The first changes were small, more style than substance. Citizens long accustomed to heavily scripted official pomp were startled by televised scenes of a surprisingly relaxed top leadership meeting. China’s new Communist Party boss, Xi Jinping, and six other members of the Politburo Standing Committee were dressed informally. Xi spoke off the cuff, in contrast with his uptight predecessor Hu Jintao, whom many Chinese dubbed “robotic.” On other occasions, two senior leaders called on authorities to cut the jargon and grandstanding.
Then, China’s new top graft buster, Wang Qishan, met with a number of anti-corruption experts and interrupted one who addressed him as “dear respected secretary.” “Drop the formalities,” Wang reportedly told the group. The new message from the top: just get to the point. After less than a month into his job, Xi ushered in a new leadership style that’s taken China by surprise. He has exhorted citizens to pursue “national rejuvenation” and a “Great Chinese Dream,” while cracking down on graft, trimming official perks, and streamlining bureaucracy. At least in some key areas, Xi seems poised to break with the past decade of stagnation, during which time China’s economy slowed and political reforms regressed. If the changes take hold, they could have far-reaching implications both at home and abroad. Many Chinese seem heartened, even inspired, by Xi’s down-to-earth style. But many of China’s jittery neighbors worry that Beijing’s dream could become their nightmare, leading to an increasingly nationalistic and aggressive foreign policy.
Since Xi and his new team were promoted to the top of the party in mid-November, their to-do list has focused on repairing the regime’s tarnished image.
This past year has been the leadership’s annus horribilis; the party has been rocked by high-level political purges, corruption scandals, and revelations that authorities and their relatives abused power to amass enormous wealth. Xi himself warned that unless China’s crooked cadres are reined in, the country could experience growing unrest—even collapse . Now, 2013 is shaping up to be the year of the party makeover. After the new Politburo met in early December, state media reported on a sweeping campaign to trim official spending and roll up the red carpet. New dos and don’ts for party functionaries include eliminating lavish airport welcoming ceremonies, infl ated official entourages, and jargon-filled “empty and unnecessary documents.” Official expenditures, foreign travel, the size and number of government meetings, extravagant banquets, traffic-snarling motorcades, and the mindless but self-aggrandizing public appearances in which many leaders specialize—like pompous ribbon-cutting and ground-breaking ceremonies—must be trimmed back.
The campaign to cut bloat has pleasantly surprised many Chinese. And party watchdogs have also moved quickly in recent weeks to show they’re serious about targeting graft. A local party secretary in Chongqing was purged after a sex video went viral online, showing him in bed with a young woman reportedly hired to blackmail him into giving out lucrative contracts. An alternative member of the party’s powerful Central Committee, promoted just last month, is now being investigated for corruption. And Chinese authorities asked officials in the gambling enclave of Macao—where much of the casino winnings are believed to be embezzled mainland wealth—to tighten up their scrutiny of financial transfers.
Beijing is preparing more substantial changes, too. Xi and premier-to-be Li Keqiang are expected to unveil an ambitious government restructuring—possibly next spring —that will streamline 44 ministeriallevel government bodies into as few as 24. (The country’s central bank is slated to become an independent body, free from supervision by the Chinese cabinet.) Xi also pledged to uphold the rule of law, which has often languished under the weight of official privilege and lack of accountability. “We need to treat people’s needs fairly and endeavor to make them feel justice has been done in every single case,” he said.
To be sure, previous administrations have assumed office promising to boost law and order—only to get bogged down due to vested interests. (Former premier Zhu Rongji launched a “Strike Hard” campaign against crime and corruption in the ’90s; it fizzled after less than a year.) Nor is Xi embracing change to the point of introducing Western-style democracy.
Party leaders seem united in eschewing “Western paths” for their political and economic development. Chinese goals, Chinese values, and Chinese iconography are the foundation of what has come to be known as Xi’s watershed “Chinese Dream ” speech.
The occasion was a Nov. 29 visit by Xi and the rest of the new Politburo Standing Committee to an exhibition titled “The Road to National Revival” at the recently renovated National Museum in Tiananmen Square. The display pounded home themes of China’s victimization at the hands of imperialist foreign bullies, with archival material related to the Opium Wars and Western occupation of extraterritorial “concessions” on Chinese turf. In the second major public speech of his tenure, Xi praised the display of “the great national spirit with patriotism as the core.” But the bit that really captured public attention was his rousing call to pursue the Chinese Dream and national rejuvenation. Prof. Zhou Xiaozheng of Renmin University interpreted this as a championing of “reforms, dropping the [ideological] theories of the Cultural Revolution, working hard and reviving China’s glorious history. It’s really good, and I’m cautiously optimistic.”
2012年12月29日星期六
Opposition mounts to changes at Martin Nature Park
“The new trail will alter the healthy natural ecosystem in the southeastern portion of the park,” said Cathy Christensen, president of the Oklahoma Bar Association and representative of the nearby Val Verde homeowners. “It is home to deer, owls, foxes, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, muskrat, beaver and a variety of nesting birds, and it is an important habitat for migrating ducks, geese and songbirds. Remove those animals and you lose the opportunity to educate thousands of children and park visitors.”
Christensen also said that disruption to the natural ecosystem could reduce the number of predators, such as owls, which keep populations of rodents, skunks and other animals from overpopulating and becoming pests to nearby neighborhoods and the park itself.
Construction at any level, Gau said, could destroy some of the park’s rarest plants and prevent migratory birds from nesting there. Construction could force wildlife, such as bobcats and wolves, to move into surrounding neighborhoods.
“We have four rare species of plants you can’t find anywhere else in Oklahoma, and then we have birds like the ruby-throated hummingbirds that migrate here in the spring,” Gau said. “That’s just one of 30 migratory birds we have. The issue is we have migratory birds coming in all year, so it makes it difficult to make changes to the park. This type of construction could prevent them from coming here if the area is altered.”
The disappointment led him to find ways to make a wilderness experience, however large or small, accessible to everyone.
“Access to senior citizens, of course, who find walking difficult, citizens using canes, walkers, crutches, wheelchairs or other mobility device; accessible, as well, to those with limited sight, impaired hearing or developmental disability,” McMahan said.
Phases of the project include a large treehouse, a universally accessible trail throughout the park and, in the final phase, “identifying, selecting and installing information/syndication systems that enhance the experiences of all stake holders who visit the park,” according to Wilderness Matters.
McMahan said the projected cost is expected to be between $1.2 to 2 million, and the Wilderness Experience would remain free to the public as Martin Nature Park is now.
Wendell Whisenhunt, director of Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation, said Wilderness Matters Inc. representatives have gone before the OKC Parks Commission three times and discussed improvements they wish to make to the Martin Nature Park. The most recent meeting was Dec. 19 at which time the board of park commissioners voted unanimously to let the proposal go before the City Council during the January meeting.
Wilderness Matters was incorporated as a 501(c)(3). The board is comprised of McMahan, Nichols Hills Mayor Peter Hoffman, philanthropist and former assistant attorney general Tricia L. Everest, and Martha J. Ferretti, a college professor and physical therapist.
McMahan said Wilderness Matters is about helping all people, but especially people with disabilities, enjoy universally accessible outdoor experiences.
“We are about building and delivering a world-class wilderness experience for everyone to enjoy. The result of our work is to improve the human experience,” McMahan said.
McMahan said he and his board of directors are willing to privately fund the approximately $1.5 million needed for the park development.
The group also has told city officials it would provide an endowment to fund maintenance for the proposed development.
According to its website, Wilderness Matters “aims to partner with municipal and state agencies to help all people — able-bodied and disabled — access and enjoy universally designed nature experiences.”
The organization’s website states it selects public nature parks, wildlife areas or other outdoor venues and then designs, builds and donates facility improvements to the partner. The website, however, did not list specific projects completed by Wilderness Matters, and McMahan admitted this proposed project is the first project for the organization.
Fuel-saving gas-electric hybrid and all-electric cars and trucks powered by sizable battery packs and high voltage motors could present a new kind of danger at serious accident scenes, according to an industry group.
A report by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) highlighted risks to first responders and tow operators from potential electric shock from damaged systems not disengaged during or immediately after a crash.
"As electric vehicles enter the marketplace in greater numbers, it's an appropriate time to recognize best practices that facilitate a safe response when these vehicles are in an accident," said Todd Mackintosh, chairman of the SAE technical committee that issued the report earlier this month.
The group recommended automakers install switches that would kill battery power in the event of an accident. The location of those switches should be standardized for safety.
Another recommendation would create a guide for emergency workers, something Mackintosh called a "cheat sheet for first responders." It would quickly identify the location of high-voltage components allowing them to be disabled.
Tow truck drivers also need better information and training on how to handle hybrids and electric vehicles without receiving an unexpected jolt, the report said.
More than 435,000 battery powered electric and hybrid electric vehicles were sold in the United States this year, an increase of 53%, compared to 2011 sales numbers, according to the Electric Drive Transportation Association.
In May, auto industry officials and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Energy Department discussed potential dangers faced by first responders from electrical charges produced by hybrid and electric cars.
NHTSA later issued interim guidance for consumers, emergency responders and tow truck operators to increase awareness about specific dangers.
Dangers can be reduced if responders have easy access to battery packs and if auto manufacturers create common disconnect locations in all hybrid and electric vehicles, NHTSA said.
Automakers are getting the message out to drivers and responders.
Nissan places the battery pack of its LEAF all-electric car in a steel case. The Japanese automaker also designed the battery pack to sense a crash and disable its electrical charge when involved in an accident.
Ford has published a guide for first responders encountering its Focus EV involved in accidents. The Focus EV includes what Ford calls "Electric Badges," which are clearly marked logos on the doors and trunk lid to warn responders of possible electric shock. Cables wrapped in orange high-voltage warning sleeves are located under the hood of the Focus EV.
Christensen also said that disruption to the natural ecosystem could reduce the number of predators, such as owls, which keep populations of rodents, skunks and other animals from overpopulating and becoming pests to nearby neighborhoods and the park itself.
Construction at any level, Gau said, could destroy some of the park’s rarest plants and prevent migratory birds from nesting there. Construction could force wildlife, such as bobcats and wolves, to move into surrounding neighborhoods.
“We have four rare species of plants you can’t find anywhere else in Oklahoma, and then we have birds like the ruby-throated hummingbirds that migrate here in the spring,” Gau said. “That’s just one of 30 migratory birds we have. The issue is we have migratory birds coming in all year, so it makes it difficult to make changes to the park. This type of construction could prevent them from coming here if the area is altered.”
The disappointment led him to find ways to make a wilderness experience, however large or small, accessible to everyone.
“Access to senior citizens, of course, who find walking difficult, citizens using canes, walkers, crutches, wheelchairs or other mobility device; accessible, as well, to those with limited sight, impaired hearing or developmental disability,” McMahan said.
Phases of the project include a large treehouse, a universally accessible trail throughout the park and, in the final phase, “identifying, selecting and installing information/syndication systems that enhance the experiences of all stake holders who visit the park,” according to Wilderness Matters.
McMahan said the projected cost is expected to be between $1.2 to 2 million, and the Wilderness Experience would remain free to the public as Martin Nature Park is now.
Wendell Whisenhunt, director of Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation, said Wilderness Matters Inc. representatives have gone before the OKC Parks Commission three times and discussed improvements they wish to make to the Martin Nature Park. The most recent meeting was Dec. 19 at which time the board of park commissioners voted unanimously to let the proposal go before the City Council during the January meeting.
Wilderness Matters was incorporated as a 501(c)(3). The board is comprised of McMahan, Nichols Hills Mayor Peter Hoffman, philanthropist and former assistant attorney general Tricia L. Everest, and Martha J. Ferretti, a college professor and physical therapist.
McMahan said Wilderness Matters is about helping all people, but especially people with disabilities, enjoy universally accessible outdoor experiences.
“We are about building and delivering a world-class wilderness experience for everyone to enjoy. The result of our work is to improve the human experience,” McMahan said.
McMahan said he and his board of directors are willing to privately fund the approximately $1.5 million needed for the park development.
The group also has told city officials it would provide an endowment to fund maintenance for the proposed development.
According to its website, Wilderness Matters “aims to partner with municipal and state agencies to help all people — able-bodied and disabled — access and enjoy universally designed nature experiences.”
The organization’s website states it selects public nature parks, wildlife areas or other outdoor venues and then designs, builds and donates facility improvements to the partner. The website, however, did not list specific projects completed by Wilderness Matters, and McMahan admitted this proposed project is the first project for the organization.
Fuel-saving gas-electric hybrid and all-electric cars and trucks powered by sizable battery packs and high voltage motors could present a new kind of danger at serious accident scenes, according to an industry group.
A report by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) highlighted risks to first responders and tow operators from potential electric shock from damaged systems not disengaged during or immediately after a crash.
"As electric vehicles enter the marketplace in greater numbers, it's an appropriate time to recognize best practices that facilitate a safe response when these vehicles are in an accident," said Todd Mackintosh, chairman of the SAE technical committee that issued the report earlier this month.
The group recommended automakers install switches that would kill battery power in the event of an accident. The location of those switches should be standardized for safety.
Another recommendation would create a guide for emergency workers, something Mackintosh called a "cheat sheet for first responders." It would quickly identify the location of high-voltage components allowing them to be disabled.
Tow truck drivers also need better information and training on how to handle hybrids and electric vehicles without receiving an unexpected jolt, the report said.
More than 435,000 battery powered electric and hybrid electric vehicles were sold in the United States this year, an increase of 53%, compared to 2011 sales numbers, according to the Electric Drive Transportation Association.
In May, auto industry officials and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Energy Department discussed potential dangers faced by first responders from electrical charges produced by hybrid and electric cars.
NHTSA later issued interim guidance for consumers, emergency responders and tow truck operators to increase awareness about specific dangers.
Dangers can be reduced if responders have easy access to battery packs and if auto manufacturers create common disconnect locations in all hybrid and electric vehicles, NHTSA said.
Automakers are getting the message out to drivers and responders.
Nissan places the battery pack of its LEAF all-electric car in a steel case. The Japanese automaker also designed the battery pack to sense a crash and disable its electrical charge when involved in an accident.
Ford has published a guide for first responders encountering its Focus EV involved in accidents. The Focus EV includes what Ford calls "Electric Badges," which are clearly marked logos on the doors and trunk lid to warn responders of possible electric shock. Cables wrapped in orange high-voltage warning sleeves are located under the hood of the Focus EV.
2012年12月27日星期四
Our Great Britons of the Year
When historians look back on 2012, one Briton will define the year’s momentous and joyous events more than any other. The Queen not only celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, giving us all a reason to remind ourselves what is best about Britain, but also played a starring role in the opening ceremony of London 2012.
Who will ever forget the delicious moment when Her Majesty greeted James Bond at Buckingham Palace, before appearing to parachute out of a helicopter into the Olympic Park? Our Olympians and Paralympians may have given us a month’s worth of unashamed patriotism, but the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was the culmination of a lifetime of service to the country.
At the centre of the celebrations were four remarkable days in June, during which the Queen defied age and the elements to attend the Thames Pageant, the splendidly over-the-top Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace and a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s, followed by a Carriage Procession and Balcony appearance. She had already taken on a daunting schedule of travel at the beginning of the year, as she set out to visit every corner of the United Kingdom, determined that as many of us as possible should see her in her landmark year; and she ended 2012 in the same spirit, shaking off a cold to lead her family to church on Christmas Day. Her Majesty has not only defined a year, but has helped shape an entire era, and for that she is our Greatest Briton.
The architect of Britain’s finest sporting year, Coe was the magician who made our summer. After an undistinguished second career in politics, he proved he was as world class a sports administrator as he had been a middle-distance runner. London’s Olympics was everything he promised and more: uplifting, exhilarating, inspiring; a unifying experience around which the entire nation could gather in patriotic delight. Coe did it by the simple leadership technique of delegation and trust, ceding responsibility to those he knew would produce. He did it so well that if, in mid August, there had been a popular vote for prime minister, he would have stormed to Number 10.
Loud, defiant, above all gloriously, tumultuously, spine-tinglingly British, Boyle’s Olympic opening ceremony was 90 minutes of dazzling theatre, dance, film and music, a mash-up of our nation’s cultural history delivered at breakneck speed. Warm, witty and full of surprises, it spun the head, brought a tear to the eye and made everyone lucky enough to witness it smile hard and long. Never mind that many of the cultural references went way over the heads of those watching in Milwaukee (who is this Michael Fish guy?), Boyle’s was precisely the vision of Britain we wanted projected to the world.
What a year it has been for the Mayor of London. His second-term victory over Ken Livingstone in the spring proved he is the Conservative best able to reach parts closed to other Tories. In doing so, he scared the life out of David Cameron, who regards Boris as his greatest rival in the party — and a steady stream of robust views emanating from City Hall on Europe, infrastructure planning and the economy did nothing to shake that perception. Most of all, Boris was the international face of London throughout one of the city’s most memorable years. His contribution to the capital’s annus mirabilis has guaranteed his place in the pantheon of the capital’s great figures, the Dick Whittington of his day.
Not content with giving birth to her fourth child and dressing every A-lister with a red carpet-worthy body, Stella McCartney designed the kit for the whole of Team GB. Well, almost all the team. The equestrians stuck to their traditional jackets and jodhpurs, although McCartney, a keen horsewoman, was permitted to tinker with their horses’ rugs. After the Olympics, she snagged two gongs for herself at the British Fashion Awards in November, including the biggie, Designer of the Year. “When I resigned from Chloé more than a decade ago, the boss told me that no woman had ever built a successful British fashion brand. That only made me more determined,“ she said, in the best girl-power acceptance speech of the year.
The defining genius behind Britain’s rise to the top of the cycling world, Brailsford is the master of micro-management. Nothing was left to chance as he co-ordinated a double assault on the roads of France and the Olympic velodrome. His brilliant stewardship seeks out advantage in the smallest detail: when his riders hit the start line they know they are better prepared, better trained, better equipped than any of their rivals. Then they know it is up to them to deliver. And deliver they did – to the point where Wiggins, Hoy, Pendleton and Trott have become household names. But all of them acknowledge the chief reason behind their success.
The woman who based television’s most hapless heroine on herself – in her sitcom Miranda – has had an amazing 2012. She was one of the most-loved stars of Call the Midwife, the BBC’s most successful new drama in a decade, playing upper-class fish-out-of-water “Chummy” Browne in London’s deprived East End in the Fifties. She wrote a bestseller, Is It Just Me?, which offered her thoughts on subjects as diverse as how to sit elegantly on a bar stool and mothers who call their children names like Bruschetta, Vinaigrette and Focaccia. And on Boxing Day, her sitcom, which has reminded millions of viewers just how much they prefer slapstick and silliness to cruel comedy, began its third series on BBC One. For Miranda Hart, this has unarguably been a – what I call – great year.
Just occasionally, critics get it disastrously wrong. And the best example this year was David Hockney’s exhibition at the Royal Academy, in which he returned to his native county of Yorkshire to work in that most old-fashioned of genres, landscape. Art critic Brian Sewell threw up his hands in horror at Hockney’s colourful, joyful paintings and deplored their “ghastly gaudiness”. But the public adored them and flocked there in droves – with 650,000 visitors, it looks likely to have been the RA’s best attended show of the year. Later there was an outcry when one of the trees featured in the paintings was vandalised. Hockney has always defiantly gone his own way (not least in his defence of smoking). This year he showed, at the age of 75, that he still has the power to confound expectations.
“Why build a massive project around an ugly Tudor politician, condemned by posterity as a corrupt torturer?” This was the rhetorical question Hilary Mantel posed as she looked back over her immersion in the life of Thomas Cromwell. Having partly answered the question with Wolf Hall, which won the Booker Prize in 2009, she closed the discussion with the sequel Bring Up the Bodies, which won this year’s Booker, making her the first Briton – and the first woman – to win the prize twice. The great news for her devoted readers was that since the second book covered the events of only nine months, there must be a third, dealing with Cromwell’s demise. Bring on The Mirror and the Light.
Seven months ago, Martha Payne was an ordinary nine-year-old from a tiny Scottish village – Lochgilphead in Argyll and Bute – who started a blog about her unhealthy school meals. When the local council banned Martha from taking photographs in her canteen, she made headlines across the world and gained millions of fans, including Jamie Oliver, who campaigned to get her blog back online. To date, it has been read nine million times, raising ￡125,500 for the charity Mary’s Meals. In October, Martha visited the school kitchen in Blantyre, Malawi, which was built with money donated by her fans. “Bad things can sometimes turn into good things,” she says. “I am glad I didn’t give up.”
Who will ever forget the delicious moment when Her Majesty greeted James Bond at Buckingham Palace, before appearing to parachute out of a helicopter into the Olympic Park? Our Olympians and Paralympians may have given us a month’s worth of unashamed patriotism, but the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was the culmination of a lifetime of service to the country.
At the centre of the celebrations were four remarkable days in June, during which the Queen defied age and the elements to attend the Thames Pageant, the splendidly over-the-top Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace and a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s, followed by a Carriage Procession and Balcony appearance. She had already taken on a daunting schedule of travel at the beginning of the year, as she set out to visit every corner of the United Kingdom, determined that as many of us as possible should see her in her landmark year; and she ended 2012 in the same spirit, shaking off a cold to lead her family to church on Christmas Day. Her Majesty has not only defined a year, but has helped shape an entire era, and for that she is our Greatest Briton.
The architect of Britain’s finest sporting year, Coe was the magician who made our summer. After an undistinguished second career in politics, he proved he was as world class a sports administrator as he had been a middle-distance runner. London’s Olympics was everything he promised and more: uplifting, exhilarating, inspiring; a unifying experience around which the entire nation could gather in patriotic delight. Coe did it by the simple leadership technique of delegation and trust, ceding responsibility to those he knew would produce. He did it so well that if, in mid August, there had been a popular vote for prime minister, he would have stormed to Number 10.
Loud, defiant, above all gloriously, tumultuously, spine-tinglingly British, Boyle’s Olympic opening ceremony was 90 minutes of dazzling theatre, dance, film and music, a mash-up of our nation’s cultural history delivered at breakneck speed. Warm, witty and full of surprises, it spun the head, brought a tear to the eye and made everyone lucky enough to witness it smile hard and long. Never mind that many of the cultural references went way over the heads of those watching in Milwaukee (who is this Michael Fish guy?), Boyle’s was precisely the vision of Britain we wanted projected to the world.
What a year it has been for the Mayor of London. His second-term victory over Ken Livingstone in the spring proved he is the Conservative best able to reach parts closed to other Tories. In doing so, he scared the life out of David Cameron, who regards Boris as his greatest rival in the party — and a steady stream of robust views emanating from City Hall on Europe, infrastructure planning and the economy did nothing to shake that perception. Most of all, Boris was the international face of London throughout one of the city’s most memorable years. His contribution to the capital’s annus mirabilis has guaranteed his place in the pantheon of the capital’s great figures, the Dick Whittington of his day.
Not content with giving birth to her fourth child and dressing every A-lister with a red carpet-worthy body, Stella McCartney designed the kit for the whole of Team GB. Well, almost all the team. The equestrians stuck to their traditional jackets and jodhpurs, although McCartney, a keen horsewoman, was permitted to tinker with their horses’ rugs. After the Olympics, she snagged two gongs for herself at the British Fashion Awards in November, including the biggie, Designer of the Year. “When I resigned from Chloé more than a decade ago, the boss told me that no woman had ever built a successful British fashion brand. That only made me more determined,“ she said, in the best girl-power acceptance speech of the year.
The defining genius behind Britain’s rise to the top of the cycling world, Brailsford is the master of micro-management. Nothing was left to chance as he co-ordinated a double assault on the roads of France and the Olympic velodrome. His brilliant stewardship seeks out advantage in the smallest detail: when his riders hit the start line they know they are better prepared, better trained, better equipped than any of their rivals. Then they know it is up to them to deliver. And deliver they did – to the point where Wiggins, Hoy, Pendleton and Trott have become household names. But all of them acknowledge the chief reason behind their success.
The woman who based television’s most hapless heroine on herself – in her sitcom Miranda – has had an amazing 2012. She was one of the most-loved stars of Call the Midwife, the BBC’s most successful new drama in a decade, playing upper-class fish-out-of-water “Chummy” Browne in London’s deprived East End in the Fifties. She wrote a bestseller, Is It Just Me?, which offered her thoughts on subjects as diverse as how to sit elegantly on a bar stool and mothers who call their children names like Bruschetta, Vinaigrette and Focaccia. And on Boxing Day, her sitcom, which has reminded millions of viewers just how much they prefer slapstick and silliness to cruel comedy, began its third series on BBC One. For Miranda Hart, this has unarguably been a – what I call – great year.
Just occasionally, critics get it disastrously wrong. And the best example this year was David Hockney’s exhibition at the Royal Academy, in which he returned to his native county of Yorkshire to work in that most old-fashioned of genres, landscape. Art critic Brian Sewell threw up his hands in horror at Hockney’s colourful, joyful paintings and deplored their “ghastly gaudiness”. But the public adored them and flocked there in droves – with 650,000 visitors, it looks likely to have been the RA’s best attended show of the year. Later there was an outcry when one of the trees featured in the paintings was vandalised. Hockney has always defiantly gone his own way (not least in his defence of smoking). This year he showed, at the age of 75, that he still has the power to confound expectations.
“Why build a massive project around an ugly Tudor politician, condemned by posterity as a corrupt torturer?” This was the rhetorical question Hilary Mantel posed as she looked back over her immersion in the life of Thomas Cromwell. Having partly answered the question with Wolf Hall, which won the Booker Prize in 2009, she closed the discussion with the sequel Bring Up the Bodies, which won this year’s Booker, making her the first Briton – and the first woman – to win the prize twice. The great news for her devoted readers was that since the second book covered the events of only nine months, there must be a third, dealing with Cromwell’s demise. Bring on The Mirror and the Light.
Seven months ago, Martha Payne was an ordinary nine-year-old from a tiny Scottish village – Lochgilphead in Argyll and Bute – who started a blog about her unhealthy school meals. When the local council banned Martha from taking photographs in her canteen, she made headlines across the world and gained millions of fans, including Jamie Oliver, who campaigned to get her blog back online. To date, it has been read nine million times, raising ￡125,500 for the charity Mary’s Meals. In October, Martha visited the school kitchen in Blantyre, Malawi, which was built with money donated by her fans. “Bad things can sometimes turn into good things,” she says. “I am glad I didn’t give up.”
The year that was 2012 in Whistler
Sometimes a year can be defined by a single event and other times by a series of them. There was plenty to celebrate in Whistler during 2012, however, it was also a year that saw the community remember the lives and contributions of a number of locals that were lost. Honouring their legacies together made their absence easier to bear.
The death of Sarah Burke on Jan. 19 was a loss that reverberated in the community. A pioneer in her sport who helped get freestlye skiing accepted into the Olympics, Burke died nine days after crashing on a half-pipe training run at Park City, Utah.
Local historian Florence Petersen, not long after receiving the Freedom of the Town distinction, Whistler Search and Rescue founder Dave Cathers, Sabre Rentals Art Den Duyf and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient Doug Deeks were also remembered by the community for their contributions after passing away in 2012.
A new year was rang-in with dire consequences after a deadly week of avalanches in the backcountry. Search and rescue officials sounded the alarm urging skiers to steer clear of the backcountry and avalanche terrain with persistent weak layers. Whistler Blackcomb ski patroller Duncan MacKenzie died on Dec. 29, 2011 while backcountry skiing with three friends in the Caspar Creek area off the Duffy Lake Road. The 30-year-old was remembered by the community for his infectious smile and enthusiasm for life.
Whistler Community Services Society started the year by moving into a new home in the former Spring Creek daycare facility. The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Social Services Centre officially opened a short time later.
The building had been sitting empty for two years before it was rezoned by WCSS and the Howe Sound Women’s Centre, which also found its first home for a women’s drop in centre.
The location provides operational space for services like the food bank and later on in the year a senior’s drop in centre was also established with the partnership of the Mature Action Committee.
For the second year in a row, property values in Whistler dropped, a 10 per cent plunge since 2010. On the flipside, the year also saw a continued hunger by those wishing to purchase in Whistler. Continued low interest rates, lower prices and easier access along the Sea to Sky Highway saw 2012 real estate purchase trends continue from 2011.
Key community stakeholders put forward a bid at the beginning of the year to bring ESPN’s X Games to the resort for a three year run. By the beginning of February council was officially asked to support the proposed event with $250,000 after it made the short list of nine finalists being considered. Council passed the motion unanimously. The funding matched commitments already made by Whistler Blackcomb and Tourism Whistler. The bid called for the new event to be combined with the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival in April 2013. Local organizers also needed to raise $2 million from additional stakeholders.
ESPN decided in May not to include the resort in its xxpanded global series, instead choosing to add Barcelona, Munich and Foz do Iguacu, Brazil to their lineup.
Whistler Blackcomb came out on the record against mandatory helmet use after the Canadian Pediatric Society publicly asked all levels of government to get behind its proposal to see helmets made obligatory for skiers and snowboarders across Canada. Prior to the call by the CPS, Nova Scotia legislated helmet use in that province. Sea to Sky MLA Joan McIntyre noted the issue is not on the government’s agenda.
Council returned from a two-day retreat with senior administration to determine the direction they will take over the year. Five priorities were identified as needing attention: fiscal responsibility, accountability and engagement, client-focused service delivery, open for business and progressive resort community planning, made official with the Council Action Plan released in February, with council identifying the manner in which they would meet their goals.
Local DJ Mike Grefner went missing during a winter storm in the early morning hours of Jan. 17. The 24-year-old’s body was found in March in the woods between Whistler Secondary School and 19-Mile Creek in Alpine Meadows. At the time RCMP said there were no signs of foul play. A coroner’s report released later in the year showed the DJ had significant concentrations of cocaine in his system and the cold weather was a contributing factor to his death.
Whistler Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden called for changes to the province’s “archaic” liquor laws, an issue she would continue to lobby for throughout the year. While not a new call to action for local politicians, it was for the newly elected council. A letter was directed to the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch and a resolution drafted to be presented at the Union of British Columbian Municipalities conference, which was passed in September. By May the province announced new legislation allowing caterers to obtain and carry their own liquor licences. It was welcomed locally as good news for the tourism and hospitality sector. However, council continued to lobby for further changes to the provincial liquor regulations.
A head-on crash involving a limousine resulted in the death of 54-year-old driver Shafiqur Rahman of Vancouver. The Jan. 29 crash eventually led to criminal charges being laid against the 19-year-old pickup truck driver, Jacob Mitzimberg. In October, Mitzimberg was charged with impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death.
The cost to taxpayers for the court action was revealed to be $591,050, including $13,552 in legal fees for Silveri, which Kloegman granted. The cost of a cease and desist petition filed against the plant was later shown to make up $267,174 of the total. Council decided not to appeal the decision. In April, Silveri dismantled his asphalt plant and installed a new more emission-friendly facility. Later in the summer, Silveri objected to a RMOW tender for asphalt services that required the material to be sourced from a plant that is a minimum of three kilometers from a residential neighbourhood.
Efforts to bring the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and Museum to Whistler began, but failed to result in any decisions by the end of the year. The museum closed its doors in Ottawa in June 2011 due to low visitation and revenue numbers. It was inviting proposals to house the collection of $1.5 million in artefacts.
Two senior managers left their jobs with the Resort Municipality of Whistler, with Mike Vance leaving his position as general manager of the policy and program development division after that position was eliminated as part of an ongoing organizational review. Meanwhile, manager of community planning Bill Brown resigned from his post. The entire department Vance managed was also eliminated with the remaining staff and workloads being spread to other divisions. The responsibility for the Official Community Plan then landed on the desk of general manager of resort experience Jan Jansen. Meanwhile, CAO Mike Furey said Brown’s departure was unrelated to the organizational review as he was leaving for a new job. By the end of the month, the general manager of economic viability position had also been axed, while Ken Roggeman remained with the municipality as the director of finance.
The Whistler Health Care Centre’s upgraded helipad failed its second inspection mid-February, causing even further delays to see it reopened. The previous cause of the helipad’s failure was the lack of snow-melting equipment, the second time around it was the fact that drivers were not stopping at the flashing lights signals set up on the roads adjacent to it. It was shut down in August 2011 to bring it up to Transport Canada standards for twin-engine helicopters. In May, a new problem of particles flaking of the concrete landing surface arose, with further delays as a result. By the beginning of July it was operational, but within a few months members of the local search and rescue community began to express concerns that the landing pad did not allow single-engine choppers to land, which are the kind used at high altitude in rescue situations. While it was the previous council that decided not to undertake the added tree clearing necessary for single-engine helicopters to land, by the end of the year VCH was assessing the site for more possible upgrades.
The death of Sarah Burke on Jan. 19 was a loss that reverberated in the community. A pioneer in her sport who helped get freestlye skiing accepted into the Olympics, Burke died nine days after crashing on a half-pipe training run at Park City, Utah.
Local historian Florence Petersen, not long after receiving the Freedom of the Town distinction, Whistler Search and Rescue founder Dave Cathers, Sabre Rentals Art Den Duyf and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient Doug Deeks were also remembered by the community for their contributions after passing away in 2012.
A new year was rang-in with dire consequences after a deadly week of avalanches in the backcountry. Search and rescue officials sounded the alarm urging skiers to steer clear of the backcountry and avalanche terrain with persistent weak layers. Whistler Blackcomb ski patroller Duncan MacKenzie died on Dec. 29, 2011 while backcountry skiing with three friends in the Caspar Creek area off the Duffy Lake Road. The 30-year-old was remembered by the community for his infectious smile and enthusiasm for life.
Whistler Community Services Society started the year by moving into a new home in the former Spring Creek daycare facility. The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Social Services Centre officially opened a short time later.
The building had been sitting empty for two years before it was rezoned by WCSS and the Howe Sound Women’s Centre, which also found its first home for a women’s drop in centre.
The location provides operational space for services like the food bank and later on in the year a senior’s drop in centre was also established with the partnership of the Mature Action Committee.
For the second year in a row, property values in Whistler dropped, a 10 per cent plunge since 2010. On the flipside, the year also saw a continued hunger by those wishing to purchase in Whistler. Continued low interest rates, lower prices and easier access along the Sea to Sky Highway saw 2012 real estate purchase trends continue from 2011.
Key community stakeholders put forward a bid at the beginning of the year to bring ESPN’s X Games to the resort for a three year run. By the beginning of February council was officially asked to support the proposed event with $250,000 after it made the short list of nine finalists being considered. Council passed the motion unanimously. The funding matched commitments already made by Whistler Blackcomb and Tourism Whistler. The bid called for the new event to be combined with the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival in April 2013. Local organizers also needed to raise $2 million from additional stakeholders.
ESPN decided in May not to include the resort in its xxpanded global series, instead choosing to add Barcelona, Munich and Foz do Iguacu, Brazil to their lineup.
Whistler Blackcomb came out on the record against mandatory helmet use after the Canadian Pediatric Society publicly asked all levels of government to get behind its proposal to see helmets made obligatory for skiers and snowboarders across Canada. Prior to the call by the CPS, Nova Scotia legislated helmet use in that province. Sea to Sky MLA Joan McIntyre noted the issue is not on the government’s agenda.
Council returned from a two-day retreat with senior administration to determine the direction they will take over the year. Five priorities were identified as needing attention: fiscal responsibility, accountability and engagement, client-focused service delivery, open for business and progressive resort community planning, made official with the Council Action Plan released in February, with council identifying the manner in which they would meet their goals.
Local DJ Mike Grefner went missing during a winter storm in the early morning hours of Jan. 17. The 24-year-old’s body was found in March in the woods between Whistler Secondary School and 19-Mile Creek in Alpine Meadows. At the time RCMP said there were no signs of foul play. A coroner’s report released later in the year showed the DJ had significant concentrations of cocaine in his system and the cold weather was a contributing factor to his death.
Whistler Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden called for changes to the province’s “archaic” liquor laws, an issue she would continue to lobby for throughout the year. While not a new call to action for local politicians, it was for the newly elected council. A letter was directed to the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch and a resolution drafted to be presented at the Union of British Columbian Municipalities conference, which was passed in September. By May the province announced new legislation allowing caterers to obtain and carry their own liquor licences. It was welcomed locally as good news for the tourism and hospitality sector. However, council continued to lobby for further changes to the provincial liquor regulations.
A head-on crash involving a limousine resulted in the death of 54-year-old driver Shafiqur Rahman of Vancouver. The Jan. 29 crash eventually led to criminal charges being laid against the 19-year-old pickup truck driver, Jacob Mitzimberg. In October, Mitzimberg was charged with impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death.
The cost to taxpayers for the court action was revealed to be $591,050, including $13,552 in legal fees for Silveri, which Kloegman granted. The cost of a cease and desist petition filed against the plant was later shown to make up $267,174 of the total. Council decided not to appeal the decision. In April, Silveri dismantled his asphalt plant and installed a new more emission-friendly facility. Later in the summer, Silveri objected to a RMOW tender for asphalt services that required the material to be sourced from a plant that is a minimum of three kilometers from a residential neighbourhood.
Efforts to bring the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and Museum to Whistler began, but failed to result in any decisions by the end of the year. The museum closed its doors in Ottawa in June 2011 due to low visitation and revenue numbers. It was inviting proposals to house the collection of $1.5 million in artefacts.
Two senior managers left their jobs with the Resort Municipality of Whistler, with Mike Vance leaving his position as general manager of the policy and program development division after that position was eliminated as part of an ongoing organizational review. Meanwhile, manager of community planning Bill Brown resigned from his post. The entire department Vance managed was also eliminated with the remaining staff and workloads being spread to other divisions. The responsibility for the Official Community Plan then landed on the desk of general manager of resort experience Jan Jansen. Meanwhile, CAO Mike Furey said Brown’s departure was unrelated to the organizational review as he was leaving for a new job. By the end of the month, the general manager of economic viability position had also been axed, while Ken Roggeman remained with the municipality as the director of finance.
The Whistler Health Care Centre’s upgraded helipad failed its second inspection mid-February, causing even further delays to see it reopened. The previous cause of the helipad’s failure was the lack of snow-melting equipment, the second time around it was the fact that drivers were not stopping at the flashing lights signals set up on the roads adjacent to it. It was shut down in August 2011 to bring it up to Transport Canada standards for twin-engine helicopters. In May, a new problem of particles flaking of the concrete landing surface arose, with further delays as a result. By the beginning of July it was operational, but within a few months members of the local search and rescue community began to express concerns that the landing pad did not allow single-engine choppers to land, which are the kind used at high altitude in rescue situations. While it was the previous council that decided not to undertake the added tree clearing necessary for single-engine helicopters to land, by the end of the year VCH was assessing the site for more possible upgrades.
2012年12月25日星期二
Scott Fujita's Cleveland connection provides
Mary Jo Elmo was driving her Subaru Outback home from work 10 months ago, listening to sports talk radio when her curiosity and Scott Fujita's advocacy intersected somewhere on the road to Lyndhurst.
Elmo, a lifelong Browns fan and University Hospitals nurse practitioner, heard the hosts discussing a Super Bowl pregame feature NBC had aired on former New Orleans Saints special teams ace Steve Gleason. A year earlier, he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a terminal disease that erodes the nerves controlling voluntary muscle movement and leads to paralysis. The hosts mentioned Gleason was a good friend of Fujita, the Browns linebacker who had done countless interviews promoting the fight against ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Fujita had become one of Elmo's favorite players in part because she considers him so well spoken. And, also really cute. In terms of her football evaluation, Elmo admits to being "shallow" that way.
But that night, as she typed the keywords "Fujita" and "friend" and "ALS" into her computer, she was driven by empathy. For nine years, she had worked for Dr. Raymond Onders, who helped developed the Diaphragm Pacing System, which has allowed hundreds of spinal cord and ALS patients to breathe easier through electrical stimulation.
Onders had been performing the procedure at University Hospitals since 2000. His third patient was Superman, or at least the actor who portrayed him.
As her research expanded, Elmo discovered Gleason was a celebrity, too. She learned how his blocked punt in the Saints' first home game after Hurricane Katrina is considered one of the franchise's greatest plays. How he lives by the mantras, "No White Flags" and "Awesome Ain't Easy." How he created a video journal for his son, Rivers, knowing he probably would not live long enough to see the boy graduate from high school.
Elmo wondered that night if Gleason was aware of diaphragm pacing or that the doctor most accomplished in the field lived in Cleveland. Locating Fujita's website, she wrote him an email, outlining the benefits and attaching corresponding links.
As Elmo pressed send, she had no idea what the next 10 months held in store. She could not have foreseen Fujita's challenges or Gleason's triumphs and travails.
Fujita always gets a smile on his face when he remembers meeting Gleason. He had just signed a free-agent deal with a franchise that, like so many of New Orleans' residents, had been displaced from its home in the fall of 2005 due to Katrina.
Some tried to dissuade him on New Orleans, citing the city's upheaval. But Fujita and his wife, Jaclyn, wanted to be part of the Gulf Coast's rebirth. One of the first persons to befriend them was the city's patron Saint.
Fujita was taking part in a conditioning program during the spring of 2006 when he met Gleason. Almost all his new teammates were in the weight room except for a free spirit who sat in the fieldhouse doing yoga.
"I said, 'Who is the guy with long hair?' and people said, 'That's Steve Gleason, he's on his own program,' " Fujita recalled. "I thought right then, 'I could get into this guy.' "
The Fujitas moved downtown and Gleason served as their tour guide to its vibrant culture. Everybody knew Gleason and Gleason knew everybody, his autographed picture hanging like a seal of approval in so many bars and restaurants. The player who Fujita calls the "adopted son of New Orleans" even married a local girl, Michel Varisco.
In Katrina's wake, Gleason's foundation launched "Backpacks for Hope," an initiative providing relief to young hurricane victims in the form of school supplies.
Gleason played seven NFL seasons, all with the Saints. He is best remembered for one play, a blocked punt in the team's first game back in the Superdome on Sept. 25, 2006, that resulted in a touchdown. The moment, captured on national television, became so synonymous with the city's comeback a bronze statue would be erected outside the stadium.
"I never want to overstate football's importance but there was such a connection between the team and the city that year," Fujita said. "It was an emotional wave that carried the team and the city through the rebuilding effort."
Gleason retired in 2008 and the next year began working as a consultant for a clean-energy company. Fujita shares Gleason's passion for environmental issues, as any Browns rookie caught throwing a Styrofoam container in the recycle bin can attest.
Fujita joined the Browns in 2010 after helping deliver a Super Bowl to New Orleans. He returned to the Bayou with his new team that season and played one of his best games as Brown. On that trip, however, Gleason confided that he had begun to experience odd twitching in the muscles of his upper arm and chest.
As doctors began ruling out possible causes, Fujita recalled losing an uncle to ALS, a disease that kills about two in every 100,000 people annually, according to the ALS Association. The average life expectancy is two to five years from time of diagnosis.
In the first week of January 2011, Fujita was at his California home when he received news from Gleason. The linebacker wept so uncontrollably his wife ran into living room assuming a close relative had died.
"We are football guys, we've always been in this football culture and at some point you want to hear someone say, 'Get back on that line and run another gasser, get back on the line and keep running.' " Fujita recalled. "Steve said to me, 'At some point, Bro, I might need you to keep me running,' And that's where we both kind of lost it on the phone.
As Fujita helped his friend connect with medical personnel at University Hospitals in February 2012, he took a moment to consider "how the stars had to align" to make it possible.
What were the odds that Mary Jo Elmo, who helps treat ALS patients with a new technology, would be listening to Cleveland sports talk radio at the exact moment the hosts were discussing his friendship with Gleason?
Fujita is a board member of Team Gleason, a foundation that advocates for technological advances benefiting Lou Gehrig patients. Until Elmo's email, Gleason and his supporters were unaware of the pacing system, which received Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of ALS last year.
Through a series of correspondences, Elmo and Onders explained to the Gleasons how the device works. Four electrodes, or stainless steel wires as thin as dental floss, are implanted in the diaphragm. They are controlled by a hand-held, battery-powered external pulse generator that stimulates the diaphragm and causes the muscles to contract. Clinical trials showed patients delayed the need for tracheotomy ventilation by 16 months.
Elmo, a lifelong Browns fan and University Hospitals nurse practitioner, heard the hosts discussing a Super Bowl pregame feature NBC had aired on former New Orleans Saints special teams ace Steve Gleason. A year earlier, he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a terminal disease that erodes the nerves controlling voluntary muscle movement and leads to paralysis. The hosts mentioned Gleason was a good friend of Fujita, the Browns linebacker who had done countless interviews promoting the fight against ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Fujita had become one of Elmo's favorite players in part because she considers him so well spoken. And, also really cute. In terms of her football evaluation, Elmo admits to being "shallow" that way.
But that night, as she typed the keywords "Fujita" and "friend" and "ALS" into her computer, she was driven by empathy. For nine years, she had worked for Dr. Raymond Onders, who helped developed the Diaphragm Pacing System, which has allowed hundreds of spinal cord and ALS patients to breathe easier through electrical stimulation.
Onders had been performing the procedure at University Hospitals since 2000. His third patient was Superman, or at least the actor who portrayed him.
As her research expanded, Elmo discovered Gleason was a celebrity, too. She learned how his blocked punt in the Saints' first home game after Hurricane Katrina is considered one of the franchise's greatest plays. How he lives by the mantras, "No White Flags" and "Awesome Ain't Easy." How he created a video journal for his son, Rivers, knowing he probably would not live long enough to see the boy graduate from high school.
Elmo wondered that night if Gleason was aware of diaphragm pacing or that the doctor most accomplished in the field lived in Cleveland. Locating Fujita's website, she wrote him an email, outlining the benefits and attaching corresponding links.
As Elmo pressed send, she had no idea what the next 10 months held in store. She could not have foreseen Fujita's challenges or Gleason's triumphs and travails.
Fujita always gets a smile on his face when he remembers meeting Gleason. He had just signed a free-agent deal with a franchise that, like so many of New Orleans' residents, had been displaced from its home in the fall of 2005 due to Katrina.
Some tried to dissuade him on New Orleans, citing the city's upheaval. But Fujita and his wife, Jaclyn, wanted to be part of the Gulf Coast's rebirth. One of the first persons to befriend them was the city's patron Saint.
Fujita was taking part in a conditioning program during the spring of 2006 when he met Gleason. Almost all his new teammates were in the weight room except for a free spirit who sat in the fieldhouse doing yoga.
"I said, 'Who is the guy with long hair?' and people said, 'That's Steve Gleason, he's on his own program,' " Fujita recalled. "I thought right then, 'I could get into this guy.' "
The Fujitas moved downtown and Gleason served as their tour guide to its vibrant culture. Everybody knew Gleason and Gleason knew everybody, his autographed picture hanging like a seal of approval in so many bars and restaurants. The player who Fujita calls the "adopted son of New Orleans" even married a local girl, Michel Varisco.
In Katrina's wake, Gleason's foundation launched "Backpacks for Hope," an initiative providing relief to young hurricane victims in the form of school supplies.
Gleason played seven NFL seasons, all with the Saints. He is best remembered for one play, a blocked punt in the team's first game back in the Superdome on Sept. 25, 2006, that resulted in a touchdown. The moment, captured on national television, became so synonymous with the city's comeback a bronze statue would be erected outside the stadium.
"I never want to overstate football's importance but there was such a connection between the team and the city that year," Fujita said. "It was an emotional wave that carried the team and the city through the rebuilding effort."
Gleason retired in 2008 and the next year began working as a consultant for a clean-energy company. Fujita shares Gleason's passion for environmental issues, as any Browns rookie caught throwing a Styrofoam container in the recycle bin can attest.
Fujita joined the Browns in 2010 after helping deliver a Super Bowl to New Orleans. He returned to the Bayou with his new team that season and played one of his best games as Brown. On that trip, however, Gleason confided that he had begun to experience odd twitching in the muscles of his upper arm and chest.
As doctors began ruling out possible causes, Fujita recalled losing an uncle to ALS, a disease that kills about two in every 100,000 people annually, according to the ALS Association. The average life expectancy is two to five years from time of diagnosis.
In the first week of January 2011, Fujita was at his California home when he received news from Gleason. The linebacker wept so uncontrollably his wife ran into living room assuming a close relative had died.
"We are football guys, we've always been in this football culture and at some point you want to hear someone say, 'Get back on that line and run another gasser, get back on the line and keep running.' " Fujita recalled. "Steve said to me, 'At some point, Bro, I might need you to keep me running,' And that's where we both kind of lost it on the phone.
As Fujita helped his friend connect with medical personnel at University Hospitals in February 2012, he took a moment to consider "how the stars had to align" to make it possible.
What were the odds that Mary Jo Elmo, who helps treat ALS patients with a new technology, would be listening to Cleveland sports talk radio at the exact moment the hosts were discussing his friendship with Gleason?
Fujita is a board member of Team Gleason, a foundation that advocates for technological advances benefiting Lou Gehrig patients. Until Elmo's email, Gleason and his supporters were unaware of the pacing system, which received Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of ALS last year.
Through a series of correspondences, Elmo and Onders explained to the Gleasons how the device works. Four electrodes, or stainless steel wires as thin as dental floss, are implanted in the diaphragm. They are controlled by a hand-held, battery-powered external pulse generator that stimulates the diaphragm and causes the muscles to contract. Clinical trials showed patients delayed the need for tracheotomy ventilation by 16 months.
Merger Made Comcast Strong
On a gray day in February 2010, Brian Roberts sat facing the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee. The panel was holding its first hearing on a proposed merger between two of the country’s most powerful media companies, the cable distribution giant Comcast Corp. and the entertainment conglomerate NBC Universal.
Roberts, the chief executive officer of Comcast, was a calm and friendly witness. If the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Communications Commission approved the merger, Comcast’s future as the largest distributor of information in the country would be assured.
Comcast had been gaining strength as a monopoly provider of wired high-speed Internet access in its territories, while the U.S. was lagging behind other countries when it came to the prices charged for and the speed and capability of this basic communications tool. At the same time, the Internet was becoming the common global medium. With high-speed Internet access, a farmer in Missouri can access weather conditions and crop prices; American Indians on a remote reservation can have their eyes checked by a distant doctor; entrepreneurs and small businesses in California, New York and all the states between can find inexpensive entry points into global markets.
A decade earlier, the U.S. had led the world in Internet access, but by the time of the hearing, in most of Comcast’s markets, the company was the only provider selling services at speeds sufficient to satisfy Americans’ requirements.
The access Comcast sold was less useful than it could have been, however, because the network was designed to be contested among users in the same neighborhood, making speeds unreliable. It also favored passive downloads far more than active uploads. Meanwhile, in most parts of the U.S., the Internet access that all Americans would need within five years -- fiber-optic lines capable of speeds from 100 megabits to gigabits per second -- could not be purchased at all.
With the merger, Comcast would become even more powerful. Any new high-speed Internet provider in Comcast territory would have to enter the market for content at the same time it incurred the heavy upfront costs needed to wire a network. Indeed, by the time the Comcast-NBC Universal merger was announced at the end of 2009, Verizon Communications Inc., the only nationwide company installing fiber-optic lines, had already signaled that it was planning to stop doing so. It was just too hard to compete with Comcast.
In seeking to have business ties to much of the content it provided, too, Comcast was setting itself up to be the unchallenged provider of everything -- all data, all information, all entertainment -- flowing over the wires in its markets. The company would have every incentive to squeeze online services that were unwilling to pay the freight to Comcast.
A few months before the hearing, Roberts had told investors in a conference call that the merger would make Comcast ‘‘strategically complete.” After more than 40 years of steady acquisitions, including some of the largest deals in the industry, Comcast would be done.
Americans might be surprised at how concentrated the market is for the modern-day equivalent of the standard phone line. Two enormous monopoly submarkets -- one for wireless and one for wired transmission -- are each dominated by two or three large companies.
On the wired side, Comcast is the communications equivalent of Standard Oil. Even before its merger with NBC Universal, it was the country’s largest cable operator, its largest residential high-speed Internet access company, its third- largest phone company, the owner of many cable content properties -- including 11 regional sports networks -- and the manager of a robust video-on-demand platform. Comcast’s high- speed Internet access had almost 16 million subscribers. (The second-largest cable provider, Time Warner Inc., had about 9 million.) Comcast dominated the markets in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and 11 more of the 25 largest U.S. cities.
NBC Universal, for its part, owned some of the most popular cable networks in the country and one of the largest broadcast networks, with 25 television stations, seven production studios and several crucial Internet properties, including iVillage and a one-third interest in Hulu.com. The merged company would control 1 in 5 hours of all television viewing in the U.S.
The other cable companies were represented at the hearing by a token competitor, Colleen Abdoulah, president and CEO of WideOpenWest Networks. A midsize cable system struggling to compete for subscribers in Comcast’s territory in the Midwest, WOW was trying to provide better customer service, but it was forced to pay high prices for take-it-or-leave-it bundles of programming owned by NBC Universal and other media conglomerates. The big cable-distribution companies such as Comcast can get those bundles for far less than the smaller companies can. Abdoulah would testify that if Comcast controlled NBC Universal, WOW’s negotiations for programming would become even more one-sided.
Behind the witness table was David Cohen, the lawyer who had shaped Comcast’s public narrative of the merger: A true-blue American family company was trying to save the NBC broadcast network and bring order and technical innovation to the cable-TV industry.
To those who argued that the merger would stick U.S. consumers with high-priced, homogenized entertainment and second-class Internet access, Comcast had only to respond that the situation for consumers would not be any worse than it already was. If opponents could not decisively prove “merger- specific harms,” the phrase Comcast employees repeated endlessly to staff members across Washington, the deal could not be blocked.
Americans might be surprised at how concentrated the market is for the modern-day equivalent of the standard phone line. Two enormous monopoly submarkets -- one for wireless and one for wired transmission -- are each dominated by two or three large companies.
On the wired side, Comcast is the communications equivalent of Standard Oil. Even before its merger with NBC Universal, it was the country’s largest cable operator, its largest residential high-speed Internet access company, its third- largest phone company, the owner of many cable content properties -- including 11 regional sports networks -- and the manager of a robust video-on-demand platform. Comcast’s high- speed Internet access had almost 16 million subscribers. (The second-largest cable provider, Time Warner Inc., had about 9 million.) Comcast dominated the markets in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and 11 more of the 25 largest U.S. cities.
NBC Universal, for its part, owned some of the most popular cable networks in the country and one of the largest broadcast networks, with 25 television stations, seven production studios and several crucial Internet properties, including iVillage and a one-third interest in Hulu.com. The merged company would control 1 in 5 hours of all television viewing in the U.S.
The other cable companies were represented at the hearing by a token competitor, Colleen Abdoulah, president and CEO of WideOpenWest Networks. A midsize cable system struggling to compete for subscribers in Comcast’s territory in the Midwest, WOW was trying to provide better customer service, but it was forced to pay high prices for take-it-or-leave-it bundles of programming owned by NBC Universal and other media conglomerates. The big cable-distribution companies such as Comcast can get those bundles for far less than the smaller companies can. Abdoulah would testify that if Comcast controlled NBC Universal, WOW’s negotiations for programming would become even more one-sided.
Behind the witness table was David Cohen, the lawyer who had shaped Comcast’s public narrative of the merger: A true-blue American family company was trying to save the NBC broadcast network and bring order and technical innovation to the cable-TV industry.
To those who argued that the merger would stick U.S. consumers with high-priced, homogenized entertainment and second-class Internet access, Comcast had only to respond that the situation for consumers would not be any worse than it already was. If opponents could not decisively prove “merger- specific harms,” the phrase Comcast employees repeated endlessly to staff members across Washington, the deal could not be blocked.
Roberts, the chief executive officer of Comcast, was a calm and friendly witness. If the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Communications Commission approved the merger, Comcast’s future as the largest distributor of information in the country would be assured.
Comcast had been gaining strength as a monopoly provider of wired high-speed Internet access in its territories, while the U.S. was lagging behind other countries when it came to the prices charged for and the speed and capability of this basic communications tool. At the same time, the Internet was becoming the common global medium. With high-speed Internet access, a farmer in Missouri can access weather conditions and crop prices; American Indians on a remote reservation can have their eyes checked by a distant doctor; entrepreneurs and small businesses in California, New York and all the states between can find inexpensive entry points into global markets.
A decade earlier, the U.S. had led the world in Internet access, but by the time of the hearing, in most of Comcast’s markets, the company was the only provider selling services at speeds sufficient to satisfy Americans’ requirements.
The access Comcast sold was less useful than it could have been, however, because the network was designed to be contested among users in the same neighborhood, making speeds unreliable. It also favored passive downloads far more than active uploads. Meanwhile, in most parts of the U.S., the Internet access that all Americans would need within five years -- fiber-optic lines capable of speeds from 100 megabits to gigabits per second -- could not be purchased at all.
With the merger, Comcast would become even more powerful. Any new high-speed Internet provider in Comcast territory would have to enter the market for content at the same time it incurred the heavy upfront costs needed to wire a network. Indeed, by the time the Comcast-NBC Universal merger was announced at the end of 2009, Verizon Communications Inc., the only nationwide company installing fiber-optic lines, had already signaled that it was planning to stop doing so. It was just too hard to compete with Comcast.
In seeking to have business ties to much of the content it provided, too, Comcast was setting itself up to be the unchallenged provider of everything -- all data, all information, all entertainment -- flowing over the wires in its markets. The company would have every incentive to squeeze online services that were unwilling to pay the freight to Comcast.
A few months before the hearing, Roberts had told investors in a conference call that the merger would make Comcast ‘‘strategically complete.” After more than 40 years of steady acquisitions, including some of the largest deals in the industry, Comcast would be done.
Americans might be surprised at how concentrated the market is for the modern-day equivalent of the standard phone line. Two enormous monopoly submarkets -- one for wireless and one for wired transmission -- are each dominated by two or three large companies.
On the wired side, Comcast is the communications equivalent of Standard Oil. Even before its merger with NBC Universal, it was the country’s largest cable operator, its largest residential high-speed Internet access company, its third- largest phone company, the owner of many cable content properties -- including 11 regional sports networks -- and the manager of a robust video-on-demand platform. Comcast’s high- speed Internet access had almost 16 million subscribers. (The second-largest cable provider, Time Warner Inc., had about 9 million.) Comcast dominated the markets in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and 11 more of the 25 largest U.S. cities.
NBC Universal, for its part, owned some of the most popular cable networks in the country and one of the largest broadcast networks, with 25 television stations, seven production studios and several crucial Internet properties, including iVillage and a one-third interest in Hulu.com. The merged company would control 1 in 5 hours of all television viewing in the U.S.
The other cable companies were represented at the hearing by a token competitor, Colleen Abdoulah, president and CEO of WideOpenWest Networks. A midsize cable system struggling to compete for subscribers in Comcast’s territory in the Midwest, WOW was trying to provide better customer service, but it was forced to pay high prices for take-it-or-leave-it bundles of programming owned by NBC Universal and other media conglomerates. The big cable-distribution companies such as Comcast can get those bundles for far less than the smaller companies can. Abdoulah would testify that if Comcast controlled NBC Universal, WOW’s negotiations for programming would become even more one-sided.
Behind the witness table was David Cohen, the lawyer who had shaped Comcast’s public narrative of the merger: A true-blue American family company was trying to save the NBC broadcast network and bring order and technical innovation to the cable-TV industry.
To those who argued that the merger would stick U.S. consumers with high-priced, homogenized entertainment and second-class Internet access, Comcast had only to respond that the situation for consumers would not be any worse than it already was. If opponents could not decisively prove “merger- specific harms,” the phrase Comcast employees repeated endlessly to staff members across Washington, the deal could not be blocked.
Americans might be surprised at how concentrated the market is for the modern-day equivalent of the standard phone line. Two enormous monopoly submarkets -- one for wireless and one for wired transmission -- are each dominated by two or three large companies.
On the wired side, Comcast is the communications equivalent of Standard Oil. Even before its merger with NBC Universal, it was the country’s largest cable operator, its largest residential high-speed Internet access company, its third- largest phone company, the owner of many cable content properties -- including 11 regional sports networks -- and the manager of a robust video-on-demand platform. Comcast’s high- speed Internet access had almost 16 million subscribers. (The second-largest cable provider, Time Warner Inc., had about 9 million.) Comcast dominated the markets in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and 11 more of the 25 largest U.S. cities.
NBC Universal, for its part, owned some of the most popular cable networks in the country and one of the largest broadcast networks, with 25 television stations, seven production studios and several crucial Internet properties, including iVillage and a one-third interest in Hulu.com. The merged company would control 1 in 5 hours of all television viewing in the U.S.
The other cable companies were represented at the hearing by a token competitor, Colleen Abdoulah, president and CEO of WideOpenWest Networks. A midsize cable system struggling to compete for subscribers in Comcast’s territory in the Midwest, WOW was trying to provide better customer service, but it was forced to pay high prices for take-it-or-leave-it bundles of programming owned by NBC Universal and other media conglomerates. The big cable-distribution companies such as Comcast can get those bundles for far less than the smaller companies can. Abdoulah would testify that if Comcast controlled NBC Universal, WOW’s negotiations for programming would become even more one-sided.
Behind the witness table was David Cohen, the lawyer who had shaped Comcast’s public narrative of the merger: A true-blue American family company was trying to save the NBC broadcast network and bring order and technical innovation to the cable-TV industry.
To those who argued that the merger would stick U.S. consumers with high-priced, homogenized entertainment and second-class Internet access, Comcast had only to respond that the situation for consumers would not be any worse than it already was. If opponents could not decisively prove “merger- specific harms,” the phrase Comcast employees repeated endlessly to staff members across Washington, the deal could not be blocked.
2012年12月23日星期日
Mexico border fence
For nearly a year, a contingent of artists from southeastern Arizona has joined forces with Mexican children to paint portions of the 650 miles of border fence separating the United States and Mexico.
Some see the border wall as an obstruction, a political symbol of the chasm between two nations. Others view it as the first line in protection for the nation. These artists, who call themselves the Border Bedazzlers, view the barrier that snakes across the Sonoran Desert as a blank canvas.
So far, a collection of artists, children, a minister and musician turned 30 panels of rusted metal border wall into murals featuring rainbows, hearts and brilliant landscapes alongside declarations of friendship and peace.
They've colored only about a mile of the wall. Still, Bisbee artists Gretchen Baer and Carolyn Toronto say the effort has a profound result — building community between two nations that share a contentious and anxious relationship, fueled by calls to fortify the border from a raging drug war and mass migration.
"The wall that was built to keep us apart is bringing us together," Baer said of the four painting sessions they've held at the Mexican side of the fence in Naco, which abuts an Arizona town with the same name.
She hopes others who live along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico frontier will notice and take a paint brush to their local border wall, too.
"The goal is to just keep it going as long as we can," Baer said, driving to Naco on a recent day. Cans of paint bounced in the trunk of her car as she negotiated the desert highway, whizzing by green-and-white Border Patrol vehicles on the watch.
"There are hundreds of miles of border wall, which is like hundreds of miles of empty canvas," she said.
The idea came to Baer two years ago. The 49-year-old native of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, a 20-year resident of the eclectic desert town of Old Bisbee, is known for vibrant oil paintings. Baer thought it would be a good idea to bring art to what she called an ugly border wall. She created a couple of dozen shirts inscribed with the name Border Bedazzlers, but the effort didn't get off the ground until this year.
This spring, Toronto teamed up with Seth Polley, minister for St. John's Episcopal Church in Bisbee, to paint one panel of the border fence in Naco, Mexico. He provided the paint, she the manpower. The result is an image of two doves lifting up the Mexican and American flags, revealing a sunny desert road that appears to split the fence, toward a grinning sun.
A new Black Box space currently serves as a mini-movie theater for a New Orleans-themed 2008 video by Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla. Also new and actually heard throughout the contemporary wing is a sound installation by Susan Philipsz in which she sings a haunting song from the 1961 movie "The Innocents."
There also is a new gallery devoted to temporary exhibits of prints, drawings and photographs. And you can contribute to the wing's aura of newness in a new workshop area in which there are artist talks and hands-on art-making activities.
Although most of the contemporary art installed in the wing's 16 galleries already will be familiar to regular museum-goers, the reinstallation provides juxtapositions to make you consider these familiar pieces anew.
There also are some brand-new pieces especially made for this space, such as two pieces by the 24-year-old Maryland Institute College of Art graduate who goes by the name Gaia. One of his pieces, "12 Portraits of Remington Residents," covers a gallery wall with printed wallpaper depicting a dozen residents of a north Baltimore neighborhood posing against rowhouse facades.
And the reopened contemporary wing also provides a home for somewhat older works of art that recently have been acquired by the BMA.
One of the most impressive pieces currently on view was given as a gift to the BMA in 2011. It's an untitled 1956 acrylic-and-oil painting by the late abstract painter Morris Louis. His trademark style involved pouring and staining paint in thin layers on canvas, but there was a brief period in the mid-1950s when he experimented with other approaches to abstraction.
The exhibited Louis painting has splattered drips and rough-edged zones of black, red, yellow, purple and other colors that are more thickly applied and colorful than one expects from this artist.
Not only is it an exciting painting, but it's a rare one. Louis evidently came to regret this approach and destroyed most of the 300 paintings he made this way. The BMA painting is one of around 12 such paintings that survive.
Lous was among the abstract painters who became prominent in American art in the 1940s and '50s. One of the strengths of the contemporary wing remains its abstract paintings by artists including Clyfford Still, Grace Hartigan, Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, Arshile Gorky, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Frank Stella.
The contemporary wing also does a fine job of showing how figuration gradually started to work its way back into an art world that had been critically dominated by abstraction. One of the old abstractionists, Philip Guston, turned to bluntly schematic figuration with the light bulb, shoes and one-eyed watchful figure depicted in his pink-hued oil painting "The Oracle" (1974); and hanging nearby is a pink-hued acrylic and tempera painting by a younger artist, Susan Rothenberg's "Siena dos Equis" (1975), whose outlined depiction of a horse is so schematic that it could pass for cave art.
Of course, figuration was a definitional attribute for the pop artists who came on the scene in the 1960s and ironically made abstraction suddenly seem old-fashioned.
Andy Warhol always has claimed more wall space in the contemporary wing than any other artist. The multiple examples demonstrate that he was more versatile than he's sometimes given credit for. Sure, there is an iconic figurative Warhol painting of a "Campbell's Soup Can (Turkey Noodle)" (1962), which remains close to its advertising art origins; but his varied stylistic ventures also include the synthetic polymer paint and silkscreen ink painting "Camouflage" (1986), whose green and brown pattern evokes both military references and abstract art methods.
Warhol isn't the only artist offering food for thought in the contemporary wing. The numerous stylistic offerings even include an untitled 1999-2000 artwork by Zoe Leonard that she made by letting banana, orange and grapefruit skins shrivel and rot.
Leonard has sewn stitches through each of these fruit skins, as if to remind us that such attempts at stabilization and preservation are doomed to fail. As she observes in an accompanying artist statement: "The very essence of the piece is to decompose."
Some see the border wall as an obstruction, a political symbol of the chasm between two nations. Others view it as the first line in protection for the nation. These artists, who call themselves the Border Bedazzlers, view the barrier that snakes across the Sonoran Desert as a blank canvas.
So far, a collection of artists, children, a minister and musician turned 30 panels of rusted metal border wall into murals featuring rainbows, hearts and brilliant landscapes alongside declarations of friendship and peace.
They've colored only about a mile of the wall. Still, Bisbee artists Gretchen Baer and Carolyn Toronto say the effort has a profound result — building community between two nations that share a contentious and anxious relationship, fueled by calls to fortify the border from a raging drug war and mass migration.
"The wall that was built to keep us apart is bringing us together," Baer said of the four painting sessions they've held at the Mexican side of the fence in Naco, which abuts an Arizona town with the same name.
She hopes others who live along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico frontier will notice and take a paint brush to their local border wall, too.
"The goal is to just keep it going as long as we can," Baer said, driving to Naco on a recent day. Cans of paint bounced in the trunk of her car as she negotiated the desert highway, whizzing by green-and-white Border Patrol vehicles on the watch.
"There are hundreds of miles of border wall, which is like hundreds of miles of empty canvas," she said.
The idea came to Baer two years ago. The 49-year-old native of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, a 20-year resident of the eclectic desert town of Old Bisbee, is known for vibrant oil paintings. Baer thought it would be a good idea to bring art to what she called an ugly border wall. She created a couple of dozen shirts inscribed with the name Border Bedazzlers, but the effort didn't get off the ground until this year.
This spring, Toronto teamed up with Seth Polley, minister for St. John's Episcopal Church in Bisbee, to paint one panel of the border fence in Naco, Mexico. He provided the paint, she the manpower. The result is an image of two doves lifting up the Mexican and American flags, revealing a sunny desert road that appears to split the fence, toward a grinning sun.
A new Black Box space currently serves as a mini-movie theater for a New Orleans-themed 2008 video by Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla. Also new and actually heard throughout the contemporary wing is a sound installation by Susan Philipsz in which she sings a haunting song from the 1961 movie "The Innocents."
There also is a new gallery devoted to temporary exhibits of prints, drawings and photographs. And you can contribute to the wing's aura of newness in a new workshop area in which there are artist talks and hands-on art-making activities.
Although most of the contemporary art installed in the wing's 16 galleries already will be familiar to regular museum-goers, the reinstallation provides juxtapositions to make you consider these familiar pieces anew.
There also are some brand-new pieces especially made for this space, such as two pieces by the 24-year-old Maryland Institute College of Art graduate who goes by the name Gaia. One of his pieces, "12 Portraits of Remington Residents," covers a gallery wall with printed wallpaper depicting a dozen residents of a north Baltimore neighborhood posing against rowhouse facades.
And the reopened contemporary wing also provides a home for somewhat older works of art that recently have been acquired by the BMA.
One of the most impressive pieces currently on view was given as a gift to the BMA in 2011. It's an untitled 1956 acrylic-and-oil painting by the late abstract painter Morris Louis. His trademark style involved pouring and staining paint in thin layers on canvas, but there was a brief period in the mid-1950s when he experimented with other approaches to abstraction.
The exhibited Louis painting has splattered drips and rough-edged zones of black, red, yellow, purple and other colors that are more thickly applied and colorful than one expects from this artist.
Not only is it an exciting painting, but it's a rare one. Louis evidently came to regret this approach and destroyed most of the 300 paintings he made this way. The BMA painting is one of around 12 such paintings that survive.
Lous was among the abstract painters who became prominent in American art in the 1940s and '50s. One of the strengths of the contemporary wing remains its abstract paintings by artists including Clyfford Still, Grace Hartigan, Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, Arshile Gorky, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Frank Stella.
The contemporary wing also does a fine job of showing how figuration gradually started to work its way back into an art world that had been critically dominated by abstraction. One of the old abstractionists, Philip Guston, turned to bluntly schematic figuration with the light bulb, shoes and one-eyed watchful figure depicted in his pink-hued oil painting "The Oracle" (1974); and hanging nearby is a pink-hued acrylic and tempera painting by a younger artist, Susan Rothenberg's "Siena dos Equis" (1975), whose outlined depiction of a horse is so schematic that it could pass for cave art.
Of course, figuration was a definitional attribute for the pop artists who came on the scene in the 1960s and ironically made abstraction suddenly seem old-fashioned.
Andy Warhol always has claimed more wall space in the contemporary wing than any other artist. The multiple examples demonstrate that he was more versatile than he's sometimes given credit for. Sure, there is an iconic figurative Warhol painting of a "Campbell's Soup Can (Turkey Noodle)" (1962), which remains close to its advertising art origins; but his varied stylistic ventures also include the synthetic polymer paint and silkscreen ink painting "Camouflage" (1986), whose green and brown pattern evokes both military references and abstract art methods.
Warhol isn't the only artist offering food for thought in the contemporary wing. The numerous stylistic offerings even include an untitled 1999-2000 artwork by Zoe Leonard that she made by letting banana, orange and grapefruit skins shrivel and rot.
Leonard has sewn stitches through each of these fruit skins, as if to remind us that such attempts at stabilization and preservation are doomed to fail. As she observes in an accompanying artist statement: "The very essence of the piece is to decompose."
The Life and Times of Alan Gibbs
Nobody in the group that I arrived with had ever seen anything like it. We’d come in the main gate to The Farm, which at that time was a rough timber construction sporting the skull and horns of a steer, and along the drive past Richard Thompson’s sculpture till we came over the brow of a hill and there, rising out of a large, sloping field of mown kikuyu grass was the most extraordinary thing: a great curving wall of rusting steel, perfectly horizontal, slicing up the landscape. It was three or four times the height of a man, five centimetres thick, more than 250 metres long, and it came out of the ground on a pronounced lean. As I walked around it, moving in and out of its curves, I was conscious of raising a sweat. On this summer afternoon, the steel radiated heat. Someone said, accurately as it turned out, that the sculpture must weigh 600 tons. It was exhilarating.
I’d joined a hundred or so people for one of the more significant events in the history of art in New Zealand, a celebration of the installation of Richard Serra’s sculpture, Te Tuhirangi Contour, at The Farm on 1 February 2003. Long recognised as one of the pre-eminent artists of the modern era, Serra had attracted admiration and controversy in almost equal measure over his lengthy career.1 His Tilted Arc, a 3.7 metre high steel wall across New York’s Federal Plaza, had been destroyed by the US government in 1989 after years of furious public debate; in 1999 his exhibition of Torqued Ellipses at the new Guggenheim Bilbao had attracted great interest. But he hadn’t yet done anything on quite the scale of Te Tuhirangi Contour. Gibbs had not brought a minor work by a master to The Farm; he’d extracted from Serra his largest and one of his most interesting site-specific works. He was introducing something that was entirely new to New Zealand, as well as commissioning an artwork that has aroused considerable international interest.
Jenny Gibbs was there with her friend the novelist Witi Ihimaera. She’d featured frequently in the New Zealand news since the separation, most sensationally in the celebrated 1998 saga of the stolen Colin McCahon painting, the Urewera Mural. It had been stolen from the Department of Conservation’s visitor centre at Lake Waikaremoana. Te Kaha, a heavily tattooed Tuhoe activist, and another man were eventually charged with its theft.2 Jenny Gibbs agreed to take part in an elaborate scheme to recover the painting, whereby on 29 August 1998 she was driven blindfolded in her car to a secret location where it was loaded into the back. The media went crazy — ‘the millionairess’ tangled up with Maori activists and art thieves. TVNZ devoted its final 60 Minutes special of the year to the story of ‘Mokos and Millions’.3
One art critic wrote of Richard Serra’s work that it ‘uses industrial materials to attain a zone of experience at once more concrete and stranger than the sad habits of our ordinary lives’.4 The scene, the people, the atmosphere, the experience that February day at The Farm was far from the ordinary.
Serra made the first of five visits to New Zealand and The Farm in February 1999 with no specific brief or preconceived idea of what he might do. He spent several days walking over the undulating Kaipara landscape in search of a suitable spot. Gibbs wanted him to locate his work on the harbour side of a line of trees; Serra insisted that the paddock behind that line of trees was where he wanted to work. He was interested in the fall of the land there. He then spent the next year or so thinking about what he might do. He thought first of placing a number of objects in the landscape, such as he’d done at Storm King and elsewhere. But then, when looking at a model that revealed the contour lines of the paddock, he found himself passing his finger along a single contour. ‘What if I use one contour to pass through the swales and the valleys and the elevations?’ he asked himself. ‘Would that mediate the site in the way that other things didn’t?’6 Having alighted on that idea, he thought initially of a 500 metre wall, 1.2 metres high, then of two walls following two contour lines that people could walk between. Finally, he returned to a single line, but with a lean that made it perpendicular to the fall of the land.
Eventually he received word that Friedhelm Pickhan’s steelworks near Cologne, Germany could form the plates at six metres and persuaded Gibbs that it was worth the considerable cost. Work on 56 plates, weighing 11 tons each, began in June 2000. Each was bent differently, following computer modelling by a designer who had experience in the aerospace industry. Disaster struck, however, when they were loaded on the ship bound for New Zealand. They had been designed to be stacked 10 plates high, but the captain had them stacked much higher, to the point that they fell over, nearly sinking the ship. All the plates had to be returned to the plant, set up again and re-measured. Most needed some reworking. It delayed the project by a whole year.
The 600-odd tons of steel plate finally reached The Farm in November 2001, starting the installation phase, which fascinated Gibbs. Serra’s contract was to provide the plates of steel; Gibbs’ job was to find a local engineer to design a system that would hold them up. He turned to Peter Boardman, a structural engineer. ‘One of the interesting things about sculpture,’ Boardman says, ‘is that the artists are usually pushing technology, the engineering and some of the physics right to the limit, and they tend to work by the seat of their pants; they say, “I think we’ll do this,” and wave their arms around, and we try to do it.’8 The 11 degree lean added significantly to the challenge. Boardman had to pile down nine metres and then produce a continuous concrete foundation on which the steel could be erected. Each plate had four massive steel feet welded to the bottom that were bolted to the concrete.
Another complication with steel is its capacity to expand and contract with changes in temperature. The 250 metre long wall had to be engineered so that it wouldn’t buckle on a hot day. The simplest solution was to have a small gap between each of the plates, but Serra wouldn’t hear of such a lazy compromise. The wall had to be continuous and without flaw, with the plates touching each other. The whole wall then needed to be able to expand and contract (with a total movement of around 40 millimetres), which Boardman provided for by allowing the steel plates to slide on their foundations. The feet stood on low-friction plastic and there was a little room left around the bolts. The wall was completed by May 2002, followed by extensive landscaping work.
I’d joined a hundred or so people for one of the more significant events in the history of art in New Zealand, a celebration of the installation of Richard Serra’s sculpture, Te Tuhirangi Contour, at The Farm on 1 February 2003. Long recognised as one of the pre-eminent artists of the modern era, Serra had attracted admiration and controversy in almost equal measure over his lengthy career.1 His Tilted Arc, a 3.7 metre high steel wall across New York’s Federal Plaza, had been destroyed by the US government in 1989 after years of furious public debate; in 1999 his exhibition of Torqued Ellipses at the new Guggenheim Bilbao had attracted great interest. But he hadn’t yet done anything on quite the scale of Te Tuhirangi Contour. Gibbs had not brought a minor work by a master to The Farm; he’d extracted from Serra his largest and one of his most interesting site-specific works. He was introducing something that was entirely new to New Zealand, as well as commissioning an artwork that has aroused considerable international interest.
Jenny Gibbs was there with her friend the novelist Witi Ihimaera. She’d featured frequently in the New Zealand news since the separation, most sensationally in the celebrated 1998 saga of the stolen Colin McCahon painting, the Urewera Mural. It had been stolen from the Department of Conservation’s visitor centre at Lake Waikaremoana. Te Kaha, a heavily tattooed Tuhoe activist, and another man were eventually charged with its theft.2 Jenny Gibbs agreed to take part in an elaborate scheme to recover the painting, whereby on 29 August 1998 she was driven blindfolded in her car to a secret location where it was loaded into the back. The media went crazy — ‘the millionairess’ tangled up with Maori activists and art thieves. TVNZ devoted its final 60 Minutes special of the year to the story of ‘Mokos and Millions’.3
One art critic wrote of Richard Serra’s work that it ‘uses industrial materials to attain a zone of experience at once more concrete and stranger than the sad habits of our ordinary lives’.4 The scene, the people, the atmosphere, the experience that February day at The Farm was far from the ordinary.
Serra made the first of five visits to New Zealand and The Farm in February 1999 with no specific brief or preconceived idea of what he might do. He spent several days walking over the undulating Kaipara landscape in search of a suitable spot. Gibbs wanted him to locate his work on the harbour side of a line of trees; Serra insisted that the paddock behind that line of trees was where he wanted to work. He was interested in the fall of the land there. He then spent the next year or so thinking about what he might do. He thought first of placing a number of objects in the landscape, such as he’d done at Storm King and elsewhere. But then, when looking at a model that revealed the contour lines of the paddock, he found himself passing his finger along a single contour. ‘What if I use one contour to pass through the swales and the valleys and the elevations?’ he asked himself. ‘Would that mediate the site in the way that other things didn’t?’6 Having alighted on that idea, he thought initially of a 500 metre wall, 1.2 metres high, then of two walls following two contour lines that people could walk between. Finally, he returned to a single line, but with a lean that made it perpendicular to the fall of the land.
Eventually he received word that Friedhelm Pickhan’s steelworks near Cologne, Germany could form the plates at six metres and persuaded Gibbs that it was worth the considerable cost. Work on 56 plates, weighing 11 tons each, began in June 2000. Each was bent differently, following computer modelling by a designer who had experience in the aerospace industry. Disaster struck, however, when they were loaded on the ship bound for New Zealand. They had been designed to be stacked 10 plates high, but the captain had them stacked much higher, to the point that they fell over, nearly sinking the ship. All the plates had to be returned to the plant, set up again and re-measured. Most needed some reworking. It delayed the project by a whole year.
The 600-odd tons of steel plate finally reached The Farm in November 2001, starting the installation phase, which fascinated Gibbs. Serra’s contract was to provide the plates of steel; Gibbs’ job was to find a local engineer to design a system that would hold them up. He turned to Peter Boardman, a structural engineer. ‘One of the interesting things about sculpture,’ Boardman says, ‘is that the artists are usually pushing technology, the engineering and some of the physics right to the limit, and they tend to work by the seat of their pants; they say, “I think we’ll do this,” and wave their arms around, and we try to do it.’8 The 11 degree lean added significantly to the challenge. Boardman had to pile down nine metres and then produce a continuous concrete foundation on which the steel could be erected. Each plate had four massive steel feet welded to the bottom that were bolted to the concrete.
Another complication with steel is its capacity to expand and contract with changes in temperature. The 250 metre long wall had to be engineered so that it wouldn’t buckle on a hot day. The simplest solution was to have a small gap between each of the plates, but Serra wouldn’t hear of such a lazy compromise. The wall had to be continuous and without flaw, with the plates touching each other. The whole wall then needed to be able to expand and contract (with a total movement of around 40 millimetres), which Boardman provided for by allowing the steel plates to slide on their foundations. The feet stood on low-friction plastic and there was a little room left around the bolts. The wall was completed by May 2002, followed by extensive landscaping work.
2012年12月19日星期三
Beloit locations now getting state certification
Wisconsin economic development officials are expected in Rock County today to do what local economic development officials did more than two years ago.
Gov. Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. are scheduled to announce today that the Highway 11 Business Park in Janesville and the Gateway Business Park in Beloit are "Certified In Wisconsin" development-ready certified sites.
While inclusion in the state program will give the two Rock County sites greater exposure through a state website, it also added costs because the two were certified as shovel-ready by a different organization more than two years ago.
According to the state, a certified site is a development-ready parcel that's been reviewed and approved by the state and its consulting contractor. The idea is to eliminate any barriers that might dissuade a company from locating in the two sites.
Rock County 5.0, a public-private economic development initiative, in 2010 took on the initiative and the cost to certify the 224-acre site in Janesville and the 230-acre site in Beloit.
In July, the 42-acre Edgerton Business Park joined those in Janesville and Beloit as the only industrial/distribution sites in the state certified by a third party as being shovel ready.
Ady International and Austin Consulting certified all three Rock County sites.
Ady-Austin reviewed more than 200 variables at each site and compiled a "shovel-ready report" that addresses ownership, property, transportation, utility, environmental and community issues.
Because Rock County 5.0 did the certification work, prospects can start construction in as few as 30 days and avoid a six- to eight-month delay while they pay someone else to certify the property.
"Rock County is definitely unique," said Vic Grassman, Janesville's economic development director. "We were ahead of the game with shovel-ready certification, and now we are even more ahead of the game.
"Instead of being certified once, we've been certified twice."
As part of its "Locate in Wisconsin" program, the state is using Deloitte Consulting to evaluate sites. The state expects to certify approximately 30 development-ready sites within three years.
Deloitte reviewed several elements of the sites, including size, availability of utility and transportation infrastructure, physical and technical condition, environmental assessments, quality of labor force and support by local communities.
Last week, the state announced certifications for sites in Fitchburg, DeForest, Beaver Dam, West Bend and the village of Howard near Green Bay.
Typically, the Deloitte certification costs between $18,000 and $30,000, which is split between the community and the state.
Tom Thieding, a spokesman for the state economic development agency, said the cost for the latest certifications in Janesville and Beloit was $6,000 per community. The state paid those fees in a gesture of partnership because so much work already had been done in the Ady-Austin certification, he said.
Beyond the fees the state paid to Deloitte, Janesville and Beloit must pay other costs.
Grassman said Janesville is looking at bills that likely will total between $6,000 and $8,000 for new field investigations, easement work and archeological and architectural studies—work not included in the original Ady-Austin certification that Deloitte requires.
"It was definitely not a freebie," Grassman said. "We had to do it if we wanted to be on the state's website and take advantage of the marketing that it brings us.
"It will just give us another leg up on the competition."
Beloit will have two 50-acre sites in the Gateway Park certified under the state program. It has spent more than $10,000 on additional work required by the Deloitte certification, said Andrew Janke, executive director of the Greater Beloit Economic Development Corp.
In hindsight, Janke said, the additional work and cost should have been undertaken in the first certification process.
"Even considering what we paid initially for this certification, the costs are minimal in terms of the tremendous marketing tool this provides," Beloit City Manager Larry Arft said. "This saves companies time and money, and it's a huge help, a very important piece of the economic development puzzle."
Since the Janesville and Beloit sites were first certified in 2010, no businesses have located in either.
Arft and Grassman said that's more a function of a depressed economy than a lack of companies' interest in getting to market more quickly.
"So far, the response hasn't been there," Grassman said, "but it will come."
The odd site out—at least for now—is the Ady-Austin certified parcel in Edgerton. It is not included in the first wave of sites added to the state program.
Online payment system POLi Payments has found itself in hot water after allegations that it has been duplicating the sites of Australian and New Zealand banks, and prompting customers to enter their banking details.
ASB Bank New Zealand raised the alarm, stating that through its security and fraud-monitoring measures, it "identified the POLi payment service is 'spoofing/mirroring' the ASB and Bank Direct secure internet banking sites so that they look identical to our genuine sites, and capture customer information."
One of POLi Payments' offerings is to partner with businesses, so that their customers can use POLi to make payments from their bank accounts, eliminating or reducing merchant fees. When checking out with a POLi-enabled business, customers are prompted to log in to their bank account, where POLi handles making the transaction on the user's behalf.
Participating businesses include Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, and Dodo.
However, ASB's claims are that users are actually presented with a duplicate of the site, not unlike how scammers attempt to phish for banking details, and informed that this is actually the legitimate banking website. Customer details are then sent via POLi to the bank's servers to log in and complete transactions.
POLi does not appear to have been using banking information in a malicious way, but it does not inform customers that their details may be entered on a server other than the bank's.
ASB Bank warned users that "these are not our secure websites, and we are unable to audit the security of the POLi service. Your information is then used by POLi to log on to our genuine sites in your name."
ASB Bank has since asked POLi to remove the duplicate sites, and recommends that customers do not use POLi.
POLi has refuted the claims, stating that "at no point does POLi capture or store customer information," and that it is merely "providing a pass-through service whereby the bank sites are accessed via our secure servers."
Gov. Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. are scheduled to announce today that the Highway 11 Business Park in Janesville and the Gateway Business Park in Beloit are "Certified In Wisconsin" development-ready certified sites.
While inclusion in the state program will give the two Rock County sites greater exposure through a state website, it also added costs because the two were certified as shovel-ready by a different organization more than two years ago.
According to the state, a certified site is a development-ready parcel that's been reviewed and approved by the state and its consulting contractor. The idea is to eliminate any barriers that might dissuade a company from locating in the two sites.
Rock County 5.0, a public-private economic development initiative, in 2010 took on the initiative and the cost to certify the 224-acre site in Janesville and the 230-acre site in Beloit.
In July, the 42-acre Edgerton Business Park joined those in Janesville and Beloit as the only industrial/distribution sites in the state certified by a third party as being shovel ready.
Ady International and Austin Consulting certified all three Rock County sites.
Ady-Austin reviewed more than 200 variables at each site and compiled a "shovel-ready report" that addresses ownership, property, transportation, utility, environmental and community issues.
Because Rock County 5.0 did the certification work, prospects can start construction in as few as 30 days and avoid a six- to eight-month delay while they pay someone else to certify the property.
"Rock County is definitely unique," said Vic Grassman, Janesville's economic development director. "We were ahead of the game with shovel-ready certification, and now we are even more ahead of the game.
"Instead of being certified once, we've been certified twice."
As part of its "Locate in Wisconsin" program, the state is using Deloitte Consulting to evaluate sites. The state expects to certify approximately 30 development-ready sites within three years.
Deloitte reviewed several elements of the sites, including size, availability of utility and transportation infrastructure, physical and technical condition, environmental assessments, quality of labor force and support by local communities.
Last week, the state announced certifications for sites in Fitchburg, DeForest, Beaver Dam, West Bend and the village of Howard near Green Bay.
Typically, the Deloitte certification costs between $18,000 and $30,000, which is split between the community and the state.
Tom Thieding, a spokesman for the state economic development agency, said the cost for the latest certifications in Janesville and Beloit was $6,000 per community. The state paid those fees in a gesture of partnership because so much work already had been done in the Ady-Austin certification, he said.
Beyond the fees the state paid to Deloitte, Janesville and Beloit must pay other costs.
Grassman said Janesville is looking at bills that likely will total between $6,000 and $8,000 for new field investigations, easement work and archeological and architectural studies—work not included in the original Ady-Austin certification that Deloitte requires.
"It was definitely not a freebie," Grassman said. "We had to do it if we wanted to be on the state's website and take advantage of the marketing that it brings us.
"It will just give us another leg up on the competition."
Beloit will have two 50-acre sites in the Gateway Park certified under the state program. It has spent more than $10,000 on additional work required by the Deloitte certification, said Andrew Janke, executive director of the Greater Beloit Economic Development Corp.
In hindsight, Janke said, the additional work and cost should have been undertaken in the first certification process.
"Even considering what we paid initially for this certification, the costs are minimal in terms of the tremendous marketing tool this provides," Beloit City Manager Larry Arft said. "This saves companies time and money, and it's a huge help, a very important piece of the economic development puzzle."
Since the Janesville and Beloit sites were first certified in 2010, no businesses have located in either.
Arft and Grassman said that's more a function of a depressed economy than a lack of companies' interest in getting to market more quickly.
"So far, the response hasn't been there," Grassman said, "but it will come."
The odd site out—at least for now—is the Ady-Austin certified parcel in Edgerton. It is not included in the first wave of sites added to the state program.
Online payment system POLi Payments has found itself in hot water after allegations that it has been duplicating the sites of Australian and New Zealand banks, and prompting customers to enter their banking details.
ASB Bank New Zealand raised the alarm, stating that through its security and fraud-monitoring measures, it "identified the POLi payment service is 'spoofing/mirroring' the ASB and Bank Direct secure internet banking sites so that they look identical to our genuine sites, and capture customer information."
One of POLi Payments' offerings is to partner with businesses, so that their customers can use POLi to make payments from their bank accounts, eliminating or reducing merchant fees. When checking out with a POLi-enabled business, customers are prompted to log in to their bank account, where POLi handles making the transaction on the user's behalf.
Participating businesses include Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, and Dodo.
However, ASB's claims are that users are actually presented with a duplicate of the site, not unlike how scammers attempt to phish for banking details, and informed that this is actually the legitimate banking website. Customer details are then sent via POLi to the bank's servers to log in and complete transactions.
POLi does not appear to have been using banking information in a malicious way, but it does not inform customers that their details may be entered on a server other than the bank's.
ASB Bank warned users that "these are not our secure websites, and we are unable to audit the security of the POLi service. Your information is then used by POLi to log on to our genuine sites in your name."
ASB Bank has since asked POLi to remove the duplicate sites, and recommends that customers do not use POLi.
POLi has refuted the claims, stating that "at no point does POLi capture or store customer information," and that it is merely "providing a pass-through service whereby the bank sites are accessed via our secure servers."
THQ files for bankruptcy, will seek buyer
Video game publisher THQ has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and will seek a buyer to help it recover from years of business and creative missteps.
The Agoura Hills company, best known for the "Saint's Row" franchise and World Wrestling Entertainment licensed games, is working with private investment firm Clearlake Capital Group, which has agreed to enter a $60-million "stalking horse" bid for THQ's U.S. assets. Any would-be suitor for THQ would have to offer more than that.
Valued at $2 billion as recently as 2007, THQ's market value at the end of trading Tuesday was about $11.3 million.
Once THQ's largest source of profit, the market for kids' games based on licenses from companies such as Pixar and DreamWorks Animation has virtually evaporated.
An effort to revive its kids business with a device called UDraw proved a disaster. THQ vastly overestimated demand for it on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles during the 2011 holiday season.
Amid ongoing layoffs, product cancellations, and the sale or shutdown of many of its production studios, THQ has tried to stay alive by focusing on so-called hard-core action titles aimed at the biggest spending young male gamers.
But while a few such as "Saints Row the Third" and "Homefront" have sold decently, others like "Darksiders II" and "Red Faction: Armageddon" performed poorly.
In May it hired a new president, video game industry veteran Jason Rubin, to oversee production and help the company find a way out of its death spiral of falling stock price and a shortage of capital.
In November it began working with Centerview Partners, a financial advisory firm that has close ties to Rubin.
As it continues to operate in Chapter 11, THQ has obtained commitments for about $37.5 million of debtor-in-possession financing from Clearlake and Wells Fargo.
It has several games in the works for 2013, the most highly anticipated of which is "South Park: The Stick of Truth," based on the long-running Comedy Central show.
“The sale and filing are necessary next steps to complete THQ’s transformation and position the company for the future, as we remain confident in our existing pipeline of games, the strength of our studios and THQ’s deep bench of talent," chief executive Brian Farrell said in a statement.
Added Rubin: "We have incredible, creative talent here at THQ. We look forward to partnering with experienced investors for a new start as we will continue to use our intellectual property assets to develop high-quality core games, create new franchise titles, and drive demand through both traditional and digital channels."
A group of ANC delegates from the North West told NewsFire they were illegally detained and beaten by police, and that their accommodation in Bloemfontein was searched without a warrant.
These delegates are aligned with the "Forces of Change" faction of the party and were denied accreditation at the beginning of the ANC's elective conference in Mangaung.
According to the group, police arrived at their house in Bloemfontein on Wednesday afternoon. Police were allowed onto the property, yet proceeded to kick down the door to the house and search it.
Police claimed to be looking for "weapons and heavy weapons", but found nothing.
In the course of the raid, the people in the house were told by police to strip off their shirts and were then taken outside and forced to lie on the ground, where their hands were bound behind their backs with cable ties. One person, too scared to allow NewsFire to use his name, claims that he was kicked in the mouth by police.
NewsFire saw at least two people at the Central police station in Bloemfontein, attempting to lay charges.
A resident at the delegates' house said that this raid followed a raid on Monday in which police without a warrant wanted to search the house and cars for weapons, which the delegates allowed. Nothing was found.
Volksblad reported on the Monday raid earlier in the week, saying that a group of ANC delegates were targeted by heavily armed police looking for weapons.
Delegates detained in Wednesday’s raid told NewsFire that the raid was conducted by regular South African Police Service (SAPS) officers accompanied by men in camouflage uniform and wearing balaclavas.
The only police unit known to wear camouflage uniform is the Strategic Task Force, an elite unit of less than a hundred members countrywide, who undergo rigorous training akin to the military reconnaissance unit.
The delegates from the North West are aligned with the "Forces of Change" faction of the ANC who are opposed to President Jacob Zuma's second term as ANC preThe power of such an explosion was incredible. Picks, shovels, sledgehammers, rocks, lumps of coal, empty coal-cars and human bodies were flung down the tunnels like pellets in the barrel of a shotgun. The electric power was snuffed out and the fans which pushed air into the mines were bent and put out of action. Not infrequently fires were started in the coal seams and the sulphurous fumes contaminated the whole area. Men who had escaped the vengeance of the explosion might then die from suffocation.
In the gloomy half-darkness of the mines men were sometimes caught between moving cars and the supporting timbers, and their bodies and limbs mangled horribly. Sometimes a hapless miner was caught between the top of a loaded coal-car and the periodic collar-poles which supported the roof. The space between the top of the car and the bottom of the horizontal collar-poles was rarely more than six or eight inches. As the car was pulled along the track, the miner's body was "rolled" very much as a pencil may be rolled between one's hands, crushing ribs, pelvis and shoulder bones to bits.
Within a few years after the mines were opened electric locomotives began to replace the horses and mules which pulled the underground trains of coal. Power for those machines came from naked cables suspended from the tunnel roofs. The wire was never more than a foot or so above the motorman's head; many motor operators accidentally touched it and were electrocuted. Other miners straightened up at an unfortunate moment, or stumbled over cross-ties and touched the deadly cable. The consequence was always death or serious injury.
But the most frequent accidents were the roof falls. Most of the coal in the plateau has a slate bottom with a layer of sandstone on top. This overlying sandstone is separated from the coal by a shield of slate, sometimes two or three feet thick. This soft slate adheres weakly to the sandstone. It could be held up only by numerous stout timbers or, in more recent years, by steel roof bolts. With startling frequency huge slabs of the slate broke loose from the sandstone and, splintering oak collar-poles and hickory jack props, crashed onto the heads of the miners, crushing their bodies against the muddy floor. Many miners who worked through this era used crowbars and jacks to raise tons of fallen rock from the flattened bodies of their fellow workmen. An aged Negro once related to me how he and two of his "buddies" loaded the pancake-flat remains of a foreman and two miners into a coal car for removal to the outside. Their bodies, he said, were ground into the floor and the miners scraped them loose with their huge coal shovels. As he put it, "We had to jest shovel 'em up." But such slate falls were not always fatal. Often they crushed spines, arms and legs and left the miners grotesquely mangled and twisted.
The black powder used in the mines was another dreadful breaker of men. The fire-train fuse so widely employed before the electric fuse replaced it was not always reliable, and the spitting trail of fire sometimes diminished to a slow smolder inside the tamped hole. After waiting a long interval for the fire to eat its way to the charge and thinking the shot had failed, the disappointed miner approached his working place "to pull the charge." All too many times he arrived just as the fire ate its way into the charge of powder, and with a roar tons of coal were blasted at him. Men were slain in this way and others were reduced to lifelong cripples. Still others were blinded by particles of fine coal which were thrown into their unprotected eyes.
The Agoura Hills company, best known for the "Saint's Row" franchise and World Wrestling Entertainment licensed games, is working with private investment firm Clearlake Capital Group, which has agreed to enter a $60-million "stalking horse" bid for THQ's U.S. assets. Any would-be suitor for THQ would have to offer more than that.
Valued at $2 billion as recently as 2007, THQ's market value at the end of trading Tuesday was about $11.3 million.
Once THQ's largest source of profit, the market for kids' games based on licenses from companies such as Pixar and DreamWorks Animation has virtually evaporated.
An effort to revive its kids business with a device called UDraw proved a disaster. THQ vastly overestimated demand for it on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles during the 2011 holiday season.
Amid ongoing layoffs, product cancellations, and the sale or shutdown of many of its production studios, THQ has tried to stay alive by focusing on so-called hard-core action titles aimed at the biggest spending young male gamers.
But while a few such as "Saints Row the Third" and "Homefront" have sold decently, others like "Darksiders II" and "Red Faction: Armageddon" performed poorly.
In May it hired a new president, video game industry veteran Jason Rubin, to oversee production and help the company find a way out of its death spiral of falling stock price and a shortage of capital.
In November it began working with Centerview Partners, a financial advisory firm that has close ties to Rubin.
As it continues to operate in Chapter 11, THQ has obtained commitments for about $37.5 million of debtor-in-possession financing from Clearlake and Wells Fargo.
It has several games in the works for 2013, the most highly anticipated of which is "South Park: The Stick of Truth," based on the long-running Comedy Central show.
“The sale and filing are necessary next steps to complete THQ’s transformation and position the company for the future, as we remain confident in our existing pipeline of games, the strength of our studios and THQ’s deep bench of talent," chief executive Brian Farrell said in a statement.
Added Rubin: "We have incredible, creative talent here at THQ. We look forward to partnering with experienced investors for a new start as we will continue to use our intellectual property assets to develop high-quality core games, create new franchise titles, and drive demand through both traditional and digital channels."
A group of ANC delegates from the North West told NewsFire they were illegally detained and beaten by police, and that their accommodation in Bloemfontein was searched without a warrant.
These delegates are aligned with the "Forces of Change" faction of the party and were denied accreditation at the beginning of the ANC's elective conference in Mangaung.
According to the group, police arrived at their house in Bloemfontein on Wednesday afternoon. Police were allowed onto the property, yet proceeded to kick down the door to the house and search it.
Police claimed to be looking for "weapons and heavy weapons", but found nothing.
In the course of the raid, the people in the house were told by police to strip off their shirts and were then taken outside and forced to lie on the ground, where their hands were bound behind their backs with cable ties. One person, too scared to allow NewsFire to use his name, claims that he was kicked in the mouth by police.
NewsFire saw at least two people at the Central police station in Bloemfontein, attempting to lay charges.
A resident at the delegates' house said that this raid followed a raid on Monday in which police without a warrant wanted to search the house and cars for weapons, which the delegates allowed. Nothing was found.
Volksblad reported on the Monday raid earlier in the week, saying that a group of ANC delegates were targeted by heavily armed police looking for weapons.
Delegates detained in Wednesday’s raid told NewsFire that the raid was conducted by regular South African Police Service (SAPS) officers accompanied by men in camouflage uniform and wearing balaclavas.
The only police unit known to wear camouflage uniform is the Strategic Task Force, an elite unit of less than a hundred members countrywide, who undergo rigorous training akin to the military reconnaissance unit.
The delegates from the North West are aligned with the "Forces of Change" faction of the ANC who are opposed to President Jacob Zuma's second term as ANC preThe power of such an explosion was incredible. Picks, shovels, sledgehammers, rocks, lumps of coal, empty coal-cars and human bodies were flung down the tunnels like pellets in the barrel of a shotgun. The electric power was snuffed out and the fans which pushed air into the mines were bent and put out of action. Not infrequently fires were started in the coal seams and the sulphurous fumes contaminated the whole area. Men who had escaped the vengeance of the explosion might then die from suffocation.
In the gloomy half-darkness of the mines men were sometimes caught between moving cars and the supporting timbers, and their bodies and limbs mangled horribly. Sometimes a hapless miner was caught between the top of a loaded coal-car and the periodic collar-poles which supported the roof. The space between the top of the car and the bottom of the horizontal collar-poles was rarely more than six or eight inches. As the car was pulled along the track, the miner's body was "rolled" very much as a pencil may be rolled between one's hands, crushing ribs, pelvis and shoulder bones to bits.
Within a few years after the mines were opened electric locomotives began to replace the horses and mules which pulled the underground trains of coal. Power for those machines came from naked cables suspended from the tunnel roofs. The wire was never more than a foot or so above the motorman's head; many motor operators accidentally touched it and were electrocuted. Other miners straightened up at an unfortunate moment, or stumbled over cross-ties and touched the deadly cable. The consequence was always death or serious injury.
But the most frequent accidents were the roof falls. Most of the coal in the plateau has a slate bottom with a layer of sandstone on top. This overlying sandstone is separated from the coal by a shield of slate, sometimes two or three feet thick. This soft slate adheres weakly to the sandstone. It could be held up only by numerous stout timbers or, in more recent years, by steel roof bolts. With startling frequency huge slabs of the slate broke loose from the sandstone and, splintering oak collar-poles and hickory jack props, crashed onto the heads of the miners, crushing their bodies against the muddy floor. Many miners who worked through this era used crowbars and jacks to raise tons of fallen rock from the flattened bodies of their fellow workmen. An aged Negro once related to me how he and two of his "buddies" loaded the pancake-flat remains of a foreman and two miners into a coal car for removal to the outside. Their bodies, he said, were ground into the floor and the miners scraped them loose with their huge coal shovels. As he put it, "We had to jest shovel 'em up." But such slate falls were not always fatal. Often they crushed spines, arms and legs and left the miners grotesquely mangled and twisted.
The black powder used in the mines was another dreadful breaker of men. The fire-train fuse so widely employed before the electric fuse replaced it was not always reliable, and the spitting trail of fire sometimes diminished to a slow smolder inside the tamped hole. After waiting a long interval for the fire to eat its way to the charge and thinking the shot had failed, the disappointed miner approached his working place "to pull the charge." All too many times he arrived just as the fire ate its way into the charge of powder, and with a roar tons of coal were blasted at him. Men were slain in this way and others were reduced to lifelong cripples. Still others were blinded by particles of fine coal which were thrown into their unprotected eyes.
2012年12月16日星期日
Annual Christmas celebration at Naples' Palm Cottage
A record mix of 184 Neapolitans and newcomers mingled upstairs, downstairs and outside Palm Cottage, the house museum built in 1895 and long home to the Naples Historical Society for its annual fundraiser Dec. 7.
Tucked away, yet holding forth in a cozy corner of the home's study, were Laverne Norris Gaynor — the adjacent Norris Garden recognizes her family's contributions — with Olga Hirschhorn and Stella Thomas. Co-chairwomen Mary S. Smith — who is also board president — and Diane Koestner circulated all evening, measuring success for the black-tie gala.
Of special note in the dining room was a cabinet display of pieces from Barbara Meek's personal collection of turn-of-the-century American cut glass. Her husband, art dealer Bill Meek, was, as he said, "thrilled to have successfully facilitated" the donation of paintings by area artist William Henry that were originally commissioned in the early 1970s by banker Mamie Tooke.
On display over the 2012-13 season, one hangs over the dining room sideboard, the other over the fireplace. Henry murals are also featured at the Port Royal Club and, at one time, a painting on one's wall signaled entry into the society of Port Royal, according to Meek.
Following the indoor reception, energized by an open bar and passed hors d'oeuvres including lemon and dill marinated grilled shrimp, the hungry throng dined in the white-canopied Norris Garden at tables dominated dramatic centerpieces created by floral designer Mia McKee. Design throughout the treasured Old Naples residence was installed by Brimmer's Custom Decor.
Broadway hits and Christmas tunes were provided over the dinner period by the Peter Duchin Duo of the Amodeas: Jean on synthesizer and Ron on guitar.
Diners enjoyed Caprese salads and Parmesan cheese straws; beef tenderloin served with twice-baked Duchess potatoes topped with shaved Gruyere; and chocolate Kahlua torte, designed, created and served by You've Got It Coming.
Five "Angel Tables" of eight were purchased in toto by generous donors. Among familiar attendees were Mary Watkins and daughter-in-law Ellin Goetz, landscape architect who designed the Norris Garden and wife of Michael Watkins. The Watkins family owns and operates the longtime Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club.
Executive Director Elaine Reed, who wrote in her welcoming statement, "It takes a community to preserve one," provided an early estimate of $88,600 in net income from ticket sales beginning at $300 per person. All proceeds benefit operations and programs of the Naples Historical Society.
The problem with the Toucher part of the story is that he got the nickname for having touched Edward, the Prince of Wales, for a fiver at a race meeting at Punchestown in 1865. Whatever about the Toucher Doyle's age, Alfie Byrne, who was so fond of meeting people as Lord Mayor that he was known as "the shaking hand of Dublin", was born in 1882.
There is no doubt, though, that Kernoff knew Delia Murphy, the Queen of the Irish ballad, or as Kevin O'Connor describes her, "a handsome woman whose cheerful renderings enthralled both salon and music hall".
He painted a glamorous portrait of her, reproduced here, and her colleen features can be seen in many of his pictures of ideal young women, including the charming Turf Girl Of Ardee that is now in the collection of the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
Delia and Harry's affair was bedevilled by the fact not just that she was a married woman with four children but that her husband, Thomas Kiernan, was variously Irish ambassador to the Vatican, Australia, Germany and Canada. According to O'Connor, when Delia was in Ottawa with her husband, she "signalled to Harry her loneliness for his company", whereupon Kernoff set off for Canada.
The story in the book gets a little complicated here. Kernoff could afford to make the trip because he met a visitor from Nova Scotia called Albro Ettinger in the Bailey pub "in the early spring of 1957". The "primary reason" for Albro being in Dublin "was to tease out with premier Eamon de Valera constitutional issues of the British Commonwealth as Nova Scotia was an early colony to become self-governing in the 19th Century".
This is a bit peculiar because not only was Dev not bothered by Nova Scotia in early 1957, he wasn't even Taoiseach.
Anyway, Albro was apparently so taken with Harry and "the conviviality of the Bailey" that "he lobbied de Valera the following day to sit for a portrait by his new-found Dublin friend. Not only was a sitting agreed and a charcoal portrait of de Valera bought by Ettinger, but in its aftermath he invited Kernoff to an expenses-paid sojourn in Nova Scotia".
Harry definitely went to Nova Scotia: he painted a series of lovely pictures in Halifax, the capital city of the province. But if he was romancing his beloved – according to Kevin O'Connor, "his personal meetings with Delia are shrouded in family discretion" – he must have been doing it at a distance: Halifax is almost 1,000 miles from Ottawa.
Kevin O'Connor's 125-page biography is woefully short on facts, but what makes it a guaranteed stocking-filler for Christmas and of lasting value is the large number of colour and black and white reproductions of Kernoff's wonderful work.
When Bryant left the container that day, he stepped directly into America: dry grasslands stretching to the horizon, fields and the smell of liquid manure. Every few seconds, a light on the radar tower at the Cannon Air Force Base flashed in the twilight. There was no war going on there.
Modern warfare is as invisible as a thought, deprived of its meaning by distance. It is no unfettered war, but one that is controlled from small high-tech centers in various places in the world. The new (way of conducting) war is supposed to be more precise than the old one, which is why some call it “more humane.” It’s the war of an intellectual, a war United States President Barack Obama has promoted more than any of his predecessors.
In a corridor at the Pentagon where the planning for this war takes place, the walls are covered with dark wood paneling. The men from the Air Force have their offices here. A painting of a Predator, a drone on canvas, hangs next to portraits of military leaders. From the military’s perspective, no other invention has been as successful in the “war on terror” in recent years as the Predator.
The US military guides its drones from seven air bases in the United States, as well as locations abroad, including one in the East African nation of Djibouti. From its headquarters in Langley, Virginia, the CIA controls operations in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen.
Tucked away, yet holding forth in a cozy corner of the home's study, were Laverne Norris Gaynor — the adjacent Norris Garden recognizes her family's contributions — with Olga Hirschhorn and Stella Thomas. Co-chairwomen Mary S. Smith — who is also board president — and Diane Koestner circulated all evening, measuring success for the black-tie gala.
Of special note in the dining room was a cabinet display of pieces from Barbara Meek's personal collection of turn-of-the-century American cut glass. Her husband, art dealer Bill Meek, was, as he said, "thrilled to have successfully facilitated" the donation of paintings by area artist William Henry that were originally commissioned in the early 1970s by banker Mamie Tooke.
On display over the 2012-13 season, one hangs over the dining room sideboard, the other over the fireplace. Henry murals are also featured at the Port Royal Club and, at one time, a painting on one's wall signaled entry into the society of Port Royal, according to Meek.
Following the indoor reception, energized by an open bar and passed hors d'oeuvres including lemon and dill marinated grilled shrimp, the hungry throng dined in the white-canopied Norris Garden at tables dominated dramatic centerpieces created by floral designer Mia McKee. Design throughout the treasured Old Naples residence was installed by Brimmer's Custom Decor.
Broadway hits and Christmas tunes were provided over the dinner period by the Peter Duchin Duo of the Amodeas: Jean on synthesizer and Ron on guitar.
Diners enjoyed Caprese salads and Parmesan cheese straws; beef tenderloin served with twice-baked Duchess potatoes topped with shaved Gruyere; and chocolate Kahlua torte, designed, created and served by You've Got It Coming.
Five "Angel Tables" of eight were purchased in toto by generous donors. Among familiar attendees were Mary Watkins and daughter-in-law Ellin Goetz, landscape architect who designed the Norris Garden and wife of Michael Watkins. The Watkins family owns and operates the longtime Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club.
Executive Director Elaine Reed, who wrote in her welcoming statement, "It takes a community to preserve one," provided an early estimate of $88,600 in net income from ticket sales beginning at $300 per person. All proceeds benefit operations and programs of the Naples Historical Society.
The problem with the Toucher part of the story is that he got the nickname for having touched Edward, the Prince of Wales, for a fiver at a race meeting at Punchestown in 1865. Whatever about the Toucher Doyle's age, Alfie Byrne, who was so fond of meeting people as Lord Mayor that he was known as "the shaking hand of Dublin", was born in 1882.
There is no doubt, though, that Kernoff knew Delia Murphy, the Queen of the Irish ballad, or as Kevin O'Connor describes her, "a handsome woman whose cheerful renderings enthralled both salon and music hall".
He painted a glamorous portrait of her, reproduced here, and her colleen features can be seen in many of his pictures of ideal young women, including the charming Turf Girl Of Ardee that is now in the collection of the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
Delia and Harry's affair was bedevilled by the fact not just that she was a married woman with four children but that her husband, Thomas Kiernan, was variously Irish ambassador to the Vatican, Australia, Germany and Canada. According to O'Connor, when Delia was in Ottawa with her husband, she "signalled to Harry her loneliness for his company", whereupon Kernoff set off for Canada.
The story in the book gets a little complicated here. Kernoff could afford to make the trip because he met a visitor from Nova Scotia called Albro Ettinger in the Bailey pub "in the early spring of 1957". The "primary reason" for Albro being in Dublin "was to tease out with premier Eamon de Valera constitutional issues of the British Commonwealth as Nova Scotia was an early colony to become self-governing in the 19th Century".
This is a bit peculiar because not only was Dev not bothered by Nova Scotia in early 1957, he wasn't even Taoiseach.
Anyway, Albro was apparently so taken with Harry and "the conviviality of the Bailey" that "he lobbied de Valera the following day to sit for a portrait by his new-found Dublin friend. Not only was a sitting agreed and a charcoal portrait of de Valera bought by Ettinger, but in its aftermath he invited Kernoff to an expenses-paid sojourn in Nova Scotia".
Harry definitely went to Nova Scotia: he painted a series of lovely pictures in Halifax, the capital city of the province. But if he was romancing his beloved – according to Kevin O'Connor, "his personal meetings with Delia are shrouded in family discretion" – he must have been doing it at a distance: Halifax is almost 1,000 miles from Ottawa.
Kevin O'Connor's 125-page biography is woefully short on facts, but what makes it a guaranteed stocking-filler for Christmas and of lasting value is the large number of colour and black and white reproductions of Kernoff's wonderful work.
When Bryant left the container that day, he stepped directly into America: dry grasslands stretching to the horizon, fields and the smell of liquid manure. Every few seconds, a light on the radar tower at the Cannon Air Force Base flashed in the twilight. There was no war going on there.
Modern warfare is as invisible as a thought, deprived of its meaning by distance. It is no unfettered war, but one that is controlled from small high-tech centers in various places in the world. The new (way of conducting) war is supposed to be more precise than the old one, which is why some call it “more humane.” It’s the war of an intellectual, a war United States President Barack Obama has promoted more than any of his predecessors.
In a corridor at the Pentagon where the planning for this war takes place, the walls are covered with dark wood paneling. The men from the Air Force have their offices here. A painting of a Predator, a drone on canvas, hangs next to portraits of military leaders. From the military’s perspective, no other invention has been as successful in the “war on terror” in recent years as the Predator.
The US military guides its drones from seven air bases in the United States, as well as locations abroad, including one in the East African nation of Djibouti. From its headquarters in Langley, Virginia, the CIA controls operations in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen.
Skylight installer can see brighter future
Lower Hutt businessman Paul Nielsen has been lighting up Kiwi homes with SolaTubes, skylights and roof windows for 20 years.
The SolaTube daylighting system captures sunlight in domes on the rooftop then transfers it down through reflective tubes that can be up to 15 metres long. It is then diffused into rooms in the house through 25-centimetre diameter lenses that can be dimmed.
He first started importing the Australian developed SolaTube system in 1992 after buying a $25,000 exclusive licence for the product with his then business partners, Malcolm Hughes and Bill Wilcox, whom he bought out in 1996, changing the business name to HomeTech.
"When I was first told about this skylight from Australia, I thought it was quite boring really.
"I said it was not of interest but when I found out the details, it was quite revolutionary at the time. It had been on Beyond 2000 [inventions television show] and taken Australia by storm."
He found the first customer in Waikanae, set up a branch in Auckland in March 1993, and by the end of 1993 had a nationwide network of installers.
SolaTube was promoted through word of mouth, advertising on television, and in local newspapers and the Yellow Pages.
The parts for the SolaTube and its other items come from several international sources, including Australia, America and Poland, and are then assembled at HomeTech's Alicetown head office and warehouse. The firm books all appointments nationwide from its call centre based there.
In 1995, it started installing SolaTube in commercial properties. It is becoming more popular in industrial and office buildings as companies look to be as sustainable as possible.
Cadbury, the National Bank and Air New Zealand are among its clients. "There is huge potential in retrofitting," Nielsen said.
SolaTube, which Nielsen said was the only Branz-approved (Building Research Association of NZ) skylight, launched a range of decorative fixtures in July with "good" uptake so far.
While SolaTube continues to make up about 50 per cent of its business, HomeTech is growing to become a broader installer, to include ventilation products and heat pumps. It recently bought a heat pump installation business in Christchurch and has a website - HomeImprovement.co.nz - that sells a range of installed residential products.
HomeTech tried forays into solar water heating and burglar alarms in the past but ultimately has kept the business more focused. It gives a portion of SolaTube sales to the Skylight charity, having donated close to $100,000 so far.
Nielsen said business had been weaker in recent years with the downturn in building but was on track to pick up in 2014.
"Margins are certainly not what they used to be, with higher compliance costs," he said.
Turnover, at about $12 million a year, was down from several years ago but he imagined the business would become a "bigger player" in heating installation.
"This recession has just gone on and on. The Christchurch rebuild will make a big difference to a lot of companies. I think 2014 is going to be a golden year for building, it's all going to happen."
Holiday Decorations: If you have a real tree, water it daily. Do not combine more than three light strings unless the product directions say you can. Do not overload electrical outlets. Keep wiring for lights hidden from children - it poses an injury risk, and may also contain lead.
Candles: Place candles on a solid base, away from decorations and other flammable materials. Do not leave burning candles unattended, and keep them away from children. Consider using flameless (battery-powered) candles; they're attractive, safe - even scented - and priced much like their wax counterparts.
Heating and Fireplaces: Make sure your central heating system is clean and working properly. Use space heaters carefully - follow directions and keep them away from combustible materials. If you have a fireplace, keep the chimney clean and free of creosote. NEVER burn wrapping paper in your fireplace.
Cooking: Stay on top of things when you cook! Never leave the stove unattended. Don't try to cook if you're sleepy, taking medications, using alcohol or otherwise impaired. Keep pressurized containers and flammable materials - including cleaning products - away from the stove. Keep your stovetop clean and free of grease. If you have a grease fire, DO NOT try to put it out with water; water will spread the flames. Don't move the cooking vessel. Instead, smother the fire with a lid or cookie sheet and turn off the burner.
Smoking: Quitting now will reduce long-term health risks and eliminate a serious fire hazard. Don't smoke when you're tired, on medication, using alcohol or otherwise impaired. When you finish a cigarette, put it out completely in an appropriate, stable container. Remember that the peat material in planters is flammable, and cigarettes deposited there may smolder until they start a fire.
Last year, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) issued 30 recalls of unsafe toys, and 15 have been issued to-date in 2012. In most cases, the potential risks were burns, choking or injuries, but exposure to lead or lead paint continues to be a possibility.
"It can be difficult to determine whether a toy poses a lead hazard," said Randi Callahan, State Lead Case Monitor. "Older toys, home-made toys and toys with red or yellow paint are more likely to contain lead; having toys tested is the best protection."
Callahan encouraged people to take advantage of lead screening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 18 at Fond du Lac Early Head Start, 41 University Road, Cloquet. The Sustainable Resources Center, Minneapolis, will be offering free testing of toys and other consumer products at both locations.
The SolaTube daylighting system captures sunlight in domes on the rooftop then transfers it down through reflective tubes that can be up to 15 metres long. It is then diffused into rooms in the house through 25-centimetre diameter lenses that can be dimmed.
He first started importing the Australian developed SolaTube system in 1992 after buying a $25,000 exclusive licence for the product with his then business partners, Malcolm Hughes and Bill Wilcox, whom he bought out in 1996, changing the business name to HomeTech.
"When I was first told about this skylight from Australia, I thought it was quite boring really.
"I said it was not of interest but when I found out the details, it was quite revolutionary at the time. It had been on Beyond 2000 [inventions television show] and taken Australia by storm."
He found the first customer in Waikanae, set up a branch in Auckland in March 1993, and by the end of 1993 had a nationwide network of installers.
SolaTube was promoted through word of mouth, advertising on television, and in local newspapers and the Yellow Pages.
The parts for the SolaTube and its other items come from several international sources, including Australia, America and Poland, and are then assembled at HomeTech's Alicetown head office and warehouse. The firm books all appointments nationwide from its call centre based there.
In 1995, it started installing SolaTube in commercial properties. It is becoming more popular in industrial and office buildings as companies look to be as sustainable as possible.
Cadbury, the National Bank and Air New Zealand are among its clients. "There is huge potential in retrofitting," Nielsen said.
SolaTube, which Nielsen said was the only Branz-approved (Building Research Association of NZ) skylight, launched a range of decorative fixtures in July with "good" uptake so far.
While SolaTube continues to make up about 50 per cent of its business, HomeTech is growing to become a broader installer, to include ventilation products and heat pumps. It recently bought a heat pump installation business in Christchurch and has a website - HomeImprovement.co.nz - that sells a range of installed residential products.
HomeTech tried forays into solar water heating and burglar alarms in the past but ultimately has kept the business more focused. It gives a portion of SolaTube sales to the Skylight charity, having donated close to $100,000 so far.
Nielsen said business had been weaker in recent years with the downturn in building but was on track to pick up in 2014.
"Margins are certainly not what they used to be, with higher compliance costs," he said.
Turnover, at about $12 million a year, was down from several years ago but he imagined the business would become a "bigger player" in heating installation.
"This recession has just gone on and on. The Christchurch rebuild will make a big difference to a lot of companies. I think 2014 is going to be a golden year for building, it's all going to happen."
Holiday Decorations: If you have a real tree, water it daily. Do not combine more than three light strings unless the product directions say you can. Do not overload electrical outlets. Keep wiring for lights hidden from children - it poses an injury risk, and may also contain lead.
Candles: Place candles on a solid base, away from decorations and other flammable materials. Do not leave burning candles unattended, and keep them away from children. Consider using flameless (battery-powered) candles; they're attractive, safe - even scented - and priced much like their wax counterparts.
Heating and Fireplaces: Make sure your central heating system is clean and working properly. Use space heaters carefully - follow directions and keep them away from combustible materials. If you have a fireplace, keep the chimney clean and free of creosote. NEVER burn wrapping paper in your fireplace.
Cooking: Stay on top of things when you cook! Never leave the stove unattended. Don't try to cook if you're sleepy, taking medications, using alcohol or otherwise impaired. Keep pressurized containers and flammable materials - including cleaning products - away from the stove. Keep your stovetop clean and free of grease. If you have a grease fire, DO NOT try to put it out with water; water will spread the flames. Don't move the cooking vessel. Instead, smother the fire with a lid or cookie sheet and turn off the burner.
Smoking: Quitting now will reduce long-term health risks and eliminate a serious fire hazard. Don't smoke when you're tired, on medication, using alcohol or otherwise impaired. When you finish a cigarette, put it out completely in an appropriate, stable container. Remember that the peat material in planters is flammable, and cigarettes deposited there may smolder until they start a fire.
Last year, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) issued 30 recalls of unsafe toys, and 15 have been issued to-date in 2012. In most cases, the potential risks were burns, choking or injuries, but exposure to lead or lead paint continues to be a possibility.
"It can be difficult to determine whether a toy poses a lead hazard," said Randi Callahan, State Lead Case Monitor. "Older toys, home-made toys and toys with red or yellow paint are more likely to contain lead; having toys tested is the best protection."
Callahan encouraged people to take advantage of lead screening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 18 at Fond du Lac Early Head Start, 41 University Road, Cloquet. The Sustainable Resources Center, Minneapolis, will be offering free testing of toys and other consumer products at both locations.
2012年12月12日星期三
Recovery Centre being temporarily relocated to deal
Eastern Health announced today that services normally provided by the Recovery Centre at Building 532 in Pleasantville will be temporarily offered from the Waterford Hospital effective Thursday at 3 p.m.
A news release notes the move is a precautionary measure while air quality testing is completed at Building 532 to test for levels of creosote vapour in the building.
“Based on the information we have currently, there is no need to be concerned as the levels of creosote exposure at the building have been low and employees have never been in direct contact with the source of the creosote,” Vickie Kaminski, President and CEO of Eastern Health, said.
“However, since it could be early in 2013 before we receive the results of the air quality testing, we have made the prudent decision to relocate our staff and clients.”
Individuals needing assistance or access to the Recovery Centre are asked to call 752-4980 for assistance.
Creosote is a substance that was used as a wood preservative on the structural beams, joists and underside of the subfloor of Building 532 when it was first constructed over 50 years ago.
Eastern Health discovered possible exposure to creosote vapour in Building 532 in 2007, after employees reported an odour.
Air quality testing in 2008 and 2009 indicated levels of creosote vapour below the minimal acceptable level for people working out of the building during a normal work day and work week.
Over the last six months, several employees working at the Recovery Centre have developed rashes from an unknown origin. As a result, Eastern Health launched an Occupational Health and Safety Inspection in November. This inspection was conducted by an Industrial Hygienist with Service NL. It was concluded that there was a possibility that exposure to low levels of creosote vapour may be responsible for the rashes.
“Infrastructure Support has also begun work to improve the ventilation system in Building 532, which will further help reduce the smell created by the creosote and exposure to creosote vapour,” said George Butt, Vice-President responsible for Infrastructure Support.
“We will continue to do what is necessary to address this issue and ensure that Building 532 is environmentally safe for further use once we have received the results of the air quality testing.”
Eastern Health made the decision to move inpatients and staff as a precautionary measure while extensive air quality testing is completed and a toxicology expert is consulted, which could take up to eight weeks. Employees who have presented with rashes have been seen by a dermatologist.
Once Eastern Health receives the results of the air quality testing, it will make a permanent decision on the location of the Recovery Centre.
Jung has also said, “Energy storage can be computerized to use real-time information, connect to and optimize other grid systems and assets, and behave as an intelligent device or network of devices. Instead of thinking about energy storage as batteries in a box, it might be more productive for the industry to visualize energy storage as an intelligent computer that contains batteries and inverters“
We discussed the analogy of analog vs. digital power as a difference between the standard solutions for ES based on just better batteries (analog) vs. Greensmith’s computerized and software –centric approach (digital).
Greensmith solutions will manage the many thousands of energy storage systems customers may have out there; provide fleet management by orchestrating with versatile management of all the ES blocks with a versatile solution; provide a resilient network that can take out 100 failed ES and still work up to the customer’s expectations.
The company holds several patents in the areas of intelligent control, integration and storage of electricity, which enable the electric power industry to efficiently leverage existing resources and facilitate the deployment of renewable energy sources.
Their proprietary control software and Battery Operating System (BOS3) technology enable distributed energy system deployments with centralized operations through an online user portal or via machine-to-machine integration. All of Greensmith's turn-key DESS units include the latest BOS3 communication technology and software. In addition, each DESS unit is configurable, modular, and scalable from residential to commercial to utility scale deployments.
BOS3 is built on an open information architecture modeled after the “Open Automation Demand Response Standard” approved by the Department of Energy. This event-based asset management architecture easily integrates into any utility framework. Average installation time is under three hours.
End-users have access to the BOS3 software through an online web-portal interface. This interface provides users with central control and highly flexible distributed deployment, tailoring DESS groups to specific applications (i.e. frequency regulation, PV load following) while still retaining the ability to centrally control any or all of the units.
A news release notes the move is a precautionary measure while air quality testing is completed at Building 532 to test for levels of creosote vapour in the building.
“Based on the information we have currently, there is no need to be concerned as the levels of creosote exposure at the building have been low and employees have never been in direct contact with the source of the creosote,” Vickie Kaminski, President and CEO of Eastern Health, said.
“However, since it could be early in 2013 before we receive the results of the air quality testing, we have made the prudent decision to relocate our staff and clients.”
Individuals needing assistance or access to the Recovery Centre are asked to call 752-4980 for assistance.
Creosote is a substance that was used as a wood preservative on the structural beams, joists and underside of the subfloor of Building 532 when it was first constructed over 50 years ago.
Eastern Health discovered possible exposure to creosote vapour in Building 532 in 2007, after employees reported an odour.
Air quality testing in 2008 and 2009 indicated levels of creosote vapour below the minimal acceptable level for people working out of the building during a normal work day and work week.
Over the last six months, several employees working at the Recovery Centre have developed rashes from an unknown origin. As a result, Eastern Health launched an Occupational Health and Safety Inspection in November. This inspection was conducted by an Industrial Hygienist with Service NL. It was concluded that there was a possibility that exposure to low levels of creosote vapour may be responsible for the rashes.
“Infrastructure Support has also begun work to improve the ventilation system in Building 532, which will further help reduce the smell created by the creosote and exposure to creosote vapour,” said George Butt, Vice-President responsible for Infrastructure Support.
“We will continue to do what is necessary to address this issue and ensure that Building 532 is environmentally safe for further use once we have received the results of the air quality testing.”
Eastern Health made the decision to move inpatients and staff as a precautionary measure while extensive air quality testing is completed and a toxicology expert is consulted, which could take up to eight weeks. Employees who have presented with rashes have been seen by a dermatologist.
Once Eastern Health receives the results of the air quality testing, it will make a permanent decision on the location of the Recovery Centre.
Jung has also said, “Energy storage can be computerized to use real-time information, connect to and optimize other grid systems and assets, and behave as an intelligent device or network of devices. Instead of thinking about energy storage as batteries in a box, it might be more productive for the industry to visualize energy storage as an intelligent computer that contains batteries and inverters“
We discussed the analogy of analog vs. digital power as a difference between the standard solutions for ES based on just better batteries (analog) vs. Greensmith’s computerized and software –centric approach (digital).
Greensmith solutions will manage the many thousands of energy storage systems customers may have out there; provide fleet management by orchestrating with versatile management of all the ES blocks with a versatile solution; provide a resilient network that can take out 100 failed ES and still work up to the customer’s expectations.
The company holds several patents in the areas of intelligent control, integration and storage of electricity, which enable the electric power industry to efficiently leverage existing resources and facilitate the deployment of renewable energy sources.
Their proprietary control software and Battery Operating System (BOS3) technology enable distributed energy system deployments with centralized operations through an online user portal or via machine-to-machine integration. All of Greensmith's turn-key DESS units include the latest BOS3 communication technology and software. In addition, each DESS unit is configurable, modular, and scalable from residential to commercial to utility scale deployments.
BOS3 is built on an open information architecture modeled after the “Open Automation Demand Response Standard” approved by the Department of Energy. This event-based asset management architecture easily integrates into any utility framework. Average installation time is under three hours.
End-users have access to the BOS3 software through an online web-portal interface. This interface provides users with central control and highly flexible distributed deployment, tailoring DESS groups to specific applications (i.e. frequency regulation, PV load following) while still retaining the ability to centrally control any or all of the units.
37 Garden Road
The good bones of this turn-of-the-century Colonial were the framework for a renovation that added all the amenities expected in a fine home today without losing any of its original grandeur.
Built in 1907 and completely renovated in 2007 by an owner/builder, 37 Garden Road in Wellesley offers exquisite craftsmanship and style in 3,934 square feet of living space on a .62-acre corner lot.
Professionally decorated by a renowned Boston designer, the house boasts charm and sophistication in equal measure.
Located in the desirable Wellesley Farms neighborhood, the house is close to shopping in Wellesley Hills and has easy access to both train and major commuter routes.
Kathy Riley and Tom Aaron of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage have listed this 11-room home at $2,195,000.
“What is really nice about this property is that you are getting the best of both worlds with the Old World charm and the established Wellesley Farms neighborhood,” according to Riley and Aaron. They also noted that the Wellesley Farms neighborhood was originally a 100-acre farm so homes in this area typically have a little bit more land.
The house features beautiful period details such as high ceilings, stately windows, crown molding and wood floors as well as a new custom granite kitchen and six bedrooms, including a master suite with a fireplace.
The renovation added a family room with a fireplace, a lower level mudroom with a closet, a carpeted playroom, an exercise room and an oversized garage suitable for four cars. The 2007 renovation added new bathrooms throughout the house as well as all new systems and insulation.
The appeal of the house begins with the exterior which features a covered porch with a balcony, dormer windows, authentic wooden shutters and hardware, copper downspouts and exposed rafter tails in the soffits.
The front entry includes a vestibule, a charming feature of older homes, which opens to a large foyer and a turned staircase with a carved newel post and balusters. The foyer includes a powder room and is the hub of the home with access to the living room, family room and kitchen.
The formal living room has a charming Inglenook fireplace with an intricately carved mantel, generous windows, oak flooring and a French door that opens to a front-to-back sunroom with windows on all sides.
A second French door from the 10- by 28-foot sunroom opens to a dining room, a formal space with a chair rail, wide baseboards, crown molding, coffered ceiling and a built-in hutch with a leaded glass cabinet.
The old-fashioned butler’s pantry updated with a sleek granite counter, wet bar and wine fridge is a preview to the kitchen, which has all the modern amenities but retains the old-fashioned touches, such as brushed nickel cup-pull style hardware.
The custom kitchen cabinetry includes crown molding, glass-front detail, arched window trim, paneling on the Sub-Zero refrigerator and dishwasher and a built-in mahogany-top desk area. Granite countertops and a generous island with a built-in microwave and a clever table extension, a six-burner gas cooktop with custom wood hood and double ovens by Thermador, and a pullout drawer with bins for trash and recycling are features of the large kitchen.
The 20- by 20-foot family room, a new addition, has the same generous windows that make this house full of natural light as well as a squared-off cathedral ceiling, fireplace and two double sliding French doors to a mahogany deck.
The blending of old and new continues on the second floor. There is an original built-in linen press in the wide hallway, and the renovated baths have details such as bead board paneling and hexagonal floor tiles and gleaming subway tile.
Two family bedrooms, one with a balcony and private bath and the other with an adjacent bath, and a bedroom-size laundry room with a window are on the second floor along with the master suite. The 16- by 16-foot master bedroom has a fireplace with a mantel with a carved floral medallion and fluted columns.
A dressing area includes a walk-in closet with a window and two additional his-and-her closets. The bath has a shower and a whirlpool tub, Carrara marble floor and double vanity and a pocket door to a separate the water closet.
The third floor is a delightful hideaway with high ceilings and three more bedrooms, closets and eave storage and a full bath.
A staircase from the kitchen leads to a new lower level under the family room addition. It includes a mudroom with a deep closet, side entrance to a bluestone walkway and a finished walkout basement with a playroom, exercise room and storage. There is also direct access to a tandem garage which can accommodate four cars.
Built in 1907 and completely renovated in 2007 by an owner/builder, 37 Garden Road in Wellesley offers exquisite craftsmanship and style in 3,934 square feet of living space on a .62-acre corner lot.
Professionally decorated by a renowned Boston designer, the house boasts charm and sophistication in equal measure.
Located in the desirable Wellesley Farms neighborhood, the house is close to shopping in Wellesley Hills and has easy access to both train and major commuter routes.
Kathy Riley and Tom Aaron of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage have listed this 11-room home at $2,195,000.
“What is really nice about this property is that you are getting the best of both worlds with the Old World charm and the established Wellesley Farms neighborhood,” according to Riley and Aaron. They also noted that the Wellesley Farms neighborhood was originally a 100-acre farm so homes in this area typically have a little bit more land.
The house features beautiful period details such as high ceilings, stately windows, crown molding and wood floors as well as a new custom granite kitchen and six bedrooms, including a master suite with a fireplace.
The renovation added a family room with a fireplace, a lower level mudroom with a closet, a carpeted playroom, an exercise room and an oversized garage suitable for four cars. The 2007 renovation added new bathrooms throughout the house as well as all new systems and insulation.
The appeal of the house begins with the exterior which features a covered porch with a balcony, dormer windows, authentic wooden shutters and hardware, copper downspouts and exposed rafter tails in the soffits.
The front entry includes a vestibule, a charming feature of older homes, which opens to a large foyer and a turned staircase with a carved newel post and balusters. The foyer includes a powder room and is the hub of the home with access to the living room, family room and kitchen.
The formal living room has a charming Inglenook fireplace with an intricately carved mantel, generous windows, oak flooring and a French door that opens to a front-to-back sunroom with windows on all sides.
A second French door from the 10- by 28-foot sunroom opens to a dining room, a formal space with a chair rail, wide baseboards, crown molding, coffered ceiling and a built-in hutch with a leaded glass cabinet.
The old-fashioned butler’s pantry updated with a sleek granite counter, wet bar and wine fridge is a preview to the kitchen, which has all the modern amenities but retains the old-fashioned touches, such as brushed nickel cup-pull style hardware.
The custom kitchen cabinetry includes crown molding, glass-front detail, arched window trim, paneling on the Sub-Zero refrigerator and dishwasher and a built-in mahogany-top desk area. Granite countertops and a generous island with a built-in microwave and a clever table extension, a six-burner gas cooktop with custom wood hood and double ovens by Thermador, and a pullout drawer with bins for trash and recycling are features of the large kitchen.
The 20- by 20-foot family room, a new addition, has the same generous windows that make this house full of natural light as well as a squared-off cathedral ceiling, fireplace and two double sliding French doors to a mahogany deck.
The blending of old and new continues on the second floor. There is an original built-in linen press in the wide hallway, and the renovated baths have details such as bead board paneling and hexagonal floor tiles and gleaming subway tile.
Two family bedrooms, one with a balcony and private bath and the other with an adjacent bath, and a bedroom-size laundry room with a window are on the second floor along with the master suite. The 16- by 16-foot master bedroom has a fireplace with a mantel with a carved floral medallion and fluted columns.
A dressing area includes a walk-in closet with a window and two additional his-and-her closets. The bath has a shower and a whirlpool tub, Carrara marble floor and double vanity and a pocket door to a separate the water closet.
The third floor is a delightful hideaway with high ceilings and three more bedrooms, closets and eave storage and a full bath.
A staircase from the kitchen leads to a new lower level under the family room addition. It includes a mudroom with a deep closet, side entrance to a bluestone walkway and a finished walkout basement with a playroom, exercise room and storage. There is also direct access to a tandem garage which can accommodate four cars.
2012年12月9日星期日
Counsel for the council on getting public involved
Nine good people sit on our Portsmouth City Council. Elected every two years, they have just 730 days — give or take one or two depending on how the calendar shapes up and whether their term includes a Leap Year — to do good deeds. They have an immense pile of work for part-timers who earn $75 a meeting — with a $1,500 yearly limit — and have a day or night job to make a living.
This current council is impressive with its across-the-board diversity of talent. Along with City Manager John Bohenko and City Attorney Bob Sullivan sitting at the table, it's a smart, great collective. Businesspeople, company bosses, leaders in education, law, development and planning. Some rather new to the city, others who are long-timers. Some youngish, others not quite. An excellent group of hands-on working women and men dedicated to their community.
They agree on many things, and disagree on some. One was this past Monday when they voted 5 to 4 against considering Worth lot as the location for a parking garage. I was at the meeting, as well as a previous meeting in October when they spent almost three hours chatting about the issue, and I have to say I was impressed with the commitment of each councilor to listen and to think it through.
I applauded the majority decision not to build a garage there. During the past few months I had met with opponents of the garage and saw up-close-and-personal their hard work and concern, so my heart was in seeing the open space of Worth lot maintained for our future. But the important part of the decision wasn't just the result — it was the process leading up to it. Dozens of citizens, including some who had been saying "we can't fight City Hall," had banded together, spoke up, made calls, wrote letters, drew signs, wore "Not 'Worth' It" buttons, and preserved what for them is an important part of their lives.
This victory of people and open space over brick and cement was an incredible and real lesson in democracy. And regardless of how they voted, all nine councilors had set a process that for allowed public input, open discussion and in the end a decision that allows the dialogue to continue. What a win-win that is. The people won, but so did the process.
Speaking of process, I'd like to offer two "new" ways the council could involve the public. When I was assistant mayor in 1990, I proposed what was adopted as the "public comment session," allowing up to three minutes at the beginning of most meetings for anyone to address the council about any topic. I think that has worked well — as shown this past Monday when more than 30 people took that opportunity and addressed the parking issue. But it does have limitations.
I think an addition could be what we have seen in the "Portsmouth Listens" process. I suggest the council consider using the first 30 minutes of every other meeting, or at least once a month, for a "Talk With Your Councilors" segment. Depending on the number of citizens attending, the nine councilors can divide into half or groups of threes and chat — on an equal level, not from their up-high seats — in round-circle discussions. About anything. With everyone. No arguments. Just listening, exchanging, having a dialogue.
Another suggestion might be that the council could arrange a once-a-month "Call Your Council" segment from 6 to 7 p.m. before a regular meeting, inviting people to call and have a dialogue. Not everyone can spend time calling each member or attend a meeting at City Hall. So allowing citizens to make a one-stop conference call with their governing body would be a good way to expand public involvement. It could also include an interactive live blog, and be simultaneously televised on the community channel.
Even if just one new great idea a year comes from increased public involvement, it's worth it. We have tremendous talent in our city, but not everyone can make the time commitment to be on a board or committee, or to run for council. Since ideas are really the foundation of democracy, as shown this past Monday, seeking out those ideas is time well spent by our councilors.
The public comment session process has gone a long way toward including people — perhaps thousands have spoken using that opportunity during the past two decades that we have had it. But the search needs to go on for ways to do more, and to better communicate "with," not just "to" or "at," one another.
Today's quotes: "Citizenship is what makes a republic — monarchies can get along without it." — Mark Twain. "Deliberation and debate is the way you stir the soul of our democracy." — Jesse Jackson
Today's thought: A few days ago I was watching an episode from my "West Wing" DVD collection. It was about how the White House and Congress were spending all their time talking amongst themselves, getting bogged down with too many details and not enough of the "big picture" of what government should do, which is to help and include people in the process of governing. Of course, this was a television show, and is just fiction.
Airport officials are recommending that Achievement House get the job after the contract of concessionaire Alexis Enterprises expires in January. Alexis has been the second concessionaire since 2006.
Airport Manager Richard Howell said Alexis owners had told him they didn’t have time to manage this as well as their several other business operations.
Among its other goals, Achievement House seeks to develop workplace skills, according to Howell.
He said the group already operates food and beverage concessions at Camp Roberts, the Laguna Lake Golf Course, Atascadero’s Colony Park and the Santa Maria Transportation Hub.
Because the location will have an Achievement House staff member on hand, the concession will have two people to serve the public rather than the current single clerk. That will increase the level of service to customers, Howell wrote in a staff report to the Board of Supervisors.
“A real win-win situation for everyone,” Howell told The Tribune in an email.
The county plans to give the nonprofit a break on its first-year rent. It is inserting a contract provision that says it won’t have to pay rent for any month when gross receipts are less than $15,000, a figure it does not expect the concessionaire to reach.
After Alexis, which took over the snack bar and gift shop in 2010, said it would not renew its contract, the county sought someone else to run the operation, which Howell describes as “popular and needed.”
This current council is impressive with its across-the-board diversity of talent. Along with City Manager John Bohenko and City Attorney Bob Sullivan sitting at the table, it's a smart, great collective. Businesspeople, company bosses, leaders in education, law, development and planning. Some rather new to the city, others who are long-timers. Some youngish, others not quite. An excellent group of hands-on working women and men dedicated to their community.
They agree on many things, and disagree on some. One was this past Monday when they voted 5 to 4 against considering Worth lot as the location for a parking garage. I was at the meeting, as well as a previous meeting in October when they spent almost three hours chatting about the issue, and I have to say I was impressed with the commitment of each councilor to listen and to think it through.
I applauded the majority decision not to build a garage there. During the past few months I had met with opponents of the garage and saw up-close-and-personal their hard work and concern, so my heart was in seeing the open space of Worth lot maintained for our future. But the important part of the decision wasn't just the result — it was the process leading up to it. Dozens of citizens, including some who had been saying "we can't fight City Hall," had banded together, spoke up, made calls, wrote letters, drew signs, wore "Not 'Worth' It" buttons, and preserved what for them is an important part of their lives.
This victory of people and open space over brick and cement was an incredible and real lesson in democracy. And regardless of how they voted, all nine councilors had set a process that for allowed public input, open discussion and in the end a decision that allows the dialogue to continue. What a win-win that is. The people won, but so did the process.
Speaking of process, I'd like to offer two "new" ways the council could involve the public. When I was assistant mayor in 1990, I proposed what was adopted as the "public comment session," allowing up to three minutes at the beginning of most meetings for anyone to address the council about any topic. I think that has worked well — as shown this past Monday when more than 30 people took that opportunity and addressed the parking issue. But it does have limitations.
I think an addition could be what we have seen in the "Portsmouth Listens" process. I suggest the council consider using the first 30 minutes of every other meeting, or at least once a month, for a "Talk With Your Councilors" segment. Depending on the number of citizens attending, the nine councilors can divide into half or groups of threes and chat — on an equal level, not from their up-high seats — in round-circle discussions. About anything. With everyone. No arguments. Just listening, exchanging, having a dialogue.
Another suggestion might be that the council could arrange a once-a-month "Call Your Council" segment from 6 to 7 p.m. before a regular meeting, inviting people to call and have a dialogue. Not everyone can spend time calling each member or attend a meeting at City Hall. So allowing citizens to make a one-stop conference call with their governing body would be a good way to expand public involvement. It could also include an interactive live blog, and be simultaneously televised on the community channel.
Even if just one new great idea a year comes from increased public involvement, it's worth it. We have tremendous talent in our city, but not everyone can make the time commitment to be on a board or committee, or to run for council. Since ideas are really the foundation of democracy, as shown this past Monday, seeking out those ideas is time well spent by our councilors.
The public comment session process has gone a long way toward including people — perhaps thousands have spoken using that opportunity during the past two decades that we have had it. But the search needs to go on for ways to do more, and to better communicate "with," not just "to" or "at," one another.
Today's quotes: "Citizenship is what makes a republic — monarchies can get along without it." — Mark Twain. "Deliberation and debate is the way you stir the soul of our democracy." — Jesse Jackson
Today's thought: A few days ago I was watching an episode from my "West Wing" DVD collection. It was about how the White House and Congress were spending all their time talking amongst themselves, getting bogged down with too many details and not enough of the "big picture" of what government should do, which is to help and include people in the process of governing. Of course, this was a television show, and is just fiction.
Airport officials are recommending that Achievement House get the job after the contract of concessionaire Alexis Enterprises expires in January. Alexis has been the second concessionaire since 2006.
Airport Manager Richard Howell said Alexis owners had told him they didn’t have time to manage this as well as their several other business operations.
Among its other goals, Achievement House seeks to develop workplace skills, according to Howell.
He said the group already operates food and beverage concessions at Camp Roberts, the Laguna Lake Golf Course, Atascadero’s Colony Park and the Santa Maria Transportation Hub.
Because the location will have an Achievement House staff member on hand, the concession will have two people to serve the public rather than the current single clerk. That will increase the level of service to customers, Howell wrote in a staff report to the Board of Supervisors.
“A real win-win situation for everyone,” Howell told The Tribune in an email.
The county plans to give the nonprofit a break on its first-year rent. It is inserting a contract provision that says it won’t have to pay rent for any month when gross receipts are less than $15,000, a figure it does not expect the concessionaire to reach.
After Alexis, which took over the snack bar and gift shop in 2010, said it would not renew its contract, the county sought someone else to run the operation, which Howell describes as “popular and needed.”
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