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Day Results17 / 7-7-42020 Overall 707707 / 251-231-274Win % of Top Pick35.50%Payoff % of Top 3 Picks Overall35.64%2020 Top Pick in the Money 448-70763.37%Top Selection ITM / CD Spring-Summer: 129-20961.72%Top Selection Win / CD Spring-Summer: 72-20934.45%Key Horses @ CD Spring-Summer:26-11-6-542.31% Win / 84.62% ITMKey Horses in 2020 99-34-23-1534.34% Win / 72.73% ITM

(My son Brad holds his sons, Ford and Jack, so they can see Miss Jacqueline work)

(My daughter, Alex, and me when she lived in New York the city so nice that they named it twice)

(And, my son Will. He used to allow me to tie his tie. Now, hes 6-foot-4 and too tall for me to reach his neck)

There is not a father on this Earth more lucky than me. Maybe some that tie me. But none more lucky.

I have had the blessings of being around and loving three.

Brad, my oldest, lives in Columbus, OH with wife Kate and their two sons Ford and Jack. Brad was recently named the President for ATT-Ohio. A prestigious honor. And, at the age of 35, one of the youngest to ever reach such a honor. My God, how proud I am of that boy.

Alex, my daughter, lives in Nashville, TN with her husband Evan and they have one son John McLean Sharp. Alex works at the Country Music Association and runs her own fashion blog. She lived in NYC for about 3 or 4 years. On her own. She has more guts than anyone I know, and is pure spirit right down to her core. There is no task that she cant tackle; wrestle to the ground. But, then again, she grew up watching Professional Wrestling, even though I told her not. My God, how proud I am of that girl.

Will is my step-son, but I tell everyone that he is mine. Because he is. He is 16 years old, and funny to the bone. He is 6-foot-4 and can play basketball better than I could ever dream. More importantly, though, he is kind, tender-hearted, and loving in his very own way. In todays world, I think he is so very special. He knows how to treat others. Just like the way he wants to be treated. Seems like rare commodities in our world today. Will has them. My God, how proud I am of that boy.

So, you see, on this Fathers Day, I have so many blessings. More than I deserve, to be sure. And, I treasure each. I value all.

Still, at some time today, I will hit my knees and thank my own Dad, who now resides above the clouds so high. He was a tough son-of-a-gun. Earned everything he made in his life with hard work; long hours; callous hands; and hearts commitment. He passed along those traits to his children whether you wanted them or not. It was not a request in his home. It was demanded.

At the time, I truly didnt understand those values. Why they were so important to him. Why they were so important in life. Why it was so important to instill them in us.

Today, I know why.

Today is Fathers Day. No better day to enjoy a day at the races. Maybe soon we can reunite there. Together. That, my friends, would make my day.

Heres a closer look at the card at Churchill Downs on Fathers Day:

1st: 2-4-6/5-3/1The Rock Says (2)will be making the 2020 debut today for a stable that appears to be down-sizing and running some in aggressive spots. This 4YO gelded son of Uncle Mo has run twice on off tracks, and has a win and a second. Has run 3 times over this track and has a win and two seconds. Returns as a beaten favorite, too, and the barn hits with .47% of them. Looks tough if the works help get him ready.Tikhvin (4)drops to the claiming ranks for the first time, too. Barn hits with .20% of those. This one ran in the G1 Arkansas Derby in 2019. High hopes. Has been six races since he hit the board, though. Drop has to help, right?Strike Appeal (6)broke the maiden two back in the slop at the Fair Grounds. Last outing didnt go well, but caught Blackberry Wine in that one. Barn hits with .22% of those getting dropped into the claiming ranks for the first time. Chance.I bet the 2 to win/place/show and then key the 2 over/under all the numbers listed.

2nd: 9-3/4-5The first Baby Race of the day is for the colts (and one filly) and will be contested at 5 furlongs. Looks like a 2-horse race on paper, but, as you know by now, they dont run on paper unless you count polytrack. I give the edge to the outside andAs Required (9).This is the lone filly in the race and I think she may be quicker than the rest. Barn hits with .15% when debuting in the MCL ranks. Dam of this one has produced 3 winners from 3 starters. And, the work here on June 12 was spot on. Better odds, too. To win, though, she will have to beat the guru of 2YO races trainer Wesley Ward and his steedBlues Power (3).This one is already a gelding and is owned by the trainer, too. Dam has produced 1 winner from 1 starter and the jockey has won with 2 of 5 for this barn this meet. Hot work at KEE last out. The one to beat, to be sure.I bet the 9 to win/place/show and then box the 9-3 in one exacta. Solid.

3rd: 1-3-2/5/8-6-4Its hard to beat a Robertino Diodoro horse these days. The barn has won with .22% of 618 starters this year, and the trainer is even better here this meet what with a 5-2-0 mark in just 14 starts. That translates to a win mark of .36%. And, give him a hot horse, too?Summer Revolution (3)won his first start for this barn at this same level last time out by a whopping 7 lengths. Wow. But there could be a possible kink. In 3 starts over an off-track, he has only 1 third to show. So? I give the edge toAbove Board (1),who hails from the Steve Asmussen barn and the man who used to train Summer Revolution. Above Board nearly won against much tougher last time out and now slips back to the $8,000 tag. Asmussen took him off of Diodoro two starts ago for $5,000. He won that day by 12. Sointeresting story developing here, right?I bet the 1 to win/place/show and then box the top 3 in one exacta. I will key the top 3 over/under the 5 in two softer versions.

4th: 5-7-2/8-1/4-3A wide open affair here, with some breaking ranks and dropping into the lower price categories. I will go with the hot hand and trainer Tom Amoss Seeds of Time (5).This 5YO mare loves the off going, with 2 wins, a second and a third in 4 career starts over that type of surface. Also has a 1-1-1 mark here at Churchill Downs. I toss the last one, and the rider is 4-1-6 in the last 13 mounts for this barn which won a G1 in NY on Saturday. Hot. Hand. Miz Shelton (7)has speed and thats always dangerous. Finds a softer group to tackle today, too. Has a second and third over an off track and has a 1-2-2 mark in 8 starts here.Lexington Grace (2)drops considerably for this one, too. Has never run over an off-track before, but does have some nice back-class for a barn that is looking for the first win of the meet after 15 starts. Does have 4 seconds and a couple of thirds on the resume, though. In too tough of late. Lets see if she likes the dirt.Lady Cleopatra (8)is on a roll right now. Has two wins in the last three starts and 4 wins in 9 over the off going. Got to use, right?I bet the 5-8 across the board take note. I then box the 5-7-2-8 in one exacta hoping to catch some odds. I will keythe 5-8 over/under the 7-2-1-4-3 in two softer versions.

5th: 9-10-1/2-8/7-3-5Another wide open affair, but I land onMoney Well Spent (9).She drops from the MCL $30,000 tag to the $20,000 level today after running 5th last time out. The runner-up in that one came right back to win and this one had some serious traffic issues. With a cleaner trip? Maybe graduation day today.Anniesgoldengirl (10)will be making only the second start and ran a woeful 11th and was beaten 16 lengths in the debut. So, what gives? She was bet down as the favorite off works alone and has come back to work even better. May have not liked the inside position in the debut and got wrapped up on. Look at the odds board for this one to see if the action returns. If it does? Maybe alive.I bet the 9 to win/place/show andthen box the top 3 in the exacta. I will key the 9 over/under the rest of the numbers in twoshorter versions.

6th: 8-(17)-7-3/4-5-6-9/12-11-1The first grass race of the day promises to be intriguing if it stays on the sod. If it comes off, it can be even more so. I go with Brad Coxs steed Dreamalildreamofu (8).Could get a square price, too. Ran well over the grass in the first two of the career. Ran two good ones over the dirt in the last two. Versatile sort should be a forward presence in here, and could get the first jump at the top of the stretch. Rider is winning with .22% of the last 9 mounts for the barn, too. If it comes off the turf, I think you have to consider the MTO entry #17. If not,Evil Lyn (7) and Osaka Girl (3)both warrant a serious look here, too.I bet the 8 to win/place/show and then box the top 3 in the exacta. I will key the 8 over/under all the numbers listed in two smaller units.

7th: 11-1/9-10/2-3-4/7-8-6-5Lanse Mitan (11)gets no favors with the starting gate assignment, but the 3YO son of More Than Ready looks well-placed for this outing. Has hit the board in each of the last 3 and 4 of the last 5 outings. Has a win and three 2nds in that span. Has a nice run over a wet track, too. Has been a different horse since getting the blinkers five races back. My solid pick here.I bet the 11 to win/place/show and then box the 11-1 in one exacta. I will key the 11-1 over/under the 9-10-2-3-4-7-8 in two lesser amounts.

8th: 8-3-4/7/1-5-1A-2C Z Rocket (8)returned to sprinting a couple of starts ago and the flashbulb has gone off again. Super performance last time out, to run off by nearly 5. Probably cant duplicate that effort again, but if the bounce is not too severe he could be spot on again for a barn that wins with .24% of those trying to repeat and does well with reclamation projects like this one. Talent there. Dig deeper in the well.Guest Suite (3)is the type that likes to hit the board and he has done that 16 times out of 27 lifetime tries. Much of that against tougher, too. Has a 2-1-2 mark here, but excels over an off track with 3 wins in 5 starts. If it gets wet? Take a serious look at this guy.Shashashakemeup (4)is a 3YO that looked to be a Triple Crown contender at one time. But poor runs in the G3 Lecomte Stakes and the G2 Risen Star sidelined those dreams and aspirations. Did run very well last time out to win at nearly 50-1 odds. May be back?I bet the 8 to win/place/show and then box the top 3 in one exacta. I will key the top 3 over/under the 7-1 in two smaller units.

9th: 2/6-7/1-4-8/5-1A-9-11The firstKey Play ofthe Daycomes here withTapit Today (2).This well-bred lady is trained by Chad Brown, and is running in the feature over the sod. Enough written yet? Also ran 3rd to Starship Jubilee in the last outing, too and before that had won 3 of the previous 4. Thats enough.I bet the 2 to win/place and then key the 2 over/under the rest in the exactas.

10th: 3-6-1/8-7-4/10-9-11Backshot (3)ran within a head of Ragtime Blues a highly touted colt in the barn of Bob Baffert and a Stakes contender this weekend just two starts ago. Anything close to that race? Lights out.I bet the 3 to win/place/show and then key the 3 over/under all the numbers listed.

Good Luck & All the Best / Gene

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Final Version: McLean's Selections for Churchill Downs on Sunday, June 21 -- Pops' Day - The Pressbox

It felt as though she would never arrive. But at long last, summer officially starts today, June 20 at 3:43 pm MDT. After shivering through a particularly nasty February, a very late and chilly spring and the world seemingly on its knees, the arrival of summer couldnt be more welcome.

By now, annuals should be performing well. Dont forget to deadhead (remove spent blooms) to ensure continuous flowering all season long. Regular fertilizing should be maintained. Perennials (plants that come back every year) should be nearing their peak and its a good idea to make note of those that are working well and those that a disappointment so as not to repeat the laggards next year.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Starting a perennial bed from scratch is almost easier than upgrading an existing bed as often times the latter is looking tired, plant material is not performing as you would like and weeds or unwelcome thugs the likes of Creeping Campanula the bane of gardeners, are making their presence felt.

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Brooks: Heartfelt welcome to summer and the longest day of the year - Calgary Herald

Shelley Gagnon, Manager of Recreation, Parks and Culture, says one of the biggest differences users will see when they return to facilities is how access is controlled.

Access will be offered through pre-booked, pre-registered, or even designated public access times for example, a designated swimming time, she explained during a noon hour news conference. This is to ensure that we can meet the public health guidelines for indoor gatherings.

Gagnon says users can also expect to see adjusted or reduced operating hours at facilities once they reopen.

Outdoor sports fields in Red Deer are already open for casual use.

City officials continue to work with organized sports groups on what they need in order to offer their respective programs.

These groups book space in our facilities and we anticipate having space available for their use including ice, dry space and pools, by July 6, The City says in a release.

The City will also be offering outdoor fitness programming in early July.

The tentative timeline for amenity openings is as follows:

June 24 Community bookings will open for sports fields, picnic shelters and bookable park spaces including Great Chief Park, Setters Place, Bower Ponds Stage will start. The Lindsay Thurber track and field amenities will also be available for bookings.

Mid-July:

o Collicutt Centre Fitness areas, access to the track and use of the field house will be available for controlled, limited access. The City also expects to have the pool open, primarily for swimming lessons and public swimming.

o G.H. Dawe Community Centre The pool is expected to be open, primarily for swimming lessons and public swimming. The gymnasium will open for controlled, limited access. Fitness areas will not open immediately.

o Michener Aquatic Centre The pool is expected to be available for controlled, limited lane swimming and some aquatic fitness.

The following third party-operated facilities have been given permission to reopen while following all provincial health requirements and guidelines. Users are asked to contact them directly for operating information:

River Bend Golf and Recreation Area Enduro Mountain Bike Park Lions Campground Red Deer Tennis Club Red Deer Pickleball Club Red Deer BMX Bower Ponds Pavilion Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery Kerry Wood Nature Centre Norwegian Laft Hus Heritage Square Cronquist House Fort Normandeau Neighbourhood Activity Centres YMCA Northside Community Centre Great West Adventure Park Heritage Ranch Festival Hall Memorial Centre Edgar Athletic Fields

Spray parks, including Kin Canyon, Discovery Canyon and Blue Grass Sod Farm Central Spray and Play, remain closed while officials look at how they can be reopened while adhering to public health orders and restrictions.

Currently, outdoor gatherings are limited to no more than 100 people, so were working to determine how to manage these restrictions while still providing access and will have more information to share in the coming weeks, Gagnon explains.

Stage 2 of Albertas Relaunch Strategy from the COVID-19 pandemic, which commenced on June 12 after being moved ahead by one week, allows for the reopening of municipal recreation facilities subject to public health guidelines.

However, Mayor Tara Veer says that because the reopening of indoor facilities originally expected for Stage 3, The City needs more time to get staff back in place to operate Red Deers amenities. More than 300 casual staff were either laid off or saw their work interrupted by shutdowns due to COVID-19.

Our absolute goal at The City of Red Deer is to see a return to normal community life as much as possible, Veer said Thursday.

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Red Deer recreation facilities to begin reopening next week - rdnewsnow.com

Steve Soderstrom pitched three games for the Giants in 1996, allowing 16 hits and 11 runs, eight of them earned, in 13 2/3 innings. These numbers are forgettable, at best, but Turlock is not most places, and in Turlock, Steve is a legend. Soderstrom was the first alum of Turlock High to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft (in 1993, after competing collegiately at Fresno State), and when he first touched big-league grass on Sept. 17, 1996, he became the second player from the high school to do so.

Sure, he gave up three hits and five runs in his debut, but he also shared a field with Barry Bonds and Tony Gwynn. His legend wasnt born that night in San Francisco, though; that came years later. By the time he debuted with the Giants, Steve had long considered himself an almond farmer he still does today. His baseball career is the source of fond memories from a different time.

In 2003, his oldest son, Tate, fell in love with the game just like...

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Backyard product: A's top pick Tyler Soderstrom boosted his MLB stock in Turlock - The Athletic

He says there are thicker vinyl products, which alsocost more, butbelieves Hardie board would have stood up.

Its a double up-front cost now, but over the course of 10, 20 or 30 years, it will look the same as it does now. No fading, no melting it with the barbecue. It also has resale value, Roberts says.

As an example of pricing, the average two-storey home is 2,600 square feet of exterior wall. To replace damaged siding with new vinyl siding including tearing off the damaged vinyl, repapering, and installing the new vinyl the cost is about $15,000 to $16,000. The same scope of work with Hardie as a replacement would be about $26,000 to $27,000. Another way to look at it is it costs about $6 per square foot for vinyl, and $10 per square foot for Hardie cement board.

But Danny Ritchie of Ultimate Renovations, who launched his company based on the large volume of work he picked up after the notorious hail event of Sept. 7, 1991, thinks this storm would have wrecked anything short of brick or stone.

If this storm was breaking windows, it would have chipped stucco and cracked Hardie board. At that pace, nothing would have stopped it except maybe stone and thats very expensive. If someone has vinyl now, I could just go back to vinyl siding, Ritchie says.

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What sidings will withstand a hail storm like the one that ripped across Calgary's northeast? - Calgary Herald

Once upon a time there was a little white boathouse. For years and years, it was my special place at the cottage, my refuge.

In 1958, when I was 15, my dad was ready to build our long-awaited boathouse. He'd had a windfall on the stock market and finally had the wherewithal to buy the lumber. The boathouse would go in a shallow, protected spot behind the huge rock we still call the elephant hump.

Dad had a three-weekholiday that summer and I worked with him every day. It was a special time indeed, to be old enough to be a real help to my father. We constructed a 16-by-20-foot platform, assembled the framing and put on the clapboard siding. There was many a dint in the studs where I missed many a nail. For the flat roof, he used pine floor boards under tar paper and shingles as he planned to add a second storey the following year. Sadly, that was not to be, as he died unexpectedly that fall at the age of 55.

After that, I had summer jobs elsewhere, but when I had cottage time, I made the boathouse my bedroom. As a teenager, I wanted time to myself and my boathouse gave me that. Never much interested in decor, I managed with an iron cot and the occasional visit from mice. An old oak dresser, bequeathed by cousins, was a place to stow clothes, although anything left in its drawers over the winter was nicely nibbled.

We recycled the tiny front porch from the cottage and moved it to a spot behind the boathouse. I was married by then and we savoured our mornings there, as the sun found its way to that deck before it warmed the rest of the property. We were sheltered from the prevailing westerly breeze and it became my favourite place to swim.

One of the best things was to sleep in the boathouse, having the time to listen to the water gently lapping against the cribs, a peaceful, nurturing sound that never failed to put me to sleep.

Nesting time comes to us all, and little by little, we added domestic comforts to that 320-square-foot space: a retired linoleum dance floor became flooring. We installed indoor-outdoor carpet, acquired a second dresser, night tables, a coffee table, curtains, a refrigerator, a toaster, a kettle, a coffee maker and an electric frying pan. There was no plumbing, but the clean water of the lake was right there and the biffy was near by too.

At the end of our holiday, we had to put away the boathouse, stacking everything in preparation for its off-season use as a storage building.

We had to make time for the endless maintenance. Every summer for years I painted one of the boathouse walls, working my way around the building in a four-year cycle. The flat roof leaked early on and was replaced with a slightly peaked roof, which also leaked and was replaced at least twice.

I do not fully understand why I became so foolishly fond of a building built to store boats. It was decidedly rustic, but for me, that was part of its appeal. Certainly, when things got too busy in the main cottage as they did with teenage daughters, I found time for peace and quiet in my boathouse home.

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Finding refuge in a small Muskoka boathouse - muskokaregion.com

READY NOW!! New Luxury 2 Story 4 bedroom 4 bathroom, finished lower level home offered by Kirkwood's premier builder Kelly Development Group! This custom home features an open floor plan, Job Finished Hardwood Flooring, 2nd Floor Laundry. Master Bath offers a Free Standing Tub, Huge walk in custom Master Shower floor to ceiling tile, and Ceramic Tile Flooring. Kitchen features Painted Cabinets, Large Island, Quartz Counter Tops, Tile Backsplash, and Stainless Steel Appliances. This home also includes an high level of fit and finish, Moen Faucets, Kohler Elongated Toilets, 2 Panel Doors with satin Nickel Interior Doors Handsets, Custom Stained Front Entry Door, Direct Vent Fireplace with Marble Surround, 3 Door and Window Casing, 5 Base Molding, Crown Molding, Long Panel Garage Doors with Glass, Custom Lighting Package, and Recessed Lighting. Ideally located for a quick commute and all the amenities!

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30 of the Most Expensive Homes for Sale in the Park Hills Area - WiscNews

Dear Inter-Parliamentary Union,

I am a concerned citizen of Zimbabwe who is worried bout the corrupt collusion between the Parliament, Senate and Government Zimbabwe and a faction of the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (Tsvangirai) (MDC-T) following a mooted Supreme Court Judgement passed on 31 March which encouraged the warring factions of the MDC-T to organise a special Extra Ordinary Congress to elect a leader who will replace the founding President of the Party who passed away on 14 February 2018. I hope that my letter will find its way to the appropriate offices for consideration.

To give a bit of background, the Supreme Court Judgement came about as a result of a court appeal by a member of the MDC-T who felt he had not been accorded an opportunity to elect a President of his choice following the death of the late founding MDC-T President. In its wisdom, following the death of the founding President, the National Council of the MDC-T, chaired by Senator Morgan Komichi, who was the Acting Chairman in the absence of the 2014 elected Chairman Hon Lovemore Moyo, had decided to elevate one of the three Vice-Presidents of the Party, Advocate Nelson Chamisa, to the position of Acting President. Of the three Presidents, one Dr. Thokozani Khupe, was the only one who had been elected at the Partys last Congress held in 2014, while Advocate and Senator Engineer Elias Mudzuri had been appointed to Vice President positions which had been found essential to strengthen the Party in readiness for the 2018 elections. Senator Morgan Komichi was assigned by the late MDC-T President to lead the consultation which resulted in those appointments, which were endorsed by the National Council of the Party.

The Supreme Court ruled that the appointments of the Vice-Presidents was unconstitutional according to the Party constitution, even though the Constitution gave the power to the National Council to make decisions in between congresses, and it also allowed the President to appoint deputies to officers of Congress from a pool of National Executive members elected from provinces and other office bearers where such is provided for in the Constitution. Officers of Congress are the officials who are elected at Congress, and the President is one of such officers. The Party had then thought that there was nothing sinister in the Vice-President appointments, so the Supreme Court Judgement really came as a surprise, and many believe that the Judgement was influenced by Government of Zimbabwe which likes to divide the opposition by siding with the weaker faction in the main opposition party.

Regardless of whether the Supreme Court judgement was influenced by Government or not, following its opinion that the Vie-President positions appointed in 2016 were not constitutional, the Court ruled that all decisions made after the death of Dr. Morgan Tsvangirai were null and void, and assigned the elected Vice-President, Dr. Khupe to organise an Extra Ordinary Congress to elect a replacement for the late leader (The Court ruling is attached with this letter for your perusal), and she was given 90 days to do so. Failure by Dr. Khupe to discharge the assignment within the time-frame, Senator Morgan Komichi, who the Court mistook to have been the Chairman of the Party at the time of death of Dr. Tsvangirai, if not influenced by the Government of Zimbabwe to declare Senator Komichi as the Chairman at the time of Dr. Tsvangirai. Let me clarify that assertion by saying that the Supreme Court said all decisions made by the MDC between the time of Dr. Tsvangirais death and the 31 March 2020 when the judgement was passed were null and void. At the time of Dr. Tsvangirais death, the Chairman of the MDC-T was Honorable Lovemore Moyo, Senator Komichi was a Deputy Chairman. Honorable Moyo only tendered his resignation on 23 March 2018 to an Acting President who the Court said could not make binding decisions. The resignation of Hon Lovemore Moyo is, therefore not recognized by the Supreme Court. However, the Court mistook Senator Komichi to be the legitimate Chairman as the judges were not aware who was the Chairman of the Party at the time of Dr. Tsvangirais death, especially as Senator Komichi, who was third appellant in the court case had declared himself as the National Chairman of the first appellant. The Judges did not ask whether he became Chairman before or after the death of Dr. Tsvangirai, and this is something that should be raised with the Court. the legality of Senator Komichis Chairmanship aside, the Court mandated Senator Komichi to try to organise the suggested Extra Ordinary Congress in thirty days, failure which the issue becomes water under the bridge.

According to Section6.2.6 the Party Constitution that was presented before the Supreme Court a notice convening an Extra-Ordinary Congress shall be sent to all members entitled to attend and to each branch by the National Council at least one month before the date of the meeting. However, a bogus Council meeting to which eligible membersknown to be supporting Advocate Chamisa were not invited was held through whatsapp as reported by local media. The meeting came up with a list of members of Parliament of the MDC Alliance who had to be recalled from Parliament and also unconstitutionally deliberated on the planning of the Extra Ordinary Congress. The meeting was unconstitutional in that it did not have a quorum, and eligible members had been left out.

It should be put on record that following the death of Dr. Tsvangirai, due to leadership differences, Dr. Khupe and Advocate Chamisa registered for elections as two different parties, Dr. Khupes party using the name MDC-T while Advocate Chamisas team registered their party for the elections as MDC Alliance, a fact confirmed by Senator Mwonzora in media interviews at the time of the registration for elections. Now because of the Supreme Court ruling which never instructed Dr. Khupe to recall MDC Alliance Parliamentarians, who were elected under the MDC Alliance ticket. The Parliament and Senate have all their records showing that the number of seats and the names of the legislators won by MDC-T, and the Supreme Court judgement which Speaker of Parliament and President of the Senate say they based their decisions to expel MDC legislators from Parliament and Senate respectively does not instruct Dr. Khupe to recall any legislators. If anything, Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, who is a lawyer, should have read the Supreme Judgement carefully and understood that the mooted judgement, described as such by the Court, only gives a time frame for which Dr. Khupe and Senator Komichi should organise an Extra Ordinary Congress, failure which the parties which he Court was encouraging to unite will revert to their post Tsvangirai ventures. What then would happen if the warring parties do not get back together as suggested by the Supreme Court?

Besides, the the outcome of the Supreme Court implementation process, the MDC-T and MDC Alliance satisfied the requirement of the Zimbabwe Elections Act and registered with the Zimbabwe Elections Act as political parties for purposes of the elections, and each is entitled to enjoy the benefits of what they achieved in the elections. After all, the MDC-T as left by Dr. Tsvangirai was not operational at the time of the elections, so there is no way Dr. Khupe can claim parliamentarians who are a product of a process that took when it could not make decisions.

Instead of calling the appropriate structures that were in place as at the time of the death of Dr. Tsvangirai to organise the suggested Extra Ordinary Congress, Dr. Khupe is busy appointing people into positions which had officials who are supporting Advocate Chamisa, which are not the 2014 structures that should plan the Extra Ordinary Congress, and then go about telling the world that she is implementing the Supreme Court Judgement. Where in the Supreme Court Judgement is Dr. Khupe asked to replace officials from the 2014 structures, the very ones that should plan the Extra Ordinary Congress. There is no harm in Dr. Khupe filling gaps in the Party that she led into the 2018 elections, because that should be her fall back party should the Extra Ordinary Congress not happen, and already 9 days before the period she was given to organise it, no Constitutionally constituted council meeting has met to start planning for the Congress when the Partys Constitution specifically states that the Communication for an Extra Ordinary Congress can only be made by Council, yet Dr. Khupe and her team are already telling the world that the Extra Ordinary Congress will take place on 31 July 2020. They should stop dreaming and face the reality that despite claiming to be implementing the Supreme Court ruling and upholding constitutionalism, they are doing the opposite. What they are calling an Extra Ordinary Congress does not meet the requirements of the Supreme Court Judgement and the Constitution of the Party combined, and therefore not binding.

The firing of officials of the MDC 2014 structures, despite being unconstitutionally carried out, is also not part of the Supreme Court Judgement. The Supreme Court Judgement does not mandate Dr. Khupe to fire officials of the party in place at the time of Dr. Tsvangrais death, but mandates her to unite them and is she successfully does so, organise the Extra-Ordinary Congress with them. Furthermore, there are processes laid down in the Constitution regarding the expulsion of officials from the Party, which Dr. Khupe did not follow. So, Dr. Khupe and Senator Mwonzora who wrote the expulsion letters are even worse that the hideous Zanu PF which follows procedures when expelling its officials. Recently, Zanu PF Politburo expelled Chivi South legislator, Mr Killer Zivhu following a recommendation by the partys National Disciplinary Committee (NDC). Zanu PF folowed a process there in expelling Mr. Zivhu, and ask the so-called Champions of Constitutionalism Dr. Khupe and Senator Mwonzora what process they followed in expelling Advocate Chamisa. Honorable Charlton Hwende, Senator Lilian Timveous and Honourable Thabhita Khumalo?

Interestingly, despite breaking the Supreme Court Judgement and the Party Constitution, Dr. Khupe and her team are getting support from Government, with the Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi stating that that the government would disburse the $7,5 million due to the MDC under the Political Parties (Finance) Act to the Thokozani Khupe led group that is temporarily in charge of the party following the recent court rulings. As leader of Government in Parliament, Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi should know better that the MDC-T and MDC Alliance are registered as different political parties, hence non should enjoy the others benefits.

What is evident from what has been happening is that the holding of an Extra Ordinary Congress of the MDC-T as prescribed by the Supreme Court has failed , and therefore that judgement is water under the bridge, unless if Dr. Khupe reflects on the numerous blunders she has made to date and quickly calls for a National Council meeting as required by the DC Constitution to get the Extra Ordinary Congress back on track, but that will also be an uphill task with numerous court cases pending before the courts arising from her own blunders.

Government of Zimbabwe, Parliament and Senate should stop supporting a faction of the warring MDC, and are in contempt of the Supreme Court Judgement for their unethical interference to date.

By Kennedy Kaitano

Read more from the original source:
Parliament of Zimbabwe in shoddy deals with a weaker faction of the opposition - The Zimbabwe Mail

For years woodworkers relied on table saws or radial-arm saws for their most accurate machine-made miters and crosscuts. When miter saws first came along, they were crude affairs and not readily adopted by those who valued accuracy over portability. For job site carpentry, these tools were great time savers. However, it took quite a few years for woodworkers to open their shop doors to these portable saws. To get the most out of these tools, you need the best thin-kerf miter saw blades available.

Today, a quality modern miter saw is the go-to tool for fine crosscutting, miter cuts, and compound angle (simultaneous miter and bevel) cuts. And according to industry figures, 12-inch miter saws have overtaken 10-inch saws as the tool of choice for professionals. This holds true both on the job site and in the shop.

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To achieve the smoothest miter saw cuts for furniture building, cabinetmaking, and trim work, you need a blade with a lot of teeth. A stock 12-inch blade typically has 32 teeth. A good trim blade commonly has 80. We opted for the finest-cutting 90 to 100 tooth blades available to seek out the ultimate in miter saw results.

Blades with densely packed teeth make the smoothest cuts. Typically, these blades are limited to cutting hardwoods 1-1/2 inches thick or less. With so many teeth engaged in a cut, there is a lot of friction. In addition, the small gullets of such closely-spaced teeth eject sawdust slowly. The deeper the cut, the slower the progress and the greater the heat build-up. You can only cut as fast as the blade allows. In deep cuts that may not be fast enough to outrun burning.

While its generally true that the thickest and most massive blades provide the most stability in a cut, heavy full-kerf blades are not best suited for the short on-and-off cutting action of a miter saw. Bringing a lighter blade up to speed and quickly stopping it with the motor brake is much easier on your saw. This lets users move a little faster while cutting. Thin blades also use less power while cutting. This is great news for underpowered saws or guys on the job sharing a 20 amp circuit with three other trades.

Because of these benefits (and a somewhat lower cost), thin kerf miter saw blades are growing in popularity. The downside to these thinner blades is that they can deflect and wander in a cut more easily. This particularly affects bevel cuts negatively. According to my blade sharpening consultant, this effect is exacerbated as these blades begin to dull. Thats the reason many industrial users dont use them.

To achieve the smoothest miter saw cuts for furniture building, cabinetmaking, and trim work, you need a blade with lots of teeth.

The anatomy of a miter saw blade is fairly simple. Its the alphabet soup of abbreviations that makes it seem so technical. For extra-fine crosscutting blades intended for solid wood (like those in the test), alternate top bevel (ATB) designs are the best.

Different ATB designs may have raker teeth, pointier high-bevel angle teeth, or angled face teeth. All remain variants of the basic ATB which cuts the outside edges of the kerf first before scooping out the middle. This action scores the wood before any chips are scraped out. It leaves the cleanest surfaces along the top edges of the cut. Hi-ATB teeth with sharper angled tops score deeper to prevent chip-out in fragile materials such as veneered plywood and MDF.

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Rakers are symmetrical, flat-topped teeth that clean out the wood between the grooves made by the right and left angled teeth. They are always set lower than the angled teeth. Rakers may be placed between every set or every other set of ATB teeth. Blades, therefore, designate them as (2+1) or (4+1) respectively.

The final twist on ATB tooth design is the alternate face design. Also known as a shear face, the tooth is skewed with the tallest side forward. This engages the wood at a sharper angle for a shearing cut along the side of the kerf.

The most relevant tooth angles to know are the rake (or hook) angle, the top bevel angle, and the face angle. The rake angle is the orientation of the face of the tooth in relation to a radial line drawn through the center of the blade (like the spoke of a wheel). A tooth parallel to this radial line has a 0-degree rake angle. Positive rake angle teeth take a more aggressive bite and cut faster with less feed pressure.

Negative angle teeth make more of a scraping cut that is slower and requires more feed pressure. They reduce the likelihood of tear-out in the cut surfaces. Most extra-fine ATB crosscutting blades have very low or negative rake angles for smooth cutting.

The top bevel angle is the angle across the top of a tooth when viewed straight on from the front. Bevel angles of 30 degrees and higher usually constitute high ATB teeth. The steeper the teeth, the better the scoring action on either side of the cut. This also results in the tip of the tooth dulling sooner. Also, the amount of unsupported carbide on a steep tip may require a manufacturer to make it out of softer, more impact resistant carbide that will dull even faster.

The face angle is the angle of the tooth when viewed from above. Standard teeth are perpendicular to the blade plate while shear face teeth are skewed alternately to the left and right.

The story of a blade is pretty simple: its mostly about the teeth. But there are a few other features to consider. Blade coatings such as Teflon (PTFE), powder coating, or even chrome serve two functions. Besides warding off corrosion, the slick surfaces dont allow pitch to adhere as easily and are quick to wipe clean.

Noise suppression slots are the laser-cut zigzags apparent in the plates of many blades. They are designed to capture vibration and absorb the sound of a blade screaming through wood. Slots filled with polymer dampen blades more effectively than those left open. We could at least sample this when rung manuallyI wasnt keen on listening for differences in use!

As far as Im concerned, all of the blades are capable of contributing to progressive hearing loss. To combat this, I wore ear protection while cutting. A downside of slotted blades is that perforated material that gets bent out cant be bent back in without cracking (and thus ruining) the blade. One other complaint is that slotted blades can never again be flattened or tensioned during their serviceable life as solid plate blades can.

I used a brand new 12-inch Hitachi C12FDH miter saw as my testing rig. This saw earned high marks in a past tool test I was involved in. I deliberately chose a non-sliding miter saw to eliminate any extra play in the saws mechanism. That would make it harder for me to analyze the cutting results of the blades independent of the tool. Since I was testing on average trim-sized materials, the chop-action-only saw was the right tool for the job anyway.

To evaluate cut quality, I ran each blade through a circuit of crosscuts and miter cuts. We used a variety of materials of different dimensions and thicknesses. With cuts made in the same order and carefully labeled, I ended up with over 20 individual sample pieces for each blade. I later scrutinized those under a raking light.

Hard maple and cherry provided me the finest view of scratch patterns and the best check of a blades propensity for burning. The ring-porous structure of white oak allowed the best evaluation of a blades sharpness along the end of a cut. Veneer-covered plywood and MDF strips accentuated clean cuts along a kerfs top edge. Lacquered beech, maple, and Baltic birch plywood made it easy to look for chipping along a brittle finished edge.

I also ran the saws through materials without regard to the resulting cutoffs just to rate the feed pressure and smoothness of cut. It also helped me better characterize the overall experience of cutting with each blade. After the sawdust settled, I had the owner of a respected professional sharpening business come over to lend his expertise. I also brought in a friend of mine who is a furniture builder and cabinetmaker of some acclaim. Adding these guys opinions to mine made for a well-rounded take on these blades. I could write a book

Before and after testing I took microscopic photos of the sides, faces, and top edges of a few chosen teeth on each blade using a high-resolution USB microscope. I was trying to detect any early wear to use as a predictor of edge longevity. Unfortunately, I didnt make enough cuts to see any difference. My blade sharpening consultant estimated that each blade could likely crosscut 2,000 feet of hardwood trim before needing sharpening. Thats a considerable amount of mileagefar more than I managed to put on each.

However, the microscope gave me a great close up look at individual carbide teeth and their brazes while teaching me a lot about cutting tooth geometry.

In general, it is safe to say that you can achieve an acceptably fine cut with any of these blades. This especially holds true with new blades. The quality of their construction and components will become more evident as each blade ages. Nearly every blade comes with a dozen sharpenings worth of carbide. Some may not be worth the $250 investment that represents over their lifetime.

The apparent quality, advanced features, and exceptional cutting performance of the Forrest, Freud, and Tenryu blades impressed us the most. They seemed to represent the best investments of lasting value a serious craftsman could make. If you want the best thin kerf miter saw blade, start there.

Thanks to Tim Lancaster of Precision Knife and Tool in Fort Collins, CO. for sharing his expertise on the finer points of saw blades.

And thanks to my friend and furniture artisan Peter Glass for sharing his perspective on evaluating cut quality in a variety of woods. http://www.peterglasswoodworks.com

Sure the saw and the blade do most of the work, but being a conscientious saw operator is important if you want to achieve the smoothest and safest cuts. Here are a few essential tips.

It all starts with the fence. With a reliable straightedge, check that the left and right fence sections are coplanara lack of support on either side of your workpiece will lead to vibration and dangerous cuts. Next, check every few inches along the fence with a precise square to make sure the fence surfaces are perpendicular to the saws table. With the fence tightened in position, square the blade to the fence and calibrate the 0-degree marker on your miter scale to this position. Then do the same with the bevel setting while squaring the blade with the saws table. If the plastic insert at the center of the table is not flush with the surrounding metal surface, you must shim up the insert. If left uneven, short or flexible stock will tilt down during a cut, binding the blade and burning the cut.

I have made zero clearance table inserts out of hardboard in the past, but it is fussy work to cut them to shape, and even harder to shim them flush. Plus it still left the side of the work toward the fence unsupported and prone to splintery blowout. Now if I need the smoothest possible cuts, I attach strips of hardboard to the fence and to the table with double sided tape, covering just enough area to fully support the stock I am cutting. The downside is that you need to replace the strips when you change the miter angle, but I find that I am usually making either straight or mitered cuts for a project, rarely switching between both.

Careless cutting technique is the cause of the two biggest problems associated with miter saws: ragged edges at the top of a cut and small cutoff pieces sent airborne by the blade. Follow this simple advice to avoid both. When you complete a cut, hold the saw head down until the blade comes to a full stop. Since the teeth are wider than the blade plate, no part of the saw blade should touch the work as the saw winds down.

It is only when the spinning teeth are brought back up into contact with the wood that the top edge is raked upward and small cutoffs leaning against the blade are caught by the teeth and violently catapulted. If you have a substantial cutoff piece remaining you can raise the saw head with the blade in motion. Just slide the finished cut piece away from the blade first.

Model: 255.096.12The I.T.K. (Industrial Thin Kerf) Fine Finish blade is part of the mid-grade line from this Italian blade company.

Summary: A decent, true Hi-ATB blade that can be found for a very good price online perhaps the least expensive blade tested.

Model: D12100XThe Ultimate Flawless Finish blade from Diablo-Freuds value-oriented construction product line.

Summary: With the most aggressive rake angle in the test, this blade tended to grab at work pieces more readily than other blades. The shear face design is a nice feature for a blade in this low price range.

Model: DW7650From DeWalts top end Woodworking blade line.

Summary: This classic styled uncoated blade has the largest carbide teeth by far both thicker and taller than any others in the test. For the average overall results it posted, however, it is on the expensive side.

Model: CM12905115A premium product from the brand to be sure, but not their most expensive thin kerf miter saw blade.

Summary: A quality heavy-duty blade with old school sensibilities. Built to be serviced like a classic car, the non-perforated blade plate can be re-flattened if it ever goes out of true. And though the plate thickness is listed as .095, skin grinding done to flatten the plate sides mean that individual blades may vary. Ours measured .088. The blade is notably loud in use, but the cutting results are among the very best. The highest-priced blade in the test.

Model: LU74R012Named the Thin Kerf Ultimate Cutoff blade.

Summary: Good features and construction, but didnt wow us like its Hi-ATB brandmate. This blade features a special side grind with a tiny bumper along the edge of the tooth designed to rub against the edge of the cut and burnish the wood smooth.

Model: LU79R012Named the Thin Kerf Ultimate Plywood & Melamine blade due to its Hi-ATB tooth grind.

Summary: A real standout blade in the test and the favorite pick of my furniture builder friend. This Hi-ATB shear face design combines high-performance, quality features, and a modest price its everything you need.

Model: 1807385The Marples branding was recently dusted off by Irwin and put on their premium blade line.

Summary: Kind of a hit or miss proposition, this blade does some things well, but not enough to be as competitive as it could be.

Model: MP-305100ABThe Miter-Pro line is the brands more substantial thin kerf offering, designed for better bevel cuts in trim work.Coating: dull chromed

Summary: High tech and high performance sums up this premium shear face blade. The vibration suppression slots are filled all the way through with a polymer to make the blade almost vibration-free. Tapping the blade with a scrap of wood sounds like tapping on a countertopthe dampening effect is really amazing. On the pricy side though.

Model: SL-305100One of the brand new coated blades in the brands less-expensive Silencer line.Coating: PTFE

Summary: Like the pricier Miter-Pro, this blade shares the great cutting results and highly-effective vibration dampening technology. One downside the tiny carbide teeth are only 2/3 the size of the average tooth in the test. That will force this blade into early retirement after a lot fewer sharpenings. However, this blade boasts amazing cut quality for the price.

See the original post:
Best Thin Kerf Miter Saw Blades - Pro Tool Reviews

DGAP-News: STS Group AG / Key word(s): Personnel 22.06.2020 / 09:00 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

STS Group AG: Changes in Supervisory Board and Management Board

Hallbergmoos/Munich, 22 June 2020. STS Group AG (ISIN: DE000A1TNU68), a global system supplier for the automotive and commercial vehicle industry, listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, announces changes to the company's Supervisory Board and Management Board.

Mr. Robin Laik, the previous Chairman of the Supervisory Board, and Dr. Kristian Schleede, the previous Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board, resigned their Supervisory Board mandates with effect from the end of 20 June 2020. Dr. Bernd Maierhofer will remain a member of the Supervisory Board of STS Group. Robin Laik and Dr. Kristian Schleede had been members of the Supervisory Board of STS Group since 2018. Robin Laik, as Chief Executive Officer, and Dr. Kristian Schleede, as Chief Restructuring Officer, wish to focus on their activities on the Management Board of Mutares SE & CO. KGaA in the future.

Andreas Becker, CEO of STS Group AG, thanks the previous members of the Supervisory Board for their extraordinary commitment: "I would like to express my sincere thanks for the consistently good and constructive cooperation over the past two years with Robin Laik and Dr. Kristian Schleede. In particular, their dedication and expertise have helped shape the development of STS Group in a challenging environment following its IPO in 2018. As a major shareholder of Mutares SE & Co. KGaA, we remain closely associated with Robin Laik and Dr. Kristian Schleede."

In order to ensure that the Supervisory Board has a quorum until the election of the new Supervisory Board members at the Annual General Meeting on July 14, 2020, the Executive Board of STS Group AG has applied for the court appointment of Dr. Wolf Cornelius and Dr. Wolfgang Lichtenwalder, LL.M.

There are also changes in the Management Board. Mr. Patrick Oschust left the Management Board on 31 May 2020. Dr. Ulrich Hauck (CFO) also resigned from his position as a member of the Management Board of STS Group AG on 20 June 2020.

Mr. Patrick Oschust was appointed as Chief Production Officer in 2017. Under his leadership, the STS plants were merged, converted to uniform standards, synergies increased and productivity successfully enhanced.

Dr. Ulrich Hauck took over as Chief Financial Officer in 2019 in a difficult phase and led the Group professionally through the very challenging Corona environment. Dr. Hauck played a key role in the reorganization of the STS Group.

The outgoing Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Robin Laik, thanks Dr. Hauck: "I would like to thank Dr. Hauck most sincerely for his great dedication and his achievements in an extremely challenging environment, especially for his valuable contributions to the far-reaching reorganization of the STS Group. Dr. Hauck will continue to be associated with Mutares Group as Senior Advisor and in the context of supervisory board activities."

Due to the reduced volume of business in 2020, the associated cost-cutting requirements and the new, more decentralised orientation, no successor will initially be appointed to the two departing members of the Management Board. Until further notice, STS Group AG will be managed by CEO Andreas Becker as sole member of the Management Board.

About STS Group:STS Group AG, http://www.sts.group (ISIN: DE000A1TNU68), is a leading system supplier to the automotive industry with a focus on solutions in the acoustics, thermal and structural engineering sectors. It employs more than 2,500 people worldwide and generated revenues of 362.8 mEUR in the financial year 2019. The STS Group ("STS") produces and develops plastic and acoustic components such as solid and flexible vehicle and aerodynamic trim, noise and vibration-damping materials, entire interior and exterior trim systems, as well as lightweight construction and battery components for electric vehicles at its 17 plants and four development centres in France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Mexico, Brazil, China and, in the future, also in the USA. STS is considered as a technology leader in the manufacture of special acoustic products, plastic injection moulding and components made of composite materials (Sheet Molding Compound - SMC). STS has a large global footprint with plants in four continents. The customer portfolio comprises leading international manufacturer of commercial vehicles, passenger cars and electric vehicles.

STS Group AGStefan HummelHead of Investor RelationsZeppelinstrasse 485399 Hallbergmoos+49 811 1244 9412ir@sts.groupwww.sts.group

Contact for financial and business pressCROSS ALLIANCE communication GmbHSusan Hoffmeister+49 89 125 09 03 33sh@crossalliance.de

22.06.2020 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at http://www.dgap.de

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STS Group AG: Changes in Supervisory Board and Management Board - Yahoo Finance UK