Workers in the construction sector in Belgium receive loyalty stamps and bad-weather stamps. The management of these social benefits is in the hands of PDOK. Cegeka rebuilt the application used to do this. Therefore PDOK does not have to worry about continuity and maintainability anymore.
The main task of the Employers’ Office for the Organisation and Control of Welfare Schemes (Patronale Dienst voor Organisatie en Kontrole van de bestaanszekerheidsstelsels, PDOK), is the collection of employers’ contributions and the issue of loyalty stamps and bad-weather stamps for workers in the construction industry in Belgium. The application that PDOK used to manage this was progressive when it was introduced in 2004. It was developed in-house and has been updated and managed by PDOK all along.
‘The employees were satisfied with the application,’ says Jan Vochten, Director at PDOK, ‘but there were two problems. On the one hand, the application had become a typical Belgian hotchpotch: whenever extra functionality was needed, something was added. This resulted in a system that was difficult to maintain. On the other hand, almost all people who had thought of and developed the system had left PDOK. At a certain point, we only had one person left who had helped develop the application, and there was no documentation. At that point I said to the board that this was no longer responsible and that we needed a new application.’
“The application had become a typical Belgian hotchpotch: whenever extra functionality was needed, something was added. This resulted in a system that was difficult to maintain.”
Jan Vochten, Director at PDOK
A more modular and maintainable system with state-of-the-art technology is needed. This should allow for easy implementation of any required adjustments in the future that may arise at any given time.
Complex chain of tasks
PDOK then entered into discussions with Constructiv, the service organisation of and for the construction sector. ‘They were already working with Cegeka and indicated that we could reuse components if we also worked with Cegeka,’ says Jan Vochten. In 2018, PDOK started drawing up specifications. Based on these specifications, Cegeka started developing the application in 2019. This was done using an agile approach and in the form of microservices, which were integrated with Constructiv’s platform for access to personal data and performance data. By integrating these components for PDOK as well, Cegeka can ensure consistent and uniform use of data flows within the social security fund for the construction sector.
This was a complex custom application, the development of which took two years. The application is responsible not only for the calculation and issuance of loyalty and bad-weather stamps of the workers, but also for the calculation and collection of employer’s contributions. Of course, this also includes the entire administrative and legal follow-up of the collection of money. ‘It is a complex chain of tasks that must all be well coordinated’, Hendrik De Wit summarises the challenge. As Senior Social Consultant at PDOK, he led the project in the right direction.
‘Although we had spent a lot of time on the specifications, it turned out that they were not yet sufficiently worked out’, Jan Vochten looks back. ‘When we started developing the application, many tasks turned out to be even more complex than we had estimated. For example, we had not discussed some requirements sufficiently with our financial department. Then discussions arose about what was in the scope and what was not. If we could start again, we would have dealt with the specifications even more thoroughly. But despite these challenges, cooperation with Cegeka was always constructive. It was not an easy project and we constantly challenged each other, but the cooperation was always a real partnership.’
“Despite the challenges, cooperation with Cegeka was always constructive.”
Jan Vochten, Director at PDOK
According to Hendrik De Wit, PDOK’s employees are satisfied with the use of the new application. By using updated data flows, improved and more extensive information is available, which makes it possible to present more contextual information to the users. As a result, for example, the monitoring of foreign companies is now easier.
For example, the application now also allows for a shorter response time. If a contractor has social security debts, the client must withhold 35% of the amount owed and pay it to the Belgian National Social Security Office (NSSO). Clients can use the online service ‘Check Inhoudingsplicht’ (check withholding obligation) to find out whether a contractor is in order. However, a week elapses between the moment that PDOK informs the NSSO that a contractor has social security debts and the moment that this is published on the website. ‘With the old application, we were only able to rectify situations where a company paid the amount due in that week, in the course of the day of publication, so that those companies were still listed as defaulting payers on the website for a few hours. With the new application, we can avoid this, as we can pass on the corrections in advance and they can be processed more quickly by the NSSO,’ explains Hendrik De Wit.
PDOK has worked closely with Cegeka, Hendrik De Wit explains. ‘Cegeka has supported us very well in unravelling the complexity of our application and simplifying it. The developers didn’t just blindly convert our existing application to a new environment but took an active role in coming up with ideas. They asked questions like, “What do you need certain functionality for, what are you going to do with it?” Thanks to their critical attitude, we have been able to greatly simplify our application. The contact with the project manager at Cegeka was also smooth, so that we could always make quick decisions.’
‘The fact that we were in direct contact with Cegeka’s developers on a regular basis proved to be a major asset,’ adds Jan Vochten. ‘We also noticed that it was important that someone took the time to steer the project in the right direction.
Finally, the problem of maintainability has now been effectively solved, concludes Hendrik De Wit. ‘Cegeka has a lot of know-how. This is useful if further developments have to be made. And as far as maintenance is concerned, they take care of everything. Moreover, everything is now documented. I still consult that documentation regularly if I want to know something about functionality I don’t use very often.’
“Thanks to the critical attitude of Cegeka’s developers, we were able to greatly simplify our application.”
Hendrik De Wit, Senior Social Consultant at PDOK


Friday, May 22, 2015
It´s now or never for Veronica Freeman´s solo project The V
Veronica “The V” Freeman is the iconic singer of the Heavy Metal heavyweights Benedictum and THE V marks a major step out of her comfort zone, since it delves into a definite melodic Hard Rock vibe.
An impressive array of talent has stepped up to assist THE V in creating her solo project on many levels. The list includes Pete Wells, Aric Avina and Rikard Stjernquist of BENEDICTUM, Michael Sweet (STRYPER), Garry Bordonaro (THE RODS), Jeff Pilson (DOKKEN, FOREIGNER), Mike Lepond (SYMPHONY X), Tony Martin (BLACK SABBATH), Leather Leone (CHASTAIN), Jerry Dixon (WARRANT), Jimmy Durkin (DARK ANGEL), Mick Tucker (TANK), Jordan Ziff (AGE OF EVIL), Derek Kerswill (UNEARTH, KINGDOM OF SORROW), Peter Tentindo (VENUS MARS PROJECT), John Herrera, Ryan Greene, Kenny Lewis, Meliesa McDonell, Michael Harris , Mel Brown and John O’Boyle.
Veronica comments: "I had a lot of input and encouragement from Frontiers to try and stretch myself with different musical styles and approaches. It was great to be able to work with Pete Wells writing some of these songs too. So, it was a no-brainer to accept their proposal for a solo album. I am a bit nervous and beyond excited!"
Be prepared! If you thought Veronica was just a Heavy Metal Amazon, you’re going to be proven dead wrong! This is a massive Melodic Hard Rock record with some great lead vocals which show a lot of the original influences that brought “THE V” to be one of the most well know and recognized voices in the current Metal scene!


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My understanding of the water/acid rule was that it was possible to generate enough energy from the reaction that it would sometimes cause the water to actually heat to the boiling point, go gaseous and splatter. It was therfore better to be splattering a solution of mostly water than acid, hence the saying “Do what you oughta, add acid to water.”
Getting back to my original question: Have you ever seen the high speed films of a water droplet hitting a pool of water? Where immediately after the drop hits the water, a somewhat smaller drop “bounces back” and basically flies up out of the ‘hole’ that the first drop made? It’s the composition of that second “bounce back” drop that is the key. Unfortunately, all the pictures I’ve ever seen have been where the liquid of the falling drop is the same as the liquid in the pool.
Maybe this weekend I’ll try and get some food coloring and try out Catalyst’s idea.
And bughunter: Never underestimate my morning emiction. Remember that little earthquake Chicago had a month or so back? That was me taking a whizz. The flooding of the Des Plaines river? That was me too…

domain: chemistry


text:
Let’s begin with Ensign Julian Mintz where he made a stop to Heinessen and pay a visit to Admiral Alexandre Bewcock as the young ensign delivered a personal letter from Admiral Yang Wen-li.
And speaking of Admiral Bewcock, the reason why the Integrated Tactical Operations Center assigned Ensign Mintz to Fezzan is because they want to remove most of the personnel from Admiral Yang’s side, leaving him all alone in fighting the Galactic Empire.
Honestly, I think Chairman Job Trunicht and his allies are sabotaging their own country for their own personal benefits, and yet the military within the Alliance can’t really do anything to change the system full of corrupted politicians as their role is to protect the people. C’mon, the previous military coup proves that it didn’t work out in the end.
Meanwhile, the people within the Free Planets Alliance are continuing to express their opinions towards the Legitimate Galactic Empire Government.
While a few of them are still supportive towards them, others sees the government-in-exile with contempt as they overstayed their welcome.
On the other hand, there are wounded soldiers and their families who don’t want to fight this meaningless war anymore.
Sadly, none of their voices will ever reach out the council as they’re busy saving themselves, all while being protected by the police who can’t hurt the civilians who are protesting their displeasure.
Even Louis Machungo is aware of this predicament as this situation ends in a stalemate… unless Chairman Trunicht’s radical knight order push those protesters away in a violent manner.
Meanwhile, looks like they managed to speak with Bernhard von Schneider who he was promoted to commander, while Joachim von Merkatz was promoted to fleet admiral. Despite having fancy ranks, Commander Schneider can’t do anything as he and Fleet Admiral Merkatz don’t have any soldiers to take command.
It’s really unfortunate that they’ll have to endure the whims of the greedy nobles belonging to the old regime. Still, I’m hoping that he and Joachim von Merkatz would make it out of this as they deserve better treatment.
Anyways, looks like Julian Mintz and Louis Machungo have arrived in Fezzan safely, although it seems that the latter won’t join the ball as Louis Machungo has some other things to do.
Now then, here’s Ensign Mintz where he told everybody that the Dominion of Fezzan might sell their own corridor to the Galactic Empire so that their military ships can pass through. Why? Because Duke Reinhard von Lohengramm is a man who uses unconventional strategies to achieve his goals.
Of course, most of the attendees found his rhetoric ridiculous as there’s no way the Galactic Empire will cross their own territory.
This got the attention of Rupert Kesserling where he told the ensign that even though he can speak his mind, he should provide facts to back his claims.
You know something, I think Rupert Kesserling might have already take a hint on what the Galactic Empire is planning to do, although I fear that he might punch Julian Mintz to the face for spouting nonsense at the party.
Fortunately, the ball didn’t become a brawl as the Chief Military Attaché Captain Violla break them up as he reprimanded Ensign Mintz for his behavior.
In any case, Julian Mintz should be careful when speaking his mind in Fezzan as the likes Dominique Saint-Pierré and Rupert Kesserling might send assassins to kill him.
And speaking of Rupert Kesserling, he went to a secret place at the slums where only Rupert can access it. I wonder what’s inside this facility?
Turns out, it houses Bishop Degsby where he’s in a worst state, having his body decrepit due to taking drugs and alcohol, all while have committing adulterous acts.
Now, he’s cursing Rupert Kesserling for letting his desires take over under the drug’s influence.
Of course, Rupert Kesserling refuted as he caught everything regarding Degsby’s debauchery, therefore Rupert Kesserling wants the bishop to comply with his demands or he’ll expose everything that would shun Degsby’s reputation.
In any case, looks like Rupert Kesserling managed to gain one ally from the Earth Cult, even if he used coercion and a little bit of illegal substance to put the bishop into submission. It would be worse if Julian Mintz got subjected to this abuse.
With that said, it was an eventful first few days in Fezzan for Julian Mintz as while he really miss Yang Wen-li, Ensign Mintz will have to stay vigilant as he cannot let his guard down against the Black Fox of Fezzan.
Still, the only thing that worries me is that he and Louis Machungo might encountered ships from the Imperial Fleet above their heads.
Now let’s return to the Galactic Empire where Fleet Admiral Reinhard von Lohengramm is about to execute his greatest strategy that will change the course of history.
There’s Commissioner Nicholas Boltik where he’s sending false information to the Dominion of Fezzan. He can’t just send actual information or Duke Lohengramm will execute Commissioner Boltik at gunpoint, thus the Free Planets Alliance will remain unaware that the Imperial Fleet will take a different route.
And speaking of the fleet admiral himself, Duke Lohengramm came up with the name of the operation: Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods. A fitting name where the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance will engage in the greatest battle that’ll determine the future of all humanity.
In any case, tune in next time where Operation Ragnarok will begin soon and neither the Free Planets Alliance nor the Dominion of Fezzan won’t able to stop it.

domain: politics


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Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the basis of the HBO TV show, and its proprietor Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma Ramotswe navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, and good humor—not to mention help from her loyal assistant, Grace...
"Each author captures Christie—and Marple—perfectly, while also displaying just a bit of her own unique touch. . . . This new and entertaining collection by some of our favorite writers will hook a new group of readers to the formidable Miss Marple." — Rhys Bowen, Washington Post
"Marple is the best loved [detective]. Also the most influential. . . . It...
12) Good Omens
The classic collaboration from the internationally bestselling authors Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, soon to be an original series starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant.
?Season 2 of Good Omens coming soon!
"Good Omens . . . is something like what would have happened if Thomas Pynchon, Tom Robbins and Don DeLillo had collaborated. Lots of literary inventiveness in the plotting and chunks...
13) The Raven tower
14) Ancillary mercy
16) Stay with me
In a beautiful collaboration, New York Times bestselling and Newbery and Carnegie Medal-winning author Neil Gaiman and Kate Greenaway-winning illustrator Chris Riddell have created a thrillingly reimagined fairy tale, "told in a way only Gaiman can" and featuring "stunning metallic artwork" (GeekInsider.com).
The result is a beautiful and coveted edition of The Sleeper and the Spindle that the Guardian calls "a refreshing,...

domain: library


Thanks for the inputs.
I have looked closely at the muzzle and it appears the shortening of the barrel was done by someone with less than the right tools. The barrel was not crowned and I am not certain how square it is. This will be another thing I will keep in mind as I go shoot the thing.
Looks like the work was done a long time ago.


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kat's must havesdeana's hit listmy style
The perfect size for salads, or desert, each richly colorful plate showcases a unique design. Using earth-safe glazes and a antique low-fire kiln, Sydney Albertini hand creates each unique piece herself. You’re table will be the one-of-a-kind envy of all your friends, in bright yellow. Hand wash, food safe.
Dimensions: 8 inches diameter
As seen in Domino Magazine - December/January 2008 issue!
FINAL SALE. NO EXCHANGES OR RETURNS.
Add to Cart:

domain: artistic


text:
Only with the creative freedom afforded by Netflix could the first of what’s intended to be many spinoffs from Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead be so drastically unlike the movie that spawned it. This year’s apocalyptic blockbuster was a blood-soaked $100 million zombie action thriller packed with wall-to-wall shootouts and action sequences, all shot with the director’s signature visual flair and sledgehammer subtlety.
Army of Thieves is absolutely nothing like its predecessor. Not only can you go in cold without having seen Army of the Dead, but you’d barely even know it was part of the same universe if it wasn’t for a couple of fever dreams featuring the undead and an epilogue that ties everything together in a neat little blow, helpfully explaining why Dave Bautista’s Scott Ward found Matthias Schweighöfer’s Ludwig Dieter in a store named Gwendoline’s.
Schweighöfer was hand-picked by Snyder to direct the film, and you can understand why from the very beginning. The former steward of the DCEU may not have been wielding the megaphone himself, but his fingerprints are all over Army of Thieves from start to finish. Not only did he co-write the story and produce, but several familiar stylistic flourishes from Army of the Dead are used to introduce new characters, although Schweighöfer still manages to put his own stamp on the proceedings to announce himself in Hollywood as an accomplished director in his own right.
A breezy cross-continental heist caper that plays like a cross between The Italian Job and Ocean’s Eleven with a healthy sprinkling of romantic comedy thrown in, Army of Thieves is almost formulaic to a fault and probably 20 minutes too long, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a fun ride.
Dieter, which we almost instantly discover isn’t actually his real name, works at a bank and dreams of being a world-famous safecracker, running a YouTube channel showcasing his skills that nobody watches. That all changes when Nathalie Emmanuel’s mysterious Gwendoline shows up on the scene, handpicking him to join her team with one very particular goal in mind; they want to rob three safes designed by the same person, all of which are almost mythical in nature and stature to Schweighöfer’s lifelong fan of master engineer Hans Wagner.
From there, you can pretty much guess where everything is heading, with the entire supporting cast ripped straight from the Heist Movie 101 playbook; Guz Khan’s Rolph is the sarcastic driver, Ruby O. Fee’s Korina is the eccentric tech expert, while Stuart Martin’s Brad Cage is the macho alpha male who even renamed himself to hammer home the self-belief that he’s the walking cross between Brad Pitt and Nicolas Cage.
Throw in Jonathan Cohen as the grizzled Interpol agent that’s been tracking Gwendoline’s crew for years, and Army of Thieves isn’t going to show you anything you haven’t seen done before in the genre. If you’re not a fan of CGI shots showing the interior of a safe as the various gears click into place, then you’re sh*t out of luck, because there’s a lot of them.
However, Schweighöfer’s camerawork is never anything less than fluid, and it’s a testament to his prowess behind the lens that there are multiple scenes of Dieter with his ear pressed to a combination lock, and each one is framed and shot in an entirely different way to keep things moving. As an actor, he brings a winning blend of boisterous enthusiasm, effortless comic timing and innocently vulnerable charisma to his performance, which is all the more impressive when you consider the fresh-faced star is 40 years old and playing an out of his depth novice criminal.
Sparks fly whenever he shares any scenes with Emmanuel, even though we know from Army of the Dead that there isn’t a happy ending at the end of a rainbow for the pair. As a calling card for both his on and offscreen careers, Schweighöfer has big things in his future based on what he brings to the table on two fronts here.
Credit must also go to the score from Steve Mazzaro and Hans Zimmer, which zips along at the same pace of the story, and neither the musical or narrative cues are ever beholden to what happens in Army of the Dead, either. Many prequels and spinoffs find themselves bending over backwards to join the dots and connect to previous installments in whatever franchise they hail from, but Army of Thieves isn’t interested in that.
Sure, there are multiple references to the zombie apocalypse in Las Vegas and a nod towards Hiroyuki Sanada’s Bly Tanaka, but Snyder has handed Schweighöfer an almost completely blank canvas to deliver a fast-paced, funny and frothy crime caper that just so happens to take place against the backdrop of a world that will one day see Garrett Dillahunt torn to shreds in the most gruesome fashion possible by an undead white tiger.
If this is what we can expect from the rest of the franchise while Snyder handles the blood and guts in main installments like Army and Planet of the Dead, then sign us up. Army of Thieves doesn’t boast much in the way of originality or surprises, but it’s two hours of giddy entertainment that delivers the expansion of the mythology we didn’t even know that we wanted.
Army of Thieves isn't the most original or inventive heist movie you'll ever see; but it's a massively entertaining expansion of Zack Snyder's undead cinematic universe.

domain: entertainment


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FREE UK DELIVERY ON ORDERS £50 & OVER
Enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep and all the benefits of excellent rest with the aid of Noctura®. Designed for the temporary relief of sleep disturbances, this nelsons noctura homeopathic medicinal product is used within the homeopathic tradition to aid good sleep. Take two tablets four hours before retiring and two tablets before to help keep any sleep troubles at bay.
- Additional Information
Size 72 Tablets Format Tablets Storage Instructions Keep all medicines out of reach and sight of children. Do not store above 25°C. Store in the original packaging. Directions Take 2 tablets 4 hours before retiring and 2 tablets before retiring. A further 2 tablets may be taken during the night if required. Tablets to be sucked or chewed. Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to any of the ingredients. Consult your doctor or qualified healthcare practitioner before taking this product if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars. Labels No
Coffea arabica 6c, Passifl¬ora incarnata 6c, Potassium bromide 6c, Valeriana officinalis 6c Lactose, Sucrose, Stearic acid, Magnesium stearate.
Write Your Own Review

domain: medical


text:
General Health Resources
Don't have dental insurance coverage? Learn more about VCU Dental's Student 2 Student Discount Plan, which offers affordable and quality dental care to full- and part-time college students in Virginia.
- healthtalk.org by the University of Oxford: This reputable site offers health information and patient support in a unique manner by sharing people's real life experiences of a wide range of health issues.
- Crohn's and Colitis Advocate Program
- Diabetes Support
- AMENA Support Group: Open to any individual with Arab, Middle Eastern, and/or North African background. Topics of discussion may include personal concerns, interpersonal relationships & dating, cultural/ethnic identity, being AMENA in the current political climate, etc. If interested in joining, please contact Engin Ege at 804-828-3964.
Student Health Brochures

domain: health


We are location – this is the motto of INDUTRAX, which provides consultancy and solutions to manufacturing and logistics companies independent of technology on the use of location and identification systems in production. In an interview, sales director Terry Phebey answers our dima questions.
dima: Mr. Phebey, INDUTRAX is engaged in location. What does this have to do with production processes?
We focus on solutions in which motion detection plays a major role. Examples are the automatic tracking of components, semi-finished and finished products in industrial processes or the location-based management of production assets such as tools, containers/containers or transport vehicles. This is how our solutions distinguish themselves from conventional Industry 4.0 approaches, which are exclusively concerned with managing stationary machines and devices. Especially in modern production processes it is necessary to know where objects are located in real time. This knowledge enables the manufacturer to flexibly and efficiently control processes and ensures trouble-free production – without costly downtimes.
dima: Are there any concrete use cases in production processes?
Several customers already use our PRODUCTTRACKER. This enables companies to track their production orders and resources in real time. The goals are:
- Transparency of the location of parts and components to fulfill orders,
- Identify deviations from the process plan and create a basis for dynamic reprioritization,
- Recording and displaying the dwell time of the orders in the respective process steps as well as material flow and movement times to support an analysis.
dima: Which technologies are used and how do your customers benefit from them?
In the context of Industry 4.0, manufacturing companies are looking for solutions that complement lean management approaches and can be easily implemented and flexibly adapted to their specific needs. It should also be easily possible to extend the solution and thus be future-proof. The spectrum of location and identification technologies as well as sensor technology is diverse. INDUTRAX operates independently of technology and manufacturer. We know the advantages and disadvantages of the most important systems because we install and evaluate them in our test factory.
dima: How do you integrate the tracking and identification solutions into your software?
The software ‚INDUTRAX Application Environment‘ has been designed to facilitate the integration of different source systems to collect real-time data from the environment. Identification via barcode/QR code, passive RFID solutions, presence detection via BLE, positioning via GPS/Galileo with communication via LoRa, 3G or 4G, real-time positioning with BLE, UWB or sensor technology such as temperature/humidity, weight, distance, air quality provide the source data. This is used in combination with contextual information from the physical environment as well as the production or logistics control systems to generate defined events. By means of easily configurable sets of rules, these events can be used to improve the design and control of processes. Visualization and reporting capabilities allow both a current overview of the activities in the manufacturing plant and historical evaluations for analysis and subsequent improvement of the processes under consideration. We provide ready-to-use applications for this purpose: ASSETFINDER, ASSETTRACKER and PRODUCTTRACKER.
dima: What about system integration?
The INDUTRAX Application Environment is operated centrally via a server in the customer network or in the cloud. The operation is platform-independent under Windows or Linux. An integrated in-memory processing logic and intelligent geo-algorithms ensure high scalability.
dima: What is the need for consultancy and what are the most frequent problem areas?
Customers want to know which tracking and identification technology can solve their problems. We discuss the customer’s use cases and goals and get an idea of the production environment and the potential for improvement. We point out appropriate solutions: accuracy, reliability, type of tags (with/without battery), battery life, software and other parameters all play a significant role.
dima: What does an ideal typical use case look like?
Our solutions deliver benefits in terms of efficiency, control, quality and flexibility. Efficiency improvements either reduce production costs, e.g. by eliminating non-value-adding activities (searching for products, components, operating resources) or increase throughput, e.g. increase output by 5% while keeping production costs constant. Control focuses on real-time tracking of production orders to ensure transparency and monitoring (e.g. compliance with process step sequences). For quality, the solution ensures that production errors, such as those caused by human error, do not occur in the first place. Flexibility means that the production processes are automatically adapted to the variants to be produced. This can take the form of worker guidance or context-dependent control.
The interview was originally conducted and published in German.


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We’ve teamed up with Industry & Supply, purveyors of top-quality and painfully cool T-shirts, to bring you a strictly limited series of top-notch Tees starring Street Machine cover cars. These shirts are properly printed on quality stock, available in a wide range of sizes and colours, and in standard short-sleeve or RWYB-friendly long-sleeves.
There’s a new one every month – currently we’re on Pete Levick’s Gas Guzzler Austin gasser from issue #2, so don’t hang around. Why not collect them all? You’ll find them on www.covercarshirts.co.uk, but here’s a piece of advice from me – the sizes are Euro standard, not American standard, so order the next size up from what you’d usually order.
Star Of Texas
Shopping is a chore at the best of times, and a patience-testing nightmare at others. If you could pick one place that you’d actually enjoy shopping at, I bet it’d look like this: Summit Racing Equipment’s new facility in Arlington, Texas, which should be operational by the time you read this. You know how they say everything’s bigger in Texas?
Try 700,000 square feet of speed parts, racing parts, classic parts, tools, accessories… I may have to stop there and go for a lie-down. Phase one – the warehouse, storage, conveyors etc – should be up and running by now, while phase two – more warehousing, offices and, wait for it, a Retail Superstore! – will follow closely behind.
If you happen to be passing 2200 East Interstate 20 Freeway in Arlington and fancy stopping by, we’d recommend you write off the rest of the day – Aladdin’s Cave will have nothing on this place. See www.summitracing.com for more.
Everyone knows the Model T, but did you know that the Model TT, the commercial chassis, is 100 years old this summer? Production of the lengthened one-ton chassis cab began in 1917 in America, and later came to Ford’s plant in Trafford Park, Manchester.
Red All Over
Just a quick ‘phwoar’ picture for you – this is the 2018 Ford GT ’67 Heritage, a limited edition of a limited edition, in red-with-white-stripe livery matching that on the Le Mans-winning 1967 GT40 driven by Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt.
TVR celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, and will mark the occasion in style with the introduction of the all-new model from the revitalised brand at the Goodwood Revival on September 8th to 10th. The new model harks back to the days of the Griffiths by using Ford power, this time a Cosworth-fettled version of the 5.0 Coyote V8.

domain: hobby


text:
Unless a different meaning is required by the context, the following terms as used in this chapter shall have the following meanings:
"Act" or "Clean Water Act" means 33 USC § 1251 et seq. as amended 1987.
"Adjacent" means bordering, contiguous or neighboring; wetlands separated from other surface water by man-made dikes or barriers, natural river berms, sand dunes and the like are adjacent wetlands.
"Affected stream reach" means the portion of a surface water body beginning at the location of a withdrawal and ending at a point where effects of the withdrawal are not reasonably expected to adversely affect beneficial uses.
"Agricultural surface water withdrawal" means a withdrawal of surface water in Virginia or from the Potomac River for the purpose of agricultural, silvicultural, horticultural, or aquacultural operations. Agricultural surface water withdrawals include withdrawals for turf farm operations, but do not include withdrawals for landscaping activities, or turf installment and maintenance associated with landscaping activities.
"Applicant" means a person applying for a VWP individual permit or VWP general permit authorization.
"Aquatic environment" means surface waters and the habitat they provide, including both plant and animal communities.
"Avoidance" means not taking or modifying a proposed action or parts of an action so that there is no adverse impact to the aquatic environment.
"Beneficial use" means both instream and offstream uses. Instream beneficial uses include, but are not limited to: the protection of fish and wildlife habitat; maintenance of waste assimilation; recreation; navigation; and cultural and aesthetic values. Offstream beneficial uses include, but are not limited to: domestic (including public water supply); agricultural; electric power generation; and commercial and industrial uses.
"Best management practices (BMPs)" means a schedule of activities, prohibition of practices, maintenance procedures and other management practices that prevent or reduce the pollution of surface waters.
"Board" means the State Water Control Board.
"Channelization of streams" means alteration of a stream by widening, deepening, straightening, cleaning, or paving.
"Compensation" or "compensatory mitigation" means actions taken that provide some form of substitute aquatic resource for the impacted aquatic resource.
"Consumptive water use" means the withdrawal of surface waters, without recycle of said waters to their source of origin.
"Creation" means the establishment of a wetland or other aquatic resource where one did not formerly exist.
"Cross-sectional sketch" means a scaled graph or plot that represents the plane made by cutting across an object at right angles to its length. For purposes of this regulation, objects may include, but are not limited to, a surface water body or a portion of it, a man-made channel, an above-ground structure, a below-ground structure, a geographical feature, or the ground surface itself.
"Director" means the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) or an authorized representative.
"Discharge" means, when used without qualification, a discharge of a pollutant, or any addition of any pollutant or combination of pollutants, to state waters or waters of the contiguous zone or ocean other than a discharge from a vessel or other floating craft when being used as a means of transportation.
"Draft VWP permit" means a document indicating the board's tentative decision relative to a VWP permit action.
"Draining" means human-induced activities such as ditching, excavation, installation of tile drains, hydrologic modification by surface water runoff diversion, pumping water from wells, or similar activities such that the activities have the effect of artificially dewatering the wetland or altering its hydroperiod.
"Dredged material" means material that is excavated or dredged from surface waters.
"Dredging" means a form of excavation in which material is removed or relocated from beneath surface waters.
"Drought" means that a Severe Intensity Drought (D2) has been declared by the weekly "U.S. Drought Monitor" for the location in which the withdrawal is located.
"Ecologically preferable" means capable of providing a higher likelihood of replacing existing wetland or stream functions and values, water quality and fish and wildlife resources than alternative proposals.
"Emergency Virginia Water Protection Permit" means a Virginia Water Protection Permit issued pursuant to § 62.1-44.15:22 C of the Code of Virginia authorizing a new or increased surface water withdrawal to address insufficient public drinking water supplies that are caused by a drought and may result in a substantial threat to human health or public safety.
"Enhancement" means activities conducted in existing wetlands or other portions of the aquatic environment that increase one or more aquatic functions or values.
"Excavate" or "excavation" means ditching, dredging, or mechanized removal of earth, soil or rock.
"Fill" means replacing portions of surface water with upland, or changing the bottom elevation of a surface water for any purpose, by placement of any pollutant or material including but not limited to rock, sand, earth, and man-made materials and debris.
"Fill material" means any pollutant which replaces portions of surface water with dry land or which changes the bottom elevation of a surface water for any purpose.
"General permit" means a permit authorizing a specified category of activities.
"Geographic area of a delineated wetland" means the area contained within and up to a wetland boundary determined by delineation methods consistent with this chapter.
"Impacts" means results caused by human-induced activities conducted in surface waters, as specified in § 62.1-44.15:20 A of the Code of Virginia.
"Impairment" means the damage, loss or degradation of the functions and values of state waters.
"In-lieu fee fund" means a monetary fund operated by a nonprofit organization or governmental agency which receives financial contributions from persons impacting wetlands or streams pursuant to an authorized permitted activity and which expends the moneys received to provide consolidated compensatory mitigation for permitted wetland or stream impacts.
"Intake structure" means any portion of a withdrawal system used to withdraw surface water that is located within the surface water, such as, but not limited to, a pipe, culvert, hose, tube, or screen.
"Isolated wetlands of minimal ecological value" means those wetlands that: (i) do not have a surface water connection to other state waters; (ii) are less than one-tenth of an acre (0.10 acre or 4,356 square feet) in size; (iii) are not located in a Federal Emergency Management Agency designated 100-year floodplain; (iv) are not identified by the Virginia Natural Heritage Program as a rare or state significant natural community; (v) are not forested; and (vi) do not contain listed federal or state threatened or endangered species.
"Joint Permit Application (JPA)" means an application form that is used to apply for permits from the Norfolk District Army Corps of Engineers, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and local wetland boards for work in waters of the United States and in surface waters of Virginia.
"Law" means the State Water Control Law of Virginia.
"Major surface water withdrawal" means a surface water withdrawal of 90 million gallons per month (mgm) or greater.
"Minimization" means lessening impacts by reducing the degree or magnitude of the proposed action and its implementation.
"Minor surface water withdrawal" means a surface water withdrawal of less than 90 million gallons per month (mgm).
"Mitigation" means sequentially avoiding and minimizing impacts to the maximum extent practicable, and then compensating for remaining unavoidable impacts of a proposed action.
"Mitigation bank" means a site providing off-site, consolidated compensatory mitigation that is developed and approved in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws or regulations for the establishment, use and operation of mitigation banks, and is operating under a signed banking agreement.
"Mitigation banking" means compensating for unavoidable wetland or stream losses in advance of development actions through the sale, purchase or use of credits from a mitigation bank.
"Multi-project mitigation site" means an area of wetland restoration, creation, enhancement and, in appropriate circumstances, preservation of wetlands or streams or upland buffers adjacent to wetlands or other state waters, that is or has been utilized to meet compensation requirements for more than one project but that is not a mitigation bank.
"Nationwide permit" means a general permit issued by the USACE under 40 CFR Part 241 and, except where suspended by individual USACE Corps Districts, applicable nationwide.
"Normal agricultural activities" means those
activities defined as an agricultural operation in
§ 3.1-22.29 §
3.2-300 of the Code of Virginia and any activity that is conducted as part of
or in furtherance of such agricultural operation, but shall not include any
activity for which a permit would have been required as of January 1, 1997,
under 33 USC § 1344 or any regulations promulgated pursuant thereto.
"Normal residential gardening, lawn and landscape maintenance" means ongoing noncommercial residential activities conducted by or on behalf of an individual occupant, including mowing, planting, fertilizing, mulching, tilling, vegetation removal by hand or by hand tools, placement of decorative stone, fencing and play equipment. Other appurtenant noncommercial activities, provided that they do not result in the conversion of a wetland to upland or to a different wetland type, may also be included.
"Normal silvicultural activities" means any silvicultural activity as defined in § 10.1-1181.1 of the Code of Virginia, and any activity that is conducted as part of or in furtherance of such silvicultural activity, but shall not include any activity for which a permit would have been required as of January 1, 1997, under 33 USC § 1344 or any regulations promulgated pursuant thereto.
"Out-of-kind mitigation" means compensatory mitigation that does not replace the same type of wetland or surface water as was impacted, but does replace lost wetland or surface water functions, values, or beneficial uses.
"Permanent flooding or impounding" means a permanent increase in the duration or depth of standing water on a land surface, such as from a dam. Permanent increases in duration or depth of standing water that result from extended-detention basins and enhanced extended-detention basins, when designed, constructed, and maintained to function in accordance with Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) standards for such facilities (Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook, First Edition, 1999, Volume 1, Chapter 3), or when designed in accordance with local standards that, at a minimum, meet the DCR standards, are not considered to be permanent flooding and impounding.
"Permanent impacts" are those impacts to surface waters, including wetlands that cause a permanent alteration of the physical, chemical, or biological properties of the surface waters or of the functions and values of a wetland.
"Permittee" means the person who holds a VWP individual or general permit.
"Person" means one or more individuals, a corporation, a partnership, an association, a governmental body, a municipal corporation, or any other legal entity.
"Plan view sketch" means a scaled graph or plot that represents the view of an object as projected onto orthogonal planes. For purposes of this regulation, objects may include, but are not limited to, structures, contours, or boundaries.
"Pollutant" means any substance, radioactive material, or heat which causes or contributes to, or may cause or contribute to pollution.
"Pollution" means such alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties of any state waters as will or is likely to create a nuisance or render such waters: (i) harmful or detrimental or injurious to the public health, safety or welfare, or to the health of animals, fish or aquatic life; (ii) unsuitable with reasonable treatment for use as present or possible future sources of public water supply; or (iii) unsuitable for recreational, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other reasonable uses; provided that (a) an alteration of the physical, chemical, or biological property of state waters, or a discharge or deposit of sewage, industrial wastes or other wastes to state waters by any owner which by itself is not sufficient to cause pollution, but which, in combination with such alteration of or discharge or deposit to state waters by other owners is sufficient to cause pollution; (b) the discharge of untreated sewage by any owner into state waters; and (c) contributing to the contravention of standards of water quality duly established by the board, are "pollution" for the terms and purposes of this chapter.
"Potomac River Low Flow Allocation Agreement" means the agreement among the United States of America, the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the District of Columbia, the Washington Suburban Sanitation Commission, and the Fairfax County Water Authority dated January 11, 1978, consented to by Congress in § 181 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1976, Public Law 94-587, as modified on April 22, 1986.
"Practicable" means available and capable of being done after taking into consideration cost, existing technology and logistics in light of overall project purposes.
"Preservation" means the protection of resources in perpetuity through the implementation of appropriate legal and physical mechanisms.
"Profile sketch" means a scaled graph or plot that represents the side view of an object. For purposes of this regulation, objects may include, but are not limited to, a surface water body or a portion of it, a man-made channel, an above-ground structure, a below-ground structure, a geographical feature, or the ground surface itself.
"Public hearing" means a fact finding proceeding held to afford interested persons an opportunity to submit factual data, views and comments to the board pursuant to the board's Procedural Rule No. 1 - Public and Formal Hearing Procedures (9VAC25-230).
"Public surface water supply withdrawal" means a withdrawal of surface water in Virginia or from the Potomac River for the production of drinking water, distributed to the general public for the purpose of, but not limited to, domestic use.
"Public water supply emergency" means a substantial threat to public health or safety due to insufficient public drinking water supplies caused by drought.
"Regional permit" means a general permit issued by the USACE under 40 CFR Part 241 and applicable within a specified geographic area.
"Restoration" means the reestablishment of a wetland or other aquatic resource in an area where it previously existed. Wetland restoration means the reestablishment of wetland hydrology and vegetation in an area where a wetland previously existed. Stream restoration means the process of converting an unstable, altered or degraded stream corridor, including adjacent areas and floodplains, to its natural conditions.
"Riprap" means a layer of nonerodible material such as stone or chunks of concrete.
"Schedule of compliance" means a schedule of remedial measures including a sequence of enforceable actions or operations leading to compliance with the Act, the law, and the board regulations, standards and policies.
"Section 401" means § 401 of the Clean Water Act, or 33 USC § 1341, as amended in 1987.
"Section for Cooperative Water Supply Operations on the Potomac (CO-OP)" means a section of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin designated by the Water Supply Coordination Agreement as responsible for coordination of water resources during times of low flow in the Potomac River.
"Significant alteration or degradation of existing wetland acreage or function" means human-induced activities that cause either a diminution of the areal extent of the existing wetland or cause a change in wetland community type resulting in the loss or more than minimal degradation of its existing ecological functions.
"State waters" means all water, on the surface and under the ground, wholly or partially within or bordering the Commonwealth or within its jurisdiction, including wetlands.
"Surface water" means all state waters that are not ground water as defined in § 62.1-255 of the Code of Virginia.
"Surface water supply project" means a project that withdraws or diverts water from a surface water body for consumptive or nonconsumptive purposes thereby altering the hydrologic regime of the surface water body. Projects that do not alter the hydrologic regime or that alter the hydrologic regime but whose sole purpose is flood control or storm water management are not included in this definition.
"Surface water withdrawal" means a removal or diversion of surface water from its natural water course in Virginia or from the Potomac River.
"Temporary impacts" means those impacts to surface waters, including wetlands, that do not cause a permanent alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties of the surface water or of the functions and values of a wetland. Temporary impacts include activities in which the ground is restored to its preconstruction contours and elevations, such that previous functions and values are restored.
"Toxic pollutant" means any agent or material including, but not limited to, those listed under § 307(a) of the Act (33 USC § 1317(a)), which after discharge will, on the basis of available information, cause toxicity. Toxicity means the inherent potential or capacity of a material to cause adverse effects in a living organism, including acute or chronic effects to aquatic life, detrimental effects on human health or other adverse environmental effects.
"Undesirable plant species" means any species that invades, naturally colonizes, or otherwise dominates a compensatory mitigation site or mitigation bank and may cause or contribute to the failure of the vegetative success criteria for a particular compensatory mitigation site or mitigation bank.
"USACE" means the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
"VMRC" means the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
"VWP general permit" means a regulation that constitutes a VWP permit for a category of activities.
"VWP permit" means an individual or general permit issued by the board under § 62.1-44.15:20 of the Code of Virginia that authorizes activities otherwise unlawful under § 62.1-44.5 of the Code of Virginia or otherwise serves as the Commonwealth of Virginia's § 401 certification.
"Water quality standards" means water quality standards adopted by the board and approved by the administrator of the EPA under § 303 of the Act as defined at 9VAC25-260.
"Water Supply Coordination Agreement" means the agreement among the United States of America, the Fairfax County Water Authority, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, the District of Columbia, and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, dated July 22, 1982, which establishes agreement among the suppliers to operate their respective water supply systems in a coordinated manner and which outlines operating rules and procedures for reducing impacts of severe droughts in the Potomac River Basin.
"Wetlands" means those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas.
"Withdrawal system" means any device or combination of evices used to withdraw surface water, such as, but not limited to, a machine, pump, pipe, culvert, hose, tube, screen, or fabricated concrete or metal structure.
§ 62.1-44.15 of the Code of Virginia; § 401 of the Clean Water Act.
Derived from VR680-15-02 § 1.1, eff. May 20, 1992; amended, Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 25, eff. September 27, 2000; Volume 17, Issue 21, eff. August 1, 2001; Volume 23, Issue 21, eff. July 25, 2007; Volume 24, Issue 9, eff. February 6, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 5, eff. December 10, 2008.
9VAC25-210-50. Prohibitions and requirements for VWP permits.
A. Except in compliance with a VWP permit, unless the activity is otherwise exempted or excluded, no person shall dredge, fill or discharge any pollutant into, or adjacent to surface waters, withdraw surface water, otherwise alter the physical, chemical or biological properties of surface waters and make them detrimental to the public health, or to animal or aquatic life, or to the uses of such waters for domestic or industrial consumption, or for recreation, or for other uses; excavate in wetlands or on or after October 1, 2001, conduct the following activities in a wetland:
1. New activities to cause draining that significantly alters or degrades existing wetland acreage or functions;
2. Filling or dumping;
3. Permanent flooding or impounding; or
4. New activities that cause significant alteration or degradation of existing wetland acreage or functions.
B. No VWP permit shall be issued for the following:
1. Where the proposed activity or the terms or conditions of the VWP permit do not comply with state law or regulations including but not limited to § 10.1-1408.5 of the Code of Virginia;
2. For the discharge of any radiological, chemical or biological warfare agent or high level radioactive material into surface waters.
62.1-44.15 62.1-44.155 of the Code of Virginia; § 401 of the Clean Water Act.
Derived from VR680-15-02 § 1.5, eff. May 20, 1992; amended, Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 25, eff. September 27, 2000; Volume 17, Issue 21, eff. August 1, 2001; Volume 23, Issue 21, eff. July 25, 2007; Volume 25, Issue 5, eff. December 10, 2008.
A. The following activities do not require a VWP permit but may require other permits under state and federal law:
1. Discharges of dredged or fill material into state waters, excepting wetlands, which are addressed under a USACE Regional, General or Nationwide Permit, and for which no § 401 Water Quality Certificate is required.
2. Discharges of dredged or fill material into wetlands when addressed under a USACE Regional, General, or Nationwide Permit and that meet the provisions of subdivision 10 a of this subsection.
2. 3. Any discharge, other than an activity in a
surface water governed by § 62.1-44.15:20 of the Code of Virginia, permitted by
a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) permit in accordance
with 9VAC25-31. 3. 4. Any activity, other than an activity in a
surface water governed by § 62.1-44.15:20 of the Code of Virginia, permitted by
a Virginia Pollution Abatement (VPA) permit in accordance with 9VAC25-32. 4. 5. Septic tanks, when authorized by a state
Department of Health permit. 5. 6. Any activity permitted under Chapter 13 (§
28.2-1300 et seq.) of Title 28.2 of the Code of Virginia, unless state
certification is required by § 401 of the Clean Water Act. State
certification is waived if the activity meets the provisions of subdivision 10
a of this subsection. The activity does not require a VWP permit pursuant
to § 62.1-44.15:21 H of the Code of Virginia. 6. 7. Normal residential gardening, lawn and
landscape maintenance in a wetland. 7. 8. Normal agriculture and silviculture
activities in a wetland such as plowing, seeding, cultivating, minor drainage
and harvesting for the production of food, fiber and forest products, or upland
soil and water conservation practices.
a. To fall under this exclusion, the activities specified in
7 8 of this section must be part of an established
(i.e., ongoing) agriculture or silviculture , operation, and must be in accordance
with applicable best management practices set forth in either Forestry Best
Management Practices for Water Quality in Virginia Technical Guide (Fourth
Edition, July 2002) or Virginia Agricultural BMP Manual (2000), which
facilitate compliance with the § 404(b)(1) Guidelines (40 CFR Part 230).
Activities on areas lying fallow as part of a conventional rotational cycle are
part of an established operation.
b. Activities which bring a new area into agricultural or silvicultural use are not part of an established operation. An operation ceases to be established when the area in which it was conducted has been converted to another use or has lain idle so long that modifications to the hydrological regime are necessary to resume operation. If the activity takes place outside surface waters, it does not need a VWP permit, whether or not it is part of an established agriculture or silviculture operation.
c. For the purposes of subdivision
7 8 of this
section, cultivating, harvesting, minor drainage, plowing, and seeding are
defined as follows:
(1) "Cultivating" means physical methods of soil treatment employed within established agriculture and silviculture lands on farm or forest crops to aid and improve their growth, quality, or yield.
(2) "Harvesting" means physical measures employed directly upon farm, forest, or crops within established agricultural and silviculture lands to bring about their removal from farm or forest land, but does not include the construction of farm or forest roads.
(3) "Minor drainage" means:
(a) The discharge of dredged or fill material incidental to connecting upland drainage facilities to surface waters, adequate to effect the removal of excess soil moisture from upland croplands. Construction and maintenance of upland (dryland) facilities, such as ditching and tiling, incidental to the planting, cultivating, protecting, or harvesting of crops;
(b) The discharge of dredged or fill material for the purpose of installing ditching or other water control facilities incidental to planting, cultivating, protecting, or harvesting of rice, or other wetland crop species, where these activities and the discharge occur in surface waters which are in established use for such agricultural and silviculture wetland crop production;
(c) The discharge of dredged or fill material for the purpose of manipulating the water levels of, or regulating the flow or distribution of water within, existing impoundments which have been constructed in accordance with applicable requirements of the Act, and which are in established use for the production of rice, or other wetland crop species;
(d) The discharge of dredged or fill material incidental to the emergency removal of sandbars, gravel bars, or other similar blockages which are formed during flood flows or other events, where such blockages close or constrict previously existing drainageways and, if not promptly removed, would result in damage to or loss of existing crops or would impair or prevent the plowing, seeding, harvesting or cultivating of crops on land in established use for crop production. Such removal does not include enlarging or extending the dimensions of, or changing the bottom elevations of, the affected drainageway as it existed prior to the formation of the blockage. Removal must be accomplished within one year after such blockages are discovered in order to be eligible for exclusion; and
(e) Minor drainage in surface waters is limited to drainage within areas that are part of an established agriculture or silviculture operation. It does not include drainage associated with the immediate or gradual conversion of a wetland to a nonwetland (for example, wetland species to upland species not typically adapted to life in saturated soil conditions), or conversion from one wetland use to another (for example, silviculture to agriculture). In addition, minor drainage does not include the construction of any canal, ditch, dike or other waterway or structure which drains or otherwise significantly modifies a stream, lake, swamp, bog or any other wetland or aquatic area constituting surface water. Any discharge of dredged or fill material into surface water incidental to the construction of any such structure or waterway requires a VWP permit, unless otherwise excluded or exempted by this regulation.
(4) "Plowing" means all forms of primary tillage, including moldboard, chisel, or wide-blade plowing, discing, harrowing, and similar physical means used on farm or forest land for the breaking up, cutting, turning over, or stirring of soil to prepare it for the planting of crops. Plowing does not include the redistribution of soil, rock, sand, or other surficial materials in a manner which changes any area of surface water to dry land. For example, the redistribution of surface materials by blading, grading, or other means to fill in wetland areas is not plowing. Rock crushing activities which result in the loss of natural drainage characteristics, the reduction of water storage and recharge capabilities, or the overburden of natural water filtration capacities does not constitute plowing. Plowing as described above will never involve a discharge of dredged or fill material.
(5) "Seeding" means the sowing of seed and placement of seedlings to produce farm or forest crops and includes the placement of soil beds for seeds or seedlings on established farm and forest lands.
8. 9. Maintenance, including emergency
reconstruction of recently damaged parts , of currently serviceable
structures, such as dikes, groins, levees, dams, riprap breakwaters,
causeways, bridge abutments or approaches, and transportation and utility
structures. Maintenance does not include modifications that change the
character, scope, or size of the original design. In order to qualify for this
exclusion, emergency reconstruction must occur within a reasonable period of
time after damage occurs. 9. 10. Construction or maintenance of farm ponds
or impoundments, stock ponds or impoundments, or irrigation
ditches, or the maintenance (but not construction) of drainage ditches.
a. The exclusion for the construction and maintenance of farm or stock ponds and farm or stock impoundments applies to those structures that are operated for normal agricultural or silvicultural purposes, and are less than 25 feet in height or create a maximum impoundment capacity smaller than 100 acre-feet.
b. The exclusion for the construction and maintenance of farm or stock ponds and farm or stock impoundments does not include the impacts associated with the withdrawal of surface water from, within, or behind such structures. A VWP permit may be required for the surface water withdrawal.
c. Discharge associated with siphons, pumps, headgates, wingwalls, weirs, diversion structures, and such other facilities as are appurtenant and functionally related to irrigation ditches are included in this exclusion.
d. The maintenance dredging of existing ditches is included in this exclusion provided that the final dimensions of the maintained ditch do not exceed the average dimensions of the original ditch. This exclusion does not apply to the construction of new ditches or to the channelization of streams.
10. 11. Construction of temporary sedimentation
basins on a construction site which does not include the placement of fill
materials into surface waters or excavation in wetlands. The term
"construction site" refers to any site involving the erection of
buildings, roads, and other discrete structures and the installation of support
facilities necessary for construction and utilization of such structures. The
term "construction site" also includes any other land areas which
involve land-disturbing excavation activities, including quarrying or other
mining activities, where an increase in run-off of sediment is controlled through
the use of temporary sedimentation basins. 11. 12. Construction or maintenance of farm
roads, forest roads, or temporary roads for moving mining equipment, where such
roads are constructed and maintained in accordance with applicable best
management practices (BMPs) set forth in either Forestry Best Management
Practices for Water Quality in Virginia, Technical Guide, Fourth Edition, July
2002, or Virginia Agricultural BMP Manual, 2000, to ensure that flow and
circulation patterns and chemical and biological characteristics of surface
waters are not impaired, that the reach of such waters is not reduced, and that
any adverse effect on the aquatic environment will otherwise be minimized. The
BMPs which must be applied to satisfy this provision include the following baseline
a. Permanent roads (for agriculture or forestry activities), temporary access roads (for mining, forestry, or farm purposes), and skid trails (for logging) in surface waters shall be held to the minimum feasible number, width, and total length consistent with the purpose of specific agriculture, silviculture or mining operations, and local topographic and climatic conditions;
b. All roads, temporary or permanent, shall be located sufficiently far from streams or other water bodies (except for portions of such roads which must cross water bodies) to minimize discharges of dredged or fill material into surface waters;
c. The road fill shall be bridged, culverted, or otherwise designed to prevent the restriction of expected flood flows;
d. The fill shall be properly stabilized and maintained to prevent erosion during and following construction;
e. Discharges of dredged or fill material into surface waters to construct road fill shall be made in a manner which minimizes the encroachment of trucks, tractors, bulldozers, or other heavy equipment within state waters (including adjacent wetlands) that lie outside the lateral boundaries of the fill itself;
f. In designing, constructing, and maintaining roads, vegetative disturbance in surface waters shall be kept to a minimum;
g. The design, construction and maintenance of the road crossing shall not disrupt the migration or other movement of those species of aquatic life inhabiting the water body;
h. Borrow material shall be taken from upland sources whenever feasible;
i. The discharge shall not take, or jeopardize the continued existence of a state- or federally-listed threatened or endangered species as defined under the Endangered Species Act (16 USC § 1531 et seq.), in § 29.1-566 of the Code of Virginia and in 4VAC15-20-130 B and C, except as provided in § 29.1-568 of the Code of Virginia, or adversely modify or destroy the critical habitat of such species;
j. Discharges into the nesting and breeding areas for migratory waterfowl, spawning areas, and wetlands shall be avoided if practical alternatives exist;
k. The discharge shall not be located in proximity of a public water supply or intake;
l. The discharge shall not occur in areas of concentrated shellfish production;
m. The discharge shall not occur in a component to the National Wild and Scenic River System;
n. The discharge material shall consist of suitable material free from toxic pollutants in toxic amounts; and
o. All temporary fills shall be removed in their entirety and the area restored to its original elevation.
B. The following surface water withdrawals are excluded from VWP permit requirements. Activities, other than the surface water withdrawal, which are contained in 9VAC25-210-50 and are associated with the construction and operation of the surface water withdrawal, are subject to VWP permit requirements unless excluded by subsection A of this section. Other permits under state and federal law may be required.
1. Any surface water withdrawal in existence on July 1, 1989; however, a permit shall be required if a new § 401 certification is required to increase a withdrawal. To qualify for this exclusion, the surface water withdrawal shall be deemed to be in existence on July 1, 1989, if there was an actual withdrawal on or before that date that has not been abandoned.
a. Abandonment of a surface water withdrawal. A surface water withdrawal shall be deemed to be abandoned if the owner of the withdrawal system (i) notifies the DEQ in writing that the withdrawal has been abandoned or (ii) removes or disables the withdrawal system with the intent to permanently cease such withdrawal. Transfer of ownership or operational control of the withdrawal system, a change in use of the water, or temporary cessation of the withdrawal shall not be deemed evidence of abandonment. The notification shall be signed by the owner of record or shall include evidence satisfactory to the DEQ that the signatory is authorized to submit the notice on behalf of the owner of record. Evidence may include, but shall not be limited to, a resolution of the governing body of the owner or corporate minutes.
b. Information to be furnished to the DEQ. Each owner or operator of a permanent withdrawal system engaging in a withdrawal that is subject to this exclusion shall provide the DEQ the estimated maximum capacity of the intake structure, the location of the existing intake structure and any other information that may be required by the board. Each owner or operator of a temporary withdrawal system engaging in a withdrawal that is subject to this exclusion, where the purpose of the withdrawal is for agriculture, shall provide to the DEQ the maximum annual surface water withdrawal over the last 10 years. The information shall be provided within one year of the date that notice of such request is received from the DEQ and shall be updated when the maximum capacity of the existing intake structure changes. The information provided to the DEQ shall not constitute a limit on the exempted withdrawal. Such information shall be utilized by the DEQ and board to protect existing beneficial uses and shall be considered when evaluating applications for new withdrawal permits.
2. Any surface water withdrawal not in existence on July 1, 1989, if the person proposing to make the withdrawal received a § 401 certification before January 1, 1989, with respect to installation of any necessary withdrawal structures to make such withdrawal; however, a permit shall be required before any such withdrawal is increased beyond the amount authorized by the certification.
3. Any existing lawful unpermitted surface water withdrawal initiated between July 1, 1989, and July 25, 2007, which is not subject to other exclusions contained in this section. These withdrawals shall be excluded from permit requirements only if they comply with the conditions in this subdivision. Regardless of complying with the conditions of this subdivision, these withdrawals shall require a permit for any increased withdrawal amount.
a. Information to be furnished to the DEQ. Each owner or operator of a withdrawal system engaging in a withdrawal that is subject to this exclusion shall provide the DEQ with copies of water withdrawal reports required by Water Withdrawal Reporting Regulations (9VAC25-200) documenting the largest 12-consecutive month withdrawal that occurred in the 10 years prior to July 25, 2007. In the case of unreported agricultural surface water withdrawals, estimates of withdrawals will be accepted that are based on one of the following:
(1) The area irrigated, depth of irrigation, and annual number of irrigations; pumping capacity and annual pumping time; annual energy consumption for pumps; number and type of livestock watered annually; number and type of livestock where water is used for cooling purposes; or
(2) Other methods approved by the board for the largest 12 consecutive month withdrawal that occurred in the 10 years prior to July 25, 2007. The board shall evaluate all estimates of surface water withdrawals based on projected water demands for crops and livestock as published by the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service, or other similar references and make a determination whether they are reasonable. In all cases only reasonable estimates will be used to document the excluded withdrawal amount.
b. The information noted in subdivision 3 a of this subsection shall be provided within 12 months of July 25, 2007. The information provided to the DEQ shall constitute a limit on the withdrawal that is excluded from permit requirements; any increase in that withdrawal above the limited amount shall require an application for a permit for the withdrawal system. Information regarding excluded withdrawal amounts shall be utilized by the DEQ and board to protect existing beneficial uses and shall be considered when evaluating applications for new withdrawal permits.
c. All owners and operators of surface water withdrawals excluded from permit requirements by this section shall annually report withdrawals as required by Water Withdrawal Reporting Regulations (9VAC25-200). Failure to file annual reports either reporting actual withdrawals or the fact that withdrawals did not occur may result in the owner or operator being required to file an application and receive a permit prior to resuming any withdrawal.
4. Agricultural surface water withdrawals from nontidal waters that total less than one million gallons in a single month.
5. Surface water withdrawals from nontidal waters for all other purposes that total less than 10,000 gallons per day.
6. Surface water withdrawals from tidal waters for nonconsumptive uses.
7. Agricultural surface water withdrawals from tidal waters that total less than 60 million gallons in a single month.
8. Surface water withdrawals from tidal waters for all other consumptive purposes that total less than two million gallons per day.
9. Surface water withdrawals for firefighting or for the training activities related to firefighting, such as dry hydrants and emergency surface water withdrawals.
10. Surface water withdrawals placed into portable containers by persons owning property on, or holding easements to, riparian lands.
11. Surface water withdrawals for the purposes of hydrostatic pressure testing of water tight containers, pipelines, and vessels.
12. Surface water withdrawals for normal single family home residential gardening, lawn, and landscape maintenance.
13. Surface water withdrawals that are located on a property, such that the withdrawal returns to the stream of origin; not more than half of the instantaneous flow is diverted; not more than 1,000 feet of stream channel separate the withdrawal point from the return point; and both banks of the affected stream segment are located within that property boundary.
14. Surface water withdrawals from quarry pits, such that the withdrawal does not alter the physical, biological, or chemical properties of surface waters connected to the quarry pit.
15. Surface water withdrawals from a privately owned agriculture pond, emergency water storage facility, or other water retention facility, provided that such pond or facility is not placed in the bed of a perennial or intermittent stream or wetland. Surface water withdrawals from such facilities constructed in beds of ephemeral streams are excluded from permit requirements.
C. DEQ may require any owner or operator of a withdrawal system excluded from permit requirements by subdivisions B 3 through 15 of this section to cease withdrawals and file an application and receive a permit prior to resuming any withdrawal when the board's assessment indicates that a withdrawal, whether individually or in combination with other existing or proposed projects:
1. Causes or contributes to, or may reasonably be expected to cause or contribute to, a significant impairment of the state waters or fish and wildlife resources;
2. Adversely impacts other existing beneficial uses; or
3. Will cause or contribute to a violation of water quality standards.
and § 62.1-44.15:21 62.1-44.155 of the Code of Virginia; §
401 of the Clean Water Act.
Derived from VR680-15-02 § 1.6, eff. May 20, 1992; amended, Virginia Register Volume 17, Issue 21, eff. August 1, 2001; Volume 23, Issue 21, eff. July 25, 2007; Volume 24, Issue 9, eff. February 6, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 5, eff. December 10, 2008.
9VAC25-210-130. VWP general permits.
A. The board may issue VWP general permits by regulation for certain specified categories of activities as it deems appropriate.
B. When the board determines on a case-by-case basis that concerns for water quality and the aquatic environment so indicate, the board may require individual applications and VWP individual permits rather than approving coverage under a VWP general permit regulation. Cases where an individual VWP permit may be required include the following:
1. Where the activity may be a significant contributor to pollution;
2. Where the applicant or permittee is not in compliance with the conditions of the VWP general permit regulation or authorization;
3. When an applicant or permittee no longer qualifies for coverage under the VWP general permit regulation or authorization; and
4. When a permittee operating under a VWP general permit authorization requests to be excluded from the coverage of the VWP general permit regulation by applying for a VWP individual permit.
C. When a VWP individual permit is issued to a permittee, the applicability of the VWP general permit authorization to the individual permittee is automatically terminated on the effective date of the VWP individual permit.
D. When a VWP general permit regulation is issued which applies to a permittee already covered by a VWP individual permit, such person may request exclusion from the provisions of the VWP general permit regulation and subsequent coverage under a VWP individual permit.
E. A VWP general permit authorization may be revoked from an individual permittee for any of the reasons set forth in 9VAC25-210-180 subject to appropriate opportunity for a hearing.
F. When all permitted activities requiring notification have been completed, the permittee shall be required to submit a notice of termination unless the permittee has previously submitted a termination by consent request for the same permitted activities and such request has been approved by the board.
G. Activities authorized under a VWP general permit regulation shall be authorized for a fixed term based upon project length and duration. When a general permit regulation is amended or replaced, it shall contain provisions such that coverage authorized under the general permit existing as of the effective date of the amended or replacement VWP general permit regulation may continue under the amended or replacement VWP general permit and that all terms and conditions of the authorization may continue in full force and effect. Notwithstanding any other provision, a request for continuation of a VWP general permit authorization beyond the expiration date of such authorization in order to complete monitoring requirements shall not be considered a new application for coverage and no application fee will be charged.
H. The board may certify
, or certify with conditions ,
a general, regional, or nationwide or regional permit proposed by
the USACE in accordance with § 401 of the federal Clean Water Act as meeting the
requirements of this regulation and a VWP general permit, provided that the
nationwide or regional permit and the certification conditions:
1. Require that wetland or stream impacts be avoided and minimized to the maximum extent practicable;
2. Prohibit impacts that cause or contribute to a significant impairment of state waters or fish and wildlife resources;
3. Require compensatory mitigation sufficient to achieve no net loss of existing wetland acreage and functions or stream functions and water quality benefits; and
4. Require that compensatory mitigation for unavoidable wetland impacts be provided through the following options, as appropriate to replace acreage and function:
a. Wetland creation;
b. Wetland restoration;
c. The purchase or use of credits from a mitigation bank, pursuant to § 62.1-44.15:23 of the Code of Virginia;
d. A contribution to an approved in-lieu fee fund;
e. Preservation of upland buffers adjacent to state waters, when utilized in conjunction with subdivision 4 a, b, or c of this subsection, and when consistent with 9VAC25-210-116 A;
f. Restoration of upland buffers adjacent to state waters, when utilized in conjunction with subdivision 4 a, b, or c of this subsection, and when consistent with 9VAC25-210-116 A;
g. Preservation of wetlands, when utilized in conjunction with subdivision 4 a, b, or c of this subsection.
5. Require that compensatory mitigation for unavoidable stream
may be met through the following options as appropriate to
replace functions or water quality benefits; one factor in determining the
required compensation shall be an analysis of stream impacts utilizing a stream
impact assessment methodology approved by the board:
a. Stream channel restoration or enhancement;
b. Riparian buffer restoration or enhancement;
c. Riparian buffer preservation, when consistent with 9VAC25-210-116 A;
d. A contribution to an approved in-lieu fee fund;
e. The purchase or use of credits from a mitigation bank, pursuant to § 62.1-44.15:23 of the Code of Virginia.
I. The certifications allowed by subsection H of this section may be provided only after the board has advertised and accepted public comment on its intent to provide certification for at least 30 days.
J. Coverage under a general, regional, or nationwide
regional permit promulgated by the USACE and certified by the board in
accordance with this section shall be deemed coverage under a VWP general
permit regulation upon submission of proof of coverage under the general,
regional, or nationwide or regional permit and any other information
required by the board through the certification process. Notwithstanding the
provisions of 9VAC25-20-10, no fee shall be required from applicants seeking
coverage under this subsection.
62.1-44.15 62.1-44-155 of the Code of Virginia; §
401 of the Clean Water Act.
Derived from VR680-15-02 § 2.6, eff. May 20, 1992; amended, Virginia Register Volume 17, Issue 21, eff. August 1, 2001; Volume 23, Issue 21, eff. July 25, 2007; Volume 24, Issue 9, eff. February 6, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 5, eff. December 10, 2008.
9VAC25-210-220. Waiver of VWP permit or § 401 certification.
A. The board may waive permitting requirements when the board determines that a proposed project impacts an isolated wetland that is of minimal ecological value as defined in 9VAC25-210-10. Any person claiming this waiver bears the burden to demonstrate that he qualifies for the waiver.
B. The board may waive the requirement for a VWP individual permit when the proposed activity qualifies for a permit issued by the USACE and receives a permit from the VMRC or wetlands boards, pursuant to Chapter 12 (§ 28.2-1200 et seq.) or Chapter 13 (§ 28.2-1300 et seq.) of Title 28.2 of the Code of Virginia, and the activity does not impact instream flows.
C. The board shall waive the requirement for a VWP general permit authorization or VWP individual permit when the proposed activity meets the exclusion set forth in 9VAC25-210-60 A 10 a regardless of the issuance of an individual permit by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
§ 62.1-44.15 of the Code of Virginia.
Derived from VR680-15-02 § 4.5, eff. May 20, 1992; amended, Virginia Register Volume 17, Issue 21, eff. August 1, 2001; Volume 23, Issue 21, eff. July 25, 2007; Volume 25, Issue 5, eff. December 10, 2008.
Permit Application Fee Form (eff. 7/04).
Standard Joint Permit Application for Activities in
Waters and Wetlands of the Commonwealth of Virginia
(eff. 10/04) (eff.
Joint Permit Application for Projects in Tidewater Virginia (eff. 10/04).
Virginia Department of Transportation, Joint Permit
Application, IACM Coordination Form
(eff. 10/02) (eff. 6/08). Quarterly Monthly Reporting of Impacts Less than
One-Tenth Acre (insert reporting period) Statewide (eff. 4/03) (eff.
DEQ Application for New or Expanded Minor Surface Water Withdrawals Initiated On or After July 25, 2007.

domain: geography


Former Ghana midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has made a shocking claim that he will shave all the hair on his head if Ghana fails to make it past the group stages of the 2022 World Cup.
The 31-year-old made this assertion on Tv3 New Day during the unveiling of pundits for Media General’s coverage of the 2022 World Cup.
The former Udinese player joins a star-studded list of pundits for Tv3 which includes Jerry Akaminko, Eva Otchere, and Shilla Illiasu.
Agyemang-Badu acknowledged that the team has improved and as a result should be able to qualify for the round of 16.
“Gradually we are doing well with set pieces. We are not up there yet. Now that we have a good bench. I’m not too sure that this team will go down that they cannot qualify from the group. If it doesn’t happen I will shave all my hair.”
“I can bet everything this team will qualify from the group. If Ghana doesn’t qualify from the group stage, I will shave it here. I am so optimistic about this team,” he added.
Agyemang-Badu missed the 2010 World Cup due to injury but featured in the 2014 edition which saw Ghana eliminated at the group stages.
Ghana are in Group H of the 2022 World Cup alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
By Owuraku Ampofo|3Sports|GhanaRead Full Story


text:
Seleccione Categoría, Región & Más...
Food Systems in the spotlight at COP27 climate action negotiations
Noviembre 24, 2022
For the first time, food and agriculture systems have taken center stage in the global climate negotiations. COP27 has advanced the global recognition of food and agriculture as both a climate culprit and solution.
Local seed potato research promising in Zimbabwe
Noviembre 24, 2022
The Zimbabwe Potato Micro-propagation Association (ZPMA) has spearheaded the resuscitation of seed potato production since this stalled around 2008. The current mandate is to substitute imported seed potato.
Rooted Apical Cuttings: Plugging the gap in quality seed potato production to boost food security in Asia and Africa
Noviembre 13, 2022
A capacity-building initiative that started in Kenya to fill gaps in the supply of high-quality early generation seed (EGS) is now spreading across Asia and many African countries
PepsiCo invests USD 40 million in its Senselet Snack Business in Ethiopia
Noviembre 04, 2022
PepsiCo is finalising an investment proposal of approximately USD 40 million (ETB 2 billion) to expand its Senselet snacks business in Ethiopia, and is considering the possibility of further investments in the country.
Solynta and Regenz partner to bring hybrid potato seed to South Africa
Noviembre 01, 2022
South African seed potato producer RegenZ and European hybrid potato seed innovator Solynta announced a partnership to bring hybrid true potatoes to the South African farming community.
Productores de papa en Kenia transforman su cultivo de la mano de universidades
Octubre 27, 2022
Richard Mbaria muestra orgulloso su floreciente cultivo de papas en la aldea de Kapsita, en el condado de Nakuru, en Kenia. El agricultor ha aumentado su producción por hectárea gracias a la capacitación en la producción de semillas implementado en la zona por la Universidad de Egerton, que tiene su sede en el mismo condado.
Norda industries favors Markies for the production of potato chips in Kenya
Octubre 06, 2022
Markies has already become the number one for potato chips in Kenya. Simultaneously Markies is also increasingly demanded by Kenya’s crisping industry. A good example is Norda Industries who favors our Markies variety for their potato crisps.
Tissue Culture Tech Boosts Potato Yield in Kenya
Octubre 04, 2022
A community project that provides farmers with healthy seed potato, cultivated using innovative laboratory techniques is significantly increasing yields in Kenya, an agricultural expert says.
Kenya: USD 1 million program set to benefit potato farmers
Septiembre 17, 2022
More than 3,000 small-holder potatoes farmers from Nakuru are set to benefit from a KES 127 million (USD 1 million) program aimed at enhancing potato production in the County.
AgroScout teams up with AECI Plant Health across Africa
Agosto 30, 2022
With almost 10 billion people to feed by 2050 and food production threatened by declining resources, global food security faces an immense challenge that needs to be addressed.

domain: economics


text:
Win the Head Tour Team backpack
Sporting the same bold colour scheme as the new Head Boom racket series, this HEAD Tour Team backpack is a sleek and practical bag with the capacity to hold up to two tennis rackets.
Tennis backpacks are becoming more and more popular as players ditch cumbersome 6-9 racket holdalls for practical backpacks. You may feel like you want to emulate your favourite players and walk onto court with a massive tennis bag filled with old ball tubes and dirty tracksuit bottoms, but the chances are, all you need is a small backpack.
Unless you’re competing in tournaments lasting all day, you only need to bring a few essentials onto a tennis court and the Tour Team backpack can hold them all in a discrete and stylish manner. The bag includes a main storage compartment as well as a separate racket and shoe compartment. Separate mesh and zipper pockets also give you easy access to other smaller essentials you might want to bring on court. It’s perfect for club and casual players alike.
Head have updated some of the materials used in the Tour Team backpack including the use of recycled paper in the hangtag to help reduce the products carbon footprint.
- Racket compartment for 1-2 rackets
- 1 main compartment
- Integrated shoe compartment
- 1 outside zipper pockets
- 2 outside mesh pockets
- Colour: mint/black
To be in with a chance of winning this stylish new backpack from Head, just answer the question below and fill in your details. Best of luck!
This competition is now closed but we have more free competitions to enter here
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domain: sports


text:
Literary Pasadena: The Fiction Edition
"It's a fine-looking volume about the heart and soul of a city with a lot of stories to tell." –Pasadena Star News
"The literary bona fides of Pasadena have never been much in doubt...Now, in celebration of that lineage, comes Literary Pasadena: The Fiction Edition." –Pasadena Sun
The historic, handsome city in the shadow of Los Angeles has been a creative hotbed since the Arroyo Arts & Crafts scene of the early twentieth century. This literary journal gathers short fiction by such Pasadena-area writers as Michelle Huneven ("Blame"), David Ebershoff ("The 19th Wife"), Victoria Patterson ("This Vacant Paradise"), Jervey Tervalon ("Understand This"), Naomi Hirahara ("Snakeskin Shamisen"), Lian Dolan ("Helen of Pasadena"), Denise Hamilton ("The Last Embrace"), Ron Koertge ("The Arizona Kid"), Dianne Emley (the Nan Vining mysteries), and Jim Krusoe ("Parsifal").
Produced as a companion to LitFest Pasadena (May 2013), Literary Pasadena: The Fiction Edition is the first in an annual series that will move on to include editions in poetry, essays, humor, and more.


text:
Alan Campbell, Richmond News
Published February 6, 2018
Few people would open up their doors to strangers, let alone invite them into their homes.
You would think, then, it’d be safe to assume the number of people willing to show said stranger into their bedrooms and proceed to be photographed in the raw, would be on the low side.
Not so, according to Richmond photographer Wendel Genosa, who said there wasn’t enough time in the day to sift through all the young adults who replied to her solicitation on Craigslist under the aforementioned circumstances.
To be clear, Genosa, 24, doesn’t harbour a deep-seated desire to nose around the boudoirs of random folk sourced from the Internet out of mere curiosity.
In fact, the Burnett secondary grad convinced people to let down their guard in the most private of spaces to help with her documentary-style project in her final year studying photography at Emily Carr University a few years ago.
And there is some method to the relative madness which contributed to her award-winning, photographic portfolio entitled “Bedroom Biographies.”
“I was pretty timid and shy and I thought this was a chance to get to know people and step out of my comfort zone,” said Genosa, who’s just started working on Bedroom Biographies 2.0, which will likely include international strangers, again in their bedrooms.
“To start with, I just shot people I knew. But I was also interested in documenting spaces and particularly people in their spaces. The idea of somebody in their domestic space being photographed is a lot different than someone being shot in a public place.
“I posted ads on Craigslist in my fourth year, so I had some total strangers that I photographed. Yes, I was a little apprehensive, but I like to think I have pretty good judgement and I would take a friend along with me.
“I got quite a lot of responses, mostly from 18-year-olds to 27-year-olds and lots of university students and some friends of friends.
“But there were some randoms in there; those were the most interesting.”
The people that agreed to “expose” themselves, so to speak, were “in a very vulnerable position,” added Genosa.
“This was their own personal space and I was trying to capture some of that vulnerability; trying to keep it as honest and raw as possible.
“Every time I was going to shoot someone new, they would say ‘hold on, I’ve got to clean my room first’ and I was like ‘please don’t, I want as honest a depiction of your space as possible.’
“I deliberately didn’t give them too much notice for that reason. To be honest, I was fascinated that people allowed me into their personal spaces and photographed them in it.”
Not surprisingly, Genosa – who also works full-time at the Richmond Society for Community Living, helping teenagers with developmental and physical disabilities - seen a few sights during her five-month journey through the bedrooms of strangers.
“A lot of it I didn’t really see until afterwards,” she said.
“One student, whose room was very bare, had the word ‘Cheek-d’ on his T-shirt. I Googled it later and it was a dating app.
“I wondered if he knew what that meant and was ‘advertising’ himself or did he just pick the T-shirt up somewhere?
“There is definitely a little mystery, the bedroom is very private. You don’t see that when you go to someone’s house, normally. This is a secret and sacred space and I really wanted to reflect who that person is.”
Another participant was an Emily Carr classmate who was very quiet and had barely spoken to Genosa in the first three years of the course.
“She reached out to me about the project and said she wanted to be a part of it,” explained Genosa.
“It turned out she had a huge collection of My Little Pony and Pokemon in her bedroom, there was colour everywhere.
“I wanted some natural light in there, but the blinds were closed because the collection was light sensitive. I had to use artificial light.”
Aside from being intrigued by what went on “behind closed doors” of relative strangers, Genosa was fascinated by the living situations of her friends and colleagues, most of them acutely affected by Metro Vancouver’s housing market.
“With the challenges young adults face in a housing market such as Vancouver, my closest friends found themselves living in unique spaces; from closets and shared living rooms, to dorm rooms and parent's basements,” said Genosa, who lives at home in Richmond with her mom and younger sister.
“One of my friends was paying rent for a closet, she’s in the project, and I know lots of people living in dens with a mattress.
“Everyone's circumstance was unique…with our bedrooms acting as an extension of our personalities and our belongings representing sentiment and character.”
According to the foreword for Bedroom Biographies, Wendel said the young people she profiled were “in that awkward stage between adolescence and adulthood, between the family home and the outside world.”
As for 2.0, Genosa said she has soft plans to travel to Japan and the Philippines this year and has a dream to extend her bedroom lens internationally.
“I have some friends over there, so it could be friends of friends again that I shoot?” she said.
“I want to do Bedroom Biographies on a bigger scale, but within the same age range.
“You never know what to expect, that’s the magic of it.”
She’s already started shooting locally for the new project and intend to take the whole year to put it together and, hopefully, have both biographies exhibited at some point.
She has no plans, however, to enlist the help of a Japanese or Filipino Craigslist this time around.
“Social media groups are a strong source of communication; that will be enough for now.”

domain: sociology


text:
Casting method for simple shapes.
- Carve shape to be cast using soap or a potatoe. It is also possible to use a plaster shape, but there can be issues with the old and new plaster sticking to each other.
- Mould clay around the form to be cast, reaching halfway up.
- Build a wall (a couple of fingers wide) of the object, and add a bung, which will create a funnel to pour the plaster into the mould later on.
- Create ‘keys’ using end of a thick pencil, these will locate and secure the two sides when pouring the mould. Cover object with petroleum jelly to prevent sticking.
- Pour the plaster to top of wall (which should be higher then the piece you are moulding) and leave to set.
- When set, strip away clay and turn mould over, so that the unmodulated part is uppermost.
- Repeat as before building up a wall, smear plaster part and object with petroleum jelly and then add plaster.
- Leave to set, then remove clay
- Insert two halves together and hold in place with rubber bands – clay could used to prevent any plaster escaping. Support mould end on using clay
- Pour in plaster and rotate mould to get plaster into all the elements of the mould.
- Leave I set and then prise apart with a knife or hammer and chisel.


text:
Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Their mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain their efforts.
Of course I'll have more to report on this wonderful event. Stay tuned...
Peace and Blessings,