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The Wall Street protests have been intriguing. While the movement has an obvious anti-corporate tinge, I can’t tell whether labeling it anti-capitalist would be fair. Nancy Pelosi’s endorsement, in addition to the general direction of the movement, makes it safe to label the Wall Street occupiers as leftists. and there seems to be a pattern among these left-leaning protests.   

For some reason, every public assembly that involves resentment of the upper class eventually evolves into rioting — their monotonous chanting and clichesigns somehow elicit tear gas and riot shields. This generalization has been true across the world.

In the last year, Britons have smashed windows because of high tuition rates, and Greeks have thrown Molotov cocktails in reaction to the government’s public sector cuts.  

The U.S. is unique in the relationship between the government and the current recession. America is the only country that I can think of that also has a political movement asking for less government help. the Tea Party — feel free to cringe — is in this way unique compared to the other movements.

Regardless of the disparity in their beliefs, the current Wall Street movement (along with its more violent European counterparts) can actually learn — cringe more — from the Tea Party.   

This isn’t to say the Tea Party, the movement symbolized by the angry, obese Anglo-Saxon, is without flaws. 

The Tea Party’s tense relationship with the media has painted it as fanatical, thus disenchanting moderates.

And despite its attempts to distinguish itself from both political parties, it is rightfully seen as a Republican vessel, causing it to inherit all of the GOP’s negative connotations.

The Tea Party has been honest but impractical in its applause at the GOP presidential debates — in one instance cheering over the death of an uninsured man within a hypothetical scenario. 

While their argument may be legitimate, applauding the death of anyone is rarely good public relations.  

But the Tea Party does have some positive characteristics. first, no one can doubt that they are populist. There have been allegations that the Tea Party consists of “Astroturf” rather than being grassroots oriented, but the attendance of any Tea Party event proves that assertion to be untrue.

A peer and I attended last year’s Tea Party of Virginia Convention, and the only slithering Republicans in suits were the politicians on stage. 

The common participant was, as shown on the news, the predictable, aging American adorned in patriotic attire and covered in political bumper stickers. My friend and I were disappointed — we had hoped for a more elitist attitude.

Continue Reading: 12 Next » 

A version of this article appeared in the Oct 20 issue of the Collegiate Times.

The supermarket carrier bag seems to be edging ever closer to the end of its shelf-life – its disposable convenience no match for the Prime Minister’s concerns about its impact on the environment.

David Cameron has warned that he will introduce legislation if the big store groups fail to deliver ‘significant falls’ in the  number of plastic bags given away each year.

The number of single-use carrier bags rose last year by 5 per cent to a staggering 333m – the majority of them used only for 20 minutes.

Once discarded, they stand accused of polluting the planet and poisoning marine life.

Following a European-wide consultation, proposals are likely to be brought forward by the European Commission this autumn which could impose taxation or an outright ban on the future use of thin plastic carriers.

Charges imposed in Ireland in 2002 have seen the use of plastic drop 90 per cent as consumers switched to paper bags. On October 1 the Welsh government followed suit and imposed a charge of 5p per  shopping bag, regardless of whether it is thin plastic, reusable or paper.

Whether these charges are necessary or indeed work, however, is still a moot point.

Environmental awareness campaigns were in part responsible for UK consumers voluntarily reducing consumption by 40 per cent between 2006-2010, to 6.8bn bags a year ­– although that figure rose 5 per cent in the last year.

But not everybody is celebrating the Prime Minister’s decision to get tough.

Hale-based carrier bag company B Smith Packaging, which has a turnover of £4.5m, has already reduced staff from 20 to 16 as a result of falling demand for plastic bags.

Paper bags now contribute up to 40 per cent of its carrier sales but managing director Andy Smith argues that the alternatives to plastic are not without their own environmental impact.

“Plastic bags take a quarter of the energy to make, while paper produces 70 per cent more air pollution and 50 per cent more water pollution,” he said.

“Because they are bigger in size, they also require four times the lorry movement to transport them.

“Over 95 per cent of the printed plastic carrier bags that we supply are made with a degradable additive.

“This additive causes the film to dissolve in landfill, typically within 12-24 months.”

Mr Smith claims that while his company would be badly hurt by a ban, it would survive by finding new products. he warns, however, that any ban would place additional inflationary pressures on the country.

He adds: “If there was a ban introduced on plastic it would have a dramatic effect on us. It would reduce profits by a half and we’d have to cut a certain number of people.

“We’re in a position to change as we are agile and not tied to any production line. If there is an alternative to plastic we’ll find it but it will have an inflationary impact. If it’s paper, it will be three times more expensive and this cost will have to be passed on to consumers.”

The Association of Convenience Stores, which campaigned against the introduction of charging in Wales, says that an outright ban could hit independent retailers hardest.

Shane Brennan, director of public affairs, said: “We oppose any blanket ban as it would harm small stores more than the supermarkets.

“Convenience stores rely on impulse sales. Someone may come in for a chocolate bar and then be attracted to buy more things. If there are no bags it becomes a barrier to buying and people will wait and go to the supermarket.

“Retailers do want to reduce plastic bag use as they are a cost in themselves but they do not want to lose trade to the supermarket.”

Whether the introduction of charges on all carriers, as in Wales, will reduce overall usage is debatable.

Cathy Parker, a professor in marketing and retail at Manchester Metropolitan University, believes price will only serve as a short-term solution as consumers will still pay for convenience.

Instead, Parker highlights the example of Modbury in Devon where, in April 2007, the town’s shopkeepers united for a self-imposed ban on plastic bags. She sees this  as an example of where peer pressure would provide an overwhelming incentive for individuals to cut plastic bag use.

“If people have disposable income and it doesn’t really affect them then it won’t work with everyone.

“People will start with good intentions and get a ‘bag for life’ but in the end they look for convenience.

“If you don’t have any other reason, such as the environmental concern or peer pressure, then they won’t stop using them.”

North west MEP Chris Davies believes the passing of EU legislation would be like ‘using a sledgehammer to crack a nut’ but claims legislation could be passed at national level which could reduce use without hurting small retailers.

“The experience of Ireland shows people do adapt quickly to changes and there is a case that big supermarkets should be treated differently to local retailers,” he said.

“Taking a car to the supermarket takes some planning so it is reasonable that there is a charge there. Tesco could adapt but it would be difficult for the local retailer to do the same.”

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Published: October 6, 2011

CLEMSON — when a teenaged Mitch Norville pondered what he should study at Clemson University, it was his dad’s advice that tipped the scales in favor of engineering. Now, 35 years later, the son’s gift to his alma mater will endow an engineering chair in his father’s honor. A $1.5 million gift from Mitch and Carla Norville will be used in part to endow the Ernest R. Norville Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering. A portion of the gift, $250,000, will be used to help build a new basketball practice facility adjacent to Littlejohn Coliseum. ”This enlightened investment will have a lasting legacy,” said Clemson President James F. Barker. “The Norville Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering will improve medical care and help generations of undergraduate and graduate students at Clemson, and the addition to Littlejohn Coliseum will be a big boost for our team and will help our recruiting.” Norville is executive vice president and chief operating officer for Boston Properties Inc., one of the nation’s largest owners, managers and developers of Class-A office properties, concentrated in five markets: Boston; Washington, D.C.; Midtown Manhattan; San Francisco; and Princeton, N.J. The Norvilles’ gift is a part of Clemson’s The will to Lead capital campaign, which seeks to raise $600 million to support students and faculty with scholarships, professorships, facilities, technology and enhanced opportunities for learning and research.  ”To be successful in any business, you have to be a team player and be willing to work with others, but at the same time you have to have a will to lead,” Norville said. “Successful leadership in a university is no different. Carla and I are glad to be able to be a part of helping Clemson rise to meet the challenge for the next generation.” Norville’s current role with Boston Properties places him in charge of administrative policy and day-to-day control of the company’s operations and development activities. since joining the firm in 1984, he has been involved with more than 7.5 million square feet of new development and renovation projects. A 1980 graduate of Clemson’s mechanical engineering program, Norville earned a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Virginia in 1984. He was named to the board of the Clemson University Foundation in 2009 and serves on Clemson’s Advancement Board for Real Estate Development. ”As a volunteer for Clemson, no one is better prepared than Mitch Norville. his business knowledge is second to none, and his advice has been exceptionally valuable,” Barker said. “No one has a clearer understanding of our university’s financial need, nor of the opportunities that are within our grasp with a successful capital campaign.”The Norvilles, who grew up together in Charleston, are energetic volunteers. A former College of Charleston student, Carla is active in The Wellesley Service League, a group that provides volunteer services to 27 different organizations in Massachusetts, from food banks to support for cancer patients. She was chairwoman for the Barton Road Boys, which provides hot lunches and activities to children in the subsidized housing community. The university will recruit a scholar in the field of biomaterials science and engineering to fill the Ernest R. Norville Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering. Biomedical engineering focuses on applying engineering principles to the understanding and treatment of disease. Bioengineers collaborate with physicians and entrepreneurs to ensure that research focuses on high-priority health care challenges. Clemson’s bioengineering program began in 1963, making it one of the oldest in the world. The planned basketball practice facility will include Clemson’s first regulation-size practice court, coaches’ offices, a gallery and a film room, and will allow greater flexibility in practice times. The addition will allow the Tigers to have “real-game” experience on the full-sized court in day-to-day practice, as do their ACC competitors. The Norvilles live in Wellesley Hills, Mass. They have three sons: Griffith, Hunter and Taylor, who graduated from Clemson in 2010 with a civil engineering degree.

‘Changing the American psyche for a lifetime’

I lived 100 miles south of New York City on Sept. 11, 2001 just outside of Atlantic City, New Jersey. the town I lived in is called Absecon and is only six miles from a Military Aviation Complex which protects the East Coast from attack called NAFEC.

September 11, 2001 was a beautiful day on the East Coast and started like any other day. I was cooking breakfast when I turned on the T.V. and saw that first tower had been hit by a plane. my first response was shock, but not alarm, because it looked like it may have been an accident. but within minutes after turning on the television the second plane hit and I knew that we were under attack.

My first response was to get my son from school, but I decided that I would wait until I knew what I needed to do next. Then I called my best friend who was hysterical because her husband was in New York City buying antique watches and she could not reach him.

We watched in disbelief and cried on the phone as the two towers fell and the huge dust cloud surged between giant buildings while knowing that people were dying at that very moment.

It turned out that he was at a breakfast meeting in Manhattan and didn’t even know that there had been an attack on the two towers. three hours after she began calling him, he called her back wanting to know why she had called him so many times. only after calling his wife in New Jersey did he know that he needed to get out of New York City.

It took almost a day for my friends’ husband to make his way back from New York City to Atlantic City, New Jersey via boat, bus, and train. he walked with hundreds of people from Manhattan to the river where ferries were taking people to New Jersey. When the ferry arrived in New Jersey, organizers separated the people who had been exposed to the two towers’ dust cloud from the people who had not been exposed to the dust. the people who had dust on them were given jump suits to change into and large plastic bags for their clothes, while the others were directed to board buses that would take them to Philadelphia. Once he got to Philadelphia he took a train to Atlantic City which arrived late at night. I saw him several days later and he told me the whole experience was surreal and could not be expressed in words while fighter jets roared over my house.

Fighter jets roared over my house every 20 minutes for the next two months as the two towers clean-up continued. during that time air marshals practiced in an outdoor shooting range for hours every morning until an indoor range could be built. I could hear the shooting from my house which was three miles as a crow flies. my neighbor’s dog spent her mornings hiding in the bathroom because of the gunfire.

To add injury to insult, the anthrax scare happened during this time and a post office close to us was closed because of a tainted letter. my son would not let me bring mail into the house without checking it first. and when a party balloon floated over our house with a square weight on it I could only think that poison could be spread the same way. because the airport was close to my house, every time I saw a jet flying low for a landing I could only think of it as a giant bomb that could kill thousands of people and bring a whole country to a standing halt while changing the American psyche for a lifetime.

– Michelle Baggett, Arcata

‘I had gone almost three years without knowing …’

I lived on the island of Saipan, some 9,000 miles away, when the horrific events of 9/11 occurred. (Ironically my current Army Reserve unit this year will be drilling on the 10th anniversary of 9/11). Some three years later after 9/11, I was on active duty with the Army Reserve at Fort Bliss, Texas. I drove by a gym, and noticed that it had been named in honor of Major Ronald D. Milam. I have a pretty good memory, and knew that in my platoon during ROTC at Fort Lewis, Wash., in 1990, there was a Cadet Ronald Milam. the gym had a plaque in his honor with his likeness. I took a big gulp. it was my fellow warrior back from ROTC. the gym had been named for him, because he was killed on 9/11 at the Pentagon. I had gone almost three years without knowing that I personally knew someone who had been killed that day. Major Milam was briefing the top personnel officer in the U.S. military Lt. Gen. Timothy Maude. they both perished because they had happened to be in the portion of the building that got hit by the plane. his wife, pregnant with their second child, was in another portion of the building. She survived. Major Milam was an outstanding cadet, and a great officer. he had been to college in New Mexico. he really wanted to go on active duty and performed exceptionally well during ROTC. that was how he was selected for active duty, which fatefully placed him in that building at the wrong time. I was obviously incredibly grateful that I could continue on with my career. I ended up later the next year (2005) going to Afghanistan, and then Iraq in 2008 as an Army civil affairs officer. I went for many reasons, but one small one was to honor my friend, who had a gym named after him, and left an incredible legacy of honor and service for his family. even a child that never got to see his father, and shares his namesake.

– Allan L. Dollison, MAJ, CA, USAR

‘I will always remember the small details’

Growing up, I often heard my mother talk about the day JFK was assassinated and how she’d always remembered small details, such as what she had been wearing when she heard the news. 9/11 is a day I will always remember the small details, like what I was wearing. I was a senior at Eureka High School, and I awoke to my mother coming into my room and turning on my TV. I was half asleep, but I remember her saying something such as “attack” and “terrorists.” I didn’t think anything of it, in fact I can’t remember if I even knew who Osama bin Laden was until that day.

I left the TV on all morning while getting ready for school. I saw the live footage of the first tower falling. I didn’t fully understand the gravity of the situation until I got to school, and class after class, we watched the news. in my favorite class, theatre, we sat in a circle and talked about what we were feeling. Some students cried.

I remember I had plans that day to drop off a script to a friend at what used to be Redwood Curtain Theatre above Lost Coast Brewery. I got to Old Town, and many shops were closed, even the local ice cream parlor I worked at that year, Bon Boniere. Many shops had signs in the windows, “closed to be with family.”

I remember feeling heavier and more sad as the day went on. I called the local Red Cross and asked if they needed blood. they said they were too overwhelmed with volunteers and that it would be better if I came in the following week.

The footage of people screaming and running from the Trade Center falling will forever be etched in my mind. I remember when the war on terrorism was announced, and I put a black band on my wrist, naively stating that I would take it off when the war had passed.

I remember I wore my favorite blue denim jacket that day.

– Nicole Cowan

‘I watched it with a lump in my throat’

Usually when I wake up, the first thing, and I mean the first thing, that I do is turn on the news. For some reason, on 9/11, I got up and just lay on the couch, thinking about the day. Then my daughter said, “Dad, are you watching the news? A plane crashed into a building in New York!” so I turned on the news and I was shocked. the first plane had hit, and the visual of that on the television was unreal. all I could think about was how it was like the old sci-fi flicks I had watched as a child. this couldn’t be real! I just sat there, transfixed by what I was watching. After a while, I realized this indeed was history unfolding in front of me so I stuck in a tape in the VCR and began recording. I set it on SP so I could get as much as possible. As I’m sure most of the nation felt, the thought that we had been hit so severely on U.S. soil was a real blow to the system. As the reports of the shutdown of airspace came out, I realized that this is one day that I wouldn’t have to go to work. For the past 20 years or so, I have met planes at Murray Field every morning and night because of my job as a local courier, and surely, no planes were coming in this day! What also made this day so gloomy, was that at least in McKinleyville, there was some of the thickest, darkest fog I had seen. this dripping cold fog seemed to amplify the feeling of dread. Many folks have said this, but it just seemed to be a disaster movie, come to real life.

Having met airplanes every day due to my job, and living close to the airport in McKinleyville, it was surreal not to see or hear any air traffic during the days after the attack. the skies were so quiet. I think it was like three days later when the airspace was beginning to open. the FAA had opened Redding airspace before our local area. the courier company I worked for had sent their plane from Redding to McKinleyville before our airspace had been cleared. that was a problem, as the plane received a military intercept in air, and was met by law enforcement and I believe the military when it landed. I was sort of proud to be associated with the first aircraft that landed here after 9/11, even though it had mistakenly broken the rules. that evening, after the plane had repositioned to Murray Field, we all watched as it took off, and I must say I watched it with a lump in my throat. it looked like things were going to be O.K.

– Geoff Werronen

‘A life affirming event for all of us’

The phone rang at 5:45 a.m. on 9/11/2001. it was a patient of mine due with her fourth baby who said she was in early labor. I couldn’t get back to sleep, so I put the radio on and heard the news. I first thought maybe somehow my patient could put off the birth until the next day, but then I realized that the delivery of a healthy and loved baby into the world would be a life affirming event for all of us. in the early evening of 9/11 a beautiful baby boy was delivered into the outstretched arms of his mother and his loving family.

– Eva Janson, Nurse-Midwife

‘Three things’

Ten years later, three things stand out in my mind

1). Some women and kids pulled a wagon down my street on Friday evening, setting candles in red and blue jars in front of every house to make a chain of light four blocks long. they knocked on every door. Neighbors came outside and talked to one another in the twilight. We felt better.

2). my son in New York e-mailed, “I hope we don’t go to war with Afghanistan or even bomb their villages. I am tired of explosions.”

3). A friend sang a new song by Kitty Donohoe that ended, “Hand in hand we all will stand because we must.”

— Gail Slaughter, McKinleyville

‘I told him … that he was safe’

On that day that will always be in our hearts, I was counselor at Hoopa Elementary. A day after the eleventh, I was asked by a teacher, with permissions in place, to help a young tyke because he was scared and frightened that what happen to the people falling out of the building would happen to him. I immediately checked out the global world map from the library, grabbed my trusty Atlas, toy airplanes and pictures of fighter airplanes with drawing stuff. I took his little fingers, and we traveled across via Highway 80 the U.S. from Hoopa to New York City. also, we looked at foreign countries telling him how far these countries are from Hoopa! he had no concept of directions nor time. I told him in the simplest of terms that he was safe. A former colleague had airplane fighter friends that would have came to talk to him. I explained, yes if needed, and told the teacher I would be glad to continue to help him if needed.

– Marian Mattz

The long flight home

Having traveled extensively abroad for a lifetime of years we were anticipating a routine flight home from London to San Francisco following a two week trip that covered much of Scandinavia, as well as time in London. Our British Airways flight was over Iceland when the pilot announced that there had been a terrorist attack and that we were returning to Glasgow. the message came through hardly audible and the flight crew as well as the passengers were stunned. We assumed as did the crew that the attack was on our flight. We didn’t know what to do except say good-bye to each other. there was no panic that we observed. An Irish couple and their teenage son sitting across from us were hugging each other and saying good-bye. most of the other passengers were doing the same. We did the same, knowing that our life had been filled with wonderful experiences and if we survived, we would fly again. When we landed in Glasgow, much to our relief, we were clearly informed that the attack had occurred in the U.S. nine days later, we were able to book a flight to San Francisco and Arcata. Sept. 11 was indeed a defining movement in our lives!

– Rose and Jasper Sawatzky, Blue Lake

‘He was a great guy’

I stopped by the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge the week before Richard Guadagno flew back East. I had a cup of coffee and hung out with him and his Labrador retriever at the old Refuge headquarters building. We talked about the upcoming waterfowl season. Rich wasn’t just a refuge manager but he was also a USFWS Refuge law enforcement officer and he had completed nine-plus weeks of federal police training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

Over the years, I would bump into him at the federal court house in Eureka. every fall he would make some good lead shot and over limit cases during waterfowl season. he loved the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge and his job. he was a great guy and very down to earth.

Rich took his position of being a federal law enforcement officer seriously. I have no doubts that he was one of the passengers that fought with the terrorist on Flight 93.

– Dave Reilly, Los Angeles

‘Your police department was moved’

The images and feelings of Sept. 11, 2001 remain seared in our memories. the Times-Standard archives has my press releases from 9/11 and the one year anniversary of those horrific events. those documents are reflective of my feelings at that time. I wish to use this opportunity to recognize the initial actions of our police department and our citizens in Eureka.

The men and women of the Eureka Police Department provided response, service and the support our community needed as we grappled with the magnitude of what had just occurred. the order of the day was visibility of police, reassurance for our citizens and protection of rights.

While I gave the formal direction, I believe the department members intuitively knew what to do. why? because, while theirs was a call to action, they and their families had to cope with the same emotions as the rest of our citizens. they responded magnificently. Whether just off work with no sleep, on days off or volunteer patrol members: they checked in with the department. all were ready to return to duty and help whenever and wherever they were needed. to say I was proud of them is an understatement. I continue to be very proud of the department.

Our citizens were wonderful. Initially we had many calls from the public asking what was happening and what they should do. but over the next few hours the tone of the calls changed. Many citizens were now calling to express their condolences for the loss of life in New York City and their support for Eureka Police and Eureka Fire personnel. On the streets, patrol officers were repeatedly approached by citizens expressing their concern and support.

Unnoticed by many, but not by the members of your police department, was the immediate display of American flags. the number of American flags on homes and businesses grew daily. this patriotic display of flags expressed Eureka’s anguish and anger but also solidarity and pride in their country. it should come as no surprise that your police department was moved by the verbal and visible displays of support for them and for our nation.

To all of you, I thank you again for your support of your country, your community and your public safety personnel.

– David Douglas, retired EPD chief

‘The whole day was one of sadness’

It was very early in the morning when got a call from my son Mark in Fortuna. he was informed by his son Don, who is in the Air Force stationed at Nellis AFB. What a shock, and unbelievable pictures from Ground Zero in New York. Watched the tragedy all day while packing for a boat trip up the Columbia River. Then, later in the day saw a picture of Richard flash on the screen. We immediately called the Humboldt Wildlife Refuge and talked to Shannon. She confirmed what we had seen on TV. the plane had crashed in Pennsylvania as those on board made a heroic effort to keep another D.C. location from destruction. the whole day was one of sadness and not being able to concentrate on anything. We said right away that Richard was definitely one of the passengers that averted D.C. from having another target.

We were neighbors of Richard, as he lived just below our property off Westgate Drive in Eureka. We knew him to be a very hard and dedicated worker. he had moved into a real fixer upper. Really took a jungle setting and made it into a beautiful home and property. Shannon came to Richard’s home and his sister, Lori, came out and stayed there. We were privileged to meet her and learn more about Richard.

The dedication in April the following year at the Humboldt Bay Refuge, we along with many in the community got to meet Richard’s mother Bernice and father, Jerry. it was a beautiful ceremony and so fitting for the refuge to be named after Richard.

– Bill and Betty Barton

‘I couldn’t fully understand it’

On Sept. 11th, 2001, I remember sitting in my sixth grade class and my teacher turned on the TV to show us the news of the attack. at first, I was dumbfounded by what was going on and I couldn’t fully understand it as well. seeing everyone on the TV as well as people around me for the next several days really showed me that this event was bigger then I thought. the news that followed that day really made me think about all the brave men and women who fought to save lives and all the families that lost a loved one.

– Rebbekka Williamson

‘I have often wondered’

The day before Sept. 11, a group of people and I left Eureka on a tour bus for San Francisco, on an Umpqua Bank trip to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. We stayed that night in a hotel near SF Airport. the next morning (9/11) we were boarding the tour bus to go to the airport, when a lady asked me if I had heard about the plane hitting the tower. at that moment, I knew nothing about it. On the bus, the radio was talking about the airliner hitting the tower.

While we were at the airport checking in, everything went dead. the bus driver had parked a block away, because he figured we were not going anywhere; he sat waiting for our call to come and get us. he took us back to the hotel to have breakfast and figure out what we were going to do. it was decided to go home. We were lucky we didn’t get stuck in the middle of the U.S. with all airplanes ordered down and grounded.

We went over the Oakland Bay and San Rafael-Richmond Bridges because there was word that the Golden Gate Bridge was going to be sabotaged. Our flight was to land at Logan Airport in Boston, the same airport that two of the terrorist planes flew out of. I have often wondered, this tour was going out of Boston every two weeks — if we had gone two weeks earlier, could we have been coming home on one of those terrorist planes? Yes, I have a very good memory of 9/11. Fortunately, I made the same trip the following year.

– Alvin J. Toste

‘What would come was hugely uncertain to us …’

I landed at Logan Airport in Boston at about 1 a.m. on 9/11. A few hours later, the 9/11 hijackers who attacked New York would walk where I had walked, on their way to their targeted airplanes. I was never in any danger but, to this day, my proximity to those monsters feels eerie.

I was a dean, one of many, at a college in Cambridge, Mass.; I ran a national education program from Colorado. having arrived late from Denver on a delayed flight, I slept in a little. by the time I arrived at the campus, intending on a week of meetings, the first plane has struck the World Trade Center. Shortly thereafter, the second tower was hit, and we knew, like everyone knew, that our country was under attack. Many of us knew instantly and instinctively that al-Qaida was our attacker.

The memories of that day replay like a photo collage. the television pictures, of course, looping over and over. Many more people in Massachusetts had friends and family in New York than is true for us in the western U.S. so their fear was more personal and very close to home. We had an incoming freshman, a member of Osama bin Laden’s extended family, who was due to arrive on campus for orientation. It’s important to note here that the bin Laden family is huge, and very few of them have anything to do with the late al-Qaida leader. still, she never showed up and I don’t blame her. I don’t know this, but I’ve always suspected that she was one of the bin Laden family members who were whisked from the country by the Bush administration.

The work week was untenable, of course. the president of the college called for a special assembly. I was ordered, as a member of senior management, to sing “give Peace a Chance” with our other leaders. For those from the 1960s, there was general buy-in that singing peace songs was somehow worthwhile. For me and others who were younger, we mouthed the words while wishing that we could personally , vengefully shoot Osama bin Laden.

Ten years later, I don’t know if either group got it right that day.

After two days in Cambridge, and with no hope soon of a flight home, I rented the last car available in the region. I left, going west, at 3 a.m. on the 14th. I drove hard, gripping the wheel, head down, hunched through Massachusetts and corners of Connecticut and New York. I saw the signs for Niagara Falls and, on some other trip, I would surely have made the detour to see sunrise over that iconic place. all I wanted, however, was to be home with my wife and that goal lay straight ahead.

The sun came up over Pennsylvania, and I started to look around. the sky was shockingly blue and utterly empty of aircraft. it was the weirdest thing, seeing empty sky over urban areas. there were no police out there either; wherever they were, they weren’t on the interstates. there were truck drivers and there were guys like me, one to a car, barreling to wherever home was.

Ohio took longer, and then Indiana. I developed a routine for listening to the world: National Public Radio, local radio, and a call on the cell phone staying in touch. NPR was still all 9/11, all the time.

Darkness fell over Illinois. I listened to a high school football game, all four quarters, on some powerful Western Illinois radio station. As I drove, I cried hot, wet tears for the sheer American normalcy the game represented.

On the phone, my colleagues and my wife were pleading with me that I should stop someplace, get some sleep. I had been driving for over 18 hours. in Iowa City, I took their advice, got a room and slept for eight hours.

Back on the road … more of Iowa, all corn and rolling hills, and then the full, flat, dry breadth of Nebraska. I think I first saw an airplane in the sky again, finally, somewhere in that vast geography. Colorado appeared near sunset, one of those gorgeous Colorado sunsets, orange over the blue of the distant Rocky Mountains. Another two hours on now-familiar roads and I would be home.

Tish ran to me in the driveway and we held each other close. What would come was hugely uncertain to us, but I was now where I needed to be.

– Michael and Letitia Kraft moved from Northern Colorado to the North Coast in 2004.

Editor’s note: We want to thank all of our readers who submitted their memories. We’re sorry we were unable to run all of them in the print edition, but will include them in the online version.

Jesseye Arrambide, RN, BSN, CNOR, executive director at Oregon Outpatient Surgery Center and vice president and program chair of the Oregon Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, shares 10 ways surgery centers can save money on supplies and equipment. 1. Purchase refurbished or demo capital equipment. While some capital equipment should be purchased brand new, Ms. Arrambide says ASCs can save money by purchasing some demo or refurbished equipment. “There are options out there for demo equipment that’s only been used a couple of times,” she says. “A lot of times, companies will refurbish it and give you the same warranty that comes with a new piece of equipment.” when you talk to sales reps, she recommends asking for a quote on a particular piece of equipment, then asking the rep if the company has options for demo or refurbished equipment. She says she usually has to ask sales reps for the option of demo or refurbished equipment, but once she does, the companies are often willing to work with her. “You usually have to ask the question and let them know you’re looking at other companies,” she says. 2. Consign implants. Since implants are such a significant cost to Ms. Arrambide’s ASC, she worked hard with her vendors to consign implants. “We have pretty much told them, ‘We’ll use your product, but you have to consign to us,’” she says. Implants are so expensive that you don’t want to purchase them and then let them sit on the shelf.  3. look at shipping costs. Ms. Arrambide advises ASC administrators to examine shipping costs and other additional hidden costs when negotiating with vendors. She says some vendors may exempt the ASC from paying shipping, or the center may be able to choose ground shipping rather than air mail for non-urgent supplies. 4. consider generic implants. Ms. Arrambide said some implants are dropping in price as patents expire and the implant designs become available to different companies. “That’s a huge cost savings,” she says. Talk to your sales reps about the availability of generic implants and network with colleagues to find out when patents expire. 5. Take advantage of distributor reward and rebate programs. Ms. Arrambide recommends building a strong relationship with your vendors and distributors to make sure that you capture all possible savings. “We work very closely with our distributors, and if you start purchasing one product while you’re already purchasing another product, you can build a better relationship and achieve a better reward,” she says. most distributors have reward and rebate programs for loyal customers, so make sure to ask your representatives and apply for all available discounts. 6. Review custom packs. The supplies that come in custom packs may change regularly, meaning surgery center administrators must regularly review the contents to make sure the ASC needs everything that’s included. “The custom packs may routinely change, and all of a sudden, you don’t need one of the things that come in it,” Ms. Arrambide says. “Review annually to make sure you’re not opening one supply separately all the time.” She says your ASC should continually look at other vendors to make sure you are getting the best deal on your custom packs. 7. Post PAR levels. Prevent supply hoarding in your ASC by posting PAR levels on your shelves and bins, Ms. Arrambide says. “I’m a nurse, and I know that nurses really want to make sure we don’t have to run down the hallway and get something,” she says. “We tend to packrat things and stock a bin fuller than it needs to be stocked.” if your staff members are overstocking supplies, you will end up with more supplies on your shelf than you need. Determine the correct level of each supply in the pre-op and post-op areas, then post those PAR levels to let staff members know when to stop stocking. 8. Reprocess when possible. Ms. Arrambide says ASCs can recognize a 50 percent savings on equipment by reprocessing supplies with an FDA-approved reprocessing company. She recommends doing thorough research into respected companies in your area and then sending appropriate items for reprocessing whenever possible.  9. Track expiration dates. During quarterly inventory, Ms. Arrambide’s staff flags items that are approaching expiration. She then sets up a “show and tell” table so that staff can look at nearly-expired items and plan to use them before the expiration date arrives. “That gives us a 3-6 month lead time for all supplies,” she says. “For implants, we do it six months before the expiration date because they’re really expensive.” Setting up this “show and tell” table can also give staff members an idea of which supplies frequently approach expiration without being used. 10. Post supply and case costs. Ms. Arrambide recommends posting supply costs in your ASC to help physicians and staff understand the impact of using certain items. “I remember recently we were dealing with a lot of repairs on some of our scopes, and four scopes had to go out to be repaired at $1,500 a piece,” she says. “We need to keep physicians aware of those costs and help staff understand that you don’t open something unless the doctor says, ‘I need this now.’” when her surgical team starts a case, the team members do not open every supply immediately, but instead hold them in a cart until each item is necessary. She says preference cards should also be kept up-to-date so staff members don’t stock supplies the physician no longer uses. Related Articles on Supply Chain Issues:Drug Vending Machine Increases ASC Patients’ Compliance: Q&A with Kelly Durian at Iowa City Ambulatory Surgery Center Vaginal Mesh Controversy Brings 600 Lawsuits Indiana Senator says Device Tax could cut Jobs in his State

More and more people are becoming eco-friendly as they realise what cutting of trees and wiping out forests could do to the world. in many bookstores today, a certain section is reserved for these eco-friendly consumers with recycled or handmade paper products on sale.These products are sourced from various parts of India, from Rajasthan to Tamil Nadu. they are mostly made up of recycled paper, flowers, leaves and other natural products that have been dried and reused. Though the idea of purchasing such products is feasible to people, these products are more expensive than the others making the market productive, but not wide enough. Atmaram Gangaram, who owns the bookstore Gangarams at M G Road, says, “the process of making this kind of paper is a natural one where there are no machines involved.

Can I use Reflectix instead of r13 insulation? I am in SC and need to insulate a little strage unit.
OR is to be used in conjunction with it?

No, Reflectix has no R-value of its own and must be used with insulation, depending upon the application. If you're just trying to keep heat out of the roof on a hot day, then it will help. If you're keeping heat inside a heated space, it adds very little value of its own (approx R 1.0).

However, if you install it as the inside vapor barrier and a 3/4-inch air space from your R-13 unfaced fiberglass, in a 4-inch wall, you may get approx R 3 out of it.

Note that if there is no source of heat inside, then everything inside will eventually freeze, regardless of how much insulation you use.

I need the capacitors and flash tubes for a project I am doing. I have heard that you can get them for free from certain places, like Wal-Mart and CVS, and I was just wondering if this was true.

Friday September 2, 2011

BRATTLEBORO — even in the best of times, local food shelves struggle to provide sustenance to their clients.

Since the economic crash, they have seen a spike in demand and food has been flying off the shelves almost as fast as the grocery bags can be filled.

Now food pantries have another group of people to take care of — those affected by Irene.

“We have 30,000 pounds of food going out today not related to Irene,” said John Sayles, CEO of Vermont Foodbank. “We have to maintain what we are doing and pick up our game. we can’t stop providing the base level of support. this is a crisis for many people in our state, but many people are facing a crisis every day.”

The Vermont Foodbank has been working with Vermont Emergency Management to support local food shelves and meal sites that suffered losses or are experiencing a higher demand than normal.

The Foodbank works with 59 agencies in Brattleboro alone, including SEVCA, the Brattleboro Housing Authority, Brigid’s Kitchen and the Boys & Girls Club.

“Our challenges are the challenges of our network partners,” said Sayles. “We are trying as best we can to support their needs.”

First and foremost, said Sayles, is to get foods that don’t need to be cooked, such as granola bars and canned food, out to those who need it.

“We are taking our lead from our partners,” said Sayles. “It doesn’t make sense to drop off food they can’t use.”

Getting food to the pantry in Wilmington has been especially challenging, said Sayles.

“But we are doing the best we can,” he said.

“We need stuff,” said Therese Lounsbury, the president of the board of directors of the Deerfield Valley Food Shelf, which re-opened Thursday morning.

“We’re getting down to the wire with bags of donations,” she said. “The challenge is getting a roadway open from Brattleboro that the Vermont Foodbank can travel on with a big truck.”

In addition to the food shelf’s regular customers, at least 58 families were displaced by the storm, said Lounsbury.

The food shelf will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the garage of their building at 7 Church Street, she said. it is normally open two days a months.

Food donations are good, but money is better, said Lounsbury.

“Monetary donations we can stretch further,” she said.

Donations can be sent directly to the Deerfield Valley Food Shelf at PO Box 1743, Wilmington, Vt., 05363.

Late Thursday night, the Reformer learned that tractor trailers have been cleared on a case-by-case basis to deliver supplies via Route 9 to Shaw’s and Rite Aid in Wilmington so the residents of surrounding towns can continue to buy supplies there and not have to drive into Brattleboro. However, Route 9 is still not open to regular traffic.

Melinda Bussino, the executive director of the Brattleboro Area Drop In Center, said on Wednesday that the food shelves were bare, but a stroke of good fortune put a bright spot on the day.

“We got 140 bags of food from Load the Latchis, despite the fact they canceled it,” said Bussino. “The foodshelf is much better stocked today.”

“If you postpone, they still come,” said Peter “Fish” Case, WKVT talk show host, who has been organizing Load the Latchis.

Because the theater was damaged by the Flat Street flood, Load the Latchis is being scheduled for a different, as yet to be determined, location. Rather than filling the chairs at the Latchis, said Case, they will be filling up a truck with food donations to be distributed to food shelves.

Bussino said people brought the bags directly to the Drop In Center and the donations were very welcome.

“We work on a shoestring, week to week,” she said. “We can’t suddenly just reach into our back pocket.”

Toni Dezendorf, a board member with the Townshend Community Food Shelf, said that though their structure wasn’t affected by the storm, she knows the demand will be great when they open the doors.

“We are trying to build up our supply,” she said.

The Townshend Food Shelf is open Monday nights from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and serves people from Wilmington to Windham to Brattleboro, said Dezendorf.

Prior to the storm, the food shelf was feeding 150 to 200 people a week, she said.

“We will see an increase, not only in our normal clientele but people who have never needed us before,” said Dezendorf.

The Townshend Community Foodshelf is located in the church on the town common.

Elaine Beckwith, of the Jamaica/Wardsboro Community Food Pantry, said many of its clients, especially those in Wardsboro, won’t be able to get to the food shelf.

“People are still having a really hard time getting out,” she said. “So many people are isolated. they don’t have electricity, they don’t have water and they don’t have refrigeration.”

The storm has forced the food pantry to remodel its whole operation, said Beckwith.

“We’ve had to think on our feet,” she said. “Some of our deliveries went by ATV.”

And instead of being open only one day a month, the food shelf will be open one day a week for the time being, said Beckwith, who said they’re in it for the long haul.

“It’s not going to end tomorrow,” she said. “It’s going to be week to week.”

The Jamaica/Wardsboro Community Food Pantry is located on Main Street in Wardsboro.

For those who are totally cut off from help, the National Guard has been airlifting in supplies.

Lt. Col. Lloyd Goodrow, spokesman for the Vermont National Guard, said a helicopter unit from Illinois has been ferrying supplies to those communities in what is being called “Task Force Green Mountain Spirit.”

The Illinois unit was called in because Vermont’s helicopter unit is currently deployed in Iraq.

The National Guard has also delivered 50 truckloads of FEMA supplies via flatbed, said Goodrow.

“We have additional FEMA trucks coming in today,” said Goodrow.

It’s not just the folks at the food shelves and the soldiers with the National Guard that have been helping out.

Mike Chudzik, the owner of Brattleboro Wireless Zone Verizon on Putney Road, has been collecting food and money for the local food shelves.

Earlier this week he brought a load of food and water to emergency responders in Townshend.

“They didn’t have any water,” he said. “I might as well have been handing them bags of gold.”

Today Chudzik will be delivering a load of food to the Townshend Community Food Shelf.

“The next one will be to Wilmington,” he said.

He’s been knocking on doors of local businesses and asking them to chip in.

So far 99 Steakhouse, One Stop Country Pet Supply, Brattleboro Bowl, Stacy Subaru, true Value, Northend Butchers and WTSA have contributed in one way or another.

He also convinced Verizon to make what he calls a “big, 3-zero” donation.

Sayles, of the Vermont Foodbank, said truckloads of emergency supplies donated by retail grocery stores and food distributors are being delivered to the Foodbank over the next few days. it has received a great response from grocers such as Shaws, Hannaford and C&S Wholesale Grocers and has been receiving assistance from Feeding America, he said.

“We have about 15 additional truckloads coming in a week from tomorrow,” said Sayles.

He said the additional need is going to continue for at least several months.

“This is not an emergency or a crisis that is going to be over next week or next month,” said Sayles. “We’re planning long term.”

Bob Audette can be reached at , or at 802-254-2311, ext. 160.