this change and a further 12% saying it is being considered. The main reasons given for this were to involve more (or all) members in the decision-making process, to increase accountability and transparency and to reduce bureaucracy. It remains to be seen whether these aims will be achieved. Clearly there has been dissatisfaction among those members who are not part of the inner circle that cabinet government tends to involve. Participation in the scrutiny role does not seem to provide some members with the sense of purpose found in the direct oversight of services via committees. On the basis of our survey results, returning to the committee system may seem an obvious step in maximising members opportunities to have a positive impact on running their councils. However, this may also represent a significant missed opportunity. Another current trend, towards 43% of our survey do not agree that scrutiny committees are effective at challenging the way their councils do things. increased devolution spurred on by the 14 Scottish referendum results and the increasing profile of the London mayor may not sit well with an old-style committee approach. Increased local powers may best be exercised through accountable individuals rather than committees. Authorities may wish to consider whether it would be better to work harder to make scrutiny a more effective counterweight to the local executive, rather than take what appears to be a backward step. One area where scrutiny can play a particularly effective role is in bringing an alternative perspective on budget proposals. The process of budget preparation can be intense for those immediately involved, including cabinet portfolio holders. Scrutiny committee members, with no specific stake in the proposals, can bring valuable insight and help ensure the process is as transparent as possible, as the following case studies illustrate. The Centre for Public Scrutiny/Grant Thornton guide Raising the Stakes offers practical advice to council officers and members about how scrutiny can add value to financial planning and financial management. LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15 11
14 Governance of the organisation Case studies financial scrutiny Opening up the budget-setting process Following local elections in May 13, Buckinghamshire County Council established a select committee model to perform its scrutiny functions. The principal objectives of this exercise were to: examine whether cabinet produced a balanced budget that supported the council s strategic plan priorities provide a second opinion and make evidence-based recommendations for strengthening the proposals. The select committee s wide-ranging recommendations include: improving the budget-setting process, focusing on the transparency and accessibility of the budget devolving further competencies to parish and town councils exploring further joint-working opportunities with partners such as district councils. As well as scrutinising the council s budget proposals, a key aim of the select committee is to open up the budget-setting process by raising its profile and making it more accessible to members of the public. The finance, performance and resources select committee holds sessions with each cabinet member to question them on their draft spending plans and portfolio priorities. The leader of the council is questioned on the overall policy direction of the council, the leader s portfolio and on issues arising during the budget scrutiny process. The select committee also engages with external witnesses from the local business, voluntary and community sectors. These external witnesses are invaluable in explaining the specific impacts of various budget proposals. Making budget monitoring more effective St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council has set up an audit and financial monitoring overview and scrutiny panel, which receives regular reports on financial and service performance throughout the year. This complements the scrutiny of the annual budget carried out by the council s overview and scrutiny commission, by reviewing delivery of the budget and service outcomes. The panel meets eight times a year. Quarterly corporate financial reports provide an update on the council s financial position covering revenue and capital, reserves and balances and treasury management activity. Budget and performance reports present key financial results in a narrative format alongside a performance summary that covers key performance indicators with actions to address any reported issues. Each meeting also considers the most recent internal audit reports. Members general understanding of financial information and its readability have been identified as key barriers to effective financial scrutiny, so a training programme for panel members has been developed to tackle this. This training has now been extended to all members of the council. The establishment of the panel, and the contextual nature of the financial information it receives, has given members a much deeper understanding of the climate in which it operates. 12 LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15
15 Governance in working with others The local government sector has to navigate an increasingly complex network of partnerships. Its governance arrangements have only partially adapted to this. Local authorities have responded positively to reduced national funding brought by austerity, through improved efficiency, innovation and alternative delivery models (ADMs) to deliver public services. This chapter revisits this important area, along with the new challenges faced by local authorities through their public health responsibilities, the continuing impact of police reform and the pressure now placed on fire and rescue services to realise efficiencies through mergers and collaborations. MY ORGANISATION IS OPEN TO ALL AVAILABLE OPTIONS WHEN DECIDING HOW SERVICES WILL BE DELIVERED 2 % 9% % 5 5 % 6 Alternative delivery models Local authorities have developed a wide range of ADMs in recent years, and governance issues relating to them was a major theme of our previous local government governance review, Working in tandem (14). Our survey responses confirm the continuing importance of ADMs. A majority of respondents (89%) agree that their organisation is open to all available options when deciding how services will be delivered. A large majority, 84%, also confirm that their organisation has entered into ADMs or is considering doing so. Most are also confident in their organisation s governance arrangements for ADMs, with 91% expressing satisfaction. Strongly agree Tend to disagree WE HAVE ADEQUATE GOVERNANCE OVER OUR ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY ARRANGEMENTS % 9% 1 Strongly agree Tend to disagree Tend to agree Tend to agree 4 36 % 5 55 % 6 OUR ORGANISATION HAS ENTERED INTO AN ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY ARRANGEMENT SUCH AS A JOINT VENTURE OR JOINT COMPANY WITH ANOTHER AUTHORITY 28 % 56 % % 16% Strongly agree Tend to disagree Tend to agree LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15 13
16 Governance in working with others Grant Thornton s recent report Responding to the challenge: alternative delivery models in local government (January 14) discusses the main ADMs available and aims to assist authorities as they develop their options and implement innovation strategies. All local authorities are keenly aware of the need to continue to make major savings over the medium term, and it is unlikely this can be achieved without greater innovation and further use of alternative delivery models. We asked our respondents to indicate the types of ADMs their authority had established. The traditional route of shared services was the most frequently cited at 28%, but the combined total of companies and joint ventures now matches this. Outsourcing accounted for a further 12%, clear evidence that local authorities are now highly committed to new ways of procuring and delivering services. MOST FREQUENTLY CITED TYPES OF ESTABLISHED ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY MODELS 28 % 16 % 12 % 11 % Shared services Company Joint operations Outsourcing 1 % 7 % 7 % 3 % Joint ventures Trusts Partnerships Shared control fire 3 % 2 % 2 % Commissioning Social enterprise Pooled budgets 14 LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15
17 Governance in working with others Case studies A true partnership to deliver revenues and benefits services Wychavon, Malvern Hills and Worcester City Councils have set up a strategic partnership with Civica for the provision of revenues and benefits services. With universal credit due to be introduced during the next few years, these councils existing shared service (set up in 7) faced the prospect of a significantly reduced workload. The councils recognised that although they were providing high quality tradable services, they were not skilled or experienced at taking these to market. By contrast, the private sector lacked the councils trained staff and experience but did have marketing expertise and commercial contacts. The South Worcestershire Shared Services Joint Committee concluded that its ambitions for the service in the new climate could best be achieved through growing the partnership with an established private sector provider. The intention from the outset was to establish a true partnership, with Civica, rather than a simple outsource model. The joint committee believes this is critically important in helping the councils achieve their wider aims for the service. Governance arrangements for the service, considered to have worked well since its inception, have continued unchanged with the partnership reporting to the joint committee. Securing new income streams South Hams District and West Devon Borough Councils recently decided to create a wholly owned trading company to generate new income. The aim is to shift the culture of the organisations towards a more innovative approach, recognising the need to both reduce costs and secure additional income streams. Governance arrangements stipulate that directors of the company will be responsible for managing its affairs and ensuring a profitable trading environment. As its directors will have a duty to act in the company s best interests, council members will be made aware that potential conflicts of interest may arise when carrying out these two roles. The arrangements also require that, where business decisions fall outside the powers of the company directors, such decisions must be referred to the councils appropriate decision-making body. A better deal for children Achieving for Children (AfC) is a social enterprise company created by the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames to provide their children s services. AfC was set up as a community interest company limited by guarantee, jointly owned by the two local authorities. The company started trading from 1 April 14. The key aim in establishing the company is to safeguard quality services. A joint committee has been set up by the two local authorities, which retain ultimate control and responsibility for major policy and other decisions. The day-to-day running of the company is delegated to a joint management team appointed by the board. This consists of executive and non-executive directors, appointed by the two councils, and non-executive independent directors, who are independent of the councils and the company. LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15 15
18 Governance in working with others Scrutinising ADMs As local authorities increasingly outsource services in order to make savings and encourage innovative delivery, they also need to scrutinise the governance of these arrangements more closely. Although there may be limits to the evidence that scrutiny committees have access to, due to contract terms, their oversight of contracted-out activities and joint operations or ventures can bring a level of transparency and accountability that could otherwise be lacking. However, scrutiny of service quality, including of those activities that have been outsourced, is an area that many of our survey respondents find to be lacking. Forty three per cent of respondents do not consider that their scrutiny committees have been proactive in this area. It could be argued that service quality is scrutinised effectively by other dedicated committees. Wherever this scrutiny happens, when assessing services delivered through ADMs, members should ask the questions listed below. OUR SCRUTINY COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN PROACTIVE IN REVIEWING SERVICE QUALITY, INCLUDING OUTSOURCED SERVICES 1 % 1 % 33% As local authorities increasingly outsource services in order to make savings and encourage innovative delivery, they also need to scrutinise the governance of these arrangements more closely. 47 % Strongly agree Tend to disagree Tend to agree Ten questions members should ask about ADMs Is there a common understanding between all parties to your main ADMs on the risks they face and how these will be managed? Are all roles and responsibilities within the ADM clearly set out, assigned and accepted, both individually and collectively? Is it clear which party carries the lead responsibility for which key risk, and is this incorporated in agreements or contracts? Is a joint risk register in place for your organisation s main ADMs and is this regularly reviewed at joint risk meetings? Have you reviewed the processes for day-to-day management of risks in your ADMs? Are you satisfied they are robust and all parties are fully engaged? Are you confident your governance arrangements would identify a potential service failure within your ADMs before it happened? Do you have clear plans about what action should be taken if alternative delivery arrangements fail? Do you understand the financial consequences of the failure to manage the key risks of your main alternative delivery arrangements? Are you satisfied with the quality of financial and performance reporting on ADMs? How could it be improved? 16 LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15
19 Governance in working with others One criticism sometimes made of scrutiny is that it can be tokenistic, with reports that present a sanitised or pre-agreed account of the issues, and committee discussions drifting into party politics, dissipating the focus. A solution to this may be the Centre for Public Scrutiny s proposal for local public accounts committees, if they were to emulate the impact and generally non-partisan approach of their equivalent at national level. Local public accounts committees The Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) has advocated the introduction of independent local public accounts committees (PACs), which would have the power to scrutinise all public expenditure in a local area, subject to a number of necessary exceptions such as defence and security. The CfPS suggests local PACs should have: right of access to any papers or information held by anybody involved in delivering public services and to require representatives to attend meetings to give evidence an enter and view power over any organisation delivering publicly funded services. This would involve a right to access real-time management information, and to directly access and talk to managers and service users, similar to powers already held by local Healthwatch organisations the ability to use this evidence to make recommendations to any local public service commissioner or provider to which they would be obliged to respond. The local PAC would have the right to refer any refusal to implement a recommendation they regard as crucial for good governance and value for money to the national PAC for determination or further investigation. Source: A local public accounts committee for every place: a proposal from CfPS, CfPS, December 15. One criticism sometimes made of scrutiny is that it can be tokenistic, with reports that present a sanitised or pre-agreed account of the issues, and committee discussions drifting into party politics, dissipating the focus. LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15 17
20 Governance in working with others Police and crime commissioners The election of PCCs in November 12 introduced a new model of governance and accountability in England and Wales. Police authorities were replaced by two separate entities, with chief constables and PCCs being given equal status as corporations sole. In both this and last year s surveys we asked if respondents agreed that this transition had a positive impact on local partnership working arrangements. On both occasions the majority disagreed. This contrasts with the response to a related question in our survey of police bodies for our report Police reform: a developing picture (April 14), in which 78% of respondents felt the creation of the office of the PCC had had a positive impact on the local police force s pre-existing collaborative and partnership working arrangements. Clearly police bodies see potential here, and there remains scope for that potential to be realised, including winning over local partners. THE TRANSITION FROM POLICE AUTHORITIES TO PCCs HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON LOCAL PARTNERSHIP WORKING ARRANGEMENTS 2 % 5 % 12/13 Strongly agree 13/14 Strongly agree % 35 % 12/13 Tend to agree 13/14 Tend to agree % 47 % 12/13 Tend to disagree % 12 % 13/14 Tend to disagree 12/13 13/ LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE REVIEW 15
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text: Im pretty sure this time its just my phone, i dont see anyone on here saying theres a 4G outage... For some reason for the past 3 days, my 4G will not work. its funny because most of the day my phone has been saying 3G and I can use the web browser on my phone, but as soon as the 4Glte icon comes up on my internet will not work:icon_evil: Its super annoying, I live in Southern California and I always have 4G in my house but for some reason It wont let my phone connect to the internet. Just found something strange out. Im using my phone at the moment (for wifi tethering) and It lets me use the 4G to wifi tether (which im doing at the moment on my laptop). I can browse the web and such but it wont let me do it on my phone still ??? If i load a web page on my laptop and go straight to my phone, my phones internet works for a minute but if i leave my laptop idle for a while than all of a sudden I can use the internet on my phone EVEN though it still shows 4Glte?? im stumped, tried restarting and taking the sim card out didnt work


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Coming off his multi-Grammy, platinum-selling debut Get Lifted, John Legend might have felt some pressure to follow up with something that would propel him even further into radio stardom. Instead, he approaches Once Again with the poise and professionalism of a veteran, writing well-crafted pop songs that clearly come from someone who's confident (and rightfully so) in his abilities as a complete musician. Taking hints from classic R&B and '60s pop, sometimes quite literally "Each Day Gets Better" samples the Four Tops' "In These Changing Times," and "Save Room" uses Classics IV's "Stormy" Legend forgoes the hip-hop and urban styles of his first effort in favor of harmonious, mature pieces that still retain a very modern attitude. "Show Me" sounds like something by Jeff Buckley, voice and all, while "Stereo" works well as edgy neo-soul, with a great, sing-along chorus that has Legend calling out gold-digging women. There's nothing on Once Again that's as instantly catchy as "Ordinary People," but that's not to say it's not as good as Get Lifted (because it's probably better); it just shows a more secure, comfortable artist who's unrestrained by others' expectations and is able to deliver both a grown-up and enjoyable record.
Marisa Brown writes about music for Metro Times. Send comments to email@example.com.


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Volume 22 Issue 6 • Dec. 2017
Filter Results
Table of ContentsPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):C1 - C4| PDF (152 KB)
IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics publication informationPublication Year: 2017, Page(s): C2| PDF (123 KB)
Guest Editorial Focused Section on Mechatronics Applications in AgriculturePublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2397 - 2400
Robotic Green Asparagus Selective HarvestingPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2401 - 2410
Cited by: Papers (1)
Robotic harvesting in the open field demands innovative solutions in robot perception and mechanics to cope with environmental challenges. In this paper, a prototype robotic harvester that is able to cope with the challenges of selective harvesting of green asparagus is presented. The harvester is able to drive along an asparagus dam in the field, detect asparagus stalks, identify stalks that are ... View full abstract»
Real-Time Acoustic Monitoring of Cutting Blade Sharpness in Agricultural MachineryPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2411 - 2419
Cutting processes are among the most important crushing procedures in harvesting technology. Common practice attempts to identify the time for regrinding crop cutting blades do not often lead to the desired results. Continuous monitoring of the cutter bars in harvesting machines could provide the optimal regrinding time to maintain cutting performance and to achieve preferably long maintenance int... View full abstract»
Kinect v2 Sensor-Based Mobile Terrestrial Laser Scanner for Agricultural Outdoor ApplicationsPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2420 - 2427
Mobile terrestrial laser scanners (MTLS), based on light detection and ranging sensors, are used worldwide in agricultural applications. MTLS are applied to characterize the geometry and the structure of plants and crops for technical and scientific purposes. Although MTLS exhibit outstanding performance, their high cost is still a drawback for most agricultural applications. This paper presents a... View full abstract»
A Survey of Ranging and Imaging Techniques for Precision Agriculture PhenotypingPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2428 - 2439
Agricultural production must double by 2050 in order to meet the expected food demand due to population growth. Precision agriculture is the key to improve productivity and efficiency in the use of resources, thus helping to achieve this goal under the diverse challenges currently faced by agriculture mainly due to climate changes, land degradation, availability of farmable land, labor force short... View full abstract»
Motorized Microforceps With Active Motion Guidance Based on Common-Path SSOCT for Epiretinal MembranectomyPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2440 - 2448
In this study, we built and tested a handheld motion-guided microforceps system using common-path swept source optical coherence tomography (CP-SSOCT) for highly accurate depth controlled epiretinal membranectomy. A touch sensor and two motors were used in the forceps design to minimize the inherent motion artifact while squeezing the tool handle to actuate the tool and grasp, and to independently... View full abstract»
Modeling and Control of Local Electromagnetic Actuation for Robotic-Assisted Surgical DevicesPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2449 - 2460
Cited by: Papers (2)
This paper proposes an electromagnetic-based local magnetic actuation (LMA) as a novel actuation system for cases where it is required to actuate a mechanical system across a physical barrier. The main motivation for LMA is in the area of minimally invasive robotic surgery, where it is desired to actuate the surgical manipulators across the abdominal wall. In the local electromagnetic actuation ap... View full abstract»
Magnetic Helical Robot for Targeted Drug-Delivery in Tubular EnvironmentsPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2461 - 2468
We propose a novel magnetic helical robot (HR) that can helically navigate, release a drug to a target area, and generate a mechanical drilling motion to unclog tubular structures of the human body. The proposed HR is composed of two rotating cylindrical magnets (RMs), four fixed cylindrical magnets (FMs), and a helical body. The RMs can be rotated in different directions under two orthogonal exte... View full abstract»
Quadratically Constrained Quadratic-Programming Based Control of Legged Robots Subject to Nonlinear Friction Cone and Switching ConstraintsPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2469 - 2479
Cited by: Papers (1)
A hierarchical control architecture is presented for energy-efficient control of robots subject to variety of linear/nonlinear inequality constraints such as Coulomb friction cones, switching unilateral contacts, actuator saturation limits, and yet minimizing the power losses in the joint actuators. The control formulation can incorporate the nonlinear friction cone constraints into the control wi... View full abstract»
Real-Time Hybrid Locomotion Mode Recognition for Lower Limb Wearable RobotsPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2480 - 2491
Cited by: Papers (2)
Real-time recognition of locomotion-related activities is a fundamental skill that a controller of lower limb wearable robots should possess. Subject-specific training and reliance on electromyographic interfaces are the main limitations of existing approaches. This study presents a novel methodology for real-time locomotion mode recognition of locomotion-related activities in lower limb wearable ... View full abstract»
Instrumented Ankle–Foot Orthosis: Toward a Clinical Assessment Tool for Patient-Specific Optimization of Orthotic Ankle StiffnessPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2492 - 2501
In this paper, we detail the design and operation of the instrumented ankle-foot orthosis (i AFO), a clinical assessment tool that can be used to quantify the functional consequences of selectively modifying orthotic ankle joint stiffness, particularly for individuals with locomotor deficits such as foot drop. We discuss the sensing capabilities of the system, which include ankle joint kinematics ... View full abstract»
Walking Direction Estimation Based on Statistical Modeling of Human Gait Features With Handheld MIMUPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2502 - 2511
Cited by: Papers (1)
Contrary to Global Navigation Satellite System or Wi-Fi based navigation, pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) method with handheld inertial and magnetic sensors gives the opportunity to achieve indoor/outdoor ubiquitous pedestrian localization. A remaining PDR critical issue is the estimation of the walking direction. Existing methods are principally searching for the energy main axis, but they do not... View full abstract»
Combining Push-Off Power and Nonlinear Damping Behaviors for a Lightweight Motor-Driven Transtibial ProsthesisPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2512 - 2523
Cited by: Papers (1)
Transtibial prostheses play an important role in below-knee amputees' daily activities. Our previous study presented a lightweight prosthesis with damping behaviors, which can adapt to different terrains. However, the proposed prosthesis cannot provide push-off during the stance phase. In this paper, we redesigned the mechanical structure, combining push-off and damping behaviors. The Peking Unive... View full abstract»
A Systematic Design Strategy for Antagonistic Joints Actuated by Artificial MusclesPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2524 - 2531
Characterization, modeling, and control of pneumatic artificial muscles is typically demonstrated in an antagonistic architecture. There are many conflicting design constraints when designing these systems, resulting in many different styles of testing apparatus. A novel, systematic design methodology is proposed to improve these architectural constraints and describe the envelope of possible syst... View full abstract»
Autonomous Wi-Fi Relay Placement With Mobile RobotsPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2532 - 2542
Stable communication plays an important role in many autonomous robotic applications, particularly in challenging environments that lack communication infrastructures. At present, there exists a high demand for wireless communication networks that can be quickly established to operate devices or agents, such as tasked mobile robots. Eliminating the bottlenecks in data transmission and optimizing t... View full abstract»
A Novel Null-Space-Based UAV Trajectory Tracking Controller With Collision AvoidancePublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2543 - 2553
Cited by: Papers (1)
A new trajectory tracking controller with collision avoidance is proposed in this paper for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation. A positive potential function is designed to take into account the movement of obstacles. Thus, the controller with potential function guarantees that the UAV moves through areas of potentials close to zero to ensure safe navigation in dynamic and unknown environmen... View full abstract»
Adaptive Visual Servoing of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in GPS-Denied EnvironmentsPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2554 - 2563
This paper presents an adaptive output feedback-based visual servoing law for a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a single downward facing camera. The objective is to regulate the relative position and yaw of the vehicle to a planar target consisting of multiple points using a minimal sensor set, i.e., an inertial measurement unit and a vision sensor. A set of first order image momen... View full abstract»
Path Following of a Surface Vessel With Prescribed Performance in the Presence of Input Saturation and External DisturbancesPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2564 - 2575
Cited by: Papers (9)
This paper presents a path following controller of a surface vessel with a prescribed performance in the presence of input saturation and external disturbances. Based on the three degrees-of-freedom model of the surface vessel, the designed backstepping control scheme features three functional parts, namely, guidance, attitude control, and velocity control. To guarantee that the position errors ar... View full abstract»
Disturbance Rejection MPC for Tracking of Wheeled Mobile RobotPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2576 - 2587
This paper develops a disturbance rejection model predictive control (MPC) scheme for tracking nonholonomic vehicle with coupled input constraint and matched disturbances. Two disturbance observers (DOBs) are designed to estimate the unknown disturbances and the disturbances with known harmonic frequencies, respectively. By combining the DOB with MPC, a compound controller is presented. Recursive ... View full abstract»
Indoor Localization of Mobile Robots Through QR Code Detection and Dead Reckoning Data FusionPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2588 - 2599
Cited by: Papers (8)
Many techniques for robot localization rely on the assumption that both process and measurement noises are uncorrelated, white, and normally distributed. However, if this assumption does not hold, these techniques are no longer optimal and, in addition, the maximum estimation errors can be hardly kept under control. In this paper, this problem is addressed by means of a tailored extended H∞ View full abstract»
Dynamic Trajectory Tracking by Synergistic Dual-Stage Actuation and ControlPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2600 - 2610
This paper addresses precision tracking control of dual-stage actuators for machining of noncircular engine piston profiles. To achieve desired tracking performance, the capacity limits, dynamic characteristics, external disturbances, and model uncertainties of the dual-stage actuators pose significant challenges in control design and real-time implementation. The master-slave linear control confi... View full abstract»
An Ultrathin Monolithic XY Nanopositioning Stage Constructed From a Single Sheet of Piezoelectric MaterialPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2611 - 2618
Cited by: Papers (5)
The paper describes an XY nanopositioning stage constructed from flexures and actuators machined into a single sheet of piezoelectric material. Ultrasonic machining is used to remove piezoelectric material and create electrode features. The constructed device is 0.508 mm thick, and has a travel range of 8.6 μm in the X and Y axes. The first resonance mode occurs at 597 Hz, which makes the device s... View full abstract»
Simultaneous Displacement and Force Estimation of Piezoelectric Stack Actuators Using Charge and Voltage MeasurementsPublication Year: 2017, Page(s):2619 - 2624
Cited by: Papers (1)
This article is devoted to simultaneous displacement and force self-sensing using a single piezoelectric stack actuator. Values of displacement and force are estimated from measurements of charge and applied voltage. To calibrate the self-sensing algorithm, a parameter identification procedure is presented that accounts for hysteresis under varying displacement and force conditions using a standar... View full abstract»
Aims & Scope
IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics encompasses all practical aspects of the theory and methods of mechatronics, the synergetic integration of mechanical engineering with electronic and intelligent computer control in the design and manufacture of industrial products and processes.
Meet Our Editors
George Chiu
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN USA


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We've all cut off our jeans into shorts, right? We don't really need a tutorial..... I will say this though, I like sew a zig zag stitch right above the cut legs to keep the fraying under control. Also, I've been seeing this cute method of cutting a triangle into the side of the leg, to loosen up the leg. So cute!I thought these plain shorts could use a little colorful embellishment. So I embroidered on a sugar skull! So fun :)
Here is the plain front. I love the double buttons.
|Dia De los Muertos shorts
See the triangle on the side?
|Dia De los Muertos shorts
I don't have a tutorial for this but there are some great ones out there on the web. I found Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials which looks like it would be a great help. For this sugar skull, I only used the back stitch, the french knot and the lazy daisy. I didn't follow any patterns, only grabbing bits and pieces from different images. Here is a great place to find patterns.
|Dia De los Muertos shorts
What do you think? Would you wear a sugar skull on your butt?


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AM830 KLAA Show 12/11 featuring Sean Ponist and Theresa Oatman
December 11, 2016
Host Bill Black interviews Sean Ponist about "How You Can Work Most Effectively with an Attorney" and Theresa Oatman "How to Structure Key Employee Benefit Programs and What You Need to Know to be Compliant"
What can you do RIGHT NOW to work on making your Business more Sustainable, Transferable and Valuable in the future? Visit our Online Planning Links at www.ExitCoachRadio.com/links
Sponsors: Exit & Retirement Strategies, Inc. | BEI |Jeffrey M Verdon Law Group | Albert J Rasch & Associates | Ghassemian Law Group
Listening from an iPhone or iPad? Get our App in the App Store: click here


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- A couple of nights ago, we were taking Lucy outside before going to bed when she suddenly bolted into the dark. While Andrew was rummaging for a flashlight (being a 90% black dog, she's really hard to spot at nighttime), muttering that he was going to "kick Lucy's ass", Lucy ran back home... with quills all over her face. I guess she tried to make friends with a porcupine, but it wasn't interested in meeting a 60 pound mass of excitement barreling at full speed.
While looking for photos of porcupines, most of the search results are pictures of hedgehogs labelled as "baby porcupines". I have never been more disapointed in humanity.
Outcome: We had to call Andrew's parents (waking them up) to bring over giant tweezers/pliers and help take out all of the quills. We really needed the help too: it took all of Andrew's strength to hold Lucy down while his dad was doing the tweezing. It took an entire hour. Andrew was litterally drenched in sweat by the time it was done.
- While attempting to find Lucy some extra water to put in her pen for the day, I met with a giant garter snake. It was longer than my arm. I yelled "GAHHYULLLLLLLLSGHHSS" (the closest approximation to the sound I made) and ran away. I then proceeded to shudder during the entire morning ride to work.
- My friend Lawyer (a super academic that is a hick at heart) has decided for me that she is going to plan Andrew and I's wedding. Not that we're engaged; Lawyer just likes to think ahead.
Update: Andrew lifted the wooden plank next to the shed where I had met the snake and found three snakes. I am never going anywhere near the shed for the rest of my life.
Anyways, Lawyer hasn't gotten too far in the planning stages, but has pitched to me her main ideas. They are: pink and camo wedding dress and decor, moonshine and shotguns, beer and a banjo player. I agreed to the beer. Maybe the banjo player too. Cause saying the word "banjo" is fun. Banjo.
A wedding not planned by Lawyer.Ok, I totally am thinking ahead too: just go visit my Pinterest board labelled "Wedding Ideas". It's way too ridiculously large to be considered normal. There's probably more pins on my board than the boards of women who are actually engaged and in the midst of planning their wedding. It's definitely an issue.


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I wrote a few weeks ago about the bond that exists between a man and his tractor. I likened the relationship to that which existed between a cowboy and his horse back in the days of the wild west. In my effort to wax poetic about my beloved farm machinery, I failed to mention another bond that exists - that between a man and his dog. In this case, my little sidekick, Beazer. She came to us via the local dog pound probably 14 years ago as best Paula and I can remember. And she has been at my side - in spirit if not in body - every day for those many years. Until today.
I buried Beazer this evening.
Beazer is short for Beelzabub, the hound from hell. She was built like a pit bull - only she was smaller - and had the look of a bird dog. She was mostly black with a few white splotches and a white tip on her tail. We called her pedigree "All American Shorthair," which means, translated, that she was a mix of about every breed imaginable. She got her name because of her attitude toward strangers and her obstinacy. She had a particular hatred for the UPS man, and, in her younger years, I had to pull her away from him many times. Beazer didn't care for the vultures that soared past our windows here on the mountain either. Or the raccoons. Or possums. Or stray cats, chipmunks, squirrels...
Beazer and I had a special relationship. I can't explain why. I was always tougher on her than either my wife or my daughter ever were. And Paula often accused me of ignoring her when Beazer came looking for some attention. But Beazer always came. If a number of us entered the house together, after having been away for a period of time, here Beazer would come to greet us. She had this annoying, ear-splitting yelp, yelp, yelp when she came up to people she knew - well, perhaps not so annoying anymore. But she would always come looking for me. She would work her way through the crowd, even as others were calling out to her, to greet me first. Only then did she devote time to the others.
And there was another bond that Beazer and I had, although I'll not be able to explain it. She and I could go up the mountain together and, as dogs often do, she would disappear into the forest. I would lose track of her but keep on going. It was fascinating that, no matter in which direction I went, she would always find me. She was always there with me. When I sat here at my computer, she would come in and lay on the carpet next to me. If I moved into the living room, she would get up and move with me.
There came a point several months ago when Beazer was no longer able to make it up the mountain. She got too feeble. Truth be known, I quit going up the mountain too. As you could imagine, it was because I couldn't leave ol' Beaz behind, knowing how much she enjoyed the adventure and knowing that she knew where I would have been heading. She always knew. And I couldn't disappoint her. Her health began to fail recently, and we knew the end was coming.
I think this will be the last time I ever think of Beazer in her final years. From this point on, I'm going to remember her when she was young and in perfect health. When she could easily outrun me. When she ran in the yard in circles as I pretended to try to catch her. How she loved the attention. That I guess, when you come down to it, is what cements the bond between a man and his dog. I appreciated her companionship; she craved my attention. I am struggling with that thought as I write this.
It's easy at this point to say something like, "Well, life goes on." But that doesn't quite work for me tonight. A part of my life is - forever - buried on Big Walker Mountain.
* Originally published on July 18, 2004
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Posted by Jerry Fuhrman at 8:08 PM
Twistin' To Toby's Toe-Tappin' Tunes
Paula and I were doing a little Texas two-step the other day with our twin two-year-old grandchildren, Jayla and Kaid. They were having a blast swayin' to the poundin' sound of Toby Keith and his Easy Money Band playing "I love this bar." I'd like to think they were laughing hysterically out of sheer delight but it may have had more to do with seeing their "Jeramps" mixing a few country moves with some disco that Travolta and I perfected a number of years ago. But they did have great fun. To the point where they wouldn't let me quit. So we danced until I was finally completely out of breath.
I had thought for a moment that we should have gotten out the video camera and recorded the moment. But then that age-old adage came back to me and I decided that maybe it was best if we didn't. "White boys can't dance."
"We got winners, we got losers/chain smokers and boozers/And we got yuppies, we got bikers/We got thirsty hitchhikers/And the girls next door dress up like movie stars/Hmm, hmm, hmm, I love this bar."
* Originally published on September 13, 2004
I had thought for a moment that we should have gotten out the video camera and recorded the moment. But then that age-old adage came back to me and I decided that maybe it was best if we didn't. "White boys can't dance."
"We got winners, we got losers/chain smokers and boozers/And we got yuppies, we got bikers/We got thirsty hitchhikers/And the girls next door dress up like movie stars/Hmm, hmm, hmm, I love this bar."
* Originally published on September 13, 2004
Posted by Jerry Fuhrman at 2:47 PM
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