The International Energy Agency (IEA) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) [1
] data and estimates report that the transport sector accounts for a significant share of worldwide energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Scenarios for later years indicate the sector as still strategically important in global GHG emissions. Several global initiatives seek to decarbonize the sector. However, according to the Paris Process on Mobility and Climate (PPMC) report during the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action (MPGCA) initiative, many factors make green transport difficult, including lack of will and political awareness, tax incentives for fossil fuels, lack of access to financing, municipal governments with low autonomy, lack of financial and human resources, lack of prioritization of urban mobility in public investments, and lack of data from the sector.
Following the strong urban growth of this region, the transport sector in Latin America contributes 35% of GHG emissions, which is higher than other regions worldwide, with the highest emission rate growth among all of the sectors of the economy and with the greatest difficulties in implementing GHG emission reductions [3
]. GHG emissions from this sector are mostly from the road segment, reaching up to 92% of contributions [3
]. Comparing, for example, with South Asia, another developing region that is climatically vulnerable and experiencing a strong urbanization process [7
], the transport sector, which accounted for 27% of total emissions in 2005, should reduce its share in 2030 to 19%, due to the intense increase in emissions from electricity generation, from 30% to 46.6% of total emissions [9
]. The GHG Emissions Inventory, which reveals the current state of emission levels and their sources, is the first step in analyzing city emissions, using a predetermined systematic method [10
In order to contribute to an adequate direction of urban development, the Brazilian Federal Government promulgated Law 12587/12, which establishes the National Urban Mobility Policy (PNMU), and is in compliance with the constitutional determination that the Union must establish guidelines for urban development. The PNMU also establishes that Brazilian municipalities with over 20,000 inhabitants should develop Urban Mobility Plans (PlanMob). The Urban Mobility Plan is a technical document that defines the goals and guides the actions that should be adopted by the municipality in the following years, aiming at urban mobility improvement. It is also the instrument for implementing the National Urban Mobility Policy, aiming at integrating the different modes of transport and improving the accessibility and mobility of both people and cargo in the municipality territory. It should present an analysis of the urban mobility system in accordance with the principles of universal accessibility, fair access to public transport, the use of public spaces for circulation, and the sustainable development of cities, as well as planning for short, medium, and long-term actions. This document should include collective public transport services, road traffic, urban mobility system infrastructures, accessibility for people with disabilities and mobility restrictions, among other mobility aspects, aiming at quality of life gains [11
Despite the important role of cities in controlling and mitigating GHG emissions [13
], urban mobility planning may depart from national commitments of several countries, especially in cities located in developing countries, due to investment and staff constraints [14
], hindering the quantification and consequent mitigation of their emissions. The mid-sized Brazilian city of Natal, which is the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, has an estimated population of 885,180 inhabitants distributed throughout a 167,264 km2
area. Natal is the largest city in a metropolitan region in Brazil, comprising 14 municipalities and 1,577,072 inhabitants [15
]. The service sector accounts for 63.6% of its gross domestic product (GDP), followed by the industrial sector, with 16.5%, and agricultural activities contributing with less than 0.1% [15
]. Natal’s occupation and development characteristics are similar to other medium-sized cities in Brazil and Latin America, suffering a strong economic and disordered population growth in the last decades of the 20th century [16
Concerning the transport sector, this growth was reflected in an increase in motorization rates, especially those of the private vehicle fleet, causing congestions, pollution, and traffic accidents. This motorization rate was further aggravated by the poor quality of the local public transport, the dispersed occupation pattern of suburban regions [17
], public incentives for the automotive industry, and subsidies for fossil fuels [19
The present study analyzes emissions from Natal’s urban transport sector that do not yet have a GHG Emissions Inventory.
Even though this is a case study, not many studies on emissions have been carried out in Brazil and, especially in cities. This is particularly relevant since, as previously reported, a federal law requires cities with over 20,000 inhabitants to prepare an urban mobility plan. The significance of this study is to contribute to the literature on GHG transport and emissions, aiming to understand the main emitters in the urban sector, and providing data for public policy makers and committee members to elaborate Urban Mobility Plans concerning the impacts of not prioritizing non-motorized public and modal modes of transport in their planning.
2. Literature Review
The relationships between urban planning, public policies, urban mobility planning, GHG emissions, and emission scenarios have been addressed by several authors, but not simultaneously and in an applied way as in the present study. The work by Silva [23
] analyzed the traffic-oriented development applied to a small city and the consequent reduction of GHG emissions. Jain and Tiwari [24
] analyzed mobility emission scenarios with bus and cycleway insertions. Lee and Lim [25
] analyzed compact cities with lower demands for mobility. Franzitta et al. [26
] analyzed the insertion of hydrogen-driven public transport in emissions in a case study. Hukkalainen et al. [27
] analyzed a methodology to evaluate the impact of urban planning in a case of small urban agglomerations, in terms of energy and emissions, including transportation planning. Madlener and Sunak [28
] developed the relationships between urbanization and energy consumption, citing learned lessons that can compose sustainable public policies. Shekarrizfard et al. [29
] established a model for the quantification of emissions linked to transport in an urban area case. Fenton [30
] carried out an analysis of reasons that led to the success of a city considered a reference in sustainable transport. Kwan and Hashim [31
] carried out a review on the co-benefits generated by public transportation. Muneer et al. [32
] conducted a case study of GHG emissions in the transportation of a small city, including a scenario of electric vehicle insertion. Dhakap and Schipper [17
] carried out extensive and important descriptive analyses of transport and emissions in Asian developing cities, relating the co-benefits and synergies that can be proven and quantified in several aspects in the present study, reinforcing their conclusions. This study also proposes, within the reported mitigation scenarios, a more efficient and less energy-wasteful public transport, mitigating traffic and promoting equity access to urban mobility, as proposed by Pupim de Oliveira et al. [33
] and Doll and Puppim de Oliveira [34
], focusing on meeting urgent demands and generating environmental and social co-benefits that can also be measured [35
]. Tan et al. [36
], after an in-depth analysis of urban transport systems and their energy sources, created public policy proposals that display potential for the effective mitigation of GHG emissions. The case studies by Wang et al. [37
], Kim et al. [38
], and Alonso et al. [39
] related changes in land use with impacts on travel generation, consequently impacting emissions.
The Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories (GPC) methodology was created by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) in partnership with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Climate Leadership Group (C40) in 2014, based on the 2006 National GHG Inventory Guidelines published by the IPCC. It aims to be a robust and clear methodology, allowing for the generation of reliable and comparable inventories. The adoption of this methodology by several cities globally will allow the correct direction of sustainable development and emission mitigation action planning. The emissions of all of the GHGs are converted to total of equivalent carbon dioxide (CO2eq
) emissions from the Global Warming Potential (GWP) values that are specific to each gas. The GWPs show the global warming potential of each gas measured in values established from IPCC studies, and are essential for comparisons between gases and CO2
The baseline approach for applying the GPC/IPCC methodology is the top–down approach, which uses fossil fuel supply (consumption) data to calculate CO2
emissions from its combustion. However, in order to analyze a specific sector with data availability, it is possible to carry out the bottom–up, or sectorial, approach that considers—in the case of mobile combustion—the mileage and fuel consumption data of vehicles [41
This methodology seeks to standardize city emission quantification, subsidizing the reach of the Paris Agreement targets (2015). The study carried out by Mengel et al. [42
] pointed out that maintaining the temperature below 2 °C, which is the goal of the Paris Agreement, is insufficient to prevent a 1.5 m rise in sea level by 2300, underscoring the importance of more intense short-term actions to reduce emissions. Ari and Sari [43
] developed indicators to facilitate the fair accountability of countries regarding GHG emissions, considering environmental, social, economic, and technical factors, suggesting a revision of the current responsibility criteria of the Paris Agreement. Obersteiter et al. [44
] concluded on the risk of the Paris Agreement assigning carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies to the main mitigations to be achieved in the second half of this century, given their uncertainty regarding implementation feasibility.
The latest IPCC Special Report, Global Warming of 1.5 °C, highlights the mitigation of environmental, social, and economic damage by setting a target of 1.5 °C against the 2 °C target established in the Paris Agreement. This report also points out that heating impacts on natural and human systems are already being observed due to an increase of about 1 °C compared to pre-industrial temperatures. The propensity of occurrence of extreme climate phenomena is greater when comparing the 2 °C heating with that of 1.5 °C. Similarly, impacts on sea level rises and coastal communities, impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems, risks to human health, food security, water supply, and economic growth are highest. However, to reach the target of 1.5 °C, more intensive decarbonization measures are required, including in the transport sector [45
This section details how GHG emissions in CO2eq
, were calculated using data from the various urban transport sectors. Although all of the data were subjected to the same GPC/IPCC methodology explained in Section 3
, this section allows for the subsequent replication of the calculations for other cities, according to locally available data.
4.1. Inventory of Urban Transport Emissions and Urban Mobility Plan
In this study, the emissions of GHG of Scope 1 of Natal’s transportation sector were analyzed, adopting the Tier 2, and applying the national emission factors [54
] of this category.
Total transportation fuel sales are displayed in Table 1
, according to the obtained data. These data allow for the calculation of total greenhouse gas emissions in CO2eq
of Natal’s urban transport sector, according to the aforementioned GCP/IPCC methodology.
The calculation bases of the public urban road transport granted to the private initiative, as displayed in Table 2
, came from PlanMob, which indicates the traveled kilometers and the existing typology of the vehicles. According to PlanMob, there was no change in the lines and kilometers of this sub-sector between 2012–2015.
The data used to calculate emissions from intercity transport are presented in Annex 1, which lists the nomenclature of intercity lines with origin or destination in the municipality of reference. According to the Origin–Destination (O–D) matrix reported in PlanMob, the municipality of Natal concentrated 80% of the motivations of metropolitan interurban journeys. This percentage was adopted to adjust the emissions of this sector, accounting for the municipality that generates travel.
In addition to the road systems, a 56.2-km system exists in the rail mode for passengers only, operated in a simple way, with diesel-powered equipment. This system makes internal connections in the municipality, as well as intermunicipal connections in the metropolitan region of Natal. No Origin–Destination search data was found for this system, but it shows little participation in the city’s transport network, and it is the municipality of Natal that concentrates the displacement demands and the billing. The emissions for this system were calculated conservatively in the reference municipality (Table 3
There is little current relevant data for municipal freight transport in PlanMob. The data available are from 2007, which is from an Origin–Destination survey carried out in the municipality [55
]. No updates to this data in PlanMob 2017 were carried out. According to the 2007 O–D survey, 35,226 truck trips are carried out daily, of which 13,073 were internal, 6901 originated in the municipality, and 6601 had the municipality as their destination. This 2007 data was used for a bottom–up estimation of fuel consumption [40
], considering a mean fleet age of five years [48
], heavy diesel trucks for intermunicipal transportation, medium-sized diesel trucks for internal transport, and a transport distance corresponding to the approximate extension of the municipality, at its largest dimension of 25 km for internal transportation, and half of this value, 13 km, for intermunicipal transportation. This estimate was compared to diesel sales in the municipality in 2007 in order to quantify the weight of this sector for the same year (Table 4
). Due to the precariousness of the data update, the cargo sector was joined to other urban public service sectors that use diesel vehicles, such as private bus transportation and leased minivans (transfers), public maintenance services, garbage collection, and school transportation.
4.2. GHG Emission Scenarios
PlanMob presents urban mobility scenarios for 2020 and 2025, according to a specific methodology to this planning that takes into account GDP evolution, population growth, and increases in the current fleet. The analysis of the methodology applied by the municipal government in the elaboration of PlanMob is not within the scope of this study. However, according to the cited bibliography [46
], primary data were obtained through Classified Volumetric Counting (CVC), documentary, and secondary data and filming cameras, and technical meetings, and public hearings were held. We also developed models for population income growth and used the Aimsum software to simulate traffic and elaborate our own scenarios. In these scenarios, a percentage increase of fuel consumption is observed due to the degradation of the level of traffic. The business as usual, or reference, scenario does not indicate works or changes in the road system. In addition to the reference scenario, PlanMob presents a list of 41 non-structural works that, if implemented, would generate a slight benefit in relation to the initial scenario. This scenario predicts an increase in fuel consumption that is lower than the baseline scenario. The impacts on fuel consumption are displayed in Table 5
. Increases in individual motorized trips for 2020 and 2025 are listed in Table 6
. The emissions were calculated for 2020 and 2025 following the business-as-usual projection, generating the GHG emission scenario termed CPMob1. GHG emissions were then calculated for the Urban Mobility Planning interventions, generating scenario CPMob2. Emissions were calculated by the aforementioned top–down methodology [40
Since the CPMob1 and CPMob2 scenarios were constructed considering a linear increase in fuel consumption, the emission estimates of each sub-sector were the same as in the reference year, 2015. In addition to the emission scenarios based on the PlanMob data, mitigations focusing on reducing GHG emissions, primarily acting in the sub-sectors with the highest emissions participation, were calculated according to the inventory for the base year. The first mitigation scenario, CM1, presents an effort to direct urban mobility public policies to emission reductions, which is an aspect that is not addressed in PlanMob. The additional mitigation scenario—CM2—is more ambitious, considering actions that are more impacting or more intense than those adopted in CM1. The mitigation scenarios are not only aimed at reducing GHG emissions, they are also aimed at improving city mobility.
The literature review allowed us to direct the mitigation scenarios of this study to solutions that are applicable to the reference city. Pereira Jr et al. and La Rovere et al. [56
], in their national study concerning Brazil, addressed the following actions in the initial mitigation scenario: investments in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), the expansion of cycle paths, traffic optimization, improvement in the energy efficiency of light and heavy vehicles, and expansion of ethanol and biodiesel use. In these studies, the additional mitigation scenario also included the insertion of electric buses, additional light vehicle energy efficiency, subway and light rail train (VLT) expansion, and investment in waterways and railways for cargo transportation. The impact of improving combustion vehicle energy efficiency is further reinforced by several authors [2
]. The focus on public transportation is decisive in all of the literature related to urban transport decarbonization [64
]. Gouvello et al. [67
] also cited the direction that the urban transport sector must take for its decarbonization: the development of high-capacity bus systems and rail transportation in high-traffic locations, urban mobility management to reduce congestion—a 20 km/h to 25 km/h increase in hourly traffic speed can generate up to a 5% decrease in emissions, the establishment of strategies to limit individual transportation, integrating different transport modes, integrating land use with transport—reducing travel distances, encouraging non-motorized transportation, and strengthening the use of biofuels, especially ethanol. The Transport and Urban Mobility Sector Plan for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change [65
] also directs actions, focusing on public transportation, urban planning with densification and the mixed use of regions, the creation of infrastructure for mobility by collective public transport, and the replacement of fossil fuels in urban buses. The adoption of electric vehicles is also considered an inevitable path [63
] in the reduction of total emissions.
4.2.1. Medium-Sized Cities
The scope of this study is to privilege mitigation scenarios that can be effectively developed by the public policies of the municipalities [5
]. However, medium cities, as the object of this study, present limitations in their mitigation actions when compared to larger cities:
The subway system—transport on high-capacity electrified rails—is unviable at the medium-sized city scale [65
In spite of the great importance of the type of fuel used in the generated emissions, municipalities in general display limited incentive or even disincentive capacity for one fuel or another: the tributes are mostly state and/or nationwide. The municipality may only restrict the schedules or traffic zones of certain vehicles;
Cities also display little capacity for actions aimed at improving the energy efficiency of vehicles, as these are normally regulated by national standards. They can encourage less polluting vehicles and modes, giving them greater freedom of movement or exclusive parking areas.
These particularities are considered in scenarios CM1 and CM2, which privilege the actions that can be taken in a municipal scope. The descriptions of the considerations adopted in each mitigation scenario will be presented during the analysis of the results, since they depend on the previous stage of the GHG emissions inventory.
4.2.2. Based on Official Data, Official Planning, and Official Problems
The construction of the scenarios followed the forecasts of increases in motorized individual trips (Table 6
) estimated by the PlanMob [46
]. It also followed the series of growth in the number of urban train passengers, according to the increase in capacity that the network has been suffering since the 2014 World Cup event. However, this has been limited by the difficulty that the CBTU has been undergoing to reach its daily passenger targets due to delays in the delivery schedule of their compositions. Of the 12 diesel compositions acquired in 2014, only five were in operation by the end of 2017. Due to the lack of Origin–Destination studies for this transport mode, there will be no mode substitution when its growth occurs; it is also modal, with a subsidized rate of about USD $
1.00 quoted at R $
3.35 as of 25 December 2017) against the USD $
1.00 fare on urban buses and up to USD $
2.27 on intercity buses, possibly replacing non-motorized modes within its activity. For intercity transportation, the same growth rate was adopted for the number of individual trips, with no modal migration; there are no plans to change its structure according to the state body [51
], nor plans for its integration into urban transport in the PlanMob. The diesel freight and urban service sector will expect emissions growth as defined by the planned top–down quantification for all traffic.
PlanMob suggests the deployment of an extensive cycling network, from the existing 31 km to 210 km, but no quantification for budgets or sources of resources for this action, as well as an execution schedule, are available. This implementation will be included in the CM1 and CM2 mitigation scenarios, to be completed in 2025, but distant from the basic scenarios by the simple absence of a government plan for its implementation. The 2007 data [55
] estimate that 4% of daily trips were carried out by bicycle, even with no adequate bicycle structure. In the projections reported by Gouvello et al. [67
], an adequate cycle network deployment allows for a decrease of up to 1.6% in total emissions, which would migrate from individual transport. The evaluated city has the potential to reach higher levels of mitigation, but, due to a lack of updated O–D data, the same estimate reported by Gouvello et al. [67
] for the fully installed network will be applied.
PlanMob 2017 also mentions:
The inefficiency of the transport network of urban buses with point-to-point lines, overlapping roads, and concurrent routes, but does not present proposals for change; instead, it only mentions that a shift to a hierarchical structural network should be carried out, within the main transportation corridors
The generalized deficiency in pedestrian mobility, but also without presenting any plan of action for correction. The only planned intervention is the rehabilitation of a historic neighborhood, which is currently not very representative of urban mobility as a pole that generates travel;
The possible implementation of a bicycle-sharing network, but without any quantification of its impact or viability.
For these reasons, these actions were not included in the CPMob1 and CPMob2 scenarios, and the lack of data on their impact on urban mobility and, consequently, on GHG emissions, were not included in the mitigation actions. The literature review also identified studies regarding new modes of transport [70
], analyzing the implementation of a tramway (VLT) and trolleybus system, respectively, in Natal. The deployment of a 10-km trolleybus line was considered in the CM1 scenario for 2025. Additionally, the CM2 scenario will also include the implementation of a total of 28 km of tramway lines, in another road stretch in the municipality. The analyzed literature [70
], although presenting initial indicators of cost estimates, does not present the analysis of the investment return for the possible operator, which prevents an effective analysis of the actual cost to implement these modalities. The 10-km trolleybus system has an estimated investment of R $
17.3 million for infrastructure and R $
22.77 million for the acquisition of 18 articulated trolleybuses. The 28-km tramway system, including infrastructure, expropriation, station construction, maneuvering yards, parking lots, and vehicle acquisition, totals an estimated R $
2 billion, but lacks a revenue analysis of the system and parking operations throughout the tramway shelf-life.
The mitigation scenarios also included replacing part of the diesel bus fleet with electric vehicles. Pereira Jr et al. [56
], in the mitigation scenario for Brazil, estimated an 8% dissemination of this type of vehicle until 2030, but in the reference city, passengers were concentrated in only a few lines, so there is the possibility of replacing a higher percentage of traveled mileage maintaining the existing network. Percentages of 10% for CM1 and 15% for CM2, for 2025, and 3% and 5% for 2020, respectively, will be adopted.
After the scenario elaborations, public policy proposals for the urban transport sector that stimulate sustainable development, and consequently better quality of life for the population, were constructed [72
This work was developed with available public data or data requested from the governing bodies responsible for the mobility sectors. Data such as the O–D matrix and the vehicle count that are not kept up to date by the responsible agencies can generate distortions, especially in the scenario projections.
This study delves into detailing the sub-sectors of urban mobility, but did not present an exploratory scope, exploring research paths beyond existing official documents. There is vast literature that deals with the impact of land use on GHG emissions. In addition to the bibliographies cited above, Bart (2010), Deal et al. (2017), Kennedy et al. (2011), Hankey et al. (2010), and Pan et al. (2018) [77
] deepened studies on the environmental impacts of urban sprawl, including GHG emissions, as well as mitigation policy proposals. However, the main urban mobility planning document—PlanMob—has not yet been integrated with Urban Land-Use Planning, or the Urban Master Plan.
This study also displays limitations because it does not comprise comparison parameters with Brazilian cities or of similar developing countries, being one of the first studies directed toward medium cities; this presents deficiencies already mentioned in the previous topics in keeping their data updated regarding municipality planning.
The results obtained by this study allow for the characterization of the urban transport sector, defining the sub-sectors that exhibit the greatest impact. Individual motorized transport accounts for 59.43% of greenhouse gas emissions from urban transport, followed by the freight and urban services sector, at 28.3%, for the base year of 2015. The public bus transport sector, with a fleet of only 0.23% of the total of vehicles in the city, contributes 10.43% of the CO2eq emissions. The freight and public utilities sector use diesel engines in their operations and include, in its total, the use of diesel vehicles such as pick-ups and diesel SUVs in private transportation, as there is no data available separating diesel vehicles from the city’s fleet. The public bus transport sector comprises exclusively diesel vehicles that have a high average age and high average monthly mileage, which explains their proportionally high CO2eq emissions.
The sub-sector detailing of the GHG emissions inventory of urban transport reinforces the need to direct public policies for collective transportation, which would improve energy efficiency and attractiveness, make urban transport comfortable and safe, and discourage the displacement of individual motorized vehicles.
The planning of urban mobility actions presented by the PlanMob distanced the national incentive policies for public and non-motorized individual transport, with negative consequences in the resulting GHG emission scenarios. The scenario planned by the city in its PlanMob will result in a 20.45% increase in CO2eq emissions in 2025. In turn, the mitigation scenarios include actions to encourage collective transportation, the replacement of fossil fuels by electric motors, and incentives toward non-motorized transportation Mitigation scenarios would result in an initial mitigation of up to 44,800 tCO2eq by 2025, and can achieve mitigation values of up to one-third of the total GHG emissions from urban transport if high-capacity and electrified public transport such as tramways were to be integrated into the transport network.
The development of the scenarios also indicated that the execution of a bicycle system would lead to the greatest direct emission decreases, maintaining the urban road transport system in a similar way to the existing system. Electromobility modes—the trolleybus and the tramway—enable additional mitigations with increased operational urban transport capacity. The tramway alone, which was calculated as a simple substitution to the road mode, has the potential to mitigate at least 71,000 tCO2eq, which is about 9% of the total city emissions. Its implementation must be associated with a reorganization of the daily commuting flow of collective transportation and incentives regarding individual transport migration.
These results should support municipal public policy makers in reviewing the PlanMob adopted criteria, approaching national emission reduction commitments, directing investments to less emitting sectors, such as non-motorized and electrified public transport, and taking mitigation action on the most emitting sectors.


text:
A Michigan man has been convicted in federal court of illegally diverting a river with a simple shovel and some rocks.
Andrew Blair Howard was arrested after he built a small dam out of rocks in August of 2022. The man’s digging caused a change in the flow of the Platte River near Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Howard was convicted this month on charges of tampering and vandalism at the state park, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Michigan.
It appears that the 63-year-old man had dug a channel by hand to cut through a section of sand that had built up along the Platte Point shoreline which was making access to and from Platte Bay almost impossible for boats, according to MLive.com.
This blockage of sand had been building up for years because in 2017 park managers had stopped the nearly 50-year practice of dredging the mouth of the river, MLive reported. Beachgoers loved the new, sandy area, but boaters most assuredly did not, especially those engaged in the annual coho salmon fishing run.
“On August 15, 2022, Howard used a shovel to dig sediment and rocks from the river basin and stacked large rocks on a dam to divert the river’s natural water flow toward a newly created channel out to Lake Michigan, contrary to a decision by the National Park Service to let the river follow its natural course,” the news release states.
“The diversion created an unauthorized access for large boats to enter Platte Bay. Within days, the natural power of the water and the dam caused the new channel to reach approximately 200 feet wide.”
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten celebrated Howard’s conviction and said Howard had vandalized a “Michigan jewel.”
“The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a Michigan jewel,” Totten said in the news release.
“Every year countless visitors enjoy its pristine waters, towering sand dunes, and rolling forests. Mr. Howard had a policy dispute with the National Park Service and took matters into his own hands, breaking the law rather than using lawful means to advocate for his position. His actions resulted in significant financial and ecological harm and altered the landscape so many enjoyed. Today and always my office commits to protect Michigan’s natural treasures.”
The release further explained, “In a bench trial, federal Magistrate Judge Ray Kent convicted Howard of two counts: one count of tampering (Count 1) and one count of vandalism (Count 2), under Title 36 C.F.R. § 2.31(a)(2) and (3) respectively, which provides for the proper use and protection of natural resources within areas under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.”
“In so ruling, Judge Kent held that the defendant ‘intended to and in fact did divert the flow of the Platte River into Platte Bay,'” Totten’s office concluded.
Despite Totten’s proclamations of the harm Howard supposedly perpetrated, officials at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources held a contrary view, according to MLive, and said that the channel Howard dug helped the river by lowering the water level upstream. The DNR added that the changes also helped alleviate a public safety issue by enabling its rescue boats to once again gain quick access to the bay.
Indeed, this public safety concern has been a key problem in the area since park officials stopped dredging the river mouth. According to MLive, DNR officials have experienced trouble in getting rescue boats to help swimmers and boaters in distress in the area because the river mouth has become too shallow for their rescue boats thanks to the lack of dredging.
Further, park authorities have refused to allow the DNR to build a new launch site for swimmer and boater safety because it might interfere with a bird habitat.
One of the chief reasons the park has stopped the dredging and is trying to let the bay return to its natural condition — by eliminating the dredging efforts — is to facilitate the growth of a habitat for the piping plover.
The park service had spent $328,500 in tax money to excavate the beach to remove remnants of dredging and to make the area more conducive to the needs of the bird species.
Howard’s hand-built diversion put this project in jeopardy, officials claimed.
Along with its goals to improve the bird habitat, the park service also said that the rock-strewn area containing old dredging leavings was an “aesthetic irritant” to beachgoers and naturalists and added that depositing dredged material on the beach prevented the proper growth of shore vegetation.
In the end, even as the federal government and park service officials seek to create a more pristine beach to benefit the “aesthetic” sensibility of beachgoers, they are also neglecting the safety of those beachgoers should they find themselves in distress in the water or on the shore because rescue craft are now delayed from being able to reach them.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

domain: geography


text:
For at least the second time since he announced for President, Donald Trump implied that Fox News boss Roger Ailes came crawling back to him, saying he was sorry.
Back in August, Trump tweeted out that Ailes called him after his first dust up with Megyn Kelly"
Now, again Trump implies that the Fox News boss called him to say sorry. In an interview with CNN, Trump says that Fox News had called him multiple times and apologized to him for a tongue-in-cheek statement about the GOP front-runner.
Politico writes that in a statement, Fox News accused Trump of wanting a "quid pro quo" in order to attend the debate — in the form of a $5 million donation to charity — and denied that network honcho Roger Ailes had placed "multiple calls" to the real estate mogul. A source close to the situation said there was an acquiescence to Trump, and Fox's statement notes they "acknowledged his concerns."
In FNC's statement, they said, "“Roger Ailes had three brief conversations with Donald Trump today about possibly appearing at the debate – there were not multiple calls placed by Ailes to Trump."
How many calls does it take to be considered "multiple"? Isn't three enough?
So once again, it appears that Trump has the upper hand on Fox News and the network seems to be doing what it can to get back on his good side.
Watching Fox News, CNN and MSNBCgrovel at the feet of a political candidate is enough to make you want to puke.
It just shows how sad the state of Journalism has become.
Is there really any wonder why viewers don't respect or trust the media anymore. Those days are over my friends and that is really, really sad.

domain: news


text:
Beakman's World: Meteorology Overview
11:57 - 19:47
Beakman and Liza explain meterology and the history of barometers for understanding the weather. Beakman then explains that modern day weather stations are collecting data and combining that with weather satellites to get an idea of what the weather might be. Then he shows how to make a DIY barometer.


text:
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domain: entertainment


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these are beautiful!
wonderful work...I love the California one!
Thank you ladies!
These are so beautiful!!Will come back for more!
wow, these are amazing!
Thank you Kate! I too was succumbed by the charms of that lovely stamp book! x
i love the netherlands one, its beautiful

domain: hobby


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Welcome to the Craft Yarn Council's web site, the yarn industry’s one-stop resource.
People of all ages—more than 50 million—know how to knit, crochet and craft with yarn because its fun, relaxing and you can make great things. Whether you are a beginner or experienced knitter or crocheter, a designer or someone interested in learning more about the industry, you've come to the right place!
If you want to learn to knit or crochet, the Craft Yarn Council wants to help you get started today. On these pages, you will find all the basics. There's an explanation of the differences between knitting and crocheting, Illustrations and instruction about how to make the basic stitches, FAQs, a list of helpful resource materials and tips on reading project patterns.
Once you feel that you are ready to begin a project, we have some pattern suggestions for you as well. As you begin your project, if you have questions, visit 911/FAQs. And consider joining a local knitting and crocheting guild or group that meets up in locations in your community or online and taking a class offered at a local retailer, school or library. In addition, members of the Craft Yarn Council have web sites full of wonderful tips and techniques, videos, free patterns and interesting news. You can link to these sites from the About page.
If you are a designer or are interested in becoming one, visit the Council's Yarn Standards pages. There are helpful sizing charts, pattern symbols, along with industry guidelines for designers. All enthusiasts also will find references at Yarn Standards to pattern abbreviations, needle and hook sizing and yarn weight standards helpful.
For teachers, there is a special section of the web site called Teach Knitting & Crochet with project ideas, tips and techniques which you will find invaluable for engaging students of all ages.
When you are ready to buy yarn, you'll find lots of choices. Check out the yarn departments in national chains like WalMart and craft chains like Michaels and JoAnn Stores, as well as numerous regional craft chains like A.C. Moore and hundreds of independent yarn stores. There are also many mail order and Internet sources. If you have any difficulty locating a retail source, look under "Yarns" or "Crafts" in your local telephone directory.Have fun!

domain: artistic


PM Advisor: Over 700 Migrants Detained at Serbian Border
MTI-Hungary Today 2019.02.05.
Border agencies detained more than 700 illegal migrants at the Hungarian-Serbian border in January, the prime minister’s chief domestic security advisor told public news channel M1 on Tuesday.
Most of them sought to enter Hungary by hiding in a vehicle, György Bakondi said.
Hungary has strengthened its double border fence with technical equipment, increased its police staff, reviewed the sources of support for NGOs helping migrants, and trained its authorities to handle an increased wave of migrants, he said.
“Tight border control is where the stability of Hungary’s domestic security starts,” he said.
There are more than 70,000 migrants en route through the Balkans to Europe, most of them from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Algeria, Bakondi said.


I'm selling my Takamine electric-acoustic guitar as well as a hardshell case. The guitar is in great condition and sounds great, with just minor fret buzz on the 9th fret. (Can be fixed by adjusting the truss) Also, a little bit of scratching on the body, but nothing major. I originally bought it for 650 2 years ago. Price negotiable.


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The tech world is decompressing from Apple’s big day yesterday, where they rolled out three key new products – and one sort of noteworthy one. Top of the list? The new iPhone X, the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and the Series 3 Apple Watch, which almost negates having to rely on an iPhone of any kind going forward.
That may be overstating things a tiny bit – maybe – but the new watch may have been the truly stealth breakthrough product announced by Tim Cook and his team on Tuesday. Think about it: the iPhone X, as cool and capable as it is, is, at its core, just another smartphone, more similar than different from the hundreds of others out there just like it. But a regular-sized watch you can make calls on without it being tethered to a cell phone? That’s the Dick Tracy dream device right there, and there’s a reason that vision has persisted for decades: it’s the ultimate in ultimate communication convenience.
Indeed, it could be argued that watches are really the ultimate tech gadget, not phones. Strapped to your wrist, a watch doesn’t get lost easily, it’s waterproof, small, and now with a cellular connection, it can do a large percentage of the most primary tasks a now bulky smartphone was once needed for.
It’s a comment we heard time and again: “this is the breakthrough. This is the way it should have been from the start.” And while other smartwatch makers have tried to make the stand-alone watch phone a reality, outside of some pretty dismal products and one for kids that we actually do like, the Series 3 Apple Watch could be the device that prompts Apple’s rivals to buckle down, shrink the size, up the performance, and drive the tech forward.
That’s how Apple changes tech landscapes. You can check out more details on the $400 Series 3 Apple Watch, as well as get more analysis of the rest of Apple’s announcements with our complete coverage.
A sudden case of cavities
We’ve got a device safety heads up for you today: cybersecurity firm Armis says the increasing complexity behind the Bluetooth short-range radio protocol has opened yet another door for bad guys to hack your tech.
In a lengthy PDF, which we’ve summarized for you on our site, Armis says the long evolution of Bluetooth, which was first made available in 1998, has buried some vulnerabilities in the system that could allow hackers to work their way into your devices and data. Armis calls the threat “Blue born” and says that literally billions of Bluetooth devices and their nearby friends – usually PCs and phones – could be at risk of getting hacked in as little as 10 seconds.
Good news, though: both Google and Microsoft say they are busy making sure the security holes get patched up, so make sure you run those updates as they arrive on your computers and devices.
Yes officer, I was pedaling at 70mph
One trend we’re seeing in transportation is the continued development of electric bicycles, which seem to be quickly morphing into a bicycle/motorcycle hybrid type of thing.
What began as a way to help you pedal faster – so-called “pedal assist” bikes – are quickly becoming high-powered speed demons with impressive range. Check out the Delfast eBikes from the Balkans. Delfast started as a package delivery service using ebikes, but of course, faster is always better in that business, so they built up a fleet of higher-powered machines to cut delivery times – and a new product was born.
Delfast is now taking to Kickstarter to raise funds to build their latest crop of ebikes. Their top of the line model, this burly fellow, tops out at 35 miles an hour and will go over 230 miles on a charge. That’s moped, scooter and electric car territory right there. It’s also packed full of tech. And unlike a car, if you run out of juice, you can pedal it like a normal bicycle to your destination – or just pop in another battery. Plus, we gotta say, this is a bike Darth Vader would ride.
Delfast’s bikes are going to start at $3,000 for their most basic model, and while the top-end go-fast versions will certainly not be cheap, they’re going to be a lot cheaper – and definitely more fun- than a Chevy Bolt or Tesla Model 3. Check out all the details in this report.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Close to the Metal (computers and such) on Tuesday, Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
- Digital Trends Live: Libra goes to Congress, the Pixel Watch may be coming
- IGTV video app rolls out right as Instagram tops a billion monthly users
- Is Apple poaching Intel talent from a new hush-hush facility in Oregon?
- DT Daily: Next-gen version of Android OS a hot topic at Google I/O
- DT Daily: Tesla pauses Model 3 production to untangle robot assembly lines


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Hall of Famer Gary Payton is the only point guard to win the Defensive Player of the Year. The former nine-time All-Star achieved the feat during the 1995-1996 season. During his 16 seasons in the NBA, Payton averaged 16.3 Points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game.
Gary Payton along with the likes of Detlef Schremp, Shawn Kemp, Sam Perkins, and Nate McMillan helped to lead the Seattle Supersonics to the NBA Finals in 1996. Unfortunately, for them, they would come up short losing in six games to the Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen.
This wouldn’t be the last time Payton would help a team to the NBA Finals. He would return to the Finals in 2004 with the Los Angeles Lakers, but would end up losing to the Detriot Pistons in five games and again in 2006 as a member of the Miami Heat. The third time was a charm as Payton, and the rest of his heat teammates would beat the Dallas Mavericks in six games, after going dropping the first two games on the road.
Gary Payton is a once in a generation type of player, and there hasn’t been body to come close since he retired. However, Payton’s former Laker and Heat teammate Shaq back in April on Inside The NBA said, “Patrick Beverley is a modern-day Gary Payton.”
— 👑📍Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson (@ScoopB) April 15, 2019
Also back in April Sacramento Kings assistant coach Bobby Jackson share with me, that Beverly reminded him of a mini Gary Payton.
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) April 15, 2019
This past weekend the Big 3 was in Dallas for their third annual visit, and I had to the opportunity to get Payton’s take on the comparison to Patrick Beverley.
“I’ll take that! That is my little youngster and love him a lot, and going to work with him a lot. So, you guys will see me at a lot of Clippers games now that you mentioned it. So, yeah, has that dog in him and I like him. I was watching film on him yesterday to about things he could do or change on defense, and we are going to work that. I don’t care about the offense its, not the same he has two players that are going to be really high profile on offense with Paul and Kawhi.
So, I think if he can average 12 to 14 points, I think it will be really good. I think he should focus on trying to win Defensive Player of the Year because I am the only one ever to win it and he should focus on trying to become the second one, and I think he can do it. “
Last season Patrick Beverley averaged 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. Beverley will be entering his seventh seasons out of the University of Arkansas. The Los Angeles Lakers draft the 6’1 point guard with the 42nd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. The day of the draft the Miami Heat would acquire in exchange for a 2011 second-round draft pick and cash considerations.


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Duran Duran – Girls On Film
The diving man's coming up for air
'Cause the crowd all love pulling Dolly by the hair, by the hair
And she wonders how she ever got here
As she goes under again
Girls on Film
July 13th has always been an important day for the 80s music, maybe because of summer, or maybe the heat. In 1985 on that day there was the famous Live Aid, the highest point of the 80s, the watershed between the first and second parts of this fantastic decade. In fact, as early as 1981 a song was released on that very day that was designed to change many things. If you think about it, on July 13, 1981, the real 80s were not yet beginning, because we know that they actually began at the end of that July, when Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s marriage immediately projected the United Kingdom into a new modernity, while the next night in America MTV began broadcasting, with the famous “Video killed the radio star”.
But a couple of weeks before, we said, a song came out that would have a resounding impact. In Birmingham, a new romantic group had a resounding success moths earlier with their first single, “Planet Earth“, and they immediately understood the importance and power of the videos. The production had chosen the second single, “Careless memories”, but it had not been as successful. And so, the five members of the band chose the third single on their own, and they chose this song, “Girls on film”. We are obviously talking about Duran Duran, who were also known for their love affairs with various models, and so they wrote this song to denounce the condition of models who were increasingly forced to weird performances and photo shoots that sounded kind of degrading.
We said that Duran Duran understood the power of videos, and for “Girls on film” they turned to the producers and directors Godley and Creme, of 10cc, who would later become the interpreters of “Cry“, but above all the directors of great videos such as “A view to a kill”, “Every breath you take”, “Victims”, “We close our eyes”, “Two tribes“, “The power of love” , “Fade to grey”, “When we was fab” and many more.
There’s a problem though: we said that MTV hadn’t started broadcasting yet. And in fact Duran Duran didn’t shoot the video in order to be broadcast on MTV, but for showing on nightclubs large screens. And so they decided to make a quite explicit video, with images that caused a stir. And they succeeded, because in the video Duran Duran are quite marginal, but the protagonists are models involved in scenes from various sexual stereotypes – all stuff that today could safely be broadcast at dinner time, let’s face it.
The video was a resounding success, and pushed the song to number five on the hit parade, officially consecrated Duran Duran. There were censures and discussions, but in the end “Girls on film” became one of the most famous videos of the entire 80s.
In any case, “Girls on film” also became one of Duran Duran’s most beloved songs, so much so that after many years in their concerts it is often one of the very last songs performed during the encores, often performed last, and during this song Simon Le Bon presents the band members to the public for the final greetings.
Duran Duran on Wikipedia


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The morning mist allied with the enchanted forest to welcome the flamingos. Reminiscence of the old times, when Robert Redford flew over the lake with Karen... no, with Meryl... actually with all of us in a misty memory. The rising water levels increased to almost double the lake area in the last decade. When I first visited the lake twelve years ago, this forest was alive and full of wildlife; now is a forest with no leaves, but still nature take its place there.
Lake Nakuru, Kenya. Out of Africa. December 2021
Printed in super matt finish of Hahnemüle Photorag. The paper gives muted blacks with even colour reproduction, and excellent detail. The surface has minimal texture with a chalky smooth cotton feel which creates smooth colour gradients. It has a delicate surface, so we recommend extra care when handling.
We absolutely guarantee your satisfaction and that your order will arrive in perfect condition and will match the specifications on our website. Defective and damaged prints will be immediately replaced. If you change your mind about your artwork, we will consider returns on a case-by-case basis, as artworks have to be made specifically for your order. This does not affect our statutory rights under Distance Selling Regulations.
4.450,00 € – 6.850,00 €


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Disgraced Former Nurse Sentenced To 30 Years In Oregon Prison For Sexually Assaulting Inmates
On Oct. 16, a former Oregon Department of Corrections nurse employed at the state’s sole women’s prison was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for sexually assaulting nine inmates during his tenure.
The former nurse at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, 39-year-old Tony Daniel Klein of Clackamas County, Oregon, committed abhorrent acts during his time as a nurse from 2010 to January 2018. Klein exploited his access to the female inmates, engaging in “non-consensual sexual conduct with many female inmates entrusted to his care,” according to court documents.
The disgraced former nurse, who often had unsupervised access to his victims, manipulated situations to isolate them in concealed areas within the facility. The victims were made to believe he held power over them, warning them they would not be believed if they reported his abuse. Many victims submitted to his advances out of fear of reprisal or reporting his conduct within the Oregon Corrections Facility.
“In his position, Klein interacted with female inmates who either sought medical treatment or worked as orderlies in the prison’s medical unit, aided by his access to the women and his position of power as a corrections employee,” stated officials in the court documents.
Following a federal grand jury indictment on March 8, 2022, charging him with multiple civil rights violations, Klein was found guilty by a federal jury in Portland on July 25, 2023. He was convicted of 17 counts of depriving his victims of their constitutional right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment by sexual assault, along with four counts of perjury. On Tuesday, he received a 360-month prison sentence and five years of supervised release.
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that using a position of authority to prey on individuals in custody will never be tolerated by the Department of Justice. Holding Tony Klein accountable for his crimes would not have been possible without the courage and resolve of the women he abused and the dedication of our partners at the FBI and Civil Rights Division,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

domain: sociology


The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga isn't the best teacher's college in Tennessee, and it isn't the worst — it's somewhere in the middle, according to a recent state report.
On a hot August day during the first week of school, Heather Hobbs, a 26-year-old teacher at Andrew Johnson Elementary School in Kingsport, Tenn., asked her third-grade class to do something she knew that they wouldn’t be able to do.
The Hamilton County Commission and the Board of Education are once again trying to reboot their relationship.
Fights aren't common at Ooltewah Elementary School, but if one occurs, chances are that Principal Thomas Arnold can see who started it by reviewing footage from one of the school's security cameras.
Of the 102 seniors who graduated last year from the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences, all but three went on to college, and the three who weren't college-bound enlisted in the military.
State committee's report calls for increase but obstacles remain
A new report that calls on Tennessee to increase teachers' pay shows that the state shortchanges school districts right out of the gate.
State Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman says he knew coming into Tennessee that as Gov. Bill Haslam's personally recruited "change agent" in education he would "upset the apple cart" and encounter "push back" from the state's education establishment.
School district strives to find veggies and fruit from within 100 miles
Farm-to-table is all the rage these days, as upscale restaurants in Chattanooga and elsewhere strive to put local produce on their tables.
Hamilton County commissioners are re-extending hands to their school board counterparts after years of gridlock with the hope of bypassing tension the next time the board of education needs money or wants to build new schools.
Superintendent outlines 'bold vision' at board retreat
A man who got married right out of Red Bank High School struggled for eight years to support his three kids and stay-at-home-wife on a $10-an-hour auto parts store job — until he scored a $30-an-hour computer-related job at Chattanooga's Volkswagen assembly plant.


Abdel Halim Hafez was a legend in the Classic Arabic music scene. He was also a fantastic actor. He was known for his roles in musical films such as Lahn El Wafa’ (The Music of Loyalty), Ayyamna al-Helwa (Our Beautiful Days), Banat El Yom (The Girls of Today), Share’ El Hob (The Street of Love).
The songs Abdel Halim sang in his movies combine classic Arabic music with Pop music. However when he performed in concerts, it was purely the Classical Arabic music. They always included an incredible group of the world’s best musicians. Abdel Halim Hafez’s concerts were spectacular from what I’ve read about him. His final song, which he performed before his passing was Qari’at Al Fingan (The coffee fortune-teller). The lyrics were from a poem written by the late Nizar Qabbani, a famous Syrian poet. Abdel Halim Hafez died so young, at the age of 47, from Bilharzia, a waterborne illness on March 30, 1977. He was the first Romantic singer in the world of Arabic music; he was a pioneer.
He was the first Arab singer whose music interested me very much. It was after seeing the movie Share’ El Hob (The Street of Love) which co-starred the late singer Sabah. When I heard the songs he sang for this movie, I fell in love with his music immediately. His music interested me before any of the contemporary Arab artists. It’s always exciting for me to watch his films or videos of his concerts, because I get to hear the most incredible music in the history of Middle Eastern music. His films always including songs, which complemented the story of the movie very well.
He knew how to play a variety of instruments, including the following: oboe, drums, piano, oud, clarinet and guitar.
It’s hard to pick favourites, because there are so many incredible songs to choose from. They include Ahwak (Loving you), Ala Ad El Sho’ (As much as the longing), Betlomooni Leih (Why do you blame me), Gana El Hawa (The mood struck us), Sawwah (Wanderer), Tobah (repentance or never again)*
On a side note:
Abdel Halim Hafez’s real name is Abdel Halim Ali Shabana. In 1953, he was heard by Hafez Abdel Wahab, a supervisor of musical programming for and Egyptian national radio. He used ‘Hafez’ for his professional last name, as a way to honour Hafez Abdel Wahab, whose patronage helped Abdel Halim achieve success.
* Translation is based on my understanding of the song.


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April 25 – Hall County may soon become a regional hub for law enforcement training in Northeast Georgia.
County commissioners on Tuesday approved $425,000 for Duluth-based engineering firm Hussey Gay Bell to develop an architectural design plan for a new 20,000-square-foot law enforcement training center.
The new center will provide training in an improved, expanded facility for law enforcement agencies in Hall and surrounding counties, according to Lt. Stephen Wilbanks, director of training for the Hall County Sheriff’s Office. The goal, he said, is to better equip deputies and police officers with the skills needed for policing in the modern era.
Wilbanks said the project, a joint effort with the FBI, is expected to include more classrooms, a dedicated indoor physical assessment testing area, staff and student locker rooms and additional storage capacity for weapons and ammunition.
“We’ve outgrown the whole (current) gym,” Wilbanks said. “… our current training center only has two classrooms. The new one will have five. We will also be able to use one of the classrooms as a designated simulator room so we can use the computer generated simulation systems that teach judgmental use of force … de-escalation scenarios and that kind of thing. It’s something that’s been on our radar for several years.”
The training center, when completed, will also include a “defensive tactics room” where officers can learn various techniques for control and restraint, according to Wilbanks, who described this as a much-needed upgrade from the makeshift tactics room bureaus used in the current facility.
“Right now we have to tear down a classroom, put out the mats, kind of convert it on a temporary basis,” he said. “The new center will have a dedicated, full-time defensive tactics room.”
Plans for the new training center, conceived in 2016 with a $1.7 million contribution from the FBI, are just now entering the design phase seven years later due to a combination of personnel changes in the bureau’s regional office and aspects of funding, Wilbanks said.
“Obviously funding is a big issue for everything,” he said. “… we want to be good partners in this deal, so we are constructing the administrative phase and the classroom of this project.”
Wilbanks described the new facility as critical to law enforcement and policing in the 21st century, specifically by ensuring officers receive proper training.
“The culture of law enforcement has changed a lot over the last few decades,” Wilbanks said. “What we’re seeing as a continuing trend is that it’s starting to fall back more and more on training … the way the culture has changed and the scrutiny that law enforcement has gone through, I think it’s thrown new light on the importance of training and proper training.
“If an agency is going to be a successful community partner, they have to have a pretty robust training program in place. It has to address more than shooting guns and driving cars. It has to address the academic side of things. We want to have better trained officers making smarter decisions before things ever come to a use of force.”
Assistant County Administrator Katie Crumley also praised the approval of the item Tuesday.
“Part of our strategic plan is to recruit and retain people, and I think a lot of that plays into this whole component of training,” she said. “We really want to invest in our people in multiple ways. I think as we continue to grow, the need for public safety grows. To have the highest level of public safety personnel, we need the right facilities and equipment to train them.”

domain: law


|Publication number||US3862635 A|
|Publication date||28 Jan 1975|
|Filing date||23 Apr 1973|
|Priority date||23 Apr 1973|
|Publication number||US 3862635 A, US 3862635A, US-A-3862635, US3862635 A, US3862635A|
|Original Assignee||American Hospital Supply Corp|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (6), Referenced by (25), Classifications (8), Legal Events (4)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
ll ited States Patent Harautuneian 1 Jan. 28, 1975  SMOOTH TIPPEI) ENDOTRACHEAL TUBE 3,734,100 5/1973 Walker 128/349 B [75} Inventor: Andrew Harautuneian, Westlake OTHER PUBLICATIONS Village Calif Shiley Cuffed Trachcostomy Tube, Sept. 1970,
 Assignee: American Hospital Supply I I Corporation, Evdnsmnv L Irnnary IL.\'(UHIHLIAl(lHCh F. Medbery Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Lurry N. Burger; Robert T.
 Filed: Apr. 23, 1973 Merrick  US. Cl. 128/351, 128/349 B  int. Cl A6lm 25/00  Field of Search 128/349 R, 351, 349 B,
128/349 BV, 348, 2.05 R; 156/155, 294
 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,292,627 12/1966 Haruutuneian 128/349 B 3,304,353 2/1967 Harautuneian 261/98 3,407,817 10/1968 Galleher, Jr 128/349 B 3,499,435 3/1970 Rockwell et ul. 128/351 3,543,759 12/1970 MeWhorter 128/349 B X  ABSTRACT An endotracheal tube including a preformed inflatable plastisol balloon telescopically fitted over and secured to a forward end portion of a dual-lumen tube. The inflatable balloon is formed with an elongated forward collar which is fitted onto the dual-lumen tube. The tube and collar are simultaneously severed along a biased cut to provide an open front end of the endotracheal tube. The forward collar and dual-lumen tube are then fused into a generally homogeneous mass to provide a smooth exterior sliding surface at the forward end portion of the endotracheal tube.
7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 2 8 I975 SHEET 2 OF 2 SMOOTH TIPPED ENDOTRACHEAL TUBE BACKGROUND When a patient is anesthetized with inhalable gaseous anesthesia various devices are used to direct the anesthesia into the patients lungs. One type device involves a mask that fits over the patients nose and mouth and connects with an anesthesia machine. Another device includes a nasal cannula where the anesthesia is directed through the nasal passage and into the patients lungs. Still another, and becoming more widely used, is an endotracheal tube.
An endotracheal tube is essentially a large-diameter tube inserted in through the patients mouth and fed down through the trachea to where it terminates right above the bronchial branch connected to the lungs. This endotracheal tube is then connected to an anesthesia machine. Many physicians believe that the endotracheal tube method provides a more accurate control of administering the anesthesia to the patient.
When anesthesia is fed through the endotracheal tube in the patients trachea a structure is required to seal the outer surface of the endotracheal tube with the trachea. This is to keep anesthesia gases from escaping back between the endotracheal tube and the trachea. A common structure for sealing the endotracheal tube to the trachea is an inflatable balloon. This is sometimes called the cuff or tracheal ballon of an endotracheal tube. Because the endotracheal tube and balloon are in a tender area of the patients trachea it is desired that the tube and balloon be made of a nonirritating material. Previous rubber cuffs and tubes had the disadvantage of containing accelerators and vulcanizing agents, which could irritate the trachea.
Preferred endotracheal tubes are made of a thermoplastic or plastisol material that do not require vulcanizing agents and cause less irritation to the patient.
In the past these endotracheal tubes have been made by preforming a plastisol cuff or balloon and then securing this balloon to a flexible tube. One of the major problems in securing the balloon to the tube involved the joint between the balloon and the tube. Because the endotracheal tube must slide down past the vocal cords it is important to make the forward end of the endotracheal tube as smooth as possible. One of the main problems with previous endotracheal tubes was the annular ridge formed at the forward juncture of the inflatable sleeve and the dual-lumen tube. It is to this tube and inflatable balloon joint that this invention relates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention overcomes the problems of joining a plastisol preformed inflatable balloon to a dual-lumen thermoplastic insertion tube to create a smooth sliding external surface. The inflatable plastisol sleeve or balloon of this invention is formed with an enlarged inflatable center portion and an elongated forward collar portion. Rearwardly of the large center portion there is also a rear collar portion. The dual-lumen tube is inserted in through the rear collar, the enlarged center portion and into the elongated forward collar portion. Next, the forward collar and dual-lumen are simultaneously out along a diagonal bias plane surface to develop an open forward end of the endotracheal tube. Finally, the forward end of the endotracheal tube with the coterminous forward collar of the balloon and dual-lumen tube are heat fused in an induction heating die. The endotracheal tube is then removed from the heating die to provide a generally homogeneous rounded forward end portion of the endotracheal tube. There is no visible joint or ridge between the forward collar and the insertion tube, but only a smooth sliding surface.
THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the endotracheal tube showing it complete and ready for attachment to an anesthesia machine;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the inflatable sleeve portion of the endotracheal tube;
FIG. 3 is a front elevational view showing a step in forming the plastisol inflatable sleeve with its elongated forward collar;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the combined inflation sleeve and thermoplastic insertion sleeve showing how they are simultaneously severed at the elongated front collar portion; and
FIG. 5 is an enlarged. section view of the preformed inflationsleeve and the dual-lumen thermoplastic tube immediately before they are assembled.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to these above-mentioned drawings, the completed endotracheal tube shown in FIG. 1 includes a dual-lumen thermoplastic insertion tube 1 that extends between a forward tip portion 2 and a rearward end 3. At rear end 3 is attached an adapter 4 which connects with an elbow element 5. This elbow 5 is adapted to connect directly to an anesthesia machine (not shown) that feeds anesthesia gas into the endotracheal tube at a precisely controlled rate and concentration.
Adjacent a forward end of the dual-lumen tube is an inflatable tracheal balloon 6. This balloon extends from a forward tip 2 of the endotracheal tube, where it is integrally fused with the dual-lumen insertion tube, to a rear end 7 of the tracheal balloon. The tracheal balloon has a preformed enlarged central portion 8 that is spaced from the dual-lumen tube 1 in its normal uninflated condition. To further inflate the enlarged central portion 8, air or liquid is injected through a valve member 9, a pilot balloon l0, and through a side arm 11 that connects to an inflation lumen. This inflation lumen communicates with an interior of the enlarged central portion 8 of the inflation sleeve. Thus, as air or liquid is forced in through the check valve 9 the center portion 8 of the tracheal balloon is inflated. The pilot balloon l0 likewise swells and gives a visual indication that the enlarged central portion 8 is inflated. Pilot balloon 10 is outside the patient and readily visible at all times while inflated central portion 8 is in the patients trachea and not readily visible.
In the perspective view of FIG. 2, the enlarged inflatable tracheal balloon is shown in more detail. The endotracheal tube terminates in the forward tip portion 2 that extends rearwardly to a heel portion 12 of the endotracheal tube. This tip 2 and heel portion 12 lie along a bias plane surface at an annular lip 13 that surrounds an open forwardly facing end port 14. End port 14 communicates with a main lumen 15 that extends longitudinally through the dual-lumen tube 1. Anesthesia gas entering through elbow connector 5 from an anesthesia machine passes through main lumen 15 and exits through forward port 14. If the physician desires to suction the trachea and bronchial area of the patient, he can readily insert a suction catheter or the like through the main lumen and cause it to protrude through forward port 14.
When the endotracheal tube is inserted into the trachea, the forward end portion includes open port 14 that can direct the anesthesia gas. There is also a side port 16 immediately forward of the enlarged central inflatable section of the sleeve. Port 16 provides a safety port for anesthesia gases to exit should forward port 14 become clogged with mucos, etc. Also it is believed that ports 14 and 16 in FIG. 2 each help direct the anesthesia gases to the individual lungs.
In FIG. 2 there is also shown in dotted line the inflation lumen 17 that communicates with the side branch tube 11. It is noted that this inflation lumen 17 is closed off at a forward end portion 18. Also this inflation lumen 17 includes a port 19 that connects the lumen 17 with an interior portion of the inflatable enlarged central portion of the tracheal balloon. Therefore, the enlarged inflatable center section can be inflated or deflated by means of a hypodermic syringe connected to check valve 9.
A very important feature of this invention is best illustrated in FIG. 2, and includes the smoothly contoured external slide zone extending from the forward angularly biased annular lip 13 to the enlarged inflatable central portion of the tracheal balloon. This smooth slide zone includes no abrupt interruption across the forward collar portion of the tracheal balloon.
The tracheal balloon and how it is formed is very critical to this invention. As shown in FIG. 3 the inflatable tracheal balloon is made by dipping a mandrel with an enlarged body segment conforming to the desired internal contour of the inflatable enlarged central portion of the balloon. This mandrel 20 is dipped into a plastisol bath 21. The plastisol begins to build up on the mandrel 20 until the desired thickness of the balloon is obtained.
Next, the mandrel is removed from the polyvinyl chloride plastisol 21. The formed inflatable plastisol sleeve is then cured. Then, the inflatable sleeve is stripped from the mandrel and the preformed balloon has an internal and external configuration shown generally in the enlarged cross-sectional view in FIG. 5. Here is shown the enlarged central portion 8 connected to an elongated forward collar 22 and a rearwardly extending collar 23. The elongated collar 22 is closed at its forward end and includes a small drip portion 24 formed when removing the mandrel from the plastisol dip bath.
The dual-lumen thermoplastic tube is made from an extruded polyvinyl chloride thermoplastic and a forward section is shown in FIG. 5. Here the tube 1 includes an annular wall that defines a main lumen 14; located within wall 25 is a much smaller inflation lumen 17.
Having formed the inflatable plastisol tracheal balloon and the dual-lumen extruded thermoplastic tube, the two units are telescopically fitted together by inserting the dual-lumen tube 1 in through the rear collar 23, enlarged inflatable section 8 and into forward collar 22. Preferably the collars 23 and 22 have an internal diameter slightly smaller than the external diameter of the dual-lumen tube 1. This is so the tracheal balloon will tightly grip the dual-lumen tube. If desired the collars 22 and 23 can be expanded over a tubular mandrel while inserting tube 1 or they can be wetted with a solvent or lubricant.
When the dual-lumen tube 1 and inflatable sleeve 6 are assembled they appear as in FIG. 4. The next step in the production of the novel endotracheal tube is to simultaneously sever both the forward collar 22 and the tube 1 along a biased plane indicated at 28 in FIG. 4. Plane 28 forms an angle in the range of 30 to relative to the longitudinal axis of the dual-lumen tube. This leaves both the forward collar 22 and dual-lumen tube 1 with coterminous biasly cut forward end surfaces.
At this time the two collars 22 and 23 can be permanently bonded with air tight joints to the dual-lumen tube 1 by heat fusion such as by induction heating or bonded by solvent adhesive. Preferably the rear end portion of rear collar 23 is rounded and smoothly contoured to the tube at this time. Also side port 16 can now be punched out of the wall of the insertion tube and the overlying tracheal balloons forward collar.
To form the smooth slide zone shown in FIG. 2 the combined tube 1 and inflatable sleeve section 6 are in-- serted into a heating mold. This fuses the forward tip into a thermoplastic mass which also fuses shut the forward end 18 of the inflation lumen. When the endotracheal tube is fused, the forward collar 22 becomes integral and generally homogeneous with the dual-lumen tube 1. This creates a smooth rounded forward lip 13 and prevents delamination of the forward collar 22 and the wall 25 of the dual-lumen tube. It forms an externally smooth slide zone as shown in FIG. 2. There is no interruption at a forward end of the collar where it joins to the dual-lumen tube. Thus the endotracheal tube can smoothly slide past a patients vocal cords with reduced chance of injuring the vocal cords.
In the foregoing specification a specific embodiment has been used to describe the invention. However it is understood by those skilled in the art that certain modiflcations can be made to this embodiment Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
1. In a medical endrotracheal tube comprising: a preformed theremoplastic balloon with a permanently enlarged central portion integrally connected by front and rear collars that respectively define front and rear ends of the balloon; and a dual-lumen theremoplastic tube within and secured to each of the balloon collars, said central portion being spaced from said tube, the tube having a main lumen, an inflation lumen, and a port that connects the inflation lumen with the interior of the enlarged central portion of the balloon; means for providing for safe insertion of the tube into a patients tracheal passage and deterring inadverten trauma to the patient comprising said tube having a front end that terminates at the front end of the fron collar, an opening having a smooth annular reliever. edge lip portion, the combined tube and overlying collars being homogeneously fused and forming a smooth continuous uninterrupted slide zone surface having a smooth seamless slide zone extending from the annular lip at the open forward end of the tube to the central portion of the balloon so that the tube can smoothl slide into the tracheal passage in a patient, said fused forward ends of the collar and tube comprising a bonded homogeneous mass of thermoplastic material for resisting delamination of the collar and the dual lumen tube, the said enlarged central portion of the thermoplastic balloon and the dual lumen tube, in the normal uninflated condition, forming an annular space therebetween, said inflation lumen being fused shut at a forward end portion, forwardly of the inflation lumens communication with the enlarged central portion of the balloon.
2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tube has a longitudinal axis and the forward end of the tube is biased at an angle relative to this longitudinal axis.
3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic dual-lumen tube is of a plasticized polyvinyl chloride material.
4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic balloon is formed of a polyvinyl chloride plastisol 5. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the rear collar has its rearward end smoothly rounded and blended into the exterior surface of the dual-lumen thermoplastic tube.
6. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the forward portion of the medical tube includes a side port having a relieved margin through the combined front collar and dual-lumen tube into the main lumen of this dual-lumen tube.
7. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the dual-lumen tube is an extruded thermoplastic polyvinyl chloride tube having a wall defining its main lumen and its inflation lumen is located in the main lumen wall.
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|US3407817 *||26 Jul 1965||29 Oct 1968||Air Reduction Inc||Catheter with cuff inflater and indicator|
|US3499435 *||2 Jun 1967||10 Mar 1970||Paul E Rockwell||Esophageal probe for use in monitoring|
|US3543759 *||14 Jul 1969||1 Dec 1970||Kendall & Co||Catheter with safety indicator|
|US3734100 *||29 Mar 1971||22 May 1973||Medical Products Corp||Catheter tubes|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
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|US20060052767 *||31 Oct 2005||9 Mar 2006||Jan Weber||Catheter distal tip design and method of making|
|US20080135052 *||5 Dec 2007||12 Jun 2008||Bussieres Jean||Right double lumen endobronchial tube|
|US20080216839 *||7 Mar 2007||11 Sep 2008||Rutter Michael John||Tracheostomy Tube|
|US20080294118 *||25 May 2007||27 Nov 2008||Iq Medical Devices||Catheter With Variable Attachment Means|
|US20110027334 *||29 Jul 2009||3 Feb 2011||Nellcor Puritan Bennett Llc||Multilayer medical devices having an encapsulated edge and methods thereof|
|US20110251564 *||24 Jun 2011||13 Oct 2011||Iq Medical Devices||Catheter with Variable Attachment Means|
|US20120080037 *||5 Oct 2010||5 Apr 2012||Innovative Medical Equipment, Llc||Nasopharyngeal airway|
|EP0665029A2 *||26 Jan 1995||2 Aug 1995||Sheridan Catheter Corp.||Esophageal-tracheal double lumen airway|
|EP0665029A3 *||26 Jan 1995||22 Nov 1995||Sheridan Catheter Corp||Esophageal-tracheal double lumen airway.|
|WO1984001294A1 *||23 Sep 1983||12 Apr 1984||Medical Eng Corp||Laser resistant endotracheal tube|
|WO2006130992A1 *||9 Jun 2006||14 Dec 2006||Universite Laval||Right double lumen endobronchial tube|
|International Classification||A61M16/04, A61M25/00|
|Cooperative Classification||A61M2016/0486, A61M25/1034, A61M16/04|
|European Classification||A61M25/10G2, A61M16/04|
|30 Jan 1990||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC.
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:BAXTER TRAVENOL LABORATORIES, INC., A CORP. OF DE;REEL/FRAME:005050/0870
Effective date: 19880518
|30 Jan 1990||AS01||Change of name|
Owner name: BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC.
Effective date: 19880518
Owner name: BAXTER TRAVENOL LABORATORIES, INC., A CORP. OF DE
|17 Oct 1988||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC., ILLINOIS
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:BAXTER TRAVENOL LABORATOIRES, INC., A CORP. OF DE;REEL/FRAME:005053/0167
Effective date: 19881011
|2 Mar 1987||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: BAXTER TRAVENOL LABORATORIES, INC. A CORP. OF DE
Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:AMERICAN HOSPITAL SUPPLY CORPORATION INTO;REEL/FRAME:004760/0345
Effective date: 19870126


text:
I ASKED the professors who teach the meaning of life to tell
me what is happiness.
And I went to famous executives who boss the work of
thousands of men.
They all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though
I was trying to fool with them
And then one Sunday afternoon I wandered out along
the Desplaines river
And I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the trees with
their women and children
and a keg of beer and an
Profession and position won’t bring happiness. Until we decide to live in the moment, we can’t get happiness.
I think finding real happiness is making our dear one’s happy.Money doesn’t bring happiness making money not spending time with family is a major problem of not finding true happiness.
This poem captures the essence of spiritually rich and blessed families. In a sick society it is good to take a snapshot of those that benefit from those that cling to good values. The instance of happiness under a tree, a keg of beer, an accordian, alongside a river transcends the materialistic economy. Material wealth does not ensure enduring happiness. Unless you have not experienced this you will not relate to meaning of Happiness by Carl Sandburg
yes happiness is what we express when we are happy and what we fill when we are in our special someone..
Sandburg is simply saying: Happeness is relative. The Hungarians were just one example.
I think what Sandburg is really trying to say is that one cannot truly be happy unless one takes accordion lessons.
happiness must not be asked to anyone cause it is a personal experience. in the poem, carl sandburg is trying to find answers of what happiness is, but in the end, he himself answered his own question.=)
Yeah! Happiness must be experienced..
it is love, here, in this poem that keeps happiness on. cause’ love is nothing more to ask and nothing more to give.
I read the poem Happiness and I recite it in the class. The poem expresses that Hapiness is gained through contentment.
I say that this poem says that hppines is not somthing you could some up in a pome or letter its just thare
I don’t work at “showing my ignorance.” Like everyone else here, I expressed an opinion, and if you think I am ignorant, please explain why you think so. We are all ignorant on something or other, and are not in that condition deliberately. If you are so smart (i.e., non-ignorant), show me why I should believe you.
Oh, dear Bettie. Try not to show your ignorance.
Nice poem, I could see where it was going – until I read “Hungarians and THEIR women and children” Ugh. Women and children can’t be Hungarians? Only Hungarian men are Hungarians? Couldn’t he just as easily have said, “Hungarians – men, women and children” etc.
“Having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” Are these the essentials for happiness, or just for existence? The answer lies in the context. It was written down in the first century by a man named Paul to a younger man named Tim. It’s actually in the sixth chapter of the first book named after Tim in the King James English Bible. It’s interesting to look up. — Jack
The Des Plaines river is nothing much to look at. The people who lived around there with me were not famous or overly happy. But Carl Sandburg knows more than most and put it down so we could feel what most people never feel.
I started reading this poem and I thought it was pretty good…I got confused. I guess he meant that happiness was in being with his children. Now that I say it, it makes more sense. Good poetry…I love Carl Sandburg’s THE FOG. It’s so cool!
I liked this poem because it shows that you can’t explain happiness. It’s whatever makes you feel good. You can ask a teacher of life what happiness is and their response could be totally different from what one of their students might say. Happiness is usually the simple things like being outside with your women and children playing the accordian.
What Carl is trying to say is
To live in the present.
Wisdom is earned by experience not through Education.
Happiness is a feeling which isn’t earned by success, fame or wealth.
It’s a feeling to share with your loved ones.
The Hungarians showed him what the true meaning of happiness is.
They showed him that happiness can be felt even when you don’t have the things you desire for, it’s just the memories you create
With your loved ones,I.e, it could be even achieved by living a simple life.
Hey i really like the poem and the reason is; is that it is true and it means a lot to many people that live around here and some who dont anyways I’m a poet and I think that he was a really great one love your poetry and well always remember someone like you in my prayers and forever.
This poem is too true. Just think about it. Try to explain happiness

domain: literature


text:
Thyme & Mint Roasted Eggplant
Japanese Eggplant, Arugula, Spinach, Tomato
Garlicky Yogurt Sauce, Arugula Flowers Garnish
While the presentation may look a bit familiar, the dish itself is unique. It is inspired by one of my all time favorite chefs ~ Yotam Ottolenghi. His fans will recognize the Japanese eggplant presentation from the cover of his innovative vegetarian cookbook Plenty, where he adorns them with pomegranate arils and za’atar. Try Ottolenghi’s dish in autumn when pomegranates are in season, but try my version this summer with bursting ripe tomatoes and vibrant fresh greens.
Continue reading “Thyme & Mint Roasted Eggplant with Arugula, Spinach, Tomato and Yogurt Sauce”
Japanese Eggplant & Shishito Peppers
Sweet Spicy Soy Glaze
Crispy Garlic & Chopped Peanut Topping
Chinese Chive Blossom Garnish
Back in August we had a most memorable meal at Wolfgang Puck’s Chinese Restaurant WP24. One of the many noteworthy side dishes was called “Hunan Spicy Eggplant, Roasted Shishito Peppers, Chili, Crisp Garlic.” Wanting to serve something similar at a recent dinner party but having no recipe, I decided to create my own interpretation of Wolfgang’s excellent side dish. It was a hit.
Continue reading “Sweet Spicy Eggplant & Shishito”
white asparagus wrapped in japanese eggplant
with a chiffonade of shiso
served over mizuna
spicy lemon miso dressing
blistered shishito peppers and grape tomatoes
Natasha, the 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! host the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, a fabulous monthly event for “sharing ideas and creating gourmet makeovers of selected classic dishes or flavor combinations.”
The 5 Star Makeover theme for April is a special seasonal ingredient, White Asparagus.
“For a brief two weeks at the end of April, the prized white asparagus is in season. In Germany, this mini-season is celebrated with a mania not to be missed, and every restaurant in on the tradition offers a special menu, called a Spargel Karte. These menus include anywhere from three to thirteen courses, all featuring the tender, sweet, white asparagus. Typical classic dishes include a white asparagus with Hollandaise sauce or a white asparagus soup. We invite you to think outside the box to create a unique gourmet dish featuring white asparagus.”
Continue reading “white asparagus wrapped in japanese eggplant”

domain: food


complex goes before public
hearing continued to Dec. 10
Express Staff Writer
Valley Planning and Zoning commissioners Tuesday gave mixed—but
generally favorable—reviews to a proposal by a consortium of local and
out-of-state developers to build a 111-unit residential complex on a
four-acre parcel adjacent to Elkhorn Resort.
two-hour hearing, the panel listened to an initial proposal by
representatives of New York City-based Elkhorn Resort LLC to build four
condominium buildings on the so-called "Sunshine Parcel"
adjacent to Elkhorn Village.
architect Michael Doty, right, explains aspects of a proposed
111-unit condominium development in Elkhorn to Sun Valley Planning and
Zoning commissioners Nils Ribi, left, and Ken Herich, center. Express
photo by Willy Cook
company has submitted an application to the City of Sun Valley for
Preliminary Plat and Design Review approval to divide the approximately
4.25-acre parcel into four lots that would each be the site of an
approximately 90,000 square-foot, multiple-story condominium structure.
parcel—which is located uphill along Village Way from the Elkhorn
Hotel, east of the Indian Springs condominiums and south of the Sunburst
condominiums—is currently vacant. The southern edge of the parcel has
often been used as overflow parking for the Elkhorn Hotel and the
proposed development has been named Sun Villas.
proposed project is not directly related to a proposal by CG-Elkhorn
Hotel LLC to demolish the Elkhorn Hotel and parts of Elkhorn Village to
build a condominium and townhouse complex in the village core. However,
both properties were previously under the same ownership.
a detailed slide presentation and lecture by architect Michael Doty
before a packed chambers at Sun Valley City Hall, P&Z commissioners
said they had some concerns about how the project was designed, but
offered some words of encouragement.
representatives have proposed to divide the commercial-zoned Sunshine
Parcel into four approximately one-acre building sites along Village
explained that each new parcel would be the site of a five-level
residential building, each with an approximate height of 60 feet. The
buildings would be constructed in two phases, he said, with two
structures being completed as part of each phase.
phase of construction, proposed to begin in March 2003, would include
construction of two approximately 94,000-square-foot buildings at the
north end of the site. The first phase of construction is proposed to
last until November 2004.
second phase would include the construction of two additional buildings
on the south end of the site from February 2005 until October 2006.
the structures would offer approximately 50,000 square feet of livable
space, plus a lobby area. Amenities such as a catering facility and a
health club would be dispersed in various buildings.
addition, all of the structures would be stacked in a fashion to allow
floors with less bulk and mass on top.
proposed Building 4, scheduled to go in last, would be the tallest
structure at 64 feet.
maximum allowance for height on the commercial-zoned site is 64 feet.
The maximum height allowance in residential-zoned areas is 44 feet.
the buildings would not have any commercial facilities.
underground parking garage with access from Village Way has also been
proposed. The garage would provide a total of 216 spaces in four
sections, in addition to eight spaces that would built on the ground
Ken Herich said he appreciated efforts to reduce the visual impacts of
is a very massive project. I commend the design team in trying to
mitigate the mass," he said.
Nils Ribi expressed concerns about the whether there would be adequate
parking at the development for employees, residents and guests.
Phil Usher noted that he was concerned if there was adequate space in
the neighborhood to support construction of the second phase of the
taking any comments from the public, commissioners elected to continue
the hearing to their next regular meeting Dec. 10.


One of the greatest voices in rock n’ roll was silenced today. CNN.com is reporting that Brad Delp – the lead vocalist for the rock band Boston – passed away this afternoon. There had been talk about a new Boston album and a possible reunion tour of the original members. That is now tragically gone forever.
Boston’s self-titled debut album – though released over 30 years ago – is timeless in its sound, innovation and compositions – not to mention one of the greatest classic rock albums of all time. Brad’s endless vocal range and soaring melodies helped to propel that album to one of the best selling debut records in the history of music.