text:
Florida lawmakers show little desire to keep a familiar development tool — enterprise zones
Tony MarreroTimes staff
Published Apr. 16, 2015
Roberto Torres didn't know about Florida's enterprise zone program when he decided to open a clothing boutique and coffee shop in Ybor City, but he was pleasantly surprised when he found out about it.
The Blind Tiger Cafe, which opened last year on E Seventh Avenue, sits in Tampa's enterprise zone, making the business eligible for sales tax credits on equipment purchases and wages paid to workers who live in the zone, among other incentives. Torres used the tax credits he received on $15,000 worth of equipment for a deposit on a new refrigerator, and expects to receive credit for the wages of two baristas for up to two years.
"That money gives us the flexibility to save a little bit for repairs and improvements, and we could potentially hire another employee," Torres said. "We've been banking on that."
But Florida's enterprise zone program, which offers state and local incentives to entice businesses to set up or expand in poor and blighted areas, is in jeopardy. The program sunsets on Dec. 31, and a Senate bill that would extend it is stalled with less than two weeks left in the legislative session.
Groups such as the Florida Association of Counties and the Florida League of Cities say the program's demise would hurt local redevelopment efforts and are lobbying to extend the program and make it more effective. In the Tampa Bay area, economic development officials say the loss would stunt progress made in St. Petersburg, Tampa, southern Hillsborough County and Brooksville.
"It's one of our greatest tools for the revitalization of the most economically depressed areas of our community," said Lindsey Kimball, Hillsborough's economic development director.
Florida started its enterprise zone program in 1982. There are now 65 rural and urban zones in 52 counties, including two in Pinellas, two in Hillsborough and one in Hernando. In 2014, the state awarded nearly $15.8 million in incentives to 1,497 businesses and individuals.
The lack of motivation among some lawmakers to extend the program stems largely from two state reports that suggest the zones have had mixed results.
A study by the Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability found that seven zones it surveyed "generally underperformed" when compared with a decade's worth of data on property values, household income and unemployment and poverty rates in similar nonzone areas.
An analysis of 40 zones by the Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research concluded the program produces a negative return on the state's investment because it mostly shifts economic activity instead of creating it.
The reports don't offer a complete accounting of the zones' economic and social benefits, said Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth. Clemens' bill to extend the program for 10 years with some revisions has yet to be heard by its first assigned committee, the Commerce and Tourism panel chaired by Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice.
Detert, who did not return messages, has cited the reports in criticizing the program.
The pro-business group Florida TaxWatch recommends extending the program with several changes, including a periodic recertification to show a zone is effective or still needed.
A House measure, HB 7067, would allow for a "local enterprise zone program" but does not provide state incentives. Rep. Ed Narain, a Tampa Democrat whose district includes a portion of the Hillsborough zone, voted against the bill in committee this week, saying it puts the entire burden on local governments.
St. Petersburg's zone deserves credit for redevelopment progress downtown and in Midtown, said Sophia Sorolis, the city's economic development manager. Since 2006, the zone's incentives have created about 700 jobs and about $8 million in credits and refunds, according to city data.
Hillsborough's zones cover downtown Tampa, the University area, a stretch of the 56th Street corridor and sections of Palm River, Riverview and Gibsonton. Since 2010, the program has created 106 jobs and provided nearly $248,000 worth of tax refunds for building materials and business equipment, county data show.
Brooksville's zone has made progress since its creation in 2002, and activity is picking up as the economy recovers, said city community development director Bill Geiger.
"If (lawmakers) want to create other types of economic programs to complement or augment it, great, but let's keep the tool in the toolbox as opposed to just throwing it in the can," Geiger said.
Contact Tony Marrero at tmarrero@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8779. Follow @tmarrerotimes.
Up next:Florida Legislature heads toward special session because of Medicaid impasse
Tony Marrero
Hillsborough Law Enforcement Reporter
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text:
Coral Reef Facts: Ocean Biodiversity Hotspots
Published on: November 20, 2018 | Last Updated: May 5, 2019
Coral are invertebrate animals that mainly reside in tropical oceans near the equator.
Despite occupying less than 5% of oceans, coral reefs provide a home for about 1/4 of marine species.
Not only are coral reefs biodiversity hotspots, they serve as part of the food chain, provide shelter for animals and are key indicators of overall ocean health.
They attract billions of dollars in tourism dollars annually. Despite their importance, overfishing, bleaching, rising temperature and human interactions threaten the health of coral reefs.
Coral are invertebrate animals
Coral is an invertebrate animal. Like jellyfish, it's a member of the Cnidaria.
Filter-feeding organisms like coral gather suspended particles like dissolved calcium from the water. Like a strainer, they separate food particles from the water.
By extracting calcium carbonate from oceans, this helps them develop its stony polyps building an exoskeleton. The hard shell helps them protect their soft bodies.
Alternatively, soft corals lack a skeleton. They flutter in the moving water with all the colors of the rainbow.
Because coral is an animal, it is a food source for other animals, which in turn feeds other animals. Coral provides the basic building block of a food chain contributing to the marine ecosystem.
The rainforests of the oceans
Like a giant desert, most of the ocean is bare. Living conditions are hostile because they don't provide a source of shelter for animals.
Without vegetation, fish can only rely on hunting for food in the open ocean. This is why some fish only occupy the open ocean during migration.
If open oceans are deserts, then reefs are like rainforests. This is because coral reefs provide shelter for fish, crustaceans and other creatures to live in.
Just like rainforests, they are more biologically diverse. And ecosystems rely on biodiversity for resiliency, health and food.
A loss in biodiversity is like a soccer team without a defense. If disease kills one type of fish, a diverse ecosystem would have other fish that can fill in the role.
Coral is a litmus test for overall health
Coral is under a lot of stress, mostly from human actions. Not only does over-fishing threaten coral reef health, but stress from rising temperature, ocean acidity and even sunscreen harms coral reef.
Because coral feed from the open water, they are an excellent indicator of ocean disturbance. Like an early-warning system, they detect factors like contaminants, pH changes and temperature fluctuations.
Scientists estimate that coral reefs face extinction in 50 years. So the spotlight is on coral reef with a real race to protect them. Scientists showed red flags entering a decade ago for coral reefs. Now there are signal fires.
The benefits are plentiful for coral reefs. For example:
They generate $30-$375 billion a year annually worldwide mostly for tourism, fisheries and medicine.
Coral minimize shoreline erosion, reduce flood risk and negate high impact waves.
They stabilize marine ecosystems as key underwater biodiversity hotspots.
From an environmental standpoint, the spotlight is on coral reefs and bleaching. But for corporate industries, there's more convincing to do.
Prevention is key. But replanting is just one way scientists are restoring these underwater biodiversity hotspots.
Get a sneak peak of our oceans
Check out our oceanography section
100 Earth Facts
The BIG LIST of facts about Earth

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
FileDeserializeBenchmarking
===========================

## Results

    -========== START TESTING on iPhone 5c(GSM+CDMA) ==========-

    -========== START FILE LOAD TESTING ==========-

    file:'        data_dictionary_root_1.json'  opened in avg. time:     320568 ns
    file:'        data_dictionary_root_1.plist' opened in avg. time:     271867 ns

    file:'       data_dictionary_root_10.json'  opened in avg. time:     494583 ns
    file:'       data_dictionary_root_10.plist' opened in avg. time:     399089 ns

    file:'      data_dictionary_root_100.json'  opened in avg. time:    2395171 ns
    file:'      data_dictionary_root_100.plist' opened in avg. time:    1620377 ns

    -========== TEST FILE LOAD ENDED ==========-

    -========== START DESERIALIZE TESTING ==========-

    JSONFileDeserialize  file:'   data_dictionary_root_1' avg. runtime:     334407 ns
    PlistFileDeserialize file:'   data_dictionary_root_1' avg. runtime:     299385 ns

    JSONFileDeserialize  file:'  data_dictionary_root_10' avg. runtime:     593139 ns
    PlistFileDeserialize file:'  data_dictionary_root_10' avg. runtime:     499578 ns

    JSONFileDeserialize  file:' data_dictionary_root_100' avg. runtime:    3292860 ns
    PlistFileDeserialize file:' data_dictionary_root_100' avg. runtime:    2533590 ns

    -========== TEST DESERIALIZE ENDED ==========-

    -========== TEST ENDED ==========-

## Credits

- .json files generated with http://www.filltext.com/
- .plist files generated with https://github.com/javiertoledo/json2plist
- benchmarking with method described in http://nshipster.com/benchmarking/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
A Trip to Partick
Written by James Knowles on August 3, 2016 . Posted in Comment
Andy Wilkinson was Stoke City through and through, but many people forget about his short stint at Partick Thistle.
This weekend I took a trip to Firhill to follow in the footsteps of Wilkinson, watching their Betfred League Cup tie against Queen's Park.
Wilkinson played 17 times for Thistle and, most memorably, scored the only professional goal of his career whilst with the Glaswegian side. That strike came in a 1-1 draw with Clyde in the Scottish First Division, although the club were to be ultimately relegated.
Whilst Wilkinson's time at the club was brief- for just half of the 2004-05 campaign- he remains an immensely popular figure north of the border.
In 2011 he became just the seventh former Thistle to play in an English FA Cup Final, something Partick are very proud of.
Wilkinson had moved on loan to Shrewsbury by the time Partick's second successive relegation was confirmed, but the club have endured better times over the last decade.
This is The Jags' fourth consecutive campaign in the top flight and they made light work of Glasgow rivals Queen's Park on Saturday to make it four wins out of four in Group E of the competition.
Of course Wilkinson isn't the only Stoke player of this century to have connections with Thistle. David Rowson's move to Staffordshire from Aberdeen did not go to plan, but he did enjoy a successful time with Partick upon leaving Stoke.
The midfielder's time at Stoke was blighted by injury, restricting him to just 18 appearances, but he did go onto play more than 200 games in two spells for Partick.
Rowson is highly thought of at Firhill and won the club's player of the season award in 2007-08.
But it was a man following in Wilkinson's footsteps who shone during Saturday's 2-0 victory.
Ziggy Gordon, Thistle's new right back, was clearly cut from the same bread as Wilko- crunching into tackles and at one-point flying into an advertising hoarding.
Despite blood pouring from his arm after the incident, Gordon carried on with little more than a Scottish wince. Although Wilkinson's time at Thistle saw him play in the centre of defence, he would have had a little smirk at Gordon's determination to play through the pain barrier.
In more recent times, Stoke fans are probably more familiar with Partick for their unveiling of 'Kingsley'- a rather unique looking mascot who yours truly met on Saturday. The stuff of nightmares, surely…but a magnificent marketing ploy from a club forever in the shadows of Glaswegian giants Celtic and Rangers.
Hopefully Thistle can extend their stay in the Scottish top flight this coming season, and after a successful start to their cup campaign there is cautious optimism they can secure a top half finish.
It was a delight to spend time at Partick Thistle and I thank the club for their excellent hospitality on a surprisingly warm Glasgow day.
Tags: Andy Wilkinson, David Rowson, Partick Thistle


text:
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Lamont-s-wealth-from-300-funds-41-companies-13817893.php
Lamont's wealth from 300 funds, 41 companies reflected in ethics filing
By Ken Dixon
Updated 5:25 pm EDT, Friday, May 3, 2019
Gov. Ned Lamont and his wife Annie disclosed investments in more than 300 entities, according to the Office of State Ethics.
Photo: Jessica Hill / Associated Press
The six-figure salaries declined by Gov. Ned Lamont and David Lehman, his top economic officer, amount to a rounding error in their overall wealth, state ethics filings indicate.
Lamont has interests in 41 separate businesses or corporations, of which his wife Annie, a venture capitalist, is involved in 36, most of them spin-offs of the Norwalk-based Oak Management Corp., of which she is executive managing director.
Lamont's 29-page disclosure to the Office of State Ethics, filed just before the deadline May 1, indicates ownership of two adjacent properties in his hometown of Greenwich, along with multiple holdings in the towns of Bridgewater, Connecticut and North Haven, Maine. He is the sole owner of Lamont Offices, LLC on Mason Street in Greenwich, and lists the business as office space leasing.
Lamont manages two other family investment entities from his Mid-Country West neighborhood in Greenwich, and has an interest in a San Francisco-based online media marketplace called STRINGR, Inc.
Wealthy tell Lamont: Raise our taxes
Teacher retirement revisions approved
CT lawmakers want control of Lamont's credit card
While there are no disclosures of monetary amounts required in the annual statement of financial interests that he and hundreds of other state employees and members of the General Assembly file, the bare-bones backup information on the Lamonts' financial interests indicate that the $150,000 governor's salary that he turned down, won't be missed.
The Lamonts either jointly or solely, have stakes in more than 300 funds that provided them with interest income, capital gains, or dividend last year. The entities range from well-known investments such as Microsoft Corp., Berkshire Hathaway and Apple, to the Walla Walla, Washington School District. The couple also have shares in JP Morgan Chase, the successor bank to the firm where Lamont's great-great grandfather Thomas W. Lamont, worked s a top aide to J.P. Morgan in the early 20th century.
In the weeks before the election last year, Lamont released income tax records that indicated that he made $1.5 million in 2016 and $5.3 million in 2017, most which was from investments.
The ethics filings show that Lehman, who retired from Wall Street at age 41 to volunteer to become commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development, has income from at least 85 different securities, mostly tax-free municipal and state bonds. He has declined the $190,400 salary that his predecessor, Catherine Smith, was paid.
Lehman, a former Goldman Sachs banker, who testified before Congress on his role in the near collapse of the nation's economy during the Great Recession, owns a property in Charlottesville, Virgina, with his wife Laura, called Viewmont Farm 2012, LLC. He lists income sources as wages, capital gains, dividends and interest from Goldman Sachs, as well as rent from the farm..
An accompanying spreadsheet indicates investments from the Alaska State Housing Finance Corp., to the Vanguard 500 Index Fund, and the Wyoming Community Development Authority. Lehman's Goldman Sachs Common Stock, of unknown value, was disposed of in February, around the time he was scrutinized by state lawmakers wary or accepting a Wall Street insider.
Lamont is opposing fellow Democrats in the General Assembly who want to put a two-percent surcharge on capital gains income on couples who make more than a million dollars a year in capital gains.
Tom Swan, executive director of the consumer advocate Connecticut Citizen Action Group, said Friday that while he thinks wealth should not be a bar to public services, and that millionaire governors in New Jersey and Illinois are displaying progressive values, Lamont and Lehman still have a lot to prove for average state residents.
"I don't think there's a problem taking a state salary, but where there is a potential problem, is what policies do they choose to advance?" Swan said, noting the growing problem of income inequality. In New Jersey and Illinois they are pushing for progressive taxation to deal with income inequality. It is a different situation than what seem to be facing in Connecticut.
Swan, who managed Lamont's 2006 U.S. Senate bid, said that Lehman's actions need extra scrutiny. "I think that with every decision he makes, he must disclose whatever funds he owns benefit from decisions, or place his holdings in a blind trust," Swan said.
He said there is still plenty of time in the legislative session for Lamont to make a positive mark above and beyond his class distinctions. "There are four-and-a-half weeks left in this legislative session and I'm still hopeful we're going to advance policies to help working families and not just protect powerful interests," Swan said.


text:
require_relative '../../jobs/notifications/notifications_creation_job'
require_relative '../../jobs/notifications/notifications_destruction_job'

# The creation of deletion of an object that includes this
# will trigger the creation or destruction of Notification
# objects.
module NotificationSource
  extend ActiveSupport::Concern

  included do
    after_create :register_notifications
    after_destroy :unregister_notifications
  end

  def register_notifications
    job = Notifications::NotificationsCreationJob.new
    job.perform(self)
  end

  def unregister_notifications
    job = Notifications::NotificationsDestructionJob.new
    # Run it right away (for now) so the object is still available
    job.perform(self)
  end
end


PopMath is a great math iPhone game for kids. Six pairs of bubbles with numbers float on the screen above beautiful backgrounds. Each bubble contains a number: simply pop the corresponding bubbles.
As you progress through levels, numbers increase, and new operators are introduced: subtraction, multiplication and division. When you complete a level, you are greeted with your time for that level and a message personalized to your performance. Numbers go up to 1000 for addition and subtraction, and 20 for multiplication and division.
If you are looking for an educational game for your iPhone or iPod touch, PopMath is definitely worth trying.


text:
OVERVIEW OF THE ANTITRUST AUTHORITIES & PROCEDURES
hennalady Jul 25, 2015
How to use my study maps:
THIS XMind map was authorized by China Brown, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF Lisa Stinocher O'Hanlon on 2015.07.24
For more AUTHORIZED mind maps visit: https://www.xmind.net/share/hennalady/
http://pinterest.com/thehennalady/
http://hennalady.minus.com/uploads
http://www.scribd.com/AngryJeweler
<3 ~ A.J.
Head over to XMind.net.
Download and install the FREE software.
Now you can download any XMind map you like from my XMind account to your own computer and use it to work your own case. Save the originals in a special folder so that you can start over if you mess up, or share them with a friend or loved one.
Please share my maps as much as possible. You can find them here:
Please take them to your local copy center and have large versions printed. Now you can deliver them to your local child support agency, or to low income neighborhoods, pin them to your local pub bulletin board; bus stops, the break room at work, AA clubs, your local workhouse, --> wherever!
I wanted to tell you -->
that if you download this map and then highlight the title (by clicking on it once) and then hit control + C and then
go to a word processor document like Google docs or OpenOffice and put down your curser and then hit control + V;
All of this work will drop into your document like magic and then you can pick up and start where I left off today after fifteen years of research...
Distribution copy. This document is copyright free; and is NOT FOR SALE at any cost; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
Procedural Statutes
18 U.S.C. § 3143 Release or detention of a defendant pending sentence or appeal
Speedy Trial Act of 1974, 18 U.S.C. § 3161-3174
Jencks Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3500 Demands for production of statements and reports of witnesses
18 U.S.C. § 6001-6005 Immunity of witnesses
18 U.S.C. § 3282 Offenses not capital
18 U.S.C. § 3285 Criminal contempt
18 U.S.C. § 3287 Wartime suspension of limitations
18 U.S.C. § 3288 Indictments and information dismissed after period of limitations
18 U.S.C. § 3289 Indictments and information dismissed before period of limitations
18 U.S.C. § 3292 Suspension of limitations to permit United States to obtain foreign evidence
Statutes Governing Victims' Rights and Services for Victims
18 U.S.C. § 3771 Crime victims' rights
42 U.S.C. § 10607 Services to victims
Offenses Involving the Integrity of the Investigative Process
a. Obstruction
18 U.S.C. § 1503 Influencing or injuring officer or juror generally
18 U.S.C. § 1505 Obstruction of proceedings before departments, agencies, and committees. This statute is used when there is obstruction of proceedings under the Antitrust Civil Process Act.
18 U.S.C. § 1509 Obstruction of court orders
18 U.S.C. § 1510 Obstruction of criminal investigations
18 U.S.C. § 1512 Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant
18 U.S.C. § 1519 Destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in Federal investigations and bankruptcy proceedings
b. Perjury and False Statements
18 U.S.C. § 1621 Perjury generally
18 U.S.C. § 1622 Subornation of perjury
18 U.S.C. § 1623 False declarations before grand jury or court Page
Criminal Contempt
18 U.S.C. § 402 Contempts constituting crimes
18 U.S.C. § 3691 Jury trial of criminal contempts
Fed. R. Crim. P. 42 Criminal contempt
Offenses that Arise from Conduct Accompanying a Sherman Act Violation
a. Conspiracy; Aiding and Abetting
18 U.S.C. § 2 Principals [aiding and abetting]
18 U.S.C. § 371 Conspiracy to commit offense or defraud the United States
18 U.S.C. § 1349 Attempt and conspiracy [mail and wire fraud]
b. Fraud
18 U.S.C. § 201 Bribery of public officials and witnesses
18 U.S.C. § 666 Theft or bribery concerning programs receiving Federal funds
18 U.S.C. § 1001 Statements or entries generally [false statements]
18 U.S.C. § 1341 Frauds and swindles [mail fraud]
18 U.S.C. § 1343 Fraud by wire, radio, or television [wire fraud]
c. Money Laundering
18 U.S.C. § 1952 Interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprise
18 U.S.C. § 1956 Laundering of monetary instruments
18 U.S.C. § 1957 Engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity
d. Tax Offenses
26 U.S.C. § 7201 Attempt to evade or defeat tax
26 U.S.C. § 7206 Fraud and false statements
Antitrust Civil Process Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1311-14
Antitrust Civil Process Act § 2, 15 U.S.C. § 1311 Definitions
Antitrust Civil Process Act § 3, 15 U.S.C. § 1312 Civil investigative demands
Antitrust Civil Process Act § 4, 15 U.S.C. § 1313 Custodian of documents, answers and transcripts
Antitrust Civil Process Act § 5, 15 U.S.C. § 1314 Judicial proceedings
15 U.S.C. § 29 Appeals [U.S. is civil complainant, equitable relief sought]
15 U.S.C. § 1927 Counsel's Liability for Excessive Costs
REVISIT THIS DOCUMENT FOR SENTENCING GUIDELINES; VERY IMPORTANT
Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 12-27
Clayton Act § 1, 15 U.S.C. § 12 Definitions; short title
Clayton Act § 2, 15 U.S.C. § 13 Discrimination in price, services, or facilities
Clayton Act § 3, 15 U.S.C. § 14 Sale, etc., on agreement not to use goods of competitor
Clayton Act § 4, 15 U.S.C. § 15 Suits by persons injured
Clayton Act § 4A, 15 U.S.C. § 15a Suits by United States; amount of recovery; prejudgment interest
Clayton Act § 4B, 15 U.S.C. § 15b Limitation of actions
Clayton Act § 4C, 15 U.S.C. § 15c Actions by state attorneys general
Clayton Act § 4D, 15 U.S.C. § 15d Measurement of damages
Clayton Act § 4E, 15 U.S.C. § 15e Distribution of damages
Clayton Act § 4F, 15 U.S.C. § 15f Actions by Attorney General
Clayton Act § 4G, 15 U.S.C. § 15g Definitions
Clayton Act § 4H, 15 U.S.C. § 15h Applicability of parens patriae actions
Clayton Act § 5 (Tunney Act), 15 U.S.C. § 16 Judgments
Clayton Act § 6, 15 U.S.C. § 17 Antitrust laws not applicable to labor organizations
Clayton Act § 7, 15 U.S.C. § 18 Acquisition by one corporation of stock of another
Clayton Act § 8, 15 U.S.C. § 19 Interlocking directorates and officers Page
Clayton Act § 7A (Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976), 15 U.S.C. § 18a Premerger notification and waiting period
Clayton Act § 11, 15 U.S.C. § 21 Enforcement provisions
Clayton Act § 12, 15 U.S.C. § 22 District in which to sue corporation
Clayton Act § 13, 15 U.S.C. § 23 Suits by United States; subpoenas for witnesses
Clayton Act § 14, 15 U.S.C. § 24 Liability of directors and agents of corporation
Clayton Act § 15, 15 U.S.C. § 25 Restraining violations; procedure
Clayton Act § 16, 15 U.S.C. § 26 Injunctive relief for private parties; exception; costs
Clayton Act § 26 (Gasohol Competition Act of 1980), 15 U.S.C. § 26a Restrictions on the purchase of gasohol and synthetic motor fuel
Clayton Act § 27, 15 U.S.C. § 27 Effect of partial invalidity
Sherman Antitrust Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1-7
Sherman Act § 1, 15. U.S.C. § 1 Trusts, etc., in restraint of trade illegal; penalty
Sherman Act § 2, 15 U.S.C. § 2 Monopolizing trade a felony; penalty
Sherman Act § 3, 15 U.S.C. § 3 Trusts in Territories or District of Columbia illegal; combination a felony
Sherman Act § 4, 15 U.S.C. § 4 Jurisdiction of courts; duty of United States attorneys; procedure
Sherman Act § 5, 15 U.S.C. § 5 Bringing in additional parties
Sherman Act § 6, 15 U.S.C. § 6 Forfeiture of property in transit
Sherman Act § 7 (Foreign Trade Antitrust Improvements Act of 1982), 15 U.S.C. § 6a Conduct involving trade or commerce with foreign nations
Sherman Act § 8, 15 U.S.C. § 7 "Person" or "persons" defined
"History and Basic Framework of Antitrust Laws in the United States", section 16.1 from the book The Legal Environment and Government Regulation of Business (v. 1.0). http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/the-legal-environment-and-government-regulation-of-business/s19-01-history-and-basic-framework-of.html
Statutes Enforced by the Antitrust Division
ANTITRUST AUTHORITIES
This information was taken from:
STATUTES AND GUIDELINES; ANTITRUST DIVISION Chapter 2 http://www.justice.gov/atr/public/divisionmanual/chapter2.pdf
https://www.google.com/search?q=STATUTES+%26+GUIDELINES%3B+ANTITRUST+DIVISION%3B+chapter2&oq=STATUTES+%26+GUIDELINES%3B+ANTITRUST+DIVISION%3B+chapter2&aqs=chrome..69i57.6073258j1j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#q=STATUTES+and+GUIDELINES;+ANTITRUST+DIVISION;+chapter+2
The three major Federal antitrust laws are:
The Sherman Antitrust Act
The Clay ton Act
The Federal Trade Commission Act.
15 U.S. Code Chapter 2 - FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION; PROMOTION OF EXPORT TRADE AND PREVENTION OF UNFAIR METHODS OF COMPETITION https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/chapter-2


This bright and spacious bungalow style half duplex is nestled in the quiet and convenient Hollick-Kenyon neighbourhood in NE Edmonton and is located in an adult only (45+) community! With tons of options for shopping and restaurants nearby, and easy access to Fort Road and the Anthony Henday, you'll fall in love with the area!
The unit itself offers over 1150 square feet of living space and tons of conveniences including main floor laundry, an attached double garage and a beautiful private deck! The unit features a large living room with a vaulted ceiling and laminate flooring and a functional oak kitchen with newer appliances, including a fridge, stove, and even a dishwasher! Down the hallways you'll find the master bedroom which offers tons of space and its own private 3 piece en-suite bathroom which boasts a walk in shower and double vanity with quartz countertops! Another large bedroom and another full bathroom finish off this main level. The basement is partially finished, perfect for storage or an office area.
Don't miss out on this amazing unit! Call today to schedule a viewing!


Pinchas Kehati used to say that he toiled doubly over his popular commentary on the Mishnah, the cornerstone of classical rabbinic literature: once to write the commentary, and once more so the readers would not notice that he toiled. The smooth, enjoyable reading of Rabbis as Romans: The Rabbinic Movement in Palestine, 100-400 CE, leaves the impression that Hayim Lapin has exerted the same effort.
The main thesis is tantalizingly simple: since Palestinian rabbinic literature was created in a provincial setting, it must also be understood as provincial; or as, in Lapin's words, "a local provincial cultural movement within its Roman imperial setting." Lapin examines the repercussions of this argument for both rabbinic scholarship, which is famous for its tendency toward cultural solipsism, and Roman historiography, which has made scant use of rabbinic literature. His educational aim continues an important trend started by scholars like Fergus Millar and Benjamin Isaac. He admits he is willing to be "purposely reductive" to emphasize this facet of rabbinic culture.
Armed with the goal of "recontextualizing exceptionalism," Lapin endeavors to use other provincial elites to learn about the Palestinian rabbis, but also vice versa. As he correctly notes, we know more about this group than any other provincial local elite. The problem is that what we "know" about these people we do not really "know": most of the evidence is internal, and they, as my father used to say, thought rather highly of themselves. Scholars are constantly caught between the Scylla of exceptionalism and the Charybdis of parallelomania: using the outside world to decide how much faith to put in the rabbinic sources, while trying, not always successfully, to avoid circular logic.
To substantiate his claim, we have to ask three separate questions. In what manner did the rabbis fit into the provincial world they inhabited? What status did they occupy in that world? And how did they relate to it? Scholars usually discuss the first and second questions; but it is the third one — not the rabbis' actual status but their attitude toward it — that is most intriguing and most relevant to the thesis advanced in this book.
Early on Lapin presents a valuable categorization. The term "Romanization" can be used in three different ways. First, the term can refer to the "embeddedness of subjects of the empire within an asymmetric fabric […] largely not their own making"; in other words, being involuntarily part of the provincial tapestry. The term also points to the manner of identifying oneself with the system. This is the most slippery and confusing meaning, which refers to "identification of one's social or legal persona with one's place within the dominant political system." Finally, "Romanization" signifies the manner in which subjects take part in the dominant culture and adopt varying chunks of it. These three different meanings of "Romanization" involve the political, the (for lack of a better term) psychological, and the cultural. Things could be cut differently, of course, but the distinction itself is helpful, and scholars should be careful to spell out which meaning they are using when discussing such issues.
So what kind of Romanization does the book describe? Palestinian rabbis were an integral part of provincial urban life. They were affected by imperial processes and population (soldiers, officials, and citizens); they used the roads and witnessed the exercise of the imperial cult, as rabbinic literature well attests. After the edict of Caracalla in 212 they too became Roman citizens. They are, therefore (willy-nilly, once again), Romans, just as any countercultural movement is part of the culture it wishes to counter. This is reminiscent of Jacob Katz's assertion that 19th century Jewish Orthodoxy is a modern movement, a facet of European nationalism and secularization. Here is the first meaning of "Romanization" in Lapin's scheme.
But can Lapin demonstrate that the Jews were also Romanized, according to his second and third senses? Did they adopt Roman hierarchies and a Roman relation to the world? Before discussing this, let us remember that the book is specifically about the rabbis. Other Jewish groups unequivocally adopted Roman models willingly, as shown by inscriptions and coins from Jewish-majority towns like Tiberius and Sepphoris. Lapin also limits himself to the question of Romanization, the adoption of and connection to political structures and the ideology associated with them. He does not include Hellenization, which is a much wider (and older) phenomenon.
Lapin certainly demonstrates that the social conditions allowed for more than an imposed Romanization. The rabbinic movement took root in a period of rapid urbanization, which entailed a wide exposure to all facets of the Roman world. At least from the beginning of the third century most rabbis lived in cities and were tied to the urban "wealthy and literate stratum." This stratum was the main source of rabbinic acolytes and also, no less important, the economic superstructure that supported them. (In his 1995 study of Mishnah tractate Bava Mezi'a, Lapin claimed that in return the rabbis looked after the interests of this sub-elite.) The sages used urban institutions from markets to bathhouses and were in general "embedded in their urban Roman setting." All this is convincing, but it still does not move us much further than the first sense of Romanization (with a glimpse of the third, cultural, sense). Were the sages "Roman" only in the manner that Satmar Hasidim in Jerusalem are "Israeli," and those in Brooklyn are "American"? Both live in cities and are closely connected to moneyed elites.
To move beyond the trivial sense of Romanization, we have to ask ourselves not only about rabbinic habitus but also about their self-perception and self-consciousness. The sole chapter in the book that discusses such consciousness is the fifth, in which Lapin reads several rabbinic stories. These, however, present a more ambivalent picture than what the book's title betrays. "Amoraic [i.e., third to fifth century rabbinic] texts," Lapin writes, "seem to depict a more or less autonomously 'Jewish' community disaggregated from the larger society. At the same time, all the examples show something of the dynamics of Romanization." He thus identifies, in this very effort of constructing identity in face of empire, traces of "embeddedness in the society." But this is, we must admit, a rather minimalistic sense of embeddedness, which could be applied to any kind of interaction, oppositional as it is.
I am less convinced than Lapin that the rabbis adopted not only cultural practices but also Roman consciousness, or that they learned to speak the language of the government. Nonetheless, I have learned much, and enjoyed even more, from this erudite and fluent study. Even skeptics like me can use Lapin's work as a fascinating, provocative thought experiment. What if, indeed, we think of the rabbis as Romans?


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1. He has North Shore connections, including with Swampscott.
Fitzgerald is a lifelong resident of Peabody, now living within a half mile of where he grew up in South Peabody. His brother is a Peabody Police officer, and his mother still lives in the city, as do his two sisters, who also live within a half mile of the home where they all grew up.
But Fitzgerald has many Swampscott connections. His grandparents lived on Bay View Drive and his great-grandparents lived on Banks Road.
"I always remembered Swampscott as just an enchanted community," Fitzgerald said, noting he often spent Christmas and Thanksgiving in the town, time which included visiting Fisherman's Beach and cheering for Big Blue Football.
Fitzgerald's connection to Swampscott also includes a long record of service: Two of his great-uncles have their names are etched on the World War II monument in Swampscott, and three of his uncles' names are on the Vietnam Memorial in Swampscott. One uncle still lives in Swampscott. His grandmother was a school nurse in Swampscott for a couple of decades.
"I'm not the first to serve in a municipal position in Swampscott," Fitzgerald noted.
Fitzgerald also worked with the Essex County Advisory Board from 1994 to 2000, focusing on a project designating Essex County National Heritage Sites and a major regional project building the Friendship of Salem, the replica Salem East Indiaman ship berthed at Derby Wharf.
Fitzgerald said that he sees a few such possible sites in Swampscott, most notably White Court, the former Marian Court College and summer home for President Calvin Coolidge.
2. He is from a family of twins.
Fitzgerald's brother and sister are twins. He has twin boys, and his brother has twin girls. Fitzgerald's sister has twins. He married a twin, and he has a sister who was born less than 12 months from him.
"We're efficient, I guess," Fitzgerald said.
3. He was caught up in the Saugus Recall effort.
Fitzgerald had a signed contract and was sworn in as town manager of Saugus, but never actually began the position.
The Saugus Board of Selectmen in October 2014 voted 4-1 to fire Town Manager Scott Crabtree and in February 2015 voted to hire Fitzgerald. He signed a contract and was sworn into office the day before a recall election unseated the four selectmen who had voted to fire Crabtree. Fitzgerald's contract was voided a week later after the four new selectmen were sworn in and they voted to reinstate Crabtree. Fitzgerald was reinstated in Plaistow, N.H. where he had served as town manager since 2008.
Fitzgerald said he chose not to pursue legal action and doesn't think the incident will have any impact on his relationship with Saugus town officials. "I'm in the business to help cities and towns, and even though sometimes, some unfair things can happen, I think it's important that you can try and take the high road," Fitzgerald said.
4. He thinks laughter is the best medicine.
Fitzgerald's best friend from high school is Gary Gulman, a nationally touring comedian who finished third on season 2 of Last Comic Standing. Another friend, Dave Greenberg, was also a comedian before becoming a certified public accountant. But one of the funniest people that Fitzgerald said he knows is his brother Jerry, who is a Peabody cop. And no, he said he never wanted to be a comedian.
5. He says now is the time for action in Swampscott.
Fitzgerald said Swampscott has many goals that it has identified — for instance, revitalizing Humphrey Street, better utilizing the MBTA station, and protecting its natural resources.
And despite the rivalry, Fitzgerald sees some of that collaboration with Marblehead where his friend John McGinn is town administrator.


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HomeCivil Society
Where In The World Can You Get A Fair Trial?
By New Matilda on	 February 9, 2011 Civil Society
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been in court this week fighting extradition to Sweden over rape and sexual assault charges. The hearing has attracted widespread international attention, and the usual parade of celebrity supporters.
Assange's defence team called four witnesses during the two-day hearing, focussing on the credibility and conduct of the Swedish prosecutor. But the main grounds for their defence was the question of whether Assange could receive a fair trial in Sweden.
New Matilda spoke to freelance journalist Luke Donald, who is in London to report on the proceedings.
"During Assange's bail hearing in December the prosecution had a junior lawyer who was pretty hopeless," Donald told New Matilda. "This time they've brought out the big guns. The new barrister acting for the prosecution, Clare Montgomery QC, was very astute and very good."
"In contrast, Assange's legal team seemed to be stumbling. Geoffrey Robertson QC was lost in his papers for half the day yesterday."
A key witness in the defence case was Swedish lawyer and former judge Brita Sundberg-Weitman, who was wheeled out to cast doubt on the motives of Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny.
"Sundberg-Weitman told the court Ny was a 'radical feminist' who believed men should be prosecuted regardless of sufficient evidence of sexual assault, so as to set an example for other men," said Donald.
In her affiadavit Sundberg-Weitman stated:
"Ms Ny … is known to have said that when a woman says she has been assaulted by a man, the man ought to be detained because it is not until he is in prison that the woman may have the peace to consider whether or not she has been mistreated.
"Ms Ny has stated that she believes imprisoning the man has a positive effect, 'even in cases where the perpetrator is prosecuted but not convicted'."
"The defence also argued that the Swedish prosecution system is highly politicised and that Marianne Ny — who is a member of the Social Democrat Party and has been instrumental in changing Swedish law to make it more favourable to women — was motivated by political prejudice in the prosecution of Assange," said Donald.
Sundberg-Weitman continued:
"It is a fact that people like Marianne Ny and [lawyer for the complainants]Claes Borgstrom have worked in cooperation on different issues in efforts to produce our new, more stringent sexual offence laws.
"It is a fact that Marianne Ny was one of the experts on the recent law reform committee which published a report in 2010 recommending even more harsh sexual offence legislation.
"It is a fact that Marianne Ny agreed with and approved the contents of that report which concluded that, unlike the law of England and Wales, Swedish rape law is not based on a lack of consent and which specifically rejects any recommendation that Swedish law be amended to adopt the English law approach where rape is based on consent.
"…although some reforms have been welcome, there is a concern that others are actually producing unfairness and discrimination against men."
"Sundberg-Weitman's was a convincing argument," Donald told New Matilda. "But her testimony was greatly undercut by the prosecution. When they asked what dealings the witness had had with Ny, Sundberg-Weitman said she hadn't had any — that her impression was based on what she'd read and heard about Ny from others."
Attacks on the Swedish prosecutor aside, whether or not the main grounds for Assange's defence — that he won't get a fair trial in Sweden — will satisfy the court is far from certain. "This is a big call, considering we are not talking here about an autocratic state but a fellow western democracy," says Donald.
The defence's argument is based on the fact that sexual assault cases in Sweden are held in a closed court. "Robertson suggested that without the scrutiny of the media and public, witness testimony could not be trusted. He was also very critical of the fact that the police files on the case were leaked to the press, saying it had done enormous damage to Assange's ability to get a fair trial," Donald told New Matilda.
The prosecution dismissed Robertson's argument in court, saying if Sweden did not have a sound judicial system then no country does.
The agreement under which Sweden is attempting to extradite Assange, the European Arrest Warrant, was introduced post-911, and was initially designed to deal with terrorism and other serious cross-border offences. But according to Crikey's Guy Rundle, it has been
responsible for many miscarriages of justice — and as Jago Russsell writes in the Guardian, Assange's case is only the tip of the iceberg. The agreement fast-tracks extradition requests from other European countries, and also removes the discretion for the secretary of state, who could previously order or refuse extradition.
Under the EAW, only district judges have the power to refuse an extradition request from another European country — and even then, they have very limited discretion.
"Legal experts are saying they think this extradition will go ahead," Donald told New Matilda. "[To stop an extradition] under the European treaty you would have to make a very strong case that there's been a major miscarriage of justice in the Swedish system."
Yesterday the Swedish Prime Minister released a statement defending the Swedish legal system and saying the international media had got it wrong. "I spoke to a couple of Swedish journalists during the trial who told me the Swedes are shocked that their system is coming under such attack during this trial— especially the closed court idea for sexual assault, and the system whereby political parties appoint jurors in Swedish courts," said Donald.
The hearing is now expected to wrap up on Friday.
Tags: Civil Societyextraditionfair trialjulian assangeswedentrialwikileaks
New Matilda
New Matilda is independent journalism at its finest. The site has been publishing intelligent coverage of Australian and international politics, media and culture since 2004.
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text:
When 8-year-old Relisha Rudd disappeared from a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C. in 2014, nobody noticed. By the time authorities formally declared Relisha "missing," 18 days had passed since she'd been spotted at school or the shelter where her family lived. Seven years later, Relisha has never been found. Through the Cracks investigates gaps in our society and the people who fall through them, and in this first season, host Jonquilyn Hill asks if Relisha's disappearance was, as the city later claimed, unpreventable. From WAMU and PRX.
Through The Cracks WAMU
4.6 • 1.2K Ratings
Relisha Goes Missing
When 8 year old Relisha Rudd disappeared from a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C. in 2014, nobody noticed. By the time police appeared at the homeless shelter where Relisha lived with her family, 18 days had passed since she'd been seen at school or in the shelter. On this episode: What happened in March 2014.View a timeline of the key dates in Relisha's disappearance at wamu.org/throughthecracks. To support the investigative reporting that goes into Through The Cracks, donate at wamu.org/supportthroughthecracks.
Ties That Bind
A child's family is their first safety net. When she disappeared in 2014, 8-year-old Relisha Rudd was living with her family at a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C., where a number of people shared responsibility for her. Before she vanished, each one of her family members had already fallen through the cracks in one way or another.
Help shape our second season by filling out our survey: https://iter.ly/21ga1
Check out bonus material and subscribe to our newsletter at wamu.org/throughthecracks.
To support the investigative reporting that goes into Through The Cracks, donate at wamu.org/supportthroughthecracks.
Kicked Out
Before Relisha moved into a homeless shelter, her family lived together in an apartment near Congress Heights. But a chain of events led them to landlord-tenant court, and ultimately on the street. In this episode: Jonquilyn Hill explores how Relisha lost her home and wound up in a shelter in the most 'tenant-friendly' city in the country.
Almost Like Jail
How did 8-year-old Relisha Rudd go from living in an apartment, to a motel, to a shelter inside an "abandoned hospital"? Host Jonquilyn Hill explores life inside a homeless shelter.
View a timeline of the key dates in Relisha's disappearance, and a map of her world, at wamu.org/throughthecracks. To support the investigative reporting that goes into Through The Cracks, donate at wamu.org/supportthroughthecracks.
Janitor, Doctor, Godfather
Who was Kahlil Tatum? Was he a loving husband and surrogate father? A cold killer? We dig into the past of the janitor who served families at D.C. General, the "doctor" who excused Relisha from school and the "godfather" many children had grown to trust.
Read transcripts of episodes, a timeline of the key dates in Relisha's disappearance, and a map of her world at wamu.org/throughthecracks. To support the investigative reporting that goes into Through The Cracks, donate at wamu.org/supportthroughthecracks.
On the day the District went public with their search for Relisha Rudd, she had already been missing for over two weeks. What's it like to search for a girl no one noticed was missing for 18 days?
1.2K Ratings
tbpjewelry , 09/05/2022
Great reporting. Important story and perspective.
Wawa-🙊 , 07/21/2022
A Change Must Come
This is the saddest story. How is this possible....
guegjosrhkg , 07/09/2022
Informative and multi-perspective
I really enjoyed listening to this series. It was all encompassing, dug into the multiple avenues of the missing child and those around her. So so sad that this little one "fell through the cracks" and it's so disappointing to know that this happens often. I am glad that was discussed and some awareness is being brought to this case/issue.
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We pay tribute to the Swiss Machine who tragically lost his life in Nepal on April 30th. We look at his life and climbs, with quotes from his peers and the man himself on his incredible contribution to alpinism.
WIN a DMM Scrambling Pack worth £295, including a 30m rope, slings, quickdraws and karabiners – everything you need to go scrambling!


Just three miles south of Rock Bridge High School in southwest Columbia you'll find quality, affordable 3 Bedroom Ranches and 3 & 4 Bedroom Condos. Susan Horak wants to give you the grand tour!
The units have 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths and a 2-car attached garage. All homes were constructed in 2002. Refrigerators, microwaves, Stove, Garbage Disposal and Laundry Room with Washer/Dryer hook-ups are in all units. Washer and Dryer are available if not included for an extra $25 a month. Also included is a fenced backyard area. There are three different floor plans to choose from. Square footage ranges from 1,350 to 1,390.
Condominium construction began in 2004, with availability beginning in August & later. Condos provide 3 or 4 Bedrooms, 3 Full Baths, a Private Patio & a 2 Car Alley-Entrance Garage. Refrigerators, Microwaves, Dishwashers & Washer/Dryer hook-ups are in all units. All rentals include yard mowing & heavy snow removal.
Rock Bridge Elementary School, Gentry Middle School, and Rock Bridge Senior High.
NewTown offers long and short term leases! However, annual leases are given priority. Month-to-month and short-term leases are strictly limited. Please include a $25 dollar application fee.


The Baby-Bees have long been rolling their eyes when, over the years, I have shouted out from the driver's seat, "Look guys! My favourite tree of all time!". I have a handful of them dotted about the country and I like to check them as the seasons go by. I am a very keen gardener so, admittedly, am slightly obsessed, but we all have things we particularly notice and enjoy, be it plants, man-hole covers, bridges, faded signs, plates of food or beautiful buildings. More and more I find myself reaching for my phone to take pictures of things I like. Is this a good thing? I think the jury's out.
I am old enough to remember a time when the family camera (this is yonks before digital cameras were widely available) was kept for special holidays or family celebrations and even then, the photos were rationed as it was expensive to have the film developed. Now most of us have really decent cameras built into our smart phones and we snap away with abandon.
Digital overload is a very real thing. The more technologically savvy I become (not very, according to the Baby-Bees) the more I seem to have the concentration of a gnat. I find myself constantly checking for updates and seeing if there is a reply to that vitally important/hugely amusing email I sent. When my phone pings I assume the notification is for something far more interesting and exciting than I am currently doing. I end up not concentrating terribly effectively on about 7 things at once. This cannot be good.
So I am determined to force myself to take more notice of things around me and not take photos but try to work on my ability to form lasting memories (before dementia sets in?) It makes you wonder whether our brains might be evolving to have less capacity to memorise things. Indeed there is research from 2013 to show that taking photos has a negative impact on how well we remember an experience http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/no-pictures-please-taking-photos-may-impede-memory-of-museum-tour.html . The psychologist from Fairfield University, Connecticut who conducted the research called this "photo-taking impairment effect". Talking about memory, those of us who are 50+ will remember a time when you happily memorised a dozen (or more) phone numbers. I am damn proud to announce that I do know my own mobile number now but I certainly don't know anyone else's.
So we need to look up, look out and look around and see the beautiful things which give us pleasure, but perhaps just fleetingly have them as a memory rather than a photo.
Or I could be entirely wrong…..
Completely agree…it's also about being 'in the moment', enjoying it for what it is, rather than what it might be when you share the photo etc later. The constant distraction that technology provides, I think, take away from the enjoyment of the here and now.


text:
Radiohead 'ineligible' for award
NME Nov 30, 2007 12:39 pm GMT
'In Rainbows' won't be winning the band a particular gong
Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' album will not be eligible to win a Brit Award for Best UK Album next year.
Artists in consideration for the Brits must have had a single or album in the Top 75 of the UK charts to be eligible.
Radiohead released 'In Rainbows' online, with fans choosing how much to pay for the album, and as such it did not enter the charts.
Similarly, Prince cannot be nominated in any categories, as his last album, 'Planet Earth', was given away free with a newspaper, and as such also did not enter the charts.


The history of African Americans begins in Africa, a continent that was home to people with different languages, traditions, histories, and religions. They called themselves Twi, Yoruba, Zulu, Ashanti, and Kumba, among other names. In the early sixteenth century Europeans turned to Africa for the labor force needed to mine, cultivate, and process the bounty of natural resources in the newly colonized Americas. As many as 12 million Africans from varied ethnic backgrounds endured forced migration and enslavement. Out of their suffering was forged a new people--no longer simply Twi, Yoruba, Ashanti, or Kumba. In the Americas, they first became Africans and then African Americans.
The First Passage examines the first century of the recorded black presence in the Americas. The ordeal of the Atlantic crossing gave way to the isolation and humiliation of slavery and the loss of friends and family. Some slaves attempted rebellion and escape. Others maintained as many religious and cultural traditions as possible and as the African-American population grew, forged new traditions and new ties of kinship. This history remains at the core of black life in the Americas. Colin Palmer tells a story of extraordinary suffering. But The First Passage is also a timeless lesson in endurance and survival.
"Undoubtedly one of the most complete overall studies of slavery.... Ranges from detailing differences among African cultures to providing precise information on the changes traditional customs and religions underwent as a result of diaspora and enslavement."--School Library Journal "Emphasizing the diversity of the African continent, historian Palmer looks in some detail at the development of the slave trade, the forced migration and enslavement of what is estimated to be between 10 million and 20 million people, and the roles that blacks plays in the New World in the sixteenth century.... While never playing down the atrocity and suffering, he describes how an enduring African American culture developed in the diaspora."--Booklist (starred review) "An important examination of the earliest recorded Black presence in the Americas."--National Black Employment Directory "Although First Passage is the first volume in the Young Oxford History of African Americans, these works should be required reading for people of all ages and all races."--Copley News Service "Probes the ordeal of the first blacks to cross over to the Americas."--Children's Bookwatch "The First Passage is well-researched, well-written, and beautifully illustrated. It is an excellent introduction to the history of African Americans."--Henry Louis Gates, Jr.


Getting arrested for prostitution saved Lirio's life.
She once roamed the streets and sold herself to feed a heroin habit. She hated herself for this. Hated the marks on her arms. Hated the random cars she got into. The awful men who used her. Hated the feeling of wanting to change, but not knowing how.
She has slept on the streets. She has been robbed at knifepoint. She has been sexually assaulted.
At her lowest points, Lirio never imagined this moment. Bravely taking the podium at Crosspoint Chapel on the East Side late last month to speak at Esperanza Court's most recent graduation. Moving a packed house to tears. Showing the world what happens when hope is manifest.
"I was willing to do anything to get my drugs, including selling myself," she said.
And then she was arrested in August 2016 for felony prostitution — and everything changed. Through her work in Esperanza Court, which focuses on those charged with felony prostitution, she's been clean for 20 months. She is a waitress. She pays her bills. Keeps an apartment. Talks with her teenage son each week.
"The word 'normal' means something very different to me today," she said.
Lirio was one of 12 graduates — 11 women and one man — to complete the Esperanza Court program, a commitment of more than two years. Each had been arrested for prostitution and often many other offenses.
To be arrested for prostitution is to be a victim of crime, which is why I am withholding Lirio's last name. These are survivors of human trafficking. They are often survivors of sexual and physical abuse. They are recovering addicts caught in the cycle of arrest, incarceration, release and arrest.
Lirio, 35, survived an abusive relationship. She also had been arrested on misdemeanor prostitution charges, "but all I did was get out of jail and go back to doing the same thing," she said.
And then Esperanza Court provided the tools to break that cycle.
"We make sure we deal with their underlying trauma because it's the underlying trauma that very often leads to addiction," said District Judge Lorina Rummel, who oversees Esperanza Court.
Esperanza Court is like probation dialed up to 11. Participants are in counseling five days a week for the first year of the program. They initially live in jail. They will often spend months in treatment. Community service is required. So are regular drug and alcohol tests. Commitments are honored. Amends are made.
Change does not come easy. When Lirio transitioned from jail to a halfway house, she went on the run for a handful of days until she was arrested again for prostitution.
Rummel could have dropped her, but instead she asked Lirio if she really wanted to transform.
Most of the time, one foot follows the other. Depending on the measurement, Esperanza Court's recidivism is between 15 and 30 percent. Treatment is expensive, but not nearly as costly as sending these graduates back to prison, Rummel said.
In this way, Esperanza Court is a model for how the criminal justice system should work. It treats root causes. Invests on the front end to change lives and then saves taxpayers on the back end. It recognizes people who are not risks to society. It's a court that should be replicated at the misdemeanor level.
"These individuals, when you look at the crimes, they really pose a risk to themselves," Rummel said.
Commencement means beginning. To graduate is to celebrate what is to come, not what has been accomplished. And for Lirio there is so much work yet to do.
She struggles to trust men. She is still on probation. She speaks to her teenage son, who lives on the East Coast, but has yet to see him in person. She is estranged from her 8-year-old son, who was adopted by family members.
"Ultimately, I chose drugs over my kids, and it's hard to live with that sometimes," she said.
The plan is to complete probation, move closer to family in Florida, pursue school and a career.
From hate to love. From hopeless to hope. From shame to pride. These are the essential steps of life's boundless journey.


One of the first problems in using Adwords are users set up accounts that use keywords that are too broad. The keywords do not define your business properly. When customers type keywords into the search engine looking for results, if you keyword is too broad it will not lead to your website. If you own a pizza restaurant and your keyword is pie for example you will get results for bakeries and cafes. This has nothing to do with your pizza restaurant. Using Adwords like pizza restaurant will bring better results with Adwords.
Second another mistake beginners make when using Adwords are only choosing keywords that are direct matches for their business. When you use just pizza restaurant you miss a segment of the market that might search using different keywords. Try including specialty pizza , vegetarian pizza, and gluten free pizza with your adwords so you don't miss potential customers that may be directed to your site.
The third problem is that your business must be categorized properly for Adwords results. Many clients choose the wrong category. You want your listing to reflect the right category and subdivision. This way you reach the right customer and market . This means that choosing the right category when you set up your Google AdWords account is important. The right category might be restaurant and subcategory pizza when you own a pizza restaurant . When using Adwords make sure that the category brings you the visitors that you are targeting to your market.
The fourth problem is when you have Adwords that do not direct visitors to a specific landing page. A landing page should have an offer for the customer or a way to get them to sign up for something. You might offer a discount on products or services or a even a free newsletter on your landing page. When your keywords are vegetarian pizza or specialty pizza then the landing page should have an offer on it. The offer can be for example 10 percent off any large vegetarian pizza ordered for the month of June. Using the landing pages with Adwords often result in more leads and sales.
Fifth another mistake beginners make is not making sure Adwords come up in the right location for your business or services. When your business or company only services locks in the city of Boston, MA then using keywords for Weymouth, MA will only cause you problems. Clearly make sure that your Adwords only bring visitors to the locations that you service. Be clear and concise when using Adwords.
The sixth mistake that businesses make with Adwords campaigns is running the ad after the products are out of stock. Customers come to the site to only find what they are looking for is gone. This often means they will not come back but go elsewhere. So you have lost a potential customer.
The seventh mistake is not tracking conversions and click through rates using Google analytics for Adwords. This tool helps you find out what Adwords are working and which ones are not. When you find out you can eliminate the duds and keep the performers.
The eighth mistake is not optimizing Adwords and your website for mobile phones and tablets. Mobile users will increase your market reach so using a mobile optimized website using Adwords is a winning combination.
The ninth mistake is not researching your competitors use of keywords.This way you can make sure your Adwords are unique to your business .Let's say you own a pizza restaurant in Stamford,CT. Type pizza restaurant Stamford, CT into your Google or Bing Search engines. Check out the first ten websites that come up. Study the pages write down keywords that you see in their ads. Try some different keywords in the search engines to view different results Write down a list of keywords to use in your Adwords from your research.
The tenth mistake beginners make is poor grouping of keywords in Ad Groups. Keywords should be related because it make it easier to match your ad copy. Revelant keywords means more visitors are likely to visit your site and click on your ads.


The end of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit meeting in Kampala was marked on Friday (1 August) by the Ugandan Army mounting a mock air and sea assault on an island in Lake Victoria in a simulated battle to conquer Cape Town, South Africa.
ISLAND IN LAKE VICTORIA : PRESIDENT AMIN APPLAUDED AS HE WALKS UP HILL TO OBSERVATION PLATFORM: PRESIDENT NIMEIRY OF SUDAN: UGANDAN DEFENCE MINISTER: VICE PRESIDENT ARAP MOI OF KENYA SEATED WITH PRESIDENT SAID BARRE OF SOMALIA: PRESIDENT AMIN SEATED WITH YASSER ARAFAT AND PRESIDENT AND MADAME OULD DADDAH OF MAURITANIA: 'PLANE DROPPING BOMB ON ISLAND: SMOKE AND FLASHES FROM ARTILLERY AND FUN FIRE FROM MAINLAND: HELICOPTER FLYING AT SEA LEVEL : CROWDS ON MAINLAND WATCHING.
Background: The end of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit meeting in Kampala was marked on Friday (1 August) by the Ugandan Army mounting a mock air and sea assault on an island in Lake Victoria in a simulated battle to conquer Cape Town, South Africa.
President Field-Marshal Idi Amin explained to watching African heads of state, that the exercise showed how war could begin between armies from African countries and the white minority rulers of southern Africa. During the OAU summit meeting, which had ended the previous day, the Ugandan President had been elected as the new chairman of the Organisation.
President Siad Barre of Somalia and Mr. Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organisation were among the leaders who watched the mock assault with President Amin from a specially constructed platform. They saw Ugandan war 'planes flying low overhead and dropping bombs on "Caps Town" island.
Meanwhile, as heavy artillery was supposedly neutralising enemy positions, Ugandan troops landed on the island and hoisted the OAU flag. President Amin said that Palestinians had joined the Ugandan soldiers, airmen and marines in the exercise.
The President said "This was to prove to you that, if the Ugandan Army is to join OAU forces to fight South Africa, and even in the Middle East, we can do". His aim was to help unite Africa in all fields, including the struggle in South Africa and Palestine.


Why Vertical Reciprocating Conveyors Are Not Classed as Elevators | PFlow Industries, Inc. Why Vertical Reciprocating Conveyors Are Not Classed as Elevators | PFlow Industries, Inc.
There are around a million elevators in the United States, each carrying an average of 20,000 passengers per year. These handy machines allow us to live and work at incredible heights. Even better, they make living together in big cities possible.
And there is a similar device of equal importance to our perpendicular transportation needs. That's the vertical reciprocating conveyor.
Let's take a quick look at what VRCs are, how they differ from elevators, and why they are not classified as elevators.
A vertical reciprocating conveyor is a safe, cheap, and easy way for moving cargo from one level of a structure to another. They are common in many industries, and they are not used for transporting human cargo.
They are used in the back end of warehouses, industrial complexes, and institutions.
They are used for moving materials between the ground, mezzanine, basement, balcony, an upper level, and a rack storage system.
VRC lifts are installed either into the floor, into the interior or exterior of a location, or into an elevator shaft.
VRC elevators work using either a mechanical or hydraulic lifting device, a carriage that stores cargo, and a guiding column.
An elevator is a similar mechanical device. The key difference is the cargo: Elevators are designed for use by human passengers. However, they are also capable of carrying material.
Typically, elevators are only installed where they're needed. That means the average elevator sees a lot of use. And a lot of use means a lot of wear and tear.
If an elevator breaks down or is overburdened, the passengers inside could fall several stories. This means they could be injured or killed.
VRCs, on the other hand, are only cleared for carrying material. So, if a VRC fails, the main problem is that the owner may lose some money.
This is why PFlow helped to change federal safety regulations. These changes specifically exempt VRCs from the stringent safety requirements that affect elevators.
So, What Are the Regulations?
VRCs must adhere to a national code known as the ASME B20.1. In addition, each state has their own specific regulations too. For example, in Massachusetts, government agencies control the installation, maintenance, and repair of VRCs.
Elevators, however, must adhere to the much stricter National Elevator Code. This code has stringent safety checks in place.
Why Classify Them as the Same Thing?
The elevator industry is competitive, which means things can get a little vindictive and cutthroat. And, because VRCs are so much cheaper to operate, elevator authorities often lobby for the same strict safety standards for VRCs. This would give the elevator manufacturers a competitive edge over vertical conveyor manufacturers like us.
Put simply: They have a vested financial interest in adding unnecessary regulations. This is because it reduces competition.
Here at PFlow, we're committed to combating the implementation of backward legislation that stifles business. We played a major role in changing national safety codes back in 1981, and we continue to fight against unfair practices by the elevator industry today.
Learn more about vertical reciprocating conveyors on our blog. Or check out our many VRC and material handling products.


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Home / Royal Doulton / Character Jugs and Toby Jugs / Bairstow Manor Collectibles
Winston Churchill Dreadnought Toby Jug – White Coat & Captain's Hat – Bairstow Manor Collectables
SKU: BMC:Winston Churchill Boat White Categories: Bairstow Manor Collectables, Bairstow Manor Collectibles, Churchill and Political Figures, Winston Churchill Collectables
These hand-painted Bairstow Manor Collectables pottery figures depict Churchill wearing a Royal Navy uniform and piloting a dreadnought—one of the battleships that helped Britannia rule the waves through two world wars—that flies the Union Jack. Winston Churchill was named the Greatest Briton of all time in a 2002 poll. Among the most influential people in history, Churchill served as Britain's First Lord of the Admiralty, a British cabinet position similar to a modern Secretary of the Navy, from 1911 to 1915, advocating for modernization to help the Royal Navy remain the world's dominant fleet.
Churchill is depicted wearing a modified Royal Navy uniform, similar to the one he wore the first time he met U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt in 1941 about the U.S.S. Augusta, before the U.S. entry into World War II and at a time when Britain was desperate for help. Historians suggest that by wearing a British naval uniform, Churchill was reminding Roosevelt and those Americans who still opposed U.S. entry into the war that helping Britain would ensure the security and safety of U.S. ships in the Atlantic. Appearing in a naval uniform he emphasized the political and diplomatic point he was trying to achieve. This hand-made figurine, produced by Bairstow Manor Collectables (Staffordshire, U.K.), is modeled as a larger-than-life Churchill sitting at the controls of a British battleship flying the White Ensign, an ensign flown on Royal Navy ships.
At one time called the St George's Ensign due to the simultaneous existence of a cross-less version of the flag, it consists of a red St George's Cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the upper canton. This historic figurine, painted by hand, is the first time Churchill has been so depicted, and was produced in a limited edition for collectors of Militaria, Churchilliana, and respecters of expert ceramic craftsmanship.
Stamped MANOR COLLECTIBLES STAFFORDSHIRE ENGLAND.
White & grey
6.75"H
General Sir Archibald Wavell Small Character Jug
Wilkinson Toby General Douglas MacArthur Toby Jug
Uncle Sam Character Jug (Mid Size)
Churchill with Lion (Mini Black) – Kevin Francis Toby Jug
Winston Churchill England's Glory – Black jacket no vest – Bairstow Manor Collectables
Churchill with Lion (Mini White) – Kevin Francis Toby Jug
Margaret Thatcher Large Character Jug
Winston Churchill Miniature Character Jug "Man of the Year"
Winston Churchill Spirit Britian
Winston Churchill Army Tank – Bairstow Manor
General Douglas MacArthur Character Jug (Mid Size)
Winston Churchill Toby Jug "Winston Rufus"


For upscale restaurant dinnerware, choose the Double Gold Line Dinnerware collection. This collection, with its simple yet elegant double gold lines that shine along the inner and outer rims, will add instant elegance to your table setting. This porcelain collection consists of charger plates, dinner plates, soup bowls, mugs and cups and saucers that are all dishwasher safe.


Also known as Clinton's Ditch, the Erie Canal has had a tremendous impact on our city's development. Though it has been rerouted from its original path, bypassing the city now and cutting a modified route through the suburbs, several of the original Canal Locks still exist. Following its modifications in 1918, the canal was renamed the New York Barge Canal. Legislative action through the 1990's has returned it to its original name and restricted its use to recreation. That was not meant to include lock jumping.
You would have to be an idiot to drink water from the Erie Canal.
In 1974 the bottom of the canal fell out in Bushnell's Basin, destroying and damaging 69 homes with the over 200 million gallons of water spilling forth, comprising one of the notable disasters of the last century. Total damages were estimated at 1.2 million dollars. The collapse occurred due to a sewage tunnel being constructed beneath it.
Tours of the canal are available on The Sam Patch packet boat.


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Antonio Cassone
Professor of Medical Microbiology, Microbiology Consultant for the Center of Genomics, Genetics and Biology Department of Experimental Medicine University of Perugia, Perugia; Former Research Director and Chief Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune- mediated Diseases Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Health Institute Rome (Italy)
Antonio Cassone was educated at the Biology and Medical Schools of the First University of Rome "La Sapienza" where he got a BSc and a MD degrees. His academic career spans from Research Assistant to Full Professor of Medical Microbiology at the Universities of Rome and L'Aquila (1973-1984)
He was Visiting Scientist and Fellow of the Chemical Microbiology Unit, in the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Cambridge (UK) (1076-77) and is currently Visiting Professor at the Science Faculty, Imperial College, London, UK. His present position is at the University of Perugia (Italy) as full professor of Medical Microbiology.
His major research interests span the whole field of medical microbiology with a focus on antifungal vaccines and immunity. He is the recipient of a number of national and international grants and awards from Scientific Societies and Academies, inclusive the 1996 "Agostino Bassi Award" by the Italian Medical Mycology Association for the high distinction in medical mycology research and the 2010 "Sebetia-ter" International Award for high distinction in research in infectious diseases. He is fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society, American Academy of Microbiology, the American Association for Microbiology and the Infectious Disease Society of America, among many other scientific Societies and Academias.
He has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers as primary research publications as well as over 50 invited reviews and book chapters. He owns 6 patents on fungal vaccines and immunotherapeutics, and one patented vaccine (PEV7: virosomal sap2 vaccine for protection against recurrent candidal vaginitis) has completed Phase 1 clinical trial.
His research and academic careers have been complemented by an intense public health service as Research Director, Head of the Laboratory of Bacteriology and Medical Mycology at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Health Institute, ISS) in Rome, Italy ( 1988-2003), then Director of the Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-mediated Diseases of the same Institute from March 2003 to May 2009.
In this position, he has directed surveillance and research teams on emerging infectious diseases , including arthropod borne viral diseases and influenza, and has been public health consultant for National and International Regulatory Bodies such as the Italian Ministry of Health, the European Community, the Health Protection Agency in UK and the European Center for Diseases Control (Stockholm, Sweden) where he has represented the Italian Medical Microbiology as National Microbiology Focal Point. For the excellence of his research and service , he has been awarded the Gold Medal of the Minister of Health , the highest Italian recognition in the field of Public Health.
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Through lamination, we obtain composite material (permanently assembled) which achieves improved strength, stability, sound insulation, appearance or other properties. Applications are e.g.: sailcloth, backpacks and medical sheets.
Visit our dedicated website of Dimension-Polyant.


Everyone wants the best deal when it comes to buying a car. Many individuals are unacquainted with what's required of them if they are going to get that job done. Many people even think they got the very best deal when they actually are mistaken. Consider these helpful advice when learning more about finding the most effective deals.
Ahead of even stepping foot in a dealership, you need to find out what kind of car you want. When you yourself have kids, maybe you should be buying a van or large SUV. When it is just you, maybe you want something more sportier. Either way, knowing what you would like can make the entire process of shopping for a car easier.
When buying a used car, a great way to share with if the automobile has been in an accident is to look into the door frames. Usually when a car is repainted, you will notice over spray in this area. This is simply not proof a car was in an incident, but it enables you to know it absolutely was repainted.
You need to find out information about the precise dealer when you give an offer. This can help you get ready for the negotiation phase. Reading customer reviews may also give you a good picture of what perhaps you are getting into.
It may not be easy securing the most effective deal on an automobile, nonetheless it doesn't have to be the absolute most difficult situation either. You just have to know how to proceed to be able to counter contrary to the salesmen's tactics. After you have this down, you're sure to accomplish better on your next purchase.


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San Francisco transportation
Bay Area cities should just get rid of crosswalk buttons
Emeryville doing away with do-nothing health hazards
By Adam Brinklow Apr 13, 2020, 11:05am PDT
Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images
Cities across the Bay Area can help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus and make pedestrians happier at the same time by eliminating one of the least efficient elements of transit design—the questionably responsive crosswalk button.
At a public meeting in Emeryville last week, civil engineer Ryan O'Connell announced that pedestrians no longer need to push the buttons on city-owned traffic signal poles because crosswalk signals activate automatically.
"You do not have to push the beg button" Councilmember Ally Medina told constituents via Twitter, after previously asking city staff to do away with crosswalk ritual.
The idea is to spare people having to put their fingers on a non-sanitized surface touched by countless others before, but the idea of eliminating the often annoying button system poses the question of why it exists in the first place?
Emeryville Public Works is manually resetting all traffic lights to automatically give a pedestrian single every cycle- you do NOT have to push the beg button. Signs should be popping up around town this week. Thanks to our city staff for creatively solving this!
— Ally Medina (@EvilleAlly) April 9, 2020
As many people suspect, the act of pushing crosswalk buttons, which are ostensibly supposed to signal the traffic lighting schematic to adhere to a pedestrian's need to cross the street, doesn't have any effect on the pattern of the traffic signals at most Bay Area intersections.
This distinction may matter more than it seems at first glance. Texas lawyer Adam Garza alleges that crosswalk buttons can reduce the number of pedestrian accidents at busy crosswalks—but even if this is true, it's only valid in the case of buttons that have an actual effect and extend the length of signal lights to allow people on foot more time to cross.
That means most of them, unfortunately, do little to nothing. In 2018, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said that of 1,200 crosswalk buttons in SF, only 259 affect the traffic patterns. In some Bay Area cities, like San Jose, not a single crosswalk button affects traffic lights at all
What good are those buttons that don't do anything? Well, for many vision-impaired people, the crosswalk button does provide valuable audio signals about when it's safe to cross. In Emeryville, these people can still summon up that assistance by pushing the button if they want to.
But why should other pedestrians have to continue touching the consoles over and over if they don't make crossing faster or safer? If cities can simply switch them over to autopilot instead, perhaps it's time for these buttons to retire.
Los Angeles-based urbanist Luke Klipp alleges that these "beg buttons" represent the lopsided nature of transit design that favors car traffic almost exclusively.
"Beg buttons are inconsistent in their timing, often quite dirty, hard to tell if they're working, and also not ADA friendly—but then they don't exist for [the benefit of] people walking," Klipp said in 2018, suggesting that cities do away with them.
CNN pointed out in 2018 that these days the old analogue buttons are largely outdated anyway, noting that movement censors or automation have rendered them mostly obsolete.
The buttons are essentially black boxes; they may do something, they may not, but the button presser can't tell the difference. In fact, that ambiguity might be part of their true purpose, as Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer says that pushing buttons usually makes people feel better even if there's no real effect, calling it "the illusion of control."
Putting aside the fact that most pedestrians probably don't want their cities patronizing them with curbside placebos, those buttons were never sanitary even before the COVID-19 outbreak.
Even if you like the idea of a pacifying crosswalk antics, surely designers can create one that's not a potential disease vector.
If Bay Area cities don't want to invest in research to determine whether all this button-pushing makes crosswalks safer—whether more modern technology can do the same thing without potentially spreading infections like COVID-19, and then act on the results by making sure the buttons have a real effect on how signals work—then Emeryville has the right idea: Get rid of them.
Sometimes urban design can seem like a bad case of hoarding. Cities grow so used to a piece of infrastructure that nobody stops to think about whether it's doing more harm than good.
When the time comes, we are permitted to sometimes throw out the old—and we're getting pretty clear signals right now.
Next Up In San Francisco transportation
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An abridged history of the Transbay Transit Center over the years
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Pedestrian etiquette guide during the coronavirus pandemic
Golden Gate Park's JFK Drive to go car-free promote social distancing
Federal bailout saves Bay Area public transit
Bay Area small towns you need to visit right now Plan a day or weekend trip to one of these tiny destinations—and leave city life behind.
Trying to build a better BART map Turns out it's harder than you think.
Is an annual salary of $192,000 'middle class' in SF? It depends on how you count it.


The regular meeting of the Hancock County Commissioners was brought to order by Commissioner Blasi at 8:30 am on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 in the conference room of the County courthouse located in Ellsworth, ME with Commissioners Brown and Clark in attendance.
Chief Deputy Patrick Kane was recognized by the Commission for 30 years of service to the people of Hancock County.
CA Adkins advised the Commission that there was written public comment in their meeting books that had been submitted, regarding Indigenous Peoples' Day.
At this point Chairperson Blasi recognized Susan Dickson-Smith of Gouldsboro; she spoke in favor of the Commission adopting Indigenous Peoples' Day on the County Business Holiday Calendar. She was allowed 3 minutes to speak, per policy.
Chairperson Blasi informed the public that the Commissioners approved the budget with a 2-1 vote on November 21, 2017.
Airport Manager Brad Madeira gave his monthly report. He said he projects the enplanements will fall just short of 10,000 for 2017. At this time TSA LEO reimbursement funding has been exhausted, leaving the airport to cover 100% of those costs. The FAA report showed a good inspection, with one mechanical issue yet to be resolved; it will be resolved shortly. Manager Madeira reported that the check from the State of Maine has been received for AIP 40; this closes the project.
UT Supervisor Millard Billings reported that five years have come and gone for Orthoimagery and needs to be renewed. Commissioner Brown asked if TIF money was used when that was first approved. Supervisor Billings said community benefit funds were used as seed money. He said that could again be used for the UT portion. This will be an agenda item for December 19. The Brandy Pond structure fire resulted in a $4,900.50 total bill for response. Supervisor Billings recommended paying this out of E 60-3030-500 UT-Contracts-Fire suppression.
There was some discussion about holding the property owner responsible for the cost. Supervisor Billings said he would follow up on that. He reported that we are still waiting for TIF payments on Bull Hill, and none of the Community Benefit funds have yet come in. There has been no word regarding the recording of a deed for the Airline Snack bar- the liquor license approval is contingent on that.
Dam name inventory update: Supervisor Billings presented the Commission with a dam inventory of Hancock County. He reported there are 46 dams in Hancock County; 9 or 10 are in the UT- 1 may be counted twice. Supervisor Billings said owner names should be added to the list.
In the necessary absence of DA Foster, ADA Heather Staples gave an explanation of the restorative justice project, and requested an endorsement from the Commission. She said her office deals with a lot of juvenile matters in Hancock County; the restorative justice began about 2 years ago, and serves as a practical tool as well as a savings tool. John Bennoch, Juvenile Community Corrections officer for the State, said he works with juveniles who have been charged with an offense; he deals with them before they go to court and uses the restorative justice project- about 12 cases in Hancock County since the program was expanded there. He said this provides the opportunity for the victim to have input- this brings to light to the offender the effect of actions. Victims and offenders are put into the same room, with a trained mediator. Right now in Hancock County this is for juvenile offenders, but has the potential of expanding to adults. Bennoch said this is funded by the Dept of Corrections. He said this lightens the load for the Hancock County District Attorney's office.
Ann Smallidge, co-chair for Hancock County Community Reparations Board, said originally it was the District Attorney who requested the formation of a reparations board of some kind. She said a necessary budget will be created. When asked by Commissioner Clark, she said they are prepared to put a budget together and come back for a funding request. Commissioner Clark suggested they think about funding requests for 2019. Commissioner Brown expressed interest in the success rate of the program. Smallidge said their efforts are to educate the community, be trained in how to facilitate circles, and train mentors; one school has been indentified to work with- they have asked for help. She said it has been a year and a half of laying solid ground work. Commissioner Blasi asked about the potential for progressing to adult intervention. Smallidge said that was a goal, but it was down the road. Commissioner Clark expressed concern about fragmenting treatment programs to the point where none of them are effective, and referenced other programs. Jail Administrator Tim Richardson expressed that he was in favor of the Commissions' endorsement. Commissioner Clark said he supported that 100% for juveniles.
Commissioner Blasi asked if Commissioner Clark would entertain a friendly amendment to remove the word "juvenile". Commissioner Clark indicated he would not; he said his intent was to support the juvenile program.
CA Adkins reported in the place of Facilities Director Dennis Walls, who was working on the Mt. Waldo project. There is an offer of $750 on the old maintenance truck. Commissioner Brown was in favor of waiting until the end of the month for additional offers.
In 2005 there was an attempt to gain voter approval for an appointed treasurer. Commissioner Clark said that county government is trying to professionalize, and that county finances are complicated, and this requires a top level professional, which can be accomplished through the process of appointing. He said as Treasurer Eldridge has announced that she will not run again, he would like to see another attempt to change the position from elected to appointed. Commissioner Brown said he was not opposed to everything Commissioner Clark said, but he opposed the Commissioners getting involved in the process; if the people want to initiate that again, that is up to them. Treasurer Eldridge said that this is taking one more control away from the voters. CA Adkins said that there should be special requirements that the treasurer holds, referencing efficiency and duplication of effort, and alternatively, make it known that the treasurer's position should be reduced to a stipend position. Commissioner Clark said if the Commission was not interested in pursuing a referendum to change this, his suggestion was to begin in early spring of 2018 to establish the guidelines for what this position will look like beginning in 2019.
There was some discussion on changes to the buy out / buy down policy for 2018. The amounts will remain the same as 2017. The proposed addition of the line "employees must indicate their desire to enroll within 90 days of their date of hire" was questioned; it was decided to have legal counsel review it. The Commission will revisit the document on December 19.
The QA position in RCC- Commissioner Blasi would like to see supervisory duties in the job description. It was decided to reserve action on a QA job description until a director is hired. The job descriptions for the other new positions- General Clerk in the Commissioners' office, Legal Secretary III in the DA's office, and Information Technology Systems Director- were reviewed. Commissioner Blasi wanted to include grant writing at some level in the General Clerk job description, perhaps 1 hour a week. He questioned whether any existing job descriptions include that, and said why not show the public that we are attempting to gain other revenue sources through grant writing in at least one job description. Commissioner Brown wanted to avoid making the position tough to fill, although he would prefer candidates with grant writing experience. The job descriptions will be finalized for approval at the December 19 Commissioners' special meeting.
The Commission reviewed 3 versions of the calendar. One with Columbus Day, one with Indigenous Peoples' Day, and one with Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Commissioner Blasi expressed his support of recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Commissioner Clark said that if Columbus is not worthy of recognition, the holiday should be done away with.
CA Adkins reported that there is a meeting next week in Augusta regarding this topic. The payable discussed at the previous meeting has been processed.
The Commission further reviewed the reserve accounts, continued from previous meetings. Commissioner Brown would like to see an index of the changes for future reference. CA Adkins referenced Accrued Compensated Absences and Retiree Health (OPEB). There was some discussion on the Health Insurance Lockbox and what amount that should hold, and what kind of health care funding that should bus used for. Commissioner Clark said he wanted to have no more than $100,000 in the professional services reserve account, and suggested moving some money from this to the technology reserve account. This item will be revisited on December 19.
Deputy CA Knowlton said the web portal should be up and running soon. Her intent is to send the welcome booklets to each employee enrolled in Meritain to encourage use of the program, which will begin in January.
The deadline for applications for RCC Director is Friday, after that the process for hiring will begin, although applications will continue to be accepted.
A letter including a list of suggested services to communities, such as those mentioned above, will be sent to Hancock County towns asking if they have any interest in county government providing these services. CA Adkins will draft a letter and bring to the Commission for review.
CA Adkins reported that there are two tax abatements in process, involving Brooksville and Dedham.
Supplemental housing for County Administrator- Commissioner Clark expressed concern about the long hours the County Administrator works, which sometimes involve him having to stay overnight. He would like to appreciate CA Adkins's dedication to his position. He suggested offering a stipend to contribute to housing in the area. Commissioner Brown said that they need to be careful about giving to one and not another, and it would be better to have addressed this in an employment contract.
CA Adkins said he would respectfully decline the offer.
There was some discussion on the county reimbursing the cost of the Deputy County Administrator's educational program expenses. The Commission agreed that this request complied with the current Education and Training policy, and were satisfied that the educational program in question was related to work for the County.
Deputy County Administrator Knowlton received a promotion to her current position in September of 2017, but compensation reflective of that was not determined.
CA Adkins explained that the money for the increase was in the 2018 budget, and would involve a transfer from Department 5 to Department 4.