sgusers5的部落格

Source: Dayton Daily News, OhioAug.儲存倉 18--For storing and moving goods, the Dayton area is increasingly seen as the place to be.Montgomery County and other area government leaders last week approved various measures to lure a new $90 million distribution center to a site near Dayton International Airport.If San Francisco-based developer Prologis builds the 1.8-million-square-foot center in Union, it would join Collective Brands, Honda, Syncreon, Caterpillar Logistics, Carter Express and others that have brought big warehousing and distribution centers in the area. The client for whom Prologis works has not been publicly identified, but the site would employ 1,000 people, say those guiding the project.The prospect of Prologis, a distribution and logistics industry leader, building such a large hub reinforces the area's image as a strong, logical location for such centers, local development officials said.Observers like Jeffrey Berman, group news editor of Logistics Management magazine and website, agree. Dayton is on the radar of logistics site selectors, given its access to two major interstates and proximity to 60 percent of the U.S. population within a day's drive, he said."It is, I think, viewed as a city you need to be in, you need to have a presence in," said Berman, who works in the Boston area.Berman cites relatively light traffic, a ready workforce, plenty of trucking and transportation firms and Ohio's 13 "intermodal" railroad terminals -- terminals which serve not only trains but trucks -- as reasons for logistics decision-makers to choose Dayton.Those assets "make cities like Dayton more important," he said.Just having CAT Logistics and the interest of Prologis -- owner, operator and developer of $46 billion in industrial real estate -- impresses Berman. "They (Prologis) would never move there unless there was a really good reason."Dan Gilmore, the Springboro-based president and editor-in-chief of Supply Chain Digest e-magazine and website, says Ohio has long been well positioned for distribution projects. Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Erlanger, Ky., and other sites have historically proven to be prominent distribution points. Now, the Dayton area is sharing in that success, he said."They must be doing something right to attract these kinds of companies over the last few years," Gilmore said of Dayton and Montgomery County.While manufacturing isn't as prevalent in the region as it once was, logistics seems to have filled at least part of the void. Much of that started in 2006 and 2007, when Collective Brands searched for a site for its 600,000-square-foot Eastern Distribution Center to move Payless ShoeSource goods. In May 2007, the company announced that the center would be built in Brookville.That experience was a formative one, said Joe Tuss, Montgomery County administrator. It provided a template local leaders returned to in attracting and developing other projects."We really got some insight into how that (site selection) decision-making worked after it was all over," Tuss said. "We were able to do a pretty good post-mortem to understand why we were successful and where our competitors were.""It was a huge education," he said.Each succeeding project strengthens that education, said Erik Collins, Montgomery County development director. "You need to refine each project," he said. "We look at things we need to do to bolster our efforts, to be stronger for that next opportunity. And we've done that.""With the Payless facility, I think people start to notice that," said Dan Foley, Montgomery County commissioner. "They say, 'Hey, that's a major company that picked the Dayton region for a reason.'"The projects have proliferated. In June 2007, Honda opened its $89 million Midwestern Consolidation Center in Troy, with 500,000 square feet of warehousing space and nearly 50,000 square feet of office space.In December 2007, ground was broken in Trotwood for a 375,000-square-foot distribution site for Detroit-based James Group International, to facilitate exporting of General Motors parts. Syncreon later acquired that facility.By late 2007 and into 200迷你倉沙田, Montgomery County commissioners and development leaders had identified logistics as a key economic pillar, Tuss said.Then, in 2009, after nearly two years of behind-the-scenes work, talk of an especially big project became public: Caterpillar Logistics was looking at land off Hoke Road in Clayton just south of Interstate 70 for a 1.6 million-square-foot distribution hub.Now, announcements about big distribution and other kinds of projects seem to come up almost regularly: Abbot Laboratories in Tipp City, White Castle and Carter Express in Vandalia, Ferguson Enterprises in Celina earlier this summer. Those aren't accidents, local leaders said."Success builds on success," Foley said.It's not enough to have the right infrastructure or "good bones," Foley said. The Montgomery County Jobs Center essentially became a "hiring agent" for companies like Collective Brands and, most recently, the Meijer Distribution Center in Tipp City, he said. The center helps find, screen and train candidates for jobs openings at those and other sites."Workforce is always an issue," Tuss said.Rob Anderson, Vandalia city manager, said it takes a team of people who can answer an array of questions for companies: Organizing utilities, meeting workforce needs, having the right location and more."If we could not get over those first two hurdles, of logistics and the workforce, then we wouldn't have been able to start with Carter (Express)," Anderson said.Recruiting and attraction efforts aimed at other companies have become more organized in the past 18 months. In the spring of 2012, municipalities and agencies, including the Montgomery County Transportation Improvement District (TID), began approving an intergovernmental pact meant to lure new distribution businesses to the region.Pact members also sought county ED/GE (Entrepreneurial Development/Government Equity) funds to buy data and analysis from PIERS, a Newark, N.J.-based freight industry organization with access to wide shipping data, including more than 5,000 bills of lading records annually. The idea is to find out who might need use of Dayton's assets.And in April 2013, Montgomery County TID trustees voted to hire a company -- York, Pa.-based St. Onge Co., a supply chain consultant -- to help market and guide Dayton-area distribution and logistics prospects. Local leaders expect shortly a St. Onge report on companies that may be interested in Dayton."We have to try to go out and look at real data to figure out whose door we should be knocking on next," Foley said.Said Collins: "We'll have some good data, and it will be objective data based on multiple sources that they (St. Onge) tap into to make recommendations for their clients."Still, it takes more than data. County leaders and representatives of the Dayton Development Coalition regularly meet face-to-face with site selection committees and recruiters. Those meetings happen in Chicago, Atlanta, the East Coast and elsewhere.That work may be "quiet," but it's about raising Dayton's profile, Tuss said."There's a lot more going on behind the scenes than you might realize," he said.Those local relationships -- county and city governments working with the coalition -- can make an impression on site selectors, assuring them that the Dayton region is united in pursuing a project, said Scott Koorndyk, the coalition's chief operations office."We're very fortunate in this region to have the kinds of relationships that we have," Koorndyk said.Tuss, Foley and others reject the notion that the area is perhaps becoming too dependent on distribution centers. They cite the county and the coalition's development priorities, which touch on aerospace, downtown, manufacturing, materials and other areas."We have more eggs in more baskets," Foley said.In the meantime, new distribution jobs should be welcomed, Gilmore said."There is room for many, many many more distribution projects to locate in the Dayton area," he said.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) Visit the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) at .daytondailynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉價錢

Source: Tulsa World, Okla.self storageAug. 18--Champions and critics of Janet Barresi give dramatically differing accounts of the state's superintendent of schools.Those in her inner circle say she's misunderstood, that she's fighting for change because she truly cares about children. But those on the outside say they're treated as adversaries and that she's simply not interested in finding common ground.In more than a dozen interviews with educators, friends, lawmakers and other constituents, one thing they all agree on is why this first-time public official has fast become one of the most controversial figures in all of Oklahoma politics -- it's not just what she's trying to accomplish, but how.Barresi declined to be interviewed for this story. Her spokeswoman at the Oklahoma State Department of Education said she is unhappy with the coverage she has received in the Tulsa World."We appreciate the offer. I just don't think we want to do that at this juncture," said Sherry Fair.Former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys, who returned to the private sector after an unsuccessful primary bid for the U.S. Senate, helped raise funds for Barresi's 2010 campaign and has known her since their children became friends in middle school.He laughed out loud when asked why he thinks Barresi has been so controversial."That's really her nature -- Janet has always been controversial," Humphreys said. "I have known Janet a long time. She is more worried about getting done what she thinks needs to be done than about whether people like her or not."Humphreys knows more about public education than most politicians whose professions are outside the field because of his eight years of service on the Putnam City school board, followed by his oversight of a massive taxpayer investment in Oklahoma City schools, called MAPS for Kids.Although he admits to disagreeing with Barresi's "style" on occasion, Humphreys said he's glad she's willing to pay the political price for shaking up public education."I think the educational establishment needs to partner with and embrace people who care and people who want change and not view them as threats. People who want change need to be more collaborative in how they approach it and realize people on the inside are not evil," he said. "If we are ever going to change education, we are going to have to change it from the inside."Political entranceBarresi represented a sea change for the Oklahoma State Department of Education after Democrat Sandy Garret announced she wouldn't run again after 20 years in office.The former dentist and school speech pathologist would go on to win the financial backing of many of the richest, most powerful individuals in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, according to campaign finance records. In a statewide election against State Sen. Susan Paddack, a Democrat and former educator from Ada, Barresi took 56 percent of the vote.But Barresi's first foray into the politics of public education actually occurred more than a decade earlier, when she led a group of parents who were unsatisfied with school climates and low test scores at middle schools in northwest Oklahoma City.After three months of debate with district administrators and school board members, they established a new school for their children called Independence Middle School. It was converted into one of the state's first charter schools after Oklahoma enacted the Charter School Act in 2000.Barresi later founded Harding Charter Preparatory High School in Oklahoma City.Former Secretary of Education Floyd Coppedge, a career educator who served in Gov. Frank Keating's Cabinet for eight years, said he was drawn to Barresi as a potential change agent because of her experience with those two successful charter schools."I have always liked Janet. I thought she did excellent work with the charter school movement, and she has good evidence that deregulating schools via a charter approach accomplishes a lot of good," Coppedge said. "It frees teachers to be more creative and innovative with their teaching, and you still set high expectations. I don't know why she varied from that so quickly, and I wish she hadn't."In his view, the controversy Barresi has seen in office is backlash against government's increasing "micromanagement of schools.""The role of a state Department of Education, as well as the federal Department of Education, is to provide resources and support," Coppedge said. "I don't think the schools are a place for controversy. I think they are a place for collaboration, and that means a lot of listening has to take place."Glenna Voegel taught at Independence for 14 years, beginning the year it was founded through her retirement last year.She said Barresi helped hand-select her for the school's first faculty, and she went on to personally tutor Barresi's twin sons for all three years they were in school there."The first three years she was there as president of the board, and she was very supportive of the teachers and excellent to work with because she listened to us. She really did," Voegel said.As an example, Voegel offered that as the leader of the school's governing board, Barresi helped teachers by holding students and parents accountable for serious discipline and academic problems."They confronted them with, do you really want to stay at this school because you signed this code of conduct and you're not following through with this," she said. "They could be released or not asked back the next year. She did back up the teachers. Also, there were several of us who had been in the Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System for quite a few years and didn't want to lose out on that and do what she was talking about going into a 401(k). We objected to that, and she honored our wishes."Voegel said it may seem impossible to do on a statewide scale, but she thinks Barresi needs to reconnect with those roots if she wants to help classroom teachers."It's the same way for principals. The longer you're away from the classroom, it almost becomes like a fantasy of what things are like," Voegel said. "She's got a hard job. If she was able to do what she did when she was at our school, everybody would love her."At odds with educatorsFreda Deskin, founder and chief executive officer at ASTEC Charter School, another of the state's first charters, said advocating for higher quality and school choice doesn't have to be done at the expense of educators."I believe a lot of the controversy comes from a lack of dialogue and devaluing people who have spent their lives in education," Deskin said. "We are disenfranchising the great teachers and great administrators who are out there."She also argues that it is a misnomer to describe Oklahoma's charter schools as "deregulated" because except for collective bargaining rights for their teachers, they have most of the same requirements as traditional public schools, such as standardized testing and extensive documentation."I think it's very unfair to say educators don't want change and accountability because everyone I know is for accountability and reform," Deskin said. "Like those folks, I do not believe you make important changes by getting people a drink of water with a fire hose. There are no winners when everyone starts taking sides."Tulsa Superintendent Keith Ballard said he reached out to Barresi repeatedly after she took office but was rebuffed."I started out trying to be friends with Janet Barresi. I said while I may not agree with everything you have advocated for, I think we have common ground and I want to work with you to understand what you're doing," he said. "But if she doesn't think of something or it doesn't fit her Chiefs for Change model, she isn't interested in it."He was referring to Barresi's membership in a Jeb Bush foundation-sponsored group of state schools chiefs, all of whom are pursuing a similar agenda of education policy changes.Ballard said the response was particularly confounding because of the sweeping, difficult reforms Tulsa Public Schools has been engaged in. Those include an overhaul of alternative education programs and a voluntary consolidation called Project Schoolhouse that shuttered 14 schools and restarted a low-performing elementary school and high school.But more notable, Ballard said, was the creation of a cutting-edge, high-stakes evaluation system for teachers and school leaders, which was aided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and financed by some of the same big-name Tulsa donors who contributed to Barresi's campaign."I think my record on change and reform is really clear. The year before we started the Teacher Leader evaluation, we only exited four ineffective teachers, but since then we have exited more than 200," Ballard said. "If I had approached the Project Schoolhouse efficiency initiative in the manner with which she has tried to cram things down the throats of professional educators, it would have been a disaster."He added, "I truly believe Janet Barresi is anti-public education, and I really didn't believe that at first. I also no longer believe her to be an honest or truthful person."The working relationship with the state superintendent described by Tracy McDaniel, founding principal at KIPP Reach College Preparatory School, could not be more different.McDaniel, of the Oklahoma City school in the same charter network as KIPP Tulsa College Preparatory, said Barresi seeks him out for input regularly because he's too busy to attend any of her advisory council meetings."I'm a supporter of he迷你倉s, but I knew she would have difficulty," he said. "We're probably in the bottom (in national rankings) of most categories -- per-pupil expenditures, standards. The sad part is no one knows that here. We are so far behind, and now we are trying to get ready for Common Core standards. We have a Common Core mentality with sports, but not education. They would crucify (OU football coach) Bob Stoops, as well as (OSU football coach Mike) Gundy, if they had low expectations."McDaniel also said he freely disagrees with and questions Barresi about certain decisions."She's definitely misunderstood, but I'm not going to say I agree with every decision Janet makes," he said. "I don't agree with her decision to pull out of (a consortium of other states developing new standardized tests). I haven't talked to her about that yet, but when I do, I will say, 'Explain to me why we did what we did.' "Other Republicans' reflectionsState Rep. Todd Thomsen, the majority whip, said he has experienced a "total lack of respect for legislators with an opposing view or a question about anything" on Barresi's agenda."A very small percentage of people at the Capitol are controlling the education agenda, and there is no attempt to change anything to reflect Oklahoma's specific needs," said the Ada Republican. "I can't help but wonder, are we being pushed into a national agenda? Because there is an overriding urgency to do everything on a schedule, and any push-back or modification is trampled."Still, he said, Barresi is only one "catalyst" for change at the Capitol and as such shouldn't bear the brunt of all of the controversy on her own."When we as a party took over completely, we basically did every single thing all at once. I think it was a poor implementation strategy," Thomsen said. "I would probably get criticized for this, but we've never actually seen the hard data to prove that any of the reforms actually work, and we're asking every school to do the same thing."Thomsen said he has never before witnessed the level of statewide consensus on any one issue as currently exists about standardized testing's negative effects on students' education and teacher morale."As an old football player, I think of things in sports terms," said Thomsen, who played for the University of Oklahoma from 1985-1988. "You want to see a coach that gets long-term results because people work really hard for them? It's a coach that coaches out of optimism, of appreciation, of respect, and as a teammate. The leadership style that has been implemented is one that is motivation by fear. We do it in the name of 'reform,' but that's our fancy way of justifying that we use a stick to try to improve education."State Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing, works regularly with Barresi on budget requests for common education and was a co-author of legislation based on one of Barresi's campaign platform issues -- replacing old school accountability scores with annual report cards with an A-F letter grade for every school in the state.An intense fight over the method for calculating those grades dominated news headlines throughout the fall of 2012. Eventually, the bill's co-authors, Denney and Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, got involved to legislate changes to those grade calculations.At a time when improvement in Oklahoma's public schools is badly needed, educators have been disenfranchised, Denney said."I've worked with her just fine because I've been brought to the table. I think she's got some good ideas, but she's trying to implement change too fast. Also, when you try to ram the battleship for change and you don't try to bring people along with you, you have problems," Denney said. "Certainly, she has demonstrated her style of leading is this way because this is how she has led for three years."Election season loomingBarresi has already announced her candidacy for re-election, but with three straight years of controversy and at least a handful of potential opponents exploring a challenge, she is in for a fight for voters before next year's elections.Luanne Dillard, a registered nurse in Wynnewood who is among 200 or so members of a Facebook group of Barresi supporters, said she voted for Barresi in 2010 because she liked her charter school background and a friend of hers who attended college with Barresi spoke highly of her intelligence and work ethic."I thought we would have more opportunity for some kind of change with Dr. Barresi," Dillard said. "I am not a fan of the Common Core standards from what I know about them, and it was a surprise and a disappointment to see her support that. I, as a conservative, like keeping control more local. I will have to see who is running this next election. I'm not too sure right now."Tulsan Brian Hunt, executive director of a parent and child advocacy group called Stand for Children-Oklahoma, said a poll his organization conducted in June to gauge the attitudes of Oklahoma voters on education issues found "that Oklahomans don't believe expectations for teachers and students are clear, and they are highly dissatisfied with the state of public education.""It's clear there's been a breakdown in communication between the state superintendent and the people affected most by key decisions coming out of the state department. This is troubling," Hunt said."We're willing to work with anyone who understands the value of giving everyone a seat at the table when implementing reforms that must reach classrooms and help students."Timeline of biggest controversies-- Jan. 2011 -- At first state Board of Education meeting, members appointed by former Democratic Gov. Brad Henry refuse Barresi's proposed hires of three top advisers. Some cite concerns about an Oklahoma City nonprofit group already paying the salaries of Barresi's picks for chief of staff and communications manager, while another questions hiring of a pregnant woman.-- April 2011 -- Oklahoma Legislature strips state board of power over education department but lets it retain control over public schools. Governor will be allowed to replace seven-member board.-- May 2011 -- Gov. Mary Fallin signs into law two of Barresi's primary campaign issues -- mandatory retention of third-graders not reading at grade level beginning in 2014 and replacement of school scoring system with A-F report cards. Also, Attorney General Scott Pruitt issues opinion that Barresi broke the law when she hired two aides without board approval and arranged to have them paid through private entity.-- July 2011 -- Districts begin threatening lawsuit to regain $34 million for state-mandated health benefits for teachers. Within two months, Barresi and Fallin announce commitment to fund benefits.-- Dec. 2011 -- State's Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Commission votes 13-5 to make Tulsa Public Schools' new teacher evaluation Oklahoma's statewide model over two national vendor models. Barresi among dissenters. State board decides to let districts choose and nearly 500 select Tulsa model.-- Jan. 2012 -- Tulsa lawmaker says Barresi targeting Hale High School for possible state takeover.-- March 2012 -- State's focus shifts from takeover at Hale to "turnaround partnership" at McLain High School for Science and Technology.-- July 2012 -- Two state board members, joined by school leaders, question department for reserving a record amount of state aid -- and twice the legal minimum -- for anticipated growth, namely at virtual and charter schools.-- Oct. 2012 -- Coalition of 300-plus superintendents decries state's school report card calculation methods. State board initially votes to delay release of grades, but later in the month approves department's original calculations. Also, state auditor accuses department of spending funds from unauthorized account for expenses at 2011 summer conference.-- Dec. 2012 -- Department responds to state audit by saying it is changing its conference funding practices.-- Jan. 2013 -- Policy experts at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University criticize state's methods in A-F report card system. Also, Barresi calls on Legislature to dedicate lottery money to school technology but gets no response.-- Feb. 2013 -- Barresi tells parents that university policy experts renounced their criticism of report card system, but experts say that never happened. Also, Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group says Oklahoma is one of six states in which former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's education foundation is writing and editing education laws and regulations in ways that could benefit its private funders.-- April 2013 -- Computer servers of Oklahoma's new testing vendor crash, interrupting testtaking throughout state.-- July 2013 -- Barresi announces Oklahoma won't use new tests from consortium of 20- plus states for new Common Core curriculum standards; state will develop its own new tests. Also, educators question department's handling of testing debacle and why contract was renewed without public discussion of problems.State Superintendent Janet BarresiBefore her election in 2010, Barresi, 61, worked as a dentist. Her first career was as a speech pathologist in Harrah and Norman schools. She also helped found Independence Charter Middle School and Harding Charter Preparatory High School in Oklahoma City. She is the widowed mother of two adult sons.Andrea Eger 918-581-8470andrea.eger@tulsaworld.comCopyright: ___ (c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) Visit Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) at .tulsaworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services文件倉

Source: Albuquerque Journal, N.mini storageM.Aug. 18--As she heads toward an evaluation by the Santa Fe Community College board on Monday, SFCC President Ana "Cha" Guzman says she's "been caught between and betwixt" as she tries to take the school to another level.Guzman has been under fire from some associated with the school, to the point that the governing board approved hiring a private investigator to check out some of the complaints.In an interview Friday, Guzman, a native of Cuba who came to Santa Fe in 2012 after 11 years at the helm of Palo Alto College in San Antonio, Texas, noted that her two predecessors at SFCC were promoted from within the SFCC ranks."When you've worked together for a long, long time, you really become a family," she said. "I had entered a new family. I had to make sure people understand that I valued everybody in the family, but that changes had to be made if we want to go to the next step."She also said: "I think that everyone understands that when a new leader comes onto the scene, people who have been at the institution a long time don't want to see change. But the board entrusted me in taking the college to the next step."She said she's cut administrative costs and positions to free up $600,000 for eight additional faculty and technician spots. She said only 37 percent of classes had been taught by full-time faculty.Guzman also said her reorganization was not intended to suggest anyone was incompetent. "The changes were made because we need to free up some money" and because administrative costs were too high, Guzman said."I understand how hard it was for them," she added.List of concernsLast spring, the school's faculty senate presented a letter to the board that said there was a "high level of dissatisfaction" among staff members.The letter outlined a list of concerns, including that there was a lack of input from key stakeholders, a sense among staff of being undervalued, confusing processes for hiring deans and department chairs, a lack of a formal review process available to offer feedback to administrators, and a belief that the implementation of a strategic plan and academic reorganization was happening too fast.In response, Guzman announced the formation of an Academic Quality Improvement Council to address those concerns. But because it was near the end of the school year, Guzman said the council wouldn't be formed until school resumed in the fall.In a letter dated July 31, the staff senate sent a letter to Guzman expressing many of the same concerns.The letter states that it intended to facilitate discussions about some of the concerns employees have."This discussion is not about being for or against the president or any other individual," the letter read. "The focus here is on issues and actions."The letter praised Guzman for putting student success and completion at the forefront of the college's agenda, her initiating the Center of Academic Traditions -- a one-credit first-year student success course -- and her efforts to address challenging budget issues. It then goes on to outline a number of concerns staff has pertaining to quality process and conditions of employment.The letter states that the staff has several concerns over employment security, valuing all employees, and incentives and benefits.The letter notes that staffing assignments are at the discretion of the college, but says that "Nonetheless, the reassignment of the deans to faculty status with a commensurate reduction in pay without any form of due process, while technically in compliance with policy, was unprecedented. Staff members are concerned that this suggests that any employee could, without warning or voice, be reassigned to a lower position and subject to a significant decrease in salary in the course of reorganization."The staff senatself storage letter also says an attempt to move approximately 30 employees from regular employment status to at-will status, meaning they would serve at the pleasure of the president, was unprecedented.Though the governing board tabled the issue, the letter states that staff members are still concerned that something similar could happen at any time and that the rationale for making changes wouldn't be fully communicated.The senate letter also raised concerns over statements made by Guzman that staff was less important than faculty for student success."Although the statements may not have been intended to be derogatory, they have been interpreted by many members of the staff as such and have had a negative impact on morale," states the letter.Clearing her nameIn an effort to reduce administrative costs, Guzman created a retirement incentive program under which 47 employees have left, a figure that has provoked some concern among the SFCC community about turnover.Guzman says it's not an early retirement program -- those already eligible for retirement can receive a buyout of $2,000 per year of service, up to a maximum of $20,000.Documents obtained by the Journal show the incentive payments have totalled $892,000 so far. But Guzman said longer-term salary savings from the program are being used for a veterans resource center, a center for academic transitions (aimed at helping students graduate, transfer to four-year colleges or find jobs) and other "direct services to students."In explaining the retirement incentives, Guzman initially said that, in general, community colleges "retain employees for way too long" and that SFCC had a lot of staffers who'd been eligible to retire for years but had not done so. Asked to elaborate, she said it wasn't that employees stayed too long, but that community colleges provided great teaching jobs without some of the requirements imposed on four-year college professors and "in general people stay and stay until there are incentives to retire."Guzman maintained that it was her idea for a private investigator to be hired, after board member Linda Siegle began receiving calls complaining about Guzman. With an investigation, Guzman said, Siegle "would be able to see that in fact, one, it was very few people at the college that were making the complaints and, two, it was orchestrated by some people who may have been angry at me for requiring them to do their job.""I just felt it would be helpful for everybody to kind of see that in fact a lot of employees are very supportive of me because they feel we are moving forward and serving the students." Guzman said.She said SFCC has improved its graduation rate, which has been the second-worst in the state, and enrollment is up about 6 percent compared to this time last year. The school has about 6,500 students.But Siegle said it was the governing board that first discussed the idea of an investigator and brought it to Guzman. Siegle said Guzman supported the probe "to clear her name." The school is paying $60 an hour for the probe, with an estimated cost of $3,600.Guzman said what the investigator is looking into is her interactions with others at the school. Siegle said she has received "a lot of complaints about issues."The board will discuss the private investigator's report and the results of Guzman's evaluation during a board retreat on Monday. The board meets for its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday. Among the agenda items are an update on the board retreat, reports from the faculty and staff senates, as well as student government, the faculty salary schedule and approval of the strategic plan.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at .abqjournal.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉

Dee Poon is flying high.儲存 The managing director and chief brand officer of local shirt label Pye is celebrating her latest coup: becoming the official designer of Cathay Pacific’s First Class Sleep Suit, which launched last month.“Cathay Pacific is, in many ways, Hong Kong’s face to the world. I talk about Pye harnessing the interesting or positive things happening here, and this is a good way to share our message,” says Poon, who beat six other designers to secure the contract.Poon launched Pye in 2012 with the mission to create Asia’s first men’s shirting specialist.Since then, the brand has opened five boutiques in Greater China, and has become a favourite with stylish men who appreciate the quality organic cotton sourced from Xinjiang.Pye also has an integrated operation, and this came in handy with this project.“Initially, I looked at every pair of pyjamas out there. It’s not uncommon for a cotton house to do pyjamas, so we even developed the fabric. It looks elegant, but it’s also soft and comfortable,” Poon says.Style was just as important as comfort. The pyjama top has a double-sided collar based on the Zhongshan Zhuang mandarin collar popularised by Sun Yat-sen. It can be worn up for a mo新蒲崗迷你倉e traditional look, or down in a classic Western pyjama style – something Poon says gives an “East-meets-West twist”.Poon loved the style so much she developed a similar one in jersey for the brand’s autumn-winter ready-to-wear collection.High fliers will also appreciate the fact that the sleep suit is made from organic cotton. It comes in six contemporary colours which range from blue to grey, and the colour will change each month.Matching slippers and an eye mask complete the set, although Poon’s favourite item is the packaging: a signature Pye tote bag.“It’s a tote, so it’s similar to a shopping bag. Whenever I get on planes, I always have a lot of stuff that I’ve bought, and I don’t know where to put it.“This bag is perfect, because it is lightweight, and you can fit your essentials in it. Plus it’s reuseable,” she says.Now the Cathay Pacific collaboration is finished, Poon is looking forward to working on other exciting projects.She is also dressing the Hong Kong Virtuosi Ensemble, a string ensemble which is dedicated to readying young musicians for live performances.“We’re idealistic, and we want to change the world and share our aspirations with people to make a better tomorrow,” Poon says.mini storage

今年導遊考試題型變化大，迷你倉錄取率驟降，蕭維相慶幸自己聽前輩的話，好好把書看完，才能過關。導遊考試錄取率從往年的30至50%，降到今年的13.66%。蕭維相說，自己沒有補習，全靠一個字「勤」，考前20天，他把自己關在屋內，什麼也不做，就只是念書。蕭維相說，許多考生靠練習考古題準備考試，但是如果題型一變，就全亂了陣腳，只能猜答案，因此，光練考古題是不夠的。蕭維相沒補習，他說，身邊有一些韓國朋友，中文不好，選擇上補習班來準備公職考試。但他認為，若找到適合自文件倉的方法，就算不補習，也有機會錄取。蕭維相分享他備考的方式，就是認認真真、老老實實地把《導遊實務一》、《導遊實務二》、《觀光資源概要》從頭看到尾。他說，剛開始擔心自己記不來這麼多，但盡量抱持輕鬆的心情，把「課本」當「小說」念。蕭維相說，自己大學之前都在韓國，這次準備導遊考試，也讓自己更了解台灣的歷史跟人文，「準備過程覺得很有趣，好像重新把台灣認識一遍的感覺。」蕭維相認為，未來導遊考試只會越來越難，考生除認真K書，了解導遊領隊相關實務經驗，也會很有幫助。存倉

　【本報記者曹起熊鹿港報導】鹿港桂花巷藝術村深具特色，迷你倉又富含藝術氣息，近年已成為遊客到鹿港旅遊的重要景點，也開始吸引到世界各地藝術家的關注。此次申請案中首次出現多位來自台灣以外的優秀藝術家申請進駐，期待能與在地藝術家互動並激發出嶄新的藝術思潮。多位來自不同藝術領域藝文界佼佼者積極爭取至此駐村，競爭相當激烈。　鎮長黃振彥表示，桂花巷藝術村在清治時期是主要的貿易河道，沿岸種滿桂花飄香，日據時代在此興建日式宿舍群，原已閒置荒廢，後經整修重建成目前樣貌。因相當具有歷史意義與特色，國內文件倉少見，是重要的文化資產，加上鹿港遊客眾多，藝術家駐村相對提高，因此審慎規劃將藝術村推向國際，吸引更多世界級藝術家來申請進駐。　鎮長黃振彥表示，因此次申請的藝術家素質很好，頗受專家學者好評，為避免遺珠之憾，並讓民眾可欣賞到更多元的藝術，將立刻重新規劃藝術村其餘空間，讓藝術村今年可有12位藝術家進駐。本屆藝術家的駐村日期由今年9月1日起至明年2月底止。入選名單為：廖迎晰、何劍、A7958當代藝術、房耀忠、鹿江書畫工作室、施竣雄、蘇施麗花、鹿藝會、鄧漢聰、財團法人鹿江文化藝術基金會。存倉

【本報消息】近年連鎖加盟市場大行其道，迷你倉出租澳門例子亦不少。澳門連鎖加盟商會主席馬志毅表示，連鎖加盟可分為直營、連鎖加盟，為培育及推廣品牌，商會早前舉行了連鎖加盟嘉許禮，鼓勵並推廣企業品牌的知名度。鑑於台灣連鎖加盟市場成行成市，且加盟門檻較低，適合本澳發展，下一步計劃與台灣的連鎖加盟代理公司合作，推出“連鎖加盟品牌銀行”協助創業，並續辦連鎖加盟工作坊。加盟制度要摸索馬志毅表示，目前澳門連鎖加盟以直營為主，也多了連鎖加盟。商會早前舉辦“二○一三年度優秀連鎖加盟商獎”頒獎禮，獎勵“優秀直營連鎖商”及“優秀連鎖加盟商”，希望結合商會推廣企業品牌。評審標準包括企業分店數目、營業額等標準，但更關注企業在維護品牌、建立管理文化、市場推廣策略等表現，未來將借助MFE繼續舉辦嘉許禮推動發展。他指出，澳門公司早以直營擴張市場，發展加盟總公司還在起步，且模式未必與國際相若。有的公司很想以連鎖加盟方式發展，但還未能建立加盟制度的法律框架以至一套商業模式，因生產流程、人資儲存倉訓、後台支持等未有標準化，目前僅以參股合作方式拓展外地市場。台門檻低適合澳澳門近年新引進的加盟品牌，以台灣餐飲品牌為主。他解釋，參考不同地區的加盟門檻，台灣有其優點。台灣加盟品牌�多，品牌商願花心思扶持加盟者，且加盟費門檻低至10萬元台幣。那邊廂，內地品牌也希望在澳發展連鎖加盟，因澳門有近三千萬旅客，內地旅客來澳會幫襯熟悉的店舖，有助打響旗號。但加盟費高，動輒50萬至100萬，澳門市場細，可開店舖數量有限，結果多是內地品牌直接來澳開業。至於外國加盟品牌通常港澳區同一公司負責，當有香港加盟店，澳門投資者並沒有機會。此外，品牌能否成功移植，取決於本地化空間，如餐飲業因不同地區口味而調節。日本品牌很多均欠缺彈性調節，韓國則有較多的空間。為配合政府推出青創計劃，市場也希望有創業顧問等服務，連鎖加盟正切合需要，商會下一步考慮與台灣的連鎖加盟代理公司合作，發展連鎖加盟品牌銀行，協助創業者發展；另外，參考過去舉辦連鎖加盟內容的工作坊反應熱烈，未來將會繼續舉辦。迷你倉沙田

文化部推動培育莫拉克永久屋基地文化種子邁入第2年，自存倉今年從杉林大愛園區、日光小林、五里埔中，培育出12位文化種子，昨發表成果展「鼓舞新故鄉－族群文化饗宴」，邀請上百民眾同歡，宛如一場小型嘉年華。文化種子培訓計畫主持人盧思岳指出，今年30多人報名參賽，經提案篩選後，12名優秀居民脫穎而出，展開近3個月培訓，針對文化創意商品、旅遊導覽、活動承辦、歌舞表演等內容教育。有成員深入社區調查、採訪，著手編輯社區報《擁報》、《小林ㄟ代誌》等；繪製「月眉基地文化產業地圖」串起藝文工迷你倉新蒲崗、產業市集、聚落設施等51據點，讓訪客一目了然原鄉人文及自然景觀等風貌。盧思岳提到，10月下旬將推出「走出悲情－發現幸福．公益小旅行」。將由文化種子成員一手包辦文化導覽，帶領遊客體驗兩天一夜的原鄉生活，並安排入住小林五里埔社區寄宿家庭，盼能活化觀光產業，帶動地方發展。大愛園區管委會主委孫榮顯表示，目前園區有900餘戶，平日居民大多外出工作，因地方沒有具規模產業吸引年輕人留下，人口外移嚴重，大部分民眾還是回原鄉打拚，「新故鄉」必須發展自己的產業特色，才走出一條新的道路。迷你倉出租

【今日澳門訊】自澳門大學橫琴新校區正式移交澳門特區政府，迷你倉價錢各項工作已有序地進行，為保障澳門大學新校區及河底隧道的消防安全，澳門消防局昨日上午10時，調派人員臨時進駐澳大橫琴校區消防站。鑒於現時消防站仍未具條件供消防局人員作全面進駐，但為了保障新校區及河底隧道的消防安全，以及滿足消防局召喚緊急救援的服務承諾，因此，消防局以臨時進駐的方式派員在新校區消防站駐守。是次進駐調派了40名消防人員在橫琴校區消防站作輪值工作，另外，進駐的救援車包括：搶救車、水泵車、消防雲梯車、救護車及其他緊急車輛，藉此為新校區提供消防救援及救護服務。

南都訊 記者張豔芬實習生王玥 廣州白雲區“一號工程”———白雲綜合服務功能區內11平方公里的“�動區”即日起正式進行城市設計國際競賽報名，迷你倉新蒲崗�動區修建性詳細規劃設計費為300萬元，報名截止時間為8月26日。廣州市規劃局日前發佈《白雲綜合服務功能區核心區總體研究及�動區城市設計國際競賽報名公告》，除了11平方公里的“�動區”，這次�動國際競賽報名的還包括20平方公里核心區的總體研究。白雲綜合服務功能區東起白雲迷你倉出租道、南至華南快速路、西達廣花路、北至北二環高速路，總用地面積62.5平方公里，核心區範圍20平方公里，�動區範圍11平方公里。《公告》顯示，通過這次競賽將白雲綜合服務功能區建設成為集市民公共服務、政務服務、現代商務、旅遊休閒、生態居住為一體的政務、經濟、文化、社會管理綜合服務功能區。有意單位可上規劃局官網瞭解詳情。(聯繫郵箱：gzcqc2006@ 163.com；網址：http：//.gzcqc.com)。儲存倉

（新加坡17日訊）人氣小童星加加博士（Dr.Jia Jia），儲存倉短短8個月獲至少20商家機構青睞，拍廣告酬勞至少4位數，但他並非來者不拒，只接4個。自德士當家（Taxi！Taxi！）上映後，加加的廣告與演戲邀約不斷，包括新傳媒、博彩遊戲程式（app）、保健品銷售商、汽車公司等。在眾多廣告商與機構當中，加加只接受華僑銀行、Hp影印機、韓國Kia汽車與本土公司Mavenlab的邀約，另外義務幫助國家公園局拍攝50周年慶廣告。他的母親受訪時說，至少20家商家機構聯絡過他們，包括知名快餐連鎖店，但由於他們一家素食，只能婉拒。但對方不死心，遊說加加代言快餐店的隻果派、芋頭派、玉蜀黍等，勢必要加加成為代言人。“不是不想代言，而是有些廣告實在不符合我們為人處事原則，我不想孩子長大後回頭看，懊悔曾拍過的廣告。”“有時候我會自問，加加還是個小孩，如果拍攝賭博遊戲程式的廣告，對孩子來說究竟是怎樣的信息？”加加的父母也不時向他灌輸正確的價值觀，例如年頭時將華僑銀行的廣告片酬，全數捐給菲律賓風災災民。加加也曾受邀演出近來受到不少好評的本土劇，但由於角色與加加的形象不符，他父母只好忍痛推拒，“此外，拍戲時間不定，加加還迷你倉沙田要上學，我們何德何能，要整個機構遷就加加？”總裁親自出馬邀代言為找加加代言，Mavenlab總裁親自出馬。這個總裁親自約見加加的爸爸，請加加代言新開發的德士預約程式（Mobitaxi）。據悉，除了總裁，公司還出動市場策劃總監和區域經理，陣仗很大，加加一家人很感動，因此接受片約。“雖然酬勞不高，但我們認為好的東西，應該讓大家分享。”他們接受Kia邀請，因為“符合加加的形象”。7歲的加加，再以新式英語（Singlish）拍攝The Car Kia（與閩南語小仔同音）短片，為Kia製造不少“新式”笑料。除了加加與哥哥，他們的父母也參與改稿、對稿與剪輯工作。加加的工作時間，同時也是親子互動的時間。不因“戲”影響課業拍短片、接廣告，兼學跆拳道、鋼琴，還能不影響課業。問及加加是否會因“戲”廢學時，加加媽媽表示，廣告的拍攝通常不會花很多時間，“像為公園局拍攝的周年慶廣告，不到半天就結束了。”她透露，加加只在課余如學校假期或週末時拍攝短片，影響不大，反而有所幫助。“他有當演員的天份，拍廣告、短片對他而言不是負擔，反而是他玩樂時間”。此外，加加還有空學跆拳道和鋼琴等才藝，“他差一兩次考試就能考到柔道初段了。”;迷你倉價錢

□周俊生 上海媒體人據說，儲存倉今年已被中國文學界稱為“長篇小說出版大年”，韓少功、余華、蘇童、遲子建等知名作家都有新的長篇問世，中國最負盛名的大作家王蒙在這股熱潮中自然不能落後，他端出了一部60萬字的巨著《這邊風景》，至少在厚度上把其他作家壓了下去。不過，王蒙的這部小說並不是他的新作，而是他寫于40年前的一部“出土文物”。40年前的中國是個什麼情景？“文革”已近尾聲，社會各方面的秩序稍有恢複，在“文革”初期被掃得幹乾淨淨的長篇小說這一文體開始重新出現，除了被官方欽定為“紅色作家”的浩然出版了《豔陽天》、《金光大道》等長篇外，部分在“文革”前已經面世的作品，如《沸騰的群山》、《海島女民兵》也得到重新出版的機會。自然，新創作的作品就更多了，除了那本臭名昭著的《虹南作戰史》外，當時曾經風靡的至少還有《激戰無名川》、《春潮急》，當然還少不了今天作為“紅歌”扛鼎之作的《紅星照我去戰鬥》的原始版本《閃閃的紅星》。但是，這些作品都是嚴格按照當時官方欽定的模式來寫作的。此時尚在新疆“勞動改造”的王蒙也不甘寂寞，他開始了《這邊風景》的創作。當然，他的創作也緊跟著當時的潮流，當我今天讀著這部長篇的時候，不知不覺地就產生了回到那個年代的感覺。其實，在“文革”後期，像王蒙這樣創作的作家還有很多。20世紀80年代以《人到中年》蜚聲文壇的諶容就出版了一部反映農村兩條路線鬥爭的《萬年青》，新時期成為一線作家的劉心武出版了一部描寫少年兒童抓壞蛋的《睜大你的眼睛》，“文革”後以揭露知青苦難生活聞名的女作家張抗抗出版了她以謳歌知青生活為主題的第一部長篇小說《分界線》。但是，與他們相比，王蒙有點“不幸”，一部長篇的創作畢竟費時耗力，等他志得意滿地寫下這部長篇的最後一個字的時候，“文革”已經結束，時勢已經大變。於是，他用當時正在被批判的模式創作的《這邊風景》，也就顯得十分不合時宜，找不到地方出版了。王蒙是個聰明人，他將這部《這邊風景》雪藏起來，投入了新時期的創作，《布禮》、《夜的眼》、《風箏飄帶》、《蝴蝶》、《春之聲》、《海的夢》，正值年富力強的王蒙以其一系列新作震撼了新時期的文壇，並且迅速奠定了他在文壇上的地位。“文革”之前，中國文壇曾經有“魯郭茅，巴老曹”的說法，用以表示這6位大作家的頂尖地位，現在，他們都已成為故人，這一套類似梁山泊排座次的做法已經不時興了，如果要複一下舊，將王蒙排在第一塊牌子，估計不會有大的爭議。即使現在有一位莫言得了諾獎，但估計他也是不敢與王老爺子去搶這把交椅的。但是，當王蒙將他40年前的這部舊作拿出來出版，文壇上卻出現了不同的聲音。以王蒙在今日文壇上的隆尊地位，要收穫一大堆讚譽是不難想像的，著名的文學評論家雷達在6月22日的《文匯報》上發表《這裡有色調濃郁的風景》一文，認為這是一部重要的小說。畢竟是在評論一部40年前的作品，因此雷先生的筆下免不了就會纏繞一些40年前的語式，比如，“作品肯定離不開當時流行的政治觀念，術語，甚至鬥爭場面，但這恰恰保存了它的歷史感。”再比如，“它有它自己的詩學，雖是偏斜的詩學。現在不提階級鬥爭了，但並不意味著階級鬥爭完全不曾存在過，也不意味當時迷你倉沙田文學沒有自己的詩性和美學。”一場圍繞《這邊風景》的研討會在北京隆重召開。一大群名聲貫耳的文學評論家齊聚一堂，不吝將一連串溢美之詞砸向王蒙和他的這部“新作”，陳曉明教授大概是太陶醉了，竟然無法用文學化的語言來描述他的激動心情，而是直白地說：“這部作品我們怎麼高度評價都不為過。”當然，批評這部小說的聲音也出現了。陳沖，這位與中國曾經的美女電影演員同名的小說家，進入老年後熱衷于文學批評，先是在6月27日的《文學報》上發表《你從“這邊”看到了什麼“風景”？》一文，對王蒙將這部塵封的舊作拿出來出版提出了嚴肅的批評，緊接著又在今年7月出版的《文學自由談》第4期上發表《放了一把火，再加一把柴》一文，對《這邊風景》研討會上一邊倒的謳歌聲提出了批評。自然，對王蒙這部小說的批評並不是只有陳沖一個人，8月8日出版的《文學報》上，又有署名申漁和唐小林的作者發表兩篇文章，認為王蒙實在不應該將這樣一部過了時的小說拿出來出版。《這邊風景》應不應該出版？在文化越來越多元的當下，這個問題似乎並不具備很大的討論價值。但是，一部在“文革”結束後無法出版的作品，到今天卻可以公開問世，這中間透露出的信息還是耐人尋味的。其實，在“文革”中寫作，“文革”後順利出版並得到讀者好評的作品還是有的，比如莫應豐的《將軍吟》，就是一部在“文革”中寫出的批判“文革”的作品。莫應豐寫這部作品時，明白它在當時的環境下不可能出版，但王蒙在寫《這邊風景》時，卻是夢寐以求公開出版的，至少他當時的目標是希望以此來回到將他放逐已久的文壇。只是後來形勢變了，一部不打算出版的作品有了出版的機會，並且獲得了第一屆茅盾文學獎，而一部本想尋找出版機會的作品卻不得不委屈地進入了冷宮，直到今天才見了天日。不管怎麼樣，這部小說在王蒙的努力下，還是頑強地進入了我們的視野。我覺得，對於像王蒙這樣一位大作家來說，這部小說的出版還是有價值的，至少，它作為一種文獻，使我們對王蒙的文學道路可以重新進行評估。王蒙的這部作品，不可避免地打上了“文革”的烙印，即使是書名，也按當時的風尚，套用了最高領袖的詩句，類似的小說，我現在想得起的還有《萬山紅遍》、《飛雪迎春》、《鷹擊長空》，等等。與王蒙同時代的一些作家，即使他們的作品在當時獲得公開出版的機會，現在一般都已羞于提起，但王蒙卻不是這樣，他在40年後將它推向社會，只能說明他對這部作品的看重。那麼，作為一種文獻，當它進入王蒙作品“文庫”的時候，它與其他作品一起，組成了王蒙的全部色彩。更有趣的是，這部作品的基調，與王蒙後來寫的一系列作品形成了強烈的反差，究竟哪個是作者的真情實感，顯然也是可以探索的一個課題。唐小林發表在《文學報》上的文章《〈這邊風景〉：深陷泥淖的寫作？》中說：“王蒙如果真的對新疆那一段歲月懷有深厚的感情，那就應該本著對歷史負責的精神，將《這邊風景》這部作品進行反複的修改和認真的打磨，甚至推倒重來，而絕不應該在市場的誘惑之下，急匆匆地呈現給讀者。”依我看來，這話說得未免有點外行，如果王蒙將他這部舊作“推倒重來”，那它就失去了作為文獻的價值。這樣一來，呈現在我們面前的王蒙，就依然只能是一個模糊不清的形象。迷你倉價錢