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Home / Audi News / B6/B7 Audi S4 Piggie Pipes / Downpipes

B7 Audi S4 Piggie Pipes

One of the best, and certainly most cost-effective, ways to add power to your B6/B7 Audi S4 with the 4.2 V8 is the downpipes. The factory system contains two sets of catalytic converters on each downpipe, a pre-cat and a main cat. The pre-cat in particular robs the engine of power because it is very close to the engine and creates turbulance/disruption very early in the exhaust flow out of the engine. This thread on Audizine by Justincredible goes into greater detail as to why the downpipes are so restrictive and why its quite possibly the best “first” performance mod to do to your B6/B7 Audi S4. After some light reading of this thread, I was excited to go about this mod so I recently had my pre-cats removed/turned into piggie pipes by a local shop, Parts Score in Tempe, AZ. The mod definitely opened up a little extra power and increased the exhaust sound, so I wanted to share my experiences & thoughts and research on the mod here for others to enjoy. If you don’t want to read the whole thing – I’ll skip to the point…it’s a great mod and lives up to the hype!

My B7 S4 on the Rack

There are a few options in terms of addressing the restrictive downpipes of the B6/B7 S4:

  • Piggie pipes – taking the OEM downpipes and punching out/removing the catalytic converter material, allowing air to pass through more freely
  • JHM Longtube Headers – these are supposed to be the best option performance wise, but also quite expensive at ~$3,000 and are made to order
  • Aftermarket downpipes – Milltek, Fast Intentions and a custom solution by a fellow named TrexTurk all remove catalytic converters and come in larger pipe diameter for improved exhaust flow and sound, and range in cost from about $500-2000 depending on options and the source

O2 Spacers

Why I went with Piggie Pipes:

One downside to going with a fully catless system (such as JHM and other aftermarket headers) is that your exhaust will be both louder and potentially emit a bit of an odor, as well as a higher cost to purchase the parts. My A4 had a “test pipe” which eliminated the catalytic converter and essentially did the same thing as the downpipe solutions for the 4.2 V8 on the S4; the odor kind of bothered me on my A4, and I wanted an exhaust setup that was pretty tame (both sound and smell wise) for daily driver purposes, hence why I went with a Milltek resonated system to begin with (the quietest system for the B7 S4 I know of).

The other main advantage to using the OEM downpipes was that I could only remove the pre-cats (which rob the most power) while keeping the main cats, maintaining some sound & odor dampening as well as keeping my emissions somewhat reduced. Another advantage was cost – I had my downpipes removed, gutted, and reinstalled for less than $500, which is less than buying even the cheapest downpipes on the market. Lastly, one more perk of going for piggie pieps is the lack of a Check Engine Light as a simple  O2 spacer setup could avoid a CEL warning in this case. The CEL for aftermarket setups can be removed via a tune, but I haven’t tuned my car yet and am I’m delaying a tune a little while longer to keep my warranty in tact. Parts Score, the shop that completed this work for me, found a trick using O2 spacers and a little “secret sauce” to avoid a CEL, and I’ve been running this way for 500+ miles with no issues. Other users report that a CEL occurs about 50% of the time with this method, but various options such as using two sets of 02 spacers or modifying the spacers can increase your likelihood of avoiding a CEL.

OEM Downpipes

Sound & Performance Gains of Piggie Pipes:

The sound is slightly raspier and metallic – in a good way of course. I’d say the exhaust is about 10% louder at normal speeds and maybe 20% louder at wide open throttle. I need to get a video or sound clip, and will update this post when I do. I expected the removal of the pre-cats to make the exhaust louder than it did to be honest – its certainly a little louder, but not dramatic or even noticeable to most people. I didn’t have an opportunity to dyno the car before and after, but I can tell you that it feels faster and more responsive to the throttle, especially when really hammering it.

Overall, I’m really happy with this mod and it lived up to all of the reading & reviews that I found prior to going with it. The improvements in performance and sound at a nominal cost make it tough to beat, especially for a car like the B7 S4 which typically requires a lot of money to make modest improvements in power. I highly recommend this!

About the author: Nick Roshon

Nick Roshon is a blogger who is passionate about Audis and European cars in general. He owns a 2006 S4 and before that had a 2006 A4. His driving experience includes numerous track days throughout California, Nevada and Arizona. In his day job, Nick is a digital marketer and lives in San Diego, CA, USA.

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  1. Do you get any drone with the Milltek resonated catback and the piggy pipes? I just installed a full FI system (with cats and resonators) but it is droning hard 1500-2000 rpms.

  2. I’m pretty sure the Milltek resonated exhaust is the quietest on the market for our cars – it’s so quiet that it sounds as if it were a (performance oriented) OEM exhaust. Most people actually don’t like the exhaust as it’s too subtle…but to me, it’s drone free, still has some added noise, and is perfect for daily driver use. So no drone whatsoever, it just may be too quiet for some.

  3. Pingback: Audi A4 vs S4 – Which Should I Buy? | Nick's Car Blog

  4. Pingback: JHM Tuned Audi B7 S4 – Review | Nick's Car Blog

  5. i have a question about this topic havin the precats turn into piggie backs you mention something about the o2 sensors needing spacers is this after you have the precats gutted the sensors need some type spacers for the mil light not too come on ?what type of spacers were could i get them if i want to have my pre cats done .thanks

  6. Hi Ruben – yes, the spacers are for the O2 sensors so they get a cleaner reading and don’t through a Check Engine Light. You can do a search for O2 sensor spacers and they’re all pretty much universal fit, or you could find a shop to do it for you. The other option is to get a tune like JHM which removes the warning light, in which case you don’t need to bother with the sensors in the first place…

  7. Thanks for your help ,

  8. I was doing some research on this topic too and was curious if you could do a video or something because i was planing on doing this to my audi a4 3.2L.

  9. Nick, did you drill out your double spaced non-foulers like a lot of the write ups show?

  10. A shop did it for me, but I believe that is exactly what htey did.

  11. Was that the ‘secret sauce’? Lol

  12. I have a 2006 S4 also and i’m strongly considering buying the JHM downpipes by sending mine in for a cheap $245 but i’m wondering about the added costs of removing/shipping/installing to see what it will amount to. About how many mechanic hours did it take you to perform this mod?

  13. It should take less than an hour for a local shop to punch out the cats once they have them off and a few bucks for hazardous material disposal, so very cheap, but the bigger challenge is finding a shop willing to do it – most shops will shy away from doing it given the grey area of doing so from a legality/smog standpoint.

  14. Hey, Nick I recently purchased the JHM piggie downpipes for my B7 S4 automatic, Going to have them installed in June after I’m back from vacation with pair of new rear Bosch O2 sensors (one is faulty). There was no mention about needing O2 spacers and I’m concerned about keeping the car emissions legal for passing routine annual state inspections in Texas. Is this something I should have added when I do the install? I’ve had a check engine light about the smog pump but replaced it and the relay and thinking new rear O2 sensors since one is faulty should clear up those misreading codes but don’t want the upgraded downpipes to interfere in the process. I’m all about upgrades but prefer keeping things simple and as legit as possible for state inspection issues. Thoughts on the spacers, yes/no/maybe?

  15. Maybe it want need spacers after all since I just read on JHM site “Both OEM modified “piggie” downpipes with OEM main cats and relocated rear O2 sensor bungs.” Maybe they relocated them to prevent CEL warnings for the current piggie pipes. Just trying to make darn sure I get it right the first time installed this June.

  16. If you have the JHM tune it will cancel out the CEL for O2 sensors regardless, so you won’t need spacers. I had my piggies installed before the tune, so the spacers were (likely) necessary to eliminate the code on a stock tune. I can’t say for sure if you can’t pass without spacers, but it seems unlikely from what I’ve read.

  17. Well, I’m planning on getting the JHM Tune as well later this summer anyways but was holding off till I get their upgraded manifold & throttle body installed as a finishing touch but I’m sure the tune can be adjusted as I go along the way. Basically, I think your saying the JHM tune either disable the CEL or changes the expected range the 02 sensors see as acceptable as not to throw a CEL? Is that the correct assumption? I just assume that even with the JHM tune that the car will still use the 02 Sensors right or will it just disregard them? ……for me in Texas as long as the ecu shows ready status, emissions are within acceptable levels and no CEL light on dash….than I should be good to go to pass inspection I would think. That’s my end goal

  18. The tune will be the same file regardless of whether you have the IM or not, so I’d just go for the tune now when you do piggies…that will prevent the CEL and keep you kosher for your inspection – Arizona was the same way, they just needed to see ECU ready and no CEL on dash.

  19. Cool, really good to know, I’m almost done with my car mostly and really pleased with it thus far but ridding the CEL and getting my first legal inspection sticker next year (cough, cough) is what I want. Damn smog pump/02 CEL is like driving around with a glaring yellow mosquito constantly in your face. Just the manifold, throttle body and brakes upgrades for the serious upcoming left over work. Like you definitely updating the steering wheel and RNS-E to newer version with brushed knobs. Thanks again ; )

  20. Hello…i recently purchased a 2006 s4 Quattro v8 with 172000miles and the engine light came on reading codes p0431 and p0421 stating the 02sensor and cat what should i do and this happened after putting in the cheaper gas. Someone tod me to add bg44k to help clear it, what do you think?

  21. It’s possible some bad gas could have caused it, but if a fresh tank doesn’t solve the issue I would research those codes more heavily. If the cats are failing you will want to address before they fall apart completely and get sucked into the engine. Piggie Pipes could be a good solution for you then…and 02 Spacers as well 😉

  22. Much quicker way to purge out cheap gas, pick up small 5 gallon of VP racing fuel ms109 or something similar from local supplier or track. The105 octane will help boost the diluted gas you might have. Will definitely clean out the engine flushing out possible bad gas faster. Either way wouldn’t hurt anything with the higher octane if this is not your problem. You said you just purchased this car, like last week, a few months etc? Maybe it already had those codes or issues but they were cleared before purchase? I don’t know, just bouncing ideas for you….

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Web Koihime Musou: SoSo by nihilistique Web Koihime Musou: SoSo by nihilistique
My SoSo costume from Web Koihime Musou. Sponsored by Gamania!

OnRPG held a contest to see which battle maiden the fans liked best, and I got second place! Thanks everyone for voting!

Costume and scythe made by me. Construction notes soon to come. Haven't had time to write those up yet. ><
This was my first cosplay sponsorship and I got to do it with all my friends! I learned a lot and it was a fun experience.

See an interview we did with OnRPG at Anime Expo here: [link]

See the rest of the pictures on my facebook: [link]

Photo by BigWhiteBazooka [link]
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SneaselSawashiro Featured By Owner Apr 20, 2015  Hobbyist Writer
Ze name is Cao Cao. (Ts-ow Ts-ow)
Style name, Mengde. (Muh-ng-duh)
galaxy1701d Featured By Owner Jul 31, 2012
Congratulations on getting second place! This was no ordinary character you're cosplaying, of course.

Sou Sou/T'sao T'sao/Cao Cao gets a bad rap in Chinese folklore because the historical fiction novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" paints him as a tyrant and an usurper. In fact, your character is featured in my people's equivalent of the English phrase, "speak of the Devil:" "speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao shall arrive." He is also given a famous line in the novel: "better that I shall wrong the world than the world should wrong me!"

However, we need to take that with a grain of salt. The novel was written from the point of view of the kingdom of Shu Han, the southwestern riverlands, portraying Liu Bei as the "legitimate" heir to the Han Dynasty and everybody else as, well, bad guys. In reality, Cao Cao/Sou Sou took over the crumbling remains of a system that had been failing for centuries. He kept the structure of the Han government that worked. He destroyed the old locks on social mobility and made a much more "equal" system where he gave people jobs based on how competent they were, not on what family they came from. He was a brilliant military strategist and an even-handed, fair ruler.

So, no matter how the guy's gone down in history, the real Sou Sou was just as much of a hero as any of the other big names during the Three Kingdoms/Sangokuden Era. And you've done a beautiful job as this version of Sou Sou. Congratulations - you've done my heritage proud. =D
Armageist Featured By Owner Jul 26, 2012
Such an awesome scythe design. The various accessories really look well made and professional.
CookieKabuki Featured By Owner Jul 21, 2012
such a cute face!
shiroiusagisamurai Featured By Owner Jul 21, 2012
I was all "ooh" and "ahh" and then POP *nosebleed* went and surprise hit me from the right side of the image. O-;O
SPiCEYRiCEY Featured By Owner Jul 20, 2012  Hobbyist Artisan Crafter
SniperPlushie Featured By Owner Jul 20, 2012
This is stunning. All the construction looks so clean and beautiful! *_*
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How To Clean Cork Sandals

Thursday, April 16, 2009 by Wendy Lam

It’s inevitable that cork sandals gets really dirty after a few wears in the Summer because of sweat and constant rubbing. I’ve brought my Christian Louboutin cork sandals to get the cork on the toe area replaced but after trying a few shoe shops they all said it couldn’t be done. They suggested to leave it there to have it cleaned but they couldn’t guarantee the cork not breaking. I decided to take it home and do some research online, I’ve found some recommendations from using hand sanitizer to soap & water. But since B used the Jason Markk Premium Sneaker Solution to clean his sneakers and highly recommended it, I decided to go for it. The solution does not contain any harsh chemicals, 98.3% is natural and completely biodegradable so I figure it would not be too harsh for such precious shoes. This product is made from natural soaps derived from coconut and jojoba oils. After a few scrubs the dirt started washing away and the cork was intact, so I continued till it was all gone. The best thing is that you just need to wipe clean, no rinsing off the solution with water is needed then air dry them and they’re good to wear the next day. I’m really pleased with the results, now my shoes are clean from the dirt and I can wear them without feeling dirty! You can see the results below, it’s pretty amazing. Highly recommend this product for sneakers and shoes!

Note: Individual results may vary, use at your own risk.

More pics after the jump…

Before the cleaning…

After (left) / Before (right)

 eBay Marketplace Logo christian louboutin view all 11651 items on ebay

Categories: shoes

6 thoughts on “How To Clean Cork Sandals

  1. I bought this stuff for my boyfriend who is a sneaker-head! He also loves the box because it is Tron inspired. Besides, NORT is TRON, spelled backwards :)

  2. everyone is talking about it…
    i am sick of the no result from the generic brands from the sneaker store,,
    Can’t wait to start cleaning!!

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Toms River Plans to Destroy Sandy-Abandoned Homes [AUDIO]

Homes left abandoned in Toms River since Sandy will be up for possible demolition by the Township.

Toms River Mayor Tom Kelaher and town officials announce plan to demolish Sandy-abandoned homes. (Photo by Ilya Hemlin, Townsquare Media)

Speaking Monday in the storm ravaged Ortley Beach, Toms River Mayor Tom Kelaher said 125properties that were severely damaged by the storm and have been left abandoned, are being looked at for the demolitions.

He noted they are making a good faith effort to contact the original homeowners, but many were not able to rebuild.

“People don’t have to check with us before walking away, there are a lot of sad stories like that where people just had to throw in the towel,” Kelaher said.

He notes the town didn’t want to file any formal complaints too quickly after the storm because he knew many people were struggling to get insurance or federal aid, however now the process must go into place.

“Neighbors are saying, for example, ‘I haven’t seen the guy next to me since the Saturday after the storm, the place is overgrown, I see mice under deck.’ We’re in the process of doing a survey of those homes now. Some of them you can tell just from looking from the street and some you really have to get up and look into the window and see if there’s mold.”

Kelaher says they will cite the property with a code violation and the owner will have a time limit to fix it.

“If they don’t fix it, we can sign a complaint in municipal court, and eventually depending on the condition of the house, we would be entitled under the law to demolish the home,” he explained.

Toms River will be responsible for the cost of demolitions, but Kelaher hopes they can recoup some of the money through leans on the properties.

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Archive for January, 2010

Game 01: No Rain Today

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This game started with the control scheme – an idea that’s been rattling around in my head for a while, waiting for a game to attach itself to. This is a fairly minimalist answer to that question, but it works for me. And I suspect these controls, or something similar, will find their way into a deeper game at some point.

This is my first game I’ve made in Processing, and it shows – there’s a distinct lack of art and sound assets, for one thing. Still, gameplay is gameplay, and I think a game made entirely out of ellipses has a certain degree of charm… maybe. Anyway, enough yammering from me. Go play it.

Hello world!

This is going to be a site where I create and upload a new game every week, written in Processing. I’ve still got a fair amount of organizing to do around here, but things should start being interesting within a week or two. Stay tuned!
Here’s a toy to play with while you wait.

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Former MotÃ¶rhead Guitarist Michael “WÃ¼rzel” Burston Dead at 61

Neil Lupin/Redferns

Sad news for headbangers: Former Motörhead guitarist Michael “Würzel” Burston, who joined the legendary metal band in 1984 and performed with them for 11 years, has passed away at the age of 61. Several sources report that Burston died from ventricular fibrillation, caused by cardiomyopathy.

The news was reported on the Facebook page of Tim Butcher, who has served as the longtime bass tech for Motörhead leader Lemmy Kilmister. Butcher wrote the following unedited post: “RIP Wurzle, Great guitarist an a complete gent .. we will miss you…” An official statement from the Motorhead camp has yet to be issued as of press time.

Prior to Motörhead, Burston also played in Bastard and Warfare. He served in the British Army, as well. His post-Motörhead bands included Splodgenessabounds, WVKEAF and Disgust. He also started a band called Leader of Down, which was supposed to release its debut album in 2010, but that never materialized.

Below is Burston’s Motörhead discography:

No Remorse (1984)
Orgasmatron (1986)
Rock ‘n’ Roll (1987)
Nö Sleep at All (1988)
The Birthday Party (1990)
1916 (1991)

R.I.P., Würzel. Your legacy lives on.

Watch ‘Steal Your Face’ from Motörhead

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Sunday, 3 June 2012

How to enjoy a tea

Things are starting to calm down, and here is finally a weekend which is not about the writing of my thesis. This time I would like to share a couple of thoughts about the way I enjoy a tea.

The first important question is when.
I used to drink tea at the evenings after the work, however it had a really bad influence on my sleep and digestion. Moreover, it is not so easy to focus on something after a hectic and tiring day. So, I switched to the mornings. I wake up earlier, have a proper breakfast then sit down with a good tea. I think this is the best time to enjoy the energies of certain teas. Some of them wakes me up after the first couple of infusions, whereas others have a calming or tranquilising effect after which I would like to crawl back to the bed :).

But in general, after a morning session I am fully awake and ready to go to work. It is much better than pumping caffeine to my brain at the evenings.

How much
In my usual setup I use 5-6 g of tea for ca 90 ml of water. This works well for young shengs and wu yi yancha. For black teas, i use 6-7 g of leaves for 140ml of water. For old teas the ratio is higher: 5g for 50 ml.  I almost always weight the tea I am going to drink, especially if I would like compare different teas. Some people eyeball the amount of leaves, but frankly, it requires years of experience to be able to say that weight of a compressed chunk of tea, in my opinion.

In what
Yixing pots seems to be very popular these days and I also like them, but it is so difficult to pick the right pot for a certain tea. To avoid this I go with gaivan for everything what is fragrant or "green". In this category belong green tea, young sheng (<10 years), Anxi oolong and Wu Yi yancha with lower oxidation/roasting. For things such as aged sheng/oolong, shu, black tea and stronger yancha I have zisha pots. I  almost always use pitcher which helps to cool down the tea a bit and also give a chance to observe the colour and the fragrance of the liquor.  The tea from the pitcher goes to a sniffing cup or directly to small white sipping cups.

Steeping time
There is usually a rinse at the beginning which is discarded. The first steep is a bit longer with 10s, while the following infusions are just water in - water out. At the point when the tea starts to loose its depth, the infusions are becoming longer; 10s, 20s, 30s, 45s up to the point when there is no flavor or the tea starts to be harsh. With the teas which are infused in yixing pots, the last infusions are left for longer time (overnight, overday)

How long
I like to take my time, especially with strong teas it can take 1-2 hours until I finish. It is also necessary  to give space for the aftertaste which can appear minutes after swallowing. I don't like my tea to hot and I prefer to wait until the soup cools down quite a bit, especially with the early infusions. If I drink my tea to fast my taste buds gets saturated and it becomes difficult to pick up the tastes. Moreover, a gongfu is mostly about relaxation, so no reason to hurry.

Activities during
I must confess that in most of the cases I am browsing on the web during the sessions. I like to answer emails at the mornings or just read the news or tea blogs. If I am at home I enjoy the tea with my family so we are just simply chatting.

Some teas can fairly mess up my stomach, usually there is no problem during the session, the signs starts to appear after. To prevent this, I found that if I drink pure water after the session I can prevent the problems. Probably it just dilutes the gastric fluid. After an hour of so, I have to eat something more solid.

So this is the general setup, and I am aware that different people enjoy tea in different ways, so feel free to share.
All the best

  1. Just stumbled upon your blog. It's nice to learn how others drink their teas. I try to do something else like read or chat online while drinking tea, but I always unintentionally end up with a 5 min. infusion when I intended for a 10 sec. one. So usually my tea sessions are strictly making and drinking tea with maybe some low music playing.
    I like your teapot pictured above, and the gaiwan. And now I will browse through the rest of your blog. :)

  2. Hi Trevor

    Thanks for the comment. During the brewing and sipping I am also fully concentrated on the tea. I do the small breaks when the tea is too hot or when I am giving space for the mouthfeel to develop. Usually if there are no other activities during the sessions I end up drinking the tea to fast.

  3. Very nice! I am a bit of a novice tea drinker in the proper sense of the word although I have been enjoying my cuppa for decades. It's always nice to read how others integrate tea into their lives. I like medium-strong to light black teas for the morning (think Ceylon or Chinese black teas) and I love my Fortnum & Mason's Smoky Earl Grey (Lapsang Souchong meets bergamot) during lunch time because it is a tea that holds up well with food. I like my Darjeeling in the afternoon with something sweet and green, white or Oolong teas after dinner :)

    All the best!


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Arkansas: Medical Marijuana Act Qualifies For November Ballot

Thursday, 30 August 2012

Arkansans for Compassionate CareLittle Rock, AR: A statewide proposal to allow for the possession and state-licensed distribution of cannabis for therapeutic purposes will appear on the November electoral ballot.

The Secretary of State's office last week affirmed that initiative proponents, Arkansans for Compassionate Care, had collected the required number of signatures from registered voters to qualify the initiative for the 2012 ballot.

If passed by voters this fall, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act of 2012 will eliminate statewide criminal and civil penalties regarding the physician-recommended use and possession of up to two and one-half ounces cannabis for various qualifying medical conditions, including cancer, Crohn's disease, fibromyalgia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The measure also allows state regulators to establish not-for-profit facilities to produce and dispense cannabis to approved patients. Individual patients will also be permitted to privately cultivate limited amounts of cannabis (up to six flowering plants) if they reside further than five miles from a state-authorized dispensary.

If approved, Arkansas will become the 18th state since 1996 to allow for the limited legalization of marijuana for therapeutic purposes.

Voters in five other states - Colorado, Massachusetts, Montana, Oregon, and Washington - will also be deciding on marijuana-specific ballot measures this November. In Massachusetts, voters will decide on Question 3, a statewide proposal that seeks to allow for the physician-recommended possession and state-licensed distribution of cannabis for therapeutic purposes. Montana voters will decide on Initiative Referendum 124, which seeks to repeal amendments enacted by lawmakers in 2011 to restrict the state's 2004, voter approved medical cannabis law. Colorado voters will decide on Amendment 64, which immediately allows for the legal possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and/or the cultivation of up to six cannabis plants by those persons age 21 and over. Longer-term, the measure seeks to establish regulations governing the commercial production and distribution of marijuana by licensed retailers. Oregon voters will decide on Measure 80, the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act, which provides for the state-licensed production and retail sale of cannabis to adults. The measure does not impose state-licensing or taxation requirements upon those who wish to cultivate cannabis for non-commercial purposes. Finally, in Washington, voters will decide on Initiative 502, which seeks to regulate the production and sale of limited amounts of marijuana for adults. The measure also removes criminal penalties specific to the adult possession of up to one ounce of cannabis for personal use.

In North Dakota, officials from the Secretary of State's office are reviewing whether petitioners in that state have collected sufficient signatures to place a medical cannabis legalization initiative on the November ballot.

For more information, please visit: http://arcompassion.org/. NORML has additional details about this November's statewide and municipal ballot proposals here: http://norml.org/about/smoke-the-vote.

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North Central College - Naperville, IL

Kenneth Pohly

Class Year:

Outstanding Alumni Award Winner 2004

Rev. Kenneth Pohly graduated with degrees in psychology and sociology. After graduation, he attended Evangelical Theological Seminary and earned a master of divinity degree in 1947. In 1969 he received a doctorate of ministry degree from Vanderbilt University.

He organized a new mission congregation and led it through development to over 700 members and three building programs in a 17-year period. He helped initiate Rural Ministries Training Program in Ohio, has been a mentor for Pastoral Supervision Peer Group, Doctor of Ministry Program, and most recently, a faculty advisor for the Clinical Learning Peer Group, Doctor of Ministry Program for the United Theological Seminary. Pohly is also a member of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education and the Association for Theological Field Education

Rev. Pohly also has many publications to his credit including The Clinical Method in Theological Education, 1969; The Contextual Model for the Church’s Educational Work, 1974; Pastoral Supervision, 1977; A Theology of Supervision Proceedings, 1981; “The Distinctness of Ministry Supervision,” for the Journal of Supervision and Training in Ministry, 1988; and Transforming the Rough Places: The Ministry of Supervision,” 1993, second edition, 2001.

Over the years, he has been honored with the Brotherhood Award from the Men’s Club of the Euclid Jewish Center, Temple Ner Talmid, in Euclid, Ohio; Outstanding Service Award from The Master’s United Methodist in Euclid in 1965 and 1993; and the renaming of the Center for Supervision and Leadership Formation as the “Kenneth H. Pohly Center for Supervision and Leadership” at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, in October 2002.

Kenneth and Marjorie Heininger ’43 Pohly live in Dayton. They have two children, Carol and Keith, and two grandchildren, Aaron and Jesse.


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Norwood-Norfolk Key Club to hold McDonalds Night fundraiser March 4
Thursday, February 27, 2014 - 11:51 am

POTSDAM -- The Norwood-Norfolk Key Club will hold a “McDonalds Night” fundraiser on March 4 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Mcdonald's will donate a portion of their proceeds made between those hours. Monetary donations will also be accepted by members who will be in attendance.

The club sponsors free movie days, senior citizen bingo, Relay for Life, March of Dimes, Middle Level Fun Nights, report card babysitting, and more to help their home, school, and community.


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Office for Aging weekly workshop to offer ways to cope with chronic conditions Aug. 12-Sept. 16 in Norwood
Monday, July 29, 2013 - 11:30 am

NORWOOD -- St. Lawrence County Office for the Aging is offering a free workshop at the Baldwin Acres Senior Housing community room Mondays from Aug. 12 through Sept. 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

The workshop will help seniors learn ways to cope with living with a chronic condition.

It will focus on helping individuals take day-to-day responsibility for their care, increase skills with managing their disease, and help them work better with health care professionals.

Office for the Aging will be providing complimentary workbooks to all class participants.

Healthy snacks will be provided.

For information contact Chris Fobare at 386-4730.


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Saturday, December 04, 2010

A different kind of writing challenge

A lot of bloggers are doing the reverb10 challenge right now (see sidebar). The challenge is to write a blog post based on a prompt every day this month. Today's word must be "wonder." I'm often game for these kinds of challenges (like NaNoWriMo), but I'm passing on this one.

My "writing challenge" for this month is different. Last year, I finally followed Paul Silvia's advice and made a writing chart in Excel. Given that I can now track such things, I'm trying now to beat last year's total of written pages for the year.

My chart is a little different from Silvia's. In this chart, the word totals for writing tasks like reports, letters of recommendation or tenure letters, manuscript reviews, grant reviews, etc. don't count; I can only enter word counts for research-related writing on articles and so on.

My chart has columns for the date, the project, the number of words I started and ended with (which gives the day's total), and a column that converts word count to pages. The "project" column is really a space for a few words about what I was doing (teaching, class prep, travel) if I wasn't working on a project, which makes it easier to track why I wasn't writing. There's a column called "Comment" that I use to show when I sent an article or delivered a paper--probably unnecessary but very satisfying.

At the bottom of the pages and words columns, of course, is the payoff: the number of pages/words for the year. I don't know if I can beat 2009's number by the end of 2010, but I'm going to give it the old college try.

Sisyphus said...

Ooh, I'd like to see this spreadsheet. Not that I have the time or energy to write right now.

Dame Eleanor Hull said...

Well,that's inspirational. I'll have to come back to this post when my grading is finished. I like this idea, but today I gave myself permission not to write until the undergrad papers are all graded (I have to give them back Monday, so this is 3 days, at most).

Z said...

Love the spreadsheet idea, I'm joining right after finals!

undine said...

Sisyphus, it's pretty easy to put together--just columns and then an Autosum here and there. I'll post it if I can figure out how to do so.

Dame Eleanor--I understand! The papers stare at you while you try to write, or at least they do me.

Z--thanks! I just figured out that I only kept records from March onwards last year, so there's no way I can beat the record because I don't have the numbers. Still, it felt good to total everything up.


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Are Greenland’s galloping glaciers slowing down?

One of the three major ice streams studied, the outlet of the Jakobshavn-Isbræ glacier produces about 10 percent of Greenland’s icebergs due to calving. Located in West Greenland, its icebergs float down the fjord, sometimes getting stuck in shallower waters for years. Though the glacier’s acceleration rate has fluctuated through the years, it is still a major contributor to Greenland’s ice loss. Courtesy Spencer Weart, flickr (

For the past decade, Greenland’s ice sheet has been losing its ice more rapidly, raising concerns about its contribution to sea level rise. A recent study, published in Nature, proposes that Greenland could slow its shedding of ice from its massive ice sheet into the ocean. “This doesn’t mean glacial recession and melting will slow,” said Faezeh M. Nick, a glaciologist from the University Centre in Svalbard in Norway. Nick’s study points out that the problem is not so straightforward. Continue reading

When will the Arctic lose its sea ice?

sea ice and icebergs

Scientists expect the Arctic to lose most of its summer ice cover by the end of this century, and are working to determine when this might happen. Here, open water in Fram Strait, in the Canadian Arctic, is interspersed with chunks of sea ice. Credit: Angelika Renner

If you have been following the topic of Arctic sea ice, you have probably seen a few headlines warning that the Arctic is about to lose its summer ice cover. Although scientists agree that Arctic sea ice is declining, they have published several different estimates of when the last of the sea ice will melt in summer, leaving more ocean surface open to absorb heat and add to global warming. What is behind all these different predictions? Continue reading


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This report published by the Justice Policy Institute explores the negative impact that state compliance with the Adam Walsh Act will have on youth, communities, and states. Registering Harm: How Sex Offense Registries Fail Youth Communities

This VAWnet report provides an overview of the research on effective prevention programs.

Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

In April 2007, WHO held an expert meeting on preventing intimate partner violence and sexual violence. WHO produced a background paper for the meeting. The paper explores what can be done to prevent violence against adolescent and adult women that occurs within intimate relationships, and sexual violence that occurs outside intimate relationships.

In a public health framework, primary prevention means reducing the number of new instances of intimate-partner violence and sexual violence by intervening before any violence occurs. Program and research in primary prevention has lagged efforts in secondary and tertiary prevention, which focus on people who are at risk or already have suffered violence. This background paper helps to close that gap and is the basis for a guideline on intimate partner and sexual violence prevention currently being prepared by WHO, CDC, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

 Primary prevention of intimate-partner violence and sexual violence: Background paper for WHO expert meeting May 2–3, 2007

This guide provides information on the prevalence of sexual violence and HIV, types of available HIV testing and treatment, benefits and risks of such testing and treatment, victims’ possible fears surrounding HIV, sexual offender testing, and steps victim service professionals can take to meet the needs of sexual violence victims.

This report summarizes the sexual violence information found in the World Report on Violence and Health from the World Health Organization. It looks at prevalence and risk factors of sexual violence, as well as promising sexual prevention approaches from around the world.

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Interview with Kelpe

With his latest EP Chocolate Money available in stores now, London based producer Kelpe not only contributed to our podcast. We also got the chance to speak to him about how he became a musician, his production methods and we take a look-out at future releases.

Maybe you can just start by introducing yourself?
I’m Kelpe, my real name is Kel McKeown, and I make instrumental electronic music and beats

Do you remember the first time you were fascinated by music?
I can’t really remember specifically the first time I enjoyed music, but I remember when I was a really young toddler sitting when my mum was playing the piano and she’d let me play the low notes at the same time she was playing. Not sure why she let me as it probably sounded awful. But the first time wanting to be involved with music was when I was a teenager, into punk bands and playing in a crap band with my friends. I’d also been messing around with an Amiga computer and a sampler but I can’t remember if that was before or after the band.

Ah, the good old Amiga!
Yeah, that was great fun, ProTracker and OctaMED. I had this computer game where you fly a plane and I found where the sound of the engine was stored and swapped it for a drum break, and when I played the game the engine would be a drum break, speeding up and slowing down with the plane, etc.

How serious where those attempts on the Amiga and what music where you into at the time?
I was into Altern8 and The Prodigy (the really early stuff) at the time of making that stuff. I was really into it, so I sort of took it seriously, although not seriuous enough to keep hold of what I made, if I heard it again -which i never will- it would probably sound pretty weak. But I used to spend a lot of time doing it, I was quite nerdy actually

So what were the influences on what you do now? Did you just keep on making music?
Making music wasn’t really a continuous process as there was a big gap from those teenage years to taking it up again years later when i went to university. So when I came back to it I was into all the electronica stuff. Warp stuff, Boards of Canada, Prefuse 73 etc.

I was going to ask you about DC Recordings, because I thought I didn’t know them. But then I figured it’s the label that brought us Tom Tyler, Octagon Man, Depth Charge and the likes, music I liked a lot when I was younger, before buying vinyl.
Well, I heard that Depth Charge album around 95 I think and loved it, I think that was quite an influential album. And I’d get excited when I found DC records in shops. […] I got involved with them around 2002, I’d been a big fan of them years before but slightly lost track of their releases, then a friend suggested sending a demo in so I did that and they were into it. After encouragement I got together the first release The People Are Trying To Sleep. I was really pleased to be on the label and ended up releasing quite a few records with them, enjoying other stuff on the label too. They haven’t done much recently but apparently they’ll be back next with with Emperor Machine and Arcadion albums.

What I love about your music, is its organic sound, especially the drums…
I record a lot of drums. Either me playing or my drummer that I play live with all the time, Chris Walmsley (from Voice of The Seven Woods). Also, I did some recording a while ago in the drummer from Stereolab’s studio with Chris playing, still got a lot of material to work through.

Are you religiously using your own sounds only or do you sample records as well?
I’m not afraid to use samples. Some people try to never use samples and I think its silly to restrict youself like that. I think the golden age of recording was the early 70s and that’s why people sample stuff from that era so much. Anyway, I like to record stuff as well. It’s a good challenge trying to get my crappily recorded stuff to fit in with nicely recorded samples. And its a massive cliche but I’ll always try to chop up a sample into something new

What else do you use in your studio?
I use Ableton, I have two Akai controllers for that, the APC40, and the MPD24. The MPD I always use live, but so does everyone else as well now, it is probably the most used thing I have. Then I got a Moog Little Phatty, which is a stupid name but it sounds good. I got another small analogue synth which sits on my desk, the Doepfer Dark Energy. That’s pretty fat but tiny. A Technics 1200, an Italia Rimini electric guitar which I love, the bass guitar I’ve had since my teenage years. Also a fairly normal looking acoustic guitar and of course a Korg Monotron, which I don’t use much, just for fun.

I also want to ask about your cover art, who have you worked with?
Scot at La Boca, they are in the same building as DC Recordings, and owned by the same person. They do great stuff. They did the sleeve for this big stadium rock band here called Muse, so last year I saw their work every time I went on the underground. The new one, Chocolate Money EP (Fremdtunes), was by a Dutch guy called Mister Adam.

That EP will be out on November 22nd, are you already working on something new?
Yeah, recently I finished a collaboration with Coco Bryce on a track for his album, also on Fremdtunes. I’ve just submitted a new track for the next Astrodynamics compilation, which sounds like its going to be a brilliant compilation. I’m working on a 7″ for Coco Bryce’s own label, MYOR, and soon to be released is a remix I did for Huess, on Inaudible Answer, that’s going to be a good 12″. Other than that I’m just working on new tracks, thinking about the next EP or album

How does that work, do you have a concept in mind or do you record tracks and see what fits together?
I just start working, maybe with a specific change of sound that’s slightly different from the last release.

Any other music you’ve been enjoying lately that you’d like to recommend?
I’ve been listening to McDonald & Giles on repeat lately but that isn’t very recent. Some recent releases I’ve been enjoying is an album by ARP called The Soft Wave, not to be confused with Arp 101 which is great too. The new Bullion record on Young Turks is great, and I’ve been enjoying the last Dosh album Tommy. Dunian has got a free EP that’s really good as well.

Tracklist | Listen | Download | Subscribe (iTunes)

You can find a lot more of Kelpe’s music on SoundCloud, including a couple of mixtapes. He also runs his own website and keeps his YouTube page up to date. You can also add him on Twitter, Facebook or MySpace.


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Eyes Off The White House: Other Races To Watch

Sep 9, 2012
Originally published on September 10, 2012 10:42 am

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.

Just under two months to go before Election Day. The national conventions are over. We're weeks away from debates. And while Democrats and Republicans try to win the White House, they are also locked in a battle for control of Congress. Republicans made historic gains in the House in 2010. And while the GOP didn't quite get a majority in the Senate, they had great expectations of this year because the numbers are in their favor.

Ken Rudin is NPR's Political Junkie and he joins us to talk about the fight for control of Congress. Good morning, Ken.

KEN RUDIN, BYLINE: Good morning, Linda.

WERTHEIMER: So can we start with the House?

RUDIN: Well, of course, all the seats are up in the House - all 435 seats are up. And right now, there are 240 Republicans, 190 Democrats and there are five vacancies. So the Democrats need a net gain of 25 seats to make Nancy Pelosi speaker once again.

WERTHEIMER: So what do you think the prospect actually is, Nancy Pelosi getting to be a speaker again?

RUDIN: Well, theoretically it's doable. There are about 50 seats or so that are competitive and, of course, could go either way. And usually when there's a big title wave - the Republicans picked up 63 seats in the House two years ago - usually two years after that there is some kind of adjustment, where it comes back to normalcy. So, of course, a lot of these Republican freshmen could be very vulnerable in 2012.

And there are questions: is the momentum, is the fervor that the Republicans had two years ago, that Tea Party momentum, is it still there in 2012? And what about the plan that Paul Ryan is famous for, on redefining Medicare? There a lot of Republicans who have been put on the defensive over Paul Ryan, especially now that he's on the national ticket. So that's something to watch, as well.

But at the same time, there are some Democratic retirements that have put Republicans in good shape to win those seats. Redistricting in several states have hurt the Democrats. And the disappointing job numbers probably won't help the Democrats either.

WERTHEIMER: What about the presidential contest? Could the presidential contest be a factor?

RUDIN: Well, it could be. It doesn't always have to be. But more recently there've been less indication of coattails. For example, when George H. W. Bush was elected president in 1988, it was the Democrats who picked up more seats in the House. When Bill Clinton was elected president four years later, Republicans gained more seats. And don't forget when George W. Bush won the presidency in 2000, the Republicans lost two seats in the House and four seats in the Senate.

WERTHEIMER: What about the Senate?

RUDIN: Well, certainly in the Senate, the numbers favor the Republicans, at least on paper. Of the 33 Senate seats that are up, 23 of them are currently held by Democrats or Democratic-leaning Independents. So the Republicans certainly feel they have more targets to go after.

WERTHEIMER: But wouldn't you just automatically assume that somewhere in that 23 seats would be the four seats they need?

RUDIN: Yeah, and the Republicans have been saying that all along; the numbers are in our favor, we certainly should do it. They're looking at Claire McCaskill in Missouri, who has been vulnerable from the beginning. They're looking at Jon Tester, the Democratic incumbent from Montana - also look very vulnerable. They like their chances in Nebraska and Wisconsin and North Dakota and Virginia, all states where Democratic incumbents are retiring.

But the Republicans are having their problems of their own. Their candidate seems to be underperforming in North Dakota, the surprise retirement of Republican Senator Olympia Snowe in Maine has certainly hurt the Republican cause there. And the comments by Missouri Republican Congressman Todd Akin about rape and pregnancy...

WERTHEIMER: That's the guy who's running against Claire McCaskill.

RUDIN: Yeah, again, this is hurting the Republican chances of beating McCaskill. That's turned the race inside out.

WERTHEIMER: Give us a couple of races, Ken, for your fans, the junior junkies.

RUDIN: My fan? Yes.

RUDIN: Well, I mean everybody, of course, is watching the Senate race in Massachusetts. Scott Brown, who took Ted Kennedy's seat, Republican Scott Brown, has won that seat, and he's leading in the polls in a very Democratic state, against Elizabeth Warren, the former consumer advocate, who gave a very impassioned speech last week at the Democratic convention. That's a big seat to watch.

Also, in Virginia, you have a battle between two former governors, George Allen, former governor/former senator, who self-destructed six years ago with his Macaca comment. He's running against Tim Kaine, the former DNC chair. And George Allen is trying to tie Tim Kaine with President Obama. That could be a plus, could be a minus, it's hard to say. That race is very, very close.

And one thing a lot of people are forgetting - by the way, in Connecticut, Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive, is the Republican nominee for the Senate there. In Hawaii, Linda Lingle, the former governor, is the Republican nominee for the Senate there. This could be the year of the Linda.

WERTHEIMER: Thank you, Ken. Thank you very much.

RUDIN: Thanks, Linda.

WERTHEIMER: NPR's Ken Rudin, his weekly Political Junkie column can be found at npr.org/junkie. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Pitch Perfect: 3 Must-Hear Vocal Albums

Mar 18, 2014
Originally published on August 13, 2014 7:50 am

The human voice, the true original instrument, is still the most expressive and personal of all. It's one reason more than 42.5 million Americans sing in choirs, and why we seem to be hardwired to tell our stories through song. It also probably explains why I'm a vocal music junkie, eagerly pawing over the operas, recitals and choir albums that land on my desk and in my download folder. Below are three recent releases well worth repeated listening — an evocative glimpse of traditional Russian Orthodox choral music, a blistering account of Beethoven's Solemn Mass and a perfectly ripened example of the kind of post-Romantic opera that blossomed in early 20th-century Vienna.

Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.


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Villanova vanquishes undermanned Seton Hall

Ravaged by injury, an undermanned Seton Hall fought gamely for 30 minutes on Wednesday night against the eighth-ranked Villanova Wildcats, but it wasn’t enough.

Every time the Pirates tried to close the gap, the Wildcats were right there to answer with a basket, and in the end, Villanova was able pull away, posting an 83-67 victory in front of 8,546 fans at the Prudential Center.

“We cut it to five, cut it to seven, and they came down and hit some tough threes,” coach Kevin Willard said. “That’s kind of what they do — that’s what they’ve done all year, [make] tough plays.”

The Wildcats (14-1, 3-0 Big East), who face St. John’s on Saturday, made 12 of 23 3-pointers and were led by Darrun Hilliard, who scored a team-high 19 points. Ryan Arcidiacono added 14 points, and another guard, freshman Josh Hart, added 11 off the bench.

That was more than enough to defeat a Seton Hall team that only used seven players and was without Fuquan Edwin (knee), Aaron Geramipoor (ankle) and Eugene Teague (concussion).

“It is tough when you’re playing only seven guys,” said forward Brian Oliver, who scored a game-high 20 points. “They keep bringing in fresh bodies over and over again.”

The Pirates (10-6, 1-2) had a perfect opening possession, forcing a turnover on defense and making a 3-pointer on the other end — one of Oliver’s six 3s on the night.

Nevertheless, Arcidiacono answered with a 3-pointer, and Seton Hall would not lead for the rest of the game. Villanova would make six of its first eight 3-pointers en route to a double-digit lead less than eight minutes into the game.

Seton Hall slowly clawed back, closing to within 35-30 on a pair of Sterling Gibbs free throws with 2:20 left in the half.

That run awoke the crowd — which was silent for most of the half — but just when it looked as if Seton Hall would surge closer, Dylan Ennis sank a 3-pointer, and the Wildcats took a 38-32 lead at the half.

Villanova hit another 3-pointer 13 seconds into the second half, this one by James Bell, that extended the lead to nine.

The Pirates hung in, closing the deficit to 44-39 on a Gibbs 3-pointer a little more than four minutes into the second half, but Hilliard answered with a 3-pointer to keep Seton Hall at arm’s length.

After Hart hit a 3-pointer with 9:12 remaining to give Villanova a 12-point lead, the Pirates could get no closer than 10 points.

It doesn’t get any easier for Seton Hall, which has three consecutive road games — a daunting challenge for a team that has dropped two straight in Big East play.

Nevertheless, forward Brandon Mobley said he feels the fight the team displayed for most of the night can carry over to the road trip that will see the Pirates visit Marquette, Georgetown and St. John’s.

“We stuck together tonight, but we really have to stick together [now] because [we’ll be] on the road,” he said. “Last year, we went to Marquette with seven guys, and it was a close one. At the end of the day, we’re going to go [on the road] and bond.”

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Making music in the caribbean’s ritzy jewel, St. Barts

It’s the night before the Saint-Barth Summer Sessions — the music festival in the French Caribbean that’s going into its sixth year — but my wife and I aren’t listening to music. Rather, we’re watching a scantily clad dancer stride onto the beach just outside La Plage, the outdoor restaurant and bar at the Tom Beach Hotel, grab a pole and shimmy with the kinds of acrobatic skills one would expect to find in Vegas. Yet we are spared (or is it denied?) anything too revealing beyond a bikini.

This dancer is followed by a fire juggler, blowing fireballs into the night air.

In between these entertainment options there’s food: grilled mahi-mahi with candied lemon and mesclun; steamed mahi-mahi with bok choi and mung bean sprouts; oven-baked mahi-mahi with sweet pepper piperade — and even a couple non-mahi-mahi dishes like tagliatelle with lobster.

Aberta Pra Balanco performs.Photo: Michaël Gramm

Such is life in St. Barts — the playground of the rich and the super rich.

Yachts sail back and forth from the island in the French Caribbean; their only cargo is a Russian billionaire and his entourage. The airport (notoriously small, pointed out to sea) isn’t designed for a jumbo aircraft; rather, a Gulfstream private jet is more its speed.

I was there during the summer off season, which is less crowded with the super moneyed set — but this has its advantages. Sure, you might not run into Mick Jagger at your hotel, but you’ll actually be able to get into the clubs. And you can appreciate the lush mountainous greenery, the sandy beaches, the blue waters — the tropical paradise that made it coveted long before the first celeb set foot on this island.

The Summer Sessions, for example, is the 13-day music festival that was the brainchild of Thierry de Badereau, who also owns the Tom Beach Hotel, and you can go up to the various singers and guitar players after their set to chat. The festival is a roving concert — about 30 different musicians from various spots around the world perform in small settings around the island. The performers and bands include a mélange of mellow and funky offerings like Project K-Paz, Stefan Biniak, Eitch and Ryan Faraday.

The Tom Beach Hotel.

But even in this lower key way, one never loses the consoling proximity of millionaires. Gustavia, the capital and main commercial hub of St. Barts, has a distinctly Madison Avenue feel; Cartier, Rolex, Hermes and de Grisogono are all represented. Even the non-branded shops take full advantage of the island’s pricing, which is frankly insane. (This reporter had never shelled out 25.50 euro — just over $35 — for sunscreen before. But he did in St. Barts.) A small number of names that dot the New York culinary landscape also make their appearance in St. Barts. A walk through Gustavia reveals “Bagatelle” hugging up against the water — yes, the same as the Bagatelle in the Meatpacking District. But then it’s not just Gustavia; Eden Rock , one of St. Bart’s many luxe hotels, has the requisite celebrity chef writing the menu: Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

This past fall Alfred Portale of Gotham Bar & Grill did a limited collaboration with Philippe Masseglia on a menu at Hotel Guanahani’s Bartolomeo. (Bartolomeo’s normal menu ranges from items like a pork chop with roasted pineapple, mushrooms and mustard sprouts to black truffle risotto.) But even in restaurants where there are no New York names attached, the food is universally good. Côté Port (05 90 87 79 54), a little waterfront eatery in Gustavia, has a much less punishing (price-wise) menu of tapas like grilled calamari (8 euro) or black sausages (8 euro), all of which are extremely well done. Wall House offers steaks and rich gnocchi Parisienne with pesto.

Of course, one should never forget that St. Barts is a tropical island with the accompanying advantage of glorious beaches and a crystal blue Caribbean waiting to be taken advantage of.

Carib Waterplay offers windsurfing lessons for one or couples, and a windsurfing board is available for rent at 30 euro an hour rental.

There are all sorts of boat rentals, like Fun Sea’Stem or Jicky Marine Service, which offers all sorts of rentals and excursions.

It’s almost enough to forget that you might run into Demi Moore and her family at the Tom Beach Hotel.

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Earth Science Experience

Grades: 1st – 8th Grades
Weekdays at 10am

Curriculum Connections: Physical Science Concepts, Life Science Concepts, Earth and Space Sciences Concepts, Scientific Connections and Applications, Scientific Thinking, Science as Inquiry, Science and Technology, History of Nature and Technology.

Package Includes:

  • General Admission to NYSCI. · 3D Theater Presentation: Tornado Alley
  • Private, Explainer-led, 20-minute interactive demonstration: Air Play
  • Explainer-facilitated exhibition exploration featuring: The Search for Life Beyond Earth
  • 20-minute lunch reservation.

$15 per student, chaperones (1 for every 5 children) are $3 each. Additional adults are $9. Minimum 25 students. Allow two hours.

To reserve call: (718) 699-0301

Inquire Now


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Fahnestock State Park (Clarence Fahnestock)

Skip Navigation LinksHome : State Parks : Fahnestock State Park (Clarence Fahnestock)

Fees and Rates

Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee to enter the facility. Fees vary by location and season. A list of entry fees and other park use fees is available below. For fees not listed or to verify information, please contact the park directly.

Your key to all season enjoyment of state parks is our season's pass. For $65, the Empire Passport provides you unlimited day use vehicle entry into most of our parks. Apply on-line or call your favorite park for more information.

Boat Rental: $7/hr; $25/day; $100/week
$25 deposit
Season permit: $30
Weekly permit: $10
Camping: $15/night; $19/night Fri., Sat. and Sun. before Holiday Mondays

Group Camp (wilderness): $2/person/night; 14 person minimum

Out-of-State Surcharge: $5/night

For reservations: Call Reserve America at 1-800-456-CAMP or visit www.reserveamerica.com.
Campsite and Cabins: Reservation fee: $9
Walkup: $2.75
Cancellation: $9
Change: $9
Vehicle Entrance Fee: $7/car
Non-profit bus: $35
Commerical bus: $75

5/23-6/19, weekends & holidays
6/20-9/7, daily
Winter Park: Admission: Adult $10; Under 17 $7; Sr. $9.
Ski Rental: Adult $17; Jr. $15.
Snow shoes: $15/adult; $14/Jr.; $7/hr.
Baby sled: $20; $7/hr.
1498 Route 301
Carmel, NY 10512
Phone: (845) 225-7207
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Edward Robert Kastelz

  • "Truly missing my buddy!"
    - Rodney Wood
  • " I am so sorry to hear of your lost. Ed was an amazing..."
    - Matthew Brown
  • "Teri and Family, Ed was such a great man. My thought and..."
    - Bill Norton
  • "My sincere sympathy to all - a pleasure to work with -..."
    - Dawn VanderTill
  • "Ed was an amazing man of Godly character and integrity. His..."
    - Amy Langeler

KASTELZ - Edward Robert Kastelz, age 63, of Jenison (Formerly of Grandville), went home to Heaven on Monday, February 15, 2010. He has been reunited with his son, Jonathan Paul "JP" Kastelz; father, Edward A. Kastelz; mother, Helen Kastelz; father-in-law, James R. Chassee; brother-in-law, Daniel Chassee; and nephew, Robert Kozminski. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 36 years, Teresa Kastelz; his children, Eddie (Emmarie) Kastelz, Elise Kastelz, Tommy Kastelz, and Nick Kastelz; and his precious grandchildren, Haley and Tommy Burns, Brenden, Audrey, Edward, and Peyton Kastelz who knew their grandpa affectionately as "Bumpy". Ed proudly served in the US Navy aboard the USS Orion during the Vietnam War. After discharge from the military, he worked side by side with his father in the family business for 34 years. Ed loved life, his faith, his family, and his friends. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:00 a.m., Saturday at the St. Sebastian Catholic Church, 9408 Wilson Ave. SW (New Church Building). The family will meet with relatives and friends on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Cook Funeral Home, 4235 Prairie SW, (West Building). Rosary service will be held at 5:30 p.m. The family welcomes memories and messages in their guest book online at www.cookfuneralservices.com Cook Funeral and Cremation Services

Published in Grand Rapids Press on Feb. 18, 2010
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J.L. Apter Memorial Chapels-Sussex County - Newton
156 Main Street P.O.Box 452
Newton, NJ 07860
Bober Pages (100+)
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George Joseph Bober

Obituary Condolences

George Joseph Bober, 94, of Lafayette Township, N.J., passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013. Funeral services will be held Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. in the Iliff-Ruggiero Funeral Home, 156 Main St., Newton, N.J. Visitation will be Sunday from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Born in Newark, N.J. George retired to Lafayette in 1981. Son of the late Andrew and Julia (Pasternak) Bober, George proudly served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He worked 31 years for Western Electric in Kearny, N.J., as a punch press operator, until his retirement in 1981. He was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America. George enjoyed his daily routine, visiting all his friends at the local stores in Newton and Lafayette, N.J. A loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, George will be missed by all who knew and loved him. George was predeceased by his son-in-law, Andrew Mikita, in 2012. He is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Marlyn P. (Liszkowicz) Bober; his four daughters, Eileen Ziegler, Sharon and her husband, Bob Andrews, Donna Mikita, and Michele Bober. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Chris and her husband, Tom Gorrell, Michael Ziegler, Andrea Mikita, Kyle and Whitney Andrews. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Karen Ann Quinlan Center of Hope Hospice, 99 Sparta Ave., Newton, N.J. 07860.
Published in Star-Ledger on Aug. 24, 2013
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Butterfly, Barber, and The Cave; Plus, Here's the Messiah to Beat!

Strictly speaking, the classical-music season began Sept. 13 at the New York City Opera with Handel’s delicious Semele, with a superlative young cast led by the soprano Elizabeth Futral and the mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux. On Sept. 20, the city’s newest concert hall—the Renzo Piano–designed jewel box of an auditorium at the Morgan Library—opened with “Baroque Blast,” an appropriately titled program of Bach, Handel and Vivaldi performed by the St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble.

But for many, the real kickoff comes when the Metropolitan Opera opens on Sept. 25 with Madama Butterfly, directed by Anthony Minghella (of English Patient fame). The production, which employs Japanese puppets, was a smash hit at the English National Opera, and Met watchers are eager to see whether it heralds the sort of theatrical razzle-dazzle promised by the Met’s new general manager, Peter Gelb.

The other highlights of the Met’s season, which were put in place by Mr. Gelb’s predecessor, Joseph Volpe, include a new production of The Barber of Seville starring the heartthrob Rossini tenor Juan Diego Flórez (opening Nov. 10), and the world premiere of Tan Dun’s The First Emperor, with Plácido Domingo adding an Oriental potentate to his list-without-end of operatic heroes (Dec. 21).

The mighty Cleveland Orchestra, conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, opens Carnegie Hall on Oct. 4 with a helter-skelter program of Mahler songs (with the German baritone Thomas Quasthoff), a Mozart piano concerto (with the Norwegian pianist Lief Ove Andsnes), and bonbons by waltz king Johann Strauss. The orchestra’s three-concert engagement also includes the New York premiere of touché, a new work by Hanspeter Kyburz; Mr. Quasthoff in Mozart concert arias; and the massive Bruckner Fifth Symphony.

Leading Carnegie’s usual parade of superstars is Daniel Barenboim, who’s appearing both as conductor (with the Vienna Philharmonic next spring) and as one of the world’s most probing pianists. On Oct. 9, he joins James Levine and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Schoenberg’s dizzying Piano Concerto and Beethoven’s rapturous Fourth Concerto. On Jan. 20 and 21, he returns to peruse the two books of preludes and fugues that constitute Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier.

Only Carnegie could bring together the Olympian likes of Gidon Kremer and Krystian Zimerman, who will combine forces in Brahms’ sonatas for violin and piano (Nov. 1). Two nights later, the electrifying Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons arrives with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for three programs of Strauss, Shostakovich, Wagner, Bartók and Beethoven.

If Carnegie has a house pianist, it’s the elegantly cerebral Pierre-Laurent Aimard. On Dec. 10, the French virtuoso appears with Pierre Boulez and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the piano concerto of György Ligeti, in whose mischievous pyrotechnics Mr. Aimard is unexcelled. The following night, he will outdo himself in a program of 20 knuckle-busting études by everyone from Ligeti to Liszt.

A few blocks north at Lincoln Center, the New York Philharmonic is offering perhaps the greatest diversity of programs in its 165-year history. They range from a somber celebration of the 100th anniversary of Shostakovich’s birthday, conducted by music director Lorin Maazel, (Sept. 28 to Oct. 3), to a rambunctious collaboration with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra that includes Duke Ellington’s Harlem transfer of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker music (Dec. 6 to 9).

At Christmastime, the Messiah to beat is likely to be the Philharmonic’s version of Handel’s evergreen, with a stellar group of soloists that includes the great American mezzo Stephanie Blythe. The British conductor is that nimblest of Handelians, Harry Bicket. He’s part of an invasion of formidable guest conductors, including Esa-Pekka Salonen, who in the new year will lead the world premiere of his new piano concerto with Yefim Bronfman (Feb. 7, 2007).

On Oct. 7, Lincoln Center’s Great Performers Series opens with a bang: Bernard Haitink leading the London Symphony Orchestra in all nine Beethoven symphonies (it goes out without a whimper seven months later, when Avery Fisher Hall becomes the setting for the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s multimedia staging of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, trendily retitled The Tristan Project by director Peter Sellars). The series is chockablock with living luminaries, but they may all be upstaged by a pianist who lives only on recordings and film—the late Glenn Gould, whose idiosyncratic brilliance can be sampled in a 10-film series at the Walter Reade Theater (Oct. 20 to Nov. 18).

On Nov. 2, 3 and 4 at the auditorium in John Jay College, Great Performers is celebrating Steve Reich’s 70th birthday with the composer’s politically tendentious extravaganza, The Cave. (In the new year, the enterprising Miller Theater will pay tribute to Mr. Reich with an all-percussion program that shows the minimalist master in a more congenial light.)

The dynamic new artistic directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, David Finckel and Wu Han, are offering meaty musical conversations at the refurbished Alice Tully Hall, roaming around a single composer like Brahms (Oct. 20 to Nov. 7).

The Frick Collection has a long history of introducing musical titans-in-the-making to New York audiences, and insiders are already touting a young Russian Romantic pianist, Yevgeny Sudbin—who performs at the museum on Dec. 3—as the next Rubinstein.

When it comes to picking great pianists, however, no presenter has a better record than the Metropolitan Museum’s series of Concerts and Lectures. This season, the Met’s Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium plays host to a dazzling assortment of keyboard artists, ranging from the Austrian protégé of Alfred Brendel, Till Fellner, to the venerable Czech poet, Ivan Moravec. The Met evening that every piano freak is salivating over is Oct. 26, when Ivo Pogorelich is scheduled to make his first New York appearance in a decade. Justly celebrated for musical unpredictability, the Yugoslav phenomenon is also renowned for his tendency not to show up at the appointed hour. We’ll see.


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Flipboard CEO Mike McCue Exits Twitter’s Board Just as Twitter Begins to Lockout Third-Party Developers

Is this the run-up to an acquisition?

 Flipboard CEO Mike McCue Exits Twitters Board Just as Twitter Begins to Lockout Third Party Developers

(Photo: Technmarketing.com)

The impact of Twitter’s API crackdown, it seems, has reverberated up to its board. Mike McCue, CEO of the Flipboard, the beloved news reader app, just disclosed that he’s leaving the company’s board, tweeting: “To the @Twitter team: it was amazing to be part of the board. You’re truly changing the world. Thanks @ev @jack @dick for the opportunity.” Of course, a former board member should know that CEO Dick Costolo’s Twitter handle is @dickc not @dick.

Some unresolved hostility would be understandable. After all, changes to Twitter’s API, documented in great detail this morning by AllThingsD‘s Mike Isaac, will likely mean that Flipboard will no longer be able to integrate with Twitter. In a separate post, Kara Swisher reports that Mr. McCue initiated the discussion about leaving the board.

Clues to what lies ahead for Twitter’s platform, which is adopting a closed-off, “walled garden” approach, started to emerge with a brief letter on the company’s blog from Michael Sippey, VP of product, posted late in June. Third-party developers were left scrambling to decipher the opaque missive. As Mr. Isaac notes:

But amid the confusion of the past month, nearly all have overlooked the section of Sippey’s post which holds the key to Twitter’s future: Cards. Twitter’s new Cards technology allows third-party developers to create richer, more compelling — and, above all, visually consistent — content inside of Twitter itself.

Therein lies Twitter’s goal: A rich, consistent Twitter experience for every user. When the hammer drops and Twitter changes its guidelines, those apps that can’t deliver this consistency will no longer be able to integrate with Twitter. The most likely candidates to go first, according to multiple sources, fall into two camps: Third-party-client apps which essentially reduplicate the Twitter stream — such as Tweetbot, Echofon and Osfoora — and news reader apps like Flipboard, which re-renders Twitter data to create a different visual experience of a tweet entirely.

But it’s not merely a question of locking out Flipboard. Twitter has also begun to copy Flipboard’s primary offering: its impeccably-designed layout of articles, photos, and videos on your smartphone. In light of these developments, says Business Insider, the relationship grew tense.

However, there may be a possible upside for Mr. McCue. Ms. Swisher says, “Flipboard will either face increasing rivalry from Twitter or will end up as a possible acquisition target for it or other companies.” The list of potential acquirers might even include Twitter, which has previously purchased startups like Summify.

Twitter’s board has had a volatile year. Last September, Union Square Ventures’s Fred Wilson and Spark Capital’s Bijan Sabet, both announced their departure.

The news also comes amidst public disapproval of Twitter’s attempt to redefine itself as a media company, catering to its big brand clients and celebrity “VITs.” Twitter’s willingness to narc on an NBC employee has reframed this transformation less as a tech-to-media company, and more as scrappy, democratizing startup to corporate handmaiden.


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Daily News’ 4 New York Plaza Offices Could Be Uninhabitable For Year

It could be up to a year before the New York Daily News and U.S. News & World Report are allowed back into their 4 New York Plaza headquarters, which were “wiped out” by Hurricane Sandy, Mortimer B. Zuckerman said today.

Like many companies in Lower Manhattan, both publications were forced to relocate after 11-foot tidal surges caused flooding and electrical outages in the area.

“We have just leased some other space for nine months to a year just to make sure that we can keep the magazine and the newspaper going,” the chairman of Boston Properties said at the Observer Media Group’s Masters of Real Estate conference.  “We suffered dramatically on the publishing side because the U.S. News and the Daily News offices were at the southernmost part of Manhattan and their offices were just destroyed.”
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Brit Morin’s Got a Book Deal Because the Publishing Industry Has Never Heard of Pinterest

Brit Morin

Brit Morin

Because an entire website dedicated to bedazzling T-shirts wasn’t enough for her legions of fans, America’s next top Girl Scout leader Brit Morin is now officially publishing a book.

Publishers Weekly broke the news, Valleywag reports. The book, HOMEMAKERS, will teach “the new generation of modern ‘homemakers’ how to use technology to enhance creativity,” PW said. But judging by a glance at the book proposal, it looks like “technology” in this case means “fancy colored lightbulbs.”

Betabeat got its hands on the proposal in September. In it, Ms. Morin repeatedly puts a big emphasis on “straddling the analog and digital worlds,” reminding us that we are “interconnected 24/7.” To remedy this, why not melt a bunch of perfectly good crayons into a cup and call it a candle, then spray paint the tips of your shoes gold?

The proposal also answers pressing questions of our time such as, what is a kitchen? “It stores the food we eat to survive,” the book reports helpfully.

It also includes a “manifesto” of the “maker movement,” which is less a movement than the leftover scraps of being a ’60s housewife. Only in the ’60s, housewives worked to make useful things like shirts out of useless things like piles of cloth. Ms. Morin’s projects, on the other hand, are more about taking one household object (headband!) and spending an hour or more to hot-glue other household objects (Christmas ornaments!) onto it, creating something too fugly to be sold in stores.

This book will make a great Christmas gift for the conservative newly married cousin who has a lot of time on her hands. If you decide to buy it, though, keep in mind that your penance is one full rosary said in honor of all of the actual authors out there who are going without book deals this year.


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Bartkowiak sets FSU softball all-time hits mark

April 22, 2013
Special to the OBSERVER , The OBSERVER

Senior centerfielder Katie Bartkowiak (Fredonia) broke one school career record and tied another during Fredonia State's SUNYAC doubleheader with the Geneseo Blue Knights.

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Metropolitan Herman to Address DC Marchers

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, will once again lead Orthodox Christian pro-life marchers at the annual March for Life in Washington, DC on January 22, 2004.

“For years, Metropolitan Herman has been a visible and vocal champion for the rights of the unborn,” said the Very Rev. John Matusiak, OCA Communications Director. “His presence and speeches at the annual March for Life have provided a profound witness of the Orthodox Church’s fundamental belief that all life, created by God, is sacred.”

Orthodox marchers from around the US will gather under the large “Orthodox Christians for Life” banner between 11:00 and 11:30 AM at the Ellipse, opposite the White House. They will proceed from the Ellipse to the US Supreme Court building, where Metropolitan Herman is expected to conduct a service for the unborn.

Metroplitan Herman will also participate in the annual Rose Dinner later the same day.

Further information on the March may be obtained by contacting OCLife’s Deacon John Protopappas at 631/271-4408 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).


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Teen Struck by Car Expected to Make Full Recovery, Family Reports

Originally posted at 7:10 p.m. March 24, 2014. Edited to add new details. An 18-year-old struck by a hit-and-run driver in San Clemente Friday is in fair condition, finally waking up from his trauma and is expected to make a full recovery, said a representative of his family, relieved to have found him.

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Ocean Literacy in Europe

Nov 3, 2012 by

The first conference on Ocean Literacy in Europe was held in Bruges, Belgium on Friday, October 12, 2012.
More information on the conference is at http://www.emsea.eu

Craig Strang and Peter Tuddenham gave a joint presentation on 10 years of Ocean Literacy efforts in the USA. Their presentation was in three parts, the first covering the 10 year history from Craig Strang, and then Peter Tuddenham gave an overview of the design principles and processes. The third part was a facilitated discussion that was designed to demonstrate some of the principles, namely conversation, listening, inclusion, collaboration and transparency. The abstract is posted below the videos.

Here are the three parts of their presentation:

Part One – Craig Strang

Ocean Literacy presentation in Bruges, Belgium – Craig Strang from College of Exploration on Vimeo.

Part Two – Peter Tuddenham

Ocean Literacy presentation in Bruges, Belgium – Peter Tuddenham from College of Exploration on Vimeo.

Part Three – Discussion

Ocean Literacy Discussion in Bruges, Belgium from College of Exploration on Vimeo.

10 years of Ocean Literacy in the USA and beyond: Actions, Results, Reflections and Discussion
Strang Craig1 and Peter Tuddenham2
1 Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, 94720-5200 Berkeley, USA
E-mail: cstrang@berkeley.edu
2 College of Exploration, 230 Markwood Drive, 20165-5813 Potomac falls, USA
E-mail: Peter@coexploration.net

This three part session will: 1) trace the path of the Ocean Literacy Campaign in the USA, including the actions and results to date; 2) highlight the processes and principles that are promoting an ocean literate world; and then 3) engage conference delegates in a short discussion.

In the USA in 2002 scientists, educators and policy makers began a national conversation about how to include the ocean in the mainstream K-12 curriculum, and also what about the ocean is most important to teach, both in geography and science. The National Geographic Society, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Marine Educators Association, the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence and The College of Exploration began a process of building a grass roots Ocean Literacy Campaign. After an online conference of scientists, educators and, policy makers, a definition for Ocean Literacy was drafted, and 7 essential principles and 44 fundamental concepts were agreed upon. From this beginning the work has continued to include developing a comprehensive K-12 conceptual scope and sequence, to influence the direction of new national science education standards, government ocean policies and public understanding of the importance of the ocean to all life.
The direct involvement of hundreds of scientists and educators in the process has built a shared language and ownership of all aspects of the Ocean Literacy Campaign. We have facilitated national conversations and large-scale decision making with the support of asynchronous technologies and a technology supported facilitation process. The Campaign has now influenced whole systems that establish funding and set priorities related to ocean science education within the national conversation about science education.

The work in the USA has prompted several other countries to consider the extent to which ocean subjects are included in school curriculums and other aspects of the education system. Other ocean literacy efforts in Japan, Portugal, Chile, China, Australia, Canada, and South Africa are in various stages of development.

In most countries the ocean is not a part of the school curriculum. The majority of populations have little or no knowledge about the issues concerning the ocean nor the role the ocean plays in our lives from food to energy to weather and climate to international trade to the air we breathe. The ocean must be a part of every student’s education.

As the quest for an ocean literate world progresses we must be sensitive to regional and national priorities and realities and the use and nuance of language in building shared understandings. Making the ocean meaningful and relevant to every individual’s life by building connections through the web of water, and connecting to global issues of climate change and energy may offer directions to follow. To be ocean literate, or to know the ocean, must be a holistic experience, engaging all our senses and inspiring our lives by touching our souls not only through science and geography, but art, music, business, policy, essentially to include all disciplines and subjects.

After the two presentations we will facilitate a discussion about the challenges and processes of enhancing ocean literacy on a local, regional, country and global basis.

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Artist: Casual
Album:  Later On 12"
Song:   Later On (Casual's Low Down Remix)

I wake up in the mornin' feelin' fine & refreshed
take a look into the mirror to see who's rhymin' the best
Hah, there he is, lookin' right my way
so I hook up wit Jay
to start my day
I hit up Ray and say what's the function
he say he got some hoes that want to take us to bruch and go kick it
Cool, I'm the man
and plus when we chillin' I'ma have on a band and Tuscany
spillin' hella game so this fella can bump
plus I'm hungry as fuck
so tell him it's on
if I aint here hit me
probly have some hoes wit me
but you gone have to come & get me
cause my shit be breakin' downs
now I'm chillin' on the solo
gettin' keyed
watchin' the Box
laughin' at rappers I've superceded
niggas try to hold me back, but I need it
I stay in seclusion when producin'
amd makin' beats is how a nigga should be
that's why I'm always to the head'n you aint fuckin' with me.

Later on, Casual, the dopest rapper in hip hop music, marks!

Alright, uh
I sit up on my futon
and ask myself who's Jon?
that brotha rippin' mics to enthuse MCs
yet I'm eating niggas like a cruton
I charge up neutrons
the style I formulated from nothing but mere
tears from a wack MC
I flow accurately to point the weak & give them muscles
my rhymes a 30 million piece puzzle
you was till this
I interrogate MCs until they admit it
I'm tryin' to hit the beat a little different
so dims bear with me
if it commence to happen that my rappin' wouldn't be grade A
but you couldn't persuade a nigga like me to fall off on May Day
cause I keep goin'
just like the springs in Nevada that'll bring a lotta water to the
Casual, the scheme plotta
takin' nada
I used to steel dome from my home's, Grenada
but that there's some Oakland shit
and I knew you woudln't feel it when I spoke the shit
but still
I gotta give my folks a shout
som'n I'm gonna do you can't coax me out
I speaks about the weak, without no problem
and on the microphone I can't find no opponent
and you can't find no fault in me
I'm assaulting the
wack rapper and his depth
check out my manuscript and say Damn, you the dopest
fuckin' up niggas on the east and west coast
with bump, Casual wont lose at all
I'm the cause of the crews that fall
used to breakin' nigga's jaws but I started out
when I found out, what life is all about.