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I’m from Morgantown, WV. Today on the ballot is a bond levy to fund the “Renaissance Academy” which is a $150 million dollar (magnet?) school focusing on STEM career paths for high school students. In their pitch they keep referring to it as a “sister school” to the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus in Denver. I just wanted to know if anyone has attended or had family/friends who attended the school has an opinion on the worthiness of it and the communities thoughts about it. There is a lot of resistance to it here stating that we should be funding our existing schools and not pouring massive amounts of money into a new school. A lot of people think the general plan is shady and not sustainable. The counter point is that WV is 50th in education and these type of schools (which this would be the first in the state) can help turn that around. The county it is being built in though has two of the top 3 public high schools in the state. TIA for the opinions

With the EA Sports College Football 25 cover being released this Thursday, I thought it would be interesting to look back at all covers — and not just the EA covers, but the athletes featured on covers of rival games by Sony, Sega, and other competitors.
Competition is a good thing. Putting these in chronological order takes me back to the era where there were options (I bought my first game in the '90s, and played a lot of 2k2).
If you count the 2 players that are identifiable off of "College Football USA 96" there have been 36 cover athletes across 34 editions of college football games (plus an active coach, mascot, two band members, and an unidentified player)
This post is going to look cleaner in "old" view. You can swap the "www" with "old" in the URL or just click here.

Year	Publisher	Game Title (image)	Cover Athlete (wiki)	Heisman?	Formats	Notes
1993	EA Sports	Bill Walsh College Football	STAN Coach Bill Walsh	N/A	Sega Genesis, SNES, Sega CD	No licenses so generic names/logos
1994	EA Sports	Bill Walsh College Football '95	STAN Coach Bill Walsh	N/A	Sega Genesis	Schools licensed now
1994	Mindscape	NCAA Football	NCAA Logo over generic players	N/A	Sega Genesis, SNES
1994	Sega Sports	College Football's National Championship	ND Notre Dame Stadium	N/A	Sega Genesis
1995	EA Sports	College Football USA 96	KSU¦MICH¦FSU¦WIS¦USC "Generic" photos*	No	Sega Genesis	see below*
1995	Sega Sports	College Football's National Championship II	COL Folsom Field	No	Sega Genesis
1996	EA Sports	College Football USA 97	NEB QB Tommie Frazier	No	Sega Genesis, SNES	1st true cover athlete
1996	Sony	NCAA Football Gamebreaker	OSU RB Eddie George	HEISMAN!	PS1	1st Heisman winner on cover
1997	EA Sports	NCAA Football 98	FLA QB Danny Wuerffel	HEISMAN!	PS1, PC
1997	Sony	NCAA Gamebreaker 98	FSU RB Warrick Dunn	No	PS1
1998	EA Sports	NCAA Football 99	MICH CB Charles Woodson	HEISMAN!	PS1, PC	1st of 2 defensive players ever
1998	Sony	NCAA GameBreaker 99	NEB QB Scott Frost	No	PS1	1st future head coach
1999	EA Sports	NCAA Football 2000	TEX RB Ricky Williams	HEISMAN!	PS1
1999	Sony	NCAA GameBreaker 2000	UCLA QB Cade McNown	No	PS1
2000	EA Sports	NCAA Football 2001	ALA RB Shaun Alexander	No	PS1
2000	Sony	NCAA GameBreaker 2001	WIS RB Ron Dayne	HEISMAN!	PS1, PS2	1st 6th generation console game
2001	EA Sports	NCAA Football 2002	FSU QB Chris Weinke	HEISMAN!	PS2
2001	Sega Sports	NCAA College Football 2K2	PUR QB Drew Brees	No	DC
2002	EA Sports	NCAA Football 2003	ORE QB Joey Harrington	No	PS2, GC, Xbox
2002	Sony	NCAA GameBreaker 2003	MIA RB Clinton Portis	No	PS2	[Sony skipped 2002]
2002	Sega Sports	NCAA College Football 2K3	NEB QB Eric Crouch	HEISMAN!	PS2, GC, Xbox
2003	EA Sports	NCAA Football 2004	USC QB Carson Palmer	HEISMAN!	PS2, GC, Xbox, N-Gage	1st handheld on Nokia's disastrous system
2003	Sony	NCAA GameBreaker 2004	PSU RB Larry Johnson	No	PS2
2004	EA Sports	NCAA Football 2005	PITT WR Larry Fitzgerald	No	PS2, GC, Xbox
2005	EA Sports	NCAA Football 06	MICH WR Desmond Howard		PS2, Xbox	1991's Heisman
2006	EA Sports	NCAA Football 07	USC RB Reggie Bush	HEISMAN!	PS2, Xbox, 360, PSP
2007	EA Sports	NCAA Football 08	BOISE QB Jared Zabransky	No	360, PS3, PS2, Xbox
2007	Aspyr	Black College Football: BCFX: The Xperience	Generic player, cheerleader, drum major	No	PC, 360 (2009)	HBCU teams
2008	EA Sports	NCAA Football 09	CAL WR DeSean Jackson	No	PS2	Multi-cover
2008	EA Sports	NCAA Football 09	BC QB Matt Ryan	No	PS3	Multi-cover
2008	EA Sports	NCAA Football 09	WVU FB Owen Schmitt	No	PSP	Multi-cover
2008	EA Sports	NCAA Football 09	MSU mascot Sparty	No	Wii	Multi-cover
2008	EA Sports	NCAA Football 09	ARK RB Darren McFadden	No	360	Multi-cover
2009	EA Sports	NCAA Football 10	TEX LB Brian Orakpo	No	PS2	Multi-cover; 2 of 2 defenders
2009	EA Sports	NCAA Football 10	UTAH QB Brian Johnson	No	PS3	Multi-cover
2009	EA Sports	NCAA Football 10	USC QB Mark Sanchez	No	PSP	Multi-cover
2009	EA Sports	NCAA Football 10	TTU WR Michael Crabtree	No	360	Multi-cover
2010	EA Sports	NCAA Football 11	FLA QB Tim Tebow	HEISMAN!	PS3, 360, PS2, iOS
2011	EA Sports	NCAA Football 12	ALA RB Mark Ingram II	HEISMAN!	PS3, 360	Fan-vote cover athlete
2012	EA Sports	NCAA Football 13	BAY QB Robert Griffin III & OKST RB Barry Sanders	YES!	PS3, 360	Fan-vote for older athlete
2013	EA Sports	NCAA Football 14	MICH Denard Robinson	No	PS3, 360	Fan-vote cover athlete
2024	EA Sports	EA Sports College Football 25	TBD	TBD	PS5, Xbox Series X/S

*Photos on College Football USA 96 cover are USC Trojan drum major, a Wisconsin band member, unidentified Florida State player (zoomed in on helmet), but also easily identified K-State WR Kevin Lockett & Michigan RB Tim Biakabutuk (both played in '95 season after this came out)

Various developers:

EA Sports's developers:

• High Score Productions (1993: Genesis, Sega CD; 1994-96)
• Visual Concepts (1993: SNES)
• Tiburon Entertainment (1997-98), bought/renamed EA Tiburon (1999-2013), renamed EA Orlando (2024)
• Exient Entertainment (2003: N-Gage)

Sega Sports's developers:

• BlueSky Software (1994-95) [developers of Joe Montana series]
• Visual Concepts & Avalanche Software (2001-02) [NFL 2K & NFL Blitz, respectively]

Sony Computer Entertainment America's developers:

• Sony Interactive Studios America (1996-97), renamed Red Zone Interactive (1998-99), renamed 989 Studios (2000)

Aspyr Media's developer:

• Nerjyzed Entertainment (2007: Windows; 2009: 360)

Further notes:

Bill Walsh was picked because there was an early-theme of having big names on sports video games.

• EA actually started this back when they were the cool, bad boy of games in the 1980s (I'm that old, they packaged their games like records and put photos of their programmers that made them look like musicians on the back) with the pioneering PC game One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird (1983), later updated to Jordan vs. Bird: One on One (1988).
• Nintendo got into it by localizing Punch-Out! as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (1987) for NES. EA brought out John Madden Football (1988) for PC.
• Sega was wild about this when they launched the Genesis with Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf (1989), Tommy Lasorda Baseball (1989), Pat Riley Basketball (1990), Joe Montana Football (1991).
• 1993: Bill Walsh! There even was an EA Coach K college hoops game.

Bill Walsh may have got the cover curse:

• While he had retired from the San Francisco 49ers on top, after winning his 3rd Super Bowl, he had only returned to the Farm for a year when he was picked (he had a good first tenure in the 70s before jumping to the 49ers).
• In 1992 he took the Cardinal to a Blockbuster Bowl win and a #9 rank. Signed this deal for EA.
• After the first game came out he had two bad seasons and re-retired for good.

The progression of teams is fun to see.

• 1993: the top 24 college football teams from 1992 + 24 of the all-time greatest teams since 1978. The teams were unlicensed so they used city and state names, especially where similar to their real names (e.g. Michigan). But you got some fun results like a spirited game of "South Bend, IN" vs "Raleigh, NC"
• 1994: 36 Division I-A teams, but the bowls were still not included: Instead we get Maple Bowl, Palm Bowl, Pecan Bowl, and Redwood Bowl
• 1995: first version to feature all (108 at the time) Division l-A teams, the real bowl games like Orange, Sugar, Fiesta, and Rose. Includes older names but also the Pacific Tigers, which actually dropped football before the game was released.

The rights to the title "NCAA" license wasn't obtained by EA until 1998 (as you can see there was an earlier one-off by Mindscape). Its ability to use the NCAA's brands in the the football game was actually the secondary result of a licensing deal intended primarily for an EA "March Madness" basketball game.

The Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya has been plagued by numerous terrorist activities, primarily attributed to the presence of Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Somalia. The camp, which hosts over 211,000 refugees, mostly from Somalia, has become an area of concern for terrorist activity. due to the lack of effective security measures and the presence of armed bandits and Islamist militias.
The escalation of attacks by Al-Shabaab has prompted UNHCR and its partners to significantly scale back their operations in the camps. The Kenyan authorities have imposed a curfew in the camps and have deployed more police, with reports of mass arrests and beatings of refugees during police sweeps for Al-Shabaab fighters.
The ability of Al-Shabaab to operate within the camps and in surrounding areas such as Garissa seems to confirm the fears of many Kenyans, who believe that Dadaab is being used as a base for militants. An opinion piece in one of Kenya's largest newspapers, The Daily Nation, compared Dadaab with the refugee camps set up in Goma in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide: Dadaab presents a huge threat to Kenyan security. Like Goma, the refugee camp is probably crawling with militia. What better way for Al-Shabaab to penetrate Kenya's borders than to become refugees within our borders? R. Warah, Dadaab Refugee Camp Poses a Huge Threat to Kenya's National Security, The Daily Nation, 23 October 2011.
The presence of armed bandits and Islamist militias, as well as periodic outbreaks of clan feuding, means that the threat of violence against humanitarian workers is very real. The UN mission in Dadaab operates under UN phase three security restrictions stipulating travel by convoy and with an armed police escort, no free movement of staff without armed guards in the camps, and a curfew for humanitarian workers, who have to be in a secure compound from 6 pm to 6 am.
The Kenyan government has accused refugees of being a security threat and Dadaab the operational base from which Al-Shabaab launches its attacks. However, human rights groups have termed the repatriation program as far from voluntary, accusing the Kenyan government of scapegoating refugees and failing to provide concrete evidence for its claims.
The Kenyan government faces a significant challenge in balancing its responsibility to protect its citizens with its humanitarian commitment to refugees. Dadaab has strained resources and created security concerns, particularly with the presence of Al-Shabaab. The government prioritizes the safety and security of all within its borders and views the repatriation of refugees as a key step towards achieving that goal.
The situation has been further exacerbated by the ongoing drought in the Horn of Africa, which has led to thousands of repatriated Somali refugees returning to Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp to seek relief. The Kenyan government's ban on the registration of new refugees has left these returnees without access to aid programs.
The Dadaab refugee camp has become a volatile situation due to the presence of Al-Shabaab and the lack of effective security measures. The camp has been plagued by numerous terrorist activities, and the Kenyan government's efforts to repatriate Somali refugees have been met with significant challenges and criticisms.
Citations:
Conflict and deteriorating security in Dadaab
The lives of refugees - Africa Is a Country
Security a Major Concern in Dadaab refugee camp - CGTN Africa
Dadaab weak link in fight against terrorism - Daily Nation
The Dadaab Refugee Complex: A Powder Keg and It's Giving Off Sparks
Dadaab Refugee Camp: DadaabNet Implementation Guide - NetHope
[Protection Monitoring in Kenya: Garissa & Turkana Counties](https://reliefweb.int/report/kenya/protection-monitoring-kenya-garissa-turkana-counties-dadaab-kakuma-kalobeyei-protection-monitoring-risk-and-trends-july-december-2023)
Reflections on Kenya and the Dadaab Refugee Camp
Camps and counterterrorism: Security and the remaking of refuge in Kenya
Kenya and the Securitization of Refugees - The Security Distillery
Kenya, Al-Shabaab, and East Africa's Refugee Crisis
World's largest refugee camp scapegoated in wake of Garissa ...
Saving Lives Together in the Dadaab refugee camps of Kenya
Camps and counterterrorism: Security and the remaking ... - Sage Journals
[Refugees Camps and Security of Host Community: Case of Dadaab](https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/22923)
Kenya Gambles on Closure of Somali Refugee Camp to Halt al-Shabaab ...
Has Al Shabaab Infiltrated Dadaab Refugee Camp? - YouTube
The Securitisation of asylum
TSG IntelBrief: Al-Shabaab's Strategic Move Into Kenya - The Soufan Center
Combating Terrorism and Managing Asylum Seekers and Refugees ...

On Feb. 9, 2022, I officially became "Homeless" on state record and applied for rent and housing assistance in Knoxville through KCDC/Section 8.
Per today's date:
Zeitraum = 825 days aka 27.123 months. This is exactly the length of time I've been surviving homeless.
It wasn't until THIS YEAR that my name "officially" has gone from being on their "PRE-waiting list": aka the long-ass waiting list you're on BEFORE graduating to the "OFFICIAL" waiting list.
*Btw, no one informed me of this being their process. I waited for many hopeful months while living out of my car, waiting to be called that I contacted them to get the news of only being on the PRE-waiting list- List. Good shit...
So, I decided to visit KCDC in-person last week to speak to them about my still pending status and ask if there were any actions I could take to help my chances of having a place to call home...
FYI: The Broadway location is ONLY for applying to any of their listed complexes. Unfortunately, ALL their waiting lists are also completely full.
*The Harriet Tubman location is for applying or relating to receiving vouchers for financial rental assistance.
FYI: you can ONLY APPLY for a voucher between their generous hours of 8AM-3PM only on the 2nd WED of each month, just fyi for any new applicants.
All I was told at each location was to "continue waiting" and that I would one day be contacted whenever my name came up.
The housing costs in Knoxville, especially have risen quickly dramatically even since when I very first began applying and they'll continue this trend.
**BTW, they're SHUTTING DOWN our Homeless Shelter on Broadway due to a LACK OF FUNDING (good timing), so yet another option we can all cross off our lists of any places to lie our heads down at night.
Pretty ironic that TN is the FREAKING VOLUNTEER STATE, considering... "GO VOLS", am I right??
See news link here: https://www.wate.com/news/knox-county-news/the-foyer-a-low-barrier-knoxville-homeless-shelter-set-to-close-as-officials-seek-new-operato
Oh yeah, HOMELESSNESS IN TN is also now a CLASS E FELONY!
*You are automatically disqualified from receiving public assistance such as Section 8 and SNAP benefits unless you've fully paid off ALL FEES (up to $3,000 for being homeless) and have fully completed your probation period! *KEEPING THINGS REALLY CLASSY, TN! 😜 (Also, you can't sleep in your vehicle at any rest stops, either. Also illegal. You can sit there in your car for only 3hrs max.)
"In Tennessee, felonies are classified from A to E, with Class A being the most serious and Class E being the least severe. A Class E felony in Tennessee is the lowest level of felony. It includes offenses such as theft of property valued at $1,000 to $2,500, certain driving offenses like third or subsequent DUI offenses, stalking, and forgery. The typical punishments for Class E felonies in Tennessee include: 1. One to six years of imprisonment (PRISON TIME, not jail), and/or 2. Fines up to $3,000. (Also, just pointing out that with any Class E felonies, being the "least" serious felony, if any fines for the offense are deemed as "unspecified" in their books, they then have the capability to charge an offender up to $50,000.)
However, these punishments can vary based on a variety of factors such as the exact nature of the crime, whether or not the defendant has a prior criminal record, and other relevant factors considered by the court." See specifics here: https://codes.findlaw.com/tn/title-40-criminal-procedure/tn-code-sect-40-35-111/
Covertly, they've named this abomination as the:
"Equal Access to Public Property Act of 2012.” Makes it sound so helpful and positive for us, doesn't it? Thanks, guys! LOL!
See below what all is covered, including: **If they happen to search and find any of your stored belongings (likely being at times literally their entire life's possessions, including if they find you've stored your food somewhere) the police will immediately confiscate it, and then you will have a total of 90 days to go to them and claim all your belongings or else they'll consider it as "abandoned property". You must detail exactly where on the property that they found your items, so that they then will slap you with a Class E Felony, charge you a "holding fee" for whatever amount of time they "stored" it for you, also stating that "the court shall include an order of restitution for any property damage or loss incurred as a result" of you or your belongings being present on the state property. But hey, at least you get your items back!
https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2021/title-39/chapter-14/part-4/section-39-14-414/#:~:text=It%20is%20an%20offense%20for,agency%20responsible%20for%20the%20land.
My Story: (if you've made it this far and give any shits about hearing it for the sake of context.)
Around 1 year-deep into the COVID-19 pandemic, I had been living in an expensive house centered in the North Knox Historic District, working FT at a job I'd spent the past few yrs diligently climbing their ladder, and splitting the house payment with my then, Fiancee of 5 1/2 yrs. He began dating a different girl, had moved her into our house, while stating that "If I didn't stop being depressed, he was going to kick me out". Unfortunately, the house had been put solely in his name when bought. You see, my grandmother had just passed from COVID-19, my childhood best friend had just passed away, and I had been informed suddenly that my 84yrs-old dementia-ridden Father was getting worse and also nearing his last days. Not long after, my older sister contacted me acting upset, stating that he now needed to be on continual watch for FT care, so I packed my things, left my fiancee and my then home and moved in to care for my late father. Eventually, I had to leave my job to fulfill my caretaking duties but I don't regret being there for my father but it grew to be very difficult times, as it was for many those yrs. Dad passed away Jan. 31, 2022. My mother immediately inherited the house at his death, per their messy divorce agreement many yrs before. She so graciously left no time after me literally watching him take his very last breath in the bedroom down the hall from my own for her to serve me immediate eviction papers, now forcing me to leave the home that I grew up with my father in, while being raised. This house, I had only 1 year previous, agreed to my mother and sister when they had requested this of me, quit my long-term, FT job, losing all my sources of income in order to live with and solitary care for my father. (Everyone else- meaning my mother and 3 sisters -were all "too busy" to help me out or give even short breaks. I'm informing you of this, so that anyone that ever says to themselves, "why don't they just go live with family", can comprehend how that's not an actual option for everyone, so when the systems are failing, ppl aren't always on the streets or living out of their cars bc of drug problems or laziness or whatever other common misconceptions I've heard from ppl that are limited in grasping these situations for others. That last month that he was still alive, they all "forbade" me from leaving the house at all nor having any visitors "for his health", despite my deep despair from watching his health ferociously decline, resulting in my very rapidly declining mental health and massive weight-loss and over-exhaustion. Upon receiving my eviction notice, I then immediately began applying for Section 8 assistance. I had no one left and nowhere to go. It's like this for a lot of people. Don't assume ppl always have any other options available, is my point of giving so much backstory. Not exactly trying to "victimize" myself here for pity. I'm strong, I've got this. Just trying to get some points across for when you judge another's situation that you don't know.
Ok, here's the last I'll say about all this. Just humor me and try to consider what I'm pointing out here.
Every single one of us local TN natives have seen through the years how various homeless individuals will bravely step into some of our favorite local diners, gas stations, retail stores, etc. Them, asking employees permissions for maybe utilizing a restroom, some cold water or a drink, often after them walking around most the day (shelter kicks everyone out once it's morning), often after being in our unforgiving weather or high temps. Sometimes, they're asking even for a small bite to eat or leftovers from the kitchen. SO MANY times throughout the years, we've all been standing by, as we witness some enraged employee or the manager angrily decline, followed with often loud threats of calling the cops on them, etc in an attempt to motivate them to not come back asking later, as now they see how many of their annoyed paying customers are actively shaking their heads and shaming their whole interaction with rotten looks of disgust.
I mean after all, our businesses ABSOLUTELY can't be taking any risks of "losing their dedicated customers, just BC some "lazy bums" keep showing up, "always asking for free handouts" and "scaring away our business".
Really, it's best to just not give them anything in the 1st place cus ya know, just like strays, they'll "just keep showing back up"...
Right?
Excluding sometimes a random kind individual's exception, for the most part this mindset I'm highlighting here has most often worked as an sorta unspoken "Golden Rule" when we're relating to how we'll decidedly "handle" our large and growing homeless population.
Now that our housing prices have fully skyrocketed, with increases markedly on the rise almost immediately after the COVID-19 Pandemic that left so many of us without income that was supporting our access to necessities. Many, many "middle-class" individuals who were previously working averaging their 5 days/week (ty past labor strikes enforcing our allowance of 2 days off) and living comfortably on their 40hrs/week paychecks are currently struggling to find availability and also afford even a 1br ran-down apartment in our "lower-class" neighborhoods. Most are now working multiple jobs trying to keep up, and childcare isn't offered for free, so it keeps everyone from having opportunities to not only spend time raising their children vs random strangers who are also overworked, but how can you save money when you're losing part of what you earn, just to be able to go to work and not be fully abandoning your children to fend for themselves if left home alone?
Often, homeless ppl can be seen all throughout our city, and guaranteed to be growing in mass numbers when inching closer toward that underpass leading up to the Historic Gay St./Downtown/UT campus/Cumberland Strip. *It's really fairly ironic I've thought, how so much of our income has always been made/spent here, however we're required each time, to first drive through the huge crowd of terribly unfortunate ppl left standing without their bare necessities, often left to sleep outside the packed shelter when it hits capacity, which is always a guarantee. They're not left outside strictly bc they're "on drugs", like a lot have been led to believe.
Lastly, but oh of such an amazing relevance-
**Here's some realism surrounding our cultures' universally pre-conceived (disconnected/egotistical and mis-informed), accepted stigma that states the following phrase:
"These ppl just won't get a job bc they're SO LAZY and just want to live off all us hard-working American's tax dollars...blah blah blah.." Employers won't hire if you don't have an address and the shelters fail to deliver anyone's incoming mail, nor do businesses want to hire a homeless person showing up without proper hygiene or attire or any kind of criminal record. Also, transportation is a bitch. KAT bus costs money, and is very limited on its area services. By walking such lengthy distances, not only can your safety be at risk (especially for Females or any shifts beginning or letting out after dark) but you're gonna be super sweaty and gross by the time you actually arrive to then work a full shift, if you can even somehow make it on time every day by walking for hours before and then after every single shift that you show for.
This isn't any kinda "new" issue for the poor, btw. Don't be such heartless fools, making someone else's situation about "you".
Life's realities can forcibly humble an individual, catching us off-guard for what we'll often end up facing. Always count your blessings and never assume you know anything about anyone else's struggles or how they got there. We're all just trying to survive in this place.
Thanks for reading and hopefully this info helps bring insight to whomever reads this. Good luck out there, I mean it. We got this. ❤️

More thoughts on been censored and banned.

Here is a copy of the post that got me banned from reddit. The methodology I used to determine covid costs and excess covid costs was to take the number of daily hospitalizations from covid, multiply that by 10,000 (the daily cost of a hospital stay) and then figure out what 15% (the approximate number of uninsured/indigent) of that number is and plug those numbers in the appropriate slots. Then, you compare our current case numbers to other comparable metro areas and determine our excess cases. That would be the cost directly attributable to the terrorist response that ignored the realities of how pandemics and public health responses actually work. Regardless of blame, those numbers represent the cost to the citizens of our ongoing covid situation. Those numbers, both the gross costs of covid and the excess costs of covid. Those costs having been draining various charities over the last four years and have led directly to cutbacks in legitimate government services to the County at large. Now you can ban me or my writing, but these costs aren't going to go away and the financial mismanagement of covid, as well as debt, is leading to the financial ruin of this county.
"I'm finding out something about writing about budgets. Having eyesight good enough to pour through these figures is vital. Sadly, my eye surgery won't be until July so a real time budget analysis will simply prove too big a task for me to do well. I can cover some highlights and ask a few pertinent questions though.For starters is every Knox County employee outside of the schools really happy about taking a pay cut? This is six straight years they've gone backwards under Glenn Jacobs. While I understand that my platform which emphasized across the board raises until we got County employees up to a competitive pay level with living wages was soundly rejected, but are County employees really happy with getting screwed every single year? You have to wonder.
Second, what kind of feedback is the Sheriff's office giving about the Mayor taking back the raise that didn't even get the deputies up to professional standard? After this year, our deputies will once again be among the lowest paid officers with some of the worst benefits in the nation. I understand many of the culture problems and quality control issues in the Sheriff's department, but it's time we recognized that we get what we pay for in law enforcement. We won't provide full health insurance and we no longer have a pension for our deputies, at least not in any meaningful sense. We are just going to have to live with the quality level the Mayor is willing to fund. If all the Mayor is willing to shell out for is a group of jack-booted gestapo who depend on graft to make ends meet, then that's what we're going to get. This is still a market economy. Pay rates still determine the quality of our employees.
Third, are the teachers really going to fall for the same scam the Mayor pulled on said deputies last year? Their raise is only significant when viewed through a lens comparing it to the way Jacobs has been bending them over and screwing them for the past six years. The School Board is not only showing support for the local Nazis attempting to ban books, but now they've given the nod nod wink wink to allowing guns in schools. What kind of irresponsible self serving totalitarians can completely ignore the real long term needs and goals of our school system and just discount the need to recruit and retain teachers as superfluous. The leadership of this School Board acts completely in the interests of pursuing partisan political goals. That is the very definition of terrorism. We need dedicated public servants in the role of School Board chair, not terrorists. Unless we demand a change in philosophy, that change won't come. Partisan political goals have no place in our school system and allowing the local crypto-nazis to determine the path our schools take is definitely the wrong way to go.
When is the Mayor going to come clean on the Choto/Northshore improvements? We have not completed the projects Ragsdale started and frankly, what the County is in charge of, with the possible exception of some of the greenway work Larsen Jay has championed, that stretch of road looks like shit and is less than functional depending on the time of day.
Fourth, where is the covid response money at in this budget? Last week we averaged ten patients a day in the hospital with covid at an uninsured rate of somewhere north of 15%. That works out to 15,000 a day or over five million a year in indigent covid costs. This is a week when covid is under control. We currently are looking at less than eight weeks a year at this rate. We have roughly the same number of weeks at ten times that amount, so we are looking at about 35-50 million a year in uninsured covid costs and the fed has cut the money off to cover them. Our response to covid thus far has been about 20-100% worse than comparable cities who had a real covid response meaning the direct costs of Jacobs irresponsible incompetence in this area alone will cost the county between 10-20 million.
You folks want to know where your raises went? Jacobs took them when he refused to mitigate covid and entrenched us at a disease rate that has kept us at pandemic levels longer than any other like sized city in America. I use Madison Wi. as the city I compare to. Compare for yourself.What I am struggling with though, is where is Jacobs hiding this expenditure. We know he's paying for his covid policy rather than give the raises these loyal employees are earning, but where is he hiding it in the budget? That is the question. The figure I found for indigent care came to less than 250,000 a year. Where is the rest of these tens of millions? Is he just forgoing the County's fiduciary responsibilities and dumping these costs on us as consumers with higher charges for medical care and health insurance? It's time to pay the piper. We knew there would be long term implications to our covid response, and there are. The issue is that by not being upfront about these costs the Mayor Jacobs is doing nothing more than perpetrating a fraud against the citizens of Knox County and just stealing money outright from every single one of us.

Here is a copy of the post that got me banned from reddit. The methodology I used to determine covid costs and excess covid costs was to take the number of daily hospitalizations from covid, multiply that by 10,000 (the daily cost of a hospital stay) and then figure out what 15% (the approximate number of uninsured/indigent) of that number is and plug those numbers in the appropriate slots. Then, you compare our current case numbers to other comparable metro areas and determine our excess cases. That would be the cost directly attributable to the terrorist response that ignored the realities of how pandemics and public health responses actually work. Regardless of blame, those numbers represent the cost to the citizens of our ongoing covid situation. Those numbers, both the gross costs of covid and the excess costs of covid. Those costs having been draining various charities over the last four years and have led directly to cutbacks in legitimate government services to the County at large. Now you can ban me or my writing, but these costs aren't going to go away and the financial mismanagement of covid, as well as debt, is leading to the financial ruin of this county.
"I'm finding out something about writing about budgets. Having eyesight good enough to pour through these figures is vital. Sadly, my eye surgery won't be until July so a real time budget analysis will simply prove too big a task for me to do well. I can cover some highlights and ask a few pertinent questions though.For starters is every Knox County employee outside of the schools really happy about taking a pay cut? This is six straight years they've gone backwards under Glenn Jacobs. While I understand that my platform which emphasized across the board raises until we got County employees up to a competitive pay level with living wages was soundly rejected, but are County employees really happy with getting screwed every single year? You have to wonder.
Second, what kind of feedback is the Sheriff's office giving about the Mayor taking back the raise that didn't even get the deputies up to professional standard? After this year, our deputies will once again be among the lowest paid officers with some of the worst benefits in the nation. I understand many of the culture problems and quality control issues in the Sheriff's department, but it's time we recognized that we get what we pay for in law enforcement. We won't provide full health insurance and we no longer have a pension for our deputies, at least not in any meaningful sense. We are just going to have to live with the quality level the Mayor is willing to fund. If all the Mayor is willing to shell out for is a group of jack-booted gestapo who depend on graft to make ends meet, then that's what we're going to get. This is still a market economy. Pay rates still determine the quality of our employees.
Third, are the teachers really going to fall for the same scam the Mayor pulled on said deputies last year? Their raise is only significant when viewed through a lens comparing it to the way Jacobs has been bending them over and screwing them for the past six years. The School Board is not only showing support for the local Nazis attempting to ban books, but now they've given the nod nod wink wink to allowing guns in schools. What kind of irresponsible self serving totalitarians can completely ignore the real long term needs and goals of our school system and just discount the need to recruit and retain teachers as superfluous. The leadership of this School Board acts completely in the interests of pursuing partisan political goals. That is the very definition of terrorism. We need dedicated public servants in the role of School Board chair, not terrorists. Unless we demand a change in philosophy, that change won't come. Partisan political goals have no place in our school system and allowing the local crypto-nazis to determine the path our schools take is definitely the wrong way to go.
When is the Mayor going to come clean on the Choto/Northshore improvements? We have not completed the projects Ragsdale started and frankly, what the County is in charge of, with the possible exception of some of the greenway work Larsen Jay has championed, that stretch of road looks like shit and is less than functional depending on the time of day.
Fourth, where is the covid response money at in this budget? Last week we averaged ten patients a day in the hospital with covid at an uninsured rate of somewhere north of 15%. That works out to 15,000 a day or over five million a year in indigent covid costs. This is a week when covid is under control. We currently are looking at less than eight weeks a year at this rate. We have roughly the same number of weeks at ten times that amount, so we are looking at about 35-50 million a year in uninsured covid costs and the fed has cut the money off to cover them. Our response to covid thus far has been about 20-100% worse than comparable cities who had a real covid response meaning the direct costs of Jacobs irresponsible incompetence in this area alone will cost the county between 10-20 million.
You folks want to know where your raises went? Jacobs took them when he refused to mitigate covid and entrenched us at a disease rate that has kept us at pandemic levels longer than any other like sized city in America. I use Madison Wi. as the city I compare to. Compare for yourself.What I am struggling with though, is where is Jacobs hiding this expenditure. We know he's paying for his covid policy rather than give the raises these loyal employees are earning, but where is he hiding it in the budget? That is the question. The figure I found for indigent care came to less than 250,000 a year. Where is the rest of these tens of millions? Is he just forgoing the County's fiduciary responsibilities and dumping these costs on us as consumers with higher charges for medical care and health insurance? It's time to pay the piper. We knew there would be long term implications to our covid response, and there are. The issue is that by not being upfront about these costs the Mayor Jacobs is doing nothing more than perpetrating a fraud against the citizens of Knox County and just stealing money outright from every single one of us.

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Mayor Ward the residents have lost all control of their city as we continue to be a punching bag
https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/local/2024/05/13/southeast-gainesville-florida-residents-fight-to-close-landfill/73670091007/
(mirror if that link goes paywall https://www.yahoo.com/news/dump-dump-southeast-gainesville-residents-193537586.html )
We cannot take four more years of one chunk at a time as the city is destroyed under some kind of Florida's own personal christofascist Project 2025
Either go to the feds and federal courts and get civil rights enforced or just declare bankruptcy for the city and make it a national demonstration of what happens when you let people like DeSantis regulate what happens in your bedroom, bathrooms, even at your dinner table.
Our sheriff is appointed by DeSantis, not elected and in his pocket and part of the "Florida Constitution Revision Commission"
Our public university president is appointed by DeSantis from an exclusive private vetting and in his pocket
The UF Board of Trustees is heavily in DeSantis pocket and donated millions to his failed presidential campaign
A million dollars is being drained from UF to pay Florida's Surgeon General for doing nothing.
Large parts of the GRU board are now in DeSantis pocket
A growing part of the K12 Alachua County School Board are in his pocket
RTS is teetering on the edge of being destroyed, basically on a countdown until Sasse pulls the rug out.
Now he overrides local progress and encourages literally toxic business to persist and even expand right next to city residents homes.
Just wait until he gets extended powers when a state emergency is declared for any one of the half dozen hurricanes Florida will get this year, he will suspend all regulations in the city.
The list keeps growing and growing and there are four more years of this, what exactly do you think is going to happen after November when they double down?

Prompt: Incorporate at least three sources into a well written essay in which you develop a position on the role, if any, that public libraries should serve in th future. (due to the internet)
In a world of digital connectivity, libraries are still here. Public institutions like libraries are important today, and in the future as community gathering places & education centers, and could help people in a new digital era.
Communities need a place to gather, learn, and participate in events. Libaries are perfect for all of that. In a calendar of events for Orland Park library (source B), there are events every day for families, toddlers, and teens, highlighting the need for libraries to stay in an age where people think that it will cease to exist. Libraries are also equally important for education. It used to be a place where the ruling class cou didn't yld go but Benjamin Franklin invented the idea of a lending library leading to educated masses, something that is important to a democracy (Source A). Libraries are important to students as well. College and high school students use libraries as study places due to their quiet nature and educational manner.
Contrary to what people think libraries will become, these spaces actually help people greatly. People from disadvantaged households, that is, households with low education and income, may not have a computer, internet, or funds to buy books and other material (Source C). While many of us may have no use for libraries, these households need them, as it might be integral to their education and work. Librarians also help people use technology; something that is very important so that these people are computer literate in the digital age. In a report published by research organization Pew Charitable Trust, it states that 43% of 16-17 year olds needed help from a librarian (Source D). If they didn't have a library, who might they have to ask for reliable help?
Governments and people see the change happening to libraries and information currently. In an ALA report, 23 states in America reduced funding for libraries (Source F). That could mean libraries might be reduced in size and scope which would be a mistake. Reducing funding for libraries could reduce the amount of people from the community from even entering a library, potentially costing some people's educational nd social well-being. In an article by Tech Crunch, the author states that libraries can't really change and modernize, and compared them to bookstores. That is just untrue as bookstores arent as important to communities as libraries are, and that libraries have changed, and can change again, adopting to a digital era.
Libraries are the backbone of education nin many communities. They serve as gathering places, help disadvantaged households get education and use technology, and are just good study places. Libraries change and it will adapt to a new digital era, bringing memories and education to a new generation.

The City of Mountain View will have its next council meeting tomorrow (May 14, 2024). It begins at 5:45pm with a closed session. This meeting is in person at City Hall (500 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041), but you can also join the meeting online on zoom or by dialing (669) 900-9128 and entering Webinar ID: 843 5126 7142. Regular session begins at 6:30pm with two presentations (Teen Week and Affordable Housing Month) and the consent calendar.
View agenda here
Consent calendar items do not anticipate much discussion and can be passed with a single motion. The agenda items on the consent calendar are:
4.1: Approve Minutes 4.2: Senate Bill 1, Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017-Project List 4.3: City Council Policy D-9, Council Appointee Communications and Performance Evaluation Process 4.4: City Buildings Workplace Study (City Attorney’s Office Phase), Project 21-50-Various Actions 4.5: Renewal of Downtown Parking Maintenance and Operation Assessment District for Fiscal Year 2024-25 4.6: Mountain View Transportation Management Association-Community Shuttle Agreement 4.7: Public Works Department Landfill Operations-On-Call Engineering Services Contract 4.8: Public Art for Evelyn Park, Project 21-60 4.9: Public Art for Villa-Chiquita Park, Project 21-61 4.10: El Monte Corridor Improvements, Design and Construction, Project 21-38 - Professional Services Agreement 4.11: Safe Routes to School Program-Professional Services Agreement 4.12: Biodiversity Strategy, Project 23-37-Various Actions 4.13: Community Workforce Agreement 4.14: Water and Sanitary Sewer Main Replacement Crossing U.S. 101, Project 16-61-Various Actions 4.15: Public Works Department Capital Outlay Operating Budget-Appropriations 4.16: Increase Appropriations in the Fire Department for Reimbursement of Mutual-Aid Support
Item 5 is open public comment where people can speak on any topic not on the agenda. It is usually limited to less than 3 minutes per person. Please note that we anticipate a large turnout relating to police enforcement on RVs.
After that item, we have a couple of items that anticipates more discussion.
6.1: Lot 12 Affordable Housing Development - Supplemental City Funding and Project Modifications As part of a Request for Proposals (RFP) process on May 19, 2020, the council selected the team of Related Affordable and Alta Housing to develop Lot 12 into a 100% affordable housing project. The project includes 120 units, with a mix of affordable units for households earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income, including 20 rapid rehousing units. The Developer faced a $36 million funding gap due to high construction costs and insufficient state funding. To address this gap, they proposed securing tax credits and bond financing, modifying project plans to reduce costs, adjusting unit income levels, and adding units for intellectually and developmentally disabled persons to qualify for additional County funding. Additionally, to defer more of the cost, staff is recommending council approve a temporary street closure on Bryant Street during construction and a city contribution of $5 million.
6.2: Potential Revenue Measure for 2024 General Election Ballot The Council is considering a revenue measure for the November 2024 ballot to improve infrastructure, fund affordable housing, and mitigate climate change. The Revenue Measure Ad Hoc Sub-Committee recommended a property transfer tax initiative based on polling results showing initial support above 60%. This tax would apply to property sales over $5 million, raising approximately $9.5 million annually for the City.
6.3: AB 481 Military Equipment Annual Report and Policy Adoption As part of police reform efforts, AB 481 aims to enhance transparency, accountability, and oversight regarding the funding, acquisition, or use of military equipment by state or local government officials. Law enforcement agencies are required to prepare an annual military equipment report and hold at least one community-engagement meeting for public discussion. The bill also mandates that local agencies must review and renew the ordinance and report at a regular meeting of the City Council.
If you have any questions or comments about the upcoming meeting, please email me at emily.ramos@mountainview.gov. You can also email the entire council at city.council@mountainview.gov.

Demographics

• Gender: Male
• Race/Ethnicity: white
• Residence: socal :)
• Income Bracket: middle class
• Type of School: public
• Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): n/a

Intended Major(s): (write here)
international relations or poli sci (depending on the school)
Academics

• GPA (UW/W): 3.87/4.59
• Rank (or percentile): n/a
• of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: 11 aps
• Senior Year Course Load: academic decathlon, ap lit, ap stats, apah, ap french, ap gov/ap micro

Standardized Testing

• ACT: 34 (36E, 32M, 33R, 33S)
• AP/IB: ap euro (4), ap lang (3), ap spanish (5), apush (5), apes (4)

Extracurriculars/Activities

1. academic decathlon president
2. shift leader at parents' small business
3. spanish national honors society treasurer
4. varsity discus and shot put captain
5. religious school post-confirmation
6. local library volunteer
7. spanish and french tutor
8. local climate change awareness organization
9. summer program at prestigious university
10. youth leadership program

Awards/Honors
List all awards and honors submitted on your application.

1. a handful of academic decathlon medals from county competitions
2. scholar athlete
3. national spanish exam bronze medal
4. ap scholar with distinction

Letters of Recommendation
ap spanish: 9/10
apush: 5/10
counselor: 6/10?? idk
Interviews
brown video: 4/10 it was pretty bad and i had a terrible time filming it
american u: 7/10 it was my first one and my only one in person, i thought it went good
washu: 6/10 i didn't get one with an alum but i got one with a current student, so im not certain if it counted
occidental college: 4/10 i did not click with my interviewer at all lmao
syracuse: 9/10 i accidentally missed my interview originally but my interviewer was super understanding and we rescheduled and it went great
northwestern: 9/10 i felt like this one went really well, and i really clicked with my interviewer
georgetown: 8/10 nothing really remarkable that i can remember, i just remember feeling good afterward
Essays
im going to keep this anonymous just in case im recognized from this (i hope im not lol). i think on the whole everything was pretty decent.
Decisions (indicate ED/EA/REA/SCEA/RD)
brown ED: rejected
maryland EA: accepted+merit
wisconsin EA: accepted
uc davis RD: accepted
uci RD: waitlisted -> withdrew
sdsu RD: accepted
american u RD: accepted+merit
uw RD: accepted
ucla RD: rejected
ucsb RD: waitlisted -> withdrew
washu RD: rejected
oxy RD: accepted+merit
syracuse RD: accepted
gwu RD: accepted+merit
northwestern RD: rejected
georgetown RD: rejected
cal poly RD: rejected
cal RD: rejected
DECISION: MARYLAND CO '28!!!! GO TERPS
Additional Information:
i go to a pretty competitive high school in a relatively wealthy area and learned about the process, got high hopes, and honestly got a little prestige obsessed around my junior year. I had five dream schools (brown, ucla, washu, northwestern, and georgetown) and ended up getting rejected from all of them which was both a total punch in the gut and a much needed wake up call. the decision for me based on fit and financials came down to maryland, washington, and davis, and as a result of the really generous merit aid i recieved at umd as well as the university's perfect location near washington DC, it was just the perfect fit. After visiting the school, I totally fell in love with the campus, the culture, and having a big 10 sports program definitely didn't hurt it. looking back on everything, i was totally naïve and applied to a ton of schools, which thankfully worked out for my targets, but i was at one point certain that i would get into at least one of my reaches. in the end, im really glad that i didnt get into any of them because i would have never considered maryland, a school i almost didnt even apply to. also, as a jewish student, the thriving jewish community on maryland's campus is really comforting, especially with everything going on right now at colleges. congrats to all of this years seniors and good luck to all the incoming seniors with their apps! and if youre going to maryland next year, hmu!!!

Live Music

• JC Hatfield Trio, Mill Top Tavern, Tuesday, May 14th, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm,
• Joshua "Tennessee" Worthy, Pierre's Pub, Tuesday, May 14th, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm,
• Damon Slaughter, O.C. White's Seafood, Tuesday, May 14th, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm,
• Jim Johnston, Prohibition Kitchen, Tuesday, May 14th, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Smokin' Joe Schauer, Ann O'Malley's Deli and Pub, Tuesday, May 14th, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Jazzy Blue Band, Cortesse's Bistro, Tuesday, May 14th, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm.

Romanza: North Florida Saxophone Quartet

Romanza Festivale presents the North Florida Saxophone Quartet as they perform a variety of familiar music in a live concert in the Courtyard of St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church, on Sunday, May 14, 2024, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The four saxophonists have each played with various ensembles worldwide, and North Florida music lovers have been delighted that each has made playing in this quartet a priority. They choose music from several genres — from classical to Disney — to create a lively show that audiences always enjoy. While the members of the North Florida Saxophone Quartet certainly focus on the sax, all of them are proficient with other woodwind instruments, such as the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon.

• Paula Prince performs on the soprano saxophone and graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
• Charles Almeida performs on the alto saxophone. He served in both the U.S. Army military band and the U.S. Air Force military band. In addition, he has played with several well-known big bands such as Harry James and Tommy Dorsey.
• Robbie Zukauskas plays tenor saxophone and played with the U.S. Army Band and the Florida National Guard Band. Robbie studied music at the University of Central Florida.
• Bill Prince plays the baritone saxophone. He's a professor emeritus at the University of North Florida and arranges most of the music for the ensemble. Bill has also performed around the world with famous bands and as a solo artist.

Guests are asked to bring lawn chairs.
Admission: Free.
When: Sunday, May 14, 2024, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church, 37 Lovett St. in downtown St. Augustine. The concert happens in the courtyard and attendees are encouraged to bring their portable chairs.
This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

2025 Pin Up Paws Calendar Contest

• May 14 @ 12:00 am - 11:59 pm
• 2025 Pin Up Paws Calendar Contest
• It’s that time of year! The St. Augustine Humane Society Annual Contest for the 2025 Pin Up Paws Calendar begins at 8:00am on May 1, 2024. The “Sweet Things” themed calendar will showcase the winning pets in all their adorableness.
• Submit a photo of your pet and start rooting for votes, each vote worth $1.00. Voting is May 1, 2024 at 8:00am through Saturday, July 13, 2024 at 8:00pm. And, you can vote as many times and for as many pets as you wish!
• The Pet with the most votes becomes the cover pet for the 2025 Sweet Things calendar. The next twelve pets with the next highest amount of votes will be a monthly pin up pet. All pets will enjoy a professional photo shoot with award-winning photographer Addison Fitzgerald.
• Prizes: *First-Place pet (along with being on the cover) also receives a $100.00 gift certificate to the Columbia Restaurant, two tickets to the Pin Up Paws Party, and two copies of the calendar. *Second-place winners receive a $50.00 Columbia Restaurant Gift Certificate and two calendars. *Twelve runners-up will be featured with their submission photos and a description. *The top 80 pet fundraisers will have a small photo on a collage page.
• The 2025 calendar will be revealed at the Pin Up Paws Party on Thursday, October 24, 2024 at The White Room.2025 Pin Up Paws Calendar Contest

Art in Public Spaces Exhibition

• May 14 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
• FREE
• Stop by the Rotunda Gallery of the St. Johns County Administration Building to view the Art in Public Spaces Exhibition … Fair Winds to Elysium: William Bartram’s Travels in East Florida, 1774-1778. Presented by the St. Johns Cultural Council, the artwork celebrates the 250th Anniversary of William Bartram’s Travels in St. Johns County. The exhibition features the work of 24 local artists whose pieces were inspired by the flora and fauna of St. Johns County’s natural landscapes.
• Free and open to the public.
• Dates Time: Monday – Friday — April 16 through May 29, 2024. 8:00am-5:00pm
• Join us on Tuesday, April 16 at 8:30am for an exhibition preview prior to the Board of County Commissioners meeting. Or …. Wednesday, April 17 at 5:30pm for the evening reception.
• Participating artists include: Amy Hemphill Dove, Bob Arbogast, Byron Capo, Carole Adams, Catherine Avery St. Jean, Cindy Wilson, Dan Voellinger, Debra Mixon Holliday, Gail Beveridge, Gail Brown, Herrick Smith, Lauren Ehlers, Louise Meredith, Margaret Galloway, Martha Ferguson, Nikki Rakov, Paula Pascucci, Rhonda K. Lovett, Siv Spurgeon, Stephen Mullen, Stephen Rosche, Susan Miller, Teri Tompkins, and Terry Bottom.Art in Public Spaces Exhibition

Senior Yoga

• May 14 @ 9:45 am - 10:45 am
• Senior Yoga
• May 14 @ 9:45 am - 10:45 am
• Recurring Event FREE
• Looking for a Senior Yoga class to strengthen your core and increase your flexibility? Join SJC Parks & Rec at the Solomon Calhoun Community Center Gymnasium on Tuesday & Thursday mornings. Ages 50+.
• Offering eight-week yoga sessions, each consisting of 16 classes.
• Date Time: Tuesdays & Thursdays — *March 5 through May 28, 2024 9:45am-10:45am *Please Note: No class on March 19, April 16, 18, 23 and 25.
• Learn various yoga skills through a combination of physical exercises, mental meditation, and breathing techniques. Increase your flexibility and muscle strength, plus reduce stress.
• Participants — wear comfortable exercise attire. Please bring your own yoga mat, towel and water bottle to stay hydrated along with other items the instructor suggests.
• Space is limited to 50 participants!
• Cost: Zero for each 8-week session each session consists of 16 classes.

I am unable to post the sources because they are getting flagged as spam since they are all similar in name. So please visit this site for the list.
Written out urls here tinyurl.com/yjkw32kd

For future events please visit the Discord.

https://discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR

Live Music

• JC Hatfield Trio, Mill Top Tavern, Tuesday, May 14th, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm,
• Joshua "Tennessee" Worthy, Pierre's Pub, Tuesday, May 14th, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm,
• Damon Slaughter, O.C. White's Seafood, Tuesday, May 14th, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm,
• Jim Johnston, Prohibition Kitchen, Tuesday, May 14th, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Smokin' Joe Schauer, Ann O'Malley's Deli and Pub, Tuesday, May 14th, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Jazzy Blue Band, Cortesse's Bistro, Tuesday, May 14th, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm.

Romanza: North Florida Saxophone Quartet

Romanza Festivale presents the North Florida Saxophone Quartet as they perform a variety of familiar music in a live concert in the Courtyard of St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church, on Sunday, May 14, 2024, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The four saxophonists have each played with various ensembles worldwide, and North Florida music lovers have been delighted that each has made playing in this quartet a priority. They choose music from several genres — from classical to Disney — to create a lively show that audiences always enjoy. While the members of the North Florida Saxophone Quartet certainly focus on the sax, all of them are proficient with other woodwind instruments, such as the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon.

• Paula Prince performs on the soprano saxophone and graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
• Charles Almeida performs on the alto saxophone. He served in both the U.S. Army military band and the U.S. Air Force military band. In addition, he has played with several well-known big bands such as Harry James and Tommy Dorsey.
• Robbie Zukauskas plays tenor saxophone and played with the U.S. Army Band and the Florida National Guard Band. Robbie studied music at the University of Central Florida.
• Bill Prince plays the baritone saxophone. He's a professor emeritus at the University of North Florida and arranges most of the music for the ensemble. Bill has also performed around the world with famous bands and as a solo artist.

Guests are asked to bring lawn chairs.
Admission: Free.
When: Sunday, May 14, 2024, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church, 37 Lovett St. in downtown St. Augustine. The concert happens in the courtyard and attendees are encouraged to bring their portable chairs.
This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

2025 Pin Up Paws Calendar Contest

• May 14 @ 12:00 am - 11:59 pm
• 2025 Pin Up Paws Calendar Contest
• It’s that time of year! The St. Augustine Humane Society Annual Contest for the 2025 Pin Up Paws Calendar begins at 8:00am on May 1, 2024. The “Sweet Things” themed calendar will showcase the winning pets in all their adorableness.
• Submit a photo of your pet and start rooting for votes, each vote worth $1.00. Voting is May 1, 2024 at 8:00am through Saturday, July 13, 2024 at 8:00pm. And, you can vote as many times and for as many pets as you wish!
• The Pet with the most votes becomes the cover pet for the 2025 Sweet Things calendar. The next twelve pets with the next highest amount of votes will be a monthly pin up pet. All pets will enjoy a professional photo shoot with award-winning photographer Addison Fitzgerald.
• Prizes: *First-Place pet (along with being on the cover) also receives a $100.00 gift certificate to the Columbia Restaurant, two tickets to the Pin Up Paws Party, and two copies of the calendar. *Second-place winners receive a $50.00 Columbia Restaurant Gift Certificate and two calendars. *Twelve runners-up will be featured with their submission photos and a description. *The top 80 pet fundraisers will have a small photo on a collage page.
• The 2025 calendar will be revealed at the Pin Up Paws Party on Thursday, October 24, 2024 at The White Room.2025 Pin Up Paws Calendar Contest

Art in Public Spaces Exhibition

• May 14 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
• FREE
• Stop by the Rotunda Gallery of the St. Johns County Administration Building to view the Art in Public Spaces Exhibition … Fair Winds to Elysium: William Bartram’s Travels in East Florida, 1774-1778. Presented by the St. Johns Cultural Council, the artwork celebrates the 250th Anniversary of William Bartram’s Travels in St. Johns County. The exhibition features the work of 24 local artists whose pieces were inspired by the flora and fauna of St. Johns County’s natural landscapes.
• Free and open to the public.
• Dates Time: Monday – Friday — April 16 through May 29, 2024. 8:00am-5:00pm
• Join us on Tuesday, April 16 at 8:30am for an exhibition preview prior to the Board of County Commissioners meeting. Or …. Wednesday, April 17 at 5:30pm for the evening reception.
• Participating artists include: Amy Hemphill Dove, Bob Arbogast, Byron Capo, Carole Adams, Catherine Avery St. Jean, Cindy Wilson, Dan Voellinger, Debra Mixon Holliday, Gail Beveridge, Gail Brown, Herrick Smith, Lauren Ehlers, Louise Meredith, Margaret Galloway, Martha Ferguson, Nikki Rakov, Paula Pascucci, Rhonda K. Lovett, Siv Spurgeon, Stephen Mullen, Stephen Rosche, Susan Miller, Teri Tompkins, and Terry Bottom.Art in Public Spaces Exhibition

Senior Yoga

• May 14 @ 9:45 am - 10:45 am
• Senior Yoga
• May 14 @ 9:45 am - 10:45 am
• Recurring EventFREE
• Looking for a Senior Yoga class to strengthen your core and increase your flexibility? Join SJC Parks & Rec at the Solomon Calhoun Community Center Gymnasium on Tuesday & Thursday mornings. Ages 50+.
• Offering eight-week yoga sessions, each consisting of 16 classes.
• Date Time: Tuesdays & Thursdays — *March 5 through May 28, 2024 9:45am-10:45am *Please Note: No class on March 19, April 16, 18, 23 and 25.
• Learn various yoga skills through a combination of physical exercises, mental meditation, and breathing techniques. Increase your flexibility and muscle strength, plus reduce stress.
• Participants — wear comfortable exercise attire. Please bring your own yoga mat, towel and water bottle to stay hydrated along with other items the instructor suggests.
• Space is limited to 50 participants!
• Cost: Zero for each 8-week session each session consists of 16 classes.

I am unable to post the sources because they are getting flagged as spam since they are all similar in name. So please visit this site for the list.
Written out urls here tinyurl.com/yjkw32kd

For future events please visit the Discord.

https://discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR

Governor Hochul Announces Pilot Program to Enhance Reach of Metro-North Railroad to Orange and Rockland Counties Governor Kathy Hochul (ny.gov)
With congestion pricing set to begin on June 30, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a pilot program to enhance the reach of MTA Metro-North Railroad to Orange and Rockland Counties, as an alternative to driving to New York City. Under the pilot, Metro-North will begin weekend service on the Haverstraw-Ossining ferries for the first time ever, create massive monthly UniTicket discounts of 78 percent to 90 percent on the ferries and buses that cross the Hudson River, and slash parking rates by 25 percent for Orange and Rockland residents using Metro-North’s garage in North White Plains.
“Many residents from Orange and Rockland Counties commute to New York City for their jobs and leisure, and we are finding alternative ways for commuters to get to the city without the added costs and traffic,” Governor Hochul said. “This pilot program will give individuals from commuter areas easier and more accessible access to the central business district and beyond.”
Starting Saturday, May 25, the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry will operate continuously between 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on weekends. The ferry has traditionally operated only during weekday rush hours. Metro-North also will offer discounts for monthly tickets on the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry, the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry, the Newburgh-Beacon bus and the Hudson Link. In addition, Rockland and Orange County residents will receive a 25 percent discount on monthly parking at the North White Plains station, which is served by the Harlem Line.
With the new discounts, monthly bus and ferry ticket add-ons purchased in conjunction with a monthly rail pass good for an unlimited number of trips for each calendar month will fall dramatically. The current monthly UniTicket fare on the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry is $43.75. It will fall by $34.50 or 78.9 percent to just $13.75. The current monthly UniTicket fare on the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry is $14.50. It will fall by $13.50 or 93.1 percent to just $1.00. The Newburgh Beacon Bus monthly UniTicket fare is $10.00. It will fall by $9.00 or 90 percent to just $1. The Hudson Link Bus monthly UniTicket fare (to either Tarrytown or to White Plains) is $60.00. It will fall by $30.00 or 50 percent, to just $30.00.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “It is no secret that the folks who live west of the Hudson River don’t get the same quality of frequency and reliability of service as we have on the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines. As we approach the onset of congestion pricing, we want to make sure there are a few more options for people in Orange and Rockland Counties to get to this amazing Metro-North service.”
Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi said, “We are thrilled to be able to offer weekend ferry service to West of Hudson residents looking to connect to Metro-North’s scenic Hudson Line service. And with discounted parking at our North White Plains parking garage, Orange and Rockland County residents who prefer the Harlem Line will have an added incentive to take Metro-North service into Manhattan or other destinations around the region.”
State Senator Pete Harckham said, “Rockland County residents are clamoring for public transit service into New York City. The new weekend ferry service and the Uniticket discounts on the Hudson Link bus service and the MTA two ferries are a good start toward exploring new ways to enhance travel options for Rockland.”
Assemblymember Dana Levenberg said, “It is so exciting to see one of Ossining's economic development priorities coming to fruition, just in time for summer fun on the beautiful Hudson River. The expanded ferry service will enable so many leisure travelers to relax and enjoy an inexpensive boat ride between our downtowns on both sides of the river, where they will discover our restaurants, shops, the summer concert series, and so much more. This will be a major boon to our local economies.”
Assemblymember Ken Zebrowski said, “West of Hudson commuters know the difficulties of getting to New York City on public transit. Today’s announcement will ensure that they have more options to do so without hitting their wallets. Expanded ferry service will mean more people than just daily commuters will be able to use the service, and discounted buses will expand options for Rocklanders. I thank the MTA for collaborating on new ways to open up our robust Metro-North service to west of Hudson New Yorkers.”
Haverstraw Mayor Michael Kohut said, “The Village of Haverstraw is elated that our long-hoped for weekend ferry connection to Ossining and the Metro-North train service is finally becoming a reality. It will serve weekenders going in both directions and help to continue growing the west side of the Hudson as a tourist and day-tripper destination. It is long overdue.”
Ossining Mayor Rika Levin said, “Connecting communities accessibly and affordably is essential for our commuters and our local businesses and is of vital importance for regional economic growth and tourism—being able to make those connections using reliable ferry service helps us achieve our transportation goals while reducing carbon emissions.”
The pilot is expected to run through Veteran’s Day. It comes after Metro-North exempted the Port Jervis Line and the Pascack Valley Line from the systemwide inflation-adjustment fare updates that took effect in March 2017, April 2019, and August 2023.

The County budget. What's going on here?

I'm finding out something about writing about budgets. Having eyesight good enough to pour through these figures is vital. Sadly, my eye surgery won't be until July so a real time budget analysis will simply prove too big a task for me to do well. I can cover some highlights and ask a few pertinent questions though.
For starters is every Knox County employee outside of the schools really happy about taking a pay cut? This is six straight years they've gone backwards under Glenn Jacobs. While I understand that my platform which emphasized across the board raises until we got County employees up to a competitive pay level with living wages was soundly rejected, but are County employees really happy with getting screwed every single year? You have to wonder.
Second, what kind of feedback is the Sheriff's office giving about the Mayor taking back the raise that didn't even get the deputies up to professional standard? After this year, our deputies will once again be among the lowest paid officers with some of the worst benefits in the nation. I understand many of the culture problems and quality control issues in the Sheriff's department, but it's time we recognized that we get what we pay for in law enforcement. We won't provide full health insurance and we no longer have a pension for our deputies, at least not in any meaningful sense. We are just going to have to live with the quality level the Mayor is willing to fund. If all the Mayor is willing to shell out for is a group of jack-booted gestapo who depend on graft to make ends meet, then that's what we're going to get. This is still a market economy. Pay rates still determine the quality of our employees.
Third, are the teachers really going to fall for the same scam the Mayor pulled on said deputies last year? Their raise is only significant when viewed through a lens comparing it to the way Jacobs has been bending them over and screwing them for the past six years. The School Board is not only showing support for the local Nazis attempting to ban books, but now they've given the nod nod wink wink to allowing guns in schools. What kind of irresponsible self serving totalitarians can completely ignore the real long term needs and goals of our school system and just discount the need to recruit and retain teachers as superfluous. The leadership of this School Board acts completely in the interests of pursuing partisan political goals. That is the very definition of terrorism. We need dedicated public servants in the role of School Board chair, not terrorists. Unless we demand a change in philosophy, that change won't come. Partisan political goals have no place in our school system and allowing the local crypto-nazis to determine the path our schools take is definitely the wrong way to go.
When is the Mayor going to come clean on the Choto/Northshore improvements? We have not completed the projects Ragsdale started and frankly, what the County is in charge of, with the possible exception of some of the greenway work Larsen Jay has championed, that stretch of road looks like shit and is less than functional depending on the time of day.
Fourth, where is the covid response money at in this budget? Last week we averaged ten patients a day in the hospital with covid at an uninsured rate of somewhere north of 15%. That works out to 15,000 a day or over five million a year in indigent covid costs. This is a week when covid is under control. We currently are looking at less than eight weeks a year at this rate. We have roughly the same number of weeks at ten times that amount, so we are looking at about 35-50 million a year in uninsured covid costs and the fed has cut the money off to cover them. Our response to covid thus far has been about 20-100% worse than comparable cities who had a real covid response meaning the direct costs of Jacobs irresponsible incompetence in this area alone will cost the county between 10-20 million. You folks want to know where your raises went? Jacobs took them when he refused to mitigate covid and entrenched us at a disease rate that has kept us at pandemic levels longer than any other like sized city in America. I use Madison Wi. as the city I compare to. Compare for yourself.
What I am struggling with though, is where is Jacobs hiding this expenditure. We know he's paying for his covid policy rather than give the raises these loyal employees are earning, but where is he hiding it in the budget? That is the question. The figure I found for indigent care came to less than 250,000 a year. Where is the rest of these tens of millions? Is he just forgoing the County's fiduciary responsibilities and dumping these costs on us as consumers with higher charges for medical care and health insurance? It's time to pay the piper. We knew there would be long term implications to our covid response, and there are. The issue is that by not being upfront about these costs the Mayor Jacobs is doing nothing more than perpetrating a fraud against the citizens of Knox County and just stealing money outright from every single one of us.

It's okay to ruin lives.
A peek over the fence into cognitive dissonance.
It's okay to ruin the lives of Brad Holder, Patrick Westfall and Elvis Fields...
It's okay to allow Ricky's Defense team name them publicly.
It's okay that they have had:
-Legal issues -Employment issues -Family issues -Mental health issues -Reputations ruined -Been doxxed -Their children have been harassed at school
All of these things are A okay.
Just do not imply Ricky -may be- guilty.
This is unfair.
There has been NO trial. The Prosecution has nothing. He was doing his civic duty. Now he's being railroaded for it. His rights are being violated. He's in a prison, not a warm, cozy, County Jail. He just went for a walk. The PCA is horseshit. His confessions are taken out of context OR coerced by the Wicked Dr. Wala. His confessions are not confessions. He was ONLY arrested so a a corrupt cop could win an election. Everyone from the Guards to the Judge is lying and corrupt. Conspiring to railroad lil' helpless Ricky. Other prisoners say mean things to him. He doesn't have a table. His chair is plastic. He's eating feces.
HE IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY!
Leave OUR Ricky ALONE!!!!!!!!!
Huh?
Westfall, Fields and Holder?
Who gives a shit if their lives are ruined?
We're talking bout OUR buddy, pal, Christmas card recipient, Ricky!!!
Yeah, but it really doesn't look like Odinists were involved and their lives are ruined. Some of them served OUR country. Had bullets whizzing over their heads. Seems like this may be FAR more unfair.
Who gives a shit about Odinist heathens?!?!? This is about Ricky!
Only Ricky matters!!!
Fuck Westfall and how messed up his and Holder's kids lives are now.
Fuck their jobs, families, friends, reputations, livelihoods.
Fuck that they will always and forever have a cloud cast over their reputations.
Fuck that they've been vetted time and time and time again and nothing was found. DNA taken twice.
Nevermind that 1 guy who was demoted is the only- EX- LEO in Indiana still pushing this bullshit.
They're collateral damage, fuck em.
We're talking bout Ricky's rights!!!!!
His rights!!!!
Ricky has rights!!!!!!!!!
Hyp.oc.ri.sy.