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Historic Japanese-American nurseries in…
Historic Japanese-American nurseries in Richmond give way to new housing
By Katherine Tam | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: March 30, 2011 at 4:36 p.m. | UPDATED: August 15, 2016 at 3:13 p.m.
The greenhouses and buildings that housed a once-flourishing trio of prewar, family-run Japanese-American flower nurseries in Richmond began coming down Wednesday to make way for housing that locals hope will breathe new life to this shuttered area.
Federal, state and city officials as well as locals cheered as a bulldozer razed a house where one of the nursery owners lived, signaling the start to a new beginning.
The collection of greenhouses and homes at South 47th and Florida Avenue are all that's left of the Sakai, Oishi and Maida-Endo nurseries. Many windows are missing or broken, but the sheer size and number of structures covering 14 acres speaks to its glory days. Colorful flowers still bloom inside.
In its place will come Miraflores, an estimated $20 million development of 150 market-rate homes for sale and 80 affordable apartments for seniors. Baxter Creek, which is partially hidden in a culvert, will be brought to the surface and a 4-acre greenbelt created, said Natalia Lawrence, city project manager. The project is expected to create more than 300 jobs.
"This will show what a model, smart-growth project looks like," Mayor Gayle McLaughlin said.
To honor the past, two greenhouses, two homes and a water tower will be preserved. An interpretive exhibit will tell the history.
It has taken eight years, a public-private partnership, and the cobbling together of city redevelopment dollars along with a $1.6 million state grant and up to $2.1 million in federal grants and loans to reach this point. There is still more work ahead.
Eagle Environmental Construction will rid the land of pesticides, lead, petroleum hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds that remain in the soil and groundwater. Cleanup is expected to be completed by fall.
Exactly when new housing will rise is less definite. Eden Housing and the Community Development Housing Corporation are seeking funds in a tough economy, said Eleanor Piez, CDHC resource development director.
"Nonprofit and for-profit developments are at the mercy of the economy and the availability of funding," Lawrence said, adding officials hope to see some construction in 2013.
Robert Sakai, whose family grew roses here and in Hayward for decades, said he is pleased that the transition from nursery to a new housing community has renewed interest in the history.
The Sakai, Oishi and Maida-Endo families built a flower-growing business here in the early 1900s and were among a number of such operations that flourished in the Bay Area. Many families bought land before the 1913 Alien Land Law barred Japanese immigrants from owning property, according to local historian Donna Graves.
During World War II, Japanese-Americans were forced into internment camps. Some were able to keep and revive their nurseries after the war, such as by having caretakers look after the land.
"So when we came back, we had something to come back to," said Tom Oishi, 89. In its heyday, flowers were flown to markets across the country and in Canada, he said.
These were family operations, with everyone playing a role. Robert Sakai's father and uncles managed the operations. His mother and aunts checked the roses before they went to market. It was the quality of the roses that set them apart, he said.
Sakai, 66 and now an attorney, remembers pulling weeds in the greenhouses on his hands and knees, and scraping off old paint atop the greenhouses and applying a fresh coat. The fun part, he said, was driving the caterpillar tractor on the land.
South American growers found a way to grow and ship flowers cheaply, spelling the end of the nurseries here. Operations at the Sakai, Oishi and Maida-Endo nurseries stopped around 2003.
Katherine Tam


Acclaimed choreographer Helen Pickett returns to create a new commission, In Cognito, which premieres at Spring Works this April and is sure to capture the beauty and power of our artists. We spoke with her about her piece, choreography and her love for Charlotte Ballet!
Can you speak to the expectations and responsibilities that come with being a female ballet choreographer?
My first commission was at Boston Ballet and I didn't know how I would feel about choreography, but at the end of the day, I knew I found home. I knew I found where I needed to be. As far as female choreographers go, I am a choreographer. Gender shouldn't matter but it does. It's how this world operates. The importance of a female choreographer is the same importance as a male choreographer except there are less of us, especially in the ballet world. The importance is being there and setting an example. I don't choreograph like a woman just like men don't choreograph like men. We are choreographers and we have a style of who we are, not because of our gender.
Have you adjusted your choreographic process from your world-wide traveling?
I find that when I step into a company, regardless of where it is in the world, I concentrate on the people in the room and what that is affording us in a give and take situation. It doesn't matter where I am and who I choreograph on. It matters about how we connect when we start to make a piece. The atmosphere of the studio and how the dancers and I riff, really how I riff with the whole organization, is more important than the geography.
We're thrilled your returning this year with a new commission. What made you excited to come back?
Charlotte Ballet rocks! As does Hope Muir. She is leading this company in such a beautiful direction. She has a passion and an intention and a generosity and a love for this company. It is a really beautiful place to work.
How are you approaching this work?
I do a lot of research beforehand and listen to the music – The late Oscar nominated Johann Johannsson and Mikael Karlsson provide the soundtrack for this creation. This particular music was chosen in tandem with a writer – Tom Robbins, whose writing and spirit greatly influenced the ideas for the new ballet. It's a paradox of wanting to be seen, not wanting to be seen and needing to be seen.
What has this process been like outside of the studio?
Besides the dancers, I am working with a great team. I love working with them because they define space, but are completely ready to change that space, rethink what this should be. I love that collaborative nature in artists. That is also what we have in the studio. I believe this collaboration is give and take because it is a living art. As long as we are alive it is going to keep changing.
Can you speak to the choreographic process of this work?
Working with dancers in the studio is the highlight of this process. Getting to know their personalities, having a conversation with them and seeing how we riff back and forth. Part of the reason why it's been such a pleasurable experience in the studio is that the dancers know when its time to work and when its time to have a laugh. We work really hard and then there is this joy and humor that comes out because we just completed a section. I do believe that having an atmosphere where people can be themselves only promotes the art onstage. Those are the human beings I want to see on stage. When people have a good time in the studio, the creativity elevates. We are all not afraid to try new things, to say "yes" or "why not" rather than "no" or "why." Giving dancers responsibility gives them ownership and that's where we start to thrive.
What should audiences be looking for in your new piece?
When I make work, I don't need the audience to see exactly what I see. I want the audience to make up their own mind of what their highlights are, rather than spoon-feed them what they need to like. I hope they understand the idea but if they don't, that's ok too because I understand it. As long as the audience is on a ride that brings them somewhere, whatever ride they choose to be on, and they get something from it, then that's fine with me.
Audiences can also expect British choreographer David Dawson's Opus.11, which highlights the power of human connection, and the return of Johan Inger's stylistic game-changer Walking Mad.
Subscribe to Charlotte Ballet's 2018/2019 Season to get the exclusive opportunity to add on Choreographic Lab!


Robert Seth Adams, age 22 of Section, passed away on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, January 5, 2019 from the W.T. Wilson Funeral Home Chapel. Interment followed in the Pea Ridge Cemetery. Rev. Larry Kirby officiated.


Store up to 20 of your finest watches in this elegant case, ideal for watches, cufflinks, jewelry, and small accessories. The hinged glass lid offers a dramatic display for your collection and the faux suede lining provides a luxury look and feel.
Watch winders feature Double small Japanese motor powered by a battery or AC power outlet to rotate a pedestal that holds the watch. Watch winders function much the same way as the wrist by rotating the watch in various directions to keep it running.
100% handmade and good value. The use of acrylic glass, environmental protection piano lacquer and transmission using copper fittings. 4 turntables with PU soft watch pillow, smooth, atmosphere and quality with high-grade.
Dual power supply more reasonable. Powered by 100-240v AC Adapter(included) or 2X 1.5V Battery (not included). Dimensions: 32 * 18 * 20 CM.
This is a 20MM Nato SS Nylon Interchangeable Replacement Watch Band / Strap. These watch bands are made from the highest quality nylon material. It comes with a 100% Stainless steel watch buckle! Size is 20mm wide and 11 Inches long.
These fit all straight end watches that require a 20mm watch band. Mostly used for Military combat, but also used for the everyday fashion as well as Divers.
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When placing the cuff inside of the drum, please ensure that the watch strap is fastened securely so that the watch does not sway back and forth during its winding. Once you place the cuff inside of the drum, you will hear a clicking noise that will indicate when each side of the cuff is locked into the drum.
Patented Innovation – Every WOLF winder counts the precise number of rotations. All other winders estimate the number of rotations.
The 8 Watch Accessory Case by Case Club holds up to 8 Watches and is made for transportation & storage. This universal insert holds any sized watch, from small to large, so compatibility is not an issue.
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More accurate by 14 different modes to calculate steps, moving distance, calories burned as well as heart rate zone. Enable connected cellphone's GPS to map your workout route in VeryFitPro.
Sweat-proof, rain-proof and splashed waterproof etc. No problem to take shower with it.
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SONGMICS Black Leather Watch Box is great for personal use, shop display and home decoration. What a great way to not only display your jewelry but also save time in the morning.
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Metal lock with keys makes sure of safety. This is a nice showcase and works well to keep your watches, necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings safe and organized. Nice gift idea for girls, boys, women and men.


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Landlords, letting agents and property factors
Being a landlord in Scotland
Furnished, part furnished and unfurnished homes
There's no legal wording that lists what a 'furnished', 'part-furnished' or 'unfurnished' home should have.
Even though there's no legal wording, there are things you would expect to find in a 'furnished', 'part-furnished' or 'unfurnished' home.
A furnished home often includes everything needed to move in right away.
Part-furnished
A part-furnished home includes some things a tenant will need, but allows a tenant to move in some of their own furniture.
A part-furnished home could include:
Although an unfurnished home mostly allows a tenant to use all of their own furniture, there are still likely to be some crucial items.
An unfurnished home could include:
How it's agreed
A 'tenancy agreement' or written tenancy terms cover what's agreed between a landlord and a tenant about a home. The landlord should state in a tenancy agreement or written terms:
whether the home is furnished, part furnished or unfurnished
a list of what the home contains - this is known as an 'inventory'
The inventory can come with the tenancy agreement.
It's up to the tenant to decide whether they agree with both the tenancy agreement and the inventory. If the tenant's happy they can sign both.
If a tenant doesn't agree, they should speak to the landlord before they sign the tenancy agreement. If the landlord and tenant can't agree, the tenant can choose not to sign the tenancy agreement.
After a tenancy agreement is signed or tenancy terms agreed
The landlord only needs to maintain, in a good, working order, what is listed in the inventory (if there is one).
If the tenant wants an item that is not on the inventory, the landlord doesn't need to supply it.
There are legal standards for the furniture in a home. Furniture must meet fire safety standards and must be safe and capable of being used for the purpose it was designed.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Army Corps Admits to Dumping Toxic Water Into Florida Estuaries
No One Knows How Many Airboat Operators Are Following Florida's New Safety Rules
Former Miami Filmmaker Trapped Inside Turkish Prison After Escaping Syria
Jerry Iannelli
Jerry Iannelli | September 1, 2016 | 1:14pm
In Miami, journalist Lindsey Snell spent years working documentary projects like Billy Corben's Square Grouper. The University of Florida graduate made a name for herself telling the impossible-to-invent narrative of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church's huge marijuana-importing business.
Now, Snell is living her own tale of international intrigue. In July, Snell says she was kidnapped by al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, Jahbat al Nusra, before fleeing in a daring escape. Now NBC confirms that she's in a prison facility in Hatay province Turkey, and might be charged with illegally entering the country.
According to a Facebook post that Snell published on August 5, the journalist says she was thrown in a "cave prison," confronted by "masked villains" from the militant group in the Syrian war zone. She says she only escaped after her captors let her use a cell phone. Those details haven't been confirmed, but U.S. State Department officials did tell NBC News that she's being held in Turkey.
It's a stunning shift for Snell, who helped Corben produce 2011's Square Grouper and the ESPN "30 for 30" short film Collision Course: The Murder of Don Aronow, which detailed the murder of a speedboat-racing marijuana smuggler. That film premiered in 2013.
Billy Corben's Rakontur Studios Wins Emmy for The U Part 2
Billy Corben Directing Docuseries About Billionaire John McAfee for Spike TV
Cocaine Cowboys Director Billy Corben Swims Against Elected Officials For Charity
"I haven't been in touch with Lindsey for years, but I've heard about her frightening ordeal and I hope it's resolved quickly," Corben tells New Times via email. She's also reported for Vice, MSNBC, and ABC News, among other outlets.
According to the Facebook post, Snell — who later converted to Islam — says she had come to Syria to see the family of one of Jabhat al Nusra's "recent martyrs." She claims the martyr even asked her to stay in his family's home. She says that fact, however, did not stop Nusra members from "arresting" her.
From there, Snell says she was held in a cave.
"The previous tenant of my cell had marked his days in residence in blood on the walls," she wrote.
Somehow, she says she convinced her captors to let her use a cell phone, with which she took photos of her condition and planned an escape. She writes that she escaped with the help of a disguise and a motorcycle, and was able to save photos and video footage of the ordeal.
"Really not sure why they kept letting me have my phone," she Tweeted Aug. 5.
According to NBC News, Snell was then detained after trying to cross Syria's western border into Turkey:
A State Department official said the U.S. government was aware of Snell's presence in Syria and that helping her to get to a safe location was the agency's consistent and overriding goal.
U.S. personnel were dispatched to the Turkey-Syria border to support Snell's safe exit from the war-ravaged country but Snell was subsequently detained by Turkish authorities, the official said.
NBC News reports that the governor of Hatay Province, Ercan Topaca, told the country's state-run news agency that a "U.S. journalist was captured while she was trying to cross the border illegally; she was taken to court and remanded. The trial phase is ongoing. For now, we do not know if she is a spy or not."
Though NBC was unable to confirm Snell's personal story, she posted an interview with Jahbat al Nusra fighters to her Facebook page on July 7.
Snell, who grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida, never shied away from putting herself in harm's way. According to a 2011 Miami Beach 411 article (written by New Times contributor Bill Cooke), Snell studied law at Fordham University in Manhattan before moving back down to Miami Beach. Instead of passing her bar exams, she instead joined Corben's filmmaking company Rakontur as a researcher.
Speaking to Cooke, Corben described Snell as having "the mind of an attorney, the wit of a satirist, the face of an angel and the heart of a storyteller."
Courtesy of Bill Cooke
Producing Square Grouper required taking repeated trips out to the lawless edges of Everglades City, 80 miles outside of Miami. There, she told Cooke she started hanging out at a rowdy drinking establishment called the Leebo's Rock Bottom Bar:
At first, Snell says, "They thought I was a narc." That notion was quickly forgotten, Snell says, "when they saw how much I could drink."
She added that she was "was hit on by men 50 years my senior too many times to count," and ended up getting splattered with blood during a particularly vicious bar fight.
More recently, Snell worked as a field producer for a 2016 segment on Palestine for Vice's HBO series.
Jerry Iannelli is a staff writer for Miami New Times. He graduated with honors from Temple University. He then earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University. He moved to South Florida in 2015.
Twitter: @jerryiannelli
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Goals from Armand Gnanduillet and Jay Spearing helped Blackpool book a place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup for the first time since 2007 with a 2-0 victory against QPR.
It was another strong performance from The Seasiders, who saw their opponents reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes of the tie remaining.
Manager Terry McPhillips made five changes to his side for the tie, with Michael Nottingham, Callum Guy, Joe Dodoo, Ryan McLaughlin and Armand Gnanduillet stepping up from the bench.
The visitors, captained by former Seasider Alex Baptiste, registered the first attempt on goal inside two minutes, when Ilias Chair drilled the ball straight at Mark Howard.
At the other end, Curtis Tilt was unable to beat Matt Ingram following a neat run at the back post, while a fizzing cross from Jordan Thompson was crying out for a touch inside the six-yard box.
Jay Spearing had the best chance of the opening 20 minutes, forcing Ingram to push his free-kick strike away from the bottom corner.
Ingram was proving to be the busier 'keeper, as he was next called into action to save a header from Ben Heneghan.
QPR's Josh Scowen was substituted in the 25th minute after walking a fine line. Having been booked and then committed another foul, Steve McClaren opted to substitute him for Sean Goss.
Soon after, Blackpool took the lead. Ben Heneghan won a header at the back post, allowing Armand Gnanduillet to latch onto the ball and fire in from close range.
Jay Spearing blasted the ball over the bar as Blackpool pushed for a second prior to the interval. Meanwhile, ill discipline continued to cost the visitors, who ended up with four players being shown yellow cards.
QPR replaced another player on a booking for the second-half, as Paul Smyth entered the field of place in place of Ilias Chair.
Ryan McLaughlin could have doubled Blackpool's advantage just a couple of minutes after the restart, however he was unable to keep his effort on target.
Joe Dodoo moved past his man down the left in an attempt to create an opening before firing a low strike that the 'keeper managed to save.
QPR were then reduced to 10-men in the 70th minute after Jordan Cousins received a second yellow card. It had been coming, given the amount of fouls committed by opposition players.
Callum Guy left the field to a great reception from the Blackpool fans after an industrious display in midfield for The Seasiders. Ollie Turton was the man to take his place in the middle of the park. Another change soon followed, with Nathan Delfouneso replacing the goal-scorer, Armand Gnanduillet.
Jordan Thompson looked to make the score-line a little more comfortable with a couple of minutes remaining, however he blazed over the bar from 25-yards out.
Nathan Delfouneso went closer in his attempt to wrap the game up, seeing his strike deflect agonisingly wide of the post.
The second goal was to come though, with Jay Spearing finding the top corner in the 90th minute.
The result sealed a place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup and extended Blackpool's unbeaten run in all competitions to 11 games.


Surus Inversa has dismantled the Zas and Corme wind farms located in A Coruña. It is the biggest wind farm dismantling project ever undertaken in Spain. The dismantling and reconditioning of both wind farms will enable the sale of 141 wind turbines, nine measurement towers and 43 electrical substations.
This project will be the first step to the refurbishing of these wind farms, since all 17 wind turbines will be replaced with newer models generating the same output power. Zas' Wind Farm has currently 80 wind turbines each generating 300 KW. The total output is 24,000 KW. Corme's Wind Farm consists of 61 wind turbines, producing a total output of 18,300 KW.
The machinery will be auctioned in Surus Inversa's online portal for industrial auctions, Escrapalia.com. Any interested buyer will be able to verify all assets during the planned visits to the facilities on February 13th and 20th. The equipment is ready for a second life and works perfectly thanks to its good condition.
The principles of circular economy are applied to the project management. The life cycle of the equipment will be extended thanks to reduction, reuse and recycling. The first goal is to prioritize reusing the machines and components. Alternatively, components are reused as spare parts for similar equipment. Finally, the components that, due to their nature and economic value can be transformed for a different use are recycled. One example of this is the fiberglass extracted from the blades of the wind turbines. It can be incorporated to clinker, the main ingredient for manufacturing cement. Surus Inversa will also handle and manage all waste generated during the project.
The company previously handled the 2016 dismantling of Malpica de Bergantiños' Wind Farm, in A Coruña. During this project, 69 wind turbines and 15 electrical substations were sold for three times the minimum price.
Surus Inversa is a company which specializes in recapturing value through reverse logistics. Thanks to the principles of circular economy, projects are executed in the most efficient way. Costs associated to client returns are drastically reduced through specific operations aimed to optimize benefits and recapture as much value as possible.


Anime has finally come on board!
5 February 2019 - 416 out of 537 users found this review helpful.
I've always loved Anime, and it's always been frustrating watching Hollywood movies destroy it (Ghost in the shell). Alita however did an amazing job in fusing Hollywood and Anime. I believe it was a great story adaptation by James Cameron, breathtaking action scenes and directing by Rodriguez, and great casting. I saw this in 4DX 3D in Seoul and It was a roller coaster ride. I was afraid the movie might put me to sleep, but it kept me engaged and watching from beginning to end. I think the most important element for movies should be the ability to engage the audience and never let them go until the very end. This movie delivers. And also I am very proud of Director Rodriguez for taking on this enormous task. He put a lot on the line to make this film. An interesting thing I found was for some reason I felt there were elements of John Carpenter here. Overall one of the best 3D films made so far. I believe the bar has been pushed higher for all filmmakers. A must watch in 3D exerpience!


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Press release Receding glaciers in Bolivia leave communities at risk
Receding glaciers in Bolivia leave communities at risk
A new study published in The Cryosphere, an European Geosciences Union journal, has found that Bolivian glaciers shrunk by 43% between 1986 and 2014, and will continue to diminish if temperatures in the region continue to increase. "On top of that, glacier recession is leaving lakes that could burst and wash away villages or infrastructure downstream," says lead-author Simon Cook, a lecturer at the Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK.
Receding glaciers also put water supply in the region at risk. Glacial meltwater is important for irrigation, drinking water and hydropower, both for mountain villages and large cities such as La Paz and El Alto. Throughout the year, the 2.3 million inhabitants of these two cities receive about 15% of their water supply from glaciers, with this percentage almost doubling during the dry season. Glacier retreat also means less water is available to supply rivers and lakes, such as southern Bolivia's Lake Poopó, which recently dried up.
The new study is one of the first to monitor recent large-scale glacier change in Bolivia, to better understand how receding glaciers could affect communities in the country. "The novelty of our study lies in the bigger picture – measuring glacier change over all main glaciated ranges in Bolivia – and in the identification of potentially dangerous lakes for the first time," Cook says.
The team measured glacier area change from 1986 to 2014 using satellite images from Landsat, the U.S. Geological Survey's and NASA's Earth observation programme. They found that the area of the Bolivian Andes covered by glaciers decreased from about 530 square kilometres in 1986 to only around 300 square kilometres in 2014, a reduction of 43%.
As glaciers recede, they leave behind lakes typically dammed by bedrock or glacial debris. Avalanches, rockfalls or earthquakes can breach these dams, or cause water to overflow them, resulting in catastrophic floods known as glacial lake outburst floods. The team reports that both the number and size of glacier lakes in the study region increased significantly from 1986 to 2014.
After studying glacier change, the researchers used their 2014 glacial-lake observations to identify the lakes where outburst floods could occur and present a hazard to populations. "We mapped hundreds of lakes," Cook explains. "Some lakes are very small and pose little risk. Others are very large, but there's little or no possibility that they would drain catastrophically. Others are both large enough to create a big flood, and sit beneath steep slopes or steep glaciers, and could be dangerous."
They identified 25 glacial lakes across the Bolivian Andes as potentially dangerous to communities and infrastructure, as they could result in very damaging floods. If the smallest of these 25 lakes was to drain completely, it would yield a flood with a peak discharge of 600 cubic metres per second. The largest could result in a discharge of over 125,000 cubic metres of water, about 50 times the volume of an Olympic swimming pool, in a second.
While measuring glacier area change was a relatively simple task, Cook says "identifying which lakes are dangerous is the million dollar question" as there are various factors to take into account.
"We considered that a lake was dangerous if there were settlements or infrastructure down-valley from the lake, and if the slopes and glaciers around the lake were very steep, meaning that they could shed ice or snow or rock into the lake, which would cause it to overtop and generate a flood – a bit like jumping into a swimming pool, but on a much bigger scale!"
Such catastrophic floods have occurred in the region in the past. Dirk Hoffmann, a researcher at the Bolivian Mountain Institute and co-author in The Cryosphere study, recently documented a glacial lake outburst flood in the Apolobamba region that happened in 2009 and killed farm animals, destroyed cultivated fields and washed away a road that left a village isolated for months. "As those locations are very remote and far away from the cities, authorities at national level and the wider public are often not even aware of the new dangers that mountain dwellers are facing due to the impacts of climate change, and no appropriate measures are being taken," Hoffmann says.
Cook says these events could be under-reported, suggesting the risk of such floods in the Bolivian Andes has been overlooked. "We heard of other [glacier lake outburst flood] events from villagers when we visited the Apolobamba region in 2015, but there is no mention of these in publications or papers, possibly because many of these communities are relatively remote." Hoffmann adds: "A nation-wide risk assessment of potentially dangerous glacial lakes would be of great interest to local communities in glacier watersheds."
In the study, the team also estimated that glacier area will be severely reduced by the end of the century, to about a tenth of the 1986 values. This would put communities even more at risk from water scarcity, Cook says. "We predicted in our study that most glaciers will be gone or much diminished by the end of the century – so where will the water come from in the dry season? Big cities like La Paz are partially dependent on meltwater from glaciers. But little is known about potential water resource stress in more remote areas. More work needs to be done on this issue."
The team hope the study raises awareness about the rapid glacier loss in Bolivia, how it could change in the future, and how it could affect water supply and cause glacial lake outburst floods. "Ultimately, I hope that our results will be useful to people in Bolivia – governments, agencies, people living in rural areas and cities," Cook concludes.
Please mention the name of the publication (The Cryosphere) if reporting on this story and, if reporting online, include a link to the paper (http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/2399/2016/) or to the journal website (http://www.the-cryosphere.net).
This research is presented in the paper 'Glacier change and glacial lake outburst flood risk in the Bolivian Andes', published in the EGU open access journal The Cryosphere on 20 October 2016.
Citation: Cook, S. J., Kougkoulos, I., Edwards, L. A., Dortch, J., and Hoffmann, D.: Glacier change and glacial lake outburst flood risk in the Bolivian Andes, The Cryosphere, 10, 2399-2413, doi:10.5194/tc-10-2399-2016, 2016
The team is composed of Simon J. Cook (Manchester Metropolitan University [MMU] and Cryosphere Research at Manchester [CRAM], UK), Ioannis Kougkoulos (MMU and CRAM), Laura A. Edwards (CRAM and University of Manchester), Jason Dortch (CRAM and University of Manchester), and Dirk Hoffmann (Bolivian Mountain Institute).
The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is Europe's premier geosciences union, dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in the Earth, planetary, and space sciences for the benefit of humanity, worldwide. It is a non-profit interdisciplinary learned association of scientists founded in 2002. The EGU has a current portfolio of 17 diverse scientific journals, which use an innovative open access format, and organises a number of topical meetings, and education and outreach activities. Its annual General Assembly is the largest and most prominent European geosciences event, attracting over 11,000 scientists from all over the world. The meeting's sessions cover a wide range of topics, including volcanology, planetary exploration, the Earth's internal structure and atmosphere, climate, energy, and resources. The EGU 2017 General Assembly is taking place in Vienna, Austria, from 23 to 28 April 2017. For information about meeting and press registration, please check http://media.egu.eu, or follow the EGU on Twitter and Facebook.
If you wish to receive our press releases via email, please use the Press Release Subscription Form at http://www.egu.eu/news/subscribe/. Subscribed journalists and other members of the media receive EGU press releases under embargo (if applicable) in advance of public dissemination.
The Cryosphere is an international scientific journal dedicated to the publication and discussion of research articles, short communications, and review papers on all aspects of frozen water and ground on Earth and on other planetary bodies. The main subject areas are ice sheets and glaciers, planetary ice bodies, permafrost, river and lake ice, seasonal snow cover, sea ice, remote sensing, numerical modelling, in situ and laboratory studies of the above and including studies of the interaction of the cryosphere with the rest of the climate system.
Simon Cook
Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography
School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University
s.j.cook@mmu.ac.uk
@glacio_cook
Dirk Hoffmann
Coordinator and Senior Researcher
Bolivian Mountain Institute
+49-1522-4115439 (at a conference, email contact preferred)
dirk.hoffmann@bolivian-mountains.org
Bárbara Ferreira
EGU Media and Communications Manager
media@egu.eu
@EuroGeosciences
Scientific paper
Journal – The Cryosphere
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Glacier and glacier lake in the Bolivian Andes
Receding glacier in the Bolivian Andes (1)
Field work in the Bolivian Andes
Bolivian Andes
Glacier and glacier lake in the Bolivian Andes (2)
Pelechuco Lake, a glacier lake in the Bolivian Andes (video)
Header image: Glacier and glacier lake in the Bolivian Andes (Credit: Simon Cook)


The Georgia State / Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging is located in midtown Atlanta. Our 3-Tesla Siemens Prisma-Fit Magnetic Resonance Imaging system allows us to investigate brain function and structure.
Dr. Cole is visiting from the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience (CMBN),Rutgers University- Newark.
He will be speaking on "Brain Network Organization as the Computational Architecture of Cognition".
Friday March 8th, 2019: 1130am – 12:30pm in the conference room of CABI, 831 Marietta St, Atlanta Ga 30318.
The 2019 Callosum Poster Session will be held on April 16th here at CABI, 831 Marietta St., Atlanta Ga 30318. The session will be from 4:00pm -6:00pm.
If you are interested in participating please submit your abstracts to Renee.Simpkins@gatech.edu by March 15, 2019.
Finally, CABI now has a slack workspace to improve communication among users. If your interested in joining contact nwallace@gatech.edu or vahluwalia7@gatech.edu.


For many years, we are considered as an affluent manufacturer, exporter and supplier of Shally Ortho. This anti-allergic drug is efficiently processed in the most appropriate environment by our ingenious professionals with the utilization of quality checked chemical substances at our advanced production unit. Our provided drug is majorly used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Furthermore, we provide this Shally Ortho in varied packaging options and at pocket friendly prices.


In this book, a family wants to go to the lake because they are so hot. Their truck didn't work very well, but they still wanted to try to get to the lake. They packed marshmellows, the baby's toys, a beach ball, a surfboard, and juice. On their way, they got a squished tire, and they didn't know what to do, but then they got an idea. They put marshmellow and the beach ball together to make a tire. Then they had all kinds of things fall off the truck and it scared ducks away by the road. They kept on fixing the truck though with all kinds of funny things. They made it to the beach and had fun, and then they went home.
I loved this book because they finally got to go swimming in the end. My favorite part of the book is all of the funny things they took with them and how they used them to fix the truck. I don't know how they thought of all that! I felt happy when I heard the story because of the pretty pictures and funny words. The pictures remind me of when I color pictures myself.
I think my mommy and daddy, grandpa, grandma, and Angel would like this book because it is so silly and funny. Everyone in my class laughed at this book, so I think kindergarten kids will like this book.


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Track 16 from 2013's Lovecraftian Rock Opera gets orchestral, featuring DEPECHE MODE drummer Christian Eigner, MOTHER'S FINEST bassist Wyzard & former KISS guitarist BRUCE KULICK, rocking in a realm of lush Strings and Oboe!
Madness is my Destiny (Epilogue), Track 16 from 2013's Lovecraftian Rock Opera, "DREAMS IN THE WITCH HOUSE" receives a grand make-over with this cinematic, orchestral version showcasing the dynamic talents of Depeche Mode drummer CHRISTIAN EIGNER, Mother's Finest bassist WYZARD and former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick. With rich orchestrations composed and conducted by Jeremy Rubolino and a propulsive arrangement by RingMan & Rubolino, you'll find yourself transported deep into black seas of musical infinity.
Stagg Street Studio sessions Engineered by Brian Virtue and Assisted by Josh Franks. Mixed by Brian Virtue. Mastered by SoundLab.
Cover Art by Keith Thompson.


When did you last get excited about finding a weevil? They get a lot of bad press as pests of crops and stored food, but finding two rare weevil species was one of the highlights of a recent Te Papa expedition to Dusky Sound in Fiordland.
I first learnt about some of New Zealand's charismatic mega-weevils in 1980, when a landmark amendment to the Wildlife Act first provided protection to a select few insects, spiders and snails.
The ten weevil species that were granted protection were all large, flightless and highly vulnerable to predation by introduced rats and mice.
Most had specialised feeding habits – often reliant on a single plant species – thereby increasing their vulnerability to extinction.
The protected weevils included the two species that we found in Dusky Sound: the punui weevil (or knobbled weevil) Hadramphus stilbocarpae, and the flax weevil Anagotus fairburni.
The punui weevil was probably extinct at its type locality by the time it was described in 1971.
First discovered on Big South Cape Island, south-west of Stewart Island, in 1955, these large weevils were found feeding at night on the huge leaves of punui (Stilbocarpa lyallii).
The devastating impact of the 1963-64 irruption of ship rats on the birds and bats of Big South Cape Island is well-known by conservationists, but many large beetle species also became extinct there at the same time – including both the punui weevil and flax weevil.
Fortunately the punui weevil had been discovered on the rat-free Snares Islands (105 km south of Stewart Island) in 1967, feeding on a related species of punui (Stilbocarpa robusta).
It was one of the species that I was looking forward to seeing when I first visited the Snares Islands to study snipe in 1982.
It took a couple of weeks, but late one night while out snipe-hunting I had paused alongside a large punui plant when I became aware of a quiet 'scrunch scrunch scrunch' near my left ear. It was the sound of a punui weevil munching on the edge of a leaf!
I have found many large weevils since, but that first one remains the only one detected by its noisy eating.
It was a great surprise when the same weevil species was subsequently found on a rat-free island in Breaksea Sound, Fiordland, feeding on a completely different host plant – the carrot-like Anisotome lyallii.
This led to adoption of the common name 'knobbled weevil', and greatly increased the potential range for the weevil, as Anisotome lyalli occurs at coastal sites from South Westland and the Catlins to southern Stewart Island.
The Te Papa team found Anisotome lyallii on many islands in outer Dusky Sound, and so we were alert to the possibility of finding knobbled weevils there.
But they are difficult to find in daylight, and the only animal that we found was during a night landing on one of the Seal Islands.
We expect they will be found on other nearby islands if sufficient search effort is made.
The flax weevil is perhaps the best example of a relict species in New Zealand.
It has been found from the Three Kings Islands (north of Cape Reinga) to Big South Cape Island off the southern tip of Stewart Island, and feeds solely on two of our most widespread and familiar plants – the two species of New Zealand flax (harakeke and wharariki). But like the knobbled weevil, the flax weevil is highly vulnerable to rodent predation and has disappeared from almost all mainland sites.
I had previously encountered flax weevils on the Poor Knights Islands off Northland, plus on several islands in Cook Strait, and so was familiar with their characteristic feeding sign.
Flax weevils take asymmetrical chunks out of the edge of the flax leaf, leaving ragged, fibrous edges. This is readily distinguished from the sharp-edged, almost symmetrical feeding sign left by the common, widespread flax notch caterpillar (Tmetolophota steropastis).
We found flax weevil feeding sign on 28 of the 59 islands that we surveyed in Dusky Sound, which was pretty much everywhere we found wharariki. Live weevils were found on three of these islands, and parts of dead weevils on another two.
Flax weevils are very good at hiding during the day, which is why we found few actual weevils. We landed on one 'wharariki island' at night, and quickly found four flax weevils, all feeding on the same wharariki plant.
Sites where flax weevil feeding sign was noted in Dusky Sound in November 2016. Map based on NatureWatch sightings contributed by the Te Papa team.
It was a thrill to find that flax weevils were not only present in Dusky Sound, but widespread and common. Perhaps the bigger surprise is that they had been overlooked before our visit.
Many of the islands where we found flax weevil sign are managed for stoat control (i.e. they are regularly visited by DOC biodiversity staff), and two sites are visited by hundreds of tourists every year (public tracks to historic sites on Pigeon Island and Indian Island).
This suggests that with greater awareness of the characteristic sign left by these charismatic beetles, flax weevils will prove to be more widespread in Fiordland than is currently recognised.
Beetles (Order Coleoptera) are by far the most species-rich order of organisms on the planet, and weevils (Family Curculionidae) are the largest family of beetles.
Spectacular photos. My partner and I are making an educational entomology game based on NZ invertebrates. We were browsing through google's image search and found a few of these flax weevil ones. Would we be able to use the image (3rd from the bottom) as a texture for the models in our games (effectively it creates the 'skin' of the model making it look very lifelike)?
Very interesting once again, and for the plants as well as for the weevils. Thanks.
A year of great blogs from you Colin. Thank you.
Thanks very much for your feedback Jacqueline – much appreciated.
Another great blog entry with more stunning photos of our amazing wildlife. I think its really important to share information about what rare species are out there, to inspire us about what potential we could have- imagine these large charismatic species in our local botanical gardens (within a rat proof cage), or re-introduced to our mainland islands, so that everyone can see them – it would be fairly inexpensive and could motivate us to make more of new zealand predator free! Thankyou – its really important work that you do!
Thanks very much for your comments Mark. Yes, there is a lot of potential for some of these large weevils to benefit from conservation programmes.


How do I remember eternity, when I'm stuck in the ordinary and consumed with the daily tasks and to-do lists?
The big thoughts of scripture are easy to see when we read the Bible. We even feel a stir of hope in our hearts when we hear them preached on Sundays. How do we live, though in the middle of our present with a view of something we've never seen?
I've always admired that passage in Hebrews which talks about the patriarchs and heros of our faith which lived with eternity in their hearts.
What does that mean, though for me? As a mom of four who homeschools, drives my children to soccer and gymnastics, and looks forward to a good cup of coffee every morning? I make to-do lists, set my alarm, fold laundry, wipe tables, empty the dishwasher, and try to be a good mom. How do I live with the idea of forever and ever and ever?
In 2 Corinthians Paul addresses this very thought. In this letter to a church who was very concerned about the temporary Paul made clear our hope, courage, and faith were found in eternity not the temporary. He urges the believers to not let these "light momentary afflictions" burden them. I think if we had been believers at that time we might not have liked that phrase.
Even today our affliction seems anything but "light" or "momentary" – it seems hard and like it will last forever. But Paul said in light of eternity, it is nothing. Eternity gives us endurance. We can withstand the trials when we turn our thoughts and allow our hearts to dwell on what is waiting for us beyond the grave. The hope of heaven and the presence of our Savior all but allows us to endure.
Courage is also something eternity gives us. We can be bold and brave to stand up, even when it might mean our very death because God is building for us a home which will last forever. I think maybe Paul is referring to our heavenly body waiting for us after we die. Our temporary life might be swallowed up in pain, suffering, and misery, but God has a better plan for us, as we walk by faith. Eternity allows us to be brave.
So how do we live, practically speaking, in light of eternity?
1. We walk in the new man. We do not live for the temporary pleasures of sin. We continue to grow and be more like Christ. One day at a time. It means I make time to read Scripture every morning before I start my day. It means I do a Bible study to learn how to grow and change in my Christian walk.
2. We will also give. Paul talks about giving in 2 Corinthians 8 and says "for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part." Paul is telling the church that another church was so poor, and afflicted so much, they gave. They gave their money and found JOY. You may not feel like you have much money to give, but have you really looked? I know I always have room in my budget to be giving more. We will live in light of eternity if we give generously, and out of our own poverty. Knowing all of our money will not follow us into the next life, why not spend it on the spreading of the gospel? Why not support God's work in the church with our money? Maybe you can skip an indulgence to give. Maybe it means go without a new outfit or new shoes. Living in light of entirety brings a joy of generosity!
3. We accept, embrace, and glory in our weaknesses. Ok. This one hit hard for me. You see, I like to accomplish things. I like to say: I did that! I don't like weaknesses. I don't like my own inadaquices. But Paul was not ashamed of where he fell short. Paul only said: glory in these things. In light of eternity, weakness is the best thing you can own. Why?
God is found in our weaknesses. Not because He is weak, but because He is strong. He is able to fill a void when we acknowledge the void. He is able to soothe a sorrow when we decide to admit we are in pain. God's grace is always going to be sufficient. It is always going to be enough. Just as coffee is available for me everyday, God's grace is available and willing to meet me here. Mom guilt is real in my life, and I do struggle, but when I admit to myself (and to God) of areas where I fall short, God meets me there and is willing to show me He can be the one to lift me up.
The power of Christ is so much more, and if we are to remember these in light of eternity, how much better we will be! We will have courage, a deeper faith, and endurance living in eternity. Which of the practical steps can you take today? Can you start growing to be more like Christ? Is the Lord pricking your heart to give more? Do you need to accept your weaknesses and rest on the power of Christ?
P.S. Next week we will take the week off from Tuesday Talk to enjoy the holiday! Blessings!
Your post is so beautifully written. God has been speaking to me about living for eternity. I recently wrote "Trusted Friend" about Heaven. Your wording about finding God in our weakness is especially true as schedules become more hectic and life grows increasingly chaotic. Thank you for such a powerful reminder this morning, Sarah.
Sarah, I was supposed to read this today. It really hit home for me how eternity gives us endurance. I needed to remember that we can withstand the trials when we turn our hearts toward what is waiting for us on the other side. Thank you.
Sarah, what a great title! Focusing on eternity makes all the difference, doesn't it. Yet, as Americans and other westerners, we tend to lose sight of it. Thanks for sharing and hosting. Blessings!
This is great. Thanks for encouraging us in the daily tasks! They do have eternal purpose as they form us in His likeness.
Living in eternity means remembering that I am doing things to serve others and further the kingdom. Clean clothes are a necessary part of serving the body. Not as glamorous as others, but necessary.
I loved your title here! Amen to it all. To know I can fold laundry and live for His glory in my weakness and faults, leaning on Him to cover my back – looking to life after even here is amazing. Not always easy but something we are offered and have to receive daily. God bless you!
Thanks for hosting! Cute title!
Endurance, courage, joy in giving, strength in weakness. What blessings God chooses to lavish upon us when we focus our minds on Him!
May the Lord continue to lift you up and show you the way to focus on the eternal even amidst the daily activities that seem mundane.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 just came to mind. Perhaps this could be something else that could help you and your readers.
Very interesting and thanks for hosting. I have never thought like that because I hate folding laundry. I just think about how folding laundry drives me crazy, now I have a new thought.
Thanks for hosting and have a good rest of the week.
Thank you for these reminders! I'm also a mom in the trenches cleaning, folding clothes and repeating the same chores over and over with 5 kids.
The post was inspiring and encouraging!


Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) has rolled out a new online system for Penang's industry players to submit data on events taking place in the city.
Named Vision Insight, the system was initiated and developed by PCEB. Data collected will be analysed by PCEB for its annual Business Events industry review.
Touted as the first of its kind in Malaysia for business events, the online portal is accessible on Google Chrome through https://visioninsight.my/and requires a registered email and password.
Aside from providing information for analysis, Ashwin Gunasekeran, CEO of PCEB, added that the online portal also "works as an archive for industry players to conveniently track the type of meetings and events that are being held at their hotel or venue".
In the past, PCEB's in-house researcher had to manually monitor the progress and gather data from industry partners.
"Data collection plays a crucial role in directing the vision and mission of business events in Penang, and I believe this initiative will benefit Team Penang and continue to put us in the forefront of the global industry," expressed Yeoh Soon Hin, Penang state exco for tourism development, heritage, culture & arts.


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Huntington keeps AAA bond rating, is 'stable'
Times of Huntington-Northport
by Victoria Espinoza - August 12, 2016
Town of Huntington will host a Organ Donor Enrollment Day Oct. 10. File photo by Rohma Abbas
Huntington town announced last week that they have maintained their AAA bond rating, and their outlook has been upgraded to "stable."
Standard & Poor's and Moody's Investors Service have upheld the town's rating, covering both existing debt and a planned $13.925 million bond issue.
Moody's said the rating "reflects the town's currently satisfactory reserve position and improving financial obligations, its sizable wealthy tax base and low debt burden." They also said the stable outlook "reflects our expectation of continued sound financial operations and modest growth and overall stability in the local economy."
In issuing its rating, Moody's cited Huntington's management and good financial policies and practices, as well as adequate budgetary performance, strong budgetary flexibility, very strong liquidity and strong debt and contingent liability position.
"We believe the town has demonstrated sound monitoring, ability to adopt and adhere to formal policies, and forward-planning," the rating firm's report said. "Town management tends to conservatively estimate both expenditures and revenues."
The ratings extend to both the $13.925 million in borrowing and the $109 million in outstanding debt. Of the outstanding debt, $84 million represents Huntington borrowing and $25 million is debt incurred by the water districts in the town; that debt is repaid only by district residents. The planned borrowing includes $12.4 million for town projects and $1.5 million for Greenlawn Water District.
Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) said he was pleased with the town's results.
"We are gratified that Moody's and Standard & Poor's have once again affirmed their support of Huntington's fiscal policies by maintaining the AAA bond rating and either upholding or upgrading their outlook," he said in a statement. "These ratings will ensure that Huntington continues to save on borrowing costs, benefitting all Town taxpayers."
Romaine goes for another term as Brookhaven supervisor
by Giselle Barkley - October 29, 2015
Town head has eyes on illegal housing, environmental issues
Supervisor Ed Romaine discusses his last term and his goals for another two years if re-elected. Photo by Desirée Keegan
After his first full term at the helm, Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said he thinks the Town of Brookhaven should look better than it does, and if re-elected plans to continue the town on its positive trajectory.
Romaine is running for another two years as supervisor against Democratic challenger Douglas Dittko, who declined to attend a debate at the TBR Newspapers office alongside his opponent. Dittko also did not answer a request for an interview.
According to the Suffolk County Democratic Committee's website, Dittko, a Manorville resident, is a civic leader who has worked to preserve open space and has been involved in other community issues.
For Romaine, re-election means finishing up current environmental projects, managing the town's budget and introducing technology to make it easier for residents to interact with the town. While he said there is still work to be done, he highlighted improvements since his special election in early 2013, which put him into office for several months before he was re-elected to a full term.
"My predecessor left in mid-term and he left with a fiscal crisis. He was firing over 100 people as he left," Romaine said, referring to former Supervisor Mark Lesko (D). "We stopped some of those firings — I haven't laid off [anyone] since I took office."
While in office, Romaine has helped get the town's debt under control, and this year the town finished paying off its pension debt. One of the ways in which Romaine brought in funding to do that was selling the former tax receiver's office in downtown Port Jefferson as well as the old town hall in Patchogue.
"I've worked on finances because I've learned from a long life that all issues of government are issues of money," Romaine said.
One of the incumbent's focuses in another term would be housing. Following the recession, there were more than 200 foreclosed homes that the town is trying to maintain or tear down. And residents of neighborhoods near Stony Brook University complain of illegal boarding homes bursting with college students. To combat that issue, Romaine and town officials have already enacted some restrictions, like making it illegal to pave over front lawns to make more room for parking.
Another goal the supervisor has for a second full term is expanding his single-stream recycling program beyond Brookhaven's single-family homes. The single-stream system, in which residents can put all of their recyclables on the curb together, has already drastically increased recycling townwide, and has made money for Brookhaven because the town sells material it brings in.
He would also like to continue his efforts to encourage renewable energy use and reduce nitrogen pollution in local bodies of water.
"It's time for us to wake up," Romaine said. "We're going to lose what we cherish about living in this town if we don't start to preserve our waterways."
Huntington Bay unfazed by fiscal stress rating
by Victoria Espinoza - October 8, 2015
Mayor blasts state comptroller's scoring of village
Huntington Bay Village's mayor is contesting a fiscal rating by the state comptroller's office. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Huntington Bay Village's mayor strongly disagrees with a recent release by the New York State Comptroller's office ranking the municipality as susceptible to fiscal stress.
The comptroller's office sent out a statement about the scores last week but Herb Morrow said the score is misleading and Huntington Bay is in sound fiscal shape.
"The report is worthless because what they do is take a snapshot of one point in the year," Morrow said in a phone interview. "They don't take the financial planning into consideration."
Morrow said the comptroller's office ranked Huntington Bay as "susceptible" to fiscal stress in February because its reserve fund decreased.
"We did some major reconstruction of the police department to save taxpayers an enormous amount of money in the long term," Morrow said. The reorganization included incentives and retirement costs that reduced reserve funds but, Morrow said, over time would reduce village payroll for police by $400,000.
"We are in great shape, and the residents are not listening to the comptroller's story."
Despite what Morrow said, the state comptroller's office confirms Huntington Bay is susceptible to fiscal stress.
According to a statement from Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli's office, "susceptible to fiscal stress" is the least severe of three categories that all municipalities found to be under fiscal stress were filed into. The other two category designations are "moderate fiscal stress" and "significant fiscal stress."
In order to be designated as "susceptible to fiscal stress," a municipality has to reach at least 45 percent of the total points of the fiscal stress score. The scores are made using annual financial reports that are submitted by local governments to the state comptroller's office. Fiscal stress is usually defined as a local government's inability to generate enough revenues within its current fiscal period to meet its costs. The comptroller's system evaluates local governments based on both financial and environmental indicators.
The indicators of a local government's financial state are its year-end balance, operating deficits, cash position, use of short-term debt and fixed costs. Environmental indicators include population, age, poverty, employment base and more. Fund balances, like Huntington Bay's reserve fund balance, are used to identify the amount of money available to cushion revenue shortfalls or expenditure overruns.
According to DiNapoli's office, a negative or low-level fund balance can affect the local government's ability to provide services at current levels. It also claims that fund balance is a strong measure of the financial condition of a local government.
In a letter Morrow posted to the Huntington Bay website when the scores were originally released in February, he criticized the message that the comptroller's office was sending to residents.
"It makes the jobs of local leaders harder. It is a waste of New York State taxpayer dollars," Morrow said in the letter. "With no conversation or discussion with our village, we were given a negative designation that is very misleading to our residents. By releasing reports that create inane headlines, they confuse residents."
Petrone pitches $188.7M budget, stays in tax cap
by Rohma Abbas - September 24, 2015
Plan freezes salaries for pols, bumps highway budget
Town board members receive a copy of the 2016 preliminary budget. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) unveiled a $188.7 million preliminary 2016 budget on Wednesday. Sept. 16, that reduces spending slightly from this year and stays within a state-mandated cap on property tax levy increases.
If approved, the budget would amount to a $29 increase for the average homeowner, if looking only at the town's three major funds. The budget is balanced by a 1.3 percent increase in the town's tax levy, because Huntington is using fewer funds from reserves to balance the budget, according to a town statement.
The town board voted at a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16, to schedule an Oct. 6 public hearing on the budget. The public hearing will take place at 6 p.m.
The spending plan is a "no-frills" budget, which is down from this year's spending by .2 percent, officials said. The budget would maintain current services and reflects a reduction in staffing through attrition —fewer than five employees due to some retirements in the town's General Services department, Petrone told reporters after the meeting.
There's $1.9 million more budgeted for the town's Highway Department, due to last year's severe winter. That increase was offset by little to no increase in other major town funds and decreased spending in some of the special districts, a town statement said.
One of the issues the supervisor said he's wrestling with is funding expenses taxpayers may want but that count against the municipality in its state tax cap levy increase calculations.
To that end, Petrone said officials have not included renewing a multi-million dollar Open Space Bond Act town taxpayers voted in favor of to have the town fund green initiatives, park improvements and land purchases, because revenue raised through the act counts into the town's tax levy. Petrone also said that the town has been considering putting up a referendum to create a parking district, which could have the authority sell bonds to fund a long-desired parking garage in Huntington village, but that would count against the town's tax levy calculation.
Petrone said he's been calling on state lawmakers to look at possible revisions to the tax cap law in cases where voters directly choose to tax themselves.
"This 2016 budget preparation presented challenges and realities that will alter how the town does business going forward, without important changes to the tax cap act," Petrone wrote in his budget message. "While the tax cap act seeks to stabilize the tax base, it also limits our ability to enhance or expand services to our residents."
Other highlights of the budget include freezing all salaries for elected officials and appointment management, continued focus on building a $1.5 million new animal shelter and implementing design and initial construction of the James D. Conte Community Center at the former Huntington Armory.
The supervisor also proposed a $15 million capital budget that focuses on improvements to the town's infrastructure, such as the rehabilitation of various plants and pump stations in the Dix Hills Water District to headworks improvements in the Huntington Sewer District. Funding is also included for road rehabilitation, drainage infrastructure and paving, according to the statement.
Victoria Espinoza contributed reporting
Audit says Commack School District mismanaged cash
Times of Smithtown
by Phil Corso - August 14, 2015
Commack Superintendent Donald James presented the district's 2018-19 budget draft. File photo by Greg Catalano
A state audit cracked down on the Commack Union Free School District, accusing officials of mishandling funds and costing taxpayers.
The audit, which was released Aug. 5, said Commack school administrators needed to do a better job overseeing the budgeting process after the district overestimated expenditures in its adopted budgets and did not use surplus cash to finance operations. The audit also found the district did not maintain a "complete and adequate" record of its fuel inventory to safeguard and account for its fuel.
"From 2011-12 through 2013-14, total actual revenues exceeded expenditures by as much as $3.7 million," Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said in the audit, and while the district had a $24 million fund balance, it only used $1.8 million to offset taxes. "Had district officials used more realistic budget estimates, they could have avoided the accumulation of excess fund balance and possibly reduced the real property tax levy."
The report also found that discrepancies in the fuel inventory records were not investigated. According to DiNapoli, Commack's head groundskeeper performed a monthly reconciliation of district fuel purchase and use records with the actual fuel on hand but never acted on discrepancies, even though anything left unresolved within 48 hours must be reported to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
In response, Commack Superintendent Donald James said the district had "varying fiscal philosophies" but cited a list of changes it would be implementing moving forward. As for the comptroller's remarks on Commack's financial condition, James kept it short and sweet.
"The district will review the expenditure budget areas and the variables affecting such areas discussed in the audit report in depth to assure reasonable estimates are presented," he said in a statement.
District spokeswoman Brenda Lentsch said the district saves money through strong budgeting practices and all of its savings are returned to the taxpayers the following year.
"We go to great efforts not to spend the money the residents of this community entrust to us," she said in a statement. "Further, the district returns every dollar not spent in the budget to the taxpayers to keep the tax levy as low as possible, and to continue to offer the multitude of programs and services that Commack is known for, and the community expects."
On the subject of fuel inventory records, James had a lot more to say.
"The district has taken great care and effort to develop and implement new procedures to ensure that fuel supplies are adequately safeguarded, accounted for and protected against risk of loss or unidentified leakage," he said in a response outlined within the audit.
Moving forward, James said the district would record, monitor and reconcile its fuel inventory via a senior account clerk and install video surveillance systems to monitor the area of the 2,500-gallon underground fuel tank and pump.
DiNapoli's audit set out to evaluate the district's overall financial condition and fuel inventory, specifically between July 1, 2013, and Nov. 30, 2014. The comptroller extended the scope of his audit back to July 1, 2011, however, to provide better perspective and background.
DiNapoli recommended the district develop procedures to ensure it adopts more reasonable budgets — to avoid raising more real property taxes than necessary — and use more of its surplus funds to support future budgets and reduce the burden on taxpayers. He also recommended the district adopt written policies to ensure fuel is periodically measured and to report discrepancies promptly.
Smithtown Town Board splits on promotions
by Phil Corso - July 14, 2015
Calling upon previous instructions to be careful with Smithtown's cash, two town board members voted against promoting two town employees at a public meeting Tuesday, though it was not enough to stop the raises.
Town Comptroller Donald Musgnug told the board in a special meeting last month that it must "tighten its belt" to protect its bond rating as the town goes out for bonding later this year to fund certain capital projects. Tuesday's meeting agenda included two promotions that were ultimately approved by a vote of 3-2, but they were met with concern from Councilman Bob Creighton (R), who called upon Musgnug's previous warning.
"We had Mr. Musgnug in here recently, and now I have a little bit of a problem," said Creighton, who voted against the promotions along with Councilman Ed Wehrheim (R). "He tells us we shouldn't be doing more promotions, and here it is, we have two more on here."
The promotions ultimately went to Traffic Safety Department employees Dyanne Musmacker, to the position of senior clerk typist at $20.45 per hour, and Anthony R. Cannone, to the provisional position of traffic engineer at $54.07 per hour — both effective July 20. The two promotions were the only items Creighton and Wehrheim voted against in a list of 10 other personnel matters before the Smithtown Town Board on Tuesday.
Town Supervisor Pat Vecchio (R) defended the promotions, saying money was already allocated at the beginning of budget season for such raises.
"When the department asked for those promotions in September of 2014, I told them we would consider those promotions and that I would put the money in the budget effective July 1," Vecchio said. "So there's money already accounted for."
Vecchio also said such a practice, allocating money in the budget for future raises, was not out of character for the town.
Creighton, however, was against the practice on the grounds of Musgnug's presentation before the Town Board in which he expressed concern over the town's financial future.
"My recommendation is that we fill only essential positions, promote from within where possible and leave non-essential positions vacant," Musgnug said in his June 23 presentation on the status of the 2015 Smithtown budget. "The message is that we must continue to contain what we can control — expenditures."
Musgnug said the town's financial standing was ultimately on the line come the end of the year as it considers bonding for projects, and potentially faces a lowered rating.
"The rating agencies would like to see a structurally balanced budget," he said at the June special meeting. "As we approach the 2016 budget cycle, the closer we are to breakeven in 2015 means less adjustments for 2016."
Comptroller urges Smithtown to 'tighten belt'
by Phil Corso - June 24, 2015
Town Councilman Tom McCarthy, Supervisor Pat Vecchio and Comptroller Donald Musgnug discuss Smithtown's financial standing going into the 2016 budget year. Photo by Phil Corso
Smithtown is tightening its belt, town Comptroller Donald Musgnug said at a town board meeting on Tuesday.
As per Supervisor Pat Vecchio's (R) request, Musgnug provided the town with his overview on the town's current financial performance through May 31, and said Smithtown needed to be selective with expenditures in order to remain sustainable going into 2016.
"The town board has done well to keep certain positions vacant or to delay appointments," Musgnug said in his report to the board on Tuesday. "My recommendation is that we fill only essential positions, promote from within where possible and leave non-essential positions vacant. The message is that we must continue to contain what we can control — expenditures."
The comptroller said it was still too early in the year to predict "with any kind of accuracy" the final results of town operations, but said Smithtown still needs to budget conservatively to ensure a stable financial ground next year.
Musgnug said the town was performing better than what was expected in this year's budget, with one exception — the highway snow fund. A brutal winter was the only hindrance on the town's otherwise on-track year in regards to the budget.
"Most departments are spending below what was anticipated, however certain revenues are out of our control, such as the mortgage recording tax, which is coming in less than anticipated," Musgnug said. "Because of this and other factors, we will need to continue to tighten our belts so that we can bring the town's operating results closer to breakeven in 2015."
The comptroller also discussed the usage of Smithtown's leftover fund balance to help balance budgets each year. He said the option was on the table, but not preferred, which Vecchio and Councilman Bob Creighton (R) agreed to.
Creighton said the town had been criticized in the past for doing such a practice, and Vecchio warned against it.
"Fund balances are a [double-edged] sword," Vecchio said. "When you use it to balance the budget, you get accused by bonding companies."
According to the comptroller, it was doubly important that Smithtown eyes its finances closely in the coming months because he anticipated the town would be going out for bonding later this year to fund certain projects.
The comptroller said he was not ruling out the possibility that rating agencies might lower the town's bond rating in the coming year, but if it does happen, it would not be a significant drop.
"The rating agencies would like to see a structurally balanced budget," he said. "As we approach the 2016 budget cycle, the closer we are to breakeven in 2015 means less adjustments for 2016."
Town Councilwoman Lynne Nowick (R) asked Musgnug how significantly a lowered rating in September might affect interest for the town, to which the comptroller said it was difficult to call.
"It will impact interest, but it won't be overwhelming," he said. "If we do, it'll be one score. But I don't anticipate that happening."
Financial implications of marriage for same-sex couples
by TBR Staff - May 11, 2015
By Jonathan S. Kuttin
The opportunity for same-sex couples to legally marry has expanded to 37 states and Washington D.C. with more likely on the horizon. The social and emotional benefits of living in a legally recognized union have been widely discussed. But what does legal marriage mean for your finances when you're a same-sex couple?
There are a number of immediate and long-term benefits.
More protection for your shared assets. With the repeal of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), certain federally mandated financial benefits previously reserved for heterosexual married couples now also apply to legally married same-sex couples. Some pertinent provisions include:
• Marital deduction for gift and estate taxes. Spouses married in a state recognizing same-sex marriages (who are also U.S. citizens) can pass property to one another without incurring gift tax while living and estate tax after death. This provision of tax law is significant because it means bypassing potential gift and estate taxes levied upon nonmarried couples who transfer property or other assets to each other.
• Social Security benefits. If you or your spouse dies, your marriage certificate and the duration of your marriage are used in determining if the surviving spouse will be the beneficiary of the deceased spouse's Social Security benefits. In some cases, same-sex couples may need to reside in certain states that recognize the marriage. To further protect your Social Security benefits, the Social Security Administration encourages all same-sex couples to apply for benefits to preserve any claim.
• Beneficiary status. Your spouse will be recognized as your beneficiary on your insurance policies, retirement plans and items of property. This is true as long as he or she is your named beneficiary — make sure to update all of your beneficiary designation forms once you're married. It's also important to keep in mind that the spousal consent rules for retirement plans that require the spouse to provide written consent if the primary beneficiary named is someone other than the spouse, applies to same-sex married couples.
• Shared work benefits. Many companies provide spouse benefits that have significant value. For example, your marital status may afford you or your spouse reduced cost health and life insurance through an employer.
• Combined household efficiencies. Don't underestimate the financial benefit of pooling your income and sharing the expense of running a household. While you can cohabit without marriage, your marital status may improve your ability to sign a lease or close on a loan (assuming you both have good credit and contribute income).
• Income tax perk or penalty? Depending on your combined income, and each spouse's income, your legally recognized same-sex marriage may or may not improve your income tax situation. If one spouse does not work or has a low annual income, your combined income as joint filers may be taxed less than the separate incomes of two single filers. However, if you and your spouse are both high earners, together you may land in a higher tax bracket (or be subject to additional taxes or phase-outs) than you would if you each filed as single individuals, potentially resulting in a larger tax liability from filing jointly.
• Get professional advice. Merging your finances as a legally married same-sex couple can be tricky because of variations in state laws and other legal considerations. A same-sex couple's marriage may be respected for purposes of some laws but not recognized for purposes of other laws. Your situation may be complicated if you previously utilized trust documents to "work around" inequities before marriage was a viable option.
While you may not be able to avoid a steeper income tax rate as married joint filers, you can employ other strategies to minimize your tax burden and untangle complicated trust work-arounds. Seek out professionals such as a tax advisor, lawyer and financial advisor to work through the complexities that can arise when same-sex couples merge their financial lives. Together you can explore solutions to help build a secure financial future.
Jonathan S. Kuttin, CRPC®, AAMS®, RFC®, CRPS®, CAS®, AWMA®, CMFC® is a Private Wealth Advisor with Kuttin-Metis Wealth Management, a private advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. in Melville, N.Y. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 20 years.
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