Doc Blanchard, Glenn Davis, Pete Dawkins and coach Earl "Red" Blaik gave the United States Military Academy its finest hours in college football.
Blanchard, Davis and Dawkins were Heisman Trophy winners and Blaik was the West Point coach from, 1941-58 when football was at its best.
Their accomplishments and achievements are unquestioned. There never has been – and likely will never be again – players of their caliber to play for the Black Knights.
Now, they have been reunited in a life-sized monument, sculpted by Broken Arrow's David Nunnely.
It took "about a year, from scratch to finish" and 22 molds for Nunnely, a world acclaimed sculptor.
Weighing nearly 800 pounds, the bronze statue – commissioned by 1954 USMC graduate W.C. "Tiny" Tomsen – shined brightly in south Tulsa Thursday afternoon.
On Friday, the breath-taking artwork will begin its journey to its final resting place – the Kimsey Center on the West Point campus.
It will be dedicated by USMC Wednesday with Dawkins, the 1958 Heisman Trophy winner, attending. Blanchard was the 1945 winner and Davis in 1946. Both are deceased, as is Blaik.
Nunnely humbly received compliments from a small gathering at Thomsen's home during an unofficial unveiling.
"I am always pleased when others are pleased," Nunnely said. "I just do the best I can."
Nunnely and Thomsen will among several from the Broken Arrow-Tulsa making the trip. Thomsen was the first of three generations to graduate from West Point.
Asked why he was compelled to make this kind of contribution, Thomsen paused.
"It's time to give something back," Thomsen said.
Thomsen, who's business card says he's an "engineer, contractor and retired soldier, took a hint from the University of Oklahoma.
"They have five (Heisman Trophy) winners and bronze statues for each," Thomsen said. "It's time our guys get recognized."
Also going to the ceremony is Tulsan Jim Kennedy, a classmate and teammate of Dawkins on the undefeated 1958 team. Kennedy assisted in the monument's creation with fine points about Dawkins and Blaik.
"This is good," said a smiling Kennedy, who had a picture taken standing next to the life-like Dawkins.
It's not the first work by Nunneley at the fabled military school. Nunneley did a bust of Blaik, who coached the Cadets from 1941-48, and did a replica of Hannibal, the Army Mule, the school mascot.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Military commanders warned to get troops in line
Military leaders are telling commanders to get their troops in line and refrain from misconduct such as urinating on enemy corpses, in a sharp response to the tasteless photos and other disturbing examples of bad behavior that have enraged Afghans and complicated war-fighting.
The broader message to shore up discipline in the ranks was expected to be underscored by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in remarks Friday at Fort Benning, Ga.
The Army and Marine Corps chiefs have focused on discipline in recent talks to midlevel commanders around the country. They say they recognize that part of the problem may be leadership stumbles by the young officers who have shouldered much of the burden of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Maybe we've gotten overconfident and maybe we've gotten a little bit comfortable in our young leaders," Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff, told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday. "Realizing that they are young, they don't have a lot of experiences. We have to continue to assist them so they understand what is expected of them."
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos was blunter.
"We are allowing our standards to erode," he wrote his commanders. "A number of recent widely publicized incidents have brought discredit on the Marine Corps and reverberated at the strategic level. The undisciplined conduct represented in these incidents threatens to overshadow all our good work and sacrifice."
Panetta, in his first personal appeal to troops on the issue, planned to remind them that they are representing the U.S. people and that America's greatness lies not in its ships and fighter jets, but the character and standards of its armed forces.
Senior leaders have warned for several years about a deterioration of discipline that may have contributed to increased substance abuse problems, suicides, domestic abuse and other problems.
Late last year Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, who now commands U.S. Army Europe, suggested that while only a small percentage of soldiers lack discipline, "if you allow that to go unnoticed, it becomes cancerous."
In January, U.S. Marines were found to have made a video showing them urinating on Afghan insurgents' corpses. In February, troops mistakenly burned copies of the Quran, which led to violent protests and revenge killings of six Americans. In March, a U.S. soldier left his base and allegedly killed 17 civilians, mainly women and children. Last month, newly revealed photographs showed U.S. soldiers posing in 2010 with Afghan police holding the severed legs of a suicide bomber.
Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has expressed concern about the impact that those incidents have had on the war, according to a senior defense official. Allen believes that a number of major setbacks in the past six months have resulted from moral, not operational, failures, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal assessments.
Insurgents have used the incidents to incite violence and undermine U.S. efforts to win over the Afghan people, considered critical to counterterrorism operations. The incidents have reinforced the perception of Americans as unfriendly or occupying forces who do not understand the culture or the religion of the people they are supported to protect.
Such ethical lapses have occurred in war through the centuries. But military officials and outside experts generally agree that America's longest war has put unprecedented strain on the country's all-volunteer military, an overwhelmingly young force that needs supervision and strong leadership.
In earlier conflicts such as those in Vietnam or Korea, such incidents were not as readily visible. Today, they end up on YouTube in seconds, viewed by an audience that does not always attribute such behavior to the stress of war.
After writing his letter to Marine commanders, Amos began taking his message to bases and stations in talks with officers.
"I expect each of you to hold yourselves and your Marines to the highest standards ... nothing else is acceptable," he wrote in the letter.
Odierno included the topic during meetings with his two- and three-star commanders, as well as in talks with younger officers he sees during base visits.
"We're putting a lot more responsibility on very young leaders, lieutenants and sergeants," Odierno said. "We just have to remind everybody that we have to put the checks and balances in place, and we have to remind everybody about the importance of culture and the profession."
The broader message to shore up discipline in the ranks was expected to be underscored by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in remarks Friday at Fort Benning, Ga.
The Army and Marine Corps chiefs have focused on discipline in recent talks to midlevel commanders around the country. They say they recognize that part of the problem may be leadership stumbles by the young officers who have shouldered much of the burden of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Maybe we've gotten overconfident and maybe we've gotten a little bit comfortable in our young leaders," Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff, told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday. "Realizing that they are young, they don't have a lot of experiences. We have to continue to assist them so they understand what is expected of them."
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos was blunter.
"We are allowing our standards to erode," he wrote his commanders. "A number of recent widely publicized incidents have brought discredit on the Marine Corps and reverberated at the strategic level. The undisciplined conduct represented in these incidents threatens to overshadow all our good work and sacrifice."
Panetta, in his first personal appeal to troops on the issue, planned to remind them that they are representing the U.S. people and that America's greatness lies not in its ships and fighter jets, but the character and standards of its armed forces.
Senior leaders have warned for several years about a deterioration of discipline that may have contributed to increased substance abuse problems, suicides, domestic abuse and other problems.
Late last year Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, who now commands U.S. Army Europe, suggested that while only a small percentage of soldiers lack discipline, "if you allow that to go unnoticed, it becomes cancerous."
In January, U.S. Marines were found to have made a video showing them urinating on Afghan insurgents' corpses. In February, troops mistakenly burned copies of the Quran, which led to violent protests and revenge killings of six Americans. In March, a U.S. soldier left his base and allegedly killed 17 civilians, mainly women and children. Last month, newly revealed photographs showed U.S. soldiers posing in 2010 with Afghan police holding the severed legs of a suicide bomber.
Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has expressed concern about the impact that those incidents have had on the war, according to a senior defense official. Allen believes that a number of major setbacks in the past six months have resulted from moral, not operational, failures, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal assessments.
Insurgents have used the incidents to incite violence and undermine U.S. efforts to win over the Afghan people, considered critical to counterterrorism operations. The incidents have reinforced the perception of Americans as unfriendly or occupying forces who do not understand the culture or the religion of the people they are supported to protect.
Such ethical lapses have occurred in war through the centuries. But military officials and outside experts generally agree that America's longest war has put unprecedented strain on the country's all-volunteer military, an overwhelmingly young force that needs supervision and strong leadership.
In earlier conflicts such as those in Vietnam or Korea, such incidents were not as readily visible. Today, they end up on YouTube in seconds, viewed by an audience that does not always attribute such behavior to the stress of war.
After writing his letter to Marine commanders, Amos began taking his message to bases and stations in talks with officers.
"I expect each of you to hold yourselves and your Marines to the highest standards ... nothing else is acceptable," he wrote in the letter.
Odierno included the topic during meetings with his two- and three-star commanders, as well as in talks with younger officers he sees during base visits.
"We're putting a lot more responsibility on very young leaders, lieutenants and sergeants," Odierno said. "We just have to remind everybody that we have to put the checks and balances in place, and we have to remind everybody about the importance of culture and the profession."
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Rotomolders told to keep up with technology
In the industrial world, computers have changed everything from quoting to new product development to having a consultant fix a problem over Skype, and rotational molders need to keep pace, according to speakers at a Society of Plastics Engineers conference.
Held May 6-9, the SPE Rotational Molding Division’s conference drew about 120 people to Cleveland, said program Chairman Barry Aubrey, a technical service representative with resin distributor Nexeo Solutions LLC of The Woodlands, Texas.
The market for goods has become the entire world, said Jeff Herwig, who works in new business development at Lakeland Mold Co. in Brainerd, Minn. “And yet as the world gets larger, it also appears to get smaller and moves very quickly,” he said. “Product development is now occurring on a worldwide basis, making it much more important to act quickly, because the rate of change isn’t going to slow down any time soon. If anything, competition in most industries and most countries is going to speed up even more.”
Coming up with a quote used to take seven to 10 days, as the part design and quote had to be typed up and mailed back and forth. Fax cut the time down to three or four days. Today it takes just one or two days, thanks to email.
Toyota’s model of early collaboration between members of the supply chain, together with computer-aided design, rapid modeling of three-dimensional parts and process-simulation software have slashed the time needed for product development, Herwig said.
Herwig gave some examples of the global supply chain, where an automotive aftermarket part was designed it Italy for an OEM in the United Kingdom, and the part was molded in China using U.S.-made tooling. In the past it would take 18-24 months to set up this type of far-flung supply chain, where now it takes nine months from design concepts to part production, he said.
Sandy Scaccia, president of Norstar Aluminum Molds Inc. in Cedarburg, Wis., said the RotoSim simulation software is now in its 12th revision. Even though process simulation has been around for several years, he noted rotomolding still lags injection molding, blow molding and vacuum forming in its use.
RotoSim can help product designers get the correct wall thickness in the right areas of a part, which is a critical dimension, Scaccia said. It also can show the impact on a part of enhanced cooling, or the right mixture of cooling, air or water.
”It’s a pretty good picture of what’s going on in the cycle,” he said.
Dave Mulligan has become a “virtual consultant” since he retired as president of Roto Plastics Corp. in Adrian, Mich. That means at his new consulting company, Turn-About-LLC, he can help solve processing problems without leaving his office, by using things like email, cell-phone videos sent from the factory floor and screen captures.
“We’ve already got the basis for a virtual presence in any plant, anywhere,” he said. “Everybody’s got a camera hanging from their belt, or in their pocket.”
Using Skype, Mulligan can give a seminar, take a plant tour, get a close-up of a mold or view entire production cycles to spot problems.
Held May 6-9, the SPE Rotational Molding Division’s conference drew about 120 people to Cleveland, said program Chairman Barry Aubrey, a technical service representative with resin distributor Nexeo Solutions LLC of The Woodlands, Texas.
The market for goods has become the entire world, said Jeff Herwig, who works in new business development at Lakeland Mold Co. in Brainerd, Minn. “And yet as the world gets larger, it also appears to get smaller and moves very quickly,” he said. “Product development is now occurring on a worldwide basis, making it much more important to act quickly, because the rate of change isn’t going to slow down any time soon. If anything, competition in most industries and most countries is going to speed up even more.”
Coming up with a quote used to take seven to 10 days, as the part design and quote had to be typed up and mailed back and forth. Fax cut the time down to three or four days. Today it takes just one or two days, thanks to email.
Toyota’s model of early collaboration between members of the supply chain, together with computer-aided design, rapid modeling of three-dimensional parts and process-simulation software have slashed the time needed for product development, Herwig said.
Herwig gave some examples of the global supply chain, where an automotive aftermarket part was designed it Italy for an OEM in the United Kingdom, and the part was molded in China using U.S.-made tooling. In the past it would take 18-24 months to set up this type of far-flung supply chain, where now it takes nine months from design concepts to part production, he said.
Sandy Scaccia, president of Norstar Aluminum Molds Inc. in Cedarburg, Wis., said the RotoSim simulation software is now in its 12th revision. Even though process simulation has been around for several years, he noted rotomolding still lags injection molding, blow molding and vacuum forming in its use.
RotoSim can help product designers get the correct wall thickness in the right areas of a part, which is a critical dimension, Scaccia said. It also can show the impact on a part of enhanced cooling, or the right mixture of cooling, air or water.
”It’s a pretty good picture of what’s going on in the cycle,” he said.
Dave Mulligan has become a “virtual consultant” since he retired as president of Roto Plastics Corp. in Adrian, Mich. That means at his new consulting company, Turn-About-LLC, he can help solve processing problems without leaving his office, by using things like email, cell-phone videos sent from the factory floor and screen captures.
“We’ve already got the basis for a virtual presence in any plant, anywhere,” he said. “Everybody’s got a camera hanging from their belt, or in their pocket.”
Using Skype, Mulligan can give a seminar, take a plant tour, get a close-up of a mold or view entire production cycles to spot problems.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Boeing planning “another line” in North Charleston aft-body factory?
It’s hard to say for sure, but there may be a major expansion of Boeing Co.’s Dreamliner aft-body factory in North Charleston in the works.
At the company’s annual investor conference in St. Louis this month, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh said three times that, in order for the 787 program to reach its target production rate of 10 Dreamliners a month, the aft-body operation would need to add a third line.
“To go to 10, I really believe that the real issues are going to be in our control, and that’s good. It’s going to be the aft and also the mid-body that we do down in Charleston,” he said.
“We know we’re going to have to put in some additional drilling machines. We know we’re going to have to add another line, I think, in aft. We’ve got a plan to do that.”
When analysts asked questions, Albaugh reiterated the point.
“We’ve got to put in a third line, we think, in the aft area,” he said on one occasion.
“We’ve always known that we need to have a third join line in aft and we’re putting that in,” Albaugh said minutes later. “These are all things that we anticipated and we knew we eventually had to do.”
Asked about Albaugh’s remarks hours after he made them, a Boeing South Carolina spokeswoman seemed to say he was talking about a third line that has already been installed in the neighboring mid-body assembly building.
“What he was talking about in the aft-body is we have added new tooling …,” Candy Eslinger, the spokeswoman, said May 15.
She said the aft-body operation has added a second join tool and is installing a fourth “Brotje” machine, which drills and fills holes in the Dreamliner’s composite fuselage sections.
But Albaugh’s mentions of the new tooling and the plans for the new line had been separate and discrete. So in the afterglow of the first S.C.-built Dreamliner’s successful first flight, I reposed the question about the plans for another line in aft-body.
Eslinger again seemed to say there are no plans to add a third line in the factory and said she stood by her prior statement, which she then sent in an email. It said: “Boeing is continuing to invest in the resources and infrastructure needed to be successful in South Carolina” but didn’t specifically address any plans for a third line in the 88-19 building.
“We’re taking the appropriate steps, including investing in additional infrastructure where appropriate, to ensure we meet commitments to our customers,” the statement read.
So, either I’m misunderstanding what the big boss meant by “another line,” or his local employees aren’t authorized to confirm that plan. Either way, this potential third aft-body line is likely only a small piece of the overall growth plan for Boeing South Carolina. Stay tuned.
At the company’s annual investor conference in St. Louis this month, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh said three times that, in order for the 787 program to reach its target production rate of 10 Dreamliners a month, the aft-body operation would need to add a third line.
“To go to 10, I really believe that the real issues are going to be in our control, and that’s good. It’s going to be the aft and also the mid-body that we do down in Charleston,” he said.
“We know we’re going to have to put in some additional drilling machines. We know we’re going to have to add another line, I think, in aft. We’ve got a plan to do that.”
When analysts asked questions, Albaugh reiterated the point.
“We’ve got to put in a third line, we think, in the aft area,” he said on one occasion.
“We’ve always known that we need to have a third join line in aft and we’re putting that in,” Albaugh said minutes later. “These are all things that we anticipated and we knew we eventually had to do.”
Asked about Albaugh’s remarks hours after he made them, a Boeing South Carolina spokeswoman seemed to say he was talking about a third line that has already been installed in the neighboring mid-body assembly building.
“What he was talking about in the aft-body is we have added new tooling …,” Candy Eslinger, the spokeswoman, said May 15.
She said the aft-body operation has added a second join tool and is installing a fourth “Brotje” machine, which drills and fills holes in the Dreamliner’s composite fuselage sections.
But Albaugh’s mentions of the new tooling and the plans for the new line had been separate and discrete. So in the afterglow of the first S.C.-built Dreamliner’s successful first flight, I reposed the question about the plans for another line in aft-body.
Eslinger again seemed to say there are no plans to add a third line in the factory and said she stood by her prior statement, which she then sent in an email. It said: “Boeing is continuing to invest in the resources and infrastructure needed to be successful in South Carolina” but didn’t specifically address any plans for a third line in the 88-19 building.
“We’re taking the appropriate steps, including investing in additional infrastructure where appropriate, to ensure we meet commitments to our customers,” the statement read.
So, either I’m misunderstanding what the big boss meant by “another line,” or his local employees aren’t authorized to confirm that plan. Either way, this potential third aft-body line is likely only a small piece of the overall growth plan for Boeing South Carolina. Stay tuned.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Noted for brawl, Yancy Gates tries out for Warriors
If you do a simple online search for Yancy Gates, one site suggests "Yancy Gates brawl" and another recommends "Yancy Gates fight."
The University of Cincinnati forward knows his violent actions during an on-court December melee will forever be attached to his name, but he's hoping to prove that the event won't define him.
"My actions were not what I am about as a person," Gates said Saturday when he participated in a predraft workout at the Warriors' downtown Oakland facility. "I learned a lot. I think the brawl helped me grow up a little bit. It taught me how to deal with different situations and adversity.
"The time I wasn't playing gave me time to sit and reflect on the opportunity I had been blessed with."
The 6-foot-9 prospect with the massive frame had plenty of time to ruminate, because Gates was suspended for six games and per Big East rules wasn't allowed in the Cincinnati basketball facility.
He thought about how wrong it was to throw the ball at a Xavier player in the closing minute of that December game. He thought about how disgusting it was to sucker-punch Kenneth Frease, opening a huge, bloody gash under Frease's left eye. He thought about how he exacerbated the situation by hitting at least one other Xavier player during a fracas that brought an end to the game with time still on the clock.
Mostly, he thought about how his name had become synonymous with terms like "villain" and "punk" in the college basketball community.
Gates knew he would need to take drastic measures to repair his image, and he started with a heartfelt apology.
No speechwriter. No script. Nothing but emotion and remorse.
"A lot of people have been calling me a thug or a gangster, and that really affected me," Gates said. "I felt like I let down myself, my family, my teammates and the fans."
Now Gates is making the rounds - through San Antonio, Oakland and New York last week - trying to prove that he's matured enough to start a professional career. He's trying to prove that he's worth it to an NBA team that's considering using a draft pick and investing in his future.
There's little question that Gates has the game to win that argument.
He weighed a prospect-high 287 pounds at the Portsmouth Invitational last month, but said he was down to 270 by the time he worked out for the Warriors. He wants to be down to 260 pounds by next month's draft, a playing weight that would allow him to showcase his power and athleticism.
Gates displayed some of that in Oakland. His wingspan was 7-foot-3, and he shocked with his vertical jump. On his first jump, he leaped more than 30 inches, causing the Warriors to raise the testing pole for his second jump.
The Warriors need a backup big man and more rebounding, and Gates fits that mold and is expected to be available when they pick 52nd overall. Gates averaged 11.5 rebounds, including 4.1 offensive boards, per 40 minutes his senior season.
"I think I was able to show them how athletic I am, which is something I didn't really get to show as much as I would have liked to in college," Gates said. "As far as getting up and down (the court), I was able to show some skills I've been working on. I'd be comfortable in a fast-paced (offensive) system and still be a physical presence on defense."
The University of Cincinnati forward knows his violent actions during an on-court December melee will forever be attached to his name, but he's hoping to prove that the event won't define him.
"My actions were not what I am about as a person," Gates said Saturday when he participated in a predraft workout at the Warriors' downtown Oakland facility. "I learned a lot. I think the brawl helped me grow up a little bit. It taught me how to deal with different situations and adversity.
"The time I wasn't playing gave me time to sit and reflect on the opportunity I had been blessed with."
The 6-foot-9 prospect with the massive frame had plenty of time to ruminate, because Gates was suspended for six games and per Big East rules wasn't allowed in the Cincinnati basketball facility.
He thought about how wrong it was to throw the ball at a Xavier player in the closing minute of that December game. He thought about how disgusting it was to sucker-punch Kenneth Frease, opening a huge, bloody gash under Frease's left eye. He thought about how he exacerbated the situation by hitting at least one other Xavier player during a fracas that brought an end to the game with time still on the clock.
Mostly, he thought about how his name had become synonymous with terms like "villain" and "punk" in the college basketball community.
Gates knew he would need to take drastic measures to repair his image, and he started with a heartfelt apology.
No speechwriter. No script. Nothing but emotion and remorse.
"A lot of people have been calling me a thug or a gangster, and that really affected me," Gates said. "I felt like I let down myself, my family, my teammates and the fans."
Now Gates is making the rounds - through San Antonio, Oakland and New York last week - trying to prove that he's matured enough to start a professional career. He's trying to prove that he's worth it to an NBA team that's considering using a draft pick and investing in his future.
There's little question that Gates has the game to win that argument.
He weighed a prospect-high 287 pounds at the Portsmouth Invitational last month, but said he was down to 270 by the time he worked out for the Warriors. He wants to be down to 260 pounds by next month's draft, a playing weight that would allow him to showcase his power and athleticism.
Gates displayed some of that in Oakland. His wingspan was 7-foot-3, and he shocked with his vertical jump. On his first jump, he leaped more than 30 inches, causing the Warriors to raise the testing pole for his second jump.
The Warriors need a backup big man and more rebounding, and Gates fits that mold and is expected to be available when they pick 52nd overall. Gates averaged 11.5 rebounds, including 4.1 offensive boards, per 40 minutes his senior season.
"I think I was able to show them how athletic I am, which is something I didn't really get to show as much as I would have liked to in college," Gates said. "As far as getting up and down (the court), I was able to show some skills I've been working on. I'd be comfortable in a fast-paced (offensive) system and still be a physical presence on defense."
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Local artists invited to make a splash with public art project
A dozen new public art pieces will soon be springing up around Juneau – and local artists have been invited to help design them.
The project, organized by the Whale Committee, is designed to raise funds for and awareness of the 25-foot bronze whale sculpture currently being created by artist R.T. “Skip” Wallen for the Juneau waterfront. In keeping with the whale theme, the 12 public art pieces are shaped like whales tails; each one is six feet high. Visual artists are invited to submit their ideas for embellishing, painting or otherwise artistically altering one of the resin tails – the sky’s the limit. Applications are due June 1.
Artists will receive a stipend from local sponsors that will also cover the cost of materials.
After they are decorated, the tails will be publicly displayed throughout the summer, at which point they will go up for auction.
Kathy Ruddy, chair of the Whale Committee, said she hopes the project will increase awareness of the bronze whale sculpture, now at stage two in a four part process. Spike, the small version of the sculpture now placed at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center, was the first step, and the second step, a full size foam model, has recently been completed.
“We’re doing it in stages. The first stage was Spike, the second stage is the foam – (which we’ve) completed – and the third stage is the mold, and the fourth stage is the casting.”
Ruddy said the finished whale has the power to redefine the Juneau waterfront and become the distinctive icon for our city. The big whale will be the largest sculpture in the state of Alaska, outsizing Wallen’s Land Lease Memorial in Fairbanks.
“We believe that the full size whale will be as distinctive for Juneau as the Space Needle is for Seattle or the Little Mermaid (bronze sculpture) is for Copenhagen or things like that,” Ruddy said.
Other iconic bronze sculptures include the bronze bull on Wall Street in New York City and the bronze Piggy Bank in Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Wallen has created other prominent art pieces around town, including the “Windfall Fisherman” near the Dimond Courthouse, and the “Gang of Four” in front of DIPAC. He has also created works in other cities, such as the Cougars sculptures at the University of Houston and “Sightless Among Miracles,” at the Carter Center.
Ruddy said Wallen’s whale will be distinctive for its size, its artistry and for its meticulous attention to detail.
“Skip has examined the skeleton of a whale so he’s got the jaw just right, he studied the anatomy of the eye, he’s studied the barnacles for the exact size and shape, and we’ve got the big dipper and the north star on (the whale’s) right jaw.”
The whale will also be a fountain, with water coming from a blowhole and from the pleats on his belly. A reflecting pool will be built around it.
“We want to recreate the experience of being on a boat and having a humpback blast out of the water near you,” Ruddy said. “It’s a breathtaking experience.”
In addition to being a distinctive piece of art for Juneau, the sculpture will also call attention to Juneau’s whale watching industry, she said, which is still growing.
“The whale watching industry in Juneau has really blossomed,” she said. “The analysis we had last year was that it is a 20 million dollar industry. About 200,000 people go out every year, for whales, at $100 a pop, from Juneau. So our industry is worth about 20 million.”
The original idea for the waterfront whale began with former Juneau Mayor Bill Overstreet, who approached Wallen with the idea back in 1993. Though a proposal was written around that time, it was subsequently put aside, but was resurrected last year as a way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of statehood.
Ruddy said its especially fitting for Wallen to make the sculpture, as he created the Windfall Fisherman to celebrate the state’s 25th.
The idea for the resin whales tails came from two other Whale committee members, Ruddy said, Sharon Kelly and Laraine Derr. The women had seen similar projects in other cities and thought it would appeal to Juneau’s artists. Ruddy said they hope to generate a range of submissions from professional artists to students and that there is no limit to what people can suggest.
“We’ve got all sorts of artists with all sorts of ideas,” she said. “They’ve got ideas on top of ideas.”
Ruddy said the resin whales tails are virtually indestructible -- provided that artists use weather-proof material for their designs, they are safe to be placed outside.
The project, organized by the Whale Committee, is designed to raise funds for and awareness of the 25-foot bronze whale sculpture currently being created by artist R.T. “Skip” Wallen for the Juneau waterfront. In keeping with the whale theme, the 12 public art pieces are shaped like whales tails; each one is six feet high. Visual artists are invited to submit their ideas for embellishing, painting or otherwise artistically altering one of the resin tails – the sky’s the limit. Applications are due June 1.
Artists will receive a stipend from local sponsors that will also cover the cost of materials.
After they are decorated, the tails will be publicly displayed throughout the summer, at which point they will go up for auction.
Kathy Ruddy, chair of the Whale Committee, said she hopes the project will increase awareness of the bronze whale sculpture, now at stage two in a four part process. Spike, the small version of the sculpture now placed at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center, was the first step, and the second step, a full size foam model, has recently been completed.
“We’re doing it in stages. The first stage was Spike, the second stage is the foam – (which we’ve) completed – and the third stage is the mold, and the fourth stage is the casting.”
Ruddy said the finished whale has the power to redefine the Juneau waterfront and become the distinctive icon for our city. The big whale will be the largest sculpture in the state of Alaska, outsizing Wallen’s Land Lease Memorial in Fairbanks.
“We believe that the full size whale will be as distinctive for Juneau as the Space Needle is for Seattle or the Little Mermaid (bronze sculpture) is for Copenhagen or things like that,” Ruddy said.
Other iconic bronze sculptures include the bronze bull on Wall Street in New York City and the bronze Piggy Bank in Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Wallen has created other prominent art pieces around town, including the “Windfall Fisherman” near the Dimond Courthouse, and the “Gang of Four” in front of DIPAC. He has also created works in other cities, such as the Cougars sculptures at the University of Houston and “Sightless Among Miracles,” at the Carter Center.
Ruddy said Wallen’s whale will be distinctive for its size, its artistry and for its meticulous attention to detail.
“Skip has examined the skeleton of a whale so he’s got the jaw just right, he studied the anatomy of the eye, he’s studied the barnacles for the exact size and shape, and we’ve got the big dipper and the north star on (the whale’s) right jaw.”
The whale will also be a fountain, with water coming from a blowhole and from the pleats on his belly. A reflecting pool will be built around it.
“We want to recreate the experience of being on a boat and having a humpback blast out of the water near you,” Ruddy said. “It’s a breathtaking experience.”
In addition to being a distinctive piece of art for Juneau, the sculpture will also call attention to Juneau’s whale watching industry, she said, which is still growing.
“The whale watching industry in Juneau has really blossomed,” she said. “The analysis we had last year was that it is a 20 million dollar industry. About 200,000 people go out every year, for whales, at $100 a pop, from Juneau. So our industry is worth about 20 million.”
The original idea for the waterfront whale began with former Juneau Mayor Bill Overstreet, who approached Wallen with the idea back in 1993. Though a proposal was written around that time, it was subsequently put aside, but was resurrected last year as a way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of statehood.
Ruddy said its especially fitting for Wallen to make the sculpture, as he created the Windfall Fisherman to celebrate the state’s 25th.
The idea for the resin whales tails came from two other Whale committee members, Ruddy said, Sharon Kelly and Laraine Derr. The women had seen similar projects in other cities and thought it would appeal to Juneau’s artists. Ruddy said they hope to generate a range of submissions from professional artists to students and that there is no limit to what people can suggest.
“We’ve got all sorts of artists with all sorts of ideas,” she said. “They’ve got ideas on top of ideas.”
Ruddy said the resin whales tails are virtually indestructible -- provided that artists use weather-proof material for their designs, they are safe to be placed outside.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Herbaceous Terrace
In November, residents got a new addition to their grocery selection when the new, swanky Rouses opened. Customers enter into a café with gelato and pastries, there’s a wide array of fine cheeses, and there’s even a sommelier to help you pair them with the best wines. On May 31, the grocery experience is growing even further, as these grocers will be the first of their kind to sell herbs grown aeroponically on their own rooftop.
Instead of scavenging from a variety of sources for the fresh ingredients, Rouses decided to skip the middleman and create their own herb garden that will feature basil, parsley, dill, tomatillo, thyme, mint and cilantro, just to name a few. In case you haven’t educated yourself in the freshest methods in gardening, “aeroponic,” simply means that the herbs will grow from air, not soil, said Rouses Executive Chef Jack Treuting.
In addition to saving space, Treuting said that the lack of soil also reduces pesticides, molds, and fungus issues dramatically.
“It’s a very eco friendly project, very sustainable,” he said.
Treuting worked with A.M.P.S. Nola (Aquaponic Modular Design Systems) to engineer the urban farm that he believes will save the store a lot of time, money, and energy.
“Most grocery stores are getting most of their vegetables from California," he said. "You’re looking at six days of transportation, a whole lot of diesel, a whole lot of work. This is actually going to be sold starting on the 31st, and I measured it the other day and it’s nine steps.”
NoDef got to take a look at the vertical aeroponic Tower Garden that overlooks the downtown area. Treuting said the garden isn’t certified organic, but he feels confident the customers won’t need any proof.
“Someone asked the other day ‘is it organic?’ My answer to that is it’s better than organic. If I needed to certify it organic, I certainly could by using our practices, but by no means do I think I need to certify it,” Treuting told us.
Eating local is just as important as practicing sustainable growing, Treuting believes. He hopes that the garden can benefit the community as well as the customers.
"For us at Rouses, it’s about selling local, supporting local, and the other piece of that is going to be education," he said. "I walked across the street to the international school, and we’ve got a student ambassador who’s going to work with us and learn about this.”
Instead of scavenging from a variety of sources for the fresh ingredients, Rouses decided to skip the middleman and create their own herb garden that will feature basil, parsley, dill, tomatillo, thyme, mint and cilantro, just to name a few. In case you haven’t educated yourself in the freshest methods in gardening, “aeroponic,” simply means that the herbs will grow from air, not soil, said Rouses Executive Chef Jack Treuting.
In addition to saving space, Treuting said that the lack of soil also reduces pesticides, molds, and fungus issues dramatically.
“It’s a very eco friendly project, very sustainable,” he said.
Treuting worked with A.M.P.S. Nola (Aquaponic Modular Design Systems) to engineer the urban farm that he believes will save the store a lot of time, money, and energy.
“Most grocery stores are getting most of their vegetables from California," he said. "You’re looking at six days of transportation, a whole lot of diesel, a whole lot of work. This is actually going to be sold starting on the 31st, and I measured it the other day and it’s nine steps.”
NoDef got to take a look at the vertical aeroponic Tower Garden that overlooks the downtown area. Treuting said the garden isn’t certified organic, but he feels confident the customers won’t need any proof.
“Someone asked the other day ‘is it organic?’ My answer to that is it’s better than organic. If I needed to certify it organic, I certainly could by using our practices, but by no means do I think I need to certify it,” Treuting told us.
Eating local is just as important as practicing sustainable growing, Treuting believes. He hopes that the garden can benefit the community as well as the customers.
"For us at Rouses, it’s about selling local, supporting local, and the other piece of that is going to be education," he said. "I walked across the street to the international school, and we’ve got a student ambassador who’s going to work with us and learn about this.”
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
When bad things happen to good plants
Spring's weather fluctuations bring a host of problems in their wake. While barometric shifts and pollen barrages may trigger allergies, headaches, and arthritic flare-ups in humans, plants have problems too. Black spot, powdery mildews, red thread lawn molds and other common disorders can disfigure fresh new foliage and stunt the eager growth of spring.
The usual culprit is excess rain and cold nights. Lawns suffer because clay-based soils stay so damp they become anaerobic. Airless soil favors root rots and mossy growth while discouraging sturdy rooting in turf grasses. To bring a soggy lawn back to life, rake an inch of compost evenly over the grass. Do this now and you'll see an almost immediate improvement in turf quality. Do this each spring and every fall and in a few seasons, the renewed soil will support healthy, deep-rooted turf that resists red thread and molds.
Several studies carried out at have proven that compost does more to improve lawn health than the sadly typical regime of fertilizers and pesticides. That's because chemical treatments only affect symptoms, while regular applications of compost heal both sandy and clay-based soils, promoting turf health from the inside out.
The good news is that by choosing green lawn care, we actively promote a healthier environment on many levels. Instead of adding to landfills, we create a need for recycled green waste, which becomes wholesome compost. By using compost instead of chemicals, we do not add to the toxic chemical burdens that impair soil, air, and water quality. Rain that washes through our property carries away no dangerous residues to harm frogs or fish. Birds, bees, and butterflies that visit our gardens and lawns are not imperiled by toxins.
If the turf is thin and spotty, rake in compost then oversow with a regionally appropriate seed mix. Choose a shade-tolerant blend for any areas that get less than full sun, and try a playground blend for areas that get a lot of foot traffic.
Powdery mildew is widespread when a wet spring causes sudden shifts of warm and cold weather. Affected plants look as if the foliage is dusted with flour. Powdery mildew is usually caused by some combination of dry roots, high humidity, crowding and poor air circulation. It is very common to see it on plants growing too close to a house, especially under eaves.
To avoid powdery mildew, space plants generously and never plant anything where it will touch a structure at maturity. Leave an air space of 2-3 feet between any plants and your home or a wall. Set properly away from walls, plants grow better as air circulation and soil health improve.
Once black spot finds a garden, it is very difficult to eradicate. Personally, I compost any rose that remains susceptible, preferring to grow plants that thrive with natural care. Rugosa hybrids are high on that list, as are many modern shrub roses, including the Canadian-bred Explorer series. Of species roses, among the easiest to please are blue-leaved Rosa glauca, the ever-blooming R. chinensis, and sweetbrier, R. rubiginosa.
Healthy soil helps plants resist many foliage diseases, so give any sufferers a deep mulch of aged manure or compost. To reduce symptoms immediately, spray foliage with baking soda, adding insecticidal soap or horticultural oil as a sticking agent. Here's a recipe.
The usual culprit is excess rain and cold nights. Lawns suffer because clay-based soils stay so damp they become anaerobic. Airless soil favors root rots and mossy growth while discouraging sturdy rooting in turf grasses. To bring a soggy lawn back to life, rake an inch of compost evenly over the grass. Do this now and you'll see an almost immediate improvement in turf quality. Do this each spring and every fall and in a few seasons, the renewed soil will support healthy, deep-rooted turf that resists red thread and molds.
Several studies carried out at have proven that compost does more to improve lawn health than the sadly typical regime of fertilizers and pesticides. That's because chemical treatments only affect symptoms, while regular applications of compost heal both sandy and clay-based soils, promoting turf health from the inside out.
The good news is that by choosing green lawn care, we actively promote a healthier environment on many levels. Instead of adding to landfills, we create a need for recycled green waste, which becomes wholesome compost. By using compost instead of chemicals, we do not add to the toxic chemical burdens that impair soil, air, and water quality. Rain that washes through our property carries away no dangerous residues to harm frogs or fish. Birds, bees, and butterflies that visit our gardens and lawns are not imperiled by toxins.
If the turf is thin and spotty, rake in compost then oversow with a regionally appropriate seed mix. Choose a shade-tolerant blend for any areas that get less than full sun, and try a playground blend for areas that get a lot of foot traffic.
Powdery mildew is widespread when a wet spring causes sudden shifts of warm and cold weather. Affected plants look as if the foliage is dusted with flour. Powdery mildew is usually caused by some combination of dry roots, high humidity, crowding and poor air circulation. It is very common to see it on plants growing too close to a house, especially under eaves.
To avoid powdery mildew, space plants generously and never plant anything where it will touch a structure at maturity. Leave an air space of 2-3 feet between any plants and your home or a wall. Set properly away from walls, plants grow better as air circulation and soil health improve.
Once black spot finds a garden, it is very difficult to eradicate. Personally, I compost any rose that remains susceptible, preferring to grow plants that thrive with natural care. Rugosa hybrids are high on that list, as are many modern shrub roses, including the Canadian-bred Explorer series. Of species roses, among the easiest to please are blue-leaved Rosa glauca, the ever-blooming R. chinensis, and sweetbrier, R. rubiginosa.
Healthy soil helps plants resist many foliage diseases, so give any sufferers a deep mulch of aged manure or compost. To reduce symptoms immediately, spray foliage with baking soda, adding insecticidal soap or horticultural oil as a sticking agent. Here's a recipe.
Monday, May 21, 2012
She's Finally Free of Mold-Filled Home
Denise Mitsuma is free and clear of the mold-filled home at 19 Walker Farm Lane in Barrington.
Ownership of the home was transferred to the Rhode Island Housing Mortgage and Finance Corporation after a closing on May 8, according to a warranty deed filed in Barrington Town Hall.
Mitsuma got back what she paid for the home last fall -- $210,000, according to the deed, of which $42,000 was her down payment. She also got her $6,500 in closing costs reimbursed, said Steve Martin, chairman of the Barrington Housing Board of Trustees. But nothing else.
Mitsuma said previously that she had around $24,000 in expenses related to living elsewhere while trying to get West Elmwood to buy back the home.
Other details of the settlement reached between Mitsuma, West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation, which owns the affordable housing development, and RIHMFC, which provided the cash, remain undisclosed.
Indeed, Mitsuma reportedly signed a confidentially agreement as part of the closing, which Martin called a “gag order.”
Attempts to reach the two principals in the settlement, Mitsuma, and Sharon Conrad-Wells, the executive director of West Elmwood, were unsuccessful. Phone messages left for them were not returned.
Barrington Town Manager Peter DeAngelis Jr., who served as kind of a broker for the settlement by suggesting that RIHMFC provide the cash for West Elmwood to repurchase the house, also said he preferred not to comment on the settlement right now.
Final agreement on the settlement came several months after it was first suggested by DeAngelis. In the meantime, Mitsuma moved all of the personal belongings she could save out of the home on March 16. She said on that day that her attorney, Greg Carrara of Barrington, asked her to no longer make any public comment about her plight.
The mold sprouted in 19 Walker Farm Lane after the basement of the home off of County Road near Hundred Acre Cove filled with a foot of water several weeks after she moved into it late last fall. Mitsuma began to clash immediately with West Elmwood about cleaning up the house and making it healthy and habitable again. See Patch story.
Martin said in March at a Housing Board meeting that Rhode Island Housing had agreed in principle to provide the money to repurchase the house. But West Elmwood appeared to be dragging its feet.
Mistuma is living in Little Compton, according to the address on the deed. Her 10-year-old daughter is a student at St. Luke’s School in Barrington, the primary reason she moved to Walker Farm Lane.
West Elmwood now must make the house marketable again, Martin said to the Housing Board. In developing property, he said, there are always risks. The 150-year rainstorm that caused the flooding last fall became one of them.
“I’ve reviewed the civil engineering,” Martin said. “Everything looks like it was done okay. Nobody is at fault. We may never see a rainstorm like that again.”
But state law says a buyer of a new home “has a right to expect habitability,” he said. “This house is not habitable.”
The rest of the board agreed that the situation was West Elmwood’s problem -- a problem the nonprofit did not handle well.
“We’re working through this,” Martin said then. “But West Elmwood is going to have to step up.”
Ownership of the home was transferred to the Rhode Island Housing Mortgage and Finance Corporation after a closing on May 8, according to a warranty deed filed in Barrington Town Hall.
Mitsuma got back what she paid for the home last fall -- $210,000, according to the deed, of which $42,000 was her down payment. She also got her $6,500 in closing costs reimbursed, said Steve Martin, chairman of the Barrington Housing Board of Trustees. But nothing else.
Mitsuma said previously that she had around $24,000 in expenses related to living elsewhere while trying to get West Elmwood to buy back the home.
Other details of the settlement reached between Mitsuma, West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation, which owns the affordable housing development, and RIHMFC, which provided the cash, remain undisclosed.
Indeed, Mitsuma reportedly signed a confidentially agreement as part of the closing, which Martin called a “gag order.”
Attempts to reach the two principals in the settlement, Mitsuma, and Sharon Conrad-Wells, the executive director of West Elmwood, were unsuccessful. Phone messages left for them were not returned.
Barrington Town Manager Peter DeAngelis Jr., who served as kind of a broker for the settlement by suggesting that RIHMFC provide the cash for West Elmwood to repurchase the house, also said he preferred not to comment on the settlement right now.
Final agreement on the settlement came several months after it was first suggested by DeAngelis. In the meantime, Mitsuma moved all of the personal belongings she could save out of the home on March 16. She said on that day that her attorney, Greg Carrara of Barrington, asked her to no longer make any public comment about her plight.
The mold sprouted in 19 Walker Farm Lane after the basement of the home off of County Road near Hundred Acre Cove filled with a foot of water several weeks after she moved into it late last fall. Mitsuma began to clash immediately with West Elmwood about cleaning up the house and making it healthy and habitable again. See Patch story.
Martin said in March at a Housing Board meeting that Rhode Island Housing had agreed in principle to provide the money to repurchase the house. But West Elmwood appeared to be dragging its feet.
Mistuma is living in Little Compton, according to the address on the deed. Her 10-year-old daughter is a student at St. Luke’s School in Barrington, the primary reason she moved to Walker Farm Lane.
West Elmwood now must make the house marketable again, Martin said to the Housing Board. In developing property, he said, there are always risks. The 150-year rainstorm that caused the flooding last fall became one of them.
“I’ve reviewed the civil engineering,” Martin said. “Everything looks like it was done okay. Nobody is at fault. We may never see a rainstorm like that again.”
But state law says a buyer of a new home “has a right to expect habitability,” he said. “This house is not habitable.”
The rest of the board agreed that the situation was West Elmwood’s problem -- a problem the nonprofit did not handle well.
“We’re working through this,” Martin said then. “But West Elmwood is going to have to step up.”
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Workers lacking skills hinder more U.S. factory gains
Paul Bonin has no problem getting enough orders to keep his factory busy. What he can't find are enough qualified employees to work on the assembly lines.
"The biggest challenge we face is a skilled labor force," said Bonin, president of Bertrand Products in South Bend, Ind., which makes transmission parts for helicopters. He sees opportunities to fill more orders, "but I can't take the work because I can't find the work force."
The inability to locate employees with the right abilities is holding back manufacturing, the industry that led the United States out of the worst recession since the 1930s, just as the economy shows signs of cooling. The number of factory jobs waiting to be filled climbed to 326,000 in March, the most since November 2007, according to data from the Labor Department.
"The manufacturing sector is clearly showing signs of a skills mismatch," said Dean Maki, chief U.S. economist at Barclays in New York. "It is likely to weigh on manufacturing growth."
Manufacturing was the only one of the seven seasonally adjusted major industry categories tracked by the government with as many openings in March as in the months before the recession started in December 2007. Openings at factories had been as low as 93,000 in May 2009, the fewest in records going back to 2000.
At the same time, the hiring rate, which is the number of people added to factory payrolls as a share of total employment, was 2.2 percent in March compared with 2.9 percent in November 2007, according to the Labor Department.
"There's a sharp divergence on what's happening on the opening side and what's happening on the hiring side," underscoring the skills mismatch, said Maki.
Economists like Heidi Shierholz are among those who disagree with the premise that a lack of skills is restraining factory hiring.
"There is always some degree of skills mismatch," said Shierholz, a labor-market economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, which gets some of its funding from labor unions. "That's one of the reasons why even in boom times we have 4 percent unemployment. The vast majority of the increase in unemployment is just due to weak demand."
European industrial production unexpectedly declined in March, capping a quarter that probably saw the economy slip into its second recession in as many years. Production in the 17- nation euro area slipped 0.3 percent in March from a month earlier, the European Union's statistics office in Luxembourg said last week. In the first quarter, output fell 0.5 percent.
The Manufacturing Institute, which is affiliated with the National Association of Manufacturers, said in a 2011 report that in the United States, "shortages in skilled production jobs — machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors, technicians, and more — are taking their toll on manufacturers' ability to expand operations, drive innovation and improve productivity."
The Washington-based group said 74 percent of its survey respondents "indicated that workforce shortages or skills deficiencies in skilled production roles are having a significant impact on their ability to expand operations or improve productivity."
"We're turning down some business because we can only take in so much with the staff we have," said Ahaus, president of Ahaus Tool & Engineering in Richmond, Ind. The company now has 90 employees after taking in 10 more in the past six months. "We could hire five more today" if the right people are found, he said.
A survey by the National Federation of Independent Business showed a net 17 percent of owners said job openings were hard to fill in April, up 2 points from March and close to the almost four-year high reached in January.
Auto-parts supplier Jody Fledderman said his company faces a similar situation.
"We fight the same thing," said Fledderman, president and chief executive officer of Batesville Tool & Die Inc., a Batesville, Ind.-based firm that supplies both foreign and domestic automakers with brackets, oil pans and suspension parts. "There are very few younger people starting to go into the industry."
Bonin, Ahaus and Fledderman are members of the Precision Metalforming Association and the National Tooling and Machining Association. They were in Washington last week with about 100 other small-business owners to meet with lawmakers and discuss the hurdles faced by manufacturers.
Bonin said many job seekers he meets, particularly younger applicants, do not have a mechanical background, the machinery skills or the math and science aptitude to operate the company's equipment. Instead, "all I'm doing is stealing from the other shops now."
One reason for the skills mismatch is that "the manufacturing sector over time has become much more technology-intensive," said Barclays' Maki. The computer comprehension needed to work the equipment "is making it harder to fill more positions."
Manufacturing, which accounts for about 12 percent of the economy, grew in April at the fastest pace in almost a year, as a pickup in orders signaled factories will remain a source of strength for the expansion. The Institute for Supply Management's factory index climbed to 54.8 last month, the best reading since June, the Tempe, Ariz.-based group said May 1. Readings greater than 50 signal growth.
Factory employment has helped drive the U.S. expansion. Manufacturing payrolls have climbed 4.2 percent since December 2009, compared with a 2.8 percent increase in total hiring.
"The biggest challenge we face is a skilled labor force," said Bonin, president of Bertrand Products in South Bend, Ind., which makes transmission parts for helicopters. He sees opportunities to fill more orders, "but I can't take the work because I can't find the work force."
The inability to locate employees with the right abilities is holding back manufacturing, the industry that led the United States out of the worst recession since the 1930s, just as the economy shows signs of cooling. The number of factory jobs waiting to be filled climbed to 326,000 in March, the most since November 2007, according to data from the Labor Department.
"The manufacturing sector is clearly showing signs of a skills mismatch," said Dean Maki, chief U.S. economist at Barclays in New York. "It is likely to weigh on manufacturing growth."
Manufacturing was the only one of the seven seasonally adjusted major industry categories tracked by the government with as many openings in March as in the months before the recession started in December 2007. Openings at factories had been as low as 93,000 in May 2009, the fewest in records going back to 2000.
At the same time, the hiring rate, which is the number of people added to factory payrolls as a share of total employment, was 2.2 percent in March compared with 2.9 percent in November 2007, according to the Labor Department.
"There's a sharp divergence on what's happening on the opening side and what's happening on the hiring side," underscoring the skills mismatch, said Maki.
Economists like Heidi Shierholz are among those who disagree with the premise that a lack of skills is restraining factory hiring.
"There is always some degree of skills mismatch," said Shierholz, a labor-market economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, which gets some of its funding from labor unions. "That's one of the reasons why even in boom times we have 4 percent unemployment. The vast majority of the increase in unemployment is just due to weak demand."
European industrial production unexpectedly declined in March, capping a quarter that probably saw the economy slip into its second recession in as many years. Production in the 17- nation euro area slipped 0.3 percent in March from a month earlier, the European Union's statistics office in Luxembourg said last week. In the first quarter, output fell 0.5 percent.
The Manufacturing Institute, which is affiliated with the National Association of Manufacturers, said in a 2011 report that in the United States, "shortages in skilled production jobs — machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors, technicians, and more — are taking their toll on manufacturers' ability to expand operations, drive innovation and improve productivity."
The Washington-based group said 74 percent of its survey respondents "indicated that workforce shortages or skills deficiencies in skilled production roles are having a significant impact on their ability to expand operations or improve productivity."
"We're turning down some business because we can only take in so much with the staff we have," said Ahaus, president of Ahaus Tool & Engineering in Richmond, Ind. The company now has 90 employees after taking in 10 more in the past six months. "We could hire five more today" if the right people are found, he said.
A survey by the National Federation of Independent Business showed a net 17 percent of owners said job openings were hard to fill in April, up 2 points from March and close to the almost four-year high reached in January.
Auto-parts supplier Jody Fledderman said his company faces a similar situation.
"We fight the same thing," said Fledderman, president and chief executive officer of Batesville Tool & Die Inc., a Batesville, Ind.-based firm that supplies both foreign and domestic automakers with brackets, oil pans and suspension parts. "There are very few younger people starting to go into the industry."
Bonin, Ahaus and Fledderman are members of the Precision Metalforming Association and the National Tooling and Machining Association. They were in Washington last week with about 100 other small-business owners to meet with lawmakers and discuss the hurdles faced by manufacturers.
Bonin said many job seekers he meets, particularly younger applicants, do not have a mechanical background, the machinery skills or the math and science aptitude to operate the company's equipment. Instead, "all I'm doing is stealing from the other shops now."
One reason for the skills mismatch is that "the manufacturing sector over time has become much more technology-intensive," said Barclays' Maki. The computer comprehension needed to work the equipment "is making it harder to fill more positions."
Manufacturing, which accounts for about 12 percent of the economy, grew in April at the fastest pace in almost a year, as a pickup in orders signaled factories will remain a source of strength for the expansion. The Institute for Supply Management's factory index climbed to 54.8 last month, the best reading since June, the Tempe, Ariz.-based group said May 1. Readings greater than 50 signal growth.
Factory employment has helped drive the U.S. expansion. Manufacturing payrolls have climbed 4.2 percent since December 2009, compared with a 2.8 percent increase in total hiring.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Bon Appetit in Scottsdale
If you want to experience the French answer to pizza, you should order the flammekueche at La Petite France in Scottsdale, an Alsatian dish that seems to express everything that the region in northeastern France (not to mention this restaurant) is all about. Also called tarte flambee in the rest of France, La Petite's version arrives on a wooden paddle the same shape and size as your placemat, its ultra-thin crust crispy and tinged with brown around the edges. There are five varieties, but I enjoy the classic version the best — its toppings of cheese, bacon, onions, and creme fraiche melted together into a cheesy and smoky bubbly layer of goodness that is perhaps most reminiscent of the homemade dish pulled from wood-fired ovens by farmers in the region centuries ago.
"Ah," owner Denis Michel might say after serving you the dish, "you will not be hungry after this, no?"
No. The flammekueche is a dish best shared. But if that isn't an option, Michel will give you instructions on how to prepare the leftovers (one minute at 350 degrees).
Michel, who owns La Petite France with wife and chef Catherine, moved to the Valley in 2006 from their hometown of Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, located close to German border, where the couple operated several restaurants for more than 20 years. Leaving their laid-back, scenic homeland — with its lazy canals, houses of gray-tiled roofs and cross-beamed facades, and ancient stone churches — the Michels moved to Phoenix to be closer to their daughter. In 2010, they opened their French bistro, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in the Scottsdale Seville Shopping Center and called it La Petite France, named after a district in Strasbourg.
Their menu of reasonably priced regional specialties includes scrumptious dishes of German-influenced Alsatian cuisine, and the unpresumptuous La Petite seems to have gathered all the charms of their native land into a single neighborhood bistro. You can taste it in each complimentary amuse bouche, see it in the dainty cake molds hung over a doorway, and hear it with every warm greeting upon entering. And the bistro's French unhurried approach (or simply slow, depending on your perspective) means meals are served up nice and leisurely, so make time to enjoy.
For starters or light meals to share with friends over glasses from La Petite's (unfortunately) small selection of wine, there's the famous flammekueche; bountiful cheese and country platters of pate, salami, prosciutto, nuts, and fruits arranged so beautifully you can't help staring if one is carried by your table; and three kinds of dreamy cheese fondues. The best, Michel will tell you, is the fondue Savoyarde, from France's Savoie region at the heart of the French Alps. La Petite's rich, creamy blend of Gruyere and comte cheeses and white wine (served with baguette croutons and ham) may be far removed from the region's ski-resort clientele, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't consume it with the same apres-ski voracity.
Of course, there are crepes. Lots of them. And they are a lovely lot — savory for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and sweet for dessert. The lunch and dinner versions arrive like soft, unfolded wrapping paper, with a gift of flavorful fillings in the center and accompanied by a side salad. The Provencale was my favorite, more filling than I'd expected, with tasty assorted vegetables, goat cheese, creme fraiche, mushrooms, and herbs topped with a fried egg.
When it comes to the more typical night-out dining experience, you might expect the prices of a French restaurant in an upscale Scottsdale shopping center to match the address, but La Petite offers two- and three-course meals at $24.99 (appetizer and entree) and $29.99 (appetizer, entree, and dessert), with several options to choose from. And with deals like these, why opt for a la carte?
If there is a standout among the appetizers, it is La Petite's homemade French pate assortment, in which three stellar selections (enough to feed two people) surround a colorful salad of mixed greens dressed with champagne vinaigrette.
Although well prepared, a dish featuring skewered scallops, shrimp, and pineapples in a lemongrass sauce wasn't nearly as interesting in flavor (save for thick slices of warm, skin-on banana whose sweetness and soft texture I simply couldn't get enough of) as the beef carpaccio appetizer. Appearing like a kaleidoscope, the thinly sliced beef was hidden under a rich and creamy tuna sauce, topped with a pinwheel of French pickles. Bordered by balsamic-spotted cucumber slices, its taste-bud trade-off between beef and tuna with highlights of sweetness was certainly curious, but pleasingly so.
If La Petite has not run out of the entree choucroute royale — which it sometimes does — it is a must-try. This is the essence of Alsatian cuisine, featuring sauerkraut, sausages, and potatoes (it's what happens when traditional German foods meet up with French flair), and La Petite's version is comfort-food fantastic. Featuring homemade, Riesling-braised sauerkraut surrounded by a meaty medley of sausages, ham, and cuts of pork, topped with a teetering, steamed half-potato, the dish's sauerkraut is less tart than its German counterpart, and the flavor balances beautifully with the fat from the meats.
"Ah," owner Denis Michel might say after serving you the dish, "you will not be hungry after this, no?"
No. The flammekueche is a dish best shared. But if that isn't an option, Michel will give you instructions on how to prepare the leftovers (one minute at 350 degrees).
Michel, who owns La Petite France with wife and chef Catherine, moved to the Valley in 2006 from their hometown of Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, located close to German border, where the couple operated several restaurants for more than 20 years. Leaving their laid-back, scenic homeland — with its lazy canals, houses of gray-tiled roofs and cross-beamed facades, and ancient stone churches — the Michels moved to Phoenix to be closer to their daughter. In 2010, they opened their French bistro, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in the Scottsdale Seville Shopping Center and called it La Petite France, named after a district in Strasbourg.
Their menu of reasonably priced regional specialties includes scrumptious dishes of German-influenced Alsatian cuisine, and the unpresumptuous La Petite seems to have gathered all the charms of their native land into a single neighborhood bistro. You can taste it in each complimentary amuse bouche, see it in the dainty cake molds hung over a doorway, and hear it with every warm greeting upon entering. And the bistro's French unhurried approach (or simply slow, depending on your perspective) means meals are served up nice and leisurely, so make time to enjoy.
For starters or light meals to share with friends over glasses from La Petite's (unfortunately) small selection of wine, there's the famous flammekueche; bountiful cheese and country platters of pate, salami, prosciutto, nuts, and fruits arranged so beautifully you can't help staring if one is carried by your table; and three kinds of dreamy cheese fondues. The best, Michel will tell you, is the fondue Savoyarde, from France's Savoie region at the heart of the French Alps. La Petite's rich, creamy blend of Gruyere and comte cheeses and white wine (served with baguette croutons and ham) may be far removed from the region's ski-resort clientele, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't consume it with the same apres-ski voracity.
Of course, there are crepes. Lots of them. And they are a lovely lot — savory for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and sweet for dessert. The lunch and dinner versions arrive like soft, unfolded wrapping paper, with a gift of flavorful fillings in the center and accompanied by a side salad. The Provencale was my favorite, more filling than I'd expected, with tasty assorted vegetables, goat cheese, creme fraiche, mushrooms, and herbs topped with a fried egg.
When it comes to the more typical night-out dining experience, you might expect the prices of a French restaurant in an upscale Scottsdale shopping center to match the address, but La Petite offers two- and three-course meals at $24.99 (appetizer and entree) and $29.99 (appetizer, entree, and dessert), with several options to choose from. And with deals like these, why opt for a la carte?
If there is a standout among the appetizers, it is La Petite's homemade French pate assortment, in which three stellar selections (enough to feed two people) surround a colorful salad of mixed greens dressed with champagne vinaigrette.
Although well prepared, a dish featuring skewered scallops, shrimp, and pineapples in a lemongrass sauce wasn't nearly as interesting in flavor (save for thick slices of warm, skin-on banana whose sweetness and soft texture I simply couldn't get enough of) as the beef carpaccio appetizer. Appearing like a kaleidoscope, the thinly sliced beef was hidden under a rich and creamy tuna sauce, topped with a pinwheel of French pickles. Bordered by balsamic-spotted cucumber slices, its taste-bud trade-off between beef and tuna with highlights of sweetness was certainly curious, but pleasingly so.
If La Petite has not run out of the entree choucroute royale — which it sometimes does — it is a must-try. This is the essence of Alsatian cuisine, featuring sauerkraut, sausages, and potatoes (it's what happens when traditional German foods meet up with French flair), and La Petite's version is comfort-food fantastic. Featuring homemade, Riesling-braised sauerkraut surrounded by a meaty medley of sausages, ham, and cuts of pork, topped with a teetering, steamed half-potato, the dish's sauerkraut is less tart than its German counterpart, and the flavor balances beautifully with the fat from the meats.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Home mold removal advice, concerns and issues
If you recognize your home has mold growing indoors you will want to react immediately to have it removed. Molds are fungi that can come in thousands of species; some are harmless and some can cause many complications in the people exposed to them. This article will go over the types of molds that can cause health problems in people, what causes mold growth and the different types of removal treatments and concerns.
Mold can grow outdoors or indoors. There are molds that can grow on paper, carpet, wood, and foods. They grow best in humid environments that are warm and moist. Basements and showers or underneath sinks are good places for molds to thrive. Molds can also grow in your walls feeding on the drywall or stucco if it is continually damp. Mold can grow in your heating, cooling or ventilation ducts if they are damp. You will usually smell a musty or sweet smell in a home that is moldy. Even though mold grows best in humid environments they can also grow in dry environments if the conditions are right. For example, people who live in dry climates who have evaporative coolers that release a lot of humidity in the home can have mold. Keep humidity levels in your home below 50 percent. Also make sure your home has good ventilation, open the windows everyday, if possible, especially in the bathrooms. Use the exhaust fan in the range hood while boiling water and run the exhaust fan while taking a shower.
Running an air conditioner in the humid season can dry out the air in your home. Fix any leaks or water damaged areas quickly. Avoid carpeting damp areas like bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements. Remove any carpet that has been water damaged and not dried properly. Water should not be able to enter your house from the patio or yard; the ground should slope down away from the house. If you live in a mobile home you may have mold growth under the home if the ground is soggy around the foundation.
If you find mold growing in your home you will want to get rid of it and the problem that caused it immediately. If you do have any health concerns go to a doctor before you have the mold cleaned. The doctor may advice you to leave your home or he might want to test the mold to find out what it is. You can clean up a minor mold problems in your bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms with a cup of bleach mixed with a gallon of water. Do not paint over a moldy wall, it will likely bleed through or peel off. If the area of mold growth is in your walls or in an area larger that 3 foot by 3 foot you can have a professional contractor come in to clean it up. Make sure you check references and be sure they have experience in mold cleanup. You will not want to breathe in the mold spores during the clean up process. You can wear a respirator mask that costs about $15.00. These masks have a respirator nozzle cartridge on the front and are not just paper. Wear rubber gloves and goggles while cleaning up mold.
There are no standards set for acceptable or unacceptable limits of airborne mold in homes or buildings. There is also no Environmental Protection Agency regulations or standards for airborne mold contaminations. You may come across people that say that there is not evidence of illness due to mold exposure in normal people. Right now government officials are stating that mold complications only occur in people that are already susceptible to respiratory illness. But many others, including scientists and doctors are saying that there is more and more evidence that mold exposure can cause severe reaction in even the healthiest of people.
You may find that you have a fight on your hands in getting mold cleaned up if you live in an apartment complex or rental home. You also may have difficulty getting a home builder to pay for expensive clean up if you have a new home with mold. You will need to do your research and fight to get the help you need. Mold growth has become more and more of a problem over the past twenty or thirty years because of the improvements in construction of buildings and homes. This construction results in a tightly sealed edifice which makes it beneficial in terms of energy conservation and keeping bugs out, yet it is difficult for moisture to escape the building. This tightly sealed environment does not allow for ventilation and thus leads to the growth of mold.
There have been many brand new homes in the past decade that have mold growth in the walls and the owners are not even aware of it until they start to feel sick. Being aware that mold can be a health risk is important in preventing illness. Pay attention to the warning signs that mold may be present in your home and get it cleaned up immediately.
Mold can grow outdoors or indoors. There are molds that can grow on paper, carpet, wood, and foods. They grow best in humid environments that are warm and moist. Basements and showers or underneath sinks are good places for molds to thrive. Molds can also grow in your walls feeding on the drywall or stucco if it is continually damp. Mold can grow in your heating, cooling or ventilation ducts if they are damp. You will usually smell a musty or sweet smell in a home that is moldy. Even though mold grows best in humid environments they can also grow in dry environments if the conditions are right. For example, people who live in dry climates who have evaporative coolers that release a lot of humidity in the home can have mold. Keep humidity levels in your home below 50 percent. Also make sure your home has good ventilation, open the windows everyday, if possible, especially in the bathrooms. Use the exhaust fan in the range hood while boiling water and run the exhaust fan while taking a shower.
Running an air conditioner in the humid season can dry out the air in your home. Fix any leaks or water damaged areas quickly. Avoid carpeting damp areas like bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements. Remove any carpet that has been water damaged and not dried properly. Water should not be able to enter your house from the patio or yard; the ground should slope down away from the house. If you live in a mobile home you may have mold growth under the home if the ground is soggy around the foundation.
If you find mold growing in your home you will want to get rid of it and the problem that caused it immediately. If you do have any health concerns go to a doctor before you have the mold cleaned. The doctor may advice you to leave your home or he might want to test the mold to find out what it is. You can clean up a minor mold problems in your bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms with a cup of bleach mixed with a gallon of water. Do not paint over a moldy wall, it will likely bleed through or peel off. If the area of mold growth is in your walls or in an area larger that 3 foot by 3 foot you can have a professional contractor come in to clean it up. Make sure you check references and be sure they have experience in mold cleanup. You will not want to breathe in the mold spores during the clean up process. You can wear a respirator mask that costs about $15.00. These masks have a respirator nozzle cartridge on the front and are not just paper. Wear rubber gloves and goggles while cleaning up mold.
There are no standards set for acceptable or unacceptable limits of airborne mold in homes or buildings. There is also no Environmental Protection Agency regulations or standards for airborne mold contaminations. You may come across people that say that there is not evidence of illness due to mold exposure in normal people. Right now government officials are stating that mold complications only occur in people that are already susceptible to respiratory illness. But many others, including scientists and doctors are saying that there is more and more evidence that mold exposure can cause severe reaction in even the healthiest of people.
You may find that you have a fight on your hands in getting mold cleaned up if you live in an apartment complex or rental home. You also may have difficulty getting a home builder to pay for expensive clean up if you have a new home with mold. You will need to do your research and fight to get the help you need. Mold growth has become more and more of a problem over the past twenty or thirty years because of the improvements in construction of buildings and homes. This construction results in a tightly sealed edifice which makes it beneficial in terms of energy conservation and keeping bugs out, yet it is difficult for moisture to escape the building. This tightly sealed environment does not allow for ventilation and thus leads to the growth of mold.
There have been many brand new homes in the past decade that have mold growth in the walls and the owners are not even aware of it until they start to feel sick. Being aware that mold can be a health risk is important in preventing illness. Pay attention to the warning signs that mold may be present in your home and get it cleaned up immediately.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Local antiques club marks 45 years
The Fort Ball Antique Club celebrated its 45th anniversary May 9 at The Hermitage, the home of Elke and Dieter Schneppat. Three former members and 16 members attended the dinner meeting, along with a few guests.
Past presidents who have moved away came to the meeting. They included Shirley Forrest, Bellaire Beach, Fla.; Margaret Mann, Lakeside; and Marnie Jones, Charlotte, N.C. Jones and Forrest also were charter members. Charter members who still belong to the club are Janet Beisner, Edwina Miller and Elke Schneppat.
"I was 27 years old when we started this," Schneppat said.
Having grown up with vintage objects, she was able to continue and expand her interest through the club. Schneppat said she still enjoys shopping for antiques.
For the anniversary celebration, members enjoyed appetizers and a time of reminiscing on the outdoor patio. Jones has been away from Tiffin for 24 years, but she has fond memories of the friends she has made through the club. She met Dieter and Elke Schneppat when both couples were living in the same apartment complex in Tiffin.
The two women and eight other women had a common interest in antiques, so they formed a chapter of Questers, a national organization for people who collect and restore antiques. The founders decided to limit the number of members to 20 so meetings could take place in homes. They always had a waiting list of women wanting to join.
"It was a group that everybody wanted to be in. It was a vibrant, wonderful group. In fact, it's the best club I've ever been in," Jones said. "I still love it."
Following her mother's example, one of Jones' daughters used Fort Ball as a model to start a similar club in her town. It has been active for 36 years.
Jones has moved a few times and reduced her antique collection, which consisted mostly of family heirlooms and items from the colonial period.
"When we left Tiffin, we had to downsize and gave the girls a lot of things. Then when I moved to a retirement home, I had to downsize, so the girls got a lot more then," Jones said.
After her husband died nine years ago, Jones moved to a condominium in Charlotte to be near her middle daughter. The antiques she still owns are electronically catalogued with the date each item was acquired, a description, its family history (if applicable) and the daughter who is to inherit it.
Another past president, Forrest, has been away from Tiffin for 33 years, but she traveled from Florida to attend the anniversary celebration.
The first time she entered The Hermitage, she was 13 years old and part of a group of students who helped to serve a catered meal hosted by George Kalbfleisch.
She remembered the antique club met once a month, as members still do. After about five years, the group broke away from Questers and changed its name to Fort Ball Antique Club.
Two of the programs Forrest presented were about pewter ice cream molds and blue and white Wedgewood Jasperware.
"We always had speakers. Usually, it was ourselves. Each person chose a subject. If they had a collection, they'd bring part of it and talk about the collection. We all learned a lot about the other collections," Forrest said. "We did a lot of field trips. Every month, we did a field trip. That was a lot of fun."
Forrest said she joined a club in Florida and worked at a few antique shops, but the business has suffered with the rest of the economy in recent years.
"Antiques have gone up in price. When we used to go, we'd find items for $20. Now it's more like $220," Forrest said.
Secretary Janet Beisner presented a brief history and overview of the first 20 years of the club's programs and field trips. Schneppat assisted by reading the news release about the first meeting and listed the 10 women who started the club. Members enjoyed a scrapbook of former programs and picture albums from the early years.
At the formal dinner, catered by Aramark, a charter member sat at each of the tables to guide the conversation. After the meal, members adjourned to the music room, where the quilt the club made for the bicentennial celebration in 1976 was on display. Beisner guided the discussion by mentioning events of the last 25 years, and many members added their own comments.
Past presidents who have moved away came to the meeting. They included Shirley Forrest, Bellaire Beach, Fla.; Margaret Mann, Lakeside; and Marnie Jones, Charlotte, N.C. Jones and Forrest also were charter members. Charter members who still belong to the club are Janet Beisner, Edwina Miller and Elke Schneppat.
"I was 27 years old when we started this," Schneppat said.
Having grown up with vintage objects, she was able to continue and expand her interest through the club. Schneppat said she still enjoys shopping for antiques.
For the anniversary celebration, members enjoyed appetizers and a time of reminiscing on the outdoor patio. Jones has been away from Tiffin for 24 years, but she has fond memories of the friends she has made through the club. She met Dieter and Elke Schneppat when both couples were living in the same apartment complex in Tiffin.
The two women and eight other women had a common interest in antiques, so they formed a chapter of Questers, a national organization for people who collect and restore antiques. The founders decided to limit the number of members to 20 so meetings could take place in homes. They always had a waiting list of women wanting to join.
"It was a group that everybody wanted to be in. It was a vibrant, wonderful group. In fact, it's the best club I've ever been in," Jones said. "I still love it."
Following her mother's example, one of Jones' daughters used Fort Ball as a model to start a similar club in her town. It has been active for 36 years.
Jones has moved a few times and reduced her antique collection, which consisted mostly of family heirlooms and items from the colonial period.
"When we left Tiffin, we had to downsize and gave the girls a lot of things. Then when I moved to a retirement home, I had to downsize, so the girls got a lot more then," Jones said.
After her husband died nine years ago, Jones moved to a condominium in Charlotte to be near her middle daughter. The antiques she still owns are electronically catalogued with the date each item was acquired, a description, its family history (if applicable) and the daughter who is to inherit it.
Another past president, Forrest, has been away from Tiffin for 33 years, but she traveled from Florida to attend the anniversary celebration.
The first time she entered The Hermitage, she was 13 years old and part of a group of students who helped to serve a catered meal hosted by George Kalbfleisch.
She remembered the antique club met once a month, as members still do. After about five years, the group broke away from Questers and changed its name to Fort Ball Antique Club.
Two of the programs Forrest presented were about pewter ice cream molds and blue and white Wedgewood Jasperware.
"We always had speakers. Usually, it was ourselves. Each person chose a subject. If they had a collection, they'd bring part of it and talk about the collection. We all learned a lot about the other collections," Forrest said. "We did a lot of field trips. Every month, we did a field trip. That was a lot of fun."
Forrest said she joined a club in Florida and worked at a few antique shops, but the business has suffered with the rest of the economy in recent years.
"Antiques have gone up in price. When we used to go, we'd find items for $20. Now it's more like $220," Forrest said.
Secretary Janet Beisner presented a brief history and overview of the first 20 years of the club's programs and field trips. Schneppat assisted by reading the news release about the first meeting and listed the 10 women who started the club. Members enjoyed a scrapbook of former programs and picture albums from the early years.
At the formal dinner, catered by Aramark, a charter member sat at each of the tables to guide the conversation. After the meal, members adjourned to the music room, where the quilt the club made for the bicentennial celebration in 1976 was on display. Beisner guided the discussion by mentioning events of the last 25 years, and many members added their own comments.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Depression glass? I hope not
I found these bowls at a cousin’s house in Alabama. There are six of them and they originally came with a larger bowl that was broken long ago. The color is dark cranberry and there are no markings or dates to tell what they are. They were purchased around 1939 in Prineville, Ore., when my cousin was working for the Civil Conservation Corps, which was part of the WPA that President Roosevelt started. They are very pretty and I would like to know what they are and maybe their value. I have searched the Web but have not found anything. Is this depression glass?
If I could not answer your questions, you might very well consider it to be depression glass. But cheer up. I think I can help.
First of all, Depression glass is a broad category that covers the breadth and depth of low-cost glassware made during or even around the time of the Great Depression. It was predominantly translucent and produced in many colors by dozens of manufacturers in more than 100 patterns.
In fact, it was so inexpensive that it often was simply given away as a sales stimulator. Quaker Oats, for example, put a piece in every box of cereal! They also were routinely given away to promote the grand opening of a business or with a paid admission to a movie show, etc.
Your Depression glass was made by the Hocking Glass Co. from 1936 to 1940. The design is called Coronation, the name of which was chosen to commemorate Britain’s crowning of King Edward VIII, a news event that had captivated Americans in 1936. The pattern is also referred to by collectors as “banded fine rib” or “Saxon.” For the most part, it came in either royal ruby red, like yours, or pink, though green and crystal examples exist, too, as real rarities.
The pieces offered included berry bowls of three sizes, i.e., 4, 6 and 8 inches, as well as a cup, saucer, sherbet bowl, lunch plate, tumbler and pitcher. The latter is the hardest of all to find today. Royal ruby, however, was not manufactured until 1939, and only five of the nine pieces were ever made in that color — the three bowls, the cup and the lunch plate. You also might note that the handles of your bowls are open and feature a decorative scroll impression, while earlier molds produced examples that have a closed tab handle and a rayed or fine rib pattern.
Beginning in the 1960s, collecting colorful Depression glass became a very popular hobby. Until the invention of the Internet, people had few opportunities to add to their collections since they basically were limited to what they could find in antique shops, flea markets and rummage sales. Today, however, online auctions and sellers’ Web pages from around the world offer glassware for sale in abundance. Consequently, only the truly rare and sought-after articles have continued to go up in value.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your outlook, most ruby red Coronation pieces are plentiful. Either they were made profusely or the supply that remains far exceeds the demand. Theoretically, the smaller bowls are worth about $10 each and your larger bowl, the one that was broken, about $30. In actuality, seldom do patient people pay even half that. For example, I did a search at a popular online auction site and found that a set of six berry bowls like yours and a large 8-inch bowl sold recently for only $13.50, plus shipping!
If I could not answer your questions, you might very well consider it to be depression glass. But cheer up. I think I can help.
First of all, Depression glass is a broad category that covers the breadth and depth of low-cost glassware made during or even around the time of the Great Depression. It was predominantly translucent and produced in many colors by dozens of manufacturers in more than 100 patterns.
In fact, it was so inexpensive that it often was simply given away as a sales stimulator. Quaker Oats, for example, put a piece in every box of cereal! They also were routinely given away to promote the grand opening of a business or with a paid admission to a movie show, etc.
Your Depression glass was made by the Hocking Glass Co. from 1936 to 1940. The design is called Coronation, the name of which was chosen to commemorate Britain’s crowning of King Edward VIII, a news event that had captivated Americans in 1936. The pattern is also referred to by collectors as “banded fine rib” or “Saxon.” For the most part, it came in either royal ruby red, like yours, or pink, though green and crystal examples exist, too, as real rarities.
The pieces offered included berry bowls of three sizes, i.e., 4, 6 and 8 inches, as well as a cup, saucer, sherbet bowl, lunch plate, tumbler and pitcher. The latter is the hardest of all to find today. Royal ruby, however, was not manufactured until 1939, and only five of the nine pieces were ever made in that color — the three bowls, the cup and the lunch plate. You also might note that the handles of your bowls are open and feature a decorative scroll impression, while earlier molds produced examples that have a closed tab handle and a rayed or fine rib pattern.
Beginning in the 1960s, collecting colorful Depression glass became a very popular hobby. Until the invention of the Internet, people had few opportunities to add to their collections since they basically were limited to what they could find in antique shops, flea markets and rummage sales. Today, however, online auctions and sellers’ Web pages from around the world offer glassware for sale in abundance. Consequently, only the truly rare and sought-after articles have continued to go up in value.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your outlook, most ruby red Coronation pieces are plentiful. Either they were made profusely or the supply that remains far exceeds the demand. Theoretically, the smaller bowls are worth about $10 each and your larger bowl, the one that was broken, about $30. In actuality, seldom do patient people pay even half that. For example, I did a search at a popular online auction site and found that a set of six berry bowls like yours and a large 8-inch bowl sold recently for only $13.50, plus shipping!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Kenai students celebrate salmon at fisheries event
About 2,500 rainbow trout were helped into Johnson Lake Tuesday by elementary school students. Some fish were gently guided with small plastic bowls, while other students took a more radical approach - using their bowls to launch the fish into the lake.
"I thought it was kind of funny that 100 kids just throw fish out in the water," Brandon Rasmussen, a fourth-grader at Tustumena Elementary said. "They must be pretty traumatized fish."
Learning was all part of the fun Tuesday as Johnson Lake State Recreation Area in Kasilof was turned in to an educational fair for the 13th annual Fish and Game Kenai Peninsula Salmon Celebration.
The celebration was a culmination of the "Salmon in the Classroom" program, where Kenai Peninsula Borough School District elementary school students learned about salmon throughout the school year.
The program's aim is to teach kids how to foster the environment and appreciate salmon, said Jenny C ope, Fish and Game sport fish fisheries biologist.
"Because salmon is such an important resource economically and culturally for many different reasons," Cope said.
This is the second year Cope has organized the celebration event. She estimated about 800 students helped about 2,500 rainbow trout in to their new home in Johnson Lake on Tuesday.
Even though Tuesday's big attraction was releasing trout, the classroom program kicked off in October with some classes receiving coho eggs that were incubated and kept as fry, Cope said. Those classes were able to release their fry in Centennial Lake as well during the celebration.
The campground was filled with educational booths to provide hands-on learning through demonstrations and activities. There were booths that displayed animal furs and skulls, hands-on fly fishing and casting and, of course, a station called 'You don't know scat' where students were tasked with matching animals with plastic molds of their scat.
The booths were manned by volunteers from the community as well as Sterling Elementary sixth-graders.
"We get to help the fish swim out and we get to learn more about fish," Sean McMullen, one of the student helpers said.
However, there was more to the event than releasing fish. The classroom program the students participated in throughout the year taught them about the life cycles of salmon.
"We got to watch a video about sockeye salmon and the video showed the fish and all of what they did in their cycles," Auree Sorensen, a Soldotna Elementary fourth-grader said.
Connor Koppes, a third grader at Kalifornsky Beach Elementary said learning about the different types of fish was fun. Although, releasing the fish was fun too, he said.
"It was like letting them go like when you catch an adult fish," he said.
Cope said at the end of the day, the students are leaving the celebration with more knowledge about wildlife, although it may not have felt like it.
"I thought it was kind of funny that 100 kids just throw fish out in the water," Brandon Rasmussen, a fourth-grader at Tustumena Elementary said. "They must be pretty traumatized fish."
Learning was all part of the fun Tuesday as Johnson Lake State Recreation Area in Kasilof was turned in to an educational fair for the 13th annual Fish and Game Kenai Peninsula Salmon Celebration.
The celebration was a culmination of the "Salmon in the Classroom" program, where Kenai Peninsula Borough School District elementary school students learned about salmon throughout the school year.
The program's aim is to teach kids how to foster the environment and appreciate salmon, said Jenny C ope, Fish and Game sport fish fisheries biologist.
"Because salmon is such an important resource economically and culturally for many different reasons," Cope said.
This is the second year Cope has organized the celebration event. She estimated about 800 students helped about 2,500 rainbow trout in to their new home in Johnson Lake on Tuesday.
Even though Tuesday's big attraction was releasing trout, the classroom program kicked off in October with some classes receiving coho eggs that were incubated and kept as fry, Cope said. Those classes were able to release their fry in Centennial Lake as well during the celebration.
The campground was filled with educational booths to provide hands-on learning through demonstrations and activities. There were booths that displayed animal furs and skulls, hands-on fly fishing and casting and, of course, a station called 'You don't know scat' where students were tasked with matching animals with plastic molds of their scat.
The booths were manned by volunteers from the community as well as Sterling Elementary sixth-graders.
"We get to help the fish swim out and we get to learn more about fish," Sean McMullen, one of the student helpers said.
However, there was more to the event than releasing fish. The classroom program the students participated in throughout the year taught them about the life cycles of salmon.
"We got to watch a video about sockeye salmon and the video showed the fish and all of what they did in their cycles," Auree Sorensen, a Soldotna Elementary fourth-grader said.
Connor Koppes, a third grader at Kalifornsky Beach Elementary said learning about the different types of fish was fun. Although, releasing the fish was fun too, he said.
"It was like letting them go like when you catch an adult fish," he said.
Cope said at the end of the day, the students are leaving the celebration with more knowledge about wildlife, although it may not have felt like it.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
College helps Newman grad find focus, hope
During the past four years at Newman University, she said she has gone from drifting from job to job to a life with focus and, more importantly, hope.
On Saturday, she graduates. Ruge, 43, will receive her bachelor’s of arts in liberal studies.
Ruge admits she is about as nontraditional as nontraditional college students get.
She was previously married and has a 19-year-old son attending school in Houston. At Newman, she started an “OWL” (Older, Wiser Learners) blog to help other older nontraditional students; was a student residence assistant; sang in the choir; performed in musical and theater productions; and is now considering whether to become a sister in the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, the religious order that founded Newman University.
Ruge said she grew up a Methodist in Eureka, Independence and Coffeyville. She graduated from Coffeyville High School in 1986, got married and then divorced.
In August, 2003, Ruge said, she and her son, Trevor, moved to Wichita.
“At that point, school was not in the picture. I moved to Wichita to be closer to some family that lived in McPherson,” Ruge said.
“Trevor hated the big city of Wichita. He wanted to live with his dad. I made the painful decision to let that happen.”
For some time, she didn’t know what to do or what direction her life would take. She held a variety of jobs, including a veterinarian technician, a leasing agent for offices and apartments and an administrative assistant.
In 2004, she converted to Catholicism.
“Through the encouragement of friends, I came back to school to educate and improve my life,” Ruge said. “It was frustrating to me that I was not able to work in a job that could comfortably support me and my son.”
Initially, she majored in theology with a minor in music. Last year, she added counseling to the list. She hopes to become a hospital or hospice chaplain.
“When I converted to Catholicism , I fell in love with the faith,” she said. “That is what brought me to Newman.
“Sisterhood was not on the table when I returned to Newman. But by praying and seeking God’s guidance for the last two years, I have absolutely fallen in love with them. It’s been my life. It’s a perfect fit.
“Whether I become a sister, I don’t know yet – but certainly that call could deepen my commitment.”
Two decades ago, she considered herself shy and introverted. That’s not how she sees herself now.
“I foundered through life trying to find my way,” Ruge said.
“Everybody always says you need an education, but there is so much more than the world of academia. Education is about life experiences through school and how it molds, transforms and teaches you to transform society. That’s part of the mission statement of Newman, is being empowered to become that person and go out and create change in a positive way.
“I know that God is calling me to do that – whether as a sister or a lay person. I can do my part to transform society.”
On Saturday, she graduates. Ruge, 43, will receive her bachelor’s of arts in liberal studies.
Ruge admits she is about as nontraditional as nontraditional college students get.
She was previously married and has a 19-year-old son attending school in Houston. At Newman, she started an “OWL” (Older, Wiser Learners) blog to help other older nontraditional students; was a student residence assistant; sang in the choir; performed in musical and theater productions; and is now considering whether to become a sister in the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, the religious order that founded Newman University.
Ruge said she grew up a Methodist in Eureka, Independence and Coffeyville. She graduated from Coffeyville High School in 1986, got married and then divorced.
In August, 2003, Ruge said, she and her son, Trevor, moved to Wichita.
“At that point, school was not in the picture. I moved to Wichita to be closer to some family that lived in McPherson,” Ruge said.
“Trevor hated the big city of Wichita. He wanted to live with his dad. I made the painful decision to let that happen.”
For some time, she didn’t know what to do or what direction her life would take. She held a variety of jobs, including a veterinarian technician, a leasing agent for offices and apartments and an administrative assistant.
In 2004, she converted to Catholicism.
“Through the encouragement of friends, I came back to school to educate and improve my life,” Ruge said. “It was frustrating to me that I was not able to work in a job that could comfortably support me and my son.”
Initially, she majored in theology with a minor in music. Last year, she added counseling to the list. She hopes to become a hospital or hospice chaplain.
“When I converted to Catholicism , I fell in love with the faith,” she said. “That is what brought me to Newman.
“Sisterhood was not on the table when I returned to Newman. But by praying and seeking God’s guidance for the last two years, I have absolutely fallen in love with them. It’s been my life. It’s a perfect fit.
“Whether I become a sister, I don’t know yet – but certainly that call could deepen my commitment.”
Two decades ago, she considered herself shy and introverted. That’s not how she sees herself now.
“I foundered through life trying to find my way,” Ruge said.
“Everybody always says you need an education, but there is so much more than the world of academia. Education is about life experiences through school and how it molds, transforms and teaches you to transform society. That’s part of the mission statement of Newman, is being empowered to become that person and go out and create change in a positive way.
“I know that God is calling me to do that – whether as a sister or a lay person. I can do my part to transform society.”
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Suburban schools prepare for difficult times
We’re less than a week away. On Tuesday, New Yorkers will flock to the polls to vote on their respective school budgets. Tuesday will be the first time budgets will be voted on since New York state adopted the property tax cap that limits the amount districts can levy taxes to their constituents.
The cap is putting pressure on schools in the suburbs of Syracuse, but pressure is not new – it’s part of a growing trend in budget problems for public schools.
“When are we going to get to the point where we can no longer provide the kind of service we need to -- the kind of service the community demands, or the kind of service we feel morally obligated to provide?” asks Syracuse University professor of education George Theoharis.
West Genesee Superintendent Chris Brown and his team saw this coming back in 2008 when the economy went sour, and he immediately started making cuts and re-tooling programs to prepare for difficult times.
“We were just fortunate enough that we think we got on that surfboard right when the wave was beginning to crest. We were able to kind of get on and balance ourselves and ride this wave through instead of crashing down,” said Brown.
In Fayetteville-Manlius School District, they’ve had to cut 25 staff members over the last three years, and Superintendent Corliss Kaiser says that it’s an ongoing struggle.
“Schools are businesses. There still needs to be a business office, there still needs to be capital improvements to our buildings. So I believe we need to put our heads together and find the most efficient ways that we can do that while making sure that our classrooms are held harmless from any further layoffs,” Kaiser said.
All this while parents, like Katie Nugent whose kids go to Fayetteville-Manlius, are fearful of more cuts.
“If I start seeing class sizes blow up and I see teachers go away -- it'll weigh in our home because that's why we moved up here. We moved here for this highly regarded education," Nugent said.
Both West Genesee and Fayetteville-Manlius came in below their projected tax caps, and both superintendents are proud of the budgets they’ve been able to put together in this difficult time. But both are also concerned with the difficulties they have each year to please both Albany and the taxpayers – while still trying to do good work in the classroom.
On May 15, voters across the state go to the polls to vote on their school districts' budgets. This week, we take a look at the way the budget vote works, the budget problems New York schools are facing, and the issues facing urban, suburban and rural districts.
Tomorrow we take a look at school districts on the fringes of New York state- rural school districts. Rural districts deal with declining student populations on a yearly basis. Rural districts, in particular, rely on state aid because of a relative lack of property wealth in their regions. Join us tomorrow on Morning Edition as our School Budget Series begins to wrap up.
The cap is putting pressure on schools in the suburbs of Syracuse, but pressure is not new – it’s part of a growing trend in budget problems for public schools.
“When are we going to get to the point where we can no longer provide the kind of service we need to -- the kind of service the community demands, or the kind of service we feel morally obligated to provide?” asks Syracuse University professor of education George Theoharis.
West Genesee Superintendent Chris Brown and his team saw this coming back in 2008 when the economy went sour, and he immediately started making cuts and re-tooling programs to prepare for difficult times.
“We were just fortunate enough that we think we got on that surfboard right when the wave was beginning to crest. We were able to kind of get on and balance ourselves and ride this wave through instead of crashing down,” said Brown.
In Fayetteville-Manlius School District, they’ve had to cut 25 staff members over the last three years, and Superintendent Corliss Kaiser says that it’s an ongoing struggle.
“Schools are businesses. There still needs to be a business office, there still needs to be capital improvements to our buildings. So I believe we need to put our heads together and find the most efficient ways that we can do that while making sure that our classrooms are held harmless from any further layoffs,” Kaiser said.
All this while parents, like Katie Nugent whose kids go to Fayetteville-Manlius, are fearful of more cuts.
“If I start seeing class sizes blow up and I see teachers go away -- it'll weigh in our home because that's why we moved up here. We moved here for this highly regarded education," Nugent said.
Both West Genesee and Fayetteville-Manlius came in below their projected tax caps, and both superintendents are proud of the budgets they’ve been able to put together in this difficult time. But both are also concerned with the difficulties they have each year to please both Albany and the taxpayers – while still trying to do good work in the classroom.
On May 15, voters across the state go to the polls to vote on their school districts' budgets. This week, we take a look at the way the budget vote works, the budget problems New York schools are facing, and the issues facing urban, suburban and rural districts.
Tomorrow we take a look at school districts on the fringes of New York state- rural school districts. Rural districts deal with declining student populations on a yearly basis. Rural districts, in particular, rely on state aid because of a relative lack of property wealth in their regions. Join us tomorrow on Morning Edition as our School Budget Series begins to wrap up.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
From the Indecency of Prejudice, the Narratives of "Camp Logan"
Celeste Bedford Walker's fascinating drama, Camp Logan, is playing at Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC). Walker resurrects the racially-charged 1917 Camp Logan Riots in Houston, Texas from the perspective of the involved mutineers of the 24th Infantry. The Robey Theatre Company production features intense performances, sharp direction, knowing dialogue and excellent period details that culminate into a vivid recreation of a moment of historical significance.
Like the numerous riots that have occurred in Los Angeles, the Camp Logan Riot (also known as the Houston Riot of 1917) involved mounting group tension, racially-motivated discrimination, and an abuse of power by uniformed authority. Struggles between the involved parties -- the soldiers of the all African-American Third Battalion of the 24th Army Infantry and the local white police force -- began shortly after the soldiers were stationed at Camp Logan. Despite their exemplary record of military service, the 24th Infantry was not respectfully welcomed by many of the white residents.
The long-standing climate of Houston's institutionalized and blatant racism quickly revealed itself to the visiting soldiers until a violent final-straw event emerged: On August 23, the Houston police stormed into an African-American woman's house and without citing cause for arrest, drug her without clothing on to her front lawn and proceeded to beat her in front of her five young children. A soldier from the 24th Infantry stepped forward to inquire as to why the woman was being beaten, but the police began to beat him too, later charging the soldier with interfering with an arrest.
Later that evening, an all-out race riot ensued. A mob of armed white civilians and police fought against 156 soldiers from the 24th Infantry throughout the evening. By the time the fighting dwindled down, 20 people, including soldiers, policemen, and civilians, has been killed. A military courts-martial resulted in the death penalty for 19 of the involved soldiers plus life imprisonment sentences for 41 members of the 24th Infantry.
Wallace's Camp Logan is full of richly-crafted, touching, and earnest narratives that serve as a humanizing anchor to the off-the-handle discrimination depicted in the play. She uses typical men and everyday encounters as a vehicle to recount extraordinary events borne out of the common indecency of prejudice. Wallace's grasp of realistic male dialogue is amazingly insightful, devoid of cliché, and beautifully balanced through unique character portraits that work in sonorous tandem.
The ensemble cast of Camp Logan is a spirited, stage-commanding bunch that offers contagious, audience-energizing effervescence. Each performer artfully transforms their characters from boyish, care-free guys into proud, action-ready men tired of suffering disrespectful racist indignities. Lee Stansberry has this awesome Wilford Brimley thing going on as he molds the role of Sergeant McKinney out of controlled gruffness and particularly empathic, stinging subtlety. The animated Sammie Wayne (as Gweely Brown) and Bill Lee Brown (as Joe Moses) work together to bring invigorating comic relief to the play and beautifully implied inherent wisdom to their roles. The raw complexity of tapped syrup comes to mind regarding Dorian C. Baucum's portrayal of Louisiana Creole hailing, post trauma-suffering Private Boogaloosa. Dwain A. Perry blends embittered fortitude with refined optimism to cement Military Police Officer Robert Franciscus. As the high-achieving, but naive Private Hardin, Kaylon Hunt cloaks his role both in sweetness and remorse. Tasked with being the hypocritical bad guy, Jacob Sidney plays Officer Zuelke with careful foreboding and an undercurrent of foreshadowing uneasiness.
Under the direction of Alex Morris, Camp Logan is a well-orchestrated measure of strategic and exciting story-telling. Morris pulls the audience deep into the emotional, potent crux of the Camp Logan Riots. Staging elements by Rodney Rincon and Phil Buono (set design) and Naila A. Sanders (costuming) brim with excellent period details.
Like the numerous riots that have occurred in Los Angeles, the Camp Logan Riot (also known as the Houston Riot of 1917) involved mounting group tension, racially-motivated discrimination, and an abuse of power by uniformed authority. Struggles between the involved parties -- the soldiers of the all African-American Third Battalion of the 24th Army Infantry and the local white police force -- began shortly after the soldiers were stationed at Camp Logan. Despite their exemplary record of military service, the 24th Infantry was not respectfully welcomed by many of the white residents.
The long-standing climate of Houston's institutionalized and blatant racism quickly revealed itself to the visiting soldiers until a violent final-straw event emerged: On August 23, the Houston police stormed into an African-American woman's house and without citing cause for arrest, drug her without clothing on to her front lawn and proceeded to beat her in front of her five young children. A soldier from the 24th Infantry stepped forward to inquire as to why the woman was being beaten, but the police began to beat him too, later charging the soldier with interfering with an arrest.
Later that evening, an all-out race riot ensued. A mob of armed white civilians and police fought against 156 soldiers from the 24th Infantry throughout the evening. By the time the fighting dwindled down, 20 people, including soldiers, policemen, and civilians, has been killed. A military courts-martial resulted in the death penalty for 19 of the involved soldiers plus life imprisonment sentences for 41 members of the 24th Infantry.
Wallace's Camp Logan is full of richly-crafted, touching, and earnest narratives that serve as a humanizing anchor to the off-the-handle discrimination depicted in the play. She uses typical men and everyday encounters as a vehicle to recount extraordinary events borne out of the common indecency of prejudice. Wallace's grasp of realistic male dialogue is amazingly insightful, devoid of cliché, and beautifully balanced through unique character portraits that work in sonorous tandem.
The ensemble cast of Camp Logan is a spirited, stage-commanding bunch that offers contagious, audience-energizing effervescence. Each performer artfully transforms their characters from boyish, care-free guys into proud, action-ready men tired of suffering disrespectful racist indignities. Lee Stansberry has this awesome Wilford Brimley thing going on as he molds the role of Sergeant McKinney out of controlled gruffness and particularly empathic, stinging subtlety. The animated Sammie Wayne (as Gweely Brown) and Bill Lee Brown (as Joe Moses) work together to bring invigorating comic relief to the play and beautifully implied inherent wisdom to their roles. The raw complexity of tapped syrup comes to mind regarding Dorian C. Baucum's portrayal of Louisiana Creole hailing, post trauma-suffering Private Boogaloosa. Dwain A. Perry blends embittered fortitude with refined optimism to cement Military Police Officer Robert Franciscus. As the high-achieving, but naive Private Hardin, Kaylon Hunt cloaks his role both in sweetness and remorse. Tasked with being the hypocritical bad guy, Jacob Sidney plays Officer Zuelke with careful foreboding and an undercurrent of foreshadowing uneasiness.
Under the direction of Alex Morris, Camp Logan is a well-orchestrated measure of strategic and exciting story-telling. Morris pulls the audience deep into the emotional, potent crux of the Camp Logan Riots. Staging elements by Rodney Rincon and Phil Buono (set design) and Naila A. Sanders (costuming) brim with excellent period details.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Loch Ness Monster sculpture mysteriously appears in Wisconsin river
It's an enchanting mystery and point of conversation for the local arts community, but the law sees a sculpture of a friendly monster to be an obstruction in the Chippewa River.
Appearing in the past couple of weeks, the sculpture is in the shape of the Loch Ness Monster, a creature nicknamed Nessie that is reputed to live in a deep Scottish lake.
The sculpted Eau Claire version pokes above the river just north of the Madison Street bridge in Eau Claire.
"It's happening more and more, guerilla installations like this," said Jason Lanka, a UW-Eau Claire assistant art professor. "It's a crossover from a graffiti tradition."
While spontaneous public art displays are more common in metropolitan areas with bigger art communities, Lanka said they are an easy way for artists anywhere to spur conversation about their work.
However, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources views the sculpture as an illegal obstruction in the river.
"Through some means, this obstruction will need to be removed to ensure the public's safety and to meet the standards of state law," Dan Baumann, acting director for the DNR's West Central Region, said in an e-mail.
State laws require DNR approval for any structure that stands below the ordinary high-water mark on all navigable streams, he said.
A person claiming to be the creator of the sculpture e-mailed the Leader-Telegram on Thursday, stating the sculpture will be removed voluntarily in the next 10 days. The e-mail contained details about the monster's construction, including that the eye in the sculpture is a red bottle cap, not a stone.
"As much as I would like to leave it there, I don't want the DNR finding out it was me and fining me for it," the e-mail stated.
The Eau Claire-based Menards home improvement retail chain is interested in acquiring the sculpture.
Menards spokesman Jeff Abbott said the concrete artwork would be a good addition to retention ponds on one of its local properties.
"We have ponds and fountains on many of our properties, and seeing this piece of artwork in the Chippewa River spurred some conversation," he said in an e-mail to the Leader-Telegram.
Menards found the sculpture amusing, Abbott said, and "would probably have a modest budget to help defray expenses" to move the statue to one of the ponds.
Before hearing that Menards is interested in the statue, Baumann had contacted the Eau Claire Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department to inquire about potential dry land locations for the sculpture.
"Hopefully we can find a way to display it that doesn't create a violation of state law or a safety hazard," Baumann wrote.
So far there hasn't been a big demand from the public to have it removed. Prior to Tuesday the DNR hadn't heard about the sculpture, and city police had not received any bad reviews of the art.
"We haven't had any calls or complaints," said Eau Claire police spokesman Kyle Roder.
The police also don't know who put the sculpture in the river or when.
Lanka, the university's sculpture instructor, said the river sculpture appears to be made from cement poured into custom molds to form the body, head and tail. A red stone serves as an eye, and holes with plastic piping in them allow river water to pass through the body of the beast.
Based on the monster's friendly look and a wood-carved giant rabbit head that appeared late last year in the same spot, Lanka said the works are associated with kitsch and pop culture.
"It's interesting. It's kinda cool," he said.
With just two pieces to consider, Lanka said the meaning of the art cannot be ascertained, but it could be as simple as spurring a conversation about art.
Benny Haas, owner of downtown art supply store Benny HaHa, 204 S. Barstow St., agreed that the monster could have been planted just to spur a discussion of the arts in a public forum.
"It's getting us to have the conversation," he said. "I do love the arts being pushed and embraced throughout our community."
Haas, a promoter of the Eau Claire Sculpture Tour, said the monster's appearance is unrelated to the sanctioned sculpture tour, which begins its second year next week with the installation of 31 new works along downtown streets and outside Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire.
Haas first spotted the sculpture Tuesday morning while driving his son to school. It reminded the two of a fallen log on Long Lake that had been painted a few years ago to resemble a sea serpent.
The appearance of sea monsters in art could be a reflection of childhood stories told about creatures swimming in Wisconsin waterways, Haas said.
Chad Lewis, author of several books of strange tales and an Eau Claire-based paranormal investigator, said he's collected reports of aquatic beasts sighted years ago from about three dozen Wisconsin lakes, but never anything specific to Eau Claire.
He's been told very vague stories about a serpent in the Chippewa River, but Lewis never heard a first-hand account or any evidence to back them up.
"Over the years I jokingly called it ‘Chippy,' " he said of the rumored river monster.
Lewis has collected newspaper accounts from the early 20th century of a large swordfish caught on the Eau Claire River and a large black snake reported on Water Street.
"We do have some accounts of weird things being in the river from the past," he said.
And there may be more in the future. The anonymous artist — who goes by the name "The Phoenix" — claimed credit in his e-mail for both Nessie and a wooden carving in the shape of a rabbit's head that appeared in the river last year. They won't be the last, according to the e-mail.
Appearing in the past couple of weeks, the sculpture is in the shape of the Loch Ness Monster, a creature nicknamed Nessie that is reputed to live in a deep Scottish lake.
The sculpted Eau Claire version pokes above the river just north of the Madison Street bridge in Eau Claire.
"It's happening more and more, guerilla installations like this," said Jason Lanka, a UW-Eau Claire assistant art professor. "It's a crossover from a graffiti tradition."
While spontaneous public art displays are more common in metropolitan areas with bigger art communities, Lanka said they are an easy way for artists anywhere to spur conversation about their work.
However, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources views the sculpture as an illegal obstruction in the river.
"Through some means, this obstruction will need to be removed to ensure the public's safety and to meet the standards of state law," Dan Baumann, acting director for the DNR's West Central Region, said in an e-mail.
State laws require DNR approval for any structure that stands below the ordinary high-water mark on all navigable streams, he said.
A person claiming to be the creator of the sculpture e-mailed the Leader-Telegram on Thursday, stating the sculpture will be removed voluntarily in the next 10 days. The e-mail contained details about the monster's construction, including that the eye in the sculpture is a red bottle cap, not a stone.
"As much as I would like to leave it there, I don't want the DNR finding out it was me and fining me for it," the e-mail stated.
The Eau Claire-based Menards home improvement retail chain is interested in acquiring the sculpture.
Menards spokesman Jeff Abbott said the concrete artwork would be a good addition to retention ponds on one of its local properties.
"We have ponds and fountains on many of our properties, and seeing this piece of artwork in the Chippewa River spurred some conversation," he said in an e-mail to the Leader-Telegram.
Menards found the sculpture amusing, Abbott said, and "would probably have a modest budget to help defray expenses" to move the statue to one of the ponds.
Before hearing that Menards is interested in the statue, Baumann had contacted the Eau Claire Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department to inquire about potential dry land locations for the sculpture.
"Hopefully we can find a way to display it that doesn't create a violation of state law or a safety hazard," Baumann wrote.
So far there hasn't been a big demand from the public to have it removed. Prior to Tuesday the DNR hadn't heard about the sculpture, and city police had not received any bad reviews of the art.
"We haven't had any calls or complaints," said Eau Claire police spokesman Kyle Roder.
The police also don't know who put the sculpture in the river or when.
Lanka, the university's sculpture instructor, said the river sculpture appears to be made from cement poured into custom molds to form the body, head and tail. A red stone serves as an eye, and holes with plastic piping in them allow river water to pass through the body of the beast.
Based on the monster's friendly look and a wood-carved giant rabbit head that appeared late last year in the same spot, Lanka said the works are associated with kitsch and pop culture.
"It's interesting. It's kinda cool," he said.
With just two pieces to consider, Lanka said the meaning of the art cannot be ascertained, but it could be as simple as spurring a conversation about art.
Benny Haas, owner of downtown art supply store Benny HaHa, 204 S. Barstow St., agreed that the monster could have been planted just to spur a discussion of the arts in a public forum.
"It's getting us to have the conversation," he said. "I do love the arts being pushed and embraced throughout our community."
Haas, a promoter of the Eau Claire Sculpture Tour, said the monster's appearance is unrelated to the sanctioned sculpture tour, which begins its second year next week with the installation of 31 new works along downtown streets and outside Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire.
Haas first spotted the sculpture Tuesday morning while driving his son to school. It reminded the two of a fallen log on Long Lake that had been painted a few years ago to resemble a sea serpent.
The appearance of sea monsters in art could be a reflection of childhood stories told about creatures swimming in Wisconsin waterways, Haas said.
Chad Lewis, author of several books of strange tales and an Eau Claire-based paranormal investigator, said he's collected reports of aquatic beasts sighted years ago from about three dozen Wisconsin lakes, but never anything specific to Eau Claire.
He's been told very vague stories about a serpent in the Chippewa River, but Lewis never heard a first-hand account or any evidence to back them up.
"Over the years I jokingly called it ‘Chippy,' " he said of the rumored river monster.
Lewis has collected newspaper accounts from the early 20th century of a large swordfish caught on the Eau Claire River and a large black snake reported on Water Street.
"We do have some accounts of weird things being in the river from the past," he said.
And there may be more in the future. The anonymous artist — who goes by the name "The Phoenix" — claimed credit in his e-mail for both Nessie and a wooden carving in the shape of a rabbit's head that appeared in the river last year. They won't be the last, according to the e-mail.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Inventions may lure fishes, but not riches
In 27 years of outdoors writing for The News, I've probably been approached no fewer than 50 times by fishermen who are convinced that they invented a lure that will revolutionize fishing.
A couple of those lures were indeed impressive but most were anything but revolutionary. Some were even contraptions that made me wonder what in the world was going on in that person's head.
I was fishing a few weeks ago with Lee Sisson, the long-time lure designer for Bagley Baits. I was laughing and telling him about a lure a man had once shown me that was made from a small carbon dioxide cannister. It spewed air bubbles when retrieved and weighed way too much to be a lure. I tried not to laugh when the man assured me it was good for at least two or three casts before the canister ran out of air and had to be replaced. And, oh, yeah, you had to carry a small device that would drill the perfect-sized hole in the canister to make it work properly.
He said none of the major lures companies will even talk to outside lure inventors these days. When he gets a call from someone who says he has invented a lure, Sisson stops the caller in mid-sentence and tells him to say no more. He tells the caller that the company is not interested.
What happens, he explained, is that lure companies are always working on lures that they may introduce someday. If the inventor's lure idea is credible, a lure company has probably been working on something similar. If the lure company introduces that lure one day, the inventor is always convinced that he showed the company his idea and the lure company stole it. Troublesome lawsuits can follow.
Sisson said most basement lure inventors wrongly believe the first step once they have come up with an idea for a fishing lure is to have it patented. Patents on fishing lures are pretty much a joke, he said.
First, it is near impossible to get a patent on a lure unless it has an extraordinary design. Second, patents are expensive and pretty much worthless when it comes to fishing lures. Should the lure be a hit with fishermen, the typical inventor doesn't have the time or the money to fight lawsuits against every small lure-maker that might copy it and sell it.
What most amateur lure inventors fail to understand is that should their lure become a hit, they must be ready to produce thousands upon thousands of them instantly, Sisson said. Few have the means to accomplish that.
It may take months to have a mold built and then they must find someone who can produce the lures. Maybe most importantly, they must then find a way to distribute the lures to outlets across the U.S. The entire process is expensive and may take more than a year.
Sisson is credited with designing the first effective deep-diving crank bait. That lure, the Bagley's DB3, is one of those rare lures such as the Rat-L-Trap and Jitterbug that still sell decades after they were introduced.
The reality is that the vast majority of lures have a short life span. Sales may last only a year until interest wanes. The inventor may invest his life savings to have the lure produced and by the time it finally hits the market, the fishermen who at first were so excited about it have found something else. Sisson said he has seen cases where amateur lure inventors who believe they are going to get wealthy invest their life savings and eventually lose most everything else they own.
Where individuals and big lure companies differ is that the companies have the capability to produce thousands of lures at a moment's notice as soon as a lure gets hot. They also have the distribution mechanism to put them in stores and bait shops across the U.S. in a very short time.
When interest in the lure plunges, the companies have lures waiting in the wings that are also ready to be mass produced to fill the void.
If an amateur inventor does have a revolutionary lure, he may get lucky and find a smaller lure company to produce it and distribute it, Sisson said. Even then, he's badly mistaken if he believes he's about to get wealthy. The fishing lure business is highly competitive and production costs are critical to the final sales price. At best, an inventor may get a deal to receive a nickel or dime for every lure sold.
A couple of those lures were indeed impressive but most were anything but revolutionary. Some were even contraptions that made me wonder what in the world was going on in that person's head.
I was fishing a few weeks ago with Lee Sisson, the long-time lure designer for Bagley Baits. I was laughing and telling him about a lure a man had once shown me that was made from a small carbon dioxide cannister. It spewed air bubbles when retrieved and weighed way too much to be a lure. I tried not to laugh when the man assured me it was good for at least two or three casts before the canister ran out of air and had to be replaced. And, oh, yeah, you had to carry a small device that would drill the perfect-sized hole in the canister to make it work properly.
He said none of the major lures companies will even talk to outside lure inventors these days. When he gets a call from someone who says he has invented a lure, Sisson stops the caller in mid-sentence and tells him to say no more. He tells the caller that the company is not interested.
What happens, he explained, is that lure companies are always working on lures that they may introduce someday. If the inventor's lure idea is credible, a lure company has probably been working on something similar. If the lure company introduces that lure one day, the inventor is always convinced that he showed the company his idea and the lure company stole it. Troublesome lawsuits can follow.
Sisson said most basement lure inventors wrongly believe the first step once they have come up with an idea for a fishing lure is to have it patented. Patents on fishing lures are pretty much a joke, he said.
First, it is near impossible to get a patent on a lure unless it has an extraordinary design. Second, patents are expensive and pretty much worthless when it comes to fishing lures. Should the lure be a hit with fishermen, the typical inventor doesn't have the time or the money to fight lawsuits against every small lure-maker that might copy it and sell it.
What most amateur lure inventors fail to understand is that should their lure become a hit, they must be ready to produce thousands upon thousands of them instantly, Sisson said. Few have the means to accomplish that.
It may take months to have a mold built and then they must find someone who can produce the lures. Maybe most importantly, they must then find a way to distribute the lures to outlets across the U.S. The entire process is expensive and may take more than a year.
Sisson is credited with designing the first effective deep-diving crank bait. That lure, the Bagley's DB3, is one of those rare lures such as the Rat-L-Trap and Jitterbug that still sell decades after they were introduced.
The reality is that the vast majority of lures have a short life span. Sales may last only a year until interest wanes. The inventor may invest his life savings to have the lure produced and by the time it finally hits the market, the fishermen who at first were so excited about it have found something else. Sisson said he has seen cases where amateur lure inventors who believe they are going to get wealthy invest their life savings and eventually lose most everything else they own.
Where individuals and big lure companies differ is that the companies have the capability to produce thousands of lures at a moment's notice as soon as a lure gets hot. They also have the distribution mechanism to put them in stores and bait shops across the U.S. in a very short time.
When interest in the lure plunges, the companies have lures waiting in the wings that are also ready to be mass produced to fill the void.
If an amateur inventor does have a revolutionary lure, he may get lucky and find a smaller lure company to produce it and distribute it, Sisson said. Even then, he's badly mistaken if he believes he's about to get wealthy. The fishing lure business is highly competitive and production costs are critical to the final sales price. At best, an inventor may get a deal to receive a nickel or dime for every lure sold.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Rough welcome to big leagues for Proto Labs
Proto Labs, one of Minnesota's hottest stocks of the year, got a rough reception Thursday after it releasing its first quarterly earnings report as a public company.
The Maple Plain-based maker of molds and quick-turn parts, saw its stock price cut by $10 per share, or 27 percent, to $27.36 in late morning trading. It was off about 33 percent in early trading.
Yet Proto Labs beat the consensus first quarter earnings estimate of four analysts who follow the firm, earning $4.8 million, or 22 cents per share, compared with $2.4 million, or 19 cents per share during first quarter of 2011. Sales during the first three months of 2012 rose 34 percent to a record $30 million.
Traders took down the stock after management said in a conference call that increased research and development costs and manufacturing expansion in Minnesota and Japan, considered good in the long term, will cut second quarter-profit margins and result in earnings per share of 16 cents to 20 cents per share on revenue of up to $31 million.
Proto Labs management had signalled earlier this year that revenue would be slowing from the torrid 50 percent-plus pace of the last couple years. But that didn't stop Wall Street from bidding up the stock price in recent weeks to well above analysts estimates for the entire year.
Proto Labs, which went public in January at $16 per share in its initial public offering, peaked at $39.08 on Tuesday, before closing at $32.01 on Wednesday.
Proto Lab management said the company is making smart investments in research and development and plant expansion in Minnesota and Japan.
"We've always wanted to emphasize R&D more," chief financial officer Jack Judd said Thursday morning. "We now have some live projects with costs attached that will be good for the company and shareholders in the long run. Our operating margin will be less in the second quarter."
Management said the company was performing well, adding customers, generating cash and investing in more of the promising technologies and people that have made it a $100 million-revenue company that employs more than 600 people thanks to software that eliminates much of the programming and machining usually required for each customer order.
Proto Labs' proprietary software automates the process as molds and parts are made of plastic, steel or aluminum without much human contact.
CEO Brad Cleveland said the establishment of a "Protoworks" R&D facility on the Maple Plain campus, headed by chief technologist Larry Lukis, will result in a "material payback" on the stepped-up investment within two to three years.
Lukis, a veteran technologist and inventor, is the company's founder and single-largest shareholder.
"We strengthened our balance sheet in the quarter, enhancing our cash position and providing us with the financial resources necessary to pursue our growth strategy to drive revenue and enhanced profitability," Cleveland said in statement. "We are focused on opportunities to increase penetration of existing customer accounts, acquire new customers in existing markets, expand into new markets overseas, and ... introduce new manufacturing processes to serve a broader range of customers."
The Maple Plain-based maker of molds and quick-turn parts, saw its stock price cut by $10 per share, or 27 percent, to $27.36 in late morning trading. It was off about 33 percent in early trading.
Yet Proto Labs beat the consensus first quarter earnings estimate of four analysts who follow the firm, earning $4.8 million, or 22 cents per share, compared with $2.4 million, or 19 cents per share during first quarter of 2011. Sales during the first three months of 2012 rose 34 percent to a record $30 million.
Traders took down the stock after management said in a conference call that increased research and development costs and manufacturing expansion in Minnesota and Japan, considered good in the long term, will cut second quarter-profit margins and result in earnings per share of 16 cents to 20 cents per share on revenue of up to $31 million.
Proto Labs management had signalled earlier this year that revenue would be slowing from the torrid 50 percent-plus pace of the last couple years. But that didn't stop Wall Street from bidding up the stock price in recent weeks to well above analysts estimates for the entire year.
Proto Labs, which went public in January at $16 per share in its initial public offering, peaked at $39.08 on Tuesday, before closing at $32.01 on Wednesday.
Proto Lab management said the company is making smart investments in research and development and plant expansion in Minnesota and Japan.
"We've always wanted to emphasize R&D more," chief financial officer Jack Judd said Thursday morning. "We now have some live projects with costs attached that will be good for the company and shareholders in the long run. Our operating margin will be less in the second quarter."
Management said the company was performing well, adding customers, generating cash and investing in more of the promising technologies and people that have made it a $100 million-revenue company that employs more than 600 people thanks to software that eliminates much of the programming and machining usually required for each customer order.
Proto Labs' proprietary software automates the process as molds and parts are made of plastic, steel or aluminum without much human contact.
CEO Brad Cleveland said the establishment of a "Protoworks" R&D facility on the Maple Plain campus, headed by chief technologist Larry Lukis, will result in a "material payback" on the stepped-up investment within two to three years.
Lukis, a veteran technologist and inventor, is the company's founder and single-largest shareholder.
"We strengthened our balance sheet in the quarter, enhancing our cash position and providing us with the financial resources necessary to pursue our growth strategy to drive revenue and enhanced profitability," Cleveland said in statement. "We are focused on opportunities to increase penetration of existing customer accounts, acquire new customers in existing markets, expand into new markets overseas, and ... introduce new manufacturing processes to serve a broader range of customers."
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
MSU students research anti-fungal compounds, mold samples from flood
A tragedy for Minot was also something of a boon for Minot State University associate professor Mikhail Bobylev and his team of student researchers. Bobylev has spent many years researching anti-fungal compounds and last summer's flood produced many different mold samples right here in Minot for Bobylev and his students to combat.
"It was very interesting," Bobylev said, describing how different colors of mold white, green, black, brown grew in different places on the wall of one of the flooded houses where the team collected samples. Student researcher Braden Burckhard, a senior chemistry major from Burlington, said the mold-covered wall resembled a kaleidoscope picture.
The team members painstakingly collected the mold samples from two different locations last October.
Finding suitable buildings to test in presented something of a dilemma for the team, since many homeowners began demolition and restoration work on their flooded homes as soon as they could get back into them. Luckily, Burckhard happened to know the owner of a badly flooded house on University Avenue who gave written permission for Bobylev and his students to collect mold samples there. Bobylev and student researchers wore protective gear before they set foot in the flooded homes to protect them from the mold. Bobylev said he even had to use a special camera to take pictures inside the houses, since an ordinary camera would be contaminated by mold and would soon have mold growing in every nook and cranny. The special camera was sealed to prevent mold from entering it and had to be washed off as soon as the team left the house.
Burckhard said he valued the hands-on experience, which took him out of the science lab and out into the field.
"It gave us a chance to provide research to the community," said Burckhard.
Burckhard and fellow students researchers used cotton swabs to collect samples from different mold colonies in the flooded homes and, back at the lab, isolated each sample to prevent them from being infiltrated with other samples of mold or from outside contaminants. Samples of each mold type collected were taken and sent to Home Mold Laboratory in Walled Lake, Minn. The lab identified each type of mold and what illnesses it might produce. For instance, one type of mold the group found was a white mold identified as "acremonium alabamense." The lab indicated that this genus of fungi can produce a number of serious diseases if it grows in a human being, including osteomyelitis, peritonitis, meningitis and endocarditis, among other ailments. It is also a serious allergen, aggravating hay fever and asthma.
Bobylev said the white mold sample and other mold types can be dangerous to humans and animals, though they are most dangerous to people who have compromised immune systems, such as cancer or AIDS.
This is why it's important to wear protective gear when cleaning out a flooded house or collecting samples, like he and the students did. Bobylev said he found one sample in Burckhard's neighbor's house that interested him, since it is a type of mold that might be most commonly found in a warmer environment like Yellowstone Park. The human body provides a perfect incubator for this type of fungus, which thrives in a warm environment, said Bobylev.
"It was very interesting," Bobylev said, describing how different colors of mold white, green, black, brown grew in different places on the wall of one of the flooded houses where the team collected samples. Student researcher Braden Burckhard, a senior chemistry major from Burlington, said the mold-covered wall resembled a kaleidoscope picture.
The team members painstakingly collected the mold samples from two different locations last October.
Finding suitable buildings to test in presented something of a dilemma for the team, since many homeowners began demolition and restoration work on their flooded homes as soon as they could get back into them. Luckily, Burckhard happened to know the owner of a badly flooded house on University Avenue who gave written permission for Bobylev and his students to collect mold samples there. Bobylev and student researchers wore protective gear before they set foot in the flooded homes to protect them from the mold. Bobylev said he even had to use a special camera to take pictures inside the houses, since an ordinary camera would be contaminated by mold and would soon have mold growing in every nook and cranny. The special camera was sealed to prevent mold from entering it and had to be washed off as soon as the team left the house.
Burckhard said he valued the hands-on experience, which took him out of the science lab and out into the field.
"It gave us a chance to provide research to the community," said Burckhard.
Burckhard and fellow students researchers used cotton swabs to collect samples from different mold colonies in the flooded homes and, back at the lab, isolated each sample to prevent them from being infiltrated with other samples of mold or from outside contaminants. Samples of each mold type collected were taken and sent to Home Mold Laboratory in Walled Lake, Minn. The lab identified each type of mold and what illnesses it might produce. For instance, one type of mold the group found was a white mold identified as "acremonium alabamense." The lab indicated that this genus of fungi can produce a number of serious diseases if it grows in a human being, including osteomyelitis, peritonitis, meningitis and endocarditis, among other ailments. It is also a serious allergen, aggravating hay fever and asthma.
Bobylev said the white mold sample and other mold types can be dangerous to humans and animals, though they are most dangerous to people who have compromised immune systems, such as cancer or AIDS.
This is why it's important to wear protective gear when cleaning out a flooded house or collecting samples, like he and the students did. Bobylev said he found one sample in Burckhard's neighbor's house that interested him, since it is a type of mold that might be most commonly found in a warmer environment like Yellowstone Park. The human body provides a perfect incubator for this type of fungus, which thrives in a warm environment, said Bobylev.
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