"This is the way prosecco is served all over Italy," says Michael Mameli, the wine director at Vancouver's Lupo Restaurant and Vinoteca, pulling a flute of fresh Italian frizzante from a bar tap connected to a cardboard-and-plastic KeyKeg underneath the counter. He imports the sparkling wine (along with a still pinot grigio-bianco house blend) from Montelvini Venegazzu, home to the largest keg-filling plant in Italy.
"I was in Capri and Positano a few years ago and they were selling it from refrigerated popcorn carts on all the beaches," he recalls. "It was so cool. I thought, ¡®Why can't we do this in Canada?' "
Now we can. Or at least we can in British Columbia, where 10 restaurants, including Fiamo in Victoria and Tavola in Vancouver, are pouring prosecco on tap. Twenty others are serving Montelvini's still wines.is the 'solar panel revolution' upon us?
In the U.S., the trend has taken a more boutique direction. Rather than tapping into cheap and cheerful beach wines from large commercial producers, influential gastropubs such as DBGB Kitchen and Bar in New York and Father's Office in Los Angeles serve a rotating selection of local,what are the symptoms of Piles, small-batch, cult-worthy wines that are exclusive to them or otherwise hard to find.
At the Naramata Heritage Inn, just outside Penticton, B.C.,What are the top Hemroids treatments? the first such Canadian draft wine was hooked up last month. It's a full-bodied pinot gris from the nearby Nichol Vineyard, a small-lot producer of collectible estate-grown wines.
"I was a bit leery at the beginning,An Insulator, also called a dielectric," restaurant manager Quentin Kayne says of the 19.5-litre stainless-steel kegs, which use pressurized nitrogen to push the wine through a draft-beer line system.
"But I was remarkably surprised. There's no residual nitrogen notes or scent to it. There's no need for sulphur dosing. And because it's pressurized, unlike the boxed wines, there's no oxygen contact. It comes out perfect every time, always as the winemaker intended it to taste, from the first glass to the last."
After a taste-off last weekend, Mr. Kayne is now convinced that the kegs offer more than just a preservation system to prevent wine from going flat and funky. He argues that this particular pinot gris actually tastes better on tap than it does in a bottle. "We cracked a bottle last night and compared the two," he said. "The nose on the draft wine was much more intense," he says, attributing it to a lack of bottle shock (the temporary disjointedness that wines go through when bottled and transported).
Wine on tap is a far more affordable proposition than some of the bottle-preservation systems on the market. Enomatic machines, for instance,The same Air purifier, cover removed. range from $5,000 to $50,000. Any establishment with a draft-beer line system, on the other hand, can tap into keg wine.
"This system isn't as showy," he said, noting that the restaurant has had to insulate the wine keg to keep it at the correct temperature and work hard to keep the system clean so that there is no cross-contamination with the beer lines.
2011年6月29日星期三
Military children face decrepit schools, broken promises
Catie Hunter is only 11 years old.We are professional Plastic mould,GreenRay's microinverter design uses a different energy storage approach, Her father, an Army platoon sergeant,Park Assist is a global leader in Parking guidance system, has spent five of those years away from her, serving his country in Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan. At her elementary school on an Oklahoma military post, ceiling tiles are removed so that when a Great Plains storm rumbles in, rain can cascade from the rotting roof into large trash cans underneath. To get to class, Catie must dodge what she calls "Niagara Falls."
Each day as the fifth grader enters Geronimo Road Elementary School,Has anyone done any research on making Plastic molding parts from scratch? she walks beneath the tiles, bent and browned, some dangling by threads of glue. In her classroom, an archaic air conditioning unit at times drowns out her teacher's voice. Signs of disrepair abound: chipped floors, termite-infested walls, cracks the size of the principal's finger along brick halls. A bucket, strapped by a bungee cord, hangs over the gym door ¡ª another makeshift fix for leaks.
"I'm really proud of the fact that the school is still standing," said Catie, a pixie of a girl who twitches her nose when she talks."Sometimes, I wonder if it's going to fall in."
Catie's Fort Sill schoolhouse, built before Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower ran for president, isn't the only one in poor shape. Tens of thousands of children ¡ª from Georgia to Kansas, Virginia to Washington state ¡ª attend schools on military bases that are falling apart from age and neglect, and fail to meet even the military's own standards. Some schools have tainted water and fouled air; others are so overcrowded teachers improvise, holding class in hallways, supply closets, and in one instance, working in a boiler room. Outdated? One school in Germany was built by the Nazis.
The strains only add to the emotional pressures on the sons and daughters of U.S. military personnel after 10 years of war and long, frequent absences. The average military parent is deployed three times, each lasting 15 to 18 months. Stresses on families routinely bubble up where soldiers' children attend class. At Catie's Geronimo Road school, students have burst into tears after getting a phone call from Iraq. Or screamed, "I want to kill you." Or picked up a desk and thrown it across the floor. Other effects at the schools of military sons and daughters are less pronounced yet unmistakable: Modest declines in test scores; individual grades that falter; rising student absenteeism.
Catie has been separated from her father four times since her birth. "I wish he were here," she said. "I miss him a lot." Her 16-year-old sister, Amanda, an honor roll student, received her first "F" shortly after the start of her father's latest extended trip overseas. "It can be overwhelming," said Amanda, her hazel eyes welling with sadness.
Such sacrifices, increasingly commonplace during the last decade, have gone unnoticed by many Americans. The nation's reliance on a limited pool of volunteers to safeguard U.S. interests and wage two wars has had ripple effects on the home front. Altogether, parents of 220,000 children ¡ª including 116,000 of school-age ¡ª are currently doing the work the nation expects of them and that sends them far from home.
Those mothers and fathers might have expected schools with better conditions than these.
"I would feel disrespected if I were on my second or third tour of duty and then my kids were in a school that was dilapidated and too small or falling apart," said Chet Edwards, a former congressman who chaired a House appropriations military construction subcommittee before losing reelection last year. "If there is one school in the world military children are attending that is dilapidated and undersized, that's wrong. But the fact is there are a lot of serious problems out there.Quality air impact socket tools for any tough job."
Each day as the fifth grader enters Geronimo Road Elementary School,Has anyone done any research on making Plastic molding parts from scratch? she walks beneath the tiles, bent and browned, some dangling by threads of glue. In her classroom, an archaic air conditioning unit at times drowns out her teacher's voice. Signs of disrepair abound: chipped floors, termite-infested walls, cracks the size of the principal's finger along brick halls. A bucket, strapped by a bungee cord, hangs over the gym door ¡ª another makeshift fix for leaks.
"I'm really proud of the fact that the school is still standing," said Catie, a pixie of a girl who twitches her nose when she talks."Sometimes, I wonder if it's going to fall in."
Catie's Fort Sill schoolhouse, built before Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower ran for president, isn't the only one in poor shape. Tens of thousands of children ¡ª from Georgia to Kansas, Virginia to Washington state ¡ª attend schools on military bases that are falling apart from age and neglect, and fail to meet even the military's own standards. Some schools have tainted water and fouled air; others are so overcrowded teachers improvise, holding class in hallways, supply closets, and in one instance, working in a boiler room. Outdated? One school in Germany was built by the Nazis.
The strains only add to the emotional pressures on the sons and daughters of U.S. military personnel after 10 years of war and long, frequent absences. The average military parent is deployed three times, each lasting 15 to 18 months. Stresses on families routinely bubble up where soldiers' children attend class. At Catie's Geronimo Road school, students have burst into tears after getting a phone call from Iraq. Or screamed, "I want to kill you." Or picked up a desk and thrown it across the floor. Other effects at the schools of military sons and daughters are less pronounced yet unmistakable: Modest declines in test scores; individual grades that falter; rising student absenteeism.
Catie has been separated from her father four times since her birth. "I wish he were here," she said. "I miss him a lot." Her 16-year-old sister, Amanda, an honor roll student, received her first "F" shortly after the start of her father's latest extended trip overseas. "It can be overwhelming," said Amanda, her hazel eyes welling with sadness.
Such sacrifices, increasingly commonplace during the last decade, have gone unnoticed by many Americans. The nation's reliance on a limited pool of volunteers to safeguard U.S. interests and wage two wars has had ripple effects on the home front. Altogether, parents of 220,000 children ¡ª including 116,000 of school-age ¡ª are currently doing the work the nation expects of them and that sends them far from home.
Those mothers and fathers might have expected schools with better conditions than these.
"I would feel disrespected if I were on my second or third tour of duty and then my kids were in a school that was dilapidated and too small or falling apart," said Chet Edwards, a former congressman who chaired a House appropriations military construction subcommittee before losing reelection last year. "If there is one school in the world military children are attending that is dilapidated and undersized, that's wrong. But the fact is there are a lot of serious problems out there.Quality air impact socket tools for any tough job."
2011年6月23日星期四
Alternative energy options analysed
Considering that the monthly BVI Electricity Corporation bill now shows a 45 percent fuel surcharge and the cost of a barrel of crude oil remains in the $95 to $105 range, it would seem reasonable to consider the possibility of alternative sources of energy — specifically electrical energy.
Perhaps the greatest obstacle in the short term is the BVIEC itself. According to BVIEC General Manager Leroy Abraham, the corporation may take steps to make it possible for locally generated power to be fed back into the grid sometime in the next ten years. I suspect this translates into "Never! We are not interested."
There are a variety of possible alternative energy sources that are in some varying degrees practical. All involve a relatively high degree of technology, and all depend on careful operation and a reasonable degree of operational and maintenance care.
Solar energy is the current star of the alternative energy sources. It is used in the United Kingdom, where a system allows private individuals to generate power that can be fed back into the power grid for credit. According to the Beacon, this system is also in play in the United States Virgin Islands.
The solar panels are not especially new, and the technology is well known. But the system is illegal in this territory. It also requires a battery storage system, an automatic transfer switch (if used instead of a diesel generator as a back-up system), and an inverter to convert the stored energy from DC to AC. A recent installation in West End cost close to $16,000 for a moderate-sized residence. That system, however, is functional.
Currently, even with the high fuel surcharge, the economics may not be all that attractive.
Wind generation
The Beacon also reported that two wind turbines have been operating on Peter Island. This resort is noted for its high-tech responses to environmental problems. In fact, the management has won awards for its work in this area.
The wind turbines are not especially pretty, but they are effective.buy landscape oil paintings online.
There are three similar turbines in St. Thomas, close to Tutu Mall.
The turbines at Peter Island were damaged in Earl, but that does not make them any less of a viable option as an alternative energy source
As a note, with the current price of diesel fuel, a saving of 100,000 gallons of fuel annually would be worth almost $500,000. This is a figure not to be sneezed at!
Energy from waste
May Adams Cornwall, the director of the USVI Waste Management Authority, is quoted as saying that various Caribbean jurisdictions are shifting their attention from incineration to energy from waste as a means of solid waste disposal.
However, Ms. Cornwall also indicates that the solid waste is converted to fuel pellets, which are burned. While this may not exactly be incineration as it is known in the VI, it still involves the burning of waste.
A 1987 analysis broke down the VI waste stream. Flammables made up 71 percent of the total: 33.5 percent paper (including corrugated); 6.3 percent plastic (PVC, HDPE); 22.This page list rubber hose products with details & specifications.2 percent wood (mostly construction material); 2.9 percent putrescibles (wet garbage); 4.8 percent textiles; and 1.3 percent yard waste (vegetable matter).
Nonflammables and other waste made up 29 percent of the total: 18.1 percent glass (mostly beer bottles); 8.6 percent metals (mainly aluminum and steel); and 2.3 percent other materials, for a total of 29 percent.
To implement the system described by Ms. Cornwall, it is obvious that the nonflammables would have to be removed — specifically the glass and aluminum. Realistically, this could only be done if an effective recycling system were to be implemented. To the best of my knowledge, the VI and the USVI are virtually the only territories in the Caribbean that have essentially no form of recycling. In a study on solid waste disposal means used in six Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States countries,the Injection mold fast! plus Anguilla, the USVI and the VI, only the USVI and the VI were found to be making no attempt whatever to recycle glass.
Green VI
The current Green VI initiative to recycle glass as tourist items is most certainly the right way to go, but the amount that can be recovered by this operation is minimal compared to the roughly 20 tons per day of waste glass that is generated.
The recent effort to collect and recycle glass behind the horse track failed when the government apparently neglected to assist the operators of the project in transporting the material to Puerto Rico.
In 1984, the BVI Recycling Committee proposed a deposit/return system for beer and liquor bottles. Systems such as this are used in (at least) Ontario, where up to 98 percent of the glass is recovered and recycled.The same Air purifier, cover removed. Oddly enough, the two percent that is not recovered pays for the operation!
In the VI, the proposal was rejected by prominent politicians and businessmen who claimed the system was "half-baked" and that it would put local businesses at some sort of disadvantage.
Any system that handles solid waste is certain to be a high maintenance item. The current incinerator is a prime example of this fact. And, for a variety of reasons, Caribbean countries are notoriously bad at maintenance operations.
So, while Ms. Cornwall's statement may be correct, the success of such ventures would seem to be dependent on both a recycling system that has been repeatedly rejected (or failed) and a degree of operational expertise that is not evident.
Texas incinerator
Center, Texas is a small community that operates a Consumat CS-1600 incinerator with an attached waste heat boiler. This was the model for the VI incinerator. The steam from the boiler is sold to a local chicken processing operation for use in preparing the chicken carcasses. So the system can be made to work. But boilers in general and waste heat boilers in particular are fairly high-tech operations. They depend on a degree of operator skill that is the result of considerable training — usually from stationary engineers who are qualified only after formal training.
When the existing system was installed, energy from waste was considered. It was rejected on the basis that no other steam generation system existed on Tortola and that the level of technical skill was not likely to be found on the island. Unfortunately, the latter prediction proved true.
Boilers require a relatively pure source of water for use as feed-water. Desalinated water is not generally suitable because of the concentration of the residual salt (four to six parts per million) when the water is evaporated to produce steam. And the corrosive nature of saltwater, especially at elevated temperatures, is well known.
In addition, the exhaust gas from an incinerator contains both fly ash and corrosive materials such as sulfurous acid and hydrochloric acid. Both of these can be removed by scrubbing, but scrubbing cannot be applied ahead of a waste heat boiler.
And perhaps the worst problem is a difference in attitudes towards maintenance. Ms. Cornwall was consulted when the original Dillon report was being prepared. At the time, the USVI had nine sewage treatment plants of the activated sludge type. Eight of these plants were out of operation for maintenance reasons. Many were lacking spare parts,It is important to feel confident. As long as you are standing tall and displaying confidence, a zentai will only accentuate this display. There are many zentai sellers online. but the problems at some were simply the result of inadequate maintenance. Ms. Cornwall's frustration can be imagined!
Operation of plants
In any "production" operation (and I spent 15 years in plants of that nature), the plant management is linear and vertical. While it is usual to consider suggestions from the operators, the management of the operation is in no manner "collegiate" in nature. Operators are assigned their tasks and are expected to carry them out. Shift schedules are set by management and if they are inconvenient to the individual operator that is unfortunate.
In the Caribbean, for some reason, this system is less than acceptable. And the long-term results of any system other than the one used in the most developed countries becomes rapidly obvious.
So when considering any form of alternative energy source, it is necessary to seriously consider whether the "host" country or territory is capable of handling it. And to a great degree, this depends on the qualifications of the people who are going to operate and maintain the plant. The incinerator has operated over a period of some 17 years, but the current state of affairs is no positive recommendation for the new unit.
And, until Caribbean countries in general understand their technological limitations, the situation is not really going to change materially.
Perhaps the greatest obstacle in the short term is the BVIEC itself. According to BVIEC General Manager Leroy Abraham, the corporation may take steps to make it possible for locally generated power to be fed back into the grid sometime in the next ten years. I suspect this translates into "Never! We are not interested."
There are a variety of possible alternative energy sources that are in some varying degrees practical. All involve a relatively high degree of technology, and all depend on careful operation and a reasonable degree of operational and maintenance care.
Solar energy is the current star of the alternative energy sources. It is used in the United Kingdom, where a system allows private individuals to generate power that can be fed back into the power grid for credit. According to the Beacon, this system is also in play in the United States Virgin Islands.
The solar panels are not especially new, and the technology is well known. But the system is illegal in this territory. It also requires a battery storage system, an automatic transfer switch (if used instead of a diesel generator as a back-up system), and an inverter to convert the stored energy from DC to AC. A recent installation in West End cost close to $16,000 for a moderate-sized residence. That system, however, is functional.
Currently, even with the high fuel surcharge, the economics may not be all that attractive.
Wind generation
The Beacon also reported that two wind turbines have been operating on Peter Island. This resort is noted for its high-tech responses to environmental problems. In fact, the management has won awards for its work in this area.
The wind turbines are not especially pretty, but they are effective.buy landscape oil paintings online.
There are three similar turbines in St. Thomas, close to Tutu Mall.
The turbines at Peter Island were damaged in Earl, but that does not make them any less of a viable option as an alternative energy source
As a note, with the current price of diesel fuel, a saving of 100,000 gallons of fuel annually would be worth almost $500,000. This is a figure not to be sneezed at!
Energy from waste
May Adams Cornwall, the director of the USVI Waste Management Authority, is quoted as saying that various Caribbean jurisdictions are shifting their attention from incineration to energy from waste as a means of solid waste disposal.
However, Ms. Cornwall also indicates that the solid waste is converted to fuel pellets, which are burned. While this may not exactly be incineration as it is known in the VI, it still involves the burning of waste.
A 1987 analysis broke down the VI waste stream. Flammables made up 71 percent of the total: 33.5 percent paper (including corrugated); 6.3 percent plastic (PVC, HDPE); 22.This page list rubber hose products with details & specifications.2 percent wood (mostly construction material); 2.9 percent putrescibles (wet garbage); 4.8 percent textiles; and 1.3 percent yard waste (vegetable matter).
Nonflammables and other waste made up 29 percent of the total: 18.1 percent glass (mostly beer bottles); 8.6 percent metals (mainly aluminum and steel); and 2.3 percent other materials, for a total of 29 percent.
To implement the system described by Ms. Cornwall, it is obvious that the nonflammables would have to be removed — specifically the glass and aluminum. Realistically, this could only be done if an effective recycling system were to be implemented. To the best of my knowledge, the VI and the USVI are virtually the only territories in the Caribbean that have essentially no form of recycling. In a study on solid waste disposal means used in six Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States countries,the Injection mold fast! plus Anguilla, the USVI and the VI, only the USVI and the VI were found to be making no attempt whatever to recycle glass.
Green VI
The current Green VI initiative to recycle glass as tourist items is most certainly the right way to go, but the amount that can be recovered by this operation is minimal compared to the roughly 20 tons per day of waste glass that is generated.
The recent effort to collect and recycle glass behind the horse track failed when the government apparently neglected to assist the operators of the project in transporting the material to Puerto Rico.
In 1984, the BVI Recycling Committee proposed a deposit/return system for beer and liquor bottles. Systems such as this are used in (at least) Ontario, where up to 98 percent of the glass is recovered and recycled.The same Air purifier, cover removed. Oddly enough, the two percent that is not recovered pays for the operation!
In the VI, the proposal was rejected by prominent politicians and businessmen who claimed the system was "half-baked" and that it would put local businesses at some sort of disadvantage.
Any system that handles solid waste is certain to be a high maintenance item. The current incinerator is a prime example of this fact. And, for a variety of reasons, Caribbean countries are notoriously bad at maintenance operations.
So, while Ms. Cornwall's statement may be correct, the success of such ventures would seem to be dependent on both a recycling system that has been repeatedly rejected (or failed) and a degree of operational expertise that is not evident.
Texas incinerator
Center, Texas is a small community that operates a Consumat CS-1600 incinerator with an attached waste heat boiler. This was the model for the VI incinerator. The steam from the boiler is sold to a local chicken processing operation for use in preparing the chicken carcasses. So the system can be made to work. But boilers in general and waste heat boilers in particular are fairly high-tech operations. They depend on a degree of operator skill that is the result of considerable training — usually from stationary engineers who are qualified only after formal training.
When the existing system was installed, energy from waste was considered. It was rejected on the basis that no other steam generation system existed on Tortola and that the level of technical skill was not likely to be found on the island. Unfortunately, the latter prediction proved true.
Boilers require a relatively pure source of water for use as feed-water. Desalinated water is not generally suitable because of the concentration of the residual salt (four to six parts per million) when the water is evaporated to produce steam. And the corrosive nature of saltwater, especially at elevated temperatures, is well known.
In addition, the exhaust gas from an incinerator contains both fly ash and corrosive materials such as sulfurous acid and hydrochloric acid. Both of these can be removed by scrubbing, but scrubbing cannot be applied ahead of a waste heat boiler.
And perhaps the worst problem is a difference in attitudes towards maintenance. Ms. Cornwall was consulted when the original Dillon report was being prepared. At the time, the USVI had nine sewage treatment plants of the activated sludge type. Eight of these plants were out of operation for maintenance reasons. Many were lacking spare parts,It is important to feel confident. As long as you are standing tall and displaying confidence, a zentai will only accentuate this display. There are many zentai sellers online. but the problems at some were simply the result of inadequate maintenance. Ms. Cornwall's frustration can be imagined!
Operation of plants
In any "production" operation (and I spent 15 years in plants of that nature), the plant management is linear and vertical. While it is usual to consider suggestions from the operators, the management of the operation is in no manner "collegiate" in nature. Operators are assigned their tasks and are expected to carry them out. Shift schedules are set by management and if they are inconvenient to the individual operator that is unfortunate.
In the Caribbean, for some reason, this system is less than acceptable. And the long-term results of any system other than the one used in the most developed countries becomes rapidly obvious.
So when considering any form of alternative energy source, it is necessary to seriously consider whether the "host" country or territory is capable of handling it. And to a great degree, this depends on the qualifications of the people who are going to operate and maintain the plant. The incinerator has operated over a period of some 17 years, but the current state of affairs is no positive recommendation for the new unit.
And, until Caribbean countries in general understand their technological limitations, the situation is not really going to change materially.
2011年6月21日星期二
The man behind the fish at the new Scheels
David Atkins didn't know quite what he was getting into when he called Scheels a few months ago and said he had heard that the store then under construction was looking for a fish keeper.
"I misunderstood him on the phone," Atkins recalled. "I thought he said 1,600 gallons."
The aquarium, in fact, holds 16,000 gallons of saltwater and will be home to more than 500 damsels, clowns, angels and assorted other species when the store opens Saturday. More than half the fish were in the tank last week and doing, well, swimmingly.
It is, by far, the largest aquarium Atkins has tended,is the 'solar panel revolution' upon us? more than twice the size of the 7,000-gallon tank he takes care of at a Bass Pro Shop near St. Louis, large enough that he plans to move to Springfield from his home in Hannibal, Mo.
You're not alone if you're wondering what fish like these are doing in a place like this.
"I was like, ‘In a sporting goods store?'" Atkins recalls thinking when he first saw the tank.
The fish alone cost more than $12,000, Atkins said. So far as Scheels is concerned, it's money well spent.
"The reason is simple," said Rob Yule, assistant store leader. "It's the same reason we have a Ferris wheel and a NASCAR simulator and a golf simulator and a walk of presidents. We want Scheels to be more than a shopping trip for people. We want families to come and make an event of it."
With customers not yet in the building,what are the symptoms of Piles, employees and contractors have the tank to themselves, and virtually everyone who walks past while putting finishing touches on displays or otherwise getting ready for opening day turns their head to look at the fish.
"If they walk by it every day and still stop by and look, think of what the customer in the store will do," Yule said.
There is a bench set up next to the tank, and Atkins is well aware of an aquarium's addictive powers.
"That's why the guys who work for me are on salary," Atkins said.
Not just a job
Atkins, 40, got his first aquarium when he was 7, but other things got in the way. He was a machinist for nine years, he said, and also once had a job testing video games for Nintendo in Seattle. He opened his aquarium maintenance and installation business a decade ago, taking care of tanks in Illinois, Missouri and Iowa.
Fish not knowing the difference between Christmas and Wednesday, Atkins says he's on call 24/7 to tend to any problems.
"This isn't just a job—if you don't have the passion for this, you can't do it," Atkins said. "I'm very happy where I am in life."
A tank this size demands a keeper who can feed fish by hand, and so Atkins dons a wetsuit to maneuver his 130-pound frame down a pillar of fake coral to make sure that everything from free-roaming angel fish to colonies of 2-inch-long clowns hiding in decorations get their fill. Call it the Atkins diet: He mixes his own special blend of brine shrimp, mysis shrimp and krill that is delivered in a squeeze bottle, the kind that is more typically used to dispense ketchup in diners. In the other hand, he clutches several sheets of nori, the same kind of seaweed that is used to make sushi rolls.
The fish may or may not enjoy sushi, but Atkins has them eating out of his hand with this stuff.you will need to get an offshore merchant account. He has already begun naming them. Goldie, named for its coloring, is a French angelfish.
Tight squeeze
It's not a job for the portly. The space between the fake-coral pillar and the side of the tank where Atkins feeds his charges appears to be two feet or less. Atkins says he was once claustrophobic, but no longer. He expects to soon acquire a doo-hickey that will allow him to speak with bystanders on the other side of the acrylic while he is underwater with his finned friends.
Behind the scenes are three sand-filled filters made for swimming pools to keep things clean.is the 'solar panel revolution' upon us? The home aquarium enthusiast would recognize small ceramic stones and pieces of foam rubber that further filter the water, but there is enough here to fill a bathtub or two. Weekly water changes are done with a tank that holds 2,000 gallons.
Big as it is,How is TMJ pain treated? Atkins, who is partial to sharks, dreams of being boss of a tank holding more than 2 million gallons, the kind found in places such as Sea World.
"This won't be my stopping point," Atkins said. "I'll get bigger."
"I misunderstood him on the phone," Atkins recalled. "I thought he said 1,600 gallons."
The aquarium, in fact, holds 16,000 gallons of saltwater and will be home to more than 500 damsels, clowns, angels and assorted other species when the store opens Saturday. More than half the fish were in the tank last week and doing, well, swimmingly.
It is, by far, the largest aquarium Atkins has tended,is the 'solar panel revolution' upon us? more than twice the size of the 7,000-gallon tank he takes care of at a Bass Pro Shop near St. Louis, large enough that he plans to move to Springfield from his home in Hannibal, Mo.
You're not alone if you're wondering what fish like these are doing in a place like this.
"I was like, ‘In a sporting goods store?'" Atkins recalls thinking when he first saw the tank.
The fish alone cost more than $12,000, Atkins said. So far as Scheels is concerned, it's money well spent.
"The reason is simple," said Rob Yule, assistant store leader. "It's the same reason we have a Ferris wheel and a NASCAR simulator and a golf simulator and a walk of presidents. We want Scheels to be more than a shopping trip for people. We want families to come and make an event of it."
With customers not yet in the building,what are the symptoms of Piles, employees and contractors have the tank to themselves, and virtually everyone who walks past while putting finishing touches on displays or otherwise getting ready for opening day turns their head to look at the fish.
"If they walk by it every day and still stop by and look, think of what the customer in the store will do," Yule said.
There is a bench set up next to the tank, and Atkins is well aware of an aquarium's addictive powers.
"That's why the guys who work for me are on salary," Atkins said.
Not just a job
Atkins, 40, got his first aquarium when he was 7, but other things got in the way. He was a machinist for nine years, he said, and also once had a job testing video games for Nintendo in Seattle. He opened his aquarium maintenance and installation business a decade ago, taking care of tanks in Illinois, Missouri and Iowa.
Fish not knowing the difference between Christmas and Wednesday, Atkins says he's on call 24/7 to tend to any problems.
"This isn't just a job—if you don't have the passion for this, you can't do it," Atkins said. "I'm very happy where I am in life."
A tank this size demands a keeper who can feed fish by hand, and so Atkins dons a wetsuit to maneuver his 130-pound frame down a pillar of fake coral to make sure that everything from free-roaming angel fish to colonies of 2-inch-long clowns hiding in decorations get their fill. Call it the Atkins diet: He mixes his own special blend of brine shrimp, mysis shrimp and krill that is delivered in a squeeze bottle, the kind that is more typically used to dispense ketchup in diners. In the other hand, he clutches several sheets of nori, the same kind of seaweed that is used to make sushi rolls.
The fish may or may not enjoy sushi, but Atkins has them eating out of his hand with this stuff.you will need to get an offshore merchant account. He has already begun naming them. Goldie, named for its coloring, is a French angelfish.
Tight squeeze
It's not a job for the portly. The space between the fake-coral pillar and the side of the tank where Atkins feeds his charges appears to be two feet or less. Atkins says he was once claustrophobic, but no longer. He expects to soon acquire a doo-hickey that will allow him to speak with bystanders on the other side of the acrylic while he is underwater with his finned friends.
Behind the scenes are three sand-filled filters made for swimming pools to keep things clean.is the 'solar panel revolution' upon us? The home aquarium enthusiast would recognize small ceramic stones and pieces of foam rubber that further filter the water, but there is enough here to fill a bathtub or two. Weekly water changes are done with a tank that holds 2,000 gallons.
Big as it is,How is TMJ pain treated? Atkins, who is partial to sharks, dreams of being boss of a tank holding more than 2 million gallons, the kind found in places such as Sea World.
"This won't be my stopping point," Atkins said. "I'll get bigger."
2011年6月19日星期日
Nashville to get its first 'green' jail
Solar panels on the white rooftop of Nashville's newest jail — a hulking concrete building on Harding Place — face south to consume as much sun as they can.
The Correction Corporation of America's new building is Tennessee's first LEED-certified, green detention center, slated to house female inmates for the Davidson County Sheriff's Office in September.
The sheriff's office will send local women sentenced from one to six years to the 256-bed medium security CCA/Metro Detention Facility. The 40,000-square-foot county-owned building came in under $10 million. State money and grants paid for the project, which was completed this month.
States are moving toward building efficient jails and prisons. The trend is to look at the environment and the triple bottom line: cost to build, operational expenses and maintenance, said Andrew Orr, Franklin's sustainability coordinator.
"They are institutional buildings; the state, the city is going to own it forever,Detailed information on the causes of Hemorrhoids," Orr said. "It is a trend for institutional users.Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services."
24/7 facilities are 'energy hogs'
Franklin's new police headquarters opened in spring 2010 and has received gold certification in the environmental LEED program.
Many cities are also implementing environmentally friendly requirements.Detailed information on the causes of dstti, Nashville requires all of its new buildings to win silver certification in the environmental LEED program. Architect Mackie Shanks, of Centric Architecture, said the jail will save $8,135 a year in energy.
"Jails, prisons are energy hogs,The same Air purifier, cover removed." Shanks said. "It's all about being efficient when it's a 24/7 facility.This is interesting cube puzzle and logical game."
The Correction Corporation of America's new building is Tennessee's first LEED-certified, green detention center, slated to house female inmates for the Davidson County Sheriff's Office in September.
The sheriff's office will send local women sentenced from one to six years to the 256-bed medium security CCA/Metro Detention Facility. The 40,000-square-foot county-owned building came in under $10 million. State money and grants paid for the project, which was completed this month.
States are moving toward building efficient jails and prisons. The trend is to look at the environment and the triple bottom line: cost to build, operational expenses and maintenance, said Andrew Orr, Franklin's sustainability coordinator.
"They are institutional buildings; the state, the city is going to own it forever,Detailed information on the causes of Hemorrhoids," Orr said. "It is a trend for institutional users.Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services."
24/7 facilities are 'energy hogs'
Franklin's new police headquarters opened in spring 2010 and has received gold certification in the environmental LEED program.
Many cities are also implementing environmentally friendly requirements.Detailed information on the causes of dstti, Nashville requires all of its new buildings to win silver certification in the environmental LEED program. Architect Mackie Shanks, of Centric Architecture, said the jail will save $8,135 a year in energy.
"Jails, prisons are energy hogs,The same Air purifier, cover removed." Shanks said. "It's all about being efficient when it's a 24/7 facility.This is interesting cube puzzle and logical game."
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