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'Not Just Leaves in a Teacup'
Celebrating the Legacy of the Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Association
When you have belonged to an organization for most of your life, it isn't always easy to remember your first impressions. But for the women of the Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Association, this rarely seems to be a problem. The story of their involvement is one they love to tell from the beginning, and the details have only gained significance with the passage of time.
Dorothy Mitchell Zanetti, for example, started attending the association's annual meetings soon after she graduated from Flora Stone Mather College in 1959. Each year, the class celebrating its 50th anniversary would present a gift, usually for scholarships. To a brand-new alumna, those women seemed "really, really old." But then, Zanetti says, "I would look at them and think: They're so active, and they're so smart, and they're so curious. And when we would have teas or luncheons or whatever, these women would come. And they were just filled with knowledge of the contemporary times, even though they had graduated 50 years before."
Zanetti didn't know it then, but the elder generation of Mather alumnae would become her role models. "I have always felt that educated women continue to be active in the world," she explains. "I think that we are involved in a lot of things outside of our own little families." Looking back to her college years, she adds, "I think the type of education we had at Mather was conducive to opening our minds to what was going on in the world—and that just continued. People say we had such limited options. Well, maybe we did have limited options, but we didn't have limited thinking."
For 114 years, the members of the Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Association have been proving Zanetti's point. But now, it has fallen to the women of her generation to bring the group's formal history to a close. In June, 260 alumnae gathered at Squire Valleevue Farm for the association's last annual meeting.
By some unspoken compact, everyone agreed this would not be a somber occasion. Members of the Class of '47 presented a musical revue, as if they were reviving a Stunt Night performance from 60 years ago. Women who had never attended an annual meeting mingled with women who had never missed one. Meanwhile, the board members who had spent years preparing for this day remained focused on the task at hand. President Sandra Malek Vodanoff announced parting gifts to several university programs. Patricia Baldwin Kilpatrick called for donations to the association's final campaign: a $1 million challenge grant to endow the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women.
Near the entrance, Harriet Rosenthal Gould, the association's treasurer, had been distributing place cards, and she lingered there even after the presentations started. "Everybody's crying," she confessed. "But it's good to go out strong."
The Mather Way
The history of the association began on February 24, 1894, when five graduates of the Cleveland College for Women at Western Reserve University met and started making plans. (This was only six years after the college itself had been created; it wouldn't be named for Flora Stone Mather until 1931.) The association's first social event was a commencement banquet for the Class of 1894. Three years later, the alumnae established a scholarship fund with $210 in proceeds from a theatrical performance of The Russian Honeymoon.
Soon, the Mather women were supporting efforts to develop the college's physical infrastructure. In 1907, they contributed $17,500 toward the construction of Mather Gymnasium. A few years later, a future association president, Ruth W. Hitchings, led an $80,000 campaign to build the Mather House dormitory. The great Cleveland philanthropists of the day—Rockefeller, Severance, Wade—answered her solicitations with $5,000 checks, and many alumnae made substantial gifts as well.
Yet the association has never relied solely on large donations. A ticket to the formal opening of Mather House on May 22, 1914, cost 25 cents. There were baked goods and jellies for sale in the kitchen, flowers and homemade candies in the dining room. Guests were also invited to help furnish the kitchen by covering the cost of the utensil of their choice. This was the Mather way of doing things. And if you look closely enough, you can find evidence of it even in the alumnae's grandest initiatives.
In February 1929, for instance, the association announced a $1 million endowment campaign. The speeches at the opening banquet were broadcast live over radio station WHK. The Cleveland News reported, a bit condescendingly, that "750 of the girls and 'old girls' ... met to eat, make merry and usher in their campaign." In no time, however, the "girls" mobilized more than 500 volunteers. By April 10, they had secured almost $663,000 in pledges; by mid-October, they were just $60,150 short of their goal. Then the stock market crashed, marking the start of the Great Depression.
The rest of the story is a little elusive. The philanthropist Edward S. Harkness had promised the women $100,000 if they reached their goal. Sometime in December 1929, he apparently decided to drop the condition: His gift suddenly appeared in the campaign total. And the Mather alumnae, who had come so close and then run up against impossible circumstances, declared victory:
We've reached our goal in ten short months. The spring offensive began on February 15th—and what a series of attacks and counter-attacks, skirmishes and ambuscades followed. We've proved old friends and discovered new ones; we've learned many a lesson in loyalty and puzzled over many a problem of indifference. We've talked and walked and slept and dreamed "endowment"; we've sold rubbers [erasers] and rolls of waxed paper and playing cards; we've baked and preserved, and tended babies—and had such a jolly time withal!
This is an aspect of women's philanthropy that the Cleveland News did not fully appreciate. Naturally, the alumnae made merry at banquets: That's part of what an association is for. But once the festivities ended, the Mather ladies worked. And only the tiniest fraction of their efforts ever made it onto the radio or into any annual report.
As general chairwoman for the association's current $1 million campaign, Pat Kilpatrick draws inspiration from the women of 1929. But she takes equal pride in the seemingly endless array of activities that have filled the alumnae's calendars ever since: "Poke 'n' Tote" flea markets in Haydn Hall, lectures and recitals, awards ceremonies, conferences and symposia. "You see," Kilpatrick says, "the Mather Alumnae Association is not just leaves in a teacup." She speaks as though she's been waiting for an opportunity to set the record straight.
Photo courtesy of University Archives
Forging a Vision
The Mather alumnae have pledged $5 million in final gifts to the university. This amount represents the proceeds from their current campaign as well as the endowment they have accumulated over decades of fund-raising, donating, and investing. Approximately $2.6 million of their pledge has been designated for a scholarship fund. Another $1 million has been set aside for the challenge grant: It will be used to match contributions to the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women until May 2012. Out of their remaining funds, the alumnae are making gifts that affirm several of their longtime commitments—to the performing arts, women's athletics, Squire Valleevue Farm, and the study of women's history.
It is no surprise that half of the pledge will go toward scholarships; student aid has always been one of the association's priorities. As early as the mid-1930s, branches in Boston, Pittsburgh, Akron, and Canton had created their own scholarship funds. In the 1940s, the association hosted benefit recitals in Cleveland's Public Music Hall, with soloists such as the Metropolitan Opera's Risë Stevens and film star Jeanette MacDonald. The proceeds from these events were initially invested in war bonds. But as soon as the bonds matured, the money went into the scholarship fund.
Down through the years, individual alumnae and reunion classes made their own contributions. "I was so proud of my classmates," Mary McGuire Eitzen recalls, "when we successfully raised the required $20,000 to establish the Flora Stone Mather Class of 1950 Scholarship Endowment Fund."
Beyond providing support, however, the alumnae always wanted to know the scholarship students. For most of their history, they selected the recipients and held an annual dinner in their honor. In addition, the association sponsored several programs for the benefit of undergraduates in general. These included a seminar series, "Backpack to Briefcase," examining the transition from college to the workplace, and formal banquets where the Mather alumnae would dine with students and "critique their etiquette." As quaint as that may sound, Zanetti says the dinners were a great success: "We had a lot of foreign students come, and they were very interested in learning American ways. They would also criticize them, sometimes; they didn't understand why Americans keep shifting their fork from one hand to the other."
In 1994, Kristen Manter, president of the Association for Women Students, invited the association's board members to tea so that the two generations could exchange stories about their undergraduate experiences. The students were amazed by all the rules and restrictions that governed life in a women's college four or five decades earlier. For their part, the alumnae were surprised to learn that the female students often felt isolated from one another and from other women on campus. There were no spaces or social structures to bring them together—a stark contrast to Mather College. The students also described challenges they faced at an institution where women were very much in the minority. The alumnae had expected to hear how much better things were for the young women of that day. Instead, they became aware of the students' frustration.
From then on, the Mather alumnae assumed a leadership role in founding a center for women at the university. They sponsored a major colloquium, "Woman 2000: Forging a Vision," to promote changes in the culture of the university with respect to women's issues. The Class of 1956, led by Barbara Dale Collins and Roma Cohen Aronoff, celebrated its 45th reunion by starting an endowment fund to support the center's creation. And in 2003, when the center opened, the association made a naming gift of $500,000. Now, having pledged $1 million to endow the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women, the alumnae are busy raising funds they will match with their challenge grant.
Flora Stone Mather College graduated its last class in 1972. The following year, the university consolidated Mather, Adelbert, and Cleveland Colleges into Western Reserve College, the immediate predecessor to today's College of Arts and Sciences. But the Mather association did not dissolve or scale back its activities. Instead, it launched an endowment campaign for a new visiting professorship that eventually brought 32 distinguished women scholars to campus. Over time, the alumnae decided that the endowment should support a permanent faculty member, and political scientist Karen Beckwith joined the College as the Flora Stone Mather Professor in 2006.
Since the 1972 consolidation, the alumnae have found many ways to keep Mrs. Mather's name alive. But more than anything, they have tried to remain faithful to her example. Not long ago, the board members learned that the Goodrich Gannett Neighborhood Center on East 55th Street was raising money for renovation and expansion. They knew all about the original Goodrich building: Mrs. Mather financed its construction as Cleveland's first settlement house in 1896, and for years afterward she covered its operating expenses. More than a century later, the Mather women gave $50,000 to Goodrich Gannett's capital campaign; and then, since they have never been content to put up a mere shell of a building, they donated artwork and 200 children's books for the library. The Flora Stone Mather Early Childhood and Family Service Center was dedicated on August 21, 2007. It wouldn't be the colorful, inviting place that it is if the alumnae association had disbanded any sooner.
A distinctive group of scholarship students have equal cause to be grateful for the association's longevity. Beginning in the late 1990s, the Mather alumnae decided to devote their aid to non-traditional students, including women returning to school after years in the workforce. The Mather scholarships provided a much-needed supplement to the financial aid these students were eligible for. At the same time, those selected as scholarship winners felt affirmed in their decision to attend a university that might once have seemed beyond their reach.
Finally, the Mather alumnae say that remaining on the scene has allowed them to enjoy a special privilege: They were on hand to greet and build a relationship with the university's first woman president. Barbara Snyder attended their farewell meeting, and she gave the keynote address at this fall's Women of Achievement and Mather Spotlight Luncheon.
"One of the great pleasures of my first year as president has been getting to know the alumnae of Flora Stone Mather College," President Snyder says. "These graduates are passionately committed to the university and to serving the women who have followed them on our campus. They've contributed to so much progress here, and I look forward to their continued engagement."
Working in the World
Sharon Jordan-Davis, the College's executive director of constituent development, has been interacting with the Mather alumnae for more than a decade. "When you look at the breakdown of groups within the College, the Flora Stone Mather group probably has the highest participation," she says. "And I know it's a direct result of the experience they had here as students of the women's college. It was just ingrained in them that this is something you do: You give back."
Patricia Kilpatrick adds that the college gave these women the practical experience they needed for the tasks ahead. "We had our own student government," she recalls. "We had our own clubs and associations, and the students ran them. Every club in Mather College had an account at National City Bank. So we learned how to manage organizations. We learned how to work in the world."
Kilpatrick went on to have a groundbreaking career at the university—as a dean of women, as faculty secretary, and finally as the institution's first woman vice president. But she still remembers entering Mather College as a transfer student in 1947. "I lived at home," she says, "but I had had that going-to-college environment, and I fell right into it here. I'd sit in Haydn Hall and play bridge; we had a bridge game that never ended. Somebody went to class, and somebody else sat down." It sounds like the strategy that kept the alumnae association alive for 114 years.
Many thanks to university archivists Jill Tatem and Helen Conger; to Jacqueline Greene, a recent graduate of the College who researched the history of the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women; and to Richard Baznik, director of the Institute for the Study of the University in Society, for their contributions to this article.
Patricia Kilpatrick (left) and Lydia Bruner Oppmann celebrate the legacy of Oppmann's mother, Pauline "Polly" Bruner, a Mather alumna who served as a university trustee. During Alumni Weekend, the association dedicated the Flora Stone Mather Living Room in Alumni House to Polly Bruner's memory.
Photo: Mike Sands
The Mather alumnae held their final annual meeting in the sheep barn at Squire Valleevue Farm this past June.
Photo: Joel Hauserman
The Mather Alumnae Association's Challenge Grant Campaign
The goal of the Challenge Grant campaign is to raise $1 million for the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women. The leaders of the campaign are Susie Gharib, co-anchor of the PBS Nightly Business Report; Mary Ann Jorgenson, a university trustee and a partner at Squire, Sanders, & Dempsey; and Patricia Baldwin Kilpatrick, a member of the Mather alumnae association's board of directors and a former vice president of the university.
Under the terms of the Challenge Grant, the Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Association will match every dollar raised before May 10, 2012, up to the $1 million total. While the Challenge Grant will be allocated entirely to the Center's endowment, donors to the campaign may direct their gifts either to the endowment or to the Center's operations. For more information, please contact Gary Pillar at (216) 368-3992 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
University President Barbara Snyder (left) and Association President Sandra Vodanoff display a ceremonial check, representing the Mather alumnae's $5 million commitment to the University.
Photo: Mike Sands
Mather Stunt Night, 1926.
Photo courtesy of University Archives


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TOKYO (TR) – Prosecutors have announced the non-prosecution of a former member of an idol group over the alleged shoplifting of a jacket in Chuo Ward last year, reports TBS News (Feb. 19).
In October, Yuno Arita, 23, allegedly stole a Louis Vuitton jacket with a value of about 50,000 yen from a second-hand shop in Ginza.
Arita, whose real first name is Ayano, admitted to the allegations upon her arrest last month. “I thought it was a nice product so I stole it,” the suspect was quoted by police.
On Tuesday, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the non-prosecution of Arita. No reason for the non-prosecution was given.
Until July, Arita was a member of the group Sakura Cinderella.

domain: law


text:
I’m Suzanne Thompson, I’m the Creative Director at Shift8 Web in Toronto. I hold a degree from OCAD in integrated media.
Professionally, I specialize in infusing creativity into web design to create captivating, user-friendly websites. Beyond work, I’m a multidisciplinary artist who loves exploring various creative mediums, from painting to crochet.
I’m my husbands wife and business partner and I’m a very proud mom to my amazing son Jack!

domain: design


text:
COUNTRY singer Shane Yellowbird has died at the age of 42.
The Canadian artist passed away unexpectedly in Calgary on Monday, family members said.
Yellowbird, who was from Maskwacis, suffered from epilepsy but his cause of death remains unknown.
His family told CBC: Our brother was a talented artist who loved his children, music, and sports.
"We are all deeply struck by the tragedy and ask for the respect and privacy of this time to mourn the loss of our loved one.”
Yellowbird's sister Carmen told Global News: "It's been a shock.
"We're just trying to support each other and be there for each other. We have people across Canada contacting us, in the States."
She said the family is "trying to process" his loss.
Carmen said: "Shane was our golden boy. He made me, as the older sister, so proud. My dad and my mother were so proud of him."
Meanwhile, his other sister Chelsea said: "Our brother was a talented artist who loved his children, music, and sports."
Singer Crystal Shawanda was left shocked when she heard about Yellowbird’s death.
Most read in Celebrity
She told CBC: “This kind of came out of nowhere.”
Shawanda branded Yellowbird a "trailblazer" as she said, "he opened doors".
Yellowbird was best known for his track Pickup Truck.
It was his first song on the Canadian Country singles chart in 2007.
He was awarded the Rising Star Award at that year's Canadian Country Music Awards.
He also scooped three Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards in 2007.
The star released his second album It's All About Time in 2009.
He's survived by his partner and four kids.

domain: artistic


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One of the Red Wings who bolted for a bigger paycheck this past offseason will be back in a Detroit sweater when training camp rolls around this summer.
After spending this past season in the Kontinental Hockey League, Jiri Hudler will return to the Red Wings after he was released with one year remaining on his two-year deal with the Moscow Dynamo.
Hudler's agent Petr Svoboda confirmed it Friday afternoon.
"He wanted to come back to the NHL," Svoboda said.
Svoboda added that he had spent the last four weeks trying to get Hudler released from the final year of his $5 million-per-season deal with the Dynamo, who wound up merging with another Russian club.
"He missed the NHL," Svoboda said. "He missed the guys in the locker room."
Hudler, 26, has a two-year contract waiting with the Wings, which both sides agreed upon prior to an arbitration hearing last summer. It's worth $2.875 million per season.
Hudler, who was drafted in the second round by Detroit in 2002, scored 19 goals and had 35 assists last year in the KHL.
Hudler played five seasons with the Wings and totaled 52 goals and 75 assists in 255 games. He helped lead Detroit to the Stanley Cup in 2008 with five goals and nine assists.
Hudler is not eligible to return in this year's playoffs since he was not on the Wings' roster prior to the March trade deadline.

domain: sports


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The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, in partnership with JetBlue Airways, has launched a one-step biometric boarding process at Reagan National Airport using its newly developed veriScan system.
- JetBlue has helped launch a one-step biometric boarding process at Reagan National using the airport authority’s newly developed veriScan system;
- the veriScan system employs facial-recognition technology to streamline passenger verification and boarding on outbound international flights;
- Several airlines at Washington Dulles International, including United Airlines, Air France-KLM, SAS, Emirates and Cathay Pacific already use the system.
Described as a “biometic boarding solution for airports, by an airport,” the veriScan system employs facial-recognition technology to streamline passenger verification and boarding on outbound international flights, allowing passengers to board seamlessly without presenting a passport or boarding pass.
The system was designed and launched by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Office of Technology in response to a congressional mandate for United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to implement biometric exit processes for commercial airline flights leaving the country.
Launched on 10-Nov-2018, JetBlue is the first carrier to deploy veriScan in a one-step configuration – which allows passengers to board its flight from Reagan National to Nassau, Bahamas, using only facial capture technology. This latest biometric offering builds on the success of JetBlue’s biometric boarding trials in New York, Boston and Fort Lauderdale.
The new process was able to board 93 passengers in just 10 minutes – an average of just 5.5 seconds per passenger for verification by both Customs and Border Protection and JetBlue’s departure control system, says the airport authority.
“The veriScan system has become a critical tool for our airline partners as we work to enhance safety, efficiency and convenience at the airport,” says Goutam Kundu, vice president and chief information officer for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Since its launch in Jul-2018, veriScan’s two-step functionality has been piloted in four airports with 18 airlines on 139 flights – processing more than 25,000 passengers while exceeding a 98.5% success rate.
Several airlines at Washington Dulles International Airport, including United Airlines, Air France-KLM, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Emirates Airline and Cathay Pacific now use the system daily to expedite passenger verification on departing international flights.
“The biometric boarding system developed for use at Reagan National and Dulles International has gained the attention and support of other airlines and airports because it is cost effective, easy to deploy and allows passengers to board flights faster and easier than ever,” adds Mr Kundu.
Using proprietary software loaded on a portable tablet, veriScan encrypts and sends high-resolution photos of passengers boarding international flights to the CBP Traveler Verification Service for nearly instant identity verification. When integrated with airline boarding systems, veriScan further streamlines and expedites the boarding process by eliminating the need for boarding passes.
“We designed this technology to be deployed quickly and offer a portable, flexible and inexpensive solution to meet US Customs biometric exit screening requirements,” explains Jack Potter, president and CEO, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
The entire veriScan screening process should take less than two seconds, helping airlines expedite the boarding process. Unlike most other facial recognition systems requiring the installation of large equipment and dedicated communications and electrical lines at each gate, the veriScan system uses battery-powered, Wi-Fi / cellular connected tablets that are portable and interchangeable among gates.
Because of this, veriScan is easy to install, and according to the airport authority requires only a 30-minute training before it can be used by airline gate agents, and costs one-tenth that of other commercially available solutions.

domain: travel


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The Lagos Federal High Court In Ikoyi, Lagos, has reserved ruling in the final forfeiture of twenty nine million naira found in the account of a Director of Account, Lagos State Ministry of Public Works Corporation, Anifowoshe Alade till January 31.
At today’s proceeding, Counsel to the director, Mr. Wole Okeniile, argued that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has not been able to proof their allegations, stating that he who alleges must proof with fact and not “reasonable suspected” as it was used in the EFCCa��s ex parte application.
In response, EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo said in view of the failure of the respondent’s to filed a counter affidavit to state why the said sum and properties should not be forfeited to Federal Government, all facts deposed to in support of EFCCa��s motion are deemed to have been admitted by the respondent.
The director of Civil Litigation to Lagos State government, Mr. Saheed Quadri urged the court not to forfeit the said sum and properties to FG, arguing that the said money were diverted from the statea��s purse.
The court had earlier ordered temporary forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.
Justice Rilwan Aikawa made the order while granting an ex-parte application filed by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo and argued by Muhammad Idris, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Apart from the said sum, Justice Aikawa also ordered that buildings allegedly belonging to the director be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government.
SOURCE :sahara reporters (news)

domain: economics


|Publication number||US5947539 A|
|Application number||US 08/865,796|
|Publication date||Sep 7, 1999|
|Filing date||May 30, 1997|
|Priority date||May 30, 1997|
|Publication number||08865796, 865796, US 5947539 A, US 5947539A, US-A-5947539, US5947539 A, US5947539A|
|Inventors||Michael Long, Thomas W. Palone, James A. White|
|Original Assignee||Eastman Kodak Company|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (10), Referenced by (31), Classifications (13), Legal Events (5)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The invention relates generally to robotic grippers, more particularly, the invention concerns programmable means of providing short stroke grasping and releasing motion for apparatus for gripping objects.
Commercially available robotic grippers fall into two general categories characterized by the motion of the gripping jaws. In one category, the gripping jaws move parallel to one another. In another, the gripping jaws move through an angular displacement.
Parallel motion jaws have two distinct advantages over angular motion jaws in that the gripping force vectors intersect inside of the envelope of the jaws for any part within their gripping range of motion and therefore produce no force vector tending to eject the part from the jaws and second, the action of opening and closing the jaws introduces no component of motion to the gripped part in a direction toward or away from the body of the gripper.
The disadvantages of linear translation, parallel jaw motion grippers are that they have more moving parts, weigh more and have a smaller range of jaw motion than angular motion jaw grippers.
Typically, parallel jaw motion grippers have a total range of jaw motion which is only 5 to 25 percent of the diameter of the gripper body, so unless a very large, massive gripper is used, frequent gripper changes are needed in assembly operations involving multiple, different size parts. The time required to change grippers, the positional inaccuracies in mounting different grippers on the robot arm and the variations in jaw centering from one gripper to another all detract from the performance of the assembly cell. Oversize grippers compromise the load carrying capacity and dynamic response of the robot by their increased weight. They also develop considerable clamping forces which are difficult to repeatably control when handling delicate plastic parts. Control is further compromised by piston seal stiction in the pneumatic actuators for these grippers.
Moreover, current torque limitation of small stepping motors limits the grasping force for a jaw to be between 1 and 2 pounds. This restricts their use to grasping objects weighing less than 20 oz. which includes the great majority of the parts in portable modern electronic consumer products.
Planetary gear grippers sold by Techno Sommer Automatic offer a large range of parallel jaw motion in a small size gripper by actuating the jaws through arcs of circles to simultaneously converge or diverge. These grippers overcome most of the mass and force control limitations of linear motion parallel jaw grippers but the inability to control the position of the jaws other than being fully open or fully closed introduces other limitations.
All of the commercially available grippers are actuated through simple pneumatic actuators which allow only fully open or fully closed jaw positions. With this limitation, large range of motion grippers are disadvantaged in gripping parts which are small relative to their maximum jaw opening in that cycle time is wasted in waiting for the jaws to close a large distance and when acquiring and releasing a part, are likely to interfere with adjacent parts. This will often prevent part acquisition or will damage parts which have already been placed in an assembly. Manually adjustable stops are available for some actuators, but it is more practical to change grippers than to adjust the gripper travel while it is installed on the robot. A second problem with pneumatically actuated, long stroke grippers is that high jaw velocities result when the gripper is optimized for cycle time. This results in high impact forces between the jaws and the part being acquired and can lead to object or part damage and missed parts when the part rebounds off of the jaw.
Additional flexibility is afforded in being able to acquire parts which are presented on their sides or upside down relative to their desired orientation. The parts are brought into the desired orientation by adding a rotational capability to the gripping surfaces of the parallel jaw gripper where the axis of rotation of the part is parallel to the direction of jaw movement. Techno Sommer Automatic offers two Jaw parallel jaw grippers with this feature but, once again, the same problem of manually adjustable but nonprogrammable motion renders these pneumatic devices less than suitable for flexible assembly.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,414 to Jones et al. a multi-use gripper is disclosed that lacks a direct connection between the D. C. motor shaft and the threaded lead screw which produces movement of the carriers and gripper finger. This shortcoming introduces errors in jaw movement, due to backlash and drive errors.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,523 to Goumas et al, a gripper assembly is described that requires a stepper motor for each of the gripper fingers. This device has the obvious shortcoming of being prone to centering errors due to a loss of step count in one or both motors. Moreover, the gripping motion of the Goumas device is prone to finger alignment variability.
Therefore, a need persists for an apparatus and method having short stroke motion for gripping objects and capable of the following functions: acquiring, reorienting and releasing a wide range of part shapes and sizes; operating in confined spaces; automatically resizing its jaw opening to adapt to different size parts; controlling the gripping force exerted on the parts; and, reorienting overturned parts.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a apparatus for grasping and releasing an object that utilizes programmable short stroke linear motions.
Still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that grasps and releases an object with controlled force.
Yet another object of the invention is an apparatus that can grasp and assemble a wide range of object or part sizes within minimum time constraints.
It is a feature of the present invention that drive means for the apparatus includes a programmable, miniature stepper motor that delivers short stroke motion to gripper jaw members that enable a wide range of linear movements of the jaw members.
To accomplish these and other objects, there is provided, in one aspect of the invention, an apparatus having short stroke motions for gripping objects which has a frame and a pair of cooperating jaw members for engaging and gripping an object arranged on the frame. In particular, the jaw members are supported on corresponding carriers which are supported in the frame. Each of the carriers have a threaded end portion. The carriers are arranged for linear or translational movement in the direction of web travel. Moreover, drive means operably associated with the jaw members are provided for actuating the jaw members to move for opening and closing about the object. Importantly, a drive means comprises a stepper motor having an output shaft with a first threaded end and a second, oppositely threaded end. In this embodiment, the first threaded end threadably connects with the threaded end portion of the carrier supporting one of the jaw members and the second, oppositely threaded end threadably connects with the threaded end portion of the carrier supporting the other jaw member.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of gripping an object with short stroke linear motion includes the steps of providing an object, such as miniature electronic components or mechanical components, and providing an apparatus having short stroke motions for grasping and releasing the object, as described above. The cooperating jaw members are then moved linearly into a position within reach of the object. The object is then engaged by the cooperating jaw members and then subsequently securely grasped by the jaw members.
Accordingly, it is an important advantageous effect of the present invention that an apparatus for grasping and releasing an object utilizing programmable means for controlling a wide range short stroke linear motions is useful for assembling objects or parts in very close proximity as well as objects or parts having disparate sizes and shapes for economical flexible automatic assembly.
The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent when taken in conjunction with the following description and drawings wherein identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures:
FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of the apparatus of the invention;
FIG. 1(b) is a side elevation view of the apparatus;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus;
FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the apparatus of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the apparatus showing an alternate linear guide arrangement;
FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the apparatus showing yet another alternate linear guide arrangement;
FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of a ratchet mechanism useful for orienting a grasped object; and,
FIG. 7 is typical motor pole actuation sequence for driving a stepper motor used in conjunction with the invention.
Turning now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b)-5 broadly defined, apparatus 10 having short stroke linear motions for grasping an object 1, such as miniature electronic and mechanical components, includes a frame 58 and a pair of cooperating jaw members 14, 16 arranged on the frame 58 for engaging and grasping the object 1.
Referring to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), jaw members 14, 16 are supported on corresponding carriers 18, 20, respectively, which are supported in frame 58. Carriers 18, 20 each has a threaded end portion 22, 24, respectively, for cooperating with a drive means 26, described below. The carriers 18, 20 are arranged for linear or translational movement in the direction of web travel (noted by arrows in FIG. 1(a)). Drive means 26 (shown in FIGS. 1(a), 1(b), and 2-5) operably associated with the jaw members 14, 16 are provided for actuating the jaw members 14, 16 to move for opening and closing about the object 1. Importantly, drive means or alternately a stepper motor, 26 (described in more detail below), has an output shaft 38 with a first threaded end 40 and a second, oppositely threaded end 42. In this embodiment, the first threaded end 40 threadably connects with the threaded end portion 22 of the carrier 18 supporting one the jaw members 14 second oppositely threaded end 42 threadably connects with the threaded end portion 24 of the carrier 20 supporting the other jaw member 16.
Depicted in FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 2, linear displacement, parallel jaw gripper members 14, 16 are actuated by miniature stepper motor 26 having a double ended, threaded shaft 38. Perhaps best seen in FIG. 2, shaft 38 is fixedly connected to the rotor (not shown) of stepper motor 26. A left hand screw thread 40 (first threaded end of output shaft extends from one side of the motor 26 and engages threaded jaw carrier 18 on a first end while a right hand screw thread 42 (second threaded end of output shaft extends from the second side of the motor 26 and engages a threaded jaw carrier 18, 20 on the second side. According to FIGS. 1(a), 1(b), and 3-5, permanent magnets 46, 48 join jaw members 14, 16 to jaw carriers 18, 20, respectively. More particularly, jaw member 14 is magnetically mounted to carrier 18 by permanent magnet 46, and jaw member 16 is magnetically mounted to carrier 20 by permanent magnet 48. This provides distinct advantages over prior art gripper assemblies of the type disclosed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,699,414 and 4,680,523 including: quick change gripper members 14, 16; and, overload protection in the event of a crash. Overload protection is required in the event that the gripper strikes a fixed object to protect both the gripper and the fixed object from permanent damage.
Referring again to FIG. 3, linear guideways 52, 54 guide the motion of the jaw carriers 18, 20 generally parallel to the axis of threaded shaft 38. Linear guideways 52, 54 may take the form of lengthwise extending grooves 56 in frame 58 which are engaged by ridges 60 in the jaw carriers 18, 20.
Illustrated in FIG. 4, alternately, the frame 58 may have ridges 60 which engage grooves 56 in jaw carriers 18, 20. In FIG. 5, rolling elements 62, preferably generally spherical steel balls, may also be used to support jaw carriers 18, 20 for linear translational movement relative to base member 58.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, preferably apparatus 10 utilizes a miniature stepping motor 26 to deliver programmable, short stroke gripping and releasing linear movements of jaw members 14, 16 (not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5). It is our experience that the linear movements of jaw members 14, 16 fall anywhere within a wide range of possible movements of such jaw members 14, 16. Stepping motors 26 used in our preferred embodiment also provide a means for controlling the force which the jaw members 14, 16 exert on the object 1, also called the clamping force. This is achieved by either controlling current to the stepper motor 26 or by providing mechanical elasticity in the gripping jaw members 14, 16 in the direction of clamping force and controlling the position of the stepper motor 26. It is to be appreciated that the programmable motion gripper jaw members 14, 16 of the invention, as described above, enable the use of a single gripper device to acquire and assemble a wide range of part or object sizes without the interference and time constraints of currently available pneumatically actuated grippers. In this embodiment, high energy density permanent magnets (not shown) are used to attach the jaw members 14, 16 to the grippers. This embodiment provides the possibility for quick change jaw members 14, 16 and provides a measure of overload protection in the event of a crash. Overload protection is required when the gripper inadvertently strikes a fixed object. This feature prevents permanent damage to both the gripper and the fixed object.
Turning now to FIG. 7, stepper motor 26 is driven according to a pulse train sequence which energizes various motor poles (not shown) to grasp or release an object 1. As an example, a typical pulse train sequence for clockwise rotation of the stepper motor is represented in Table 1 below from the HSI Inc. Stepper Motor Catalog.
______________________________________Bipolar Q2 -Q3 Q1 -Q4 Q6 -Q7 Q5 -Q8Unipolar Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4Step1 ON OFF ON OFF2 OFF ON ON OFF3 OFF ON OFF ON4 ON OFF OFF ON1 ON OFF ON OFF______________________________________
Thus, according to the example depicted in Table 1, switching transistors Q1 -Q8 are either conducting (on) or nonconducting (off). For the bipolar drive in state 1, switching transistors Q2 and Q3 are conducting which drives the current from lead 120 to lead 130, shown in FIG. 7. Q1 and Q4 are nonconducting. Q6 and Q7 are conducting and drive current from lead 150 to lead 140 (FIG. 7). Q5 and Q8 are nonconducting. Hence, by changing the polarity of the motor stator coils (not shown) by changing the current flow direction through the stator coils and thus their polarity, the magnetic field in the stator coils processes in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Moreover, the permanent magnet rotor of stepper motor 26 follows the precessing magnetic field of the stator coils by virtue of magnetic attraction.
Vacuum cups (not shown) could be fitted to the extremities of each of the jaw members 14, 16 to acquire objects 1 through the use of vacuum as described previously. Alternately, as shown in FIG. 6, a pneumatic actuator assembly 76 located in one or both of the jaw members 14, 16 may operate a detented ratchet mechanism 80 to programmably index a rotational pad 82 in increments of 15, 30 or 45 degrees. Pneumatic assembly 76 includes piston rod 96, seal 86 and jaw member 14. Further illustrated in FIG. 6, ratchet mechanism 80, advantageously, allows the gripped object 1 to be rotated about an axis parallel to the direction of clamping motion of jaw members 14, 16.
In FIG. 6, ratchet mechanism 80 comprises a forked piston rod 96 having a seal 86 on one end and two spring flexure blades 88, 90 on the other. The longer flexure 88 acts as a rotational detent as it bears against the tips 104 of teeth 102 on pinion 94. The shorter blade 90 bears against a face 100 of one of the teeth 102 when the piston rod 96 is in the retracted position. As air pressure is applied to the upper end 98 of piston rod 96, the rod 96 is displaced toward pinion 94. Flexure blade 90 contacts the face 100 of tooth 102 and causes pinion 94 to rotate clockwise, overcoming the detent force of flexure blade 88 bearing against the tips 104 of pinion teeth 106, 108. As the pinion 94 rotates, flexure blade 90 loses engagement with tooth 102 and acts as a second detent device, in combination with flexure blade 88 to prevent rotation of pad 82. Spring 114 retracts piston rod 96 to its original position and allows flexure blade 90 to engage tooth 118.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that a miniature stepper motor 26 acting through a belt drive (not shown) could alternately be used to index the pad 82 in very small increments but with a somewhat reduced torque capability.
It is further to be appreciated that stepper motor drive 26 may be purposely overdriven to grasp an object 1 and then commanded to release the object 1 with a smaller motion index. The motion in this case will adapt to slightly different nominal object dimensions by losing command counts while grasping but will open to repeatable nominal opening dimension without cumulative error so long as the commanded grasping displacement is greater than both the minimum displacement required to grasp the object 1 and the commanded displacement to release the object 1.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, a method of gripping an object 1 with short stroke linear motion includes the steps of providing an object, such as miniature electronic and mechanical components, and providing an apparatus 10 for grasping and releasing the object 1, as described above. The cooperating jaw members 14, 16 are then moved into a position within reach of the object 1. The object 1 is then engaged by the cooperating jaw members 14, 16 and then subsequently securely grasped. After the object 1 is grasped securely by the jaw members 14, 16, the object 1 may be maneuvered from a first position at which the object 1 was securely grasped, to a second position at which the object 1 is subjected to independent treatment, such as assembly. After independent treatment, the object 1 may then be released from the jaw members 14, 16.
The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.
1 . . . object
10 . . . apparatus
14, 16 . . . jaw members
18, 20 . . . carriers
22, 24 . . . threaded portion
26 . . . drive means
30 . . . first threaded end of output shaft
38 . . . output shaft
42 . . . second threaded end of output shaft
46 . . . permanent magnet
48 . . . permanent magnet
52 . . . linear guideways
54 . . . linear guideways
56 . . . extending grooves
58 . . . frame
60 . . . ridges
62 . . . rolling elements
76 . . . pneumatic actuator assembly
80 . . . ratchet mechanism
82 . . . rotational pad
86 . . . seal
88,90 . . . spring flexure blades
90 . . . blade
94 . . . pinion
96 . . . piston rod
98 . . . upper end
100 . . . face
102 . . . tooth
104 . . . tips
106, 108 . . . pinion teeth
114 . . . spring
118 . . . tooth
120 . . . lead
130 . . . lead
140 . . . lead
150 . . . lead
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US4579380 *||Dec 6, 1983||Apr 1, 1986||Carnegie-Mellon University||Servo robot gripper|
|US4598942 *||Jul 23, 1984||Jul 8, 1986||Westinghouse Electric Corp.||Force-controlled gripper with adaptive accommodation|
|US4680523 *||Mar 13, 1986||Jul 14, 1987||Lord Corporation||Apparatus and method for handling articles in automated assembly processes|
|US4699414 *||Apr 21, 1986||Oct 13, 1987||The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force||Multi use gripper for industrial robot|
|US4808898 *||Sep 30, 1987||Feb 28, 1989||Keith Pearson||Gripper assembly for robot arm|
|US4955653 *||Sep 28, 1988||Sep 11, 1990||Administrator, National Aeronautics And Space Administration||Spiral lead platen robotic end effector|
|US5050919 *||Aug 8, 1990||Sep 24, 1991||Canon Kabushiki Kaisha||Hand apparatus for holding article|
|US5215507 *||Mar 9, 1992||Jun 1, 1993||Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft||Planet gear device for grasping articles having axial symmetry|
|US5253912 *||Apr 10, 1991||Oct 19, 1993||Axis Usa, Inc.||Gripper apparatus for electric motor components|
|US5538305 *||May 25, 1995||Jul 23, 1996||Microscience Group, Inc.||Microgripper|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US6523875 *||Nov 22, 2000||Feb 25, 2003||Atecs Mannesmann Ag||Apparatus for grasping a load from above or from the side, in particular for use in a manipulator|
|US6626476 *||Jul 18, 2000||Sep 30, 2003||Applied Materials, Inc.||Robotic gripper apparatus|
|US6830273 *||Mar 2, 2001||Dec 14, 2004||Schunk Gmbh & Co. Kg Fabrik Fur Spann - Und Greifwerkzeuge||Parallel gripper|
|US7670555 *||Sep 8, 2006||Mar 2, 2010||Rex A. Hoover||Parallel gripper for handling multiwell plate|
|US7854456||Apr 13, 2007||Dec 21, 2010||Syron Engineering and Manufacturing, LLC||Dual rod gripper|
|US8690213||Feb 8, 2012||Apr 8, 2014||Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki||Robot hand and robot|
|US8925986||Oct 11, 2013||Jan 6, 2015||Gimatic S.P.A.||Clamp with two long-stroke jaws|
|US8991885 *||Mar 15, 2013||Mar 31, 2015||Irobot Corporation||Compliant underactuated grasper|
|US8991886 *||Oct 8, 2012||Mar 31, 2015||Schunk GmbH & Co. KG Spann- und Greiftechnick||Gripping or clamping device|
|US9004559 *||Mar 15, 2013||Apr 14, 2015||Irobot Corporation||Compliant underactuated grasper|
|US9089977 *||Mar 15, 2013||Jul 28, 2015||Irobot Corporation||Compliant underactuated grasper|
|US9114540 *||Nov 25, 2014||Aug 25, 2015||Irobot Corporation||Compliant underactuated grasper|
|US9296110 *||Oct 8, 2012||Mar 29, 2016||Schunk Gmbh & Co. Kg Spann- Und Greiftechnik||Gripping or clamping device|
|US9327412||Mar 10, 2015||May 3, 2016||Irobot Corporation||Compliant underactuated grasper|
|US20020093212 *||Mar 6, 2002||Jul 18, 2002||Demag Cranes & Components Gmbh||Holding mechanism, in particular for a gripping apparatus|
|US20030030294 *||Mar 2, 2001||Feb 13, 2003||Gerhard Michler||Parallel gripper|
|US20070241577 *||Apr 13, 2007||Oct 18, 2007||Conrad Earl Waldorf||Dual rod gripper|
|US20080063562 *||Sep 8, 2006||Mar 13, 2008||Hoover Rex A||Parallel gripper for handling multiwell plate.|
|US20140132018 *||Mar 15, 2013||May 15, 2014||Irobot Corporation||Compliant Underactuated Grasper|
|US20140132020 *||Mar 15, 2013||May 15, 2014||Irobot Corporation||Compliant Underactuated Grasper|
|US20140132021 *||Mar 15, 2013||May 15, 2014||Irobot Corporation||Compliant Underactuated Grasper|
|US20140363264 *||Jun 10, 2014||Dec 11, 2014||Harvest Automation, Inc.||Gripper assembly for autonomous mobile robots|
|US20150021949 *||Oct 8, 2012||Jan 22, 2015||Schunk GbmH & Co. KG Spann- und Greiftechnik||Gripping or clamping device|
|US20150076850 *||Nov 25, 2014||Mar 19, 2015||Irobot Corporation||Compliant underactuated grasper|
|US20150251321 *||Mar 6, 2015||Sep 10, 2015||Fanuc Corporation||Robot hand for holding object, robot, robot system, and method of holding object|
|CN102773857A *||Feb 28, 2012||Nov 14, 2012||株式会社安川电机||Robot hand and robot|
|DE102009025909A1 *||Jun 3, 2009||Dec 9, 2010||Krones Ag||Contact element for use with handling element for packaged goods, comprises packaging machine, which is detachably fastened at frame element by magnetic force|
|DE102013018842A1||Nov 9, 2013||May 22, 2014||Gimatic S.P.A.||Spannvorricntung mit zwei langhubigen Backen|
|EP1785238A2 *||Sep 27, 2006||May 16, 2007||Schunk GmbH & Co. KG Spann- und Greiftechnik||Releasable connection between a gripping jaw and a gripping element in a clamping or gripping assembly, comprising a permanent magnet and an electromagnet|
|EP1785238A3 *||Sep 27, 2006||May 30, 2007||Schunk GmbH & Co. KG Spann- und Greiftechnik||Releasable connection between a gripping jaw and a gripping element in a clamping or gripping assembly, comprising a permanent magnet and an electromagnet|
|EP2522470A1 *||Feb 10, 2012||Nov 14, 2012||Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki||Robot Hand and Robot|
|U.S. Classification||294/119.1, 901/39, 294/902|
|International Classification||B25J15/00, B25J15/04, B25J15/02|
|Cooperative Classification||Y10S294/902, B25J15/0028, B25J15/026, B25J15/04|
|European Classification||B25J15/00G, B25J15/02P1, B25J15/04|
|May 30, 1997||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, NEW YORK
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LONG, MICHAEL;PALONE, THOMAS W.;WHITE, JAMES A.;REEL/FRAME:009308/0483
Effective date: 19970530
|Dec 30, 2002||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Mar 28, 2007||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|Sep 7, 2007||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|Oct 30, 2007||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20070907


text:
Opening Weekend - Duel at the Dog: May 6th & 7th
Monadnock Speedway will begin it’s 51st season with the 2nd Annual Duel at the Dog, a 13-division race program spread over two full days of competition. NASCAR’s oldest division, the Whelen Modified Tour, will make it’s first of two stops at the high banks in 2023. The opening race of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup, a three-race mini series offering it’s own championship and point fund, pins the best asphalt Modified drivers in the country against the most talented local drivers. The NEMA Lites, Exit Realty Pro Truck Challenge, New England Dwarf Car Series, New England Pro 4 Modifieds, and NELCAR fill out a full card of traveling divisions that will also be in competition.
The stars and cars of the Monadnock Speedway house divisions will headline the Duel at the Dog Sunday. The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Top Tier Division, the New Hampshire Short Track Racing Association (NHSTRA) Modifieds, will face off in a 80-lap extra-distance showdown. The NHSTRA Late Models, Outlaws, Mini Stocks, Six Shooters, and Young Guns will all begin their season at the Duel at the Dog, as well. Fans will be given the opportunity to get up close and personal with the drivers and see their newly-minted paint schemes with an On-Track Meet & Greet before racing gets underway on Sunday. Don’t miss one lap of the intense competition that the full two days of the Duel at the Dog Weekend promises to provide.
This event is being promoted by JDV Productions. For more information including ticket prices, please go to https://jdvproductions.com/events/duel-at-the-dog/Back to News

domain: news


How to use TRON and Ethereum coins?
Tron (TRX) and Ethereum are smart contract platforms that allow developers to create decentralized applications (Dapps) and execute transactions on a distributed ledger system. Tron is based on the TRON protocol, which is focused on providing high-speed transactions and scalability. Ethereum, on the other hand, uses the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to execute smart contracts and run Dapps on its blockchain. Both platforms have their own respective cryptocurrencies, TRX and ETH, which are used to facilitate transactions and incentivize network participants.
Release time 2023 04 19


text:
Gold Crashing!greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread
It keeps crashing into that box up in the right hand corner.
This is terrible!
It's off the chart (literally!)
Glad I loaded up on gold first.
I believe the historic silver/gold price ratio is about 1/30? Anyone?
-- Me (email@example.com), October 04, 1999
Niagara Falls "Cave of the Winds" tour on Goat Island
-- UP (firstname.lastname@example.org), October 04, 1999.
-- What (email@example.com), October 04, 1999.
Gold is currently up +USD$14 @ USD$332.
With moves like this BE careful in buying coin....
The premium will go (and ebb) faster than the spot market.
Think before you 'Invest' but buy the currency you may need.
Silver may be a better Y2K barter item, buy at your own risk.
Things will get WORSE before they get better.....
-- Helium (firstname.lastname@example.org), October 04, 1999.
For the latest gold prices:
Got 14 days of preps? If not, get started now. Click here.
Click here and check out the TB2000 preparation forum.
-- Stan Faryna (email@example.com), October 04, 1999.
Yes, Kitco, please move that box as it is preventing the price of gold from moving upward (and I thought the people at Kitco were bullish on gold - why did they set up that roadblock?)
-- TrustHim (firstname.lastname@example.org), October 05, 1999.
It just can't seem to crash below that 323 line...
As for kitco... their graph seems to be out of the order a lot of the time. This is much better methinks. Someone here suggested it a couple of days ago.
-- Y2KGardener (email@example.com), October 05, 1999.

domain: finance


text:
It seems to be all about wings this month at Cobblestone Alley. If it’s not birds it’s butterflies.
Coming out of Winter it is certainly time to spread our own wings and set off to a flying start in 2021.
Let’s begin with our birds ….
The Bird Feeder makes such a lovely gift and is beautiful in the garden. It’s a thing of beauty that will keep
our feathered friends happy in the cold days of early spring. When it might not be warm enough to sit out
for very long it is nice to be able to look out at the birds feeding away in this shabby chic umbrella shaped feeder.
For indoors, we have birds in the form a silver coloured rotating candle holder. With its silver coloured birds on silver branches
rotating with the heat of the t light , it is a beautiful addition to any home.
Our Butterflies ….
Rotary candle holders big and small. The t light holder with its colourful butterflies and the large golden double candle rotary
with its beautiful delicate butterfly wings bring joy and wonder to any table and any occasion. Cosy and dramatic all at once.
We hope that our Birds and Butterflies will be ideal gifts this year for Mother’s Day, Easter, Birthdays, Weddings, Engagements, and thoughtful Thank you gifts.
“Flying starts from the ground. The more grounded you are, the higher you fly” J.R.Rim We hope our birds and butterflies will help
keep us all grounded by looking to nature and taking the time out to candle gaze , dream and give those dreams the wings to fly.
Thank you for supporting us .
Fly high from all at Cobblestone Alley

domain: hobby


Shielding fabric ST-Naturell
NATURELL is a semi-transparent, unbleached ecological cotton fabric for the protection against high-frequency (HF) radiation. Typical application as curtain.
- - Ecological cotton fabric without chemicals, certified to Öko-Tex 100 and 1000
- - High screening attenuation for a cotton fabric
- - Excellent cost/performance ratio
- -Textile characteristics: Washable, easy to iron and process → Quality grade: Very high Width: 250 cm, +/- 2 cm Length: Available by the meter Attenuation: 35 dB at 1 GHz Color: Ecru-White Raw materials: 82 % cotton, 17 % copper, 1 % silver Weight: 70 g/m² Dimension stability: +/- 3 % Certificates: Öko-Tex 100 and 1000
Cannot be grounded. Low-frequency electrical fields (LF) must be reduced by additional procedures. We recommend to shield this fields or to switch it off with a demand switch.
The shielding attenuation is regularly tested in our own laboratory or by Professor Dipl.Ing. Pauli at the University of the German Federal Armed Forces in Munich due to the standards ASTM D4935-10 and/or IEEE-STD-299-2006. The line in the diagram stands for the radial direction of polarisation (both directions, horizontal/vertical) and indicates the attenuation achievable in practice. You find the expert report above.
Download Maya Catalog


text:
There is a tendency in journalism, Mike Heron agrees, to lump similar bands together in the same scene simply because members knew each other in passing, or got started around the same time, or simply lived within five kilometers of each other. All the same, Heron insists that there was a real sense of togetherness in and between the outposts of the UK folk scene of the early-to-mid ’60s. In Edinburgh, it included Robin Williamson and Clive Palmer, whom Heron would eventually join to form the Incredible String Band, and the scene initially revolved around folk vanguard Bert Jansch.
When Jansch hitched to London around 1965, Incredible String Band members took up the flag for his Tuesday night folk club at the Crown Bar with a new all-comers event in Glasgow: Clive’s Incredible Folk Club. There was room for nearly any performer who happened to drop by, says Heron, and plenty of room for experimentation and branching out.
“We had the whole night to fill,” Heron recalls, “so the String Band would do two sets, and then Clive, Robin and I did sets individually. John Martin was very much a part of that scene, and so was Bert.”
It was during one of these all-night folk-ins that the three-piece version of the Incredible String Band came to the attention of Joe Boyd, an American producer and London club owner who doubled as a talent scout for New York-based Elektra Records.
“He’d heard about Clive and Robin the year before,” says Heron. “They were doing just a duo at that time, playing Gypsy versions of old British folk material, rough versions of traditional songs. He was already interested in signing them to Elektra, but when he found them they had become three—I had joined them and we were off in a different direction.”
Boyd signed the trio anyway, and the Incredible String Band’s eponymous debut LP was released in 1966. Critics raved about the record, though band members had their initial misgivings about its commercial prospects.
“We were making jug band music,” Heron explains, “and of course Elektra weren’t very interested in that. They were the label with the Doors and Love and Bread and Carly Simon—very much a songwriter’s label, if you like. The reason they signed us, I think, was probably because of [opening track] ‘October Song.’ ’Cause that’s a really good song, and Jac [Holzman, Elektra founder and CEO] always had an ear for good songs, so we were nudged in the direction of writing original material. Robin and I were happy about that because we were doing it anyway. Clive, though, was more into reviving the old jug bands, so he left after the first album and went to [Afghanistan and] India. Later on he did become interested in writing songs and made a few albums, which are now quite collectible. But at the time he wasn’t, so he left.”
Bandmate Robin Williamson also took some time off after the band’s debut recording. His exotic destination of choice was Morocco, where he intended to study music, but the musical instruments he encountered there gave him other ideas.
“Robin came back with a load of instruments and was keen to start again, so he got in touch with me. Joe Boyd put us in the studio together and we played each other the songs we’d done in the interim. We brought in our girlfriends and started to go in a world-music direction.
“We were also very influenced by the whole psychedelic scene,” Heron continues, “because Joe Boyd was the kingpin of it. He was right in the center of the whole thing. We were kind of pulled into it—catapulted into the middle of that scene.”
The retooled band became a fixture at the UFO, Boyd’s legendary London club, bemused participants in psychedelic carnivals featuring live performances, simultaneously projected films by Kenneth Anger, and above all the massive cross-pollination of musical styles. During their UFO tenure, Incredible String Band members rubbed elbows with everybody from Jeff Lynne (future mastermind of the Electric Light Orchestra) and Monty Python co-conspirators the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band to the pint-sized dynamo who would eventually trade his kaffiyeh for skintight gold lame at the helm of T. Rex. Heron recalls that when the Incredible String Band mounted its production of U—an ambitious pageant of music, dance and theater—at the London Roundhouse, UFO acquaintance Marc Bolan attended the performances every night.
“We loved it,” Heron says of the group’s stint in the musical hothouse of swinging London. “We laughed it off. And we were influenced by everything that was going on around us. I think everyone was. It was one of those times when the barriers were down and everyone was interested in what other people were doing. People were very open-minded.”
U later toured the United States, marking one of the Incredible String Band’s last stateside jaunts before breaking up in 1974. The group’s highest profile American performance, however—by 1974, five years behind them—had been a nonevent. Woodstock, Heron agrees, was hardly a smashing success for the group. The band declined to perform on Friday night due to heavy rain, opting for a slot the next afternoon. Sandwiched between Creedence Clearwater Revival and Canned Heat on Saturday, they were treated to a less than rousing reception.
“Joe Boyd has a theory,” Heron says, “that the people who went on while it was raining became famous—Melanie and Richie Havens and all that. His thing is that, on Friday, people were just pleased to be there. The heavier drugs hadn’t kicked in yet. By the time everyone had spent a day eating beans in the mud, they were more into listening to Canned Heat—which, I must say, was a band I enjoyed, too. But people were really roughing it—it was very pioneer-like. To have this flimsy String Band up there doing their thing, well…”
Aside from the peevishness of the crowd, Heron insists that the group chose the wrong songs for the performance. Even while ostensibly touring to support a new record, he explains, the Incredible String Band always drew heavily on new, obscure and otherwise unrecorded material; in retrospect, Heron thinks they should have stuck to stronger tunes. A recently discovered “proper film” of the band’s Woodstock set, he says, has at least convinced him that the performance wasn’t as bad as he and his fellow band members remembered. At the very least, Heron muses, it was an interesting experience.
“We were helicoptered in with Ravi Shankar, in one of these military helicopters with no side. I was absolutely terrified. There’s actually footage of us coming out of the helicopter, and I look very white. It was one of the high points of terror in my life, and I had to share it with Ravi Shankar.”
Joe Boyd, according to Mike Heron, has a lot of theories about the band. He’s suggested that Palmer’s departure after the first album left remaining members Williamson and Mike to soldier on somewhat alone in each other’s company. He’s also ventured that Heron and Williamson didn’t like each other very much. Both claims are untrue, says Heron—although he does affirm a third assertion: that girlfriends Rose Simpson and Licorice “Likky” McKenzie were brought aboard as a kind of checks-and-balances system once the band departed in its more psychedelic direction.
“Joe is very fond of nailing theories,” Heron laughs, “and they’re usually wrong. He’s always saying that the reason Robin and I produced great music was because we bounced off each other, didn’t like each other. Which is complete rubbish. I would write a song and bring it to Robin, and he would suggest all the things he could do on it. And he would do it, too, the other way round. That’s why I eventually took up the sitar. I wanted to add color to things he brought in. I got as far as I could on it, and then when the band broke up I sold it the next day. The whole point of it was to illustrate Robin’s stuff. I didn’t use it to write stuff myself. So the whole theory that Robin and I wrote well together because we didn’t like each other is rubbish, really.”
The almost-original Incredible String Band—Mike Heron, Clive Palmer and Lawson Dando—will perform Wednesday, Oct. 13, at the Crystal Theatre with special guest Joanna Newsom. Tickets are $12/advance (available at Ear Candy), $13/door. Doors open at 8:30 PM. Show starts at 9.


I make a loss of £100 a day when Smiths News fails to deliver on time
The service we have been getting from Smiths in the past 18 months has been terrible. If there is a problem, we make frequent calls but never get a call back.
I even call the line which says you will definitely get a call back within 48 hours, but nothing happens. We open at 6am but have been frequently getting…
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text:
I looked into the mirror this morning
and found myself looking pretty!
And at the very same moment,
your face flashed in my mind's mirror.
Not for catching the nerd in me
being so vain as of thinking herself pretty,
But for the fantastic realization
that I would actually love to dress up for you someday!


text:
This election season has been the most negative, most vitriolic, most slimy primary I can easily recall. There might have been worse, but it's buried somewhere in the past. It started early, too. Our Presidential Preference primary was back in March. The ballot was simply presidential preference: no other offices were present. This Tuesday's primary (or for the last two weeks for those who do early voting) is for our local state representatives, senator, judges, school board, and then for US senator and one of the constitutional amendment votes Florida is justifiably infamous for. For example, have a look at the 2002 pregnant pig amendment story an amendment to the state constitution to outlaw a practice used by two farmers in the entire state. That's right: two.
The most vicious races have been for the state senate and representative, with the state senate race being the worst. With a primary at the end of August, it was a surprise when we started getting attack mailings in early June, aimed at our current representative who's now running for "promotion" to the senate. There was no mention who the ads were promoting, but they all were from a PAC apparently dedicated to keeping him out of the senate. He's a two term representative, first winning a seat in 2008, and while he's not what I'd call stellar as conservative/libertarian, he's a "4 out of 5" to me. Naturally, I assume that a PAC dedicated to destroying a candidate is either funded by, affiliated with, or in other ways connected with his political opponent, so I started looking into who that was.
The story gets needlessly complicated here (what? more needlessly complicated than it already is?) with redistricting, the opponent and state rep. actually having been friends (I'd add "at one time"), the state rep's wife and ex-wife getting dragged through the mud, and then doing a commercial to support him, the same three or four politicians running against each other every election, and more. My "issue" is that I've never seen the volume of glossy photo cards attack mailers (11x14 size postcards) that this race is generating, nor have we gotten the number of junk phones calls as we have this election.
Long ago, like 35 years or so, I decided that a good rule of thumb was to not vote for the first candidate to sling mud. Like all "zero tolerance policies" or rules of thumb, it's not right all the time, and should be used with some commonsense, but it's a pretty good indicator. In this case, the state rep actually comes out on top. He has released some negative ads about his opponent, but nowhere near the volume of slime she has generated against him.
Comparatively, the race for the state representative has been a model of decorum. Two of the four candidates for that race have actually knocked on our door and wanted to meet us - if only to give us another glossy photo card. That race is marred by a "carpetbagger" - in this case, not a northerner coming to take advantage of us, but someone from south Florida coming to take advantage of us - and a candidate who has been a fixture in Tallahassee government, going from job to job, getting term limited out only to be elected to another, all while being our local model of the GOP Establishment. The favorite trick is to pass a large amount of taxes, then pass another bill cutting some other taxes so that they can say they cut taxes while the total tax bill has gone up. We get about a quarter of the junk phone calls for this race.
The candidates all act like there's a template they're filling out. They all act like if they just say the same handful of buzzwords, or buzz phrases, they win. This year's buzz phrases include:
- I'm against Illegal immigration
- I'm against Common Core
- I'm pro-Second amendment (having the NRA ratings to back it up adds cred)
- I'm against supporting illegal immigrants in any way, or doing anything that might benefit them
I'm looking for the slime to ease up once Tuesday is over with. Of course, then we transition to the mud slinging for the presidential election in another two months. I'm going to move the recycling bin right next to the mailbox so that campaign literature can just be directly dumped from the mailbox into the recycling can.
Indonesian mud volcano has nothing on us).
I actually know one of the farmers from that pig story. He was putting the pregnant pig in a small pen to keep her from trampling her piglets to death.ReplyDelete
That's pretty amazing. Only two people out of the 20+ million people in the state had those pig pens, and out of the hundreds of millions who could drop by this blog, YOU know one of them.Delete
My mind boggles trying to put a probability on that.
The probability of that is at least several orders of magnitude higher than the probability that Hillary will tell the truth even ONE time before November.Delete
You rarely get to use the phrase "a dozen orders of magnitude", but I think it's about the same as Hillary telling the truth.Delete

domain: politics


text:
It’s time to put another log on the fire, get cosy and snuggle up until winter is over. Our ideas will help ensure your fireplace looks as good as it makes you feel.
Improve your fireside décor
The fireplace wall is often the focal point of the room, and can look amazing when treated as a feature wall, using either striking wallpaper or a paint colour that contrasts with, yet also complements, the colours used in the rest of the room.
Fireplace accessories can be quite distinctive and are usually on display, so choose pieces, whether contemporary or traditional, that co-ordinate both with your room as a whole and with each other.
Above the fireplace, add either a work of art or a mirror that is proportionate to the space. A mirror is very useful for reflecting light around the room, but don’t feel it has to be a traditional overmantel – something more contemporary may fit better with your style.
Think about what is displayed on your mantelpiece. Photographs, candles, small ornaments and vases of flowers, collections…anything goes provided it fits. A formal, symmetrical arrangement is easy to achieve and suits a traditional room, or else something more freeform can be eye-catching and intriguing.
Not using your fireplace? It can still be a great feature. Stack logs within it, prop up a framed picture, display a large ornament such as a shell, a piece of coral or antlers, set up a group of candles, or simply use the space for a display of flowers in a simple vase.


text:
Ex-Kumasi Asante Kotoko SC striker Elvis Amoh made it 11 goals in 19 matches for Rio Grande Valley FC in the USL Championship on Saturday night.
The 28-year-old Ghanaian forward scored the opening goal of the match to put the visitors 1-0 up after just five minutes of action with a tap in from close range following a defensive howler.
The home team, New Mexico United FC grabbed the equalizer on the 24th minute through a fine finish from Chris Wehan to make it 1-1 before the break.
The game ended in a 1-1 stalemate despite both teams creating chances in the second half.
Amoh has 11 goals and one assist in 19 matches for Rio Grande Valley FC in the USL Championship this campaign.


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Whether you’re here to create new healthy patterns of behavior, or build on existing healthy behaviors, this therapy is for you! Couples Therapy is designed to meet you where you are and give you the tools to grow and flourish as a couple.
During Couples Therapy, you will complete an assessment, which will help guide the therapist in choosing the tools that will best meet your needs. Couples Therapy is generally a weekly or bi-weekly program that takes place over six months but can be adapted to fit your needs. Each session is 60 minutes long and is normally accompanied by weekly “homework.”
Family can mean many different things and whether your whole family unit is in need of some new tools for healthy functioning, or two people within the family unit, this is for you. Family Therapy can be helpful when one parent (or both) is having troubles with a child, when siblings are not able to communicate effectively, or when there are issues going on outside of the family that the family needs help adapting to.
This therapy can take place as much as once per week or a little as once per month and can be adapted to fit your family’s needs. Schedule a phone consultation today to see how family therapy can benefit your family!
Individual Therapy is a wonderful option for all seeking therapy. This therapy can cover everything from depression, anxiety, trauma processing, and more. Individual Therapy is for all ages and genders and we have different therapists trained to work with different populations. Our office offers play therapy as well.
Please check out our Welcome page for more information on our team and which therapist is right for you.
Congratulations on your engagement! Investing in your relationship through Pre-Marital Therapy is one of the best things that you can do to ensure that you start off on the right foot and build healthy rituals to create lasting joy together. Research reviewing numerous premarital counseling effectiveness studies found that couples who participate in pre-marriage preparation report an average of 30% stronger marriage than couples who did not participate in pre-marriage preparation (Stanley, Amato, Johnson & Markman, 2006).
This program is a weekly or bi-weekly program, consisting of 60-minute sessions. Using the Gottman Method, you will complete an assessment and begin using the tools to create a healthy and satisfying relationship, as well as process differences, and plan for the future. Don’t wait, schedule your first session today!
Goals of Pre-Marital Therapy:
Explore areas of strength and needed growth
Strengthen communication skills
Identify and manage major stressors
Learn how to resolve conflict
Develop a more balanced relationship
Understand personality differences and maximize teamwork
Explore family of origin issues
Discuss financial planning and budgeting
Establish personal, couple, and family goals
Discernment Therapy is a great option if one or both of you are considering divorce or separation. Often, one partner wants to work on and “fix” the relationship and the other is leaning more toward parting ways, and this program can help both of you find a resolution to this problem. Note- this therapy is not intended to work on the problems, but to give each of you space to explore your options and come to a decision on whether or not you will continue forward together.
This program is time-limited (1-7 sessions maximum), where you will each meet individually with the therapist, and then together with the therapist at the end. Each session is 60 minutes in length. Discernment Therapy is “successful” when both people have found clarity, confidence, and understanding, even if it is painful.
Goals of Discernment Therapy:
Clarity about what might have gone wrong, what you want, and what’s next (based on what you want)
Confidence about the next steps for your relationship
Understanding what has happened in the relationship and what each of you has contributed
End the relationship (deciding to move forward with separation or divorce)
Commit to a six-month period of time for an all-out effort in couples counseling to preserve the relationship
Stick with the status quo (we understand that sometimes there are multiple factors keeping you from reconciliation or separation)
Discernment Therapy is not permitted when...
One person has made a final decision to end the relationship and is pursuing therapy to encourage the other partner to accept their decision.
One person is coercing the other with a threat of any kind.
There is danger of domestic violence or physical harm.
When there is an order of protection from the court.
Marathon Couples Therapy
This program is an intensive Couples Therapy, taking place over two consecutive days. Each day comprises of two, three-hour sessions, with a break for lunch in between. Marathon Couples Therapy is perfect for couples traveling to receive couples therapy, or those who are not able to commit to regular sessions. In order to receive Marathon Couples Therapy, you must complete a phone consultation and be accepted into the program by the therapist.
Owner and founder, Claire Zwerk, LMSW is trained and ready to provide a variety of different speaking engagements. This includes a lecture, training, or presentation. She is able to customize and create workshops to specifically meet your needs. Interested in having Claire Zwerk, LMSW speak at your event or lead a private training? Contact Claire to schedule and get pricing information.

domain: psychology


text:
Kunjeldho is an upcoming Indian Malayalam-language campus film written and directed by Mathukkutty film. The film is now set to release on 27 August 2021 during the occasion of Onam.
Talking about the cast and crew of this movie which is directed by Mathukkutty. And the credit of writing goes to again, Mathukkutty and starring by Asif Ali, Gopika and Siddhia and many more. Cinematography done by Swaroopphilip and Edited by Ranjan Abraham and Distributed by century films. Kunjeldho’ which is touted as a campus film is written and directed by RJ Mathukutty.
Though the makers planned to release the movie last year, it was delayed due to the pandemic. Shaan Rahman composed the songs and Swaroop Philip cranked the camera. Creative work done by all members of this movie so watch and enjoy this movie which is released on August 27 in a theatre.
Download KUNJELDHO From These Movies Website

domain: entertainment


text:
Coated with chocolate frosting and decorated with After Eights, Peppermint Creams, Mint Matchmakers, Mint Aero balls and sugar stars. The perfect cake for chocolate mint lovers!
Choose from a vanilla sponge layered with strawberry jam and buttercream, light chocolate sponge with chocolate buttercream or a soft red velvet sponge sandwiched with cream cheese frosting.
The standard size is a deep 6" cake approx 5" tall.
50% bigger would be a deep 8" cake approx 5" tall.
- The height does not include the decoration.

domain: food


Fishlabs has signed a distribution agreement with Sony
in order to make it possible for their games to reach as many mobile phone users as possible.
The partnership regards mobile game
title such as "Galaxy on Fire", "Planet Riders", "Heli Strike" and "DEEP". Not only that, but they are also considering "Blades & Magic". This is an RPG game that qualified for the Game Developers Conference's final from this year.
Peter Ahnegard, Content Acquisition Manager at Sony Ericsson, commented on the deal made with Fishlabs: "We have introduced a strong line-up of more than 50 3D-enabled phones to date. Fishlabs has a proven track record of creating some of the finest 3D mobile games in the industry. Thanks to their ability to deliver outstanding 3D gaming experience on our phones, we are now making a range of these game available for enjoyment by consumers who have come to expect a great gaming experience on Sony Ericsson phones."
As for Fishlab's view on the signed agreement, CEO and Co-Founder Michael Schade said that it mattered a great deal for them the fact that Sony Ericsson holds much appreciation in the top 20 handsets for downloads. "We are absolutely thrilled to see all our games live at Sony Ericsson Fun & Downloads. Probably, this is where gamers will look for 3D mobile games the most and Sony Ericsson phones have always been our key target platform to develop our games for.", he further declared.
Fishlabs is the creator of some of the best 3D mobile games in the industry. 15 of them actually received top industry awards as a proof of appreciation.


Races begin to get on ballot
Candidates for Sioux Falls mayor and City Council have the next month to collect the signatures they need to get on the April 8 ballot.
Friday was the first day to circulate nominating petitions for the five city races, as well as the one open Sioux Falls School Board seat.
Council candidates running for district seats need 50 voter signatures to get on the ballot, while the at-large council and mayoral races require 200.
So far, nine people have filed for the four council seats and two for mayor. The nominating petition deadline is Feb. 28.
Bonita Schwan was the first council candidate to Carnegie Town Hall at 8 a.m. Friday to get her petition. She spent the morning visiting supporters who had contacted her wanting to sign her petition. By noon, she had about half of the 50 she needed, she said.
Schwan has had plenty of practice this year. She is active in the Save Our Neighborhood group trying to stop Walmart from building a supercenter in south Sioux Falls. She helped petition to put to a vote two zoning issues related to Walmart, and she said she collected 1,000 signatures during their last drive.
“I only need 50 this time. I find that very exciting,” she said.
So far, Schwan is unchallenged for the southeast district seat, because incumbent Sue Aguilar is not running for re-election.
Rex Rolfing is one of two incumbent councilors seeking re-election. Friends will help him solicit the 200 signatures he needs to run for the at-large position.
As he’s out talking to voters, he said he wants to let them know about the council’s accomplishments during the past four years.
“I plan on continuing doing the same thing,” he said.
Community activist Emmett Reistroffer is challenging Rolfing, along with Rep. Manny Steele, R-Sioux Falls. Reistroffer said he planned to spend the weekend at Benson’s Flea Market gathering signatures. Steele began collecting his signatures while still in Pierre on Friday.
Barth won’t run for mayor
Mayor Mike Huether is seeking a second term and is challenged by Councilor Greg Jamison. Minnehaha County Commissioner Jeff Barth had expressed interest in running for mayor but has since filed to retain his seat on the county board.
“People with money were not flocking to my banner,” Barth said.
In the 2010 race, Huether put in more than $125,000 of his own money to win the election. This time around, he raised more than $51,000 through the end of 2013. Jamison collected $18,650 for his campaign, but that was before a silent auction fundraiser Friday where admission was $50 per person.
“The powers that be seemed pretty content with the candidates out there,” Barth said. “They may not be beloved, but they are supported.”
The council and mayor positions are nonpartisan, but politics play into the race. Huether is a Democrat, and Jamison is Republican.
Glen Rice is the latest candidate to join what’s now the most contested council race. He is running for the At-Large position currently held by Jim Entenman, who is not running for re-election.
Rice figures the race is winnable without an incumbent. Also, he said his wife is good friends with councilor Michelle Erpenbach, who is running to retain her seat in the central district, where Rice lives.
Others running for the At-Large position B are Rep. Christine Erickson, R-Sioux Falls, former legislator Denny Pierson and Rob Knutson, a special education paraprofessional.
“Any time you’ve got an open seat, it definitely attracts more people to run,” Erickson said Friday while returning home from Pierre. She said it’s good that people have options and can choose the candidate who best supports their vision.
The candidate with the most votes will win, but if no one gets at least 34 percent of the vote, the top two will have a run-off election.
Rice, 51, said he’s long been interested in running for office but could not as a federal government employee. He retired last summer after 26 years as an air traffic controller at Joe Foss Field.
He is a proponent of indoor swimming pools, he said, but not at Spellerberg Park. He suggests a site off of Interstate 29 at the Maple Street exit.
He’s also interested in the city’s efforts to get traffic flowing on East 26th Street. The railroad crossing isn’t the major problem, he said; it’s where 26th goes from four lanes to two west of Interstate 229, he said.
“You have to figure out where to put that traffic,” he said.
City growth in general is a concern for Rice. He said the city needs to look at the cost of annexing subdivisions.
Rice was a member of the Sioux Falls Jaycees before aging out and is a member of El Riad Shrine.
Born and raised in Erie, Penn., he moved to Sioux Falls in 1987 after answering an ad for learning air traffic control.
His wife, Dawn, is from Geddes and now works at Wells Fargo. The couple has three kids: Matthew, 15, Lanty, 14 and Arianna, 10.
Five jobs, 11 running
Mayor:Greg Jamison, Mike Huether
At Large Position A:Emmett Reistroffer, Rex Rolfing, Manny Steele
At Large Position B:Christine Erickson, Robert Knutson, Denny Pierson, Glen Rice
Central District:Michelle Erpenbach
Southeast District:Bonita Schwan


Today my job as Church Carpenter led me to investigate the erratic workings of St. Malachy’s bell. I have been up the inside of the steeple to replace a shear pin in the mechanism a number of times, usually when the pin has sheared and the bell won’t ring at all, but also on a couple of occasions before Easter or Christmas when I knew the shear pin was probably nearing the end of it’s life. Lately the bell has been ringing just fine tolling the hours and the Angelus, but has been balky when the control panel button is pushed to make it continuously toll, the button Fr. Smith likes to use to summon/welcome people to Mass. Oddly, when the control is in this mode, one can hear the mechanism working in the steeple, that is, right next to the bell, but there is no strike of the bell. There is only one striker, and it works in the other modes.
With this mystery in mind I began the usual journey toward the bell, which entails these steps:
1. Climb front steps of church and enter vestibule
2. Climb steps to choir loft level
3. Climb ladder to lower steeple hatch, remove hatch
4. Climb through lower hatch into 3’x3′ steeple flue
5. Turn on interior steeple lights (lower)
6. Climb vertical ladder to middle steeple platform
7. Turn on interior steeple lights (upper)
8. TURN OFF POWER TO BELL
9. Place planks across middle steeple platform and climb onto them
10. Remove upper steeple hatch (16″x20″) and stow hatch
11. Climb vertical ladder and thrust upper torso through hatch
12. Proceed with necessary repair
This is always a pretty strenuous endeavor, and certainly not for claustrophobes, as it is rather like being inside a chimney. I usually know what tools to carry with me, but decided to make the first trip up unencumbered. I was not particularly optimistic about my chances for success, as I was guessing that the problem was with a part of the mechanism I have never seen, probably inaccessible from inside the tower. This mechanism, last time it was serviced, required lift work from outside and the removal of one of the bell tower’s louvered vents.
Up I went until, upon completion of step 3, I found myself unusually showered with debris. Noticing that the greatest portion of the debris was leaves, and recalling the footprints I’d seen on the snowy roof a couple of weeks ago, I concluded that squirrels were now inhabiting the bell tower. I proceeded with steps 4 and 5, envisioning terrified squirrels exiting the upper portals as I climbed toward them turning on the lights. I tried to imagine what these creatures might have done to cause the symptoms our bell was presenting with.
Now confined in the small flue of the steeple I looked up to the middle platform and began the climb toward it. A couple of rungs up I was greeted by urgent and quite intimidating hissing noises, and pausing to listen, realized that the sounds were emanating from the platform now 3-4 feet over my head. Wishing in earnest that the squirrels might find me more terrifying than I found them, I waited. The hissing continued, and when I tested the rodents with one more tentative upward step, it intensified. Obviously I was going to need a weapon.
I retreated downward, and finding a 10′ long aluminum pole in the store room, headed to the front again, trying to envision a method of using my pole that minimized the possibility of direct physical contact with the squirrels. The thought that they might have a litter of young on the middle platform had just entered my mind, and I realized that prying the hissing squirrels from the nest and forcing them to fall on my head, in such close quarters, would be very upsetting for them. I called Fr. Smith and apprised him of the situation, and we agreed that it might be best to research, before proceeding further, the reproductive cycle of the Eastern Gray Squirrel. Sure enough…litters in February. I hope the bloody shear pin holds on for a little longer.