text:
OUR QUAKE SCOUNDREL'S IN TROUBLE AGAIN
April 25, 2011 Jeff Elliott	Leave a comment
Yes, he's a thief who posed as a doctor during the 1906 Santa Rosa earthquake, but he's also soooo charming that he had local penpals while he was serving a year in San Quentin. I wonder how his admirers felt when they learned in 1908 that he was swindling his merry way through Tacoma, Wash. shortly after his release from prison.
"Dr. C. C. Crandall" popped up at the Santa Rosa Hospital after the quake, where he apparently stole hearts – along with cash and other valuables. When dragged back from Oregon by our sheriff, it was reported that his name was actually Hugh W. Dunn, but he really did have medical training in the Philippines. Nabbed nearly two years later for forging checks in Washington state, he now posed as the son of an army paymaster in the Philippines and a government lawyer. He claimed to be a member of the Elks, and had used that connection to "borrow" money from the local lodge for a cross-country trip. He also married a local woman whom he used as a dupe in his banking fraud.
While in custody, he confessed about his colorful life of crime: After graduating from Columbia University in 1900, he fell in with Edward Mason, the rogue son of a New York millionaire. The pair first lived off handouts from their parents, then began passing forged checks for money and thrills. A "sensational scandal" with some chorus girls led them to drift around the Philippines and Europe for a time.
Alas, nothing in this exciting confabulation is probably true (except the check forgeries). Columbia University happens to keep very good records, and no one who could have been Crandall/Dunn graduated around the turn of the century. Military records do show there was a man named Hugh W. Dunn around the same 30-ish age who had hospital experience, but he spent his entire adult life in the Army. (There was a John W. Dunn of the same age convicted in 1933 for counterfeiting in Los Angeles, so maybe that was our fake doctor's real name.) But no trail at all can be found for his supposed wealthy and scandalous partner in crime – quite a juicy detail that surely would have been mentioned in more papers, if true.
Crandall probably went to the clink again for this, but no followup in any newspapers can be found. Presumably the Santa Rosa papers continued to report on the doings of the town's adopted scoundrel when he again went prowling.
CRANDALL IN MORE TROUBLE
Created Flurry Here Among Hearts of Feminines
"Dr." Clarence Collier Crandall, who posed as a physician here following the earthquake, played havoc with the hearts of some of the local girls, and finally went to the penitentiary from this city, is in trouble again at Tacoma, Washington. He gained his liberty some time since and lost no time in practicing his wiles on femininity. It will be remembered here that he "borrowed" the watch, money and some surgical instruments of a pretty nurse, and finally sold them to obtain money. When he was arrested, some of the articles were found in his possession, and these were returned to the owner. For the crime he was tried and convicted and sent to the penitentiary.
A telegram from Tacoma has the following concerning the dashing "medico":
"Divorce proceedings begun this morning by Mrs. Clarence Collier Crandall, nee Sybil Anderson, a pretty woman 25 years of age, brought to light the work of an expert bunco artist, who duped and married the girl and worked prominent Tacomans and Elks for car fare to New York and part of the distance across the Atlantic.
"Crandall is 26 years old, handsome, genteel and educated. This won the heart of Miss Anderson, cashier of a Seattle restaurant. Crandall represented himself to be the son of an army paymaster in the Philippines, and also posed as a government attorney and a member of the San Francisco lodge of Elks. On January 20th he and Miss Anderson were married here by Rev. J. P. Marlatt, pastor of the First Methodist Church. He left with the Donnely Hotel clerk a package said to contain $1,700, told his wife he was transferring $10,000 from a San Francisco bank to a local bank, had her expenses and had the hotel cash his check for $134.
"By February 10th the hotel books showed he owed $165. His checks came back unpaid. He was missing. Mrs. Crandall returned $70 of the $100 she drew from the hotel and returned to Seattle.
– Santa Rosa Republican, February 18, 1908
THE PEOPLE ARE PLEASED
Tacoma Rejoices Over Arrest of "Dr." Crandall
"Dr." Clarence Collier Crandall, the alleged medico who cut quite a swath in local society following the strenuous days of the earthquake here, and who was arrested recently in San Francisco, is to be taken back to Tacoma, to answer to numerous offenses. While here "Dr." Crandall ingratiated himself into the good graces of many people, and was a decided favorite with the fair sex. For "borrowing" a watch and purse from a lady friend here he was sentenced to the penitentiary and when released sought new pastures to perform his old tricks.
The following telegram from Tacoma will be read with interest by those who knew "Dr." Crandall here:
"Several hotels and numerous Elks are glad of the arrest at San Francisco of Clarence Collier Crandall, alias Dr. Charles Hudson, alias Hugh Duffy, ex-convict, embezzler, forger and the man who married Miss Sybil Anderson, a beautiful Seattle young woman, in this city January 29th, deserting her a week later. Detective Smith, now in San Francisco, sent Crandall's photo, obtained from the rogue's gallery of the San Francisco department to Chief Maloney here. Today it was identified by John Donnelly; by the stenographer who wrote "bunko" letters for the smooth Crandall, and by "Pop" Sawyer, Carl D. Eshelman and other Elks, who "fell" for the fake brother Elk's smooth talk.
"A warrant has been issued by the county attorney's office and an officer of the police department went to Olympia to ask Governor Meade to issue requisition papers. These papers will be forwarded to Detectives Smith and Raymond at San Francisco, and a strong effort made to bring Crandall back for trial. The complaint was sworn to by Manager Berkshire, who lost $165 on Crandall's bad checks.
Mrs. Sybil Anderson Crandall sued Crandall for divorce, alleging that since his desertion she has learned he is a forger; that he is not an underwriter's agent and not a son of the paymaster general of the Philippines, as he claimed."
In Tacoma Crandall posed as a government official.
"DR." CRANDALL HAS CONFESSED
Tells Some Chapters of His Past Life
"Dr." Clarence Collier Crandall, who was arrested in San Francisco and taken back to Tacoma on the charge of forgery, has confessed his guilt. He lays the blame to great extend on Edward Mason, son of a New York millionaire, and declares he began his career of crime just after he graduated from Columbia University in 1900.
The man declares that after meeting Mason they led a life of ease until they became entangled with some chorus girls, and following a sensational scandal they went to the Philippines and then to Europe.
Whenever they needed money they wrote home. But there was not enough excitement and Mason, being a clever penman, began forging checks, and they divided the proceeds, Crandall says.
While Crandall was living at the Donnelly Hotel in Tacoma with his bride, Mason was living at the Tacoma Hotel under an assumed name, writing checks that Crandall cashed, the prisoner declares. Leaving Tacoma the pair went to Denver and then to San Francisco to collect a debt of $3000 from a bookmaker at the Oakland race track.
Crandall said he wanted to send back home for money to square his debts and enough for his bride to live on, but Mason influenced him not to. Crandall has written to his father for money to defend his case. He will be arraigned next week and desires to have a speedy trial.
– Santa Rosa Republican, March 16, 1908
DOWNTOWN WILL BE EMPTY BY 1919
In 1908, they thought mail-order catalogs would kill off downtown; little did they know that doom awaited via parking meters a full century later.
Here's another in a series of public service "booster" ads that appeared in the Santa Rosa Republican between 1907 and 1909. (CLICK to enlarge image.) This gem appeared April 21, 1908, a few days after the second anniversary of the Great Earthquake, when a Press Democrat editorial called on Santa Rosans to shout down critics: "Now as never before the croaker, if he insists upon croaking, and the knocker, if he persists in knocking, must be shoved to the rear…"
THE SECOND EARTHQUAKE ANNIVERSARY
We know far less about the 1906 Santa Rosa Earthquake than the simultaneous shake in San Francisco, for reasons discussed at depth in an earlier essay. Several of the problems touch on contemporary newspaper coverage – or more accurately, the lack thereof.
Both the Press Democrat and Santa Rosa Republican wanted to tell the world that the city was roaring back from the earthquake's blow. Even in the days immediately following the disaster, the seriously injured were reported to be recovering "nicely," and great progress was to be found everywhere. This relentless boosterism continued in the following years, even when there were opportunities to reflect.
On the first anniversary of the quake, the PD offered two pages describing all the construction finished or underway; on the second anniversary, the PD was beating the same drum: "Two years of effort, the like of which has seldom before been seen, have come and gone, and today the newer and greater Santa Rosa is here to greet the eye of the visitor and raise the hopes and aspirations of our own people. No better city of its size is to be found today anywhere in the west…" Did anyone find this interesting reading even in 1908?
The only point of note in Ernest Finley's editorial was the admission that "many more are believed to have gone to their death" than were officially known. Curiously, Finley claimed the old death toll of 69, although PD city editor Herb Slater had used the up-to-date count of 77 in a speech delivered a few days earlier.
JUST TWO SHORT YEARS
Two years ago today Santa Rosa suffered one of the worst calamities that has befallen any city in modern times. Just as the dawn was breaking a mighty earthquake occurred, as a result of which not a brick or stone building was left intact. Fire immediately broke out and swept over the stricken area, burning what the earthquake had not destroyed. Many of Santa Rosa's best known residents lost their lives in the disaster, the official death list numbering sixty-nine, besides which many more are believed to have gone to their death. The entire business section of the city was wiped completely out of existence, the work of fifty years being destroyed almost instantly and without warning of any kind.
Such an experience as befell Santa Rosa Two years ago today would have broken the spirit and taken the heart completely out of many a community, but not so with the energetic and splendidly-situated city that has risen so proudly and so quickly from its own ashes. Scarcely had the dead been buried and the living provided with the necessary comforts of life before the work of rehabilitation began. Two years of effort, the like of which has seldom before been seen, have come and gone, and today the newer and greater Santa Rosa is here to greet the eye of the visitor and raise the hopes and aspirations of our own people. No better city of its size is to be found today anywhere in the west. In fact, it is doubtful if its equal exists in the entire country. It is a noble monument to the enterprise and dauntless spirit of our people and one of which all are rightfully and naturally proud.
Two things have contributed to the making of the New and Greater Santa Rosa. The first is the commendable spirit of enterprise and progressiveness that permeates our people, and the second is the splendid manner in which they have all stood together for the accomplishment of the Herculean task which confronted them. But while the work is well under way, it is not yet completed. Much more remains to be done. Let the spirit that has dominated here and the co-operation that has meant so much continue! Now as never before the croaker, if he insists upon croaking, and the knocker, if he persists in knocking, must be shoved to the rear, and his discordant note drowned in the chorus of progress that shall be sung. Every citizen, no matter what his walk of life, owes it to himself and to the community at large to do his full share in making the results of the coming two years equal and if possible surpass the two years that have just passed, and which are now gone forever. Let us all stand together, and work shoulder to shoulder for two years more of advancement, progress and prosperity!
– Press Democrat editorial, April 18, 1908


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text:
package de.flapdoodle.embed.mongo.config;

import java.util.List;

import org.immutables.value.Value.Default;
import org.immutables.value.Value.Immutable;

import de.flapdoodle.embed.mongo.packageresolver.Command;
import de.flapdoodle.embed.process.config.SupportConfig;

@Immutable
public interface MongoShellConfig extends MongoCommonConfig {
	List<String> getScriptParameters();

	String getScriptName();

	String getDbName();

	@Default
	@Override
	default String pidFile() {
		return "mongo.pid";
	}

	@Default
	@Override
	default SupportConfig supportConfig() {
		return new de.flapdoodle.embed.mongo.config.SupportConfig(Command.Mongo);
	}

	static ImmutableMongoShellConfig.Builder builder() {
		return ImmutableMongoShellConfig.builder();
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
Afghan Women Need Support in Building Peace
August 17, 2016 by Arsla Jawaid and Delphine Mechoulan
Afghan women attend a class on family planning and contraception at a religious school. Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, March 19, 2016. (Farshad Usyan/AFP/Getty Images)
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed at least 80 people in Kabul in late July, marking the worst attack in Afghanistan in months. With NATO withdrawing from the country and the international community at large gradually disengaging, attacks have been on the rise as the Taliban also aim to regain control of lost territory.
The deteriorating security situation has a particular impact on the lives of Afghan women, who face increasing physical threats and social restrictions as a result of the repressive policies of these militants. While women have come a long way since the end of Taliban rule, harassment continues to be routine, and rape and kidnapping common yet underreported. Female activists seeking change have also been targeted for harsher treatment. While Shariah law is widely interpreted as providing a basis for "fundamental respect for women," the Taliban reduced it to a regime of medieval punishment and societal suppression that overly controlled the female population.
The Afghan state has also largely failed to protect and provide for women. Prosecution and conviction rates are low for rape and nonexistent for beatings and other abuse. Meanwhile, growing political instability in an already fragile country has created a precarious situation for professional women in particular, many of whom have fled certain areas or maintained low profiles, robbing state institutions and other sectors of their valuable input.
Yet, despite these challenges, women continue to make valuable contributions to efforts to stabilize the country. This was highlighted at a recent meeting at the International Peace Institute (IPI) with key female figures in the Afghan peace and reconciliation processes.
Despite their diverse backgrounds, the women we met with reported encountering similar barriers to participating fully in Afghan society and in creating peace and security in particular. The overarching theme was of the need to fight corruption and provide more education and employment opportunities countrywide, as well as more training for women peacebuilders.
Afghanistan's southern provinces such as Helmand and Kandahar, from which the women hailed, bear the brunt of corruption, violence, and bad governance in the country. Security forces often fail to respond to calls to protect civilians in these regions, thus triggering a high level of hopelessness among those who are increasingly targeted by militant violence.
Sarina Faizy, a Kandahar Provincial Council member, told us that there was no hope for her area if the violence could not be stopped. "What we want is peace and a bright future," she said. Ms. Faizy lamented how corruption had greatly hindered delivery of development aid and made assessment of its effectiveness difficult. Afghanistan has indeed seen billions of dollars from international donors that have failed to translate into tangible outcomes in the form of health centers, schools, or other purposes for which it has been allocated.
The women all spoke of the lack of education and professional development opportunities, particularly for young people, as being problematic for advancement. "The women of Kandahar are ready to get educated, but the opportunities are not available," said Zarghona Baloch, Head of the Peace and Security Institute in the Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul, and Arozgan provinces. A central issue here is that opportunities do not extend beyond the urban centers of Kabul and the surrounding province into southern and rural areas. Ms. Faizal said that from the 17 districts of Kandahar only three or four—those closest to Kandahar city—might have a school.
Lieutenant Colonel Fahima Misbah Panahi, Female Battalion Commander at the Kabul Military Educational Center, focuses on educating female recruits in the country's armed forces and said the lack of support for women in leadership roles was a major problem. "There needs to be greater budget allocation for women's issues and leadership opportunities," she said.
Furthermore, women in Afghanistan—particularly in those same southern and rural areas—do not have a robust knowledge of formal peace processes or how to sustain peace. They require further training in mediation and other related disciplines if they are to play a meaningful role in these processes. Many of the women we spoke with highlighted how the country's High Peace Council (HPC) provided them no direction on these issues. This is despite the HPC's intended role of ushering in a new era of peace and stability in Afghanistan from its 2010 founding onward and the fact that women are all members of local peace councils that are key to this process.
In place of a dedicated HPC commitment, women had made their "own efforts, as women, to engage with people who have decided to lay down arms," Ms. Baloch said. And yet the HPC has still failed to respond to these efforts in any meaningful way. Jamila Niaz, Chief of Helmand province's Department of Women's Affairs, reported gathering 13,500 signatures of women who wanted a greater role in creating peace in the province, without receiving an HPC response.
The ongoing political instability and uptick in militant violence—and the increasing drawdown of international actors—mean it is increasingly difficult to make the necessary improvements to women's lives in Afghanistan, much less create a new breed of women peacebuilders and participants in formal peace negotiations. Yet the cost of not doing so will ultimately be far greater for the country if a concerted effort is not made in this area.
IPI's own research highlights how critical it is that women play a greater role in creating peace in Afghanistan and elsewhere. A 2015 study shows that women provide more diverse and valuable inputs to peacemaking due to their different security needs and by promoting priorities that challenge dominant state security narratives. The authors of the report found that inclusion of women can "provide key opportunities for major reforms that transform institutions, structures, and relationships in societies affected by conflict or crises." Furthermore, peace agreements reached with the participation of women are not only more likely to be implemented, but also have a higher probability of lasting longer.
Those efforts to increase women's involvement in peace processes and peacebuilding efforts already underway in Afghanistan are largely the result of the agency of women themselves. Yet they continue to face a multitude of challenges that require the support of others within and outside the country's borders. The international community, which has grown increasingly frustrated with the slow progress made in Afghanistan, could play a key role in building up relevant institutions and structures and removing those barriers that continue to halt progress.
Arsla Jawaid and Delphine Mechoulan work in the Center for Peace Operations at the International Peace Institute.
Analysisasia, women-peace-and-security
by Arsla Jawaid
by Delphine Mechoulan
Delivering Services to Respond to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Fragile Contexts
November 24, 2021 by Phyu Phyu Oo and Sara E Davies
Access to services and supports for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence is becoming more constrained in a growing number of situations across the world.
Analysiswomen-peace-and-security
The Gendered Political Economy of Militarized Peacekeeping
October 28, 2021 by Dean Peacock
Reforming peacekeeping to foster sustainable peace must include an interrogation of militarized masculinities and their harmful gendered consequences.
When Militarism Meets Gender Reform: Fixing the Contradictory Legacy of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda in Afghanistan
October 27, 2021 by Zinab Attai and Sabrina Karim
The prevention pillar of the WPS agenda focuses on preventing the root causes of war and violence. Efforts being made under the protection and participation pillars can fundamentally contradict the prevention pillar. Nowhere is this more visible than in Afghanistan.
Transitional Justice—An Overlooked Tool for Addressing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in International Interventions
October 22, 2021 by Jessica Anania
Despite occurring in the same contexts, sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) have largely remained theoretically and practically separated. This obscures the overlap between SEA and CRSV and denies survivors of SEA pathways to justice, including through…
Interview with Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda
October 21, 2021 by Phoebe Donnelly
In this first interview since being appointed president and CEO of the International Peace Institute (IPI) in March 2020, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein shares his views on the Women, Peace and Security agenda and the role of the United Nations.
Interviewswomen-peace-and-security, wpsat21
Advancing Women, Peace and Security in the UN Security Council: Critical Choices for Elected Member States
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How the ten elected members of the Security Council act, and the issues they raise, can have a lasting effect.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Bambino prodigio, studiò pianoforte con Louis Diémer presso il Conservatorio di Parigi, ottenendo il primo premio nel 1907. La sua carriera concertistica fu caratterizzata dalla collaborazione coi grandi violinisti Jacques Thibaud, George Enescu e Eugène Ysaÿe.

Specialista della musica di Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann e Johannes Brahms e grande interprete delle sonate di Ludwig Van Beethoven, fu una figura leggendaria della vita musicale francese della prima metà del XX secolo e fu, dopo Alfred Cortot, il maggiore pianista operante in Francia della sua epoca. Dal 1937 in poi si concentrò sulla composizione (musica da camera e un oratorio) e sull'insegnamento. Negli anni cinquanta realizzò un'importante incisione integrale delle 32 sonate di Beethoven.

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Nat, Yves
Nat

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Agenda, decisions and minutes
Cabinet - Wednesday 3 February 2016 10.00 am
Due Regard Statements - 3 February 2016 PDF 11 MB
Budget Scrutiny Report - Feb 2016 PDF 166 KB
Budget consultation report PDF 2 MB
Cabinet Questions and Responses PDF 306 KB
Printed decisions PDF 121 KB
Venue: Cabinet Suite - Shire Hall, Gloucester. View directions
Contact: Jo Moore - 01452 324196
To note any apologies for absence.
No apologies were received.
View the background to item 2.
To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 16 December 2015 (minutes attached).
The minutes of the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday 16 December 2015 were agreed and signed as an accurate record of that meeting.
To note any declarations of interest.
No declarations of interest were made at the meeting.
Questions at Cabinet Meetings PDF 385 KB
To answer any written and/or oral questions from a County Councillor, (or anyone living or working in the county, or anyone who is affected by the work of the County Council), about matters which relate to any item on the agenda for this meeting.
Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.
The closing date for the receipt of written questions is 4.00 pm on Thursday 28 January 2016.
Please send questions to the Chief Executive marked for the attention of Jo Moore (email: jo.moore@gloucestershire.gov.uk)
An oral question may be asked by a member of the public if notice of the question is given by the questioner to the person presiding at the meeting, or the Chief Executive's representative, at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting.
Depending on the nature of the questions, it may not be possible to provide a comprehensive answer at the meeting, in which case a written answer will be provided as soon as reasonably possible after the meeting.
Questions received and proposed responses do not accompany this agenda but will be circulated prior to the meeting.
Public questions
Two public (oral) questions were considered at the meeting.
Public Question 1
Agenda item 11 - Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service Operational Review Proposed Changes to Service Delivery
The first question was submitted on behalf of Painswick Parish Council by Clerk to the Parish Council, Mr Roy Balgobin.
How do Cabinet members view the strong public support of only 170 residents responding in support of closure of Painswick Fire Station with the signed petition handed to Gloucestershire County Council from 1400 residents petitioning to save the station?
Coupled with the views of the Fire Brigade Union, how do Cabinet members view the public support for closure of the fire station?
Response by: Cllr Will Windsor Clive
I acknowledge the views of the Parish Council. However, the views of the Fire Brigade Union is based on limited information. Our consultation was more detailed, enabling Cabinet to make a more informed decision. A number of local drop-in sessions, plus a special session with Cllr Jason Bullingham, extensive coverage via social media and consideration by the Environment and Communities Scrutiny Committee, with representation from all political parties, ensured thorough consultation.
Feedback from consultations and petitions are taken into account. Councillors also listened to the advice of professional officers, including the Chief Fire Officer and his team.
The second question was submitted by Mr Alastair Jollans.
The case for closing Painswick Fire Station is based on the claim that an adequate service can be provided from Stroud. However, other proposals in the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) review are still pending and include the possibility of much larger cuts to the staffing and service in Stroud.
Is the Cabinet confident that future cuts to Stroud would not undermine the case for closing Painswick Fire Station? In view of the relatively low cost of Painswick, and the cost effectiveness and the operational flexibility it provides, would it not be better to defer any decision on Painswick until proposals on other fire stations, particularly Stroud, can be considered?
There are no proposed changes to Stroud Fire Station or other fire stations. The proposed changes relate to response times at Painswick Fire Station and community safety.
Please refer to the following link to view the responses to the member questions submitted for consideration at the meeting.
http://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=117&MId=8216&Ver=4
A total of 43 (member) questions were submitted for consideration, for which the following supplementary questions were asked at the meeting.
Question 1: Cllr Jeremy Hilton
Core funding has been cut by £18m. Despite your 3.99% council tax rise, total spending on important services will drop by £2m.
Do you agree with me that this council has been 'stitched up' by your government?
Response by: Cllr Ray Theodoulou
We would like more money but the simple reality is we don't. We have to ... view the full minutes text for item 4.
Council Strategy and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2016/17 - Recommendations to Council PDF 167 KB
View the decision for item 5.
To make recommendations to Council on the 2016/17 Revenue Budget; Medium Term Financial Strategy; (including capital programme proposals), and Council Strategy.
Item 5 - MTFS 2016-17 (Feb 3 Cabinet) , item 5. PDF 1 MB
Item 5 - Council Strategy (MTC) 2016-17 (Feb Cabinet) , item 5. PDF 313 KB
Item 5 - Budget Scrutiny Report Feb 2016 , item 5. PDF 32 KB
DRS Item 5 , item 5. PDF 3 MB
Item 5 - Budget consultation report , item 5. PDF 2 MB
Cllr Ray Theodoulou, Cabinet Member for Finance and Change outlined recommendations on the 2016/17 Revenue Budget; Medium Term Financial Strategy; (including capital programme proposals), and Council Strategy. The recommendations to be considered at the County Council at its meeting on 17 February 2016.
Having considered all of the information, including known proposals and the reasons for the recommendations,
CABINET RESOLVED:
1) To consider the outcome of the consultation received, as summarised in the published report for this item and in Section C of the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), and as set out in detail in the consultation report.
2) To approve the Draft Council Strategy for submission to County Council.
3) To approve changes to the draft budget as set out in paragraphs 7 and 8 (revenue) and 9 (capital), which are included within the MTFS, and to approve the MTFS and final revenue and capital budget for 2016/17 for recommendation to Council, including all of the proposals set out in the annexes to the report.
4) To note the draft local government finance settlement and forecast reserve movements as summarised in the published report for this item and as set out in the MTFS, and to recommend to Council a revenue budget of £417.98 million, and a Band D council tax of £1134.01, and consequential precepts on District Councils.
5) To approve, for recommendation to Council, the Treasury Management Strategy, Investment Strategy and Prudential Indicators as set out in Section N and Annex 9 of the MTFS.
6) To delegate to the Strategic Finance Director the production of an efficiency statement, within the Department of Communities and Local Government deadline when more detailed guidance is received, based on the approved MTFS, in consultation with the Cabinet member for Finance and Change.
Cllr Ray Theodoulou, Cabinet Member for Finance and Change outlined recommendations on the 2016/17 Revenue Budget; Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS); (including capital programme proposals), and Council Strategy. The recommendations to be considered at the County Council at its meeting on 17 February 2016.
Cllr Theodoulou gave a detailed overview of the proposals, explaining that the MTFS and 2016/17 budget approved for consultation by Cabinet in December 2015 included two options: -
Option 1: Draft Budget A
Budget A proposed the first council tax increase in five years, with an increase of 1.99 per cent intended to raise £4.6 million of new money from task payers.
Option 2: Draft Budget B
Budget B proposed the same increase, but added a further £4.7 million investment in Adult Care Services, to be funded by a new 2 per cent National Adult Social Care Tax, a concept introduced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Autumn Statement.
Cllr Theodoulou stated that the budget had been published for consultation at the same time as the revised MTFS, and included the same financial priorities as in previous years. He informed members that 61 per cent of respondents had been in favour of increasing council tax, with the majority of respondents supporting Option 2.
The consultation indicated a public preference for Draft Budget B, for which the Cabinet Member now proposed that this budget be adopted for the financial year 2016/17. The £417. 94 million budget would be subject to adjustment pending government announcements of further grant funding.
The budget to be financed by:
Government grants and other funding £172.274 million
Local Council Tax Payments £245.710 million
Council Tax Band D to increase to £1,134.01
Taking into account net reductions in Government Revenue Grants, Cllr Theodoulou confirmed that, even with the proposed increase in council tax payments, there would be a cash reduction of £2.04 million in the council's resources for 2016/17.
Drawing member's attention to several financial changes announced by government between the consultation budget and the final proposal, Cllr Theodoulou outlined the main increases in the proposed budget, as compared with the last financial year. These included a £24.4 million investment in frontline services, (primarily Adult Services and Vulnerable Children), £5.7 million inflation cost and £58.4 million new capital investment, including investment in roads and schools.
Cllr Theodoulou also drew attention to proposed changes to the way the council intended to provide for the repayment of public debt within the Treasury Management Function, (Minimum Revenue Provision). He stated that, following changes in regulations, this provision would enable the council to save £4 million per annum in the revenue budget. In presenting the report, and having been endorsed by the council's Treasury Advisors and Audit and Governance Committee, Cllr Theodoulou sought approval for the new accounting policy.
Announcing that the 2016/17 budget and updated MTFS had been reviewed by the council's scrutiny committees, for which the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee presented the detailed scrutiny report later in the meeting, the ... view the full minutes text for item 5.
Financial Monitoring Report PDF 152 KB
To provide an update on the year-end forecast for the 2015/16 Revenue and Capital Budgets.
Cllr Ray Theodoulou, Cabinet Member for Finance and Change updated members on the year-end forecast for the 2015/16 Revenue and Capital Budgets.
CABINET RESOLVED to: -
1) Note the forecast revenue year end position based on forecasts made in December 2015 of a net over-spend of £2.34 million, and mitigating actions being taken.
2) Note the impact in 2015/16 of proposed changes to the Treasury Management Strategy, subject to Council approval as part of the 2016/17 MTFS.
3) Note the forecast capital year end position of a near balanced budget position.
Cllr Ray Theodoulou, Cabinet Member for Finance and Change, updated members on the year-end forecast for the 2015/16 Revenue and Capital Budgets. He reported the current forecast year end revenue position, based on actual expenditure at the end of November 2015, with an over-spend of £2.34 million, (0.6 per cent of the net budget).
Key areas of over-spend related to the Adult Budget, resulting in a forecast over-spend of £3.9 million, (2.6 per cent of the budget), and Children and Families Budget, resulting in a forecast over-spend of £2.36 million, (2.4 per cent of the budget). Members noted that both budgets had drawn funding from earmarked reserves, and that the over-spend in the Adult Budget had reduced since the last financial update in December 2015.
Cllr Theodoulou confirmed both forecasts continued to have significant risk attached to them. The main area of over-spend in the Adult Budget related to services for older people and adults with physical disabilities, where a £7.2 million over-spend was forecast. Members were advised that this level of overspend was dependent on the delivery of further cost savings during the year. The £0.2 million decrease in overspend since last reported was primarily due to an improved position in learning disabilities.
Similarly, the Children and Families forecast was based on the current numbers of children in care being significantly higher than they were a year ago. Although savings of £1 million had been achieved and a further £0.42 million achieved from commissioned savings, this had been offset by the cost of new cases. The forecast included a contingency for new cases of £0.15 million and a financial recovery plan aimed at reducing costs incurred from high cost placements.
Referring to page 163 of the agenda, and proposed changes to the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy (MRP), Cllr Theodoulou announced that the proposed change could save the council £4 million per annum, subject to approval by Council. The impact on 2015/16 to be considered in more detail in the next financial monitoring report, pending the council's decision.
The capital forecast position reported a slight under-spend of £0.81 million, which Cllr Theodoulou anticipated would be rectified in due course.
Leader of Council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, thanked members and officers for their continued efforts in addressing the ongoing challenges associated with demand led services and in ensuring the council continued to meet the needs of the local community.
Review of public transport, community transport and concessionary fares PDF 154 KB
To consider feedback from public consultation on options to change the way the council invests in local bus services, park and ride, community transport and concessionary travel.
Item 7 (Appendix A - Individual Bus Service Proposals) , item 7. PDF 411 KB
DRS Item 7 (2) , item 7. PDF 243 KB
Cllr Will Windsor Clive, Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure outlined changes to the way the council invests in local bus services, park and ride, community transport and concessionary travel.
(1) Note the results of the recent public consultation on options based on key principles it agreed in July 2015 for redesigning the council's investment in public transport and concessionary travel, and
(2) Agreed:
a) Proposed changes to funded local bus and community transport services in Appendix A of the report and changes to policy on the use of concessionary fares on park and ride services and charging for parking at council-owned park and ride sites, and delegated authority to the Commissioning Director - Communities and Infrastructure to implement the proposed changes; and
b) Delegated authority to the Commissioning Director – Communities and Infrastructure to consult on those local bus and community transport services in Appendix A of the report where further work was required to redesign them and to implement changes after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure.
Cllr Will Windsor Clive, Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure outlined proposed changes to the way the council invested in local bus services, park and ride, community transport and concessionary travel.
Cllr Windsor Clive informed members that 90 per cent of bus journeys in Gloucestershire were made on commercial bus services. In receiving the report, Cabinet was asked to consider the council's funding for the remaining 10 per cent of journeys, made on over 100 routes which are considered commercially un-viable.
Before proposing changes to buses that serve communities in rural areas, and with notably less funding to spend on public transport, the council focussed its attention on park and ride schemes and aspects of the concessionary fares scheme, for which there is no government funding. Cllr Windsor Clive assured members that every effort had been made to minimise the impact on the most vulnerable people in the community, namely, the young, elderly and disabled.
Public consultation between October 2015 and January 2016 resulted in over 3200 responses, plus responses from over 50 organisations. Some of the responses identified significant support for the council's current cap on subsidies, (£8 per return trip in rural areas and £2 in urban areas); support for providing free travel for bus pass holders before 9.30am on infrequent routes, (this provision to continue); phased charges for park and ride bus passes from April 2016, (55 per cent of respondents agreed with the proposal to introduce discounted fares), and charges for people parking at park and ride sites, but not using the bus service.
Referring to the bus service proposals listed at Appendix A to the report, Cllr Windsor Clive confirmed that the council intended to make most of the changes during the Spring and Summer of 2016. He added that, in some communities, additional consultation on different proposals would be undertaken, and in a few cases, the council had managed to make savings, and maintain existing levels of service.
Drawing members' attention to the Due Regard Statement for the report, Cllr Windsor Clive confirmed that, in some rural areas, (where it had not been financially viable to provide time-tabled services), the council would be investing in providing other community transport and in assisting transport operators buy smaller buses designed to accommodate travel arrangements for older and disabled people. The council would also consider the merits of allowing disabled people to use their bus passes when travelling to work or volunteering.
a) Proposed changes to funded local bus and community transport services in Appendix A of the report and changes to policy on the use of concessionary fares on park and ride services and charging for parking at council-owned park and ride ... view the full minutes text for item 7.
Two year contract extensions for the Property, Fidelity Guarantee and Engineering Insurance Policies PDF 85 KB
To seek approval to extend the insurance contracts for Property, Fidelity Guarantee and Engineering Insurance for 2 years until contract expiry on 23 June 2018.
Cllr Ray Theodoulou, Cabinet Member for Finance and Change sought to extend the council's insurance contracts for Property, Fidelity Guarantee and Engineering Insurance.
CABINET RESOLVED that: -
The Director of Strategic Finance approve the 2 years extension of each of the (i) Property, (ii) Fidelity Guarantee and (iii) Engineering Insurance contracts until expiry of the contracts on 23rd June 2018.
Cllr Theodoulou informed members that the council's current Property, Fidelity Guarantee and Engineering Insurers had advised that they were not intending to increasing their premium rates for 2016/17. Furthermore, unless there were significant changes to the council's risk profile in the next 12 months, premium rates were likely to remain stable until the end of its contract in June 2018.
On this basis, the council's brokers, together with council officers, proposed that the original 3 plus 2 year contract be extended.
To direct award an interim contract and procure the award of a new contract for Traffic Signals Maintenance PDF 98 KB
To seek Cabinet approval:
(1) For the direct award of an interim contract for the provision of traffic signal maintenance services commencing 1 April 2016 and,
(2) To conduct a tender process for the award of a new 9 year contract for the supply of traffic signal maintenance commencing 1 October 2017.
DRS Item 9 , item 9. PDF 522 KB
Cllr Vernon Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways and Flood, sought to approve the award of an 18 month interim contract for the provision of traffic signal maintenance services, and to enter into a tender process for the award of a 9 year contract commencing October 2017.
Authorise the Commissioning Director: Communities and Infrastructure to:
(1) Direct award an 18 month interim contract to Telent Limited commencing 1April 2016 for the provision of traffic signal maintenance services;
(2) Conduct a compliant competitive tender process for the award of a single supplier 9 year contract (with an initial term of 5 years with two options to extend each of 2 years) commencing on the 1 October 2017 for the supply of traffic signal maintenance services; and
(3) Upon conclusion of the competitive tender process, and in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and Flood, to enter into a contract with the preferred provider evaluated as offering the Council best value for money for delivery of the services. In the event that the preferred provider for the contract is either unable or unwilling to enter into that contract with the Council, then the Commissioning Director: Communities and Infrastructure is authorised to enter into such contract with the next willing highest placed suitably qualified provider.
Cllr Smith informed members that the current Traffic Signal Maintenance Contract was due to expire at the end of March 2016. Planned arrangements had been to join the existing framework contract with other South West authorities. Due to delivery issues, however, this framework had not been available, thus rendering insufficient time for the council to undertake and complete the necessary procurement before 1 April 2016.
In presenting the report, Cllr Smith sought both an interim and a long term solution for the council's maintenance service. The proposed long term solution proposed a full and open procurement for a maintenance, supply and installation service with a single contractor for a 9 year contract, (initial term of 5 years and 2 options to extend for 2 further years).
The interim solution proposed that the council enter direct negotiation with, and award the contract to the existing supplier. The existing supplier to provide the required service based on existing prices and conditions for the period in which the open procurement was taking place.
(1) Direct award an 18 month interim contract to Telent Limited commencing 1 April 2016 for the provision of traffic signal maintenance services;
Awarding Contracts under the Dynamic Procurement System for Transport PDF 103 KB
View the decision for item 10.
To seek approval to conclude the establishment of a Dynamic Purchasing System for Transport Services and to award contracts.
Cllr Will Windsor Clive, Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure, sought approval to conclude the establishment of a Dynamic Purchasing System for Transport Services, including the award of contracts.
Delegate authority to the Commissioning Director – Communities and Infrastructure to:
1) Conclude the establishment of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for the provision of passenger transport services for a duration of four years.
2) Admit or remove suppliers during the four year life of the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) in accordance with the selection criteria or any revised selection criteria set out in the DPS.
3) Procure transport services from providers of Passenger Transport including Home to School Transport, Special Educational needs (SEN) transport and award contracts for transport services procured through the DPS up to a total value of £94.6m throughout the four year life of the DPS.
4) Undertake a compliant procurement through the new Dynamic Purchasing System for bus services 74/77 (Cirencester-Lechlade); 351 (Gloucester – Tewkesbury); 60/88 (Dursley – Bristol) and award contract or contracts with the preferred provider(s) evaluated as offering the Council best value for money for delivery of the services and in accordance with the DPS requirements. In the event that the preferred provider(s) for the contract(s) are unable or unwilling to enter into the contract or contracts for such services with the Council then the Commissioning Director: Communities and Infrastructure is authorised to enter into such contract or contracts through the DPS with the next willing highest placed suitably qualified provider(s).
Cllr Will Windsor Clive, Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure, sought approval to conclude the establishment of a Dynamic Purchasing System for Transport Services, (DPS), including the award of contracts.
Cllr Windsor Clive sought approval to complete the establishment of a Dynamic Purchasing System for Transport, from which the council could procure public, home to school, social care and other forms of transport provision, as required. The new system would enable the council to admit new suppliers, and remove or reject those who failed to satisfy the council's qualifying criteria. The new system would also allow the council to award contracts procured through the DPS.
Proposals to change the way Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service delivers services in Painswick and Cirencester. PDF 128 KB
Following the recent public consultation to seek Cabinet approval to implement the following proposals:
To reduce risk and deliver additional prevention and protection activities in Painswick and the surrounding communities by enabling Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service to provide future emergency response from Stroud and other fire stations and enabling the phased closure of Painswick Fire Station.
To change the way in which the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service provide staff at Cirencester Fire Station for delivery, prevention, protection and emergency response using the two fire engines based at the station, and staffed by retained (on-call) fire-fighters.
DRS Item 11 , item 11. PDF 806 KB
DRS Item 11 (2) , item 11. PDF 845 KB
Cllr Will Windsor Clive, Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure, sought Cabinet approval to implement changes to the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service.
Authorise changes to service delivery in Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS), specifically:-
1) Reduce risk and deliver additional prevention and protection activities in Painswick and the surrounding communities through providing emergency response from Stroud and closing Painswick Fire Station.
2) Change staffing arrangements at Cirencester Fire Station to deliver prevention, protection and emergency response using the two fire engines based at the station.
3) Reallocate response resources in line with new technological solutions and delivery models in the future.
4) Create a Community Safety Advisor for the Painswick area.
Cllr Will Windsor Clive, Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure, sought to implement changes to the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service.
Cllr Windsor Clive invited Chief Fire Officer, Stewart Edgar, to outline the proposals.
The Chief Fire Officer informed members that the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Authority had a legal obligation to produce an Integrated Risk Management Plan, (IRMP), outlining the authority's plans to manage fire and rescue service locally by matching resources with current and future risks.
In April 2015, the County Council, as Fire and Rescue Authority, had approved an Integrated Risk Management Plan, (IRMP), for the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service. A requirement of the IRMP was to produce an accompanying three-year action plan, for which the first year of the plan focused on undertaking a thorough and extensive overview of emergency response, combining quantitative and qualitative research.
After considering the findings from the review and applying the professional judgement of senior officers, the fire authority conducted an extensive 90 day county-wide public consultation, including a series of six public drop-in sessions. This subsequently increased to seven sessions to include a specific session in Painswick, following a request from local Councillor, Jason Bullingham. It also included face to face meetings, electronic and paper surveys and direct contact with partners. The consultation document, comprising a comprehensive 14 page questionnaire, gave access to a number of documents, a detailed explanation of the key facts and proposals, and an outline of the professional judgement of senior officers, based on evidence and local knowledge.
The consultation process sought views on future service delivery based upon proposals relating to Painswick and Cirencester, and a further proposal to review the allocation of emergency response resources in line with new technological solutions.
Outlining each of the recommendations, the Chief Fire Officer informed members that the first recommendation aimed to deliver enhanced prevention and protection work in Painswick. The recommendation further proposed the closure of the existing part-time fire station, with emergency response to Painswick to be provided by the full-time fire station in Stroud.
The reasoning put forward for this recommendation was that Painswick had been identified as i) an area of very low risk with very low levels of emergency response activity; ii) decreasing demand for emergency response services and, iii) close proximity to the full-time fire station in Stroud and other full-time stations in both Gloucester and Cheltenham.
The second recommendation proposed the introduction of an alternative staffing model at Cirencester Fire Station without reducing the number of fire engines available to respond to emergencies. The 16 retained firefighters who work and live within the Cirencester area currently provide 24/7 cover will continue to deliver a community safety and emergency response service to the communities of Cirencester.
The reasoning put forward for this recommendation was that Cirencester had been identified as i) an area of low risk and low levels of emergency response activity from which to sustain a full-time resource; ii) decreasing demand for emergency ... view the full minutes text for item 11.
Framework Section 75 Agreement between the County Council and the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group PDF 79 KB
To seek authority for the Commissioning Director: Adults and DASS to enter into a new framework Section 75 Agreement with the NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (GCCG).
Cllr Dorcas Binns, Cabinet Member for Older People, sought Cabinet approval to delegate authority to the Commissioning Director: Adults and DASS to enter into a new framework Section 75 Agreement with the NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (GCCG).
1) Authorise the Commissioning Director: Adults and DASS, in consultation with the Commissioning Director: Children and Families and the Strategic Director: Finance, to negotiate, settle and enter into a new framework Section 75 Agreement with the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (GCCG) in accordance with the principles set out in the published report, and
2) Authorise the relevant Commissioning Director, after consultation with relevant Cabinet Members, (including Finance and Change), and the Strategic Director: Finance to develop and agree, (as appropriate), individual service specifications for services to be provided under this framework Section 75 Agreement.
Outlining the background to the decision, Cllr Binns explained that in July 2010, Cabinet had endorsed the development of a Section 75 Agreement for the Joint Commissioning of Adult Mental Health Services in Gloucestershire to provide a legal agreement and framework to enable the Council to align mental health commissioning budgets with NHS Gloucestershire, (PCT).
Whilst work was being carried out on the agreement, further was being progressed by officers within the Children and Young People's Work Directorate in relation to a joint agreement between the Primary Care Trust and the Council relating to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
The intended framework to be based on a three part agreement comprising;
1) A joint policy statement for joint working between Health and Social Care;
2) Legal and governance arrangements between the two organisations, common to all agreements;
3) A number of individual service specific schedules containing detailed arrangements including performance management requirements and resource schedules relating to individual services.
Schedule of Disposals PDF 68 KB
To approve the Schedule of Disposal proposed to deliver Meeting the Challenge targets.
Please note: this report contains exempt and non-exempt information. If Cabinet wish to discuss exempt information, consideration must first be given to whether the public should be excluded from the meeting by passing the following resolution: -
In accordance with Regulation 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, the public to be excluded from the meeting for this item of business because it is likely that, if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 A to the Act, and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.
Cllr Ray Theodoulou, Cabinet Member for Finance and Change, sought approval to meet the three year 'Meeting the Challenge 2' capital receipt target of £60 million covering the period 2015/16 to 2017/18.
CABINET RESOLVED: -
In line with the Policy for the Disposal of Property to: -
1. Confirm that the sites described at Appendix A (Exempt) of the published report, which have previously been declared surplus by Cabinet in September 2015 and not yet disposed of, continue to be declared surplus to requirements, and
2. Declare the sites listed on the proposed Schedule of Disposals Appendix B (Exempt) of the published report surplus to the Council's land and property requirements,
and in relation to both these schedules, delegates authority to the Property Strategy Lead to dispose of these sites in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Change.
Before considering supplementary questions submitted by Cllr John Cordwell in relation to the exempt appendices to the report,
In accordance with Regulation 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, the public were excluded from the meeting for consideration of Appendices A and B to the report (exempt information detailing the sites proposed for disposal) because it was likely that, if members of the public were present, there would have been disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 A to the Act, and the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.
Procurement of motor insurance policy and contract for brokerage services in respect thereof
To seek Cabinet approval to tender for a motor insurance policy through the Crown Commercial Service's Insurance Framework (RM958) and award a contract to commence on 24 June 2016, and to make a legally compliant direct award of a contract for insurance brokerage services to the incumbent supplier commencing 19 February 2016.
Not for publication by virtue of Regulation 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, and Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 A of the Local Government Act 1972, and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
No representations requesting that the Authority give consideration to making this report accessible to the public have been received
Cllr Ray Theodoulou, Cabinet Member for Finance and Change, sought to tender and award a contract for a motor insurance policythrough the Crown Commercial Service's Insurance Framework.
In accordance with Regulation 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, the public were excluded from the meeting for this item of business because it was likely that, if members of the public were present, there would have been disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 A to the Act, and the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.
Having considered the report for this item as exempt information, including known proposals and the reasons for the recommendations,
Tender for a motor insurance policy through the Crown Commercial Service's Insurance Framework (RM958), and award a contract to commence on 24 June 2016, and to make a legally compliant direct award of a contract for insurance brokerage services to the incumbent supplier commencing 19 February 2016, in accordance with the recommendations detailed in the exempt report for this item.


text:
Pitino rated Calathes as greatest passer ever
Feb 02, 2019 by Euroleague.net Print
EuroLeague fans have known for a long time that Panathinaikos OPAP Athens captain Nick Calathes is a record-breaking assist man. But in just a few short weeks, Calathes has moved his Hall of Fame head coach, Rick Pitino, to not only compare him to the greatest passers ever, but even to give Calathes the nod as number one.
"I've coached against Magic Johnson, Bird, some of the greatest guards – Maurice Cheeks, Isaiah Thomas – in the game," Pitino said after Panathinaikos downed Anadolu Efes Istanbul 88-75 on Friday night. "Nick Calathes is the best passer I've seen in my lifetime."
The new Panathinaikos boss had good reason to be wowed as Calathes dished 13 assists on Friday, with each pass somehow managing to be better than the last. Equally important, he distributed them evenly, really getting his whole team going: Calathes dished at least 1 assist to seven different teammates, and none of them were on the receiving end of more than 2 assists.
In addition, Calathes scored 20 points, and flirted with a triple-double by pulling down 8 rebounds for one of the best performances of his career.
Pitino explained why Calathes's passing ability creates opportunities for himself to score, adding: "What happens is that everybody fears his passing so much, when he goes down the lane, everybody runs to their man to stop an easy basket, and he goes on uncontested because of his passing ability."
The game saw Calathes move past Nikos Zisis into eighth place all-time with 893 assists. In the current campaign he is averaging 8.29 per game, on pace to break the record of 8.03 he set last season. This was eighth time this season Calathes had double-digit assists, and it was his sixth game with 11 or more – nobody else has more than one such game.
And performances of that nature won't only earn individual plaudits – more importantly, they will also go a long way towards helping Panathinaikos make a playoff push during the final stretch of the regular season.
Greens add Bentil to frontcourt
Panathinaikos OPAP Athens bolstered its frontcourt by inking power forward Ben Bentil to a two-year deal, the club announced Wednesday. Bentil (2.06 meters, 24 years old)...
Greens get frontcourt help with Wiley
Greek champion Panathinaikos OPAP Athens turned its attention to the froncourt on Tuesday by signing big man Jacob Wiley, who made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut last...
Panathinaikos lands China scoring champ Fredette
Panathinaikos OPAP Athens ensured it will have one of the most exciting backcourts in the league after it signed high-scoring guard Jimmer Fredette to a two-year deal.


text:
My Sister Eileen (1942 film)
My Sister Eileen is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and starring Rosalind Russell, Brian Aherne and Janet Blair. The screenplay by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov is based on their 1940 play of the same title, which was inspired by a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney originally published in The New Yorker. The supporting cast features George Tobias, Allyn Joslyn, Grant Mitchell, Gordon Jones and, in a cameo appearance at the end, The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard).
My Sister Eileen
Max Gordon
Joseph A. Fields
Jerome Chodorov
Brian Aherne
George Tobias
Grant Mitchell
Gordon Jones
Sidney Cutner
Joseph Walker
Viola Lawrence
September 24, 1942 (1942-09-24)
$2.2 million (US rentals)[1]
Anxious to help boost the career of her aspiring actress sister Eileen, reporter Ruth Sherwood of the Columbus Courier writes a rave review about her performance in a local play before it opens. When Eileen is replaced on opening night and the newspaper mistakenly runs the inaccurate review, Ruth is fired.
Grandma Sherwood urges Ruth to move to New York City and Eileen decides to go with her. Relying solely on $100 given to them by their father Walter for financial support, the girls are forced to rent a dingy basement studio apartment in a Greenwich Village building owned by Mr. Appopolous. Their first day there is disturbed by workmen blasting to build a subway tunnel, passing drunkards harassing them through their windows, and Officer Lonigan, who warns them to stop causing disturbances.
The following day, Eileen meets reporter Chic Clark at the Wallace Theatrical Production office, while Ruth seeks employment at Manhatter, where she has an argument with magazine owner Ralph Craven and leaves in a huff. Editor Robert Baker finds the manuscript she accidentally left behind in an envelope bearing her home address, and he decides to deliver it to her.
Meanwhile, Ruth arrives home to discover Eileen has invited drugstore clerk Frank Lippincott to dinner. When an inebriated man searching for previous tenant Effie Shelton starts creating trouble, Eileen asks their neighbor, football player Wreck Loomis, to throw him out. Wreck asks if he can stay with the girls while his mother-in-law Mrs. Wade visits because she still does not know her daughter Helen is married.
Frank arrives for dinner, followed in quick succession by Chic, Wreck, a man carrying the unconscious Effie, and Robert, who tells Ruth he wants to discuss her manuscript. They go to a nearby restaurant, where he encourages her to write about her eccentric life. He is delighted with the story she submits, but Ralph rejects it, prompting Robert to announce he is quitting.
Back at the Sherwood apartment, Effie inadvertently reveals Helen and Wreck are married to Mrs. Wade, who is upset by the news. Ruth receives a call from Chic's editor asking her to go to Brooklyn to cover the arrival of the Portuguese Merchant Marine fleet and, delighted with the assignment, she rushes off. Unbeknownst to her, it actually was Chic who called, hoping his ruse would allow him to spend time with Eileen alone. Robert arrives, rescues Eileen from Chic's unwanted advances, and invites her and Ruth to dinner to celebrate his quitting his job.
Robert leaves, and Ruth arrives with the Portuguese Merchant Marines in hot pursuit. The sisters form a Conga line to lure the sailors outside, resulting in a wild party in the street, and Eileen is arrested for disturbing the peace. The following morning, Grandma and Walter Sherwood unexpectedly arrive at the apartment. While Ruth tries to conceal Eileen's predicament from them, Wreck and Helen announce they have remarried to appease Mrs. Wade, Helen casually mentions Wreck has been living with the girls, Eileen and the Merchant Marines arrive, and their commander presents her with a medal for spending the night in jail. Horrified by this seemingly endless parade of odd characters, Mr. Sherwood insists the sisters return home immediately.
While Ruth is packing, Robert arrives with a check for $250 as payment for her story, which has been published in the latest issue of Manhatter. Overjoyed, Ruth signs a six-month lease and tells her father she wants to stay in New York. Ralph offers Ruth a contract for her stories, and she agrees on the condition he will introduce Eileen to a few theatre producers. As they leave the apartment to celebrate, a trio of construction workers (The Three Stooges in a cameo appearance) drill through the floor from the new subway tunnel below. The film ends with Curly saying, "Hey, Moe. I think you made a wrong turn!"
Rosalind Russell as Ruth Sherwood
Brian Aherne as Robert Baker
Janet Blair as Eileen Sherwood
George Tobias as Appopolous
Allyn Joslyn as Chic Clark
Grant Mitchell as Walter Sherwood
Gordon Jones as Wreck Loomis
Elizabeth Patterson as Grandma Sherwood
Richard Quine as Frank Lippincott
June Havoc as Effie Shelton
Donald MacBride as Officer Lonigan
Clyde Fillmore as Ralph Craven
[Miss] Jeff Donnell as Helen Loomis
The Three Stooges:
Moe Howard as Moe (uncredited)
Larry Fine as Larry (uncredited)
Curly Howard as Curly (uncredited)
Critical reception
Bosley Crowther of The New York Times called the film "largely a farcical juggling act in which the authors . . . keep their characters spinning more through speed than grace. Some of it is forced almost to snapping; some of it drags heavily on the screen. And Alexander Hall, the director, did little with his camera in that small room. But Rosalind Russell plays the smart sister with a delightfully dour and cynical air, and Janet Blair is disarmingly naive as the pretty, desirable one . . . My Sister Eileen is gay and bouncing."[2]
In his review of the DVD release of the film, Steve Daly of Entertainment Weekly graded it B+, calling it "a screwball spleenfest, pitching gag after fastball gag." He added, "While the tone is farcical, there's an edge to the movie's depiction of single-gal city life."[3]
Rosalind Russell was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress[4] but lost to Greer Garson in Mrs. Miniver.
Adaptations in other media
Aherne, Russell, and Blair reprised their parts on the Lux Radio Theater adaptation of My Sister Eileen on July 5, 1943 and again on The Screen Guild Theater adaptation on October 18, 1943.
On May 18, 1946, My Sister Eileen was again adapted as a radio play on Academy Award Theater, in recognition of Russell's Oscar nomination. Russell and Blair reprised their parts.
"101 Pix Gross in Millions" Variety 6 Jan 1943 p 58
Entertainment Weekly review
My Sister Eileen (1942) at Oscar.org
My Sister Eileen on IMDb
Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Curly Howard
Shemp Howard
Joe Besser
Curly Joe DeRita
The Three Stooges filmography
The Three Stooges Collection
Jerks of All Trades
The New Three Stooges
The Three Stooges Scrapbook
Kook's Tour
Moe Howard and the Three Stooges
List of supporting actors in Three Stooges films
The Three Stooges in popular culture
Yogi Bear and the Three Stooges Meet the Mad, Mad, Mad Dr. No-No
The Robonic Stooges
Stoogemania
"Swinging the Alphabet"
"The Curly Shuffle"
1984 arcade game
1987 video game
2000 TV biopic
2012 feature film
The Three Little Stooges
C3 Entertainment
Edward Bernds
Tiny Brauer
Paul Garner
Ted Healy
Rich Koz
Del Lord
Norman Maurer
Hugh McCollum
Christine McIntyre
Joe Palma/Fake Shemp
Fred Sanborn
Emil Sitka
Greta Thyssen
Elwood Ullman
Jules White
Films directed by Alexander Hall
Sinners in the Sun (1932)
Madame Racketeer (1932)
The Girl in 419 (1933)
Midnight Club (1933)
Torch Singer (1933)
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen (1934)
Little Miss Marker (1934)
The Pursuit of Happiness (1934)
Limehouse Blues (1934)
Annapolis Farewell (1935)
Goin' to Town (1935)
Give Us This Night (1936)
Yours for the Asking (1936)
Exclusive (1937)
There's Always a Woman (1938)
I Am the Law (1938)
There's That Woman Again (1938)
The Lady's from Kentucky (1939)
Good Girls Go to Paris (1939)
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
Bedtime Story (1941)
They All Kissed the Bride (1942)
My Sister Eileen (1942)
The Heavenly Body (1944)
She Wouldn't Say Yes (1945)
Down to Earth (1947)
The Great Lover (1949)
Love That Brute (1950)
Louisa (1950)
Because You're Mine (1952)
Forever, Darling (1956)
Ruth McKenney's My Sister Eileen (1938)
My Friend Irma (1947 radio/1952 TV)
My Friend Irma (1949 film)
My Friend Irma Goes West (1950 film)
My Sister Eileen (play)
Wonderful Town (musical)
Eileen McKenney


text:
Aderus fulmeki is een keversoort uit de familie schijnsnoerhalskevers (Aderidae). De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort werd in 1936 gepubliceerd door Heberdey.

Schijnsnoerhalskevers


text:
Cleanse & Cure
Cleansing Therapy
About Dr. Piyush Saxena
Born to Justice Krishna Narayan, a retired judge from High Court Allahabad and late Shanta Saxena, Dr Piyush Saxena aged 56 years is a man of many talents; corporate professional, naturopath. wellness counsellor, activist, thinker , poet, painter, writer, film director and actor, magician and above all, a good human being. His wife Shubha is a teacher, son Prakhar has done software engineering and works in the US, and daughter Priyanshi works for an art gallery in New Delhi. He graduated with a B.Sc. (Physics) and M.A. (Modern History) from Allahabad University. Later, he got a PhD in Naturopathy from USA.
Professional Life
His professional life commenced when he worked for Bank of India from 1981 to 1995 in UP . Thereafter, he joined Reliance Industries Limited and currently, he works for them as a Senior Vice President (Corporate Affairs) at Nariman Point, Mumbai. He is an ardent advocate of cleansing therapies that focus on the curing of ailments by removal of toxins from the body. Dr Saxena believes that pollution, cholesterol -inducing food, stress, worries and parasites cause most health problems which affect different organs of the body. He has researched and consolidated these remedies in his book "Cleansing Therapy: Cure Yourself" which involves curing the body through the process of cleansing various organs like kidney, liver, joints, intestine, pancreas, lungs, reproductive organs, skin, mouth, eyes, nose etc. and also through virility, acidity and parasite cleanses.
Life as a Healer
His articles on health, wellness and social issues that affect the lives of people all over the world have featured in various well - known Indian publications. He has also appeared on numerous radio shows and TV programs. Dr. Saxena also possesses a Masters degree in Reiki. He has delved into past life regression (PLR) through hypnosis. He uses it to help people cure their chronic problems related with health, fears or relationships. He has done over 175 PLR sessions so far and all of his "patients" have reported a considerable improvement in their conditions after regression.
He has developed a large group of curious patients who often consult with him for their own problems and for the well-being of their family and friends. Bollywood celebrities like Sambhavna Seth, Kunickaa Sadanand, Rajendra Gupta , comedian Raju Srivastav and several top bureaucrats and corporate professionals claim that they owe their health to this Cleansing Therapy.
A few of them were so inspired by its effectiveness that they decided to make a talk show "Apna Ilaaj Apne Haath" based on his cleansing therapies , in the larger interest of the people of this country, without any monetary consideration.
Copyright The NewAge Inc, © 2015


McAusland and Turner has been very interested in the locally held Green Port Hull Seminars that are aiming to help SME's improve and develop their environmental and corporate social responsibility knowledge.
As many of you will have probably heard, German company 'Siemens' are investing heavily in Green Port Hull to pursue a wind turbine production facility at the Alexandra Dock. The constructions have already launched with the aim to be finalized by the beginning of 2017.
This is outstanding news for the city and the community of Hull as the £160 million investment is ought to be creating about 1,000 jobs in the region. This is also unquestionably, a fantastic step towards green energy and renewable resources industrial growth.
These seminars are an excellent source of vital and relevant information including marketing strategies and successful positioning in the industry for companies who see themselves moving into the green energy area or at least have given it a thought! The speakers are professionals from various fields of the industry who are truly passionate about their work and provide relevant real life insight and advice.
As a local company that has been in the area for over 125 years, we are very enthusiastic about the upcoming change and improvements in the city that Siemens will be bringing to us and our region.
Successively, this is a fantastic opportunity for Mcausland and Turner to learn more and get involved in the development and the future of green energy. Go Green!


text:
Rites of Passage: The Aging Pagan
Crones and Wise Men
Dancing With Spirit
by Sue Curewitz Arthen ©1989
In 1984, our open Hallows circle began in a slightly unusual way. The darkened room filled slowly as people worked their way through a tunnel into a large ritual space and formed a circle in silence. But just as the circle was about to be cast, there was a ruckus in the tunnel, and a querulous voice demanded, "What the hell is going on here? Who are all these people?" Then, in a more tremulous tone, "Where am I? Why are you all looking at me?" A bag lady, returning for leftovers from the supper for the homeless held in this same hall earlier, entered the circle, and looking around, said, "I know who you are, and I know what you're afraid of. You're afraid of me!" I was the Crone. Playing a modern version of this traditional role, I tugged at the threads that people like to keep hidden, the threads of loneliness, alienation, and fear. And I held the cauldron that the threads were thrown into as people worked toward transformation. For the year following that Hallows circle, I thought I knew what it meant to be a Crone. I was wrong.
A wise woman told me recently that although the energies and the aspects of the Crone are certainly present and working in us and our rituals, there is something different about actually crossing the threshold to become the Crone. You have a perspective that includes having been all the other aspects of the Goddess in a tangible reality. There is a validity based on physical experience. A well known choreographer said of being old, "It is like Janus the two-faced God: you can look back and see the past, you can still look ahead and see the future, and you are centered firmly in the present. This is something that the young simply cannot do. They haven't lived long enough."
When we get old and look back, what will we see? Does getting older mean getting wiser? As the Pagan community of this decade continues to grow, we have begun to realize that some rites of passage need foresight and planning, such as community rites for adolescents. Some rites may need to be invented, and the rite involving the threshold of our old age is one of those. Rites of passage rituals are part of the common language of the Pagan community today. But most of us do not have access to the example of our Pagan elders, or to their wisdom and their love, unless they are the old ones of our coven. Prior to 1970 and often today, many in the Craft feel that attending gatherings or being involved in the public Pagan community is risky – undermining anonymity and diluting Craft practice. This is especially true of older Pagans and Witches, many of whom want no connection with the community. The time-honored tradition of the young learning from the old while caring for them is almost unachievable in a community where most of us are between 25 and 45 years old.
"There is a place and a time where all the elders are called Grandmother and the newcomers are called Daughter. And this is the exchange: the young ones care and the old ones teach. Teach what? Steadfastness. How to dwell in the void. How to in-listen. How to nurture a life-giver whose life is peaking. To begin a clairvoyance of their own life's peaking. Teach how? By touch. In the receiving of touch. By silences. By rambling, fussy, intolerable monologues. By inverting and making subtle their potency they manage to transmit it, woman-to-woman.
And the Daughter? She takes the Grandmother's weight against her body, is depended upon. She begins to tap what has been hidden in herself. She comes close to the odors from the old one's openings and crevices, brushes decay from the dentures, changes once again the stained sheets, caresses dried-up limbs with a steaming cloth. And in her elder's aura, in this sheltered, set-apart place where progress happens in a different way, where upward growth has stopped, she receives her inheritance."1
Generation-to-generation teaching – Grandmother, how do I learn to be an Elder and not just old? What has being old meant up to now? Where are the elders – our parents and grandparents?
They are "retired" or preparing to "retire," in a world where active involvement at "work" defines who we are and what we are worth, and does little to recognize and value other kinds of contributions, the "retired" are stigmatized. There is an automatic assumption that "retirement" is total – encompassing home life, politics, and taking action in the world. Whether you retire to a luxury elder hostel or live quietly in the home you raised your family in, you become invisible.
By segregating ourselves from our elders, we perpetuate the importance given to youth in this culture, and grow uncomfortable with those who, because of their proximity to death, remind us of out own mortality. If we truly embrace all the cycles of life this kind of segregation is intolerable – and will become even more intolerable when we, in turn, are the ones isolated by our children. Maureen Howard in an article on aging parents, notes, "We believe ourselves to be safely in the midst of our lives, yet we deceive ourselves if we do not see our parents' plight as a run-through, an unhappy dress rehearsal… And still, we speak of them, their truant ways, their foibles. It is they who are slowing down, forgetful – as though we, their children, were set within a sci-fi bubble, magically protected while the old folks mark off the dreary years."2
Being old often means diminished physical capabilities and beauty but our present society does little to view this aspect of age in any positive light. "Old age in every society brings with it an increase in physical and mental defects, a general weakening of both the body and the mind, but the heart and soul are more alive than ever, with that much more experience to feed upon. So the contribution of old age to society, and the manner of its fulfilling itself, lies in the art of being."3
The art of being. This phrase raises images of incredible power. In looking through the current issues of any popular news magazine, one thing is clear, old is not the same age it used to be, and whatever the average life expectancy is today will undoubtedly change by the time most of us are ready for Social Security. Richard Atcheson writes, "I have been told that in 12 years the population of people over 85 will double … and 12 years after that I will be merely 78 and the year will be 2013. and the streets will be jammed with rowdy 85 year olds and their mothers on their way to fancy parties to which I will probably be too young to be invited,"4 This increased lifespan is changing the meaning of old age in front of our eyes. As the generation in power grows older, they legislate for themselves. Retirement is not mandatory at 65. In every field of endeavor, men and women are not peaking and then declining, but continuing to climb. There are numerous examples of people who are still "doing" – well into their golden years. Deng Xiaoping of China. Oueen Elizabeth and Margaret Thatcher of England. Actors and actresses like George Burns, Bob Hope, Katharine Hepburn. Businessmen like An Wang. The generations before us are not handing over the reins, going off quietly, and watching us shape our own future. For many of us, this means an extended middle age – How can we use this time productively to get ready for that stage of our lives?
By naming a thing, we begin to make it real. As we move through adulthood, child-rearing and the entrance to middle age, we are already consciously laying the groundwork for the kind of old person we will become. "The future does not happen all at once" a friend told me, "it happens in bits and pieces. Everything you do now becomes part of that future." A daily yoga practice, twenty-five years from now, will bear fruit in a body that is more pliant and ache-free than it would otherwise have been. Multiply that one daily practice by the many you engage in and make permanent. Diet, magickal work, increased sensitivity to others, awareness of the Earth and your relationship to her. Become conscious.
Accepting the fact that we are aging, and merging with each cycle of our lives keeps the energy of transition flowing. One Gardnerian elder, at 76, said that he began to realize that he was trying to be 58 at 70. "It was the voice of the Goddess," he said, "that taught me to be able to say 'l've done that' about boating. about fishing, about travel, about many things. and yet realize there are still things for me to do. If the time comes for me to sit in the sun and wait for death, I know now that this also will be right."Accept life.
Look for role models. Most of us stop looking for them when we begin to feel a sense of independence in our late teens, butthere is much to learn from the men and women who are doing things that we respect and admire. One of my role models, who laughs when I tell her so, is a women who, in her mid-forties had the opportunity to pack down into the Grand Canyon. She was not notably an outdoorswoman, but she sought advice, prepared for the journey and went. An Adventurer, I look at her and say to myself, "I hope that I am still an adventurer when I am 46." She still sets off on adventures, and I still see her as an Adventurer and a good example to draw on for my life.
Find old people. Let's conspire to break the chain separating us from old people. If you do not know any "magickal" old people, that does not mean there isn't a circle to be shared with the ones you may find. Many of us have problems with the old people we already know – parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. This offers some choices. The obvious one is to make the time to work out those problems. We, as a group, pride ourselves on working out "mother stuff" or "father stuff" but not many of us do it with those parents directly. One woman I know did that work – painfully, slowly, over years – and manifested a piece of magickal work with a potency untouched by work done in an isolated, internalized series of meditations. If working with your family is not possible, then look to the world around you. There are others. Touch an old one, and listen.
Create space for our elders, and for the differences that men and women experience as they age. Women have a real, tangible door through which they step at menopause. As the women of our community cross that threshold, they are sharing it with us in ways that transcend and transform. Menopause, even if it takes years from start to finish, is indeed a doorway. For men. that threshold is more abstract. Who can say when they first cross it? Jokes about sexual prowess aside, it must be odd to recognize that you have less stamina, to notice that your digestive sytem is more delicate, and your hair is thinner, but to have no perceptible doorway through which to pass, and no real support. Women support each other from the time of their first periods, through birth and miscarriage, female surgery and menopause, sharing the universality of these female mysteries. For men, this kind of mutual support is ephemeral at best.
Although men and women reach elderhood at different times and in different ways, both sexes experience the problem of finding a meaningful place as an elder in our youth-oriented culture. We may have moved away from the days when all the illustrations in Pagan publications looked like Barbie dolls, but we have not reached a time when many of them are over 40. And we have yet to create space in our circles for the physically challenged elder by including a few chairs at the appropriate locations for those who want them. At gatherings, we offer space for women, space for men, space for Gays, space for Lesbians, space for the recovering. But no space is offered for our elders. If I were Gay, recovering, wanting a moonlodge, I could find the support group I needed, but we will not be able to find our elders unless we give them space and make them welcome. Create space.
Another experience that comes with age is the second Saturn return at about age 56. This Saturn return can be particularly difficult, forcing us to confront the fact that there are some things we may never do and certain goals we may never realize, if we deny this fact, we may become bitter and cynical. By accepting it we can begin to clear the decks, detaching from physical bonds and freeing ourselves to move into the next aspect of our lives in letting go we open to the possibility of extending ourselves, spreading outward sharing what we know, and manifesting the art of being. If we use the energy previously consumed at jobs child-bearing and child-raising to return to the child within, we can come closer to manifesting spirit in our lives.
The work of an elder may well be to dance in spirit before dancing with death. The community structures within which our elders might do this work do not now exist. We must build them. Whether we start by creating rituals of passage and providing elders space at gatherings, or decide on a larger community-wide effort we must take the first step, by becoming conscious of our old ones, by touching them and hearing their wisdom, by creating space for them in our circles and our lives, and by accepting that we will all one day be old. I look forward to the ritual of crossing that will celebrate my dance with spirit. I look forward to the sacred space when I truly am a Crone, to shedding decades of attachment, and to dancing naked and free. I will remember my first circle, where I danced in sacred space and shed my clothes to dance naked and free. and by connecting all the circles of my life, I will reveal the spirit in my dance and in my heart.
Kore Hayes. Lavendar and Silver Sorceress and Apprentice The World Between Women. An Anthology Herbooks Santa CrU7. CA 198 7 p 64. (taken from a presentation by Deborah Ann Light called "The Crooning of Crones")
Maureen Howard.'Trading Places Lear s. W@ 2. No. 6. p 99. September 1989
Collin M. Turnbull. The Human Cycle. Simon & Shuster Inc. New York NY 1984 p 228
Richard Atcheson 'Our Parents, Ourselves, Lear s Vol. 2, No. 6 p 97, September 1989
SUE CUREWITZ ARTHEN was not a writer when my asked her to undertake the Rites of Passage series. Priestess, Healer and Elder, Sue uorked with EarlhSpirit Community's Mooncircle and is the mother of two Pagan children.
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The Magic of Caves
THE EIGHTFOLD PATH Part Three: FASTING


What Do Patients Want | Design Ergonomics Inc.
The following is a reprint of an article entitled, "What Do Patients Want?" by Dr. David J. Ahearn. The contents of this article are Copyright © 2000, Dr. David J. Ahearn. All rights reserved.
Did you ever notice that the photos you see of award-winning dental offices are usually of the waiting room? OK let's be politically correct… the reception area?
1. What do patients want in a dental office design? Isn't that supposed to be our goal?
3. If we could figure this out, would doctors understand and build offices that satisfy the patient's desires and not just the doctors?
enough intimacy to allow for rapid personal contact with the reception/greeting staff upon arrival.
timely performance of their dental care.
the perception that the doctor is up-to-date.
From the study it became clear that what patients want and what doctors build (assuming that money is available) are two very different things.
It's a vicious cycle: doctors build excessive waiting rooms that don't allow personal interface and leave patients feeling isolated. Then, because the details of production haven't been ironed out, the practice is forced to stack patients in the waiting room because they aren't running on time. The office is off schedule because the complicated and overly expensive treatment rooms don't work as well as they should. Since the doctors have spent so much money on this equipment, they are pressured to schedule more heavily… so they get behind… ugh!
Dental offices bottleneck in three places: the treatment rooms, sterilization and the front desk. These bottlenecks rotate as production increases. Dentists receive no training on how to reorganize and break open bottlenecks. What often appears as a front desk bottleneck (for example, before lunch) is often actually a treatment room constraint. Anyway, what we discovered in the study of what in manufacturing is called one-piece-flow, was that bottlenecks can be prevented‹and not just by building cavernous waiting rooms, and excessively complicated treatment and sterilization space.
Doctors save money, patients receive better care and treatment runs on time.


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