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Pride & Perseverance

At a Glance: NOCO Express

With 32 locations in Western New York and Rochester, NOCO Express is among the most recognized fuel brands in Western New York. The oil company has a 77-year history of providing fuel, lubricants and home heating oil to the market.

Founded: 1933
Convenience Store and Fuel Brand: NOCO Express
Jobber Brands: Valero and Gulf
Foodservice Brands: Nickel City Market Café, Charlie the Butcher, Tim Hortons, Just Pizza and Mighty Taco
First Retail Gas Station: 1964
First Convenience Store: 1984

Leadership Team:
• Jim Newman, President
• Michael Newman, Executive Vice President
• Henry Bays, General Manager
• Jeff O’Field, Senior Operations Manager
• Terry Messmer, Director of Merchandising

In business for more than 75 years, NOCO is a household brand in Western New York that is heavily vested in the fuel business in and outside the convenience store industry. It operates a growing jobber network delivering the Gulf and Valero brands; owns a one-million barrel fuel terminal in Tonawanda, N.Y.; provides residential fuel delivery of natural gas and home heating oil, not to mention electricity; and manages a fleet fueling business that guarantees on-site fill-ups of large and small fleets by 4 a.m.

To many, this may seem like a lot to offer for a 32-store chain. For NOCO it’s just another day at the office, just as it has been for the past 77 years.

“If you ask a customer in Western New York about NOCO they think of us as a major brand because we have established ourselves as a chain that provides a consistent offering with the same quality gasoline they can get from any of the oil majors,” said Henry Bays, general manager of the Tonawanda-based chain. “We have done a great job as an organization of growing our other businesses, but at the end of the day it’s all tied into the NOCO image and that’s how our customers see us.”

NOCO was founded in 1933 by Reginald Newman and was incorporated as R.B. Newman Fuel Co. in 1948. Reginald’s two sons, Donald Newman and Reginald Newman II joined the company in 1954 and 1960, respectively. The brothers broadened NOCO’s product lines and firmly established NOCO’s tradition of strategic, customer-focused growth.

Today, the transition of leadership continues with the third generation of Newmans. In October 2001, Jim Newman was named president, and Mike Newman was appointed executive vice president.

While NOCO started as a home heating company it moved into retail in the1960’s with full-service gas stations. It opened its first convenience store in 1984 and had its biggest growth spurt to date with the acquisition of 35 stores from Cumberland Farms in 1992.

“Over time we found some of those stores to be nonproductive so we went through a period of four years of looking at all our stores—and not just at our store count, but a serious evaluation of identifying the units that would be strong and viable for the long term,” said Mike Newman. “We are left with 32 stores that are all in good locations and profitable.”

Competitive Issues
NOCO Express stores are upscale, modern and feature a host of amenities the appeal to today’s convenience store customers—multiple fresh food brands, free wireless internet service, state-of-the art lighting and attractive restrooms.

“Inside any NOCO Express you will find a friendly, inviting store that has good perceived value with an emphasis on great service,” Bays said. “Speed and convenience are what we’re all about.”

While the chain has the leadership and vision to keep pace with even the best marketers, it has some “reservations” about the future—a lot of them.

Native American tribes skirt the boundaries of state and federal laws requiring them to collect taxes on sales of tobacco and fuel to non-Native American customers. Every effort to collect these taxes or even reach a compromise to collect a portion of the taxes with tribal leaders has proved futile.

“It is a real frustration for us and for all legitimate retailers of tobacco and fuel in New York,” Newman said. “The state is starring down the barrel of a $9 billion deficit and there is clearly $1 billion in unclaimed taxes on sales from Native Americans. Roughly half of that is in Western New York.”

Emphasizing Loyalty

To help compete against Native Americans and other large chain stores, NOCO Express last year launched the NOCO Friends & Family Club Card, a loyalty program aimed at saving customers both time and money. The program features special reward points for frequent customers and eliminates the hassle of prepay at the pump. NOCO has partnered with POSA Tech Inc., a provider of point-of-sale technology and transaction processing, to introduce the Friends & Family Club Card. “As a local and family-owned company dedicated to our community and our loyal customers, we wanted to offer a program that would reward them,” said Henry Bays, general manager of NOCO Energy Corp. Using the card, NOCO customers can go to any of the 32 NOCO Express locations and present a valid state ID to receive their card. There are two ways to use the card: for loyalty rewards and as a method of payment, EZ Pay. All card members are able to earn 20 reward points for every dollar spent inside a NOCO Express Store and 10 reward points for every gallon of fuel purchased. Accumulated reward points are redeemable for valuable NOCO gift cards. In addition to the loyalty rewards, customers who sign up for EZ Pay will receive 3 cents off of every gallon of fuel purchased.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled it was up to the states to collect taxes on sales to non-native Americans. New York passed a bill requiring taxes to be collected, yet lawmakers refuse to enforce the law. “Those of us that sell legal tobacco products to adult smokers are paying the taxes for those that disregard the law,” Newman said.

The inaction of the state to collect taxes is at the heart of 15-year battle between the New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) and state lawmakers. Jim Calvin, president of NYACS, said the real reason for the state’s inaction is known only to the governors who refused to take action. “But all of their supposed justifications for inaction have been exposed as mere excuses,” Calvin added. “Our instinct is to be hopeful, but experience has taught us to be skeptical.”

By at least one estimate, half the cigarettes consumed in New York State are purchased from Native Americans, and with good reason. The price difference is a huge incentive for smokers. “Customers can buy a major brand carton of cigarettes on a reservation for about $50 less than what we retail it for,” Bays said, “and that is basically all from state and local taxes.”

Every time the state has raised its tax on cigarettes, non-Native American convenience stores felt an “immediate and dramatic impact, with sales of their cigarettes tumbling 25%-40%”, according to Calvin. “If the tax rate has increased five-fold, I think it’s reasonable to assume that the tax evasion has increased five-fold,” he said.

Maintaining Sales
Despite the competitive advantage Native Americans have on tobacco, NOCO Express still manages to maintain close to the industry average on cigarettes—about 35% of overall sales. “It’s our carton sales per week that has really suffered,” Bays said. “In Western New York overall, the carton business at traditional outlets is probably 40%-50% less than the rest of the country.”

In fact, about 65% of all cigarettes sold in Western New York are from Native Americans. To make matters worse, it’s only a handful of individuals that are profiting from these sales. “If you look at the reservations, the money is not being redistributed,” Newman said. “It’s ending up in the pockets of a handful of smart businessmen that learned how to beat the system and continue to profit from the state’s inability to enforce the law.”

Tobacco is still viable, but because of the tax evasion epidemic, it’s not the perennial No. 1 category New York c-stores used to rely upon. “To have any measure of success, you need to have realistic expectations, carefully manage inventory, and commit to a well thought out pricing strategy,” Calvin said. “And then the state will come along and raise the excise tax another dollar a pack.”

Another issue to consider is regulation. With all the emphasis on keeping tobacco out of the hands of minors, reservations skate free of state and local compliance checks.

“Youth smoking is supposed to be a big issue for our politicians, yet they are not monitoring the stores that sell 65% of the tobacco in our market,” Newman said. “That leaves you wondering just what their true motivation is. If it really is stopping kids from getting tobacco then they are missing an important piece of the puzzle.”

Fueling the Fire
In addition to their price advantage on tobacco, Native Americans have a thriving fuel business that allows them to make an estimated 40-50-cent margin on fuel, while other operators are struggling to squeeze out a dime. But the Native Americans’ fuel business doesn’t get the same kind of attention as tobacco.

Depending on tribe and region, the pump price differential between Indian and non-Indian retailers ranges from eight cents a gallon to 30 cents or more because they don’t pay sales or state taxes on gasoline.

Consider that NOCO pays 59.6 cents per gallon in New York State taxes (which includes the 18.4-cent federal excise tax) plus an 8.75% sales tax on all fuel transactions. Native Americans pay just the federal excise tax.

“As every motor fuel marketer knows, it only takes a couple of cents to change purchasing behavior, so the impact on competing non-Indian retailers is severe,” Calvin said. “Motor fuel tax evasion has received less public attention because it represents a somewhat smaller overall tax-loss value than cigarette tax avoidance. But the law requires taxes to be collected on both products, and NYACS is equally concerned about both.”

When you consider the wholesale price Native Americans are paying for fuel it’s clear their advantage is enormous. The fledgling economy has only exacerbated matters. People have a limited amount of disposable income for food and fuel. With a reservation about 30 minutes away from pretty much all of its stores, NOCO is working overtime to maintain its fuel volume.

“Tribes are getting a 50-cent wholesale gallon advantage over us, but they are not selling at 50 cents less, they are selling at about 20 cents less, which is a good deal for the public, but think about the profit that leaves them,” Bays said. “They are making a margin of more than 30 cents per gallon when we are struggling to get 8-9 cents on a good day, especially after you factor in credit card fees.”

Moving Forward
If there is any possible upside to the unfair competition it is that traditional convenience store operators have learned to be leaner, more resourceful and make better operating decisions.

“It’s Darwinism in its purest, cruelest form—only the strongest survive,” Calvin said. “The lesson is that just when you think you can’t cut expenses any further, or squeeze out any more margin dollars, circumstances beyond your control may force you to do exactly that, so don’t get too comfortable.”

Complacency is certainly not issue for the folks at NOCO. The chain has an aggressive long-term plan to grow the convenience store business by focusing on attractive stores, fresh foods and outstanding customer service. In five years it expects to have 50 stores and more than double its fuel volume from 47 million gallons annually to 100 million.

New stores will average about 5,500 square feet and feature multiple foodservice brands, the NOCO Friends & Family loyalty program, an extended seating area, free WiFi service and up to eight dispensers that offer both self- and full-service operations

NOCO’s fresh food program is as unique as it is diverse. The chain partnered with a local Buffalo, N.Y. chef to roll out the Charlie the Butcher concept in 2003. The menu, available at four stores, features a succulent array of fresh meats such as beef tenderloin, roast turkey and prime rib, all of which are seasoned and tenderized for a minimum of 24 hours.

“Charlie has a great program with a loyal following,” Newman said. “It’s been a great addition to our stores.”

In 2005, NOCO Express launched its grab-and-go Nickel City Market Cafè brand that’s now available in all of its stores. Nickel City, aptly named after the iconic buffalo nickels that were minted from 1913-1938, covers the coffee program, sandwiches and other prepared foods, and the soda fountain. NOCO uses a centralized commissary to prepare the subs, salads and wraps and displays them in cold cases just inside the front door.

“The cold case gives customers an option to try our different varieties of wraps, salads and sandwiches that are made fresh in the stores and serves as a great complement for customers looking to bring food home or to the office, or after hours when the cafè is closed,” Bays said.

NOCO also operates a handful of Tim Hortons and Mighty Taco franchises and is in the process of rolling out its first pizza program called Just Pizza.

“It’s extremely important to develop programs to serve your core customers, but you have to constantly be evolvi
ng to attract your customers of tomorrow,” Newman said. “Despite the competition we face from Native Americans we are focused on serving the market with great service, convenience and value.”

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Pro Bono and Community Service Opportunities
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What is the Connecticut Pro Bono Network?

Established in 1991, the Connecticut Pro Bono Network is a collaboration between Connecticut's legal services agencies and the CBA. Attorney and paralegal volunteers provide legal representation for low-income clients who are screened by a legal services agency and deemed eligible for pro bono services for their civil cases.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Connecticut Pro Bono Network

Why Should I Do Pro Bono Work?

Integrity:  The Connecticut’s Rules of Professional Conduct do not require pro bono service, rather it is encouraged.  Enhance the integrity of the legal profession by donating your legal services to those in need.

Enhance your knowledge of the law:  Whether you participate in a clinic or take on a client’s case from beginning to end, you will receive the training and support to learn an area of law and enhance your practice skills.

Check Here for an Overview of Opportunities

Trainings and Community Service

Not all pro bono service needs to be done through the Pro Bono Network. There are a variety of other ways to serve the profession and those in need. Click the link above to view a sampling of recent efforts.

CBA’s Estate Planning Workshop for Veterans and their Families: The CBA held a two-part workshop to assist veterans with their estate planning at the Danbury Veterans Center on July 10 and 31. The workshop was organized with the help of experienced attorneys in the CBA Estates and Probate Section, Elder Law Section, and in conjunction with the CBA Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. The purpose of the workshop was to provide veterans and their spouses help with the preparation of estate planning documents which included a will, living will/health care directive, and/or power of attorney.
During part one of the workshop on July 10, a brief introduction of the program was provided by Attorneys Sharon Pope and Matt Stillman. The remainder of the day entailed the volunteers meeting with their assigned veteran to review estate planning wishes, including applicable benefits the veterans or their spouses may be entitled to, and creating the estate planning documents. During part two of the workshop on July 31, the volunteers returned to meet with the veterans to review the estate plan and sign the documents.
The estate planning workshop was a great success, and the CBA Estates and Probate and Elder Law Sections will host future workshops in other parts of the state.

Discharge Upgrades Training: The CBA Veterans and Military Affairs Committee hosted a training open to all CBA members interested in serving our veterans and included a presentation by Margaret Middleton, Executive Director of Connecticut Veterans Legal Center. The one hour training was held on October 8, 2013.

Most soldiers receive an "honorable" discharge when they leave the military. A classification that is not “Honorable” often prevents a veteran from receiving VA educational, medical, or pension benefits and may limit his or her civilian employability. For some soldiers, this characterization can be a result of actions symptomatic of PTSD or traumatic brain injuries, meaning that the soldiers most in need of VA services may be turned away. Connecticut Veterans Legal Center Executive Director Margaret Middleton will train volunteers interested taking pro bono cases for veterans to upgrade Other Than Honorable Discharges. The training will educate volunteer attorneys on administrative discharges from the military and available remedies for changing discharge characterizations, and will provide a step-by-step approach to representing veterans seeking discharge upgrades.

Secretary’s Legal Assistance Project: The Connecticut Bar Association partnered with Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill on the “Secretary’s Legal Assistance Project” (SLAP). Approximately 95 lawyer-volunteers were trained to be on call during voting hours on Election Day. These attorney volunteers enabled the Secretary of the State to have trained neutral, nonpartisan individuals who could be dispatched to polling places and report to her office as needed. SLAP was a great success and will be repeated. Be sure to check back for information on this year’s program.

Disaster Assistance Hotlines: Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy this fall, the CBA activated two disaster assistance hotlines and received an outstanding response to that service.

One hotline was established through the cooperation of the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) and the Connecticut Bar Association Young Lawyers Section (CBA-YLS) in conjunction with the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (ABAYLD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The toll-free disaster relief hotline assists persons who live in Connecticut who are affected by the severe storms and flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy on October 29 and October 30, 2012. Hurricane victims who cannot afford legal representation and live in Connecticut were encouraged to call the hotline.

The other hotline, the Disaster Insurance Hotline, established by the CBA’s Insurance Law Section and provides free legal advice to individuals and businesses in need of guidance about insurance claims for property damage after a storm or other disaster. The hotline was established following Hurricane Irene and is reactivated as needed.

Stand Down: Stand Down is a military term originating from times of war when exhausted combat troops were given the opportunity to return to a place of relative security to rest and recover. Stand Downs today have become common as a means to care for and advocate for homeless veterans.

Photo Caption:John R. Logan, Winona W. Zimberlin, CBA Past President Francis J. Brady, Sarah Poriss, and Kathleen M. Grover were among the attorneys helping veterans at the CBA booth at the 2012 Stand Down.

The Department Of Veterans Affairs organizes Stand Down events to provide services to homeless veterans such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling, and referrals to a variety of other necessary services, such as housing, employment and substance abuse treatment.

The 2012 and 2013 Stand Downs took place at the Connecticut Veterans Home in Rocky Hill. Attorneys gathered at the CBA booth answer veterans’ questions on issues, including housing, finance, and employment. In 2013, CBA members were able to assist 87 veterans during this event.

VA Benefits Training: The Connecticut Bar Association's Veterans Task Force hosted its 2012 VA Benefits Training on October 5. The training helped fulfill the Department of Veterans Affairs' CLE requirement for previously accredited and newly accredited attorneys to represent clients in veterans' benefits.

Allen Gumpenberger, director of veterans' advocacy at Alpha Veteran's Disability Advocates, led the training. He explained how the attorneys can help provide legal services to veterans with disability and related claims before the Veterans Administration in addition to providing legal assistance in the more traditional areas of family law, housing law, and employment law matters. Be sure to check back for information on next year’s event.

Connecticut Innocence Fund: The Paralegals Section of the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) co-hosted a reception with the Connecticut Bar Foundation James W. Cooper Fellows on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at the University of Connecticut William F. Starr Hall Reading Room to benefit the Connecticut Innocence Fund.

The event featured a silent auction as well as a panel discussion moderated by Brad Saxton with Kevin T. Kane, Chief State’s Attorney, Capt. Patrick O’Hara, Connecticut State Police, Lisa J. Steele, Steele & Associates, Fadia M. Narchet, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice, University of New Haven and Kenneth Ireland, a recent exoneree. All monies obtained from the event were donated to the Connecticut Innocence Fund, through the CT Bar Foundation.

The Connecticut Innocence Fund is a fund that has been created to assist those persons who were exonerated after being wrongfully convicted. The fund provides them with a loan to help them get back into the mainstream of life upon their release from prison. These monies will be repaid by the recipient when they receive compensation from the state for their wrongful imprisonment.

Being released from prison after being incarcerated for a long period of time sets up many obstacles for the person who has been released to do the things that we take for granted as part of a normal life, such as renting an apartment or obtaining an auto, all things which require a credit history which they cannot produce. The monies loaned from the fund will provide them with the means to re-acclimate to life while they are waiting for their state-funded damages compensation for their wrongful imprisonment. The fund will become self-sustaining as the monies are repaid.

Pro Bono Initiative: A New Take: The Connecticut Judicial Branch Pro Bono Committee, Connecticut Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, and the Connecticut Bar Foundation hosted Pro Bono Initiative: A New Take on November 14, 2012 at Yale Law School in New Haven.

The initiative included remarks by Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice Chase T. Rogers, the annual Pro Bono Fair and a screening of the award-winning and compelling movie, Crime After Crime which tells the dramatic story of the legal battle to free Debbie Peagler, an incarcerated survivor of domestic violence who spent more than 26 years in prison. Her story takes an unexpected turn two decades later when two rookie land-use attorneys step forward to take her case. Through their perseverance, they bring to light long-lost witnesses, new testimonies from the men who committed the murder, and proof of perjured evidence. Their investigation ultimately attracts global attention to victims of wrongful incarceration and abuse, and becomes a matter of life and death once more.

Photo Caption: (from left to right) Nadia Costa pro bono attorney for Debbie Peagler, Jonathan M. Shapiro, Chair of the Young Lawyers Section, Sylvia K. Rutkowska, Public Service/Special Projects Director of the Young Lawyers Section, Honorable William H. Bright, Jr., Chair of the Judicial Branch’s Pro Bono Committee and Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice Chase T. Rogers.

“If anyone out there wonders whether a need for pro bono work exists, I can assure you that it does and that it continues to grow. In fact, there has been a staggering growth in the number of people who represent themselves in family matters” said Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice Chase T. Rogers.

A Q&A session was held following the screening with Nadia Costa and Joshua Safran, the two pro bono attorneys featured in the film as well as Debbie Peagler’s daughter Natasha Wilson. All three shared their insights on the case and how it, as well as Debbie, personally impacted them. They also expressed the value of doing pro bono work and the importance for attorneys to volunteer their time.

The following agencies/programs comprise Connecticut Pro Bono Network:

Statewide Legal Services
Connecticut Legal Services
Greater Hartford Legal Aid
New Haven Legal Assistance Association
AIDS Legal Network
Lawyers For Children America
Connecticut Lawyers' Legal Aid to the Elderly
Connecticut Fair Housing Center
International Institute of CT
Pro Bono Partnership
Lawyers without Borders

Connecticut Probate Courts
Bankruptcy Courts
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITC)
Truancy Intervention Project
Connecticut Veterans Legal Center
H.E.L.P Project
Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS)

When you accept a pro bono case to represent an income-eligible client through any of these agencies/programs, you are entitled to take advantage of all support services and benefits that their program offers. These benefits include: malpractice coverage for the pro bono cases, free trainings, and experienced attorneys to mentor you. To sign up to volunteer and join over 4,000 Connecticut attorneys and paralegals who volunteer through the Connecticut Pro Bono Network program please visit:

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Connecticut Health Policy Project
  Improving Connecticut's Health Through Information

HUSKY - Healthcare for UninSured Kids and Youth

What is HUSKY?

In June 1998, the state of Connecticut opened the HUSKY health care plan. HUSKY provides affordable health coverage for Connecticut children with no income limit. HUSKY includes Medicaid (Husky Part A) and the State Children's Health Program (HUSKY Part B). HUSKY offers comprehensive services including preventive care, doctor visits, prescriptions, emergency care, hospital services, mental health and substance abuse, dental care, and eye care. HUSKY offers services for children with special health care needs (Medicaid and HUSKY Plus). The federal government subsidizes much of the costs for HUSKY.

In January 2001, the state increased HUSKY eligibility for parents of children enrolled in the HUSKY program.

More information about how HUSKY could help your family visit the HUSKY Health program website.

In the News: "Susan Had a Right to be Enraged", July 16, 2001, Hartford Courant

Policy Information on HUSKY

February 2003 - How to prepare if you may be losing HUSKY

February 2002 - Analysis of Governor Rowland's Premium Assistance/HUSKY Parents Cut Proposal

January 2002 - Premium Assistance Programs: What are they and could they help Connecticut Families without Health Insurance?

November 2001 - An analysis of progress in Connecticut's Medicaid managed care program Improvement has been significant and steady throughout the 1990's, but has still not reached the levels of care enjoyed by children in neighboring states.

May 2001 - Costs of HUSKY Coverage for Parents

October 1999 - HUSKY Focus Group Report - What Parents Are Saying

2008 Federal Poverty Levels Effective April 1, 2008


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NATO head's Chicago goals: Afghanistan, missile defense

Tribune reporter

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen would like the Chicago summit to produce at least two key results: a roadmap for aiding a post-war Afghanistan and the official go-ahead for a missile defense shield for Europe.

Rasmussen, the former prime minister of Denmark, discussed those priorities and others with the Chicago Tribune editorial board Saturday, one day before the opening of the summit, which will bring more than 60 world leaders to McCormick Place.

“On Afghanistan, I expect that we will make a decision on the future mission,” he said. With international security forces expected to exit by the end of 2014, NATO’s role will shift to training Afghan troops to taking over full responsibility for national security, he said.

The price tag is expected to be $4 billion a year, with the U.S. picking up a little more than half.

But with the European Union in economic turmoil, there are questions about whether those countries can find the resources to support the plan.

“Though this is not a pledging conference, a number of allies and partners have already announced complete financial contributions, and based on that, I’m optimistic about reaching our goal,” he said.

When asked whether the goals for a post-2014 Afghanistan had been ratcheted down to aim for a “good enough” outcome, Rasmussen said it was important to have reasonable expectations for a society that faces numerous challenges, from its wartorn condition to corruption, drug trafficking and poverty.

“We are there first and foremost in Afghanistan to prevent the country from once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists,” he said.
But, he said, “we can’t expect Afghanistan to be what some people might call a perfect society compared to the standard of society we are used to. And less can do.”
He downplayed the impact of new French President Francois Hollande’s pledge to withdraw French troops by year-end, noting Hollande has said his country is prepared to provide other forms of support.

“I don’t think it creates uncertainty,” he said.
NATO leaders at the two-day summit also will decide whether to move ahead on the first of four phases of a missile defense system for Europe — a program that has raised hackles in Russia, which is not a NATO member.
The first phase does not raise major concerns in Moscow, Rasmussen said, “so we still have some time to go.”  The full program could take up to a decade to roll out.

As for his initial impressions of Chicago as a host city, Rasmussen said, “it’s my clear impression that all the security arrangements work smoothly.”
He said he was well-aware of planned protests and said a key NATO official has met with an umbrella group for many of the protesters to listen to their positions.

“It’s not justified to call NATO a war machine,” he said. He said its historic role has been as a peacemaker.

“But in free society, it’s a constitutional right to express yourself, even if your statements are not justified,” he said.

Copyright © 2017, CT Now


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Clippers embracing championship expectations and Doc Rivers

Blake Griffin loves that the Clippers have championship expectations this season.

"We embrace it," Griffin said Monday at Clippers media day. "We have higher expectations for ourselves than anybody else.... We don't have any championships. That's the goal, that's the bottom line. We haven't really accomplished anything yet."

Last season the Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. This time, Griffin said the team is making some big changes.

"In transition defense, we can do a much better job," Griffin said. "And also defending the three, we can do a much better job."

Chris Paul said that each player has individually sat down with new Coach Doc Rivers to discuss their role.

"In the first meeting I had with Doc, he pretty much told me I wasn't anything," Paul said. "He told me I hadn't done anything in this league, and he was right. You don't always want someobdy who's going to tell you everything you want to hear."

Paul said that it will be important for the team to build good chemistry.

"For us, it's going to be all about the process," Paul said. "We can't control what people say or the hype, or the expecations, or the good things people say or the bad things that people say. For us, it sounds pretty cliche, but it's about the guys in our locker room."

The records are falling for Peyton Manning

U.S. Olympic figure skaters talk about Russia's anti-gay laws

Angels' Mike Trout all but concedes AL MVP to Miguel Cabrera

Copyright © 2017, CT Now


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This week’s best new music, books and movies on iTunes

Picks of the week...

Rather than slogging through a lake of reviews to find something you’re just going to put down after 10 minutes, Cult of Mac has waded through the iTunes store to compile a list of the best new books, movies and music to come out this week so you don't have to get it yourself.

This week we've found dancey jams from a pop prodigy in Vegas, the summer's coldest sci-fi flick, and the best cure for your space odyssey blues, now that Cosmos is off air.

Land of Love and Drowning, by Tiphanie Yanique

Tiphanie Yanique's debut novel is starting to get a lot of buzz for its rich tale of love and magic set in the Virgin Islands. Land of Love and Drowning covers three generations of the Bradshaw family who have felt love, loss, drama and a little bit of magic during their emotional stay in the Caribbean, but the star character of Yanique's novel is the the island itself, in all its seductive wonder.

iTunes - $14.99

Set in a future where global warming has caused Earth to resemble something closer to Hoth, Snowpiercer is a post-apocalypic thriller where the remaining population of earth are stuck on a train fueled by a perpetual motion engine that circles the globe once every year. The film has earned praise for being one of the best sci-fi movies of the summer and after opening up to limited audiences two weeks ago, it's already available on iTunes.

iTunes - $6.99

Ab-Soul - These Days

Ab-Soul is the most lyrical member of the TDE rap group, and while his partners in crime, Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q,m have been grabbing most of the spotlight this year, his third studio album is finally here. Featuring guest verses from Rick Ross, Lupe Fiasco, Puff, Jay Rock, and of course, Schoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar, These Days is the best new rap album to hangout with this weekend.

iTunes - $11.99

America's massive Hydro-electric dams have been one of our crowning achievements in engineering ever since Roosevelt dedicated the Hoover Dam in 1935. Over 70,000 dams have dotted the US since then, but their effects on the environment have been devastating, and removing them isn't easy.DamNation explores how Americans' pride in our marvelous dams has changed to a growing awareness that our future is tied to the health of the rivers we've plugged up.

iTunes - $4.99

Shamir - Northtown

The tunes from Las Vegas' latest pop prodigy, Shamir, should have graced your earbuds by now. His sounds dances somewhere between Prince and the Jackson 5 version of Michael Jackson. It's incredibly infectious, but if you haven't gotten the Shamir bug yet, you can should check out his first EP, Northtown on iTunes.

iTunes - $3.99

The Grand Budapest Hotel

After exploring the forest of New England in Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson has taken his talents to the mountains of Zubrowka - a fictional European nation that lives somewhere in a snow globe. The opulent Grand Budapest Hotel stylishly portrays the life-changing friendship of the hotel's impossibly dignified concierge, and the lobby boy, who get thrown into an adventure after a prized and incredibly valuable painting gets stolen.

iTunes - $5.99

The Universe, by John Brockman

Now that Cosmos with Neil deGrasse Tyson is on break, I'm turning to John Brockman to get my fix of easy-to-understand-but-totally-mindblowing science facts. In his latest book, The Universe, Brockman brings together the world's top physicists and science writers to explain the universe in all its wondrous splendor, providing insights on gravity, dark matter, the energy of empty space, and the possibility of a unified theory.

iTunes - $10.99

Braid - No Coast

Sia's new album is solid, but if you're looking for something different and fun, Braid just came out with their first album in 16 years. You'd expect a bunch of early-2000's era emo musicians to release something out of touch with current music after such a long break, but No Coast is the sound of a band that's perfectly adjusted with age.

iTunes - $9.99

The Hundred Year House, by Rebecca Makkai

Rebecca Makkai is following up her acclaimed novel The Borrower with a gothic intergenerational mystery that's full of heartbreak and love. The Hundred Year House stars a grand Midwestern estate, the Laurelfield, and the cursed Devohrs family, who has seen their family home transform into an artist colony and back again, where the occupants who stay there end up haunting it, or being haunted by it.

iTunes - $12.99

Deals of the Day

  • exodus_honey

    I have to thank you, man. I really look forward to these updates from you because you have consistently introduced me to genuinely awesome new things. Full props to your taste in all things movies, books, and music – keep it up. It’s awesome.


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Command Key Becomes Cool USB Stick

Laurent Bourrelly, who likes to collect a few Apple-related things, had a great idea for a USB memory stick: how about make one out of some old Mac junk?

Here’s the result: the command key stick. If you want to make your own, Laurent has published some instructions – they’re in French, but you’ll be fine with just the pictures.

Then again, if you can read French, you might enjoy Laurent’s blog about all things Apple: pomme-c.

Deals of the Day


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Washington Old Hall - National Trust

Food icon Shop icon Wheelchair access icon

Washington Old Hall is a delightful stone-built 17th-century manor house, which incorporates parts of the original medieval home of George Washington’s direct ancestors. It is from here that the family surname of Washington was derived. There are displays on George Washington, and the recent history of the Hall.

There is also a fine collection of oil paintings, delftware and heavily carved oak furniture, giving an authentic impression of gentry life following the turbulence of the English Civil War. The tranquil Jacobean garden leads to the Nuttery, a wildflower nut orchard.

Venue Type:

Historic house or home

Opening hours

Please check the National Trust website before visiting.

Admission charges

Admission prices:
£4, child £2.50, family £10.50. Groups £3.50, child £2

Collection details

Decorative and Applied Art, Fine Art, Personalities, Social History

Washington Old Hall - National Trust
The Avenue
Tyne and Wear
NE38 7LE

logo: Heritage Open Days 2014

0191 416 6879

0191 419 2065

All information is drawn from or provided by the venues themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.


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Website Stats and Website Valuation
1.88 Rating by was registered 3 years 3 months ago. It has a alexa rank of #49,036 in the world. It is a domain having extension. It is estimated worth of $ 8.95 and have a daily income of around $ 0.15. As no active threats were reported recently, is SAFE to browse.

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Estimated Valuation

Income Per Day: $ 0.15
Estimated Worth: $ 8.95

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Google Safe Browsing: No Risk Issues
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WOT Trustworthiness: Very Poor
WOT Privacy: Very Poor
WOT Child Safety: Very Poor

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Google Pagerank: Not Applicable
Alexa Rank: 49,036
PageSpeed Score: 50 ON 100
Domain Authority: 13 ON 100
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India IN

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Domain Information

Domain Registrar: INRegistry
Registration Date: 2013-10-16 3 years 3 months 3 days ago
Last Modified: 2014-10-04 2 years 3 months 2 weeks ago
Expiration Date: 2015-10-16 1 year 3 months 1 day ago
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Host IP Address Country India India India India

DNS Record Analysis

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Serial: 2008092509
Refresh: 21600
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Expire: 3600000

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Vulnerability Scanner


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# CVE ID CWE ID # of Exploits Vulnerability Type(s) Publish Date Update Date Score Gained Access Level Access Complexity Authentication Conf. Integ. Avail.
1 CVE-2005-4486 Exec Code Sql 2005-12-22 2008-09-20
User Remote Low Not required Partial Partial Partial
** DISPUTED ** SQL injection vulnerability in Quantum Art QP7.Enterprise (formerly Q-Publishing) allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the p_news_id parameter to (1) news_and_events_new.asp and (2) news.asp. NOTE: on 20060227, the vendor disputed the accuracy of this report, saying that the p_news_id, news_and_events_new.asp, and news.asp are not specifically part of their product, although they could be dynamically generated through use of the product. Some investigation by CVE suggests evidence that the news_and_events_new.asp page has at least a forced invalid SQL syntax error, but this could not be repeated for news.asp.
Total number of vulnerabilities : 1   Page : 1 (This Page)
CVE is a registred trademark of the MITRE Corporation and the authoritative source of CVE content is MITRE's CVE web site. CWE is a registred trademark of the MITRE Corporation and the authoritative source of CWE content is MITRE's CWE web site. OVAL is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation and the authoritative source of OVAL content is MITRE's OVAL web site.
Use of this information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There are NO warranties, implied or otherwise, with regard to this information or its use. Any use of this information is at the user's risk. It is the responsibility of user to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content. EACH USER WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY consequences of his or her direct or indirect use of this web site. ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. This site will NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT or any other kind of loss.


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Cvent Header logo

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If you have any problems while attempting to download a browser, you should contact your organization’s system administrator.

For any questions related to Cvent, feel free to contact our Customer Care team.

Hotel Bristol

Key Highlights

Venue Type Hotel
Brand Other Affiliation
Rating Rating Information 1 Star
Number of Sleeping Rooms 101
Number of Meeting Rooms 1

On Lovran's very own promenade by the sea, with its stylish facade and mysterious greenery, the hotel "Bristol" encourages a peaceful and relaxing holiday. With its atmosphere of fine elegance, the Hotel Bristol is the perfect choice for visitors looking to discover the traditional beauties of Lovr...
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Awards and Ratings

  • Northstar Rating Information
  • 1 Star

Room Features and Guest Services
Facility Information
Restaurant on Site
Onsite Catering
Pets Welcome
Paid Parking Available
Venue Accessible By
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Hotel Playa Golf

Key Highlights

Venue Type Hotel
Brand Independent
Number of Meeting Rooms 5
Meeting Room Space 400 Sq. Mtr.

Welcome to Hotel Playa Golf, a four star hotel, situated in the first line in front of the sea, in one of the best areas of Majorca, the Playa de Palma. Staying with us you will be able to enjoy an unforgettable holiday in Majorca. It offers its clients all of the services necessary to make their s...
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Awards and Ratings

  • Northstar Rating Information
  • 3 Stars

Room Features and Guest Services
Ocean/Water Views
Facility Information
Restaurant on Site
Onsite Catering
Private Space
Recreational Activities
Outdoor Pool
Golf on Grounds
See a problem with this listing? Report an Issue


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The Canterbury Inn Luxury Beach Resort

Key Highlights

Venue Type Resort
Brand Independent
Rating Rating Information 3 Stars
Distance From Airport 2 Miles
Number of Sleeping Rooms 44
Number of Meeting Rooms 1

Awards and Ratings

  • Northstar Rating Information
  • 3 Stars

Room Features and Guest Services
Recreational Activities
Health Club
Indoor Pool
See a problem with this listing? Report an Issue


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Baseball/Softball Field Locations

Scroll down for Practice Fields & Other Fields Locations.

Alternate Division 4 Fields

If you do not see the field you are looking for in the lists below, please visit the D4 field list.

Clayton Valley Charter High School

Minor A Division
Minor B Division

Located on campus of Clayton Valley Charter High School
Access fields via Academy Road, Concord, CA
Google Maps

Clayton Valley Charter High School

Challengers Baseball Division
Located on campus of Clayton Valley Charter High School
Access fields via Academy Road, Concord, CA
Google Maps

Clayton Community Park (CCP)

CVLL Softball (all divisions)
Baseball 50/70
Baseball Majors

Located on the corner of Marsh Creek Road and Regency Drive, Clayton, CA  94517
Google Maps

Highlands Elementary

Farm A Division (lower field)
Farm B Division (upper field near blacktop)

1326 Pennsylvania Blvd, Concord, CA
Google Maps

Mt. Diablo Elementary

Mini-Peanuts Division
Peanuts Division

5880 Mt. Zion Drive, Clayton, CA  94517
Google Maps

Other Field Locations

Martinez Softball Fields

Martinez - Hidden Lakes

Hidden Lakes field is located at the Y between Morello Avenue and Chilpancingo Avenue.A snack shack is open during the games and is run by parents from the teams playing at the time. A play structure is next to the fields. Other areas include soccer fields, a walking/jogging track, a larger play structure, basketball courts, and more. Bring chairs.

Martinez - Nancy Boyd

Take Highway 4 to Pine St./ Center Ave exit turn south on Center Ave .. Turn Right On Muir Rd continue to Alhambra Way turn left.. Fields on right

Other Out of Area Softball Fields

Northgate High School Softball

425 Castle Rock Rd, Walnut Creek

American Canyon Little League Field

300 Hess Road, American Canyon, California 94503. Off Rt. 29 between Rt. 12 and Rt. 37. From Napa, turn right onto Napa Junction Rd. From Vallejo, turn left onto Napa Junction Rd. Turn right onto Lombard Rd. and then left onto Hess Dr. The park is on the left. Full service concession stand, bathrooms, ample parking. For evening games, temperatures may drop when the wind picks up - bring warm clothing.

Pinole Hercules - Ellehort Elementary School

3501 Pinole Valley Rd Pinole, CA 94564

Continental /Walnut Creek Little League Softball Fields

Bancroft Elementary

2200 Parrish Dr, Walnut Creek off of Treat Blvd and Carriage Drive

Castle Rock

800 Hutchinson Rd, Walnut Creek Ygnacio Valley Rd to Oak Grove Rd toward Mt. Diablo Right on Walnut Ave, left on Hutchinson Rd

Pittsburg Little League Softball Fields

City Park

65 Civic Avenue, Pittsburg, California, 94565 Take Highway 4 to Railroad Ave. Take left at end of off-ramp (Railroad). Continue on Railroad and turn left at Civic. Turn right at Davi. Fields are on right.

Practice Field Locations

Boatwright Sports Complex

Boatwright Sports Complex Campus Drive & Alberta Way Concord, CA 94520

Pine Hollow Middle School

Pine Hollow Middle School 5522 Pine Hollow Road Concord, CA 94521

Ayers Elementary

Ayers Elementary 5120 Myrtle Drive Concord, CA 94521

Silverwood Elementary

Silverwood Elementary 1649 Claycord Avenue Concord, CA 94521


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Zinc Oxide: Topical cream

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Home > Certification > How to become certified > Test results notification > How passing scores are determined
How passing scores are determined

The Pass Point
|The test pass point is the minimum score required to pass a certification test. The pass point is also known as a cut score or passing score. Pass points for CWEA certification tests vary with each test, but usually they fall between 60% and 80% of all test items answered correctly. The pass point for each vocation and grade level is set independently. Also, each version, or form, of a test will have its own pass point. Different versions are given each time the certification test is administered.

How Pass Points Are Set
A modified Angoff Method is used to determine the pass point for each version of each test. The modified Angoff Method uses expert judgments to determine the difficulty level of the test. The easier the test, the higher the pass point. Likewise, the more difficult the test the lower the pass point.

The following is a basic outline of the modified Angoff Method (some details have been omitted):

  1. A group of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) independently rate each test question within a given test. The ratings are defined as the probability, or likelihood, that an acceptably (minimally) competent person with the requisite education and experience will answer the question correctly. An acceptably (minimally) competent person is defined as someone who adequately performs all job functions safely and requires no further training to do so.

  2. The SMEs review each test question as group. A consensus is reached for the rating of each test question. During this time the SMEs review comments submitted in writing by test-takers. Any test question that is judged to be ambiguous, has more than one correct answer, or has no correct answers is eliminated from the scoring process for that test. These test questions are then revised for future use, re-classified, or deleted form the test item bank.

  3. After the data are refined, the final step is to calculate the mean, or average, of all the test question ratings. This becomes the overall pass point estimation.

Why Use Modified Angoff?
Each version of a given certification test pulls questions from a test item bank. Each of these questions vary in difficulty. Because a different mix of questions is used in each test the overall difficulty level is not fixed. Thus, it is important to make sure that the varying difficulty level is reflected in the pass point of each test to ensure that test results are reliable. Test reliability is concerned with the reproducibility of results for each version of a given test. In other words, for a test to be reliable it must yield the same result (pass or fail) for the same individual under very similar circumstances. For example, imagine you take a certain grade level test and pass it. Immediately after completing this test you take the same grade level test, but a different version. If the test is reliable you will achieve the same result: pass. If you don’t, it is likely that the test is not a reliable measure of acceptable (minimal) competency.

By taking into consideration the difficulty level of the test, the modified Angoff Method significantly increases the reliability of the tests. Also, since each test is adjusted for difficulty level, each test version has the same standard for passing. Thus, test-takers are treated equitably and fairly even if they take different versions of the test.

There are other methods for setting pass points. However, for the type of tests administered by CWEA, the modified Angoff Method is the best.

Why Not Use 70% As The Pass Point?
Pass points are a critical component of any certification test. It is the standard at which those who have demonstrated minimal acceptable competence are separated from those who have not. Simply writing a test then setting the pass point at 70%, without any supporting rationale, leaves a lot of questions open such as: how do you know if a 70% pass point will result in all competent individuals passing and no one else passing?; why was 70% chosen?; how can a variety of different tests, that test different subjects at different grade levels, all have the same pass point?; and how do you know that the 70% pass point will result in reliable estimates of competence? If all of these questions can be answered adequately then 70% is an acceptable pass point. Simply answering that 70% is the traditional pass point is not acceptable. If a 70% pass point is determined under the modified Angoff Method then it can be stated that 70% is an acceptable pass point.

Certification Program Standards
Certification programs affect employment decisions and are therefore subject to certain standards set forth by federal law. To comply with these federal regulations, pass points must be set with consideration given to Standards of Educational and Psychological Testing (American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education, 1985). CWEA utilizes methods of pass point determination that meet, or exceed, these standards.


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Total Access Upright Bike

Total Access

  • Ability over disability.
  • Accommodates people of all abilities on the same gym floor.
  • Meet the needs of exercise enthusiasts who have cognitive, sensory or physical impairments.

Sales Inquiry Download Brochure

Raised Console Iconography and Color allows easy identification of the main controls both by color, large buttons and text for older users, plus raised iconography for visually impaired users.

Central Height Adjustment for Saddle allows users to adjust saddle height with either hand.

Unicam Pedals with Heel Straps prevents users’ feet from slipping off pedals.

Raised Iconography on Seat Adjustments. Seat carriage positions have large text and raised iconography numbers for easy and quick seat positioning.

Easy Start Up of 20 Watts provides appropriate resistance for any user.


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The Music Issue: Alex Lifeson

Bayview Post

By Dave Bidini

June 2011

Click to Enlarge

How this local legend influenced rock music

My fingers hurt, but it was worth it. I think. I remember All the World’s a Stage opened gatefold- up on the carpet of Johnny Wersta’s parents’ living room — or mine — with maybe a glass of lemonade staining the coasterless table and the two of us sitting on our crappy amps facing each other trying to study Alex Lifeson’s playing.

The tone arm raised, then set down again, perfectly, on the bendy part of one of the album’s wickedest runs — shweem!! kweee!! shmauwww! — and me and Johnny tilting an ear, trying to feel our way along the neck until we found the right note, or at least thought we’d found it because, the truth is, we were hardly ever right.

On Saturdays, we’d escape to the small rooms at the back of the strip mall music store, where ’70s stoner music teachers showed us what we were doing right — or wrong: we were mostly wrong — and how Alex had actually kerranged when we’d keblanged; how he’d finger-pulled when we’d finger-pushed.

They were epic, those licks, and so, an army of guitarists — some great, some terrible, but most of us in between — were made. When the great God of the Les Paul — or the white Gibson doubleneck, coolest axe ever — leaves us, his tombstone should have a motion sensor so, when you approach to pay your respects, the riff to “Closer to the Heart” tickles the air.

Of course, you could choose others: the mock-narcissism of “Spirit of Radio” ’s famous shred, the weeping solo in “La Villa Strangiata,” the stuttering clarion of “Limelight,” and pretty much all of “YYZ.”

I only recently was able to fight my way through the bulk of “Subdivisions,” Rush’s great epic suburban elegy. My fingers still hurt, but it was worth it. I think.

Post City has scoured the archives to come up with our list of the top 50 rock songs in Toronto history. The only limitation is one song per artist or band. Check out www.postcity.com for song and video links to each track.
by Ron Johnson

"Fly by Night"

It all began with the hiring of legendary drummer Neil Peart, who replaced John Rutsey for the band's second album and helped take the Willowdale group to dizzying heights of musical complexity.


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Petco Center

Poughkeepsie, New York

The Petco Center, 1933 South Road (Route 9) Poughkeepsie, New York is a 30,000 SF retail shopping center consisting of a Petco store and Dollar Tree. This center is ideally situated at the hub of retail shopping for Dutchess County and located between South Hills Mall and the Poughkeepsie Galleria.

For more information and a leasing brochure on this property, please contact us at


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Sheriff’s scholarship applications invited

As a member of the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association and as an affiliate of the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Honorary Membership Program, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert brings the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Scholarship Program to St. Mary Parish students.
The Louisiana Sheriffs’ Scholarship Program provides assistance to worthy Louisiana students in furthering their education and training with resources made available through the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Honorary Membership Program.
One scholarship in the amount of $500 will be awarded to a graduating high school student from St. Mary Parish.
There are no restrictions on the purposes for which the scholarship is spent. The scholarship is not a loan and will be awarded as a gift to defray the rising costs of tuition and related expenses in higher education. The only limitations are that applicants be permanent residents of Louisiana; that the scholarship be utilized in higher education within the state of Louisiana; and that the student be enrolled as a full-time, undergraduate student.
Applicants must be eligible for admission to the school indicated on the application. The award will only be paid for attendance at institutions of higher learning within the state. The scholarship winner will be announced by May 1.
Completed applications must be submitted to the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office by April 1.
Applications may be obtained from either of the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Offices, on the fourth floor of the parish courthouse at 500 Main St. in Franklin or 1455 Railroad Avenue in Morgan City. Applications may also be printed from Completed applications should be submitted to one of the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office locations or mailed to P.O. Box 571 Franklin, LA 70538. For more information regarding the Louisiana Sheriff’s Scholarship Program visit or contact the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office at 337-828-1960 or 985-384-1622.

St. Mary Now & Franklin Banner-Tribune

Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874

Morgan City Daily Review
P.O. Box 948, Morgan City, LA 70381
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255

Follow Us


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Erie's Board of Trustees is scheduled to take its first vote on a townwide ban on recreational marijuana businesses Tuesday.

Mayor Tina Harris instructed town staff to bring the ban to the board after an informal vote in October found four of seven officials in favor of the ban over a yearlong extension of the town's existing moratorium.

Harris, Mayor Pro Tem Mark Gruber and trustees Dan Woog and Scott Charles supported the ban Oct. 27.

The ban would require two majority votes before going into effect. If the ban is approved Tuesday, it would come back to trustees Nov. 24.

Whitney Bryen: 303-473-1113, or


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Federal food assistance has been temporarily expanded in Boulder County to assist people affected by flooding and facing unexpected expenses, official say.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will provide one month of benefits to qualified residents, offering assistance ranging from $200 for an individual to $1,200 for a family of eight, according to a Boulder County news release.

The enrollment period starts Sunday and runs through Friday. Residents are encouraged to apply immediately.

People should apply in person at one of two disaster assistance centers in the county: the Twin Peaks Mall, 1250 S. Hover Road, Longmont, or the center at 5945 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder.

Applicants should bring proof of residence and be able to demonstrate the impact of flooding on their expenses.

Eligibility will hinge on individual or family income and liquid assets after expenses such as flood-related home repairs, temporary shelter, and/or medical bills have been subtracted.

For more information visit http://bit.ly/15gwKKZ.

Contact Camera Staff Writer Joe Rubino at 303-473-1328, rubinoj@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/JoeCarmenRubino.


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Breaking News Bar
updated: 12/11/2012 12:02 PM

HSBC to pay $1.92B to settle money-laundering probes

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  • HSBC Holdings Plc, Europe's largest bank, agreed to pay $1.92 billion to settle U.S. probes of money laundering in the largest such accord ever.

    HSBC Holdings Plc, Europe's largest bank, agreed to pay $1.92 billion to settle U.S. probes of money laundering in the largest such accord ever.
    Associated Press

Bloomberg News

HSBC Holdings Plc, Europe's largest bank, agreed to pay $1.92 billion to settle U.S. probes of money laundering in the largest such accord ever.

The settlement includes a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, the London-based bank said in an emailed statement today. The U.K.'s Financial Services Authority said the bank will have to employ an independent monitor to oversee compliance with anti-money laundering requirements.

Chief Executive Officer Stuart Gulliver's attempts to reduce costs and improve profitability have been hurt by the U.S. probes and by compensation claims from U.K. clients. A Senate committee said in July that lax oversight by top HSBC executives gave terrorists and drug cartels access to the U.S. financial system. The settlement is the biggest reached in the U.S. over such allegations, topping the $619 million in penalties paid in June by the Netherlands' ING Groep NV.

"This has removed an uncertainty, though it doesn't clear the path completely for HSBC," said Lewis Wan, Hong Kong-based chief investment officer at Pride Investments Group Ltd., which doesn't hold HSBC shares. "Regulators have been tightening oversight of banks. Lenders like HSBC will have to continue to strengthen their compliance."

HSBC rose 0.6 percent to 644.8 pence in London. The shares have gained 31 percent this year, giving the company a market value of 118.7 billion pounds ($191.1 billion).

'Profoundly Sorry'

HSBC has been in talks with U.S. regulators over allegations it laundered funds of sanctioned nations including Iran and Sudan, prompting Standard & Poor's to question whether the lender is too big to be managed effectively.

HSBC handled so-called U-turn transactions through U.S. financial institutions that involved funds from Iran to non-U.S. banks, altering its transaction records to obscure information about its clients, according to U.S. Senate testimony in July.

Around 25,000 transactions with Iran worth more than $19.4 billion were made with about 90 percent passing through the U.S., according to an audit by Deloitte LLP. Senate investigators documented similar transactions with North Korea, Cuba, Sudan and Burma, which along with Iran are subject to sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

In a deferred prosecution agreement, the government allows a target to avoid charges by meeting certain conditions -- including the payment of fines or penalties -- and by committing to specific reforms, either under the guidance of a monitor, or the creation of an internal compliance panel.

'Past Mistakes'

"We accept responsibility for our past mistakes," Gulliver said in the statement. "We have said we are profoundly sorry for them, and we do so again. The HSBC of today is a fundamentally different organization from the one that made those mistakes."

In a range of measures, the bank has to have a group money laundering reporting officer and establish a board to oversee matters relating to anti-money laundering, the FSA said today in an emailed statement.

HSBC yesterday named Robert Werner, previously head of the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, as head of group financial crime compliance and group money laundering reporting officer.

Standard Chartered Plc, which like HSBC generates most of its earnings in Asia, said yesterday it will pay a further $327 million to settle regulators' allegations that transactions with Iranian clients violated U.S. sanctions. It agreed to pay $340 million to the New York Department of Financial Services on Aug. 14.

Already Earmarked

HSBC made an $800 million provision in the third quarter to cover a potential settlement, adding to $700 million it had already earmarked. The bank said on Nov. 5 it will probably face criminal charges from U.S. anti-money-laundering probes and the cost of a settlement may "significantly" exceed the $1.5 billion it has set aside.

"In an age of international terrorism, drug violence, and organized crime, stopping illicit money flows is a national security imperative," Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who is chairman of the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said in an emailed statement. "Global banks have global responsibilities to prevent participation in illicit or suspect transactions."

Gulliver, who became CEO in January 2011, is seeking to cut costs by $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion and revive profit by selling assets to focus on emerging economies in which the bank has a greater market share. Savings will probably exceed that range and be achieved by the end of 2013, HSBC said last month.

Standard Chartered

The bank said Dec. 5 it will sell its stake in China's Ping An Insurance (Group) Co. to Thai billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont for $9.4 billion, giving it a $2.6 billion profit.

The bank generated 64 percent of its first-half pretax income in the Asia Pacific region, up from 47 percent five years ago, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. At Standard Chartered, it slipped to 63 percent from 65 percent.

Standard Chartered in August was accused by Benjamin Lawsky, head of the New York Department of Financial Services, of helping Iran launder about $250 billion in violation of federal laws, keeping false records and handling lucrative wire transfers for Iranian clients. The settlement was the largest paid to an individual regulator as part of a money-laundering accord.

The bank will pay $100 million to the Federal Reserve and $227 million to the Department of Justice and the Manhattan District Attorney. The settlement includes a $132 million fine to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Deferred Bonuses

Standard Chartered entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department whereby it will forfeit $227 million of funds tied to the illegal transactions, according to court records filed in Washington.

As part of that agreement, the U.S. charged the bank with one count of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. That charge will be dismissed after two years if Standard Chartered abides by the terms of the agreement, according to court papers.

HSBC agreed an independent monitor will evaluate progress in fulfilling its promises as part of the five-year agreement. During that period, bonuses based on compliance will be deferred, according to a person familiar with the situation who declined to be identified because the information is private.

HSBC executives including Gulliver did not receive the maximum discretionary bonus available to them for 2011 for reasons including the bank's improper sale of payment protection insurance in the U.K. and the advice given to elderly customers on products to fund nursing-home costs.

Half of Gulliver's bonus for the year was tied to non- financial performance, including 15 percent for compliance and reputation.

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North Korea threatens to carry out attacks on 'mainland America' if the US carries out planned military drill with South Korean troops

  • US and South Korea joint military drill will be their largest ever together
  • South Korea drills will involve 15,000 US troops, up from 3,700 last year
  • South Korea will commit some 290,000 military personnel to the drills
  • The exercises will include a staged 'pre-emptive strike' on North Korea
  • See more news on North Korea at

North Korea has threatened to attack 'mainland America' if the U.S. carries out a planned military drill with South Korean troops next month.

The secretive state has reacted with anger after it was revealed more than 300,000 American and South Korean troops were planning to hold their biggest ever annual exercise following the North's nuclear tests earlier this year.

It is said the parallel Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises will include a staged 'pre-emptive strike' against the North - apparently leaving leader Kim Jong-Un seething.

Pyongyang has said if there is even a 'slight sign' of such exercises taking place, it will use all its might to hit back - claiming the first target would be South Korea's presidential Blue House, while U.S. military bases in Asia and in America would be its secondary targets.

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Angry words: North Korea has threatened to attack South Korea and the U.S. mainland if the two allies carry out a joint military exercise next month. Pictured: Leader Kim Jong-un oversees a military exercise run by his new army chief Ri Myong-Su

Stepping up; The US are sending four times as many troops as originally planned, with Seoul commiting some 290,000, more than double its usual deployment for the annual joint drills in South Korea (pictured last year)

The Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army said in a statement carried by state media: 'All the powerful strategic and tactical strike means of our revolutionary armed forces will go into preemptive and just operation to beat back the enemy forces to the last man if there is a slight sign of their special operation forces and equipment moving to carry out the so-called 'beheading operation' and 'high-density strike'.'

This is the latest in a series of inflammatory statements from the North, and military-muscle flexing activities by the South and U.S. since the dictatorship conducted its fourth nuclear test despite international condemnation.

Pyongyang followed this with a long-range rocket launch on February 7.

The launch was widely condemned as a ballistic missile test banned under UN resolutions, and was followed this week with the announcement of the joint exercise.

'This year's operations will involve recovering key facilities that are located deep within North Korea, all the way near its northern borders,' a senior defense official in Seoul told the Korea Herald.

'The scenario will include the special operations forces being deployed to border areas adjacent to China and Russia.'

The US will send 15,000 troops to the annual exercise, South Korea's Defence Minister Han Min-Goo as saying, up from 3,700 last year.

South Korea will commit some 290,000 personnel, including special forces, more than double its usual deployment for the annual drills, The Telegraph reports.

The computer simulated Key Resolve, which ran for ten days last year, usually kicks off simultaneously with a field exercise known as Foal Eagle, another joint military drill that lasts around 50 days.

Joint work: The US will send 15,000 troops to the annual exercise, pictured being carried out at the Rodriquez Multi-Purpose Range Complex in Pocheon, north of Seoul, South Korea, last year, up from 3,700 in 2015

One target: The US and ally South Korea regularly stage joint military exercises, but this is the first time it will stage a 'pre-emptive strike' on North Korea

All for one: U.S. and South Korean Marines run out from the South Korean LVT-7 as they pose for photographers during the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises in Pohang, south of Seoul, in 2013

Foal Eagle is also expected to be the largest ever this year, attracting key US strategic assets such as an airforce combat brigade, marines, a naval fleet led by an aircraft carrier and nuclear-powered submarines, Yonhap said.

North Korea regularly ratchets up its hostile rhetoric around the time of the joint US-South Korea military exercises, which usually spark a sharp surge in tensions on the divided peninsula.

As the double exercises began last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un urged his army to prepare for war with the United States and its allies.

The reclusive state also fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea at the start of the exercises.

Last week, the USS North Carolina attack submarine arrived at the southern port of Busan for joint training with the South Korean navy.

And four US F-22 stealth fighters were deployed to an air base near Seoul on Wednesday.

The dictator is seen inspecting maneuvers for attack and defence between large combined units of the Korean People's Army, in a photograph released this weekend

Meanwhile, Washington and Seoul have postponed talks on deploying an advanced missile defence system opposed by Beijing, South Korea's defence ministry said Tuesday.

The allies had been set to sign an agreement Tuesday on setting up a joint working group to look into the roll-out of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (THAAD) against North Korea's growing missile threat.

'The related accord is in the final stages but has been postponed by a day or two because of last-minute negotiations,' ministry spokesman Moon Sang-Gyun said.

The THAAD system fires anti-ballistic missiles into the sky to smash into enemy missiles either inside or outside the Earth's atmosphere during their final flight phase.

The interceptor missiles carry no warheads, instead relying on kinetic energy to destroy their targets.

The delay comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit Washington from Tuesday to meet his US counterpart John Kerry for possible talks over the controversial defence system and North Korea.

China opposes the proposed deployment of THAAD, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying warning Monday that it should not be used as a front to 'undermine China's own legitimate (security) interests'.

South Korea's defence ministry reiterated Tuesday that the US missile defence system only targets North Korea and that its deployment is an issue between the two allies.

The ministry said it expects official talks on THAAD to kick off next week once the two sides set up the joint working group later this week.

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Shares of Gladstone Land Corp. (NASDAQ:LAND) reached a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as $11.50 and last traded at $11.48, with a volume of 42,283 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $11.21.

Separately, Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Gladstone Land Corp. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. The stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $12.63.

The company’s 50 day moving average is $10.92 and its 200 day moving average is $9.71. The stock has a market cap of $114.71 million and a P/E ratio of 135.06.

Gladstone Land Corp. (NASDAQ:LAND) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 2nd. The company reported $0.02 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.03 by $0.01. On average, analysts predict that Gladstone Land Corp. will post $0.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.0413 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 18th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.31%.

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Gladstone Land Corp. stock. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D raised its stake in Gladstone Land Corp. (NASDAQ:LAND) by 19.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 344,000 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 55,000 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D owned 3.80% of Gladstone Land Corp. worth $2,976,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Gladstone Land Corporation is an externally-managed, agricultural real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is engaged in the business of owning and leasing farmland. The Company’s segment is farmland and farm-related properties. The Company is engaged in leasing its farms to independent farming operations and corporate farming operations.

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The gospel-truth, if you believe most of the history books: Aretha Franklin didn’t really find her true voice until she began working with producer Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records in 1967.

"My idea was to make good tracks, use the best players, put Aretha back on piano and let the lady wail," Wexler wrote in his autobiography, "Rhythm and the Blues: A Life in American Music" (1994). Indeed, Franklin’s 1967 Atlantic debut album, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way That I Loved You),” is considered a soul masterpiece.

But the Aretha before and after her soul golden age often gets short shrift. Anthony Heilbut offers, among other things, a reassessment of her pre-Atlantic era in a fascinating chapter, “Aretha: How She Got Over,” from his latest book, “The Fan Who Knew Too Much” (Knopf). Heilbut knows his stuff; his 1971 book, “The Gospel Sound: Good News and Bad Times,” is among the best ever written on the musical genre that is the foundation of Franklin’s career. And “How She Got Over” outdoes Franklin’s 1999 autobiography with David Ritz, “Aretha: From These Roots,” for insight into the Queen of Soul’s accomplishments. Heilbut argues persuasively that even before Aretha walked into a studio to record with Wexler, she had already begun to change the game for women, African-Americans and music culture.

Franklin’s “role was such that a history of black America could well be divided into pre- and post-Aretha,” he writes.

As the daughter of one of the most powerful ministers in America, Rev. C.L. Franklin, Aretha already had a platform at Detroit’s New Bethel Baptist Church  to showcase her extraordinary multi-octave, multi-hued voice.

At 14, she was not just recording gospel, but in harrowing testimonials such as “There’s a Fountain Filled with Blood” imbuing it with drama and depth of feeling that were miles behind her years. Still, in her late teens she was touring the gospel circuit alongside the Staple Singers and Sammie Bryant  second-billed to her father, the star preacher.

Franklin was raised in the church, and her voice embodied its passions, but the gospel world of the ‘50s was also bedeviled by infighting, jealousy and hypocrisy, Heilbut writes. The world that raised and shaped Franklin, he asserts, was also one “she had to escape.”

She signed to Columbia Records in 1960, a move widely interpreted as her leaving gospel to pursue wealth and fame on the wider stage of pop. But unlike other gospel performers who “crossed over” into the “devil’s music,” such as Sam Cooke and Bobby Womack, Franklin got a pass. Her father approved of the changeover, and his voice carried immense weight with his numerous followers. Franklin herself made a persuasive case in 1961, when she framed her transition in the context of the emerging civil-rights movement, a viable means of expression that didn’t repudiate her gospel roots so much as expand them.

Heilbut goes a step a further. He suggests that Franklin didn’t bend to pop, so much as bend pop toward her: She “was really the first gospel star to switch fields without switching styles.”

Decades of received thinking have told us that Franklin’s Columbia years were something of a bust. Legendary talent scout John Hammond signed her with the aim of turning her into a sophisticated pop and ballad singer, taking on everything from jazz standards to show tunes in the manner of a Sarah Vaughan or Dinah Washington. None of the recordings she made at Columbia had the commercial impact of her later Atlantic soul singles and albums.

But the Franklin who would soar at Atlantic was already fully formed at Columbia, Heilbut insists. Her first Columbia session, documented on the 2011 box set, “Take a Look: Aretha Franklin Complete on Columbia” (Columbia/Legacy), produced “Today I Sing the Blues.” Franklin’s agile phrasing and relaxed-yet-intense delivery over gospel-soaked piano chords (played by Ray Bryant) points a straight line toward her breakthrough song with Wexler a few years later, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way That I Love You).”

With Ernie Hayes’ swinging gospel organ and Gary Chester’s counterpunching drums, Franklin pays tribute a few recording sessions later to Washington, one of her idols, on a swooping “Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning.” It’s a performance every bit as riveting as anything she recorded with Atlantic – “one of the triumphs of her career,” Heilbut says. She turns time elastic, emphasizing different words and syllables with each pass, a performance that still feels combustible decades after it was recorded.

That virtuosity – the “spirit feel,” as Heilbut calls it – imbued a number of her Columbia sessions, as she transformed standards into deeply personal statements. Because of her background in the church – from improvising on the piano while her father preached to riffing vocally in response to an enraptured congregation – Franklin wasn’t bound by the strictures of pop. Yet she was a pop connoisseur, conversant with the key nonsecular singers of the past and present (Billie Holiday, Little Jimmy Scott, even Judy Garland), and bringing nuances and inflections from each to her repertoire.

Her spontaneity was channeled into pop hits at Atlantic by the “head arrangements” favored by Wexler and the Southern rhythm section he imported to New York. Gospel undergirded her biggest hits, from the call and response of Otis Redding’s “Respect” to the hymn-like depth she brought to her interpretation of the Dusty Springfield hit “Son of a Preacher Man.”

In 1972, she released a live album of the gospel standards that shaped her youth, “Amazing Grace.” It remains one of her best-loved and best-selling recordings. In his recent book, “Aretha Franklin’s ‘Amazing Grace’,” critic Aaron Cohen calls the recording at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles less a return to her roots than a reaffirmation of their continuing presence in her life and art.

The legacy, Heilbut says, is mixed – not because of anything Franklin did wrong. She remains one of the singular singers of our time, and also one of the most influential. But influence cuts both ways. Heilbut points to Franklin’s dizzying melisma, her gospelized penchant for bending and stretching notes to delirious extremes, as the basis for “the new excess” of the “American Idol” generation of singers.

“Not for the first time in popular art,” he dryly notes, “does very good seep into very bad.”

Copyright © 2017, Daily Press


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World AIDS Day: How are we doing in Virginia?

It's 30 years since the AIDS virus was identified. Since then more than half a million Americans have died from it. Testament to the advances in drug therapies and control of HIV/AIDS is that more than 1.1 million Americans are living with the virus today, according to the government's Centers for Disease Control statistics. (The most recent available are from 2009.)

The CDC's figures show that annually 50,000 new cases of HIV are diagnosed each year in the U.S. Of those, more than 60 percent are in gay or bisexual men with most in their 20s, about double the number of heterosexuals infected.

For AIDS, the figures show that 35,000 are diagnosed annually and most are men in their 30s. Virginia ranks 13 th by state in the numbers of those infected and none of its cities qualify for the government's 12 Cities Project, targeting those with the highest incidence. (New York, LA, Washington, Chicago and Atlanta lead the way.)

The African-American community is disproportionately represented, accounting for almost half of all cases. Both black men and women are affected at 7 times the rate for whites. In Virginia 55 percent of all infected are African-American.

In Hampton Roads, Access AIDS ( offers free testing year round.  Rapid tests provide results in 15 to 20 minutes. If positive, an Ora Sure test is used to confirm -- this takes 7 to 10 days to get results.

The Hampton office is at 218 S. Armistead Ave. 757-722-5511. Community screenings are also offered through a mobile unit, Metro757; to schedule, call 757-640-0929.

The CDC National AIDS hotline is 1-800-342-2437.

For more health news, go to

Copyright © 2017, Daily Press


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NEW YORK — A dashing young English royal falls for a beautiful commoner, and their love becomes a nationwide sensation that forever alters the face of the monarchy.

No, their names aren't Will and Kate, but rather King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. The year is 1464, nearly a decade into the Wars of the Roses, a time when (for those of you who dozed off during ninth grade history class) the English monarchy was violently contested between two competing branches within the House of Plantaganet.

By secretly marrying a 27-year-old, widowed mother of two aligned with the rival Lancaster clan, the Yorkist Edward IV added fuel to the Wars of the Roses, a bloody series of power struggles that would rage on for another 20 years.

PHOTOS: Hollywood Backlot moments

Now Edward and Elizabeth's romance and the resultant upheaval are at the center of "The White Queen," a new 10-episode period epic based on bestselling novels by Philippa Gregory which premiered Saturday on Starz. Their relationship was considered scandalous in those days, when duty trumped matters of the heart.

"Love was rarely taken into consideration," said Max Irons, who plays the young king in the series, over a recent breakfast in Manhattan.

"When she meets Edward by the road and falls madly in love with him, just a boy meeting a girl, with that comes consequences," added his costar, the Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson, whose character is viewed with intense suspicion by Edward's family and advisors — especially the powerful Earl of Warwick, known as the "Kingmaker" (James Frain).

In person, Irons and Ferguson have a playful, chummy relationship, marked by good-natured ribbing and inside jokes from their months together on set in Belgium. On-screen, however, their connection is more visceral: They spend a good portion of the series in various states of undress.

Given the unusually high bodice-ripping quotient in "The White Queen," finding the right leading couple was essential. Irons was cast early in pre-production, but his queen proved more elusive. The actor had to go through 15 chemistry tests with potential costars before Ferguson came along — not that he's complaining.

PHOTOS: Celebrities by The Times

"The long and the short of it is, you've got to do a bit of flirting," Irons discreetly said of the process.

Acting lineage

The son of Oscar winner Jeremy Irons and Irish actress Sinead Cusack, the 27-year-old Irons knows a thing or two about being part of a dynasty. Still, he resisted the family business until the age of 16, when he starred in a Neil LaBute play at school. "This makes academia pale in comparison, this makes sports pale in comparison, and the girls like it, so I might keep doing it," he decided.

For Ferguson, 29, acting was a somewhat less inevitable life path, despite what is a borderline spooky resemblance to fellow countrywoman Ingrid Bergman. As a teenager, she starred on the popular Swedish soap "Nya Tider," but afterward retreated from the limelight, settling in a small seaside village where she worked as a dance instructor.

That is, until "The White Queen," a job she landed after submitting a homemade audition tape, lured her back in front of the camera.

GRAPHIC - 'Breaking Bad' to 'Justified': Killing off your favorite stars

"I've never, ever, ever desperately wanted to act. I should probably say I do, but I don't," said Ferguson, who despite her ambivalence has several other projects lined up, including Brett Ratner's "Hercules: The Thracian Wars" and "The Vatican" for Showtime.

Strong women

"The White Queen" is based on "The Cousins' War," Gregory's series of novels chronicling the Wars of the Roses from the perspective of three women vying to maintain their proximity to the throne: In addition to Ferguson's Elizabeth, there's young Anne Neville (Faye Marsay), pawned off in a politically expedient marriage to the creepy Richard III, and Margaret Beaufort, played with wild-eyed intensity by Amanda Hale, whose son Henry VII would become the first Tudor monarch.

A co-production with the BBC, the project fit in nicely with Starz's lineup of historical dramas "Spartacus" and "DaVinci's Demons," but also represented something of a departure — not just for the network, but for premium cable more broadly.

"It's a story that we really hadn't seen, women vying for power in a time and place where power wasn't available to them," said Carmi Zlotnik, managing director of original programming at Starz. (The series premiered earlier this summer in the U.K., where it received middling reviews, as it has in the U.S.)

Gregory, who says she was "without doubt born a feminist," has made a career out of writing female-oriented historical fiction, like the novel-turned-film "The Other Boleyn Girl." In her estimation, women like Elizabeth Woodville have gotten "terrible bad press" in the history books, thanks to the chaste monks who wrote them.

PHOTOS: Dysfunctional TV families

"They're not going to describe powerful, active, sexy, ambitious women in tones of anything other than horror and terror," Gregory said in an interview at the recent Television Critics Assn. gathering in Beverly Hills.

"The White Queen" is also somewhat novel in its focus on England's Plantagenet monarchs, who ruled for more than three centuries, yet haven't captivated the popular imagination in quite the same way as their Tudor successors, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

But fate, it seems, is conspiring to bring them back into the limelight: Just as production on "The White Queen" got underway in Belgium last September, the remains of the last Plantagenet king, Richard III — thought by many, including Shakespeare, to have orchestrated the murder of two of Elizabeth Woodville's sons — were unearthed after five centuries in a parking lot in Leicester.

Then there's HBO's hit fantasy series "Game of Thrones," inspired in part by the Wars of the Roses, whose ongoing success suggests viewers have an appetite for the complex, internecine struggles that defined this particular era in history. (The Starz version of the series even includes additional dialogue to help American viewers keep track of all those Edwards, Richards and Henrys.)

"This is an extraordinary family," mused Gregory, "fantastically bad and mad and sexy and violent."

PHOTOS: TV shows and their spinoffs

Overrated/Underrated 2014

PHOTOS: 101 best-written TV shows of all time

Copyright © 2017, Daily Press


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William Powell

Lions release RB William Powell in London

Lions release RB William Powell in London

Running back William Powell went all the way to London with the Detroit Lions only to be cut from their practice squad on Wednesday.

Powell arrived in England on Tuesday with the Lions for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons but one day later learned that he was out of a job and had to go back to the United States.

The Lions released Powell to make room on their practice squad roster for safety Jerome Couplin, who was released Monday by the Lions to add tight end Kellen Davis to the active roster.

"It's a difficult thing to do, and you certainly would not want to do it -- a guy just gets here and, within 48 hours, he's heading back home," Lions coach...