Dead around here. Then I remembered, it's kind of sort of a holiday. When I was a kid in Southwest Louisiana, we always went to school on Good Friday. And, count on it, we ate fish sticks in deference to prevailing religious custom. (Don't jump to any conclusions, Peter Banko. I like fish sticks.)

But, to finish up with a bit of news:

Huh? Mena? Capitol Zoning District?

The zoning district, by law, governs development in areas around the Capitol and Governor's Mansion to preserve their historic character. It functions as a planning commission, more or less.

Fences? The proposed law grows out of a case that went to court over the Commission's denial of a variance for a 48-inch fence requested by Patrick Cowan for his historic house on Scott Street. Cowan lost. Then came the legislation. Cowan got blamed for Bell's bill. So blamed, in fact, that many believe he was defeated in a recent race for president of the Downtown Little Rock Neighborhood Association on account of the legislation. Some people like the existing limitation, apparently, or at least they prefer a process by which the Commission, and neighbors, are in charge of a waiver from the minimum height. Boyd Maher, director of the commission, explains the rule by saying that fences historically were low and ornamental in Little Rock. Maher spoke against the bill when it came up in committee. He said he believed it was preferable to deal with disagreements on existing rules by a review and a change through the usual rulemaking process. If the rule needs changing, he said, it should arise in the neighborhood and be supported there.

Mena? I wouldn't presume to speak for Bell. But I have confirmed that a key force behind the measure is one Gabe Holmstrom, chief of staff to House Speaker Davy Carter. He confirms his involvement, if not direct responsibility. Holmstrom lives in the neighborhood. He's friends with Cowan. He's remodeled apartments on Scott Street and is renovating a house on Louisiana Street as a personal residence. He applied for and received permit for a fence at his house. But he was unhappy to learn he'd need commission approval for the 48-inch fence he wanted to keep his dogs safely penned. Rather than simply apply for a waiver and make his case, he chose instead to attend a commission meeting and lecture the commission about the rule. He said it would discourage people who "looked like" him from making investments in the neighborhood. Some black members of the commission took that badly. I'll buy Holmstrom's explanation that he spoke poorly and meant only to say that overly stringent rules would discourage investment in a neighborhood that needs it. He bought his own house out of foreclosure, he said.

Whatever. Don't start feeling sorry for a high legislative staffer. Swinging a big stick around is efficacious. Squeaky legislative big wheels get greased. Rules can be changed. The Commission voted last night to initiate a review of whether the rule should be changed to a 48-inch limit. Maher said this didn't constitute a recommendation by the staff to make a change. It does give neighbors a public hearing process to see if sentiment favors a change. The final decision will be up to the Commission, which is appointed by various public officials.

Meanwhile, the legislature is keeping the pressure on. An unidentified member of the House has put a hold on the operating appropriation for the Capitol Zoning District Commission. Though approved by the Senate, the appropriations bill was bucked back to Joint Budget Committee, where it rests. But .... a rule change process can't be completed before the legislature is due to end. At least 30 days are required to take public comments, then a commission meeting would have to be scheduled.

Can we agree that a Mena Republican legislator's bill to dictate an eight-inch change in fence heights in a few hundred acres of Little Rock, with the encouragement of the Republican House speaker's chief of staff (a former Democratic Party official), is somewhere short of good government?

* OIL PIPELINE SPILL NEAR MAYFLOWER: Fox 16 provides the photo above of the aftermath of an oil spill from a pipeline break near Mayflower in the Northwood subdivision, which has been evacuated as a precaution against fires. Call U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin. He'll tell you it's silly for people to worry about potential damage from oil pipelines. Early reports from Fox 16 say an Exxon interstate pipeline near Lake Conway ruptured. Traffic was bollixed up near the I-40 exit from Mayflower around 5 p.m.

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The fences -make-bad-neighbors open line

After 35 years of field research in the Serengeti plains, Craig Packer, director of the Lion Research Center at the University of Minnesota, has lost all patience with the romance of African wilderness. Fences, he says, are the only way to stop the precipitous and continuing decline in the number of African lions.

"Reality has to intrude," he said. "Do you want to know the two most hated species in Africa, by a mile? Elephants and lions."

They destroy crops and livestock, Packer said, and sometimes, in the case of lions, actually eat people.

Packer's goal is to save lions. Fencing them in, away from people and livestock, is the best way to do that, he believes, both for conservation and economics. He made that argument in a paper this month in Ecology Letters, along with 57 co-authors, including most of the top lion scientists and conservationists.

The paper lays out the value of fences in clear terms, although it stops short of endorsing fencing as the only sensible option. That is Packer's own view. With a growing human population whose rights must be respected, he says, open and free co-existence with lions is not practical, nor is it fair to the humans who have to live with the big cats.

In conversation, Packer goes beyond the measured scientific prose of the paper, venting his frustration with the fantasy often offered to tourists of a free and unfettered African wilderness.

"That's 130 years ago," he said. "I'm just trying to push people to

Lions in Africa have lost 75 percent of their range in the past 100 years, problems between people and lions have increased, and some populations suffer from genetic isolation. Panthera, a conservationist organization devoted to big cats, estimates there are 30,000 lions in Africa today, down from 200,000 lions 100 years ago.

Some populations are doing well, such as those in the Serengeti, which is not fenced, and those in large and small reserves in South Africa.

Using surveys from 42 sites in 11 countries in Africa, the authors of the paper concluded that without fencing, it would cost $2,000 per square kilometer, or less than half a square mile, annually to keep lions at 50 percent of their potential numbers. With fencing, the cost would be $500 a year to maintain 80 percent of their potential numbers.

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Fences could be best route to saving African lions, U researcher says

August Wilson's Fences, Starring Lenny Henry, to Transfer to the West End's Duchess Theatre

By Mark Shenton 15 Mar 2013

The current touring production of August Wilson's Fences, which premiered at Bath's Theatre Royal in February starring Lenny Henry, is to transfer to the West End's Duchess Theatre, beginning performances June 19 prior to an official opening June 26, for a 13-week run through Sept. 14.

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It is currently on the road, with remaining dates to be played at Milton Keynes Theatre (March 18-23), Oxford Playhouse (March 25-30), Theatre Cymru, Mold (April 2-6), Malvern Theatre (April 8-13) and Cambridge Arts Theatre (April 15-20).

It is directed by Paulette Randall, former artistic director of Talawa Theatre Company, who is directing her fifth play by Wilson here. Henry, who has played the title role of Othello in the West End and starred in The Comedy of Errors at the National Theatre, plays Troy Maxson, a once gifted athlete denied his turn at the big time and now struggling through daily life in Pittsburgh. Resentful of a world he believes has denied him chances at every turn, he takes out his anger on a sports-obsessed son and his loyal wife.

The play, which won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1987 Tony Award for Best Play, was originally produced at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Connecticut in 1983, beofre premiering at Broadway's 46th Street Theatre (now the Rodgers) in 1987, starring James Earl Jones as Troy Maxson. It was subsequently revived at the Cort Theatre in 2010 with Denzel Washington. It was previously seen in the West End in 1990 starring Yaphet Kotto.

To book tickets, contact the box office on 0844 4124659 or visit http://www.nimaxtheatres.com for more details.

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August Wilson's Fences , Starring Lenny Henry, to Transfer to the West End's Duchess Theatre

Lenny Henry as Troy Maxson Date: 15 March 2013

As previously tipped, the Theatre Royal Bath revival of August Wilson's Fences starring Lenny Henry will transfer to the West End's Duchess Theatre in the summer.

The production, which is directed former Talawa artistic director Paulette Randall, opened in Bath last month and is currently on a UK tour. It will run at the Duchess from 19 June to 14 September 2013.

Wilson's 1983 play, which forms part of the late dramatist's epic ten-play cycle about the black experience in 20th-century America, centres on Troy Maxson (Henry), a former baseball star who is now a garbageman and consumed by bitterness.

Fences was written in 1983 and made its Broadway premiere in 1987, starring James Earl Jones. It went on to win a Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play, which is set in Pittsburgh in 1957, was recently revived on Broadway in an acclaimed production starring Denzel Washington, though E8831272620162 rumours of a West End transfer failed to materialise.

It was previously seen in the West End in 1990, in a production at the Garrick Theatre starring Yaphet Kotto and Adrian Lester.

The play marks the latest in a line of theatre roles that Lenny Henry - best known as a stand up comic and presenter of Red Nose Day - has tackled recently. He starred in the title role of Northern Broadsides' production of Othello in 2009 and the National's modern dress staging of The Comedy of Errors in 2011.

- by Theo Bosanquet

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News: Fences starring Lenny Henry comes to West End in June

Minecraft Mini Mods Ep 34 - Ladders N Fences - Placeable ladders on fences!
LIKES/FAV highly appreciated. If you are new, don #39;t forget to click that subscribe button for daily Minecraft videos and more Mini Mods in the future. Follow...

By: setosorcerer

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Minecraft Mini Mods Ep 34 - Ladders N Fences - Placeable ladders on fences! - Video

Quick Look

Priyanka Kurugala

The Wildlife Department will erect two electric fences in the upper areas of Lunugamvehera and Udawalawa to combat the growing human - elephant conflict in the Uva province, Wildlife Director General H D Rathnayake said.

The length of each fence will be 40 kilometres, he said. Plans are underway to build the fences within two weeks, Rathnayake said.

This will help reduce the human - elephant conflict by 90 percent, the Director General said.

Common Differences will be screened at 25/1, Centre Road, Battaramulla on March 21 at 6 pm. It will be hosted by former Sri Lankan ambassador to the UN in Geneva Tamara Kunanayagam and followed by a discussion chaired by South African ambassador Geoff Doidge.

Common Differences is a documentary film that as Parliamentarian Eran Wickremaratne advocates in the moving opening sequence, attempts to provide a balanced insight to the Sri Lanka ethnic conflict. It explores the reasons for and the development of conflict in Sri Lanka through interviews with a wide range of stakeholders. The film also opens up the question as to where and how Sri Lanka should proceed.

Given the emotions involved, the production team of Suren de Silva and Daniel Ridicki refrains from commentary, instead simply using interviews by Sri Lanka political, academic, media and NGO stakeholders. These include the Bishop of Mannar, the Secretary of Defence, journalists Iqbal Athas and C A Chandraprema, NGO activist Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, academics Dayan Athukoralage, Imran Furkan and Stanley Samarasinghe and politicians Vinatagamoorthy Muralitharan and Eran Wickramaratne.

The telling of the story also leads to constructive propositions for nation building. A sequel entitled Healing the Wounds is now in pre-production phase. The screening will be followed by a discussion of the issues with Jeevan Thiagarajah, Javid Yusuf, Jehan Perera and Prof Rajiva Wijesinha who were also interviewed. They will answer questions and provide clarifications as possible. Contact 011-2559191 during working hours to confirm participation or email rajiva.wijesinha@googlemail.com.

Centre Road is the second turn to the left off the road that runs behind the Parliament vehicle park. This road is parallel to the road leading from the Parliament entrance to Battaramulla

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Two more electric fences to ward off jumbos

Published: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 9:23 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 9:23 p.m.

Putting up front yard fences will be easier for residents and some LED window signs for businesses will now be allowed as Burgaw town officials decided Tuesday night to make changes to the town's Unified Development Ordinance.

Burgaw resident Joe Bordeaux requested in December that commissioners consider a change to the town's ordinance that would allow him to put a fiberglass fence in his front yard.

Burgaw Planning Administrator Rebekah Costin said concerns about the height and design of front-yard fences in 2007 led commissioners to adopt an amendment to the ordinance requiring residents to a obtain a conditional use permit for any front-yard fence.

The permit process requirement included a $300 application fee and a public hearing before the board of commissioners. Costin said the process seemed to have deterred some residents from putting up fences.

I've had questions from property owners over the last few years about putting up a front-yard fence to keep pedestrians from crossing their yard on a regular basis, and when they found out about the conditional use process, no one was willing to take it further, she said.

Now a resident may pay $30 for a zoning permit for their fence and would generally complete the process in one day versus undergoing a month-long process.

Residential front-yard fences cannot exceed 4 feet in height and must be constructed of certain materials listed in the ordinance, including wood and stone. Commercial front-yard fences still require a conditional use permit.

Although signs consisting of LED lights were prohibited in Burgaw prior to Tuesday night, several businesses already were using such signs in their windows, particularly signs that say open. Costin estimated about 30 or 40 businesses, including about 10 in downtown Burgaw, had the signs. Costin said the town prohibited LED or LCD signs because of the difficulty of making sure they are not too bright to interfere with passersby.

The approved ordinance amendment allows incidental LED and LCD window signs, but prohibit such signs that flash, scroll or contain moving lights, pictures or text.

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Changes to Burgaw ordinance means fences easier to add, some LED signs OK

TRAVERSE CITY Homeowners in Traverse City can continue to build fences of any type, height, or material they choose without a city permit.

Some residents had objected to the recent proliferation of 10-foot tall blockade-style fences and walls along Division Street. A letter from Pat and Dennis LaBelle in December had the city planning commission ready to climb all over the controversial question of erecting a fence ordinance. But aware of rickety support in the past for a fence ordinance, planners decided to get the city commission's perspective first.

"They don't want to spend a lot of time and energy (on it) because I guess there's some history of doing that and not having it accepted," said commissioner Jeanine Easterday, who also serves on the planning commission.

The city has no guidelines for fence building outside of restrictions on barbed wire. Planners have considered a fence ordinance four times since 1977 but never acted.

Easterday polled city commissioners Monday night about planners setting up standards for fences.

"I don't think so," Commissioner Mary Ann Moore replied. "We just did beekeeping and those people have to have fences. There's the Division (Street) noise, ones for the yard, privacy. I just think it's not something we should get into."

Other commissioners concurred.

"I don't think we want to deal with it," Commissioner Barbara Budros said.

Pat Labelle said she's not surprised and understands the commission's reluctance considering past efforts.

"It was worth a community discussion," LaBelle said. "I was just concerned because the large walls can occur anywhere in the city, not just on Division Street, and I don't think there is anything anyone can do once they go up."

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Traverse City won't trespass on homeowners' fences

Bratton must mend community fences

In observing the coverage and conversation around new Oakland Police Department consultant William Bratton, much of it has been focused on the narrow scope of his extremely expensive contract and fears of the infamous stop-and-frisk tactics Bratton employed in Boston, New York and Los Angeles.

Now that Bratton is here to stay, it is my hope that he can mend fences with the grass-roots citizens groups who were his initial opponents to better inform his work.

Whether his contract was worth its price will be proven by the outcomes of his tenure, and he will undoubtedly find success difficult to achieve if he views the community as adversaries of his agenda rather than allies in reducing violent crime in Oakland.

Miquette Thompson

Oakland

Children should take bow for oratory

Lafayette Elementary School, located in Oakland, took first place at the second Regional MLK Jr. Oratorical Fest. The event was held Feb. 15 at Acts Full Gospel Church.

This means that every individual class at Lafayette Elementary that participated in the event won its own first-place award for its performance. Children, we share in your success. Take time to feel great joy and pride for the city of Oakland, pride for the community and special pride for Lafayette Elementary School.

It

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Piedmont/Montclair letters: Bratton should mend Oakland community fences

Hawthorn development coach Chris Fagan, coach coach Alastair Clarkson, player Brendan Whitecross and Blaze Aid team leader Vivian Walker with property owner Rob Turner behind Picture: Kim Eiszele Source: The Mercury

IT WAS the sweatiest, hardest, dirtiest work they will do all year.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson, head of coaching Chris Fagan, and repatriating star Brendan Whitecross went bush at Boomer Bay yesterday to rebuild fences destroyed in the Dunalley bushfires.

The digging was hot and hard, and the rocks unforgiving.

The Hawthorn men worked in blackened bush to put in steel droppers and huge straining posts cut from nearby trees and rolled into place.

Despite actual blisters on their hands, they plan to do the same again today for nothing more than a sandwich, bottle of water and a well-earned thank you.

The fences may have been as straight as a politician's promise, but the trio revelled in the challenge.

It was Clarkson's idea to put together a crew to work in the Dunalley area.

He left his team behind in Melbourne to prepare for Saturday's NAB Cup clash against Richmond at Aurora Stadium.

Clarkson, who will joined them when they arrive in Launceston tomorrow, was hardly prepared for the damage caused by the fires.

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Hawks mend bushfire fences