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Source: Bangkok Post, ThailandAug.迷你倉價錢 30--Computer tablet supplier Supreme Distribution Co has threatened to file a lawsuit against the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) if it invalidates a bidding result for Zone 3, covering the Central Plains and southern provinces.The company won the June bidding to supply 426,683 tablets to Mathayom 1 students and teachers in Zone 3.However, Education Minister Chaturon Chaisaeng last month instructed Obec to scrap the tablet procurement in Zone 3 because of concerns about bid rigging.The minister's concerns arose because only two companies took part in the bidding. Supreme Distribution offered a price of 2,908.24 baht per unit which was unusually close to the median price of 2,920 baht. The Office of the AuditorGeneral (OAG) has also questioned the price difference between the computer tablets procured in zones 3 and 4.Jasmine Telecom Systems won the bid to supply 402,889 tablets for Mathayom 1 students and teachers in Zone 4 covering the northern and northeastern provinces for 2,169 baht apiece.Obec, however, has not yet signed an order to invalidate the bidding result for Zone 3 as instructed by the minister.Panuwat Khantamoleekul, managing director of Supreme Distribution, Thursday vehemently denied foul play in the bidding."I assure that there was no bid rigging and we have not colluded with our competitor," he said, referring to SVOA Plc ? the other company that took part in the Z迷你倉ne 3 bidding.He said the company had already sent two letters to Mr Chaturon and a ministry committee overseeing the tablet computer scheme to quell suspicions.As for the questions over the price difference between Zone 3 and Zone 4, Mr Panuwat said the tablet price procured for Zone 4 was lower than Zone 3 because Zone 4 bidders had learned about the winning price in the previous bidding for zones 1-3. He said they lowered their price to near the median price.According to the tablet scheme's terms of reference, the tablet committee can revoke the bidding results only if there is "strong evidence" of bidding irregularities.He said the OAG's concerns are not considered solid evidence.Obec earlier conducted a probe into the alleged irregularities in the bidding, but found no wrongdoing.Mr Panuwat said once Obec signed an order to scrap the Zone 3 bidding result, the company would automatically be put on a blacklist and might face legal action."This will damage the company's reputation," he said. "We might have to file an administrative charge against Obec to protect our image."Obec secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat Thursday said the company had the right to file a lawsuit against the agency.However, he insisted Obec had not yet nullified the Zone 3 bidding result.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand) Visit the Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand) at .bangkokpost.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存

MANHASSET, N.迷你倉出租Y., Aug. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Investigators at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have discovered a new way to measure the progression of Huntington's disease, using positron emission tomography (PET) to scan the brains of carriers of the gene. The findings are published in the September issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation.(Photo: photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130829/DC71637)Huntington's disease causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain, which leads to impairments in movement, thinking and emotions. Most people with Huntington's disease develop signs and symptoms in their 40s or 50s, but the onset of disease may be earlier or later in life. Medications are available to help manage the symptoms of Huntington's disease, but treatments do not prevent the physical, mental and behavioral decline associated with the condition.Huntington's disease is an inherited disease, passed from parent to child through a mutation in the normal gene. Each child of a parent with Huntington's disease has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the Huntington's disease gene, and a child who inherits the gene will eventually develop the disease. Genetic testing for Huntington's disease can be performed to determine whether a person carries the gene and is developing the disease even before symptoms appear. Having this ability provides an opportunity for scientists to study how the disease first develops and how it progresses in its early, presymptomatic stages. Even though a carrier of the Huntington's disease gene may not have experienced symptoms, changes in the brain have already taken place, which ultimately lead to severe disability. Brain imaging is one tool that could be used to track how quickly Huntington's disease progresses in gene carriers. Having a better way to track the disease at its earliest stages will make it easier to test drugs designed to delay or even prevent the onset of迷你倉symptoms.Researchers at the Feinstein Institute used PET scanning to map changes in brain metabolism in 12 people with the Huntington's disease gene who had not developed clinical signs of the illness. The researchers scanned the subjects repeatedly over a seven-year period and found a characteristic set (network) of abnormalities in their brains. The network was used to measure the rate of disease progression in the study participants. The Feinstein Institute investigators then confirmed the progression rate through independent measurements in scans from a separate group of Huntington's disease gene carriers who were studied in the Netherlands. The investigators believe that progression networks similar to the one identified in Huntington's disease carriers will have an important role in evaluating new drugs for degenerative brain disorders."Huntington's disease is an extremely debilitating disease. The findings make it possible to evaluate the effects of new drugs on disease progression before symptoms actually appear. This is a major advance in the field," said David Eidelberg, MD, Susan and Leonard Feinstein Professor and head of the Center for Neurosciences at the Feinstein Institute.About The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research Headquartered in Manhasset, NY, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is home to international scientific leaders in many areas including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, psychiatric disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sepsis, human genetics, pulmonary hypertension, leukemia, neuroimmunology, and medicinal chemistry. The Feinstein Institute, part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, ranks in the top 5(th) percentile of all National Institutes of Health grants awarded to research centers. For more information, visit .FeinsteinInstitute.org.Photo: photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130829/DC71637PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comThe Feinstein Institute for Medical Research儲存倉

WESTBROOK, Maine, Aug.迷你倉 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Historically considered a southern and south-central U.S. parasite, the lone star tick is creating increasing concerns for pets and people in Tennessee. This tick, known for the white, star-like spot on the backs of the female, is an aggressive biter and can transmit diseases such as ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever to dogs, cats and people.(Logo: photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130618/CG34092LOGO)"Lone star ticks become more and more widespread every year," said Michael Dryden, DVM, PhD, distinguished professor of veterinary parasitology at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine who is considered one of the nation's foremost authorities on ticks that infect dogs and cats.Recent data shows increasing cases of tick-borne diseases like ehrlichiosis in Tennessee. According to IDEXX Laboratories, veterinarians have reported more than twice as many cases of canine ehrlichiosis in Alabama to date in 2013 (884) as they did for the entire years of 2011 and 2012 (410). Records show that 1 out of every 21* dogs in Tennessee tests positive for ehrlichiosis (* as of August 1, 2013).Some cases, however, go unreported, and many infected dogs go untested. Taking that into account, the nonprofit Companion Animal Parasite Council estimates these figures represent only about 30 percent of the actual incidence of ehrlichiosis in Tennessee, where people also are at risk.Ehrlichiosis is a blood cell infection that can lead to joint pain and lameness. Canine symptoms may not be obvious and include loss of appetite, lethargy or reluctance to move. If left untreated, the disease could progress to a chronic infection that lasts days, months or even years - often without showing any symptoms."The lone star tick is a very aggressive tick, and it actively seeks out people and pets to feed on," said Michael J. Yabsley, MS, PhD, F.R.E.S. (Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society), associate professor at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia. "It's one of the most common ticks that people find on themselves and their dogs, so everyone should take precautions - especially in the new areas of invasion."Parasitologists like Dryden and Yabsley say the reason for the lone star tick expansion, which began about 25 years ago, is multi-faceted and complex, citing such factors as milder winters, suburbanization and the proliferation of white-tailed deer and wild turkeys - common hosts for lone star ticks. With deer文件倉and turkey populations increasing and spreading and more people moving closer to woodlands and wildlife, conditions are conducive for lone star tick proliferation and interaction with domestic animals and their owners.Ticks, including the lone star, are most active in the spring. It's important, however, to remain vigilant year-round about protecting dogs from ticks. They go dormant during the winter but don't die - even when there's a hard freeze - and they can come out to feed on mild days."By the time you notice ticks on dogs, it's often too late," said Dryden. "All it takes is one bite."Even if pet owners use tick preventives, infections can still occur if owners' mistime or forget an application or dose. The two most common pathogens the lone star tick can transmit to both animals and humans are the causative agents of ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). RMSF symptoms include arthritis-like stiffness and neurological problems. If not treated early, both diseases can become chronic and even result in death.While it's difficult to tell if a dog has a tick-borne disease, veterinarians can screen for them. They recommend testing annually for these diseases, which usually can be successfully treated with antibiotics.People who want to learn more about how to protect their families and pets should consult their veterinarians and .DogsAndTicks.com, a helpful website with information about tick-bite prevention and tick diseases - including how prevalent some of them are in their own neighborhoods. Since early diagnosis and treatment are keys to longer and higher-quality lives for dogs, the online resource also teaches people how to recognize difficult-to-distinguish signs of infection, how to properly check for ticks and remove embedded ticks.The veterinarians and veterinary parasitologists who support and develop content for .DogsAndTicks.com are committed to educating pet owners about the prevalence and risks of tick-borne diseases. The website does not endorse any individual product but serves as an informational source, with tools that include interactive prevalence maps for tick-borne diseases based on diagnostic screenings from across the country.IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., is a global market leader in pet healthcare innovation, helping practicing veterinarians around the world advance medical care with a broad range of diagnostic products and services. IDEXX created .DogsAndTicks.com as a resource for pet owners.Photo: photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130618/CG34092LOGODogsAndTicks.comCONTACT: Marissa Sharkey, marissa@bcsthinktank.comWeb site: .dogsandticks.com/存倉

Source: San Antonio Express-NewsAug.self storage 30--If you haven't found Twitter yet, it's probably found you. The social media platform that launched in 2008 has gone over like gangbusters in the last five years, and just about everyone and everything has an account now. So we thought we'd take a look at some of San Antonio's top tweeters.No, we're not talking about people with a massive following, like Manu Ginobili (1,953,513 followers and counting) or Shawn Michaels (1,894,910 followers and counting). We're talking about the little people -- relatively speaking -- who are on the ground, and who really know what San Antonians will find interesting, funny or useful.So, without further ado ... here is the (non-exhaustive) list of San Antonio's Top Tweeters!1. @PuroPincheSAFollowers: 5,627Bio: "What's going on tonight, San Antonio?"Who is she?: Stephanie Guerra, who runs Puro Pinche, a business based of Geekdom that promotes and spotlights San Antonio entertainment.Why follow?: Guerra dishes on happy hour spots and specials, who's hiring at local bars, and all other things boozy, but she started this account with a focus on live music, which means after-work hours. Which means drinking. "There was a gap in coverage for those types of events," Guerra said, "so when people ask what is there to do tonight, I was trying to answer that question, instead of saying, 'Go to Austin.'"2. @PuroSanAntonioFollowers: 9,585Bio: "From BigRed & barbacoa, to BBQing in the front yard, I'm on the lookout for things that are Puro San Antonio."Who is she?: Brenda Munoz, but she doesn't want you to know that. "A lot of times people thought I was guy, because I have kind of a potty mouth." She prefers to be incognito, so she doesn't correct the misinformation. And if you ask her, she might just deny she's behind this account.Why follow?: PuroSanAntonio doesn't take this city too seriously. It's about "picking at things that are pop culture that people who grew up here would relate to and find funny," she said. "There are some things that make the city look really good and some things that make the city look really bad." Like the teen pregnancy rate? A while back, she got sucked into a live-tweeting vortex about teen pregnancy rates and dropout rates. "It is a problem, but at the same time, it's something funny." Can't fault the girl for having a good sense of humor. And speaking of humor ...3. @BeerBizDailyFollowers: 9,855Bio: "Publisher of Beer Business Daily, an insider trade publication for commercial beer industry news in the U.S."Who is he?: Harry Schuhmacher, the rapier-witted booze journalist reporting from San Antonio and reaching audiences nationwide.Why follow?: Aside from keeping the masses abreast of the business of beer, wine and spirits, Schuhmacher doles out quippy tweets about everything from his kids to his meals. A recent tweet: "My son just said, 'I think the number of allowable characters in a tweet should be dictated by your IQ'."Bonus: Schuhmacher is preparing to release a book later this year spotlighting his brand of dry humor. It should consist of more than 140 characters.4. @ColleenPenceFollowers: 5,862Bio: "Social media mentor; friend to nonprofits; Parrothead; mama; foodie who can't cook."Who is she?: Pence is a mom with an eye for goodies that kids and adults can appreciate. Also head of Social Media Mentoring, a consulting firm and blogger on San Antonio Mom Blogs.Why follow?: Her feed includes links to fun and/or easy recipes, like orange cookies with sweet glaze, pics of San Antonio must-sees like the infamous two-headed turtle, Thelma and Louise, and discussions on practicalities for parents, like charter schools. She's basically a Mommy tweeter extraordinaire with useful pointers. "It's about keeping in touch with what's going on in San Antonio," Pence said. "I use Twitter to connect with parents and moms and to share what they're doing in San Antonio."5. @JulianCastroFollowers: 52,933Bio: "Mayor of San Antoni迷你倉, Texas, America's 7th largest city. Keynote Speaker/2012 Democratic National Convention."Who is he?: See above.Why follow?: Because he's the boss of San Antonio! Just kidding (... but not really). Castro's account is more of a tweet aggregation service; his feed largely consists of re-tweets, but they're re-tweets that shed light on activities and legislation that can shape the city.Bonus: Dreamy avatar.6. @ChefJasonDadyFollowers: 4,115Bio: "Chef/Owner of Jason Dady Restaurants, part time husband and love my kids, camping, pappy and excel at making things delicious."Why follow?: Jason Dady's culinary influence in San Antonio reaches far and wide with Bin 555, Two Bros BBQ market, The Duk Truck and two Tre Trattorias: one in Alamo Heights and one downtown. Dady mixes food photos and restaurant updates with a liberal sprinkling of his personality as a family man. Recent wistful tweets bemoaned how fast his daughters are growing up at the start of the school year. That's a chef with a heart.7. @WhataburgerFollowers: 151,582Bio: "There's pride in every Whataburger."Who is it?: Whataburger's three-person social media team, who loves to engage other Tweeters with @ replies.Why follow?: Whataburger is something of a San Antonio institution since the headquarters moved here from Corpus Christi in 2009, and the orange-and-white A-frames are scattered all across our cityscape. Besides that, this account posts pics of their delicious hangover-ending, late-night-munchies-satisfying, making-you-miss-Texas-when-you're-gone hamburgers. And that fills our hearts with joy (and spicy ketchup).8. @NanPalmeroFollowers: 8,096Bio: "Business Growth Expert @SalesBy5 -- Power User @BlackBerryCool -- Black Belt -- Marathoner -- Travel Photographer -- Nan is pronounced like the tasty flat bread."Who is he?: Something of a renaissance man with a concentration on technology and communication.Why follow?: Palmero keeps au courant on the city's goings-on and on tech trends by going to conferences and shares helpful tidbits from what he's learned. He's also super-duper friendly, which, in an age of drive-by trolling, can be a breath of fresh air. "You can come across negatively very quickly, so I try to be especially friendly," Palmero said. "You'll almost never see me use the word 'thanks' or 'thx,' I'll cut other things so I can give someone a proper 'thank you.'"Bonus: This LOL-inducing thread between Palmero and a tweeter who apparently thought he was her grandmother. (This, by the way, is not him at his friendliest. But it's possibly his funniest.)9. @NoraFrostFollowers: 2,993Bio: "Laughing loudly and pursuing abundant life. Let's grow old together!"Who is she?: A stand-up comedienne who's not shy about sharing her Christian views.Why follow?: The comedy-cum-Christian tack is good. So many Twitter comics get their laughs from negative humor, but Frost keeps things optimistic.10. @TPRCinemaFollowers: 1,259Bio: Nathan Cone is "Curator of Cinema Tuesdays series; Director of Marketing & Digital Content at TPR; Disneyphile."Who is he?: A bespectacled movie buff with sophisticated taste.Why follow?: Cone's tweets sheds light on the world of cinema, especially classic cinema, and can help you figure out what to watch on movie night. And he's pretty good about sticking to his forte. "With any Twitter account in general, it almost has a theme -- that's what I think a really good twitter account should be," Cone said. "Because my Twitter account started off with my work and Cinema Tuesdays, I tweet about movies and how public radio covers the world of movies, as well as interesting movie stuff that has relevance to us in San Antonio and here in south Texas."Are we missing someone? Send us a tweet @mySA, find us on Facebook or shoot me an email.stressler@express-news.netTwitter: @sarahtressCopyright: ___ (c)2013 the San Antonio Express-News Visit the San Antonio Express-News at .mysanantonio.com Distributed by MCT Information Services文件倉

Source: Albuquerque Journal, N.新蒲崗迷你倉M.Aug. 29--It really doesn't matter where the schedule-makers put Manzano and Volcano Vista.These two always manage to put on a great show.The inaugural regular-season game at Community Stadium certainly had its rough edges, but in the end, the Monarchs and Hawks -- as they tend to do -- authored a tense, memorable finale.For Manzano on Wednesday night, quarterback Angel Gonzales hit Josh Alvarez on a 10-yard, fourth-down touchdown pass with 1.4 seconds remaining, as the Monarchs stunningly rallied past Volcano Vista 17-14."I saw Josh come over, and he had a step on (the linebacker)," Gonzales said. "And he just caught a bad ball. But great players make great plays."The score capped a frenzied final five minutes that featured two lead changes.A festive crowd of about 4,000 to 4,500 opened the first new Albuquerque Public Schools football stadium since 1963.There wasn't much great football in the first three quar- ters, but the fourth quarter delivered in spades.Trailing 10-6, Volcano Vista marched 97 yards for the go-ahead score with 1:04 left in the game.It was a 14-play drive in which the Hawks did almost all their damage with running backs Ibra Dominguez and Dominico Chavez.Sophomore quarterback Josh Williams capped the impressive drive with a 1-yard sneak. He also threw a 2-point conversion pass to Bryce Brooks, forcing Manzano to score a touchdown to win the game.Given the way the Volcano Vista defense had been playing, a 14-10 lead seemed secure.It was not.Gonzales hit Alvarez on an 11-yard pass on a third-and-10 early in the drive. That was followed by pass interference penalty on the Hawks -- the first of two such flags on Volcano Vista on the decisive drive.On a third-and-2 from the 36, Gonzales threw 21 yards over the middle to Charles Countee. Manzano was flagged five yards back to the 20, where it had a first down. There were three incomplete passes, settmini storageng up a fourth-and-15.Gonzales threw into the end zone for Countee, but Volcano was hit with another pass interference penalty, and the Monarchs had it fourth-and-5 from the 10 with 5.5 seconds to go.Gonzales, on the game-winning TD throw, had as much time to pass as he did on any snap all night."Volcano Vista has a really good defense," Alvarez said. "Their front four is pretty stellar."On the touchdown, Gonzales was under no pressure whatsoever. His first look was to Countee in the corner of the end zone, but a Hawks safety slid over to help on the coverage, so he checked underneath to Alvarez."He (the defender) got a fingertip on it," Alvarez said. He bobbled slightly before collecting the ball just as he rolled into the end zone.In the past four years, Manzano has beaten Volcano Vista four times by a combined 12 points. There are two 1-point victories for the Monarchs, and then Wednesday's heroics."It's every year with these guys," VVHS coach Chad Wallin said. "They executed at the end, and we didn't."Manzano had only two impressive drives. The last one, and the first one.The Monarchs' opening drive led to a 28-yard field goal by Adam Hill.Late in the first half, Manzano went up 10-0 on a Volcano Vista mistake.Deep in their own end, a shotgun snap went over Williams' head and was recovered in the end zone by Manzano's Cameron McMahan. It was 10-0 at halftime."We didn't look good on offense," Manzano coach Chad Adcox said. "I'm very unhappy with our offense tonight."The Hawks' Chavez finally got his team on the board with a 5-yard TD run with 5.6 seconds left in the third quarter. Manzano blocked the PAT and led 10-6. OnlineVisit ABQ-journal.com/ sports for a photo slide show from the game and the stadium debut.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at .abqjournal.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesself storage

By Wei Tian in Shanghai ( China Daily) Merger and acquisition activity in China remains subdued as dealmakers adopt a "wait and see" attitude pending clearer policy direction from the government, a semi-annual report by professional service provider PricewaterhouseCoopers finds.文件倉Amid tightening credit conditions and a slowing economy, first-half M&A deals in China declined 5 percent to 2,118, compared with the previous six months. In value terms, deals fell 6 percent to $119.5 billion.Deal numbers and values were still higher than a year earlier - but below the peaks of recent years."Strategic buyers have remained cautious, and we did not see a rebound in activity in the second quarter after (China's) leadership changes took effect," said Andrew Li, PwC Central China advisory leader, at a Shanghai news conference.Domestic strategic M&A remains the largest portion of deals in China, accounting for nearly two-thirds by volume.With the new policy direction tending "toward de-leveraging and slower growth, both domestic and inbound strategic buyers have been more selective and focused in their investment activities", said Li.According to the study, foreign inbound strategic deal volumes were also at low levels in the first half. The number, on par with the second half of last year at 136, stood at nearly half the levels recorded in 2010 and 2011."Dealmakers are generally adopting a 'wait and see' attitude ... and deals may rebound if the policy picture becomes clearer," Li said.The third plenary session of the 18th Central Committee of China's ruling Communist Party, which is expected to reveal the roadmap of deepening of reform, will take place in November, much later in the year compared with previous years.Apart from uncertainty in policy direction and tight liquidity, recent anti-monopoly campaigns by the central government are adding short-term pressure on the dealmaking environment, Li said.The anti-monopoly campaigns, which officials with the Ministry of Commerce deny are intended to target foreign co存倉panies, have involved some of the toughest penalties yet on foreign brands.According to PwC, investment from elsewhere in Asia including Japan exceeded United States and European-sourced transactions in the first half, but the biggest deals came from European buyers including carmakers Volvo Car Corp and Daimler Motor Co.Outbound deals from the Chinese mainland also declined in the first half, with only 78 transactions, compared with 95 in the previous six months, according to the report."Many companies focused on addressing challenges in the difficult domestic market, with local debt financing for M&A becoming more difficult to obtain," Li said.One example was the construction machinery sector, where there have been some major outbound takeovers, such as Sany Heavy Industry Co Ltd buying German giant Putzmeister Holding GmbH in early 2012. Such deals have been rare this year, because of the absence of government support.PwC forecast an increase in domestic debt restructuring, as borrowers with non-performing loans are unable to refinance or roll over their loans.Trends such as these, which will be encouraged by policymakers as a means of squeezing excess capacity out of the economy, may be more visible into 2014, the report said."We expect that there will be more consolidation in industry sectors in China with a resulting upturn in domestic strategic M&A," said Li.Private equity funds, the most sensitive dealmakers to policy trends, saw new fundraising decline by 46 percent in the first half of 2013, compared with the second half of 2012."While cautious on policy direction and the softening of the China economy in general, PEs are also dealing with the transition from growth capital to [the buy-out phase], with fewer buy-out opportunities, and minority deals not favored because of concerns over ability to exit," said Roger Liu, PwC's China/HK deal PE leader."With A-share markets effectively closed, and overseas bourses unreceptive, IPO exits have slowed to a trickle," Liu said.weitian@chinadaily.com.cn迷你倉

提到容桂，迷你倉新蒲崗很多外地人會立刻想到這是順德經濟最活躍區域之一，但沒有太多人瞭解，論嶺南盆景，很長時間以來全國鎮一級沒有第二個地方能和容桂媲美。與容桂相隔不到30公里的樂從鎮，下月初要在專業家具商場里舉辦首次省級盆景精品邀請展，並籌劃在該鎮楊滘和沙滘兩地規劃出1000畝土地籌建省盆景藝術服務中心，以此打造精品農業。一個借助傳統技藝，希望延續其在嶺南盆景界地位；另一個則期望通過憑借其產業雄厚實力，後來居上，誰會成為下一個嶺南“盆景王”？展會部分精品將參加今年首屆國家大展今年中旬，廣東省農業廳和順德區政府簽署協議，共建省級現代農業示範區，將其打造成為省內“農業效益最好、農民增收最快”的現代農業示範區，為廣東乃至全國農業現代化建設提供示範和經驗。據順德區相關統計數據顯示，2012年全區種植業產值18.6億元，比上年同期增長4%，其中全區將以名貴花卉種植為龍頭、規模經營和市場化流通為支撐的現代化農業體系，推動傳統農業向現代化農業轉型升級。目前順德種植業正在向精品農業、現代化農業方向發展。為了打造轄區現代農業，下月初樂從鎮即首次大規模試水盆景產業，確實花了一番心思。據瞭解，本次省級嶺南盆景展示會，有省港35個地區210多件盆景精品應邀參展，它們是從近萬件作品中選出，代表了廣東省盆景精品的最高水平，不乏大師作品，部分精品已被確認為今年將在中山舉辦的首屆中國盆景國家大展展品。樂從嶺南盆景精品邀請展籌委會介紹指出，在選中的參展精品中，除了香榆松柏等嶺南傳統樹種外，近期非常流行的超大型盆景、小型精品及部分盆景新品將在展會中一一亮相，更有近年甚少露面的鳥不宿、錦松等精品。實際上，作為國寶級的錦松很難養護，已有10餘年未在大型展示會上露面，原來蘇州萬景山莊里本有一盆國寶級的錦松，但都未能養活，不過在這次邀請過程中，組委會特地邀請到兩件產品參加展覽。樂從欲以盆景綑綁家具壯大發展“這是樂從首次舉辦省級盆景精品邀請展，樂從想要借助這次展覽，推動樂從新型現代農業發展，期望今後盆景創作、盆景養護、盆景收藏成為樂從鎮高端農業、生態農業、文化農業、藝術農業的一個重要產業業態。”樂從鎮社工和工業局副局長梁沛�表示，下月展覽將安排在樂從國際會展中心，因為這裡既有中式家具，也有品牌辦公家具展區，很能代表目前樂從產業特點，今後可考慮盆景綑綁家具的銷售模式壯大盆景產業。“將展地放在樂從國際會展中心，讓盆景與家具配套展出，凸顯兩者作為家庭裝飾品的藝術魅力，從而營造嶺南盆景獨特的文化底蘊和藝術氣息，提升市民的欣賞水平，拉近盆景與市民的距離。”對於展覽方式的創新，廣東省盆景協會秘書長謝克英表示，協會與企業合作，結合樂從專業市場的商貿特色，有很廣闊的發展空間。同時未來將通過在教科書添加盆景教學以及開辦盆景綜合服務中心和發展小微型盆景的方法讓盆景藝術更加大�化。“目前中國的盆景藝術有五大流派，分別為蘇派、洋派、川派、徽派和嶺南派。嶺南盆景以富於自然美而見長，生活情趣十分濃厚，在國際盆景業界聲譽不菲，有比較好的市場開發價值。”產業落戶兩村預計依靠特色農業區在近日媒體發佈會上，樂從鎮鎮委委員、社會工作局局長陳潤明表示，面對傳統農業產值效益低的問題，只有轉型發展高端農業才能突破現有的瓶頸，而盆景產業因其特有的藝術附加值有別于傳統農業，成為了樂從農業轉型為現代農業一個突破口。而做展會只是樂從開�盆景迷你倉出租業的開始，該鎮已經籌劃在當地楊滘和沙滘兩地規劃出1000畝土地籌建省盆景藝術服務中心，以此打造精品農業。不過相關負責人並未透露產業發展具體辦法，只是稱要打造一個集文化藝術、旅遊休閒、盆景種植技術培養、盆景售後服務等綜合盆景服務中心，推廣盆景產業，發展高端農業、生態農業、文化農業以及藝術農業，向土地要效益、要品位，讓土地的價值最大化，讓村民受益，提高村民收入。做精品農業到底有多大效益，雖然該鎮政府並未指明，但是在園區籌劃地之一的樂從楊滘村，記者瞭解到這裡已借助新修水利工程打造了一個精品農業園項目，這是樂從鎮具有示範意義的現代休閒精品農業項目。楊滘村委會主任馬潤堯指出，“精品農業園項目投入使用後，村民的股份收入預計將增加四倍。而且精品農業園的運作除了帶來經濟效益，還帶來環境的改變，村里河湧水質將有很大的改善。目前楊滘希望借助精品農業園區申報創建省級生態村，村民有望從這個項目中獲得經濟和環境雙重收益。”容桂新一代盆景欲以精品取勝雖然樂從鎮此次打造盆景產業時，提出與陳村花卉世界形成錯位發展，但是從產品特點來看，就在順德區境內，被譽為“中國盆景名鎮”的容桂，將不可避免的與其形成直接競爭。在沒有家具產業作為支撐的容桂，發展盆景藝術將繼續秉承文化傳承，以精品路線取勝。根據相關媒體報道，就在3個月前，容桂園林盆景協會組織今年當地最大規模的盆景展覽會，共有120件盆景精品向市民亮相。此次展覽是容桂盆景實力的一次大檢閱。作為本次展覽四大部分之一的展示區將展出容桂改革開放、經濟騰飛以來新一代盆藝愛好者作品、有現代意識的創新作品及突出、怪、異的景物創意作品。“盆景說到底是文化產品，特別講究文化傳承，現在新一代容桂盆景藝人，都是在上一代名家大師指導下，在繼承其技藝基礎上，輔以自己的創作思維，從而搭建起屬於自己的創造風格，並被業界認同。”容桂一盆景界人士指出，早在1969年，香港盆景知名人士伍宜孫先生就出書《文農盆景》，使容桂盆景開始走入國際視野，還吸引港澳玩家私下前來採購。當時桂洲一些民間貿易小團體抓住商機組織盆景，經順德土特產出口公司銷售到港澳等地。盆景銷路打開的同時，也激發了當地盆景創作的熱情，嶺南盆景文化開始由容桂人唱主角。“容桂現代盆景產業早在50多年前就已得到外界認同，這種文化積澱是容桂盆景繼續生存的土壤。”如今容桂盆景產業也沒有固步自封，成功申報為“中國盆景名鎮”，當地盆景產業人士都希望將容桂的盆景文化推廣開去。容桂力爭成為嶺南盆景藝術的精品匯聚之地，成為嶺南盆景的領跑者。隨著盆景事業不斷發展，容桂的盆景藝術水平也在日益提高，容桂園林盆景協會會員創作出一大批富有時代氣息的優秀作品，在歷屆國際、國家及省市級比賽中獲得優異成績，為容桂贏得榮譽超過300項。目前容桂盆景以精品路線為主，容桂盆景愛好者對盆景藝術的追求普遍較高。尤其是私人盆景園，精品薈萃，規格相當高，在國內甚至東南亞有極高知名度和美譽度。如今，容桂匯聚了一批有天賦的創作者，他們因材而作、勇於創新、博採眾長，對大自然的深刻領悟和“截幹蓄枝”的獨特創作技法，得到了國內外盆景業界的認同和讚譽。另外花木場協會會員楊漢連、梁振華等人在其場內設立盆景藝術的培訓基地，不斷培養盆景創作新人，使容桂盆景創作得以補充新鮮血液。撰文：南方日報記者 尹輔華 攝影：劉嘉麟圖片說明:在容桂，盆景藝術有著深厚的群�基礎。迷你倉

　　《經濟通通訊社３０日專訊》上海錦江酒店（０２００６）公布其持有５０﹒２％權益之附屬公司錦江旅遊（滬：９００９２９）截至今年６月底止半年業績。期內盈利為３１２２萬元（人民幣．下同），儲存倉同比增３５﹒１％；每股盈利為０﹒２３５５元。期內，營業收入為８﹒８６億元，增６﹒９％。（ｐｌ）　　　　　　　　　　　＊有關業績的詳情，請參閱該公司之正式通告

紐約有曼哈頓、東京有銀座、香港有中環、上海有陸家嘴、北京有建國門、深圳有地王商圈……惠州有佳兆業中心。即日起，儲存倉惠州佳兆業中心全新組團“天璽”，以251平方米的中央商務空間，震撼面世。VIP登記2萬即可抵10萬鉅惠，目前火爆登記中。全新組團“天璽”秉承佳兆業中心地標特質，作為251平方米復合式產品，多元空間劃分，一梯一戶的專業配備。匯聚一城精粹，集大型購物中心、五星級酒店、國際精裝公寓、5A寫字樓及品牌物管服務體系，均為助力企業領先步入“國際商務場”的頂配。坐享豐厚利潤回報，商住皆宜的屬性，支撐著強勁不衰的租金，更是令“天璽”的投資價值高人一籌。而在“天璽”，于5A級地標寫字樓旁，全球500強企業雲集，擦肩而過每張臉都可能是行業的名片。另外中心地標體驗會館也將迎來璀璨開放，這座地標之下，即科技、時尚于一體的體驗會館，必將為惠州市民帶來新的視覺盛宴。李嘉誠先生曾說過，地段，地段，還是地段。一個城市只有一個CBD，惠州佳兆業中迷你倉價錢正是處在惠州政務、商務、文化三圈核心---江北18號小區。周圍既有市政府以及多個市直機關部門單位的辦公樓，也有建設銀行、農業銀行、浦發銀行等多家金融機構，還有文化中心、會展中心、科技館、博物館等休閒娛樂場所。隨著288米的惠州新高度即將封頂，中心體驗會館開放在即，惠州佳兆業中心勢必引領惠州輝煌的末來。國際商務公寓、12萬平方米潮流商業MALL、超五星法國鉑爾曼酒店、天際泳池、雲端360°觀景台、立體生態空中花園等�多頂級配套為核心，通過集約化運作，將提升企業經濟跨越新高。讓滿負荷的商務精英在工作間隙有個怡然小恬的去處，舒展一下蜷縮起來的生命觸角。項目周邊規劃中的雙地鐵，將讓惠州佳兆業中心成為城市CBD版圖上的“地鐵王”。迅捷的地鐵1號線近在咫尺，形成“大江北CBD10分鐘生活圈”，接駁深圳站只需45分鐘；便利2號線在樓下設有站點，東莞至惠州只需35分鐘。項目中心熱線：0752-2639999，項目地址：惠州市政府東側。羅銳迷你倉

按照國際公認標準，迷你倉出租當人均GDP超過3000美元時，這個國家或地區將進入度假時代，而我國人均GDP現已達到4400美元，個別省市甚至過萬，2012年，上海市人均GDP為折合13434.75美元。上海人的度假時代已經來臨，第三房需求膨脹。度假養生需求擴容隨著一線城市居民財富的累積與不斷增加的壓力，度假時代已經到來，國人的休閒度假需求將全面井噴。這也標誌著旅遊產業將從過去的觀光旅遊過渡到更高層次的休閒度假旅遊，休閒度假將逐步成為國人常態的度假方式和生活方式。度假地產是適應度假生活需要應運而生的，是承載度假生活的地產，隨著度假生活的行為需求不斷增長，人們對度假地產的需求也將不斷膨脹，度假地產必將成為新興的朝陽產業。保利地產搶佔即將升級國家級5A景區的西塘古鎮資源，打造優質養生度假社區——保利西塘越。古鎮第三房標杆西塘古鎮今年來旅遊業發展勢頭迅猛，是許多人嚮往的水鄉古鎮，在新浪微博搜索西塘的信息，多達780萬條信息，比其他景區熱門得多。如今西塘5A級景區掛牌在即，古鎮各方面設施都在不斷完善，房產也隨著浪潮火熱起來，保利作為西塘唯一的大品牌開發商，保利西塘越自然倍受關注，到現迷你倉看房的人絡繹不絕，周末更是場面火爆。保利西塘越推出四大產品，囊括多層、排屋、合院、親水別院，均價只要5800元/平方米，客戶得知如此親民的價格都驚喜不已。如今項目已實景呈現，現場的景觀無不令人贊歎，數百顆成年樹木、各色花卉、親水台、天然河道，各處都透著江南的獨特魅力。夜色下的西塘令到來的人不由贊歎一句“真美”，大紅燈籠的光亮倒影在河道上，細碎的紅光隨著河面搖曳，溫婉柔和，風情無限。而這一切，對於保利西塘越的住戶 ，都是窗外夜幕下的美景。保利地產20年品牌號召力保利地產作為央企社會責任排頭兵，擁有20年專業能力，無論是產品的戶型設計、小區的景觀、社區配套，各方面都以得到了�多置業者的肯定。保利西塘越的業主中有許多是保利地產的老客戶，其中一位高先生說：“我在上海住的房子也是保利地產的產品，親身體會過就知道房子的好，所以這次買度假別墅也看准了這個品牌，也到現場參觀過樣板房，非常合心意。”而購買排屋的裴女士表示：“在上海周邊幾乎沒有這樣的低的價格了，保利地產的實力和品質都是有目共睹的，保利西塘越性價比很高，而且走路幾分鐘就能到景區，升值空間很大，我買下這套排屋就當是投資。”儲存倉

沙灘車一路奔馳在鄉間道路上，存倉右邊是一片即將收成的鳳梨園，黃澄澄一片對應著夕陽的色彩，而往左邊看去的景色，讓我漸漸放慢了沙灘車的速度，只因眼前的山景令人動容，心中浮現「很感謝我還活著」這念頭。輪椅族準備飛行好奇遊客聚過來十五年前癱瘓後，許多原本想嘗試的活動，似乎都因身體的設限，被以「安全考量」勸退。因為擔心麻煩別人，也就沒有為自己多爭取些機會，想做的事情，就告訴自己下輩子再說吧！但沒嘗試過，怎麼知道可不可以？這是在台東接觸了一群飛行傘教練後，我更加堅定的信念。曾經在癱瘓後，坐在朋友的車上，偶然看見滿天的飛行傘，心想這雙無法站立的雙腳，既然不能走，用飛的也不錯。但僅止於「想法」，飛行傘起飛前的助跑與降落的踩地，我都無法達成，遨遊天際，只存在幻想中。未來的事情誰也說不準，有天一位喜歡極限運動的朋友竟問了我一句：「要不要去嘗試飛行傘？」這個原以為下輩子才能實踐的夢，就這樣向我靠近了。那年八月的台東豔陽依然火辣，還沒有見到飛行傘，番薯教練看到我，就先要我試試騎上沙灘車。我驚訝地看著眼前這台四輪的沙灘車，緊張地離開我的另一雙腳（輪椅），不安地坐上去。卻沒想到，在我用手催下油門的那一刻，發現自己心中一直嚮往的速度與自由，都在此刻實現了！不再被環境限制，我騎著沙灘車跟著大家經過鄉間小路，爬過陡峭山路，去看高齡的神木，悠閒地在路旁喝著露天咖啡。我擁有了另一雙可以跋山涉水的雙腳，在台東，我像個體能超強的女戰士，每天都期待著去更多地方探險。那一天，騎著沙灘車跟教練們來到飛行場，路旁好多遊客等著看飛行傘表演，當沙灘車停妥，我被飛行傘教練抱下，換上輪椅的那一刻，身旁的遊客都睜大了眼睛：這個剛才還在飆車的女飆仔，原來是個輪椅族！更驚訝的還在後頭，遊客看見輪椅迷你倉的我準備飛行，全都好奇地聚集了過來。想做的事不設限作一場真實的夢教練們模擬了一次他們為我所做的安全準備，經過一陣溝通後，兩位助飛員拉起我，代替我的雙腳奔跑，靠著風的助力，傘張開後，夢想起飛。心激動地跳著，害怕錯過什麼，刻意減少眨眼次數，心中不知道尖叫了多少次：「我真的飛起來了！」我遇到了不因「安全考量」婉拒我嘗試，反而因此加強溝通與防範、協助我達成夢想的教練們。翌年，教練們擴大辦理，在埔里飛行場舉辦身心障礙者飛行傘體驗活動。埔里的教練特別設計了一款讓下肢癱患者使用的安全坐墊，帶著更多的身障者遨遊天空。看著一個個飛上天空的朋友露出開懷笑臉，我彷彿看到當年自己第一次飛行的樣子。飛行後，回程路上，我騎著沙灘車跟著大家走河堤小路，一邊欣賞傍晚不斷變換姿態的夕陽。同樣的夕陽，在剛癱瘓時總給我哀傷的感受，那些想做的事、那些曾以為不可能的夢想，一度被設限，而今因為把限制鬆開而達成。也因為自己的勇敢嘗試，讓教練們有機會了解身障者的需要與生活方式。除了飛行傘與沙灘車，教練中有人開餐廳，在裝潢時放入無障礙概念，而番薯教練重新整修家裡時，在門前做了一條無障礙斜坡。從給予我飛行的機會，到成了家人一樣的朋友，像作了一場很真實的夢，讓我常常反問自己：是不是真的可以這麼幸福？一些來台灣旅遊的外國人常說，台灣最美的風景是人情。而我覺得，台灣有許多很美的風景，這些渾然天成的美景，因為台灣熱情的人們而加分。我住在台灣——一個雖不盡完美，卻有人願意發揮同理心，並用行動去改善環境的地方。生活在這塊幸福的土地上，常讓我不禁脫口而出：「很感謝我還活著！」●「我在台灣好幸福」徵文，8月31日截稿，詳情請上「繽紛超連結」blog.udn.com/benfenplay/article自存倉

參評獎項金牌投資價值樓盤地址：恩平市沈海高速開陽段聖堂出口開發商：�大地產產品類型：雙拼別墅、高層洋房價格：均價約8800元/平方米最新動態：項目近期在售183-390平方米的溫泉別墅，存倉均價8800元/平方米上下，現有付款方式特別活動，最低首付僅12萬。9月計劃推出全新二期洋房，46- 139平方米的湖岸洋房，帶裝修售價4880元/平方米，現認籌享開盤9折優惠[樓盤簡介]�大泉都是全國一線房企�大地產進入五邑地區的首個作品，位處恩平。開車走沈海高速，從開陽段的聖堂出口下來就可以看到項目的指示牌。據瞭解，規劃中的珠三角城軌江門恩平段計劃設置有聖堂站，屆時項目又將多一種便利的出行方式。樓盤遠期規劃近萬畝的規模，首期占地約2862畝，總建築面積197萬平方米左右，計劃建設為“全球首席世界溫泉度假城”，內部將擁有8萬平方米的溫泉小鎮，匯集了中式、德式、韓式、意式、泰式等8國風情的溫泉會館，法國、斯洛伐克、西班牙、德國等風情的13個大酒店，還有超3萬平方米迷你倉白金七星�大酒店，將形成一個酒店及建築的藝術博覽會。小區此外還有3個國際功能中心以及小學幼兒園等。不僅遊玩設施豐富，項目四周自然環境優越，群山環抱，走在小區內抬頭四周都是翠綠的山景，讓人非常釋放。而開發商也是大手筆打造園林，80萬平方米的皇家園林，匯集多個中心湖系和8個主題園林，將湖泊、園林、建築等融合在一起，打造成歐陸風情的坡地水景園林，項目更是結合原生態的百畝森林公園、百畝生態果園，營造一種貼近生活，貼近自然的原生態。[實力看點]名企打造瞄準升值潛力作為品牌房企，�大地產已經打造多個旅遊地產項目，擁有良好的口碑。�大泉都位處溫泉之鄉的恩平，溫泉資源優越，四周環境更是許多一二線城市無法比擬的，靠近高速路口交通也很方便。憑借多個優勢，項目去年開盤時，吸引大量廣州、佛山、江門和恩平客，銷售迅速。此外，�大地產以開盤必特價，特價必升值出名，良好的環境資源和產品，搭配高性價比，升值潛力十分誘人，既可以購買度假，也可考慮投資出租。採寫、攝影：南都記者 陳旭鴻自存倉

海珠南華東路南都訊 記者孔小雲 實習生呂伽雯 海珠區南華東路太平南外街14號和相鄰的老房子有點不同。三十年如一日，迷你倉窗台放著兩台中國電信的藍色公用電話機，服務著附近的街坊們。“一個個具有時代感的招牌，一幕幕熟悉的往事……看到它，你有沒有一刻的觸動，突然想起某一個人？”前日，網友@古粵秀色的一條微博引發諸多網友的感慨。前日，在這個見證時代發展的“電話室”前，老闆倫叔也“憶起了當年”。忘記了上世紀80年代初的具體哪一年，倫叔家開始代理中國電信公共電話，“反正都還沒有B B機(尋呼機)”。當時，家庭固定電話剛剛開始普及，“很多人交了4000元報裝電話，但排隊也要等三年。”他說，他的電話室里安裝的第一部電話還是“1918電話”，即現在只能在民國電視劇里看到的迴轉式電話。“上面畫的那台電話機也是‘1918電話’。”指著電話室窗台上邊的“公共電話”招牌，倫叔說雖然電話已經更新換代好幾代新蒲崗迷你倉不過，那塊招牌卻是從開業一直掛到現在。兩台公共電話的黃金期成績也相當“輝煌”。倫叔還記得，上世紀八九十年代，來打電話的人從門口一直排隊排到巷尾，客人大多是附近的街坊。“我那時也是到這裡給親戚打電話的。”正坐在門口和倫叔閑聊的鄧伯就曾是這裡的“電話客”之一。“以前大家都稱這裡是義工站———為人民服務！”倫叔說，隨著近二十年家家戶戶逐漸都裝上了電話，現在幾乎每個人都有了自己的手機，14號的公共電話漸漸閑了起來。“別說賺錢，靠它連飯都吃不了。”倫叔歎了口氣，這幾年已不是天天都有人來打電話。不過，習慣了看守電話的日子，倫叔暫時沒計劃要關閉電話室。且窗台外為“電話客”準備的兩足老長凳子，現在也成了老街坊閑聊、乘涼的好地方。“代理公共電話幾十年，現在已經很難看到了。”倫叔不知道廣州市內還剩下多少“同行”。昔“以前大家都稱這裡是義工站———為人民服務！”今“別說賺錢，靠它連飯都吃不了。”mini storage

Source: The Columbus Dispatch, OhioAug.mini storage 28--A new state law essentially banning Internet sweepstakes cafes will likely be put on hold.Opponents of House Bill 7 say they expect to file more than 400,000 signatures Tuesday on a referendum petition aimed at preventing the law from taking effect as scheduled on Sept. 5. Mark Weaver, an attorney representing the Committee To Protect Ohio Jobs, said the group has far in excess of the 231,148 valid signatures of registered Ohio voters necessary to put the issue to a referendum in Nov. 2014.If that happens, the Internet cafes -- which offer slot-machine style games played on computer terminals -- will remain open until after voters decide the issue at the general election next year. Attorney General Mike DeWine and law enforcement officials say the games are illegal gambling and have raided and shut down many of them across the state.If cafe backers fall short, they will get 10 additional days to collect the necessary signatures, but because of a new law, the effort can't start until after Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted's office has compiled a final tally. Previously, signature-gathering could continue while the secretary of state and county boards of election counted signatures. That process typically takes two to three weeks.The new law passed by the General Assembly and signed by Gself storagev. John Kasich earlier this year would eliminate cash payouts and limit prizes to $10. Cafe operators argue they are legal businesses offering customers phone cards or Internet time in exchange for the opportunity to play casino-style games and win prizes. They say the law would put them out of business.One of cafe committee's biggest contributors, according to state campaign records, is Brad Olah, owner of Innovative Gaming Corp., whose previous investments included in a snowmobile racing facility in his native Minnesota and precious metal mines in China and South Africa. Olah gave the Ohio committee $350,000 earlier this year and has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Internet campaign committees in Florida and South Carolina, records show.Ohioans Against Illegal Gambling, a group backed by Ohio casinos, opposes the referendum."Over that past three months, we've observed Internet cafe operatives mislead, and in some cases, flat out lie to Ohioans about this petition effort," spokesman Carlo LoParo said. "When scrutinized by county boards of elections, we expect a large share of their signatures will be found invalid."ajohnson@dispatch.com@ohioajCopyright: ___ (c)2013 The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) Visit The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) at .dispatch.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉

Source: The Beaumont Enterprise, TexasAug.迷你倉 28--In 1980, Beaumont's population was growing. The city was home to corporate headquarters, government operations and locally owned banks. It was the base of major political power and, according to Money magazine, the best place in the United States to get a job.More than 30 years later, Beaumont and Southeast Texas might not have dropped entirely out of the race for wealth, power and success, but they have certainly been lapped. Money magazine didn't include us in its 2010 Top 100 places to live.Much of the area's corporate, banking and government presence is gone -- often to Houston -- with satellites, kiosks and empty office space left in its place. Most of the area's elected representatives don't live here, thanks to redistricting efforts that gave more power to population-dense Houston. After years of declining population, in 2010 Beaumont finally pulled even with 1980, while the state of Texas grew by almost 77 percent in those 30 years to more than 25 million people.Is Beaumont now a backwater in what has become a rushing Texas river of power amid huge population gains fed by renewed oil and gas wealth, technology, medicine and higher education? Will it ever matter again?Pat Parsons, whose CommunityBank of Texas is about the last local institution capable of acquiring banks in Houston instead of the other way around, doesn't see a coherent center of power locally."There was always a core group of people in business, religion who could always work together to do what was best," said Parsons, chairman and chief executive of the Beaumont-headquartered bank. "Nobody got everything, but the community got what it needed. It just doesn't exist anymore."There once was a towering figure in John Gray, who led Lamar University and later forged a career in banking that powered business in Beaumont."They don't grow timber like that anymore," Parsons said. "He could bring people together."Does Beaumont -- and by extension Southeast Texas -- have influence on the state and nation?"We used to have, unquestionably," Parsons said. "There's nothing on the horizon to turn us around. I don't know anyone who has a coherent answer for that."Location, location, locationThe place itself -- merely its leaders -- could offer the best prospect for a turnaround. As the real estate folks like to say, the best sales argument is location, and the Texas Gulf Coast has it.Carl R. Griffith, former Jefferson County Judge and former sheriff and now an industry consultant, sees promise for the area because of shale gas and oil and the infrastructure that exists here."We're on the brink of the opportunity to land some of the largest projects we've ever had," he said.Some of the projects that Griffith worked on while he led Commissioners Court -- $23 billion worth, by his count -- have wrapped up, including the Motiva Port Arthur refinery expansion.The state is working through its regulatory requirements from the Obama administration, and industry is acclimating.Griffith said his business is to help major industries with site selection. He predicts that the Gulf Coast, from Pascagoula, Miss., to Brownsville will receive $160 billion in investment over the course of the next five or six years and will need 1.7 million more trained workers than are currently available."We're in position to have significant recovery," he said.Griffith, current Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick and Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce president Jim Rich all have referred to at least two major projects that could be valued at $1.9 billion and $757 million, respectively, and could be located within the property taxable by the Beaumont Independent School District, which would have to approve tax abatements.None would comment on whose projects they are.Vacuum versus coalitionsGriffith said he doesn't think there is a leadership vacuum. Elected officials have made real progress on issues that will help Southeast Texas, he said.For example, state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, passed a bill whose House sponsor was state Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, that creates access to state bonding authority to help pay for the local share of improvements to the Sabine-N儲存倉ches Ship Channel deepening project.It's been 50 years since the channel was deepened, back when the late Jack Brooks wielded power in Congress. Brooks served from 1952 to 1994 and secured several huge projects that still benefit the region, including the Sam Rayburn Reservoir and the Port Arthur seawall, which prevented devastating flooding after Hurricane Ike in 2008.Griffith also credited Nederland-based state Rep. Allan Ritter with crafting a constitutional amendment that will allow Texas to tap its Rainy Day fund to provide revolving loans to build water projects around the state, which also will help to protect the water in Rayburn for local needs."I don't believe we've gone backward in leadership," Griffith said.But there are other drags on the area's momentum. Beaumont's local problem child -- its dysfunctional school district, as described by a state audit -- could delay recovery.Branick has noted publicly that school district problems have caused at least one company to pass on expanding into Beaumont.The company, he said, already exists in Jefferson County -- he declined to identify it -- but it was considering opening a Beaumont office with 38 engineers. Because of BISD's issues, it decided against it, saying its employees would have needed more money than it could afford to be able to send their children to private school.Rich, Branick and Griffith all said they realize that local powers who carried outsized influence at the state and national level have left the stage.In their place, Rich said, are coalitions that people have built.He said he recently visited 24 members of Congress looking for their support on the ship channel deepening project, which will be in a new federal water projects bill that likely will come up for a vote in September."We'll never have a Jack Brooks or a (state Sen.) Carl Parker again," Rich said, "One guy by himself -- those days are over."He said economist M. Ray Perryman will make a presentation in Beaumont on Wednesday that shows the economic impact of a deeper waterway on the national economy. That includes refinery expansions such as Motiva, now the largest in the United States, and plans to convert liquefied natural gas terminals for export because of the abundance of shale gas development.Griffith said shale gas is changing lives on the Gulf Coast and in the United States."LNG is a piece of it, but cheap natural gas drives the chemical business. And we can land a lot of projects here. Low-cost gas is long-term opportunity," he said.Business obstacles remainIn the 1980s, major refineries drastically cut their work forces. Those workers didn't return, even after billions of dollars of investment in modernizing plants.Chuck Kalkbrenner, incoming Beaumont chamber of commerce chairman, said the manufacturing side of petrochemicals is more automated and offers fewer opportunities for employment, unlike the exploration side, which is booming now.Kalkbrenner is regional manager for external affairs with AT&T.Another industry, such as technology, remains elusive, he said, but Lamar University is working on it.For local industrial contractors, however, the lack of local decision-making at refineries makes it hard to do business.Chuck Mason, president of Mason Construction, which has long experience in serving the area's petrochemical industries, said it's not just banks whose leadership isn't local. It's the refineries, too."It's difficult for us to build up relationships with the people who are making the decisions," he said.That's because they aren't here."It's going on everywhere, not just here," he said. "In the last 15 or 20 years, it's changed radically. In the late 1980s, we still had local bank presidents with real authority. It used to be that (a contractor) could get his money from a refinery in 30 days. Now, it's six to eight months. You've got to be able to finance that (a business' operations). How can a small contractor survive that? It's an incredible difference."DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/dwallachCopyright: ___ (c)2013 the Beaumont Enterprise (Beaumont, Texas) Visit the Beaumont Enterprise (Beaumont, Texas) at .beaumontenterprise.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉價錢

Source: Detroit Free PressAug.迷你倉價錢 28--This story originally appeared May 23, 1982, in Detroit Magazine, the Sunday supplement of the Detroit Free Press. It was written to mark the Mackinac Bridge's 25th anniversary year.Generations dreamed the crossingDoubters shook their heads in scornBrave men vowed that they would build itFrom their faith a bridge was born.-- David B. Steinman, designer of the Mackinac BridgeFirst glimpse of those ivory towers comes just beyond mile 334 on Interstate 75. You are about five miles from the Straits of Mackinac, traveling north through Michigan's Lower Peninsula.The interstate winds some now, cutting through forests of young pine and birch. No doubt you're a bit fidgety: You are about to cross the longest suspension bridge in the world.Steel and concrete will lift you nearly 200 feet above the rushing waters of the four-mile-wide straits, the channel that for centuries has separated Michigan from Michigan. Road signs alert you of the tolls as the bridge looms ever larger until the final instruction: Last exit before bridge. Then there it is before you, its pavement seemingly rising into the horizon. Mighty Mac.You are moving now at 45 miles an hour, the speed limit for the span, and in the distance to the east you can see Mackinac and Bois Blanc islands. To the west, the shore of the Upper Peninsula and the waters of Lake Michigan.You hear the frequent clack-clack, clack-clack, as the car hits expansion joints in the roadbed. Soon the southern shore is a mile behind you, and you haven't yet reached the first of the 552-foot ivory suspension towers.When you finally cross Pier 17, the southern anchorage for the suspension bridge, you are about 110 feet above the straits. You may feel and hear the wind glove your car after it smacks the side of the concrete pier and rushes up and over the roadway.In a second or so, you are across the row of two-foot, interlocking, steel-fingered expansions. If it's January, the fingers are probably fully extended. If it's July, they are joined. In the heat of summer, the suspension cables that hold up the roadway expand and the road sags, pushing the fingers together. But the movement of this gentle giant is so, so, so slight, you could never detect it.Overhead as you pass under the south tower are 3,250 tons of steel that soar 47 stories above the water. Nearly 12 years ago, a Greek freighter, piloted by an American and lost in fog, hit the 180,000-ton concrete pier that supports this tower. There were no serious injuries, though the collision poked a hole in the freighter that was big enough for a semi to drive through.The pier of the $99.8 million bridge received $45,000 worth of bumps and bruises.The center lanes of the 8,614-foot suspension bridge are made of steel gratings that allow wind to pass through. That makes the bridge aerodynamic. Its design was wind-tunnel-tested to sustain winds of more than 620 m.p.h., when 78 m.p.h. winds are the strongest ever recorded in the area.When bridge authorities are forewarned of high winds, they'll pair vehicles towing light trailers or boats with semitrailers, which act as windbreakers. Still, a light boat or camper sometimes is blown over the side.Occasionally (and illegally) aircraft fly under the bridge. Once a B47 pilot leveled his bomber to 100 feet above the straits and roared under. It was his last flight. Military authorities stripped his wings.You pay your $1.50 toll as you arrive in the Upper Peninsula. The five-mile trip takes 10 minutes. Before the bridge opened on Nov. 1, 1957, it would have taken you 45 minutes to ferry from Mackinaw City to St. Ignace.The Mackinac Bridge, which was designed by the late David B. Steinman, turns 25 this year.Steinman, who died at 73 in 1960, was also something of a poet, a romantic, a man who so thought out this 1,024,500-ton superstructure that he selected its color scheme -- ivory and deep green. Steinman's metered lines are the history of this bridge ...Generations dreamed the crossing ...Oh, how many generations! The experts on such things will tell you that glaciers from thousands of years ago formed the Great Lakes. The record may be less precise on exactly who or what carved the 40-mile-long straits, manicured the shorelines and buried the seeds of evergreens that would be 150 feet tall when men from France first saw them.The Indians told of heroes who wanted to cross the straits. Hiawatha, the Iroquois brave who lived 500 years ago, dreamed, the story goes, of lacing together canoes to bridge the swift current.In 1620, while the Pilgrims were landing at Plymouth Rock, Etienne Brule, a Frenchman, arrived at the St. Mary's River near today's city of Sault Ste. Marie. He was the first white man to walk on Michigan soil, but it isn't known whether he ventured inland and south the 60 miles to the straits.Brule and other Frenchmen were in the New World searching for the Old -- the Orient that had enticed the European adventurers. Many had become certain that there was a shorter route to the land of spices and silk than Marco Polo's eastern land route.One of these New World explorers was Samuel de Champlain, who founded Quebec in 1608. In the early 1630s, Huron Indians told him of a nation that lived by a sea that had an unusual smell. Champlain decided they meant saltwater, and he commissioned colleague Jean Nicolet to find the nation.Nicolet started west from Montreal in 1634, carrying a robe of lustrous fabric festooned with birds and flowers. He meant to put on the robe as a symbol of cheer and brotherhood when he found the mysterious people.Nicolet passed through the Straits of Mackinac that year, the first white man known to have done so. But when he reached the shores of Green Bay in Wisconsin -- his destination -- he found not Orientals, not saltwater, but Winnebago Indians.Later that century, Fr. Pere Marquette founded St. Ignace, on the northern shore of the straits. White explorers weren't interested then in bridges. The Lower Peninsula held no promise of a short route to the Orient. It was a vast pine forest, a hunting ground for the Indian.Military outposts later were built at the straits because of its strategic location, and these would change hands during decades of wars. Commerce in furs through the straits flourished well into the 1800s. John Jacob Astor had a fur company on Mackinac Island.Then in 1883, a suspension bridge was opened across the East River in New York, linking Manhattan with Brooklyn. The next year, a shop owner in St. Ignace superimposed a drawing of the Brooklyn Bridge over the straits in newspaper ads. Why not here? he suggested. Also that year, an editorial in a Traverse City newspaper proposed a bridge or tunnel across the straits.A few years later, shipping tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt attended the first meeting of the board of the directors of the new Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. "We now have the largest, well-equipped hotel of its kind in the world," he told his colleagues. "Now what we need is a bridge across the straits."But the dreamers in state government in the late 19th and early 20th centuries thought more in terms of tunnels and causeways, not bridges.By World War I, travelers were paying up to $16 to transport their cars between peninsulas on railroad ferries. The state opened what it hoped would be a more efficient ferry service in 1923, employing a Detroit riverboat to haul cars. In five months, the Ariel carried across 10,000 cars.It was also in 1923 that a 14-year-old boy from Detroit's southwest side left home for a career on the Great Lakes. By 1949, George Lloyd was superintendent of the state's five-ferry straits fleet. On the day the Mackinac Bridge opened to traffic in 1957, amid all the hoopla, speeches and celebration, Lloyd was in his office, supervising the last run of his ferries.Now 74 and living in Cheboygan, Lloyd says the bridge is a "beautiful structure," but he can't hold back his sea captain's pride. Only once, he recalls, did the ferries stay in port because of weather. "The bridge can't say that."Because of poor visibility brought on by even poorer weather, the bridge has closed five times in 25 years. Three of those times occurred this winter.Doubters shook their heads in scorn ...The magnitude of bridging the straits with steel is awesome today; how much more awesome it must have been in the 1930s, giving strength to the doubters.Engineers had spanned the Hudson River in New York with the George Washington Bridge in 1931 and San Francisco Bay with the Golden Gate in 1937. But both bridges together would be two miles shy of linking Michigan's peninsulas.The doubters talked much of current, of ice, of winds -- of all the wrath with which nature assaults the straits. They talked, too, of rock formations, citing obscure geological surveys that suggested the bedrock would not support a bridge."It was fantasy," recalls former Gov. G. Mennen Williams, Michigan's chief of state when the bridge was approved and built."There were outrageous claims that the bottom was not strong, and the ice was too strong and the current, too. I suppose a lot of reaction (against the bridge was) that it was too big to contemplate."Despite a 1928 state feasibility study that said a bridge could be built for $30 million, sentiment against it won. Backers tried again in 1934. The Mackinac Bridge Authority was created to study the idea and issue revenue bonds for construction.The federal government, which was doling out public works dollars to a Depression-weary country, was given Michigan's bridge studies. Again, naysayers gathered steam. "We had supposed and hoped," began a 1935 editorial in the Adrian Daily Telegram, "that the preposterous Mackinac bridge idea had been permanently relegated to the dodo cage of political fauna. But we guessed wrong."Washington turned down the request for a federal loan to pay 70% of the $35 million the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it would take to build a bridge.The state went ahead anyway, and in 1942 built a causeway south from St. Ignace about 4,200 feet into the straits -- a step previous studies said had to come before a bridge. Then war interrupted. In 1947, 13 years after the Mackinac Bridge Authority had been formed, the Legislature abolished it.That was hardly the last of it, though. "Soapy" Williams, who was the Democratic candidate for governor in 1948, remembers campaigning one day in St. Ignace. He was getting a haircut in a barber shop that had a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge on the wall."And I thought about it," he recalls. "People in the Upper Peninsula felt alienated from the Lower Peninsula. They thought we just didn't care." So, with the bridge in mind, Williams prepared a speech, but before he gave it, he asked a newspaper reporter what he thought he should talk about." 'Tell them you'll build a bridge,' " Williams says the reporter responded. "I pledged if I were elected I would start to build the Mackinac Bridge to link the peninsulas."On Nov. 2, 1948, Williams defeated Republican Gov. Kim Sigler by 160,000 votes.By June 1950, the Mackinac Bridge Authority was back in business. A bridge campaign popped up across the state. Proponents迷你倉urged sympathizers to send notes to Lansing. Silver dollars with paper pasted to them carried this message: "Write today to Gov. Williams. Holy Mackinaw. Bridge it now."Another campaign, one Williams today asserts was loaded with "political potshots," was waged by the other side. The concern shifted chiefly to money, although there were still doubts the bridge technically could be built.Opponents said traffic would be insufficient to pay off the bonds on schedule and the state would be saddled with "Soapy's folly."In late 1951, the state Highway Department christened a new straits ferry, the Vacationland, which was a $4.5 million, 360-foot vessel. It could haul a maximum of 150 cars across the straits in 35 minutes. That didn't help bridge supporters.But Williams, an astute politician, a charmer in capitol corridors, a clever and tactful deal-cutter, got legislative approval for the bridge authority in spring 1952 to sell bonds and build and operate a bridge.He will tell you today that he had loads of help from the members of the authority, who were luminaries in Michigan's civic society.The authority appointed Lawrence Rubin, a 39-year-old transportation expert who grew up on Boston Blvd. in Detroit, as its executive secretary. (He retired in 1983).He would tell you of those days when friends had to be won, when what seemed like much public apathy had to be turned around, "particularly down below where they didn't give a feeling one way or the other whether the bridge was built."Recalls Williams: "There were all the appeals to bias that you could imagine."Perhaps the strongest was the appeal to the taxpayers' pocketbooks.Once the authority had bridge plans and a price tag and bonds lined up, it had trouble marketing the bonds. The economy in the early 1950s wasn't favorable. Bond buyers wanted some assurance their investment would be protected.Supporters approached the Legislature again, this time to ask for a guaranteed annual budget of $417,000 to maintain the bridge. That set off a flurry of editorials and no-bridge talk.A "dangerous promotion" scheme, heralded the Adrian Daily Telegram. "Let the public beware!" warned the Montague Observer. "There are a lot of things we'd like to have but cannot because it costs too much," observed the Onaway News. And headlines in Capitol Digest, a Lansing insiders' tabloid that observed the motto "Hew to the line -- let the chips fall where they may," cried that the bond issue was a "bamboozle."That spring the Legislature passed the maintenance subsidy. There would be more challenges, but in the end the authority prevailed. The bonds to pay for the bridge were offered in early 1954. Buyers grabbed them at 4% interest.Brave men vowed that they would build it ...About 1,200 attended the banquet March 6, 1954, at Sault Ste. Marie to celebrate the soon-to-be-built bridge. They ate roast turkey and French peas and whipped potatoes and heard designing engineer David B. Steinman talk about his structure."It will be the safest, best, most beautiful bridge that money, brains, workmanship and material can build," he said. It will be a bridge that "will contribute to the prosperity and welfare of people for generations to come."He was an authority, this Steinman, a man of nuts and bolts and poetry who envisioned a bridge that would be like a harp, aerodynamic, like a wing across the straits, wind-tunnel tested to withstand the furies.This visionary led a school of engineering thought that regarded bridges as structures almost molecularly wedded to environment. Others said large bridges needed weight, needed to be so heavy, so solid, that nothing would move them. Steinman said the elements needed to caress the structures -- bridges needed to breathe.On May 8, 1954, in Mackinaw City, they broke ground. It was "the biggest two-day wingding in the history of northern Michigan," wrote Free Press marine reporter Curt Haseltine. There would be parades, fireworks and choirs singing "God Bless America." Then the work began.By the time the bridge was finished three years later, more than 1,000 people had worked on it. Five of them had died.Builders first set down massive piers that would support the bridge. They pumped enormous amounts of concrete into huge caissons sunk into the straits.The towers were erected piece by piece, and once they were done, work started on the approaches to the suspension bridge. A cyclone-fence catwalk was stretched from pier to tower to tower to pier across the straits; a cable spinner (a large wheel on pulleys) moved above the catwalk, spinning the wire, in 37 strands of 340 wires each, to make the 24-inch-thick suspension cable. Suspenders were hung from the cables, and the steel roadbed was attached to them. The concrete roadway was poured. The bridge was opened.Ed Tollman, 49, who lives in St. Ignace and crosses the bridge three times a week, worked on spinning the cables and attaching the steel road sections to the suspenders."I come out of the Navy and got a job on the bridge," he recalls. He had been a boilermaker on the USS Rowe, a destroyer, and soon found himself 500 feet above water walking along a six-foot-wide cyclone fence catwalk. Heights never bothered him. "The ironworkers in them days were a bunch of hard-nosed people," he says.He remembers spending nearly 48 hours on a pier in the center of the straits as a November storm assaulted the construction crew, preventing them from being ferried to shore. He loved it."I wished they'd build another one alongside it so I could work on it, too."Ironworkers, says Dave Rees, "are good people. They enjoy life." The 57-year-old Rees, who lives near Pittsburgh, is director of construction procedure for American Bridge, the company that built the bridge. He spent the spring, summer and fall of 1956 in a rented home in St. Ignace -- "one of the greatest years" of his life -- while he worked with Steinman on the bridge.Rees recalls seeing Steinman often at the construction site. "He walked up to the St. Ignace tower on the catwalks (while) the spinning wheels (stretching cable) were going by, and I remember him saying, 'What beautiful music.' "Vern Erskine, 58, lives in Moran, about 15 miles north of the bridge. He inspected the work, "to see that all the rivets (there are about 6 million of them in the bridge) were in tight.""I think the bridge is the greatest thing that's ever happened," he says.The Mackinac Bridge became a bridge in the summer of 1957 when the last drift pin went into place on the last section of Mackinac Bridge steel. "They released that pin, and it just slid right in. It stood right in place," Erskine remembers.Erskine says he remembers something else, too, almost every time he crosses the bridge. On July 6, 1956, two ironworkers fell about 540 feet to their deaths when the catwalk snapped. "You think about those guys, those fellows who fell off the catwalk." Another worker, a diver, died of the bends. One fell into a caisson and was killed. One drowned in a pier cofferdam.At 2 p.m. on Nov. 1, 1957, the Mackinac Bridge was opened. The toll was $3.25 a passenger car.Gov. Williams accommodated press photographers that day by climbing onto a "piece of road equipment with wheels 12 feet high," he recalled. He posed for pictures. Photographers urged him to start the machine and drive it a bit. He did."I put it in reverse and almost went off the bridge."Williams then had the opportunity to be the first official driver to cross the 26,000-foot-long bridge, but he says he didn't have a current driver's license. His wife, Nancy, drove across instead.But the one thing Williams also recalls about opening day was how all those who doubted, all those who wrote against the bridge, all those who teased privately about "Soapy's folly" now clamored to be part of the celebration.Newspapers around Michigan and in many Midwestern cities heralded the event:-- "Fabulous" -- The Grand Rapids Press-- "Great Highway in the Sky" -- The Detroit News-- "Michigan Is One!" -- The Detroit Times, in two-inch-tall letters-- "Colossal" -- The Midland Daily News-- "Our Great State Is United!" -- The Detroit Free PressThe ironworkers, recalled Erskine, had loads of private celebrations in bars around the straits.From their faith a bridge was born ...And so this bridge across the straits, even more clever than a string of birch-bark canoes, has been carrying passengers between Michigan and Michigan for almost 25 years now.Few today would argue that it was a mistake. The total bond issue will be paid in full in 1986, eight years ahead of schedule.The fare for a passenger car is down to $1.50. (That was in 1982. It's now $4 per car.) By late April 1982, more than 43 million vehicles had crossed Mighty Mac.Some things that made up life along the straits before the bridge, of course, are gone. The ferries, for one.During deer season, lines south of the straits often stretched 15 miles as cars inched north. Gasoline trucks patrolled the shoulder of U.S.-23 and U.S.-27 and U.S.-31 to replenish tanks of cars in line.At the Mackinaw City dock, kids made change selling popcorn to people who waited. Once State Police busted a crap game that literally floated the straits aboard a ferry.George Lloyd, the proud lakes captain, was given other work by the state. He retired in 1964 from a job raising and lowering a drawbridge in Cheboygan.The ferry Vacationland is somewhere along the Pacific shore of British Columbia. Another ferry was sold for $25,000 and became a potato storage bin.Soapy Williams, who still marvels at the bridge, sits in a paneled office on the 14th floor of the Lafayette Building -- a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.Most of the Mackinac Bridge Authority members who helped build the span are dead.The authority itself will die in about four years when the bonds sold nearly 30 years ago are paid off, explained Charles T. Fisher III, chairman of the authority and president of National Bank of Detroit. The bridge will go to the state, which Fisher assumes "will maintain some kind of toll." Fisher's father, Charles Fisher Jr., was a member of the original bridge authority.Larry Rubin, at 69, still sits in his office in the authority's building alongside the toll booths on the St. Ignace side."I have a feeling there's a piece of me in the bridge," he says. He has had two houses since settling in St. Ignace (with his wife, Olga, and son, David) "both designed so you can see the bridge -- even flat in bed."If the bridge were to be built today, the estimated cost would be $296 million.Next year the Brooklyn Bridge turns 100. Officals in New York have retained the Steinman firm to oversee $150 million in repair costs for that bridge and others across the Hudson and East rivers.The Mackinac Bridge, says bridge engineer Lum Doyle, is in pretty good shape. How long will it stand? Oh, 300 years, ventures Doyle. But, he adds, if it stands 300 years, it'll probably stand 400 years. If that long, probably 500 years.As the man and the poet who designed it once said, "a bridge forever."Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Detroit Free Press Visit the Detroit Free Press at .freep.com Distributed by MCT Information Services新蒲崗迷你倉

Source: Pittsburgh Post-GazetteAug.新蒲崗迷你倉 28--Concerned that suspects have been hiding in overgrown weeds and plants prior to shootings, Pittsburgh officials on Tuesday sent Public Works crews to clear out about two dozen vacant lots near crime scenes in the East End.Three teams of workers cut the overgrown brush in the lots and removed debris while police officers with K-9s searched the area and occasionally recovered ammunition left behind from a previous shooting. Today, they plan to return to spray for weeds and board up vacant homes, where people often hide or discard their evidence.Public Safety Director Michael Huss said he considered asking crews to clean up the area after a man was shot in Larimer last week by someone who'd been hiding in the brush. When officers from the city's Zone 5 station in Highland Park received four calls in about five hours for shots fired or people wounded in shootings, one critically, Mr. Huss sped up those plans."This has a specific purpose. It's not about beautification or anything like that," he said. "It's about eliminating areas where there are opportunities for people to shoot guns. I call them ambush sites."PG graphic: Pittsburgh police zones(Click image for larger version)Zone 5 Commander Timothy O'Connor said his officers remained busy Monday night into Tuesday morning while they received one call after another for shots fired in the area they patrol.The first call came just after 8:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of North Lang Avenue in Homewood, where someone reported that shots had struck a house and a car but no one was injured.The second came about 12:20 a.m., when a caller to 911 reported that a man with gunshot wounds had stumbled into the Lounge 7101 2nd Time Around bar on Frankstown Avenue asking for help.Police later learned that the 24-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was sitting in the driver's seat of a 2013 Chevy Camaro parked at Frankstown and North Lang avenues when a man "approached out of a heavily weeded lot and the brush and opened fire on him," Cmdr. O'Connor said.The victim wmini storages hit multiple times, in the torso and in the right arm. The suspect ran away.Investigators found 10 spent shell casings from a semi-automatic firearm on the sidewalk near the passenger side of the car, Major Crimes Lt. Kevin Kraus said in a news release.Medics took the victim, who at one time lived in Homewood, to UPMC Presbyterian, and his condition was upgraded after he underwent surgery.Lt. Kraus said detectives were not releasing any information about a motive or a suspect in the shooting Tuesday.Less than 45 minutes after that shooting, just before 1 a.m., police received a call that someone shot at a man in the 6500 block of Rowan Street in Lincoln-Lemington but missed him and instead struck a car.Then, between 1:30 and 2 a.m., a 23-year-old Swissvale man walked into UPMC Mercy with a gunshot wound to his leg. Officers from the Zone 2 station in the Hill District spoke to the man, who told them he was walking in the 800 block of Bennett Street in Homewood when he "heard loud noises and felt pain," said Cmdr. O'Connor, whose officers are now investigating.Cmdr. O'Connor said officers are attempting to determine whether there is any connection among the shootings.In the meantime, Mr. Huss said he hoped the cleanup efforts would reduce the number of opportunities people have to commit crimes in hiding or ditch evidence and will give residents some peace of mind."Some of these people really take nice care of their properties and their cars got shot up last night across from a vacant [lot]," he said. "These people are living in fear. We're just trying to eliminate some of those opportunities."Police asked anyone with information about the shootings to call Zone 5 detectives at 412-665-3605. If referencing the shooting in which a man was critically wounded, they also can call police headquarters at 412-323-7800.Liz Navratil: lnavratil@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1438 or on Twitter @LizNavratil.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at .post-gazette.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesself storage

本報訊記者廖濟堂、實習生舒香榮報道：8月28日，迷你倉出租記者從全省高校黨的群�路線教育實踐活動工作會議上瞭解到，我省普通高校在校生人數達百萬余人，專人專任教師已達5.02萬人。省教育廳要求，高校要堅決查處借學術交流之名變相旅遊、違規違紀使用科研經費等行為。省教育廳要求，我省高校要堅決取消一切沒有實質內容的會議、論壇和學術交流活動；要開展“三公”消費及科研經費使迷你倉專項清理，全面清查公務接待費用開支情況，特別要堅決查處巧立名目揮霍公款、借學術交流之名變相旅遊、違規違紀 使用科研經費等行為；要開展學術行為專項治理，堅決防止黨員幹部利用職務之便多占多用教學和科研資源，堅決查處黨員幹部和黨員教師學術抄襲、剽竊等學術不道德甚至腐敗行為。此外,要建立健全學術誠信、師德師風考核制度，實行“一票否決”制，健全不合格教師退出機制。儲存倉

Source: The Record, Stockton, Calif.新蒲崗迷你倉Aug. 28--"It was long overdue. What happened after the speech is great. Things are different. Has his dream been fulfilled? Probably not."- Chuck Warfield, 82retired business owner, recently moved back to Stockton"Dad was prejudiced. He was in a box. Mom taught me tolerance. If I cut my arm, it will bleed red. It's all the same. We are all the same people no matter what power you may believe in. If I don't reach out, I may never know somebody worth knowing."- Phillippa Warfield, 76also retired business owner, married to Chuck for 52 years"I do remember the Jim Crow days. We've come quite a distance over the past 50 years and we have some ways to go. My take is pretty basic. I'm a Christian, a new creation. I could never quit being black. I will always be black. I was born black. However, when I was born again, I became a child of God and his love transcends my blackness and your whiteness."- Ernie Jordan, 62senior pastor, Rock of Hope City Church in Stockton, and board member, Stockton Leadership Foundation"In 1963, I worked in the personnel office at UCLA. Right around the corner was Brentwood, and a Bank of America branch. At that time, Bank of America would not hire African-Americans. I was very political at that time. A bunch of us went over there and laid down in the driveway to their parking lot and we wouldn't let anyone come in. I was young and crazy. It was my way of saying I disapproved of their policy. As a result of that, Bank of America changed its policy and they started hiring African-Americans. From that day to this, I've always had a bank account with them."- La Nita Green, 72co-pastor, Keys to Life Christian Fellowship in Stockton"The 'Dream' speech should be instituted and reinforced. We need to carry out the dream. After the dreamer died, the dream went back to sleep. And we sit around waiting for another dream leader."- Ralph Lee White, 70bail bondsman and former Stockton City Council member"I think about the visionary that he was, a man who had tremendous faith and hope in his God and in his country. To think about what he said, particularly in 1963, America didn't look anything like it does today. He had incredible courage and insight. It was one of the greatest speeches of all time."- Glenn R. Shields, 51pastor, Progressive Community Church in Stockton"Racism is a problem now in more ways. There's a sophisticated racism now, and it's more about class structure. I don't pretend to have the answmini storagers, but I continue to work in a system that I make work for me."- Kennetha Stevens, 35community organizer in Stockton"If Dr. King was still alive, he would speak to some progress and some regress. He would certainly be happy that people have more choices now, but when it gets down to core issues -- jobs and economic justice -- there hasn't been much progress since then."- Bobby Bivens, 68management consultant, president, Stockton chapter of the NAACP"The dream needs to be renewed every generation. Society is always in need of perfecting and being made better. Every generation needs to dream and then work to make it happen."- Michael Tubbs, 23Stanford University graduate and Stockton City Council member"We don't have a color-blind society. Racism has never really gone away. You have people who discriminate solely on the basis of race."- Jennet Stebbins, 66business owner, trustee, San Joaquin Delta College"In 1963, Dr. King called on America to understanding 'the fierce urgency of now' and challenged the nation to move toward a path of racial justice. ... We believe the American faith community has a pivotal role to play in healing in our nation."- Olga Rodriguez, 60board member, People and Congregations Together in Stockton, emigrated from Panama City"I was 11. I remember. It was an emotional thing. We're talking about people's hearts. It's a tough thing. Part of it is a lack of understanding. It's hard to vilify someone if you know them, if you know the family and their kids. The more we know someone, the more difficult it becomes to hate someone because of their color."- Steve Lowder, 60superintendent, Stockton Unified School District"Prejudice hasn't gone anywhere. Americans are still working it out. We have a black president, but there are still issues and a lot of work to be done. But we've changed. Heck yeah. We've come a long way, but equality is still something America is striving for."- John Lira, 77retired, a Korean War veteran who recently returned from his first trip to Washington, D.C., where he visited the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial"There is still hurt and pain and a lack of understanding. Our community is fragmented, but the reason is a lack of understanding. There is hate and evil. We need to get beyond that."- Willie Douglas, 62retired juvenile probation officer, active in NAACPCopyright: ___ (c)2013 The Record (Stockton, Calif.) Visit The Record (Stockton, Calif.) at .recordnet.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesself storage

Source: Chicago TribuneAug.迷你倉 28--Chicago-based digital loyalty company Belly has raised $12.1 million from six investors, including the newly created venture capital arm of convenience store chain 7-Eleven.The new financing round, announced Wednesday, puts two-year-old Belly's total funding to date at $25 million. Its previous backers include Chicago-based Lightbank, Silicon Valley Bank and Andreessen Horowitz, one of the tech industry's most well-known venture firms. Lightbank and Andreessen Horowitz participated in the $12.1 million round, which also drew in fresh investors New Enterprise Associates, DAG Ventures, Cisco Systems and 7-Eleven's 7-Ventures.Belly operates a digital loyalty network for brick-and-mortar businesses. Consumers carry a card, available in either physical form or on a mobile device, that can be scanned at a dedicated iPad at participating merchants. Repeat visits result in rewards, which are determined by business owners and can range from free food to the opportunity to walk in a runway show for local boutique Akira.Logan LaHive, Belly's founder and chief executive officer, said the company is present in more than 6,500 locations in 18 markets. It counts more than 2 million members in its network. Belly's technology also analyzes data from customer check-ins so merchants can better understand consumer behavior and what kinds of marketing efforts motivate them to return."We never had an intent to just replace punch cards," said LaHive, who described Belly's larger vision as "revolutionizing in-store technology."The majority of Belly's merchants are small- and medium-sized businesses, but the company supplies technology to large chains with multiple locations. These enterprise customers include McDonald's and 7-Eleven, and Belly's Chicago-area pilot program with the Dallas-based convenience stor新蒲崗迷你倉 chain led to the investment.Belly represents the second investment for 7-Ventures, which was created this summer out of 7-Eleven's Innovation Team. The venture arm is tasked with learning about new products and services in the food and beverage industry, as well as about emerging retail business models. Belly fits into this second category of strategic interest for 7-Ventures. Raja Doddala, senior director of new business development for the Innovation Team and the venture arm's vice president of portfolio management, said 7-Eleven liked Belly's active, growing user base, mix of small and large businesses, and use of data science and analytics.In addition, 7-Eleven wants to study how the functioning and benefits of a loyalty network -- one comprising multiple merchants -- might differ from a loyalty program tailored to a specific retailer. The potential financial return on the venture investments is "an added benefit" and not the end goal, Doddala said.The chain's message is "we have a track record working with startups," he said. "We're open for experimentation and use our large, physical store network to provide a testing ground for cool new ideas for products, services and technology."LaHive said Belly will use its new $12.1 million in funding to add employees to its current staff of 100 people, invest in its core products and get its technology into more merchants in existing markets."It's not about just a land grab," LaHive said of Belly's expansion strategy. "It's not about being in a market, but being everywhere in a market...we want to make sure that Belly members in those markets can use Belly at all of their favorite places."wawong@tribune.com -- Twitter @VelocityWongCopyright: ___ (c)2013 the Chicago Tribune Visit the Chicago Tribune at .chicagotribune.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage