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“I believe that over the next five years, the developmentr of the green-energy economu can drive this nation’s comeback,” the Democraticv governor said at the general session ofPV America, which is beingg held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia through The conference is the first by the to focuas solely on photovoltaic solar which comes from photovoltaic panels that convert sunlight into It’s being held in conjunctio with the IEEE’s 34th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, which is adjacen to the convention from Sunday through Friday.
(IEEE used to stand for , but the nonprofitt now just refers to itself by its acronym becauser it has so many members from othe rengineering fields.) About 3,000 peopled are attending the conferences, the SEIA and IEEE Part of Rendell’s message was similar to the message deliverec by SEIA President and CEO Rhon e Resch later in the When they go the people at the conference should promotew solar energy’s virtues to everyone from theirr neighbors to their state and federal elected “You have to roll up your sleevea and be advocates,” Rendell said.
Both Rendell and Resch praisee President Obama for his efforts on behalcf of renewableenergy — “President Obamaw is becoming the solar president,” Resch said but they said they’d like the federal government to do more. Rendell said federak legislators should dotwo things: Make renewable-energy tax creditss permanent, rather than reauthorizing them everyh few years; and create a federakl alternative portfolio standard that mandates that a specifiee portion of energy sold in the country be createfd from alternative energy sources. Twenty eight states, including Pennsylvaniaz and New Jersey, and the District of Columbi a have alternativeportfolio standards.
Rendell said he’d like the federal standard to have minimuk figures that states coulfd exceed ontheir own. “If we do those things I think there’s no reason that America can’t be the dominant nation in solare energy for the he said. Rendel said alternative energyh will drivethe U.S. economy for the next 25 yearxs just asthe information-technology and life sciences industries have driven it for the last 25. Underf his leadership, Pennsylvania has moved to capitaliz onthat shift. In 2004, it established an alternative portfolio standare that requires 18 percent of energy sold in Pennsylvaniqa to come from alternative sourcess of energyby 2020.
Last summer, Pennsylvania created a $650 million renewable energy fund. Of that $180 million is to go to solatr energy, consisting of $100 million for grants and rebates to cover up to 35 percent of the costd incurred by homeand small-business ownerds who install solar energy systems, and $80 million for grantxs and loans for solar economic-developmentr projects. More than 300 applications forsolaf economic-development projects were received by the deadlinse last week, Rendell said. Philadelphia also has gotteh in onthe renewable-energy act. Mayor Michae Nutter in April by 2015. The city is one of 25 takinyg part in the federal Departmenof Energy’s Solar America Cities initiative.
As part of that, it’sw developing a plan to generate 2.3 megawatts of solar electricity by 2011and 57.8 megawattsw by 2021, which is its share of the statee of Pennsylvania’s solar installation goal. To help it meet those goals, Nutter said Monday, the city is lookintg to replace the roof at its fleet workshop with a roof that producea solar energy and has formulated plans forbuildinh large-scale solar arrays at Philadelphia Water Department locations.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Pictures from 2012 that capture the spirit of Long Islanders - Newsday
mcfarlainofuqub1258.blogspot.com
Pictures from 2012 that capture the spirit of Long Islanders Newsday In the moment: Pictures from 2012 that capture the spirit of Long Islanders. December 29, 2012 10:47 AM. A lot happens in the span of 365 days. Small moments, the offbeat and the in-between â€" times that reveal our essence as Long Islanders. 2012 was ... |
Friday, December 28, 2012
Silicosis class action motion filed against South Africa gold firms - Reuters
efimtsovavadan.blogspot.com
Silicosis class action motion filed against South Africa gold firms Reuters JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A South African lawyer has moved to file a class action suit against over 30 gold firms on behalf of 17,000 former miners who say they contracted silicosis, a debilitating lung disease, due to negligence in health and safety. |
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Steep learning curve on reef politics - The Australian
adamovaichive.blogspot.com
Steep learning curve on reef politics The Australian GBRMPA concluded: "The reef is under extreme and unsustainable pressure if the quality of water does not improve. Starfish outbreaks are not a 'natural event' when they occur with the frequency and intensity seen since the 1950s. We have enough ... |
Monday, December 24, 2012
California HS basketball standout breaks the rim on windmill dunk - Yahoo! Sports (blog)
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California HS basketball standout breaks the rim on windmill dunk Yahoo! Sports (blog) Jordan Bell was a household name in high school basketball circles before this week, but if you weren't familiar with the Long Beach Poly (Calif.) power forward's game ... well let's just say this dunk should do the trick. The University of Oregon ... |
Saturday, December 22, 2012
The Cost of Health Care: 1958 vs. 2012 - Forbes
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Forbes | The Cost of Health Care: 1958 vs. 2012 Forbes Mark Perry has posted some interesting comparison of how prices have plummeted between 1958 and 2012 when measured in terms of the hours of work required to purchase items. He concludes that today's consumer working at the average wage of ... |
Friday, December 21, 2012
Setback in US fiscal talks rattles shares, euro - Reuters
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National Post | Setback in US fiscal talks rattles shares, euro Reuters NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global stock markets skidded on Friday, and the euro and oil futures also slipped as a new setback in talks to avert a U.S. fiscal crisis and weak data out of Europe put investors on edge. A proposal from U.S. Speaker of the House ... US fiscal cliff s etback rattles global shares, euro Fiscal cliff setback rattles shares, euro Asian shares slide as anxieties show over U.S. budget impasse |
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Gas prices up 14 cents - Orlando Business Journal:
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Nationwide, the average price of regular unleaded gas rose by 14 centxs in thelast week, to $2.21 a gallon. It also rose 14 centsa in Florida, to $2.23 a gallomn from $2.09. The rise in gas pricews coincides with a hike in crudedoil prices, which climbed $5.43 a barrel to closre on Friday on the at $58.63 a the highest price yet this "Notwithstanding a recent run-up in wholesalse prices, retail price increases defy the fundamentalss that tell us we still have weak demand, a surpluds of oil and healthy output from said Gregg Laskoski, managing director of publifc relations, in a news release.
“Bu some analysts believe that news last week from the reportinhg a decline in unemployment benefit claims pointes to emerging recovery and growinh demand for fuel in thenear term."
Nationwide, the average price of regular unleaded gas rose by 14 centxs in thelast week, to $2.21 a gallon. It also rose 14 centsa in Florida, to $2.23 a gallomn from $2.09. The rise in gas pricews coincides with a hike in crudedoil prices, which climbed $5.43 a barrel to closre on Friday on the at $58.63 a the highest price yet this "Notwithstanding a recent run-up in wholesalse prices, retail price increases defy the fundamentalss that tell us we still have weak demand, a surpluds of oil and healthy output from said Gregg Laskoski, managing director of publifc relations, in a news release.
“Bu some analysts believe that news last week from the reportinhg a decline in unemployment benefit claims pointes to emerging recovery and growinh demand for fuel in thenear term."
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Avinger Receives FDA Clearance for Ocelot | PIXL - The Herald | HeraldOnline.com
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Avinger Receives FDA Clearance for Ocelot | PIXL The Herald | HeraldOnline.com Avinger Inc., a medical device manufacturer of innovative, multi-functional imaging catheters for crossing chronic total occlusions (CTOs) in patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), has received FDA clearance to market Ocelot | PIXL in the ... |
Monday, December 17, 2012
A World of Maximum Guns - The Atlantic
vlastaowibopaj.blogspot.com
A World of Maximum Guns The Atlantic A World of Maximum Guns. By Ta-Nehisi Coates. Tweet Dec 15 2012, 6:38 PM ET Comment. This is probably as good a time as any to link to my colleague Jeff Goldberg's piece which argues for more gun safety measures along with a larger portion of the ... |
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Colonial looks to board to fill top jobs - Washington Business Journal:
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The appointments of Sippial and Beville are effective today but are subject to final approval by the appropriatreregulatory authorities, Colonial said in a release. Colonial BancGrou p (NYSE: CNB), headquartered in Montgomery, is a $26 billion holding companyt with 352 branches in five is among the largest bankss in the Tampa Bay area with50 $2.8 billion in deposits and a 3.6 percent deposit market share, accordinv to the most recent information available from the Colonial recentlu made a deal for a $300 milliobn capital infusion that gives of Ocalq controlling interest in the bank, which has struggled in part because of its exposurew to the Florida real estates market.
Sippial, president and founder of , a real estated investment company basedin Montgomery, Ala., has server on the board of directors of Colonial since 1997. In additioh to his regular board compensation, he will receive an annual retainerof $300,000 and an annuakl transportation allowance of $10,000, a filing with the Beville, who also has servecd on the Colonial boarfd since 1997, will be takinfg a leave of absence from his position as vice president/treasurerf at T&B Ltd., an insurance agency in Ala., operating under the name . Bevillwe does not have a written contract with but he will receive a base annual salary of the SECfiling said.
In lieu of a relocatiob package, he will receive up to $50,000 in annuaol housing allowance and an annual transportatioh allowanceof $10,000. Neither Sippial nor Beville will initially take part in a definedincentivr plan, and neither was granted any equityy compensation or signing bonus, the filing
The appointments of Sippial and Beville are effective today but are subject to final approval by the appropriatreregulatory authorities, Colonial said in a release. Colonial BancGrou p (NYSE: CNB), headquartered in Montgomery, is a $26 billion holding companyt with 352 branches in five is among the largest bankss in the Tampa Bay area with50 $2.8 billion in deposits and a 3.6 percent deposit market share, accordinv to the most recent information available from the Colonial recentlu made a deal for a $300 milliobn capital infusion that gives of Ocalq controlling interest in the bank, which has struggled in part because of its exposurew to the Florida real estates market.
Sippial, president and founder of , a real estated investment company basedin Montgomery, Ala., has server on the board of directors of Colonial since 1997. In additioh to his regular board compensation, he will receive an annual retainerof $300,000 and an annuakl transportation allowance of $10,000, a filing with the Beville, who also has servecd on the Colonial boarfd since 1997, will be takinfg a leave of absence from his position as vice president/treasurerf at T&B Ltd., an insurance agency in Ala., operating under the name . Bevillwe does not have a written contract with but he will receive a base annual salary of the SECfiling said.
In lieu of a relocatiob package, he will receive up to $50,000 in annuaol housing allowance and an annual transportatioh allowanceof $10,000. Neither Sippial nor Beville will initially take part in a definedincentivr plan, and neither was granted any equityy compensation or signing bonus, the filing
Saturday, December 15, 2012
NACA to add more than 1,000 jobs in Charlotte - Phoenix Business Journal:
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The hiring will begin immediately, with the national nonprofi hosting a job fair Fridayand Saturday. NACA focuses on lending to low- and moderate-incomwe families. Gov. Bev Perdue announced the expansion with the state giving NACAa $1 million grany from the One North Carolina Fund. It plan s to invest more than $4 millioj here, with 1,014 jobs expected to be added over the nextfive “North Carolina remains a strong presence in the U.S. finance and this is a tremendous opportunity for the Perdue said.
“Our top-rated business climatr and skilled financial-services work force are attractiv e to growing national NACA is headquartered in Boston and operates more than 40 offices nationwide. It currently employs about 100 workers in Mecklenbur g County to originate and processmortgage loans. Under the five-year state incentive agreement, the organization plansd to add 550jobs immediately. The jobs will pay an averag annual wageof $35,982. Salaries will ranged up to $80,000 annually. The hiring will focusx on mortgage negotiators, customer-service representatives, call-center managerd and mortgage counselors.
“NACA is excited that it’s putting more than 1,00 people to work during thesde tougheconomic times,” NACA Chief Executive Bruce Marks said Thursday. “Today’s announcement is more than just a souncbite — we are followinyg through on this investment by holdinhg a jobs fair tomorrowa to hire 550 people immediately.” Perdue said Thursdaty that she consulted with formee Bank of America Corp. Chairman Hugh McColl Jr. aboutr the deal. McColl has been a longtime supporterof NACA’ s work. BofA began a partnershipp with NACAunder McColl’s watc in 1995 and in 2004 committed $6 billion to its lendiny program.
Perdue says McColl confirmed to her that he expected NACA coulf follow through on its job commitmentsz in severalphone conversations. “Whebn someone begins something like thisin Charlotte, it alwayes grows,” McColl said in an interview “They’ll come in and find this is a good placde to find (a work I would hope it would be an eruptiomn of jobs, not just trickles down.” The group claims it will be the largest number of people hired immediately in one area and the largest job commitment in the countrty since the mortgage crisis began in 2007. The hirin g comes as NACA embarks on a nationwide Save theDreamk Tour.
Marks says the added jobs are cruciao as NACA leads its campaigmn to makemortgages affordable. Hundreds of NACA staffc will provide long-term solutions for homeownersx with anunaffordable mortgage. “Charlotte continuee to be attractive because of ourknowledgeable financial-service s work force and we welcome NACA’s investmen t in North Carolina,” N.C. Sen. Dan Clodfeltefr (D-Mecklenburg) said in a release. NACA’es Counseling Center is in the Charlotte East office park off Albemarlre Road between Central Avenue and FarmPond Lane.
“Charlott continues to be recognized as a leadefr in financial services with a talented and experienceclabor force,” says Charlotte Chamber Chairmamn Tim Belk. “We are pleasec to welcome NACA to the community and look forward to the investment in jobs and presence they will briny to ourEast side.” The chambe assisted NACA in its expansion effort. Charlotte East ownerr Roger Kellogg, principal of , and leasinh director Eric Speckman have worked closely with NACAsinces 2007, when the nonprofi t established a small office in the park.
NACA has legall binding agreements with all themajoer lenders/servicers to restructure the mortgages they The NACA agreements cover more than 90 percent of homeowner s with an unaffordable mortgage. The staff from the Counselingv Center in Charlotte will travelk nationwide to work on Save the Dream eventes where morethan 25,00p people are counseled over four days, with thousands receivingf affordable restructured mortgages with permanent interest rates oftenj at 4 percent, 3 percent and 2 percent and wherer necessary the principal reduced. The started in 1988, has the primary goal of buildingv strong, healthy neighborhoods nationwide throughaffordable homeownership.
NACA operations include financialo counseling, specialized mortgage services and a Home Save program for homeownerx with anunaffordable mortgage. NACA will host a job fair from8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Frida and Saturday at its CharlottdCounseling Center. For more informationm about Neighborhood Assistance Corporationof America, including employment opportunities, go to
The hiring will begin immediately, with the national nonprofi hosting a job fair Fridayand Saturday. NACA focuses on lending to low- and moderate-incomwe families. Gov. Bev Perdue announced the expansion with the state giving NACAa $1 million grany from the One North Carolina Fund. It plan s to invest more than $4 millioj here, with 1,014 jobs expected to be added over the nextfive “North Carolina remains a strong presence in the U.S. finance and this is a tremendous opportunity for the Perdue said.
“Our top-rated business climatr and skilled financial-services work force are attractiv e to growing national NACA is headquartered in Boston and operates more than 40 offices nationwide. It currently employs about 100 workers in Mecklenbur g County to originate and processmortgage loans. Under the five-year state incentive agreement, the organization plansd to add 550jobs immediately. The jobs will pay an averag annual wageof $35,982. Salaries will ranged up to $80,000 annually. The hiring will focusx on mortgage negotiators, customer-service representatives, call-center managerd and mortgage counselors.
“NACA is excited that it’s putting more than 1,00 people to work during thesde tougheconomic times,” NACA Chief Executive Bruce Marks said Thursday. “Today’s announcement is more than just a souncbite — we are followinyg through on this investment by holdinhg a jobs fair tomorrowa to hire 550 people immediately.” Perdue said Thursdaty that she consulted with formee Bank of America Corp. Chairman Hugh McColl Jr. aboutr the deal. McColl has been a longtime supporterof NACA’ s work. BofA began a partnershipp with NACAunder McColl’s watc in 1995 and in 2004 committed $6 billion to its lendiny program.
Perdue says McColl confirmed to her that he expected NACA coulf follow through on its job commitmentsz in severalphone conversations. “Whebn someone begins something like thisin Charlotte, it alwayes grows,” McColl said in an interview “They’ll come in and find this is a good placde to find (a work I would hope it would be an eruptiomn of jobs, not just trickles down.” The group claims it will be the largest number of people hired immediately in one area and the largest job commitment in the countrty since the mortgage crisis began in 2007. The hirin g comes as NACA embarks on a nationwide Save theDreamk Tour.
Marks says the added jobs are cruciao as NACA leads its campaigmn to makemortgages affordable. Hundreds of NACA staffc will provide long-term solutions for homeownersx with anunaffordable mortgage. “Charlotte continuee to be attractive because of ourknowledgeable financial-service s work force and we welcome NACA’s investmen t in North Carolina,” N.C. Sen. Dan Clodfeltefr (D-Mecklenburg) said in a release. NACA’es Counseling Center is in the Charlotte East office park off Albemarlre Road between Central Avenue and FarmPond Lane.
“Charlott continues to be recognized as a leadefr in financial services with a talented and experienceclabor force,” says Charlotte Chamber Chairmamn Tim Belk. “We are pleasec to welcome NACA to the community and look forward to the investment in jobs and presence they will briny to ourEast side.” The chambe assisted NACA in its expansion effort. Charlotte East ownerr Roger Kellogg, principal of , and leasinh director Eric Speckman have worked closely with NACAsinces 2007, when the nonprofi t established a small office in the park.
NACA has legall binding agreements with all themajoer lenders/servicers to restructure the mortgages they The NACA agreements cover more than 90 percent of homeowner s with an unaffordable mortgage. The staff from the Counselingv Center in Charlotte will travelk nationwide to work on Save the Dream eventes where morethan 25,00p people are counseled over four days, with thousands receivingf affordable restructured mortgages with permanent interest rates oftenj at 4 percent, 3 percent and 2 percent and wherer necessary the principal reduced. The started in 1988, has the primary goal of buildingv strong, healthy neighborhoods nationwide throughaffordable homeownership.
NACA operations include financialo counseling, specialized mortgage services and a Home Save program for homeownerx with anunaffordable mortgage. NACA will host a job fair from8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Frida and Saturday at its CharlottdCounseling Center. For more informationm about Neighborhood Assistance Corporationof America, including employment opportunities, go to
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Four Old Spice Ads Make YouTube's List of Most Popular Ads of 2012 - New York Times (blog)
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Four Old Spice Ads Make YouTube's List of Most Popular Ads of 2012 New York Times (blog) The list, called the YouTube 2012 Ads Leaderboard, underscores that point with the subheading, “Ads People Choose.†The list was compiled, according to YouTube, using a combination of factors that signaled viewer choice, including number of views and ... |
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Eddie Bauer buyer says it will turn retailer around - Baltimore Business Journal:
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Jonathan Lynch, a managing director of CCMP CapitallAdvisors LLC, said without the burden of debt, coulsd quickly become a profitable company. “In this we are talking about a good company with a badbalancse sheet, and we are going to turn it into a greaf company with a great balance Lynch said. Lynch said Eddie Bauer CEO Neil Fiske and his team havemade “impressivr strides in a very difficult economic Looking at key retail metrics, particularl y comparable-store sales, Eddie Bauert has outperformed its competitors, Lynch said. Lynch said CCMP Capital would keepthe company’s headquarters in Bellevue becausee he said there is no compelling strategic reason to move it.
He said that CCMP Capitalk typically holds on to companies for five to 10 And Lynch said his firm also woulx keep most ofEddie Bauer’s 371 retail stores although he said that some stores that can’t remain profitable woulx be closed. Lynch said he did not know how many storese thatmight be. Eddie Bauer f The retailert struck a deal withCCMP Capital, for $202 CCMP’s offer is essentially an opening bid for Eddie Bauer’s The sale must be approved by a bankruptc y judge, who will oversed an auction. CCMP likely woulcd emerge as Eddie Bauer’s owner, unlese there is an offer thatbeats CCMP’w price and terms. Eddie Bauer listefd total assetsof $476.
1 million and totall debts of $426.7 million as of May 30.
Jonathan Lynch, a managing director of CCMP CapitallAdvisors LLC, said without the burden of debt, coulsd quickly become a profitable company. “In this we are talking about a good company with a badbalancse sheet, and we are going to turn it into a greaf company with a great balance Lynch said. Lynch said Eddie Bauer CEO Neil Fiske and his team havemade “impressivr strides in a very difficult economic Looking at key retail metrics, particularl y comparable-store sales, Eddie Bauert has outperformed its competitors, Lynch said. Lynch said CCMP Capital would keepthe company’s headquarters in Bellevue becausee he said there is no compelling strategic reason to move it.
He said that CCMP Capitalk typically holds on to companies for five to 10 And Lynch said his firm also woulx keep most ofEddie Bauer’s 371 retail stores although he said that some stores that can’t remain profitable woulx be closed. Lynch said he did not know how many storese thatmight be. Eddie Bauer f The retailert struck a deal withCCMP Capital, for $202 CCMP’s offer is essentially an opening bid for Eddie Bauer’s The sale must be approved by a bankruptc y judge, who will oversed an auction. CCMP likely woulcd emerge as Eddie Bauer’s owner, unlese there is an offer thatbeats CCMP’w price and terms. Eddie Bauer listefd total assetsof $476.
1 million and totall debts of $426.7 million as of May 30.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Major alcohol reforms pass into law - New Zealand Herald
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3News NZ | Major alcohol reforms pass into law New Zealand Herald Justice Minister Judith Collins said the Alcohol Reform Bill, which was now divided into three bills, struck a "sensible balance" by reducing the serious harm caused by alcohol without penalising people who drank responsibly. She told the Herald ... MPs pass new alcohol legislation Alcohol Reform Bill 'a total failure' Alcohol Law Reform Passes Into Law |
Sunday, December 9, 2012
IHOP will change corporate name to DineEquity - Dallas Business Journal:
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Glendale's IHOP (NYSE: IHP) attributed the name chang e toits $2.04 billion purchase of . "Th acquisition of Applebee's required that we select a name for our companhy that reflectsour company's core competencies and recognizesx our ownership of multiple brands, and DineEquity does just IHOP CEO Julia Stewarr said in the "Further, DineEquity's tagline 'Grea Franchisees. Great Brands.' prominently identifies two of the most important contributors to our With Applebee's and IHOP, we have brought together two greag brands, and we are beginning to demonstrate how we are more successfuo together than we couldr ever have been apart.
Our name changes to DineEquity reflects the promise of our newlycombinedx company." IHOP Corp. owns and franchises more than 3,300 IHOP and Applebee'se Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurantd combined.
Glendale's IHOP (NYSE: IHP) attributed the name chang e toits $2.04 billion purchase of . "Th acquisition of Applebee's required that we select a name for our companhy that reflectsour company's core competencies and recognizesx our ownership of multiple brands, and DineEquity does just IHOP CEO Julia Stewarr said in the "Further, DineEquity's tagline 'Grea Franchisees. Great Brands.' prominently identifies two of the most important contributors to our With Applebee's and IHOP, we have brought together two greag brands, and we are beginning to demonstrate how we are more successfuo together than we couldr ever have been apart.
Our name changes to DineEquity reflects the promise of our newlycombinedx company." IHOP Corp. owns and franchises more than 3,300 IHOP and Applebee'se Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurantd combined.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Timbers wrap up busy week of roster moves - Yahoo! Sports
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NBCSports.com | Timbers wrap up busy week of roster moves Yahoo! Sports On Thursday, the team announced it had picked up the contract options on goalkeeper Joe Bendik, defenders Futty Danso and Chris Taylor, midfielders Eric Alexander, Kalif Alhassan and Sal Zizzo, and forwards Bright Dike and Brent Richards. Players still ... Portla nd retains 11 players from 2012 squad |
Friday, December 7, 2012
Curtis Adkins: Compassionate construction - Washington Business Journal:
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He discovered a few years ago, while helping to builr an emergency shelter for homeless men inMontgomeruy County, that even in one of wealthiesr regions in the country, the other end of the spectrun is very close to "Everyone thinks of Montgomery County as an affluenty area, but here's a homeless shelter that has 100 peopl e going through there every says Adkins, vice president of McLean-based and presideng of the Home Builders Care a non-profit group that serves the District and five Marylansd counties. "You don't think there's a povertu issue in those kindsof places, but it's rightr in our back yard. It was an eye-opener.
" After spendinh five years on the foundation's board, Adkins recentlyt took the helm asits president. He and 15 other boardd members serve as matchmakers between the locao construction industryand non-profit groupx that need a hand with building and repairing shelterss for homeless and low-incomee residents. The labor performed by membera ofHBCF ( ) is donates in-kind or heavily Montgomery County's shelter would have cost $1 million if it was put out to bid, but HBCF volunteeres built it for $500,000. The refurbishmen t last year of a shelter for mentallyg challenged adults inPrince George's County was budgeted at Thanks to HBCF's efforts, it cost only Adkins says.
And for Adkins, the work is even more gratifyinf than topping offa million-dollar home. "It' always nice when a house gets finishefd and you can stand on the streeg lookingat it, knowing you had something to do with its Adkins says. "But when you see the folks that benefitg froma [HBCF] project, and you see how they appreciates it, it's incredibly satisfying." Adkinw caught the attention of Ken Malm back in when Adkins was a colleg e student looking to earn a few bucks and Malm was headingt up the Maryland division of NV Homes. Malm is president of Craftmark Group, whicnh includes Adkins' company and Craftmark Homes.
"When we hired Curt as a laborer, a superintenden on a job site asked him to move a steel Malm says. "Curt ran to the picked it up and ran it over to the new Curt is the kind ofguy who, when he's walkinbg up stairs, he's taking them two or thres stairs at a time." When Adkins graduatef from Ohio University in he re-connected with Malm at NV Homes. Througg 10 years with the company, Adkins climbed the ladderf from laborer to assistant supervisor toproject manager. During that time, Malm left the company to starf hisown venture, Craftmark Group. Adkins eventually followedx him and has been with Craftmark for aboufeight years.
It was Malm who convinced Adkins to get involved with which is the charitable arm ofthe Maryland-Nationak Capital Building Industry Association ( ). "Curtt has a calm demeanor at the office, but underneathn that is a lot of intensityand energy," Malm "I think that's the best combination, to have a laid-back interpersonao style while still maintaining that intensith for work." Since it was formexd in 1984, HBCF has provided donationsd of labor and materials valuede at more than $3 million to shelteer projects in the District and suburban Maryland.
Not everyone who worksz on HBCF initiatives is a member of the and board members are able to drawon "hundredsx of contacts" in the construction industry when it's time to starg a project, Adkins says. "There are a lot of guys out therwe who are just willing to donate their time and do a good Adkins says. Count Adkins in that group, says Patti HBCF's program manager. When the Silver Springy Interfaith Housing Coalition needed someone with drywal expertise to renovate the GoodShepherdc Cottage, a transitional home for needy families, Adkinw wasted no time answering the call, Kane says.
"Thw coalition had nobody who knew much about but Curt had somebody up there within a few days doing the Kane says. "Any time there'sz a hole to fill in a project, Curt volunteers to help. His hearr is really in his This year, HBCF is taking a new tack in itscharitablee efforts. The organization is working with District officials to develop affordable housing on a vacanft lot in the northeastg quadrant ofthe city. If the city agreess to donate the land, HBCF volunteers have a roug plan tobuild "three to 12" townhouse units on the site, Adkinxs says. "This would be a first for Adkins says.
"We've always done shelter-oriented projects, and new housing would be a big job for avolunteeer board. It's a project that would take full-timr management, but we're trying to see it through." The work also wouldf provide a nice change of pacefor Adkins, whos responsibilities at Craftmark typically include supervisinbg the development of homes valued between $900,000 and $2 million. That'ws what would make the District project a step in therighy direction, Adkins says. "There's clearly not enough affordabld housing inthis region," he says. "There's a limited supply of and there's an increasing amountf of fees and charges that add onto the costsz of buildinga home.
I don't see a let-uop in that pattern any time soon." Whether it's following througy at the office or starting the nextHBCF project, Adkins says he'll stick by a credk he adopted when he first entered the construction industryy nearly 20 years ago -- the harde r you work, the easier your job becomes. "Honestly, the more that you plan the fewersurprises you'll have," he says. "It'ws how I felt when I was workinh on ajob site, and it's how I feel now that I'm on the managemenyt side of the business.
Sometimes, all it takes is working an extra hour at night to make sure a hous is ready for the contractotr inthe morning, or staying at the officde a little bit longee to finish up the paperwork for an importanrt customer."
He discovered a few years ago, while helping to builr an emergency shelter for homeless men inMontgomeruy County, that even in one of wealthiesr regions in the country, the other end of the spectrun is very close to "Everyone thinks of Montgomery County as an affluenty area, but here's a homeless shelter that has 100 peopl e going through there every says Adkins, vice president of McLean-based and presideng of the Home Builders Care a non-profit group that serves the District and five Marylansd counties. "You don't think there's a povertu issue in those kindsof places, but it's rightr in our back yard. It was an eye-opener.
" After spendinh five years on the foundation's board, Adkins recentlyt took the helm asits president. He and 15 other boardd members serve as matchmakers between the locao construction industryand non-profit groupx that need a hand with building and repairing shelterss for homeless and low-incomee residents. The labor performed by membera ofHBCF ( ) is donates in-kind or heavily Montgomery County's shelter would have cost $1 million if it was put out to bid, but HBCF volunteeres built it for $500,000. The refurbishmen t last year of a shelter for mentallyg challenged adults inPrince George's County was budgeted at Thanks to HBCF's efforts, it cost only Adkins says.
And for Adkins, the work is even more gratifyinf than topping offa million-dollar home. "It' always nice when a house gets finishefd and you can stand on the streeg lookingat it, knowing you had something to do with its Adkins says. "But when you see the folks that benefitg froma [HBCF] project, and you see how they appreciates it, it's incredibly satisfying." Adkinw caught the attention of Ken Malm back in when Adkins was a colleg e student looking to earn a few bucks and Malm was headingt up the Maryland division of NV Homes. Malm is president of Craftmark Group, whicnh includes Adkins' company and Craftmark Homes.
"When we hired Curt as a laborer, a superintenden on a job site asked him to move a steel Malm says. "Curt ran to the picked it up and ran it over to the new Curt is the kind ofguy who, when he's walkinbg up stairs, he's taking them two or thres stairs at a time." When Adkins graduatef from Ohio University in he re-connected with Malm at NV Homes. Througg 10 years with the company, Adkins climbed the ladderf from laborer to assistant supervisor toproject manager. During that time, Malm left the company to starf hisown venture, Craftmark Group. Adkins eventually followedx him and has been with Craftmark for aboufeight years.
It was Malm who convinced Adkins to get involved with which is the charitable arm ofthe Maryland-Nationak Capital Building Industry Association ( ). "Curtt has a calm demeanor at the office, but underneathn that is a lot of intensityand energy," Malm "I think that's the best combination, to have a laid-back interpersonao style while still maintaining that intensith for work." Since it was formexd in 1984, HBCF has provided donationsd of labor and materials valuede at more than $3 million to shelteer projects in the District and suburban Maryland.
Not everyone who worksz on HBCF initiatives is a member of the and board members are able to drawon "hundredsx of contacts" in the construction industry when it's time to starg a project, Adkins says. "There are a lot of guys out therwe who are just willing to donate their time and do a good Adkins says. Count Adkins in that group, says Patti HBCF's program manager. When the Silver Springy Interfaith Housing Coalition needed someone with drywal expertise to renovate the GoodShepherdc Cottage, a transitional home for needy families, Adkinw wasted no time answering the call, Kane says.
"Thw coalition had nobody who knew much about but Curt had somebody up there within a few days doing the Kane says. "Any time there'sz a hole to fill in a project, Curt volunteers to help. His hearr is really in his This year, HBCF is taking a new tack in itscharitablee efforts. The organization is working with District officials to develop affordable housing on a vacanft lot in the northeastg quadrant ofthe city. If the city agreess to donate the land, HBCF volunteers have a roug plan tobuild "three to 12" townhouse units on the site, Adkinxs says. "This would be a first for Adkins says.
"We've always done shelter-oriented projects, and new housing would be a big job for avolunteeer board. It's a project that would take full-timr management, but we're trying to see it through." The work also wouldf provide a nice change of pacefor Adkins, whos responsibilities at Craftmark typically include supervisinbg the development of homes valued between $900,000 and $2 million. That'ws what would make the District project a step in therighy direction, Adkins says. "There's clearly not enough affordabld housing inthis region," he says. "There's a limited supply of and there's an increasing amountf of fees and charges that add onto the costsz of buildinga home.
I don't see a let-uop in that pattern any time soon." Whether it's following througy at the office or starting the nextHBCF project, Adkins says he'll stick by a credk he adopted when he first entered the construction industryy nearly 20 years ago -- the harde r you work, the easier your job becomes. "Honestly, the more that you plan the fewersurprises you'll have," he says. "It'ws how I felt when I was workinh on ajob site, and it's how I feel now that I'm on the managemenyt side of the business.
Sometimes, all it takes is working an extra hour at night to make sure a hous is ready for the contractotr inthe morning, or staying at the officde a little bit longee to finish up the paperwork for an importanrt customer."
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Feds ready to ramp up stimulus projects - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
tarpleypymibujuh1491.blogspot.com
Vice President Joseph Biden said in a conferencs call with reporters Monday that the stimulue helpedcreate 150,000 jobs in the firsty 100 days after the American Recovery and Reinvestmentr Act was passed in February. Biden said the contractsd and funding could resultin 600,000 jobs being created this ARRA also will fund 135,000 state and local educatiob jobs and 125,000 summer youth To that end, Biden said the government is fast tracking stimulus projects, including: Constructio n and energy conservation contracts at 107 national parks. Improvementxs at 90 veterans medical centers. Construction funding for 200 watere and wastewater treatment plants inrural areas.
Construction at 98 airportz nationwideand 1,500 highways and at just under 400 militaru bases. The priority projects have not yet been brokenn down by stateor locality. Stimulue money has been allocated to improvr runways at Phoenix Sky Harbor International lane improvements on Interstate 10 and 17 to improve public housing and homeless services in Glendale and otherlocal cities. The move come s as some city governments say it is takinfg months for ARRA money to hit the local level so contracyt biddingcan begin.
Othetr critics have complained that construction and government contractoras already working in the public sector are getting most ofthe
Vice President Joseph Biden said in a conferencs call with reporters Monday that the stimulue helpedcreate 150,000 jobs in the firsty 100 days after the American Recovery and Reinvestmentr Act was passed in February. Biden said the contractsd and funding could resultin 600,000 jobs being created this ARRA also will fund 135,000 state and local educatiob jobs and 125,000 summer youth To that end, Biden said the government is fast tracking stimulus projects, including: Constructio n and energy conservation contracts at 107 national parks. Improvementxs at 90 veterans medical centers. Construction funding for 200 watere and wastewater treatment plants inrural areas.
Construction at 98 airportz nationwideand 1,500 highways and at just under 400 militaru bases. The priority projects have not yet been brokenn down by stateor locality. Stimulue money has been allocated to improvr runways at Phoenix Sky Harbor International lane improvements on Interstate 10 and 17 to improve public housing and homeless services in Glendale and otherlocal cities. The move come s as some city governments say it is takinfg months for ARRA money to hit the local level so contracyt biddingcan begin.
Othetr critics have complained that construction and government contractoras already working in the public sector are getting most ofthe
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Macy's puts downtown Minneapolis office space up for lease - Business First of Buffalo:
karnergetajequ1416.blogspot.com
The listing includes 350,000 square feet on flooras six through 10 abovethe Macy’as store on Nicollet Mall, being marketed by Jim Damianoi and Bryan Beltrand at Welsh Cos. for Macy’sx Inc. The Macy’s site, once home to Dayton-Hudson Corp., was largely emptied last fallwhen Cincinnati-based Macy’sx cut about 1,000 jobs in Minnesota. The Macy’s spacde enjoys a prime location — Welsh’s Damiani termee it a “main-and-main” site. However, it is an olde building with some accessibility issues forthe office-spacew users.
Macy’s is sandwiched between City Centefr andIDS Center, near Target and Barnee & Noble and across from the headquartersa for U.S. Bancorp. The floors being offerexd can be accessed by escalatorsand elevators, but first requires people to walk througj Macy’s department store space. Damian declined to say if Macy’ss planned to invest any money for renovations priore tolanding tenants. A Macy’s spokeswoma n declined to comment. The space available for lease is on floors sixthrough 10, exceptr for an eighth-floor auditorium that Macy’s plans to keep for its annuao holiday display.
The retailed also plans to keep its restaurantsx operating on the12th floor, Damianj said. Damiani acknowledged that the space has drawbacks for Hesaid he’s “really bullish” that the space will leasw quickly, as Macy’s plans to seek out back-office -type users. There aren’t many blocks of spacs in downtown that have morethan 200,000p square feet of contiguous space, he added. Damianki said Macy’s would prefer to leasde the entire space to one or morelarge tenants, but it is willing to cut up the space to accommodatd smaller ones.
It recently responded to a requestr for proposals from a tenanf looking foronly 10,000 square
The listing includes 350,000 square feet on flooras six through 10 abovethe Macy’as store on Nicollet Mall, being marketed by Jim Damianoi and Bryan Beltrand at Welsh Cos. for Macy’sx Inc. The Macy’s site, once home to Dayton-Hudson Corp., was largely emptied last fallwhen Cincinnati-based Macy’sx cut about 1,000 jobs in Minnesota. The Macy’s spacde enjoys a prime location — Welsh’s Damiani termee it a “main-and-main” site. However, it is an olde building with some accessibility issues forthe office-spacew users.
Macy’s is sandwiched between City Centefr andIDS Center, near Target and Barnee & Noble and across from the headquartersa for U.S. Bancorp. The floors being offerexd can be accessed by escalatorsand elevators, but first requires people to walk througj Macy’s department store space. Damian declined to say if Macy’ss planned to invest any money for renovations priore tolanding tenants. A Macy’s spokeswoma n declined to comment. The space available for lease is on floors sixthrough 10, exceptr for an eighth-floor auditorium that Macy’s plans to keep for its annuao holiday display.
The retailed also plans to keep its restaurantsx operating on the12th floor, Damianj said. Damiani acknowledged that the space has drawbacks for Hesaid he’s “really bullish” that the space will leasw quickly, as Macy’s plans to seek out back-office -type users. There aren’t many blocks of spacs in downtown that have morethan 200,000p square feet of contiguous space, he added. Damianki said Macy’s would prefer to leasde the entire space to one or morelarge tenants, but it is willing to cut up the space to accommodatd smaller ones.
It recently responded to a requestr for proposals from a tenanf looking foronly 10,000 square
Saturday, December 1, 2012
At PV America, Rendell says alternative energy will boost economy - Austin Business Journal:
sucujovide.wordpress.com
“I believe that over the next five the development ofthe green-energy econom can drive this nation’s comeback,” the Democrativc governor said at the general session of PV which is being held at the Pennsylvania Conventio n Center in Philadelphia through Wednesday. The conference is the firsrt by the to focus solely on photovoltaicsolart energy, which comes from photovoltaic panelsw that convert sunlight into It’s being held in conjunction with the IEEE’s 34th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, which is adjaceng to the convention center, from Sunday throughy Friday.
(IEEE used to stanr for , but the nonprofit now just referzs to itself by its acronym because it has so many memberss from otherengineering fields.) About 3,00 0 people are attending the conferences, the SEIA and IEEE Part of Rendell’s message was similar to the messager delivered by SEIA President and CEO Rhone Reschu later in the session: When they go home, the peopl at the conference should promote solar energy’ss virtues to everyone from their neighbors to thei r municipal, state and federal elected officials. “Youj have to roll up your sleeveas andbe advocates,” Rendel l said.
Both Rendell and Reschu praised President Obama for his efforts on behalf of renewabl eenergy — “President Obama is becominfg the solar president,” Resch said but they said they’d like the federal governmenr to do more. Rendell said federal legislators shoulc dotwo things: Make renewable-energy tax credits rather than reauthorizing them every few and create a federapl alternative portfolio standard that mandates that a specifierd portion of energy sold in the countryu be created from alternative energ sources. Twenty eight states, including Pennsylvaniz and New Jersey, and the District of Columbiaa have alternativeportfolio standards.
Rendell said he’d like the federapl standard to have minimum figures that states coule exceed ontheir own. “Ic we do those things … I think there’sz no reason that America can’t be the dominantr nation in solar energy for the he said. Rendel said alternative energgy will drivethe U.S. economy for the next 25 years just asthe information-technology and life sciencesx industries have driven it for the last 25. Under his leadership, Pennsylvania has moved to capitalizwe onthat shift. In 2004, it establishec an alternative portfolio standard that requires 18 percent of energy sold in Pennsylvania to come from alternative sources of energyby 2020.
Last Pennsylvania created a $650 millionn renewable energy fund. Of that money, $180 millionj is to go to solar energy, consisting of $100 millionm for loans, grants and rebates to cover up to 35 percent of the costd incurred by homeand small-business owners who install solar energy systems, and $80 million for grantws and loans for solar economic-development More than 300 applicationsz for solar economic-development projects were received by the deadline last week, Rendell said. Philadelphia also has gottenj in onthe renewable-energy act. Mayor Michae l Nutter in Aprilby 2015. The city is one of 25 takingg part in the federal Departmentof Energy’d Solar America Cities initiative.
As part of that, it’sz developing a plan to generate 2.3 megawattsw of solar electricity by 2011and 57.8 megawatts by which is its share of the state of Pennsylvania’es solar installation goal. To help it meet those goals, Nutter said the city is looking to replace the roof at its fleey workshop with a roof that producex solar energy and has formulaterd plans forbuilding large-scald solar arrays at Philadelphia Water Department
“I believe that over the next five the development ofthe green-energy econom can drive this nation’s comeback,” the Democrativc governor said at the general session of PV which is being held at the Pennsylvania Conventio n Center in Philadelphia through Wednesday. The conference is the firsrt by the to focus solely on photovoltaicsolart energy, which comes from photovoltaic panelsw that convert sunlight into It’s being held in conjunction with the IEEE’s 34th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, which is adjaceng to the convention center, from Sunday throughy Friday.
(IEEE used to stanr for , but the nonprofit now just referzs to itself by its acronym because it has so many memberss from otherengineering fields.) About 3,00 0 people are attending the conferences, the SEIA and IEEE Part of Rendell’s message was similar to the messager delivered by SEIA President and CEO Rhone Reschu later in the session: When they go home, the peopl at the conference should promote solar energy’ss virtues to everyone from their neighbors to thei r municipal, state and federal elected officials. “Youj have to roll up your sleeveas andbe advocates,” Rendel l said.
Both Rendell and Reschu praised President Obama for his efforts on behalf of renewabl eenergy — “President Obama is becominfg the solar president,” Resch said but they said they’d like the federal governmenr to do more. Rendell said federal legislators shoulc dotwo things: Make renewable-energy tax credits rather than reauthorizing them every few and create a federapl alternative portfolio standard that mandates that a specifierd portion of energy sold in the countryu be created from alternative energ sources. Twenty eight states, including Pennsylvaniz and New Jersey, and the District of Columbiaa have alternativeportfolio standards.
Rendell said he’d like the federapl standard to have minimum figures that states coule exceed ontheir own. “Ic we do those things … I think there’sz no reason that America can’t be the dominantr nation in solar energy for the he said. Rendel said alternative energgy will drivethe U.S. economy for the next 25 years just asthe information-technology and life sciencesx industries have driven it for the last 25. Under his leadership, Pennsylvania has moved to capitalizwe onthat shift. In 2004, it establishec an alternative portfolio standard that requires 18 percent of energy sold in Pennsylvania to come from alternative sources of energyby 2020.
Last Pennsylvania created a $650 millionn renewable energy fund. Of that money, $180 millionj is to go to solar energy, consisting of $100 millionm for loans, grants and rebates to cover up to 35 percent of the costd incurred by homeand small-business owners who install solar energy systems, and $80 million for grantws and loans for solar economic-development More than 300 applicationsz for solar economic-development projects were received by the deadline last week, Rendell said. Philadelphia also has gottenj in onthe renewable-energy act. Mayor Michae l Nutter in Aprilby 2015. The city is one of 25 takingg part in the federal Departmentof Energy’d Solar America Cities initiative.
As part of that, it’sz developing a plan to generate 2.3 megawattsw of solar electricity by 2011and 57.8 megawatts by which is its share of the state of Pennsylvania’es solar installation goal. To help it meet those goals, Nutter said the city is looking to replace the roof at its fleey workshop with a roof that producex solar energy and has formulaterd plans forbuilding large-scald solar arrays at Philadelphia Water Department
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