ATKINS SIGNS
Hurricane High School pitcher Marc Atkins has signed to playbaseball at Potomac State. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound right-hander went13-2 with 119 strikeouts in 80 innings as a senior this past season.He had an ERA of 1.99 and earned first-team Class …
ACORN study shows racial disparity in loans
A study unveiled Wednesday by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) shows Chicago having the highest Black rejection rate for mortgage lending and that the gap between minority homeowners and whites remains very wide.
The study, which analyzed data nationally and in 60 metropolitan areas including Chicago, showed: "Across the country, low and moderate income and minority borrowers are being turned down for mortgages more often than other borrowers, and here in Chicago the problem is wore for African Americans than almost anywhere else," said Denise Dixon, president of the Illinois ACORN.
"Banks …
Avraham Ravitz, an influential ultra-Orthodox Jewish lawmaker who served in Israel's parliament for 20 years, died Monday in Jerusalem.
The 75-year-old Ravitz suffered from a heart condition and had been hospitalized since early January.
During his legislative career, he represented the United Torah Judaism and Degel Hatorah parties and served as chairman of …
NEW YORK How do you erect a 19-story building in New York?
Start with a 31-story structure. Discover zoning prohibits abuilding that big. Lose a three-year court battle. And receive anorder to loop off 12 stories.
Welcome to 108 E. 96th St., the $7.2 million apartment high-risethat is scheduled to shrink this month in the final act of a showdownbetween local activists and its developer, Parkview Associates. Thecity ruled last week the 31-story building must lose its top 12floors.
While the developers worry about the cost of destroying 12floors, many residents of the well-to-do area couldn't be happierabout the decision by the city Board of Standards and …
BIOCYCLE INTERNATIONAL
Mexico
In the past, MSW composting facilities have failed due to lack of planning, technical support and inadequate regulations. A new technical approach is needed to recycle the great amount of organics in the waste stream.
SINCE the early 1970s in Mexico, organics recycling has been considered a most important part of the solution to municipal solid waste (MSW) management problems. In fast-growing urban areas with more than 40 percent of the waste flow made up of organics, composting seemed to be the logical environmental solution. Municipal operating budgets began to include construction of recycling facilities. Surprisingly, however, lack …
Summary of Friday's game in the Bundesliga, the German first-division soccer league (home teams listed first):
…
Harris' ankle was swollen and in pain by the end of the game, but her post presence helped the No. 1 Dolphins beat the rival Commandos 68-56 Wednesday.
''I felt I had to play,'' said Harris, who scored eight points. ''I knew my team needed me because it's hard to play in this gym.''
Besides Harris, the Dolphins (11-1, 5-0) got a season-high 24 points from sophomore Chanise Jenkins and 13 from freshman Janee Thompson.
Jenkins' outside shot was the key. She hit four …
www.centralpennbuslness.com
Graham to acquire Chinese company
Monday,
Aprilo, 2010, By Jim T. Ryan
York County-based Graham Packaging Company Inc. today said it plans to expand its plastic container manufacturing into China by acquiring a similar company there.
PPL seeks rate hike
Thursday, April 1, 2010, By Tim Stuhldreher
PPL Electric Utilities Corp. is petitioning the state Public Utility Commission …
China's commerce minister has thanked foreign companies for donating earthquake aid, rejecting criticism spread on Chinese Web sites that they are failing to do enough.
Chen Deming says China has gotten "strong support" from foreign companies and international agencies following the May 12 quake, which killed tens of …
Midway Airport passengers will have to wait at least two moreyears for a new, 6,386-space parking garage and for speedier, morefrequent shuttle bus service to the airport terminal.
Eight months after abruptly canceling plans to award a garagecontract, the Daley administration on Monday handed the $67 milliondeal to the same construction giant that won the aborted first roundcompetition.
A low-bidding joint-venture led by construction giant F.H. Paschen-- this time in partnership with SN Nielsen -- was cleared for take-off after agreeing to share 35 percent of the work -- or $23.4million -- with 13 minority- and women-owned businesses.
The unprecedented level of …
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER Tony Blair faces growing criticism over his decision to go to war in Iraq, despite being cleared by Lord Brian Hutton Jan. 28 of any wrongdoing in the events leading to the suicide of British weapons inspector David Kelly last year, Hutton, the law lord tasked with investigating Kelly's death, concluded that the Blair government had not acted in a "dishonourable, underhand, or duplicitous" manner and that there was no conspiracy to "sex up" the dossier documenting Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD). ( see ACT, October 2003 and September 2003.)
Instead, Hutton focused his recriminations on the BBC and its reporter, Andrew Gilligan, who first made the …
MOSCOW (AP) — A Moscow jury has convicted a native of Russia's Caucasus in the killing of a Slavic football fan during a fight last year.
Anger over the killing of Yegor Sviridov on Dec. 6 inflamed ethnic tensions in Moscow and led to riots outside the Kremlin walls several days later.
About 5,000 football fans and nationalists rallied for hours, chanting "Russia for Russians" and …
`Poetic Soul' wins national award
People may be buzzing about Russell Simmons' pending poetry show, but Chicago's "Poetic Soul" beat them to the punch.
"Poetic Soul," Chicago Cable/Channel 19's premier poetry show, surpassed 20,000 entries nationwide to win first place in the 2001 Hometown Video Festival.
Sponsored by the Alliance for Community Media in Washington, D.C., the award honors innovative independent performing arts programming.
"Whenever I get a group of people together, I want to drop a positive message," said host Jimmi Ware of the show's focus on "conscious" poetry.
The award-winning episode did just that. Oscar "Triple Black" Lester, who won Chicago's Def Poetry Jam competition, performed "I Can," a piece about a single mother raising a son.
Nanette Banks' "Sisters in Motion" was inspired by the Million Woman March and Janet "Hip Cat" Sandifer did her "Ghetto Nursery Rhymes."
Ware and producer Corneal Harper Jr. launched "Poetic Soul" last year. Ware, who's been writing poetry for 20 years and also hosts poetry sets for Black Feather Productions, said she created the show to give an outlet to performance poets with a message.
She claims the show is filling a void.
Feedback has been great. After Ware performed her ode to adoption in "Only in the Movies," she received a request by social agency Ada S. McKinley to perform the poem for its staff. Such requests are frequent.
"We get requests all the time because people want to hear these messages," Ware said.
"Poetic Soul" will tape its next show Sunday at TJ's in the Park, 5500 South Shore Drive, 6 p.m.
Article Copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is raising new objections to a proposed pipeline that would carry oil from western Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast.
In a letter to the State Department, the EPA said it remains concerned about the risk of oil spills that could affect drinking water and sensitive ecosystems, as well as the effect of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline.
The EPA said that despite two lengthy reports, the State Department still has not done sufficient analysis of the project's impact on the environment. The letter urged State to conduct a more thorough analysis of oil spill risks and alternative pipeline routes.
Until those concerns are addressed, the EPA said it will rate the project as "environmental objections — insufficient information."
"Pipeline oil spills are a very real concern," Cynthia Giles, EPA's assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance, wrote. Giles cited major pipeline spills last year in Michigan and Illinois, as well as two leaks last month in the Keystone pipeline, a 1,300-mile (2,090-kilometer) line owned by the same company that wants to build Keystone XL. The U.S. pipeline safety agency briefly blocked Calgary-based TransCanada from restarting the Keystone pipeline last week because of safety concerns.
The recent leaks "underscore the need to carefully consider both the route of the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline and appropriate measures to prevent and detect a spill," Giles wrote in the letter dated Monday.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has authority over Keystone XL because the 1,900-mile (3,057-kilometer) project crosses the U.S. border.
The new pipeline would carry crude oil extracted from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf of Mexico, traveling through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma before reaching refineries in Houston and Port Arthur, Texas. The project would double the capacity of the existing Keystone pipeline, which runs from North Dakota to Oklahoma and Illinois. Supporters say the two projects could significantly reduce U.S. dependence on Middle Eastern oil.
Environmental groups cheered the EPA letter, which they said highlighted the possible environmental destruction the pipeline could cause.
"With this rating, the EPA is standing up for the people who would be hurt by the Keystone XL pipeline, including Midwest farmers and low-income people around Texas refineries," Alex Moore, dirty fuels campaigner at Friends of the Earth, an environmental group, said Tuesday.
"All eyes are on Secretary of State Clinton," Moore added. "Will she comply with the law and ensure that these impacts are studied or not?"
U.S. officials have pledged to decide on the pipeline project by the end of the year, although the State Department said this week it would hold public meetings on the proposal in Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington, D.C.
The State Department released a second environmental study on the project in April, concluding that no new issues had been revealed since a similar report was completed last year.
Environmental groups said the report glossed over crucial issues such as pipeline safety and the risks posed by the proposed route over the massive Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to people in eight states.
The American Petroleum Institute, the oil's industry top lobbying group, said Keystone XL would create thousands of jobs and prevent China and other nations from tapping into the vast resources of the Alberta tar sands.
"Other nations will aggressively develop this key strategic resource for their future energy needs if we fail to act," API chief executive officer Jack Gerard said in a letter to Clinton.
Republican lawmakers and other project supporters have warned that if the pipeline is not built, Canada will construct alternative routes to the West Coast and ship oil sands crude to China and other parts of Asia.___Online:
EPA letter: www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/eisdata.html
___
Matthew Daly can be reached at http://twitter.com/MattthewDalyWDC
ENDOVASCULAR THERAPY FOR ATHEROSCLEROTIC RENAL ARTERY STENOSIS: PRESENT AND FUTURE. Edited by Michael R. Jaff. Volume 2 of Endovascular Intervention: Today and Tomorrow. Series Editor: Frank J. Criado. 144 pp. Illust. Futura Publishing Company, Inc., Armonk, NY. 2001. US$75. ISBN 087993-470-0
For those interested in the current status of nonoperative therapy for renal artery stenosis, this text provides both a broad perspective and an intelligent approach to the topic. As a vascular surgeon involved in the operations for this disease and collaborating in the decision for angioplasty with or without stenting, it is immediately relevant to my practice. However, I think this review provides an equally valuable perspective for family practitioners and others involved in front-line therapy for patients with renal artery stenosis.
The book is organized into a logical sequence of chapter topics authored by experts in their respective fields. The first chapter details the prevalence, diagnosis and natural history of renal artery stenosis and its management by surgical revascularization. The emphasis on the relative under-appreciation of this disease as well as the potential adverse natural history serve as cogent reminders to all involved in treating this condition. This appears to be a relatively underdiagnosed disease in which the insidious consequences are potentially the end results of poor blood pressure control and subsequent cardiovascular events and dialysis. These areas provide essential background to allow the reader to put into perspective the current role of endovascular stenting.
The role of surgical therapy is well reviewed by Wong, Oskin and Hansen whose group has published extensively on the results of the surgical management of renal artery stenosis. Rosenfeld and Fishman detail the techniques of stenting, although their chapter may be of less interest to nonspecialists. Subsequent and specific controversial issues in the role of renal artery stenting are then expanded in the remaining chapters. The role of stenting in flash pulmonary edema, renal artery stenting versus surgery, preservation of renal function as well as long-term (4-year) follow-up of renal artery stenting are well presented and focus the reader on the real issues regarding this treatment. However, the reader is not left with a definitive impression of the primary role of this treatment after contrasting the surgical and interventionalist conclusions in their respective chapters.
I would readily recommend this book, not only for the content but also for its approach to management intervention. For the specialist, surgical, medical or interventionalist, it provides a reasoned overview from authorities in their fields. For family practitioners and others involved in front-line therapy of patients with this disease, this book provides a current perspective regarding "back-line" specialist treatment. Overall, this review provides some of the background data and focuses the main issues regarding the role of endovascular stenting in the treatment of renal artery stenosis. Ultimately the decision to use these interventions not only involves patient circumstances, local renal artery conditions and understanding of the background literature but also the availability of local expertise and resources.
[Author Affiliation]
Randy Gunman, MD Assistant Professor Vascular Surgery Program Director University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Man.
Natural ways to promote good health in your pet inside & out.
We all like to pet our pet - and it's certainly most pleasant when its coat is healthy and soft to the touch.
But how do you help your pet achieve and maintain a healthy, shiny coat of fur?
#1. The first thing you can do to keep your pet's skin and coat healthy is to be sure your pet is healthy on the inside via a well-balanced diet. At least one-third of my four-legged patients get rid of their dandruff, grow more hair, and get an extra shine to their fur by getting underlying health problems taken care of and switching to a better diet. Generic diets are sub-standard they're cheap because they have cheap ingredients. A good, healthful diet does not contain artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Many pets are sensitive to these factors and may develop dandruff and a dull coat when fed diets containing such ingredients over a long period of time. Specifically, sulfur dioxide, used as a preservative, can destroy the B vitamin, thiamin.
#2. Considering that hair is 95 percent protein, the second important factor in a nutritious diet is a good source of protein. Dietary protein should come from meat, like lamb or chicken, not just by-products or gluten meal. A poor protein source can result in sparse hair.
#3. The third important factor in a good diet is a good source of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. These are needed to prevent dandruff and a dry coat. It is difficult to put enough fatty acids into a dry dog food; also, canned diets, and even homemade diets, may not have enough of the omega-3 fatty acids in them. Fat in a dry dog or cat food will become rancid after six months on the shelf, and this destroys essential fatty acids; canned food lasts for one year before you see the same problem.
Even though omega-3 oils are not considered essential for dogs, adding them to the diet often brings an extra shine to your pet's coat.
Flax oil or fish oil are fine for your dog, but your cat can only assimilate fish oils. Cold water fish, such as salmon and tuna, are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, for both dogs and cats.
#4. Supplement with a pet-friendly vitamin E. Increasing the fats or oils in a diet increases the need for vitamin E. Even more vitamin E is needed if you inadvertently feed food with rancid fat. Vitamin E can also help with some skin problems involving inflammation or thickening of the skin.
#5. B vitamins are good for skin health. Biotin, riboflavin, niacin, and niacinamide are some B vitamins that are important for proper skin health.
Pets who are on a vegetarian diet are more likely to have skin problems that respond to B vitamins, but adding a Bcomplex to a carniverous diet can't hurt, either. I,iver is a source of vitamin A and has a lot of B vitamins, also.
A small piece once or twice a week is usually sufficient for skin health.
#6: Don't forget the minerals. A variety of minerals is needed for healthy skin. A sluggish thyroid can cause skin problems, and a good source of iodine can help it to function better. Kelp is a good source of iodine, as well as other minerals.
Some pets just don't absorb nutrients well, even with the best of diets.
For them, some digestive enzymes can do the trick, helping them to absorb just enough extra nutrients to ensure that their coats will fluff and be touch-friendly.
[Reference]
REFERENCES
[Reference]
Greek, Jean Swingle, D.V.M. "Update On Dermatologic Therapy," Veterinary Medicine 91(11): 1021-1024, November 1996.
Rothstein. Emily D.V.M., et al. "Tetracycline and Niacinamide for the Treatment of Sterile Pyogranuloma/Granuloma Syndrome in a Dog," Journal of the American Animal Hospital 33(6): 540-543, Nov/Dec 1997.
Steel, R.J. "Thiamine Deficiency in a Cat Associatd with the Preservation of 'Pet Meat'
[Reference]
with Sulphur Dioxide," Australian Veterinary Journal 75(10): 719-21 October 1997.
Vitale, C.B.. et al. "Vaccine-Induced Ischemic Dermatopahy in the Dog," Veterinary Dermatology 10(2): 131-142. June 1999.
[Author Affiliation]
Dr. Nancy Scanian practiced in a conventional veterinary practice for 10 years, and used nutritional therapy with conventional medicine during that time. She was certified in acupuncture in 1988, and now has a 100-percent holistic practive in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
El Fusion Pierde en los Penales
La historia se repiti�. El Fusion volvi� a caer en su primer juego de temporada, esta vez ante el Metro Star a trav�s de los "shouots" luego de que el partido terminara empatado 2-2 en el tiempo reglamentario.
Con un primera etapa para olvidar, pero con una segunda parte muy buena, al equipo del sur de la Florida al final le falt� un poco de suerte y de m�s precisi�n al momento de definir. Por eso perdi�.
Al comienzo el Fusion no fue ese equipo ofensivo que todos esperaban. Carlos Valderrama, el mejor de la cancha, no encontraba un socio con quien tocar el bal�n. Ni Diego Serna ni el brasile�o Roberto Gaucho que no mostr� mucho en los primeros 45, eran esos hombres r�pidos que necesitaba el equipo de Ivo Wortmann.
Todo lo contrario. El Fusion era lento para salir y no creaba oportunidades n�tidas de abrir el marcador.
A diferencia del Fusion, el MetroStars era m�s pr�ctico a la hora de llegar al arco contrario. Con Tab Ramos movi�ndose por todo el campo y con Mark Chug apoy�ndolo, el equipo de NY era lo suficientemente peligroso.
Y aunque no lleg� tanto como el Fusion, supo hacerlo de una mejor manera. Fue as� como al minuto 36 y luego de un pase al coraz�n del �rea de Ramos, el ecuatoriano Eduardo Hurtado venci� la red de Dusty Hudock de un potente disparo cruzado.
Con un gol en contra el Fusion volvi� a insistir pero sin �xito. Y raz�n era evidente. No hab�a conexi�n entre los solitarios delanteros y un congestionado medio campo que era m�s defensivo que de ataque.
No pas� mucho tiempo de la segunda parte para Hurtado venciera una vez m�s el arco del fusion a trav�s de otro golazo al minuto 52.
Pero un minuto m�s tarde el Fusion hizo lo propio. Y luego de un pase ??? agistral de Valderrama, el brasileno Gaucho defini� de manera impecable, logrando el descuento.
De una falta cobrada por Henry Guti�rrez el defensa Jay Heaps, de excelente actuaci�n, logr� igualar el partido al minuto 66.
El Fusion continu� jugando no bien, sino muy bien. Mostrando ganas y dominando las mejores acciones del partido.�
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) — The U.S. Peace Corps will pull out of the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan, a move that follows reports from volunteers about a spate of sexual assaults and Islamist-inspired terrorist attacks on the program's workers.
Peace Corps has been in Kazakhstan since shortly after the former Soviet nation gained independence in 1991 and currently boasts around 120 volunteers working in the fields of education and health. It has sent around 1,000 volunteers to serve in the country since it started operations there in 1993.
U.S. Embassy spokesman Jon Larsen said the Peace Corps will be leaving but gave no specific details on why. The Peace Corps also declined to give an immediate explanation for the withdrawal.
Several volunteers, however, posted messages online linking the move to rapes and other attacks. One Peace Corps volunteer teaching English in the central Karaganda province was reportedly raped earlier this month.
Peace Corps volunteers who had been raped while serving overseas complained to U.S. lawmakers in May that the organization was not doing enough to train its workers about how to avoid or deal with violent attacks. They also said the Peace Corps reacted insensitively and unhelpfully after the crimes.
Kazakhstan has also seen a rash of terrorist attacks in recent months. Last weekend, a gunman went on a rampage in the southern city of Taraz, killing seven people, including five law enforcement officers. He blew himself up as officers moved in to arrest him.
Kazakhstan, a vast oil-rich and mainly Muslim nation of 17 million people along Russia's southern border, had previously been all but untouched by Islamist violence since independence.
Peace Corps youth development volunteer Lisa Murray wrote on her blog that several colleagues had experienced difficulties in carrying out their work over recent months.
"Many were prohibited from working for months at a time and ultimately they were moved earlier in the fall to new sites," she wrote.
Murray also said the youth development program was being discontinued because of concerns the volunteers were not qualified teachers. The scheduled arrival of a new group of volunteers earlier this year was postponed due to a disagreement with education authorities, she said.
Peace Corps, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, has been sending volunteers to some of the most obscure areas of the former Soviet Union for almost two decades. Its operations in Central Asia are devoted to teaching English and health education, but it is often viewed with suspicion by governments in former Soviet states.
In 2002, Russia expelled the organization and accused some of its volunteers of spying. The reclusive and authoritarian Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan, which borders Kazakhstan to the south, in 2009 denied entry to dozens of Peace Corps volunteers for undisclosed reasons.
Bell & Howell - and a few hundred of its closest competitors -want to clean off your desk.
After several low-profile years, the Skokie-based company istrotting out new products as it tries to tap into the growing"paperless office" trend.
The firms are targetting everyone from the manager with aburgeoning in-box to the auto mechanic who works with hundreds ofparts catalogs and the telecommuter feeling isolated from the office.
This year alone, companies are expected to spend nearly $6billion on computerized document and information systems. By 1996,that will be $10 billion, according to the Association forInformation and Image Management.
The trade group is sponsoring an exhibition for the industrythis week at McCormick Place that's expected to draw 40,000 people.About 330 companies are displaying everything from scanners thatconvert magazine articles into computer files to completework-at-home desktop systems.
The idea is to put every piece of office paper, down to eachpiece of mail received, on a computer's software system.
"Office paper is growing at 30 percent a year," said JoanAndrew, marketing vice president for Bell & Howell. "We're going tobe buried in it by the year 2000. So a great way to deal with thatis to miniaturize everything."
Two years ago, the company revived its consumer label in alicensing agreement with retailer Montgomery Ward to sellvideocassette recorders and other equipment.
Now, it is beefing up its microfilm business. In June, thecompany will begin shipping new software that converts documents -checks, medical histories, academic records - into electroniccomputer files, as well as microfilm.
By adding electronic data storage, users can more easily passforms back and forth within standard personal computer networks.
Bell & Howell's microfilm software is one of many changes underthe direction of Chairman William J. White, who took the helm in 1990after several unprofitable years and a leveraged buyout. During histenure, he said, the top management turnover rate has been 50percent, and middle management turnover has been 35 percent. Formany, he said, it's been a painful transition.
"Everybody remembers the golden years of the late '40s and'50s," White said Tuesday. "But we have to react to the changes inthe business."
Most of those changes came in the form of competition fromforeign companies, which captured the market for Bell & Howell's mainproduct line, home and school movie projectors. Except for 1991, thecompany has lost money every year since a private investor group tookcontrol in 1988.
But the new markets are no less competitive. Vendors at theimaging trade show this week will announce 112 new products and 102product upgrades.
And Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday it named GTE Vantage Solutionsto perform its order-entry and accounts payable software work afteran aggressive, year-long vendor competition.
"A lot of people looked at imaging as a way to eliminate paper,but that's only a component of what we're talking about," said TomMagazzine, president of GTE Vantage.
Spurred by government calls to reduce commuting because ofenvironmental concerns, companies are now beginning to use imagingsoftware to create work-at-home offices that are equipped as well astraditional offices, Magazzine said.
For Cubs manager Lou Piniella, the gruesome mass murder on theVirginia Tech campus Monday was more than just a distant news storyin a faraway place.
The scene of the shootings was personal enough to Piniella toinvoke thoughts of his son Derek and friend Frank Beamer, theVirginia Tech football coach.
"I have walked that campus many times," Piniella said. "That'sjust a tragedy."
Derek Piniella played football for Beamer for three seasons (1998-2000) as a linebacker and special-teams player before finishing hisdegree at the University of Florida. He played on the 1999 Hokiesteam that lost to Florida State for the national title in the 2000Sugar Bowl.
Lou Piniella managed the Seattle Mariners then, and Beameroccasionally attended games in Seattle as a guest of the elderPiniella.
"Beamer is a good man, good coach," Piniella said. "Derek reallyenjoyed the experience and the school. That tragedy [Monday], itbreaks your heart. It's a wonderful campus, and they've got a greatadministration over there.
"Boy, that's something that tears you apart when you hear aboutthat situation."
Piniella, who was tied up with media obligations much of the day,said about 1 hours before game time that he hadn't had a chance totalk to his son since learning of the shootings on the Blacksburg,Va., campus.
Thirty-three people were killed, including the gunman, accordingto reports Monday evening. At least 15 others were injured, someseriously.
Lawmakers fear the state's new all-terrain vehicle regulations aredoing too little to lower West Virginia's ATV death toll and thattraining now mandatory for the youngest riders isn't reaching enoughpeople.
Despite new laws that took effect in 2004, West Virginia has seena record number of ATV deaths over each of the past two years.
The state Division of Motor Vehicles during that time has beenspearheading mandatory ATV training courses required for the youngestriders. The roughly one-hour course has participants watch a DVDabout safe riding, take a short quiz on what they learn and do aquick oral question and answer session.
Lawmakers have lamented the relatively low number of youngsterswho've so far participated in those courses.
By early January, training had been held in fewer than 20 of thestate's 765 schools, and little more than 5,400 of West Virginia's280,000 school children had been enrolled.
The DMV has relied a lot on community groups and fraternalorganizations to help provide the training in areas where ATVs aremost popular.
Sen. Mike Oliverio, D-Monogalia, and a handful of Senate Democratsnow are calling for the training to be available at various othervenues throughout the state, from public schools and hospitals to ATVsales centers and repair shops.
"We fought for years just to get the legislation in place, but weknew all along the legislation was just going to be the first dominoto fall," Oliverio said today. "With these comprehensive safetyprograms, everyone from the state DMV to hospitals and communitygroups to dealers and ATV manufacturers have to be involved. That hasnot occurred, and until it does, legislation on the books won't giveus a measurable improvement in these mortality statistics."
Oliverio touts a program at Charleston Area Medical Center thatinvolves a trauma nurse who goes out into the community and providesATV safety training.
The senators, including Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, plan to introduce aresolution calling for the state to study the new ATV law in light ofa record number of ATV-related deaths last year.
They're pushing for the Legislature's Joint Committee onGovernment and Finance to spend the next year looking at theregulations and finding ways to get more ATV riders up to speed onthe laws.
Senators said in their proposal they want to increase the numberof ATV-safety workshops and classes in the state's public schools andthat there might be a need for the state to impose additional ATVlaws during next year's legislative session.
Lawmakers spent more than a decade battling over proposedlegislation to regulate the ATV industry and its riders. Deaths inWest Virginia had been increasing gradually, with the death ratereaching 27 in 2003, the year before lawmakers finally agreed on newrules.
ATVs now are banned from most paved two-lane public roads, andriders younger than 18 years of age are required to wear helmets andtake state-approved safety classes.
Since those laws took effect in 2004, the number of ATV-relateddeaths and injuries has continued to increase.
In 2004, 32 people died in ATV accidents. Last year the death tollrose to 40, according to the most recent statistics available.
"The safety regulations of all-terrain vehicles has become anincreasing concern for the citizens of West Virginia," the proposalsays. "Community participation is vital to the development of all-terrain vehicle safety."
Karen Coria, a lobbyist for several ATV manufacturers, saidThursday many people, especially avid riders, don't understand thestate's new laws or their intent. She said her clients support theresolution and an intensive study of the laws as a necessary stepbefore regulations are reviewed or possibly tightened.
DMV officials also are set to speak soon before a Senate financecommittee to talk about new ways the state might fund expanded ATVtraining programs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact writer Kris Wise at kriswise@dailymail.com or 348-1244.
Tackling odors at composting facilities is a manageable task made simpler by inventorying and treating all sources and tapping into technology advances.
PERHAPS one of the most difficult realities that had to be faced 15 to 20 years ago by the composting universe is that the phrase, "odor-free" - at least when it comes to composting - is probably an oxymoron. Feedstocks that biodegrade within the timeframe of a managed composting process contain odor-generating compounds. There will always be some level of odor associated with composting. The key, which many operators have learned the hard way, is to contain and treat them within the facility footprint. These same odor-rich process air streams also have corrosive qualities, especially as they relate to release of ammonia in enclosed composting halls. Therefore the science and engineering of odor management can have a direct correlation to corrosion prevention.
Learning how to manage odors successfully has been a series of unfolding insights over many years. A biosolids composting plant in Maryland, using aerated static piles with negative aeration, initially started with a small biofilter made from the finished compost. A change of process at the wastewater treatment plant (which changed characteristics of the biosolids) led to off-site odor generation and complaints. Plant operators doubled the size of the biofilter, which did little to mitigate the problem. The biofilter was pretty much deemed a failure at that time (mid-1980s) and plant management invested in a chemical scrubbing system. Articles in BioCycle throughout this time period and into the 1990s tracked this facility's experience with scrubbing technologies (see "Improving Compost Odor Scrubbing Performance," January 1995 for a summary). It started with a misting tower technology, and eventually led to a 3-stage system (ammonia removal; oxidation; final wash). Scrubbers were installed at other composting sites as they were viewed as the most effective treatment technology. While some successfully treated composting process odors, they were capital and management intensive.
During the 1990s, a number of horizontal agitated bay composting systems were installed, primarily to process biosolids and ground yard trimmings and/or wood chips. While some of these sites installed chemical scrubbers, the vast majority opted for biofiltration of process and building air. Enough had been learned from early installations to recognize that biofilters actually are quite effective at treating odorous air streams from composting operations but they have to be engineered, sized and maintained correctly. It also was recognized that biofilters can perform more effectively if the odorous air stream is pretreated through a scrubbing system to knock out ammonia, and/or to humidify the air. A technological marriage of sorts was made between biofiltration and scrubbing technologies.
Several other critical facets of odor management emerged over the 1990s and into the new century - identification and analyses of odor compounds; systematic inventorying of all odor sources; odor dispersion modeling to track how and where odors move off-site; and operator "accessible" odor monitoring and measuring tools. Operators also recognized the importance of controlling fugitive odors, installing high-speed doors on tipping and composting buildings and using odor neutralization products released in a vapor phase around building doors or at sites that are open to the atmosphere.
This fourth Smart Series article highlights some of the advances in odor control knowledge, practice, tools and technologies. The sidebar contains some key definitions and phrases.
SMARTER ODOR MANAGER
To learn more about how the confluence of science, technology and experience has made composters smarter odor managers, we turned to Derek S. Webb, P.E. Director of Technology and Emerging Markets for BIOREM, a manufacturer of high efficiency biofiltration systems based in Guelph, Ontario. BIOREM has been working with several composting facilities in Ontario and eastern Canada that process source separated residential and commercial/institutional organice streams, all using enclosed composting systems. The company has about 550 biofilter installations worldwide, the majority in North America treating odorous air streams at wastewater treatment plants and biosolids facilities. "How have we become smarter odor managers?" asks Webb. "The whole science and art of odor control and management have really taken off in the last 10 years. For example, odor control used to be a subjective science, but with increasing use of odor panels - dy- namic olfactometry - a lot more science has been put behind it.
"For odor control in general, knowing what is in the air becomes critical, and has a major impact on the type of technology to use. The first step is an analysis of odor inlet levels to determine what compounds are present and in what magnitude. Second is knowing how to deal with the types of odor compounds present. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a good example. When bacteria degrade H2S, one of the byproducts is sulfuric acid, which can acidify the filter bed that the microbes are living in. That may not be good for microbes needed to degrade other compounds. Nitrogen-bearing compounds like ammonia also can be toxic to bacteria if the levels are too high. Another group of compounds to be aware of is VOCs. When organic materials break down, there is a release of organic acids such as aldehydes that typically are more difficult to remove regardless of the technology. Knowing what odor compounds are in the air stream is essential to designing the pretreatment and biofiltration systems."
Other critical pieces of information needed about the air stream when designing an odor treatment system are the level of moisture, temperature, and amount and type of particulates. "That information helps to design the pretreatment stage," Webb adds. "Is the air too hot, too cool, too dry? Does it contain dust? Any appreciable dust in the air stream when it gets into the biofilter will quickly blind the media." He notes that the more complex the air stream going into a biofilter, the more phases of conditioning are necessary. "If the air stream has high ammonia and high H2S, for example, that may require a scrubber to remove the ammonia, a biotrickling filter to remove the H2S, and a biofilter to remove all remaining compounds."
Many in-vessel composting operations are managed with fairly high air flow rates for compost process control and air exchanges in the building. Backpressure on the aeration system due to compaction of the filter media and clogging in the aeration trenches in the composting building not only makes overall air handling inefficient, it increases utility costs to run the entire plant. "Operational costs based on backpressure to air flow becomes critical, especially at composting plants with very large air flow rates," says Webb. "For example, our biofilter design is optimized at 1- to 2-inches of water column. In Ontario, utility costs are roughly $50,000/year/ inch of water column based on a 250,000 cfm system. So when the backpressure builds to 6- to 8-inches of water column, you can see how the utility costs can skyrocket." He adds that BIOREM installs sensors at every foot of media depth to take pressure readings. This gets reported via the software management system so that the operator can monitor backpressure and respond if there is an increase.
The learning curve about the biofilter media itself has come light years as well. In the early years, compost facilities would use a combination of their own material and wood chips (or just wood chips) and blow the process and building air through it. The higher temperature of the inlet air, along with the moisture, would lead to a composting-like environment in the biofilter, with bacteria degrading the wood as a carbon source. The biofilter would perform well initially, but over a period of six to 12 months, the media would degrade, leading to compaction and clogging. The net effect is that air flows along the paths of least resistance, and can escape the biofilter untreated. In a short period of time, this can lead to high levels of maintenance, neighbor complaints and bed replacement.
Over the years, compost facility designers began to pay more attention (and capital) to pretreatment of the process and building air and the media components and blend. It was recognized that the surface area of the media was a factor in the overall performance of the biofilter. "The higher the surface area, the higher the potential attachment site is to support bacteria that will degrade odors," explains Webb. "Also, the higher the surface area, the higher the contact area is for the odor compounds. The wood chip media might be as large as 1-inch by 1-inch by 4-inches, and it tended to have smooth surfaces, so the effective surface area was very low. In turn, this required longer retention time of the odorous air stream in the biofilter for effective treatment."
Another insight Webb offers into the media is that some odor compounds are hydrophobic and others are hydrophilic (water loving). This means that some are soluble and others are not. This reality was a factor in BIOREM's engineering of a synthetic media that degrades both hydro and hydrophilic compounds. "The formulation has a coating that attracts the water soluble compounds first, and then a bacteria that releases an enzyme to oxidize the hydrophobic compounds," he explains. Buffers are added to the media to reduce acidification.
The synthetic media has 11,000 sq. ft. of surface area/gram available for potential attachment sites for bacteria or biofilm to solubilize compounds out of the air into the moisture film. This contrasts with approximately 10 sq. ft./gram for wood chip-based media, adds Webb. "We learned an important concept that what is good for biology is not good for physics when it comes to effective biofiltration. "In effect, using a small particle size organic media to gain surface area can ultimately increase the backpressure on the biofilter because of clogging. So we went about finding a way to get what we needed out of one parameter and fool the others. Our media has surface area but because it is a mineral structure, it doesn't compact and allows air to flow freely."
For composting facilities using organic media, Webb stresses the importance of how the media should be placed in the biofilter cell. "One facility we worked with placed the media in the corner and then worked outwards to fill it in," he explains. "When they ran out of material, they would get another load. The result was that there were two different materials at the same depth, with two different aerodynamic characteristics. Air can be difficult to work with. It has a mind of its own. Air will choose the path of least resistance, so if one section has more coarse wood chips and the next section has more fines, air will go with the wood chip side and not be effectively scrubbed of odor compounds. If you are unsure of the feedstock source, build the biofilter in layers so at least you have the same aerodynamic characteristics in that layer as the air travels upwards."
Recently, the Region of Peel, Ontario opened a source-separated organice composting facility (see "Source Separated Collection And Composting Expansion," January 2007), designed to process 72,000 metric tons/year. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment odor emissions guidelines have a limit of one odor unit (OTJ) at the property line. The composting facility, which uses the Christiaens aerated tunnels, generates 30,000 cfin of odorous waste gas. The Region of Peel installed a BIOREM biofilter with permanent media (Biosorbens�). Two cells, each designed to treat 15,000 cfm of odorous air, are housed in a 20 meter by 20 meter building. "It must achieve less than 500 OU at the biofilter exhaust to meet the one OU at the property boundary," says Webb.
As part of the compliance (and required for project completion), the system was tested to ensure it met the 500 OU at the biofilter outlet, in this case a stack. The inlet odor was measured at 6,600 OU; the outlet odor was 130 OU, or 98 percent odor destruction capability, notes Webb. Chillers were built into the collection system treatment train to maintain the temperatures. The system also has a cross-flow humidification chamber to further cool and humidify the air. The system airflow is controlled by the duct static pressure; other process parameters - individual cell air flow, air temperatures, differential cell pressures, biofilter media temperatures, fan speed, etc. - are displayed and controlled on a computer touch screen. Irrigation cycles are controlled by the computer, and are set to provide sufficient supplemental moisture for the biofilter media.
HIGH CARBON WOOD ASH
The Town of Kennebunkport, Maine operates an aerated static pile facility, composting 800 cubic yards/year of dewatered biosolids (belt filter press at 13 to 16 percent solids) in a roofed but open-sided building. When the composting site opened, wood chips were used as a bulking agent. "We had odor complaints and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection asked us to shut down," recalls Ron Taylor, Chief Operator with the Town of Kennebunkport. A school is less than 100 yards away, so getting odors under control was critical. "We stopped using wood chips and switched to wood ash from a paper mill boiler plant," he says. "Another small biosolids composting plant in Scarborough, Maine had tried wood ash and it successfully treated the odors. We became the second biosolids composting plant in Maine to switch to wood ash."
Biosolids are mixed with wood ash in a 1:1 ratio. Some recycled compost is added as well. Since Kennebunkport began using wood ash over 10 years ago, it has not received an odor complaint. The wood ash is stored under roof. There isn't a need to screen the finished compost, which is marketed to topsoil blenders for loam products. The particle size of the finished compost would pass a 3/8-inch screen, notes Taylor.
New England Organics, based in Portland, Maine, supplies wood ash to a number of composting operations in New England, including Kennebunkport. The company manages wood ash for more than seven wood-fired power plants. "The type of boiler often dictates whether the wood ash is suitable for composting," explains John Kelly, Product Marketing Manager for New England Organics. "The ideal wood ash for composting is coarse in texture, almost like a char, and is high in carbon. We have found wood ash with a carbon content of 30 to 60 percent works extremely well in controlling odors and produces a quality finished product. Conversely, higher efficiency biomass boilers, especially ones using fiuidized beds, produce powder-fine wood ash that may have less than 10 percent carbon. This low carbon wood ash is suitable as a lime substitute, but it lacks porosity, which is a benefit to the use of high carbon wood ash for composting, especially when used as a substitute for wood chips."
Kelly adds that some of the high carbon ash, due to its loose texture and pore space, has a bulk density of 500 to 800 lbs/cubic yard. Moisture content is about 20 to 30 percent, which also is an advantage, especially when the ash is used to bulk wet material such as biosolids. At a pH of 12, the wood ash has abrasive qualities, but doesn't seem to pose any significant corrosion problems to the composting equipment. The high pH also does not create any noticeable increase in ammonia, and it only causes a slight increase in the pH of the final product, says Kelly. New England Organics charges composting facilities for the wood ash. "The price is about the same, or even less than sawdust, and the wood ash can replace sawdust as a bulking agent," he explains. "When the odor control benefits are factored in as well, facilities see an economic advantage to using the wood ash."
ENZYME TREATMENTS
Little Hannaford Farms in Centralia, Washington processes yard trimmings, daft from chicken processing plants, cattle manure from a fairgrounds and sheet rock waste from new construction. The site composts in windrows that are "in one big block," explains Dennis Felt, owner of Little Hannaford Farms. "We place the windrows, which are about 10- to 12-feet high, right next to each other to retain heat and moisture. Piles are agitated using a loader with a 10-cy bucket that can move about 1,000 cy/hour. We work the windrows from the south to the north. Finished material on the north end goes directly to a CEC Screen-It deck screen. We do this turning process once a week."
About nine years ago, Felt met David Hill from GOC Technologies at a BioCycle conference. "We were having some odor problems, and David was just introducing the 506 bioaugmentation odor treatment product for waste management facilities," he recalls. "We started using the 506, which gets incorporated with incoming material, and the 505 product that is applied topically to the windrows after turning. Recently we started using the GOC 2300 and have found that the bioaugmentation product actually accelerates the composting process in addition to controlling odors."
The GOC products utilize enzymes that react with bacteria in the composting materials to break down the odor compounds. The formulas have been engineered by identifying what bacteria must be present to break down specific compounds, and what enzymes are needed along the way to react with those compounds. Some treatments biochemically enhance growth of various microorganisms, which, in turn, facilitate desirable chemical reactions. Other products are strong surfactants that facilitate rapid penetration of water and deodorizers into an odorous mass. The company has developed enzyme-based products for specific compost feedstocks, including manure, green waste, food waste and biosolids.
[Sidebar]
The BIOREM biofilter at the Region of Peel composting plant is housed in a 20 m by 20 m building. Exhaust coming out of the stack (left) must have less than 500 odor units to meet a one odor unit requirement at the property line.
[Sidebar]
Terms & Definitions
ODORANT
Substance (compound such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, butyric acid) capable of eliciting an olfactory response.
ODOR
Sensation resulting from stimulation of the olfactory organs.
ODOR CONCENTRATION
Number derived from the dilution of a sample of odorous air. The sample is dynamically diluted using an instrument called an olfactometer. The odor threshold (concentration) is reported as a dimensionless dilution ratio, or dilution to threshold (DiT).
ODOR INTENSITY
Relative strength of the odor above the threshold that is referenced by a comparison of the odor intensity of the sample (odorous air) to the odor intensity of a series of known concentrations of the reference odorant, n-butanol. The odor intensity of the sample is expressed in parts per million of butanol equivalence.
ODOR THRESHOLD
Minimum concentration detectable or the minimum detectable difference between two concentrations.
ODOR UNIT
One odor unit is the amount of odorant(s) present in one cubic meter of odorous gas (under standard conditions) at the panel threshold.
OLFACTOMETER
Dilution apparatus that mixes odorous air in specific ratios with odor free air for the presentation to an odor panel.
FIELD OLFACTOMETER
Hand-held olfactometer that takes realtime measurements of the level and strength of ambient odors (vs. measurements taken directly from the odor source).
DILUTIONS TO THRESHOLD (D/T)
Dilution-to-threshold techniques dilute an odor sample with odorous air at a number of levels and the dilution series is presented in ascending order of concentration. From one level to the next, the dilution decreases and the amount of odorous air increases. Odor guidelines/regulations for composting facilities may be stated in D/T.
DETECTION THRESHOLD
Concentration at which 50 percent of a human odor panel can identify the presence of an odor or odorant without characterizing the stimulus.
RECOGNITION THRESHOLD
Concentration at which 50 percent of the panel can identify the odorant or odor.
Sources: St. Croix Sensory, Inc. website (www.fivesenses.com) and "The Science of Smell Part 3: Odor Detection And Measurement," Iowa State University Extension, October 2004.
[Sidebar]
The Town of Kennebunkport' s biosolids composting plant, housed in an open-sided building (top), is less than 100 yards away from a school (farthest building shown in inset photo). The facility uses a high carbon wood ash as an amendment to control odors.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Take that, Notre Dame. No. 11 Michigan finally put a Big Blue bruising on the second-ranked Fighting Irish in a 47-21 rout Saturday - the most points scored against Notre Dame at home in 46 years.
Chad Henne threw three touchdown passes to Mario Manningham, and the Wolverines intercepted Brady Quinn three times and shut down the rest of the Irish offense.
Prescott Burgess intercepted Quinn on the second play of the game to set the tone. The Wolverines were ahead 26-7 before the Irish had their initial first down.
The Wolverines (3-0) ended a two-game losing streak to Notre Dame (2-1) as well as a three-game slide at Notre Dame Stadium. The 47 points were second only to the 51 scored at Notre Dame by Purdue in 1960.
It was a huge win for Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, who had been under fire for failing to win big games the past two seasons - twice in bowl games, and twice each to Notre Dame and Ohio State. Carr, though, improved to 4-1 against No. 2 teams and 16-6 against Top 10 teams.
For Notre Dame, the loss was another setback on its road to restore its storied program. In 2000, there was a 41-9 loss to Oregon State in the Fiesta Bowl when the Irish were No. 10; three years ago it was a 38-0 loss to Michigan; and last year it was a 34-20 loss to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl when the Irish were ranked No. 4.
It was just the eighth time the Irish have given up at least 40 points at home.
The Wolverines jumped on Notre Dame mistakes, including a pass that sailed through the hands of tight end John Carlson to Burgess, who returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. Then Manningham was left open for a 69-yard touchdown catch and David Grimes fumbled a kickoff return that set up a 2-yard TD run by Mike Hart, who finished with 124 yards on 31 carries.
Henne then threw TD passes of 20 and 22 yards to Manningham to make it 34-7. The 34 points were the most allowed in a half by Notre Dame since 1998 when the Irish gave up 42 points in the first half in a 45-3 loss at Michigan State.
The 34 first-half points by an opponent were the most since Purdue scored 45 in its' 51-19 win in 1960.
Quinn, touted as the Heisman Trophy favorite, was just 3-of-13 passing for 14 yards before going 7-of-7 for 71 yards in leading the Irish to a touchdown drive just before halftime, cutting the score to 34-14.
Michigan held Notre Dame to 4 yards rushing on 17 carries and 245 total offense, 1 yard more than the Irish had against Michigan last season in their worst offensive output under Charlie Weis. The difference Saturday is Notre Dame gained most of its yards well after the game was decided.
Notre Dame's two top receivers, Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight, didn't have their first catches until Michigan was ahead 34-7.
Hart had his third straight 100-yard game. The Wolverines improved to 12-1 in games when he runs for 100 or more yards.
It also was a big day for Henne, who last season was heavily criticized for his performance in Notre Dame's 17-10 victory.
Henne got off to a rocky start Saturday, throwing a pass that was picked off by Chinedum Ndukwe. Ndukwe returned it 51 yards to the Michigan 4 to set up Notre Dame's first score. But he finished the day 12-of 22 for 220 yards.
Quinn, who has never had a big game against Michigan, struggled again. He threw three interceptions and fumbled a ball that LaMarr Woodley returned 54 yards for a touchdown. He was 24-of-48 for 234 yards.
THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED 15TH ANNUAL International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) Conference clearly took Washington, D.C. by storm January 16-19, 2003, honoring Black dance pioneers. Katherine Dunham, one of the pioneers honored, is so much more than a legendary choreographer; she is a scholar, and an educator of this creative artist expression called dance. Through her Afro-Caribbean Company, her amazing career helped propel Black culture into the mainstream of American dance. Joan Myers-Brown, another dance legend and founder/artistic director of Philadanco Dance Company, created IABD believing that a gathering of the Black Dance Community would help address all their concerns. In 2003, IABD continues the tradition of dance education set forth by Dunham and Myers-Brown and many others through its 15th Annual Conference.
In addition to the five founding members, Cleo Parker Robinson, Ann Williams, Lula Washington, Jeraldyne Blunden, and Myers-Brown, IABD boasts a membership of such renowned artists as, Donald McKayle, Ronald K. Brown, Donald Byrd, Chuck Davis, Carmen DeLavallade, and Walter Nicks. The very nature of the IABD is defined by its name, an organization committed to documenting dance, presenting dance and performance, and holding global discussion about Black aesthetics in dance.
IABD, unique in its composition, was born in response to the direct need of Myers-Brown, who also knew and understood the needs of other Black Dance professionals. Soon after its creation in 1986, IABD in conjunction with the Philadanco staff held the 1st International Conference of Blacks in Dance in 1988. While the first conference attracted eighty participants, over time, the IABD conference has developed national and international prominence and now attracts upwards of seven hundred participants to each Conference from around the world from Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and Australia.
"The IABD annual event in honor of Blacks in dance and legendary dancers, is the only one of its kind," says Dr. Sherrill Berryman Johnson, full professor, artistic director of Howard University's Department of Theatre Arts Dance Major Program, artistic/executive Director of Images of Cultural Artistry Inc., and chairperson of the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD). "It is the only service organization in dance for people of color, which is why it is particularly important and timely that our conference theme now focuses on "Timekeepers of the Flame: Passing on the Torch." It is an...opportunity to honor our dance pioneers and legends of African ancestry, during the same week in which we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. by featuring the choreography of emerging and established artists and by presenting performances by the future generation," insists Dr. Johnson.
The celebration of its 15th year is also a celebration that, despite any obstacle, the IABD conference remains a very important forum. IABD offers Blacks in Dance -- artists, dance companies, directors, choreographers and those interested in Black dance -- what may be the only opportunity to discuss issues specific to their art, and to set policies beneficial to the Black dance community. Aside from its star-studded, legendary membership and guests, the gathering featured dance events throughout the week at various locations throughout Washington, DC.
There was the traditional Dance Conversations/Exhibitions and Pre-conference events that included a free symposium Wednesday, January 15, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with master artists Carmen DeLavallade, Donald McKayle, Ann Williams, Cleo Parker Robinson, Eleo Pomare, Baba Walter Nicks, Baba Chuck Davis and established dance artists Ronald K. Brown, Debbie Blunden-Diggs and Lula Washington. A concert featuring historically Black colleges and universities honored Black College Dance Exchange founders Inez Howard (Norfolk State), Nancy Pinckney, (North Carolina Central University), and Dr. Iantha L. Tucker (Morgan State University). On Thursday, January 16, the distinguished participants dialogued on "Building the foundation of dance as an art form of language, aesthetics, and quality." The conference officially began on the afternoon of Thursday, January 16, with special master class workshops. The day culminated with an evening of children in performance at the Duke Ellington Performing and Visual Arts High school as well as a late night performance of artists at Dance Place. On Friday, January 17, the luncheon tribute to the legendary dance scholar and educator, Katherine Dunham and the founder of IABD, Joan Myers Brown, was held. Special invited guests to that affair included noted performers Judith Jamison and Debbie Allen. Friday, January 17 culminated with "Triple Stars at Midnight," an African dance class led by Baba Chuck Davis, Melvin Deal, and Assane Konte. On Saturday, January 18, a special master class with Ms. Dunham continued the focus of passing the information of dance onto the next generation of artists.
The week-long event included a luncheon buffet featuring artists, choreographers, educators, and entrepreneurs in the dance profession; performances by national, international and Washington, DC metropolitan area artists and choreographers at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Dance Place, and Howard University's Ira Aldridge Theatre and Cramton Auditorium.
Symposium sessions at both the Omni Shoreham Hotel and Howard University featured such topics as "Finding A Meeting Ground between Commercial Tradition and Concert Stage Dance" and "Renewing and Re-shaping the IABD and its Role of Service to the Dance Profession and the Community." Lastly, multi-company auditions with Philadanco (Philadelphia), Cleo Parker Robinson (Denver), Dallas Black Dance (Dallas), Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (Dayton) were held Sunday, January 19 at Howard University's Burr Gymnasium enhancing an already spectacular conference with enticing opportunities for dancers aspiring to become a part of the extraordinary dance companies represented.
Photograph (Katherine Dunham)
Global markets were mixed Wednesday as stronger earnings from U.S. retailers Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Home Depot Inc. failed to ease worries about slowing growth in China and elsewhere.
A rise in U.S. industrial output in July help boost some markets but sentiment was guarded amid other evidence the U.S. recovery is stumbling.
Oil prices fell back after a report showed U.S. crude supplies swelled last week, indicating demand for fuel may be weakening.
In early European trading, France's CAC-40 was down 0.2 percent at 3,658.02, Britain's FTSE 100 was off 0.5 percent at 5,323.35 and Germany's DAX was fractionally lower at 6,204.36. Futures pointed to a flat to slightly higher open on Wall Street with Dow futures up 6 points, or 0.1 percent, at 10,364.00.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average gained 78.86 points, or 0.9 percent, to 9,240.54, South Korea's Kospi added 0.4 percent to 1,761.99 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was little changed at 4,474.90.
Markets in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and New Zealand also gained.
But the Shanghai Composite Index declined 0.2 percent to 2,666.30 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng retreated 0.5 percent to 21,022.73 amid concerns that Beijing's credit curbs are causing growth to slow too rapidly. Benchmarks in Taiwan and Singapore fell.
"There is a sense of an economic slowdown in China and the market is reacting to it belatedly," said Francis Lun, general manager of Fulbright Securities Ltd. in Hong Kong.
Chinese shares gained in previous sessions on hopes that credit curbs would be eased in the wake of weaker economic indicators.
In New York overnight, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 103.84 points, or 1 percent, to 10,405.85, snapping a five-day losing streak on strong U.S. corporate earnings.
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, reported a 3.6 percent rise in second-quarter net income and raised its earnings guidance for the full year on robust demand in China, Brazil and Mexico.
Home Depot, the No. 1 U.S. home-improvement retailer, said its second-quarter net income rose 7 percent.
The Federal Reserve reported U.S. industrial production grew a robust 1.1 percent in July, helped by auto plants that kept operating when they normally shutter for summer renovations. It was a rare piece of positive news from the world's biggest economy, which is struggling to maintain the momentum of recovery amid high unemployment.
In currencies, the dollar fell to 85.27 yen in Tokyo from 85.62 yen in New York late Tuesday. The euro rose to $1.2890 from $1.2876.
Benchmark crude for September delivery was down 53 cents at $75.26 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 53 cents to settle at $75.77 a barrel on Tuesday.
Pro Bowl safety John Lynch took a pay cut to remain with the Denver Broncos for a fifth season, passing on a chance to retire or test free agency.
Lynch was scheduled to make $2 million in 2008 and hesitated about returning to the team after he was asked to take a salary cut, the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News reported. Lynch was due a $1.12 million roster bonus March 4.
He reached a one-year deal after meeting with owner Pat Bowlen and coach Mike Shanahan.
A call to Lynch's agent was not immediately returned.
Lynch, who will turn 37 next season, had started to come off the field on passing downs last year, but played every snap in the last three games. In 2007, he missed one game with a groin injury and two more with a neck injury.
He finished last season with 62 tackles and one sack in 13 games. He also made his ninth Pro Bowl appearance and his fourth straight while a member of the Broncos.
