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Mwanza Medical Research Centre
Mwanza City
Latest on Omicron Variant and COVID-19 Vaccine Protection
Wednesday, 15 December 2021 / Published in News
Credit: Adapted from Pfizer, Dec. 8, 2021
There's been great concern about the new Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. A major reason is Omicron has accumulated over 50 mutations, including about 30 in the spike protein, the part of the coronavirus that mRNA vaccines teach our immune systems to attack. All of these genetic changes raise the possibility that Omicron could cause breakthrough infections in people who've already received a Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine.
So, what does the science show? The first data to emerge present somewhat encouraging results. While our existing mRNA vaccines still offer some protection against Omicron, there appears to be a significant decline in neutralizing antibodies against this variant in people who have received two shots of an mRNA vaccine.
However, initial results of studies conducted both in the lab and in the real world show that people who get a booster shot, or third dose of vaccine, may be better protected. Though these data are preliminary, they suggest that getting a booster will help protect people already vaccinated from breakthrough or possible severe infections with Omicron during the winter months.
Though Omicron was discovered in South Africa only last month, researchers have been working around the clock to learn more about this variant. Last week brought the first wave of scientific data on Omicron, including interesting work from a research team led by Alex Sigal, Africa Health Research Institute, Durban, South Africa [1].
In lab studies working with live Omicron virus, the researchers showed that this variant still relies on the ACE2 receptor to infect human lung cells. That's really good news. It means that the therapeutic tools already developed, including vaccines, should generally remain useful for combatting this new variant.
Sigal and colleagues also tested the ability of antibodies in the plasma from 12 fully vaccinated individuals to neutralize Omicron. Six of the individuals had no history of COVID-19. The other six had been infected with the original variant in the first wave of infections in South Africa.
As expected, the samples showed very strong neutralization against the original SARS-CoV-2 variant. However, antibodies from people who'd been previously vaccinated with the two-dose Pfizer vaccine took a significant hit against Omicron, showing about a 40-fold decline in neutralizing ability.
This escape from immunity wasn't complete. Indeed, blood samples from five individuals showed relatively good antibody levels against Omicron. All five had previously been infected with SARS-CoV-2 in addition to being vaccinated. These findings add to evidence on the value of full vaccination for protecting against reinfections in people who've had COVID-19 previously.
Also of great interest were the first results of the Pfizer study, which the company made available in a news release [2]. Pfizer researchers also conducted laboratory studies to test the neutralizing ability of blood samples from 19 individuals one month after a second shot compared to 20 others one month after a booster shot.
These studies showed that the neutralizing ability of samples from those who'd received two shots had a more than 25-fold decline relative to the original virus. Together with the South Africa data, it suggests that the two-dose series may not be enough to protect against breakthrough infections with the Omicron variant.
In much more encouraging news, their studies went on to show that a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine raised antibody levels against Omicron to a level comparable to the two-dose regimen against the original variant (as shown in the figure above). While efforts already are underway to develop an Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine, these findings suggest that it's already possible to get good protection against this new variant by getting a booster shot.
Very recently, real-world data from the United Kingdom, where Omicron cases are rising rapidly, are providing additional evidence for how boosters can help. In a preprint [3], Andrews et. al showed the effectiveness of two shots of Pfizer mRNA vaccine trended down after four months to about 40 percent. That's not great, but note that 40 percent is far better than zero. So, clearly there is some protection provided.
Graph showing Pfizer booster is about 80% effective after 2 weeks against Omicron
Credit: Andrews N, et al., KHub.net 2021
Most impressively (as shown in the figure from Andrews N, et al.) a booster substantially raised that vaccine effectiveness to about 80 percent. That's not quite as high as for Delta, but certainly an encouraging result. Once again, these data show that boosting the immune system after a pause produces enhanced immunity against new viral variants, even though the booster was designed from the original virus. Your immune system is awfully clever. You get both quantitative and qualitative benefits.
It's also worth noting that the Omicron variant mostly doesn't have mutations in portions of its genome that are the targets of other aspects of vaccine-induced immunity, including T cells. These cells are part of the body's second line of defense and are generally harder for viruses to escape. While T cells can't prevent infection, they help protect against more severe illness and death.
It's important to note that scientists around the world are also closely monitoring Omicron's severity While this variant appears to be highly transmissible, and it is still early for rigorous conclusions, the initial research indicates this variant may actually produce milder illness than Delta, which is currently the dominant strain in the United States.
But there's still a tremendous amount of research to be done that could change how we view Omicron. This research will take time and patience.
What won't change, though, is that vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and others against COVID-19. (And these recent data provide an even-stronger reason to get a booster now if you are eligible.) Wearing a mask, especially in public indoor settings, offers good protection against the spread of all SARS-CoV-2 variants. If you've got symptoms or think you may have been exposed, get tested and stay home if you get a positive result. As we await more answers, it's as important as ever to use all the tools available to keep yourself, your loved ones, and your community happy and healthy this holiday season.
[1] SARS-CoV-2 Omicron has extensive but incomplete escape of Pfizer BNT162b2 elicited neutralization and requires ACE2 for infection . Sandile C, et al. Sandile C, et al. medRxiv preprint. December 9, 2021.
[2] Pfizer and BioNTech provide update on Omicron variant . Pfizer. December 8, 2021.
[3] Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of concern . Andrews N, et al. KHub.net preprint. December 10, 2021.
COVID-19 Research (NIH)
Sigal Lab (Africa Health Research Institute, Durban, South Africa)
Working remotely at MITU in response to COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a radical shift in the work environment, resulting in increased number of people around the world working from home or other locations away from their official work space.
MITU did not lag behind in protecting its staff from the spread of the pandemic and allowed a vast majority of staff to work from home. Fortunately, the technology and the available ICT infrastructure at the Unit supported this move and helped the remote working staff remain connected and productive.
MITU is connected through fibre internet – a broadband connection that uses fibre-optic technology to provide fastest speeds data over greater distances without major lag time. With such infrastructure in place, staff are connecting to box drive (a cloud storage service) with ease enabling them to share documents remotely from anywhere anytime. With laptop computers, USB speakerphones, headphones and the internet, staff have been able to stay connected and maintain workflow continuity and conduct live meetings and presentations using Zoom – a video conferencing web platform.
With a virtual private network (VPN) connection – a secure tunnelling technology, staff have been able to securely access the Unit's local resources from the unsecure public internet by connecting from outside MITU. Remote support tools have also enabled the IT technicians gain access to the remote laptops used by staff working from home and provide technical support in cases of need.
The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed the new ways in which ICT could support remote working arrangements and allow organizations to remain productive during these challenging times.
Collaboration with Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich in Germany
Friday, 22 October 2021 / Published in News
Today, both for-profit and non-profit organisations have recognised the value of collaborations. Collaboration among researchers ensures that their knowledge, skills, and techniques are shared, and this could benefit people who participate in the research. The more researchers collaborate, the greater are the chances for success in finding solutions for major global health problems.
In line with its mandate, MITU collaborates closely with a number of local, regional and internationally leading research and academic institutions. The most recent collaboration is with Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich in Germany. This collaboration was initiated by Prof Heidi Stöckl who recently moved to LMU, together with her ongoing collaborative research projects with MITU, after twelve years of service at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
This move has created an opportunity for MITU to collaborate with LMU in an ongoing longitudinal study on intimate partner violence in Mwanza, Tanzania. Prof Stöckl and Dr Gerry Mshana at MITU are leading this research. Prof Stöckl said this research ''is one of the few longitudinal studies that can investigate change in intimate partner violence and its risk and protective factors over time, therefore providing crucial information on how to prevent this form of violence against women in low and middle income countries. At the same time, our cross-sectional survey of young men is quite crucial in this field, where little is known about young men and the reasons for perpetrating violence or experiencing violence themselves''.
While this new collaboration is currently focused on completing the ongoing research study, more collaborative opportunities between the two institutions are expected in the future
Adolescents with high blood pressure: How do we identify them?
Monday, 27 September 2021 / Published in News
Studies have shown that high blood pressure (BP) among children and adolescents is relatively common, although only a few have been conducted in Africa. Scientists from the Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit (MITU) recently published a report in the journal of Scientific Report – Nature which shows that adolescents with high BP in Tanzania can be identified in school settings and linked to routine health care services. This study was conducted in 2018 among 500 students aged between 11-15 years from three public secondary schools within Mwanza city.
Introducing the study to the students in one of the participating schools
Introducing the study to the student's parents/guardians and requesting for their consent
The report published was based on the study aimed to describe the procedures which could be used to accurately measure BP among adolescents and to determine the burden of high BP in this population. The study involved taking BP measurements using an automatic digital BP machine at three different occasions spaced at an interval of more than a month. Participants with sustained high BP had their BP status confirmed using a portable BP machine programmed to automatically record BP measurements every 15 minutes over 24 hours.
Dr Mussa Kelvin Nsanya – a researcher at MITU and the study lead author – said that, "Adolescents with high BP in Africa can be identified using multiple BP measurements taken at multiple steps in a span of days to months followed by a 24-hour BP monitoring for confirmation. In addition, schools could save as an effective platform for screening of high BP and raising awareness to cardiovascular diseases".
Taking BP measurements from one of the study participants in a secure and quiet improvised cubicle at a school setting.
Findings from this study showed that 50 out of 500 adolescents (10%) had sustained high BP on repeating BP measurements at three different occasions. Using BP measurements taken over 24 hours, investigators of this study confirmed that 13 (2.6%) adolescents had high BP. MITU scientists are continuing to follow-up participants enrolled in this study in order to identify those with high BP and examine factors related to long-term changes in BP measurements.
MITU is carrying out research with young men to understand intimate partner violence in Mwanza city.
Male research assistant interviewing a young man using a tablet
MITU in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany has received funding from the European Research Council to conduct a study among 1,000 young men aged 18-24 years in Mwanza city, Tanzania. The purpose of this study is to investigate the patterns and factors that cause intimate partner violence in the study population.
Between June and December 2021, young men from 24 streets across the city will be invited to take part in the study and those who agree to participate will be interviewed. A team of 9 researchers is carrying out the survey in the streets located in 6 wards in Nyamagana and Ilemela districts of Mwanza city. The interviews cover a range of topics about the lives of these young men and their views and understanding of the different forms of intimate partner violence, its causes and possible ways for preventing it.
The young man completing the interview himself on the tablets
The interviews are carried out using hand held computer tablets – a modern data collection technique. In some parts of the interviews, the young men are given the tablets and head phones to listen to the questions and enter the responses by themselves. This ensures that they are part of the research process and safeguards the confidentiality of their responses.
Dr. Gerry Mshana, a senior researcher at MITU and lead scientist for this study said: "Intimate partner violence is a major problem hindering the health, wellbeing and development of children, young people and adults in Tanzania and other parts of the world. We are very pleased for the opportunity to carry out this important and unique study to generate evidence from young men in Mwanza on the magnitude of the problem and their views about it. The results will increase our understanding of the problem and help in designing appropriate interventions and policies in Tanzania and in other similar low-income countries."
MITU begins to conduct a survey to evaluate a reproductive health programme among girls in Mwanza city
Monday, 12 July 2021 / Published in News
On 26 May 2021, MITU started conducting a survey to collect data that will help to evaluate a reproductive health programme known as "Adolescent 360" or A360. The A360 programme was implemented by the Population Services International (PSI) in 10 regions in Tanzania mainland, including the Mwanza region, and was targeting girls aged 15 to 19 years.
The survey is being conducted in 15 wards of Ilemela district in Mwanza city. In each ward, two streets will be selected by lottery to participate in the study and later visited by trained female research assistants to identify households with girls aged 15 to 19 years. Once this exercise is completed, female research assistants will visit the homes of identified girls to inform them about the study, obtain their consent to participate in the study, and conduct a detailed interview in a private location. Research assistants will also separately interview a sample of adults who live with the interviewed girls. MITU would like to find out whether the A360 programme helped to improve what girls' knew about family planning (ways to delay or prevent pregnancy), and whether the programme made it easier for girls' to use family planning services if they wanted to avoid or delay getting pregnant.
More than 5,000 girls will be involved in this survey which is expected to be completed by the end of September 2021. MITU received funds to conduct this survey from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Children's Fund Foundation.
First Meeting of the Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccines, Therapeutics and Diagnostics for Developing Countries
Friday, 02 July 2021 / Published in News, Uncategorized
Joint Statement by the Heads of the World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, and World Trade Organization
The Heads of the World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, and World Trade Organization today convened for the first meeting of the Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccines, Therapeutics and Diagnostics for Developing Countries. They issued the following joint statement:
"As many countries are struggling with new variants and a third wave of COVID-19 infections, accelerating access to vaccines becomes even more critical to ending the pandemic everywhere and achieving broad-based growth. We are deeply concerned about the limited vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and support for deliveries available to developing countries. Urgent action is needed now to arrest the rising human toll due to the pandemic, and to halt further divergence in the economic recovery between advanced economies and the rest.
We have formed a Task Force, as a "war room" to help track, coordinate and advance delivery of COVID-19 health tools to developing countries and to mobilize relevant stakeholders and national leaders to remove critical roadblocks—in support of the priorities set out by World Bank Group, IMF, WHO, and WTO including in the joint statements of June 1 and June 3, and in the IMF staff's $50 billion proposal.
At today's first meeting, we discussed the urgency of increasing supplies of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for developing countries. We also looked at practical and effective ways to track, coordinate and advance delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries.
As an urgent first step, we are calling on G20 countries to (1) embrace the target of at least 40 percent in every country by end-2021, and at least 60 percent by the first half of 2022, (2) share more vaccine doses now, including by ensuring at least 1 billion doses are shared with developing countries in 2021 starting immediately, (3) provide financing, including grants and concessional financing, to close the residual gaps, including for the ACT-Accelerator, and (4) remove all barriers to export of inputs and finished vaccines, and other barriers to supply chain operations.
In addition, to enhance transparency we agreed to compile data on dose requests (by type and quantity), contracts, deliveries (including through donations), and deployments of COVID-19 vaccines to low and middle-income countries—and make it available as part of a shared country-level dashboard. We also agreed to take steps to address hesitancy, and to coordinate efforts to address gaps in readiness, so countries are positioned to receive, deploy and administer vaccines."
Source : https://www.who.int/news/item/30-06-2021-first-meeting-of-the-task-force-on-covid-19-vaccines-therapeutics-and-diagnostics-for-developing-countries
SAUT Students Visit to MITU on a Study Tour
Friday, 11 June 2021 / Published in News
On 11th May 2021, a group of 10 second year undergraduate sociology students from St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), Mwanza branch visited our unit as part of the study tour. These students' interest was to understand the contribution of the Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit (MITU) in solving public health problems.
After an official introduction and tour of MITU facilities, the group was invited for a discussion led by three scientists within the unit: Dr Elialilia Okello (Senior Social Scientist), Dr Kenneth Makata (Public Health Specialist) and Onike Mcharo (Social Scientist). The discussion adhered to proper COVID-19 preventive measures. During the discussion, students were given information about a range of research studies conducted in the Unit.
The students had a chance to ask questions to the researchers about MITU's contribution in addressing public health problems. At the end of the discussion, the students provided positive feedback on their understanding of MITU's roles and its contribution towards solving public health problems in the region.
East And Southern African Consortium for Outbreak Epidemiology Training (ENTRANT) Fellowships
Thursday, 08 April 2021 / Published in News
The Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit (MITU) based at the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) campus in Mwanza, (Tanzania) is a collaborative research unit of NIMR and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). MITU's mission is to contribute to improving health through the development and evaluation of interventions against HIV and other health problems by conducting research, including clinical trials, to the highest international standards; to enhance the capacity to carry out such research in Tanzania and the East African region; and to contribute to the translation of research findings into health policy.
MITU, in collaboration with LSHTM and five other African institutional partners, is part of the ENTRANT training fellowship programme which seeks to develop a critical mass of infectious disease epidemiologists to work with the Ministries of health and their academic and research partners, to prevent and respond to emerging outbreaks and public health emergencies. The programme, funded by the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), will support 15 African scientists over two academic years (2021-2023) to complete a one-year full-time MSc degree in Epidemiology at the LSHTM. At least two fellows will be from Tanzania. In addition to the MSc taught courses, fellows will also complete an LSHTM short- course on pandemic preparedness, response and research led by members of the Uk Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHrSt) and a three-month MSc research project carried out in Tanzania.
The other African institutional partners collaborating in this consortium are:
National Health Laboratory (NHL), Botswana
Haramaya University (HU), Ethiopia
University of Nairobi (UoN), Kenya
MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit (MUL), Uganda
ZAMBART Project Limited, Zambia
Award Details:
Eight places are available for 2021-22 academic year and each fellowship includes:
2021-22 tuition fees (at the overseas fee rate)
Stipend (living allowance) of £16,800
Return air travel to London
An allowance for MSc research project expenses
Support to attend conferences and networking events after completion of the MSc
To be eligible, candidates must:
a) Be a resident and national of Tanzania.
b) Hold a minimum of an upper second-class honours degree from a reputable university in Tanzania or other countries, or a registerable qualification in medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine.
c) Be working with either the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children or at the Institutes of Public Health at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), and Catholic University Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS) or School of Public Health at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College (KCM college), or Research Institutes at the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR),Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) and Kilimanjaro Christian Research Institute (KCRI) or at the University of Dodoma. Applicant employer will need to provide a letter of support guaranteeing that the fellow will be released from work commitments for the full one-year period of the MSc, and that the fellow's post or an equivalent role will be available for them to return to following completion of their studies. The letter should also express support for the fellow to have protected time (recommended one day per week for a 10-week period) to undertake the pandemic short course following the MSc.
d) Have at least 2 years and less than 15 years' full-time equivalent work experience since completion of their first degree.
e) Be able to meet English language requirements for the LSHTM MSc Epidemiology specified here https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/sites/default/files/english language requirements policy.pdf
f) Be committed to continue working as a public health practitioner in Tanzania for a minimum of two years after completing their studies.
Candidates should complete their application through the online portal https://fellowship.lshtm.ac.uk/#/get- started. Applications will be accepted from 1st – 30th April 2021.
The online application system includes a personal statement section. Candidates should use this section to give further details on their current role in public health and how they will be in a position to contribute to public health activities and disease outbreak preparedness and response activities following completion of the MSc. They should also set out their commitment to remain working as a public health practitioner in Tanzania for a minimum of two years after completing their studies.
Documents that must be uploaded as part of the application are listed below:
Academic transcript
Letter of support from current employer, including the information specified in point c) above.
Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed via Zoom.
Support will not be given as a supplement to other funding, nor to students who have funding from other sources.
Find out more about the MSc in Epidemiology.
Informal enquiries concerning the fellowship can be made to jchangalucha@yahoo.com, saidi.kapiga@lshtm.ac.uk or Emily Webb.
Informal enquiries concerning the MSc can be made to the Programme Directors.
Find out more about visa requirements.
A Short Course on Researching Gender-based Violence at LSHTM
Friday, 26 March 2021 / Published in News
Gender-based violence is prevalent globally.
It occurs in many forms, including intimate partner violence, rape and coerced sex, child sexual abuse, and human trafficking. Such forms of gender-based violence are significant risk factors for poor health, impacting on individuals' physical, sexual and psychological health, as well as their social and economic well-being.
Evidence from rigorously conducted research is essential to ensuring that policies and services to prevent and respond to violence are well-designed and appropriate to the context where women, children, adolescents and men live. Conducting action-oriented research on gender-based violence that is robust and carried out in ethical and safe ways requires specific methodological approaches.
This course aims to strengthen participants' knowledge and skills to conduct or commission technically rigorous, ethical and policy- and service-relevant research on various forms of violence against women, children and adolescents.
It is intended for individuals who will conduct or commission research on gender-based violence. It will be of particular interest to those who want to add a 'violence component' to a study that is quantitative or qualitative or an intervention evaluation.
It is relevant for individuals working on health-related topics such as sexual and reproductive health, maternal health, HIV, mental health and substance use.
The course will be taught through a series of online interactive lectures, practical exercises, group work and assigned reading.
The course will cover topics including:
Conceptualising and researching various forms of gender-based violence
Associations between violence and health: current knowledge
Ethics and safety
Approaches to researching violence: qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, intervention research
Developing conceptual frameworks for violence and health research
Survey research on violence and questionnaire design
Intervention research: approaches and challenges
Violence research in health care settings
Violence research in humanitarian settings
Course Organisers:
Dr Karen Devries, Dr Cathy Zimmerman and Dr Ana Maria Buller
The course will also feature lectures from Prof Charlotte Watts and visiting staff from other universities.
Duration: 17-28 May 2021
Fees for 2021: £850
Contact email: shortcourses@lshtm.ac.uk
Find out more and apply: www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/short-courses/gender-violence
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Reactive Crazy is the "culprit" in most major/minor conflicts. Reactive Crazy gets out of control if 1) anyone calls us out on the unfavorable (even when they are right) 2) it is the bruised, hurt, nasty comeback to anything we are not prepared to hear (which is 99% of the time) 3) it is the monster within a seemingly non defensive person 4) it is alliance(s) against an individual(s) who may be uncovering some truths 5) it is a lifetime story for some of us who never wanted to hear our own reality 6) it is a state of mind that does not allow for authenticity with oneself 7) it is a way in which to be cut off from honesty with loved ones who have our best interests in mind 8) It does not allow us to take responsibility for our actions because we immediately lunge into our own defense) 9) it causes pettiness which is the root of all evil 10) it is a defense mechanism that inhibits our spiritual illumination.
My Reactive Crazy never disappoints me!
How did your Reactive Crazy navigate you today? Oh dear.
If I do not take responsibility for my actions today, there is no point.
Next Next post: Entry 57: What Is The Point Of Anything If We Are Not Sincere?


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Murphy and I compared notes and phone numbers before I left. We agreed on who should be included and then decided that the best place to gather everyone would be at Brigham Entertainment. It was centrally located and it wouldn't arouse any suspicion with the press.
Murphy was going to have to walk a fine line in getting everyone to cooperate. They had to know that they weren't being arrested, but rather were being brought to a meeting to help the police solve the case. We figured that feeding their egos would be the easiest way to get them to go along with it.
Late that evening Doris called again. We made sure that we were purposely vague so that no one who might be listening in could pick up any details. We also had to keep things short so that no tracing of the call would be possible. When this was over I needed to remember to ask Murphy whether our phone actually had been tapped. The answer would let me know whether I had been logically careful or just paranoid.
Doris, Tenny, and Sarah reached Michigan without incident. The wad of cash that Maxwell had left easily covered the costs. While her Uncle Nick and Aunt Rosa were more than just a little surprised when they appeared at his door they were thrilled to see Doris. It probably didn't matter who she'd brought with her.
Two long days passed before I heard from Murphy. Surprisingly it wasn't over the phone, but rather when he and his acidic partner Carruthers showed up at my door. "Bad cop" stared hatefully at me through his narrow eyes as I let them in.
"You guys want a beer?" I offered after they came in. They both shook their heads no.
Carruthers pursed his thin lips and leveled a flinty gaze at me. I disappointed him by not passing out from fright. Getting no reaction from me he walked over to the front window and silently ran his eyes up and down the street.
"No problem," I smiled stiffly with a confidence I didn't feel.
The ride into town wasn't long, but it seemed that way. I sat in the back hoping for a miracle while the two detectives rode silently up front. They were obviously peeved at each other and at least one of them didn't think too highly of me either.
How did I get into this mess? Doris and I had only been married for five months when what we thought was a great opportunity in Hollywood came her way. Who could have imagined this involvement in a high profile movie project would so quickly degenerate into the chaos that had now taken over our lives. Four people were dead, careers were about to be ruined, and if I didn't make good on my boast to solve the case, I was going to wind up circling a drain somewhere.
As we pulled into the street that led to Brigham Entertainment I tried to force myself to see some positives. Despite people being shot in the head, buried under a burning barn, and falling out of airplanes, several lives had been saved. Tenny and Sarah were safe in Michigan and Kanovsen didn't get beaten to death at his marina. Most of all Doris still loved me and was also safe. Maybe I really was ahead after all.
We parked across the street and walked into the lobby. Brigham met us at the door. He was a nearly frantic ball of energy with sweat already beaded on his upper lip and forehead. His apparent surprise at seeing me was just about enough to put him over the edge.
The lovely and vapid Miss Bumchelski was nowhere to be seen. Either she'd had enough sense to run for the hills or was upstairs as one of the coerced audience. I'd find out soon enough.
"He's part of the show too," Carruthers sneered not even trying to hide his distaste for the upcoming proceedings.
Brigham nodded abstractly and, mopping his face, led us to the elevator. "This way," he gestured nervously.
There was silence in the elevator, but the tension would have blotted out any sound we might have made. I tried to keep my breathing even and focus on the three females that were safe and hidden in the Midwest. That might have to be enough.
Brigham led us into his office. Practically everyone was there. Seated behind the desk in what seemed to be his usual spot was Alexis. As always he was perfectly dressed in a sharp expensive suit. His hair was slicked down revealing the standard knife thin part. Tension had knitted his brow into tight wrinkles.
Standing behind him looking over his shoulder was Gilmore. She dazzled as if she'd just come out of make up. Her light blue dress clung to her flawlessly and her hair cascaded in perfect waves over her shoulders without even one strand out of place. The world's most famous pair of violet eyes made sure they were making contact with each of her hypnotized subjects.
To the right was Mangiocotti and his wife trying to balance their matching bulks on a pair of folding chairs. He was chomping aggressively on an unlit cigar and they both glared impatiently at all four of us as we entered. Neither of them looked as if they'd slept in a couple of days.
On the far side of the room was Maxwell. My friend nodded at me slightly as we entered the room sporting a slight smirk and a raised eyebrow. He was wearing jeans and a bulky leather jacket along with his obligatory sunglasses. Brix Maxwell, despite the delayed maturity he'd recently gained, still had to remain the stereotypical movie star.
Next to him was the head of Excelsior Studios, Jack Weston. He had on a three-piece suit that probably cost more than my car. He was a good-looking guy about my age with a strong jaw, a movie star profile, and most of his hair. With his arms folded across his chest and his right shoe tapping the floor it wasn't hard to tell what he thought of this interruption of his busy schedule.
In the far corner leaning against the wall with his hands folded across his ample stomach was Hiram Berg. Knowing that I could spill the story of our conversation regarding his murder for hire offer he was looking fairly pale. His shirt and tie were pulled up tightly against his neck which made his head look like an over inflated balloon.
Completing motley assortment was Zinta Bumchelski. She was in the corner behind the door simultaneously chewing her fingernails and smoking a cigarette. As usual she was dressed to be seen with a tight red sweater that must have made it hard for her to breathe. Chances were that it was having the same effect on everyone else.
Being the surprise guest I received the biggest initial reaction, but soon it moved to the one who'd set up this little party. Murphy took a deep breath and, ignoring his partner's disinterest, began to speak.
Soon they were all complaining together. Murphy did his best to calm them down, but it wasn't until Carruthers spoke up on his partner's behalf that any progress was made.
With support like that, how could I fail? OK, Parker, I thought, here goes nothing.
All eyes turned to me. Some were nervous, some fearful, and some probably wanted to rip my head off. Still, I had other choice. Either I was going to be able to get to the bottom of this mess or Murphy and Carruthers were going to bodily drag me out. One way or another someone was going down.
Murphy walked over to the director and put a hand on his shoulder. He then gently but firmly pushed him back into his chair. "Because this may be all we have. None of you have been forthcoming. Now be quiet and let's see where this goes." For a minute it almost sounded like he was on my side.
The troops began to squirm. Mangiocotti was probably wondering if I was about to disclose his interesting family connection. Berg was clearly sweating out whether I was going to reveal his generous offer to hire me to kill Standish. Neither story would have done me any good.
"Miss Gilmore had a baby in 1944. That's why she interrupted her career and went home to Idaho." I watched them flinch as I talked.
"I'm the father," Maxwell said in a bigger voice than I would have expected.
Watching the reactions I saw surprise only on Bumchelski's face. What do you know, I said to myself. Except for my pal Maxwell and Brigham's pneumatic secretary everyone else knew and somehow they had managed to keep the secret for nearly ten years. It was amazing how many jobs were hanging on Gilmore's every move.
"And I suppose that's not where she is now?" Murphy asked.
The room broke into chaos for an instant and then just as quickly was silenced by Murphy's surprisingly loud voice. Walking into the center of the room he chewed all of them out at top volume. Carruthers seemed both shocked and amused at seeing his "good cop" partner lose his temper.
Alexis was sweating profusely and for the first time off camera I saw emotion on his wife's face. Gilmore's hands were shaking and she was biting her lip in vain attempt to keep herself under control. Brigham, the Mangiocottis, Berg, and Weston were mainly sitting with their mouths open looking like fish at feeding time.
"Where is he now?" Murphy demanded.
"Did you kill him?" Carruthers asked.
"What the hell…" Murphy shook his head.
"Then on the way home," I continued, "Maxwell's plane was hijacked by a high school classmate of Johnston, Samuel Judge, and his buddy. Their plan was to parachute to safety after disabling our plane leaving us to crash in a remote part of a Nevada desert. Maxwell and I fought him off and Maxwell's partner and pilot, Jed Fowler, miraculously landed the plane on that highway. I'm sure you saw something about that in the paper," I added sarcastically.
"What happened to Judge and the other guy?" Murphy probably felt like he should have been taking notes.
Bumchelski began to sob. Apparently she was involved with both Mangiocotti and Judge. Despite what I expected was an energetic effort on her part neither of them had done much for her career.
"He may have loved you doll," I shrugged, "but he was with her too. I'm not sure that the info Standish was getting was enough to keep him on the payroll without the extra service he was providing.
"And Johnston?" Murphy seemed hypnotized by my tale.
"He went to high school with Judge. You see, Judge was helping Standish with the blackmailing. He took a bunch of very interesting and incriminating photos that were supposed to be delivered to Alexis by his old high school pal. I guess the plan was to make the blackmail scheme harder to follow.
"What was on the photos?" Murphy asked.
Alexis started to stand up to protest but one look from Murphy froze him. Gilmore began to cry softly into a handkerchief. Next to her Brigham turned pale looking as if he was about to pass out. The rest of the guests just seemed shell shocked.
"How did she find out?" Murphy asked.
"I'm not absolutely sure," I said sheepishly.
"What!" Carruthers and Murphy both turned and walked to me. The room instantly exploded into chaos. It seemed for a few seconds everyone was out of their chairs and yelling simultaneously. The cops quickly shouted them into submission. When things were back in order I continued.
No one moved. No one breathed. And no one admitted anything. Unfortunately I couldn't prove what I'd said despite how sure I was. The only hope was to put enough pressure on her that she'd have to give it up.
All eyes trained on Gilmore. Her hands were shaking and her beautiful face was distorted in pain, but she held firm. If nothing more happened, then I was going to be in serious trouble. The long silence that followed only made things worse.
Suddenly Maxwell jumped to his feet and walked toward Gilmore. He was waving his hands like a football referee.
"No," Maxwell defied me as he turned away from Gilmore and faced me in the middle of the room. The ten of us sat paralyzed. The tension was going to have to be released one way or another.
I reached into the back of my belt and pulled out my pistol. Bumchelski screamed and everyone else backed toward the walls. Gilmore was crying openly now. Brigham had sweated through his clothes. Alexis was eyeing the side door looking for a way out. The two detectives stood like statues too shocked to move.
Suddenly Maxwell's expression changed as I leveled the gun at him. The explosion that followed was deafening in the small office. Maxwell was slammed against the far wall. His eyes were wide open with fear as he grabbed his chest. Blood poured between his fingers and he slumped lifelessly to the floor.


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Home News & Events Grants to Support Arts…
Grants to Support Arts Engagement and Learning
East St. Louis Community Arts Access, a re-granting program run by the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation (JJKF) with funding from the Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA), awards grants to local cultural organizations and nonprofits offering arts programming. Schools and individual artists are also eligible for funding.
This grants program seeks to provide East St. Louis residents with more opportunities to participate in quality visual, literary, and performing arts experiences. Through project-based funding, the program supports public engagement with, and access to, various arts disciplines, the creation of art, learning in the arts at all stages of life, and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life.
An East St. Louis Community Arts Access project may consist of one or more specific events or activities performed or presented to engage or benefit the residents of greater East St. Louis. The projects may be a new initiative or part of the applicant's regular season or activities.
The East St. Louis Community Arts Access program has a total of $5,000 in grant dollars to distribute in 2022. Maximum grant awards are expected to be no more than $1,500 per project. An independent community-based panel will review the proposals and select the recipients.
The application deadline is February 24, 2022. Find the online application form.
For questions or technical support related to the grant application, please contact grants@jjkfoundation.org.
February 9 Virtual Application Writing Workshop, 5:30 PM. Attendance is optional.
February 18 Optional Courtesy Review (project description) deadline
February 24 Applications due by 5:00 PM. Late applications will not be accepted.
March 2 Panel Review and Allocation Recommendations
March 7 Awards Announced by email
March 10 Contracts sent
March 21 Signed contract due back to JJKF.
April 15 Funds Available
August 31 Project Completion Date
Sept. 12 Final Report Deadline
ONLY APPLICANTS WITH ARTS PROGRAMS BEGINNING NO EARLIER THAN APRIL 1, 2022 AND COMPLETED BY AUGUST 31, 2022 MAY APPLY.
Applications must be submitted using the online form. The application deadline is February 24. For questions or technical support related to the grant application, please contact grants@jjkfoundation.org.
• Supporting the quality, quantity and visibility of the arts in the greater East St. Louis community
• Increasing access to the arts for underserved populations
• Elevating artists as integral and essential to a healthy and vibrant community
Eligibility and Policies
• Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations must be in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State.
• Individual practicing artists and collectives may apply for community-based projects that are open to the general public.
• K-12 schools and school-affiliated organizations may apply for after-school or summer arts programs that involve paid professional artists working with a target group of learners.
• Programs must take place in greater East St. Louis.
• Programs must begin no earlier than April 1, 2022 and be completed by August 31, 2022.
• Applicants may submit proposals for in-person programs and events and/or "virtual" public activities.
• Grants must be matched on a 1:10 basis in cash (10% match).
• East St. Louis Community Arts Access grant funds must be used for arts programming or project costs. Funds cannot be used for capital expenditures; permanent equipment; private events that are closed to the general public; fundraising events; projects that serve only congregations of a religious organization; scholarships; programs already directly funded by the Illinois Arts Council or the National Endowment for the Arts; deficit or debt reduction; and/or projects completed or in process before April 1, 2022.
• Proposals must be submitted using the online form. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Applicants may apply for only one East St. Louis Community Arts Access grant per year.
• Funded applicants that fail to return a complete and correct grant agreement within 30 days of the date on the award letter will have their grant recommendation rescinded.
• Grant recipients must credit JJKF and IACA in all promotional material and public notices.
• Grantees will be required to complete and submit a final report no later than September 12, 2022.
• Clarity of the program description
• Commitment to creativity, artistic excellence and community engagement
• Involvement of paid local artists
• Consistency of the proposed program with the mission of the applying organization, if applicable
• Plan for executing the project virtually in the event that it is not safe to gather in-person
• A feasible and balanced budget
• Evidence that the applicant is part of the East St. Louis community fabric
• Plan for raising the required matching funds
• Plan for effective promotion and publicity
• Completeness of the application
If you would like assistance with the application or have questions, please contact grants@jjkfoundation.org.
About JKKF
The mission of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation is to instill youth in the greater East St. Louis area with the dream, drive, and determination necessary to succeed in academics, athletics, and leadership. The Foundation's multi-purpose center opened in 2000.
About IACA
The mission of the Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) is to build a strong, creative, and connected Illinois through the arts. IACA serves the people of Illinois through a variety of grant programs and special initiatives meant to: support Illinois' arts sector, advance arts education and foster creativity and the work of individual artists. Resources to support the Illinois Arts Council Agency are provided by the Governor and General Assembly of Illinois and the National Endowment for the Arts.
St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA), which serves the bi-state region, is assisting with the management of the 2022 East St. Louis Community Arts Access Grants program.
VLAA Moving Into The High Low In Grand Center
We're pleased to announce that we'll be moving into the High Low, The Kranzberg Arts Foundation's new literary arts venue in Grand Center. The renovated 2-story building will open this summer. It will include office suites with office partitions, desks,…
Censored at the U.S. Capitol: Pulphus v. Ayers and Its Implications
St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA) will host "Censored at the U.S. Capitol: Pulphus v. Ayers and Its Implications," a free lecture by Attorney Mark Sableman (left) on Monday, April 30, at 5:30 PM. The program…
Celebrating the Freedom to Read

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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At Post Office Of the Future, Lots of Bytes But No Dogs
By Laurent Belsie Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
@CSMecon
For 220 years, the world's largest postal service has slogged through snow, weathered increasing competition, and dodged the occasional dog bite. Now, on the brink of the 21st century, it's skipping into cyberspace.
The move comes none too soon. The United States Postal Service is losing business to other delivery methods. Critics want Congress to allow even more competition in mailing services - a move that could cause the USPS serious problems, according to a recent General Accounting Office report.
By tapping into the Internet, the postal service hopes to capture a market with huge potential revenues. True, it's unlikely that these cyberspace experiments will give any major near-term boost to the $54 billion-a-year bottom line. Still, if its plans succeed, the USPS will give customers a range of new services and a new look. The post office of the near future could be:
A network of 24-hour kiosks. Already being tested in Atlanta, the kiosks could do for the postal service what automatic teller machines did for banks. But the modular units, placed in malls and other public locations, will let consumers do far more than buy stamps at midnight. Individuals will be able to log onto the Internet to do everything from applying for a passport to buying merchandise on-line.
A government gateway. To streamline the process of filling out government forms, the postal service is introducing a new Internet service called WINGS (Web Interactive Network of Government Services). Citizens fill out all the information once, and it goes to all the appropriate agencies. The change-of-address from a retired veteran, for example, would be routed to the USPS, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Social Security Administration.
Even state and local governments can hook up. In Charlotte, N.C., the USPS is already linking WINGS to the city's on-line system (called Charlotte's Web), which would eventually allow local residents to use the same system to, say, buy a local dog license and contact the US Internal Revenue Service. Residents without a computer could use the city's public-access machines or the postal service's kiosks. (To try the system, log onto the Internet's World Wide Web and go to http://www.wings.usps.com.)
An on-line marketeer. WINGS will also make it far easier for government agencies to sell goods to the public. Want that commemorative set of US coins? How about one of the 7,000 CD-ROMs put out by the Agriculture Department or that cute key chain from Nebraska's tourism bureau? These agencies would pay the postal service to market these goods on-line, take the order, collect the money, and wrap and ship the packages.
"The phone is ringing off the hook," says Susan Smoter, program manager of WINGS. "We have 50 agencies that are waiting to get the work going." Private companies are interested in signing up, too. At its trial kiosk in Atlanta, the USPS has already signed up four catalog companies to offer their wares during the holiday season.
The notary public of cyberspace. On-line, people can forge their identities and alter documents. So the USPS has developed an electronic postmark and is working on a digital signature. That way, people will be able to "sign" their names to on-line contracts and documents, and the post office will ensure that they are who they say they are and that their documents have not been altered.
According to current plans, each electronic postmark would cost 22 cents; the annual fee for using a digital signature would be $10 to $12. The system will be first marketed to firms wanting to conduct business on-line. (Go to http://www.aegisstar.com to try out the system.)
The postal service, which is testing these services and could begin introducing them formally in the next several months, has several advantages in cyberspace. It has a "brand name" that people know and trust, despite frequent complaints about service, observers say. It also has the size and reach that most Internet companies can only dream about. To sign up for a digital signature account, for example, a customer would simply walk into a local post office and show some identification.
The USPS also wants to move into cyberspace because it is losing ground in some of its traditional markets.
"There's lots of changes going on with the Internet and the World Wide Web," says Paul Raines, program manager of electronic commerce services for the USPS. "The postal service either has to adapt to those changes in the marketplace, or I think we are going to be in trouble."
For example, nearly 60 cents of every dollar the USPS earns comes from first-class mail. But competitors are beginning to steal that market away. Between 1991 and 1994, the USPS's share slipped from 68 percent to 62 percent - and it expects further erosion.
A big reason is that much of that first-class mail is bills - transactions that credit-card companies, utilities, and others are increasingly allowing customers to do electronically. The USPS is striking back with hybrid mail- and electronic-delivery systems, which would speed up companies' billing. But several observers are skeptical it will catch on.
Meanwhile, some competitors are beginning to wonder whether they want a $54-billion giant competing in the still-emerging marketplace of electronic commerce.
"Many banks see a role for themselves providing the very same services that the USPS is proposing," the American Bankers Association wrote in a recent letter to the postal service. "The involvement of a government entity is likely to impede rather than promote competition and innovation."
Others worry that the Internet will prove to be a costly diversion for the USPS. "Few companies have made money within the electronic area," says Gene Del Polito, president of the Advertising Mail Marketing Association in Washington. "If they're wildly successful, we conjecture they would make $100 million. Wouldn't it make more sense to improve your services rather than chasing this $100 million?"
But many observers are taking a wait-and-see attitude. "It's sort of a showdown whether the postal service can adapt to this new electronic environment in which it's going to have to operate," says Gary Arlen, president of his own Bethesda, Md., research company specializing in interactive services. "They can come out holding their own. But I don't see how they could be a big winner."
Sleet and snow can't stop the Postal Service – but Saturdays can
Cash-strapped post office: new, faster package service?
Smartphones: Postal service bans foreign shipments


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Developing: Bringing back an Olmsted parkway
By Mike Puma
Above: Humboldt Parkway in 1912, looking north from East Utica (from a brochure advertising Hamlin Park); below: The Kensington Expressway occupies almost the same width as the Parkway once did.
Lower photo by Mike Puma
Picture the Hamlin Park neighborhood in the winter of 1959. As a light snow falls, resident Donnee Hill steps out of his house, feeling the fresh snow crunch under his feet. The mighty elm trees overhead seem to go on forever and create a snow-covered canopy as far as he can see. As he takes a moment to gather himself, he realizes that Humboldt Parkway, where his family has recently bought a house, is one of the most beautiful streets he's ever seen.
Over fifty years later, when Hill leaves the same home on Humboldt Parkway, he's now confronted with the Kensington Expressway. Even though he only had a few short years to enjoy the parkway, his memories are vivid. "Walking the parkway was like being in an Ansel Adams photograph," he says. "When the trucks came in 1962, it was devastating."
Looking back on that day and so many others like it, Hill remembers the paradise that once was Humboldt Parkway—and he's not the only one. A movement that has been decades in the making—to restore Olmsted's vision for his longest and grandest parkway—is gaining traction in Buffalo. Dedicated community members who want Humboldt Parkway returned for future generations to enjoy have organized as the Restore Our Community Coalition (ROCCBuffalo.org).
Tell me about the Restore Our Community Coalition—what are you trying to achieve?
Clarke Eaton (founder/board member): To bring back to the neighborhood what was here before the expressway destroyed Humboldt Parkway. I've lived in the community for the past forty-eight years, and, like any person who loves their home, I want to see the best for it. I raised my daughter here and she raised her son here. This is something we want for future generations. It's time for us to go back and restore the beauty of the parkway. I even remember the days we could pet horses still using the bridle path.
Stephanie Barber-Geter (board president): ROCC was formed five years ago, but Clarke has been involved in some form to restore the parkway as far back as the 1970s. I remember as a kid living downtown on Eagle Street when they took all the land, moved everybody, and built the Frederick Douglass Housing Projects, which was a big calamity. I remember a woman named Margaret Strasner, who had to move because of the project and moved to Humboldt Parkway. Unfortunately, with the expressway coming only a few years later, she went from one calamity to another. We're still dealing with the effects today and need to fix it.
We've been reaching out to the community with our "I Remember" campaign, where residents recall the beauty of the parkway so we can have an identifiable face for the movement.
What's the solution that ROCC has come up with to restore Olmsted's vision?
CE: We thought we would turn and look at the economics of the situation. A restoration of the parkway would be beneficial on so many levels. It would create jobs and help maintain and improve the community, while, in turn, draw more people to the neighborhood.
SBG: We looked at every possible fix and we believe that covering the expressway is the way to restore the community and fix the residual effects it created, like the loss of business on Fillmore and Jefferson. It's not our intent to disturb the flow of traffic with our solution. We don't propose filling it in; we don't think that makes sense. Capping the expressway allows us to reconnect the community, while still allowing easy access to downtown.
Why not just fill it in and be done with it? It seems like an opportunity to fix systemic problems of sprawl in our region.
SBG: For months, our meetings were just focused on how big this could possibly be, but we decided to have a more specific focus with the ultimate goal of restoring the parkway in the most feasible and least disruptive way. There was a big concern that removing the expressway would result in significant traffic on our streets and many folks along Humboldt Parkway wanted us to avoid that. We believe that filling it in places us too much at a disadvantage for even getting it started.
KSF (Karen Stanley Fleming, ROCC executive director): The design report that was produced by Professors Hata and Warren at UB was to first and foremost reconnect the neighborhood, almost like pulling up a zipper. If we fill it, and create heavy traffic at grade, then we've not closed the zipper and effectively reconnected the neighborhood.
This would be a pretty big project; what would be the first step?
SBG: Phase one would see the expressway capped from just south of the science museum all the way up to East Ferry. It would actually extend the parkway beyond where it was originally supposed to stop, but it's an expansion on Olmsted's original vision.
What about the rest of the parkway, since it went all the way to Delaware Park?
SBG: Phase two is more ambitious, and the groups we've had look at this have told us we can do some very interesting things with it. Because the expressway eventually becomes grade level past East Ferry, it would require some excavation. A part of that idea could include an extension of light rail that would allow people to get between downtown and the airport. That change in grade is due to the Scajaquada Creek being buried, which presents a challenge. There are a couple of thoughts about how to deal with it, and other projects have run into the same problem, like the big dig in Boston.
Speaking about the big dig, how much is this going to cost and where is the money coming from?
SBG: We've been working with a number around $500 million. It's a lot of money, but we believe the money is out there within the state and federal governments.
Who are your political and community partners in this endeavor?
SBG: We've got a lot of politicians already involved and interested, thanks to the efforts of our executive director. The churches along the expressway have been very supportive, our various community organizations have been very involved, and all of our elected officials. We certainly have support from our Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Senators Kennedy and Schumer, and Congressman Higgins. The mayor and council even passed a resolution in support of the project. There are so many others like the people involved in removing the Robert Moses in Niagara Falls; we have a lot of people who want to help.
Although Sean Ryan doesn't represent the district, he has been a friendly ally. I hope he's able to keep the Scajaquada upgrade movement alive for the Parkside community. Speeding through a park just isn't right, and something has got to give.
Do you think this project can have broader implication outside of Buffalo?
SBG: I think in a time when the president and elected officials are looking for infrastructure projects to put people to work, we look pretty good. The shelf life of the current expressway is fast expiring and it has serious issues that will need to be corrected eventually. A project like this is already necessary ,and employs a major number of people in our community for a long time. At this point in Buffalo, the city is coming alive and it should be coming alive for everyone.
KSF: This project could generate over 950 construction jobs for the entire course of work, which would be five to ten years. That number doesn't include potential additional employment for infill housing, rehab work in the neighborhood, and improving Jefferson and Fillmore businesses. The potential ripple effects of this project are huge.
Mike Puma is a project manager at Preservation Studios.
Buffalo Spree's Best of WNY 2019
Our annual list covering dining, entertainment, movers and shakers, shopping, and more
Best Buffalo plants
With 1,000 private gardens open to visitors, these are the plants people are talking about
Cheap Eats / Naan-Tastic
Accessible Indian food in a fun format
Q & A / Harper S. E. Bishop
Doing whatever it takes
WILD WNY / Turtles
From childhood obsession to cherished species
Burt
Clarence Center
Colden
E. Amherst
East Aurora
Getzville
Sanborn
West Falls
Buffalonian
Thai/Vietnamese
Winery Restaurant
Long Story Short: Some get lucky—like Olcott and a Falls surviver
Concerts / Mar Salá
From Spain with amor
So long, Stacked Revision Structure
BuffaloSpree.com's Recipe of the week: Littleneck Clams and Chorizo Sausage
Cooked with Beer, Spices, and Herbs
Native Offerings
Back in business after a devastating fire


This section describes some of the miscellaneous features of astropy.io.fits.
The astropy.io.fits.diff module contains several facilities for generating and reporting the differences between two FITS files, or two components of a FITS file.
The FITSDiff class can be used to generate and represent the differences between either two FITS files on disk, or two existing HDUList objects (or some combination thereof).
Likewise, the HeaderDiff class can be used to find the differences just between two Header objects. Other available differs include HDUDiff, ImageDataDiff, TableDataDiff, and RawDataDiff.
Each of these classes are instantiated with two instances of the objects that they diff. The returned diff instance has a number of attributes starting with .diff_ that describe differences between the two objects.
See the API documentation for details on the different differ classes.


Following the referendum debate there the issue of racism has risen in the political agenda. For housing workers this can be an immediate issue for our work as the recent controversy around homeless outreach teams and forced deportation shows - see here. The branch has taken a clear stand which was confirmed in a resolution passed at our branch meeting this week. Following a discussion we also passed this resolution on the tasks faced post brexit. All members are welcome to attend our monthly branch meetings as well as meeting in their workplaces.


Creating a cluster of micro food processing, storage and farm equipment units.
Vegetables and fruits dehydration is cost effective and a simple process and can increase the shelf life of food products from months upto a year keeping the nutrition value and tase intact. After dehydration, the weight of food products reduces by a factor of 60- 90 % which drastically reduces the transportation cost.
Natural juice could be extracted from certain fruits and vegetables in concentrated form and can be directly sold to bigger processing units, saving the transportation cost, increasing the shelf life and creating a steady source of income to farmers.
To avoid spoilage of milk, milk powder making units can be installed at rural clusters so that milk can be transported easily and can be utilized in cities increasing the income and bring back the trend of keeping cattle.
What we are trying to do is develop and support micro-entrepreneurs in rural areas and ensuring their success by providing them with SOP's, latest knowledge, equipment and most important access to the markets.


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← We Torture, Illegally, By Directive From the Top
The State of Texas Education →
NSA – A Powerful, Permanent Presence
Posted on December 16, 2007 by RagBlog
Since when does corporate Amerikkka need protection from its citizens? Seems to us that they should be passing laws that protect us from all the rich bastards that own those telecoms and from the good ol' boys who run our corrupt, criminal government.
Wider Spying Fuels Aid Plan for Telecom Industry
By ERIC LICHTBLAU, JAMES RISEN and SCOTT SHANE
Mike McConnell, director of national intelligence, says industry deserves "thanks, not lawsuits."
WASHINGTON — For months, the Bush administration has waged a high-profile campaign, including personal lobbying by President Bush and closed-door briefings by top officials, to persuade Congress to pass legislation protecting companies from lawsuits for aiding the National Security Agency's warrantless eavesdropping program.
But the battle is really about something much bigger. At stake is the federal government's extensive but uneasy partnership with industry to conduct a wide range of secret surveillance operations in fighting terrorism and crime.
The N.S.A.'s reliance on telecommunications companies is broader and deeper than ever before, according to government and industry officials, yet that alliance is strained by legal worries and the fear of public exposure.
To detect narcotics trafficking, for example, the government has been collecting the phone records of thousands of Americans and others inside the United States who call people in Latin America, according to several government officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the program remains classified. But in 2004, one major phone carrier balked at turning over its customers' records. Worried about possible privacy violations or public relations problems, company executives declined to help the operation, which has not been previously disclosed.
In a separate N.S.A. project, executives at a Denver phone carrier, Qwest, refused in early 2001 to give the agency access to their most localized communications switches, which primarily carry domestic calls, according to people aware of the request, which has not been previously reported. They say the arrangement could have permitted neighborhood-by-neighborhood surveillance of phone traffic without a court order, which alarmed them.
The federal government's reliance on private industry has been driven by changes in technology. Two decades ago, telephone calls and other communications traveled mostly through the air, relayed along microwave towers or bounced off satellites. The N.S.A. could vacuum up phone, fax and data traffic merely by erecting its own satellite dishes. But the fiber optics revolution has sent more and more international communications by land and undersea cable, forcing the agency to seek company cooperation to get access.
After the disclosure two years ago that the N.S.A. was eavesdropping on the international communications of terrorism suspects inside the United States without warrants, more than 40 lawsuits were filed against the government and phone carriers. As a result, skittish companies and their lawyers have been demanding stricter safeguards before they provide access to the government and, in some cases, are refusing outright to cooperate, officials said.
"It's a very frayed and strained relationship right now, and that's not a good thing for the country in terms of keeping all of us safe," said an industry official who believes that immunity is critical for the phone carriers. "This episode has caused companies to change their conduct in a variety of ways."
With a vote in the Senate on the issue expected as early as Monday, the Bush administration has intensified its efforts to win retroactive immunity for companies cooperating with counterterrorism operations.
"The intelligence community cannot go it alone," Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, wrote in a New York Times Op-Ed article Monday urging Congress to pass the immunity provision. "Those in the private sector who stand by us in times of national security emergencies deserve thanks, not lawsuits."
Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey echoed that theme in an op-ed article of his own in The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, saying private companies would be reluctant to provide their "full-hearted help" if they were not given legal protections.
The government's dependence on the phone industry, driven by the changes in technology and the Bush administration's desire to expand surveillance capabilities inside the United States, has grown significantly since the Sept. 11 attacks. The N.S.A., though, wanted to extend its reach even earlier. In December 2000, agency officials wrote a transition report to the incoming Bush administration, saying the agency must become a "powerful, permanent presence" on the commercial communications network, a goal that they acknowledged would raise legal and privacy issues.
While the N.S.A. operates under restrictions on domestic spying, the companies have broader concerns — customers' demands for privacy and shareholders' worries about bad publicity.


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Now that the World Cup is Over, let's Talk Numbers
July 23, 2018 at 12:00 am By Elisabeth Buchwald in Business
Throughout the 2018 World Cup tournament, pubs and bars around the world were packed with people watching live soccer games. During the day, employees kept multiple tabs open on their computers or hid their phones to keep track of the latest nail-biting game.
A week ago, 11.3 million viewers around the world tuned in to watch France win against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup championship game. The 2014 World Cup managed to draw in 17.3 million viewers, approximately 32% more viewers than this year's championship game.
One of the main reason viewers watch World Cup games is to cheer on their home team. To the disappointment of many US soccer fans, the US did not qualify to play in the tournament this year. Historically, Americans are more likely to tune in to watch their home team according to Nielsen data. In the 2014 World Cup, US matches drew four of the six largest audiences across the month long event.
Despite Landon Donovan's effort, the US's absence was felt during the 2018 World Cup.
The tournament is here! USA fans, our team may not be in Russia, but our neighbors to the south are. So join me and their proud #sponsor @WellsFargo to cheer on our other team, Mexico @miseleccionmxEN. ¡Vamos México! pic.twitter.com/YIifLGCT0D
— Landon Donovan (@landondonovan) June 16, 2018
After the 2014 World Cup, Fox network and NBCUniversal's Telemundo bought the rights to broadcast the 2018 World Cup, which took place in 11 different host cities in Russia. Fox paid over $400 million to broadcast both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Telemundo, the Spanish broadcasting channel, paid $600 million for the broadcasting rights.
While Telemundo paid more for the rights to broadcast, they also drew in a larger audience. According to data released by the network, throughout the 54 matches of the World Cup, they drew in a total of 32.2 million viewers. Of course it didn't hurt that Mexico made it to the "sweet sixteen" of the tournament, ultimately getting knocked out by Brazil who advanced to the quarterfinals.
Source: World Soccer Talk
In the early games of the tournament more Americans tuned into Telemundo than Fox, even though more Americans have access to Fox. Telemundo averaged 2.19 million viewers per game while FOX Sports averaged 2.13 million, according to data published by World Soccer Talk, a website which specializes in tracking soccer game viewership.
Interestingly, more women watched World Cup games this year. In India women made up almost 50 percent of all viewers across the country, according to data from Sony Pictures Network, the official broadcaster of the matches in India.
In Iran, women tuned in for the very first time in a Tehran stadium to watch their team play live against Spain on June 20th.
To watch Iran vs. Spain, female fans were allowed to enter Tehran's Azadi Stadium for the first time since 1979 https://t.co/C5A8GXg32l#WorldCup pic.twitter.com/3TTfZpXtOz
Tagged with: Ratings, Soccer, World Cup
Elisabeth Buchwald
Elisabeth Buchwald is currently a junior at The George Washington University pursuing a major in Business Administration and Economics. She will be interning this summer at MarketWatch in New York.


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Which sports can resume play in New York on July 6? State releases new list
New York State Team
ALBANY – Youth soccer leagues will be allowed to resume July 6 in New York after all.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration published guidance in recent days expanding on his Sunday announcement that "low-risk" youth sports leagues can resume play early next month, easing COVID-19 restrictions that have been in place since March.
The new guidance gave soccer leagues the green light to begin holding matches July 6, adding the sport to a prior list that included baseball, softball, field hockey, crew, gymnastics and cross country.
Also added to the list were water polo, paintball, non-contact lacrosse, swimming and all racket games, among others.
Read:New York's full guidance for sports leagues and recreation facilities
Read:A summary of New York's guidance for sports leagues and recreation facilities
Sports leagues the state considers of high risk to spread the coronavirus — including football, basketball, ice hockey, wrestling and volleyball — will not be permitted to hold games or competitive practices, though camps and clinics with low- or no-contact will be allowed, according to the state.
The state's guidance, which includes mandatory rules the leagues must follow, applies to adult and youth leagues. It does not apply to professional sports, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo has already encouraged to resume play in empty stadiums and arenas.
"These guidelines apply to non-professional and non-collegiate sports and recreation activities (e.g. youth sports), inclusive of indoor and outdoor sports and recreation, as well as organized and non-organized sports and recreation," the document reads.
Several lower-risk sports, including golf and tennis, have already been allowed to resume in New York. The new guidance applies to sports that haven't previously been permitted during the pandemic.
The guidelines lay out a number of restrictions or rules meant to prevent or slow the virus' spread.
Spectators will be limited to two per participant, for example. Coaches and other non-participants will have to wear masks when they're within six feet of anyone. Indoor facilities will be limited to 50% capacity maximum.
Competitive tournaments that require any sort of travel will be prohibited by the state.
A region must be in at least Phase 3 of the state's four-phase COVID-19 reopening process in order for a league to resume. As of Friday, all 10 regions of the state were on track to meet that benchmark on or before July 6.
Here's a non-exhaustive list of sports that will and won't be able to resume games July 6 in New York, according to the state.
Low or moderate risk sports (Allowed to resume games July 6)
Non-contact lacrosse
Doubles tennis
Swimming (relays and individual)
Cross country and individual running
High-risk sports (Not allowed to resume games July 6)
Contact lacrosse
Competitive cheer/dance
Source: New York state guidance on sports and recreation as of June 19.
More:Cuomo: Some 'low risk' youth sports in NY allowed July 6
More:New York considers quarantine for Florida travelers, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says
Jon Campbell is a New York state government reporter for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at JCAMPBELL1@Gannett.com or on Twitter at @JonCampbellGAN.
We cover the stories from the New York State Capitol and across New York that matter most to you and your family. Please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription to the New York publication nearest you. Check out the latest offer.


For my job at eSpecial Needs. I host, plan, and promote this podcast for special needs parents. It's really great to be able to bring in a local professional in the special needs community on a weekly basis to help parents attain the resources they need to help their children thrive.


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Forums/New Jersey Devils
What's Wrong With the Devils?
Nov 12, 2018 at 5:54
They were world beaters when they started out 4-0-0. Now, they're terrible. What gives? Their recent defensive play is by far the worst defense I've ever seen them play. Are these personnel issues, or do they need a coaching change? Any thoughts? Do they try to make a deal to shake things up, or stay the course and hope things improve? I'm truly at a loss right now.
DoctorBreakfast
Below Market Value
Quoting: Brian2016
They overperformed last season on the back of Taylor Hall, and likely did the same at the beginning of this season. Their blue line is pretty weak. The have no true top pairing defenseman, the closest being Vatanen. Greene, Vatanen, and Severson are closer to middle pairing guys, with Butcher being a sheltered PP specialist.
Brian2016 liked this.
Bflo_Soldier
Pavel Zacha took a big step back this season¿
Quoting: Bflo_Soldier
They're def gonna need Zacha to get his game together if they're gonna get back in the mix. He had no points in 10 games before being sent to the AHL. Seney and Joey Anderson are too weak on both sides of the puck. What are your thoughts on Schneider? What do they do w/ him? It seems like Kinkaid is the #1 at this point but Schneider makes $6M for the next 4 seasons!
Quoting: DoctorBreakfast
I think Butcher is really weak defensively and his mistakes are being magnified on the road w/o last change. They need more physicality. Their 2nd line w/ Johansson has also been abysmal offensively. They're also way too dependent on the Hall-Hischier-Palmieri line.
tad77
They're going to have to rehabilitate Schneider, in some way. Tonight against Carolina was promising (but, grain of salt, it's against Carolina and just one game). But the way he's currently playing, that contract is untradable.
Kinkaid hasn't been great lately but he's still clearly a starting-caliber goaltender. That's not their big problem right now.
I would point to scoring depth as a pretty enormous problem. They have probably two top-line wingers in Palmieri and Hall, two #2 centers in Hischier and Zajac, and not much beyond that. MJ is a nice piece but probably is like Mathieu Perrault for the Devils - an excellent middle six player who shouldn't be counted on for more than that.
Ultimately, losing for the Devils is probably much better than making the playoffs. They need more young guys, and it's hard to find great young guys. I would expect them to be big Nylander players if he's really on the market.
Quoting: tadhockey
All true. They need Boyle, Nico, and Sami back ASAP. Seney and Anderson are potential regulars in the lineup, but they're the team's weakest links right now. They're gonna need another puck moving D or top 6 F if they're gonna make the playoffs again. They're just way to dependent on Hall right now. When he doesn't factor into the scoring and the PP doesn't connect they're a soft team.
Uberrima_Fides
Even during that 4-0-0 run, flaws were masked by Kinkaid's hot streak. The Devils' system asks Defensemen to pinch regularly, even when it's risky. Last year, the Defensemen were largely successful when they pinched, and Forwards were quick to cover for them when things went poorly. This season, these pinches have been less successful, and the Forward have been a step behind on the backcheck. This is why, even in those dominant first four games, the Devils gave up quality chances.
The team has also been ineffectual in their own zone from day 1. Don't get me wrong, they're disciplined and structured on Defense, which limits the amount of quality chances they concede. My gripe is that they can't regain the puck once their opponents have it in the O-Zone. Opposition cycles last for entire shifts, which (on top often yielding Goals Against) tires the Devils and inevitably leads to mistakes. I don't know if this is because the players have been coached to be conservative on Defense, or if they aren't getting proper instruction on winning puck battles. My hunch is that whatever the strategic reason, it's exacerbated by the team's lack of size. Boyle, Severson, and Santini are the only players who can and do push anyone around; that makes it hard to disposes attackers of the puck.
Goaltending has also contributed to the losses. In those first 4 games, the Devils allowed 4 Goals on 103 shots (for a save % of 96.12). Since then, they have allowed 51 Goals on 483 shots (for a save % of 89.44), with Kinkaid stopping of 336 of 372 shots (90.32%) and Schneider stopping 96 of 111 (86.49%).
Depth scoring has also been an issue. While the top line has cooled down since the beginning of the season, they've still done well (at least when Hischier was healthy); since game 4, that trio has combined for a respectable 12 Goals in 15 Games (even as Hischier mas missed 4 matches). Meanwhile, players who weren't named Hall, Palmieri, or Hischier scored 10 goals (2.5 Goals/Gm) in the first 4 games of the year, but only 26 Goals in the 15 games since then (1.7 Goals/Gm). In a league where 19 teams are scoring at least 3 Goals-per-game, the Devils can't win without more production from their Dmen and depth Forwards.
All that being said, I still think the team can turn it around (although probably not enough to make the Playoffs). The Defensive issues aren't likely to be fixed without better personnel, but Goaltending and depth scoring may improve. Even if Kinkaid and Schneider return to their mediocre 2017-18 numbers, the Devils will win more games. The Johansson - Zacha - Bratt line has played well, while Johansson and Wood (who are both currently snake-bitten by poor shooting % and low on-ice shooting %) need only for their bad luck to recede. If those two players catch some breaks and Nico returns to health, the Devils' offense should be competitive.
Quoting: JacobWallman
All excellent points. The goaltending stats that you referenced after the 4-0-0 start are largely skewed by 4 blowout losses to TBL, OTT, TOR & WPG in which they allowed 25 or 26 Goals Against. Schneider started 2 of those games, which were on "the road trip from hell." Kinkaid has actually been a top 10 Goalie statistically this season. They've definitely recovered defensively since then, but there are still some pretty big issues. To me the biggest concerns are the PP, which they relied on heavily last season and in the beginning of this season, and that absolutely terrible 3rd D pairing of Lovejoy and Butcher, w/ Yakovlev and Santini also in the mix w/ injuries. Butcher was great as a PP specialist last year but he's been front and center on the majority of the defensive breakdowns this year. Good analysis on your part though.
Feb 13, 2019 at 3:43
PhDinNJD
Devils Armchair GM
What's wrong with the Devils? I could have predicted a season like this from NJD in September. This what's wrong:
Last year the Devils were an over performing fringe playoff team (literally second wildcard spot by one point). In the offseason we let John Moore, Patrick Maroon, and Michael Grabner walk as UFA's. This left our roster with holes in our middle six forward group and top four defence group. Instead of acquiring/signing roster players to fill in for these guys, Ray hoped that younger players like Quenneville, Anderson, or McLeod (etc) would be able to step into our lineup and be somewhat relevant. That didn't happen. I think Q played close to 20 games and didn't get a point. These young players that Ray had hoped would fill in those holes never quite worked out. On defence, management hoped Will Butcher would become a top four D-man in John Moore's place, which he hasn't. Butcher simply doesn't have the size, strength, or speed to be a top four D who can handle his own defensively, and I'm afraid he might be slightly overpaid. Don't get me wrong, Butcher has proved to be a PP QB, but also proven he isn't great defensively. Because Butcher has been unable to fill John Moore's top four role, LOVEJOY HAS TO DO IT. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT LOVEJOY IS NOT VERY GOOD!!! The rest of our D isn't much better either. Greene wouldn't be a top four on more than half of the teams in the NHL, and Lovejoy is just terrible. Severson has become a very good top four D-man in the league, and Vatanen is also solid. Other than Severson and Vatanen our D is in shambles, and Santini doesn't look like he's going to be as good as he was expected to be...
Further, last season had a full year of good goaltending. first half was Cory, second half was Kinkaid.
Also our unofficial captain Taylor Hall injured for half the season (so far) which certainly doesn't help.
My point is that last year the Devils barely made it into the playoffs, and did nothing to improve. Instead, they got worse (overall roster wise). This is not the formula for success.
However, if we land a top 3 pick this year than it's fair to say: we took one step back to take two steps forward.
Quoting: njdevilsdiehard
Neither John Moore, Patrick Maroon, nor Micheal Grabner have done anything this season w/ their new teams. Letting all three walk has had very little impact in my opinion. I def. agree w/ you on the goaltending though. Kinkaid has been terrible since week 2 of the season and Schneider is done w/ the Devils after they buy out the final 3 years of his contract after the season. They'll lead the NHL in cap space this summer and they have a great young Goalie. They're in much better shape than most teams who are gonna miss the playoffs this season.
All points you made are fair, and I understand what you mean about Moore, Grabner, Maroon not being spectacular with their new times. However, they are better than what they were replaced with...
Hoping for a big/at least somewhat exciting deadline/offseason as you said.
They're gonna need a major rebound season if Hynes wants to keep his job and if Hall is going to re-sign long term.


Nigeria has formally joined the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI), a coalition of African countries dedicated to the sustainable conservation of elephants and ending the ivory trade.
conference, had President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, as well as ministerial delegations from several EPI countries, including Nigeria and multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in attendance.
Nigeria's Minister of State for the Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, speaking in London at the conference said: "It is our duty to save what we have inherited from our parents and grandparents and our responsibility to protect species that are endangered.
"Nigeria is committed, we will continue to partner with other African countries and the world at large to ensure that the intentions of the EPI are carried out at the highest level," Jibril said.
John Stephenson of the EPI Secretariat said EPI are delighted to welcome Nigeria as the 19th member state in the EPI.
Stephenson lamented that Africa's elephant population has fallen dramatically in recent decades, an estimated 55 African elephants are killed every day, mostly by ivory poachers. There are thought to be just over 400,000 elephants surviving in sub-Saharan Africa, compared with 1.3 million in 1979.
He further said Nigeria has only a few hundred surviving elephants, the largest herd is in Yankari National Park with smaller relict populations in the forests of southern Nigeria and the savannah of northern Nigeria, adding that working together with the Nigerian government, they will like to ensure the conservation of Nigeria's elephants and also prevent the smuggling through Nigeria of ivory largely originating from neighbouring states.