2008-Aug-1 - Round Table to address safety
The ongoing effort by the Jockey Club to examine health and safetyissues for racehorses will be the dominant subject at theorganization's Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining toRacing on Aug. 17 in Saratoga Springs, the Jockey Club said on Wednesday Members of the Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Safety Committee areexpected to present data on racehorse injuries and also issue recommendations for new racing rules designed to improve safetyconditions. The committee was formed early this summer after thedeath of Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby brought widespreadscrutiny to the sport.he committee has already issued recommendations that all statesban toe-grab horseshoes, adopt rules that regulate thead ministration of anabolic steroids, and implement a number of whip-related reforms.Speakers at the Round Table will include Stuart Janney III, thechairman of the committee; Dr. Rick Arthur, the equine medicaldirector of the California Horse Racing Board; Dr. Larry Bramlage,the co-owner of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Kentucky; BillCasner, the owner of WinStar Farm; Alan Foreman, the chiefexecutive of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association; Jim Gagliano,the chief administrative officer of the Jockey Club; David Haydon,the president of InCompass Solutions, a company owned by the JockeyClub; James Hickey, the president of the American Horse Council;Matt Iuliano, vice president of registration services for theJockey Club; and Dr. Mary Scollay, the equine medical director ofthe Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.
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2008-Aug-1 - TV Recap: Project Runway - Season 5 Premiere
Okay, here we are people. This is the beginning of Project Runways 5th and last season on Bravo before it moves to Lifetime. In theinterest of brevity,m not going to name and list all of thecontestants; you can find that Table Cloth hereMost of them arent going to do anything interesting in thisepisode anyway, so well just get to the ones who do. Lets getthis started.So, were about a minute in, and I definitely hate Blayne. Hereshis deal: Hes been designing clothes since he was 16, he writesstuff like Sup Holla on chalkboards and he is addicted totanning. My boyfriend also thinks he is addicted to meth, but thatis entirely speculative.Oh, dear God. So, let us take a minute to talk about Suede. Suedehas actually designed jeans for real designers, such as Jordacheand Todd Oldham. He also talks in the third person, does fingerguns, has a blue Mohawk, owns a sleeveless denim jacket with hisname bedazzled on the back, and is 37 years old. Plus, he goes bythe name Suede. My boyfriend, who is apparently contributing agreat deal to this recap, says that he is this seasons Disco Stu.Disco Stu, as you recall, got his name from trying to bedazzle Disco Stud on the back of a jacket and running out of room. DiscoSuede is going to rock the runway!Guys, Leannes clothing line is really pretty. I would wear most ofwhat they show. She also calls herself the silent fashionassassin. Team Leanne!Its rooftop meeting time at Atlas! Tim and Heidi look lovely, asusual. They have the whole designer meet and greet and nothing toointeresting happens.Early the next morning, Tim shows up to rally everyone for theirfirst challenge. Tim walks his ducklings to the location, whichturns out to be Gristedes, a New York grocery store, which was alsothe location for the first season one challenge. As Tim said,theyve come full circle.Speaking of season 1, Austin Scarlett shows up to tell them abouttheir challenge. Basically, they have to make an outfit usinggrocery store items. They have a budget of $75 and 30 minutes tomake their purchases. They have until midnight to complete theirlook.The designers get back to Parsons, where Tim comes in to tell themthat the winning designer receives immunity. They get started, andm immediately worried. Joes theme is Italian, and it looks asthough he may be gluing pasta to his creation. Come on, Joe, youknow they hate craft projects, and nothing says craft projectlike gluing macaroni to something. standing around, so he goes to himfirst. Blayne introduces Tim to his design, which he calls Girlicious. Tim charitably says that hesnot bored.Tim visits Daniel and looks over his cup dress. Tim tells him he has a wow factor going on, but cautions him that he has a lot ofwork to do. Hes also impressed with Kellis vacuum bag dress, buttells her to think it through and make it look finished.So, uh, Stella chose garbage bags as her fabric. Just garbage bags.It turns out she got the crappy loud, crinkly ones that tear if youlook at them. So she hasnt done anything. She tells Tim she has adilemma, and Tim just shakes his head at her. Because, come on,lady. MAKE IT WORK.Disco Suede makes a dress out of a table cloth and embellishes itwith poop bags. Its a dress made out of a table cloth. Come on,Disco Suede, you can do better than that. Uh, presumably.Korto also made a dress out of a table cloth. Its a nice dress,but its just made out of a freakintable cloth. Come on. Tim isequally unimpressed with Jerrys shower curtain raincoat. Oh, andjust in case you were wondering, Tim is not enjoying Keiths tablecloth either. Tim makes a general announcement and basically callsthem all slackerwhich they are. The day ends with Stella freakingout about her garbage bags and the majority of the designers tryingto desperately cover their table cloths with marshmallows and such.Runway:Emily: Her dress is made out of a table cloth, balloons and abouncy ball. Its a mini dress with a giant collar.Jerell: His dress is a one-shoulder number made out of a lawn chairand cocktail umbrellas. He used a table cloth, but its not veryobvious.Leanne: Her dress was also made out of a table cloth, but shecovered it in marshmallows, meringue cookies and coffee filters tomake a frothy pink party dress.
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2008-Aug-1 - S. Irene Virbila's Rating
Your Review Title Table Cloth The white marble counter top veined in gray is cool to the touch. Itake a sip of Vermentino, enjoying its delicate minerality, andlook over the menu at Osteria Mozza, which might be the hardestreservation in town right now. But for me, the best seat in thehouse has to be one in the middle of the room at the L-shaped"mozzarella bar, " where you can't even make areservation -- it's first come, first servedAnd it's the best perch from which to take in the entire rivetingscene. You'd never find an osteria like this anywhere in Italy.It's more fun, for one thing, very urban and high-spirited.Four-month-old Osteria Mozza, next door to the smaller, more casualPizzeria Mozza, doesn't try to re-create Italy. Instead ofnostalgia, Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali give you something realand direct. And instead of the tried and true, it's a riff onItalian cuisine from two of America's best chefs, with JoeBastianich, son of Lidia, as the third partnerThe mozzarella bar is Silverton's novel take on antipasti:Everything is based on Italian fresh cheeses. She and Batali (whodrops in from New York from time to time) and chef Matt Molina (whoruns the kitchen and worked with Silverton at Campanile) have comeup with some trump cards for the osteria's full menu too.From my perch at the bar, I can see bowls filled with lemons orolives, la mozzarella, and the other ingredients Silverton uses inher meditations on cheese. She's behind the counter most nights,turning out beguiling little dishes. The most interesting peopleare hanging here -- and hanging onto their seats. The idea of aquick bite can easily turn into a couple of hours. It's dangeroussitting here: You get very, very hungry watching her plate thedishes.Every meal here begins with a complimentary stuzzichino, orpick-me-up, a spiral of mozzarella rolled with sweet basil leaves,dried tomato and olives drizzled with sharp, green olive oilSuddenly, I'm craving more cheese, specifically the bufalamozzarella flown in from southern Italy, this one from Basilicata.It's a bulbous packet, tied at the top with string, absolutelysumptuous in its simplicity. This is the real thing, mozzarella sofresh it's practically weeping milk, presented with braised leeksand some fett'unta (oiled bread, or toast) to set it off.
Preening at the doorBETWEEN bites, I'm taking in the crowd, a wild mix of ages andstyles that only a city like L.A. or New York can produce. Comeearly, come late, the place is alive. Just watch the entrance.Everybody wakes up and preens a little the minute they walk in thedoor. And though the place is casual, they're dressed to impress.Parties waiting for a table lurk at the "amaro bar" atthe back, sipping Prosecco or obscure Italian bitters as theysurvey the room, hoping for that quiet(er) table in the corner, orthat deuce not two feet from some famous face.Meanwhile, at the bar, Silverton serves up toast slathered increamy burricotti crowned with braised artichokes, currants, pinenuts and a fragrant mint pesto, incorporating the Arab-influencedflavors of Sicily
For a late-night snack, she's got a scamorza panino with ArmandinoBatali's (Mario's dad's) salame and heat-generating cherry peppers.Or stracciatella, a soft cheese, with fresh, crisp celery,scallions and a refreshing herb salad. I love the mozzarella incarozza, squat rectangles of cheese dressed in anchovies and lemonthen breaded and friedSheep's-milk ricotta is terrific too. Like the mozzarella, it hasto be served absolutely fresh, or it's not worth your while. WhenSilverton gets it in, she might serve a mound of the fragile freshcheese with a little lemon zest and some lightly toasted hazelnuts.Batali, who with Bastianich owns a bevy of restaurants in New York(and a notable one in Las Vegas) weighs in with his own antipasti.Some I recognize from Babbo in New York or B&B in Vegas. Batalihas made his mark with his swashbuckling take on Italian cuisine.The big guy did time in Emilia Romagna, land of pork, butter andcream, and that region's taste for rich cuisine has its imprint allover his cooking. And his food makes no concessions for our summerweight climate. It's big, bold and brash, with flavors cranked upto the max.Ready for more antipasti? How about crispy pig trotter? It's notwhat you think. The pig has been boned, the luscious chunks of porkformed into a patty and fried to a golden crisp. Served withcicoria (chicory) and a dollop of hard-working mustard, it's richand filling. Fat octopus tentacles charred on the grill tastetender and sweet, served with a straightforward salad of potatoes,celery and lemon.Tripe alla Parmigiana is ribbons of tripe slow-braised in tomatosauce to achieve a wonderful velvety texture that melts in yourmouth. And I can't stay away from the sumptuous grilled figsswaddled in pancetta and served with some wilted dandelion greens.For something on the lighter side, consider the little gem lettucesalad. It's a stunner, perfectly dressed and adorned with littlegobbets of Gorgonzola dolce, toasted hazelnuts, sliced egg justthis side of soft-boiled and fluttery, fried pieces of pancetta.You don't have to go further than the antipasti to realize this isone Italian kitchen using the best ingredients money can buy.The service is a cut above the usual L.A. Italian too. Walk intoOsteria Mozza and you won't have to wonder who's in charge. Generalmanager David Rosoff, formerly of Michael's and Campanile, is ablur as he rushes from dining room to kitchen and back again. He'srunning both the Pizzeria next door and this much bigger spot (witha much more extensive menu), troubleshooting, soothing egos,running interference with the kitchen, and generally running a verytight ship. Almost too tight.Service may be overly efficient with so many waiters, juniorsommeliers and managers patrolling the floor; it can be a littlenervous making. Even so, servers can sometimes seem rushed to takeyour order, and if you don't specifically ask the kitchen to slowit down between courses, for my taste, the food can come out toofast.I want to savor tortellini e brodo, the classic pasta stuffed withprosciutto and cheese with a rich, gold poultry stock poured overthe top. Without the distraction of sauce, you can taste everynuance of the filling. Fresh ricotta and egg raviolo is a singleravioli 4 inches square, the pasta draped over the mounded ricottalike a tablecloth, the whole thing sitting in a moat of very brownsage butter. Cut into it with your fork and the gold egg yolk flowsout, mixing with the cheese and butter, making this a perfect dishwith an exceptional white wine, like the Vermentino we drank thathad just come onto the list.
Farfalle -- big, handmade butterflies with wild spinach, dusky goldchanterelles and walnuts -- looks beautiful on the plate. The pastaitself is delicious, but not as much as it would be if thereweren't so much butter. I have the same criticism of the cacio epepe -- linguine with black pepper and pecorino, though it has muchless butter than it did when the restaurant first opened.
Delectable quaiAFTER all that richness, gnocchi al pomodoro comes as a relief. Whydid I never order this before? The olive-sized gnocchi are light ascan be, served in a delightful, loose tomato sauce with ribbons ofbasil, and ricotta salata shaved over at the table. Spaghetti withclams and pancetta with a really hot, Fresno chile pesto is a realwake-up dish, and one I find myself craving to eat again. Thelineup of primi, which here means pasta, doesn't seem to changemuch from week to week, at least so far.Neither do the main courses. If you favor the quail or the orata,that's a very good thing. Two delectable little quail are bandagedin pancetta, grilled so that they're tender and juicy inside, andserved with braised radicchio, the bitterness mitigated by a touchof honey. The combination is genius. Orata is grilled whole,wrapped in a fig leaf, and when the packet is opened, drizzled witha little excellent olive oil.If you want to take advantage of some of the stellar reds on thefine Italian wine list, though, brasato is your go-to dish. It's asingle, tall slab of beef, a proper cut for braising, with plentyof good beefy texture that flakes like brisket. It comes with ascoop of hearty polenta, the red wine reduction and a gremolata offresh horseradish, a dish from a cook who really understandsbraising.
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2008-Aug-1 - Can I Take Your Order?
.America."s growing population of foodies have gobbled up chef."stales like
Kitchen Confessional Table Cloth by Anthony Bourdain and scores of books and TV shows about thekitchens of Mario Batali, Jacques Pepin, Alice Waters and others.But what about the tales from the front of the house? A man knownonly as .SThe Waiter. has been chronicling the turning tables ata white tablecloth New York restaurant he refers to as .STheBistro.. He."s been writing about his escapades on the Waiter Rant Blogsince 2004. And now his blog is a book: Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip -- Confessions of a Cynical WaiterThe anonymous waiter revealed his identity in
The New York Postyesterday morning. His name is Steve Dublanica, and he joins us on Word of Mouthto talk about his work..We'll also here the story of Jackie, a waitress at Dysart's Truck Stop in Bangor, Maine. The truckers who stop at the restaurant loveJackie, who's served them for decades. But after 26 years in thebusiness, Jackie decided it was time to retire. This piece wasproduced Sara Paul for the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies..(Photo by shoothead)
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2008-Aug-1 - Steve Dublanica, Author of aiter Rant,?Cannot Confirm or Deny
How many of the details did you change?When I wrote my blog, I didn’t want to get fired, so I madequite a few changes. Say a big, fat bald man came in complainingabout some nonsense. I might say it was a thin yuppie guy in aturtleneck, while keeping what the man said and his behavior Table Cloth.How many of the 50 signs that you’re working in a badrestaurant have you personally experienced?.All of them.So you’ve seen a porn screen saver on a POS computer?I should take that back; that was hyperbole. But I haveseen a waiter surfing porn on the POS. I was like, “If acustomer sees you doing that, we’re destroyed.”Most of the book deals with your own interactions with customers.What’s the most outlandish thing you saw otherservers do?We had a very rotund woman eating. The waitress one ofthese slim, pretty, vegan types — was physically nauseated bythe presence of this overweight woman. She came up to me and said,“The woman wants dessert. I don’t think I should giveher dessert.” She equated it to giving a pregnant womanalcohol. I had one waiter who broke up with a girl, and her newboyfriend came with her to the restaurant and the server wasgetting in the guy’s face and they had a yelling match in theback. I had to separate them.During the course of the book you go from being a waiter who hatesyour manager to being a manger who is hated by your waiters.That’s karma. I think the system is broken: It turns us intomonsters. My situation wasn’t unique. I waited my own tables,but I was also the supervisor. The bulk of my money still came fromtips. Most of the money I made an hour, as a manager, went to myhealth insurance, which cost me $450 a month. That led to someconfusion and resentment because people would say,“You’re the manager; you shouldn’t be takingtables.” I’d say, “If I don’t take tables,I won't be able to pay my rent.”You outline the many types of tippers — the “verbaltipper,” for instance, who praises your service, but thenonly tips you 8 percent — but you don’t discuss race,like so many waiter blogs do. Did you think of going there?I was looking at statistics and studies. They sounded verypatronizing: They said a lot of African-Americans tip less thantheir Caucasian counterparts because they’re not exposed towhite-tablecloth dining at the same levels. I read that, andsomething in it was making me go, “Uh, there’ssomething wrong with how that study was set up.” When Istarted, people said, “Black people are not going to tip.Chinese aren’t going to tip.” But what I noticed isthat there are far fewer African-Americans going out to eat inwhite-tablecloth restaurants than Caucasians. The ones who haveshafted me for nine years are Anglo-Saxon men.Did you ever resent fellow waiters because they were better atextracting tips?I had a waiter who was physically stunning. She went into medicalsales. She was enthusiastic, and she was that rare waitress thatcould seduce men but not alienate women (some women might get testyin that situation). She would always walk out with the most money.I was jealous of that, but in order to get the gift I’d haveto go through significant reconstructive surgery.How close did you come to being discovered?I’ve had people e-mail me with the exact location of therestaurant. I would go, “I cannot confirm or deny.”There was someone on Grub Street, a waiter named Cody and everyone thought I was him.Why do you call the Food Network the “Death Star of Americancooking”?They are the PR arm of the food industry. People watch it and havea much more educated palate. That’s great, but the problem isthe expectations have gotten too high. They think every singlething they’re eating has to be sexy or amazing. I mean,it’s okay to have a peanut-butter sandwich! People watch theFood Network, and they assume they know what’s going on in arestaurant. I worked in the restaurant industry for nine years, andI’d never claim to be an authority on restaurants!And you say that that has led to more “foodie speak” or“the seductive language of Big-Food Media.”Foodies are like the guy who learned one karate lesson and thinkshe can kick everyone’s ass. Foodie speak is basicallydescribing the same thing in a million different ways to make itmore appetizing. A peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich becomes,“This is a Jimmy Carter Ranch limited-edition peanut butterbaked by Trappist monks.” Or they throw in“local” — like, “We have localgreens.” In New York City? Did you grow these in your closet?You mention briefly that your restaurant job put a strain on yourrelationships, but you never really explored that.I was not in a relationship when I wrote the book. Sure enough,after I finished the book, I met someone.Was it the woman who slipped you her number in one of the lastchapters?No. Rachel was a lovely dinner and nothing more. I met someone elsewho oddly enough I used to work with at the bistro eight years ago.I used to e-mail her snippets of the book and ask her to check mysense of reality: “Am I overreacting?” She was like,“Oh, no. I was there..RelatedExclusive: The Restaurant in ‘Waiter Rant’ Is Revealed
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2008-Aug-1 - The Holiday Edition
Here at Tablecloth Cape Studios we strive to stay ahead of thecompetition. Table ClothWhile other news outlets blather on about sunscreen,we."re going to stuff stale bread up a turkey."s chute and callit the .SHoliday Edition.. Ready? Doesn."t matter. First, you."re going to need some bread. So, get your tableclothcape on nice and tight, and for headgear, I like to go with theclassic 1960s TV series Batman cowl, the blue-gray fabric one. Someof our readers prefer the sleek style of a Lone Ranger eye mask.Your choice in the matter is personal and I don."t care, nor do Iwant to hear about it. Got your costume on? Nobody cares!
.So, to get bread, we."re going to have to go to a neighbor."shouse. Across from me lives Mrs. Gutierrez. She doesn."t speakEnglish, and I."m pretty sure the only bread she has are thoseflat Mexican things made out of corn that taste like crap. Let."sskip her place and go to the marmish lesbian schoolteacher."splace. Marmish lesbian schoolteachers love bread. You can look itup on Wikipedia.Okay, after she answers the door, I."m going to ask if I canborrow a tube of ChapStick. When she goes into the bedroom to gether phone to call the police, I."m going to run into her kitchenand steal her bread. Ready? That."s a rhetorical question.SHi,. I say. .SI."m from across the courtyard. I."m sureyou."ve seen me perched triumphantly on the ladder I keep outfront on which to perch triumphantly..SWhere are your pants?.SNever mind that, kind citizen. What I need is ChapStick, azucchini, and cuticle scissors! Might I borrow those items fromyou?.SKatie, that weirdo is at the door..SI didn."t know you could stable livestock within city limits.Oh, I see. That."s your girlfr. YOU MACED ME!.SYou know you."re not supposed to come on this side of thecourtyard. That."s why there."s a line painted down the middlelike in that episode of The Munsters where Herman and Grandpadivided the house..SI hate you two! I just wanted some bread to do my holidaycooking show!.SGet off the porch before I kick your ass. Again..STune in next week when I . ow, I just tripped on something. Ican."t see..WHAT I WILL AND WON'T WATCH THIS WEEKThursday, July 31
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2008-Aug-1 - Designer shows recycled fashions
by a reception and trunk show.Vintage fun includes a DJ spinning vinyl records. Table Cloth Store owner Jane Myers, who was wearing one of Sandstedt's earlybracelet designs, said she had been a fan of the designer sinceJ.D. Myers opened 15 years ago."Her accessories and smaller pieces have evolved to a fullcollection that's eclectic and fun," Myers said.The free event will feature 28 looks, as well as accessory piecesfor fashion-savvy consumers who want a "green" alternative.Prices range from $5 to $50."There are pieces inspired by the early work of Vivienne Westwoodwith a bit of punk going on," Sandstedt said."Then there is the neo-Victorian look with the darker, heavierfabrics that include some bustling."Another look is the "steampunk" influence, inspired by theindustrial turn-of-the-century movement.The collection also features a kind of 1920s French look, accordingto the designer, who has been creating for 13 years from her studioin the 100-year-old Redlands home she shares with the "love of herlife" - her husband, Carl.I'm using colors that include Wedgewood blue and black, withtartan plaid trims and Victorian lace," she said. "It's a littlemore neutral with softer shades and worn, dusty looks."Sandstedt noted that three of the pieces even incorporate portionsof a Wedgewood tablecloth.She loves forays through flea markets and thrift stores and isparticularly fond of the Long Beach flea market and the IrvineAntique Market, where she forages for treasure - vintage textiles,buttons, buckles and bows."I find inspiration everywhere, and I'm happiest when it movesquickly from my head to my hands," she said.A vintage blouse. A silk scarf. A lacy corset.A deconstructed 1950s lace dress is layered over a reconstructed1980s silk charmeuse.On a bright Tuesday morning in Redlands, four devotees ofSandstedt's line modeled some pieces from her collection inpreparation for Saturday's show.Maria Duffy, who wore a tunic jacket accented with the remnants ofa Wedgewood brocade tablecloth, said it was "so good wearing thisstuff and so good for the environment."I love that these things are recycled and still have a life. Nomatter it's grandmother's tablecloth - it's all connected," saidDuffy, one of seven young women who will model on Saturday."The pieces can be worn by anyone - young and old. They lookcompletely different on different people," said Shaina Turian, whowore an industrial-styled top over recycled linen pants..Christi Bulot of Redlands owns lots of Sandstedt's designs, shesaid."They're fun, because they'rall unique. You'll never see yourselfcoming down the street," she said. "They make you feel special..Bulot modeled a gray satin corseted top trimmed in plaid ribbon anda black lambskin skirt peppered with riveted vintage keys.Clothing transforms the wearer, and the wearer transforms theclothing, Sandstedt said."It is that continuously evolving relationship that, for me, keepsfashion interesting," she added.Model Kenyatta Ross personified "interesting" with her redesignedvintage plaid skirt and a black lambskin vest. Appliqued on theback was "I Believe in Love."Sandstedt does include directions with her fashions: "Wear. Smile.Repeat..Clothes should make you feel good, she said."If they make us feel good, we tend to wear them more often," shesaid. "If they feel right,they make us feel good."
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2008-Aug-1 - Roll it, pat it, mark it with a D(elicious)
"It looks easy to do, but actually, it's not," said Mary Sopcic ofSweet Dreams Organic Bakery & Cafe in Glenview."I give a lot of recipes to people, but they say later that theycan't do it." Table Cloth She can.And it does look easy, at least at first. Mix together flour,water, Canola oil and salt to make the phyllo dough. Knead it andlet it rest.And then Sopcic started the show.She rolled the phyllo out, thinner, thinner, thinner and thenpeeled up two of the corners and flipped it into the air.It stretched and grew on the tips of her fingers until it was abouta yard wide. And then she floated it gently back to the table,where it billowed up and down a little atop the tablecloth, as ifbreathing.On her toes, she darted lightly from one side to the next, givingthe dough a few little tugs from every side.This is what they call dancing around the table," she said.She stopped dancing when the dough stretched over three of theedges.She settled on one side of the table, and spread spoonfuls offilling -- apples, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, brown sugar andlemon -- on the dough, from near the table edge to about a footaway, almost end to end. A few spritzes of melted butter raineddown on the rest of the dough.And then she grabbed the end of the table cloth and gave it alittle flip.A few inches of dough and filling rolled over, pretty as youplease. A perfect sausage. A little more butter, a few more shakesof the tablecloth, and there it was, all rolled up like a cinnamonsnake and ready for the oven."I know I can't do it," said Martha Sutton, executive pastry chefat Sopcic's Sweet Dreams Organic Bakery & Cafe in Glenview.But Sutton didn't grow up in post-World War II Croatia, as Sopcicdid, where such complex desserts were at the center of the culture."Every Christmas, when we wake up in the morning, my mom laid outall the pastries, strudel, cookies, the bread, on the table at theChristmas tree," Sopcic remembered, choking up as the flood ofmemories returned."When we wake up and see everything on the table, we were full ofjoy."Strudel is just one of the bakery's products at 1107 Waukegan Road,but it's an emblematic pastry for Sopcic's establishment, not justfor what it contains, but for what it doesn't.Whenever Sopcic or fellow Sweet Dreams baker Saida Nikolic stretchout some phyllo dough, it has a hole or two (The holes don't show,because everything winds up rolled up like a crisply baked morningnewspaper). The holes form because unlike traditional phyllorecipes, there are no eggs, and so none of those magical proteinbonds are available to keep everything together like glue.Why no eggs? Because vegans patronize the 3-year-old shop Sopcicplans as the Midwest's only certified organic bakery. And vegansdon't eat animal products.Vegans don't have butter in their strudels, either, just a specialmargarine that tastes and performs as butter does.Even so, the vegans miss out, because they have to pass up thebakery's savory ricotta/cream cheese strudel.All the ingredients the bakery uses are organic. Sopcic and Suttonsay it makes no sense to sell organic food -- the right thing, theysay, to sustain quality life -- without doing the right thing inevery corner of the business. So they're using biodegradablecontainers, preparing a composting system and vowing they'll neverpay minimum wage.Everybody starts at $10 an hour, and works up."I'm trying to make something beautiful here, and I hope I dothat," Sopcic said.
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2008-Jul-31 - Smiley solar panels still a burning issue
The Historic Preservation Board and the Colorado HistoricalFoundation support solar panels on historic buildings, but thegroups ask that the panels be situated to minimize the impact, saidRobert McDaniel, a board member with the Historic PreservationBoard.Removing the offending solar panels would be a financial hardshipon the Shaws, so the Historical Foundation has suggested ways tomitigate the negative visual impact. One possibility involvesapplying a light-colored paint to the underbelly of the array thatwould match the sky.But in a May letter to the city, Charles Shaw said he experimentedwith different mitigating solutions, and they didn't work."After looking at the options, what we decided looked the best wasto just leave the panels as they are," he wrote. "All of thescreening options were just as visible as the panels themselves. Inaddition, everything we tried looked like we were trying to coversomething up and had a fake look."Shaw declined to comment Monday for this article.If the Historic Preservation Board denies the Shaws an alterationcertificate, he must remove the offending solar panels or appealthe decision to the City Council. But in the board's 15-yearhistory, only two decisions have been appealed to the City Council,McDaniel said."I would just as soon never see an HPB decision get appealed toCity Council," he said.McDaniel said all of this could have been avoided had the Shawsfollowed procedures for making exterior alterations in a historicdistrict."He's doing his best to circumvent the normal processes, andobviously that makes our lives and our jobs difficult," McDanielsaid.Click here to send an email to the author
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2008-Jul-31 - RFI Signs Australian Distribution Agreement with Suntech
As RFI continue to focus on quality and range, this agreement givesRFI the capability to keep pace with the changes that the renewableenergy sector is experiencing. Scott Magee, Managing Director ofRFI's solar division said "The decision to add Suntech to ourstable of products was a logical step solar panels towards addressing therequirements of our solar resellers and their customers needs. Wehave seen significant interest from commercial and residentialsectors for a complete range of solar PV solutions and the additionof Suntech is a key move in addressing what our customers have beenasking for. Suntech is a world renowned leader in PV modules andtheir suite of product including an architectural design linepositions us well for future applications."About RFI:RF Industries Pty Ltd (RFI) is Australia's largest distributor ofsolar modules and has been supplying Australia with solar electricpower systems for more than 25 years. The company has its'headquarters and national distribution centre in Sydney, andoffices in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide with over 170staff. Please visit http://www.rfi.com.aufor information concerning RF Industries Pty Ltd.About Suntech:Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. is a world leading solar energycompany as measured by both production output and capacity of solarcells and modules. Suntech is passionate about improving theenvironment we live in and dedicated to developing advanced solarsolutions that enable sustainable development. Suntech designs,develops, manufactures, and markets a variety of high quality, costeffective and environmentally friendly solar products for electricpower applications in the residential, commercial, industrial, andpublic utility sectors. Suntech offers one of the broadest rangesof BIPV products under the MSK Solar Design Line(TM). Suntech hassales offices worldwide and is a market share leader in key globalsolar markets. For more information, please visit
http://www.suntech-power.com.Contact:Jason Alford, National Channel Marketing - SolarRF Industries (RFI)Direct: +61 7 3621 9431http://www.rfi.com.au Post Comment:Trackback URL:http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/U3F1YS1Mb3ZlLVByb2YtTG92ZS1TaW5nLVNpbmct
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2008-Jul-31 - UCSD Warming To Sun's Energy Another Campus Building Goes Solar
SHARE THIS:DEL.ICIO.US DIGG STUMBLEUPONThe UC San Diego continues its effort toward generating its ownenergy using green sources such as solar and wind. A major solarproject on a campus parking structure is one of many planned incoming months. KPBS Environmental Reporter Ed Joyce has more A giant crane hoisted dozens of steel-and-concrete tubes, called"solar trees" to the top of the six-level Gilman parkingstructure on the UC San Diego campus.The tubes are designed to hold solar panels.David Weil works for UCSD's sustainability program.He says when the installation is finished, the system will provideshade while generating electricity.Weil:The goal is to try to make our campus as energy efficient as wecan. We're never going to go completely off the grid. We don't wantto necessarily go off the grid. But we do want to generate theenergy, own own, as much as possible and make it as efficient aspossible.He says this project helps get the school closer to its goal ofgetting about 15 percent of its power from their own sources.Weil says the latest installation is cost-free to the universitythrough a partnership with three companies.Weil:We're using third party financing. So that means that the campushas not had to put the money upfront which we don't have.Instead, the university buys power the panels generate throughlong-term contracts with investors.The investors construct, install and maintain the photovoltaicpanels on campus property.San Diego-based Envision Solar designed the solar structures placedon top of the parking area.Founder Bob Noble says the project is one of the company's largest.Noble: Displaying your massive solar project right on the roof of animportant building, you can't do better than that.Borrego Solar of El Cajon is installing the panels.The company's Dave Thompson says solar firms are scrambling tofinish projects before the year ends. That's because a federal rebate for solar installations isscheduled to drop from 30 percent to 10 percent.phompson: So there's a lot of people pushing to get their projects throughand finished by the end of '08.UC San Diego plans to install more solar panel systems on othercampus parking areas and buildings.The school says along with saving on power bills, producing greenenergy reduces the university's use of greenhouse gas-generatingfossil fuels which are linked to global warming and air pollution.Ed Joyce, KPBS News.
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2008-Jul-31 - Solar power project planned for campus
Colorado State University-Pueblo will be using more of the sun'senergy to power the campus through a new solar power projectbelieved to be the largest of its kind on a college campus.Construction will begin soon on a three-acre, 1-plus megawattground-based solar electric power system that will provide energyequal to at least 10 percent of the university's current electricalneeds.The project is expected to be operational by late fall.The solar power system is being built on land on the east side ofthe campus between the Physical Plant and the Rawlings softballfields. The land being used for the project could not easily beused for other purposes.The solar project is being completed through a partnership betweenCSU-Pueblo, BP Solar and Black Hills Energy, formerly Aquila. BPSolar will install and operate the system and the university willpurchase the electricity generated by the project from BP.Black Hills Energy will buy the on-site renewable energy creditsgenerated from the system from BP Solar. Black Hills also isproviding a $200,000 rebate incentive for the installation of thesystem.CSU-Pueblo President Joe Garcia said the project is a greatopportunity for all involved in the agreement.He said the project will "help control the university'sutility costs as prices and usage increase" and promote theuse of sustainable resources.The project also will help Black Hills Energy meet the state'srenewable energy standard, which requires that 5 percent of thecompany's electricity sales be generated from renewable resources.It also will allow BP Solar to bring a major solar project toSouthern Colorado, Garcia said.Mary Shields, a spokeswoman for BP Solar, said the company isexcited about bringing such a large-scale project to Pueblo."The CSU-Pueblo campus is the perfect place to demonstrate theclean, efficient power that solar can provide to communitiesthroughout Colorado and other parts of the U.S."Garcia said the new solar project also will complement all the newbuilding projects on campus.This fall, students will return to campus to a new $11.2 millionstudent recreation center and the Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowland accompanying athletic facilities.The university also broke ground on Monday on a 253-room dormitoryon the northeastern edge of the campus."Because the solar array will be visible from new facilitiesbeing constructed to support our new athletic programs and theplanned development on our eastern campus border, it will serve asa strong statement about the university's commitment to supportingsustainable energy resources," Garcia said.The new project is the second solar panel system to be constructedat the university in the past 15 months. In spring 2007, a6-kilowatt solar system was installed at the Technology Building."We view this as an extension of the commitment the universityand the CSU system have made to renewable and sustainableenergy," Garcia added.
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2008-Jul-31 - US power player buys Solar Sales
WA Business News subscriber loginHello!Welcome to the new WA Business News website.We invite you to solar panel explore our new site, with its added features andtools. The search capabilities of archives has been upgraded andexpanded, includes 55,949 Western Australian business articlestotalling 17,177,033 words.Subscribers to the WA Business News are able to access articles aspart of their subscription. If you are not a subscriber you can subscribe online now or you can purchase credits to view the articles. Alternatively you can also request an week free trial of our paper (Note: the 8 week trial does not include websiteaccess).If you are a subscriber or have previously registered with thewebsite and don't know your login details please contact us on +618 9288 2100. If you are unsure of your login password pleasecomplete the forgot passwordform Kind regards Harry Kleyn - Publisher
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2008-Jul-31 - Solar panel test OK'd for Hopkinton schools
The School Committee voted yesterday to allow a firm to installsolar panels on two schools, committing the district to currenttechnology but reducing the town's carbon footprint and possiblysaving money.The 4-1 decision clears the way for the town to sign a contractwith Borrego Solar of Lowell to place panels on the middle and highschools and on the police and fire stations. School Committeemember Phil Totino cast the lone "no" vote, questioningthe town's agreement to buy power generated by the project."There seems to be a lot of risk here," said Totino, whowas not present during a negotiating session with Borrego onWednesday. "I'm not an expert, but I think prices mightstabilize."Under the deal, Borrego will use its own money to install andmaintain a 350-kilowatts-per-hour system covering 11 percent of thetown's energy needs. Hopkinton will then buy the electricity, withthe cost automatically rising 3 percent each year.Beginning at year seven, the town can buy the system, while at year20 Borrego will remove the system for free if it has not beenpurchased and is no longer wanted.Other features of the deal include a kiosk that will display theamount of solar energy production, training for teachers tointroduce alternative energy lessons into the curriculum anddiscounts for residential solar panel purchases. Also, for eachhome system that is bought, Borrego will donate $500 to the schoolsystem.School officials calculate the deal could save roughly $500,000over a 20-year period, assuming the market rate for electricityfollows their projections of a 5.5 percent annual hike. Director ofFinance Geoff MacDonald said he recently received an energy bid forfiscal 2010 and fiscal 2011 showing a 4.6 percent yearly increase.In pushing for the School Committee to make a decision, projectsupporters said Borrego could only make the project viable if itcan have the system up and running by December, when a federalenergy credit program expires.But Superintendent Jack Phelan said it felt like the district had a"gun to the head" to get an agreement in place as soon aspossible and that Facilities Director Brian Main had been forced toseek industry bids rather than conduct an independent study due toa lack of funds.In assessing the deal, School Committee member Dave Stoldt said theboard initially had concerns about using up prime solar panel roofspace for a deal that did not appear to be financially compelling."But you know what, it's the only project in hand rightnow," he said. Fellow committee member Rebecca Robak, anothersupporter, noted that even if the financial aspects of the projectlagged it would still represent only a fraction of the town's poweruse.In other business, the School Committee approved spending $5,000 onsoil tests and almost $7,000 on engineering and design for newbleachers and a pressbox for the high school field. Once thosetasks are completed, construction can go out to bid, with allproject money coming from donations by the Hopkinton AthleticAssociation and Boston Athletic Association.Work is expected to begin in the fall, though football games willnot be affected. Once construction is finished in the spring, thedistrict plans to add a lift for handicapped fans and media membersas part of a separate accessibility initiative. (Michael Morton can be reached at 508-626-4338 or mmorton@cnc.com.)
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2008-Jul-31 - Cherry Hill: Solar panel cash-saver on its way
Plans to cover the town hall roof with electricity-producing solarpanels may firm up as early as September, township leaders said Monday.That would plant the panels across the 19,400-square-foot roof byApril, said township Operations Manager Ari Messinger. He said the$800,000 project, to be funded by grants and local bonds, couldtrim about 30 percent from the building's $153,000-a-year powerbill.In time, Messinger said, the township would expect to see another$20,000 a month by funneling extra electricity back to PublicService Electric and Gas. He said the endeavor, including those"solar credits," would save taxpayers' money -- not cost them more."This is one of our biggest challenges, to find alternative sourcesof revenue," township spokesman Dan Keashen said. "This is aperfect opportunity. They aren't large figures, but they aremeaningful."The project is part of a 10-point Green Action Plan, adopted by thetownship in March. Township leaders this spring submitted aproposal for a $280,000 grant to the state Clean Energy Council,part of the Board of Public Utilities. Messinger said an answer onthat request, which will determine the fate of the solar plans,should arrive by September.Municipal leaders also are hoping to receive an additional $300,000for the solar project through a federal appropriation. That wouldleave a funding gap of more than $200,000.Keashen said that non-grant money would come from a bond, likely tobe paid back over 10 years. Savings generated by the solar panels-- not tax dollars -- would cover the debt payments, he said.Once the debt is paid, the extra dollars would go to help financeother township functions and save taxpayers some money, leaderssaid."In addition to the financial game, we're getting in theenvironmental game," Messinger said. He said other public buildingsin Cherry Hill could be in line for solar panels if the town-hallproject is successful.The library would be next, he said.A number of New Jersey municipalities, supported by money from thestate Board of Public Utilities, are making similar moves. Morethan a dozen projects have been funded since 2003, according to theBPU.The biggest endeavor may be in Woodbridge Township, MiddlesexCounty, where the municipality is putting solar panels on sixpublic buildings."It's a money-saver and environmentally friendly at the same time,"Woodbridge Mayor John E. McCormac said. "It's a win-win."He said the state is supplying $2.5 million for the $7 millioneffort there. Energy savings of more than $100,000 a year andannual solar-energy credits of some $400,000 will help pay for therest, McCormac said."People come down on both sides," he said. "Some people just wantto save taxes, and there are people who just want us to do theright thing for the environment."Reach Adam Smeltz at (856) 486-2919 or asmeltz@gannett.com
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2008-Jul-31 - Solar panel means test 'killing industry
Giving evidence at a Senate Committee Inquiry in Melbourne today,ETU research officer Imogen Schoots said the industry had beendamaged by the test introduced in the Federal Budget.
In May the Rudd Government announced that families earning morethan $100,000 would be ineligible for the $8000 rebate forinstalling solar panels.Ms Schoots told the committee the means test had caused a 70 percent decrease in work among a group of ETU members surveyed,preventing them employing more people, including apprentices.The ETU supports the Liberal Party's proposed Save Our Solar Bill2008 which would remove the means test, Ms Schoots said."It is hoped that if it is passed, growth in the solarindustry can be reinstated, employment opportunities in renewableenergy will again increase and climate change can be effectivelytackled," she said.Electrician Wesley Shields told the committee he was sufferingfinancial hardship as a result of the changes. He said he hadinvested $25,000 in educational and set-up costs to qualify as asolar panel installer."The last application I lodged on behalf of a client will besubjected to the means test and they've told me they now won't seekan installation due to the fact they earn more than $100,000,"he told the committee."Like any other electrician I've been forced to fall back onmy normal work."I couldn't think of a better way of going to work every daythan installing renewable energy."ETU secretary Dean Mighell was due to give evidence at the inquirybut was unwell today.Share this article
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2008-Jul-25 - Pamekasan residents release two PLN employees
07/23/08 04:26 Pamekasan residents release two PLN employees
Pamekasan, (ANTARA News) - Some residents of Plakpak village,Pamekasan subdistrict, Madura, East Java, eventually released twostate power compay PT PLN employees Sirat and Junaidi they had heldhostage.
They released the two hostages on the condition that PLN repaired adamaged local power transformer. PLN had earlier taken away thetransformer, but it has not been repaired, police said Tuesdaynight.
As three days had passed since PLN took away the damagedtransformer apparently for a replacement, which PLN had not done,some of the villagers got angry, and when a PLN car passed theirvillage, they stopped it and held the car including its twopassengers hostage.
The villagers became so angry by the power failure, which hadcaused their tobacco plants to wither, and some had even died, dueto lack of water, which could not be pumped into the field withoutelectricity to operate their water pumps.
Later the two PLN employees were released, not the car, thanks tothe inteference of some ulemas and community leaders, the policesaid.
The villagers will also release the car only if power had beenrestored.
"It is alright to release the two, but not their car. And if PLNfailed to restore the power supply, we will set fire on thevehicle," one angry villager shouted.
Head if the Pamekasan PLN office Mohamad Rifa`ie said the damage onthe transformer was a pure technical failure, and not intentional.
"Today at 4.30 p.m, six PLN employees came to the village forrepair work, and God willing, power supply might be restoredtonight," the police said.(*)
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2008-Jul-25 - Transformer fault caused blackouts
Ndangi Katoma told The Namibian that the city lost one transformer and had to shift the entire load to other transformers.
He added that if everything went well and spares were found, thetransformer could be fixed in a day or two.
On Tuesday, NamPower announced that load shedding could be expectedbecause of a shortage of electricity, and some residents who phonedThe Namibian on Tuesday night thought that was happening.
But Katoma said the City had not been requested to implement powerrationing yet.
Power cuts were experienced in Ludwigsdorf, Windhoek West and asection of Avis.
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2008-Jul-25 - Promserv taking its technology to Mideast
GEORGE TOWN: Promserv Sdn Bhd, an electrical engineering servicesprovider, plans to tap the Middle East market with its newtechnology for testing of electrical systems.
Many oil and gas companies in the Middle East would requirePromserv's technology to test their power installations, saidmanaging director Chen Chin Peng.
Our software-based technology allows the testing of current transformer and electrical systems without shutting down theplants operations.
Conventional technology takes a long time to check the electricalsystems of a plant, he told StarBiz.
He said this after receiving a Malaysian patent for his Live andLoaded Testing Method for Current Transformer from the EnergyCommission chief operating officer Ahmad Fauzi Hasan.
A medium-sized company would normally have to shut down itsoperations for days or even weeks for such checks, causing the lossof a lot of money, Chen said.
Promserv's technology would alert a customer on any faults in theelectrical system and the parts that need replacing, he said.
The company can then order the replacement parts ahead of time.Millions of ringgit and valuable work time will be saved, headded.
Chen is an electrical engineering graduate from Universiti Malaya.He spent eight years developing the Live and Loaded Testing Methodfor Current Transformer technology, which also has patentprotection in China and Singapore.
Chen said Promserv had a technical support office in Beijing, whichwould be used for its expansion in China.
We also plan to expand overseas by licensing the patent tointerested parties, he said.
Promserv, which has 30 to 40 engineers, provides electricalengineering services for over 200 multinational customers in thecountry.
It has operations in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Kuantan.
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2008-Jul-25 - New transformers almost in place at HHS, track resurfacing also ...
Pickering said power in the classrooms will be turned back onfirst.
"When we turn it back on, you never know what's going to happen,"Pickering said, naming potential problems that could be discoveredwhen the school is repowered. "We're right on time. It's goingreally well. Anything could happen, but I seriously doubt it."
He added that American Inc. is about 80 percent of the way throughthe project. The cost of the transformer project came in well underbudget, he said.
Cheryl Silva, district assistant superintendent of businessservices, agreed with Pickering that she was pleased with theprogress of summer facilities projects at the high school.
"Our projects all seem to be running on schedule," Silva said."We're keeping our fingers crossed that the transformers actuallyget done a little ahead of schedule."
But the track at Neighbor Bowl will take slightly longer thanPickering hoped.
When the prior track surface was lifted, cracks and rough areaswere found in the concrete and asphalt underneath. Silva said thedistrict is anticipating a change order to raise the cost of theproject due to necessary concrete repairs. Concrete repairs requirea 28-day cure. The all-weather surface is expected to go downbeginning Aug. 11, and take about two-and-a-half weeks to complete.
"The big deal was getting a lot of work done before the Fourth [ofJuly]," Pickering said. Neighbor Bowl is the site of the city'sannual fireworks show.
Both the track and transformer projects were at a stoppable andsafe point for the fireworks and festivities to go on as planned --festivities were powered by donated generators.
Pickering said he anticipates Neighbor Bowl to re-open to thepublic by the end of August -- in plenty of time for the first homefootball game in September.
The reporter can be reached at 583-2424.
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