The future of the Affordable Care Act is uncertain in Washington, and there are several scenarios under consideration. The latest possible changes could impact New York's relatively healthy health care system.
The good news is that the Affordable Care Act in New York is doing quite well, according to state officials. The health insurance exchanges are functioning, with 17 carriers offering plans in 2017. State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, at a recent rally to preserve the ACA, said New York has built "one of the best health care exchanges in the country".
"Since 2013 we have cut our uninsured in half," Schneiderman said. "From 10 percent to 5 percent of our population".
The price of premiums in the individual market in New York actually went down slightly in 2016, by around 4%, although the state still has among the highest priced insurance plans in the nation. Employer based insurance plan prices also declined by 1%.
But, the existing Republican Senate and House plans to repeal and replace the ACA, also known as Obamacare, would be extremely disruptive to New York's system, say state officials and health experts.
Governor Cuomo's Medicaid director, Jason Helgerson, says the Senate's latest attempts to repeal the ACA, but not replace it with anything for two years, would also be very harmful.
"The issue is uncertainty," said Helgerson.
Helgerson says under a repeal, there would no longer be a requirement for people to join the individual insurance market if they didn't have a health care plan. But other rules, like (such as) not discriminating against people with pre existing conditions, might remain in place.
Bill Hammond, the director of health policy for the fiscal watchdog group The Empire Center, agrees that that combination would lead to a "death spiral". And he says it already happened in New York before Obamacare when the state's individual insurance market was crashing.
"At the very end, in 2012, insurers were applying to the (state) insurance department for permission to charge over $100,000 a year for insurance," Hammond said.
Under the repeal and replacement plans by Republicans in Congress, New York would lose several billion dollars a year in Medicaid funding.
After the Senate could not come up with the votes needed for a repeal, President Trump said he might just let Obamacare "fail". There are several steps the Trump Administration could take to sabotage it. The IRS could stop enforcing the penalties imposed on uninsured Americans who don't buy health care plans on the individual market. And administration members could essentially continue to badmouth Obamacare. Hammond says that would cause instability in the insurance market.
Hammond says insurance companies may be reluctant to invest in a market that is "actively opposed by the sitting President".
The state's Medicaid director, Helgerson, says if Trump were to carry through with his threats, it would be an abdication of his responsibilities.
The Trump Administration would not have the power, though, to reduce Medicaid payments to states. New York would continue to receive billions of dollars a year in additional funding for its Medicaid expansion programs for now.


May 15th, 2010 4:42 PM by Lehel S.
Friday's bond market has opened up sharply following another round of selling in stocks. The stock markets are showing sizable losses with the Dow down 180 points and the Nasdaq down 52 points. The bond market is currently up 17/32, which will likely improve this morning's mortgage rates by approximately .250 - .375 of a discount point.
Due to the stock selling, today's economic data did not influence bond trading and mortgage rates as it was expected to do. The data itself was unfavorable for bonds and rates, but the market seems to be more interested in the stock weakness that has shifted funds away from stocks and into bonds.
The first piece of today's three releases was April's Retail Sales. The Commerce Department said that sales at retail level establishments rose 0.4% last month. This was twice the increase of 0.2% that was expected, meaning consumers spent more than thought. However, if more volatile auto-related sales are excluded, they would have matched forecasts. This has helped prevent the bond market from reacting negatively to the data, but the stock selling has taken center stage anyhow.
The second report of the day was April's Industrial Production. It showed that production at U.S. factories, mines and utilities rose 0.8%. That matched forecasts, meaning that industrial production did not exceed expectations. The sizable gain is good news for the economy and bad news for bonds, but this data is much less important to the markets than the Retail Sales data is. Therefore, it also has had little impact on today's mortgage pricing.
The last report of the week was May's preliminary reading to the University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment. It showed a reading of 73.3, indicating that consumers were more optimistic about their own financial situations this month than they were last month. Again, as with the earlier two reports, this data has not affected mortgage rates this morning.
Next week brings us the release of a several relevant reports, including two key inflation readings. Nothing of importance is scheduled for release Monday and the most important data will be released mid-week. Look for more details on next week's events in Sunday's weekly preview.


text:
The 98th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 25, 2014. It is the premier event of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season. Tony Kanaan entered the race as the defending champion. Ed Carpenter won the pole position, his second consecutive pole at Indy. The race was won by Ryan Hunter-Reay, the first American-born winner since Sam Hornish, Jr. in 2006. Hunter-Reay held off second place Hélio Castroneves by a margin of 0.0600 seconds, the second-closest finish in race history. At an average speed of 186.563 mph (300.244 km/h), it was also the second-fastest 500 in history. Marco Andretti, Carlos Muñoz, and Juan Pablo Montoya rounded out the top five. Kurt Busch, in sixth position, claimed Rookie of the Year honors.
98th Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body
2014 IndyCar season
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Andretti Autosport
186.563 mph (300.244 km/h)
Ed Carpenter
Pole speed
Fastest qualifier
Most laps led
Ryan Hunter-Reay (56)
Pre-race ceremonies
LeAnn Rimes[1]
"Back Home Again in Indiana"
Jim Nabors
Starting Command
Mari Hulman George/Jim Nabors
Pace car
Pace car driver
Dario Franchitti[2]
Paul Blevin
Honorary starter
TV in the United States
Allen Bestwick, Scott Goodyear, Eddie Cheever
The month of May activities opened with the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis, which was won by Simon Pagenaud on May 10. Practice opened for the Indy 500 on Sunday, May 11.[3] Time trials were held over two days, May 17–18, and a post-qualifying practice was held on May 19. The traditional final day of practice, dubbed Carb Day, was held on Friday, May 23.
All four divisions of the Road to Indy ladder participated in the month of May activities. The Cooper Tires Indy Lights held the Liberty Challenge and Freedom 100. The Pro Mazda Series and U.S. F2000 held races on the Speedway's road course, then held oval races at nearby Lucas Oil Raceway. The Speed Energy Formula Off-Road series also held an event on Carb Day.[4]
Event backgroundEdit
In September 2013 an IndyCar feasibility test was conducted on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway combined road course,[5] in preparations for a possible road course race.[6] In October 2013, the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis was scheduled for Saturday, May 10, 2014.[3]
Jim Nabors performed "Back Home Again in Indiana" before the 2014 race, marking his 35th and final time doing so. On March 25 the 83-year-old Nabors announced that he would retire from performing at the 500 because his health limits his travel from his Hawaii home.[7]
ScheduleEdit
Track activity commenced on Tuesday April 29 with a refresher test for Jacques Villeneuve and Kurt Busch on the oval.[8] On Wednesday April 30, a full-field Open Test was held on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.[9] The annual Rookie Orientation Program was held on Monday May 5. The events for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis were held over three days, May 8 to 10. On Sunday May 11, the circuit was reset to the oval configuration, and practice for the Indy 500 began.
For the first time in modern history, a post-qualifying practice session (other than Carb Day) will be held on the Monday following time trials. The track will be open on Monday May 19 from 12:00–5:00 p.m.[10]
Race schedules — April/May 2014
tests 30
Road course
Open test 1
Mini-Marathon
Qualifying 10
Grand Prix of
Fast Friday 17
Carb Day
Freedom 100 24
Legends Day
Green Practice
Dark Blue Time trials
Silver Race day
Red Rained out*
Blank No track activity
* Includes days where track activity
was significantly limited due to rain
ROP — denotes Rookie Orientation Program
Entry listEdit
For further information, see 2014 IndyCar Series season § Teams and drivers.
The race had six former Indianapolis 500 winners entered, including two drivers returning for the first time in over a decade. Defending champion Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon drove for Ganassi. Three-time winner Hélio Castroneves returned with Penske. He was joined by 2000 winner Juan Pablo Montoya, who returned to the Indy 500 for the first time since his victory, after spending time in Formula One and NASCAR.[11]
Jacques Villeneuve announced he will return to the 500 with Sam Schmidt Motorsports.[12] It was his first appearance since his victory in 1995. 1996 winner Buddy Lazier is also returning to the 500 with Lazier Partners Racing. Lazier drove for this team in 2013, as well.[13]
Three-time Indy 500 winner, and four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti announced his retirement from racing in the fall of 2013, following a crash at Houston.[14] In late March, Franchitti was named as the driver of the pace car.
Former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, who took a rookie test in 2013, announced he will enter the 500 with Andretti Autosport. He will attempt the Indy/Charlotte "Double Duty",[15] the first driver to do so since Robby Gordon in 2004. Busch is the first NASCAR champion to enter the Indy 500, as fellow Cup champions and Indy 500 starters Bobby Allison, Tony Stewart, and Cale Yarborough had not yet won the NASCAR title at the time they raced at Indianapolis.
All told, the Indianapolis 500 featured, for the first time in history, at least one champion from Formula One, IndyCar, and NASCAR.
Juan Pablo Montoya returned to the Indy 500 for the first time since 2000.
Defending race winner Tony Kanaan
Defending IndyCar champion and 2008 winner Scott Dixon
Juan Pablo Montoya W Team Penske Chevrolet
Hélio Castroneves W Team Penske Chevrolet
Jacques Villeneuve W Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Townsend Bell KV Racing Technology Chevrolet
Mikhail Aleshin R Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports Honda
Ryan Briscoe Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Scott Dixon W Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Tony Kanaan W Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Sébastien Bourdais KV Racing Technology Chevrolet
Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet
Takuma Sato A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda
Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Oriol Servià Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Sebastián Saavedra KV Racing Technology Chevrolet
Carlos Huertas R Dale Coyne Racing Honda
Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing Honda
Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
J. R. Hildebrand Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
Sage Karam R Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom Racing Chevrolet
Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda
Kurt Busch R Andretti Autosport Honda
James Hinchcliffe
E. J. Viso (Practice) 1 Andretti Autosport Honda
Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda
James Davison R KV Racing Technology Chevrolet
Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport Honda
Martin Plowman R A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda
Pippa Mann Dale Coyne Racing Honda
Josef Newgarden Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda
Alex Tagliani Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda
Simon Pagenaud Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports Honda
Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Buddy Lazier W Lazier Partners Racing Chevrolet
Jack Hawksworth R Bryan Herta Autosport Honda
OFFICIAL ENTRY LIST
R Rookie
W Past winner
1 Substitute driver after Hinchcliffe injury.
Rule changesEdit
Indianapolis Motor Speedway layout
A new qualifying format was introduced for 2014. Qualifying was held over two days (Saturday-Sunday), with the pole position winner not determined until the second day. The qualifying procedure were as follows:
On the first day of time trials (Saturday May 17), all cars entered made an attempt to qualify. Qualifying was scheduled from 11:00 am to 5:50 pm. The fastest 33 cars were locked into the starting field. Actual grid positioning, however, was not yet assigned. The top nine cars from Saturday were eligible for the Fast Nine Shootout.
On the second day of time trials (Sunday May 18), the cars that posted times from 10th–33rd would each make a qualifying attempt, beginning at 10:15 am. Saturday times would be erased, and the Sunday times would determine the starting lineup, thus eliminating "Bump Day".
At 2 pm on Sunday, the top nine cars from Saturday will participate in the Fast Nine Shootout to determine the pole position as well as starting positions 2–9.
All engines for 2014 and beyond were required to have Twin-turbos. Single-turbo powerplants were no longer permitted. Previously, only Chevrolet (and for a brief time, Lotus) utilized a twin-turbo.[16] Grid penalties based on unapproved engine changes were eliminated.[17] Previously, unapproved engine changes penalties incurred during the month of May at Indianapolis would be served at the next race of the season (Detroit). Starting in 2014, the penalty will be points deductions to the manufacturers championship. If teams act in deliberate negligence to cause engine failures, the penalty will be starting from the rear of the field.
Starting in 2014, IndyCar championship points for the Indianapolis 500, as well as the Pocono 500 and MAVTV 500 (Fontana) will be doubled compared to the other races on the schedule.[18]
Testing and Rookie orientationEdit
Refresher tests – Tuesday April 29Edit
Jacques Villeneuve completed a refresher test.
The first track activity for 2014 was a refresher test involving two drivers, race rookie Kurt Busch and former winner Jacques Villeneuve.[19] Both drivers passed their refresher test without incident. The 25-lap formal refresher test consists of the second and third phases of the official rookie test. Busch, who initially passed a rookie test in 2013, returned to the Speedway in preparations for attempting Double Duty. Villeneuve, the 1995 winner, made his first competitive laps on the oval in an Indy car since his victory in 1995. The scheduled session ended shortly after 4 p.m. due to moisture.
Weather: 74 °F (23 °C)
Top Practice Speeds
Kurt Busch (R) Andretti Autosport 220.844
Jacques Villeneuve Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports 217.742
OFFICIAL REPORT
Rookie Orientation – Monday May 5Edit
Kurt Busch led the speed chart during rookie orientation.
Seven drivers took part in the annual Rookie Orientation Program. The official rookie test consisted of three phases (10 laps at 200–205 mph, 15 laps at 205–210 mph, and 15 laps at over 210 mph). Six of the seven drivers passed all three phases. Sage Karam passed only the first two phases due to mechanical problems. The drivers completed 622 laps without incident.[20] Kurt Busch, who completed a refresher test on April 29, returned to the track for more practice time. He completed 180 laps, and also took part in pit stop practice.
Weather: 68 °F (20 °C), mostly sunny
Mikhail Aleshin (R) Sam Schmidt Motorsports 219.170
Sage Karam (R) Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom Racing 218.419
PracticeEdit
Sunday May 11 – Opening Day practiceEdit
Will Power led the speed chart on Opening Day.
Opening Day practice saw Team Penske sweep the top of the speed chart. Will Power, at 223.057 mph (358.975 km/h), drove the fastest lap, while Hélio Castroneves completed the most laps (82). Early in the afternoon, rookie Sage Karam completed his rookie test. A total of 24 drivers completed 731 laps without incident. A brief yellow for lightning in the area closed the track around 4 p.m., but rain did not fall at the Speedway. E. J. Viso drove in substitution for James Hinchcliffe at Andretti Autosport. A day earlier during the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Hinchcliffe suffered a concussion after debris struck him in the helmet. He was sidelined until cleared to drive by physicians.[21][22]
Weather: 84 °F (29 °C), mostly cloudy
Will Power Team Penske 223.057
Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske 222.502
Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 222.373
Monday May 12 – PracticeEdit
Ryan Hunter-Reay topped 225 mph on Monday.
Ryan Hunter-Reay became the first driver to break the 225 mph barrier during practice. During "Happy Hour," the final hour of practice for the day, he drove a lap of 225.025 mph (362.143 km/h). A total of 30 drivers completed 2,286 laps without major incident. Ed Carpenter suffered mechanical issues during the day. At 4:48 p.m. Carpenter's car slowed on the track with smoke trailing from the car, bringing out a yellow.[23][24]
Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport 225.025
Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport 224.037
Tuesday May 13 – PracticeEdit
E. J. Viso
A total of 30 drivers completed 1,024 laps during an abbreviated practice session on Tuesday. Thunderstorms closed the track for the day shortly before 2 p.m. E. J. Viso, driving in substitution for James Hinchcliffe, led the speed chart with Andretti Autosport teammate Kurt Busch second.[25] Juan Pablo Montoya posted the third-fastest speed of the day, but his day ended prematurely when his car stalled in turn four with an apparent mechanical failure.
Weather: 79 °F (26 °C), thunderstorms
E. J. Viso Andretti Autosport 224.488
Wednesday May 14 – PracticeEdit
Rain delayed the start of practice until 5:00 p.m. Due to the delay, officials extended the practice session until 7:00 p.m. A total of 29 drivers completed 1,044 laps in a busy session. Just after 6 p.m., rookie Jack Hawksworth lost control and did a half spin in turn three, and crashed into the outside wall. It was the first crash of the month. Hawksworth was not injured. Simon Pagenaud, who won the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, turned the fastest lap of the day. He became the first driver over 226 mph for the month. At 6:24 p.m., light rain began to fall once again, and the track was closed for the day.[26][27]
Weather: 81 °F (27 °C), rain
Simon Pagenaud Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports 226.122
J. R. Hildebrand Ed Carpenter Racing 225.854
Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 225.494
Thursday May 15 – PracticeEdit
Hélio Castroneves
The busiest day of practice thus far saw 34 drivers complete 2,516 laps. In the final hour, Hélio Castroneves completed the fastest lap of the month, the first driver over 227 mph. Three drivers – rookie James Davison, Buddy Lazier, and James Hinchcliffe – took their first laps of the week. Hinchcliffe was back out on the track after being clear to drive after his concussion. Both E. J. Viso and Pippa Mann suffered mechanical/engine issues. The most serious issue of the day belonged to Mikhail Aleshin, who stopped on the course with an engine fire.[28][29]
Weather: 50 °F (10 °C), cloudy
Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing 226.257
Friday May 16 – Fast Friday PracticeEdit
Rain kept the cars off the track most of the day, and allowed only a 19-minute practice session on Fast Friday. Ed Carpenter set the fastest lap of the month during the brief session, with a lap of 230.522 mph (370.989 km/h). It was the first 230 mph lap at the Speedway since 2003. All cars were permitted 140 kPa of turbocharger "boost" during practice on Friday, up from 130 kPa allowed Sunday through Thursday. No incidents were reported.[30] Six different drivers topped the speed chart on each of the six practice days.
Time trialsEdit
First Day – Saturday May 17Edit
Ed Carpenter set the fastest qualifying speed of the day, leading the nine drivers who advanced to the Fast Nine Shootout on Sunday.
Weather: 55 °F (13 °C), partly cloudy
First Round – Saturday, May 17, 2014
Fast 9 Shootout Qualifiers: Positions 1–9
Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 230.661 33
Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport Honda 230.460 32
Hélio Castroneves Team Penske Chevrolet 230.432 31
James Hinchcliffe Andretti Autosport Honda 230.407 30
Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 230.323 29
Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 230.134 28
Simon Pagenaud Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports Honda 230.070 27
Josef Newgarden Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda 230.033 26
J. R. Hildebrand Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 230.027 25
Locked-In Qualifiers: Positions 10–30
Kurt Busch (R) Andretti Autosport Honda 229.960 24
Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 229.899 23
Jack Hawksworth (R) Bryan Herta Autosport Honda 229.816 22
Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Chevrolet 229.785 21
Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 229.283 20
Mikhail Aleshin (R) Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports Honda 229.091 19
Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing Honda 228.947 18
Ryan Briscoe Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 228.825 17
Takuma Sato A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 228.786 16
Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 228.710 15
Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 228.664 14
Sage Karam (R) Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom Racing Chevrolet 228.650 13
Townsend Bell KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 228.508 12
Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 228.435 11
Sébastien Bourdais KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 228.388 10
Pippa Mann Dale Coyne Racing Honda 228.358 9
Sebastián Saavedra KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 228.294 8
Jacques Villeneuve Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 228.171 7
James Davison (R) KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 228.150 6
Oriol Servià Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 228.034 5
Carlos Huertas (R) Dale Coyne Racing Honda 227.991 4
Non-Locked-In Qualifiers: Positions 31–33
Alex Tagliani Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda 227.813 3
Martin Plowman (R) A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 227.043 2
Buddy Lazier Lazier Partners Racing Chevrolet 226.543 1
Second Day – Sunday May 18Edit
The second day of time trials set the starting grid for positions 10 through 33, and then featured the Fast Nine Shootout. During the early session, Juan Pablo Montoya set the fastest time, and qualified for the 10th position. During the Fast Nine Shootout, Ed Carpenter became the eleventh driver ever to win the pole position two consecutive years with a four-lap average of 231.067 mph (371.866 km/h), the fastest qualifying speed since 2003. The 33-car field average was 229.382 mph (369.155 km/h) — the fastest overall average in "500" history.
Weather: TBA
Fast 9 Shootout: Positions 1–9
Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 231.067 9
James Hinchcliffe Andretti Autosport Honda 230.839 8
Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 230.697 7
Hélio Castroneves Team Penske Chevrolet 230.649 6
Simon Pagenaud Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports Honda 230.614 5
Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 230.544 4
Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport Honda 230.146 3
Josef Newgarden Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda 229.893 2
J. R. Hildebrand Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 228.726 1
Positions 10–33
Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Chevrolet 231.007
Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 230.928
Kurt Busch (R) Andretti Autosport Honda 230.782
Jack Hawksworth (R) Bryan Herta Autosport Honda 230.506
Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing Honda 230.256
Mikhail Aleshin (R) Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports Honda 230.049
Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 229.922
Sébastien Bourdais KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 229.847
Oriol Servià Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 229.752
Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 229.719
Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 229.628
Carlos Huertas (R) Dale Coyne Racing Honda 229.251
Pippa Mann Dale Coyne Racing Honda 229.223
Takuma Sato A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 229.201
Alex Tagliani Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda 229.148
Townsend Bell KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 229.009
Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 228.953
Jacques Villeneuve Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 228.949
James Davison (R) KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 228.865
Martin Plowman (R) A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 228.814
Ryan Briscoe Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 228.713
Sage Karam (R) Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom Racing Chevrolet 228.436
Sebastián Saavedra KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 228.088
Buddy Lazier Lazier Partners Racing Chevrolet 227.920
Post-qualifying practice and Carb DayEdit
Monday May 19 – Post-qualifying practiceEdit
Josef Newgarden
The 33 qualified cars participated in a post-qualifying practice session on Monday from 12 noon until 5 p.m. The drivers completed 2,329 laps with Josef Newgarden fastest of the day. At 1:35 p.m. Kurt Busch's car got loose in turn two, he lost control, and crashed into the outside wall at the exit of turn two. The car had heavy damage on the right side, but Busch was uninjured.
Weather: 70 °F (21 °C), partly sunny
Josef Newgarden Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing 227.105
Friday May 23 – Carb Day practiceEdit
All 33 drivers took laps during the final 60-minute practice session. Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon led the speed chart. One minor incident involved rookie Sage Karam, who lightly brushed the outside wall in the exit of turn four. The car suffered only very minor damage.[1]
Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing 227.838
Townsend Bell KV Racing Technology 227.221
Friday May 23 – Pit Stop ChallengeEdit
The annual TAG Heuer Pit Stop Challenge was held Friday May 23. A total of twelve drivers/teams qualified. The teams of Takuma Sato, Will Power, Scott Dixon, and Helio Castroneves, received first-round byes, and advanced directly to the quarterfinals. Chip Ganassi Racing with driver Scott Dixon defeated Dreyer & Reinbold-Kingdom Racing (Sage Karam) in the final round to win the annual tournament.
First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
22 Sage Karam 14.603
14 Takuma Sato 15.294
28 Ryan Hunter-Reay 13.150
12 Will Power 14.196
77 Simon Pageneud 12.904
83 Charlie Kimball 14.219
9 Scott Dixon 11.737
2 Juan Pablo Montoya 15.364
15 Graham Rahal 14.923
3 Helio Castroneves 12.758
8 Ryan Briscoe DNF
10 Tony Kanaan 12.980
8 Ryan Briscoe 12.679
Starting gridEdit
(R) = Indianapolis 500 rookie; (W) = Former Indianapolis 500 winner
Ed Carpenter 27
James Hinchcliffe 12
Hélio Castroneves (W) 77
Simon Pagenaud 25
Marco Andretti
Carlos Muñoz 67
Josef Newgarden 21
J. R. Hildebrand
Juan Pablo Montoya (W) 9
Scott Dixon (W) 26
Kurt Busch (R)
Jack Hawksworth (R) 19
Justin Wilson 7
Mikhail Aleshin (R)
Tony Kanaan (W) 11
Sébastien Bourdais 16
Oriol Servià
Ryan Hunter-Reay 15
Graham Rahal 18
Carlos Huertas (R)
Pippa Mann 14
Takuma Sato 68
Alex Tagliani
Townsend Bell 83
Charlie Kimball 5
Jacques Villeneuve (W)
James Davison (R) 41
Martin Plowman (R) 8
Ryan Briscoe
Sage Karam (R) 17
Sebastián Saavedra 91
Buddy Lazier (W)
Race summaryEdit
Ryan Hunter-Reay became the first American driver to win the race since 2006
StartEdit
Race morning dawned with blue skies, and no chance of rain. Mari Hulman George and Jim Nabors gave the command to start engines together, and pace car driver Dario Franchitti led the field on the parade and pace laps. A clean start saw James Hinchcliffe grab the lead into turn one. Exiting turn two, Ryan Briscoe nearly spun and crashed, but kept the car under control without incident.
Hinchcliffe led the first nine laps, then polesitter Ed Carpenter took the lead on lap 10. Unlike the previous year, lead changes were at a minimum in the opening laps.
First halfEdit
The race went caution free for the first 149 laps. It marked the longest stretch of consecutive laps without a caution since before records were kept beginning in 1976.[32] It also set a record for most consecutive laps from the start of the race before the first yellow. The modern era record was 66 laps in 2000, while the 1954 race reportedly went 110 laps before the first yellow caution period.[33]
The field shuffled through several green-flag pit stops, while only two cars dropped out in the first half. Graham Rahal retired after 44 laps, suffering from electrical issues which kept shutting off the engine. Buddy Lazier was sidelined with clutch issues, but not before he moved into 7th place all-time in laps/miles completed at Indy.
On lap 66, Tony Kanaan's chances of winning were dashed. He ran out of fuel, but made it back to the pits. He returned to the track after a lengthy 43-second pit stop, but was back in the pits seven laps later with a broken starter. Kanaan fell 18 laps down as the crew made repairs.
At the halfway point, leader Ryan Hunter-Reay set a new record with an average speed of 211.871 mph.
Second halfEdit
A spin-out and crash involving Charlie Kimball on lap 149 brought out the first yellow flag. The leaders pitted, and the green came back out on lap 158. Ten laps later, Scott Dixon crashed in turn four, bringing out the second caution of the day. Dixon's crash snapped a streak of 1,733 consecutive laps completed at Indy, dating back to the start of the 2006 race.
The green came out for a restart with 25 laps to go. Ryan Hunter-Reay led Ed Carpenter, Townsend Bell, James Hinchcliffe, and Hélio Castroneves. As the field jockeyed down the main stretch, Hunter-Reay led into turn one. Directly behind him, Carpenter and Bell went side-by-side going into turn one. At that moment, Hinchcliffe dove to the inside, making it three-abreast into turn one. Hinchcliffe touched with Carpenter, sending both cars spinning and crashing into the outside wall. Bell, Castroneves, and the rest of the field slipped by unscathed. After the race, Carpenter angrily said "if he didn't have a concussion last week I would have punched him in the face."[34]
Red flagEdit
The green came out on lap 180, with Ryan Hunter-Reay leading. The lead shuffled quickly between Marco Andretti, Hélio Castroneves, and then back to Hunter-Reay.[34] Then on lap 191, Townsend Bell crashed hard into the outside wall at the exit of turn two. With less than nine laps remaining, officials elected to put out the red flag and halted the race to allow workers to clean up the incident, and allow the opportunity for a green flag finish. Considerable debris, along with damage to the SAFER Barrier and catchfence, required a red flag of nearly 11 minutes.
The red flag drew some mild controversy, but it was generally praised by most fans and competitors in the effort to prevent the race from finishing under caution.[35][36] Eight of the previous twelve Indy 500s had finished under caution due to a late-race crash or rain.
FinishEdit
The cars re-fired and took two yellow warm-up laps. The green came with six laps to go. Ryan Hunter-Reay led the field into turn one, Hélio Castroneves tucked into second, with Marco Andretti close behind in third. The leaders started taking an extremely low line down the front and back straights, forcing their competitors to make passes to the outside.
With five laps to go, Castroneves made a slingshot pass on the inside, and took the lead into turn one. Andretti challenged Hunter-Reay going into turn three, but was unable to make the pass. On the next time by the start/finish line, Castroneves was able to maintain the lead going into turn one.[34] The top three cars stayed nose-to-tail going down the backstretch, at which time Hunter-Reay made a daring dive pass below the white line to take the lead going into turn three. The field crossed the start/finish line for three laps to go with Hunter-Reay leading.
With two laps to go, Castroneves went to the outside to pass Hunter-Reay going into turn one to retake the lead. The two raced nose-to-tail, with Andretti fading in third. As the field came down the main stretch to receive the white flag, Hunter-Reay made a slingshot pass to the outside to again retake the lead. He pulled out to a lead down the backstretch, and Castroneves was unable to challenge going into turn 3. As they came off of turn four, Castroneves tried to close the gap, and drafted going down the main stretch. He made a move to the outside, but Hunter-Reay was able to hold off the challenge, and won the race by 0.0600 seconds. It was the second-closest finish in race history behind only 1992.[34]
"This race was ridiculously close and competitive," Hunter-Reay said after the race. "Just glad I picked the right time to go."[34] Andretti placed third, while Carlos Muñoz finished fourth.[34] Juan Pablo Montoya placed fifth in his first Indy 500 since he won it in 2000.[37] Kurt Busch completed the race in sixth place then flew to North Carolina for the Coca-Cola 600. His attempt to become the second driver to complete 1,100 miles in one day came up short when his engine blew later on at the Coca-Cola 600.[34]
The win made Hunter-Reay the first American to win the Indianapolis 500 in eight years. Between Hunter-Reay, Andretti, and Muñoz, Andretti Autosport had three cars in the top four, and four of the top six with Kurt Busch as well.
Box scoreEdit
Time/Retired
Pit Stops
Pts.1
Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 200 2:40:48.2305 19 56 126
Hélio Castroneves (W) Team Penske Chevrolet 200 +0.0600 4 38 118
Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 200 +0.3171 6 20 103
Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport Honda 200 +0.7795 7 99
Juan Pablo Montoya (W) Team Penske Chevrolet 200 +1.3233 10 16 82
Kurt Busch (R) Andretti Autosport Honda 200 +2.2666 12 80
Sébastien Bourdais KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 200 +2.6576 17 62
Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 200 +2.8507 3 22 85
Sage Karam (R) Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom Racing Chevrolet 200 +3.2848 31 57
J. R. Hildebrand Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 200 +3.4704 9 66
Oriol Servià Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 200 +4.1077 18 43
Simon Pagenaud Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 200 +4.5677 5 68
Alex Tagliani Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda 200 +7.6179 24 3 38
Jacques Villeneuve (W) Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 200 +8.1770 27 39
Sebastián Saavedra KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 200 +8.5936 32 38
James Davison (R) KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 200 +9.1043 28 34
Carlos Huertas (R) Dale Coyne Racing Honda 200 +12.1541 21 30
Ryan Briscoe Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200 +13.3143 30 41
Takuma Sato A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 200 +13.7950 23 38
Jack Hawksworth (R) Bryan Herta Autosport Honda 200 +13.8391 13 42
Mikhail Aleshin (R) Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 198 +2 laps 15 1 37
Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing Honda 198 +2 laps 14 36
Martin Plowman (R) A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 196 +4 laps 29 16
Pippa Mann Dale Coyne Racing Honda 193 +7 laps 22 31
Townsend Bell KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 190 Contact 25 22
Tony Kanaan (W) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 177 +23 laps 16 1 22
Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 175 Contact 1 26 53
James Hinchcliffe Andretti Autosport Honda 175 Contact 2 14 49
Scott Dixon (W) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 167 Contact 11 3 30
Josef Newgarden Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda 156 Contact 8 38
Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 149 Contact 26 25
Buddy Lazier (W) Lazier Partners Racing Chevrolet 87 Mechanical 33 11
Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 44 Electrical 20 24
OFFICIAL BOX SCORE
1 Points include qualification points from Time Trials, 1 point for leading a lap, and 2 points for most laps led.
Race statisticsEdit
Lead changes: 34 amongst 11 drivers
Lap Leaders
1–9 Hinchcliffe 118–123 Hunter-Reay
10–28 Carpenter 124 Dixon
29 Hinchcliffe 125–132 Montoya
30 Power 133–138 Hunter-Reay
31 Kanaan 139–153 Andretti
32 Aleshin 154–157 Carpenter
33–36 Hinchcliffe 158–162 Hunter-Reay
37–57 Power 163 Carpenter
58–61 Andretti 164–170 Hunter-Reay
62 Castroneves 171–173 Tagliani
63 Dixon 174–181 Hunter-Reay
64–66 Montoya 182 Andretti
67–91 Castroneves 183–184 Hunter-Reay
92–93 Carpenter 185 Castroneves
95–99 Montoya 196 Castroneves
100–107 Hunter-Reay 197–200 Hunter-Reay
108–117 Castroneves
Total laps led
Helio Castroneves 38
Will Power 22
Marco Andretti 20
Juan Pablo Montoya 16
Alex Tagliani 3
Scott Dixon 3
Mikhail Aleshin 1
Tony Kanaan 1
Cautions: 5 for 21 laps
150–156 Charlie Kimball crash (turn 2)
168–174 Scott Dixon & Josef Newgarden crashes (turn 4)
176–179 Ed Carpenter & James Hinchcliffe crash (turn 1)
191 Debris (turn 2)
192–193 Townsend Bell crash (turn 2) & red flag
BroadcastingEdit
TelevisionEdit
In the United States, ABC broadcast both feature races in the IndyCar Series during the Indianapolis 500 meeting. This marks the fiftieth consecutive year that ABC has broadcast the 500. ABC also carried time trials for the first time since 2008. Long-time NASCAR play-by-play announcer Allen Bestwick, who has worked the Brickyard 400 since 2001,[38] made his Indy 500 debut for 2014. Previous anchor Marty Reid was fired by the network on September 29, 2013 following an error during the broadcast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Kentucky 300 (a race that was worked by IMS Radio on the radio side).[39] During pole qualifying on Sunday May 18, Dario Franchitti joined the ABC booth as guest analyst. Carb Day coverage was carried by NBC Sports Network, with Bob Varsha serving as announcer.
International broadcasters included Foxtel Speed in Australia, Bandeirantes in Brazil, Motors TV in France,[40] Sport1US in Germany,[41] GAORA Sports in Japan,[42] ESPN in Latin America and BT Sport 2 in the United Kingdom.[43]
ABC Television
Booth Announcers
Pit/garage reporters
Host: Lindsay Czarniak
Announcer: Allen Bestwick
Color: Scott Goodyear
Color: Eddie Cheever
Jerry Punch
Vince Welch
Jamie Little
Rick DeBruhl
RadioEdit
Paul Page, who served as the radio announcer for the 500 from 1977–1987, and later the television announcer (1988–1998, 2002–2004) returned to the radio booth. He anchored the radio broadcast, replacing Mike King, who resigned after 2013. Veteran Indy driver Robbie Buhl joined Page for the broadcast as race analyst, substituting for normal IMS Radio analyst Pippa Mann, who was participating in the race. This was Buhl's only year on the broadcast, but he had covered IndyCar races (including Indy 500 time trials) on Versus for multiple seasons. After several years covering the pit area, Kevin Lee took the turn four position. Lee was substituting for Chris Denari, who missed the race due to commitments with the Pacers and Fever. Nick Yeoman reported from victory lane.
Page ushered in some changes to the broadcast upon his return. He re-instated the turn one reporting location, with Jerry Baker manning the position. Page also brought back his Delta Force Intros, made popular from his days on television. During commercial breaks, the famous out-cue was recited by Page himself. In the previous few years, driver-recorded and historical out-cues were used.
For the 2014 race, the network reached an audience of 11 million listeners, and was carried on 400 terrestrial radio affiliates.[44]
1070 The Fan broadcast nightly beginning April 29 with Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, followed by Donald Davidson's The Talk of Gasoline Alley.[45] However, several episodes of each were pre-empted due to Pacers playoff coverage. About two months after the race, veteran broadcaster, and former IMS Radio Network announcer Gary Lee died.[46] Lee had been part of the broadcast from 1990–1998.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
Turn Reporters
Chief Announcer: Paul Page
Driver expert: Robbie Buhl
Historian: Donald Davidson
Turn 1: Jerry Baker
Turn 2: Jake Query
Turn 3: Mark Jaynes
Turn 4: Kevin Lee
Dave Wilson (north pits)
Dave Furst (north-center pits)
Nick Yeoman (south-center pits)
Michael Young (south pits)
Works citedEdit
IndyCar.com
IndyStar.com
WFNI 1070 The Fan
Weather.com – Speedway, Indiana
^ "LeAnn Rimes to Sing National Anthem at Indy 500". ABC News. May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
^ Cavin, Curt (March 25, 2014). "Dario Franchitti to drive Indianapolis 500 pace car". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
^ a b Cavin, Curt (October 1, 2013). "IndyCar officials provide details for revised 2.434-mile IMS road course". IndyStar. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
^ "2014 SPEED Energy Stadium Super Trucks Schedule". Speed Energy Formula Off-Road. November 27, 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-03-31. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
^ Oreovicz, John (September 4, 2013). "Bet on an IndyCar road race at Indy soon". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
^ "Board approves Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course event for May 2014". IndyCar Series. September 26, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
^ "Final Indy song for Jim Nabors". ESPN.com. ESPN, Inc. Associated Press. March 25, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
^ Trackside with Kurt Cavin and Kevin Lee. April 21, 2014. WFNI.
^ Lewandowski, Dave (March 17, 2014). "Playing it forward: Teams can carry over tires". IndyCar.com. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
^ "INDYCAR Adds Additional Practice Day to '500' Schedule". IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. April 14, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
^ "Team Penske signs Juan Pablo Montoya for IndyCar in 2014". AutoWeek. September 16, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
^ "F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve to make comeback at Indy 500". CNN. March 2, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
^ Cavin, Curt (January 14, 2014). "Early for Indy 500 count, but count on Buddy Lazier". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
^ Cavin, Curt (December 19, 2013). "Dario Franchitti explains difficult decision to retire". USA Today. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
^ Lewandowski, Dave (March 4, 2014). "Busch's Indianapolis 500 entry 'a dream come true'". IndyCar.com. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
^ "All IndyCars switching to twin turbochargers in 2014". USA Today. July 25, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
^ Estrada, Chris (March 18, 2014). "IndyCar grid penalties for unapproved engine swaps gone". MotorSportsTalk. NBC Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
^ "Double points for 500-mile races". ESPN.com. March 20, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
^ Lewandowski, Dave (April 29, 2014). "Busch, Villeneuve get acclimated to Speedway". IndyCar.com. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
^ Lewandowski, Dave (May 5, 2014). "Indy 500 rookies breeze through the program". IndyCar.com. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
^ "Practice Kicks Off For The Indianapolis 500". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation. May 11, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
^ "Daily Trackside Report — Sunday May 11". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation. May 11, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
^ "Daily Trackside Report – Monday May 12". Indy500.com. May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
^ Lewandowski, Dave (May 12, 2014). "Hunter-Reay slides to top, first to hit 225 in practice". IndyCar.com. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
^ Lewandowski, Dave (May 13, 2014). "Saavedra 'in business;' Viso tops speed chart". IndyCar.com. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
^ Lewandowski, Dave (May 14, 2014). "Pagenaud cracks 226 mph; nine above 225 in session". IndyCar.com. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
^ "Daily Trackside Report – Wednesday May 14". Indy500.com. May 14, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
^ Lewandowski, Dave (May 15, 2014). "Castroneves turns 227.166 in 'Fast Friday' preview". IndyCar Series. IndyCar. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
^ "Daily Trackside Report — Thursday May 15". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation. May 15, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
^ "Coming straight at you: 230 mph pole average". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation. May 16, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
^ 2014 Carb Day telecast (NBCSN)
^ Chris Jenkins (May 25, 2014). "Top starters Carpenter, Hinchcliffe crash out at Indy 500". USA Today.
^ "Heroes of the 500: The 1954 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast" – WIBC, May 2014
^ a b c d e f g Jenna Fryer (May 25, 2014). "Ryan Hunter-Reay Wins 2014 Indianapolis 500". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
^ Jenkins, Chris (May 25, 2014). "Indy 500 throws unprecedented red flag to guarantee green finish". USA Today. Larry Kramer; Gannett Company. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
^ Miller, Robin (May 26, 2014). "Indy 500 red flag was the right call". Racer. Haymarket Publications. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
^ Tony DiZinno. "Juan Pablo Montoya's fifth place marks for nice Indy 500 return". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
^ NASCAR broadcaster Allen Bestwick to move to IndyCar Series broadcasts – charlotteobserver.com Archived 2014-10-15 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Marty Reid Fired: ESPN Replaces NASCAR, IndyCar Announcer After Nationwide Gaffe (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. September 29, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
^ http://fr.motorstv.com/auto/monoplace/indycar/23052014/indianapolis-demandez-le-programme
^ http://mediencenter.sport1.de/de/tv_programm/wochenprogrammsport1us/index.html#sport1_us,201405251730,21
^ http://www.gaora.co.jp/motor/1845640/past
^ BT Sport [@btsport] (25 May 2014). "Live now on BT Sport 2 - the Indianapolis 500 from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. #btsport" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^ Benbow, Dana (May 27, 2015). "Indy 500 miracle: How IMS radio broadcast comes together". The Indianapolis Star. Gannett Company. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
^ Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee – 1070 The Fan, April 1, 2014
^ Cavin, Curt (July 15, 2014). "Veteran motor sports broadcaster Gary Lee found dead". USA Today. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
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text:
Chris Froome Says He's Not Open to Accepting a Plea Deal Over Adverse Drug Test
Chris Froome Doesn't Want to Negotiate a Short Ban Over Drug Test Results
The Team Sky champion, who faces suspension, denied reports that he's open to accepting a plea deal from the UCI
by afp/bicycling.com Published: Jan 30, 2018
Chris Froome on Tuesday strongly denied a newspaper report that he is seeking to negotiate a short ban rather than fight to prove his innocence over an adverse doping test.
Team Sky revealed in December that the 32-year-old had tested for elevated levels of the asthma medication salbutamol during the Vuelta a España, which he won for the first time in September.
Although salbutamol is permitted in certain doses, the four-time Tour de France winner gave a urine reading of twice the allowed limit. However, as the medication can be taken legally, Froome was not suspended by pro cycling's governing body, the UCI, but merely asked to explain the elevated reading.
RELATED: Chris Froome Says He 'Hasn't Broken Any Rules' After Failing Drug Test
A Monday report in the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera said Froome was ready to admit negligence in the case if he could negotiate a shorter ban with the UCI. The report said Froome would accept a ban that would allow him to race this year's Giro d'Italia and Tour de France as planned, rather than risk taking tests but failing to prove his case, which would expose him to a much longer suspension.
However, Froome denied the report in a tweet on Tuesday:
View full post on Twitter
It is understood that Froome and his team are still examining the variables that may have caused the adverse result. Froome remains adamant he did not exceed the dosage and plans to demonstrate that to cycling authorities.
RELATED: Is Super Bowl Quarterback Nick Foles the NFL's Chris Froome?
That process could be a lengthy one. As neither the UCI nor Team Sky have suspended Froome, rival riders have raised concerns about the prospect of him racing this season while still under the threat of a future ban.
UCI chief David Lappartient earlier this month called for Team Sky to suspend Froome. In comments to a French regional newspaper, Lappartient said that regardless of Froome's innocence or guilt, fans would not give him the benefit of the doubt until he was either exonerated or found to have broken the rules.
Froome has been training in South Africa, and on Sunday posted the details of a huge ride on Strava—which raised suspicions among users that he relied on motor drafting to achieve such impressive numbers.
Keep up with the latest cycling new by subscribing to our newsletter.


If interior designer Billy Ceglia can make a motley crew of assorted spaces in the Kips Bay Show House Palm Beach look good, imagine what he can do in a whole house. He was assigned the downstairs back hallway, a bathroom that is the public restroom for the house, a small mudroom, the back staircase, a very narrow upstairs landing, and another hallway. He designed the space with photographer Nick Mele and his family in mind. Nick takes very quirky photos of his family which adorn most of the spaces. There is a fun custom candy drawer for the kids and a bar for the adults downstairs while the all the spaces are clad in bright green textured paint, drapery panels with bands inspired by photos of a dress, black and white stripes, fun wallpaper, and graphic art. All the draperies and shades in Billy's room and throughout the house were provided by The Shade Store. Billy's sunny personality and bright spaces were the perfect antidote to the rainy day outside when I toured the house on Saturday.
You can see some other rooms in my Instagram highlight folder Kips Bay PB and I will be posting more rooms after I get back to New York. If you need to escape the latest Polar Vortex, the Kips Bay Show House Palm Beach runs through February 20, 2019.
Photos are a mix from Nick Mele, Kips Bay Instagram, and myself.


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Celebrate Valentine's Day every day of the year with this sweet little digital scrapbooking kit. This versatile collection features a color palette of soft pinks, cool mint greens and splashes of chocolate brown. Embellishments include love-themed items such as chocolate, heart-shaped balloons, flower petals, as well as general items like flowers and washi tape. Wordart features conversation hearts while background papers can be used for any type of layout.
Create adorable and girly school-themed digital scrapbooking pages with this collection. Full of pinks and contemporary pastels, this kit is also versatile enough to be used for other types of pages featuring the girls in your life.
Create your own birthday or invitation cards with this kit. Mix and match the embelllishments and papers for different looks! A card template in both PSD and PNG is also included to give you a headstart.
Scrap those Easter memories with this kit. With a color palette of dusty pink, cool mint and powder blue, this collection will give your Easter layouts a soft, nostalgic feel. The collection also includes Easter-themed embellishments such as a chocolate bunny, jelly beans, several types of eggs and much more.


text:
Esta é uma lista de ministros da Administração Pública de Portugal, entre a criação do Ministério da Reforma do Estado e da Administração Pública a 25 de outubro de 1999 e a atualidade.

A lista cobre o atual período democrático (1974–atualidade), incluindo os ministros de ministérios cuja nomenclatura tenha incluído a pasta da Administração Pública, e não aqueles cujo ministério controlou efetivamente os assuntos relativos à Administração Pública.

Designações
Entre 1999 e a atualidade, o cargo de ministro da Administração Pública teve as seguintes designações:
 Ministro da Reforma do Estado e da Administração Pública — designação usada entre 25 de outubro de 1999 e 6 de abril de 2002;
 Cargo inexistente — entre 6 de abril de 2002 e 17 de julho de 2004;
 Ministro das Finanças e da Administração Pública — designação usada entre 17 de julho de 2004 e 12 de março de 2005;
 Cargo inexistente — entre 12 de março de 2005 e 26 de outubro de 2019;
 Ministro da Modernização do Estado e da Administração Pública — designação usada entre 26 de outubro de 2019 e 30 de março de 2022.
 Cargo inexistente — desde 30 de março de 2022.

Numeração
São contabilizados os períodos em que o ministro esteve no cargo ininterruptamente, não contando se este serve mais do que um mandato consecutivo. Ministros que sirvam em períodos distintos são, obviamente, distinguidos numericamente.

Lista
Legenda de cores(para partidos)

Lista de ministros da Administração Pública vivos

Ver também
 Ministério da Reforma do Estado e da Administração Pública
 Ministério das Finanças e da Administração Pública

Administração Pública

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


a. Increase by $5,000. c. Increase by $2,000.
b. Increase by $4,500. d. Remain unchanged.
Baker Company has a product that sells for $20 per unit. The variable expenses are $12 per unit, and fixed expenses total $30,000 per year.


There is no doubt that farm weddings have marked our summer with their charm. This one shot by Austin Gros at Historic Cedarwood is no exception. Full of sweet details from beginning to end, Paige and Ben's wedding will leave you suspiring for a late summer southern soiree…Oodles more in the gallery.
How wonderful! I love the setting, the color palette. The bride and groom are so sweet!
Love the sweet daisy bouquets. My sister had a much simpler farm wedding with daisies. Beautiful. Congratulations to the happy couple.
Is music a title called what?
So charming and southern! Thanks for featuring Paige and Ben's Cedarwood wedding. Great images and a great group of vendors to work with!
I love this wedding!! I really love the colors and summer feel!
Great to see so much fun in a wedding!
Love the dainty Feaverfew bouquets! Daisies are such happy flowers!


text:
IN Justice Won't Withdraw From Power Plant Case
Indiana Supreme Court Justice Mark Massa said Wednesday he won't withdraw from a case involving a proposed $2.8 billion coal-gasification plant, rejecting arguments that his longtime friendship with a representative of the plant's developers would leave him unable to be impartial in that case.
Rick Callahan, Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Supreme Court Justice Mark Massa said Wednesday he won't withdraw from a case involving a proposed $2.8 billion coal-gasification plant, rejecting arguments that his longtime friendship with a representative of the plant's developers would leave him unable to be impartial in that case.
The Sierra Club and three other groups fighting the project that would turn coal into synthetic natural gas had asked Massa in a motion filed Tuesday to either recuse himself or be disqualified from the case involving a 30-year state contract for the synthetic gas the proposed Indiana Gasification LLC plant would produce.
The groups argued that Massa's nearly three-decade friendship with Indiana Gasification's project manager, Mark Lubbers, would leave him unable to be impartial in the case set for Sept. 5 oral arguments before the state's high court.
But Massa wrote in a Wednesday order denying the groups' request that while he is a longtime friend of Lubbers such friendships among lawyers are common and sometimes those attorneys appear before the state Supreme Court. He added that he's closer to and sees "more regularly" than Lubbers several attorneys who have argued cases before the state's five-member Supreme Court.
"If mere friendship with these lawyers were enough to trigger disqualification, my colleagues and I would rarely sit as an intact court of five," Massa wrote in his order.
The groups' motion had noted that Lubbers had spoken at Massa's May 2012 robing ceremony as a justice, calling Massa "a gem of extraordinary quality."
But Massa said in his order that those flattering remarks "cannot be a basis for recusal on a court of last resort."
Jodi Perras, who oversees the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign in Indiana, said in a statement that the group is disappointed with Massa's decision not to step aside in the case and added that his decision appeared written in "haste."
"We have strong concerns about how this will affect the public's view of the integrity of the court, but Justice Massa has made his decision and we look forward to our day in court on Sept. 5," Perras said.
The four groups that filed the request are among the opponents, including natural gas utility Vectren Corp. and consumer advocates, of the plant proposed for the Ohio River town of Rockport about 30 miles east of Evansville. They contend Indiana Gasification's state contract would cost Indiana utility customers as much as $1.1 billion in higher rates.
The state Supreme Court announced in June that it would hear Indiana Gasification's appeal of a lower court ruling invalidating a section of that contract, which would require Indiana to buy the plant's synthetic gas at a fixed rate and resell it on the open market for a 30-year period.
The plant's opponents noted in their request to Massa that he was then-Gov. Mitch Daniels' general counsel in 2009 when the administration successfully sought legislation authorizing the Indiana Finance Authority, a state agency, to negotiate the contract with Indiana Gasification and its New York-based developer, Leucadia.
Their motion states that Massa's role as general counsel during that time "exposed him to extrajudicial information" about that legislation.
But Massa wrote in his order that he has "no independent recollection" of reviewing the Indiana Gasification legislation. And he noted that Daniels signed 757 separate bills into law during Massa's time as general counsel.
Massa added that the Indiana Finance Authority had negotiated the Indiana Gasification contract "long after" he left the governor's office.
"I had no involvement in the negotiation of that contract and thus have no conflict," he wrote.
Aside from the Sierra Club, the other groups which filed the motion are the Citizens Action Coalition, Spencer County Citizens for Quality of Life and Valley Watch. Their motion cited Indiana judicial conduct code stating that a judge should disqualify him or herself "in any proceeding in which the judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned."
Their motion contends that "an ordinary person could not avoid having a reasonable doubt that Justice Massa would have problems being impartial given the totality of the circumstances."
State lawmakers in April passed legislation that requires Indiana regulators to consider new ratepayer protections that were not in place when state regulators approved the contract.
Lubbers has said additional regulatory hurdles could kill the project.


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SDCC 2012: With The 'Firefly' Reunion Panel Wrapped, How Long Until A 'Serenity' Sequel?
By Tom Cheredar | Monday, July 16th, 2012 at 10:00 am
With San Diego Comic-Con's Firefly 10th anniversary reunion panel now wrapped up (watch the panel here below), we all know pretty much exactly what we did prior to it happening: Creator Joss Whedon loves this property possibly more than anything else he's done to this point in his career.
The panel itself was set up by The Science Channel, which has been airing the 13-episode series on the cable network to great success. It's even planning to do a special feature video that'll air later this year.
Towards the end of the panel, Whedon made a heartfelt speech to fans that seemed to indicate that there's more than a glimmer of hope left for the series to once again take shape on the big screen beyond the new Dark Horse comic book series coming later this year.
After a standing ovation by both the crowd in attendance and former cast members on stage, the ever witty (albeit a bit choked up) Whedon said: "Only an idiot would follow that with a sentence."
Lucky for us, he did, adding:
"When you watch a good movie — i'm assuming this happens to everyone else as well — you feel like you're in that world… You're there. When you're telling a story you're trying to connect two people in a particular way. It's not just about what you want to say, its about inviting them into a world..When I see you guys, I don't think the show's off the air. I don't think there's a show. I think that's what the world is like. I think there's spaceships. I think there's horses. The story is alive."
With powerful words like that alongside so many actors a decade later, I'd find it hard to believe a sequel to Serenity isn't happening soon. And by soon I mean announced at Comic-Con 2017. See, the thing is, Whedon just pulled off the third most lucrative movie of all time with Marvel's The Avengers. That means both Fox and former movie studio partner Universal probably have some renewed interest in anything that has Whedon's name attached to it, because yes tagging any film with the line "From the director who brought you The Avengers" does actually hold some weight with the broad audience demographics.
I figure Whedon will likely write and direct Avenger 2 and probably a few smaller original films in the next four years. Then, everyone will be sitting around and it'll hit them, "Why don't we make a new Serenity movie? There's really no reason it couldn't happen now." The issue of money and gaining approval from a major studio will no longer be an issue. You'll be able to adjust the schedules of all the actors involved so they'll be able to participate (incentivized by a bag of money).
But for now, all we have is a YouTube video of the panel, courtesy of TFAW. Enjoy.
Topics: Conventions, News, SDCC, Television, Videos
Tags: Firefly, Joss Whedon, Serenity
$3 MP3 Album Deal: Queen's 'Greatest Hits'
Karl Urban Slightly Teases Hilarious New Footage From 'Star Trek 2'
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ClamAV is an open source malware integration application. It can be also said as the antivirus engine for detecting Trojans, viruses, malware, adware, worms, keyloggers, hijackers and other kinds of malicious and unwanted threat. ClamAV is regarded as the best mail gateway scanning program that is integrated with a multi-threaded scanning system and scan the entire system against potential threats. The best about ClamAV is that it supports various file and folder formats for scanning purposes. ClamAV works with almost all operating systems including Windows, iOS, and UNIX-based operating systems. The other technical and security features of the ClamAV are command line scanner, filter for email, advanced database system, scanning for digital signatures, virus database system, scanning for standard mail file formats, support for all file and archive formats for scanning purposes, support for scanning documents and files of all type, system of scanning portable executables and ELF executables files, and much more options for enhancing the security and performance of the entire system.


A small, well maintained rural site within walking distance of Pentewan and its beautiful beach. It has neat level pitches, including some hardstanding pitches, an excellent children's play area, and an ultra-modern toilet block. It borders the River Winnick and also the Pentewan cycle trail from St Austell to Pentewan, and The Lost Gardens of Heligan and Mevagissey are nearby. There is a bus stop outside the park to Mevagissey and Gorran Haven or St Austell (Asda), Charlestown and Fowey.
Open Etr-early Oct. Last arrival 20.00. Last departure 11.00.


The Santa Barbara area is a favorite destination point for visitors all year long. Whether its touring the picturesque Santa Barbara wine country, visiting the California missions, exploring the miles of beautiful beaches, or shopping in the most beautiful downtown in America, our community offers something for everyone. The beauty of the Santa Barbara coastline, combined with the Mediterranean charm and culture of the city, is the reason Santa Barbara is commonly referred to as the "American Riviera".
If recreation is what you are looking for, the opportunities are endless! Santa Barbara is a favorite destination for bicyclists, golfers, beach enthusiasts, sailing, fishing, whale watching, hiking, and camping.
Getting to Santa Barbara is easy. Centrally located on California's Central Coast in southern Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara is approximately 100 miles north of Los Angeles and 100 miles south of San Luis Obispo. The beautiful wine country is easily accessible via Hwy 101 along the coast, or via Hwy 154 over the scenic Santa Ynez Mountains.
There is plenty of public parking available throughout Santa Barbara. For a detailed map of all public parking locations, click here.
For more information regarding Transportation options, click here.


The Knox County YMCA is a 501c3 charitable nonprofit organization whose mission is to utilize Christian principles to instill character development. We believe in the four core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect, Responsibility and practice these values in our daily lives. Financial Assistance keeps the Y available for kids and families who need us most. We count on the generosity of our members and community to help people of all ages and from all walks of life be more healthy, confident, connected and secure. When you give to the Y, your gift will have a meaningful, enduring impact right in your own neighborhood. As part of our mission, no person is denied participation or services of the YMCA thanks to our generous donors. Each year, the YMCA conducts a sustaining fundraising campaign (Annual Support Campaign) in order to ensure that every person wishing to participate at the YMCA has opportunity to do so. Annually, the YMCA forgives approximately 50,000 in membership and program dollars which must be generated through private donors such as you. Please consider giving to the YMCA to make an impact on youth and families.
After six months of personal training sessions, one of our clients tripped and fell at church, causing her to need a knee replacement! After getting up from that fall, she told everyone that if that would have happened one year ago, she probably would have been really bad off, but since she had been working with a trainer she was stronger and able to recover from that fall with no problems! Personal training works!


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20 Interesting Facts About Emily Osment
Post Category:People
You all know Emily Osment from the famous T.V show Hannah Montana and if you having trouble remembering her character, so let me jog your memory she was Miley Cyrus's troublesome best friend Lillian "Lilly" Truscott.
In my opinion, she was the powerhouse of the show, Lilly's character gave the show its charm and without her, I don't think that the show could have reached the popularity with just Miley Cyrus but you are not here to read my opinion on Hannah Montana or its characters.
Emily Osment has done some great work in her life and I don't mean just acting and entertaining, she is more than that and you will learn about it below.
*All the sources are listed at the end of the article
Birth place Los Angeles
Birth day March-10-1992
Profession Actor & Musician
Zodiac sign Pisces
These are some interesting facts about Emily Osment
#1. She has a wish that she wants to swim with the dolphins someday.
#2. Emily is Acrophobic, which means she has a fear of heights.
#3. Emily's full name is Emily Jordan Osment and in Latin, her name translates to "Admiring".
#4. The kid from the movie "The Sixth Sense" is her brother, his name is Haley Joel Osment.
#5. Knitting is one of Emily's hobbies and even taught Miley Cyrus how to knit. Her other hobbies or interests are writing, cooking, playing golf and watching old movies.
#6. Her father, Michael Osment is also an actor and even made an appearance in one of her movies too. The movie's name is Soccer Mom.
#7. Emily won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 2013 for her role in "Cyberbully".
#8. Emily attended occidental college from 2011 to 2015.
#9. Emily Osment has starred in many movies and some of them are Cyberbully, Hannah Montana: the movie, Christmas wonderland, the haunting hour, dadnapped, Spy Kids 2 & 3, kiss me, soccer mom, and many more
#10. While Hannah Montana gave her career a boost but she first rose to fame when she appeared in the Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams as Gerti Giggles.
#11. Some of the T.V shows Emily Osment has worked in are Hannah Montana, cleaners, A daughter nightmare, Young and hungry, and almost family.
22 Starry Facts about Marilyn Monroe
20 quirky facts about Miley Cyrus


I just spent the last 5 days eating Texas BBQ at SXSW Interactive in Austin. Soooooo yummy. But now it's time to rededicate myself to my sweet tooth and say buh-bye to my carnivorous side. And I think I'm going to eat only vegetables for the next MONTH!
I think Texas Barbecues are really one of the best! My personal favorite as well.
OMG!!! I want that! We had Boss tonight, but that picture made me so hungry! I don't know what to do.


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Tag Archives: restoration
Wilkinsburg Tour To Highlight Blight In Hopes Of Spurring Redevelopment
It's a home tour visitors don't typically take: overgrown gardens leading to homes with boarded-up windows, peeling paint and broken stairs.
The Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation and a group of Carnegie Mellon University students hope to highlight hidden beauty in the borough and reframe how people see vacant properties. The students conceived the idea for a Vacant Home Tour on May 9 as a way to address blight.
They'll walk people through the history of five vacant properties in Wilkinsburg that could be prime candidates for restoration.
At each house, volunteer docents from the neighborhood, who researched the homes' histories and owners, will present old photos or documents to show the houses in their heydays, said Marlee Gallagher, communications and outreach coordinator for the CDC.
Read more: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/8083071-74/wilkinsburg-tour-properties#ixzz3XCZ490tS
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook
By Roy • Posted in Pittsburgh/Western Pennsylvania, Politics	• Tagged Allegheny County, Allegheny County Redevelopment Authority, blight, blight eradication, crime, financing options, millennials, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, Pittsburgh PA, population losses, restoration, revitalization, Suburban Pittsburgh, Vacant Home Tour, vacant properties, Vacant Property Recovery Program, Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation, Wilkinsburg PA, Wilkinsburg planning commission, Wilkinsburg School District, workshops
Gov. Corbett Announces Redevelopment Grant For Former Saks Site, Oliver Building
Trinity Epsicopal with its neighbors, the Oliver Building and the old Gimbels (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Surrounded by an array of Pittsburgh civic and development interests, Gov. Tom Corbett stood in Mellon Square Monday to announce a $4 million state grant to seed the redevelopment of the Henry W. Oliver Building and its neighbor, the former Saks Fifth Avenue department store.
Mr. Corbett told a small crowd overlooking the planned developments that the Henry W. Oliver Building had special interest for him because he had worked in an office there during his career in private practice before joining the U.S. attorney's office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Noting that he had been in the city last week to release state funds for a theater project for Point Park University, Mr. Corbett called Pittsburgh, "a model for redevelopment and smart growth."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/09/29/Governor-Corbett-announced-redevelopment-grant-for-Downtown-Pittsburgh/stories/201409290199
By Roy • Posted in Pittsburgh/Western Pennsylvania	• Tagged Allegheny County, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Chuck Perlow, Embassy Suites Hotel, Henry W. Oliver Building, Mellon Square, mixed use development, parking, Pittsburgh, Point Park University, redevelopment, Residential, restoration, retail, Saks Fifth Avenue, smart growth, Smithfield Street, Tom Corbett
Reading Visitors Bureau Celebrates 50th Anniversary
In April 1963, a group of forward-looking business and civic leaders organized the Reading-Berks County Pennsylvania Dutch Travel Association.
The region's rich history and cultural heritage, they believed, could draw tourists whose dollars would strengthen the region's economy.
The association has undergone several name changes and had several homes, but 50 years, later the founders' vision still guides the Greater Reading Convention & Visitors Bureau.
"It's still our history, art, architecture and the sheer beauty of our region that attracts visitors," association president Crystal A. Seitz said Monday. "Tourism touches everybody's life in Berks County."
By Roy • Posted in Reading/Berks, Travel	• Tagged Abraham Lincoln Hotel, Alan Shuman, Berks County, Berks County Commissioner Kevin Barnhardt, Crystal A. Seitz, cultural heritage, Dr. Santo Marabella, Glen Rigg, Go Greater Reading, Greater Reading Convention & Visitors Bureau, Judy Henry, Michael Leifer, Pennsylvania Dutch, Reading PA, restoration, Shuman Development Group, Take A Ride Champion Award, tourism
Funds Sought To Restore Wilkes-Barre Irem Temple
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
WILKES-BARRE – The 107-year-old Irem Temple building, a historic landmark on North Franklin Street, once was Wilkes-Barre's primary public performance venue.
Today, the once-grand building has fallen into disrepair and has no heat, lights or electricity. But city and chamber officials are trying to save it.
During a tour by flashlight Wednesday, Ross Macarty, vice president of community development, real estate and special projects for the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, showed that water damage has taken a toll on the deteriorating building and thieves have stolen copper and brass inside over the past two months.
The Greater Wilkes-Barre Development Corp., an arm of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, bought the building in 2005 for $992,000, using a combination of federal, state and chamber funds. The chamber and city are seeking $2.4 million in state gaming funds to bring the building up to code and return it to use.
Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/business/funds-sought-to-restore-wilkes-barre-irem-temple-1.1434055
By Roy • Posted in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton	• Tagged Commonwealth Financing Authority, downtown Wilkes-Barre, Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, historic landmark, Irem Temple, Kings College, Luzerne County, Moorish Revival Architecture, Northeastern Pennsylvania, performance venue, restoration, Ross Macarty, Shriners, state gaming funds, The Greater Wilkes-Barre Development Corp, The Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre, vacant building, Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton, Wilkes-Barre PA
Philadelphia, Suburbs Emerge From Sandy
English: This is my own work, Public Domain Photograph, not copyrighted Ed Yakovich http://www.flickr.com/photos/10396190@N04 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The scene at the corner of Chelten and Wissahickon avenues in Philadelphia said it all: A blue mountain bike, badly mangled and turned upside down, but still somehow tethered to a bicycle rack.
The city and its suburbs emerged shaken but largely intact Tuesday morning, after taking a night's beating from Sandy's high winds and rain. Some people remained in shelters, but waterways were receding in certain areas, and many residents were coming outside to survey the damage and take a deep breath of relief.
Travel remained challenging, with downed power lines and trees closing streets. SEPTA began resuming services at noon, hoping to bring the system to full strength piece by piece. Shopping malls planned to reopen Tuesday, though an estimated 1.2 million were without power across Pennsylvania.
A Peco spokesperson said total outages for Southeastern Pennsylvania reached more than 800,000 at the height of the storm, shattering previous records, and as of Tuesday morning 585,000 were without service. Restoration could take days.
Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20121030_Philadelphia__suburbs_emerge_from_Sandy.html
By Roy • Posted in Chester County, Norristown/Montgomery County, Philadelphia	• Tagged damage assessment, Delaware River, Delaware Valley, flooding, Hurricane Sandy, Mayor Nutter, Metropolitan Philadelphia, PECO, Philadelphia, Power outage, restoration, Schuylkill River, SEPTA, storm damage
2 Artists Seek To Restore Damaged Dove In Reading City Park
A 1947 topographic map of the Reading, Pennsylvania area. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Editor's note: One of the benefits of arts revitalization!
On a bright summer day in a nearly deserted park, two men stand in the shadow of a crumbling statue.
Pointing at the flaking, cracked concrete and graffiti that cover the dove sculpture in City Park, they recoil in disgust.
"Look at this," said artist Yesid Gomez. "This is an embarrassment. Whose fault is this? It is our fault for letting it look like this."
Gomez and his cousin, Wilfer Buitrago, examine the statue, taking measurements and noting the damage that it has sustained over the years. Shaking their heads, they said they feel ashamed to see the dove in such poor condition.
By Roy • Posted in Reading/Berks	• Tagged Art/Music/Literature/Performing Arts, artists, arts revitalization, Dove, former Mayor Tom McMahon, GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Ramon Lago, Reading City Park, Reading PA, restoration, statue, Wilfer Buitrago, Yesid Gomez
Scranton: Northeast Pennsylvania's Economic Growth Engine (Part Two)
(Continued from yesterday's Part I below)
I asked Mayor Doherty if the population decline in Scranton was a concern and was he focused on trying to reverse it. The mayor said the population is growing and becoming more diverse. There are now two dozen languages being spoken in the Scranton School District and over 70 ESL teachers. When the mayor took office ten years ago there was one ESL teacher in the school district. I recently read that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area is the least diverse of any metropolitan area in the United States over 500,000 people. It would seem this may be changing.
We talked about the significance of what having a medical college and possibly a law school would mean for Scranton. Bringing in and retaining college educated people will help stop the "brain drain" and grow a population with more disposable income. This in turn fosters economic development and reduces crime. Medical schools and law schools bring a certain amount of prestige to any city lucky enough to have one. Perception is a hard thing to change. These types of accomplishments will tangibly demonstrate that Scranton is not a rust-belt, blue-collar, post-industrial casualty. Instead, Scranton has pulled itself up by its bootstraps and seeks to reclaim her proud heritage and rightful place as an economic powerhouse in Pennsylvania.
With a new governor in Pennsylvania things will most likely change. Ed Rendell was a friend to Scranton and poured $140 million into the city for economic development. Governor Corbett is still an unknown, only just taking office. Many who received funding from Rendell are worried that money might be harder to come by under Corbett. The good news from Scranton is private sector funding for economic development has reached a level that will sustain Scranton in the event that money from Harrisburg dries up.
One of Mayor Doherty's mottos is "invest in yourself". Two examples of this are the restoration of the municipal building lobby and fixing the broken "Scranton The Electric City" sign that is perched atop on of the city's taller buildings (pictured above). The mayor feels strongly about the message neglect, disrepair, messy, dirty and cluttered can send to residents and visitors. The first-floor lobby area in the historic Municipal Building was cluttered with soda/snack machines and was in need of a major spruce up. The mayor did just that. (While I was waiting outside the mayor's office, I took a picture of the lobby because it was so impressive – see Part I photos). The "Scranton The Electric City" sign had been broken for decades. Now the sign lights up every night and makes a positive statement about the Scranton of the present, while honoring the city's past accomplishments.
Having frequent events is an important tool Scranton uses to promote itself, attract tourists and prospective residents. Scranton has a huge list of events like First Night, St. Patrick's Day Festival (3rd largest in the U.S. and draws 150,000 people), La Festa Italiana (draws another 150,000 people), Komen for the Cure (10,000 people), Steamtown Marathon (2,500 people), Scranton Jazz Festival and the Pages and Places Book Festival. These events are helping to make Scranton a "destination".
My last question to Mayor Doherty was "What has been your greatest challenge?" His answer was "changing the way people think". People need to believe that things are possible instead of falling into the "it can't be done here", "it will never work", "we can't afford it", "we never did it that way before" and the litany of excuses to maintain the status quo. The status quo is why Scranton hit bottom and had 22 empty building in its downtown.
Mayor Doherty has a vision for Scranton and is undeterred by criticism and negativity. Nor is he content to rest on his laurels. He always has future projects on the back burner and showed me some of them while we walked. The mayor is taking the revitalization of Scranton one project, one building at a time.
I will share one last thing Mayor Doherty said to me, which is important to always remember. These things take time. It took seven years to get to the Connell Building project completed. Construction took less than one year. All the planning, committees, red tape etc… took six years. Rome was not built in a day and neither will Scranton (or any other city) be magically revitalized. The mayor has accomplished all these things over ten years. It takes a dedicated team of people to make all this happen. It also takes someone like Chris Doherty to lead the team with a positive, can-do attitude, a never give up mentality and most of all a healthy dose of patience.
The Electric City has a bright future and is poised to again become one of Pennsylvania's most vibrant and important cities.
By Roy • Posted in Revitalization - Click on link for Progress Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton	• Tagged adaptive reuse, Chris Doherty, Commonwealth Medical College, Connell Building, diversity, downtown, economic development, Ed Rendell, law school, mayor, private sector funding, restoration, revitalization, Scranton PA, Scranton School District, Steamtown Marathon, University of Scranton


At 3 17 p.m on March 18, 1937, a natural gas leak beneath the London Junior Senior High School in the oil boomtown of New London, Texas, created a lethal mixture of gas and oxygen in the school s basement The odorless, colorless gas went undetected until the flip of an electrical switch triggered a colossal blast The two story school, one of the nation s most modern, diAt 3 17 p.m on March 18, 1937, a natural gas leak beneath the London Junior Senior High School in the oil boomtown of New London, Texas, created a lethal mixture of gas and oxygen in the school s basement The odorless, colorless gas went undetected until the flip of an electrical switch triggered a colossal blast The two story school, one of the nation s most modern, disintegrated, burying everyone under a vast pile of rubble and debris More than 300 students and teachers were killed, and hundreds were injured As the seventy fifth anniversary of the catastrophe approaches, it remains the deadliest school disaster in U.S history Few, however, know of this historic tragedy, and no book, until now, has chronicled the explosion, its cause, its victims, and the aftermath Gone at 3 17 is a true story of what can happen when school officials make bad decisions To save money on heating the school building, the trustees had authorized workers to tap into a pipeline carrying waste natural gas produced by a gasoline refinery The explosion led to laws that now require gas companies to add the familiar pungent odor The knowledge that the tragedy could have been prevented added immeasurably to the heartbreak experienced by the survivors and the victims families The town would never be the same.Using interviews, testimony from survivors, and archival newspaper files, Gone at 3 17 puts readers inside the shop class to witness the spark that ignited the gas Many of those interviewed during twenty years of research are no longer living, but their acts of heroism and stories of survival live on in this meticulously documented and extensively illustrated book.
Horrifying account of the worst disaster in US school history. The terrible event paved the way for safety measures regulating the natural gas industry. Captures the horror without dwelling on the grisly details, it was still difficult to read at times. Recommended by a cousin when I posted that my husband's grandfather was one of the hundreds of volunteers that helped clear the debris. He had a welding shop in nearby Gladewater, Texas.
Very carefully researched documentary, of a tragic eventat was entirely preventable. In an effort to save a minor amount of money, many lives were lost. Also a great accounting of early news reporting of a major catastrophe TV or Internet, or cellphones!
I had never heard of this event before so I am glad that I read about it. This is a horribly tragic event that I can't even imagine it occurring today. The author did a good job retelling the event but I often got lost in everyone's names and keeping straight who everyone was. I wish more pictures were included to help visualize the impact of the event.
Incredibly well told account of a heart wrenching true story. Difficult not to read with tears in your eyes. Beautifully researched and masterfully written.
I wish there'd been less time spent on the reporters and more coverage of the victims, survivors, their parents and how they coped.
Incredible. So much local history; unimaginable pain.
I was stunned at how badly written and edited this book was but the power of the story was so compelling, it was amazing. Had heard of, read articles about New London but nothing in real depth. And since it's just down the road from me, this story was even more interesting. It deserved better handling though.
I live three or four miles from the school where this tragedy occurred. I grew up hearing about it, and I'm glad someone wrote a book about it, because the lost children, the surviving families, and the rescuers should never be forgotten.
Impossible to put down, even when I wanted to. So much death and destruction. Haunting is an apt description. The authors have created a masterpiece to pay tribute to the victims and to honor the survivors.
An in-depth telling of the tragic school disaster. Very well research. Couldn't help but be touched by the enormity of the tragedy.
Very well told narrative history of the deadliest school disaster in U. S. history, the explosion of the London Junior-Senior High School in Texas in 1937.
Very well written book about a horrific incident in Texas history.
Heartbreaking yet riveting, I could not put this book down. such a horrible tragedy that no one remembers!!
Historically important and it happened right here in my backyard. Everyone needs to read this book and find out why natural gas smells so funny. You'll be grateful that it does.