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Travel 80 » France » Nice Travel Guide – Top 10 Vacation Highlights
Nice Travel Guide – Top 10 Vacation Highlights
A popular tourist destination since the late 18th century that has for decades drawn visitors from the world over, Nice strikes the perfect balance between a cosmopolitan city and seaside resort. Colorful and charming, Nice is the largest city in the French Riviera, which offers a wealth of wonderful things to see and do.
Tourists can stroll the charming streets of Vieille Ville, the old town of Nice, which draws visitors with its antique shops, small bistros, museums and fashion boutiques. Vieille Ville stretches from the foot of Castle Hill all the way to Place Massena, the main square of the city. This is also one of the best places to sample the region's delicious pastries and Nicois-style pizzas.
Musee Matisse is a museum dedicated to the expansive collection of works by French artist Henri Matisse. Situated within a 17th century villa in the hills of Cimiez in northern Nice, the museum houses hundreds of paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints by the French master, as well as a large collection of the personal belongings of Matisse.
The largest of its kind in Western Europe, Cathedrale Orthodoxe Russe Saint Nicolas is also arguably the most beautiful Orthodox Church outside of Russia. The Cathedrale boasts an ornate façade with blue onion-shaped domes topped by glimmering gold crosses. The Cathedrale was completed in 1912 and is well worth a visit.
Nestled in the hills of Nice is the beautiful perched village of Eze and the enchanting walled town of Saint-Paul de Vence. Both of these wonderful attractions are well worth the effort of getting to them.
During your stay in Nice, you can take a day trip to Monaco, a principality in which everything screams luxury. Be sure to pay a visit to the dazzling casino in Monte Carlo, a masterpiece with sweeping staircases, gilt ceilings and crystal chandeliers.
The harbor of Nice is an obvious choice with all the glamorous yachts moored there, right next to brightly painted fishermen's boats. Here you will find an abundance of bars and restaurants at which you can sit outside and have a meal or enjoy a drink within the lovely surroundings. Quai Lunel is a must visit while you are in the Nice harbor area.
Warm in the winter and hot in the summer, Nice boasts a dazzling Mediterranean coastline with azure waters, while offering a much needed retreat from the hustle and bustle of the bigger French cities. All in all, Nice makes for a most beautiful place to visit in France that's very deserving of a spot on your travel itinerary.
1. Menton
Dubbed the "Pearl of France", Menton serenely rests on the eastern French Riviera. Situated a 35 minute train ride from Nice, Menton boasts a number of attractions worth seeing.
With its unique microclimate, Menton is a great place for growing its famous lemons. It is also a place where locals crowd into outdoor seats at cafes during winter. For most of the year, there is sunshine, possibly 316 glorious days of it.
While Menton could be regarded as an upscale resort town, it is arguably the least pretentious. The restaurants here are modest and mostly Italian. You can also find tasty Moroccan food here. As such, Menton is comfortable. It's not really about expensive designer shops, but rather about its many gardens. If you are into exotic botanicals, you can visit Jardin Botanique Exotique du Val Rahmeh.
A strolling city, Menton boasts being host to Monet, Flaubert and Liszt, among others, all of whom enjoyed a stroll on its streets. Musee Municipal is Menton's museum that features everything from modern art to a collection of prehistoric exhibits from the local area.
The main attraction at the Hotel del Ville, Menton's town hall is the Salle des Mariages. The room was decorated by Jean Cocteau in frescoes that took 2 years to paint, starting from 1957. Cocteau was also involved with the furnishings you will see inside this room.
Cocteau worked extensively along the French Riviera and his works can also be admired in the Bastion and the Jean Cocteau-Severin Wunderman museum.
The Bastion of Menton was constructed in 1619 on the orders of the Prince of Monaco for purposes of defending the Bay of Menton. Cocteau felt the Bastion would make a good museum space and therefore undertook its renovation, by creating a staircase, pastels, ceramics, tapestries, drawings, watercolors and mosaics made of pebbles.
Having amassed a large collection of works by Cocteau and others displayed inside his California warehouse, Severin Wunderman bequeathed all this to a museum that was opened in 2011 close to the old port.
This collection includes 1,800 works, 990 of which are by Cocteau, including ceramics, jewelry, paintings, drawings, tapestries, photography, pebble mosaics, cinema and audio. Of the other works, 450 are by Cocteau's friends such as Picasso and Miro.
Other works by Cocteau can be viewed in Villefranche-sur-Mer, at the Chapelle Saint-Pierre which overlooks the old port; as well as the Cap d'Ail's Centre Mediterraneen d'Etudes Francaises.
Thanks to its fine weather, Menton is famous for its extensive gardens, the top 2 of which are Jardin Botanique and Jardin Bioves. Jardin Bioves is situated at 8 Avenue Boyer adjacent to the Belle Époque Palais d'Europe, a former casino that today houses the Cultural Center and Tourist Office.
The Menton Market Hall features an antique market as well as a Saturday flea market at the parking lot adjacent to the Market Hall. Inside the market are several bread, wine and cheese stands from which you can obtain a fine picnic or even a full meal for self-caterers.
Menton is a great destination to visit especially during the off season. Plan your visit in early spring to attend the Lemon Festival held in honor of Menton's famous lemons.
Hearty travelers can walk along the coastal route to Monaco, although this trip is easier via train. If you have a car, Menton is great as a base for visiting some of the perched villages of the region. Sun bunnies will love Menton's famed beaches.
All in all, Menton is a laid-back spot to visit, a place to recharge your batteries before further exploring the stunning Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur region.
2. Monaco
A place where fairytale comes to life, elegant little Monaco is the playground of the French Riviera. Measuring only one square mile, Monaco nevertheless boasts outsize attractions. The jewel-like principality overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and features an expansive harbor that glitters at night with lights from the lengthiest and most expensive yachts in the world.
Aside from all the glitter, the legendary luxury travel destination is also famous for its glorious Mediterranean perch, mild, sunny year-round climate and ultra-festive summer season. The Mediterranean sea offers a breathtaking backdrop to the frolics that go on in Monaco.
Take a stroll around the old town where you can admire architecture dating from the medieval period. Monaco is full of narrow walkways and vaulted passageways, which are perfect for a romantic stroll. Allow yourself to be intoxicated by the scents from Monaco's Jardin Exotique, where over 7,000 varieties of flowers bloom, and the exquisite Princess Grace Rose Garden flourishes.
It is easy to access Monaco by train from Nice, which is about 10 miles away or take a ferry during the summer months. A diversion in itself, Monaco is an ideal spot to take a break en route to the south of France or northern Italy. Visitors can take half daytrips to charming spots such as Cap Ferrat on the coast, or a full day trip to Saint-Tropez or Cannes.
If there's one attraction that defines Monaco in all its high-rolling glamour, it's the Casino de Monte-Carlo. Constructed in 1863, the Belle Époque structure was designed by Charles Garnier, the architect behind Monaco's opera house, and the famous one in Paris.
Architecture buffs the opera house and Grand Casino whose highlights include verdigris cupolas, Rococo turrets and golden chandeliers. The Baroque casino offers a range of table games to wager on, as well as entertainment from Jimmy's disco and Le Cabaret. If gambling is not your thing, you can still enjoy Mediterranean views from the terraces of the Salle Medecin and Salle Blanche.
But if world class fine dining is your thing, then you will be spoilt for choice in Monaco. The principality has five-star hotels strung along the Mediterranean to ensure that its visitors dine well.
The ruling Grimaldi dynasty of Monaco traces its lineage to the 13th century, which makes it Europe's oldest reigning family. History buffs should find the Grimaldi palaces intriguing.
Visit the historic Le Rocher district for a tour of Palais Princier, the Prince's Palace, whose oldest wing was constructed during the 13th century. Some of the rooms inside the Prince's Palace at the top of the Rock of Monaco are open to the public.
One of the tour highlights is Prince Rainier's vintage car collection. The collection comprises approximately 100 vehicles on display, including Jaguars, Maseratis, Rolls-Royces, Lamborghinis and many more.
In November, the Monte Carlo Jazz Festival brings international jazz artists such as Herbie Hancock to Monaco on a 4-day festival staged inside the dazzling Beaux Arts-style Salle Garnier inside the Opera de Monte Carlo.
Go party and dance at the Black Legend Monaco, an energetic harbor side bar, lounge and restaurant that transforms into a pulsating dance venue around midnight. The Black Legend Monaco is entirely a tribute to African-American music, from soul, funk and Motown, to contemporary R&B.
Started in 1929, the Grand Prix de Monaco is one of the most famous and electrifying sporting events in the world. Each May during the Grand Prix, hundreds of super fast cars race throughout the principality. The race is regarded as the most challenging of any major race, with its perilous circuit that cuts through the city streets, tunnels and winding cliff roads of Monaco.
3. Cathedrale Orthodoxe Russe Saint Nicolas
Symbolic and timeless, the Cathedrale Orthodoxe Russe Saint Nicolas is the Russian orthodox cathedral of Nice that would look right at home in Moscow. Dedicated to Saint Nicolas, the Cathedrale offers a glimpse of Moscow on the Mediterranean, its onion stretching to the sky, poking up between the tropical palm trees in unique contrast.
An architectural gem constructed in the year 1912, the cathedral is widely considered as being the most beautiful Russian religious building outside of Russia. It looks as if it was shipped directly from Moscow with its brightly colored brick exterior crowned with fanciful onion-shaped domes. Its interior color scheme and architecture is reminiscent of a bejeweled Easter egg.
The cathedral is the largest Eastern Orthodox place of worship outside Russia. Its Russian architecture is easy to distinguish from the surrounding buildings as it features the standard onion dome structure you would expect to see in Moscow.
Inside is a treasure of historical artifacts and icons, much of which was transferred to Nice during the Russian Civil War. The cathedral's collection of icons is indeed one of the world's finest.
A rather surprising yet amazing sight, the cathedral is situated at Avenue Nicolas-II boulevard Tzarevitch. If you're already on this street, the onion-shaped domes, bright colors and detailed ornamentation of the church will be hard to miss.
Visitors can take a tour of the cathedral during which you will see what lies underneath the onion domes, such as the religious icons and frescoes. Whether your interest lies in history, architecture or matters of faith, you'll find plenty to pique your interest in this church. The cathedral speaks to the history of Nice as a popular destination for tourists from all across the globe.
4. Port de Nice
The port of Nice is one of the main harbors for boats sailing across the Mediterranean. The port enjoys an almost central location in Nice and is a notable leisure site that's dotted with a number of sightseeing opportunities. Notable for its history, the old port of Nice boasts over 1,000 years of history behind it.
The attractive harbor setting at Port de Nice is lined with restaurants and offers quick access to Vieille Ville with all its galleries and artisan shops, as well as the famous Cours Saleya flower market, the Colline du Château, several beaches and many cafes and restaurants.
The port is relatively small, compact and navigable and has a harbor wall pointing out towards Cap Ferrat that makes for a very pleasant stroll. Be sure to check out the fish restaurants at the beautiful 18th century square, Place Garibaldi.
Quai Lunel in the old port has attractive colorful buildings and is a great place to wander and identify a restaurant for lunch or dinner with a view. Just west of Quai Lunel is the Quartier Segurane, a neighborhood famous for its flea markets and antique shops at which you can find an authentic antique bargain cheaper than you would at the center of Vieille Ville.
Visitors could easily spend their entire vacation within 10 minutes walk from the port which boasts many interesting attractions. Here you can indulge in the Terra Amata Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art as well as the Palais Lascaris in Vieille Ville.
Filled with yachts at any time of the year, the old port is a great place to soak up some maritime atmosphere and Nice, both the past and the present.
Each year, the Nice harbor and surrounding French Riviera attract at least half of the world's super yachts, with an estimated 90% of all super yachts in the world visiting here at last once. Sit at a harbor front café where you can gaze at the gleaming mega-yachts as you tuck into a delightful croquet-monsieur, steak frites or salad Nicoise.
To access the port of Nice from the Nice center, simply take a walk around the waterfront onto the balcony-style walkway past the large interactive sundial or venture through Vieille Ville to Place Garibaldi and along the Rue Cassini. Place Garibaldi is the area surrounding the port which has been renovated and largely pedestrianised.
Travelers can also leave the Nice port and head out onto the water hopping on a ferry to take you to ports on Corsica such as Calvi, Bastia, Ajaccio and Ile Rousse.
5. Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Of the numerous spectacular villas along the French Riviera, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is one of the most palatial. Constructed in 1905, the main purpose of the Villa was to house the growing art collection of Beatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild.
The Villa was also a place of music and conversation, for art collectors and literary gatherings, far removed from the racier delights of the Cote d'Azur and places such as St. Tropez and the Monte Carlo Casino. Despite the grandeur of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, the building offers a delightful feel of being a real home.
Perched atop the hills above Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, the Villa's Neo-Classical, pink-washed façade is famed for its splendid gardens. Visitors can stroll through its formal sections that are grown with fragrant roses, among other flowers, past cascading fountains, into Japanese, French and tropical gardens, all of which offer panoramic views over the Mediterranean and its rocky hillsides.
The rooms inside the Villa run off the main covered courtyard and all feature decorations of art, antiques and furniture. Highlights include the unrivaled drawings collection of Jean-Honore Fragonard, the private apartments of the original owner, and a wonderful collection of precious china and porcelain.
6. Villefranche-sur-Mer
With its little medieval village, sandy shores and relaxed atmosphere, Villefranche-sur-Mer offers a pleasant escape from the hustle and bustle of larger cities close by on the French Riviera. A small undiscovered beach city along the French Riviera, Villefranche-sur-Mer is situated very close to Nice, although its beach is quieter, sandier and less crowded with tourists than its more high profile neighbor.
Most visitors to Villefranche-sur-Mer head straight for the beach, and with good reason. The beach is small but rarely as crowded as the bigger beaches close by. Adjacent to the beach are several ice cream stands where you can enjoy a drink or a cool treat.
There are only a few cafes here, but sunbathing is much more enjoyable. Looming overhead are beautiful mansions and a delightful market.
The old town of Villefranche-sur-Mer is situated a short walk from its port and beach, and makes for a wonderful afternoon of aimless wandering and café dining. This old medieval town with cobblestone streets and vaulted passages oozes with charm and atmosphere.
Eglise Saint-Michel is a Baroque Italian church that was constructed in the 1700s on the site of an earlier 14th century church. Situated in the heart of old town Villefranche-sur-Mer, the church is worth a visit for its lovely architectural details. Visitors can also take a peek at the impressive sculpture of the Christ dating from the 18th century.
Be sure to see the Chapelle Saint Pierre that's situated down on the seafront. In agreement with the local fishermen, French artist Jean Cocteau (1895-1963) in 1957 decorated the Chapelle in great swirling and powerful scenes of the life of Saint Peter, the patron saint of fishermen, and local scenes, along with designing the stained glass windows that depict scenes of the Apocalypse.
The pretty harbor, narrow alleys and roads of its old town that climb up a hillside filled with tall, brightly-colored houses, restaurants and shops, as well as the Citadelle are reasons enough to visit the delightful, low-key village of Villefranche-sur-Mer.
And you can always hop on the train from Villefranche-sur-Mer and be in Nice in less than 5 minutes. Yes, Villefranche-sur-Mer is literally situated just 5 minutes away from Nice. You will have already arrived even before you get comfortable in your seat.
Villefranche-sur-Mer is also a wonderful central location to vacation in and enjoy daytrips to several French Riviera destinations including Eze, Saint Paul de Vence, Monte Carlo, Cannes and Antibes. Your daytrip options from Villefranche-sur-Mer could take up an entire month, much less a week's vacation.
7. Musee Matisse
Musee Matisse is home to a splendid collection of artworks by Henri Matisse. The museum's collection is on display inside a red-ochre Genoese villa dating from the 17th century and which overlooks the tree-studded Parc des Arenes. Close by is Hotel Regina at which Matisse lived during his time in Nice. Temporary exhibitions are held inside this futuristic basement building.
Founded in 1963, the museum is an imperative for all art connoisseurs who wish to learn more about the life and work of Matisse. Here, works of varying techniques and genres are on display, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, collages, pictures and leaded panes. The museum features 68 paintings, 57 sculptures and 236 drawings, all by the artist.
The museum's reception hall is dominated by a colorful paper cutout frieze that's entitled Flowers and Fruits, which Matisse designed in 1953 for a Californian villa. Other famous pieces in the museum's permanent collection include the artist's paper cut-outs of Blue Nude IV and Woman with Amphora. Another of his famous works on display is Still Life with Pomegranates.
The art collection is arranged such that when comparing the styles, visitors can gain more insight into the artist's development and changes in art periods. One of the halls of the second floor has been entirely dedicated to Matisse's last masterpiece, which was the decoration adorning the Chapelle in Vence.
Matisse was a great and never-tiring artist who spent his life in search of newer forms of creative self-expression. Attracted by the beautiful scenery, mild climate and proximity of friends Renoir, Picasso and others who lived in the neighboring towns, Matisse moved to Nice in 1917 and died there 37 years later. Nice was Matisse's favorite town in which he wintered until his death in 1954. He was buried here as well.
Matisse and his heirs donated a part of his artistic legacy to the city of Nice. At present the artistic heritage found in the museum consists primarily of works created during the artist's stay in Nice. In addition to the permanent collection, visitors may also appreciate the museum's temporary themed exhibitions.
The museum may be regarded as the museum of his biography as the entire exposition represents not only his paintings but also some of his favorite personal belongings. This is why when visiting the museum you are bound to feel like a guest of the great French artist.
In addition to the works it houses, you may also appreciate the aesthetics of the museum building itself, which comprises an airy 17th century villa surrounded by a picturesque olive garden.
8. Eze
A fascinating Mediterranean port of call, Eze is a fine medieval village located on the French Riviera. Situated halfway between Monte Carlo and Nice, Eze offers a great destination for spending a couple of hours on the French Riviera in Nice, Cannes or at the Monaco harbor.
The view of the Mediterranean Sea from the hillside village of Eze is breathtaking. The village is perched like an eagle's nest on a large rock situated 400 meters above the sea. A trail down to Eze-sur-Mer will have you hiking for more than an hour down to the sea from the village on high.
Brace yourself for a steep climb from the parking area up the narrow winding pathways to the top of the rock on which Eze is found. Go slowly along the narrow stony paths up to the Jardin Exotique garden located at the top of this rock. Even without a guide, you should be able to find this garden easily.
All paths that go uphill eventually lead to the top at which this panoramic garden is found. You can also take your time and meander along the small streets as you find your way up to the garden. Once you arrive at the garden, the view will be well worth the strenuous ascent.
The garden is full of different varieties of cacti, as well as other exotic plants. If you visit during spring, you will find many of the plants blooming. Wander around the garden to rest from your uphill climb as you marvel at the unusual variety of flora. Do not miss out on the panoramic views from the top of the garden.
Walking along the paths of Eze will quickly reveal that the village once surrounded a fortified castle dating from the 12th century. The castle was torn down in 1706, but the village remains forming a circular pattern around the castle's base.
The villagers have done a great job of restoring the old buildings. Most of the residents are now artisans and you can spend a lot of time wandering in and out of their cave-like shops. There are also several perfumeries and a wonderfully aromatic selection of spices available for sale here. Visitors can also purchase water colors of Eze done by local artists to serve as a visual reminder of your time in Eze.
From Eze, consider visiting the medieval French village of Saint Paul de Vence, which is situated inland from the Cote d'Azur. Just like Eze, Saint Paul sits high on a hill, although it doesn't offer sea views.
9. Vieille Ville
Vieille Ville is the old town of Nice, which makes for a wonderful area to indulge in sightseeing and great tasting local cuisine. Popular with locals and tourists alike, the beautiful neighborhood of Vieille Ville boasts the buzzing markets of picturesque Cours Selaya, historic architecture and made-from-scratch Italian favorites like ravioli and gelato.
Old Nice is the beating heart of the French city, with the odd Baroque palace sitting on its outskirts. Within the old town are narrow streets that open onto squares dominated by glorious well-preserved churches.
The original occupants of Vieille Ville continue to live here, including servants and fishermen, to dressmakers and shopkeepers. These are the folks who kept the new arrivals at old Nice in the style that they aspired to.
Vieille Ville is overrun in July and August, but during spring, fall and winter, the neighborhood settles back down to a slower pace of life with neighbors meeting to gossip in the streets. You can enjoy a leisurely chat with the shopowners about the meat, cheeses, clothing and textiles they are selling.
Vieille Ville is situated within an area bordered to the south by Quai des Etats Unis, then up from Boulevard Jean Jaures past the Promenade du Paillon and the station to Place Garibaldi. The old town is closed off to the east by the large Colline du Chateau or Castle Hill, while its triangular area comes back down south by the sea to the Quai Rauba Capeu.
Visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the old town, or simply wander on their own through the maze of streets. It doesn't really matter if you get lost as the area is quite compact. If anything, you will be well orientated by the various churches you encounter within the main squares and their spires that reach up to the skies.
Begin your tour in Opera de Nice at the south west corner of the old town. The Opera is situated between Rue Saint Francois de Paule and Quai des Etats Unis. Constructed in 1776 but then destroyed by an 1881 fire, the Opera was rebuilt as an imitation of Palais Garnier, the famous Opera House of Paris.
Opposite the Opera House stands the Church of Saint Francois de Paul. Also worth a look is the Hotel de Ville with its Neo-Classical exterior and Art Deco interiors. The Hotel only became the town hall in 1860. Before that it served as the church's seminary and then as a hospital and barracks.
Turn to the right and you will arrive at the Palais de Justice, a grand building that is suitably impressive. This structure was built between 1890 and 1892 in grand Neo-Classical style.
Then head south to the famous Cours Saleya which is dominated by the Misericorde Chapel that dates from the 1740s. It is well worth going inside the Chapel to admire its rich decorations.
That said, most visitors go to Cours Saleya for its daily market that's characterized by a riot of scents, colors and flavors. Filling the square are stalls offering flowers, fruit, vegetables, olives and cheeses, while around it people sit at little pavement cafes and restaurants all day long.
At the center of the old town is the delightful Place Rossetti which is filled with old houses painted in rich ochre shades, with balconies full of flowers, a Baroque cathedral and pavement cafes.
To the north east in the Rue Droite you will come across the Palais Lascaris, one of the glories of Vieille Ville. Designed much like the palazzi that fill Genoa, the Palais' façade serves as a glorious example of Baroque exuberance. For the full Baroque effect, go inside and view the frescos, chandeliers, wooden floors, and about 500 old instruments on display in a setting of tapestries.
At the furthest point to the north is the Place Garibaldi, a square with grand doorways and deep red façades. Colline du Chateau borders Vieille Ville to the east. Visitors can walk up or take the elevator to view the ruins at the top, as well as enjoy the splendid view over the sparkling Mediterranean.
Vieille Ville is a great place to shop in Nice. Some of the best shopping can be had along the Cours Selaya flower and produce market and at the Monday antiques market. Just around the corner you will find an arts and crafts market. Another great spot to shop is around the Rue Saint Francois de Paule at which you will find inviting shops that sell truffles, olive oils and milled French soaps among others.
To enjoy the Cours Selaya markets, you may want to get up early before the crowds gather there. During peak tourist season, it may be difficult to peruse the market stalls here.
10. Saint Paul de Vence
Saint Paul de Vence is a charming fortified village that rests on a hilltop in Provence. Filled with art galleries and sidewalk cafes, it's difficult to find something not pretty about this quaint little village.
Take a walk through Saint Paul de Vence's winding streets to uncover elegant fountains, vine-covered stone walls and statues tucked into nooks inside the walls. Visitors can also enjoy breathtaking views of the sea and mountains. Even the ground is attractive here, with cobblestones laid into the shapes of flowers.
The fortified village is itself an attraction, with medieval fortress walls surrounding the city. The village entrance was put up during the 1400s and has a canon muzzle that dates from 1544.
As you wander through this village of Saint Paul de Vence, be sure to look up such that you don't miss out on some of the interesting artworks embedded into the walls. These include religious statues and a variety of other adornments.
Take a stroll towards the southern side of the village and climb up the steps to the view that overlooks a beautiful cemetery, surrounding mountains and hills. On the western side at Bastion St. Remy, you can have a glimpse at the sea. At Saint Paul you will see the snow-covered Alps on one side, and the glistening Mediterranean Sea on the other.
There are several places to eat in Saint Paul, which offer a mix in quality. And you can't really take a few steps in Saint Paul without happening upon an art gallery, so just step inside to admire the different artworks.
An artist's village, Saint Paul is also full of artworks in the form of different crafts. The costume jewelry you find on sale at numerous stores is unique. All through town, you will also find creative and interesting knick-knacks for decorating your home. There are also various Provencal fabrics available for sale, in addition to local gourmet delicacies such as wine, olive oils and fruit liquors.


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Game On in The Sports Capital of Tennessee®
Rutherford County is Conveniently Located and Ready to Make Any Event a Success
This vibrant Southern community is conveniently located just 30 miles southeast of Nashville, Tennessee and includes the cities of Murfreesboro, Smyrna, LaVergne, and Eagleville. Rutherford County offers central location within a day's drive of 75% of the United States population. FREE county-wide parking, first-rate facilities and award-winning services combine to make Rutherford County the host site for your next tournament or event!
A proud 2017 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism award winner, the Convention and Visitors Bureau is ready to make each event a success! Murfreesboro has been named one of the Best Sports Cities in the US by Sporting News; and one of Livability's Top 10 Soccer Cities, along with a host of other accolades.
Home to MTSU Athletics
Murfreesboro is the home to Middle Tennessee State University, a proud member of NCAA Conference USA. At the heart of the athletics facilities is the Murphy Center Complex at which includes Murphy Athletic Center (basketball/volleyball and indoor track), Floyd Stadium (football), Dean Hayes Track and Field Stadium, Reese Smith Baseball Stadium, MT Softball Field, plus the Alumni Memorial Gym.
The Murphy Center arena seats 10,000 spectators and is the site of NCAA basketball, volleyball and more. MTSU's Floyd Stadium, can accommodate 32,000 fans and plays host to Division I football games, Drum Corps International and Contest of Champions annually. Patrons can enjoy the use of open air boxes, club level seating, and suites for events. From the stadium press box you can take in views of entire city of Murfreesboro.
Soccer Reigns
The Richard Siegel Soccer Complex, a $13 million facility nestled on 137 acres in Murfreesboro, includes 15 fields and a championship soccer stadium. This is one of the premier soccer facilities in the Southeast and hosts local, state, regional, and professional soccer competitions. In total, Rutherford County offers sports planners 39 fields for tournaments.
Adams Tennis Complex
Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation and Middle Tennessee State University have partnered on the impressive Adams Tennis Complex. The facility has 8 color-coated asphalt indoor courts in addition to the existing 24 outdoor courts, 16 of which are lighted. The indoor tennis complex is climate controlled and has electronic scoreboards, a pro-shop, locker rooms, and lounge area downstairs. The upstairs mezzanine provides seating for spectators with views of all courts and additional lounge areas.
Tennessee Miller Coliseum
Unique to Rutherford County, the Tennessee Miller Coliseum is a 220,000 square-foot indoor facility that hosts regional and national equestrian events, sports tournaments, and tradeshows. The facility is capable of stalling 498 horses and seating 4,600 spectators. The nationally renowned facility has recently hosted the USDA Cynosport Dog Agility World games, the TN State Archery championships, along with countless equestrian competitions.
Outstanding Amenities
Aside from the facilities mentioned, Rutherford County offers 26 baseball and softball field at complexes like Barfield Crescent Park, Star*Plex and McKnight Park. There are several state of the art bowling centers in Smyrna and Murfreesboro offering participants 112 lanes to compete on or just bowl in their down time. To compliment all these amazing facilities, sports planners will find six public golf courses across Rutherford County.
In between games, participants are encouraged to take in the deep history at the Stones River National Battlefield, Oaklands Mansion, Historic Sam Davis Home & Plantation and Cannonsburgh Village. Discounts can be found on www.ReadySetRutherford.com.
Indoor community favorites include the Discovery Center and the Earth Experience Natural History Museum, both located near downtown Murfreesboro. Burn off some energy at The Ascent climbing facility, Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center or explore along the 14 miles of paved Greenway trails. Cool off in the summer months at the Boro Beach Water Park located at the Sports*Com facility in Murfreesboro or at SplashTown in Smyrna.
Rutherford County has 55 lodging options featuring 4,500+ rooms ranging from moderate to luxury. With over 400 restaurants, there is always something to please each taste bud, from familiar favorites to unique local eateries. After dinner, great shopping can be found in Historic Downtown Murfreesboro, the Fountains at Gateway, Stones River Mall and the Avenue Murfreesboro.
The exceptional staff at the Rutherford County Convention and Visitors Bureau will work hard to make each event a success! In Rutherford County, the Sports Capital of Tennessee is always Game ON!
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Premier League 2020/21
What Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea season ticket holders should do for 20/21 Premier League campaign
The 2020/21 Premier League season will begin without fans in attendance - but Tottenham season ticket holders have been told about plans for the new campaign
Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
A general view outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur are one of several Premier League clubs to have announced the details for 2020/21 season ticket renewals.
All Premier League games for the remainder of the 2019/20 season were played behind closed doors, but it is hoped that fans will be allowed back in stadiums as soon as possible.
In an update last month, the Lilywhites shared an update with season ticket holders ahead of the new season.
"With leagues across Europe bringing fans back to stadiums and discussions underway here in the UK about fans attending Premier League matches, possibly with initially reduced capacities, we should like to update supporters on preparations and Season Ticket renewal plans for 2020/21," read a statement on Tottenham's official website.
"In what are clearly exceptional circumstances that require extra measures in place, we shall be implementing a raft of new initiatives geared towards protecting the health and safety of supporters on their return to the stadium.
"This includes the introduction of new hygiene measures, intensive cleansing routines, a digital ticketing system and a pre-order food and drink service.
"We shall be opening up Season Ticket renewals on Monday (13 July) in order to be able to have the time ahead of next season to both deliver new systems and also begin to relocate fans who have requested seat moves – something we can only do once supporters have renewed and we know which seats are available."
Should the stadium open at a reduced capacity, season ticket holders will be entered into a ballot for the opportunity to attend the match.
All season ticket holders will also be asked to confirm their personal details ahead of the new campaign.
When the 2020/21 Premier League season begins and ends for Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham
Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham fans learn stadium return plans for 2020/21 Premier League season
As for Chelsea, it was announced in May that season ticket renewals for the 2020/21 season were not yet available.
And the same applies for Arsenal.
There's been no update from either club as of writing (August 18), so season ticket holders would be best advised to keep a close eye on respective club websites.
Premier LeagueThe Premier League rule change that will affect Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham this seasonThe regulation change regarding substitutions is apparently due to be confirmed at a meeting on Wednesday
Transfer news live: Arsenal agree deal for star, Palace would spend Zaha money on Spurs battle
Summer Transfer WindowLive transfer news and all the latest gossip from the Premier League and beyond
Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and others sent key message by Premier League chief executive
Premier LeaguePremier League football has come under the spotlight in recent weeks following a number of breaches of coronavirus protocols, with players' celebrations now being discouraged
Premier League stars' fast-track to Covid-19 vaccine can be used to benefit NHS
CoronavirusSean Dyche was criticised for his comments last week but, as Frank Lampard and Roy Hodgson said, there was plenty of logic to the argument
Premier League, EFL and FA release joint statement that affects Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham
Premier League 2020/21There has been rising unease around COVID-19 cases within English football with several matches postponed
Premier League clubs to be reminded of Covid-19 rules again with government annoyed by hugging
CoronavirusFocus on hugging intensifies as sports minister calls on stricter enforcement of protocols


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Charting the Transdisciplinary Space through Spinoza's God and Nâgârjuna's Úûnyatâ
By Soraj Hongladarom on May 24, 2007 in Essay
Specializations abound in the world today. This can be seen everywhere from the way an office is structured into departments and subdepartments to a hospital with a large number of specialists for presumably every type of illness. It is clear to see the advantages of specialization. On the one hand, a human being does not have enough time and energy to be good at everything. Anybody who attempts to be very proficient in more than one rather narrow area is either out of touch with reality or hopelessly utopian. We are all aware of the necessity of the modern world that appears to make specialization a necessity. Increased complexity in every aspect of life, so we appear to be told, makes it the case that each one person cannot do well in more than one particular area. People seem to be encouraged to look deeper, searching more more magnified view of ever smaller area, and to perform extremely well in that small area. Hence we have a picture of a shopkeeper who specializes in one particular product, or a merchant who sells only few kinds of goods. We find all sorts of businesses springing up to cater to all sorts of esoteric demands.
Perhaps one area where specialization is the most visible is in the academia. Specialization in the business world is clearly there, but that deals more with specialization of skills and habits rather than on deciding which putative area of reality one should be focusing on. In the business world, the specialization is that of what you do best. A person who is good at selling one thing rarely attempts to sell another, completely different thing. However, in the academia things are quite different. Here the focus is not so much on different types of skills as much as the subject matter on which the academic skills are being put to work. In the academic specialization, there is an added concern, one about knowledge. One does not merely claim expertise due to one's skills, habits, or one's own network; on the contrary one is claiming that one is 'knowledgeable' in this or that particular area of the world. One may choose to study crabs, and another studies shrimps, while another studies their habitats in a particular locale. This kind of specialization is very well known and is now ingrained in most education and research institutions. The basic, underlying idea, of course, is that reality is such a hugely complex field and it is not possible to gain knowledge about any particular area of it except through increased specialization. One simply does not have the time or the leisure, or the capability to study everything at the same time.
Proliferation of knowledge in the last century has further produced a plethora of academic specializations each aiming at taking care of an ever smaller chunk of putative reality and developing ever more refined tool to do it. Academic specialization is a result of the idea of division of labor that ran parallel with industrial development that started in the late nineteenth century and continued until today. It is obvious how specialization carries advantages in many ways. With limited time and resources, it is not possible to excel in more than a small part of the whole, and in order to increase the depth of what is being studied, it has seemed to become necessary that more specialization is required. It seems that in order to go deeper and gain more knowledge at anything, one needs to delve into ever smaller bit, zooming in on it and analyzing it to finer details. In this atmosphere, the thinking is that the big picture—how every specific things all hang together—is left alone and somehow is believed to emerge spontaneously from the juxtapositions of these smaller bits.
What I aim to do in this paper is to investigate this phenomenon. I would like to argue that specialization does indeed have its place, but it cannot function well as a means to respond to the vastly complex reality that we are facing in the world today. Academic discliplines arose as a response to the general worldview that favored further specialization. An obvious example was the assembly line factory. We are in a need for the 'transdisciplinary space.' However, what that term actually means and how to achieve that is much a matter of debate and discussion. I would like to argue further that insights obtained from two philosophers who hailed from very different times and contexts, Spinoza and Nāgārjuna, could lead us a long way toward realizing the goal of charting the transdisciplinary space. However, before embarking on studying the thoughts of these two philosophers, one would like to know how in fact can the so-called transdisciplinary space be achieved. A more basic question is: What actually is the transdisciplinary space?
Afterwards I will present a map to navigate this transdisciplinary space through the teachings of two prominent philosophers from East and West, i.e., Nāgārjuna and Spinoza. I will try to show that their insights help us a good deal in our attempt to find out how the space is going to be successfully navigated. Both Spinoza and Nāgārjuna are deeply religious philosophers and their insights provide us with a needed viewpoint where religion does indeed play a significant role in today's knowledge enterprise. Then, I will conclude on how the insights from these two philosophers could help us with understanding how we are to investigate the multifaced dimensions that emerge from the interaction between science and religion.
Disciplinarity, Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity
The rise of different academic discplines to be managed by different academic 'departments' was a rather recent phenomenon. It emerged in tandem with the rise of university as a part of modern industrial society in Europe nineteenth century, and was then copied firstly by the US and then the rest of the world. The medieval university, places like Oxford or Sorbonne, did have some form of specialization; there were traditionally four 'faculties,' namely law, medicine, theology and philosophy. But these were distinguished more by the subject matter rather than by different 'methodologies.' In fact there were much interaction between the different faculties, as texts from philosophy, such as Aristotle's were used as a basis for medical teaching, and so on. These four medieval faculties, then, shared a common set of canonical works, and as such as they were much more similar with one another, than in our modern times when law and medicine, for example, are so far removed from each other that it's not possible for a student in one field to use results from one field to illuminate the other. However, in the medieval time, law and medicine shared much more in common; the most notable difference from the modern time is that studying law and medicine in ancient and medicine times looked a lot like each other. Both relied on ancient texts and shared common philosophical background. It is also this same core background that was also shared by philosophy and theology. Traditionally philosophy consisted of what colleges and universities today call "arts and sciences," that is, knowledge that is supposed to be for its own sake, where as the other three were more applications of the knowledge gained from philosophy.
Even though the medieval disciplines were different from one another, that does not mean that they could be regarded as "different academic disciplines" in today's term. As most studies consisted of reading and commenting on texts, these different disciplines then were much alike and what distinguished them from one another was not the fact that there were separate methods of studying the phenomena as is the case with today's academic disciplines. The real difference in methodology came to the fore when Aristotle's and the Biblical texts were put aside as a means to study the natural phenomena, to be replaced by the "Book of Nature," to be read and commented on through empirical methods of observation and taking careful notes. The rise of modern science, together with the works of Galileo, Kepler and Newton, contributed to the separation of academic disciplines from one another, especially as this new method of studying 'natural philosophy' came about. However, the university largely resisted this new method of studying throughout Europe, and it's only in the nineteenth century that the university finally rid itself of its medieval legacy and embraced the new science into its curricula.
What I would like to emphasize from this very schematic history of university and knowledge production in Europe was that the rise of academic disciplines as we know them today is largely a legacy of the rise of modern science as a definitive feature of modern society. Employing careful observation, quantitative methods, theoretical hypothesization and testing, the methodology of modern science developed itself in contrast to the old way of reading and commenting on texts. And I would venture to say here that this is precisely when the 'real' difference between academic displines emerged. On the one hand, there is the natural science, with its new methodology; on the other there are the discplines which carried over form older times, such as philosophy and theology. The age-old dispute concerning the authority of Greek philosophers such as Aristotle (who was known throughout the Middle Ages as simply "the Philosopher") and the Bible became rather arcane and fell out of favor as students and scholars preferred to leave the issue aside and instead became more interested in finding out how the knowledge gained from the new methodology could help navigate the sea more precisely (in order to search for new markets and new sites for resources), as well as predict and control the natural phenomena more powerfully. It is perhaps not a coincidence that the rise of modern science in seventeenth century Europe took place hand in hand with the emergence of Europe as the world power, finally eclipsing China as the world's most productive and technologically advanced nation in the nineteenth century. What is noticeable is that the rise of modern science and its novel methodology became emulated throughout the world, as other countries and cultures scrambled for the way to counteract the overweening European power.
Hence it would not be too far fetched to say that the methodology of modern science was large responsible for the creation of the new type of disciplinarity, where the difference does not lie merely at the surface as was the case with the medieval university. A clear indication of this can be seen in what C. P. Snow observed as "the two cultures" of humanistic and scientific disciplines.1 According to Snow, science and the humanities have drifted away so far apart that it is not often possible for practitioners in the two fields to communicate, and the difference appears to be irrevocable. Within the same university the scientists and the humanists stay physically close to each other, yet they seldom talk and seldom learn about what each other is doing. And when they do talk with each other, the tone tends to be quite antagonistic, as both sides tend to accuse the other of all sorts of things. Those in the academia might well remember that a few years ago there was a big furor starting from this mistrust between scientists and humanists. Alan Sokal, a noted physicist, wrote a hoax article and was accepted for publication by a famous journal in literary theory.2 Later Sokal exposed the hoax and the academic world erupted in controversies and accusations. We do not have time or space in this paper to go any deeper in the Sokal affair, but it shows quite clearly how the disciplinary split between the science and the humanistic discplines led to such widespread mistrust and misunderstanding and mud slingings on both sides.
Since the beginning of the significant split between the academic disciplines, more and more disciplines emerged in the past two or three centuries. Physics became an autonomous discipline and broke away from philosophy when its quantitative methodology was well accepted and systematically formulated. Then followed chemistry and biology. One only needs to look at any standard textbooks on history of science to see how these scientific disciplines emerged out of philosophy, which of course was regarded as the Queen of the Sciences, but was left with very little to work on nowadays as the substantive disciplines have all broken away. In the late nineteenth century, psychology broke away. The reason why the study of the mind became autonomous rather late, and much later than the study of the natural phenomena, was that the publicly quantifiable and objectively verfiable method of studying the mind was developed much later. And it took a major turnin how to think about the human mind in order for psychology to develop itself. Instead of thinking of the mind as immaterial, the mind was then brought to the natural world and made amenable to quantitative and observational study. In short, the mind was made part of the modern scientific world, and with that way of thinking modern psychology was born.
Physics, chemistry, biology and psychology are all natural scientific disciplines. There were also concerns on how to understand the social phenomena, and the rise of modern social scientific disciplines took place in roughly the same typical pattern as do the scientific ones. Sociology became an autonomous discipline when an empirical and publicly verifiable method of study human society became accepted, so were anthropology and economics. The story is actually a familiar one. What these stories of the rise of nos established academic disciplines share in common is that a way was found to study a section of the phenomenon in the scientific way (observational, publicly verifiable, based on testable theories and hypotheses). Economics took place as a discipline when it was recognized that it was indeed possible to postulate about the behaviors of human beings when they engage in economic activities such as producing, selling, buying, bargaining, and so on. In fact it was found that it was even possible to subsume these behaviors under supposedly universal laws, and these laws derive their "universality" only under the assumption that human beings always act in order to maximize their self interests. Without this assumption economics breaks down, unless a way is found to explain away behaviors that do not fit the norm such as altruism and charity so that they are in the end motivated by self interest. The idea is that, in order for economics to become an exact science, its theories need to be subsumable under universal laws. These laws are laid upon the basis which is largely unquestioned and would appear to be extremely peculiar to the medieval or the ancient mentalities. Suppose one would be arguing with Aristotle that the real human nature is to maximize his or her individual interest, no doubt Aristotle would find that argument ridiculous, if not altogether wrong. For Aristotle would presumably be thinking that it is the nature of human being to realize their full potential, what it is exactly to be a human being, and not an animal, and to maximize one's self interest does not seem to distinguish a human being from other animals. If rationality were conceived as ability to figure out how one's narrow self interests could be maximized, then a mouse could even be said to be rational in this regard, as it 'knows' how to maximize its interest too (such as it may k ow how to get the shortest route to its food, and so on).
What has been outlined so far was the emergence of the today established disciplines out of philosophy, which used to be the cradle for all of them. After this big split, there occurred many further differentiations within one particular discipline. What is interesting is that this differentiation of academic disciplines into further and further specializations in a way reflects and is reflected by the way the university, as the embodiment of knowledge structure, is organized and structured. Let me take my own university as an example. Chulalongkorn University was founded in 1917 as a commemoration of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who ruled Siam (as the country was known then) from 1868 to 1910. The university was formed out of the previously existing Royal Pages School, which was earlier founded by King Chulalongkorn to train royal pages to work in the palace and to work in the newly formed bureaucracy. In order for Siam to fend itself from the threats posted by the European colonialists in the late nineteenth century, it had to have a clearly defined state working under the same assumptions as do the European countries. All the autonomous principalities which then existed according to the old way of tribute relationship with the Siamese king needed to be put under the full control of Bangkok as part of the Siamese state itself. In order for this to work a functioning bureaucracy was essential, and this was the motivation for the Royal Pages School and afterwards Chulalongkorn University. Hence the relation between the modern bureaucracy and my university was evident from the beginning.
The link between bureaucracy and the university does not in fact lie within the purposes of establishing the university only. Even the university itself became part of the bureaucracy it was intended to produce the personnel to serve. And as the bureaucracy always has a tendency to departmentalize and subdepartmentalize, so is the university. The bureaucratic organization tends to divide itself into departments and divisions in order to increase efficiency. It is believed that the specialized division within the organization will perform better than the non-specializing one. With specialized departments and divisions one can bring in expertise whose job is to function well within the narrow domain of a department. Hence the organization tends to divide itself into personnel departments, finance departments and so on. And it is quite well known that in a large bureaucratic organization there is always the tendency to divide further into subdepartments and sub-subdepartments and so on. Perhaps a real motivation behind these creations of further subdivisions is that budget is made not to the result of the works that have been performed, but directly to the agencies or the departments and subdepartments. So the only way an agency can get more funding is not for it to claim better results, but to claim more work, which can be verified only by employing more people and establishing more subdivisions.
When the university itself became bureaucratic since its inception, as is the case with Chulalongkorn, the division naturally mirrors that of the bureaucratic organization. That is to say, the emphasis is not always on the quality of work performed, but on the quantity. This perhaps is an explanation why Chulalongkorn University has one of the highest teacher per student ratio in the world at 1 teacher for 8 students. The university has been employing a disproportionately large number of faculty members when compared to the number of its students because it has been always subdividing. These were only four faculties when the university was established, and today there are more than thirty and each faculty has set up its own departments, centers, new degree programs, in order to attract more funding. Another aspect of the mirroring between the bureaucracy and the university is in the nature of academic disciplines itself. As bureaucracies tend to subdivide, so do the disciplines. The rationale is the same. Bureaucracies subdivide because they believe that more work will be done that way, and academic disciplines also subdivide because they think there more work which cannot be done unless the field is further divided so that more people, each specializing in each of the subdivisions, could be brought to work on them.
However, it has become increasingly evident that this way of academic specialization is no longer able to answer to the needs of people and societies any longer. When academic disciplines go their own way in delving deeper and deeper in their own domains, they all branch out and go their separate ways. It is necessary that when each member of a group is equipped with a tool to enable them to zoom in on particular spots, they will each branch out and sooner or later will lose touch with each other completely. In biology, one may choose to study insects and another spiders, but when there are more insects to be studied the one who studies them finds that it is necessary for them to choose a particular species of insect, and so on; while the other who chose to study spiders do the same thing. Sooner or later the two biologists lose touch with each other. And this is only within the same academic discipline. One can then imagine what it would be like for, say, a historian of economic life in early Song dynasty and an entomologist specializing in life cycle of a butterfly species on an island south of Thailand to talk to each other and try to understand each other.
It is ironic that increased complexity would demand a rethink of specialization, but the picture of each knowledge seeker going out her own way digging her own way and branching out from her colleagues is no longer tenable. The reason is that it is impossible to get all the depths there are in all corners this way; zooming in on particular spots invariably means one is losing out on the whole picture. Today's reality, with greater interconnectedness due to communication technologies and other means, is vastly more complex than the one studied by scientists in the late nineteenth century when the idea of specialization took hold. Nonetheless it is well documented that the world in the early part of the twenty-first century demands that one gets the big picture—how everything is related to everything else. This complexity does not merely need collaborative efforts among different disciplines, but there is also a need for a transdisciplinary endeavor which means going beyond disciplinary boundaries altogether.
It has to be made clear the different meanings of interdisciplinarity' and 'transdisciplinarity.' What distinguishes one from the other is that the former still retains the disciplinary boundary, whereas in the latter such a boundary is totally neglected, 'superseded,' as Hegel would say. In the interdisciplinary collaboration, academics from various disciplines still retain their disciplinary identity. It is, furthermore, clear that the complexity of today's problems demand transdisciplinary collaboration, and not merely interdisciplinary one. This is because the problem as I have described stems from the inadequacies of the standard methodology of each academic discipline, so if these disciplines come to collaborate without thereby losing its methodological identity, then nothing much is accomplished. In transdisciplinary collaboration, it would be incorrect to say that all disciplinary identities would totally disappear. That is not the case in the Hegelian synthesis. On the contrary, the identities of the differing parties are still there, only that they are somehow subsumed and transformed under the emergence of the new entity. The boundaries that separate one discipline from another break down, fusing them together in such a way that a new way that is capable of solving the problem or of providing a novel way to understand things emerges. Suppose a philosopher is working with a medical scientist, the philosopher is still the philosopher in that she still has with her the whole vocabulary of philosophy, which she brings to bear on problems that intersect with that of the medical professor. The medical professor, likewise, comes to the collaborative group in her function as the medical scientist. It is expected that the members of the group have to defer to her expert viewpoint as a medical doctor, in perhaps the same way as the group is expected (though usually a bit less) to defer to the opinion and judgement of the philosopher. On the contrary, in the transdisciplinary activity, there is no talk about who is the philosopher or who is the medical scientist, or who is in fact any professional in any field. Instead of different disciplines joining together for a common purpose, these disciplines are then fused together, each losing its identity but each contributing to the emergence of a totally new entity. This is reminiscent of Hegel's idea of the Dialectic, i.e., the emergence of the synthesis out of the conflicts between the the thesis and its negative counterpart the antithesis. In such a collaboration, the medical doctor ceases to be the medical doctor; the philosopher ceases to be the philosopher. But each contributes in her own way the common goal of the group. This is a central concern of this paper and I shall obviously return to this again after elaborating the conceptual tools from Nāgārjuna and Spinoza and how their teachings are relevant.
Spinoza and Nāgārjuna
What I want to say is that academic specialization as traditionally understood goes hand in hand with the needs of a particular time and place in human history. If we look back toward the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it would be very difficult to imagine how it would be otherwise than the adoption of modern bureaucratic methods to solve the problems that were there at that time. Each method has its own use at its own place, time and context. This is also another lesson from Hegel. However, the world in the early twenty-first century is vastly different from that of the late nineteenth, or even the later twentieth century, so we are in need of another way to look at and comprehend reality than is available to us in the last century.
In the Ethics, Spinoza shows that God is identical to Nature, and in fact to everything in the universe, which is in fact an attribute of Him. In other words, in Spinoza's vision everything is God and is in God at the same time; everything is one and the same in one aspect and there are infinite variety of infinitely many things at the same time. In Spinoza's words: "No attribute of a substance can be truly conceived from which it follows that the substance can be divided."3 This means that there is only one thing. The substance here means God Himself, which for Spinoza is one and the same with reality. God appears at once as one entity and as infinitely many aspects of it. Both subject and object are only aspects of God; hence they are fundamentally one and the same. Minds and bodies are thus essentially the same; it is only through our finite minds that these are conceived as separate entities. In another Proposition (P15), he says "Whatever exists is in God, and nothing can exist or be conceived without God."4 Since the substance or God (which is the same) cannot be divided and since anything that exists exists in God, everything is in God and is part of God.
Let us look more closely at the key passage in the Ethics:
P12 No attribute of a substance can be truly conceived from which is follows that the substance can be divided.
Dem.: For the parts into which a substance so conceived would be divided either will retain the nature of the substance or wil not. If the first ([S: viz. They retain the nature of the substance], then (by P8) each part will have to be infinite, and (by P7) its own cause, and (by P5) each part will have to consist of a different attribute. And so many substances will be able to be formed from one, which is absurd (by P6). Furthermore, the parts (by P2) would have nothing in common with their whole, and the whole (by D4 and P10) could both be and be conceived without its parts, which is absurd, as no one will be able to doubt.5
The gist of Proposition 12 here is that there is only one thing and that thing is not divided. If the one Substance can be divided into parts, which retain its original nature. That is if the parts are each individual substances, then as Spinoza has earlier argued each part would be then infinite, self causing and possessing different attributes or properties, all of which are contrary to the nature of substance. But if the parts do not have the characteristics of Substance, then the parts do not have the characteristics that the whole has, which is also contradictory. To put it in other words, for Spinoza God or Nature is the one Substance, and it cannot be divided because if it were, then each of the parts would then be an individual substance. As Spinoza has earlier argued that a substance is self causing and is infinite, then there cannot be more than one substance. On the other hand, if the parts do not have these characteristics then they would not actually be parts of the Substance because they do not have the characteristics of the whole. The picture here is that of the whole Nature, which is considered as only one and cannot be separated in such a way that the resulting parts do not belong to each other in any way. For Spinoza that is contrary to reason. The apparent fact that there are many things in the world only reflects the different attributes that Substance has. The facts that people are different, that mountains and lakes are not the same, etc., are only apparent rather than real. All things do indeed belong to Nature in such a way that they are no parts. On the contrary they are in a sense Substance itself.
Spinoza continues the same line in Proposition 14:
P14 Except God , no substance can be or be conceived.
Dem.: Since God is an absolutely infinite being, of whom no attribute which expresses an essence of substance can be denied (by D6), and he necesarily exists (by P11), if there were any substance except God, it would have to be explained through some attribute of God, and so two substances of the same attribute would exist, which (by P5) is absurd. And so except God, no substance can be or, consequently, be conceived. For if it could be conceived, it would have to be conceived as existing. But this by the first part of
Tags:Conference 2007


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Armenia's Tricky EU-Russia Balancing Act
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and EU Council President Donald Tusk hold a joint press conference in Brussels on February 27, 2017. Anadolu Agency/Getty
Armenia's new partnership agreement with the European Union will take effect this spring, but don't expect it to trigger tensions with its ally Russia.
Interview by Maral Tavitian
Benyamin Poghosyan, Interviewee
April 5, 2018 2:30 pm (EST)
To help readers better understand the nuances of foreign policy, CFR staff writers and Consulting Editor Bernard Gwertzman conduct in-depth interviews with a wide range of international experts, as well as newsmakers.
Throughout the past decade, Armenia has pursued a delicate balancing act, aiming to deepen ties with the European Union (EU) while maintaining a strategic alliance with Russia. Armenia's signing of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the EU signals its shift toward Europe amid growing tensions between Russia and the West. Due to take effect in April, the agreement does not threaten Armenia's historically significant alignment with Russia, says Benyamin Poghosyan, director of the Political Science Association of Armenia, a nongovernmental organization based in Yerevan.
What is Armenia's relationship with the European Union?
Robert D. Blackwill
Policy Prescriptions for U.S.-China Relations
Liana Fix
Why European Democracies Are More Resilient Than Expected
Stephen Sestanovich
Who Are Russia's War Hawks, and Do They Matter?
The EU plays an important role in Armenia for fostering reforms in different spheres, mainly political reforms to boost good governance and transparency. These include judicial reforms, to support Armenian efforts to make the judiciary more independent, and also economic reforms, especially creating a more competitive atmosphere for investors. The European Union is also supporting different spheres of the Armenian economy: agriculture, renewable energy, small and medium enterprises. In November 2017, the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement [PDF], which was signed between Armenia and the EU during the Brussels Eastern Partnership summit, will help to further Armenia-EU relations.
What are the most important provisions in CEPA?
State modernization in different spheres, but mainly political and economic. Armenia undertook several obligations to modernize the state, have a more free political system, have a more free economic system, increase competitiveness, and fight corruption. The EU is ready to support Armenia through both technical and financial support.
More important for every Armenian citizen is the fact that this agreement is paving the way for negotiations on a visa-liberalization scheme with the EU. This is one of the carrots by which Armenian society will support the reforms envisaged in the agreement.
What are some of the programs that CEPA will fund?
The EU-Armenia Single Support Framework identified three main areas for EU support from 2018 to 2020: private-sector development, public administration reform, and justice-sector reform. The EU allocated approximately 160 million euros, with 35 percent to private-sector development, 25 percent to public administration reform, and 20 percent to justice-sector reform. The remaining 20 percent has been allocated to capacity development and institution building, as well as to civil society organizations.
Negotiations are underway to identify concrete projects, which will be finalized after provisional application of CEPA. The Armenian parliament envisages ratifying the agreement in mid-April, which will pave the way for provisional application.
In 2013, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan unexpectedly withdrew from an association agreement with the EU and entered the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Why?
Starting in 1991, Armenia chose a strategic alliance with Russia that included having a Russian military base in Armenia and several Russian state or state-affiliated companies controlling large portions of the economy. When in 2010 Armenia launched its negotiations with the EU to style an association agreement, the security environment around Armenia was far different than in 2013. In 2010, it was the middle of the U.S.-Russia reset, launched by the Obama administration. In this period, relations between Russia and the West were much better, and for Armenia it was much easier to start its association with the European Union. Unfortunately for Armenia, the situation started to change in September 2011, when Vladimir Putin announced his decision to run for a third presidential term. This decision, and the December 2011 Russian Duma elections, after which we saw large protests in big Russian cities, were the first signs of deterioration in Russia-West relations. The West started to see Russia as moving toward a more authoritarian government. This atmosphere did not bode well for Armenia-EU relations.
Another factor influencing Armenia's decision [to withdraw from the association agreement] was the idea put forward by Vladimir Putin to form the Eurasian Economic Union. This idea was first presented in October 2011 by then–Prime Minister Putin, and it was a major foreign policy goal for his third presidential term, starting in 2012. Taking all this into consideration, Armenia made a decision not to go on with signing an association agreement with the EU but rather to join the Eurasian Economic Union.
What impact will CEPA have on Armenia's relations with Russia?
This agreement is not likely to change the geopolitical balance in the South Caucasus or to change Armenia's foreign policy, because nothing written in CEPA contradicts Armenian obligations to the Eurasian Economic Union. My understanding is that Russia has the confidence that any agreement with EU, including this one, cannot threaten its position in Armenia.
Balanced foreign policy does not mean equal relations with all partners.
From another point of view, the signature of this agreement by Armenia, which is widely perceived as a friendly state within Russia's sphere of influence, can be used by Russia to say, "Look, the West is blaming Russia for trying to impose its will on its allies and on former Soviet states' security and foreign policies. But Armenia is a customs union member, Armenia is a Eurasian Economic Union member, and we did nothing to support or prevent the signature of new partnership agreement with the EU. Therefore, all Western allegations against Russia—that we do not perceive Russian allies within post-Soviet states as real independent states, that we do not want them to have independent foreign or security policies—are untrue."
Does CEPA represent a westward shift in Armenia's foreign policy?
It does not represent a westward shift in Armenia's foreign policy. Since 1991, Armenia has tried to have a balanced foreign policy. But balanced foreign policy does not mean equal relations with all partners. Since 1991, the main partner and the sole strategic ally of Armenia has been Russia. There are different reasons for the alliance, starting with historical ones. In the mid-nineteenth century, Russia was perceived in Armenia as a savior, having saved it from attack by the Persian Empire.
During Soviet times, there was huge propaganda in Armenia [saying that] if not for Russia, Armenia simply would not exist. Also, there is pro-Russian sentiment because since 1991 Armenia has been under Azerbaijani aggression and a Turkish blockade. Armenia had to face joint Azerbaijan-Turkey pressure, and under these circumstances Armenia has no choice but to firmly anchor itself with Russia. So yes, Armenia tried to have a balanced foreign policy, but its main strategic ally was Russia; it's still Russia, and I believe that in the foreseeable future, it will be Russia. In its contacts with other power centers—the EU, NATO, and the United States— Armenia will try to develop its relations, but there are red lines that it is not ready to cross.
What are those red lines?
Russia believes that former Soviet states should be under its control and serve as a buffer zone against perceived Western pressure. So, Armenia is in a difficult situation, because it cannot systematically or radically shift its foreign policy, and needs to continue its strategic alliance with Russia. However, it needs channels open with the West to modernize itself, which is vital to Armenia's long-term national security interests.
Russia believes that former Soviet states should be under its control.
During his last state of the union address, Russian President Putin made a very harsh assessment of Russia-U.S. and overall Russia-European Community relations. These conditions will make it more difficult for Armenia to continue to be a strategic ally of Russia, and remain within the Russian sphere of influence, while simultaneously trying to get Western assistance to modernize. This will be the key challenge for Armenia, at least in the coming six years, for the Russian president's fourth presidential term. I believe that Russia will be more assertive in former Soviet states to institutionalize its control there, which will negatively affect Armenian efforts to develop its relations with the Euro-Atlantic community.
How does the United States view the agreement?
In general, it will have a positive impact on U.S.-Armenia relations. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the main policy of the United States has been to support post-Soviet states to develop independent institutions and be integrated into the international arena. This policy has two main reasons. First, the U.S. believes that as countries are institutionally developed and democratized, they are less likely to enter into war with each other and more likely to have friendly relations with the United States. Second, the United States understands that if post-Soviet states are not modern states—if they have internal difficulties and weak institutions, if they lack good governance, if there is corruption—it will be much easier for Russia to impose its influence on them.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
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Tractable low-end torque and manageable high-end power are provided by the sophisticated power valve and Boyesen reed valve. The engine characteristics can be tailored thanks to the standard map switch that modifies the CDI curve between two ignition curves according to rider preference, conditions and terrain. Further optimisation of the power delivery can be obtained by varying the spring stiffness in the exhaust valve.
A great deal of development effort has been put into designing the aluminium swingarm to reach the incredible targets that our pro riders set. The precisely designed flex of the swingarm allows riders to accurately feel the terrain, enabling them to feed the right amount of power to the rear wheel in order to optimise traction and speed. The single component construction of the aluminium swingarm eliminates welding, providing more reliability, stability and safety, as well as superior quality and consistent behaviour over time compared to other construction processes.


text:
Saddam, sons given 48 hours to exit Iraq
Published March 18, 2003 at 10:15pm
President Bush gave Saddam Hussein and his sons an ultimatum last night, warning in a national address that they must leave the country within 48 hours or face "military conflict, commenced at a time of our choosing."
"Should Saddam Hussein choose confrontation, the American people can know that every measure has been taken to avoid war, and every measure will be taken to win it," the president said from the White House.
Also last night, the Department of Homeland Security raised the terror threat assessment to high, or "orange," calling for an increase in security measures nationwide.
With war apparently just days away, the president urged all foreign nationals, including journalists and inspectors, to leave Iraq immediately.
Noting that the world had engaged in more than 12 years of diplomacy, Bush said "our good faith has not been returned" and "the Iraqi regime has used diplomacy as a ploy to gain time and advantage."
"Peaceful efforts to disarm the Iraq regime have failed again and again, because we are not dealing with peaceful men," Bush said.
Iraqi reaction
Iraqi leaders defiantly rejected Bush's ultimatum today.
"Iraq doesn't choose its path through foreigners and doesn't choose its leaders by decree from Washington, London or Tel Aviv," said a statement released by members of the Revolution Command Council and the heads of the ruling Baath party.
"The pathetic Bush was hoping ... to achieve his evil targets without a fight through that declaration (the ultimatum) which reflects a state of isolation and defeat from which he and his pathetic allies are suffering from," the statement continued.
Saddam's son Odai called Bush "unstable" and challenged him to "give up power in America with his family."
Odai Hussein also warned a U.S.-led attack will force Iraq to broaden the war against the United States.
Authority and will
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The president's warning to Hussein followed the withdrawal yesterday of a compromise resolution put before the United Nations Security Council last week by U.S. and UK diplomats. It laid out a series of benchmarks for Iraq and sought council authorization of the use of force against Iraq if it failed to comply.
However, the president reiterated the contention of U.S. and allied leaders that international law is on their side to proceed with military action.
Despite the failure to pass an 18th resolution, Bush said he believed the U.S. and its allies are authorized to use force in ridding Saddam Hussein of weapons of mass destruction under resolutions 678 and 687, passed in the 1990s but still in effect.
"This is not a question of authority, it is a question of will," he said.
Without mentioning the countries by name, Bush directed criticism at the members of the Security Council, led by France, who vowed to veto any new resolution authorizing military force.
"These governments share our assessment of the danger, but not our resolve to meet it," Bush said.
"Many nations, however, do have the resolve and fortitude to act against this threat to peace," he continued, "and a broad coalition is now gathering to enforce the just demands of the world."
The president asserted: "The United Nations Security Council has not lived up to its responsibilities, so we will rise to ours."
France said yesterday in a statement from the office of President Jacques Chirac that the world did not back Bush's ultimatum, warning that ignoring international opinion would carry a "heavy responsibility."
'Tyrant will soon be gone'
In a message to the Iraqi people, Bush made it clear that any military action will be directed at Saddam Hussein, and he promised to provide immediate aid and to help rebuild the country.
"The tyrant will soon be gone," he said. "The day of your liberation is near."
Bush gave instructions to Iraqi troops, offering them the chance to avoid loss of life by welcoming the U.S. and its allies.
"It is too late for Saddam Hussein to remain in power," he said. "It is not too late for the Iraq military to act with honor and protect your country, by permitting the peaceful entry of coalition forces to eliminate weapons of mass destruction. Our forces will give Iraqi military units clear instructions on actions they can take to avoid being attacked and destroyed."
The president urged "every member of the Iraqi military and intelligence services: If war comes, do not fight for a dying regime that is not worth your own life."
Anticipating self-destructive acts by Iraq similar to those used in the 1991 Gulf War, Bush warned "all Iraqi military and civilian personnel to not destroy oil wells or obey any command to use weapons of mass destruction against anyone, including the Iraqi people."
"War crimes will be prosecuted, war criminals will be punished and it will be no defense to say, 'I was just following orders,'" the president declared.
Bush made a further case for military action, apparently aimed at Americans still in opposition. A CNN-USA Today poll released yesterday showed Americans support military action by a 2-1 margin. However, the nation is evenly divided over whether the U.S. should attack without U.N. support.
"We are now acting because the risks of inaction would be far greater," he said. "In one year or five years, the power of Iraq to inflict harm on all free nations would be multiplied many times over."
Bush said that with Hussein's capabilities, he and his terrorist allies "could choose the moment of deadly conflict when they are strongest."
"We choose to meet that threat now where it arises, before it can appear suddenly in our skies and cities," the president said.
End of diplomacy
The final breakdown in diplomacy became apparent yesterday morning when British ambassador to the U.N. Sir Jeremy Greenstock announced the withdrawal of the proposed 18th resolution moments before the start of an emergency Security Council meeting.
"Having held several discussions with council members over the weekend and in the last few hours, we have had to conclude that council consensus will not be possible in line with Resolution 1441. One country in particular has underlined its intention to veto any ultimatum 'no matter what the circumstances,'" Greenstock told reporters in a dig to France.
"Given this situation, the co-sponsors agree that we will not pursue a vote on the draft UK-U.S.-Spanish resolution," he added.
U.S. ambassador John Negroponte echoed the British envoy.
"It has been nearly four and a half months since the council unanimously adopted Resolution 1441, which found Iraq in material breach and gave it a final opportunity to disarm or face serious consequences," said Negroponte. "The government of Iraq has clearly failed to comply. Governments believe that through acts of omission and commission, Iraq is now in further material breach."
Negroponte said allied leaders believed the vote on the compromise resolution would have been close but that France's explicit threat to veto made the vote counting a "secondary consideration."
In marked contrast to Negroponte's statement, French ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said "the majority of the council confirmed they do not want a use of force" during one-on-one consultations in the past hours.
The resolution was scheduled to die without a vote yesterday because it had a March 17 deadline built into it.
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Bush's ultimatum to Saddam
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Tags: EYE ON THE GULF


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Wednesday Patriots mini-camp observations
Andy Hart
Patriots.com Writer
While Tim Tebow was back on the field for the second day of Patriots mandatory mini-camp Wednesday afternoon at Gillette Stadium, much of the media circus that took part in his debut a day earlier was no longer in town.
The second day of New England's three-day mini-camp was far less buzz-filled asBill Belichick's team continued to work to improve in helmets and shorts/sweats.
Today's session took place under varying bouts of clouds and sun, with a decent breeze and relatively cool temperatures. Though it didn't seem to be quite as crisp as the previous day's practice, the offense continued to make strides in the passing game while the defense once again showed plenty of enthusiasm and spirit in its work.
As always, here are one man's observations of mini-camp practice from a field away of players not wearing jersey numbers:
--Those players not seen on the practice field in any fashion included Julian Edelman (foot), Kanorris Davis, Nick McDonald, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski (back/arm).
Hernandez' absence is notable in that while he's been rehabbing this spring after shoulder surgery, he's been on the field for every session and seemingly had been taking on more active participation in drills.
Other players on the field but in various states of participation/rehab work included Mark Harrison (foot), Aaron Dobson, Duron Harmon, Devin McCourty (shoulder), Josh Boyce (shoulder), Stevan Ridley, Dan Connolly (shoulder), Sebastian Vollmer (knee), Brandon Bolden, Alfonzo Dennard, A.J. Edds, Brandon Ford and Nate Ebner.
Brandon Spikes was on the field for the second straight day. He was riding the stationary bike early in the workout, but then took part in many drills and some team action later in the session.
There were once again five tryout players on the field for the practice – No. 35 white, No. 41 blue, No. 68 white, No. 71 blue and No. 84 white. Reports indicated that No. 71 was John Drew, and defensive lineman out of North Carolina Central, and that No. 84 was Chaz Schilens, the former Raiders receiver who spent last season with the Jets. For the second straight day Schilens really struggled to catch the football.
--Jake Ballard also continued to struggle catching the ball. Not sure if the return from the knee injury, and obvious athletic/fluidity limitations, might be affecting his hands/concentration. Whatever the reason, he's dropped a ton of balls this spring.
--Some early special teams work focused on the wedge blockers in front of the kickoff returners. Marcus Cannon, Zach Sudfeld and Armond Armstead took reps in the spot.
--Ridley did seemingly less on Wednesday than he had a day earlier. He spent the bulk of the day with the rehab group and then watching from the side. Ridley had left the final OTA practice in front of the media with an apparent leg injury/tightness.
--With the lack of bodies and outside threats at wide receiver, special teams captain Matthew Slater has seen his share of deep balls this spring. He clearly still has the elite speed to run under the ball, although given his one career reception it's unlikely at this point he's going to suddenly become a regular option in the passing attack. He made a nice catch in finding an extra gear to run under a ball yesterday and then came back on an underthrown deep ball today to make the catch in front of Kyle Arrington.
--Speaking of deep balls, Tom Brady has been throwing quite a few the last couple days. He's looked solid putting air under the ball and still has the arm strength to get it down the field. At times his target has been new slot receiver Danny Amendola, who seems to have caught at least one big play in each practice. Wednesday No. 80 caught one down the field and another that he turned up field for a potential big play.
--New England mascot Pat Patriot was on the practice field during the session a group of VIP fans watching the workout from the stands.
--There was once again a lot of seven-on-seven work during the session. While it's dangerous to generalize, a lot of balls seemed to hit the ground when Ryan Mallett was at the helm in those reps.
--Punt block fundamentals were the focus during another segment of special teams drills.
--During special teams work the quarterbacks were on the sidelines watching. This gave Bill Belichick a chance to have an extended chat with Tebow.
--Belichick's daughter, Amanda, watched her father's morning press conference and then the day's practice action. Amanda Belichick is a women's lacrosse coach at Ohio State.
--Tebow once again did not take part in team work until the opportunity portion of the practice near the end. At that point he led the young group of offensive players against young defenders under the guidance of Brian Daboll. Tebow struggled in the drill. He seemed to have to pull the ball down and scramble on every snap, failing to find an option in what would be a normal amount of time for a play. Not surprising given his limited time in the playbook, but also a problem he's dealt with in the past and must show improvement on moving forward in New England. One of Tebow's throws during the drill was so off-target from his receiver that it hit a safety behind the play in the foot. It's early, but it wasn't pretty.
--On the main field practice ended with a Brady throw being deflected and intercepted by Jerod Mayo, with the linebacker returning it for a touchdown. He gave it an emphatic spike to end practice before hip bumping his defensive teammates.
--Brady and the other two quarterbacks stayed on the field for quite some time after practice working and talking together with a handful of receivers/tight ends. Brady was actually among the last handful of players to leave the field.
--It has been interesting to see Brady seem to take the inconsistency of the passing game and some of these spring struggles in stride. Generally known for his fiery personality, even on the practice field, he seems to understand the situation and the process that he's working through. He said during a radio interview that it might be mid-August before he is comfortable with some of his targets. I don't think it's easy for him to see so many balls hit the ground as has been the case this spring, but he appears to be dealing with it as well as could be expected.
--Mallett, Vince Wilfork, Amendola, Michael Jenkins and Rob Ninkovich were among the players speaking with the media after practice.
--The Patriots return to the mini-camp practice fields Thursday for the final session of the camp. It is worth remembering that Belichick actually called the players off the field and cancelled the final practice of mini-camp last spring. Not sure that's likely to happen given the current state of the team, but you can never discount what Belichick might do in the best interests of his football team.


If you have lost or had your Railcard stolen, don't worry it can be replaced.
You are entitled to apply for one replacement in the event of loss or damage. There is an administration fee of £10 for this service. We regret that any journeys you make whilst you are without your Railcard will have to be at full fare and any discount lost is not refundable. You will need to log in to your account and order a replacement online. You can only apply for a replacement Railcard seven or more days after the date of the original online purchase.
Bought your Railcard at a station?
If you bought your Railcard at a station, you can go to any staffed station where you must give the completed "Receipt" portion of your original application form to staff – we will not be able to issue any replacements for loss if you do not have the stamped receipt.
If your replacement is due to damage you will be required to surrender your old damaged Railcard. You will have to pay a £10 administration fee.
If your Railcard has been stolen and you have been given a crime reference number or documents by the Police, then we will give you a free replacement.
To replace a stolen Railcard you bought online, please login to your account and follow the replacement process, you will need to quote your crime reference number. You can also Contact Us by phone or email.
To replace a stolen Railcard you bought at a station you need to go to a station with your crime reference number/documentation and some form of identification.


On Tuesday, Paul A. Smith, RCRC Vice President of Governmental Affairs, testified in support of RCRC-sponsored Assembly Bill 2717 by Assembly Member Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale).
AB 2717 seeks to explicitly state that cities may contract with counties to arrange for fulfillment of regulatory functions within the incorporated area. Current law gives cities and counties the authority to allow for licensed commercial cannabis activities. In jurisdictions that allow for commercial cannabis activities, there are certain local regulatory functions that are devolved from the State and to be performed locally (inspection of weights and measures, various local environmental health duties, etc.). Senate Bill 94, which was enacted last June, consolidated licensure and regulation for both medicinal and adult-use cannabis activities. However, SB 94 left some ambiguity regarding which local government entity is responsible for certain regulatory functions for cannabis licensees within city limits. AB 2717 is a compromise between cities and counties in clarifying the responsibility for regulatory functions.
The text of AB 2717 can be accessed here. RCRC's joint support letter with CSAC and UCC can be accessed here.