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IN CONVERSATION: WITH JAMES WOLFENSOHN
by: Stephen BernhutIssues: March / April 2002. Tags: The Organization. Categories: The Organization.
"Poverty in one place is poverty everywhere," says James Wolfensohn. It is a truism that the charismatic head of the World Bank knows well. Since becoming president of the Bank in 1995, Mr. Wolfensohn has traveled to more than 100 countries, to gain a measure of the challenges facing the Bank and the least developed countries, in which poverty is systemic and resentment is, in many countries, pandemic.
The man who has the formidable challenge of eradicating poverty and kindling hope is himself a formidable personality. A pilot in the Australian air force and a member of Australia's 1956 Olympic fencing team, Mr. Wolfensohn established himself as a successful investment banker, first in his native Australia, and then in the United Kingdom, (where he established the market for the Euro dollar, the forerunner of the Euro), and later in the United States. In 1981, Mr. Wolfensohn established his own investment banking boutique, which he later sold to Banker's Trust. A self-taught cellist, Mr. Wolfensohn has directed his considerable energy and passion for the arts by serving as Chairman of the Board of both Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University.
Mr. Wolfensohn was re-elected to serve a second five-year term that began on June 1, 2000. Though he has democratized and humanized as once-aloof institution, Mr. Wolfensohn is criticized, even damned, at times for doing too much, at other times for doing too little. Unarguably, however, he has recognized and built bridges to many NGOs, institutionalized the belief that globalization must be an instrument of opportunity and inclusion, and made it a matter of policy that "development must not be done to poor people but by them." Ivey Business Journal spoke with Mr. Wolfensohn in his office at the World Bank's headquarters in Washington DC.
JOURNAL: If I may, I'd like to start with something that's very much at the top of the Bank's agenda. Perhaps you could tell me what progress you're making in the reconstruction of Afghanistan?
JAMES WOLFENSOHN: We – the World Bank, the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) and the Asian Development Bank – have just completed a Preliminary Needs Assessment. We have determined the parameters of the problem in terms of financial support, and we will be meeting this weekend in Tokyo with the four leaders, who are the chairmanship of Japan, the United States and the European Union and Saudi Arabia, and many other potential donors, and with the Afghans themselves, to discuss how it might be implemented. (Editor's note: This interview took place on Jan. 16, several days before the Tokyo conference, where the Bank and its member countries pledged $500 million for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.)
We will do a further needs assessment in April, but based on the one we just completed, we know that reconstruction efforts will be based on four principles. First, we believe that all stages of the reconstruction process, from planning to implementation, should be led by Afghan men and women. Second, appropriate policy and institutional frameworks must be in place at both the national and local levels to support investments in rehabilitation and reconstruction. Third, substantial institutional support will be needed for local communities and emerging public institutions. We will need the experience and expertise of bilateral agencies as well as NGOs and community-based organizations. And fourth, groups that are vulnerable, such as women and children, returning refugees and internally displaced people, must be protected and provided with considerable support.
Next week, the Bank will have another 10 people going into Kabul and we'll open an office there. We've had a tremendous amount of experience in post-conflict situations, from Africa to East Timor, and what we hope to do is to put our top team on Afghanistan. We expect that there'll be a need in the order of $5 billion in the next two-and-a-half years. It's crucial that we get them started. The big worry in all of these enterprises is to get the first money in and get things set up. No country needs it more than Afghanistan, which has nothing there. It's a very formidable challenge.
I must say, however, that the first thing we want to see is peace and an opportunity for the Afghan people to fulfill themselves. With a life expectancy of 44 years, with only 38 per cent of boys in school, and three per cent of girls in school, with women having been pushed out of society, with limited roads and only one-third of the people or even less having access to water, you can see that there are many goals that we would like to achieve.
There's one more very important thing about Afghanistan. The events of September 11 have made what appeared to some people to be overseas commitments, or charitable commitments to overseas development, into domestic issues. And if the world has not learned after September 11 that poverty, wherever it may be, is a domestic issue for developed countries, then we are in deep trouble. Afghanistan is the first country where we can expand our development assistance and support, and have the world recognize that this assistance and support are not part of the commitments that the developed countries have already made to foreign aid, the roughly .23 per cent of their GNP.
Where there is literally nothing, and particularly where there's almost no legacy of a managerial class, I'm interested to know how you build the human infrastructure that's needed to manage the physical assets that the Bank is going to build?
Coming from where you do, you must be committed to the notion that training and capacity-building are essential. We are surely committed to that notion. But it's not just in the private sector that we have to start to build. Here, it's capacity-building at all levels of government, from the central government down to local government. There has been a form of governance, as there is in most societies when you have an absence of government, in the form of warlords or local groups that get together. So there is an informal framework that already exists for the provision of services and the meeting of human needs, supplemented by non-governmental organizations. So there is something there but there is no organized framework as a nation. But we have to start by helping them on really fundamental things – capacity-building first.
Parallel to that, we need to establish a legal and judicial system that can recognize and protect rights, be they property rights or human rights.
Thirdly, we must establish a financial system which can provide financing in a fair, equitable and transparent way, from industry down to micro-credits. Subsequently, you will have extensions of that in more exotic schemes of leasing and insurance, but that's some way down the line. Then, most importantly, we must get a system going where corruption is not at the core. If you don't have those four things – capacity, the legal and judicial systems, the financial systems and anti-corruption – you can pour a lot of money into a country and give them a lot of assistance that will get wasted. So there are those sort of four preconditions that you really need to establish with the government, and the one thing that you have to do is to make sure that it's government-owned and government-led, not designed in Washington or Ottawa or some other place.
And then beyond that you then have the more normal framework of the program that you need to establish in education, health, infrastructure, rules, strategy, urban strategy and so on. And we start in Afghanistan, where as I've mentioned, 3 per cent of girls and 38 per cent of boys are in school. So that gives you an idea of the starkness of the issue, but you have to start with people and building capacity. But also the minimum framework in terms of legal, financial, and most particularly corruption.
With respect to corruption, it's hardly a phenomenon that's particular to Afghanistan. But corruption frightens capital or investors away. How do you deal with that, whether in Afghanistan or other developing countries?
I think there are many things that would frighten away capital in Afghanistan and corruption would be one of them. But let's shift to South Asia or Africa or Latin America. There's no doubt that the biggest single inhibitor of investment, domestic reinvestment and foreign investment, is corruption. It's a thing that scares people. But it's also a thing that for many years nobody would talk about. In fact, until 10 to 15 years ago, everybody was saying, "You can't do anything about it, you just have to accept it." And then organizations like Transparency International, which in fact was spun out of the Bank by individuals who wanted to do something about it, and I would say more recently the Bank itself, have done a huge amount of work on this in the last six months. We've come to recognize that this is not just something that you have to accept, it's something you have to fight.
And we've also discovered that the single most popular political issue in a country is in fact getting rid of corruption, because people don't like being poor. They hate being poor if it's at the expense of someone getting rich in an improper way. So I would say that in my period, during the last six years, there has been a huge change in the approach to corruption, both at a government level, in the transparency sense, and in the sense of opening the debate in countries. People want to get rid of corruption.
I'd like to switch topics, if I may. On May 14th last year you said that problems that are endemic to countries halfway around the world have a way of showing up on your doorstep. Then you had the horror of September 11th, which had a lot to do with the problem of worldwide poverty and people on the outside looking in. In your mind, what was the connection between poverty and what happened on September 11th?
What I said in May I've been saying for a long time. We have to recognize that the old division between developed and developing countries, or that there's a wall between them, or the notion that in the United States or Canada, dealing with the developing world is a luxury and a small fraction of your considerations because it doesn't hurt you at home…all that traditional way of looking at things is nonsense. We're living in a society where whether it be the environment or health or crime or drugs or terror or finance or trading, it's a global issue and it has a global impact. What I said in May was very simply that the issues and problems which emerge in some part of the world that you don't know have an impact on what happens at home, in the most developed countries.
If ever you needed a visible example of that, it was provided on September 11th, when Afghanistan landed on Wall Street, or if you like, the problem of an extreme form of fundamentalism from Central Asia, housed in Afghanistan, came to Wall Street and to the Pentagon. These were the two symbols of capitalism and the system.
The second issue I would say is that we need to understand that it is not poverty directly which knocked down the World Trade Center. But if you have a world where half the population lives on less than $2 a day, and you have a world that in the next 25 years will grow by two billion people, with all of them except for 50 million being born in developing countries, then you have a problem in which the lack of hope, the lack of a future, fuels the formation of a whole new substrata of people that have malevolent aims. If there is no hope, you do something that gives you some possibility of action. That is true for refugees in Gaza West Bank, it's true for refugees in Burundi, it's true for people in Central Asia who feel that they've been left behind. So it's not just poverty, it is the creation of conditions under which people, either out of absolute frustration or with more malevolent political instincts or religious objectives, can find a home. And these are people who just don't care whether they die or live, because there's no difference. Living is death! So I think that poverty and peace are coincident issues, that if you can't deal with the question of poverty, you won't have peace. For me, it's that simple.
The greatest long-term challenge for the world community is fighting poverty and promoting inclusion worldwide. This is even more imperative now, when we know that because of the terrorist attacks, growth in developing countries will falter, pushing millions more into poverty and causing tens of thousands of children to die from malnutrition, disease and deprivation. Poverty in itself does not immediately and directly lead to conflict, let alone terrorism. In fact, rather than responding to deprivation by lashing out at others, the vast majority of poor people around the world devote their energy to the day-in, day-out struggle to secure income, food and opportunities for their children.
Nevertheless, there is a lot of resentment. How do you quell it? How do you give people hope?
The first thing you have to do is help them develop a better life. At the monetary level, 80 per cent of the world has 20 per cent of the income, and within those least-developed countries there is again another huge division between rich and poor. So there's no doubt that you have extremes of poverty, one billion people who live on less than $1 a day, with no hope or with limited hope.
The first thing you have to do is take it on as an issue, and that's why we've been saying that it's crucial that we increase development assistance, it's crucial that we open markets, so that those countries can access modern markets. But it's also important that it not be one way and that the governments of those countries carry out their responsibilities of the type I described in Afghanistan, which is that they have to be sensible governments, honest governments, and have to try and pass it on. So it's a two-way thing, it's a partnership between the developed and developing.
But I would add one other point, and that is that it's not just money. It's also, in my judgment, a vitally important element of respect and knowledge and understanding. I don't know about the Canadian primary-school system, but my guess is, if it was anything like the Australian one that I grew up in, we didn't learn a hell of a lot about Islam or Central Asia or the 45 countries in Africa or India, or China for that matter, which has 1.2 billion people, or its history. We cannot continue to be both ignorant and so self-interested that we don't understand or try to understand that the issues of today are global issues.
We need to understand indigenous people and their cultures. We need to reach out and look behind the people that we're dealing with, to try and be more open. We also need to deal with people in poverty. We've just done a study of 60,000 poor people. We found that they want a safe life for themselves, a future for their kids, and freedom from violence. The women we interviewed do not want to be beaten up. And all the people we talked to want a chance, not charity. We must reach out to these people. If we don't reach out to people in poverty and create a better sense of equity, there won't be hope. It's very simple.
You mentioned trade and the fact that developing countries should open their markets. Well, many developing countries do open their markets, but it appears that no sooner do they do that than the developed countries, like the OECD countries, for example, offer agricultural subsidies to domestic producers, or the Americans put up protectionist tariffs, on goods like textiles. It seems hypocritical of the developing countries, because on the one hand they ask the least-developed countries to open their markets while on the other, they throw up tariffs that make it impossible for them to sell their goods in their markets.
I don't know whether to call it hypocritical or a crime or simply being blind, but the one thing I'm certain of is that the developed countries must open up their markets. It makes no logical sense to try and help developing countries develop their productive capacity and then deny them access to markets. It makes no sense to spend $300 billion a year on agricultural subsidies for farmers in developed countries and pass $50 billion a year as the totality of development assistance to developing countries. It just makes no sense. And so that wrong needs to be righted. It is difficult and it needs to be done over time, but we need to open markets so that the countries can develop their capacities to export, their quality of exports, and really have a chance. So I am one of those who is vigorous in the fight not about opening markets in developing countries but about opening markets in developed countries.
With respect to globalization, you have said the challenge is to make globalization an instrument of opportunity and inclusion. From a practical point of view, how do you do that?
I think that first of all, demonstrations in the streets to turn back globalization are like turning back the tides. If you think of globalization as a more interdependent world, it is already there and it is growing every day, and there's a great deal of evidence that people who try and stay out of that world don't grow, and countries that do, adjust and grow. If you look at the Asian Tigers, if you look at those countries in sub-Saharan Africa that have developed, be they South Africa or Mozambique, or if you look at the Latin American countries that have developed, it's very clear that if you join the global community, you have a far greater chance of improving the standard of living in your country than if you try and stay out. So when I talk about inclusion and opportunity, it is to try and assist countries in development to join that group, and to assist them in the transition phase, so that if they're going to have to give up manufacturing certain products, for example, they can substitute other products. If you look at what India is doing, for example, in technology, in manufacturing, and if you think of the quality of their goods today compared to 25 years ago, if you look at their computer industry…this is what I mean by inclusion and benefiting from globalization instead of turning your back on it.
What more, or in fact, just what could the private sector be doing to help eliminate poverty?
I think it can do a lot, and we're seeing that many corporations are taking their global social responsibilities far more seriously, as well as their investment opportunities. I don't think the private sector makes investments for social purposes, but if it decides to invest in countries, then I think social responsibility comes with it. And I think that we're seeing that first and foremost, that many of the infrastructure projects, be they in power or in water or in telephone or in communications, generally have moved from the public sector to the private sector. So it's clear that there are big opportunities, from toll roads to private airports. You're seeing the private sector looking for opportunities and grasping them. That is wonderful because there's no way that the public sector can meet the needs of development without private-sector participation.
On the other hand, if private firms go to developing countries and make investments of that type, then I think there are many things that the leadership of those companies can do to engage the population. I'm not referring only to providing services for the people that work with them, but just as an example, those firms could run training courses for people using their computers in the community at night, they can provide education programs for kids, they can work in the health sector, they can give scholarships and they can have programs for training the workers. There are a hundred different ways that an enlightened management team can help. It's also extraordinarily fulfilling, particularly for young people in the companies, who can try out their skills and try and convey their educated background to people in these countries. I've seen that in many countries, and the reward is not financial but human. It creates an environment in which those companies are more likely to flourish than to have their factories go down. So it makes a lot of sense.
On the topic of foreign aid, the G20 allocate, I believe, an average of .25 per cent of their GDP to foreign aid. The ideal, as set by the UN and perhaps the Bank itself is .7 per cent of GDP. How do you ask or even get countries to increase their commitments, given the widespread corruption or, in quite a few cases, the nebulous effects of debt relief?
Let me start by addressing the issue of debt relief and that's it not seeming to work. In fact, it does work very well. The so-called HIPC program [Heavily Indebted Poor Country, a debt-relief model that Wolfensohn developed in 1996]), which is designed to give debt relief to the poorest countries, is only made available when they have a clear, visible and monitorable poverty-reduction strategy. We have now gone to 23 such countries with these programs and they're using the debt relief that they've got for social purposes. It's one of the clear successes of the last few years.
So debt relief is working, at least in my judgment it is. As for the question of how you get the level of foreign aid up, I don't think it's corruption which is stopping people, because I think you can circumvent that and you can make funds available in a pretty, not wholly reliable, but considerably reliable way. I think the inhibition is much less on that [foreign aid] than it is on domestic budgets and downturns in the domestic economy. Countries are looking at their own fiscal situation in terms of domestic programs, and where they're seeing increases in unemployment and downturns in the economy, they're saying, "How can we increase monies going abroad?" The answer, in my judgment, is not that simple. As I said before, there isn't a division between problems at home and those abroad. If you want to create a problem for your kids by not dealing with these issues now, you can do it. Then those over 60 will not have a problem, but our kids will. I regard that as an imperative that I need to keep talking about. That's where leadership comes in, and it's the sort of thing that I hope that Mr. Chrétien will be able to lead his colleagues to understand at the next G20 summit meeting in Canada.
There is a conference on debt relief in Mexico in February, and I believe that Mexican delegate plans to table a motion that says that HIPC is "not providing the promised, robust exit from poverty-inducing levels of sustainable debt." Yet you still feel that debt relief is working?
Debt relief is not a panacea for poverty, it is a component. What is behind that statement you mentioned is a desire to see debt relief increased so that it can be, if you like, a panacea, because the billion-and-a-half dollars a year which is currently flowing to 23 countries is not adequate. But I don't believe that anyone is saying that the program itself is not making a very positive contribution. They're saying that it's not an adequate contribution, that it needs to be bigger. I think that this is part of the pressure which you will see in Monterrey between the developing countries and the developed countries, or the debtors and the creditors, as part of the negotiation of how HIPC will work. So I think it is less about the function than it is the adequacy of the system.
With respect to that adequacy, could debt relief ever become debt elimination?
I don't think so, because you've got $2 trillion of debt, and if you do that then you'd need to ask all your investors, for example in World Bank bonds, where we have $180 billion outstanding, not to accept repayment from us because we've just forgiven a $180-billion debt. So I think that for intermediary institutions like the World Bank, we can forgive debt to the extent of our capital, but to the extent that we borrow, we have to repay it, so there is a natural limit. In the case of IDA [International Development Agency], which is the agency that we run for the poorest countries, we have roughly $80 billion of loans outstanding. We could forgive all of those loans and not have a problem because that's money that's been donated to us. But then we'd have no money coming back to make loans the next time around, and that would mean that Canada and other countries would have to double their contributions to IDA. So the limit is not willed, the limit is the capacity of nations to put up money for that purpose, and I don't see it being done in today's environment.
You're the head of an institution that's dependent on the capital markets and the capital markets' willingness to fund. Do you ever worry that that funding will be withdrawn for whatever reason?
I don't expect that the Bank will be in that situation if we manage it well, because we have capital of $25 billion, but we have more than $100 billion in uncalled capital from triple-A or double-A countries. Secondly, the loans that we make are always the number-one loan that countries repay. So the history is that we're a triple-A credit rating because of the history, and because of the relatively conservative leverage in the Bank that's running around 5-to-1 at the moment, in a pretty good book, and large uncalled capital. So I don't expect that for us capital will be a problem. But I would say that if you had a sequence of collapses like Argentina – and hopefully they'll get through that – and the international system is shaken because foreign bonds are no longer seen as a good investment, I would understand it if you'd have a contraction of the foreign bond market. What's interesting in the case of Argentina, though, is that it has not affected Brazil or Mexico. There has been no infection because it's perceived to be sui generis, only an Argentinean problem. It's a bit like the bond market in the United States or in Canada. You'll have those that don't do well but I don't think that means that the bond market will disappear. I think you'll find adjustments are made. And I surely hope and pray that it won't happen to the Bank, and certainly not until I retire.
Your retirement is still several years away, but I wonder if you could tell us what you consider to be one of your most important achievements?
One of the most important achievements is the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper [PRSP] approach that we implemented two years ago. The approach is rooted in the concept that countries themselves and their citizens need to own their poverty-reduction strategies. It is also based on the concept of partnerships – partnerships within countries, among governments, NGOs, the private sector and the local communities where many of the poor people live, together with partnerships between countries and their external supporters, but always with the particular country in the lead. The approach is posited on the concept that strategies need to be comprehensive, long-term and focused on tangible results for their intended beneficiaries. These ideas are at the heart of the Comprehensive Development Framework which I had begun to advocate a year or so before the PRSP approach was developed.
The PRSP approach has, in turn, achieved three goals. First, this concept of country ownership founded on broad-based participation has led to a more open and widely diffused policy debate about priorities and how to realize them. Groups that were previously under-represented in policy discussions – civil society organizations, women and poor people – are now involved. Secondly, the PRSP approach has made poverty reduction a national goal in many countries. And as well, the international donor community has really gotten behind the PRSP approach and is showing a real commitment to making it work. So when you look at what the Bank has done over the last few years, the PRSP approach stands out as one of its most important achievements.
I thank you very much for your time today.
Stephen Bernhut
Stephen Bernhut is the former editor of Ivey Business Journal Online. He has been a journalist with Time Magazine, The Globe and Mail and the Financial….Read Stephen Bernhut's full bio
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Taj Mahal's mausoleum damaged due to thunderstorm
Some parts of North India during the last three to four days received heavy rains and thunderstorms.
Due to the thundestorms, parts of Taj Mahal, situated at Agra in Uttar Pradesh, have been seriously affected. The main gate, railing underneath its five dome and a false ceiling at the tourist holding area were reportedly damaged. Images of staff who fixed and attempted to rectify the damage did the rounds on social media.
Officials have stated there was no damage to the main house. Since March Taj Mahal has been shut down as a precaution for controlling COVID-19 virus spread. Thunderstorms have killed more than 10 people in the last few days across Uttar Pradesh.
Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Shah Jahan supposedly designed the landmark building in 1631 as a memorial for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The mausoleum has experienced several natural calamities including acid rain.
Tags: Taj Mahalthunderstorm
Shahnaz Laghari -- Pakistan's first veiled pilot in Guinness Book of World Records
Fires burn near White House as US-wide protests rage
Price of daal shoots up across Pakistan
Series against Zimbabwe will not be easy: Babar Azam

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Fullerton and Tanke take 1st in their classes at the 2nd round of the National Hare and Hound series!
Course Conditions: Dry and dusty desert terrain.
-Chance Fullerton placed 1st in the Pro 250 class at round 2, and after his second place finish in round 1 he is currently leading the Pro 250 class with by nine points.
-Morgan Tanke is back racing after an injury earlier this year. Tanke placed 1st in the Women's Open A class and is currently tied for 1st place in the series standings.
-Joe Wasson placed 9th in the Pro class at the event aboard his Beta 430 RR while riding with stiches from a freak accident the week before. Wasson is currently seated in 6th place in the Pro class and overall in the series standings.
"My race went well this past weekend running top 5 overall most of the race. I ended up getting lost for awhile and finishing 8th overall and first Pro 250 Class. I can't thank everyone enough who helped me get comfortable on the bike, and I plan on being on the top spot a lot more."
"I had a great time at the 2nd round of the National Hare and Hound series. The dust was really bad for the first 30 miles and it was super fast which I don't have much experience in. After a speedy pit stop I went on to the second loop and that's where it got more technical. I was able to keep a good pace for the rest of the race and took home the win! It feels great to be back racing after an injury!"
"Did some bomb run practice Saturday morning, had a good line, but unfortunately didn't get the jump. I was about 20th off the start and made a lot of passes in the first 20 miles. Then there were some very high speed whoops for a long ways and I wasn't able to run the top pace. I came in the pits in 11th and was able to make one more pass. I was starting to catch the riders in front of me but ran out of time and I ended up in 10th overall."
Jordan Ashburn finishes 9th at the 1st round of the GNCC series.
-Jordan Ashburn placed 9th in the XC1 class at round 1 of the GNCC and is currently sitting in 4th place overall in the Kenda Full Gas Sprint Endruo series.
-Mike Witkowski received a DNF after a crash early in the race resulting in an injured shoulder. Witkowski's next race will be at round 2 of the NEPG series.
"The start of the season was a little "rough" with nearly 1000 bikes racing the track was brutal. I started out the first lap in 7th not getting a good jump off the line. I struggled battling the changing track conditions lap after lap. I was able to hang in there until lap 3 when I fell going around a mud hole. Then I lost sight of the group ahead. I ended up 9th in XC1, and I'm ready for them at the next round."
"The GNCC started out well with me going into the woods in about 4th place. I quickly hopped into the lead about a half a mile in the race. I ran in the lead for 2-3 miles before picking a bad line and getting passed by a couple riders. Then halfway through the 2nd lap I made a rider error and went down really hard. I got the bike up and running with thanks to a fellow Beta racer that stopped to help me. But it was to great of discomfort to proceed on with the race. I am dealing with great soreness and discomfort but nothing is broken."
Jordan Ashburn takes 2nd place at round 8 of the Sprint Enduro series!
Round 8 of the Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro series took place in Young Harris, GA. Riding conditions were great, and racers battled to secure positions knowing the series is coming to an end.
Jordan Ashburn grabbed a second place finish closing the series points gap. With only one race left in the season, Ashburn is only 8 points behind 1st place Steward Baylor.
"I closed the first day with a test win and finished 2nd for day one. I started off Sunday good with another test win. I battled for good test times all day and ended up winning the last one with my fastest time all weekend on the enduro test. I finished the weekend just 5 seconds from an overall victory. We are still in contention for the championship with only 1 round left."
The eighth round of the AMA National Hare and Hound series took place in Lucerne Valley, CA.
This was Joe Wasson's first Hare and Hound series race coming back from a serious wrist injury. Wasson rode smart and fast as the dry riding conditions and windy environment took its toll on the riders, however Wasson was able to keep a strong pace and finished ninth on-board his Beta 480 RR.
"I found a spot I felt pretty comfortable with. Lined up at 9:30, the banner went up, and we took off. Didn't get a great start and with the dust being so bad I just rode smart and made passes where I could. After 40 miles I had my first pit stop. Then I was able to get by a couple more people the next 40 miles and rode to a solid 9th place. Not the greatest finish but felt good for being my first race back after a gnarly injury. I know where I need to improve to get back on top!"


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The real story behind Old Changi Hospital
The real story behind Old Changi Hospital, isn't about what the place seems to have got an unfortunate reputation more recently for. The former hospital, which has its roots in the RAF Hospital set up after the war in 1947, is a place that many who were warded or who worked there remember with fondness.
The hospital, with a reputation of being one of the best military medical facilities in the Far East, is also well remembered for the wonderful views its wards provided of the sea and that it was felt aided in rest and recovery.
Members of the public got to learn about the background to the hospital and how some of the basis for the more recently circulated myths are quite clearly false during a visit to the site as part of the Discovering Singapore's Best Kept Secrets series of State Property Visits organised with the support of the Singapore Land Authority. More on the visit and the series can also be found at the links below.
More on the visit:
A compilation of photos on Facebook
A wonderful set of sketches executed in double quick time by Pardeep Alva
The only ghost spotted by participants
More on Old Changi Hospital / Discovering Singapore's Best Kept Secrets:
Guided tours of best kept secrets in S'pore (The Straits Times, 23 July 2017)
Discovering Singapore's Best Kept Secrets: Visit a former power station
A wander through Old Changi Hospital
The first RAF hospital in Singapore
Tags: Architecture, Barracks Block, Changi, Changi Cantonment, Changi Garrison, Coastal Artillery, Coastal Defence, Coastal Defences of Singapore, Discovering Singapore, Discovering Singapore's Best Kept Secrets, Heritage, History, Kitchener Barracks, Old Changi Hospital, Old Singapore, RAF Changi, Royal Engineers, Singapore, State Property, State Property Visits, The Guns of Singapore
Categories : Architecture, Changi & Somapah, Discovering Singapore's Best Kept Secrets, Forgotten Buildings, Forgotten Places, Heritage Sites, Military Sites, Reminders of Yesterday, Singapore


I think Ada character gave the series a new energy and made it more fun. The relation between Wai Ying Ji and Chan Siu San was so fun to watch and to see how both characters begins to fall for each other. I thought that the most annoying character in this part was Cheng Fung mom.


CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Washington, D.C.-based Starwood Urban Investments LLC has filed two alternative development plans with the City of Coral Gables Board of Architects that would allow for the construction of either a mixed-use project or a 16-story office building. The site, which Starwood Urban owns, fronts Miracle Mile and Aragon Avenue and is the former location of an Old Navy, Upton's and a transient hotel.
The proposed mixed-use project's architecture will replicate Coral Gable's traditional Mediterranean style, and will include retail, restaurants, residential and boutique loft office space. The mixed-use development would be comprised of two structures: a five-story retail and office building fronting Miracle Mile; and a 16-story retail, parking and luxury apartment building on Aragon Avenue. Six levels of parking and a ground-floor retail arcade will be located on Aragon Avenue as well.
The alternative office building is a Class-A, 16-story tower fronting Miracle Mile with the existing surface parking lot remaining along Aragon Avenue. The building would include six levels of parking and nine floors of office space with a floorplate of 21,200 sq. ft.
Both development plans are in accordance with Coral Gables' zoning code and master plan. The office building would not require city commission approval, but several elements of the mixed-use plan would require approval.


Hi If im trying to measure the reliability of my test, which is aimed to measure defense mechanisms. and theres 2 types of defense mechanism, for example avoidance and emotional support, what is the best approach of reliability I should use? is my test considered unidimensional?


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Leanne Perry
Book Leanne Perry
Leanne is a very strong all-rounder wanting to focus on her Acting Career (predominantly TV and Film).
For More Information & Bookings:
sue@celebagents.co.uk
Acting Strengths
Manipulative / Compromised characters. (Refer to scene 2 of her Showreel).
Comedy (Refer to scene 3 of her Showreel).
Acting & Voiceover
Leanne's first love of Acting came at the age of 6 when she would attend local Acting, Performance and Poetry workshops – and was frequently examined by the LAMDA examination board (She has still kept the Certificates)! Let's be honest, we all love a bit of nostalgia!
What cemented this passion was performing in an A Level School rendition of Jesus Christ Superstar at age 10 (and is still her favourite Musical until this day for that reason, It holds a very special place in her heart)!
At the age of 14 she auditioned for the National Education Trust's (NET) Theatre Programme which she was accepted into. As part of this she attended weekly Acting workshops that would be held from various Actors / Producers / Directors – with many a workshop being hosted by The Royal Shakespeare Company.
From finishing school Leanne went to College and did a 2 year BTEC National Diploma in Acting and Performing Arts
In the Final Year of her BTEC National Diploma in Acting and Performing Arts – she landed the leading role (performed at her local local Palace Theatre) in their own rendition of Sister Act. She played Delores (Whoopi Goldberg's character in the film).
Prior to her professional credits listed on Spotlight – she has performed in many a student production and film for the extra experience.
Professional Credits in Acting and Voiceover
2013, Voice Over, A Shade Greener Radio Ad
2013, Voice Over, Ikidzparty.com Radio Ad
2013, Voice Over, Lord & Midgley Radio Ad
2013, Voice Over, Reach4training Radio Ad
2013, Voice Over, Wosskow Brown Radio Ad
2009, Musical, Denise, The Mod Crop Musical, Red Jelly Productions, Steve Wallis/Martin Berry/Alan Fletcher
2008, Pantomime, Evil Squire, Mother Goose, E3 Group, Bob McGowan
2006, Pantomime, Carmen, Fame, Qdos, John Conway/Alan Harding
2006, Pantomime, Pirate Patch, Pirates of the Jamiacan Ruby, Qdos, John Conway/Sophie Lawrence
Spotlight: LEANNE PERRY
Started classical singing lessons and voice coaching from the age of 14
Acquired a Management Deal for her singing with Rock-it Records in Lancashire – which included writing her own songs, recording and performing – this also encompassed coaching and training too. She performed in showcases all across the UK.
Sang in a Rock / Indie Band called "Urban Gypsy" and gigged all across the UK
Performed many Acoustic Gigs in and around Nottingham. Leanne frequently performed at Saltwater bar in Nottingham
Was offered a local Record Deal with Neil Kellow Music – Platinum Records Ltd in 2010
Started ballet dancing from the age of 3
By the age of 17, she was trained in the following types of dance: Ballet, Tap, Modern, Disco (Freestyle), Latin American, Ballroom, Jazz and Rock 'n' Roll, and had been training and examined to IDTA Blue Ribbon Standard. She mainly danced solo, but has also performed in pairs and as a team of 10.
In 2002, she attended the British National Dance Championships in Blackpool to compete in the Team event and came 2nd overall.
In 2004 she won a Dance Competition that was taking place around various Nightclubs across the UK to be a Podium Dancer. She came first and won a contract with Untouched Entertainments and worked with them for just over a year performing in nightclubs all over the UK and for a whole host of different Events including Ministry of Sound Events.
Leanne was on the books for Number One Model Agency from the age of 12 and did various shoots and events including catwalk
She won Miss Mansfield and Sherwood Forest at the age of 19 and held the title until age 21 which included attending a whole host of Local and charity events
She was represented by Ivan Boden photography in 2004 and modelled for Linda Dennis Fashion and clothes range
She learnt a lot of her presenting skills through working at Butlins as a Redcoat
She was the Presenter for the Miss Mansfield Final in both 2010 and 2011
Additional Performance Experience
Butlins Redcoat from March 2005 – November 2005
Members of Haven Holiday's touring cast (Touring around Scotland and Cumbria) Singing, Acting and Dancing with Qdos Pantomime Company
Worked for the E3 Group and Ted UK as Cast for the First Choice Holiday Village in Cyprus from March until November 2008 Singing, Dancing and Acting
Extra talents
Studied Music and played Piano from age 4 until she was 15 to Grade 6 Practical standard and Grade 6 Theory Standard.
For further information on:
Please call Celeb Agents on Tel: 020 3198 2200


In this Landpower Essay, Major Amos C. Fox calls for an overhaul of Army R&S capability. As it currently stands, the Army is in a position where its ground R&S capabilities are inadequate to conduct their inherent mission. The Army's global commitments over the past 15 years are largely to blame. However, there are other critical failures exacerbating the problem, including the Army's approach to training and educating R&S leaders; the manner in which leaders have been allocated to the R&S formations; the absence of division- and corps-level ground R&S capabilities; and disjointed doctrine. The Army must take a deliberate approach to fixing these deficiencies to be able to fight and win during the next ground war.


If you liked this, then you might also enjoy glimpses of winter in Michigan along the lake as seen in Power of the Storm: 44 Ferocious Waves Attacking Lighthouses.
WOW! Beautiful pictures but, I don't know how anyone could stand to live in that.
I'm living here in Michigan and wishing i was back in the Texas Panhandle, it's a lot easier on a person than here. Be safe.
This is a beautiful array of photos, the frozen scenery is a sight to behold. I plan in a visit this summer and looking forward to it. Thank you for sharing.
I live in Austin, TX, and just a few days ago we had some freezing rain. It made getting up and down my front porch steps to walk my dog VERY difficult (they were slick with ice). I don't see how the people up north can STAND these constant freezing temperatures! However, I do enjoy photographs and videos of snow and ice, and these photos are spectacular!!


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Seattle Mariners Gameday Preview versus Houston Astros
By Charlie Spencer-Davis
Mar 20, 2014; Mesa, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher
(50) throws the ball against the Chicago Cubs at Cubs Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Initial Thoughts:
Ever heard the song Free Fallin'? It's been covered by lots of famous musicians like John Mayer. It's a catchy song and, at this juncture in the young season, could very well be the anthem for these Seattle Mariners.
We as fans were all on top of the world when the M's started the year 3-0. If you take away the 5-1 record against the LA Angels this season, the M's are 2-11 against everyone else. And that everyone else includes the Miami Marlins and the Houston Astros.
I honestly don't know if I've ever seen confidence shoot so high then get cut down so quickly. The hope has to be that when the starting pitchers return from injury, this team will start to stabilize.
Game Details:
Seattle Mariners (7-12) – losers of 7 straight.
Houston Astros (6-14)
Time of game: 7:10 PM Pacific. Location: Seattle, Washington.
MATCHUPS:
Pitching:
Mariners: Erasmo Ramirez RHP (1-2, 7.50 ERA) vs. Collin McHugh RHP (0-0, -.– ERA).
EDGE: I really can't say. Pocket Rocket has been awful since his first start of the season– he couldn't even get through three innings in his last start against the Texas Rangers. McHugh was just called up from Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City to replace starter Scott Feldman, who was placed on the 15-day DL with bicep tendonitis). When it comes down to it, Ramirez has been bad and McHugh had a 4.50 ERA in Triple-A. Flip a coin if you want.
Probable Lineups:
Mariners:
Abraham Almonte 8
Dustin Ackley 7
Robinson Cano 4
Corey Hart DH
Justin Smoak 3
Michael Saunders 9
Kyle Seager 5
Mike Zunino 2
Brad Miller 6
Of note: After all his adamant talk about keeping Ackley and Zunino at the bottom of the lineup for a whole season, skipper Lloyd McClendon dropped Miller to the nine-hole and moved Ackley up to the two-slot. The team batting average is plummeting; this team needs to collectively start hitting again.
Astros:
Jose Altuve 4
Dexter Fowler 8
Jason Castro 2
George Springer 9
Marc Krauss 3
Alex Presley 7
Matt Dominguez DH
Marwin Gonzalez 5
Jonathan Villar 6
Of note: If it's any consolation, the Astros' offense is almost as bad as the Mariners' offense. It's like two inept kids trying to beat each other up by slap boxing. There's a reason so many teams picked these two teams to finish 4th and 5th in the AL West.
Keys to Mariner Victory:
1) Patience at the plate. Last night Mariners hitters struck out 14 times in nine innings. And walked once. That's no good for a Major League baseball team. If that cannot be rectified tonight, look for another check in the loss column for these floundering Mariners.
2) Fundamental baseball. The Mariners have been fielding too many errors of late. Felix Hernandez gave up 6 runs in 7 innings last night– only 2 of them earned because of costly errors in the field. It's one thing to lose a game when the other team outplays you. It's another when you play yourself out of the game with stupid mistakes.
The bandwagon that was being built the first week of the season has been dismantled and scrapped for parts. Dedicated fans were saying 'I told you so' after the first week; now their heads are buried deep in the sand. If the M's cannot come back and win this series against the Astros, the chorus of 'when do the Seahawks start?' will only get louder.
Score Prediction:
Mariners 5, Astros 3.


text:
Is Redcross Down?
Redcross is actually 👍 UP
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What is the Redcross Organization?
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an global humanitarian motion with roughly 97 million volunteers, staff and members globally, which was set up to safeguard human life and health, to guarantee respect for all human beings, and also to prevent and relieve human suffering. Within three different organizations which are legally separate from one another, but are combined within the movement through shared fundamental principles, goals, symbols, statutes and regulating organisations, you will find the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), that's a private humanitarian institution founded in 1863 at Geneva, Switzerland, particularly by Henry Dunant and Gustave Moynier. Its 25-member committee has a exceptional authority under global humanitarian law to guard the life and dignity of their victims of internal and international armed conflicts. The ICRC was granted the Nobel Peace Prize on three occasions (in 1917, 1944 and 1963).
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Walk Bridge Design
Manresa Island Online Public Meeting
In June of 2020, the Connecticut Department of Transportation conducted an online public information meeting regarding the potential use of Manresa Island as a staging and construction area for the Walk Bridge Replacement Project. As a result of public comments and inquiries from the meeting, CTDOT undertook studies beyond work already performed to inform a decision about the use of Manresa Island. Four areas of further study were performed over the summer: Traffic, Noise, Environmental Issues and Alternate Site Evaluation.
Get Meeting Details
CTDOT Initiates Additional Review for Walk Bridge Project as Follow-up to Public Meeting
In response to public comment and feedback received during and after the June 16th online public informational meeting regarding the use of Manresa Island as a const...read more
CTDOT To Host Online Public Meeting Regarding Manresa Island As Part Of The Walk Bridge Program
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is hosting an online public information meeting on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, to discuss the potential use of a portion of Manresa Island in...read more
Walk Bridge Open House Saturday, December 8
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) invites members of the community to an Open House at the Walk Bridge Welcome Center on Saturday, December 8 between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM ...read more
Walk Bridge Public Meeting Relocated to Welcome Center
The Walk Bridge Program Public Meeting scheduled for November 28, 2018 is relocated to the Walk Bridge Welcome Center at 20 Marshall Street, South Norwalk, CT (the first floor of the Lock Bu...read more
CTDOT to Hold Public Meeting on Walk Bridge Replacement and Related Projects
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) will hold a Public Meeting at Norwalk City Hall on Wednesday, November 28, to update the community on Walk Bridge Program progress and pr...read more
Science Road Railroad Crossing in Norwalk to be Replaced Weekend of September 14-17
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is announcing that the Walk Bridge Program will replace the railroad crossing on Science Road during the weekend of September 14-17. Buses will s...read more
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Visit CT Walk Bridge on Instagram (Opens in a new window)
Overview & Funding
Purpose & Need
Design Alternatives
Program Delivery and Phases
Program Team
Replacement of the Walk Bridge Over the Norwalk River
CP243 Interlocking Project
Danbury Branch Dockyard Project
East Avenue Bridge Replacement and Roadway Improvements
Osborne Avenue Railroad Bridge
Fort Point Street Bridge Replacement and Roadway Realignment
Fender Repair Project (completed)
Business Coordination
Contact Us / Mailing List
Environmental Permits
NEPA/CEPA Determinations
Environmental Assessment/Environmental Impact Evaluation
Type here to search
Construction Activities Map Sign up for Construction News
What is the Walk Bridge Program?
The Walk Bridge Program is a comprehensive infrastructure improvement program consisting of more than a half-dozen interrelated road, rail and utility infrastructure projects. The Program increases safety, reliability and ease of travel through Norwalk, while protecting resources important to the city's future like the rail line, local roads and the Norwalk River. The Program promotes economic development through infrastructure investment, increasing railroad reliability and reducing road congestion and travel delays for residents, commuters, boaters and tourists and protecting current and future waterfront development.
What projects make up the Walk Bridge Program?
The anchor and namesake of the Walk Bridge Program is the Walk Bridge Replacement Project. However, there are several infrastructure improvement projects that account for approximately half of the Program's total construction costs. These projects include:
The CP243 Interlocking Project
The Danbury Branch Dockyard Project
The East Avenue Bridge Replacement and Roadway Improvement
The Fort Point Street Bridge Replacement and Roadway Realignment
The Osborne Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation and Superstructure Replacement
What is the cost of the Program?
The total cost and schedule of the Walk Bridge Program including design, rights of way and construction, are currently being updated.
The estimated funding projection for the Program is 40% federal and 60% state funds, which includes approximately $161 million of federal funds from a Superstorm Sandy Infrastructure Resiliency grant.
What prompted the replacement of the Walk Bridge?
A pattern of bridge closure failures began in 2011, when the bridge failed to close 12 times that year.
In 2013, the Walk Bridge failed to close properly 16 times.
By 2014, the bridge failed to close during rush hour twice within a two-week period. These failures caused significant service delays and required emergency busing of rail passengers.
In 2018, the bridge continued to experience issues, failing to close 16 times.
Why does the Walk Bridge need to be replaced?
As a part of Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line, the bridge is a critical link in the busiest rail corridor in the nation, the Northeast Corridor, connecting Boston, New York, and Washington D.C. The Walk Bridge carries approximately 175 trains and 125,000 riders each day (more than 45 million each year) – including Metro-North, Amtrak and freight trains. The bridge has outlived its intended life span by more than two decades and needs to be replaced. The existing bridge suffers from a system-wide degradation of the bridge structure, significant wear of mechanical systems and obsolete electrical systems leading to unexpected maintenance costs, operational failures and emergency repairs.
What precautions have been taken to ensure safety and minimize impacts to rail service?
After the operational failures of the Walk Bridge in 2014, CTDOT completed a $3 million repair program so that the bridge remains operational until the new bridge is constructed. Extra precautions are taken so that the bridge functions properly. Currently, the bridge is opened manually, meaning the machinery is activated by a qualified electrician and not by automatic controllers. Finally, the bridge is inspected regularly by engineers so that it is safe for use and receives ongoing maintenance.
Bridge openings are restricted between 5:45 AM - 9:45 AM and from 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM to reduce possible interference during rush hour train service.
What is the chosen replacement for the Walk Bridge? How was this design selected?
The Program is replacing the existing bridge with a 240' Span Vertical Lift Bridge. The "240' Span" indicates the length of the bridge, not the height. For the new movable span to meet the reasonable needs of navigation (60' clearance) when fully raised, the top of the lift span towers is placed approximately 150' above the top of railroad tracks.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) evaluated more than 70 replacement design variations prior to selecting the 240' Span Vertical Lift Bridge. The alternatives assessed fell within the following categories:
No Build (no action)
Fixed-Bridge Replacement
Movable-Bridge Replacement
Representative options in each category were evaluated against factors such as local impacts, construction duration, impacts to rail service, and cohesion with the project's purpose & need.
While each alternative has varying impacts, there is no viable alternative that results in a markedly shorter construction timeframe or significantly fewer construction impacts than the 240' Span Vertical Lift Bridge preferred alternative. Learn more about design alternatives here.
In addition to meeting the project's purpose & need, this design provides the following benefits:
Shortest construction of the movable options.
Fewest environmental impacts of the evaluated options.
Maintaining two-track service and minimizing rail service impacts during construction.
Fewest disruptions to Norwalk River waterway users.
Designed to withstand extreme weather events.
Why can't we have a fixed-bridge replacement?
The Norwalk River has active waterway users utilizing the river upstream. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) advised the project that a 60' vertical clearance, matching that of the upstream Yankee Doodle Bridge (I-95), would meet the reasonable needs of navigation on the river.
A high-level fixed bridge meeting the prescribed navigation clearances, in which the railroad tracks would be elevated over a distance between East Norwalk Station and South Norwalk Station, would result in significantly unfavorable property and environmental impacts while nearly tripling the cost of the preferred alternative. A low-level fixed bridge, in which the rail road track is placed at the same vertical height as the existing bridge, fails to meet the reasonable needs of navigation as outlined by the USCG. Based on continued consultation with the USCG, if a low-level fixed-bridge was suitable, the USCG would have indicated as such during on-going consultations with the Program.
Does a movable bridge cost more?
The design of the new bridge has advanced beyond 90% completion. The cost of redesigning a fixed alternative would result in negligible savings at this point in the process.
The movable components on the chosen design for the Walk Bridge Replacement represent 10% – 15% of the overall cost of the bridge. Factsheets on the low-level fixed bridge and movable bridge are available for comparison of benefits and impacts.
Can we change the navigability designation of the river?
The USCG definition of a navigable waterway includes "internal waters of the US that are subject to tidal influence." This designation cannot be changed without a change to the current federal regulation, which has never been done.
CASE STUDY: What about the Peck River in Bridgeport?
In cases where a reduction in existing navigation clearances (either horizontal or vertical) are deemed as meeting the reasonable needs of navigation, the USCG would issue a bridge permit for that structure. This change in navigation clearance does not represent a change in the waterway's designation as a navigable waterway.
In the case of the Congress Street in Bridgeport, the Water Quality Bill of 2018 included a provision to cancel The United States Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) federal navigation project with jurisdiction over the waterway's channel depth. This removed the federal dredging of the waterway in this stretch of the river. This did not change the Peck River's designation as a navigable waterway.
This "act of Congress" had nothing to do with determining navigation clearances, which remains the responsibility of the USCG for navigable waterways. The USCG issued a bridge permit (because Peck remained a navigable waterway) for a low level fixed-bridge because they felt this met the reasonable needs of navigation for the Peck River.
How often does the bridge open?
Due to operational failures in the last decade, restrictions regarding bridge openings have been enforced to reduce interference with train schedules and minimize the potential for failures. There is a restriction on bridge openings during warm weather because heat can cause the bridge to expand, leading to issues closing the bridge and realigning the tracks. Restrictions like this and others have resulted in fewer openings in recent years.
2011: 138 openings (failed 12 times)
2014: 130 openings (failed twice in two weeks)
2015: 150 openings
2016: 85 openings
2018 (through Feb. 2019): 139 openings (failed 16 times)
When does construction begin on the Program?
The Walk Bridge Program is being developed and constructed in phases to maintain rail service and reduce impacts to the public. The schedule of the Walk Bridge Program including design, rights of way and construction, are currently being updated.
The Fort Point Street, East Avenue and Osborne Avenue Projects begin approximately 1.5 years after construction of the Walk Bridge Replacement Project begins.
The Danbury Branch Dockyard Project and the CP243 Interlocking Project began construction in 2017 and are anticipated to be completed in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
Why are multiple projects part of the Walk Bridge Program?
The CP243 Interlocking Project increases rail service flexibility by allowing trains to switch tracks more easily. Similarly, the Danbury Branch Dockyard project contributes to service flexibility by allowing trains to change direction and provides a location where trains can be stored when not in service. Construction of the Walk Bridge Replacement requires two-track service which is accommodated by improvements provided by the CP243 Interlocking and Danbury Branch Dockyard Projects.
The Fort Point Street, East Avenue and Osborne Avenue projects include bridges and infrastructure that are more than 100 years old and need to be replaced. These projects are completed simultaneously with the Walk Bridge Replacement to take advantage of scheduled track outages and streamline work. This approach reduces rail disruptions, lowers costs and shortens construction durations.
What construction method is being applied to the Walk Bridge Replacement Project?
CTDOT is employing a Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) process. CM/GC is an innovative project delivery method where the contractor acts as Construction Manager during design and advises CTDOT on schedule, phasing, constructability, materials availability, risk and cost. This integrated team approach, involving the Contractor early in the project, adds value by reducing construction duration, reducing impacts, improving construction sequencing and reducing risk.
See the full Program Team here.
How long will construction of the Walk Bridge Replacement take? How will construction progress?
Construction on the Walk Bridge is estimated to take 5 - 6 years.
The first year consists mostly of in-water work and establishing the construction staging areas. This includes demolition of the IMAX theater and relocation of the railroad power lines underground. The Program then removes the existing high towers and constructs the lift towers for the new Walk Bridge. Construction of the two southern tracks will follow. The Walk Bridge's southern half approaches are constructed and the southern lift span is built off-site and floated-in, to be installed over an extended weekend. The existing swing span (all four tracks) is simultaneously removed and floated north for demolition. The Program would then open the two new southern tracks and begin work on the northern half of the bridge. This work mirrors the southern half and extends into year(s) five and/or six. The completion of the northern and southern halves of the bridges at Fort Point Street, East Avenue, and Osborne Avenue will coincide with track outages for the Walk Bridge.
What environmental documentation has taken place for the Program?
The Walk Bridge Replacement Project underwent an Environmental Assessment in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EA/EIE) in accordance with the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA). The goal of this environmental review was to promote informed decision-making by considering a range of reasonable alternatives and analysis leading to selection of a preferred alternative.
On July 17, 2017, the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Walk Bridge Replacement project in compliance with NEPA. By doing so, FTA has determined that further evaluation is not required under NEPA.
Under the CEPA process, CTDOT submitted a Record of Decision (ROD) to the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) in June 2017; and in a letter dated July 6, 2017 OPM determined that the EA/EIE satisfies the requirements of CEPA for this project.
Separate environmental reviews have been completed for the CP243 Interlocking and Danbury Branch Dockyard Projects.
What historic impacts will the Program have and what is being done to mitigate potential impacts?
A movable bridge on the Norwalk River has been a staple of life in Norwalk for generations. The Walk Bridge Replacement provides a modern solution to secure Norwalk's transportation future while maintaining a link to its historic past. The Walk Bridge is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places and is subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. A preliminary historic assessment was conducted as part of the Section 106 Process to identify the Area of Potential Effect, or the area within which the Program may directly or indirectly affect historic properties. Design meetings were held in August 2015 and February 2016 to identify potential impacts and mitigation for historic resources.
An archaeological investigation was conducted based on a preliminary historic assessment. The investigation yielded the discovery of a Contact-Period, Native American trading fort. The Program plans to work with local historical organizations in Norwalk to arrange exhibits and educational programming for the local community.
Is the Eversource Cable Relocation Project part of the Walk Bridge Program?
Eversource Cable Relocation is a separate project managed by Eversource. For more information on this project, please visit the Eversource website.
Why is it named the Walk Bridge?
While commonly referred to as the "Walk Bridge" by the public, the structure's official name is the "Norwalk River Railroad Bridge, Bridge No. 04288R, MP 41.5". Over time, "Norwalk River Bridge" was shortened to the "Walk Bridge" that is commonly used today. Similarly, the movable "Saga" bridge in Westport refers to the Saugatuck River over which the rail line passes.
Is the Program coordinating with neighboring construction projects?
Coordination with other projects takes place throughout the Walk Bridge Program with the goal of reducing construction impacts for residents, businesses and commuters. CTDOT and the Walk Bridge Program team meet regularly with municipal leaders, private developers and project sponsors to coordinate with other planned construction projects, including repairs on the Yankee Doodle and Stroffolino Bridges, the "SoNo Collection" mall and city projects. A listing of these projects can be found on our related projects map.
Is the Program involved in the community?
The Walk Bridge Program is coordinating closely with numerous community stakeholders including the City of Norwalk, Norwalk Harbor Management and Shellfish Commissions, Marine Police, local neighborhood groups and associations, the business community, local transit organizations, historical groups, rowing clubs, residents, commuters, arts organizations, schools, and more. If you would like to schedule a meeting for your group or organization, please contact the Public Information Team.
How can I learn more about the Program, have additional questions answered or get involved?
Comments or questions about the Walk Bridge Program can be submitted via our website or at info@walkbridgect.com and by phone 1-833-GO2-WALK (1-822-462-9255). Sign up for email alerts to receive Program notifications, public meeting notices and weekly Construction News updates.
The Program hosts public meetings, participates in community events and posts information on our social media accounts. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!


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Joyner Lucas kondigt de 'ADHD'-releasedatum aan
februari 14, 2020	0	Door admin
Mark your calendars.
After much anticipation, Joyner Lucas is finally set to release his new album ADHD next month. Taking to Instagram, he revealed the March 27 date alongside the previously-released cover art.
"You ready for March 27th?" he asked his 1.8 million followers.
During an interview with Apple Music's Beats 1 earlier this month, the Massachusetts rapper explained the reason for the delay. "There was a lot of business stuff happening with me transitioning from getting off the label, becoming independent, stuff like that," he told Zane Lowe. "ADHD is coming in March, definitely in March. Before March is over, ADHD will be out in its entirety."
He also shared plans to release two additional full-length projects in March since "about 50 percent" of the music on ADHD is already out.
"What I decided in 2020, I was gonna be one of the most consistent artists," added Lucas. "I'm not really a huge fan of going on tour because it takes away from my focus of making music and I'm spending a lot of time away from my son… I decided not to go tour and I decided just to focus on music."
He has also debuted a cinematic video for his new single "Revenge." "I was in a bad mood when I wrote 'Revenge,'" said Lucas. "This music stuff to me is always fun. It's not a job to me, it's my life."
4 scenario's wanneer gedetailleerd testen zinvol is
Joyner Lucas "ADHD" Releasedatum Aangekondigd


ParkFind introduces the latest technology that allows you to find available parking bays throughout the Cape Town CBD.
Paying for your parking has never been easier. With ParkFind you can make secure in-app payments. ParkFind works with e-commerce enabled Mastercard or Visa cards from any South African bank.
Africa's first search, navigation and payment app for parking.
Where can I use ParkFind in SA?
ParkFind can only be used in the Cape Town CBD, for now, between 8:00-17:00 on weekdays and 8:00 -13:00 on Saturdays. PF is not available after 17:00, Sundays and Public holidays.
Will ParkFind cost me anything over an above the parking fee?
Who do I contact if the App doesn't work?
Allowing push notifications for ParkFind will allow us to notify you when the marshal has successfully scanned in your vehicle and started your parking session.
Do I need to create an account? Why do you need my vehicles number plate?
No, you can still use the App without an account; if you want to make in-App payments you will need to create an account. We need your number plate to validate your parking session and to authenticate your payment.
Yes, your information is secure. ParkFind makes use of PayGate's payment engine, PayGate is certified PCI DSS Level 1 compliant by Sysnet.
How frequently are the parking pins updated?
Our parking pins are updated every minute, by the minute.
ParkFind sorts through real-time parking transaction data and provides you with a selection of available parking spaces, near to your desired location.
Can I use ParkFind to locate and pay for off-street parking?
This functionality is being developed; we'll keep you posted.
Which phones are compatible with the ParkFind App?
ParkFind currently runs on Android and iOS.
If you are signed out of the app and have forgotten your password, select sign in and then select forgot password. You will be asked to enter your email address and we will send you an email to reset your password.
Do I need to save my Debit/credit card information?
Can I use more than 1 card to pay with ParkFind?
Yes, users are able to add 2 cards per an account.
Does ParkFind replace the parking marshal?
No. You are still required to inform the parking marshal that you have used ParkFind to validate your parking session.
How do I view available parking?
ParkFind's map and search views allow you find parking near your desired location, the list view shows available parking closest to your current location.
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For any enquries, drop us a line.


text:
package tidb

import (
	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
)

var (
	sessionExecuteParseDuration = prometheus.NewHistogram(
		prometheus.HistogramOpts{
			Namespace: "tidb",
			Subsystem: "server",
			Name:      "session_execute_parse_duration",
			Help:      "Bucketed histogram of processing time (s) in parse SQL.",
			Buckets:   prometheus.LinearBuckets(0.00004, 0.00001, 13),
		})
	sessionExecuteCompileDuration = prometheus.NewHistogram(
		prometheus.HistogramOpts{
			Namespace: "tidb",
			Subsystem: "server",
			Name:      "session_execute_compile_duration",
			Help:      "Bucketed histogram of processing time (s) in query optimize.",
			Buckets:   prometheus.LinearBuckets(0.00004, 0.00001, 13),
		})
	sessionExecuteRunDuration = prometheus.NewHistogram(
		prometheus.HistogramOpts{
			Namespace: "tidb",
			Subsystem: "server",
			Name:      "session_execute_run_duration",
			Help:      "Bucketed histogram of processing time (s) in running executor.",
			Buckets:   prometheus.ExponentialBuckets(0.0001, 2, 13),
		})
	schemaLeaseErrorCounter = prometheus.NewCounterVec(
		prometheus.CounterOpts{
			Namespace: "tidb",
			Subsystem: "server",
			Name:      "schema_lease_error_counter",
			Help:      "Counter of schema lease error",
		}, []string{"type"})
	sessionRetry = prometheus.NewHistogram(
		prometheus.HistogramOpts{
			Namespace: "tidb",
			Subsystem: "server",
			Name:      "session_retry",
			Help:      "Bucketed histogram of session retry count.",
			Buckets:   prometheus.LinearBuckets(0, 1, 10),
		})
	transactionCounter = prometheus.NewCounterVec(
		prometheus.CounterOpts{
			Namespace: "tidb",
			Subsystem: "server",
			Name:      "transaction_total",
			Help:      "Counter of transactions.",
		}, []string{"type"})
)

func init() {
	prometheus.MustRegister(sessionExecuteParseDuration)
	prometheus.MustRegister(sessionExecuteCompileDuration)
	prometheus.MustRegister(sessionExecuteRunDuration)
	prometheus.MustRegister(schemaLeaseErrorCounter)
	prometheus.MustRegister(sessionRetry)
	prometheus.MustRegister(transactionCounter)
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Privacy Advisor | A new Safe Harbor? Yes, it's possible Related reading: Safe Harbor Naming Contest: The Final Round
A new Safe Harbor? Yes, it's possible
schedule Jan 12, 2016
Denis Kelleher, CIPP/E	IAPP Member Contributor
In Schrems, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) found the Safe Harbor agreement, which enabled the transfer of personal data from the EU to the U.S., to be invalid. The EU Commission is trying to reach a new agreement with the U.S. government by this month's end, although the incoming Dutch presidency has expressed doubts as to whether this deadline can be met. The significance of this deadline is that the EU's data protection authorities have indicated that if such an agreement cannot be made by January 31, then they are: "… committed to take all necessary and appropriate actions, which may include coordinated enforcement actions." This is why the EU Commission is under pressure to make a new agreement with the U.S.
Even if such an agreement can be made, it is not clear how robust it will be. Cases before both the EU and U.S. courts may redefine the application of privacy and surveillance laws to the global internet. The most prominent such case is probably Microsoft v Department of Justice, a challenge to a warrant issued and served in the U.S. requiring that Microsoft provide the U.S. government with emails and other content held on a server in Dublin, Ireland. This warrant has been upheld by the U.S. federal courts so far, but Microsoft has brought its challenge to the U.S. Court of Appeal, which may issue judgment soon.
The U.S. government may not be alone in seeking evidence in this way; EU member states may themselves be considering something similar. One of the conclusions reached by EU Heads of Government at a December meeting was: "To support criminal investigations, work will be taken forward on obtaining electronic evidence, especially when located abroad. This will include further engagement with the internet industry."
And the U.S. courts are not alone in finding that U.S. laws may be applied globally. The EU's Court of Justice CJEU has already gone a long way towards asserting EU law's global reach. In Google Spain, it asserted jurisdiction over results generated by Google's search engine, which is based in California. In Schrems, the CJEU suggested that "… legislation permitting the public authorities to have access on a generalised basis to the content of electronic communications must be regarded as compromising the essence of the fundamental right to respect for private life." The president of the CJEU would subsequently explain to the Wall Street Journal that in doing so, the CJEU was "… not judging the U.S. system … we are judging the requirements of EU law in terms of the conditions to transfer data to third countries."
It may be argued that in Schrems, the CJEU suggested that higher standards should apply to the processing of the personal data of EU citizens in the U.S. than apply to the processing within the member states of the EU itself. But the CJEU has jurisdiction only over EU law, not that of its member states. However, the CJEU is not Europe's only court. There is also the European Court of Human Rights ECHR, which considers whether European states have breached the European Convention of Human Rights, Article 8 of which provides a right to privacy.
In December 2015, the ECHR found that the surveillance laws of Russia, one of the signatories to the convention, were in breach of Article 8 as they failed to provide the limitations and controls that the ECHR requires. The ECHR has been asked to hear a challenge to the UK's surveillance laws, which may clarify whether the national laws of European States are to be held to a standard similar to that which the CJEU has applied to measures made by the EU.
Of course the U.S. is far from being the only country that monitors electronic communications. As both the U.S. Library of Congress and the EU's own Fundamental Rights Agency have pointed out, many EU member states have electronic surveillance programs of their own. It seems likely that the CJEU will follow the ECHR approach of upholding laws that enable the targeted surveillance of suspected criminals or places that are at particular risk of crime. What European Courts find objectionable is mass surveillance without proper controls or limitations. Such a view is hardly alien to the U.S. courts, which have a long history of upholding privacy rights and opposing mass surveillance.
Arguably EU and U.S. privacy and surveillance laws are not be as fundamentally incompatible as they sometimes seem. It is quite possible that the EU and U.S. could develop common standards for electronic surveillance that enable intelligence agencies and police to do their job, whilst respecting the privacy rights of individuals. Such standards have already been agreed in relation to the exchange of information between tax authorities; only a few have questioned the privacy implications of this OECD agreement.
An EU/U.S. agreement on the surveillance of electronic communications may well be possible; it just may not be possible by the end of this month. In the absence of such an agreement the continuing balkanisation of the Internet may accelerate; already major providers of cloud services such as Amazon and Microsoft are pitching EU-only services to customers.
Safe Harbor Naming Contest: The Final Round
Since the IAPP announced its contest to find a better name than "Safe Harbor 2.0" for the data-transfer agreement currently being hammered out by the EU and U.S. governments in the wake of Schrems, we've received nearly 100 submissions. Some of the submissions have been, um, stronger than others. So...
Governments Aim To Conclude New Safe Harbor Deal by January
The U.S. and the EU will review an agreement to replace the Safe Harbor framework on December 17, Politico reports. The two governments aim to have a replacement framework in place by January, says EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourová. Reuters reports that the European Commission is aiming to involv...
All the Safe Harbor Answers: Part Five
As policy-makers in Washington, DC, and Brussels meet to discuss possible alternatives to Safe Harbor in order to keep data flowing across the Atlantic, corporate privacy professionals are facing an immediate need to respond to the landmark decision in the Schrems case. On October 6, more than 2,500...
EU-Based Cloud Aims To Solve Safe Harbor Data-Storage Conundrum
European cloud provider Zettabox has launched its Zettabox Euro Harbor service, which is geared toward helping U.S. companies comply with post-Safe Harbor data storage, TechWeek reports. The new service aims to allow companies acting as data controllers and operating in Europe to store their clients...
Post Safe Harbor, One Start-up Shifts
"As a series of Monty Python sketches once said, 'nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!' I have to admit that I was one of the many privacy professionals who, for years, balked at the suggestion that Safe Harbor would cease to exist," writes TeleSign CPO Stephen Bolinger, CIPM, CIPP/E, CIPP/G, CIP...
library_books Safe Harbor Naming Contest: The Final Round
library_books Governments Aim To Conclude New Safe Harbor Deal by January
library_books All the Safe Harbor Answers: Part Five
library_books EU-Based Cloud Aims To Solve Safe Harbor Data-Storage Conundrum
library_books Post Safe Harbor, One Start-up Shifts


text:
Justia › US Law › Case Law › Wisconsin Case Law › Wisconsin Supreme Court Decisions › 2015 › Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Jeffrey A. Reitz
Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Jeffrey A. Reitz
2015 WI 9 SUPREME COURT CASE NO.: COMPLETE TITLE: OF WISCONSIN 2010AP1576-D & 2011AP1764-D In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings Against Jeffrey A. Reitz, Attorney at Law: Office of Lawyer Regulation, Complainant-Respondent, v. Jeffrey A. Reitz, Respondent-Appellant. DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST REITZ OPINION FILED: SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: ORAL ARGUMENT: SOURCE OF APPEAL: COURT: COUNTY: JUDGE: JUSTICES: CONCURRED: DISSENTED: NOT PARTICIPATING: ATTORNEYS: February 4, 2015 2015 WI 9 NOTICE This opinion is subject to further editing and modification. The final version will appear in the bound volume of the official reports. No. 2010AP1576-D 2011AP1764-D STATE OF WISCONSIN : IN SUPREME COURT In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings Against Jeffrey A. Reitz, Attorney at Law: FILED Office of Lawyer Regulation, Complainant-Respondent, FEB 4, 2015 v. Diane M. Fremgen Clerk of Supreme Court Jeffrey A. Reitz, Respondent-Appellant. ATTORNEY reinstatement proceeding. ¶1 PER CURIAM. We review a Reinstatement granted. report filed by referee Christine Harris Taylor, recommending that the court reinstate the license of Jeffrey A. Reitz to practice law in Wisconsin. After careful review of the matter, we agree that Attorney Reitz's license should be reinstated, with conditions. We also agree with the referee that Attorney Reitz should be required to pay the full costs of this proceeding, which are $2,701.40 as of November 21, 2014. No. ¶2 Attorney Reitz was licensed to 2010AP1576-D 2011AP1764-D practice Wisconsin in 1981 and practiced in Milwaukee. law in His license was suspended for a period of ten months, commencing on May 3, 2013, for multiple counts of misconduct, primarily related mishandling of his trust accounts and client funds. to his He had previously been disciplined on two prior occasions. ¶3 for On February 11, 2014, Attorney Reitz filed a petition the reinstatement Wisconsin. The of Office his of response on July 31, 2014. for reinstatement but license Lawyer to practice Regulation (OLR) law in filed a The OLR did not oppose the petition recommended that conditions be imposed upon Attorney Reitz's resumption of the practice of law. ¶4 A public September 24, hearing 2014. The was held referee in filed the her matter on report and provides the recommendation on October 29, 2014. ¶5 Supreme standards petitioner to be must Court met show for by Rule (SCR) 22.31(1) reinstatement. clear, Specifically, satisfactory, and the convincing evidence that he or she has the moral character to practice law, that his or her resumption of the practice of law will not be detrimental to the administration of justice or subversive to the public interest, and that he or she has complied SCR 22.26 and the terms of the order of suspension. with In addition to these requirements, SCR 22.29(4)(a)-(4m) provides additional requirements that a petition for reinstatement must show. 2 All No. 2010AP1576-D 2011AP1764-D of these additional requirements are effectively incorporated into SCR 22.31(1). ¶6 When we review a referee's report and recommendation, we will adopt the referee's findings of fact unless they are clearly erroneous. See In re Conclusions of law are reviewed de novo. Disciplinary Proceedings Against Eisenberg, 2004 WI 14, ¶5, 269 Wis. 2d 43, 675 N.W.2d 747. ¶7 We conclude determination that that Attorney the referee's Reitz has findings met his support burden a to establish by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence that he has met all of the standards required for reinstatement. The referee found that Attorney Reitz has not practiced law during the period of his suspension; that he has fully complied with the terms of the order of suspension; that he has maintained competence and learning in the law; that his conduct since the suspension has been exemplary and above reproach; and that he has a proper understanding of and attitude towards the standards that are conformity Attorney imposed with Reitz upon those can members of standards. safely be the The bar and referee recommended to will act in found that the legal profession, the courts, and the public as a person fit to be consulted by others and to represent them and otherwise act in matters of trust and confidence and in general to aid in the administration of justice as a member of the bar and as an officer of the courts. The referee also found that Attorney 3 No. 2010AP1576-D 2011AP1764-D Reitz has fully complied with the requirements as set forth in SCR 22.26. ¶8 The referee noted that the OLR's investigation revealed no information that Attorney Reitz failed to meet his burden to show that he has met all of the requirements required for the reinstatement of his license. that this court's resumption suspension of practice the order of The referee also noted provides law, that, Attorney upon Reitz's his trust account shall be subject to monitoring by the OLR for a period of two years. The referee found this condition of reinstatement to be well-founded. additional The OLR had also recommended that, as an condition of reinstatement, Attorney Reitz be required to work under the supervision of an attorney under SCR 20:5.1 or, at a minimum, that he be monitored by an attorney who works in the area of bankruptcy. The referee said this condition of reinstatement was unfounded and unsubstantiated by the testimony presented at the reinstatement hearing. ¶9 referee From that our review having the of OLR the matter, monitor we agree Attorney with Reitz's the trust account for a period of two years after he resumes the practice of law is a sufficient condition of reinstatement and that the additional condition suggested by the OLR is unnecessary. ¶10 It is this court's general practice to assess the full costs of a proceeding against a respondent. See SCR 22.24(1m). In order to award something less than full costs, the court must find extraordinary circumstances. 4 We find no extraordinary No. 2010AP1576-D 2011AP1764-D circumstances here, and we find it appropriate to assess the full costs of the proceeding against Attorney Reitz. ¶11 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Jeffrey A. Reitz to practice law in Wisconsin is reinstated, effective the date of this order, subject to the condition that upon his resumption of the practice of law, his trust account shall be subject to monitoring by the Office of Lawyer Regulation for a period of two years. ¶12 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that within 60 days of the date of this order, Jeffrey A. Reitz shall pay to the Office of Lawyer Regulation the costs of this proceeding, which are $2,701.40. ¶13 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that compliance with all of the terms of this order remain a condition of Jeffrey A. Reitz's license to practice law in Wisconsin. 5 No. 1 2010AP1576-D 2011AP1764-D


text:
India warned by UAE: "Your country is not immune to Islamic State"
February 9, 2016 by zahed
Anwar Gargash, Foreign affairs minister of UAE in an interview to NDTV said that India should not think that it is safe from ISIS.
Dr Gargash told NDTV: "This is a long-term threat we need to cooperate, need to have zero tolerance. There are no grey areas, we need to tackle this threat and nobody is immune. If you think you are immune, you are going to be negligent and you are going to be hit. Everybody… whether India or the UAE."
On questioning about Pakistan's efforts about fighting terrorism after Pathankot attack Dr Gargash said: "The UAE doesn't see a grey area in our rejection of terrorism, whether by a non-government group or whether sponsored by governments, we put all that in the same pile, terrorism is terrorism." He added that "there are no good terrorists and bad terrorists", and that states cannot distinguish between different groups.
Many Indians linked with ISIS have been deported from UAE recently.
Categories India Tags India, ISIS, Terror, UAE Post navigation
Akhilesh Yadav writes to PM Modi, seeks Rs 4,741 crore from NDRF for UP farmers
UGC seeks public cooperation in curbing ragging


text:
Home > News > IWatch > Baltimore County Police and Fire News > Keyword: ceremony
Keyword: ceremony
BCoPD Officers and County Citizens Honored at Annual Award Ceremony
Nov 14, 2019 12:26:00 PM EST
Posted by: jhardgrove@baltimorecountymd.gov
Tonight at 7 p.m., the Baltimore County Police Department will present awards to officers and county residents as part of an awards ceremony. The event will be held at Notre Dame Preparatory School, 815 Hampton Lane, Towson 21286.
Baltimore County Police Chief Melissa R. Hyatt will present the awards, while Pastor Melvin Rascoe will preside over the invocation and benediction.
Awards are given to officers who have performed extraordinarily over the last 12 months. The Baltimore County Police Department Awards Review Board spends months reviewing nominations based on departmental standard criteria.
Awards are presented to officers in the following categories:
Silver Star: This is the second highest Departmental Award. It recognizes officers who demonstrate valor, courage, intelligence and bravery over and above that normally demanded and expected.
Officer Nicholas A. Creaghan – Precinct 12/Dundalk
Officer Sheldon J. Reed – Precinct 12/Dundalk
Officer Branden C. A. Sands – Precinct 2/Woodlawn
Commendation: This is the third highest Departmental Award. It is awarded to officers who display courage and devotion to duty above that normally required, or who display intelligence during unusual circumstances, or who demonstrate initiative in solving a crime, or one who, under certain circumstances, arrest an armed and dangerous person.
Corporal Brian M. Cowley – Precinct 12/Dundalk
Detective Anthony N. Armetta – Criminal Investigations Bureau/Criminal Apprehension Support Team
Detective Allen E. Jones – Criminal Investigations Bureau/Criminal Apprehension Support Team
Detective Kenneth P. Nacke – Criminal Investigations Bureau/Criminal Apprehension Support Team
Detective Jason M. Sutton – Criminal Investigations Bureau/Criminal Apprehension Support Team
Detective Ellis E. Temple – Precinct 2/Woodlawn
Officer Christopher P. Harding – Precinct 12/Dundalk
Officer Kevin Pichardo – Precinct 12/Dundalk
Officer Dillon D. Waugh – Precinct 2/Woodlawn
Emergency Service Award: This award is awarded for an effort to save a human life.
Officer Timothy J. Bull – Precinct 12/Dundalk
Deputy Stacey Dickens – Baltimore City Sheriff's Department
Officer Robert E. Francis – Precinct 12/Dundalk
Officer Kevin M. Thomas – Precinct 9/White Marsh
Distinguished Citizen's Award: This award is presented to a citizen who rendered valuable assistance to Department members.
Jason Bremer
Tatyana Brown
Joseph Green
Michael R. Heller
Jeremy Kirkpatrick
Joseph C. McDermott
Adedeji Oduntan
Daniel T. Rogers
Roy R. Taylor
Graftin Tyler
Keywords: annual, award, ceremony, honor, recognized
Promotion Ceremony for Baltimore County Police Department
Oct 28, 2019 10:22:00 AM EDT
The Baltimore County Police Department will hold a promotion ceremony for 23 officers and two professional staff members on Monday, October 28. The 7 p.m. ceremony will take place at Oregon Ridge, in the Sequoia Room, 13401 Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville, 21030.
Family and friends will join Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski, Jr., Chief Melissa R. Hyatt and other dignitaries for the event.
This is a significant first round of promotions for the new Chief. Among the promotees includes, a female Captain to the command staff and the promotion of Tonya Johnson, who will become the first African American female Lieutenant for the Department.
The following is a list of the promoted officers.
Promoted to the rank of Captain
Lieutenant Deanna L. Chemelli is promoted to the rank of Captain and is assigned to Precinct 6/Towson
Lieutenant Craig A. Mitchell is promoted to the rank of Captain and is assigned to Precinct 11/Essex
Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant
Sergeant Kevin C. Felbinger
Sergeant Mallory J. Grantham
Sergeant Tonya L. Johnson
Sergeant Lee M. Prince
Sergeant Paul L. Schulman
Promoted to the rank of Sergeant
Corporal Daniel M. Burns
Corporal Patrick R. Burns
Corporal William D. Delcher
Corporal Robert J. Huncher, Jr.
Corporal Bruce W. Kindervater
Corporal Dana P. McCormick
Corporal Joshua A. Watson
Corporal Randall W. Wright
Promoted to the rank of Corporal
Officer Robin D. Brock
Officer Robert C. Easter
Officer Scott G. McIlvain
Officer Jeffrey A. McMillan
Officer Rosa Park
Officer Jeremy R. Price
Officer Daniel R. Topper
Officer Rebecca L. Wagner
Professional Staff Promotions
Samantha Bosse is promoted to Criminal Records Supervisor
Kathy Wallace is promoted to Executive Secretary
Keywords: ceremony, melissa hyatt, promotion
Cable Program Highlights School Safety, Swearing-In Ceremony of Police Chief Melissa R. Hyatt, Precinct 9 White Marsh
Aug 05, 2019 3:30:00 PM EDT
The next edition of On the Beat, the Baltimore County Police Department's cable TV program, runs through September. This edition covers the following segments.
School Safety – Sergeant Anissa Watkins, of the Safe Schools Section, discusses the successful partnership between the Baltimore County Police Department and Baltimore County Public Schools. Sergeant Watkins speaks about the enhanced safety that the School Resource Officer (SRO) program brings to students and staff in Baltimore County Public Schools, and provides school safety tips.
Swearing-In Ceremony of Police Chief Melissa R. Hyatt – On June 17, 2019, Melissa R. Hyatt took the oath of office to become the 14th Baltimore County Chief of Police.
Precinct 9 White Marsh – Captain Joseph Conger discusses how the officers assigned to the White Marsh Precinct keep our citizens safe in the eastern portion of Baltimore County.
These segments are available online, if you would like to watch it on your own computer, on your own schedule.
On the Beat also airs every day on Cable Channel 25, only in Baltimore County. The times are:
Monday: 10:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday: 9 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Wednesday: 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Thursday: Noon, 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m., 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Saturday: 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday: 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Keywords: cable, captain joseph conger, ceremony, chief melissa hyatt, highlights, precinct 9, program, safety, school, school resource officers, sergeant anissa watkins, sro, swearing in, white marsh
◄ Nov 2019 ►


We are excited to announce our new Associate program which recognizes those that exhibit excellent leadership and have been key contributors to our company's success. We would like to recognize Jodi Rock and Nola Kilmartin as our newest Associates for their exemplary dedication, insight, and enthusiasm.
People are and will always be our greatest asset. Jodi and Nola, your abilities and contributions are important keys to the success of our entire operation. Take a moment to reflect upon your accomplishments and take pride in knowing that you are important members of our team.
Thank you for all your commitment and making KENNEDY a better company.