Southern York County to see major changes for next term

YORK, Maine When voters head to the polls to cast their ballot for state representative or senator, they had better check with their town clerk first. As of Jan. 1, many people in southern York County are going to be in a different district.

Cape Neddick residents who live east of Interstate 95 will join the majority of York residents in one House district. More Kittery residents will be added to that town's primary voting district; a small number will join a newly configured House district that includes all of Eliot and part of South Berwick. The majority of South Berwick residents now join many North Berwick residents in a new House district.

And stay tuned, York residents who live west of I-95. You will be in a House district with Ogunquit and parts of Wells and Sanford.

On top of all that, the district numbers themselves have been flipped so that, for instance, the former House District 151, which includes most of Kittery, is the new District 1.

Those elected to the new districts will be sworn in for the January 2015 legislative session. Until then, current districts remain in effect.

The road map for these new districts is set out in a little-publicized report completed last May by the Maine Apportionment Commission made up by equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats.

They worked quietly and cooperatively, said chairman Michael Friedman, a Bangor attorney. "I'd like to take credit, but I don't think I can," he said. "For once, there was a bipartisan committee that actually could work together. That's what happened."

According to Maine's Constitution, redistricting occurs every 10 years after the data from the U.S. Census is disseminated. The ideal population for a House district is 8,797, and for a Senate district, 37,953. Only a 10 percent deviation from that figure is allowed.

Several factors guided the commission. Both parties "would prefer not to have two incumbents running against each other," for one, said Friedman. The commission, he said, also tried to redraw districts with a minimum of impact to voters.

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Redistricting alters political landscape

By NATALIE KOTSIOSJan. 25, 2014, midnight

SHE is almost camouflaged against the blackened landscape.

Melissa and Tristan Meyers are grateful the fire stopped just short of the verandah of their Little Billabong Road home, but it was a different story with a nearby shed. Pictures: TARA GOONAN

The Meyers filly, Salara, has burns to her body, head and hoofs.

SHE is almost camouflaged against the blackened landscape.

Eyes scan the charred paddocks, burnt to a crisp in the Minnimbah fire north east of Holbrook for the only sign of life, an 18-month-old chocolate-brown foal, called Salara.

She desperately needs veterinary attention, her wounds from the blaze still fresh.

But her owner, Melissa Meyers, hasnt been able to get close enough to help her.

Instead, a still-skittish Salara is in mourning, pacing between the bodies of her mother a brumby Mrs Meyers four-year-old daughter, Caidence, christened Flicker and a miniature horse, Bambi.

Neither Caidence nor her brother Beau, 6, know whats happened to their horses, or to the 1400 hectares they call home.

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Scars of inferno may never heal

Decorations a mess

I have loved the Hill Country since I was a law student in the 1970s. Upon retirement, I got back here as quickly as I could only to be disgusted by so many peoples low regard for the beautiful Hill Country. Lady Bird Johnson would be revolted at our roadside littering, both casual and organized. By organized littering, I mean the gaudy, so-called decorating of trees along the roadways.

It really irks me to see people intentionally defiling our beautiful landscape by festooning trees with sparkly junk. They are like those simple-minded cretins, so insecure in their own worlds, who share their angst by spray-painting graffiti over murals. You are not sharing the holiday spirit; you are just making a public mess on someone elses property. No true Texan should tolerate the intentional damaging of our landscape. If you want to do something constructive, clean up your own lives and homes. Then, really be helpful clean up other peoples litter. Dont Mess With Texas.

John Kelsey

kelsey4defense@aol.com

Dripping Springs

Don't alter test

Re: Jan. 23 article, Firefighter case nears settlement.

Here we go again. Our attorney general out of Washington, D.C., is after the State of Texas once again. This time its the City of Austin. Hes not happy because the written and oral tests are too hard for minorities? So, what does he want the mayor and City Council to do about it? Hard to say from the article in the American-Statesman other than, I assume, make the test a lot easier so minorities can pass? Is that what we really want in Austin? Firefighters less qualified to do the job because they happen to be a minority? I dont think so.

Here is my message to Mayor Lee Leffingwell, members of the City Council and our fire chief: Do not fear the possibility of a lawsuit from the Justice Department. Its wrong so, if necessary, take it all the way to the Supreme Court. Time to put a stop to this nonsense coming out of the current administration.

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Letters to the editor: Jan. 25

The Suburban Council produced some illuminating results last week, and the two teams that generated the biggest wins Shaker (10-0) and Averill Park (12-0) meet Tuesday night in Latham.

Both undefeated squads stayed that way by knocking off Shenendehowa, which fell from No. 1 to No. 4 in the Class AA rankings.

Here are the Times Union's weekly girls' basketball rankings, through Sunday's games:

CLASS AA

1. Albany (12-1, Last week No. 2): The Falcons are off until Saturday when they look to improve to 9-0 in the Big 10 against Bishop Gibbons.

2. Shaker (10-0, LW No. 3): A monster week saw the Blue Bison produce wins over Shenendehowa (61-33) and Bethlehem (59-49).

3. Bethlehem (8-2, LW No. 4): Up this week for the Eagles are Suburban Council games against Burnt Hills and Guilderland.

4. Shenendehowa (8-2, LW No. 1): The Plainsmen look to snap their two-game losing streak Tuesday vs. Guilderland.

5. Columbia (7-5, LW No. 5): The Blue Devils ended a five-game losing streak Friday against Ballston Spa.

CLASS A

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Suburban Council results shake up Class AA landscape

The history of the Vijayanagar empire, ruins of which now house Hampi, is dotted with several interesting episodes, some of which were dwelt upon by renowned architect-academic George Michell during a session at the Jaipur Literature festival on Monday.

Dr. Michell, an expert on Central Asian and Indian-especially Deccan-architecture, was introduced by historian-author William Dalrymple for a session titled Vijayanagar: the city of victory.

Dr. Michell received his training in architecture at Melbourne University and then went on to do a Ph.D in Indian Archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

He has undertaken research projects at different archaeological sites across India, including over two decades of intensive field work at Hampi. His recent publications include Vijayanagara: Splendour in Ruins, The Great Temple at Thanjavur and Mughal Architecture and Gardens, among several other books.

Dr. Michell said Vijayanagar was among the earliest and perhaps the most complete examples of magnificent imperial cities and one of the very few Indian cities that were abandoned.

Not unlike Pompeii (the ancient Roman city) which came to a sudden cataclysmic end in 78 AD, Vijayanagar came to a cataclysmic end in 1565...This was a city that was abandonedand there are not many Indian cities like that, said Dr. Michell.

The most amazing thing about the place, he said, was the landscape.

It is one of the most extraordinary landscapes to be found anywhere in Asia, not just in Indiaincredible granitic landscape... one question that most people ask us is what the hell is a big imperial city of one of the greatest Hindu empires in southern India doing here? Why did they build it here?

There are several possible explanations-one, this type of landscape was a very good natural defence against empires that were at war with Vijayanagar; second, a great river, Tungabhadra, runs through this placeand it loses height ideal for taking off water channels and creating a very extensive hydraulic systemwhich permitted the cultivation of many types of crops, said Dr. Michell.

He said the earliest Vijayanagar emperors-the Sangama kings-were sort of local nobodies who seized the moment in a power vacuumwhen the Delhi Sultans abandoned control of this part of India...giving an opportunity to these local people to use the Muslim threat in a sort of ideological political wayto galvanise everyone together.

The rest is here:
George Michell showcases interesting episodes of Vijayanagar

The history of the Vijayanagar empire, ruins of which now house Hampi, is dotted with several interesting episodes, some of which were dwelt upon by renowned architect-academic George Michell during a session at the Jaipur Literature festival on Monday.

Dr. Michell, an expert on Central Asian and Indian-especially Deccan-architecture, was introduced by historian-author William Dalrymple for a session titled Vijayanagar: the city of victory.

Dr. Michell received his training in architecture at Melbourne University and then went on to do a Ph.D in Indian Archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

He has undertaken research projects at different archaeological sites across India, including over two decades of intensive field work at Hampi. His recent publications include Vijayanagara: Splendour in Ruins, The Great Temple at Thanjavur and Mughal Architecture and Gardens, among several other books.

Dr. Michell said Vijayanagar was among the earliest and perhaps the most complete examples of magnificent imperial cities and one of the very few Indian cities that were abandoned.

Not unlike Pompeii (the ancient Roman city) which came to a sudden cataclysmic end in 78 AD, Vijayanagar came to a cataclysmic end in 1565...This was a city that was abandonedand there are not many Indian cities like that, said Dr. Michell.

The most amazing thing about the place, he said, was the landscape.

It is one of the most extraordinary landscapes to be found anywhere in Asia, not just in Indiaincredible granitic landscape... one question that most people ask us is what the hell is a big imperial city of one of the greatest Hindu empires in southern India doing here? Why did they build it here?

There are several possible explanations-one, this type of landscape was a very good natural defence against empires that were at war with Vijayanagar; second, a great river, Tungabhadra, runs through this placeand it loses height ideal for taking off water channels and creating a very extensive hydraulic systemwhich permitted the cultivation of many types of crops, said Dr. Michell.

He said the earliest Vijayanagar emperors-the Sangama kings-were sort of local nobodies who seized the moment in a power vacuumwhen the Delhi Sultans abandoned control of this part of India...giving an opportunity to these local people to use the Muslim threat in a sort of ideological political wayto galvanise everyone together.

Read the original:
Vijayanagara, earliest example of imperial city: George Michell

I realised on Wednesday morning that there is a chance I have been in this business too long. I woke with a sense of excitement rather as children sometimes do at Christmas. Why? Because I was really looking forward to finding out how Hargreaves Lansdown (HL), Britains best-known online investing platform, was going to change its pricing structure to comply with the new set of Retail Distribution Review rules.

Would there be a flat fee? Would it be simple? Would it be transparent? Would my mother understand it? Would it cost me less? Would the change be as disruptive to the market and as exciting as Hargreaves Lansdown itself was when it first launched all those years ago?

Oh dear. The key lesson for me is that if you ever allow yourself to get excited about possible innovation in the financial industry, you will be sorely disappointed. Days later, Im still a tad irritable about the whole thing.

The system isnt as bad or even as rapacious as it could be. HL is very solvent and service-orientated and most people dont much mind what they pay them. But the new structure just isnt particularly interesting, innovative, inexpensive or simple.

The booklet I got in the post this week from HL has a promising title: Changes to the Vantage Service explained. The rest is less promising. It contains 17 pages explaining the changes to the charges. They addled my brain.

The upshot is that if you are a traditional fund investor you will pay HL a bit less overall, but if you are a passive investor or if you have a thing for individual stocks and investment trusts (as I do), you will pay a bit more.

Im none too keen on the treatment of investment trusts (although there is a good new regular investment service) and the tiered charging based on the value of your investments. I had really hoped that it might take transparent flat-fee pricing mainstream. Instead, like the rest of the ad valorem obsessed industry, HL has claimed that this structure is fair.

It isnt remotely fair; it doesnt cost that much more to administer large accounts than small, so making those with large accounts pay more effectively forces them to subsidise the less well off. We dont need stockbrokers to redistribute wealth in this manner: thats what we have governments for.

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Platform reforms are changing the landscape for fund investors

Snowfall brings New Yorkers out of their apartments and onto their sleds for some downhill action that makes everyone feel like a kid again. Heres a roundup of some of the best places to slip and slide.

Third Street and Prospect Park West, Brooklyn

Nine-year-old Park Slope pals Jack (from left), Katie, Dela and Luna give a thumbs-up for the slopes in Prospect Park.Photo: Christian Johnston

On snow days, Park Slope families jam onto every possible peak in this Brooklyn park. Popular spots include a medium-size hill adjacent to the Picnic House, where, one Friday during a recent noreaster, the area teemed with kids and parents.

Anything goes at this chaotic scene, where children careen down all sides of the hill, often landing in a big pile at the bottom. At one point, a dog pulling his young charge by sled stopped to do his business in the middle of the hill, and kids leapt out of saucers to avoid the steaming pile of poo.

Theyre kinda rookies here in the city, says Robert Sluymer, 51, a Toronto native who has lived in Park Slope for more than a decade.

But kids dont seem to mind, including Sluymers 9-year-old daughter, Dela, who packed onto the familys wooden toboggan with a giggling pack of PS 107 friends before getting a push from Dad.

Walter, a 12-year-old off to a running start before dive-bombing down the hill headfirst, shouts, It feels like youre indestructible!

Teens crowd Long Meadow to practice jumps and snowboarding, while a bunny slope for tots faces the bandshell. (Watch out for trees at the bottom.)

Insider tip: Patience is a must at this parks popular spot, where sledders queue up before pushing off. The sprawling park is littered with hills. Keep exploring until you find enough space to sled safely in fresh powder.

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Head for the hills! The Post rates NYC’s slippery sled slopes

By Susan Miller , last updated March 17, 2011

The main goal in landscaping a hill is preventing erosion. If the soil is not anchored with deep enough roots, the soil will wash away over time since water flows downhill. You can achieve this goal by choosing the right landscaping while keeping in mind how you want to use the hill.

Will you need to climb up and down your hill? If your hill has your boat dock and a lake at the bottom, the answer will be yes. This means you will need to embed stairs in the hill, such as huge railroad ties with a hand railing so you can get up and down the hill easily. Your soil type will determine whether the hill can support the railroad ties or other types of steps. Consult with a professional landscape architect, your local university extension or your local garden center to help determine what type of stairs will hold in your hill, or what must be done to secure them.

You will also need to make sure your soil type drains well and will provide the nutrients your plants will need. Before planting and landscaping, make any additions to the soil that are needed so your plants will flourish.

One easy way to prevent erosion on a hillside is to plant a hardy groundcover, like English ivy. Eventually, the ivy will completely cover the hill. You will have to clip it back from the stairs (if you have them) three or four times every growing season, but pruning ivy is much easier maintenance than mowing a hillside every week.

Terraced gardens edged in rocks in the hillside are a beautiful option and will also prevent erosion, but will require more maintenance. How much time you intend to spend gardening will help you decide how you want to landscape your hill.

Go here to read the rest:
How to Landscape a Hill - Ask.com

Some think of fine art as something high-society folks admire through a pair of designer bifocals while sipping wine and caressing their fancy cat. In truth, art is seen and appreciated by all in one form or another, and it is a link that bridges cultures and generations--particularly the ubiquitous landscape painting. There's a good chance you've seen one on a hotel room wall, in a doctor's office waiting area or at Aunt Martha's house, and there's a good chance it made its way into Elliot Anderson's exhibit, Average Landscapes. Anderson, who has worked in computer technology since the early '80s, culls tourist photographs of 19th century landscape paintings from the Internet and uses a software program he wrote to create digital composites. In his lecture, Anderson will talk about the "link between American landscape painting and American tourism" and how Average Landscapes--currently part of the Wish You Were Here exhibition at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts--"reimagines the American desire for the sublime." Leave the cat at home, but bring the bifocals just in case. Arrive at 5:30 p.m. for a tour of the exhibition.

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Art History Lecture With Elliot Anderson