Assessing the Cumulative Impact of Regulation on US Manufacturers - House Oversight Committee - 2011-03-09 - House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending. Witnesses: Aris Papadopolous, CEO, Titan America LLC, Chairman, Portland Cement Association; Donna Harman, CEO, American Forest and Paper Association; Michael Walls, Vice President, Regulatory and Technical Affairs, American Chemistry Council; Michael Kamnikar, Senior Vice President, Ellwood Group, Incoming President, Forging Industry Association; Bernard Terry Schimmel, Vice President, Technical Services, Boral Bricks, Inc.; David Foerter, Executive Director, Institute of Clean Air Companies.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
4" Wet Tile Saw Cutter
!±8±4" Wet Tile Saw Cutter
Brand : Liberty ForgeRate :
Price : $59.99
Post Date : Dec 20, 2011 17:23:37
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
4" Wet Cutting Tile Saw. Handheld electric saw will cut tile, marble, concrete, granite, hardy backer board, cement board, and more.
li110 Volt
li10 Amps
li5/8" Arbor
li11,000 RPM
liAccepts 4" Diamond Blades
liMSRP 9.95
Wholesale Heating Cables Petsafe Wireless Fence Free Shipping Great Deals Electric Loppers
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
What Are ICF Insulated Concrete Forms?
The Cement Association of Canada has developed standardized ICF training modules to help facilitate greater adoption of ICF construction. Two of their main objectives are:
(i) To facilitate greater understanding and awareness of ICF construction as a viable building alternative, that will escalate its adoption in the residential and non-residential markets.
(ii) To provide an industry baseline benchmark for required ICF training, ensuring adequate skills competence in the building workforce for the delivery of quality construction.
Today ICF construction is rapidly gaining popularity in both the residential and non-residential markets.
What is ICF Construction? Insulating Concrete Forms are energy-efficient reinforced-concrete walls that are dry-stacked without using mortar and filled with concrete, think of them like Lego blocks. The blocks, or forms as the are referred to, are stacked to form exterior and interior walls, reinforcing steel or rebar is then added into the openings and then concrete is pumped in to form the structural element of the walls.
An Insulated Concrete Form can be made from a variety of materials:
(i) Cement-bonded wood fiber (recycled waste wood and cement) (ii) Expanded polystyrene (iii) Cement-bonded polystyrene beads
One of the best ICFs are wood concrete forms, that is those that are made with cement-bonded wood fiber material that only uses natural ingredients. This combination of recycled waste wood and cement results in a better performing ICF wall system. When looking for an insulated concrete form you want to find ICFs that are environmentally safe, made from recycled material, do not contain nor emit any toxic elements, and are fully recyclable as well. Furthermore, insulated concrete forms that do not contain plastic, foams or polystyrenes are better for the environment than those that do contain these materials.
Benefits ICF construction has many benefits over traditional wood frame construction.
(i) Strength and Comfort In ICF construction the walls and floors form one continuous surface. This will help to keep out insects and create an environment free of allergens, dust, mold and other irritants. Furthermore the insulated forms are virtually soundproof and keep out unwanted noises and distractions..
(ii) Energy Performance Using insulated concrete forms means that your walls are already insulated better than any wood frame house. The ICFs will help to keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter and you can save as much as 50-80% on heating and cooling costs.
(iii) Structural Integrity A building built with insulated concrete forms can stand up to winds of 200 miles per hour and resist fire for up to 3.5 hours. ICF homes have been know to withstand hurricanes, tornados and a wide range of weather conditions from coast to coast. Furthermore concrete does not rot when it gets wet, making the upkeep and repairs minimal.
(iv) Green Building ICFs are inherently green, from raw materials to installation. Depending on the product, you can find ICFs that have no CFCs, HCFCs or formaldehyde used in the manufacturing process and made from recycled material. Also, 100% of the installation waste, even the insulated forms themselves, are recyclable.
ICF buildings have higher energy savings, better fire resistance, and a superior structural integrity over traditional wood framed houses.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Life Long Learning - The Quest For Knowledge, Or the Stimulation of Growth?
"Why are we here?"
"To discuss education."
"Who wants to talk about that? Everything has already been said."
"Very little has happened."
"So why are you here?"
"To discuss the waste of children's lives. Every child grows up in school. He spends 10 to 20 years in that environment. He is there when he is most open to new experience and least burdened by the practical responsibilities of existence. And the results are very meager. Something is wrong with the whole operation."
"That's easy enough to say. What would you change?"
"I would emphasis education for growth rather than for knowledge." (Mann 1972).
From the moment we come into this world and take our first breath, learning is instinctive. As we grow, the world around us unfolds and new experiences ranging from intrigue and excitement, disappointment and fear, wet our appetites and feed our desire for more learning. As we grow older, life delivers a remarkable variety of complications and challenges and places us in environments over which we have little or no control. It is partly the way in which we fail; cope; conquer; or progress and learn that shapes our development. The society in which we live and the support we have available through our network of parental; family; peers; teachers; and mentors also facilitates our growth. Life long learning in a learning society is an aspiration which, as we will see later, is sadly not available to all, but those who grasp it, regardless of the constraints in which they live, win the opportunity to reach their full potential.
"Does some reader say, why should you touch this incident? And I answer, I have a library now of about three thousand volumes...; but in that first purchase lay the spark of a fire which has not yet gone down to the white ashes, the passion which grew with my growth, to read all the books in the early years I could lay my hands on, and in this wise prepare me in some fashion for the work I must do in the ministry.... I see myself in the far away time and cottage reading, as I may truly say in my case, for dear life. (Robert Collyer b.1823)
Rose (2001) is seeking to demonstrate that the power of reading at such an early age sustained Robert Collyer through his childhood, into his working years as a minister and the hunger remained in retirement. The catalyst? Simply the moment when, as a child labourer in a linen factory, he chose to pick up his first book, 'The History of Whittington and his Cat'. This would suggest a strong argument to place the responsibility for lifelong learning in the hands of the individual, regardless of their circumstances. However, an opposite view is eloquently put by Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator and political philosopher, who was born into poverty.
"I didn't understand anything because of my hunger. I wasn't dumb. It wasn't lack of interest. My social condition didn't allow me to have an education. Experience showed me once again the relationship between social class and knowledge."
The twentieth Century has heard many debates calling for education to be freely accessible to all citizens as an integral lifelong process. (Yeaxlee, 1920, 25). As we will discuss later, however, the issue of class status can have a significant impact on the individual's opportunity to reach their full potential.
Field (2000), identifies that the debates concerning lifelong learning took on a global perspective when educational representatives of the inter governmental bodies of the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) commissioned Edgar Faure, the former French Prime Minister to produce a report entitled 'Learning to be' in 1972. This was the start of transformational reform in education in many European countries. The report highlighted that education should be structured in such a way that it is made easily available for all individuals, for their whole life and that this would mean addressing social concerns of health, culture, environmental considerations and inclusion.
At the beginning of this essay, two educational issues were contrasted. The quest for knowledge, or the stimulation of growth? However, over the last thirty years a third element has crept in and clouded the direction and conclusions that our first two speakers may have followed. The impact of competition. The OECD began to influence a view that education should be tailored in terms of human capital, linking the need for governments to invest in life long education with the output being the creation of a workforce, sufficiently skilled to deliver economic prosperity. If the economy prospers, so will the individual.
The European Commissions white paper on education in 1994, highlighted the threats and opportunities of globalization, rapid and unprecedented development in information technology and science and the increasing role of Japan, U.S.A. and China in the world economy.
"Preparation for life in tomorrow's world cannot be satisfied by once-and-for-all acquisition of knowledge and know-how..... All measures must therefore necessarily be based on the concept of developing, generalizing and systematizing lifelong learning and continuing training" (CEC 1994, p16, 136)
Another white paper produced by the Commission of The European Communities identifies that internationalization of trade and information technology will have major consequences for the skills needed in the global economy. The future and competitiveness of individual countries and indeed, collectives such as Europe, will become increasingly uncertain if they are unable to upskill the population.
"Europe is faced with a situation in which its success in terms of economic growth is not matched by an equal capacity to create jobs" (EC 1996 p5).
Lifelong learning is seen as the answer to the problem. Programmes such as Leonardo da Vinci, Socrates and Erasmus are designed to deliver inclusive educational policies and create opportunities for all areas of society to embark on the learning journey.
The UK Government white paper on Further Education, published in March 2006, accepted the main recommendation from the Foster report 'to help gain the skills and qualifications for employability'. It also stated, however, that 'this strong focus on economic impact does not come at the expense of social inclusion and equality of opportunity - the two reinforce one another'.
Coffield (2007) holds the view that Further Education in the UK has been driven to deliver only the former, to the cost of the latter. In his article 'Are we on the right Road?', Coffield highlights the positive improvements to education under the labour government, but then goes on to challenge the short-termism of their policies and the precarious journey the UK is currently taking which, without a change of culture, has only a slim chance of success.
Certainly the current UK government has done more than any other in terms of placing education higher in the agenda, by virtually doubling funding to the Learning Skills Council from £5.5 Billion in 2001-02 to £11.4 Billion 2007-08. This has engendered a diverse and flexible education system, responsive to educational needs and demands, allowing local innovation and second chances for the disaffected, with significant provision in FE from level 1 to 3. There are a number of excellent partnership programmes with employers and a network of Sector Skills Councils which meet the majority of employers' current and future needs. There are reported high levels of satisfaction amongst student faculties and there is good career mobility. There is also a marked improvement in the provision and use of adult and community education, helping to increase social cohesion. Fundamentally there is a wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm, passion and desire in the teaching profession which has delivered all of the above.
On the downside, however, there are real concerns being voiced from many quarters that the UK educational policies are underwritten by one sole overriding objective that, in order to maintain our competitiveness and prosperity in the world economy, the population must be 'given the skills and qualifications for employability'. The UK is performing badly in compulsory education, ranking 24th out of 28 OECD Countries, with a participation of 76% of 17 year olds and 23,000 children leaving school in 2006 without a single GCSE. With the emphasis on the need for employable qualifications and schools being league tabled to deliver, systems of testing knowledge and performance goals, rather than learning growth in schools, are leading to lower levels of self esteem and reducing levels of effort by the less successful students (Black et al 2002). At present 56% of 16 year olds are leaving school with 5 good GCSE's. That means that 44% are leaving falling short of the recognised benchmark that has been established to reach the minimum standard necessary for employability, or indeed further hierarchal learning in Higher Education. However, a good plumber does not have to know algebra or the works of Shakespeare, so one could argue that the percentage leaving with 5 good GCSE's has little relevance to the standards of employability except for those entering white collar employment. We don't need all our dustmen to have 5 GCSE's. If they did, perhaps they would be doing something else. Education only fails when an individual is cleaning a toilet, who has the capacity to be a rocket scientist. Coffield reports that:
"Educational policy continues to be based on three underlying and damaging assumptions: first, that 'our future depends on our skills (Foster); second, that in all matters concerning vocational education and the skills strategy it is appropriate 'to put employers in the driving seat'; and third, that market competition is essential to make providers efficient and responsive. All three of these assumptions have been roundly criticised for almost 30 years, but they continue to appear"
Looking at these three issues in turn, in 2005, Tony Blair claimed 'A Country such as Britain in the 21st Century will succeed or fail by how it develops its human capital'. But this rather short sighted, one dimensional, liberalist view is driving education more down the road of exclusion, rather than inclusion, because it has the effect of measuring the validity and success of education only by its results. The increasing emphasis on delivery is causing pressures that are having a detrimental effect on the overall education system, which is evidenced by our standing in the OECD community. Even where the output is good, graduates in recent years have faced increasing competition from well educated and professionally trained graduates from countries such as China, India and as recent as Poland and are falling short of the standards they have attained. Coffield is scathing in his assessment of the treatment of teachers and the teaching profession, but perhaps the change of view from Tony Blair 'We will ensure that the workforce can implement what they are asked to do', to the view expressed by Gordon Brown, 'To build trust, we must also listen more, hear more and learn more', will result in more engagement of the teaching profession and more teacher and student led improvements in UK education over the coming months.
On the second issue of workplace learning and the role of employers, The Times Educational Supplement recently reported that 'Employers have failed to back the Governments drive for a better skilled workforce'. Employers have demonstrated that they do not want the responsibility by failing, in the main, to train their workers. Perhaps this is because there is a greater demand at present for unskilled labour and employers in the UK now have the luxury of the overseas graduate market to pick and choose the best candidates. Furthermore, a survey of adult education participation produced in May 2007 by Niace, the national organisation for adult learning, reports:
"With 500,000 fewer adults in study now, compared with a year ago, the survey suggests the Train to Gain scheme, which compensates employers for money spent improving the basic skills of the workforce, is missing the mark."
Looking at one of the UK's largest business operations, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, there is no overall corporate strategy to support the Governments initiatives, whether they fall under the guise of Train to Gain, Skills for Life or the 14-19 agenda. There is no work taking place at present to look at supporting the Business and Finance Diplomas due to be launched in 2008. Internally, training is left to local managers who are responsible for improving the performance of their staff, developing their skills and preparing individuals for future roles and responsibilities. With a lack of central co-ordination, this unfortunately results in huge differentiation in the quality of 'local' training and no synergy within the company. Hence it would be difficult to see how this organisation, which consists of approximately 30 different companies worldwide, (some of whom have Investors in People status and others who do not) could become engaged with Government sponsorship without a more centralised, co-ordinated approach. To its credit, the Bank does offer employees a vast range of training support schemes, both internally and in support of external qualifications such as MBA's and degrees, but this is on the premise that individuals take responsibility for their own development and apply for the schemes that are available. The mantra 'if it's to be it's up to me' applies to the upskilling of the workforce in this organisation.
Large companies like the Royal Bank of Scotland have no real incentive to further the education of their employees; by paying well they will always get the best candidates available in the market place and the competition for progress within the company will ensure that the individual takes responsibility for their own development.
More is certainly asked of us now than ever before, with targets to achieve, efficiency measures, tight deadlines, high reported levels of stress, longer working hours and understaffing. As employers relentlessly seek to outperform their competitors and drive short term results, they appear to have put aside the investment in training and placed the onus on the individual to develop themselves in their own time. I would argue that this complacency has filtered through to large numbers of employees, who have not sought to develop themselves, often using the excuse of not having sufficient time to do so. Could the distractions of multi-media, internet, game consol's and addictive, repetitive, non-educational television be to blame? Has the welfare state encouraged people not to strive for an education as they know that they will be looked after even if unemployable?
"If there is learning, there is also non-learning. People often fail to learn, or actively resist learning.... Consider the smokers... If there is education, there is also mis-education." (Foley, 2004).
To gain more buy in from UK employers and employees, perhaps the Government should reconsider leaving the question of lifelong learning and training in the workplace to the sole discretion and complacency of employers. In this respect, they could take a leaf out of the book of the French government, who operate two tax exemption schemes; the apprenticeship tax (0.5% of payroll) for initial training and the training tax (1.5% of payroll among enterprises having ten or more employees, 0.15% among those having less), used primarily to finance lifelong learning of enterprise staff. The focus has shifted from general education and cultural development of staff towards continuous education and training for employment. All companies benefit in proportion to the number of employees they have. The scheme has led to increased training expenditures that surpass the total amount of taxes paid by enterprises.
The third point regarding the need for competition to make providers efficient and responsive, by it's own inference, directs educational establishments towards being seen as successful educational providers. This perception can easily be manipulated by selecting only those candidates with the potential and motivation to succeed. Thus we have a legacy of schools expelling poor performing students to avoid an adverse effect on their league table results and Grammar schools and Universities operating strict selection criteria that 'guarantees' their success, often leaving Further Education to pick up the pieces. All the time league tables measure knowledge attainment rather than learning growth, this element of elitism in education is creating the legacy of widening the gap between the learning have's and the learning have not's,
The point is argued more strongly by Paulo Friere whose Pedagogy of the Oppressed is currently one of the most quoted educational texts (especially in Latin America, Africa and Asia).
Submerged in reality, the oppressed cannot perceive clearly the order which serves the interest of the oppressors whose image they have internalized. Chafing under the restrictions of this order, they often manifest a type of horizontal violence, striking out at their comrades for the pettiest of reasons; the oppressed feel an irresistible attraction toward the oppressor and his way of life. Sharing this way of life becomes an overpowering aspiration. In their alienation, the oppressed want at any cost to resemble the oppressor, to imitate him, to follow him. This phenomena is especially prevalent in the middle class oppressed, who yearn to be equal to the eminent men of the upper class. Self-depreciation is another characteristic of the oppressed, which derives from their internalization of the opinion the oppressors hold of them. So often they hear that they are good for nothing, know nothing and are incapable of learning anything that they are sick, lazy and unproductive, that in the end they become convinced of their own unfitness."
This opens the question as to whether the class societies in which we live have been founded as a form of eco-system, whereby those at the top of the food chain, ie the upper class and some elements of the middle classes, can only exist comfortably as long as there are lower classes to serve their needs. Someone needs to be there to collect the rubbish and deliver the harvest. Disney eloquently demonstrated this type of society in the film 'Bugs Life'. Williamson (1998) quotes Salman Rushdie in this respect:
"Those who do not have the power of the story that dominates their lives - power to retell it, rethink it, deconstruct it, joke about it, and change it as times change - truly are powerless because they cannot think new thoughts"
Freire puts it in his own omniscient style:
"There is another fundamental dimension on the theory of oppressive action, which is as old as oppression itself. As the oppressor minority subordinates and dominates the majority, it must also divide it and keep it divided in order to remain in power. The minority cannot permit itself the luxury of tolerating the unification of the people, which would undoubtedly signify a serious threat to their own hegemony. Accordingly the oppressors halt any method (including violence) any action, which in even incipient fashion could awaken the oppressed to the need for unity. Concepts such as unity, organisation, and struggle are immediately labelled as dangerous to the oppressors for their realisation is necessary to actions of liberation."
Today this is a global issue and surprisingly little has changed in peoples attitudes since the 18th Century which saw many examples of the unease felt by the educational middle classes, who according to Rose (2001) 'found something profoundly menacing in the efforts of working people to educate themselves and write for themselves'. How true this remains in many countries in the world today and indeed, one could argue, in the very fabric of our current state education system. Do we really cater for all and do all we can to widen participation and include the lower classes? Class culture is still a feature in British society as well as on a world-wide scale, creating inequality, eroding self confidence, holding people back and depressing the further development of society.
Returning to Friere, however, he identifies that within each person lies an instinctive hunger and desire to better themselves and it is this overriding factor that links the issue of lifelong learning back to every learner and keeps the debate alive. To those that overcome all the obstacles, the world can become their oyster. Employment can certainly be one motivating factor to get people to make the most of educational opportunities, particularly those who are open to exploring future prospects and gaining new skills and qualifications that will enhance their lifestyle, self worth and identity. Coare and Thompson (1996) have collated a series of diaries from learners which explain that:
"a tentative first try at adult education has awakened a hunger for learning which may be fired by the thrill of mental and physical stimulation and new skills, or by the companionship and pleasure of learning as a group."
Lifelong learning, however, is not just limited to the world of schools, colleges, universities and the workplace. It goes much deeper and broader into the fabric of society.
"One of the strongest themes to emerge from the diaries is that lifelong learning requires a deep routed learning culture - embedded in institutions and workplaces, in homes and communities and in our hearts and minds - which will support people to overcome the obstacles preventing access to, or participation in, adult education."
Coare and Thompson include the story of Sue Townsend, who encapsulates my generation when she paints a picture of a 15 year old who couldn't wait to leave school and become a sophisticated adult with huge dreams of living a comfortable, fulfilling life. Then hitting the ground of reality with the legacy of no qualifications; a resultant low paid job; an attempt to make up for lost time with night school; abandoned when falling in love and later in life feeling the pull of further/higher education:
"I sometimes think that learning is wasted on the young. They are contained in these places called schools at exactly the wrong time. Their bodies and minds are too fidgety to concentrate on things like demography of Bolivia. It's adults who benefit most from education.... We actually enjoy the learning. We are motivated. I know many people whose lives have been completely changed since they became an adult learner. From those who have learnt basic literacy skills, to others who have taken degree courses. Its an extremely harsh world out there. Jobs are going, more computers are coming. But the people who are studying Cantonese at night school are, I would say, in with a chance."
The issue of lifelong learning dominates discussion and debate concerning the foundation and direction of continuous education from the cradle to the grave. What's needed is a solid partnership between citizens, teachers, employers and government bodies, nationally and globally for all parties to be fully engaged in and take ownership of educational opportunities that further the development of growth first, knowledge second, put aside the obstacles of class and harness the benefits of competition.
The challenge facing education today is arguably not too dis-similar to the challenges faced by the UK National health service - the more investment, effort and advance that is made, the quicker the speed of intellectualisation, development, global demand and human need. Thus the dichotomy in the question - is the learning gap closing or widening? Williamson (1998) quotes Richard Hoggart who noted that we now live in a society:
"whose members are insufficiently educated for its complexities, educated only to the level at which they may be exploited"
However, the demand and desire of humanity for humanisation and the thirst for knowledge and growth, keeps the educational debate alive and it is through this debate that people develop new views and learn more about themselves in the world. The more we know, the more we realise we don't know and the greater our desire to grow. So much can be done to stimulate and widen peoples desire to learn and grow and break down the barriers that exclude people from learning. However, as Williamson (1998) puts it, closing the gap between the learning rich and the learning poor will need to:
"Lead to fundamental changes in the organisation of society itself and its structures of inequality and power. New opportunities for learning presuppose a new kind of society to sustain them and the political will to open them up. The challenge for political leaders is to have the courage to work for these ends, knowing beforehand that they cannot predetermine what use people will make of their new found knowledge and ideas."
This represents an exciting thought for those who may feel stifled and "oppressed", ie. all of us ants, but perhaps too scary a journey for the grasshoppers in power to take. What is very exciting about lifelong learning, however, is that somewhere in the world right now, a youngster is about to pick up their first book and young minded 85 year old is about to log on to a PC for the first time in their life.
Jonsered Saw Parts Right Now Low Cost Braun Shaver Pulsonic Coupon Pampers Coupons Print
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
North Dakota Legislative Review 1201; Al Carlson; (R) House Majority Leader
North Dakota Legislative Review with Al Carlson (R); House Majority Leader & host Dave Thompson Prairie Public News Director Discussion about the 2011 Legislative Session Also, Cafe Perspectives with Host Matt Olien @ the Governor's Inn, Casselton North Dakota Guests: Reuben Braaten, Casselton, North Dakota Gene Cederberg, Casselton, North Dakota Bruce Jorgenson, Casselton, North Dakota Bill Kent, Casselton, North Dakota A Production of Prairie Public Broadcasting Credits: Producers: Matt Olien, Dave Thompson Director: Dave Geck Editor: Heidi Nelson Graphics: Ben Stommes Production Manager: Barbra Gravel Camera: Doug Van Tassel, Bert Frishman Audio: Travis Jensen Executive Director: Bob Dambach
Friday, December 2, 2011
Interview With Sherry Brantley, Author of "Best of Friends"
Tyler R. Tichelaar of Reader Views is happy to be joined today by Sherry Brantley. Sherry is here to talk to us about her new book "Best of Friends," ISBN 9781411645455, reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (4/07)
Sherry Brantley is an inspirational author and a public speaker. Sherry's purpose in life is to assist others in their own empowerment process by sharing with them tools, skills, and techniques that can be used immediately. Her workshops, seminars, and retreats are fun, lively, entertaining, and interactive, as she takes you on the "never-ending journey of power." In 1994, she was sworn in by President Bill Clinton as an inductee in his Americorps initiative program. Her powerful poem "What Americorps Means To Me" was a national favorite among her Americorps Team. In 1995, she was given recognition as an Outstanding Americorps Member by the Michigan Community Service Commission, headed by Gubernatorial First Lady Michelle Engler.
Tyler: Welcome, Sherry. I'm happy you could join me today. Obviously, your book's title tells us what the book is about. Will you tell us a little bit about the "Fabulous Five" characters who compose the group of friends in the book?
Sherry: Certainly Tyler. The book tells the tale of the personal crises that a group of female friends face on a daily basis, and details how they support one another through it all, individually and collectively. In short, they've got each other's back! The characters are dealing with: A family death, being out of the workforce so long that one character wonders if the proverbial glass ceiling will be a challenge, divorce, dating challenges women and men face today, struggling between doing what is legally right and what is morally right, and going to meet your prospective in-laws. Although serious issues, the characters handle them with aplomb and humor and it's just fun to see their perspectives and how they come to have the views they have. If readers aren't careful, they just may learn something about themselves in the process!
Tyler: Sherry, where did you come up with the idea for "Best of Friends"?
Sherry: Actually, the story is based on many actual events that occurred with me in my own life. Exciting, melancholy, and with a few unique twists, it has characters that are easy to relate to, and is just a fun read. Readers have written to say it's a true page-turner, and readers have told me they didn't put it down until they had completed it. It's really exciting to see the personal growth that the women experience overall. The comments from readers can be found on the site where the books can be purchased directly, at: http://www.lulu.com
Tyler: Sherry, there have been many books and films that focus on female friendships. What sets "Best of Friends" apart from others, such as "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" and many other female friendship books?
Sherry: Well, Tyler, it starts out with a bang, with the lead character getting a phone call that her mom, who was not sick, has suddenly passed away. The action just builds from there. I'm sure you can imagine how challenging it is to have the matriarch of a family pass away, and believe me, weddings and funerals are the two places where family members really show their true colors. I've been told by many of the readers that all of the characters were so down-to-earth, so graphically depicted with their personalities and physical attributes, that people told me it was as if they really knew them. Also, many of the readers have left positive comments on the book on my website, which is at: http://www.lulu.com, and they've said they're waiting for the prequel because they want to know how the Best Friends became such good, loyal friends.
Tyler: Do you envision yourself writing that prequel, or possibly a sequel?
Sherry: The prequel to 'Best of Friends,' is almost complete, and just let me say, readers will be excited at how the then-young women of the 'Fabulous Five,' first meet in their youth, and the readers will really get to experience first hand, how the group becomes such a tight-knit close group of friends. They'll be able to see who were friends first, and see the dynamics of how the group separates over time, and comes back together after a period of years. In addition, there'll be a section when someone tries to manipulate and destroy that friendship, but they'll be able to weather the storm. But true to the nature of my writing style, there will be a 'secret' that binds the group together, and the nature and the culmination of the truth coming out, will be revealed in the sequel of the book. Also, many readers are asking finally to hear the tale of the 'Massah's Hatchet,' which is referred to several times in 'Best of Friends,' so I'm busy working on bringing that part together as well.
So yes, it's a planned triology with the 2nd one, slated to be titled, "Before Best of Friends," completed shortly, but in the interim, prior to the finality of the sequel, my poetry book and one of the 'Sweet Potato Pie for the Heart,' series of books are scheduled to be completed. But don't despair, the finality of the much-anticipated trilogy, will be well worth the wait! Tyler, as you can tell, I'm just having SO much fun with it all! And that fun & excitement gets translated to the readers through the pages of the books.
Tyler: The characters in "Best of Friends" all have their own problems and difficulties. Would you tell us a little bit about some of those difficulties and why you chose those specific scenarios?
Sherry: Well, the scenarios were actual events from my own life. And the amazing thing is, I've had such a wild ride of a life, not just socially, but personally and professionally, that as people get to meet me, they go: "You're kidding! That really happened? It's like a scene out of a movie!" And then when they meet my family and my friends later, they can almost actually see, who's who from the book's standpoint. One character as I've said earlier, gets an unexpected phone call that her mom, who wasn't even ill, has passed away. The family dynamics and drama surrounding that entire situation were unbelievable to behold. Had I not experienced it, I wouldn't have believed it myself! And as I started to talk to other people, I began to hear horror stories of all kinds concerning greed, ignorance and just plain meanness. Another character marries a man and then discovers that he has O.B.P. Obsessive Behavior Pattern. The drama that unfolds the night she really discovers this full-force is rather humorous, but the way she handles it is another matter. Another character is a bit nervous as she has to have mammogram tests to see if she has breast cancer, so readers, especially those who have had those types of tests or similar ones, are truly able to connect with the different emotions that overwhelm her during that time-frame. And there's the romance of the book. A character meets what appears to be a Southern Gentleman in the park one day, and has a climatic part in the book where she has the opportunity to 'meet the parents,' and as women, we all at times, have dreaded that, simply not knowing what the outcome will be. Not necessarily wanting them to love you to death, but certainly not wanting them to despise you.
Tyler: You mention that many of the events and characters are taken from your life? Do you find there is one specific character who is portrayed to be like you? As a writer myself, I find there is a little piece of me in each of my characters, and I can see myself acting just like them if placed in the same situations I create for them. Would you say that experience is true of your own writing?
Sherry: I really believe the majority of authors write a piece of themselves in each character they develop. Unbeknownst to the readers, the lead character, Elizabeth Caliente, is the character who represents me. I was the person who received a late night phone call that my mom had passed away. She wasn't ill at the time and in fact, I was in the process of going to visit her once a month, to record her life story of growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas. Well as the events that unfold in the story shows, all hell breaks loose within my family and approximately 99.9% of what Liz endures is what actually occurred with me. Right up to the point of my redirecting my thoughts and wondering why I didn't cling to my newfound beliefs of 'peace within equaling to a peace with 'out,' instead of reverting back to my years of growing up in Detroit and it being an 'every man for himself' type of mentality. I must admit, there were several instances there, when I didn't choose peace, and I still wonder, what went wrong? What could I have done, said or thought differently? But ultimately, all of our life's experiences are for our highest good eventually, so I learn not to beat myself up about it. I poured my energies into the writing of how I felt about it all, and the result of that is the "Best of Friends," trilogy of books. And Tyler, people may think we can't top what occurred with the passing of my mother, but my father passed away this past February 2007, and believe it or not, the dynamics at that time, were even worse! This time, though, I remained true to my 'self,' and while I was about to get reeled in once again, with my family's antics, I decided to step back and allow all things to occur without my presence. There was a major disagreement about where, when and how to bury my father, that resulted in once again, authorities being called, his body waiting for three weeks to be shipped back home, and his remaining estate has an upcoming court date for a final settlement. It is a total mess. I guess that will culminate in a different trilogy of books! : )
Tyler: Sherry, how have your own female friendships influenced the writing of "Best of Friends"?
Sherry: Quite honestly Tyler, many of the incidents that you'll read about in "Best of Friends," occurred with them! So as they're reading the book, I get calls and they're going: "I can't believe you wrote about that. That was really funny and you described it so well!" Of course, I've changed the names to protect the innocent...as well as the guilty....
Tyler: Sherry, of course, writers have to be careful if they use real experiences in their books. How have you balanced between fiction and reality in your books? Has anyone you've known been upset with the books and how did or do you respond to that type of reaction?
Sherry: Of course it's true you must walk a very thin line when interspersing your actual life's events with writings that you make publicly known. And it was difficult writing this story as it unfolded with the events getting wilder by the moment. I have a niece who was reading it as it developed and she said to me: "Auntie, you're gonna be in trouble when your family reads this!" But ultimately, I wanted family members simply to see what we had created collectively and individually with the advent of this situation with the hope that it would allow some of us to see the light. After some reflection though, I came to realize I am not here to save the world and all its inhabitants. Some people live and learn and some people just live, and I can be okay with that. And if my siblings were to write their perspectives on how they experienced the same events, I'm sure that would be a totally different read, as we all experience life through a different set of rules, a different outlook, a different world view. My response to people being upset, offended, or taken aback by my perception of the re-telling of events for me is to understand that they have a right to feel as they do, and I certainly have a right not to allow it to affect me in a negative way. My writing allows me and many readers to heal in whatever areas we may be hurting or feel the need to be strengthened in, and there is never a need to apologize for becoming healthy and whole. My wish is that we all strive to do so, in whatever positive ways we can.
Tyler: You are yourself African-American as are your characters. Do you see yourself writing in an African-American literary tradition?
Sherry: There will be some of my literary works that will clearly be in that direction, but my first book, "Choices--The Power is Within You," details the powerful, literal, Universal Law of Attraction, and by the way, it was out before the ever-popular "The Secret" book, and it is designed for those who are seeking personal, financial and spiritual growth. It is done in a workbook style format, so that readers can comfortably work at their own paces and challenge themselves to begin to realize their goals. By setting them, and developing steps to achieve them. With the techniques of that book, I was able to become a full-fledged published author.
Tyler: I'm interested in your answer because, while I'm aware of "The Secret," I'm more familiar with the Law of Attraction from the Abraham-Hicks material on the subject. What influences in regards to the Law of Attraction have influenced your writing and how has it worked in your own life?
Sherry: Tyler, I'll probably never get this type of question again, so forgive me if I'm reading more into it than you anticipated, but there is something important about my writing that needs to be said at this point. Everyone is sort of using the phrase 'The Law of Attraction,' but people need to know that it is a literal, Spiritual Law. It is in effect. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And it simply states that: What we think about, we bring about--and if the truth be told, if people REALLY KNEW that, we would all be experiencing life abundantly in all areas of our lives. But we also know there is a difference between knowing a thing and doing a thing. In all of my writing, there will always be a similar thread throughout. And that is: Characters experiencing the types of situations, events and lessons that compel them, in some cases force them, to take a long, in-depth look at what they're really creating for themselves. After reading the Abraham-Hicks materials, I got so excited that I began a MAJOR metamorphosis in ALL areas of my life, and it will continue throughout my stay here in this particular lifetime. You see, I reach a totally different reader with my "Best of Friends" books than I could ever reach with my "Choices--The Power Is Within You" books. But after struggling with that I realized it is time authors included readers who may not necessarily be familiar with the Tony Robbins, or the Esther and Jerry Hicks, or the Gary Renards and the Les Browns of the world. There are literally millions of people who simply have not been exposed to terms such as 'aligning your chakras, going within, and meditating with your higher guides.' They're busy with dealing with their own everyday issues, never knowing that as they continue to focus on those issues, they continue to create them. So while my books may be witty, fun to read, and entertaining, my characters will always give my readers pause to see--really see themselves unfold in the telling of the events and allow them to redirect their thoughts either consciously or subconsciously to strive for a better 'me' (them). And if I can do that while tackling challenging issues such as dysfunctional families who can't even see past the dysfunction, chaos amidst important family events, marriages that fall apart and loves that are being renewed while introducing an entire group of readers who otherwise would never hear those types of terms in that kind of format, then I've done what I've set out to do, which is: Give the readers of mainstream genre, chick-flick books, and female literature, a place not only to be able to read a great fictional novel where they're connecting with the characters, but also give them the opportunity to be exposed to a whole set of ideas that they're not familiar with, and wet their appetite to pursue those avenues of interest. One reader of "Best of Friends," asked me what 'chakras' were, and this gave me the opportunity to share the messages of Abraham-Hicks and define what the Law of Attraction really means, and how she could incorporate that concept into her own life. There are not many books in that genre that can do that and do it as well as I've been able to do in "Best of Friends." Readers are loving how those characters grow and can see themselves having the same type of growth.
Tyler: Sherry, readers have commented on the spiritual side of your writing. Would you tell us a little bit about the spirituality included in "Best of Friends"?
Sherry: I'm glad you asked about that, because many readers have said to me: "It was such a pleasure to see the women in the book grow from the places they started out from. The main character, Elizabeth Caliente, is known as the peace-maker and the person who resolves conflict, so it comes as a shock to her family, friends and certainly to readers when there's a point when she comes to the line drawn in the sand, and instead of backing away from it, she defiantly crosses it. I won't spoil the plot-line, but afterwards, she does some real soul-searching, asking some really tough questions about human nature, why we act and react in the various, sometimes self-defeating ways that we do, and how we can really rise above our knee-jerk reactions and create something beautiful in our lives--even amidst our personal tragedies. Readers are so able to connect with her because all of us on this planet are doing one of three things in our lives: We're either wishing to make adjustments and improvements in our lives, or in the process of making improvements in our lives, or having made them, looking back at them and being pleased with the journeys we've created for ourselves. And Elizabeth goes through such an ordeal from the first page of the book to the last, that you just marvel at how she now looks at life, and how quickly and readily she's ready to make major changes in her life. It isn't melodramatic, it isn't supernaturally done, it isn't some surreal event. She literally takes readers through all of the ways she is able to view events and shows how just changing the emphasis of a word, a phrase, or by using some positive body language, how everything could've been different. And she's willing to step to the plate and see where her responsibility in all of the chaos is and sees what she could've done differently as well. But it's not done in a preachy, right is right and wrong is wrong sort of way. Life generally isn't like that.
Tyler: I understand you are also a public speaker on spirituality and owning your personal power? Would you tell us how you became interested in trying to help others?
Sherry: My company is called S.T.E.P.P.--Start To Exercise Personal Power. I used to teach parenting classes for Michigan State University, as well as Conflict-Resolution at the middle & high schools in Lansing, Michigan. But prior to that, people, including total strangers, would come to talk with me about crises that were occurring in their lives personally. I always seemed to be given insight that I could share with them, to assist them to visualize something different for themselves--should they choose to do so. My parenting skills enabled me to tap into my own spiritual power, and once I saw how magnificent that was--in all areas of my life, there was no holding me back from sharing it with others. But I want to clarify. "Best of Friends" is not a book based on spirituality. It has adult women, in adult situations where sometimes, what is commonly known as adult language is used. It's a fun book filled with situations that adults encounter and while relatively challenging, is told in a humorous and entertaining way.
Tyler: Besides, "Best of Friends" we mentioned you've written a non-fiction, spiritual book "Choices: The Power is Within You." What do you find are the different challenges and rewards between writing fiction and non-fiction?
Sherry: Tyler, this is my FAVORITE question! You see, people will read "Choices--The Power is Within You" and get that it's about spirituality, reaching within to hear that still small voice within you, and people are expecting me to be in some sort of an 'inspirational box,' and then they'd read "Best of Friends" and go...: "The same person wrote this book? But these women have sex, they have challenges, they have fights and strong language in the parking lot. Are you SURE you want to do that kind of a book?" Listen, Tyler, like all humans, I'm multi-faceted. I can be very spiritual, meditating, and aligning my chakras one day, and the next...if my car isn't ready when I've been told it would be... for the third day in a row, then there's a 'Vicious Vicki' that comes from outta left field. And believe me, you don't want to be there when that happens. Of course, these days, that is few and far between, because as a result of my experiences, I've learned how NOT to go there. But it's not always peaches and cream. As an author, it's been a great ride writing both very different kinds of books, because I now have the opportunity to work with many varieties of readers. In addition, I am currently working on a book entitled: "Sweet Potato Pie for the Heart." This will be a compilation of true, inspiring, uplifting stories that I collect from the public to inspire others. For readers interested in submitting their stories or learning more about that project, they can visit http://www.inspirationalvoice.com
Tyler: Thanks for that honest answer, Sherry. I know exactly what you're saying. We try to be spiritual, but we all have our bad days. Sherry, which authors or other public speakers have had a major influence on you?
Sherry: That is one of my most difficult questions, Tyler, only because there are SO many: Maya Angelou, Amy Tan's "Joy Luck Club" was a phenomenal book and a great movie! Terry McMillan, Bebe Moore Campbell, Zora Neal Hurston, Les Brown, of course Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, Sidney Poitier, Tony Robbins, Zig Ziegler, Dale Carnegie, and many more.
Tyler: Sherry, would you tell our readers what your website is and what additional information they can find there about your works?
Sherry: I'd love to. My website is http://www.inspirationalvoice.com. They are able to order both my books, "Choices--The Power is Within You" and "Best of Friends." They will also get information on the guidelines of how to submit their own inspirational, true story for my "Sweet Potato Pie for the Heart," series of books. In addition, a book of poetry is currently being completed. This book will include all types of poetry. Love poems, Inspirational Poems and some let's get in 'yo face, telling you like it is,' poetry. Again, I'm multi-faceted, so it won't all be the pie-in-the-sky-by and by when you die, type of poetry. My life has not been like that and my writing doesn't reflect that. And once you've completed "Best of Friends," you'll be able to see the evidence of that. Also, I've begun a springboard from my "Best of Friends," book whereby I have what is called: "Best of Friends Celebration Invitations": Here, people are able to purchase invitations that are made from the cover of the book, inviting a group of their friends who have purchased and read the book, providing them with the opportunity to have me come out to do a personal reading and book signing for their group! So I have many wonderful projects in the works!
Tyler: Thank you for joining me today, Sherry. Before we go, what advice would you give to people who are themselves going through difficult situations like those of your characters, or who are unsure how to find their personal power?
Sherry: This advice is important and inspirational, so listen carefully: Purchase as soon as you can, "Choices--The Power is Within You." It details a time in my life when I was newly divorced, had three young daughters, and was suddenly homeless, car-less and jobless. I share that with readers so they can see this is not just another motivational speaker who hasn't seen rough times, but talking and acting as if she had. If you're really serious about beginning to change your life, "Choices" has the exercises contained within it and the probing questions one must ask, in order to assess really where you're at in life, and develop a simple, easy-to-do plan to change your life in a smooth, almost effortless way. I say "almost effortless," because there will be some struggle--there always is when we're talking about change. But there's a saying that goes: "If you think education is expensive--try ignorance." And we all can use more education in our lives whether we're focusing on health, spirituality, academics, finances, etc. People find in the long run, ignorance tends to be a lot more costly in all areas of your life, for your entire lifetime. Change starts from within, but you must first recognize that change is needed. "Choices--The Power Is Within You," allows you to look at yourself, without judging, without condemnation, without blame. Just as a factual vehicle and way for you to make change, whether it's miniscule or on a grand scale, that will impact your life. And while they're developing themselves personally, they may want to purchase "Best of Friends," for the times they want to take a break and just do some 'fun reading.'
Tyler: Thank you, Sherry, for joining me today. You've given us lots to think about and make us feel inspired. Best wishes with your books and your public speaking.
Low Price Celestron Dobsonian Telescope Low Price Sebo Vacuum Pouf Ottoman Ideas
Monday, November 28, 2011
The Cass Scenic Railroad
Morning mist, like a transparent sheath, rose from the green-carpeted Cheat Mountain in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest on that Memorial Day weekend, but the hot sun quickly intercepted it during its gentle ascent, leaving a flawlessly blue sky.
Like a pocket of history, somehow frozen in time, the town of Cass, accessed via curving, mountain-hugging roads and a short, Greenbrier River-traversing bridge, sported its railroad depot, historic buildings, and dual tracks, all cradled by a valley in Back Allegheny Mountain. The tracks themselves, stretching toward and disappearing into a dense forest, were the very reason for the town and its railroad and also the reason why neither disappeared into history.
Densely covered with virgin forests during the late-19th century, West Virginia ubiquitously sprouted oak, hickory, pine, walnut, and chestnut at its lower elevations and hemlock, spruce, maple, and birch at its higher ones, providing rich lumber resources, with its eight- to nine-foot diameter trees, for the houses, stores, churches, and schools demanded by the state's increasing population.
Logging, once dependent upon rivers to power sawmills, evolved into a significant industry with the concurrent development of the steam engine and the circular saw, a combination which permitted location anywhere the operation required it, independent of external water power.
Trees were traditionally felled, cut into manageably sized logs, propelled down slopes by means of wooden skids to streams, and transported to mills on log rafts.
Because of the inherent imprecision and danger of the manual skidding method, the Lidgerwood Company of New York designed the first steam-powered skidder, which constituted another logging industry advancement. First used in West Virginia in 1904, the device, featuring a mile of 1 7/8-inch thick cable which extended up to 2,600 feet, was either mounted directly on the ground or atop a rail-provisioned flat car, gripping the log and transferring it from forest to stream in a secure, controlled manner. It significantly increased the capability of the horse-drawn method it often replaced.
Water-born logging rafts, as equally imprecise because of rock, boulder, branch, and rapids obstructions during the summer and ice in the winter, were eventually replaced with steam-operated loaders and logging railroads.
Large band saws, substituting for the earlier, circular device, converted timber into lumber more rapidly, precisely, and efficiently, eliminating needless waste, and had an average daily capability of 125,000 board-feet.
By the late-19th century, West Virginia had become one of the country's largest lumber producers, more than one hundred railroads transporting raw timber to mills for cutting and processing before being shipped for sale as a finished product. Peaking in 1909, the industry cut some 1,473 million board feet of lumber per year.
One of the most major logging operations had been the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company. Founded in 1899 when John G. Luke acquired more than 67,000 acres of red spruce in West Virginia, it was a subsidiary of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company located in Covington, Virginia.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, foreseeing a need for freight and lumber transportation, hastened its own plans to extend its track into northern Pocahontas County, incorporating a subsidiary designated the "Greenbrier Railway Company" in 1897 and commencing roadbed and track construction two years later. The line reached the area that December. Threshold to virgin forests, it was uniquely positioned to carry timber to the Covington sawmill and also to connect with the Coal and Iron Railway, which itself was later amalgamated into the Western Maryland Railway.
Although it provided a vital link, it did not penetrate the mountain-clinging forests themselves, nor did it possess the proper locomotive equipment to do so. Logging railroad track, by necessity, exhibited several unique characteristics. Mountain forests usually dictated both sharp curves, which could equal 35 degrees, and steep grades, which required switchbacks to surmount, while track needed to be portable, moved after each area was cut and depleted. Resultantly, it was usually built up of short, skinned logs directly laid on the bare earth, without the benefit of prepared roadbeds, and the rails themselves were then spiked to them. Rail weight, ranging between 50 and 75 pounds per yard, was more than sufficient.
Although these temporary, impromptu tracks fulfilled the immediate need before being moved to the next location, they were ill-suited to conventional, rod-type locomotives with their rigid frames and fixed driving axles. Often falling victim to imperfections, they slipped and frequently derailed. What was needed was an engine with numerous, small drive wheels, ideally ranging between eight and 16, which could deliver low-speed traction, continuous contact, positive power, and effective braking, yet exhibit considerable flexibility.
Ephraim Shay, a Michigan logger who was well acquainted with such obstacles, designed the first articulated locomotive for logging purposes in 1874. Its driving force was subdivided into the cylinders-connecting rods and the driving wheels mounted on pivoting trucks, the side-mounted cylinders themselves counterbalanced by an offset boiler, while the tender truck's own driving axles both contributed to this force and added to the locomotive's adhesion weight. The geared steam engine, replacing the conventional locomotive's rod-driving propulsion system, was equally easy to maintain and repair with its entirely exposed parts.
The first such Shay, patented and constructed by the Lima Machine Works of Lima, Ohio, in 1880, featured slide vales, a vertical boiler, and eight drivers.
Later, progressively larger examples sported three right-side mounted vertical cylinders counterbalanced by a left side boiler, which itself provided clearance for the cylinders, and a small water tender-connected coal bunker located immediately behind the cab. Since the engine was seldom far from either a coal or water supply, its relatively small capacity proved sufficient.
Cylinder pistons, by means of bevel gears, enabled each truck to independently negotiate the rail's imperfections and their small, 36-inch drive wheels provided the needed adhesion and traction. Yet, since all wheels were interconnected either by line shafts or axles, single-wheel slippages were impossible.
The Shay locomotive, enjoying a 2,771-production run between 1880 and 1945, proved to be the most ideally-suited and numerically most popular powerplant for logging operations, whether specifically in West Virginia, where more than 400 were employed, or elsewhere. It also had limited application for steep-grade, heavy-load lines and industrial switching.
The West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company's first locomotive was a two-truck, 42-ton Shay.
The first pulpwood shipment to the Covington, Virginia, paper mill, hauled by the Greenbrier Railway Company, was made on January 28, 1901, but what was needed for more immediate processing and independent operation was a strategically located sawmill. This became operational the following year.
In order to support the massive workforce required for a rapidly expanding logging enterprise, a company town, designated "Cass" after West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company Vice President Joseph P. Cass, arose from a small farming community and wagon road river crossing previously called "Leatherbark Ford."
Carefully planned and revolving round the sawmill itself, the incorporated town, with an official major and council, was located on one side of the Greenbrier River and boasted of a 2,000-strong population, sustained by houses, schools, stores, offices, churches, and civic and social organizations. It quickly blossomed into one of West Virginia's largest boom towns.
Its three-story Pocahontas Supply Company store, constructed in 1902 and partially rebuilt 16 years later after fire had consumed its upper floor, sold everything from food to appliances to furniture and was the nucleus of the town. It had also served as the site of the US Post Office and the lumber company's offices.
The smaller shop next to it housed Nethkin's Meat Market.
Residents used wooden boardwalks to negotiate the area by foot.
Contrasted with the brothels and hotels located on the town's east side, which was alternatively dubbed "East Cass" or "Dirty Street," the dual-structure comprising the Cass Hotel was frequented by businessmen, workers in good standing, and respected visitors.
The elite, in general, lived in the town's Big Bug Hill section.
The mayor's office, replacing a temporarily employed boxcar for incarcerations, ironically housed the more permanent jail on its first floor and the mayoral headquarters on its second.
Between 1901 and 1920, the railroad had constituted Cass's only access.
Propelled by its small Shay locomotive, the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company commenced logging railroad operations in January of 1901, pulling red spruce-piled flat cars over an initial eight miles of off-line track in order to supply the Covington paper mill with pulpwood until Cass's own mill had been completed the following year. By 1908, the operation had sustained dramatic growth, with logging trains running both day and night, supported by 200 draft horses and 1,000 men and supplying the mill with hemlock and spruce bark. Forty-four daily cars hauled raw material and finished products from Cass.
After subsidiary West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company had been acquired by and amalgamated into parent Pulp and Paper, and the operation had entered its second life phase, the railroad had been rechartered as the Greenbrier, Cheat, and Elk, opening a main line into the Elk River Watershed in order to log a 2,000-foot-long by 100-foot-deep area designated the "Big Cut," then the largest and most costly engineering project ever undertaken by an eastern logging company. Comprised of 82 miles of main and 40 additional miles of spur line track at its peak, it enjoyed 21 years of common-carrier operations.
A typical logging operation entailed cutting the designated trees, skidding them down the slope to the tracks, and loading them, as log limbs, on to the flatbed cars, cradled between vertical, side-forming and -mounted wooden stakes, which formed pockets. After being transported to the mill, they were unloaded in to the mill pond, at which time pike-provisioned men channeled them on to jack slips-inclined, cleated, conveyor belt-like chains-for travel into the actual mill's sawing room. The finished product, assuming the form of cut board, was then dried and reloaded on to standard-gauge trains pulled by traditional rod locomotives for distribution to the company or lumber yard which had ordered them.
The mill, equipped with 11 miles of steam pipes, cut more than 125,000 board feet of lumber per shift and dried 360,000 per run, there having been two 11-hour shifts per day, scheduled six days per week, resulting in 1.5 million board feet per week and 35 million per year.
The West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, having grown into one of West Virginia's largest logging enterprises, was continually subjected to expansion, as evidenced by its statistics: the Greenbrier, Cheat, and Elk Railroad had operated over 66 miles of track by 1917 and over 101 miles four years later, when the workforce had exceeded 1,500.
But, by the time World War II had raged, the forests surrounding Cass had been depleted, despite still-prevalent hardwood and second-growth trees below Bald Knob. The West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, unable to justify the economic viability of extending its track into the timber span, sold the operation to F. Edwin Mower, head of the Charleston-based Mower Lumber Company. Demand for southern yellow pine, traditionally used for paper production, had already precipitated a decline and 68,000 acres had been sold to the US Forest Service in 1936. The remainder had been acquired by Mower. The West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company thus entered the third phase of its life, albeit under a new name.
Laying 12 miles of short branch track off the Cabin Fork Line to Bald Knob, the Mower Lumber Company was able to continue harnessing the precious wood resource. But with only 65,000 acres remaining by 1960, a handful of still-unharvested hardwood patches, and deteriorating rolling stock and machinery, it only operated three weekly trains pulled by an equal number of Shay locomotives, and finally ceased operations on June 30 of that year. Victim, like most of the other logging railroad enterprises to forest depletion and new, automated mill processing methods, it retreated into the history books, leaving less than half-a-dozen concerns in West Virginia. Its track, mills, machinery, engines, and cars almost went with it.
The Midwest Raleigh Steel Corporation, to which the operation's components had been sold, began dismantling its track, with the intention of having it completely removed before the onset of winter, while the locomotives, rolling stock, and logging equipment would be junked. Walworth Farms, a landholding company, acquired its wooded property.
Russel C. Baum, a Pennsylvania rail fan who coincidentally spent a three-day vacation in Marlinton, West Virginia, during this time, witnessed the painstaking dismemberment process, but immediately foresaw the historical and tourist value of the railroad.
Commencing a campaign to save it and pleading his case in Charleston's Capitol Building, he was able to obtain a temporary injunction which dictated suspension of the dismantling process, and a committee, formed for the purpose of investigating its tourism potential, ultimately recommended that the state acquire its roadbed, rolling stock, and 40 acres on Back Allegheny Mountain for 0,000. It would then be operated by the Department of Natural Resources. On June 15, 1963, the operation entered its fourth life phase when the Cass Scenic Railroad was born.
Pulled by Shay locomotive #4, the first passenger-carrying excursion train left Cass and the railroad carried 23,106 during its first year of operations. That number has increased every year since. Restoring the line to fully operational status, it opened the second portion, to Bald Knob, on May 25, 1968, to the excursion train, its tracks having now carried both logs and passengers.
On the same date, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, which includes almost 100 buildings in the town itself, was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and today, as a unit of the West Virginia Park System, is the site of the nation's longest-running tourist railway, the geared steam locomotive, the mill town, the locomotive repair shop, the Cass Company store, the Last Run Restaurant, and the Shay Railroad Shop.
The Cass Mill, having been owned by the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company between 1902 and 1910, the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company between 1910 and 1942, and the Mower Lumber Company between 1942 and 1960, had been comprised of the drying kilns, the boiler house, the powerhouse, the sawmill itself, the millpond, and the storage area for finished lumber, all located between the tracks and the Greenbrier River. Reconstruction occurred from 1922 to 1923 because of fire, the reason for its final demise during the 1980s.
II
Belching thick, black smoke from its stack and clanging its bell, Shay locomotive #6 pulled its still-empty cars to the Cass depot on the left of the two main tracks 30 minutes before its 1100 departure to Bald Knob on that late-May morning, a four-and-a-half hour, 22-mile round trip journey.
The cars themselves consisted of six wooden, converted logging cars with paneless windows, a roof, and side-facing bench seats, painted green with red window trim, and a single wooden, enclosed coach with forward- and aft-facing, booth-like seats, designated "Leatherbark Creek."
The depot next to which they stood, constructed here in 1901 to serve the just-completed Greenbrier Division of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, was modified in 1923 to accommodate an increasing volume of freight and passengers, but the present wooden, white-painted structure was rebuilt in 1979, four years after fire had claimed the original one.
The 162-ton, Class C-150 Shay locomotive #6, originally constructed for the Western Maryland Railway and the largest of its type, had been shipped to Elkins, West Virginia, on May 14, 1945 for service on the nine-percent graded Chaffee Branch. The three-truck engine, with 48-inch drivers, a 17-inch bore, and an 18-inch stroke, was then donated to the Baltimore and Ohio Museum, in Baltimore, Maryland, after four years, and was subsequently exchanged for a Cass Scenic Railroad Porter 0-4-0 after another 26. Other locomotives in its inventory include the 93-ton Shay #2, the 80-ton Shay #4, the 90-ton Shay #5, and the 103-ton Shay #11. A 70-ton Shay #9 and 100-ton Heisler #6, although not currently operational, round out the fleet.
Emitting an ear-shattering whistle and releasing a volcanic eruption of billowing, blinding black smoke, the Shay #6, assuming a pusher-configuration, bit into the rails and prodded its cars into abrupt motion, steam pressure pulsing its pistons which then rotated its crankshaft, and this, in turn, rotated the all-driver wheels through reduction gear. Plying the tracks acquired by the state park in 1978 after the Chesapeake and Ohio's Greenbrier Division had operated its last freight service on them, the train moved past the water tank, which had been shared with the C&O, but is presently a replica which had been installed in 2005. It also marked the spot, at the junction switch, where the logging railroad actually began.
The deadline, cradling several locomotives, was the service area for coaling, sanding, and repairing.
Crossing Back Mountain Road, the train trundled near the original, 1901 track, which had been on a cribbing through the wet bottomland of Leatherbark Creek, and the bridges which had traversed it had been little more than wood stringers until they had been replaced by steel structures in 1959. West Virginia's highest stream, the creek itself flowed from a point below Bald Knob.
Rumbling and vibrating with every track joint traverse, the chain of cars commenced a four-percent graded ascent through a cool, almost sun-obstructing forest of tall spruce, hemlock, white pine, and red spruce trees, the raw timber which constituted the very reason for the railroad's creation. Most had now been third-cut vegetation, with the patches receiving the most sunlight having been the first to regrow.
In order to avoid an excessive amount of circumventing track and gain the maximum amount of elevation in the minimum amount of distance, the logging railroad installed two switchbacks, the lower of which was reached at mile 2.3. Ceasing motion beyond the actual v-configured rails before releasing a soot-reeking geyser from its stack and assaulting the forest's solitude with a billowing stream of coal cinders, the Shay locomotive, puffing and panting, lurched its cars in a pulling mode, filling its lungs with every chugging breath as the crankshaft provided the vital connection between the vertical pistons and the rotating wheels. Settling into a rhythmic, albeit explosive, forest-echoing chug, the mass re-established motion.
Initiating a 22-degree curve on a 3.65-percent grade, the Bald Knob run arced into the 158-degree circle characterizing Gum Curve at mile 2.6. The sun-illuminated clearing, comprised of rolling, velvet-green pastures, revealed the equally green waves of the highlands off the left side.
At mile 3.1, the train's seven cars, bombarded with lung-choking steam and smoke, moved past Limestone Cut, the track's roadbed having been created after limestone rock itself had been hand-cut with the aid of picks, shovels, black powder, and horse-drawn pans.
Once again immersed in dense, dark forest, the railroad maneuvered through an arrest-reinitiated motion sequence as it spewed black plumes to the towering treetops and negotiated the upper switchback, the locomotive assuming its pusher-configuration.
Mountains, varying in color with distance, seemed to roll and crest, like ocean waves, dividing the line between Virginia and West Virginia. Those closest to the train appeared green while those furthest from it appeared dark-blue to gray.
Commencing a 0.2-mile, s-curve at a 7.1-percent grade, the train crossed the access road to Whittaker and surmounted a plateau, a sanctuary-exuding meadow in the middle of a steep forest flanked on either side by densely treed mountains. Having climbed from 2,452 feet at Cass to a current 3,250 at Whittaker Station, the Shay engine breathed a sigh and suspended its journey at 1145.
Aside from the views of Cheat Mountain and the snackbar facilities, the station itself afforded the opportunity to experience the Mountain State Railroad and Logging Association's reconstructed logger's camp.
Originally the site of a Hungarian railroad laborer's camp during the turn-of-the-century, the present reconstruction, depicting a later set-up from about 1946, featured three tracks on which railroad cars, equipment, and miners shanties were positioned, the latter built using measurements from actual structures near Bald Knob.
Although such camps were usually isolated, spartan, and offered little more than a suspension between work shifts to facilitate washing, eating, and sleeping until the person could return to the main logging town, such as Cass, they were an integral part of West Virginia railroad logging from the late-1800s to 1960.
Because the activity had constituted the predominant growth industry during this period, and because timber companies needed significant numbers of immigrant workers to meet their operational requirements, they usually contracted large city-located labor agents to screen and hire them. Typically, they encompassed people from Italy, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Russia, and Poland. The camps, crude and crowded, employed kerosene lamps for light and coal or wood for heat. Food, in copious quantities, was vital to worker productivity.
The Whittaker camp's four-wheel logging caboose, constructed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1883, was usually attached at the end of logging trains and accommodated by brakemen and management-level personnel so that they could inspect remote sites. Later employed in Swandale, Clay County, it was finally acquired by the Cass Scenic Railroad.
The camp's several shanties, which utilized less-than-premium lumber and were transported from area to area after it had been depleted of trees, exemplified the structure's size and internal facilities relative to position importance. The wood shanty was tiny. The filer's shanty contained a larger window to provide maximum light for saw sharpening. And the desk-provisioned surveyor/cruiser shanty was housed by the men who determined which timber should be cut and how it should be removed from the mountain.
The kitchen and dining car, sporting a long,, bench-lined, internal table for eating, and the abundant portions served on it, were tantamount to sustaining logging operations, since the human bodies were the primary "machines" involved in the operational chain, over and above the mechanical ones, and therefore had to be properly "fueled." There had been little else to which loggers would look forward during their nocturnal downtimes.
Sleeping in spartan surroundings, as evidenced by the lobby/bunk car, was the standard until the worker could return to home and family in the company town. A stove provided warmth and a method by which wet clothes could be dried throughout the night.
The diesel-powered log loader, usually riding car-fastened rails and thus capable of both independent and collective movement with the remainder of the train, facilitated log transfer from ground to rolling stock. The camp's example was capable of handling tree-length specimens.
The steam-driven Lidgerwood log skidder, operated by a three-man crew and built by the Meadow River Lumber Company in 1944, had been employed for some two decades, and facilitated log delivery from the cutting source to the actual railroad by means of an aerial cable.
Snoozing during its 15-minute interlude, the black Shay locomotive exhaled white streams of breath through its vertical piston nostrils, the high-pressure steam discharged from the cylinders itself eradicating its piston chambers of condensation. The restful state, however, was soon shattered by its subsequently released, atmosphere-piercing whistle, its sound waves reverberating off of the surrounding slopes and beckoning the passengers back to the cars for the continuing journey.
Re-boring its way through the deep, dense wood forest, whose foliage slowly moved by like a green mosaic within an arm's length of the windowless coaches, the train trundled over the culvert at Whittaker Run, the sharper curve of the old grade visible on the track's low side.
Clinging to Leatherbark Gorge, the rails briefly threaded their way through Austin Meadows, on whose slope farm fields once grew, and thence over Gobbler's Knob.
A skidder set, located on a 225-foot siding on the uphill side of the train at mile 5.4, had occupied the site between 1940 and 1941, its 3,000-foot cable transferring logs at a 500-foot height over the creek from the far mountainside.
Climbing a 5.4- to six-percent grade at mile 6.0, the string of cars passed an overlook whose view took in Leatherbark Creek Valley, located below the lower switchback and from which smoke, created by the 1200 Whittaker train, now rose. At the present elevation, spruce trees had become ubiquitous.
The logging spur leading to Camp 5, which had been hollowed in 1911, moved off the side at mile 6.2.
The tracks, forking a half-mile further into the journey, led to Old Spruce on the left and Bald Knob on the right, the former following the main line which connected with tracks destined for the Cheat and Elk River drainages at the abandoned mill town of Spruce. Located at a 3,940-foot elevation on the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River, the bark-peeling pulpwood mill- and railroad shop-equipped town was considered the "highest and coldest...in the east."
Arcing to the right of the two, the train entered the logging spur, and the last to have been laid by the Mower Lumber Company, so that it could access the highest-elevation timber. It served as the threshold to Bald Knob.
Operations, ceasing in 1960, never permitted use of the railroad grade located on the high side and destined for the head of Leatherbark Creek.
Arresting its travel on the eight-percent graded track at the Oats Creek water tank, the engine was intravenously-fed 4,000 gallons of the life-providing liquid by means of a steam-driven siphon and portable hose extending from an old mill boiler which continually collected creek water run-off. The 6,000-gallon tank, located directly over the engine's driver wheels, ensured both increased traction and greater rail adhesion.
Somehow emulating a polluting factory, the Shay locomotive once again released a black, vertical plume as it propelled the train over the seven-percent grade of Johnson Run, at mile 8.2, past the Snowshoe ski resort overlook, now entrenched in third-cut hemlock, ash, white pine, and red spruce tree sentinels.
The wye, at mile 9.1, had led to a one-mile-long spur off to the left which had been equipped with five skidder sets and a camp train between 1950 and 1951, but had since been reduced to a fraction of this length.
Clanking, lurching, swaying, and screaming with protests at every turn, and releasing its own periodic explosion of steam, the train moved round the Big Run watershed, at a 1.5-percent downgrade, the track having been laid from Shavers Fork in 1910 when skidding had still been accomplished by means of horse power.
Moving through the ten-mile marker, it traversed the logging road crossing, initiating its final, mile-long approach to the mountain's summit on a nine-percent grade. A small clearing indicated imminent arrival.
Passing the left-arcing logging railroad grade, the train ceased motion for a final time at mile 11.0 in the cooler, more rarefied air at 4,750-foot Bald Knob, the highest point reached east of the Rocky Mountains by a non-cog railroad and the third-highest in the state of West Virginia.
The billous black, 162-ton Shay locomotive, having voraciously consumed mini-mountains of coal and unquenchably gulped water by the thousand gallons, instantaneously ceased its persistent chug, belch, hiss, screech, clang, and shrill at 1320, leaving silence-and the breathtaking view of the gentle, dark green, blue, and gray, wave-resembling ridges rolling into one another almost 5,000 feet above the surface from the eastern edge of the Allegheny Highland, as viewed from the scenic overlook platform.
Eleven miles ahead lay the mountains marking the Virginia border, but only a few yards behind, cradled by the terminating track, was the Shay #6 locomotive, its coal tender, and its seven vacant cars. Its forest- and five sense-assaulting technology, although now crude and primitive, had been instrumental in West Virginia logging railroad history, once removing the raw, vitally-needed timber to build the country's towns and sustain their people, but today returned them to the mountain forest where they could witness its feats.
Enticed back to the train 40 minutes later for the 11-mile journey back to Cass, the passengers, numbering in the hundreds, owed it a silent salute.
Order Tangled Disney Movie Summer Infant Handheld Monitor Right Now
Thursday, November 24, 2011
MK-370EXP 1-1/4 HP 7-Inch Wet Cutting Tile Saw
!±8±MK-370EXP 1-1/4 HP 7-Inch Wet Cutting Tile Saw
Brand : MK DiamondRate :
Price : $389.00
Post Date : Nov 24, 2011 18:32:11
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Tile Saw with Stand features 7-inch portable wet-cutting tile saw with 18-inch rip, 13-inch diagonal, and 2-inch depth of cut1-1/4-horsepower engine for high torque (6,000 RPM) and power. Durable design--thermoplastic water reservoir; zinc-plated steel frame.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Zeitgeist Addendum
Zeitgeist: Addendum by Peter Joseph. Full movie Sharing this movie is encouraged. Download from www.zeitgeistmovie.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |