text:
Tag: Girls on the Run
The Cost of Rare Disease
Published: March 29, 2015 ~ 0
My family has been fighting Batten disease for many years. Once upon a time, my sister Taylor earned straight As in school and sang the words to all the songs she heard on the radio. She insisted on joining the Girls on the Run program at her school, even though she'd recently lost her vision. She ran two 5K races with her team.
Today Taylor is totally blind, unable to speak, learn or walk, suffers from seizures, and has a feeding tube. Batten disease stole my sister's childhood. Now it's stealing her life. Other lives, too, are being changed by Taylor's illness – those of her family, friends and all who love and care for her.
This is the human cost of rare disease. continue reading →
BioCryst
Dr. Jude Samulski
Jon Stonehouse
Tutus Rock
Before Batten disease stole her vision, Taylor ruled the stage. My little sister, a princess to the core, wore sparkly pink tutus and tights morning, noon and night.
As the years went on, the monster in her genes robbed her of basic gifts, like motor coordination, speech and sight. But at the start of her fifth grade year, Taylor traded her ballet flats for running shoes and joined her school's Girls on the Run team. Though blind, she ran two 5K races with the help of a sighted guide that year.
That's why I ran Charlotte's Thunder Road Half Marathon blindfolded in November 2013. And that's why, a few weeks later, I ran the Huntersville Half Marathon in a purple tutu. I may have looked ridiculous, but let's be honest – few people look great when they run. Considering that it rained for the majority of the race, and the tutu didn't possess moisture-wicking properties, I may have given up a few minutes on my time. But despite the sopping wet tutu, I beat my previous PR by 10 minutes and most of the people in my age group, too. I may have looked like a drowned ostrich, but ostriches are pretty fast.
The folks at SELF Magazine made headlines today, and not the good kind. A San Diego runner fighting brain cancer was used and abused by the magazine, essentially tricked into providing a photo of herself racing in a tutu for a column that made fun of the fitness fashion trend. The runner, Monika Allen, made the tutu herself; her company, Glam Runner, makes tutus and donates the proceeds to Girls on the Run, the organization that helped give my sister some of the happiest damn memories of her life.
It was a low blow, and the "apology" was pathetic. Tutus aren't really my speed. I ran a half marathon in an exceptionally loud tutu not for myself, but for my little sister. She's a princess at heart who used to run 5K races but can't anymore, because she has a crappy brain disease that made her go blind, stole her ability to run and a whole bunch of other things and will eventually kill her.
Note to SELF: you never know what battle someone else is facing. So don't judge.
Charlotte's Thunder Road Half Marathon
Self Magazine
Run to the Light
Published: June 1, 2013 ~ 4
My little sister, Taylor, has Batten disease. But that didn't stop her from signing up for Girls on the Run in the fall of 2008, at the start of her fifth grade year at The Fletcher School. The degenerative disease had already stolen her vision and made it difficult for her to learn new things, but more than anything, Taylor wanted to be a normal kid, and she dared Batten disease to get in her way.
In the afternoons after school, Taylor and her girlfriends met at the track for practice. They developed good fitness habits and learned about teamwork, and they learned to believe in themselves. An upper school student named Mary-Kate stayed after school to practice with the younger girls. When it came time to walk or run around the track, she and Taylor each took one end of a modified jump rope – my sister's lifeline to a normal experience she desperately craved.
At the last practice of the semester, the girls ran a "practice" 5K around the school track. All of the other girls finished their laps before Taylor and Mary-Kate. Then, as the pair rounded the corner and began their final lap, something magical happened. One by one, everyone on the sideline joined my sister and her sighted guide on the track. Soon, the whole team, plus the coaches and others there to watch the practice, fell into stride with my sister and ran her final lap with her. Girls on the Run Founder Molly Barker happened to be on campus that day to watch practice and meet the girls; she captured this incredible moment in a story for North Carolina's Endurance Magazine that Gap Inc. also featured in a national campaign last year.
The team's first REAL race took place on a chilly morning that December at the Jingle Jog 5K, run on the streets of uptown Charlotte in conjunction with the Thunder Road Marathon and Half Marathon. Mary-Kate told us that Taylor stumbled and fell several times on the course, but that after each fall, she pulled herself up, said she could keep running, and did just that. The tethered pair finished the race in just under an hour. They didn't run fast enough to win an official award, but watching them cross that finish line remains one of the most moving things I've ever witnessed. In that moment, I realized that I could never, EVER give up on my sister or my fight against Batten disease. And when the trees bloomed that next spring, I started running for her.
Taylor was all smiles after the Jingle Jog 5K in 2008.
I've run thousands of miles for Taylor since that day at the finish line of the Jingle Jog 5K. I run the Thunder Road Half Marathon every year and run various other races in Charlotte and elsewhere, from 5Ks to 10 milers, and I've shaved more than 30 minutes off my half marathon time since my first go at the 13.1 distance in 2009. But I've never come close to achieving the kind of feat my sister accomplished, because I've run every race with the benefit of my vision. That's why, to honor the five-year anniversary of her incredible achievement, I plan to run the 2013 Thunder Road Half Marathon blindfolded.
I'll be tethered to my good friend, Andrew Swistak. Andrew is an avid runner and is also on staff at The Fletcher School, where my sister spent six wonderful years and met many guardian angels. I'm grateful to have Andrew's support as well as the support of the folks at Run For Your Life, who put on the Thunder Road Marathon and Half Marathon.
Andrew will be my sighted guide at the Thunder Road Half Marathon this November.
I'm in half marathon shape now, but I'm not ready to run 13.1 miles – or even 13.1 feet – without my eyes. Have you ever closed your eyes and tried to move around? It's not easy to run in the dark. I'm in awe of Taylor's spatial awareness and courage. Andrew and I have some practicing to do between now and Nov. 16, but we'll be ready.
I'm doing this mainly to raise awareness of Batten disease, but donations to Taylor's Tale are always greatly appreciated. Currently, Taylor's Tale and five partners are supporting gene therapy for infantile and late infantile Batten disease at the University of North Carolina Gene Therapy Center. This promising work could lead to treatments for not only rare diseases such as Batten disease, but also more common diseases like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). If all goes well, this work could be ready to go to clinical trial at UNC in just a few years.
Please share this story to help us build awareness! We're making incredible progress in the fight to save people like Taylor, but we need the support of friends like you to continue to make a difference.
I have a little bit of my sister in me; I believe, and I dare Batten disease to get in my way!
To support my run and our fight to develop treatments for Batten disease and other genetic diseases, click here.
NEW: Join the Taylor's Tale team at Thunder Road! Click here to register for the marathon, half marathon or 5K. On the second page of registration, under "Event Groups/Teams," select "Taylor's Tale" from the list under "Choose an Existing Group." Run for us to help raise awareness on race day. Stay tuned for more details, including special shirts for team members and an informal post-race event!
Jingle Jog 5K
Molly Barker
All that is Good
Published: March 3, 2013 ~ 2
This morning, Mom called and told me to turn on the TV to catch a story on CBS about a high school student with a developmental disability. Mitchell, whose mother sat on the Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. (AJLI) board with Mom and still keeps in touch, loves basketball more than anything and serves as his school team's student manager.
Before the last game of the regular season, Mitchell's coach told him to dress out. Just wearing the jersey would have been enough for Mitchell, but his coach planned to play him. And with 90 seconds left, he put him in. But no matter how many times his teammates got him the ball, he couldn't score. That's when something amazing happened. With seconds left, a player on the opposing team in-bounded the ball to Mitchell. Mitchell took one dribble and launched the ball into the air; time stood still as it floated above the basket and dropped through the hoop for the last score of the game. It didn't have the drama of a game-winning shot – the final margin was 15 points – but the bleachers emptied, and the home crowd carried Mitchell off the court.
Watch Mitchell's Story
I can't count the life-changing moments my little sister has experienced thanks to kids just like Jonathan – the opposing player who passed the ball to Mitchell.
Taylor's girlfriends at the Fletcher School, the small, private institution she attended for six years, made sure she had a place at their lunch table, even though she couldn't always keep up with their conversations and needed help finding items in her lunch bag.
They made a place for her in the talent show each winter.
They kept her in the thick of the action at the school dances in the cafeteria.
All of the boys – and one in particular – made her feel like Cinderella at the ball.
They never teased Taylor when she began using a cane to find her way around the hallways and classrooms at school.
Her Girls on the Run teammates cheered her on to two 5K finishes. On the day of the team's practice 5K before the first race of the year, everyone joined Taylor on the track for her final lap.
They included her in every photo op.
They took her out for nights on the town.
To help the adults fight Batten disease, Taylor's friends organized fundraisers for Taylor's Tale.
They threw a PJ party on a school day…
…organized a bake sale…
…designed an online campaign…
…and engineered a cardio craze dance fest with a local celebrity and LOTS of pink body paint and glitter.
Kids aren't perfect. Some of them are bullies. But the kids who've come in and out of Taylor's life over the years have had an uncanny knack for putting a big smile on her face and making her laugh. And I'm not sure if I could find a doctor willing to back me up, but I think all that love and joy have a positive effect on her physical health. If not for the pint-sized angels in Taylor's world, I don't know where she'd be today.
Batten disease is all that is evil.
The kids who have touched my sister's life are all that is good.
Andre Hairston
Association of Junior Leagues International Inc.
Fletcher School
Jonathan Montanez
Mitchell Marcus
Peter Morales
Taylor King
Twelve Reasons to Believe: Ironfriends
The following is third in a 12-post series.
Four years ago, Taylor touched countless hearts with her courageous turn as a member of the Girls on the Run program at her school. Today, that particular story continues to inspire others; last month, it went viral when Gap Inc. and Athleta featured it on their blogs.
Though her spirit remains strong, Taylor is no longer able to run; that's why I'm more grateful than ever for all those who carry the torch for her today.
My friends, Amy and Parker Marsh, have twice finished Half Ironman races (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, 13.1-mile run) in my little sister's honor. To train for the races, they endured countless early-morning lake swims, 60-mile rides and nine-mile runs before work in order to get themselves ready. They did "two-a-days" three to four times a week. And along the way, they raised money for Taylor's Tale and our fight against Batten disease – about $1,500 in all.
The Marshes aren't the only ones who've raced for Taylor. From the bottom of my heart, thanks to anyone who's ever donned a swimsuit or running/walking shoes or climbed on a bike in my sister's name.
You give me reason to believe.
Amy and Parker Marsh
Miles to a Miracle
Uncommon Magic
Published: November 5, 2012 ~ 2
During Taylor's fifth grade year, a wonderful thing called Girls on the Run came to her small, private school. Already blind and struggling with her speech, Taylor nevertheless wanted nothing more than to go through the program with her girlfriends. That year, a modified jump rope and an upper school student with a big heart became her lifelines. They helped Taylor experience some sense of normalcy and, in doing so, created an uncommon magic that changed all of our lives forever.
Yesterday, Girls on the Run founder Molly Barker published a post on the Athleta Chi website. The post, originally printed in Endurance Magazine in 2009, could have only been penned by someone lucky enough to witness the amazing event it describes. Barely 24 hours old on the web, it's already gone viral, but if you haven't had a chance to read it, I encourage you to do so by clicking on the link at the end of this post. It will be well worth your time – I promise.
In all my years on this earth, I've never come across anything as tragic or daunting as Batten disease. I've run many miles in the six-plus years since Taylor's diagnosis, but on many of those days, part of me has wanted to simply run away – to quit fighting. But through it all, Taylor – the one who stands to lose the most – has taught the rest of us an incredible lesson about courage – about honoring every moment we're given, about friendship, about love, about believing. Taylor may be blind, but she opened our eyes to what really matters most in this world. Taylor can no longer run, but she – and those of us who love her – will treasure her Girls on the Run experience – and more importantly – the gift of having known her – forever.
I shared a link to Molly Barker's post on the Taylor's Tale Facebook page yesterday. Today, the father of one of her former classmates shared the following response:
My son Nicholas and I will be running the Half Marathon. This will be our second year and we hope not to have such a "battle" for last place. Neither of us are runners but we are doing it for the challenge. I mentioned to Nicholas that Taylor (he was a year behind her at Fletcher) did a 5K without stopping and I told him we can't even think about waking or slowing down before mile 3 because no matter how "tired" we may be, we need to push through just like Taylor did. We'll be wearing pink shirts to show our support for Taylor.
Most of Batten disease is really bad; I think this message embodies all that is GOOD about our fight against Batten disease. As I said before, I've never come across anything quite so tragic or daunting. And I could come up with a thousand other equally horrible and appropriate words to describe it. But Nicholas' dad's message gave me tears of joy. It gave me the strength to believe – for one more day. I, too, will run the Thunder Road Half Marathon for Taylor in less than two weeks. I may not see Nicholas and his dad among the thousands of other runners. But together or apart, we'll push through. For Taylor. Read Molly Barker's blog post
Athleta Chi
Miles to a Miracle!!!
Published: November 13, 2010 ~ 0
My sister, Taylor, is pretty amazing, and she has a lot of achievements to her credit – some of them mind-boggling considering the obstacles she faces.
When Girls on the Run came to Taylor's school at the beginning of her fifth grade year, she insisted on taking part in the program with her classmates – never mind that she's blind. Taylor has always refused to watch the figurative race – life itself – from the sidelines – and the way she saw it, a 5K should not be any different. Each weekday that year, she stayed after school to run and/or walk laps around the track with her classmates and coaches. Unlike the others, Taylor had a special buddy – an upper school student who held onto one end of a rope while T held onto the other end. With the help of this special friend, Mary-Kate, T never veered off course.
On the day of the practice 5K shortly before their first shot at the real thing – the Jingle Jog in uptown Charlotte – Taylor was the last person to finish her laps. I was not there that day, but many people have related their own version of the story of how, as T finished her last few laps, others – including her classmates and coaches – fell in behind her until finally, when T crossed the finish line, she was the leader of a huge pack. Molly Barker, founder of Girls on the Run, witnessed T's feat that day and immortalized it in an article she wrote for Endurance Magazine.
A few days later, T took part in the 2008 Jingle Jog 5K in uptown Charlotte. Flanked by her running buddy, one of her coaches and a few classmates, she crossed the finish line running. The expression on my sister's face at that very moment, in my eyes at least, was a symbol of hope: proof that nothing – even Batten disease – is cause enough for giving up on a dream.
Five months later, T completed the Girls on the Run 5K, shaving 12 minutes off her Jingle Jog time. On the last lap, we came across the word 'Believe,' written in big chalk letters stretched across the pavement. And even though T didn't win the race that day, watching her cross the finish line a few minutes later really brought the magic of her story to light. It also reminded me that even though we don't know exactly how long it will take us to get there, the finish line – in this case, the cure for Batten disease – does exist. And the smarter and faster we run, the more kids like Taylor we'll save.
Enter Miles to a Miracle, Taylor's Tale's exciting new campaign to fight the disease that threatens to steal Taylor's ability to run and so much else. T's story is about running, but you can do whatever activity you love for kids with Batten disease – whether it's running, walking, hiking, biking or swimming. Miles to a Miracle is a portal where you can log miles, raise money, connect with others and share your story through pictures, words and video. You can do something healthy and fun, network and support a great cause (happy endings for children like Taylor, of course!). You can create events of your own – from a top local race you run each year to a group walk after work one night. Our goal is to raise $24,901 – the distance in miles around the globe – in honor of kids all over the world fighting this tragic disease. For my part, I plan to donate a dollar for every mile I log in addition to asking friends and family for one-time donations when I run big races, like the Thunder Road Half Marathon in Charlotte next month. More than anything, though, we want Miles to a Miracle to take our story all over the world so that people know this horrible disease exists and takes the lives of all children it strikes. So, even if you don't think you'll do any fundraising but still want to help us use Taylor's inspiring story to fight Batten disease while doing something healthy for yourself, please join us!
Register today to start logging miles, or donate to a friend's effort. Either way, you can help write the happy ending for children fighting Batten disease! Thank you for all that you do to protect those seven chalk letters we saw on the street that day. The chalk washed away long ago, but the letters themselves live on in my heart:
B-e-l-i-e-v-e.
Go to Miles to a Miracle!
Girls on the Run 5K
Miles for T
Published: August 28, 2010 ~ 0
Late this past spring, I was running in my neighborhood when an idea popped into my head. The idea didn't have any shape or sense of order to speak of; when I climbed up my mountainous driveway at the end of my run, all I knew was that I wanted to use running as a way to fight Batten disease. Running is one of my purest forms of therapy, and it's also central to what many people have said is the most inspiring of many inspiring stories about Taylor. Without the advantage of sight but with the blessings of her own heart and a big-hearted friend, my sister completed two 5Ks during her time with the Girls on the Run program at her school.
Three months later, with the help of some very good friends of my own, my hodgepodge idea is becoming a reality. About a month from now, Taylor's Tale will unveil an exciting new campaign that will allow us to touch every part of the globe that has Internet access. And no matter how you prefer to stay active – by running, swimming, cycling, hiking, walking – anything that allows you to to log miles – you'll be able to do what you love in honor of kids all over the world fighting Batten disease. Along the way, you'll have the opportunity to share your own stories through words, pictures and videos – and connect with others logging miles, from the tree-lined paths of Charlotte, North Carolina, to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to the foggy streets of London, and even to faraway places like Australia and New Zealand (these are just some of the locales of friends who have already made a pledge to join our team!).
I'm so excited about this campaign that I'm having to work really, really hard to keep most of the details under wraps. With that said, it's probably best if I wrap up this particular post for now, but please stay tuned, as the launch will happen in the very near future. Thanks for all that you do to help us believe in miracles!
Published: May 13, 2010 ~ 0
I've dedicated several posts on my blog over the last two years to Taylor's Girls on the Run experience. It was, in a word, inspiring.
The mission of Girls on the Run is 'to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.' The program changed T's life, alright. Blind and fighting Batten disease, she completed her first 5K with her running buddy, Mary-Kate. Five months later, she crossed the finish line again. Throughout her stint on her school's Girls on the Run team, she overcame obstacles no one should ever have to face. When it was all said and done, I think my little sister believed in herself more than she ever had before. In the meantime, she changed a lot of other people's lives – including mine.
T aged out of Girls on the Run last May – the end of her fifth grade year; Girls on Track, the Girls on the Run program for sixth, seventh and eighth graders, is not being offered at her school. But despite the fact that she no longer stays after school to run laps around the track with her classmates, T is still a part of the team.
Yesterday morning, my parents learned that the girls on this year's team were having a bake sale in the school cafeteria; the event served as the community service project all teams complete as part of their curriculum. After just a short time selling cookies, cupcakes and all kinds of sweet treats, the girls had raised $750. The beneficiary of their hard work and dedication? Taylor's Tale – and the search for a cure for the disease their former teammate is battling.
In my last post, just two night ago, I talked about the kindness of T's sixth grade classmates – the ones who have been her friends since she arrived at Fletcher almost four years ago as a girl who could still see (mostly) and who had just been slapped with a diagnosis of Batten disease. Tonight, my heart is filled with hope thanks to the younger girls who now follow in her footsteps – literally – running laps on the same track at Fletcher several days a week, completing the same 5Ks twice a year and – most importantly – believing in themselves. They may not know it, but they've accomplished something else through their kind deeds. They've given a desperate big sister a reminder of all the good there is in this world. They've given this desperate big sister reason to believe.


text:
The Four Cs - The More You Know
Diamond – noun, often attribute
- Native crystalline carbon that is the hardest known mineral, that is usually nearly colorless, that when transparent and free from flaws is highly valued as a precious stone, and that is used industrially especially as an abrasive.
This is the dictionary definition of a diamond. But what makes a diamond so rare and expensive? How does one diamond differ from another? The answers to all these questions are within a system created by the GIA for describing diamonds, a system known across the world as "The Four C's."
It doesn't take a genius to guess what the four c's stand for, but we will help you out. Pay attention, there's a quiz at the end (kidding). The Four C's; cut, color, clarity and carat, define the attributes of a diamond. Here are some helpful facts about the Four C's that will help guide you when shopping for your next diamond.
The cut of a diamond is the most important of the 4Cs. Without a good cut, the diamond simply does not sparkle. If a diamond doesn't sparkle, is it even a diamond? We'll come back to that question later. According to the official GIA website, "A diamond's cut is crucial to the stone's final beauty and value. And of all the diamond 4Cs, it is the most complex and technically difficult to analyze."
A diamond is made up of tiny "mirrors" known as facets. These facets bounce light back and forth, causing the diamond to sparkle and shine when exposed to light. The GIA created a grading system to grade a diamond on how much or how little it sparkles under light. This is very important because the more a diamond sparkles, the better quality it is, therefore making it more expensive than a diamond with a lower grade cut.
The grades include excellent, very good, good, fair and poor. The grade is typically determined by three factors. The first factor, brightness, is internal and external white light reflected from a diamond. The second, fire, is the scattering of white life into all the colors of the rainbow and the third, scintillation, is the amount of sparkle a diamond produces and the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the diamonds. These factors, or lack thereof, determine the cut of the diamond, therefore determining the value of the diamond.
Imagine a life where everything is black and white. Seems boring right? Color adds flair to almost anything. Except diamonds. The less color a diamond has the more expensive and rarer it is. Luckily, the GIA has a color grading system to help determine just how colorless and rare a diamond is.
According to the GIA, "D-to-Z diamond color-grading system measures the degree of colorlessness by comparing a stone under controlled lighting and precise viewing conditions to masterstones of established color value." You may be confused as to why the scale starts with D instead of A. This is because inaccurate grading scales in the past started and ended with A-C. When the GIA created the new system, they didn't want any affiliation with previous inaccurate systems, therefore starting theirs with the letter D.
D-F diamonds are considered colorless and are the most expensive. G-J are considered near colorless diamonds, K-M are considered faint diamonds, N-R are considered very light diamonds, S-W are considered light diamonds and X-Y are considered faint diamonds. The lower the grade the diamond has, the more of a yellowish, brownish color it is.
A flawless diamond obviously sounds perfect in theory, but it is not always within the buyer's budget. Let's be honest, most inclusions in a diamond can't even be seen with the naked eye so don't panic if a flawless diamond isn't within your budget. Most diamonds have some degree of inclusions, or any material that is trapped inside a diamond during formation. "Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number, size, relief, nature, and position of these characteristics, as well as how these affect the overall appearance of the stone," according to the GIA.
The GIA clarity scale has 6 different categories and 11 specifics grades. The categories include flawless, internally flawless, very, very slightly included, very slightly included, slightly included and included. Flawless means there is no inclusions or blemishes visible under 10x magnification. Each category after flawless, offers more and more visible inclusions, leading all the way to an included diamond which means inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification.
Just like most things in life, a perfect diamond does not exist. A diamond with absolutely zero inclusions or blemishes does not exist. Thankfully, the GIA created yet another accurate and easy scale to let you know just how imperfect your diamond could be.
This one is self-explanatory. Even if you don't know much about diamonds, you've more than likely heard a diamonds weight be referred to as "carat" weight. Most people are quick to assume a diamonds carat weight is the most important factor in determining the value of a diamond. That would make sense if you weren't educated on the Four C's. Luckily, since reading this article, you're a pro and understand that a diamonds value is determined by much more than just its carat weight. A 3-carat stone with poor cut, quality and color, will be worth significantly less than a 1-carat stone with a better cut, quality and color.
As a buyer, it is important to stay within your budget. No need to miss a meal or even worse, an arm or a leg, to gift your loved one a diamond. They wouldn't want you to break the bank either. But it is important to consider all these factors before making the big purchase.
Remember earlier when I mentioned a diamond simply isn't a diamond unless it sparkles and shines. That's not entirely true. A diamond that rates low on all the scales, is still a diamond even if it doesn't necessarily catch the eye. That'd just the thing though. Why spend money on a diamond that doesn't have the breathtaking and special attributes a diamond is supposed to have. Even if you must save a little longer, buying a diamond that grades well on the GIA scales for cut, color, clarity and carat is worth it and your loved one will be thankful you did.
For any questions or concerns about King of Jewelry's policy on selling diamonds, please feel free to schedule a consultation, give us a phone call or message us through any of our social media accounts.
www.kingofjewelry.com
@kingofjewelry

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A market town for almost 1000 years, Haverhill still hosts a provisions market each Friday and Saturday throughout the year. Haverhill was recorded in the Domesday survey in 1086, but archaeological evidence shows that both Stone Age man and the Romans thought this valley a good place to settle.
The town thrived through its textile industry notably in the 19th century when it became a significant centre for the making of "drabbet" smocks for the agricultural workers. In 1856, D Gurteen & Sons built a factory with 32 power looms driven by steam.
Although they had been in the town since the 1780s, the new factory brought expansion and the town became prosperous. It almost doubled in size between 1851 and 1901, bringing new houses, factories, schools, churches and public buildings to make it a complete Victorian town.
Meetings usually start at 7.30pm. Admission £1.00 for SFHS members, £2.50 for visitors. Tea/Coffee included.
Library of local and family history books available for free loan and opportunity to search SFHS data for Suffolk ancestors.
Coach Trips to major record offices, including the London Metropolitan Archives, National Newspaper Library and the National Archives at Kew, and national museums.
Annual Walk around a local village for a guided tour of historical interests, tracing our ancestors' footsteps, even to the local hostelry!
Help Sessions are held weekly Wed 2-4pm at the Library, Camps, Road, Haverhill, CB9 8HB with free guided access to Ancestry.com, Find My Past and more.
Click Here to download our latest news.
Haverhill & District Local History Group - Haverhill Local History Centre is a resource and study centre for Haverhill and surrounding villages.
Everyone is welcome to our next meeting when we be entertained by Mike Wabe who will be delivering an interesting, humorous and informative presentation on the unique history of Town Criers. Hear about just how long ago Town Criers were crying their messages (and what these messages were). Learn about such things as their livery, evolution, rationale, means of attracting attention and their connections with the law.
Haverhill Group's April 2019 Newsletter now available to view.
Can be found at the bottom of this page, the 'Events' page or follow the link on the 'Introduction' page.
We have two more exciting projects which will culminate in exhibitions in October this year 2019 and March 2020.
The first exhibition, in October, will be called 'Employers and Employees' concentrating on Chauntry Mills and it's workforce.
The title of the second exhibition in March 2020 has yet to be decided but will be along the lines of 'Looking through the Keyhole'. We will be focussing on various buildings in Haverhill and researching the lives of people that lived there.
Haverhill Group's January 2019 Newsletter now available to view.
Whether you are looking for a new pastime for the winter evenings or wanting to discover more about the ancestors on your family tree, the Haverhill Family History Group may be able help. The group is hosting an Open Day on Saturday 26 January in Haverhill Library. The event will run from 10am til 3pm so why not drop in to search the documents that are available to help you find out more about the lives of your ancestors? We are extremely fortunate to have the support of local professional genealogists Karen Cummings who will be available to help those who have come up against a brick wall. The group's own volunteers will also be on hand to help others with their research and whether you are just beginning or continuing, you can be assured of a warm welcome.
There's also free access to Ancestry, Find My Past and many more resources. All areas covered, Nationally and Internationally not just Haverhill and Suffolk. No booking is required.


Main Page. From Amahi Wiki. Jump to: navigation, search. Registration in this wiki is subject to manual approval due to spam considerations.
Maintenance Support ONLY indicates all Amahi updates Ubuntu 12. 04. x LTS; Fedora 14; Amahi Virtualized (NOT fully supported) Troubleshooting. Ubuntu 12. 04 LTS Precise Pangolin: Networking tips and tricks performance by showing you how easy it is to take control of Ubuntu 12.
org Ubuntu Forums The Ubuntu Forum Community Ubuntu Official Flavours Support Networking& Wireless. PDA. Hardy Heron 8. 04 SAMBA Problem [ubuntu PPP not working in 8.
04 Xbox Live DNS Failing [ubuntu Broadcom 4318 doesn't work after adding noapic option to bootgrubmenu. lst Available for Ubuntu 15. 04 Vivid14. 10 Utopic14. 04 Trusty12. 04 PreciseLinux Mint 17. and other Ubuntu derivatives To install PS3 Media Server in UbuntuLinux Mint open Terminal (Press CtrlAltT ) and copy the following commands in the Terminal: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
Download Ubuntu desktop and replace your current operating system whether its Windows or Mac OS, or, run Ubuntu alongside it. 18. 04 LTS. Ubuntu Forums The Ubuntu Forum Community Ubuntu Official Flavours Support Networking& Wireless. PDA. is wireless messed up in 8.
04? [ubuntu Wifi connection is pulling teeth [ubuntu Atheros Wireless [ubuntu samba: Failed to create AdministratorsUsers Ubuntu 18. 04 Ubuntu Server Guide Security Previous Next. Firewall. The default firewall configuration tool for Ubuntu is ufw. Replace Samba and. 024 with the application profile you are using and the IP range for your network. AJUDA! ! Reservar IP Terminais LTSP Ubuntu 12.
04 Dhcpd Free download as PDF File (. pdf), Text File (. txt) or read online for free. How do I properly install and configure MediaTomb?
Is there an easier app that I should try instead? Download Ubuntu desktop and replace your current operating system whether its Windows or Mac OS, or, run Ubuntu alongside it. 18. 04 LTS. Ubuntu Server Sep 29, 2017 In Ubuntu 12.
04 LTS and later, wifi connections are managed at the system level by default, so automounting of NFS shares at boot time should work fine. Ubuntu Server doesn't come with any init. dnetfs or other scripts to do this for you.


text:
Q: How to notify NPM package version update to user? I have written a CLI tool in Node JS and published to NPM. Every time it's run in terminal, I need the user to be notified of a new version available and its type (patch | minor | major) so that he/she can update it accordingly. How can I implement this?
Moreover, is it possible to ask the user if he/she would like to have the package updated by itself?
A new version of Rapid React is available. Would you like to update it now?(Y\n)

A: Version Update Check:
I would suggest using update-notifier but strangely it doesn't work. So, I chose to handle this work by myself.
The latest version can be checked easily with package-json which fetches the metadata of a package from the npm registry. Alternatively latest-version can be used as well which uses package-json under the hood.
import boxen from 'boxen';
import chalk from 'chalk';
import semver from 'semver';
import pkgJson from 'package-json';
import semverDiff from 'semver-diff';

import { capitalizeFirstLetter } from '../utils';

import { name, version } from '../../package.json';

const checkUpdate = async () => {
  const { version: latestVersion } = await pkgJson(name);

  // check if local package version is less than the remote version
  const updateAvailable = semver.lt(version, latestVersion as string);

  if (updateAvailable) {
    let updateType = '';

    // check the type of version difference which is usually patch, minor, major etc.
    let verDiff = semverDiff(version, latestVersion as string);

    if (verDiff) {
      updateType = capitalizeFirstLetter(verDiff);
    }

    const msg = {
      updateAvailable: `${updateType} update available ${chalk.dim(version)} → ${chalk.green(latestVersion)}`,
      runUpdate: `Run ${chalk.cyan(`npm i -g ${name}`)} to update`,
    };

    // notify the user about the available udpate
    console.log(boxen(`${msg.updateAvailable}\n${msg.runUpdate}`, {
      margin: 1,
      padding: 1,
      align: 'center',
    }));
  }
};

Update notification:
Every time the tool runs, user would see such a notification if an update is available.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Assignments are getting stuck in Pending Dispatch and will not dispatch to crew. Manual intervention is required to get the assignment out of Pending Dispatch and make is available for scheduling.
This causes unnecessary delay in crews receiving work. In many cases, the work is time sensitive and is causing overtime to ensure work is accomplished that day.


text:
B.C. government invests in aerospace jobs and innovation
By AIAC
The Aerospace Industries Association of Canada Pacific today thanked the provincial government for its continued support and investment in B.C.'s aerospace industry. By re-affirming the government's 5-year, $5 million commitment, AIAC Pacific will continue to work with government and other partners to build a unified and sustainable aerospace cluster in B.C. AIAC President and CEO Jim Quick made the following statement.
"Today's announcement ensures that AIAC Pacific is able to continue its work creating high skill, high paying jobs; attracting new investment and R&D; and bring new aerospace capacity and capability to B.C.," said AIAC President and CEO Jim Quick. "Using this investment we will continue to leverage Federal and other funding to focus on creating 5 key industrial capabilities that will position B.C.'s aerospace industry as a leader in Canada and around the world. We thank the government for its continued support and commitment to our industry."
Innovation minister Bains announces aerospace boost
Government of Canada invests in aerospace, defence and maritime Security
Canada's New Government Invests in Aerospace Centre of Excellence
Aerospace industry positioned to double number of jobs
U.S. aerospace sector to experience 3.2% job growth in 2016
Bombardier to cut 7,000 jobs over next two years


… For the reason why the mind was joined to the senses by our Maker is not only so that Man should maintain himself, which many species of living things can do far more cleverly without the aid of even an irrational mind, but also so that from those things which we perceive with our eyes to exist we should strive towards the causes of their being and becoming, although we should get nothing else useful from them.
Johannes Kepler and his life's work have been appreciated extensively and profoundly in many publications, so that here just a few representative quotations shall illuminate his fundamental attitude to science.
To you I return, noble Kepler, whose sublime mind created a spiritual and moral universe, whereas in our day to slay everything, to debase what is noble, instead of raising what is inferior, is regarded as wisdom, even to the extent of subjecting the human spirit to the laws of mechanics.
was so decidedly personal – that it lies outside the course of any inevitable development.
For Kepler, science is not at all a means of procuring material benefits for man, or of making possible a technology for better living in our imperfect world, and opening up the paths of progress. Quite the contrary – science is a means of elevating the mind, a way of finding peace and solace in the contemplation of the eternal perfection of the Creation.
When the storm rages and the shipwreck of the state threatens, we can do nothing more worthy than to plunge the anchor of our peaceful studies into the depths of eternity.


Half of the states have widespread flu activity, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From January 16 to 22, flu activity increased and three flu-related deaths were reported in children, according to the CDC. During this flu season, which started in October, there have been 13 confirmed pediatric deaths.
Scientists for a major food company are designing foods to make you stop eating. And speaking of man-made inventions, indoor heating could be making us a little too warm and fat, hypothesizes one study.
Last but not least, fitness guru and a man before his time, Jack LaLanne died Sunday at the age of 96.
What the Yuck: Should my breasts get bigger during PMS?
Friday fun: How much do you know?
Diabetes, the State of the Union, life expectancy...Have you paid attention to health news this week? Take our quiz and see how much you know. We've thrown in a little health trivia too. Happy Friday.
Last week, writer, cancer survivor and mother of two young children, Amanda Enayati wrote about pursuing a healthy life for her family by cutting excessive sugars, bad fats, dyes, preservatives and pesticides from their diet. Today she tells of reducing her household's "toxic burden."
"Crunchy" is what we used to call our handful of friends who seemed to live on the outer edges of reality when it came to healthy foods and personal products. We loved our friends, of course, tolerated their quirks, but mostly passed on using their homemade patchouli bath products or eating their tofu scramble served on a bed of raw zucchini noodles.
In the days when I first began considering how to lower my family's household toxic burden, I thought of my crunchy friends often—how I had once found them so extreme, so eccentric, perhaps even rolled my eyes inwardly at some of their practices. But here I was all these years later, knee-deep in scientific journals, and suddenly the Mad Hatter seemed … not so mad.


text:
Train's emergency brake was activated, safety arms at site of GOP train crash appeared to malfunction
By Martine Powers
Washington Post |
Feb 01, 2018 | 8:41 PM
| CROZET, Va.
One person was killed and another seriously injured, the White House said.
Federal investigators said Thursday that data gathered from an Amtrak train carrying Republican lawmakers that hit a garbage truck near Crozet, Virginia, on Wednesday indicates that the engineer activated the emergency brake and the train came to a full stop 20 seconds later.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) haven't determined what caused the crash but said they are hopeful they will be able to recover footage from the train's front-facing camera, which could offer insight on whether the truck was moving at the time of impact and whether the signal system at the crossing was functioning properly.
Pete Kotowski, the NTSB's lead investigator at the site, said officials have interviewed one Amtrak crew member and hope to speak with the train engineer and truck driver in coming days. They also have interviewed four witnesses, some of whom indicated there may have been previous problems with the crossing signals.
One person was killed, and six were hospitalized following the crash in the rural community about 110 miles southwest of Washington.
Albemarle County police identified the person who died as Christopher Foley, 28, of Louisa County, a passenger in the trash truck owned by Time Disposal. Foley was one of three Time Disposal employees in the vehicle.
The Amtrak train was a charter carrying dozens of Republican lawmakers and their spouses, children and staff to an annual GOP retreat, held this year at The Greenbrier, a resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
More than a dozen NTSB investigators and officials from the Federal Railroad Administration have been on the scene since Wednesday evening. Officials said the investigation could take 12 to 14 months to complete.
NTSB board member Earl Weener said investigators have no reason to believe the crash was anything other than an accident.
"At this point, it is still classified as an accident, a grade-crossing accident," Weener said.
NTSB officials said the train was traveling at 61 mph when it struck the truck. The speed limit for that area of track is 60 mph.
As part of the investigation, NTSB officials are also scrutinizing safety records for Time Disposal.
According to Kotowski, the firm had undergone six safety roadside inspections in recent years, and trucks were placed out of service two of those times, but the NTSB is trying to determine the nature of any defects found. He said officials at the company, which has been in business for more than three decades, have been cooperative.
The company announced Thursday that it had set up a GoFundMe page to help support Foley's family.
"Today at Time Disposal we find ourselves in shock," officials wrote in a post on the company's Facebook page. "Yesterday we lost an employee and a brother, his one year old son and mother of his child lost a father. . . . May he rest in peace, you will be missed by many Chris."
The two other Time Disposal employees, the 20-year-old driver and another passenger, were injured in the crash and were being treated at a hospital. Among the lawmakers, only Rep. Jason Lewis, R-Minn., was hospitalized. He was treated for minor injuries and released.
Officials at the University of Virginia Medical Center said four victims from the crash have been treated and released. Two remain hospitalized - one in critical condition and the other in fair condition.
The segment of track where the crash occurred is owned by CSX Transportation but leased to Buckingham Branch Railroad. A spokesman for CSX said Buckingham is responsible for maintenance, signaling and managing train traffic on the line.
The crossing had gates, flashing lights and a "hump" warning sign for approaching drivers.
Lawmakers aboard the train said they felt a sharp jolt and then a "hard impact" that "threw everybody up in the air a little."
The crash was "loud and surprising," said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. "We saw debris go by the left side of the train. The part of the truck we [could] see was decimated. Very relieved when the train came to a stop and [was] still on the tracks."
[Most read] Before the playoffs, H-F football coach Craig Buzea felt fine. Then he got sick. A doctor thought he had the flu. The diagnosis? Acute leukemia. »
A neighbor reported hearing a sound like a "big metal crash." Photos of the scene showed the truck with its front cab crushed and garbage strewn around it.
Lawmakers, including several who were doctors, climbed out of the train to help those who were injured.
The crash was the second for Amtrak in less than two months. In December, a Portland-bound Amtrak train making its inaugural run on a new route derailed 60 miles south of Seattle. The crash remains under investigation.
On Wednesday, District of Columbia Del. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D, called for congressional hearings on the state of rail safety in the United States.
A spokeswoman for Buckingham declined to say whether there had been previous reports of problems with warning lights or arms at the crossing and referred all inquires to the NTSB.
[Most read] Robert Hyde, a new focus of Ukraine inquiry, claims to be Mar-a-Lago member and was taken into custody after incident at Trump's Doral golf resort »
The safety arms at the railroad crossing appeared to be malfunctioning the day before the deadly crash, drivers who regularly cross over the tracks at the crash scene said Thursday.
Gene Locke, who lives near the tracks in Crozet, said he pulled up to the crossing between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Tuesday and saw that the safety arms were down and the signal light was flashing, but there was no train approaching from either direction. After waiting a minute or so, he backed up, turned around and took a different route, assuming there was either a malfunction of the signal crossing or workers were testing it.
"I did not report this, as it was the first time this has happened in my observation since I have been using that crossing for several years," Locke told The Associated Press.
Jane Rogers, who lives about 2 miles (3 kilometers) from the crash site, said that when she arrived at the crossing Tuesday, the gate was down, even though there were no trains approaching. She said after waiting, one car in front of her and two cars behind her turned around. Then, as she started to turn around, the gate went up. One car then crossed the tracks, but Rogers said she waited another 30 seconds, then the gate went down again. No trains passed, she said.
"It was a weird up-and-down thing," she said. "Then the next day, the accident happened at that intersection."
[Most read] Column: Jessica Mendoza just gave ESPN a new reason to dump her when she criticized the whistleblower in the Astros cheating scandal »
The crash happened at an intersection that crosses the tracks at the top of a hill where visibility is limited.
Rogers said she reported the trouble to the police after she heard about the fatal crash. She said she would have called about the malfunctioning arm on Tuesday, "but who do you call? No one knows."
Benny Layne, on whose property the truck landed, said the crossing arms had been known to malfunction, sometimes coming down even though no train was approaching. Sometimes, he said, they stayed down for hours.
"A guy was up here just yesterday or the day before taking a look at them," he said Wednesday.
Carrie Brown, human resources manager at Buckingham Branch Railroad, which leases the stretch of track and is responsible for maintenance, said she was unaware of any problems with equipment at the crossing. At a Wednesday night news conference, the National Transportation Safety Board said signal experts would be looking at the safety of the crossing.
As part of their investigation, NTSB officials have asked the public to share photos or video of the crash or its aftermath. Witnesses with information to share should contact witness@ntsb.gov.
Thomas Massie