The following is a rundown of action taken by the Terrebonne Parish Council at its regular meeting Wednesday. All council members attended, except Teri Cavalier, who said she had a family commitment. All decisions were unanimous unless otherwise noted.
Action: Commended the 34 local athletes of the 2011 Special Olympics indoor games for their achievements at the state games in Baton Rouge in March.
Notes: Local bowlers took home 20 gold medals, 23 silver medals and nine bronze medals. One of the basketball teams won a fourth-place ribbon.
Action: Proclaimed April 29-30 as Relay for Life weekend in Terrebonne.
Action: Presented Ganier’s Landscaping with the Parish Tree Board’s Tree-mendous Citizen award for the first quarter of 2011.
Notes: The Houma business donated more than 80 trees to the parish, which planted half at the new Good Earth transit office on Intracoastal Drive and half at the Ashland garbage transfer site off Grand Caillou Road.
Action: Approved applying to the State Bond Commission for permission to sell $11.8 million in bonds for two road projects.
Notes: The bonds, which will be paid back over 14 years using an existing sales tax, will be used to extend Valhi Boulevard from Equity Boulevard to Savanne Road and extend Bayou Gardens Boulevard from Coteau to Bayou Blue roads.
Action: Called an election Oct. 22 for Terrebonne voters to decide whether to give some disabled veterans or their spouses an additional break on their property taxes.
2011年4月28日星期四
Inner levee finally clear of heavy water; Pankey almost in banks
Wednesday was still rainy, but there were enough dry periods to allow water pumps, and nature, to begin taking their course.
Water levels are down in Harrisburg.
A new city council and mayor take office with dry feet tonight. Mayor Valerie Rose Mitchell goes out of office with her wading boots wet from the week's water.
The Harrisburg Levee protects the city from outside backwaters, which are expected to rise. But the city's drainage system and large pumps are the first line of defense against flash flooding.
The city's problem for the past several days has been headwaters from the Pankey Branch drainage ditch and the West Harrisburg drainage. They have poured into the city and have been pumped out at an amazing rate.
From 7 a.m. Saturday until 7 a.m. today, city officials estimate the city's pumps have handled 1.08 billion - with a b --- gallons.
During the crisis, extra pumps were obtained by Raymond Gunning of the Water Sewer and Flood Control Department. However, they were not put into use.
The first pump blew a hose and when other pumps arrived, the city's main pumps were lowering the water levels effectively.
By this morning, Gunning said all streets are, in the main, clear of water. Water is off the Kroger parking lot and the Gaskins City ball diamonds are seeing the light of day.
"I think we did quite well," Gunning said.
He was complimentary to all city workers who pitched in and worked, some nearly around the clock.
Gunning said the pumps brought in were what he considered a necessary precaution as they are diesel-driven and the city pumps are powered by low voltage, high amperage - a combination impossible to power with a generator in event of a power failure.
Water this time, like in 2008, reached a level uncomfortably close to the main transformers for the pumps, he said.
Gunning, whose resignation was accepted by council and who will move back into a union city worker position, said "This was probably my last hurrah as flood control.
"I tried to make the right decisions. Nobody got water in their businesses. I really appreciated everything the workers and the council did.
"It's all about preparation."
Carrier Mills and county
Water appeared to be receding in Carrier Mills. Floodwater could still be seen in fields around the reservoir on U.S. Route 45. Tuller Road is still under water behind Millstone Market. Water also stands in fields beyond Millstone Market and Deborann Drive.
Flooding in the rural parts of Saline County seems to be stable or rising slightly, Highway Engineer Jeff Jones said.
"A lot of our areas in the southeastern part of the county area a direct correlation to the river stage; areas like Tuller Road are more affected by headwater," Jones said.
The county probably won't see much receding until next week, Jones said. Then, backwater from the Ohio River may be the biggest flooding threat to the county. As the Ohio River floods, the Saline River backs up and floods as well. Bottom land in Gallatin and Saline counties floods due to backwater.
Due to the combination of headwater and backwater, past history only provides so much guidance as to the extent of flooding, Saline County Emergency Management Agency Director Allan Ninness said.
"It's hard to put science on exactly where we are," Ninness said.
What's left of the flash flooding will interact with the backwater as the Ohio River continues to rise. They will find a level eventually, but nobody knows yet what that level will be, Ninness said.
The last big flood that had backwater that could be used as a guide was in 1997, in which the county had flooding and quite a few isolated areas, Ninness said.
"We're trying to keep that in our minds as a guide, but also remember that every flood is different," Ninness said.
Home and property owners should assume if flooding came close or overcame their property in 1997, it will get close again this year, Ninness said. Homeowners should be planning ahead of time in case evacuation is necessary. People should leave flooded areas before the water rises too high. If someone needs medical attention, it can be difficult to get in quickly in a flood situation, Ninness said.
It could also pose unnecessary risks to emergency personnel.
"It could also get people hurt getting to them," Ninness said.
No new road closures have been announced, but no rural roads have opened, either. The flooded rural roads include Tuller Road, Triple S Road, Lewis Road, Ingram Hill Road, South Fork Road, Horseshoe Road, Whitesville Road, Shawnee Hills Road, Rocky Branch Road, Pearce Road, Lindale Road, Land Road, Mt. Moriah Road, Allentown Road, Brown Road (east), Massey Road, Muddy Road, Christy Road and Grassy Creek Road.
"As far as I know, we've reached the high water mark as far as roads that are closed," Jones said.
A couple of areas along Tuller Road have subsided, "But Tuller Road is still under water in several places and is not passable," Jones said.
Ninness urged people not to go sight-seeing in flooded rural areas. Not all flooded roads are guaranteed to be marked.
"There may not always be a sign that says 'flood water ahead,'" Ninness said.
The county is short on signs right now. Ninness reminded people that stealing flooding signs on the roads could pose a hazard to someone else. Ninness plans to ask the Illinois Emergency Management Agency today for more signs.
Water levels are down in Harrisburg.
A new city council and mayor take office with dry feet tonight. Mayor Valerie Rose Mitchell goes out of office with her wading boots wet from the week's water.
The Harrisburg Levee protects the city from outside backwaters, which are expected to rise. But the city's drainage system and large pumps are the first line of defense against flash flooding.
The city's problem for the past several days has been headwaters from the Pankey Branch drainage ditch and the West Harrisburg drainage. They have poured into the city and have been pumped out at an amazing rate.
From 7 a.m. Saturday until 7 a.m. today, city officials estimate the city's pumps have handled 1.08 billion - with a b --- gallons.
During the crisis, extra pumps were obtained by Raymond Gunning of the Water Sewer and Flood Control Department. However, they were not put into use.
The first pump blew a hose and when other pumps arrived, the city's main pumps were lowering the water levels effectively.
By this morning, Gunning said all streets are, in the main, clear of water. Water is off the Kroger parking lot and the Gaskins City ball diamonds are seeing the light of day.
"I think we did quite well," Gunning said.
He was complimentary to all city workers who pitched in and worked, some nearly around the clock.
Gunning said the pumps brought in were what he considered a necessary precaution as they are diesel-driven and the city pumps are powered by low voltage, high amperage - a combination impossible to power with a generator in event of a power failure.
Water this time, like in 2008, reached a level uncomfortably close to the main transformers for the pumps, he said.
Gunning, whose resignation was accepted by council and who will move back into a union city worker position, said "This was probably my last hurrah as flood control.
"I tried to make the right decisions. Nobody got water in their businesses. I really appreciated everything the workers and the council did.
"It's all about preparation."
Carrier Mills and county
Water appeared to be receding in Carrier Mills. Floodwater could still be seen in fields around the reservoir on U.S. Route 45. Tuller Road is still under water behind Millstone Market. Water also stands in fields beyond Millstone Market and Deborann Drive.
Flooding in the rural parts of Saline County seems to be stable or rising slightly, Highway Engineer Jeff Jones said.
"A lot of our areas in the southeastern part of the county area a direct correlation to the river stage; areas like Tuller Road are more affected by headwater," Jones said.
The county probably won't see much receding until next week, Jones said. Then, backwater from the Ohio River may be the biggest flooding threat to the county. As the Ohio River floods, the Saline River backs up and floods as well. Bottom land in Gallatin and Saline counties floods due to backwater.
Due to the combination of headwater and backwater, past history only provides so much guidance as to the extent of flooding, Saline County Emergency Management Agency Director Allan Ninness said.
"It's hard to put science on exactly where we are," Ninness said.
What's left of the flash flooding will interact with the backwater as the Ohio River continues to rise. They will find a level eventually, but nobody knows yet what that level will be, Ninness said.
The last big flood that had backwater that could be used as a guide was in 1997, in which the county had flooding and quite a few isolated areas, Ninness said.
"We're trying to keep that in our minds as a guide, but also remember that every flood is different," Ninness said.
Home and property owners should assume if flooding came close or overcame their property in 1997, it will get close again this year, Ninness said. Homeowners should be planning ahead of time in case evacuation is necessary. People should leave flooded areas before the water rises too high. If someone needs medical attention, it can be difficult to get in quickly in a flood situation, Ninness said.
It could also pose unnecessary risks to emergency personnel.
"It could also get people hurt getting to them," Ninness said.
No new road closures have been announced, but no rural roads have opened, either. The flooded rural roads include Tuller Road, Triple S Road, Lewis Road, Ingram Hill Road, South Fork Road, Horseshoe Road, Whitesville Road, Shawnee Hills Road, Rocky Branch Road, Pearce Road, Lindale Road, Land Road, Mt. Moriah Road, Allentown Road, Brown Road (east), Massey Road, Muddy Road, Christy Road and Grassy Creek Road.
"As far as I know, we've reached the high water mark as far as roads that are closed," Jones said.
A couple of areas along Tuller Road have subsided, "But Tuller Road is still under water in several places and is not passable," Jones said.
Ninness urged people not to go sight-seeing in flooded rural areas. Not all flooded roads are guaranteed to be marked.
"There may not always be a sign that says 'flood water ahead,'" Ninness said.
The county is short on signs right now. Ninness reminded people that stealing flooding signs on the roads could pose a hazard to someone else. Ninness plans to ask the Illinois Emergency Management Agency today for more signs.
2011年4月26日星期二
An alternative ending
For the students at Aurora, high school at Bloomington North or South wasn’t just difficult; it was a nightmare. They dreaded school dances, hated the cliques and didn’t bother to attend homecoming.
The students at Aurora were students who were bored at North and South, the drop-outs, the junior with only nine credits and the student who the guidance counselor said would never graduate.
The system had failed these kids and most had lost hope in graduation. Aurora Alternative High School, a small building tucked away on the corner of North Fairview and Ninth Streets, was their last chance.
Aurora was a place where students not only called the principal, Chuck Holloway, by his first name, but where he was also their best friend. Two gargoyles stood guard in front of the school, and Chuck’s collection of gargoyle figurines lined his office.
Aurora offered everything that a home could provide: security, education and family. The teachers were like their second set of parents, and Aurora was like their second home. The students claimed the walls for themselves the way high school kids put posters on their walls. Paintings done by students of Martin Luther King Jr., Led Zeppelin and Princess Diana lined the hallways. And every senior was given a brick they could decorate and make their own.
It might have been a laid back school, but it wasn’t a lazy one. Students came to Aurora to learn, graduate and maybe go to college. Not every student was a success story, and many still dropped out. But for some students, like Oompa, it worked.
Oompa had a record of bad grades that followed her back to the sixth grade.
Her real name was Jessica Barger, but everyone called her Oompa because she was short. She’d always loved school when she was little, but like many kids, it got brutal in the sixth grade. All of her friends turned on her and bullied her around. So she bought a T-shirt that said, “I see dumb people reading my shirt,” and she bullied them right back. Since then she hadn’t tried in school. And when she was 16, she got pregnant and dropped out.
But then she came to Aurora in fall 2009. When she made the honor roll, her mother thought there was some kind of mistake and assumed she’d received another student’s report card in the mail. For the first time, she was making good grades and scaring her family.
“The first trimester I worked my ass off,” she said. “For the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged.”
But then on a cold Friday in February 2010 after school had let out and the students trickled home, the news began to spread. The school, which had given Oompa and so many others a last chance and a future, would be shutdown. Without Aurora, Oompa knew she wouldn’t make it.
In a state where budget cuts are hitting school funding hard, they’re hitting students harder. Monroe County Community School Corporation had to make more than $5 million worth of budget cuts more than a year ago as part of a statewide decrease in funding. Aurora was one of the first programs to go.
In November 2010, 17 Indiana school districts asked their residents to pay additional property taxes to help fund their schools. Of those 17, only six referendums passed. Monroe County was one of them, but that still didn’t save Aurora.
Aurora is one example of education lost and diplomas that will never be earned.
Funding cuts are not unique to Bloomington; it’s an epidemic sweeping the country. But at the root of these cuts are the students. Teachers lose jobs, buildings are shut down, but students’ educations are ultimately affected.
The situation of the students at Aurora shows that when funding needs to be cut, kids are sometimes seen as expendable.
Students pleaded at school board meetings to save their school, and Chuck asked the school board not to send the message that these kids didn’t matter. But when the state cut funding from schools, school boards across the state had to make tough decisions.
“I don’t think there’s a way to cut $4.5 million out of our budget without damaging our school district,” said Vicki Streiff, former school board secretary, at a meeting in February 2010. “I don’t think we’re doing good things. I think we’re doing terrible things, but we’re stuck. We have our backs against the wall, and we are not happy about this.”
Before the news of the budget cuts spread, Oompa knew something was up. The usually happy Chuck began snapping at students and was acting more like a principal and less like a friend.
He had Oompa in his office for a “Chuck Chat” one day, his gargoyles looking down on her.
As he finished drilling her on why she had a bad grade in a class, she turned the spotlight on him, asking him why he’d been so agitated lately. Although he couldn’t tell her, she knew him well enough to know that it was about the school.
Then on a Saturday in February, Oompa sat at home as she read the Facebook message. It was a call to come to the school because Chuck had to tell them something.
The news that Aurora was closing spread like lice in an elementary school. Students who hadn’t gone to Aurora for years received texts and Facebook messages.
After spending that Saturday letting reality sink in, Oompa spent every study hall for two weeks doing nothing but trying to keep the school open. She flipped through phone books and made calls asking people in the community to meet her somewhere to sign a petition to keep the school open. Every day for weeks she would go downtown and gather what would be more than 3,000 signatures.
After all, this was the only school that Oompa had ever tried to do anything for.
A miracle is what Chuck called the Save Aurora effort. Chuck began opening the school in the evenings twice a week so students could come and brainstorm ways to raise money to save the school. Three students, including Oompa, bounced around ideas, such as having an open house.
“We can say ‘You might as well stop by while it’s still open,’” Chuck joked.
They began planning rallies for a Thursday in March and thought about a garage sale to help raise money.
“We could have it at my house or here, your house,” one girl at the meeting said.
“We could do it anywhere ... 7/11 parking lot,” Oompa said.
Chuck pulled up the Save Aurora blog, which had a thermometer that was keeping track of the money the students raised for the school.
“We already have $50,” Chuck said. “Oh wait, that’s $5."
Aaron Rivera was technically a sophomore when he came to Aurora, but with only about four credits, his diploma was as out of reach as a freshman’s.
The transition wasn’t easy. The teachers helped him with his work, but he couldn’t skate through his classes like he used to. His teachers expected him to do his assignments, and if he didn’t, he ended up in Chuck’s office.
Aaron was almost kicked out of Aurora three or four times, which he said was crazy because he doesn’t know what he would have done without the school.
Aaron had been at the school for four years. Only one other senior had been there as long.
Everyone gravitated toward him. If the freshmen were acting up, Aaron would tell them to get into shape. He was Chuck’s wing man, and he’d sit in his office for hours just chatting.
But then one day during the fall of his senior year, Aaron was called into Chuck’s office with a few of the other top students. Aaron assumed he was in trouble again as Chuck’s collection of gargoyles stared him down.
“If they shut down the school,” Chuck asked, “what would you do?”
“Would we be able to graduate?” one student asked.
“I don’t know,” Chuck said.
Becky Rupert asked her English class to write about “A time when something happened to you that wasn’t fair. You can think about your school experience and experiencing injustice.”
Many of the students in the class were writing about their school.
“I’m writing about the rally thing,” Oompa said.
She had small pink and blue braids covering her head that stuck out in all directions.
Each braid was held up with neon colored rubber bands. Today was her birthday.
Students had a rally planned the previous day as part of their Save Aurora campaign, but it was canceled and they weren’t given an explanation. They were still waiting to hear why.
As students walked to a March town meeting, a weekly school discussion in The Commons, they passed signs that read, “Don’t go visit other MCCSC school grounds between 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.” or “Don’t make us like North or South.”
As students sat down for town meeting, Chuck said, “You should hear it from me. I’m sad more kids aren’t here to hear this.”
It was the Friday before spring break, and students wanted to know why their Save Aurora rally was canceled.
The students at Aurora were students who were bored at North and South, the drop-outs, the junior with only nine credits and the student who the guidance counselor said would never graduate.
The system had failed these kids and most had lost hope in graduation. Aurora Alternative High School, a small building tucked away on the corner of North Fairview and Ninth Streets, was their last chance.
Aurora was a place where students not only called the principal, Chuck Holloway, by his first name, but where he was also their best friend. Two gargoyles stood guard in front of the school, and Chuck’s collection of gargoyle figurines lined his office.
Aurora offered everything that a home could provide: security, education and family. The teachers were like their second set of parents, and Aurora was like their second home. The students claimed the walls for themselves the way high school kids put posters on their walls. Paintings done by students of Martin Luther King Jr., Led Zeppelin and Princess Diana lined the hallways. And every senior was given a brick they could decorate and make their own.
It might have been a laid back school, but it wasn’t a lazy one. Students came to Aurora to learn, graduate and maybe go to college. Not every student was a success story, and many still dropped out. But for some students, like Oompa, it worked.
Oompa had a record of bad grades that followed her back to the sixth grade.
Her real name was Jessica Barger, but everyone called her Oompa because she was short. She’d always loved school when she was little, but like many kids, it got brutal in the sixth grade. All of her friends turned on her and bullied her around. So she bought a T-shirt that said, “I see dumb people reading my shirt,” and she bullied them right back. Since then she hadn’t tried in school. And when she was 16, she got pregnant and dropped out.
But then she came to Aurora in fall 2009. When she made the honor roll, her mother thought there was some kind of mistake and assumed she’d received another student’s report card in the mail. For the first time, she was making good grades and scaring her family.
“The first trimester I worked my ass off,” she said. “For the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged.”
But then on a cold Friday in February 2010 after school had let out and the students trickled home, the news began to spread. The school, which had given Oompa and so many others a last chance and a future, would be shutdown. Without Aurora, Oompa knew she wouldn’t make it.
In a state where budget cuts are hitting school funding hard, they’re hitting students harder. Monroe County Community School Corporation had to make more than $5 million worth of budget cuts more than a year ago as part of a statewide decrease in funding. Aurora was one of the first programs to go.
In November 2010, 17 Indiana school districts asked their residents to pay additional property taxes to help fund their schools. Of those 17, only six referendums passed. Monroe County was one of them, but that still didn’t save Aurora.
Aurora is one example of education lost and diplomas that will never be earned.
Funding cuts are not unique to Bloomington; it’s an epidemic sweeping the country. But at the root of these cuts are the students. Teachers lose jobs, buildings are shut down, but students’ educations are ultimately affected.
The situation of the students at Aurora shows that when funding needs to be cut, kids are sometimes seen as expendable.
Students pleaded at school board meetings to save their school, and Chuck asked the school board not to send the message that these kids didn’t matter. But when the state cut funding from schools, school boards across the state had to make tough decisions.
“I don’t think there’s a way to cut $4.5 million out of our budget without damaging our school district,” said Vicki Streiff, former school board secretary, at a meeting in February 2010. “I don’t think we’re doing good things. I think we’re doing terrible things, but we’re stuck. We have our backs against the wall, and we are not happy about this.”
Before the news of the budget cuts spread, Oompa knew something was up. The usually happy Chuck began snapping at students and was acting more like a principal and less like a friend.
He had Oompa in his office for a “Chuck Chat” one day, his gargoyles looking down on her.
As he finished drilling her on why she had a bad grade in a class, she turned the spotlight on him, asking him why he’d been so agitated lately. Although he couldn’t tell her, she knew him well enough to know that it was about the school.
Then on a Saturday in February, Oompa sat at home as she read the Facebook message. It was a call to come to the school because Chuck had to tell them something.
The news that Aurora was closing spread like lice in an elementary school. Students who hadn’t gone to Aurora for years received texts and Facebook messages.
After spending that Saturday letting reality sink in, Oompa spent every study hall for two weeks doing nothing but trying to keep the school open. She flipped through phone books and made calls asking people in the community to meet her somewhere to sign a petition to keep the school open. Every day for weeks she would go downtown and gather what would be more than 3,000 signatures.
After all, this was the only school that Oompa had ever tried to do anything for.
A miracle is what Chuck called the Save Aurora effort. Chuck began opening the school in the evenings twice a week so students could come and brainstorm ways to raise money to save the school. Three students, including Oompa, bounced around ideas, such as having an open house.
“We can say ‘You might as well stop by while it’s still open,’” Chuck joked.
They began planning rallies for a Thursday in March and thought about a garage sale to help raise money.
“We could have it at my house or here, your house,” one girl at the meeting said.
“We could do it anywhere ... 7/11 parking lot,” Oompa said.
Chuck pulled up the Save Aurora blog, which had a thermometer that was keeping track of the money the students raised for the school.
“We already have $50,” Chuck said. “Oh wait, that’s $5."
Aaron Rivera was technically a sophomore when he came to Aurora, but with only about four credits, his diploma was as out of reach as a freshman’s.
The transition wasn’t easy. The teachers helped him with his work, but he couldn’t skate through his classes like he used to. His teachers expected him to do his assignments, and if he didn’t, he ended up in Chuck’s office.
Aaron was almost kicked out of Aurora three or four times, which he said was crazy because he doesn’t know what he would have done without the school.
Aaron had been at the school for four years. Only one other senior had been there as long.
Everyone gravitated toward him. If the freshmen were acting up, Aaron would tell them to get into shape. He was Chuck’s wing man, and he’d sit in his office for hours just chatting.
But then one day during the fall of his senior year, Aaron was called into Chuck’s office with a few of the other top students. Aaron assumed he was in trouble again as Chuck’s collection of gargoyles stared him down.
“If they shut down the school,” Chuck asked, “what would you do?”
“Would we be able to graduate?” one student asked.
“I don’t know,” Chuck said.
Becky Rupert asked her English class to write about “A time when something happened to you that wasn’t fair. You can think about your school experience and experiencing injustice.”
Many of the students in the class were writing about their school.
“I’m writing about the rally thing,” Oompa said.
She had small pink and blue braids covering her head that stuck out in all directions.
Each braid was held up with neon colored rubber bands. Today was her birthday.
Students had a rally planned the previous day as part of their Save Aurora campaign, but it was canceled and they weren’t given an explanation. They were still waiting to hear why.
As students walked to a March town meeting, a weekly school discussion in The Commons, they passed signs that read, “Don’t go visit other MCCSC school grounds between 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.” or “Don’t make us like North or South.”
As students sat down for town meeting, Chuck said, “You should hear it from me. I’m sad more kids aren’t here to hear this.”
It was the Friday before spring break, and students wanted to know why their Save Aurora rally was canceled.
2011年4月24日星期日
F.E. (SandraDunn) Dunaway: Change requires 'careful approach'
F.E. (SandraDunn) Dunaway worried her campaign for mayor of Amarillo would become a media circus.
When the transgender woman announced in February her plans to run in the May 14 city election the news ricocheted through the Internet, picked up by mainstream media, bloggers and rights organizations alike.
"I don't want this campaign being about me being transgender," said Dunaway, who lives as Sandra Dunn. "I want it to be about what I do, what I support."
Dunaway, 53 certainly is a candidate like Amarillo has never seen before, but some might draw a parallel between her and the city.
Both are in transition: Dunaway navigating the legal moves necessary to change her name and identity permanently to Dunn, and the city steering its way through issues that could alter its makeup and future.
Change in Amarillo requires a careful approach, said Dunaway, who supports only a limited role for the city in downtown redevelopment.
"One of the things I always hear a lot about is the downtown stuff, downtown revitalization, bringing downtown back to life, which it's all fine and grand," she said. "I agree it would be nice to see our downtown come to life again."
"But downtown is too focused on. ... And, when we talk about spending money downtown for these different businesses, what about the rest of the city?"
The city can encourage new business downtown with tax breaks, but not at the expense of mom-and-pop shops in other areas that could use the city's support and guidance, Dunaway said.
Amarillo's role in downtown revitalization should center on parking, lighting upgrades and security, she said.
Dunaway supports the single-member district proposition on the May 14 ballot. Under the plan, the city would be carved into four districts, and voters in each district would select a commissioner from among people who live in their district.
Commissioners would be more attuned to the wishes of residents across the city, Dunaway said.
"How many people from southwest Amarillo get to the northeast?" she asked.
Single-member district advocates contend the city's current at-large system disenfranchises some voters.
Of the 11 candidates for mayor, Dunaway and four others - Roy McDowell, Rodney W. Johnson, Steve Dawson and David Grisham - did not vote in the 2007 or 2009 city elections, according to county voter registrar records.
"Honestly, I thought I did," Dunaway said. "'07 and '09? Wow. My bad. I intended to vote. I usually do."
Dunaway wants to increase Amarillo's police force but she said she would do so with voters' blessing for the additional costs.
One police officer costs the city about $70,000 in salary, benefits and equipment, not including a patrol car, Assistant City Manager Dean Frigo said.
A fully equipped squad car costs another $50,000, which is why the city tries to add police officers three at a time, so that the required car is in service on three shifts daily, Frigo said.
Voters have talked with Dunaway about slow police response times and security, she said. So, the candidate believes they would support the expenditure.
"I don't think you can really come up with enough police force to curtail all crime," she said. "Part of it is we're getting bigger (as a city), part of it is we're spread out more. And, we need to pay the officers we've got a decent salary."
Dunaway has repeatedly complimented the police department for its work.
"I know first-hand," she said at a candidate forum last week, referring to the investigation into the July beating death of Thomas Ray Vaughan, 63, at the business they co-owned, Fort Williams Military Surplus and Supplies Depot, 703 N. Williams St.
At the time of her partner's death, Dunaway was attending the 2010 National Boy Scout Jamboree, a celebration of 100 years of Scouting, in Virginia. She attended as Fred Dunaway.
Photographs uploaded to the Internet of the 2005 National Jamboree Physical Arrangement Group - a staff that handles the event's electrical, plumbing, maintenance, telephone equipment and other tasks - show Fred Dunaway with other team members.
Asked about the jamborees, Dunaway said, "I didn't make mention of the Scouting thing earlier out of respect to the Scouting organization. The Boy Scouts is a private organization, and I do honor the way they wish to conduct business."
Dunaway, the second of three generations of Eagle Scouts, said, "It was important to make that (2010) jamboree. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event."
The 2005 Scout Jamboree occurred before she began living round-the-clock as a transgender woman, she said.
"I do hope Scouting someday will realize it makes no difference, someone's orientation," Dunaway said. "A volunteer is a volunteer, if it's a qualified volunteer."
Dunaway touts her experience as a city employee as an advantage in helping her assess Amarillo's needs.
From 1998 to 2009, Dunaway worked in departments ranging from parks maintenance to wastewater management. The public-information portions of Dunaway's personnel file show she regularly received good evaluations and tested for and gained several advancements.
Dunaway's time in the U.S. Army and her government employment - she also was employed by the Potter County Sheriff's Office - earned her the opportunity to retire early. She now is a full-time graduate student, earning a master's degree in psychology online from the University of the Rockies, based in Colorado Springs, Colo. She hopes to become a therapist.
Dunaway could be called a study in contrasts.
She has a wife and two children from a previous marriage who call her dad - because that's what they know - but introduce her as their parent.
She can mine a garage sale, taking equal interest in fine china and a crossbow. And, the former Army diesel mechanic does her shopping in high-heeled pumps.
A question about them brings to her lips a smile that crinkles her nose. "A girl has to look good," she replied.
She joined a bellydancing class while still living outwardly as a man and got hooked on "the most enjoyable, fun exercise you could ever do."
That's where retired nurse Linda Hayhurst met her.
"I'd never met a transsexual before, and it's been a little bit difficult, but she's the same person inside that she was before," Hayhurst said. "A good person's a good person.
"She's gutsy. I think she would be good for Amarillo."
Dunaway said she isn't sure she would call her decision to run brave, but rather a "willingness to go through that scrutiny."
Others, though, have praised her courage.
Amarillo artist Joseph Holmes met Sandra Dunn years after he met Fred Dunaway.
"I was a little surprised," he said. "But I guess after meeting Sandra, ... I realized how much Sandra became a more down-to-earth person. She's easily one of the kindest persons I've met, and is a much happier person as Sandra."
Holmes calls Dunaway "Rosa Parks brave."
"I guess it's kind of difficult to think of Amarillo being ready for Sandra as mayor," he said. "But if people can get past the image of Sandra as a transgender person, then we can have one hell of a mayor."
When the transgender woman announced in February her plans to run in the May 14 city election the news ricocheted through the Internet, picked up by mainstream media, bloggers and rights organizations alike.
"I don't want this campaign being about me being transgender," said Dunaway, who lives as Sandra Dunn. "I want it to be about what I do, what I support."
Dunaway, 53 certainly is a candidate like Amarillo has never seen before, but some might draw a parallel between her and the city.
Both are in transition: Dunaway navigating the legal moves necessary to change her name and identity permanently to Dunn, and the city steering its way through issues that could alter its makeup and future.
Change in Amarillo requires a careful approach, said Dunaway, who supports only a limited role for the city in downtown redevelopment.
"One of the things I always hear a lot about is the downtown stuff, downtown revitalization, bringing downtown back to life, which it's all fine and grand," she said. "I agree it would be nice to see our downtown come to life again."
"But downtown is too focused on. ... And, when we talk about spending money downtown for these different businesses, what about the rest of the city?"
The city can encourage new business downtown with tax breaks, but not at the expense of mom-and-pop shops in other areas that could use the city's support and guidance, Dunaway said.
Amarillo's role in downtown revitalization should center on parking, lighting upgrades and security, she said.
Dunaway supports the single-member district proposition on the May 14 ballot. Under the plan, the city would be carved into four districts, and voters in each district would select a commissioner from among people who live in their district.
Commissioners would be more attuned to the wishes of residents across the city, Dunaway said.
"How many people from southwest Amarillo get to the northeast?" she asked.
Single-member district advocates contend the city's current at-large system disenfranchises some voters.
Of the 11 candidates for mayor, Dunaway and four others - Roy McDowell, Rodney W. Johnson, Steve Dawson and David Grisham - did not vote in the 2007 or 2009 city elections, according to county voter registrar records.
"Honestly, I thought I did," Dunaway said. "'07 and '09? Wow. My bad. I intended to vote. I usually do."
Dunaway wants to increase Amarillo's police force but she said she would do so with voters' blessing for the additional costs.
One police officer costs the city about $70,000 in salary, benefits and equipment, not including a patrol car, Assistant City Manager Dean Frigo said.
A fully equipped squad car costs another $50,000, which is why the city tries to add police officers three at a time, so that the required car is in service on three shifts daily, Frigo said.
Voters have talked with Dunaway about slow police response times and security, she said. So, the candidate believes they would support the expenditure.
"I don't think you can really come up with enough police force to curtail all crime," she said. "Part of it is we're getting bigger (as a city), part of it is we're spread out more. And, we need to pay the officers we've got a decent salary."
Dunaway has repeatedly complimented the police department for its work.
"I know first-hand," she said at a candidate forum last week, referring to the investigation into the July beating death of Thomas Ray Vaughan, 63, at the business they co-owned, Fort Williams Military Surplus and Supplies Depot, 703 N. Williams St.
At the time of her partner's death, Dunaway was attending the 2010 National Boy Scout Jamboree, a celebration of 100 years of Scouting, in Virginia. She attended as Fred Dunaway.
Photographs uploaded to the Internet of the 2005 National Jamboree Physical Arrangement Group - a staff that handles the event's electrical, plumbing, maintenance, telephone equipment and other tasks - show Fred Dunaway with other team members.
Asked about the jamborees, Dunaway said, "I didn't make mention of the Scouting thing earlier out of respect to the Scouting organization. The Boy Scouts is a private organization, and I do honor the way they wish to conduct business."
Dunaway, the second of three generations of Eagle Scouts, said, "It was important to make that (2010) jamboree. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event."
The 2005 Scout Jamboree occurred before she began living round-the-clock as a transgender woman, she said.
"I do hope Scouting someday will realize it makes no difference, someone's orientation," Dunaway said. "A volunteer is a volunteer, if it's a qualified volunteer."
Dunaway touts her experience as a city employee as an advantage in helping her assess Amarillo's needs.
From 1998 to 2009, Dunaway worked in departments ranging from parks maintenance to wastewater management. The public-information portions of Dunaway's personnel file show she regularly received good evaluations and tested for and gained several advancements.
Dunaway's time in the U.S. Army and her government employment - she also was employed by the Potter County Sheriff's Office - earned her the opportunity to retire early. She now is a full-time graduate student, earning a master's degree in psychology online from the University of the Rockies, based in Colorado Springs, Colo. She hopes to become a therapist.
Dunaway could be called a study in contrasts.
She has a wife and two children from a previous marriage who call her dad - because that's what they know - but introduce her as their parent.
She can mine a garage sale, taking equal interest in fine china and a crossbow. And, the former Army diesel mechanic does her shopping in high-heeled pumps.
A question about them brings to her lips a smile that crinkles her nose. "A girl has to look good," she replied.
She joined a bellydancing class while still living outwardly as a man and got hooked on "the most enjoyable, fun exercise you could ever do."
That's where retired nurse Linda Hayhurst met her.
"I'd never met a transsexual before, and it's been a little bit difficult, but she's the same person inside that she was before," Hayhurst said. "A good person's a good person.
"She's gutsy. I think she would be good for Amarillo."
Dunaway said she isn't sure she would call her decision to run brave, but rather a "willingness to go through that scrutiny."
Others, though, have praised her courage.
Amarillo artist Joseph Holmes met Sandra Dunn years after he met Fred Dunaway.
"I was a little surprised," he said. "But I guess after meeting Sandra, ... I realized how much Sandra became a more down-to-earth person. She's easily one of the kindest persons I've met, and is a much happier person as Sandra."
Holmes calls Dunaway "Rosa Parks brave."
"I guess it's kind of difficult to think of Amarillo being ready for Sandra as mayor," he said. "But if people can get past the image of Sandra as a transgender person, then we can have one hell of a mayor."
Stephanie Mlot
Hell hath no fury like a bicyclist or pedestrian scorned, the federal government has learned this month.
On April 1, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials responded to a U.S. Department of Transportation request for a review of current regulations deemed "outmoded, ineffective, insufficient or excessively burdensome."
The action followed President Barack Obama's call earlier this year for federal agencies to review their rules, AASHTO Director of Communications Lloyd Brown wrote in an email. After input from the 50 states, the organization submitted its list.
Among the apparently back-breaking laws: the Bicycle and Pedestrian Provisions of Federal Transportation Legislation, a clause that intends to keep bicyclists and pedestrians in the loop regarding comprehensive transportation plans developed by local and state planning organizations.
The existing Federal Highway Administration regulation states that bicycle transportation facilities and walkways shall be considered, where appropriate, except where bicycle and pedestrian use is not permitted.
It also calls for citizens to be given "due consideration," when appropriate, in conjunction with new construction and reconstruction.
"We have no problem with this requirement," Brown wrote.
Instead, what AASHTO does object to is the Department of Transportation guidance that goes beyond what is called for in the law. Said guidance states that "accommodation must be provided except in extreme circumstances." According to Brown, this is actually a much more expansive requirement, considering states must prove exceptional circumstances when not providing for bicyclists and pedestrians as part of a highway project.
The solution: the Federal Highway Administration rescind its guidance on the meaning of "due consideration."
"Our intent in making the request ... is to reduce the effort and paperwork required to justify why bicycle or pedestrian facilities may or may not be appropriate on a given federal aid project," Brown wrote.
While the letter and additional comments serve simply as a recommendation to the Department of Transportation for modification or elimination, outraged bicycle and pedestrian organizations have stepped into the ring for a fight.
An April 15 reply to AASHTO from the National Center for Biking and Walking asks the federal organization to explain why two groups of transportation users, who are overrepresented in fatalities and injuries, and underrepresented in funding, "are not deemed worthy of safe accommodation in our transportation system."
The League of American Bicyclists stepped into the ring on April 14, when a league member posted a blog entry calling AASHTO's request "misguided," at a time when cities are building entire bicycling networks that provide people with work and benefit businesses.
"This is not a time to move backwards," the league's Darren Flusche wrote. "AASHTO should be a leading voice in shaping holistic and comprehensive transportation systems."
The league is calling for help locally by asking that disgruntled citizens use its advocacy center, located on the Web at www.capwiz.com/lab/home, to ask state Department of Transportation heads to contact AASHTO President Susan Martinovich with complaints.
As of Wednesday, no Frederick bicycle or pedestrian groups had joined the challenge.
Road closure
- Bowman's Farm Road will be closed between the Motor Vehicle Administration parking lot entrance and the end of Bowman Farm Road at the cul-de-sac, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 30 and May 1 for the Soap Box Derby Races.
On April 1, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials responded to a U.S. Department of Transportation request for a review of current regulations deemed "outmoded, ineffective, insufficient or excessively burdensome."
The action followed President Barack Obama's call earlier this year for federal agencies to review their rules, AASHTO Director of Communications Lloyd Brown wrote in an email. After input from the 50 states, the organization submitted its list.
Among the apparently back-breaking laws: the Bicycle and Pedestrian Provisions of Federal Transportation Legislation, a clause that intends to keep bicyclists and pedestrians in the loop regarding comprehensive transportation plans developed by local and state planning organizations.
The existing Federal Highway Administration regulation states that bicycle transportation facilities and walkways shall be considered, where appropriate, except where bicycle and pedestrian use is not permitted.
It also calls for citizens to be given "due consideration," when appropriate, in conjunction with new construction and reconstruction.
"We have no problem with this requirement," Brown wrote.
Instead, what AASHTO does object to is the Department of Transportation guidance that goes beyond what is called for in the law. Said guidance states that "accommodation must be provided except in extreme circumstances." According to Brown, this is actually a much more expansive requirement, considering states must prove exceptional circumstances when not providing for bicyclists and pedestrians as part of a highway project.
The solution: the Federal Highway Administration rescind its guidance on the meaning of "due consideration."
"Our intent in making the request ... is to reduce the effort and paperwork required to justify why bicycle or pedestrian facilities may or may not be appropriate on a given federal aid project," Brown wrote.
While the letter and additional comments serve simply as a recommendation to the Department of Transportation for modification or elimination, outraged bicycle and pedestrian organizations have stepped into the ring for a fight.
An April 15 reply to AASHTO from the National Center for Biking and Walking asks the federal organization to explain why two groups of transportation users, who are overrepresented in fatalities and injuries, and underrepresented in funding, "are not deemed worthy of safe accommodation in our transportation system."
The League of American Bicyclists stepped into the ring on April 14, when a league member posted a blog entry calling AASHTO's request "misguided," at a time when cities are building entire bicycling networks that provide people with work and benefit businesses.
"This is not a time to move backwards," the league's Darren Flusche wrote. "AASHTO should be a leading voice in shaping holistic and comprehensive transportation systems."
The league is calling for help locally by asking that disgruntled citizens use its advocacy center, located on the Web at www.capwiz.com/lab/home, to ask state Department of Transportation heads to contact AASHTO President Susan Martinovich with complaints.
As of Wednesday, no Frederick bicycle or pedestrian groups had joined the challenge.
Road closure
- Bowman's Farm Road will be closed between the Motor Vehicle Administration parking lot entrance and the end of Bowman Farm Road at the cul-de-sac, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 30 and May 1 for the Soap Box Derby Races.
2011年4月21日星期四
Houlton man finalist in national Toyota technology contest
Everyone dreams of winning a new car. For Houlton’s Tim Witmer, that dream soon may become a reality.
Witmer is one of five finalists in his division for the Toyota “Ideas for Good” contest. The contest asked individuals to submit ideas on how Toyota’s current automotive technology could be adapted into everyday situations and put to practical use.
A panel of company officials chose five finalists in each of five categories from thousands submitted. The winners in each category, however, now will be selected by visitors to Toyota’s website on the competition. Individuals can vote once a day at www.yourideasforgood.com/gallery. To vote for Witmer, click on “Pure Air, Tim W.” under the category “Solar Powered Ventilation System.” The winners will be announced May 9.
“My parents signed me up for Time magazine, and one of the first issues I got had an article about this contest,” Witmer said. “I don’t like competitions that are left purely to chance. What appealed to me about this particular contest is you had to put some thought into it and come up with an idea.”
Applicants had to put their ideas into an essay 750 characters or less describing how the technology could be used in other ways. There were five categories from which to choose — Total Human Model for Safety, Solar Powered Ventilation Systems, Hybrid Synergy Drive, Advanced Parking Guidance System, and Touch Tracer Display technology.
Witmer chose the Solar Powered Ventilation Systems category for his project. That division asked inventors to come up with a concept that used Toyota’s available system of using the sun’s rays to keep an electric fan running while the car is parked, so that the car’s internal temperature is not hotter than its surrounding exterior temperature.
Witmer said he immediately thought of how the electric fans could be used by people who cook with wood stoves in their homes.
“I am a Maine guide and led a lot of wilderness trips,” he said. “I cook over outdoor fires quite a bit and would always get quite a bit of smoke in my face. So I did a bit of research on the subject. It seems to be quite a problem in some parts of the world.”
In his presentation to Toyota, Witmer stated that “many who live in impoverished areas still cook over indoor fires. The resulting smoke can be highly damaging to the lungs of the occupants in the hut, especially infants and young children.”
He theorized that Toyota’s Solar Powered Ventilation System could be used to draw smoke from huts, which would be “environmentally friendly, would improve the health of individuals who can’t afford health care and move families toward a lifestyle where energy could be collected from sustainable resources.”
Once the overall winners from the five categories are chosen, they will be flown to Pittsburgh, Pa., for a three-day weekend of designing and further developing their concepts with the mechanical masterminds from the engineering firm Deeplocal at Carnegie Mellon University. In addition, they’ll get their pick of a new Prius, Venza or Highlander Hybrid.
Witmer is one of five finalists in his division for the Toyota “Ideas for Good” contest. The contest asked individuals to submit ideas on how Toyota’s current automotive technology could be adapted into everyday situations and put to practical use.
A panel of company officials chose five finalists in each of five categories from thousands submitted. The winners in each category, however, now will be selected by visitors to Toyota’s website on the competition. Individuals can vote once a day at www.yourideasforgood.com/gallery. To vote for Witmer, click on “Pure Air, Tim W.” under the category “Solar Powered Ventilation System.” The winners will be announced May 9.
“My parents signed me up for Time magazine, and one of the first issues I got had an article about this contest,” Witmer said. “I don’t like competitions that are left purely to chance. What appealed to me about this particular contest is you had to put some thought into it and come up with an idea.”
Applicants had to put their ideas into an essay 750 characters or less describing how the technology could be used in other ways. There were five categories from which to choose — Total Human Model for Safety, Solar Powered Ventilation Systems, Hybrid Synergy Drive, Advanced Parking Guidance System, and Touch Tracer Display technology.
Witmer chose the Solar Powered Ventilation Systems category for his project. That division asked inventors to come up with a concept that used Toyota’s available system of using the sun’s rays to keep an electric fan running while the car is parked, so that the car’s internal temperature is not hotter than its surrounding exterior temperature.
Witmer said he immediately thought of how the electric fans could be used by people who cook with wood stoves in their homes.
“I am a Maine guide and led a lot of wilderness trips,” he said. “I cook over outdoor fires quite a bit and would always get quite a bit of smoke in my face. So I did a bit of research on the subject. It seems to be quite a problem in some parts of the world.”
In his presentation to Toyota, Witmer stated that “many who live in impoverished areas still cook over indoor fires. The resulting smoke can be highly damaging to the lungs of the occupants in the hut, especially infants and young children.”
He theorized that Toyota’s Solar Powered Ventilation System could be used to draw smoke from huts, which would be “environmentally friendly, would improve the health of individuals who can’t afford health care and move families toward a lifestyle where energy could be collected from sustainable resources.”
Once the overall winners from the five categories are chosen, they will be flown to Pittsburgh, Pa., for a three-day weekend of designing and further developing their concepts with the mechanical masterminds from the engineering firm Deeplocal at Carnegie Mellon University. In addition, they’ll get their pick of a new Prius, Venza or Highlander Hybrid.
2011年4月20日星期三
Toyota's "Ideas For Good" Finalists Announced
Much of the technology used in modern automobiles, or in the development of modern automobiles, can be repurposed for the betterment of society. That was the concept behind Toyota’s “Ideas For Good” challenge, which gave entrants the ability to use five Toyota-developed technologies to create non-automotive applications benefiting the population. Some 4,000 entries were received and evaluated by a panel of judges, who ultimately narrowed down the finalists to five per category:
Total HUman Model for Safety (T.H.U.M.S.)
Toyota’s advanced injury simulation software utilizes a state-of-the-art “crash test dummy” to collect and analyze over two million data points. Category finalists are:
* Active Brace to Prevent Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture, submitted by Aureliu P.
* T.H.U.M.S. for EMTs, submitted by Dawit B.
* T.H.U.M.S. Rehabilitation, submitted by Hoyt J.
* Protecting the Elderly from Injuries Due to Falling, submitted by Roberta S.
* Build a Better Bicycle Helmet, submitted by Stu S.
Solar Powered Ventilation System
Using a sliding moonroof in conjunction with solar panels, this system allows vehicles to ventilate the interior on hot days. Category finalists are:
* Crop Drying with Solar Powered Ventilation System submitted by Andy W.
* Self-contained Mobile Water Purification Unit submitted by Stephen B.
* Solar Powered Ventilation for Safer, Greener Aerobic Landfills submitted by Steven C.
* Pure Air submitted by Tim W.
* Solar Ventilation of Sewage Pipelines Zahid K.
Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD)
Toyota’s HSD uses a combination of regenerative braking and kinetic energy captured when coasting to recharge onboard storage batteries. Category finalists are:
* Power Plant Gym submitted by Birken S.
* Medical Ventilators for Disaster Use submitted by Joel S.
* Windmill Braking submitted by Mena E.
* Kinetically Powered Prostheses submitted by Michael C.
* HSD to Assist Wheelchair Bound Persons submitted by Rodney Q.
Advanced Parking Guidance System
Utilizing a combination of hands-free steering, ultrasonic sensors, an onboard CPU and a reverse camera, Toyota’s system aids drivers in parking their vehicles. Category finalists are:
* Self Regulated Shopping Cart submitted by Brian T.
* Automated Firefighting Extension Ladder Guidance System submitted by Fran O.
* Door Assist System for Power Wheelchairs submitted by Jeremy B.
* AHTS: Advanced Hospital Transportation System submitted by John C.
* Guidance System for the Disabled submitted by Vernie R.
Touch Tracer Display
Via sensors embedded in the steering wheel, this system allows users to adjust the climate control, audio settings and driver information display settings without taking their eyes from the road. Category finalists are:
* Musical Touch: A Learning Tool submitted by Bruce L.
* Touch Tracer Computer Mouse, Keyboard and Monitor submitted by David C.
* Surgical Robot/Laparoscopic Touch Tracer Display submitted by David H.
* Firefighters Critical Status Display submitted by Justin E.
* Walking Again Through Touch Tracer submitted by Sheila B.
You can cast your vote for your favorite idea in each category by visiting the Ideas For Good website. The top ideas will be determined by both public votes and judge’s scoring, and winners will be announced on May 9. Category winners will get prototyping assistance with their idea, bringing it one step closer to reality, but they’ll also get to choose a new Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Prius, or Venza.
Total HUman Model for Safety (T.H.U.M.S.)
Toyota’s advanced injury simulation software utilizes a state-of-the-art “crash test dummy” to collect and analyze over two million data points. Category finalists are:
* Active Brace to Prevent Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture, submitted by Aureliu P.
* T.H.U.M.S. for EMTs, submitted by Dawit B.
* T.H.U.M.S. Rehabilitation, submitted by Hoyt J.
* Protecting the Elderly from Injuries Due to Falling, submitted by Roberta S.
* Build a Better Bicycle Helmet, submitted by Stu S.
Solar Powered Ventilation System
Using a sliding moonroof in conjunction with solar panels, this system allows vehicles to ventilate the interior on hot days. Category finalists are:
* Crop Drying with Solar Powered Ventilation System submitted by Andy W.
* Self-contained Mobile Water Purification Unit submitted by Stephen B.
* Solar Powered Ventilation for Safer, Greener Aerobic Landfills submitted by Steven C.
* Pure Air submitted by Tim W.
* Solar Ventilation of Sewage Pipelines Zahid K.
Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD)
Toyota’s HSD uses a combination of regenerative braking and kinetic energy captured when coasting to recharge onboard storage batteries. Category finalists are:
* Power Plant Gym submitted by Birken S.
* Medical Ventilators for Disaster Use submitted by Joel S.
* Windmill Braking submitted by Mena E.
* Kinetically Powered Prostheses submitted by Michael C.
* HSD to Assist Wheelchair Bound Persons submitted by Rodney Q.
Advanced Parking Guidance System
Utilizing a combination of hands-free steering, ultrasonic sensors, an onboard CPU and a reverse camera, Toyota’s system aids drivers in parking their vehicles. Category finalists are:
* Self Regulated Shopping Cart submitted by Brian T.
* Automated Firefighting Extension Ladder Guidance System submitted by Fran O.
* Door Assist System for Power Wheelchairs submitted by Jeremy B.
* AHTS: Advanced Hospital Transportation System submitted by John C.
* Guidance System for the Disabled submitted by Vernie R.
Touch Tracer Display
Via sensors embedded in the steering wheel, this system allows users to adjust the climate control, audio settings and driver information display settings without taking their eyes from the road. Category finalists are:
* Musical Touch: A Learning Tool submitted by Bruce L.
* Touch Tracer Computer Mouse, Keyboard and Monitor submitted by David C.
* Surgical Robot/Laparoscopic Touch Tracer Display submitted by David H.
* Firefighters Critical Status Display submitted by Justin E.
* Walking Again Through Touch Tracer submitted by Sheila B.
You can cast your vote for your favorite idea in each category by visiting the Ideas For Good website. The top ideas will be determined by both public votes and judge’s scoring, and winners will be announced on May 9. Category winners will get prototyping assistance with their idea, bringing it one step closer to reality, but they’ll also get to choose a new Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Prius, or Venza.
2011年4月19日星期二
Under the banner of 'Smart Thinking'
John Plant, TRW Automotive chairman, president and chief executive officer, explained: "At Auto Shanghai this year we're demonstrating how TRW has the broadest portfolio of safety systems of any global supplier and how we're bringing this expertise to help protect drivers, occupants and other road users in China.
"We're expanding our safety campaign in China – highlighting the importance of vehicle safety – especially to wear seatbelts and increase road safety awareness. Almost a quarter of global deaths in children are as a result of road traffic incidents, according to World Health Organization statistics.
"To tackle this key challenge, we have created a range of resources to support the communication of key messages about road safety to young people and will now focus on making the tools available as widely as possible."
TRW's presence at Auto Shanghai highlights how it is taking an elevated approach to safety in three ways: through advanced systems; by improving value and offering more affordable solutions; and through a range of innovative fuel efficient systems to help reduce the impact of harmful emissions on our environment. TRW's stand focuses on these three key areas which underpin Cognitive Safety: 'Advanced Thinking', 'Smart Thinking' and 'Green Thinking'.
Executive vice president of sales and business development, Peter Lake, remarked: "With Advanced Thinking, we're demonstrating to Auto Shanghai visitors how we use our suite of sensors to integrate radar, video, steering, brakes, crash sensors and more. For example, TRW is highlighting its Automatic Emergency Braking system, which is the ultimate expression of intelligent safety."
TRW is also highlighting a number of key technologies which deliver class leading fuel efficiency beyond powertrain, including electrically assisted steering and hybrid enabling braking technologies as well as innovative light weight braking solutions.
Lake continued: "TRW's Electrically Powered Steering (EPS) can deliver up to four per cent fuel efficiency compared to standard hydraulic steering: this Green Thinking is helping to support the strong focus in China on reducing emissions and improving fuel economy. We were proud to announce a number of contracts to introduce Column Drive EPS into China with several global and domestic vehicle manufacturers."
Under the banner of 'Smart Thinking', TRW is unveiling a number of technologies which represent its focus on affordable safety solutions and creating value. TRW is innovating to make the latest safety solutions accessible to all customers in all markets. This is achieved through integration, modularity and scalability.
Lake added: "One example is our ESC family where slip control functionality is introduced from ABS and standard ESC through to ESC Premium and ESC PH – our regenerative braking solution. The technology is delivered with a modular approach with the aim of sharing the maximum number of parts across the different system architectures for greater production efficiency."
TRW is investing heavily in capacity for several advanced technology products to meet the needs of the China market. In the next two years, it plans to add local production capabilities for a number of advanced technologies such as electric power steering, airbag inflators and electronic stability control.
"We're expanding our safety campaign in China – highlighting the importance of vehicle safety – especially to wear seatbelts and increase road safety awareness. Almost a quarter of global deaths in children are as a result of road traffic incidents, according to World Health Organization statistics.
"To tackle this key challenge, we have created a range of resources to support the communication of key messages about road safety to young people and will now focus on making the tools available as widely as possible."
TRW's presence at Auto Shanghai highlights how it is taking an elevated approach to safety in three ways: through advanced systems; by improving value and offering more affordable solutions; and through a range of innovative fuel efficient systems to help reduce the impact of harmful emissions on our environment. TRW's stand focuses on these three key areas which underpin Cognitive Safety: 'Advanced Thinking', 'Smart Thinking' and 'Green Thinking'.
Executive vice president of sales and business development, Peter Lake, remarked: "With Advanced Thinking, we're demonstrating to Auto Shanghai visitors how we use our suite of sensors to integrate radar, video, steering, brakes, crash sensors and more. For example, TRW is highlighting its Automatic Emergency Braking system, which is the ultimate expression of intelligent safety."
TRW is also highlighting a number of key technologies which deliver class leading fuel efficiency beyond powertrain, including electrically assisted steering and hybrid enabling braking technologies as well as innovative light weight braking solutions.
Lake continued: "TRW's Electrically Powered Steering (EPS) can deliver up to four per cent fuel efficiency compared to standard hydraulic steering: this Green Thinking is helping to support the strong focus in China on reducing emissions and improving fuel economy. We were proud to announce a number of contracts to introduce Column Drive EPS into China with several global and domestic vehicle manufacturers."
Under the banner of 'Smart Thinking', TRW is unveiling a number of technologies which represent its focus on affordable safety solutions and creating value. TRW is innovating to make the latest safety solutions accessible to all customers in all markets. This is achieved through integration, modularity and scalability.
Lake added: "One example is our ESC family where slip control functionality is introduced from ABS and standard ESC through to ESC Premium and ESC PH – our regenerative braking solution. The technology is delivered with a modular approach with the aim of sharing the maximum number of parts across the different system architectures for greater production efficiency."
TRW is investing heavily in capacity for several advanced technology products to meet the needs of the China market. In the next two years, it plans to add local production capabilities for a number of advanced technologies such as electric power steering, airbag inflators and electronic stability control.
2011年4月18日星期一
VW Beetle (2012)
A look back to the start: at the beginning Volkswagen built one of the most successful cars of all time and did not even give it a name. Why should it? After all, it was the Volkswagen! People loved it, and on all of the world's continents the small car was nicknamed according to precisely what it looked like: Beetle, Käfer, Vocho, Coccinelle, Fusca, Maggiolino or 甲壳虫! It embodied the automotive concept itself and symbolised the democratisation of mobility. 21.5 million cars were sold. Then the New Beetle arrived in 1998. It introduced a new automotive feeling to the world and brought with it Beetle Mania. In 2010, the Final Edition completed the New Beetle series that had sold more than one million cars. And now? A look forward. The future of the most famous car in the world begins now. In a completely new generation. It's The Beetle! And because Volkswagen and the Beetle call the globe their home, the new car is celebrating a transcontinental world debut - simultaneously in Shanghai, Berlin and New York .
Technological goal: high-tech in harmony with the environment
Volkswagen Beetle is an icon. This car tells a story. Only someone who knows its history could make a new generation of this Volkswagen a reality. The task ahead for the engineers was very clear. They had to develop a high-tech car that was still affordable, did not leave any stone unturned, integrated the communication technologies of our times and of course achieved the lowest environmental impact. It also had to be a car that places driving fun at the forefront. The new generation VW Beetle would have to be a very agile, dynamic performer, and the people who developed the Golf GTI would also be able to achieve this.
Volkswagen Beetle (2012)
No previous Beetle was this fuel efficient. High performance no longer suffices by itself: At 4.3 l/100 km (European 1.6 TDI) and 33 mpg (American 2.0 TDI), the new Volkswagen Beetle is the most fuel-efficient Beetle ever.
Design target: "Design a new original!"
The most recognisable automotive design in the world. Coke bottle, iPhone, Ray Ban Aviator, Beetle - how does one reinvent a design that is so recognisable and independent? There is a clear answer to this: It is necessary to understand the product and the brand; then it works! Volkswagen Design Chief Walter de Silva (Group) and Klaus Bischoff (Volkswagen Brand) "understand" both and therefore they set this as the objective for the Beetle: "Design a new original!"
Challenge as a thrill. The team began its task under Bischoff's guidance. The challenge of designing a new Volkswagen Beetle was inspiring. The designers knew that they wanted to develop the original Beetle profile more than on the 1998 New Beetle. They also made very dynamic proportions a high priority. An interesting aspect was that more than a few team members actually own their own air-cooled Beetles. It has also become a cult car among younger designers at Volkswagen. And that is how the final design of the 2011 Beetle came to be in Wolfsburg - a car of today as well as a design tribute to the automotive seed of an entire corporate group. And unmistakable indeed: If one were to take the first Beetle and the new Beetle and place them in a room together - shining light just over the roofs and viewing them from the side - one would see that the lines of the rear sections are nearly identical.
No standing still: "We remade every part."
Bolder, more dynamic, more masculine. A comparison to the 1998 New Beetle shows this: nothing remained as it was on the old car: "The Beetle is now characterised by a clean, self-confident and dominant sportiness. The car not only has a lower profile; it is also substantially wider, the front bonnet is longer, the front windscreen is shifted further back and has a much steeper incline. All of this creates a new dynamism," explains Klaus Bischoff. While the New Beetle was defined by three semi-circles (front wing, rear wing, domed roof above it), the new model has broken free of this geometry. The roof profile actually runs distinctly lower and can be considered a continuation of the Ragster concept car shown in Detroit in 2005 - a type of hot rod based on the New Beetle. The new Beetle is bolder, more dynamic, more masculine.
The figures confirm this: The new car is 1,808 mm wide (84 mm wider), 1,486 mm tall (12 mm lower) and 4,278 mm long (152 mm longer). This has resulted in entirely new proportions. The gain in length meant that the roof could be extended further, the front windscreen could be shifted back, and the rear section could follow the contour of the original Beetle. The new focal point is the C-pillar. In parallel, the development team increased the car's track widths and wheelbase. All of this gives the VW Beetle a powerful appearance with muscular tension.
Typical Volkswagen, typical Beetle: a new DNA
2011 styling. Despite all of its individuality, the styling follows the Volkswagen design DNA created by Walter de Silva and Klaus Bischoff. It clearly expresses itself in the horizontal image of the front bumper, front air inlet, straight lines of the bonnet edges, the precisely drawn line between the A-pillar and C-pillar and the styling of the rear lights.
Beetle, Microbus, original Golf. And yet it was possible to preserve all of the Volkswagen Beetle's typical styling characteristics. This should come as no surprise; after all, it was vehicles like the Beetle, Microbus and original Golf that had a decisive influence on Volkswagen's "design DNA." Of course, some of the Beetle's longstanding characteristics remain: these include its round headlights (optional bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights are available for the first time in this model series), the flared wings, the shapes of the bonnets, sides and door sills and - more than ever - the large wheels (up to 19 inch) that can be integrated. A new feature is the rear spoiler that is homogeneously integrated in the design (standard for TSI engines with 118 kW / 160 PS and 147 kW / 200 PS); it aggressively maintains contact with the road on this Volkswagen, which has a top speed of up to 225 km/h, depending on the engine, and is available in the three equipment lines "Beetle", "Design" and "Sport". Incidentally, the top surface of the rear spoiler is always black, while its underside is painted in body colour. These colours - 12 different hues - will make everyday car driving more vibrant with names such as "Saturnyellow" and "Denim Blue".
An original interior like no other
The cockpit makes a visual impression. Is it possible for a cockpit to make an impression? Are you kidding? By its very nature! Car drivers sit in the cockpit. Sometimes for hours at a time. And yet, there are cars whose cockpits do not leave any lasting impression. They have a "look alike" appearance, as the marketing people say - one easily mistaken for another, lacking charisma. The VW Beetle's cockpit, on the other hand, is unique, unmistakable, cool, classic and designed with a passion for detail. This cockpit is perceived as something special.
Everything within reach and sight. The shape and use of colour in the painted or carbon-look front facia panel of the dashboard hark back to the design of the first VW Beetle, yet the new car does not have a retro look. In Europe, for example, this facia is styled in "Schwarz uni" (Black) on the base model ("Beetle"); in the "Design" equipment line, it is always painted in the specific exterior colour. Customers choosing the "Sport" level get the carbon look ("Carbon Fibre"). Regardless of which colours are used, Volkswagen drivers will be able to locate every interior feature with their eyes closed.
And yet everything has been redesigned. Three round instruments arranged in front of the driver (tachometer, speedometer, fuel gauge) provide all key information; integrated in the speedometer (middle position) is a multifunction display. From the "Design" equipment level, the adjustable air vents and the instruments have chrome bezels. This also applies to the audio/navigation systems optimally located in the driver's visual field on the dashboard, framed by two air vents. This also includes the controls for the climate control system. Everything is within grasp and sight.
Comeback of the glovebox. Similar to the original Beetle, the new car has an extra glovebox integrated in the front facia whose lid folds upward (the standard glovebox that is also integrated opens downward). Another classic feature: the optional auxiliary instruments above the selected audio/navigation system: oil temperature, clock with stopwatch function and boost pressure gauge. Also new: the steering wheels specially designed for the Volkswagen Beetle with optional painted accents in the spokes depending on the equipment line. Details like these clearly indicate that the occupants are in a Beetle - there's no mistaking it.
Air-cooled Beetle. New Beetle. The Beetle. A distinguishing feature of The Beetle - the third generation if you will - is that its interior ergonomics and packaging are based on completely new parameters. While drivers in the air-cooled Beetle travelled in a very low-slung seat, and drivers of the New Beetle felt as if they were chauffeured because the bonnet was so far forward, the latest Volkswagen Beetle now offers an agile, driver-oriented coupé experience. Every feature is within easy reach. In addition, Volkswagen has once again succeeded in implementing a quality of materials that goes beyond all class limits. The car's styling, ergonomics, operability and quality interact to create a new, friendly car with a highly individual nature.
The New Beetle was a cathedral inside. In front, the Beetle is now somewhat lower in profile, since the domed roof of its predecessor has been eliminated. It now offers 1,044 mm interior height instead of the previous 1,082 mm. However, the 38 mm will hardly be missed, even by very tall drivers, since the New Beetle's interior was a "cathedral" among compact cars. Meanwhile, in the rear seating area, the longer roof section results in a distinctly larger feeling of space. The bootspace is significantly larger; it now holds 310 instead of 209 litres. As usual, the car has a split, folding rear seatback, and a wide opening bootlid making it is easy to load and unload.
Technological goal: high-tech in harmony with the environment
Volkswagen Beetle is an icon. This car tells a story. Only someone who knows its history could make a new generation of this Volkswagen a reality. The task ahead for the engineers was very clear. They had to develop a high-tech car that was still affordable, did not leave any stone unturned, integrated the communication technologies of our times and of course achieved the lowest environmental impact. It also had to be a car that places driving fun at the forefront. The new generation VW Beetle would have to be a very agile, dynamic performer, and the people who developed the Golf GTI would also be able to achieve this.
Volkswagen Beetle (2012)
No previous Beetle was this fuel efficient. High performance no longer suffices by itself: At 4.3 l/100 km (European 1.6 TDI) and 33 mpg (American 2.0 TDI), the new Volkswagen Beetle is the most fuel-efficient Beetle ever.
Design target: "Design a new original!"
The most recognisable automotive design in the world. Coke bottle, iPhone, Ray Ban Aviator, Beetle - how does one reinvent a design that is so recognisable and independent? There is a clear answer to this: It is necessary to understand the product and the brand; then it works! Volkswagen Design Chief Walter de Silva (Group) and Klaus Bischoff (Volkswagen Brand) "understand" both and therefore they set this as the objective for the Beetle: "Design a new original!"
Challenge as a thrill. The team began its task under Bischoff's guidance. The challenge of designing a new Volkswagen Beetle was inspiring. The designers knew that they wanted to develop the original Beetle profile more than on the 1998 New Beetle. They also made very dynamic proportions a high priority. An interesting aspect was that more than a few team members actually own their own air-cooled Beetles. It has also become a cult car among younger designers at Volkswagen. And that is how the final design of the 2011 Beetle came to be in Wolfsburg - a car of today as well as a design tribute to the automotive seed of an entire corporate group. And unmistakable indeed: If one were to take the first Beetle and the new Beetle and place them in a room together - shining light just over the roofs and viewing them from the side - one would see that the lines of the rear sections are nearly identical.
No standing still: "We remade every part."
Bolder, more dynamic, more masculine. A comparison to the 1998 New Beetle shows this: nothing remained as it was on the old car: "The Beetle is now characterised by a clean, self-confident and dominant sportiness. The car not only has a lower profile; it is also substantially wider, the front bonnet is longer, the front windscreen is shifted further back and has a much steeper incline. All of this creates a new dynamism," explains Klaus Bischoff. While the New Beetle was defined by three semi-circles (front wing, rear wing, domed roof above it), the new model has broken free of this geometry. The roof profile actually runs distinctly lower and can be considered a continuation of the Ragster concept car shown in Detroit in 2005 - a type of hot rod based on the New Beetle. The new Beetle is bolder, more dynamic, more masculine.
The figures confirm this: The new car is 1,808 mm wide (84 mm wider), 1,486 mm tall (12 mm lower) and 4,278 mm long (152 mm longer). This has resulted in entirely new proportions. The gain in length meant that the roof could be extended further, the front windscreen could be shifted back, and the rear section could follow the contour of the original Beetle. The new focal point is the C-pillar. In parallel, the development team increased the car's track widths and wheelbase. All of this gives the VW Beetle a powerful appearance with muscular tension.
Typical Volkswagen, typical Beetle: a new DNA
2011 styling. Despite all of its individuality, the styling follows the Volkswagen design DNA created by Walter de Silva and Klaus Bischoff. It clearly expresses itself in the horizontal image of the front bumper, front air inlet, straight lines of the bonnet edges, the precisely drawn line between the A-pillar and C-pillar and the styling of the rear lights.
Beetle, Microbus, original Golf. And yet it was possible to preserve all of the Volkswagen Beetle's typical styling characteristics. This should come as no surprise; after all, it was vehicles like the Beetle, Microbus and original Golf that had a decisive influence on Volkswagen's "design DNA." Of course, some of the Beetle's longstanding characteristics remain: these include its round headlights (optional bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights are available for the first time in this model series), the flared wings, the shapes of the bonnets, sides and door sills and - more than ever - the large wheels (up to 19 inch) that can be integrated. A new feature is the rear spoiler that is homogeneously integrated in the design (standard for TSI engines with 118 kW / 160 PS and 147 kW / 200 PS); it aggressively maintains contact with the road on this Volkswagen, which has a top speed of up to 225 km/h, depending on the engine, and is available in the three equipment lines "Beetle", "Design" and "Sport". Incidentally, the top surface of the rear spoiler is always black, while its underside is painted in body colour. These colours - 12 different hues - will make everyday car driving more vibrant with names such as "Saturnyellow" and "Denim Blue".
An original interior like no other
The cockpit makes a visual impression. Is it possible for a cockpit to make an impression? Are you kidding? By its very nature! Car drivers sit in the cockpit. Sometimes for hours at a time. And yet, there are cars whose cockpits do not leave any lasting impression. They have a "look alike" appearance, as the marketing people say - one easily mistaken for another, lacking charisma. The VW Beetle's cockpit, on the other hand, is unique, unmistakable, cool, classic and designed with a passion for detail. This cockpit is perceived as something special.
Everything within reach and sight. The shape and use of colour in the painted or carbon-look front facia panel of the dashboard hark back to the design of the first VW Beetle, yet the new car does not have a retro look. In Europe, for example, this facia is styled in "Schwarz uni" (Black) on the base model ("Beetle"); in the "Design" equipment line, it is always painted in the specific exterior colour. Customers choosing the "Sport" level get the carbon look ("Carbon Fibre"). Regardless of which colours are used, Volkswagen drivers will be able to locate every interior feature with their eyes closed.
And yet everything has been redesigned. Three round instruments arranged in front of the driver (tachometer, speedometer, fuel gauge) provide all key information; integrated in the speedometer (middle position) is a multifunction display. From the "Design" equipment level, the adjustable air vents and the instruments have chrome bezels. This also applies to the audio/navigation systems optimally located in the driver's visual field on the dashboard, framed by two air vents. This also includes the controls for the climate control system. Everything is within grasp and sight.
Comeback of the glovebox. Similar to the original Beetle, the new car has an extra glovebox integrated in the front facia whose lid folds upward (the standard glovebox that is also integrated opens downward). Another classic feature: the optional auxiliary instruments above the selected audio/navigation system: oil temperature, clock with stopwatch function and boost pressure gauge. Also new: the steering wheels specially designed for the Volkswagen Beetle with optional painted accents in the spokes depending on the equipment line. Details like these clearly indicate that the occupants are in a Beetle - there's no mistaking it.
Air-cooled Beetle. New Beetle. The Beetle. A distinguishing feature of The Beetle - the third generation if you will - is that its interior ergonomics and packaging are based on completely new parameters. While drivers in the air-cooled Beetle travelled in a very low-slung seat, and drivers of the New Beetle felt as if they were chauffeured because the bonnet was so far forward, the latest Volkswagen Beetle now offers an agile, driver-oriented coupé experience. Every feature is within easy reach. In addition, Volkswagen has once again succeeded in implementing a quality of materials that goes beyond all class limits. The car's styling, ergonomics, operability and quality interact to create a new, friendly car with a highly individual nature.
The New Beetle was a cathedral inside. In front, the Beetle is now somewhat lower in profile, since the domed roof of its predecessor has been eliminated. It now offers 1,044 mm interior height instead of the previous 1,082 mm. However, the 38 mm will hardly be missed, even by very tall drivers, since the New Beetle's interior was a "cathedral" among compact cars. Meanwhile, in the rear seating area, the longer roof section results in a distinctly larger feeling of space. The bootspace is significantly larger; it now holds 310 instead of 209 litres. As usual, the car has a split, folding rear seatback, and a wide opening bootlid making it is easy to load and unload.
2011年4月17日星期日
Libya: Indiscriminate Attacks Kill Civilians
Libyan government forces have launched indiscriminate rocket and mortar attacks on residential neighborhoods in the rebel-held city of Misrata, Human Rights Watch said today. One strike, apparently by a Grad rocket, killed at least eight civilians waiting in line for bread. Another attack, apparently with a mortar round, hit a medical clinic, wounding four others.
At least 16 civilians have been killed in indiscriminate attacks since April 14, 2011, Human Rights Watch said, based on witness and survivor accounts, as well as inspections of the impact sites. Human Rights Watch found no evidence of military activity in the areas that came under attack, and witnesses said rebel fighters were not present in those areas when the attacks took place.
Rocket fragments and remains, some with the markings intact, indicate that a barrage of rockets that hit one residential neighborhood was Soviet-designed Grads, which are unguided rockets often fired in salvos to cover a wide area.
"Libyan government forces have repeatedly fired mortars and Grad rockets into residential neighborhoods in Misrata, causing civilian casualties," said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch. "The Soviet-made Grad in particular is one of the world's most inaccurate rocket systems and should never be fired in areas with civilians."
These indiscriminate attacks come alongside the use by Libyan government forces of cluster munitions in civilian-populated areas of Misrata, documented by Human Rights Watch on April 15.
Misrata is the only rebel-held city in Libya's west. Government forces have tried to retake control of the city for about seven weeks. According to doctors in the city who are keeping track of the death toll, more than 267 bodies have been brought to hospital morgues as of April 15, the majority of them civilians. The number of dead is higher because some families have not brought their relatives to the morgues, the doctors said.
In addition to the rocket that landed on the bread line in front of the bakery on April 14, another rocket that day hit the home of a sheikh adjacent to a mosque, and at least four others hit private homes. Human Rights Watch saw the remains of one Grad lodged in the side of a family's pick-up truck parked in their garage and another on a residential street.
On April 16, government forces hit the parking lot just outside the Zawiyat el-Mahjoub medical clinic in the residential Zawiya neighborhood, apparently with an 82mm high explosive mortar round, spraying shrapnel into the clinic that wounded a medical technician and three other civilians, Human Rights Watch said.
According to witnesses, the rocket and mortar fire all came from government positions outside the city, which they are familiar with after seven weeks of fighting. The rebels in the city appear poorly armed, often sharing weapons, and have not been seen with either Grad rockets or mortars, Human Rights Watch said.
At least 16 civilians have been killed in indiscriminate attacks since April 14, 2011, Human Rights Watch said, based on witness and survivor accounts, as well as inspections of the impact sites. Human Rights Watch found no evidence of military activity in the areas that came under attack, and witnesses said rebel fighters were not present in those areas when the attacks took place.
Rocket fragments and remains, some with the markings intact, indicate that a barrage of rockets that hit one residential neighborhood was Soviet-designed Grads, which are unguided rockets often fired in salvos to cover a wide area.
"Libyan government forces have repeatedly fired mortars and Grad rockets into residential neighborhoods in Misrata, causing civilian casualties," said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch. "The Soviet-made Grad in particular is one of the world's most inaccurate rocket systems and should never be fired in areas with civilians."
These indiscriminate attacks come alongside the use by Libyan government forces of cluster munitions in civilian-populated areas of Misrata, documented by Human Rights Watch on April 15.
Misrata is the only rebel-held city in Libya's west. Government forces have tried to retake control of the city for about seven weeks. According to doctors in the city who are keeping track of the death toll, more than 267 bodies have been brought to hospital morgues as of April 15, the majority of them civilians. The number of dead is higher because some families have not brought their relatives to the morgues, the doctors said.
In addition to the rocket that landed on the bread line in front of the bakery on April 14, another rocket that day hit the home of a sheikh adjacent to a mosque, and at least four others hit private homes. Human Rights Watch saw the remains of one Grad lodged in the side of a family's pick-up truck parked in their garage and another on a residential street.
On April 16, government forces hit the parking lot just outside the Zawiyat el-Mahjoub medical clinic in the residential Zawiya neighborhood, apparently with an 82mm high explosive mortar round, spraying shrapnel into the clinic that wounded a medical technician and three other civilians, Human Rights Watch said.
According to witnesses, the rocket and mortar fire all came from government positions outside the city, which they are familiar with after seven weeks of fighting. The rebels in the city appear poorly armed, often sharing weapons, and have not been seen with either Grad rockets or mortars, Human Rights Watch said.
2011年4月13日星期三
Palika Parking to start use of smart cards
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has decided to finally do away with paper slips and introduce smart cards for Palika Parking in Connaught Place. The civic agency said these smart cards will be on the lines of Metro smart cards used by the commuters. These smart cards can be recharged accordin
g to the requirements from single time parking to a monthly pass basis. The move will cut down on waiting time.
The smart cards are part of the new parking management system that the civic agency is in the process of placing in Palika Parking at a cost of Rs 3 crore. “At present, we have started the trial system under which the smart cards are being used. We will monitor it for a few more days and then by the end of the month it should be in place completely,” said a senior NDMC official.
The officer added that the new system of parking management will capture a picture of the vehicle that will enter the parking lot and the picture will be fed into the computer memory. On producing the card at the exit point, the computer will check if the picture matches the smart card details.
At the Palika Parking, a sign has been put up with the details of cost which is R200 per card that is refundable.
The civic agency has installed electronic parking guidance and management system under which drivers will be guided to the exact spots that are vacant.
“There are a large number of office goers and shopkeepers who use the Palika Parking on a daily basis. For their convenience, a special card on the lines of Metro cards is being supplied. The card will register the number of the car and feed it into the system for security reasons,” added the official.
g to the requirements from single time parking to a monthly pass basis. The move will cut down on waiting time.
The smart cards are part of the new parking management system that the civic agency is in the process of placing in Palika Parking at a cost of Rs 3 crore. “At present, we have started the trial system under which the smart cards are being used. We will monitor it for a few more days and then by the end of the month it should be in place completely,” said a senior NDMC official.
The officer added that the new system of parking management will capture a picture of the vehicle that will enter the parking lot and the picture will be fed into the computer memory. On producing the card at the exit point, the computer will check if the picture matches the smart card details.
At the Palika Parking, a sign has been put up with the details of cost which is R200 per card that is refundable.
The civic agency has installed electronic parking guidance and management system under which drivers will be guided to the exact spots that are vacant.
“There are a large number of office goers and shopkeepers who use the Palika Parking on a daily basis. For their convenience, a special card on the lines of Metro cards is being supplied. The card will register the number of the car and feed it into the system for security reasons,” added the official.
2011年4月11日星期一
CESG provides smartphone advice for public sector
CESG - the UK's national technical authority for information assurance at GCHQ - has published risk management advice and guidance for the UK public sector on the use of smartphones in lower risk situations.
Its cyber security experts have been working with major smartphone platform providers on how best to secure their products, and produced the guidance on how to secure the devices for remote working.
The guidance, which is only accessible to those with Government Secure Intranet accounts, applies to lower risk situations which covers large parts of the public sector, and is not applicable for classified data ('restricted' or above).
A spokesperson for CESG told GGC that the main elements of the guidance cover systems management and maintenance, configuration settings, architectural advice, user education and awareness training, and information on common risks to mobile working. It also highlights where a significant risk remains, either where there are no technical or procedural controls to reduce it, or an extensive reliance on procedural mitigation.
It is available for products from Apple, Microsoft, Nokia and Research In Motion, covering the majority of the smartphone market. CESG said this does not imply formal endorsement or certification of any of these platforms, but it will give organisations the options to chose whichever platform best suits their business needs.
A spokesman for CESG said: "This is a great example of government and industry collaborating to ensure that all parts of government have the tools and information we need to work more securely in cyber space. It will help many parts of the public sector work more efficiently and effectively - saving money for the taxpayer".
CESG also pointed out that the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution from Research In Motion is currently the only smartphone system to have been formally evaluated and approved to protect material classified up to and including 'restricted'.
Its cyber security experts have been working with major smartphone platform providers on how best to secure their products, and produced the guidance on how to secure the devices for remote working.
The guidance, which is only accessible to those with Government Secure Intranet accounts, applies to lower risk situations which covers large parts of the public sector, and is not applicable for classified data ('restricted' or above).
A spokesperson for CESG told GGC that the main elements of the guidance cover systems management and maintenance, configuration settings, architectural advice, user education and awareness training, and information on common risks to mobile working. It also highlights where a significant risk remains, either where there are no technical or procedural controls to reduce it, or an extensive reliance on procedural mitigation.
It is available for products from Apple, Microsoft, Nokia and Research In Motion, covering the majority of the smartphone market. CESG said this does not imply formal endorsement or certification of any of these platforms, but it will give organisations the options to chose whichever platform best suits their business needs.
A spokesman for CESG said: "This is a great example of government and industry collaborating to ensure that all parts of government have the tools and information we need to work more securely in cyber space. It will help many parts of the public sector work more efficiently and effectively - saving money for the taxpayer".
CESG also pointed out that the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution from Research In Motion is currently the only smartphone system to have been formally evaluated and approved to protect material classified up to and including 'restricted'.
Outstanding Community Members Give Back To WED
Special students, teachers, administrators and community members are helping the Woonsocket Education Department to provide some very special educational opportunities for students and teachers. We examine students who are helping to gain community awareness and teacher professional development for Autism and a committee of educators, parents and community members that are creating an impressive boundless playground that will provide academic benefits as well as enjoyment for the students of Woonsocket in our future.
Fun was had by all at the Woonsocket High School Music Department Autism Benefit. It proved to be a stellar event. Over 30 gift baskets were raffled off. A silent auction took place with items including celebrity autographs, a jersey signed by all of the Colorado Rockies professional hockey team, Microsoft software, and a complete computer system. Performances from local celebrities included Louise Tetrault and the Woonsocket School Committee Member Linda Majewski. Student group performances included the Woonsocket High School Jazz band, Percussion Ensemble, Chorus, and Select Chorus.
Historically, people typically give back to their schools and community after they graduate from high school. At Woonsocket High School, we have three very special students who are giving back to the school before they graduate. Adam Brunetti, Richard Gramstorf, and Jamel Williams. When asked why they began this quest and they were all very passionate in their responses.
Adam relayed his story about challenges he had encountered in earlier grades but how that changed at Woonsocket High School. The combination of some teachers who understood autism and outstanding support services including Dr. Sullivan, administrator, Ms. Cohagen, WHS guidance councilor, and the school nurses. All of these educators helped to make smooth transition to Woonsocket High School for him. He feels lucky that he met these teachers and councilors at the high school because when he was younger, there was less of an awareness of autism. He said it was a different feeling in high school. Adam also identified that the outstanding Music and Drama programs we provide helped him to enjoy school more and ultimately helped him become more academically successful over all. These teachers, councilors, and administrators had the knowledge about Autism and as a result helped him make his high school years wonderful. Adam's favorite quote is "knowledge is power and ignorance is intolerable." That is why he is on a quest to raise money for the RI Autism Project.
Richard Gramsdorf said that this event helped to make him feel like he contributed to a cause that is a community need. He wants to positively contribute to his community and he is starting now! Ricky told me of a story that happened in his sixth grade class. He said that his sixth grade teacher must have known about autism because of how she taught him and his classmates. They had a new student in their class who was diagnosed with autism and she not only helped the new child transition to the new classroom, but she taught Ricky and the other children how to respect each other's differences. Ricky was quick to point out that many people with autism are gifted academically but have challenges with socialization. He said "There is always a price with a gift."
Jamel Williamson recognizes that autism is the fastest growing medical diagnosis. One out of every 98 boys born has some form of autism. He has always felt it is important to "help the community, help the world and help our schools." He will be attending Johnson and Wales next year but he wants to come back and make this event bigger each year. He will be studying bakery and pastry arts and hopes to be the first musical chef. He is hoping that with earlier promotion, they may be able to fill the Stadium Theatre next year!
This group of students created a team name for the Autism Imagine Walk. They will be "The Musical Notes." They hope to raise over $10,000. The RI Autism Project will provide 30 teachers with a ten week training about students with autism for free if they can raise that amount. Any funds raised at this the Woonsocket High School Autism Benefit will be combined with the funds that they will raise at the Imagine Walk Benefit.
Adam's mom, Mrs. Brunetti, should also be commended for all of the work that she has put into this effort. She personally worked with the principals and community members to arrange all of the donations that will be raffled or auctioned off to increase the fundraising. She is also very passionate about the need for parents and the public to learn more about Autism.
Fun was had by all at the Woonsocket High School Music Department Autism Benefit. It proved to be a stellar event. Over 30 gift baskets were raffled off. A silent auction took place with items including celebrity autographs, a jersey signed by all of the Colorado Rockies professional hockey team, Microsoft software, and a complete computer system. Performances from local celebrities included Louise Tetrault and the Woonsocket School Committee Member Linda Majewski. Student group performances included the Woonsocket High School Jazz band, Percussion Ensemble, Chorus, and Select Chorus.
Historically, people typically give back to their schools and community after they graduate from high school. At Woonsocket High School, we have three very special students who are giving back to the school before they graduate. Adam Brunetti, Richard Gramstorf, and Jamel Williams. When asked why they began this quest and they were all very passionate in their responses.
Adam relayed his story about challenges he had encountered in earlier grades but how that changed at Woonsocket High School. The combination of some teachers who understood autism and outstanding support services including Dr. Sullivan, administrator, Ms. Cohagen, WHS guidance councilor, and the school nurses. All of these educators helped to make smooth transition to Woonsocket High School for him. He feels lucky that he met these teachers and councilors at the high school because when he was younger, there was less of an awareness of autism. He said it was a different feeling in high school. Adam also identified that the outstanding Music and Drama programs we provide helped him to enjoy school more and ultimately helped him become more academically successful over all. These teachers, councilors, and administrators had the knowledge about Autism and as a result helped him make his high school years wonderful. Adam's favorite quote is "knowledge is power and ignorance is intolerable." That is why he is on a quest to raise money for the RI Autism Project.
Richard Gramsdorf said that this event helped to make him feel like he contributed to a cause that is a community need. He wants to positively contribute to his community and he is starting now! Ricky told me of a story that happened in his sixth grade class. He said that his sixth grade teacher must have known about autism because of how she taught him and his classmates. They had a new student in their class who was diagnosed with autism and she not only helped the new child transition to the new classroom, but she taught Ricky and the other children how to respect each other's differences. Ricky was quick to point out that many people with autism are gifted academically but have challenges with socialization. He said "There is always a price with a gift."
Jamel Williamson recognizes that autism is the fastest growing medical diagnosis. One out of every 98 boys born has some form of autism. He has always felt it is important to "help the community, help the world and help our schools." He will be attending Johnson and Wales next year but he wants to come back and make this event bigger each year. He will be studying bakery and pastry arts and hopes to be the first musical chef. He is hoping that with earlier promotion, they may be able to fill the Stadium Theatre next year!
This group of students created a team name for the Autism Imagine Walk. They will be "The Musical Notes." They hope to raise over $10,000. The RI Autism Project will provide 30 teachers with a ten week training about students with autism for free if they can raise that amount. Any funds raised at this the Woonsocket High School Autism Benefit will be combined with the funds that they will raise at the Imagine Walk Benefit.
Adam's mom, Mrs. Brunetti, should also be commended for all of the work that she has put into this effort. She personally worked with the principals and community members to arrange all of the donations that will be raffled or auctioned off to increase the fundraising. She is also very passionate about the need for parents and the public to learn more about Autism.
2011年4月7日星期四
Common Council Items of Interest
For those of you who can't make it to the weekly Common Council meeting, following
is the briefing. From this week's meeting as provided by the council:
The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Ellicott District Council Member
Darius G. Pridgen requesting of the City of Buffalo's Departments of Law, Police,
and Permits & Inspections work collaboratively with the Common Council to create a
Reference, in a "Frequently Asked Questions" ("FAQ") format, which the public,
Council Members, and potentially all elected and appointed officials, could consult
concerning appointments to City Boards, Commissions, Committees and Task Forces.
Elected and appointed officials, citizens, and candidates interested in serving on
City Boards, Commissions, Committees and Task Forces frequently question what
qualifications, if any, are required for appointment to such positions. Although
some City Boards, Commissions, Committees and Task Forces do have clear and well-
established qualification requirements and appointment procedures codified in
Federal or State law, the City Charter & Code, or as part of a previously adopted or
approved Common Council Resolution, the existence of such guidance is frequently not
generally known nor easily obtained for those that are untrained. In some instances,
the elected or appointed officials charged with appointing individuals are under
significant pressure to make appointments in a timely manner, however there may be
little if any guidance relating to the potential candidate's qualifications. The
Council maintains that the FAQ Reference for appointment to City Boards,
Commissions, Committees and Task Forces would ensure that prospective appointees are
qualified, prepared, and willing to take on the responsibilities associated with
serving on the respective bodies.
The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Fillmore District Council Member David
A. Franczyk giving permission to the Despensata Corporation to hang approximately 85
banners on light poles along Broadway, Fillmore Avenue, Peckham and Paderewski
Streets, as well as the side streets surrounding the perimeter of the Broadway
Market and Corpus Christi Church on Gibson, Lombard, Clark and Sears Streets. The
banners will promote and celebrate the Easter shopping season and Dyngus Day
activities in the neighborhood and will be hung on April 11, 2011.
The Council approved a Capital Budget Amendment that designated $450,000 to
Infrastructure Improvements in the South Common Council District. The funds were
initially designated for the Nevilly Court Field Turf Project and will now be used
to repave and improve the infrastructure on Marilla Street, Zollars Avenue, Ashton
Place, and South Park Ring Road.
The Council approved a resolution sponsored by South District Council Member Michael
P. Kearns requesting of the City of Buffalo Planning Board, that they work closely
with the Department of Management Information Systems ("MIS") to identify properties
that have received a landmark, landmark site or historic district designation, and
to catalog them in a centralized location on the City's website. The Council is also
requesting of the City of Buffalo Department of Assessment and Taxation that they
also work closely with the City Preservation Board and MIS to have any landmark,
landmark site or historic district designation included with all publically
available assessment information. A property with a landmark, landmark site or
historical designation carries with it a degree of owner responsibility to ensure
that any alterations to the property are appropriate to the historical, aesthetical,
architectural, archaeological, educational, economical, or cultural heritage of the
City of Buffalo, New York State, or the United States of America. However, when
these properties are transferred, new owners are may be unaware of their property's
unique designations and may be at risk of performing property alterations that could
have a detrimental effect on City efforts to retain and preserve historically
significant properties. Currently, a listing of the properties that have received
landmark, landmark site or historic district designation is not easily accessible by
the public, nor is such information stored on one central location on the City of
Buffalo website, nor included with a property's assessment information. The Council
maintains that it is essential to inform new property owners of their properties
historic designation in order to preserve properties that are of major significance
to the history and culture of the City of Buffalo.
is the briefing. From this week's meeting as provided by the council:
The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Ellicott District Council Member
Darius G. Pridgen requesting of the City of Buffalo's Departments of Law, Police,
and Permits & Inspections work collaboratively with the Common Council to create a
Reference, in a "Frequently Asked Questions" ("FAQ") format, which the public,
Council Members, and potentially all elected and appointed officials, could consult
concerning appointments to City Boards, Commissions, Committees and Task Forces.
Elected and appointed officials, citizens, and candidates interested in serving on
City Boards, Commissions, Committees and Task Forces frequently question what
qualifications, if any, are required for appointment to such positions. Although
some City Boards, Commissions, Committees and Task Forces do have clear and well-
established qualification requirements and appointment procedures codified in
Federal or State law, the City Charter & Code, or as part of a previously adopted or
approved Common Council Resolution, the existence of such guidance is frequently not
generally known nor easily obtained for those that are untrained. In some instances,
the elected or appointed officials charged with appointing individuals are under
significant pressure to make appointments in a timely manner, however there may be
little if any guidance relating to the potential candidate's qualifications. The
Council maintains that the FAQ Reference for appointment to City Boards,
Commissions, Committees and Task Forces would ensure that prospective appointees are
qualified, prepared, and willing to take on the responsibilities associated with
serving on the respective bodies.
The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Fillmore District Council Member David
A. Franczyk giving permission to the Despensata Corporation to hang approximately 85
banners on light poles along Broadway, Fillmore Avenue, Peckham and Paderewski
Streets, as well as the side streets surrounding the perimeter of the Broadway
Market and Corpus Christi Church on Gibson, Lombard, Clark and Sears Streets. The
banners will promote and celebrate the Easter shopping season and Dyngus Day
activities in the neighborhood and will be hung on April 11, 2011.
The Council approved a Capital Budget Amendment that designated $450,000 to
Infrastructure Improvements in the South Common Council District. The funds were
initially designated for the Nevilly Court Field Turf Project and will now be used
to repave and improve the infrastructure on Marilla Street, Zollars Avenue, Ashton
Place, and South Park Ring Road.
The Council approved a resolution sponsored by South District Council Member Michael
P. Kearns requesting of the City of Buffalo Planning Board, that they work closely
with the Department of Management Information Systems ("MIS") to identify properties
that have received a landmark, landmark site or historic district designation, and
to catalog them in a centralized location on the City's website. The Council is also
requesting of the City of Buffalo Department of Assessment and Taxation that they
also work closely with the City Preservation Board and MIS to have any landmark,
landmark site or historic district designation included with all publically
available assessment information. A property with a landmark, landmark site or
historical designation carries with it a degree of owner responsibility to ensure
that any alterations to the property are appropriate to the historical, aesthetical,
architectural, archaeological, educational, economical, or cultural heritage of the
City of Buffalo, New York State, or the United States of America. However, when
these properties are transferred, new owners are may be unaware of their property's
unique designations and may be at risk of performing property alterations that could
have a detrimental effect on City efforts to retain and preserve historically
significant properties. Currently, a listing of the properties that have received
landmark, landmark site or historic district designation is not easily accessible by
the public, nor is such information stored on one central location on the City of
Buffalo website, nor included with a property's assessment information. The Council
maintains that it is essential to inform new property owners of their properties
historic designation in order to preserve properties that are of major significance
to the history and culture of the City of Buffalo.
2011年4月6日星期三
Introduces the Latest Version of QuicNet ProTM Central Control Software
McCain Inc., a leading manufacturer and supplier of intelligent transportation systems, traffic control equipment and parking guidance solutions, today announced the release of a new major version upgrade to QuicNet Pro 2.0 central control software, an advanced software system that provides traffic control from a central location.
McCain's QuicNet Pro 2.0 software is an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) that allows entire transportation networks to be monitored and optimized from a single platform. QuicNet Pro central control software currently operates in over 40,000 intersections worldwide. The software is fully scalable, allowing installation in as few as five intersections using a single server or expansion to a limitless number of intersections and field masters.
Enhancements to QuicNet Pro 2.0 traffic control software include extensive 24/7 data collection and easy-to-read charts, allowing quick identification of trends, resulting in cost reduction and improved traffic flow. The software offers superior document management and customized traffic reports that provide a historical perspective on data collected around-the-clock.
"We value our customer's feedback and have used it to improve the features and functionality of our QuicNet Pro software, offering users a multitude of tools to accomplish more on a single platform," said Brian Wagner, ITS solutions manager for McCain Inc.
QuicNet Pro software presents a single interface for viewing and managing multiple ITS applications, promoting comprehensive expandability. QuicNet Pro central control software also supports QuicTracadaptive signal control, offering traffic signal coordination along a corridor based on prevailing conditions, yielding smooth, balanced traffic flow and enhanced arterial performance. Coupled with local controller software, QuicNet Pro traffic control software can also manage additional ITS functions including light rail priority, incident management, freeway ramp metering, tunnel and lane control.
McCain Inc. provides progressive solutions that successfully address modern transportation concerns and promote urban mobility. A forward thinking, vertically integrated company with 24 years of industry success, McCain conceptualizes, develops, and manufactures intelligent transportation systems. Operating over 300,000 square feet of office and manufacturing space and employing over 400 people, McCain produces superior traffic equipment, advanced traffic management software, and parking solutions. McCain is a recognized leader in innovative products and services, nationally trusted to facilitate safety, mobility, and navigation of the world's roads.
McCain's QuicNet Pro 2.0 software is an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) that allows entire transportation networks to be monitored and optimized from a single platform. QuicNet Pro central control software currently operates in over 40,000 intersections worldwide. The software is fully scalable, allowing installation in as few as five intersections using a single server or expansion to a limitless number of intersections and field masters.
Enhancements to QuicNet Pro 2.0 traffic control software include extensive 24/7 data collection and easy-to-read charts, allowing quick identification of trends, resulting in cost reduction and improved traffic flow. The software offers superior document management and customized traffic reports that provide a historical perspective on data collected around-the-clock.
"We value our customer's feedback and have used it to improve the features and functionality of our QuicNet Pro software, offering users a multitude of tools to accomplish more on a single platform," said Brian Wagner, ITS solutions manager for McCain Inc.
QuicNet Pro software presents a single interface for viewing and managing multiple ITS applications, promoting comprehensive expandability. QuicNet Pro central control software also supports QuicTracadaptive signal control, offering traffic signal coordination along a corridor based on prevailing conditions, yielding smooth, balanced traffic flow and enhanced arterial performance. Coupled with local controller software, QuicNet Pro traffic control software can also manage additional ITS functions including light rail priority, incident management, freeway ramp metering, tunnel and lane control.
McCain Inc. provides progressive solutions that successfully address modern transportation concerns and promote urban mobility. A forward thinking, vertically integrated company with 24 years of industry success, McCain conceptualizes, develops, and manufactures intelligent transportation systems. Operating over 300,000 square feet of office and manufacturing space and employing over 400 people, McCain produces superior traffic equipment, advanced traffic management software, and parking solutions. McCain is a recognized leader in innovative products and services, nationally trusted to facilitate safety, mobility, and navigation of the world's roads.
2011年4月5日星期二
Mercedes' C-Class gets fresh face, fresh outlook
Don't brush off the obvious tweaks made to the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan as simply a mid-life makeover -the German automaker has made some significant changes to its popular mid-sized sedan.
Aside from freshening the face and butt with current design tricks, there are new, more powerful and efficient engines under the hoods of several models, there's a new, more efficient seven-speed automatic transmission and the interior has been made over to create a more refined look and feel.
Exterior changes readily noticeable include an all-new front end with new active bi-xenon headlights and bright LED turn indicators. And you can add the 2012 C-Class to the growing list of cars adopting those cool LED daytime running lights. The sedan also gets a redesigned front fascia and a new aluminum hood to reduce weight.
The tail lights are also trendy LED units and there's a new rear fascia with an integrated diffuser.
A selection of new alloy wheel offerings cap the exterior revisions and range from the seven-twin-spoke 16-inch rims standard on the C250 up to the slick 19-inch multi-spoke gems available on the C63 AMG.
Inside, the luxurious cabin features soft leather surfaces and rich wood trim, such as burl walnut or dark ash, creating the feeling this car should be running with higher-priced models. If you're not partial to wood, aluminum accents are available, while the AMG gets carbon fibre trim in keeping with its high-performance flavour. The trio of round gauges centred cleanly in front of the driver includes a new colour centre display screen, while the centre stack gets a new look with revised air vents and aluminum control buttons.
The pop-up navigation screen on current models has been replaced with a new NTG 4.5 Telematics Generation unit, integrated into the dash, featuring a larger screen and improved graphics. The base unit has a 5.8-inch colour display plus CD/ USB/auxiliary input interface and Bluetooth connectivity. (Input ports for the USB and auxiliary input are now located in the centre console.) The available full navigation system displays on a seven-inch colour screen that has provision for DVD audio/video and an SD card slot. An optional media interface system that displays the cover art of the tunes you're playing can be ordered without having to spring for the nav system. Other technologies, previously reserved for higher-end Mercedes models, are now being shared with the C-Class as options, including a driver assist package with passive blind spot and lane keeping assist systems.
A parking guidance system is also available. An attention assist system is standard on all models.
The new C-Class Sedan will be offered in Canada in six variations, starting with the C250 rear-wheeldrive model and ramping up to the impressive C63 AMG sport sedan.
The C250 will also be available with Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheeldrive system; there's also a C300 and C350, both with all-wheel drive.
The C350 will be available in a rearwheel-drive configuration, but the rear-drive C300 has been dropped for 2012. All of these new models are slated for sale in July.
Although they share the same model designation, the C250 gets different engines, depending on its drive format. The rear-drive C250 gets a new direct injection, turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder, replacing the current V-6, while the 4Matic version retains the 228-horsepower, 3.0L V-6.
The new four, dubbed the M271, generates 201 hp at 5,500 r.p.m. and 229 pound-feet of torque starting at just 2,300 r.p.m. It's coupled to a seven-speed automatic. Mercedes says the rear-drive C250 will hit 100 kilometres an hour in 7.2 seconds, yet also delivers robust fuel economy. Official ratings have not yet been released.
Both C350 iterations have a new engine, too. The M276 is a 3.5L V-6 with direct injection, channelling its 302 hp (at 6,500 r.p.m.) and 273 lb.ft. of torque (starting at 3,500 r.p.m.) through a seven-speed automatic transmission.
The new engine boosts horsepower by 34 ponies compared with the previous V-6, while torque has been bumped 15 lb.-ft. The new six is capable of pushing the C-Class to 100 km/h in six seconds flat while delivering a 10-per-cent improvement in fuel economy plus fewer CO2 emissions.
Changes to the C63 include the AMG-developed Speedshift MCT seven-speed transmission, which replaces the 7G-Tronic box. The new box, which is shared with the E63, includes a launch control system.
Of course, the lengthy list of standard features on all models can be augmented by extra-cost packages.
The base 250, for example, can be upgraded with a premium package that includes climate-controlled front seats and heated rear seats, plus a power trunk closing system and a rear-view camera.
There's also a navigation package with several additional features and a sport package that adds AMG styling touches, sport suspension and 17-inch alloy rims.
The C300 can be upgraded with an entertainment bundle that adds Sirius satellite radio and an harman/ kardon Logic 7 surround-sound system, or a convenience package that adds memory settings for the power seats, a power-adjustable steering column and power lumbar support.
A nice added touch for the C350 is the premium rear seat package, which includes automatic threezone climate control and power rear window sunshade and roller blinds for the rear side windows -great features for a family car.
Aside from freshening the face and butt with current design tricks, there are new, more powerful and efficient engines under the hoods of several models, there's a new, more efficient seven-speed automatic transmission and the interior has been made over to create a more refined look and feel.
Exterior changes readily noticeable include an all-new front end with new active bi-xenon headlights and bright LED turn indicators. And you can add the 2012 C-Class to the growing list of cars adopting those cool LED daytime running lights. The sedan also gets a redesigned front fascia and a new aluminum hood to reduce weight.
The tail lights are also trendy LED units and there's a new rear fascia with an integrated diffuser.
A selection of new alloy wheel offerings cap the exterior revisions and range from the seven-twin-spoke 16-inch rims standard on the C250 up to the slick 19-inch multi-spoke gems available on the C63 AMG.
Inside, the luxurious cabin features soft leather surfaces and rich wood trim, such as burl walnut or dark ash, creating the feeling this car should be running with higher-priced models. If you're not partial to wood, aluminum accents are available, while the AMG gets carbon fibre trim in keeping with its high-performance flavour. The trio of round gauges centred cleanly in front of the driver includes a new colour centre display screen, while the centre stack gets a new look with revised air vents and aluminum control buttons.
The pop-up navigation screen on current models has been replaced with a new NTG 4.5 Telematics Generation unit, integrated into the dash, featuring a larger screen and improved graphics. The base unit has a 5.8-inch colour display plus CD/ USB/auxiliary input interface and Bluetooth connectivity. (Input ports for the USB and auxiliary input are now located in the centre console.) The available full navigation system displays on a seven-inch colour screen that has provision for DVD audio/video and an SD card slot. An optional media interface system that displays the cover art of the tunes you're playing can be ordered without having to spring for the nav system. Other technologies, previously reserved for higher-end Mercedes models, are now being shared with the C-Class as options, including a driver assist package with passive blind spot and lane keeping assist systems.
A parking guidance system is also available. An attention assist system is standard on all models.
The new C-Class Sedan will be offered in Canada in six variations, starting with the C250 rear-wheeldrive model and ramping up to the impressive C63 AMG sport sedan.
The C250 will also be available with Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheeldrive system; there's also a C300 and C350, both with all-wheel drive.
The C350 will be available in a rearwheel-drive configuration, but the rear-drive C300 has been dropped for 2012. All of these new models are slated for sale in July.
Although they share the same model designation, the C250 gets different engines, depending on its drive format. The rear-drive C250 gets a new direct injection, turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder, replacing the current V-6, while the 4Matic version retains the 228-horsepower, 3.0L V-6.
The new four, dubbed the M271, generates 201 hp at 5,500 r.p.m. and 229 pound-feet of torque starting at just 2,300 r.p.m. It's coupled to a seven-speed automatic. Mercedes says the rear-drive C250 will hit 100 kilometres an hour in 7.2 seconds, yet also delivers robust fuel economy. Official ratings have not yet been released.
Both C350 iterations have a new engine, too. The M276 is a 3.5L V-6 with direct injection, channelling its 302 hp (at 6,500 r.p.m.) and 273 lb.ft. of torque (starting at 3,500 r.p.m.) through a seven-speed automatic transmission.
The new engine boosts horsepower by 34 ponies compared with the previous V-6, while torque has been bumped 15 lb.-ft. The new six is capable of pushing the C-Class to 100 km/h in six seconds flat while delivering a 10-per-cent improvement in fuel economy plus fewer CO2 emissions.
Changes to the C63 include the AMG-developed Speedshift MCT seven-speed transmission, which replaces the 7G-Tronic box. The new box, which is shared with the E63, includes a launch control system.
Of course, the lengthy list of standard features on all models can be augmented by extra-cost packages.
The base 250, for example, can be upgraded with a premium package that includes climate-controlled front seats and heated rear seats, plus a power trunk closing system and a rear-view camera.
There's also a navigation package with several additional features and a sport package that adds AMG styling touches, sport suspension and 17-inch alloy rims.
The C300 can be upgraded with an entertainment bundle that adds Sirius satellite radio and an harman/ kardon Logic 7 surround-sound system, or a convenience package that adds memory settings for the power seats, a power-adjustable steering column and power lumbar support.
A nice added touch for the C350 is the premium rear seat package, which includes automatic threezone climate control and power rear window sunshade and roller blinds for the rear side windows -great features for a family car.
2011年4月1日星期五
C-Class now gets options formerly reserved for higher-end Mercedes
Don't brush off the obvious tweaks made to the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan as simply a mid-life makeover -the German automaker has made some significant changes to its popular mid-sized sedan.
Aside from freshening the face and butt with current design tricks, there are new, more powerful and efficient engines under the hoods of several models, there's a new, more efficient seven-speed automatic transmission and the interior has been made over to create a more refined look and feel.
Exterior changes readily noticeable include an all-new front end with new active bi-xenon headlights and bright LED turn indicators. And you can add the 2012 C-Class to the growing list of cars adopting those cool LED daytime running lights. The sedan also gets a redesigned front fascia and a new aluminum hood to reduce weight. The tail lights are also trendy LED units and there's a new rear fascia with an integrated diffuser. A selection of new alloy wheel offerings cap the exterior revisions and range from the seven-twin-spoke 16-inch rims standard on the C250 up to the slick 19-inch multi-spoke gems available on the C63 AMG.
Inside, the luxurious cabin features soft leather surfaces and rich wood trim, such as burl walnut or dark ash, creating the feeling this car should be running with higher-priced models. If you're not partial to wood, aluminum accents are available, while the AMG gets carbon fibre trim in keeping with its high-performance flavour. The trio of round gauges centred cleanly in front of the driver includes a new colour centre display screen, while the centre stack gets a new look with revised air vents and aluminum control buttons.
The pop-up navigation screen on current models has been replaced with a new NTG 4.5 Telematics Generation unit, integrated into the dash, featuring a larger screen and improved graphics. The base unit has a 5.8-inch colour display plus CD/USB/auxiliary input interface and Bluetooth connectivity.
(Input ports for the USB and auxiliary input are now located in the centre console.) The available full navigation system displays on a seven-inch colour screen that has provision for DVD audio/video and an SD card slot. An optional media interface system that displays the cover art of the tunes you're playing can be ordered without having to spring for the nav system.
Other technologies, previously reserved for higher-end Mercedes models, are now being shared with the C-Class as options, including a driver assist package with passive blind spot and lane keeping assist systems. A parking guidance system is also available. An attention assist system is standard on all models.
The new C-Class Sedan will be offered in Canada in six variations, starting with the C250 rear-wheeldrive model and ramping up to the impressive C63 AMG sport sedan. The C250 will also be available with Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel-drive system; there's also a C300 and C350, both with all-wheel-drive. The C350 will also be available in a rearwheel-drive configuration, but the rear-drive C300 has been dropped for 2012. All of these new models are slated for sale in July.
Although they share the same model designation, the C250 gets different engines, depending on its drive format. The rear-drive C250 gets a new direct injection, turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder, replacing the current V6, while the 4Matic version retains the 228-horsepower, 3.0L V6.
The new four, dubbed the M271, generates 201 hp at 5,500 r.p.m. and 229 pound-feet of torque starting at just 2,300 r.p.m. It's coupled to a seven-speed automatic. Mercedes says the rear-drive C250 will hit 100 kilometres an hour in 7.2 seconds, yet also delivers robust fuel economy.
(Official ratings have not yet been released.)
Both C350 iterations have a new engine, too. The M276 is a 3.5L V6 with direct injection, channelling its 302 hp (at 6,500 r.p.m.) and 273 lbft of torque (starting at 3,500 r.p.m.) through a seven-speed automatic transmission.
The new engine boosts horsepower by 34 ponies compared with the previous V6, while torque has been bumped 15 lb-ft. The new six is capable of pushing the C-Class to 100 km/h in six seconds flat while delivering a 10 per cent improvement in fuel economy.
Changes to the C63 include the AMG-developed Speedshift MCT seven-speed transmission, which replaces the 7G-Tronic box. The new box, which is shared with the E63, includes a launch control system.
Of course, the lengthy list of standard features on all models can be augmented by extra-cost packages. The base 250, for example, can be upgraded with a premium package that includes climate-controlled front seats and heated rear seats, plus a power trunk closing system and a rear-view camera.
There's also a navigation package with several additional features and a sport package that adds AMG styling touches, sport suspension and 17-inch alloy rims.
The C300 can be upgraded with an entertainment bundle that adds Sirius satellite radio and a Harman Kardon Logic 7 surround-sound system, or a convenience package that adds memory settings for the power seats, a power-adjustable steering column and power lumbar support.
A nice added touch for the C350 is the premium rear seat package, which includes automatic threezone climate control and power rear window sunshade and roller blinds for the rear side windows. Even the C63 can be upgraded -there's the AMG Performance Package Plus that adds 30 more ponies to the already potent powertrain. In addition, top speed is bumped up to 280 km/h.
Aside from freshening the face and butt with current design tricks, there are new, more powerful and efficient engines under the hoods of several models, there's a new, more efficient seven-speed automatic transmission and the interior has been made over to create a more refined look and feel.
Exterior changes readily noticeable include an all-new front end with new active bi-xenon headlights and bright LED turn indicators. And you can add the 2012 C-Class to the growing list of cars adopting those cool LED daytime running lights. The sedan also gets a redesigned front fascia and a new aluminum hood to reduce weight. The tail lights are also trendy LED units and there's a new rear fascia with an integrated diffuser. A selection of new alloy wheel offerings cap the exterior revisions and range from the seven-twin-spoke 16-inch rims standard on the C250 up to the slick 19-inch multi-spoke gems available on the C63 AMG.
Inside, the luxurious cabin features soft leather surfaces and rich wood trim, such as burl walnut or dark ash, creating the feeling this car should be running with higher-priced models. If you're not partial to wood, aluminum accents are available, while the AMG gets carbon fibre trim in keeping with its high-performance flavour. The trio of round gauges centred cleanly in front of the driver includes a new colour centre display screen, while the centre stack gets a new look with revised air vents and aluminum control buttons.
The pop-up navigation screen on current models has been replaced with a new NTG 4.5 Telematics Generation unit, integrated into the dash, featuring a larger screen and improved graphics. The base unit has a 5.8-inch colour display plus CD/USB/auxiliary input interface and Bluetooth connectivity.
(Input ports for the USB and auxiliary input are now located in the centre console.) The available full navigation system displays on a seven-inch colour screen that has provision for DVD audio/video and an SD card slot. An optional media interface system that displays the cover art of the tunes you're playing can be ordered without having to spring for the nav system.
Other technologies, previously reserved for higher-end Mercedes models, are now being shared with the C-Class as options, including a driver assist package with passive blind spot and lane keeping assist systems. A parking guidance system is also available. An attention assist system is standard on all models.
The new C-Class Sedan will be offered in Canada in six variations, starting with the C250 rear-wheeldrive model and ramping up to the impressive C63 AMG sport sedan. The C250 will also be available with Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel-drive system; there's also a C300 and C350, both with all-wheel-drive. The C350 will also be available in a rearwheel-drive configuration, but the rear-drive C300 has been dropped for 2012. All of these new models are slated for sale in July.
Although they share the same model designation, the C250 gets different engines, depending on its drive format. The rear-drive C250 gets a new direct injection, turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder, replacing the current V6, while the 4Matic version retains the 228-horsepower, 3.0L V6.
The new four, dubbed the M271, generates 201 hp at 5,500 r.p.m. and 229 pound-feet of torque starting at just 2,300 r.p.m. It's coupled to a seven-speed automatic. Mercedes says the rear-drive C250 will hit 100 kilometres an hour in 7.2 seconds, yet also delivers robust fuel economy.
(Official ratings have not yet been released.)
Both C350 iterations have a new engine, too. The M276 is a 3.5L V6 with direct injection, channelling its 302 hp (at 6,500 r.p.m.) and 273 lbft of torque (starting at 3,500 r.p.m.) through a seven-speed automatic transmission.
The new engine boosts horsepower by 34 ponies compared with the previous V6, while torque has been bumped 15 lb-ft. The new six is capable of pushing the C-Class to 100 km/h in six seconds flat while delivering a 10 per cent improvement in fuel economy.
Changes to the C63 include the AMG-developed Speedshift MCT seven-speed transmission, which replaces the 7G-Tronic box. The new box, which is shared with the E63, includes a launch control system.
Of course, the lengthy list of standard features on all models can be augmented by extra-cost packages. The base 250, for example, can be upgraded with a premium package that includes climate-controlled front seats and heated rear seats, plus a power trunk closing system and a rear-view camera.
There's also a navigation package with several additional features and a sport package that adds AMG styling touches, sport suspension and 17-inch alloy rims.
The C300 can be upgraded with an entertainment bundle that adds Sirius satellite radio and a Harman Kardon Logic 7 surround-sound system, or a convenience package that adds memory settings for the power seats, a power-adjustable steering column and power lumbar support.
A nice added touch for the C350 is the premium rear seat package, which includes automatic threezone climate control and power rear window sunshade and roller blinds for the rear side windows. Even the C63 can be upgraded -there's the AMG Performance Package Plus that adds 30 more ponies to the already potent powertrain. In addition, top speed is bumped up to 280 km/h.
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