Barnes Foundation opening in new Philly location

Posted on 18th May 2012 in indoor Tracking

After years of bitter court fights, The Barnes Foundation opened its doors Wednesday for a sneak peek at its new location on the museum-studded Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

The $150 million modernist art palace, now home to the multibillion-dollar art collection of the late pharmaceutical magnate Dr. Albert Barnes, opens Saturday. Admission is free for the first 10 days, though all tickets are sold out. The $18 admission fee ($15 for seniors, $10 for students and children) kicks in starting May 26.

Stephen Harmelin, a Barnes trustee and its treasurer, described efforts that began a decade earlier to secure what was “an embattled institution.”

“There were financial challenges to be faced … questions about how the foundation as it existed could go on with its mission, worries about the safety and integrity of the collection in the long run,” he said. “We were convinced that the only change that could save the Barnes was to redouble our commitment to its mission, to reach out more widely than ever before, to build, to expand and to move the collection to a more accessible location.”

It was a difficult decision “but it brought us to where we are today,” Harmelin told several hundred media and donors attending the reception.

Barnes, a pharmaceutical magnate who died in 1951, stipulated in a trust that his legendary trove of 800 impressionist and post-impressionist paintings forever “remain in exactly the places they are.”

Foundation officials asked a judge’s permission in 2002 to break Barnes’ trust, allowing the collection to relocate near Philadelphia’s museums and cultural attractions. The foundation said its endowment was exhausted and it would go bankrupt if required to keep the 181 Renoirs, 69 Cezannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos and thousands of other objects in their suburban Merion home, which was subject to township zoning regulations restricting the number of visitors.

Three charitable organizations promised to help the Barnes raise $150 million for a new gallery and an endowment when the relocation was approved in 2004. Opponents called the move a power play by Philadelphia’s elites to bring the renowned collection to the city against its late owner’s wishes.

The Barnes is officially not a museum but an educational institution keeping with its mission when Albert Barnes established it in 1922 to teach populist methods of appreciating and evaluating art. Its new home does have museum-like amenities like a cafeteria and gift shop, however, as well as discreet classroom and lecture space.

The art galleries replicate Barnes’ own eccentric arrangement in Merion, with paintings grouped closely together and accompanied by furniture and ironwork, but hidden state-of-the-art lighting reveals “the true colors and vibrancy” of many paintings for the first time, Barnes president and executive director Derek Gillman said.

Ellsworth Kelly, who created a sculpture for the Barnes grounds, mistakenly thought one painting had been cleaned because it looked remarkably more vivid, Gillman said.

A handful of members from Friends of the Barnes Foundation, a citizens organization that unsuccessfully waged a legal fight for years to halt the move, protested near the entrance as visitors made their way inside.

“We had the real thing — it was successful, it was financially sustainable,” said Evelyn Yaari, a group member who lives near the Barnes building in Merion. “This is a fake. The public is not getting the real thing.”

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East County healthcare heroes feted at Sycuan

Posted on 17th May 2012 in indoor Tracking

In our fast-paced, stress-inducing, wear-10-hats world, when is there time to volunteer?

Dr. Robert Eisenberg, busy with his urology practice in La Mesa, can tell you.

“Everybody has time,” Eisenberg said. “You just have to prioritize. There’s always time to do what you want to do. People are grateful to find someone willing to care about them.”

Eisenberg along with Harry Bair, Dr. Steven Golbus, Carol Lewis and Henry McAdams were honored Wednesday by the Grossmont Healthcare District at its annual Healthcare Hero Awards ceremony.

Working hard behind the scenes for others, the five honorees were feted for their efforts to advance the delivery of health care in the East County region, at a luncheon at Sycuan Resort.

Eisenberg makes time to volunteer with Project Access San Diego. Project Access is the San Diego County Medical Society Foundation’s flagship volunteer physician program that has helped more than 1,500 uninsured, low-income patients receive specialty medical care.

“I think it’s important to provide necessary medical services to people in our local community who can’t afford it and don’t have normal channels for medical care available to them,” Eisenberg said.

Bair, a La Mesa resident, is a volunteer with San Diego Hospice and the Institute for Palliative Medicine who has lived in San Diego County for five decades. A retired insurance agent, the 80-year-old has served San Diego Hospice in many roles in the last 13 years.

Bair has done everything from visiting with hospice patients and their families to trimming rose bushes at the San Diego Hospice’s Tribute Garden to walking dogs and delivering pet food to hospice patients unable to care for their four-legged family members.

A Korean War veteran, Bair is most proud of being a part of the nonprofit’s new “Vet-to-Vet” program that honors veterans under San Diego Hospice care.

“We all get a lot out of it,” Bair said. “To shake hands with these people who know you’re honoring them for their service means so much.”

Golbus is a retired physician who has helped out at Volunteers in Medicine, a nonprofit agency that operates a free medical clinic in El Cajon.

Golbus is the agency’s co-medical director, providing leadership and overseeing the staff’s adherence to patient care protocols at the clinic.

“Even though I’m retired, I still love to practice medicine,” he said. “There are people out there who need medical care who otherwise wouldn’t get it without this clinic. We have become the medical home for many people who would have no where else to go except to the hospital emergency room. … I’m sort of annoyed at this country for not providing medical care for its citizens. The nice thing about this clinic is it is a public health service.”

Golbus also visits several local hospitals weekly with his rescued Newfoundland, Hoover, and Golbus said he thinks he might get more enjoyment out of it than the patients, who never fail to smile around the huge dog.

Alpine Kiwanis Club member Lewis volunteers at nearly every one of the groups more than 50 annual events.

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Township, Police Implement New Emergency Notification System

Posted on 16th May 2012 in wholesale computer accessories

Last year, a hurricane hit Cinnaminson, a string of burglaries affected township homes and accidents shut down roads.

But since the township’s emergency notification phone system had been down for quite some time, residents didn’t receive the voice messages they were so used to.

Now, Cinnaminson residents can rely on those emergency phone calls; the Cinnaminson Police Department and other officials have begun using Global Connect, an emergency notification system. It gives the township the ability to call thousands of people within minutes.

“It’s much better than the system we had before,” said Public Safety Director Michael P. King. “If there are burglaries in one section of town, we can notify them first, then do the entire town so everybody is aware of it.”

Global Connect uses voiceovers to send messages to a database of telephone numbers, email addresses or even fax numbers. Right now, Comcast phone customers and cell phone-users need to register their numbers on the Cinnaminson Police website.

In the event of an emergency, the system allows King, or another emergency management official, to record a personalized message that will go to all registered numbers in a matter of seconds.

“When Cinnaminson residents need to be informed of any public safety issue, series of home burglaries, water main break, fast-moving fire, approaching storm, or other crisis, the Global Connect emergency notification system is the most efficient way to reach them with the news,” said Craig Bird, CEO and founder of Global Connect, in a recent release.

The notification system is made possible through the county’s office of emergency management.

“They are providing us with this system,” King said. “It’s a much better system [than before] at no cost.”

Other features of Global Connect include instant callback, remote access and real-time reporting.

Towns can create a customized list of call recipients by selecting an area affected by the emergency. Emergency management officials can record and sent out a message from any location. And officials can see which residents have received messages.

The system will continue to call residents who have not been reached.

Township committeeman John Rooney calls Global Connect “a proven technology.”

“It will increase the emergency notification services that we provide to our township residents,” Rooney said.

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Getting their day in the sun

Posted on 15th May 2012 in wholesale computer accessories

Four years ago, Astrid Dabbeni’s Mother’s Day tradition was thwarted when the annual race she usually ran with her girlfriends was sold out. So she started a new race and a new tradition.

On Sunday, Dabbeni, of Southeast Portland, participated in the fourth Run Mama Run walk-run event, one destination for families across the Metro area who celebrated Mother’s Day in the sun this weekend.

And sunny it was. With a high of 87, Sunday was the warmest day of 2012 recorded at Portland International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.

The heat didn’t deter families at Run Mama Run, which included a 10K run, a stroller-friendly 5K walk or a quarter-mile children’s fun run on Mount Tabor. The event raised money for Portland-based nonprofit Adoption Mosaic, which provides ongoing support for families who adopt.

Dabbeni, 44, executive director of the group, said she helped create Run Mama Run to support the organization, which raised about $10,000 with Sunday’s event, while giving families a fun, welcoming activity where moms are celebrated.

While women ran in groups, pairs or solo, spouses and children ran or walked along with them, visited the craft area and posed for professional photos before the after party, which loaded participants’ arms with raffle prizes and flowers.

“This is the essence of Mother’s Day,” said Dabbeni, who walked with her daughter and adoptive parents. “It’s the essence of what it is to celebrate family.”

Nicole Roberts Burke had her first taste of the holiday at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in Southeast Portland. Roberts Burke, 39, toured the garden’s Mother’s Day show and sale with 1-year-old daughter Piper, in a pink sun hat, strapped to her front and husband Andrew at her side. Piper was born shortly after Mother’s Day last year.

The family rode bikes from their Sellwood home, took photos of one another in front of the plants and flowers in the garden and noted ideas for their home.

“We like to garden ourselves, so it was great to come out,” Roberts Burke said.

Carolyn Miller, 85, also visited the rhododendron garden Sunday — and she didn’t plan to leave empty-handed.

“I have my eye on the plant sale,” said Miller, of Southeast Portland, who spent the afternoon with her daughter, Mary Lou German of Newberg.

Miller hoped to bring plants home from the sale for two of her friends as a Mother’s Day gift for two of her friends — one who will turn 100 next week.

“But she’s as spry as anything,” said Miller, who seemed spry herself as she toured the garden.

For Cathy Bazala, 60, and her 15-year-old daughter Keona, Mother’s Day lasted all weekend.

The pair, of Brush Prairie, Wash., toured the region indulging their interests — shopping at Bob’s Red Mill in Milwaukie and visiting an Oregon Public Broadcasting open house in Portland on Saturday, then spending Sunday afternoon at Jenkins Estate in Aloha. The 68-acre country estate hosted the annual Barefoot Quilt Show, a craft and plant sale, and a Mother’s Day dessert tea.

The Bazalas, who visited the estate for the first time Sunday, explored the century-old buildings of the property, which belonged to the daughter of American pioneer John C. Ainsworth. Cathy Bazala said she and Keona, who wore a T-shirt with a horse on it, had tried to figure out what breed of horse might have been housed long ago in a cavernous box stall in the estate’s stable. Some kind of draft horse, maybe a Clydesdale, they’d decided.

Spending time together is something special, Keona said, because school and extracurricular activities keep her busy most days.

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‘A bear’s breathing down my neck, it’s going to charge’

Posted on 14th May 2012 in wholesale computer accessories

The Planet Earth Live presenter is only too aware that the powerful beast may attack to protect her three cubs.

Julia whispers: “I can feel a bear breathing down my neck and I know it’s going to charge any minute.

“And even though I know it’s going to happen, I’m still going to jump out of my skin when it does!”

Luckily, the nine-year-old mother bear, who the team have named Juliette, merely gives a couple of warning grunts before disappearing into the forest to find her babies, Sophie, Sybil and Sam.

TV Biz is on location with BBC1’s new live global wildlife series in Minnesota in the US.

Julia gets up close and personal with the show’s furry stars in real-time footage broadcast via satellite links. Meanwhile, her co-host, Top Gear’s Richard Hammond, is camped out 8,000 miles away in Kenya, Africa.

Despite the risks they face, Julia says she is delighted to be here in the middle of bear country to tell these fascinating creatures’ stories.

The former Countryfile and Watchdog frontwoman says: “A few people said to me, ‘You’re getting close to bears? Are you crazy?’ For some people, this is not a sensible thing to do.

“But to me, it’s incredible! I cried the first time I saw Juliette’s cubs. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a new mum myself but the way they walk and wiggle their bottoms, reminds me of my nine-month-old son Zephyr. They’re so cute.

“But you mustn’t forget they are wild animals. They can do anything at any time, and that’s their right because we’re in their habitat.

“We are accompanied by an expert, Dr Lynn Rogers, who assures me that more people are killed by vending machines than by bears!

“They often ‘bluster’, which is a mini-charge that means ‘I’m feeling a bit nervous’ but they won’t actually hurt you. I know we’re all safe as long as we do what Lynn tells us.”

The amazing story will continue to unfold this week on Wednesday, Thursday and then Sunday evening.

More than five million viewers tuned in to see the first episode of the eight-parter last Sunday.

But critics have slammed the show for using presenters who aren’t wildlife experts.

Julia says: “I had to prove I could carry the subject and not have people saying, ‘Why on earth is she there?’ Having Countryfile under my belt helped because people are used to seeing me outdoors.

“But the BBC’s Natural History Unit, who produce the programme, is very esteemed so you’ve got to do your homework and make sure you know as much as you possibly can.

“There will always be detractors who say, ‘They’re not experts, they shouldn’t be doing it’.

“But what Richard and I and the rest of the team are trying to do is something that hasn’t been done before. It may attract people who don’t normally watch wildlife shows.

“We’re focusing on the drama of the animals, the stories we can all relate to. Family structure, rejection, bullying, heartache, death — all of those things.

“We are asking the questions that the audience would want to ask and we’re lucky enough to be here on their behalf, which is something I take very seriously.”

Teething problems meant producers initially had to rely heavily on pre-filmed footage.

But as the live action comes to the fore, Julia is aware she may face an on-screen tragedy.

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The secret life of your cellphone

Posted on 11th May 2012 in indoor Tracking

In a threat to the 4th Amendment, law enforcement is using location data as a crime-fighting tool.

Concerned that mobile phone networks are becoming surveillance tools, the American Civil Liberties Union recently asked hundreds of local law enforcement agencies whether they’ve tracked people’s movements through their cellphones. Most of those that responded said they had, usually obtaining the information from mobile phone companies without a warrant. The practice has become so routine, the ACLU found, that phone companies are sending out catalogs of monitoring services with detailed price lists to police agencies. The alarming findings should persuade Congress to clarify that the government can’t follow someone electronically without showing probable cause and obtaining a warrant.

The Supreme Court has long held that the 4th Amendment guarantee against unreasonable searches and seizures requires police to obtain a warrant if the intrusion would violate a target’s “reasonable expectation of privacy.” That standard has barred law enforcement agents from surreptitiously recording what people say on the phone without a warrant, even when the conversation is taking place in a public phone booth. But the court and Congress set a significantly lower bar for monitoring other aspects of a phone’s use. The government can obtain records about numbers dialed and calls received — either from the past or live and in real time — with a subpoena, which a court will grant if shown that the records sought are relevant to an investigation.

Mobile phone networks collect another type of data that wire-line networks don’t: They register a phone’s location continuously as long as it’s turned on, even when it’s not in use. Those records can be exceptionally revealing; as the ACLU put it, the potential insights range “from which friends you’re seeing to where you go to the doctor to how often you go to church.” Nevertheless, the Justice Department and many local law enforcement agencies view location data as no different from calling records. With the acquiescence of mobile phone carriers, they’ve been quietly collecting this information through subpoenas, not warrants backed by a showing of probable cause. And in some cases, the subpoenas have been frighteningly broad; for example, one police department sought data on all the mobile phone users in the vicinity of a planned protest.

The fact that phone companies are collecting fees for providing this information raises the additional question of whether their financial interests trump their customers’ privacy interests. Looking for an answer, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-chairman of the Congressional Bipartisan Privacy Caucus, recently asked the major wireless carriers how much money they’ve collected from law enforcement agencies and whether they actively market their information-gathering services.

Location data can undoubtedly help solve crimes, but there’s a broader principle at stake. New technology enables people to trade information about themselves — sometimes consciously, sometimes not — for commercial benefits, convenience and insights into the world around them. They agree to share that information with service providers because of the unique benefits it brings — for example, users of the Roamz app can arrive in an unfamiliar town and see what previous visitors have said online about the best places to eat and stay. But if sharing this information automatically makes it the government’s for the asking, what will be left of the 4th Amendment?

A growing number of courts have been pushing back against the Justice Department’s permissive approach, but the rulings haven’t been uniform. Nor are there clear rules to distinguish emergencies from routine investigations, live tracking from the examination of stored data, or any of the many other complexities. Rather than trusting judges to sort it all out, Congress should make it clear that the protections that apply to phone conversations also apply to location data. No warrant, no tracking.

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Float plane passengers should wear life jackets

Posted on 10th May 2012 in indoor Tracking

A Coroners Service review of four commercial float-plane crashes in B.C., including the 2005 MJM Air crash off Quadra Island, recommends that Transport Canada make it mandatory for passengers to wear life-jackets at all times during flights.

Planes should also have easy-to-access emergency exits to prevent drowning after crashing in water, says the report released Tuesday. Another recommendation linked to the MJM Air crash calls for real-time satellite tracking systems to be installed in all commercial aircraft.

The document includes 19 detailed recommendations from the Coroners Service’s death review panel, which was created late last year to look at the circumstances surrounding four commercial seaplane crashes between 2005 and 2009. Twentythree people died in the incidents. The first of the four crashes occurred on the morning of Feb. 28, 2005, shortly after the MJM Air de Havilland DHC-2 (Beaver) floatplane took off from the Tyee Spit with a pilot and four passengers who were travelling to worksites in Frances Bay and Knight Inlet. The plane went down minutes later off the east side of Quadra Island. The body of passenger David Richard Stevens was discovered by hikers in a cove on the east site of Quadra Island March 2. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be drowning. The bodies of pilot Arnold Feast and passengers Doug and Trevor Decock and Fabian Bedard were never found.

The plane’s wreckage was located on the ocean floor a few months later. All of the seatbelts were found unbuckled. Seven of the eight available life vests were still in their stowing places.

“These recommendations should be considered very seriously by the agencies to which they’re directed,” said chief coroner Lisa Lapointe. “They are the result of open and frank discussion and review by a diverse blue-ribbon panel of experts in the field province-wide.”

Several of the recommendations mirror those outlined in a Transportation Safety Board of Canada report that investigated a Seair Seaplanes crash in November 2009 that killed six people. In that incident, a de Havilland Beaver plane stalled during takeoff in Lyall Harbour off Saturna Island. Just one of seven passengers and the pilot survived the crash.

Float-plane companies are already making some of the recommended changes. Harbour Air officials said they have installed pop-out windows and easy-open door latches. The industry is working with Transport Canada to find the best way to have passengers wear flotation devices during the flight, said Randy Wright, senior vice-president of Harbour Air.

“They’re in the aircraft right now, they just have to be approved as to which… is the best and safest use,” he said.

The coroners report indicates that industry experts have concerns about untimely inflation of the devices, which could possibly trap passengers inside. Panel members also heard about concerns that Transport Canada-approved life vests may not be able to withstand extended and frequent use in commercial operations.

Two of the recommendations make specific reference to the MJM Air crash. One calls on Transport Canada to create a regulatory requirement that all new and existing commercial aircraft be equipped with real-time satellite tracking systems. The Coroners Service Review panel chair says satellite tracking could be a supplement or an alternative to Electronic Location Transmitters (ELTs) which are sometimes destroyed on impact or lose effectiveness when aircraft sink.

“In two of these accidents, accurate real-time tracking would have likely resulted in speedier rescue of the injured survivors,” the chair states.

“In the Quadra Island case, although it is not possible to determine the survival potential of all of the aircraft occupants given the multitude of factors that play into a search and rescue effort, degree of incapacitation from possible injuries and cold water survivability, the circumstances suggest that a properly utilized and monitored satellite tracking system, combined with prompt and effective notification and deployment of rescue resources, might have produced a different outcome for at least some of those onboard.”

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Wildlife tourism a free-for-all loot

Posted on 9th May 2012 in wholesale computer accessories

Aptly titled, ‘Corbett, now on sale’, a story in a weekly magazine brought an open secret out in print: The land around — and even inside — the Corbett Tiger Reserve is up for grabs, controlled by the country’s Who’s Who. It highlighted how tourism resorts have destroyed the Kosi river corridor, cutting off access for animals to a crucial water source. This matter had in fact first come to light in a report, ‘Impact of tourism on tigers and other wildlife of Corbett’, published in January 2010. Over two years have passed since then, but the powers that be haven’t moved a muscle to regulate the resorts whose numbers have only increased — and this is in spite of the intervention of none less than the Prime Minister himself.

Most resorts in Corbett have flouted every law of the land, from changing the course of the Kosi to baiting tigers so that tourists can have a glance at the big cat. Ugly, humongous structures offer an array of attractions that have little to do with wildlife: Discotheques, rain dances, night safaris and even quad-biking on the riverbed. One particularly insensitive resort extolled the fact that it was right “on the bank of Kosi river close to the spot where a tiger attacked and killed a women” (sic), perhaps trying glamourise the “man-eater”, and encash on it.

Now, we learn that the cancer has spread to the other side in the Durgadevi zone. Land along the 17km stretch of the Ramganga River — the lifeline of Corbett — has been bought by influential outsiders with a motive to develop it for tourism.

The Corbett landscape has amongst the highest densities of tigers in the world, and also the highest density of hotels around any reserve in the country. While Corbett leads the pack, tourism infrastructure is destroying vital wildlife corridors in Mudumalai, Kanha, Kaziranga, Pench — the list goes on. Even lesser known parks like Gorumara in North Bengal are succumbing to the onslaught. In some reserves, the problem is only now cropping up and must be nipped in the bud. A recent visit to the Bhadra Tiger Reserve in Karnataka showed that the pristine forests adjacent to the reserve are being pillaged by ugly construction, largely fancy resorts and gated colonies for metro-dwellers looking for a weekend home. These forests connect Bhadra with other reserve forests, onward to the Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kudremukh National Park. Scientific documentation exists of the regular movement of endangered wildlife such as tigers, leopards and elephants along this corridor. Not just private resorts, but the forest department’s own tourism infrastructure has taken up crucial meadows inside core areas of tiger reserves — the Kanha meadows and Dhikala in Corbett are classic examples.

We all know that tigers need inviolate habitats to survive. To facilitate this, there is a major effort to relocate villages that are inside core critical tiger habitats. It isn’t an easy task, made all the more difficult when locals perceive they’re being ‘displaced’ while the ‘rich outsiders’ — tourists — move in. So, is tourism ‘evil’? Is it ‘killing’ tigers?

The matter is sub judice. At least the question of whether tourism should find place in core/critical tiger habitats, is.

Tourism is a double-edged sword. Regulated and managed sustainably, it is among the best ways to win support for conservation and provide livelihood options to communities around reserves.

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CFL’s Bobby Jurasin, Geroy Simon stress football fundamentals

Posted on 8th May 2012 in wholesale computer accessories

Bobby Jurasin and Geroy Simon share similar concerns as parents of football players.

They both worry about the possibility of injuries while their sons are involved in the game. Jurasin’s youngest son, Wyatt, is a linebacker at his alma mater, Northern Michigan University. Bobby Jurasin, a hall of fame defensive end, played for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1986 to 1997. Simon’s oldest son, Gervon, recently committed to play quarterback with the Army Black Knights of the U.S. Military Academy.

“Of course there is a lot of concern,” said Jurasin, who was a guest instructor for the Don Narcisse All-Star Event at Mosaic Stadium on the weekend. “For my sons, it’s all about choices. I’ll be there if they want to ask questions and I’ll answer them. I’ll make sure they are informed about the risks and the rewards. Then it’s up to them.”

Geroy Simon is heading into his 14th season with the B.C. Lions as a star receiver and he has been involved with minor football in British Columbia throughout that span. He feels the best manner to prepare youngsters for football is proper training. It’s also an attitude he adopted while coaching his own children.

“The majority of people aren’t going to have concussions and things like that especially if you teach them the right fundamentals,” said Simon, who was also a guest instructor at the All-Star Event. “That’s the reason why I coach the little guys back in B.C. If you teach kids the proper way to take on a block or tackle, you lessen the chances of them sustaining those kinds of injuries. It’s important for professionals or those who have lots of experience in football to teach the proper way of playing football.”

Jurasin pointed out that football is evolving. When he joined the Riders in 1986, there were few 300-pounders on the offensive line. Now that is the average size of offensive linemen.

“These kids need to learn the grassroots of basic fundamentals,” Jurasin said. “They need to learn how to tackle, how to hit and how to get into the proper stance.”

Injuries take place in football. Simon, 36, still feels that players at all levels have to play without the fear of being injured.

“You have to be smart,” Simon said. “You can’t lead with your head, no matter what position you play. If you do, you will have those types of injuries. If you see what you hit, then you won’t have those types of head injuries. If you do things the right way, you lessen your chances of getting hurt.”

Jurasin, 47, battled through injuries during his all-star career with the Riders. A painful reminder of his playing days was a chronically sore right knee from the wear and tear of the game. He recently underwent surgery to have the knee replaced.

“It got to the point where I was getting it scraped every year, the cortisone shots and everything else,” said Jurasin, who was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Riders Plaza of Honor in 2002. “The doctor said we could continue doing that, but he realized there was only one thing that could be done. He said that I was only 47 years old, but I told him that I needed to move now and not when I was 60. We came to an agreement and I had (the knee replacement) done.”

Jurasin still feels dealing with the football-related injuries were worth it.

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Honda Civic remains number one

Posted on 4th May 2012 in indoor Tracking

While the Honda Civic has been the top selling car in Canada for the past 14 years, it has come under significant pressure from newcomers like the Chevy Cruze, Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus. Given the unprecedented problems caused by last year’s tsunami, the subsequent earthquake in Japan and the resulting loss of production, it would be understandable if the completely redesigned, 2012, ninth generation Civic lost some momentum coming out of the gate. That was the big question. No problem; the Civic continues in first place and looks like a sure bet to stay there. Having set the pace in compact sedan design, performance and affordability for so long, the new 2012 model has, very sensibly, taken those attributes as a starting point to build on.

Stylistically the new model bears the unmistakable Civic ‘look’ but with a number of subtle refinements. The sloping hood is longer with a smaller grille opening while the A pillars, supporting the windshield are thinner, providing better forward vision when turning. The front, integrated bumper is reshaped with a shallower air intake and flanking fog lamp pods. Compared to the previous model, the new profile has a more aggressive, pitched-forward look with a roofline that is more coupe than sedan. While overall length and height remain unchanged, Honda designers managed to add some width to the body providing more shoulder room for front and three rear seat occupants (three children would be quite comfortable, three adults not so much).

For 2012, the Civic Sedan comes in 6 flavours: DX (starting at $16,485), LX, EX, EX-L, Si and Hybrid while the coupe is available in LX (starting at $19,375) EX, EX-L and Si models. All models – except Si – come with Honda’s 140 horsepower, 1.8-litre DOHC, four-cylinder engine and standard five-speed manual transmission (except EX-L) or optional five-speed Automatic. The high performance Si models up the ante with the 201 horsepower, 2.4-litre DOHC, four-cylinder engine and six-speed, close ratio manual transmission.

Our tester was the Civic Coupe EX-L with navigation system, and standard five speed automatic, finished in taffeta white with grey leather trimmed seats. Slightly shorter than the sedan, the Coupe features a shorter, steeply raked hood with a deeper, lower air intake and 16-inch, 10-spoke aluminum alloy wheels. The cockpit features the Civic’s unique two-tier, i-MID (intelligent Multi-Informational Display) dashboard.

The upper tier is positioned at eye level as before, with a bold digital speedometer reading directly above the lower level analog tachometer. New for 2012 is the additional readout to the right of the digital speedometer with an analog clock plus digital readout for time, date, day and year plus all the trip functions like odometer readings, instant and average fuel economy, ambient temperature, and range. The i-MID is your “mission control” for Bluetooth, hands-free connectivity, accessing your phone book, streaming your playlist, plugging in your MP3 device and using the bi-lingual, voice-activated Navigation System. More importantly, virtually all this information can now be controlled by fingertip steering wheel controls.

The centre stack houses the 6.5-inch screen for the Navigation and premium 360-watt, sevenspeaker Audio System consisting of AM/FM/CD/ WMA and 3 months complimentary XM Satellite Radio. Conventional controls for the multi-mode Heating and A/C functions are positioned below.

The cabin is finished in a pleasing mix of charcoal, black and grey surfaces complemented by the Grey Leather upholstery and brushed metal trim for the main gauges, secondary switchgear and steering wheel controls. Fit and finish is excellent and all the controls have a pleasing tactile feel.

The manually-adjustable, heated front bucket seats provide excellent under-thigh and torso support with height and lumbar control for the driver while the front passenger seat folds and slides forward at a touch to provide easy access to the rear seats.

Acceleration is prompt thanks to the drive-bywire throttle control and the re-engineered fivespeed Overdrive Automatic with 100 km/h coming up in under 9.0 seconds. With four-wheel independent suspension featuring variable, gas-filled struts up front and a multi-link, double wishbone set up at the rear plus front and rear stabilizer bars, I expected a stiffer ride. But while the ride is sedanlike, the Coupe carves its way around corners accurately thanks to the precise, electric variableassist, rack-and-pinion steering. Better mid-range torque also adds to the improved performance across the board.

The five-speed automatic provides seamless shifts and with its Grade Logic Control, automatically holds lower gears for long hill climbs or descents. In Drive, the engine is just loafing along at 2000 rpm and using only 5.0 L/100 km (56 mpg), down from 5.7 L/100 km (50 mpg) in the previous model. Want to save even more? Push that green ECO button on the dash and the Civic will shortshift gears and monitor fuel flow to use even less gasoline. Four-wheel power-assisted disc brakes (ventilated front and solid rear) with ABS, Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Brake Assist provide confident and controlled stops. Traction Control prevents acceleration slippage and VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) corrects understeer (when front wheels drift wide) and oversteer (when the rear wheels slide out).

Standard equipment includes all the usual power amenities and remote keyless entry; power door locks and windows with driver one-touch up/down; power glass moonroof; heated, power outside mirrors; CFC-free A/C with air filter; remote trunk and fuel door releases and anti-theft security system. Multi-stage front seat airbags, side seat airbags and side curtain airbags take care of security along with the LATCH system for child seat anchors.

“The 2012 Civic is a better buy than ever,” says Paul Robson of Nanaimo Honda. “It’s better equipped, more fun to drive, gets better fuel economy and it’s more affordable than ever.”

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