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Saturday, November 10, 2007

For Thanksgiving, sweet potato cheesecake

My uncle’s special Thanksgiving dessert is sweet potato pie. My brother’s special Thanksgiving dessert is pumpkin cheesecake. And since I’m going to see both of them on Thanksgiving, I decided to make a hybrid of the two—sweet potato cheesecake.

Growing up, cheesecake was a rare treat—considered extremely fancy and not something you ate at home. Mom instead made a berry yogurt pie with a granola crust, which while not as rich and dense as cheesecake but was still a creamy sweet treat. But still, it wasn’t quite the same.

One day our next-door neighbor made a cheesecake from scratch. It was a plain cheesecake with tall sturdy sides topped with a thin-layer of sour cream. Each bite was luscious and I thought she must have some special skills to make something so satisfying. A few years ago my dad gave me a generous Williams-Sonoma gift certificate. I raided the store, splurging on items I wouldn’t ordinarily buy and one of those was a spring-form pan. I had decided it was time to teach myself how to make cheesecake.

I went through a myriad of recipes, and some were super complicated, insisting you separate your eggs, folding in the yolks and whites at different times. Some called for baking it for an hour and then leaving it in the turned-off oven to cool for another half hour. Some used crusts while others didn’t. What I soon learned, however, was that cheesecake doesn’t have to be a lot of work—given the right circumstances you could whip one every night, which I practically did when I lived with a guy who was on a low-carb diet.

The basic formula is simple, 1 egg per 1/2 pound of cream cheese. If you don’t have time to get your cream cheese and eggs to room temperature (as every recipe will recommend), then just rest them on top of the oven as you preheat—they’ll soon be warm enough. Then just throw your eggs, cream cheese, sweetener, some vanilla, some spices and some lemon juice into the blender, and in minutes you’ll have a batter. If you’re forgoing a crust, you’re pretty much done save for baking it for a half hour or so, and then chilling (though warm cheese cake is just as appealing as cold). Sometimes they’ll crack on top, and I reckon the experts would say that I pulled it out of the oven too fast or over beat the batter. But an ugly cheesecake isn’t a problem because I always spread on top some sour cream mixed with a bit of sugar, lemon juice and vanilla, which deliciously masks all imperfections.

When I was as at the farmer’s market recently, they had mountains of sweet potatoes in several varieties for only a dollar a pound. That was a third of the price they were at the grocery store, so I grabbed a few. My original intention was to make sweet potato pie, but since my uncle already does that, and I had a ton of cream cheese on hand, I decided to make the cheesecake instead. After baking one of the sweet potatoes for about an hour, I threw the mashed vegetable into my blender with some eggs, some cream cheese and some spices. In no time I had a batter. I had some ginger snaps and pecans, and even though I’m lazy and usually do without a crust, I decided that a ginger snap cookie and pecan crust would go well with the spicy, earthy sweet potato. My hunch proved correct.

So Thanksgiving’s still a week or so away, and there won’t be any of this cheesecake left by the time I head to Texas, but it was such a snap I may just whip it up again—if my uncle and brother don’t mind.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake
For the crust:
35 ginger snaps, crushed
1/4 cup of pecans, finely chopped
1 stick of butter (113.4 grams), melted

For the cheesecake:
3 8oz. packages of cream cheese, room temperature
3 eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of cooked, mashed sweet potato
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of allspice
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of flour

For the topping:
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ginger
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
2. To make the crust, mix together the crushed ginger snaps, chopped pecans and melted butter.
3. Press the crust into a 9-inch spring-form pan, evenly covering the bottom and going up the sides about 1/4 of an inch.
4. Place in the fridge or in near an open window with a cold breeze.
5. To make the batter, using a mixer or a strong blender, throw in the softened cream cheese and eggs. Mix until smooth and combined.
6. Add the sugar, the maple syrup, the sweet potato, the spices and the flour, and blend until smooth. (Don’t mix it too long or too many cracks will appear on top when it bakes.)
7. Pour into spring-form pan, and bake for 45 minutes. Cheesecake will be done when the sides are set and the center is still a big jiggly. Turn off the oven, and then leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door open for about half an hour.
8. To make the topping while the cheesecake bakes, place 1/4 cup of chopped pecans in a heated dry iron skillet, and toast for about five minutes.
9. Mix the sour cream, vanilla, spices, syrup and sugar together. Add the pecans.
10. Take cheesecake out of the oven, spread on the topping, and let sit for another half hour.
11. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours and then serve.
Notes: A 1-pound sweet potato cooked in the oven at 425 degrees for a little over an hour will yield enough for the recipe. Alternatively, you can use canned sweet potato. The topping and crust are purely optional. If you bake without a crust, baking time will be about 35 minutes.

Speaking of baking, Lydia over at the informative and entertaining blog The Perfect Pantry has a wonderful idea for the holiday season. A few years ago she and a group of friends gathered to bake and decorate cookies. Finding themselves with too many cookies, she called a local shelter that helped needy families and asked if they’d like the decorated cookies. Would they ever, the shelter said. The reception to the decorated cookies was tremendous.

Since then, every year she and her friends have repeated this new tradition of decorating cookies and giving them to those in need. She calls it Drop In and Decorate. Not only is it a fun way for friends and family to spend time together, but it makes others happy as well. She’s written a guide on how to host your own Drop In and Decorate party, and brought King Arthur flour on board to sell a Drop In and Decorate party kit (Lydia does not receive any profit from this).

With cookie baking season in full swing, this is a perfect time to bake for others. Though as Lydia notes, it’s not limited to just the end-of-year holidays as cookies make people smile year round. So drop into Lydia’s blog and see how you can host your own Drop In and Decorate party.

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Kalyn said...

OMG, this sounds just fantastic. It's even pretty healthy for a dessert too! (Not that we care when it's Thanksgiving, nor should we!) Love the sound of it.

BTW, what a buy on sweet potatoes. They're a lot more than that here.

jerry said...

Man I wish my wife liked sweet potatoes!

I may just make this anyway, as I happen to have all of the ingredients on hand.

then again, I may go for a cranberry cheesecake, since I have all of those ingredients on hand as well....

Decisions, Decisions!

jerry said...

I hate it when I screw up and don't leave my information correctly...

Frank said...

I'm not a huge dessert guy, but I did grow up(as I'm sure you did) on sweet potato pie, and I do love cheesecake, so this one goes in my (very limited) desert file. Holler if you are down here for T-day and have time!

Lydia said...

Lisa, thanks so much for helping to spread the word about Drop In & Decorate Cookies for Donation! And yum, your sweet potato cheesecake might just make an appearance at our Thanksgiving table this year.

JEP said...

I so love cheesecake & will try this one soon. Working on T-G so will prepare it sometime after.

Olivia said...

Well, probably the only way you could get me to eat sweet potato is in the pie, .... but even though I'm no lover of cheesecake, this looks delicious too!

radish said...

Oh god, this looks good!! I need to give this a go! :)

hensteeth said...

Thank you. Your sweet potato cheesecake will grace my thanksgiving table. And those warm lovies will be coming from Dallas.

Cynthia said...

This is a brilliant idea! The slice you've profiled looks soooo creamy good.

Kevin said...

I like the idea of a sweet potato cheese cake!

Meeta said...

Oh Lisa that looks lovely. I am in pumpkin heaven.

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

OMG, that cheesecake looks awesome!!! Extremely scrumptious! I've never had sweet potato cheesecake, but I bet that it tastes wonderful...

Kitty said...

Oh man does that look good....

Homesick Texan said...

Kalyn--I don't know exactly how healthy it is, but it is fantastic!

Jerry--The wonderful thing about this dessert is even those who don't like sweet potatoes love it--it's creamy, sweet and spicy--what's not to love? Cranberry cheesecake sounds awesome, too.

Frank--Yep, we always have sweet potato pie, so creamy and delicious. Sadly, I'm only going to be outside Dallas for a little over 24 hours, but I'll definitely give you a holler next time I'm in Austin.

Lydia--You're very welcome. You've created an amazing thing and I'm honored you asked me to help spread the word.

JEP--Hope you like it!

Olivia--Yep, it's a sneaky way to get those who don't normally like sweet potatoes to change their opinion.

Radish--Thanks! Enjoy!

Hensteeth--You're welcome--hope your family enjoys it!

Cynthia--Thanks! It's the best of both worlds--cheesecake and sweet potato pie.

Kevin--It's good stuff!

Meeta--Thanks! You can substitue pumpkin for the sweet potato and get similar results.

Rosa--It does wonderful!

Julie said...

It's like eating your vegetables, right? Sweet potatoes are good for you!

Your picture makes your cheesecake look particularly inviting -- creamy and rich.

Homesick Texan said...

Julie--Yes, it's exactly like that--the sweet potato completely cancels out the sugar, syrup and copious amounts of dairy!

ann said...

mmmm... you know what would be delicious in the topping? A little bourbon! Bourbon makes everything better ;-)

Dana said...

Oh man, this looks GOOD! Yum yum yum.

Kathleen said...

That cheesecake looks fabulous I think I am going to make it for my son. He is at A & M and can't come home for the holidays, his favorite is cheesecake and sweet potatoes. Great combination!

Chris said...

I've had sweet potato cheesecake once, and it was divine. Too bad I'm no baker!! I'd love to make this. :)

Wanda said...

Well this is something I would never have thought to do with sweet potatoes. I have them boiled and roasted and I luv em. However this recipe is easy and the photo looks great will definately give it a go

Pille said...

I agree with Kalyn - this does sound - and look- fantastic!!

AT said...

I think the dreamiest part of this post is the idea of going into Williams-Sonoma with a "generous" gift certificate and getting whatever you want. (Swoon!) Okay, the cheesecake sounds yummy too.

Hope you're well - and enjoy TX next week! I won't be going home, but I'll be watching the A&M-UT game on Friday, that's for sure!

christine (myplateoryours) said...

Looks fabulous. But oh, my God, how can you eat this after a Thanksgiving dinner! I am full already!

Homesick Texan said...

Ann--Bourbon is like liquid bacon as it also makes everything better! Great idea!

Kathleen--I bet that'll make your son very happy.

Chris--It's pretty simple, trust me, as I'm not much of a baker either.

Wanda--Enjoy, it is indeed a snap to make.

AT--Yep, I was like a kid in a candy store with all that "free" money. I'll be on a plane when the game is playing, but sometimes when you fly out of Dallas the pilots give score updates. Happy Thanksgiving!

Christine--In my family we take naps and then go for a walk before dessert, so there's usually a wee bit of room to squeeze some more food into our bellies.

Kate / Kajal said...

This is definately very very original. Cheesecake is my fav too and it is the first ever sweet thing i tried to make. Actually for my boyfriends back thens birthday. I had no clue what i was doing but everyone lobed it , and everyone one though i was the best girlfriend ever ...hahaha , well thats history now :P

This combination is really something. Will have to try it :)

Tavo said...

Thanks, Lisa.

It's in the oven right now.

Smells great!

Homesick Texan said...

Kate--Thank! And as I'm sure you discovered, cheesecake is not only easy to make but quite the crowd pleaser as well.

Tavo--Excellent news! I hope y'all enjoy it!

Susan said...

Wow! Oh, wow! That looks scrumptious!

Tartelette said...

Well, with all the sweet potatoes on sale this week I went a little crazy and I was just starting to wonder what to make next...until this! Beautiful! Hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving!

Jessica "Su Good Sweets" said...

I'm crazy about sweet potatoes. For some reason, they taste funny in pies (I'm still for the traditional pumpkin pie), but cheesecake might be another story. Thanks for the formula.

BarbaraC1977 said...

I've been wanting to make this recipe ever since it was posted. Today we made it, as MINI cheesecakes for a party tomorrow. They are GREAT!

We put paper muffin cups into mini muffin trays, and scooped about 1 tsp of the crust mixture into each. I used a wooden tool (Pampered Chef #1590 "Mini-Tart Shaper) to mash and twist-release the crust into a more or less cohesive shape. Then a small cookie scoop (Pampered Chef #2530) of sweet potato cheesecake filling. Baked at 325F for about 15-16 minutes, let cool on stovetop. Small spoon of topping on each. These also freeze well, before topping.

Note: You can use other tools; I just thought the numbers made it easier than describing these clearly enough.

Thank you for this great recipe!

BarbaraC1977 said...

p.s. The recipe made a little more than 8 dozen mini cheesecakes.

Hill said...

I made these this thanksgiving, after mixing all the ingredients I noticed that the bottom to my spring form pan was missing!!

So I made them in cupcakes.

Thank you for the outstanding recipe!

Aélis said...

I love sweet potatoes.
I never thought to cook them like that.
I will taste your cheesecake recipe : it seems to be so good !
Have a niece day

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Jan 5, 2017

What Makes a Good Real Estate Agent?

Nowadays, there are so many real estate agents that you can find both online and offline. While these agents may have similar properties to sell, there's something about each of them that differs from the last one. And if you're looking to buy a property, you need to conduct business with someone who knows what he is talking about. At the same time, you need to find a real estate agent that can truly help you find a property suitable to your needs.
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Finding a reliable real estate agent can be a tough task. But if you are careful with your assessment on whom to trust, you'll be able to find one who can help you make a good decision with your real estate purchase. And that is the most important thing you can get.

Written by the experts at Columbia Real Estate, the most knowledgeable agents for real estate in Columbia, MO.

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Horse Breeds at

Overuse of Stretches Could Be Harmful to Horses

A recent study shows that daily equine stretches might do more harm than good.

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Myerscough College research found certain stretching can negatively effect jointsMany riders include stretches as part of their horse's regular workout with the belief that it will help him stay supple or prevent injury. A recent study published in The Veterinary Journal shows that this practice could actually be detrimental.

Researchers at Myerscough College in Lancashire, England found that while stretching did affect horses' movement, it did not produce consistent improvement and even hindered the range of movement in the stifle and hock joints. This goes against conventional beliefs in the horse world that suggest equine athletes benefit from stretching as part of every workout as human athletes do.

The research team used 18 horses divided into three groups for the study. One group received passive stretches six days per week and another group received stretches three days per week for an eight-week period. The control group received 10 minutes of human contact daily, but no stretches. The horses that did receive stretches were all treated by the same person, a qualified equine body worker.

All of the horses were trotted in-hand by the same handler, and measurements were taken every two weeks, starting with the beginning of the study before the stretching treatment began. Researchers used video analysis to measure stride length and range of motion in the horses' joints.

At the end of the study, the researchers noted that the group of horses that received six days of stretching per week had a significantly lower range of motion in the stifle and hock than the horses in the other groups. The horses that performed stretches three days per week had a higher range of movement than the other horses. The researchers noted no significant difference in stride length in any of the horses.

“These results suggest that stretching every day may not be appropriate for the horse” concludes the Myerscough study. “Stretching three days a week provided some benefit in terms of range of movement, and may be a safer option for the industry to consider.”

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me    WE, IN

3/16/2011 5:08:52 PM

I don't think they really need to stretch like people do.

Danee    Grantville, PA

4/25/2010 10:30:19 AM

Would love to see a bigger study. And they say the horse's stride remaind the same yet the range of motion in the hind legs changed??? Can someone explain EXACTLY what they were measuring??

Kaitlynn    San Tan Valley, AZ

4/15/2010 10:56:20 PM

Love this article! I always thought the whole yoga for horses thing was silly. Why not just spend time warming your horse up properly and paying attention to its body language and expression before asking it to work?

Nicole    Carlisle, PA

4/15/2010 5:37:24 PM

Hmmm - very interesting but I think I need a more scientific approach before I'm convinced. Thanks for the article.

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    Atlantis is a 15. 3hh, 16yo, schoolmaster mare ready for her next job! Atlantis still has a lot left in her and ...
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    "Tango", 7 y/o ottb, 15. 3h, and has a good brain. Vet recently told me he is not suitable to be an event horse ...
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    Color - LocationFlintstone, MD 2...
    I am selling 2 miniature horses. I have a miniature black and white mare that is about 9 yrs old and black gelding ...
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text:
• Disco Partner (5-2) rolls last to first to win the Elusive Quality on the Belmont lawn.Posted 9 hours ago
  • Battalion Runner and Malagacy will NOT run in the Kentucky Derby, per Todd Pletcher.Posted 11 hours ago
  • Thunder Snow confirmed for the Kentucky Derby by Godolphin.Posted 15 hours ago
  • Quiet Business (16-1) powers home to win the Bewitch at Keeneland.Posted 1 day ago
  • Celtic Chaos (7-1) gets up on the wire to win the Affirmed Success.Posted 1 day ago
  • Girvin, the Kentucky Derby points leader, has a quarter crack, via Byron King.Posted 2 days ago
  • Party Boat (7-2) takes the Memories of Silver on the Aqueduct turf.Posted 6 days ago
  • Dolphus (6-5), Rachel Alexandra's half-brother, wins AQU allowance; Shagaf lastPosted 6 days ago
  • Multiplier (4-1) kicks it in late to get past Hedge Fund in the Illinois Derby.Posted 7 days ago
  • Collected (3-5) rolls home much the best in the Californian.Posted 7 days ago
Breeders Cup 2015
Kentucky Derby 2017

WO Mcl (8/4/2008-R1)

8/4/2008, Woodbine
6 f (Synthetic)
2 M
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Ikar Hut

Lagadin 26, Ohrid, Macedonia, Distance from city centre: 8.4km

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IKAR Hut is situated in one of the nicest neighborhoods around Lake Ohrid with stunning lake and mountain views.
8km away from Ohrid city, it is a perfect place for adventurers, day dreamers, nature lovers and action addicts. Shuttle buses to town available on every hour.

IKAR hut comes from a warm and cozy family house of scientists, doctors, engineers, artists and adventurers. It was an inspiration and a birthplace of many academic researches.
Today it is more of an artistic place with a limited capacity of 14 beds.
It is managed by a 3rd generation representative, traveler, artist, passionate climber and mountaineer.

The house is full of experiences from across the globe. Coming from a polyglot background, many languages are spoken. The scientific presence is mostly replaced by art projects and spiced up thrilling stories from high altitude summits and adventures.
The IKAR Hut is an eco-friendly house. We do not dispose of any old objects – we turn them into beautiful pieces of art.
We offer:
A big common room with lots of helpful information about Macedonian culture, tradition and natural heritage.
A chilling garden “The backgammon’s paradise”.
Connection with other hostels and events around the region.
ON THE HOUSE: Wi–fi /Storage place/Welcome drink/ Clean sheets & towels. Information of tourist attractions and connections around Macedonia
Please note:
Cancellation Policy: 3 day before the arrival
Check In: 2:00 PM, Flexible
Check Out: 11:00 AM
Method of Payment upon arrival: Cash only!
Taxes are included.

Prices are per person per night.

Availability & Rates

To view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'

Hostel Facilities & Policies

  • Adaptors
  • Airport Transfers
  • BBQ
  • Bicycle hire
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  • Board Games
  • Book Exchange
  • Breakfast Not Included
  • Cable TV
  • Café
  • Child Friendly
  • Common Room
  • Credit Cards Not Accepted
  • Free Internet Access
  • Free Parking
  • Hot Tub
  • Internet Access
  • Self-Catering Facilities
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  • Linen Included
  • Meeting Rooms
  • Mini Supermarket
  • No Curfew
  • Non Smoking
  • Outdoor Terrace
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  • Pet Friendly
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  • Taxes included
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  • Towels Included
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Cancellation Policy

This property has a 3 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.

Must-Read Hostel Info

This property has specific Terms & Conditions.

Please note:

Cancellation Policy: 3 day before the arrival

Check In: 4.00 pm
Check Out: 12.00 noon

Method of Payment upon the arrival: Cash only!

Coffee and Snacks are included.
Taxes are included.

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If you land in Skopje you can either rent a car, take a bus or even fly to Ohrid city (the last one is a bit pricey).
If you land in Ohrid you can drive in direction St. Naum / take a taxi (about 6-7 EU from airport to Lagadin neighborhood). You can also take a shuttle bus to Lagadin (0.5 EU)

Shuttles to town available many times a day.

Located Near

The Ikar Hut is located 8 km from the old town of Ohrid, only а 2 min walk from some of the nicest beaches around the lake.

Both beach and a mountain is close enough which offers all season outdoor adventures:
hiking, mount biking, paragliding, rock climbing, skiing, kayak and ski touring in winter.
Shuttles to town available many times a day.

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 Houston's Best Paint & Body Shop | ASE Certified Mechanics | Towing Services
Good1Auto | Houston's #1 Auto Body & Repair Paint & Body 2012 Recession Buster Coupon Mechanic Services Towing Services
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#1 Body Shop in Houston ASE Certified Mechanics & Bonded Professionals you can trust. We are Houston's source for quality, economy and diligence. Need help getting here? We also provide Towing Service.

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Welcome to Good1Auto, Houston's #1 Source for Collision, Paint and Auto Repair.

Good1Auto specializes in custom color matching and elite auto body repair. We offer ASE Certified Mechanic, Collision, Paint & Body and Towing Services. We have unsurpassed quality control systems that ensure the job is done right and on time.

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Superior Painting Guarantee Good1Auto can match any color and we guarantee it! Don't settle for anything less.

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ASE Certified Mechanic Services Good1Auto uses ASE Certified Mechanics, ensuring the job is done right. Don't be fooled.

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29 Jan. 2012 Posted by J. Smith
Better Quality Paint & Eco Friendly!

These days, more than ever, Americans are increasingly aware of their ecological impact, or their "carbon footprint", and they are doing things about it. It isn't just can's and bottles anymore. America has gone green. We buy electric cars and put solar cells on houses. Most urban Houston natives recycle, in fact if you live in the city of Houston you probably have a green recycle-bin on your curb every week. And while our citizenry continues to curtail their impact on the world around them, fewer businesses are up to the challenge.


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Houston Dynamo's Cam Weaver gets his reward with goal vs. Chicago Fire

If it seemed like Cam Weaver enjoyed his goal celebration a little more than most after his 61st minute tally against the Chicago Fire it’d be understandable.

Weaver’s tap-in that contributed the Houston Dynamo’s part of a 1-1 draw with the Fire was his first MLS goal since May 28, 2011. It’s been a long wait that’s been complete with a number of shots off the post in the south end of BBVA Compass Stadium along with injuries that crop up just in time to circumvent his opportunities to play.

Saturday, however, there was nothing to stop him as he finally got his reward for the hard work his teammates see every day.

“I thought he was due for a goal,” head coach Dominic Kinnear remarked after Saturday’s draw. “I’m sure he’s frustrated at times but he was a big part of what we were trying to do tonight. He works hard every day. He wants to be on the field. He wants to make a positive impact, and tonight I’m happy for him.”

Weaver’s filled in up top as the Dynamo deal with the absences of Will Bruin, who’s been part of the Gold Cup-winning U.S. squad, and injuries to Omar Cummings and Brian Ching. While he’s not flashy, he’s put together the type of performances you’d expect. He’s held the ball up, taken the punishment – delivered his fair share – and worked to help Houston’s attack go.

For a player that personifies the team focus, it’s fitting that his tally came on a quintessential team goal where five players touched the ball in less than 20 seconds.

It started with Boniek Garcia tracking back and winning just inside the Dynamo's half. Adam Moffat then switched the ball to Corey Ashe who released the returning Brad Davis who found a streaking Weaver for the long-awaited goal.

“That’s great play from us, just wish it was the winning goal,” Moffat said. “[Weaver] would’ve been starting this year, he had a great preseason, but he got injured. It’s great for him because he works so hard in training. He just grinds away. Glad he scored and hopefully he can get plenty more.”

Weaver’s role going forward isn’t clear as Bruin is due back and Cummings is getting healthy. Having a goal under his belt, however, will serve as a confidence boost going forward. And if this season’s shown anything, it’s that, for one reason or another, his hard work will be needed on the pitch again.

“I told him when I congratulated him ‘I’m one of the most happy guys out here for you because I know how hard you work,’” center back Bobby Boswell said. “He’s a silent type. Just goes out there and does his work and goes home. He’s just ready to roll and tonight he got his goal.”

Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.


text:
Mary Gonzalez: The Lege Gets Its First Out Lesbian

Mary Gonzalez: The Legislature's second out member.
Mary Gonzalez: The Legislature's second out member.

Texas voters, even in the midst of a so-called "conservative uprising," managed to elect the first openly gay woman to the Texas House on Tuesday night.

Mary Gonzalez, to be more specific, will be both the first woman to win House District 75 in El Paso and the second openly gay candidate to secure a House seat. Gonzalez, a doctoral student at the University of Texas-Austin, beat two opponents in the Democrat primary and has no opponent in the fall.

"She didn't run as 'the gay candidate,' but she didn't avoid the topic of her personal life," wrote supporter Celia Israel, who organized a fund-raiser on Gonzalez's behalf in the more gay-friendly environs of Austin. "She was open and honest, and she worked hard to get the vote out. This is the first time in Texas history we will have a GLBT woman be represented in the Texas Legislature."

Gonzalez, who ran in an open seat against a school board member and college district trustee, will replace outgoing Rep. Chente Quintanilla, who decided to depart the House after ten years and take a run at county commissioners court.

This election cycle, Texas had a historic high of four openly gay candidates running for office, including well-known Houston gay activist Ray Hill's unsuccessful effort to unseat incumbent Rep. Garnet Coleman. Elsewhere in Houston, Democrat Ann Johnson will face conservative Rep. Sarah Davis, whose district includes West University.

Longtime Fort Worth incumbent Rep. Lon Burnam fended off gay activist Carlos Vasquez's challenge in the Democrat primary. On his Web site, former Fort Worth ISD trustee Vasquez protested that Burnam had been a well-intentioned but highly ineffective lawmaker and promised he would tout education.

The legislature has gay members, but the policy amongst the press corps has generally been of the "don't ask don't tell" variety. The last, and only, openly gay member was Austin Rep. Glen Maxey, who left the House in 2003.

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Parents Never Dreamed Sending Their Kid to Camp La Junta Would Turn into a Sexual Abuse Nightmare

Kelly didn't realize Mark was being watched by Blake Smith, the camp director, and Matthew Bovee, the counselor who was molesting him, when her son called her.
Illustration by Peter Ryan

In the story below, we incorrectly state the charges to which Matthew Bovee pleaded guilty. Bovee pleaded guilty to injury to a child, a third-degree felony.

Mark smashed his ear to the phone. Even in the crowded cafeteria, he didn't want anyone else to hear what his mom was asking. Phone calls between parents and campers weren't allowed, but Mark had sent a letter to his mom saying he wanted to come home and she'd told Blake Smith, the owner of Camp La Junta, that she would speak to her son or he would be withdrawn immediately. On the other end of the line, Kelly tried to make out Mark's voice over the clatter in the Camp La Junta cafeteria. She was across the state in Houston, but she was ready to get in the car — she wouldn't even stop to pack a bag — if her 11-year-old son confirmed her suspicion.

"Don't say anything but yes or no," she said. "Just tell me, do you want to come home? Has that counselor been touching you? Are you okay?"

She rattled off questions while in the back of her mind the thought pulsed, "Please don't let it be true. He wasn't abused. He was only homesick like they said."

"No. I was just homesick," he said quickly. "Everything's okay, Mom. I want to stay."

Kelly felt relief rush through her like a tranquilizer dart. His letter home talked about shower checks and how camp wasn't fun anymore. "Please do something," the last line read.

"I have to go, Mom. I need to get off the phone," Mark said. Maybe he said it too fast. Maybe she should have listened harder, caught the blade of fear in his voice. She had no idea that Smith, the owner of the camp, who stood to lose a lot if Mark was being abused, was standing on one side of him.

Counselor Matthew Bovee stood on the other side of Mark. Mark knew the counselor had a knife in his pocket. Mark knew Bovee was zeroing in on every word he said. Mark was sure the man would reach out and stab him right there if he told his mother what Bovee was doing to him. So he told his mom he was fine.

In July 2009 they were a normal family. Kelly was a stay-at-home mom devoted to her children and to running their spacious, quietly expensive home in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Houston. Her husband, George, had a good job in a technical field, and they had the means to provide excellent private-school educations for their children. Mark, the oldest, was a bright, happy child, a boy who got good grades and loved playing with his friends.

Kelly and George had never done the summer camp thing as kids, but other parents in their circle were sending their boys to Camp La Junta in Hunt, Texas, just outside Kerrville, and Kelly and George decided Mark should go, too. The first year had been wonderful. Mark hadn't written a word home, but he'd come bouncing out to the car when they arrived to pick him up, full of stories about horseback riding and swimming and hanging out with all his friends. Kelly pulled her car past the well-manicured entrance to Camp La Junta the second year expecting to see her son come running out with a happy grin on his face.

All the kids were gathered at the front, waving to their parents like something out of a brochure. Mark sprinted to the car and darted into the backseat. A high-pitched animal moan filled the car. Looking over her shoulder, Kelly realized it was Mark.

Ten months later Mark found the courage to tell someone he had been sexually abused by counselor Bovee. Mark's family has filed a civil suit against Smith and the camp, contending that Smith was negligent and could have prevented the abuse. They also believe Smith spread rumors about Mark and his family to try to minimize the implications of a child being sexually abused under his care. Smith and his lawyer, Ken Adams, have declined to comment for this story. (Mark's name and the names of members of his family have been changed for this article.)

There are dozens of youth summer camps across Texas. Parents send their children to these camps expecting they'll have safe, memorable summers, never dreaming they could be sending their children into the path of sexual predators.

While the Texas Department of State Health Services — the government entity that oversees all licensed youth camps in Texas — will check to see if the food is properly prepared and the bathrooms are properly stocked with antibacterial soap, when it comes to child sexual abuse, you're pretty much on your own.

Kelly and George chose Camp La Junta because it had received excellent reviews and because it was the camp that Mark's school friends attended. There are about 24 camps in Kerr County, right in the heart of the Hill Country, a bucolic place of rolling terrain where the grass, the Spanish oaks and the cypress trees are a concentrated, vibrant green, but there hadn't been much in the way of industry or money in those parts until the youth camps started popping up, most of them in the late 1920s.

It's a lucrative business, built on the idea of clean, safe summer fun. The youth camp world is very tight-knit, a place where reputation is everything and even the hint of a scandal can tarnish a camp's name and send parents running for the door. "We're just like any business. We live and die by our reputation," longtime Texas camp director Danny Dawdy said. Dawdy, the executive director of Highland Lakes Camp & Conference Center, a Baptist camp organization near Austin, argued that this means camps have a motivation to take every precaution to prevent abuse, making sure counselors are never alone with campers and that everyone is trained to notice red flags from other counselors.

From May to the end of July, families bring their children from the busy, smoggy cities in Texas and elsewhere around the country to spend a healthy summer here. It isn't a cheap endeavor — Mark's ten-day stay cost more than $2,000. The camps bring more than $24 million to the Kerr County economy, according to a 2007 study by the Kerrville Convention & Visitors Bureau. That's not counting the spillover from spending on meals, hotels and shopping by parents when they come to drop off and pick up their children. It's high tide for the Kerr County tourism business.

There's evidence this may play a part in local legal decisions, as in the lawsuit involving nearby Camp Mystic. The Kerr County jury in that case ruled in favor of the owner, Richard Eastland, despite the evidence the state district judge believed clearly showed that Eastland had been skimming money off the rest of his family for years. The judge ordered a new trial, and the case was appealed all the way to the Texas Supreme Court before the family finally settled out of court.

Bob Wynne, the Houston lawyer representing Mark's family in a civil suit filed against Smith, Camp La Junta and CLF Management Systems LLC, a Texas limited liability company registered to Smith, was concerned enough about getting a fair trial that he made sure to file in Harris County instead of Kerr County. The suit, claiming defamation and negligence, is set to be tried in Harris County beginning next fall.

In 2009, Bovee was a 20-year-old with a mop of blond hair hanging over heavy-lidded blue eyes. He was small and wiry and looked like a surfer, but he had a rigid quality that seemed a little harsh to Kelly. He had grown up near Lincoln, Nebraska, and told parents he was a former Marine and had gone to school on a wrestling scholarship. Kelly thought he came across as stern — she and the other parents immediately nicknamed him "The Marine" — but maybe that was good for kids.

Bovee didn't get along well with the other counselors, but the boys in his cabin thought he was cool because he had a knife he always carried in his pocket — sometimes he'd take it out and pretend to stab one of the kids. They'd heard him talking to another counselor about the gun he said he kept in his car. He taught the Indian hour, and he said he could show them a war dance he'd taught at one of the neighboring camps.

Bovee was strict about showers. The counselors conducted shower checks to make sure the boys actually washed. The other counselors would lean over and sniff a boy's head for the presence of shampoo, but Bovee stood just outside the shower door to inspect each kid as he walked out. Bovee would smell the boys' hair, then put his hands under their arms and behind their knees.

Mark came back a different person. He refused to get off the couch, and fought with his siblings and all his friends. He only picked at his food during meals, and soon he was rail-thin with dark shadows under his eyes. He couldn't always sleep at night, and when he did he was plagued by nightmares and woke up in the dark convinced Bovee was there waiting for him and preparing to kill him and his entire family. For months he whispered the truth only in the ear of the family dog, late at night after he woke up from another bad dream.

His parents were so concerned, they found him a therapist. He was in her office playing a card game when he finally told her what had happened. The therapist called Kelly in from the waiting room. Mark had something to tell her, she said.

Mark eventually told the therapist — and later a forensic interviewer — that Bovee started by putting his hands behind Mark's knees, but then he began sliding his hand further up underneath the towel Mark was wrapped in after he finished washing. One night, he made Mark take six showers. Bovee checked him after each shower, sliding his hands over Mark's butt and touching and pulling on his penis. Once he slid a finger into Mark's anus. Bovee would look the boy in the eye and smile while he did these things to him.

Sitting in the therapist's office almost a year later, Mark told his mom what had happened at camp. Kelly listened to him and tears ran down her face, but she'd known it all along, she realized. It was right there in front of her, but she hadn't wanted to see it, had willed it not to be true.

"I should have come to pick you up. I'm sorry. I feel like I failed you," she said.

Mark dropped his head and looked away.

"You did," he said.

That same summer, Camp Stewart, one of the oldest camps in the area, located down the road from La Junta, had a case of abuse. Counselor Scott Zirus was charged with and eventually convicted of sexual abuse. When the story broke, Smith sent an email out to all Camp La Junta parents with the point of the message in bold letters: "Camp La Junta is NOT the camp involved."

Smith's letters to parents took on a different tone when he was writing about his own camp after police started investigating Bovee in May 2010. First the letters went to Mark's parents and to the parents of everyone else in Cabin 6, reassuring them in soothing language that he had everything under control. In every letter sent out about Bovee before his conviction, Smith wrote that the camp stood firmly behind the victim, but he usually noted that the abuse claim was just an accusation or that Bovee was maintaining his innocence.

After Bovee was arrested in fall 2010, Smith sent out a letter to every parent of a child who had had Bovee as a counselor, including Mark's parents, declaring that after a thorough investigation, he was sure their son was not the boy who had been molested. The lawyer and Mark's parents say Smith never sent a letter informing parents that Bovee was convicted of endangerment to a child in a deal with the assistant district attorney. Bovee was required to abide by sex-offender rules — no contact with children and no alcohol, firearms, pornography or unmonitored access to a computer — and would be on probation for ten years, but he would never have to register as a sex offender.

Sexual abuse of a child can shape much of how that child grows up and sees the world, Megan Mooney, a psychologist who specializes in this type of trauma at the DePelchin Children's Center in Houston, said. An abuser will start out by grooming a child, doing things to earn the child's trust and touching him or her in increasingly inappropriate ways as the predator closes in. "The special attention often feels good, but when it crosses that boundary over into sexually explicit behavior, they can get confused," Mooney said. "Children's brains aren't designed to understand that."

According to Mooney, the effects of abuse are wide-ranging, depending on the severity of the abuse and how long it lasted, with many victims blaming themselves and believing there was something they did that made the abuse happen. "Unfortunately, sexual abuse is often perpetrated by someone a child knows. That can make it even more devastating if it was an adult that was supposed to be someone who they knew and trusted and who was supposed to care for them," Mooney said. The immediate aftermath of abuse can show up in behavior, changes in how victims interact with friends, in how they do in school, she said. They might show a lot of anxiety and fear and start having nightmares, she noted. A trigger in the memory — specific settings, sounds, smells, someone who looks like the abuser — can leave victims panicked and watchful, she said. "They become very worried about future relationships and about trusting people in the future, because someone they were supposed to be able to trust abused them."

This can also persist through the years as victims mature and develop. "We always try and prepare kids and teens and their parents to watch out for coming developmental stages and further anxieties," Mooney said. "It can be difficult to form the levels of emotional and sexual intimacy. Some kids are extraordinarily afraid and fearful, while others are too free."

People can get past it, Mooney said. In those first days, it's key that when the child speaks out about abuse, people believe him or her. "Someone has done something horrible to this child, so they need to feel loved and supported and believed," she said. Support and connections that are healthy with family and friends will do a lot to help counter the effects of abuse, she said. "People can get past sexual abuse, and the wonderful thing about children is they are very resilient, but it takes work," Mooney said.

That was what John, a Houston man, was worrying about just after he learned his son had been abused in 2004 at Camp Balcones Springs in Marble Falls. It was the final day of camp, and all the children and their parents were there for the closing ceremonies, held in a field. The sun glittered down, and the light was so sharp and clear it hurt John's eyes. He looked around at all the families and wondered at the odds that the abuse had happened to his son. Feeling helpless, he started looking for something to do about it.

The criminal case went to trial, though it had to be retried in a different county after the jury deadlocked. Once John knew the counselor was safely in prison, he started looking at the law. The concept of laws protecting children from sexual abuse at all is quite new — it's been around only since the 1970s. However, John learned there was almost no legislation governing summer camps in Texas or most other states. The Texas Department of State Health Services oversees the camps, and at the time that meant making sure they followed health codes so children wouldn't catch diseases. But there was nothing about sexual abuse in the camps, or even anything about training counselors to watch for the red flags that could indicate a predator in their midst.

He kept his name out of it to protect his son, but John (not his real name) lobbied and testified before the state legislature in support of such a law. After he'd spent four years meeting with politicians and negotiating with youth camp lobbyists in Austin, a law was passed. It wasn't much — counselors are now required to take a class and pass a 25-question test on appropriate and inappropriate interactions between counselors and campers. It's a relatively weak piece of legislation, but it makes Texas one of only a few states that have any laws at all covering summer camps.

But even the training isn't a surefire guard against abuse, said Britt Darwin-Looney, vice president of youth development services with Praesidium, a Dallas-based company that specializes in training organizations to guard against abuse. Summer camps appeal to predators because working at them can be the equivalent of a wolf being asked to guard the flock. If they're young, they're less likely to have a record that will come up in a background check, she said. There's no way guaranteed to keep them out, but training counselors to speak up when they see something and preventing situations in which a camper is alone with a counselor can help, she said. "It's better to report a creepy feeling about a counselor than to be sitting across from someone asking you why you said nothing," she said.

From the moment Mark's family reported the abuse, they started living a double life. Kelly was boiling with anger. Blake Smith had assured her repeatedly that there was nothing to the letter Mark had sent home, and she and her husband believed him. She pulled out the letter and read it over night after night. "Please do something," the last line read. She couldn't change what had happened, but she could make sure justice was served.

Rumors started circulating among the parents. Kelly got very good at keeping a neutral expression on her face when a mother would tell her that she had it on good authority from Smith that there was nothing to the allegations of abuse. "I made a point of never lying, but I would just nod and tell them they might want to get their child checked out anyway," she says, remembering. "I would say things like, 'I just pray for that little boy, whoever he is,'" she said. Playing at his friends' houses, Mark overheard parents talking about the case, assuring each other that the child who had accused Bovee was a liar with emotional problems. He stopped hanging out with most of his camp friends.

Watching her son struggle to cope with what he'd been through, Kelly promised herself she would make things right. She had started doing research on Bovee, trying to get an idea of who the man was who had changed her family. Now she began digging into his past. Using the Freedom of Information Act, she obtained case files and court documents, and then she went even further, making calls across Texas and the rest of the country and sifting through social media to try to put the man together.

He was from a little town in Nebraska. That much was true, but almost everything else — his time as a Marine, the full scholarship for wrestling to the University of Nebraska — was a lie. Kelly learned he'd been fired in 2008 from Camp Rio Vista, located just five miles down the road from Camp La Junta.

Kelly put together a binder six inches thick, carefully organizing it with her notes, photos, printouts and everything else she could find. She has pages and pages of information on Bovee. When she starts talking about what happened to Mark, she turns the pages with a sharp flip, anger filling her normally gentle voice.

As the investigation unfolded, Bovee was indicted and charged with sexual assault of a child and endangerment to a child. As Kelly pieced together the picture, she realized that Smith had taken Bovee at face value. In fact, he had hired and vouched for Bovee while he was little more than a stranger. When Smith told her in July 2009 that Bovee was a senior counselor and a trusted member of the staff, he neglected to mention that he was considering letting Bovee out of his contract early because of his fights with other counselors and because Smith found out most of Bovee's backstory was a lie.

Although Smith told Kelly no one had reported any concerns about Bovee's shower checks, a counselor who worked with Bovee told police he had said something to Scott Fineske, the second-in-command at La Junta, questioning the shower checks. The counselor also mentioned that he'd noticed Bovee took four to six showers a day, so he and the other counselors figured that meant Bovee was masturbating.

When the case went to trial in May 2011 and it was Kelly's turn to testify, the then-assistant district attorney for Kerr County, Brad McCullouch, warned her not to run down the camp when she got on the stand, because Smith had a lot of friends on the jury, which never finished its work because a plea agreement was reached during its deliberations. Bovee, dressed in a too-big suit, wouldn't look at her while she testified, but Kelly glared at him every moment she was in the courtroom.

Mark faced Bovee in court, telling him he hadn't been destroyed and that Bovee should be a real man and confess about the other children he had hurt so they could be lucky enough to receive the treatment and help Mark had gotten. But Mark and his family are still working on recovering from this. It's important to his family and important to Mark that the truth come out. "This did happen, and it probably happened to other kids and the camp covered it up. They called [Mark] a liar and they covered it up," George said.

Bovee is in prison now — not because he was sentenced for sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy but because he simply couldn't stay off unmonitored computers or keep away from Facebook (where he was sending friend requests to children, including some of the boys from Cabin 6). He couldn't not drink alcohol or avoid firing a firearm. He refused to wear a monitoring device on his leg, and he was found to be living within 500 feet of a school. Bovee had moved to Travis County, but officials there were so frustrated with him that they handed responsibility back to Kerr County. Eventually, when the list of infractions grew long enough, Bovee was sent to prison for nine years. He is expected to be up for parole in April 2015.

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Mass Production?

Last week, I was a little ball of stress because I was working on some product submissions for a contest I entered, and it was all very frustrating and time consuming. If I win the contest (there are 36 winners), a company will buy tons of my stuff and sell it, so that would make me a nice chunk of change. Let's keep our fingers crossed. You can preview the products now via the store link on my website.

Since I worked so hard last week, I allowed myself to indulge in my weekend fully. There was an opening, parties, a puppet show (don't ask...), the Top, 5 minute cake, dancing to Shakira, peeking in the bedrooms of strangers, mudslides, a quick lesson on belly dancing, and yelling at the TV because I rented a whole bunch of Six Feet Under Season 3 DVDs and just don't agree with Nate's relationship decisions. I get very passionate when it comes to that show, and you should too.

  1. LOVED Six Feet Under! In fact I'm taking a mortuary science class this semester because the field becons me!

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Friday, 14 April 2017

How To Set Your blogger blog comments settings

You can oversee who can remark/comment and what sorts of remarks/comment readers can leave on your blog entries in Blogger. There is no restriction to the quantity of remarks you can have in a post.

To Set Your blogger blog Comments settings:

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[1] Sign into Blogger.

[2] Select the blog you want to do the settings.

[3] In the left menu, select Settings > Posts, comments and sharing.

Set your comments area, who can comment/remark on your posts, and different settings:.

[4] Select Embedded, to permit you or perusers to react to different remarks on the post.

In "Who Can Comment," select Registered User to turn on remarking with OpenID and different records.

[5] Pick how regularly to support comments/remarks with Comment Moderation.

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Click Save settings.

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Sunday, April 30, 2017

Redstone Arsenal

Redstone Arsenal is a 38,000-acre federal research, development, test and engineering center and is home to the Army’s missile, aviation and missile defense programs, the Missile Defense Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency and NATO’s MEADS program. Redstone is the principal location for Army materiel management, logistics and foreign military sales. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is also headquartered at Redstone. Arsenal agencies and program offices currently employ more than 37,000 people who manage more than $50 billion in annual federal budgets.

Redstone is home to more than 60 different federal organizations and contractor operations. Listed below are several of the larger commands, agencies and offices located on Redstone.

U.S. Army Materiel Command

AMC is an Army Major Command responsible for materiel readiness including technology, acquisition support, materiel development, logistics power projection and sustainment. The Command’s missions range from development of weapon systems and research to maintenance and distribution of parts and supplies.

U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command

AMCOM provides support to joint warfighters and allies to ensure aviation and missile system readiness for combat operations. The Command is responsible for the development, acquisition and fielding of aviation and missile systems and the integration of aviation and missile technology.

U.S. Army Security Assistance Command

USASAC supports the national security strategy through the management of Army security assistance programs including annual foreign military sales of more than $10 billion to approximately 140 allied countries, friendly nations and multinational organizations.

U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center

AMRDEC is the Army’s focal point for providing research, development and engineering technology and services for aviation and missile platforms. AMRDEC manages and conducts research, exploratory and advanced development, and provides one-stop lifecycle engineering and scientific support for aviation and missile systems and UAV platforms.

Program Executive Office – Missiles & Space

The PEO Missiles and Space provides centralized management for all Army tactical and air defense missile programs and selected Army space programs.

Program Executive Office – Aviation

PEO Aviation is responsible for life-cycle management of all Army aircraft, to include development, acquisition, testing, systems integration, product improvements, production, fielding, and logistical support. Aircraft systems include the Apache Helicopter, Cargo Helicopter, Utility Helicopter, Armed Scout Helicopter, Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Fixed Wing.

Redstone Test Center

RTC specializes in line-of-sight missile and rocket testing, guidance system testing, optical and electro optical systems, air-armament component tests and electromagnetic environmental effects testing of aircraft systems. RTC is the designated DOD lighting effects tester for explosive ordnance and munitions. RTC also tests and certifies all modifications to aircraft in the Army aviation inventory.

U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense Command

SMDC provides research, technology integration for space, missile defense, cyber and directed energy systems and related technologies for the U.S. Army.

Missile Defense Agency

MDA is a Department of Defense agency that facilitates the development and integration of multi-service capabilities into seamless theater and national missile defense systems. The majority of the Agency is based at Redstone.

Defense Intelligence Agency – Missile & Space Intelligence Center

MSIC is an intelligence organization charged with producing scientific and technological intelligence on adversary surface-to-air missiles and ballistic missile systems and directed energy systems. This intelligence includes characteristics, capabilities and limitations of foreign military systems.

Army Contracting Command

ACC supports the warfighter worldwide through the acquisition of goods and services vital to the soldier’s mission and well-being.

Expeditionary Contracting Command

ECC is responsible for expeditionary contracting across all military operations for Army Service Component Commanders and the Joint Warfighter and support to Army and other federal agencies at installations overseas.

Marshall Space Flight Center

Marshall is one of NASA’s largest field centers, occupying more than 1,800 acres on Redstone Arsenal. The center employs approximately 6,000 people, approximately 2,500 civil service and 3,500 contractor employees, with an annual budget of approximately $2.6 billion. MSFC has the program and project lead responsibility for development of the nation’s next heavy lift vehicle that will enable continued US exploration of deep space.

Federal Aerospace/Defense Impact

Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Cummings Research Park are the premier locations for many of the most prestigious defense and civil space programs.

Commands based at Redstone manage the entire portfolio of Army materiel activity. Major and subordinate Army commands have responsibility for key missile, missile defense and aviation programs, as well as management of all Army foreign military sales and Army contracting. The Marshall Space Flight Center is responsible for the development of NASA’s next launch vehicle and a wide variety of space science and astrophysics programs.

NASA and Army facilities at MSFC and Redstone have been made available for use by private companies on a selective basis. Most recently, Raytheon located its production facility for SM3 and SM6 missiles at Redstone.

Federal Agency spending – 2013

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Missile Defense Agency - Huntsville/Redstone Activities

U.S. Army Materiel Command

U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command

U.S. Army Program Executive Office - Missile & Space

U.S. Army Program Executive Office - Aviation

Integrated Materiel Management Center

U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command

U.S. Army Engineers & Support Center

U.S. Army Security Assistance Command

U.S. Army Contracting Command

2nd Recruting Brigade

Redstone Test Center

Logistics Support Activity LOGSA

U.S. Army Garrison

Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center

Missile & Space Intelligence Center Defense Intelligence Agency


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Nov 18, 2012 | 1665 views | 1 1 comments | 6 6 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Private funeral services have been held for Audrey Leaycraft, 83, of Weehawken. She passed away Oct. 27. She was born in Jersey City and lived for many years in Weehawken. She was a controller for Noville Fragrance Co. in North Bergen and the International China Co. in Secaucus for many years before retiring. She was the wife of the late Fredrick Leaycraft and the mother of Helen Raiani, Fredrick Leaycraft and the late Pamela Lombardi. She was also the grandmother of Alfred Lombardi Richard and Jamie Raiani. Services arranged by the Leber Funeral Home, Union City.
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Peggy Campbell Tierc
September 30, 2015
Just a fond remembrance from 1970 through 1972, when my husband, baby daughter and myself were tenants of Audrey and Frederick. I am currently writing my memoirs and recollected the 1st real "home" I ever had as a young wife and new mother. It was on Fulton Street, in Weehawken, New Jersey. Fred and Audrey Leaycraft were our landlords and they were very kind and generous, and the best first landlords a young married couple could ever want. I am many years late, but wanted to say, "Rest in peace, Dear Audrey and Frederick, and thank you - you are remembered in the kindest of ways."


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Ontario's 2012 Budget: "Meh."

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If you ever want to see photographic proof of the world revolving around Ontario, I highly advise checking out this charming video from the Toronto Star. "We're inside the Ontario budget lock-up," announces Queen's Park bureau chief Robert Benzie, as the camera pans to reveal an oak-lined holding pen so impossibly packed with reporters that even a full panoramic shot can't possibly hope to capture them all.

A little self-indulgent, perhaps, but still great news for a Canadian press-watcher, since it practically guarantees anyone who's anyone in our nation's wonderfully Ontario-centric media establishment will have lots of feisty things to say. Folks tend to get most riled up about the mess in their own backyard, after all.

And lo, what a mess it is! In the words of Jeffrey Simpson, the decade-long decline of Ontario from the sleek, well-oiled province that bails others out and acts as the corporate engine of Confederation to $214-billion-in-hock, perennially deficit-saddled, equalization-hogging rust bucket may be "the most fundamental shift of economic strength within Canada since oil was discovered in Alberta."

Expectations were thus fairly high this week that Premier Dalton McGuinty and his loveable understudy, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, would finally show some signs of appreciating the sheer magnitude of the fiscal dilemma facing their province, after having spent the majority of their tenure somewhat... indifferent. Or, as the Toronto Sun unambiguously put it: "McGuinty, having spent the province into a black hole since 2003, now assures us he can get us out of his mess."

Yet to say the premier's budget -- which promises balanced books by 2017 -- received a tepid response from the pundit-ocracy is to grossly exaggerate its warmth. The National Post and Globe and Mail, for instance, clearly fought an all-out arms race to see who could come up with the most nonchalant endorsement headline (Post: "Better than Nothing;" Globe: "At Least It's a Start").

In a word, the mainstream consensus was "meh."

We can blame at least some of the frosty reception on an excessive abundance of foreplay. Even way out here in Vancouver I've heard reverent murmurs about a sacred document known as the Drummond Report, which is, from what I've been able to gather, some manner of holy budget-balancing instruction manual that descended from the heavens straight into Premier McGuinty's lap sometime last month. It whispered to cut pointless spending. And fire superfluous teachers. And restructure the health care system. It was like getting the answer key on test day! Things couldn't be easier for the Liberals, right?

Or not! Andrew Coyne says the McGuinty budget "seems to go out of its way to thumb its nose at Drummond," and perhaps predictably, since the oracle called for dumping a lot of wasteful pet projects -- like all-day daycare and electricty subsidies -- that were particularly near and dear to the Premier's heart.

Economic journalism is so dry it tends to provoke a lot of good metaphors to liven things up, and Coyne talks about how McGuinty's budget was too cowardly to even lance the "lowest of the low-hanging fruit" of state largess, while the editorial board of the Ottawa Citizen observes bitterly how the government's "sacred cows continue to graze contentedly."

Of course, the world looks a little different to our friends on the left. Where conservative John Ivision sees a "Vanilla Revolution," Adam Radwanski at the Globe sees "a sharp rightward turn with the toughest budget [Ontario] has seen in a generation." Over at the Toronto Star, Thomas Walkom says this whole business of deficit-cutting is basically just "Herbert Hoover" economics. Both Walkom and Ivision agree, however, that the budget's heaviest toll will disproportionately fall upon rural Ontarians, whose schools and hospitals and prions and horse tracks will be shut down, and who also don't tend to vote Liberal very often, which is kind of a fun coincidence.

For all his fiscal failings, there is a case to be made that poor Premier McGuinty is merely a product of Canada's larger civic culture, which increasingly does not reward (and indeed, actively demonizes) risk-takers, creative thinkers, and bold visions. It makes an obsessively moderated approach to problem solving -- which is, as the Citizen put it, "more about tweaking than it is about making fundamental change" -- the inevitably uninspired outcome, and guarantees our country's most serious problems will be oft-lamented, but rarely close to being solved.

By keeping their complaints airy, abstract, and cynical, the press enables this smallness of thinking as much as anyone. Even the conservative pundits, despite their bluster about McGuinty's cowardice and butt-covering, haven't been particularly forthright in identifying which of Ontario's vast constellation of beloved social programs they'd be salivating to slash or privatize if given the chance.

It's for this reason that Jeffrey Simpson deserves kudos for being one of the province's few commentators to actually suggest an alternate course of action amidst his pooh-poohing. Granted, he just wants to hike everyone's taxes, but hey, at least it's something.

CORRECTION: The blog previously stated the Ontario budget video was shot by the Toronto Sun. It was in fact the Toronto Star.


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02/11/2013 07:16 am ET | Updated Apr 13, 2013

Lone Mountain Ranch, Montana's Cross Country Ski Paradise

The pine branches gently grazed my jacket sleeves as we swooshed through the treelined trails blanketed with unbroken, fluffy snow that covered our skis and boots. As it approached noon, grey January skies gave way to occasional bright spots and calm winds turned a bit pushy. In the distance, an indistinguishable muffled sound broke the calm silence echoing in Montana's Yellowstone National Park.

We followed Drew McCarthy, a seasoned Nordic ski racer, environmental educator, and our guide from Lone Mountain Ranch, in a tidy line - as six ducks would follow their Mom - along the undulating backcountry ski route. Nearly an hour later, the din turned to thunderous gushing at the base of a 200-foot cobalt blue frozen waterfall. Bold and beautiful, Fairy Falls elicited oohs and aahs as we clicked photos and admired its splendor.

So as not to get chilly, we quickly continued through the snowy woods toward our lunch destination. Tucking under branches and stepping over jutting stumps, we zipped past steamy, gurgling mud pots - that can heat up to 180 degree - and caught a glimpse of puffing Excelsior geyser. Upon arrival at Spray geyser, we took off our skis and huddled along its warm, misty flanks.

As wide-eyed as a kid at a magic show, we nibbled our trail mix and sandwiches, mesmerized by the "very active" geyser inhaling surrounding cloudy mist with uber-vacuum deft and then spoof! Erupting with surging, sprouting spray and hot, steamy fog that engulfed us with momentarily blindness and giggly entertainment.

Our lunch stop was the halfway point of a snowcoach backcountry ski tour, offered by Lone Mountain Ranch, in Big Sky, MT, which is about a 50-miles to the entrance of Yellowstone Park.

Earlier that morning, our posse piled into a snowcoach - picture a tank on skis - which is the only way, other than a snowmobile, to access this interior part of the park between November and late-March. During the hour ramble into the park's underbelly, we passed a herd of furry Bison, two coyotes and a Bald Eagle perched atop a branch high above the rambling river where Trumpeter Swans and ducks paddled to keep their position in the frigid, flowing water.

This was my third and final day as a guest at Lone Mountain Ranch, where I was cross-country and backcountry skiing with my New York City kayaking pal Joe Calto. A former lawyer, Joe prematurely retired and has been a seasonal resident in Big Sky for the past two winters. Prior to that he spent four Christmas vacations at the Ranch.

Its warm, welcoming vibe that makes you feel like family may partly explain the uncanny loyalty from Ranch guests and staff. Guests wear powder blue buttons noting their name, dates of stay and the number of years visiting Lone Mountain Ranch. Mine was "1." Then there was Gordon Goldsmith, a doctor from Iowa City, Iowa, who I met at dinner one night. His button boasted "32." The staff wears white round buttons. "We think the buttons foster a feeling of community here at the Ranch," says PJ Wirchansky, who has worked at the Ranch for 18 seasons and is now director of sales and marketing. "We want everyone to be on a first name basis with each other - whether it is crew or guests, we want everyone to feel like family."

Upon check-in guests also receive a colorful Nalgene bottle to stay hydrated at the 6,600 feet elevation - mine was Popsicle orange - and a mini-flashlight to find your cabin at night. I stayed in the Ouzel cabin, named after a local blackbird. A quaint, wooden cottage made from lodge pole pine taken from the property, it had a stunning view of the mountain and a coveted, cozy fireplace.

On my first morning, I trekked through the frigid 10-degree chill to meet Joe for a hearty breakfast of eggs, oatmeal, fresh fruit and wonderful baked goods crafted by Clint Wagoner, renowned for his delicious way with dough.

Later that morning, we joined Denise Wade, the Nordic and Trails Director at Lone Mountain Ranch who has been on staff for 20 years, to classic ski some of her favorite trails. With nearly 85km of meticulously trails groomed classic and skate skiing trails, Lone Mountain Ranch is skiing paradise offering endless options.

The sun quickly warmed things - as did chasing Joe's butt while struggling to keep my skis in the carved out rails along the wooded trails. Joe led us. Just like our kayaking days on the Hudson River, without warning, he sneakily sprinted away. It was good to see the mellow mountain lifestyle had not dulled trickster ways. I chased him for nearly a half hour, playing cat and mouse until we were both red faced, sweaty, out of breath and ready for a hot lunch.

Refueled and rearing to go, we swapped our classic gear for skate skiing gear at the shop - fully stocked with top-of-the-line rental equipment and very cute clothing. Drew, who is originally from Anchorage, Alaska, guided us for an afternoon skate ski, which is my preference. With ballet dancer grace, he swished up the hill. I staggered like a drunk duck, awkwardly stepping ski heel to arch, desperately planting my poles for power and leverage, until my triceps softly ached.

The glistening snow was delightfully grippy and we caught good rhythm on the level ledge, winding along the mountainside with a breathtaking of view of 11,253 feet Lone Peak Mountain across the way. We explored the web of twisty turny trails until we lost afternoon sun and apre' ski was calling.

Wine and bruschetta was the happy hour theme. The wine director Kelly Star, a graduate of the Intensive Sommelier program at the French Culinary Institute in Campbell, California, has built a lovely wine program. While young and upcoming chef George Peirce, sources local produce and protein, giving his personal twist on flavorful farm-to-fork cooking.

At dinner, we sat with Dr. Sharon Ogawa and Dr. Bruce Bank, from Chicago, and their 21-year old daughter Caroline. Lone Mountain Ranch has been their annual family getaway since Caroline was seven. "There's a sort of detox of the mind that takes place at the Ranch." Says Caroline, who is a senior at Yale and typically splits her time in Montana cross country skiing and downhill skiing at nearby Big Sky and Moonlight Basin. "There's nothing quite like going on a long ski and stopping and hearing nothing but wind blowing through the trees."

Offering rustic charm with attention to detail, Lone Mountain Ranch has held onto its cowboy roots while staying contemporary. Once a working cattle, horse and hay cutting ranch, Lone Mountain Ranch, dates back to 1915. Many of the original cabins, barns, corrals and fence lines still remain. After trading hands several times, in 1977 the Ranch was put on the bidding block to a buyer with the best proposal for the 160-acre property.

Bob and Vivian Schaap won the bid, proposing to reposition the land into Montana's only multi-seasonal ranch. Offering trail horseback riding, hiking, fly-fishing, and much more in the warm months it transforms into a snowy playground for cross country ski enthusiasts all winter-long.

The Schaaps also created the Ranch's signature Sleigh Ride Dinner. A step back in time, half-dozen wooden sleds are hitched to teams of 2,000-pound draft horses and pulled up a moonlit, snowy trail to the lantern illuminated North Fork Cabin. Diners sip wine, savor prime rib dinner cooked on a century year old wood stove and singing-along with local folksinger Bruce Anfinson.

Late last year, Bob and Karen Foster, a delightful, engaging couple who are essentially hospitality royalty, took over as General Manager and Manager. Prior to taking the reins at Lone Mountain Ranch, they operated their family's 4-diamond guest ranch in Colorado for 38 years. "Most of our friends thought we would retire after leaving the guest ranch in Colorado." Notes Bob. "Two major reason why we wanted to continue: People and Service. We were not ready to withdrawal from these two influences and motivators in our life."

My second morning was spent backcountry skiing in a remote corner of Yellowstone Park. I led, swishing across quilts of freshly fallen snow deep in the barren white, tree-peppered forest. Our guide Martha Crocker, a lifetime skier who also volunteers for Disabled USSA races and Special Olympics, pointed out singed, sinewy trees that burnt in the massive forest fire in 1988 and shallow rabbit and rodent paw prints dotting the sparkly snow. We were the only people for miles and the brilliant sprawling meadows of undisturbed white fluffy snow looked like clouds turned upside down. I savored the clean, crisp mountain air and stark silence - a rare treat for this New Yorker.

At lunch, Joe told me about the "Brewski" that he and two Lone Mountain Ranch friends concocted three years earlier, which has become a weekly tradition. It starts with a two-mile ski from the Ranch to Lone Peak Brewery for pints of local suds and snacks. When skiing is no longer an option, a Lone Mountain Ranch staff member shuttles guests back for dinner. It sounded pretty great! So, after lunch, Joe and I hit the trails for an unofficial "Brewski" in the freshly falling snow. We skate skied for a few hours, ending at Lone Peak Brewery where Joe and I toasted with refreshing amber ale and fish tacos. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day!