For all the chest beating we do about summer being a platform for the players, we must concede the necessity of teams. Though the dash for scholarships is an individual pursuit, teams give the whole evaluation period context. Since basketball is, after all, a team sport, prospects are judged with regard to their fitness for joining a given team on the next level.
Not to mention the many things that teams are inherently good for -- learning to cooperate and coexist, learning to trust and be trusted, to name a few.
Judging by the amount of mail we get before and after our Best of Summer series, appearing on the list below means something to a lot of people. So we take it seriously. We have seven staff members out during the summer, and we've seen hundreds of teams.
What makes a best team of summer? Tournament championships? Division I prospects? Head-to-head victories over others on the list. Yes, all of those and more.
Does the winner of Nike Nationals automatically get the No. 1 ranking? Not two years ago, but it helps. It is the premier tournament of the summer, a competition that pushes from the early rounds going forward, and the best proving grounds for a team. This year, four of the top five teams earned their stripes at Nike Nationals. Then again, the next seven were not invited.
We continue to dream about an all-inclusive, national club championship. Until that happens, maybe this is the next best thing. We hope so anyway.
2011年8月25日星期四
2011年8月24日星期三
Working Out With Adidas Adipure Trainers Is Really Weird
Working Out With Adidas Adipure Trainers Is Really Weird (But Good For You!)
I'm wearing the new Adidas Adipure Trainers right now. They're barefoot shoes. My toes are spread apart (which is good), my feet are closer to the ground (which is great) and I feel like an arse (which is normal). Adidas says it'll make me a better athlete.
I was athletic once upon a time, this before I learned the invention of beer of course, but I've always wanted to make my way back there. What do I do? Start running? Not quite. Mark Verstegen, founder of Athletes' Performance and consultant for Adidas, crushes my hopes saying that people “run to get fit” but that's the wrong way of doing things. Instead, “you have to be fit to run”. So though the popularity of barefoot running shoes has been well documented, these Adidas barefoot shoes aren't like those. They're the first barefoot models exclusively targeted for the gym. Run later.
When I first tried to put the Adipure Trainers on, my feet got stuck. My piggies just weren't inserting themselves inside the five holes. Verstegen had warned me about this, he says that our feet are so used to being scrunched up (he re-created the image with his fist) by dress shoes and high heels and sports shoes that we've ruined our natural toe alignment. They're supposed to be spread apart. Hearing that in the background, I was worried that these shoes would never fit me, that I was a lost cause, that I'd be out of shape forever. But! My problem was that I was wearing socks and apparently, Adipure Trainers aren't meant to be worn with your feet covered. When I went sock-less (a gross proposition for most that's slightly alleviated by ‘an ortholite sock liner) I managed to slip in with relative ease.
So how do they feel? Actually good. The shoe's upper is similar to low profile water shoes (better quality, natch) — elastic, stretchy and hardly noticeable around the top part of your foot. I do, however, feel a bit of restriction around my toes but I'm going to assume that's more of a newness thing. The EVA midsoles are perfect though, EVA stands for ethylene and vinyl acetate and it's made up of a ton of foam cells that contain air, when your foot lands on the EVA, the foam compresses and the air gets pushed out until its sucked back in. So unlike Nike Frees which focus on re-creating a barefoot (read: less shock absorbent) feel, the Adidas Adipures provide a solid cushion so you don't feel every jagged edge of the ground. But it doesn't overcompensate on that cushioning, when you're doing exercises like box jumps you'll feel your toes and feet searching for balance, trying to grab the ground. It's like doing brand new core exercises for your feet–working the important little muscles that mean more than the big swooping ones.
But even with all these athlete-approved, trainer-recommended benefits, they're still unabashedly weird. Beyond all possibilities of weird, really. And to that end I say who cares? It's the gym, form follows function. They fit a specific purpose: it fixes your bad habits from the ground up, improves your posture and alignment so you can get more out of your workouts. You'll find yourself searching for balance and using muscles you never knew existed. One thing: probably not ideal for those who predominantly run.
The Adidas Adipure Trainers will be available on November 1 for $US90.
I'm wearing the new Adidas Adipure Trainers right now. They're barefoot shoes. My toes are spread apart (which is good), my feet are closer to the ground (which is great) and I feel like an arse (which is normal). Adidas says it'll make me a better athlete.
I was athletic once upon a time, this before I learned the invention of beer of course, but I've always wanted to make my way back there. What do I do? Start running? Not quite. Mark Verstegen, founder of Athletes' Performance and consultant for Adidas, crushes my hopes saying that people “run to get fit” but that's the wrong way of doing things. Instead, “you have to be fit to run”. So though the popularity of barefoot running shoes has been well documented, these Adidas barefoot shoes aren't like those. They're the first barefoot models exclusively targeted for the gym. Run later.
When I first tried to put the Adipure Trainers on, my feet got stuck. My piggies just weren't inserting themselves inside the five holes. Verstegen had warned me about this, he says that our feet are so used to being scrunched up (he re-created the image with his fist) by dress shoes and high heels and sports shoes that we've ruined our natural toe alignment. They're supposed to be spread apart. Hearing that in the background, I was worried that these shoes would never fit me, that I was a lost cause, that I'd be out of shape forever. But! My problem was that I was wearing socks and apparently, Adipure Trainers aren't meant to be worn with your feet covered. When I went sock-less (a gross proposition for most that's slightly alleviated by ‘an ortholite sock liner) I managed to slip in with relative ease.
So how do they feel? Actually good. The shoe's upper is similar to low profile water shoes (better quality, natch) — elastic, stretchy and hardly noticeable around the top part of your foot. I do, however, feel a bit of restriction around my toes but I'm going to assume that's more of a newness thing. The EVA midsoles are perfect though, EVA stands for ethylene and vinyl acetate and it's made up of a ton of foam cells that contain air, when your foot lands on the EVA, the foam compresses and the air gets pushed out until its sucked back in. So unlike Nike Frees which focus on re-creating a barefoot (read: less shock absorbent) feel, the Adidas Adipures provide a solid cushion so you don't feel every jagged edge of the ground. But it doesn't overcompensate on that cushioning, when you're doing exercises like box jumps you'll feel your toes and feet searching for balance, trying to grab the ground. It's like doing brand new core exercises for your feet–working the important little muscles that mean more than the big swooping ones.
But even with all these athlete-approved, trainer-recommended benefits, they're still unabashedly weird. Beyond all possibilities of weird, really. And to that end I say who cares? It's the gym, form follows function. They fit a specific purpose: it fixes your bad habits from the ground up, improves your posture and alignment so you can get more out of your workouts. You'll find yourself searching for balance and using muscles you never knew existed. One thing: probably not ideal for those who predominantly run.
The Adidas Adipure Trainers will be available on November 1 for $US90.
2011年8月23日星期二
Capital Punishment Provides a Unique Slice of Washingtoniana
The scene this past Saturday was typically D.C. A packed gym, representative of city demographics with basketball interest, served as the tiniest of temporary meccas for the basketball world.
"Welcome to D.C." by Mambo Sauce blasted on the speakers and hands went in the air. One shirt read: "I'm taking my talents to..." followed by the red bars and three stars of the District of Columbia flag. If it wasn't at the local basketball court -- the most associated being the plot at Anacostia's Barry Farm Recreation Center -- then the cozy sports facility of a liberal arts women's college, Trinity University in northeast Washington, would certainly do.
"Capital Punishment" billed some of the top basketball players from the area (with Maryland's Prince George's Country being part of Washington's talent pool), particularly those who have participated in D.C.'s famed Goodman League (a summer street basketball league played at those Barry Farm outdoor courts) versus some of the best talent Los Angeles could provide. The West Coast team was represented by L.A.'s Drew League.
The game was turned down by big networks, afraid of crossing their various relationships with the NBA. But with the league's players currently locked out and its courts devoid of any activity -- nor would there be much action from NBA players anyway; it's just that most are anticipating an extended work stoppage -- scores of others had no problem with providing first hand accounts of the much-hyped action.
Understandably, Mayor Vincent Gray received a smattering of boos when he was introduced and handed the mic by the night's master of ceremonies, Miles Rawls, commissioner of the Goodman League and recently anointed king of summer hoops. The boos for Gray didn't exactly turn to hisses, but there were certainly no cheers to contend for balance. The awkwardness of the scene was complete when Gray tossed out the ceremonial jump ball.
The moment didn't, however, serve as a bad omen. The Goodman team won a back and fourth game, 135-134. It came down to the last possession, the visitors getting a chance to steal the show but falling short on two game-winning attempts. The crowd was entertained by back-and-forth action, dazzling dunks, breakneck speeds, and some good-to-honest moxie and defense -- not to mention Rawls' antics on the mic. (Rawls, if you recall, once famously heckled President Obama at a Wizards-Bulls game in the Verizon Center.)
Despite the down-home District atmosphere and extracurriculars surrounding the play, the players actually took the game seriously. Bragging rights from the West Coast to the East Coast were on the line, after all.
Hometown hero Kevin Durant represented a reprieve from both Gray and Redskins angst, even if town's polarizing NFL team currently looks good in games that do not count. Although Durant doesn't play for the Washington Wizards, rather the Oklahoma City Thunder, the crowd showed that watching locally cultivated basketball talent -- the likes of a former rookie of the year, an NBA all-first teamer and the youngest scoring champ in league history -- could bring happiness equivalent to the Monday morning after a 'Skins win.
Durant, fittingly dawning Redskins-colored Nike shoes, scored 44 points, took home the M.V.P. award and, more importantly, sank the game-winning free-throws with 21.5 seconds left. (Cue the go-go music and the after party at Love nightclub.)
In total, around a dozen currently locked-out NBA players found their way onto the holy Catholic campus between Franklin Street and Michigan Avenue NE. Wizards No. 1 draft pick John Wall, his University of Kentucky teammate DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings), Gary Neal (San Antonio Spurs), Ty Lawson (Denver Nuggets), and Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) suited up for D.C.'s team. Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee Bucks), James Harden (Thunder), DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors), Craig Smith (L.A. Clippers), Pooh Jeter (Kings) and JaVale McGee of the Wizards dressed for the L.A. team. Other players on each team included local legends and those with various professional experience, including Team Drew's Brandon Bowman, who grew up in Los Angeles but played collegiate-level ball locally at Georgetown, Hugh "Baby Shaq" Jones (the much-touted Goodman League/And-1 street baller), and Omar Weaver of Coolidge High and Goodman League fame. (Weaver had to turn himself in on carjacking charges last March, but he got some quality run with the D.C. squad on Saturday.)
L.A. native Nick Young, a restricted free agent with the Wizards, didn't play in the event due to a mysterious miscommunication. Several other big names in professional basketball, including 2011 No. 2 draft pick Derrick Williams (Team Drew), PG County's Michael Beasley (Team Goodman), and even the much vaunted Kobe Bryant (Team Drew), swirled around as rumored participants, but none of them actually showed.
Fans and ticket holders had trouble getting into arena -- said to hold 1,600 for basketball -- in a timely fashion, some being turned away and thus angrily feeling on the short end of an oversold event. Organizers have doled out promises of a refund, along with speculative claims of rampant counterfeiting, another classically Washingtonian concept. This all could lead one to believe that some of the counterfeiters might have been attendees. Still, not much could put a damper on an exhibition game held in the nation's capital, on the receiving end of basketball interest nationwide, if not the world.
Meanwhile, summertime hoops carries on just the same at D.C.'s Barry Farm, weather permitting. One can follow the Twitter account of @Inside_da_Gates for information on the games, which are held several times per week and feature the best basketball talent in the DMV -- which, as anyone will readily admit, can compete with the best across the country. At this point, the Goodman playoffs is entering the home stretch.
"If the NBA wants to be stubborn, you always got the Drew League and the Goodman League to make it happen," said Drew League Commissioner Dino Smiley after the exhibition game. Smiley says he hopes to schedule a rematch between the two teams in Los Angeles on September 10. Thanks to stars like Durant leading the organization effort and players partially self-funding their presence at Capital Punishment, basketball passion in the District has become further magnified, and so it might not be the last Washington sees of such affairs, especially if signs grow that the entire 2011-12 NBA season might be cancelled.
Hopefully next time, with more sponsor support and a larger venue and less ticket controversy, love for the game of basketball can be served like it deserves be, not as a victim of a bitter dispute between billionaire owners and millionaire players.
"Welcome to D.C." by Mambo Sauce blasted on the speakers and hands went in the air. One shirt read: "I'm taking my talents to..." followed by the red bars and three stars of the District of Columbia flag. If it wasn't at the local basketball court -- the most associated being the plot at Anacostia's Barry Farm Recreation Center -- then the cozy sports facility of a liberal arts women's college, Trinity University in northeast Washington, would certainly do.
"Capital Punishment" billed some of the top basketball players from the area (with Maryland's Prince George's Country being part of Washington's talent pool), particularly those who have participated in D.C.'s famed Goodman League (a summer street basketball league played at those Barry Farm outdoor courts) versus some of the best talent Los Angeles could provide. The West Coast team was represented by L.A.'s Drew League.
The game was turned down by big networks, afraid of crossing their various relationships with the NBA. But with the league's players currently locked out and its courts devoid of any activity -- nor would there be much action from NBA players anyway; it's just that most are anticipating an extended work stoppage -- scores of others had no problem with providing first hand accounts of the much-hyped action.
Understandably, Mayor Vincent Gray received a smattering of boos when he was introduced and handed the mic by the night's master of ceremonies, Miles Rawls, commissioner of the Goodman League and recently anointed king of summer hoops. The boos for Gray didn't exactly turn to hisses, but there were certainly no cheers to contend for balance. The awkwardness of the scene was complete when Gray tossed out the ceremonial jump ball.
The moment didn't, however, serve as a bad omen. The Goodman team won a back and fourth game, 135-134. It came down to the last possession, the visitors getting a chance to steal the show but falling short on two game-winning attempts. The crowd was entertained by back-and-forth action, dazzling dunks, breakneck speeds, and some good-to-honest moxie and defense -- not to mention Rawls' antics on the mic. (Rawls, if you recall, once famously heckled President Obama at a Wizards-Bulls game in the Verizon Center.)
Despite the down-home District atmosphere and extracurriculars surrounding the play, the players actually took the game seriously. Bragging rights from the West Coast to the East Coast were on the line, after all.
Hometown hero Kevin Durant represented a reprieve from both Gray and Redskins angst, even if town's polarizing NFL team currently looks good in games that do not count. Although Durant doesn't play for the Washington Wizards, rather the Oklahoma City Thunder, the crowd showed that watching locally cultivated basketball talent -- the likes of a former rookie of the year, an NBA all-first teamer and the youngest scoring champ in league history -- could bring happiness equivalent to the Monday morning after a 'Skins win.
Durant, fittingly dawning Redskins-colored Nike shoes, scored 44 points, took home the M.V.P. award and, more importantly, sank the game-winning free-throws with 21.5 seconds left. (Cue the go-go music and the after party at Love nightclub.)
In total, around a dozen currently locked-out NBA players found their way onto the holy Catholic campus between Franklin Street and Michigan Avenue NE. Wizards No. 1 draft pick John Wall, his University of Kentucky teammate DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings), Gary Neal (San Antonio Spurs), Ty Lawson (Denver Nuggets), and Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) suited up for D.C.'s team. Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee Bucks), James Harden (Thunder), DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors), Craig Smith (L.A. Clippers), Pooh Jeter (Kings) and JaVale McGee of the Wizards dressed for the L.A. team. Other players on each team included local legends and those with various professional experience, including Team Drew's Brandon Bowman, who grew up in Los Angeles but played collegiate-level ball locally at Georgetown, Hugh "Baby Shaq" Jones (the much-touted Goodman League/And-1 street baller), and Omar Weaver of Coolidge High and Goodman League fame. (Weaver had to turn himself in on carjacking charges last March, but he got some quality run with the D.C. squad on Saturday.)
L.A. native Nick Young, a restricted free agent with the Wizards, didn't play in the event due to a mysterious miscommunication. Several other big names in professional basketball, including 2011 No. 2 draft pick Derrick Williams (Team Drew), PG County's Michael Beasley (Team Goodman), and even the much vaunted Kobe Bryant (Team Drew), swirled around as rumored participants, but none of them actually showed.
Fans and ticket holders had trouble getting into arena -- said to hold 1,600 for basketball -- in a timely fashion, some being turned away and thus angrily feeling on the short end of an oversold event. Organizers have doled out promises of a refund, along with speculative claims of rampant counterfeiting, another classically Washingtonian concept. This all could lead one to believe that some of the counterfeiters might have been attendees. Still, not much could put a damper on an exhibition game held in the nation's capital, on the receiving end of basketball interest nationwide, if not the world.
Meanwhile, summertime hoops carries on just the same at D.C.'s Barry Farm, weather permitting. One can follow the Twitter account of @Inside_da_Gates for information on the games, which are held several times per week and feature the best basketball talent in the DMV -- which, as anyone will readily admit, can compete with the best across the country. At this point, the Goodman playoffs is entering the home stretch.
"If the NBA wants to be stubborn, you always got the Drew League and the Goodman League to make it happen," said Drew League Commissioner Dino Smiley after the exhibition game. Smiley says he hopes to schedule a rematch between the two teams in Los Angeles on September 10. Thanks to stars like Durant leading the organization effort and players partially self-funding their presence at Capital Punishment, basketball passion in the District has become further magnified, and so it might not be the last Washington sees of such affairs, especially if signs grow that the entire 2011-12 NBA season might be cancelled.
Hopefully next time, with more sponsor support and a larger venue and less ticket controversy, love for the game of basketball can be served like it deserves be, not as a victim of a bitter dispute between billionaire owners and millionaire players.
2011年8月22日星期一
MAX Update No. 80: Cooling Tests and Travels
Back in October of '09 (MAX Update No. 35: Nose Job for Better Aerodynamics) I mentioned I believed MAX could get away with a much smaller air inlet for the radiator—about 1/3 the size of its original area (which was one square foot). And I calculated that this smaller inlet would reduce drag by about a horsepower in cruise, which is a significant bite of MAX's modest horsepower needs. And then about a year ago (MAX Update No. 52: Cooling System Bug Report) I did some test driving with the air inlet partially blocked off, which gave me confidence in my calculations…enough confidence to make the cooling air inlet in MAX's streamlined body about half the size of the inlet in the Escape from Berkeley body.
And my static experiments with low power fuel consumption (MAX Update No. 68: Idle Speculation and MAX Update No. 70: MAX's Theoretical Max) made me daring enough to start last month's trip to Ohio with a small roll of white duct tape in my tool box, so I could experiment with closing off the inlet even further.
So here's how MAX looked when I left Cave Junction (ignore the cardboard box in the passenger's seat, it was a shipment I had to drop off at UPS on the way) with the radiator opening taped up to 60 square inches of inlet area—about 40% of its EfB size. Purists may think me snooty because I didn't use the traditional silver-grey duct tape, but with the pink bandana on my face and the red plaid Elmer Fudd hat on my head, I think I looked sufficiently proletariat that the white duct tape passed without notice. It's not like I was putting on airs.
The advantage of duct tape was I could hop out and tear it off if I had an overheating problem—remember, I'm still experimenting and still learning, and at this stage I preferred expedient to classy.
Up through Oregon (including a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam in Portland) through Washington, across Idaho, climbing into Montana and across the Great Divide and into Wyoming…no overheating problems, so I added more duct tape and narrowed the 5-1/2” tall radiator inlet to 8” wide. That's 44 square inches, less than a third of the Escape from Berkeley nose opening. And that's how I drove across South Dakota and into Minnesota, and by the way, did I mention there was a record heat wave going through the Midwest in mid-July?
And my static experiments with low power fuel consumption (MAX Update No. 68: Idle Speculation and MAX Update No. 70: MAX's Theoretical Max) made me daring enough to start last month's trip to Ohio with a small roll of white duct tape in my tool box, so I could experiment with closing off the inlet even further.
So here's how MAX looked when I left Cave Junction (ignore the cardboard box in the passenger's seat, it was a shipment I had to drop off at UPS on the way) with the radiator opening taped up to 60 square inches of inlet area—about 40% of its EfB size. Purists may think me snooty because I didn't use the traditional silver-grey duct tape, but with the pink bandana on my face and the red plaid Elmer Fudd hat on my head, I think I looked sufficiently proletariat that the white duct tape passed without notice. It's not like I was putting on airs.
The advantage of duct tape was I could hop out and tear it off if I had an overheating problem—remember, I'm still experimenting and still learning, and at this stage I preferred expedient to classy.
Up through Oregon (including a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam in Portland) through Washington, across Idaho, climbing into Montana and across the Great Divide and into Wyoming…no overheating problems, so I added more duct tape and narrowed the 5-1/2” tall radiator inlet to 8” wide. That's 44 square inches, less than a third of the Escape from Berkeley nose opening. And that's how I drove across South Dakota and into Minnesota, and by the way, did I mention there was a record heat wave going through the Midwest in mid-July?
2011年8月19日星期五
Knitting group's blankets a hit with troops in Afghanistan
Trudy Ferrontello spreads the news of knitting for soldiers by word of mouth.
"And my mouth doesn't stop," the Mandarin resident said.
Nine years ago, Deanna Pettit started a knitting ministry at CrossRoad Church with four women. They made baby blankets and hats for newborns in the church. Others joined the ministry, and they've sent thousands of knitted or crocheted hats, scarves, booties and blankets to needy people all over the world.
When Ferrontello, a CrossRoad member, started a knitting group at the Williams Family YMCA in Mandarin last year, she was thrilled to have a new group of women to help.
"You don't have to know how to knit to be a part of this," Ferrontello said. "We can teach people who've never knitted to use a knitting loom."
Sandy Costa is a perfect example.
"I didn't know how to do this last year," Costa said, while wearing a red hat she knitted and working on a multicolor blanket for the soldiers. "I take every scrap of yarn and use it. Hopefully, this colorful blanket will cheer someone up."
Jane Case, dubbed "wonder fingers" by her fellow knitters, helps Ferrontello with patterns and yarn winding.
"These are easier to work with because they don't get tangled," Case said, holding up a thick gray ball she wound from two thinner skeins of yarn.
"We don't waste even a tiny bit of yarn," Ferrontello said. "We use everything."
They use it for a great cause. The knitters just received word from a hospital in Afghanistan that the soldiers appreciated the blankets they sent.
"We are now waiting to hear back from the soldiers on the front line," Ferrontello said. "We sent blankets to them too."
Ferrontello said she is grateful to Bob Ross of the Jacksonville Naval Air Station USO for helping send the blankets to where they are needed most.
Ruth Pitocchi said she hoped the colorful blanket she's working on will let the person who gets it know someone cares.
"It's kind of a Mardi Gras wounded warrior blanket," she said with a chuckle.
Many times members of the group will knit at home and bring their finished products to the Y. That was the case with Sue Defeo who donated several lap blankets last week.
"I believe that this is our way of giving back," Ferrontello said. For me, it is a way to thank God for what He has given me."
The Mandarin Y knitting group meets from 10 to 11 a.m. Fridays. Ferrontello also has started a knitting group at the Mandarin Senior Center that meets from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays. Both groups welcome donations of yarn.
Sale a hit
Once again, people poured into the Mandarin Garden Club and left with armfuls of bargain attire. The ever popular $1 clothing sale had something for everyone, including children's clothes, women and men's clothes, shoes, hats, belts, purses and even a little upscale boutique in the back of the Loretto Road clubhouse.
Jessica Mullen found the perfect computer bag for her laptop while her son Max tugged on her arm to go see the demonstration gardens out back.
Charlize Richardson, 2, had a blast at the sale. She entertained whoever would watch while she danced and laughed her way between tables laden with clothes.
"Her grandmother said she'll sleep good tonight," club member Barbara Price said, after the little girl gave her a surprise kiss on the cheek.
Mary Forester said the day went well and that all leftover clothing was being donated to charity.
The club is now gearing up for its September meetings after a summer off. Members also will be preparing for their October Trash to Treasure sale.
Writing workshop
Ever wanted to write fiction? If so, you'll want to register from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, Aug. 23-25, at Mandarin High School, 4831 Greenland Road, for author June Weltman's eight-week adult education workshop, "Writing Mysteries for Children and Teens." Classes, which are open to students ages 16 and older, will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays starting Sept. 8.
A long time Mandarin resident, Weltman is the author of "Mystery of the Missing Candlestick" for ages 9-13. The Florida Historical Society recognized the book with the Journeys for the Junior Historian Book Award.
A freelance writer, editor and book reviewer, Weltman also gives presentations on what's new in kids' mysteries to organizations, book festivals and educator conferences at schools and libraries. Weltman uses Edgar- and Agatha award-winning children's and young adult mysteries as the basis of class lectures and discussions.
"The past few years have brought major changes in the content as well as in the characterization and style of children's and young adult mysteries," Weltman said. "I want students to become familiar with what is being published and winning awards today."
"And my mouth doesn't stop," the Mandarin resident said.
Nine years ago, Deanna Pettit started a knitting ministry at CrossRoad Church with four women. They made baby blankets and hats for newborns in the church. Others joined the ministry, and they've sent thousands of knitted or crocheted hats, scarves, booties and blankets to needy people all over the world.
When Ferrontello, a CrossRoad member, started a knitting group at the Williams Family YMCA in Mandarin last year, she was thrilled to have a new group of women to help.
"You don't have to know how to knit to be a part of this," Ferrontello said. "We can teach people who've never knitted to use a knitting loom."
Sandy Costa is a perfect example.
"I didn't know how to do this last year," Costa said, while wearing a red hat she knitted and working on a multicolor blanket for the soldiers. "I take every scrap of yarn and use it. Hopefully, this colorful blanket will cheer someone up."
Jane Case, dubbed "wonder fingers" by her fellow knitters, helps Ferrontello with patterns and yarn winding.
"These are easier to work with because they don't get tangled," Case said, holding up a thick gray ball she wound from two thinner skeins of yarn.
"We don't waste even a tiny bit of yarn," Ferrontello said. "We use everything."
They use it for a great cause. The knitters just received word from a hospital in Afghanistan that the soldiers appreciated the blankets they sent.
"We are now waiting to hear back from the soldiers on the front line," Ferrontello said. "We sent blankets to them too."
Ferrontello said she is grateful to Bob Ross of the Jacksonville Naval Air Station USO for helping send the blankets to where they are needed most.
Ruth Pitocchi said she hoped the colorful blanket she's working on will let the person who gets it know someone cares.
"It's kind of a Mardi Gras wounded warrior blanket," she said with a chuckle.
Many times members of the group will knit at home and bring their finished products to the Y. That was the case with Sue Defeo who donated several lap blankets last week.
"I believe that this is our way of giving back," Ferrontello said. For me, it is a way to thank God for what He has given me."
The Mandarin Y knitting group meets from 10 to 11 a.m. Fridays. Ferrontello also has started a knitting group at the Mandarin Senior Center that meets from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays. Both groups welcome donations of yarn.
Sale a hit
Once again, people poured into the Mandarin Garden Club and left with armfuls of bargain attire. The ever popular $1 clothing sale had something for everyone, including children's clothes, women and men's clothes, shoes, hats, belts, purses and even a little upscale boutique in the back of the Loretto Road clubhouse.
Jessica Mullen found the perfect computer bag for her laptop while her son Max tugged on her arm to go see the demonstration gardens out back.
Charlize Richardson, 2, had a blast at the sale. She entertained whoever would watch while she danced and laughed her way between tables laden with clothes.
"Her grandmother said she'll sleep good tonight," club member Barbara Price said, after the little girl gave her a surprise kiss on the cheek.
Mary Forester said the day went well and that all leftover clothing was being donated to charity.
The club is now gearing up for its September meetings after a summer off. Members also will be preparing for their October Trash to Treasure sale.
Writing workshop
Ever wanted to write fiction? If so, you'll want to register from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, Aug. 23-25, at Mandarin High School, 4831 Greenland Road, for author June Weltman's eight-week adult education workshop, "Writing Mysteries for Children and Teens." Classes, which are open to students ages 16 and older, will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays starting Sept. 8.
A long time Mandarin resident, Weltman is the author of "Mystery of the Missing Candlestick" for ages 9-13. The Florida Historical Society recognized the book with the Journeys for the Junior Historian Book Award.
A freelance writer, editor and book reviewer, Weltman also gives presentations on what's new in kids' mysteries to organizations, book festivals and educator conferences at schools and libraries. Weltman uses Edgar- and Agatha award-winning children's and young adult mysteries as the basis of class lectures and discussions.
"The past few years have brought major changes in the content as well as in the characterization and style of children's and young adult mysteries," Weltman said. "I want students to become familiar with what is being published and winning awards today."
2011年8月16日星期二
2011 NewWorld Capital Group Acquires Cleaire
NewWorld Capital Group has acquired Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls, which provides emissions retrofit equipment for heavy-duty diesel vehicles.
Cleaire's products are verified by the California Air Resources Board at Level 3, a Best Available Control Technology abatement standard. The company's products reduce particulate matter emissions from in-use diesel engines by greater than 85%. Cleaire is headquartered in San Leandro, Calif., with a manufacturing facility in San Diego,
NewWorld Capital Group is a leading private equity firm focused on investing in the rapidly growing environmental opportunities sector, principally in the United States.
In light of rapidly growing demand for mobile-source diesel particulate filters, NewWorld's investment will enable Cleaire to expand its sales and product support capability in domestic and international markets.
"We are delighted to have NewWorld Capital as the next owner of our company," said Cleaire's founder Kevin Shanahan. "Cleaire is confronting a major opportunity as demand for reducing diesel particulate emissions surges in California and elsewhere around the U.S."
Cleaire's products are verified by the California Air Resources Board at Level 3, a Best Available Control Technology abatement standard. The company's products reduce particulate matter emissions from in-use diesel engines by greater than 85%. Cleaire is headquartered in San Leandro, Calif., with a manufacturing facility in San Diego,
NewWorld Capital Group is a leading private equity firm focused on investing in the rapidly growing environmental opportunities sector, principally in the United States.
In light of rapidly growing demand for mobile-source diesel particulate filters, NewWorld's investment will enable Cleaire to expand its sales and product support capability in domestic and international markets.
"We are delighted to have NewWorld Capital as the next owner of our company," said Cleaire's founder Kevin Shanahan. "Cleaire is confronting a major opportunity as demand for reducing diesel particulate emissions surges in California and elsewhere around the U.S."
2011年8月15日星期一
Chase the dream with the movement line of Chengdu
Chase the dream with the movement line of Chengdu, China Station James passion bloom
This summer, Nike has invited the world's top basketball player for the fans to bring a wonderful summer beyond imagination. In line with the re-launch of "Just Do It "Nike marketing activities • LeBron James once again after a lapse of two years after the arrival of the" chase the dream with the movement "to the fans around the belief in the basketball journey, LeBron will be in Taipei, Chengdu, four cities of Xi'an and Shanghai basketball fans show the charm of sharing go all out, pour love the basketball story, and encouraging local young people love basketball victory with a campaign to acquire, own dreams.
August 13 • LeBron James came to Chengdu to begin his two-day trip to Chengdu.
The afternoon of August 13, LeBron James came to Chengdu • child gate Nike store, Nike Air Max Ambassador announced IV. This is LeBron's signature shoe series in a new outdoor basketball shoes.
Basketball in China has a broad-based participation, and outdoor basketball shoes for wear resistance with high demands, but also the players need shoes that provide more comprehensive support. And Nike Air Max Ambassador IV is based on the birth of the most advanced outdoor basketball shoes, innovative technology, the demand for a positive response from the players.
Nike Air Max Ambassador IV in the Ambassador on the basis of existing strengths shoes growing another new product, particularly its front paws and equipped with the Nike Zoom Air heel at the Max Air unit combine to make shoes more lightweight, more responsive cushioning, which can respond effectively to impact. In addition to technology embodied in the characteristics of high-performance basketball shoes outside, Nike Air Max Ambassador IV also has a stylish design, especially on the upper story is full of a sense of design and details for the consumers to create a true signature experience. • LeBron James, Nike Air Max hope Ambassador IV to make the majority of Chinese fans and players to better enjoy the fun of summer outdoor basketball for their outstanding play on the field to provide strong support.
This summer, Nike has invited the world's top basketball player for the fans to bring a wonderful summer beyond imagination. In line with the re-launch of "Just Do It "Nike marketing activities • LeBron James once again after a lapse of two years after the arrival of the" chase the dream with the movement "to the fans around the belief in the basketball journey, LeBron will be in Taipei, Chengdu, four cities of Xi'an and Shanghai basketball fans show the charm of sharing go all out, pour love the basketball story, and encouraging local young people love basketball victory with a campaign to acquire, own dreams.
August 13 • LeBron James came to Chengdu to begin his two-day trip to Chengdu.
The afternoon of August 13, LeBron James came to Chengdu • child gate Nike store, Nike Air Max Ambassador announced IV. This is LeBron's signature shoe series in a new outdoor basketball shoes.
Basketball in China has a broad-based participation, and outdoor basketball shoes for wear resistance with high demands, but also the players need shoes that provide more comprehensive support. And Nike Air Max Ambassador IV is based on the birth of the most advanced outdoor basketball shoes, innovative technology, the demand for a positive response from the players.
Nike Air Max Ambassador IV in the Ambassador on the basis of existing strengths shoes growing another new product, particularly its front paws and equipped with the Nike Zoom Air heel at the Max Air unit combine to make shoes more lightweight, more responsive cushioning, which can respond effectively to impact. In addition to technology embodied in the characteristics of high-performance basketball shoes outside, Nike Air Max Ambassador IV also has a stylish design, especially on the upper story is full of a sense of design and details for the consumers to create a true signature experience. • LeBron James, Nike Air Max hope Ambassador IV to make the majority of Chinese fans and players to better enjoy the fun of summer outdoor basketball for their outstanding play on the field to provide strong support.
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