text:
Vol. 2, No. 24
Many of us will be gathering this morning at Our Mother of Sorrows Church for the funeral Mass for Sister Lauren Moss, O.S.F., who died last week after a long illness.
Sister Lauren exhibited great dedication in her years of service in the Diocese in education and pastoral ministry. A woman of strength, commitment, sensitivity and kindness, she is a wonderful example of the contribution of religious women to our Diocese and to the mission of the Church.
We will thank God for the gift of the years that we shared with her, and we will sing our song of farewell and pray the final commendation on this Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, whose way Sister Lauren followed.
You are welcome to make a memorial donation in Sister's name to St. Augustine Catholic High School, 8800 E. 22nd St., Tucson, AZ 85710. Sister had worked so hard for more than a decade to bring to reality the dream of a Catholic high school on Tucson's east side. She was the school's first principal, and she really put her heart into building a community of support for St. Augustine. Making a generous gift to the high school would be a wonderful tribute to Sister Lauren.
1. Feast of St. Francis -- Please remember in your prayers today all the Franciscans who have served in our Diocese. The Franciscans first came here as missionaries more than two centuries ago, and we are very blessed today by the Franciscan priests and religious who minister to our Native American Catholics and who serve in our Catholic schools in the Diocese.
The beautiful "Prayer of St. Francis" would be very appropriate for today. You can learn about its history at www.franciscan-archive.org/franciscana/peace.html.
2. Santa Fe Province Meeting -- Diocesan Chief Financial Officer Mary Huerstel and I will be meeting with the chief financial officers and bishops of the Province of Santa Fe on Tuesday and Wednesday in Las Cruces. Bishop Ricardo Ramirez of the Diocese of Las Cruces will be hosting the meeting, which will be led by Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
A province is an organizational structure of the Church that is the territory of an archdiocese, called a metropolitan see, and one or more dioceses that are called suffragen sees. We belong to the Province of Santa Fe, which has the Archdiocese of Santa Fe as the metropolitan see and the dioceses of Tucson, Phoenix, Gallup and Las Cruces as the suffragen sees. The province meets once each quarter, and the meetings are very valuable as they allow us to discuss matters of mutual concern.
3. This Week in Chapter 11 -- The first hearing of the Diocese of Tucson's Chapter 11 reorganization case at the U. S. Bankruptcy Court last week involved some routine matters. However, the statements of Judge James Marlar about moving the process along and the manner in which he sees the case progressing, as well as other things, continue to give us hope that there is a real potential for the parties to come to a consensual resolution of the case.
On Thursday, the Court will hold a preliminary hearing on the motion by the Diocese that there be a date for persons who have experienced abuse from clergy and other workers for the Diocese to bring forward their claims to be considered for compensation. The motion that the Diocese filed suggested a 90-day time frame, but the motion also proposed that if another time frame was determined more appropriate by the Judge or other interested parties, then such a different time frame was certainly acceptable to the Diocese.
This date would not apply to those who can establish that they have suffered from a repressed memory. The manner in which those claims will be dealt with is going to be the subject of another motion to be filed shortly.
The purpose of the "bar" date is to be able to identify the universe of the claims. We have always said that we wanted a procedure by which all victims were compensated, not just those who chose to litigate. The setting of a date by which claims must be filed is a routine occurrence in Chapter 11 cases.
The Diocese is not looking for a way to preclude people from participating in the process. What we have suggested is the first step in establishing the framework for the orderly determination of those claims.
Additionally and very importantly, those persons who may come forward with a claim after the date the Court sets and even those whose claims might not be allowed under the law will still be able to participate in and benefit from the process the Diocese has established for reaching out to and responding to victims. The Diocese is committed, through the work of the Office of Child, Adolescent and Adult Protection, to continuing its efforts to protect our children and to reach out to and to help those who have been harmed.
There will be no deadline for those who have been harmed to come forward to make their story known, to speak with law enforcement, to meet with me and with other members of the staff and to arrange for counseling through the Victim Assistance Program, counseling that will be provided at no charge to them.
Whatever the date the Court may set for a deadline for claims to be made, it will not affect the policy of the Diocese to collaborate actively with law enforcement in investigations of allegations of sexual abuse and it will not affect our program of outreach to those who have been harmed.
4. Open House at Pastoral Center -- We here at the Pastoral Center look forward to welcoming nearly 50 staff members of parishes and schools on Thursday for the second annual Open House for New Staff.
This day is for parish and non-teaching school staff who have been hired in the last year. It is an opportunity for us to explain how we at the Pastoral Center want to be helpful to them in their ministries. We will celebrate Eucharist together, have lunch with the Pastoral Center staff and tour the Pastoral Center in the afternoon.
5. Parish Visit -- I will be visiting St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Tucson on Thursday evening for dinner with the Youth Group and a talk to the parish's Marian Club.
I look forward to hearing from the Marian Club about their devotional activities, especially as we are meeting on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Feast was introduced by Pope St. Pius V to commemorate the miraculous victory of the Christian forces in the Battle of Lepanto on Oct. 7, 1571. The Pope attributed more to the "arms" of the Rosary than the power of cannons and the valor of the soldiers who fought there.
6. Memorial Mass at Pastoral Center -- There will be a Memorial Mass at Pastoral Center this Friday at noon for Father Armando Garzon-Blanco, a priest of our Diocese who died last May in Spain after a long illness. Please remember him in your prayers.
7. Mass with Medical and Health Care Professionals -- I will celebrate a "White Mass" this Friday at St. Augustine Cathedral at 5 p.m. with the medical and healthcare professionals at St. Mary's and St. Joseph's Hospitals.
I am very pleased that this Mass, which takes its name from the traditional white garb of those in the healing professions, is being instituted in our Diocese. It is celebrated in many Dioceses around the country on or around the Oct. 18 Feast of St. Luke, patron of the medical and health care professions.
The Mass invokes God's blessings on those in those professions and puts their work in the spiritual context of God's healing graces.
8. Creating a Vocation Culture -- The "Creating a Vocation Culture" mini-congress is this Saturday at the Benedictine Monastery, 800 N. Country Club Road, from 1-5 p.m., with Mass to follow.
The purpose of the mini-congress is to bring together as many people as possible to develop a pastoral plan for our Diocese that will focus on praying, evangelizing, experiencing, mentoring and inviting. We hope to have representatives from every parish, school and spiritual movement at the mini-congress. Please contact Sister Jean Olmstead, S.B.S., at 520-792-3410 to register.
9. Catholic Daughters of America -- I will be celebrating Mass on Sunday at St. Joseph Parish in Tucson with the members of the Catholic Daughters of the Americans courts in our Diocese. I will thank the Daughters for the many contributions they make to the life of their parishes and for their support of the mission of the Church in our Diocese.
The Catholic Daughters is the largest national organization of Catholic women in the world. Its members embrace the principles of our faith and work to promote justice, equality and the advancement of human rights and human dignity. They engage in creative and spiritual programs that provide opportunities to develop their God-given talents in ways that positively influence the welfare of the Church and all people throughout the world
For more about the Daughers, visit azstatecatholicdaughters.homestead.com/home.html.
10. International Eucharistic Congress -- "The Eucharist, Light and Life of the New Millennium" is the theme of the weeklong International Eucharistic Congress that begins Sunday in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The Congress marks the beginning of the Year of the Eucharist proclaimed by the Holy Father as a way for us to "understand more profoundly the central importance of the Eucharistic sacrament in the life and activity of each local Church." More information about the Congress is available at www.congresoeucaristico.org/en/Index.html.
11. Committee on the Laity -- The meeting in Chicago I attended last week of the Committee on the Laity focused on the need to develop forums in dioceses to invite advice and counsel from the laity. We also discussed the need to strengthen the parish and diocesan consultative bodies such as the finance and pastoral councils.
My hope is that in the near future we can begin two dialogues: one with Catholics involved in leadership roles in our communities about how their faith can be brought to bear in those community roles; second, a dialogue on how more effectively to draw upon the experience and wisdom of the laity to refresh and renew the work of the Church.
It is important that we develop and continue dialogues within our structures, especially dialogues that bring people of different experiences and expertise together.
12. Faithful Citizenship -- I want to share with you a "Letter to the Editor" that Bishop Thomas Olmsted and I wrote in response to a story in the Arizona Daily Star last week. I feel it is important that you know what Bishop Olmsted and I had to say.
Letter to the Editor:
In response to the story in the Wednesday, Sept. 29, issue of The Star headlined "Bishops split on advising Catholics in voting booth," we wish to make it clear that there is no split in our resolve to inform Catholics in our dioceses as to their right and responsibility to bring their moral convictions to their participation in public life, especially when they vote.
We each wholeheartedly and without reservation endorse the guidance provided to Catholics in "Faithful Citizenship," the document of the U.S. Catholic Bishops that calls every Catholic to active and faith-filled citizenship, based upon a properly informed conscience, that publicly witnesses to the Church's commitment to human life and dignity with emphasis on the protection of human life.
We believe that decisions about candidates and choices about public policies require clear commitment to moral principles, careful discernment and prudential judgments based on the values of the Catholic faith.
We want Catholics in our two dioceses to understand that our commitment to protecting human life begins with our opposition to abortion and euthanasia.
While "Faithful Citizenship" must remain neutral and does not even mention candidates, it is not neutral in teaching that the gravity of the moral wrongs of abortion and euthanasia, pre-eminent threats to human life and dignity, and the full range of life issues must form the conscience of Catholics in their decisions about candidates and choices about public policies.
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, Diocese of Phoenix
Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas, Diocese of Tucson
13. Voters Guides -- I urge our pastors to make "Faithful Citizenship" available to their communities. The document is available on the USCCB website along with many other resources, including bulletin announcements, at www.usccb.org.
Also, I urge our pastors to promote the Arizona Catholic Conference Voters Guide for Arizona elections. It is available at www.diocesephoenix.org/acc/votersGuide.htm and it will be included in this month's issue of Catholic Vision.
These two official voter guides, endorsed by the Bishops, contain the most complete identification of our moral values and principles that a voter can turn to in helping to decide on how to cast their vote.
While other guides are being distributed by various groups, they are not approved or authorized by the USCCB, and neither Bishop Olmsted or I have endorsed them.
Pastors are to use their prudential judgment in making any guide available, keeping in mind the strict guidelines that we not engage in partisan politics and that the guides that I have endorsed are the official guides distributed by the USCCB and the ACC.
There has been much discussion about the moral questions related to a Catholic casting a vote for a candidate who is pro-abortion or who is "pro-choice."
In our reflections last June about this, the Bishops' Task Force on Catholic Bishops and Catholic Politicians stated this:
"It is important to note that Cardinal Ratzinger makes a clear distinction between public officials and voters, explaining that a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil only if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate's permissive stand on abortion. However, when a Catholic does not share a candidate's stand in favor of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted if there are proportionate reasons."
I know this is a very challenging and troubling area for many Catholics, but I believe the key to making a decision about how to vote is a properly formed conscience. That formation includes knowing what the Church teaches about the rights and responsibilities of participation in the political process. That is why I urge Catholics to read and study "Faithful Citizenship" as part of their careful, thoughtful and prayerful preparation for voting.
14. Respect Life Month -- Yesterday's observance of Respect Life Sunday marked the thirty-second anniversary of the educational program developed by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to focus on the critical life issues and concerns of today -- abortion, euthanasia, marriage and family life, capital punishment, poverty, immigration, chastity, natural family planning, post-abortion healing and reconciliation, the culture of life, biotechnology, children, teens, persons with disabilities, the elderly, those who are dying and more.
I urge our pastors and parish and school staffs to incorporate in their work this month education of our community on the Church's teaching on respect for life. The culture of life is not a sectarian question limited to our faith as Catholics, but is central to our understanding of what it means to be human.
Packets of information for Respect Life Month have been provided to parishes. Also, there is information at www.nccbuscc.org/prolife/programs/rlp/rlp0405.htm.
15. Domestic Violence Awareness Month -- The U.S. Bishops' Committee on Women in Society and in the Church is calling our attention to the national observance of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
As they often are the "first responders" to victims of domestic violence, priests, deacons and others in pastoral ministry are encouraged to listen to and believe the victim's story, help her to assess the danger to herself and her children and refer her for counseling and other specialized services.
Recognizing that some pastoral leaders hesitate to preach about the domestic violence because they are not familiar with it or do not know how to assist abused women and abusers, the Committee has posted homily helps and other information on domestic violence on its web site at www.usccb.org/laity/violence.htm.
"When I Call for Help," a statement produced by the Committee, is an excellent resource for those in parish ministry who may encounter victims of domestic violence.
The statement is available at www.usccb.org/laity/help.htm.
Parishes can access information about local shelters and assistance programs in the counties of the Diocese at www.supreme.state.az.us/dr/dv/resource.htm.
I received this very special message of encouragement from all the students and teachers of Loretto School in Douglas on Friday:
What an awesome rainbow! I was delighted to receive it, and I am very happy to display it in the lobby of the Pastoral Center. I hope it encourages you, too.
1. Open House for New Staff -- All of us here at the Pastoral Center thoroughly enjoyed last Thursday's Open House for new staff at parishes and schools.
I had a chance to introduce the department heads to a group of about 40 new staff, several of whom are really "old-timers" who had transferred to other parishes or schools during the last year.
My thanks to Richard Serrano, Alicia Corti, Adria Woudstra, Irene Felix, Barbara Tenpenny and Shelli Thompson of the Human Resources Department and the other staff here at the Pastoral Center who helped to organize such a fun and informative event.
2. "Creating a Vocation Culture" -- More than 200 people participated in the "Creating a Vocation Culture" mini-congress on Saturday at the Benedictine Convent in Tucson.
This great turn out was reflective of all facets of our diocesan church: priests, deacons, religious, laity, those involved in ministry, seminarians and young people who may have a vocation. Twenty-three parishes participated.
The goal of this gathering was to develop a pastoral plan for vocations, and many creative and helpful ideas came forth. They fell into several categories:
Pray for Vocations:
-- encourage family prayer
-- foster parish prayer especially on Sundays
-- hold adoration at which people pray for vocations
-- invite the homebound and those confined to pray for vocations
-- continue the vocation cross program
Develop Awareness:
-- need to work with families to foster vocations
-- make use of parish bulletins
-- have a component on vocation each year in Catholic Schools and RE classes
-- develop a Diocesan road show which would go to parishes and vicariates to foster vocations
-- get pastors on board. (They need to be leaders in promoting vocations.)
-- develop service programs for youth so they learn to give of self
-- make full use of January as vocation month
-- hold vicariate vocation meetings
-- hold an open house in a convent or rectory
Invite and Encourage:
-- hold more Andrew and Myriam dinners with the bishop
-- send notes to and keep in contact with seminarians
-- invite participation in the In Search program
-- hold a youth recognition dinner
These and many other ideas came forward. There was a strong commitment on the part of participants to follow up and make these plans come to life. I am very grateful to Sister Jean Olmstead and Father Miguel Mariano and their planning team for their excellent work in bringing this day to such productive results.
3. Annual Priests Retreat -- Our priests are on retreat over the next two weeks at the Redemptorist Renewal Center at Picture Rocks.
Father Don Krebs, spiritual director at the Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corner, is the retreat master for this week's retreat. Father Simeon Gallagher, OFM Cap., who conducts a retreat ministry in the Diocese of St. Louis, will be the retreat master for next week's retreat.
The annual retreat is a very important time for priests to step away from the demands of ministry and to spend time with the Lord.
I remember fondly my experience last year as preacher of the retreats. It was a true blessing to be with our priests for a different purpose and in a different setting than the environment of meetings.
I will be celebrating Mass with the priests today and next Monday. Tomorrow night and next Tuesday night I look forward to being with them as we share about our life together as priests in the Diocese.
Please keep our priests in your prayers over these next two weeks of retreat.
4. Meeting with Holocaust Survivors -- I am very honored to have the opportunity to meet tomorrow with members of the Jewish Community in Southern Arizona who are survivors of the Holocaust.
This will be a very important experience for me personally. It may be the first time that a Bishop of Tucson has met formally with survivors who live in our community. I thank Dr. Gail Wallen, director of Holocaust services at Jewish Family & Children's Service, for helping to arrange this meeting.
I have come to know the Jewish Community of Southern Arizona through its involvement in the many important issues we face together and through their compassionate outreach to those in need in our community. The commitment of the Jewish Community to keep the reality and meaning of the Holocaust alive in our minds and hearts and for generations to come is a blessing for all of us.
5. St. Augustine High School -- I will be celebrating the beginning of the school year Mass Wednesday morning with the students, faculty, staff and community of St. Augustine High School.
An important capital campaign for the high school is being conducted in the eastside Tucson parishes. My hope is that all parishioners will make a contribution in support of the mission of Catholic education on the eastside.
As an "east-sider" myself, I have made my contribution, and hope you will join me in helping St. Augustine reach its goal of $800,000 in two years.
I thank the board of St. Augustine and the high school's special friend, Buck O'Rielly, for their hard work to raise the funds to meet the high school's capitol needs for the next several years.
6. Catholic Vision Editorial Board -- I will be meeting with the Catholic Vision Editorial Board tomorrow afternoon here at the Pastoral Center to focus on the need the newspaper has at this time for a managing editor.
The combination of technical and editorial skills and experience demanded by the position as it is currently described seems to have been an obstacle to filling it, so we will look at some options.
The importance of Catholic Vision to our Diocese is emphasized especially at this time by our need to communicate directly to our Catholic people about the process of the Diocese in Chapter 11 reorganization.
Last month's issue, which contained the verbatim letters and statements that we issued about Chapter 11, allowed readers to see exactly what was said without the "filtering" of the secular news media.
7. This Week in Chapter 11 -- As you know from my memo last week, we had a court hearing scheduled on Oct 7 on the motions we filed on Sept. 20.
One of those motions requested that the Court set a date by which all creditors, including those who claim they have been harmed by clergy and other workers associated with the Diocese, must file a claim in order to participate in the process.
The Court granted our motion, but decided that there should be a longer period for creditors to file claims. That deadline is April 15, 2005. The Diocese was in full agreement with Judge James Marlar's decision.
With the setting of the date by the Court, the process begins for informing those who have claims of abuse by clergy or other workers associated with the Diocese that they can come forward to make a claim that will be considered for possible compensation. You will be seeing more about this in the coming months as we publish the required notice in various types of media.
Filing a claim does not mean that the claim automatically is accepted. Only claims that are legally recognizable (meaning that there is a factual basis supporting the claim and the claim is not barred such as by a statute of limitations) will be allowed to participate in the pool that the Diocese is suggesting for compensation.
The Diocese will not determine which claims are or are not legally recognizable. That will be determined by the Court or though the plan process.
It is very important to emphasize that this does not mean that those persons whose claims are not recognized by the Court will be left without the possibility to receive assistance from the Diocese.
The plan the Diocese has proposed provides that all of those whose claims are not allowed will still have access to counseling, to the Victim Assistance Program or to other services that the Diocese chooses to provide. Those services are available today and will continue to be available.
On Friday, I had my first opportunity to meet with a group of victims since the filing of the Chapter 11 at a meeting called by the Office of the U.S. Trustee. This meeting was held to determine the interest of those who assert claims against the Diocese for abuse in forming a committee to represent the interests of all such claimants.
The Diocese was invited to say a few words at the start of the meeting, and I reiterated to the group that the Diocese filed a Chapter 11 with the goal to seek a consensual plan that would fairly and equitably compensate all victims. I further reiterated to them the fragile financial condition of this Diocese. I appreciated the opportunity to speak directly to them.
We continue to have discussions with representatives of the claimants in the hopes that we can reach a consensual plan. It will be to everyone's benefit to avoid a drawn out and expensive process. We continue to be hopeful that such a result can be achieved.
8. "I Would Like To Help Share This Burden" -- I want to share with you a letter I received last week:
Dear Bishop Kicanas:
A couple of weeks ago, my heart was saddened by the announcement of the Diocese declaring bankruptcy.
Certainly, the perpetrators should be dealt with. However, many others will have to bear the burden who had no part in this awful shame.
The Catholic Church has had such a positive impact in this community through its hospitals, family services, schools, nursing homes, refuge for babies, etc.
And I have been blessed some of these services. Though I am not Catholic, I do love my Lord Jesus Christ.
I would like to help share this burden with this small check. I hope others will join with me.
The letter concluded with quotes from Scripture:
Rejoice always, Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Thessalonians 1,5:16-18.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purposes. Romans 8:28.
I have written to thank this very caring person for her thoughts, her prayers and her generous spirit in wanting to "share this burden."
The check for $100 enclosed with the letter will be deposited in a special account restricted for the settlement pool that is to be established in the plan of reorganization.
Many people have asked me how they can help. The example of this kind person is certainly one way to help us bring about the healing of those who have been harmed.
9. Presidential Debate -- Members of the Multi-faith Coalition of Arizona Religious Leaders have written a special "op-ed" article for publication in advance of Wednesday's presidential debate in Tempe.
The article expresses our hope that President Bush and Senator Kerry will outline more fully their plans and timetable for immigration reform.
The coalition, which addresses the moral dimensions of the continuing migration from Mexico into the U.S., submitted the article to The Arizona Republic. We have been informed that the newspaper may publish it in its Tuesday edition.
10. "Spirituality of the Minister" -- I encourage all parish ministry leaders to register by the end of this week for the special "Spirituality of the Minister" retreat day on Thursday, Oct. 21, at St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Tucson from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The retreat day, sponsored by our Office of Catechesis together with the Religious Education Task Force, will be a welcome opportunity to be spiritually refreshed and recharged.
Sister Kristin Cholewa, CSJ, will direct the retreat. She has extensive experience in sharing the Word of God in parish and social service settings. Sister also is a "people person" with excellent communication skills, and she is committed to supporting leadership and innovation.
We are grateful to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in Los Angeles for sharing her with us. Please register by the end of this week by contacting Janet Towner in the Office of Catechesis at 520 -838-2544.
11. Chicago Bound -- I will be in Chicago this weekend for the confirmation of my great niece, Sara.
It is always a thrill to baptize or confirm a family member, although I find there is no group harder to preach to than your own family. I really look forward to being with my mother, who at age 92 remains my best and kindest critic!
My meeting last week with members of the Jewish Community who are survivors of the Holocaust challenges me to find the words to describe my experience.
One word that encompasses my feelings is "profound."
I heard from these wonderful people, who had experienced such horror and trauma and who relive that horror and trauma everyday in their memories, how concerned they are for people who are suffering in our world today, such as in the Sudan.
I sensed their great sadness that they were victimized by people they knew, people in their own communities, who professed to be Christian and Catholic, but whose actions were evil.
I sensed as well how important it is for people who have experienced great trauma to have the assurance that others will not have to experience the agony they had to endure.
I learned that we, the Catholic people in the Diocese of Tucson, need to keep working to educate ourselves and our children about the evils of discrimination and prejudice, including the sin of making insensitive and discriminatory comments and jokes about race, culture and religion.
My experience in dialoguing with the survivors emphasized for me the importance for us, as Catholics, to stand up to and to speak out against injustice and prejudice.
Also, the meeting emphasized for me the importance of moving forward with our programs to create safe environments at our parishes and schools, for it is through these programs that we can give assurance to those who were harmed that we are committed to preventing such abuses from ever happening again.
In reflecting on my experience last Tuesday with the survivors of the Holocaust, I have an even greater awareness of the importance of sensitivity in our communication with people who have been victims of sexual abuse within the Church.
1. This Week in Chapter 11 -- We continue working on the public notice that will give the required notice to those who indicate they suffered abuse by clergy or others associated with the Diocese and on the proof of claim form that they will be required to fill out to satisfy the requirements of the Bankruptcy Code.
The Court must approve the notice, the proof of claim form and the plan proposed by the Diocese to publicize the April 15, 2005, date by which all claims are required to be filed.
2. Priests Retreat -- The second of the two annual priests retreats is underway at the Redemptorist Renewal Center at Picture Rocks. I will be celebrating Mass with the priests today, and tomorrow evening I will join them for dinner and discussion.
I enjoyed being with the first group of retreatants last week for the Tuesday evening discussion. One of the things we discussed was the process by which pastors are named. It has been the practice in our Diocese to publicize an opening at a parish and invite priests to apply. I will be communicating the specific likes and dislikes that I heard about this practice with the Presbyteral Council next month.
Another topic that surfaced in our discussion was the importance of nurturing fraternity among priests, especially by doing the little things that really do mean a lot, such as making a phone call or dropping a note to a fellow priest to acknowledge an accomplishment or to communicate concern and sympathy during illness.
That reminds me to ask your prayers for our priests who recently were hospitalized: Father Bill Taft, Father Floyd Stromberg and Father Cyprian Killackey, OCD.
3. Assignments -- Father Rogert Bartlett is appointed administrator of St. Theresa Parish in Patagonia. Sister Guadalupe Jurado, OP, who had been pastoral administrator at St. Theresa, is assigned as pastoral administrator at Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Rio Rico. Father Joe Lombardo, pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Green Valley, will serve as canonical pastor. Father Joe and Father Francisco Maldonado will provide sacramental services.
4. Our Catholic Schools -- Sister Rosa Maria Ruiz, CFMM, our superintendent of Catholic Schools, is in Dallas as this week begins, participating in the annual meeting of the Chief Administrators of Catholic Education (CACE). Sister is serving on a panel that will address issues surrounding Catholic schools that face serious economic challenges.
CACE is a department of the National Catholic Education Association. Its members are the superintendents of schools, secretaries, directors and vicars of education and directors of religious education in the 198 dioceses and archdioceses in the U.S.
The second special school supplement issue of Catholic Vision was distributed over the weekend at parishes and schools. Reading the school profiles in both of the special supplements, I was struck by the vitality and commitment to mission present in all of our Catholic schools in the Diocese. I enjoyed reading the reflection by Diocesan school board member Danielle Thu in her column, "Why Catholic Education?" I urge you to read both issues and to encourage others to read them as well.
On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, I will be teaming up with the members of the boards of St. Augustine and San Miguel high schools as we explain the missions and the needs of our two newest Catholic high schools to potential donors. Both these schools are deserving of the support of our Catholic community.
5. Knights' Supreme Council Chaplain -- Knights of Columbus State Deputy Pedro Najera is hosting Bishop Thomas V. Daily, the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council Chaplain, on a visit to our Diocese today. Bishop Daily was in Phoenix yesterday for the Knights' observance of Rosary Sunday. I am very pleased to host a dinner at my home this evening for Bishop Daily and the Knights.
6. Rio Nuevo Project -- Father Pat Crino, rector of St. Augustine Cathedral, John Shaheen, our diocesan Property and Insurance Manager, and I will meet this week with Greg Shelko, director of the Rio Nuevo Project in Tucson.
Rio Nuevo is the comprehensive revitalization program for downtown Tucson that is fostering and promoting private sector development and reinvestment in the downtown area with the goal of creating a new cultural district in downtown. One of the centerpieces of Rio Nuevo has been the San Agustin Mission Convento project, which points out the historic importance of the presence of the Church in Tucson's development.
For our part, we want to explore how the Diocese might support the project and how to bring the historic Cathedral Square into the discussion over the redevelopment of downtown Tucson. There is more information on Rio Nuevo at www.rio-nuevo.org. I especially recommend the resource about the Convento that is under the heading of "Rebuilding a Sense of Place."
7. Knights and Ladies of Holy Sepulchre -- I look forward to joining the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre from our Diocese this weekend in Salt Lake City for the annual meeting of the Western Lieutenancy.
The members of the worldwide Equestrian Order sustain and aid the Christian communities in the Holy Land and the charitable, cultural and social works of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Bishop Michael Sabbah. I thank Jim and Christina Ronstadt for their dedication to the Order as Area Councillors for our Diocese. There is more information about the Order and the Western Lieutenancy at www.khswesternusa.org.
8. Immigration Issues -- I am very pleased to see the editorial leadership of the state's major newspapers in opposing Proposition 200. The newspapers recognize, as have the Bishops of the Arizona Catholic Conference and many people of good will, that this proposition is not the right response to the issues surrounding immigration.
What is needed to address the complex issues of immigration is a comprehensive immigration policy that would seek to end illegal immigration in such a way that people in desperate circumstances will not have to break the law.
If you haven't read the proposition, please do so. The text is available at www.azsos.gov/election/2004/info/PubPamphlet/english/prop200.htm.
The good news is that polling late last week showed that the proposition was losing support.
While immigration was raised in last week's Presidential Debate in Tempe, it seemed that neither President Bush nor Senator Kerry gave enough specifics to clearly define what they would do to address the issues. I am grateful to the Arizona Republic for providing a forum for the members of the Multi-faith Coalition of Arizona Religious Leaders to state their hopes that the next President, whoever it is, will provide leadership to fix an immigration policy that we believe clearly is broken.
9. "Therese: Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Soul" -- This new film on the life of the St. Therese, the Little Flower, is coming to Tucson. Father Liam Leahy, pastor of St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in Tucson, called over the weekend to share the news that the film is scheduled for showing at the Foothills Cinemas (742-6174) at the Foothills Mall from Friday, Oct. 29 through Thursday, Nov. 4.
10. All Saints, All Souls -- Because All Saints Day falls on a Monday this year, it is not a holy day of obligation, but will be observed as a solemnity. On Tuesday, All Souls Day, I will preside at the 8:30 a.m. Mass at Holy Hope Cemetery. Bishop Moreno will preside at the 8:30 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of the Desert.
"As faithful citizens and Catholics, how are we to vote?"
That is the question I pose in a letter I have sent to all the parishes in the Diocese for communication to parishioners this coming weekend.
I review in the letter the emphasis that "Faithful Citizenship," the teaching document from the U.S. Bishops on faith and political responsibility, places on incorporating into our voting decisions the full range of Gospel values and the consistent ethic of life. Although not all life issues are of the same more gravity, as Catholics we seek the protection of life from conception to natural death.
This has been a presidential election campaign unlike any other that I have experienced, and maybe it has been that way for you too.
I really do have the strong feeling, as I express in the letter, that many of us Catholics do not feel entirely at home in any one political party and that we are rightly troubled by the positions of the candidates on life issues. Even so, we do have the right and responsibility to choose leaders and to direct public policy through our votes.
I ask that you read the letter and encourage others to read it. The letter is on our diocesan Internet site under "Faithful Citizenship," and it will be on the front page of the October Catholic Vision that will be distributed at the parishes over the weekend.
Also in Catholic Vision will be the four-page Arizona Catholic Conference Voter's Guide. This guide presents the positions on 10 important issues of candidates in Arizona for national and state offices.
1. Proposition 200 -- I also have written a letter to be communicated at our parishes about the "Protect Arizona Now" initiative, Proposition 200, asking Catholics to vote NO.
I emphasize in the letter that while the Church cannot and should not endorse candidates for office, the Church can and should speak out on important public policy issues, especially when they involve the protection of life and human dignity. This letter also is on our diocesan Internet site under "Faithful Citizenship," and it will be in the October issue of Catholic Vision.
On Friday, a lawsuit was filed by opponents of Proposition 200 contending that the initiative should be disqualified from the election because of a discrepancy in the descriptions of the proposition on the petitions circulated to get it on the ballot and the wording on the ballot itself. A hearing on the challenge is scheduled for Wednesday.
2. Finance Council, Presbyteral Council -- Both of these councils meet today at the Pastoral Center.
The Finance Council will be reviewing the budgets for the administrative and program operations of the Diocese and the progress of the Chapter 11 reorganization.
Among the items on the agenda for the Presbyteral Council are a discussion of how pastors are assigned, an update on the progress of the Chapter 11 reorganization, a report on the new Diocesan Council on Life Issues and a review of the political guidelines that limit the types of political activity on Church property and by Church personnel.
3. Generosity -- I will be sharing with both the Finance Council and Presbyteral Council some encouraging news about the generosity of the Catholic people in our Diocese to their parishes and to the Annual Catholic Appeal.
First, there is a parish survey that we undertook to see what impact the Chapter 11 financial reorganization of the Diocese might be having on giving at the parishes. While not a strictly scientific survey, the results indicate that offertory contributions pre-and-post Chapter 11 filing by the Diocese showed very little change, and that some parishes even experienced a rise in contributions after the filing.
Also, the Annual Catholic Appeal is reporting a continued high level of pledge fulfillment. Pledge fulfillment stands at 92%, with two pledge fulfillment opportunities remaining in this year's Appeal.
I continue to be inspired by the generosity of the Catholic people in our Diocese in support of the mission of the Church.
4. This Week in Chapter 11 -- The U.S. Trustee appointed a tort claimants committee late last week. This committee will represent the interests of the other tort claimants in our case. Our attorneys have had some conversations with the attorneys for the committee, and we continue to be hopeful that we will be able to come to a consensual resolution and plan.
The Diocese has submitted the final proposed notice that April 15, 2005, is the date by which persons must submit a claim to the Court and for the "proof of claim" form that must be used to communicate and document a claim.
There is a hearing this morning at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The Court will be considering the Diocese's request to appoint a claim representative for those with repressed memory or other incapacity and a guardian ad litem for minors who are unrepresented in the case and who may have claims. The Court also will hold a preliminary hearing on the Disclosure Statement filed by the Diocese. The Diocese also has been working on a communication plan to get the word out about the April 15 date.
5. Annual Priests Retreat -- The two weeks of the annual Priests Retreat concluded last Thursday.
The consensus of the priests in both sessions was that the retreat was very beneficial.
At my meeting last Tuesday evening with the priests on the second week of the retreat, there was considerable discussion of Chapter 11 reorganization. Also, there was discussion about what some feel is the predominantly negative tone of the letters to the editor in Tucson's morning newspaper about the Chapter 11 and about the Church and the election campaign. I am aware from some Catholics that their letters to the editor expressing solidarity with the Diocese and with the Church in our efforts to restore trust and to heal hurt were not selected for publication.
As at the first session of the retreat, the priests in last week's retreat expressed their concern for their brothers who are facing challenges with health and other difficulties.
I was encouraged again to use Monday Memo as vehicle for sharing news about our priests, and it is in that spirit that I convey the best wishes of Father Chris Orndorff, who wants you to know that he is doing well as he continues a period of discernment about the possibility of returning to active ministry.
6. School In-Service Day -- I look forward to being with teachers and administrators of Catholic Schools within the Diocese tomorrow at Salpointe Catholic High School for the annual School In-Service Day. I will preside at the Mass that begins the day.
Father Bob Burns, OP, chairperson of Religious Studies at the University of Arizona, will be the keynote speaker. Father Greg Adolf, pastor of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Sierra Vista, is the presenter for the first workshop general session.
7. The Red Mass -- Our Diocese's annual celebration of the Red Mass will be tomorrow evening at St. Augustine Cathedral.
All are welcome to participate in this special Eucharistic Celebration of the Holy Spirit, with a special invitation extended to judges, lawmakers, public officials and lawyers.
The liturgy is one of praise to the Holy Spirit. It invokes the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord) upon judges, lawyers, lawmakers and public officials.
The Red Mass dates to Europe in the 13th century and is so named because the celebrant was vested in red and the Lord High justices were robed in brilliant scarlet. In our Diocese, the Red Mass is sponsored annually by the St. Thomas More Society of Southern Arizona and the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Tucson.
The mission of the St. Thomas More Society of Southern Arizona is to provide a structure for lawyers, judicial officers and law students of Southern Arizona to foster fellowship and continued ethical formation in the spirit of St. Thomas More in support of the Catholic Church and the Diocese of Tucson.
8. Welcome, Bishop Usuh! -- We were delighted to welcome Bishop Athanasius Atule Usuh of the Diocese of Makurdi in Nigeria to the Pastoral Center on Friday. Bishop Usuh will be visiting our Diocese for the next few weeks and spending some time with the priests from Nigeria who are serving here. They are Father Joseph Nietlong, Father Matthew Asemagema and Father Francis Iber, all of whom are priests of the Diocese of Makurdi, and our three newest priests, Father Richard Kusuch, Father Sabastine Bula and Father James Aboyi of the Via Christi Society, who were ordained by Bishop Usuh last July in Nigeria.
9. "Restoring the Family to Christ" -- We will welcome Archbishop Raymond Burke, Archbishop of St. Louis, to the Diocese this Friday as he comes to participate in the First Annual Southwest Family Conference, "Restoring the Family to Christ."
Sponsored by the St. Bernadette Soubirous/St. Gianna Bertta Molla Chapter of Catholics United for the Faith and the Catholic Resource Center, the conference will take place Friday through Sunday at the Tucson Convention Center and the Radisson Hotel City Center. Catholics from throughout the Southwest are expected to attend. There is an impressive lineup of speakers and presenters, including our own Father Richard Rego, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Ajo. Priests and religious can attend the conference without charge. Visit www.catholicresourcecenter.org/arizona/arizona_2004.html for more information.
I am delighted that Archbishop Burke can be here for the conference. We worked together in the same region (Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana) several years ago. We will concelebrate Mass for conference participants at St. Augustine Cathedral at 8:30 a.m. this Saturday.
10. "Harmony in Faith" -- We will celebrate the presence of Asian and Pacific Catholics in our Diocese this Saturday morning at St. Augustine Cathedral.
This special celebration, to which all are invited, is our diocesan response to "Harmony in Faith," a pastoral letter of the U.S. Bishops issued in 2001. This letter calls all Catholics "to recognize and affirm with loving assurance" the communities of Asian and Pacific Catholics within local Churches and to encourage Asian and Pacific Catholics to take on active leadership roles in every level of Church life. (I encourage you to read the letter at www.usccb.org/mrs/harmony.htm.)
Within our Diocese, we are blessed by the presence of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Filipino Catholics and other Asian Pacific Catholics, including the presence of many Catholic students from Asian and Pacific nations who are studying at the University of Arizona.
The theme of our diocesan celebration is "Jesus Christ: An Asian." I will celebrate Mass at the Cathedral at 9:45 a.m., and the liturgy will reflect the music and spirituality of Asian and Pacific Catholicism. Following Mass, we will gather in Cathedral Hall for food and music from the cultures of the Asian and Pacific Catholics in our Diocese. All are welcome!
11. Compliance Representatives Training Session -- Compliance representatives from all parishes and schools will be gathering this Saturday at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish.
This is a special training session related to the child abuse prevention and child safety educational programs to be conducted for parish and school staff, parents and volunteers as part of our Safe Environment Program.
For this special training session, we are honored to have a very special guest presenter, Dr. Kathleen McChesney, the Executive Director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
There also will be a presentation on the audit that will be performed in early December of our efforts in the Diocese to comply with the requirements of the U.S. Bishop's Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. This is the second annual audit of dioceses across the nation.
The training session will be an opportunity for me to recognize our local compliance representatives for their devotion to the important work of the Safe Environment Program.
I thank Dr. Paul Duckro, director of our Office of Child, Adolescent and Adult Protection, and Richard Serrano, director of Human Resources for the Diocese, for their on-going work to support the efforts of pastors, principals and local compliance representatives to create safe environments at parishes and schools.
12. "Where Do We Go from Here?" -- Reflecting upon our continuing efforts to protect children in our parishes and schools and to restore trust in the ability of our Diocese and the Church to respond properly to child abuse, I can recommend for your reading "Where Do We Go from Here?" by Father Thomas P. Rausch, S.J., in the Oct. 18 issue of America Magazine.
A professor of theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Father Rausch believes that the greatest good that might come out of the abuse scandal within the Church is a "sustained focus on the evil of sexual abuse of young people not just in the Church, but in society in general."
I was struck by the studies he cited to show that "sexual abuse of young people is not just a Catholic problem" and that other religious organizations and institutions within society, including public education, are as vulnerable, or even more vulnerable, as the Church to abuse of children by employees or volunteers.
He made very clear that his point in citing these studies was not to "mitigate the responsibility of the Church, but to emphasize again the pervasive nature" in society of the problem of sexual abuse of children.
For me, this adds additional emphasis to our efforts within the Diocese to network with other agencies in our communities to raise awareness about child abuse.
13. Congratulations! -- At the annual meeting of the Western Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre over the weekend in Salt Lake City, several Tucson members were promoted and given new ranks of distinction in the Order: Elizabeth Parkman and James Niehart were awarded the Silver Palm; David and Linda Tansik and Mike and Charlotte Harris were named Knight Commander with Star; and Father Fred Tillotson, O.Carm., president of Salpointe Catholic High School was named Knight Commander. Promotions in the order are given for charity and service in the cause of justice and peace.
During the meeting, our group from the Diocese of Tucson got together to talk about potential new members and new ways to bring about more knowledge in our Diocese of the Order and its mission.
I am grateful to Jim and Christina Ronstadt for their service to the Order as Area Councillors for our Diocese. There is more information about the Order and the Western Lieutenancy at www.khswesternusa.org.
14. "Jammin' for Jesus" -- Our Diocese's annual day of fun, food and music for all altar servers and their families will take place on Saturday, Nov. 6, at St. Cyril of Alexandria Parish in Tucson, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
There is no charge for the day, but advance registration is required, with a deadline of this coming Friday. Young persons and their parents should contact their parish altar server coordinator to register.
There is quite a line-up of fun and music for the day, including face painters, lots of snacks, a free lunch, give-aways and some lively music from "Refined By Fire," the band from Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Tucson.
I appreciate all the hard work that it takes to organize this fun day for our young people who are altar servers, and I thank especially Father Miguel Mariano and Marty Hammond of our Vocations Office.


text:
anorexia eating habits
anorexia nervosa treatment centers
Dad Of Kid With Autism Develops App So People With Disorder Can Find, Rate Accommodating Places
This entry was posted by Dancer on March 19, 2015 at 2:33 pm
A Pennsylvania father whose son has autism is creating an app that will help people with the disorder and their families.
Topher Wurts is developing the "Autism Village" app which will allow people in the autism community to add, rate and review different restaurants, museums, parks, playgrounds and other locations based on "autism friendliness" — the level of comfort or accommodation a place is able to give a person with autism.
The 48-year-old, who was inspired to take on the project because his 13-year-old son, Kirby, has the disorder, launched a Kickstarter to fund Autism Village and told HuffPost he expects to launch it this summer.
Topher Wurts, the creator of Autism Village, and his son, Kirby.
People who have the disorder, along with their families, may run into various challenges when visiting unfamiliar places.
Some people with autism may have special diets, while others may be sensitive to different environmental factors like light or sound. Certain locations may not be safe for a child with autism who has little awareness of his surroundings. Wurts told HuffPost in his son's case, the pair has difficulty going to places with overwhelming sensory elements.
"Kirby is very sensitive to sensory input and so loud and bright places are a problem," the 48-year-old said. "We always look for places that aren't going to create sensory overload."
Wurts explained that through the app, people will be able to indicate to others whether a restaurant menu is accommodating to someone on the autism spectrum, or if a location is overstimulating and therefore unsuitable for some people with the disorder.
Ultimately he hopes that his app will make the the lives of people in the autism community easier, and open up new possibilities for them.
"Families and autistic adults — especially when away from home or when looking for new ideas — will benefit from being able to discover places that are highly rated and reviewed by other autism families. There's lots of misinformation out there and reading reviews by other families or people who are actually in the autism community will be really helpful," Wurts said in an email, adding, "What we're doing will dramatically improve the day to day for autism families and, hopefully, give them more time and better tools to help their kids."
The 48-year-old says that the app is in its final stages, with a few more adjustments to make before it's released on iOS.
Wurts credits his son with being the driving force behind the project.
"[Kirby is] really just an inspiration," Wurts said. "He led us into the autism community and then we realized how helpful we could be to many people by applying ourselves to using our skills from other startups and industries to helping with practical problems that autism folks deal with day to day."
To learn more, visit the Autism Village website here, or check out their Kickstarter here.
H/T The Atlantic
Source: Huff Post
Tags: became

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


UPDATE: Extended through Friday! You can also shop the online warehouse sale through 1/31 prices $75/$95/$120 with $10 shipping or free shipping with $175+ purchase!
Happy Sunday loves! It's been a slow start to the 2017 sample sale season but this weekend we had our first taste of a real bargain affair. New York based footwear designer, Ivy Kirzhner, held her first-ever sample sale where prices started at just $15. Located inside the designer's West Village flagship store with its eclectic decor and friendly staff, the event was must shop. The sale definitely lived up to the billing by offering original samples at bargain prices as well as highly discounted overstock.
I dropped by Friday afternoon to find a quiet and spacious venue where for almost an hour I had the place all to myself. I took advantage of the rare opportunity to try on as many samples as I could and the staffers were extremely helpful with locating specific styles and sizes. You know how I love a good bargain so needless to say my first stop were the sample bins. Sample shoes were priced at either $15, $30, or $45 while sample boots were only $75 representing savings of well over 90% off retail. Among the $15 samples I saw mainly basic styles like wedge sandals and flats by Saint & Libertine, Ivy Kirzhner's sister label. The best finds were inside the $30 bin where I found laser cut sandals such as Barcelona laser cut sandals (retail $460), Intrepid cut-out gladiator flat sandals (retail $450), and Seahorse flat sandals (retail $375). For sneakers and tall gladiator sandals check out the $45 bin. There you'll find Cannes tall leather laser cut boots (retail $519), Castille snake embossed lace-up sandals (retail $530), and Lunar high top sneakers (retail $650). Sample sizes were available in 7-7.5 but several styles ran larger. My friend and fellow blogger, The Fashion Sherlock, scored a couple of amazing sandals among the aforementioned samples even though she's a size 8.5. Sizes 6 and 9+ will need to stick to the overstock selection where prices were pretty great as well. Prices started at $65 for flat sandals and loafers, $75 for sneakers, $95 for gladiators and high tops, along with $120 for tall boots. In the middle of the showroom you'll find a table with Ivy Kirzhner's most popular styles like Starlite booties, Starstruck boots, Stardust tall boots, and Lightning pumps. All the footwear on the table was discounted 50% off retail making the average price around $350-$375.
The sale also featured handbags by Emm Kuo. The selection was on par with Kuo's own sample sales and featured mother of pearl minaudieres, fur-trimmed clutches, and leather fringed bags. Prices ranged from $90-$300. While I did not attend the brand's last sample sale I do believe that these prices were lower than what you'll find at Emm Kuo's own sales so you might want to take advantage of this opportunity if you're in the market for clutches.
BOTTOM LINE: This is definitely a sale that's not to be missed. The prices are low, discounts well over 90% off retail, and a great selection to boot! The event runs through Monday Friday. I was told that there would be no restocking and I do not expect any additional markdowns.
Century 21 Winter Clearance Now Up To 90% Off!
Ugh can't believe I was in the City Friday and decided not to go. Ugh. Please tell me they didn't have a lot of size 9/10 samples!!!


Houses of this nature rarely come available for long term occupancy. Well located North-East of the town and within popular school catchment this well presented family home is located in one of the premier roads in Ipswich.
The location speaks for itself, a few miles from the town centre, Christchurch Park, Ipswich hospital, and in proximity of the delights of the Rushmere St Andrew golf course, with local amenities in proximity the area is well suited to families either relocating to Ipswich or seeking a long term rental opportunity.
To the front there is off street parking for at least two vehicles.
Internally the property has retained some character and has a bright, spacious feel throughout.
Entry is in through a porch and into a main hallway. The front reception is to the right with bay window overlooking the front lawn making it a welcoming room to relax in.
The second reception room to the rear is a natural dining area with doors leading out onto the paved patio area in the rear garden,the landlord would be open to some flexibility with decoration for the right long term occupants.
The kitchen completes the ground floor accomodation with ample base and eye level units for storage, double aspect windows allow for yet more light to protrude the space and an electric oven, breakfast bar, space fridge/freezer, and plumbing for washing machine ensure it is fully equipped .
Access to the rear garden is also available from here, round to the side return and beyond to shed which is complete with power and a tree lined good sized garden with lush lawn suitable privacy.
Up onto the first floor the accomodation comprises the master bedroom to the front which is an excellent size wardrobes built into the alcoves, round bay window to the front allowing for an excellent light into the room.
Bedroom two overlooks the rear garden and is a good size double and the third bedroom is a conventional 'box room' ideal as a home office or child's bedroom.
The bathroom has just been updated to enclose a power shower making it ideal for modern families.
The house is offered unfurnished, available long term, and is within catchment for Northgate High school, Rushmere Hall Primary school and good distance for those already schooling at St. Albans high, Copleston High School and St. Marys primary.
Suitable for working or retired professionals, no smokers, no pets and for long term occuopancy only.
Available now, call now to book your viewing appointment.
This property is marketed by Abbotts Lettings, Ipswich at £950 per month. Rightmove has calculated the price per week for comparison purposes only.
Property reference 000548390. The information displayed about this property comprises a property advertisement. Rightmove.co.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the advertisement or any linked or associated information, and Rightmove has no control over the content. This property advertisement does not constitute property particulars. The information is provided and maintained by Abbotts Lettings, Ipswich.


text:
3 stars/YA Dystopian
[443]: The Bodies We Wear by Jeyn Roberts
Posted	on	 October 13, 2014 by	Joyousreads / 14 Comments
Random House Children's Books | Hardcover, 353 pages
Publication Date: September 23rd, 2014
Young Adult | Suspense
Faye was only 11 years old when she overdosed on Heam; a drug that's lethal to some and terrifyingly addictive. Forced to ingest a sufficient amount enough to put her in a stasis on the verge of death, the drug didn't live up to its name (Heaven's Dream). Instead, she saw hell. But before she closed her eyes, her tormentors made sure that she witnessed the killing of her best friend, Christian. Ever since then, and even at such a young age, she made a promise to avenge his death. With the help of a former cop who knew only too well the pain of such a loss, she trained under his tutelage to become a seasoned fighter. All the while, biding her time until she rids the world of those men who stole her future, and the life of the only person who'd ever shown her kindness and love in a world full of cruelty.
There's not a lot of opportunities for people like her; people who'd overdosed on Heam. Society rejects them like the scum of the earth. They become pariahs.
For the most part, she's kept her head down at school, and her grades close to perfect. She kept away from trouble; and trained with the tenacity and discipline like that of a veteran fighter. But no matter how careful she'd been to reveal her past, fate seemed to be determined to exact her more pain.
My first Jeyn Roberts novel wasn't without expectations. I've known her writing to be dark; her story arches – different. I was prepared, to say the least. What I didn't anticipate is how different the entire experience would be. For one, the world was set in an alternate universe where lawlessness was pervasive. Ruled by drug lords, dealers, and defeated authorities who'd learned to look away wherever injustices occur. For another, I was not entirely sure how to put this book in a proper classification. Was it paranormal? Thriller? Suspense? Dystopian? It was as elusive and thought-provoking as its ending.
Faye was a kick-ass character as much as fighting heroines go. But there were instances when she played the woe-is-me card way too much. It seems as though she spent way too much time psyching herself up; giving herself a pep talk before she goes on an avenging spree. Don't get me wrong, a girl who can pick off a gang of weapon-wielding men with her bare hands one by one wins my vote for bad-assery. And Faye did exactly that. However, I thought that if you're giving us a character who's state of mind is on a perpetual must-kill-bad-men loop, I thought that it would be better to have made her a cold killer instead of one who unknowingly second guesses herself.
There are a couple of underlying social issues laced amongst the pages of this book. One is religion: Do you believe in the after life? Do you believe you can be saved? Do you believe in God? Another point is drug use. While the first was something that she'd left to the readers' prerogative, the latter was a lesson hammered with an iron fist: taking drugs is bad.
The Bodies We Wear is such an appropriate title. It speaks of the masks we wear on a daily basis to get through the day. And while this novel also has some Body Snatchers undertones, I chose to believe that it has more to do with what Faye needed to do hide her real self.
Over all, I can see the appeal of Jeyn's dark story-telling. This novel ended the way you'd expect from a writer like Jeyn. It was hopeful, but stingy in a way that it left the ending unresolved.
Thanks to Random House for the tour invite. 🙂
Confessions of an Addict [29]: BRB. I'm Reading.


text:
The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/2015/10/28/with-gift-lab-of-o-establishes-endowed-professorship/)
With Gift, Lab of Ornithology Establishes Endowed Professorship
By Julia Greenberg | October 28, 2015
With a gift from Larry Fuller '60 and Nancy Fuller '62, Cornell's Lab of Ornithology established an endowed professorship that supports ongoing research in evolutionary biology.
Prof. Irby Lovette, ecology and evolutionary biology, is the first person to hold the title of Fuller Professor of Ornithology. The newly endowed position ensures that there will always be an associated faculty position in this area of inquiry, according to Lovette, who is also the director of the Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program. This change will allow the University to reallocate resources to other academic programs and initiatives.
The endowment "guarantees extraordinary stability of a major research program" at the lab, said John W. Fitzpatrick, director of the Lab of Ornithology. He also said he views the new position as a "guarantee of excellence" that will sustain the lab's prestige in its field.
The establishment of the professorship will not only support one of the lab's projects, but also a wide variety of research endeavors for many years to come.
"The Fuller endowments will be sponsoring novel research and helping to train future scholarly leaders long after these particular research projects have ended," Lovette said.
The endowment is one of many contributions the Fullers have made to Cornell's scientific community. The recent donation augments gifts that the Fullers have already made to the lab to endow the Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program and several postdoctoral scholar positions, according to Lovette.
Leaderboard 2
Their continuous support "has been hugely impactful in allowing us to engage in cutting-edge — and sometimes risky — research, while placing a strong emphasis on the engagement and training of students," Lovette said.
Fitzpatrick praised Lovette for his "outstanding work" and said the endowment will allow him to do additional work in studying the genomics of speciation.
Lovette said he is particularly invested in "teaching intellectually rigorous field courses that use special biological settings — Kenyan savannas, the Galapagos archipelago, the coast of Patagonia — to help students become better scientists and world citizens."
He said he also takes great pride in his undergraduate researchers and their accomplishments in publishing scientific papers.
"Birds are very important and very accessible subjects for studying evolution," Fitzpatrick said, "[which is why] we want to make sure we always have someone doing that kind of work."
The Lab of Ornithology, Fitzpatrick said, is "extremely grateful" for the Fullers' generosity and the many opportunities that are possible because of it.
About Julia Greenberg
Julia Greenberg is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a staff writer for the news department and can be reached at [email protected]
More by Julia
Dyson School Will Offer New Business Analytics Concentration
By Jonathan Levenfeld October 28, 2015
For the first time since its accreditation in 2002, the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management has added a new concentration to its undergraduate curriculum: business analytics, which will become the school's 11th concentration starting this spring. Business analytics, which was approved Oct.
Ithaca Planning Board Tables Proposal For New Bar Due to Noise Concerns
By Devon Gilliams October 28, 2015
Longtime Ithaca residents voiced their concerns at a Tuesday City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board meeting over the proposed construction of a new bar and lounge, The Printing Press Lounge, within an existing building on a property just east of the Argos Inn at 416 E. State St. At the meeting, the planning board decided that the new bar's project managers would have to return with further research and plans before final approval of the project.


Filleto Grey Travertine is a natural stone with light beige-to-creamy background with consistent medium to large brownish fossils, displaying calciferous markings and dark mineral spots randomly through its surface.
This versatile and calciferous natural stone is frequently used as an alternative to Moleanos Limestone which makes it ideal for use in traditional and modern spaces, bringing the beauty of natural stone to any interior or exterior area including kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, utility rooms and terraces, balconies and patio floorings.
Filleto Grey Travertine is quarried Italy from where it is exported to the UK and the rest of the world, destined to different applications such as flooring, external walls, worktops and cladding.


I bridged one of the ports of the "Ethernet Switch" to "Cloud Real_NIC", when I capture packtes on this NIC, every packet is duplicated in all case, but the packets among real devices through this NIC are not duplicated.
does anyone met with or know such problem?
I am using GNS 0.8.3.1 on the Win7 platform. Or it's a bug and the newer version has fixed this?
The recommended way to connect your GNS3 virtual network is to use a MS Loopback adapter to access your host and bridge it to your real NIC if you want access to your physical network.
Thanks Jeremy, I tried your way(if I understood your answer correctly.I tried to make a bridge by using the Loopback and Broadcom NIC, and the GNS3 SW bridged to the loopback interface) and the network was NOT working.
Currenty I connect my Broadcom Gigabit NIC to a breakout switch for my lab(QinQ is used), So I have to bridge the GNS3 SW to the physical Broadcom Gigabit NIC.
I remember I configured something special for the Broadcom Gigabit NIC to let it support the QinQ(preserve the VLAN tag), maybe that's the reason I couldn't use the Loopback interface.
Do you have other ideas about this? Thanks in advance.


The Medical School is famend for preparing its college students to be world class docs. Medical colleges sometimes admit extra students into undergraduate programmes than into graduate entry programmes. The University of the Free State has a parallel medium coverage, that means all English courses are also presented in Afrikaans, due to this fact students who select to review in Afrikaans, do so individually from the English class. 30 of the medical colleges in the Caribbean are regional, which prepare students to apply within the nation or region the place the varsity is located.
In Myanmar , admission to medical faculties is organized beneath the Department of Health Science, which is the department of Ministry of Health of Myanmar. Lithuania has two medical colleges, in Kaunas – LSMU and Vilnius Research are of six years, of which the last yr is a sensible 12 months. After medical college, newly graduated physician are below contract to spend a year of internship and 2 years of tenure in rural areas earlier than they're eligible for another residency positions or specialized coaching.
The first medical faculty in Thailand has been established back in 1890 at Siriraj Hospital , which is now become College of Drugs Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University On the present time, there are 22 44 higher source wanted medical applications offers nationwide. The specialist qualification may be conferred as a Fellowship by the impartial Colleges of Drugs of South Africa (CMSA), following British custom, or as a Magisterial diploma by the college (usually the M Med, Grasp of Medication , diploma).
Whereas acquiring an undergraduate degree just isn't an specific requirement for a number of medical schools, virtually all admitted students have earned no less than a bachelor's degree Just a few medical faculties provide pre-admittance to college students instantly from highschool by linking a joint three-yr accelerated undergraduate degree and a regular four-yr medical diploma with certain undergraduate universities, generally known as a "7-year program", the place the student receives a bachelor's diploma after their first year in medical school.
In Lebanon, there are two applications of medical schooling adopted: the American system (4 years) and the European system (6 years). Heavy resistance by the medical professionals, university students and different professionals led to its nationalization and to its renaming as the Kelaniya Medical School. Nevertheless, in light of the recent gain in affect of medical faculties with reference to applicant selection, further standards are being used to select college students for admission.


Below are some of the problems you might encounter during your time in residences. If you find that any of these issues are having an impact on your life or studies you should contact your Senior Resident (SR), who will be happy to help.
Bullying - bullying and harassment is reasonably rare in UEA residences, however it does unfortunately happen, both intentionally or unintentionally. If you have concerns about the treatment of yourself or your flatmates you should contact your SR.
Cleaning – you are expected to keep your room and the communal areas of your accommodation clean, tidy and easily accessible. Assuming these areas are accessible, UEA staff will clean your kitchen and empty the bin in your bedroom on a regular basis. Your flat can incur additional cleaning charges if you fail to maintain a good general level of cleanliness and obstruct staff in undertaking their cleaning duties.
Crime – if you or anyone you know are a victim of crime, contact UEA Security on 01603 592352. They will discuss your options and can help you in reporting the crime to the police and to the Dean of Students' Office as required.
Disputes – disputes can often be resolved through conversation alone and maintaining positive communications with your housemates may be sufficient in finding a solution to any problems that do arise. Both your SR and the general advisers within the Dean of Students' Office can assist in providing non-judgemental mediation to help in resolving disputes within your flat.
Drinking and alcohol – if you are worried that you are drinking too much and don't know what to do, contact your SR or come to the Dean of Students' Office.
Fire alarms and equipment – fire alarms and equipment can be found throughout residences to ensure student safety. Anyone found to be tampering with or activating them without good cause will be referred to the Student Disciplinary Officer and may face a fine or even eviction.
Food theft – if you or your flatmates begin to notice food theft in your kitchen you should contact your SR immediately. They can organise a flat meeting and facilitate a discussion of the issues, which will usually be sufficient to put a stop to it.
Guests and visitors - overnight guests may stay only up to a maximum of three nights in residences, and you must seek permission from either your SR or the Accommodation Office before allowing your guest to stay.
Illegal drugs – the use and/or dealing of drugs is prohibited in residences, in breach of university regulations and against the law.
Looking out for friends and flatmates – if you have any concerns about your friends or flatmates and don't know what to do, contact your SR.
Mental health and wellbeing – the Dean of Students' office has a dedicated team of Counsellors and Mental Health Advisers. You can access further information and self-help materials on the DOS website.
Moving rooms – the Accommodation Office accepts requests to swap rooms from October. Contact them for further information.
Noise – in a communal living environment absolute silence is neither reasonable nor attainable, and all students must be prepared to give and take. That said, excessive noise is to be avoided at all times and should not interfere with your studies and sleep. If you are being disturbed by noise you should request the students keep the noise down, as they may be unaware that they are causing a disturbance. If you do not feel comfortable doing this or if the noise persists, call the duty SR while the noise is occurring. They will be able to speak to the students involved and put a stop to it.
Room allocations – wherever possible you will be allocated a room from your top three choices. If you are unhappy with your room it may be possible to swap. Contact the Accommodation Office for further information.
Security – the security of your flat is the responsibility of all residents. Always ensure doors and windows are left locked when you are away from your room – to do otherwise can invalidate your insurance and the insurance of your flatmates, and may be referred to the Student Disciplinary Officer. Do not leave doors propped open. UEA security conduct regular tours of the campus to ensure appropriate precautions are taken. Any concerns about personal security, the security of your flat or any emergencies should be directed to UEA Security, who are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 01603 592352. It is a good idea to store this number in your phone. Security maintain regular contact with the Dean of Students' Office and the Senior Residents.
Settling in – although UEA offers a welcoming community to all students it can take time to settle into life away from home. If you are suffering from homesickness or are feeling isolated, call your SR for a chat. They are able to offer useful advice, information, and ways in which you might enhance your social experience. SRs also run a number of social events throughout the year, which are a great way to meet new people and make new friends.
Smoking – smoking is not permitted anywhere in UEA residences. If you can smell smoke or think your flatmates are smoking call the SR on duty.
Social activities – your Senior Residents organise a number of social activities throughout the year. Come along, get to know some new faces and make new friends.
Stalking and unwanted attention – stalking or other unwanted attention constitutes harassment and is taken seriously in line with the university's Bullying and Harassment procedure. If you are the victim of harassment the Senior Resident Tutor will be able to advise you on the best course of action.
Vandalism – vandalism of university property is a breach of regulations and will be taken seriously. Any student found to have caused damage to property may be referred to the Student Disciplinary Officer, face a fine and even eviction from residences.
Violence and abuse – the university does not tolerate violence or abuse of any kind and this behaviour is in breach in university regulations. Any such matter should be referred to Security, your SR, or the police.


The Conference Assistance Programme has been designed to ensure that the necessary levels of support, both financial and technical, are available to maximise New Zealand's chances of mounting a successful international bid.
We have made paperwork surrounding the application for the Conference Assistance Programme as simple as possible. The Conference Assistance Programme is professionally managed and we aim to ensure that any funds allocated to bidders are solely for the purpose of maximising the chances of a successful bid.
An evaluation model has been developed to assess each application for Conference Assistance and it is imperative that when you fill out the application form, all questions are answered to the best of your ability. By doing this, you will ensure a speedy response to your request for support, and in most instances we will be able to give you an indication of the levels of support that you can expect within fourteen working days of receipt of your fully completed application.
Delegate demographics - how much will they spend while in New Zealand?
Chance of success - who are we up against, what lobbying has been done to date?
Timing of conference - what month, off season preferred, i.e. April - Sept.


Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park announces another huge headliner for 2019 – Britain's greatest entertainer – Robbie Williams.
Since bursting on to the stage as the youngest member of Take That in 1990 and then going solo in 1995, Robbie Williams has been at the top of his game for nearly 30 years, and has become a national treasure.
One of the most decorated artists around today, he has six of the top 100 best-selling albums in British history with 77 million albums worldwide, 14 Number 1 singles and won a record 18 BRIT Awards – more than any other artist in music history.
Currently appearing as a judge on The X Factor, Robbie is gearing up for a busy 2019. As well as headlining Hyde Park he will play 12 (already sold out) dates in Las Vegas at the Wynn Las Vegas' Encore Theater, and will release a new album of previously-unheard music directly to his fans with 'Under the Radar Volume 3'.
Out on February 14th, 'Under The Radar Volume 3' – the third instalment of his fan special series – is a unique collection of demos and previously unreleased material from across Robbie's 21-year solo career compiled for the first time to share with fans.
Robbie Williams will headline Hyde Park for the very first time on the Great Oak Stage on Sunday 14th July 2019 – his only UK open-air show of the year.


ITO Gima 8.5 is a cotton yarn with a unique and uncommon appearance, due to a very special production process. You can knit or crochet this yarn, in single or multiple strands, for sommer clothes and accessories. Available in over 40 colors.


text:
Hands On the Timex Ironman iControl (Verdict: Great, But...)
Charlie White
Click to viewTimex teamed up with Apple for this Ironman iControl watch, which is pretty much a standard workout watch with one major difference: It has iPod controls on it. Communicating with your iPod via a little dongle that plugs into an iPod's universal docking port, you're able to control play/pause, volume up and down, and the go to the next/previous track on any iPod with a dock connector. We got our hands on one of these babies and took it out on the road for a week's worth of workouts.
The iControl watch is offered up an a variety of colors, including gray, black, white, pink, blue, orange and green. Timex sent us a black one, probably thinking that the other colors might be a little too girly for our tastes. The watch looks like most training watches except it's quite a bit smaller, and we mean that in the best way. It's unobtrusive around the wrist, and doesn't stick up too far. Its band is strong yet pliable, and it's nice and open with plenty of perforations, keeping down the perspiration.
We tried plugging in the dongle to both an iPod nano (it doesn't work with the iPod shuffle because that player doesn't have a dock connector) and an iPhone, and it synced up flawlessly with each one as soon as we plugged it in. The iPhone complained that this device wasn't designed for it and offered to go into airplane mode, but after we selected No, it communicated with the watch without incident.
After it's synched up with the iControl watch, the iPod accepts the watch's commands almost instantly. The next/previous track buttons are on either side of the watch, the volume up and down buttons are on the right side, and the play/pause button is front and center, and all are easy to reach and operate. One major disappointment was the lack of fast forward or rewind controls. We find that to be a useful capability when listening to podcasts, because we often zone out and want to back up and hear certain sections again, but you can't do that with iControl—if you want to back up a bit, you'll have to dig out the iPod and do that the old-fashioned way.
Because of that lack of fast-forward and rewind, it hardly makes any sense to use this watch with the iPhone, especially when using the iPhone's included headphones with play/pause and next-track functions available right there on the earphone cable. Once we have our volume set with the iPhone, we rarely need to adjust it again or go to the previous track. But when walking with the iPod nano in a pocket, it was especially convenient to be able to pause and advance the tracks without having to break stride or grope for the iPod.
Besides those iPod features, the watch also contains the full complement of training features of other Timex Ironman watches, including a 50-lap memory recall chronograph, the ability to store training logs with your current workout, a multimode countdown timer, two interval timers for speed and endurance training, and three customizable alarms. It's also water resistant to 100 meters.
The Timex Ironman iControl watch works as advertised, and it looks great, too. However, if you're getting this watch just to control your iPod, or especially your iPhone, $125 is a steep price to pay for the limited convenience it offers.
-Winky-
There is no reason to pay $125 for an object that does less than what the nike+ ipod settings do. Sure, it may look cool and *MAYBE* (very unlikely) some of your running buddies will cry with jealousy, but that does not justify that price at all. So I'm going to pass on this one and recommend you do the same! (by the way having to audition for comments is definitely one of the smartest things I've seen! Kudos.)


text:
Americans in Benghazi attack sent distress calls, pleading for their lives
Clockwise from top left: Ambassador Christopher Stevens; Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith; former Navy SEALS Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. Rest in Peace
This makes me weep . . . .
Americans trapped in Benghazi that awful night of Sept. 11, 2012, were pleading for their lives — for someone to rescue them.
But their Commander In Chief was thousands of miles away that night in the White House and disappeared for hours – hours about which the White House refuses to account. Their Commander In Chief was so blasé, he actually went to bed and slept, then hopped onto Air Force One the next day to fly to Las Vegas for a fundraiser.
Later that month, in an interview, their Commander In Chief airily dismissed their deaths as mere "bumps on the road". Later still, when she was hauled before a Congressional hearing, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, too, dismissed their deaths with the quip, "What does it matter?"
See also "Former Ambassador: Benghazi "Stand Down" Order Came from Obama," July 31, 2013; "Obama thinks 4 Americans being killed in Benghazi is funny," Jan. 28, 2013..
~Eowyn
Catherine Herridge reports for Fox News, Nov. 20, 2013:
State Department employees at the Benghazi compound knew they were in a death trap and made a series of radio distress calls to the CIA annex during the terror assault last year, according to congressional sources familiar with recent testimony on the attack from five CIA personnel.
Sources told Fox News that the radio calls, which were described in closed testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, were characterized as almost frantic, with State Department employees who knew they could not defend themselves "pleading" for their lives.
When the CIA team arrived from the annex about a mile away, they found the State Department employees without guns that could adequately protect them; one of the agents was found hiding in the consulate, apparently in a closet. The testimony lends more weight to repeated claims, in the wake of the attack, thatthe consulate was not adequately protected despite being located in a volatile and violent area prone to attack.
When the CIA personnel were asked for their reaction to the administration's initial explanation that an anti-Islam video and a demonstration gone awry were to blame for the attack, Fox News is told they were seething with anger because everything on the ground — from their perspective — showed it was a premeditated attack.
At least three of the five — who were all in Benghazi — responded to the scene that night. The witnesses testified that five mortars rained down on the annex in less than a minute. They pointed to those details as more evidence of a professionally trained team, describing the attack on the annex as akin to a professional hit on the operation in order to drive it out of Benghazi.
Congressional sources say the testimony seems to further conflict with and undercut the briefing three days after the attack by then-CIA Director David Petraeus, who likened the attack to a flash mob.When pressed on the number and precision of the mortars, Petraeus offered that Benghazi was flooded with mortars, and played down their accuracy by suggesting they could have been fired from the back of a pick-up truck.
When Petraeus appeared on the Hill in November, following his resignation from the CIA over his admitted affair, he tried to claim that he knew it was a terrorist attack all along and insisted that he did not put the emphasis on the anti-Islam film.
Dr. Eowyn is the Editor of Fellowship of the Minds.
Previous articleObamacare Is Going To Be The Biggest Expansion Of The Welfare State In U.S. History
Next articleWas Congresswoman Grace Meng The Latest Victim Of The Deadly "Knockout" Game?
CNN's Jake Tapper: Lev Parnas has a 'serious credibility problem'
Media Outraged Over Trump Blasting Generals As 'Dopes And Babies' But Silent During Obama's 'Purge'
January 18th, 2020 Clash Daily
Bernie Sanders Once Admitted That Government-Run Health Care Would 'Bankrupt the Nation'
Trump—Why the Generals Hate Him and the Troops Love Him


(This article is taken from Natural News.)The addition of fluoride to water supplies in the US and around the globe has always been a point of contention, especially among natural health enthusiasts and liberty-loving individuals. There are many reasons to stand against mass fluoridation; first and foremost being that it is nothing short of government-sanctioned mass medication of their citizens.


This cute little sign was given to us by a customer and we love it, because it sums up perfectly how we feel about Chicken and Frog.
A week ago, we were feeling anxious about the changes that have since taken place here. My wittering can be found here. And now, the transformation has taken place. A Cafe Corner has been installed and thankfully, we didn't need to reduce our book stock to fit it all in. The Elmer sofa has gone (it's still a little too soon to talk about that), but the essence of Chicken and Frog remains.
In the past week we have sold lots of books (thank goodness), treats in the cafe, entertained a room full of Lego enthusiasts and welcomed the very lovely Matt and Cherish, who ran a bookmark making workshop this afternoon.
We would like to thank our customers, new and old, for boosting our morale. Keep on reading! (And drinking tea).
'Do Good in Brentwood' – our first cafe visitors.
Bookmark making with Matt and Cherish.
And, just now, literally 5 minutes ago, Chesney Hawkes (yes!) and Mark Reed popped in for a cuppa. Chesney is in town, as he's playing Joseph at the Brentwood Centre, this weekend. Tickets are still available, but only a few, so hurry!


On Wednesday, Mexico outlined long-anticipated updates to its fossil fuel sector that are designed to usher in an energy boom led by the arrival of international companies with extraction expertise and financial savvy. The government made final the announcement that for the first time since 1938 private companies will be allowed to bid on prospective oil and gas resources, thus ending state-run Pemex's monopoly.
Mexico's oil production has been declining for the last decade, and has dropped about one million barrels a day to 2.5 million bpd — and even this number might be exaggerated due to water being included in its oil output.
Under the new laws, Pemex will maintain 83 percent of Mexico's proven and probable reserves, around 20 billion barrels of crude oil equivalent, while it will only keep a fifth of prospective resources, including yet-to-be-discovered resources. The rest will be made available to international companies, which are especially keen to start developing offshore resources in the Gulf of Mexico, an area that has yielded serious output from the U.S. side but is yet to be tapped in Mexico. Pemex has become associated with bloated bureaucracy and corrupt practices and the arrival of international companies is meant to bring efficiency, expertise, reduced costs, and deep pockets to the country's oil sector.
The government has identified 109 blocks for the first round of bids and expects investments of around $50 billion over the next four years, including partnerships with Pemex. Officials hope to raise national production to three million barrels a day by 2018.
At the same time that Mexico is bracing for an oil boom the country is also seeing significant growth in renewables. According to new research by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, investment in clean energy in Mexico totaled $1.3 billion in the first half of this year, compared to $1.6 billion in the whole of last year. At this rate 2014 will be a record year for renewable energy investment in the country, and more increases in wind and solar development are expected in the next couple years.
Electricity is expensive in Mexico and a surprising amount comes from costly diesel generation.
Mexico also recently signed a climate pact with California and there is speculation that the country is moving toward developing a carbon market that could eventually work in conjunction with California's cap-and-trade program.


When you drop your kids off at Countryside Elementary School, keep them safe and secure in the back of your reliable Toyota Highlander. Imagine cruising along the Harry Byrd Highway in the luxurious comfort of a new Prius, which lets you feel good about helping the environment too. Toyota's new lineup offers a variety of choices to suit any lifestyle, and a Toyota dealer servicing the Potomac Falls area should be your first stop when you're ready to buy a new vehicle.
Here at AutoNation Toyota Leesburg, we carry a broad selection of new Toyota cars and trucks, from the classic Camry to the heavy-duty Tundra. Our associates know everything there is to know about the vehicles in our inventory, and they can answer all of your questions to help you choose the right one for you. We carry used cars as well not just from Toyota, but from a variety of other manufacturers as well. All of our pre-owned vehicles go through a rigorous quality testing process before we allow them to be released for sale.
Now that you have chosen your new car, you want to keep it running smoothly for as long as possible. The highly trained technicians in our maintenance center can help you do just that. If you like doing the maintenance work yourself, you can pick up all the OEM parts you need in our parts store.
From Potomac Falls, the easiest way to get here is to head straight up VA-7 West, following along the Potomac River on your right. Make a left onto Cardinal Park Drive Southeast, and we will be located on your right hand side just off the freeway at 1 Cardinal Park Dr. SE in Leesburg, VA 20175. We are less than 10 miles from Potomac Falls, so the drive shouldn't take you more than 15 minutes. Stop in and see us today for a test drive, or call us at (571) 357-3965 to set up an appointment with one of our knowledgeable sales associates.


 J & J Marine... Boat Sales, Boat Repair and Rental Boats marine service on Lake Fork.
Serving the Lake Fork and East Texas area since 1984.
Contact us for all your boating needs.
Email Us for information on our used boats.


Neighbourhood News Desk/ Garima Kotroo: All the vehicles bounded to Uttar Pradesh's Kumbh Mela 2019 will be given toll-free entry from December 15 to March 15 in 50 km outskirts of mela.
The Kumbh Mela will start from January 15 till March 4, 2019. The highways connecting neighbouring Madhya Pradesh will be exempted.