Archives July 2022

Read Santa Clara marks tenth anniversary

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Santa Clara, California, USA. The adult literacy program Read Santa Clara marked its tenth anniversary today with a gathering of program participants, staff, and supporters from the community. Read Santa Clara trains volunteer tutors and matches them with adult learners who wish to build their literacy skills.

In the presentation, program staff and supporters reviewed the program’s history and growth, honored long-time participants, and looked toward the future.

Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan spoke at the gathering, noting, “Read Santa Clara joins people who need to learn with people who need to teach, and what a powerful combination that is.” She added, “I think adult literacy is so important.”

Program coordinators estimate that tutors volunteered some 5000 hours last year. City Manager Jennifer Sparacino estimates, “That’s worth about $100,000 per year in volunteer time.”

Learners also spoke about what Read Santa Clara meant to them. Raymond Moreno said, “I hope it stays for another ten, twenty, thirty years, because we need it.” Juan Velasquez said, “My life has changed a lot…I did many things I could not have done without help.” And Ike Moore said, “To be able to express myself…What a gift!”

This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.
This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.
Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Read_Santa_Clara_marks_tenth_anniversary&oldid=2145865”

House Removals Own Your Own Vs Hiring Professional Movers

House Removals Own Your Own Vs Hiring Professional Movers

by

Kashif Munir

I have always felt very tired just at the thought of relocating. I get home sick from the old place and feel that packing and relocating is the most tedious job in the world. the last time we moved, we hired the best moving company in our area. This was an excellent idea because it changed by whole view of relocating. They did everything in such a civilized and quick way that there was tension about any kind of damage, packing, moving, etc. I had such an excellent experience that I am looking forward to the next time we move.

In spite of the fact that I had moved and relocated a few times but still I did not know the small tips and ideas that could squeeze the work and make it get done in as less time as the professionals manage. There are several moving companies available in our town but I took quotations from quite a few and then chose one that fit my budget. The professional men made sure that they relaxed me; I just had to sit and watch. They took care of everything. They were responsible for everything including packing, dissembling of furniture, moving and assembling of every item. There are many people who need the help of a good professional helper when moving but if you hire a moving company for the job, you would definitely be better off in every way.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXhhXXsxSfE[/youtube]

There are many people who had good experiences and this time I was completely at ease. They take care of every thing. They are so deft and comfortable with packing and managing everything that nothing goes wrong when they are working. All those people who hire the man and van services learn a few great tips from themselves and make sure that the next time they move they can easily save some money in packing in a different way and saving a lot of time and damage. Man And Van are quick in their work because it s their daily work. They know how to pack and what to pack in what way.

They use the proper sized cartons for the different things according to the quality of material being packed. They make sure that they provide the owner with a list of all the things they packed. All the things packed in one carton are also listed on a page which is later stuck to one side or top of the carton to make sure that the owners can find the things easily by looking at the lists.

It is wise to hire

Man And Van Kingston

company for your house moving and relocation. Services are available on short notice. There are no hidden charges. To read more about house moving and removals services, please visit – http://packing.ezinemark.com/packing-crockery-during-house-moving-and-relocation-7d392aec1749.html

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

JonBenet Ramsey murder suspect back in America

Monday, August 21, 2006

John Mark Carr, the man who has been accused of killing six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey ten years ago, has arrived in the US after being extradited from Bangkok in Thailand.

The forty-one year-old American schoolteacher was escorted by US security officials from Bangkok, but officers from the Los Angeles Police Department accompanied him after he went through customs. He was then whisked off in a helicopter and taken to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles.

“Mr. Karr is expected to remain in the custody of local authorities while the Boulder District Attorney’s Office seeks his extradition to Colorado,” a statement from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Karr confessed to being with JonBenét when she died, adding that her death was an accident. “I was with JonBenét when she died. I loved JonBenét. She died accidentally. I am so very sorry for what happened to JonBenét. It’s very important for me that everyone knows that I love her very much, that her death was unintentional, that it was an accident.”

Despite his confession, Karr’s then ex-wife said that he was in Alabama with her when the murder occurred.

JonBenét was found beaten and strangled in her Colorado home on the day after Christmas in 1996.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=JonBenet_Ramsey_murder_suspect_back_in_America&oldid=566608”

Food with cancer-causing dye recalled in Britain

Saturday, April 30, 2005

The British Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced a recall of foods containing banned dyes which increase the risk of cancer. The food products were sold at the Tesco, Waitrose, and Somerfield supermarkets.

A Bristol company called “Barts Spices” found the illegal Para Red substance in their Barts Ground Paprika, which was sold in 48g and 46g jars with a “Co-op” label. The batch codes on the affected products are 5032 and 5089 (expiration Dec 2007), and 5075 (expiration February 2007).

Tesco also found that their 130g package of BBQ rice cakes (expiration November and December 2005) contained both Para Red and Sudan I.

“It would be very prudent to assume that it could be a genotoxic carcinogen,” FSA scientific advisers told reporters.

“As a company committed to supplying only the very finest quality food ingredients, we took the immediate decision to withdraw our ground paprika spice from all outlets selling the product and advertised a product recall in the national press,” a Barts Spices spokesman said in a statement.

Sudan I is only authorized for industrial use to colorize petroleum products, such as shoe polish. Para Red and Sudan I are banned under the British Colours in Food Regulations of 1995.

Britain last went through a major food recall in February, when Worcester Sauce was found to contain chili powder dyed with Sudan 1.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Food_with_cancer-causing_dye_recalled_in_Britain&oldid=1972969”

Police report drug haul seizure worth up to £30 million in Brownhills, England

Monday, December 2, 2013

Police in the West Midlands in England today said nearly 200 kilograms worth of drugs with value possibly as great as £30 million (about US$49 million or €36 million) has been seized from a unit in the town of Brownhills. In what an officer described as “one of the largest [seizures] in the force’s 39 year history”, West Midlands Police reported recovering six big cellophane-wrapped cardboard boxes containing cannabis, cocaine, and MDMA (“ecstasy”) in a police raid operation on the Maybrook Industrial Estate in the town on Wednesday.

The impact this seizure will have on drug dealing in the region and the UK as a whole cannot be underestimated

The seized boxes, which had been loaded onto five freight pallets, contained 120 one-kilogram bags of cannabis, 50 one-kilogram bags of MDMA, and five one-kilogram bricks of cocaine. In a press release, West Midlands Police described what happened after officers found the drugs as they were being unloaded in the operation. “When officers opened the boxes they discovered a deep layer of protective foam chips beneath which the drugs were carefully layered”, the force said. “All the drugs were wrapped in thick plastic bags taped closed with the cannabis vacuum packed to prevent its distinctive pungent aroma from drawing unwanted attention.” Police moved the drugs via forklift truck to a flatbed lorry to remove them.

Detective Sergeant Carl Russell of West Midlands Police’s Force CID said the seizure was the largest he had ever made in the 24 years he has been in West Midlands Police and one of the biggest seizures the force has made since its formation in 1974. “The impact this seizure will have on drug dealing in the region and the UK as a whole cannot be underestimated”, he said. “The drugs had almost certainly been packed to order ready for shipping within Britain but possibly even further afield. Our operation will have a national effect and we are working closely with a range of law enforcement agencies to identify those involved in this crime at whatever level.”

Expert testing on the drugs is ongoing. Estimates described as “conservative” suggest the value of the drugs amounts to £10 million (about US$16.4 million or €12 million), although they could be worth as much as £30 million, subject to purity tests, police said.

Police arrested three men at the unit on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug. The men, a 50-year-old from Brownhills, a 51-year-old from the Norton area of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, and one aged 53 from Brownhills, have been released on bail as police investigations to “hunt those responsible” continue. West Midlands Police told Wikinews no person has yet been charged in connection with the seizure. Supplying a controlled drug is an imprisonable offence in England, although length of jail sentences vary according to the class and quantity of drugs and the significance of offenders’ roles in committing the crime.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Police_report_drug_haul_seizure_worth_up_to_£30_million_in_Brownhills,_England&oldid=2611781”

Employment Policies And Procedures To Protect Your Business

Employment policies and procedures to protect your business

by

MarkRobert

How to protect your business and not get sued – policies and procedures:

Online legal documents and business agreements for employment policies and procedures, equipment lease agreements, construction health and safety policy, and construction equipment leases for the best use in South Africa to protect and help business matters.

More than ever, the workplace has become a hotbed of legal battles where employees are suing businesses, businesses are suing contractors, and workers are suing businesses and contractors. If you want to protect yourself and your business from this occurrence, you will need to be armed with the right legal documents. Documents like employment policies and procedures, equipment lease agreements, a construction health and safety policy, and construction equipment leases are the types of documents that can be vital to your business.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI_y00hr1FY[/youtube]

You and your business are responsible for the well-being of your employees, both morally and legally. If you have written employment policies and procedures in place with proper behavior and guidelines made clear to your employees, your business will be better protected. With these documents for example, occurrences of employee drug and alcohol misuse, computer, e-mail, Internet and communications abuses, and charges of on-the-job sexual harassment, can be avoided.

The same is true with on-the-job-safety. For example, in the construction industry, health and safety should be a top priority. By having the documents that outline your construction health and safety policy your employers will be required to take certain measures to prevent accidents from occurring. This will protect your workers and prevent claims being made against you and your business.

Another area of contention that can be avoided deals with business equipment leases. If you have the proper equipment lease agreements between you and your supplier, misunderstandings can be completely averted. You will have down on paper what exactly the terms are on your vehicle leases, your telephone system and your computers.

A construction equipment lease, whether it involves renting out machinery or renting out a plant with or without machinery, is a very important document to have if your business falls into this category. You will be best protected with a document that protects your interests more so than those of the lessee as your liability is so much greater.

There is a plethora of online websites providing legal document services but you want to be careful about which one you choose. You have to be sure you re dealing with a firm that knows South African law, doesn t overcharge, and has great customer support.

One such company is Net Lawman, a reputable legal document service in the U.K. with jurisdiction in South Africa. They have received excellent reviews for their documents pertaining to protecting businesses and have gained quite an international following. Their prices are more than affordable and their staff is extremely helpful.

Wherever you decide to obtain your business documents, you need to research your options very thoroughly. In today s litigious society, you really can t be too careful.

Netlawman goal is to provide best quality, cost effective, easily accessible legal services to the World. We provide best collection of South Africa legal documents in plain English on the Internet.

Service Agreement – Service Contract – Business Agreements – Business Sale Agreement

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Libertarian candidate Aaron Parent, Essex

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Aaron Parent is running for the Libertarian in the Ontario provincial election, in the Essex riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Ontario_Votes_2007:_Interview_with_Libertarian_candidate_Aaron_Parent,_Essex&oldid=2566101”

Police report drug haul seizure worth up to £30 million in Brownhills, England

Monday, December 2, 2013

Police in the West Midlands in England today said nearly 200 kilograms worth of drugs with value possibly as great as £30 million (about US$49 million or €36 million) has been seized from a unit in the town of Brownhills. In what an officer described as “one of the largest [seizures] in the force’s 39 year history”, West Midlands Police reported recovering six big cellophane-wrapped cardboard boxes containing cannabis, cocaine, and MDMA (“ecstasy”) in a police raid operation on the Maybrook Industrial Estate in the town on Wednesday.

The impact this seizure will have on drug dealing in the region and the UK as a whole cannot be underestimated

The seized boxes, which had been loaded onto five freight pallets, contained 120 one-kilogram bags of cannabis, 50 one-kilogram bags of MDMA, and five one-kilogram bricks of cocaine. In a press release, West Midlands Police described what happened after officers found the drugs as they were being unloaded in the operation. “When officers opened the boxes they discovered a deep layer of protective foam chips beneath which the drugs were carefully layered”, the force said. “All the drugs were wrapped in thick plastic bags taped closed with the cannabis vacuum packed to prevent its distinctive pungent aroma from drawing unwanted attention.” Police moved the drugs via forklift truck to a flatbed lorry to remove them.

Detective Sergeant Carl Russell of West Midlands Police’s Force CID said the seizure was the largest he had ever made in the 24 years he has been in West Midlands Police and one of the biggest seizures the force has made since its formation in 1974. “The impact this seizure will have on drug dealing in the region and the UK as a whole cannot be underestimated”, he said. “The drugs had almost certainly been packed to order ready for shipping within Britain but possibly even further afield. Our operation will have a national effect and we are working closely with a range of law enforcement agencies to identify those involved in this crime at whatever level.”

Expert testing on the drugs is ongoing. Estimates described as “conservative” suggest the value of the drugs amounts to £10 million (about US$16.4 million or €12 million), although they could be worth as much as £30 million, subject to purity tests, police said.

Police arrested three men at the unit on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug. The men, a 50-year-old from Brownhills, a 51-year-old from the Norton area of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, and one aged 53 from Brownhills, have been released on bail as police investigations to “hunt those responsible” continue. West Midlands Police told Wikinews no person has yet been charged in connection with the seizure. Supplying a controlled drug is an imprisonable offence in England, although length of jail sentences vary according to the class and quantity of drugs and the significance of offenders’ roles in committing the crime.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Police_report_drug_haul_seizure_worth_up_to_£30_million_in_Brownhills,_England&oldid=2611781”

The Benefits Of Traveling In Style With A Weston Limousine Service

byAlma Abell

Weston is a beautiful town is a more rural area of the state that is just a short 45 miles from New York. Getting to and from this beautiful community has never been easier if you use the services of a Weston limousine service.

Typically a Weston limousine service, when you consider the benefits, is not more expensive than many other top of the line ground transportation options. It is one of the few ways that you have to get around in luxury, comfort and style while also traveling on your own schedule and on the route that you select.

Booking Your Weston Limousine Service in Advance

Booking your Weston limousine service in advance provides you with many different options. These options include the ability to select and reserve a specific type of vehicle that will be available at the set time and in the set location. For travelers this may be one of the airports that serve the surrounding area including the Bradley and Logan International Airports. It may also include picking you up at your residence and transporting you to the airport or any other departure location.

At peak times it is also important to book your Weston limousine service in advance. This includes the busy spring through autumn months were wedding limo service is in high demand. Proms and special events throughout the year in the cities around Weston also tend to create higher demand so early booking is recommended.

What to Expect

For many people, booking a Weston limousine service is a first time experience. You will find that you are treated with courtesy and professionalism in all aspects of you interaction with the company. The top companies allow you to obtain quotes, create an account, and even do all your booking online.

The first time you book with a top Weston limousine service you should know the pick-up location, the stops along the route you want to make, and your final destination. You may also choose to book the limo by the day or by the hour, a great option if you are planning multiple stops or to see the sights.

Anti-junta demonstrations grow in Bangkok

Monday, June 11, 2007

Anti-junta demonstrations in Bangkok reached their largest point yet on Saturday night, when between 10,000 and 15,000 protesters marched from Sanam Luang to the Royal Thai Army headquarters to call for the resignation of Council for National Security chairman General Sonthi Boonyaratglin.

Yesterday, Sonthi, the leader of last year’s coup d’état, rejected the protesters demands, saying he would remain as chairman of the military’s governing body in the best interests of Thailand, and that he wasn’t doing the job for personal gain.

“And I doubt the motives of these people who are organizing the rallies,” Sonthi was quoted as saying by The Nation newspaper.

The demonstrations continued yesterday, albeit smaller, with crowds estimated at 3,000. The organizer is People’s Television (PTV), a satellite television station that supports ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Organizers have vowed to continue the demonstrations until the junta gives up power.

The protest movement has grown over the past two weeks, after the junta partially lifted the ban on political activities, and since a Constitutional Tribunal ruling that dissolved the former ruling Thai Rak Thai party, which was led by Thaksin, and banned 111 of the party’s officials from politics for five years.

The government has tolerated the protests, if only just barely. Text messages were sent out by the junta to mobile-phone subscribers, asking them to stay away from the protests. Police have surrounded the demonstration venue, Sanam Luang, an open field near the Royal Palace in Bangkok, an in effort to keep the demonstration contained.

But Saturday night, the 1,000-strong riot force, using only shields and no other weapons, was unable to keep the crowd, estimated at up to 15,000, in place. “We could not repel them and that has to be fixed,” Manit Wongsomboon, commander of Metropolitan Police district 1, was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post.

Sonthi said he did not view the situation as serious or see a need to impose a state of emergency.

“There is nothing to worry about, they [protestors] can come, but everything will be within the rule of law,” he was quoted as saying by the Thai News Agency.

General Pongthep Thetprateep, spokesman for interim Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, said the premier agrees.

“The PM is following the situation closely. No one wants to impose a state of emergency. It is the last resort. If they do not listen and assault officials and destroy things then it may be necessary. There is a better way out right now,” Pongthep was quoted as saying by The Nation.

Surayud, the head of the military-installed government, yesterday appealed for acceptance of the Thai Rak Thai’s dissolution by the public. He said several major policies implemented by the populist government of Thaksin would continue, including a low-cost medical scheme.

“We must thank the Thai Rak Thai party for creating and implementing projects which benefit poor people, but at the same time we must accept the verdict of the Constitution Tribunal on dissolving this party because it had committed several political blunders,” Surayud said in an address on television and radio.

Surayud had harsh criticism for Thaksin.

“The rule of law came under fierce attack from the powerful, the rich and cronies. Corruption washed through our government,” Surayud said. “Even Thaksin accepted that this was the case when he told Time magazine’s readers around the world a few months ago that ‘corruption in Thailand won’t go away, it’s in the system’. What shameful words for any ex-prime minister of our country to say, especially one who had promised to wage a war against corruption.

“I would like to ask you this: Do we want to allow those people with ill intentions to steal our nation’s wealth day-by-day? I don’t think we do.”

At the Sanam Luang rally on Saturday night, former senator Kraisak Choonhaven was attacked by around 70 demonstrators.

“You are not on our side. Go away,” one of the demonstrators shouted at Kraisak, according to a report in today’s Bangkok Post, which also published photos of the attack, showing one demonstrator launching a flying kick at the senator as he was rushed away by aides. The senator, a critic of ousted premier Thaksin, received some bruises.

“This is the rudest demonstration I’ve ever seen,” Kraisak was quoted as saying at a press conference by the Post. “Crowd control police had to exercise extreme patience in dealing with such a misbehaved mob.”

A new constitution, which the Constitutional Drafting Assembly began debating today, is being drawn up. One of the provisions of the draft charter is that once it is enacted, the Council for National Security will be no more.

The drafting assembly, which has been fractious, must approve or reject the draft in 25 days. If the draft is approved, a national referendum, scheduled to be held in mid-August, will be held. If the draft is rejected, the Council for National Security could choose a an old constitution. Most likely, that would be an amended form of the 1997 “people’s constitution,” a military spokesman was quoted as saying on Radio Thailand by the Bangkok Post.

Among the controversial points in the draft charter, is a provision to make Buddhism the state religion, a move that critics say could further galvanize Muslim insurgents in southern Thailand.

The drafting body disagreed on motions about Buddhism and the creation of a national crisis council, and the motions were dropped.

As the constitutional assembly begins, a hunger strike is taking place by Buddhist monks outside Parliament House.

The Constitutional Drafting Assembly chairman, Noranit Sethabutr, told the Thai News Agency that the body “would have to find the best and most peaceful way to push through the draft.”

In the wake of the dissolution of the Thai Rak Thai, a new anti-junta party has formed, with around 60 former Thai Rak Thai lawmakers as leaders.

The movement has been referred to by various names, including Khon Rak Thaksin Mai Oaw Padejkarn (Supporters of Thaksin Against Dictatorship) or literally, “Love Thaksin, No Dictatorship,” or simply, Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Anti-junta_demonstrations_grow_in_Bangkok&oldid=4466935”