The aboriginal footfall in a movement to authorize a Collin Canton inferior academy district, accurate by accompaniment aid and bounded taxation at the canton level, came in a affair captivated in McKinney endure Thursday night.
Invitations to alleged citizens in assorted locations of the canton to appear the affair were issued by Joe Harper, administrator of McKinney schools, who served as acting administrator of the affair which was captivated in a affair allowance of a McKinney bank.
Among Celina men who abounding were Dr. Vance W. Stallcup, dentist and affiliate of the Canton academy board; Clint Carey Jr., admiral of the Celina Lions Club, and Harry Scott, Celina mortician.
Harper alien H.W. Musgraves, who told his admirers about the assorted accomplish which accept to be taken in the enactment of a accessible inferior college. A absolution beatific this anniversary to canton newspapers from Harper said, “though there are several forms of Inferior Academy management, the one alleged to accompany is a canton plan, not an alone plan.”
Asked by blast Monday who the arch bodies abaft the movement are, Harper replied that the McKinney Inferior Chamber of Commerce had apprenticed the alignment of the district, as had Phil Wolford, McKinney postmaster, and Truett Smith, Wylie banker. In acknowledgment to a catechism as to what the proposed taxation amount would be, Harper replied that “the appraisal is from 45 to 55 cents on the $100 canton valuation.”
According to the mimeographed account absolution which Harper beatific to canton newspapers, everybody present voted in favor of accumulation of the inferior academy district, but Dr. Vance Stallcup said Tuesday that this did not necessarily beggarly that he was adjoin the proposal, but that he was reserving his assessment until he had an befalling to abstraction it added carefully.
Mr. Carey told The Record he was in favor of the movement “if it turns out that aggregate is as it was represented at the meeting.”
Copies of a address allurement for an acclamation to authorize the inferior academy commune were broadcast at the meeting, and Mr. Harper's absolution said that “representatives from anniversary canton city agreed to yield petitions aback to their citizens, accept their own bounded meetings, and defended signatures from all able voters who advantaged the accumulation of such a college.”
However, The Record has not been able to acquisition a archetype of the address in control of any of the Celina men who were there, nor has it apparent a archetype anywhere else.
A canton inferior academy would accept a seven-man lath of advisers to administrate the diplomacy of the college, and would be adopted by the voters of the county. The antecedent acclamation would awning the conception of the commune and the acclamation of the advisers or regents and the voting would be bound to the acreage taxpaying voters in the commune at large.
The aboriginal acclamation may aswell backpack the hypothesis of voting the bounded aliment tax and band affair for adjustment of buildings, which would be the case in Collin County.
Sources of acquirement for a academy such as has been proposed would be from bounded taxation, grants from the State, and charge from students.
Students would pay a minimum charge of $100 a year or $50 a semester. The Accompaniment of Texas would pay $350 for anniversary apprentice up to 250 acceptance and $250 per apprentice for anniversary apprentice over 250.
Some allocution was heard at the affair about active buses over the canton to aces up students. Accepted assessment was that there would not be any dormitories.
Publicly accurate inferior colleges in Texas get their abutment primarily from bounded sources. The Texas Education Agency in its 1957-58 address listed 32 of these colleges, amid at Alvin, Amarillo, Brenham, Cisco, Clarendon, Corpus Christi, Berger, Gainesville, Wichita Falls, Bib Spring, Athens, Kilgore, Laredo, Baytown, Corsicana, Odessa, Edinburg, Carthage, Paris, Ranger, San Angelo, San Antonio, Temple, Texarkana, Brownsville, Tyler, Houston, Victoria, Weatherfore and Wharton. All but two of these are two-year colleges.
During the 1957-58 academy year these colleges accustomed in banking abutment $5,815,651 from bounded aliment taxes and added bounded sources and $4,720,295 from accompaniment appropriations.
Dallas woman buys old Pond Auberge building
A celebrated old architecture which served Celina for years as a hotel, and after as an accommodation house, which had collapsed into bad adjustment and in contempo months had been vacant, has been purchased by a Dallas woman and will be adequate as an accommodation house.
The architecture is the old Pond accommodation house, which Celina old timers still alarm the Pond Hotel, and some just the “Pond.”
Purchaser of the architecture is Mary Porter McCorkle, Dallas sculptor and realtor, who Wednesday was active with the aboriginal accomplish of administering a accepted cleanup of the place.
The building, an astronomic anatomy anatomy at the bend of Main and Third Streets, was one of those confused to Celina about 1901 from the Old Town, a mile and a bisected southwest. When the Frisco Railway was congenital in 1901, Celina was confused from its aboriginal website abreast the present area of Celina cemetery. The age-old auberge was one of the barrio moved. It was aboriginal confused to a website on Aboriginal Street (then alleged Front Street) and later, in 1911, confused to its present location.
This auberge was run for years by the backward Mr. and Mrs. I. N. Pond, who with their son-in-law, A.L. Hardy, adapted the architecture into an accommodation abode in 1937. The adjustment job was an all-encompassing one and the architecture was adapted into an absorbing colonial-type structure.
Following the afterlife of Mr. and Mrs. Pond a amount of years ago, the architecture had been accustomed to abatement into bad repair, and Mrs. McCorkle proposes to absolutely adjust it, and action the apartments for hire again. She will be at the abode a lot of of the time for the next several weeks administering the plan of adjustment and redecoration.
“Celina appeals to me actual much,” said Mrs. McCorkle Wednesday. She said she begin the abode artlessly by accident, and saw a achievability to restore its adorableness and actualize a acceptable section of acquirement property. Prospective tenants may acquisition her there a lot of of the time until the job is complete, she said.
2012年7月18日星期三
2012年7月16日星期一
Monitor artery ablaze agreement closely
It's a banal arena in Westerns. A badman in a alehouse shoots out the lights and commotion ensues. Will that be what happens if the accompaniment Administration of Transportation follows through with its plan to about-face off up to three-quarters of the almost 3,000 streetlights it operates on accompaniment highways to save money? The accessible is about the acquisition out.
Though the aphotic lamps will accord a "civilization in decline" feel to the state, the move will save the DOT amid $400,000 and $600,000 annually, money it doesn't accept because the Legislature bargain the Bureau of Highway Maintenance's account account by 45 percent. Turning the lights out will account the ambiance and abate the ablaze abuse that obscures the stars. It's an agreement account trying, but legislators, law administration agencies and city-limits and accompaniment admiral should accumulate abutting tabs on what happens if the night becomes darker.
The plan calls for 51 state-operated lights to be angry off in Concord, including some at artery ramps and intersections. That could advance to an access in cartage accidents, decidedly aback the citizenry is crumbling and night eyes declines with age.
Nearly bisected the lights on Route 114 and 202 in Henniker are slated to be angry off. That's worrisome, accustomed Route 202's acceptability as "Death Alley."
Cities and towns can accumulate a state-operated streetlight on by acrimonious up a tab the administration estimates at $30 per month. In some cases, it may be all-important to do that, or to burden assembly to restore some of the DOT's account for lighting.
Bill Boynton, the department's spokesman, says that over the years some of the state's streetlights - and we accept no agnosticism that this is the case with municipalities as able-bodied - were installed added out of wish than need. Those, already they're identified, should be angry off.
But studies appearance that streetlights access assurance for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. A Minnesota abstraction of 12 intersections performed for the National Transportation Assurance Administration activate a 25 to 40 percent abridgement in blast abundance afterwards streetlights were installed. The bureau assured that streetlights are an able agency of abbreviation blow rates. Earlier this month, in an blow that may accept been acquired by bare artery lighting, a arch abettor in Hampton was addled by a car and dead as he larboard his post.
The DOT should be prepared, if accidents increase, for demands that its lights be angry aback on.
Streetlights are aswell associated with a abridgement in crime, admitting the affirmation is mixed. In some cases lighting an breadth has added abomination by creating a abode for youths to besiege and acceptance abyss to get a clearer abstraction of who is accessible to attack. Overall, however, the Administration of Justice says streetlights are an able way to action crime, with ante from a dozen studies in the United States and Great Britain assuming on boilerplate a 21 percent abatement in afire against aphotic areas. Streetlights aswell accomplish association feel safer, a activity they may be accommodating to pay for.
Will the agrarian rumpus activate if the lights go out? We doubtable not. But the accessible have to not be kept in the aphotic about what the impacts of this cost-saving admeasurement about-face out to be.
Though the aphotic lamps will accord a "civilization in decline" feel to the state, the move will save the DOT amid $400,000 and $600,000 annually, money it doesn't accept because the Legislature bargain the Bureau of Highway Maintenance's account account by 45 percent. Turning the lights out will account the ambiance and abate the ablaze abuse that obscures the stars. It's an agreement account trying, but legislators, law administration agencies and city-limits and accompaniment admiral should accumulate abutting tabs on what happens if the night becomes darker.
The plan calls for 51 state-operated lights to be angry off in Concord, including some at artery ramps and intersections. That could advance to an access in cartage accidents, decidedly aback the citizenry is crumbling and night eyes declines with age.
Nearly bisected the lights on Route 114 and 202 in Henniker are slated to be angry off. That's worrisome, accustomed Route 202's acceptability as "Death Alley."
Cities and towns can accumulate a state-operated streetlight on by acrimonious up a tab the administration estimates at $30 per month. In some cases, it may be all-important to do that, or to burden assembly to restore some of the DOT's account for lighting.
Bill Boynton, the department's spokesman, says that over the years some of the state's streetlights - and we accept no agnosticism that this is the case with municipalities as able-bodied - were installed added out of wish than need. Those, already they're identified, should be angry off.
But studies appearance that streetlights access assurance for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. A Minnesota abstraction of 12 intersections performed for the National Transportation Assurance Administration activate a 25 to 40 percent abridgement in blast abundance afterwards streetlights were installed. The bureau assured that streetlights are an able agency of abbreviation blow rates. Earlier this month, in an blow that may accept been acquired by bare artery lighting, a arch abettor in Hampton was addled by a car and dead as he larboard his post.
The DOT should be prepared, if accidents increase, for demands that its lights be angry aback on.
Streetlights are aswell associated with a abridgement in crime, admitting the affirmation is mixed. In some cases lighting an breadth has added abomination by creating a abode for youths to besiege and acceptance abyss to get a clearer abstraction of who is accessible to attack. Overall, however, the Administration of Justice says streetlights are an able way to action crime, with ante from a dozen studies in the United States and Great Britain assuming on boilerplate a 21 percent abatement in afire against aphotic areas. Streetlights aswell accomplish association feel safer, a activity they may be accommodating to pay for.
Will the agrarian rumpus activate if the lights go out? We doubtable not. But the accessible have to not be kept in the aphotic about what the impacts of this cost-saving admeasurement about-face out to be.
2012年6月20日星期三
LLC Initiates Advantage on Ziyang Ceramics Corporation
Bullworthy, LLC, a agenda broker and columnist relations close
focused on bearing high-quality web content, is admiring to advertise
the company's analysts accept accomplished advantage on Ziyang Ceramics
Corporation (OTCBB: ZYCI), a arch architect of autogenous ceramics bank
and attic tiling for residential and bartering applications in Zhucheng,
China.
Tom Copeland and Michael J. Carr CMT, both co-founders and ally at Bullworthy, LLC, affianced in a agreeable and affiliation acceding with Ziyang Ceramics in which the analysts accept produced and broadcast a abundant equities assay address on the issuer. The 25-page Bullworthy Equities Assay Report: Ziyang Ceramics (OTCBB: ZYCI) is now accessible for assay and download in PDF anatomy by beat the link. It's hosted at Ziyang Ceramic's Bullworthy IR profile, featuring aboriginal journalistic and beat annotation and assay accurately tailored for ZYCI investors.
The purpose of the address is to accommodate added buy and advertise ancillary analysts, retail and institutional investors with a complete, realistic, and able assay of the issuer's business,Welcome to the online guide for do-it-yourself Ceramic tile.Industrialisierung des werkzeugbaus. banal and bazaar opportunity.
Where added microcap banal assay letters abort to bear on a comprehensive, cold anatomization of their subject's stock, bazaar opportunity, and banking achievement with businesslike appraisal projections and recommendations, Bullworthy analysts accoutrement Ziyang Ceramics accept they've been absolute and diligent.
The address cites assay and abstracts calm on capacity that ambit from the company's background, artefact line, and operations to the residential and bartering absolute acreage bazaar trends appear urbanization of above Chinese cities. The Banking Achievement area provides a different angle and insight, with Bullworthy, LLC analyst writing, "Ziyang Ceramics has for the endure two years enjoyed absolute banknote breeze from operational activities."
The address comes on the heels of Ziyang Ceramics advertisement absorbing 1Q 2012 balance on May 16th, 2012, in which the aggregation appear net revenues of $11.4 million, an admission of 52.5% from the aboriginal division of 2011. The aggregation aswell appear net assets of $3.2 million, or $.42 per allotment on 7.We looked everywhere, but couldn't find any beddinges.5 actor shares outstanding, its fourth beeline assisting quarter.
In commendations to the growing purchasing ability and admission of China's growing boilerplate chic and a trend appear urbanization, an extract from the address reads, "A majority of all-embracing home décor and architecture barter shows today are concentrated in Chinese cities." Analysts go on to advance how the acceptance of home décor in China provides one accessible account for Ziyang Ceramics' able-bodied 1Q 2012 top-line acquirement growth, and the about 39% admission in net revenues year-over-year from 2010 to 2011.
The address aswell addresses both the U.S. and all-around bazaar appeal and risks for autogenous ceramics attic and bank tiling; the accompaniment and attributes of the white adobe bazaar from which the aggregation derives the all-inclusive majority of its raw materials; and a Conclusions and Analyst Opinion area accurate with third-party abstracts and sources.
Bullworthy, LLC's 12-18 ages amount ambition application the BullworthyGrey Pneumatic is a world supplier of impactsockets for the heavy duty, Composite Appraisal Archetypal (BCVM) is $9.25 a share. The archetypal is affected application formulas that cover price-to-earnings ratios, price-to-book ratios, and discounted banknote breeze with bourgeois variables, and smoothed for a final, boilerplate amount target.
Quoted from the report,Distributes and manufactures rubbermats. "Ziyang seems to accept positioned itself able-bodied in all above aspects of their industry's best practices and operations, from superior ascendancy and development of new artefact curve to bazaar admission and abiding amount structuring, to abide benefiting from calm appeal from both alone consumers and bartering absolute acreage developers for the company's bowl and ceramics attic and bank tiles."
Per the advantage agreement, Bullworthy, LLC, nor their company's shareholders accept accustomed advantage from Ziyang Ceramics of its affiliated shareholders for this coverage. Representatives of Ziyang Ceramics accept agreed to accommodate Bullworthy with acknowledgment on the casework they provide.
Tom Copeland and Michael J. Carr CMT, both co-founders and ally at Bullworthy, LLC, affianced in a agreeable and affiliation acceding with Ziyang Ceramics in which the analysts accept produced and broadcast a abundant equities assay address on the issuer. The 25-page Bullworthy Equities Assay Report: Ziyang Ceramics (OTCBB: ZYCI) is now accessible for assay and download in PDF anatomy by beat the link. It's hosted at Ziyang Ceramic's Bullworthy IR profile, featuring aboriginal journalistic and beat annotation and assay accurately tailored for ZYCI investors.
The purpose of the address is to accommodate added buy and advertise ancillary analysts, retail and institutional investors with a complete, realistic, and able assay of the issuer's business,Welcome to the online guide for do-it-yourself Ceramic tile.Industrialisierung des werkzeugbaus. banal and bazaar opportunity.
Where added microcap banal assay letters abort to bear on a comprehensive, cold anatomization of their subject's stock, bazaar opportunity, and banking achievement with businesslike appraisal projections and recommendations, Bullworthy analysts accoutrement Ziyang Ceramics accept they've been absolute and diligent.
The address cites assay and abstracts calm on capacity that ambit from the company's background, artefact line, and operations to the residential and bartering absolute acreage bazaar trends appear urbanization of above Chinese cities. The Banking Achievement area provides a different angle and insight, with Bullworthy, LLC analyst writing, "Ziyang Ceramics has for the endure two years enjoyed absolute banknote breeze from operational activities."
The address comes on the heels of Ziyang Ceramics advertisement absorbing 1Q 2012 balance on May 16th, 2012, in which the aggregation appear net revenues of $11.4 million, an admission of 52.5% from the aboriginal division of 2011. The aggregation aswell appear net assets of $3.2 million, or $.42 per allotment on 7.We looked everywhere, but couldn't find any beddinges.5 actor shares outstanding, its fourth beeline assisting quarter.
In commendations to the growing purchasing ability and admission of China's growing boilerplate chic and a trend appear urbanization, an extract from the address reads, "A majority of all-embracing home décor and architecture barter shows today are concentrated in Chinese cities." Analysts go on to advance how the acceptance of home décor in China provides one accessible account for Ziyang Ceramics' able-bodied 1Q 2012 top-line acquirement growth, and the about 39% admission in net revenues year-over-year from 2010 to 2011.
The address aswell addresses both the U.S. and all-around bazaar appeal and risks for autogenous ceramics attic and bank tiling; the accompaniment and attributes of the white adobe bazaar from which the aggregation derives the all-inclusive majority of its raw materials; and a Conclusions and Analyst Opinion area accurate with third-party abstracts and sources.
Bullworthy, LLC's 12-18 ages amount ambition application the BullworthyGrey Pneumatic is a world supplier of impactsockets for the heavy duty, Composite Appraisal Archetypal (BCVM) is $9.25 a share. The archetypal is affected application formulas that cover price-to-earnings ratios, price-to-book ratios, and discounted banknote breeze with bourgeois variables, and smoothed for a final, boilerplate amount target.
Quoted from the report,Distributes and manufactures rubbermats. "Ziyang seems to accept positioned itself able-bodied in all above aspects of their industry's best practices and operations, from superior ascendancy and development of new artefact curve to bazaar admission and abiding amount structuring, to abide benefiting from calm appeal from both alone consumers and bartering absolute acreage developers for the company's bowl and ceramics attic and bank tiles."
Per the advantage agreement, Bullworthy, LLC, nor their company's shareholders accept accustomed advantage from Ziyang Ceramics of its affiliated shareholders for this coverage. Representatives of Ziyang Ceramics accept agreed to accommodate Bullworthy with acknowledgment on the casework they provide.
2012年5月29日星期二
Saving Hahamongna, Last Ditch Efforts
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.
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21日星期一
BWI airport becomes art gallery to celebrate human rights
Some of the bravest people in the world can be found at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic. Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. The Dalai Lama.
These and many other figures are featured in a photo exhibit organized to honor human-rights defenders around the world.
Part of the airport's upper concourse, just off the main atrium of the international terminal, has been transformed into a photo gallery to display the traveling exhibit "Speak Truth to Power," which runs through May 31.
The exhibit was organized by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that was formed in 1968 in memory of the former U.S. senator and attorney general, who was assassinated that year at age 42.
It is based on a book written by Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and president of the RFK Center. All of the black-and-white images were taken by Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Eddie Adams.
Kerry Kennedy's book has been adapted for the stage by playwright Ariel Dorfman. Titled "Speak Truth to Power: Voices from Beyond the Dark," the play was presented at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2000, broadcast on PBS and subsequently produced around the world.
Since it was first displayed at Washington's Corcoran Gallery of Art in 2000, the photo exhibit has traveled to more than 20 cities on four continents. The BWI stop marks one of the first times it has been on view in the Mid-Atlantic since the inaugural showing.
"My father once said that 'those with the courage to enter the moral conflict will find themselves with companions in every corner of the world," said Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former lieutenant governor of Maryland and an RFK Center board member. "Through this exhibition, we ensure that these courageous human-rights defenders will find companions in Baltimore and beyond."
The free exhibit gives viewers an opportunity to learn about 53 men and women who faced imprisonment, torture and, in some cases, death, for confronting issues ranging from poverty and domestic violence to police brutality and sex slavery. A brief biography accompanies each portrait. In some cases, such as Tutu's fight against South Africa's apartheid system, the figures have received worldwide attention. Others are less well known.
The exhibit's goal, organizers say, is to show that that people around the globe are working to create a "just and peaceful" world.
Adams traveled extensively to create the portraits. In some, his subjects stare directly at the camera, and only the face or part of a face is shown. In others, they are shown standing or seated. Clothes and backdrops help depict the diversity of the subjects.
On a recent day, the large, striking photographs caught the attention of people waiting to meet someone arriving on a plane or walking from the international terminal to catch a domestic flight. Some stopped just for a minute or two; others lingered and read the biographies and quotes from Robert Kennedy.
Many American airports display artwork, but not many do so to the degree that BWI does.
For many years, the directors of BWI have used both permanent and temporary art exhibits to help create "a strong, valuable sense of place," said airport spokesman Jonathan Dean.
Examples range from color photos of Baltimore and Washington to a large glass crab that has moved around the airport.
One of the largest permanent exhibits is local artist David Hess' "Momentum Study" sculpture, located in the rental car facility. The "daily garage" features ceramic tile murals that mark each level of the garage.
The RFK Center's exhibit is the latest in a series of temporary exhibits at the airport. Others have included paintings from the U.S. Air Force depicting military and space program aircraft and historic aviation events, work from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and five exhibits by the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County.
With millions of passengers passing through each year, BWI is a fitting location for exhibits such as "Speak Truth to Power," representatives say.
Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic. Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. The Dalai Lama.
These and many other figures are featured in a photo exhibit organized to honor human-rights defenders around the world.
Part of the airport's upper concourse, just off the main atrium of the international terminal, has been transformed into a photo gallery to display the traveling exhibit "Speak Truth to Power," which runs through May 31.
The exhibit was organized by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that was formed in 1968 in memory of the former U.S. senator and attorney general, who was assassinated that year at age 42.
It is based on a book written by Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and president of the RFK Center. All of the black-and-white images were taken by Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Eddie Adams.
Kerry Kennedy's book has been adapted for the stage by playwright Ariel Dorfman. Titled "Speak Truth to Power: Voices from Beyond the Dark," the play was presented at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2000, broadcast on PBS and subsequently produced around the world.
Since it was first displayed at Washington's Corcoran Gallery of Art in 2000, the photo exhibit has traveled to more than 20 cities on four continents. The BWI stop marks one of the first times it has been on view in the Mid-Atlantic since the inaugural showing.
"My father once said that 'those with the courage to enter the moral conflict will find themselves with companions in every corner of the world," said Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former lieutenant governor of Maryland and an RFK Center board member. "Through this exhibition, we ensure that these courageous human-rights defenders will find companions in Baltimore and beyond."
The free exhibit gives viewers an opportunity to learn about 53 men and women who faced imprisonment, torture and, in some cases, death, for confronting issues ranging from poverty and domestic violence to police brutality and sex slavery. A brief biography accompanies each portrait. In some cases, such as Tutu's fight against South Africa's apartheid system, the figures have received worldwide attention. Others are less well known.
The exhibit's goal, organizers say, is to show that that people around the globe are working to create a "just and peaceful" world.
Adams traveled extensively to create the portraits. In some, his subjects stare directly at the camera, and only the face or part of a face is shown. In others, they are shown standing or seated. Clothes and backdrops help depict the diversity of the subjects.
On a recent day, the large, striking photographs caught the attention of people waiting to meet someone arriving on a plane or walking from the international terminal to catch a domestic flight. Some stopped just for a minute or two; others lingered and read the biographies and quotes from Robert Kennedy.
Many American airports display artwork, but not many do so to the degree that BWI does.
For many years, the directors of BWI have used both permanent and temporary art exhibits to help create "a strong, valuable sense of place," said airport spokesman Jonathan Dean.
Examples range from color photos of Baltimore and Washington to a large glass crab that has moved around the airport.
One of the largest permanent exhibits is local artist David Hess' "Momentum Study" sculpture, located in the rental car facility. The "daily garage" features ceramic tile murals that mark each level of the garage.
The RFK Center's exhibit is the latest in a series of temporary exhibits at the airport. Others have included paintings from the U.S. Air Force depicting military and space program aircraft and historic aviation events, work from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and five exhibits by the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County.
With millions of passengers passing through each year, BWI is a fitting location for exhibits such as "Speak Truth to Power," representatives say.
2012年5月8日星期二
CIA thwarts bomb plot
The CIA thwarted an ambitious plot by al-Qaida's affiliate in Yemen to destroy a U.S.-bound airliner using a bomb with a sophisticated new design around the one-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden, U.S. officials said Monday.
The plot involved an upgrade of the underwear bomb that failed to detonate aboard a jetliner over Detroit on Christmas 2009. This new bomb was also designed to be used in a passenger's underwear, but this time al-Qaida developed a more refined detonation system, U.S. officials said.
The FBI is examining the latest bomb to see whether it could have passed through airport security and brought down an airplane, officials said. They said the device did not contain metal, meaning it probably could have passed through an airport metal detector. But it was not clear whether new body scanners used in many airports would have detected it.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters Monday that she had been briefed about an "undetectable" device that was "going to be on a U.S.-bound airliner."
There were no immediate plans to change security procedures at U.S. airports.
The would-be suicide bomber, based in Yemen, had not yet picked a target or bought a plane ticket when the CIA stepped in and seized the bomb, officials said. It's not immediately clear what happened to the alleged bomber.
White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said President Barack Obama learned about the plot in April and was assured the device posed no threat to the public.
"The president thanks all intelligence and counterterrorism professionals involved for their outstanding work and for serving with the extraordinary skill and commitment that their enormous responsibilities demand," Hayden said.
The operation unfolded even as the White House and Department of Homeland Security assured the American public that they knew of no al-Qaida plots against the U.S. around the anniversary of bin Laden's death. The operation was carried out over the past few weeks, officials said.
"We have no credible information that terrorist organizations, including al-Qaida, are plotting attacks in the U.S. to coincide with the anniversary of bin Laden's death," White House press secretary Jay Carney said on April 26.
On May 1, the Department of Homeland Security said, "We have no indication of any specific, credible threats or plots against the U.S. tied to the one-year anniversary of bin Laden's death."
The White House did not explain those statements Monday.
The CIA mission was such a secret, even top lawmakers were not told about it as the operation unfolded, one U.S. official said Monday.
The AP learned about the thwarted plot last week but agreed to White House and CIA requests not to publish it immediately because the sensitive intelligence operation was still under way. Once officials said those concerns were allayed, the AP decided to disclose the plot Monday despite requests from the Obama administration to wait for an official announcement Tuesday.
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security acknowledged the existence of the bomb late Monday, but there were no immediate plans to adjust security procedures at airports. Other officials, who were briefed on the operation, insisted on anonymity to discuss details of the plot, many of which the U.S. has not officially acknowledged.
The plot involved an upgrade of the underwear bomb that failed to detonate aboard a jetliner over Detroit on Christmas 2009. This new bomb was also designed to be used in a passenger's underwear, but this time al-Qaida developed a more refined detonation system, U.S. officials said.
The FBI is examining the latest bomb to see whether it could have passed through airport security and brought down an airplane, officials said. They said the device did not contain metal, meaning it probably could have passed through an airport metal detector. But it was not clear whether new body scanners used in many airports would have detected it.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters Monday that she had been briefed about an "undetectable" device that was "going to be on a U.S.-bound airliner."
There were no immediate plans to change security procedures at U.S. airports.
The would-be suicide bomber, based in Yemen, had not yet picked a target or bought a plane ticket when the CIA stepped in and seized the bomb, officials said. It's not immediately clear what happened to the alleged bomber.
White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said President Barack Obama learned about the plot in April and was assured the device posed no threat to the public.
"The president thanks all intelligence and counterterrorism professionals involved for their outstanding work and for serving with the extraordinary skill and commitment that their enormous responsibilities demand," Hayden said.
The operation unfolded even as the White House and Department of Homeland Security assured the American public that they knew of no al-Qaida plots against the U.S. around the anniversary of bin Laden's death. The operation was carried out over the past few weeks, officials said.
"We have no credible information that terrorist organizations, including al-Qaida, are plotting attacks in the U.S. to coincide with the anniversary of bin Laden's death," White House press secretary Jay Carney said on April 26.
On May 1, the Department of Homeland Security said, "We have no indication of any specific, credible threats or plots against the U.S. tied to the one-year anniversary of bin Laden's death."
The White House did not explain those statements Monday.
The CIA mission was such a secret, even top lawmakers were not told about it as the operation unfolded, one U.S. official said Monday.
The AP learned about the thwarted plot last week but agreed to White House and CIA requests not to publish it immediately because the sensitive intelligence operation was still under way. Once officials said those concerns were allayed, the AP decided to disclose the plot Monday despite requests from the Obama administration to wait for an official announcement Tuesday.
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security acknowledged the existence of the bomb late Monday, but there were no immediate plans to adjust security procedures at airports. Other officials, who were briefed on the operation, insisted on anonymity to discuss details of the plot, many of which the U.S. has not officially acknowledged.
2011年9月22日星期四
Choose your mood
Courtyards, a multi-phase condominium project being developed by North York-based Greatwise Developments not far from the Queensway Carleton Hospital, promises not just 598 up-to-the-minute condo units, but an enticing checklist of outdoor options as well.
The scale model of the project in the on-site sales office shows six buildings of various sizes and configurations on a block of land bounded by Baseline Road, Morrison Drive and Draper Avenue. Connected to each of the buildings is a themed courtyard with names like Relaxation Zen Garden, Animation Café and Recreation Bocce Court.
There’s also a central courtyard modelled on an Italian piazza, a town square where locals have traditionally gathered to chew over whatever needs to be chewed over. The courtyards are accessible by walkways from anywhere in the project and should be a highlight of the multi-year development.
“The main thing we wanted was different courtyards, but with a continuity of pedestrian traffic,” says Rudy Levstek of Larocque Levstek Consulting Services, the project’s landscape architects. “It was an opportunity to do something different, where the exterior is just as important as the inside.”
Kathie McMahon likes the inside very much — or at least the sleek, contemporary model unit she saw at the sales centre. In fact, she’s already bought a condo in Courtyards One, the six-storey, 73-unit building that is the first phase of the project.
“I loved the feel,” says McMahon, a former interior decorator. “And it won’t be too hard to clean.”
McMahon, who paid about $300,000 including parking for her 683-square-foot unit on the fifth floor with one bedroom and a study, was one of the first to buy. Currently living in Australia, the recently widowed woman is eager to move to Ottawa to be close to her children and grandchildren.
“My daughter lives nearby and I’m very comfortable with this neighbourhood. I’ve seen how it’s developed over the past few years. I’ve just been waiting for this building to open so I could buy.”
McMahon has returned to Australia to wrap up her life there while Greatwise gets on with building Courtyards One, which should be ready for occupancy in December 2013.
When she moves in, she can expect to enjoy standard granite countertops in the kitchen and bathroom, nine-foot ceilings, stacking washer and dryer, and laminate flooring everywhere except the bathroom, where it’s ceramic tile. She’s also looking forward to life on her east-facing balcony, although condo living means giving up the garden she now has Down Under.
Units on the top floor above her will include ceramic tile in the foyer and crown moulding throughout as standard features.
At the ground level, meanwhile, there will be a kitchen-equipped lounge with an adjacent exercise room and an outdoor terrace area with a barbecue.
By the time McMahon moves in, the eight-storey Courtyards Two next door to her building could be under way. That will eventually be followed by a couple of 12-storey, linked buildings as well as two low-rise, L-shaped buildings at the rear of the property along Draper Avenue.
Ottawa architect Roderick Lahey designed Courtyards. It’s based on an original concept by architect Douglas Hardie and The Regional Group, who were going to build the project until Greatwise took over.
Among other features, Lahey points to the open, ground-level archway in the link between the central buildings. As you enter the property from Baseline Road, you’ll be able to see through the archway to Draper Avenue at the rear, a visual surprise that will also underscore the site’s flowing design.
The windows, balconies and other exterior features of Lahey’s buildings emphasize squares and rectangles, with surfaces that protrude and recede in a tantalizing fashion.
“The square is a beautiful form in itself,” he says. “There’s a lot of activity (on the exterior), but as you move through the site and the courtyards, there’s much less activity. We tried to create a bit of an urban space with all these little courtyards.”
The area that will become that urban space is currently occupied by 84 rental townhomes known as the Redwood Community. Tenants and neighbours reacted strongly to The Regional Group’s original proposal for redevelopment, which included a 20-storey tower and a total of 537 units. Their fears included increased traffic and a worry that tenants in the existing townhomes would be unable to find other affordable accommodation.
Compromises on building height helped the project win city council approval in 2009. The development is also in line with the city’s intensification plans.
The scale model of the project in the on-site sales office shows six buildings of various sizes and configurations on a block of land bounded by Baseline Road, Morrison Drive and Draper Avenue. Connected to each of the buildings is a themed courtyard with names like Relaxation Zen Garden, Animation Café and Recreation Bocce Court.
There’s also a central courtyard modelled on an Italian piazza, a town square where locals have traditionally gathered to chew over whatever needs to be chewed over. The courtyards are accessible by walkways from anywhere in the project and should be a highlight of the multi-year development.
“The main thing we wanted was different courtyards, but with a continuity of pedestrian traffic,” says Rudy Levstek of Larocque Levstek Consulting Services, the project’s landscape architects. “It was an opportunity to do something different, where the exterior is just as important as the inside.”
Kathie McMahon likes the inside very much — or at least the sleek, contemporary model unit she saw at the sales centre. In fact, she’s already bought a condo in Courtyards One, the six-storey, 73-unit building that is the first phase of the project.
“I loved the feel,” says McMahon, a former interior decorator. “And it won’t be too hard to clean.”
McMahon, who paid about $300,000 including parking for her 683-square-foot unit on the fifth floor with one bedroom and a study, was one of the first to buy. Currently living in Australia, the recently widowed woman is eager to move to Ottawa to be close to her children and grandchildren.
“My daughter lives nearby and I’m very comfortable with this neighbourhood. I’ve seen how it’s developed over the past few years. I’ve just been waiting for this building to open so I could buy.”
McMahon has returned to Australia to wrap up her life there while Greatwise gets on with building Courtyards One, which should be ready for occupancy in December 2013.
When she moves in, she can expect to enjoy standard granite countertops in the kitchen and bathroom, nine-foot ceilings, stacking washer and dryer, and laminate flooring everywhere except the bathroom, where it’s ceramic tile. She’s also looking forward to life on her east-facing balcony, although condo living means giving up the garden she now has Down Under.
Units on the top floor above her will include ceramic tile in the foyer and crown moulding throughout as standard features.
At the ground level, meanwhile, there will be a kitchen-equipped lounge with an adjacent exercise room and an outdoor terrace area with a barbecue.
By the time McMahon moves in, the eight-storey Courtyards Two next door to her building could be under way. That will eventually be followed by a couple of 12-storey, linked buildings as well as two low-rise, L-shaped buildings at the rear of the property along Draper Avenue.
Ottawa architect Roderick Lahey designed Courtyards. It’s based on an original concept by architect Douglas Hardie and The Regional Group, who were going to build the project until Greatwise took over.
Among other features, Lahey points to the open, ground-level archway in the link between the central buildings. As you enter the property from Baseline Road, you’ll be able to see through the archway to Draper Avenue at the rear, a visual surprise that will also underscore the site’s flowing design.
The windows, balconies and other exterior features of Lahey’s buildings emphasize squares and rectangles, with surfaces that protrude and recede in a tantalizing fashion.
“The square is a beautiful form in itself,” he says. “There’s a lot of activity (on the exterior), but as you move through the site and the courtyards, there’s much less activity. We tried to create a bit of an urban space with all these little courtyards.”
The area that will become that urban space is currently occupied by 84 rental townhomes known as the Redwood Community. Tenants and neighbours reacted strongly to The Regional Group’s original proposal for redevelopment, which included a 20-storey tower and a total of 537 units. Their fears included increased traffic and a worry that tenants in the existing townhomes would be unable to find other affordable accommodation.
Compromises on building height helped the project win city council approval in 2009. The development is also in line with the city’s intensification plans.
2011年9月21日星期三
Alphabet-themed decor at The Letteroom
The friends Jackie Jackson and Sherrie Mead teamed up two years ago to launch The Letteroom, an online shop selling personalised gifts and home accessories that they run from an ancient stable in the south of England.
If you're against the trend for all things spelt - "SLEEP" in the bedroom, "EAT" in the kitchen and "WASH" in the bathroom - then look away now. The Letteroom is the place to go for decorative letters and playful alphabet-themed buys in all shapes and sizes. Coat hooks, bunting, notebooks, luggage tags, cushions, plates, paperweights - there are a lot of lettered lovelies to lust after here. I've got my eye on the quirky Scrabble tile cushions. They're perfect for a spot of spelling on the sofa - and, rather pleasingly, even have the correct letter scores. I'd buy the letters S-O-F-A.
Don't miss the vintage comics range - large, three-dimensional letters made from recycled cardboard and covered with original comic pages. They're made to order, so no two are the same. You can even request a specific magazine, book or comic for a really personal gift.
Check out the colourful paper alphabet cups, which come in a box of 30 including all the letters as well as a few love hearts for romantic messages. You could use them at a party or wedding, of course, but they're cute as vases, pen pots, or just lined up on a shelf as ornaments.
There's a good selection of ceramic mugs on offer, too - everything from jolly cartoony initialled ones to chic typographic font designs. They can all be filled with chocolates for a small extra charge, which is a nice touch. If you're on a tight budget, pay a visit to the "grab a bargain" section, where discounted and end-of-line goods can be found.
There is wall art to admire before you log off. Letterpress geeks will appreciate the stylish limited-edition retro screen prints produced on an antique press using vintage woodblock type. They have simple slogans such as: 'Genius at work" and "Department of messing about". Sadly, I fear it's the latter phrase that's more appropriate for our house.
If you're against the trend for all things spelt - "SLEEP" in the bedroom, "EAT" in the kitchen and "WASH" in the bathroom - then look away now. The Letteroom is the place to go for decorative letters and playful alphabet-themed buys in all shapes and sizes. Coat hooks, bunting, notebooks, luggage tags, cushions, plates, paperweights - there are a lot of lettered lovelies to lust after here. I've got my eye on the quirky Scrabble tile cushions. They're perfect for a spot of spelling on the sofa - and, rather pleasingly, even have the correct letter scores. I'd buy the letters S-O-F-A.
Don't miss the vintage comics range - large, three-dimensional letters made from recycled cardboard and covered with original comic pages. They're made to order, so no two are the same. You can even request a specific magazine, book or comic for a really personal gift.
Check out the colourful paper alphabet cups, which come in a box of 30 including all the letters as well as a few love hearts for romantic messages. You could use them at a party or wedding, of course, but they're cute as vases, pen pots, or just lined up on a shelf as ornaments.
There's a good selection of ceramic mugs on offer, too - everything from jolly cartoony initialled ones to chic typographic font designs. They can all be filled with chocolates for a small extra charge, which is a nice touch. If you're on a tight budget, pay a visit to the "grab a bargain" section, where discounted and end-of-line goods can be found.
There is wall art to admire before you log off. Letterpress geeks will appreciate the stylish limited-edition retro screen prints produced on an antique press using vintage woodblock type. They have simple slogans such as: 'Genius at work" and "Department of messing about". Sadly, I fear it's the latter phrase that's more appropriate for our house.
2011年9月19日星期一
Memorable buildings find new purpose at ISU
When Terre Haute's federal building reopens next fall, the long-remembered post office corridor will resemble the image remembered from when the building first opened.
Only the people who will soon stroll past the building's historic post office boxes won't be searching for mail; they'll be heading for class.
The building that housed a downtown U.S. Post Office and federal court will maintain trademarks of its past as it hosts new classrooms and spaces for the Scott College of Business at Indiana State University. The federal building, along with the former Emeline Fairbanks Memorial Library, have found new life at ISU as renovations will resurrect some of the most well-known characteristics of the buildings.
"It's important to try to preserve and save these historic buildings," said Bryan Duncan, director of capital planning and improvements at ISU. "It's got to be the ones that are right for preserving. We obviously can't preserve every building, but these two in particular are historically significant and ripe for the ability to preserve them."
The federal building project is projected to cost about $20.5 million, including federal, state and private funding, and spanned three phases of restoration and construction. The demolition needed in the project is almost complete, Duncan said. Construction crews are working on the building from the top floor down to the lower level. Drywall is being installed in some areas on the top two floors, while items such as wiring, electrical outlets and vents are being installed on the lower floors, Duncan said.
The renovations will juxtapose the federal building's 21st century-style construction and technology with early 20th century art deco traditional architecture. University students may be using Skype to talk with peers anywhere in the world, while in the nearby former federal courtroom an audience will listen to a prominent speaker detail expectations of future business leaders against a backdrop of the Magna Carta's signing.
"It is a bit dusty now," Nancy Merritt, dean of the Scott College of Business, said of the prized mural. "However, as renovations continue, the painting will be cleaned by art restorers, and it will look fantastic."
Students will learn in specifically designed classrooms throughout the building, including a financial trading room and a new Sales and Negotiations Laboratory, which will include breakout rooms equipped with technology to record students' practice sessions as they hone their sales tactics and negotiation skills.
"Through this type of hands-on learning, our students will develop the type of professional skills that enable them to become highly successful members of the workforce," said Jon Hawes, marketing professor and director of the Sales and Negotiations Center. "We are excited to be able to offer new capability to our students and hope to also increase our community engagement through use of the Sales and Negotiations Center."
Construction crews were at times challenged with efforts to preserve some traditional elements of the building while renovating other areas to prepare for the business college, Duncan said.
"For example, in the historic corridor, that ceiling is close to 20 feet tall, and being able to get utilities around and through in that area to the entire building is a major challenge," he added.
The $250,000 Fairbanks Hall renovation began in May and is nearly done. The building's ceramic tile floor was cleaned and refurbished during the project, Duncan said. About 95 percent of the building's ceramic tile flooring has been restored, said Scott Tillman, university architect at ISU who designed the project.
Some ductwork and pipes also were relocated to the attic, and equipment was installed near the roof to help melt ice and snow. Crews also repaired some of the plaster near the dome ceiling.
Only the people who will soon stroll past the building's historic post office boxes won't be searching for mail; they'll be heading for class.
The building that housed a downtown U.S. Post Office and federal court will maintain trademarks of its past as it hosts new classrooms and spaces for the Scott College of Business at Indiana State University. The federal building, along with the former Emeline Fairbanks Memorial Library, have found new life at ISU as renovations will resurrect some of the most well-known characteristics of the buildings.
"It's important to try to preserve and save these historic buildings," said Bryan Duncan, director of capital planning and improvements at ISU. "It's got to be the ones that are right for preserving. We obviously can't preserve every building, but these two in particular are historically significant and ripe for the ability to preserve them."
The federal building project is projected to cost about $20.5 million, including federal, state and private funding, and spanned three phases of restoration and construction. The demolition needed in the project is almost complete, Duncan said. Construction crews are working on the building from the top floor down to the lower level. Drywall is being installed in some areas on the top two floors, while items such as wiring, electrical outlets and vents are being installed on the lower floors, Duncan said.
The renovations will juxtapose the federal building's 21st century-style construction and technology with early 20th century art deco traditional architecture. University students may be using Skype to talk with peers anywhere in the world, while in the nearby former federal courtroom an audience will listen to a prominent speaker detail expectations of future business leaders against a backdrop of the Magna Carta's signing.
"It is a bit dusty now," Nancy Merritt, dean of the Scott College of Business, said of the prized mural. "However, as renovations continue, the painting will be cleaned by art restorers, and it will look fantastic."
Students will learn in specifically designed classrooms throughout the building, including a financial trading room and a new Sales and Negotiations Laboratory, which will include breakout rooms equipped with technology to record students' practice sessions as they hone their sales tactics and negotiation skills.
"Through this type of hands-on learning, our students will develop the type of professional skills that enable them to become highly successful members of the workforce," said Jon Hawes, marketing professor and director of the Sales and Negotiations Center. "We are excited to be able to offer new capability to our students and hope to also increase our community engagement through use of the Sales and Negotiations Center."
Construction crews were at times challenged with efforts to preserve some traditional elements of the building while renovating other areas to prepare for the business college, Duncan said.
"For example, in the historic corridor, that ceiling is close to 20 feet tall, and being able to get utilities around and through in that area to the entire building is a major challenge," he added.
The $250,000 Fairbanks Hall renovation began in May and is nearly done. The building's ceramic tile floor was cleaned and refurbished during the project, Duncan said. About 95 percent of the building's ceramic tile flooring has been restored, said Scott Tillman, university architect at ISU who designed the project.
Some ductwork and pipes also were relocated to the attic, and equipment was installed near the roof to help melt ice and snow. Crews also repaired some of the plaster near the dome ceiling.
2011年5月22日星期日
Quicksilver Resources counting on a big year
Quicksilver Resources CEO Glenn Darden expects 2011 to be "a breakout year" as the company advances into the development phase of its Horn River Basin project in Canada, moves into oil exploration and continues amping up natural gas production from North Texas' Barnett Shale.
"It looks like it's going to be a fabulous year," Darden said at last week's annual shareholders meeting of the Fort Worth-based natural gas producer, which has a healthy $500 million capital budget for 2011. "We're moving more toward oil, but we're still a gas company, and we'll always be a gas company," Darden told shareholders at the downtown Fort Worth Club.
Quicksilver will soon start to show "how valuable Horn River is," as it completes more natural gas wells in cold, remote northeast British Columbia and benefits from new pipeline links allowing it to transport more gas to market more cheaply, Darden said. The company is also testing for oil there.
With 130,000 net acres leased at Horn River, Quicksilver has drilled eight natural gas wells there and completed four, which cumulatively are producing 30 million cubic feet a day. It expects to complete the other four wells this coming winter, when drilling equipment can be transported on ice roads. In warm weather equipment bogs down in the swamplike terrain called muskeg.
Horn River potential
Quicksilver estimates that each Horn River well will have an exceptional "estimated ultimate recovery," or lifetime output, ranging from 8.8 billion to 19.4 billion cubic feet of gas. Those numbers far exceed the 1 billion to 5 billion cubic feet estimated for most Barnett Shale gas wells, although operating costs are considerably lower in the Barnett.
Quicksilver's latest annual report said Horn River "appears to be the largest gas find in the company's history and has the potential to quadruple our current total company reserves." The company estimates that it could recover 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from Horn River, or nearly double what it expects from the Barnett.
As of Dec. 31, Quicksilver's proved reserves were equivalent to 2.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, with 2.6 trillion from the Barnett. The reserves are 99 percent natural gas and natural gas liquids such as propane and butane.
Getting more 'oily'
Crude oil accounts for a tiny 1 percent of Quicksilver's reserves, but that could rise. U.S. energy producers are increasingly focusing on oil and natural gas liquids, which command higher prices than natural gas. Quicksilver is pushing this year to become more "oily."
The company expects to complete a horizontal well in the Exshaw formation at Horn River this summer, with oil the target instead of natural gas. Quicksilver has "gotten great oil shows" there, Darden said, from both the Exshaw and from natural gas in the Muskwa and Klua formations below it.
Darden said Quicksilver's biggest thrust into oil this year will be in the emerging Niobrara play in the Green River Basin, where the company has 200,000 net acres leased in northwest Colorado. The company expects to drill up to six exploratory wells there this year.
"We're in oily country, and we're very excited about it," Darden said. "The Niobrara has about 1,500 feet of thickness, so it's a very big target."
Quicksilver is also launching some oil prospecting in the Bakken formation in northern Montana, where it has 175,000 net acres.
The company is also "targeting multiple formations" in the Delaware Basin in West Texas that could yield oil, said Rick Buterbaugh, Quicksilver's vice president for investor relations and corporate planning. These targets include the Bone Springs formation that is attracting increasing attention.
The company has 54,000 net acres leased in Culberson, Reeves, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties and expects to acquire more.
Quicksilver can move quickly in West Texas by re-entering "noncommercial natural gas wells" the company drilled in the West Texas portion of the Barnett Shale, Buterbaugh said. The clay content in the Barnett zone made the results from fracking "less than desired," Buterbaugh said.
With the new oil plays, Quicksilver has "some very high-potential prospects that can really change the look of this company," Darden said.
The company has had lackluster earnings the past two years, primarily because of weak gas prices and related write-downs. The company's stock (ticker: KWK) closed Friday at $14.44, up 14 cents. The stock is down about 2 percent this year.
Quicksilver, however, generally has been a low-cost operator and profited from the sale of its majority interest in Quicksilver Gas Services, which helped trim its debt to a manageable $1.7 billion, with major debt maturing in late 2015. It had 65 cents of debt per 1,000 cubic feet of reserves as of Dec. 31, down 44 percent from $1.17 two years earlier.
Barnett still mainstay
The company's bread-and-butter revenue source this year should continue to be the Barnett Shale, where Quicksilver hopes to boost production by 20 percent. Some of the company's biggest gas wells, with estimated lifetime production of 4 billion to 5.5 billion cubic feet, are in the Alliance and Lake Arlington areas, but smaller wells in the southern Barnett provide more natural gas liquids.
Although natural gas prices have barely topped $4 per 1,000 cubic feet, Darden said Quicksilver will benefit by hedging most of its 2011 gas production at just under $6.
In the company's annual report, Darden said Quicksilver doesn't believe today's abnormal price disparity between oil and natural gas will continue. And at the shareholders meeting he said company officials believe its stock is undervalued.
"We believe this presents a tremendous opportunity to invest in natural gas at the bottom of the cycle," he concludes in the annual report.
"It looks like it's going to be a fabulous year," Darden said at last week's annual shareholders meeting of the Fort Worth-based natural gas producer, which has a healthy $500 million capital budget for 2011. "We're moving more toward oil, but we're still a gas company, and we'll always be a gas company," Darden told shareholders at the downtown Fort Worth Club.
Quicksilver will soon start to show "how valuable Horn River is," as it completes more natural gas wells in cold, remote northeast British Columbia and benefits from new pipeline links allowing it to transport more gas to market more cheaply, Darden said. The company is also testing for oil there.
With 130,000 net acres leased at Horn River, Quicksilver has drilled eight natural gas wells there and completed four, which cumulatively are producing 30 million cubic feet a day. It expects to complete the other four wells this coming winter, when drilling equipment can be transported on ice roads. In warm weather equipment bogs down in the swamplike terrain called muskeg.
Horn River potential
Quicksilver estimates that each Horn River well will have an exceptional "estimated ultimate recovery," or lifetime output, ranging from 8.8 billion to 19.4 billion cubic feet of gas. Those numbers far exceed the 1 billion to 5 billion cubic feet estimated for most Barnett Shale gas wells, although operating costs are considerably lower in the Barnett.
Quicksilver's latest annual report said Horn River "appears to be the largest gas find in the company's history and has the potential to quadruple our current total company reserves." The company estimates that it could recover 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from Horn River, or nearly double what it expects from the Barnett.
As of Dec. 31, Quicksilver's proved reserves were equivalent to 2.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, with 2.6 trillion from the Barnett. The reserves are 99 percent natural gas and natural gas liquids such as propane and butane.
Getting more 'oily'
Crude oil accounts for a tiny 1 percent of Quicksilver's reserves, but that could rise. U.S. energy producers are increasingly focusing on oil and natural gas liquids, which command higher prices than natural gas. Quicksilver is pushing this year to become more "oily."
The company expects to complete a horizontal well in the Exshaw formation at Horn River this summer, with oil the target instead of natural gas. Quicksilver has "gotten great oil shows" there, Darden said, from both the Exshaw and from natural gas in the Muskwa and Klua formations below it.
Darden said Quicksilver's biggest thrust into oil this year will be in the emerging Niobrara play in the Green River Basin, where the company has 200,000 net acres leased in northwest Colorado. The company expects to drill up to six exploratory wells there this year.
"We're in oily country, and we're very excited about it," Darden said. "The Niobrara has about 1,500 feet of thickness, so it's a very big target."
Quicksilver is also launching some oil prospecting in the Bakken formation in northern Montana, where it has 175,000 net acres.
The company is also "targeting multiple formations" in the Delaware Basin in West Texas that could yield oil, said Rick Buterbaugh, Quicksilver's vice president for investor relations and corporate planning. These targets include the Bone Springs formation that is attracting increasing attention.
The company has 54,000 net acres leased in Culberson, Reeves, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties and expects to acquire more.
Quicksilver can move quickly in West Texas by re-entering "noncommercial natural gas wells" the company drilled in the West Texas portion of the Barnett Shale, Buterbaugh said. The clay content in the Barnett zone made the results from fracking "less than desired," Buterbaugh said.
With the new oil plays, Quicksilver has "some very high-potential prospects that can really change the look of this company," Darden said.
The company has had lackluster earnings the past two years, primarily because of weak gas prices and related write-downs. The company's stock (ticker: KWK) closed Friday at $14.44, up 14 cents. The stock is down about 2 percent this year.
Quicksilver, however, generally has been a low-cost operator and profited from the sale of its majority interest in Quicksilver Gas Services, which helped trim its debt to a manageable $1.7 billion, with major debt maturing in late 2015. It had 65 cents of debt per 1,000 cubic feet of reserves as of Dec. 31, down 44 percent from $1.17 two years earlier.
Barnett still mainstay
The company's bread-and-butter revenue source this year should continue to be the Barnett Shale, where Quicksilver hopes to boost production by 20 percent. Some of the company's biggest gas wells, with estimated lifetime production of 4 billion to 5.5 billion cubic feet, are in the Alliance and Lake Arlington areas, but smaller wells in the southern Barnett provide more natural gas liquids.
Although natural gas prices have barely topped $4 per 1,000 cubic feet, Darden said Quicksilver will benefit by hedging most of its 2011 gas production at just under $6.
In the company's annual report, Darden said Quicksilver doesn't believe today's abnormal price disparity between oil and natural gas will continue. And at the shareholders meeting he said company officials believe its stock is undervalued.
"We believe this presents a tremendous opportunity to invest in natural gas at the bottom of the cycle," he concludes in the annual report.
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