The soul or spirit many people refer to as James Carr is an illusion... even to "James Carr". The illusion is very much like the first moving pictures from a zoetrope. The illusion of a soul or a default personality is lots and lots of snapshots of a make believe reality. A reality rendered only inside the head of the person experiencing it. Even the present moment - the "now" that everyone is so keen to live in - is an illusion. If touch information from the feet were processed at the same time as audio information from the ears, there would be a mismatch - like watching a film with the audio out of sync, it would feel awkward and wrong, so our information processing centres build in about 80ms latency, to bring all the information together - sight (receptors in the eyes turning photon stimulation in to electrical impulses that can be processed in the visual cortex), hearing (tiny bones detecting minute disturbances in air pressure and converting these in to electrical signals that can be processed in the auditry cortex), touch, balance, temperature, hormones, breathing rate, blood chemistry, memories... everything you experience every second... all brought together to give the illusion of a real world and a single moment in time. We remember the past and we can think about the future so it feels like we really exist. But it only feels continuous because it hasn't stopped yet... the conscious awareness ceases to exist when we sleep and a new one appears when we wake and for every snapshot until the next sleep.
The conscious awareness that people called James Carr 2 seconds ago is vastly different to the one they might call James Carr "now". The James Carr that the parents of James Carr called James Carr when sat in a registry office and asked to attach words to the concept, bears even less resemblence. Red blood cells replaced on a 4 month cycle; white blood cells surviving a year; skin cells 2 or 3 weeks and colon cells being changed every 3 or 4 days! New brain cells growing every day and forming neural connections based on whatever experiences they're experiencing. Not much of the physical stuff has stayed the same... and even those atoms that have, once created in the explosion of stars that could only form using atoms created in the explosions of earlier stars, are only particles when frozen in time. Until observed and given a time value, the atoms themselves are everywhere in an uncollapsed wave/particle duality.


IT IS SIMPLY A NEW BIRTH.
I had the honor of being the master of ceremonies on Saturday at a Celebration of Life event in honor of my father-in-law. The room was packed with family and friends of my wife's Dad, and I had the chance to share with this standing room only audience some thoughts arising from the final book in the CWG cosmology, titled HOME WITH GOD in a Life That Never Ends.
The response from those present was so positive that I feel moved to share those words with you here as well, as some of you may have experienced in recent weeks or months the death of a loved one.
In truth, what we call death is another beginning. And those are not just hollow words. Those are words of insight into life's largest truth: That there is more going on here than meets the eye.
So grieve when a person dies if grief is what you feel — and who does not, when we have lost a loved one?
But let yourself know that even the expression of grief in your loss is a living demonstration of the most beautiful part of life, which is love.
Then, even in our grief, we can feel ourselves honoring what is most important in life. In this life and in the Life Eternal.
Embrace, as best you can, the death of another, therefore, with soft celebration, even as our loved ones who have departed celebrate their Continuation Day.
And let us know and trust this truth as well: No one dies at a time or in a way that is not of their choosing.
The passage of the Soul is ended only when the agenda of that passage is complete, and not one moment before. There is no such thing as being "incomplete" on the Journey of the Soul.
Finally, tell everyone this: It is impossible to die without God. The Divine is there to greet everyone.
God will embrace you, comfort you, welcome you, and assure you that you are perfect, just the way you are.
Then you will be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven, where you will be celebrated for Who You Are, and who you have always been. For who we all are.
You are goodness and mercy and compassion and under-standing. You are peace and joy and light.
…a helper in time of need, a comforter in time of sorrow, a healer in time of injury, a teacher in times of confusion.
You are the deepest wisdom and the highest truth; the greatest peace and the grandest love.
You are these things. And in moments of your life you have known yourself as these things.
Life invites you to know yourself as these things always.
Many people have the experience that Divinity exists, but not nearly as many have the experience that they exist as Divinity. This is not because they are not capable of experiencing themselves as Divine, it is because they do not conceive of themselves as that. This is evidence of our spiritual immaturity, not of our spiritual identity.
The days of our spiritual childhood are receding, however. We are evolving, and our spiritual growth has brought us the awareness that something has been missing from our experience. What has been called the Cloud of Unknowing is being lifted.
We know now that Life, and that each of us as a Life Form, has the potential — nay, the inherent impulse, the deep and natural desire, the urging and the yearning — to express something much grander, something much more glorious, than what we have accepted as the norm.
We are ready now to create a New Normal. And we are clear now that this New Normal will emerge only when we access and express what has always been Natural.
In the past, what is "natural" and what is "normal" has not always been the same. In fact, too often it has been "normal" to act in a way that is not "natural." This is because we have not previously been fully aware of our true nature. We have thought that we are less than we are—and we have been acting like it.
All of that can now end.
There are those who say that the way we have been living life on Earth will not end and cannot end, that it is impossible to substantially alter our behaviors, given the nature of human beings. Yet it is possible precisely because of the nature of human beings.
Human beings are not simply chemical creatures. They are not merely biological entities with a body and a mind that emerge into physical life, live their years as fate provides, then watch helplessly as life, consciousness, self-awareness and their very beingness is stripped from them forever.
You know now that you are more than this. You can feel it. You are not your body and you are not your mind. You are a larger entity, having a body and having a mind.
You are aware now of the Larger Reality. You are clear now that there is more to this physical life that we are part of and that is all around us than meets the eye. You see now a Larger Truth—and the implications of that Larger Truth. You have brought forward your inner knowing of the True Nature of Things.
Every living cell of every living thing knows what it is doing. Plants do not turn to the sun by chance. White corpuscles do not rush to heal the wounds of the lion by coincidence. There is a form of intelligence built into the system at the cellular level that causes Life to do, at every level of physical expression, what it does naturally.
So it is that human beings do not endlessly seek unity and yearn to express oneness as a fluke. It is their very nature to do so. It is human nature.
And it is the Consciousness of human beings—the quality of being Self-Conscious—that allows us to find (indeed, to create) an answer to life's biggest dilemmas and peaceful resolutions to life's biggest problems (both personal and global). The question is not whether we are capable of creating such answers and resolutions, the question is whether we are willing. Do we have the will to do so ? And if not, what could cause us, individually and collectively, to have such a will?
Let that be our question of the day.
I think there are three things that could cause us to muster the individual and collective will to live our lives doing what we would do naturally, rather than what we would do normally.
We would have to see and agree that what we normally do in most situations is no longer working.
We would have to see and agree that giving in to our True Nature, that demonstrating Who We Really Are, is the only, and the perfect, way out of our mounting human dilemmas.
There is only one way that I know of to accomplish #3. We would have to try it. We would have to commit to truly undertaking the effort, knowing that if we rose to our Highest Selves even part of the time, it would be enough to make a real difference, both in our own lives and in the collective experience of humanity.
Is there truly nothing we can do about it? Is it our only recourse to simply hunker down, wait it out, hope that nothing horrible that is happening in the world touches us before the horrible stuff can be solved and made to go away? And what would solve it, anyway?
Does any of this have anything whatsoever to do with your own personal journey through life? Well, that would depend on what you felt was the reason for your own personal journey through life. Why are you here? What is your own personal journey all about? Is there a purpose? Is there an agenda? Or is your being here just a happenstance, a random occurrence, a biological incident?
What's really going on here on this planet? In your heart, in your mind, in your soul? Do you even have a "soul"?
It's time to start answering some questions.
No, no. It's past time.
The world has never been in more turmoil than it is today. Individual lives have never felt more tenuous. The Human Journey has never seemed more senseless.
What is the point of all this?, human beings are asking themselves. Why bother living if it's just about encountering saddening and upsetting, unraveling and upheaving experiences at every turn?
Are we really nothing more than a species of sentient beings run amok, blowing up H-bombs under the ground to prove our invincibility, ending people's lives by injection to demonstrate our righteousness, allowing hundreds of the world's children to die of starvation every hour as we defend a global economy that benefits one-tenth of the planet's population?
Have we so lost our collective will as to find no way to stop war to this very day, creating refugee crises rendering millions homeless?
Have we so lowered our collective standards as to find it actually preferable for divisiveness, rudeness, insults and tasteless verbal bullying to become the hallmark of political leadership?
Is this what we have come to? Gun-toting, fist-pumping, verbal-bashing, jaw-jutting, loud-mouthed intimidators and strong-armed tyrants daring anyone to stand up for what is gentle, peaceful, and loving?
Apprehension and fear, uncertainty and frustration have never been more keenly or deeply felt by more people in more of the moments of their lives than they are on this day. At this writing these emotions are driving the election cycle in the United States, they are driving the violence seen the world over, and they are driving a hole though the collective heart of humanity.
Is there nothing to be done? Are our individual, personal lives to be nothing but a series of the best responses we can muster to the worst-case scenarios we encounter?
I want to suggest that it doesn't have to be this way. I want to suggest that there is a path out of this box canyon into which we seem to have collectively trudged — or been herded.
The answer is to collectively express, to the degree that it is humanly possible, our True Identity. Life is inviting us to announce and declare, express and experience, become and fulfill the next grandest version of the greatest vision ever we've held about Who We Are.
We are told in Conversations with God that we are, each of us, Individuations of The Divine. If this is true, our current days and times are providing us with an opportunity to demonstrate Divinity.
It will not be easy. It is not even easy in our own kitchen, in our own living room, in our own bedroom, much less in the wider arena that we call our own world. Yet we are assured that it is possible. Others have done it. And many others have moved toward it. And even the attempt to offer this demonstration — even getting one quarter of the way there…one sixth of the way there…one tenth of the way there…one one-hundreth of the way there — could change the world.
So here we go again. Here we are once more, at the Starting Gate on a New Year. Here we stand even as we have stood before at the dawn of another Life Cycle. And these days, these times, will go by as fast as the last year has flown. Before we know it, it will be January two-thousand-seventeen. A whole year will have passed — again.
As I said — and I can guarantee this — 2016 will go by so fast, you won't even know what happened. Not, that is, unless you decide right now, ahead of time, what you want to have happen. Aand why.


text:
Nothing Changes in Seattle
By Ray Kuhn
Taking the show on the road tonight to Seattle did not change anything for the Astros. In the interest of being good guests, they started off the night by staying consistent.
Matt Dominguez
(Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports)
After a one out Justin Maxwell single, Chris Carter and J.D. Martinez promptly struck out to end the inning. If there has been one bright spot to the early season woes for Astros, it has been Maxwell. He is hitting well over .300, playing good defense, and had key hits in the one Houston win. Perhaps Bo Porter has found a solid number two hitter in Maxwell. But the problem, is that right now numbers three through nine in the batting order are not looking too good.
Thanks to a late March injury to Fernando Martinez, J.D. Martinez found himself on the major league roster to start the season. In limited playing time this season, Martinez has done well, leading Porter to think he could recapture his early season 2012 success in the middle of the order. However, that ended quickly as Martinez left in the 4th inning with an apparent injury and was replaced by Rick Ankiel.
Seattle wasted no time getting the scoring started as Kendrys Morales drove in Michael Saunders with a first inning single. Ronny Cedeno, who got the start at shortstop, should have come up with the ball for the out, but it was still likely that Saunders would have scored.
Morales then doubled in third inning to drive Saunders in again for the Mariners' second run of the night. Franklin Gutierrez then executed a perfect squeeze bunt in the fifth inning to drive in Dustin Ackley two innings after his highlight reel catch. Gutierrez robbed Cedeno of a likely triple by making an unbelievable diving catch after running a long way into the right center field gap.
Despite the three runs that he gave up, Humber really was not in much trouble all night. In the fifth after Ackley scored to make it 3-0, things could have gotten out of hand after he walked Morales to load the bases. But Humber then got Mike Morse to hit into a double play to end the inning and escape trouble.
Humber gave the Astros a quality start, lasting six innings and giving up the three runs. He kept baserunners to a minimum (five hits and one walk) while striking out two. All the Astros can ask him for is a chance to win the game, and that is what Humber gave them. Wesley Wright then followed with a perfect seventh inning. Rhiner Cruz pitched a perfect eighth inning as his fastball was consistently in the mid 90's while striking out one. The performance of the bullpen was nice to see, as that has not been a consistent trend so far this season.
Joe Saunders got the start for the Mariners, went 6.1 innings throwing 91 pitches, giving up six hits, and one walk. The bright spot for the Astros, is that they only struck out five times against Saunders. After the way the Astros began the season, that is a good thing. But the problem is, that Houston really did not put much pressure on Saunders. They really did not generate much offensive momentum. Maxwell, Carter, and Ankiel then promptly struck out in order in the eighth inning, prior to Houston going down quietly in the ninth inning.
Once Saunders left the game, the Astros did not give the Seattle bullpen much reason to sweat. Even though he entered the game late, Ankiel still struck out twice. Chris Carter did manage a single, but he added two strikeouts to his total for the year. All of Houston's seven hits were singles. Matt Dominguez (two singles) and Brandon Barnes (single and walk) were the only Astros to reach base twice.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This issue would have to do with permissions on the server, forbidding you as a user from reading/executing the page or its most likely a problem with the .htaccess file which can be placed in the directory specifying to the server not** to serve the file.
Found out the problems were with my .htaccess configuration, so do check them out before proceeding with other solutions.
and unhide files on your Mac - then move the (now visible) htaccess to the drupal folder.


text:
What happened to Charleston Place?
Back in the late summer of 2012, the City of Langley made a great do about Charleston Place. This was a proposed 15 storey, mixed-use building that was to be built on the corner of Industrial Avenue and 203rd Street. The City highlighted this project in all of its marketing martial for some time.
I was excited that a major, mixed-use project was coming to Downtown Langley though I did have some concerns. Because the City of Langley is a great value for both residential and commercial space, I wondered if the project would be financially viable. Some friends of mine that work on larger development projects told me that the project didn't make financial sense.
In April 2013, the developer of Charleston Place setup a marketing office in Downtown Langley. Earlier this year, the marketing office shutdown and the project's website was changed to say "Charleston Place is on hold. Please check back at a later date."
I wondered if this was it for Charleston Place.
Demolition work at the corner of Industrial Avenue and 203rd Street. Picture taken on July 30 in the later afternoon.
Another view of the demolition of the old night club at Industrial Avenue and 203rd Street.
Earlier this week, crews started demolishing the old night club at the corner of Industrial Avenue and 203rd Avenue. Is Charleston Place ready to re-launch, or is the land being cleared for a potentially different type of development?
Other developers have come to Langley proposing one project, but switched to another project later on. For example, a strip mall was proposed to be built at the corner of Glover and the Langley Bypass, but was changed to auto dealerships.
I will continue to monitor what is going on with the former Charleston Place site. Hopefully we don't get another drive thru!
Posted by Nathan Pachal at 7:07 AM Labels: City of Langley
Surrey makes progress on its sustainability goals
In 2008, City of Surrey Council adopted the Surrey Sustainability Charter. This charter, like an official community plan, is a key document that guides how the City operates and how it plans for the future. The Surrey Sustainability Charters is based on three pillars: economic, environmental, and social-cultural.
While it is great to have sustainability charters, they aren't very useful if a city and its council ignores the charter. Also since sustainability charters normally contain long-term goals, it is very important to be able to track the progress towards these goals.
One of the great things that the City of Surrey has done is create an online Sustainability Dashboard. The dashboard contains both the long-term goals from the Sustainability Charter, and reporting on the City's progress towards these goals. There is certainly room for improvement in Surrey. Because Surrey reports back on its progress towards sustainability goals, it can target areas where it isn't meeting those goals.
While I know that certain anti-tax people will hate this, public art is part of Surrey's Sustainability Charter. Drilling down in the dashboard, I was able to find that the City believes that "public art pieces are components of a community's identity and unique character. They also express community values, increase awareness, enhance the landscape, and transform a city's image."
Using the Sustainability Dashboard, I found that the City of Surrey spent around $300k on public art in 2008 and around $600k in public art in 2013.
Speaking about 2013, last week the City of Surrey updated the Sustainability Dashboard with 2013 data. According to the City:
A significant increase in residential garbage diversion from 38% in 2007 to 68% in 2013 with the introduction of the organics waste collection program.
An increase in active transportation infrastructure with over 100 kilometers of greenways, park paths and trails, and cycling trails added since 2010.
Between 2006 and 2013, that has been an increase of more than 560 social housing units, as a result of the construction of additional units of supportive/transitional housing units.
Early achievement of the target for accessibility of bus stops, with 76% of these stops meeting accessibility criteria in 2013.
Ongoing decreases in average daily residential water consumption, due largely to the City's water metering and behavioural change initiatives.
Continued high levels of volunteering, with 4,000 volunteers noted in 2013.
A steady increase in the number of registered arts and culture groups with Surrey Arts Council, and the number of cultural business licenses in the City.
You can view data from 2008 to 2013 at Surrey's Sustainability Dashboard website.
Posted by Nathan Pachal at 7:09 AM Labels: Surrey
Transit Service in Metro Vancouver
With a service area larger than the Toronto Transit Commission or the Société de transport de Montréal, TransLink deliveries world-class service to residents of Metro Vancouver.1 Regions throughout the world look to Metro Vancouver for guidance on how transit services should be delivered. Speaking to the ease of use and breadth of services that TransLink provides, New York Transportation Commission Janette Sadik-Khan once said, while riding our transit system, "I feel like Charlie at the Chocolate Factory. I've got a golden ticket!"2
Our region's investment in transit service over the past decade is paying off; of the major transit agencies in North America per capita, only Toronto and New York carry more people on transit than TransLink.3
Region Population Annual Ridership
(thousands) Annual Ridership
(per capita)
New York City 19,831,858 3,893,854 196
Greater Toronto 5,583,064 1,003,230 180
Metro Vancouver 2,313,328 363,163 157
Calgary 1,120,225 157,325 140
Montreal 3,824,221 433,710 113
Boston 4,640,802 399,594 86
Washington, DC 5,860,342 456,915 78
San Francisco Bay 6,349,948 476,219 75
Chicago 9,522,434 658,203 69
Philadelphia 6,018,800 336,981 56
Los Angeles 13,052,921 620,903 48
Seattle/Puget Sound Region 3,807,148 175,215 46
When compared to regions of similar size, TransLink ridership surpasses even Portland, Oregon which is a transit leader in the US.
Portland 2,289,800 113,728 50
Denver 2,645,209 86,660 33
Pittsburgh 2,360,733 65,464 28
Cleveland 2,063,535 48,153 23
San Antonio 2,234,003 47,147 21
Orlando 2,223,674 29,364 13
Sacramento 2,196,482 27,281 12
Charlotte 2,296,569 26,412 12
Kansas City 2,038,724 16,507 8
Cincinnati 2,128,603 16,357 8
Because of the investment in transit service in Metro Vancouver, frequent transit service is available in all parts of the region. People who live in Langley can use transit to get from the Carvolth Park and Ride to Downtown Vancouver in about an hour. Because of the Canada Line, a one-way trip from Vancouver to Richmond only takes 25 minutes. The Evergreen Line, which will be complete in 2016, will allow people to travel from Coquitlam Town Centre to Lougheed Town Centre in under 15 minutes. From one end of the region to the other, individuals have multiple transportation options.
Other regions are also seeing the benefit of improved transit. For example, voter-approved funding is allowing Sound Transit in the Seattle region to spend $17.8 billion on improving transit over 15 years.4 In Los Angles, voter-approved sales tax will allow $14 billion to be invested in improving service this decade5 with $26.3 billion to be invested in total to improve transit over the next 30 years.6
While Metro Vancouver has shown the world how to deliver transit service, there is currently no funding to improve transit service in the region. Worse still, according to the independent TransLink Commissioner, transit service will slip to 2005 levels over the next decade even while our region's population continues to grow.7 In fact without new funding, transit service will deteriorate in our region and we will lose our status as a provider of world-class public transportation.
1South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority. 2009. How big is TransLink's service area? September 17. Accessed December 27, 2013. http://buzzer.translink.ca/2009/09/how-big-is-translinks-service-area/.
2Janette Sadik-Khan, "Learn from New York" (speech, Vancouver, BC, October 19, 2009)
3American Public Transportation Association. 2012. Public Transportation Ridership Report – Fourth Quarter 2012. March 1. Accessed December 27, 2013. http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2012-q4-ridership-APTA.pdf. Canadian Urban Transit Association. 2012. CUTA 2012 Transit Fact Book.
4Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority. 2008. Sound Transit 2. July 10. Accessed December 27, 2013. http://www.soundtransit.org/Documents/pdf/st2/transitexapansion/ST2_Plan_web.pdf.
5Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2012. 30/10 Initiative. April. Accessed July 29, 2014. http://www.scribd.com/doc/89890814/30-10-Intiative-Project-Acceleration-Methodologies.
6Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2008. Proposed One-Half Cent Sales Tax for Transportation - Outline of Expenditure Categories. August 13. Accessed December 27, 2013. http://media.metro.net/measure_R/documents/expenditure_plan.pdf.
7TransLink Commission. 2013. Report of the Regional Transportation Commissioner On TransLink's 2014 Transportation and Financial Base Plan and Outlook. November 29. Accessed December 27, 2013. http://www.translinkcommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Base-Plan-Report-final-.pdf.
Langley Seniors Resource Society provides vital services to community
The average age of Canadians continues to increase. The large Baby Boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964, will be entering retirement in droves over the coming decade. With this in mind, both the City and Township of Langley have unique challenges to ensure that seniors can maintain an independent, high quality of life.
The City of Langley has a significant population of seniors. 4240 seniors —17% of the population— called the City of Langley home based on the latest census data. About 30% of seniors live in or next to Downtown Langley. 42% of seniors live alone.
In the Township of Langley, the senior's population continues to rise. 22% of seniors in the Township live alone. Unlike the more walkable and compact Downtown Langley, due to the Township's large size and more auto-oriented design, many seniors living alone are not close to any community services. These seniors are at a high risk of social isolation.
Building walkable, accessible communities that support all generations is key, and particularly helps seniors. Over 70% of seniors have some form of disability. Besides building accessible communities, it is important that there are community services available for seniors.
Many people in Langley think that seniors are generally well-off both financially and socially. This is not necessarily the case. Seniors living in poverty, without a support network of friends and family, is a real and growing issue.
In Langley, we have the non-profit Langley Seniors Resources Society (LSRS) which provides services to seniors in both the Township and the City. The LSRS has a facility in the City of Langley.
They provide recreational opportunities to seniors including fitness programs, social programs, and educational workshops. The Society also has an outreach department which focuses on getting frail and isolated seniors the support services they need.
The LSRS also hosts an Adult Day Program for all adults living with physical and mental disabilities.
In additional, the LSRS has a food program which provides seniors with access to affordable, healthy food options. Many seniors do not have the skill set or even money to eat health on their own. I've seen some seniors in Langley trying to live off a can of soup a day; senior's poverty is a real concern.
I suggest that you check Langley Seniors Resource Society website for more information about their services.
In 2013, the LSRS had $2 million in revenue. While the City of Langley did recently pay of the Society mortgage for their facility, the City and Township provide $0 in on-going operational financial support.
The LSRS recently requested that the Township of Langley contribute $40,000 to support seniors outreach and recreation services to that community, and support society membership subsidies for Township residents to access LSRS services.
With the amount of services that the Langley Seniors Resource Society provides, and with all the talk about creating age-friendly communities by many politicians, I was a bit surprised to that there appears to be little local government financial support for this organization which plays a vital role in the community.
Posted by Nathan Pachal at 8:20 AM Labels: City of Langley, Township of Langley
CBC On The Coast Radio Interview about SkyTrain and TransLink
Yesterday, I was on CBC Radio One's On The Coast talking about SkyTrain and TransLink. I talked about how the lack of long-term funding for transit in our region has forced TransLink to "optimize" transit service, doing more with less. I talked about how it leads to a less resilient system, so when one part of the system fails, the ability of the rest of the system to compensate is reduced.
I also talked about the need for TransLink to improve its communication when transit service is disrupted, including how to prevent people from breaking out of trains.
I've embedded yesterday's show in this post, this interview starts at 0:07:30.
Rezoning application for proposed mixed-use development in Carvolth
Transportation systems have a profound impact on the design of our communities. Carvolth, in the northern section of Willoughby in the Township of Langley, was slated to become an area full of auto-oriented office parks.
Because of the construction of the Carvolth Park and Ride, and the introduction of higher-quality transit service like the 555 express bus to SkyTrain, the Township updated the plans for the area. Carvolth is now transforming from a first-generation suburb into a transit village.
Due to the changes to the area's plan, the Township received a rezoning application for a 9.4 acre parcel of land between 86th Avenue and 84th Avenue, just east of 200th Street.
Proposed site plan included with rezoning application for land between 86th Avenue and 84th Avenue, near 200th Street in Carvolth. Select image to enlarge.
Along 86th Avenue, which will become a mixed-use, high street, the rezoning applicant is proposing to construct a 6 storey building that will included 15,000 square feet of commercial on the ground-floor, plus a possible hotel on the upper floors of the building.
In the area around a future 85th Avenue, the applicant is proposed to building two 18 storey apartment buildings with 3 storey townhouses at their base, plus a 4 storey apartment building. In the area near 84th Avenue, the applicant is proposed to building 3 storey townhouses.
Proposed height and concept for various buildings included in rezoning application. Select image to enlarge.
If the project gets developed, the Township will require a 4.5 meter greenway to be constructed along 84th Avenue as part of this project.
If this redevelopment application gets approved, development permits gets issues, and construction actually begins, this proposed project will lay the groundwork for other projects that will support the creation of a walkable and accessible transit village in Willoughby. I look forward to seeing the actual proposed design for the project.
Posted by Nathan Pachal at 7:38 AM Labels: Township of Langley
The dangers of having a too efficient transit system: the SkyTrain meltdown
It has been a rough few days for transit riders in Metro Vancouver. On Thursday, the SkyTrain system was shut down during the evening peak travel period due to a failed computer component. This left many passengers stranded both at SkyTrain stations and in SkyTrain cars for up to five hours. This was really bad, but the system was repaired and service restore.
I don't say this lightly; I'm very grateful that no one died due to the failures that shut down the SkyTrain system on Thursday and Monday. Other transit agencies, like Toronto's TTC, have had people died when system failures occurred.
The SkyTrain system is very reliable —TransLink claims the system has 95 on-time performance— who could have predicted that there would be two system meltdowns within four days?
Luckily on Monday, the failure occurred during lunch, and TransLink was able to have service restored for the majority of the evening peak travel period. I was impacted by both Thursday's and yesterday's shutdown, but I'll get to that in a moment.
During the system failure yesterday, I saw some truly silly comments from the anti-tax, anti-transit crowd saying that if TransLink didn't have a new head office, executive staff, public arts, police, or a facility to refurbish old SkyTrain cars, there wouldn't have been a system failure on Thursday or Monday. The implication was that TransLink was spending money on these items instead of keeping the system in a state of good repair; this couldn't be further from the truth.
I take the SkyTrain from Surrey to Main Street Station at least five days a week, and sometime after 8pm. Because TransLink is replacing the power rails along the entire Expo Line to keep the system a state of good repair, it takes me an extra 15 minutes to get home if I'm working the late shift.
On top of that, TransLink is also rebuilding Main Street – Science World SkyTrain station due to its age. This means that I have to transfer to a special shuttle train which adds another 10 minutes to my commute.
I've also ridden in the refurbished older SkyTrain cars. TransLink is refurbishing, and not replacing, the older SkyTrain cars to extend their service life. This costs less than buying new cars while still improving the reliability of the system.
I have certainly been impacted as TransLink works to keep the SkyTrain running, so when I hear people claim that the SkyTrain failures of the last few days are due mismanaged priorities, I have the question the creditably of the people making these claims.
Ironically, the people campaigning to strip TransLink of funding in the name of efficiency may be responsible for the time it took to get service restored and get people moving over the last few days.
What should be apparent from the last few days is that having a resilient transit system is important.
When the SkyTrain was shut down on Thursday, I was able to take the West Coast Express to get back to Langley.
During yesterday's SkyTrain shutdown, I was able to take the new B Line from Surrey Central to Netwon, catch a bus on the frequent transit network to the new South Surrey Park and Ride, then take an express bus to the Canada Line. I was only 30 minutes late for my work which is near the Olympic Village in Vancouver.
Due to the provincially mandated requirement to become more efficient, TransLink has reduced the resiliency of the system.
For example, TransLink didn't purchase a $20 million backup system that may have allowed SkyTrain service to be restored faster on Thursday. Also, TransLink doesn't have the long-term funding to pay for the over $1 billion in upgrades that will be required to keep the SkyTrain from becoming overcrowded and running as reliably as possible over the coming decades.
TransLink has tightened up the amount of spare buses and staffing on the bus network. This means that when emergency bus service is needed, there are fewer people available to drive these buses, and few buses available.
Running an efficiency transit system is important, but should transit service be optimized at the expense of reliability?
I will say that TranLink does need to review how it communicates information to customers during a SkyTrain shutdown. I have posted about this in the past, and moving forward, I hope TransLink will work to improve how it communicates to customers during a discontinuation of SkyTrain service. This includes simple things like providing information about where to catch a bus bridge.
Over the last week, the whole region has been made aware of the important role that transit plays in getting people around Metro Vancouver. A well-funded transit system is critical for the livability of people who live in our region.
City of Langley Updated Neighbourhood Profiles
Every few years, the City of Langley releases statistical profiles for the various neighbourhoods in the community. These neighbourhood profile areas are based on the location of elementary schools in the City.
Land-use map from City of Langley Official Community Plan. Select image to enlarge.
The City of Langley has defined six neighbourhoods in total. The Nicomekl River and floodplain runs through the middle of the City. Neighbourhoods north of the Nicomekl River include Nicomekl and Douglas; neighbourhoods south of the Nicomekl River include Simonds, Blacklock, Alice Brown, and Upland. Besides being a physical separator, the Nicomekl River is also a social-economic and land-use divider.
City of Langley Neighbourhoods. Select image to enlarge.
Neighbourhoods south of the Nicomekl River have single-use, residential zoning with the vast majority of housing being single-family. Almost all housing was building between 1960 and 1990, and there has been very little change in the last quarter century.
Neighbourhoods north of the Nicomekl River are more diverse. They contain a variety of housing options: single-family, row houses, and apartments. The neighbourhoods north of the river are also home to retail, offices, service, and industrial businesses. They are also home to the mixed-use, downtown core.
Almost all development activity in the City has occurred north of the Nicomekl River, and has not been single-family housing. In fact, the amount of single-family housing in the City of Langley has remained contain. Both the Nicomekl and Douglas neighbourhoods contain the newest housing stock. Over 90% of population growth has occurred in neighbourhoods north of the Nicomekl, with the Nicomekl neighbourhood absorbing the majority of the growth.
The average household income in neighbourhoods north of the Nicomekl range between $43,016 and $53,760, while the average household income in neighbourhoods south of the Nicomekl range between $89,636 and $94,916.
The overall population of the City of Langley continues to age with the Douglas neighbourhood having the older population in the City.
For more information about neighbourhoods in the City of Langley, you can download the full neighbourhood profiles.
Langley received $83.9 million in transportation services from TransLink in 2013
One of the common things I hear in Langley is that TransLink is taking money from the community while only delivering marginal services. This couldn't be further from the truth.
I looked at TransLink's 2013 Bus Service Performance Review, TransLink's 2013 Statutory Annual Report, plus the 2013 Annual Report from both the City of Langley and Township of Langley. What I found is that Langley actually gets more from TransLink than it puts in. Both the City and Township of Langley may be getting close to $9 million in extra services that directly benefit these communities.
My calculation doesn't include the cost for SkyTrain, West Coast Express, other regional transit routes, or other major roads that are partial funded by TransLink. In fact, I didn't even include the 320, 341, 364, 388, or C70 bus lines that connect directly into Langley. When factoring in these additional services, Langley is getting an even better deal by being a part of TransLink.
Revenue Received
Township of Langley: $12.1 million
City of Langley: $2.8 million
Total: $14.9 million
Golden Ears Bridge Tolls: $39.4 million
Total Actual Revenue Collected: $54.3 million
Estimated Fuel Tax Collected: $15 million
(Fuel tax collected is about equal to property tax collected regionally)
Estimated Transit Fare Collected: $5.5 million
(Based on 40% fare-box recovery)
Total of Actual and Estimated Revenue Collected: $74.8 million
Transit Service (Bus Lines)
501/590: $2.8 million
502: $5.2 million
509: $261,000
C60: $302,000
Total: $14 million
City of Langley: $299,000
Township of Langley: $2.3 million
Total MRN Cost: $2.6 million
Golden Ears Bridge Cost: $67.3 million
Total Cost of Services Delivered: $83.9 million
Posted by Nathan Pachal at 8:33 AM Labels: City of Langley, Township of Langley, Transportation
Bus ridership up as TransLink improves service in the South of Fraser
In April, I posted that transit ridership started to decline in 2013 and into 2014. This is no surprise giving the fact that TransLink has been forced to cut service* as a result of provincially mandated "service optimization". This optimization, combined with the unwilling of the province to work with the region to come up with a long-term funding solution for transit in Metro Vancouver, is limiting the transit growth and the livability of our region.
Yesterday, TransLink released their 2013 Bus Service Performance review. I thought I'd share some of the highlights from the review.
2010 – 2013 Financial and Service Performance Results. Source: TransLink Financial Planning & Translink System Analytics, Not Automated Passenger Counter Data. Select graph to enlarge.
The amount of transit service hours in the region has been modestly declining over the last few years. While ridership has dropped, the amount of system boardings per service hour has actually gone up: 4 percent for the overall transit system, and 6% when only looking at the bus system. This shows that people are willing to take transit, but there simply isn't enough service.
TransLink's transit service can't be delivered more efficiently. For the few years prior to 2013, TransLink was able to reduce service hours while still growing transit ridership. When cutting service hours results in reduce ridership, it means that you shouldn't cut service further.
2010 – 2013 Bus Service Performance by Sub-Region. Source: TransLink Automated Passenger Counting Data. Select graph to enlarge.
One of the common complaints about TransLink from people in the South of Fraser is that the South of Fraser is paying for Vancouver's transit system. When looking at the numbers, TransLink has made the heaviest investment in bus transit service in the South of Fraser. Between 2010 and 2013, bus service hours have increased by 11%. While this is an impressive number, the South of Fraser is still playing catch-up when it comes to transit service in the region. Further increases to bus service hours —giving people the transit service they need— will require new long-term funding.
In Vancouver, bus service hours have only increase by 1.2%; bus service hours aren't even keeping up with population growth.
When it comes to overall ridership, the South of Fraser has experienced the highest percent growth in the region. Even while overall transit ridership has dipped, transit ridership in Surrey, White Rock, and Langley actually increased by 2 percent in 2013. In Vancouver, transit ridership dropped by 2 percent.
2010 – 2013 Bus Ridership Trends by Sub Region. Source: TransLink Automated Passenger Counting Data. Select graph to enlarge.
TransLink has good information in its 2013 Bus Service Performance Overview. I suggest you read the full 26 page summary for more information.
*As part of TransLink's service optimization, bus service hours have been shifted around the network to better match demand. For example transit frequency has been increase along Fraser Highway, but bus service to Salmon River Uplands in Langley has been cancelled. Between 2012 and 2013, overall system service hours has decreased by 2 percent.
More Suburbanization in Salmon River Uplands
When people think of suburbia, Langley often comes to mind. In fact, many people think that Willoughby is suburban. This couldn't be further from the truth. The density in Willoughby is actually higher than some parts of Vancouver (which contains a far bit of single-family housing in its southern portions.) Willoughby contains commercial and industrial buildings, single-family houses, row-houses, and apartments. The areas is also seeing more mixed-use buildings.
When I think of suburbia, I think of the Salmon River Uplands areas in the Township of Langley.
This area contains single-family housing on ½ and 1 acre lots. Within the Salmon River Uplands area, some land is in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). Because of the fragmented nature of those lots, it makes it tricky to actually have viable farming operations. As a result, the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) generally allows land to be subdivided and excluded in the area with full knowledge that it will be used for suburban housing.
The Township of Langley has also built water and sewer lines in the area which further opens up the opportunity for development in the area.
One of the challenges with Salmon River Uplands is that it isn't a complete community. You need to drive everywhere with the only local shopping being the Otter Co-op.
Salmon River Upland has turned into a suburban neighbourhood with very little community services because there is no vision for the area. In fact, the Salmon River Uplands "plan" is contain within the Langley Rural Plan which states it be "maintained for rural residential and agricultural uses." That's it.
At yesterday's Township of Langley afternoon council meeting, there was an application to subdivide a 3 acre lots in the Salmon River Uplands areas into 3, 1 acre lots. This land is in the ALR, so it needs the blessing of the ALC for the subdivision to occur. If approved, it will allow the further suburbanization of the area.
Map of rural Langley with Salmon River Uplands area in grey. The subject site for subdivision is at 24907 52 Avenue.
It seems that no one really wants to look at the long-term vision for Salmon River Uplands, even as a suburban community. Metro Vancouver has designated the area as "rural" in the regional growth strategy and the ALC seems willing to allow suburban housing in the area. No one want to upset the ad-hoc system that has allowed the suburbanization of the area.
The Salmon River Uplands is a fairly large area in the Township of Langley, so at some point a plan will need to be developed to address the vision for the community, including what development should be allowed, what municipal services should be provided, and how or if the community can be accessible.
Mixed-use projects border Langley's auto-orriented regional city centre
Metro Vancouver has defined many town centres throughout the region as part of the regional growth strategy. Regional town centres are "intended as priority locations for employment and services, higher density housing, commercial, cultural, entertainment, institutional and mixed uses." The idea is to build accessible, mixed-use town centres that promotes health communities, are multimodal, preserves farmland, and protests green space by limiting sprawl.
Langley's regional town centre core is the Willowbrook area which is auto-oriented and single-use.
The Township does have some plans to make the area more mixed-use. For example, there is a plan to redevelop Willowbrook Mall. What I find interesting is that while the core of the Langley region town centre is very much auto-oriented, it is surrounded row houses and apartments, and now mixed-use buildings.
A clear example of this is where the Township of Langley Municipal Hall is located. A Wal-Mart is directly west of the municipal hall, while a Costco is a stone's throw to the east. This area, bounded by 200th Street, 66th Avenue, the Willowbrook Connector, and 64th Avenue, is home to big-box retail power centres.
A new mixed-use project is being proposed which will be sited on the north side of 65th Avenue. This project will see the construction of two mixed-use building with ground-level commercial and upper-floor apartments. There will be townhouses north of the mixed-use buildings.
Artist rendering of proposed mixed-use development on 65th Avenue near 203rd Street. Select image to enlarge.
Site plan of proposed mixed-use development on 65th Avenue near 203rd Street. Select image to enlarge.
There is a public hearing tonight about this project with more information that can be downloaded from the Township's website. This is a great project and it will support the creation of a walkable and accessible community. What is interesting is that the north side of 65th Avenue is slowly become a mixed-use "high street" while the south side of the street is fronted by the rear of the Costco building.
While the area around the Langley regional centre is becoming more mixed-use, it seems that the core of the regional town centre is still very much auto-oriented. Single-use, auto-oriented projects are still being approved in the regional centre.
The Township needs to review its plan for the regional town centre and look at how it can support building an accessible community. The core of the regional town centre needs more mixed-use projects like the proposed 65th Avenue project.
Posted by Nathan Pachal at 11:55 AM Labels: Regional/Metro Vancouver, Township of Langley
Waiting on Compass Card
TransLink has had a tough go of it in the PR department when it comes to the roll-out of the Compass Card system. The Compass Card system is really two parts: the modification of SkyTrain stations and two SeaBus stations to handle fare gates, and the roll-out of a smart card payment system.
One of the major issues I have with the Compass Card is that the Provincial Government forced TransLink to install costly fare gates. The Province wanted the fare gates as they calmed it would reduce fare evasion, maybe hoping this would fund some of the much needed transit expansion in the region. Sadly when it is all said and done, the fare gates will cost more to operate than the revenue that could possibly be recovered from reduced fare evasion.
The actual Compass Card smart card payment system, on the other hand, is a great idea as it will enable greater payment flexible for transit users, make the system easier to use, and provide accurate data about transit usage in the region.
While I'm excited about the introduction of the Compass Card, maybe a bit more than the average person; by the way the roll-out of the Compass Card has been portrayed in the media, you'd think that transit service is being impacted by the delay in fully launching the system.
The reality is that nothing has changed with how to use, or pay for, transit for the vast majority of transit users. You can still pay by cash, debit, and credit card. You can also still buy day passes and monthly passes.
One of the issues that is worth monitoring is the cost of the overall Compass Card program which changed from $171 million to $194 million. This is a difference of $23 million or a 14% increase of the total budget. Of that $23 million increase, about $9 million is due to the smart card readers on the bus. From my understanding, the performance of the bus smart card readers is what is holding up the launch of the full system.
TransLink is claiming that $194 million is all then need to complete the Compass Card program though they won't commit to a timeline. From personal experience with IT projects I've worked on, when you have to write software, deploy software, test software, and fix bugs in software, it can be really hard to put an exact date on things. When it comes to a system like the Compass Card, I'd rather have a rock solid system from day one, then a system that is pledged with bugs and glitches.
As long as the Compass Card program remains within this new budget, I happy to wait for my Compass Card. Considering I've been using a paper monthly pass since I've moved to Metro Vancouver, I'm not too concerned if I have to use it a little bit longer.
Good design, not video cameras, the key to making people feel safe
Safe streets and a public realm where people feel comfortable are a result of good urban design. Good urban design means building public spaces that support natural surveillance (eyes and ears on the street), promote a sense of ownership, are clean and beautiful.
An example of this would be a main street with mixed-use buildings that have ground-level retail and housing or office space on other floors. Besides having retail that is open during normal business hours, businesses that are open later, like restaurants, coffee shops, and even pubs, need to be a part of the mix. The goal is to make sure that there are always people around that make it hard for illegal and undesirable activity to occur.
Another important thing is to make sure that the public realm is in a state of good repair. This means fixing vandalism and cleaning up tagging right away. Maintaining the public realm sends a signal that the community is safe and discourages undesirable activity.
There is a whole field of study called Crime Prevention through Environmental Design on which many books have been written.
Downtown Langley has some issues when it comes to creating a good public realm. One of the issues is that there are no eyes and ears on the street during some parts of the day; most businesses in the downtown core shut down by the early evening and there are not many mixed-use building in the core. Further, the vast amount of parking lots further reduces creation of a public realm that encourages desirable activity. There are some design issues in many public spaces that need attention.
With this in mind, it is not surprising that both the Langley Centre Bus Exchange and Innes Plaza are two area where people do not feel safe, and undesirable and illegal activity occurs routinely. The bus exchange is surrounded by an ugly, dead mall and Innes Plaza is flank by a massive parking lot. The solution to creating a safe space would be to have retail/restaurant space (some of which stays open for longer periods of time) front both the plaza and the bus exchange. Also, the City needs to support the creation of more market-priced residential spaces in the main core (easier said than done, I know.)
Unfortunately, the City of Langley is looking at band-aid solutions to clean up the bus exchange and Innes Plaza.
With the bus exchange, there are many issues; one of the many being that it is a TransLink facility. This means that the City is unwilling to continue investing in even the simple things like upgrading the lights. TransLink is planning to move the bus loop. Because of the pending move and City Council's unwilling to spend more money on a TransLink facility, the bus loop will continue to feel unsafe to many.
City of Langley staff recently recommended that the following be done to improve the perceived safety of Innes Plaza.
$45,000 for the installation of a video surveillance system
$40,000 for a new lighting
$1,000 to pruning the four oak trees along Glover Road
City Council approved this recommendation, but I have to wonder if video surveillance will really reduce crime or make people safer. For example, all TransLink buses and the SkyTrain system already have cameras. While cameras can help after-the-fact, they certainly don't make me feel safe when I'm the only person at a bus loop at 10pm at night.
Improving the lighting and sight lines to Innes Plaza is a good move by the city, but the real missing component is to create a public realm that encourages "legitimate" use of an area which will discourage undesirable activity. I fear that the massive parking lots surrounding the plaza will limit legitimate use; the parking lot will need to be transformed to a better use before Innes Plaza is truly successful.
While I'm happy that the City of Langley is trying to clean up the public realm, the solution is less about technology and more about designing a desirable public realm.
Posted by Nathan Pachal at 11:24 AM Labels: City of Langley
Strava Global Heatmap: Where people cycle and run in the South of Fraser
Strava is an application platform that allows people to track their bicycle rides and runs. Strava is available on iPhone, Android, and select GPS units. The platform offers both a free and premium membership.
The platform is popular among cyclist and runners as it allows them to set goals, view detailed maps and analyze past activity. It also includes a social component with the usual share features and leaderboards.
As you can imagine, Strava has a lot of useful information about where people go. This information is extremely useful when planning for active transportation infrastructure in communities. Strava has maps based on this data available online at labs.strava.com. Called Global Heatmap, it allows you to drill down and see where people cycling and run (or not).
Strava also offers more detailed data at metro.strava.com. This data can be plugged into GIS mapping systems. GIS is used by urban and transportation planner. With this high-quality data, planners can better plan for active transportation infrastructure.
Strava Global Heatmap for cycling in the South of Fraser. Select map to enlarge.
As an example, the Greater Langley Cycling Coalition had to advocate heavily to get the Township of Langley to include 0 Avenue in that community's cycling network. While the coalition knew that this was one of the most population cycling routes in Langley, information from Strava could have confirmed this local knowledge quickly. The Global Heatmap shows that indeed 0 Avenue is one of the busiest routes in the community.
When looking at the Heatmap, it becomes clear that the City of Langley is a bit of a black hole for cyclist. The City of Langley, for example, could use this information to plan where to build cycling infrastructure to encourage more cycling.
One of the challenges with the Strava dataset is that it skewed away from commuter or casual cyclists, as the platform is geared towards more hard-core riders. Also, the information provided by Strava is less likely to include data from people with lower incomes as they are less likely to use platforms like Strava. These shortcomings aside, Strava's dataset is extremely useful and should be a part of every planner's toolkit in the South of Fraser as it can be used to help encourage cycling and walking.
Posted by Nathan Pachal at 10:50 AM Labels: City of Langley, Township of Langley, Transportation
Increasing number of pharmacies a concern for Downtown Langley Business Association
If you've been around Downtown Langley lately, you'll have noticed that there is a proliferation of pharmacies. In the last several months a Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmasave, and IDA have opened or will be opening shortly in Downtown Langley. It is almost to the point where you could walk blindfolded and end up in a pharmacy.
Langley City has a larger than average seniors population and also a larger than average population of people who live on lower incomes. Even with a large population of seniors, I found it a bit odd that Downtown Langley could support so many pharmacies. It turns out that filling prescription may not be the primary profit generator for these pharmacies.
Langley City Council received a letter from the Downtown Langley Business Association expressing concerns about the recent influx of pharmacies in the area.
Many downtown businesses have witnessed the dispensing of methadone in some of these pharmacies, and we believe this is one of the main reasons for this increase. While we acknowledge the need for methadone maintenance treatment services offered in the community, the concentration of these pharmacies in the downtown present several concerns to us including:
-Becoming a hub for methadone treatment from other communities
-Increased loitering and impact on neighboring business
-Increased homeless population and illegal drug activity
The Downtown Langley Business Association would like City Council to consider taking actions to regulate pharmacies in the area.
One of the things City Council could do is prevent further pharmacies from opening in Downtown Langley, but they couldn't prevent current pharmacies from operating.
Downtown Langley will have 13 pharmacy in operation shortly; a moratorium to prevent further pharmacies may be worth considering, but the City, the Downtown Business Association, and current pharmacy owners will need to work together to address the three listed concerns.
Monitoring loitering and illegal activity in Downtown Langley will certainly need to be part of any action plan, but this will cost money. The trick will be for all three parity to work together to address these concerns without place too much extra burden on the City's already tight operating budget.
Accessible community design paramount for independent living
My dad uses a walker when at home and uses a scooter when going around town; one of my best friends is a full-time wheelchair user. Because of this, building an accessible community hits particularly close to home for me. For all people, building a community that supports living with dignity and independence is critical.
It is no surprise that many people with limited mobility choose to live in Downtown areas with shops and services within a close walk or wheel. For example, my parents live in Downtown Kelowna. My dad's highlight of the day is when he can scooter down to the local coffee shop and chat with other people in the community. While he lives in Kelowna, this same type of activity happens in Downtown Langley.
When the IGA in the Langley Mall closed down, it impacted the quality of live for many people with limited mobility in the area, as they lost an easily accessible place to hang out with others in the community. They also lost a place to shop for basic needs.
Because the two remaining grocery stores in the City of Langley are at the far ends of the community, the Langley Senior Resources Society and one of the remaining grocers partnered to provide a limited shuttle service. Of course even with a shuttle, people's independence and quality of life has suffered. A "No Frills" has now replaced the IGA.
Having had to deal with para-transit services like HandyDart directly, as well as other similar services, I can tell you that it isn't a panacea for independent living for people with disabilities. With a HandyDart type service, you basically have only very limited service that can get you to the doctor, for example. Also, traveling on HandyDart can be a humiliating experience. With the massive service cuts to HandyDart, this service is getting worse.
Many people thing that taxis are the solution. While taxis certainly play an important role in providing independence for some people, they are expensive. Also, many taxi drivers are ill-equipped when it comes to providing service for people with disabilities, which can lead to a less-than-dignified experience.
Driving is not an option for many people with limited or no mobility. Many people, due to a disability, are on a fixed income, so owning and operating a car is not affordable. For those that can afford to own and operate a car, it can be inconvenient or unsafe for them to drive.
When I talk with people with limited mobility about how communities should be designed, I hear a few common things. One is that shops, services, and social opportunities should be close to where people live.
On street design, sidewalks need to be in a state of great repair. Sidewalks should be wide, smooth, and have proper curb letdowns. Also, streets need to have closely spaced benches to allow people to rest, if need be.
It is no surprise that many seniors and people with disabilities choose to live in Downtown Langley due to its walkability, which supports an accessible community. This is why building a walkable Langley is important to me.
Drive-thru removed from project in Downtown Langley
When building an accessible, walkable community, the construction of drive-thrus should be strongly discouraged. Not only do drive-thrus promote pollution-causing idling, but they also promote driving which encourages unhealthy communities.
Most drive-thrus also detract from the public realm. Shops that front the street with good sidewalks promote active transportation in communities, especially if these streets are close to townhouses and apartments. Parking lots and drive-thru break up the street front which discourages walking and cycling. This is why I believe that new drive-thrus should not to be allowed in Downtown Langley as the City's stated goal is to create a pedestrian-oriented core.
Back in 2012, I posted about a new coffee shop with a drive-thru project that was proposed along Fraser Highway on the western edge of Downtown Langley. I was disappointed that City Council approved a drive-thru. Construction of this project did not start until recently.
This morning, I walked by the project to take a few pictures.
New project at 20112 Fraser Highway. View from the sidewalk.
View from street, new building at 20112 Fraser Highway.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that the drive-thru component of this project was removed. In fact, the building fronts Fraser Highway and is pedestrian-friendly. As Downtown Langley continues to develop, we need more projects that encourage and support a pedestrian-friendly public realm. I'm glad the drive-thru is missing which means that this project will now help build a health and more accessible Downtown Langley.
Posted by Nathan Pachal at 2:05 PM Labels: City of Langley
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Rezoning application for proposed mixed-use develo...
The dangers of having a too efficient transit syst...
Langley received $83.9 million in transportation s...
Bus ridership up as TransLink improves service in ...
Mixed-use projects border Langley's auto-orriented...
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Increasing number of pharmacies a concern for Down...
Accessible community design paramount for independ...
Drive-thru removed from project in Downtown Langle...


The Cudworth Bunny Trail was created by a fluffle of local shops on Cudworth high-street way back in the not so hot summer of 2017. A super team of 9 shops agreed to have brightly coloured, cheerful bunnies hidden in their windows with the goal of encouraging children and their parents to find them all. Using special maps, parents and their children explored Cudworth visiting each Bunny Stop (shop) to find the colour-coded bunnies, picking up stickers on the way. There was even a free mini treat bag once they'd collected all 9 stickers.
Much like the reported spike in sales of waistcoats made famous by England boss Gareth Southgate during the World Cup at Marks & Sparks, we hoped to get Cudworth chatting about rabbits and shopping locally. To borrow a London idiom, a place we'll return to later, we wanted to get Cudworth "rabbiting on" about our small shops and our wonderful high street. The Cudworth Bunny Trail was by all accounts a great success and we had some lovely feedback from the villages' bunny hunters.
Fast forward to the summer of 2018 and England was not only experiencing its hottest June for years, the England Footie Team was smashing it too. Two things us English folk were quite uncustomised to. It was confusing but brilliant. A slightly mad time: A never ending summer of BBQs, blue skies and the odd shandy or two. We also had news that Wishes was nominated for its first ever Reta Award. It was quickly becoming the best summer ever.
The Retas are very much like the Oscars for card shops. Celebrating the tremendous contribution that retailers both large and small, make to the success of the greeting card industry. And Wishes of Cudworth made the final, yay!
On hearing the news we'd been nominated in the "Best Greeting Card Retailer Initiative" for the Cudworth Bunny Trail we double checked the news and then broke out into a little happy dance. It really was a proud moment to know our small shop in Cudworth was considered as one of the best shops in the country. Julia our shops owner really does put her heart into Wishes and it was great to see her hard work recognised. Well done Jools.
Thanks to one of our wonderful card suppliers Cherry Orchard Publishing http://www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk/ who invited us to be on their table, we were lucky to be able to attend the ceremony itself and see if we would bring the award back to Cudworth.
Wishes of Cudworth – for its Cudworth Bunny Trail – Yes!
We sat at what no doubt was the best table in the room, with our hosts Cherry Orchard and representing Yorkshire, the shops Cards & Gifts (Sheffield) and Dragonfly Cards & Gifts (Knaresborough) plus the Longacres Bagshot Garden Centre (Surrey). Our Northern troops had invaded London hoping to return victorious (It's all gone very Game of Thrones. Hopefully that makes me the Jon Snow and not the Hodor of this story). There was a lot of love in the room, a friendly, glad to be here, yes secretly we all want to win, but nevertheless it's amazing to get this far, vibe to the event.
There were a lot of "good luck old chap", tasty food, laughs from the comedian host and a man with a fish on his head. The venue, presentation and general good feels was a credit to the organisers from Progressive Greetings Magazine. Our category was some way down the list and we waited nervously until the big moment came.
Feeling very much like England Manager Gareth Southgate as he stepped up to take his penalty for England in the Euro '96 semi-final, time seemly stood still as the nominees were read out. Each greeted with a mini cheer. Each a step closer to the final result. The moment we'd be waiting for finally came and… it wasn't to be. The award went to the Blue Rose Gifts & Balloons and I tried my best not to replicate Samuel L. Jackson's Oscar s-bomb. However well done to the winners and everyone who'd managed to get into the final 6. It's a cliché but the truth is everyone in the room was a winner.
After a quick drink at a nearby pub we then ran against the tide of 30,000 football fans heading to watch the game in Hyde Park and after frantic, not at all stressed honest search, found a TV for me and bowl of chips for Julia. By now you will know the result and like the Retas who could not proud of our team for going so far, against the odds. England remained where Germany, Brazil and Spain had fallen. Wishes too had stepped out onto a playing field along with Card Factory, Waterstones and Paperchase to name but a few.
England didn't win this time and neither did Wishes. Still we took our bow on the big stage, played our best game and came away with our head held high. We really are just grateful to have the privilege of being nominated for such a prestigious award. Thank you again to Progressive Greetings magazine, Cherry Orchard Publishing and of course our amazing customers for all your support and kind words.
The Cudworth Bunny Trail has returned this summer and you can find out more about the event on the Visit Cudworth Website.
It may not be our year this but maybe next time the Four Lions and Cudworth Bunnies will bring the trophy home.


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Publications should not profit from scribes willing to work for nothing
It's time to stand up for the value of arts writing.
By Bethanie Blanchard
November 17, 2013 — 3.00am
There had been whispers among my writer friends that Private Media, publisher of Crikey, was launching a new arts and culture website. It was the usual freelance gossip at book parties over plastic cups of wine, but the first concrete knowledge I had of the reality of The Daily Review was writers asking me for advice.
The Daily Review, it was made clear to the writers approached, would be unable to pay freelance contributors for their work. So, for the past fortnight, writers I knew barely at all and those I knew well contacted me privately all asking the same thing: should I write for The Daily Review for no pay? This is a difficult conversation for writers. But it is a debate that is important for readers who value arts writing and criticism too.
On Monday, when The Daily Review was launched (its editor is former Fairfax writer Ray Gill), fellow Crikey arts bloggers Byron Bache, Laurence Barber and myself published an open letter encouraging writers not to provide free content to this publication, and explaining why we wouldn't be doing so ourselves.
The letter was, for me, a public answer to the many who had contacted me asking what to do. In the end, I couldn't in all conscience support a for-profit site that I knew wouldn't pay other writers. We felt we were in a unique position to take a stand for other freelancers. Conversely, to do nothing meant that our work would be syndicated on the site, legitimatising a masthead that expected writers to provide content without pay.
There is not a freelancer in existence who has not, at some point, done unpaid work. At the beginning of our careers, this system is flawed but understandable - writers need a place to hone their style, knowledge and skills. Publications such as student newspapers, street press and emerging journals are places to experiment and learn; where, if you fail, you do so safely, away from the critical eye of a large audience.
Yet as writers progress, the issue of payment is often veiled in secrecy by publications not wanting to reveal their rates, which are frequently sliding scales based on the profile of the writer. A high-profile name can command triple what an emerging writer can. For this reason, writers themselves are often embarrassed to admit how much they earn. And so a complicit silence from both sides continues.
Recently, the silence has lessened. Indeed, in some quarters it is turning into a din. Local sites such as Pay The Writers have gone some way to providing greater transparency around payment rates, and education for freelancers.
Arts criticism, however, holds a peculiar position in the writing debate as a practice worthy in and of itself (''art for art's sake'') and therefore not one that should seek financial reward. This stigma doesn't appear to be as much of an issue in politics or business journalism, where there is a greater expectation of payment for labour. Yet for arts writers to continually accept this lack of payment can only further a cycle that perpetuates itself.
The publishing industry is going through a period of upheaval. Things have fallen apart in print models, but the centre can indeed hold - readers who want quality writing, whether in print or online, will continue to exist.
It's difficult for writers to say no to work, to a venture we believe in and which our own arts writing at Crikey helped create an audience for. It is deeply troubling personally to criticise a company we have been incredibly proud to write for.
But this is a conversation that needs to be had publicly, and it is of importance to readers, too. It raises questions around the value of arts writing, and the ethics of beginning a commercial for-profit venture with no intention of paying freelance contributors for a significant amount of weekly content. Commercial ventures such as The Daily Review are not places for emerging writers to fail safely.
Since we published the letter, Private Media responded to the issue in a Crikey editorial on Friday, assuring writers that they highly value their work, that they try to do the right thing in terms of payment, and that they are ''looking at our budgets to see what we can do''. If this has meant that writers are now in a position to negotiate for payment, and freelance contributors to the site are to be paid, then Crikey's response should be celebrated.
You don't get into writing for the money, you'll often hear writers joke, or you can't ask your landlord to pay that month's rent in accumulated ''exposure''. But the jokes don't seem that funny any more. Arts writing is important and of value. Until writers keep working to make publications realise this, little will change.
Bethanie Blanchard is a freelance writer and critic, and the literary blogger for Crikey. The Sunday Age is paying her for this article.


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Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill Announces Texas Expansion
Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill announced its plan of expansion into the Texas market over the next three years. The emerging regional gastropub based in Portland, Oregon, will open its first Lone Star State location in the Dallas/Forth Worth market in 2017. Plans to expand with an additional eight locations through 2018 and 2019 in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio are also in the works.
"The response has been extremely positive with every new opening and we're very excited about the growth in the coming years," says Thirsty Lion CEO John Plew.
Irving, located in greater DFW, will mark the first Texas Thirsty Lion location at the highly anticipated Music Factory project. The project will offer 250,000 square feet of entertainment, retail, and restaurant space, including a movie theater and amphitheater. It will also feature 100,000 square feet of office space. A second DFW location is scheduled for 2017, and final details on this project will be released soon. By carefully selecting highly visible, quality sites in major markets, Thirsty Lion plans to continue their impressive expansion, ultimately adding four stores per year for the next three to five years.
Recently Thirsty Lion opened two new locations in Arizona and Colorado. In May, the new SanTan Village location in Gilbert, Arizona, opened its doors, making it the third location in the greater Phoenix market. The new Colorado location in the Cherry Creek neighborhood of Denver opened on June 14 and is the second location in market.
Thirsty Lion's culinary commitment is to provide an eclectic variety of cuisines, with an emphasis on local ingredients and bold flavors. A seasonal menu will focus on the changing season's offerings, featuring unique ingredients including fresh seafood, quality meats and local vegetables and fruits. At each location the bar features a large selection of craft beers on tap, many of which are local to the city. The gastropub also features unique craft cocktails that use combinations of fresh fruit purees, juices, and premium liquors, as well as 25 different wines by the glass.
"We work hard to combine quality ingredients and scratch recipes to create menu items that satisfy the 'foodie' in all of us," says Thirsty Lion Executive Chef Keith Castro. "The flavor profiles are complex, yet blend well in their simplistic approach to create 'craveable' food."
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The only thing elevation does is thin the air, meaning there's less oxygen in it... this in turn affects combustion. Unless it's diesel... the fuel must be atomized or mixed with air to burn, the vapor of gas is flammable not the fuel itself unless you mix it with air in a mist to burn.
A fuel pump just delivers fuel to the bowls, the same as any hose with a petcock does... under mechanical or atmospheric pressure makes no real difference the carbs don't really care. So if you decide to go to gravity feed... the likely change is re-adjust on the A/F screw... and or possibly T-the fuel line to both carbs instead of one.
The fuel pump just makes sure the float bowls are always full instead of relying on gravity to fill them up... depending on how the carbs are setup. Gravity feed can starve a bowl from poor flow to it... float bowl starvation can even happen in other bikes with no fuel pump because of improper hose lengths feeding them or cause a difficult start up on the side opposite of the kickstand, because fuel isn't at the proper level in that/those bowl(s).
There are small inline fuel pumps to be found, if you like the anti-starvation benefits a fuel pump offers... but gravity feed no matter the elevation sans outer space, still works just fine to feed fuel.


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Mon, 13 January 2020 at 7:39 pm
'Jeopardy!' Spokesperson Responds to Uproar Over 'Palestine' Answer
A representative for Jeopardy! is speaking out in response to the uproar over a question on the show last week, in which Palestine was not recognized as a correct response.
The $200 clue for the "Where's That Church?" category was, "Built in the 300s A.D., the Church of the Nativity." A contestant responded by saying, "What is Palestine?" and she was told she was incorrect.
Another contestant then buzzed in and said, "What is Israel?" and he was told he was correct.
Omar Baddar, who is the deputy director of the Arab American Institute, tweeted, "Unacceptable!! Bethlehem is in the Palestinian territories which Israel illegally occupies (Katie Needle got the correct answer & was robbed). @Jeopardy owes an apology for endorsing Israel's universally-condemned illegal takeover of Palestinian lands."
Now, a spokesperson for the show has explained that the clue was never supposed to be aired as the production team realized it was a "flawed" question and even taped a replacement clue.
Click inside to read the full statement from the Jeopardy team…
"In the process of taping this clue, 'BUILT IN THE 300s A.D., THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY' we became aware that the clue was flawed as written and that determining an acceptable response would be problematic. In accordance with our rules and in the interest of fairness, we voided the clue and threw it out. We restored Katie's and Jack's scores to what they were prior to the clue. The outcome of the game was not affected. We then continued the game with this replacement clue. Unfortunately, through human error in post-production, the uncorrected version of the game was broadcast. We regret the error and we will make every effort to ensure this never happens again," they said in a statement.
You can watch the replacement clue in the video here.
Photos: ABC
Posted to: Jeopardy


Florida Statute §255.071 is a little known but potent tool for subcontractors and materialmen.
In essence, there are two possible types of theories of liability in construction litigation – those arising in tort, and those arising in contract. In tort cases, the primary theory of liability would be in negligence. Contract related disputes are more commonplace at the courthouse.
Under Fla. Stat. §713.07(2), liens under §713.05 (persons in privity) and §713.06 (persons not in privity) attach and take priority as of the time that the notice of commencement is recorded.
Selling Real Estate: When Do You Have a Deal?
A promise to sell real property can be just so many words if it isn't reduced to writing.
As a general rule, the limitation period in most jurisdictions for filing a materialman's lien on a property, assuming all other conditions have been met, begins to run when the materials are delivered to the property.


The Spotted Tanager (Tangara punctata) is a small and active member of the genus Tangara, the largest genus of Neotropical birds. They are overall bright green in color, with large black spots covering much of their plumage. They are South American endemics, occurring in Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and possibly Colombia . Their distribution is unusual, with one subspecies occurring in northern Amazonia and the other four subspecies found far away, in the northern and central Andes. Spotted Tanagers occur from lowlands up to 1700 m, but Andean populations are found between 700 and 1700 m. Like most species of Tangara, they are omnivorous and feed on fruit and arthropods. They primarily search leaves and flower buds for their arthropod prey. The breeding behavior (including information on the nest and eggs) remain undescribed. Little information is known about other aspects of their biology, including demography, molts, and populations sizes. Although the Spotted Tanager is sensitive to disturbance and their populations are declining, the IUCN has classified them as "Least Concern" relative to other avian species.


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text:
Send message to "McDonald's"
McDonald's is the world's leading global foodservice retailer with over 37,000 locations in over 100 countries. More than 90% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local businessmen and women. McDonald's & our franchisees employ 1.9 million people worldwide. We serve the world some of its favorite foods - World Famous Fries, Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets and Egg McMuffin
Behind our Golden Arches is a global community of crew, farmers, suppliers, franchisees, and countless others who make up who we are as a brand. It's the entire McFamily that makes McDonald's what it is today and what it's been for over 65 years.
Across our business, we strive to lift up the communities we're in. We do it through our purpose, to feed and foster communities. We do it through our growth pillars, which focus on integral areas of our business. We do it through our leadership, with a team that will move our brand forward.
Our mission is to make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone. The backbone of our Brand is, and always has been, a commitment to a set of core values that define who we are and how we run our business and restaurants.
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text:
Kabine, Mostapha, University of Hassan II (Morocco)
Kachel, V., Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie (Germany)
Kadri, Hasna, Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer (Tunisia)
Kaiser, Michel J., School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University (United Kingdom)
Kalaroni, Sofia, SMOS Barcelona Expert Centre, Institut de Ciències del Mar/Unitat de Tecnologia Marina, CSIC - Departament de Teoria del Senyal i Comunicacions, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain)
Kallianiotis, Argyris A., Fisheries Research Institute-National Agricultural Research Foundation
Kallianiotis, Argyris, Fisheries Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Foundation (Greece)
Kallianiotis, Argyris, Fisheries Research Institute (Greece)
Kamei, Yoshihiko, School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University (Japan)
Kamidis, Nikos, HAO-Demeter, Fisheries Research Institute (Greece)
Kanstinger, Philipp, Centre for Marine and Climate Research, Institute of Hydrobiology and Fisheries Science, University of Hamburg (Germany)
Kapiris, Konstantinos, Institute of Marine Biological Resources (Greece)
Kapiris, Konstantinos, Institute of Marine Biological Resources, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece)
Kapiris, Kostas, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute for Marine Biological Resources (Greece)
Kapiris, Kostas, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece)
Kapiris, Kostas, Institute of Marine Biological Resources, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece)
Kapiris, Kostas, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Leoforos Vouliagmenis (Greece)
Kapiris, Kostas, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters (Greece)
Kara, Mohamed Hichem, Laboratoire Bioressources Marines, Université d'Annaba (France)
Karagianni, Aikaterini, Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece)
Karaiskou, Nikoletta, Department of Genetics, Development and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece)
Karakassis, Ioannis, University of Crete, Department of Biology (Greece)
Karalazos, Vasileios, School of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly (Greece)
Karapanagiotidis, Ioannis T., School of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly (Greece)
Karas, Patricia, Instituto de la Patagonia, Universidad de Magallanes. Arenas (Chile)
Karimi, Narjes, Fisheries Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)
Karlou-Riga, Constantina, Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Fisheries Laboratory (Greece)
Kasapidis, Panagiotis, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biology and Genetics (Greece)
Katagan, Tuncer, Ege University Fisheries Faculty Department of Hydrobiology (Turkey)
Katagan, Tuncer, Ege University, Faculty of Fisheries (Turkey)
Katsanevakis, Stelios, Department of Zoology-Marine Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens (Greece)
Katsanevakis, Stelios, University of Athens, Faculty of Biology, Department of Zoology-Marine Biology, Atenas (Greece)
Katsanevakis, Stelios, I nstitute of Marine Biological Resources, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece)
Katsanevakis, Stelios, Department of Zoology-Marine Biology, School of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece)
Katsanevakis, Stelios, Department of Zoology-Marine Biology, School of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Katselis, George, Technological Educational Institute of Messolonghi, Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology (Greece)
Katsuragawa, Mario, Oceanographic Institute, Dept. of Biological Oceanography, University of São Paulo (Brazil)
Katsuragawa, Mario, Depto de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil)
Kavadas, Stefanos, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece)
Kavadas, Stefanos, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (IMBRIW/HCMR) (Greece)
Kavadas, Stefanos, National Centre for Marine Research (NCMR), Institute of Marine Biological Resources, Aghios Kosmas (Greece)
Kavousi, Javid, Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus (Japan)
Kaykaç, Hakan, Fisheries Faculty, Ege University (Turkey)
Kell, L. T., RSMAS/CIMAS, University of Miami (United States)
Kell, Laurence, ICCAT Secretariat (Spain)
Keller, Stefanie, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centre Oceanogràfic de Balears (Spain)
Kendall, M. A., Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth (United Kingdom)
Kengo Itagaki, Michael
Kennouche, Hanane, Laboratoire Halieutique, FSB-USTHB (Algeria)
Kerdreux, Michel, IFREMER, Direction de l'Environnement Littoral, Service Applications Opérationnelles (France)
Keskin, Çetin, University of Istanbul, Faculty of Fisheries (Turkey)
Kéver, Loïc, Laboratoire de Morphologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Université de Liège, Institut de chimie (B6C) (Belgium)
Keymer, Juan E., Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University (United States)
Khodabandeh, Saber, Marine biology Group, Faculty of Marine Science Tarbiat Modares University (Iran, Islamic Republic of)
Khoshnood, Zahra, Marine biology Group, Faculty of Marine Science Tarbiat Modares University (Iran, Islamic Republic of)
Khoukh, Meryeme, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II (Morocco)
Kidd, Karen A., Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, Canada. (United States)
Kifani, Souad, Institut National de Recherche Halieutique (INRH) (Morocco)
Kilpatrick, Michael W., Ikonisys Inc. (United States)
Kim, Dongsung, Marine Living Resources Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (Korea, Republic of)
Kim, Jyung Nyun, Institute of Fisheries Sciences, Pukyong National University (Korea, Republic of)
Kimbrell, Karol, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Southwest Fisheries Science Center (United States)
Kime, David E., Department of Animal and Plant Sciences. University of Sheffield (United Kingdom)
Kingsford, Michael J., School of Biological Sciences A08, University of Sydney (Australia)
Kiparissis, Sotiris, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-DEMETER, Fisheries Research Institute of Kavala (Spain)
Kiparissis, Sotiris, Laboratory of Zoology, Department of Biology, University of Patras (Greece)
Kirf, Mathias, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Institut für Chemie und Biologie des Meeres (ICBM) (Germany)
Kirkwood, Geoff, Renewable Resources Assessment Group (RRAG) (United Kingdom)
Kirkwood, Geoff, Renewable Resources Assessment Group (RRAG), Department of Environmental Science and Technology (Italy)
Kirtik, Ali, Ege University, Fisheries Faculty, Department of Aquaculture (Turkey)
Kisten, Yanasivan, DST/NRF Research Chair in Shallow Water Ecosystems, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University - Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (South Africa)
Kisten, Yanasivan, DST/NRF Research Chair in Shallow Water Ecosystems, Nelson Mandela University - Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University (South Africa)
Kiørboe, Thomas, Danish Institute for Fisheries Research
Knut, Korsbrekke, IMR, P.O (Norway)
Ko, Fung-Chi, Institute of Marine Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, National Dong Hwa University - National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium (Taiwan, Province of China)
Koçak, Ferah, Dokuz Eylül University, Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology, Inciralt?-Izmir (Turkey)
Koched, Wael, Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer (INSTM) (Tunisia)
Koh, Byoung-Seoul, Marine Living Resources Research Division, Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute (Korea, Democratic People's Republic of)
Kojima, Shumpei, ex-Shimane Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station (Japan)
Koleva, Elka, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (IMEDEA), CSIC-UIB (Spain)
Kolitari, Jerina, Aquaculture and Fishery Laboratory Durres, Agricultural University (Albania)
Komai, Tomoyuki, Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba (Japan)
Komai, Tomoyuki, Natural History Museum and Institute (Japan)
Komakhidze, Akaki (Georgia)
Komakhidze, Giorgi (Georgia)
Kondilatos, Gerasimos, Hellenic Center for Marine Research/Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes (Greece)
Konstantinidou, Anna, SMOS Barcelona Expert Centre, Institut de Ciències del Mar/Unitat de Tecnologia Marina, CSIC - Departament de Teoria del Senyal i Comunicacions, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona - Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Anavyssos (Greece)
Konstantinou, Despoina, Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece)
Korbee, Nathalie, Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Málaga (Spain)
Kormas, Konstantinos A., School of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly (Greece)


We're not just translators, we're also cultural mediators, helping our clients succeed in a foreign market. We translate using our knowledge of language, culture and subject-matter, always looking at the bigger picture and the meaning behind the text. Whereas we respect the original and stay faithful to its meaning, our primary goal is to create a translation that doesn't sound like one, and that reflects the tone a German and an English audience would expect. Very often translation also includes improving the German or English original text if the writer didn't put down his thoughts and ideas in a clear and concise way, or if the text was written by a non-native speaker. The latter happens almost exclusively in English as non-native German speakers don't tend to write texts in German, given the complexity of German grammar!
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no empty promises and we openly communicate about what is possible and what isn't. Finding a satisfactory solution for our clients is one of our main goals. Having worked in a corporate environment within various teams in the past, we do understand the pressures and challenges that come with those environments, and that sometimes plans change. We're flexible and happy to adapt to them. We're team players.