Breeders Cup photos

 

Breeders Cup photo from Nokia n95 3g

this photo was sent via the new ATT 3g network

 

Seven college students die in beach house fire

Seven college students die in beach house fire
Sun Oct 28, 2007 7:11pm EDT
By Jim Brumm

WILMINGTON, North Carolina (Reuters) - Seven South Carolina college students were killed and six were injured on Sunday when a fire swept through a beach home in a U.S. resort community, officials said.

Police in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, received an emergency call at 7:01 a.m. EDT, the town said in a statement. When rescue services got there two minutes later, the house was completely engulfed in flames, according to the statement.

University of South Carolina officials said they believed the six injured and six of the dead were students at the university.

The seventh dead student was from Clemson University, Vice President for Student Affairs Dennis Pruitt told a news conference.

Pruitt said the university was helping North Carolina officials identify the dead.

Ocean Isle Beach has about 425 year-around residents, according to its Web site. It is located on a seven-mile-long (11-km-long) barrier beach on the southern end of North Carolina's Atlantic shore, about 30 miles north of the resort community of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The injured were treated and released at Brunswick Community Hospital, hospital spokeswoman Amy Meyers said.

Nokia N95 camera phone

 

Belmar sunrise over the Beach Saturday Oct. 27 2007

taken with the Nokia N95 -3g cellphone

 

Belmar live picture 8:30am nice waves Oct. 20 2007

Campaigns declare funds raised for Belmar races

Campaigns declare funds raised for Belmar races

To-the-dollar disclosures made under new ordinance
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/16/07
BY ERIK LARSEN
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU

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BELMAR — Borough Republicans recorded $3,850 and Democrats $2,214.64 in the first
reporting phase of campaign contributions under a new ordinance that requires candidates for local office to disclose the source of every dollar received.

"In a major victory for all the residents of Belmar, for the first time in Belmar, Monmouth County, or anywhere in the state of New Jersey, all the candidates for council fully disclosed all their contributions as of Oct. 9, 2007," Councilman Matthew J. Doherty announced Monday. Doherty, a Democrat, sponsored the ordinance in August.

This particular reporting cycle is called a "29-day pre," meaning 29 days from the election. The next reporting date is Oct. 26.

The ordinance, which demands greater accountability than New Jersey law, requires that even individual contributions under $300 be reported to the borough clerk. Under state law, candidates are required to disclose the source of campaign contributions that are $300 or more to the Election Law Enforcement Commission.

In Belmar this year, two seats on the five-member council are open. Currently,
Democrats have a 4-1 majority over Republicans. The Democratic candidates are Meredith Brennan and Claire Deicke; the Republican candidates are Michael Seebeck and Victoria Renner. Brennan is the only incumbent among the four.

The largest contributions received by Democrats in the 29-day pre report were three individual monetary donations of $200 made by: Daniel H. Gendel, an attorney in Red Bank; Marion J. Pringle, who is Mayor Kenneth E. Pringle's mother; and Loretta Hill, the business administrator of the Belmar school district who is married to Police Chief Jack Hill, the Democratic nominee for Monmouth County sheriff.

The largest in-kind contribution made to Democrats was $138.64 for unspecified goods or services from the law firm of Pringle Quinn Anzano, where the mayor is a partner.

The largest contribution received by Republicans was a $500 in-kind contribution from Councilman William Merkler, who is the lone Republican on the council. The donation represented food and beverages for a political fundraiser, according to the report.

The largest monetary donations to Republicans were two separate $300 donations from Abel Leasing, a company that provides small businesses with administrative services, based in Cranbury; and Valerie and Douglas Hawxhurst, borough residents.

Belmar homeowners host "Meet Candidates Night"

Belmar homeowners host "Meet Candidates Night"
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/19/07
BY ERIK LARSEN
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU

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BELMAR — Questions ranging from the future of redevelopment to what to do about those trouble-making summer renters will be among those raised at the fourth annual "Meet the Candidates Night" Tuesday, sponsored by the Belmar Homeowners Association.

In response to criticism from Belmar Democrats that the forum has been unfair in the past, the League of Women Voters will moderate the debate, among other changes.

"We have received literally dozens of questions for "Meet the Candidates Night' from town residents either by e-mail or in the newly installed lockbox at borough hall," wrote Susanne Sweeny and Ed Bonder, co-chairpersons of the event, in an e-mail to the two sets of Democratic and Republican candidates, who are seeking two open seats on the Borough Council this year.

Eighteen questions have been prepared, which have been edited for clarity and grouped into topics. The questions are similar to issues raised in a recent association survey.

"Quality of life has been a major problem in the south end of town," one question begins. "As we continue the transition back to a more family oriented community, do you think we are doing enough to enforce the laws and control the summer weekend chaos or are there more proactive actions you'd propose?"

On the subject of tourism, the candidates will be asked if Belmar should continue to promote tourism at its current levels or whether the borough should focus on encouraging a specific kind of tourist to Belmar.

"Given the recent termination of the Gale agreement: What should be done to promote investment and rapid improvement of our downtown?" another question asks.

Democratic candidates Meredith Brennan and ClaireDeicke, and Republican candidates Michael Seebeck and Victoria Rennner are all scheduled to attend.

The forum will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Taylor Pavilion on the boardwalk.

Cape Cod Commission denies Cape Wind application

Cape Cod Commission denies Cape Wind application
Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:34am EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Cape Cod Commission in Massachusetts Thursday denied Cape Wind's application to bury electric cables needed to connect its proposed 420-megawatt offshore wind farm in the Nantucket Sound to the state power grid.

Cape Wind said in a release that it would challenge the Commission decision. The Cape Cod Commission is a local organization created by the state in 1990 to manage growth and protect Cape Cod's natural resources.

Sen. Ted Kennedy and many residents who own coastal property from where they could see the wind turbines on a clear day oppose the project along with some environmental groups concerned about disrupting the patterns of migratory birds and the potential effect on local sea life.

The project's supporters, who include other environmental groups, meanwhile claim it would provide renewable energy, improve air quality, lower electricity costs and increase the reliability of the power grid.

Although the wind farm would be located in federal waters, the transmission lines connecting the project to the grid crosses land controlled by state and local authorities.

The Commission said it did not have enough information to make a decision. Local papers said Cape Wind could offer to provide more information to the Commission or appeal to the state to override the local authorities, or both.

"The Commission's denial based, not on the merits but, on claims that Cape Wind provided insufficient information does not square with the record," Jim Gordon, president of Cape Wind, said in a release.

CAPE WIND HISTORY

Energy Management Inc, of Boston, the developer of Cape Wind, proposed in 2001 to build the offshore wind farm, on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound.

At that time, Energy Management hoped the project, expected to cost more than $500 million, would start generating electricity in 2004.

The project consists of 130 General Electric Co 3.6 megawatt wind turbines, capable of generating over 400 MW, which is enough to supply about three-quarters of the electricity needs of Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

The turbines, located more than 5 miles away from the Cape Cod coast, will stand about 440 feet from the surface of the water to the tip of the blade.

Due in part to an increase in global demand for steel and wind turbines, Cape Wind now expects the project to cost about $1 billion and the permitting process to continue through 2008 or beyond.

The lead federal agency needed to approve the project is the Minerals Management Service, a bureau in the U.S. Department of the Interior. MMS manages the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf.

MMS has said it expects to issue a draft report on the project later this autumn.

If approved, it would take Cape Wind about 18 months to construct the wind farm.