PRESTONSBURG — Will Kinzer was a "quiet, happy, good baby," said his mother, Moriah Kinzer. He started talking on schedule, eventually saying words like mama, dada, cookie.
Kinzer said she thought it was cute at first when her son rocked himself side-to-side, looking at nothing in particular.
Those are classic autism symptoms.
When a barrage of tests at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital confirmed autism, Kinzer said, it still shocked her. "You feel like you've lost your child. You lose your hopes and dreams for that child," she said.
With ABA, speech therapy and specialized tools like a letter board to spell words, Mitch asks questions and communicates what he wants.
The Kinzers and the Wilsons were not willing to accept that such treatment was not available to their community.
Public school officials say that, as awareness has grown in the last decade, they have come a long way in teaching children with autism. In Kentucky schools, some special education programs incorporate ABA methods. But no method is a "magic bullet" for everyone, said Eddy Wilder, special education coordinator at the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative, which helps 15 public school districts, including Floyd County, train teachers, aides and parents.
Wilder said that 112 students among those 15 districts' 38,000 have the primary disability of autism, and the schools' main focus is on the student's education, not on a particular program or on one parent's or doctor's opinion.
"We have to look first at whether the kid can be in a regular classroom," Wilder said. "We guarantee that right."
In May 2008, the Wilsons and Kinzers approached Highlands, a non-profit hospital in Prestonsburg, and after an exploratory trip to Cleveland the hospital decided to develop a program modeled after the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Autism.
The hospital has committed to fund the school's operation for the first two years, said hospital president Harold Warman. After that, he hopes funding will come through tuition, donations and charitable giving.
Eventually, Warman said, he hopes the school will grow into a diagnostic and community outreach center, giving families a place to go besides Louisville, Huntington or Cincinnati, and providing support and training to public schools.
The school's high cost will likely mean that kids will come from around the country, not just from Kentucky, where the most insurance coverage required of any provider is $500 a month for an autistic child.
Deskins, a clinical psychologist trained at the University of Kentucky and Auburn University, said it is a dream come true for her to be able to build a center from the ground up and to give Eastern Kentucky families access to evidence-based autism intervention. While an undergraduate at UK, she became a believer in ABA's scientific methods.
"I've seen it work," Des kins said.
No child will be turned away based on behavioral problems, Deskins said.
The Highlands school will have a certified teacher, helping create education plans for students. But the school's focus is behavioral, and the school's one-on-one therapists will come from a variety of disciplines — education, behavior analysis, speech pathology — and will be trained at the Cleveland Clinic.
The school's goal, Deskins said, is to move children into a classroom setting.
That is what the Wilsons want. They dream that Mitch — who now gets behavioral therapy at the Summit Center and neuro-developmental and academic education at another Atlanta school, Jacob's Ladder — will attend Highlands and eventually graduate from a public high school in a "regular" classroom.
"He will be an advocate" for other autistic children, Margaret Wilson said.


There are 19 changes to the Laws of Cricket in April 2019.
Law 11.2.2 error in cross referencing has been corrected.
Law 15 clarifies that a declared innings is a completed innings.
Law 16.3.3 and Law 42.1.5 have been amended to allow for time to be added on if it was lost due to umpires intervening to deal with player behaviour.
Law 16.7 The second paragraph of this Law has been changed to mention the side batting lasts innings being completed, rather than it losing all wickets.


A Saudi Arabian woman who was reportedly seeking asylum in Australia but was off-loaded from her flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was repatriated Monday night.
On the request of officials from the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Manila, Dina Ali Lasloom was off-loaded from her Australian-bound flight at the NAIA Tterminal 2 and put on a 10:30 p.m. Saudi Airlines flight to Jeddah at the NAIATterminal 1.
Lasloom was a passenger of a Philippine Airlines flight PR 669 from Kuwait to Manila, which arrived at 3:30 am Monday, and was supposed to take an 11 a.m. connecting flight to Sydney, Australia the same day.
According to personnel at the NAIA Terminal 2 the group from the Saudi Arabian Embassy were the persons with Lasloom in the video, which the group calling itself the Saudi Arabian Female Empowerment (SAFE) Movement posted on Twitter.
The video was taken inside the NAIA Terminal 2 transfer lounge.
One of the NAIA personnel, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that a member of the group from the embassy introduced himself as Lasloom’s father, which the woman denied.
“She (Lasloom) kept telling us: ‘They kill me if I go back’,” the source told the Inquirer, adding that the Saudi woman had also claimed that the man introducing himself as her father was just her uncle.
The source said that Lasloom had apparently shared her story with a fellow foreign passenger at the NAIA Terminal 2 transfer lounge and that same passenger had put up the posts on Twitter.
According to the source, the Saudi Arabian Embassy officials were already waiting for Lasloom and already had her off-loaded from the flight to Australia when she arrived at the NAIA Terminal 2.
Apparently to make her calm down, the embassy officials agreed to back off a bit, making arrangements for her transfer to NAIA Terminal 1 for a flight back to Saudi Arabia, which Lasloom knew nothing about.
The Bureau of Immigration maintained that they had never held Lasloom. But some of immigration personnel escorted her to the NAIA Terminal 1 for her 10:30 p.m. flight to Jeddah.


ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS Bayfront property steps from the water. Just upgraded paint, floors and carpets throughout entire home. 6 bedroom 4.5 bath with private bathrooms for the 3 master suites. Stunning views from the 2500 square feet of decks on all 3 floors. Close to Cape Henlopen State Park and historic Lewes. Private bay, swimming pool and tennis courts.


He was fortunate to escape with par, not to mention his health, on the final hole when his 3-iron off the tee ran out 290 yards and just into the hazard short of the bridge. He had to clip the ball to avoid smacking the bridge and damaging his wrist, and the wedge came out perfectly.
Scott Stallings, who won last week in Mississippi, birdied his last two holes for a 63 and was four shots behind, along with Chris Kirk (63) and Bo Van Pelt (67). Stallings ended a streak of nine consecutive PGA Tour events in which the 54-hole leader failed to win. The ninth was Ernie Els coming from six shots behind at the British Open. Stalling won later that day.
Peter Fowler was 5 under after a 65, and John Cook, Barry Lane and second-round Gary Hallberg followed at 5 under. John Cook and Barry Lane shot 66, and Hallberg had a 73.
Natalie Gulbis, the 2007 winner for her lone LPGA Tour title, was a stroke back along with Karrie Webb and 17-year-old amateur Hyo Joo Kim. Gulbis had a 68, Webb shot 67, and Kim 69.


NORFOLK, Va. – Three people have been displaced after a fire at their apartment building in the 900 block of Druid Circle Tuesday night.
At 6:45 p.m., firefighters with Norfolk Fire-Rescue arrived at the two-story, four-family building to find a fire in a first-four bedroom in the back of the apartment.
The fire was called under control at 7:02 p.m.
No injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported. The Red Cross is helping those who have been displaced.
Authorities say working smoking detectors in the apartment alerted the occupants to the fire.


Posted by DJ J. on November 15, 2011. Brought to you by yahoolocal.
Paint a piece of pottery you pick out, and they will glaze it for you. A lot of fun, great selection of stuff.
Posted by Linda H on February 24, 2010. Brought to you by ezlocal.


Part of the reason were sky-high expectations after Obama's celebrated speech to the Muslim world in 2009 in Cairo.
Arabs believed Obama two years ago when he said he'd change Washington and the world, Zogby told a roundtable at the New America Foundation, a Washington-based think tank. Now, a stunning majority — as high as 99 percent of those surveyed in Lebanon and 94 percent in Jordan — said Obama hasn't met expectations.
Even actions that could be construed as constructive, like establishing a no-fly zone over Libya or killing Osama bin Laden, didn't win points. In the poll, the killing of bin Laden actually worsened attitudes. Zogby said it was because those actions reinforced America's image as the bully on the block.
"I use the example of the next-door neighbor (who screws) around with your wife for a couple of years, and then one day trims your bushes and takes your garbage out. You don't say, 'Gosh what a great guy,'" Zogby said.
Of course, U.S. approval ratings in the region have been low for a long time. Arab opinion of the United States rose briefly after 9/11, then dropped with the invasion of Iraq. While favorability surged in many Arab countries when Obama was elected, it was clearly on the wane by 2010.
After the Cairo speech, hopes for a solution for Israel and Palestine were high. Lack of progress on that issue was a chief disappointment, analysts said.
Shibley Telhami, a senior fellow at the center-left Brookings Institution, said that the numbers showed that the "Arab Spring" popular uprisings this year haven't had much of an effect on how Arabs view the U.S. Rather, they continue to view America through the prism of the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
Analysts also said that Obama gave the impression he would change foreign and security policy drastically, while such changes often occur incrementally.
Republicans jumped on the poll and said that Arab countries wanted the George W. Bush administration's more aggressive foreign policy back. Elliott Abrams, a deputy national security adviser under Bush, said the Obama administration wasn't supportive enough of freedom in the Middle East and wasn't with the people when they rose up against dictators in Tunisia and Egypt.
One poll question asked people to name the greatest obstacles to peace in the Middle East. The top two answers were U.S. interference in the Arab world and the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
The issues people in the region might welcome help with are pressing needs like the economy, health care and education — not democracy, Zogby said.
Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, said the message she took from the poll results was: Just stop interfering.
"There was a time when you'd get questions back, like we need you to lead here differently, or we need you to be balanced — that's just gone. Now it's just stay out of it," Berry said. "We are now reduced to interference."


Facebook is prepared to pay as much as $250,000 per episode for its planned original video initiative, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the project. The company also plans to license shorter-form content for $10,000 to $35,000 an episode, and has signed on Vox Media, BuzzFeed, ATTN, and Group Nine Media to produce videos.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg first started publicly talking about spending money on what he called “anchor content” for Facebook’s video tab during the company’s most recent earnings call earlier this month. During that same call, Facebook CFO David Wehner said that the company was looking at “kickstarting an ecosystem for longer-form content on Facebook” with upfront investments.
Soon after, Business Insider reported that Facebook had signed up Conde Nast to produce some of its originals. Titles in production reportedly included a VR dating show and other shows involving A-list celebrities. Facebook was looking to unveil a first slate of content at the Cannes Lions advertising festival in June, according to Business Insider.
Wednesday’s report confirmed that Facebook is essentially looking at two tiers of programming: Longer-form originals which it wants to own outright, and shorter shows running five to 10 minutes that it may license on a windowed basis.
Facebook didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday, but previously declined to comment on the topic.


I took the Bush/Cheney logo (the popular “W” bumper sticker) and the Kerry/Edwards logo and edited them to be a little more truthful.
I was going to edit the Badnarik logo too, but any jokes I made would be jabbed at the campaign management, not Badnarik, so it’s pretty pointless. Besides, it’s not a prominant enought symbol to make the cut for a remix here (and it’s visually unappealing in my view, so who cares).
Oh well, it’s not like Hawaii has many electoral votes anyways!


In hindsight, it’s amazing that no one saw it coming. After all, Angela Ahrendts, the soon-to-be-former chief executive of Burberry, the woman who has more than tripled the brand’s share price in her eight years at the helm, dropped enough hints.
In a video entitled Burberry’s social story, for example, the UK’s highest-paid CEO in 2012 holds up her iPhone and announces, “This is the entry into the brand.” The recent Burberry spring/summer 2014 collection was photographed, videoed and streamed on the iPhone 5s. And Ahrendts (along with chief creative officer and next CEO Christopher Bailey) transformed the quintessential British heritage brand into the perennial top scorer in think-tank L2’s “Digital Luxury Index”.
Yet, last October, when Ahrendts announced she was leaving Burberry to become senior vice-president, retail and online stores, at Apple, the luxury and technology worlds dropped their collective jaws.
The surprise is understandable: no such high-profile luxury executive has ever left fashion for tech. Though Paul Deneve, former CEO of Yves Saint Laurent, had also moved to Apple a few months before, he had been at YSL for only two years and had previously spent seven years at Apple Europe. Ahrendts, by contrast, embodied her brand: an iconic figure in her white Burberry trouser suits and trenchcoats, with her sweep of blonde hair and ready smile.
Her career move crystallised what everyone was beginning to suspect: as technology increasingly becomes a luxury good, and luxury brands explore extensions into non-traditional areas, the two sectors are becoming intertwined. The 53-year-old Ahrendts – while at Burberry one of only three female FTSE 100 CEOs – is simply the most visible symbol of the trend. Luckily, she has had some experience with being a pioneer.
Born in Indiana, Ahrendts married her high-school sweetheart and headed east, to Seventh Avenue, where she worked her way up through Warnaco and Donna Karan. She was then named senior VP of corporate merchandising and group president at Liz Claiborne, responsible for contemporary brands such as Juicy Couture and DKNY Jeans.
In 2005, when she was approached to be CEO of Burberry, the fashion world was suspicious – her expertise, after all, was in the mass market – but she was willing to move not only sectors but also continents, bringing her husband and three children to the UK.
At Burberry she quickly enlarged the empire, bringing its fragrance in-house and launching a cosmetics line. Despite a profit warning hiccup in September last year, the company reported first-half revenues of £1.03bn last month.
In her role with Apple, she will become the brand’s highest-ranking woman ever, charged with restoring its somewhat tarnished retail halo and, possibly, softening its secretive public image. Perhaps, instead of Apple’s culture changing her, she will change it. If that happens, she will have not just broken the mould, she will have redesigned it.


Discussing ongoings with the team during the second week of OTA.
Enquirer Bengals beat writers Paul Dehner Jr. and Jim Owczarski take a look at the ongoings from the second week of the OTA program including what veteran absences have opened up for a crop of young players.
Also, we talk anthem policy fallout in Cincinnati, Dre Kirkpatrick's connection to a drug raid and the Bengals' long Vegas odds in Degenerate Corner.
Hear interviews with A.J. Green and Jordan Willis.
Finally, we power rank movie theater seat positions and anticipate the competitive event of the summer coming up this weekend.


ISLAMABAD - In order to attract new investment and to facilitate existing industry, government on Thursday constituted council of business leaders.
According to the notification, the council will have 22 members including the chairperson, prime minister. Advisor to the prime minister on commerce will be the president of the newly formed body.
Its members include Muhammad Ali Tabba, Bashir Ali Muhammad, Shahid Soorty, Musadaq Zulqarnain, Seema Aziz, Azam Farooq, Shahid Abdullah, Khawar Anwar Raja, Baber Badat, Miss Naz Khan, Abrar Hasan, Saqib Shirazi, Shahid Hussain, Usman Khalid Waheed, Samina Rizwan, Almas Haider, Afaq A. Tiwana, Asif peer, Zarak Khan, and Abul Rauf.
Muhammad Ali Tabba is from Lucky Cement, Bashir Ali Muhammad from Gul Ahmed Textiles, Shahid Soorty from Soorty Enterprises, Musadaq Zulqarnain from Interloop Holding, Seema Aziz from Breeze, Azam Farooq from Cherat Cement Company KP, Shahid Abdullah from Sapphire Textiles, Khawar Anwar Raja from GOC, Baber Badat from Ttansfreight Corporation, Ms Naz Khan from X-petroleum, Abrar Hasan from National Food, Saqib Shirazi from Atlas Honda, Shahid Hussain from Service Sale Corporation, and Usman Khalid Waheed is from Frozsons.
Samina Rizwan is from Oracle Corporation, Almas Haider from Synthetic Products, Afaq A Tiwana from Agrimall, Asif Peer from Vision Systems, Zarak Khan from Peshawar Particle Board, while Abul Rauf is from Farooq Ghee and Oil mills.
According to the notification, the council of business leaders will ensure that Pakistani business leaders have access to structured forum to provide feedback on government's business, economic, investment and tariff policies.
It would also be job of new body to see that policy makers benefit from diverse set of opinion to assist in the formulation and implementation of government's agenda with respect to creating jobs, boosting exports, increasing investment, enhancing ease of doing business, and encouraging overseas Pakistanis.
As per the order, secretary commerce will be the secretary of the committee of council of business leaders.
The move seems to control the business community of the country as there has been no representation from SMEs and only rich billionaires have been inducted in the new council, majority of whom are already member of Pakistan Business Council, an un-elected organsiation.
The export sector participation is exceptionally low as only one member Soorty is associated with exports. Small and medium enterprises known as the driving force of any economy have also been neglected.


Good Tuesday afternoon. WE HEAR … -- TWITTER will up its character limit to 280 characters for everyone in the very near future. D.C. is beginning to buzz about it, as political operatives have caught wind of the change.
PRESIDENT TRUMP said he wants a tax bill through the House by Thanksgiving and signed by Christmas in a pool spray.
-- He will also not visit the DMZ while he is on his Asia trip, per a background call with reporters.
BUZZ … Multiple tech companies and larger multinational companies are considering opposing the House Republican tax bill if the foreign minimum tax is more than 10 percent. Lobbyists began raising concerns Tuesday with GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill over the issue.
YOU DON’T SAY -- @kristinapet: “Scott Garrett will reverse his opposition to the Ex-Im Bank in his Wed. confirmation hearing to lead the bank, per his prepared testimony”.
HURRICANE UPDATE -- “People On The U.S. Virgin Islands Can’t Get Food Aid Because There’s Still No Electricity,” by BuzzFeed’s Brianna Sacks: “Dustin Kuster is still waiting for a large cooler he purchased online to arrive at his home so he can keep meat, cheese, and fresh foods on hand. Like about 80% of the US Virgin Islands' 106,000 residents, the 41-year-old, his girlfriend, and her four children have been living without power since a pair of hurricanes pulverized the region more than six weeks ago.
WHAT MAKES MANAFORT TICK -- “Paul Manafort Wanted Respect And Power,” by HuffPost’s Howard Fineman: “Indicted, facing scores of years in prison and millions of dollars in back payments to the government, Manafort is facing the possibility that his five-month spin through the corrupt caravansary of Trump World will leave him just another political grifter.
BEING THERE -- “Inside Niger’s ambush zone, fear and questions remain,” by CNN’s Arwa Damon and Brent Swails: “The ground is littered with heavy caliber machine gun casings; no one can definitively tell us if they were fired by American, Nigerien or even enemy forces. But something definitely happened here -- it could be where the first shots were fired, or perhaps the main ambush zone where besieged soldiers made their last stand.
… Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced members of his campaign team for his 2018 re-election bid. Mike Grebe will be his campaign chair, Jon Hammes will be the finance committee chair and Brian Reisinger will be a senior adviser.


Russian military advisers are manning some of Syria's more sophisticated air defences – something that would complicate any future US-led intervention, the Guardian has learned.
The advisers have been deployed with new surface-to-air systems and upgrades of old systems, which Moscow has supplied to the Assad regime since the Syrian revolution broke out 21 months ago.
The depth and complexity of Syria's anti-aircraft defences mean that any direct western campaign, in support of a no-fly zone or in the form of punitive air strikes against the leadership, would be costly, protracted and risky. The possibility of Russian military casualties in such a campaign could have unpredictable geopolitical consequences.
Meanwhile, near-daily atrocities have kept western governments under pressure to act. A Syrian government air strike on a town near the central city of Hama on Sunday killed dozens of civilians queueing for bread, according to human rights activists.
Amateur footage from Halfaya showed mangled human remains strewn along a street where people had been blown off scooters and out of cars. One video showed a boy with his feet blown off. Piles of corpses could be seen beneath rubble outside a two-storey building the cameraman described as a bakery. It was unclear how many bodies were in the smoking ruins.
Human Rights Watch has previously accused the regime of targeting bakeries. The group warned the Assad regime that such targeted bombing of civilians represented war crimes. However, in the face of a Russian veto at the UN security council, the international criminal court has not had a mandate to investigate the atrocities committed by either side. The UN has put the death toll at more than 40,000 as the war continues to escalate.
Turkish officials, who accurately predicted the Syrian regime would use Scud missiles after several warplanes were shot down by rebels, also believe President Bashar al-Assad has twice come close to using chemical weapons including sarin, the nerve gas. First, after the bombing of the regime's Damascus security headquarters in July, which killed the president's brother in law, Assef Shawkat, and then last month, after opposition forces made significant gains.
The Turks and western officials say there are signs Assad sees chemical weapons as another step in the escalation of force, rather than a Rubicon-crossing gamble that could end his regime. The US, UK, France and Turkey have warned Syria that its use of such weapons would trigger military retribution. But any such a response would be fraught with difficulties.
Air strikes against chemical weapon depots would potentially disperse lethal gases over a vast area, triggering a humanitarian disaster. US and allied special forces have been trained to seize the air bases where the warheads are kept, but it is unclear what the next step would be. It would be physically impossible to fly the hundreds of warheads out of the country, while it would take thousands of troops to guard the arsenal for what could be many months. In the interim, those western troops could easily become the target of Islamist groups fighting the government in Damascus.
Any air strikes against regime targets, in response to chemical weapon use, or any attempt to create a no-fly zone to stop further bombing of refugee camps, would require the suppression of Syria's formidable defences. Those have been bolstered significantly since Israeli strikes on an alleged nuclear reactor site at al-Kibar in 2007 exposed holes, and again since the outbreak of the Syrian uprising in March 2011.
The upgrades were supplied by Moscow, which sees them as a bulwark against western-imposed regime change and protection of a longstanding investment in Syria. The country includes Russia's biggest electronic eavesdropping post outside its territory, in Latakia, and its toehold on the Mediterranean, a small naval base at Tartus.
Russian security and defence officials, who are notoriously loth to publicly comment on their operations abroad, have repeatedly denied providing explicit support for the Assad regime.
Over the weekend, the head of Russia's ground forces air defence, Major General Alexander Leonov, told the Ekho Moskvy radio station: "Syria's air-defence system is a no-nonsense force. As a result, no one has ever used serious air combat power against it."
That "no-nonsense" force, the air defence command, comprises two divisions and an estimated 50,000 troops – twice the size of Muammar Gaddafi's force – with thousands of anti-aircraft guns and more than 130 anti-aircraft missile batteries.
According to Jeremy Binnie, the editor of Jane's Terrorism and Security Monitor, recent Russian deliveries include Buk-M2 and Pantsyr-S1 (known to Nato as SA-22) mobile missile launch and radar systems. Reports of the shipment of the modern long-range S-300 have not been confirmed, and the Syrian armed forces did not show off any S-300 missiles in a military display this year. It is possible they have been delivered but are not yet operational.
Guy Ben-Ari, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said: "They don't just sell the equipment. They also help man the crews and train the crews. Sometimes there is just no domestic capacity to run these systems, and that is the case in Syria where Syrian crews are not capable of using the equipment to its full capacity."
Sources familiar with the Moscow-Damascus defence relationship confirmed the presence of Russian air-defence crews inside Syria. Their deployment would be a consideration when western contingency plans for Syria were being considered, they said.
Such a dense, layered and overlapping air-defence system would require a huge air campaign, heavily reliant on thousands of precision-guided missiles. The UK, France and other American allies in Europe used up their stocks of such weapons in Libya and although details are classified there have been reports that they have not yet returned to pre-Libya levels.
"We know they pretty much ran out of them at the end of Libya. Given the budgetary constraints the Europeans are operating with, and in an era where every euro spent on defence is very heavily scrutinised, it is a hard sell to restock on this stuff," Ben-Ari said. "And it would not be enough to be at Libya levels. You would need far more for Syria."
A Syrian air campaign would also require stealth aircraft and a great amount of signals intelligence, satellite imagery and aerial reconnaissance, all of which are US specialities. For all those reasons, Washington would not be able to "lead from behind" as it did in Libya.
The Obama administration has so far been extremely wary of getting enmeshed in another Middle East war, particularly with the knowledge that the long-running Iranian nuclear crisis could trigger a conflict in the Gulf at any time. With the resignation of CIA director David Petraeus last month, the administration arguably lost its most powerful advocate of Syrian intervention.
John Kerry, the nominee for secretary of state, has advocated greater support for the rebels, but stopped short of calling for direct US or Nato involvement. With no new secretary of defence yet nominated, it could take several months for the new team to recalibrate its approach.
The robust Syrian defences, combined with Damascus's hand-in-glove relationship with Moscow, and the fragmented nature of the opposition, help explain why a US-led intervention – predicted as imminent for more than a year by advocates and opponents alike – has so far failed to materialise, and why there is little appetite for such a move in Washington and most other western capitals, barring a major, verifiable use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime.


COMMON People brought more than just music stars to Southampton - the festival boosted the city’s economy by more than £1m, the Daily Echo can reveal.
It comes as the organisers of Common People confirmed the dates for the third festival on The Common next year.
The festival generated £1.1m for the city over the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend, with 28.5 per cent of the crowd coming from outside the city.
And organiser Rob Da Bank, who grew up in Warsash before becoming a Radio 1 DJ and brought the festival to Southampton following the success of his Bestival brand, is already looking forward to next year’s event.
The third Common People will take place on May 27 and 28 next year, and tickets will go on sale at 10am today.
Rob told the Daily Echo: “Wow Southampton. I didn’t think you would be able to top 2015 but I was very wrong.
“The sunshine, the crowd, the music, the food, the world’s biggest bouncy castle, Craig David’s homecoming performance – Wow.
Southampton City Council’s cabinet member for communities, culture and leisure, Satvir Kaur, added: “Common People has rapidly become the biggest and most eclectic music event in the city.
This year’s event saw the likes of Duran Duran and Primal Scream wow an audience of 40,000, alongside an emotional homecoming for city singing sensation Craig David.
And as well as providing an eclectic mix of acts which also included Katy B, Public Enemy and Chas & Dave, it also provided a substantial boost for the city’s economy.
To celebrate Common People’s return, early tickets are being offered at only £22.50 for general admission and £45 for VIP access for a limited time.


CLEVELAND (AP) Johnny Manziel threw a touchdown pass and maybe closed the gap on Browns presumed starting quarterback Josh McCown in Cleveland's 11-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.
Buffalo's EJ Manuel, attempting to beat out Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor for the starting job, threw a 14-yard TD pass to Andre Davis with 1:31 left. He then connected with rookie Bronson Hill for the 2-point conversion to complete a late rally by the Bills (1-1).
Manziel had one last chance, but he couldn't pull off any magic as the Browns (0-2) dropped their second straight exhibition at home.
Manziel connected with rookie Shane Wynn on a 21-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter. Playing against Buffalo's backups, Manziel finished 10 of 18 for 118 yards and made one of those Johnny Football plays that made him an electrifying college star.
Both teams were at less than full strength because of injuries. The Browns sat 20 players with injuries and the Bills rested 16, including running back LeSean McCoy.
McCown threw interceptions on his first two drives and did nothing to lock up the starting gig. He has not been named Cleveland's Week 1 starter by coach Mike Pettine, and Manziel's performance could further delay any decision.
Manziel has made major progress following a disastrous rookie season, which was followed by a 10-week stay in rehab for an unspecified condition. Pettine and Manziel's teammates have praised him for a better work ethic, and the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner has shown improvement on the field.
With the score tied 3-3, the Browns were backed up at their own 4 before Manziel, who played the entire second half, drove them to their go-ahead score. He completed 6 of 7 passes on the drive, highlighted by a 37-yard completion to rookie Darius Jennings. On the play, Manziel scrambled to his left and delivered his long throw to a diving Jennings.
McCown didn't get much help from his offensive line as Buffalo's vaunted front - missing Pro Bowler Kyle Williams - put pressure on the veteran quarterback, sacking him three times in the first half. McCown bounced back from the picks and led the Browns to a late field goal on his final series.
Like the Browns, the Bills have an unclear picture at quarterback.
Cassel got the night off as Bills coach Rex Ryan wanted a longer look at his two less-experienced QBs.
Taylor started and went 7 of 10 for 65 yards. He added 41 yards rushing before giving way to Manuel, who finished 9 of 14 for 111 yards.
With Buffalo down 10-3, Manuel drove the Bills 86 yards, completing his TD pass on fourth down to Davis, who made a leaping grab in the front corner of the end zone.
Due to injuries, the Browns were missing Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden (hamstring) and six other defensive backs. Former Oakland quarterback Terrelle Pryor, attempting to make Cleveland's roster as a wide receiver, sat out with a nagging hamstring.
Buffalo was without several starters, including running McCoy (hamstring), wide receiver Sammy Watkins (hamstring) and Williams (quadriceps).


Oklahoma State’s softball team lost twice to Wichita State during the regular season and the third time was no different in the opener of the NCAA regional in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Friday.
The Shockers scored eight unanswered runs to beat OSU 8-2 and drop the Cowgirls into the losers’ bracket.
Oklahoma State scored twice in the first inning to go up 2-0, but Wichita State put four on the board in the third inning and three more in the fourth inning to take control.
OSU will play the loser of the Arkansas-DePaul game in an elimination game Saturday at 4:00 pm.


Springtime is about new beginnings in the kitchen. It's the time for baby roots, wispy leaves and tender stalks to tentatively emerge from the earth. Fresh, crisp and delicate, these greens are a sight for winter eyes and a delicacy to eat, a simple cleanse following a season of hardy winter fare. But spring can be fickle. Its promise of budding flowers and new growth can be erased in a single day with a stubborn blast of cold weather, altering a sunny vignette to a blustery stew-craving day.
Here is a salad that will help you ride this changeable time. It celebrates springtime's early asparagus shoots and baby greens, tossing them into a nourishing bowl of black lentils, which grounds the salad, providing heft and substance in response to any lingering winter weather.
Black lentils are tiny, and their pellet-like resemblance to caviar has earned them the nickname "beluga lentils." Like brown or green lentils, black lentils are a fortifying source of iron, fiber, protein, folate and magnesium — plus, they are easy on the wallet. Unlike other lentils, black lentils remain firm when cooked, which makes them a great addition to salads, while their inky color provides vivid contrast to bright vegetables.
So, go ahead, celebrate spring and indulge in this healthy salad. If any winter weather comes knocking, the lentils have got your back.
Rinse and sift through the lentils for any small stones. Put the lentils in a large saucepan and cover with water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pan and simmer until the lentils are tender but firm, about 25 minutes. Drain the lentils and rinse under cold water to cool. Transfer to a large bowl.
While the lentils are cooking, bring a wide pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the asparagus and blanch until they are bright green and crisp-tender, no more than 1 minute. Drain and rinse the asparagus under cold water to stop the cooking process. Cut off and reserve the tips and cut the stalks into 1/2-inch pieces.
Whisk the garlic, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Pour over the lentils and stir to coat. Add the asparagus tips and stalks, the greens, spring onions, jalapeno, parsley and mint. Gently stir to combine and taste for seasoning — you might need more salt. If the salad is too dry at this point, drizzle with a little extra oil or a squeeze of lemon.
Transfer the salad to a platter or divide among serving plates. Alternatively, arrange over a pile of greens. Garnish with the crumbled egg yolks and black pepper and serve.


"The collection represents a selection of objects from a larger collection formed by Maurice Tempelsman, a diamond merchant resident in New York, over the past twenty-five years. The individual pieces come from a variety of sources, although the largest number were provided directly by, or were bought legally through, Robin Symes of London. All have been legally imported into the U.S. The collection is currently in the Museum." -- Acquisition Notes of Getty Museum antiquities curator Arthur Houghton cited in The Medici Conspiracy.
Among the high profile clients of British antiquities dealer Robin Symes was Maurice Tempelsman -- one of the pillars of the Eastern Establishment (Council on Foreign Relations, Africa-America Institute, long-time beau of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and "friend" of former Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine Albright); Leon Levy & Shelby White and the Metropolitan Museum of Art were customers too. Symes bought his pieces primarily from now-convicted antiquities smuggler Giacomo Medici, the man who sold the Euphronios Sarpedon vases to Bob Hecht.
In a reversal of fortune beginning with the accidental death of Symes's long-time business partner and companion Christo Michaelides ten years ago at a dinner party in Italy hosted by Levy & White and then many months in prison in the UK -- Symes, once the prince of the ancient art trade, is now bankrupt. And Italy is asking for restitution of some 1,000 artifacts from Symes's Trustees in Bankruptcy, according to Maurizio Fiorilli, the lawyer for Italy's Ministry of Culture who negotiated the return of the Euphronios krater and other treasures from America's museums.
Although Symes destroyed most of the documents related to his business partnership with Michaelides, there is still an indelible photo trail. Here is a sampling of the pieces Italy seeks as part of its cultural patrimony. In many cases there is an exact match of objects in the Medici polaroids seized during police raids on Medici in Geneva and of objects in the Symes hoard photographed by the Italian Ministry of Culture.
"Madeleine Albright & Maurice Tempelsman Q&A"
"Deeper Into The Dillon-Euphronios Nexus"
12. #2361 Carinated cup with baccellature common to the Vesuvian area, decorated on the outward side with leaf designs in pairs.


Taylor Leier just scored the winning goal to clinch the Stanley Cup for the Philadelphia Flyers and went into full celebration mode. Er, Leier just netted the Calder Cup-clinching goal for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and immediately punctuated it with a joyous celebration.
Of course, neither one of those things happened Friday night at Allentown’s PPL Center, but Leier did score a goal, and his celebration was just as emphatic as if it had been a Cup-winning goal for either the Flyers or Phantoms.
“If you watched the video, you know I had a lot of emotion after that first goal. It felt really good,” the 24-year-old Leier said on Friday night after scoring his first AHL goal since April 15, 2017.
Leier, the MVP of the 2017 AHL All-Star Classic, had been on the Flyers’ roster the past 1½ seasons but got little playing time over his 49 games, accumulating two goals and five assists. Getting sent down to Lehigh Valley to start the season wasn’t the greatest feeling in the world for the speedy left wing, but time – and scoring – heals all wounds.
Before this season with the Phantoms, where he’s played nine games so far, his last regular season game was with the Flyers on Jan. 6. That’s a long time to sit out in any sport.
Leier netted a second goal in the game, a third-period tally during 4-on-4 play, but it still wasn’t as sweet and tasty as that first one, when he stepped out of the penalty box and took a blueline breakaway on Springfield goalie Michael Hutchinson, beating him stickside with a backhand.
But even though the goal was an individual breakout for Leier, he admitted it was just one moment in what he hopes is a long career, and only one moment in a game.
Leier’s goal put the Phantoms on top to stay at 2-1 and started an explosion of three goals in less than three minutes as Lehigh Valley took command of the game.
After Saturday night’s 7-4 loss to the AHL- and Atlantic Division-leading Charlotte Checkers (11-3-0, 22 points) at PPL Center, the Phantoms (7-4-1-1, 16 points) get one more crack at them Wednesday night.
The Checkers snapped the Phantoms’ two-game winning streak, scoring three goals in the second period after Lehigh Valley took a 3-2 lead into the first intermission.
Unfortunately, the Phantoms will be without the services of rugged winger Tyrell Goulbourne, who was suspended for two games after being assessed a penalty against the Checkers last Saturday.
In the last minute of that game, Goulbourne received a match penalty for slew-footing and a game misconduct for continuing an altercation.
Goulbourne will also sit out the game in Providence on Friday but be back for the game in Springfield on Saturday.
Chris Conner, a 13-year pro in his fourth straight season with the Phantoms, picked up his 300th AHL assist, and added his 301st as well, in the win over Springfield last Friday. He also picked up a goal against the Thunderbirds and added one more against the Checkers on Saturday, earning PSECU Player of the Week honors.
Conner, 34, is relentless on the attack. His 300th AHL assist came at a critical time, with the Phantoms trailing 1-0. He sent a pass from the right half wall to Greg Carey on the left side of Hutchinson for the score to tie the game, setting the table for Leier to put the Phantoms on top.


The names read like a who’s who of diet tycoons.
There was David Burwick, the president of Weight Watchers North America; Dana Fiser, the chief executive of the weight-loss program Jenny Craig; Dr. Arthur Agatston, the inventor of the South Beach Diet; Dr. Howard Shapiro, the founder of Picture Perfect Weight Loss; Dr. Pierre Dukan, the creator of the protein-based Dukan Diet that has taken France by storm; and Bob Greene, the founder of the Best Life diet regimen, who is best known for being Oprah Winfrey’s personal trainer.
Like movie stars lining up to endorse the next big celebrity workout, the weight-loss specialists have all thrown their support behind Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s proposal to limit sales of big sugary drinks.
Announced a little more than a week before the New York City Board of Health is to vote on the restriction, the endorsements are the latest sally in the mayor’s public relations offensive on behalf of the proposal, which has reignited a national debate over obesity and drawn criticism from soft-drink industry officials who say the ban would deprive consumers of free choice.
And in an accompanying news release, the mayor’s office presented upbeat statements from five other weight-loss industry moguls — one after another, like glowing blurbs on a best seller.
“Our portion sizes are becoming ridiculous, bordering on vulgar, and the mayor is stepping up and telling it like it is,” said Dr. Shapiro, who founded Picture Perfect Weight Loss.
Many of the endorsers were careful to frame the proposal not as a restriction on choices but as a way to nudge New Yorkers toward controlling their portion sizes — a tenet of many weight-loss programs. Mr. Bloomberg seemed to be trying to reclaim the concept of “choice,” which has become a catchphrase of the soda proposal’s opponents, like New Yorkers for Beverage Choices, a group sponsored by the soda industry.
But the opponents were not convinced.


...it would make perfect sense to consider Mr Whitehead (constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute) whose seminal book “Battlefield America: The War On The American People” is an extraordinary treatise, in-depth study, and detailed analysis of just what went wrong with the hasty enactment of the DHS after the suspicious circumstances of September 11, 2001.
VIDEO: John W. Whitehead and Ron Paul Discuss "Will the Deep State Win the Election?"
John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, joins Ron Paul on the Ron Paul Liberty Report to discuss the "shadow government," an unelected permanent government that continues to push towards dictatorship.
Mike Sienda already felt aggrieved when his boss at the National Ground Intelligence Center’s Rivanna Station told him in early September to not show up on grounds with his giant Trump-Pence signs on the side of his box truck. When he was told he couldn’t park on the federal property with a smaller Trump 2016: Make America Great Again sign in the back window of his Jeep, Sienda contacted the Rutherford Institute, a local civil rights org. And within two days of its attorneys writing NGIC October 12, he was told, uh, never mind, the smaller sign is just fine.
A prominent conservative organization has discovered another instance of the weakening of First Amendment rights that has recently taken place in America, and its attorneys are now taking action steps to remedy the problem before certain freedoms become a thing of the past.
John W. Whitehead, an attorney who represented Paula Jones in a sexual harassment suit against former President Bill Clinton in the mid-1990s, says he's not happy the decades-old accusations are taking center stage in the current presidential election cycle.
A New Jersey high school student was suspended and told he would have to undergo a psychological evaluation after he handed in an anti-gun-control project.
The United States Supreme Court will take up a trademark protection case that The Rutherford Institute says could impact the Washington Redskins.
Local civil liberties organization says parts of policy "pose a threat to basic First Amendment freedoms"
A fight has erupted in Oklahoma over a noise ordinance being used by authorities to target a pro-life activist who is scheduled for trial in October on a charge of making too much.
To Metro’s list of woes, add another: A court ruled Monday that the agency must pay more than $50,000 in attorneys’ fees to counsel for a musician who successfully sued for the right to play near Orange Line stations.
Award-winning journalist Coy Barefoot talks with civil liberties attorney and award-winning author John Whitehead, the founder and CEO of the Rutherford Institute.
Attorney John W. Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute, says placing individuals on the "no fly list" or barring them from buying a weapon before going through the full legal process violates that constitutional right.
John Whitehead, attorney and founder of the Rutherford Institute, a nonprofit organization that supports civil rights, says these stops are constitutional.
A Virginia man has an opportunity to prove he was wronged by police even after a lower court dismissed his case.
Supreme Court justices need a “safe space” from which to hand down their high and mighty rulings that neuter the Constitution and destroy the rule of law. The 1st Amendment isn’t worth the paper it’s written on because “great legal minds” may be swayed by the pitchfork-wielding town rabble.
Attorneys are gearing up to once again defend a Waynesboro man who they say was stripped of his civil rights.
A federal appeals court has reinstated a constitutional violations damage lawsuit against several police officers who handcuffed a Waynesboro, Virginia, man and locked him up in a mental health facility for nearly week for having a chronic disease similar to multiple sclerosis.
A Charlottesville-based civil rights organization is suing the Transportation Security Administration to stop airport body scanners for invading privacy and threatening human health.
Today, CEI, The Rutherford Institute, CEI Vice President Iain Murray, and yours truly filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) final rule on body scanners, which was published in March.
TSA body scanners make people less safe, according to a new lawsuit, but the two non-profit groups behind the claim aren’t concerned with fliers as much as they are the people the TSA scares away from safer skies onto riskier highways.


Members of the Ventura County community are using art and music to raise money and bring fun to those affected by the Thomas Fire.
Members of the community are using art and music to raise money and bring fun to those affected by the Thomas Fire.
On Saturday, the Thomas Arts Festival will raise money for artists affected by the fire. Maybe they lost art supplies or instruments, or art pieces planned for future sale were destroyed in the flames. Whatever the situation, the artists might be eligible to receive money, organizers said.
The goal is to “assist those who might not qualify for traditional assistance,” said Ariel Palmieri, a volunteer helping organize the event.
Then on Feb. 25, the Ventura Music Festival will offer a free Concert for Ventura at Mission Park.
Organizers said the hope for the 90-minute concert is to provide unity through music.
Greg Gillis-Smith was inspired to launch the Thomas Arts Festival after hearing about the losses of those who work in the creative economy.
“Through donated art being auctioned, and through local sponsors, we are raising funds for those who are struggling to get their lives, families and creativity back on track,” he said in a news release announcing the event.
Organizers have been receiving nominations for people who may qualify for help. At the event, there will be a hospitality table where attendees can submit more names or nominate themselves, Palmieri said.
The Thomas Arts Festival will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Ventura Unified School District offices, 255 W. Stanley Ave. in Ventura.
Any money donated, after the costs to put on the event, will go to help artists. For those who can’t attend but want to help, Palmieri said tax-deductible donations can be made online at theartistsoutlet.org. The Artists Outlet is a nonprofit affiliated with the Presbyterian Church.
Organizers are also seeking donated art or gift cards for the auction. It’s free to attend.
The lineup for the Concert for Ventura on Feb. 25 will include Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Perla Batalla and two Grammy winners: guitarist Diego Garcia and the jazz fusion band Tom Scott & the LA Express. Ventura Music Festival Artistic Director Nuvi Mehta and the Ventura College Singers, led by Brent Wilson, will also attend, as will secret guests.
“We hope our special family-friendly Concert for Ventura is another communal activity and important healing tool that celebrates the best in our community as neighbors come together to relax, listen and share the experience,” Ventura Music Festival Executive Director Susan Scott said in a news release announcing the event.
Scott encouraged people to visit the Museum of Ventura County, which is next to the park, while they’re downtown. Mission Park is at 185 E. Santa Clara St. and the museum is at 100 E. Main St.
No tickets are required for either event.
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April 6, 2019, 11:20 p.m.


Alice Evans McCullough, 90, of Panama City, FL died on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019.
Funeral services will be held 12 p.m. Monday, Feb. 4, 2019 at Forest Park United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends and family one hour prior at the church.
Kent Forest Lawn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.


Nashville Predators center Nick Bonino (13) celebrates his goal with defenseman Roman Josi (59) while Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie (4) reacts during the second period of game 6 in the first round NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Pepsi Center, Sunday, April 22, 2018, in Denver, Colo.
The Nashville Predators open the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs hosting the Colorado Avalanche.
The Predators won Game 1 of the series 5-2 on a strong performance from Filip Forsberg.
They followed that up with a penalty-filled 5-4 win in Game 2 to push their lead in the series to 2-0.
The Predators were on their heels from the outset of Game 3, quickly falling behind to the Avalanche and never recovering in a 5-3 loss.
The Predators came out firing in Game 4, building a 3-0 and surviving a comeback attempt from the Avalanche for a 3-2 win.
The Avalanche shocked the Predators and their vocal fans in Game 5, scoring two goals in late in the third period to win 2-1 and force Game 6 Sunday.
WHEN: Sunday, April 22 at 6 p.m.
PREDATORS PODCAST: Catfish Corner: The postseason is here!


We’ve been messing with the cardboard contraptions of Nintendo Labo for over a week now. And honestly, our opinions haven’t changed that much since our first big hands-on with the Nintendo Switch DIY toys a few months ago. That’s said, we do have some new observations worth sharing now that you can pick up Labo for yourself.
After folding countless boxes, I can never look at a normal pizza box the same way again. All of that folding also gave me so much more respect for the designers at Nintendo. The cardboard itself is more durable than I first feared. I gradually grew more comfortable folding more aggressively and shoving the piano in my bookbag. But really it’s the designs of creations themselves that “kid-proof” them. Along with the ingenious spring mechanisms and reflective IR tape, just the way the designs are constructed involves so many interlocking pieces and walls reinforcing other walls to help maintain the shape. It’s so much sturdier than it has any right to be.
The minigames have the amount of depth I expected, which is to say not that much. There are lots of appreciated Nintendo weird touches. Who else would think to let players scan their hands to create race tracks? But it’s in the building where the fun, and time commitment, really is. Building everything in the Variety Kit or the Robot Kit easily lasts as many hours as a modern AAA game, especially for a slow, small child. So calm down about the price.
The most promising part of Nintendo Labo to me is still the intro to coding and robotics creation that is Toy-Con Garage. There’s so much potential here, both for educators and for adult tinkerers, that it’s kind of wild to me that Nintendo hasn’t been leaning on this feature more. The text, while excessive, is an entertaining and accessible way to wrap your head around the sheer amount of creative cardboard freedom Labo can offer you. The Professor’s name is Gerry Rigg, he of the famous Mod. I can’t wait to see this scene fully blossom.
After this extended testing, the biggest knock against Nintendo Labo (besides the focus on the younger audience but that’s not really a flaw) is the gulf in customization options. You can draw on Toy-Con and tape accessories or whatever, but you can’t really deviate from Nintendo’s pre-built, Gundam-like designs. Toy-Con Garage, meanwhile, lets you do whatever you want, but it’s so open-ended it can be overwhelming. There’s no middle-ground equivalent to, say, breaking apart a Lego model and rebuilding it into something else.
Still Nintendo Labo is a fascinating product we can’t wait to see the gaming and DIY communities start to seriously mess around with. Labo life hacks are going to be out of this world. Keep reading for more impressions.
Nintendo has said again and again that Nintendo Labo, its upcoming line for DIY cardboard accessories for Nintendo Switch, is for kids. Despite inviting a group of mostly (but not entirely) adult games journalist to a Labo hands-on event in New York, the demo space was made to look like an elementary school complete with goofy name tags, colorful markers, and tins full of snacks.
Following elaborate E3 booths for Zelda and Mario, Nintendo has really perfected using a physical space itself to get you in the proper mindset for its digital software. But beneath the childish presentation, and child-targeted audience, it’s clear now that Labo is one of Nintendo savviest, most sophisticated ideas yet.
If you need a refresher, Nintendo Labo is an upcoming series of cardboard accessories that become smart “Toy-Con” toys by interacting with the Switch tablet and “Joy-Con” controllers through a game. To understand the process, we quickly built a pair of simple six-legged “RC cars” and then spent an hour building a fishing rod. Both processes involved popping out the pre-cut cardboard pieces and folding them according to instructions displayed on the Switch tablet. It’s like Zoids or Gundams or other Japanese model kits.
These interactive manuals are incredibly helpful, full of detailed animations and multiple navigation options to make sure every step is clear. Most cardboard pieces have perforations to fold along and the screen shows you every single one. It reminded me of Super Mario Maker in how it makes a potentially complex creation experience fun and intuitive. However, for more advanced users I do wish there were ways to speed up instructions or perhaps view multiple steps at once for when multiple people like siblings or whole families are collaborating on a single Toy-Con.
Meanwhile, the Toy-Con are just a blast to fold and build. They’re pretty sturdy so it takes some effort but it really is satisfying in a Lego way when everything pops into place, keeping its shape with tabs and whatnot. Slotting the Joy-Con into the RC car is mushy compared to the clean click of the console, but it’s still neat. Seeing just how we were supposed to insert each telescoping piece of the fishing rod, including strings and rubber bands and pieces solely designed to make clicking noises like a baseball card in a bike spoke, led to frequent “Eureka!” moments. The engineering is so smart. Again, it’s like Lego blocks, but arguably more surprising since the source material, cardboard, is more humble.
That said, this really is just cardboard. Not special super-strong Nintendo cardboard, but cardboard. Toys that easily degrade may be better for the environment, but we have moderate concerns about durability after holding this cardboard in our hands. You can hang onto your original sheets to use as stencils for cutting out new pieces for any old cardboard. But we do hope Nintendo has a reasonable replacement policy. Besides, the potentially lengthy build process is such a nifty slow burn that we’d hate for it to be over after one sitting.
Once the Toy-Con are built you can customize then with arts and crafts classics like crayons and stickers and tape. But eventually you’ll want to actually play with them. Each Toy-Con has a corresponding minigame that really shows off the potential of what the Switch can do. The RC cars use HD rumble to vibrate in such a way that players can control their movement path. Use the tablet to alter speed and direction. Even crazier, the IR camera previously only used in 1-2 Switch is actually powerful enough to show night-vision camera-esque footage and follow heat signatures. It’s wild. It justifies all these Switch hardware features that previous seemed unnecessary.
From there we got to sample pre-built versions of the rest of the Nintendo Labo kits launching this 4/20. A basic fishing minigame gained new tactile pleasures thanks to the tension of pulling and releasing the fishing rod and string. It made me want a Ridiculous Fishing port. I held motorcycle handles to my chest to steer in a Mario Kart-esque racing game. One Toy-Con has you slot the tablet into a little house to terrorize a virtual pet with floods and minecart minigames. And I’m honestly astonished how realistic the piano keys feel, with their natural weight and bounciness, despite being made of cardboard. I could play the vaporwave anthem with ease, and even changed the sound from crisp keys to crying cats.
Finally, we got to try on the robot suit, after being reassured it fits on adults. From a tech perspective, this Toy-Con is arguably the most fascinating. Instead of holding motion controllers in your hands, players slot one Joy-Con in a helmet for head tracking and a first-person view. The other Joy-Con uses IR scanning inside a backpack to interpret sliding bits of reflective tape connected to cords on your hands and feet. That way your limb movements correspond with the in-game giant robot.
The mech takes exaggerated, appropriately kaiju-esque movements to control. Stretch out your arms to fly. Crouch to become a tank. Punch to punch. It’s a good kind of ridiculous, perfectly paired with the fact you’re wearing a robot outfit made of boxes. That said, we hope the finished game has slightly more depth than the aimless destruction of the demo, especially since the robot kit is sold separately for a higher price ($79 vs. $69). Just make a new Steel Battalion with this.
Between the inherent finality of the building process and limited depth of the software, no one could blame you for thinking Nintendo Labo might not have the long-lasting appeal it maybe should. But the final part of its functionality revealed that this really is Nintendo’s in-depth answer to the DIY/Maker/STEM education toy space, a smart space to muscle in on. With Toy-Con Garage, kids can use a surprisingly frank and robust software interface to straight-up reprogram Toy-Con behavior.
Connect different attribute blocks and if/then statements to write commands like “vibrate with this button push” or “react this way to this light pattern.” Nintendo gives you an impressive amount of creative control considering its love of guided experiences. Use the motorcycle handles to steer the RC cars or throw out the pre-fab Toy-Con entirely and construct your own from scratch. Make a bank that scans different coin shapes. Strap the tablet to a guitar and strum on the touch screen. Use stencils to create light patterns for a tennis game.
It’s an awesome, imaginative, expressive and totally fun introduction to basic robotics and coding concepts in a Lego Mindstorms way. We hope Nintendo allows the Labo community to easily share new code and ideas online. It’s like Nintendo canonizing hacks in a way, similar to how Lego embraces ideas from the My Own Creation (MOC) fan builder community. Labo is still for kids, but if adults do find deeper enjoyment out of it it’ll be through pushing Toy-Con Garage capabilities as far as they’ll go.
I think children are going to eat Nintendo Labo up when it launches this 4/20. I know I would have. As successful as the Nintendo Switch and its library of traditional games has been so far, I really believe this represents a new launch for just how versatile the console/handheld hybrid can be in the entertainment, and now educational, experiences it can provide.


Evette Davis hugs her daughter Heaven, 5, and son Julian, 9, after a shooting at Ross Elementary school Tuesday, April 19, 2011, in Houston.
She was right; it was a gun. A loaded pistol had dropped from a six-year-old male student’s pants pocket and discharged. The student carrying the gun and two others were slightly injured by what was thought to be a single bullet.
While investigators try to determine how the boy obtained the weapon, news of the incident has raised alarm today as the U.S. marks the 12th anniversary of the mass school shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999.
A forthcoming poll to be released this summer by PAX/The Center to Prevent Youth Violence shows schools may have not come as far as they should have in the last 12 years toward preventing gun violence. Of the 817 students ages 13-to-18 surveyed in the group’s online poll, 45% said they knew someone who had brought a weapon to school. Of those, eight percent said they knew someone who had brought a gun.
For their part, the injured students were in stable condition by Tuesday afternoon, and according to the Chronicle, were smiling and playing video games in the hospital.


The Allahabad High Court on Thursday directed authorities to release 450 cusecs of water in the Ganges.
The Allahabad High Court on Thursday directed authorities to release 450 cusecs of water in the Ganges as per its earlier order.
The court adjourned till February 8, hearing on a public interest petition on pollution in the river.
A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice AN Ray and Justice Ashok Bhusan adjourned the hearing.
The petition alleged that there was a shortage of water in the Ganges during the 'Magh Mela' and that the water was polluted.


Next week, Elbow’s Guy Garvey curates the 23rd Meltdown festival in London. Having extended invites to the likes of Robert Plant, Femi Kuti, Laura Marling, the Staves, Connan Mockasin and the Texan band Lift to Experience, who reformed especially for the event, the Southbank Centre plays host to nine days of entertainment across the arts, with each item carefully selected by the Manchester musician.
Below, Garvey picks a selection of his favourite tracks from artists performing at his event, including the premiere of his new track, Open the Door – taken from his first recording sessions since the release of his debut solo album, Courting the Squall.


Incumbent Stephen Bershenyi was re-elected to Glenwood Springs City Council on Tuesday night. Bershenyi collected 761 votes while his opponent Lyle Beattie received 734. The at-large City Council seat was the only race that was being contested.
Also being decided was a ballot question asking voter permission for the city to sell two parcels of land near the corner of Seventh Street and Colorado Avenue. It passed, 938-507.


In the closest vote of the D Sports Awards yet, Yejadai Dunn ’16 emerged victorious with 50.9 percent of the votes. Close behind was Kaitlin Whitehorn ’16, garnering 36.4 percent. Jaclyn Leto ’16 took home 9.1 percent while both Katie McEachern ’16 and Laura Stacey ’16 each received 1.8 percent of the votes. Dunn’s victory marks the third victory coming for women’s rugby in three votes for best moment, best rookie and best female athlete. Dunn will go on this summer to compete among national talent and potentially secure a spot on the USA Eagles.
Brian McLaughlin ’18 turned in a fantastic season for the men’s Alpine ski team that earned him All-American First Team honors in the slalom after a third place finish in the NCAA Championships. McLaughlin finished both of the day’s runs in a total time of1 minute 24.68 seconds.
Consistently ranked in the top 15 in giant slalom and slalom rankings for the East Coast, he entered the Championship as the fourth ranked skier in the East. This was due in large part to his incredible consistency on the slopes.
He finished no lower than fourth during his carnival season, including five podium finishes in the six races he completed. Those podium results included second place finishes in the first Carnival of the season at Bates College as well as back-to-back second place finishes at the Dartmouth and Williams College Carnivals.
The Topsfield, Massachusetts native will play an integral role in the men’s Alpine ski team’s success once again next season.
Although the Dartmouth baseball team had its run of eight consecutive Red Rolfe division titles broken this past season, starting pitcher Duncan Robinson ’16 continued to dominate opposing batters on the mound.
Having been a standout pitcher for much of his time in Hanover, Robinson became the Big Green Pitcher of the Year his sophomore year, was the Ivy League Pitcher of the Year his junior year and had a superb senior season, landing him a spot on the 2016 All-Ivy League first team.
Winning first team honors for the third straight season, he now joins a group of only 23 Ivy League players all-time to achieve this dominance over three seasons, and the first one from Dartmouth to do so in seven years.
Across all the most important metric for pitchers in 2016, Robinson topped all competitors, posting the best strikeout percentage, lowest walk percentage and the best fielding-independent pitching mark in the conference.
When Nick Bligh ’16 went down with an injury against the University of Vermont on Jan. 8, it seemed the men’s hockey team may have been on the verge of losing the momentum they had gained from their victory in the Ledyard Classic. However, Jack Barre ’16 picked up the slack in the Big Green’s offense created by Bligh’s absence. The Big Green rolled to nine wins in its next 12 games, and during that stretch, Barre was the team’s primary offensive catalyst.
In many ways, Barre is the quintessential Dartmouth hockey player. He is highly responsible in his own end, a diligent shot blocker, a key penalty killer and tremendously hard-working in the offensive zone. In the 2015-2016 season, he consistently went to the dirty areas of the ice and was rewarded on the score sheet.
Despite playing just a few shifts in the postseason before being sidelined with injury, Barre led the Big Green in goals, assists and points, while posting a plus-18 rating that led the entire Ivy League. Barre was named First Team All-Ivy and received the Phelan Award as the team’s Most Valuable Player.
Dartmouth men’s soccer won its second consecutive Ivy League title behind the phenomenal season from co-captain and goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland ’16. The senior from Dayton, Ohio posted a .62 goals-against average, .25 points better than the second closest player that saw at least 500 minutes.
After losing star striker Alex Adelabu ’15 last year, the men’s soccer team needed to find another driving force. No Dartmouth player scored more than four goals all season, but thanks to Cleveland, who was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Ivy, the team finished 12-6-1 overall and 6-1 in the Ivy League. Cleveland posted a 9-4-1 record in net, with all nine victories coming from clean sheets.
The team’s regular season title propelled the squad into the NCAA Tournament, where it defeated Hartwick College in the first round before losing to No. 6 Syracuse University in the second round. Cleveland was always quick to credit the team’s defense for for making his job easier, but nevertheless the goalkeeper played an integral part in the Big Green’s success.
As part of the team that led Dartmouth football to a share of its first Ivy League title in almost two decades, Will McNamara ’16 closed out a terrific Big Green career during the fall of 2015. The Chicago native led the team in tackles for a second straight year, notched the second most interceptions conference-wide and ranked fifth in the Ivy League in stops per game with 7.7. McNamara served as the linchpin of a stalwart Dartmouth defensive unit that led the entire nation with only 10.1 points yielded per game last season.
As a result of all of his achievements, the senior captain received a unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection at linebacker for the second straight season. McNamara also won the 2015 Reggie Williams Award at Dartmouth for leadership and was a defensive finalist for the Bushnell Cup, the award given to the best players in the Ivy League.
McNamara was part of the team that earned Dartmouth its first national ranking since 1996, named No. 23 in the FCS.


Sir Peter Bonfield, chief executive of BT, is rumoured to be planning to leave his post six months earlier than planned.
According to Friday's Financial Times, Bonfield is thought likely to stand down next summer. His contract runs until the end of 2002, but it seems likely that the restructuring strategy that he is co-ordinating will be completed earlier than planned. The FT attributes its story to un-attributed comments made by "a number of people involved" in this process, and tips Pierre Danon -- head of BT retail -- as a likely successor.
BT officials are refusing to shed any light on the rumours. "The story is just speculation about speculation," said a BT spokesman. "Sir Peter Bonfield has made no public statement on the matter".
BT said earlier this week that it was no longer planning to split its retail business from its network operations. This move was at the heart of the restructuring strategy that Bonfield was heading, and its cancellation means the process is unlikely to last until the end of 2002, as previously thought. According to rumours, BT will conclude the break-up of Concert, its joint venture with AT&T, next week.
Last year the head of e-business at the Institute of Directors Jim Norton called for Bonfield to be sacked, claiming he had lost the plot over local-loop unbundling and ADSL rollout.
In Bonfield's defence, incumbent operators in many other European countries have been having an pretty hard time recently as well.
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In February 2008, Raymond Smith, the 77-year-old husband of the writer Joyce Carol Oates, died from complications of pneumonia at a hospital in Princeton, N.J. They had been married for nearly 50 years.
"A Widow's Story" is a chronicle of that marriage, and a tribute to the steadfast man whom Oates recalls as "the gardener of our household." Above all, this book is a rumination on widowhood, and the struggle to reclaim identity in the aftermath of profound loss. Having been abruptly wrenched from her role as Smith's wife, Oates writes, "What a strange lucidity this seems to bring, like disinfectant slapped on an open wound."
She writes of widowhood as a terrible state, yet one that is also filled with moments of absurdity and black humor. The devastation that Oates feels is almost comical in its vastness, and the pills she is prescribed for her anxiety only seem to worsen her condition. She finds herself unable to complete even the simplest task, and seeks consolation in her familiar role as a teacher. (Oates is a longtime professor at Princeton University.) Her late husband, she notes, had "a capacity for enjoying life that isn't possible for me, somehow."
Oates receives condolence letters, e-mails and phone calls from writer-friends such as Mary Morris and Richard Ford, and from her colleague Edmund White, to whom she confesses her "powerful" suicidal urges: "I think it was a mistake not to follow Ray immediately, the night that he died," she writes. Another friend implores her to persevere, no matter what.
The most obvious companion to "A Widow's Story" is Joan Didion's 2005 memoir, "The Year of Magical Thinking," in which Didion similarly charts the abrupt loss of her husband of four decades, and pays tribute to their creative partnership. Oates shared only her nonfiction work with her husband, who was editor of the literary journal Ontario Review, yet their marriage felt intensely collaborative and mutually supportive. They were rarely apart.
If the temperature of Didion's memoir of widowhood was too cool at times, "A Widow's Story" seems just right - neither overly sentimental nor detached. Some scenes are simply harrowing, as when Oates rushes back to the hospital - too late - to be with her husband as he dies. "That I was sleeping at a time when my husband was dying is so horrible a thought, I can't confront it," she writes. Nor can she confront the outpouring of sympathy with which she is bombarded - "useless, unwanted, invariably heavy vases, pots, baskets, boxes, cartons to be carried in my aching arms" - most of which she promptly hauls to her overfilled garbage cans. Each new day brings the same refrain: "Mrs. Smith? Sign here, please" from a smiling delivery man at her doorstep.
At a time when the grieving, exhausted widow knows that she should be grateful for this bounty of gifts and efficiently crank out thank-you notes in response, she feels even more miserable. "Why are people sending me these things?" she writes. "Do they imagine that grief will be assuaged by chocolate-covered truffles, pâté de foie gras, pepperoni sausages?"
In fact, Oates feels so overwhelmed that she finds herself furious with her husband for being dead, and for having "ruined both our lives." She dreads both morning and night, experiencing a depth of loneliness that she has never known. Perhaps the best advice she receives is from her friend Gail Godwin: "Suffer, Joyce. Ray was worth it."
"A Widow's Story" is affecting as a portrait of a marriage, but it also addresses the occasionally fraught relationship between patient and doctor in times of emergency. When patients and their loved ones are at their most desperate and vulnerable, they must sometimes interact with physicians who speak to them in language that is clinical and condescending, and chilling in its lack of empathy. One doctor asks Oates whether she has had her husband "autopsied," which leaves her apoplectic.
This "handbook" on widowhood, as Oates calls it, is essential for anyone who has experienced loss. Whether detailing "the lengthy drumroll of death-duties" or, in her darkest moments, describing herself edging toward madness, Oates proves an utterly compelling protagonist. Her prose is gorgeous and precise.
Because of the profoundly sad event that triggered this book, one wishes that she had never written it. At the same time, we must be grateful that she did.


It's full-year results time for Vodafone, Marks & Spencer, and Burberry.
LONDON -- Next week will be another busy one for full-year results from FTSE 100 companies with years ending on March 31. And we'll have more company news in the weeks to come as well, as March also marks the first quarter for all those with December year-end dates. Here are three companies from the top-tier index that are set to report annual results next week.
Vodafone will release full-year results on May 21. Recent forecasts suggest earnings of about 15 pence per share, which would be pretty much flat compared with last year's adjusted figure of 14.91 pence. But we should be seeing a rise in the dividend of about 9% to take it to a yield of about 5.3% on today's share price of 197 pence.
But the main item on the Vodafone agenda at the moment is its relationship with Verizon Communications over its 45% share of Verizon Wireless. Will the two telecoms giants merge? Will Vodafone sell its Verizon Wireless stake? Will we learn more on Tuesday?
One thing we will learn is what Vodafone intends to do with its £2.1 billion dividend from Verizon Wireless. It was announced on Tuesday, and Vodafone said it will reveal its plans on results day.
We'll also have full-year results from Marks & Spencer on Tuesday. Despite an uncertain winter, the M&S share price has been picking up nicely since the spring months came round. And at 449 pence, it's now up 27% over the past 12 months -- pretty much bang on the FTSE.
Judging by previous quarterly updates, full-year sales should be up a bit, although margin pressure from intense competition in a tough environment is expected to result in a fall in pre-tax profit of around 7% to 8%, with a similar fall expected in earnings per share.
But last year's dividend was well covered, and it seems likely that it will be maintained at last year's level of 17 pence per share -- the interim dividend was unchanged at 6.2 pence. On the current price, 17 pence would provide a yield of 3.9%, with the shares on a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.7.
To complete the trio due to report on Tuesday, Burberry will also bring us full-year results that day. Burberry shareholders have not had a good year after a crash in the share price last September. Since then, the price has recovered somewhat, but it has still made no overall progress over the past 12 months.
In April's second-half trading update, the fashion purveyor told us of a 9% rise in revenue to £1.1 billion, with underlying retail revenue up 13% to £840 million and wholesale revenue down 3% to £220 million. Retail now accounts for 75% of the group's revenue.
Current City expectations look positive, with a 10% rise in earnings to 68 pence per share expected. But with the shares priced at 1,429 pence, that would suggest a P/E of 21, and to justify that we'll need to see some good future growth -- though analysts are predicting about 15% for the current year. At about 28 pence per share, the forecast dividend would yield just 2%.
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Home healthcare services provider Portea Medical said on Thursday it has acquired home medical equipment provider Health Mantra India Pvt Ltd for an undisclosed amount in cash and stock.
The acquisition will help Portea expand into large home healthcare areas such as sleep medicine, respiratory care, geriatric care and orthopaedics, the company said in a statement.
Health Mantra’s founding team and employees will join Portea, operated by Health Vista India Pvt Ltd, as part of the deal.
This is Portea’s third deal in five months and indicates that the company, which thus far operated on an asset-light model, is adding assets related to its core business. The company had picked up a majority stake in healthcare discovery firm PSTakeCare in January this year and acquired specialty drug distributor Medybiz Pharma Pvt Ltd in November last year.
The acquisitions have come after Portea raised $37.5 million in September from Accel Partners and other investors for expansion.
Founded in 2009 by Ashish Bhutada and Anoop Kodoli, Bangalore-based Health Mantra provides home healthcare equipment and services for patients with sleep apnea and respiratory disorders. The company also provides respiratory equipment to hospitals. It has a team of about 30 biomedical engineers, physiotherapists and service staff, and a service network across Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra.
According to Portea, the market in India for medical equipment that can be used in a home-based setting is estimated at Rs 10,000 crore a year.
Portea competes with companies such as Noida-based Health Care At Home India, backed by Dabur Group’s Burman family, Chennai-based India Home Healthcare and Bangalore-based Medwell Ventures. Medwell raised $10 million in June last year while US-based Bayada Health Healthcare had picked up a 26 per cent stake in India Home Healthcare two years ago.


LONDON: British street artist Banksy has stunned the art world with arguably his most audacious prank yet, self-destructing one of his best-known works moments after it fetched more than a million pounds at auction in London.
"Girl with Balloon" had just sold at Sotheby's Friday for £1,042,000 (US$1.4 million) - a joint record for the maverick artist - when it unexpectedly passed through a shredder hidden in the frame, according to the auction house.
"It appears we just got Banksy-ed," said Alex Branczik, Sotheby's head of contemporary art for Europe, in a press release accompanied by a photo of the bizarre episode.
"The unexpected incident became instant art world folklore and certainly marks the first time in auction history that a work of art automatically shredded itself after coming under the hammer," the auctioneers added in the statement.
Banksy posted his own photo from midway through the shredding on his Instagram page early on Saturday, showing onlookers aghast at the stunt.
The caption written below, imitating an auctioneer, read: "going, going, gone".
The post, and reports of a man dressed in black sunglasses and a hat scuffling with security guards near the entrance to Sotheby's shortly after the incident, led to speculation the artist was present to trigger it.
Sotheby's, which could not be immediately reached for further comment on Saturday, did not disclose if it had prior knowledge of the stunt.
Branczik said he was "not in on the ruse", according to The Art Newspaper.
"We are busy figuring out what this means in an auction context," he reportedly added. "The shredding is now part of the integral art work."
Sotheby's did not release details on the buyer, but reports said the winning bid was made by telephone.
"We have talked with the successful purchaser who was surprised by the story," the auctioneers said in a statement to The Financial Times. "We are in discussion about next steps."
Banksy, a mysterious artist from Bristol, southwest England, has never confirmed his real identity.
He rose to fame painting clandestine street murals, typically simple graffiti stencils with a sharp political point, all over the world.
The artist has also produced a treasure trove of other kinds of images, and his head-turning work have repeatedly sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds, including to a raft of famous people.
His "Happy Choppers" from 2006 fetched US$735,000 also on Friday at a New York auction of personal effects owned by the late actor Robin Williams and his wife.
The price paid in London Friday evening for "Girl with Balloon" matched the artist's previous record at a 2008 auction for another work, Sotheby's said.
Prior to its shredding, the faux-gilt framed piece - spray paint and acrylic on canvas mounted on board - depicted a girl reaching out toward a bright red, heart-shaped balloon.
It was instantly recognisable as a Banksy to anyone familiar with his work.
Mehdi Ben Cheikh, a Parisian street art specialist, said the stunt was "in the same vein as his performance in New York, which questions and criticises the limits of the art market."
Banksy in 2013 set up a stand near the city's Central Park and sold 20 signed canvases of his own work for US$60 each.


Greenport Union Free School District has reduced the total cost of its proposed Capital Improvement Plan by $2.8 million. District officials presented a revision on the proposed plan last Tuesday and listed potential options that would reduce the cost even further by scaling back athletic upgrades.
The plan, first introduced at a Feb. 5 Board of Education meeting, would transform the current school building, improve security and accessibility and upgrade athletic facilities, among other changes.
The district presented an updated version of the plan at a special board meeting last Tuesday. The project would now cost $27.1 million if approved in its entirety. Architectural firm Tetra Tech Engineers will continue to work with the district.
As previously reported by The Suffolk Times, the Feb. 5 presentation said $775,000 would be appropriated from the Capital Reserve Fund and $29.1 million would be raised through a bond issue.
Funding sources for the revised plan will remain the same: The majority of the money will still be generated by bond sales and an additional $25,000 will be appropriated from the Capital Reserve Fund.
Greenport Superintendent David Gamberg said there are two options for the plan that would alter funding amounts and affect the related tax increase. These options, presented at last week’s meeting, are both based on the use of $800,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund. The bonding proposal and the use of reserve funds would need to be approved separately by voters on individual ballot items to be presented, respectively, in May and June.
One option, which removes a turf field from the plan, is $24.8 million. Roughly $24 million of that would be covered by the bond issuance. An alternate approach would remove all athletic improvements from the original plan — no track, field or tennis court repair. That option would cost $22.2 million, of which $21.4 million would be bonded.
The total amount was reduced “primarily by the architect’s phasing project, moving lighting to Energy Performance Contract, and some other small items pulled that do not impact the scope of the project,” Mr. Gamberg said.
The reductions were calculated by Tetra Tech Engineers after the district received community feedback following the official plan unveiling last month, Mr. Gamberg said.
The original proposal called for a new wood and automotive shop in the building. After talking with residents, the superintendent said, the district also proposed a program that would focus on trades in the marine industry, including boat building, marine manufacturing, dock building, boat supply and shipyard management.
The marine, wood shop and automotive programs could accommodate students from neighboring districts, like Southold and Mattituck-Cutchogue, who would no longer need to travel over an hour to Bellport for specific BOCES programs. It’s unclear if other districts would contribute to the cost of the programs.
“If we design a quality program that has partnerships and apprenticeships, it’s attractive enough that it becomes an educational option of value instead of traveling an hour and going to a BOCES program,” Mr. Gamberg said after the presentation.
The original spending plan emerged after numerous public hearings, and only a year after the district asked voters — for the third time since 2011 — to pierce the state tax cap to avoid staff and service cuts. More than 60 percent of voters supported piercing the cap last year.
Community members were encouraged to comment on the proposal following the presentation.
Sandy Martocchia of Greenport, who voiced her support of the plan Feb. 5, said the Capital Improvement Project will improve education quality. While the project is expensive, she said the district needs the change.
“I can’t stress this enough, how important this is for the kids,” Ms. Martocchia said. “We have families who choose to send their children elsewhere because of the condition of our building.” Greenport trustee Mary Bess Phillips said the proposal fails to address debt service numbers in future budgets as a result of the bonds and she asked for a better understanding of the debt that will impact the community.
Mr. Gamberg said the next presentation will offer a more detailed overview of the debt impact in Greenport.
Greenport resident William Swiskey, a former village trustee, was critical of the plan, saying he believes the estimates may be inaccurate and the plan is not specific enough.
Chatty Allen of Greenport responded to Mr. Swiskey’s comment on the gymnasium.
“For those of you that don’t know, that don’t have children in this building, when they can’t go outside for recess, they don’t have any space — they’re brought in [the auditorium] at a time when they should be running and playing,” she said.
Ms. Allen also said she supports the potential marine program and believes it will save the district money.
Mike Reed of Greenport was concerned about the district being overcharged for certain infrastructure changes. He also suggested the district hire a grant writer to obtain other funding for the project.
Mr. Gamberg said that, based on the feedback received last Tuesday, adjustments will continue to be made to the plan.


Chipotle is still giving away free burritos to convince people its food is safe and combat the eeriness of empty stores.
NEW YORK (AP) — Chipotle is still giving away free burritos to convince people its food is safe and combat the eeriness of empty stores.
The Denver-based chain made its first big push with freebies on Feb. 8 when it closed stores nationwide for a few hours so employees could participate in a food safety meeting after an E. Coli outbreak and other incidents sent sales plunging.
"It was kind of eerie — and we'd hear this from customers. They would walk by a restaurant and see, god that was always busy, and now there's no line whatsoever," said Jack Hartung, Chipotle's chief financial officer, speaking Wednesday at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Consumer and Retail Tech Conference.
Although traffic is still down, he said restaurants are looking fuller now and that the free offers are convincing people to become paying customers again.
He said it was important to let the chain's 2,000 restaurants "look like Chipotle again."
The company said 5.3 million people tried to download the mobile coupon for a free entree offered on Feb. 8 as a "rain check" for when stores were closed.
"That was our first test to see how much people really wanted to come back to Chipotle," said Mark Crumpacker, chief creative and development officer.
The company has since also started mailing people coupons for a free entree.
Crumpacker said there are about 6 to 10 million such offers in circulation already, out of the 21 million the company has planned. Those all expire by around May 15, he said.
Moving into the summer, he said Chipotle might shift to "Buy One, Get One" free offers, or do more targeted mobile offers for free meals in regions of the country where a recovery in sales is lagging.
Crumpacker said the expiration dates on coupons give people that extra nudge they might need to go into a Chipotle again. Executives are also concerned about the perception customers may have when they see empty restaurants.
Chipotle had become a star on Wall Street, with its restaurants packed and its sales booming.
The strategy of giving away free burritos to get stores busy again will cost Chipotle. The company said Tuesday it expects to report a loss of $1 per share or more for the January-to-March quarter. That would mark its first loss since going public in 2006.
The loss would reflect a 36 percent sales decline at established restaurants in January, which was followed by a 26 percent drop for February, despite the extra day in the month this year. Costs, meanwhile, have spiked due to factors including the free burrito promotions, stepped up marketing and investments in food safety.
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has taken a number of measures to ensure it doesn't experience another food scare. That includes no longer leaving out lemon wedges by the soda fountain and napkins for customers to take as they please; people now need to ask for them.
Its stock fell $2.65 to $500.35 on Wednesday and is down 26 percent over the past year.


COLOMBO - Kusal Perera's blazing half-century trumped Shikhar Dhawan's as Sri Lanka defeated India in the opening T20I of the Nidahas Trophy tri-series by five wickets at R Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday. Riding on Perera's 37-ball 66, the hosts chased down 175 in 18.3 overs.
Perera was in some mood tonight as he smashed Indian bowlers all around over the park with pacer Shardul Thakur bearing the brunt of his assault, leaking 27 runs in his first over of the night. He struck him for three straight fours followed by a six over mid-off. Stunned by the hiding, Shardul ended up bowling a waist-high no-ball and ended up being hit for two more fours. Sri Lanka sprinted to their fifty in 3.4 overs and by the time Powerplay was over, had scored 75/2.
Perera reached his half-century off 22 deliveries – his eighth in the format. By the time he was stumped, Sri Lanka needed just 48 runs from seven overs. Yuzvendra Chahal and Shardul then bowled some tight overs to make the chase interesting but Thisara Perera (22*) and Dasun Shanaka (18*) wiped off the arears comfortably to seal two points.
Earlier, Dhawan hit 90 off 49 to guide India to a challenging total after they lost two wickets inside two overs. Captain Rohit Sharma (0) and Suresh Raina (1) fell cheaply after being sent in by Sri Lanka. Then Dhawan and Manish Pandey (37) got together to repair the early damage with a solid 95-run stand for the third wicket.
Dushmantha Chameera gave India a big jolt in the first over itself when he had Rohit caught by Jeevan Mendis who took a breath-taking diving catch while running back from mid-off. Suresh Raina was then clean bowled off a full toss in the second over leaving India in a spot of bother at 9/2. However, Dhawan snatched back the momentum with a strokeful innings during which he hit six fours and six sixes. He reached his fifth T20I fifty off 30 deliveries and was looking set to record a maiden ton when he was caught at long-off in the 18th over. While Dhawan played a flowing innings, his partner was scratchy and in his effort to score quickly, Pandey holed out for 35-ball 37. Rishabh Pant (23) and Dinesh Karthik (13*) applied the finishing touches as India creamed 50 runs off their final five overs.
However, Kusal Perera was in murderous mood as his assault ensured a comfortable victory for Sri Lanka - their first over India in the format since February 2016.


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1. What seems to be the main reason people use flags of convenience?
4. Cambodia collects how much in ship registration fees each year?
5. How expensive are Cambodian ship registrations?