The plans the City of Pasadena has in store for Hahamongna canoodle under an umbrella called the Multi-Benefit-Multi-Use Project.
It's a project name that’s semi-manipulative-semi-clever.
It hints that Hahamongna, in its current configuration as a watershed, nature preserve, and wildlife habitat, is of singular and quite possibly exclusionary interest. Something for the connoisseur; a private club that squats on unexploited resources. How much better it would be, the project name implies, to transform Hahamongna Natural Watershed Park into something for everyone.
If the members of the Pasadena City Council, advisory committees and their paid consultants really believe in transparency – and believe it’s in the best interests of current and future generations to rip out acres of the watershed park and replace them with athletic fields, cars, and porta-potties -- then they should call this battle between the city and the citizens of Pasadena, Altadena, and La Canada by its true name: Soccer Fields-Parking lots versus Open Space.
But no, they’re all cagey and coy. Hence, “Multi-Benefit – Multi-Use.” Like they’re selling us something; a shampoo that both “cleans and conditions,” or a deoderant that’s “strong enough for a man and gentle enough for a woman.”
For years, the City of Pasadena has tried to make Hahamongna something other than what it is today. And in the face of public protests, the City has backed down, or appeared to, until it could sneak something in, one acre at a time. Then before you could say multi-benefit-multi-use (and yes, that can take awhile), the City and its advisors produced a completed and approved multi-hundred page master plan to destroy the integrity of the watershed park.
I understand their motivation. At least I think I do. Something to do with grant money and deadlines, which would explain why, in the publicly-held meetings between the City and those opposing development in Hahamongna, there was little time or space for dialogue, free exchange, give-and-take.
Now I suppose Pasadena feels some pressure to wrap things up. Possibly there’s some sort of project deadline looming, where a shovel has to crack the earth for the first soccer field in order to qualify for the grant as a shovel-ready project.
The benefits and uses of Hahamongna as they exist today are many. Hahamongna is a natural watershed, a habitat for birds and other wildlife, a small, peaceful area where humans and other animals can enjoy native and old growth plants, and share in responsible use – biking, riding, walking. An area where youth groups explore and learn about a delicate ecosystem.
Nothing can be semi-preserved. You either save something, or you don’t.
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --/I took the one less traveled by..." That's Robert Frost, you know the rest.
When it comes to Hahamongna, those in the majority who represent the City of Pasadena have chosen their road -- not the one less travelled but the one that's paved.
2012年5月29日 星期二
2012年5月28日 星期一
Norwalk Health Department shows off new look
The Norwalk Health Department building, built in the 1960s, just recently finished its first renovation, which cost just over $1 million.
Improvements to the office are mostly aesthetic, such as new floor tiles, a new interior paint job and new steps leading to the East Avenue entrance. However, a few of the renovations provide the department with tangible benefits. A new sliding door will help those with trouble walking freely to enter. New energy efficient windows will cut heating and cooling costs for the building.
The total cost for the renovations is $1,095,000. This includes the building needs assessment, elevator refurbishment, HVAC replacement, roof replacement, interior renovations, exterior renovations, and architectural services. The total work took five years to complete.
"It's brightened the building, it's more inviting and accessible," said Theresa Argondezzi, a health educator at the department. "This update is really helpful."
Part of the cost of the renovation was covered by grants procured from the energy efficient windows. The rest of the costs were provided by the city capital budget.
When most people think of the Norwalk Health Department, they think of restaurant inspections and free vaccinations. However, the department offers a variety of other services, including STI testing, lab checks for deer ticks, educational programs and more. Department officials hope that the renovation will give these services more public exposure.
"Now that we're more visible we hope more people will take advantage of the services we offer here," Deanna D'Amore, project coordinator at Norwalk Health, said.
Improvements to the office are mostly aesthetic, such as new floor tiles, a new interior paint job and new steps leading to the East Avenue entrance. However, a few of the renovations provide the department with tangible benefits. A new sliding door will help those with trouble walking freely to enter. New energy efficient windows will cut heating and cooling costs for the building.
The total cost for the renovations is $1,095,000. This includes the building needs assessment, elevator refurbishment, HVAC replacement, roof replacement, interior renovations, exterior renovations, and architectural services. The total work took five years to complete.
"It's brightened the building, it's more inviting and accessible," said Theresa Argondezzi, a health educator at the department. "This update is really helpful."
Part of the cost of the renovation was covered by grants procured from the energy efficient windows. The rest of the costs were provided by the city capital budget.
When most people think of the Norwalk Health Department, they think of restaurant inspections and free vaccinations. However, the department offers a variety of other services, including STI testing, lab checks for deer ticks, educational programs and more. Department officials hope that the renovation will give these services more public exposure.
"Now that we're more visible we hope more people will take advantage of the services we offer here," Deanna D'Amore, project coordinator at Norwalk Health, said.
2012年5月27日 星期日
Moscow police detain 40 as gays push for parade
Gay activists tried to stage two demonstrations in Moscow on Sunday to demand the right to hold a gay pride parade in the Russian capital, but they were blocked first by Orthodox Christian opponents and then by police, who detained a total of about 40 people from both sides.
The gay activists first gathered outside the city council building, where a few scuffles occurred as their opponents tried to disrupt the demonstration, decrying homosexuality as a sin. After police broke up that protest, another group tried to stage a second protest at city hall, but once again police moved in and detained participants, including prominent gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev.
The majority of those detained were gay activists, but some of the Christian demonstrators also were pushed into police buses. Police said about 40 people were detained in all.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but anti-gay sentiment remains strong.
Activists have long petitioned the Moscow government for permission to stage such a parade, but have always been denied. Former Mayor Yuri Luzhkov described gay parades as "satanic," while current Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said he disapproves of gay gatherings because they could offend the religious beliefs of many Russians.
Gay activist Galina Kaptur criticized city authorities for treating homosexuality as a contagious disease that would be spread through society if gays were allowed to hold a parade.
"It's as if they thought that if all left-handed people held a parade, then afterward everyone would become left-handed," Kaptur said. "This is wrong."
Among the opponents of gay rights was Dmitry Tsarionov, who spoke to the crowd in front of a sign that said "Moscow is not Sodom."
"I will not allow perverts to bring the wrath of God onto our city," he said. "I want our children to live in a country where a sin that so awfully distorts human nature is not preached in schools."
This month, Alexeyev became the first person convicted under a new law in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, which makes it a crime to spread "gay propaganda" among minors. Alexeyev was charged after he picketed St. Petersburg's city hall with a placard that said "homosexuality is not a perversion." He was fined 5,000 rubles (about $170).
The Russian parliament is considering extending the measure nationwide, which gay activists say would make it even easier to ban their public demonstrations.
The gay activists first gathered outside the city council building, where a few scuffles occurred as their opponents tried to disrupt the demonstration, decrying homosexuality as a sin. After police broke up that protest, another group tried to stage a second protest at city hall, but once again police moved in and detained participants, including prominent gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev.
The majority of those detained were gay activists, but some of the Christian demonstrators also were pushed into police buses. Police said about 40 people were detained in all.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but anti-gay sentiment remains strong.
Activists have long petitioned the Moscow government for permission to stage such a parade, but have always been denied. Former Mayor Yuri Luzhkov described gay parades as "satanic," while current Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said he disapproves of gay gatherings because they could offend the religious beliefs of many Russians.
Gay activist Galina Kaptur criticized city authorities for treating homosexuality as a contagious disease that would be spread through society if gays were allowed to hold a parade.
"It's as if they thought that if all left-handed people held a parade, then afterward everyone would become left-handed," Kaptur said. "This is wrong."
Among the opponents of gay rights was Dmitry Tsarionov, who spoke to the crowd in front of a sign that said "Moscow is not Sodom."
"I will not allow perverts to bring the wrath of God onto our city," he said. "I want our children to live in a country where a sin that so awfully distorts human nature is not preached in schools."
This month, Alexeyev became the first person convicted under a new law in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, which makes it a crime to spread "gay propaganda" among minors. Alexeyev was charged after he picketed St. Petersburg's city hall with a placard that said "homosexuality is not a perversion." He was fined 5,000 rubles (about $170).
The Russian parliament is considering extending the measure nationwide, which gay activists say would make it even easier to ban their public demonstrations.
2012年5月24日 星期四
Quad-City students help build house with 'wow' factors
A partnership involving Quad-City Realtors, home builders, skilled trades contractors and high school students has produced the 13th student-built home in northwest Davenport, replete with hardwood and ceramic flooring, granite countertops and a 10 1/2-foot-long kitchen pantry.
The 2,800-square-foot home at 6214 Fillmore St. was built over the past year by 13 students from the three Davenport public high schools and North Scott High School under the direction of Kirk Hakanson, an employee of Scott Community College.
Two classes of students worked on the house for a total of about six hours a day. Students were involved in every aspect of construction, and did the framing, roofing, siding, trim work and laying of the wood floor essentially by themselves, said Jon Yocum, the Quad-City Area Realtor Association representative.
The students worked alongside skilled tradespeople for the plumbing, electrical, insulation, ceramic, carpet-laying, drywall, masonry, painting and concrete work. That is either because the work must be performed by someone with a license or because it is extremely tricky for beginners to get right working entirely on their own, Yocum said.
For North Scott students Alex Grunder and Garth Larson, framing was the most memorable part of the build.
“You could see the whole house just stand up within just a couple of weeks,” Larson said.
He took the class because, beginning with his freshman year, he heard what an incredible experience it would be and how the knowledge he gained would help him in the future. So far, that has proven to be true, he said.
He hopes to build his own house someday and will begin classes in June at Scott/Western Illinois University in pursuit of a degree in mechanical engineering.
“Everybody should sign up,” he said of the class. “It’s a blast.”
Grunder will put his knowledge into practice immediately by working this summer for a home builder. He took the class because he wanted to “learn more about how the business works and how contractors get everything organized,” he said.
For him, the most challenging aspects were the trim and finish details — and not getting upset when things didn’t go right.
One striking feature of the home is the vaulted ceiling in the first-floor living room that connects to the ceiling of the second-floor family room, which has a balcony overlooking the first floor.
“That was a little bit of a higher difficulty factor,” Hakanson said of the vaulting. “It’s an attractive feature, (but) there is a lot more working at height. You have to be careful to do it safely all the time.”
Another “wow” factor is the open kitchen, with its dark, espresso-finish cabinets, tumbled marble backsplash, 10 1/2-foot-long granite-topped island and large-size ceramic tile floor. On one side of the kitchen is a hearth room with a fireplace, plus a dining room on the other side.
The Realtors and the Quad-Cities Homebuilders Association provide financing for the lot, materials and skilled trades contractors. The money comes from a revolving fund that is replenished when the homes are sold each year. This year, the Homebuilders also provided a $2,000 scholarship for students to continue their education.
The 2,800-square-foot home at 6214 Fillmore St. was built over the past year by 13 students from the three Davenport public high schools and North Scott High School under the direction of Kirk Hakanson, an employee of Scott Community College.
Two classes of students worked on the house for a total of about six hours a day. Students were involved in every aspect of construction, and did the framing, roofing, siding, trim work and laying of the wood floor essentially by themselves, said Jon Yocum, the Quad-City Area Realtor Association representative.
The students worked alongside skilled tradespeople for the plumbing, electrical, insulation, ceramic, carpet-laying, drywall, masonry, painting and concrete work. That is either because the work must be performed by someone with a license or because it is extremely tricky for beginners to get right working entirely on their own, Yocum said.
For North Scott students Alex Grunder and Garth Larson, framing was the most memorable part of the build.
“You could see the whole house just stand up within just a couple of weeks,” Larson said.
He took the class because, beginning with his freshman year, he heard what an incredible experience it would be and how the knowledge he gained would help him in the future. So far, that has proven to be true, he said.
He hopes to build his own house someday and will begin classes in June at Scott/Western Illinois University in pursuit of a degree in mechanical engineering.
“Everybody should sign up,” he said of the class. “It’s a blast.”
Grunder will put his knowledge into practice immediately by working this summer for a home builder. He took the class because he wanted to “learn more about how the business works and how contractors get everything organized,” he said.
For him, the most challenging aspects were the trim and finish details — and not getting upset when things didn’t go right.
One striking feature of the home is the vaulted ceiling in the first-floor living room that connects to the ceiling of the second-floor family room, which has a balcony overlooking the first floor.
“That was a little bit of a higher difficulty factor,” Hakanson said of the vaulting. “It’s an attractive feature, (but) there is a lot more working at height. You have to be careful to do it safely all the time.”
Another “wow” factor is the open kitchen, with its dark, espresso-finish cabinets, tumbled marble backsplash, 10 1/2-foot-long granite-topped island and large-size ceramic tile floor. On one side of the kitchen is a hearth room with a fireplace, plus a dining room on the other side.
The Realtors and the Quad-Cities Homebuilders Association provide financing for the lot, materials and skilled trades contractors. The money comes from a revolving fund that is replenished when the homes are sold each year. This year, the Homebuilders also provided a $2,000 scholarship for students to continue their education.
2012年5月23日 星期三
Citaro Euro VI
A diesel powered service bus from Mercedes Benz holds the record of
being the first such bus to be Euro VI compliant. The Citaro Euro VI is
the cleanest running diesel powered bus being offered with Euro VI
engines thus meeting stringent exhaust emission standards. What sets
this bus apart from the rest is the fact that besides meeting high level
of emission standards its fuel consumption too is reduced by 5% while
oil and AdBlue consumption is also at a new reduced level. The Mercedes
Benz Citaro is eco friendly, economical and safe to be used for regular
bus services. This bus comes at a time when demand is high for
procurement of service vehicles which meet the new Euro VI standards.
The bus with Euro VI compliance offers a smoother ride, a better acoustic experience for both driver and passengers besides lower engine sound. The company has also developed two completely new engines based on the company motto of BlueEfficiency Power.
The first such engine comprises of an in line six cylinder OM 936 with 7.7 liter displacement and the second is an OM 470 with 10.7 liter displacement. These two engines are the ultimate where acceleration and power are concerned. They offer smooth running and efficient maintenance. High level of fuel efficiency apart, these engines also consume oil which is at 50% less than their predecessors. The new engines have technical designs that include crossflow cylinder with four valves per cylinder which offers ultra fast gas exchange process. The cylinder head and crank case are joined together with 6 screws per cylinder offering better stability and rigidity.
Another great leap forward for the global bestseller among regular-service buses: the Mercedes-Benz Citaro has just extended its lead over the competition with a completely new engine generation. This makes the Citaro the first regular-service bus to be fitted and supplied with Euro VI engines as standard,We offer you the top quality plasticmoulds design and the world's cleanest-running diesel regular-service bus. A raft of further innovations have reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions,Award Winning solarpanel and heat pumps for electricity and heating. successfully offsetting the extra weight involved in meeting the Euro VI exhaust emissions standard. Mercedes-Benz has also continued to further enhance the Citaro in many other ways,We are professional canada goose jackets for women online sale shop. to create the world's most future-proof, eco-friendly, economical and safe regular-service bus.
Special importance is given to the environmental footprint of regular-service buses, because these vehicles are very often used in areas that are particularly sensitive to environmental damage. For city centres, suburbs and the fast-growing urban areas in Europe and far beyond, environmental protection is a top priority alongside economic considerations when it comes to the purchase and operation of regular-service buses.
The Mercedes-Benz Citaro opens up a whole new chapter in this area by successfully meeting both environmental and economic objectives, as the first regular-service bus delivered to customers with a Euro VI-compliant engine. This has been achieved with an entirely new engine generation from Mercedes-Benz.Buy high quality bedding and bed linen from Yorkshire Linen.
This was the ideal time for Mercedes-Benz again to take the lead in the engine development stakes, with several calls for tenders for procurement contracts stipulating Euro VI as mandatory. Incentive schemes are also now in place for meeting the new exhaust emissions standard.
The powerful performance of these engines has also allowed the developers in almost all cases to provide longer axle ratios than in previous engines. To take just two examples, the standard axle ratio in the rigid regular-service bus is now i=6.21 rather than i=7.37, and in the rigid intercity coach i=5.77 instead of i=6.21. This significantly lowers engine speed and noise levels, as well as reducing the number of comfort-impairing gear changes.The concept of indoorpositioningsystem (RTLS) is fast catching up in industries.
As well as being able to feel the new performance features of these engines, the driver can also see them, with the green area of the revolution counter marking the high-economy engine speed range, starting as low as 900 rpm in the Citaro.
So along with even higher fuel economy, the new Euro VI Citaro also offers smoother running and provides a more agreeable acoustic experience for driver and passengers alike, thanks to the lower engine speeds, plus optimised noise insulation and the fuel injection process.
The bus with Euro VI compliance offers a smoother ride, a better acoustic experience for both driver and passengers besides lower engine sound. The company has also developed two completely new engines based on the company motto of BlueEfficiency Power.
The first such engine comprises of an in line six cylinder OM 936 with 7.7 liter displacement and the second is an OM 470 with 10.7 liter displacement. These two engines are the ultimate where acceleration and power are concerned. They offer smooth running and efficient maintenance. High level of fuel efficiency apart, these engines also consume oil which is at 50% less than their predecessors. The new engines have technical designs that include crossflow cylinder with four valves per cylinder which offers ultra fast gas exchange process. The cylinder head and crank case are joined together with 6 screws per cylinder offering better stability and rigidity.
Another great leap forward for the global bestseller among regular-service buses: the Mercedes-Benz Citaro has just extended its lead over the competition with a completely new engine generation. This makes the Citaro the first regular-service bus to be fitted and supplied with Euro VI engines as standard,We offer you the top quality plasticmoulds design and the world's cleanest-running diesel regular-service bus. A raft of further innovations have reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions,Award Winning solarpanel and heat pumps for electricity and heating. successfully offsetting the extra weight involved in meeting the Euro VI exhaust emissions standard. Mercedes-Benz has also continued to further enhance the Citaro in many other ways,We are professional canada goose jackets for women online sale shop. to create the world's most future-proof, eco-friendly, economical and safe regular-service bus.
Special importance is given to the environmental footprint of regular-service buses, because these vehicles are very often used in areas that are particularly sensitive to environmental damage. For city centres, suburbs and the fast-growing urban areas in Europe and far beyond, environmental protection is a top priority alongside economic considerations when it comes to the purchase and operation of regular-service buses.
The Mercedes-Benz Citaro opens up a whole new chapter in this area by successfully meeting both environmental and economic objectives, as the first regular-service bus delivered to customers with a Euro VI-compliant engine. This has been achieved with an entirely new engine generation from Mercedes-Benz.Buy high quality bedding and bed linen from Yorkshire Linen.
This was the ideal time for Mercedes-Benz again to take the lead in the engine development stakes, with several calls for tenders for procurement contracts stipulating Euro VI as mandatory. Incentive schemes are also now in place for meeting the new exhaust emissions standard.
The powerful performance of these engines has also allowed the developers in almost all cases to provide longer axle ratios than in previous engines. To take just two examples, the standard axle ratio in the rigid regular-service bus is now i=6.21 rather than i=7.37, and in the rigid intercity coach i=5.77 instead of i=6.21. This significantly lowers engine speed and noise levels, as well as reducing the number of comfort-impairing gear changes.The concept of indoorpositioningsystem (RTLS) is fast catching up in industries.
As well as being able to feel the new performance features of these engines, the driver can also see them, with the green area of the revolution counter marking the high-economy engine speed range, starting as low as 900 rpm in the Citaro.
So along with even higher fuel economy, the new Euro VI Citaro also offers smoother running and provides a more agreeable acoustic experience for driver and passengers alike, thanks to the lower engine speeds, plus optimised noise insulation and the fuel injection process.
Dream of carousel in Tri-Cities inches closer to reality
Tri-Citians may be able to ride on a 100-year-old carousel horse as
soon as next summer if a group of business and community leaders
transform a decade-old dream into reality.
Eric Van Winkle,Ultimate magiccube gives you the opportunity to make your own 3D twisty puzzles. chairman of the 16-member Three Rivers Carousel Foundation, told the Kennewick City Council on Tuesday that the nonprofit could have the Carousel of Dreams up and running in 13 months without using any more taxpayer dollars.
The cost for a new building reminiscent of a circus tent to house the carousel and to construct a mechanical platform so the 44 horses can bob up and down once again would be about $1.9 million, Van Winkle told the council.
That includes $1.6 million for the building, located between the Southridge Sports and Events Complex and the baseball fields. A gazebo would have to be moved so there is room for the 12,000-square-foot building, Van Winkle said.
An estimated $250,000 would get the 1910 Charles Carmel carousel back to mechanical running condition, he said.
"It's 100-year-old world-class art that you can touch and feel,About 1 in 5 people in the UK have recurring coldsores." Van Winkle said.
The council was considering selling off the carousel horses to recoup some of the $830,000 the city invested in the project. The horses, bought in 2003, were restored and have been sitting in city storage.
But the city gave the nonprofit and its new board members another chance to finish the project in January.
Kennewick Mayor Steve Young said the foundation has given the council exactly what was needed.
"I am impressed with how far you have come," he said.The core of an indoor positioning system.
The foundation plans to operate the carousel for public rides, as well as renting out the building for events, such as weddings and corporate gatherings, Van Winkle said. Two banquet rooms and a gift shop are part of the design.
Van Winkle expects the carousel to operate at a loss for the first two years, but said the foundation plans to for the carousel to become self-sustaining.
Councilman Don Britain said he still is convinced the carousel won't generate enough money to sustain itself and will become the city's responsibility.
He said he wanted time to review the group's proposed three-year operating budget.
The foundation's projections show an operating loss of $88,350 in the first year, $60,500 the second year and $32,UK chickencoop Specialist.750 the third year.
The budget starts at about $216,000 for the first year, including one full-time manager and several part-time employees. The initial plan is to keep the carousel open 200 days a year for about eight hours a day.
The foundation estimates ridership will start at 50,000 the first year and increase to 75,000 the third year. Cost would be $2 per ride.
The city would continue to own the land and carousel, and would own the building the foundation will pay for, Van Winkle said. The foundation would lease the property and building from the city and hire an executive director to handle operations.
Councilman Bob Parks said he would support moving forward on the project.
But he said he wants to make sure the city will not end up supporting the carousel financially any more than it has.
The city already has made a large investment in it, he said. Parks previously said he wanted the city to get back the $830,000 already spent on the carousel.
Parks said he thinks the right group of people are behind the project. He hopes they will be successful in finishing the carousel in the 13 months the group has proposed.
"If it is going to go, it needs to go," he said.
Van Winkle said they expect to receive about a third of the money from in-kind donations. Already, $300,000 has been donated without active fundraising, he said. And they still have $40,000 in the bank.
Dwight Marquart, the foundation's vice chairman, told the Herald he and many of the new board members want to see a merry-go-round that will add to the region's quality of life.
"All kinds of people have said they want to be a part of this. There's a lot of passion out there,Bathroom floortiles at Great Prices from Topps Tiles." said Marquart, who became involved in the carousel project about a year ago.
The foundation has moved the mechanical platform to a Port of Kennewick-owned building on Columbia Drive so the parts could be inventoried and assembled. That building was leased at no cost, except for the $500 insurance.
More of the pieces are useable than the foundation's board expected, including some of the costly parts like the large gears, Van Winkle said.
He said they are making molds of the parts so pieces can be more easily repaired later.
Eric Van Winkle,Ultimate magiccube gives you the opportunity to make your own 3D twisty puzzles. chairman of the 16-member Three Rivers Carousel Foundation, told the Kennewick City Council on Tuesday that the nonprofit could have the Carousel of Dreams up and running in 13 months without using any more taxpayer dollars.
The cost for a new building reminiscent of a circus tent to house the carousel and to construct a mechanical platform so the 44 horses can bob up and down once again would be about $1.9 million, Van Winkle told the council.
That includes $1.6 million for the building, located between the Southridge Sports and Events Complex and the baseball fields. A gazebo would have to be moved so there is room for the 12,000-square-foot building, Van Winkle said.
An estimated $250,000 would get the 1910 Charles Carmel carousel back to mechanical running condition, he said.
"It's 100-year-old world-class art that you can touch and feel,About 1 in 5 people in the UK have recurring coldsores." Van Winkle said.
The council was considering selling off the carousel horses to recoup some of the $830,000 the city invested in the project. The horses, bought in 2003, were restored and have been sitting in city storage.
But the city gave the nonprofit and its new board members another chance to finish the project in January.
Kennewick Mayor Steve Young said the foundation has given the council exactly what was needed.
"I am impressed with how far you have come," he said.The core of an indoor positioning system.
The foundation plans to operate the carousel for public rides, as well as renting out the building for events, such as weddings and corporate gatherings, Van Winkle said. Two banquet rooms and a gift shop are part of the design.
Van Winkle expects the carousel to operate at a loss for the first two years, but said the foundation plans to for the carousel to become self-sustaining.
Councilman Don Britain said he still is convinced the carousel won't generate enough money to sustain itself and will become the city's responsibility.
He said he wanted time to review the group's proposed three-year operating budget.
The foundation's projections show an operating loss of $88,350 in the first year, $60,500 the second year and $32,UK chickencoop Specialist.750 the third year.
The budget starts at about $216,000 for the first year, including one full-time manager and several part-time employees. The initial plan is to keep the carousel open 200 days a year for about eight hours a day.
The foundation estimates ridership will start at 50,000 the first year and increase to 75,000 the third year. Cost would be $2 per ride.
The city would continue to own the land and carousel, and would own the building the foundation will pay for, Van Winkle said. The foundation would lease the property and building from the city and hire an executive director to handle operations.
Councilman Bob Parks said he would support moving forward on the project.
But he said he wants to make sure the city will not end up supporting the carousel financially any more than it has.
The city already has made a large investment in it, he said. Parks previously said he wanted the city to get back the $830,000 already spent on the carousel.
Parks said he thinks the right group of people are behind the project. He hopes they will be successful in finishing the carousel in the 13 months the group has proposed.
"If it is going to go, it needs to go," he said.
Van Winkle said they expect to receive about a third of the money from in-kind donations. Already, $300,000 has been donated without active fundraising, he said. And they still have $40,000 in the bank.
Dwight Marquart, the foundation's vice chairman, told the Herald he and many of the new board members want to see a merry-go-round that will add to the region's quality of life.
"All kinds of people have said they want to be a part of this. There's a lot of passion out there,Bathroom floortiles at Great Prices from Topps Tiles." said Marquart, who became involved in the carousel project about a year ago.
The foundation has moved the mechanical platform to a Port of Kennewick-owned building on Columbia Drive so the parts could be inventoried and assembled. That building was leased at no cost, except for the $500 insurance.
More of the pieces are useable than the foundation's board expected, including some of the costly parts like the large gears, Van Winkle said.
He said they are making molds of the parts so pieces can be more easily repaired later.
Researchers develop probe for ultracold quantum matter
In a paper published in Nature Physics, a research group from the
Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook University reports
the development and demonstration of a novel probe for atomic quantum
matter.Welcome to polishedtiles.
The paper, "Probing an Ultracold-Atom Crystal with Matter Waves,"
describes a proof-of-principle experiment on the diffraction of atomic
de Broglie waves from a strongly correlated gas of atoms held in an
optical lattice.
"Our work extends matter-wave diffraction, a technique that has already proven useful in various scientific disciplines, to the realm of ultracold quantum matter. What we demonstrated is similar to the diffraction of neutrons for the characterization of solid-state systems, but at energies that are a billion times lower," said Dominik Schneble, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook,Rubiks cubepuzzle.Stone Source offers a variety of Natural stonemosaic Tiles, who led PhD students Bryce Gadway, Daniel Pertot, and Jeremy Reeves in conducting the research.
In the experiment, an artificial atomic crystal is prepared by loading bosonic atoms, cooled down to a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero, into a miniature eggcrate-like potential landscape that is generated by several interfering laser beams. The behavior of atoms in this optical lattice closely mimics that of electrons in a conventional solid, but at a lattice period that is three orders of a magnitude larger, providing the experimenters with exquisite control over all relevant parameters in a defect-free system. By increasing the depth of the optical potential, it is possible to reduce quantum-mechanical tunneling and eventually drive the interacting atoms into a localized crystalline state, a Mott insulator.
Studies of such and other strongly correlated phases, which are now conducted at a number of laboratories around the world, have recently propelled ultracold atomic physics into the focus of modern condensed-matter research, and the development of methods to characterize such phases is a central concern. The Stony Brook researchers recognized that Bragg diffraction of atoms may provide a simple yet powerful diagnostic tool that also allows for non-destructive probing.
Starting with a Bose-Einstein condensate, the researchers prepared a coherent atomic matter wave (akin to a coherent laser pulse), which they then directed at the atomic crystal. The wave-particle nature of atoms allowed them to control the wavelength of the incident atoms through their relative velocity. "Because the de-Broglie wavelength can easily be tuned, our technique precludes limitations on spatial resolution," said Bryce Gadway, first author of the paper, who is slated to join JILA (Boulder) as a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow this summer.
By scanning the atom's wavelength, the researchers observed distinct Bragg resonances in the scattered signal, which revealed the crystalline lattice structure. From the signal, they were also able to characterize the localization of atoms on individual lattice sites,UK chickencoop Specialist. which is dominated by zero-point motion. Furthermore, upon reducing the atom's localization ("melting" of the crystal), the Stony Brook team observed inelastic scattering in the band structure.
As a first application, the researchers prepared and detected an atomic spin-mixture with forced-antiferromagnetic order. "In the future, our technique may be extended to the characterization of various novel states of ultracold matter, such as charge- and spin-density waves, and magnetically ordered ground states of quantum gas mixtures," said co-author Daniel Pertot,Features useful information about glassmosaic tiles, now a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge, U.K.
Independent of any such potential applications, adds Schneble, "Our experiment provides a nice example of wave-particle duality, where ultracold atoms serve both as localized particles and as coherent waves diffracting from them."
"Our work extends matter-wave diffraction, a technique that has already proven useful in various scientific disciplines, to the realm of ultracold quantum matter. What we demonstrated is similar to the diffraction of neutrons for the characterization of solid-state systems, but at energies that are a billion times lower," said Dominik Schneble, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook,Rubiks cubepuzzle.Stone Source offers a variety of Natural stonemosaic Tiles, who led PhD students Bryce Gadway, Daniel Pertot, and Jeremy Reeves in conducting the research.
In the experiment, an artificial atomic crystal is prepared by loading bosonic atoms, cooled down to a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero, into a miniature eggcrate-like potential landscape that is generated by several interfering laser beams. The behavior of atoms in this optical lattice closely mimics that of electrons in a conventional solid, but at a lattice period that is three orders of a magnitude larger, providing the experimenters with exquisite control over all relevant parameters in a defect-free system. By increasing the depth of the optical potential, it is possible to reduce quantum-mechanical tunneling and eventually drive the interacting atoms into a localized crystalline state, a Mott insulator.
Studies of such and other strongly correlated phases, which are now conducted at a number of laboratories around the world, have recently propelled ultracold atomic physics into the focus of modern condensed-matter research, and the development of methods to characterize such phases is a central concern. The Stony Brook researchers recognized that Bragg diffraction of atoms may provide a simple yet powerful diagnostic tool that also allows for non-destructive probing.
Starting with a Bose-Einstein condensate, the researchers prepared a coherent atomic matter wave (akin to a coherent laser pulse), which they then directed at the atomic crystal. The wave-particle nature of atoms allowed them to control the wavelength of the incident atoms through their relative velocity. "Because the de-Broglie wavelength can easily be tuned, our technique precludes limitations on spatial resolution," said Bryce Gadway, first author of the paper, who is slated to join JILA (Boulder) as a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow this summer.
By scanning the atom's wavelength, the researchers observed distinct Bragg resonances in the scattered signal, which revealed the crystalline lattice structure. From the signal, they were also able to characterize the localization of atoms on individual lattice sites,UK chickencoop Specialist. which is dominated by zero-point motion. Furthermore, upon reducing the atom's localization ("melting" of the crystal), the Stony Brook team observed inelastic scattering in the band structure.
As a first application, the researchers prepared and detected an atomic spin-mixture with forced-antiferromagnetic order. "In the future, our technique may be extended to the characterization of various novel states of ultracold matter, such as charge- and spin-density waves, and magnetically ordered ground states of quantum gas mixtures," said co-author Daniel Pertot,Features useful information about glassmosaic tiles, now a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge, U.K.
Independent of any such potential applications, adds Schneble, "Our experiment provides a nice example of wave-particle duality, where ultracold atoms serve both as localized particles and as coherent waves diffracting from them."
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