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You are here. Home » Recent News » CAA to screen 'Serena' to possible buyers!
Recent NewsSerena
CAA to screen 'Serena' to possible buyers!
by Grace November 27, 2013 0 comment
CAA will start screening Susanne Bier's Depression-era drama "Serena," which was shot in early 2012, late this month — with the Weinstein Co. and Fox Searchlight already interested in the project.
Move over, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle. Another film starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper is headed to the big screen, and this one is shrouded in secrecy. Sources say CAA will begin quietly screening the Lawrence-Cooper pairing Serena for distributors in late November.
The Depression-era drama, directed by Danish helmer Susanne Bier, has been so long in the making (Lawrence and Cooper shot it in March 2012, right after Silver Linings and just as The Hunger Games was hitting theaters) that many have forgotten it exists. But project insiders say the film, which Bier has just finished editing, is generating frenzied interest from outlets including Fox Searchlight and The Weinstein Co. thanks to another powerful performance by Oscar winner Lawrence.
Still, it took Bier more than 18 months to finish the film, often a sign that a production is troubled.
"Actually, it was just the opposite," says one insider. "There were no reshoots or anything like that. It was just a real precision edit because the story is about a woman's descent into madness. And Susanne is a total perfectionist." Like Lawrence, Bier is a recent Oscar winner (best foreign-language film in 2011 for In a Better World). But she was not the first director to stake a claim to Serena, based on Ron Rash's 2008 novel about a North Carolina timber baron and his ambitious wife.
Darren Aronofsky originally was attached to direct with Angelina Jolie starring. But Aronofsky and Jolie fell out, Bier boarded and cast then-rising stars Cooper and Lawrence as the ill-fated newlyweds. Todd Wagner, who financed the film through his and Mark Cuban's 2929 Productions, allowed Bier all the time she needed.
After Silver Linings, "We didn't want to be the OK version of the Jennifer Lawrence-Bradley Cooper coupling," says the insider. If the film sells, it could hit the 2014 festival circuit (Cannes and Venice have reached out) ahead of next year's awards race.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The King's Observatory was an astronomical and terrestrial magnetic observatory built for George III, a keen amateur astronomer. The architect was Sir William Chambers who also designed the Pagoda in nearby Kew Gardens. It is located within the Old Deer Park of the former Richmond Palace in Richmond, Surrey. The Observatory grounds overlie to the south the site of a former Carthusian Priory which was established by King Henry V in 1414 and which was eventually demolished when the building of the observatory began. It is built of Portland stone and designed as a villa with a moveable dome observatory mounted on the top. The building is in its original design state apart from the raising of the side roofs to the level of the observing dome, which happened in 1888 (East) and 1892 (West).
The main telescopes were in the movable dome which had an opening roof. The west of the observatory was used for the day to day transit observations. The room on the east side was used for quadrant observations. There are three obelisks built in 1769 of Portland stone to aid the alignment of the instruments. One is positioned to the North of the centre of the observatory. The two others mark south from the transit and quadrant rooms.
This is one of two obelisks TQ1774 : Arcadian Meridian Obelisk, Richmond Old Deer Park due south of Kew Observatory marking the Arcadian Meridian. Both are Grade II listed.
The Observatory was completed in time for the King to watch the transit of Venus (i.e. when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and the Earth) on June 3rd 1769.
The Observatory was used as an educational centre by the princes and the King established his own workshop there. The first Royal Observer to be appointed was Dr Stephen Demainbray, who held the post from 1769 to 1782. He was assisted by his son the Rev. Stephen Demainbray who became teacher of astronomy to the King's children.
At one time, London's official time was set from the calculations made at Kew. The principal time-piece used was made by Benjamin Vulliamy, clock-maker to the King. Later this work was taken over by the Observatory at Greenwich.
Kew also played a role in testing timepieces for accuracy, based on stringent standards aligned with measurements of the stars. As marine navigation adopted the usage of mechanical timepieces for navigational aid, the accuracy of such timepieces became more critical. The testing process lasted for many days, typically 45 days. Each movement was tested in 5 positions and 2 temperatures, in 10 series of 4 or 5 days each. This work, along with observatories in Neuchâtel and Geneva in Switzerland and Besançon in France, gave rise to the Observatory Chronometer mark of quality for timepieces, which remained predominant until the advent of quartz timekeeping in the late 1960s. Other instruments was also sent to Kew for comparison or calibration – initially just thermometers, but later barometers, binoculars and watches were also tested. The 'KO' mark, which was introduced in 1878 to brand instruments which had been tested and approved at the Kew Observatory became an internationally recognised guarantee of accuracy.
The Institution remained royal property until 1840. In 1841 it was closed and much of the contents, including George III's collections of instruments and Queen Charlotte's natural history collection, were removed from the building and dispersed to various places. These had been housed in the glass-fronted cabinets which line the main rooms.
The collection was dispersed in 1840 to the British Museum, King's College, London and the Royal College of Surgeons and to various members of the Royal Family. Many of the instruments are now in the Science Museum and the National Maritime Museum.
The British Association for the Advancement of Science took over the Observatory in 1842.
In 1867 the Observatory became the central observation station for the newly established Meteorological Office. Finding it too much of a burden the British Association handed over management of the building to the Royal Society in 1871. In 1900 the newly-established National Physical Laboratory took over the management until the Meteorological Office assumed control from July 1910.
Finally, in 1981, the building was offered on the open market on a Crown lease. It was restored by The Lesser Group and a head lease sold to Hill Samuel Bank who sub let it to Solaglas. That lease has recently expired.
I was asked to examine the paint on the magnificent cabinets that line the walls of the main rooms on the ground and first floors. I have since been appointed to guide the redecoration of the interior.
A website outlining the restoration of this building can be found here.
1 Not to be confused with this Transit of Venus – courtesy of Dr Jonathan Foyle, Chief Executive of World Monuments Fund Britain.
2 Taken from John Cloake's report: The King's Observatory, Old Deer Park, Richmond, which I have heavily relied on for this post.
3 Taken from Local History Notes produced by the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
Simultaneously quite plain yet handsome and well-proportioned as is the Georgian Way. Utilitarian.


Circle of Support for New Leaf and her Husband | ConductDisorders - A soft place to land for battle weary parents.
Discussion in 'The Watercooler' started by susiestar, Apr 22, 2016.
New Leaf's husband is critically ill. She needs all of our support.
More positive healing vibes from Virginia and on to . . .
prayers and healing thoughts from Massachusetts and on to..
Healing thoughts and white light for Leafy, her husband, and the rest of their families.
Leafy, I've walked the path you are now walking. I've got strong shoulders. If you would like to talk, PM me your phone number, or ask for mine.
Warm, loving vibes from wisconsin.
Leafy you are AWESOME and I'm sure your husband must be AWESOME too!
Warm hugs and prayers to you from Chicago.
Adding good thoughts from Georgia.
I am sending hope and strength from the Southern Cone. May Hubs feel peace, care, comfort and loved.
Thinking of you here in So Ca Ventura county...prayers are with you.


Every year Western Spirit supports Bike Week. This is a gathering of people of industry. Bike Magazine, Smith Optics, Trek, Sram, Cannondale, and Dakine are usually represented. This is no ordinary business meeting. This a chance to go out and really rip some amazing trails, throw back a few with friends, and share ideas about the industry and products. This year we embarked from Ketchum, Id. We rode the national championship Super D course at Sun Valley Resort, two nights on warm spring rd. Then headed north and stayed two nights in Stanley They say what happens at Bike Week stays at bike week so enjoy the photos.


19 October 2017, Johor – The Malaysia-China International Investment Promotion Association (MCIIA) officially launched and opened their first Malaysian office on 27 September 2017, at Medini 6 in Medini City, Central Business District of Iskandar Puteri. The launch was officiated by Tan Sri Tan Seng Leong, Group Managing Director of BCB Berhad who is the Honorary President of MCIIA. Also present at the event was Mr. Ai Mo, Chief Adviser of MCIIA and Dr. James Tee, the Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (MIM).
MCIIA is now further expanding their reach with over 200 members nationwide and the numbers are fast growing. The association aims to assist businesses and investors from China particularly from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen to invest and set up offices in the 2,230-acre thriving urban integrated township, Medini City. Presence of MCIIA will serve the needs of members who are from various sectors such as manufacturing, property, financial and from chambers of commerce from other parts of China that require business consultation on investment opportunities in Medini City.
During the official launch event, Dr. James Tee was appointed as the Chief Consultant to MCIIA, where his role is an advisory one, helping investors to make well-considered investment decisions by exploring opportunities in Medini City that would fit the needs of different investors.
"We are very happy to welcome MCIIA to Medini City, and we are grateful to Tan Sri Tan for initiating the idea of establishing MCIIA to channel investments into Medini City. We applaud Tan Sri's passion and commitment to the success of Medini City. He is truly Medini's global brand ambassador! I look forward to meeting the visitors and investors that MCIIA will be bringing into Medini City. We welcome investors from China, who will help to boost our economy and contribute towards making Medini City a vibrant and prosperous destination," said Dr. James.


The certification exam must be successfully taken within your one-year applicant period, which begins when your application is approved.
It has three parts for a total of 211 multiple-choice questions.
It must be completed in one sitting within the six-hour time limit.
You must score a minimum of 67% on each part for passing.
GCSAA offers the exam once a year at the GCSAA Education Conference and the Golf Industry Show. You can take the test at that time, or you may choose to test on another date with a local monitor. If you chose this option, you and a GCSAA-approved monitor will arrange the time and place to take the test. GCSAA will mail the exam directly to the monitor, along with a postage-paid, certified-return receipt envelope for returning it to headquarters.
You may retake any failed part twice in your applicant period. However, if you fail to pass a part after two retakes, you will be required to wait one year before you may reapply to the program. Also, please note that there is a 30-day waiting period between exams, so you must allow yourself enough time to include retakes if needed during your one-year period. For this reason, testing early in your applicant period is recommended.


In business, time is money. Every day your business spends cleaning up after a flood is a day that's costing you money. And if you thought your conventional commercial insurance was going to indemnify you when it flooded – you're probably paying out-of-pocket for the clean-up.
Commercial flood insurance is essential – even if you don't live in a flood plain. The fact is every building is exposed to some form of flood risk. A burst pipe, uncontrolled run-off, even a blocked drain can lead to thousands of dollars of damage.
At Ron Jackson Insurance Agency we will assess your level of risk, your budget, and your stated concerns to deliver the best possible commercial flood insurance coverage.
Contact us – or fill out our online form – to learn more about our commercial flood solutions today!


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Chinese Grand Prix postponed due to coronavirus outbreak
The 2020 Chinese Grand Prix, which had been scheduled for April 17-19, has been postponed as a result of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The Chinese Grand Prix Promoter, Juss Sports Group, officially requested the postponement after ongoing discussions with the Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of People's Republic of China (CAMF) and Shanghai Administration of Sports.
Amid continued health concerns and with the World Health Organisation declaring the coronavirus as a global health emergency, Formula 1, together with governing body the FIA, jointly decided to accept the postponement request in order to ensure the health and safety of the travelling staff, championship participants and fans.
Formula 1 and the FIA will continue to work closely with the teams, race promoter, CAMF and the local authorities to monitor the situation as it develops, with all parties studying the viability of potential alternative dates for the Grand Prix later in the year should the situation improve.
"The Chinese Grand Prix has always been a very important part of the F1 calendar and the fans are always incredible," Formula 1 said in a statement. "We all look forward to racing in China as soon as possible and wish everyone in the country the best during this difficult time."
Nyck de Vries ramps up preparations for AlphaTauri debut with Imola run
WATCH: Go behind-the-scenes with Alonso for his first day at Aston Martin's F1 factory
The beginner's guide to… the Formula 1 calendar


The stunning Anna Heinrich recently dropped into La Maison Talulah's flag ship store at The Intersection, Paddington to shop the new Summer Collection.
Join us in store this party season to be styled for all your social events.
Shop new season party dresses online now.
You can make Anna's outfit pick yours now. Shop by clicking here.


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Social work student restarts uniform drive
Mar/8/2011 | POSTED BY Jen Hatton
UMSL social work student Jessica Lake has re-established UMSL's Back-to-School Uniform Drive for the Normandy (Mo.) School District.
University of Missouri–St. Louis student Jessica Lake has always wanted to inspire change. She's pursuing a degree in social work because of that desire, and her latest project is no different.
Lake, a graduate student in social work, has re-established UMSL's Back-to-School Uniform Drive for the Normandy (Mo.) School District. After she became involved with the 24:1 Initiative, which focuses on the 24 inner-ring suburban communities located within the boundaries of the Normandy School District, she looked for more ways to stay involved in the community.
Through her participation with 24:1, she learned about the need within the school district for uniforms and other items. Bringing back the UMSL uniform drive was perfect.
"They have resource rooms where students can come get uniforms or personal items if they need them," she said. "But there is such a need that they end up running out of supplies for students before all the need can be met."
Lake wanted to help. She enlisted the support of her fellow students, set up a collection site in Bellerieve Hall on the South Campus at UMSL and also a collection site at the Beyond Housing offices in St. Louis.
"I think it's about leading by example," she said. "If you put a little effort into something, it keeps growing. I want to inspire change, and help others to do the same and to achieve to the best of their ability."
And inspiring change is something she might be achieving as her first collection totals include 111 pairs of pants, 65 shirts, 170 other uniform items and more than 250 personal care items.
Additional officials from the Farmington (Mo.) R-7 School District heard about the drive and contacted Lake.
"They are changing their uniforms at the end of the year and want to donate them to Normandy School District, which is amazing," she said.
The collection site in the student longue at Bellerieve Hall will remain open throughout the year. Donations of pants, shirts, skirts, sweaters and personal items such as shampoo, deodorant and lotions are being accepted. Pants should be navy blue, black or khaki and tops should be white, navy or powder blue.
Email Jessica Lake at JELDZ6@mail.umsl.edu for additional information.
Short URL: https://blogs.umsl.edu/news/?p=7424
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Eye on UMSL: An inspirational message
Mary Jo Adams, Don Kelly and Lindsay Shy receive UMSL Hero Awards
UMSL Tritons weekly rewind
Two new exhibitions open at UMSL's Gallery 210@FAB
Game On: St. Louis CITY SC, UMSL to partner on esports and professional development education initiatives
Scholar in Residence Robert Stanton speaks at Gateway Arch National Park
Eye on UMSL: 'I'm here'
Cliff Albright stresses the importance of mobilizing Black voters in MLK Holiday Observance address
Christina Karam preparing for medical school after leaving behind turmoil of Lebanon, earning biology degree at UMSL
Worth the wait: Irene Garrison earns her degree from UMSL after nearly 60 years
BSW graduate Donny Conner serves others as Marine, chef and social worker
College of Education doctoral graduates conduct research, find meaning on trip to Kenya
Boeing to launch Engineering Services Program to train students in UMSL/WUSTL Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program


NEW ORLEANS – Sophomore Kendall Griffin shot a career-low 72 to pace the LSU women's golf team in the Second Round of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate today at the English Turn Golf & Country Club in New Orleans. LSU is currently in 11th place after Round Two at 28-over 604. Griffin struggled in Round One with a 9-over par, but bounced back beautifully with a career-low 72. She moved into a tie for second on the team with junior Monica Dibildox at 9-over 153 for the two rounds.
Senior Kathleen Gallagher leads the squad with an overall 3-over 147. Gallagher is currently tied for 19th overall and is shooting for her second top-20 finish of the season. Rookie Presley Baggett provided the fourth counting score of the day with an 81.
"Kathleen also had solid play in tough conditions to help carry the team today," continued Runion.
LSU will be paired up with Miami (Fla.) and North Carolina State for Round 3 on Tuesday. The Tigers will tee off at 8 a.m. from Holes No. 10, 11, 12 and 18 in a shotgun start at the English Turn Golf & Country Club. Live scoring will be available at GolfStat.com.


My pc will freeze up when it gets to IDE/SCSI. I'm trying to find out if there is any known causes or fixes I could do to remedy this. Attached is the debug. It will run with IDE disabled but would really like to find out why this is doing this.
section 5. describes problems with SMART/drive temperatures because of certain versions of Intel RST drivers. Some versions of these drivers where also know to cause crashes.
Upgrading Intel RST drivers fixes this problem in most cases.
I have checked the Debug File you provided more detailed and it seems your disk is attached to the ASMedia SATA Controller and it seems to use default Windows 8 SATA AHCI driver. Please try to upgrade this driver if there's a newer version available, or replace it with a driver from ASMedia if that maybe helps.
If neither of these methods work, then you can disable the entire IDE Drive Scan in HWiNFO. That should help, but you'll loose any drive information including temperature monitoring.
(01-18-2013, 10:04 PM)Martin Wrote: I have checked the Debug File you provided more detailed and it seems your disk is attached to the ASMedia SATA Controller and it seems to use default Windows 8 SATA AHCI driver. Please try to upgrade this driver if there's a newer version available, or replace it with a driver from ASMedia if that maybe helps.
Thank you for looking through that, it ended up being combination of the 2. Tried the rst drivers first not seeing the second post, and still would crash but it would give a few more seconds. Just saw second post and installed asmedia drivers, started right up with no problem.
This experience can now help other users with ASMedia SATA Controllers running Windows 8 too.


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Cynthia Wick Abstract Flowers Planted At Berkshire Botanical Garden
By Jill Brooke
Like cheese and wine, some pairings make total sense. A trend has been brewing where, in addition to lectures by educators and expert gardeners, botanical gardens are welcoming artists who paint and draw flowers.
The Berkshire Botanical Garden, located in the popular Massachusetts town of Stockbridge, has been doing this for some time to great success.
Next month, it will welcome artist Cynthia Wick to their roster of special events in the Center House Leonhardt Galleries. Wick's abstract flower paintings intrigue and delight with splashes of vivid color and inventive shapes. Using acrylics and oils on paper, she creates bold mosaics that mirror nature's abundant botany.
Wick's love and knowledge of flowers permeate each painting, which she expresses eloquently.
The painting "Summer in a Gold Pitcher" was inspired by the "yellow dots of spring dandelions on green grass and the yellow iris" a friend had given her.
"I love being in a flower-painting trance, examining the color and shape and the way the flowers seem to dance with each other," she says. "What's essential to me is to paint the feeling I have looking at them, not the literal interpretation. The abstraction is essential to give that feeling. The feeling of movement and change."
A maternal influence also found a place in this painting.
On a gloomy gray day, Wick wanted to shift her mood and thought about her mother's favorite color, yellow. "I gathered some flowers and put them in a favorite gold pitcher," she recalls. "I love the way their color is reflected in the gold."
Her mother also influenced another painting called "Bouquet #4." Clearly this artist did not have a tortured relationship with her mother.
"I wanted to paint a memory of our rose garden when I was little," she says. "I used to love walking between the narrow boxwood hedges and peeking over them to the blasts of color and fragrance of my mother's roses. Bright pink and red and yellow. They seemed enormous to me, like I could walk inside them. I painted this picture solely from memory and painted it larger so the viewer might feel the same way I did."
Which is exactly what one feels upon viewing this painting.
Artists throughout history have used flowers as metaphor or motif.
Like any credible artist, one is influenced by the grand masters, then detours with their own signature style.
"I love what Georgia O'Keeffe said about painting flowers," she says. " 'When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment.' I think it's the private intimate act of witnessing beauty. I know it's what's interesting to me about painting flowers and nature. Right in front of you is this whole world of color and shape and it takes you on a sweeping and intimate journey if you let it, if you slow yourself down and just bear witness."
"Bouquet #1" is Wick's homage to Manet's late flower paintings, although a touch of O'Keeffe is evident. "I wanted to create a portrait of all the pink flowers I love – roses, peonies, anemones," she says. "It's a combination of them all. I imagined a classical portrait of the flowers, almost like a beautiful woman against a rich, dark background."
"Bouquet #3" was inspired by the wilting of flowers as the petals fall and tumble after their peak. It represents the cycle of life.
"I started painting a bunch of pink and red tulips and continued painting them for a few days as the flowers fell apart," she says. "Then I thought about cyclamens. So I think they sort of morphed into cyclamens and maybe roses too. These paintings are about the joy and feeling I experience when looking at flowers. The color shapes. The light."
Born in California, she was surrounded by light as well as sunshine. Childhood memories are evoked by the scented gardenias that grew in abundance at her home garden. Later as her career blossomed, she moved east and was relieved that peonies and lilacs also offered the scents she craved. Though, she does lament how peony and lilac seasons are way too short.
A paintbrush, however, is never far away. After all, Wick can paint her beloved flowers even when they are not in season.
Another painting, "Queen Anne's Lace Near a Pink House," was inspired by a visit to a friend's farm in the Berkshires, where she now resides. "The property looks pink in the evening light," she says. "There was something about the wild delicacy and strength of those little flowers next to the pink color that was so compelling." And harmonious. Reflecting on her work, she sighs. "If only humans could get along the way flowers do!"
We couldn't agree more.
Wick's show will run from October 18 to December 1. Other cultural centers and their interaction with artists include Wave Hill in Riverdale, New York, and the de Young Museum in San Francisco, one of many art museums that ask florists to interpret paintings in the collection.
Jill Brooke is the former on-air correspondent for CNN and editor-in-chief of Avenue and Travel Savvy magazine. She is the founder of Flower Power Daily.


OVER 900 TICKETS ALREADY SOLD!!!
New Year's Eve returns to the ultra unique TELUS World of Science for an unforgettable celebration!
And one of the biggest countdowns to bring in 2018 in Vancouver!
This event sell outs every year! Get your tickets now to avoid disappointment.
*Includes a complimentary glass of champagne to toast the New Year!
The VIP lounge is located on the second level overlooking the main dance floor and the entire party, giving you the ultimate view to the countdown to the new year.
VIP Admission. If you choose "Will Call" as your Delivery Method, please scroll to the bottom of the event listing for specific instructions - THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THESE RULES.
General Admission for FIVE PEOPLE. If you choose "Will Call" as your Delivery Method, please scroll to the bottom of the event listing for specific instructions - THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THESE RULES.
VIP Admission for FIVE PEOPLE (see event description for details of what is included). If you choose "Will Call" as your Delivery Method, please scroll to the bottom of the event listing for specific instructions - THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THESE RULES.


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Opening reception: Friday, November 2, 2018 6:00-9:00PM
Chicago Artists Coalition is pleased to present AfterGlow, a solo exhibition by BOLT Artist-in-Residence, Melissa Leandro.
AfterGlow presents the work of Chicago based artist Melissa Leandro as she reflects on specific familial and cultural realities that coalesce experiences from her everyday life and family histories. Leandro's exhibition introduces a hodgepodge of domestic vignettes through the use of uniquely upholstered furniture, woven and embroidered textiles, collaged plastic tablecloths, and plaster sculptures created by herself and father.
Leandro leads us through an alternate reality that is both inspired by and at odds with the idea of, "where we call Home." She is influenced by family memories of her mother working as a housekeeper, her grandfather's house in Costa Rica, and her present day collecting of knick-knacks, mementos, personal ephemera and detritus during her travels within and outside of the US. Leandro translates a collection of drawn marks and cyanotype prints to imbue familiar household objects with her lived experiences. Her exhibition brings together motifs and objects of domestic life that are both sentimental and gaudy, specifically presenting the viewer with a hyper-vivid, and outlandish living room setting that echoes Leandro's hybrid culture as a first-generation US citizen moving between Costa Rica, Miami, Chicago, and abroad.
By employing materials that have a relationship to domestic spaces — the home, the kitchen, the family room — her installation twists assumptions on how we perceive decorative patterns, kitsch imagery, and cheap, domestic consumable materials. These printed plastics and woven cloths, often used for cheap décor in the home, have the ability to take on a different cultural status that disconnects them from their intended home and function, and leads us to an otherworldly setting.
Melissa Leandro (b. 1989, Miami, FL) is an artist who works between the media of drawing, painting, and textiles. Leandro's woven and embroidered surfaces explore her composite cultural identity through means of intuitive mark-making. Reflecting on her family memories, past and present travels, she considers how her environments fragment identity and place.
Leandro was awarded the Toby Devan Lewis Fellowship (2017) and the EAGER Grant for research and collaboration (2016, Shapiro Center), both for her studio work at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). She was awarded the Luminarts Fellowship (2017) from the Luminarts Cultural Foundation, Union League of Chicago. Leandro was a BOLT resident at the Chicago Artist Coalition for 2017-18, and was named one of Chicago's Break Out Artists of the year for 2018. Her studio work is featured in LUXE, Luxe Interiors + Design Magazine as part of their Chicago Style Maker edition (June 2018).
Leandro has attended ACRE Residency, Wisconsin, Roger Brown House Residency, Michigan, The Weaving Mill, Chicago and TextielLab, The Netherlands and the Jacquard Center, North Carolina. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, and is currently represented by Andrew Rafacz Gallery in Chicago. She holds a BFA and MFA from SAIC and is currently teaching at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as Lecturer and is the Assistant Director title of the Fiber Material Studies department.


Responsible for clearing and resetting tables in assigned venue. Continuously monitors tables to assess guests' needs in a courteous manner. Other customer service duties required as requested by restaurant supervisor in order to assist in reaching profitability and guest satisfaction.
Greets guests in a timely manner and obtains beverage and/or food orders. Initiates conversation with guests.
Responsible for clearing all tables and resetting them for new seating in accordance with venue standards.
Monitor tables to assess guests needs and anticipates and responds to guest requests when meal has been completed keeping table clear to provide a clean, neat, eating area.
Restock and clean assigned station at end of shift to have ready for start of next shift in accordance with Department of Health standards.
Complete assigned opening and closing side work.
Provides Red Carpet Service to every patron and employee.
0 to 6 months relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
Maintain a professional, neat and well-groomed appearance adhering to company standards and work varied shifts, which will include weekends and holidays.
Walking and/or standing 90% of the time.
Lifting up to 50 pounds to stack, store or move materials, supplies and equipment.


text:
Officials show off Ashton plans
Ed Bornstein/The Daily Iowan A growing Iowa City skyline stands against a muggy afternoon sky on Monday, July 17, 2006. A story released Monday in Money Magazine ranked the city No. 74 on its "Best Places to Live" list out of an original pool of nearly 750.
By Austin Petroski
One of Iowa City's nationally registered historic buildings will be seeing some changes within the coming months.
Project GREEN, a nonprofit group in Iowa City devoted to beautifying green spaces within public spaces in Iowa City, is set to begin the renovation on the Ashton House.
The Iowa City Ashton House is named after the original owner Ned Ashton, a university professor of civil engineering. The house was built in 1947 and was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Iowa City bought the house in 2011, and today the home hosts various private events, including weddings and parties.
At the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on Thursday night, Project GREEN members Diane Allen and Laura Hawks gave a presentation about the renovations to the historic home.
Project GREEN, an Iowa City nonprofit volunteer organization of more than 300 members started in 1968, is devoted to beautifying entrances, public spaces, and schools, Allen said.
"Our goal is educating the public through projects, including garden forums, fairs and tours," she said Allen.
The organization receives money through the various events it hosts, including the Iowa City library forums and the fairs and tours. The organization also receives much of its money through grants and donations, such as the Rural Energy for America Program, Allen said.
The organization also has some of its donations ear marked for the project, meaning the money can only be used for the Ashton House.
Hawkspresented proposed accommodations to the historic Ashton House.
Hawks said along with the addition of 23 parking spaces to the north side of the house, they are also looking at making the site friendlier to individuals with disabilities by adding a handicap ramp, along with a new entryway monument for aesthetics. The organization is also looking to reconstruct the old terrace in outside the house.
Hawks also said part of the renovations would include upgrading the green space in the area around the house.
"Our goal would be to advance the environment in this area," Hawks said.
Hawks said Project GREEN also proposes to add a reforestration to the Ashton property near in river in an effort to help control the area in the event of flooding. A rain garden along with interpretive signage will also be proposed, Hawks said. She also said the group was planning on utilizing mostly natives plants to the Iowa ecosystem in order to help avoid problems for the plants in case of drought or other environmental impact.
Clay Claussen, member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, said he thought the organization is underappreciated and the Ashton House area is much improved.
"Now that it is visible, it really does look nice," Claussen said.
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Implementing district energy demands a long-term commitment – a well-designed network can be expected be in operation for up to 60 years, with plant needing replacement every 15-20 years. Successful district energy networks are assets that can generate income and deliver sustainable, affordable energy for end customers. It is vital therefore that organisations developing new heat networks establish appropriate ownership models and governance structures to ensure their district energy networks deliver the required outcomes over their lifetime.
They will need to plan, design, build and maintain these networks either on their own or in partnership. Developing new heat networks involves significant capital outlay and requires an appreciation of unique investment risks that need to be appropriately managed.
For a district energy network to become a well-run, income-generating asset requires detailed, multi-disciplined experience at the planning stage. Successful schemes need to have robust business cases, with clear direction on how the network is to be commercialised. This is essential if investment is to be attracted, from the Government or the private sector, by demonstrating a realistic return on investment (ROI). Crucially, too, the business plan will set out the future ownership model for the network and choosing which model to embrace is one of the most important decisions to be made.
There are a number of models which are available to the public sector, each delivering a different balance between control and risk. Public-sector organisations need to assess the level of risk that they can tolerate and the extent to which they are prepared to be directly involved in, and therefore liable for, each network.
Wholly-owned by the local authority, housing association etc.
Here the assets are owned entirely by the council or other public-sector organisation and they must bear all the risks of network operation such as design, performance, replacement of assets, debt and energy procurement. Typically, a number of sub-contractors will be appointed to design and build and then operate the various aspects of the network: the energy centre; the underground heat network; secondary heating networks; and metering and billing. Examples of networks operating under this model include those in Gateshead, Bristol and Leeds and the London boroughs of Camden and Southwark.
In this model, the design and operation of the network is undertaken in a similar way, but the risks are placed more at arms' length from core council activities. This is the model operated in Nottingham, Pimlico and Aberdeen.
In these first two models, there is a heavy demand on internal resources to bring schemes forward and all the operating risks are borne by the council. Capital funding needs to be raised by the council themselves either by accessing EU grants or loans or through the Public Works Loan Board. This works well for organisations wanting to generate revenue directly and retain full control of, and responsibility for, the network.
There are, however, additional risks to be factored in beyond the initial design and building of the network. External contractors' priorities will be different to those of a council, for example. For the contractor, their responsibility ends when the network is installed and becomes operational and they have no reason to concern themselves over whether the network is over-engineered or running inefficiently. In contrast, the local authority must take a long-term view. A heat network that functions inefficiently will be more expensive to run and will cost more over its lifetime than a system that has an optimal design. The consequence of getting this wrong can mean that councils are left with systems that do not generate the anticipated financial returns, which in turn can impact the heat prices that residents have to pay. Maintenance of the network is another area where problems can occur. Budget pressures can lead to cuts in maintenance expenditure resulting in breakdowns on the network, interruptions to heat and the delayed replacement of plant due to the lack of identified capital funding. Realistic, forward-planning for the lifetime of the network is required to mitigate these risks.
There are, however, alternative models available which reduce the exposure to risk.
In this scenario, the local authority grants a concession to a private-sector entity to develop and operate a heat network for a defined period of time. Typically, the concession holder takes the majority of the risk and therefore also the majority of the rewards. The local authority can receive discounted energy costs for their buildings connected to the networks and the assets are handed back to the council at the end of the concession period. Networks in Birmingham, Sheffield and Leicester are operated on this basis.
Here, the local authority creates a new company with a private-sector partner to jointly develop and operate heat networks. The council is able to generate a return on investment and to define the level of risk it is comfortable with, having secured a private-sector partner willing to assume the remainder. A number of councils are currently considering this option. Alternatively, the local authority may choose to procure a private-sector partner to install, maintain, fully own and operate the network, reducing all commercial risk to the council.
These two options allow councils to transfer operating and financial risk to third parties. In the concession model, this is more complete but with the consequence that the council only benefits from cheaper energy rather than an income stream. The SPV model enables the council to share the risk and also generates a revenue stream. Private companies that enter partnerships to develop and operate networks bring a wealth of experience to projects, ensuring that networks are developed in an optimum way. Invested for the long-term, they have as much interest as the public-sector partner in the efficient running of the network and the lowest associated life-cycle costs.
Metropolitan's district energy network at King's Cross is an example of how an SPV can work in practice. A fully-managed energy services company (ESCo) runs the network and provides professional metering and billing services to householders. The lead developer, Argent, owns a majority share in the ESCo, and the remaining share is owned by Metropolitan. This means that both Argent and Metropolitan will continue to have a mutual interest in the success of the development, managing the customers' needs, long after the construction phases have been completed. Customers' interests are further protected by the scheme's membership of the Heat Trust. Metropolitan was one of the first to register a district energy scheme with this industry-led, self-regulatory initiative which recognises best practice for heat customers; fault and emergency reporting; billing and payment arrangements; support of vulnerable customer and complaint handling.
The energy centre at King's Cross meets 99% of the current development's heat demand with a saving of 50% in carbon emissions over traditional utility solutions whilst achieving a 5% reduction in residents' fuel bills. Indeed, the King's Cross scheme has delivered heating generation efficiencies in excess of those planned – achieving a CHP Quality Assurance Certificate with a QI score of 116.46, 10 points above the expected level (CHP Quality Assurance is a government initiative which monitors energy efficiency and environmental performance). It has been shortlisted by ADE (Association for Decentralised Energy) to be named District Energy Scheme of the Decade.
Whichever ownership framework is chosen, the benefits of district energy are clear. With heating accounting for 40% of the UK's carbon emissions and more than two million households in fuel poverty, the challenge to provide low-carbon, affordable and secure heat supplies has never been greater. The twin benefits of low-carbon emissions and reduced fuel bills are the key drivers behind Government support for district energy. As infrastructure projects, too, they generate jobs, both in building and maintaining networks. The flexibility of district energy networks means these advantages are not restricted to new developments; adjacent older buildings can be retrofitted as their heating systems require replacement, extending the energy network and its benefits into more of the local community.
Local authorities and other public-sector organisations understandably want to secure these benefits for their communities and to take advantage of the newly-available Government funding. They must, however, ensure that they consider the longer term and take clear-headed decisions now about how they will build and operate the networks.


text:
HANSARD 1803–2005 → 1980s → 1987 → October 1987 → 21 October 1987 → Commons Sitting → Orders of the Day
Disabled Persons (Clothing)
HC Deb 21 October 1987 vol 120 cc895-900 895
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—[Mr. Durant.]
§ Sir Marcus Fox (Shipley)
My first thought on rising at 3.35 am is that I hope that I am not setting a precedent for Adjournment debates for the rest of this Session. If I am, this will be the last one that I apply for.
The subject of the debate has caused me considerable worry and I wish to draw attention to serious problems in our provision for the disabled. I am interested in about 100,000 of the most seriously disabled people in the United Kingdom. That number works out at an average of about 125 per constituency, though I believe that there are more such people in inner cities than in other areas.
Much has been done to help the disabled and I do not want to appear critical of the many good provisions in housing, mobility, transport, the provision of ramps to make it easier to get into public buildings, and so on. However, the debate is about the neglected issue of special clothing.
The people to whom I am referring cannot enjoy shopping as most of us do—if "enjoy" is the right word from a husband's point of view. They cannot go into multiple or chain stores in high streets and buy articles of clothing. Their garments have to be made specially. Businesses will not set up to provide such items, because most are one-off garments and there is no profit in them.
Our friends who are disadvantaged are no different from us in many ways. They have the same self-respect, and I think that dignity means more to them than to those of us who are fortunate. Many of them do not venture outside their homes because they do not have the right garments to wear. Their pride makes them housebound, and that is a reflection on our welfare state. I hope that the Minister will at least give me some hope that the importance of the matter has not escaped him.
Let me give one or two examples from my constituency. John has a dwarfing disease and is 54 in. round the waist, with an inside leg measurement of 12 in. He buys trousers and cuts the legs off above the knee. Suits are impossible to get and all other garments are much too long in the arm. His head is too big to go through T shirts, and polo, crew-neck or even round-neck jumpers.
Evelyn has an 86 in. bust and is 101 in. round the hips. She had only a nightdress when she was first met by the people who run this workshop in Shipley.
My third example is Samantha. She has spina bifida which has left her with a hump on her back just below the waist and a twisted spine. She is in a wheelchair and has to sit with her feet straight out in front of her. If she buys a jacket that fits her bust, it will not go over the bump and rides up. If it is big enough to go over the bump, it is too big everywhere else. Trousers were a dream for her. Her mother could not buy any that came anywhere near her waist at the back and masses of fabric collected in her lap. When the workshop made some trousers for Samantha, her mother burst into tears. One mother with curvature of the spine was not going to her daughter's wedding because she could not buy an outfit that hung correctly.
I shall now talk about warmth and give two examples. Andrew is 11 years old, has spina bifida and is mentally disabled. He lies flat all day and moves a hand to play with a rattle. He is blue with cold. An all-in-one suit was made 896 for him in a new thermal fabric and for the first time in his life he was pink like everyone else. Lastly, John's parents had to get up every two hours during the night to rub his arms and legs to keep the circulation going. A pair of pyjamas in a special fabric means that they can now sleep through the night.
Those examples convey just what a tragedy it can be for families who do not have access to the facilities that this workshop provides. In my constituency there is a dedicated lady called Nellie Thornton who decided to do something about this. She is a former dressmaking teacher and while on a community study course, she worked in a hospital with patients who had had strokes. She found that great emphasis was placed on making them independent and allowing them in the home to do whatever could be done. However, no one paid any attention to the special clothing that they needed. In 1981 she started this workshop, Fashion for the Disabled, in Shipley. With urban aid money and the help of the Manpower Services Commission, much progress has been made. We must not forget the sponsorship provided by the Bradford and Ilkley college.
I emphasise that two services are provided at the Fashion for the Disabled centre. One is training, where dressmaking courses are held for the disabled. Weekly courses are available for young spina bifida students, 16 to 19-year-olds from special schools, older disabled people and even young blind people. They learn how to measure, to fit and to make patterns, and to design and make garments. Within a week all of these people, whether or not they have sewn before, can make a garment to fit themselves. The joy that that brings to them because it is an achievement has to be seen to be believed.
Training is also provided for staff from other areas to set up their own centres. Regular courses are now held in Perth, Edinburgh, Kent and Surrey, and this year Belfast and, believe it or not, Athens, are to be added to the list. We were fortunate to have the Princess of Wales visit the centre in the early part of the year. She was deeply impressed by the work carried on there and by the devotion of the staff to the disabled. The Princess afterwards pointed that out in a very kind letter.
In the field of training there are no financial problems. Finance comes from the base budget of Bradford and Ilkley college and will continue to do so.
I come now to the second type of service, which is for the disabled who cannot help themselves. It is a workshop where individual garments are made to order for the sort of people that I described earlier. It is quite a task to fit such people and often means visits to them in their homes. If a fair charge reflecting the cost of the garment had to be made, these people would not be able to afford it. Hon. Members can imagine how time-consuming and expensive it is to make a garment to fit some of the people that I have described. Therefore, a subsidy of some sort is inevitable and the costs, according to figures that I have been given, vary from about three to eight times the price in a multiple store. That is easy to understand, given the wear and tear to which the garments are subjected and the extra work that is involved in making the garments.
It is not simply a question of covering these people's bodies. There is an immense social benefit for those people. It can take up to two hours for some of these disabled people to get dressed. Imagine the effort involved in that. If we consider the matter, we realise that people do not go out if they feel that what they are wearing is not 897 socially acceptable. They become housebound and their partners—when we consider married couples—get tired of going out alone and marriages have broken up as a result.
Imagine the change in our life styles if we had only clothing that was too big, which did not fit, with necklines that gaped, collars that poked or waistlines nowhere near the waist. Imagine all those clothes wearing out rapidly because we had to wear appliances and, because of our size, no ordinary clothes would fit.
I submit that we only realise what independence means when we lose it. Too many of those people have lost that independence. I hope that the Minister accepts that there is a need for this kind of service. The proof is that, following the experiment in Shipley, there are now 22 workshops around the country that are all in the same boat. In other words, they have no permanent funding. No one seems to want to pick up the funding of a scheme that is guaranteed to make a loss. This is a national problem. If we ask anyone in hospital, social workers or anyone involved in community work, I am sure that they will confirm the importance of the matter.
To give some idea of cost, the workshop in Shipley which employs six staff would need a subsidy of about £25,000–£35,000 to break even. I believe that that is a good investment for the improvement in morale of the disabled. I wonder how many fewer hours of medical attention are required because these people feel so much better with new clothes.
I hope that everyone now understands the importance of this subject. When I considered the provision of funds, I thought that I should first address my remarks to the Department of Health and Social Security. I understand that it is possible, through legislation, for local health authorities to provide some assistance in that direction. I have no doubt that local authorities could assist and the Social Services departments also have a responsibility. Perhaps the Minister can do something to bang a few heads together to ensure that this provision is not allowed to fade away. We need only think about the number of road accidents that occur and the ill-health that befalls people who do not believe that they will ever need this service to realise the extent of the problem. However, who knows what the future holds?
I submit that there is a basic human need to provide people with the dignity that comes with the right clothes and garments. I hope that the Minister will be able to give me some encouragement in this matter.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security (Mr. Michael Portillo)
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Sir M. Fox) most warmly for raising this subject tonight and for giving us the opportunity of this short debate. I congratulate him on speaking so interestingly, movingly and penetratingly. I pay tribute to him for his clear concern about the future of an organisation in his constituency that is involved in such excellent and useful work. I re-emphasise one of the points that he made, for I understand that when Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales visited Fashion Services for the Disabled in March she was most impressed with 898 what she saw. My hon. Friend's concern is typical of the assiduous way in which he cares for his constituency and all that goes on within it.
I am delighted to respond to the issues that my hon. Friend has raised, and, like him, I shall take my remarks a little wider than merely the subject of Fashion Services for the Disabled, although I shall deal with that first. I shall echo many of the things that my hon. Friend has said.
Dressing and undressing oneself is an important part of our everyday lives and something that most of us take very much for granted. Yet this operation, which is so simple to most of us, can be extremely difficult for some disabled people. It is essential that wherever possible disabled people should be able to dress and undress themselves to maintain their personal independence and dignity.
There are many reasons why disabled people might have difficulties and my hon. Friend has explained many of them. For example, arthritic hands and joints may not be able to cope with zips and buttons, mentaly handicapped people may find it difficult to cope with fasteners, there are those whose body shape does not fit conventional clothing and there are others whose clothing must accommodate body-worn supports or possibly incontinence pads.
It is important that all disabled people should be given the opportunity to lead lives that are as full and independent as possible, and this applies to their dressing and clothing needs as much as to other aspects of daily living. It means that there will be some who will need special clothing that is tailored to their individual disability. This helps disabled people to be and to feel more independent, and the act of dressing itself can have beneficial results. For example, it can help to mobilise joints and strengthen muscles as well as providing a boost to morale.
We recognise that it will not do to provide clothes that merely overcome the problems to which I have referred. Clothes are an integral part of the personality and individuality of the wearer and his or her acceptance socially. Good fashionable clothes increase the self-esteem of the wearer and the regard in which he or she is held by others. Disabled people now—I think that this is their absolute right—are very fasion conscious. They demand a choice of clothing which, while functional, does not obviously proclaim itself as being different from the sort of clothing that they might have been able to buy in a high street shop. This applies equally to those who might be unable to dress or undress themselves or who need help to do so.
It was against that background that Fashion Services for the Disabled proposed a three-year project, which was accepted for funding by the urban programme and the Manpower Services Commission. It was sponsored by the Bradford and Ilkley community college. The aim of the project was twofold. First, the aim was to provide a training centre offering courses to encourage self-help among disabled people and their carers. Courses were offered also to teachers to give them a deeper understanding of disability and practical experience of working with, designing for and fitting disabled persons. There are courses for disabled people and their carers to learn about fabrics, design, pattern making and garment construction. Professionals working with disabled people have the chance to discuss with Fashion Services for the Disabled the clothing problems that they meet and to work with the organisation to solve them.
899 The second aim was to set up a workshop to produce fashionable clothing that meets individual need and gives maximum independence in dressing and care. For this purpose people from the workshops visit homes, centres, hospitals, schools and individuals on request to discuss with individuals the problems and to take measurements as necessary. Garments are made in the fabric of the client's choice and fitted before completion. The prices to the customer are normally then comparable with similar commercial products.
As my hon. Friend said, the project began in 1983 and continued until April 1987, which was when the funding problem reared its head. Fashion Services for the Disabled contacted the Department of Health and Social Security on several occasions, most recently in June, requesting funding for a continuation of the project at a cost of about £32,000 per annum.
Unfortunately, we were unable to agree to the request as the project did not meet the criteria under section 64 of the Health Services Public Health Act 1968; nor did it meet the criteria as a research project.
My hon. Friend will appreciate that funding schemes must necessarily have rules or criteria governing the purpose for which a grant may be made, and to whom it may be made. The section 64 funds are provided mainly to assist with the central administration costs of national voluntary organisations in the health and personal social services spheres. Funds are, however, also provided to support innovatory projects of potential national significance, or to develop a particular pattern of service. Such project funding is essentially pump priming, and is intended to be time-limited, normally to a maximum of three years.
The organisation that put in the request is not now an innovatory one, and I very much regret that we have been unable to help that very worthwhile organisation.
Fashion Services also raised the question of joint funding, and was advised to seek support from local statutory authorities or voluntary bodies that use their services. My understanding of the pesent position is that Fashion Services' workshop has been taken under the wing of Bradford and Ilkley community college, which has agreed to cover the costs until March 1988. Beyond that, I understand that Bradford education department is currently reviewing the position from April 1988 onwards, and recently met representatives of Dr Barnardo's with a view to the latter having some involvement with Fashion Services. Dr. Barnardo's is discussing with Fashion Services the possibility of some involvement in the management and development of the project as a youth training scheme, together with the city of Bradford. Such involvement will obviously depend on a number of factors, including the satisfactory resolution of financial arrangements and sufficient grant aid from the local authority to match any input from Dr. Barnardo's. I earnestly hope that the arrangements will be concluded satisfactorily, and I am very sorry that, as far as I can judge, the project does not fit the section 64 criteria, for the reasons that I have explained.
None the less, we recognise that my Department has a primary responsibility for disabled people, and must play a part in helping. For the majority of disabled people, their needs for clothing and to exercise personal choice of style can be met by certain types of clothing produced for the general market, or by adaptations to standard garments. That view is supported by the Disabled Living foundation, 900 perhaps the major voluntary organisation for the disabled. My hon. Friend the Minister for the Disabled will be visiting that organisation in a few hours' time. We provide a substantial grant to the Disabled Living Foundation, whose clothing advisory service is the main source of information on the subject, collecting, storing and disseminating information on all aspects of clothing for disabled people.
I mentioned earlier the special needs of people who are mentally handicapped, and who may lack the necessary intellectual ability or dexterity to dress themselves in conventional clothing. In 1985, my Department agreed to provide the DLF with an additional grant of some £20,000 to fund a project to produce a book on clothing and dressing intended for all concerned with the care and teaching of mentally handicapped people, to enable them to help such people achieve greater independence. A final draft of the book has just been received.
My Department also funds the organisation Equipment for the Disabled, which provides and updates a series of reference books on a wide range of disability equipment and self-help devices currently available. One of their publications, "Clothing and Dressing for Adults," provides information on a number of factors which need to be taken into account in selecting clothing, and which help the individual to choose suitable styles. Work on updating the book is shortly to begin.
Through its disability equipment assessment programme, the Department sponsored the Southampton general hospital's assessment of the use of lower limb dressing aids. The programme assesses disability equipment while it is in use by disabled people under clinical supervision and records the advantages and disadvantages of the equipment. It offers guidelines on the most important aspects to be considered when such equipment is prescribed.
The programme is aimed primarily at helping disabled people, their carers and the professionals working with them to choose the most suitable equipment to meet their needs. It is also of value to manufacturers and suppliers. The feedback that they obtain helps them to see whether their products need to be modified to improve performance or convenience. A number of reports have been published, including that from Southampton, and they are available from the Department on request. The Southampton unit is currently engaged on the assessment of upper limb dressing equipment and garment fastenings.
I hope that my hon. Friend now accepts that the Department is aware of the problems that are associated with special clothing needs and that it is doing something about them. I hope that my hon. Friend will also accept the assurance that I have given him, even though I am unable at this stage to give him firm news about Fashion Services for the Disabled. I very much hope that the plans that are now being considered in order to continue the financing of that project will be successful. It is a most worthwhile project that has done very valuable work. I join my hon. Friend in commending Mrs. Thornton on the very valuable work that she has done. Not least for that reason, again I thank my hon. Friend most warmly for raising the subject and for giving us the opportunity to have this short debate.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Adjourned accordingly at one minute past Four o'clock am.
Back to Poll Tax


text:
Number 209 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force was originally formed from a nucleus of "Naval Eight" on 1 February 1917 at Saint-Pol-sur-Mer, France, as No. 9 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and saw active service in both World Wars, the Korean War and in Malaya. The use of the squadron number ceased in 1968 and it has not been reused since by an RAF squadron. However the number, badge and motto is in current service within the RAF Air Cadets at 209 (West Bridgford) Squadron ATC in Nottinghamshire.

History

Formation and World War I
The Squadron was formed as a Royal Air Force Squadron on 1 April 1918, from No. 9 Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service at Clairmarais aerodrome. (All former RNAS squadrons were renumbered by the addition of 200 to their RNAS number.) During the remainder of World War I, 209 Squadron flew Sopwith Camels over the Western Front on fighter and ground support missions. The Squadron badge, the falling red eagle, symbolizes the destruction of Baron Manfred von Richthofen (commonly known as The Red Baron) who, in the 1914–1918 War, was credited to the guns of a pilot, Roy Brown from No. 209 Squadron. On 21 January 1919, the squadron was reduced to a skeleton organisation and disbanded in the UK on 24 June 1919 at RAF Scopwick, Lincolnshire.

The interbellum
No. 209 reformed at the flying boat base at RAF Mount Batten, Plymouth on 15 January 1930. It was first equipped with Blackburn Iris flying boats and then from January 1934 by Blackburn Perth but neither of these types were built in sufficient quantities to equip the squadron fully. In July 1936, however, the squadron was fully equipped with Short Singapore Mk.IIIs and it was transferred to RAF Kalafrana, Malta in September 1937 for three months. In December 1938, No 209 began to convert to yet another flying boat type, the Supermarine Stranraer.

World War II

When the Second World War broke out, No.209 moved to Invergordon to patrol the North Sea between Scotland and Norway. From October 1939 it patrolled the Atlantic from Oban. Two further re-equipments occurred, in December 1939 (Saro Lerwicks) and then in April 1941 (Consolidated Catalinas). Familiarisation with the U.S. supplied Catalinas was aided by the secondment of U.S. military personnel who also flew on active service patrols, despite the U.S. being a neutral power at the time. Anti-submarine patrols were flown over the Atlantic from RAF Castle Archdale on Lough Erne, in Northern Ireland, using the Donegal Corridor over neutral Eire. During this time, in May 1941, a patrol by No.209 (with an American crewman) located the German battleship Bismarck.

In August 1941, the squadron moved to Iceland for two months. From March 1942 until July 1945, No.209 was stationed in East Africa. It flew patrols over the Indian Ocean with detached bases in South Africa, Madagascar, Oman and the Seychelles to extend its cover. In July 1945 the squadron moved to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), with recently acquired Short Sunderland MkVs, with a detachment at Rangoon (now Yangon), to harass Japanese shipping along the coast from Burma (now Myanmar) to Malaya.

Post war

Hong Kong and Seletar
After the Japanese surrender in August 1945, a detachment was sent to Hong Kong in September, followed by the rest of the squadron in October. In April 1946 the squadron moved to Singapore. A detachment remained at RAF Kai Tak and became No.1430 flight and then No.88 Squadron. The squadron headquarters was established at RAF Seletar (sometimes referred to as "Seltar"), on Singapore Island on 18 May 1946 and No.209 and was named "City of Hong Kong" Squadron on 23 January 1947.

To Korea
Operation Firedog missions during the Malayan Emergency began on 7 July 1948. In September 1950, during the Korean War, the aircraft were moved to Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan to patrol off the Korean coast from 15 September. On 1 January 1955 the squadron merged with No. 205 Squadron.

With Pioneers in the transport role
On 1 November 1958 No. 267 Squadron at RAF Kuala Lumpur was renumbered 209 Squadron and flew Scottish Aviation Pioneers and Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneers on liaison and transport duties in Malaysia. No.209 Squadron was finally disbanded on 31 December 1968 at RAF Seletar.

Notable personnel
 Fred Everest Banbury – 1917–1918 with No. 9 Naval Squadron
 Arthur Roy Brown
 Stearne Tighe Edwards
 Air chief marshal Robert Foster – 1918
 John Hales
 Oliver Colin LeBoutillier
 Wilfrid May
 Air vice-marshal Francis Mellersh
 John Paynter – 1917 with No. 9
 Oliver Redgate – 1917–1918
 Merrill Samuel Taylor – 1917–1918 with No. 9 and No. 209

Aircraft operated

Squadron bases

See also
List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

 Bowyer, Michael J.F and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1979. .
 Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes Since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2003. .
 Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians), 1988. .
 Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 2001. .
 Kennedy, Ludovic. Pursuit: The Sinking of the "Bismarck". London: Book Club Associates, 1975.
 Lewis, Peter. Squadron Histories: R.F.C, R.N.A.S and R.A.F., 1912–59. London: Putnam, 1959.
 Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1982. .
 Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers), 1969 (new edition 1976, reprinted 1978). .
 Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russel. Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920.  Oxford: Grub Street, 1990. , .

External links

  No. 209 Squadron Coastal Command deployments

Military units and formations established in 1917
09
209 Squadron
Military of Hong Kong under British rule
Military units and formations of the Royal Air Force in World War I
Aircraft squadrons of the Royal Air Force in World War II
Military units and formations disestablished in 1968
1917 establishments in France

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Parse date-time field defined in Swagger file I have an API written in Swagger 2.0 that says an entity has a property called when of type date-time:
properties:
  when:
    type: string
    format: date-time

I don't know how to parse the string. How should I expect the date-time format to looks like? I cannot find this in the Swagger 2.0 documentation

A: As per the Open API 2.0 spec, the date-time should be defined by RFC3339.
For example:

*

*2016-03-22T21:03:41

*1985-04-12T23:20:50.52Z

*1990-12-31T15:59:60-08:00

I don't know how to parse the string.

This would depend on the language you're using. In JavaScript, Date.parse(dateString) can easily parse the string. Or in Java, you can refer to Converting ISO 8601-compliant String to java.util.Date to know how to parse the date string.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How to right align \part I have been trying to right align the \part in latex, but without any success
Please also take into account the TOC input and the text formatting (fonts, etc. from the whole document). Basically I don't wanna change anything else in the basic part declaration of latex, except right justifying it and use a ":" or "-" instead of the "." at the end of the Part number.
I would also like the page number to be hidden.
Thank you guys!
PS: Unfortunately I can't post a picture of what I have right now.
I have found this code while searching the web:
\def\@part[#1]#2{%
\ifnum \c@secnumdepth >-2\relax
  \refstepcounter{part}%
  %  add to TOC, but without page number (since this page is not counted)
   \addtocontents{toc}{\protect
      \nonumcontentsline{\numberline{\partname\space\thepart}#1}}
\else
  %  add to TOC, but without page number
  \addtocontents{toc}{\protect\nonumcontentsline{#1}}
\fi
\markboth{}{}%
{\centering
 \interlinepenalty \@M
 \normalfont
 \ifnum \c@secnumdepth >-2\relax
   % part number - UPPERCASE, and make it slightly larger
   \large \bfseries \MakeUppercase{\partname\nobreakspace\thepart}
   \par
   \vskip 20\p@
 \fi
 % part title - make it slightly larger
 \large \bfseries #2\par}%
\@endpart}

But whatever I do, I can't right align it. Tried the flushright environment. My other idea was to put it in a makebox to be aligned.. But that's not possible :(
UPDATE
Using the minipage environment, I was able to right align the \part :-D yuhuu
I have just put the \part inside the minipage environment and played a bit its attributes. It works fine. But the remaining problem is how to get the part number and the title on the same line:

Part I: Title of the first part

A: Using \raggedleft is sufficient.
\documentclass{book}

\makeatletter
\def\@part[#1]#2{%
  \ifnum \c@secnumdepth >-2\relax
    \refstepcounter{part}%
    %  add to TOC, but without page number (since this page is not counted)
    \addtocontents{toc}{\protect
      \nonumcontentsline{\numberline{\partname\space\thepart}#1}}%
  \else
    %  add to TOC, but without page number
    \addtocontents{toc}{\protect\nonumcontentsline{#1}}%
  \fi
  \markboth{}{}%
  {\raggedleft
   \interlinepenalty \@M
   \normalfont\large\bfseries % <-- Adjust here
   \ifnum \c@secnumdepth >-2\relax
     \large\bfseries\partname\nobreakspace\thepart: %
   \fi
   #2\par}%
  \thispagestyle{empty}% <-- remove the page number
  \@endpart}
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\mainmatter
\part{Title of the first part}
\end{document}

If \large\bfseries is not what you want, change it to suit.


Celebrities including Rihanna, Lil Wayne, and The Weeknd have all shared their reaction to the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history in Las Vegas.
The world is currently mourning the deadliest mass shooting event on U.S. soil in Las Vegas on Sunday night (October 2). A lone gunman wrecked havoc at a Country Music festival leaving at least 59 persons dead and another 500 plus injured from gunshots and stamped. The shooter has been identified as as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nev., according to police officers. A motive for the attack is not yet known, but the incident has been deemed the deadliest mass shooting in United States history.
Fortunately, police officers were quick on the scene or else the shooting could have been a lot worst. Cops burst into his hotel room where they discovered Paddock deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers also found an arsenal of high powered weapons in the gunman's hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Vegas. "Sheriff Lombardo said that Mr. Poddack brought in at least 10 suitcases into his hotel room over a period of time," New York Times reported.
Like the rest of us, celebrities are in shocked and are sharing their reaction on Twitter and Instagram. "Saying a prayer for all the victims & their loved ones, also for the residents & visitors of Las Vegas! This was a horrific act of terror," Rihanna wrote, while The Weeknd added, "Waking up to this horrible news in Las Vegas is so heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to those who were tragically involved." Other celebrities who have weighed in includes John Legend, Ciara, Kelly Rowland, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Monica, Usher. Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne, Trey Songz, Zendaya, Mariah Careyt, and more.
"Don't even know what to say. To be in Vegas while this is happening, brings a pain to my heart. My team and I are safe Thank God! Prayers up," Trey Songz tweeted.
Devastating – prayers to those affected by the senseless act of domestic terrorism in Las Vegas. My heart goes out to each of you. ??
Heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred in Las Vegas. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this senseless act of violence.
Praying for our world and families affected by all these tragedies. My heart is broken from all that's happening. #HealTheWorld ??
Horrified to hear about the shooting in #LasVegas. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. Praying for everyone's safety ??
Sick to my stomach watching footage from Vegas ?Sending my love and prayers ????


text:
Hisaye Yamamoto | Biography
Full Name Hisaye Yamamoto
Occupation Author
Birthplace Redondo Beach, California, USA
Birth Date August 23, 1921
Death Date January 30, 2011
Age At Death 89
Japanese-American Short Story Writer
Author of Stories like 'Seventeen Syllables' (1949), 'The Brown House' (1951), 'Yoneko's Earthquake' (1951)
After being released from the prison camp upon the conclusion of World War II in 1945, Yamamoto and her family returned to California, LA. She subsequently went to work for the Los Angeles Tribune, an African American weekly newspaper. Primarily employed as a columnist, she also became a field reporter and editor in the publication. Those experiences led her to write for the Asian American community and other communities that also endured discrimination. She wrote her experiences of those three years in her 1985 memoir, 'Fire in Fontana,' tracing the origins of her sense of solidarity with the African American community.
Original : September 03, 2021
Hisaye Yamamoto was an acclaimed Japanese-American short story writer known for literary works about post-WWII racism, immigrant discontent, and sexual harassment.
Who Is Hisaye Yamamoto?
A Japanese-American short story writer, Hisaye Yamamoto, was among one of the first Asian Americans to receive post-war national literary recognition. As a child of immigrant Japanese in America, she experienced several barriers caused by racism and faced violence during WWII.
She chronicled her overall experience during and after WWII into her short stories and memoir. Among her other stories, she was known for her collection of short stories titled 'Seventeen Syllables and Other Stories,' which was first published in 1988. Most recently, Google Doodle featured her on 4 May 2021 to mark the beginning of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
Hisaye Yamamoto was born on 23 August 1921 in Redondo Beach, California, United States. She was born to immigrant strawberry farmers from Kumamoto, Japan. Her family frequently moved because of race-focused laws. As a result, she became familiar with barriers put up by the United States government around Japanese Americans and Japanese immigrants in the US.
She then found comfort in reading and writing about those obstacles at a young age. At age 14, she started writing short stories and letters under Napoleon's pseudonym, but her writing was initially rejected. But as a teenager, she regularly contributed to the English-language section of the Japan-California daily newspaper Kashu Mainichi Shinbun. She worked in high school and junior college yearbooks. She attended Compton Junior College, where she studied French, Spanish, German, and Latin and earned an Associate of Arts degree.
WWII and Works
Following World War II, Yamamoto's family were among the over 120,000 Japanese-Americans forcefully moved to the United States government prison camps in Poston, Arizona, in 1942. She was 21 years old when they were imprisoned at prison camps, where they faced physical, social, and psychological violence and harsh conditions. Despite the ordeals, she wrote articles and a serialized mystery titled 'Death Rides the Rails to Poston' for the prison camp newspaper The Poston Chronicle.
In 1944, she was granted to leave the camp to work as a cook in Springfield, Massachusetts, but returned after a short period when her brother, Johnny, was killed. Her brother was killed while fighting with the United States Army's 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Italy. Her three years of experience in prison camp later laid the foundation for her writing that followed.
Post-WWII Career
After being released from the prison camp upon the conclusion of World War II in 1945, Yamamoto and her family returned to California, LA. She subsequently went to work for the Los Angeles Tribune, an African American weekly newspaper. Primarily employed as a columnist, she also became a field reporter and editor in the publication.
Gathering news for the Los Angeles Tribune for the next three years, she discovered the widespread racism that many underrepresented groups faced in the United States. Those experiences led her to write for the Asian American community and other communities that also endured discrimination. She wrote her experiences of those three years in her 1985 memoir, 'Fire in Fontana,' tracing the origins of her sense of solidarity with the African American community.
In 1948, when she was 27, Yamamoto published her first short story, 'The High-Heeled Shoes: A Memoir,' based on the sexual harassment women frequently underwent. The publication of her short story, as well as an offer of help from her brother Jemo and an insurance bequest from her brother Johnny's death, motivated and enabled her to leave journalism and focus full time on writing. She then began writing on topics related to racism, sexism, and violence.
The following year, she published 'Seventeen Syllables' (1949), exploring the generation gap between Issei and Nisei from the point of viewpoint of a Nisei daughter. In 1950, she received an opportunity fellowship from the John Hay Whitney Foundation, which allowed her a further year to write full time. As a result, her stories appeared in several publications, including Partisan Review, Kenyon Review, Carleton Miscellany, Arizona Quarterly, and Furioso. In the same year, she published the short story 'The Legend of Miss Sasagawara,' narrating the tragedy of Miss Sasagawara in an American relocation camp during WWII.
She would follow that up with 'Wilshire Bus' (1950), 'The Brown House' (1951), 'Yoneko's Earthquake' (1951), 'Morning Rain' (1952), 'Epithalamium' (1960), and 'Las Vegas Charley' (1961). Moreover, in 1979, she published 'Life Among the Oil Fields: A Memoir.' Later, her collection of short stories titled 'Seventeen Syllables and Other Stories' was first published in 1988 by Kitchen Table-Women of Color Press. She also fictionalized her family's trip to Italy to visit her brother's grave in her 1995 story 'Florentine Gardens.'
Even though Yamamoto was recognized since her earlier writings, she received wide acclaim in the 1970s. Her short story, 'Yoneko's Earthquake' (1951), was named one of the Best American Short Stories: 1952. In 1986, she earned the Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award for Lifetime Achievement for her contribution to American multicultural literature. In 1988, her first edition of 'Seventeen Syllables and Other Stories' was presented the Award for Literature from the Association of Asian American Studies.
Personal Life and Death
In 1955, Yamamoto married Anthony Desoto. The couple together had four children. In 1948, she also adopted a five-month-old boy, Paul. During the busy child-rearing years, she suffered a nervous breakdown, and she had to spend a month at a Los Angeles treatment facility. She passed away at 89 on 30 January 2011 in Los Angeles. She also suffered a stroke earlier.
Seventeen Syllables Yoneko's Earthquake The Brown House Seventeen Syllables and Other Stories


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Across the street from your house is a small apartment building. Every so often, at the end of the month, someone will move out and someone else will move in. You sit in your upstairs office, the one with the green walls and the fuchsia and orange curtains –be not afraid of color– and glance out as you work.
Cars and vans, sometimes a U-Haul, the sweating friends and family: in and out they go, tromping up and down the steps, lugging the bureau and couch and chairs and television. It's all so familiar. You yourself have moved quite a few times in just such a manner.
About a month ago, someone new moved in. You have no idea if this someone new is a man or a woman, but you do know that the someone new is a musician.
You know this because it's spring –finally, it's spring– and you took out the storms and put in the screens, and the spring breeze blows the curtains and your hair while you work. And while you work, classical violin music wafts from an upstairs window from the apartment building across the street.
At first you thought it was a fluke. You had managed to catch a child at practice. Maybe she goes to MacPhail School for Music, as does one of your own children, you thought, and she's been avoiding her practicing all week, but today is lesson day. Quick, better get in a few minutes of practice so you won't have to lie to the teacher.
But a few minutes later you knew you were wrong. This was no child desperately trying to dodge a stern teacher bullet. For one thing, it was the middle of the day on a school day, long after all the backpack-dragging children on the block had trudged to their bus stops. For another, this was serious music played by someone who had put in thousands and thousands of hours of practice.
That first day he (she? Some days you picture a woman, other days a man in a black suit) played for more than and hour and then stopped.
Oh. You were surprised at how sad this made you. That music was so beautiful. You, who are forever embarrassed at your un-knowledge about classical music, yet who love it anyway, in your naive way, didn't want that music to end.
Your phone rang and you plucked it up.
She too works at home, in an upstairs room that faces the street exactly as yours does. She too likes to look out on the street life as she works.
But no flowers were necessary. Within an hour, the music had begun again, and on it went, for another hour. And on and off throughout the day, and the days, and the weeks, and now more than a month. Music is the center of the violinist's life.
Is there anything like that in your life? Any kind of gift you yourself can give the world, or your block, right here and right now, merely by trying to be better at something?
You can't delight the neighbors with the sound of your fingers clicking away on the keyboard, trying to be better at writing. You can't delight them with your singing, or your own preschooler piano playing. Maybe you can delight a few with the smell of baking cookies. Come the end of June through September, you might delight some with the hundreds of flowers which by then will be open and waving in the boulevard and front yard gardens.
But that violinist, all he has to do is stand before an open window and try to get better at what he already excels at, and the air around him fills with beauty.
It's funny–when I read a book (like one of yours, for instance) and think about how the story, the words, the ideas reach right into my heart, I want to be able to do that so badly. I often feel like the things I want to say musically get lost in performance because of nerves or imperfect technique. It is good, though, to think that maybe my own neighbors weren't too annoyed with me for the many times I, myself, practiced with the windows open. Thank you for the perspective!
Karen, I guarantee you that it would be pure pleasure to your neighbors. Last night it was 103 in Minneapolis, and the power was out in the neighborhood. I lay on my bed in the steam and listened to a child somewhere on the next block practicing "Greensleeves" on her flute. Halting, full of errors, and still beautiful.