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Water resources and irrigation infrastructure in Peru vary throughout the country. The coastal region, an arid but fertile land, has about two-thirds of Peru's irrigation infrastructure due to private and public investment aimed at increasing agricultural exports. The Highlands and Amazon regions, with abundant water resources but rudimentary irrigation systems, are home to the majority of Peru's poor, many of whom rely on subsistence or small-scale farming.

The Peruvian Government is undertaking several programs aimed at addressing key challenges in the irrigation sector like increasing water stress, competing interests, deteriorating water quality, poor efficiency of irrigation, drainage systems (including low technology systems and underutilization of existing infrastructure), weak institutional and legal frameworks, low cost recovery (i.e., operation and maintenance costs above actual collections), and vulnerability to climate variability and change, including extreme weather conditions and glacier retreat.

History of the irrigation sector

Agricultural land under irrigation/past and present trends
Agriculture in Peru dates back more than 5,000 years when the Chavin culture built simple irrigation systems and canal networks north of Lima. By the 15th and 16th centuries, the Inca Empire boasted an advanced irrigation systems, supplying water to 700,000 hectares of diverse crops in the fertile coastal zone. For the next 300 years, Spanish colonialists shifted the country's focus to mining, which caused a reduction in agricultural production to 300,000 hectares in the coast.

The 20th Century represented a period of agricultural stagnation especially during the 1970s and 1980s. In the past 30 years, the Peruvian Government has invested about US$5 billion to improve hydraulic infrastructure, including dams, and irrigation and drainage systems, producing an increase of the land under irrigation mostly in the coastal region.

Today, approximately 1.7 million hectares of Peru's cultivated hectares have some irrigation infrastructure available. However, only 1.2 million hectares are actually irrigated each year due to poor performance of irrigation systems.

Institutional development
The 20th century began with an important institutional development in Peru's irrigation sector with the creation of the Mining and Water Engineering Body (1904) and the Hydrological Service (1911). However, it was not until the 1920s that the first large-scale State irrigation projects were launched. Public investment in irrigation in 1905 accounted for 8.7% of the total, reaching 18.62% in 1912, a trend that continued in the 1920s and 1930s.

From 1945 to 1948, the Government approved a National Plan for Improving Irrigation. Between 1945 and 1956, public investment reached unprecedented levels with up to 50% of total investment. Examples of the projects implemented at this time and during the 1960s are the water transfers from the Quinoz River to the intermittent Piura River in the Piura Region and from the Chotano River to Chancay-Lambayeque River in the Lambayeque Region, both located in the northern part of the coastal plain. Between 1950 and 1980, 90% of irrigation investment was directed to the coastal region and only 10% to the highlands.

The 1969 agrarian reform expropriated all estates above a certain size, usually 100 hectares. Most Peruvian peasants were independent smallholders and thus continued to farm their land individually after the reforms. The agrarian reform and political instability contributed to the poor performance of agriculture, since they profoundly changed the relationships of production in the countryside, disrupted the organization of productive systems on the best agricultural lands, and forced out part of the entrepreneurial capacity. The agrarian reform and the General Water Law (1969) made the existing informal water users organizations official and part of an organizational model promoted by the state. In 1989, the decree 037-89-AG (Decreto Supremo) decentralized operational, maintenance, and management of irrigation systems to water user boards (Juntas de Usuarios-WUBs). The decree aimed to incorporate private investment and spur independence and financial sustainability within water user organizations by establishing water tariffs to cover operational and maintenance costs (O&M). However, low tariffs and collection capacity produced insufficient financial support for WUBs to maintain and develop irrigation systems. The Peruvian Government continued to be the major actor in irrigation development which focused on the coastal region. Some 76% of investment in the coastal region between 1978 and 1982 was concentrated in three major irrigation projects at Majes (Arequipa Region), Chira-Piura (Piura Region) and Tinajones (Lambayeque Region). This trend was maintained in the 1990s.

In 1996 the government created the Subsectoral Irrigation Program (Programa Subsectorial de Irrigacion – PSI), aiming to develop some WUBs' capacities, reduce the role of the public sector in irrigation, improve sustainability through increased cost recovery, and increase investment in technical improvement of irrigation systems. The project, considered a big success, expanded to all WUBs in the Costa and is in the process of being expanded to the Sierra.

Relevance of irrigation for agriculture and rural development

According to The Economist, Peru is South America's fastest-growing economy. That performance owes much to record prices for mineral exports. However, newer export products, such as mangoes and artichokes, are also flourishing. Irrigated agriculture has become increasingly important in Peru's development and growth, especially after a period of stagnation and limited development in the 1970s and 1980s. The agriculture sector employs 30% of Peru's population and accounts for 13% of GDP and more than 10% of total exports (US$1.6 billion in 2005). Two-thirds of agricultural GDP is produced on the Pacific coastal strip, a region totally dependent on irrigation due to low rainfall. High-value crops and irrigation technology have had a major impact on the coast's rural development. In 2001, rural poverty in the region was 5.2%. Poverty has fallen only slowly in the Andean region, where poverty reaches 70 percent of the population. Many Andean Indigenous remain trapped in subsistence farming on small plots and rudimentary irrigation systems. The region produces only one-third of the country's agricultural GDP.

Irrigation plays a fundamental role in increasing agricultural production and diversification, rural employment, and food security.  President Alan Garcia has set an ambitious target of cutting poverty to 30 percent by the end of his term, in 2011. For the first time in three decades the state has money to invest and —with the help of the World Bank-the government has drawn up a new anti-poverty strategy which includes ramping up social spending and agricultural development while trying to target more closely on the poorest areas, most of them in the southern Andes.

Rural and Urban Poverty by Natural Regions in Peru (%)

Source: INEI 2001

Irrigation development

Irrigation infrastructure

Peru's agricultural land is only 4.3% of its territory, with 5.5 million ha in use, of which 3.75 million ha is under rainfed agriculture and 1.75 million ha with irrigation infrastructure. The following chart reflects irrigation infrastructure allocation in Peru.

Area with Irrigation Infrastructure and irrigated areas (In thousands of hectares)

Source: Portal Agrario (1994)

About 80% of all water withdrawal in Peru is used for irrigation, yet much of this water (65%) is lost due to reliance on inefficient irrigation systems. Overall efficiency of water use in irrigation systems is estimated at about 35%, which is considered poor performance and is due mainly to leaky distribution systems and the wide use of unimproved gravity and flooding irrigation methods with an overall estimated efficiency of 50%.

Water is rarely metered and fees are mostly based on hectarage rather than on the volume of water used. Inadequate irrigation management together with inefficient irrigation systems lead to pervasive irrigation practices, with farmers applying water in excess of crop requirements and water availability.

The coastal region, due to climatic conditions, depends on the water supplied by rivers (surface water) of the Andean Chain  channeled through irrigation systems. In 1997, surface water supplied 97% of the fields by gravity irrigation (822473 ha) and 3% by pressurized irrigation (19680 ha). In the Costa landholdings are relatively large and agriculture is mostly commercialized and devoted to exports.

In the Sierra and Selva, with 97% of Peru's water availability, surface water supplies agricultural fields by furrow irrigation. Irrigation systems consist of an open canal network, generally unlined, with rudimentary water intakes and distribution systems supplying small plots devoted mostly to subsistence agriculture. Less than 5% of irrigated land is equipped with improved on-farm irrigation systems.

Linkages with water resources

Peru has a high availability of water resources with about 106 river basins, and a per capita availability of 77,600 m3—the highest in Latin America. The Andes divide Peru into three natural drainage basins: (i) Pacific basin, with 53 rivers, (ii) Atlantic basin, with 32 rivers, and (iii) Titicaca basin, with 13 rivers.

The dry Pacific basin, with 37 million cubic meters (m3) available per year, contains just 1.8% of Peru's water resources. Some 53 rivers, flowing west from the Andes to the coast, supply the bulk of the water used for irrigation. Of these rivers, only about 30% are perennial. Year-round irrigation water supply for about 40% of the irrigated area is unreliable, without some form of regulatory storage. The Atlantic basin holds 97% of all available water and receives almost 2 billion cubic meters annually. The Lake Titicaca area receives 10 million cubic meters annually. The majority of the rainfall occurs between November and May; the rest of the year irrigation depends on low-tech systems.

Source: INEI (2007)

Environmental impacts of irrigation
Environmental effects of irrigation concern:
 in the irrigation project:  waterlogging, soil salination, pollution of drainage water, loss of natural habitats of flora and fauna
 downstream of the project: reduced surface water availability, increased groundwater inflow,  water logging, polluted incoming water
 see also: Environmental impact of irrigation

The environmental effects often impoverish tail-end farmers.

Loss of habitat, water pollution and downstream effects have been scarcely looked at, because insufficient economic resources have limited the involvement of institutions responsible for environmental preservation.

The most encompassing survey of soil salinity problems was realized in the period of 1971 to 1975 by ONERN with collaboration of CENDRET, later SUDRET.

The following table shows irrigation developments, cultivated and degraded areas in particular years from 1964 to 2000 in the coastal zone. It shows the fast development of irrigation water resources and irrigable land, the lagging behind of the actually cultivated land and the fast increase of degraded land. Up to 1984 there was also a considerable increase of the amount of water applied per ha of irrigated land that shows the possibility of using excessive irrigation.

1) Including double cropping in a year  2) due to waterlogging and salinity
Sources: (1) CENDRET, 1974 "Evaluación de los problemas de drenaje y salinidad en la costa Peruana", (2)  IPROGA, 1988 "Gestión del Agua y Crisis Institucional", (3)  INADE, 2002 "Plan de Gestión de la Oferta de Agua de los proyectos Hidráulicos de costa".

Drainage problems are also affecting 150,000 hectares in the Selva.

Agricultural runoff, together with mining and industrial waste water, is also having an impact on water quality. Of the 53 rivers in the coastal area, 16 are partly polluted by lead, manganese and iron. Excessive deforestation in upper river basins due to nomadic agricultural practices is causing erosion problems in the Sierra, where 55-60% of the land is affected, and is increasing the amount of soil transported downstream.

Legal and institutional framework

Legal framework
Peru's Constitutional framework establishes sole ownership and managerial responsibility of water resources by the national government. The government allows water use under special conditions and appropriate payment of a water tariff, while maintaining ownership and ultimate control.

The General Water Law 17752 (Ley General de Aguas, 1969) considers water as an agricultural commodity. The 1997 Natural Resources Law 26821 allows the transfer of water rights, including irrigation, from one party to another, which is incompatible with the General Water Law, and presents significant obstacles to the establishment and management of water property rights.

In 2003 the government approved a 10-year National Irrigation Strategy (Ministerial Resolution 0498-2003-AG) aims at improving irrigation and drainage system technologies by creating a framework for national, regional, and local cooperation in the planning and implementation of irrigation projects (see below). Also, the Technical Irrigation Program (Programa de Riego Tecnificado-PRT-Law 28585 and its Regulation DS 004-2006-AG), approved in 2006, aims to repair, develop, and improve irrigation systems throughout Peru.

A draft National Water Resources Management Initiative, currently under revision by the Agrarian Committee, (see Water resources management in Peru) will recognize water's multisectoral nature and modify the previous institutional and legal framework, including irrigation, to carry out integrated water resources management.

Institutional framework
The institutional reforms of the past decade reduced the technical tasks under the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG) and created numerous semi-autonomous executive units and special programs at the national, regional, and local levels. PSI (Programa Subsectorial Irrigacion), is the institution carrying out the PSI programs aimed at improving the WUBs' managerial and technical capacities. The National Watershed Management and Conservation Soils Project (Programa Nacional de Manejo de Cuencas Hidrograficas y Conservacion del Suelo-PRONAMACHCS), promotes integrated water resources management and conservation in river basins, with emphasis on the highlands. The National Meteorological and Water Resources Service (Servicio Nacional de Meteorologia e Hidrologia-SENAMHI) studies and disclosures information regarding climate events and their impacts on water resources.

In 2008, Peru's government created a National Water Authority (Autoridad Nacional del Agua, ANA), under MINAG, replacing the Intendancy of Water Resources. ANA is responsible for designing and implementing sustainable water resources policies and irrigation nationally. ANA has local offices at each of Peru's 14 hydrographic regions, the Autoridades Administrativas del Agua (AAA); and Autoridad Local del Agua (ALA) at the local level—replacing the former Technical Administration of Irrigation Districts (Administración Técnica del Distrito de Riego, ATDR).

The national government continues to transfer duties to the regional and local governments, especially after the Decentralization Law and the 2003 law establishing regional governments. One of the newest responsibilities of these bodies consists of the implementation of the Technical Irrigation Program and the operation and maintenance (O&M) of major public hydraulic infrastructure (i.e. headwork such as dams and inter-basin transfers transferred to them as part of the decentralization process). Water User Boards (WUBs) responsible for operation and maintenance (O&M) of minor irrigation infrastructure. Finally, the newly approved Water Resources Law (Ley de Recursos Hídricos – LRH, published March 31, 2009) includes River Basin Councils (Consejos de Recursos Hidricos de las Cuencas, CC) as part of the National Water Resources System. The CCs will be in charge of elaborating River Basin Plans including allocation of water to different users and planning of new infrastructure which will impact irrigation.

Key Legal Issues that Arise in Irrigation PPPs
There are a number of legal and commercial issues that will affect how these projects move forward and are structured.  Whilst some of the legal issues are not confined to irrigation PPPs they can take on a new dimension and complexity when applied to irrigation: Land ownership; water extraction; public sector counterpart. These will be key issues in a PPP as the private provider will want to ensure a steady revenue stream.

There are also the usual legal considerations that need to be checked when developing PPPs in any sector, such as legal restrictions on the type of PPP arrangement that can be entered into, relevant procurement rules for entering into PPPs, existence of restrictions on foreign investment, taxation and potential for tax holidays and the ability to assign rights such as security and step in rights to lenders.

Farmers/organizations and on-farm water management
There are 112 WUBs in Peru comprising about 1,500 Irrigation Commissions (Comisiones de Regantes–CIs). Most of the irrigation infrastructure in coastal areas is managed by 64 WUBs, comprising about 300,000 water users. WUBs are less developed in the Andes and the Amazon, where water for irrigation is managed by more traditional organizations, Irrigation Committees (Comites de Regantes).

WUBs are private, nonprofit, and collectively owned organizations responsible for the O&M of collective irrigation infrastructure and the administration of water tariffs in one particular irrigation district. WUBs consist of representatives of Irrigation Commissions (Comisiones de Regantes) and non-agricultural water users groups which are responsible for water distribution in their irrigation subsectors and must participate financially in the planning and maintenance of the collective irrigation infrastructure. WUBs elect a Board of Directors to administer financial resources and implement WUB agreements and dispositions.

WUBs face several challenges: (i) increased pressure of water resources due to competing demands, (ii) deteriorating irrigation infrastructure, (iii) lack of financial sustainability, (iv) lack of technical capacity to manage irrigation, and (v) ambiguous role of Juntas, Commission, and Committees among themselves and with the Government.

National irrigation strategy
In 2003, the Peruvian Government approved a National Irrigation Strategy (Politicas y Estrategia Nacional de Riego en el Peru) Resolucion Ministerial N 0498-2003-AG. The strategy had been prepared by a multisectorial technical commission consisting of representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture; Housing, Construction and Sanitation; Economy and Finance; and the National Association of Users of Irrigation Districts.

The Strategy aims at increasing the profitability and competitiveness of irrigated agriculture through sustainable use of land and efficient water use. The strategy aims at increasing water use efficiency through the rehabilitation and modernization of irrigation infrastructure and the improvement of its O&M; promoting equitable and sustainable water use through the technical improvement of irrigation and drainage infrastructures; developing technically and financially self-sufficient WUBs responsible for the O&M of irrigation infrastructure; and enhancing farmer investment in irrigation infrastructure by regularizing water rights, taking into account water availability and water use efficiency. The ultimate goal is promoting an integrated water management system aimed at considering multisectoral use of water, river basin conservation, and disaster reduction.

Economics

Water tariff and cost recovery
WUBs are in charge of collecting water tariffs. Only 50% of WUBs are financially and technically independent. The remaining WUBs are in the process or in need of assistance to achieve financial and technical sustainability. Tariffs fluctuate from US$20–30 per ha, and collection rates vary from 10% in the Amazon to 68% in the Costa region.

The majority (83%) of the tariff revenues fund WUB activities. The remaining returns are allocated to cover O&M costs (8%) and to support the regional water authority, ATDR (8%). In 2006, the Peruvian Government approved DS 054-2006-AG, by which 2% of the water tariff component aimed at funding WUBs (86% of the total tariff), will now fund the recently created Fondo Nacional de Agua (FONAGUA). FONAGUA, a multisectoral body, aims to promote integrated water use management in Peru.

Investment and financing
According to MINAG, the cost of minor and major irrigation infrastructure in Peru is 11% and 48% higher, respectively, than the world average. Decentralization, together with the development of water resources management and irrigation institutions, created a multitude of entities responsible for irrigation investments at the national, regional, and local levels. The National Government has been investing in major irrigation infrastructure, mostly located in the coastal region although it plans to extend its efforts to the highlands as well. According to 2000 data, the National Government invested US$3.468 million to develop irrigation schemes in ten coastal projects.

Minor irrigation infrastructure is financed by the National Government in collaboration with the beneficiaries through a cost-sharing system. Since the creation of the Technical Irrigation Program (under PSI), financially sustainable WUBs have improved 5,282 ha of irrigation infrastructure, benefiting 1,085 producers, by raising US$5.5 million of a US$13.6 million project. NGOs, Municipal Savings and Loan Banks, and Savings and Loan Cooperatives operating in almost all departments of the country are also providing products specifically designed to serve agricultural producers in Peru, including loans for agricultural micro-enterprises and irrigation improvement.

External cooperation
In 1997, the World Bank contributed US$85 million, out of a total of US$172.4 million, to a Subsectoral Irrigation Project (Proyecto Subsectorial de Irrigacion). The aims of the PSI were (i) increasing water use efficiency through the rehabilitation and modernization of irrigation infrastructure, (ii) institutional strengthening of selected WUBs, and (iii) improving technical irrigation systems. In 2005, the World Bank increased its involvement with PSI II, by investing US$10.26 million of a US$22 million project, aimed at extending improved irrigation systems and WUBs capacity building to all the coastal region. Currently the World Bank is collaborating with Peru's Government to extend PSI's technical and financial support to the Sierra.

In June 2007, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved US$200 million for a water resources reform program (WRRP) that would include irrigation structures and institutional and legal reform. In August 2007, the IDB approved an additional US$5 million to support capacity building efforts contained in the WRRP. The IDB is also implementing a water resources management plan for Peru's Maschón and Chonta watersheds. The objective of this US$1.2 million grant is to define the appropriate measures for improving integrated water resources management.

Possible climate change impacts on irrigated agriculture

The effects of climate change in Peru can be seen in more extreme weather conditions and El Niño Southern Oscillation causing droughts and floods, and the retreat of Andean glaciers. The combined impacts of global warming and extreme weather are likely to severely impact hydrology, decreasing the water flow available for irrigation downstream in the coastal region and altering crop productivity. The Andean Community (CAN) estimates that climate change will cause US$30,000 million in losses or 4,5% of the GDP annually starting in 2025.

El Niño hits Peru approximately every seven years, producing economic and environmental damages and loss of life. In 1997-1998 El Niño caused US$2 billion in damages. Climate change is increasing the severity of this and other storms, increasing the vulnerability of Peru's poor, and damaging low technology irrigation infrastructures and agricultural crops. In the mountains, deforestation and slash-and-burn agriculture increase erosion and the risk of landslides. These effects are felt both at their source and further downstream and include damage to crops, water resources, and irrigation.

Peru contains roughly 71% of the world's tropical glaciers. Some of Peru's perennial rivers are fed by glaciers that are rapidly disappearing due to climate change. Since 1980 Peruvian glaciers have lost 22% of their surface area (500 km2), equivalent to 7,000 million cubic meters of water (about ten years of water supply for Lima). Glacier retreat in the Andes has important repercussions on Peru's water resources, including irrigation production and hydropower generation. This trend will continue, and it is believed that the increased runoff will cause Peru to suffer from severe water stress over the next 20 years. Peru's water supply is predicted to then decrease dramatically between 2030 and 2050.

Lessons learned from the Peruvian model
PSI (Proyecto Subsectorial de Irrigacion) is delivering positive results on the Peruvian coast, combining financial support and capacity building with regularization of water rights. The model's success in the coast has led to its current expansion in the Andean region.

Part of the success comes from the Government and WUBs sharing investment responsibilities for irrigation infrastructure improvements through a cost-sharing system. The cost sharing system encourages WUBs to increase tariffs and collection rates in order to raise a percentage of the total investment (15% for large investments and 35% for on-farm investments) which would then qualify for the Government to fund the rest of the project. Since its implementation, 63,730 producers belonging to 19 WUB have improved the irrigation infrastructure of 197,150 ha along the coast, contributing 14% of the total investment. WUBs have also technically improved 5,282 ha of irrigation infrastructure on the land benefiting 1,085 producers by raising US$5.5 million of the US$13.6 million.

Infrastructure rehabilitation and modernization is complemented by improving the management of irrigation schemes to ensure effective and sustainable use of irrigation systems. The capacity-building aspect of the Peruvian model includes strengthening the operation and maintenance requirements of the systems, and improvement of financial performance through increased volumetric metering, water tariff structure, and collection rate. Improving financial performance of the WUBs is linked to increasing farm incomes and therefore farmers' capacity to contribute to O&M costs as well as irrigation improvement investments.

In addition, MINAG began a Special Program for Land Titling (Proyecto Especial de Titulacion de Tierras y Catastro Rural-PETTCR) in 1992 to combat the uncertainty of property rights and the atomization of the agrarian structure. The implementation of PETTCR has increased the number of registered agricultural lands from 7% to 81% in 2005. PETTCR includes a proactive regularization of water rights based on water availability. Water security provided by formalized water rights is likely to encourage farmers to invest in their farming systems: for example, in improved on-farm irrigation technologies or conversion to higher value crops.

Gender in Irrigation
In spite of their many functions, WUB have in many cases limited capacity. PSI carried out a study of their capacity during the first phase, in the coast, where the state of the art irrigation practices are found. The study established that only 65% of them have acceptable water management. As a result, PSI held training and capacity building programs and found that the majority of participants were male. However, women do most of the agriculture work in rural areas as a result of male migration to the cities. Nevertheless, their representation in WUB is limited. Furthermore, in the board, most times they hold non relevant positions or their presence is nominal.

The PSI encouraged women to participate and water management in trainings through some pilots held in the Highland municipalities of Cajamarca, Junín and Arequipa with the support of the World Bank (a US$30,000 donation from the Gender Action Plan).
The pilots did a diagnosis on the audience; established the baseline, objectives, and indicators; developed a program for male and community sensitization; and obtained quantitative and qualitative results on women participation and leadership. For the future, PSI intends to mainstream all gender issues in projects, thus helping increase gender equity and therefore democracy in water management.
There is a video on the pilots Here

See also
Water resources management in Peru
Water supply and sanitation in Peru
Electricity sector in Peru

References

External links
Portal Agrario
Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática del Peru
Water, Agriculture and Poverty in the Andes
Irrigation, Flood/Erosion control at high altitudes in the Andes.

Agriculture in Peru
Environment of Peru
Peru


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For some who bore toll of virus, Biden offers sign of hope
by: MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press
Posted: Nov 8, 2020 / 10:27 AM CST / Updated: Nov 8, 2020 / 10:53 AM CST
FILE – In this Nov. 7, 2020, file photo, Jolin Polasek draws a sign in chalk on a street in Harlem, New York to celebrate President-elect Joe Biden's win over President Donald Trump to become the 46th president of the United States. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
After a brutal year of trying to save the sick and burying the dead, news of Joe Biden's ascension to president-elect came to some as a glimmer of hope that an end to the coronavirus misery might be in sight.
As much as the electoral verdict could be reduced to a simple political win or loss, for many who've borne the brunt of the pandemic, it was something more: the end of a dark chapter, a chance for a fresh start and perhaps an optimistic sign from a loved one who was lost.
Donna Taylor of Playa del Rey, California, whose 83-year-old mother died of COVID-19 in July, fell asleep with her TV tuned to CNN and felt like her mother nudged her awake to see the headline announcing Biden's victory. After suffering the worst day of 2020 in July, she pronounced Saturday the best day of the year.
"I feel that we are now going to start listening to science," said 56-year-old Taylor, who blamed President Donald Trump's handling of the virus for her mother's death. "Instead of saying, 'It's not a big deal,' Biden feels it is, and he's going to work very hard to get this horrible disease under control."
That will be no easy task for a pandemic again surging across the U.S., with 237,000 deaths and infections surpassing 9.8 million. In his victory address Saturday night, the former vice president promised "to marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope" and to "spare no effort — or commitment — to turn this pandemic around."
Biden said his first step will be to name a group of leading scientists and other experts on Monday to create a blueprint to combat the virus as soon as he takes office.
"There is a vision for change now," said Joelle Wright-Terry, a retired police officer from Clinton Township, Michigan, whose husband died of COVID-19 and who battled the virus herself.
Kennedy Johnson, a 19-year-old in Rancho Cucamonga, California, watched as her mother and grandmother cried with joy at the news of Biden's win, barely able to produce words. She knows they were thinking of her 76-year-old grandfather, who died of COVID-19 in April.
"It was a feeling of release, of being free from Trump and having Biden, someone who takes the pandemic seriously, someone who cares," said Johnson, who works at McDonald's while pursuing a music production degree. "We can finally move forward."
There were, of course, many struck by the tragedy of COVID-19 who nonetheless backed Trump, who contracted the virus himself and has been criticized for sparring with the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and embracing views on the fringe of the scientific community.
Jeffrey Wnek, a 56-year-old sheet metal worker from Buffalo, New York, lost his father to the pandemic, but it did not change his mind about a president he views as the first in his lifetime to help the working man.
"I can't blame him for that," Wnek said. "I don't think it would have mattered if Biden was there or Obama was there. It was going to do what it did no matter who was in office."
Still, both nationwide and in key battleground states across the Midwest and Sun Belt, Biden dominated with voters worried about the coronavirus and hungry for the federal government to do more to contain its spread, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide.
The coming months bring fear of a tough winter of infections and hope of a vaccine for COVID-19, but for those hurt by the pandemic and seeking a change at the White House, Biden's victory felt special.
Scott Glaessgen, a 50-year-old emergency medical technician in Norwalk, Connecticut, was emotional as he digested news of Biden's win after a trying year of transporting those sick with COVID-19 and losing his own mother to the virus.
"I've seen the devastation," Glaessgen said. "The difference in which Biden has talked about it and said he was going to handle it is stark. Hopefully that will save lives."
Dr. Irwin Redlener, a public health expert who heads the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, said he knew a change at the White House was "not a magical panacea" to end the pandemic. In the past year, his work was transformed, his oldest son was hospitalized with the virus, and he's lived in fear that another son, an emergency physician, could be infected. He saw reason to be buoyed by the news.
"We hopefully will be rejoining the world's experts in trying to figure out what we need to do about this," he said. "We're not going to see this administration or anyone involved in it fabricating fairy tales about when this will be over."
There was hope, Redlener said: "This will help put us on a course for getting control of this pandemic."
Claire Sundbye, 23, a recent college graduate in Chicago, thought of those like her father, a doctor who's been on the front lines of the COVID-19 response.
"I'm just so thankful to know the president that we are going to have is somebody that will stand by science and facts so that we can hopefully stand by our medical workers and get this virus under control."
In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 49-year-old nurse Kathy James felt an overwhelming sense of relief over Biden's victory. Her son-in-law died of COVID-19 last month as cases have skyrocketed in her region.
"It hurts, and its never going to stop hurting to lose Doug," James said of her son-in-law. "But there is this moment that he made a difference in this world. I have a feeling that he is up there, enjoying this moment."
Sedensky reported from Philadelphia. He can be reached at msedensky@ap.org and https://twitter.com/sedensky.
Associated Press writers Ken Miller in Oklahoma City and Stephen Groves in Sioux City, South Dakota, contributed to this report.
by Kayla Gaskins, Nexstar Media Wire / Jan 18, 2021
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - When Christine Bonavita's divorce was finalized a year ago, she was left with a decision: what to do with the very expensive rings she thought she'd wear every day for the rest of her life.
"Since that day, I started thinking, what am I going to do with these rings? I know there's a lot of options," said Bonavita.
by Rick Aaron, Nexstar Media Wire / Jan 18, 2021
TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (KTVX) - A Utah family has the quick actions of two police officers to thank for saving their 17-year-old daughter last month.
The morning of Wednesday, December 9th started out as usual for Taylorsville High senior Sarah Canepari. She got in her car to head to school but doesn't remember anything after that.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The Priory repositions with Design House integrated push
By February 10, 2010 12:00 am January 29, 2015 4:50 pm
Design House has created an integrated campaign for mental health care group The Priory Group, challenging the misconception that the organisation is just for celebrities.
The Priory, which was established in 1980, is an independent supplier of mental health care. It operates more than 50 hospitals, schools and care homes across the UK. It frequently hits headlines due to its celebrity clients, which have included Ronnie Wood, Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse.
Design House was briefed to create a campaign that would promote the Priory's general psychiatry service, specifically for stress. Creative director Chris Walmsley says, 'The downturn in the economy means everyone is so stressed now with jobs, mortgages and other problems.'
Walmsley says the consultancy was appointed around six months ago after initially talking to the Priory about working on its brand.
He says the campaign highlights 'real people and real stories', and has used 'eye-catching Rankin-style photography'. Walmsley adds that the campaign is also being localised 'to show that the Priory is not just for Londoners'.
The consultancy adds that the campaign 'turns celebrity on its head', using high-quality photography and dynamic typography, normally associated with glossy magazines.
Design House has developed a new microsite, plus print and billboard ads, for the Priory. The campaign rolls out this month.
11 February 2010 Projects Graphics
London 2012 Olympics appoints ceramic and crystal firm
Jam develops plans for 'art-oriented' 100% Design
Campaign recreates Dunhill's London home in New York
Sir Michael Bichard has been appointed to the House of Lords
Central Station has launched a members' fund
Studio Dempsey has designed a set of three CD covers for the London Chamber Orchestra


text:
Q: Would monitors attached to my USB hub make my CPU run hotter? Would having 2 monitors attached to my USB hub (along with 1 monitor attached to the MiniDisplay port) contribute to the CPU getting hotter?
My MacBook:

*

*Core i5@2.5-GHz

*16-GB of RAM

*1 HooToo 7 port USB hub

*2 Diamond USB Multi-Display Adapter

*the USB Display Adapters attach to HP 2511x (25") and Samsung S24D300 (24")

*the MiniDisplay port monitor is HNC iF281D (28")

*MacOS 10.11 (El Capitan)

*I installed iStat to monitor things.

I just read in some forum that the CPU might overheat with more than 1 external monitor???
I have been using this set-up for a few days. It is working fine.

A: I found the answer:
USB graphics devices, like the USB-HDMI-DVI, are "virtual" devices where much of the heavy lifting is done by the CPU, by hooking into the graphics stack.
Even so, I'll keep this set-up and monitor things with iStat. All I display is MSFT Word documents and stupid web pages. I think I'll be ok?
Sorry I did not do more research!

A: Thank you man, for publishing the answer.
Just as a follow up to the answer, it won´t make it run hotter, but it will consume some processing from your CPU (while compressing video) and mostly the GPU (for rendering the additional screens), this Wikipedia article tells exactly your answer and adds some context to it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayLink

The DisplayLink network graphics technology is composed of Virtual
  Graphics Card (VGC) software that is installed on a PC and a Hardware
  Rendering Engine (HRE) embedded or connected to a display device. The
  DisplayLink VGC software is based on a proprietary adaptive graphics
  technology. The VGC software runs on a Windows, Mac OS X, Linux host
  PC and takes information from the graphics adapter and compresses the
  changes to the display from the last update and sends it over any
  standard network including USB, Wireless USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi.
  After receiving the data, the HRE then transforms it back into pixels
  to be displayed on the monitor.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
import {assert} from 'chai';

import {
  $,
  click,
  getBrowserAndPages,
  getTestServerPort,
  goToResource,
  waitFor,
} from '../../shared/helper.js';
import {describe, it} from '../../shared/mocha-extensions.js';
import {navigateToApplicationTab} from '../helpers/application-helpers.js';
import {getDataGrid, getDataGridRows, getInnerTextOfDataGridCells} from '../helpers/datagrid-helpers.js';

const REPORTING_API_SELECTOR = '[aria-label="Reporting API"]';

describe('The Reporting API Page', async () => {
  it('shows reports', async () => {
    const {target} = getBrowserAndPages();
    await navigateToApplicationTab(target, 'reporting-api');
    await click(REPORTING_API_SELECTOR);
    const dataGrid = await getDataGrid();
    const innerText = await getInnerTextOfDataGridCells(dataGrid, 1, false);
    const reportBody = '{"columnNumber":20,"id":"NavigatorVibrate","lineNumber":9,"message":' +
        '"Blocked call to navigator.vibrate because user hasn\'t tapped on the frame or any ' +
        'embedded frame yet: https://www.chromestatus.com/feature/5644273861001216.","sourceFile":' +
        `"https://localhost:${getTestServerPort()}/test/e2e/resources/application/reporting-api.html"}`;

    assert.strictEqual(
        innerText[0][0], `https://localhost:${getTestServerPort()}/test/e2e/resources/application/reporting-api.html`);
    assert.strictEqual(innerText[0][1], 'intervention');
    assert.strictEqual(innerText[0][2], 'Queued');
    assert.strictEqual(innerText[0][3], 'default');
    assert.strictEqual(innerText[0][5], reportBody);

    const rows = await getDataGridRows(1, dataGrid, false);
    await click(rows[rows.length - 1][0]);

    const jsonView = await waitFor('.json-view');
    const jsonViewText = await jsonView.evaluate(el => (el as HTMLElement).innerText);
    assert.strictEqual(jsonViewText, '{columnNumber: 20, id: "NavigatorVibrate", lineNumber: 9,…}');
  });

  it('shows endpoints', async () => {
    await goToResource('application/reporting-api.rawresponse');
    await click('#tab-resources');
    await waitFor('.storage-group-list-item');  // Make sure the application navigation list is shown
    await click(REPORTING_API_SELECTOR);
    const endpointsGrid = await $('devtools-resources-endpoints-grid');
    if (!endpointsGrid) {
      assert.fail('Could not find data-grid');
    }
    const dataGrid = await getDataGrid(endpointsGrid);
    const innerText = await getInnerTextOfDataGridCells(dataGrid, 2, true);
    assert.strictEqual(innerText[0][0], `https://localhost:${getTestServerPort()}`);
    assert.strictEqual(innerText[0][1], 'default');
    assert.strictEqual(innerText[0][2], 'https://reports.example/default');
    assert.strictEqual(innerText[1][0], `https://localhost:${getTestServerPort()}`);
    assert.strictEqual(innerText[1][1], 'main-endpoint');
    assert.strictEqual(innerText[1][2], 'https://reports.example/main');
  });
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce in Pakistan keen on investing in Sri Lanka
By ccc-newadmin News
The Morning: The visiting delegation of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), comprising more than 100 delegates, are keen on identifying viable projects to invest in Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, aiming to further strengthen friendly ties between Sri Lanka and Pakistan and enhance bilateral trade relations between the two countries, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RCCI.
The MoU which was signed last month by CCC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Manjula de Silva and RCCI Group Leader Sohail Altaf, was followed by the inking of nine agreements between Pakistani and Sri Lankan companies, in the areas of education, pharmaceutical production, automobiles, information technology, and automobile spares.
Minister of Trade Dr. Bandula Gunawardana, who was the Chief Guest at the event, stated that tourism and information technology are two sectors that could potentially be profitably developed between the two countries.
De Silva welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with the RCCI in order to further promote trade and commercial activities between the private sectors of the two countries.
The MoU will facilitate the dissemination of relevant information in order to enhance bilateral trade and business, including initiating and promoting joint ventures, partnerships, and other business linkages, as well as the provision of technical expertise, trade delegations between the two countries, and other economic promotion activities such as business webinars and business-to-business (B2B) meetings.
The CCC have to date signed 140 MoUs to expand and further strengthen strong relationships with overseas trade promotion organisations for the benefit of the business community in Sri Lanka.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka and Pakistan enjoy strong bilateral and trade ties that have been further strengthened by a free trade agreement (FTA). While Sri Lanka's economy is expanding and the country is positioning itself as an emerging business destination in the South Asian region, Pakistani businesses/investors have expressed interest in exploring growing business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. The island is engaged in an aggressive development programme and key economic sectors have shown a steady growth momentum even amidst the Covid 19 pandemic. Also, foreign businesses/investors interested in doing business with Pakistan could look at setting up base in Sri Lanka to engage with Pakistan.
Article Code : VBS/AT/10012022/Z_3
For More Info and Help


text:
Emergency Program
Emergencies can strike at any time. When they do, several agencies must work together to assist people with evacuation and access to shelter, clean water, food and health care.
The Township of Spallumcheen, in partnership with surrounding municipalities and regional districts, has a number of resources in place to deal with emergency situations.
What to know during an emergency
During an emergency you will often hear that the Township has activated and EOC. But what is an EOC you may be asking. EOC stands for Emergency Operation Centre. The EOC allows Township staff to support first responders in the field who are actively working to resolve the emergency situation.
Emergency Operation Set-up and the BC Emergency Response Management Response Goals can be found by clicking on the images below:
Click on the image below to be redirected to a video prepared by Red Dragon Consulting full of useful information and helpful tips on how to get prepared for emergencies.
Communication during an emergency is key and the EOC allows first responders to focus on their work, while information can be communicated by EOC staff to residents and businesses. During an emergency, the EOC will issue press releases to local radio, print and online media. All press releases and updates will be posted on the Township website.
In the event that an emergency situation escalates, residents may be put on an Evacuation Alert or Evacuation Order but you may be asking what the difference is.
An Evacuation Alert means that residents in the identified area should be ready to leave the area for an extended period of time with short notice.
An Evacuation Order means that residents must leave the area immediately.
Many times Evacuation Alerts and Orders will be issued by the EOC staff and every effort will be made to give residents as much notice as possible, however, emergencies are often quickly changing situations and you cannot count on being given advanced notice.
From time to time, a situation changes so quickly that first responder crews will decide a tactical evacuation is required.
Regardless of where the Evacuation Order comes from, once issued, the media will be notified as soon as possible, information will be posted on the Township website and the RCMP will notify residents door to door.
The Township of Spallumcheen has emergency preparedness plans and documents which provide a framework and guidance for the Township's Emergency Operation Centre during an emergency. These documents form the core of all emergency responses for the City.
Part of this pre-planning is hosting information sessions for residents. The following presentation was available for the community at the March 15, 2022 Community Wildfire Preparedness meeting hosted by the Township (click to view):
This pre-planning allows us to be prepared to respond and resolve many emergency situations. Your family can also create a plan to get prepared. From having a 72 hour kit, developing a reunion plan or knowing what to pack for an evacuation you can take some simple steps to make sure your family is ready for a variety of emergencies.
For ideas on how to prepare for emergencies including evacuation check out the Emergency Management BC preparedness guides.
Additional resources for what can be put in an emergency 72 hour kit or a grab and go kit can be found by clicking on the images below:
Temporary Access Information & Supports for Farming Business Operations
This summer there were multiple wildfire close to the Spallumcheen borders. Farming operations have unique challenges in dealing with livestock operations in emergency situations.
In the event of an Evacuation Order, if you have a farm operation you may qualify for a temporary access permit to protect livestock or crops. Temporary access permits will only be considered for essential needs on properties under an evacuation order. you can download the form below and fill complete it in advance of an emergency.
Temporary Access Permit Application online
Temporary Access Permit Application printable
During an evacuation order, forms can be dropped off in person at the Municipal Hall at 4144 Spallumcheen Way, Spallumcheen or emailed to spallumcheeneoc@spallumcheentwp.bc.ca. This email address will be monitored during an emergency situation when an Emergency Operation Centre has been activated.
To ensure that the paperwork is processed efficiently, ensure the forms state that you live in SPALLUMCHEEN (not Armstrong, Vernon or Enderby).
Premise ID Program
One tool that commercial farm operations can use to help emergency crews during an emergency situation is to register for a Premise ID. The Premise ID program is run by the Provincial government and in the event of an emergency can help emergency crews to know what type and how many livestock are located on your property.
Premise ID program for farming operations can be accessed here.
Emergency Management BC - Ministry of Agriculture (For Commercial Farm Businesses)
The Ministry of Agriculture has many resources to help farm operations prepare for an emergency.
Emergency Management for Agriculture - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/business-market-development/emergency-management
EMBC Policies - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/emergency-management/policies
Indigenous communities and local government emergency management resources - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/local-emergency-programs Emergency Management Factsheet - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/agriculture-and-seafood/farm-management/emergency-management/factsheets/900_200-3_emergency_preparedness.pdf
Animal Health Emergency Management
- https://animalhealth.ca/ahem/
Emergency Management in B.C. - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management
Industry Specific Guides - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/business-market-development/emergency-management/emergency-response-planning Climate Change Adaptation Program –
Wildfire Preparedness for Producers - https://bcclimatechangeadaptation.ca/regional-adaptation/okanagan/
Farm Workers Residing On-Site during Evacuation Orders and Alerts
- https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/agriculture-and-seafood/covid-19/agriculture_workers_evacuation_alerts_and_orders.pdf Ag Safe BC – Emergency Planning Resources - https://agsafebc.ca/tools/emergency-planning-resources/
Non-Commercial Farm Animals & Pets
For help with pets, non-commercial animals (including hobby farms), check out PreparedBC's pet preparedness information (PDF), review resources available through the Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team (CDART), and the BC SPCA website on 'How to help our animals during a wildfire emergency evacuation'.
BC Wildfire Services Information
Environment Canada - Current Weather and Air Quality Advisories
Get Prepared for a Wildfire In British Columbia
Current Fire Bans and Restrictions
Current Active Wildfires - interactive map
BC Wildfire Twitter Account
BC Hydro - Wildfire Assistance
CN Rail
Emergency Support Services Information:
Emergency Support Services (ESS) is a provincial program delivered by Local Authorities and First Nations' Governments that meets the basic needs of British Columbians impacted by disasters by providing short-term support in a compassionate manner.
British Columbians forced from their homes by fire, floods, earthquakes or other emergencies may receive emergency support services (ESS) for up to 72 hours. Under the Emergency Program Act, municipalities and regional districts are responsible for responding to emergencies in their areas, including coordinating emergency support services. Within the Township of Spallumcheen, the Regional District of North Okanagan provides this service for us. They often depend on volunteers to coordinate these services.
Want to be an Emergency Social Services Volunteer?
To volunteer please complete the Emergency Social Services Deployment Application Form.
If you have been displaced from your home due to an emergency, please ensure you check in at your local check in point and follow their directions to seek additional assistance.
Information about the Household Emergency Assistance Program.


The story dominating headlines all around the world last week was about the naked pictures of Prince Harry that emerged from a recent trip to Las Vegas. Whilst in the beginning the story was about whether or not people agreed with what Harry was doing, it quickly changed direction on Friday when the pictures we were all talking about were printed in The Sun. The debate is now about whether this is an invasion of the Prince's privacy or just the freedom of the press to print what they believe is in the public's interest.
The argument about what is in the public's interest and what is in the interest of the public has been ongoing for many years with the decision ultimatley coming down to each individual's morals and beliefs. Is it really in the public's interest for a newspaper to print such images? Or do they have an ulterior motive because they think that by being the first paper to print them they will make a great deal of money?
David Dinsmore, managing editor of The Sun, has defended his decision to print the pictures and believes that if we have all been able to freely access the pictures online then why should they not be printed in a newspaper. In my opinion, when the pictures were made available online people could choose whether they looked at them or not, printing them on the front page of one of the most popular tabloid newspapers means people no longer have that choice.
Currently, we are awaiting the results of the Leveson enquiry into media ethics and how the press should be regulated going forward. It will be interesting to see how these results affects images like this being published in future. The fact that only one newspaper has printed these pictures already shows the impact the Leveson enquiry is having.
Some may think the press are looking at what really is in the interest of the public and choosing what content they publish so that it is relevant and interesting to their readers. Others will say this shows that the enquiry is scaring organisations into not publishing content because of their fear of what consequences they might face; ultimately, leading to press that does not work in the interest of the public.
Going forward it will be interesting to see whether any other newspapers print these images or any other images that may appear. It will also be interesting to see how the Press Complaints Commission reacts to the situation. Someone once said "it takes a lifetime to build a reputation and a second to ruin it", I wonder what impact these pictures have on the reputation of the Royal Family and in particular, the reputation Harry has worked hard on building in the past few years.
What do you think? By printing these pictures, has the newspaper invaded Harry's privacy? Or is it in our interest to see them?


Covered in a soft, but durable synthetic leather material. Available in Sable (brown) and White.
Includes side rails and bent-wood slat deck; does not require a box spring.
Double bed is 57.5" wide x 84.25" long x 36.75"
Queen bed is 63.5" wide x 90.75" long x 36.75" high.


text:
Q: non-significant coefficient in logistic regression, use for ROC curve I wanted to find the ability of a numeric continuous variable to predict mortality (dead/alive), and what cut off value to take in the continuous variable.
I wanted to construct an ROC curve and find the cut off value to achieve this.
I did a logistic regression, taking mortality (m) to be the dependent variable, and the continuous variable (v) to be the predictor.
The p value of the coefficient I got for v was 0.19. The study take p value of <0.05 as significant.
Given that the coefficient is not significant, can this model be used for prediction, and ROC curve constructed using this model?

A: It can be used as a predictor if you feel that the coefficient you obtained is clinically important, you don't mind a p-value of 0.19, and the sensitivity or specificity is particularly favorable for your diagnostic or prognostic problem.
However, a coefficient with a p-value of 0.19 is unlikely to correctly classify dead/alive status.

A: The question of how well something predicts something else is about effect size, not statistical significance. If N is small, then a fairly good predictor might be non-significant. If N is very large, then a very poor predictor might be significant.
However, with small N, our estimates of parameters are usually not very precise, so you will have a lot of doubt about any predictions you make.


text:
At Teddington, we combine academic success with a supportive and nurturing environment. Our Sixth Form offers more structure than a college, allowing for a more steady, staggered transition from GCSE to Post-16 learning. Our class sizes are smaller, encouraging students to engage more during lesson time as well as receiving additional encouragement and support from our teachers. We provide students with the freedom to think and create within the organised structure of a school day. Within this structure there is a great deal of flexibility with students being given time to work independently during timetabled study periods.
We are pleased to say that staff and students at Teddington School celebrated a return to examinations with a fantastic set of results at Key Stage 5. Our Year 13 students excelled themselves and once again met our high expectations, with the majority of Year 13 students securing their first choice of university and 38% of students moving to a Russell Group University.
In Year 13, 33.3% of all A Level entries were graded at A*-A, 64.4% at A*-B and 80.6% A*-C. 10 (13.3%) of our students achieved straight A*-A . Our progress score is +0.01 with an ALPS score of 4, placing us in the top 40% of the schools in the country.
Our purpose built sixth form centre contains one ICT room, 8 light-filled classrooms, 3 spacious science laboratories, a multi-media study centre and a convivial cafe area complete with sofas and a kitchen.
Our first class sports facilities include two astro turf pitches, a sports hall, two activity studios as well as two tennis courts. Teddington School also offers access to two music suites equipped with MACs, a number of practice rooms, four spacious art rooms as well as our theatre. As our school lies on the outline of Hampton Wick, we benefit from being only a five minute bike ride from Bushy Park and Kingston town centre. In addition, we are thirty minutes - by public transport - from the centre of London so our students have the advantage of this international city's considerable cultural and economic riches.
We expect our students to gain places at the country's leading universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. Teddington School has a significant network of Oxbridge alumni whose expertise we draw upon with many of our teachers having attended. We work closely with academics from various colleges to ensure our students compete on an equal footing with their independent school counterparts. We currently have the highest number of Oxbridge applicants of all Richmond comprehensive schools.
University and Apprenticeships
We offer very hands-on, personalised support for university and apprenticeship applications- something that has been highly commended. All students receive 1 on 1 sessions with our staff to work on their UCAS applications as well as any other career guidance they may need. We currently have the highest number of successful apprenticeship placements of all Richmond comprehensive schools.
Challenge, Motivate, Achieve
After their first term with us, students with an excellent record of attendance and punctuality and who have developed their A level study skills are rewarded when they are given the option to leave the school site to work at home when they do not have timetabled lessons. This initiative is highly valued by our students as they know that this is a signifier of their strong academic potential.
All students select 3 subjects that they carry through to Year 13, with exams at the end. Some students may also choose to do an 'Extended Project Qualification' on a topic of their choosing. This is an additional qualification you can take alongside your A Levels. It helps to develop research skills, time management and a whole host of other skills that could be very useful at university. Some students may opt to do 4 A Levels, but this will be dependent on their GCSE grades.


We are very excited to announce the launch of our new website – OSCOControls.com. The new website has been designed to ensure that visitors can learn more about our extensive range of control solutions with basic to advance functionality and programming. We also wanted to give our current customers and prospective ones, an opportunity to know us better, which we are as a company, and our accomplishments. We have completed numerous successful projects for OEMs, Integrators, and End Users – with industries ranging from Material Handling to Oil & Gas.
The website highlights our control solutions, capabilities, process and services. We also offer our customers a repository where they can log on to find their panel documents and schematics. The site is easy to navigate and can be viewed on smartphones, tablets, and other mobile device. There are easy links throughout the site to our social media channels to connect with us on Facebook, YouTube or LinkedIn.


No obligations! Cancel anytime before your renewal date or choose "this is a gift" option during check out for a one-time non-renewing purchase. Over $100+ worth of wellness and self care goodies in EVERY box! Our boxes ship on the 26th each month!
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> but in a plugin it's totally unnecessary.
understand what exactly it will do.
some attack time that depends on input content in a completely haphazard way.
these don't have fixed sizes you don't even have repeatable settings.
filter type, with finer steps availiable using a modifier key.


text:
Camarosporium tamaricis är en svampart som beskrevs av Hollós 1906. Camarosporium tamaricis ingår i släktet Camarosporium, ordningen Botryosphaeriales, klassen Dothideomycetes, divisionen sporsäcksvampar och riket svampar.   Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Sporsäcksvampar
tamaricis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The RTD cable probe is easy to install and provide a high operational safety due to reliable and accurate temperature measurement in common processes. The probe is specially suited to temperature measurement in machinery, laboratory equipment and plants in gaseous or liquid medium like air, water, oil, etc. Without additional thermowell the probe sheath is directly in contact with the process medium. This enables the cable probe to detect rapid temperature changes fast and accurate.
The resistance thermometer is specially suited to temperature measurement in machinery, laboratory equipment and plants in gaseous or liquid media like air, water, oil and others.
Low cost RTD General purpose, Process RTD Direct contact, Process RTD Explosion proof, Process RTD General purpose, Process RTD Heavy duty, RTD thermometer Zone "0"


text:
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Scarperia became the seat of the Vicariate, the representative of the administrative and judicial power of Florence.
Scarperia history
1306- after defeating the Ubaldini, the ancient feudal lords of Mugello, on the 18 th of July the Council of One Hundred of the Florentine Republic decided to construct a "new land», Castel S. Barnaba, in the place known as "la Scarperia" on the road to the main Giogo pass connecting Florence and Bologna. On the 7 th of September the streets and city walls were designed before the rural inhabitants gathered together in the new centre which was to be officially founded the following day, with ten year's of exemption from taxes and levies for all those deciding to build their house there.
1415- Scarperia became the seat of the Vicariate, the representative of the administrative and judicial power of Florence. All the vicars (governors) had their coat-of arms- sculpted or painted in the palace. The Vicariate of Scarperia included the boroughs of Barberino di Mugello, Borgo San Lorenzo, Campi, Carmignano, Dicomano, S. Godenzo, Sesto, Fiesole and Vicchio. Trade thrived in Scarperia thanks to its strategic position along the road to the Giogo pass, leading to Emilia-Romagna and Northern Italy. There were very many hostelries and inns here in the XV and XVI centuries as well as craftsmen's workshops, especially those forging iron and producing agricultural utensils and knives.
1752- the new Lorena government built the Futa carriageway to improve traffic across the Apennines, thus cutting off Scarperia from the passing trade which had made its fortune. Hostelries, taverns and inns closed down and even for the knife-makers life became difficult. In the first decades of the nineteenth century there were only about 50 left.
1908- the law prohibiting the sale and use of spring-knives longer than the palm of the hand was another blow to the knife-making trade which survived however through alternate vicissitudes until its comeback in recent decades.
Visit Scarperia
Palazzo dei Vicari
The Palazzo dei Vicari is the result of a series of additions made to the original nucleus of the tower. During the 1300s a building acting as the Captain's residence was added to the tower; in 1366 much work was done to the castle including work on " the Chamber of the Keep", the "restoration" of the archers' tower and of the "four merlons that fell and broke on the watchman's tower".
The XVI century was key moment as regards the layout of the Palace; following the earthquake of 1542 there had been much damage to the building, the restoration of which gave the Palace an appearance similar to that of today (at least as far as the Vicar's residence and the reception rooms were concerned).
The rebuilding had also led to the definitive positioning of the prisons, set in the vaulted rooms on the ground floor (now the loggia). Modifications and repairs were to continue to interest the Palace throughout the 1600s after another earthquake on the 8 th of September 1611.
The repair work was finished in August 1612 and at the end of it the palace had partially changed its appearance. Barbicans to strengthen the walls, a roof sloping onto the facade, plastering of the facade and the repair and texturing of the great side wall leading to the S. Agata gate, were the works most evident on the outside of the building.
A few more changes and the Palace took on the morphological features which were to remain unchanged until halfway through the XIX century when the building once again underwent restoration work and was reorganised.
The damage following the 1960 earthquake, together with the precarious state of the foundations, were the subject of intensive consolidation and restoration work (starting in 1980) ending in 1999 with the restoration of the monumental quarters and the rebuilding of the north wing where the Museum of Knives is now situated.
The Knife Museum
In the Museum-place of memory, interconnected documents and collections are arranged so as to enable the visitor to interpret the utensil through an examination of historic facts.
The layout of the museum begins with the story of the knife in its many forms present in human actions, confirmed by pictures taken from Italian art. By using a manual approach (assembly counter) it's possible to see the various components of different types of knife. The visitor can himself put a knife together and thus see the complexity of apparently simple utensils like the table knife. An itinerary that ranges through the production of knives and blades in various Italian centres enables a comparison of materials, techniques and objects very distant from each other, both geographically and temporally.
The culture and production of knives in Scarperia is the highpoint and fulcrum of the museum itinerary; the life and work of the knife-makers' families in Scarperia unfolds through memories, stories and topical issues, in pictures and in reconstructions of the workplace, of the social and family order, of the controversial relationship between the crafts professions and the farming world.
The displays of knives, the construction features, the breadth of the range of production in Scarperia are reflected, finally, by objects which speak for themselves, like the work knives with the blade finished by the numerous grindings, the delicate "palm-knives", desk pen knives and the ever-popular Scarperia "zuava".
The knife-maker's workshop (Via Solferino, 15) is the part of the museum where the various phases of the craftsman's production of knives can be observed directly, heightening the emotion of the visitor. The forge, work counter and anvil were the equipment that the work of the knife-maker was centred around, helped in the less heavy work by child-workers and by the "giratora" (female labour whose sphere of competence was limited to turning the grindstone for grinding the knives).
Various expedients have been used to permit the handling, disassembly and re-assembly of the knife so as to feel its size and form in relation to the intended use. The Museum of Knives belongs to the "Museo Diffuso" museum circuit of the boroughs of Barberino di Mugello, Borgo San Lorenzo, Dicomano, Firenzuola, Londa, Marradi, Palazzuolo, Pelago, Pontassieve, Reggello, Rufina, San Godenzo, San Piero a Sieve, Scarperia, Vaglia and Vicchio.
Palazzo dei Vicari, tel. 055/8468027-8468165:
15th June- 15th September: Saturday and holidays - 10.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m., 3.30 p.m.- 6.30 p.m. Wednesday to Friday - 3.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.
The Knife-maker's workshop
An appendix to the Knife Museum, this is a sort of living museum where the various phases of the craftsman's production of knives can be observed thanks to local craftsmen who work on the assembly counter, in a workshop that has not changed all that much since the Forties. Involvement of the visitor is total: the forge, work counter and anvil are still there to testify to the knife-maker's craft, helped in the less heavy work by child-workers and by the "giratora» the woman who turned the grindstone for grinding the knives.
View accommodations in the area
Scarperia: discover the surroundings
Borgo San Lorenzo (5 km)
Borgo San Lorenzo which is the most important centre of the Mugello, rises at the widest part of the Sieve Valley.
Mugello (10 km)
Mugello is only few kilometres from Florence and we can find traces of history worthy of a great European capital.
Old steam engine trains in Tuscany (10 km)
In Tuscany old steam engine trains are still in function and aim combining the discover of history with the discovery of the region and its beautiful landscapes.
Vernio (17 km)
Set amid green mountains rich in water and cool holiday resorts, the municipality of Vernio is the right place to take a break from pollution and noise and enjoy the silence of nature.
Vaiano (19 km)
Vaiano it is the most important town in the valley. The most important building is the Badia di S.Salvatore located in the center of the town
Cantagallo (20 km)
Situated at the sources of the Bisenzio river, amid the Tusco-Emilian Apennines, the medieval village of Cantagallo is an excellent base from which to explore the nearby mountains, climbing panoramic footpaths.
Fiesole (22 km)
Fiesole, 300 m. in altitude in the main Piazza Mino, is not far from the centre of Florence only 5 Km. The landscape is dotted with olive trees, cypresses, from spots of forest and from houses and villas.
Prato (24 km)
Prato, a comune square, made at the end of the thirtieth century at the crossroad of two main roads, is the ideal and geometrical centre of the town.
Travel Prato (24 km)
Prato and its surroundings are ideal destinations for tourists, especially young people looking for a vacation of study and intelligent entertainment.
Travel in Florence (26 km)
Discover Florence and its four quarters: interesting things to see
Florence churches and cathedrals (26 km)
Visit Florence and its churches and cathedrals.
Florence monuments (26 km)
Visit Florence monuments : Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, Boboli gardens, Piazzale Michelangelo.
Florence museums (26 km)
Visit Florence and its museums : Uffizi gallery, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Botanical Gardens.
Florence by Bus (26 km)
The Ataf tourism project "Itinerari�, the first in the world with these characteristics, was created in order to promote new exploration of the city with unusual destinations and stories.
Trebbio castle (26 km)
Trebbio castle in Florence was built on the ruins of an earlier feudal fortress by Michelozzo Michelozzi at the request of Cosimo de' Medici.
Ville Medicee (26 km)
Many examples remain of civil and residential architecture designed by the greatest specialists of the time on behalf of the Medici family .
Discover more about Tuscany
Accommodations in the area
30 km from Scarperia
Marignolle relais & charme
The charming Marignolle Relais & Charme, nestled the hills of Florence, is the ideal solution for those who want a place of excellence and relaxation and love peace and privacy without the amenities of a luxury hotel.
Marignolle Relais & Charme is especially appreciated by travelers looking for style and tradition by offering deluxe rooms or junior suites in a refined, with superior comforts and impeccable services that make this relais an excellence of Florence.
Bagno a Ripoli (Florence)
Villa Valdarno 12 beds
Villa Valdarno is a typical Tuscan farmhouse located in a secluded and peaceful area in the heart of the Tuscan countryside, among vineyards and olive groves, and enjoys a privileged panoramic view of the Florentine Valdarno.
The ideal solution for groups of friends or acquaintances who wish to spend their holidays in Tuscany with the comforts of a detached villa with swimming pool and large garden.
Availability request
Greve in Chianti (Florence)
Villa Chianti 7 beds
Villa Chianti is a private villa for rent in Chianti area with pool and garden that can accommodate up to 7 people.
An oasis of peace and tranquility with views of the Chianti valleys not far from the main tourist attractions of Tuscany.
San Gimignano (Siena)
Azienda Agricola Biologica Cesani is an organic farm nestled in the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside, in the tiny country hamlet of Pancole, 6 km to the medieval town of San Gimignano.
In the vicinity of the medieval centre of San Gimignano, nestled in the rolling hills of the gorgeous Tuscan countryside, Agriturismo La Lucciolaia is perfectly located for exploring Tuscany's most prized art towns.
This ancient farmhouse has been recently renovated and divided into eleven double rooms and two Suites, where the magic atmosphere of past times is perfectly blended with modern comforts.
Lucca (Lucca)
Historic Villa Lucca 12 beds pool
Historic villa 14 km from the center of Lucca immersed in the green of the Tuscan vineyards and olive groves, it has a private swimming pool and a large park.
Set on 350 square meters in a dominant position offers a unique view of the hills of Tuscany.
Agriturismo Villa il Palagetto located in the vicinity of the medieval centre of San Gimignano, nestled in the rolling hills of the gorgeous Tuscan countryside.
Provides comfortable accommodation in 6 double bedrooms and two Suites
Colle Val D'Elsa (Siena)
La Pieve
La Pieve, charming farmhouse located on the hills of Val d'Elsa, between Volterra and San Gimignano, along the Via Francigena, in the heart of the Tuscan countryside, with its luxuriant nature and rich history.
Framed by olive trees and a wood, it fosters a direct dialogue with nature in complete relaxation where they contemplate and enjoy the stillness in private and unique spaces.
Siena (Siena)
Agriturimo Marciano : an exlusive opportunity, two holidays at the place of only one. stay in the country and life downtown. Marciano is located near the walls of the Middle Age town of Siena.
Five confortable double rooms and a suite with a beautiful sight on the Siena Duomo
Camaiore (Lucca)
Charming villa Tuscany coast 14 beds pool
Eighteenth-century villa located in a picturesque area of the Tuscan hills at the foot of the Apuan Alps, the villa has a park with swimming pool and tennis court.
The spacious suites of the villa embellished with charming details and enhanced by modern comforts will make your stay an unforgettable experience.
Massarosa (Lucca)
Stone Farmhouse Massarosa 8 beds pool
Stone farmhouse in typical Tuscan style skilfully and elegantly renovated in a dominant position on the hills of Massarosa with spectacular views that reach the sea of Tuscany. The farmhouse has a swimming pool with whirlpool.
Perfect solution for those that search the real authentic Tuscany staying in the hills but not far from the Versilia sea.
Villa Camaiore Hills 10 beds pool
Villa located 3 km from the center of Camaiore in a quiet and sunny position 10 km from Tuscan sea.
Ideal for those looking for a villa accommodation on the hills of Versilia a few miles from Tuscan sea.
Villa Prato di Sopra Camaiore 10 beds pool
This villa is really some thing special, perched on the top of a hill the views are endlessly breath taking.
Villa Pieve di Camaiore 8 beds pool
Luxury and charming villa with swimming pool for rent surrounded by the green hills of Camaiore not far from the sea of the Tuscan coast.
The villa is ideal for those looking for an oasis of absolute peace and relaxation guaranteed by the elevated position and the external fence in style.
Villa Camaiore Hills 7 beds pool
Wonderful villa with swimming pool surrounded by greenery, tranquility and privacy of the Pieve di Camaiore about 10 km from the sea of the Tuscan coast.
The villa has all the comforts necessary to ensure an unforgettable stay in Tuscany and is the ideal solution for small groups up to 7 people who want to stay in the countryside but not far from the sea of Versilia.
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text:
Jean Nganso Sunji, né le  à Balengou est un homme d'état, général et multi-millionnaire camerounais.

Il fait partie des premiers généraux de l'armée nationale camerounaise.

Biographie
Jean Nganso Sunji est un ingénieur diplômé de l'école polytechnique de Paris en 1960.

Enrôlé le , il est lieutenant en 1960, capitaine en 1962, commandant en 1964, colonel en 1973, général de brigade en 1983, et général de division en 1993. Le 25 septembre 2001, il est promu général de corps d'armée.

Il occupe pendant de nombreuses années le poste de chef d'état major de l'armée de l'air.

Le 11 mars 2011, avec trois autres officiers généraux notamment Pierre Semengue, Oumarou Djam Yaya et James Tataw, il est admis à la deuxième section.

Il termine sa carrière au rang de général de corps d'armée.

Jean Nganso fait partie des cadres militaires ayant sauvé le régime de Paul Biya lors de la tentative de coup d'état d'avril 1984.

Il meurt le .

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Articles connexes

 Pierre Semengue
 Tentative de coup d'État de 1984 au Cameroun
 Forces armées camerounaises

Liens externes

Personnalité Bamiléké


Thanks for visiting reisefeber.org. Lots of people have been using on line for locating facts, guidelines, reports or any other guide for their needs. Like you are. Do you arrive here to acquire new fresh understanding of 1950s Formal Wedding Invitation Wording? What number of webpages have you read for finding more detail regarding 1950s Formal Wedding Invitation Wording?
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text:
Беатифика́ция ( – "щастлив, благословен") е причисляване на умрелия към лика на блажените в католическата църква.

Отличава се от канонизацията, в хода на която става причисляване на праведника към лика на светите. Беатификацията се приема като етап, предхождащ канонизацията.

За да се придаде на култа на "блажените" (местните светци) по-голяма авторитетност, западните епископи започват да се обръщат към папата за одобрението му. Следва формален следствен процес за събиране с голяма критичност сведения за съответното лице, които се изпращат в Рим. Там, чрез ново критично и задълбочено обсъждане (чрез общ и специален инквизиционен процес) се изяснява въпросът за правомерността на прославата, светостта, чудесата и т.н. на съответното лице и едва тогава то бива утвърждавано или отхвърляно от папата за светец.

Източници

Външни препратки
 Провъзгласяването на светците (канонизация), сайт "Православие"

Канонизация


Welcome to our Winter 2015 newsletter! We are excited to be launching this new seasonal source of news and information about our emerging Mendocino community, garden and educational site.
We are seeking individuals to work trade at the Laytonville Ecovillage through October. Work trade involves fifteen hours of work a week in exchange for living on ten acres of beautiful Mendocino County land and participating in weekend workshops on sustainability. We have a friendly eight-person community, community garden, chickens, outdoor solar shower, large outdoor kitchen, and are walking distance to town. Most tasks and projects are light impact (you will not be expected to exceed your physical capacities) while offering opportunities for implementing water conservation and management, land stewardship, food production, ecovillage development and operations, and integrating permaculture principles and techniques. A full description of the work trade opportunity is available on our website, including application process. After reviewing the description please direct any questions or requests for an application to laytonvilleecovillage@gmail.com, We look forward to hearing from you!
In this 2 day workshop we will cover basic electricity essential to off-grid solar, off-grid system types, off-grid equipment, (including solar (PV) modules, charge controllers, batteries, inverters, and generators), load analysis, and system design.
Permaculture is a comprehensive ecological design system for living within our means. The foundation for permaculture is based on three principles: care for the earth, care for people, and sharing natural and social resources (fair share). This workshop will introduce you to how food, shelter, energy and community can work together to provide a foundation for ecovillages and sustainable communities.
The course will look at the nuts and bolts of how to find and purchase land and see the potential that permaculture offers. Participation in the course will give you a "ground-up," inside look at how a permaculture/ecovillage vision can move from vision to reality.
This is going to be a fun and innovative workshop demonstrating how a rocket stove can efficiently heat water. The weekend will be followed by a three-day rocket stove/natural building gathering. Stay tuned for more details.
Tony Sirna, co-founder of Missouri's Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, describes its formation.
Laytonville Ecovillage's Communications Director, Juliana Birnbaum, PDC, MA, authored this award-winning 2014 book featuring profiles of 60 examples of permaculture sites around the globe, with contributions by Paul Hawken, Vandana Shiva, David Holmgren and Starhawk. Get an inscribed copy here or at your local bookseller. Juliana is trained in cultural anthropology and recently co-founded The Western Gate Teahouse and Book Commons in West Marin, a nonprofit community outreach project of the international Permaculture Research Institute.
Lesley Moore, PDC, MBA, MSW, joins Laytonville Ecovillage as Administrative and Development Specialist. She is a creative and strategic consultant to social change makers, a fund developer and grant writer, and a community organizer, educator and artist who is passionate about advancing the wisdom and implementation of permaculture, social justice, and eco-sustainable-community. No one turned away for lack of funds. Reach her at reveregaia@gmail.com.


Interview with Ester Lovsin Barle from Lonza AG who will be speaking at SMi's 3rd Annual Highly Potent Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (HPAPI) Conference next month.
London, United Kingdom, April 07, 2019 --(PR.com)-- Ester Lovsin Barle from Lonza AG will be speaking at SMi's 3rd Annual Highly Potent Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (HPAPI) Conference which will take place in London on 13th-14th May. She will be discussing the latest developments in the industry with a specific focus on occupational exposure limits. Ahead of the conference, SMi interviewed her where she gave a taster of what she will be discussing.


Eat Kune Do is, among other things, a dinner series. Well, to be precise, it's a pop-up supper club currently hosted in my apartment roughly every other month.
Guests who attend are treated to a menu of two to five courses that I've cooked and curated based on their shared food preferences, memories, and experiences. The guests are similarly curated to bring the right mix of folks together to meet, connect, and collaborate while they dine.
The traditional dining experience often focuses on just the whim of the chef; their celebrity is built upon their distinctive personality and cuisine. Eat Kune Do believes that dining should be a dialogue—a unique, personal interplay between the cook and diner.
If a traditional restaurant can be compared to mainstream film—consistent and reliable, with large production values ensuring its audience gets what it expects, Eat Kune Do is much closer to small theatre: live, personal, experimental, constantly evolving, and shaped by everyone present.
Eat Kune Do is an opportunity to stretch my culinary techniques and palette, try new dishes, and learn from people via their stories and the kitchen. It's also my opportunity to bring people together, to connect, to break bread and enjoy a good meal in good company.
Eat Kune Do is about food and people, just as all dining should be. Won't you join me for dinner?


text:
Virginia: an adventure inspired by Twin Peaks and The X-Files
By Samuel Roberts published 6 January 15
I love that Twin Peaks manages to keep finding new generations of fans, to the extent that this ever-growing morass of people has somehow summoned it back to TV 25 years after it first aired. Twin Peaks was the progenitor of modern, credible serialised television. But its influence has extended beyond TV and into our medium, where the likes of Deadly Premonition and Alan Wake have borrowed liberally from the series' oddball mix of comedy and drama, and reinterpreted that through their own creators' voices. Variable State's Virginia is a confident first-person mystery that also feels like it lives in a slightly twisted version of that world, complete with a similar missing-person premise and a suggestion of macabre supernatural forces at work.
I begin the ten-minute demo at night by a car in the middle of a forest. The viewpoint cuts to a lake in the middle of tall green trees, then to a corridor of red trees where the leaves of one turn into hundreds of origami birds that scatter and leave the branches bare. We move to a diner that is straight-up based on the Double R from Twin Peaks, and now I'm sitting opposite my FBI partner. This is tone-setting stuff. The premise of the story is relayed a bit later through two key scenes: one where you're handed a dossier by your boss with an order to investigate your partner, and another in a family home where police are standing around an upset family whose son has gone missing. It's not utterly Twin Peaks, but the stirring music straddles the line between early X-Files synth and Badalamenti grim.
"I'd say we perhaps leaned a little heavily on the Twin Peaks references in our demo," creative director Jonathan Burroughs admits. "Our intention isn't to parody or pastiche that TV program, fond of it as we are. But we've certainly inherited some of the premise; both our story and Twin Peaks' deal with outsiders entering a closed community, with a harrowing crime and with paranormal occurrences. We're also fascinated by Twin Peaks'—and I think this is true of many David Lynch films—mixture of the mundane and the extraordinary. But Virginia will be an original story."
There are other ways Virginia feels like its own world outside of Twin Peaks, too. The snippets of story in this demo are delivered entirely by character animation and environmental details—no dialogue or voice acting. The way the boy's disappearance is telegraphed by the family paintings on the walls of the house where his obviously distraught parents are talking to detectives. It oddly reminds me of the Buffy episode Hush in the way that characters mime to tell the story, though I wonder about the challenge of doing that across the entire game. "In part, it was a practical decision," Burroughs says. "Virginia will feature quite a large cast and, given that we're only three developers, were we to pursue full voice acting, we were worried about the time we would have to devote to iterating on voice performance and making sure it was of the best quality, in addition to wanting to put time and effort into the animation and physical performances. But I was also worried about conversations slowing the game down. Our story is told at quite a pace, and I genuinely think dialogue between the player and other characters may have felt like an unwanted interruption."
"I like that we are not giving people a very precise explanation of every scene, that they have the chance to interpret each interaction and put the story together for themselves," adds art director Terry Kenny. "That is quite satisfying. There is a lot to be gleaned from that Buffy episode, though; it's an inventive and compelling show because of the constraints it has set for itself. The score is great and it's visually a striking episode. I guess in Hush, everyone is aware that their voice is gone, whereas we need to find naturally silent moments in our story and communicate the necessary details in other ways."
In terms of moment-to-moment play, Virginia won't have puzzles or padding. This is just telling the story. "It is intentionally light on mechanics," Burroughs tells me. "Our aim is that it is first and foremost a drama you participate in... we've quite purposefully avoided opportunities for puzzle-solving or exploration; anything that impedes the story or that might be a roadblock. I think it's important players go in not expecting a reinterpretation of a point-and-click adventure game, or to roleplay as a detective in the LA Noire sense. But instead to experience what I hope will be a captivating and affecting story."
I think that's a confident choice—I enjoyed how briskly the demo moved between snippets of narrative and gave me a lot to take in at once. There's a suggestion that otherworldly elements are at work within Virginia, not dissimilar to the relationship between reality and fantasy that Twin Peaks has. The demo ends with my character opening a desk in the family's house and finding a toy UFO container. As she pries it open, out comes a dead animal, a cardinal—Virginia's state bird. I'll have to wait to uncover the deeper mystery below the surface, but this definitely won't be the last time I think about Virginia until then.
Former PC Gamer EIC Samuel has been writing about games since he was 18. He's a generalist, because life is surely about playing as many games as possible before you're put in the cold ground.
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