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Weismann Netter Stuhl Syndrome
NORD gratefully acknowledges Maarit Peippo, MD, Consultant in Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Finland, for assistance in the preparation of this report.
Synonyms of Weismann Netter Stuhl Syndrome
anterior bowing of the legs with dwarfism
skeletal dysplasia, Weismann Netter Stuhl type
toxopachyosteose diaphysaire tibio-peroniere
Weismann-Netter syndrome
Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome is an extremely rare genetic skeletal disorder characterized by the abnormal development of bone (osseousbo dysplasia). Affected individuals exhibit bowing of the long portions (shafts) of the shinbone (tibia) and the outer, smaller bone of the leg below the knee (fibula). In some individuals, other bones may also be affected, such as the ribs, pelvis, spinal column, and/or bones in the arms. Affected individuals will have some degree of short stature, which means that they are shorter than would otherwise be expected based on their gender and age. The medical definition states that short stature is two standard deviations or more below the mean for children of the same age and gender. The final height of affected individuals will vary. Researchers believe that alterations (mutations) in a gene result in Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome. However, they have not been able to find such a gene. Researchers also believe that the disorder is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.
Although researchers have been able to establish a clear syndrome with characteristic or "core" symptoms, much about the disorder is not fully understood. Several factors including the small number of people identified with this disorder, the lack of large clinical studies, and the underlying cause of the disorder being unknown prevent physicians from developing a complete picture of associated symptoms and prognosis. Therefore, it is important to note that affected individuals may not have all the symptoms discussed below. Parents should talk to their children's physicians and medical team about their specific case, associated symptoms and overall prognosis.
The major physical characteristics of Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome include short stature and bowing of the front (anterior) of the long portions (shafts) of the shinbone (tibia) and the smaller bone of the leg below the knee (fibula). Sometimes the long bone of the thigh (femur) is bowed. Many affected individuals do not have any major functional limitations, and a diagnosis of Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome may not be made until adolescence or adulthood because of the lack of serious complications associated with this disorder. Usually both legs are affected (bilateral). In extremely rare instances, only one leg is affected (unilateral).
Along with the characteristic bowing of the tibia and fibula, affected individuals may also exhibit bowing of the sides (lateral bowing) of the thigh bones (femur) and/or outward curvature of the tibia (saber shins). Benign (non-cancerous) overgrowths of cartilage called exostoses may affect the tibias. Additional bones may also be affected including the ribs and pelvis.
Affected individuals may also exhibit bowing of certain bones in the forearms (i.e., ulna and radius), malformation of a part of the hip bone (ilium), improper development of bone toward the bottom of the spinal column (horizontal sacrum), widening of the marrow cavities inside bones, and/or thickening of the outer layers (cortexes) of the long bones (diaphyseal dysplasia). Sometimes, a hip deformity in which the thigh bone is angled toward the center of body (coxa vara) is present.
In addition, some affected individuals may exhibit a sideways curvature of the spine (scoliosis), an inward curvature of the back (lordosis) so that the back curves into the body, and/or a front-to-back curvature of the spine (kyphosis) so that the upper back is rounded. Most affected individuals begin to walk later than is normally expected, however, the reason for this delay is not understood.
There have been reports of intellectual disability in some children as well as an enlarged thyroid (goiter) and low levels of circulating red blood cells (anemia). However, some researchers believe that these findings may be coincidental and not features of Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome.
The exact, underlying cause of Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome is unknown. Sometimes, the disorder runs in families. Researchers believe it is most likely caused by a change in a gene. However, no genes have been identified to be associated with the disorder. Genes provide instructions for creating proteins that play a critical role in many functions of the body. When a mutation of a gene occurs, the protein product may be faulty, inefficient, or absent. Depending upon the functions of the protein, this can affect many organ systems of the body.
Although no altered genes have been identified to be associated with Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome, researchers believe that the disorder is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Most genetic diseases are determined by the status of the two copies of a gene, one received from the father and one from the mother. Dominant genetic disorders occur when only a single copy of an abnormal gene is necessary to cause a particular disease. The abnormal gene can be inherited from either parent or can be the result of a new mutation (gene change) in the affected individual. The risk of passing the abnormal gene from an affected parent to an offspring is 50% for each pregnancy. The risk is the same for males and females.
Affected Populations
Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome is an extremely rare skeletal disorder that affects males and females in equal numbers. Approximately 70 people have been reported in the medical literature since the disorder's original description in 1954. However, because rare disorders like Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome often go unrecognized, these disorders are under-diagnosed, making it difficult to determine the true frequency in the general population.
Symptoms of the following disorders can be similar to those of Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome. Comparisons may be useful for a differential diagnosis:
Campomelic syndrome is a rare congenital skeletal disorder characterized by short stature along with bowing and an unusual angular shape of the long bones of the legs. Congenital means that the symptoms are present at birth. The bones of the shoulders and pelvic area are often abnormal. Affected individuals may have 11 pairs of ribs instead of the usual 12. There are two forms of this disorder, the long-limbed form and the short-limbed form. The disorder may cause life-threatening complications in infancy because of breathing (respiratory) problems that result from a small chest size and underdevelopment (hypoplasia) of the windpipe and the airways that carry air into the lungs (bronchi). Campomelic syndrome is caused by changes to the SOX9 gene and is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Campomelic" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)
Vitamin-D deficiency rickets, a disorder that often becomes apparent during infancy or childhood, results from insufficient vitamin D caused by poor nutrition, a lack of exposure to the sun, or malabsorption syndromes in which the intestines do not adequately absorb nutrients including vitamin D added to foods. Vitamin D is needed for calcium and phosphorus absorption from food into the body, which, in turn affects how calcium is deposited in the bones. Thus, adequate vitamin D is essential for proper bone development and growth. Major symptoms of vitamin D deficiency rickets include bone softening and slow growth. Bowing of the legs is very common in this disorder. Vitamin-D deficiency rickets is much more common than Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome, and is quite common in certain areas of the world. (For more information on this disorder, choose "vitamin-D deficiency rickets" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)
X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a rare inherited disorder characterized by impaired transport of phosphate and altered vitamin-D activation in the kidneys. In addition, phosphate may not be well-absorbed from the intestines. The low blood phosphate level (hypophosphatemia) resulting from these impairments can lead to rickets or softening of bones (osteomalacia). In childhood bone disease, bowing deformities of the legs from progressive softening of the bone occurs. In adults, the growth plate is no longer open so that osteomalacia is the bone problem. In children, growth rates may be slower than normal, frequently resulting in short stature. X-linked hypophosphatemia is caused by mutations in the PHEX gene located on the X chromosome. It is the most common heritable form of hypophosphatemia. However, autosomal dominant and recessive forms of hypophosphatemia occur as well. (For more information on this disorder, choose "familial hypophosphatemia" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)
Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the abnormal development of bones and teeth. These abnormalities occur due to defective mineralization, the process by which bones and teeth take up minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. These minerals are required for proper hardness and strength. Defective mineralization results in bones that are soft and prone to fracture and deformity. Defective mineralization of teeth can lead to premature tooth loss. The specific symptoms can vary greatly from one person to another, sometimes even among members of the same family. There are five major clinical forms of HPP that range from an extremely severe form that can cause stillbirth to a form associated with only premature loss of baby (deciduous) teeth, but no bone abnormalities. The prenatal benign form of hypophosphatasia is associated with bowed arms and legs at birth. Hypophosphatasia is caused by mutations in the tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (ALPL) gene. This gene is also known as the TNSALP gene. Such mutations lead to low levels of the tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase enzyme. Depending on the specific form, hypophosphatasia can be inherited in an autosomal recessive or autosomal dominant manner. (For more information on this disorder, choose "hypophosphatasia" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)
Ollier disease is a rare skeletal disorder characterized by abnormal bone development (skeletal dysplasia). This disorder is present at birth (congenital), however, it may not be apparent until early childhood when certain symptoms, such as deformities or improper limb growth, are observed. Ollier disease manifests as greater than normal growth of the cartilage in the long bones of the legs and arms so that growth is abnormal and the outer layer (cortical bone) of the bone becomes thin and more fragile. These masses of cartilage are benign (non-cancerous) tumors known as enchondromas. Ollier disease primarily affects the long bones and cartilage in the joints of the arms and legs. Limb shortening, bowing of the long bones, and/or short stature may occur in some affected individuals. The exact cause of Ollier disease is not known. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Ollier" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)
Congenital syphilis is a rare chronic infectious disorder characterized by low birth weight, fever, rash, and/or outward curvature of the tibia (saber shins). Other symptoms may include hardening of the umbilical cord, high levels of cholesterol at birth, anemia, an enlarged liver and/or spleen, and/or intellectual disability. Syphilis is caused by a spiral-shaped bacteria (spirochete) Treponema pallidum; in newborns with congenital syphilis the disease is acquired by the fetus from the mother sometime during fetal development. In most instances, symptoms of this disorder are apparent at birth or within the first few months of life; however, in some instances, several years may pass before symptoms are recognized. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Congenital Syphilis" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)
There are many other disorders that can cause similar symptoms to Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome including certain forms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Paget disease, osteogenesis imperfecta, renal osteodystrophy, tibia vara (Blount disease), fibrous dysplasia, achondroplasia, neurofibromatosis, congenital bowing of certain bones, and developmental bowing of certain bones. (For more information on these disorders, choose the specific disorder name as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)
The diagnosis of Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome may be confirmed by x-ray studies of the skeleton that reveal distinctive bowing of the long bones of the legs, lateral bowing of the femur, thickened outer layers of bones, and widened marrow cavities. Other x-ray findings may include bowing of certain arm bones (i.e., ulna and radius), malformation of part of the hip bone (ilium), abnormal development of part of the spinal column (horizontal sacrum), and/or hardening of a membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord (dural calcification).
A diagnosis of Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome is difficult and often delayed because the disorder is not well known, the exact cause has not been identified, and it can be mistaken for many other disorders.
Standard Therapies
The treatment of Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome is directed toward the specific symptoms that are apparent in each individual. Genetic counseling will be of benefit for affected individuals and their families. A supportive team approach for children with Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome may be helpful. Such a team approach may include physical therapy and other medical, social, or vocational services.
For many people, the skeletal abnormalities do not disturb the functions of the legs or only mildly affect function. One journal article recommended surgical intervention for Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome (Gupta 2014). However, if the abnormalities of the legs are not causing any functional problems, then surgery is not necessary. Decisions concerning treatment can vary for each affected individual depending on several factors including their age, severity of the skeletal malformation and misalignment, an individual's overall health, patient preference and other appropriate factors.
Investigational Therapies
Information on current clinical trials is posted on the Internet at www.clinicaltrials.gov . All studies receiving U.S. government funding, and some supported by private industry, are posted on this government web site.
For information about clinical trials being conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD, contact the NIH Patient Recruitment Office:
Some current clinical trials also are posted on the following page on the NORD website:
https://rarediseases.org/for-patients-and-families/information-resources/news-patient-recruitment/
For information about clinical trials sponsored by private sources, in the main, contact:
www.centerwatch.com
For more information about clinical trials conducted in Europe, contact:
https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/
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Kozlowski K, Beighton P, eds. Weismann-Netter-Stuhl Syndrome (Toxopachyosteose Diaphysaire Tibio-peroniere). In: Gamut Index of Skeletal Dysplasias: An Aid to Radiodiagnosis. 4th ed. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY; 1984:177.
Gupta P, Mittal R, Mittal S, Shankar V. Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome: report of two cases and treatment. BMJ Case Report. 2014;2014. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24496066
Hayrullah A, Atabek ME, Pirgon O. Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome: a family report. J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol. 2009;1:194-196. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3005653/
Peippo M, Valanne L, Perhoma M, Toivanen L, Ignatius J. Weismann-Netter syndrome and mental retardation: a new patient and review of the literature. Am J Med Genet. 2009;149A:2593-2601. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19839038
Yekeler E, Ozdemir C, Gokalp S, et al. Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome in two siblings. Skeletal Radiol. 2005;34:176-179. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15538562
Cheema JI, Grissom LE, Harcke HT. Radiographic characteristics of lower-extremity bowing in children. Radiographics. 2003;23:871-880. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12853662
Coimbra AV, Filardi S, Fernandez SR, Marques-Neto JF, Samara AM. Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome: first Brazilian case reports. Joint Bone Spine. 2000;67:539-43. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11195318
Kurtoglu S, Dundar M, Kumandas S, et al. Patient with Weismann-Netter and Stuhl (toxopachyosteosis) syndrome with communicant hydrocephalus and arachnoid cyst. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2000;13:211-15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10711669
Nores JM, Monsegu SH, de Masfraud V, et al. Tibioperoneal diaphyseal toxopachyosteosis or Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome: difficulties encountered in classifying this syndrome and differentiation from rickets. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 19997;15:105-09. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9093784
Nores JM, Monsegu SH, de Masfraud V, et al. Identification and classification of tibioperoneal diaphyseal toxopachyosteosis (Weismann-Netter-Stuhl syndrome): based on two new cases and a review of the literature. Eur J Radiol. 1997;24:71-76. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9056154
Tieder M, Manor H, Peshin J, Alon US. The Weismann-Netter, Stuhl syndrome: a rare pediatric skeletal dysplasia. Pediatr Radiol. 1995;25:37-40. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7761160
Hary S, Houvenagel E, Vincent G, Reiner JC. Weismann-Netter and Stuhl toxopachyosteosis. Apropos of 30 cases. Rev Rheum Mal Osteoartic. 1992;59:65-71. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1579848
Hary S, Houvenagel E, Vincent G. A case of Weismann-Netter and Stuhl toxopachyosteosis with new bone sites. Rev Rhum Mal Osteoartic. 1992;59:73-75. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1579849
Robinow M, Johnson GF. The Weismann-Netter syndrome. Am J Med Genet. 1988;29:573-79. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3377000
McKusick VA., ed. Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM). Baltimore. MD: The Johns Hopkins University; Entry No:112350; Last Update:10/13/2016. Available at: http://www.omim.org/entry/112350 Accessed March 21, 2017.
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Ed. Ziya Yılmazer (Ankara, 2003), II, p. 1143. Selaniki, Tarih, I, p. 104. 6 It could perhaps be argued that the presentation of such popular sentiment should simply be disregarded as eulogistic rhetoric in official chronicles or acts of flattery aimed at attaining concrete reward – an island governorship in the case of Kritoboulos, the author of a history of Mehmed II. But such judgements also appear in anonymous chronicles not so inclined to sycophancy and much more given to critical comment, or in western sources, such as Gerlach's comment on Murad III, where the influence of the court was not involved.
245. 113 By 1402 he had swerved round, and instead of attacking the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Faraj, quivering in Cairo, he moved his forces northwards and entered Anatolia. In June his army met that of the Ottomans in battle near Ankara on the central Anatolian plains. Bayezid was captured, his sons fled and his state collapsed headlong into a decade of internecine fighting. It was not until 1413 that the Ottoman state emerged from the ashes of destruction after the battle of Ankara. Mehmed I, a man 'virtuous in character and gentle', who 'truly despised warfare and loved peace',114 gradually reassembled Ottoman power, carefully building up relations with his neighbours, including the Byzantines, with whom he sought to maintain a peaceful relationship.
Only three years later the Byzantine capital went under Ottoman siege. -J. ), Demetrius Cydones' Correspondence, 2 vols. (Vatican City, 1956, 1960), I, letter 93, pp. 126–7. , ed. Franz Taeschner (Leipzig, 1951), I, p. , ed. Faik Reşit Unat and Mehmet A. Köymen (Ankara, 1949, 1957), I, p. 250. Doukas, Historia, p. 15; Doukas, Decline, p. 61. Loenertz, Cydones, II, letter 442, p. 407. Conquest 23 speed at which he crossed between the Asian and European sections of his state, mopped up opposition in Anatolia and advanced in Europe, dominating Serbia and Bulgaria and moving forward through Epirus, Albania and the Peloponnese.


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#Giveaway Showcase The Redemption by CL Tolbert a Partners in Crime virtual tour
Today is my stop on the, The Redemption by CL Tolbert blog tour
The Redemption
by C.L. Tolbert
June 1-30, 2021 Tour
Emma Thornton is back in The Redemption, C.L. Tolbert's second novel in the Thornton Mystery Series.
When two men are murdered one muggy September night in a New Orleans housing project, an eye witness identifies only one suspect - Louis Bishop- a homeless sixteen-year old. Louis is arrested the next day and thrown into Orleans Parish Prison. Emma Thornton, a law professor and director of the Homeless Law Clinic at St. Stanislaus Law School in the city agrees to represent him.
When they take on the case, Emma and her students discover a tangle of corruption, intrigue, and more violence than they would have thought possible, even in New Orleans. They uncover secrets about the night of the murders, and illegal dealings in the city, and within Louis's family. As the case progresses, Emma and her family are thrown into a series of life-threating situations. But in the end, Emma gains Louis's trust, which allows him to reveal his last, and most vital secret.
Book Praise:
"With The Redemption, Cynthia Tolbert delivers another beautifully written and compelling read in her Thornton Mystery series, as law professor Emma Thornton's fight to save a teen wrongly accused of murder endangers her own life in this gripping tale of corruption and crime in the 1990s Big Easy."
Ellen Byron, Agatha Award Winning Author of the Cajun Country Mysteries
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: February 9th 2021
Series:Thornton Mysteries, Book 2 || Each is a Stand Alone Mystery
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Just before dark on the night of his death, Brother Reginald Antoine stepped out of the cottage where he lived. He slammed the door shut to prevent the soggy heat of the late summer evening from invading the front room. Except for occasional river breezes, the New Orleans climate was swamp-like until late October. His exits had become swift and cat-like to avoid escalating power bills and a strain on the house's only window-unit air conditioner.
He stood on the front porch for a moment, staring at the entrance to the Redemption housing project. All was quiet. No one was in sight.
He was looking forward to the evening. He'd promised to help Alicia Bishop complete forms for a scholarship to Our Lady of Fatima, the top girls' school in the city. He found himself singing under his breath as he locked the front door.
Most of the kids Brother Antoine worked with never finished school, and he was painfully aware that he'd failed far more than he'd helped. But Alicia's story would be different. Her graduation would be her family's first. Clear-headed and determined, much like her Aunt Juanita, the woman who had raised her, she was destined to earn far more than a high school diploma. He believed she was destined for great things.
Brother Antoine surveyed the street familiar to him from childhood. Alicia and her Aunt Juanita lived in an apartment was only a few blocks over, but well within the Redemption housing project. Driving such a short distance would be silly, plus he felt like a little exercise. It was a good evening for a walk, even though no one felt completely safe walking around any neighborhood in the city at night. At least one person had been killed in New Orleans every day that year, so far. Sometimes more. Too many drugs were on the streets. But he didn't worry about any of that.
He tucked the bundle of papers he'd pulled for the meeting under his arm and headed out. When he was a kid he'd found the Redemption overwhelming - so vast it couldn't be taken in, visually, from his porch or from any single location. A crowded jumble of russet brick, broken down porches, and peeling army-drab paint, it stretched across the lower garden district from Magazine Street to the Mississippi River. When he was about six he tried to count the buildings, but gave up when he got lost. Everything looked the same to him back then. When he returned to live at the mission house he realized he'd been wrong. Each place was unique. Every apartment, every stoop, every front door was distinct, because everything inside was different. Every place had its own family, its own problems, its own joys. Every place had its own family, its own problems, and joys. He didn't realize how much he'd missed it until his return.
He passed the community garden planted around the corner from the mission house with its patches of brave sprouts pushing out of the ground. He was proud of that little spot, and equally excited for the people who were involved, especially those few who returned week after week to dig, and prod, and encourage the seedlings to grow. Some of the plants even promised to bear fruit, which was reason enough to celebrate.
As he walked he could smell urine from the street gutters where drunken men or stoned boys had relieved themselves. A recent rain only added a steamy intensity to the mix, creating a cauldron of odors which would vanish only when the next day's sunlight parched the streets.
The Redemption was teeming with human spirit, poverty, and crime. It was home to many, but with rare exception, no one chose to live there. And everyone who did, even the very young, understood how fragile life could be.
He walked up the steps to Juanita Bishop's apartment and rapped on the front door.
Sam Maureau pulled his car into the Redemption and parked at a curb at the end of Felicity Street. He was alone. Jackson, his partner, couldn't come. But Sam wasn't worried. He checked his watch. He was right on time. Things were under control.
He turned off his lights and, except for the murky glow of the half-obscured moon, was surrounded by a blanket of darkness. It took several seconds for his eyes to adjust, but even after he waited, he still strained to see. Most of the streetlights on that block had been shot out, and several apartment windows had been boarded over. He peered in between the last two buildings on the corner for any sign of movement.
Sam kicked aside a beer can as he stepped out of his car. He didn't expect any trouble that night. Marcus, a dealer who ran the Gangsta B's, the largest gang in the city, had asked for a meeting to discuss 'some business', but they'd never had problems before. Their businesses had always co-existed, side-by-side. Sam had begun selling crack in small quantities ten years earlier, when he was twenty-five, and had remained one of the smaller distributers in the city. He figured that Marcus, who was younger by at least ten years, either wanted to bring him and his territory into the Gangsta B's, or he wanted to buy him out. He didn't see the need to change anything right now, unless the price was right. He was making pretty good money. His clients were happy with him. But he didn't mind talking with Marcus.
Sam patted his jacket pocket. The gun was still there. It never hurt to be careful. He locked his car, checking to make certain nothing was in the back seat. Marcus had asked him to meet around the corner.
Sam made his way across the grassy common area, dodging the few mud puddles he could see reflected in the wan moonlight, to an old iron bench across from Marcus's grandmother's apartment where they had met once before. He sat down to wait. The bench hadn't quite cooled from the daytime heat. The faint breeze from the river ruffled what scant remnants remained of his once luxurious surfer-boy hair and sent greasy paper bags, discarded whiskey bottles, and random debris scurrying across the sidewalk. He absent-mindedly patted his bald spot to make certain it was covered.
He couldn't see them, but their chatter floated over to his bench. Even though the words were indecipherable, Sam heard three distinct voices. Then he heard Marcus speak.
"Go get Louis."
Out of habit, Sam felt his jacket pocket again, reassuring himself that his piece was still there. Marcus and one other young man came into view. Sam nodded as they approached.
Marcus was a commanding presence. Tall, and athletic, intricate tattoos of black ink woe across his dark skin, tracing his biceps, and emphasizing his ropy, muscular arms and powerful shoulders. His long hair, pulled back into a pony-tail, flowed down his back. No one questioned his authority.
"We're gonna wait a minute for Louis," Marcus pulled out a cigarette from his back pocket and lit it, blowing billowy clouds into the night air.
"Yeah, sure. But what's this all about?" Marcus ignored Sam's question and pulled hungrily on his cigarette, blowing smoke rings, refusing to make eye contact with Sam.
Several minutes later a tall young man and a boy who couldn't have been over sixteen joined them.
"You and your people gotta go. You're right in the middle of my territory. I'm claiming it, and I'm taking it – now. Ain't nothing you can do about it." Marcus threw down his cigarette and stomped it into the grass.
Sam stood up to face Marcus. "Fuck you, Marcus. You don't need my three blocks. I've had it for years, and its outside your territory anyway. You can't just take it." Sam clenched the fist of his left hand and shoved his right hand in his jacket pocket where the gun was hidden.
"That's where you're wrong, mother fucker." Marcus grabbed another cigarette and rammed it three times against the pack. "I got business coming to me from uptown all the time now. It's time for you to give it up." Marcus nodded to the three boys, who formed a circle around Sam and Marcus.
"No way, bro'!" Sam's hand instinctively tightened around the gun.
Surrounded by the group of young men, Sam saw an opening, turned, and simultaneously pulled the gun from his jacket. As he stepped toward his escape, he saw something moving along the sidewalk next to the street. It appeared to be a man dressed in dark clothes, but it was impossible to be certain. Sam heard one shot, and felt it whizz by him. The distant figure dropped. Sam twisted around, and aimed his weapon toward the sound of the gun fire. Then he heard another shot.
Feeling something hot in his chest, he crumbled to the ground. The last thing he saw was the young kid, the one they called Louis, running toward the river.
Brother Antoine said good night to Alicia on the front porch of her aunt's apartment and started his walk back home. He was feeling good, lighthearted. He and Alicia had completed her application and she had nearly finished her essay. He was certain she was a shoo-in for the scholarship. He'd only traveled a few feet down the sidewalk when he saw a group of men and a few boys gathered together in the grassy area next to one of the buildings. The cloud-covered moon offered enough reflection to allow him to make out the scant silhouette of the tallest member of the group. There was no doubt. His swagger and perpetual cigarette were unmistakable. Marcus Bishop. They had to be up to no good.
Brother Antoine followed the curve of the sidewalk, which brought him a little closer to the group. He noticed there was movement, perhaps a scuffle. He heard a shot, then felt a searing pain in his chest. He placed his hand on his shirt where he felt dampness, and, struggling to breathe, fell to the ground. He grabbed the scapular around his neck, praying, as he lay there, someone would come administer the last rites.
Excerpt from The Redemption by Cynthia Tolbert. Copyright 2021 by Cynthia Tolbert. Reproduced with permission from Cynthia Tolbert. All rights reserved.
In 2010, Cynthia Tolbert won the Georgia Bar Journal's fiction contest for the short story version of OUT FROM SILENCE. Cynthia developed that story into the first full-length novel of the Thornton Mystery Series by the same name, which was published by Level Best Books in December of 2019. Her second book in this same series, entitled THE REDEMPTION, was released in February of 2021.
Cynthia has a Master's in Special Education and taught children with learning disabilities for ten years before moving on to law school. She spent most of her legal career working as defense counsel to large corporations and traveled throughout the country as regional and national counsel. She also had the unique opportunity of teaching third-year law students in a clinical program at a law school in New Orleans where she ran the Homeless Law Clinic and learned, first hand, about poverty in that city. She retired after more than thirty years of practicing law. The experiences and impressions she has collected from the past forty years contribute to the stories she writes today. Cynthia has four children, and three grandchildren, and lives in Atlanta with her husband and schnauzer.
Catch Up With Cynthia:
CLTolbert.com
Instagram - @cltolbertwrites
Twitter - @cltolbertwrites
Facebook - @cltolbertwriter
ENTER TO WIN:
This is a Rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for C.L. Tolbert. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card (U.S. ONLY). The giveaway runs from June 1, 2021 through July 4, 2021. Void where prohibited.
Labels: CL Tolbert, Partners in Crime Virtual Blog Tour, showcase, The Redemption
Wall-to-wall books June 7, 2021 at 7:54 AM
Thanks so much for showcasing this book. This one sounds sooo good to me!
The Reading Frenzy June 8, 2021 at 6:14 AM
Cynthia Tolbert June 10, 2021 at 9:22 AM
Mary Kirkland June 7, 2021 at 12:07 PM
That sounds intriguing. I love a good mystery.
The Reading Frenzy June 8, 2021 at 4:54 PM
I do too Mary
Kathryn T June 8, 2021 at 12:24 AM
Just the very title would draw me to a book because I'd be hoping for something good to happen by the end.
yes Kathryn I didn't think about that
Blodeuedd June 8, 2021 at 2:57 PM
Sounds petty good
Thanks to everyone for your comments! I so appreciate the post. Please let me know if you have any questions about the book!
The Reading Frenzy June 10, 2021 at 9:49 AM
It was my pleasure and thank you!
Showcase-A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor
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#Giveaway Showcase Something Fishy by Lois Schmitt
#MacmillanAudio Review of Legacy by Nora Robert na...
Review The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan
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Showcase: I Don't Forgive You by Aggie Blum Thompson
Showcase: Barcelona Dreaming by Rupert Thomson
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#Giveaway Showcase The Redemption by CL Tolbert a ...
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Thank you. So next time I would rather use IGES or STEP instead of STL. I have one more question. Isn't it a little bit inconvenient to click all the faces/solids. In stl you usually have just few of them.
If you have any additional thoughts and/or ideas feel free to share them in the Feedback or the Vote For Features section of the forum.
Thanks a lot and happy SimScaling!
This is really helpful .
I have still some questions. In simulation and than in result control I want to set Forces and Moments of the wing., but what I have to write under center of rotation? Do I need to go to the CAD system and see where the center of mass is?
Take your time. Still I have some issues with simulation. Maybe mesh is not good enough?
I successfully ran a simulation, but results are strange. The convergence plot shows that simulation was ok, but if I look at the force plot for the main wing it suggest that something is wrong. At the end of simulation results just explode! Any suggestions why so?
Your mesh and setup looks fine, so I think the issue lies with your initial conditions of Turbulent kinetic energy value [m²/s²] (k) and Specific turbulence dissipation rate [1/s] (w). Your values are rather high and you might need to double check on your calculations for these two values.
In the meantime you can try to set it to the default values and run to see if still get the absurd force readings.
Unfortunately this did not solve the problem.Still after 1300s or so, the results just go mad.
Any suggestions from your side? Do I need to change some of the conditions in the simulations?
Sorry for the delay @Zaapex!
Can you share the latest version of your project along with the name?
I saw that one of your projects finished successfully @Zaapex!
However I see that there might be an issue with the geometry having some weird artifact as depicted below. Maybe fix that to get a successful mesh of that one as well as splitting the geometry. Now it only consists of 1 solid.
I spotted that failure and I made a new geometry (SW- imported as solidworks geometry). And with that geometry I made a mesh which was fine but the problem occurs in simulation.
The simulation finished successfully as far as I can see. Do you still need help with something? If so please let me know!
The problem are the results. They are strange.
Could you try extending the bounding box in the -x direction and put the component in the middle of the mesh box? I want to see if that causes the exorbitant high velocity. Reducing some of the illegal cells by adapting mesh parameter settings could also be done in the same iteration but I doubt that this causes the messed up velocity.
Cheers and keep me up-to-date!
I ran a simulation and now it is much better. The results are fine, but now I have lost symmetry. Anyway if I want to know what is the downforce of the wing I have to check Pressure force Z, right?
You can have a look at the log file and search the Cl coefficient standing for the negative lift or downforce. You can add a result control item inside your simulation. A good instruction on how to do this has been posted by my colleague @Ali_Arafat: Lift Downforce Calculation Help.
Let me know how things go and all the best!
I think that I got some decent results and therefore I can move on to another project. Thank you so much for your time.


text:
package com.npes87184.enviromenttw.model;

import android.content.Context;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.BaseAdapter;
import android.widget.ImageView;
import android.widget.TextView;

import com.npes87184.enviromenttw.R;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

/**
 * Created by npes87184 on 2015/5/3.
 */
public class UVAdapter extends BaseAdapter {

    private LayoutInflater myInflater;
    private List<DataContainer> uv;
    private int selectItem = -1;
    private boolean isStar = false;
    private ArrayList<Boolean> star;
    Context c;

    public UVAdapter(Context context, List<DataContainer> uv){
        c = context;
        myInflater = LayoutInflater.from(context);
        this.uv = uv;
    }

    @Override
    public int getCount() {
        return uv.size();
    }

    @Override
    public Object getItem(int arg0) {
        return uv.get(arg0);
    }

    @Override
    public long getItemId(int position) {
        return uv.indexOf(getItem(position));
    }

    private class ViewHolder {
        TextView value;
        ImageView color;
        ImageView star;
        public ViewHolder(TextView value, ImageView color, ImageView star) {
            this.value = value;
            this.color = color;
            this.star = star;
        }
    }

    public void setSelectItem(int selectItem, boolean isStar) {
        this.selectItem = selectItem;
        star.set(selectItem, isStar);
    }

    public void init(ArrayList<Boolean> star) {
        this.star = star;
    }

    @Override
    public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
        ViewHolder holder = null;
        convertView = myInflater.inflate(R.layout.list_item, null);
        holder = new ViewHolder(
                (TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.textView),
                (ImageView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.imageView),
                (ImageView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.imageView2)
        );

        DataContainer line = (DataContainer)getItem(position);
        try {
            holder.value.setText(line.getLocation() + ":" + line.getValue());
            if(Float.parseFloat(line.getValue())<3) {
                holder.color.setImageResource(R.drawable.good);
            } else if(Float.parseFloat(line.getValue())<6) {
                holder.color.setImageResource(R.drawable.normal);
            } else {
                holder.color.setImageResource(R.drawable.bad);
            }
        } catch (Exception e) {
            holder.value.setText(line.getLocation() + ":" + c.getString(R.string.nodata));
        }

        if (!star.get(position)) {
            holder.star.setImageResource(R.drawable.btn_star_on_disabled_focused_holo_dark);
        }
        if(star.get(position)) {
            holder.star.setImageResource(R.drawable.btn_star_on_pressed_holo_dark);
        }

        return convertView;
    }

    private boolean isFloat(String str) {
        try {
            Float.parseFloat(str);
            return true;
        } catch(Exception e) {
            return false;
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Right about now, Wilmer Flores has nothing on me. The young NY Mets ballplayer was last seen wiping away tears when an internet rumor about his having been traded to Milwaukee reached him even while he still had a few innings left to go (supposedly) in a Mets uniform. It is a little hard to resist making jokes at the expense of Beertown (c'mon Milwaukee ain't that bad) and inject some sarcasm to dampen and distract from the raw emotion embodied by his crying about losing the connection to his beloved teammates. Far be it from me to interject sarcasm and deflect true emotion (yeah right, just ask some of the people who have had to deal with me at times of crisis). For right about now, my most beloved teammate is facing a crisis and I understand how Flores could be moved to tears at the very suggestion of threat of a breach in relationships that one believes and hopes will last forever.
Dr. Ken Kirsh is the person of whom I speak. He is the person without whom I could not speak, well not nearly as loudly or as intelligently. He has been my student, my colleague, my co-author, my role model, mentor and friend for 20 years. He is facing a medical crisis. He and I worked together with people with chronic pain and cancer. As former psycho-oncologists, we know just enough to be dangerous. As a former psycho-oncologist who worked with people facing the same tough opponent my buddy is now facing, advanced colon cancer, you would think I would have enough skill to take some safe therapeutic distance as I did countless times before. I have had patients for whom I felt real love yet also had enough "work ego" to do it from a safe psychological distance. I am unable to do that now. And maybe that's for the better. I talk to him every day and say some helpful things, some stupid things, some self-centered things about my own reactions to what he is going through, and Ken has been very forgiving, acknowledging that we are both human but also that it at least makes him feel that I am not dealing with him as just a sick person. And when you reach out to him having learned of this news and maybe will be afraid you too will say something stupid, I am sure he will be equal parts happy to hear from you and equally forgiving. That's the kind of guy he is; not easily shaken from his stoic and taciturn base.
Ken and I hit it off immediately when he first walked into my office after I made overtures about my need for students to the professors at his graduate school. He walked in, picked up a big box o'data from a study I had completed but not written up and came back in a couple of days with the numbers crunched and a draft of the paper. It turns out, we have completely complementary cognitive styles and together we make one brain. Many, many papers have come since. Together we are a kind of Lennon and McCartney in our style of writing papers – I am the impressionistic and speculative one so I write the intro and discussion, he is the no-nonsense and detail-oriented one so he writes the methods and results – and we crank. And the way we write together is the way he forgivingly handles my dumb comments on the phone – no judgments; we always simply push the product down the road, never striving to write a perfect draft because we have agreed to feel no shame even if we send each other a piece of junk. (Ok, so not Lennon and McCartney, he would never let me be that grandiose, how about more like Macaulay and Mason the co-writers of Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes the one hit wonder that elicits an audible groan every time the opening strains of the tune by the Edison Lighthouse are heard – Ken is a talented musician and songwriter and I know he above anyone else will appreciate this more apt and very obscure reference).
It isn't just me who is threatened with a breach in a relationship with a trusted, wise and principled friend…I don't think I am exaggerating when I say that I think this is a threat to every person in pain. Ken has been one of their steadiest champions. Maybe a little less obviously so because he doesn't have quite the blarney that some of us who have been a bit more out front have. But he has been there providing the substance, researching, writing, speaking, taking controversial positions, advocating and fighting some more. And he will continue to do so; though he will now have to allocate some of his energies to a more personal fight. He started effective, but pretty tough, chemo this week.
Despite my lack of religiosity, I ask you all for your prayers. There are no atheists in foxholes. Ken has taken me up on my offer to help manage communications to the world outside of our small circle so he can devote his energies to the tasks at hand. If Dr. Fudin is kind enough, I will periodically provide updates here on how he is doing and even what he and his wife Kristy might need. I know a lot of you will want to contact him and help. So write to me and I will help put you in touch if you don't already have his numbers, emails or addresses. There is a site set up with CaringBridge where friends and family can follow Ken as well.
In the movies Tom Hanks is not often wrong about much. But there is crying in baseball. Believe me, I know.
This guest blog post is written by Steven D. Passik, PhD.
Dr. Steve Passik is Vice President of Clinical Research and Advocacy at Millennium Health, LLC. Prior to that, he had a 25 year academic clinical and research career principally at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. He has over 200 publications to his credit – the lion's share written with Dr. Ken Kirsh.
Please post comments and well-wishes here!
This blog is posted with permission from Dr. Kenneth L. Kirsh and is compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
I have a dear friend fighting for her life, as well, at this very moment. I nearly cried thinking of her while reading this. Good luck to you Ken with your fight. Thanks to both of you for your contributions to the chronic pain cause.
His page is under Kenneth Kirsh if you need to search to find it. Keep the love flowing!
The raw concern and heartfelt expressions of appreciation for Ken are felt by many in the chronic pain and oncology fields. Thank you for elegantly articulating feelings that my heart echoes. Ken is a highly respected leader, and his work has significantly added to the knowledge base that we all rely on. He is in our prayers, and so are you, Steve, as you navigate this very difficult time in your life where your valued teammate is suffering.
Beautifully written. True patriots in the fight for patients in pain are the two of you….and what a great friend you are, Steve. Prayers to Ken & his family.
Beautiful post! I will pray for Dr. Ken and family. Thank you both so much for your advocacy work for patients in pain.
This foxhole is overflowing with prayers. Ken is not only brilliant, he's tough as nails. You're a good friend Steve. Thanks for this post. I'll be reaching out to Ken, truly a giant in the field of pain management.
Bravo, Steve. And of course Ken has my prayers!


FAIRFIELD — When Terry and Anne Willie bought the house at 1555 Burr St. in 1997, it had been vacant for two years. The house had fallen into disrepair, as its previous owners had gotten frail and less able to take care of it.
By the time the Willies — who hail from England, but had been living in America — drove by the house, the land had been purchased by a developer, and there were plans to knock down the house and its outbuildings.
But the Willies saw more than a doomed, deteriorating home. They saw the majestic estate it once was, back when it housed members of the Burr family throughout most of the 1800s. And they saw a place that needed their help.
"We pulled into the driveway and we decided this was the house we were going to buy," Terry Willie said.
Eventually, the Willies bought the house, known as Burrwood House, and 2.3 acres of the surrounding property (part of an original parcel of 15 acres) from the developer. They made an agreement with the town that they would preserve the house and wouldn't change its footprint while they lived there.
Still, they both knew the project would be worth it.
"The bones of the house were stunning," Terry said.
Their instincts paid off. A little more than 20 years after the Willies bought it, the 4,698-square-foot home — which town records say was built in 1819 — is a local showpiece once again.
The property is steeped in local history, largely through its connection to the Burr family, for which Burr Street is named. In a history written about the property for the Smithsonian Institute, the Willies said the home was built by Lewis Burr, a seventh-generation Burr who had been gifted the land by his father, Ebenezer.
"It was a really prosperous working farm," complete with oxen, sheep and other animals, Terry Willie said.
The home passed to members of the Burr family until the mid-1940s, when it was bought by Mather and Elizabeth "Betty" Whitehead. Betty was the granddaughter of August Uihlein, then owner of Schlitz Brewing Co.
After the Whiteheads died, the home sat empty until the Willies came. They began their renovation of the property with its gardens, which were badly overgrown. Diseased or dying plants were removed and the gardens were re-designed to be a combination of American and English style. Terry also began building stone walls around the property.
Eventually, the inside was refurbished, getting a paint job, a new roof, and new shutters. Interior rooms were reshaped and modernized. But the Willies were careful to maintain the integrity of their historic home.
Original windows were kept wherever possible. Beautiful glass embellishments (likely from the home's Whitehead era, Terry said) remained on the staircase. Original flooring was kept where possible, as were many architectural details.
The house has four bedrooms, three and a half baths, and several outbuildings, including a greenhouse that has been converted to a space for entertaining.
Despite all the work they put into it, the Willies have listed the home for sale. It's listed at $2.15 million with Michelle & Company.
"We're getting older and sort of rattling around in this house," Terry Willie said.
However, he said he and Anne are looking for "the right buyer," and won't sell until they find them.
"We're not in a hurry," he said.


text:
Room 104 - Season 4 - Promos + Press Release
Anthology Series ROOM 104 Returns For Fourth And Final Season July 24
ROOM 104 returns for its fourth and final season FRIDAY, JULY 24 (11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Created by Mark and Jay Duplass (HBO's "Animals." and "Togetherness"), the late-night, half-hour anthology series returns with 12 new episodes, each telling a unique and unexpected tale of the characters who pass through a single room of a typical American chain motel. While the setting stays the same, every episode of the series features a different story, with the tone, plot, characters, and even the time period, changing with each installment.


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What are the typical daily duties of LEGAL SECRETARY ?
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Typically, Legal Assistants work in a law office. Computer technology, however, has made much of the work compatible with telecommuting.


I actually ran across this PDF by accident while searching for something else, but it's got a lot of great info so I'm meme-ing it.
My original intent was to find a list of expiration date recommendations. I'm currently going through my kitchen cabinets, throwing out a lot of old foodstuff (including leftover supplies from Y2K, heh). In most cases I'm guided by expiration dates on the container, but in some cases I'm faced with a packet of food (like pasta or rice or tea), and I'm honestly not sure how long these things can be kept around. The Red Cross pamphlet here has some good tips. Mostly it's "rotate every six months," but there are some foods which can evidently be stored "indefinitely" as long as they're packed properly.


text:
The road to recovery: supporting wildlife in the wake of the megafires
By Dr Viyanna Leo, Wildlife Ecologist, and Dr Hannah Sheppard-Brennand, Science Communicator
Nearly three billion animals were displaced or perished in the devastating megafires that swept across south-eastern Australia last summer (2019-2020). The fires were unprecedented in extent and intensity, burning through approximately 12.6 million hectares of the landscape (larger than the size of Tasmania). The damage is sobering, particularly when viewed in the context of the worsening effects of climate change. But the fires have also compelled conservationists to come together with renewed focus, working to improve our land management practices and develop methods to assist ecosystems to recover after intense wildfire.
To support native wildlife and habitats on the road to recovery, Australian Wildlife Conservancy is working in partnership with governments, private landholders, conservation organisations, scientists and supporters, and continuing to assess the environmental impacts of the megafires.
© Brad Leue/AWC
The critically endangered Kangaroo Island Dunnart.
Progress on Kangaroo Island spells new hope
The wildfires blazed across nearly half of Kangaroo Island (KI) – around 200,000 hectares – razing up to 95 per cent of the known range of the KI Dunnart (Sminthopsis aitkeni) and catapulting this little marsupial to the top of Australia's most endangered mammal list. To urgently protect the dunnart and other fire-affected species, AWC, Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife and local landholders, the Doube family, with the assistance of the Australian Army, established a 13.8-hectare feral predator-free critical refuge in just 10 days in February 2020.
Map of Kangaroo Island showing the location of the Western River Refuge.
Now, construction of the conservation fence to protect a further 370 hectares – the Western River Refuge (Stage 2) – has commenced. This important project is not only supporting post-fire recovery but also building a secure, long-term refuge for the island's threatened wildlife.
© Joseph Schofield/AWC
The 13.8-hectare critical refuge was constructed in record time. Construction of the Stage 2 fence to create a 370-hectare feral predator-free area is now well underway.
AWC's feral predator ecology research has demonstrated that cats pose a particularly significant threat to wildlife after large fires, preferentially hunting in fire scars where shelter is scarce. To reduce this threat, daily feral predator control is being undertaken in Stage 2, on private land and within the newly-formed North West Conservation Alliance. A camera trap grid has also been established across Stage 2, allowing for targeted control of individual cats. More than 40 cats have been removed to date, and more are being removed every week.
The Western River Refuge will protect a suite of threatened species, including the Kangaroo Island Echidna, from feral cats.
Ongoing wildlife monitoring is underway across the project area. Encouragingly, a suite of threatened species – including the KI Dunnart, Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus), Southern Emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus halmaturinus), Western Whipbird (Psophodes nigrogularis lashamri), Bassian Thrush (Zoothera lunulata), Heath Goanna (Varanus rosenbergi) and KI Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus multiaculeatus) – are regularly detected at monitoring sites. Fauna surveys are planned within the Stage 2 refuge area in Spring 2020.
AWC is looking to acquire strategically positioned land in order to protect key Koala habitat and the future of the species as a whole.
Conserving the Koala
The megafires are estimated to have destroyed or impacted 24 per cent of Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) habitat on public land across New South Wales. In June 2020, a parliamentary inquiry into Koala populations found that the species is on track to become extinct in NSW within the next 30 years and highlighted the urgent need to prioritise the protection of Koala habitat. In response, AWC is actively investigating acquisition of one or more properties to contribute to the conservation of the Koala.
AWC is seeking to acquire land in strategic locations that can have a significant positive impact on the future of the species as a whole, so stay tuned. AWC is also participating in workshops on Koala conservation across the State and looking to contribute to projects that might restore Koala habitat to cleared land.
Ecological assessments crucial for recovery planning: Wollombi Valley
Prior to the megafires, Wollombi Valley – a gateway to the Hunter Valley in NSW – was home to a variety of threatened species, including the Koala, Glossy Black- Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami), Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), Squirrel Glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) and the Regent Honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia). During the 2019-2020 fire season, multiple fires scorched large swathes of Hunter Valley habitat leaving surviving wildlife with limited available refuge and an increased risk of extinction.
In collaboration with Wollombi Landcare and with generous support from WIRES, the Commonwealth Bank and others, AWC is assessing the impacts of the bushfires across at least 17 private properties in the Wollombi Valley. Equipment acquisition and initial surveys have already been completed, and a second round of surveys (including call playback for owls and spotlighting for arboreal mammals, diurnal bird surveys, amphibian surveys and camera trap surveys for small mammals and feral predators) kicked off in September.
These ecological surveys will provide crucial information on the impacts of the fires. Importantly, they will also provide post-fire baseline data on the presence, relative abundance and species richness of mammals, birds and amphibians across a range of vegetation communities. These data will inform restoration planning and enable the success of future land management actions to be measured, including the deployment of artificial refuges, ground cover, nest boxes and watering stations to assist the surviving wildlife while habitat and resources replenish. In collaboration with the University of Sydney, AWC will investigate the use of artificial refuges in the post-fire recovery of small mammal populations.
AWC wildlife ecologist Dr Manuela Fischer at Kewilpa, a conservation property in north-east NSW owned by the South Endeavour Trust. AWC's strong focus on ecological monitoring enabled the team to respond rapidly in the wake of the megafires, undertaking urgent targeted surveys and providing strategic advice.
Promising results: Kewilpa Reserve
South Endeavour Trust's Kewilpa conservation reserve in northern NSW was severely impacted by the bushfires. In the immediate aftermath, AWC was invited to conduct post-fire surveys to assess the state of surviving wildlife. The results are promising, confirming the survival of three locally threatened species: Barking Owl (Ninox connivens), Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus victoriae) and Little Lorikeet (Parvipsitta pusilla). Eight bird surveys, four spotlight surveys and 3,335 camera trap nights recorded a total of 17 mammals, 46 birds, 12 amphibians and five reptiles, providing crucial baseline data for the reserve and a template for future surveys on the property.
AWC is committed to effective conservation and supporting Australia's ecosystems on the road to recovery. Bushfire recovery priorities identified by the government – protecting refuge habitat, controlling feral animals and reintroducing threatened species – are already integral components of AWC's innovative conservation model being implemented across our 30 sanctuaries and partnership sites. Australia's wildlife needs effective conservation action and AWC's practical, collaborative approach is helping to restore the country's native species and natural assets.
Help us support bushfire-affected wildlife


My question involves a child custody case from the State of: Court was this week and my ex wife lawyer shared information with my lawyer to "get to an agreement". My lawyer mentioned the divorced is a fraud and her lawyer agreed since we didnt divorce in the USA and he said "I will do the divorce here". This is bad ethic for me. Although we are fighting I don't see her lawyer is genuine. Can you guys agree with me for once?
Download the free report today for details of our findings.
This is a real skill that needs to be developed on the job, and all midlevel associates will learn how to do it eventually.
Widespread adoption of online payments for legal services is no longer a question of if, but when.
How Could Religious Liberty Be a Human Right?
This is an interesting take on the sore loser trope.
How can you ask a complete stranger for a job . . . without asking for a job? It's pretty simple.
Trump's new asylum rule violates U.S. and international law.
Whitaker's role in enabling the plot should be disqualifying from serving as Acting Dog Catcher let alone Acting Attorney General.
Even after some emotional losses nationwide, the blue wave's crest was able to topple the wall of incessant gerrymandering.
Each and every part of this story is disgusting.


text:
Corporate Speech Police Are Not the Answer to Online Hate
By Corynne McSherry
A coalition of civil rights and public interest groups issued recommendations today on policies they believe Internet intermediaries should adopt to try to address hate online. While there's much of value in these recommendations, EFF does not and cannot support the full document. Because we deeply respect these organizations, the work they do, and the work we often do together; and because we think the discussion over how to support online expression—including ensuring that some voices aren't drowned out by harassment or threats—is an important one, we want to explain our position.
We agree that online speech is not always pretty—sometimes it's extremely ugly and causes real world harm. The effects of this kind of speech are often disproportionately felt by communities for whom the Internet has also provided invaluable tools to organize, educate, and connect. Systemic discrimination does not disappear and can even be amplified online. Given the paucity and inadequacy of tools for users themselves to push back, it's no surprise that many would look to Internet intermediaries to do more.
We also see many good ideas in this document, beginning with a right of appeal. There seems to be near universal agreement that intermediaries that choose to take down "unlawful" or "illegitimate" content will inevitably make mistakes. We know that both human content moderators and machine learning algorithms are prone to error, and that even low error rates can affect large swaths of users. As such, companies must, at a minimum, make sure there's a process for appeal that is both rapid and fair, and not only for "hateful" speech, but for all speech.
Another great idea: far more transparency. It's very difficult for users and policymakers to comment on what intermediaries are doing if we don't know the lay of the land. The model policy offers a pretty granular set of requirements that would provide a reasonable start. But we believe that transparency of this kind should apply to all types of speech.
Another good feature of the model policy are provisions for evaluation and training so we can figure out the actual effects of various content moderation approaches.
So there's a lot to like about these proposals; indeed, they reflect some of the principles EFF and others have supported for years.
But there's much to worry about too.
Companies Shouldn't Be The Speech Police
Our key concern with the model policy is this: It seeks to deputize a nearly unlimited range of intermediaries—from social media platforms to payment processors to domain name registrars to chat services—to police a huge range of speech. According to these recommendations, if a company helps in any way to make online speech happen, it should monitor that speech and shut it down if it crosses a line.
This is a profoundly dangerous idea, for several reasons.
First, enlisting such a broad array of services to start actively monitoring and intervening in any speech for which they provide infrastructure represents a dramatic departure from the expectations of most users. For example, users will have to worry about satisfying not only their host's terms and conditions but also those of every service in the chain from speaker to audience—even though the actual speaker may not even be aware of all of those services or where they draw the line between hateful and non-hateful speech. Given the potential consequences of violations, many users will simply avoid sharing controversial opinions altogether.
Second, we've learned from the copyright wars that many services will be hard-pressed to come up with responses that are tailored solely to objectionable content. In 2010, for example, Microsoft sent a DMCA takedown notice to Network Solutions, Cryptome's DNS and hosting provider, complaining about Cryptome's (lawful) posting of a global law enforcement guide. Network Solutions asked Cryptome to remove the guide. When Cryptome refused, Network Solutions pulled the plug on the entire Cryptome website—full of clearly legal content—because Network Solutions was not technically capable of targeting and removing the single document. The site was not restored until wide outcry in the blogosphere forced Microsoft to retract its takedown request. When the Chamber of Commerce sought to silence a parody website created by activist group The Yes Men, it sent a DMCA takedown notice to the Yes Men's hosting service's upstream ISP, Hurricane Electric. When the hosting service May First/People Link resisted Hurricane Electric's demands to remove the parody site, Hurricane Electric shut down MayFirst/PeopleLink's connection entirely, temporarily taking offline hundreds of "innocent bystander" websites as collateral damage.
Third, we also know that many of these service providers have only the most tangential relationship to their users; faced with a complaint, takedown will be much easier and cheaper than a nuanced analysis of a given user's speech. As the document itself acknowledges and as the past unfortunately demonstrates, intermediaries of all stripes are not well-positioned to make good decisions about what constitutes "hateful" expression. While the document acknowledges that determining hateful activities can be complicated "in a small number of cases," the number likely won't be small at all.
Finally, and most broadly, this document calls on companies to abandon any commitment they might have to the free and open Internet, and instead embrace a thoroughly locked-down, highly monitored web, from which a speaker can be effectively ejected at any time, without any path to address concerns prior to takedown.
To be clear, the free and open Internet has never been fully free or open—hence the impetus for this document. But, at root, the Internet still represents and embodies an extraordinary idea: that anyone with a computing device can connect with the world, anonymously or not, to tell their story, organize, educate and learn. Moderated forums can be valuable to many people, but there must also be a place on the Internet for unmoderated communications, where content is controlled neither by the government nor a large corporation.
What Are "Hateful Activities"?
The document defines "hateful activities" as those which incite or engage in "violence, intimidation, harassment, threats or defamation targeting an individual or group based on their actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability."
We may agree that speech that does any of these things is deeply offensive. But the past proves that companies are ill-equipped to make informed decisions about what falls into these categories. Take, for example, Facebook's decision, in the midst of the #MeToo movement's rise, that the statement "men are trash" constitutes hateful speech. Or Twitter's decision to use harassment provisions to shut down the verified account of a prominent Egyptian anti-torture activist. Or the content moderation decisions that have prevented women of color from sharing the harassment they receive with their friends and followers. Or the decision by Twitter to mark tweets containing the word "queer" as offensive, regardless of context. These and many other decisions show that blunt policies designed to combat "hateful" speech can have unintended consequences. Furthermore, when divorced from a legal context, terms like "harassment" and "defamation" are open to a multitude of interpretations.
If You Build It, Governments Will Come
The policy document also proposes that Internet companies "combine technology solutions and human actors" in their efforts to combat hateful activities. The document rightly points out that flagging can be co-opted for abuse, and offers helpful ideas for improvement, such as more clarity around flagging policies and decisions, regular audits to improve flagging practices, and employing content moderators with relevant social, political, and cultural knowledge of the areas in which they operate.
However, the drafters are engaging in wishful thinking when they seek to disclaim or discourage governmental uses of flagging tools. We know that state and state-sponsored actors have weaponized flagging tools to silence dissent. Furthermore, once processes and tools to silence "hateful activities" are expanded, companies can expect a flood of demands to apply them to other speech. In the U.S., the First Amendment and the safe harbor of CDA 230 largely prevent such requirements. But recent legislation has started to chip away at Section 230, and we expect to see more efforts along those lines. As a result, today's "best practices" may be tomorrow's requirements.
Our perspective on these issues is based on decades of painful history, particularly with social media platforms. Every major social media platform sets forth rules for its users, and violations of these rules can prompt content takedowns or account suspensions. And the rules—whether they relate to "hateful activities" or other types of expression—are often enforced against innocent actors. Moreover, because the platforms have to date refused our calls for transparency, we can't even quantify how often they fail at enforcing their existing policies.
We've seen prohibitions on hate speech employed to silence individuals engaging in anti-racist speech; rules against harassment used to suspend the account of an LGBTQ activist calling out their harasser; and a ban on nudity used to censor women who share childbirth images in private groups. We've seen false copyright and trademark allegations used to take down all kinds of lawful content, including time-sensitive political speech. Regulations on violent content have disappeared documentation of police brutality, the Syrian war, and the human rights abuses suffered by the Rohingya. A blanket ban on nudity has repeatedly been used to take down a famous Vietnam war photo.
These recommendations and model policies are trying to articulate better content moderation practices, and we appreciate that goal. But we are also deeply skeptical that even the social media platforms can get this right, much less the broad range of other services that fall within the rubric proposed here. We have no reason to trust that they will, and every reason to expect that their efforts to do so will cause far too much collateral damage.
Given these concerns, we have serious reservations about the approach the coalition is taking in this document. But there are important ideas in it as well, notably the opportunity for users to appeal content moderation decisions, and expanded transparency from corporate platforms, and we look forward to working together to push them forward.
Corporate Speech Controls
Deeplinks Blog by Jason Kelley | January 12, 2021
Face Surveillance and the Capitol Attack
After last week's violent attack on the Capitol, law enforcement is working overtime to identify the perpetrators. This is critical to accountability for the attempted insurrection. Law enforcement has many, many tools at their disposal to do this, especially given the very public nature of most of the...
Deeplinks Blog by rainey Reitman | January 4, 2021
EFF Statement on British Court's Rejection of Trump Administration's Extradition Request for Wikileaks' Julian Assange
Today, a British judge denied the Trump Administration's extradition request for Wikileaks Editor Julian Assange, who is facing charges in the United States under the Espionage Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The judge largely confirmed the charges against him, but ultimately determined that the United...
Deeplinks Blog by Joe Mullin | December 28, 2020
In 2020, Congress Threatened Our Speech and Security With the "EARN IT" Act
One nice thing about democracy is that—at least in theory—we don't need permission to speak freely and privately. We don't have to prove that our speech meets the government's criteria, online or offline. We don't have to "earn" our rights to free speech or privacy.Times have changed. Today, some U.S....
Deeplinks Blog by Jillian C. York | December 28, 2020
What Comes Next for the Santa Clara Principles: 2020 in Review
For many years, we have urged platforms to operate with more transparency—both to the public and to their users—and to ensure that the people who use their services have the ability to appeal wrongful content moderation decisions. As such, in conjunction with several other organizations and academic experts, we launched...
Deeplinks Blog by Christoph Schmon, Cory Doctorow | December 26, 2020
EU and the Digital Services Act: 2020 Year in Review
While 2019 saw the EU ramming through a disastrous Internet copyright rule that continues to reverberate through legal and policy circles, 2020 was a very different story as the EU introduced the Digital Services Act (DSA), the most significant reform of Europe's platform legislation the EU has...
Deeplinks Blog by Sophia Cope, Andrew Crocker | December 21, 2020
EFF to Ninth Circuit: Don't Grant Immunity to Notorious Spyware Company
EFF filed a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in support of WhatsApp's lawsuit against notorious Israeli spyware company NSO Group. WhatsApp discovered last year that NSO Group had breached its systems and enabled NSO Group's government clients to hack into the mobile...
Deeplinks Blog by Marta Belcher, Aaron Mackey | December 21, 2020
The U.S. Government Is Targeting Cryptocurrency to Expand the Reach of Its Financial Surveillance
One of the most important aspects of cryptocurrencies from a civil liberties perspective is that they can provide privacy protections for their users. But EFF is concerned that the U.S. government has been increasingly taking steps to undermine the anonymity of cryptocurrency transactions and importing the widespread financial surveillance of...
A Decade After the Arab Spring, Platforms Have Turned Their Backs on Critical Voices in the Middle East and North Africa
Many in the U.S. have spent 2020 debating the problems of content moderation on social media platforms, misinformation and disinformation, and the perceived censorship of political views. But globally, this issue has been in the spotlight for a decade. This year is the tenth anniversary of what became known as...
Deeplinks Blog by Christoph Schmon, Karen Gullo | December 15, 2020
European Commission's Proposed Digital Services Act Got Several Things Right, But Improvements Are Necessary to Put Users in Control
The European Commission is set to release today a draft of the Digital Services Act, the most significant reform of European Internet regulations in two decades. The proposal, which will modernize the backbone of the EU's Internet legislation—the e-Commerce Directive—sets out new responsibilities and rules for how Facebook, Amazon,...


This year I was stoked to be asked to shoot the poster for Opera Box's production of Verdi's Rigoletto. Last year, it was La Boheme (photos here). In the story of Rigoletto, there is a scene with a corpse being thrown into a river from a bridge - this is what we were recreating here (in a park in Belmont, in the middle of the day).
Opera Box is a not for profit organisation providing opportunities for opera performers in WA. They are all insanely talented and their shows are a cracker.
Oh, and if you are interested, here's what it looked like before it was photoshopped. That looks more like Belmont, doesn't it?
The transformation from the original photo to the finished poster is really incredible! Great job!


Some of the greatest opportunities to promote loyalty or repair damaged reputations arise from negative situations.
I am reminded of the example of a well-known US airline that put special effort into repairing damage caused by customer-impacting failures. When flights were delayed, whether caused directly by the airline or not, special processes kicked in. Extra staff ensured that regular communication updates were provided to customers, not via the usual impersonal and indiscernible 'Tannoy', but in person, by a trained and sympathetic member of the airline customer service team. Anyone worried about connecting flights or about getting messages to friends or relatives who may have been waiting at the other end were given extra attention, and all efforts made to assure that connections would be held, and people contacted on passenger's behalf. When people arrived, more members of the airline were on hand; a) to apologise once again, in person, for the inconvenience caused and b) to find out if there was any other help or assistance that could be provided in making connections, collecting baggage or accessing other airport services. Finally, passenger's contact details were taken so that they could be followed up with at a later date.
Now, my experience from situations where things fail badly at airports is that getting up to date and accurate information can be pretty difficult, and knowledgeable members of staff are hard to find (almost as if they go in to hiding!). This is a huge opportunity missed. The airline, in the example just described, reported excellent customer retention, very good onward reference rates (i.e. people tell their friends what a good carrier they are), and much better than average customer satisfaction levels, despite the initial experience being a negative one.
No company or organisation sets out to deliver poor customer experiences, but inevitably things can and will go wrong. How these situations are handled is a huge differentiator. People will and do forgive poor experiences (providing they do not happen too often) if they sense that they are being treated fairly, with respect and that the company genuinely goes out of its way to make things right. Leaders possess a huge responsibility ensuring their people understand and appreciate the positive potential difficult situations present. Great leaders expect high standards of attentiveness to be delivered at all times, and will role-model and encourage the desired behaviours at every opportunity.
The following list of practices is by no means exhaustive, but will go a long way to ensuring customer service reputations are repaired when things go wrong.
Take responsibility – even if a third-party is at fault or circumstances are outside of your control. After all they are YOUR customers.
Say sorry. Apologise and demonstrate genuine understanding of the frustrations people are feeling.
Communicate regularly, in as direct (human) a way as possible, with updates about the situation – even if nothing has changed, it is worth sharing that with people, so that they do not have to make assumptions or speak to each other and feed on rumours.
Seek feedback and information that will help you learn and improve from the experience – and let customers know that their input to this process is valued and respected.
Follow up with customers after the event. Check that they got to their destination safely, let them know you are working on improving things for the future, demonstrate that what happened was not acceptable and fell short of the kind of service you would want for them.
Creating a culture and mind-set amongst the workforce that lives these values, will generate a "word of mouth" buzz and demonstrate that they care. This in turn will build loyalty amongst existing customers, and generate new customers, especially those who have experienced badly handled situations by competitors.
This entry was posted in leadership and tagged coaching, customer service, leadership by louiscollinsblog. Bookmark the permalink.
I was attracted initially by your title and then realised that the focus of your piece was on customer service. As usual it was very insightful and thought provoking.
However that initial interest was piqued because of the analogy with learning. To develop a skill or understanding, and to embed that learning in the neural pathways, it helps to challenge yourself (with more and more questions or other attempts at applying the skill or new knowledge) and to experience failure (by getting wrong answers or being unable to make the application work as it should).
I believe that It is through a regular process of challenge and failure that learning can quickly improve and thus failure turns into success. The real challenge then is to motivate yourself to push through these learning barriers – noone really likes to fail.
The analogy does not quite work with your example as you would not be advocating a customer service business which set out with an intention to 'fail' in its delivery! Although maybe when trialling your service, that is precisely what you should aim to experience.
Thanks for your comments and sorry the article did not explore the 'learning' aspects you had hoped for. I agree with your comments about the important link between learning and laying down new neural connections – a subject that is close to my heart. I will be aiming to do more to address those areas in future posts.
No need to apologise. I was not disappointed and was intrigued in any event by the learning analogy.
phew!! Thanks for letting me know. That helps. Nevertheless, your comment has sparked me thinking about the importance of learning at a neural level – and having just returned from a neuroscience conference – I do need to commit some thoughts to the page.


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Stories from Thursday, July 6, 2017
Kent Raymond Kelsey (Obituary ~ 07/06/17)
Kent Raymond Kelsey June 6, 1938 - June 20, 2017 McCOOK, Neb. — Kent Raymond Kelsey passed away Tuesday, June 20, 2017, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook where he had been living since 2014. He was 79 years old. Kent was born on June 6, 1938, to parents, Raymond and Alma (Foltz) Kelsey at Eureka, Calif. ...
Hillcrest pays off debt early, charts course for future (Local News ~ 07/06/17)
McCOOK, Neb. — After the recent resignation of Hillcrest Nursing Homes's administrator, the Board of Trustees began moving forward Wednesday on hiring a new one and checking up on financial concerns. And with cheers and applause, the board also decided to make the final payment sooner rather than later on the remaining balance of the $1 million Red Willow County borrowed for the facility in 2012...
Weekend check-in, other ideas closer to implementation (Local News ~ 07/06/17)
MCCOOK, Neb. — Admitting residents on the weekends at Hillcrest is getting closer to being a reality. The recommendation to do so was first cited by Klaasmeyer and Associates of Omaha, an Omaha health care management and consulting firm hired by Red Willow County to assess operations at Hillcrest. ...
First Central Bank meets Cozad again in B6 Area Tournament (High School Sports ~ 07/06/17)
The McCook First Central Bank juniors will play Cozad in the opening round of the Nebraska American Legion B6 Junior Area Tournament...
City ponders future of A Street Park (Local News ~ 07/06/17)
McCOOK, Neb. — City leaders will prioritize developing a plan for the A Street Park during the upcoming budget cycle and indicated earlier this week selling the property or bringing it up to standard with other city parks are the two leading options...
Highway safety measures worthy of future debate (Editorial ~ 07/06/17)
If a tree falls in the forest and no one's around to hear it, does it really make a sound? If a policeman doesn't issue you a ticket for driving while texting or not wearing a seatbelt, does your state really prohibit those activities? No, at least not effectively, says Mark Segerstrom, Road Safety Project Coordinator for the Nebraska Safety Council...
'Excellent' yields, high-quality grain reported (Local News ~ 07/06/17)
McCOOK, Neb. — Dryland wheat yields in the 60-to-70 bushels per acre range are being reported as the harvest in Southwest Kansas and Northwest Kansas moves past the halfway point in the Golden Plains of America. "For the most part, yields are excellent," said Randy Peters, whose family has extensive wheat acreage in Red Willow and Hitchcock counties. ...
New ownership (Local News ~ 07/06/17)
A crew installs the new "Pinnacle Bank" sign at the former AmFirst Bank in McCook this morning. On July 1, AmFirst Bank locations in McCook, Benkelman and Hayes Center joined Pinnacle Bank's 61 branches in Nebraska. The new sign was created by Omaha Neon Sign Co. Inc.; the big B Street sign will be installed in August. Family-owned since 1938, Nebraska-based Pinnacle Bancorp, Inc. is a $9.9 billion financial holding company operating more than 140 community banks in eight states...
MCC four men moving up to NCAA hoops (College Sports ~ 07/06/17)
McCOOK, Neb. — Four McCook Community College men's baskeball players have committed to play basketball at the next level. Lewis Diankulu, Draylan Perkins, Brody Sharkey and Torrey Mayo all completed their associates degrees in May. They will all be competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association level for the 2017-18 season...
Heritage men's golf starts second half (Community Sports ~ 07/06/17)
Latest standings from the Heritage Men's Golf League after play on Wednesday which began the season's second half. McCook Lettering (195.5 points) led A League while McCook National Bank (203.5) topped B League to finish the first half. A League Trenton Agency 21...
Americans triumph at Felling All-Star Game (Community Sports ~ 07/06/17)
FELLING FIELD – The American League All-Stars took the lead for good in the sixth inning to capture a back-and-forth game from the National League All Stars by a 10-9 score on Wednesday night. In the annual Majors Division postseason All Star game, the American League All Stars were down 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning when National League pitcher Kolyn Gaston induced Kaden Day to hit into a fielder's choice...


I don't know if January is the official "hire your new coach" month but it starting to look that way. With Belton and Shawnee Mission North both making their decision in the last week and Truman doing the same over the holiday break, schools aren't wasting time finding their new head coaches.
One trend that has shown so far this offseason is the hiring of smaller school coaches to fill spots at big schools. Truman tabbed Eudora's Gregg Webb, Belton went for Farmington's Todd Vaughn and now Shawnee Mission North has hired Chanute's Don Simmons.
All three bring impressive resumes with them from their smaller programs. Webb won several 8-man state titles at Claflin (Kan.) before taking Eudora to back-to-back Kansas 4A title games. Now he is charged with turning around a Truman program that has a total of two district titles in its almost 50-year history.
Vaughn comes to Belton from Farmington where he had the Knights deep in the Missouri Class 4 playoffs almost every one of his six years. The Pirates have seen tough times lately but were in the Missouri Class 5 title game just a few years ago under former coach Jeff Gourley who went on to win a Kansas 6A title in 2011 at Olathe South.
Now Shawnee Mission North brings Simmons back to the Metro after a very successful run at Chanute where he had the Blue Comets in the playoffs all nine years he was the coach. Before that he had a successful run at Blue Valley North and won a Kansas 3A title at Riverton in 1990.
All three of these coaches have won a lot of games and state titles at smaller schools and are now moving to the biggest stage in the Metro. Sometimes that success translates, sometimes it doesn't. There are many reasons for that from style of play, administration support and community involvement.
I don't know if it is a trend but there does seem to be some differences from a few years back. When PrepsKC first started three years ago I wrote a column questioning if school districts would be limited in their search for new football coaches due to economic constraints. At the time many districts were in a hiring freeze or in the case of some like Independence, were laying-off teachers.
Quite a few jobs at that time were filled by coaches in house while others were from the outside. Not that there weren't assistants that were qualified but if a district is limited to only what is already on staff it just means less of a number of candidates.
Whether these new hires, and others still to come like Park Hill and Eudora, are a sign of the times remains to be seen. Is this the start of a trend or a coincidence? Either way these three districts have made a statement and it will be interesting to see how each do turning around programs that have struggled over the last few years.


What are the other Training Modules in Offer ?
What is a Weekend programme ?
SPINACH gives special programmes for working HR professionals at their convenience "Practical HR " in 2 modules on 2 consecutive Sundays.
What is "PRACTICAL HR"? What are the topics covered in that?
Practical HR is a 2 day finishing program for budding HR Professionals. It enhances your employability through a well structured exposure to all sub functions of HR.