Buried Souls Meet the man who almost built condos on a contaminated
Kenneth JacksonAPTN National News “I would never want to build over an area where there are burials,”-Alan Furbacher, developerIt was a proud moment between father and son that day back in May 2009 when Alan Furbacher stood next to his dad on a site in downtown Barrie, Ontario, where he was going to build the largest project their company had ever done.Furbacher’s dad started the family business in 1954, but never built something like his son was about to.“My dad thought it was a beautiful project,” said Furbacher, 59, of the 150,000 square feet of condos, hotel and restaurants on a three-and-a-half hectare site known as the Allandale Station lands.Barrie was calling this its “legacy project.”It was to be Furbacher’s legacy project, too – with a price tag of $65 million to build – and he was going to partner with the YMCA, who wanted Allandale to be their new home in Barrie.“We thought this had the quality of a world class project,” said Furbacher, of the Barrie project an hour north of Toronto.An artist rendition of the proposed project.Infrastructure was supposed to begin on the site a few months after Furbacher signed a preliminary agreement with Barrie on May 12, 2009.There were clauses in the agreement that needed to be checked off – one was the transfer of title on the land for $2 million.The city first sent Furbacher a purchase and sale contract July 28, 2009, a couple months after learning Furbacher’s bank needed an environmentally clean site.The city put in the contract they wanted Furbacher to be on the hook for any archaeological and environmental issues that may come up.He said this was the first time it was discussed, as he’d been in talks with the city for months and was expecting a shovel ready site.Furbacher amended the agreement and sent it back to the city August 24, 2009 saying, among other things, the city would assume any risk of potential environmental and archaeological issues.This is about the time his deal with the city began to unravel over a two year period.Staff at the city knew things Furbacher didn’t.Mainly, the land was likely contaminated from years of operating as a major rail yard from the 1850s to 1990s.Barrie was also aware that a rare Huron-Wendat village had been found in 2001 on the same spot Furbacher was going to build.More so, they knew documented burial pits, known as Huron-Wendat ossuaries, had been reported throughout the years on the land.None of this was told to Furbacher went he put in a bid to build the project.If Furbacher signed the agreement on the first draft he would have been on the hook for costs associated with potentially cleaning up the soil and checking for burials.“I would have been signing my own death wish,” he said. “I would never want to build over an area where there are burials.”He never would find out about the burials and soil contamination until he later sued the city after the deal fell apart near the end of 2011. The matter remains before the courts and has yet to go to trial.Alan FurbacherSwear to tell the truth, nothing but the truthThis is a travesty for First Nations people,”– Stephen Bauld, procurement expert.According to experts in the government procurement business, the city should have been upfront with any information it knew of contamination and burials in the initial request for expression of interest (RFEI) that attracted developers, like Furbacher.Stephen Bauld literally wrote the book on it, called Municipal Procurement, and is considered a leading expert.Bauld said he has reviewed documents of what happened between Barrie and Furbacher.“This is a travesty for First Nations people, “ said Bauld. “This is the one of the worst things I’ve ever seen, maybe ever.”Architect Jim Strasman was hired by the city to design the site’s master plan for the REFI and said he was never told of the documented burials or possible contamination.“That’s a show stopper,” said Strasman. “You would down tools immediately until that was somehow resolved.”But, after Furbacher refused to sign the purchase agreement the city hired Golder Associates, a soil testing firm to do a Phase 1 review of the site.What they would find was also be kept from Furbacher and everyone else.Golder was commissioned by Barrie in November 2009 to begin a Phase 1 report, basically a historical review of what was once on the site, something all banks require for financing on commercial properties.Based on its review, Golder said potential environmental concerns included, the “former presence of railway lines, including the use of rail ballast and the placement of fill. Contaminants of concern include metals and inorganics.”Golder said a Phase 2 soil testing would be required to be certain, which the city paid them to do.By January of 2010, Golder was testing the ground. They found contaminants such as mercury and lead exceeding the Ministry of Environment guidelines and chromium, sodium and chloride in the water above acceptable limits.Golder said if the ground was to be developed the soil would need to be taken to an off-site disposal site approved by the MOE and any development monitored by an environmental consultant.They also called for most tests on the north part of the property where there was a berm, or hill. There they found 19 contaminates that exceeded MOE guidelines, such as mercury, lead, arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, including benz[a]anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene.Golder said their testing was “limited” and would not count as a Record of Site Condition, something a developer also needs to build on a site. In order to obtain that, comprehensive testing would need to be done – to date it never has been.In total, Golder completed three reports for city staff, but they were never shared with Furbacher while he and the city continued to negotiate the project up until the end of 2011.They also weren’t shared with the public until late 2012, when the city first went to court with Furbacher who wanted to stop the city from having someone else develop the land. It was then that he first learned of the reports.“From what we know now… I have estimates of, if we just dug out the underground parking, not counting potential remediation of other areas, we could have been facing costs of anywhere from $10 to $15 million,” said Furbacher, as the soil would have needed to be hauled to a disposal site.Barrie also hired AMICK Consultants in November 2009 to review the site for any archaeological concerns. Furbacher said he was never told of this, either.AMICK told the city there was documented burials on the ground, likely containing hundreds of bodies belonging to the Huron-Wendat people who occupied the land for hundreds of years up until about 1650. AMICK told the city most of the site would have be stripped and a team of archaeologists would need to search for the burials.“It is a documented cemetery. (While) it may not be officially registered as a cemetery, it is a documented burial ground,” said AMICK owner Mike Henry, of the Allandale site. “It is a cemetery, so you have to be darn sure that area is contained.”The city also never shared AMICK’s report, completed in June 2010, with Furbacher or the public until April 2014, again when Furbacher was taking the city to court and they were about to be put on record.Stephen Bauld said all reports should have been immediately shared with Furbacher.“Two days into the project; I’m not talking about two months or two years. When some of this information came to light – full stop,” said Bauld. “To dig this up, with the contamination, and for nobody to bring it forward in a government setting? It’s appalling.”Bauld said the foundation of municipal procurement is based on transparency.“This is of such a magnitude that you just don’t see this type of thing,” said Bauld. “It’s really difficult to comprehend this even for me. You just don’t see one mistake on top of another mistake, on top of another, on top of another. These are horrific … they can’t even be called mistakes.”Barrie has said in court documents it acted “properly and within the scope of its duties at all material times” in regards to environmental and archaeological conditions according to the statement of defence.Barrie told APTN it was too soon in negotiations to be discussing environmental and archaeological concerns, but wouldn’t directly answer why they tried to get Furbacher to sign a purchase agreement with the environmental and archaeological clause in there.Former Barrie mayor Dave Aspden.According to former Barrie mayor Dave Aspden, city council were never given the Golder reports, either.Aspden, who was mayor from 2006 to 2010, did recall a confidential report staff provided council the very last day of their term on Nov. 29, 2010.It mentioned mercury contamination, but none of the other contaminants.“That is the first that I can recall being made aware of any contamination or any problems with the site,” said Aspden of the confidential staff report.Council got that report months after Golder had completed theirs.“The first I saw (the Golder) reports were when I had the opportunity to look them over just recently, because I had never seen those reports. I have no recollection of ever seeing those reports and I have no recollection of them ever being included in any staff report,” he said.The same goes for AMICK’s report on the burials, he said.In 2011, more soil tests were done by Terraprobe, a Barrie company that employed a city councillor at the time, Brian Jackson.A small number of test pits were done on soil near Gowan Street that borders the site to the north, also where GO Transit built a new station as part of this project.Terraprobe found dozens of toxins in the soil that was so bad, if dug up, it couldn’t be reused as fill. It found toxins like mercury, lead, arsenic and bezene.APTN asked Barrie why that report has never been shared with the public.“There was no need to post the report on the city’s website; it was available to construction companies interested in bidding on the road reconstruction project,” said the statement. “The City of Barrie includes geotechnical reports in its construction tenders to permit bidders to submit more accurate bids.”Which begs the question, why didn’t Barrie share the Golder reports with Furbacher when the city got them?Barrie has confirmed if any of the site is developed the soil will have to be removed, but is considered safe as is, according to this release.The Allandale station in 2009. The Huron Wendat community was located between the station and the tracks.Can we make a deal?They’re begging me to come back … They had no takers and said they were embarrassed,”– Alan FurbacherAround the time the Golder reports were commissioned, the YMCA dropped out of the project and the city and Furbacher eventually decided to keep going, despite with no purchase agreement signed.But it didn’t go well.The project had changed and, subsequently, the amount of land Furbacher was going to purchase changed, too.He wanted to pay less for the land.Barrie wanted him to pay more, as they had an appraisal done on the land in August 2010 and it was now valued at $3 million.“They tried saying that half the site is worth $3 million, we’re saying the appraisal is (allegedly) fraudulent and misleading,” said Furbacher to APTN and also in court documents.The appraisal noted it was based on the assumption there were no environmental concerns with the land, as well the appraisal was completed on what the land would hypothetically be worth if the proposed project was completed, with condos, a hotel and retail stores.The city said the $3 million was fair market value.The following month on July 27, 2010, Furbacher said he was asked to meet former city councillor Alex Nuttall, who is now a Conservative MP, and fellow councillors Jerry Moore and Michael Prowse – all three are named in Furbacher’s lawsuit, that also includes current Mayor Jeff Lehman.He claims they wanted him to keep going with the project.But the meeting didn’t happen in Barrie. They met in Newmarket at Milestones. Furbacher said he picked up the cheque.“I found it strange that we had to meet outside of Barrie,” said Furbacher.Furbacher had always been negotiating with staff and claims to have gotten many calls from councillors wanting him to make a deal with the city.It just didn’t happen and by December 2010, Barrie told Furbacher their exclusive negotiations were over.In June 2011, the city decided to put the land back up for sale and asked Furbacher to make another bid, which they declined, again.It doesn’t appear the city got any other worthwhile bids for the site and Furbacher claims by the end of 2011 he got a call from Nuttall on a cellphone belonging to Moore.“They’re begging me to come back,” said Furbacher. “They had no takers and said they were embarrassed. Again, they didn’t give me any of the Golder reports or anything else.”But, Furbacher never did come back.Instead, the matter found its way to court.A for sale sign that used to be on the Allandale Station lands in 2011.The lands have not yet been soldThe process went sideways long before Alan was declared a successful bidder,”– Denis Chamberland, lawyerBefore Furbacher got involved with the project the city was in talks with a company called Forecast and local developer Mark Porter pitted against the YMCA.Furbacher would join the YMCA bid, he claims at the request of councillors.Lawyer Denis Chamberland was one of the lawyers representing Forecast and Porter and said the procurement process lacked integrity.“The process went sideways long before Alan was declared a successful bidder and it didn’t get better,” said Chamberland.Most of the issues appear to stem around the YMCA being involved and not meeting various mandatory requirements. City council was accused of disregarding the evaluation process so that the YMCA could be involved.Chamberland said he was contacted by Furbacher about a year ago and reviewed some of the documents involved in the lawsuit.“He was the winner in this and by (the time we met last year he) had discovered, or appreciated, all the things that had gone wrong in the process,” said Chamberland.After losing his first court action against the city in late 2012, after a judge threw the case out, he amended his claim in 2014. Furbacher said he didn’t have the documents then that he has now. It’s unknown when it will go trial, but Furbacher said he’s looking forward to that day and is seeking damages in the millions of dollars.The city has since restored the old historic buildings on site, at least on the outside for the price of about $5.2 million. They recently bookmarked another $3.8 million to restore inside the buildings. The restoration was originally estimated to cost $2 million.They hope to have businesses in there by next year, including possibly a coffee shop and wedding reception hall.But, in the meantime, following Part 1 of APTN’s investigation, Mayor Jeff Lehman has reached out to the Huron-Wendat Nation to set up a meeting.In that meeting, he should expect to here they want all development on the site to stop.“We have been faced with many situations where the remains of our ancestors have been unearthed, examined, studied, unilaterally appropriated or simply disposed of like garbage. As in all such cases, this situation is unacceptable to us,” said Grand Chief Konrad Sioui, Friday.kjackson@aptn.ca@afixedadress
New Delhi: Once tipped as the largest ever scam, the events that have unfolded in the country’s coal situation over the last 4 years have come to a point of proving that the entire coal scam theory was a sham. Last week, when a Special CBI Court acquitted the accused officials of a steel company for lack of evidence, it came as a surprise for many quarters. Almost every company that has been embroiled in the captive coal block allocation case has time and again cried that the entire process of allocation was transparent and administered by a high-level multi-department screening committee comprising of representation from various ministries of both central and state governments. Also Read – Thermal coal import may surpass 200 MT this fiscalApart from the recent case of Bajrang Ispat, and a 3-year-old acquittal order on JIPL, as many as 6 companies and its directors have been convicted. Most feel that the perception of irregularities and scam created an environment where they have been deprived of justice both at the investigation as well as judicial stages. What one needs to look into more seriously is the conviction of upright retired IAS officer like Harish Chandra Gupta, who has found tremendous support from some of the topmost serving IAS officials. As the then Coal Secretary, HC Gupta was the Chairman of the Screening Committee which made Captive Coal Block Allocations from 2006-2008. A screening committee where every case was looked into on its merits. And almost every such allocation under various stages of investigations or trial. Also Read – Food grain output seen at 140.57 mt in current fiscal on monsoon boostInfact even at the time of deallocating the captive coal blocks, the Supreme Court was clear that the administrative machinery needs to ensure that the output of every operational coal block doesn’t get compromised. The administrative ministry failed miserably in ensuring that. The last 4 rounds of captive coal block auctions have been called off for various reasons as core infrastructure plants from steel and power sector remain hungry for optimum quantity of coal for financial and operational sustainability. A large number of such victims have already succumbing to the NPA mess. The recent acquittal and as the coal demand-supply scenario has emerged clearly shows that the coal shortage would have been much lower if all captive coal blocks had been allowed to continue by the Supreme Court. Going by Industry voices, many plants whose captive coal blocks were deallocated would not have gone through the NPA route, and have given the government healthy employment figures to talk about. Last year, none other than the Attorney General of India KK Venugopal had stated in open court that the Supreme Court was responsible for “hitting” Mining, Telecom and Coal Sectors. Even the current SBI Chairman had concurred in that Government and Judiciary were responsible for the NPA pile-up. Unfortunately, lakhs of crores of bank funds have become NPA’s and a few lakhs having lost their source of livelihood becoming collateral damage to a hypothetical and notional loss theory that got published in a CAG Report. Perhaps it’s high time that CAG audits the real loss to the nation due to the mythical coal scam.
Bel-Ray Clear Gear Lubricant – grades medium and heavy – have received OEM approval from Outotec. This endorsement qualifies these products for use as ring gear and pinion lubricants in the minerals and metals processing equipment manufactured by Outotec. Clear Gear Lubricant is a Very High Viscosity (VHV) full synthetic fluid gear lubricant designed for use in open gear systems, particularly in rotating equipment such as grinding mills, cement kilns, driers, agglomerators and pelletisers. Clear Gear Lubricant can replace any open gear lubricant, including greases, compounds and residual products.Critical capabilities of this OEM-approved Bel-Ray lubricant are prevention of wear, arrest of existing wear trends and reduction/elimination of vibration. Additional benefits include reduction of gear tooth surface temperatures by up to 20% and decreased lubricant consumption up to 35%. Suitable for application to gears and pinions via either a centralised spray system or immersion, the Bel-Ray Clear Gear Lubricant offers process plant operators the following features, according to Bel-Ray:Low Temperature Fluidity – The unique blend of synthetic hydrocarbons and select ester base-fluids provides excellent low temperature fluidityHigh Viscosity – These lubricants provide full separation of gear teeth by forming a thick, resilient lubricating film between gear tooth surfaces, eliminating metal-to-metal contact and the resulting wearReduced Micropitting – Special additives reduce and prevent micropitting, a form of gear tooth damage that occurs early in the life of gears and often the root cause of premature gear failureClear Lubricating Film – Easy visibility allows the operator to perform inspections without costly machine shutdowns and clean-upFull Fluidity – Promotes easy drainage to waste collection containers and eliminates used lubricant accumulation in the gear tooth roots and shroudBel-Ray Clear Gear Lubricant has also previously received OEM approval from Metso Minerals, the provider of world-leading technology and services to the mining and construction industries. In addition, this premium lubricant exceeds ANSI/AGMA 9005-E02 Specification Annex D for minimum viscosity recommendations for open gearing in intermittent lubricant applications. “This OEM approval from Outotec confirms Bel-Ray’s heritage of developing superior application-specific products that help our customers get the most out of their machinery and equipment,” said Don Howard, New Product Innovation – mining at Bel-Ray. “Receiving this OEM recognition from a company like Outotec is particularly rewarding, given their notable position as a worldwide technology leader in the sustainable processing of the earth’s resources.”
VIGILS WERE HELD today in Glasnevin Cemetary in Dublin and Galway city to pay tribute to the women of the Magdalene Laundries.In Glasnevin Cemetary, a representative from Justice for Magdalenes made an address which was followed by the laying of flowers at each grave and a memorial to the women.The vigils are taking place in the week preceding International Women’s Day aims to remember the women of the Magdalene Laundries, many of whom are buried in Glasnevin.In Galway, messages from the Irish Women Survivors and the Justice for Magdalenes groups were read out at the ‘Women of the Magdalene laundry’ memorial statue, Forster Street.Playwright Patricia Burke Brogan performed a reading from her work and Galway singers Treasa ni Cheannabhain and Roisin Elsafty gave a rendition of a new song ‘The Laundry Girls’.This was followed by a small flower laying ceremony on the women’s graves in Bohermore.Read: Calls for Magdalenes to be given independent legal advice>More: Nearly 800 inquiries about Magdalene Laundries fund>
Positive news about Greece’s economy continues, with the country’s government achieving a primary budget surplus of €2.334 billion from January through to April this year, beating its target.The target was set at €374 million, meaning the surplus outperformed by €1.96 billion, reports Reuters.The data was release on Monday by Greece’s Ministry of Finance, with the positive figures attributed to the Tsipras-led government introducing higher tax revenues, and lower spending.Greece’s net tax revenue was €14.42 billion – €689 million above the target.State budget spending came in at €15.32 billion, €751 million below the target, while regular budget spending came to €14.819 billion, €195 million below target.According to the country’s overall 2018 budget, the primary budget surplus is being projected at 3.8 per cent for the whole year.While the central government surplus differs to the numbers monitored by EU and IMF lenders, it remains to be a reliable indicator of the country’s finances.If projections come to fruition, Greece will find itself in better financial stead, given the bailout target stands at 3.5 per cent of GDP. Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram
Like most third-generation Greek children growing up in Australia, Dr Georgia Rowley Panagiotopoulos was raised in a Greek family environment with her grandparents ever-present in her daily life, back in the Riverland region of South Australia.As a young girl she found her pappou and yiayia’s life stories fascinating.“Following World War II, my grandparents migrated to Australia hoping to make a better future for themselves. They worked hard, they had children and dedicated their lives looking after our family,” Dr Panagiotopoulos said.She came face-to-face with the idea of death for the first time at the age of seven when her beloved pappou died suddenly from a heart attack. He was in his 60’s.As a child, she also had to deal with the subsequent grieving process.“I will always remember the seemingly unrelenting darkness that enveloped the household and how his loss affected my yiayia, who almost immediately cladded herself in black, banishing all colourful clothes from her home and brought herself and the rest of the family into mourning his loss for days, weeks, months, and years,” says Dr Panagiotopoulos who even at that tender age couldn’t help but notice that for some inexplicable reason the mourning for her Greek yiayia appeared to be considerably more difficult than for people of other cultural backgrounds.According to Dr Panagiotopoulos, bereavement signals the period of grief and loss that immediately follows the passing of someone significant, whereas mourning reflects cultural practices, denoting the actions and manner of grief expression.Evidently, bereavement and grief are inherently individual; no two individuals react in the same way to a loss and various factors determine bereavement outcomes, including age, gender, nationality, religion, culture, socio-economic status, social support and isolation, familial factors, childhood and later-life experiences, and finally, the relationship and strength of attachment.“Culture and religion can also dictate what is socially acceptable in mourning, but they are not always prescriptive.“In our case I remember initially, there were endless streams of visitors, a viewing conducted in the family home, an open casket funeral. A multitude of religious mourning rituals were enacted on specified dates post-death (e.g. 40 days). Cemetery visits were ritualistic and occurred daily during these early years. Music, TV, parties – myriad things which held connotations of enjoyment and pleasure – were shunned. Celebratory family events like Easter and Christmas were clouded by mourning and lamentation,” Dr Panagiotopoulos said, admitting that the fog of bereavement held such a tight grip for her family for what felt like decades after her pappou’s passing.Fourteen years later she decided to dedicate her PhD journey delving into the depths of bereavement and investigating the impact of mourning on the individual’s well-being, taking into account the cross-cultural differences of people.After interviewing a significant number of Greek migrant men and women and comparing their experiences to the experiences of older British widows and widowers, Dr Panagiotopoulos found significant cultural differences in variables such as depression, loneliness, self-rated health, perceptions of family support and not surprisingly, in the performance of mourning rituals.She also discovered that mourning the death of a spouse in the Greek community can be a drawn-out process, often continuing until the remaining spouse passes away.“Widows often wear black clothing to show their loss, and mourning rituals are frequently extensive,” Dr Panagiotopoulos said, while also pointing out that a very small number of widows or widowers of Greek background remarry, regardless of their age at the time of their loss.Furthermore, Dr Panagiotopoulos, who is currently a Research Associate for ELDAC (End of Life Directions for Aged Care) at the Flinders University in South Australia, observed that Greek-Australians are typically afforded countless ritualistic ways in which they publicly mourn the loss of loved ones, in line with culture and Orthodox religion whilst church funerals and associated mourning rituals are highly regimented.Another interesting find showed that grief and bereavement in Greek culture is gendered and that women, more so than men, are traditionally expected to perform more of the grieving work and adhere to associated customs and practices.“Strict roles and expectations provide a grieving template of sorts for older Greeks, who may feel obliged to follow such predetermined, implicit and explicit acts of mourning and rituals. Anecdotal evidence suggests Greeks grieve more publicly or lament the loss more openly than Anglo-Australians. Physical and emotive reactions to the loss, like crying and wailing, are commonplace,” Dr Panagiotopoulos said, expressing the concern that the landscape of grief in Australia is changing, but Greek rituals and practices are still considered the norm culturally as a way of not letting go of the bond with the deceased; however those rituals still have implications leading to increased rates of depression and loneliness, potentially affecting the health and wellbeing of the surviving partner.Dr Panagiotopoulos’ research also found that health outcomes were also compounded by a shortage of social networks outside the immediate family amongst these migrants who typically have lost their main source of comfort, support, and social interaction.“Linking people with others in similar circumstances could lessen the loneliness and isolation experienced by widowed migrants,” she said, suggesting that possessing a meaningful grief framework may assist bereaved individuals to understand, incorporate, adjust to and accept the finality of death.“From a personal standpoint, there are factors associated with grieving that I perceive to be inappropriate based on my upbringing and cultural understandings, such as wearing bright colours to funerals or playing loud music, but over and above the influence of culture, we must appreciate that individual differences within groups are crucial and require acknowledgement. Individuals of similar socio-cultural and contextual backgrounds may still experience bereavement and loss differently; however, we all need to keep in mind that irrespective of circumstances and cultural background, everyone needs someone to talk to, and when English isn’t your first language this can also be a deceptively difficult thing to achieve.“There are times I can’t help but wonder how successive migrant generations will experience death after decades of residing in a ‘foreign land’,” Dr Panagiotopoulos said. Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram
The Federal Aviation Administration has established a rule to ensure Vancouver’s Pearson Field can continue operating without restrictions from Portland International Airport, a move the region’s legislators applauded on Tuesday.“Vancouver and its surrounding communities depend on safe, reliable airports — both big and small — to connect our cities,” U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement.In September 2012, the FAA considered a rule change restricting flights in and out of Pearson.Dubbed the “Pearson box” rule, it would have created a region of airspace where Pearson pilots would need to yield to larger airplanes approaching PDX from the west.The FAA said the rule would increase safety. But local pilots and the city of Vancouver said it would cause delays and create unnecessary burdens. The FAA eventually backed down. Earlier this month, it issued its final rule ending the “Pearson box” proposal.The new rule establishes special flight rules in the vicinity of Pearson Field to prevent conflicts between Pearson air traffic and PDX, according to a statement.
A group of scientists is laying the groundwork for a broad study that could chart the inner workings of Mount St. Helens and its magma supply.The two-year project, called Imaging Magma Under St. Helens, aims to improve volcanic monitoring and advance warning systems at Mount St. Helens and other volcanoes.Researchers will use thousands of instruments to conduct various methods of seismic monitoring on and around the volcano. They’ll also observe fluctuations in the earth’s electromagnetic field. Active-source monitoring will occur beginning in 2014, according to the University of Washington, which is participating in the study.The work will fall within a large area bound by Mount Rainier to the north, the Columbia River to the south, Mount Adams to the east and Interstate 5 to the west. Researchers chose Mount St. Helens as the focus of their work because it’s the most active volcano in the region, and it’s accessible by scientists and equipment.Besides the University of Washington, project participants include the U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon State University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and Rice University. The effort is primarily funded through the National Science Foundation.
Wenjian Liu, one of two NYPD officers fatally shot in patrol car two weeks ago. NEW YORK — Hundreds of police officers from across the country streamed into the wake of a slain New York City officer on Saturday, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his late father would have wanted him there after “really pointless” killings.The uniformed police officers showed respect rather than disdain for Mayor Bill de Blasio when he arrived with Police Commissioner William Bratton, with some saluting as the men entered at the start of the daylong event for Officer Wenjian Liu.“This is a really tragic story,” said Cuomo, who attended the wake two days after the death of his father — former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.He noted that Liu and his wife were newlyweds who had just moved into a home months into their marriage.“She’s now a widow,” he said. “This is really pointless. It had nothing to do with them. They did nothing wrong. It wasn’t about them. It was pure and random hatred.”Cuomo also expressed his own sorrow.“Today is not the day for my dad, but I can say I miss him already. There’s a hole in my heart,” he said.
Dear Editor,Hi. My name is Chris Capasso. Along with my wife, Kayla, and my new baby daughter, Quinn, we are newer residents to Wilmington. In our time here, we have been very impressed with the way Selectman Greg Bendel has been working for the entire town’s best interest. My family and I whole heartedly support Mr. Bendel for the Board of Selectmen. We look forward to the future with his leadership. I’m proud to say that I have planted roots for my family in Wilmington.Sincerely,Chris CapassoLike Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email wilmingtonapple@gmail.com.Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading… RelatedLETTER TO THE EDITOR: Former Selectman Mike Newhouse Endorses Bendel & Caira For SelectmenIn “Letter To The Editor”SELECTMEN NEWS: Board Supports Fire & Police Substation In North Wilmington; Town To Vote On Project In April 2020?In “Government”A VOTER’S GUIDE To Selectman Candidate Greg BendelIn “Government”
X 00:00 /01:21 Share Listen Public domain.Harris County Commissioner Steve Radack is proposing to hire an administrator for the county jail, which is located near downtown Houston.The Harris County jail has caused quite a lot of controversy in the past few years due to allegations of physical abuse of prisoners and even the death of some inmates and now Commissioner Steve Radack is proposing to hire an administrator for the facility.The safety of both inmates and jailers is something Radack, who has had the idea of a jail administrator in mind for a while, is interested in.Another main concern for the Commissioner is the overtime expenses caused by the jail, which impact the county’s finances.According to the county’s budget office, the Sheriff’s Detention Department, which oversees jail operations, spent over 20 million dollars in overtime in Fiscal Year 2017, which just ended on February 28th.That overtime is partly related to a shortage of staff for the jail, according to county officials.Radack, who represents Precinct 3, says an administrator could fix that and other problems.“I think you need better organization, I think you probably need better training, I think there are a number of different things,” the Commissioner told Houston Public Media after the bi-monthly meeting of the Commissioners Court.Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Jack Cagle, who represent precincts 1 and 4 respectively, agree with Radack.Harris County Judge Ed Emmett is also on board.“I think it makes all the sense in the world for the Sheriff to look very seriously at, frankly, doing a nationwide search to find the best jail administrator we can,” Emmett commented during the meeting, while adding his position is not a criticism of Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, who was elected last November.Right now, it is up to Sheriff Gonzalez to agree or not about an administrator for the jail, but eventually it is possible he might not have a choice.That would happen if a bill (HR 4098) State Representative Garnet Coleman (Democrat-District 147) filed last week in the Texas Legislature became law.The bill proposes that the commissioner courts of counties with a population of at least 1.7 million people have the authority to appoint administrators over their jails.Sheriff Gonzalez told Houston Public Media his team is reducing the overtime problem and added he is “open” to the discussion about hiring an administrator.However, Gonzalez clarified he would want that the administrator would be under his “supervision”, among other reasons due to the changes in terms of mental health services and diversion programs that are being implemented in the jail. To embed this piece of audio in your site, please use this code:
This is the first in a series that highlights the high quality workmanship Black owned companies provided at the luxurious Horseshoe Casino.Jeff HargraveBALTIMORE – Jeff Hargrave, head of Mahogany Inc., is sure that after his crew’s hard work on Baltimore’s new Horseshoe Casino, he can tackle any project anywhere. His firm specializes in architectural millwork. That means that they handle the details – all the woodwork, seating and paneling – in many of the casino’s eateries.“If it’s on drywall, Mahogany probably installed it,” Hargrave said.He described the project as a massive one. “We did about a year’s worth of work in three-and-a-half months,” he said. That meant 100 men [many Baltimore City residents] working day and night, seven days a week. They began work sometime around late-April, early May. He went to the work site to have a cookout for the crew on Independence Day, he said, because he felt bad that the crew was working so hard.According to Hargrave, about $4 million was spent on the installation. Was it money well spent? He thinks so. “The place looks great, the facility is unbelievable. It looks like artwork,” he said.Mahogany’s signature work is readily apparent in Horseshoe Casino.“They really made the casino nice compared to some of the casinos here locally. A lot of money went into furnishing. All the metal panels, the horseshoes in the ceiling, all that stuff.”Although it was a huge undertaking, Hargrave said, “The contractor and casino folks are happy. They know what we had to go through. To get it accomplished in that time frame was really remarkable.”This was not Mahogony’s first high-profile job. They are responsible for work in the Baltimore Hilton in the Inner Harbor, at M&T Bank Stadium, and at Walter Reed Medical Center. It’s a big change for someone from more humble beginnings.The casino folks are happy with Mahogany’s work, according to Hargrave.Hargrave said he was headed down a road that could have led to incarceration when he heard about a position as a carpenter’s apprentice. He has always had the mind of a hustler, he said, and thought the $5.25 an hour position would lead to a better future.He learned the trade and started his own business with one employee and one project. He thinks his success comes from his reputation for being reliable. He said that after 23 years in business his company has finished every project. “We’re one of the top installation firms in the state,” he said.Hargrave said being a minority business helps get him in the door – if there is a requirement for minority participation – but what keeps him at the table is his experience and talent. “I’m a carpenter. I know what to look for, I know the questions to ask to hire the right people. We can put our guys against anyone and we will shine,” he said.
The following excerpt is from Wendy Keller’s book Ultimate Guide to Platform Building. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunesIf you have an inquiring mind and speak clearly, chances are, you would excel at podcasting. A podcast is like a radio show that you produce, but people can listen to it any time they like and you can record it any time you prefer. There’s no set schedule, and the equipment you need to get started is inexpensive. All you need is a theme for your show and some good ideas.Related: 3 Steps to Writing and Promoting an eBookHave you ever listened to the radio and thought, “I wish I didn’t have to listen to all these ads”? If you’re like me, 99 percent of the time the ads on the radio are for things that don’t even apply to you, your interests or your needs. I often wonder about the advertisers — are they really taking the time to test and analyze whether their money spent on radio ads is actually converting? Or are radio ads just a strategy some marketing consultant told them to implement and no one is paying attention to see if there’s a return on investment?Imagine the difference in experience when someone is listening to a high quality, informative, interesting podcast that’s ad-free. At the end of the podcast, perhaps the host (you) says, “If you’ve just heard this podcast, you earn a promotional code! Enter the code ‘WINNER’ on our website and get 10 percent off all our new…” Or “Get our free ebook on this topic at…” If you just gave 15 to 30 minutes of quality content, you’ve earned the right to pitch. And your audience is much more likely to trust you and follow your direction because you’ve earned the right to pitch to them respectfully and fairly.According to an article, “The Rising Popularity of Podcasts,” there are six reasons a business owner should consider podcasting:It doesn’t take much to get started.Podcasts are perfect for storytelling.They’re extremely convenient to consume (most are only 15 to 30 minutes long).You can become known as an industry expert.Your listeners are in it for the long haul (because they subscribe).You can reach a new, targeted audience.How to set up your podcast There are three phases to setting up a podcast.Phase One: Show format Before you decide on your show’s format, answer the following questions:1. Do you want to produce your show every week? Every other week? Monthly? Don’t do a daily show unless you have a clear strategy in place. Start weekly or twice a month. That’ll be plenty.2. Will you have guests? (Most do!) Who are the top 100 people you’d like to interview? (Hint: Choose people who have big lists to promote your interview of them to, or who are exceptionally interesting, or whose friendship could really grow your business.)3. What’s your one specific statement? My literary agency’s statement is “We sell good books to good publishers.” If I were doing a podcast for that company, that is the last thing I’d say at the end of every podcast, so people remember it. If you have a USP (Unique Selling Proposition — something your company does to make you unique or rare in your category), put it on an index card so you can use it at the end of your podcasts.Phase Two: Set up your studio You don’t have to start out with anything expensive. To start out, you’ll need the following items:A quality microphoneA pop shield that goes over the top of the microphone (about $20)An extender arm to move the microphone closer or further from your mouthHeadphones that don’t “leak” sound (in-ear or cupping your ears)Phase Three: Launch like a linebacker First you need to arrange a time to talk with your first guest. Then do some research about your guest and prepare a list of good questions that you want to ask him or her. (Decide if you want to share the list with your guest in advance — it’s not mandatory!)Related: How to Brainstorm Great Content for Your Marketing PlanPrepare yourself and your space. Put the dog outside. Shut your office door. Unplug the phone and turn off your cell. Get rid of ambient noise (air conditioning, forced-air heating, a fan etc.). You don’t need a swanky sound-proofed studio to do this. Take a few breaths and remember that this is your first podcast, and it’s normal to make a few mistakes.When the time comes, thank your guest, tell them how excited you are and promise them that you will give them time to pitch their book, song, product, website or whatever it may be at the end of the interview.Hit record when the conversation begins. Relax during the interview. Pay 100 percent attention to your guest. Talk naturally, but get your questions in, unless something more interesting happens, and you find yourselves walking down a different but fascinating conversational path.At the end of the interview, ask your guest if there’s anything else you should have asked; prompt them to talk about their product or service and repeat the URL after they mention it.Stick in your call to action — “Come to the website to get your discount code” or “Free ebook” or whatever it is that you want to pitch — and remind your audience when the next episode will be released. Tell them where, and how to get your podcasts. Finally, end with your USP, give the audience the hyperlink one more time, and thank them for listening. You did it! Podcast one is complete!Publishing and promotingWhere do you put your finished podcast? How do people find out about it? When your audio file is ready to go, you can upload it to a site like www.LibSyn.com, which hosts podcasts in the same way that Vimeo or YouTube host videos and the same way your website host sponsors your website. From there, you promote it and make it available in various distribution arenas. The website www.LibSyn.com creates the RSS feed (Rich Site Summary) that you can use to connect to sites like iTunes, www.Stitcher.com and Google Play.Podcast expert Stephen Woessner advises, “Just because somebody doesn’t have a network or a platform or a [mailing] list already doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start one. Go spend a couple hundred bucks on a Facebook campaign, create a website, link your website to your podcast, which you’ve uploaded to iTunes, and use Pat Flynn’s Smart Podcast Player. Drive people to your website, give them a great gift to open the podcast link.”Making money from your podcast Once you have a lot of regular listeners, you can:Sell sponsorships Have people pay to be interviewed by youSell advertising (like a radio station does)Sell from the podcast (an ad at the end, a pitch during)Convert listeners by giving them something on your website and then having your reps sell to them directly.There are pros and cons to each option. Think it through before you determine your strategy.All the podcasters I know consistently describe it as the single most important thing that exploded their lead generation. Of course, we know that once upon a time in the history of American business, the cotton gin and the telegraph did similarly amazing things. But heck, you’re here now. May as well take advantage of the technology that’s working at this moment in history. November 15, 2016 Free Workshop | August 28: Get Better Engagement and Build Trust With Customers Now 7 min read Enroll Now for Free Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. This hands-on workshop will give you the tools to authentically connect with an increasingly skeptical online audience.
A cloud-connected Keyboard? No Thanks by Martin Brinkmann on July 04, 2016 in Hardware – Last Update: July 04, 2016 – 42 commentsThe Das Keyboard 5Q is a cloud-connected computer keyboard that is designed as a notification device as much as it is a keyboard.Das Keyboard is one of the most popular mechanical keyboard brands. I have one (with characters printed on the keys), and love it. You can read my review of Das Keyboard Model S here. I bought the keyboard back in 2012 and have been using it ever since.Das Keyboard 5Q is a different kind of keyboard even though it shares characteristics with previous keyboard models.First, it is pushed on Kickstarter, and the campaign seems to be going well. The project sits at $275k already which is $175k more than the required amount of $100k.Second, and probably more important, it is cloud-connected and capable of displaying notifications by changing key colors on the keyboard.Das Keyboard 5QSo what is the Das Keyboard 5Q exactly, and how does it differ from traditional keyboards?Das Keyboard 5Q is a cloud-connected, open API RGB mechanical keyboard that allows each key to be color-controlled over the Internet.Basically, what it does is act as another means of receiving notifications from the Internet. Each RGB LED can be color-controlled remotely to highlight information to the user sitting in front of the keyboard.The notification system is powered by [Q]app, a desktop program that is connected to the cloud. The cloud part of the service taps into the first party service [Q]cloud and third-party services like IFTTT or Zapier.You can map keys to notifications, and there is virtually no limit to what you can do. Push email notifications to the E-key, highlight the build status of projects on the B-key, or use the auction tracker to get notifications when you are outbid.My Take I have to admit that I’m not the target audience for the keyboard. I prefer to work without being interrupted by notifications, and imagine that a (blinking) mess of colors on the keyboard would be quite distracting.My main issue with the new keyboard is that it is of little use to me, and likely to the bulk of desktop users out there.While it may be less distracting to get some notifications on the keyboard instead of a phone or desktop notifications, it might even be more distracting once you start adding more than a handful.If you configure a lot of notifications for use with the keyboard, you may end up with a blinking nightmare that prevents you from working effectively.I imagine there is an option to flip the notification system off completely, but could not find the information on the Kickstarter page. The only information provided is that you can use the keyboard without cloud connection to use it as a regular keyboard.I also could not find information about privacy and security. Cloud-services may open up the gate for attacks or at least privacy issues.Also, you run the [Q]app on the desktop all the time as it powers the functionality, and it remains to be seen how secure and effective it really is.Ultimately, I cannot see this being much more efficient than using desktop notifications for important notifications, or even checking your phone occasionally.While I’m not entirely sure if possible, what I like about it is that it allows me to map different colors to different keys on the keyboard.Closing WordsThe Das Keyboard 5Q project is funded already which indicates that there is demand for such a keyboard. It certainly has a wow-factor associated with it. I’d buy one probably if it came without cloud-connection as I can see uses for displaying keys in different colors.Now You: What’s your take on a cloud-connected keyboard?SummaryArticle NameA cloud-connected Keyboard? No ThanksDescriptionThe Das Keyboard 5Q is a cloud-connected computer keyboard that is designed as a notification device as much as it is a keyboard.Author Martin BrinkmannPublisher Ghacks Technology NewsLogo Advertisement
What an MLB source said about the D-backs’ trade haul for Greinke Nevada officials reach out to D-backs on potential relocation Top Stories While Kolb will get the nod Sunday against the Saints,Skelton figures to be under center when the Cardinals visitthe Chiefs the following week.Of note, though, is Jeremy Bridges being the first-stringright tackle over rookie Bobby Massie, Ryan Williams leadingthe way at running back and free agent acquisition WilliamGay starting on the other side of Patrick Peterson atcornerback. For what it’s worth, Kevin Kolb will be the ArizonaCardinals’ starting QB Sunday in the Hall of Fame Game.The Cardinals released their first depth chart of the preseason Monday,and Kolb is listed first, with challenger JohnSkelton his backup.Chances are the order is insignificant for now, asCardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt has alternated between bothKolb and Skelton throughout training camp, and preseasonstarts will likely be no different.
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