#Marathon County Planning Commission

[wausaupilot]

Wausau Metropolitan Planning Organization creates work group to study transit expansion

A work group formed by the Marathon County Planning Commission will explore the possibility of expanding Metro Ride bus service beyond Wausau to neighboring towns and cities, an issue that has repeatedly been discussed in the community.

Damakant Jayshi A work group formed by the Marathon County Planning Commission will explore the possibility of expanding Metro Ride bus service beyond Wausau to neighboring towns and cities, an issue that has repeatedly been discussed in the community. Transit service today is available only on limited routes in Wausau. The Transit Planning Work Group, announced on Tuesday during a meeting of…

[asengineering]

New York City, Ny Laws

He concluded with a review of the NYC Building Code provisions for resilience. We offered Advanced Project Delivery companies including connection engineering and Tekla modeling for SL Green’s newly opened One Vanderbilt, an iconic Class A office tower in Midtown Manhattan, to assist the project meet its aggressive building goals. HyperloopTT has announced a monetary funding from Thornton Tomasetti, a leading global scientific and engineering consulting agency that gives specialized safety, safety and threat administration providers. To better serve our mission of bringing businesses and folks together to offer cross-disciplinary options for our group and our clients, BRAVO expanded its curiosity in industry acknowledged Skyline Engineering. This merger increases BRAVO’s sources to supply further numerous providers to shoppers in search of more than simple project execution. He offers technical investigations, analysis, reviews, and testimony towards the decision of non-public injury litigation, development...

A portion of the course features distinguished guest lecturers who are experts in a variety of the methods and applied sciences included. Students in the structural engineering concentration structural engineer nyc are required to take four core programs , and four structural programs . The remaining 6 Credits may be taken as 2 electives, one elective and a 3-Credit Project, or as a 6-Credit Thesis.

Lobbying your legislature is quite a unique expertise until you hire somebody to do it for you. We don't have the cash to attempt this at this point, so this might be probably the most unnatural and challenging task for us to complete ourselves. I assume it's priceless for us to pay attention as a gaggle on some things that we all have an interest in making extra widespread from state to state. Glendale’s classical repertory company A Noise Within commissioned a 33,000 sf three-story theater constructed within the footprint of a partially demolished Stuart Pharmaceutical Company, the landmark designed by Edward Durell Stone. The New World Center indeed creates a brand new world of music and light-weight, and is true at residence in South Beach. The 100,641-sq.-ft facility is the new state-of-the-art house of Miami’s New World Symphony and was constructed as part of the City Center Redevelopment Project in a public/private partnership with Miami Dade County and the City of Miami Beach.

GMS served as structural engineer for this new brand to establish their first property in the US at 1201 K Street NW in Washington, D.C. Designs construction to meet estimated load necessities, computing size, shape, strength, and sort of structural members, or performs structural evaluation of plans and buildings prepared by other engineers. ERI'scompensation dataare based mostly onsalary surveysconducted and researched by ERI. Cost of labordata in the Assessor Series are based mostly on precise housing sales knowledge from commercially out there sources, plus rental rates, gasoline prices, consumables, medical care premium prices, property taxes, efficient revenue tax rates, and so on. Structural Engineer - Entry-Level access_time Posted 2 days in the past account_balance Bala Consulting location_on New York Bala is seeking formidable degreed Structural Engineers who thrive on challenges and need to grow their career. The qualified candidate will have a BS in Civil Engineering and software knowledge together with ...

In the neighborhood, Conry is involved in quite a few fundraising occasions for the American Cancer Society. An avid runner, he has accomplished the New York City Marathon, the Long Island Gold Coast Triathlon, and several other half marathons. He has also participated in racing events benefitting charitable organizations, together with several Tough Mudder obstacle courses for the Wounded Warrior Project as properly as the annual Tunnel to Towers run. Conry is an energetic member of ASCE and the Structural Engineers Association of NY .

GMS additionally reviewed the support and design for the new metal framed floor flooring public seating space. Situated across the street from the High Line Park, 837 Washington Street is a six-story workplace and retail development designed by Morris Adjmi Architects and constructed by Sciame Construction for Thor Equities and Taconic Investment Partners. Gilsanz Murray Steficek , which served as structural design engineer, was intensely involved in the construction part and offered particular inspection companies together with steel erection and structural safety. The constructing is a model new torquing tower that rises out of an existing two-story Art Moderne type brick warehouse in-built 1938, which was once a part of the Gansevoort Market.

My private time has been devoted to my spouse and youngsters but when I have some further time will play a spherical of golf or hit some spares within the bowling alley. I am also an avid chess player which provides me the brain enhance when making an structural engineer nyc attempt to think about an answer for a project. And, any chance I have to discover the wild great factor about Utah, Colorado, or Wyoming, I take it. I hold sane with scorching yoga and caring for my two giant malamutes, Togo and Daenerys.

The lecture lined kinds of bolts, welds, connections, and failures, in addition to inspection requirements for maintaining quality management of development. Jennifer Lan was a panelist on an EERI Technical Case Studies Webinar, during which audio system who carried out reconnaissance following the September 19, 2017 Puebla-Morelos earthquake introduced geotechnical and structural case research. Jennifer’s presentation described the reconnaissance methodology and provided an in-depth analysis of building efficiency, utilizing two buildings that were broken in the course of the earthquake as case research.

The structural engineer of record shall retain sole responsibility for the structural design. The actions and stories of the structural peer reviewer shall not relieve the structural engineer of document of this accountability. STRUCTURAL, a licensee of STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES’ engineered services and products, integrates technology-driven solutions into its industry-leading repair structural engineer nyc and upkeep services to make constructions stronger and last longer. Determining how and why something fails structurally is a service that's usually known as upon by house owners, architects, contractors, attorneys, insurance coverage agents, and numerous different design professionals.

[ledenews]

Coronavirus Impacting Wheeling Area

Canceled. Postponed. Suspended. Over and over again. One event after another. With a busy weekend approaching in the Upper Ohio Valley, those terms have been most prevalent involving sporting events, fundraisers, live performances, and school schedules across the region. It's all about "social distancing." “It’s all about limiting exposure,” explained Lou Vargo, director of the Ohio County Emergency Management Agency. “We know that it is a highly contagious virus and that it easily spreads from one person to another, so cancelling events that attract a lot of people is the best thing to do at this time. “When the professional sports leagues began postponing games and tournaments, I think it got a lot of people’s attention,” he continued. “But it’s really about keeping as many people as possible safe right now.” At 2:45 p.m., WTRF-TV7 reported that Belmont County EMA Director Dave Ivan has confirmed two cases of coronavirus COVID 19.

Kaylee Reinbeau setting up the Maroon Knight offense. The defeat ended the Lady Knights' season, and only one more game was played before the event was suspended. Bishop Mark Brennan with the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston announced today that parochial schools in West Virginia would be closed along with the state's public schools. (Photo by Teran Malone)

Schools Closed

Gov. Jim Justice announced this morning that all West Virginia schools will close indefinitely in order to keep the students, faculty, and staff safe from the coronavirus COVID 19. “We have had 12 people tested in West Virginia and 11 of the tests came back negative, and there’s one that’s pending,” he said during the morning news conference. “But we know the monster is here. We just haven’t found it yet.” Gov. Justice also cited the ages of many educators across the state, and that he cannot ask those teachers to go to a “breeding ground.” “Right now, we know that large gatherings are not a good idea,” Vargo said. “And our schools in this area have a lot of students all in one building, and that’s probably becoming a risky environment right now. “We know that our young people are not at risk as much as the elderly, but that doesn't mean the children can't carry the virus," he explained. "So, separating the children from those who are older is a good idea." Bishop Mark Brennan of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston announced today parochial schools would be closed beginning Monday. Here is Bishop Brennan's letter to the West Virginia Catholic community.

Bernie Dolan (middle), the executive director of the WVSSAC, announced Thursday that the girls and boys basketball tournaments are suspended until further notice. (Photo by Teran Malone)

Fluid Situation

On Wednesday, Bernie Dolan, the executive director of the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission, said state officials were paying close attention to all updated information concerning the coronavirus, but that the high school girls basketball tournament in Charleston would go on as planned. On Thursday, however, the event was suspended after the first day of play, and the boys tournament was suspended one week before it was scheduled to begin. “We went from ‘Everything is OK’ to ‘Hey, this might be for the best,’” Dolan explained. “The decision was made by the governor, state officials, and me because it was obvious that it was the safest thing to do. No one seems to know how this is going to play out, so taking these precautions was the best decision that could have been made at this time. “But we suspended the tournaments because if we had canceled, then we’d be done,” he said. “By suspending the tournaments, we feel we still have a chance that they could take place, but we’re not going to wait forever. We just have to wait and see what happens next and what direction we get from the state, but with the closing of the schools, it doesn't look good."

The start of the big-league baseball season has been delayed for at least two weeks.

Major League Sports

Everything from the PGA’s Master Tournament to the Boston Marathon have been postponed, and both March Madness tourneys have been canceled, and big-league baseball’s opening day has been delayed by two weeks. Similar examples in the Wheeling area include the decision made by the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley to cancel its Night at the Races that was scheduled for this evening at Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stephen Smith will conduct a virtual forum this evening instead of meeting with people in person at the First State Capitol Building in downtown Wheeling. “And I believe we’ll continue to see more cancelations and schedules changed until people are confident that this pandemic is under control,” Vargo said. “I’m sure there are a lot of people working on that right now, but it depends on how long it takes. "We have seen things similar to this before, but this is the first time I can recall when so much has been shutdown as a precaution," he said. "But if that's what is best to keep as many people as possible healthy, then that's what we have to do."

Consumers continued Friday to visit The Highlands in Ohio County.

Tired of the Talk?

Many local residents have expressed exhaustion with all the news reports concerning the coronavirus COVID 19, but with President Trump declaring a national emergency, the coverage isn't likely to end anytime soon. While Vargo understands the frustration, he maintains it is important to at least pay attention to the proactive measures local, state, and federal officials have suggested as ways to slow the spread of the virus. “It is all we are hearing about on the news, and with that news cycle now being 24 hours a day, the coverage is constant,” the EMA director said. “But it’s because we’re learning new information every day, and sometimes by the hour, and it is important to get that updated information out to the public. As far as around here, I expect it to get worse before it gets better. “I know locally, we’re working very hard to keep the public as informed as possible, and we utilize the media outlets like The Watchdog to get that information out there,” he added. “Right now, it’s all about flattening that curve as far as the number of cases in the country, and in this area. We are all getting tired of dealing with it, but right now it’s all about common sense. If nothing else sinks in, just use common sense to keep you and your loved ones safe.” Read the full article

[wausaupilot]

Wausau affordable housing project fails on procedural grounds at City Council

A proposal for a six-unit affordable housing project on city-owned property on Wausau's west side collapsed after failing to get a required two-third majority for rezoning by the City Council on Tuesday.

Damakant Jayshi A proposal for a six-unit affordable housing project on city-owned property on Wausau’s west side collapsed after failing to get a required two-third majority for rezoning by the City Council on Tuesday. The proposal to build the affordable apartments on three lots in the 200 block of Wyatt Street failed by a single vote. The proposal needed a two-thirds majority because…

[wcva]

Investing in Volunteers – an assessors’ view

Fiona Liddell and Lorraine Waumsley reflect on the joys and challenges of assessing an organisation for the Investing in Volunteers award. 

Am ddarllen hwn yn Gymraeg?

Assessing an organisation for the Investing in Volunteers quality standard is a taxing, sometime draining, but usually a rewarding and thoroughly inspiring process. It is always a privilege.   

It requires the assessor to familiarise with details of an organisations practice as well as to meet with a selection of staff and volunteers to talk with them about their experience of volunteering. 

The assessor must plan the logistics of the assessment days, including selecting a balanced sample for interview and drawing up a realistic schedule. They have to write up a report afterwards which is succinct and objective, satisfying the precise requirements of a UK Quality Assurance Panel as well as, most importantly, being useful to the organisation in its process of continuous improvement. 

Most organisations assessed in Wales are small and the face to face assessment takes just one day. We recently managed the assessment of Royal Voluntary Service – for the 2rd renewal of its Investing in Volunteers Award. Operating in 3 UK nations, over the course of a year nearly 20,000 volunteers support the charity aided by its just over 1,000 staff.   

Since the charity’s head office is in Cardiff, WCVA took the lead in managing this UK wide assessment, which involved 7.5 days of face to face assessment, carried out by a team of 4 assessors across Great Britain. 

Lorraine, one of our experienced assessors in Wales, took responsibility for coordinating the assessment and writing the report. I asked her what made this assessment special. 

‘Royal Voluntary Service is developing an interesting model of volunteering for the future’ 

‘This was a ‘marathon’ assessment, for both the organisation and for me,’ says Lorraine. 

‘Not only because of the numbers of volunteers and staff involved, but also because they were going through a period of major change. 

‘Many Royal Voluntary Service volunteers are involved in volunteer-led projects, with the charity providing a supportive rather than directive role, making it more of a challenging to contact volunteers and arrange interviews. 

‘In the event, many interviews were carried out by telephone, to get wide coverage. These and the fantastic teamwork from colleagues enabled us to get a real feel for the organisation and all its diversity. As an assessor I really enjoyed this collaborative approach. 

‘I was impressed by the willingness of Royal Voluntary Service to devote significant resources, of staff time and money, for the assessment process and how keen they were to take on board learning and development issues that were raised. 

‘I was impressed, too, by the strong vision leading the change process for the organisation, which came across as both determined and respectful of the long and valued history of the organisation, including the long service of many volunteers. 

‘The diversity and scale of the charity’s volunteer offer and the extent of their collaboration with the NHS and the social care sector was so much more than I had realised – and greater than perhaps most people are aware of.   

‘I was particularly impressed for example, to discover that the profits generated by cafes, shops and trolley services within hospitals are used to fund care services which enable patients to have a supported return to home. 

‘Royal Voluntary Service is developing an interesting model of volunteering for the future. For example, Volunteer Led projects are just that. Someone sees a need in their community, it may be befriending, or setting up a lunch club or a community cafe. 

‘All of the organising and recruiting of volunteers is done locally, by the volunteers themselves, and the charity supports the project with compliance issues, insurance, training, resources and advice as and when it is called upon to help. 

‘Other services, such as the Positive Steps programme are funded or commissioned programmes which are managed more closely in order to deliver agreed outcomes. 

‘Another lesson I learned from Royal Voluntary Service, which is worth sharing, concerns the intelligent use of demographic information for marketing purposes. 

‘In London, for example, the charity has identified postcode areas which have a high percentage of younger people and has advertised, on radio and social media, volunteering opportunities which relate to these geographical areas, in an attempt to attract younger volunteers. 

‘There is a central, dedicated email and telephone line for compliments, complaints and comments from volunteers, staff or service users. This helps to identify good news stories as well as identifying potential problems at an early stage.’ 

‘This award is even more precious because it recognises how much we appreciate and value our volunteers’ 

The Royal Voluntary Service assessment decision was validated at the October meeting of the Quality Assurance Panel and we are delighted to be able to congratulate the charity on their success. 

Jennifer Codman, Volunteer Partner at Royal Voluntary Service said ‘Coordinating the Investing in Volunteers renewal was a challenge at times given the size of our organisation and the multiple sites, staff teams and volunteers I had to liaise with to set up assessment visits and interviews. But it was also massively rewarding and we got some fantastic feedback from all of the people involved. 

‘This has allowed us to make some positive changes to how we do things and we have established a number of projects as a result, that we hope will further enhance and improve the volunteer experience here at Royal Voluntary Service. 

‘I would encourage any organisation thinking about going for this award to take the first step and enquire about it - the process has really helped us to review the way we work alongside, manage and empower volunteers to give the gift of time and support our activities in local communities.’ 

Laura Morgan, Head of Volunteering for Royal Voluntary Service said: ‘Royal Voluntary Service is delighted to maintain its Investing in Volunteers (IiV) status for a further three years. 

‘For over 80 years our volunteers have been at the very heart of the organisation and this award is even more precious because it recognises how much we appreciate and value our volunteers. 

‘With mounting pressure on public services, now more than ever, we need people to step forward to lend their support and we have an ambitious target to grow our volunteers’ numbers. 

‘But to achieve this, it is imperative we offer volunteers the best possible experience, meaningful roles and introduce newer forms of volunteering to make it easier for people to play their part, whilst also attracting people from a diverse range of backgrounds. 

‘As well as recognition of our extensive knowledge and expertise, the re-assessment process for the award and feedback from volunteers and staff, provided us with invaluable insight that will enable us to further perfect our volunteer offer.’ 

Lorraine Waumsley is an Investing in Volunteers Assessor. 

Fiona Liddell is Helpforce Manager Cymru. Helpforce is working with Third Sector Support Wales (WCVA and 19 County Voluntary Councils)  and other partners to develop the potential of volunteering in health and social care services. She is also a Lead Assessor, with responsibility for overseeing the quality of IiV assessments including that of Royal Voluntary Service.

[mobikefed]

Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for the Butterfield Stage Experience & Butterfield 60 Gravel Road Ride Sat Oct 26

A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Butterfield Stage Experience Route will take place on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at the Warsaw Courthouse Butterfield Monument, located at 316 Van Buren, Warsaw, Missouri.

Following the grand opening, the first ride/race event utilizing a portion of the route, the Butterfield 60 Gravel Road Event, will take place.

Butterfield 60 Gravel Road Gran Fondo - Sat Oct 26, 2019

Register for the Butterfield 60 Gravel Gran Fondo here - registration closes 5pm Thurs Oct 24th

Butterfield 60 web page

Butterfield 60 facebook page

About the Butterfield Stage Experience route

The new Butterfield Stage Experience bicycle route is a historic experience along back country roads that leaves you with smiles for miles across Missouri. A mostly gravel/bikepacking route across some of the most beautiful, peaceful, and historic places in rural Missouri, you’ll re-experience an 1858 Butterfield Stage trip across Missouri.

This route was inspired in the Spring of 2018 at a regional trails meeting headed up by Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission and the National Park Service RTCA program.  Brent Hugh, with the Missouri Bicycle Federation was extremely instrumental in assisting the regional trail planning group with learning what was possible and how to create routes through the Kaysinger Region. 

“Do what you can in your own area”, were words that resonated with the Director of the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce, Mac Vorce.  He began to see possibilities of our communities being connected by this historic route, as gravel road riding and bike-pack touring are two of the fastest growing disciplines in cycling.

Going through multitudes of workshops about economic development along trails with the organization “New Growth”, it became clear that there were big possibilities with little investment from each community, utilizing existing infrastructure.  “We looked at our whole county”, said Vorce, “and Lincoln became the hub linking us to the Rock Island and Katy Trails in Windsor.” “Looking south, we were able to work with Hickory County on the development of the trail system in that direction, now linking three counties together with the Butterfield” said Vorce.  “We tried to keep the route as close to the original stagecoach route as possible, while directing adventurers off of high-traffic count highways.  Due to heavy traffic on Highway 83, it was necessary to work our way around Truman Lake, which brought us down into Fristoe, bringing all of Benton County together, and working our way to Quincy.  This leaves Highway 83 as a scenic roadway for vehicles that might be exploring the Butterfield,” says Vorce.

In the Spring of 2019, the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation (MoBikeFed) saw the success of the connectivity of the three counties along the Butterfield and mapped the entire route from Jefferson City to Springfield, creating a 254-mile regional route.  “It became clear that there were big possibilities that required very little in the way of monetary investment from each community,” said Brent Hugh, Director of MoBikeFed.

With the Butterfield Stage Experience route going through a total of 27 main streets and spanning throughout nine counties, being vital to rural towns because it increases tourism and allows for economic growth and prosperity.

The entire 254 mile route with historic markers and monuments can be found at www.mobikefed.org/Butterfield or at RideWithGPS.com/routes/30951168.

The Butterfield Stage Experience - Butterfield Stage History

The Butterfield Stage Overland Mail operated from 1858 to 1861. John Butterfield signed a contract with the U.S. government to provide twice-a-week mail service from St. Louis to San Francisco.

In 1858, he personally carried the first bag of mail, boarding the Pacific Railroad in St. Louis. The railroad generally followed the alignment of the Amtrak route that you can still ride today (and still use to connect to points on the Butterfield Experience route): St. Louis, Kirkwood, Washington, Hermann, Jefferson City, California, and Tipton.

At Tipton, the railroad ended and the stagecoach journey began.

Butterfield had pieced together a stagecoach route from Tipton to Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, based on existing roads and routes.

In Missouri, Warren Love, District 125 State Representative and Mel Gilbert, a Missouri historian and attorney from Buffalo, wanted to preserve the history of the Butterfield Stage Overland Mail route as a historic route by introducing the Bill into Congress.  It is now in the House of Representatives to be voted on.

Monuments and historical markers along the route are mapped at www.mobikefed.org/Butterfield or RideWithGPS.com/routes/30951168.

FOUR-TIME MISSOURI STATE CHAMPION COMPLETES THE ENTIRE 254 MILE BUTTERFIELD STAGE EXPERIENCE ROUTE

In 2013 Jenn Bradshaw, a resident of Warsaw, decided to do something for herself and get into better shape.  She had a mountain bike and access to the local trail systems in Warsaw.  Along her journey of utilizing the local trail systems, she fell in love with long distance riding and raced her first Truman Lake Mountain Bike race in 2015 where she won Cat 3 championship.  Progressing through the years she won the State Champion Categories 2 and 1, and in 2019 she won the Marathon State Championship. Bradshaw is now the proud recipient of four Missouri State Championships.

During her tenure at the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce Jenn was involved with the planning process of the Butterfield Stage Experience.  Coupled with this knowledge and her love of long distance cycling, along with her passion for the communities in Benton County, she decided to be the first to ride the entire 254 mile Butterfield Stage Experience.  “I wanted to do my part and ride the entire route, making sure the GPS coordinates were accurate and documenting my experience for other interested riders”, says Bradshaw.

The experience for her was “an adventure through Missouri with views of endless fields, rolling hills, forests, small towns and friendly folks and dogs. Plus, the GPS routes were spot on”, states Bradshaw.  Even though Bradshaw is a State Champion, she feels the importance of getting to explore Missouri on two wheels for the adventure and fun and states “I didn’t treat the Butterfield Stage Experience as a race, I took my time and enjoyed the ride.”

Not only is Bradshaw a role model for women but she’s now a spokesperson for creating inspirations for others to dream big and work hard towards their goals.  Bradshaw states, “This experience has become about promoting the connectivity of rural towns through the passion of cycling. I am really thankful to my team mates and all who made the Butterfield Stage Experience happen.  I can’t wait to ride it again.”

Register for the Butterfield 60 Gravel Gran Fondo here - registration closes 5pm Thurs Oct 24th

View or download the full 254-mile Butterfield Stage Experience route: www.mobikefed.org/Butterfield or RideWithGPS.com/routes/30951168

Creating a world-class bicycle route network in Missouri is one of the four major goals of MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri. Working with communities across Missouri to build new routes like the Butterfield Stage Experience is one way we work towards that goal--and help fire up local communities across the state to get excited about making their cities more walk and bicycle friendly.

Your ongoing membership and generous financial support help turn our Vision into reality!

[ledenews]

6@6 - February 21, 2020

Closed Lane.

The West Virginia Division of Highways advises that on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020 through Friday, March 13, 2020, CR 7, G.C. & P. Road, will be reduced to one lane near the intersection with WV 88. This lane closure will occur from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is necessary to relocate a gas line. Two-way traffic will be maintained in one lane by flaggers. Motorists are advised to reduce speed and expect delays. Inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances could change the project schedule.

Industry Lives On.

Steve Sarras from the West Virginia Greyhound Association will be a guest on The Watchdog (98.1 FM WKKX and 97.7 WVLY) at 2:30 p.m. from Quaker Steak & Lube to discuss the defeat of a bill that would have ended the greyhound racing industry in West Virginia. Although the proposed legislation was sponsor by Senate President Mitch Carmichael, it was rejected 11-23.

Roadside Signs.

The Planning Commission will be conducting a public hearing on Monday, March 2, 2020 at 5 p.m. in City Council Chambers to consider amending the sign ordinance to prohibit all signs in the right of way. More information, including the public notice, staff reports, and correspondence to organizations can be found here: https://www.wheelingwv.gov/news-notifications.

Pancakes Anyone?

First Presbyterian Church of Martins Ferry will hold a Pancake Breakfast on Feb. 29 between 9-11 a.m. The event will take place at 400 Walnut St, Martins Ferry, Ohio 43935.

Career Fair.

Valley High School in Pine Grove will be hosting a career fair on March 25, 2020 from 9-12 in their gymnasium. All Wetzel County Juniors and Seniors are invited to attend. If you would like to have a booth or would like to speak with the students please email Jessica Mace, school counselor, at Jessica.mace@k12.wv.us.

Investigation.

Wheeling Police are investigating a robbery that occurred around 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Woodsdale Marathon Gas Station - located at 831 National Road. Employees inside told police that a tall thin black male, possibly in his mid 30’s or 40’s , wearing a white shirt and dark jeans walked into the store and robbed the clerk. A weapon was not displayed. The suspect was last seen running away on Orchard Lane. Anyone who may have information can call Wheeling Police at 304-234-3664. Read the full article

[lipwak]

VHS #386

Link TV stuff mostly: Orwell Rolls in His Grave, Big Easy to Big Empty, Oil Safari, The Travelogue of an Addiction, The Oil Factor, Bill Moyers - Rich and Poor, Inequality in America, 2004 speech, anti Bush commercial, Mark Shields on Bush’s outrage over Kerry statement, Abbots Bromley horn dance *** "Oil, Katrina and The Big Spin" = 1-33 documentaries10/13/? Orwell Rolls in His Grave 1:35 of it w/ fundraising See the whole thing here: https://youtu.be/cqxnmKTmjkQ (I missed the first 3 minutes) …, Charles Lewis, Robert McChesney, Michael Moore, Mark Crispin Miller, 2000 election, Greg Palast, voter purges in FL, lobbyists hire placeholders for hearings, regulators captured by the people they are paid to regulate, Bernie Sanders talking about Rupert Murdoch, Tony Benn, Soviet Politburo has a higher turnover in their reelection rate, Mark Hertsgaard talks with Geoffrey Nunberg, Wendy Hanamura fundraises, clip from Big Easy to Big Empty: Greg Palast, Ivor van Heerden, Vincent Bugliosi, FL recount, 5 on the Supreme Court are criminals, Mark Lloyd, free speech rights of corporations, fairness doctrine rescinded, Tim Robbins, Telecommunications Act of 1996, the 3  major networks aired 19 minutes of coverage of it, open internet, Jeff Cohen, news by the numbers, John Nichols, switch on voting machines to reject ballots in white vs black counties, Roger Ailes, Mark Hertsgaard again with Geoffrey Nunberg, Wendy Hanamura fundraises showing the same Big Easy to Big Empty clip, Michael Powell and Code Pink at 2003 loosening media ownership rules vote, Sen Dorgan grills Powell and Abernathy. *** Big Easy to Big Empty - The Untold Story of the Drowning of New Orleans A Greg Palast film commissioned by LinkTV1 hr See 16 min of it here: https://youtu.be/RCmXDcX23SY Mark Hertsgaard intro, one year after Katrina, Greg in the French Quarter outside Maison Bourbon, Ivor van Heerden, Kermit Ruffins - Drop Me Off In New Orleans, various Katrina-related T-shirts, Bush 8/21/06 - It’s gonna take awhile to recover, a year later less than 1/2 have returned, IEM - Innovative Emergency Management, can’t find the plan, Ivor van Heerden, Brod Bagert - New Orleans City Councilman, levee construction, levees built a foot and a half shorter than they were supposed to be built, sad version of Jambalaya, FEMA trailer park near Baton Rouge - Renaissance Village, residents of Lafitte housing project, no, they’re not gorgeous buildings, Twelfth Street Rag, Cat’s Meow, Malik Rahim - Common Ground Collective, 9th Ward, Mark Hertsgaard talks with Jerome Ringo - National Wildlife Federation, Wendy Hanamura fundraises showing clip from Orwell Rolls in His Grave. *** Oil Safari, The Travelogue of an Addiction 40:00 min of it See the whole thing here: https://vimeo.com/118316174) Mark Hertsgaard intro, peak oil, CEO of Marathon Oil, world is consuming 58,000 barrels of oil a minute, lots of shots of Marathon gas stations…, southern IL oil rigs, Marathon refinery, Mark Hertsgaard talks with Jerome Ringo, Wendy Hanamura fundraises showing clip from Orwell Rolls in His Grave, Exxon largest profit ever 36 billion, Iraq,  Nigeria, Mark Hertsgaard talks with Jerome Ringo again,  Wendy Hanamura fundraises showing clip from Big Easy to Big Empty, Venezuela, oil co benefitting the community,  Mark Hertsgaard talks with Jerome Ringo again. *** black *** The Oil Factor Behind the War on Terror1 hrEd Asner narrator See the whole thing here: https://youtu.be/1tSq2rZhv1U war in Iraq, debt relief to get countries signed on, most reject that, let the bombing begin, shock and awe, didn’t hit a single Iraqi leader - all were targeted, Karen Kwiatkowski, Zbigniew Brzezinski - weapons of mass destruction not true, New American Century think tank, neocons, maps of oil fields in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Noam Chomsky, privatize Iraq’a oil, Halliburton/Cheney, making a fortune on bombing Iraq and rebuilding it, William Hartung, 87 billion, cars lined up for gas, cooking fuel, occupation, Amnesty International, Abu Ghraib pics, returning casket pics banned, war in Afghanistan still going on, Mujahideen, OBL, civll war, Taliban, CIA helps, 9/11, Guantanamo. LinkTV fundraising *** Bill Moyers - Rich and Poor, Inequality in America, 2004 speech1 hr w/ fundraising breaks, Tom Hartmann10/27/?LinkTV Read the whole speech here: https://billmoyers.com/2004/06/03/inequality-matters-june-3-2004/ *** anti-Bush commercial, asking questions to a bush *** Mark Shields on Bush’s outrage over Kerry statement *** Abbots Bromley horn dance

[wausaupilot]

NCHC officials vow to work with residents amid construction concerns

Some neighbors are still worried. But NCHC officials say they'll continue to listen and work with residents to come up with the best possible plan.

By Shereen Siewert

WAUSAU — Officials at North Central Health Care are vowing to work with southeast side residents who sounded alarm bells after plans for an adult care facility and youth hospital were announced last week.

Marathon County in 2018 approved the master plan for the $73 million facility upgrade, which includes a new nursing home and aquatic center at its Wausau facility, 1100 Lake…

[juditmiltz]

American Dream Miami wins county commission approval

Rendering of American Dream Miami

Triple Five Group can officially begin the construction phase of its $4 billion American Dream Miami project, set to become the largest mall in the country.

County commissioners voted 11-1 on Thursday to re-designate nearly 174 acres in unincorporated northwest Miami-Dade from “industrial and office” to “business and office” that will allow Triple Five to build 3.5 million square feet of retail space, a massive theme park and 2,000 hotel rooms on a  vacant triangle between I-75 and the Florida Turnpike’s Homestead Extension.

Then, commissioners approved a development agreement with Triple Five and minor zoning exemptions such as allowing the developer to place eight trees per acre instead of the required 16, and reducing a right-of-way requirement for Northwest 102nd Avenue from 70 feet to zero.

The approvals represented the final legislative hurdle for Triple Five, a global developer of mega-malls and entertainment facilities, to move forward with its ambitious, controversial proposal.

During a marathon meeting that featured more than 50 speakers and a standing room only commission chamber, Triple Five CEO Don Ghermezian boasted that his company is creating a one-of-kind destination that will add nearly 10,000 new jobs to South Florida and generate about $60 million in development impact fees. “I am looking to create entertainment and retail components that you don’t find in this marketplace,” Ghermezian said. “We are the only developer suited to create this type of environment.”

Three years ago, Triple Five unveiled plans for American Dream Miami,  which would supplant the company’s Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., as the largest shopping center in the U.S. If built, American Dream Miami would have a 16-story indoor ski slope, a 20-slide water park, a 14-screen 3-D movie theater, and a performing arts center representing 2.7 million square feet of entertainment and common space, plus the shopping component.

Since that time, residents in northwest Miami-Dade and neighboring Broward have mounted public opposition to the project due to concerns American Dream Miami will worsen traffic congestion on I-75 and the turnpike. Many showed up to the county commission meeting sporting green t-shirts emblazoned with the words, “American Dream Nightmare.” Other opponents had affixed thumbs-down stickers to their clothes. A traffic study shows American Dream Miami will generate 70,000 vehicle trips in and out of the property.

To mitigate traffic gridlock in and out of American Dream Miami, Triple Five will be responsible for constructing $210 million in road and interchange improvements, including widening Miami Gardens Drive for a new bus lane from I-75 to Northwest 57th Avenue. It will also pay $5.9 million in upfront impact fees to expand five Miami-Dade bus routes to the mega-mall, as well as bring in Broward County bus service and private shuttles, and build a $12 million transit center.

However, commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, the only commissioner to vote against Triple Five, said the company’s offer was not enough to address the potential traffic issues adequately and American Dream Miami would undermine the county’s investment in a new rapid transit plan. “I wish Triple Five and the Ghermezian family all the best,” said Cava. “I am not going to able to vote for it.”

Competitors such as Simon Property Group, GGP, and Taubman also entered the fray by forming the group South Florida Taxpayers Alliance to oppose any effort to give Triple Five government subsidies for American Dream Miami. During the public hearing, lobbyists representing the alliance warned county commissioners that Triple Five has a history of demanding taxpayer financing and public funds for its projects.

Jeff Bercow, a government affairs and land use attorney representing the alliance, noted Triple Five scored $250 million in tax breaks from the Minnesota Legislature in 2013 for a Mall of America $1.5 billion expansion and that the company obtained $1.1 billion in tax-exempt bond financing for its American Dream Meadowlands project in New Jersey. Bercow suggested Miami-Dade officials prohibit Triple Five from seeking county financial assistance in the development agreement entered with the company.

“Tax dollars should not be used to line the pockets of these wealthy businessmen,” Bercow said. “Based on the extensive track record of Triple Five, we feel it is necessary to protect the public.”

Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, the attorney for Triple Five, dismissed Bercow’s comments as a veiled attempt by his mall-owning clients to hurt a new competitor. “They claim they want an equal playing field,” Diaz de la Portilla said. “But they want to place an unconstitutional restriction that doesn’t exist on any application Mr. Bercow has brought before this board and that doesn’t exist for any of the malls Simon owns in Miami-Dade or anywhere else.”

Diaz de la Portilla added, “You can’t really believe everything Simon says.”

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and several commissioners said there was no need to include the prohibition because they already informed Triple Five that the company would receive no county funds or tax breaks. “As long as I am here, it’s no,” Gimenez said. “I was very clear that we are not going to give any county funds for this project.”

Added Commissioner Rebeca Sosa: “I will support this for as long as there is no subsidy of any kind from this county to the entity.”

from The Real Deal Miami https://therealdeal.com/miami/2018/05/17/american-dream-miami-wins-county-commission-approval/ via IFTTT

[oselatra]

His fault

Secretary of State Martin caused his own problem. This was bad planning and timing on his part. Being disrespectful to Judge Gray and the courts was a dumb thing for him to do. Martin needs to be a man and stop blaming others for his mistakes.

From the web

In response to an Arkansas Blog post about Secretary of State Mark Martin's failed bid before the state Supreme Court to compel Pulaski County Circuit Judge Alice Gray to rule in a suit that claims the state's voter I.D. law is unconstitutional:

Secretary of State Martin caused his own problem. This was bad planning and timing on his part. Being disrespectful to Judge Gray and the courts was a dumb thing for him to do. Martin needs to be a man and stop blaming others for his mistakes.

ShineOnLibby

With all due respect, Mr. Couch Esq. [David Couch, Judge Gray's lawyer, who noted that Martin could have asked for an expedited hearing when the case was filed], well not really, what a crock of shit. Secretary of State Martin's attorneys had nothing to do with the delay. Your filing suit in February 2018 for a law enacted in August 2017 is the cause. This suit and the song and dance you are providing is nothing more than a calculated catalyst for creating turmoil for this election now that the Republican Party is the majority party. All you and your ilk want is an "aha" moment to set the stage for 2020 election rhetoric.

I was served a copy of your filing and it contains a lot of irrelevant verbiage and exhibits in a pathetic attempt to link the provisions of the current law with the previous one in 2014. Rather than be forthright and truthful, you piled it on to create confusion for the less informed. For example, Mr. Haas' affidavit complains his 2014 provisional ballot was not counted and the ACLU's two-cents worth refers to the number of 2014 ballots not counted. You totally ignored the cure contained in the current law, which I am pleased to have been a part of having included. The ACLU liked it when the bill was being considered; now has buyer's remorse. I spent eight hours adapting the state board poll-worker-training PowerPoint to Jefferson County workers and cannot go final because we won't know until the Supreme Court rules what will be asked for in May. This is not about counting votes. That safeguard is built into the act. It is about keeping 75 county election commissions off balance not being able to complete preparations, have printing done or training poll workers and seeing how much ink you can get with the hope of pushing your agenda in the General Election and in 2020.

Razorblade

In response to an Arkansas Blog post on a John Bolton's super PAC's use of information acquired by Cambridge Analytica from Facebook to benefit U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton's 2014 campaign:

It's not too early to start campaigning against Cotton. I don't know who it might be, but there's someone out there. Tom Cotton stole your information on Facebook. Ideally there is a veteran, enlisted, non-officer type, who can put a certain spin on what military officers can be like. And it can be put in an ad. It's easy to do ugly with Tom Cotton. Start in on him. Now.

Vanessa

Hey, maybe senator "war hero" will find enough character to disavow and return campaign donations tainted by the shady use of unsuspecting Facebook users.

Naw!

"Psychographic messaging": Bolton is certainly a psycho who will likely have us in about three wars at one time.

Tsallenrng

In response to a story in the March 29 issue of the Times about the sale of the Donaghey Building to owners who say they'll convert the office building to residential use:

I believe the Donaghey Building was originally given to the University of Arkansas as a funding source. Now that it has come out the trustees sold it for $599,000 and a second owner sold it for over $5 million just 17 years later, one wonders if the trustees knew what they were doing? Especially when there was no improvements made after the original purchase. I don't think Mr. Donaghey would be happy with the results of his generous gesture to the college.

concernedinheber

In response to Jacob Rosenberg's story on the difficulty of former inmates to renew their driver's licenses so they can go to work and a new law that provides help through Arkansas Community Corrections:

It's almost like we don't want these folks to be successful in their attempts to re-enter our communities and society.

Maybe we should consider putting a hold on the collection of past fines, etc., so that getting a job and housing will come first. Then pay back the fines over time without putting them deeper in the hole.

wannabee conservative

The ACC re-entry program was a blessing for me, as well. I was at the Covenant Recovery Center in Malvern and it helped me prepare for life on the outside. My ACC parole officers in Greene County also do a lot to help parolees in many different ways. They really make it easy for a person like I used to be to change into the person I am today.

Roderick Fitzke

In response to former Times reporter David Koon's writing in The Observer column that he has taken a new job (but will continue to contribute to the newspaper):

Don't tell me you are going to law school, David. That's what a lot of newspapermen do when they get the middle-age crazies. I have really enjoyed all of your work, and with all of your communication skills, you would make a good lawyer in the mind of this former newspaperman turned lawyer and now retired.

plainjim

In response to the Times' review of Grateful Head Pizza Oven & Beer Garden in Hot Springs:

This is the best line I can remember reading in a dining review: As for the pie, the Dire Wolf was the Joe Pesci of pizzas — compact, brawny, menacing.

Big Fun

In response to an Arkansas Blog post about President Trump's claim that he will "make it up" to farmers hurt by his trade war:

Farmers helped elect him. They think he was talking about them when he said, "Mexico will pay." Wonder how long it will take them to realize he's not good with the truth. Maybe when their crops rot in the fields because he has destroyed the market and ability to harvest with his immigration policy.

Jhudd

Trump uses the smart pill scam. A traveling salesperson travels the country selling smart pills guaranteed to make you smarter. A customer buys a bottle of the pills and immediately takes some. Spitting out the pills, he says, "That must be rabbit poop," to which the salesman replied, "You're getting smarter already."

Traitor Trump is feeding the farmers a bunch of s**t.

Tariffs were a major cause of the 1929 depression.

Going for the record

In response to the Arkansas Blog's mention of Little Rock lawyer David Couch's preparation of a new amendment to the state Constitution that would allow the recreational use of marijuana:

Thank you, David Couch for what you do. I have no interest in smoking pot or eating calves liver or running a marathon or practicing autoerotic asphyxiation while Mag's at work, but I'm fine with other people who like these things.

Having spent a decade in the Get-You-Drunk industry, I've seen the dangers of alcohol first hand. Since having seen my first joint at the U of A in 1972, I have not seen the dangers of marijuana over the last 46 years. The only danger associated with pot is the danger of being arrested if you're caught with it.

No one has died due to the effects of marijuana. No wife was beaten to a pulp because her hubby was high as a kite. It does make driving hazardous. It does make me appear to be a Parkinson's patient in the final stages if I smoke the stuff. It was never fun for me and it was never my thing ... rum and Coke please!

The Money Addicts running our state ought to be for the full legalization of marijuana in Arkansas. Legalized, regulated and taxed, the marijuana industry would bring billions of dollars into the treasury while reducing the prison population. It says timber is Arkansas's number one cash crop, but everyone knows pot sales each year dwarf the earnings of the timber industry.

One would think in this Trump Cash Grab era, every state in the union would be passing marijuana legalization bills. And if a population ever had a good reason to get high and stay high ... now is the time!

Mandatory pot smoking for people flying the Confederate flag in 2018 ought to be the law of the land! Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

Deathbyinches

Last week's cover story mistakenly reported that there was a Moms Demand Action information table at Henderson State University in 2017 after the Women's March.

His fault