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Encosta de Lago Colt Tops Magic Millions Action

The Magic Millions national weanling sale produced more highlights on day two of the weanling section. Encosta de Lago, the highly prepotent son of Fairy King, ended up with the day's top lot when an unnamed buyer, acting through Magic Millions, spent Aus$300,000 for one of his sons.

The price was a bargain according to some who thought the attractive animal had star quality written all over him. The colt, consigned by New South Wales-based Reavill Farm, has an excellent pedigree, by Encosta de Lago out of Citirecruit, by Citidancer.

Next best price was $265,000 for the Redoute's Choice--Pure Bright colt, paid by the ever expanding Wadham Park in Queensland.

Racetrack favorite and Aus$6 million earner Lonhro had his first ever weanlings pass through the ring and one of them, a colt out of the mare Palme d'Or, fetched $260,000 when a New Zealand agent bought him.

Day two ended much the same way as day one with record takings and vendor approval right across the board. Day three continues Sunday with more great pedigrees including sons of Encosta de Lago, Redoute's Choice and highly acclaimed new boy Exceed And Excel.

The weanling section of the 2600-strong sale is on track to break all average and gross records.

"Breeders now realize the Gold Coast in June is the place to bring their quality youngsters," boasted Magic Millions CEO David Chester.

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July 28, 2017 3:25 AM ET

Real Estate Management and Development

Company Overview of Viacom Realty Corporation

Executive Profile

Timothy Stevenson

AgeTotal Calculated CompensationThis person is connected to 0 Board Members in 0 different organizations across 2 different industries.

Timothy Stevenson served as Vice President of Corporate Realty of Viacom, Inc. since January 2006. Mr. Stevenson served as President of Viacom Realty Corporation, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. since January 2006. He joined Gulf Western in January 1988 as Real Estate Manager and served as Director of Real Estate for Paramount Communications Inc. since June 1992, after the merger. Mr. Stevenson was appointed Vice President of Viacom Realty Corporation in April 1996. Prior ...

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- There is a reason why the No. 9 ranked Penn State volleyball team is the four-time defending national champions, and they showed why in the second round of the 2011 NCAA Division I Volleyball Championships Saturday night.

The University of Delaware volleyball squad ended its history-making season with a 3-0 setback (25-12, 25-9, 25-18) to the No. 8 seed and host Nittany Lions inside Rec Hall.

It marked only the second time in program history that the Blue Hens (21-13) made their way to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and the first time since 2007.

The Colonial Athletic Association champion Blue Hens had advanced to the second round with a 3-1 win over American Friday night.

“They are really good,” Delaware head coach Bonnie Kenny said after leading the Blue Hens to their fourth NCAA Tournament appearances in five seasons. “That is the best spot- hitting team we played against this year. We didn’t respond as well as I would have hoped in our serve reception. But credit Penn State. I think we are capable of competing better against them, but I’m not quite sure we are capable of beating them yet.”

With the loss, Renee Tomko (at right) and Kim Stewart (bottom left) end their careers in a Blue Hens uniform. Tomko and Stewart are responsible for three Colonial Athletic Association regular season titles, three CAA Tournament championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances during their stellar careers.

“That’s a tough way to end a good year, especially with two really competitive seniors who were tough and worked hard,” a deflated Kenny continued. “I hate to send Renee and Kim out like that. We played against a storied program. To me, (Penn State head coach) Russ Rose is like the John Wooden of basketball. They are a very good team and a great program. And, unfortunately, we didn’t perform on a really good stage. You don’t get too many opportunities like this in your career.”

Alissa Alker, Katie Hank and Chelsea Lawrence each led the Blue Hens with five kills apiece while Stewart finished with four.

Tomko, the CAA Setter of the Year, passed out 18 assists on the night while Cara Rosehill and Stewart each had a team-high eight kills.

The Blue Hens had a chance to take a set from Penn State in the third as they headed into the media timeout trailing just 15-14. But the Lions came out and scored the next three points to seize control away from Delaware. Penn State went on a 10-4 run to close out the match, 25-18.

Penn State (25-7) was led by Ariel Scott and 2010 All-American Deja McClendon, who put down 12 and 11 kills respectively. Micha Hancock passed out 40 helpers for the match while Scott and Katie Slay each recorded five block assists. Ali Longo led all players with 19 digs. As a team, the Nittany Lions recorded 11 blocks, to Delaware’s two.

With the win, Penn State advances to the Lexington, Ky. Regional Semifinal against the winner of Sunday's UCLA and San Diego match next Friday.

The winners of each regional will move on to the Final Four, set for the Alamodome in San Antonio, Tex. in Dec. 15-17.

NCAA Division I Volleyball Tournament Second Round

No. 8 Penn State def. Delaware, 3-0 (25-12, 25-9, and 25-18)

Delaware (kills-assists-digs): Hank (5-0-2), Tomko (0-18-6), Stewart (4-0-8), Alker (5-1-5), Lawrence (5-0-0), Evans (2-0-0), Rosehill (0-0-8), Reigel (0-0-0), Walton (0-0-4)

Penn State: Scott (12-0-2), Martin (2-0-5), Grant (7-0-1), Hancock (1-40-9), Slay (4-0-0), McClendon (11-0-3), Gonzalez (0-0-3), Carpenter (0-0-6), Racibarskas (0-0-1), Dorton (1-0-0), Shifflett (0-0-2), Whitney (8-0-1), Longo (0-3-19), Fuller (0-0-2), Kabba (1-0-0)

Total Team Blocks: Delaware 2, Penn State 11


text:
• 29,102 / 1,382,111
  • 18 / 9,780
  • 1,533 / 54,913

I love my bridge =)

I have always found the bridge to be a beautiful piercing that can really bring out other facial piercings.

So I decided I wanted one, and talked to my best friend, who is a piercing apprentice, and he has done most of my other facial piercings so I can go in his portfolio & I have never had to pay a dime for when he does my piercings. I trust him enough to pierce and I have never had him give me a bad or crooked piercing.

So, I had a septum, angel-bites (snakebites in your upperlip), vertical labret, two eyebrow rings, and was pretty sure I was ready for the bridge. I came to none other than BME to look for pictures to confirm the decision I wanted one.

I talked about it with him for about a week, and one day he said.. "Well lets do it."

So we went outside so he could get good lighting, and grabbed some clamps, a 14g hollow needle, a few tissues to clean up blood, a marker, and took my jewelry.

After measuring things out he said that I needed a bigger piece of jewelry than I gave him, so I compromised and bended a horseshoe earing I was wearing straight and it was a perfect fit.

I had checked around with people who had bridges & was under the impression that it was very deep and as painful as my septum was... So I braced myself as he cleaned the area with an alcohol pad, made two small markings with a marker and made sure it was straight, the he took the clamps out to make sure that it was going to come out looking good. Well, like usual when I get a piercing - The clamps are the sign pain is on it's way. He took the needle out of the package, and put it through my bridge.

And I was stunned that it was that painless. It hurt a tad more than my eyebrow piercings felt, but barely much more. There was a couple drops of blood, but barely anything to worry about.

He transfered the jewelery through the hole and removed the clamps. I looked at my bridge and blushed in happiness because It was definatly one of my favorite mods I have gotten, Because it seemed to define my face more.

We both where happy that it went well, because this was the first bridge he had ever done. He snapped a picture of it and we both had smiles on our faces.

Now I knew that it was my job to clean it and take care of it for the next few weeks.

The swelling went up the first 2 days after it (like any piercing does) and I kept cleaning the scabbing off it, every now and then I would see a little goo, but nothing too painful.

The biggest problems I found with a bridge was shaving in that area when I saw a stray eyebrow hairs. I would just take it out, shave/pluck the hairs, and put it back in. Which helped a little with the healing process as well.

4 weeks later it was completely healed, and I received compliments about it all the time because it is not so common in my area.

The only negative experiance I can claim to have with it is that one day I was in my friend's garage and passed out with a pair of sunglasses on and banged my head on a chair. My bridge was trickling a little blood because of the sunglasses pushing on it.. and my biggest fear was that I ripped my bridge. I looked in the mirror and everything was fine.

I never faced any migration problems, I am not quite sure if bridges are prone to reject (as most surface piercings do). And I'm thankful for that.

Unfortunately I got arrested for trespassing and I had to remove it, and it healed up some. At the moment I am between jobs and plan on going for TWO bridges in a few months as that one was too centered (There was not quite enough space on my bridge for more than one as it was right in the middle of my bridge area).

It hurts some, but I would definatly recommend it to someone with a few other piercings and a nice facial structure. I never had many problems because I ALWAYS take good care of ALL of my mods like they where my only one. So be sure to be nice to your bridge and clean the icky-icky scabbing, if you ever decide to get one.

I hope this experiance helps the reader with their decision.

Good luck to all of you and thanks for reading my experiance.

submitted by: Anonymous
on: 12 Sept. 2007
in Surface & Unusual Piercing

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Artist: Best+friend
Studio: Outside
Location: Brandon%2C+FL

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Jacket Required January 2017 Roundup

January 2017’s edition of Jacket Required went down in London’s fashion district of Shoreditch last week and SOURCE went down to see which brands find relevance in this market for FW17/18. Words & images by Harry Mitchell Thompson.

It’s always interesting to see the juxtaposition of London gentlemen with tweaked moustaches and waistcoats next to the more relaxed vibe of our endemic action sports brands. Notable additions to this January’s show were Quiksilver and DC, who with their street-inspired aesthetics sat comfortably at the back of the regular action sports hall opposite Dickies and WeSC. Nixon took up the same spot again and showed typically classic styling next to their innovative Mission smartwatch.

Hectic’s brands – Stance, Poler Stuff and Deus – upped sticks and moved round the corner and into the main hall, changing from their usual position in the action sports hall and opening them up to more of a diverse crowd. Poler Stuff’s collection of luggage in interesting collabs/finishings will without doubt do well next autumn, while Stance leave no stone unturned with a plethora of functionality features in their socks and underwear.

Globe and Element set up shop directly in front of the entrance to the action sports segment and both showed interesting collections with Globe making a big push on pro surfer, Dion Agius’ +/+ collection. Element have an interesting collab with their Griffin collection – a Devon- (SW England) based high end military style designer who has lent his name for this collection.

Finally, it was refreshing to see small start-up Surf Perimeters, the brain child of Jim Storey taking up situ at the back of the action sports hall. Jim, a surfer who now does the London city thing, has started the brand to cater for more like-minded men who are landlocked surfers that require a more mature aesthetic for their apparel.

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This screencast provides an introduction to the Grails Asset-Pipeline plugin for managing and processing static assets like JavaScript and CSS. The Asset-Pipeline plugin is an alternative to the Resources plugin and it is now installed by default starting with Grails 2.4. Thanks for watching!

This screencast provides an introduction to the new Grails 2.3 REST support for creating APIs. This is the first in a series of screencasts that I hope to publish focused on building APIs with Grails 2.3.

This first one covers the different ways to create RESTful controllers as well as how to quickly modify the response.  Future screencasts will cover more advanced topics like implementing custom renderers, versioning and integration with Spring Security OAuth.  If you have additional topic suggestions, please let me know in the comments!  Thanks for watching!

The GR8CONF US Hackathon is this Sunday, July 21st! If you have not registered yet, please sign up at the ChallengePost site! It officially starts at 6pm, but feel free to come to Target Plaza Commons at 1011 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis anytime after the GR8CONF workshops. You do not have to compete in the hackathon to attend the event. You are certainly welcome to just come hang-out at the hackathon. It will be a great opportunity to mingle with fellow Groovy enthusiasts and network with others in the community! There will be free food and beverages at the event. Hope to see you Sunday!

For those competing in the hackathon, I thought I would publish some basic examples of using the Target APIs with Groovy for participants to have as a reference. The following GitHub repo has some Spock tests using the Guests, Locations and Products Target APIs. There are many other parameters to call these APIs with as well as additional APIs that you can use during the hackathon. This is meant to be just a quick sample you can use to validate that your API (and Target.com for OAuth) credentials are working.

When you arrive at the hackathon, you will register for a developer account and get your credentials to make API calls (developer accounts won’t be approved until the event even if you register now). After you register and your developer account is approved at the hackathon by the Target API team, login to the developer portal and create an application. You will then be provided API keys for that application in the portal. Put the Consumer Key, Secret Key and User ID (the username you logged into the developer portal with) into Target.java (the Secret Key isn’t actually needed for the API tests we’ll be running though, just the Consumer Key and User ID). Next, you’ll need to create a Target.com guest account if you don’t already have an account on Target.com. Once registered, put your username and password into the “when” block in GuestsSpec.groovy. In that same file, put in your first name, last name and email that you used when registering on Target.com into the “then” block. With all this in place, now it’s time to run the tests via Gradle to make sure everything works! There is no need to have anything else installed but a JDK to run the test-suite as it leverages the Gradle wrapper.

./gradlew test (linux, osx)
gradlew.bat test (windows)

If all tests pass, you’re all set to start using any of the APIs documented in the Target developer portal at the hackathon! If you encounter any problems running these tests, please find a Target API team member to help you. I hope you have fun playing with Target APIs at the GR8CONF US Hackathon!

Target will be hosting a hackathon as part of the GR8CONF US 2013 conference and today I would like to announce that registration is officially open for the event! Target is very excited to be hosting this hackathon for conference attendees as well as being an official sponsor of the conference. To register, please visit the link below to access the hackathon website on ChallengePost. Please register as soon as possible so we can plan accordingly! API documentation and a developer API key will be provided to all attendees at the event.

Registration for the hackathon is open until 5:00 p.m. CDT on July 17, 2013. You must be registered for the hackathon on ChallengePost and be a registered GR8CONF US attendee by this time to enter Target Plaza Commons for the event. There will be no exceptions.

There is going to be a slight change from what was previously announced for the hackathon. The competition is going to solely focus on utilizing Target APIs with GR8 technologies. Previously I stated that there would also be an open-source bug race, but this has been dropped. The bug race was simply creating too many challenges from a competition standpoint. Most people I have discussed the hackathon with have expressed much more interest in playing with Target data than the bug race anyway. I hope attendees understand and are just as excited about the hackathon!

I am using ChallengePost to power this hackathon! The platform is designed to support hackathons and provide exposure to developers and the projects they build. It’s completely free and helps promote events to the larger developer community. I worked with Richard at ChallengePost (richard@challengepost.com) for the GR8CONF hackathon. Feel free to reach out to him know if you want to use ChallengePost yourself!

I have been developing some APIs with Grails lately as opposed to traditional web apps. I’m going to be giving a talk at GR8CONF US this summer about this topic too.

So, I thought it would be fun to create a screencast with some tips for getting started building APIs with Grails! The screencast covers content types, API URL mappings, customizing JSON output with marshallers and even Rob Fletcher’s GSON plugin. I unfortunately recorded this screencast on a MacBookPro as opposed to an iMac and there’s some background noise because of the MBP fan. First and last time I use a MBP for a screencast, ha! Hopefully it doesn’t distract from the content too much. Thanks for watching!

The sample app built in the screencast is located on GitHub.

As you might have already heard, Target will be hosting a hackathon as part of the GR8CONF US 2013 conference! If you are not aware of GR8CONF US, it’s a technology conference focused on the Groovy ecosystem (Groovy, Grails, Griffon, Gradle, Spock, Geb, GVM, GPars, Gaelyk, Ratpack and CodeNarc). It will be hosted at the Minneapolis Convention Center on July 21-23. Today, I would like to share some details about the hackathon! It will take place Sunday night after the workshops on July 21st from 6:00pm to 10:00pm at the new Target Plaza Commons at 1011 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis and all conference attendees are welcome to join at no additional charge!

This isn’t just a regular hackathon though as it will instead be a competition with Target gift card prizes for the top GR8 hackers! The competition will be focused on two categories with $2,400 in total gift card prizes (1st place: $500, 2nd place: $400, 3rd place: $300 in each category). The official contest rules for how the entries will be judged will be published closer to the event. Here is a quick overview of the two categories though:

  1. The first category is a bug race on the various open-source GR8 technologies. There will be various points awarded for the types of bugs found, solutions identified, pull requests opened and of course commits made! The judging for this category will be very quantitative and the winners will simply be the ones that get the most points.
  2. The second category will focus on utilizing Target APIs with GR8 technologies. This event will mark the first alpha release of public Target APIs and we are excited to gather feedback from the GR8 developer community! These APIs are used by various applications at Target today. The judging for this category will be qualitative and the Target API team will select the winners based on creativity, APIs used and potential relevance to Target guests.

Target will be providing appetizers and refreshments for participants throughout the hackathon as well as have representation from various Target teams if anybody is interested in learning more about technology opportunities at Target.

Target is very excited to be a sponsor of GR8CONF US for 2013 and to host this hackathon as part of the conference for attendees! I look forward to providing you more details about the hackathon as we get closer to the event. I also will publish an official registration form soon! I hope that as many conference attendees as possible plan to attend and hack at the GR8CONF US hackathon!

Disclaimer: You must be registered as a conference attendee before Wednesday, July 17th at 5pm CST to be able to enter Target Plaza Commons for the event. There will be no exceptions. As per Target policy, all attendee names need to be known before the event. Target employees are welcome to participate in the hackathon, but are not eligible to win the gift cards. All participants will need to fill out the registration form and agree to the contest rules. The contest for gift cards starts and ends with the hackathon: July 21st from 6:00pm to 10:00pm.

I gave a talk today called “Contributing Back To Grails” at GR8CONF. You can view the presentation slides via the links below. There is a Keynote file and the slides have embedded screencasts that demo the various steps of actually doing a code contribution. I also posted the slides on SlideShare, but the embedded screencasts don’t work unfortunately on SlideShare. As part of the talk, I also created three pull requests for Grails!

Thanks to everyone that came to my talk and it was great seeing so many people from the Groovy community at the conference!

GR8CONF Contributing Back to Grails Presentation (Keynote)

GR8CONF Contributing Back to Grails Presentation (SlideShare – screencasts don’t work)

Have you used PJAX yet (PushState + AJAX = PJAX)? It’s a pretty slick way to make AJAX partial updates a lot better compared to the regular g:remoteLink tag. The primary benefits are you don’t break the back button functionality and it updates the URL!

The key to implementing PJAX is that you need to have a “chrome-less” view for PJAX requests. This means the view can’t have the main.gsp layout applied to it (or whatever your layout is called). There are a number of different ways you could do this. First, you could simply look for the HTTP header that PJAX adds to each request called X-Pjax and then apply a different layout in the controller (or no layout at all). The approach I decided to take was a little different though. I decided that I didn’t want to modify any controllers and instead do it at the framework level. I also didn’t want to modify any views that already have the meta.layout (<meta name=”layout” content=”main”/>). My solution was to extend GrailsLayoutDecoratorMapper with my own new class called PjaxDecoratorMapper. I was originally going to create a Grails PJAX plugin to take care of this, but you need to modify sitemesh.xml in order to register this new decorator and I don’t believe there currently is any programmatic way to do that (like you can with web.xml). Also, the way that I’m implementing PJAX is certainly not the only way in a Grails app so I’m not sure how much value a plugin would even really provide. If people like this approach and it provides value, I’m certainly open to creating a plugin though. Let me know! So, let’s dive in!

First, we need to get the PJAX JavaScript:

  • grails create-app pjaxsample
  • cd pjaxsample/web-app/js
  • curl -O https://raw.github.com/defunkt/jquery-pjax/master/jquery.pjax.js

Edit grails-app/conf/ApplicationResources.groovy to look like the following:

Next, we need to create a layout that will only be used for our PJAX requests.

Create a new grails-app/views/layouts/pjax.gsp that looks like this:

As you can see, all this layout is doing is rendering the body wrapped in a div called main. You can obviously call this div whatever you want or have multiple layouts for different divs that you want to use PJAX with if needed. For my needs, I simply wanted to always update one common area with PJAX, so just using one div for this met my needs.

Now let’s create our new decorator and configure it with sitemesh!

Create a new src/groovy/grails/pjax/PjaxDecoratorMapper.groovy file that looks like this:
Then modify the decorator-mappers part of web-app/WEB-INF/sitemesh.xml so it looks like this:

As you can see in the Groovy code, all it’s doing is adding a new check for the X-Pjax header and using the pjax.gsp layout if it finds it. Then in sitemesh.xml, we are setting our new class to be the decorator instead of the default one. This is the key to not having to modify any existing controllers or views since this check is happening at the framework level as opposed to in app code. With this stuff in place, now we are ready to use some PJAX! I decided to take the first approach outlined on the PJAX README by using a data attribute on any links I’d like PJAX-ified and then including this JavaScript in web-app/js/application.js. You certainly don’t have to use this approach though and can play with the other ones if you’d like!

In the screencast below, I will now demonstrate using this PJAX setup in a sample application! You can download all the source for this screencast on GitHub: https://github.com/gr8casts/pjaxsample.

I hope you enjoyed this post about using PJAX in Grails! Please let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions for ways to improve PJAX usage in Grails and if you found this valuable or not. Thanks for reading & watching!

What’s more fun that building a Grails website? Building a Grails website that makes money of course, ha!

Back in December, I wrote a couple posts about using Stripe with Grails to process credit cards and released some initial milestones for a plugin. Then last week, I released version 1.0 of the plugin. So, today I’m just providing a screencast to go along with that 1.0 release! Please let me know in the comments if you find the screencast valuable or not!

Yes, my API keys shown in the video have been invalidated. 😉

It’s amazing how simple the jQuery libraries make complex front-end development. Then if you add in CoffeeScript, using jQuery is even better! In this screencast, I demonstrate creating a AJAX-enabled sortable-list in a Grails 2.0 application. Please let me know in the comments if you find the screen-cast valuable or not!

The source-code for this screencast is available on GitHub: https://github.com/bobbywarner/grails-coffeescript-demo2

This screencast was inspired by Ryan Bates’ RailsCasts Episode #147. I borrowed some of his excellent CoffeeScript example code.


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Probiotics and prebiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are similar to 'good bacteria' found in the human gut.

  • Prebiotics are indigestible carbohydrates that are used as nourishment by probiotics allowing them to survive in the gut.
  • Working together pro- and prebiotics have positive benefits on the health of the digestive system.
  • There is still insufficient evidence for many of the health claims associated with taking probiotics.
What they are

Probiotics and prebiotics are beneficial to digestive health because of the positive effect they have on the bacteria that lives in our digestive systems. Probiotics are live micro-organisms (mostly bacteria), and prebiotics are the non-digestible foods, mainly carbohydrates, which stimulate the growth of probiotics.

Our gut is home to numerous bacteria, otherwise known as gut flora. A healthy digestive system has a good balance of both good and bad bacteria.

If the balance is upset (often due to lifestyle and dietary factors), harmful bacteria can flourish increasing the risk of diarrhea, vaginal yeast infections and many other health problems.

Causes for the probiotic balance of your digestive system to be disturbed include:

  • Taking antibiotics.
  • Eating a poor diet high in refined carbohydrates.
  • Insufficient dietary fibre.
  • Exposure to environmental toxins.

Probiotics and prebiotics work together to maintain a healthy digestive system. Because probiotic bacteria are often eliminated in the gut, prebiotic foods are needed to ensure their survival. Beneficial bacteria needs to be supplied with the correct nourishment in order to thrive. Scientific research regarding the benefits of probiotics potential for preventing and treating health conditions is still in its early stages.

Some of the many health claims made about their benefits of probiotics include:

  • Preventing constipation and diarrhea.
  • Improving digestion.
  • Boosting immunity.
  • Reducing the risk of certain cancers.
  • Stablising blood sugar levels.
  • Improving mineral absorption and balance.
  • Eliminating harmful bacteria.
  • Lowering triglyceride levels.

While strong evidence does exist for certain bacteria being an effective treatment for diarrhea, the benefits relating to cancer and blood cholesterol have not been proven. Some evidence supports the idea that some types of probiotics help the immune, help with allergies and help prevent urinary tract and vaginal infections, but more research is needed.

Benefits of prebiotics

Prebiotics - indigestible carbohydrates - are found in a variety of plant foods as well as saliva and breast milk. They create balance in gut flora by promoting beneficial probiotic microorganisms to grow and multiply and preventing the growth of harmful bacteria. Sources or prebiotics include soybeans, asparagus, artichokes, garlic, tomatoes, greens, legumes, raw oats, bananas, berries, unrefined wheat and barley.

Benefits of probiotics

Benefits attributed to these live micro-organisms include aiding digestion, fighting off harmful bacteria, making nutrients available for your to use and keeping the bowels functioning.

Probiotics are available in the form of foods and dietary supplements such as tablets and powders. Other sources include probiotic yoghurts, fermented and unfermented milk, miso, tempeh, and some juices and soy beverages.

While probiotics have been shown to help those with infectious diarrhea, little scientific evidence exists as to their benefits for healthy people In short, if you are eating a healthy mixed diet with lots of vegetables, your digestive system is likely to function well without the need to take specific probiotic supplements. Foods with probiotic properties may, however, assist when people have been ill or have been taking antibiotics.

Further information

View more fact sheets on nutrition.


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Daniel 9:24-27, By Amber Brooke

DanielIn this chapter, it is one of the few scriptures in the bible that gives an actual time frame in the prophecy. In this Daniel is looking at the prophecy of Jeremiah, who said that Israel would be in bondage to the Babylonians for 70 years, which at this point are almost over. Daniel is praying and confessing the sin of the people, who have become very comfortable being in bondage to the Babylonians, and are not ready to be freed. The Angel Gabriel comes to shed light what is going to happen to the Jews, which is who the prophecy is about.

Daniel 9:24 says, “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place” “Seventy sevens, which is most likely referring to weeks in the sense of years, even though there are some scholars who do believe that this could be an infinite amount of time. I believe that it is in years, so to look at it as 490 years, are set for the Jews to bring righteousness to the Holy City. This time frame will be broken up, it does not all happen at once. So 490 years has been set aside for “your people and your holy city”, the people that this is referring to is the Jews, and the holy city is Jerusalem, although there are some scholars that believe that the people that they are referring to are “spiritual Israel” and the holy city is heavenly Jerusalem, but this is not supported. By referring to the Jewish people it is an answer to Daniels prayer directly.

Moving on, it then says to finish transgression, wish could be taken to mean either “to complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, spent” (Miller, pg. 259) or “shut up, restrain, withhold” (Miller, pg.259). Either of this would work, but it is looking at the next phrase that gives us a better understanding that it is probably referring to “to finish”. The transgressions that they are talking about is mans sin against God, this did not end with the crucifixion of Christ, it will not end until the return of Christ. Putting an end to sin, and then to atone for wickedness. Putting an end to sin is just that, the end of sin. Atoning for the wicked is those that are guilty of a crime and to wipe that out.

The “everlasting righteousness” is the end of the 490 years, this is when all is set right and Christ has come back. This is the eternal reign. The “sealing up vision and prophecy” is that every true, God-ordained prophecy, will be complete. There will not be any that have not been fulfilled at this point. There will be no more prophecy after this because Christ will be revealed, and there is not a need for it anymore. To “anoint the Most Holy” is referring to making the holy city, Jerusalem, the city that it is intended to be. Not in the ruin that is was then, or the divided city it is now.  This could also be taken as a literal reference, as a future temple that will be built, as described in Ezekiel.

In review, Daniel 9:24 is a timeframe of what is to come, and what must happen before the return of Christ. An exact amount of years is given, which a rare thing to find in the bible, as well as a list of rebellion ending, sin stopping, crime ending, completing of all God-given prophecies, and the anointing of the Holy City.

Daniel 9:25 tells us “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench but in times of trouble. The start of this verse tells us that it is important; by saying “know and understand” Gabriel is telling Daniel to pay attention.

The first two sections of the seventy sevens will end with the coming of Christ. Out of the three decrees, the decree of Cyrus, the decree of Artaxerxes to Ezera, and the decree Artaxerxes issues to Nehemiah, only the last one actually specifically refers to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Although there are scholars for each of the decree who believe that is the correct one, and it is not too far of a stretch to assume that the other two would allow for the Jews to return to Jerusalem.

The decree to rebuild the city, which was in ruins at this time, “with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.” This is not talking about building a trench, as in a moat, because it would not make sense to build something like that around Jerusalem, but what it was probably talking about was a, “trench cut into the rock outside the city walls in order to increase the exterior height of the wall” (Miller, pg. 267). The term, “but in times of trouble” most have taken to believe as the struggles that were had under Nehemiah’s government when Jerusalem was being rebuilt.

Next, we have Daniel 9:26, “After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.” This is after Jerusalem has been reconstructed in the first 49 years, and then there was the passing of the 434 years passed, a few major events would take place.

Jesus has come, as we saw in Daniel 9:25, but now He is “cut off”, that we can take literally, and we all know to be true, the anointed one was crucified. When it refers to having nothing, I personally take that from the people’s perspective, in that everything that Jesus had done in his years on earth were for nothing. He is now dead and has been turned away by his disciples. The next part of this verse is extremely important, Daniel is being told that the city is going to be destroyed again, not by the Babylonians, but by the Romans, and this tells us that they are the people of the ruler who will come in the seventieth seven, as the antichrist. So, here we are told clearly that the antichrist has the European-Roman tie.

“The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.” The flood does not mean a literal flood with water, but a flood of destruction that swept over Jerusalem. Two of the major views that I have found on this are if the end is referring to when the Romans destroy the city in A.D. 70 or the destruction that will take place in the end times. War has been spoken until the end, which could make sense in both views, there was obviously was when the city was destroyed, as well as we know there will be war in the final times.

“He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven,whom’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” Daniel 9:27, the final seven years are left for the future, this is where the gap between the sixty-ninth year stops, and then the coming of Christ, which is know as one of the most momentous events, at the end of the final seven.

He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ This is referring to the Antichriwhois making an agreement with, and this is where there is some differences of opinions. Some think that this is the unbelieving Jews, while others think that it is with the true believers, but it is most likely with the Jewish people as a whole, as the Israel nation. What this treaty is, we do not know, but a good guess would be that it includes protection, along with other stipulations, with the way the world is going right now, it is not hard to imagine that this is too far fetched of an idea. This will supposed to be for seven years, but half way through the agreement. This is when the persecution of believes will become even more intense, he will demand that worship of God is stopped, and eventually that the citizens will give their alliance to him before God.

The temple will be changed into something that will cause offense to Jews, but this is not going to last forever, the prophecy will ring true and the Antichrist, along with his followers will be judged harshly, while the Messiah will come back as promised.

These verses spell out what will happen, Christ will come, He will die, the Holy City will be destroyed, a ruler will come, cause mass destruction and sin, but the true king will come back as promised. The kingdom of God will reign forever.

Ford, D. (2007). In the heart of daniel: An exposition of daniel 9:24-27. New York: iUniverse.

Owusu-Antwi, Brempong. “An Investigation of the Chronology of Daniel 9:24-27.” Order No. 9428816, Andrews University, 1993. In PROQUESTMS ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, http://search.proquest.com/docview/304107487?accountid=12085.

Miller, Stephen R. The New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1994.

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Patriarchal Palestine eBook

Archibald Sayce
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 240 pages of information about Patriarchal Palestine.

Patriarchal Palestine!  There are some who would tell us that the very name is a misnomer.  Have we not been assured by the German critics and their English disciples that there were no patriarchs and no Patriarchal Age?  And yet, the critics notwithstanding, the Patriarchal Age has actually existed.  While criticism, so-called, has been busy in demolishing the records of the Pentateuch, archaeology, by the spade of the excavator and the patient skill of the decipherer, has been equally busy in restoring their credit.  And the monuments of the past are a more solid argument than the guesses and prepossessions of the modern theorist.  The clay tablet and inscribed stone are better witnesses to the truth than literary tact or critical scepticism.  That Moses and his contemporaries could neither read nor write may have been proved to demonstration by the critic; yet nevertheless we now know, thanks to archaeological discovery, that it would have been a miracle if the critic were right.  The Pentateuch is, after all, what it professes to be, and the records it contains are history and not romance.

The question of its authenticity involves issues more serious and important than those which have to do merely with history or archaeology.  We are sometimes told indeed, in all honesty of purpose, that it is a question of purely literary interest, without influence on our theological faith.  But the whole fabric of the Jewish Church in the time of our Lord was based upon the belief that the Law of Moses came from God, and that this God “is not a man that He should lie.”  And the belief of the Jewish Church was handed on to the Christian Church along with all its consequences.  To revise that belief is to revise the dogmas of the Christian Church as they have been held for the last eighteen centuries; to reject it utterly is to reject the primary document of the faith into which we have been baptized.

It is not, however, with theological matters that we are now concerned.  Patriarchal Palestine is for us the Palestine of the Patriarchal Age, as it has been disclosed by archaeological research, not the Palestine in which the revelation of God’s will to man was to be made.  It is sufficient for us that the Patriarchal Age has been shown by modern discovery to be a fact, and that in the narratives of the Book of Genesis we have authentic records of the past.  There was indeed a Patriarchal Palestine, and the glimpses of it that we get in the Old Testament have been illustrated and supplemented by the ancient monuments of the Oriental world.

Whether the name of Palestine can be applied to the country with strict accuracy at this early period is a different question.  Palestine is Philistia, the land of the Philistines, and the introduction of the name was subsequent to the settlement of the Philistines in Canaan and the era of their victories over Israel.  As we shall see later on, it is probable that they did not reach the Canaanitish coast until the Patriarchal

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Patriarchal Palestine from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
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The Satyricon of Petronius / The Apocolocyntosis of Seneca Characters

This Study Guide consists of approximately 33 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Satyricon of Petronius / The Apocolocyntosis of Seneca.
This section contains 1,127 words
(approx. 3 pages at 400 words per page)
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The Satyricon of Petronius / The Apocolocyntosis of Seneca Summary & Study Guide Description

The Satyricon of Petronius / The Apocolocyntosis of Seneca Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. This study guide contains the following sections:

This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion and a Free Quiz on The Satyricon of Petronius / The Apocolocyntosis of Seneca by Petronius.

Encolpiusappears in The Satyricon

Encolpius is the young student who is one of the main characters in The Satyricon. He is the story's narrator as well. The story begins in the city of Puteoli where Encolpius is a newly arriving student. When Encolpius asks a woman to show him to his new quarters, she takes him to a brothel instead. This sets the stage for the heart of The Satyricon, which from that point on centers around the sexual adventures of Encolpius and his companions around the Mediterranean countryside.

The introduction describes how very fragmented the ancient tale of The Satyricon is and how sections and parts of sections of the story are missing. There are references to Encolpius' criminal background. There are vague allusions to his stealing and even murdering a man. Details of these incidents are fragmented or missing and are impossible to fully understand. What remains of the story, however, focuses upon his love interests. As a student in Puteoli, Encolpius is in love with the young boy, Giton who at sixteen is described as younger the Encolpius. Ascyltus, who is another friend of Encolpius, is also in love with Giton. The friendship of Encolpius and Ascyltus is greatly challenged over the competition for the love of Giton. The situation comes to a head when Giton must chose between the two. Out of fear, Giton chooses Ascyltus. Encolpius is heartbroken and leaves Puteoli in despair. He then meets an older poet named Eumolpus who becomes his mentor. Soon Giton appears wanting to reunite with Encolpius. With Ascyltus chasing them, Encolpius, Eumolpus and Giton sail away on a ship which ultimately is wrecked in a storm.

The trio survives and winds up in the town of Croton where Encolpius meets Circe, the most beautiful woman he ever saw. He vows to give up Giton for her. However, when he and Circe try to make love, he is impotent. A high priestess and a witch are summoned by Circe to cure him. They make brews and cast spells to fix Encolpius' problem. In the end, Encolpius is cured but credits the god Mercury with his recovery.

Eumolpusappears in Satyricon

The main character, the young student Encolpius, meets the older Eumolpus at an art museum in the seaside town of Pergamum. Eumolpus is a poet and intellect and is eventually referred to by Encolpius as his mentor. There is comic element to the character who loves poetry and is given to impromptu poetry recitations. However, he is generally pummeled with rocks when his recitation drags on too long. When first meeting Encolpius, Eumolpus begins to recite poetry but is short-circuited by the young student who complains that he's acting like a poet and an intellect—people don't like poets and intellects.

Eumolpus is older but seems to be as sexually active as his young companions. Like everyone else, Eumolpus is attracted to Giton and promises to support him and write poetry devoted to him. He and Encolpius get into a dispute about his overtures to Giton which is forgotten when they all hastily flee town. Later in the town of Croton, Eumolpus sexually assaults both a young boy and a young girl. At the end of the story, Eumolpus is drawn to Encolpius, who he asks to tolerate him for just one disgusting hour.

Eumolpus is a wily person given to schemes of deception. When he escapes with Encolpius and Giton from the angry Ascyltus, he sneaks them on a ship bound for an unknown destination. When Eumolpus learns that the owner of the ship, Lichas, is looking for Encolpius and Giton due to their sexual dalliance with his wife, Eumolpus creates a plan to deceive Lichas. He has the young students' heads and eyebrows shaved and stains their foreheads with the brandings of slaves. Lichas sees through the silly disguise, but Eumolpus is able to help his companions make peace with Lichas. Later in the town of Croton, to win their favor, he lies to the townspeople, telling them that his is a sickly, wealthy man who has just buried his son.

Ascyltusappears in Satyricon

Ascyltus is a young student and friend of Encolpius. He and Encolpius are both in love with Giton and have an on-going conflict over him.

Gitonappears in Satyricon

Giton is a young student and friend of Encolpius. He is younger than his other friends and is the object of adoration of both men.

Trimalchioappears in Satyricon

Trimalchio is a wealthy gentleman in Puteoli. He holds a lavish dinner with exotic dishes and entertainment which Encolpius and his friends attend.

Proselenusappears in The Satyricon

Proselenus is the witch who is dispatched by Circe to test Encolpius' virility. She confirms that he is virile but is disappointed later to learn that he is still impotent.

Circeappears in The Satyricon

Circe is the beautiful woman that Encolpius falls in love with. When they attempt to make love, Encolpius is impotent, which she takes as a personal affront. She sends a witch to try to cure him.

Priapusappears in The Satyricon

Priapus is the god of sexuality and fertility. Encolpius offends Priapus by barging in on a mystical ceremony. Encolpius is plagued by impotence after committing this offense.

Oenotheaappears in The Satyricon

Oenothea is the high priestess who, along with the witch Proselenus, tries to cure Encolpius of impotency.

Petroniusappears in The Satyricon

Titus Petronius is the author of the The Satyricon—at least that is the consensus. Some scholars are not convinced that Petronius is the author.

Senecaappears in The Apocolocyntosis

Seneca the younger is the author of The Apocolocyntosis, which is a scorching critique of Claudius I. Seneca had been exiled by Claudius for several years and probably had a personal reason for excoriating the dead emperor.

Claudius Iappears in The Apocolocyntosis

Claudius I was the subject of the political satire, The Apocolocyntosis, written by Seneca the younger.

Herculesappears in The Apocolocyntosis

Hercules is the god who convinces the other gods to refuse Claudius' request to be made a god. Claudius is then sent to hell.

Jupiterappears in The Apocolocyntosis

Jupiter is approached by Claudius in heaven. Jupiter cannot tell what the creature is who looks huge and has white hair.

Janusappears in The Apocolocyntosis

Janus argues against making Claudius a god. Ordinary men should not become gods and those that do should be turned over to the gladiators and pummeled with rods in the arena.

Diespiterappears in The Apocolocyntosis

Diespiter is the god who supports Claudius' request to become a god. He points out that Claudius is related to the Divine Augustus and the Divine Augusta.

Mercuryappears in The Apocolocyntosis

The god Mercury spirits Claudius off to hell once the gods agree that he should not become a god.

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All races

Paris Marathon

Paris Marathon is a great city race in France. Explore all race facts below and sign up for a free runner analysis.

Paris Marathon takes place every year in the French capital and is one of the most popular marathon races in Europe with almost 40.000 participants each year. In its present form Paris Marathon was first held in 1976.

The route starts at the famous Champs-Élysées and takes you through the heart of the beautiful city and past some of the famous city sights like Place de la Concorde, Louvre, Place de la Bastille, the Seine and Pont Neuf.

Your doctor need to confirm, that you are fit to complete a marathon.

The time limit is 5:40 hours.

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Race name:

Paris Marathon - Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris

Future race dates:

Sunday, 2018-04-08

Where is the race held?

Paris Marathon is held in Paris - France - Europe. Lattitude N48.49.00
Longitude E2.19.59. 75 meters above sea level. Read more about the place: Paris Travelguide

How is the climate?

Paris in April - Percipitation: 42mm spread out over 13 days. Humidity: 69%. Temperatures:
Temperatures min avg max
Celcius 6 16 11
Fahrenheit 42 60 51

What distances / races are available?

Marathon - Wheelchair

What is the time limit?

The marathon has a 05:40 time limit

Where can I register, contact the organizers or read more?

Where can I get help for my preparation?

At Boost Marathon we work hard to ensure correct information, but please check all facts with the organizers before making any arrangements.


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How to be a Taxi Driver in Saigon – Vietnam, Asia

Positions Available: Applicants Sought
Job Title: Taxi Driver
Location: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Qualifications Required: Driving license or some previous experience of having driven a car preferred, but not essential. Applicants must be heavy smokers. For non smokers, stale cigarette "air fresheners" can be issued, and an intensive Nicotine Addiction for Beginners course will be arranged FOC.

Skills Required
1. Excellent Spatial Awareness – you must be able to know exactly where your vehicle begins and ends. This will become apparent when you draw to a halt (from speed) precisely one millimeter away from the scooter in front, or when driving (at speed) through a red light that requires a death-defying manoeuvre between traffic coming from either side.

2. A Strong Right Thumb – this is a must for successful horn operation. The horn has many uses; the following list is by no means exhaustive. Creativity and resourcefulness in this area are particularly welcome. The horn should be sounded when you wish to:

– Hurry vehicles in front along
– Bully smaller vehicles into the slow lane
– Warn any bikes in the right-hand lane of your intention to turn right from the left-hand lane
– Warn other users of your presence (especially when overtaking on a busy street, driving the wrong way down a one way street, running a red light, or taking a corner on the wrong side of the road.)
– Scare pedestrians who have become stranded in the middle of the road (purely entertainment value)
– Inform drivers ahead that the traffic lights have changed. In this instance, the horn should be sounded precisely half a nanosecond after amber turns to green.
– Apologise to someone whom you have cut-up whilst changing lanes
– Show your distress and distaste if any other road user should be inconsiderate enough to run red lights, drive on the wrong side of the road, etc.

3. The ability to "read" your passenger's "type" – Passengers tend to fall into one of four main groups:

– Those who don't know where they are going and show you the address in a guidebook or similar tourist information aid. This is one of the best passenger groups to have in your cab. The chances are they won't know how long it should take to get to their destination, or how much it should cost to get there. These facts combined allow you to turn off the meter, suck your teeth and shake your head sadly saying "Very far to go. Long journey". Once you have worried them, arrange a price with them in US dollars (making the price seem less, and camouflaging the fact you are quadruple or even quintuple charging them).

– Those who know where they are going and roughly how long it should take to get there, but not the fastest route. Some financial gains can be made from this type of passenger, as you can take them down streets you know to be grid-locked with traffic, or claim a road is closed today. Although this type of passenger is generally savvy enough to insist you switch the meter on, they may not be aware that you are "bumping it up" using the paddles conveniently placed beneath the steering wheel.

– Those who drive in Saigon and, therefore, are aware of the roads you are reasonably expected to take. Few monetary gains can be made from this passenger type, as they will know if you are taking a long detour to their destination. At a push you can pretend you don't have the correct change, and earn yourself a "tip". If not, don't worry – this breed of traveller is rare.

– By far the best type of passenger to find in your taxi are those who think they know where they're going, and may indeed during the day when sober. But in attempting to direct you whilst drunk, they become hopelessly lost. This will enable you to drive round aimlessly, following their booze addled directions until they give up, and allow you to drive them to their destination by a suitably circuitous route. The financial gains can be large, depending on the size of their ego and insistence to any other passengers that they "know where they are". The only downside to this fare type is the requirement to suppress a smug grin when the show-off gets egg on their face.

4. A Penchant for Driving in as High a Gear as Possible – If the engine doesn't sound like it's about to stall, or the bodywork doesn't feel like it's going to part from the chassis, you are in too low a gear. As your colleagues will tell you, it is possible to drive at 20 kilometers per hour in fifth gear. This may or may not save petrol, but scientific studies are inconclusive. Still, best to be on the safe side.

5. A Good Ear for Vietnamese – This will enable you to know exactly where your foreign passenger would like to go (despite their inevitable and sometimes hilarious mispronunciations), as well as the ability to take them to somewhere that sounds like where they want to go but is, crucially, on the other side of the city. Once there and the "misunderstanding" becomes apparent, you have carte blanche to act upset as though your time has been wasted. Not only do you fill your wallet from the ever-ticking meter, you may also receive a tip for your "trouble". In some instances, particularly when drunk, non-Vietnamese passengers may attempt to converse with you in Vietnamese. Your ability to take this in good humour and answer back slowly enough for them to understand, may earn you a decent tip.

6. Testicles Made From Steel and Blind Faith – it's not easy to drive flat out towards an oncoming bus with no visible gap in the traffic to merge into, and less easy when your passengers are screaming and reaching for the handbrake and/or doorhandles. The two above qualities will greatly assist you.

7. A Neck Made of Brass – This is required when you are attempting to convince passengers paying, for example, a VND35,000 fare that you have no VND10,000, VND5,000, VND2,000 or VND1,000 notes, so the fare now costs VND50,000. This procedure is risky, but persistence and the above-mentioned metallic neck will aid you to no end.

Documentation Required
A Driving License (if applicable) and a passport sized photo of either you, or someone who looks like they could have been you 12 years ago. This is for your taxi driver's ID card.

Competitive. Will rise depending on the proportion of passenger types 1 and 4 (above) you can find.

Applications to be made to any one of the 267 or so taxi companies separating daft foreigners from their cash 24/7!

Traveler Article

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Bummer. Alcohol & fast food first to go for Greek consumers

on 24/07/11 at 7:49 pm

Booze News

Not so much...

Alcoholic beverages and fast food are the main victims of Greek consumers trying to curb their spending on food and drink, according to a recent worldwide report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

The survey, which was conducted in 21 countries with the participation of 25,000 respondents, found that more Greeks today are spending what little they have left on the absolute essentials, such as dairy and fresh produce, and displaying a consumer behavior pattern that is usually associated with lower-income groups.

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All the book news you need to know on a need-to-know basis.

8 highly unusual writing residencies that are all very cool. And speaking about writing residencies, Mall of America just announced one.

Lithub imagined the Oscars for novels in 2016.

NASA found some new planets and we hope they’ll be like these fictional ones.

Want to get into the work of Jim Shepard? Here’s where to start.

Tom Hanks is publishing a short story this October.

Electric Literature recommends that you read these books by women of color this year.

Want to learn more about Yemen? Read these books.

A new essay by Nell Zink about rejection and Doris Lessing.

The dubious practice of using books as decoration.

A guide to fiction about cults.

Julie Buntin writes about writing her novel Marlena.

Co-creator of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Aline Brosh McKenna is working on a Jane Eyre graphic novel.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks in an Atlantic video about diversity in children’s books.

What to read next based on the series you miss.

Bored to Death book club is set up by two sisters who love to read and have nothing better to do than to start a book club.

Comments are closed.


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Leicester 3, Oxford 1

Tuesday, Sep. 25, 2012, at Leicester

Amber Army put the host Wolverines (2-3-1) ahead for good on a feed from Jay Hamm in the first half, then assisted on second-half goals by Hamm and Brittany Bowes. Ashley Mikkila scored for the Pirates (2-6).

Updated: Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013, 5:03 p.m.

Schedules and results


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Condon Community Center – October 27, 2015

Screenshot 2015-11-10 11.24.33

At each citywide community meeting, we are working to inform and engage the community in a unique way. We’ve created an interactive community meeting with the goal of informing the public while getting their feedback on the proposal and engaging with them to improve it.

After each meeting, we will publish notes from our team on key areas of discussion. They will not have the context of the speaker or subject, but will, we think help inform the online discussion while being transparent about the feedback we are getting– positive, negative, and beyond.

Family Experience

Our meeting at the Condon Community Center began with families sharing their experiences with enrollment. Families shared that:

  • Fiancé wanted charter CSXF6tcW0AA1Mrzschool while I wanted BPS
  • Went around to speak with principals
  • Satisfied with high school choice
  • Wanted a school that was close in proximity
  • Able to get their first choice school
  • People get information in different ways

Participants were then given an overview of the current enrollment systems and the proposed unified enrollment system.

Comments/Questions & Answers

C. One application is a no-brainer. I am concerned that if charters go into the algorithm, BPS will cede responsibility for high quality education. And charters may cede responsibility for educating students with disabilities.
A. Unified enrollment is predicated on the ability to build capacity to serve all students. Every family will have two Tier I BPS schools and two Tier I charter schools. Charter schools want to and do serve SPED/ELL students.

C. I would not consider putting my child with Down Syndrome in a charter school. I have seen what BPS can do for students.

Q. What about homeless families? Are they currently served by charter schools?
A. Charter schools definitely serve homeless families– including those in scattered site housing. Some charters target foster and homeless students in their school’s mission. Unified enrollment would make schools more accountable to this. No matter where they go, homeless families will continue to have original right while they are in the school.

C. Two BPS and two charter schools is not proportional to the number of schools in the city. Having just one offer takes away choice.
A. One offer addresses an issues of equity. Currently, families that have the resources to visit each charter school has more choice than families who cannot. This makes the system more equitable for all families. It does not take away choice, but it requires you to make your choice at the beginning of the process rather than at the end. Unified enrollment also increases the odds of getting into the school you want.

C. I don’t understand the urgency for this process. It doesn’t address discipline practices. Why don’t we focus on equity and discipline first?
A. Work is being done to address these issues at the state level and within the Compact’s other subcommittees. We want to process to begin now because it could take 18-24 months.

Q. One lottery gives parents the impression that the two systems  (district and charter) are the same. Do parents understand the difference?
A. This is the kind of information we want to present up front so that families are informed about their options. We want to make sure parents know the process and the chain of authority for all schools.

Q. How much conversation has the Compact had about this issue?
A. Historically, there has been a large communication gap between district and charter schools. The Compact is allowing us to have conversations. BPS has taken best practices for children from charters and vice versa.

Q. Who will have responsibility for placing students who enroll in the middle of the year? In the past this has been 100% BPS.
A. We want there to be shared responsibility for educating students who are new to the city, but we haven’t figured out how to do this yet. There should be a shared mechanism for newly arriving families. We are working on how we can work together to serve these students.

Q. How are we measuring success? What has happened in other cities?
A. Denver is most similar to other cities, but Boston is unique. We have created a table to try and work collectively, and there is a high level of trust in Boston. There are things that other cities have done that we do not want to do.

Q. How can we trust other sectors if inequities exist?
A. We need equity in our system and unified enrollment can address one part of equity, but not all of it. We do not have  charter problem, we have a school finance problem and we need to fix the financing law.

Group A:  Family Communication
What information would be most helpful to families in selecting schools? In what formats?

  • West Zone (with JP moms) hosts parents forum – learn about school from other parents
    • Only reaches certain demographic
  • Currently learn through family and friends
    • When the system changes the community institutional knowledge is lost
  • Gaps in knowledge about how parents what to get information
    • Where to send? What languages?
  • Does the city have a mechanism for identifying/reaching students?
  • Reaching parents of current students vs. parents of upcoming students
  • The system still really looks as if it still has zones
  • The most disenfranchised are frequently unreached
    • If can’t reach them, what we communicate is secondary

Group B:  SPED/ELL
How would you want to be informed of school choices for children with specialized needs? What information would you want about particular services available at schools?

  • How to access schools families really want (e.g. Henderson)?
  • Access to support resources
    • OT/PT, speech, etc.
    • Inclusion vs. segregated
    • Transportation – particularly for students with disabilities

Group C: System Administrator
If you had a question or issue with unified enrollment, who would you want to help you resolve it?

  • Non profit
  • BPS should run it, it is what districts do
    • It should be clear – descriptive
  • Non BPS Domain name
    • Have capacity – don’t staff up a nonprofit – expensive
  • Public accountability – FOIA requests
    • Non profit internal work not a FOIA-able
  • What if at city of Boston – Chief of Education’s office
    • A public/private partnership
  • BPS has system/history and most students already going to BPS
  • Need a board of BPS district and Charters
    • Oversight and advisory – feedback
  • System of feedback from school, families and system
    • Someone available
  • Appeal process – no process now at BPS
    • Charters have state appeal process
  • What is state’s role?
  • Believes that proposed legislation could allow opt in clause for charters, might need other legislation


text:
Portland seeks manufacturing boost from local foods

Mark Lorenz for the Boston Globe

PORTLAND, Maine — In the competition to gain designation as one of 12 federal manufacturing centers, most successful communities sought to boost heavy industries such as aerospace, automobiles, or technology equipment.

Greater Portland won with fermented beverages, doughnuts, and seafood.

Famous for lobster, fresh fish, and an abundance of restaurants, the Portland area is hoping to use the designation — and the economic development grants that are expected to follow — to revive a food-processing industry fallen on hard times, expanding it to take advantage of a passionate local-food movement.

The idea is to connect the region, the center of food processing in the state, to Maine’s farms, restaurants, and homegrown products such as potatoes, cheese, and blueberries.

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In a state where manufacturing employment has fallen by more than half since 1979, and the rate of rural poverty is among the highest in the United States, there is hope that the federal manufacturing designation could help increase the number of city jobs as well as boost rural economies by replacing imported products with those grown, raised, or made in Maine.

Economic development specialists in Portland envision scaling up kitchen enterprises into food manufacturing operations, processing more lobsters in-state instead of shipping them to Canada, and increasing exports of Maine goods by 25 percent.

“The food-processing industry in Portland has the potential to influence a much larger geographic area, including the rural parts that are the most struggling,” said Charlie Colgan, a public policy professor at the University of Southern Maine. “One of the key statistics in Maine today is well over half the jobs that have been created since the recovery [from the 2007 recession] have been located in Greater Portland. There are large parts of Maine that have seen almost no recovery.”

One-third of Maine’s food manufacturing occurs in Greater Portland, but in the past decade the number of jobs in the sector has fallen 15 percent, from about 2,100 to 1,800.

One of Portland’s oldest food processors, Jordan’s Meats, shut its doors in 2004, throwing 275 people out of work. Three years ago, Barber Foods, one of the region’s largest employers, was purchased by an out-of- state company, and 250 jobs were cut.

Local political, business, and community leaders viewed the federal program as a way to reverse that trend and build on Portland’s reputation for top restaurants and fresh food. In 2009, Bon Appetit magazine named Portland “America’s Foodiest Small Town.”

The US Commerce Department chose Portland and 11 other communities from about 70 applicants. Portland was the only city in New England to win designation as a federal manufacturing center.

Caroline Paras, a community planner, and the Greater Portland Council of Governments, a regional economic development agency, said that the designation puts Greater Portland at the front of the line for federal grants, with the potential to create thousands of jobs. She said she sees possibilities everywhere.

Portland’s Holy Donut bakery is one example. The three-year-old business makes puffy doughnuts from one of the state’s key crops, potatoes, creating jobs in Portland and a market for growers.

Leigh Kellis started the bakery with borrowed money from her mother after she was turned down by bankers who said her idea wouldn’t work.

Today, Holy Donut employs 25 people at two locations, producing 18,000 potato doughnuts a week. The doughnuts, featuring flavors like chocolate sea salt, sell for $2 each and bring in customers willing to wait in long lines most mornings. Kellis said she is considering expanding, possibly across the state. “This business is an infant,” she said, “and you spend all your waking hours thinking about it.”

Portland Mayor Michael Brennan said he is not a “foodie,” but the region needs to do whatever it can to improve its economy. Fifty-five percent of Portland’s school-age population qualifies for the free and reduced-cost federal lunch program, he said.

Brennan said a recent move by an Icelandic ocean freight company, Eimskip, to make Portland its North American headquarters is a boon for the city, adding jobs and export opportunities. Eimskip plans to ship refrigerated seafood from Europe to Portland; it will then be sent around the country by rail. Part of Portland’s plan is to fill the empty cargo containers with Maine products destined for Northern Europe’s ports.

“This gives us a very international reach we’ve never had before,” Brennan said. “The more access we have to international markets, the better it is for the local economy.”

International markets could help the entrepreneurs who have started a Portland business called the Urban Farm Fermentory, which makes kombucha (an effervescent fermented tea drink), sauerkraut, kimchi, and hard apple cider with mostly Maine ingredients. Or help Cozy Acres Greenhouses at Clearview Farm, just outside Portland, expand geothermal and sun-powered greenhouses that operate emissions-free year-round.

Sam Hayward, chef-partner at Portland’s well-known Fore Street restaurant, and the James Beard Foundation winner of top chef in the Northeast in 2002, said he sees opportunities to expand Maine’s food industry in ways that benefit not just Portland, but the state.

For example, grants could help launch a state-of-the-art slaughterhouse to offer precise and standardized cuts of local meats. There’s no such facility in the state now. There is also a need for a facility for crops like raspberries that need to be processed and packaged fast.

“Maine could be the breadbasket of New England,” he said. “By rights, it should be.”

Megan Woolhouse
can be reached at Follow her on Twitter @megwoolhouse.
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text:
Food & dining

Cheap Eats

Dumpling House comes to Cambridge

Dumpling House dishes (from top): pork dumplings, beef with longhorn peppers, and twin lobsters with ginger and scallion.

Essdras MSuarez/Globe Staff

Pork dumplings at Dumpling House in Cambridge.

Essdras MSuarez/Globe Staff

Twin lobsters with ginger and scallion.

Sitting in the new Dumpling House between Harvard and Central squares, servers whiz by your table at mach speed. Bamboo baskets of soup dumplings and piping hot kettles of tea puff clouds of delectably scented steam into the air. You’d swear you are in Chinatown (the vast majority of patrons are Chinese-American). This freshly minted Cambridge location is from the folks behind Chinatown’s wildly popular Gourmet Dumpling House. With its vast menu of handmade dumplings, numbing-hot Sichuan specialties, and dishes made with crustaceans from a live-lobster tank, this outpost lives up to the hype.

Dumpling House is sparkling, lively, and efficient. This is not a place for a long, leisurely meal, where you are coddled by servers. It is a place to scald your lips slurping delectably juicy mini soup dumplings with pork ($7.25) and trash your manicure picking sweet, freshly cooked, twin lobsters with ginger and scallions from their sticky shells ($29.95, enough for two). Eat your meal, then scram so the next person in line can settle in.

Those soup dumplings are good enough to make you crave molten pouches of soup, even on a hot summer’s day. Dip your spoon into a little of the black vinegar that arrives with it, and don’t forget to nibble off a corner of the pouch to let steam escape and noisily suck down the umami packed soup before eating the rest of the dumpling. Bite right into it, and you’re looking at very hot broth going everywhere and you will certainly need a trip to the dry cleaner.

Shandong-style steamed dumplings ($7), are homey little pockets of savory pork, ginger, and garlic. For added texture and crisp richness, get them pan-fried ($7.50). Shredded beef with longhorn pepper ($12.95) is a favorite at the Chinatown location, and equally delicious here. A generous 50-50 portion of stir-fried beef and savagely hot green peppers, will have you wolfing down your next bite before the burn of the last catches up with you. Secure yourself a tall glass of water before you dig in, or risk looking like us: flailing rookies desperately flagging down busboys between bites of white rice. A seasonal specialty, sauteed peapod shoots ($13.95) are a welcome relief from the heat, a fresh grassy green, slick with garlicky oil.

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On a lunch visit, the food is fresh and delicious, though somewhat milder than we expected. Request the level of spice you prefer.

A special of ma po tofu ($8.50) comes with white rice, and a bowl of clear soup we can’t comment on because we were so enamored with the other dishes, that it sat completely neglected. This vegetarian version (it often comes topped with ground pork or beef) is wholly satisfying, with cubes of creamy but firm tofu, swimming in a bright red sauce spiked with Sichuan peppercorns and a just a touch of heat.

Sichuan dried spicy chicken ($11.95) is much milder than expected, despite the generous peppering of red dried chiles. Crispy on the outside, moist within, and coated with sesame seeds, it’s easy to love these bite-size chicken tenders for grown-ups, though they could have used an extra sprinkle of the numbing Sichuan peppercorns. Braised eggplant with basil ($10.95) is billed as spicy but isn’t (at least this time). It is, however, tender, tasty and sweet, with plenty of fresh basil.

With such a large menu, spanning cuisines from North to South, we barely scratch the surface, but of all the things we try, there are zero duds. Yes, we have had more intensely flavorful dry-fried chicken, and soup dumplings with slightly more delicate, slouchy skins, but not in a while, and certainly not in Cambridge (or Somerville or Medford). This is some of the best Chinese food this side of the river. Show up with an empty stomach, an assertive attitude, an adventurous appetite, and patience at the door. They’ll hustle you in and out in no time.

Catherine Smart can be reached at
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text:
Headmaster leaves English High in turmoil

Hired as a savior, the young, new principal upended everything at the school but this: the pattern of failure

Sito Narcisse was English High headmaster three years.

Matthew J. Lee/Globe staff

Sito Narcisse was English High headmaster three years.

They inspired her and pushed her when she felt like giving up. And when Salma Hussain delivered the valedictory speech at English High School in 2010, she singled out eight teachers who helped her rise to the top just four years after arriving in Boston from Bangladesh, speaking no English.

“My teachers were my second parents. They were the ones who always helped me, no matter what I needed,” Hussain said. “Ms. Pred-Sosa, Ms. Drew, Mr. McShane, Ms. Silas, Mr. Hogu, Ms. Rodriguez, Ms. Follenweider, Mr. Beyer. I will never forget what you did for me.”

Just two years later, seven of the eight teachers Hussain praised are gone, most of them casualties of a radical transformation under a little-tested, 30-something headmaster recruited by Boston school Superintendent Carol R. Johnson to turn around one of the most troubled high schools in the state.

An extraordinary three-quarters of English High’s teachers and administrators have quit or been let go during the past three years, school records show, as headmaster Sito Narcisse pushed through one controversial initiative after another — from school uniforms to single-sex classrooms to eliminating the grade “D,” forcing students to earn a “C” or fail. Teachers who did not go along with Narcisse’s approach were “not the right fit,” in his words, and he sent 38 of them packing, while dozens of others retired or resigned.

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Now, Narcisse himself is leaving for a new job amid questions about the wisdom of letting someone so inexperienced carry out drastic changes. Standardized test scores rose slightly under Narcisse, but so did the dropout rate, the course failure rate, and the absentee rate — while the experience level and morale of his teachers plummeted.

Tamir Kalifa for The Boston Globe

Seven of the eight teachers Salma Hussain praised in her 2010 valedictorian speech quit or were laid off from English High as the school underwent a radical transformation in a bid to improve students’ performance.

State education officials are so concerned about the lack of improvement under Narcisse that they are withholding more than $900,000 in federal funds until the school comes up with a better plan to fix its problems. If that fails, one of the oldest public high schools in the United States could face state takeover as early as next year.

“The progress we are seeing there is not what I would hope for,” said Mitchell Chester, the state commissioner of elementary and secondary education whose agency reported in January that teachers were confused and distrustful of Narcisse’s plans and fearful that if they complained they would be viewed as disloyal.

“I’d rather see the district pull this off . . . but at the end of the day, if this [turnaround] doesn’t happen at district level, we will look at receivership,” Chester added.

Narcisse, who is departing to become director of school performance in Montgomery County, Md., insists that he got English High moving in the right direction, pointing to a slight uptick in 10th grade MCAS scores and the success stories of students who, like Hussain, are going on to good colleges.

“I will not sit here and lie to you and say three years in, we got a perfect thing,” said Narcisse, 36, in an interview. “It was a sinking ship and the last headmaster worked hard to plug the holes. I can tell you now the ship isn’t sinking.”

In fact, Narcisse came to English when many teachers, students, and parents were still fuming that Johnson had removed his predecessor, Jose Duarte, who had mixed results. Teachers were showing signs of burnout from the extra work to implement Duarte’s changes, the state found, yet standardized test scores remained abysmal and only a little more than half of the class of 2009 graduated within four years.

Now, Johnson is so concerned about English High that she quickly named her assistant superintendent, Ligia Noriega-Murphy, as the new headmaster and said that she will report directly to Johnson rather than a deputy as Narcisse had done.

But Johnson said Narcisse, who came to Boston with only one year of experience as a principal, deserved credit for tackling one of the toughest jobs in education.

“School reform isn’t easy,” especially at high schools, said Johnson. “Not everyone is always going to be happy. I can’t even say everything we did at this particular school was done perfectly. But I do believe there was some progress made.”

But for many teachers who departed — only 22 faculty and administrators remain out of 86 from the pre-Narcisse era — progress came at great cost, both to their careers and to a school they loved.

“No one was ever expecting . . . the demonization of teachers,” said one teacher who was let go, requiring her to transfer to another Boston school. When teachers got letters from Narcisse telling them they would have to leave English, she said, “They were in their classrooms crying.”

English High School had fallen a long way before Narcisse brought his printed school turnaround plan to a job interview. In the 1980s, it was a magnet school that drew students from across the city, but, by 2009, English consistently ranked in the bottom 10 percent of the state on standardized tests and Duarte was fighting threats from the state to close the school.

Narcisse, by contrast, was a rising star in Pittsburgh, where former Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Mark Roosevelt was superintendent and a Narcisse admirer. In 2008, Roosevelt had tapped Narcisse for his first principal’s job: starting up and running a 150-student high school in the poorest neighborhood in the city.

In interviews, Narcisse talked persuasively about empowering disadvantaged students rather than pitying them, something that resonated for some at English where most students come from low income black and Hispanic families, often speaking languages other than English at home.

“What we want is people who are going to push with high expectations and get them to the next level,” said Narcisse, explaining his philosophy. “Here’s what I tell folks all the time: We’re not here to save the kids. We’re here to teach the kids to save themselves.”

Johnson was impressed.

“We’re trying to move beyond the status quo,” she explained, “We value experience, but also people who are innovative and creative and come up with different solutions.”

At 33, Narcisse became headmaster of one of Boston’s 11 state-designated underperforming schools, giving him far broader authority than a typical principal. He was freed from strict union rules in hiring and firing and had the power to experiment boldly. Though he was supposed to consult with teachers and parents, both groups complained that, in practice, Narcisse launched major initiatives without involving them.

During three years, Narcisse did more to reinvent English High School than anyone before him. He held mandatory administrative staff meetings at 6 a.m. and assigned ninth graders to one floor so that the youngest students could spend most school time together.

He started offering single-sex classes in the belief that minority boys, especially, do better when separated from the girls. Though many teachers complained that they received little training on how to teach all-boy and all-girl classes, Narcisse persevered, planning to expand single-sex teaching to the entire 9th and 10th grades this fall.

“The all-male classes are very rough,” said one teacher. “I’ve observed kids throwing gum at the ceiling, rapping in groups during class. It was not pretty.”

Some intitiatives fizzled almost immediately. The dress code — white, gray, or navy blue polo shirts or cardigans paired with khaki or dark pants — fell apart when students realized from reading their student handbook they could not be sent home for violating it. A rewards program that gave a trip to Six Flags amusement park to well-behaved and high-performing students ran out of money.

Other changes, such as eliminating the letter grade D, were aimed at improving academic performance, but caused immediate problems. By dropping the lowest passing grade, Narcisse explained, “Most teachers had to accept they had to teach the kid and the kid had to accept they had to learn to get a C.”

But many teachers decided to give the former D students failing grades, contributing to a big jump in Fs at English. The high school reported an increase in failing grades this year at all grade levels and in most subject areas, and half the students who attend school regularly got at least one F.

Narcisse said he tried new approaches because the old ones had failed. “It’s not working traditionally so why not work a different way to try to get different results?” he said, adding that new programs take time to show results.

But one school worker suggested the changes were ill-fated from the start.

“We were the NBT school — the Next Big Thing school,” said the educator. “Whatever the buzz was, that’s where you found us — same-sex classes, uniforms, ninth grade academy, curriculum initiatives. But there was no input from anyone — no research, no training, no evaluating, and therefore no effective implementation.

“It was change without progress,” he said.

Narcisse acknowledged that he didn’t do enough training for some initiatives, especially single-sex education, but he was also hurt by teacher resistance to his ideas.

“We received pushback,” said Narcisse. “It became a big controversy.”

Lisa Pred-Sosa pushed Salma Hussain to think big, helping her not only to speak fluent English, but also to apply for internships and colleges the teenager didn’t think would accept her.

The longtime English as a Second Language teacher drove Hussain to visit college campuses and persuaded the girl’s mother that her daughter could flourish away from home.

“Her class was the only one with no fights,” said Hussain, now at Smith College on a four-year scholarship. “She had rules and we had to follow them. One boy didn’t want to do anything. She paired him with one of the adults, who would take him to lunch every day. He did homework and he passed the class.

“If that’s not inspiring, I don’t know what is,” she said.

But Pred-Sosa, an award-winning teacher who was also a union representative at the school, was one of the first to be let go. She received the dreaded letter from Narcisse that she had been “excessed,” meaning that she would have to transfer to another school. Pred-Sosa was so shocked that she posted the letter on her classroom door, but Narcisse ordered her to take it down because it was disturbing the students.

“When you come into a tough job and make decisions, people take things real personal,” explained Narcisse. “Let me say this: Lisa Pred-Sosa is not a bad person. But the reality was I didn’t think she was the right fit for what we were trying to get done. That was hard for her to accept. But she was not a bad person. Nor do I think it was her fault. “

Pred-Sosa was among many well-regarded teachers informed by Narcisse that they would have to leave. Of the eight teachers that Hussain singled out in her graduation speech, Narcisse let three go, three more quit, and a seventh retired. One teacher who was released, Richard Beyer, now teaches honors English at Boston Latin, arguably the city’s best school.

This year, Narcisse released another teacher who had been praised by graduation speakers -- three, in fact. “Mr. Toledano — he’s English High School’s best teacher,” said Edgar Hernandez, one of the speakers.

Narcisse told Toledano, the history program director, that he had to go after Toledano suggested laying off a first-year teacher when Narcisse asked for budget-cutting ideas. The teacher, Roderick Adams, had been recruited by Narcisse and the two carpooled together, though Narcisse said his connection to Adams had nothing to do with Toledano losing his job.

In all, 79 teachers and administrators left the school under Narcisse, generating enough bitter former faculty members to form a busy Facebook group, the English High Exiles.

“No one ever feels good that they have to do that job,” said Narcisse. “But the reality on the other end — it’s like the NBA, right? Doc Rivers has to put their best team out on the court. It’s about wins and losses.’’

He said he chose whom to let go by literally graphing their skills and their “will” to implement his vision for the school. He moved quickly, he said, because he did not have the luxury of time.

“These are tough, tough, tough schools,” he said. “We’re working 50,000 hours to push and the pressure is on. You’re trying to find people who have that high capacity and can problem-solve.”

However, Narcisse had another goal that threatened the mostly white teaching staff: he wanted more minority teachers, believing they would build stronger connections with a student body that was nearly 90 percent minority. Under Narcisse, the teachers and administrators went from two-thirds white to 60 percent black and Latino.

“If I’m not mistaken, we are the most balanced school in the city in terms of race,” he said.

Narcisse knows that some teachers believed he was pursuing reverse racism, but he thinks they’re focusing too much on skin color.

“Anybody I let go would have said I was racist because I was a black headmaster letting go white faculty,” Narcisse said. “It’s interesting how they always pay attention to how many white people I let go and don’t care about how many blacks or Latinos I let go.”

Narcisse has defenders, such as school parent coordinator Sandra McIntosh, who said the headmaster raised academic expectations and hired talented people.

“I don’t think Dr. Narcisse let anyone go who didn’t deserve to go. Most of the ones who were let go felt they were privileged. You understand that goes with all disgruntled employees?”

Shanique Green, this year’s senior class president, said Narcisse made the school feel more like a family and introduced elective courses that she enjoyed.

But she was also disappointed that so many good teachers were forced out.

“My freshman year I had awesome teachers. They were more demanding,” said Green. “Now it’s different; the teachers don’t care. . . . Many new teachers let you do what you want. Some just let students sleep.”

That’s what a state team found when it visited English for two days in January. The officials from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education saw students texting, talking, wandering, and showing up late in more than a quarter of the rooms they entered.

They also saw students napping or resting their heads on their desks, while teachers did little to get their attention.

Superintendent Johnson acknowledged that English has a long way to go, but said success stories at low-performing high schools are hard to come by.

“We’re deeply concerned that any one of our schools finds itself in a situation that might result in a state takeover,” she said, but English High is special.

“It is the oldest high school and had been ranked among the highest in the Commonwealth, if not the country. It’s critically important we do everything possible so that students who go there have the best chance of succeeding.”

Andrea Estes can be reached at James Vaznis can be reached at
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