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Thursday, November 18, 2010
From the Conservative Blogger, a post (with accompanying photo) about how the children's play area at the Salt Lake City airport inadvertently (or cleverly) replicates the typical planning dilemas of a small town. My favorites:
Underutilized Downtown: Even without those dirty deeds by developers to bring a Walmart to town, the downtown is suffering from a lack of businesses and street life. The town’s goal to bring artists and boutique shops was never realized due to personality conflicts between the local planning board and the chamber of commerce...
City Park: The park is unfortunately located on an environmentally-degraded site on the edge of town, the result of a manufacturing plant that skipped town 20 years ago and left the town without a major employer or a business generator for the freight railroad.
Surface Parking Lot: The downtown merchants complained of a parking problem downtown after years of being in a state of denial over their employees occupying parking spaces on Main Street, prohibiting shoppers from accessing their stores. The town spent millions to acquire land on the edge of downtown to build a non-descript parking facility that is rarely used except by vagrants wishing to make drug deals.
For those of you who travel to or live in the mountain west, next time you fly through Salt Lake check out this "emerging planning conundrum" near the E Gates.
Jamie Baker Roskie
Chad has a great post below on the latest craze, food trucks. By coincidence, just yesterday I saw this SSRN paper by Ernesto Hernandez Lopez (Chapman): LA’s Taco Truck War: How Law Cooks Food Culture Contests. The abstract:
This paper examines the Los Angeles “Taco Truck War” (2008-9), when the city of Los Angeles and LA county used parking regulations to restrict “loncheros,” i.e. “taco trucks.” It describes the legal doctrine used by courts to invalidate these local restrictions. The California Vehicle code makes local food truck regulations illegal. Decades of court decisions affirm this. The paper sheds light, legal and cultural, on food truck debates, which will surely expand nationwide. It examines: the cultural and business arguments for food truck regulations; food’s role in migrant, community, and national identities; Mexican food’s influence in California culture; and recent trends in food trucks such as Koggi BBQ.
And from earlier this year, Alfonso Morales (Urban & Regional Planning, Wisconsin) and Gregg W. Kettles (Law, Mississippi College) posted Healthy Food Outside: Farmers' Markets, Taco Trucks, and Sidewalk Fruit Vendors, published in the Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy, Vol. 20 (2009). The abstract:
This paper explores the many dimensions of street vending and public markets, the multiple intersections vending and markets have with food regulation, and the historical connection markets have with other policy problems. We develop the article in four parts, following the introduction found in section one the article touches on three elements of law and public policy. The second section considers markets and merchants in public goods with their associated dilemmas. Our approach is to reconfigure the emphasis on public space as transportation by justifying the use of the street and sidewalk for street vending. The importance of public space for commerce and other creative activities bridges the second and third sections of the article. The third section chronicles the history of law and regulation around street and public markets. Here we emphasize how cities historically used public markets as public policy tools to address food security, employment, and to help those growing cities accommodate new immigrants. The fourth section focuses on public health by examining the law of outdoor food sold on the street. Through our analysis we set forth numerous suggestions for advocacy, policy, and legal reform.
Chad's right, food trucks are becoming a big deal. I was skeptical at first, but it looks like they have come a long way from the "roach coaches" I remember on Army posts. Check out the articles that he linked to, and for an even less highbrow alternative you can watch the Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race (you know that a trend has arrived when it gets a reality show). It's a serious question, though, how cities are going to choose to accommodate or regulate this phenomenon through their land use laws.
This NOLA story discusses a phenomenon that is becoming more and more popular in many cities: the food truck.
Historically, the term "food truck" often conjures up images of the mobile deli sandwich vehicle stopping at work sites to sell pre-made roast beef and turkey sandwiches on lunch breaks.
The new wave of food trucks are decidedly more hip though. Cities like Austin, NYC, and LA are finding high profile chefs taking an interest in mobile trucks selling high quality and artisan food.
The land use angle comes up when questions about, among other things, permitted uses arise. That is, can a food truck park in a residential neighborhood that otherwise does not allow non-residential uses?
An interesting question is whether these elaborate food trucks are more akin to the ice cream truck that quickly passes through the neighborhood or something more involved that may in certain cases park for an afternoon and maybe even put out chairs.
--Chad Emerson, Faulkner U.
I've been thinking for some time that land use just might be the field that has the most interesting constitutional law issues today. Timothy Zick’s article, linked in the post below, is primarily a First Amendment paper. But it’s about First Amendment rights with respect to speech in public parks, which makes it a land use issue too. As with most free speech issues, the speech is only controversial to the extent that it happens in a place--which then makes it a land use issue. Much of First Amendment law revolves around definitions and analyses of the "forum" in which speech takes place, and whether it is in the public square, a public forum, whether the speech represents private or government points of view. The First Amendment looms large in land use law (or, perhaps, vice versa)-- free speech, public forums, commercial speech, aesthetic regulation, sexually-oriented businesses assemblies, religious land use, and more.
Jamie posted a link recently to a video that has been making the rounds with a cartoon robot law firm partner mocking a wannabe law student for, among other things, her desire to practice constitutional law. ("Do you have a time machine, so that you can go to Harvard in the 1970s?"). The video is hilarious, and it is undoubtedly true that there aren't a lot of opportunities for idealistic young con law geeks to practice straight-up constitutional law in the tradition of the big Supreme Court cases we all learn. But my one quibble is that if you are interested in constitutional law, it's alive and well in the land use field--not only the First Amendment issues, but also property rights, eminent domain, regulatory takings, vested rights, civil rights, fair housing, exclusionary zoning, growth controls, environmental regulation, equal protection, due process, separation of powers, and federalism. There are also issues presented by state constitutional law, which gets much less attention in law school curricula.
Readers of this blog will probably not be surprised at my observation that constitutional law and land use are intertwined, but I do find that many students and lawyers don’t intuitively make the connection, until they start to hear some of the examples. It's because the exercise of our freedoms almost always happens in a particular place, and our places are governed by land use rules. While the issues may often be primarily local, they are no less interesting, or "constitutional."
Good land use attorneys need a good understanding of and appreciation for basic constitutional law. And even better, if you really like con law, land use might be the field where you have the most likely chance to advise on or litigate constitutional issues.
November 18, 2010 in Caselaw, Constitutional Law, Eminent Domain, Environmental Law, First Amendment, Housing, Property Rights, Scholarship, Supreme Court, Takings, Zoning | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Timothy Zick (William & Mary) has posted "Summum," the Vocality of Public Places, and the Public Forum, forthcoming in Brigham Young University Law Review, 2011. The abstract:
This contribution to a symposium on the emerging complexities of government speech focuses on Pleasant Grove City v. Summum. Summum is a remarkable decision in several respects. It represents many firsts in terms of the Supreme Court's public speech jurisprudence: First to hold that the public forum doctrine is out of place in a public park (a traditional public forum); first to treat a public park as a channel of governmental speech; and first to expressly engage the communicative aspects (the vocality) of public place. Because the Court dispatched the public forum doctrine so quickly, one might think the decision has nothing much to say about the concept or status of the public forum. To the contrary, this piece contends that a close reading of Summum shows that the decision’s analysis and rationale may have a substantial effect on private speech rights in public places. The government speaker is not like any other speaker in a park or other public place. Its voice is louder, and its right to remain is stronger, than that of any private speaker. Most importantly, of course, government speakers have the power to exclude other voices. This piece argues that the Court’s conception of public places as channels of governmental speech, its heavy reliance on the analogy of private property ownership, and its suggestion that public places such as parks themselves convey governmental identity claims threaten to undermine fundamental tenets of the public forum concept and to limit private speech in public places.
November 18, 2010 in Aesthetic Regulation, Caselaw, Constitutional Law, Eminent Domain, Federal Government, First Amendment, Judicial Review, Local Government, Property Rights, Scholarship, Signs, Supreme Court, Takings | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The US Department of Energy is hosting a webinar today:
Wind Energy Ordinances Webinar
Contact: Susan Hinnen, NREL
1:00 p.m. Mountain Time
Join us for a discussion on wind energy ordinances and new tools being developed by Wind Powering America partners to educate local planners.
* Tom Tuffy, PennFuture
* Erica Heller, Clarion Associates
* David Loomis, Illinois State University
The Wind Powering America team hosts live Webinars with participant Q&A on a variety of themes. Each Webinar will focus on a particular subject of interest to the Wind Powering America community and will feature special guest experts, summarize the latest research on siting and deployment issues, and provide a chance for you to share your own experiences, ask questions, and engage with the Wind Powering America network. The Webinars will be posted on the Wind Powering America Web site after the events.
Visit the website for access information.
Thanks to Rita Kilpatrick at Southern Alliance for Clean Energy for the heads' up.
Jamie Baker Roskie
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Lesley K. McAllister (San Diego) has posted Enforcing Cap and Trade: A Tale of Two Programs, from San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law, Vol. 2, 2010 The abstract:
The ease of enforcement is often identified as a benefit of cap and trade regulation. Almost all such assertions are made based on the experience of the Acid Rain Program, a cap and trade program implemented by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 1995 to cap the sulfur dioxide emissions from the nation’s power plants. However, RECLAIM, a cap and trade program that began the year before in Los Angeles’s South Coast Air Quality Management District, tells a very different story about how difficult and resource-intensive the enforcement of a cap and trade program can be. This article describes and analyzes enforcement data from these two programs to show that even when enforcement provisions are designed in a similar way, the enforcement systems and enforcement outcomes that prevail may be very different. The article features an empirical analysis of RECLAIM enforcement cases from the beginning of the program through 2006, characterizing them in terms of number, type, case processing times, and penalty amounts.
Creola Johnson has published Renters evicted en masse: collateral damage arising from the subprime foreclosure crisis in the Florida Law Review (62 Fla. L. Rev. 975 (2010), in case the Hein Online link doesn't work).
From the introduction:
Across the country, innocent renters are becoming victims of their landlords' inability to avoid foreclosure on their rental properties. Many are not receiving the legal rights that they are entitled to under federal and state law. For example, Marjorie Benedum and her husband Mel Harris came home from church in December 2009 to find a sheriff's notice on their door warning them to move out in ten days or be evicted from their Baltimore home. The notice came as a shock to Benedum and Harris as they had never failed to pay their rent on time. They learned their impending eviction was a result of a foreclosure on the property against their landlord. What the couple did not know when they found the notice of eviction is that they were entitled to stay in the property for ninety days under a new federal law. Luckily, this family learned their rights from a local attorney and did not have to immediately vacate their home, but not every family is so fortunate...
Many of the borrowers facing foreclosure are non-occupant owners. No doubt, some tried to be prudent investors who saw owning real estate as a long-term investment. Others were speculators or flippers-people who obtained adjustable rate loans to purchase homes for the sole purpose of reselling the homes at a profit within a year or two of purchase. However, when the housing bubble burst and economic conditions took a turn for the worse, many borrower-landlords became trapped with mortgage payments they could not afford and residential properties they could not sell.
The innocent victims of these borrower-landlords are consumers like the couple in Baltimore who simply had the misfortune of renting a house or apartment from a landlord unable to pay the mortgage. Despite having never defaulted on their rental payments to the landlord and the enactment of a new federal law giving tenants ninety days to vacate foreclosed properties, renters are being ordered to leave in as little as three days or face eviction. Some tenants are not even aware of the landlord's trouble until the sheriff's deputy arrives to evict them or until their utilities are turned off due to the landlord's failure to pay the utility bills. Scrambling to quickly come up with sufficient cash for moving expenses and a security deposit to get a new place to rent, some tenants then find themselves on the brink of homelessness.
This happened to some friends of ours here in Athens. They had to scramble to find a new place to rent within a week, and they had to leave their huge, beautifully tended garden behind. Fortunately they were able to find a new place in the same neighborhood quickly, but it was still a stressful and unfortunate situation. I wish I'd know about this new federal law - perhaps it would have helped them. At least, maybe they would have been able to stay long enough to harvest their tomatoes!
Jamie Baker Roskie
Meredith R. Miller (Touro) has posted Strategic Default: The Popularization of a Debate Among Contract Scholars, forthcoming in the Cornell Real Estate Law Journal. The abstract:
A June 2010 report estimates that roughly 20% of mortgage defaults in the first half of 2009 were “strategic.” “Strategic default” describes the situation where a home borrower has the financial ability to continue to pay her mortgage but chooses not to pay and walks away. The ubiquity of strategic default has lead to innumerable newspaper articles, blog posts, website comments and editorial musings on the morality of homeowners who can afford to pay but choose, instead, to walk away. This Article centers on the current public discourse concerning strategic default, which mirrors a continuing debate among scholars regarding whether the willful breach of a contract has a moral element.
For those scholars that maintain that it is possible to describe and prescribe contract law with a general, unifying theory, the debate is primarily one between promise-based theories and economic theory. This debate between promissory and economic theory reflects a perpetual volley concerning whether contract law should reflect the primacy of morality or efficiency.
The argument of those that support strategic default reads like a case for efficient breach. Many of these commentators argue that the mortgage contract simply presents home borrowers with a choice: pay or surrender the property in foreclosure. If a homeowner is deep underwater, she is better off defaulting and the lender is no worse off relative to the bargain (after all, the lender agreed to foreclosure as a remedy). However, those who argue in favor of strategic default are counteracting a prevailing social norm that it is fundamentally immoral to willfully breach a contract. Many of the blog comments and even newspaper editorials have reflected a general sense that the homeowners who strategically default are acting shamefully.
The public discussion further mirrors the academic debate about whether encouraging efficient breach enables the greatest public good or, instead, undermines the very convention of contracting. On the one hand, strategic default serves as an example of how encouragement of breach of contract may lead to a breakdown of confidence in the marketplace and, in turn, could inhibit market activity. On the other, it is difficult to muster sympathy for lenders, whose imprudent loans are a large piece of the systemic problems that precipitated the housing crisis.
In the end, to the extent that questions of morality are nuanced and contextual, the example of strategic default elucidates the futility of either morality or efficiency as a unifying descriptive or normative theory of contract law. Indeed, it suggests that instead of focusing on individual contracts between borrowers and lenders, a more fruitful public discourse should be reframed to focus on appropriate systemic reforms to prevent the practices that played a part in devastating outcomes for the housing industry, families and communities. Because the concerns about strategic default – neighborhood depreciation and market collapse – are systemic, the solutions should be driven by those concerns, rather than shaming individual borrowers who decide to walk away.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Can where a school is located affect how safe its students and other workers/guests really are?
This Atlanta Journal Constitution op-ed argues the it definitely does:
The immense burden of traffic-related deaths should make roadway safety an absolute priority for Georgia legislators. State and local officials can support a variety of policies and programs that will enhance the safety of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. These include:
● Adopt “Complete Streets” policies that require the implementation of engineering strategies and design characteristics to make roadways safer.
● Increase funding for programs that encourage walking and biking (e.g., Safe Routes to School) to increase safety, promote physical activity and reduce motor vehicle use.
● Revise school siting policies that encourage the construction and renovation of schools that are accessible by walking or biking.
I agree that the link between walking safety and cars needs to be better realized and more effectively resolved.
--Chad Emerson, Faulkner U.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
William P. McCarty (Criminology, Law, & Justice, U. of Illinois-Chicago) has posted Trailers and Trouble? An Examination of Crime in Mobile Home Communities, in Cityscape, Vol. 12, p. 127 (2010). The abstract:
The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether the amount of crime in mobile home communities is greater than the amount of crime in other types of neighborhoods and to determine whether the difference in crime levels is significant even after controlling for multiple other variables. Using official crime reports and other data from Omaha, Nebraska, the study finds no significant difference in population-weighted crime rates between blocks with mobile home communities and other types of residential blocks. Multivariate models show that the presence of mobile home communities did not significantly affect crime rates. The implications of these findings for land use policy are explored.
The New York Times has an interesting article on the current discussion about the building height limits in Washington DC: In the Capital, Rethinking Old Limits on Buildings. From the intro:
Its low-slung architecture is no accident. In 1910, Congress passed an act limiting the heights of buildings in the capital. The first residential skyscraper, the Cairo, had been built, and at 12 stories, it was higher than fire ladders could reach and scandalously out of sync with its smaller neighbors.
One hundred years later, most Washingtonians see the act as a good thing. Their sidewalks are shadowed by the outlines of trees, and the dome of the Capitol can be seen from most roof decks. The act, they say, preserves the unique nature of their city, whose landmarks draw millions of visitors each year.
Now, on the act’s centennial, a small tribe of developers, architects and urban experts are questioning the orthodoxy of the rule’s application. A modest change, they argue, would inject some vitality into the urban scene, would allow for greener construction, and could eventually deliver bigger tax receipts for the badly pinched city budget, currently in a hole of about $175 million.
But raising the limit is nothing short of sacrilege for preservationists here, who fear that any change, however slight, will open the door to more.
The DC building height limit controversy is a crystallization of many of the most significant and perplexing contemporary land use issues. On the one hand, the height limit was one of the earliest and longest-standing land use regulations; it invokes the Enfant/Parisian heritage of the historical DC plan; and it has undoubtedly led to the very pleasant streetscapes and visuals in much of DC today. On the other hand, it has mandated a density limit that has exacerbated the scarcity of urban land, inflated real estate prices, and helped cause the serious sprawl that has plagued the DC region over the past generation. It is also an interesting debate, considering that many leading urban theorists call for greater density and vertical development, while in the nation's capital it will literally take an Act of Congress to move in that direction.
November 14, 2010 in Aesthetic Regulation, Architecture, Density, Development, Downtown, Federal Government, Historic Preservation, History, Local Government, Planning, Urbanism, Zoning | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Eric R. Claeys (George Mason) has posted Exclusion and Exclusivity in Gridlock, forthcoming in the Arizona Law Review, Vol. 53 (2011). The essay reviews Michael Heller's Gridlock Economy: How Too Much Ownership Wrecks Markets, Stops Innovation, and Costs Lives (2008). The abstract:
This Essay (which was prepared for a symposium held at George Mason University School of Law) reviews Michael Heller’s book The Gridlock Economy, focusing especially on its conceptual priors. The book assumes as true the conception that follows from Calabresi and Melamed’s Cathedral framework, whereby property consists of a right to exclude others, and invasions of the right to exclude may be remedied by a property rule. This definition departs significantly from the conception of property that informs social practice and private law, whereby property consists of a normative interest in determining exclusively the use of an external asset.
These differences lead The Gridlock Economy to make several conceptual and normative errors. In some cases (Moscow storefronts and Rhenish tolls), the book criticizes legal institutions for having too much property when in fact the problematic institutions are not property at all. In other cases (cotenancy partition and airplane overflights), the book criticizes legal institutions for having too much property when in fact existing law builds in discretion to limit property’s exclusivity to encourage the free and concurrent use of the propertized asset. And in some cases (redevelopment and private eminent domain), the book favors ad hoc government administration of a property dispute without being sensitive enough to the roles that socialization and respect for owner free action ordinarily play in property law.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Earlier this week, I posted Witold Rybczynski's essay from Slate.com. It was Part One in a series of two.
Part Two is this very interesting slideshow of images that further his point of how urban design can enhance urban life.
--Chad Emerson, Faulkner U.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Ronen Perry (Haifa) has posted The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and the Limits of Civil Liability, forthcoming in the Washington Law Review. The abstract:
The article, which follows up on my recently published work, uses the unprecedented disaster in the Gulf of Mexico as an opportunity to critically evaluate the law pertaining to civil liability for oil pollution before and after the enactment of the Oil Pollution Act.
This topic is analyzed as a derivative of a more general concern, namely the internal harmony of civil liability regimes. The article unveils a general incongruity in American land-based and maritime tort law that surfaced through the Exxon Valdez litigation, and examines whether subsequent statutory reform has eliminated the problem in the limited context of marine oil pollution, using the Deepwater Horizon incident as a test case.
Part I systematically discusses pre-OPA law. Part II explains why pre-OPA maritime law gave rise to incongruity on the justificatory level, delineates the contours of the problem, and proposes a conceptual framework for resolution. Part III examines whether the enactment of the OPA has created a more defensible liability regime.
Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, there have been calls for raising the OPA liability caps, or an even more comprehensive legislative reform. While some of the initiatives seem to have waned, this catastrophic incident, like the earlier Exxon Valdez case, will surely leave its mark. The article, which highlights relevant policy concerns, will undoubtedly serve policymakers in reassessing the limits of civil liability for marine oil pollution.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Razieh Rezazadeh (Iran U. of Science & Technology--Architecture & Urban Planning) has posted Application of Social Capital in Revitalization of Dilapidated Neighborhoods: The Case of Saboonpaz-Khaneh in Tehran, from OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development, Vol. 1, No. 10, pp. 75-80, 2010. The abstract:
In many cities around the world prosperous neighborhoods of yesterday become dilapidated Inner city neighborhoods of today. This is due to a process of degradation which creates dissatisfactory living conditions. This in turn devaluates the property and changes the social structure and commences a cycle of physical dilapidation. For revitalization of such neighborhoods, different approaches have been recommended from total demolition and reconstruction to conservation and even social empowerment. This paper would review the dilapidation process in a centrally located neighborhood adjacent to Bazzar of Tehran and searches appropriate tackling strategy considering its characteristics which is a representative typology.
A detailed and in depth study is conducted in Saboonpaz-khaneh neighborhood in Tehran, to investigate the dilapidation process and find out appropriate approach to achieve a socio-physically sustainable development solution for revitalization of the neighborhood. This previously centrally located residential neighborhood close to the old Bazaar and central business district is now housing the lowest class of blue collar workers and also serves as storage space for bazaar as well as accommodating illegal small workshops of the informal economic sector.
The organic fabric, inadequacy of infrastructures, and other physical problems have caused continues depopulation and change of land use. Continuation of this trend would create an inner city ghetto in which only the very poor and deprived population would be residing in. Despite these, a well conducted survey shows that the neighborhood is benefiting from high level of social capital; however the range of its different indices is different, the reasons of which are discussed in the paper. Here it seems that social capital could be used in order to stop the dilapidation process and to increase the property value, type of residents and land uses. Therefore a series of strategies based on the use of present social capital is suggested.
Steven Malanga of the always-interesting City Journal has published The Next Wave of Urban Reform: Mayors Cory Booker and Dave Bing fight to save two of America's most distressed cities. From the article:
Since the mid-1960s, many big-city mayors and Washington policymakers had argued that the problems plaguing America’s cities—rising crime, deteriorating schools, sluggish economies, and social dysfunction—resulted from national and global economic forces that urban politicians were powerless to resist. Out of that period came an array of ambitious federal programs to aid city residents and revitalize struggling urban neighborhoods. Even though the programs—many of them carried out under the banner of the War on Poverty—did little to boost cities’ fortunes, the refrain that urban woes were Washington’s responsibility became commonplace among mayors and remained so for nearly three decades. . . .
Now, though, at least two mayors of cities perennially deemed hopeless are trying to bring urban reform to city hall: Cory Booker, entering the fifth year of his fight to remake Newark; and Dave Bing, the former Detroit Pistons basketball star barely 18 months into his job at Detroit’s helm. Both mayors battle entrenched cultures of patronage, sleaze, and dependency that have made their cities virtual wards of the state and federal governments. Both challenge residents and policymakers to find solutions at home, not look for them in Washington. In some ways, their jobs are even tougher than those of the reformers of the nineties, since the troubles their cities face are more ingrained. Their efforts nevertheless offer two of America’s most distressed cities the first hope in decades.
Now I've never been to Detroit, but I am originally from Jersey, and I know that Newark has had its problems, such as the mafia corruption exemplified by the story of mobster Jerry "Chicken Delight" Festa, chronicled in the 1984 book Marked to Die. No relation, so I'm told. Anyway, the City Journal article is a good read and thought-provoking about the possibilities and problems facing urban reform.
Patrick J. Venne has posted his paper Out of Bounds: Reconciling Private Property Rights and Democracy in Oregon. The paper is about urban growth boundaries in Oregon. From the intro:
Urban growth boundaries are tools of urban containment applied to curb the otherwise natural outward sprawl of cities into the countryside--an unattractive stretch of physical structures that has economic as well as environmental costs. UGBs are implemented literally as physical boundaries outside of which urbanized development is for all intents and purposes largely banned. For many reasons, some obvious and others not, such devices have been received with mixed fanfare and in some instances have been highly contested.
While you're at it, check out Patrick's blog, Mainely Urban, focusing on urban development and land use planning in Maine and nationally. From Portland OR to Portland ME! It's a really informative and nice-looking blog with lots of great pictures and visuals.
I've found that students often respond well to short videos when working to explain/demonstrate a land planning point.
Previously I shared videos on parking (Donald Shoup's work) and parking lots. Here's another one that does a nice job discussing improved pedestrian/bicycle activity through enhanced traffic calming strategies in Portland.
--Chad Emerson, Faulkner U.
From The New York Times:
An alternative theater company has created a work based on the controversial Atlantic Yards development in Brooklyn.
“So there’s ULURP,” begins the second song in a new musical about Brooklyn. “ULURP is the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure/Which required community involvement and public review/Of all kinds of New York City land-use projects.”
If this seems like something you might read in the notes of a community board meeting, that’s because it is. The song goes on to define the Empire State Development Corporation and the New York State Urban Development Corporation (E.S.D.C. and U.D.C., for musicality) and describe how they function together. “And that’s how eminent domain works!” it concludes. Jaunty, no?
As far as I know, this is the first attempt to set a land use code to music, but I'd love to hear if anyone knows of another example!
For Steve Cosson, a founder of the inquisitive musical theater troupe the Civilians, dramatizing this wonky subject led to a fertile multiyear examination of politics, race, democracy, money and community, centered on the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn. Titled “In the Footprint,” the show mines the New Yorkiest of obsessions — real estate — to present a layered portrait of a city and a neighborhood changing, sometimes under duress. “Atlantic Yards: The Musical!” it’s not.
The songs in “In the Footprint: The Battle Over Atlantic Yards” (the creators call them blogosongs) serve not as emotional showstoppers but as commentary and explanation — the Greek chorus of the digital age. The show, which begins previews at the Irondale Center in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, on Friday, and opens on Nov. 22, is based on interviews with business owners, neighbors, politicians, bloggers and activists touched by Atlantic Yards, the developer Bruce Ratner’s divisive project to reconfigure 22 acres of urban landscape in Brooklyn, displacing scores of residents and small businesses in the process.
There are so few examples of artistic effort based on land use law. If you're in New York during the run, take it in and send us a review!
Jamie Baker Roskie
November 11, 2010 in Development, Economic Development, Eminent Domain, Humorous, New York, Planning, Politics, Property, Property Rights, Race, Redevelopment, State Government | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)


text:
In the spirit of “Giving Tuesday,” Kohl’s said it will award $3.2 million in grants to more than 300 nonprofit organizations across the country that work to improve the health and wellness of children and families as part of its national giving program, which is an extension of the company’s ongoing commitment to health and wellness.
More than 300 organizations will receive a $10,000 grant from Kohl’s. The donations made through Kohl’s National Giving Program are made possible through Kohl’s philanthropic program, Kohl’s Cares, which sells children’s books and toys and donates all net profit to charitable initiatives nationwide.
“Giving back to the communities our Kohl’s associates and customers call home has always been the heart of who we are as a company. This Giving Tuesday, as an extension of our ongoing efforts to support family health and wellness, we’re thrilled to announce that we will be providing $3 million in grants to support organizations that champion the health and wellbeing of children and families,” said Michelle Gass, Kohl’s CEO. “Our associates support their communities year-round by volunteering for local charitable organizations. This grant program is just one more way that we can pitch in to make a positive difference at the local level.”

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If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know by now how much of a fan of Montréal I’ve become. I first visited this city in the summer of 2013 and fell in love with it in an instant. My second visit, in February 2014, in the throes of winter, only reinforced the reasons why I love this city. In the summer heat or the winter freeze, Montréal truly is special. It’s the friendly people and the charming ambiance that sets this city apart from its North American peers, and there’s another factor: its vibrant food scene! Montréal is perhaps most famous for its poutine and bagels but look farther and you’ll discover a colourful culinary culture that encompasses traditional ethnic favourites to cutting-edge gastronomy. One of the best ways to learn more about the history of Montréal and its people is to go on a food tour, which includes one of Montréal’s most famous institutions: Schwartz’s (humongous smoked meat sandwiches). The food tour was the perfect introduction and since then, I’ve had the opportunity to revel in the city’s diverse culinary scene. Here are five restaurants in Montreal that I can highly recommend:
Les 400 Coups
Perhaps my favourite restaurant in Montréal, Les 400 Coups (400 Rue Notre-Dame East; tel.: 1-514-985-0400) is situated in Old Montréal and charms guests with its warm, cosy atmosphere the second they walk in. The cuisine is refined and the service is polished. The menu changes with the seasons, inspired by local ingredients and steered by local culinary talents. The fresh ingredients and exquisite blend of flavours made for an unforgettable meal. If it’s on the menu, try the Duck Magret – it’s gorgeous!
Foodlab (Labo Culinaire)
The Foodlab can be found on the 3rd floor of the Society of Arts and Technology (1201 Boulevard Saint-Laurent; open on Tuesdays to Fridays; tel.: 1-514-844-2033). This restaurant, where guests sit at long tables, is a platform for culinary explorations (both local and international) in which the exchange of rural and urban influences plays a central role. The menu changes every two weeks but no matter what’s being served, you can rely on quality ingredients and superb flavours.
EVOO (3426 Rue Notre-Dame West; tel.: 1-514-846-3886) was founded by three young people whose passion for food visibly shines through in their creations. They serve contemporary French and Mediterranean cuisine using both traditional and modern techniques, and incredibly fresh ingredients. The presentation of the dishes is gorgeous and adds to the stylish ambiance. My favourite dish: the Cocoa Ravioli (with braised oxtail, pineapple quince, Madeira and parmesan) – simply beautiful!
Located in the Little Burgundy district, Joe Beef (2491 Rue Notre-Dame West; tel.: 1-514-935-6504) is an homage to Charles “Joe-Beef” McKiernan, 19th century innkeeper and Montreal working class hero. This colourful restaurant specialises in ‘surf-and-turf’ so make sure you try a bit of both. Start with one of Joe Beef’s famous cocktails (I can still conjure the flavours of that tantalising ‘Bloody Caesar’). The scallops, oysters and the hearty steaks are sensational. In the warmer months, you can sit in the back of the restaurant right next to the restaurant’s very own organic vegetable garden. And before you leave, make a pitstop in the restroom for a good laugh!
Le Banquise (994, Rue Rachel Est; tel.: 1-514-525-2415) is somewhat of an institution in Montréal. During my first visit, I asked which place served the best poutine and many people answered… yes, you guessed it! I wasn’t disappointed. At La Banquise, poutine isn’t just a dish of fries with cheese and gravy, it’s a culture. More than 20 different types of poutine are served, from the Classic (fries, cheese curds and BBQ sauce to La Elvis (with ground beef, mushrooms and peppers) and L’Italienne (tomato meat sauce). My favourite: La Kamikaze (sausages, hot peppers and tabasco – wow, what a kick!).
One more tip: visit Taste MTL for more foodie tips.
Note: this post is the result of the #LoveWinter blogger trip, a collaboration between iambassador, Quebec Tourism, Tourism Montreal and the Canadian Tourism Commission. As always, all views expressed above are mine, and mine only.

domain: travel


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Total amount: € 0,00
HOW TO ORDER
MINERVA ORTOPEDICA E TRAUMATOLOGICA
A Journal on Orthopedics and Traumatology
Minerva Ortopedica e Traumatologica 2013 April;64(2):115-20
Blinded cyst wall rupture of the flexor tendon sheath ganglions: an effective and simple treatment
Turan A., Kose O., Arik H. O., Guler F., Tokatman B., Akalin S. ✉
Antalya Education and Research Hospital, Orthopedics and Traumatology Department, Antalya, Turkey
Aim: The purpose of this study was to report the results of blinded cyst wall rupture of the FTSG in the hand in a consecutive series of patients.
Methods: We prospectively followed 28 patients with flexor tendon sheath ganglion who were treated with cyst wall rupture. We performed needle rupture no more than two attempts. Surgical excision was performed in these recurrent cases. Recurrence and patient satisfaction was the major outcomes.
Results: All patients were followed at least 6 months with a mean of 11.1±4.4 months (range, 6-20). In 23 (82.1%) cases, the cyst did not recur during the follow-up after a single rupture. A second attempt of cyst wall rupture was performed in five cases. Of these cysts, three recurred. Two patients were operated and one patient refused the surgery. The overall success rate of cyst wall rupture (one or two) was 89.3%. Permanent paresthesia due to digital nerve injury was seen in one patient.
Conclusion: Blinded cyst wall rupture in patients with flexor tendon sheath ganglia is a practical procedure which be performed in outpatient clinic with high patient satisfaction and a low recurrence and complication rate

domain: medical


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CLC Convention to Focus on Benefits of Strong Unions, Reframing Public Debate
May 9, 2011, 9:25 AM EST
In a time when unions and union members have been subject to contempt by politicians and editorialists alike, the Canadian Labour Congress is sounding the call to action at its 26th Constitutional Convention. The event will centre on how organized labour can better convey the importance of strong unions and union density to all Canadians, both union members and non.
The Convention, starting Monday, May 9, 2011 and running until May 13 downtown Vancouver, will be attended by 2,600 delegates and guests.
From the CLC:
"Unions do make a difference in people's lives and this convention is all about finding better ways to get that message out.
There is a union advantage in wages, benefits, pensions and safer workplaces that we negotiate for our members. But all Canadians, not just union members, benefit from strong unions. We push for government policies that will assist in creating good, family-supporting jobs. We advocate for improved Employment Insurance, we defend valuable public services such as medicare, and our campaign to improve the CPP/QPP will benefit all workers when they retire. There are powerful forces that oppose us and too often they frame the public debate.
We have to do a better job of convincing Canadians that ours is a better way. This convention will focus on how we can work harder and smarter, using every available means of communication to tell our story. It's going to be an exciting week."
For more information on the Convention, or to follow along, please visit:
Follow the CAW at the Convention on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CAWCommunicate


Haf Equipment is a custom engineering company that specializes in bulk material handling systems but, truth be told, our systems only make up a portion of what sets us apart. Since the beginning, we had a small, family-owned culture; one that cultivated a community and where people truly cared about their peers and their work. Today, as we continue to grow, we still hire and coach to maintain that unique culture.
At the UoM CSE Career Fair, Haf is looking to build our team with only the few out there that are humble yet confident, driven yet fun, & an overall ideal team player. Whether you are looking for an internship or permanent position, if that sounds intriguing to you, come and visit our booth, sign up for a virtual conversation, follow us on LinkedIn, or message us through our website. We would love to connect!
If you are chosen for an internship, it will give you an unparalleled experience for your future career, through extensive exposure to a vast array of manufacturing environments. While we hope at the end you find a place within our team – we are most interested in you and the experiences you will get to better the UofM Engineering program. #RTB


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Dr. med. Ioana Vulpe
Deafness is a common condition, which manifests itself in the form of hearing loss..
There are two types:
- Perceptive deafness is due to inner ear damage, the most frequent cause being presbyacusis or age-related hearing loss; when the latter becomes troublesome in social situations, a hearing aid is recommended and generally gives excellent results..
- Conductive deafness is due to damage in the external or middle ear, and treatment is often surgical.
An audiogram or hearing test conducted in a soundproof booth is used to classify and quantify this deafness.
Tinnitus and/or ringing in the ears are abnormal noises. They can manifest themselves in the form of hissing, which the patient hears intermittently of permanently.
This kind of damage occurs in 30% of the adult population. Treatment of ringing in the ears is often difficult.
Some drugs may decrease its intensity. Tranquilisers may also be prescribed for insomnia. Treatment of ringing in the ears should be preventive above all.
The wearing of ear protection is essential, especially in patients who are subjected regularly to loud noise at work.
In all cases, the doctor should listen to the patient.
Discussing the different therapeutic possibilities with patients improves the situation most times.
Dizziness or balance disorder, which the patient describes as if being on a carousel.
Other symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, are often present.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) or cupulolithiasis is a very common vertigo. Its treatment is carried out at the doctor's practice by means of a rapid movement manoeuvre called the Semont manoeuvret.
For other causes, drugs are prescribed - with generally good results.
Colds and acute sinusitis are essentially bacterial in origin. Medical treatment can quickly unblock the nose and sinuses and often gives excellent results.
Antibiotics and nasal drops are generally given. Colds and chronic sinusitis require medical or surgical treatment especially if there is a mechanical obstruction in the nose.
We then use endoscopic methods to avoid making any external opening.
Tonsillitis begins with a tingling sensation at the back of the throat then the pain increases. The throat is inflamed.
White patches can be observed on the tonsils. If the tonsillitis is accompanied by flu or other viral infection, treatment is based on rest and typical fever-reducing drugs. On the other hand, if the tonsillitis is microbial with white patches, it should be treated with antibiotics.
In the case of repeated bouts of tonsillitis, an operation can be considered.


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Kings Canyon was the very first Apex Legends map, so it should come as no surprise that it has undergone the most changes since the game’s launch. Season 14: Hunted is bringing even more adjustments to the map, including a brand-new POI and alterations to existing popular spots. The team even created a new skybox for Kings Canyon, while also going through and re-lighting the entire map to breathe new life into it.
During a press event last week, Respawn’s lead level designer for the Kings Canyon changes, Jeff Shaw, went into detail on what players can expect to see after the Season 14 update goes live.
In terms of lore, players who follow the story will know that Loba destroyed Kings Canyon’s Skulltown and Thunderdome in Season 5, which is the reason for the ongoing salvage operation. Well, that operation is now complete, adding a new POI called Relic to the map — the location shown in the featured image above.
According to Shaw, Relic will be “bringing back some of that classic Kings Canyon gameplay that people love and miss.” It’s a mid-sized POI that’s located underneath a giant skull, which is reminiscent of Skulltown.
“The other big reason we decided to put the POI here was a solution to a problem that we saw,” Shaw said. “Moving between Caustic, Market, and Octane’s Gauntlet really funnelled you into a single lane, and if a good squad was defending the area, you were almost always forced into an encounter. So, we felt this area was kind of lacking rotational options.” Relic is meant to solve this issue by giving squads a new area to rotate to.
Outside of the new POI, several adjustments have been made throughout the map. Non-POIs like the caged tower and the hillside base have been reworked so that fights end faster. The caged tower has been opened up and shortened, while the hillside area has lost its indoor structures.
As for existing POIs, Broken Relay has been altered, as it was “falling short” as a POI. New buildings have been added to the location and it is now called Basin.

domain: design


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Fleetwood Nautical Campus
- Leave M55 at Junction 3 (A585 Kirkham/Fleetwood)
- At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto A585 (Fleetwood Rd) heading to Fleetwood
- After 5.5 Km, turn left at traffic lights to stay on A585
- Travel for 13.5 Km, going over 3 roundabouts, remaining on the A585
- At the next roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Fleetwood Rd.
- Turn left, arrive at campus
Detailed information and guidance about disabled access for the Fleetwood Nautical Campus can be found on the AccessAble website, including access, parking facilities and additional services. For specific locations at the Fleetwood Nautical Campus, please see below:

domain: geography


Transcending existing antiquated complex paper-driven supply chains into the new digital
landscape. The AXIchain products are designed to connect the dots of more than 57 processes
into 5 simple key touchpoints that encompass the entire supply chain on a single platform.
Products / Solutions
VIP Global Market
owned and operated
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren officially kicked off her 2020 presidential campaign this weekend, but the Massachusets senator posed that President Donald Trump may not be in a position to challenge her.
“One of the things we’re going to have to decide about how campaigns go forward is about what Donald Trump does every day,” she told a crowd on in Iowa Tuesday.
Warren wondered if the candidates and press would undyingly focus on Trump’s tweets and “dark and ugly” statements every day.
But Warren guessed that the shift could focus if Trump left the picture within the next two years.
“Here’s what bothers me: By the time we get to 2020, Donald Trump may not even be president,” she stated. “In fact, he may not even be a free person.”
Watch the video below:
This is how Elizabeth Warren opened up her "first full day" of her presidential campaign: "By the time we get to 2020, Donald Trump may not even be president. In fact, he may not even be a free person. But here’s how I see it–Donald Trump is not the only problem we’ve got." pic.twitter.com/hhzFiKdaC5
— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) February 10, 2019
Warren has mostly stayed away from discussing the topic of a Trump impeachment.
“My view on this is: Protect the special prosecutor, let him finish his work without political interference,” Warren said on “The View” last year when asked about impeachment. “Let him make a full report to the American people and then collectively we can make the decision about what the appropriate next step is.”
But Warren has been critical of the growing case against the president, from more information about his connections to Putin and a Trump Tower Moscow to his dealing with his former lawyer Michael Cohen.
But even if Trump somehow isn’t around by the time of the 2020 election, Warren says a roadblock will still remain.
“Donald Trump isn’t the only problem we’ve got,” she continued in her speech Sunday.
“Donald Trump is the symptom of a badly broken system. So our job as we start rolling into the next election is not just to respond on a daily basis it’s to talk about what we understand that is broken in this country, talk about what needs to be done to change it, and talk about how we’re gonna do that. Because that’s not only how we win, but that’s how we’re gonna make the change we need to make.”


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Sure, photos like the one above are stunning, and when you capture and create photos like this, all the hard work of landscape photography is well worth it.
But it's a mistake to think that landscape photography is easy...
In fact, there are some ugly truths of landscape photography and just how difficult it is!
Let's explore a few of these landscape photography truths and see how you can work around them to get a great shot.
Ugly Truths of Landscape Photography: There are No Ideal Camera Settings
Photo by Marcus Millo via iStock
If you've been on a quest to figure out the best landscape photography camera settings, you're in for a surprise - there are none!
Every landscape is different, and more to the point, landscapes change from one moment to the next due to changes in sunlight, cloud cover, the presence or absence of rain or snow, and so forth.
So, the camera settings that work great at the start of the day might not be so great later on. You'll have to adapt the landscape photography camera settings you use to each situation.
The best thing you can do is learn how to control exposure settings so you understand what you need to change in order to maintain a correct exposure, even as the lighting conditions and weather changes.
Start that process by getting familiar with basic camera settings as outlined in the video above by Big Photo TV.
Quick Tip: One of the easiest methods for understanding what camera settings to use for different weather conditions is the Sunny 16 Rule. Basically, the Sunny 16 Rule states that on a sunny day, when shooting at f/16, to get a good exposure, the shutter speed and ISO values will be the inverse of each other. So, if you set your shutter to 1/200 seconds, the ISO would be 200. Learn about the Sunny 16 Rule in this detailed guide.
Ugly Truths of Landscape Photography: Mother Nature is Working Against You
Photo by franckreporter via iStock
Okay, so that might be a bit of a dramatic headline, but you have to admit that sometimes it seems like mother nature isn't at all interested in you taking her picture.
On the one hand, weather can often hamper our efforts, with fog and rain and hail and snow getting in the way of taking beautiful photos.
On the other hand, normal, everyday occurrences in nature can derail your best efforts.
Photo by RenatoK via iStock
One of the most common landscape photography problems you might encounter is when the sun causes strong glare off of ponds, lakes, streams, and other bodies of water.
Of course, that glare is hugely distracting, and takes away from the beauty of the rest of the scene.
Fortunately, you have a secret weapon at your disposal that can help you get around this issue - a circular polarizer.
Photo by Eloi_Omella via iStock
Polarizing filters block out glare, as shown above, so by simply attaching a polarizer to your lens, you can continue shooting without the worry of distracting glare, even when mother nature isn't exactly cooperating.
Polarizers work best when you're at a 45-degree angle to the sun, so bear that in mind as you work to get the shot.
As an added bonus, polarizers, like the Kenko Nyumon polarizer that I use (shown above), also have other benefits:
- Polarizing filters boost contrast in the sky. This makes the atmosphere a deeper blue and clouds a brighter white. The result is a much more impactful sky in your landscape photos.
- Polarizing filters minimize atmospheric haze. This is important because with a polarizer, distant landscape elements appear to be cleaner and crisper in the shot.
Additionally, the anti-glare properties of a polarizer aren't just limited to bodies of water. In fact, polarizers reduce glare off of anything that's non-metallic, so wet foliage, wet rocks, heck, even wet skin won't have glare if you use a polarizer.
Editor's Tip: Not all polarizing filters are made alike. Many cheap polarizers use lower-quality glass, which can reduce the sharpness of the image. Likewise, some polarizing filters have chunky filter housings, which can cause unwanted vignetting, particularly when shooting with a wide-angle lens. I use the Kenko Nyumon circular polarizing filter because it's made of high-quality Japanese glass for superb sharpness and it has a slim filter ring so vignetting is not an issue.
Ugly Truths of Landscape Photography: Photoshop Cannot Save You
Image Credit: diego_cervo via iStock
Don't get me wrong - Photoshop, Lightroom, and other post-processing software offer tons of features and tools that allow you to do much more with your photos than would otherwise be possible.
But these programs cannot make a bad photo into a good photo. The basis of a great shot has to be there, and then you can use these programs to enhance the good stuff that's already there.
There's a second part of this ugly truth, too - Photoshop isn't exactly easy to learn.
I've been in photography for decades now, and there's still things I don't know how to do in Photoshop. If it can be a mystery at times to pros, it's easy to understand why beginners can get so frustrated with Photoshop.
Obviously, the key here is to learn how to use Photoshop to edit landscape photos. The video above by Peter Zelinka is a good place to start.
Another option is to use Lightroom instead of Photoshop. If you read our Lightroom vs Photoshop expose, you'll find that Lightroom is easier to learn, has all the essential editing tools you'll need, and it has a built-in library, so you can keep all your photos neatly organized.
No matter what post-processing program you use, just remember that it's best to learn the necessary skills to get a good shot in-camera, and then edit it to bring out its full glory, not try to rely on post-processing to rescue a bad shot.
Quick Tip: Photoshop and Lightroom aren't the only viable post-processing options. There are many free alternatives to Photoshop, including GIMP, which has virtually all the same editing tools and even features a similar workspace layout. If you primarily use your smartphone for photography, there's no shortage of landscape photography apps for your phone, either. Use these tools to assist you in creating your photos, not to try to save them, and you'll find improved success!
Originally posted on PhotographyTalk.com

domain: artistic


text:
Have Fun Storming the Castle
Display this playful print in your child's room, playroom near your front door or any spot you need a reminder to go out, tackle the day and have some FUN!
This is an archival quality print of original collage artwork by Alaina Pompa.
• Made with fade-resistant, pigment-based inks on lush matte art paper
• Available in three sizes.
• All prints are sold unframed.
Packaged with a stiff mat board backing in a clear bag.
Larger prints are rolled in a tube.
All work copyrighted © by Alaina Pompa


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What is it about?
App Store Description
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. He is the creation of Scottish-born author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A brilliant London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess, and is renowned for his skillful use of astute observation, deductive reasoning and inference to solve difficult cases.
The stories of the world's best known detective, Sherlock Holmes, are collected in this single volume for the app:
▪A Study in Scarlet (serialised 1887)
▪The Sign of the Four (published 1890)
▪The Hound of the Baskervilles (serialised 1901–1902 in The Strand)
▪The Valley of Fear (serialised 1914–1915)
▪The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
▪The Memoirs of Sherlock
▪The Return of Sherlock Holmes
▪His Last Bow
▪The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans,
▪The Adventure of the Devil's Foot
▪The Case book of Sherlock Holmes
AppAdvice does not own this application and only provides images and links contained in the iTunes Search API, to help our users find the best apps to download. If you are the developer of this app and would like your information removed, please send a request to [email protected] and your information will be removed.

domain: library


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Shock Totem #10 (Jan 2016)
- Shock Totem #11—Available Now!
- The State of Shock Totem Publications, or We Are Not ChiZine Publications
- Closing for Submissions
- Shock Totem Returns!
- Apex Publications Acquires Shock Totem Book Line
- The Head, the Tail, the Whole Damn Thing: Musings on Jaws, Part 8
- The Head, the Tail, the Whole Damn Thing: Musings on Jaws, Part 7
- The Head, the Tail, the Whole Damn Thing: Musings on Jaws, Part 6
- The Head, the Tail, the Whole Damn Thing: Musings on Jaws, Part 5
- The Head, the Tail, the Whole Damn Thing: Musings on Jaws, Part 4
Like what you've read here or in the magazine? Please consider donating.
Tag Archives: Dark Fantasy
I’ve been reading (and writing) a lot of horror lately. It’s kind of become my thing. So when I noticed by chance that one of my favorite fantasy trilogies, The Darwath Trilogy by Barbara Hambly), was available as an e-book, I bought it on a whim. Going back and re-reading these books that I haven’t even thought about in years has been more than just enjoyable, it’s been eye-opening. I have lost myself in the plot, gotten caught up in the suffering and joy of the characters, and become emotionally invested in their lives just like I did the first time I read them.
What’s different now (besides the fact that I’m older and supposedly wiser) is that experiencing this story anew, I’ve come to realize it’s not just a fantasy. Oh, there is magic, and good vs. evil, and sword-play. There is even a damsel in distress, until she realizes she is perfectly capable of saving herself. But this is also a horror story, and I never realized it before.
I’ve read a lot of fantasy, starting in my pre-teens. The Big Bad is usually an evil wizard/king/high-ranking royal underling/witch/spoiled but underappreciated heir…the list goes on. But my point is a lot of the time the antagonist is some variation of a human being. Then there are the beastly Bad Guys—dragons or goblins or other mythical monsters, even the magically-created or surviving villains like Sauron or Voldemort.
The main evil in this series, however, isn’t human (although there are those, too) and they aren’t your typical beastie. They’re called The Dark, mostly because sunlight and fire are deadly to them, and so for the most part they only come out at night. They don’t walk, not having legs per se, and they don’t fly as they don’t really have wings. They float through the air with the aid of their own incomprehensible and eldritch magic, with which they can cloak themselves almost to invisibility. They can change their size, from maybe the size of a small mammal, to as large as a house in a split second. They are soft and undulating with trailing tentacles reminiscent of jellyfish. Yet they have grasping claws and dripping acid. And between the space of one heartbeat and the next they can siphon the blood from a person’s veins, strip flesh from bones, or perhaps most horribly snatch the soul from the body leaving a mindless automaton behind.
When I read about The Dark and the descriptions of what they could do, and how callously, I was terrified! They look on human beings as cattle, neither knowing nor caring that the people they feed on are thinking, feeling creatures. Even now, years later, going back and re-reading this series, I get a chill from The Dark. Is it just because the author came up with a really good, scary villain? Or is it also that atavistic fear, handed down for millennia—that fear of what we can’t see but only sense? When the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and goosebumps skitter down your spine on dainty spider feet, is it all just your imagination? Or is there really something in the darkness looking back at you, waiting for the perfect moment to strike…?
In any case, I’ve come to the conclusion that genre is just a label, and sometimes an inadequate one at that. On the face of it, The Darwath Trilogy is a fantasy series perfect for a pre-teen to pick up and enjoy. However, underneath is all the darkness and horror someone like me could wish for.
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Lee Thompson’s work. He writes fast, he writes hard, and he comes up with beautifully tragic stories that are both engaging and soul-crushing.
Gossamer: A Tale of Love and Tragedy is no different. From the very beginning, we’re tossed into an uncomfortably unflinching look at love and loss. Dorothy is a little girl forced to watch her father denounce her mother as a witch. As the sentence is passed, Dorothy hardens her heart and promises revenge.
The main story has to do when Dorothy has lived several lifetimes. She resides in the small town of Gossamer, guardian of an area filled with people that she grows to care for. Then her loneliness puts the residents of Gossamer in danger, and everything changes.
Lee has a clean, easy prose that still manages to be beautiful. He’s especially gifted at writing women, which is rare to see from a male writer. His portrayal of Dorothy and her aunt are both strong and chilling. Later in the book, we are introduced to two more strong mother/daughter characters, and the ineffectual boyfriend. It’s interesting to see the spine and determination in these women, and how far Lee is willing to push them until they either push back or break completely.
This book is full of witches and vampires. It’s full of magical carousals. It’s also full of betrayal, love reciprocated and not, and cowardice. Lee takes the unlovely parts of real life and sets it in a setting so deliciously bizarre that you think you’re simply reading a story, when in fact you’re listening to a man sitting across from you and telling you all about pain.
Gossamer goes down easy and leaves a bitter aftertaste. It’s dark and lovely. I’d recommend it.
Sometimes in one’s life, you run across an author whose vision you see clearly, as if your minds are somehow connected across the vast expanse of the universe. The author’s voice resonates in your mind, the words he or she places upon the written page are the entirety of your hopes and dreams, your nightmares, your fears, your sorrows, your ideals, and perhaps the longing for a happy ending that you know your own life may not have in store.
For myself, that author is Ben Duiverman. The man has captured my soul, has given to me a mirror through which I can gaze and see the humanity that lies within with startling clarity. His writing is that of a fever dream, a never-ending kaleidoscope of terror, introspection, and eventual acquiescence that permeates my own thoughts each and every day.
What Happened Here? is a collection of seventeen stories, each of which ponder the universal questions that we all ask daily. Be it a question of duty, as in “The Sweeper” or “Lost Over Tokyo,” or the issue of culpability and its price, be it historical or otherwise, and its grip over our hearts, like “The Gathering Place” (the greatest story in the entire book), “The Battle of the Bulge,” “Never Late for Work,” or “An Unnatural Death,” each story resonating, building upon the next, constructing a wall of emotional bricks that, by the time you are done reading, is destined to be torn down.
There are inquiries into the depths of darkness that reside in the hearts and minds of each of us, such as “Trick or Treat,” “The Circus Is in Town,” “A Family Portrait,” and “My Domain.” And there are even those that cast a critical eye on society itself, like the deliciously haunting “Dining with Sharks.” And with “Bogeymen,” perhaps the most frightening of all the stories, the author paints (literally and figuratively) the image of the fate which may await us all, and illustrates with startling ambiguity how we very well may be the unwitting authors of our own demise. As in “A Two-Way Street” and “Cruel and Unusual Punishment,” selfishness leads to self-wrought destruction, the bane of man since the beginning of the human race.
This volume, published by the author himself, is truly a great and worthwhile read. It is a paragon of creation and subsequent deconstruction, a masterful work of art using the written word to tear down what we know of reality and to then build it once more in ways we may not have thought of before. Duiverman is a master storyteller, an author with something to say, whose own inner turmoil is laid out for the whole world to see, if we should be brave enough to take that leap along with him. Reading this was a unique and wholly rewarding experience for this reviewer, and it is my hope that any who stumble across this review will take the plunge as well.
Born in a New Jersey basement in the mid-90’s, Lore was a DIY magazine for dark fiction and fantasy. In their time, they took home a number of awards, including The Dragon’s Breath Small Press Award for Best New Magazine, as well as had several stories from within their pages garner awards of their own.
I must admit, here, that I had never heard of Lore. This is a fact I am now somewhat ashamed of, after reading this, a collection of stories that appeared during their five-year run. I missed out on some quality reading back in the day.
I won’t go through every story in this collection, but will touch upon those that stuck with me most.
Starting things off with Harlan Ellison is always a smart move. Ellison has long been regarded as a master of speculative fiction, and with “Chatting with Anubis” we get a tongue-in-cheek tale of archaeology and spiritualism and the dark threads that bind them.
“The Mandala,” by Kendall Evans, is a bizarre exercise in surrealism as symbolism. Patricia Russo’s “Rat Familiar” is Grimm-style fantasy that is served up nasty and dark, while Jeffrey Thomas’s “Empathy” is a sadly sweet tale of trust, mistreatment and revenge.
Brian Lumley turns in “The Vehicle” which is a lighthearted “fish out of water” sort of sci-fi tale. Donald R. Burleson gives us what might be my favorite tale in the book, “Sheets,” a terrific haunted-house story, and it is exactly not what you think it is.
All the stories in this volume are strong. Some skirt the edges of the Horror estate, while others wander that bizarre and weird landscape on its outskirts. “The Challenge From Below,” a group-penned tribute to Lovecraft, as well as many other pieces, have never been reprinted before this. And a few are nearly science fiction. All, however, have a classic feel and mature voice.
This is old-school writing.
As of 2011, Lore has resurrected itself. I would have loved the magazine back in its heyday, so I hope to follow them, now, and keep up with what they put out.
This volume can be purchased through the Lore website.
Like the old song says, I love a parade. Who doesn’t? The Halloween parade that opens this destined-to-be holiday classic by Peter Crowther is both terrific and terrifying. By Wizard Oak, published in a limited numbered series by Earthling Publications, is the wonderfully warped story of a small town called Magellan Bend. Once upon a Halloween, something very bad happened…something not many recall. The witches came and terrible things occurred: children were devoured and all traces of their being with them.
Now, eight years later, the only survivor of that incident has awakened from a long nap and things are growing dark once more. The witches are coming back for what they left behind, for who they left behind, and it’s up to him and his girl—along with a good witch—to save the day.
With By Wizard Oak, Crowther has crafted a bizarro fantasy that paints the most deliciously vile witches I have read about in a long, long time. These grody bitches are nasty business. Led by an elephantine witch named Great Depression, the army of black clad, pointy-hat-wearing hags stalk through small-town streets and between the fabric of time on their quest for the one that got away.
I really don’t want to elaborate much more, as it would give away too much, and while this is not a perfect book, it does deserve the service of some secrecy. It offers hokey humor and great word play, subtle creeps and balls-out scares. The writing style is fluid and flows as a movie playing behind your eyes, which in my opinion, is the way the best books should be. I found myself thinking on these witches all week. How horrible they were, with their cracked skin, sores and warts, and their scabrous fingers and mouths. Dear sweet lord, those mouths!


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|NewsDay Amarillo Now Three Hours|
|NewsDay Amarillo with Tim Butler is now on Monday-Friday mornings from 6am-9am. Tune in for the latest local news, weather, sports and agri-business.|
|Texas Longhorns Football is brought to you by Upshaw Brown Insurance|
|The Texas Longhorns are in Manhattan to take on Kansas State. Kickoff is Saturday morning at 11 here on NewsTalk 710 KGNC-AM. Click here for more information.|
|Sunday NFL Football Double-Header|
|The Baltimore Ravens take on the Cincinnati Bengals followed by the Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers. Pre-game begins Sunday morning at 11:30 on NewsTalk 710 KGNC.|
The victim of an assault earlier this month has died, and the Special Crimes Unit in now investigating the case as a homicide.
On the morning of October 5th, officers were sent to the 1900 block of Northwest 12th on a disturbance. They found Clinton Norton Junior, 40, unconscious in a vehicle and had him taken to the hospital. Norton died Thursday and autopsy results show he died from complications of blunt force trauma to the upper body.
A suspect, 24-year old blake remington welch, was arrested last week for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the incident. anyone with information is asked to call the Special Crimes Unit at 378-9468.
A campus pastor for Hillside Christian Church in Canyon was arrested Thursday on a prostitution charge.
Cameron Reeves, 34, and a woman, Kristina Gayle Moon, 31, were booked into Potter county for prostitution after being taken into custody at the Motel 6 on Paramount. Hillside Christian Church issued a statement Friday saying Reeves had resigned his position effective immediately.
A Dalhart man is dead after a one vehicle crash in Dallam county.
DPS officials say it happened just before 3:00 a.m. Thursday on FM 1727 about 4 miles west of Dalhart. Bernhard Giesbrecht, 21, was driving east when he ran off the left side of the road. He overcorrected and rolled several times. Giesbrecht was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Pampa man has died from injuries received in a car crash earlier this month.
Authorities say it happened on the evening of Thursday October 2nd on County Road 3 about 6.5 miles west of Pampa. 29-year old abraham rios-rodriguez 29, was driving south when he went into the barrow ditch. He over corrected and rolled several times. He was taken to Northwest Texas Hospital by Lifestar where he died on Monday the 13th.
Amarillo Crime Stoppers is asking for help finding their fugitive of the week.
Danny Gorman is wanted out of Potter county for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Anyone with information on Gorman is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 374-4400 or submit a tip online at amapolice.org. If your anonymous tip leads to his arrest, you could get a reward of up to $300.
Starting Wednesday, motorists should expect some delays on south Pierce Street, beginning at southeast 4th, all the way down to southeast 9th in downtown as construction of a sanitary sewer main and other facilities will commence.
Traffic has been limited to two lanes but will now be down to one. The work is scheduled to be completed by November 26th. Drivers are encouraged to take alternate routes and are asked to proceed with extreme caution as there will be heavy construction equipment being used.
In high school football action last night, Amarillo High defeated Lubbock Monterey 42-13 to improve to 8-0 on the season. Lubbock Estacado survives at home against Pampa 34-29. Follett blews out Fort Elliott at home 64-22 to improve to 6-1 overall on the season. Groom took care of business on the road against Silverton 58-6.
For high school football action tonight, Lubbock Coronado will be at home against Tascosa. Caprock and Hereford will face each other. Canyon is at home against Palo Duro. Dumas is at home against the Randall Raiders. Lubbock Cooper faces off against Plainview. Borger is at home against Levelland. Bushland is at home against 3-4 Vernon. Perryton is at home against Iowa Park. Childress faces off against Muleshoe. River Road will be on the road against Friona. Dimmitt is on the road against Littlefield. Lubbock Roosevelt and Idalou faceoff against each other in a battle of 5-2 teams. Tulia is at home against Sanford Fritch. Highland Park will look to upset unbeaten Spearman at home. Unbeaten Canadian is at home against 1-loss Stratford. Panhandle faces off against West Texas. Boys Ranch will look to go .500 on the season against Wellington. Wheeler takes on Sunray. Shamrock is at home against unbeaten Booker. Gruver is at home against Claude.
The West Texas A&M Buffaloes football team is preparing for their final home game of the regular season as they will take on Texas A&M - Kingsville. The Buffaloes go into the contest with a 4-3 overall record with a 3-2 conference record and are currently tied for second place in the conference. The Buffaloes lost their last game Saturday against Texas A&M - Commerce 48-21. Game time is tomorrow at 3:00 pm in Canyon.
The West Texas A&M Lady Buffs volleyball team will be on the road to Lubbock today as they faceoff against Dallas Baptist. The Lady Buffs go into the contest with a 21-3 record with an unbeaten 12-0 conference record. They are currently riding a 13 game winning streak dating back to September 20th. Gametime will be at 2:00 today.
UIL is changing several of their athletics rules. Beginning in the 2015 football playoffs, the higher seeds in the Class 6A playoffs will have home-field advantage in the first round. Class 2A will increase the amount of teams making the playoffs from 3 to 4 for all conference 2A varsity team sports. And Class 1A will have their own playoffs with Class 1A and Class 2A playing each other in district play, but divide the two into separate playoff brackets.
The Amarillo Bulls are getting set for their two home games this weekend against the Corpus Christi Ice Rays. The Bulls head into the contest with a 3-6-2 record on the season and are currently last in the South Division. The Bulls and Ice Rays will play on Friday and Saturday at 7:00 pm in Amarillo.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is offering another round of educational meetings to help producers better understand the new Farm Bill. A wide variety of locations throughout the Texas Panhandle are on the list of where programs will be conducted. For the complete schedule and other details, go here http://today.agrilife.org/2014/10/22/second-round-of-farm-bill-meetings-coming-to-the-panhandle/
Big decisions are coming for farmers related to their participation in various Farm Bill programs, most notably Price Loss Coverage and Agricultural Risk Coverage. Information about PLC, ARC, base reallocation, and yield updates is available here
Many in agriculture are concerned about what is commonly referred to as “The Waters of the U.S. Rule.” This “rule” involves the Clean Water Act, and what many fear is an attempt by EPA to reinterpret the Act in ways that would make even small bodies of water like ditches and ponds subject to regulation and thereby impose new restrictions on common agricultural practices like fertilizer and herbicide application. A public comments period regarding the Clean Water Act proposals is open through Nov. 14. To learn more about the issue and submit your opinions, go here http://www2.epa.gov/uswaters/documents-related-proposed-definition-waters-united-states-under-clean-water-act


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The mechanism of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is poorly understood. Data on RSV pathogenesis is predominately derived using a laboratory-adapted prototypic strain, RSV strain A2. At the Queen's University Belfast, Villenave and colleagues challenge the use of RSV strain A2 and provide evidence that this strain is a poor in vitro representative of an actual in vivo infection.
Villenave et al. used primary pediatric bronchial epithelial cells (PBECs) to address how clinically representative or relevant the laboratory strain is relative to recent clinical isolates (designated RSV BT2a, BT3a, BT4a).
As opposed to the crippled laboratory E. coli, which has lost its ability to thrive in the intestine or form biofims after domestication, we find the opposite phenomenon: the A2 strain infected PBECs more efficiently than any of the clinical isolates with increased cytopathic effects. Cells infected with A2 had large syncytia formation, increased rounding, and extensive monolayer disruption compared to the isolates. RSV isolates had a limited capacity to infect PBECs and grew slowly with a low titer. They went on to test chemokine and cytokine secretions induced upon infection. Again, infection with A2 had a dramatically increased secretion of interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10/CXCL10), normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES/CCL5), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-8 (CXCL8).
In attempt to explain this phenomenon, they serially passed the RSVs through passage 14. Even then, there was no data to support differential growth kinetics or cytopathogensis between A2 and the isolates. Because of the widespread usage of RSV A2 is pathogenicity studies for RSV infection, it may be a wise investment to find clinically relevant in vitro models.
Remi Villenave, Dara O'Donoghue, Surendran Thavagnanam, Olivier Touzelet, Grzegorz Skibinski, Liam G Heaney, James P McKaigue, Peter V Coyle, Michael D Shields and Ultan F Power. Differential cytopathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus prototypic and clinical isolates in primary pediatric bronchial epithelial cells. Virology Journal 2011, 8:43 doi:10.1186/1743-422X-8-43

domain: biology


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ERIC Number: EJ951071
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Oct
Abstractor: As Provided
Design-Based Practice: A New Perspective for Social Work
Cohen, Burton J.
Social Work, v56 n4 p337-346 Oct 2011
Evidence-based practice (EBP) has emerged as an alternative to traditional social work practice and has ignited a new round in the decades-old debate about the relationship between knowledge and practice in the field. This article identifies several limitations inherent in the EBP perspective and argues that it would be unfortunate if EBP were to become the new paradigm for social work practice and education. It also presents a new perspective for social work called design-based practice (DBP), which is based on the work of Herbert Simon and Mary Parker Follett, and compares this perspective with EBP and authority-based practice. DBP rests on the belief that knowledge is derived from experience and interactions between practitioners and clients and that professional practice should be primarily concerned with "how things ought to be."
Descriptors: Evidence, Social Work, Caseworker Approach, Theory Practice Relationship, Inferences, Best Practices, Models, Social Services, Professional Services, Design Preferences
National Association of Social Workers (NASW). 750 First Street NE Suite 700, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-227-3590; e-mail: email@example.com; Web site: http://www.naswpress.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Adult Education
Authoring Institution: N/A


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We have several exciting upcoming events at the hotel this year…
THURSDAY 18TH OCTOBER
Salcombe Gin and Glazebrook Gastronomy dinner
We’ve partnered with Salcombe Gin – a delicious handcrafted gin distilled with thirteen carefully selected botanicals, produced in the beautiful South Hams area of Devon, to bring you a culinary feast.
Join us for a delicious tasting menu, each course paired perfectly with a different gin cocktail.
£60 per person
Whether you’re looking for a venue for your work Christmas party, a delicious family lunch or an occasion to get together with friends for a party, Glazebrook House is the perfect destination.
We have a delicious 3 course festive menu that’s perfect for any size group.
£35 per person
Please note that a deposit is taken at the time of booking for all Christmas parties.
SATURDAY 26TH JANUARY 2019
A night of traditions including trenching and ode to the haggis, combined with an imaginative menu and a selection of whiskies from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
£70 per person to include a whisky or wine flight
All tickets are pre-paid for at the time of booking.

domain: food


text:
Originally published May 16, 2012 – 7:48 PM MST for Examiner.com
Moroccan born and Bronx bred MC French Montana is easily one of the most buzzed about new Hip Hop artists on the scene right now. Signed to Diddy’s label imprint and creating a debut album alongside Rick Ross he has most recently landed a spot on Drake’s Club Paradise Tour. Prior to the tour Drake told MTV News, “I want to go on tour with the most exciting artists right now, and I want to make sure that I have songs with all of them.” Good for his word, French Montana told me his first single will feature not only Drake but Lil Wayne and Rick Ross.
I had a chance to catch up with the hard working artist before he took the stage on a stop of the Club Paradise Tour on Sunday, May 13, 2012 in Denver, CO. The sold out venue was buzzing early in support of one of the most diverse representations of the new face of Hip Hop. French Montana welcomed me into his tour bus and candidly revealed his experience working with the industry’s elite.
Marian: I wanted to start by talking about your background and growing up between both the Moroccan culture and then the Bronx. How has the diversity in culture influenced you as an artist, if at all?
French Montana: “Oh, I think it’s the culture and the lifestyle that really influenced me. It influenced me in just being me, being unique. Coming here I had to get set with the hustle out here so now it’s making a lot of sense.”
M: Who was the first hip hop artist or mcee that you heard and inspired you to want to pursue a career in this industry?
FM: “I like a lot of artists but I think the one that touched me the most was probably Tupac, coming up. You know, cause that was my generation, so Tupac was mine.”
M: You’re working with Diddy and Rick Ross on your forthcoming album. What can you tell me about it and some of the inspirations and motivations behind it?
FM: “My album has just taken so long to get in a position, you know what I’m saying. And I’ve been really like, grinding all these years to get over here. So it’s kind of like we have a life story with it, with the album, especially with Puff and Rick Ross being involved with it. It just makes it so much of a big motion picture. It’s kind of like a movie of an untold story and you’ve got Steven Spielberg pulling it together.”
M: Is the release date still set for July?
FM: “Release is still set for July 17, 2012.”
M: You’re one of the most buzzed about new Hip Hop artists and you are working and touring with the industry’s most elite talent. What do you want this album to establish for yourself and your artistry?
FM: “I obviously want it to live forever, kind of like every big artist, every legendary artist that came up. I kind of want one to live forever like a Ready to Die, like a Doggy Style or one of those and kind of just set me apart from everybody. I want for it to just be like, he’s here to stay, you know, kind of like that.”
M: What is the lead single and when will it be released?
FM: “My single should be dropping real soon, like within a two week period. Shout out to Lil Wayne, shout out to Drake, shout out to Rick Ross, they all on it. It’s called ‘Don’t Stop’.”
M: What are some of the challenges you are facing currently or in this industry?
FM: “The challenge I’m facing recently is just balancing my family with the industry. It’s kind of like, you gotta stay out there doing your thing, doing whatever and it takes you away from your family. So it’s hard to balance it out but once you get it, it’s a lifestyle. You got to sacrifice to do what it is you want.”
M: Drake was quoted by MTV saying, “I want to go on tour with the most exciting artists right now, and I want to make sure that I have songs with all of them.” What has this tour experience been like for you so far?
FM: “I love it, cause all of us come out and do our own sets then we come back out with Drake when it’s all packed and it’s just that moment, I don’t know…It’s just that moment when all of us are on stage and you just be like, man! It’s when all the hard work pays off.”
M: Any more collabs in the works with Drake other than “Stay Schemin” as a result of touring and performing together on this tour?
FM: “Of course, he on my first single and we doing some other work, it’s going to be powerful man.”
M: What are your plans after you wrap up the Club Paradise tour?
FM: “Well, my album, I think I’m going to take time out and just work on my album. I think that’s going to be the time for me to just focus on my craft.”
M: Are plans in the works for a tour in the fall to support your album release?
FM: “Of course. Right now I just want to take time out and focus on my album and make sure, cause everything comes back to the music and I don’t want to take away too much from that. But again, on tour we’re doing too many things and not focusing on the music.”
M: What is your writing process like?
FM: “The most important thing is the vibe cause if you on a roll, if you feel it you just feel it. And it’s all about the atmosphere, the people around you, you know, everything. You got to be clear headed in that and have a perfect atmosphere.”
M: What are some of the messages that are going to come out in your album? Is it more thematic or a collection of songs?
FM: “It just, motivational music, it just motivate everybody out there.”

domain: celebrity


Marion County deputies investigate more market burglaries
For the third time this month, deputies are investigating a burglary at a Marion County market and asking for the public's help identifying the suspects.
Just after 4 a.m. Friday, two people broke the door of the St. Paul Market and burglarized the store, said Sgt. Don Parise, a Marion County Sheriff's Office spokesman.
Officials said they are not ruling out a connection between the three break-ins.
The pair who burglarized the St. Paul store had their faces covered, but officials are hoping the public may recognize their clothing.
Anyone who was in the area the morning of the break-in and noticed any suspicious vehicles or people is asked to contact the sheriff's office at 503-588-5032.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted by texting the keyword TipMCSO to 847411.
For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at firstname.lastname@example.org, call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth


Joaquim Leite — Foto: Claudio Belli/Valor
In an event promoted Wednesday by Valor, Environment minister Joaquim Leite said he will propose at COP26, which will start on the 31st in Glasgow, Scotland, “more financial ambition to encourage programs such as the Brazilian ethanol”. He defended the use of biofuel on a large scale as a way to reduce carbon emissions and the ethanol combustion car as an alternative to the electric car.
According to Mr. Leite, it is necessary to look at the electric car in a broad way, with a global perception, in order to realize that the infrastructure needed to make it viable is still very fragile. “We don't have cities with a power plug every block in the world, or in Brazil”, he said. For him, ethanol is a “green job” solution for Brazil and for countries with less qualified labor, such as the Africans.
Also at the event, Agriculture minister Tereza Cristina stressed that Brazil would have the opportunity to position ethanol as an alternative for sustainable mobility during COP26. She said that it is not possible to ignore the advent of electric cars, but that the country cannot miss the opportunity to expand and export the use of biofuel — “a cleaner, cheaper and more convenient technology” — to the world.
According to her, Brazil needs more partners in the segment. Like India, which has been implementing an ethanol production program. Ms. Cristina said that the Colombian president Ivan Duque Márquez, visiting Brazil this week, showed enthusiasm in increasing the planting of sugarcane in his country to produce biofuel.
According to Volkswagen’s CEO for Latin America Pablo Di Si, ethanol is a “Brazilian thing that we need to export to the world”. He highlighted the company's plans in Europe to eliminate combustion engines and migrate to the electrical system by 2030, but added that the reality is different in other parts of the world, which opens up an opportunity to explore biofuels.
Volkswagen wants to turn Brazil into a research and development center for biofuels. “Brazil is at a key moment of creating a public policy looking to the next 20 years and transforming ethanol into a fuel cell,” he pointed out.
“Ethanol has a lot to offer the world as a society, and we need to increasingly communicate the understanding of ethanol in the chain as a whole. Looking from the gas station to the wheel, the total consumption of CO2, regardless of how it comes out of the exhaust”, added Mr. Di Si.
“Ethanol could revolutionize a number of African and Asian countries that we have already mapped. It's not about exporting ethanol there. It means taking the know-how, the technology, our capacity for ultra-intelligent public policies that Brazil has learned to develop in this regard”, said the president of the Sugarcane Industry Association (Unica), Evandro Gussi. “Our enemy is not 'A' or 'B' technology, but carbon. It's what we have to avoid, and we're only going to do that by taking the various solutions,” he added.
“Ethanol could revolutionize a number of African and Asian countries that we have already mapped. It's not about exporting ethanol to them. It means taking the know-how, the technology, our capacity for ultra-intelligent public policies that Brazil has learned to develop in this regard,” said the president of the Sugarcane Industry Association (Unica) Evandro Gussi. “Our enemy is not 'A' or 'B' technology, but carbon. It's what we have to avoid, and we're only going to do that by taking the various solutions,” he added.
According to Unica, the introduction of flex cars in Brazil and the greater use of ethanol since 2003 have already avoided the emission of 500 million tons of CO2 equivalent in the atmosphere. Mr. Gussi stated that the country does its homework in the environmental area and that it will be able to show this in Glasgow. He pondered that the planting of sugarcane takes place far from the Amazon region and that the sugar-and-energy sector is the one that plants more trees in the country.
The success story of ethanol is expected to be widely explored at COP26 by the government and the productive sector. “We don't have a power plug in a tree in the Amazon to charge an electric vehicle, but you'll probably have access to a gas station that already has ethanol, which will charge your hybrid vehicle's battery like ethanol,” said Mr. Leite. “The use of ethanol on a global scale, going to Africa and Asia, not only as a market to sell ethanol, but as one of the countries that participate in the Climate Agreement and want to contribute to find a solution globally”, he added.
Ms. Cristina, on the other hand, defended the production of ethanol from corn, to generate by-products usable in cattle raising, the conversion of degraded pastures into sugarcane plantations for biofuel generation, and incentives for biogas and biomethane. “We need a solid policy, based on the strategic vision of Brazil's potential and on the perspective of developing the global scenario,” she said. “It's a win-win process, but we have to work harder. In Brazil, although our emissions are very low, we have a lot to contribute to the world in reducing emissions through technology”.